scholarly journals Improved Dynamic Postural Task Performance without Improvements in Postural Responses: The Blessing and the Curse of Dopamine Replacement

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. B. Foreman ◽  
C. Wisted ◽  
O. Addison ◽  
R. L. Marcus ◽  
P. C. LaStayo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Task Performance ◽  
Fall Risk ◽  
Medication Treatment ◽  
Postural Responses ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Functional Gait ◽  
Dynamic Postural Task ◽  
Postural Task

Introduction. Dopamine-replacement medications may improve mobility while not improving responses to postural challenges and could therefore increase fall risk. The purpose of this study was to measure reactive postural responses and gait-related mobility of patients with PD during ON and OFF medication conditions.Methods. Reactive postural responses to the Pull Test and performance of the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) were recorded from 15 persons with PD during ON and OFF medication conditions.Results. Persons with PD demonstrated no significant difference in the reactive postural responses between medication conditions but demonstrated significantly better performance on the FGA when ON medications compared to OFF.Discussion/Conclusion. Dopamine-replacement medications alone may improve gait-related mobility without improvements in reactive postural responses and therefore could result in iatrogenic increases in fall risk. Rehabilitation providers should be aware of the side effects and limitations of medication treatment and implement interventions to improve postural responses.

scholarly journals The Effect of Brachytherapy Safety Education on Knowledge, Performance, and Attitude of Radiology Nurses

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Engy A. R. Khames ◽  
Rasha F. Ahmed ◽  
Yasmin F. M. Abed Elazeem
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Program Implementation ◽  
Treatment Modalities ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Safety Education ◽  
Professional Attitude ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Nurses Knowledge

Context: Brachytherapy is one of the cancer treatment modalities. Like any treatment, it can produce acute and delayed side effects. Unfortunately, patients getting brachytherapy experience many side effects that may affect their all quality of life aspect. So, nurses working in radiotherapy settings must be confident about their knowledge, competence, and technical skills. Therefore, holding continuing education programs for nurses is necessary.  Aim: This study aimed to determine the effect of brachytherapy safety education on radiology nurses' knowledge, attitude, and performance. Methods: Quasi-experimental one group pre-posttest design was utilized to achieve the aim of this study on nurses working on Ayadi El Mostakabal Hospital, Alexandria, Egypt. Four tools were used to collect the necessary data. The self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect the necessary data about the nurses. Radiology Nurses’ Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire to assess nurses' knowledge regarding nursing interventions for patients getting brachytherapy. Nurses’ Performance Observational Checklist to assess the actual nurses’ performance provided to patients getting brachytherapy. Radiology Nurses' Attitude Assessment Scale (RNAAS) measures nurses' professional attitude and the influence of safety training programs on nurses' attitudes. Results: There was a statistically significant difference between nurses' knowledge, performance, and attitude between the initial assessment, immediate, two weeks later, and three months of educational program implementation at p=0.001. Regarding the relationship between studied nurse's knowledge and their characteristics, there was a relationship found between nurses’ knowledge in the initial assessment and their age, marital status, and nurses’ years of experience at p=0.001, 0.002, and 0.0, respectively. While in the post-program implementation, the only relation was found between the nurses’ knowledge score and years of experience p=0.007, 0.053, and0.011 in immediate, two weeks later, and after three months of program implementation, respectively. There was no relation found between nurses' performance and their characteristics throughout program implementation phases. Conclusion: The current study findings concluded that radiation safety education for nurses regarding brachytherapy resulted in a statistically significant improvement in nurses' knowledge, performance, and attitude. Periodic and consistent update in-services training of nurses to improve their knowledge and practice enforces nurses to follow the approved guideline. Future studies are recommended to investigate nurses' knowledge and performance of radiation protection in the general ward or specialized departments.

Effects of Virgin Coconut Oil as Adjunct Therapy in the Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis

2016 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 22
Author(s):  
Nazli Zainuddin ◽  
Nurul Azira Mohd Shah ◽  
Rosdan Salim
Keyword(s):  
Allergic Rhinitis ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Coconut Oil ◽  
Test Group ◽  
Nasal Symptom ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Virgin Coconut Oil ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control

Introduction: The role of virgin coconut oil in the treatment of allergic rhinitis is controversial. Thus, the aim of the present study is to determine the effects of virgin coconut oil ingestion, in addition to standard medications, on allergic rhinitis. We also studied the side effects of consumption of virgin coconut oil. Methods: Fifty two subjects were equally divided into test and control groups. All subjects received a daily dose of 10mg of loratadine for 28 days. The test group was given 10ml of virgin coconut oil three times a day in addition to loratadine. The symptoms of allergic rhinitis were scored at the beginning and end of the study. Results:, the symptom score were divided into nasal and non-nasal symptom scores. Sneezing score showed a significant difference, however the score was more in control group than test group, indicating that improvement in symptom was more in control group. The rest of the nasal symptom and non-nasal symptom score showed no significant difference between test and control groups. Approximately 58% of the test subjects developed side effects from consumption of virgin coconut oil, mainly gastrointestinal side effects. Conclusion: In the present study, ingestion of virgin coconut oil does not improve the overall and individual symptoms of allergic rhinitis, furthermore it has side effects.

Anti-Diarrheal Drug Repositioning in Tumour Cell Cytotoxicity

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1037-1047 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jihene Elloumi-Mseddi ◽  
Dhouha Msalbi ◽  
Raouia Fakhfakh ◽  
Sami Aifa
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Anticancer Drugs ◽  
Tumour Cell ◽  
Caspase 3 ◽  
Drug Repositioning ◽  
Brdu Incorporation ◽  
Drug Concentrations ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Ic50 Values ◽  
Mcf 7

Background:Drug repositioning is becoming an ideal strategy to select new anticancer drugs. In particular, drugs treating the side effects of chemotherapy are the best candidates.Objective:In this present work, we undertook the evaluation of anti-tumour activity of two anti-diarrheal drugs (nifuroxazide and rifaximin).Methods:Anti-proliferative effect against breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231, MCF-7 and T47D) was assessed by MTT analysis, the Brdu incorporation, mitochondrial permeability and caspase-3 activity.Results:Both the drugs displayed cytotoxic effects on MCF-7, T47D and MDA-MB-231 cells. The lowest IC50 values were obtained on MCF-7 cells after 24, 48 and 72 hours of treatment while T47D and MDA-MB-231 were more resistant. The IC50 values on T47D and MDA-MB-231 cells became significantly low after 72 hours of treatment showing a late cytotoxicity effect especially of nifuroxazide but still less important than that of MCF-7 cells. According to the IC50 values, the non-tumour cell line HEK293 seems to be less sensitive to cytotoxicity especially against rifaximin. Both the drugs have shown an accumulation of rhodamine 123 as a function of the rise of their concentrations while the Brdu incorporation decreased. Despite the absence of a significant difference in the cell cycle between the treated and non-treated MCF-7 cells, the caspase-3 activity increased with the drug concentrations rise suggesting an apoptotic effect.Conclusion:Nifuroxazide and rifaximin are used to overcome the diarrheal side effect of anticancer drugs. However, they have shown to be anti-tumour drugs which make them potential dual effective drugs against cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy.

scholarly journals Randomised, controlled trial of erenumab for the prevention of episodic migraine in patients from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America: The EMPOwER study

Cephalalgia ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 033310242110241
Author(s):  
Shuu-Jiun Wang ◽  
Artemio A Roxas ◽  
Bibiana Saravia ◽  
Byung-Kun Kim ◽  
Debashish Chowdhury ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Middle East ◽  
Primary Endpoint ◽  
Episodic Migraine ◽  
Acute Migraine ◽  
Efficacy And Safety ◽  
Medication Treatment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Specific Medication ◽  
Secondary Endpoints

Objective EMPOwER, a double-blind, randomised, phase 3 study, evaluated the efficacy and safety of erenumab in adults with episodic migraine from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Methods Randomised patients (N = 900) received monthly subcutaneous injections of placebo, erenumab 70 mg, or 140 mg (3:3:2) for 3 months. Primary endpoint was change from baseline in monthly migraine days at Month 3. Other endpoints included achievement of ≥50%, ≥75%, and 100% reduction in monthly migraine days, change in monthly acute migraine-specific medication treatment days, patient-reported outcomes, and safety assessment. Results At baseline, mean (standard deviation) age was 37.5 (9.9) years, 81.9% were women, and monthly migraine days was 8.2 (2.8). At Month 3, change from baseline in monthly migraine days (primary endpoint) was −3.1, −4.2, and −4.8 days for placebo, erenumab 70 mg, and erenumab 140 mg, respectively, with a statistically significant difference for erenumab versus placebo (P = 0.002 [70 mg], P < 0.001 [140 mg]). Both erenumab doses were also significantly superior to placebo on all secondary endpoints, including the proportion of patients achieving ≥50% reduction from baseline in monthly migraine days, change from baseline in monthly acute migraine-specific medication treatment days and change from baseline in the Headache Impact Test-6™ scores. The safety profile of erenumab was comparable with placebo; no new safety signals were observed. Conclusions This study of erenumab in patients with episodic migraine from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America met all primary and secondary endpoints. A consistent numerical benefit was observed with erenumab 140 mg versus erenumab 70 mg across all efficacy endpoints. These findings extend evidence of erenumab’s efficacy and safety to patients under-represented in previous trials. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03333109

Exploring The Effect of Visual Information Degradation on Human Perception and Performance In A Human-Telerobot System

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1302-1307
Author(s):  
Richard Stone ◽  
Minglu Wang ◽  
Thomas Schnieders ◽  
Esraa Abdelall
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Human Perception ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Hit Rate ◽  
Word Level ◽  
Level Of Automation ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Human Operators ◽  
And Performance ◽  
High Level

Human-robotic interaction system are increasingly becoming integrated into industrial, commercial and emergency service agencies. It is critical that human operators understand and trust automation when these systems support and even make important decisions. The following study focused on human-in-loop telerobotic system performing a reconnaissance operation. Twenty-four subjects were divided into groups based on level of automation (Low-Level Automation (LLA), and High-Level Automation (HLA)). Results indicated a significant difference between low and high word level of control in hit rate when permanent error occurred. In the LLA group, the type of error had a significant effect on the hit rate. In general, the high level of automation was better than the low level of automation, especially if it was more reliable, suggesting that subjects in the HLA group could rely on the automatic implementation to perform the task more effectively and more accurately.

scholarly journals Prospective study to assess the tissue response to HPC-coated p48 flow diverter stents compared to uncoated devices in the rabbit carotid artery model

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim Lenz-Habijan ◽  
Pervinder Bhogal ◽  
Catrin Bannewitz ◽  
Ralf Hannes ◽  
Hermann Monstadt ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Body ◽  
Flow Diverter ◽  
Foreign Body Response ◽  
Tissue Response ◽  
Acute Setting ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Surface Modified ◽  
Common Carotid Arteries

Abstract Background Flow diverters (FDs) are widely used in the treatment of intracranial aneurysms, but the required medication increases the risk of haemorrhagic complications and limits their use in the acute setting. Surface modified FDs may limit the need for dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT). Hydrophilic polymer coating (HPC) may reduce the need of medication. Methods This explorative study, approved by the local authorities and the local welfare committee, compared stent behaviour and overall tissue response between HPC-coated FDs and uncoated FDs, both implanted into the common carotid arteries of eight New Zealand white rabbits. Endothelialisation, inflammatory response, and performance during implantation were assessed. Angiographic follow-up was performed to observe the patency of the devices after implantation and after 30 days. Histological examinations were performed at 30 days to assess foreign body reaction and endothelialisation. Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon tests were used to compare non-parametric variables. Results Angiography showed that both coated and uncoated FDs performed well during implantation. All devices remained patent during immediate follow-up and after 30 days. Histopathology showed no significant difference in inflammation within the vessel wall between the two cohorts (2.12 ± 0.75 vs. 1.96 ± 0.79, p = 0.7072). Complete endothelialisation of the stent struts was seen with very similar (0.04 ± 0.02 mm vs. 0.04 ± 0.03 mm, p = 0.892) neoendothelial thickness between the two cohorts after 30 days. Conclusion Taking into account the limitation in sample size, non-significant differences between the HPC-coated and uncoated FDs regarding implantation, foreign body response, and endothelialisation were found.

scholarly journals Comparing the efficacy and side-effects of PDLASTA® (Pegfilgrastim) with PDGRASTIM® (Filgrastim) in breast cancer patients: a non-inferiority randomized clinical trial

BMC Cancer ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Safa Najafi ◽  
Maryam Ansari ◽  
Vahid Kaveh ◽  
Shahpar Haghighat
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Clinical Trial ◽  
Single Dose ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trial ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Injection Site Reaction ◽  
Study Groups ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients ◽  
Significant Difference

Abstract Background The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and side effects of a single dose (Pegfilgrastim or PDL) or repeated six daily injections (Filgrastim or PDG) during chemotherapy courses in breast cancer patients in a non-inferiority clinical trial. Methods In this randomized clinical trial, 80 patients were recruited and allocated randomly to two equal arms. In one group, a single subcutaneous dose of PDL was injected the day after receiving the chemotherapy regimen in each cycle. The second arm received a subcutaneous injection of PDG for six consecutive days in each cycle of treatment. The side effects of GCF treatment and its effect on blood parameters were compared in each cycle and during eight cycles of chemotherapy. Results Hematologic parameters showed no significant differences in any of the treatment courses between the two study groups. The comparison of WBC (p = 0.527), Hgb (p = 0.075), Platelet (p = 0.819), Neutrophil (p = 0.575), Lymphocyte (p = 705) and ANC (p = 0.675) changes during the eight courses of treatment also revealed no statistically significant difference between the two study groups. Side effects including headache, injection site reaction and muscle pain had a lower frequency in patients receiving PDL drugs. Conclusion It seems that PDL is non-inferior in efficacy and also less toxic than PDG. Since PDL can be administered in a single dose and is also less costly, it can be regarded as a cost-effective drug for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Trial registration IRCT20190504043465N1, May 2019.

scholarly journals Awareness and Performance towards Proper Use of Disinfectants to Prevent COVID-19: The Case of Iran

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 2099 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zahra Safari ◽  
Reza Fouladi-Fard ◽  
Razieh Vahidmoghadam ◽  
Mohammad Raza Hosseini ◽  
Abolfazl Mohammadbeigi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Training Programs ◽  
Health Department ◽  
Public Places ◽  
Incidence Data ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Arcview Gis ◽  
Spearman’S Correlation ◽  
Good Range ◽  
Awareness Level

This study aimed to assess the awareness and performance of Qom citizens towards using disinfectants and compared its relationship with geographical distribution of COVID-19 outbreak in Qom, Iran. The study was conducted by a researcher-made questionnaire during April and May, 2020. COVID-19 incidence data for each district of city was obtained from health department of Qom province. Data were analyzed using Excel, SPSS and ArcView (GIS) softwares. It was found that the highest level of citizens’ awareness (52%) was in the weak range while their performance (56%) was in the good range. According to Spearman’s correlation analysis, there was a strong correlation (rho 0.95) between the total mean of awareness and performance (p < 0.01). The highest incidence rate of COVID-19 was in district 7 which had the lowest mean score in both awareness and performance. In addition, the results of ANOVA (LSD—least significant difference) showed that there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between district 7—with lower mean scores in awareness and performance—and other districts. Overall, it is concluded that citizens’ awareness level was lower than that of their performance. This conclusion not only calls for more training programs to be implemented in public places, schools, universities and governmental offices, but it also necessitates maintaining a proper and timely training about using disinfectants.

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