Pharmacy patron perspectives of community pharmacist administered influenza vaccinations

Background

One approach to boost influenza vaccination coverage has been to expand immunization authority. In 2012, the province of Ontario gave community pharmacists the authority to administer the influenza vaccine.

顺铂聚乳酸微球的药物释放特性及肝动脉栓塞研究

对顺铂聚乳酸微球进行了体外药物释放和家犬肝动脉栓塞研究。该微球粒径范围为50～200μm,平均粒径为115.76±35.94μm,顺铂含量为37.16%(W/W);体外药物释放机制符合Higuchi方程;肝动脉栓塞后8h,肝组织顺铂浓度高达21.55±12.18μg/g,明显高于肝动脉灌注顺铂组:3.16±0.09μg/g(P<0.05);肝动脉栓塞组的顺铂血浓峰值、各取血点浓度及曲线下面积AUC皆低于肝动脉灌注顺铂组。可望达到提高栓塞部位的药物疗效,降低全身毒副反应的作用。     

Primary tuberculous nasal polypi—A case report

Primary tuberculous pathology in nasolpolypi is a rare condition. A case of bilateral ethmoidal polypi with tubercular lesion diagnosed on histopathologlcal examination is being reported and the available relevant literature has been reviewed.     

The role of control activity levels in the reported strain differences to the behavioral effects of drugs in mice

The effect of d-amphetamine (3-100 mumoles/kg), scopolamine (0.3-100 mumoles/kg) and morphine (3-1000 mumoles/kg) were studied on the spontaneous motor activity (SMA) of four strains of mice: CF-1, DBA/2, C57BL/6 and CD-1. All three drugs increased the SMA of the CF-1, C57BL/6, and CD-1 strains at low to moderate doses and decreased SMA at higher doses. In the DBA/2 strain, d-amphetamine and scopolamine increased SMA at low doses and decreased SMA at high doses; only decreases in SMA were observed with morphine. When the drug effect was expressed relative to control levels of SMA, large apparent strain differences were shown to exist for all three drugs. In general, these strain differences were shown to exist for all three drugs. However, the majority of these strain differences could be attributed to the large differences which existed in the control level of SMA among the four strains. One important exception to this statement was shown to exist. The DBA strain responded differently (only decreases in SMA were observed) to morphine than did the other three strains. This decrease was not related to the control SMA level and could not be antagonized by naloxone (3 mumoles/kg, IP).     

Clinical guidelines for cardiovascular disease prevention: Should they differ by gender?

The effects of cardiovascular disease are substantial in women, yet cardiovascular preventive therapies for women are underused. The prevalence and impact of many coronary risk factors differ by gender. Coronary risk interventions (eg, using aspirin) have diverse outcomes in women and men. Results from studies of preventive interventions specific to women (eg, menopausal hormone therapy) have changed preventive recommendations and clinical practice.     

Effects of instruction by practice assistants on inhaler technique and respiratory symptoms of patients. A controlled randomized videotaped intervention study

BACKGROUND: Many patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary diseaseuse their medication inhalers incorrectly. General practitioners,pharmacists and other health care providers do not always havethe opportunity to instruct patients in correct inhaler technique. OBJECTIVE: To find out whether the inhaler technique and respiratory symptomsof patients can be improved after instruction by practice assistants. METHODS: Single blind, randomized intervention study in which 48 patientswho had been using a dry powder inhaler for at least one monthtook part. Their inhaler technique was videotaped on two visitswith a two-week interval between visits. The inhaler techniqueon the videos was subsequently scored by two experts on ninecriteria. At both visits the patients completed a questionnaireabout their respiratory symptoms. After the first video, 25patients were randomly chosen to receive instruction from oneof six practice assistants who had followed a one evening courseabout inhaler instruction, and who had been issued an instruction-set. RESULTS: The patients who received instruction had a significantly greaterreduction in number of mistakes at the second visit than thepatients who did not (P = 0.01). The instructed patients alsoreported less dyspnoea at the second visit (P = 0.03). No effectof instruction was found on wheezing, cough and sputum production. CONCLUSION: The inhaler technique of patients can be improved significantlyby the instruction of patients by trained practice assistants,possibly resulting in less dyspnoea. Keywords. Administration-inhalation, obstructive lung diseases, airways symptoms, patient-education, general practice.     

Cellular Distribution of G Protein Goa in Pituitary Lactotrophs: Effects of Dopamine

Membrane-bound GTP-binding (G) proteins mediate signal transduction in a variety of cell systems. The exact mechanisms of G proteins action are still under investigation but they appear to involve effectors located in the plasma membrane as well as in other parts of the cell. With this study, we investigated the cellular and ultrastructural localization of G protein subunits, and particularly of Goa, in normal rat anterior pituitaries and in estrone-induced rat adenomatous lactotrophs. We also evaluated the effects of Goα cellular redistribution in rat adenomatous lactotrophs following short-term exposure to dopamine (DA). Using the Protein A-gold (PAG) methodology, Goα was found to be present in the cysternae of the endoplasmic reticulum of normal pituitary cells and of adenomatous lactotrophs. In the latter, Goα could be co-localized with prolactin (PRL). By immunoblots, using specific antisera, significant amounts of Goα and Gs42α, together with smaller amounts of Giα, Gs47α and Gβ were found to be present in the uncontaminated supernatant fraction of adenomatous lactotrophs. Unexpectedly, exposure of the cells to DA induced a rapid and short-lived decrease in the cytosolic fraction of Goα and Gβ associated with a decrease of PRL release. Since cytosolic Goα can be ADP-ribosylated by pertussis toxin (PT) and is therefore in a heterotrimeric form, our data suggest that the soluble Go protein may play a role during lactotrophs' exposure to an inhibitor of PRL release, perhaps through its relocalization after being internalized with the D₂ receptor or by being used for interaction with intracellular and/or membrane-bound effectors.     

Acrometageria: A spectrum of “premature aging” syndromes

A child with manifestations of acrogeria and metageria, two “premature aging” syndromes, is presented. Because of his indistinct phenotype and because the question has been previously raised as to whether these conditions are separate, we propose the designation of acrometageria to describe this phenotypic continuum. As there is much in common clinically between acrometageria and the syndrome of type III procollagen deficiency (Ehlers-Danlos type IV), it might be presumed that a similar pathogenesis for acrometageria exists. This possibility has been tested previously, without demonstrating specific quantitative or qualitative deficits, but with some indirect evidence that collagen metabolism is deranged in these patients. One such crude indicator is the elevation of urinary hyaluronic acid levels, demonstrated in our patient and also observed in the phenotypically distinct Werner and Hutchinson-Gilford premature aging syndromes. On one hand, it could be argued that this supports the concept that premature aging syndromes exist as a biological continuum. On the other hand, it is equally valid to argue that syndromes of premature aging are so described merely because they include recognizable changes of normal aging and that the demonstration of an underlying mutation in a collagen gene, for example, invalidates their study as models of accelerated normal aging. © Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

In situ saphenous vein bypass grafts: angiographic evaluation and interventional repair of complications

In situ saphenous vein grafts are being used with increasing frequency for bypass procedures involving the femoral and popliteal arteries. Complications of these procedures include anastomotic stenoses and persistent arteriovenous fistulae that may result in failure of the graft. Balloon angioplasty and embolotherapy with detachable balloons were employed successfully in three or four recent cases of patients with complications from in situ grafts. Tailored angiography is essential for evaluating in situ grafts, and interventional techniques are extremely useful for managing complications.