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The classes of semicommutative, PS I, 2-primal, weakly-2-primal, NI, NR and Dedekind-finite rings form a strictly increasing chain of classes of rings. Examples have been provided by several authors to show most of the inclusions are strict. In this paper it is shown that every inclusion is strict. Furthermore, in most instances examples with the additional properties of being reflexive and/or abelian are constructed. In particular, an abelian nonreflexive NI non-weakly-2-primal ring is given, which shows that the classes of NI and weakly-2-primal rings differ; a fact that has been previously claimed without proof. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While those with neovascular age-related macular degeneration (NV-AMD) may be at increased risk of injurious falls risk due to poor central vision and suboptimal responses when falling, preserved peripheral vision and decreased activity levels may actually be protective. Compared with control participants, patients with NV-AMD had a significantly greater number of falls and almost twice the risk of injurious falls. Impaired vision, particularly peripheral visual function, is a key risk factor for injurious falls. NV-AMD is a leading cause of severely impaired vision among older adults but is associated with a profound central, rather than peripheral, deficit. The objective was to determine whether older women with NV-AMD are at an increased risk of falls or injurious falls. We conducted a 12-month prospective cohort study of community-dwelling older (≥70 years) women, enrolling 114 with NV-AMD and 132 without from a retinal clinic in Vancouver, Canada. Fall incidence was determined through monthly telephone follow-up, with fall severity classified by a blinded reviewer. We compared mean injurious falls per person-year between groups using negative binomial regression. A mean of 0.37 injurious falls per person-year were experienced among NV-AMD participants, compared to 0.16 injurious falls per person-year among non-NV-AMD participants ( p = 0.006). The age-adjusted incidence rate ratio for injurious falls, for an individual with NV-AMD compared to without, was 1.77 (1.07–3.02). Older women with NV-AMD are at almost twice the risk of injurious falls compared to those without. Clinicians caring for older adults should recognise NV-AMD as an important risk factor for injurious falls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo determine if patients with occult with no classic and predominantly classic (PC) choroidal neovascular membranes have clinically equivalent visual outcomes after treatment with photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfin.MethodsThis is a retrospective, observational cohort study. Two hundred and seventy-seven consecutive patients with occult or PC choroidal neovascularization secondary to age-related macular degeneration treated with PDT were included. The main outcome was the difference in mean change in Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) acuity lost from baseline in occult vsPC lesions, with the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) set at 7.5 letters.ResultsAt baseline, 131 patients had occult and 146 had PC choroidal neovascularization. Twelve-month follow-up data were available for 94 occult and 110 PC participants. Occult patients lost an average of 8.7 letters (1.9 lines), and patients in the PC group an average of 10.0 ETDRS letters (two lines) over 12 months. The mean letters lost at 12 months was not significantly different between the groups, and the MCID was not detected (difference=1.3 letters; P=0.411; 95% confidence interval (−2.3, 5.6)). Patients with occult lesions required a mean of 2.99 treatments vsa mean of 2.96 treatments in the PC group (out of a possible 4; P=0.172).ConclusionWe were not able to detect a clinically important difference in mean change in visual acuity with PDT treatment between patients with occult and PC lesions.Eye (2008) 22, 194–199; doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6702547; published online 1 September 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate whether a delay between a preliminary exploratory laparotomy and a definitive staging laparotomy and interval chemotherapy between the two operations affected the prognosis of ovarian cancer.Methods: Of 504 patients with malignant tumors of the ovary who were treated at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology between 1980 and 1993, there were 24 who had a delayed definitive staging laparotomy.Results: Sixteen patients did not have chemotherapy between their two operations. After definitive laparotomy, 13 patients (54.2%) were free of disease and 11 patients had residual disease (45.8%).Conclusions: The value of chemotherapy between preliminary and definitive laparotomy in halting tumor growth was not demonstrated by the results of our analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review focuses on the recent investigations demonstrating a pharmacological and pathophysiological role for basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ulcerative and inflammatory lesions in the upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Our initial experiments revealed that intragastric administration of bFGF-w, acid-resistant bFGF-CS23 and PDGF-BB healed chronic cysteamine (mercaptamine)-induced duodenal ulcer in rats, without decreasing gastric acid secretion or concentration. Subsequently we and others have demonstrated that these peptides accelerate the healing of chronic gastric ulcers, chronic erosive gastritis and ulcerative colitis although they have no or modest acute gastric protective activity. Our recent results revealed a decreased bioactivity of bFGF and PDGF in the presence of certain strains of Helicobacter pylori, and this might explain, at least in part, the poor rates of ulcer healing in H. pylori-positive patients. VEGF, in addition to stimulating angiogenesis and granulation tissue production in duodenal ulcer healing, also has an acute gastroprotective effect. New biochemical, molecular biological and immunohistochemical studies indicate that bFGF, PDGF and VEGF play a pathophysiological role in the natural history of ulcer healing. Thus, growth factor research, especially regarding their possible use as a therapeutic tool in duodenal ulcer and colitis, is challenging. On the other hand, in some GI malignancies the diagnostic use of bFGF might be of clinical benefit. However, much research work is needed to transform these ‘endogenous drugs’ to ‘diagnostic tools’ and ‘exogenous drugs’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The study objective was to evaluate and compare quality-of-life (QOL) parameters between patients with type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus who changed therapy from an oral hypoglycaemic agent (OHA) to insulin and those who remained on an OHA.Design: The World Health Organization Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL) was used to assess quality of life among 2 groups of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at baseline and after a 2-month follow-up period.Setting: The study was conducted in the outpatient department of the Vuk Vrhovac Clinic, a referral centre for registration, treatment and follow-up of patients with diabetes mellitus in Zagreb, Croatia.Participants and Interventions: 32 consecutively recruited patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who were switched from an OHA to insulin therapy (group 1) were compared with 28 patients who remained on OHA (group 2) with respect to QOL issues. The patient groups were comparable in terms of gender, age, duration of disease, education and family status. However, patients in group 1 had glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c) values greater than 9.5% on average during a period of approximately 6 months, which was the criterion used for switching to insulin therapy.Main Outcome Measures and Results: At baseline, various QOL ratings were higher among patients in group 2 than group 1, indicating better quality of life with respect to overall quality of life (t = -2.31, p = 0.03), physical health (t = -2.36, p = 0.02), psychological state (t = -2.01, p = 0.05) and level of independence (t = -2.75, p = 0.001), while no differences were found between groups with respect to the social domain, personal beliefs and environmental QOL aspects. After the follow-up period, the groups were comparable in all QOL aspects other than overall quality of life (t = -2.18, p = 0.03) and level of independence (t = -3.49, p = 0.001), both of which remained higher for patients in group 2. No changes in QOL parameters were detected within group 2 from baseline to the end of the 2-month follow-up period, whereas patients in group 1 showed significant improvement in psychological QOL determinants (t = -2.14, p = 0.04).Conclusion: Results of the study indicate that introducing insulin therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and sustained elevated HbA1c levels might positively affect their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

4-Methylpyrazole (4-MP), a specific inhibitor of alcohol dehydrogenase, exerts gastroprotection of unusually long duration in rats. We tested the hypothesis that pretreatment with 4-MP might protect the human gastric mucosa against alcohol-induced acute injury. Fourteen healthy volunteers received pretreatment with either 4-MP, 15 mg/kg body weight dissolved in 50 ml of orange juice, or placebo and 2 hr later 100 ml of 40% ethanol. The endoscopic appearance of the gastric mucosa was evaluated and scored (scale 0-5) and mucosal biopsies were obtained just before pretreatment and 30 min after ethanol for histologic examination and prostaglandin E2 measurement. In the 4-MP group the mean endoscopic injury score was significantly lower than that in placebo group, in both the body and the antrum. Histologically, 4-MP significantly reduced disruption of surface epithelium and completely prevented the deep hemorrhagic mucosal lesions. In the 4-MP group no changes in gastric mucosal PGE2 levels were detected. In rats, 4-MP did not inhibit gastric acid output, whereas it markedly increased the adherent gastric mucus evaluated by the alcian blue recovery method. When lipid peroxidation was induced by carbon tetrachloride in hepatic microsomes, 4-MP caused significant inhibition of malondialdehyde generation. We conclude that 4-MP provides significant protection of the human stomach against alcohol-induced acute mucosal injury. 4-MP, besides inhibiting the conversion of alcohol to acetaldehyde, might protect the gastric mucosa by increasing adherent gastric mucus and by scavenging free radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational stress occurs in the working environment where the stressors may be physical, chemical, biologic or psychosocial in nature. This review especially emphasizes the most novel and probably most prevalant type of work-related factors and response to them: psychologic stress. A brief historical introduction concerning the development of the (biologic) stress concept underlines the duality of stressors (i.e., extremely unpleasant and pleasant events, too much work and work stagnation) equally cause stress. A section on 'Recognition and manifestation' emphasizes the need for understanding the origins and nature of occupational stress before considering its manifestations (e.g., nonspecific behavioral changes and specific hormone level measurements). Under 'Prevention and treatment' reduction or avoidance of psychosocial stressors coupled with minimizing predisposing and promoting protective intervening variables are discussed. Thus, although occupational stress might be a major complication at the workplace, understanding this stress could lead to its partial or complete prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnenolone-16α-carbonitrile (PCN) given orally to rats induces proliferation of the smooth-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum (SER) in hepatocytes, without producing marked alterations in other cell organelles. It appears that this steroid carbonitrile has a similar effect on the liver of hypophysectomized animals. Hypophysectomy alone causes a decrease of the SER. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rats, one large intravenous dose of cycloheximide leads to extensive development of two types of membrane-formations in the cells of corpora lutea, within two hours. Both the laminated dense bodies (concentric layers of smooth membranes showing high electron density) and the tubular aggregates (tightly packed smooth tubules with diameter smaller than usual) exhibited obvious connections with endoplasmic reticulum membranes. The reorganization of tubular aggregates gave rise to 'crystalloids' showing hexagonal symmetry. The crystalloids, being obviously unstable, were transformed into smooth fingerprints (concentric arrays of paired agranular membranes showing the same density as endoplasmic reticulum membranes). Hypophysectomy, performed 24 hours previously, moderated but did not totally abolish the development of membranous configurations. The described effect of cycloheximide is considered to represent cellular injury, probably due to membrane-denaturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: No studies measure preference-based utilities in advanced melanoma that capture both intended clinical response and unintended toxicities associated with treatment.Methods: Using standard gamble, utilities were elicited from 140 respondents in the United Kingdom and Australia for 13 health states.Results: Preferences decreased with reduced treatment responsiveness and with increasing toxicity.Conclusions: These general population utilities can be incorporated into treatment-specific cost-effectiveness evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In rats, the hemorrhagic gastric erosions produced by ethanol, and the fatal hemorrhagic hepatic recrosis induced by phalloidin, were significanlty reduced by regular somatostatin, but not by derivatives devoid of-SH containing cysteines. These effects of the hormone were abolished in animals which received, in a dditiion, the sulfhydryl blocker nethylmaleimide before the toxic chemicals. Thus, somatostain exhibits organoprotection dependent on endogenous sulfhydryls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study related to the aortic valve endocarditis with paravalvular abscesses caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. The most common manifestation of an Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae infection is the erysipeloid, a skin lesion that in most cases occurs after professional contact with infected animals. here the authors reports a case of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae endocarditis involving the aortic valve in a 46-year-old man who had been working as a butcher and who had a history of alcohol abuse. He was referred to our hospital because of arthralgia affecting both shoulders, weakness in the left arm, paresis of the left lower extremity, and dizziness. Four weeks before admission he had experienced night sweats and daily-recurring chills.

Compares effects of naked DNA and adenovirus transfection of vascular endothelial growth factor and platelet-derived growth factor for ulcer treatment. Acceleration of chronic duodenal ulcer healing in rats using gene therapy; Types of intraduodenal injections or adenovirus received by rats in different groups; Measurement of the size of duodenal ulcer using morphometric analysis.

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Copyright of Experientia is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)