Percent Of Treatment Research Articles

Exploring of Lethal Dose (LD50) Using Gamma Rays and Its Impact on Seed Germination and Seedling Survival in Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni cv. CIM-Madhu

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni an natural alternative to sugar and is known for production of sweet glycosides. The impact of gamma radiations in developing new stevia mutants was carried out at Department of Horticulture, University of Agricultural Sciences, GKVK, Bengaluru. Seeds of stevia cv. CIM-Madhu were collected and irradiated with various dosages of gamma rays viz. 50, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500 and 600 Gy to assess the LD50 value. The maximum germination (65%) was seen in the non-mutagenized control group followed by 61 percent in treatment comprising of 50 gy gamma irradiation with 6.15 per cent reduction in germination over the control. The maximum survival percentage was recorded in non-mutagenized control group (89%). Non-mutagenized control group took significantly lesser number of days (12 days) for germination and the treatment comprising of 200 Gy and 500 Gy took maximum number of days for germination (20 days). LD50 a dose that causes 50% mortality to the seeds was found at 150 Gy. This LD50 dose can be used as reference for initiating mutation breeding in other cultivars of stevia.

THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF HAY FROM FOUR GRASS SPECIES CUT AT THREE STAGES OF GROWTH AT IBADAN

Four grass species namely: Cynodon nlemfuensis var robustus (M); Pennisetum purpureum Schum (N); Cynodon nlemfuensis var nlemfuensis (P); and Panicum maximum Jacq. (Q), each between the 4th and 5th, 6th and 7th, and 8th and 9th week of regrowth, was cut in the fourth and fifth years of grazing for hay (i. e. in 1972 and 1973). Digestion trials with West African dwarf sheep showed that there were significant differences in the extent to which the dry matter of the different grass species was digested (P 0.001) and among the stages of growth (P 0.01). The differences between animals within and between treatments and the interactions between treatments and periods of cutting were statistically not significant. The differences among treatment means indicated that treatment Q (68.5 ± 2.73%) was digested better than treatment M (54.9 ± 7.18%, P 0.001), and treatments N and P (60.3 ± 5.37% and 58.7 ± 5.30% P 0.01) respectively. The digestibility of crude protein was generally low in each of the grass specie studied. This is probably a reflection of the low crude protein content of the grass hays which was below 9 percent of dry matter. It ranged from approximately 27.3 percent in treatment N for the 6th week regrowth hay to 51.9 percent in treatment Q for the hay harvested in the 8th week of regrowth. The differences among treatments, stage of maturity, and the interactions between treatments and stage of cutting were not statistically significant. Significant differences between treatments were observed in the digestion of the energy content of the feeds (P 0.001). Treatments N and Q were better digested than M and P (P 0.05). Expressed on metabolic size basis, the intakes of dry matter, crude protein, and energy showed significant differences between treatments and between ages at harvest. The intakes of dry matter in treatments Q, M, and P were significantly higher (P 0.05) than treatment N while there was more dry matter taken from the 4th and 8th week hays than from the hays made from the species harvested in the 6th week of regrowth (P 0.01). More crude protein was consumed per kg0.75 in treatments M, P and Q than in treatment N (P 0.01), and in treatment M than Q (P 0.05). There were higher protein intakes from hays made in the 4th and 8th than those made in 6th week of regrowth (P 0.05). Treatment Q supplied more energy per kgl. 75 than treatments M, P and N (P 0.05), while more energy was consumed per kilogramme of metabolic size in treatment P than in treatment N (P 0.05).
 Nutritive Value of Hay. The intake of digestible crude protein was relatively low and this probably accounted for the losses in the liveweight of the experimental animals. The results of the experiment are suggestive of the need for supplementary protein feed during the dry season if animals are to make any liveweight gains.

Housing First and Severe Mental Disorders: The Challenge of Exiting Homelessness

We examine the long-term housing trajectories of 543 program participants at the Toronto site of the At Home/Chez-Soi project, a randomized controlled trial of a Housing First (HF) intervention for adults with mental disorders. The average follow-up period for our study was 5.5 years. We find that the HF approach, which includes housing subsidies and support services, was strongly associated with rapid transitions to sustained housing (70.4 percent of HF participants vs. 27.9 percent of treatment as usual participants). Mood disorders with psychotic features and primary psychotic disorders were negatively associated with the rapid and sustained housing trajectory, and alcohol use disorders were positively associated with a rapid then declining housing trajectory. We argue that to understand the long-term impacts of housing programs, research needs to better explore comprehensive and personalized care to support individuals with severe mental disorders.

Radiotherapy activities and technological equipment in Veneto, Italy: a report from the Rete Radioterapica Veneta.

Despite the pivotal role of radiotherapy in oncology, the provision of radiation treatments remains inadequate in many areas of the world. The present report is an assessment conducted among Radiation Oncology centers of Veneto region with the aim to collect information concerning radiotherapy assets and technological equipment availability. Data concerning Veneto Radiation Oncology departments about radiotherapy activities, number of treatments, techniques used and radiotherapy machines available were collected. The reference time period was 2018. Reimbursement system databases and business intelligence systems were used. Extra-regional attraction and migration were evaluated. When available, data were compared to previous years. Veneto in 2018 was endowed with 1 megavolt unit for about 153,000 inhabitants. The number of megavolt machines per million inhabitants resulted to be 6.72. In 51% of radiotherapy treatments, intensity-modulated techniques were performed. Six percent of treatments were administered to extra-regional patients. Radiotherapy assets and equipment in Veneto seem to be appropriate to standard requests in terms of availability and technology.

Sprout results characterization of in vitro shoots encapsulation broccoli using sodium alginate

One of the in vitro culture techniques to obtain planting material in vitro is through artificial seed technology. The purpose of this research was to obtain a description and test the effects of sodium alginate on in vitro shoot encapsulation in broccoli. Research result for 7 days of storage the highest germination rate of 10 percent in treatment S1 (2 milligram per litre 6- Furfuryl amino purine (KIN)) which was encapsulated with 2 percent sodium alginate (E1). During the 28 days storage the germination rate increased significantly to 30 percent in the S2 treatment (1 milligram per litre KIN plus 0.5 milligram per litre naphthalene acetic acid (NAA)) and S3 (2 milligram per litre KIN plus 0.5 milligram per litre NAA) which was also encapsulated with E1. The percentage of synthetic seed germination rate correlated closely and positively with the number of seeds form sprouts (r is equal to 0.87). Based on the description data and selection results number of seeds germinating, two encapsulation treatments were selected, that is treatment S2 and S3 encapsulated with E1, which has a sprout stem shape round is not straight. The selected encapsulation treatment can be used for synthetic seed formation by coating.

The Survey on Cellular and Engineered Tissue Therapies in Europe in 2013.

Following the coordinated efforts of five established scientific organizations, this report, the sixth of its kind, describes activity in Europe for the year 2013 in the area of cellular and engineered tissue therapies, excluding hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) treatments for the reconstitution of hematopoiesis. Three hundred eighteen teams from 31 countries responded to the cellular and engineered tissue therapy survey; 145 teams from 25 countries reported treating 2187 patients, while a further 173 teams reported no activity. Indications were musculoskeletal/rheumatological disorders (45%; 89% autologous), cardiovascular disorders (20%; 99% autologous), hematology/oncology, predominantly prevention or treatment of graft versus host disease (GvHD) and HSC graft enhancement, (19%; <1% autologous), neurological disorders (3%; 100% autologous), gastrointestinal disorders (2%; 32% autologous), and other indications (11%; 67% autologous). The majority of autologous cells (88%) were used to treat musculoskeletal/rheumatological (57%) and cardiovascular (27%) disorders, whereas allogeneic cells were used mainly for hematology/oncology (64%). The reported cell types were mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSC) (49%), HSC (28%), chondrocytes (11%), dendritic cells (2%), keratinocytes (1%), and others (9%). In 46% of the grafts, cells were delivered following ex vivo expansion, sorted in 17% of the reported cases and transduced in only 3%. Thirty three percent of treatments were delivered intravenously or intra-arterially, and of the remaining 67%, 37% used a membrane/scaffold, 28% a suspension, and 2% a gel. The data are compared to those previously collected to identify trends in a still unpredictably evolving field.

Safety and quality assurance of MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) in palliation of painful bone metastases.

9565 Background: Palliation of bone metastases is typically performed with radiation therapy (RT). However, a significant minority of patients cannot obtain durable relief from RT. MRgFUS combines non-invasive focused ultrasound with MR guidance. Preliminary phase III results comparing MRgFUS to sham treatment have demonstrated efficacy. This study examines the safety of this procedure in a large prospective, multi-center study. Methods: Patients with a painful bone metastasis were randomized (3:1) to either MRgFUS or sham treatment for the single most painful lesion. Sham patients were given the opportunity to cross over after 2 weeks. Each adverse event (AE) was recorded prospectively and scored for severity and relation to treatment. Results: Thirty-seven patients were enrolled to receive sham treatment and 115 to receive MRgFUS. Sites of treatment were: 102 pelvis, 28 thorax, 7 lower extremity and 2 upper extremity. Seventy-seven target lesions were osteolytic, 29 were osteoblastic and 33 were mixed. Treatment was discontinued prior to completion in 8 treatments. Of these, 7 were pelvic targets and 6 lesions were osteolytic. The most common reasons for discontinuation were pain (4) and patient movement (2). Forty-seven percent of treatment patients and 2.7% of sham patients reported at least one AE. Of 76 AEs, 67 were considered non-significant and anticipated, 57 being intra-procedure pain. Four significant events included 2 possibly related fractures at treated lytic lesion sites, 1 grade 3 skin burn and 1 patient with neuropathy. Four patients experienced events unrelated to study treatment and 1 patient experienced temporary apnea from anesthesia described as incidental. Conclusions: MRgFUS is a safe treatment for palliation of painful bone metastases. Ninety-three percent of MRgFUS treatments were carried out to completion. Three percent of patients experienced significant AEs, including 2 fractures of treated lytic tumors. These safety data reinforce and confirm previous experience with this technology and encourage its use for patients not suitable for RT. Clinical trial information: NCT00656305.

Increasing Cabbage Production Through NPK Application In Cabintan, Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines

One of the major issues affecting vegetable production in the Southern Philippines is the improper allocation of limited resources such as fertilizers due to lack of knowledge on the nutrient status of the soil. This study determined the effects of P application on P fertilizer efficiency and demonstrated the influence of N, P and K application in increasing the yield of cabbage (Brassica oleracea L.) in Cabintan, Ormoc City, Philippines. The treatments included: T1 – Farmers’practice consisting of chicken manure (75 bags/ha) + Complete (12 bags/ha) + Urea (13.5 bags/ha); T2 – Ammophos (5.5 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (1 bag/ha); T3 – Ammophos (11 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (2 bags/ha); T4 – Ammophos (8.25 bags/ha) + Muriate of Potash (1.5 bags/ha). The study demonstrated the importance of applying appropriate levels of NPK fertilizers in improving the growth and yield of cabbage. It also revealed that reducing the fertilizer costs by 50 percent in Treatment 3 as compared to the farmer’s practice in Treatment 1 (i.e. from P38,400 to P16,800) would give a more sustainable yield as compared to the farmer’s practice. Reduction of fertilizer inputs from 444-93-142 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O to 88-110-60 kg/ha N-P2O5-K2O in T3 will lead to a better allocation of limited resource that is available to the farmers.

Analysis of medication with hypertension by different glucose tolerance status

To analyze the combination of hypertension and the use of antihypertensive drugs by different glucose tolerance status. Matched case-control design was used to sample the subjects from the population for the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and metabolism syndrome from 2007 to 2008. There were 3 groups including normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 2124), impaired glucose regulation (IGR, n = 2162) and diabetes (DM, n = 2470). The matched factors were location, age and gender. All subjects were interviewed to describe the hypertension and antihypertensive drugs of these conditions. After adjusting for age, gender and location, the combination of hypertension in IGR and DM groups was higher than NGT (28.3%, 40.2% and 19.9%) and OR was 1.29 (1.08 - 1.53) and 1.99 (1.67 - 2.37) respectively. The percent of treatment, prescription compliance and the surveillance of hypertension in total subjects were 48.6%, 79.3% and 62.5%. And no difference was observed among 3 groups. The proportion of calcium channel blocker of DM groups was higher than NGT group. The uses of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) and angiotensin II receptor blocker (ARB) showed no difference among 3 groups. The combination of hypertension is higher in IGR and DM groups than that in NGT group. And the treatment rate of hypertension remains low. ACEI and ARB are under-utilized in IGR and DM groups.

Effect of ascorbic acid on chicken semen quality during liquid storage

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro effects of ascorbic acid on Ross-308 chicken sperm quality. The semen was collected from eight teen Ross-308 broiler breeder roosters and mixed together. The mixed semen was diluted with modified Ringer’s solution and supplemented with five treatment levels (0%, 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 3%) of ascorbic acid (w/v). Treatments were evaluated for sperm motility, viability, and morphological defect rates at 0, 3, 6, 10, and 24 h after storage at 4°C. At 0, 3, and 6 of storage, no significant differences were observed between treatments with ascorbic acid and controls for all spermatozoa quality parameters. At 10 h, sperm viability in treatment added with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than control and other treatments. In this time, there were not significant differences among treatments with 0%, 0.5%, 2%, and 3% ascorbic acid. At 24 h, sperm motility in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid and sperm viability in treatments contain 1% and 2% ascorbic acid were higher than controls and other treatments. In this period, morphological defect percent of spermatozoa in treatment with 1% ascorbic acid was significantly lower than control and other treatment groups. Also, at 24 h, sperm morphological defect percent in treatment added with 3% ascorbic acid was significantly higher than that in control and other treatments.

Factors associated with high-frequency oscillatory ventilation response in infants with respiratory failure.

A prospective, clinical study was conducted to investigate the factors associated with the effectiveness and outcome of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) in infants with respiratory failure unresponsive to optimal conventional respiratory and pharmacological therapy. A high-lung volume strategy was used in cases with diffuse lung disease. A total of 30 treatments in 24 patients (including 14 premature infants), aged 1 to 127 days, was included for analysis. By 6 to 8 hours, > 20% improvement in oxygenation (good response) was noted in 57% of treatments. < 20% improvement (poor response) in 20%, 23% showed delayed response 10 to 24 hours after initiation of HFOV. Thirty-five percent of treatments with initial good response deteriorated later because of severe underlying problems or occurrence of ventilatory complications. Seventeen treatments (57%) were weaned successfully to conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV). Poor response was associated with a higher oxygenation index prior to HFOV and a severe underlying problem. Failure to be successfully weaned to CMV was associated with a higher mean airway pressure and a severe underlying condition. Premature infants and infants with the persistent pulmonary hypertension of newborn usually had a good response to HFOV. From results of this study, it is concluded that patients with severe lung disease and a severe underlying problem responded poorly to HFOV. An initial good response did not predict successful weaning.

Treatment and Clinical Trials Decisionmaking: The Impact of the Cancer Information Service. Part 5

The Cancer Information Service (CIS) provides accurate, up-to-date information to cancer patients, their families, the general public, and health professionals. In 1996, the CIS telephone service received 208,971 calls from people with questions about cancer treatments and clinical trials (total calls = 500,000). Cancer information specialists are trained and certified to access the PDQ database of treatment options and clinical trials, to translate medical information into understandable terms in order to help callers make treatment decisions, and to discuss clinical trials proactively. A telephone service user survey was conducted to assess the satisfaction and impact of the assistance and information provided to CIS callers. Almost half of the callers (46% of those calling for treatment information, 50% calling for clinical trial information) discussed the CIS information with a physician. Over half (55% treatment, 54% clinical trial) said the information helped them make a treatment decision. Twenty-four percent of treatment and 64% of clinical trial callers had enrolled in or had considered a clinical trial. Almost all (95%) were satisfied with information received from the CIS. The authors find that the CIS is fulfilling its role in disseminating information on cancer treatment and clinical trials through its telephone service. The CIS proactively educates treatment callers about clinical trials. However, the CIS needs to apply other strategies to reach medically underserved populations. Although most callers were able to understand the information, clinical trial callers found the information more difficult than did treatment callers. The CIS is working to simplify written clinical trial information.

Changing Patterns of Electroconvulsive Therapy Use: Results of a Five-Year Survey

Despite its proven efficacy and safety, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) continues to be a controversial treatment. Ongoing scrutiny is therefore particularly important. We reviewed 315 patients who received 3903 ECT treatments over a five year period, and found a gradual decline in the use of ECT, due mainly to a reduction in ECT for schizophrenic patients. Eighty percent of treatments were given with bilateral electrode placement, although we did find the incidence of adverse effects to be greater with bilateral ECT. Most patients concurrently received medications which raise the seizure threshold. The administration of ECT to patients unable or unwilling to give informed consent raises ethical and medicolegal issues. We found that such difficulties had arisen with at least 16% of patients.

A Two-Year Experience with the Neodymium-YAG Laser in Endobronchial Obstruction

In the first two years after the introduction of neodymium-yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd: YAG) laser therapy to our practice, 116 patients were treated 176 times. One hundred six patients (91.4 percent) were treated with the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope. General anesthesia was used in 89.7 percent of treatments; there were four transient anesthetic complications. Three deaths from massive hemorrhage occurred in the first 59 treatments (first 30 patients). After laser power settings were reduced from 90 to 40 W, there were no further incidences of massive hemorrhage or death in the subsequent 117 treatments. The airway caliber was improved in 83.4 percent of treatments. The trachea, mainstem bronchi, and bronchus intermedius airway calibers were improved more often than those of the lobar bronchi. With lower laser power settings, Nd:YAG laser therapy is a safe and effective means of relieving airway obstruction. Thirty-six percent of patients were alive at one year. The median time to retreatment or death was 130 days.