Mental status screening of emergency department patients: normative study of the quick confusion scale.

Objective: In order to increase the utility of the Quick Confusion Scale (QCS), a six-item, 15-point instrument used in screening for impaired mental status in an emergency department (ED) setting, clinical norms were established for an ED patient population.

Methods: The QCS was administered to ED patients of a university-based hospital during a nine-week period. All subjects scoring less than 15 on the QCS were also administered the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); 731 patients provided QCS scores for use in this study and 295 provided MMSE scores in addition to their QCS scores.

IARC monographs, industry influence, and upgrading, downgrading, and under-grading chemicals: a personal point of view. International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The first IARC Monographs Volume was distributed in 1972, and over the 23 years through 1993, under the leadership of Dr Lorenzo Tomatis, 59 IARC Monographs were completed. During 1977-1979 the author was privileged to lead the program for Volumes 15-22, and participated in the pioneering development of the LARC Preamble and Categories of Evidence. During this era other Chiefs of the IARC Monographs included Claus Agthe, Harri Vainio, Antero Aitio, and Julian Wilbourn.

Microdialysis monitoring of methylphenidate in blood and brain correlated with changes in dopamine and rat activity.

Methylphenidate (MPD), also called Ritalin, changes the extracellular levels of dopamine (DA) in the brain. This study coupled multiple-site microdialysis sampling with appropriate analytical methods to simultaneously profile the MPD concentration in blood and brain, while monitoring changes in the extracellular level of DA in the striatum of awake and freely moving rats. The animals' activity was also recorded.

PDGF-BB enhances expression of, and reduces adhesion to, laminin-5 in vascular smooth muscle cells.

The laminin family of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins plays crucial roles in regulating cellular growth, migration, and differentiation. We report here that laminin-5 is expressed in the tunica media of the rat aorta and pulmonary arteries. Using indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, Western blots, and RT-PCR analysis, we found that primary cultures of rat arterial smooth muscle cells express laminin-5 and deposit it into their insoluble ECM.

ERK1/2 mediates PDGF-BB stimulated vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration on laminin-5.

During restenosis following arterial injury, vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) form a neointimal layer in arteries by changing from a differentiated, contractile phenotype to a dedifferentiated, migratory, and proliferative phenotype. Several growth factors, cytokines, and extracellular matrix components released following injury have been implicated in these phenotypic changes. We have recently detected the expression of laminin-5, an ECM protein found predominantly in epithelial tissues, in the arterial vasculature.

3-Aminopyrrolidinone farnesyltransferase inhibitors: design of macrocyclic compounds with improved pharmacokinetics and excellent cell potency.

A series of macrocyclic 3-aminopyrrolidinone farnesyltransferase inhibitors (FTIs) has been synthesized. Compared with previously described linear 3-aminopyrrolidinone FTIs such as compound 1, macrocycles such as 49 combined improved pharmacokinetic properties with a reduced potential for side effects. In dogs, oral bioavailability was good to excellent, and increases in plasma half-life were due to attenuated clearance.

The International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH) and its influence on international organizations.

The ICOH has played a key role in the development of some scientific documents and policy recommendations, but it has not always been scientifically objective, particularly in regard to asbestos and other fibers and some chemicals and pesticides. Many ICOH members are employees of corporations or consultants to industry, serving multinational corporate interests to influence public health policy in the guise of a professional scientific organization. ICOH members' conflicts of interest with the public health dominate the organization and damage the standing of the ICOH.

Drosophila windpipe codes for a leucine-rich repeat protein expressed in the developing trachea.

The embryonic tracheal system of Drosophila provides an important model for understanding the process of epithelial branching morphogenesis. Here we report the sequence and expression analysis of a novel tracheal gene, named windpipe (wdp). wdp is identical to the predicted gene CG3413 and encodes a transmembrane, leucine-rich repeat family member.

Nonpeptide alpha(v)beta(3) antagonists. Part 2: constrained glycyl amides derived from the RGD tripeptide.

Mimetics of the RGD tripeptide are described that are potent, selective antagonists of the integrin receptor, alpha(v)beta(3). The use of the 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro[1,8]naphthyridine group as a potency-enhancing N-terminus is demonstrated. Two 3-substituted-3-amino-propionic acids previously contained in alpha(IIb)beta(3) antagonists were utilized to enhance binding affinity and functional activity for the targeted receptor.

Evolution of cancer etiology and primary prevention.

Primary prevention aimed at avoiding or drastically reducing exposures will be the most efficient way to prevent environmentally associated cancers.

The quick confusion scale in the ED: comparison with the mini-mental state examination.

The Quick Confusion Scale (QCS) is a 6-item battery of questions focusing on orientation, memory, and concentration weighted to yield a top score of 15. Analysis of the QCS compared with the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is needed to determine if the QCS is a valid marker of cognitive mental status. The MMSE and the QCS were administered to a convenience sample of 205 patients presenting to the emergency department.

Scaling satan.

The influence on social behavior of beliefs in Satan and the nature of evil has received little empirical study. Elaine Pagels (1995) in her book, The Origin of Satan, argued that Christians' intolerance toward others is due to their belief in an active Satan. In this study, more than 200 college undergraduates completed the Manitoba Prejudice Scale and the Attitudes Toward Homosexuals Scale (B.

High frequency of ras mutations in forestomach and lung tumors of B6C3F1 mice exposed to 1-amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone for 2 years.

1-Amino-2,4-dibromoanthraquinone (ADBAQ) is an anthraquinone-derived vat dye, and a potent carcinogen in laboratory animals. In a 2-year study with dietary exposure to 10,000 or 20,000 ppm ADBAQ, increased incidence of forestomach and lung tumors were observed in B6C3F1 mice. The present study indentified genetic alterations in H-ras and K-ras proto-oncogenes in ADBAQ-induced tumors.

Design and biological activity of (S)-4-(5-([1-(3-chlorobenzyl)-2-oxopyrrolidin-3-ylamino]methyl)imidazol-1-ylmethyl)benzonitrile, a 3-aminopyrrolidinone farnesyltransferase inhibitor with excellent cell potency.

The synthesis, structure-activity relationships, and biological properties of a novel series of imidazole-containing inhibitors of farnesyltransferase are described. Starting from a 3-aminopyrrolidinone core, a systematic series of modifications provided 5h, a non-thiol, non-peptide farnesyltransferase inhibitor with excellent bioavailability in dogs. Compound 5h was found to have an unusually favorable ratio of cell potency to intrinsic potency, compared with other known FTIs.

Automated detection of single nucleotide polymorphism in beta-2 adrenergic receptor gene using LCx(R).

Beta-2 adrenergic receptor (B2AR) agonists are the most widely prescribed rescue agents used in the treatment of asthma. Recent studies have indicated a relationship between a polymorphism at codon 16 of the B2AR gene, and the response to recurrent beta-agonist therapy. The B2AR polymorphism of interest involves a single nucleotide change from A to G, resulting in an amino acid change from Arginine (Arg) to Glycine (Gly).

Carcinogenesis bioassays: study duration and biological relevance.

Criticisms of the scientific value of rodent carcinogenicity bioassays have focused on the arguments that the studies are too long and that most organ-specific carcinogenic effects observed in experimental animals have little or no relevance to humans. For example, Davies et al. (Davies, T.

Emergency department management of patients with seizures: a multicenter study.

Objectives: Patients with seizure disorders are common in the emergency department (ED), yet little is known regarding the management of these patients. This study was performed to define the frequency of patients with seizure disorders in the ED patient population and to determine possible seizure etiologies, characteristics of diagnostic activities, treatments, and dispositions.

Methods: Twelve EDs monitored all patients with a chief complaint related to seizure disorders presenting over 18.

Sawmill chemicals and carcinogenesis.

Workers in wood industries are exposed to variable medleys of chemicals, both natural and synthetic. Additional exposures include fungi, bacteria, bark and wood dusts, solvents, paints, and various other wood coatings. These individual and conglomerate exposures have been associated with diverse occupational illnesses and hazards, including cancers.

Clinical application of pharmacogenetics.

Pharmacogenetics encompasses the involvement of genes in an individual's response to drugs. As such, the field covers a vast area including basic drug discovery research, the genetic basis of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, new drug development, patient genetic testing and clinical patient management. Ultimately, the goal of pharmacogenetics is to predict a patient's genetic response to a specific drug as a means of delivering the best possible medical treatment.