Abnormal body balance and cognitive dysfunction may develop in elderly patients with chronic vestibular dysfunction. AIM: To evaluate the relationship between cognitive processing and body balance in elderly patients with chronic peripheral vestibular disease. Type of Study: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Seventy-six patients (> 60 years) with chronic peripheral vestibular dysfunction and ...

Viola betonicifolia (whole plant) has been used as a sedative and in various nervous disorders in Pakistani traditional medicines. The n-hexane extract of the whole plant of V. betonicifolia (HEVB) was investigated for neuropharmacological properties such as anxiolytic, muscle relaxant, sleep induction, antidepressant and sedative to ascertain its folk use. ...

In this study, we investigated the anxiolytic-like effect of riluzole using three different innate anxiety models in rats. In the elevated plus-maze test, riluzole significantly increased the time spent in, and entries into, the open arm after 60 min administration. This finding was supported by results obtained from light/dark and open-field ...

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Securinega virosa is a commonly used medicinal plant in African traditional medicine in the management of epilepsy and mental illness. Previous studies in our laboratory showed that the crude methanol root bark extract of the plant possesses significant behavioral effect in laboratory animals. In an attempt to isolate ...

Literature data relevant to the decision to allow a waiver of in vivo bioequivalence (BE) testing for the approval of immediate-release (IR) solid oral dosage forms containing stavudine (d4T) are reviewed. According to Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS), d4T can be assigned to BCS class I. No problems with BE of ...

The accuracy of the MicroScan WalkAway, BD Phoenix, and Vitek-2 systems for susceptibility testing of quinolones and aminoglycosides against 68 enterobacteria containing qnrB, qnrS, and/or aac(6 ')-Ib-cr was evaluated using reference microdilution. Overall, one very major error (0.09%), 6 major errors (0.52%), and 45 minor errors (3.89%) were noted.

We compared two modifications of Vogel conflict test and assessed anxyolitic activity of two drugs: diazepam (benzodiazepine anxiolitic) and tenoten (ultra-low doses of antibodies to S-100 protein) in both modifications of the test. It was found that the intensity of anxiolitic effect of the drugs depends on the conditions of ...

Experiments were done to assess the compatibility of nateglinide with selected excipients in the development of immediate release tablets of nateglinide by thermal and isothermal stress testing (IST) techniques. To evaluate the drug-excipient compatibility, different techniques such as differential scanning calorimetric (DSC) study, infra-red (IR) spectrophotometric study and isothermal stress ...

Nickel is the most common cause of contact allergy and an important risk factor for hand eczema. Visualization techniques may be powerful in showing exposures. The dimethylglyoxime (DMG) test might be used to establish skin exposure to nickel. To develop and evaluate methods for visualization of nickel on the skin ...

Assessment of liver fibrosis is important in determining prognosis and evaluating interventions. Due to limitations of accuracy and patient hazard of liver biopsy, non-invasive methods have been sought to provide information on liver fibrosis, including the European liver fibrosis (ELF) test, shown to have good diagnostic accuracy for the detection ...

Background. We field tested and validated a newly developed monitoring and evaluation (M&E) toolkit for indoor residual spraying to be used by the supervisors at different levels of the national kala-azar elimination programs in Bangladesh, India and Nepal. Methods. Methods included document analysis, in-depth interviews, direct observation of spraying squads, ...

Pesticides can have an effect on the biochemical and physiological functions of living organisms. The changes seen in fish and their response to pesticides can be used as an example for vertebrate toxicity. In this study, carp fish (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to different concentrations of tebuconazol fungicide, by rice ...

We surveyed current pediatric rheumatology monitoring practice in methotrexate treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the British Isles, and experiences of significant side effects during methotrexate monitoring. Single-center responses were sought from the current British Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology membership, using a web-based survey tool. Thirty-three centers across ...

Hepatic encephalopathy is a common complication of cirrhosis. The degree of neuro-psychiatric impairment is highly variable and its clinical staging subjective. We investigated whether eye movement response times-saccadic latencies-could serve as an indicator of encephalopathy. We studied the association between saccadic latency, liver function and paper- and pencil tests in ...

Mitochondria play a major role in cell energetic metabolism; therefore, mitochondrial dysfunction inevitably participates in or even determines the onset and progression of chronic liver diseases. The assessment of mitochondrial function in vivo, by providing more insight into the pathogenesis of liver diseases, would be a helpful tool to study ...

OBJECTIVE: Two females with severe anorexia nervosa (BMI of 10) were seen with marked abnormalities in their liver function tests before the initiation of refeeding. These paradoxically resolved with progressive refeeding and weight restoration. METHOD: Clinical observation during regimented medical stabilization and refeeding of two patients with severe anorexia nervosa ...

BACKGROUND: Recently, noninvasive methods for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis have been extensively developed. We assessed the accuracy of liver stiffness measurement, aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) score, 13C-aminopyrine breath test, and indocyanine green plasma clearance for the diagnosis of cirrhosis in patients with chronic liver disease and for the ...

PURPOSE: Mitoxantrone was approved for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) in October 2000. Monitoring and dosing guidelines in the product labeling accompanying this indication include blood counts, liver function, and pregnancy tests at each administration. Due to potential cardiotoxicity, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) testing prior to initial infusion and ...

AIM: To analyze whether computer-enhanced dynamic analysis of elastography movies is able to better characterize and differentiate between different degrees of liver fibrosis. METHODS: The study design was prospective. A total of 132 consecutive patients with chronic liver diseases and healthy volunteers were examined by transabdominal ultrasound elastography. All examinations ...

BACKGROUND: Orthotopic liver transplantation can be associated with haemorrhage, particularly in patients with severe liver dysfunction. We assessed the value of rotation thromboelastometry (ROTEM) to monitor coagulation in the operating theatre, its correlation with routine laboratory findings, and its ability to guide platelet (Plt) and fibrinogen (Fg) transfusion. METHODS: Twenty-three ...

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive assessments of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B were well established. AIM: To develop a combined algorithm of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and serum test formula to predict advanced liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B. METHODS: We reported an alanine aminotransferase (AST)-based LSM algorithm for liver fibrosis in ...

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between elevated liver tests and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), as potential markers of liver inflammation and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with anthropometric and laboratory parameters in overweight patients, especially the relationship with visceral adipose tissue (VAT). METHODS: Patients presenting to the obesity clinic were prospectively ...

Motor vehicle collisions commonly result in serious life threatening liver injuries. Although finite element models are becoming an integral tool in the reduction of automotive related liver injuries, the establishment of accurate material models and tissue level tolerance values is critical for accurate injury risk assessment. This study presents a ...

Monitoring copper metabolism in patients with Wilson's disease is not an exact science. At present, there are no simple methods of estimating the total body load of this metal. Indirect methods must therefore be used. A survey of the current literature shows that most approaches rely on the determination of ...

Abdominal ultrasound is an extremely useful test for evaluation of patients with right upper quadrant pain or abnormal liver function tests. The terminology associated with ultrasound can be confusing. However, a basic understanding of ultrasound's language, uses and limitations can eradicate confusion and greatly add to patient care. This article ...

Morinda citrifolia (noni) fruit juice has been approved as a safe food in many nations. A few cases of hepatitis in people who had been drinking noni juice have been reported, even though no causal link could be established between the liver injury and ingestion of the juice. To more ...

BACKGROUND: We studied the relation between liver function abnormalities and hemodynamic profile in patients with heart failure (HF). METHODS AND RESULTS: In 323 HF patients, liver function was determined by aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST, ALT), alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase, and direct and total bilirubin (Bili dir, ...

Chronic liver disease is characterized by a global hemostatic defect including platelet-vessel wall interaction (primary hemostasis), coagulation and fibrinolysis that may cause abnormalities of the relevant laboratory tests. The causal relationship between abnormal tests and bleeding has been widely accepted, despite the fact that abnormal tests are poorly associated with ...

BACKGROUND: Long-term physiological variations, such as seasonal variations, affect the screening efficiency at medical checkups. This study examined the seasonal variation in liver function tests using recently described data-mining methods. METHODS: The 'latent reference values' of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (gammaGT), cholinesterase (ChE) and ...

It has been emphasized that the assessment of residual liver function is of paramount importance to determine the following: severity of acute or chronic liver diseases independent of etiology; long-term prognosis; step-by-step disease progression; surgical risk; and efficacy of antiviral treatment. The most frequently used tools are the galactose elimination ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of the 13C-galactose breath test (13C-GBT) in assessing canine liver function by applying it to a group of healthy dogs, and to a group with clinicopathological evidence of liver dysfunction. Breath samples were collected 30 min before ingestion of 13C-galactose, ...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate three microbial inhibition tests (MIT) based on inhibition of growth of the test organisms: (a) four plate test (FPT) containing Bacillus subtilis BGA, (b) screening test for antibiotic residues (STAR) containing Bacillus stearothermophilus var. calidolactis_ATCC 10149 and (c) the Premi(R)Test containing ...

OBJECTIVE: To validate the LiMAx test, a new bedside test for the determination of maximal liver function capacity based on C-methacetin kinetics. To investigate the diagnostic performance of different liver function tests and scores including the LiMAx test for the prediction of postoperative outcome after hepatectomy. SUMMARY BACKGROUND DATA: Liver ...

Subchronic toxicity of composite inorganic fertilizers such as ammonium sulfate [fertilizer A; (NH(4))(2)SO(4); 21% NH(4)-N)], composite fertilizer 15-15-15 (fertilizer B; commercial formulation: 15% NH(4)-N, 15% phosphorus, and 15% potassium oxide), and composite fertilizer 25-5-10 (fertilizer C; commercial formulation: 25% NH(4)-N, 5% phosphorus, and 10% potassium oxide) on the skin, liver, ...

This article describes several experiments performed to test our hypothesis that the agent used to coat/stabilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) will act to direct the AuNPs to specific tissues within the body and that changing the coating will change the target organ. Samples were also collected for pathological examination. Gum arabic- ...

Traditionally, the constellation of biochemistry tests including liver enzymes, total bilirubin, and hepatic synthetic measures (prothrombin time (PT) and serum albumin level) are referred to as liver function tests (LFTs). Abnormal LFTs can be encountered during primary health care visits, routine blood donation, and insurance screening. A reported 1% to ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: To assess the clinical and economic outcomes of non-invasive testing strategies in the diagnosis of significant liver fibrosis (Metavir score >or= 2) compared with liver biopsy. METHODS: We developed a decision analytic model of non-invasive testing strategies in a hypothetical patient population with genotype 1 hepatitis C ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Tumor recurrence develops in 45-80% of patients after liver surgery for colorectal liver metastases. To assess the significance of preoperative tumor marker levels for disease free interval (DFI) and patient survival (PS) after liver surgery. METHODOLOGY: Preoperative serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen--CEA, CA 19-9, CA 72-4, thymidine kinase (TK), ...

BACKGROUND: The indocyanine green (ICG) clearance test (clearance rate (K) and retention rate at 15 minutes (R15)) is a sensitive indicator to evaluate liver function. The model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score has emerged as a useful tool for estimating the mortality of patients awaiting liver transplantation and has ...

Two of the most successful and widely used tests developed by Arthur Benton and colleagues are the Facial Recognition Test (FRT) and Judgment of Line Orientation Test (JLO), which probe visuoperceptual and visuospatial functions typically associated with right hemisphere structures, especially parietal, occipitoparietal, and occipitotemporal structures. Taking advantage of a ...

The preoperative assessment of liver function is extremely important for preventing postoperative liver failure and mortality after hepatic resection. Liver function tests may be divided into three types; conventional liver function tests, general scores, and quantitative liver function tests. General scores are based on selected clinical symptoms and conventional test ...

The need to quantify the mechanical properties of human abdominal organs is becoming increasingly important in the automotive industry due to the large incidence of injuries to these organs as a result of motor vehicle crashes. The need to develop appropriate preservation and testing methodology is of particular importance because ...

Abdominal organ injuries account for approximately 3-5% of all injuries in automobile accidents. Because of incidence of injury, understanding the mechanical properties of these organs is vital to preventing and caring for injuries. Abdominal organs degrade quickly after death and therefore the need to develop appropriate procurement and testing methodologies ...

This study was to explore the relationships between personal exposure to 10 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and biochemical liver tests with the application of canonical correlation analysis. Data from a subsample of the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used. Serum albumin, total bilirubin (TB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), ...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to prove the clinical validation of the recently developed bile leakage test, "white test" (WT), in major liver resection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2005 to June 2007, the study was carried out in a prospective consecutive fashion, including 74 patients without bile leakage test as ...

BACKGROUND: The electroencephalogram-derived Bispectral Index (BIS), and the composite A-line ARX index (cAAI), derived from the electroencephalogram and auditory evoked potentials, have been promoted as anesthesia depth monitors. Using an intraoperative wake-up test, we compared the performance of both indices in distinguishing different hypnotic states, as evaluated by the University ...

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of herbal medicine (HM) prescribed by doctors of Korean medicine (KMD) on liver function in Korea. DESIGN AND INTERVENTIONS: For this multicenter, prospective, observational study, we enrolled patients who wished to take HM prescribed by KMD for various medical ...

Aim: At present, there are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria or methods for sub-clinical hepatic encephalopathy (SHE) associated with liver cirrhosis. We therefore developed an easily conducted computer-aided quantitative neuropsychological function test system for use in routine medical practice. Methods: The system was used prepare basic values according to age ...

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To assess prospectively the accuracy of transient elastography (TE, FibroScan) for the detection of cirrhosis and oesophageal varices (OV) in chronic hepatitis C (CHC), as compared with currently available non-invasive methods (AST/ALT ratio (AAR), APRI, prothrombin index (PI), platelet count (PC), FibroTest (FT) and Lok index). METHODS: All tests ...

We investigated the analytical performance of a new assay of the lactonase activity of paraoxonase-1 and its efficacy in the assessment of liver damage. Serum lactonase activity was determined by the hydrolysis of 5-thiobutyl butyrolactone in 633 healthy individuals and 369 patients with chronic liver disease. Paraoxonase-1, 2, and 3 ...