First Measurement of Near-Threshold J/ψ Exclusive Photoproduction off the Proton.

We report on the measurement of the γp→J/ψp cross section from E_{γ}=11.8 GeV down to the threshold at 8.2 GeV using a tagged photon beam with the GlueX experiment. We find that the total cross section falls toward the threshold less steeply than expected from two-gluon exchange models. The differential cross section dσ/dt has an exponential slope of 1.67±0.39 GeV^{-2} at 10.7 GeV average energy. The LHCb pentaquark candidates P_{c}^{+} can be produced in the s channel of this reaction. We see no evidence for them and set model-dependent upper limits on their branching fractions B(P_{c}^{+}→J/ψp) and cross sections σ(γp→P_{c}^{+})×B(P_{c}^{+}→J/ψp).

Vaccination coverage before and after primary health care implementation and trend of target diseases in Al Hassa, Saudi Arabia.

There were two objectives of this study. The first was to determine the impact of vaccination coverage in the first year of life on the trend of the expanded program of immunization (EPI) target diseases in Al Hassa. The second was to determine the impact of primary health care (PHC) implementation in Al Hassa on vaccination coverage. A correlation matrex was computed for all the variables to determine the correlation between vaccination coverage by type of vaccine and reported cases of EPI target diseases. A negative correlation was noticed between Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG), Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV), Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus (DPT) and measles vaccine and reported cases of corresponding diseases. This negative correlation was significant (P = 0.043) between measles vaccine and reported measles cases. The average vaccination coverage in the first year of life based on the total number of births significantly increased in 1988 and 1989 compared to the preceding four years (P < 0.01). It is concluded that with increased vaccination coverage in the first year of life against EPI target diseases, the number of reported corresponding diseases decreased, and that PHC implementation improved the vaccination coverage in Al Hassa.

PIP: A retrospective study of 1984-89 records in the Department of Control and Surveillance of Diseases at the Directorate of Health Affairs in Al-Hassa, Saudi Arabia, aimed to determine the effect of vaccination coverage in the first year of life on the trend of target diseases of the expanded program if immunization (EPI), begun in February 1987, and to determine the effect this program had on vaccination coverage. From 1984-89, vaccination coverage of the first year of life increased significantly for BCG (88.6 vs. 97.8%); oral polio vaccine (86 vs. 96%); diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus (DPT) vaccine (85.8 vs. 95.2%); and measles vaccine (72.6 vs. 89.2%) (p .01 for all vaccines). Average vaccination coverage per year in the first year of life against the EPI target diseases rose from 83-94.7% (p .01). The number of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) and measles decreased steadily during the same period (97-56 and 502-84, respectively). All the diphtheria cases occurred in 1985 (6 cases). There were no pertussis cases in 1985, 1987, or 1988. 14 pertussis cases occurred in 1984, 4 in 1986, and 2 in 1989. TB cases fell 42.3%,measles cases 83.3%, and pertussis 34.6%. Neither poliomyelitis nor neonatal tetanus afflicted any infants in Al-Hassa during the same period. A negative correlation existed between BCG, DPT, and measles vaccine and reported cases of respective diseases. It was significant for measles vaccine (p = .043). In fact, the number of reported cases of measles fell by 25 cases for every 1% improvement in measles vaccination coverage. Most infants (78.5-80.2%) were vaccinated against the EPI target diseases at primary health care centers or at Ministry of Health hospitals. The remaining 19.8-21.5% of infants received the EPI vaccines at health facilities of the Arabian American Oil Company, the National Guard, and the private sector. These findings suggested that implementation of the primary health care program, EPI, improved vaccination coverage and reduced the number of cases of EPI target diseases in Al-Hassa.

Influence of cimetidine on the pharmacokinetics of piroxicam in rat and man.

The influence of cimetidine on piroxicam plasma levels and pharmacokinetic parameters was studied in both rats and healthy volunteers. In male rats, intravenous injection of piroxicam (6 mg/kg) in animals pretreated with cimetidine (50 mg/kg intramuscular) resulted in plasma piroxicam concentrations significantly higher than those of animals which received piroxicam alone. The plasma half-life (1/2) of piroxicam in male rats was about 8.3 h and it was increased to 20.74 h by cimetidine pretreatment. The mean area under piroxicam plasma level-time curves was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher in case of rats pretreated with cimetidine compared with those treated with piroxicam alone. Similar results were obtained in male healthy volunteers, where administration of a single dose of piroxicam (20 mg orally) to subjects who received cimetidine (200 mg 3 times a day orally) resulted in plasma piroxicam concentrations significantly higher than those of subjects treated with piroxicam alone. The t1/2 of piroxicam was increased from 37.36 to 52.86 h with cimetidine administration. Also the mean area under piroxicam plasma level-time curves was significantly (p less than 0.05) increased by cimetidine administration.