Introduction: Diving utilising closed circuit pure oxygen rebreather systems has become popular in professional settings. One of the hazards the oxygen diver faces is central nervous system oxygen toxicity (CNS-OT), causing potentially fatal convulsions. At the same time, divers frequently travel by boat, often suffering seasickness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Acceptability and tolerance of bowel preparation is critical to overcome patient hesitancy in undergoing colon cancer screening and surveillance colonoscopy. To improve patient experience, a new sports drink-flavored bowel preparation containing polyethylene glycol (PEG) and sulfate salts (FPSS) was developed to provide a similar experience to a commonly used but not United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved PEG and sports drink bowel preparation (PEG-SD), while also achieving improved cleansing efficacy.
Methods: This FPSS preparation, approved by the FDA in June 2023, was evaluated in a non-randomized Phase 2 study in which 40 patients requiring colonoscopy were prepared with FPSS and 20 with PEG-SD.
Non-contacting, adjacent cancer cells can mechanically interact through their substrate to increase their invasive and migratory capacities that underly metastases-formation. Such mechanical interactions may induce additive or synergistic enhancement of invasiveness, potentially indicating different underlying force-mechanisms. To identify cell-cell-gel interactions, we monitor the time-evolution of three-dimensional traction strains induced by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells adhering on physiological-stiffness (1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTraction force microscopy has been established as the accepted method for evaluating cell-induced mechanical stresses to their microenvironments, typically using two-dimensional (2D) elastic, synthetic gel-substrates. As cells naturally experience 3D environments in vivo, traction microscopy has been adapted to 3D gels; cells can be tracked over time in 3D. Microscopy images acquired in several fields-of-view e.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIn 2017, Cosmetics Europe performed a double-blinded ring test of 24 emulsion-type sunscreen products, across 3 in vivo test laboratories and 3 in vitro test laboratories, using a new candidate in vitro SPF test method. Based on the results of this work, an article was published showing how data derived from a new lead candidate method conform to new International Standards (ISO) acceptance criteria for alternative SPF test methods (Any alternative method should consider the matrix effect and if required, specify the matrix applicability of the method; Criterion 1a: Systematic differences between methods should be negligible: 95% of all individual results of an alternative method are within the range of ±2× reproducibility standard deviation of the in vivo method, that is overall bias must be below 0.5× reproducibility standard deviation of the in vivo method; Criterion 1b: Measurement uncertainty of an alternative method should be below the measurement uncertainty of the in vivo method.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Although consensus supports eradication of infections, antimicrobial resistance has substantially reduced eradication rates with most current therapies.
Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a novel rifabutin-based therapy (RHB-105) for eradication.
Design: Phase 3, double-blind trial (ERADICATE Hp2).
Objective: The objective of this work was to investigate the utility of a new in vitro SPF test method in blinded ring-testing, against new ISO acceptance criteria.
Methods: Twenty four blinded, commercial, emulsion-type, primary sunscreen products, covering the full range of labelled SPF in Europe (SPF6 - 50+), were tested by three test institutes using the current ISO24444:2010 In Vivo SPF Test Method and simultaneously by three separate test laboratories using a new candidate in vitro SPF test method, developed under the leadership of Cosmetics Europe (CE). The resulting relationship between in vitro SPF and in vivo SPF values was then compared with acceptance criteria developed recently by the International Standards (ISO) TC217/WG7 Sun Protection Test Methods Working Group.
Objectives: This study assessed the efficacy and safety of plecanatide, a guanylate cyclase-C (GC-C) agonist and the first uroguanylin analog approved for the treatment of chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC).
Methods: This phase III, multicenter, double-blind, placebo-controlled study randomized 1,394 patients with CIC. Patients received either plecanatide (3 or 6 mg) or placebo, orally, once daily, for 12 weeks.
Objective: Seasickness is a widespread problem among naval crew, and has a major impact on their performance at sea. The three pharmacological agents most commonly employed in the treatment of seasickness are dimenhydrinate, cinnarizine, and scopolamine. At present, the effectiveness of anti-seasickness drugs is tested by a process of "trial and error", while sailing and exposed to sea conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Prehospital resuscitation with crystalloid exacerbates fibrinolysis, which is associated with high mortality. We hypothesized that plasma compared with crystalloid resuscitation prevents hyperfibrinolysis in a tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-rich environment via preservation of proteins essential for regulation of fibrinolysis.
Study Design: Healthy individuals donated blood, which was assayed using a native (nonactivated) thrombelastography (TEG).
Background: Metabolites are underappreciated for their effect on coagulation. Taurocholic acid (TUCA), a bile acid, has been shown to regulate cellular activity and promote fibrin sealant degradation. We hypothesize that TUCA impairs whole blood clot formation and promotes fibrinolysis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Vestib Res
October 2014
Background: Exposure to unfamiliar motion patterns commonly results in motion sickness and a false perception of motion, termed mal de debarquement, on the return to stable conditions.
Objective: To investigate whether motion sickness severity is correlated with the duration and severity of mal de debarquement; to study the possible preventive effect of projecting earth-referenced scenes (an artificial horizon) during exposure to motion on the development of mal de debarquement.
Methods: Thirty subjects were exposed to the recorded motion profile of a boat in a 3-degrees-of-freedom ship motion simulator.
Clin Neurophysiol
December 2013
Objective: Seasickness may impose severe limitations on the performance of ships' crew. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) assess the function of the saccule, the organ responsible for monitoring vertical linear acceleration, which has been found to be the most provocative motion stimulus in the evolution of motion sickness. We used the cVEMP test in a prospective evaluation of susceptibility and habituation to seasickness.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHypothesis: To investigate whether the projection of Earth-referenced scenes during provocative motion can alleviate motion sickness severity and prevent motion sickness-induced degradation of performance.
Background: Exposure to unfamiliar motion patterns commonly results in motion sickness and decreased performance.
Methods: Thirty subjects with moderate-to-severe motion sickness susceptibility were exposed to the recorded motion profile of a missile boat under moderate sea conditions in a 3-degrees-of-freedom ship motion simulator.
The association between gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and extraesophageal symptoms is poorly understood and difficult to document. pH monitoring in this group of patients has resulted in conflicting data due to lack of diagnostic sensitivity. Recently, a new sensitive pH device for detection of liquid and aerosolized droplets in the oropharynx (The Dx-pH Measurement System [Dx-pH]) has become available.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAm J Gastroenterol
December 1999
Objective: To determine the feasibility and efficacy of cryosurgery of breast cancer.
Design: In phase 1, carcinogen-induced mammary adenocarcinomas in 13 Sprague-Dawley rats were treated by cryosurgery and were then examined for histopathologic change. In phase 2, transplantable mammary adenocarcinomas in 50 DBA/IJ mice were treated by cryosurgery to determine the effect of varying tumor temperatures, and duration and number of freeze-thaw cycles on tumor viability.
Patients with severe nonthyroidal illnesses (NTIs) frequently have decreased serum concentrations of triiodothyronine (T3) and less often of thyroxine (T4) without clear evidence of hypothyroidism. To determine whether T3 and T4 levels are also reduced in the tissues, we analyzed autopsy samples from 12 patients dying of NTI and 10 previously healthy individuals dying suddenly from trauma. Mean serum T3, T4, and free T4 index values were lower by 79%, 71%, and 49%, respectively, in the NTI group than in controls, but serum thyrotropin (TSH) values did not differ significantly.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFGastroesophageal reflux (GER) has been implicated in otolaryngologic problems, particularly chronic hoarseness that cannot be attributed to other causes. To study this relationship, we used 24-h ambulatory intraesophageal or dual pharyngoesophageal pH monitoring in 33 patients with chronic hoarseness and laryngeal lesions suggestive of acid irritation. Twenty-six of the patients (78.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIf 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring is to be a useful diagnostic tool, it must reliably discriminate gastroesophageal reflux patients despite daily variations in distal esophageal acid exposure. To address this issue, we studied 53 subjects (14 healthy normals, 14 esophagitis patients, and 25 patients with atypical symptoms) with two ambulatory pH tests performed within 10 days of each other. Intrasubject reproducibility of 12 pH parameters to discriminate the presence of abnormal acid reflux was determined.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmbulatory 24-h esophageal pH monitoring is an accurate quantitative test of gastroesophageal reflux (GER). However, it does not answer the question: are the patients' symptoms due to GER? We developed a numerical scale to quantify the percent association between symptoms and pH less than 4--the symptom index (SI). In 100 consecutive patients with heartburn or chest pain, the SI for the chief complaint was either high (greater than 75%) or low (less than 25%) in 77% of cases.
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