Effect of the new somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 on exogenously used insulin

Somatostatin and somatostatin analogues are inhibitors of insulin,glucagon, and growth hormone secretion. However, it has not been determined whether it is somatostatin or its analogues which affect these hormones when used concomitantly. The effect of the somatostatin analogue SMS 201-995 on exogenously infused insulin was observed in ten healthy volunteers. The study was carried out on two occasions with at least a 1-week interval. Each subject was infused with saline throughout the study and insulin at a rate of 40 mU/kg per hour between 60–160 min of the study (step A) or SMS 201-995 in a 75 g IV bolus following at a rate of 75 g/h for 160 min and insulin at the same rate and duration (step B). Hyper-insulinemia and SMS 201-995 significantly suppressed C-peptide secretion, but the degree of C-peptide suppression was greater in the SMS 201-995 infused step than in the insulin-only infused step. Blood glucose levels decreased markedly throughout the infusion of insulin with or without SMS 201-995. In step B, the decrease in blood glucose was greater than in step A. Insulin levels in step B increased to higher levels than in step A (from 81.1 ± 7.7 to 363.9 ± 22.7 mmol/l and from 82.7 ± 8.6 to 229.0 ± 23.4 mmol/l, respectively). These results show that SMS 201-995 increases the level of exogenously infused insulin. This is probably due to the impaired clearance of exogenous insulin. Correspondence to: M. Bayraktar     

Further evaluation of local intranasal immunotherapy with aqueous and allergoid grass extracts

In a double-blind study, 45 grass-allergic patients received local nasal immunotherapy (LNIT) with either aqueous mixed-grass extract, formaldehyde-treated, mixed-grass extract (allergoid), or histamine placebo. Twenty-four patients received LNIT for a second successive year, and 21 patients received LNIT for the first year. The aqueous extract-treated patients had significantly lower symptom-medication scores than either allergoid- or placebo-treated subjects. There was no difference in symptom-medication scores in patients receiving allergoid and placebo treatment or in patients receiving 1 and 2 yr of LNIT. The aqueous extract stimulated a rise in serum grass-specific IgE. There was no serum or local antibody response after allergoid-extract treatment. Postseasonal rises in serum-IgE titers were observed in all three groups. These data suggest that LNIT with aqueous mixed-grass extract significantly reduces the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. The allergoid grass extract was ineffective in the second year of treatment. No cumulative effect of LNIT could be demonstrated in successive years of therapy.     

Continuous active surveillance of adverse events following immunisation using SMS technology

IntroductionOn-going post-licensure surveillance of adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) is critical to detecting and responding to potentially serious adverse events in a timely manner. SmartVax is a vaccine safety monitoring tool that uses automated data extraction from existing practice management software and short message service (SMS) technology to follow-up vaccinees in real-time. We report on childhood vaccine safety surveillance using SmartVax at a medical practice in Perth, Western Australia.MethodsParents of all children under age five years who were vaccinated according to the Australian National Immunisation Schedule between November 2011 and June 2015 were sent an SMS three days post administration to enquire whether the child had experienced a suspected vaccine reaction. Affirmative replies triggered a follow-up SMS requesting details of the reaction(s) via a link to a survey that could be completed using a smartphone or the web. Rates of reported AEFI including fever, headache, fatigue, rash, vomiting, diarrhoea, rigours, seizures, and local reactions were calculated by vaccination time point.ResultsOverall, 239 (8.2%; 95% CI 7.2–9.2%) possible vaccine reactions were reported for 2897 vaccination visits over the 44 month time period. The proportion of children experiencing a possible AEFI, mostly local reactions, was significantly greater following administration of diphtheria–tetanus–pertussis–poliomyelitis vaccine at 4 years of age (77/441; 17.5%; 95% CI 13.9–21.0%) compared to the vaccinations given at 2–18 months (p < 0.001). Across all time points, local reactions and fatigue were the most frequently reported AEFI.ConclusionAutomated SMS-based reporting can facilitate sustainable, real-time, monitoring of adverse reactions and contribute to early identification of potential vaccine safety issues.     

A Text Message–Based Intervention for Weight Loss: Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

To our knowledge, no studies have evaluated whether weight loss can be promoted in overweight adults through the use of an intervention that is largely based on daily SMS (Short Message Service: text) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service: small picture) messages transmitted via mobile phones.

Objective

This paper describes the development and evaluation of a text message–based intervention designed to help individuals lose or maintain weight over 4 months.

Methods

The study was a randomized controlled trial, with participants being exposed to one of the following two conditions, lasting 16 weeks: (1) receipt of monthly printed materials about weight control; (2) an intervention that included personalized SMS and MMS messages sent two to five times daily, printed materials, and brief monthly phone calls from a health counselor. The primary outcome was weight at the end of the intervention. A mixed-model repeated-measures analysis compared the effect of the intervention group to the comparison group on weight status over the 4-month intervention period. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) models examined weight change between baseline and 4 months after adjusting for baseline weight, sex, and age.

Results

A total of 75 overweight men and women were randomized into one of the two groups, and 65 signed the consent form, completed the baseline questionnaire, and were included in the analysis. At the end of 4 months, the intervention group (n = 33) lost more weight than the comparison group (−1.97 kg difference, 95% CI −0.34 to −3.60 kg, P = .02) after adjusting for sex and age. Intervention participants’ adjusted average weight loss was 2.88 kg (3.16%). At the end of the study, 22 of 24 (92%) intervention participants stated that they would recommend the intervention for weight control to friends and family.

Conclusions

Text messages might prove to be a productive channel of communication to promote behaviors that support weight loss in overweight adults.

Trial Registration

Clinicaltrials.gov {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00415870","term_id":"NCT00415870"}}NCT00415870; http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/{"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT00415870","term_id":"NCT00415870"}}NCT00415870 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/5dnolbkFt)     

Using High-Risk Adolescents′ Voices to Develop a Comprehensible Cognitive Behavioral Therapy–Based Text-Message Program

At-risk adolescents' comprehension of, and preferences for, the content of a text-message (SMS) delivered, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)–based depression prevention intervention was investigated using two qualitative studies. Adolescents with depressive symptoms and a history of peer violence were recruited from an urban emergency department. Forty-one participants completed semi-structured qualitative interviews. Thematic analysis using deductive and inductive codes were used to capture a priori and emerging themes. Five major themes were identified: CBT-based messages resonated with at-risk adolescents; high levels of peer violence, comorbid symptoms, and prior exposure to the mental health system were variables affecting preferred content; participants endorsed emotional regulation messages, but found mindfulness content difficult to understand via SMS; cognitive awareness and restructuring content was most acceptable when framed by self-efficacy content; adolescent participants generated applicable CBT content in their own voices. Overall, CBT-informed content was able to be distilled into 160-character text messages without losing its comprehensibility.     

浅谈校园一卡通网络的补丁更新服务器

为了保证校园一卡通网络的安全运行,防止病毒、木马利用Windows系统漏洞进行攻击和传播,网络管理员需要定期为一卡通服务器和客户机安装最新的补丁修复程序。介绍了3种在校园一卡通网络内搭建补丁更新服务器的方法。     

史密斯-马吉利氏综合征与颅面畸形的联系

史密斯-马吉利氏综合征(Smith-Magenis syn-dronme,SMS)是一种罕见而复杂的遗传综合征,由染色体17p11.2缺失或维甲酸诱导1(retinoic acid induced 1,RAI1)基因突变导致的疾病 SMS的临床特征包括颅面畸形、发育迟缓、认知障碍和行为异常等 SMS患者的颅面发育具有典...     

基于SMS的医院医疗安全管理

揭示当前社会公众对医疗卫生行业提供服务的满意程度,分析民航机场与教学医院在业务安全管理上的相通性,指出医院在安全管理中暴露出的主要问题,在阐述SMS的概念、核心和优势的基础上,提出教学医院借鉴SMS成功经验在医疗安全管理目标、管理节点、管理方式、信息反馈和文化营造等方面的改进措施。