Exhaled pentane as a possible marker for survival and lipid peroxidation during radiotherapy for lung cancer--a pilot study.

To examine lipid peroxidation during radiotherapy (RT), exhaled pentane samples were collected from 11 lung cancer patients before RT and 30 and 120 min after the start of RT on days 1, 4 and 5 and at 30 and 40 Grays, if possible. Exhaled pentane samples were collected once from 30 healthy controls. Serum thiobarbituric-acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and conjugated dienes (CD) were obtained from patients on each exhaled air collection day.

Alternative futures of proactive tools for a citizen's own wellbeing.

The aim of this paper is to create the basis for a vision of an empowered citizen who can control his/her life, especially in relation to health and personal wellbeing with the use of new ICT-tools. The methods used in the study are based on futures studies, especially on scenario methodology. Alternative future paths, i.

Asthma Programme in Finland: the quality of primary care spirometry is good.

Aims: To assess the quality of primary care spirometry by visual inspection of the flow-volume expiratory curve and to study the quantity of clinical information provided on the spirometry report sheets.

Methods: Retrospective audit of 868 expiratory flow-volume curves referred to three pulmonary clinics assessed against five predefined quality criteria. Clinical information included on the spirometry report sheets was also collected.

Increased bronchial NO output in severe atopic eczema in children and adolescents.

Atopic children have an increased risk for asthma, which is preceded by bronchial inflammation. Exhaled nitric oxide (NO) measured at multiple exhalation flow rates can be used to assess alveolar NO concentration and bronchial NO flux, which reflect inflammation in lung periphery and central airways, respectively. Exhaled breath condensate is another non-invasive method to measure lung inflammation.

Transanal or vaginal approach to rectocele repair: a prospective, randomized pilot study.

Purpose: This study was designed to compare outcomes of transanal and vaginal techniques for rectocele repair.

Methods: Thirty females with symptomatic rectocele were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study. Fifteen underwent transanal rectoceleplasty, the other 15 underwent vaginal posterior colporrhaphy.

The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in adult asthmatics.

Background: Asthma and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) often coexist. However, the results of the studies investigating the prevalence of GERD among patients with asthma vary greatly.

Study Objective: To investigate the prevalence of GERD in adult patients with asthma.

Indoor dampness and molds and development of adult-onset asthma: a population-based incident case-control study.

Previous cross-sectional and prevalent case-control studies have suggested increased risk of asthma in adults related to dampness problems and molds in homes. We conducted a population-based incident case-control study to assess the effects of indoor dampness problems and molds at work and at home on development of asthma in adults. We recruited systematically all new cases of asthma during a 2.