Search results for " EVALUATION"
showing 10 items of 1458 documents
Deep Learning Estimation of 10-2 and 24-2 Visual Field Metrics Based on Thickness Maps from Macula OCT.
2021
Purpose To develop deep learning (DL) systems estimating visual function from macula-centered spectral-domain (SD) OCT images. Design Evaluation of a diagnostic technology. Participants A total of 2408 10-2 visual field (VF) SD OCT pairs and 2999 24-2 VF SD OCT pairs collected from 645 healthy and glaucoma subjects (1222 eyes). Methods Deep learning models were trained on thickness maps from Spectralis macula SD OCT to estimate 10-2 and 24-2 VF mean deviation (MD) and pattern standard deviation (PSD). Individual and combined DL models were trained using thickness data from 6 layers (retinal nerve fiber layer [RNFL], ganglion cell layer [GCL], inner plexiform layer [IPL], ganglion cell-IPL […
Search for Stroke-Protecting Agents in Endothelin-1-Induced Ischemic Stroke Model in Rats
2012
Background and Objective. Ischemic stroke may initiate a reperfusion injury leading to brain damage cascades where inflammatory mechanisms play a major role. Therefore, the necessity for the novel stroke-protecting agents whose the mechanism of action is focused on their anti-inflammatory potency is still on the agenda for drug designers. Our previous studies demonstrated that cerebrocrast (a 1,4-dihydropyridine derivative) and mildronate (a representative of the aza-butyrobetaine class) possessed considerable anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective properties in different in vitro and in vivo model systems. The present study investigated their stroke-protecting ability in an endothelin-1 (ET…
Phospholipid breakdown and choline release under hypoxic conditions: inhibition by bilobalide, a constituent of Ginkgo biloba
1997
A marked increase of choline release from rat hippocampal slices was observed when the slices were superfused with oxygen-free buffer, indicating hypoxia-induced hydrolysis of choline-containing phospholipids. This increase of choline release was suppressed by bilobalide, an ingredient of Ginkgo biloba, but not by a mixture of ginkgolides. The EC50 value for bilobalide was 0.38 microM. In ex vivo experiments, bilobalide also inhibited hypoxia-induced choline release when given p.o. in doses of 2-20 mg/kg 1 h prior to slice preparation. The half-maximum effect was observed with 6 mg/kg bilobalide. A similar effect was noted after p.o. administration of 200 mg/kg EGb 761, a ginkgo extract con…
Nonconventional Doses of Somatostatin Analogs in Patients With Progressing Well-Differentiated Neuroendocrine Tumor
2020
Abstract Purpose To evaluate the antiproliferative activity and safety of nonconventional high doses of somatostatin analogs (HD-SSA) in patients with well-differentiated gastroenteropancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NET) with radiological disease progression according to Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria on a previous treatment. Methods A retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained databases from 13 Italian NET-dedicated centers was performed. Main inclusion criteria were: well-differentiated G1 or G2 GEP-NET, progressive disease on a previous treatment, and subsequent treatment with HD-SSA (either by increased administered dose [dose intensity] or…
Endothelium- and nitric oxide-dependent vasorelaxing activities of gamma-butyrobetaine esters: possible link to the antiischemic activities of mildro…
2004
Mildronate [3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazine) propionate (THP)] is an antiischemic drug acting mainly via inhibition of fatty acid beta-oxidation. Some effects of the drug cannot be explained by the latter mechanism. We tested the eventual nitric oxide (NO) dependence of the mildronate action. Mildronate, gamma-butyrobetaine (GBB) and GBB methyl ester induced transient increases in nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in rat blood and myocardium. In vitro, these compounds neither modified the activities of purified neuronal and endothelial recombinant nitric oxide synthases (NOSs) nor were able to interact with their active site. GBB induced vasodilatation at high concentrations only (EC50 = 5 x 10(…
Association of STarT Back Tool and the short form of the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire with multidimensional risk factors.
2020
AbstractThe Short form of the Örebro Musculoskeletal Pain Screening Questionnaire (ÖMPSQ-short) and the STarT Back Tool (SBT) have been developed to screen for risk factors for future low back pain (LBP) -related disability and work loss respectively. The aim of this study was to investigate the accordance of the two questionnaires and to evaluate the accumulation of risk factors in the risk groups of both screening tools in a large population-based sample. The study population consisted of 3079 participants of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1966 who had reported LBP over the previous 12 months and had SBT and ÖMPSQ-short data. We evaluated the association of depressive and anxiety sympt…
In vivo biodistribution of amino-functionalized ceria nanoparticles in rats using positron emission tomography.
2012
A variety of nanoparticles have been proposed for several biomedical applications. To gauge the therapeutic potential of these nanoparticles, in vivo biodistribution is essential and mandatory. In the present study, ceria nanoparticles (5 nm average particle size) were labeled with F-18 to study their in vivo biodistribution in rats by positron emission tomography (PET). The F-18 isotope was anchored by reaction of N-succinimidyl 4-[F-18]fluorobenzoate (F-18-SFB) with a modified nanoparticle surface obtained by silylation with 3-aminopropylsilyl. Radiolabeled ceria nanoparticles accumulated mainly in lungs, spleen, and liver. Metabolic products of the radiolabeled nanoparticulate material w…
Working hours and sleep duration in midlife as determinants of health-related quality of life among older businessmen
2017
Background long working hours and short sleep duration are associated with a range of adverse health consequences. However, the combined effect of these two exposures on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) has not been investigated. Methods we studied white men born between 1919 and 1934 in the Helsinki Businessmen Study (HBS, initial n = 3,490). Data on clinical variables, self-rated health (SRH), working hours and sleep duration in 1974, and RAND-36 (SF-36) HRQoL survey in the year 2000 were available for 1,527 men. Follow-up time was 26 years. By combining working hours and sleep duration, four categories were formed: (i) normal work (≤50 hours/week) and normal sleep (>47 hours/week);…
Frailty syndrome and pre-operative risk evaluation: A systematic review
2015
Abstract Background Frailty is a geriatric syndrome characterized by the clinical presentation of identifiable physical alterations and decreased physiological reserve. The assessment of frailty syndrome has been recently related with post-surgical outcomes and overall mortality in older individuals. Design and data sources We performed searches in Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, SCIELO and IME (Spanish medical index) databases from their start dates to February 2014 for original papers about the identification of the relationship between frailty and pre-operative risk evaluation in people aged 65 and over. Review methods We followed criteria of systematic PRISMA guidelines. Two independent reviewe…
Evaluation design of the Social Engagement Framework for Addressing the Chronic-disease-challenge (SEFAC): a mindfulness-based intervention to promot…
2019
Background The Social Engagement Framework for Addressing the Chronic-disease-challenge (SEFAC) project intends to empower citizens at risk of or with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and/or cardiovascular disease (CVD) to self-manage their chronic conditions through the SEFAC intervention. The intervention combines the concepts of mindfulness, social engagement and information and communication technology support, in order to reduce the burden of citizens with chronic conditions and to increase the sustainability of the health system in four European countries. Methods A prospective cohort study with a 6-month pre-post design will be conducted in four European countries: Croatia, Italy, the Netherla…