Luteinizing hormone response to controlled-release deslorelin in estradiol benzoate primed ovariectomized gilts.

Development of a controlled release formulation of gonadotropin releasing hormone that would stimulate a LH surge capable of reducing the time span of ovulations would greatly benefit reproductive management because a single timed insemination could be used. A dose-response study was conducted to determine if Deslorelin, a potent gonadotropin releasing hormone analogue, delivered via the SABER system, a biodegradable controlled release system, would stimulate an ovulatory-like LH surge in the pig. Twenty ovariectomized gilts, approximately 200 d old and 100 kg body weight (BW), received estradiol benzoate (15 microg/kg BW im) and 48 h later, the gilts were given deslorelin at 0, 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 or 100.0 microg im (n = 4 each treatment group). Compared to controls, mean blood deslorelin concentrations were still elevated at 30 h after deslorelin. Mean deslorelin magnitude, area under the curve and duration were sequentially greater (P<0.05) in a dose-dependent sequence. Compared to controls, serum LH concentrations were elevated (P<0.05) for 6 to 12 h after deslorelin. A dose-response relationship was absent for all parameters of LH secretion. Magnitude of the serum LH response was greatest (P<0.05) in the 12.5 microg and 50.0 microg groups, whereas area under the curve was lower (P<0.05) after 25.0 microg of deslorelin than after 12.5, 50.0 and 100.0 microg, which were not different from each other. Thus, no more than 12.5 microg of deslorelin is necessary to obtain maximum LH release in the model studied and doses less than 12.5 microg may also be effective.

Occupational adaptation intervention with patients with cerebrovascular accident: a clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the use of the Occupational Adaptation frame of reference in the evaluation and treatment of patients with cerebrovascular accident (CVA). METHOD: Outcomes of functional independence and discharge environment were measured through a quasi-experimental design. Twenty-five former patients served as the control subjects, and 25 patients admitted after the programmatic implementation of Occupational Adaptation served as the treatment subjects. RESULTS: Data analyses indicated that the Occupational Adaptation subjects achieved higher levels of functional independence and were discharged to less restrictive environments compared with the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Use of intervention guided by the Occupational Adaptation frame of reference was associated with improved functional independence and discharge to less-restricted environments for this group of patients with CVA.

Working conditions in home care: a survey of Washington state's home care workers.

Home care services make it possible for millions of older Americans to continue living in the community. Such services may enhance the recipients' quality of life while providing essential respite to family caregivers. But while there has been increasing recognition of the burden borne by the predominantly female family caregivers, there has been less attention to the plight of the home care workforce. With the growth of the home care industry, the burden of care has to some extent shifted from one category of female caregivers to another. This paper, based on a survey of 16 agencies and 1,900 workers, examines the employment conditions of home care workers in Washington state. The study reveals a pattern of harsh working conditions, low wages, and few benefits. The findings raise questions about the ethics and efficacy of government policies that are based on the exploitation of home care workers.

Factors associated with Hispanic teenagers' attitude toward the importance of birth control.

PIP: Attitudes of 240 female Hispanic teenagers in 1984-85 in New York City toward the importance of birth control (ATIBC) are examined as a reflection of the following: demographic factors, educational aspirations, maternal characteristics, religiosity, clarity of longterm goals, and perception of friends' behavior, i.e., the degree, formation, and variation of these factors. The nonrandom sample was recruited from pregnancy prevention classes. The questionnaire was available in English or Spanish. 9 research questions were of interest including whether girls in female-headed households were more likely to be sexually active and have higher ATIBC scores, whether Catholics will have lower ATIBC scores, whether spanish preference speakers have lower ATIBC scores, whether working mothers' children, or more highly educated mothers' children were more sexually active and have higher scores, whether religiosity lowers scores, whether higher educational aspirations increases scores, whether childrens' beliefs that most of the friends use contraceptive is related to higher cores, and whether clearer longterm goals are related to higher scores. The attitude scale was based on Kirby's and Cvetkovich and Grote's work and focused on peer influence, parental attitudes, and strength of intention to use contraceptives. Other measures are identified by specific questions, i.e., clarity of longterm goals is measured by the question: I have a clear idea of where I'm headed in the future, and I know what I want out of life. The results indicated that 4 variables were significantly associated with ATIBC scores: 1) lower scores were associated with teenagers who had mothers with low education (2nd-9th grades), and 2) teenagers who spoke Spanish best; 3) perceived importance of religion was significantly related to lower ATIBC scores such that great importance was related to low scores and little importance was related to high scores; and 4) teenagers' belief about their friends' potential use of birth control was significantly related such that if 75% of friends were thought to use birth control. These 4 predictors (primary language, mother's education, importance of religion, and friends' perceived birth control use) yielded an R of .55 and and R2 = .31. The strongest single predictor is friends' perceived birth control use at 15% and mother's education at 14%.^ieng

New evidence for anticipatory grief.

This exploratory study was designed to learn more about the needs of the survivors of hospice patients. A transitions framework is proposed as a way to conceptualize both hospice care and anticipatory grief, and a new clinical tool--the 10-Mile Mourning Bridge--is presented for survivors' assessments of their progress in bereavement. Survivors perceived that the routine pre-death work of the hospice team had a positive impact on their subsequent well-being in bereavement.

The use of prostacyclin analogue-containing suture for the prevention of postoperative venous thrombosis in the rat.

The ability of prostacyclin analogue incorporated into a controlled-release suture to prevent postoperative venous thrombosis was investigated. Thirteen rats underwent bilateral transection and anastomosis of the common femoral vein. In each animal, polycaprolactone suture containing 0.25 micrograms/cm of the prostacyclin analogue Iloprost (Schering Ag, Berlin, West Germany) was used to perform the anastomosis on one vessel. Similar suture without prostacyclin analogue was used on the contralateral vessel, which served as a control. Functional patency and luminal surface morphology were assessed 24 hours postoperatively. All anastomoses performed using suture containing prostacyclin analogue were patent. Among controls, five anastomoses were patent and eight were occluded. This difference was highly significant (p less than 0.005). All anastomoses performed with prostacyclin analogue-containing suture exhibited a uniform absence of thrombosis. In contrast, eight control veins exhibited a dense, well-organized fibrinous clot that filled the entire lumen, effectively sealing off the vessel. These results suggest that the prostacyclin analogue released from the suture was highly effective in inhibiting thrombus formation without adversely affecting the vessel's ability to achieve hemostasis.

New long-acting injectable microcapsule contraceptive system.

A new long-acting, injectable contraceptive which provides continuous controlled release of the steroid norethisterone (NET) for a precise period of 6 months following a single intramuscular injection is described. The prototype system consists of microcapsules made of the biodegradable polymer d, l-polylactic acid, in which micronized crystals of NET are homogeneously dispersed. NET is slowly released from the microcapsules following intramuscular injection at a rate of 0.90 microgram NET/day/mg of microcapsule by diffusion of the steroid from the polymer matrix. Three different doses of a standard preparation of microcapsules were tested in normally cycling female babbons (4 to 5 baboons/group). Following injection of either 300, 200, or 100 mg of microcapsules containing 75, 50, or 25 mg of NET, blood samples were collected at selected intervals and analyzed for NET, estrogen, and progesterone by radioimmunoassay. All three doses provided continuous NET release for 6 months following injection. The NET serum profiles for the different doses are parallel, and ovulation was inhibited in all baboons for 6 months following treatment.

PIP: A new, long-acting, injectable contraceptive system which uses a biodegradable polymer (d,1-polylactic acid) in the form of microspheres for controlled delivery of norethisterone is described. The continuous controlled release is designed to last exactly 6 months after a single intramuscular injection. System fabrication has yielded a prototype: Microcapsules of the biodegradable polymer containing homogeneously dispersed micronized crystals of norethisterone are injected, and the steroid is released slowly at a rate of .9 mcg of norethisterone/day/mg of microcapsule by diffusion of the drug through the polymer matrix. Pharmacokinetics of the injectable system of norethisterone were tested in normally cycling female baboons. 3 different doses of a standard preparation were tested (4-5 animals/group). After injection of either 300, 200, or 100 mg of microcapsules of 75, 50, or 25 mg of norethisterone, blood samples were collected and analyzed for the steriod, estrogen, and progesterone; radioimmunoassay of samples collected at selected intervals was carried out. For 6 months after injection, all 3 doses were parallel. Ovulation was inhibited in all baboons for 6 months after treatment; each animal resumed normal ovarian function within 1-2 weeks after the norethisterone blood level fell below the level of detection of the assay system (10-25 pg/ml).

Infrared characterization of surfaces and coatings by internal-reflection spectroscopy.

Some problems which arise in the characterization of surfaces and coatings by internal reflection spectroscopy are described. The ir spectra of bare CaF(2) trapezoids and of ThF(4)- and ZnSe-coated trapezoids exhibit absorption bands in the same spectral region as those of H(2)O and hydrocarbon impurities. In accord with previous investigations, it is observed that the absorptance due to water is much greater in the ThF(4) films than in the ZnSe films or on the CaF(2) surfaces. These results suggest that the water is distributed throughout the ThF(4) films, whereas for ZnSe it resides primarily on the surface. In addition, a number of interesting observations on the desorption and adsorption of water and hydrocarbons to these materials are made. The experimentally observed absorptances are analyzed on the basis of the reflectance for a threelayer system. The analysis enables reasonably quantitative values for the absorption coefficient to be determined for these thin-film coatings.

Comparative antibacterial activity of hexachlorophane in different formulations used for skin disinfection.

Two formulations of hexachlorophane have been compared for their antibacterial effects in respect of skin disinfection. It was found that the activity of hexachlorophane is dependent upon its vehicle of formulation. A 2.5% soap gel possesses broad-spectrum bactericidal activity with remarkable speed of kill, whereas a 3% detergent formulation has no bactericidal action against Gram-negative bacteria and only a very slow action against Gram-positive bacteria. In practice the rapid action of the 2.5% soap gel against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive transient skin bacteria can be achieved by correctly applying the preparation directly to the dry hands. It appears that the 2.5% soap gel does not need to rely on mechanical removal of transient organisms as does the 3% detergent. The 2.5% soap gel is more dependable in its action on the resident bacteria than the 3% detergent. It controlled the resident flora in the skin of all subjects tested whereas the latter appeared to be potentiated on the skin of certain individuals only. It has been possible to distinguish between the antibacterial effect on the resident organisms and the mere removal of transient bacteria by mechanical action of the 3% detergent as opposed to antibacterial effect on residents and rapid antibacterial effect on transients by the 2.5% soap gel.