Search results for "HALA"
showing 10 items of 1485 documents
Acute effects on the human EEG after an external exposure to 200 ppm methanol
2001
Objectives: Even low concentrations of organic solvents may cause acute effects on the human central nervous system. The German MAK (threshold limit value) of methanol is 200 ppm. The aim of this study was to investigate whether acute exposure to 200 ppm methanol causes adverse effects, measured by EEG, and moreover, whether it is possible to differentiate between sedative and excitatory effects with this method. Methods: Twelve healthy subjects were exposed for 4 h to 200 ppm and to 20 ppm (control) in an exposure chamber in a cross-over design. The EEG was recorded before (reference) and at the end of each exposure with, the subject's eyes closed and opened and during a choice reaction te…
Randomised controlled trial of montelukast plus inhaled budesonide versus double dose inhaled budesonide in adult patients with asthma
2003
Background: Inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) affect many inflammatory pathways in asthma but have little impact on cysteinyl leukotrienes. This may partly explain persistent airway inflammation during chronic ICS treatment and failure to achieve adequate asthma control in some patients. This double blind, randomised, parallel group, non-inferiority, multicentre 16 week study compared the clinical benefits of adding montelukast to budesonide with doubling the budesonide dose in adults with asthma. Methods: After a 1 month single blind run in period, patients inadequately controlled on inhaled budesonide (800 µg/day) were randomised to receive montelukast 10 mg + inhaled budesonide 800 µg/day (n…
Human exposure and risk assessment to airborne pesticides in a rural French community
2016
Abstract Outdoor air samples collected during the pesticide agricultural application period (spring and summer) from a rural community in the Centre Region (France) were analyzed to investigate temporal variation of atmospheric pesticide levels (2006–2013) and human inhalation exposure in adults, children and infants. The most frequently detected pesticides were herbicides (trifluralin, pendimethalin), fungicides (chlorothalonil) and insecticides (lindane and α-endosulfan). The three currently-used pesticides most frequently detected presented concentrations ranging from 0.18 to 1128.38 ng m − 3 ; 0.13 to 117.32 ng m − 3 and 0.16 to 25.80 ng m − 3 for chlorothalonil, pendimethalin and trifl…
Risk assessment of exposure to phthalates in breastfeeding women using human biomonitoring
2020
In this study, we assessed the presence of 14 phthalate metabolites in the urine of 104 lactating mothers from Valencia (Spain) who took part in the human biomonitoring project BETTERMILK. Nine of the metabolites studied showed detection frequencies >80%, whereas the rest of the metabolites presented low detection frequencies (<5%). The concentrations ranged from <LoQ to 1291 ng/mL with monoethyl phthalate showing the highest concentration, with a geometric mean of 34.90 ng/mL. In general, the phthalate metabolite levels quantified in the present study were lower than the urinary levels found in previous studies that involved lactating mothers. The consumption of packaged juices and the fre…
Factors associated with second-hand smoke exposure in non-smoking pregnant women in Spain: self-reported exposure and urinary cotinine levels.
2014
The aim of this study was to evaluate the main sources of and sociodemographic factors associated with second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure, assessed both by questionnaire and by urinary cotinine (UC) levels, in non-smoking pregnant women. We conducted a cross-sectional study in pregnant women from 4 different regions in Spain. A total of 1783 non-smoking pregnant women completed a questionnaire about their previous smoking habit and SHS exposure in their 3rd trimester of pregnancy and provided a urine sample for measuring UC levels. We used logistic regression models to assess the relationship between several sociodemographic variables and some potential sources of SHS exposure. In addition, w…
α-Thalassemia Does Not Seem to Influence Erythrocyte Deformability in Sickle Cell Trait Carriers
2014
Studies dealing with rheological red blood cell (RBC) behavior in sickle cell trait carriers are scarce. Moreover, the association with α-thalassemia (α-thal), which also modifies erythrocyte behavior, has not always been taken into account. We analyzed erythrocyte deformability by means of a shear stress diffractometer, along with hematological and biochemical parameters (glucose and plasma lipids), given their possible influence on erythrocyte deformability, in 14 sickle cell trait carriers and 23 healthy controls. Nine patients were also α-thal carriers and five were not. Among the thalassemia carriers, eight were heterozygous and one was homozygous. When compared with controls, sickle c…
Presence of immunoglobulins, C3 and cytolytic C5b-9 complement components on the surface of erythrocytes from patients with β-thalassaemia/HbE disease
1997
The occurrence of IgG, IgM, IgA, C3 and C5b-9 complement complexes on erythrocytes from 43 patients with beta-thalassaemia HbE disease was investigated. Indirect immunoradiometric assays using radioiodinated protein A were employed to quantify the individual components. We confirmed that circulating erythrocytes from thalassaemic patients contained elevated amounts of IgG, and small but significant amounts of C3. In addition, small but significant amounts of C5b-9 were detected. Levels of cell-bound IgG, C3 and C5b-9 were higher in splenectomized versus non-splenectomized patients. The presence of C5b-9 on circulating cells from five splenectomized patients was confirmed by an ELISA employi…
Once-daily tiotropium Respimat® 5 μg is an efficacious 24-h bronchodilator in adults with symptomatic asthma
2015
SummaryIntroductionOnce-daily tiotropium Respimat® 5 μg is an efficacious add-on therapy to inhaled corticosteroids (ICS) with or without long-acting β2-agonists in patients with symptomatic asthma. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the dosing regimen of tiotropium (once- versus twice-daily), delivered via the Respimat® SoftMist™ inhaler, affected 24-h bronchodilator efficacy and safety versus placebo Respimat® in patients with asthma who were symptomatic despite medium-dose ICS therapy.MethodsA randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover study with 4-week treatment periods of tiotropium 5 μg (once-daily, evening) and 2.5 μg (twice-daily, morning and evening…
Analysis of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in lung transplantation: correlation with nitric oxide administration.
2008
Introduction and Objectives. Primary graft dysfunction (PGD) following lung transplantation (LT) is associated with an activation of the inflammatory cascade and release of cytokines. Inhaled nitric oxide (iNO) provides specific pulmonary vasodilatation and improves oxygenation. Our objective was to verify whether administering iNO to LT patients modified the blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) interleukin (IL)-6 and -8 levels in the event of PGD. Materials and Methods. Thirty-two LT patients were randomized to the iNO treatment or the control group. Patients in the first group were given 10 ppm of iNO from the start of LT until 48 hours afterward. BAL and peripheral arterial blood sampl…
Humidity of Anaesthetic Gases with Respect to Low Flow Anaesthesia
1994
It has been demonstrated in an experimental study in swine using the scanning electron microscope that a rebreathing technique utilising minimal fresh gas flowrates significantly improves climatization of anaesthetic gases. Consequently, effects of various anaesthetic techniques on airway climate must be assessed, which covers the need for suitable measuring devices. Basic principles and methods of humidity measurement in flowing anaesthetic gases include gravimetric hygrometry, dew point hygrometry, wet-dry bulb psychrometry, mass spectrometry, spectroscopic hygrometry and electrical hygrometry. A custom-made apparatus for continuous measurement of humidity and temperature in the inspired…