Evaluation of a hand-held spirometer, the Respiradyne, for the measurement of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR)

A hand-held spirometer, the Respiradyne (R), was evaluated for the measurement of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) by comparing it with a Vitalograph spirometer (V) and a Wright's peak flow meter (W) in 70 subjects (normals and patients). The results showed close agreement for FEV1; r = 0.99, R = 0.961V + 0.03 X 10(-5) and FVC; r = 0.99, R = 1.003V-0.044. Results for PEFR using the Respiradyne were generally higher than with the peak flow meter; r = 0.98, R = 1.151W-17.576. The Respiradyne is portable and simple to operate and may be suited to use in a variety of non-laboratory situations.     

Stability of bendrofluazide in a low-dose extemporaneously prepared capsule

The stability of bendrofluazide 1.25 mg in capsules was studied. The formulation is intended to provide a unit dose powder for administration by dispersing the contents in liquid. The capsules were prepared from ground bendrofluazide tablets 5 mg from two different manufacturers, diluted with lactose and packed manually by weight into hard gelatin capsule shells. The capsules were stored at ambient temperature exposed to light or 75% relative humidity, and at 45 or 60C. The ambient temperature and 60C conditions were studied for up to 1 year. Bendrofluazide was determined by a stability-indicating HPLC method. The capsule contents remained easy to disperse in liquid by the end of the study. The weight of contents which could be extracted from the capsules also remained satisfactory. A 7-month storage life at ambient temperature would be feasible, based on the lower 95% confidence limits of the time to 5% degradation.     

Incontinence and troublesome behaviors predict institutionalization in dementia.

Factors predicting the early institutionalization of demented patients were studied in 143 outpatients using univariate and multivariate life-table methods. Four types of factors were evaluated for prognostic value: severity of functional impairment, behavioral disorders, individual patient characteristics, and type of caregiver. After follow-up of 19 +/- 12 months, 51 patients had been institutionalized. Increased global severity of dementia, the presence of troublesome and disruptive behaviors, and incontinence increased the likelihood of institutionalization. The best predictors of institutionalization were paranoia, aggressive behavior, and incontinence. Neither individual patient characteristics (age, education, and gender) nor caregiver relationship to the patient (male spouse, female spouse, and male or female child) influenced institutionalization. Since troublesome behavioral disorders are potentially treatable aspects of dementia leading to institutionalization, their management should be a major focus of therapy in dementia.     

Follistatin and activin A production by the male reproductive tract

Follistatin is a binding protein for the activin and inhibin family of hormones, regulating their biological activity. In the male reproductive tract, the interaction of these factors is likely to be involved in the regulation of the proliferation of several cell types. We have investigated the presence of follistatin and activin A in seminal plasma using specific immunoassays and have localized follistatin and activin/inhibin subunits in the adult human testis, prostate and seminal vesicle to establish their likely sources. High concentrations of immunoreactive follistatin were present in seminal plasma in normal men (mean 97.9 ng/ml; 1.43 ng/ml in peripheral plasma) and were similar in men with oligo/azoospermia and following vasectomy. Follistatin immunoreactivity was localized to both Leydig and Sertoli cells of the testis, and to epithelial cells of the prostate gland and seminal vesicle, which are likely to be the predominant sources of the hormone in seminal plasma. Activin A was also present in seminal plasma in normal men but was undetectable following vasectomy, thus deriving from the testis. Consistent with this finding, the betaA-subunit was immunolocalized in Sertoli and Leydig cells but was not present in seminal vesicle or prostate gland. The functional significance of the high concentrations of follistatin secreted into seminal plasma by the prostate gland and/or seminal vesicle is uncertain, but they may regulate the biological activity of testis-derived activin A and inhibin B.      

Methods of Measuring Community Characteristics

There is increasing interest in the influence of community characteristics on child development and family functioning. In order to address questions on community influence, it is important to be aware of the measures available and their strengths and limitations. Useful strategies have been developed within a number of disciplines, including sociology, social and community psychology, and criminology. Methods include summarising information from existing administrative databases and census data, conducting observations, and using survey instruments with residents. The most commonly used methods are reviewed and their psychometric properties described .     

Activation of guinea pig eosinophil respiratory burst by leukotriene B4: role of protein kinase C

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and the protein kinase C activator, 4-beta-phorbol dibutyrate (PDBu), both induced a pronounced and concentration-dependent stimulation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation by purified guinea pig peritoneal eosinophils in the concentration range 1 nM-1 microM. The LTB4 response was inhibited competitively by the specific LTB4 receptor antagonist, U-75302, with a KB of 25 nM, while the concentration-response curves for both stimuli were shifted rightwards (3.8-fold and 2.8-fold for LTB4 and PDBu, respectively) by the competitive protein kinase C inhibitor, 1-O-hexadecyl-2-O-methylglycerol at a concentration of 300 microM. LTB4 appears, therefore, to induce respiratory burst in eosinophils via a receptor-mediated mechanism involving protein kinase C.