The use of plethysmography and oscillometry to compare long-acting bronchodilators in patients with COPD.

What Is Already Known About This Subject: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) is the standard measurement used to measure drug effects in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) clinical trials. Having previously shown that specific airway conductance (sGaw) measured using body plethysmography and impulse oscillometry (IOS) are more sensitive than FEV(1) for assessing short-acting bronchodilator effects in patients with COPD, we conducted the first randomized, placebo-controlled study to compare long-acting bronchodilators in COPD patients using these techniques.

What This Study Adds: sGaw and IOS sensitively differentiated between the effects of tiotropium and salmeterol when FEV(1) measurements were similar.

Linking behavior, life history and food supply with the population dynamics of white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus).

In this paper we review and integrate key aspects of behavioral and life history traits, food supply and population dynamics of the white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus), a species that is abundant and widely distributed across much of eastern North America. Results are based largely on a 33-year mark-and-recapture study in a forest fragment in northwest Ohio, USA. Behavioral plasticity in such reproductive traits as mating system and parental care allows this species to adjust quickly to changing environments.

Decline in varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-specific cell-mediated immunity with increasing age and boosting with a high-dose VZV vaccine.

The safety and immunogenecity of a booster dose of live attenuated varicella-zoster virus (VZV) vaccine was evaluated in 196 healthy subjects, >or=60 years old, who had already received a VZV vaccine >5 years before. This repeat booster dose was well tolerated. Cell-mediated immunity (CMI) to VZV was measured by an interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot-forming cell (ELISPOT) assay and a limiting dilution responder cell frequency (RCF) assay.

Vaccination with measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and varicella vaccine: safety, tolerability, immunogenicity, persistence of antibody and duration of protection against varicella in healthy children.

Background: Administration of M-M-R II (Measles, Mumps and Rubella Virus Vaccine, Live) and VARIVAX [Varicella Virus Vaccine Live (Oka/Merck)] given concomitantly at separate injection sites during the same office visit could increase vaccine compliance by reducing the number of health care visits for immunizations. We compared the safety and immunogenicity of M-M-R II and VARIVAX given concomitantly at separate sites (Group A) with administration of the two vaccines 6 weeks apart (Group B) as well as the persistence of varicella antibody and the duration of protection afforded by varicella vaccine.

Methods: A total of 603 healthy children, ages 12 months to 6 years, with no history of measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and zoster or vaccination against these diseases, were randomized to either Group A or B and were followed for clinical reactions and serologic responses to all four viral components.

A comparison of safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of Oka/Merck varicella vaccine and VARILRIX in healthy children.

This study compared safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of the Oka/Merck varicella vaccine and VARILRIX [Oka-RIT strain SmithKline Beecham Biologicals] in healthy children 12-24 months of age. Subjects were randomized in this double blind study to receive either a single dose of Oka/Merck varicella vaccine, (approximately 50,000 plaque forming units (PFU), Group A or approximately 16,000 PFU, Group B) or 1 dose of VARILRIX, (approximately 40,000 PFU/dose, Group C). Safety profiles in each treatment group were similar.