Effect of an Educational Program on Healthcare Professionals' Readiness to Support Patients with Asthma, Allergies, and Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease for Improved Medication Adherence.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to strengthen the healthcare professionals' readiness to support patients who have asthma, an allergy, and COPD for better medication adherence.

Methods: The design was an educational intervention in a study population ( = 70) consisting of 66 nurses and four other allied healthcare professionals working in primary care with patients diagnosed with asthma, allergy, or COPD in a county in southern Sweden. As part of two training days, an educational intervention-consisting of lectures and workshops-was conducted.

Calpain proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP) -2 and -3, but not of IGFBP-1.

Calpains are cytoplasmic Ca(2+)-regulated cysteine proteases that may regulate insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-independent actions of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) through IGFBP proteolysis. In this study, [(125)I]-labeled IGFBP-2 and -3, but not IGFBP-1, were proteolyzed by Ca(2+)-activated m-calpain in vitro. Degradation of higher concentrations of the recombinant proteins IGFBP-2 and -3 by m-calpain was dose-dependent, but was terminated within 20 min by autolysis.

Exercise and circulating insulin-like growth factor I.

Determinations of serum concentrations of total insulin-like growth factor I (tIGF-I) are important in the diagnosis, monitoring of treatment and safety evaluation of patients with growth disorders and/or metabolic disease. It is well established that tIGF-I status varies over time. Changes in tIGF-I levels in relation to an acute bout of exercise or repeated bouts, known as training, are likely to contribute to this variation.