[Discuss Many to Benefit More - Five-Year Analysis of a Multidisciplinary Aortic Board].

Background: Multidisciplinary aortic boards (mAB) are a valuable tool for decision making in patients with aortic pathologies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mAB of a maximum care hospital with regards to total patient volume and discipline-specific presentations. Furthermore, the indications for conservative/surgical treatment and the patients' allocation were reviewed.

Effectiveness Evaluation of Additional Risk Minimization Measures for Adolescent Use of Aripiprazole in the European Union: Results from a Post-Authorization Safety Study.

Introduction: Two risk minimization (RM) tools-a healthcare professional frequently asked questions (HCP-FAQs) brochure and a patient/caregiver information brochure (PCIB)-were developed for HCPs and for adolescents (aged ≥ 13 years) receiving aripiprazole for bipolar I mania and their caregivers.

Objectives: This study evaluated the effectiveness of these RM tools in improving the awareness and education of HCPs and patients/caregivers.

Method: The RM tools were distributed to HCPs (identified in agreement with the marketing authorization holder [MAH] and local regulatory authorities), who in turn distributed the PCIBs to patients/caregivers.

[Hybrid operating rooms versus conventional operating rooms : Economic comparisons in vascular surgery using the example of endovascular aneurysm repair].

Background: With changing treatment modalities in vascular surgery towards incorporating more endovascular solutions, increased numbers of hybrid operating theatres are being introduced to meet the sterility and imaging quality requirements. These cost-intensive acquisitions however have never been evaluated from an economic perspective. In this study we evaluated cost-relevant parameters before and after the introduction of a hybrid operating room using the example of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) performed in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA).

Newly diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Clinical features and distribution of the novel stages of the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease.

Background: The new guidelines of the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) propose a novel staging system for COPD. This study describes the frequency distribution of GOLD stages in newly diagnosed COPD patients in a large city pulmonary practice.

Methods: All patients newly admitted between 1995 and 1996 were analyzed retrospectively.

8-(Sulfostyryl)xanthines: water-soluble A2A-selective adenosine receptor antagonists.

8-(Sulfostyryl)xanthine derivatives were synthesized as water-soluble A2A-selective adenosine receptor (AR) antagonists. meta- and para-sulfostyryl-DMPX (3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine) derivatives 11a and 11b exhibited high affinity to rat A2A-AR in submicromolar concentrations, and were 20- to 30-fold selective versus rat A1-AR. Styryl-DMPX derivatives were inactive at human A2B- and A3-AR.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine derivatives, A2A-selective adenosine receptor antagonists.

A series of 8-substituted derivatives of 3,7-dimethyl-1-propargylxanthine (DMPX) was synthesized and investigated as A2A adenosine receptor antagonists. Different synthetic strategies for the preparation of DMPX derivatives and analogues were explored. A recently developed synthetic procedure starting from 3-propargyl-5,6-diaminouracil proved to be the method of choice for the preparation of this type of xanthine derivatives.

Aza-analogs of 8-styrylxanthines as A2A-adenosine receptor antagonists.

In the present study we synthesized aza-analogs of 8-styrylxanthines, in which the ethenyl bridge is replaced by an imine, amide, or azo function, in order to investigate structure-activity relationships of the 8-substituent of A2A-selective xanthine derivatives. Thus, various 8-substituents were combined with theophylline or caffeine, respectively, and affinities of the novel compounds for adenosine A1- and A2a-receptors were determined and compared with those of analogous 8-styrylxanthine derivatives. 8-(Benzylideneamino)caffeine derivatives exhibited high affinity and selectivity for A2A-adenosine receptors, but were unstable in aqueous buffer solution at physiological pH values.

Chiral pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and pyrimido[4,5-b]indole derivatives: structure-activity relationships of potent, highly stereoselective A1-adenosine receptor antagonists.

A series of 33 novel, mostly chiral pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine and pyrimido[4,5-b]indole derivatives has been synthesized and investigated in radioligand binding assays at the high-affinity adenosine receptor (AR) subtypes A1 and A2a. The compounds can be envisaged as adenine and hypoxanthine analogs lacking the nitrogen in the 7-position (7-deazaadenines and 7-deazahypoxanthines). 7-Deazaadenines were much more potent than 7-deazahypoxanthines at AR with A1AR affinities in the low-nanomolar range, extraordinarily high selectivity for the rat brain A1AR versus the A2aAR (several thousandfold), and high stereoselectivity (up to 96-fold).

Tricyclic theophylline derivatives with high water-solubility: structure-activity relationships at adenosine receptors, phosphodiesterases, and benzodiazepine binding sites.

A series of tricyclic, highly water-soluble theophylline derivatives (pyrimido[2,1-f]-theophyllines) containing a basic side chain was investigated in rat brain A1- and A2 adenosine receptor binding assays, phosphodiesterase assays, and benzodiazepine binding studies. Among the new compounds adenosine receptor antagonists with affinities in the same range as the parent compound theophylline were identified. In addition, some compounds were selective for the A1 adenosine receptor subtype.