Response to an exercise intervention after endometrial cancer: differences between obese and non-obese survivors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this paper is to describe baseline differences between obese and non-obese endometrial cancer survivor in anthropometrics, exercise behavior, fitness, heart rate and blood pressure, and quality of life, and to analyze whether the effect of a home-based exercise intervention on these outcomes differed for obese and non-obese participants. METHODS: One hundred post-treatment Stage I-IIIa endometrial cancer survivors participated in a single arm 6month study in which they received a home-based exercise intervention. Cardiorespiratory fitness, anthropometrics, and exercise behavior were measured every two months, and quality of life (QOL) and psychological distress were measured at baseline and 6months. RESULTS: Adjusting for potential confounders, at baseline obese survivors had poorer cardiorespiratory fitness (p=.002), higher systolic blood pressure (p=.018), and lower physical functioning (p<.001) and ratings of general health (p=.002), and more pain (p=.037) and somatization (.002). Significant improvements were seen in exercise behavior, resting heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and multiple QOL domains over the course of the intervention. Obese survivors had less improvement in exercise behavior and cardiorespiratory fitness than non-obese survivors, but there were no differences with regard to improvements in QOL and stress. CONCLUSIONS: Home based exercise interventions are beneficial to endometrial cancer survivors, including those whose BMI is in the obese range. While obese survivors have lower levels of physical activity and fitness, they experienced similar activity, fitness, quality of life and mental health benefits. Exercise should be encouraged in endometrial cancer survivors, including those who are obese.

Sustained reductions in neonatal nosocomial infection rates following a comprehensive infection control intervention.

OBJECTIVE: Nosocomial infections (NI) are a frequent and important cause of morbidity and mortality in newborn infants who receive intensive care. We sought to determine if comprehensive infection control (CIC) measures decrease rates in a large neonatal intensive care nursery. METHODS: Single center interventional study. The CIC intervention consisted of increasing nursing and physician education and awareness of infection rates, establishing common improvement goals, training in hand and environment care, and implementing a specialty nursing team for central venous and arterial catheter care. Demographic and microbiology information for all infants admitted to the NICU from January 1, 1999 to December 31, 2000 established baseline data. The intervention period was during January and February 2001. The postintervention period was March 1, 2001 to February 29, 2004. The main outcome measure was the rate of blood, cerebrospinal and/or urinary tract bacterial infections per 1000 hospital days. RESULTS: Baseline infection rate was 8.5 per 1000 hospital days. The NI rate fell 26% (P=0.002) from baseline in the first year and 29% (P<0.001) in the second and third years after the CIC intervention. The reduction in total NI was due mostly to a 46% fall in coagulase-negative Staphylococcus infection rate (P<0.001); however, rates of all other organisms also fell by 21% (P=0.05). CONCLUSIONS: CIC measures can reduce bacterial and fungal NI rates. This effect has been sustained for 3 years following the intervention.

Gonadectomy in immature dogs: effects on skeletal, physical, and behavioral development.

In a 15-month study, the effects of prepubertal gonadectomy on skeletal growth, weight gain, food intake, body fat, secondary sex characteristics, and behavioral development were investigated in 32 mixed-breed dogs. Male and female pups from 5 litters were randomly allotted to 3 groups: group I, neuter at 7 weeks (n = 14); group II, neuter at 7 months (n = 8); and group III, sexually intact dogs (n = 10). Growth plate closure was delayed (group I vs group III; P less than 0.000001; group II vs group III, P less than 0.000001) in all neutered dogs, as compared with sexually intact dogs. Growth plate closure was delayed longer (group I vs group II, P less than 0.000045) in dogs neutered at 7 weeks old, compared with dogs neutered at 7 months old. The rate of growth was unaffected by gonadectomy, but the extended growth period resulted in greater final radial/ulnar length in all male dogs and bitches neutered at 7 weeks. Gonadectomy did not influence food intake, weight gain, or back-fat depth. Penile development was immature in the adult group-I males (mean +/- SEM diameter of pars glandis = 11.1 +/- 1.0 mm), compared with adult group-II (16.3 +/- 0.5 mm) and group-III (21.0 +/- 2.2 mm) males. Subjectively, the prepuce and os penis of the group-I males were immature, compared with those of group-II and group-III males. Vulvar development in group-I and group-II bitches was less mature than vulvar development in the sexually intact bitches. Of 7 behavioral characteristics assessed, only general activity and excitability rated differently among treatment groups. All neutered dogs were judged to be more active (group I, P less than 0.004) than sexually intact dogs. Group-I males were judged to be more excitable (P less than 0.02) than group-III males. It was concluded that with respect to skeletal, physical, and behavioral development, the effect of neutering pups at 7 weeks old was similar to that of neutering pups at 7 months old.

Effects of prepubertal gonadectomy on physical and behavioral development in cats.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of prepubertal gonadectomy on physical and behavioral development in cats. DESIGN: Prospective controlled study of kittens randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups: group 1, neutered at 7 weeks of age; group 2, neutered at 7 months of age; and group 3, sexually intact controls. ANIMALS: 31 clinically normal male and female kittens. PROCEDURE: Age at distal radial physeal closure and mature radius length were determined radiographically. Six behavioral characteristics were recorded monthly. At 1 year of age, body weight was recorded and thickness of the falciform ligament was measured from a lateral abdominal radiographic view. Secondary sex characteristics were also examined at 1 year of age. RESULTS: There were no differences between group-1 and group-2 cats for any of the study variables. Sexually intact cats (group 3) weighted significantly less than group-2 cats and had less falciform fat and earlier distal radial physeal closure than cats of both neutered groups. Group-3 cats manifested greater intraspecies aggression, less affection, and greater development of secondary sex characteristics than neutered cats. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Neutering cats at 7 weeks of age had similar effects on physical and behavioral development, compared with neutering at the more traditional age of 7 months. These data lend support to the concept of prepubertal gonadectomy, already performed by many animal shelters/humane organizations, as a method of enhancing the effectiveness of pet population control programs.

An array immunosensor for simultaneous detection of clinical analytes.

A fluorescence-based immunosensor has been developed for simultaneous analysis of multiple samples. A patterned array of recognition elements immobilized on the surface of a planar waveguide is used to "capture" analyte present in samples; bound analyte is then quantified by means of fluorescent detector molecules. Upon excitation of the fluorescent label by a small diode laser, a CCD camera detects the pattern of fluorescent antigen:antibody complexes on the sensor surface. Image analysis software correlates the position of fluorescent signals with the identity of the analyte. This immunosensor was used to detect physiologically relevant concentrations of staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), F1 antigen from Yersinia pestis, and D-dimer, a marker of sepsis and thrombotic disorders, in spiked clinical samples.

Effect of reproductive status on feline renal size.

Renal length and width dimensions were determined from survey radiography and excretory urography in 28 cats of various sex and reproductive status. Renal dimensions were expressed as a ratio to the length of the second lumbar vertebra. Renal dimensions were not significantly different when males were compared to females. However, significant differences in renal dimensions between intact and neutered cats were identified. Renal length ratios for neutered cats were: left kidney 2.22 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- standard deviation), right kidney 2.29 +/- 0.14. In intact cats, renal length ratios were: left kidney 2.60 +/- 0.19, right kidney 2.65 +/- 0.24. The mean renal length ratios for neutered cats was smaller than previously reported normal values. Thus, reproductive status should be considered when evaluating feline kidneys for alterations in size. Based on this study, normal feline renal length ratios range from 1.9 to 2.6 for neutered cats and 2.1 to 3.2 for intact cats.

High-nuclearity close-packed palladium-nickel carbonyl phosphine clusters: heteropalladium.

[Pd(16)Ni(4)(CO)(22)(PPh(3))(4)](2)(-) (1) and [Pd(33)Ni(9)(CO)(41)(PPh(3))(6)](4)(-) (2) were obtained as the two major products from the reduction of PdCl(2)(PPh(3))(2) with [Ni(6)(CO)(12)](2)(-). Their crystal structures as [PPh(4)](+) salts were unambiguously determined from CCD X-ray crystallographic analyses; the resulting stoichiometries were ascertained from elemental analyses. Infrared, multinuclear (1)H, (31)P[(1)H] NMR, UV-vis, CV, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility, and ESI FT/ICR mass spectrometric measurements were performed. The Pd(16)Ni(4) core of 1 ideally conforms to a ccp nu(3) tetrahedron of pseudo-T(d)() (4 3m) symmetry. Its geometry normal to each tetrahedral Pd(7)Ni(3) face (i.e., along each of the four 3-fold axes) may be viewed as a four-layer stacking of 20 metal atoms in a ccp [a(Ni(1)) b(Pd(3)) c(Pd(6)) a(Pd(7)Ni(3))] sequence. A comparative analysis of the different ligand connectivities about the analogous metal-core geometries in 1 and the previously reported [Os(20)(CO)(40)](2)(-) has stereochemical implications pertaining to the different possible modes of carbon monoxide attachment to ccp metal(111) surfaces. The unique geometry of the Pd(33)Ni(9) core of 2, which has pseudo-D(3)(h)() (6 2m) symmetry, consists of five equilateral triangular layers that are stacked in a hcp [a(Pd(7)Ni(3)) b(Pd(6)) a(Pd(7)Ni(3)) b(Pd(6)) a(Pd(7)Ni(3))] sequence. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements indicated both 1 and 2 to be diamagnetic over the entire temperature range from 5.0 to 300 K. Neutral Pd(12)(CO)(12)(PPh(3))(6) (3) and [Pd(29)(CO)(28)(PPh(3))(7)](2)(-) (4) as the [PPh(4)](+) salt were obtained as minor decomposition products from protonation reactions of 1 and 2, respectively, with acetic acid. Compound 3 of pseudo-D(3)(d)() (3 2/m) symmetry represents the second highly deformed hexacapped octahedral member of the previously established homopalladium family of clusters containing uncapped, monocapped, bicapped, and tetracapped Pd(6) octahedra. The unprecedented centered 28-atom polyhedron for the Pd(29) core of 4 of pseudo-C(3)(v)() (3m) symmetry may be described as a four-layer stacking of 29 metal atoms in a mixed hcp/ccp [a(Pd(1)) b(Pd(3)) a(Pd(10)) c(Pd(15))] sequence.

Array biosensor for simultaneous identification of bacterial, viral, and protein analytes.

The array biosensor was fabricated to analyze multiple samples simultaneously for multiple analytes. The sensor utilized a standard sandwich immunoassay format: Antigen-specific "capture" antibodies were immobilized in a patterned array on the surface of a planar waveguide and bound analyte was subsequently detected using fluorescent tracer antibodies. This study describes the analysis of 126 blind samples for the presence of three distinct classes of analytes. To address potential complications arising from using a mixture of tracer antibodies in the multianalyte assay, three single-analyte assays were run in parallel with a multianalyte assay. Mixtures of analytes were also assayed to demonstrate the sensor's ability to detect more than a single species at a time. The array sensor was capable of detecting viral, bacterial, and protein analytes using a facile 14-min assay with sensitivity levels approaching those of standard ELISA methods. Limits of detection for Bacillus globigii, MS2 bacteriophage, and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) were 10(5) cfu/mL, 10(7) pfu/mL, and 10 ng/mL, respectively. The array biosensor also analyzed multiple samples simultaneously and detected mixtures of the different types of analytes in the multianalyte format.