Search results for "Method"
showing 10 items of 13253 documents
Assessment of functional outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and …
2013
Background The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Set for Head and Neck Cancer (ICF-HNC) covers the typical spectrum of problems in functioning in head and neck cancer. This study is part of a multistep process to develop practical guidelines in Germany. The purpose of this study was to identify instruments for the assessment of functioning using the ICF-HNC as reference. Methods Four Delphi surveys with physicians, physiotherapists, psychologists, and social workers were performed to identify which aspects of the ICF-HNC are being treated and which assessment tools are recommended for the assessment of functioning. Results Ninety-seven percent categorie…
Reducing NAFLD-screening time: A comparative study of eight diagnostic methods offering an alternative to ultrasound scans.
2018
Background & Aims: The use of ultrasound scan (US) in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) screening overloads US waiting lists. We hypothesized and tested a hybrid two-step method, consisting of applying a formula, to exclude subjects at low risk, before US. Methods: The sample included 2970 males and females (937 with NAFLD) diagnosed by US. We selected eight formulas: Fatty Liver Index (FLI), Hepatic Steatosis Index (HIS), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), Abdominal Volume Index (AVI), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist/height0.5 (WHT.5R) and Body Roundness Index (BRI), and calculated their performance in the two-step method evaluating percentage reduction of the…
Dose-response relationships and plasma concentrations of digitalis glycosides in man.
1978
An inter-individual, randomized, double-blind study of digitoxin (Dt) and β-acetyl digoxin (D) was performed in 120 healthy male volunteers. Groups of 10 persons each received orally D 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5 or 0.6 mg and Dt 0.04, 0.08, 0.12, or 0.16 mg daily for 7 days; Loading doses were given for the first three days. Plasma levels were measured with an86Rb-erythrocyte assay 24 h after the last dose. ECG, carotid artery pulse and phonocardiogram were recorded prior to (b) and 24 h after (a) the last dose. QTc, amplitude of T-waves in V2 to V6, electromechanical systole (QS2c) and left ventricular ejection time (LVETc) were measured. The differences between a and b (Δ-values) reflect …
Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on esophageal motility in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease
2014
To evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on esophageal peristalsis in patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).Patients with GERD preliminary diagnosis were included in a randomized double-blind sham-controlled study. Esophageal manometry was performed before and during transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the right precentral cortex. Half of patients were randomly assigned to anodal, half to sham stimulation. Distal waves amplitude and pathological waves percentage were measured, after swallowing water boli, for ten subsequent times. Last, a 24h pH-bilimetry was done to diagnose non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) or functional heartb…
Assessment of the long-term safety of mepolizumab and durability of clinical response in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma
2018
Background Mepolizumab has demonstrated favorable safety and efficacy profiles in placebo-controlled trials of 12 months' duration or less; however, long-term data are lacking. Objective We sought to evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of mepolizumab in patients with severe eosinophilic asthma (SEA). Methods COLUMBA (Open-label Long Term Extension Safety Study of Mepolizumab in Asthmatic Subjects, NCT01691859 ) was an open-label extension study in patients with SEA previously enrolled in DREAM (Dose Ranging Efficacy And Safety With Mepolizumab in Severe Asthma, NCT01000506 ). Patients received 100 mg of subcutaneous mepolizumab every 4 weeks plus standard of care until a protocol-def…
Gabor frames for classification of paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation episodes
2016
[EN] In this study, we propose a new classification method for early differentiation of paroxysmal and persistent atrial fibrillation episodes, i.e. those which spontaneously or with external intervention will return to sinus rhythm within 7 days of onset from the ones where the arrhythmia is sustained for more than 7 days. Today, clinicians provide patients classification once the course of the arrhythmia has been disclosed. This classification problem is dealt with in this study. We study a sparse representation of surface electrocardiogram signals by means of Gabor frames and afterwards we apply a linear discriminant analysis. Thus, we provide an early discrimination, obtaining promising…
Checking the carotid pulse check: diagnostic accuracy of first responders in patients with and without a pulse.
1996
International guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in adults advocate that cardiac arrest be recognized within 5-10 s, by the absence of a pulse in the carotid arteries. However, validation of first responders' assessment of the carotid pulse has begun only recently. We aimed (1) to develop a methodology to study diagnostic accuracy in detecting the presence or absence of the carotid pulse in unresponsive patients, and (2) to evaluate diagnostic accuracy and time required by first responders to assess the carotid pulse. In 16 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting, four groups of first responders (EMT-1: 107 laypersons with basic life support (BLS) training; EMT-2…
Effect of alpha-linolenic acid in combination with the flavonol quercetin on markers of cardiovascular disease risk in healthy, non-obese adults: A r…
2019
Abstract Objectives Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and quercetin are characteristic compounds in plant-based diets. Cardioprotective effects have been described for both substances, although a possible benefit of combining ALA and quercetin has not, to our knowledge, been evaluated yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential independent and additive effects of ALA and quercetin on blood pressure (BP) and lipid and glucose metabolism, as well as on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress, and antioxidant status in healthy, non-obese men and women. Another aim was to examine whether chronic supplementation of supranutritional doses of quercetin would result in an accumulation…
In vivo endomicroscopy improves detection of Barrett’s esophagus–related neoplasia: a multicenter international randomized controlled trial
2013
Background Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) enables in vivo microscopic imaging of the GI tract mucosa. However, there are limited data on endoscope-based CLE (eCLE) for imaging Barrett's esophagus (BE). Objective To compare high-definition white-light endoscopy (HDWLE) alone with random biopsy (RB) and HDWLE + eCLE and targeted biopsy (TB) for diagnosis of BE neoplasia. Design Multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Setting Academic medical centers. Patients Adult patients with BE undergoing routine surveillance or referred for early neoplasia. Intervention Patients were randomized to HDWLE + RB (group 1) or HDWLE + eCLE + TB (group 2). Real-time diagnoses and management plans were r…
Effects of red orange juice intake on endothelial function and inflammatory markers in adult subjects with increased cardiovascular risk
2012
BACKGROUND Oxidative and inflammatory stresses are involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. The consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with improved health and reduced cardiovascular risk. Red oranges have a high content of antioxidant and antiinflammatory substances, but there is a paucity of data concerning their effects on cardiovascular biomarkers in subjects with increased cardiovascular risk. OBJECTIVE We investigated the effect of red orange juice intake on endothelial function, oxidative stress, and markers of inflammation in subjects with increased cardiovascular risk. DESIGN Nineteen nondiabetic subjects with increased cardiovascular risk (aged 27-56 y) were inc…