Prevalence and abundance of Cryptosporidium parvum and giardia spp. in wild rural rodents from the Mazury Lake District region of Poland.

Prevalence and abundance of Cryptosporodium parvum and Giardia spp. were studied in 3 species of rodents from forests and abandoned agricultural fields in N.E.

Understanding how patients form beliefs about pharmacists' trustworthiness using a model of belief processing.

Objective: To determine what information people use in forming beliefs about pharmacists' trustworthiness and to determine whether these pieces of information can be categorized using elements of a model of belief processing.

Design: Participants in two focus groups were asked about the trustworthiness of pharmacists in one dispensing scenario and two pharmaceutical care scenarios. Transcripts were analyzed, and each piece of information provided was coded as an evidence statement or a claim, according to a model of belief processing.

Axillary lymph node metastases: a statistical analysis of various parameters in MRI with USPIO.

Purpose: To assess the value of plain vs. iron oxide-enhanced MRI vs. the combined study (plain + postcontrast) based on qualitative and quantitative parameters of three pulse sequences.

Effects of mailed dissemination of the Royal College of Radiologists' guidelines on general practitioner referrals for radiography: a time series analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of postal dissemination of the third edition of the Royal College of Radiologists' (RCR) guidelines on general practitioner referrals for radiography.

Materials And Methods: An interrupted time series using monthly data for 34 months before and 14 months after dissemination of the guidelines was employed. Data were abstracted for the period April 1994 to March 1998 from the computerized administrative systems of open access radiological services provided by two teaching hospitals in one region of Scotland.

Serotonin 1A receptor activation and hypothermia in humans: lack of evidence for a presynaptic mediation.

The hypothermia produced by 5-HT1A agonists had initially been claimed to be caused by the activation of cell body 5-HT1A autoreceptors resulting in decreased 5-HT transmission in laboratory animals. In order to address this issue in humans, 12 healthy volunteers underwent a dietary tryptophan depletion paradigm to decrease 5-HT availability, under double-blind conditions, during which body temperature was monitored following oral administration of the 5-HT1A agonist buspirone (30 mg). In addition, plasma prolactin and growth hormone evaluations, two responses that are mediated via the direct activation of postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors, were determined.

Frequent LOH at hMLH1, a highly variable SNP in hMSH3, and negligible coding instability in ovarian cancer.

Background: Molecular alterations such as DNA microsatellite instability (MSI/RER), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) can occur throughout the genome and be associated with different types of cancer. In the present study, we aimed at detecting molecular alterations within the mismatch DNA repair genes in ovarian cancer (OC), using a sensitive, accurate and reliable protocol we have developed.

Materials And Methods: A combination of high-resolution GeneScan software analysis and automated DNA cycle sequencing was used.

Dynamic contrast enhanced MRI of the axilla in women with breast cancer: comparison with pathology of excised nodes.

Axillary lymph node status is the most important prognostic factor in breast cancer patients and is currently determined by surgical dissection. This study was performed to assess whether dynamic gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd) enhanced MRI is an accurate method for non-invasive staging of the axilla. 47 women with a new primary breast cancer underwent pre-operative dynamic Gd enhanced MRI of the ipsilateral axilla.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer: significantly enhanced response with docetaxel.

Purpose: To compare the efficacy of neoadjuvant (NA) docetaxel (DOC) with anthracycline-based therapy and determine the efficacy of NA DOC in patients with breast cancer initially failing to respond to anthracycline-based NA chemotherapy (CT).

Patients And Methods: Patients with large or locally advanced breast cancer received four pulses of cyclophosphamide 1,000 mg/m(2), doxorubicin 50 mg/m(2), vincristine 1.5 mg/m(2), and prednisolone 40 mg (4 x CVAP) for 5 days.

The relationship between mimetic imperfection and phenotypic variation in insect colour patterns.

Many hoverflies (Syrphidae) mimic wasps or bees through colour or behavioural adaptations. The relationship between phenotypic variation in colour pattern and mimetic perfection (as determined by pigeons) was investigated in three species of Müllerian mimics (Vespula spp.) and 10 Batesian hoverfly mimics, plus two non-mimetic species of flies.

Reliable ELISAs showing differences between resistant and susceptible lines in hens orally inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis.

Reliable ELISAs were investigated with the aim to select hen lines resistant to Salmonella Enteritidis and producing high levels of antibodies. In the first experiment, the relation between the humoral response and the bacteriological results was assessed on hens from the Y11 resistant line and the L2 susceptible line, orally inoculated with 10(8) CFU S. Enteritidis per animal.

Correlation between rare chromosomal abnormalities and prenatal ultrasound findings.

Our objective was to examine ultrasound findings with outcomes in cases of rare chromosomal abnormalities diagnosed during pregnancy. Results of cytogenetic studies obtained from amniocenteses and chorionic villus samplings (CVS) from 1994-2000 were reviewed. Only those examples of rare chromosomal abnormalities with little information on the associated outcome were included.

Cystic fibrosis carrier screening: steps in the development of a mutation panel.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has now officially recommended that cystic fibrosis (CF) carrier screening be offered to all Caucasian pregnant couples. The American College of Medical Genetics (ACMG) has officially recommended that CF-carrier screening be performed using a 25-mutation panel. Data is presented to indicate that an expanded pan-ethnic mutation panel, containing at least 47 mutations, would provide significantly greater CF-carrier identification in the ethnically diverse U.

The measurement of fetal liver T(*)(2) in utero before and after maternal oxygen breathing: progress towards a non-invasive measurement of fetal oxygenation and placental function.

Utero-placental insufficiency is thought to be a major cause of growth retardation in utero and an important risk factor in the perinatal period. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether MRI could detect changes of fetal oxygenation, based on the blood oxygenation level dependence (BOLD) of the MRI tissue signal. Nine third trimester women (34-38 weeks) with normal pregnancies underwent abdominal MRI examinations.

What is achieved by mammographic surveillance after breast conservation treatment for breast cancer?

Background: After breast conservation surgery for breast cancer, patients are followed up by regular clinical examination and mammography, at intervals which vary according to local practice. However, the optimum interval remains unclear with current guidelines suggesting mammography should be carried out every 1 to 2 years. This study has investigated this aspect and, in particular, whether mammography or clinical examination or both allowed an early detection of recurrence of the disease in the conserved breast.

Influence of imaging on clinical decision making in the treatment of lower back pain.

Purpose: To assess the impact of cross-sectional imaging with magnetic resonance (MR) imaging or computed tomography (CT) on clinical decision making for patients with lower back pain (LBP).

Materials And Methods: A randomized controlled before-and-after study was performed in 145 patients who had symptomatic lumbar spinal disorders and had been referred to orthopedists or neurosurgeons. Participants were a subgroup within a multicenter pragmatic randomized comparison of two imaging policies on LBP treatment: "imaging" versus "no imaging," unless a clear indication developed.

Effect of audit and feedback, and reminder messages on primary-care radiology referrals: a randomised trial.

Background: Radiological tests are often used by general practitioners (GPs). These tests can be overused and contribute little to clinical management. We aimed to assess two methods of reducing GP requests for radiological tests in accordance with the UK Royal College of Radiologists' guidelines on lumbar spine and knee radiographs.

The diagnostic acceptability of low-bandwidth transmission for tele-ultrasound.

Ultrasound recordings were made of 100 consecutive patients attending for obstetric examination in Peterhead and 100 patients attending for non-obstetric examination in Aberdeen. Two identical video-conferencing machines were used to transmit and receive the original ultrasound images at data rates of 384 kbit/s and 128 kbit/s, thus producing a total of three tapes for each case. Four experienced observers, who were blinded to the transmission bandwidth, each viewed 300 examinations and decided whether the images were acceptable or not for diagnosis.

Immunopotentiation of Staphylococcus aureus type 5 capsular polysaccharide co-entrapped in liposomes with alpha-toxin.

Immunopotentiation of Staphylococcus aureus type 5 capsular polysaccharide (CP5) by use of liposomes as an alternative to protein-polysaccharide conjugates was investigated. Mice were immunized twice with cationic liposomes containing CP5 alone or CP5 co-entrapped with alpha-toxin or heat-detoxified alpha-toxin. Immunogenicity of these different antigens was compared with CP5-alpha-toxin conjugates.