The purpose of this study was to compare the safety and efficacy of cetirizine plus pseudoephedrine (C+P) with loratadine plus pseudoephedrine (L+P) in the treatment of perennial allergic rhinitis. ...This was a double blind, randomized, parallel trial with an active control. Subjects aged 12 to 70 years with perennial allergic rhinitis for at least 2 years were enrolled and randomized to receive either of the active study medications plus a placebo resembling the other, twice daily for 4 weeks. Nasal total symptom scale (NTSS) including sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal itching and nasal stuffiness is evaluated by subjects daily and at baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks by the investigator as efficacy measurement. A total of 51 eligible patients were enrolled and 45 patients completed the treatment course. Both groups had significant reductions in NTSS after 4 weeks of treatment as assessed by the subjects, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (mean +/- SD) reduction of 4.25 +/- 2.45 with C+P vs. 3.52 +/- 2.41 with L+P, p = 0.215. As assessed by the investigator, sneezing was significantly better at 2 weeks (-1.13 vs. -0.52, p = 0.028) and nasal congestion at 4 weeks (-1.71 vs. -1.19, p = 0.031) in subjects treated with C+P compared to those treated with L+P. There were 37 treatment-related adverse events (5 in 4 subjects in the C+P group and 32 in 16 subjects in the L+P group). It was concluded that both cetirizine plus pseudoephedrine and loratadine plus pseudoephedrine are efficacious for perennial allergic rhinitis in Taiwanese subjects. Relief of sneezing and nasal congestion may be marginally better with the cetirizine preparation, which also seemed to be slightly better tolerated, although the incidence of side effects did not differ significantly.
A novel chrome-free surface pretreatment and primer combined in one-step application for aircraft coating is described. First, a high-solids solvent-borne non-chromate epoxy primer (referred to as ...CD112) is developed. The formulation of CD112 system is based on epoxy/polyamide chemistry, Adheron’s proprietary anti-corrosive pigments, and a tightly packed passivating film made of fillers with different geometric shapes. The protective performance of CD112 has been tested at three independent laboratories and shown to pass a 3000
h salt spray resistance, compatible to its chromate counterpart, on both 2024-T3 Clad/Alodine 1000 and 7075-T6 Clad/Alodine 1000 aluminum alloys.
Second, a chrome-free acrylic emulsion for surface pretreatment of aluminum alloys is formulated, comprising an ∼60
nm particle size of acrylic resins, metal-chelating reagents, organofunctional silanes, and non-toxic anti-corrosive pigments. An ∼1
μm dry film is processed on 2024-T3 Bare Al panel (referred to as 2024-T3 Bare/AFP) and then coated with MIL-PRF-23377 Type I approved chromate-based primer. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) data indicate that 2024-T3 Bare/AFP show about 100 times more resistance than 2024-T3 Bare/Alodine 1200.
Third, two in situ phosphatizing reagents (ISPRs) were selected to formulate the in situ phosphatizing coating (ISPC) aerospace primers of MIL-PRF-23377 class N, and to promote the formation of a metal-phosphate layer at the molecular level. The ISPC technique combines a chrome-free surface pre-treatment and primer into a single-step application. The EIS data demonstrate that the ISPC CD112 primer on untreated 2024-T3 Al coupons shows 10–100 times more resistance than the control CD112 primer on 2024-T3 Bare/Alodine 1200. The chemistry of the simultaneous reaction of ISPRs catalyzing the curing of the paint film and forming the metal-phosphate layer at the interface will be illustrated.
Objectives. This study sought to investigate electrophysiologic characteristics and possible anatomic sites of multiple anterograde slow atrioventricular (AV) node pathways and to compare these ...findings with those in dual anterograde AV node pathways.
Background. Although multiple anterograde AV node pathways have been demonstrated by the presence of multiple discontinuities in the AV node conduction curve, the role of these pathways in the initiation and maintenance of AV node reentrant tachycardia (AVNRT) is still unclear, and possible anatomic sites of these pathways have not been reported.
Methods. This study included 500 consecutive patients with AVNRT who underwent electrophysiologic study and radiofrequency ablation. Twenty-six patients (5.2%) with triple or more anterograde AV node pathways were designated as Group I (16 female, 10 male, mean age 48 ± 14 years), and the other 474 patients (including 451 with and 23 without dual anterograde AV node pathways) were designated as Group II (257 female, 217 male; mean age 52 ± 16 years).
Results. Of the 21 patients with triple anterograde AV node pathways, AVNRT was initiated through the first slow pathway only in 3, through the second slow pathway only in 8 and through the two slow pathways in 9. Of the five patients with quadruple anterograde AV node pathways, AVNRT was initiated through all three anterograde slow pathways in three and through the two slower pathways (the second and third slow pathways) in two. After radiofrequency catheter ablation, no patient had inducible AVNRT. Eleven patients (42.3%) in Group I had multiple anterograde slow pathways eliminated simulataneously at a single ablation site. Eight patients (30.7%) had these slow pathways eliminated at different ablation sites; the slow pathways with a longer conduction time were ablated more posteriorly in the Koch's triangle than those with a shorter conduction time. The remaining seven patients (27%) had a residual slow pathway after delivery of radiofrequency energy at a single or different ablation sites. The patients in Group I had a longer tachycardia cycle length, poorer retrograde conduction properties and a higher incidence of multiple types of AVNRT than those in Group II.
Conclusions. Multiple anterograde AV node pathways are not rare in patients with AVNRT. However, not all of the anterograde slow pathways were involved in the initiation and maintenance of tachycardia. Radiofrequency catheter ablation was safe and effective in eliminating critical slow pathways to cure AVNRT.
Arsenite effects on the benzoapyrene diol epoxide (BPDE)-DNA adduct-induced mutation were evaluated in three human lung cell-lines – A549 (wild-type p53), WI38-VA13 (p53 inhibited by SV40 large-T ...antigen), and H1299 (p53-null) – by using the pSP189 shuttle vector, which carries a mutation target
supF gene. Arsenite alone had no significant effect on the spontaneous
supF mutation. BPDE modification of pSP189 enhanced the mutation rates of
supF 4.37-fold, 2.96-fold, and 1.95-fold for A549, WI38-VA13, and H1299, respectively. Arsenite potentiated the BPDE-induced mutation rates of
supF 2.30-fold, 2.31-fold, and 2.35-fold in A549, WI38-VA13, and H1299, respectively. These results suggest that arsenite potentiates the BPDE-induced
supF mutation via a p53-independent mechanism. By using the host cell reactivation assay, we evaluated arsenite effect on repair of BPDE-DNA adducts. We found that the arsenite treatments resulting in relative survival rates ⩾65% had no significant effect on repair of BPDE-DNA adducts, indicating that p53 status did not significantly affect the repair of BPDE-DNA adducts. This study reveals that arsenite enhances the BPDE-DNA adduct-induced mutagenesis with no marked effect on repair of BPDE-DNA adducts, suggesting that arsenic may act as a co-mutagen to promote the development of human lung cancer.
In children aged less than 15 years, to determine the cumulative proportion of deaths occurring within 3 and 6 months of starting split-tablet adult fixed-dose combination antiretroviral therapy ...(ART) and to identify risk factors associated with early deaths.
A retrospective cohort analysis.
Data were collected and analysed from ART patient master cards and the ART register of all children registered for treatment between July 2004 and September 2006 in the ART clinic at Mzuzu Central Hospital, northern Malawi.
A total of 439 children started on ART, of whom 220 (50%) were male; 37 (8%) were aged less than 18 months, 172 (39%) 18 months to 5 years, and 230 (52%) were 6-14 years. By September 2006, 49 children (11%) had died, of whom 35 (71%) died by 3 months and 44 (89%) by 6 months. The cumulative incidence of death at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after ART was 8, 12, 13 and 15%, respectively. After multivariate analysis, being in World Health Organization clinical stage 4, having severe wasting and severe immunodeficiency were factors significantly associated with 3-month mortality and 6-month mortality, respectively.
Although children do well on ART, there is high early mortality. Scaling up HIV testing and simple diagnostic tests for infants and children, expanding routine provision of cotrimoxazole prophylaxis, and investigating the role of nutritional interventions are three measures that, if implemented and expanded countrywide, may improve ART outcomes.
Antiarrhythmic drugs have been reported to promote the conversion of atrial fibrillation to atrial flutter in patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. However, information about the ...electrophysiologic mechanism and response to radiofrequency ablation of these drug-induced atrial flutters is limited. Furthermore, the determinants of the development of persistent atrial flutter in patients treated for atrial fibrillation with antiarrhythmic drugs are still unknown.
Among the 136 patients treated for atrial fibrillation with amiodarone (n = 96) or propafenone (n = 40), 15 (11%, mean age 65.5 +/- 12.3 years) were identified to have subsequent development of persistent atrial flutter based on surface ECG characteristics during antiarrhythmic drug treatment. The mean interval between the beginning of drug treatment and the onset of atrial flutter was 5.0 +/- 5.5 months. Intracardiac mapping and entrainment studies revealed that 11 patients had counterclockwise typical atrial flutter, and 4 had clockwise typical atrial flutter. All 15 patients underwent successful ablation with creation of complete bidirectional isthmus conduction block. After a mean follow-up of 12.3 +/- 4.2 months, 14 (93%) of 15 patients who underwent successful ablation and continued taking antiarrhythmic drugs have remained in sinus rhythm. Univariate analysis of clinical variables demonstrated that only atrial enlargement was significantly related to the occurrence of persistent atrial flutter.
In patients with atrial fibrillation, persistent typical atrial flutter might occur during antiarrhythmic drug treatment, and atrial enlargement was a risk factor for the development of such an arrhythmia. Radiofrequency ablation and continuation of pharmacologic therapy offered a safe and effective means of achieving and maintaining sinus rhythm.
The charge asymmetry between the up and down atoms of an asymmetric dimer on Si(100)-(2{times}1) or Ge(100)-(2{times}1) is tied to the core-level energy splitting. Previous studies of the surface ...components in the core-level photoemission spectra disagreed on the assignments of the atomic origins, resulting in a disagreement on the charge asymmetry. The present core-level study of the growth of Ge on Si(100) shows clearly that the dimers are essentially covalent.
Widespread use of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells as a model system for breast cancer has lead to variations in these cells between different laboratories. Although several reports have addressed ...these differences in terms of proliferation and estrogenic response, differences in sensitivity to apoptosis have just begun to be described. Based on the possible differences in apoptotic sensitivity that may arise due to the existence of MCF-7 cell variants, we determined the relative sensitivity of MCF-7 cell variants from three established laboratories (designated M, L and N) to known inducers of apoptosis. Consistent with our previous studies we demonstrate that differences exist among these variants in regards to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF)-induced cell death and inhibition of proliferation in a dose-dependent manner. To establish if the difference in apoptotic susceptibility was specific to TNF, the three MCF-7 cell variants were tested for their response to other known inducers of apoptosis: okadaic acid, staurosporine and 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen. Viability and DNA fragmentation analysis revealed a similar pattern of resistance to apoptosis by all agents in the MCF-7 M variant. The MCF-7 L variant was resistant to okadaic acid and 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen but not staurosporine. In contrast, MCF-7 N cells were sensitive to induction of apoptosis by all agents. The role of both protein kinase C (PKC) and estrogen signaling in the regulation of cell survival prompted investigation of these pathways as a mechanism for differential sensitivity of MCF-7 cell variants to apoptosis. While both estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and ERbeta were expressed in MCF-7 M and N cells, the absence of ERbeta in MCF-7 L cells correlated with decreased estrogen responsiveness of the L variant. Variations in estrogenic responsiveness and PKC isoform expression may account for the enhanced susceptibility of both the L and N variants to staurosporine.
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