Predictors for noncompliant intravascular catheter insertion site dressings at a large academic center.

Using intravascular catheter dressing audit data, we evaluated factors associated with noncompliant dressing. Male sex and gauze dressing had a higher risk of noncompliant dressing; presence of one or more lumens infusing, central venous catheter, peripherally inserted central catheters line, implantable port and contact precautions were associated with a lower risk of noncompliant dressing.

Insight into the cardioprotective effects of melatonin: shining a spotlight on intercellular Sirt signaling communication.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading causes of death and illness worldwide. While there have been advancements in the treatment of CVDs using medication and medical procedures, these conventional methods have limited effectiveness in halting the progression of heart diseases to complete heart failure. However, in recent years, the hormone melatonin has shown promise as a protective agent for the heart.

Melatonin modulates neuronal mitochondria function during normal ageing in mice.

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been shown to be associated with normal ageing and may account for age-related vulnerability to disease. The increasing number of old people worldwide has created the need to find effective therapeutic agents to reduce the incidence of age-related disease. In the current report, we carried out an assessment of mitochondrial function in established young, middle-aged and old synaptosomal mitochondria bearing cybrids without or with melatonin treatment.

Moderate hypofractionated external beam radiotherapy alone for intermediate risk prostate cancer: long term outcomes.

Introduction: To report long term toxicity and efficacy of patients with intermediate risk prostate cancer treated with moderate hypofractionated radiotherapy (HypoRT).

Materials And Methods: We studied the first consecutive 100 men with intermediate risk (stage T2b-T2c, or PSA = 10-20 ug/L, or Gleason score = 7) adenocarcinoma of the prostate treated between October 2002 and May 2010 in our institution with moderate HypoRT. Patients were treated using three-dimensional conformal HypoRT to a dose of 66 Gy in 22 daily fractions prescribed to the isocenter.

The discovery of UK-369003, a novel PDE5 inhibitor with the potential for oral bioavailability and dose-proportional pharmacokinetics.

This paper describes our recent efforts to design and synthesise potent and selective PDE5 inhibitors and the use of in vitro predictors of clearance, absorption and permeability to maximise the potential for dose-proportional pharmacokinetics and good oral bioavailability in man. Optimisation of the preclinical profile resulted in the identification of UK-369003 (19a) and its nomination as a clinical candidate. The clinical pharmacokinetic and safety profile has enabled us to progress the compound to test its efficacy in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) associated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and a paper describing its efficacy has recently been published.

Effects of endurance running and dietary fat on circulating ghrelin and peptide YY.

Ghrelin and peptide YY (PYY) are newly recognized gut peptides involved in appetite regulation. Plasma ghrelin concentrations are elevated in fasting and suppressed following a meal, while PYY concentrations are suppressed in fasting and elevated postprandially. We determine whether ghrelin and PYY are altered by a low-fat, high-carbohydrate (10% fat, 75% carbohydrate) or moderate-fat, moderate-carbohydrate (35% fat, 50% carbohydrate) diet and; whether these peptides are affected by intense endurance running (which is likely to temporarily suppress appetite).

The effect of cysteine-43 mutation on thermostability and kinetic properties of citrate synthase from Thermoplasma acidophilum.

In this study, we have substituted serine-43 by cysteine in the recombinant citrate synthase from a moderately thermophilic Archaeon Thermoplasma acidophilum, for site-specific attachment of labels and have investigated the effects of this mutation on the biochemical properties and thermal stability of the enzyme. Both wild-type and the mutant enzymes were purified to homogenity using affinity chromatography on Matrex Gel Red A. The mutant Thermoplasma citrate synthase is very similar to wild-type citrate synthase in its substrate and co-factor specificities, pH profile and thermal stability.

cGMP mediates the vascular and platelet actions of nitric oxide: confirmation using an inhibitor of the soluble guanylyl cyclase.

The L-arginine:nitric oxide (NO) pathway is believed to exert many of its physiological effects via stimulation of the soluble guanylyl cyclase (SGC); however, the lack of a selective inhibitor of this enzyme has prevented conclusive demonstration of this mechanism of action. We have found that the compound 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3,-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ) inhibits the elevation of cGMP induced by the NO donor S-nitroso-DL-penicillamine in human platelets and rat vascular smooth muscle (IC50 = 10-60 nM and <10 nM, respectively) and that this is accompanied by prevention of the platelet inhibitory and vasodilator actions of NO donors. ODQ also inhibited the antiaggregatory action of NO generated by the platelets but did not affect the action of prostacyclin or that of a cGMP mimetic.

Effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the human sunburn reaction.

Beta-carotene, a quencher of excited species such as singlet oxygen and free radicals, has been reported to protect against cutaneous photodamage, including sunburn acutely and photocarcinogenesis chronically. The present double blind placebo-controlled study examines the effect of beta-carotene supplementation on the human sunburn response and specifically on the induction of sunburn cells at the time of peak reaction intensity (24 h) after a single solar simulated light exposure 3 times the individually determined minimal erythema dose (MED). Administered orally either as a single 120 mg dose to dietarily restricted subjects or for 23 d as a daily 90 mg supplement to subjects on standard diets, beta-carotene increased plasma and skin levels of beta-carotene compared to both pretreatment levels and placebo-treated controls, but provided no clinically or histologically detectable protection against a 3 MED sunburn reaction.

Quality attributes of major porcine muscles: A comparison with the Longissimus Lumborum.

Quality attributes of the longissimus lumborum (LL) were compared to the attributes of the muscles semimembranosus (SM), rectus femoris (RF), biceps femoris (BF), gluteus medius (GM) and the lateral portion of the semitendinosus (ST) in the ham, the psoas major (PM) in the loin and the supraspinatus (SS), infraspinatus (IS) and triceps brachii (TB) in the shoulder. Carcasses were allocated to quality groups based on measurements of muscle exudate and lightness (CIE-L(∗)) in the LL. The SM, BF, GM and ST in the ham were similar to the LL (P > 0·05) in meat ultimate pH (pHu) and exudate and the GM, ST and LL were similar (P > 0·05) to the LL in lightness.

Role perceptions of attorneys and caseworkers in child abuse cases in juvenile court.

A four-county Indiana survey of the vast majority (approximately 90%) of the attorneys and public agency caseworkers involved in court actions on child abuse cases revealed considerable conflict over each other's role. The survey replicated the method used in previous research, which had yielded distinctly positive and negative results. The author discusses particularities of the four-county area and suggest ways to clarify roles and ameliorate the problem.

Comparison of acute effects of 1.25- and 24.25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 in normal subjects.

Effects of small iv doses of 1.25-dihydroxy- and 24.25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (a microgram) were studied in 10 normal subjects.

Cimetidine and prostaglandin: evidence for different modes of action on the rat gastric mucosa.

We have previously shown that the prostaglandin analogue 15(R)15 methyl-prostaglandin E2 methyl ester (Me-PGE2) when administered at a dose of 50 microgram per kg significantly inhibits aspirin-induced gastric mucosal erosions in the rat. In this study we have investigated the effect of cimetidine under similar circumstances. Cimetidine in a dose of 50 mg per kg significantly inhibited gastric mucosal erosions induced by aspirin (192 mg per kg) in the rat, reducing the incidence from 70% of 20 rats to 9.