From autoantibody test results to decision making: Incorporating likelihood ratios within medical practice.

Autoantibodies are important laboratory markers to support diagnosis of autoimmune diseases. Interpretation of autoantibodies is classically done in a dichotomous way (positive versus negative). Yet, interpretation of autoantibody test results can be improved by reporting likelihood ratios.

Interdisciplinary Design to Improve Fast Track in the Emergency Department.

Delays in medical care will increase risks for patients. For this reason, timeliness of care is a public health priority and the one of the missions for this facility. The goal of this process improvement project was to enhance timeliness of care by restructuring fast track.

Short-term biochemical ill effects of insect growth regulator (IGR) pesticides in Cyphoderus javanus Borner (Collembola: Insecta) as potential biomarkers of soil pollution.

The insect growth regulator (IGR) chemicals are considered as safe alternatives to synthetic organic pesticides, but only scant information are available on their possible impact on non-target and ecologically important soil insect fauna of croplands. Previous studies by the authors showed that recommended agricultural doses of IGRs buprofezin (Applaud 25SC at 250 g a.i.

Combined Doppler and B-mode sonography in carpal tunnel syndrome.

An intraoperatively enlarged engorged median nerve has been described as typical of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Although many studies of CTS have addressed median nerve enlargement, little is known about the usefulness of Doppler methods in detecting median nerve engorgement combined with nerve cross-sectional area (CSA). In a retrospective study of hands referred for evaluation of possible CTS, patients were clinically graded into Highly-likely or Indeterminate CTS.

Dose-related effect of fly ash on edaphic properties in laterite cropland soil.

Short-term laboratory and field studies showed dose-based effect of coal fly ash on chemical and microbial properties of laterite cropland soil. Sandy loam soil mixed with farmyard manure (10% w/w) and amended with fly ash at 5%, 10%, 20%, 40% w/w (50-400 t ha(-1)) was incubated in the laboratory and added to field plots. The pH, EC, PO(4), Ca and Na of soil increased with dose and time, but OC, NO(3) and K decreased.

Biomonitoring insecticide pollution using non-target soil microarthropods.

The scope of biomonitoring insecticide pollution in soil is discussed with the help of field and laboratory findings on the density, prey-predator ratio and fecundity of non-target microarthropod fauna. Field experiments were conducted in small plots with mustard, wheat and lady's finger crops and insecticides namely heptachlor 20EC (3.25 kg ai/ha = 16.

Biomonitoring of anticholinesterase pesticides in the soil: usefulness of soil Collembola.

The impact of Methyl parathion and Carbaryl was evaluated on an ecologically important soil Collembola, Cyphoderus sp. Enzyme characteristics demonstrate substrate optimum at 1 10(-2) mol/L temperature optimum at 30 degrees C with a pH requirement of 8.0.

Impact of insecticides on nontarget microarthropod fauna in agricultural soil.

Ecologically important soil microarthropods were used to evaluate the direct and residual toxicities of some insecticides under field and laboratory conditions. The density of total microarthropods and major groups, namely Acarina and Collembola, suffered a statistically significant and persistent decline in the aldrin 30 EC (0.25%)- and endosulfan 35 EC (0.

Piperacillin kinetics.

Piperacillin was administered to normal, healthy volunteers by an intravenous infusion over 30 min at dosage regimens of 12 gm daily (4 gm every 8 hr) and 24 gm daily (6 gm every 6 hr) for 5 consecutive days. Mean peak serum level after 12 gm daily was 244 +/- 24 (SE) microgram/ml and after 24 gm daily, 353 +/- 7 microgram/ml. After infusion the serum level declined monoexponentially in most subjects.

Rejecting the patient: preliminary validation of a self-report scale.

The authors describe an easily administered scale being developed to assess the rejecting feelings of family respondents toward former mental patients who return to live with their families. Based upon a sample of 133 discharged mental patients and family members, the scale demonstrates a moderately high reliability (alpha = .78) and test-retest correlation (r = .