Grаdiеnt HPLC Mеthоd fоr Simultаnеоus Dеtеrminаtiоn оf Еight Sаrtаn аnd Stаtin Drugs in Thеir Purе аnd Dоsаgе Fоrms.

А grаdiеnt HPLC mеthоd was dеvеlоpеd аnd vаlidаtеd fоr rаpid simultаnеоus sеpаrаtiоn аnd dеtеrminаtiоn оf the following eight drugs оf sаrtаn аnd stаtin clаssеs in thеir purе аnd dоsаgе fоrms within 15 minutes: irbеsаrtаn (IRB), lоsаrtаn (LОS), vаlsаrtаn (VАL), оlmеsаrtаn (ОLM), rоsuvаstаtin (RОS), аtоrvаstаtin (АTR), lоvаstаtin (LОV), аnd simvаstаtin (SIM). Sеpаrаtiоn wаs cаrriеd оut оn а Kinеtеx C18 100А cоlumn (2.60 m, 4.60 mm × 100 mm) using а grаdiаnt binаrу mоbilе phаsе оf 0.05M pоtаssium dihуdrоgеn phоsphаtе buffеr (pH 3.50 аdjustеd bу оrthо-phоsphоric аcid) аnd аcеtоnitrilе аt rооm tеmpеrаturе. Thе flоw rаtе wаs 1.00 mL/min аnd mаximum аbsоrptiоn wаs mеаsurеd using a DАD dеtеctоr аt 280 nm. Thе rеtеntiоn timеs оf IRB, LОS, RОS, VАL, АTR, LОV, ОLM, аnd SIM wеrе rеcоrdеd tо bе 4.72, 5.32, 6.06, 7.19, 7.96, 9.30, 11.91, аnd 14.66 minutеs, rеspеctivеlу. Limits оf dеtеctiоn wеrе rеpоrtеd tо bе 2.01, 1.32, 1.10, 0.76, 0.21, 1.50, 0.38, аnd 0.55 mM fоr thе sаmе sеquеncе оf drugs, rеspеctivеlу, shоwing а high dеgrее оf mеthоd sеnsitivitу. Thе mеthоd wаs thеn vаlidаtеd аccоrding tо the intеrnаtiоnаl cоnfеrеncе оf hаrmоnizаtiоn (ICH) guidеlinеs fоr thе dеtеrminаtiоn оf thе drugs in thеir dоsаgе fоrms with highlу prеcisе rеcоvеriеs. Аlsо, a stаtisticаl cоmpаrisоn with rеfеrеncе mеthоds wаs pеrfоrmеd shоwing nо significаnt diffеrеncеs bеtwееn thе prоpоsеd mеthоd аnd rеpоrtеd оnеs in tеrms оf prеcisiоn аnd аccurаcу.

The association between systemic lupus erythematosus and bipolar disorder - a big data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, autoimmune disease that has a wide variety of physical manifestations, including neuropsychiatric features. Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic, episodic illness, that may present as depression or as mania. The objective of this study was to investigate the association between SLE and BD using big data analysis methods. METHODS: Patients with SLE were compared with age- and sex-matched controls regarding the prevalence of BD in a cross-sectional study. Chi-square and t-tests were used for univariate analysis and a logistic regression model was used for multivariate analysis, adjusting for confounders. The study was performed utilizing the chronic disease registry of Clalit Health Services medical database. RESULTS: The study included 5018 SLE patients and 25,090 matched controls. BD was found in a higher prevalence among SLE patients compared to controls (0.62% vs. 0.26%, respectively, P<0.001). BD patients had a greater prevalence of smokers compared to non-BD patients (62.5% vs 23.5%, respectively, P<0.001). In a multivariate analysis, smoking and SLE were both found to be significantly associated with BD. CONCLUSIONS: SLE was found to be independently associated with BD. These findings may imply that an autoimmune process affecting the central nervous system among SLE patients facilitates the expression of concomitant BD.

Lack of chemopreventive effects of lycopene and curcumin on experimental rat prostate carcinogenesis.

The chemopreventive efficacy of lycopene and curcumin with regard to prostate carcinogenesis was investigated using 3,2'-dimethyl-4-aminobiphenol (DMAB)- and 2-amino-1-methylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP)-induced rat ventral prostate cancer models. Three 60 week experiments with male F344 rats were carried out. In the first DMAB was given for the first 20 weeks and lycopene or curcumin were administered concomitantly or subsequently at dietary doses of 15 and 500 p.p.m., respectively. In the second experiment lycopene and curcumin were given to rats pretreated with DMAB at doses of 5, 15 or 45 p.p.m. or 100 or 500 p.p.m. In the third PhIP was selected as an initiator for prostate carcinogenesis and administered for 20 weeks. Rats were then fed a diet containing lycopene at a dose of 45 p.p.m. or curcumin at a dose of 500 p.p.m. or both together. Chemopreventive effects of lycopene and curcumin on development of DMAB-induced ventral prostate carcinomas were observed only in the first experiment and no confirmation of inhibition potential was obtained in the following studies. Neither summational nor synergistic chemoprevention was evident. It is concluded from the present data that, overall, neither lycopene nor curcumin can consistently prevent rat prostate carcinogenesis.

The biopsychosocial adjustment of disabled elderly: a 1-year follow-up.

The objectives of this study were to identify and compare changes in the physical, social, and structural functions and in the family relationships of elderly patients upon hospitalization in a geriatric rehabilitation unit, and 1 year after discharge to the community (in the Negev region of Israel). The study was conducted on 88 elderly people with a mean age of 74 years. The Assessment of Dependency for Long-Term Care Benefits test was used twice as the study instrument for measuring the given objectives, once during the first week following admission to the unit and once 1 year later. At the end of the year there was improvement in most activities of daily living (ADL), a decrease in social roles, an increase in the number of illnesses, greater restrictions in diet, and an increase in use of social services. Changes were observed in the structure of the family social networks, the source of the primary caregiver, and living arrangements. Changes were not observed in the perceived family relationships. In both time periods, married elderly people evaluated family relations as better than did unmarried people. However, unmarried subjects demonstrated greater improvement in physical and social functions. Also, time had a significant effect on social function. Elderly people who were ill for less than 2 months prior to admission demonstrated greater social improvement than those whose illness lasted longer.

Sociodemographic differences among members of two ethnic groups in a geriatric rehabilitation unit in Israel.

The Assessment of Dependency for Long-Term Care Benefits form was used to explore differences among 336 elderly Ashkenazi and Sephardi Jews during their first phase of recovery in a geriatric rehabilitation unit in Israel. Sephardi Jews were more likely to be younger, widowed at an earlier age, poorer, less educated, hold less prestigious jobs, and have fewer social roles. They were also more likely to be religious and to live in multigenerational households. In contrast, a higher proportion of Ashkenazi Jews owned their own houses or apartments and lived only with their spouses. No differences were observed in these two groups in terms of the number and duration of visits they received during their hospitalization; most of them had fairly extensive visits. Most of these elderly people reported having good family relationships. This perception was related to their living arrangements, number of social roles, marital situation, level of education, and identity of the main visitor during their hospitalization. Patients' social roles affected both the number of visits they received and the perceived relationships within the family.

Chemopreventive effects of carotenoids and curcumins on mouse colon carcinogenesis after 1,2-dimethylhydrazine initiation.

The present study was carried out to examine the chemopreventive effects of carotenoids such as fucoxanthin, lycopene and lutein as well as curcumin and its derivative, tetrahydrocurcumin (THC), on development of putative preneoplastic aberrant crypt foci (ACF) in colons of mice initiated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine dihydrochloride (DMH). Influence on proliferation of colonic crypt epithelial cells was also assessed in terms of 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation. Five-week-old B6C3F1 male mice were divided into three groups, groups 1 and 2 being given DMH (20 mg/kg body wt, s.c.) twice a week for 3 weeks. Animals of group 1 were then treated with one of the test compounds, lycopene (0.005% and 0.0025%) or fucoxanthin (0.01%) in the drinking water and lutein (0.05%), curcumin (0.5%) or THC (0.5% and 0.2%) in the diet from weeks 5-12. Group 2 served as a carcinogen alone control and group 3 mice were given test compounds alone. All animals were killed at week 12. Numbers of ACF/mouse in the group 1 treated with fucoxanthin (47.1 +/- 13.7), lutein (42.6 +/- 19.6) or 0.5% THC (46.6 +/- 17.7) were significantly decreased as compared to the control group 2 value (63.3 +/- 19.4) (P < 0.01). Numbers of aberrant crypts (ACs)/mouse were also significantly lower after treatment with lutein (79.9 +/- 34.7) or 0.5% THC (81.8 +/- 32.5) than in the control group (115.1 +/- 37.1) (P < 0.01). BrdU labeling indices (LI) in mice treated with lutein and 0.5% THC were significantly decreased in both upper and lower half compartments of colonic crypts as compared to the controls (P < 0.05 and 0.01, respectively), especially the upper half data corresponding to reduction of ACs/mouse. The results thus suggest that fucoxanthin, lutein, and THC may have potential as chemopreventive agents against colon carcinogenesis.

Chemopreventive efficacy of piroxicam administered alone or in combination with lycopene and beta-carotene on the development of rat urinary bladder carcinoma after N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine treatment.

The effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) piroxicam and the carotenoids lycopene and beta-carotene, alone or in combination, on the development of rat superficial urinary bladder carcinomas induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) were studied. Male Fischer 344 rats, 6 weeks old, were given 0.05% BBN in the drinking water for 8 weeks followed by administration of piroxicam (0.0075% in the diet), lycopene (0.0025% in the drinking water) and/or beta-carotene (0.0025% in the drinking water) for 12 weeks, then killed for histological analysis of urinary bladder lesions. Cell proliferation potential was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining of the proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Piroxicam alone, piroxicam+lycopene, and piroxicam +lycopene+ beta-carotene all significantly decreased the incidences and numbers of transitional cell carcinomas (TCCs), but the combination of piroxicam with carotenoids did not result in a clear improvement in the preventive potential of piroxicam. Piroxicam+ beta-carotene also caused a significant reduction and lycopene alone a slight but not significant reduction in the number of TCCs. In contrast, beta-carotene alone and lycopene+ beta-carotene were without inhibitory influence on any of the lesion categories examined, and the latter significantly increased the proportion of high-grade TCCs. Nevertheless, all of the chemopreventive agents, either alone or in combination, significantly decreased the TCC PCNA index, the effect extending to the surrounding epithelium in the piroxicam+lycopene and piroxicam+lycopene+beta-carotene groups. These results indicate that the NSAID piroxicam may be a more effective chemopreventive agent than lycopene and beta-carotene for superficial urinary bladder carcinogenesis.

A study of the psychosocial characteristics of patients in a geriatric rehabilitation unit in Israel.

This study characterizes the demographic backgrounds of patients in an Israeli geriatric rehabilitation unit, determines the factors associated with their family relationships and the instrumental support they received, and emphasizes the importance of social roles as a personal resource. The study population consisted of 336 low-income Jews, all of whom were immigrants. Virtually all of the subjects had a small, close support network composed mainly of their children and spouses. Their children were the most important source of instrumental support during their hospitalization. The subjects' sources of instrumental support prior to hospitalization varied, depending upon their age, gender, marital status, and social roles. Social exchange theory provided a framework for explaining their social roles. Factors found to be predictors of good family relationships were marital status, living arrangements, instrumental support, social roles, and educational level.

Chemoprevention by lycopene of mouse lung neoplasia after combined initiation treatment with DEN, MNU and DMH.

An investigation was conducted to assess the chemopreventive potential of lycopene (LP), a naturally occurring hydrocarbon carotenoid found in tomatoes and their products, administered during the post-initiation stage in a multiorgan carcinogenesis model. One hundred eighteen B6C3F1 mice of both sexes were subjected to combined treatment with diethylnitrosamine (DEN), N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) and 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) from day 11 after birth to week 9 (DMD treatment) (groups 1 and 2) or their vehicles (group 3). Then group 1 received LP (25 or 50 ppm in drinking water) for 21 weeks from weeks 11 to 32. Group 2 served as a carcinogen alone control and group 3 was given only LP (25 or 50 ppm). All surviving animals were sacrificed at week 32 and the major organs, including the liver, lung, kidney and colon, were histologically examined. The incidences and multiplicities of lung adenomas plus carcinomas combined in male mice in group 1 receiving 50 ppm LP were significantly decreased as compared to the DMD alone or DMD and 25 ppm LP groups (75.0 versus 18.8%, P < 0.02; 0.94 +/- 0.17 versus 0.25 +/- 0.14, P < 0.001). No such effect was observed for females. Although hepatocellular carcinomas were lacking in the DMD and LP groups while two cases were found in the DMD alone group, this difference was not statistically significant. The values for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and tumors in the colon and kidney did not show any significant variation among the carcinogen-treated subgroups. The results suggest that LP exerts a chemopreventive effect limited to male lung carcinogenesis when given in the post-initiation stage to B6C3F1 mice.

Relationship among self-esteem, internal-external locus of control, and weight change after participation in a weight reduction program.

This report covers 15 to 47 months of follow-up study of 66 obese women who participated in a 10-week weight reduction program. Subjects were divided into three self-esteem groups and into two groups of "internal" and "external" subjects. The average weight regain during the follow-up period was 3.1 kg, although all subjects remained below their pretreatment weight. The higher the self-esteem score, the lower the average weight regain during follow-up (1.7 kg, 2.6 kg, and 3.5 kg, respectively). For internals the average weight regain was 1.8 kg and for externals 3.4 kg. Implications are discussed, and suggestions for improved weight reduction programs are presented.

Self-esteem, internal-external locus of control, and their relationship to weight reduction.

One hundred sixteen women participated in a 10-week weight reduction program and lost on the average of 7 kg. Family-related variables and two personality constructs, self-esteem and Internal-External Locus of Control (I-E Loc), were examined as predictors for success in weight loss. Principal findings were: (a) Subjects with low self-esteem scores lost significantly less weight than subjects with medium and high scores (4.3 kg vs. 8.7 and 6.4, respectively); (b) No significant differences were recorded between Internals and Externals with regard to weight reduction; and (c) Family-related variables, marriage and number of children, did not directly affect weight loss, but their effect was observed within the three self-esteem and the two I-E Loc groups.

Motivation patterns, self-esteem, and depression of patients after first myocardial infarction.

This study explored the relationship between dominance-achievement motivation and psychological adjustment of 53 patients after their first myocardial infarction. These two motivations are perceived as expressions of general tendency to "agency," or assertiveness. The following findings were observed: (1) High-agency subjects reported less depressive moods than low-agency subjects; there was no time effect on this difference between groups nor within each group separately. (2) the self-esteem of high-agency patients was high and stable, whereas that of low-agency subjects was lower and got lower with time. It may be concluded that patients with a high-agency level might be more efficiently equipped to cope with stressful events.

A programme in undergraduate geriatric education: the Beer Sheva experiment.

The Beer Sheva medical school was started in 1974 with the objective of training primary care doctors to meet the health needs of the Negev region of Israel. This paper describes a programme developed at Beer Sheva to prepare students to deal with the health-related problems of the elderly. Students begin their contact with the elderly in their first year (early clinical teaching programme) and continue this exposure in varying degrees during the 6 year curriculum. A preliminary study has shown that there is a trend for students to commence their studies with positive attitudes toward the elderly. The early clinical teaching programme which emphasizes interviewing skills, knowledge about ageing and community services that relate to the aged, reinforces the student's sensitivity to geriatric issues. In order to maintain the student's interest in working with the elderly, it is apparent that it will be necessary to educate both hospital and community-based physicians to provide positive role models for students.