Sample records for pharmacology lxxiii nomenclature

  1. An updated phylogenetic analysis of vertebrate melatonin receptor sequences: reflection on the melatonin receptor nomenclature by the Nomenclature Subcommittee of the International Union of Pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Shiu, S Y; Pang, S F

    1998-01-01

    In the past few years, significant progress on melatonin receptor research has led to the discovery of a family of genetically related but pharmacologically distinctive G-protein-coupled receptors in the vertebrates. With increasing number of receptor clones being identified, there is a need for a system of classification and nomenclature for these receptor subtypes. Recently, an updated nomenclature system, which has renamed the existing mammalian melatonin receptor clones, has been proposed by the relevant subcommittee of the International Union of Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR). However, the majority of receptor clones which have been identified in non-mammalian vertebrates are not clearly defined by this system. By performing phylogenetic analysis of both mammalian and non-mammalian melatonin receptor clones, we would like to propose a classification-nomenclature system for vertebrate melatonin receptors. Hopefully, our system, which incorporates genetic data as well as the pharmacological criteria that have been adopted by the NC-IUPHAR nomenclature system, will provide the framework for future development of a unified scheme of classification and nomenclature for melatonin receptors.

  2. International Union of Pharmacology. LXXXIX. Update on the Extended Family of Chemokine Receptors and Introducing a New Nomenclature for Atypical Chemokine Receptors

    PubMed Central

    Bachelerie, Francoise; Ben-Baruch, Adit; Burkhardt, Amanda M.; Combadiere, Christophe; Farber, Joshua M.; Graham, Gerard J.; Horuk, Richard; Sparre-Ulrich, Alexander Hovard; Locati, Massimo; Luster, Andrew D.; Mantovani, Alberto; Matsushima, Kouji; Nibbs, Robert; Nomiyama, Hisayuki; Power, Christine A.; Proudfoot, Amanda E. I.; Rosenkilde, Mette M.; Rot, Antal; Sozzani, Silvano; Thelen, Marcus; Yoshie, Osamu; Zlotnik, Albert

    2014-01-01

    Sixteen years ago, the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Pharmacology approved a system for naming human seven-transmembrane (7TM) G protein-coupled chemokine receptors, the large family of leukocyte chemoattractant receptors that regulates immune system development and function, in large part by mediating leukocyte trafficking. This was announced in Pharmacological Reviews in a major overview of the first decade of research in this field [Murphy PM, Baggiolini M, Charo IF, Hébert CA, Horuk R, Matsushima K, Miller LH, Oppenheim JJ, and Power CA (2000) Pharmacol Rev 52:145–176]. Since then, several new receptors have been discovered, and major advances have been made for the others in many areas, including structural biology, signal transduction mechanisms, biology, and pharmacology. New and diverse roles have been identified in infection, immunity, inflammation, development, cancer, and other areas. The first two drugs acting at chemokine receptors have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), maraviroc targeting CCR5 in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS, and plerixafor targeting CXCR4 for stem cell mobilization for transplantation in cancer, and other candidates are now undergoing pivotal clinical trials for diverse disease indications. In addition, a subfamily of atypical chemokine receptors has emerged that may signal through arrestins instead of G proteins to act as chemokine scavengers, and many microbial and invertebrate G protein-coupled chemokine receptors and soluble chemokine-binding proteins have been described. Here, we review this extended family of chemokine receptors and chemokine-binding proteins at the basic, translational, and clinical levels, including an update on drug development. We also introduce a new nomenclature for atypical chemokine receptors with the stem ACKR (atypical chemokine receptor) approved by the Nomenclature Committee of the International Union of Pharmacology and the Human

  3. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XC. multisite pharmacology: recommendations for the nomenclature of receptor allosterism and allosteric ligands.

    PubMed

    Christopoulos, Arthur; Changeux, Jean-Pierre; Catterall, William A; Fabbro, Doriano; Burris, Thomas P; Cidlowski, John A; Olsen, Richard W; Peters, John A; Neubig, Richard R; Pin, Jean-Philippe; Sexton, Patrick M; Kenakin, Terry P; Ehlert, Frederick J; Spedding, Michael; Langmead, Christopher J

    2014-10-01

    Allosteric interactions play vital roles in metabolic processes and signal transduction and, more recently, have become the focus of numerous pharmacological studies because of the potential for discovering more target-selective chemical probes and therapeutic agents. In addition to classic early studies on enzymes, there are now examples of small molecule allosteric modulators for all superfamilies of receptors encoded by the genome, including ligand- and voltage-gated ion channels, G protein-coupled receptors, nuclear hormone receptors, and receptor tyrosine kinases. As a consequence, a vast array of pharmacologic behaviors has been ascribed to allosteric ligands that can vary in a target-, ligand-, and cell-/tissue-dependent manner. The current article presents an overview of allostery as applied to receptor families and approaches for detecting and validating allosteric interactions and gives recommendations for the nomenclature of allosteric ligands and their properties. U.S. Government work not protected by U.S. copyright.

  4. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. C. Nomenclature and Properties of Calcium-Activated and Sodium-Activated Potassium Channels.

    PubMed

    Kaczmarek, Leonard K; Aldrich, Richard W; Chandy, K George; Grissmer, Stephan; Wei, Aguan D; Wulff, Heike

    2017-01-01

    A subset of potassium channels is regulated primarily by changes in the cytoplasmic concentration of ions, including calcium, sodium, chloride, and protons. The eight members of this subfamily were originally all designated as calcium-activated channels. More recent studies have clarified the gating mechanisms for these channels and have documented that not all members are sensitive to calcium. This article describes the molecular relationships between these channels and provides an introduction to their functional properties. It also introduces a new nomenclature that differentiates between calcium- and sodium-activated potassium channels. Copyright © 2016 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

  5. THE CONCISE GUIDE TO PHARMACOLOGY 2017/18: Overview.

    PubMed

    Alexander, Stephen Ph; Kelly, Eamonn; Marrion, Neil V; Peters, John A; Faccenda, Elena; Harding, Simon D; Pawson, Adam J; Sharman, Joanna L; Southan, Christopher; Buneman, O Peter; Cidlowski, John A; Christopoulos, Arthur; Davenport, Anthony P; Fabbro, Doriano; Spedding, Michael; Striessnig, Jörg; Davies, Jamie A

    2017-12-01

    The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2017/18 is the third in this series of biennial publications. This version provides concise overviews of the key properties of nearly 1800 human drug targets with an emphasis on selective pharmacology (where available), plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. Although the Concise Guide represents approximately 400 pages, the material presented is substantially reduced compared to information and links presented on the website. It provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. The full contents of this section can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.13882/full. In addition to this overview, in which are identified 'Other protein targets' which fall outside of the subsequent categorisation, there are eight areas of focus: G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, voltage-gated ion channels, other ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The landscape format of the Concise Guide is designed to facilitate comparison of related targets from material contemporary to mid-2017, and supersedes data presented in the 2015/16 and 2013/14 Concise Guides and previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in close conjunction with the Nomenclature Committee of the Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology (NC-IUPHAR), therefore, providing official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate. © 2017 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Pharmacological Society.

  6. The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2015/16: Overview.

    PubMed

    Alexander, Stephen Ph; Kelly, Eamonn; Marrion, Neil; Peters, John A; Benson, Helen E; Faccenda, Elena; Pawson, Adam J; Sharman, Joanna L; Southan, Christopher; Buneman, O Peter; Catterall, William A; Cidlowski, John A; Davenport, Anthony P; Fabbro, Doriano; Fan, Grace; McGrath, John C; Spedding, Michael; Davies, Jamie A

    2015-12-01

    The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2015/16 provides concise overviews of the key properties of over 1750 human drug targets with their pharmacology, plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. The full contents can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.13347/full. This compilation of the major pharmacological targets is divided into eight areas of focus: G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, voltage-gated ion channels, other ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors, enzymes and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. The Concise Guide is published in landscape format in order to facilitate comparison of related targets. It is a condensed version of material contemporary to late 2015, which is presented in greater detail and constantly updated on the website www.guidetopharmacology.org, superseding data presented in the previous Guides to Receptors & Channels and the Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2013/14. It is produced in conjunction with NC-IUPHAR and provides the official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate. It consolidates information previously curated and displayed separately in IUPHAR-DB and GRAC and provides a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. © 2015 The Authors. British Journal of Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Pharmacological Society.

  7. Symétries et nomenclature des baryons: Proposition d'une nouvelle nomenclature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Landry, Gaëtan

    Baryons, such as protons and neutrons, are matter particles made of three quarks. Their current nomenclature is based on the concept of isospin, introduced by Werner Heisenberg in 1932 to explain the similarity between the masses of protons and neutrons, as well as the similarity of their behaviour under the strong interaction. It is a refinement of a nomenclature designed in 1964, before the acceptance of the quark model, for light baryons. A historical review of baryon physics before the advent of the quark model is given to understand the motivations behind the light baryon nomenclature. Then, an overview of the quark model is given to understand the extensions done to this nomenclature in 1986, as well as to understand the physics of baryons and of properties such as isospin and flavour quantum numbers. Since baryon properties are in general explained by the quark model, a nomenclature based on isospin leads to several issues of physics and of clarity. To resolve these issues, the concepts of isospin and mass groups are generalized to all flavours of quarks, the Gell-Mann--Okubo formalism is extended to generalized mass groups, and a baryon nomenclature based on the quark model, reflecting modern knowledge, is proposed.

  8. The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2013/14: Enzymes

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Stephen PH; Benson, Helen E; Faccenda, Elena; Pawson, Adam J; Sharman, Joanna L; Spedding, Michael; Peters, John A; Harmar, Anthony J

    2013-01-01

    The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2013/14 provides concise overviews of the key properties of over 2000 human drug targets with their pharmacology, plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. The full contents can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12444/full. Enzymes are one of the seven major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, ion channels, nuclear hormone receptors, catalytic receptors and transporters. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. A new landscape format has easy to use tables comparing related targets. It is a condensed version of material contemporary to late 2013, which is presented in greater detail and constantly updated on the website www.guidetopharmacology.org, superseding data presented in previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in conjunction with NC-IUPHAR and provides the official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate. It consolidates information previously curated and displayed separately in IUPHAR-DB and the Guide to Receptors and Channels, providing a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. PMID:24528243

  9. The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2013/14: Transporters

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Stephen PH; Benson, Helen E; Faccenda, Elena; Pawson, Adam J; Sharman, Joanna L; Spedding, Michael; Peters, John A; Harmar, Anthony J

    2013-01-01

    The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2013/14 provides concise overviews of the key properties of over 2000 human drug targets with their pharmacology, plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. The full contents can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12444/full. Transporters are one of the seven major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, ion channels, catalytic receptors, nuclear hormone receptors and enzymes. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. A new landscape format has easy to use tables comparing related targets. It is a condensed version of material contemporary to late 2013, which is presented in greater detail and constantly updated on the website www.guidetopharmacology.org, superseding data presented in previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in conjunction with NC-IUPHAR and provides the official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate. It consolidates information previously curated and displayed separately in IUPHAR-DB and the Guide to Receptors and Channels, providing a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. PMID:24528242

  10. [Biologics - nomenclature and classification].

    PubMed

    Eichbaum, Christine; Haefeli, Walter E

    2011-11-01

    Biological medicines are a heterogeneous group of drugs that are produced by living organisms using genetic or biological technology. Unlike chemically derived small molecules biologics are structurally complex making characterization and manufacturing difficult. Moreover, biological medicines show a great variety concerning their clinical use. To appropriately consider these particularities, there are other standards and guidelines for approval of similar derivatives of biologics, the so-called biosimilars or follow-on biologics. In contrast to a generic medicinal product containing a chemically identical active ingredient, a biosimilar is only expected to be similar to the innovator drug. Nowadays, monoclonal antibodies, fragments of antibodies, and fusion proteins manufactured by recombinant procedures play an important role. They have been used in many specialties for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes and are subject to continuous further development and improvement. Their nomenclature is based on a classification by the WHO which allows drawing conclusions for class of substance, origin, and pharmacological target.

  11. Nomenclatures in Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Kennedy, Jean; Kossmann, Charles E.

    1973-01-01

    There are three major types of nomenclature of disease, which may be termed clinical, epidemiologic, and investigative. The first is used by the physician to record clinical and pathological data on patients. The second, usually less detailed, is used primarily by health statisticians for broad analyses of administrative, epidemiologic, or vital statistical data and by health registrars for recording causes of death and morbidity. The third is the highly specialized and usually evolving nomenclature of the biomedical investigator working in a limited field of research. A list of the recent nomenclatures of the last type in the subspecialties of Internal Medicine, in Oncology, and in Genetics has been included in this report as an appendix. PMID:4739885

  12. Nomenclature for Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1924-01-01

    This nomenclature for aeronautics was prepared by a special conference on aeronautical nomenclature by the Executive Committee of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at a meeting held August 11, 1933. This publication supersedes all previous publications of the committee on this subject. The purpose of the committee in the preparation and publication of this report is to secure uniformity in the official documents of the government and, as far as possible, in technical and other commercial publications.

  13. Nomenclature for Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1923-01-01

    This nomenclature for aeronautics was prepared by a special conference on aeronautical nomenclature, composed of representatives of the Army and Navy Air Services, the Air Mail Service, the Bureau of Standards, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, and private life. This report supersedes all previous publications of the committee on this subject. It is published with the intention of securing greater uniformity and accuracy in official documents of the government, and, as far as possible, in technical and other commercial publications. (author)

  14. Mapping nursing diagnosis nomenclatures for coordinated care.

    PubMed

    Zielstorff, R D; Tronni, C; Basque, J; Griffin, L R; Welebob, E M

    1998-01-01

    To map the problem or diagnosis terms from three nomenclatures, term to term, to determine commonalities and differences; and to determine whether it is possible to develop a single vocabulary that contains the best features of all. When different nomenclatures are used in different settings, continuity of care is hampered by the need to re-state problems and interventions. The sample for this descriptive analysis was 396 terms from three nursing diagnosis and problem nomenclatures recognized by the American Nurses Association: the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association (NANDA) Approved List, the Home Health Care Classification (HHCC), and the Omaha System. Terms from each of the three nomenclatures were mapped to terms in each of the others. Consensus methods were used to resolve differences in mapping decisions. Terms were characterized as "Same," "Similar," "Broader," "Narrower," and "No Match." Validation of consistency and accuracy was done by reverse mapping, use of syllogisms, use of taxonomic groupings, and expert review. Of 396 terms, 21 concepts accounting for 63 terms were found to be the same or similar in all three nomenclatures; 91 terms were unique to the nomenclature in which they were found ("No Match"). The remaining 242 terms had a narrower or broader relationship to at least one term in another nomenclature. In all three nomenclatures, inconsistencies existed in level of abstractness of the diagnosis or problem terms, and in definition and placement of terms within their own taxonomic structure. Because of differences in structure and incompatible taxonomic arrangements, a master list of "preferred terms" taken from the three nomenclatures is not feasible. However, the mappings are useful for determining commonalities and the unique contributions of each nomenclature, which can facilitate the development of a uniform language for nursing diagnoses. The mapping can also form the basis for automatic translation of computer-stored nursing

  15. Nomenclature and placental mammal phylogeny

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    An issue arising from recent progress in establishing the placental mammal Tree of Life concerns the nomenclature of high-level clades. Fortunately, there are now several well-supported clades among extant mammals that require unambiguous, stable names. Although the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature does not apply above the Linnean rank of family, and while consensus on the adoption of competing systems of nomenclature does not yet exist, there is a clear, historical basis upon which to arbitrate among competing names for high-level mammalian clades. Here, we recommend application of the principles of priority and stability, as laid down by G.G. Simpson in 1945, to discriminate among proposed names for high-level taxa. We apply these principles to specific cases among placental mammals with broad relevance for taxonomy, and close with particular emphasis on the Afrotherian family Tenrecidae. We conclude that no matter how reconstructions of the Tree of Life change in years to come, systematists should apply new names reluctantly, deferring to those already published and maximizing consistency with existing nomenclature. PMID:20406454

  16. The Concise Guide to Pharmacology 2013/14: G Protein-Coupled Receptors

    PubMed Central

    Alexander, Stephen PH; Benson, Helen E; Faccenda, Elena; Pawson, Adam J; Sharman, Joanna L; Spedding, Michael; Peters, John A; Harmar, Anthony J

    2013-01-01

    The Concise Guide to PHARMACOLOGY 2013/14 provides concise overviews of the key properties of over 2000 human drug targets with their pharmacology, plus links to an open access knowledgebase of drug targets and their ligands (www.guidetopharmacology.org), which provides more detailed views of target and ligand properties. The full contents can be found at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12444/full. G protein-coupled receptors are one of the seven major pharmacological targets into which the Guide is divided, with the others being G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, ion channels, catalytic receptors, nuclear hormone receptors, transporters and enzymes. These are presented with nomenclature guidance and summary information on the best available pharmacological tools, alongside key references and suggestions for further reading. A new landscape format has easy to use tables comparing related targets. It is a condensed version of material contemporary to late 2013, which is presented in greater detail and constantly updated on the website www.guidetopharmacology.org, superseding data presented in previous Guides to Receptors and Channels. It is produced in conjunction with NC-IUPHAR and provides the official IUPHAR classification and nomenclature for human drug targets, where appropriate. It consolidates information previously curated and displayed separately in IUPHAR-DB and the Guide to Receptors and Channels, providing a permanent, citable, point-in-time record that will survive database updates. PMID:24517644

  17. Caenorhabditis nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Tuli, Mary Ann; Daul, Aric; Schedl, Tim

    2018-05-02

    Genetic nomenclature for Caenorhabditis species and other nematodes is supervised by WormBase in collaboration with the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (CGC) and with essential input from the community of scientists working on C. elegans and other nematodes.

  18. New consensus nomenclature for mammalian keratins

    PubMed Central

    Schweizer, Jürgen; Bowden, Paul E.; Coulombe, Pierre A.; Langbein, Lutz; Lane, E. Birgitte; Magin, Thomas M.; Maltais, Lois; Omary, M. Bishr; Parry, David A.D.; Rogers, Michael A.; Wright, Mathew W.

    2006-01-01

    Keratins are intermediate filament–forming proteins that provide mechanical support and fulfill a variety of additional functions in epithelial cells. In 1982, a nomenclature was devised to name the keratin proteins that were known at that point. The systematic sequencing of the human genome in recent years uncovered the existence of several novel keratin genes and their encoded proteins. Their naming could not be adequately handled in the context of the original system. We propose a new consensus nomenclature for keratin genes and proteins that relies upon and extends the 1982 system and adheres to the guidelines issued by the Human and Mouse Genome Nomenclature Committees. This revised nomenclature accommodates functional genes and pseudogenes, and although designed specifically for the full complement of human keratins, it offers the flexibility needed to incorporate additional keratins from other mammalian species. PMID:16831889

  19. Evolving pharmacology of orphan GPCRs: IUPHAR Commentary.

    PubMed

    Davenport, Anthony P; Harmar, Anthony J

    2013-10-01

    The award of the 2012 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Robert Lefkowitz and Brian Kobilka for their work on the structure and function of GPCRs, spanning a period of more than 20 years from the cloning of the human β2 -adrenoceptor to determining the crystal structure of the same protein, has earned both researchers a much deserved place in the pantheon of major scientific discoveries. GPCRs comprise one of the largest families of proteins, controlling many major physiological processes and have been a major focus of the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification (NC-IUPHAR) since its inception in 1987. We report here recent efforts by the British Pharmacological Society and NC-IUPHAR to define the endogenous ligands of 'orphan' GPCRs and to place authoritative and accessible information about these crucial therapeutic targets online. © 2013 The British Pharmacological Society.

  20. NOMENCLATURAL CONFUSION OF SOME SPECIES OF ANDROGRAPHIS WALL

    PubMed Central

    Balu, S.; Alagesaboopathi, C.

    1995-01-01

    Andrographis paniculata Nees, Andrographis alata Nees and Andrographis lineate Nees. (Acanthaceae) are important medicinal plants useful in the treatment of various human ailments. Nomenclatural confusion prevails with regards to these medicinal plants in India medical literature and vernacular nomenclature. This nomenclatural confusion has been clarified in the present paper. PMID:22556690

  1. Understanding the 'Silver Book' - An important reference for standardised nomenclature in clinical laboratory sciences.

    PubMed

    Flatman, Robert; Férard, Georges; Dybkaer, René

    2017-04-01

    Clinical laboratories perform a wide menu of testing (examinations). Successful requesting, examination, and ordering in this environment requires clear standardised nomenclature. The Silver Book (SB) is an IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) publication, produced with the support of both IUPAC and the IFCC (International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine), that makes recommendations on logical standardised nomenclature, symbols, properties, and units in many disciplines of the clinical laboratory sciences. These recommendations are founded on and in agreement with the principles and work of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM), IUPAC, and the IFCC. Practical applications described are based on those scientific principles. The SB recommendations apply to all types of examination, not only to measurement of quantities but also examination of nominal properties where no magnitude is involved. The SB is applicable not only to clinical chemistry, but to many other clinical laboratory disciplines. For examples, reports regarding haemostasis, toxicology, clinical microbiology, reproduction and fertility, clinical pharmacology, clinical allergology, clinical molecular biology, and clinical immunohaematology have been published by the IUPAC and the IFCC. Peak scientific bodies such as the IUPAC and the IFCC have important roles in the development of sound international standards for nomenclature of examinations. Such standards support safe and effective representation of patient health information, foster portability, and empower future decision support systems. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  2. Auditory hallucinations: nomenclature and classification.

    PubMed

    Blom, Jan Dirk; Sommer, Iris E C

    2010-03-01

    The literature on the possible neurobiologic correlates of auditory hallucinations is expanding rapidly. For an adequate understanding and linking of this emerging knowledge, a clear and uniform nomenclature is a prerequisite. The primary purpose of the present article is to provide an overview of the nomenclature and classification of auditory hallucinations. Relevant data were obtained from books, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The results are presented in the form of several classificatory arrangements of auditory hallucinations, governed by the principles of content, perceived source, perceived vivacity, relation to the sleep-wake cycle, and association with suspected neurobiologic correlates. This overview underscores the necessity to reappraise the concepts of auditory hallucinations developed during the era of classic psychiatry, to incorporate them into our current nomenclature and classification of auditory hallucinations, and to test them empirically with the aid of the structural and functional imaging techniques currently available.

  3. Nomenclature for Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1927-01-01

    This nomenclature for aeronautics was prepared by a Special Conference on Aeronautical Nomenclature by the executive committee of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics at a meeting held on August 19, 1924, at which meeting Dr. Joseph S. Ames was appointed chairman of the conference. The conference was composed of representatives of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and specially appointed representatives officially designated by the Army Air Service, the Bureau of Aeronautics of the Navy Department, the Bureau of Standards, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Society of Automotive Engineers, and the Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce. The purpose of the committee in the preparation and publication of this report is to secure uniformity in the official documents of the government and, as far as possible, in technical and other commercial publications

  4. Rhexifolia versus Rhexiifolia: Plant Nomenclature Run Amok?

    Treesearch

    R. Kasten Dumroese; Mark W. Skinner

    2005-01-01

    The International Botanical Congress governs plant nomenclature worldwide through the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. In the current code are very specific procedures for naming plants with novel compound epithets, and correcting compound epithets, like rhexifolia, that were incorrectly combined.We discuss why rhexiifolia...

  5. A phylogenetically-based nomenclature for Cordycipitaceae (Hypocreales)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Changes in Article 59 of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN) disallow the use of dual nomenclatural systems for fungi. This change requires the reconciliation of competing names, ideally linked through culture based or molecular methods. The phylogenetic syste...

  6. Dental twinning anomalies: the nomenclature enigma.

    PubMed

    Killian, C M; Croll, T P

    1990-07-01

    Dental twinning results from abnormal events in the embryologic development of teeth. This paper describes the impossibility of assigning precise diagnostic terms, such as germination, fusion, macrodontia, and concrescence, to dental twinning anomalies because the entire course of odontogenesis cannot be witnessed. Traditional nomenclature is reviewed and seven cases that exemplify the principle are presented. Modification of nomenclature to describe dental twinning defects is suggested.

  7. Primate immunodeficiency virus classification and nomenclature: Review

    DOE PAGES

    Foley, Brian T.; Leitner, Thomas; Paraskevis, Dimitrios; ...

    2016-10-24

    The International Committee for the Taxonomy and Nomenclature of Viruses does not rule on virus classifications below the species level. The definition of species for viruses cannot be clearly defined for all types of viruses. The complex and interesting epidemiology of Human Immunodeficiency Viruses demands a detailed and informative nomenclature system, while at the same time it presents challenges such that many of the rules need to be flexibly applied or modified over time. As a result, this review outlines the nomenclature system for primate lentiviruses and provides an update on new findings since the last review was written inmore » 2000.« less

  8. The Melbourne Code Appendices: announcing a new approach for tracking nomenclatural decisions and a analysis of the history of nomenclatural proposals

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A newly expanded digital resource exists for tracking decisions on all nomenclature proposals potentially contributing to Appendices II-VIII of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants. This resource originated with the Smithsonian Institution's Proposals and Disposals web...

  9. New Universal Nomenclature in Auriculotherapy.

    PubMed

    Alimi, David; Chelly, Jacques E

    2018-01-01

    To propose at the auriculotherapists a New Universal Nomenclature of Auriculotherapy, able to receive any mapping whatsoever. We built this proposition by using electronic database search to find the different formulations of Auricular Acupuncture Points (AAPs), by studying neuroradiology methods describing reliable and reproducible marks able to adapt to all brain morphologies, by studying the analysis of brain dissections, showed us the internal organization of the brain; and after having proved the neurophysiological correlations between auricular displays and their brain correspondences. Since the 1950s, the study of Auriculotherapy by Paul Nogier and his students regularly progressed. The World Health Organization recognized it in 1987 and developed the First International Nomenclature in 1990. The number of therapeutic zones of the ear, in proportion to the constant progress in neurophysiology, never stops growing. This growth presents a major problem: all the first classifications became inappropriate and unfit. We propose a Universal Nomenclature of Auriculotherapy which is a biomathematical model of the brain anatomic organization, with 189 areas on the lateral ear and 89 areas on the medial ear. The Universal Auriculotherapy Nomenclature we proposed to the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies and which approved it at its International Convention in September 2011 in London, gives accurate Cartesian Marks and is able to receive any mapping whatsoever. Dispatching around 57 countries (Europe, America, China, Russia and Africa) and 195 Acupuncture Societies, it will facilitate the work of auriculotherapists and allow a scientific progress of the subject worldwide. This progress will allow the largest number of people to have a common tool for education, research, and publications of the discipline.

  10. Chemical Alias: An Engaging Way to Examine Nomenclature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurushkin, Mikhail; Mikhaylenko, Maria

    2015-01-01

    An educational card game, "Chemical Alias," has been developed as an alternative method of reviewing students' knowledge of nomenclature. In contrast to conventional tests, this highly competitive activity is a fun and effective way to examine and reinforce nomenclature. The students play in pairs, using Clark's famous spiral arrangement…

  11. Working group for planetary system nomenclature

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1993-01-01

    Most of the activity of the Working Group and Task Group of the IAU during these three years has been centered on the nomenclature of Neptune's satellites and rings as revealed by the Voyager spacecraft. The emphasis is now shifting to Venus, in preparation for the detailed radar mapping of that planet begun by the Magellan spacecraft in August 1990. Approval has been asked for nomenclature of the Earth's moon, Venus, Mars, and Triton features as well as 4 other Neptune satellites and three Neptune rings.

  12. Nomenclature for aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1920-01-01

    Report defines the principal terms which have come into use in the development of aeronautics. It was prepared in cooperation with a committee engaged upon a similar undertaking in Great Britain. As a result this nomenclature is in substantial agreement with the one which has been adopted by the aeronautical authorities of Great Britain.

  13. LPSN—list of prokaryotic names with standing in nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Parte, Aidan C.

    2014-01-01

    The List of Prokaryotic Names with Standing in Nomenclature (LPSN; http://www.bacterio.net) is a database that lists the names of prokaryotes (Bacteria and Archaea) that have been validly published in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology directly or by inclusion in a Validation List, under the Rules of International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria. Currently there are 15 974 taxa listed. In addition, LPSN has an up-to-date classification of prokaryotes and information on prokaryotic nomenclature and culture collections. PMID:24243842

  14. NOMENCLATURE OF ANUKTA DRAVYA

    PubMed Central

    Kusuma, Ganji; Joshi, V. K

    2010-01-01

    Field survey was conducted in rural areas of Varanasi district of Uttar Pradesh including Ramnagar, Manduadih and surrounding areas to identify and collect information on undocumented medicinal plants (Anukta Dravya) by direct interaction with folklore people through field survey and indirect means by means of comprehensive survey of available literature. Local names of undocumented medicinal plants along with other relevant information were collected, after recording local names of medicinal plants, their botanical identification was done by comprehensive survey of literature, and the plants were identified according to Bentham & Hooker's system of classification using local floristic works. Expert opinion of plant taxonomists was also sought for cross checking and confirmation on identity. The freshly collected specimens were photographed for visual identification of the species. After identification, nomenclature of 10 Anukta Dravya was done as per the criteria of nomenclature mentioned in Nighantus. PMID:22557363

  15. Community Intelligence in Knowledge Curation: An Application to Managing Scientific Nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world’s population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation. PMID:23451119

  16. Community intelligence in knowledge curation: an application to managing scientific nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Dai, Lin; Xu, Chao; Tian, Ming; Sang, Jian; Zou, Dong; Li, Ang; Liu, Guocheng; Chen, Fei; Wu, Jiayan; Xiao, Jingfa; Wang, Xumin; Yu, Jun; Zhang, Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Harnessing community intelligence in knowledge curation bears significant promise in dealing with communication and education in the flood of scientific knowledge. As knowledge is accumulated at ever-faster rates, scientific nomenclature, a particular kind of knowledge, is concurrently generated in all kinds of fields. Since nomenclature is a system of terms used to name things in a particular discipline, accurate translation of scientific nomenclature in different languages is of critical importance, not only for communications and collaborations with English-speaking people, but also for knowledge dissemination among people in the non-English-speaking world, particularly young students and researchers. However, it lacks of accuracy and standardization when translating scientific nomenclature from English to other languages, especially for those languages that do not belong to the same language family as English. To address this issue, here we propose for the first time the application of community intelligence in scientific nomenclature management, namely, harnessing collective intelligence for translation of scientific nomenclature from English to other languages. As community intelligence applied to knowledge curation is primarily aided by wiki and Chinese is the native language for about one-fifth of the world's population, we put the proposed application into practice, by developing a wiki-based English-to-Chinese Scientific Nomenclature Dictionary (ESND; http://esnd.big.ac.cn). ESND is a wiki-based, publicly editable and open-content platform, exploiting the whole power of the scientific community in collectively and collaboratively managing scientific nomenclature. Based on community curation, ESND is capable of achieving accurate, standard, and comprehensive scientific nomenclature, demonstrating a valuable application of community intelligence in knowledge curation.

  17. Nomenclatural Benchmarking: The roles of digital typification and telemicroscopy

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The process of nomenclatural benchmarking is the examination of type specimens of all available names to ascertain which currently accepted species the specimen bearing the name falls within. We propose a strategy for addressing four challenges for nomenclatural benchmarking. First, there is the mat...

  18. Nomenclatural and taxonomic problems related to the electronic publication of new nomina and nomenclatural acts in zoology, with brief comments on optical discs and on the situation in botany.

    PubMed

    Dubois, Alain; Crochet, Pierre-André; Dickinson, Edward C; Nemésio, André; Aescht, Erna; Bauer, Aaron M; Blagoderov, Vladimir; Bour, Roger; De Carvalho, Marcelo R; Desutter-Grandcolas, Laure; Frétey, Thierry; Jäger, Peter; Koyamba, Victoire; Lavilla, Esteban O; Löbl, Ivan; Louchart, Antoine; Malécot, Valéry; Schatz, Heinrich; Ohler, Annemarie

    2013-11-11

    In zoological nomenclature, to be potentially valid, nomenclatural novelties (i.e., new nomina and nomenclatural acts) need first to be made available, that is, published in works qualifying as publications as defined by the International Code of zoological Nomenclature ("the Code"). In September 2012, the Code was amended in order to allow the recognition of works electronically published online after 2011 as publications available for the purpose of zoological nomenclature, provided they meet several conditions, notably a preregistration of the work in ZooBank. Despite these new Rules, several of the long-discussed problems concerning the electronic publication of new nomina and nomenclatural acts have not been resolved. The publication of this amendment provides an opportunity to discuss some of these in detail. It is important to note that: (1) all works published only online before 2012 are nomenclaturally unavailable; (2) printed copies of the PDFs of works which do not have their own ISSN or ISBN, and which are not obtainable free of charge or by purchase, do not qualify as publications but must be seen as facsimiles of unavailable works and are unable to provide nomenclatural availability to any nomenclatural novelties they may contain; (3) prepublications online of later released online publications are unavailable, i.e., they do not advance the date of publication; (4) the publication dates of works for which online prepublications had been released are not those of these prepublications and it is critical that the real release date of such works appear on the actual final electronic publication, but this is not currently the case in electronic periodicals that distribute such online prepublications and which still indicate on their websites and PDFs the date of release of prepublication as that of publication of the work; (5) supplementary online materials and subsequent formal corrections of either paper or electronic publications distributed only

  19. Nomenclature101.com: A Free, Student-Driven Organic Chemistry Nomenclature Learning Tool

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flynn, Alison B.; Caron, Jeanette; Laroche, Jamey; Daviau-Duguay, Melissa; Marcoux, Caroline; Richard, Gise`le

    2014-01-01

    Fundamental to a student's understanding of organic chemistry is the ability to interpret and use its language, including molecules' names and other key terms. A learning gap exists in that students often struggle with organic nomenclature. Although many resources describe the rules for naming molecules, there is a paucity of resources…

  20. A Primer on Polymer Nomenclature: Structure-Based, Sourced- Based, and Trade Names

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, H. N.; Howell, Bob A.

    2017-01-01

    Polymer nomenclature is important because it is part of the language of polymer science and is needed for polymer identification, reference, and documentation. A primer on polymer nomenclature is provided herein for people new to the field or for instructional use. Both structurebased and source-based nomenclatures, together with trivial and trade…

  1. Gazetteer of planetary nomenclature 1994

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Batson, Raymond M.; Russell, Joel F.

    1995-01-01

    Planetary nomenclature, like terrestrial nomenclature, is used to uniquely identify a feature on the surface of a planet or satellite so that the feature can be easily located, described, and discussed. This volume contains detailed information about all names of topographic and albedo features on planets and satellites (and some planetary ring and ring-gap systems) that the International Astronomical Union has named and approved from its founding in 1919 through its triennial meeting in 1994.This edition of the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature supersedes an earlier informal volume distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey in 1986 as Open-File Report 84-692 (Masursky and others, 1986). Named features are depicted on maps of the Moon published first by the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency or the Aeronautical Chart and Information Center and more recently by the U.S. Geological Survey; on maps of Mercury, Venus, Mars, and the satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus published by the U.S. Geological Survey; and on maps of the Moon, Venus, and Mars produced by the U.S.S.R.Although we have attempted to check the accuracy of all data in this volume, we realize that some errors will remain in a work of this size. Readers noting errors or omissions are urged to communicate them to the U.S. Geological Survey, Branch of Astrogeology, Rm. 409, 2255 N. Gemini Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86001.

  2. New Nomenclatures for Heat Treatments of Additively Manufactured Titanium Alloys

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Baker, Andrew H.; Collins, Peter C.; Williams, James C.

    2017-07-01

    The heat-treatment designations and microstructure nomenclatures for many structural metallic alloys were established for traditional metals processing, such as casting, hot rolling or forging. These terms do not necessarily apply for additively manufactured (i.e., three-dimensionally printed or "3D printed") metallic structures. The heat-treatment terminology for titanium alloys generally implies the heat-treatment temperatures and their sequence relative to a thermomechanical processing step (e.g., forging, rolling). These designations include: β-processing, α + β-processing, β-annealing, duplex annealing and mill annealing. Owing to the absence of a thermomechanical processing step, these traditional designations can pose a problem when titanium alloys are first produced via additive manufacturing, and then heat-treated. This communication proposes new nomenclatures for heat treatments of additively manufactured titanium alloys, and uses the distinct microstructural features to provide a correlation between traditional nomenclature and the proposed nomenclature.

  3. Making a structured psychiatric diagnostic interview faithful to the nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Robins, Lee N; Cottler, Linda B

    2004-10-15

    Psychiatric diagnostic interviews to be used in epidemiologic studies by lay interviewers have, since the 1970s, attempted to operationalize existing psychiatric nomenclatures. How to maximize the chances that they do so successfully has not previously been spelled out. In this article, the authors discuss strategies for each of the seven steps involved in writing, updating, or modifying a diagnostic interview and its supporting materials: 1) writing questions that match the nomenclature's criteria, 2) checking that respondents will be willing and able to answer the questions, 3) choosing a format acceptable to interviewers that maximizes accurate answering and recording of answers, 4) constructing a data entry and cleaning program that highlights errors to be corrected, 5) creating a diagnostic scoring program that matches the nomenclature's algorithms, 6) developing an interviewer training program that maximizes reliability, and 7) computerizing the interview. For each step, the authors discuss how to identify errors, correct them, and validate the revisions. Although operationalization will never be perfect because of ambiguities in the nomenclature, specifying methods for minimizing divergence from the nomenclature is timely as users modify existing interviews and look forward to updating interviews based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and the International Classification of Diseases, Eleventh Revision.

  4. Changes in consensus arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) gene nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Hein, David W.; Boukouvala, Sotiria; Grant, Denis M.; Minchin, Rodney F.; Sim, Edith

    2008-01-01

    Changes in consensus arylamine N-acetyltransferase (NAT) gene nomenclature determined at the 2007 international NAT workshop include: 1) Alleles in all species except mouse and rat are all uppercase. For mouse and rat, the first letter is upper case followed by lower case. 2) The nomenclature system is now species-specific. Thus, NAT2*1 (chicken), NAT2*2 & NAT2*3 (rabbit), Nat2*8 Nat2*9, Nat2*22 & Nat2*23 (mouse), NAT2*15, NAT2*16A & NAT2*16B (Syrian hamster), and NAT2*20, NAT2*21A & NAT2*21B (rat) are retired and renumbered within a species. A species modifier incorporated into the allele designation is written in upper case Roman font, e.g., (MOUSE)Nat1*1 is now the reference Nat1 allele in mouse; and 3) The NAT website also can now be accessed at a webbalias address: http://N-acetyltransferasenomenclature.louisville.edu. New NAT alleles should continue to be submitted to the NAT nomenclature committee for inclusion on the website to ensure proper categorization and to continue consistency in nomenclature. PMID:18334921

  5. NASA catalogue of lunar nomenclature

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Andersson, L. A.; Whitaker, E. A.

    1982-01-01

    Lunar nomenclature is cataloged. It includes letter designations for subsidiary craters, and uses a more familiar spelling from eight names. The listed features are divided into three main groups for cataloging purposes, namely: (1) craters, (2) noncrater features; and (3) minor and miscellaneous features.

  6. Anatomical terminology and nomenclature: past, present and highlights.

    PubMed

    Kachlik, David; Baca, Vaclav; Bozdechova, Ivana; Cech, Pavel; Musil, Vladimir

    2008-08-01

    The anatomical terminology is a base for medical communication. It is elaborated into a nomenclature in Latin. Its history goes back to 1895, when the first Latin anatomical nomenclature was published as Basiliensia Nomina Anatomica. It was followed by seven revisions (Jenaiensia Nomina Anatomica 1935, Parisiensia Nomina Anatomica 1955, Nomina Anatomica 2nd to 6th edition 1960-1989). The last revision, Terminologia Anatomica, (TA) created by the Federative Committee on Anatomical Terminology and approved by the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists, was published in 1998. Apart from the official Latin anatomical terminology, it includes a list of recommended English equivalents. In this article, major changes and pitfalls of the nomenclature are discussed, as well as the clinical anatomy terms. The last revision (TA) is highly recommended to the attention of not only teachers, students and researchers, but also to clinicians, doctors, translators, editors and publishers to be followed in their activities.

  7. An overview of bacterial nomenclature with special reference to plant pathogens.

    PubMed

    Young, J M

    2008-12-01

    The nomenclature of plant pathogenic bacteria is regulated by the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes and the International Standards for Naming Pathovars of Phytopathogenic Bacteria. The object of these regulations is to ensure that nomenclature is unambiguous, with correct designations in genera and species and, for many plant pathogens, in infrasubspecies as pathovars. Failure to apply these regulations or to apply them carelessly introduces confusion and misunderstanding over the intended identity of particular pathogens. In this review, bacterial nomenclature is introduced in the context of general communication, with a brief history of the origins of modern bacterial nomenclature. A critical overview of the Code pays most attention to those Rules that are relevant to naming new taxa and new combinations, with comments on common misunderstandings. There follows an account of the application of infrasubspecies, specifically of pathovars as regulated by the Standards for Naming Pathovars. Both the Code and Standards, written almost 30 years ago in response to the exigencies of the time, could be revised to improve clarity. It is not possible for either the Code or the Standards to give formal guidance to the process of translation of pathovars, governed by the Standards, to higher taxonomic ranks, governed by the Code. If the introduction of ambiguity of names is to be avoided in making such translations, then it is the responsibility of individual bacteriologists to consider carefully the nomenclatural implications and outcomes of their proposals.

  8. A review of criticisms of phylogenetic nomenclature: is taxonomic freedom the fundamental issue?

    PubMed

    Bryant, Harold N; Cantino, Philip D

    2002-02-01

    The proposal to implement a phylogenetic nomenclatural system governed by the PhyloCode), in which taxon names are defined by explicit reference to common descent, has met with strong criticism from some proponents of phylogenetic taxonomy (taxonomy based on the principle of common descent in which only clades and species are recognized). We examine these criticisms and find that some of the perceived problems with phylogenetic nomenclature are based on misconceptions, some are equally true of the current rank-based nomenclatural system, and some will be eliminated by implementation of the PhyloCode. Most of the criticisms are related to an overriding concern that, because the meanings of names are associated with phylogenetic pattern which is subject to change, the adoption of phylogenetic nomenclature will lead to increased instability in the content of taxa. This concern is associated with the fact that, despite the widespread adoption of the view that taxa are historical entities that are conceptualized based on ancestry, many taxonomists also conceptualize taxa based on their content. As a result, critics of phylogenetic nomenclature have argued that taxonomists should be free to emend the content of taxa without constraints imposed by nomenclatural decisions. However, in phylogenetic nomenclature the contents of taxa are determined, not by the taxonomist, but by the combination of the phylogenetic definition of the name and a phylogenetic hypothesis. Because the contents of taxa, once their names are defined, can no longer be freely modified by taxonomists, phylogenetic nomenclature is perceived as limiting taxonomic freedom. We argue that the form of taxonomic freedom inherent to phylogenetic nomenclature is appropriate to phylogenetic taxonomy in which taxa are considered historical entities that are discovered through phylogenetic analysis and are not human constructs.

  9. Historical Perspectives and Guidelines for Botulinum Neurotoxin Subtype Nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Peck, Michael W.; Smith, Theresa J.; Anniballi, Fabrizio; Austin, John W.; Bano, Luca; Bradshaw, Marite; Cuervo, Paula; Cheng, Luisa W.; Derman, Yagmur; Dorner, Brigitte G.; Fisher, Audrey; Hill, Karen K.; Kalb, Suzanne R.; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia; Lista, Florigio; Lúquez, Carolina; Mazuet, Christelle; Pirazzini, Marco; Popoff, Michel R.; Rossetto, Ornella; Rummel, Andreas; Sesardic, Dorothea; Singh, Bal Ram; Stringer, Sandra C.

    2017-01-01

    Botulinum neurotoxins are diverse proteins. They are currently represented by at least seven serotypes and more than 40 subtypes. New clostridial strains that produce novel neurotoxin variants are being identified with increasing frequency, which presents challenges when organizing the nomenclature surrounding these neurotoxins. Worldwide, researchers are faced with the possibility that toxins having identical sequences may be given different designations or novel toxins having unique sequences may be given the same designations on publication. In order to minimize these problems, an ad hoc committee consisting of over 20 researchers in the field of botulinum neurotoxin research was convened to discuss the clarification of the issues involved in botulinum neurotoxin nomenclature. This publication presents a historical overview of the issues and provides guidelines for botulinum neurotoxin subtype nomenclature in the future. PMID:28106761

  10. Historical Perspectives and Guidelines for Botulinum Neurotoxin Subtype Nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Peck, Michael W; Smith, Theresa J; Anniballi, Fabrizio; Austin, John W; Bano, Luca; Bradshaw, Marite; Cuervo, Paula; Cheng, Luisa W; Derman, Yagmur; Dorner, Brigitte G; Fisher, Audrey; Hill, Karen K; Kalb, Suzanne R; Korkeala, Hannu; Lindström, Miia; Lista, Florigio; Lúquez, Carolina; Mazuet, Christelle; Pirazzini, Marco; Popoff, Michel R; Rossetto, Ornella; Rummel, Andreas; Sesardic, Dorothea; Singh, Bal Ram; Stringer, Sandra C

    2017-01-18

    Botulinum neurotoxins are diverse proteins. They are currently represented by at least seven serotypes and more than 40 subtypes. New clostridial strains that produce novel neurotoxin variants are being identified with increasing frequency, which presents challenges when organizing the nomenclature surrounding these neurotoxins. Worldwide, researchers are faced with the possibility that toxins having identical sequences may be given different designations or novel toxins having unique sequences may be given the same designations on publication. In order to minimize these problems, an ad hoc committee consisting of over 20 researchers in the field of botulinum neurotoxin research was convened to discuss the clarification of the issues involved in botulinum neurotoxin nomenclature. This publication presents a historical overview of the issues and provides guidelines for botulinum neurotoxin subtype nomenclature in the future.

  11. Nomenclature for the KIR of non-human species.

    PubMed

    Robinson, James; Guethlein, Lisbeth A; Maccari, Giuseppe; Blokhuis, Jeroen; Bimber, Benjamin N; de Groot, Natasja G; Sanderson, Nicholas D; Abi-Rached, Laurent; Walter, Lutz; Bontrop, Ronald E; Hammond, John A; Marsh, Steven G E; Parham, Peter

    2018-06-04

    The increasing number of Killer Immunoglobulin-like Receptor (KIR) sequences available for non-human primate species and cattle has prompted development of a centralized database, guidelines for a standardized nomenclature, and minimum requirements for database submission. The guidelines and nomenclature are based on those used for human KIR and incorporate modifications made for inclusion of non-human species in the companion IPD-NHKIR database. Included in this first release are the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes), orangutan (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus), and cattle (Bos taurus).

  12. Planetary Nomenclature: An Overview and Update for 2017

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaither, Tenielle; Hayward, Rose; IAU Working GroupPlanetary System Nomenclature

    2017-10-01

    The task of naming planetary surface features, rings, and natural satellites is managed by the International Astronomical Union’s (IAU) Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature (WGPSN). There are currently 15,361 IAU-approved surface feature names on 41 planetary bodies, including moons and asteroids. The members of the WGPSN and its task groups have worked since the early 1970s to provide a clear, unambiguous system of planetary nomenclature that represents cultures and countries from all regions of Earth. WGPSN members include Rita Schulz (Chair) and 9 other members representing countries around the globe. The participation of knowledgeable scientists and experts in this process is vital to its success of the IAU WGPSN . Planetary nomenclature is a tool used to uniquely identify features on the surfaces of planets or satellites so they can be located, described, and discussed in publications, including peer-review journals, maps and conference presentations. Approved names are listed in the Transactions of the IAU and on the Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature website. Any names currently in use that are not listed the Gazetteer are not official. Planetary names must adhere to rules and conventions established by the IAU WGPSN (see http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/Rules for the complete list). The gazetteer includes an online Name Request Form (http://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/FeatureNameRequest) that can be used by members of the professional science community. Name requests are first reviewed by one of six task groups (Mercury, Venus, Moon, Mars, Outer Solar System, and Small Bodies). After a task group has reviewed a proposal, it is submitted to the WGPSN. Allow four to six weeks for the review and approval process. Upon WGPSN approval, names are considered formally approved and it is then appropriate to use them in publications. Approved names are immediately entered into the database and shown on the website. Questions about the nomenclature

  13. Nomenclature for Aeronautics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1939-01-01

    The nomenclature for aeronautics presented in this Report No. 474 is a revision of the last previous report on this subject (i.e., Report no. 240.) This report is published for the purpose of encouraging greater uniformity and precision in the use of terms relating to aeronautics, both in official documents of the Government and in commercial publications. Terms in general use in other branches of engineering have been included only where they have some special significance in aeronautics, or form an integral part of its terminology.

  14. Consensus nomenclature rules for radiopharmaceutical chemistry — Setting the record straight

    DOE PAGES

    Coenen, Heinz H.; Gee, Antony D.; Adam, Michael; ...

    2017-10-21

    Over recent years, within the community of radiopharmaceutical sciences, there has been an increased incidence of incorrect usage of established scientific terms and conventions, and even the emergence of ‘self-invented’ terms. Here, in order to address these concerns, an international Working Group on ‘Nomenclature in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and related areas’ was established in 2015 to achieve clarification of terms and to generate consensus on the utilisation of a standardised nomenclature pertinent to the field. Upon open consultation, the following consensus guidelines were agreed, which aim to: Provide a reference source for nomenclature good practice in the radiopharma-ceutical sciences; Clarify themore » use of terms and rules concerning exclusively radiopharmaceutical terminology, i.e. nuclear- and radiochemical terms, symbols and expressions; Address gaps and inconsistencies in existing radiochemistry nomenclature rules; Provide source literature for further harmonisation beyond our immediate peer group (publishers, editors, IUPAC, pharmacopoeias, etc.).« less

  15. Consensus nomenclature rules for radiopharmaceutical chemistry — Setting the record straight

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coenen, Heinz H.; Gee, Antony D.; Adam, Michael

    Over recent years, within the community of radiopharmaceutical sciences, there has been an increased incidence of incorrect usage of established scientific terms and conventions, and even the emergence of ‘self-invented’ terms. Here, in order to address these concerns, an international Working Group on ‘Nomenclature in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and related areas’ was established in 2015 to achieve clarification of terms and to generate consensus on the utilisation of a standardised nomenclature pertinent to the field. Upon open consultation, the following consensus guidelines were agreed, which aim to: Provide a reference source for nomenclature good practice in the radiopharma-ceutical sciences; Clarify themore » use of terms and rules concerning exclusively radiopharmaceutical terminology, i.e. nuclear- and radiochemical terms, symbols and expressions; Address gaps and inconsistencies in existing radiochemistry nomenclature rules; Provide source literature for further harmonisation beyond our immediate peer group (publishers, editors, IUPAC, pharmacopoeias, etc.).« less

  16. Techniques of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Nomenclature and selection

    PubMed Central

    Haribhakti, Sanjiv P.; Mistry, Jitendra H.

    2015-01-01

    There are more than 50 different techniques of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) available in literature mainly due to modifications by surgeons in aim to improve postoperative outcome and cosmesis. These modifications include reduction in port size and/or number than what is used in standard LC. There is no uniform nomenclature to describe these different techniques so that it is not possible to compare the outcomes of different techniques. We brief the advantages and disadvantages of each of these techniques and suggest the situation where particular technique would be useful. We also propose a nomenclature which is easy to remember and apply, so that any future comparison will be possible between the techniques. PMID:25883450

  17. Techniques of laparoscopic cholecystectomy: Nomenclature and selection.

    PubMed

    Haribhakti, Sanjiv P; Mistry, Jitendra H

    2015-01-01

    There are more than 50 different techniques of laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) available in literature mainly due to modifications by surgeons in aim to improve postoperative outcome and cosmesis. These modifications include reduction in port size and/or number than what is used in standard LC. There is no uniform nomenclature to describe these different techniques so that it is not possible to compare the outcomes of different techniques. We brief the advantages and disadvantages of each of these techniques and suggest the situation where particular technique would be useful. We also propose a nomenclature which is easy to remember and apply, so that any future comparison will be possible between the techniques.

  18. Nomenclatural review of long digital forelimb flexors in carnivores.

    PubMed

    Spoor, C F; Badoux, D M

    1986-12-01

    A hitherto-unknown atavistic muscle in the dog initiated a review of the literature on the homologies and nomenclature of the forelimb flexors in carnivores and man. A consequence is that we recommend a revision of the nomenclature in the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria (Ithaca, New York, 1983) so that it is in agreement with the Nomina Anatomica (Wilkins, Baltimore, 1983). This revision mainly consists of the incorporation of the terms M. palmaris longus and Mm. flexores breves manus.

  19. Describing sequencing results of structural chromosome rearrangements with a suggested next-generation cytogenetic nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Ordulu, Zehra; Wong, Kristen E; Currall, Benjamin B; Ivanov, Andrew R; Pereira, Shahrin; Althari, Sara; Gusella, James F; Talkowski, Michael E; Morton, Cynthia C

    2014-05-01

    With recent rapid advances in genomic technologies, precise delineation of structural chromosome rearrangements at the nucleotide level is becoming increasingly feasible. In this era of "next-generation cytogenetics" (i.e., an integration of traditional cytogenetic techniques and next-generation sequencing), a consensus nomenclature is essential for accurate communication and data sharing. Currently, nomenclature for describing the sequencing data of these aberrations is lacking. Herein, we present a system called Next-Gen Cytogenetic Nomenclature, which is concordant with the International System for Human Cytogenetic Nomenclature (2013). This system starts with the alignment of rearrangement sequences by BLAT or BLAST (alignment tools) and arrives at a concise and detailed description of chromosomal changes. To facilitate usage and implementation of this nomenclature, we are developing a program designated BLA(S)T Output Sequence Tool of Nomenclature (BOSToN), a demonstrative version of which is accessible online. A standardized characterization of structural chromosomal rearrangements is essential both for research analyses and for application in the clinical setting. Copyright © 2014 The American Society of Human Genetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Standard Mutation Nomenclature in Molecular Diagnostics

    PubMed Central

    Ogino, Shuji; Gulley, Margaret L.; den Dunnen, Johan T.; Wilson, Robert B.

    2007-01-01

    To translate basic research findings into clinical practice, it is essential that information about mutations and variations in the human genome are communicated easily and unequivocally. Unfortunately, there has been much confusion regarding the description of genetic sequence variants. This is largely because research articles that first report novel sequence variants do not often use standard nomenclature, and the final genomic sequence is compiled over many separate entries. In this article, we discuss issues crucial to clear communication, using examples of genes that are commonly assayed in clinical laboratories. Although molecular diagnostics is a dynamic field, this should not inhibit the need for and movement toward consensus nomenclature for accurate reporting among laboratories. Our aim is to alert laboratory scientists and other health care professionals to the important issues and provide a foundation for further discussions that will ultimately lead to solutions. PMID:17251329

  1. Proposal to include the rank of phylum in the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes.

    PubMed

    Oren, Aharon; da Costa, Milton S; Garrity, George M; Rainey, Fred A; Rosselló-Móra, Ramon; Schink, Bernhard; Sutcliffe, Iain; Trujillo, Martha E; Whitman, William B

    2015-11-01

    The International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes covers the nomenclature of prokaryotes up to the rank of class. We propose here modifying the Code to include the rank of phylum so that names of phyla that fulfil the rules of the Code will obtain standing in the nomenclature.

  2. A standardized nomenclature for craniofacial and facial anthropometry.

    PubMed

    Caple, Jodi; Stephan, Carl N

    2016-05-01

    Standardized terms and methods have long been recognized as crucial to reduce measurement error and increase reliability in anthropometry. The successful prior use of craniometric landmarks makes extrapolation of these landmarks to the soft tissue context, as analogs, intuitive for forensic craniofacial analyses and facial photogrammetry. However, this extrapolation has not, so far, been systematic. Instead, varied nomenclature and definitions exist for facial landmarks, and photographic analyses are complicated by the generalization of 3D craniometric landmarks to the 2D face space where analogy is subsequently often lost, complicating anatomical assessments. For example, landmarks requiring palpation of the skull or the examination of the 3D surface typology are impossible to legitimately position; similar applies to median landmarks not visible in lateral photographs. To redress these issues without disposing of the craniometric framework that underpins many facial landmarks, we provide an updated and transparent nomenclature for facial description. This nomenclature maintains the original craniometric intent (and base abbreviations) but provides clear distinction of ill-defined (quasi) landmarks in photographic contexts, as produced when anatomical points are subjectively inferred from shape-from-shading information alone.

  3. A primer on polymer nomenclature: Structure-based, sourced-based and trade names

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Polymer nomenclature is important because it is part of the language of polymer science and is needed for polymer identification, reference, and documentation. A primer on polymer nomenclature is provided herein for people new to the field or for instructional use. Both structure-based and source-...

  4. Nomenclature notes on Phoebe chekiangensis (Lauraceae)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    By combing through taxonomic literature on the name Phoebe chekiangensis in relation to the International Code of Nomenclature, we found that this name, whose publication has been attempted on three different occasions, should be ascribed to C.B. Shang, the author of the second attempt at publicatio...

  5. Zoological Nomenclature and Speech Act Theory

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cambefort, Yves

    To know natural objects, it is necessary to give them names. This has always been done, from antiquity up to modern times. Today, the nomenclature system invented by Linnaeus in the eighteenth century is still in use, even if the philosophical principles underlying it have changed. Naming living objects still means giving them a sort of existence, since without a name they cannot be referred to, just as if they did not exist. Therefore, naming a living object is a process close to creating it. Naming is performed by means of a particular kind of text: original description written by specialists, and more often accompanied by other, ancillary texts whose purpose is to gain the acceptance and support of fellow zoologists. It is noteworthy that the actions performed by these texts are called "nomenclatural acts". These texts and acts, together with related scientific and social relationships, are examined here in the frame of speech act theory.

  6. Virus nomenclature below the species level: a standardized nomenclature for natural variants of viruses assigned to the family Filoviridae

    PubMed Central

    Kuhn, Jens H.; Bao, Yiming; Bavari, Sina; Becker, Stephan; Bradfute, Steven; Brister, J. Rodney; Bukreyev, Alexander A.; Chandran, Kartik; Davey, Robert A.; Dolnik, Olga; Dye, John M.; Enterlein, Sven; Hensley, Lisa; Honko, Anna N.; Jahrling, Peter B.; Johnson, Karl M.; Kobinger, Gary; Leroy, Eric M.; Lever, Mark S.; Mühlberger, Elke; Netesov, Sergey V.; Olinger, Gene G.; Palacios, Gustavo; Patterson, Jean L.; Paweska, Janusz T.; Pitt, Louise; Radoshitzky, Sheli R.; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Smither, Sophie J.; Swanepoel, Robert; Towner, Jonathan S.; van der Groen, Guido; Volchkov, Viktor E.; Wahl-Jensen, Victoria; Warren, Travis; Weidmann, Manfred; Nichol, Stuart T.

    2012-01-01

    The task of international expert groups is to recommend the classification and naming of viruses. The ICTV Filoviridae Study Group and other experts have recently established an almost consistent classification and nomenclature for filoviruses. Here, further guidelines are suggested to include their natural genetic variants. First, this term is defined. Second, a template for full-length virus names (such as “Ebola virus H.sapiens-tc/COD/1995/Kikwit-9510621”) is proposed. These names contain information on the identity of the virus (e.g., Ebola virus), isolation host (e.g., members of the species Homo sapiens), sampling location (e.g., Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD)), sampling year, genetic variant (e.g., Kikwit), and isolate (e.g., 9510621). Suffixes are proposed for individual names that clarify whether a given genetic variant has been characterized based on passage zero material (-wt), has been passaged in tissue/cell culture (-tc), is known from consensus sequence fragments only (-frag), or does (most likely) not exist anymore (-hist). We suggest that these comprehensive names are to be used specifically in the methods section of publications. Suitable abbreviations, also proposed here, could then be used throughout the text, while the full names could be used again in phylograms, tables, or figures if the contained information aids the interpretation of presented data. The proposed system is very similar to the well-known influenzavirus nomenclature and the nomenclature recently proposed for rotaviruses. If applied consistently, it would considerably simplify retrieval of sequence data from electronic databases and be a first important step toward a viral genome annotation standard as sought by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Furthermore, adoption of this nomenclature would increase the general understanding of filovirus-related publications and presentations and improve figures such as phylograms, alignments, and diagrams

  7. The Amsterdam declaration on fungal nomenclature

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The Amsterdam Declaration on Fungal Nomenclature was developed at a international symposium convened in Amsterdam on 19-20 April 2011 under the auspices of the International Commission on the Taxonomy of Fungi (ICTF). The purpose of the symposium was to address the issue of whether or how the curren...

  8. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXV. Nomenclature, Classification, and Pharmacology of G Protein-Coupled Melatonin Receptors

    PubMed Central

    Delagrange, Philippe; Krause, Diana N.; Sugden, David; Cardinali, Daniel P.; Olcese, James

    2010-01-01

    The hormone melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) is synthesized primarily in the pineal gland and retina, and in several peripheral tissues and organs. In the circulation, the concentration of melatonin follows a circadian rhythm, with high levels at night providing timing cues to target tissues endowed with melatonin receptors. Melatonin receptors receive and translate melatonin's message to influence daily and seasonal rhythms of physiology and behavior. The melatonin message is translated through activation of two G protein-coupled receptors, MT1 and MT2, that are potential therapeutic targets in disorders ranging from insomnia and circadian sleep disorders to depression, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer. This review summarizes the steps taken since melatonin's discovery by Aaron Lerner in 1958 to functionally characterize, clone, and localize receptors in mammalian tissues. The pharmacological and molecular properties of the receptors are described as well as current efforts to discover and develop ligands for treatment of a number of illnesses, including sleep disorders, depression, and cancer. PMID:20605968

  9. Physics nomenclature in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Kai-hua

    1990-05-01

    Creating modern scientific terminology in their own languages has been the common problem of all developing countries. Direct borrowing of Graeco-Latin terms from western languages is the most straightforward way in countries using alphabetic writing systems; it is, however, quite inconvenient for Chinese. In this article the effort to work out a Chinese nomenclature for physics by the CPS is reviewed. The significance for physics education of assimilating terminology in the mother tongue is also examined at the end.

  10. What is 'fascia'? A review of different nomenclatures.

    PubMed

    Schleip, Robert; Jäger, Heike; Klingler, Werner

    2012-10-01

    There are many different definitions of fascia. Here the three most common nomenclatures are compared, including that of the Federative International Committee on Anatomical Terminology (1998), the definition included in the latest British edition of Gray's Anatomy (2008) and the newer and more comprehensive terminology suggested at the last international Fascia Research Congress (2012). This review covers which tissues are included and excluded in each of these nomenclatures. The advantages and disadvantages of each terminology system are suggested and related to different fields of application, ranging from histology, tissue repair, to muscular force transmission and proprioception. Interdisciplinary communication involving professionals of different fields is also discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. The Science and Politics of Naming: Reforming Anatomical Nomenclature, ca. 1886-1955.

    PubMed

    Buklijas, Tatjana

    2017-04-01

    Anatomical nomenclature is medicine's official language. Early in their medical studies, students are expected to memorize not only the bodily geography but also the names for all the structures that, by consensus, constitute the anatomical body. The making and uses of visual maps of the body have received considerable historiographical attention, yet the history of production, communication, and reception of anatomical names-a history as long as the history of anatomy itself-has been studied far less. My essay examines the reforms of anatomical naming between the first modern nomenclature, the 1895 Basel Nomina Anatomica (BNA), and the 1955 Nomina Anatomica Parisiensia (NAP, also known as PNA), which is the basis for current anatomical terminology. I focus on the controversial and ultimately failed attempt to reform anatomical nomenclature, known as Jena Nomina Anatomica (INA), of 1935. Discussions around nomenclature reveal not only how anatomical names are made and communicated, but also the relationship of anatomy with the clinic; disciplinary controversies within anatomy; national traditions in science; and the interplay between international and scientific disciplinary politics. I show how the current anatomical nomenclature, a successor to the NAP, is an outcome of both political and disciplinary tensions that reached their peak before 1945. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  12. Operations Nomenclature [Annexes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shannon, Yvette Y.

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of Operations Nomenclature (OpNom) is to document methods for denoting all hardware and software and associated data referenced by operations products produced by the International Space Station (ISS) operations community. This includes Operations Data File (ODF) procedures, ground and onboard displays, mission rules, commands, messages and advisories, planning products, etc. This document applies to all agencies and individuals participating in or contributing to ISS mission operations. Mission operations include ground checkout, training, and simulations, as well as real-time activities. The document also applies to all operations documentation (paper or electronic media) and other products that refer to ISS-related equipment or activities.

  13. Toward a unified nomenclature for mammalian ADP-ribosyltransferases.

    PubMed

    Hottiger, Michael O; Hassa, Paul O; Lüscher, Bernhard; Schüler, Herwig; Koch-Nolte, Friedrich

    2010-04-01

    ADP-ribosylation is a post-translational modification of proteins catalyzed by ADP-ribosyltransferases. It comprises the transfer of the ADP-ribose moiety from NAD+ to specific amino acid residues on substrate proteins or to ADP-ribose itself. Currently, 22 human genes encoding proteins that possess an ADP-ribosyltransferase catalytic domain are known. Recent structural and enzymological evidence of poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase (PARP) family members demonstrate that earlier proposed names and classifications of these proteins are no longer accurate. Here we summarize these new findings and propose a new consensus nomenclature for all ADP-ribosyltransferases (ARTs) based on the catalyzed reaction and on structural features. A unified nomenclature would facilitate communication between researchers both inside and outside the ADP-ribosylation field. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Learning how to learn: Meta-learning strategies for the challenges of learning pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Alton, Suzanne

    2016-03-01

    Nursing students have difficulty with pharmacology courses because of the complicated nomenclature and the difficulty of applying drug information to actual patient care. As part of a new pharmacology course being created, meta-learning strategies designed to diminish the difficulties of learning this difficult content were part of the course pedagogy. Strategies were demonstrated, reviewed in class, and implemented through homework assignments. The setting was an Academic Health Center's School of Nursing in the southern United States. Participants were third-year nursing students in an undergraduate nursing program. Surveys of students' opinions of learning gains were conducted at the end of the course over several semesters. In addition, pharmacology scores on a standardized exit exam were compared prior to implementing the course and after. Students reported learning dry material more easily, having greater confidence, and finding substantial value in the learning strategies. Students indicated the most helpful strategies, in descending order, as follows: making charts to compare and contrast drugs and drug classes, writing out drug flash cards, making or reviewing creative projects, prioritizing information, making or using visual study aids, and using time and repetition to space learning. Implementation of the new course improved pharmacology scores on a standardized exit exam from 67.0% to 74.3%. Overall response to learning strategies was positive, and the increase in the pharmacology standardized exit exam scores demonstrated the effectiveness of this instructional approach. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Stability or stasis in the names of organisms: the evolving codes of nomenclature.

    PubMed Central

    Knapp, Sandra; Lamas, Gerardo; Lughadha, Eimear Nic; Novarino, Gianfranco

    2004-01-01

    Nomenclature, far from being a dry dusty subject, is today more relevant than ever before. Researchers into genomics are discovering again the need for systems of nomenclature-names are what we use to communicate about organisms, and by extension the rest of their biology. Here, we briefly outline the history of the published international codes of nomenclature, tracing them from the time of Linnaeus in the eighteenth century to the present day. We then outline some of what we feel are the major challenges that face the codes in the twenty-first century; focusing primarily on publication, priority, typification and the role of science in the naming of organisms. We conclude that the codes are essential for taxonomists in the pursuance of their science, and that the democratic nature of decision-making in the regulation of the rules of nomenclature, though sometimes perceived as a potential weakness, is in fact one of its great strengths. PMID:15253348

  16. PALM-COEIN Nomenclature for Abnormal Uterine Bleeding.

    PubMed

    Deneris, Angela

    2016-05-01

    Approximately 30% of women will experience abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB) during their life time. Previous terms defining AUB have been confusing and imprecisely applied. As a consequence, both clinical management and research on this common problem have been negatively impacted. In 2011, the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Menstrual Disorders Group (FMDG) published PALM-COEIN, a new classification system for abnormal bleeding in the reproductive years. Terms such as menorrhagia, menometrorrhagia, metrorrhagia, dysfunctional uterine bleeding, polymenorrhea, oligomenorrhea, and uterine hemorrhage are no longer recommended. The PALM-COEIN system was developed to standardize nomenclature to describe the etiology and severity of AUB. A brief description of the PALM-COEIN nomenclature is presented as well as treatment options for each etiology. Clinicians will frequently encounter women with AUB and should report findings utilizing the PALM-COEIN system. © 2016 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  17. Consensus nomenclature rules for radiopharmaceutical chemistry - Setting the record straight.

    PubMed

    Coenen, Heinz H; Gee, Antony D; Adam, Michael; Antoni, Gunnar; Cutler, Cathy S; Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa; Jeong, Jae Min; Mach, Robert H; Mindt, Thomas L; Pike, Victor W; Windhorst, Albert D

    2017-12-01

    Over recent years, within the community of radiopharmaceutical sciences, there has been an increased incidence of incorrect usage of established scientific terms and conventions, and even the emergence of 'self-invented' terms. In order to address these concerns, an international Working Group on 'Nomenclature in Radiopharmaceutical Chemistry and related areas' was established in 2015 to achieve clarification of terms and to generate consensus on the utilisation of a standardised nomenclature pertinent to the field. Upon open consultation, the following consensus guidelines were agreed, which aim to. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. [François Chaussier (1746-1828). A vision of the anatomic nomenclature based on education].

    PubMed

    Benkhadra, M; Salomon, C; Trouilloud, P

    2008-12-01

    François Chaussier (1746-1828) developed an original point of view concerning the anatomic nomenclature teaching and learning. The myology nomenclature proposed by Chaussier was based on a very simple concept: the name of a muscle is composed by its two attachment points. He wanted to make science learning easier for the students; that we can see in his myology nomenclature, his publications and anatomical drawings. His experience is still interesting nowadays.

  19. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. XCIV. Adhesion G Protein–Coupled Receptors

    PubMed Central

    Aust, Gabriela; Araç, Demet; Engel, Felix B.; Formstone, Caroline; Fredriksson, Robert; Hall, Randy A.; Harty, Breanne L.; Kirchhoff, Christiane; Knapp, Barbara; Krishnan, Arunkumar; Liebscher, Ines; Lin, Hsi-Hsien; Martinelli, David C.; Monk, Kelly R.; Peeters, Miriam C.; Piao, Xianhua; Prömel, Simone; Schöneberg, Torsten; Schwartz, Thue W.; Singer, Kathleen; Stacey, Martin; Ushkaryov, Yuri A.; Vallon, Mario; Wolfrum, Uwe; Wright, Mathew W.; Xu, Lei; Langenhan, Tobias

    2015-01-01

    The Adhesion family forms a large branch of the pharmacologically important superfamily of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). As Adhesion GPCRs increasingly receive attention from a wide spectrum of biomedical fields, the Adhesion GPCR Consortium, together with the International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology Committee on Receptor Nomenclature and Drug Classification, proposes a unified nomenclature for Adhesion GPCRs. The new names have ADGR as common dominator followed by a letter and a number to denote each subfamily and subtype, respectively. The new names, with old and alternative names within parentheses, are: ADGRA1 (GPR123), ADGRA2 (GPR124), ADGRA3 (GPR125), ADGRB1 (BAI1), ADGRB2 (BAI2), ADGRB3 (BAI3), ADGRC1 (CELSR1), ADGRC2 (CELSR2), ADGRC3 (CELSR3), ADGRD1 (GPR133), ADGRD2 (GPR144), ADGRE1 (EMR1, F4/80), ADGRE2 (EMR2), ADGRE3 (EMR3), ADGRE4 (EMR4), ADGRE5 (CD97), ADGRF1 (GPR110), ADGRF2 (GPR111), ADGRF3 (GPR113), ADGRF4 (GPR115), ADGRF5 (GPR116, Ig-Hepta), ADGRG1 (GPR56), ADGRG2 (GPR64, HE6), ADGRG3 (GPR97), ADGRG4 (GPR112), ADGRG5 (GPR114), ADGRG6 (GPR126), ADGRG7 (GPR128), ADGRL1 (latrophilin-1, CIRL-1, CL1), ADGRL2 (latrophilin-2, CIRL-2, CL2), ADGRL3 (latrophilin-3, CIRL-3, CL3), ADGRL4 (ELTD1, ETL), and ADGRV1 (VLGR1, GPR98). This review covers all major biologic aspects of Adhesion GPCRs, including evolutionary origins, interaction partners, signaling, expression, physiologic functions, and therapeutic potential. PMID:25713288

  20. Changes in IUPAC Nomenclature Rules for Organic Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klesney, Stanley P.

    1972-01-01

    Changes in the 1971 edition of the IUPAC book, Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry," from the previous editions (Sections A and B, 1966, and Section C, 1965) are listed with details of the changes. (Author)

  1. Systematic nomenclature for the PLUNC/PSP/BSP30/SMGB proteins as a subfamily of the BPI fold-containing superfamily.

    PubMed

    Bingle, Colin D; Seal, Ruth L; Craven, C Jeremy

    2011-08-01

    We present the BPIFAn/BPIFBn systematic nomenclature for the PLUNC (palate lung and nasal epithelium clone)/PSP (parotid secretory protein)/BSP30 (bovine salivary protein 30)/SMGB (submandibular gland protein B) family of proteins, based on an adaptation of the SPLUNCn (short PLUNCn)/LPLUNCn (large PLUNCn) nomenclature. The nomenclature is applied to a set of 102 sequences which we believe represent the current reliable data for BPIFA/BPIFB proteins across all species, including marsupials and birds. The nomenclature will be implemented by the HGNC (HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee).

  2. GenSeq: An updated nomenclature and ranking for genetic sequences from type and non-type sources

    PubMed Central

    Chakrabarty, Prosanta; Warren, Melanie; Page, Lawrence M.; Baldwin, Carole C.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract An improved and expanded nomenclature for genetic sequences is introduced that corresponds with a ranking of the reliability of the taxonomic identification of the source specimens. This nomenclature is an advancement of the “Genetypes” naming system, which some have been reluctant to adopt because of the use of the “type” suffix in the terminology. In the new nomenclature, genetic sequences are labeled “genseq,” followed by a reliability ranking (e.g., 1 if the sequence is from a primary type), followed by the name of the genes from which the sequences were derived (e.g., genseq-1 16S, COI). The numbered suffix provides an indication of the likely reliability of taxonomic identification of the voucher. Included in this ranking system, in descending order of taxonomic reliability, are the following: sequences from primary types – “genseq-1,” secondary types – “genseq-2,” collection-vouchered topotypes – “genseq-3,” collection-vouchered non-types – “genseq-4,” and non-types that lack specimen vouchers but have photo vouchers – “genseq-5.” To demonstrate use of the new nomenclature, we review recently published new-species descriptions in the ichthyological literature that include DNA data and apply the GenSeq nomenclature to sequences referenced in those publications. We encourage authors to adopt the GenSeq nomenclature (note capital “G” and “S” when referring to the nomenclatural program) to provide a searchable tag (e.g., “genseq”; note lowercase “g” and “s” when referring to sequences) for genetic sequences from types and other vouchered specimens. Use of the new nomenclature and ranking system will improve integration of molecular phylogenetics and biological taxonomy and enhance the ability of researchers to assess the reliability of sequence data. We further encourage authors to update sequence information on databases such as GenBank whenever nomenclatural changes are made. PMID:24223486

  3. A need for logical and consistent anatomical nomenclature for cutaneous nerves of the limbs.

    PubMed

    Gest, Thomas R; Burkel, William E; Cortright, Gerald W

    2009-01-01

    The system of anatomical nomenclature needs to be logical and consistent. However, variations in translation to English of the Latin and Greek terminology used in Nomina Anatomica and Terminologia Anatomica have led to some inconsistency in the nomenclature of cutaneous nerves in the limbs. An historical review of cutaneous nerve nomenclature reveals that there are two general naming conventions: one primarily American and one primarily British. The American convention presents cutaneous nerves of the limbs in the format "medial brachial cutaneous nerve," while the British convention presents the same nerve as "medial cutaneous nerve of the arm," thereby translating "brachii" to "of the arm." If logically and consistently applied throughout the body, the British convention would rename the sural nerve to the "nerve of the calf," the brachial artery would become the "artery of the arm," the femoral nerve would be "nerve of the thigh," and femur would be "bone of the thigh" or "thigh bone." The British convention leads to many other nomenclatural inconsistencies, which would seem to make learning anatomy more difficult for the beginning student. In this era of contracting anatomy curricula, every effort should be made to keep anatomical nomenclature simple, logical, and consistent. Copyright 2009 American Association of Anatomists.

  4. Contralateral Vocal Fold Reactive Lesions: Nomenclature, Treatment Choice, and Outcome.

    PubMed

    Koss, Shira L; Kidwai, Sarah M; Pitman, Michael J

    2016-06-01

    Contralateral reactive lesions (RLs) represent a distinct entity among benign bilateral vocal fold (VF) lesions. Lack of uniform nomenclature and a myriad of surgical options have hampered attempts to develop treatment guidelines. The objective of this study is to better define RLs and their prognosis, through the development of a standard nomenclature, with an aim to guide treatment and delineate the role of phonosurgery. Case series with chart review. Tertiary care center. Analysis was performed on patients with Current Procedural Terminology code 31545. Operative reports with a primary lesion and contralateral RL were included. Outcomes included the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) and GRBAS (grade, roughness, breathiness, asthenia, and strain) scale, lesion persistence/recurrence, mucosal wave, and edge character based on blinded videostroboscopy review. A nomenclature was developed based on intraoperative RLs (n = 30), defined by lesion consistency (fibrous or polypoid) and relationship to normal VF edge (gradual or steep). Reactive lesion treatment included no intervention, excision, potassium titanyl phosphate laser, steroid injection, or a combination thereof. Observations included the following: inconsistent treatment modalities were employed, excision of RLs did not yield better outcomes, fibrous RLs were more likely to persist and polypoid lesions more likely to recur, gradual lesions were more likely to remain disease free, and most treatments showed improved mucosal wave, VHI-10, and GRBAS. Reactive lesions have not been well classified, and treatments are based on subjective intraoperative decision making with unpredictable outcomes. The nomenclature proposed will allow for a better definition of the RL and provide a framework for future research to identify optimal treatment. © American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation 2016.

  5. A Need for Logical and Consistent Anatomical Nomenclature for Cutaneous Nerves of the Limbs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gest, Thomas R.; Burkel, William E.; Cortright, Gerald W.

    2009-01-01

    The system of anatomical nomenclature needs to be logical and consistent. However, variations in translation to English of the Latin and Greek terminology used in Nomina Anatomica and Terminologia Anatomica have led to some inconsistency in the nomenclature of cutaneous nerves in the limbs. An historical review of cutaneous nerve nomenclature…

  6. Description and Nomenclature of Neisseria meningitidis Capsule Locus

    PubMed Central

    Claus, Heike; Jiang, Ying; Bennett, Julia S.; Bratcher, Holly B.; Jolley, Keith A.; Corton, Craig; Care, Rory; Poolman, Jan T.; Zollinger, Wendell D.; Frasch, Carl E.; Stephens, David S.; Feavers, Ian; Frosch, Matthias; Parkhill, Julian; Vogel, Ulrich; Quail, Michael A.; Bentley, Stephen D.; Maiden, Martin C.J.

    2013-01-01

    Pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis isolates contain a polysaccharide capsule that is the main virulence determinant for this bacterium. Thirteen capsular polysaccharides have been described, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy has enabled determination of the structure of capsular polysaccharides responsible for serogroup specificity. Molecular mechanisms involved in N. meningitidis capsule biosynthesis have also been identified, and genes involved in this process and in cell surface translocation are clustered at a single chromosomal locus termed cps. The use of multiple names for some of the genes involved in capsule synthesis, combined with the need for rapid diagnosis of serogroups commonly associated with invasive meningococcal disease, prompted a requirement for a consistent approach to the nomenclature of capsule genes. In this report, a comprehensive description of all N. meningitidis serogroups is provided, along with a proposed nomenclature, which was presented at the 2012 XVIIIth International Pathogenic Neisseria Conference. PMID:23628376

  7. The order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815 (Cnidaria, Anthozoa: Hexacorallia): supraspecific classification and nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Low, Martyn E. Y.; Sinniger, Frederic; Reimer, James Davis

    2016-01-01

    Abstract Many supraspecific zoantharian names have long and complicated histories. The present list is provided to advise researchers on the current state of supraspecific nomenclature of the zoantharians, particularly given the recent attention paid to the taxonomy, phylogeny, and biodiversity of this order. At the same time, several taxonomic issues brought to light by recent research are resolved. Details on the taxonomic and nomenclatural history of most groups are provided, along with appendices of invalid supraspecific names. PMID:28138291

  8. The foundation of the Melbourne Code Appendices: Announcing a new paradigm for tracking nomenclatural decisions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A new expanded digital resource exists for tracking decisions on all nomenclature proposals potentially contributing to Appendices II-VIII of the International Code of Nomenclature. This system owes its origins to the Smithsonian Institution's Proposals and Disposals website created by Dan Nicolson ...

  9. Revised Cretaceous and Tertiary stratigraphic nomenclature in the Colville Basin, Northern Alaska

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Mull, Charles G.; Houseknecht, David W.; Bird, Kenneth J.

    2003-01-01

    A revised stratigraphic nomenclature is proposed for Cretaceous and Tertiary geologic units of the central and western North Slope of Alaska. This revised nomenclature is a simplified and broadly applicable scheme suitable for a suite of digital geologic quadrangle maps being prepared jointly by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys and Division of Oil and Gas. This revised nomenclature scheme is a simplification of a complex stratigraphic terminology that developed piecemeal during five decades of geologic investigations of the North Slope. It is based on helicopter-supported geologic field investigations incorporating information from high-resolution aerial photography, satellite imagery, paleontology, reflection seismic records, and sequence stratigraphic concepts. This revised nomenclature proposes the abandonment of the Colville Group; demotion of the Nanushuk Group to formation status; abandonment of six formations (Kukpowruk, Tuktu, Grandstand, Corwin, Chandler, and Ninuluk); revision of four formations (Sagavanirktok, Prince Creek, Schrader Bluff, and Seabee); elevation of the Tuluvak Tongue of the Prince Creek Formation to formation status; revision of two members (Franklin Bluffs Member and Sagwon Member of the Sagavanirktok Formation); abandonment of eight members or tongues (Kogosukruk, Rogers Creek, Barrow Trail, Sentinel Hill, Ayiyak, Shale Wall, Niakogon, and Killik); and definition of one new member (White Hills Member of the Sagavanirktok Formation).

  10. [History of Japanese Committee for Anatomical Nomenclature].

    PubMed

    Kimura, Kunihiko

    2008-12-01

    This paper records a history of the Japanese Committee of Anatomical Nomenclature since 1990, as a supplement to the previous report (1991), explains a progressing of the edition of Japanese medical terms by the Japanese Association of Medical Sciences and the Ministry of Education, Sciences and Culture, and points out of some problems on terms in Japanese.

  11. ANOS1: a unified nomenclature for Kallmann syndrome 1 gene (KAL1) and anosmin-1

    PubMed Central

    de Castro, Fernando; Seal, Ruth

    2017-01-01

    Abstract It is accepted that confusion regarding the description of genetic variants occurs when researchers do not use standard nomenclature. The Human Genome Organization Gene Nomenclature Committee contacted a panel of consultants, all working on the KAL1 gene, to propose an update of the nomenclature of the gene, as there was a convention in the literature of using the ‘KAL1’ symbol, when referring to the gene, but using the name ‘anosmin-1’ when referring to the protein. The new name, ANOS1, reflects protein name and is more transferrable across species. PMID:27899353

  12. Diagnostic nomenclature for foetal alcohol spectrum disorders: the continuing challenge of causality.

    PubMed

    Miller, A R

    2013-11-01

    Prenatal alcohol exposure is a risk factor for neurologically based cognitive and adaptive disability. Diagnostic nomenclature for prenatally exposed children with cognitive and adaptive disability who lack features for foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or partial FAS includes the terms alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder(s) (FASD). Although these terms are now widely used, this paper argues that both are problematic. ARND is flawed by unjustifiably turning a risk factor into a causal factor and shrouding the result in terminological ambiguity, while FASD is not appropriate as a clinical label, and its use as a proxy for ARND deflects critical attention from the causal inferencing that is integral to diagnosing children with an alcohol-related teratogenic condition. Existing nomenclature is at odds with logical and evidence-based diagnosing and also has implications for interpretation of epidemiological data. Diagnostic nomenclature that is not tightly linked to causal inference is preferable at the present stage of this field's development. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. International Union of Pharmacology. XXXII. The mammalian calcitonin gene-related peptides, adrenomedullin, amylin, and calcitonin receptors.

    PubMed

    Poyner, David R; Sexton, Patrick M; Marshall, Ian; Smith, David M; Quirion, Remi; Born, Walter; Muff, Roman; Fischer, Jan A; Foord, Steven M

    2002-06-01

    The calcitonin family of peptides comprises calcitonin, amylin, two calcitonin gene-related peptides (CGRPs), and adrenomedullin. The first calcitonin receptor was cloned in 1991. Its pharmacology is complicated by the existence of several splice variants. The receptors for the other members the family are made up of subunits. The calcitonin-like receptor (CL receptor) requires a single transmembrane domain protein, termed receptor activity modifying protein, RAMP1, to function as a CGRP receptor. RAMP2 and -3 enable the same CL receptor to behave as an adrenomedullin receptor. Although the calcitonin receptor does not require RAMP to bind and respond to calcitonin, it can associate with the RAMPs, resulting in a series of receptors that typically have high affinity for amylin and varied affinity for CGRP. This review aims to reconcile what is observed when the receptors are reconstituted in vitro with the properties they show in native cells and tissues. Experimental conditions must be rigorously controlled because different degrees of protein expression may markedly modify pharmacology in such a complex situation. Recommendations, which follow International Union of Pharmacology guidelines, are made for the nomenclature of these multimeric receptors.

  14. Use and dissemination of the brisbane 2000 nomenclature of liver anatomy and resections.

    PubMed

    Strasberg, Steven M; Phillips, Carolyn

    2013-03-01

    The Brisbane 2000 Nomenclature of Hepatic Anatomy and Resections was created to standardize terminology in an area, which previously was characterized by redundant and confusing terms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use and dissemination of the nomenclature 10 years after its introduction. Two strategies were used to evaluate implementation of the terminology. The first depended on an examination of terms used to describe the anatomy and resection of one half of the liver over the 20-year period from 1990 to 2009. The second approach evaluated the use of the terms "section," "sectionectomy," and "trisectionectomy," which, in reference to the liver, are unique to the Brisbane 2000 Nomenclature. The use of the Brisbane 2000 terms "right and left hemihepatectomy/hepatectomy" increased dramatically versus the use of the discarded terms "right and left hepatic lobectomy" after the Nomenclature was introduced in 2000. This was especially true in the Americas and Asia where the terms were used in less than 50% of papers from 1990 to 1999 but reached 80% utilization by 2006. Likewise, use of the terms "section," "sectionectomy," and "trisectionectomy" increased sharply especially in between 2006 and 2009. The Brisbane terminology is being adopted worldwide but its adoption is still incomplete.

  15. Sex Therapy: Advances in Paradigms, Nomenclature, and Treatment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Althof, Stanley

    2010-01-01

    Objective: The author reviews the historical paradigms that have influenced the treatment of sexual problems, changes in the diagnostic nomenclature, and recent innovations in sex therapy. Methods: The author reviews the literature and provides expert opinion. Results: The author gives a historical overview of how theoretical models of…

  16. Nomenclature for alleles of the thiopurine methyltransferase gene

    PubMed Central

    Appell, Malin L.; Berg, Jonathan; Duley, John; Evans, William E.; Kennedy, Martin A.; Lennard, Lynne; Marinaki, Tony; McLeod, Howard L.; Relling, Mary V.; Schaeffeler, Elke; Schwab, Matthias; Weinshilboum, Richard; Yeoh, Allen E.J.; McDonagh, Ellen M.; Hebert, Joan M.; Klein, Teri E.; Coulthard, Sally A.

    2013-01-01

    The drug-metabolizing enzyme thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) has become one of the best examples of pharmacogenomics to be translated into routine clinical practice. TPMT metabolizes the thiopurines 6-mercaptopurine, 6-thioguanine, and azathioprine, drugs that are widely used for treatment of acute leukemias, inflammatory bowel diseases, and other disorders of immune regulation. Since the discovery of genetic polymorphisms in the TPMT gene, many sequence variants that cause a decreased enzyme activity have been identified and characterized. Increasingly, to optimize dose, pretreatment determination of TPMT status before commencing thiopurine therapy is now routine in many countries. Novel TPMT sequence variants are currently numbered sequentially using PubMed as a source of information; however, this has caused some problems as exemplified by two instances in which authors’ articles appeared on PubMed at the same time, resulting in the same allele numbers given to different polymorphisms. Hence, there is an urgent need to establish an order and consensus to the numbering of known and novel TPMT sequence variants. To address this problem, a TPMT nomenclature committee was formed in 2010, to define the nomenclature and numbering of novel variants for the TPMT gene. A website (http://www.imh.liu.se/tpmtalleles) serves as a platform for this work. Researchers are encouraged to submit novel TPMT alleles to the committee for designation and reservation of unique allele numbers. The committee has decided to renumber two alleles: nucleotide position 106 (G > A) from TPMT*24 to TPMT*30 and position 611 (T > C, rs79901429) from TPMT*28 to TPMT*31. Nomenclature for all other known alleles remains unchanged. PMID:23407052

  17. miRiadne: a web tool for consistent integration of miRNA nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Bonnal, Raoul J P; Rossi, Riccardo L; Carpi, Donatella; Ranzani, Valeria; Abrignani, Sergio; Pagani, Massimiliano

    2015-07-01

    The miRBase is the official miRNA repository which keeps the annotation updated on newly discovered miRNAs: it is also used as a reference for the design of miRNA profiling platforms. Nomenclature ambiguities generated by loosely updated platforms and design errors lead to incompatibilities among platforms, even from the same vendor. Published miRNA lists are thus generated with different profiling platforms that refer to diverse and not updated annotations. This greatly compromises searches, comparisons and analyses that rely on miRNA names only without taking into account the mature sequences, which is particularly critic when such analyses are carried over automatically. In this paper we introduce miRiadne, a web tool to harmonize miRNA nomenclature, which takes into account the original miRBase versions from 10 up to 21, and annotations of 40 common profiling platforms from nine brands that we manually curated. miRiadne uses the miRNA mature sequence to link miRBase versions and/or platforms to prevent nomenclature ambiguities. miRiadne was designed to simplify and support biologists and bioinformaticians in re-annotating their own miRNA lists and/or data sets. As Ariadne helped Theseus in escaping the mythological maze, miRiadne will help the miRNA researcher in escaping the nomenclature maze. miRiadne is freely accessible from the URL http://www.miriadne.org. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

  18. Historical perspectives and guidelines for botulinum neurotoxin subtype nomenclature

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Botulinum neurotoxins are diverse proteins. They are currently represented by at least seven serotypes and 40 subtypes. New clostridial strains that produce novel neurotoxin variants are being identified with increasing frequency, which presents challenges when organizing the nomenclature surroundin...

  19. Discrepancies Between Nomenclature and Indications of Psychotropics.

    PubMed

    Minami, Fusaka; Zohar, Joseph; Suzuki, Takefumi; Koizumi, Teruki; Mimura, Masaru; Yagi, Gohei; Uchida, Hiroyuki

    2018-05-23

    While the current nomenclature of psychotropic drugs is disease-based, their approved indications do not always match their classifications. Information on approved indications of "second-generation antipsychotics" and "newer antidepressants" that are available in the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), France, Germany, and Japan were extracted from their packet inserts. A significant proportion of "atypical antipsychotics" were approved for psychiatric conditions other than psychotic disorders (i. e., bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and autistic disorder) as follows: 76.9% in the US, 66.7% in the UK, 66.7% in France, 60.0% in Germany, and 44.4% in Japan. Likewise, more than half of "newer antidepressants" had approved indications for psychiatric conditions other than depression (e. g., panic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, general anxiety disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder): 56.3% in the US, 69.2% in the UK, 69.2% in France, 50.0% in Germany, and 62.5% in Japan. Our results raise concerns regarding generic terminologies of "antipsychotics" and "antidepressants" since the conventional indication-based nomenclature does not fit well with the official indication. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  20. American Association of Physicists in Medicine Task Group 263: Standardizing Nomenclatures in Radiation Oncology.

    PubMed

    Mayo, Charles S; Moran, Jean M; Bosch, Walter; Xiao, Ying; McNutt, Todd; Popple, Richard; Michalski, Jeff; Feng, Mary; Marks, Lawrence B; Fuller, Clifton D; Yorke, Ellen; Palta, Jatinder; Gabriel, Peter E; Molineu, Andrea; Matuszak, Martha M; Covington, Elizabeth; Masi, Kathryn; Richardson, Susan L; Ritter, Timothy; Morgas, Tomasz; Flampouri, Stella; Santanam, Lakshmi; Moore, Joseph A; Purdie, Thomas G; Miller, Robert C; Hurkmans, Coen; Adams, Judy; Jackie Wu, Qing-Rong; Fox, Colleen J; Siochi, Ramon Alfredo; Brown, Norman L; Verbakel, Wilko; Archambault, Yves; Chmura, Steven J; Dekker, Andre L; Eagle, Don G; Fitzgerald, Thomas J; Hong, Theodore; Kapoor, Rishabh; Lansing, Beth; Jolly, Shruti; Napolitano, Mary E; Percy, James; Rose, Mark S; Siddiqui, Salim; Schadt, Christof; Simon, William E; Straube, William L; St James, Sara T; Ulin, Kenneth; Yom, Sue S; Yock, Torunn I

    2018-03-15

    A substantial barrier to the single- and multi-institutional aggregation of data to supporting clinical trials, practice quality improvement efforts, and development of big data analytics resource systems is the lack of standardized nomenclatures for expressing dosimetric data. To address this issue, the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) Task Group 263 was charged with providing nomenclature guidelines and values in radiation oncology for use in clinical trials, data-pooling initiatives, population-based studies, and routine clinical care by standardizing: (1) structure names across image processing and treatment planning system platforms; (2) nomenclature for dosimetric data (eg, dose-volume histogram [DVH]-based metrics); (3) templates for clinical trial groups and users of an initial subset of software platforms to facilitate adoption of the standards; (4) formalism for nomenclature schema, which can accommodate the addition of other structures defined in the future. A multisociety, multidisciplinary, multinational group of 57 members representing stake holders ranging from large academic centers to community clinics and vendors was assembled, including physicists, physicians, dosimetrists, and vendors. The stakeholder groups represented in the membership included the AAPM, American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO), NRG Oncology, European Society for Radiation Oncology (ESTRO), Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG), Children's Oncology Group (COG), Integrating Healthcare Enterprise in Radiation Oncology (IHE-RO), and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine working group (DICOM WG); A nomenclature system for target and organ at risk volumes and DVH nomenclature was developed and piloted to demonstrate viability across a range of clinics and within the framework of clinical trials. The final report was approved by AAPM in October 2017. The approval process included review by 8 AAPM committees, with additional review by ASTRO

  1. A Population-Based Analysis of Application of WHO Nomenclature in Pathology Reports of Pulmonary Neuroendocrine Tumors.

    PubMed

    Derks, Jules L; van Suylen, Robert Jan; Thunnissen, Erik; den Bakker, Michael A; Smit, Egbert F; Groen, Harry J M; Speel, Ernst J M; Dingemans, Anne-Marie C

    2016-04-01

    Pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are difficult to classify. We performed a population-based analysis to investigate the application of pNET nomenclature in daily pathology practice. Conclusions from pathology reports (2003-2012) describing carcinoids, (large cell) neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs), and carcinomas with neuroendocrine features/differentiation were retrieved from the Dutch Pathology Registry by queries on location and diagnosis and screened for terminology. Cases with a nonpulmonary or unknown origin and small cell lung cancer were excluded. Diagnoses were clustered into subgroups and the retrieved terminology was compared with the 2015 World Health Organization (WHO) diagnoses. By means of an online questionnaire, interpretation of the non-WHO nomenclature retrieved from pathology reports was evaluated (by 35 physicians and 19 pathologists). A total of 3216 unique pathology report conclusions with 55 different pNET diagnoses (n = 3052) and 20 uncertain diagnoses (n = 164) were analyzed. Non-WHO nomenclature was used in 15% of diagnoses (n = 488). Diagnoses could be clustered into carcinoids (n = 1086), NEC (n = 1316), carcinomas with neuroendocrine features/differentiation (n = 624), and unspecified pNETs (n = 26). Non-WHO nomenclature within these clusters was found for 7% of carcinoids, 20% of NECs, 13% of carcinomas with neuroendocrine features/differentiation, and 100% of unspecified pNETs and was observed more often in conclusions regarding biopsy or cytological specimens (62% and 12%) compared with resection specimens (26%). Analysis of the questionnaire results revealed that 4 of 19 diagnoses based on non-WHO nomenclature were uniformly interpreted (>50% agreement) by physicians, as were 10 of 19 diagnoses by pathologists. In 15% of pNETs other than small cell lung cancer, a non-WHO nomenclature diagnosis was provided, more frequently on the basis of smaller specimens. The interpretation was different between physicians and

  2. Patient Safety in Medication Nomenclature: Orthographic and Semantic Properties of International Nonproprietary Names

    PubMed Central

    Bryan, Rachel; Aronson, Jeffrey K.; ten Hacken, Pius; Williams, Alison; Jordan, Sue

    2015-01-01

    Background Confusion between look-alike and sound-alike (LASA) medication names (such as mercaptamine and mercaptopurine) accounts for up to one in four medication errors, threatening patient safety. Error reduction strategies include computerized physician order entry interventions, and ‘Tall Man’ lettering. The purpose of this study is to explore the medication name designation process, to elucidate properties that may prime the risk of confusion. Methods and Findings We analysed the formal and semantic properties of 7,987 International Non-proprietary Names (INNs), in relation to naming guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) INN programme, and have identified potential for errors. We explored: their linguistic properties, the underlying taxonomy of stems to indicate pharmacological interrelationships, and similarities between INNs. We used Microsoft Excel for analysis, including calculation of Levenshtein edit distance (LED). Compliance with WHO naming guidelines was inconsistent. Since the 1970s there has been a trend towards compliance in formal properties, such as word length, but longer names published in the 1950s and 1960s are still in use. The stems used to show pharmacological interrelationships are not spelled consistently and the guidelines do not impose an unequivocal order on them, making the meanings of INNs difficult to understand. Pairs of INNs sharing a stem (appropriately or not) often have high levels of similarity (<5 LED), and thus have greater potential for confusion. Conclusions We have revealed a tension between WHO guidelines stipulating use of stems to denote meaning, and the aim of reducing similarities in nomenclature. To mitigate this tension and reduce the risk of confusion, the stem system should be made clear and well ordered, so as to avoid compounding the risk of confusion at the clinical level. The interplay between the different WHO INN naming principles should be further examined, to better understand their

  3. Patient Safety in Medication Nomenclature: Orthographic and Semantic Properties of International Nonproprietary Names.

    PubMed

    Bryan, Rachel; Aronson, Jeffrey K; ten Hacken, Pius; Williams, Alison; Jordan, Sue

    2015-01-01

    Confusion between look-alike and sound-alike (LASA) medication names (such as mercaptamine and mercaptopurine) accounts for up to one in four medication errors, threatening patient safety. Error reduction strategies include computerized physician order entry interventions, and 'Tall Man' lettering. The purpose of this study is to explore the medication name designation process, to elucidate properties that may prime the risk of confusion. We analysed the formal and semantic properties of 7,987 International Non-proprietary Names (INNs), in relation to naming guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) INN programme, and have identified potential for errors. We explored: their linguistic properties, the underlying taxonomy of stems to indicate pharmacological interrelationships, and similarities between INNs. We used Microsoft Excel for analysis, including calculation of Levenshtein edit distance (LED). Compliance with WHO naming guidelines was inconsistent. Since the 1970s there has been a trend towards compliance in formal properties, such as word length, but longer names published in the 1950s and 1960s are still in use. The stems used to show pharmacological interrelationships are not spelled consistently and the guidelines do not impose an unequivocal order on them, making the meanings of INNs difficult to understand. Pairs of INNs sharing a stem (appropriately or not) often have high levels of similarity (<5 LED), and thus have greater potential for confusion. We have revealed a tension between WHO guidelines stipulating use of stems to denote meaning, and the aim of reducing similarities in nomenclature. To mitigate this tension and reduce the risk of confusion, the stem system should be made clear and well ordered, so as to avoid compounding the risk of confusion at the clinical level. The interplay between the different WHO INN naming principles should be further examined, to better understand their implications for the problem of LASA errors.

  4. Planetary nomenclature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Strobell, M. E.; Masursky, Harold

    1987-05-01

    In fiscal 1986, names were chosen for prominent features on the five previously known Uranian satellites and for features on the largest of the 10 satellites discovered by Voyager 2. The names of the five large satellites are taken mostly from Shakespeare, and most are spirits; therefore, Shakespearean and spirit themes were used to choose names for topographic features on the satellites. Crater names and most other feature names on Miranda, Oberon, and Titania are from Shakespeare; features on Ariel are named for bright spirits and those on Umbriel for dark, all taken from universal mythology. Preliminary coordinates for these features are derived from shaded relief maps of the satellites to be published in 1987. Orbital elements have been established for the 10 new satellites, and a paper describing this work is in progress; satellite positions are under review by Commission 16 of the IAU. The moon 1985 U1 is informally designated Puck. The nine small satellites discovered in 1986 are to be named for Shakespearean heroines; these names are to be listed in the 1987 edition of the Annual Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.

  5. Planetary nomenclature

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Strobell, M. E.; Masursky, Harold

    1987-01-01

    In fiscal 1986, names were chosen for prominent features on the five previously known Uranian satellites and for features on the largest of the 10 satellites discovered by Voyager 2. The names of the five large satellites are taken mostly from Shakespeare, and most are spirits; therefore, Shakespearean and spirit themes were used to choose names for topographic features on the satellites. Crater names and most other feature names on Miranda, Oberon, and Titania are from Shakespeare; features on Ariel are named for bright spirits and those on Umbriel for dark, all taken from universal mythology. Preliminary coordinates for these features are derived from shaded relief maps of the satellites to be published in 1987. Orbital elements have been established for the 10 new satellites, and a paper describing this work is in progress; satellite positions are under review by Commission 16 of the IAU. The moon 1985 U1 is informally designated Puck. The nine small satellites discovered in 1986 are to be named for Shakespearean heroines; these names are to be listed in the 1987 edition of the Annual Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.

  6. On the nomenclature of coelom-derived body cavities.

    PubMed

    Knospe, C

    2008-06-01

    A rationalization of terms about the body cavities is urgently needed. Students and practitioners have difficulty in understanding the contradictory terms prevalent at present. For many years, the International Committee on Veterinary Gross Anatomical Nomenclature has failed to bring it off; therefore some proposals for the anatomical instruction until the next edition of the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria are made.

  7. Contribution to the anatomical nomenclature concerning upper limb anatomy.

    PubMed

    Kachlik, David; Musil, Vladimir; Baca, Vaclav

    2017-04-01

    The aim of this article is to revise and extend the existing sections of Terminologia Anatomica dealing with the upper limb structures, which nomenclature belongs to its most neglected and not developing parts, and to justify the use of the proposed anatomical terms in the clinical practice, research, and education. A sample collected from own educational and research experience was matched in the main anatomical textbooks as well as old and recent anatomical journals and compared with four versions of the official Latin anatomical nomenclatures. The authors summarize here 145 terms, completed with their definitions or explanations, concerning both constant and variable (inconstant) morphological structures (bones, joints, muscles, vessels, and nerves) of the pectoral girdle, arm, cubital region, forearm, wrist, and hand, completed with some grammar remarks and several general terms. After a broad discussion on this topic, the Terminologia Anatomica should be revised and extend with the listed terms (or their equivalents).

  8. States of confusion: Jurisdictional variation in Australian medicines nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Hope, Denise; King, Michelle

    2015-06-01

    In December 2000, the Galbally Review recommended Australia achieve national uniformity in drugs and poisons legislation. While the Commonwealth Poisons Standard classifies and schedules medicines and poisons, the Australian States and Territories are responsible for regulating the supply of medicines and poisons through individual medicines legislation. In December 2013, this legislation was examined to identify the nomenclature used to describe medicines. The research found considerable variation across jurisdictions in terms of the nomenclature used, in particular the terms used for Schedules in the State and Territory legislation were often inconsistent with each other and the terms used in the Poisons Standard. Of most concern is that the same term may be used to describe different medicines in different jurisdictions, leading to possible confusion for health practitioners working across jurisdictions as is now possible under national registration. It is therefore imperative that national uniformity of drugs and poisons legislation is achieved to facilitate a common practice reference.

  9. Quirks of dye nomenclature. 5. Rhodamines.

    PubMed

    Cooksey, C J

    2016-01-01

    Rhodamines were first produced in the late 19(th) century, when they constituted a new class of synthetic dyes. These compounds since have been used to color many things including cosmetics, inks, textiles, and in some countries, food products. Certain rhodamine dyes also have been used to stain biological specimens and currently are widely used as fluorescent probes for mitochondria in living cells. The early history and current biological applications are sketched briefly and an account of the ambiguities, complications and confusions concerning dye identification and nomenclature are discussed.

  10. Impacts of phylogenetic nomenclature on the efficacy of the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

    PubMed

    Leslie, Matthew S

    2015-02-01

    Cataloging biodiversity is critical to conservation efforts because accurate taxonomy is often a precondition for protection under laws designed for species conservation, such as the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Traditional nomenclatural codes governing the taxonomic process have recently come under scrutiny because taxon names are more closely linked to hierarchical ranks than to the taxa themselves. A new approach to naming biological groups, called phylogenetic nomenclature (PN), explicitly names taxa by defining their names in terms of ancestry and descent. PN has the potential to increase nomenclatural stability and decrease confusion induced by the rank-based codes. But proponents of PN have struggled with whether species and infraspecific taxa should be governed by the same rules as other taxa or should have special rules. Some proponents advocate the wholesale abandonment of rank labels (including species); this could have consequences for the implementation of taxon-based conservation legislation. I examined the principles of PN as embodied in the PhyloCode (an alternative to traditional rank-based nomenclature that names biological groups based on the results of phylogenetic analyses and does not associate taxa with ranks) and assessed how this novel approach to naming taxa might affect the implementation of species-based legislation by providing a case study of the ESA. The latest version of the PhyloCode relies on the traditional rank-based codes to name species and infraspecific taxa; thus, little will change regarding the main targets of the ESA because they will retain rank labels. For this reason, and because knowledge of evolutionary relationships is of greater importance than nomenclatural procedures for initial protection of endangered taxa under the ESA, I conclude that PN under the PhyloCode will have little impact on implementation of the ESA. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

  11. CD Nomenclature 2015: Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigen Workshops as a Driving Force in Immunology.

    PubMed

    Engel, Pablo; Boumsell, Laurence; Balderas, Robert; Bensussan, Armand; Gattei, Valter; Horejsi, Vaclav; Jin, Bo-Quan; Malavasi, Fabio; Mortari, Frank; Schwartz-Albiez, Reinhard; Stockinger, Hannes; van Zelm, Menno C; Zola, Heddy; Clark, Georgina

    2015-11-15

    CD (cluster of differentiation) Ags are cell surface molecules expressed on leukocytes and other cells relevant for the immune system. CD nomenclature has been universally adopted by the scientific community and is officially approved by the International Union of Immunological Societies and sanctioned by the World Health Organization. It provides a unified designation system for mAbs, as well as for the cell surface molecules that they recognize. This nomenclature was established by the Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens Workshops. In addition to defining the CD nomenclature, these workshops have been instrumental in identifying and determining the expression and function of cell surface molecules. Over the past 30 y, the data generated by the 10 Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens Workshops have led to the characterization and formal designation of more than 400 molecules. CD molecules are commonly used as cell markers, allowing the identification and isolation of leukocyte populations, subsets, and differentiation stages. mAbs against these molecules have proven to be essential for biomedical research and diagnosis, as well as in biotechnology. More recently, they have been recognized as invaluable tools for the treatment of several malignancies and autoimmune diseases. In this article, we describe how the CD nomenclature was established, present the official updated list of CD molecules, and provide a rationale for their usefulness in the 21st century. Copyright © 2015 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  12. Nomenclatural benchmarking: the roles of digital typification and telemicroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Wheeler, Quentin; Bourgoin, Thierry; Coddington, Jonathan; Gostony, Timothy; Hamilton, Andrew; Larimer, Roy; Polaszek, Andrew; Schauff, Michael; Solis, M. Alma

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Nomenclatural benchmarking is the periodic realignment of species names with species theories and is necessary for the accurate and uniform use of Linnaean binominals in the face of changing species limits. Gaining access to types, often for little more than a cursory examination by an expert, is a major bottleneck in the advance and availability of biodiversity informatics. For the nearly two million described species it has been estimated that five to six million name-bearing type specimens exist, including those for synonymized binominals. Recognizing that examination of types in person will remain necessary in special cases, we propose a four-part strategy for opening access to types that relies heavily on digitization and that would eliminate much of the bottleneck: (1) modify codes of nomenclature to create registries of nomenclatural acts, such as the proposed ZooBank, that include a requirement for digital representations (e-types) for all newly described species to avoid adding to backlog; (2) an “r” strategy that would engineer and deploy a network of automated instruments capable of rapidly creating 3-D images of type specimens not requiring participation of taxon experts; (3) a “K” strategy using remotely operable microscopes to engage taxon experts in targeting and annotating informative characters of types to supplement and extend information content of rapidly acquired e-types, a process that can be done on an as-needed basis as in the normal course of revisionary taxonomy; and (4) creation of a global e-type archive associated with the commissions on nomenclature and species registries providing one-stop-shopping for e-types. We describe a first generation implementation of the “K” strategy that adapts current technology to create a network of Remotely Operable Benchmarkers Of Types (ROBOT) specifically engineered to handle the largest backlog of types, pinned insect specimens. The three initial instruments will be in the

  13. North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature Note 66: records of Stratigraphic Commission, 2003-2013

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Easton, Robert M.; Catuneanu, Octavian; Donovan, Art D.; Fluegeman, Richard H.; Hamblin, A.P.; Harper, Howard; Lasca, Norman P.; Morrow, Jared R.; Orndorff, Randall C.; Sadler, Peter; Scott, Robert W.; Tew, Berry H.

    2014-01-01

    Note 66 summarizes activities of the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature (NACSN) from November 2003 to October 2013 and is condensed from the minutes of the NACSN’s 58th to 68th annual meetings1. The purposes of the Commission are to develop statements of stratigraphic principles,recommend procedures applicable to the classification and nomenclature of stratigraphic and related units, review problems in classifying and naming stratigraphic and related units, and formulate expressions of judgment on these matters.

  14. Nomenclature for congenital and paediatric cardiac disease: historical perspectives and The International Pediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code.

    PubMed

    Franklin, Rodney C G; Jacobs, Jeffrey Phillip; Krogmann, Otto N; Béland, Marie J; Aiello, Vera D; Colan, Steven D; Elliott, Martin J; William Gaynor, J; Kurosawa, Hiromi; Maruszewski, Bohdan; Stellin, Giovanni; Tchervenkov, Christo I; Walters Iii, Henry L; Weinberg, Paul; Anderson, Robert H

    2008-12-01

    Clinicians working in the field of congenital and paediatric cardiology have long felt the need for a common diagnostic and therapeutic nomenclature and coding system with which to classify patients of all ages with congenital and acquired cardiac disease. A cohesive and comprehensive system of nomenclature, suitable for setting a global standard for multicentric analysis of outcomes and stratification of risk, has only recently emerged, namely, The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code. This review, will give an historical perspective on the development of systems of nomenclature in general, and specifically with respect to the diagnosis and treatment of patients with paediatric and congenital cardiac disease. Finally, current and future efforts to merge such systems into the paperless environment of the electronic health or patient record on a global scale are briefly explored. On October 6, 2000, The International Nomenclature Committee for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease was established. In January, 2005, the International Nomenclature Committee was constituted in Canada as The International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease. This International Society now has three working groups. The Nomenclature Working Group developed The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code and will continue to maintain, expand, update, and preserve this International Code. It will also provide ready access to the International Code for the global paediatric and congenital cardiology and cardiac surgery communities, related disciplines, the healthcare industry, and governmental agencies, both electronically and in published form. The Definitions Working Group will write definitions for the terms in the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code, building on the previously published definitions from the Nomenclature Working Group. The Archiving Working Group, also known as The Congenital Heart Archiving

  15. International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Science requires a precise, stable, and simple system of nomenclature used by scientists in all countries of the world, dealing on the one hand with the terms that denote the ranks of taxonomic groups, and on the other with the scientific names that are applied to the individual taxonomic units of a...

  16. Failed PCR of Ganoderma type specimens affects nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Paterson, R R M; Lima, N

    2015-06-01

    The nomenclature of Ganoderma used as a Chinese medicine is debated. A group of researchers could not amplify the DNA of type specimens and concluded the DNA was degraded irreparably. New topotypes were used as the type specimens which was premature. The use of internal amplification controls is recommended to determine if other factors were involved as alternative explanations. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. An Unambiguous Nomenclature for the Acyl-quinic Acids Commonly Known as Chlorogenic Acids.

    PubMed

    Abrankó, László; Clifford, Michael N

    2017-05-10

    The history of the acyl-quinic acids is briefly reviewed, the merits and limitations of the various nomenclature systems applicable are critically compared, and their limitations are highlighted, in particular their inability to provide an unambiguous description of all quinic acid enantiomers and diastereoisomers and associated acyl-quinic acids. Recommendations are made for a nomenclature system that in combination with IUPAC numbering achieves this objective. A comprehensive set of structures for the quinic acid enantiomers and diastereoisomers is presented. The Supporting Information provides an explanation of trivial names and a decision tree to determine which quinic acid isomer a structure represents.

  18. Proposal for a unified CCN nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Brigstock, D R; Goldschmeding, R; Katsube, K-i; Lam, S C-T; Lau, L F; Lyons, K; Naus, C; Perbal, B; Riser, B; Takigawa, M; Yeger, H

    2003-01-01

    A proposal is put forth to unify the nomenclature of the CCN family of secreted, cysteine rich regulatory proteins. In the order of their description in the literature, CCN1 (CYR61), CCN2 (CTGF), CCN3 (NOV), CCN4 (WISP-1), CCN5 (WISP-2), and CCN6 (WISP-3) constitute a family of matricellular proteins that regulate cell adhesion, migration, proliferation, survival, and differentiation, at least in part through integrin mediated mechanisms. This proposal is endorsed by the International CCN Society and will serve to eliminate confusion from the multiple names that have been given to these molecules. PMID:12665631

  19. Proposal for the nomenclature of human plasminogen (PLG) polymorphism.

    PubMed

    Skoda, U; Bertrams, J; Dykes, D; Eiberg, H; Hobart, M; Hummel, K; Kühnl, P; Mauff, G; Nakamura, S; Nishimukai, H

    1986-01-01

    Since its discovery, human plasminogen (PLG) polymorphism has received widespread acceptance in population genetics and forensic haematology. Due to the large number of variant alleles described, a PLG reference typing and Plasminogen Symposium was held, at which a nomenclature proposal was inaugurated. The technology of comparing PLG variants was based on isoelectric focusing and subsequent detection by caseinolytic overlay and 'Western' blotting. Typing results permitted comparison of so far described variant designations and resulted in a new nomenclature proposal for PLG polymorphism. It is recommended that the two most common alleles found in all investigated races be called: PLG*A (previously also PLG*1) and PLG*B (previously also PLG*2), the known variants with acidic pI: PLG*A1 to *A3, intermediate variants: PLG*M1 to *M5, PLG*M5 being functionally inactive, and basic variants: PLG*B1 to *B3. For future classification of newly discovered variants, samples should be compared at any of the laboratories participating in the reference typing.

  20. The Rise of "Professional Staff" and Demise of the "Non-Academic": A Study of University Staffing Nomenclature Preferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sebalj, Darlene; Holbrook, Allyson; Bourke, Sid

    2012-01-01

    Concerns regarding the nomenclature of university administration in Australia and the UK have featured in the higher education literature for over a decade. In response, a significant nomenclature shift is occurring, with Australian universities replacing the term "General Staff" to describe all administrative and technical staff, in…

  1. Aspergillus, its sexual states and the new International Code of Nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Pitt, John I; Taylor, John W

    2014-01-01

    The newly adopted International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants (ICN) demands that dimorphic fungi, in particular those with both sexual and asexual names, now bear a single name. Although priority is no longer associated with the mode of reproduction, the ICN requires justification for choosing an asexual name over an existing sexual one. The phylogenetic approach that made dual nomenclature for fungi obsolete can be used to help choose names for large groups of fungi that are best known by asexual names. Here we apply this approach to one of the largest and most diverse asexual genera, the genus Aspergillus. We find that existing sexual names may be given to well supported clades of fungi with distinct phenotypes, which include sexual morphology as well as physiological attributes associated with xerophily, thermophily and mycotoxin production. One group of species important to food production and food safety, Aspergillus subgen. Circumdati, lacks a well supported clade; here we propose that the name Aspergillus be retained for this group. Recognizing that nomenclature has economic and social implications, particularly for old, important genera, we discuss the consequences of various scenarios to implement the new "one name for one fungus" article in the ICN, showing that our approach requires the fewest appeals to the ICN while retaining the name Aspergillus for many of the most economically and socially important species. © 2014 by The Mycological Society of America.

  2. 7 CFR 2.79 - Administrator, Agricultural Marketing Service.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ..., Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 8772). (lxxiii) Section 1509 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (Pub. L. 110-246). (lxxiv) Section 10105 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 7655a). (lxxv) Section 10107 of the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C...

  3. A rational nomenclature for naming peptide toxins from spiders and other venomous animals.

    PubMed

    King, Glenn F; Gentz, Margaret C; Escoubas, Pierre; Nicholson, Graham M

    2008-08-01

    Molecular toxinology research was initially driven by an interest in the small subset of animal toxins that are lethal to humans. However, the realization that many venomous creatures possess a complex repertoire of bioactive peptide toxins with potential pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications has led to an explosion in the number of new peptide toxins being discovered and characterized. Unfortunately, this increased awareness of peptide-toxin diversity has not been matched by the development of a generic nomenclature that enables these toxins to be rationally classified, catalogued, and compared. In this article, we introduce a rational nomenclature that can be applied to the naming of peptide toxins from spiders and other venomous animals.

  4. Development of lunar nomenclature. [conference of international scientists

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Menzel, D. H.

    1973-01-01

    A system of unification and standardization for lunar nomenclature was developed. The following recommendations were made for use in future lunar cartography: (1) satellite craters, previously designated by letters will be named; (2) names will no longer be restricted to scientists, but will also include great contributors to human knowledge and human culture; and (3) a system of grids for dividing the moon into 144 regions and subdividing these regions into 2304 provinces will be used.

  5. IAU nomenclature for albedo features on the planet Mercury

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dollfus, A.; Chapman, C. R.; Davies, M. E.; Gingerich, O.; Goldstein, R.; Guest, J.; Morrison, D.; Smith, B. A.

    1978-01-01

    The International Astronomical Union has endorsed a nomenclature for the albedo features on Mercury. Designations are based upon the mythological names related to the god Hermes; they are expressed in Latin form. The dark-hued albedo features are associated with the generic term Solitudo. The light-hued areas are designated by a single name without generic term. The 32 names adopted are allocated on the Mercury map.

  6. What Is Ganoderma lucidum in the Molecular Era?

    PubMed

    Papp, Viktor; Dima, Bálint; Wasser, Solomon P

    2017-01-01

    The scientific name Ganoderma lucidum has long been used in the global medicinal mushroom market, and many publications have proven its pharmacological properties and chemical components. Although several Ganoderma species have been described worldwide as having morphology considerably similar to that of G. lucidum s. str., this binomial is still the most frequently used in pharmacological studies. However, the use of particularly divergent nomenclature has caused major difficulties in the evaluation of the results of pharmacological studies. This article is intended to provide a nomenclatural and taxonomic overview of the medically important G. lucidum group, that is, G. lucidum aggregate and G. lingzhi. Moreover, we evaluate the possibilities of how nomenclatural changes can help to avoid misunderstandings in thousands of publications and highlight scientifically correct interpretations for future studies.

  7. Proposal to designate the order Actinomycetales Buchanan 1917, 162 (Approved Lists 1980) as the nomenclatural type of the class Actinobacteria. Request for an Opinion

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    The name of the class Actinobacteria is illegitimate according to Rules 15, 22 and 27(3) because it was proposed without the designation of a nomenclatural type. I therefore propose to designate the order Actinomycetales Buchanan 1917, 162 (Approved Lists 1980) as its nomenclatural type, based on Rule 22 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes. PMID:28840812

  8. Proposal to designate the order Actinomycetales Buchanan 1917, 162 (Approved Lists 1980) as the nomenclatural type of the class Actinobacteria. Request for an Opinion.

    PubMed

    Oren, Aharon

    2017-09-01

    The name of the class Actinobacteria is illegitimate according to Rules 15, 22 and 27(3) because it was proposed without the designation of a nomenclatural type. I therefore propose to designate the order Actinomycetales Buchanan 1917, 162 (Approved Lists 1980) as its nomenclatural type, based on Rule 22 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes.

  9. Nomenclature for congenital and paediatric cardiac disease: the International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC) and the Eleventh Iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).

    PubMed

    Franklin, Rodney C G; Béland, Marie J; Colan, Steven D; Walters, Henry L; Aiello, Vera D; Anderson, Robert H; Bailliard, Frédérique; Boris, Jeffrey R; Cohen, Meryl S; Gaynor, J William; Guleserian, Kristine J; Houyel, Lucile; Jacobs, Marshall L; Juraszek, Amy L; Krogmann, Otto N; Kurosawa, Hiromi; Lopez, Leo; Maruszewski, Bohdan J; St Louis, James D; Seslar, Stephen P; Srivastava, Shubhika; Stellin, Giovanni; Tchervenkov, Christo I; Weinberg, Paul M; Jacobs, Jeffrey P

    2017-12-01

    An internationally approved and globally used classification scheme for the diagnosis of CHD has long been sought. The International Paediatric and Congenital Cardiac Code (IPCCC), which was produced and has been maintained by the International Society for Nomenclature of Paediatric and Congenital Heart Disease (the International Nomenclature Society), is used widely, but has spawned many "short list" versions that differ in content depending on the user. Thus, efforts to have a uniform identification of patients with CHD using a single up-to-date and coordinated nomenclature system continue to be thwarted, even if a common nomenclature has been used as a basis for composing various "short lists". In an attempt to solve this problem, the International Nomenclature Society has linked its efforts with those of the World Health Organization to obtain a globally accepted nomenclature tree for CHD within the 11th iteration of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11). The International Nomenclature Society has submitted a hierarchical nomenclature tree for CHD to the World Health Organization that is expected to serve increasingly as the "short list" for all communities interested in coding for congenital cardiology. This article reviews the history of the International Classification of Diseases and of the IPCCC, and outlines the process used in developing the ICD-11 congenital cardiac disease diagnostic list and the definitions for each term on the list. An overview of the content of the congenital heart anomaly section of the Foundation Component of ICD-11, published herein in its entirety, is also included. Future plans for the International Nomenclature Society include linking again with the World Health Organization to tackle procedural nomenclature as it relates to cardiac malformations. By doing so, the Society will continue its role in standardising nomenclature for CHD across the globe, thereby promoting research and better outcomes for fetuses

  10. A historical vignette. The imagination and medical nomenclature; Teutonic mythology as a presence in ENT and related fields.

    PubMed

    Tainmont, J

    2008-01-01

    The imagination is one of the sources of inspiration for medical nomenclature, as can be seen when nomenclature reflects mythology. In this paper, we consider Teutonic (Scandinavian, Germanic) mythology as it appears in the field of minerals, in the field of hearing and in the field of respiration. As far as hearing is concerned, the author suggests naming "Heimdall's ear" physiological hyperacusis.

  11. VIRUS NOMENCLATURE BELOW THE SPECIES LEVEL: A STANDARDIZED NOMENCLATURE FOR LABORATORY ANIMAL-ADAPTED STRAINS AND VARIANTS OF VIRUSES ASSIGNED TO THE FAMILY FILOVIRIDAE

    PubMed Central

    Kuhn, Jens H.; Bao, Yiming; Bavari, Sina; Becker, Stephan; Bradfute, Steven; Brister, J. Rodney; Bukreyev, Alexander A.; Caì, Yíngyún; Chandran, Kartik; Davey, Robert A.; Dolnik, Olga; Dye, John M.; Enterlein, Sven; Gonzalez, Jean-Paul; Formenty, Pierre; Freiberg, Alexander N.; Hensley, Lisa E.; Honko, Anna N.; Ignatyev, Georgy M.; Jahrling, Peter B.; Johnson, Karl M.; Klenk, Hans-Dieter; Kobinger, Gary; Lackemeyer, Matthew G.; Leroy, Eric M.; Lever, Mark S.; Lofts, Loreen L.; Mühlberger, Elke; Netesov, Sergey V.; Olinger, Gene G.; Palacios, Gustavo; Patterson, Jean L.; Paweska, Janusz T.; Pitt, Louise; Radoshitzky, Sheli R.; Ryabchikova, Elena I.; Saphire, Erica Ollmann; Shestopalov, Aleksandr M.; Smither, Sophie J.; Sullivan, Nancy J.; Swanepoel, Robert; Takada, Ayato; Towner, Jonathan S.; van der Groen, Guido; Volchkov, Viktor E.; Wahl-Jensen, Victoria; Warren, Travis K.; Warfield, Kelly L.; Weidmann, Manfred; Nichol, Stuart T.

    2013-01-01

    The International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) organizes the classification of viruses into taxa, but is not responsible for the nomenclature for taxa members. International experts groups, such as the ICTV Study Groups, recommend the classification and naming of viruses and their strains, variants, and isolates. The ICTV Filoviridae Study Group has recently introduced an updated classification and nomenclature for filoviruses. Subsequently, and together with numerous other filovirus experts, a consistent nomenclature for their natural genetic variants and isolates was developed that aims at simplifying the retrieval of sequence data from electronic databases. This is a first important step toward a viral genome annotation standard as sought by the US National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Here, this work is extended to include filoviruses obtained in the laboratory by artificial selection through passage in laboratory hosts. The previously developed template for natural filovirus genetic variant naming ( ///-) is retained, but it is proposed to adapt the type of information added to each field for laboratory animal-adapted variants. For instance, the full-length designation of an Ebola virus Mayinga variant adapted at the State Research Center for Virology and Biotechnology “Vector” to cause disease in guinea pigs after seven passages would be akin to “Ebola virus VECTOR/C.porcellus-lab/COD/1976/Mayinga-GPA-P7”. As was proposed for the names of natural filovirus variants, we suggest using the full-length designation in databases, as well as in the method section of publications. Shortened designations (such as “EBOV VECTOR/C.por/COD/76/May-GPA-P7”) and abbreviations (such as “EBOV/May-GPA-P7”) could be used in the remainder of the text depending on how critical it is to convey information contained in

  12. Identification and nomenclature of the genus Penicillium.

    PubMed

    Visagie, C M; Houbraken, J; Frisvad, J C; Hong, S-B; Klaassen, C H W; Perrone, G; Seifert, K A; Varga, J; Yaguchi, T; Samson, R A

    2014-06-01

    Penicillium is a diverse genus occurring worldwide and its species play important roles as decomposers of organic materials and cause destructive rots in the food industry where they produce a wide range of mycotoxins. Other species are considered enzyme factories or are common indoor air allergens. Although DNA sequences are essential for robust identification of Penicillium species, there is currently no comprehensive, verified reference database for the genus. To coincide with the move to one fungus one name in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, the generic concept of Penicillium was re-defined to accommodate species from other genera, such as Chromocleista, Eladia, Eupenicillium, Torulomyces and Thysanophora, which together comprise a large monophyletic clade. As a result of this, and the many new species described in recent years, it was necessary to update the list of accepted species in Penicillium. The genus currently contains 354 accepted species, including new combinations for Aspergillus crystallinus, A. malodoratus and A. paradoxus, which belong to Penicillium section Paradoxa. To add to the taxonomic value of the list, we also provide information on each accepted species MycoBank number, living ex-type strains and provide GenBank accession numbers to ITS, β-tubulin, calmodulin and RPB2 sequences, thereby supplying a verified set of sequences for each species of the genus. In addition to the nomenclatural list, we recommend a standard working method for species descriptions and identifications to be adopted by laboratories working on this genus.

  13. Identification and nomenclature of the genus Penicillium

    PubMed Central

    Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.; Frisvad, J.C.; Hong, S.-B.; Klaassen, C.H.W.; Perrone, G.; Seifert, K.A.; Varga, J.; Yaguchi, T.; Samson, R.A.

    2014-01-01

    Penicillium is a diverse genus occurring worldwide and its species play important roles as decomposers of organic materials and cause destructive rots in the food industry where they produce a wide range of mycotoxins. Other species are considered enzyme factories or are common indoor air allergens. Although DNA sequences are essential for robust identification of Penicillium species, there is currently no comprehensive, verified reference database for the genus. To coincide with the move to one fungus one name in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants, the generic concept of Penicillium was re-defined to accommodate species from other genera, such as Chromocleista, Eladia, Eupenicillium, Torulomyces and Thysanophora, which together comprise a large monophyletic clade. As a result of this, and the many new species described in recent years, it was necessary to update the list of accepted species in Penicillium. The genus currently contains 354 accepted species, including new combinations for Aspergillus crystallinus, A. malodoratus and A. paradoxus, which belong to Penicillium section Paradoxa. To add to the taxonomic value of the list, we also provide information on each accepted species MycoBank number, living ex-type strains and provide GenBank accession numbers to ITS, β-tubulin, calmodulin and RPB2 sequences, thereby supplying a verified set of sequences for each species of the genus. In addition to the nomenclatural list, we recommend a standard working method for species descriptions and identifications to be adopted by laboratories working on this genus. PMID:25505353

  14. A Method for Constructing a New Extensible Nomenclature for Clinical Coding Practices in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Van Laere, Sven; Nyssen, Marc; Verbeke, Frank

    2017-01-01

    Clinical coding is a requirement to provide valuable data for billing, epidemiology and health care resource allocation. In sub-Saharan Africa, we observe a growing awareness of the need for coding of clinical data, not only in health insurances, but also in governments and the hospitals. Presently, coding systems in sub-Saharan Africa are often used for billing purposes. In this paper we consider the use of a nomenclature to also have a clinical impact. Often coding systems are assumed to be complex and too extensive to be used in daily practice. Here, we present a method for constructing a new nomenclature based on existing coding systems by considering a minimal subset in the sub-Saharan region. Evaluation of completeness will be done nationally using the requirements of national registries. The nomenclature requires an extension character for dealing with codes that have to be used for multiple registries. Hospitals will benefit most by using this extension character.

  15. Standardizing the nomenclature of Martian impact crater ejecta morphologies

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barlow, Nadine G.; Boyce, Joseph M.; Costard, Francois M.; Craddock, Robert A.; Garvin, James B.; Sakimoto, Susan E.H.; Kuzmin, Ruslan O.; Roddy, David J.; Soderblom, Laurence A.

    2000-01-01

    The Mars Crater Morphology Consortium recommends the use of a standardized nomenclature system when discussing Martian impact crater ejecta morphologies. The system utilizes nongenetic descriptors to identify the various ejecta morphologies seen on Mars. This system is designed to facilitate communication and collaboration between researchers. Crater morphology databases will be archived through the U.S. Geological Survey in Flagstaff, where a comprehensive catalog of Martian crater morphologic information will be maintained.

  16. [Talk about nomenclature of twelve meridians from quantitative yin-yang theory].

    PubMed

    Zhao, Xi-xin; Wang, Xue-xia; Zhao, Zhao; Ran, Peng-fei; Lü, Xiao-rui

    2009-03-01

    Based on leads provided by Neijing and other literature, analyze origins of the three-yin and the three-yang and the their respective contents of yin and yang, indicating the principle that the order of yang-qi from more to less is Yang ming, Tai yang, Shao yang, and the order of yin-qi is Tai yin, Shao yin, Jue yin. According to the location of five (six) zang-organs, respective yin-qi content is defined, and according to the principle of more yin-qi matches more, and less yin-qi matches less, five (six) zang-organs match each other. The zang-organs above the diaphragm joints with The Hand-Channels and the zang-organs below the diaphragm with The Foot-Channels, completing the nomenclature of twelve meridians. The names of the six yang-channels correspond to the yin-channels of the exterior-interior relationship, the yin-channels link with hands (feet), and the yang-channels also link with hands (feet), and the amount of yin-qi of the zang-organs corresponding to the yin-channels and the amount of yang-qi of the fu-organs corresponding to yang-channels are in a state of balance. Based on this principle, nomenclature of six channels are completed. Emphasize that the nomenclature of twelve meridians contains profound TCM theories, especially, TCM, by yin-yang, three-yin and three- yang, illustrates living phenomena from the whole to the system and organ level in human body, and the scientific principle "yin-yang can be unlimitedly divided" and its significance, which must guide the studies on living phenomena with modern life sciences from the whole to the molecular level.

  17. Human anatomy nomenclature rules for the computer age.

    PubMed

    Neumann, Paul E; Baud, Robert; Sprumont, Pierre

    2017-04-01

    Information systems are increasing in importance in biomedical sciences and medical practice. The nomenclature rules of human anatomy were reviewed for adequacy with respect to modern needs. New rules are proposed here to ensure that each Latin term is uniquely associated with an anatomical entity, as short and simple as possible, and machine-interpretable. Observance of these recommendations will also benefit students and translators of the Latin terms into other languages. Clin. Anat. 30:300-302, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  18. Basics of compounding sterile preparations: nomenclature and considerations.

    PubMed

    Allen, Loyd V

    2014-01-01

    This article focuses on sterile dosage forms and serves as a review for those trained in compounding sterile preparations, as well as to educate those that have not received any formal training on the topics of nomenclature and composition. The use of proper terminology is important for proper/accurate communications among healthcare practitioners. Proper terminology also has potential legal/liability implications. In addition to terminology considerations, it is important to be aware of the different routes of administration of sterile formulations and their different compositions and uses.

  19. Report on corrections and future considerations for Appendices II–VIII of the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    For the first time, the main text and Appendices II–VIII of the International Code of Nomenclature were separately published following decisions of the Melbourne Nomenclature Section, which contributed to subsequent development of an online resource capable of producing the Appendices in real time. ...

  20. Milk thistle nomenclature: why it matters in cancer research and pharmacokinetic studies.

    PubMed

    Kroll, David J; Shaw, Heather S; Oberlies, Nicholas H

    2007-06-01

    Extracts of milk thistle have been recognized for centuries as "liver tonics" and are well-known to prevent or reverse hepatotoxicity of reactive drug metabolites or naturally occurring toxins. Milk thistle extracts are now under intense study in the experimental therapeutics of cancer for chemoprevention, treatment, and amelioration of chemotherapy side effects. Precision in nomenclature, however, has lagged behind this progress. The crude commercial product of milk thistle is termed silymarin, a complex of at least 7 flavonolignans and 1 flavonoid that comprises 65% to 80% of milk thistle extract. From silymarin is derived silibinin, a semipurified fraction once thought to be a single compound but now recognized as a 1:1 mixture of 2 diastereoisomers, silybin A and silybin B. The distinction between silymarin and silibinin is not only important to understanding the historical literature, but thorough characterization and use of chemically defined mixtures in preclinical and clinical studies are essential to the progress of these botanical compounds as human therapeutics. As a result, we urge clinicians and preclinical investigators alike to exercise rigor in nomenclature and use pure compounds or precisely defined chemical mixtures in subsequent studies. Herein, we provide a guide to the proper nomenclature and composition of milk thistle extracts and discuss the known pharmacokinetic studies of these botanical medicines. The drug-interaction potential of these extracts appears to be quite low, and in fact, silibinin appears to synergize with the antitumor effects of some commonly used chemotherapeutics. However, some precautions are advised as high-dose, phase II studies are conducted.

  1. Nomenclature associated with chemical characterization of and compatibility evaluations for medical product delivery systems.

    PubMed

    Jenke, Dennis R

    2003-01-01

    Delivery systems are used to store, contain, and/or administer liquid pharmaceutical products. Gaining an understanding of the chemical composition of such a delivery system is necessary with respect to effective system development, registration, and production. Additionally, the ability of the delivery system to impact the chemical composition of the contacted product may define the safety and/or efficacy of the product. Assessing the compatibility of the delivery system and the product is thus both necessary and desirable. The nomenclature associated with compatibility assessments has not been standardized, oftimes leading to conflicting or confusing information. This manuscript puts forth a nomenclature which classifies those chemical entities which participate in the system/product interaction and delineates the various extraction strategies which may be used in compatibility assessments.

  2. "Just as the Structural Formula Does": Names, Diagrams, and the Structure of Organic Chemistry at the 1892 Geneva Nomenclature Congress.

    PubMed

    Hepler-Smith, Evan

    2015-02-01

    At the Geneva Nomenclature Congress of 1892, some of the foremost organic chemists of the late nineteenth century crafted a novel relationship between chemical substances, chemical diagrams, and chemical names that has shaped practices of chemical representation ever since. During the 1880s, the French chemist Charles Friedel organised the nomenclature reform effort that culminated in the Geneva Congress; in the disorderly nomenclature of German synthetic chemistry, Friedel saw an opportunity to advance French national interests and his own pedagogical goals. Friedel and a group of close colleagues reconceived nomenclature as a unified field, in which all chemical names ought to relate clearly to one another and to the structure of the compounds they represented. The German chemist Adolf von Baeyer went a step farther, arguing for names that precisely and uniquely corresponded to the structural formula of each compound, tailored for use in chemical dictionaries and handbooks. Baeyer's vision prevailed at the Geneva Congress, which consequently codified rules for rigorously mapping structural formulas into names, resulting in names that faithfully represented the features of these diagrams but not always the chemical behaviour of the compounds themselves. This approach ultimately limited both the number of chemical compounds that the Geneva rules were able to encompass and the breadth of their application. However, the relationship between diagram and name established at the Geneva Congress became the foundation not only of subsequent systems of chemical nomenclature but of methods of organising information that have supported the modern chemical sciences.

  3. Nomenclature for the Nameless: A Proposal for an Integrative Molecular Taxonomy of Cryptic Diversity Exemplified by Planktonic Foraminifera.

    PubMed

    Morard, Raphaël; Escarguel, Gilles; Weiner, Agnes K M; André, Aurore; Douady, Christophe J; Wade, Christopher M; Darling, Kate F; Ujiié, Yurika; Seears, Heidi A; Quillévéré, Frédéric; de Garidel-Thoron, Thibault; de Vargas, Colomban; Kucera, Michal

    2016-09-01

    Investigations of biodiversity, biogeography, and ecological processes rely on the identification of "species" as biologically significant, natural units of evolution. In this context, morphotaxonomy only provides an adequate level of resolution if reproductive isolation matches morphological divergence. In many groups of organisms, morphologically defined species often disguise considerable genetic diversity, which may be indicative of the existence of cryptic species. The diversity hidden by morphological species can be disentangled through genetic surveys, which also provide access to data on the ecological distribution of genetically circumscribed units. These units can be identified by unique DNA sequence motifs and allow studies of evolutionary and ecological processes at different levels of divergence. However, the nomenclature of genetically circumscribed units within morphological species is not regulated and lacks stability. This represents a major obstacle to efforts to synthesize and communicate data on genetic diversity for multiple stakeholders. We have been confronted with such an obstacle in our work on planktonic foraminifera, where the stakeholder community is particularly diverse, involving geochemists, paleoceanographers, paleontologists, and biologists, and the lack of stable nomenclature beyond the level of formal morphospecies prevents effective transfer of knowledge. To circumvent this problem, we have designed a stable, reproducible, and flexible nomenclature system for genetically circumscribed units, analogous to the principles of a formal nomenclature system. Our system is based on the definition of unique DNA sequence motifs collocated within an individual, their typification (in analogy with holotypes), utilization of their hierarchical phylogenetic structure to define levels of divergence below that of the morphospecies, and a set of nomenclature rules assuring stability. The resulting molecular operational taxonomic units remain

  4. Histopathology of papilloma virus infection of the cervix uteri: the history, taxonomy, nomenclature and reporting of koilocytic dysplasias.

    PubMed Central

    Fletcher, S

    1983-01-01

    Papilloma virus infections of the squamous cervix are common and determine the incidence of koilocytes in cervical smears and biopsies. Typical exophytic condyloma acuminatum accounts for few of the infections. Most are "flat condylomata" (flat koilocytosis)--slightly raised plaques of flat profile. Superficial koilocytosis, dyskeratosis and often disturbed deep cells are their main histological features. The association between koilocytosis and dysplasia is considered and the different taxonomic approaches to the koilodysplastic states are compared. Equivalence is established between different nomenclatures by reference to the familiar dysplastic grades. Methods of reporting koilodysplasias are given and a prognostically difficult state of "full thickness" or "plenary" koilocytosis is described. In applying the "high technology" of nucleic acid hybridisation to confirm the lesion specificity of papilloma virus strains the lesions must be well defined and clearly identified by precise nomenclature: the nature and nomenclature of the lesions is critically discussed. Images PMID:6304149

  5. International code of nomenclature of prokaryotes

    DOE PAGES

    Garrity, George M.; Parker, Charles T.; Tindall, Brian J.

    2015-11-20

    Here, this volume contains the edition of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes that was presented in draft form and available for comment at the Plenary Session of the Fourteenth International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology (BAM), Montréal, 2014, together with updated lists of conserved and rejected bacterial names and of Opinions issued by the Judicial Commission. As in the past it brings together those changes accepted, published and documented by the ICSP and the Judicial Commission since the last revision was published. Several new appendices have been added to this edition. Appendix 11 addresses the appropriate applicationmore » of the Candidatus concept, Appendix 12 contains the history of the van Niel Prize, and Appendix 13 contains the summaries of Congresses.« less

  6. International code of nomenclature of prokaryotes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Garrity, George M.; Parker, Charles T.; Tindall, Brian J.

    Here, this volume contains the edition of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes that was presented in draft form and available for comment at the Plenary Session of the Fourteenth International Congress of Bacteriology and Applied Microbiology (BAM), Montréal, 2014, together with updated lists of conserved and rejected bacterial names and of Opinions issued by the Judicial Commission. As in the past it brings together those changes accepted, published and documented by the ICSP and the Judicial Commission since the last revision was published. Several new appendices have been added to this edition. Appendix 11 addresses the appropriate applicationmore » of the Candidatus concept, Appendix 12 contains the history of the van Niel Prize, and Appendix 13 contains the summaries of Congresses.« less

  7. Spumaretroviruses: Updated taxonomy and nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Khan, Arifa S; Bodem, Jochen; Buseyne, Florence; Gessain, Antoine; Johnson, Welkin; Kuhn, Jens H; Kuzmak, Jacek; Lindemann, Dirk; Linial, Maxine L; Löchelt, Martin; Materniak-Kornas, Magdalena; Soares, Marcelo A; Switzer, William M

    2018-03-01

    Spumaretroviruses, commonly referred to as foamy viruses, are complex retroviruses belonging to the subfamily Spumaretrovirinae, family Retroviridae, which naturally infect a variety of animals including nonhuman primates (NHPs). Additionally, cross-species transmissions of simian foamy viruses (SFVs) to humans have occurred following exposure to tissues of infected NHPs. Recent research has led to the identification of previously unknown exogenous foamy viruses, and to the discovery of endogenous spumaretrovirus sequences in a variety of host genomes. Here, we describe an updated spumaretrovirus taxonomy that has been recently accepted by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) Executive Committee, and describe a virus nomenclature that is generally consistent with that used for other retroviruses, such as lentiviruses and deltaretroviruses. This taxonomy can be applied to distinguish different, but closely related, primate (e.g., human, ape, simian) foamy viruses as well as those from other hosts. This proposal accounts for host-virus co-speciation and cross-species transmission. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. 75 FR 9343 - Nomenclature Change Relating to the Network Distribution Center Transition

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-03-02

    ... POSTAL SERVICE 39 CFR Parts 111 and 121 Nomenclature Change Relating to the Network Distribution... (BMC) to network distribution centers (NDC), by replacing all text references to ``BMC'' with ``NDC...: Background: The BMC network was established in the 1970s to process Parcel Post[supreg], Bound Printed Matter...

  9. [Nomenclature of squamous cell precursor lesions of the lower female genital tract : Current aspects].

    PubMed

    Horn, L-C; Brambs, C E; Handzel, R; Mehlhorn, G; Schmidt, D; Schierle, K

    2016-11-01

    The majority of precancerous lesions of the lower female genital tract (intraepithelial neoplasia, IN) are caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections resulting in cellular atypia and in turn an altered tissue architecture. Depending on the pathogenesis, a distinction is made between vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN) classified as classical VIN associated with high-risk HPV infections (u-VIN) and differentiated VIN (d-VIN), which is associated with lichen sclerosus et atrophicus and p53 alterations. In the current World Health Organization (WHO) classification a novel grading system for squamous cell precancerous lesions of the lower female genital tract has been proposed, differentiating low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (L-SIL) including condyloma and HPV-associated alterations plus VIN 1, vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN 1) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1) from high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (H-SIL) with VIN 2 and 3, VaIN 2 and 3 as well as CIN 2 and 3. The use of p16 immunohistochemistry can assist the differentiation. The new binary classification, however, contradicts the German cytological nomenclature (Munich nomenclature III), which differentiated three grades of dysplasia in order to avoid overtreatment of patients with moderate IN. The individual nomenclatures are compared to each other. It is recommended to report the grade of precancerous lesions in addition to the SIL classification of the WHO.

  10. Suppressing Synonymy with a Homonym: The Emergence of the Nomenclatural Type Concept in Nineteenth Century Natural History.

    PubMed

    Witteveen, Joeri

    2016-02-01

    'Type' in biology is a polysemous term. In a landmark article, Paul Farber (Journal of the History of Biology 9(1): 93-119, 1976) argued that this deceptively plain term had acquired three different meanings in early nineteenth century natural history alone. 'Type' was used in relation to three distinct type concepts, each of them associated with a different set of practices. Important as Farber's analysis has been for the historiography of natural history, his account conceals an important dimension of early nineteenth century 'type talk.' Farber's taxonomy of type concepts passes over the fact that certain uses of 'type' began to take on a new meaning in this period. At the closing of the eighteenth century, terms like 'type specimen,' 'type species,' and 'type genus' were universally recognized as referring to typical, model members of their encompassing taxa. But in the course of the nineteenth century, the same terms were co-opted for a different purpose. As part of an effort to drive out nomenclatural synonymy - the confusing state of a taxon being known to different people by different names - these terms started to signify the fixed and potentially atypical name-bearing elements of taxa. A new type concept was born: the nomenclatural type. In this article, I retrace this perplexing nineteenth century shift in meaning of 'type.' I uncover the nomenclatural disorder that the new nomenclatural type concept dissolved, and expose the conceptual confusion it left in its tracks. What emerges is an account of how synonymy was suppressed through the coinage of a homonym.

  11. A Phylogeny-Based Global Nomenclature System and Automated Annotation Tool for H1 Hemagglutinin Genes from Swine Influenza A Viruses

    PubMed Central

    Macken, Catherine A.; Lewis, Nicola S.; Van Reeth, Kristien; Brown, Ian H.; Swenson, Sabrina L.; Simon, Gaëlle; Saito, Takehiko; Berhane, Yohannes; Ciacci-Zanella, Janice; Pereda, Ariel; Davis, C. Todd; Donis, Ruben O.; Webby, Richard J.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The H1 subtype of influenza A viruses (IAVs) has been circulating in swine since the 1918 human influenza pandemic. Over time, and aided by further introductions from nonswine hosts, swine H1 viruses have diversified into three genetic lineages. Due to limited global data, these H1 lineages were named based on colloquial context, leading to a proliferation of inconsistent regional naming conventions. In this study, we propose rigorous phylogenetic criteria to establish a globally consistent nomenclature of swine H1 virus hemagglutinin (HA) evolution. These criteria applied to a data set of 7,070 H1 HA sequences led to 28 distinct clades as the basis for the nomenclature. We developed and implemented a web-accessible annotation tool that can assign these biologically informative categories to new sequence data. The annotation tool assigned the combined data set of 7,070 H1 sequences to the correct clade more than 99% of the time. Our analyses indicated that 87% of the swine H1 viruses from 2010 to the present had HAs that belonged to 7 contemporary cocirculating clades. Our nomenclature and web-accessible classification tool provide an accurate method for researchers, diagnosticians, and health officials to assign clade designations to HA sequences. The tool can be updated readily to track evolving nomenclature as new clades emerge, ensuring continued relevance. A common global nomenclature facilitates comparisons of IAVs infecting humans and pigs, within and between regions, and can provide insight into the diversity of swine H1 influenza virus and its impact on vaccine strain selection, diagnostic reagents, and test performance, thereby simplifying communication of such data. IMPORTANCE A fundamental goal in the biological sciences is the definition of groups of organisms based on evolutionary history and the naming of those groups. For influenza A viruses (IAVs) in swine, understanding the hemagglutinin (HA) genetic lineage of a circulating strain aids

  12. Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication

    PubMed Central

    International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature

    2012-01-01

    Abstract The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature has voted in favour of a revised version of the amendment to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature that was proposed in 2008. The purpose of the amendment is to expand and refine the methods of publication allowed by the Code, particularly in relation to electronic publication. The amendment establishes an Official Register of Zoological Nomenclature (with ZooBank as its online version), allows electronic publication after 2011 under certain conditions, and disallows publication on optical discs after 2012. The requirements for electronic publications are that the work be registered in ZooBank before it is published, that the work itself state the date of publication and contain evidence that registration has occurred, and that the ZooBank registration state both the name of an electronic archive intended to preserve the work and the ISSN or ISBN associated with the work. Registration of new scientific names and nomenclatural acts is not required. The Commission has confirmed that ZooBank is ready to handle the requirements of the amendment. PMID:22977348

  13. Mitochondrial DNA haplogroup phylogeny of the dog: Proposal for a cladistic nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Fregel, Rosa; Suárez, Nicolás M; Betancor, Eva; González, Ana M; Cabrera, Vicente M; Pestano, José

    2015-05-01

    Canis lupus familiaris mitochondrial DNA analysis has increased in recent years, not only for the purpose of deciphering dog domestication but also for forensic genetic studies or breed characterization. The resultant accumulation of data has increased the need for a normalized and phylogenetic-based nomenclature like those provided for human maternal lineages. Although a standardized classification has been proposed, haplotype names within clades have been assigned gradually without considering the evolutionary history of dog mtDNA. Moreover, this classification is based only on the D-loop region, proven to be insufficient for phylogenetic purposes due to its high number of recurrent mutations and the lack of relevant information present in the coding region. In this study, we design 1) a refined mtDNA cladistic nomenclature from a phylogenetic tree based on complete sequences, classifying dog maternal lineages into haplogroups defined by specific diagnostic mutations, and 2) a coding region SNP analysis that allows a more accurate classification into haplogroups when combined with D-loop sequencing, thus improving the phylogenetic information obtained in dog mitochondrial DNA studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Proposal for a common nomenclature for fragment ions in mass spectra of lipids

    PubMed Central

    Hartler, Jürgen; Christiansen, Klaus; Gallego, Sandra F.; Peng, Bing; Ahrends, Robert

    2017-01-01

    Advances in mass spectrometry-based lipidomics have in recent years prompted efforts to standardize the annotation of the vast number of lipid molecules that can be detected in biological systems. These efforts have focused on cataloguing, naming and drawing chemical structures of intact lipid molecules, but have provided no guidelines for annotation of lipid fragment ions detected using tandem and multi-stage mass spectrometry, albeit these fragment ions are mandatory for structural elucidation and high confidence lipid identification, especially in high throughput lipidomics workflows. Here we propose a nomenclature for the annotation of lipid fragment ions, describe its implementation and present a freely available web application, termed ALEX123 lipid calculator, that can be used to query a comprehensive database featuring curated lipid fragmentation information for more than 430,000 potential lipid molecules from 47 lipid classes covering five lipid categories. We note that the nomenclature is generic, extendable to stable isotope-labeled lipid molecules and applicable to automated annotation of fragment ions detected by most contemporary lipidomics platforms, including LC-MS/MS-based routines. PMID:29161304

  15. Proposal for a common nomenclature for fragment ions in mass spectra of lipids.

    PubMed

    Pauling, Josch K; Hermansson, Martin; Hartler, Jürgen; Christiansen, Klaus; Gallego, Sandra F; Peng, Bing; Ahrends, Robert; Ejsing, Christer S

    2017-01-01

    Advances in mass spectrometry-based lipidomics have in recent years prompted efforts to standardize the annotation of the vast number of lipid molecules that can be detected in biological systems. These efforts have focused on cataloguing, naming and drawing chemical structures of intact lipid molecules, but have provided no guidelines for annotation of lipid fragment ions detected using tandem and multi-stage mass spectrometry, albeit these fragment ions are mandatory for structural elucidation and high confidence lipid identification, especially in high throughput lipidomics workflows. Here we propose a nomenclature for the annotation of lipid fragment ions, describe its implementation and present a freely available web application, termed ALEX123 lipid calculator, that can be used to query a comprehensive database featuring curated lipid fragmentation information for more than 430,000 potential lipid molecules from 47 lipid classes covering five lipid categories. We note that the nomenclature is generic, extendable to stable isotope-labeled lipid molecules and applicable to automated annotation of fragment ions detected by most contemporary lipidomics platforms, including LC-MS/MS-based routines.

  16. Molecular mechanisms of cell death: recommendations of the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death 2018.

    PubMed

    Galluzzi, Lorenzo; Vitale, Ilio; Aaronson, Stuart A; Abrams, John M; Adam, Dieter; Agostinis, Patrizia; Alnemri, Emad S; Altucci, Lucia; Amelio, Ivano; Andrews, David W; Annicchiarico-Petruzzelli, Margherita; Antonov, Alexey V; Arama, Eli; Baehrecke, Eric H; Barlev, Nickolai A; Bazan, Nicolas G; Bernassola, Francesca; Bertrand, Mathieu J M; Bianchi, Katiuscia; Blagosklonny, Mikhail V; Blomgren, Klas; Borner, Christoph; Boya, Patricia; Brenner, Catherine; Campanella, Michelangelo; Candi, Eleonora; Carmona-Gutierrez, Didac; Cecconi, Francesco; Chan, Francis K-M; Chandel, Navdeep S; Cheng, Emily H; Chipuk, Jerry E; Cidlowski, John A; Ciechanover, Aaron; Cohen, Gerald M; Conrad, Marcus; Cubillos-Ruiz, Juan R; Czabotar, Peter E; D'Angiolella, Vincenzo; Dawson, Ted M; Dawson, Valina L; De Laurenzi, Vincenzo; De Maria, Ruggero; Debatin, Klaus-Michael; DeBerardinis, Ralph J; Deshmukh, Mohanish; Di Daniele, Nicola; Di Virgilio, Francesco; Dixit, Vishva M; Dixon, Scott J; Duckett, Colin S; Dynlacht, Brian D; El-Deiry, Wafik S; Elrod, John W; Fimia, Gian Maria; Fulda, Simone; García-Sáez, Ana J; Garg, Abhishek D; Garrido, Carmen; Gavathiotis, Evripidis; Golstein, Pierre; Gottlieb, Eyal; Green, Douglas R; Greene, Lloyd A; Gronemeyer, Hinrich; Gross, Atan; Hajnoczky, Gyorgy; Hardwick, J Marie; Harris, Isaac S; Hengartner, Michael O; Hetz, Claudio; Ichijo, Hidenori; Jäättelä, Marja; Joseph, Bertrand; Jost, Philipp J; Juin, Philippe P; Kaiser, William J; Karin, Michael; Kaufmann, Thomas; Kepp, Oliver; Kimchi, Adi; Kitsis, Richard N; Klionsky, Daniel J; Knight, Richard A; Kumar, Sharad; Lee, Sam W; Lemasters, John J; Levine, Beth; Linkermann, Andreas; Lipton, Stuart A; Lockshin, Richard A; López-Otín, Carlos; Lowe, Scott W; Luedde, Tom; Lugli, Enrico; MacFarlane, Marion; Madeo, Frank; Malewicz, Michal; Malorni, Walter; Manic, Gwenola; Marine, Jean-Christophe; Martin, Seamus J; Martinou, Jean-Claude; Medema, Jan Paul; Mehlen, Patrick; Meier, Pascal; Melino, Sonia; Miao, Edward A; Molkentin, Jeffery D; Moll, Ute M; Muñoz-Pinedo, Cristina; Nagata, Shigekazu; Nuñez, Gabriel; Oberst, Andrew; Oren, Moshe; Overholtzer, Michael; Pagano, Michele; Panaretakis, Theocharis; Pasparakis, Manolis; Penninger, Josef M; Pereira, David M; Pervaiz, Shazib; Peter, Marcus E; Piacentini, Mauro; Pinton, Paolo; Prehn, Jochen H M; Puthalakath, Hamsa; Rabinovich, Gabriel A; Rehm, Markus; Rizzuto, Rosario; Rodrigues, Cecilia M P; Rubinsztein, David C; Rudel, Thomas; Ryan, Kevin M; Sayan, Emre; Scorrano, Luca; Shao, Feng; Shi, Yufang; Silke, John; Simon, Hans-Uwe; Sistigu, Antonella; Stockwell, Brent R; Strasser, Andreas; Szabadkai, Gyorgy; Tait, Stephen W G; Tang, Daolin; Tavernarakis, Nektarios; Thorburn, Andrew; Tsujimoto, Yoshihide; Turk, Boris; Vanden Berghe, Tom; Vandenabeele, Peter; Vander Heiden, Matthew G; Villunger, Andreas; Virgin, Herbert W; Vousden, Karen H; Vucic, Domagoj; Wagner, Erwin F; Walczak, Henning; Wallach, David; Wang, Ying; Wells, James A; Wood, Will; Yuan, Junying; Zakeri, Zahra; Zhivotovsky, Boris; Zitvogel, Laurence; Melino, Gerry; Kroemer, Guido

    2018-03-01

    Over the past decade, the Nomenclature Committee on Cell Death (NCCD) has formulated guidelines for the definition and interpretation of cell death from morphological, biochemical, and functional perspectives. Since the field continues to expand and novel mechanisms that orchestrate multiple cell death pathways are unveiled, we propose an updated classification of cell death subroutines focusing on mechanistic and essential (as opposed to correlative and dispensable) aspects of the process. As we provide molecularly oriented definitions of terms including intrinsic apoptosis, extrinsic apoptosis, mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT)-driven necrosis, necroptosis, ferroptosis, pyroptosis, parthanatos, entotic cell death, NETotic cell death, lysosome-dependent cell death, autophagy-dependent cell death, immunogenic cell death, cellular senescence, and mitotic catastrophe, we discuss the utility of neologisms that refer to highly specialized instances of these processes. The mission of the NCCD is to provide a widely accepted nomenclature on cell death in support of the continued development of the field.

  17. Report of the First International Consensus on Standardized Nomenclature of Antinuclear Antibody HEp-2 Cell Patterns 2014–2015

    PubMed Central

    Chan, Edward K. L.; Damoiseaux, Jan; Carballo, Orlando Gabriel; Conrad, Karsten; de Melo Cruvinel, Wilson; Francescantonio, Paulo Luiz Carvalho; Fritzler, Marvin J.; Garcia-De La Torre, Ignacio; Herold, Manfred; Mimori, Tsuneyo; Satoh, Minoru; von Mühlen, Carlos A.; Andrade, Luis E. C.

    2015-01-01

    During the 12th International Workshop on Autoantibodies and Autoimmunity held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 28, 2014, a full day session was devoted to establishing a consensus on the nomenclature of staining patterns observed in the antinuclear antibody (ANA) indirect immunofluorescence test on HEp-2 cells. The current report summarizes the collective agreements with input from the host Brazilian and international communities that represented research, clinical, and diagnostic service laboratories. Patterns are categorized in three major groups (nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitotic patterns) and each pattern has been defined and described in detail. The consensus nomenclature and representative patterns are made available online at the international consensus on antinuclear antibody pattern (ICAP) website (www.ANApatterns.org). To facilitate continuous improvement and input, specific comments on ICAP are encouraged and these will be discussed in subsequent ICAP meetings. The ultimate goal with the establishment of the ICAP is to promote harmonization and understanding of autoantibody test nomenclature, as well as interpretation guidelines for ANA testing, thereby optimizing usage in patient care. PMID:26347739

  18. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXIX. Cannabinoid receptors and their ligands: beyond CB₁ and CB₂.

    PubMed

    Pertwee, R G; Howlett, A C; Abood, M E; Alexander, S P H; Di Marzo, V; Elphick, M R; Greasley, P J; Hansen, H S; Kunos, G; Mackie, K; Mechoulam, R; Ross, R A

    2010-12-01

    There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptors (CB(1) and CB(2)). Ligands activating these G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) include the phytocannabinoid Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol, numerous synthetic compounds, and endogenous compounds known as endocannabinoids. Cannabinoid receptor antagonists have also been developed. Some of these ligands activate or block one type of cannabinoid receptor more potently than the other type. This review summarizes current data indicating the extent to which cannabinoid receptor ligands undergo orthosteric or allosteric interactions with non-CB(1), non-CB(2) established GPCRs, deorphanized receptors such as GPR55, ligand-gated ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and other ion channels or peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptors. From these data, it is clear that some ligands that interact similarly with CB(1) and/or CB(2) receptors are likely to display significantly different pharmacological profiles. The review also lists some criteria that any novel "CB(3)" cannabinoid receptor or channel should fulfil and concludes that these criteria are not currently met by any non-CB(1), non-CB(2) pharmacological receptor or channel. However, it does identify certain pharmacological targets that should be investigated further as potential CB(3) receptors or channels. These include TRP vanilloid 1, which possibly functions as an ionotropic cannabinoid receptor under physiological and/or pathological conditions, and some deorphanized GPCRs. Also discussed are 1) the ability of CB(1) receptors to form heteromeric complexes with certain other GPCRs, 2) phylogenetic relationships that exist between CB(1)/CB(2) receptors and other GPCRs, 3) evidence for the existence of several as-yet-uncharacterized non-CB(1), non-CB(2) cannabinoid receptors; and 4) current cannabinoid receptor nomenclature.

  19. Nomenclatural status of Euptychia mollina Hübner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae).

    PubMed

    Lamas, Gerardo; Nakahara, Shinichi

    2015-04-13

    The purpose of this note is to clarify the nomenclatural status of Euptychia mollina Hübner, 1818, the type species of Euptychia Hübner, 1818, as there seems to be confusion regarding its year of publication. Due to an unfortunate oversight, Lamas (2004) listed the name as Euptychia mollina (Hübner, [1813]), and this mistake has been repeated in the subsequent literature (e.g. Brévignon 2005; Warren et al. 2014; Neild et al. 2014).

  20. A proposal for adopting a standard coordinate system for defining atmospheric nomenclature for the giant planets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beebe, R.

    1986-01-01

    Although the albedo of specific belts and zones varies as a function of time, there is evidence that wind maxima may be fixed in latitude. Before considering a standard notation for wind jets, it is necessary to establish a coordinate system within which the nomenclature would be defined. Traditionally, the BAA has used planetographic latitudes; however, this system is based not only on an accurate determination of the polar diameter but also on the assumption that the equipotential surfaces can be represented by biaxial ellipsoids. The International Astronomical Union strives to adopt unambiguous nomenclature that will be universally acceptable. It is proposed that planetocentric coordinates be utilized and that a standardized value of the ratio of the polar diameter to the equatorial diameter be established for each planet to facilitate transformation into planetographic coordinates.

  1. Rebuilding the Tower of Babel: A Revised Nomenclature for the Study of Suicide and Suicidal Behaviors. Part 2: Suicide-Related Ideations, Communications, and Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Silverman, Morton M.; Berman, Alan L.; Sanddal, Nels D.; O'Carroll, Patrick W.; Joiner, Thomas E., Jr.

    2007-01-01

    Although a number of investigators have adopted the O'Carroll et al. (1996) nomenclature and applied it in their studies, and others have acknowledged its role in highlighting the need for clarification of terms, the nomenclature has not been widely used in the research and clinical communities. The rationale behind the rebuilding of the O'Carroll…

  2. Synopsis of proposals on botanical nomenclature – Shenzhen 2017: A review of the proposals concerning the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants submitted to the XIX International Botanical Congress

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Science requires a precise, stable, and simple system of nomenclature used by scientists in all countries of the world, dealing on the one hand with the terms that denote the ranks of taxonomic groups, and on the other with the scientific names that are applied to the individual taxonomic units of a...

  3. A novel nomenclature to classify parathyroid adenomas.

    PubMed

    Perrier, Nancy D; Edeiken, Beth; Nunez, Rodolfo; Gayed, Isis; Jimenez, Camilo; Busaidy, Naifa; Potylchansky, Elena; Kee, Spencer; Vu, Thinh

    2009-03-01

    A uniform and reliable description of the exact locations of adenomatous parathyroid glands is necessary for accurate communications between surgeons and other specialists. We developed a nomenclature that provides a precise means of communicating the most frequently encountered parathyroid adenoma locations. This classification scheme is based on the anatomic detail provided by imaging and can be used in radiology reports, operative records, and pathology reports. It is based on quadrants and anterior-posterior depth relative to the course of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the thyroid parenchyma. The system uses the letters A-G to describe exact gland locations. A type A parathyroid gland is a gland that originates from a superior pedicle, lateral to the recurrent laryngeal nerve compressed within the capsule of the thyroid parenchyma. A type B gland is a superior gland that has fallen posteriorly into the tracheoesophageal groove and is in the same cross-sectional plane as the superior portion of the thyroid parenchyma. A type C gland is a gland that has fallen posteriorly into the tracheoesophageal groove and on a cross-sectional view lies at the level of or below the inferior pole of the thyroid gland. A type D gland lies in the midregion of the posterior surface of the thyroid parenchyma, near the junction of the recurrent laryngeal nerve and the inferior thyroid artery or middle thyroidal vein; because of this location, dissection is difficult. A type E gland is an inferior gland close to the inferior pole of the thyroid parenchyma, lying in the lateral plane with the thyroid parenchyma and anterior half of the trachea. A type F gland is an inferior gland that has descended (fallen) into the thyrothymic ligament or superior thymus; it may appear to be "ectopic" or within the superior mediastinum. An anterior-posterior view shows the type F gland to be anterior to the trachea. A type G gland is a rare, truly intrathyroidal parathyroid gland. A reproducible

  4. International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (Melbourne Code): Appendices II-VIII

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Science requires a precise, stable, and simple system of nomenclature used by scientists in all countries of the world, dealing on the one hand with the terms that denote the ranks of taxonomic groups, and on the other with the scientific names that are applied to the individual taxonomic units of a...

  5. International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation working formulation of a standardized nomenclature for cardiac allograft vasculopathy-2010.

    PubMed

    Mehra, Mandeep R; Crespo-Leiro, Maria G; Dipchand, Anne; Ensminger, Stephan M; Hiemann, Nicola E; Kobashigawa, Jon A; Madsen, Joren; Parameshwar, Jayan; Starling, Randall C; Uber, Patricia A

    2010-07-01

    The development of cardiac allograft vasculopathy remains the Achilles heel of cardiac transplantation. Unfortunately, the definitions of cardiac allograft vasculopathy are diverse, and there are no uniform international standards for the nomenclature of this entity. This consensus document, commissioned by the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplantation Board, is based on best evidence and clinical consensus derived from critical analysis of available information pertaining to angiography, intravascular ultrasound imaging, microvascular function, cardiac allograft histology, circulating immune markers, non-invasive imaging tests, and gene-based and protein-based biomarkers. This document represents a working formulation for an international nomenclature of cardiac allograft vasculopathy, similar to the development of the system for adjudication of cardiac allograft rejection by histology.

  6. A new anatomically based nomenclature for the roots and root canals-part 1: maxillary molars.

    PubMed

    Kottoor, Jojo; Albuquerque, Denzil Valerian; Velmurugan, Natanasabapathy

    2012-01-01

    Numerous terminologies have been employed in the dental literature to describe the roots and root canal systems of maxillary molars. This multiplicity in naming of roots and canals makes the reader susceptible to misinterpretation and confusion. No consensus thus far has been arrived at for defining the names of roots and root canals in maxillary molars, including their various morphological aberrations. The anatomical relation of roots and their root canals were identified and were subsequently named based on definite sets of criteria. A new method for identification and naming of roots and root canal anatomy in maxillary molars, based on their root and canal relationship, was formulated and is presented in this paper. The nomenclature makes certain essential modifications to the traditional approach to accommodate naming of the various aberrations presented in the maxillary molars. A simple, yet extensive, nomenclature system has been proposed that appropriately names the internal and external morphology of maxillary molars.

  7. Development of the Spanish version of the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine: methodology and main issues.

    PubMed Central

    Reynoso, G. A.; March, A. D.; Berra, C. M.; Strobietto, R. P.; Barani, M.; Iubatti, M.; Chiaradio, M. P.; Serebrisky, D.; Kahn, A.; Vaccarezza, O. A.; Leguiza, J. L.; Ceitlin, M.; Luna, D. A.; Bernaldo de Quirós, F. G.; Otegui, M. I.; Puga, M. C.; Vallejos, M.

    2000-01-01

    This presentation features linguistic and terminology management issues related to the development of the Spanish version of the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED). It aims at describing the aspects of translating and the difficulties encountered in delivering a natural and consistent medical nomenclature. Bunge's three-layered model is referenced to analyze the sequence of symbolic concept representations. It further explains how a communicative translation based on a concept-to-concept approach was used to achieve the highest level of flawlessness and naturalness for the Spanish rendition of SNOMED. Translation procedures and techniques are described and exemplified. Both the computer-aided and human translation methods are portrayed. The scientific and translation team tasks are detailed, with focus on Newmark's four-level principle for the translation process, extended with a fifth further level relevant to the ontology to control the consistency of the typology of concepts. Finally the convenience for a common methodology to develop non-English versions of SNOMED is suggested. PMID:11079973

  8. Brain maps 4.0-Structure of the rat brain: An open access atlas with global nervous system nomenclature ontology and flatmaps.

    PubMed

    Swanson, Larry W

    2018-04-15

    The fourth edition (following editions in 1992, 1998, 2004) of Brain maps: structure of the rat brain is presented here as an open access internet resource for the neuroscience community. One new feature is a set of 10 hierarchical nomenclature tables that define and describe all parts of the rat nervous system within the framework of a strictly topographic system devised previously for the human nervous system. These tables constitute a global ontology for knowledge management systems dealing with neural circuitry. A second new feature is an aligned atlas of bilateral flatmaps illustrating rat nervous system development from the neural plate stage to the adult stage, where most gray matter regions, white matter tracts, ganglia, and nerves listed in the nomenclature tables are illustrated schematically. These flatmaps are convenient for future development of online applications analogous to "Google Maps" for systems neuroscience. The third new feature is a completely revised Atlas of the rat brain in spatially aligned transverse sections that can serve as a framework for 3-D modeling. Atlas parcellation is little changed from the preceding edition, but the nomenclature for rat is now aligned with an emerging panmammalian neuroanatomical nomenclature. All figures are presented in Adobe Illustrator vector graphics format that can be manipulated, modified, and resized as desired, and freely used with a Creative Commons license. © 2018 The Authors The Journal of Comparative Neurology Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Brain maps 4.0—Structure of the rat brain: An open access atlas with global nervous system nomenclature ontology and flatmaps

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Abstract The fourth edition (following editions in 1992, 1998, 2004) of Brain maps: structure of the rat brain is presented here as an open access internet resource for the neuroscience community. One new feature is a set of 10 hierarchical nomenclature tables that define and describe all parts of the rat nervous system within the framework of a strictly topographic system devised previously for the human nervous system. These tables constitute a global ontology for knowledge management systems dealing with neural circuitry. A second new feature is an aligned atlas of bilateral flatmaps illustrating rat nervous system development from the neural plate stage to the adult stage, where most gray matter regions, white matter tracts, ganglia, and nerves listed in the nomenclature tables are illustrated schematically. These flatmaps are convenient for future development of online applications analogous to “Google Maps” for systems neuroscience. The third new feature is a completely revised Atlas of the rat brain in spatially aligned transverse sections that can serve as a framework for 3‐D modeling. Atlas parcellation is little changed from the preceding edition, but the nomenclature for rat is now aligned with an emerging panmammalian neuroanatomical nomenclature. All figures are presented in Adobe Illustrator vector graphics format that can be manipulated, modified, and resized as desired, and freely used with a Creative Commons license. PMID:29277900

  10. Principles of Safety Pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Pugsley, M K; Authier, S; Curtis, M J

    2008-01-01

    Safety Pharmacology is a rapidly developing discipline that uses the basic principles of pharmacology in a regulatory-driven process to generate data to inform risk/benefit assessment. The aim of Safety Pharmacology is to characterize the pharmacodynamic/pharmacokinetic (PK/PD) relationship of a drug's adverse effects using continuously evolving methodology. Unlike toxicology, Safety Pharmacology includes within its remit a regulatory requirement to predict the risk of rare lethal events. This gives Safety Pharmacology its unique character. The key issues for Safety Pharmacology are detection of an adverse effect liability, projection of the data into safety margin calculation and finally clinical safety monitoring. This article sets out to explain the drivers for Safety Pharmacology so that the wider pharmacology community is better placed to understand the discipline. It concludes with a summary of principles that may help inform future resolution of unmet needs (especially establishing model validation for accurate risk assessment). Subsequent articles in this issue of the journal address specific aspects of Safety Pharmacology to explore the issues of model choice, the burden of proof and to highlight areas of intensive activity (such as testing for drug-induced rare event liability, and the challenge of testing the safety of so-called biologics (antibodies, gene therapy and so on.). PMID:18604233

  11. Advancing pharmacometrics and systems pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Waldman, S A; Terzic, A

    2012-11-01

    Pharmacometrics and systems pharmacology are emerging as principal quantitative sciences within drug development and experimental therapeutics. In recognition of the importance of pharmacometrics and systems pharmacology to the discipline of clinical pharmacology, the American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics (ASCPT), in collaboration with Nature Publishing Group and Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics, has established CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology to inform the field and shape the discipline.

  12. Implementing a rational and consistent nomenclature for serine/arginine-rich protein splicing factors (SR proteins) in plants.

    PubMed

    Barta, Andrea; Kalyna, Maria; Reddy, Anireddy S N

    2010-09-01

    Growing interest in alternative splicing in plants and the extensive sequencing of new plant genomes necessitate more precise definition and classification of genes coding for splicing factors. SR proteins are a family of RNA binding proteins, which function as essential factors for constitutive and alternative splicing. We propose a unified nomenclature for plant SR proteins, taking into account the newly revised nomenclature of the mammalian SR proteins and a number of plant-specific properties of the plant proteins. We identify six subfamilies of SR proteins in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice (Oryza sativa), three of which are plant specific. The proposed subdivision of plant SR proteins into different subfamilies will allow grouping of paralogous proteins and simple assignment of newly discovered SR orthologs from other plant species and will promote functional comparisons in diverse plant species.

  13. North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature Report 12 – Revision of article 37, lithodemic units, of the North American Stratigraphic Code

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Easton, Robert M.; Edwards, Lucy E.; Orndorff, Randall C.; Duguet, Manuel; Ferrusquia-Villafranca, Ismael

    2017-01-01

    At the 71st Annual Meeting of the North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature, 26 September, 2016, in Denver, Colorado, the Commission voted unanimously to accept the revision of Article 37 of the North American Stratigraphic Code (North American Commission on Stratigraphic Nomenclature, 2005), printed below. It replaces all older versions of this Article. An application for this revision (Easton et al. 2015) was published in Stratigraphy more than one year prior to the meeting; thus, the vote on this application for revision follows Article 21 of the Code.

  14. International Workshop at the Nobel Forum, Karolinska Institutet on G protein-coupled receptors: finding the words to describe monomers, oligomers, and their molecular mechanisms and defining their meaning. Can a consensus be reached?

    PubMed

    Kenakin, Terry; Agnati, Luigi F; Caron, Marc; Fredholm, Bertil; Guidoli, Diego; Kobilka, Brian; Lefkowitz, Robert W; Lohse, Martin; Woods, Amina; Fuxe, Kjell

    2010-10-01

    A meeting was held May 19, 2010 at the Karolinski Institute on Nomenclature in Pharmacology. This meeting occurred in conjunction with the Symposium The Changing World of G Protein Coupled Receptors: From Monomers to Dimers and Receptor Mosaics (Higher-order Oligomers) held the previous day at the Royal Swedish Academy of Science. Two broad topics of nomenclature were discussed; ligand nomenclature and the definition of 'receptor-receptor' interactions. This paper summarizes discussions on these topics along with a consensus definition of the term 'receptor-receptor' interaction.

  15. Recommended nomenclature for five mammalian carboxylesterase gene families: human, mouse, and rat genes and proteins.

    PubMed

    Holmes, Roger S; Wright, Matthew W; Laulederkind, Stanley J F; Cox, Laura A; Hosokawa, Masakiyo; Imai, Teruko; Ishibashi, Shun; Lehner, Richard; Miyazaki, Masao; Perkins, Everett J; Potter, Phillip M; Redinbo, Matthew R; Robert, Jacques; Satoh, Tetsuo; Yamashita, Tetsuro; Yan, Bingfan; Yokoi, Tsuyoshi; Zechner, Rudolf; Maltais, Lois J

    2010-10-01

    Mammalian carboxylesterase (CES or Ces) genes encode enzymes that participate in xenobiotic, drug, and lipid metabolism in the body and are members of at least five gene families. Tandem duplications have added more genes for some families, particularly for mouse and rat genomes, which has caused confusion in naming rodent Ces genes. This article describes a new nomenclature system for human, mouse, and rat carboxylesterase genes that identifies homolog gene families and allocates a unique name for each gene. The guidelines of human, mouse, and rat gene nomenclature committees were followed and "CES" (human) and "Ces" (mouse and rat) root symbols were used followed by the family number (e.g., human CES1). Where multiple genes were identified for a family or where a clash occurred with an existing gene name, a letter was added (e.g., human CES4A; mouse and rat Ces1a) that reflected gene relatedness among rodent species (e.g., mouse and rat Ces1a). Pseudogenes were named by adding "P" and a number to the human gene name (e.g., human CES1P1) or by using a new letter followed by ps for mouse and rat Ces pseudogenes (e.g., Ces2d-ps). Gene transcript isoforms were named by adding the GenBank accession ID to the gene symbol (e.g., human CES1_AB119995 or mouse Ces1e_BC019208). This nomenclature improves our understanding of human, mouse, and rat CES/Ces gene families and facilitates research into the structure, function, and evolution of these gene families. It also serves as a model for naming CES genes from other mammalian species.

  16. Enriching the international clinical nomenclature with Chinese daily used synonyms and concept recognition in physician notes.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Rui; Liu, Jialin; Huang, Yong; Wang, Miye; Shi, Qingke; Chen, Jun; Zeng, Zhi

    2017-05-02

    It has been shown that the entities in everyday clinical text are often expressed in a way that varies from how they are expressed in the nomenclature. Owing to lots of synonyms, abbreviations, medical jargons or even misspellings in the daily used physician notes in clinical information system (CIS), the terminology without enough synonyms may not be adequately suitable for the task of Chinese clinical term recognition. This paper demonstrates a validated system to retrieve the Chinese term of clinical finding (CTCF) from CIS and map them to the corresponding concepts of international clinical nomenclature, such as SNOMED CT. The system focuses on the SNOMED CT with Chinese synonyms enrichment (SCCSE). The literal similarity and the diagnosis-related similarity metrics were used for concept mapping. Two CTCF recognition methods, the rule- and terminology-based approach (RTBA) and the conditional random field machine learner (CRF), were adopted to identify the concepts in physician notes. The system was validated against the history of present illness annotated by clinical experts. The RTBA and CRF could be combined to predict new CTCFs besides SCCSE persistently. Around 59,000 CTCF candidates were accepted as valid and 39,000 of them occurred at least once in the history of present illness. 3,729 of them were accordant with the description in referenced Chinese clinical nomenclature, which could cross map to other international nomenclature such as SNOMED CT. With the hybrid similarity metrics, another 7,454 valid CTCFs (synonyms) were succeeded in concept mapping. For CTCF recognition in physician notes, a series of experiments were performed to find out the best CRF feature set, which gained an F-score of 0.887. The RTBA achieved a better F-score of 0.919 by the CTCF dictionary created in this research. This research demonstrated that it is feasible to help the SNOMED CT with Chinese synonyms enrichment based on physician notes in CIS. With continuous

  17. A Case Study of Implications and Applications of Standardized Nomenclature for Asset Management in Healthcare

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DeFrancesco, Jennifer A.

    2016-01-01

    Healthcare organizations strive to adapt to the continuous change in what has become a fast-paced, high technology environment. Many organizations are charged to find efficiencies to better manage medical device assets. Increasingly, healthcare leaders opt to adopt a standardized medical device nomenclature under the purview of a set of national…

  18. Ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide natural products: overview and recommendations for a universal nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Arnison, Paul G.; Bibb, Mervyn J.; Bierbaum, Gabriele; Bowers, Albert A.; Bugni, Tim S.; Bulaj, Grzegorz; Camarero, Julio A.; Campopiano, Dominic J.; Challis, Gregory L.; Clardy, Jon; Cotter, Paul D.; Craik, David J.; Dawson, Michael; Dittmann, Elke; Donadio, Stefano; Dorrestein, Pieter C.; Entian, Karl-Dieter; Fischbach, Michael A.; Garavelli, John S.; Göransson, Ulf; Gruber, Christian W.; Haft, Daniel H.; Hemscheidt, Thomas K.; Hertweck, Christian; Hill, Colin; Horswill, Alexander R.; Jaspars, Marcel; Kelly, Wendy L.; Klinman, Judith P.; Kuipers, Oscar P.; Link, A. James; Liu, Wen; Marahiel, Mohamed A.; Mitchell, Douglas A.; Moll, Gert N.; Moore, Bradley S.; Müller, Rolf; Nair, Satish K.; Nes, Ingolf F.; Norris, Gillian E.; Olivera, Baldomero M.; Onaka, Hiroyasu; Patchett, Mark L.; Piel, Joern; Reaney, Martin J. T.; Rebuffat, Sylvie; Ross, R. Paul; Sahl, Hans-Georg; Schmidt, Eric W.; Selsted, Michael E.; Severinov, Konstantin; Shen, Ben; Sivonen, Kaarina; Smith, Leif; Stein, Torsten; Süssmuth, Roderich D.; Tagg, John R.; Tang, Gong-Li; Truman, Andrew W.; Vederas, John C.; Walsh, Christopher T.; Walton, Jonathan D.; Wenzel, Silke C.; Willey, Joanne M.; van der Donk, Wilfred A.

    2014-01-01

    This review presents recommended nomenclature for the biosynthesis of ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptides (RiPPs), a rapidly growing class of natural products. The current knowledge regarding the biosynthesis of the >20 distinct compound classes is also reviewed, and commonalities are discussed. PMID:23165928

  19. Implementation of standardized nomenclature in the electronic medical record.

    PubMed

    Klehr, Joan; Hafner, Jennifer; Spelz, Leah Mylrea; Steen, Sara; Weaver, Kathy

    2009-01-01

    To describe a customized electronic medical record documentation system which provides an electronic health record, Epic, which was implemented in December 2006 using standardized taxonomies for nursing documentation. Descriptive data is provided regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation processes for the electronic medical record system. Nurses used standardized nursing nomenclature including NANDA-I diagnoses, Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcomes Classification in a measurable and user-friendly format using the care plan activity. Key factors in the success of the project included close collaboration among staff nurses and information technology staff, ongoing support and encouragement from the vice president/chief nursing officer, the ready availability of expert resources, and nursing ownership of the project. Use of this evidence-based documentation enhanced institutional leadership in clinical documentation.

  20. Taxonomy of Fungi Causing Mucormycosis and Entomophthoramycosis (Zygomycosis) and Nomenclature of the Disease: Molecular Mycologic Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the phylum Zygomycota to be polyphyletic, and the taxa conventionally classified in Zygomycota are now distributed among the new phylum Glomeromycota and 4 subphyla incertae sedis (uncertain placement). Because the nomenclature of the disease zygomycosis was based on the phylum Zygomycota (Zygomycetes) in which the etiologic agents had been classified, the new classification profoundly affects the name of the disease. Zygomycosis was originally described as a convenient and inclusive name for 2 clinicopathologically different diseases, mucormycosis caused by members of Mucorales and entomophthoramycosis caused by species in the order Entomophthorales of Zygomycota. Without revision of original definition, the name “zygomycosis,” however, has more often been used as a synonym only for mucormycosis. This article reviews the progress and changes in taxonomy and nomenclature of Zygomycota and the disease zygomycosis. The article also reiterates the reasons why the classic names “mucormycosis” and “entomophthoramycosis” are more appropriate than “zygomycosis.” PMID:22247451

  1. The Working Group on Meteor Showers Nomenclature: a History, Current Status and a Call for Contributions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jopek, T. J.; Jenniskens, P. M.

    2011-01-01

    During the IAU General Assembly in Rio de Janeiro in 2009, the members of Commission 22 established the Working Group on Meteor Shower Nomenclature, from what was formerly the Task Group on Meteor Shower Nomenclature. The Task Group had completed its mission to propose a first list of established meteor showers that could receive officially names. At the business meeting of Commission 22 the list of 64 established showers was approved and consequently officially accepted by the IAU. A two-step process is adopted for showers to receive an official name from the IAU: i) before publication, all new showers discussed in the literature are first added to the Working List of Meteor Showers, thereby receiving a unique name, IAU number and three-letter code; ii) all showers which come up to the verification criterion are selected for inclusion in the List of Established Meteor Showers, before being officially named at the next IAU General Assembly.

  2. Identification, Nomenclature, and Evolutionary Relationships of Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) Genes in Soybean

    PubMed Central

    Neupane, Achal; Nepal, Madhav P.; Piya, Sarbottam; Subramanian, Senthil; Rohila, Jai S.; Reese, R. Neil; Benson, Benjamin V.

    2013-01-01

    Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) genes in eukaryotes regulate various developmental and physiological processes including those associated with biotic and abiotic stresses. Although MAPKs in some plant species including Arabidopsis have been identified, they are yet to be identified in soybean. Major objectives of this study were to identify GmMAPKs, assess their evolutionary relationships, and analyze their functional divergence. We identified a total of 38 MAPKs, eleven MAPKKs, and 150 MAPKKKs in soybean. Within the GmMAPK family, we also identified a new clade of six genes: four genes with TEY and two genes with TQY motifs requiring further investigation into possible legume-specific functions. The results indicated the expansion of the GmMAPK families attributable to the ancestral polyploidy events followed by chromosomal rearrangements. The GmMAPK and GmMAPKKK families were substantially larger than those in other plant species. The duplicated GmMAPK members presented complex evolutionary relationships and functional divergence when compared to their counterparts in Arabidopsis. We also highlighted existing nomenclatural issues, stressing the need for nomenclatural consistency. GmMAPK identification is vital to soybean crop improvement, and novel insights into the evolutionary relationships will enhance our understanding about plant genome evolution. PMID:24137047

  3. Theoretical investigations on diamondoids (CnHm, n = 10-41): Nomenclature, structural stabilities, and gap distributions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Ya-Ting; Zhao, Yu-Jun; Liao, Ji-Hai; Yang, Xiao-Bao

    2018-01-01

    Combining the congruence check and the first-principles calculations, we have systematically investigated the structural stabilities and gap distributions of possible diamondoids (CnHm) with the carbon numbers (n) from 10 to 41. A simple method for the nomenclature is proposed, which can be used to distinguish and screen the candidates with high efficiency. Different from previous theoretical studies, the possible diamondoids can be enumerated according to our nomenclature, without any pre-determination from experiments. The structural stabilities and electronic properties have been studied by density functional based tight binding and first-principles methods, where a nearly linear correlation is found between the energy gaps obtained by these two methods. According to the formation energy of structures, we have determined the stable configurations as a function of chemical potential. The maximum and minimum energy gaps are found to be dominated by the shape of diamondoids for clusters with a given number of carbon atoms, while the gap decreases in general as the size increases due to the quantum confinement.

  4. Pharmacology Portal: An Open Database for Clinical Pharmacologic Laboratory Services.

    PubMed

    Karlsen Bjånes, Tormod; Mjåset Hjertø, Espen; Lønne, Lars; Aronsen, Lena; Andsnes Berg, Jon; Bergan, Stein; Otto Berg-Hansen, Grim; Bernard, Jean-Paul; Larsen Burns, Margrete; Toralf Fosen, Jan; Frost, Joachim; Hilberg, Thor; Krabseth, Hege-Merete; Kvan, Elena; Narum, Sigrid; Austgulen Westin, Andreas

    2016-01-01

    More than 50 Norwegian public and private laboratories provide one or more analyses for therapeutic drug monitoring or testing for drugs of abuse. Practices differ among laboratories, and analytical repertoires can change rapidly as new substances become available for analysis. The Pharmacology Portal was developed to provide an overview of these activities and to standardize the practices and terminology among laboratories. The Pharmacology Portal is a modern dynamic web database comprising all available analyses within therapeutic drug monitoring and testing for drugs of abuse in Norway. Content can be retrieved by using the search engine or by scrolling through substance lists. The core content is a substance registry updated by a national editorial board of experts within the field of clinical pharmacology. This ensures quality and consistency regarding substance terminologies and classification. All laboratories publish their own repertoires in a user-friendly workflow, adding laboratory-specific details to the core information in the substance registry. The user management system ensures that laboratories are restricted from editing content in the database core or in repertoires within other laboratory subpages. The portal is for nonprofit use, and has been fully funded by the Norwegian Medical Association, the Norwegian Society of Clinical Pharmacology, and the 8 largest pharmacologic institutions in Norway. The database server runs an open-source content management system that ensures flexibility with respect to further development projects, including the potential expansion of the Pharmacology Portal to other countries. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. The Miocene Topanga Group of Southern California - A 100-Year History of Changes in Stratigraphic Nomenclature

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Campbell, Russell H.; McCulloh, Thane H.; Vedder, John G.

    2007-01-01

    A review of selected literature summarizes the origin and chronology of changes in usage of 'Topanga' in the Miocene stratigraphic nomenclature of the Los Angeles Basin and adjacent areas in southern California. The review was done to summarize and reconcile some differences in Miocene stratigraphic nomenclature as applied to geologic map compilations of the Santa Ana (Morton, 2004), San Bernardino (Morton and Miller, 2003), Long Beach (Saucedo and others, 2003) and Los Angeles (Yerkes and Campbell, 2005) 30' x 60' quadrangles, all of which are products of the cooperative (California Geological Survey-U.S. Geological Survey) Southern California Areal Mapping Project (SCAMP). The deposition of the Topanga Group spans about 6 my (from as old as about 18 ma to as young as about 12 ma), and the sequence of included strata records changes in provenance and depositional environments that are contemporaneous with part of a major Miocene tectonic episode in southern California -- the 'basin-inception phase' in the evolution of the Neogene Los Angeles basin (Yerkes and others, 1965). The area of Topanga deposition extends to the southern, eastern, northern, and northwestern sides of the Los Angeles basin, as well as the southern part of the eastern Ventura Basin. Topanga beds are inferred to underlie the thick upper Miocene and Pliocene deposits of the central Los Angeles Basin and the southern part of the eastern Ventura Basin; however, they have been reached by drilling only in marginal areas, where the overlying deposits are relatively thin. Post-Topanga strata were deposited in more-restricted areas of rapid subsidence. Selected papers are summarized as they relate to the Topanga nomenclature, and are presented in chronological order.

  6. Effectiveness of E-Content Package on Teaching IUPAC Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry at Undergraduate Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Devendiran, G.; Vakkil, M.

    2017-01-01

    This study attempts to discover the effectiveness of an e-content package when teaching IUPAC nomenclature of organic chemistry at the undergraduate level. The study consisted of a Pre-test-Post-test Non Equivalent Groups Design, and the sample of 71 (n = 71) students were drawn from two colleges. The overall study was divided into two groups, an…

  7. Studies in neuroendocrine pharmacology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maickel, R. P.

    1976-01-01

    The expertise and facilities available within the Medical Sciences Program section on Pharmacology were used along with informational input from various NASA sources to study areas relevant to the manned space effort. Topics discussed include effects of drugs on deprivation-induced fluid consumption, brain biogenic amines, biochemical responses to stressful stimuli, biochemical and behavioral pharmacology of amphetamines, biochemical and pharmacological studies of analogues to biologically active indole compounds, chemical pharmacology: drug metabolism and disposition, toxicology, and chemical methodology. Appendices include a bibliography, and papers submitted for publication or already published.

  8. MSeqDR mvTool: A mitochondrial DNA Web and API resource for comprehensive variant annotation, universal nomenclature collation, and reference genome conversion.

    PubMed

    Shen, Lishuang; Attimonelli, Marcella; Bai, Renkui; Lott, Marie T; Wallace, Douglas C; Falk, Marni J; Gai, Xiaowu

    2018-06-01

    Accurate mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variant annotation is essential for the clinical diagnosis of diverse human diseases. Substantial challenges to this process include the inconsistency in mtDNA nomenclatures, the existence of multiple reference genomes, and a lack of reference population frequency data. Clinicians need a simple bioinformatics tool that is user-friendly, and bioinformaticians need a powerful informatics resource for programmatic usage. Here, we report the development and functionality of the MSeqDR mtDNA Variant Tool set (mvTool), a one-stop mtDNA variant annotation and analysis Web service. mvTool is built upon the MSeqDR infrastructure (https://mseqdr.org), with contributions of expert curated data from MITOMAP (https://www.mitomap.org) and HmtDB (https://www.hmtdb.uniba.it/hmdb). mvTool supports all mtDNA nomenclatures, converts variants to standard rCRS- and HGVS-based nomenclatures, and annotates novel mtDNA variants. Besides generic annotations from dbNSFP and Variant Effect Predictor (VEP), mvTool provides allele frequencies in more than 47,000 germline mitogenomes, and disease and pathogenicity classifications from MSeqDR, Mitomap, HmtDB and ClinVar (Landrum et al., 2013). mvTools also provides mtDNA somatic variants annotations. "mvTool API" is implemented for programmatic access using inputs in VCF, HGVS, or classical mtDNA variant nomenclatures. The results are reported as hyperlinked html tables, JSON, Excel, and VCF formats. MSeqDR mvTool is freely accessible at https://mseqdr.org/mvtool.php. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Implementation of Rule 8 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes for the renaming of classes. Request for an Opinion.

    PubMed

    Oren, Aharon; Parte, Aidan; Garrity, George M

    2016-10-01

    The new version of Rule 8 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes as approved in Istanbul in 2008 has the clear advantage of establishing a uniform way to name classes of prokaryotes, similar to the way other higher taxa are named. However, retroactive implementation of the modified Rule is problematic as it destabilizes the nomenclature and requires the replacement of a large number of names of classes that have been validly published, which would be in violation of Principle 1 of the Code. Therefore, we call upon the International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes and its Judicial Commission to reconsider the retroactivity of Rule 8.

  10. A phylogenetically-based nomenclature for Cordycipitaceae (Hypocreales).

    PubMed

    Kepler, Ryan M; Luangsa-Ard, J Jennifer; Hywel-Jones, Nigel L; Quandt, C Alisha; Sung, Gi-Ho; Rehner, Stephen A; Aime, M Catherine; Henkel, Terry W; Sanjuan, Tatiana; Zare, Rasoul; Chen, Mingjun; Li, Zhengzhi; Rossman, Amy Y; Spatafora, Joseph W; Shrestha, Bhushan

    2017-12-01

    The ending of dual nomenclatural systems for pleomorphic fungi in 2011 requires the reconciliation of competing names, ideally linked through culture based or molecular methods. The phylogenetic systematics of Hypocreales and its many genera have received extensive study in the last two decades, however resolution of competing names in Cordycipitaceae has not yet been addressed. Here we present a molecular phylogenetic investigation of Cordycipitaceae that enables identification of competing names in this family, and provides the basis upon which these names can be maintained or suppressed. The taxonomy presented here seeks to harmonize competing names by principles of priority, recognition of monophyletic groups, and the practical usage of affected taxa. In total, we propose maintaining nine generic names, Akanthomyces, Ascopolyporus, Beauveria, Cordyceps, Engyodontium, Gibellula, Hyperdermium, Parengyodontium, and Simplicillium and the rejection of eight generic names, Evlachovaea , Granulomanus , Isaria , Lecanicillium, Microhilum, Phytocordyceps, Synsterigmatocystis, and Torrubiella . Two new generic names, Hevansia and Blackwellomyces , and a new species, Beauveria blattidicola , are described. New combinations are also proposed in the genera Akanthomyces, Beauveria, Blackwellomyces, and Hevansia.

  11. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXIX. Cannabinoid Receptors and Their Ligands: Beyond CB1 and CB2

    PubMed Central

    Howlett, A. C.; Abood, M. E.; Alexander, S. P. H.; Di Marzo, V.; Elphick, M. R.; Greasley, P. J.; Hansen, H. S.; Kunos, G.; Mackie, K.; Mechoulam, R.; Ross, R. A.

    2010-01-01

    There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptors (CB1 and CB2). Ligands activating these G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) include the phytocannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol, numerous synthetic compounds, and endogenous compounds known as endocannabinoids. Cannabinoid receptor antagonists have also been developed. Some of these ligands activate or block one type of cannabinoid receptor more potently than the other type. This review summarizes current data indicating the extent to which cannabinoid receptor ligands undergo orthosteric or allosteric interactions with non-CB1, non-CB2 established GPCRs, deorphanized receptors such as GPR55, ligand-gated ion channels, transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, and other ion channels or peroxisome proliferator-activated nuclear receptors. From these data, it is clear that some ligands that interact similarly with CB1 and/or CB2 receptors are likely to display significantly different pharmacological profiles. The review also lists some criteria that any novel “CB3” cannabinoid receptor or channel should fulfil and concludes that these criteria are not currently met by any non-CB1, non-CB2 pharmacological receptor or channel. However, it does identify certain pharmacological targets that should be investigated further as potential CB3 receptors or channels. These include TRP vanilloid 1, which possibly functions as an ionotropic cannabinoid receptor under physiological and/or pathological conditions, and some deorphanized GPCRs. Also discussed are 1) the ability of CB1 receptors to form heteromeric complexes with certain other GPCRs, 2) phylogenetic relationships that exist between CB1/CB2 receptors and other GPCRs, 3) evidence for the existence of several as-yet-uncharacterized non-CB1, non-CB2 cannabinoid receptors; and 4) current cannabinoid receptor nomenclature. PMID:21079038

  12. Training residents to be factually accurate and articulate: A case study using foetal heart rate monitoring nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Stohl, Hindi E; Miller, David A

    2016-10-01

    Careful communication between members of the obstetric team about intrapartum foetal heart rate is critical for clinical management and patient safety. This study evaluated the benefits of two testing modalities in assessing resident physician knowledge of the 2008 NICHD nomenclature. Multiple-choice (MC) and short-answer (SA) examinations were administered to Obstetrics and Gynecology resident physicians before an educational intervention and then immediately after the training, at 6 months and at 12 months. Test scores on both the MC and the SA examinations improved after the training session. The improvement was sustained over the course of the study. Residents performed higher on the MC examination than on the SA test. This study suggests that formalised teaching in foetal heart rate monitoring improves resident physician knowledge of the NICHD nomenclature and that SA examinations may better discriminate between residents who are and are not able to accurately articulate foetal heart rate monitoring terminology.

  13. Typification and Characterization of Trametes multicolor (Agaricomycetes), a Perspective Species of Medicinal Mushrooms.

    PubMed

    Zmitrovich, Ivan V; Bondartseva, Margarita A; Psurtseva, Nadezhda V; Wasser, Solomon P

    2017-01-01

    Nomenclature revision and enlarged taxonomical descriptions are still needed for some well-known species whose interpretation is complicated by many nomenclature or taxonomical problems. The polyporoid fungus widely known as Trametes ochracea (= Coriolus zonatus) belongs to such a problematic group. At the same time, recent data show that this species, like its sister species T. versicolor, seems to be a perspective subject for fungal biotechnology and pharmacology. This article is devoted to stabilizing the nomenclature of the species in question via lectotypification and epitypification of Boletus multicolor. It will clarify the name T. multicolor as applied to this species is nomenclaturally correct and useful, free of further problems. An expanded species description and cultural characterization of epitype materials are presented.

  14. Foreign Language Translation of Chemical Nomenclature by Computer

    PubMed Central

    2009-01-01

    Chemical compound names remain the primary method for conveying molecular structures between chemists and researchers. In research articles, patents, chemical catalogues, government legislation, and textbooks, the use of IUPAC and traditional compound names is universal, despite efforts to introduce more machine-friendly representations such as identifiers and line notations. Fortunately, advances in computing power now allow chemical names to be parsed and generated (read and written) with almost the same ease as conventional connection tables. A significant complication, however, is that although the vast majority of chemistry uses English nomenclature, a significant fraction is in other languages. This complicates the task of filing and analyzing chemical patents, purchasing from compound vendors, and text mining research articles or Web pages. We describe some issues with manipulating chemical names in various languages, including British, American, German, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Swedish, Polish, and Hungarian, and describe the current state-of-the-art in software tools to simplify the process. PMID:19239237

  15. Nom et lumière: enlightenment through nomenclature (the 1996 Kenneth F. Russell Memorial Lecture).

    PubMed

    Pearn, J

    1997-08-01

    The classification of living things is both an acknowledgement of biological relationships and an identification of their differences. When Linnaeus, in 1735, published Systema Naturae, he set in place a system of biological classification that saw its apogee in the invention of binomial nomenclature: the description of every living thing being embodied simply in two names, (i.e. a genus and the species within it). Linnaeus built on the work of scientific forebears, of whom Nehemiah Grew (1641-1712) was one of the most influential. Grew was a surgeon-physician whose passionate interest was plant anatomy; his work led to the discovery and documentation of sexual dimorphism in plants. Grew's life and works are a witness to that philosophy which views nature as a continuum, a broad holistic entity in which discoveries in one biological field have ramifications in other areas. Grew allowed his scientific curiosity full rein, manifested the courage to publish his work and possessed the self-discipline to stand by the audit of his peers. Modern biological research and contemporary clinical practice owes much to the enlightenment engendered by the classification and nomenclature that developed from his work.

  16. Process Pharmacology: A Pharmacological Data Science Approach to Drug Development and Therapy.

    PubMed

    Lötsch, Jörn; Ultsch, Alfred

    2016-04-01

    A novel functional-genomics based concept of pharmacology that uses artificial intelligence techniques for mining and knowledge discovery in "big data" providing comprehensive information about the drugs' targets and their functional genomics is proposed. In "process pharmacology", drugs are associated with biological processes. This puts the disease, regarded as alterations in the activity in one or several cellular processes, in the focus of drug therapy. In this setting, the molecular drug targets are merely intermediates. The identification of drugs for therapeutic or repurposing is based on similarities in the high-dimensional space of the biological processes that a drug influences. Applying this principle to data associated with lymphoblastic leukemia identified a short list of candidate drugs, including one that was recently proposed as novel rescue medication for lymphocytic leukemia. The pharmacological data science approach provides successful selections of drug candidates within development and repurposing tasks. © 2016 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  17. New insights into the classification and nomenclature of cortical GABAergic interneurons.

    PubMed

    DeFelipe, Javier; López-Cruz, Pedro L; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth; Bielza, Concha; Larrañaga, Pedro; Anderson, Stewart; Burkhalter, Andreas; Cauli, Bruno; Fairén, Alfonso; Feldmeyer, Dirk; Fishell, Gord; Fitzpatrick, David; Freund, Tamás F; González-Burgos, Guillermo; Hestrin, Shaul; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R; Huang, Josh; Jones, Edward G; Kawaguchi, Yasuo; Kisvárday, Zoltán; Kubota, Yoshiyuki; Lewis, David A; Marín, Oscar; Markram, Henry; McBain, Chris J; Meyer, Hanno S; Monyer, Hannah; Nelson, Sacha B; Rockland, Kathleen; Rossier, Jean; Rubenstein, John L R; Rudy, Bernardo; Scanziani, Massimo; Shepherd, Gordon M; Sherwood, Chet C; Staiger, Jochen F; Tamás, Gábor; Thomson, Alex; Wang, Yun; Yuste, Rafael; Ascoli, Giorgio A

    2013-03-01

    A systematic classification and accepted nomenclature of neuron types is much needed but is currently lacking. This article describes a possible taxonomical solution for classifying GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex based on a novel, web-based interactive system that allows experts to classify neurons with pre-determined criteria. Using Bayesian analysis and clustering algorithms on the resulting data, we investigated the suitability of several anatomical terms and neuron names for cortical GABAergic interneurons. Moreover, we show that supervised classification models could automatically categorize interneurons in agreement with experts' assignments. These results demonstrate a practical and objective approach to the naming, characterization and classification of neurons based on community consensus.

  18. Tobacco Harms, Nicotine Pharmacology, and Pharmacologic Tobacco Cessation Interventions for Women.

    PubMed

    Baraona, L Kim; Lovelace, Dawn; Daniels, Julie L; McDaniel, Linda

    2017-05-01

    Firsthand and secondhand tobacco use is linked to a multitude of harmful illnesses, adverse perinatal outcomes, and death. Cessation attempts among women may be hampered by their unique biologic response to nicotine. Current research has revealed epigenetic changes from intrauterine nicotine exposure that have intergenerational consequences. Multiple studies have demonstrated the efficacy of various pharmacologic tobacco cessation interventions in conjunction with behavioral counseling. Based on this evidence, the US Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) 2015 guideline recommends pharmacologic therapy for all nonpregnant persons who smoke in addition to behavioral counseling. The effectiveness of pharmacologic treatments among pregnant women is less clear, with far fewer studies evaluating potential benefits and harms. While exposure to pharmacologic therapies raises concerns for fetal safety, these potential risks must be weighed against those of continued tobacco use, which guarantees fetal exposure to nicotine. First-line tobacco cessation medications include nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion, and varenicline. Second-line medications include nortriptyline and clonidine. Pharmacokinetics, effectiveness, regimens, and safety profiles for nonpregnant, pregnant, and lactating women are reviewed. Alternative tobacco cessation options and potential new pharmacologic tobacco cessation agents are discussed. Initiating brief interventions, using the 5A's and 5R's model is described. © 2017 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  19. Reinforcing the foundations of ornithological nomenclature: Filling the gaps in Sherborn's and Richmond's historical legacy of bibliographic exploration.

    PubMed

    Dickinson, Edward C

    2016-01-01

    Due to its public popularity, ornithology has a huge corpus of scientific publication for a relatively small number of species. Although there are global checklists of currently recognised taxa, there has been only limited, mainly individual, effort to build a nomenclatural database that the science of ornithology deserves. This is especially true in relation to concise synonymies. With the arrival of ZooBank and the Biodiversity Heritage Library, the time has come to develop synonymies and to add fuller bibliographic detail to databases. The preparation for both began at the start of the 20(th) century with extensive work by Sherborn and Richmond. I discuss their legacy, offer notes on significant work since then, and provide suggestions for what remains to be done. To make solid the foundations for ornithological nomenclature and taxonomy, especially for synonymies, ornithologists will need to collaborate much more and contribute to the digital infrastructure.

  20. Ch'ol nomenclature for soil classification in the ejido Oxolotán, Tacotalpa, Tabasco, México.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Hernández, Rufo; Méndez-De la Cruz, Lucero; Palma-López, David J; Bautista-Zuñiga, Francisco

    2018-05-30

    The traditional ecological knowledge of land of the Ch'ol originary people from southeast Mexico forms part of their cultural identity; it is local and holistic and implies an integrated physical and spiritual worldview that contributes to improve their living conditions. We analyzed the nomenclature for soil classification used in the Mexican state of Tabasco by the Ch'ol farmers with the objective of contributing to the knowledge of the Maya soil classification. A map of the study area was generated from the digital database of parcels in the ejido Oxolotán in the municipality of Tacotalpa, to which a geopedological map was overlaid in order to obtain modeled topographic profiles (Zavala-Cruz et al., Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios 3:161-171, 2016). In each modeled profile, a soil profile was made and classified according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014) in order to generate a map of soil groups, which was used to survey the study area with the participation of 245 local Ch'ol farmers for establishing an ethnopedological soil classification (Ortiz et al.: 62, 1990). In addition, we organized a participatory workshop with 35 people to know details of the names of the soils and their indicators of fertility and workability, from which we selected 15 participants for field trips and description of soil profiles. The color, texture, and stoniness are attributes important in the Ch'ol nomenclature, although the names do not completely reflect the visible characteristic of the soil surface. On the other hand, the mere presence of stones is sufficient to name a land class, while according to IUSS Working Group WRB (181, 2014), a certain amount and distribution of stones in the soil profiles is necessary to be taken into consideration in the name. Perception of soil quality by local farmers considers the compaction or hardness of the cultivable soil layer, because of which black or sandy soils are perceived as better for cultivation of banana, or as secondary

  1. Publication trends in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology: focus on pharmacology in Egypt.

    PubMed

    El-Mas, Mahmoud M; El-Gowelli, Hanan M; Michel, Martin C

    2013-11-01

    In a previous analysis of the country of origin of papers published in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology, a major shift toward contributions from emerging market countries, was noticed in comparison of 2010 to 2001 publications. Repeating such analysis for 2012 publications in the journal confirmed this trend. An interesting new trend was the emerging presence of papers from a variety of Islamic countries including Egypt. Based on this trend, we shortly review the history and current structure of pharmacology in Egypt. It appears that the presence of Egyptian pharmacology in international journals including pharmacology journals has sharply been increasing over the last two decades. Challenges for a continuation of this encouraging trend are being discussed.

  2. Current and future perspectives on the systematics, taxonomy and nomenclature of testate amoebae.

    PubMed

    Kosakyan, Anush; Gomaa, Fatma; Lara, Enrique; Lahr, Daniel J G

    2016-09-01

    Testate amoebae are a polyphyletic assemblage of at least three major, unrelated taxonomic groups of unicellular amoeboid eukaryotes exhibiting a test. The focus on testate amoebae in scientific research has greatly increased in the past 20 years: from an average of about 5 papers a year in the mid-1990s to the current rate of more than 50 papers published yearly. The application range of these organisms is rapidly expanding as well: from the traditional fields of environmental monitoring and paleoecology, to forensic sciences and ecotoxicology studies. These developments are nevertheless strongly dependent on reliable taxonomy and nomenclature. However, scientometric data reveal that despite an ever-increasing necessity for the use of names (the product of taxonomy), the corresponding effort has not been achieved for improving testate amoebae systematics. As a consequence, inaccurate taxonomy yields to misinterpretations in the diversity of the organisms and to potentially incorrect conclusions. These and related problems are discussed in this study, highlighting the outcome of poor taxonomic expertise in accurate classification and phylogeny of testate amoebae, and the consequences derived from it. Additionally, this study is aimed to discuss the current status of testate amoebae classification, and to present all nomenclature and taxonomic changes in higher and lower taxonomic levels of testate amoebae, as a result of recent molecular reconstructions. Finally, we conclude with a list of the needs and suggestions toward a unified and modernized taxonomy of testate amoebae. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Gaskell revisited: new insights into spinal autonomics necessitate a revised motor neuron nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Fritzsch, Bernd; Elliott, Karen L; Glover, Joel C

    2017-11-01

    Several concepts developed in the nineteenth century have formed the basis of much of our neuroanatomical teaching today. Not all of these were based on solid evidence nor have withstood the test of time. Recent evidence on the evolution and development of the autonomic nervous system, combined with molecular insights into the development and diversification of motor neurons, challenges some of the ideas held for over 100 years about the organization of autonomic motor outflow. This review provides an overview of the original ideas and quality of supporting data and contrasts this with a more accurate and in depth insight provided by studies using modern techniques. Several lines of data demonstrate that branchial motor neurons are a distinct motor neuron population within the vertebrate brainstem, from which parasympathetic visceral motor neurons of the brainstem evolved. The lack of an autonomic nervous system in jawless vertebrates implies that spinal visceral motor neurons evolved out of spinal somatic motor neurons. Consistent with the evolutionary origin of brainstem parasympathetic motor neurons out of branchial motor neurons and spinal sympathetic motor neurons out of spinal motor neurons is the recent revision of the organization of the autonomic nervous system into a cranial parasympathetic and a spinal sympathetic division (e.g., there is no sacral parasympathetic division). We propose a new nomenclature that takes all of these new insights into account and avoids the conceptual misunderstandings and incorrect interpretation of limited and technically inferior data inherent in the old nomenclature.

  4. Current state of medical device nomenclature and taxonomy systems in the UK: spotlight on GMDN and SNOMED CT

    PubMed Central

    White, Judith; Carolan-Rees, Grace

    2013-01-01

    A standardised terminology for describing medical devices can enable safe and unambiguous exchange of information. Proposed changes to EU-wide medical devices regulations mandate the use of such a system. This article reviews two important classification systems for medical devices in the UK. The Global Medical Device Nomenclature (GMDN) provides a classification system specifically for medical devices and diagnostics, and facilitates data exchange between manufacturers and regulators. SNOMED CT is the terminology of choice in the NHS for communicating, sharing and storing information about patients’ healthcare episodes. Harmonisation of GMDN and SNOMED CT will encourage use of single terminology throughout the lifetime of a device; from regulatory approval through clinical use and post-marketing surveillance. Manufacturers will be required to register medical devices with a European device database (Eudamed) and to fit certain devices with a Unique Device Identifier; both are efforts to improve transparency and traceability of medical devices. Successful implementation of these elements depends on having a consistent nomenclature for medical devices. PMID:23885299

  5. Massively parallel sequencing of forensic STRs: Considerations of the DNA commission of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) on minimal nomenclature requirements.

    PubMed

    Parson, Walther; Ballard, David; Budowle, Bruce; Butler, John M; Gettings, Katherine B; Gill, Peter; Gusmão, Leonor; Hares, Douglas R; Irwin, Jodi A; King, Jonathan L; Knijff, Peter de; Morling, Niels; Prinz, Mechthild; Schneider, Peter M; Neste, Christophe Van; Willuweit, Sascha; Phillips, Christopher

    2016-05-01

    The DNA Commission of the International Society for Forensic Genetics (ISFG) is reviewing factors that need to be considered ahead of the adoption by the forensic community of short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping by massively parallel sequencing (MPS) technologies. MPS produces sequence data that provide a precise description of the repeat allele structure of a STR marker and variants that may reside in the flanking areas of the repeat region. When a STR contains a complex arrangement of repeat motifs, the level of genetic polymorphism revealed by the sequence data can increase substantially. As repeat structures can be complex and include substitutions, insertions, deletions, variable tandem repeat arrangements of multiple nucleotide motifs, and flanking region SNPs, established capillary electrophoresis (CE) allele descriptions must be supplemented by a new system of STR allele nomenclature, which retains backward compatibility with the CE data that currently populate national DNA databases and that will continue to be produced for the coming years. Thus, there is a pressing need to produce a standardized framework for describing complex sequences that enable comparison with currently used repeat allele nomenclature derived from conventional CE systems. It is important to discern three levels of information in hierarchical order (i) the sequence, (ii) the alignment, and (iii) the nomenclature of STR sequence data. We propose a sequence (text) string format the minimal requirement of data storage that laboratories should follow when adopting MPS of STRs. We further discuss the variant annotation and sequence comparison framework necessary to maintain compatibility among established and future data. This system must be easy to use and interpret by the DNA specialist, based on a universally accessible genome assembly, and in place before the uptake of MPS by the general forensic community starts to generate sequence data on a large scale. While the established

  6. Electronic publication of new animal names - An interview with Frank-T. Krell, Commissioner of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature and Chair of the ICZN ZooBank Committee

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    On the 4th September 2012 the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature announced an amendment to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature allowing for electronic publication of the scientific names of animals. In this interview Frank-T. Krell discusses the implications of this amendment for authors wishing to publish descriptions of newly identified animal species in online and open access journals, and for the future of taxonomic science. PMID:22978411

  7. Revised nomenclature, definitions, and correlations for the Cretaceous formations in USGS-Clubhouse Crossroads #1, Dorchester County, South Carolina

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gohn, Gregory S.

    1992-01-01

    The stratigraphy of the Cretaceous section in a continuously cored stratigraphic test hole, USGS-Clubhouse Crossroads #1, is reviewed and amended herein. Located in southern Dorchester County, S.C., the Clubhouse Crossroads #1 core is one of the principal stratigraphic reference sections in the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. Traditional and revised systems of stratigraphic nomenclature for the outcropping Cretaceous formations of the Carolinas are reviewed for their applicability in defining subsurface Cretaceous formations at Clubhouse Crossroads. The revised nomenclature, exemplified by the formations proposed by J. P. Owens in 1989 and by N. F. Sohl and Owens in 1991, is preferred for this purpose over the traditional nomenclature established by D.J.P. Swift and S.D. Heron, Jr., in 1969. The revised nomenclature is selected because of its greater emphasis on the historical succession of entire sedimentary systems (timeparallel formations), in contrast to the emphasis placed on the physical continuity of individual facies through time (time-transgressive formations) in the traditional nomenclature. Physical relationships between the two types of formations are discerned by using K.E. Caster's 1934 facies model, in which the time-transgressive units of the traditional model are his magnafacies and the time-parallel units of the revised model are sets of his laterally contiguous parvafacies. In 1977, G.S. Gohn and others and J.E. Hazel and others provisionally delineated Cretaceous formations in the Clubhouse Crossroads #1 core by using Swift and Heron's traditional units. The publication of additional lithologic and paleontologic data since 1977 for Cretaceous units in the core and for Cretaceous units throughout the Carolinas provides a basis for reviewing and amending the original definitions of the Cretaceous formations at Clubhouse Crossroads. Ages assigned to the Cretaceous units at Clubhouse Crossroads by Hazel and others are also reviewed. The boundaries

  8. New insights into the classification and nomenclature of cortical GABAergic interneurons

    PubMed Central

    DeFelipe, Javier; López-Cruz, Pedro L.; Benavides-Piccione, Ruth; Bielza, Concha; Larrañaga, Pedro; Anderson, Stewart; Burkhalter, Andreas; Cauli, Bruno; Fairén, Alfonso; Feldmeyer, Dirk; Fishell, Gord; Fitzpatrick, David; Freund, Tamás F.; González-Burgos, Guillermo; Hestrin, Shaul; Hill, Sean; Hof, Patrick R.; Huang, Josh; Jones, Edward G.; Kawaguchi, Yasuo; Kisvárday, Zoltán; Kubota, Yoshiyuki; Lewis, David A.; Marín, Oscar; Markram, Henry; McBain, Chris J.; Meyer, Hanno S.; Monyer, Hannah; Nelson, Sacha B.; Rockland, Kathleen; Rossier, Jean; Rubenstein, John L. R.; Rudy, Bernardo; Scanziani, Massimo; Shepherd, Gordon M.; Sherwood, Chet C.; Staiger, Jochen F.; Tamás, Gábor; Thomson, Alex; Wang, Yun; Yuste, Rafael; Ascoli, Giorgio A.

    2013-01-01

    A systematic classification and accepted nomenclature of neuron types is much needed but is currently lacking. This article describes a possible taxonomical solution for classifying GABAergic interneurons of the cerebral cortex based on a novel, web-based interactive system that allows experts to classify neurons with pre-determined criteria. Using Bayesian analysis and clustering algorithms on the resulting data, we investigated the suitability of several anatomical terms and neuron names for cortical GABAergic interneurons. Moreover, we show that supervised classification models could automatically categorize interneurons in agreement with experts’ assignments. These results demonstrate a practical and objective approach to the naming, characterization and classification of neurons based on community consensus. PMID:23385869

  9. Nomenclature in laboratory robotics and automation (IUPAC Recommendation 1994)

    PubMed Central

    (Skip) Kingston, H. M.; Kingstonz, M. L.

    1994-01-01

    These recommended terms have been prepared to help provide a uniform approach to terminology and notation in laboratory automation and robotics. Since the terminology used in laboratory automation and robotics has been derived from diverse backgrounds, it is often vague, imprecise, and in some cases, in conflict with classical automation and robotic nomenclature. These dejinitions have been assembled from standards, monographs, dictionaries, journal articles, and documents of international organizations emphasizing laboratory and industrial automation and robotics. When appropriate, definitions have been taken directly from the original source and identified with that source. However, in some cases no acceptable definition could be found and a new definition was prepared to define the object, term, or action. Attention has been given to defining specific robot types, coordinate systems, parameters, attributes, communication protocols and associated workstations and hardware. Diagrams are included to illustrate specific concepts that can best be understood by visualization. PMID:18924684

  10. Only connect: the merger of BMC Pharmacology and BMC Clinical Pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Moylan, Elizabeth C; Morrey, Christopher; Appleford-Cook, Joanne M

    2012-08-13

    This editorial celebrates the launch of BMC Pharmacology and Toxicology within the BMC series of journals published by BioMed Central. The scope of the journal is interdisciplinary encompassing toxicology, experimental and clinical pharmacology including clinical trials. In this editorial we discuss the origins of this new journal and the ethos and policies under which it will operate.

  11. Disharmony of the spheres: Recent trends in planetary surface nomenclature

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Pike, R.J.

    1976-01-01

    Inadvisable departures from tradition in naming newly mapped features on Mars, Mercury, and the Moon have been implemented and proposed since 1970. Functional need for place names also has become confused with cartographic convenience. Much of the resulting new nomenclature is neither unique, efficient, nor imaginative. The longstanding classical orientation in Solar System geography needs to be firmly reasserted. The Ma??dler scheme for designating smaller craters on the Moon should be retained and extended to the farside. Names of surface features on other bodies might best reflect the traditional connotations of planet and satellite names: for example, most crates on Mars would be named for mythical heroes and military personalities in ancient history, craters on Mercury might commemorate explorers or commercial luminaries, and features on Venus would bear the names of famous women. ?? 1976.

  12. Validation of nuclear magnetic resonance structures of proteins and nucleic acids: hydrogen geometry and nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Doreleijers, J F; Vriend, G; Raves, M L; Kaptein, R

    1999-11-15

    A statistical analysis is reported of 1,200 of the 1,404 nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-derived protein and nucleic acid structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank (PDB) before 1999. Excluded from this analysis were the entries not yet fully validated by the PDB and the more than 100 entries that contained < 95% of the expected hydrogens. The aim was to assess the geometry of the hydrogens in the remaining structures and to provide a check on their nomenclature. Deviations in bond lengths, bond angles, improper dihedral angles, and planarity with respect to estimated values were checked. More than 100 entries showed anomalous protonation states for some of their amino acids. Approximately 250,000 (1.7%) atom names differed from the consensus PDB nomenclature. Most of the inconsistencies are due to swapped prochiral labeling. Large deviations from the expected geometry exist for a considerable number of entries, many of which are average structures. The most common causes for these deviations seem to be poor minimization of average structures and an improper balance between force-field constraints for experimental and holonomic data. Some specific geometric outliers are related to the refinement programs used. A number of recommendations for biomolecular databases, modeling programs, and authors submitting biomolecular structures are given.

  13. A world checklist of Onychophora (velvet worms), with notes on nomenclature and status of names

    PubMed Central

    Oliveira, Ivo de Sena; Read, V. Morley St. J.; Mayer, Georg

    2012-01-01

    Abstract Currently, the number of valid species of Onychophora is uncertain. To facilitate taxonomic work on this understudied animal group, we present an updated checklist for the two extant onychophoran subgroups, Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae, along with an assessment of the status of each species. According to our study, 82 species of Peripatidae and 115 species of Peripatopsidae have been described thus far. However, among these 197 species, 20 are nomina dubia due to major taxonomic inconsistencies. Apart from nomina dubia, many of the valid species also require revision, in particular representatives of Paraperipatus within the Peripatopsidae, and nearly all species of Peripatidae. In addition to extant representatives, the record of unambiguous fossils includes three species with uncertain relationship to the extant taxa. For all species, we provide a list of synonyms, information on types and type localities, as well as remarks on taxonomic and nomenclatural problems and misspellings. According to recent evidence of high endemism and cryptic speciation among the Peripatidae and Peripatopsidae, previous synonyms are revised. Putative mutations, subspecies and variations are either raised to the species status or synonymised with corresponding taxa. In our revised checklist, we follow the rules and recommendations of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to clarify previous inconsistencies. PMID:22930648

  14. Does the name really matter? The importance of botanical nomenclature and plant taxonomy in biomedical research.

    PubMed

    Bennett, Bradley C; Balick, Michael J

    2014-03-28

    Medical research on plant-derived compounds requires a breadth of expertise from field to laboratory and clinical skills. Too often basic botanical skills are evidently lacking, especially with respect to plant taxonomy and botanical nomenclature. Binomial and familial names, synonyms and author citations are often misconstrued. The correct botanical name, linked to a vouchered specimen, is the sine qua non of phytomedical research. Without the unique identifier of a proper binomial, research cannot accurately be linked to the existing literature. Perhaps more significant, is the ambiguity of species determinations that ensues of from poor taxonomic practices. This uncertainty, not surprisingly, obstructs reproducibility of results-the cornerstone of science. Based on our combined six decades of experience with medicinal plants, we discuss the problems of inaccurate taxonomy and botanical nomenclature in biomedical research. This problems appear all too frequently in manuscripts and grant applications that we review and they extend to the published literature. We also review the literature on the importance of taxonomy in other disciplines that relate to medicinal plant research. In most cases, questions regarding orthography, synonymy, author citations, and current family designations of most plant binomials can be resolved using widely-available online databases and other electronic resources. Some complex problems require consultation with a professional plant taxonomist, which also is important for accurate identification of voucher specimens. Researchers should provide the currently accepted binomial and complete author citation, provide relevant synonyms, and employ the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III family name. Taxonomy is a vital adjunct not only to plant-medicine research but to virtually every field of science. Medicinal plant researchers can increase the precision and utility of their investigations by following sound practices with respect to botanical

  15. Proposed revised nomenclature for transfusion-related acute lung injury.

    PubMed

    Toy, Pearl; Kleinman, Steven H; Looney, Mark R

    2017-03-01

    A decade ago, definitions of "transfusionߚrelated acute lung injury (TRALI)" and "possible TRALI" were standardized for research and clinical diagnosis. Since then, evidence has confirmed that TRALI is often due to transfusion of white blood cell antibodies to at-risk patients, and the term "TRALI, antibody mediated" is appropriate for such cases. Other TRALI cases are non-antibody mediated. Because specific, nonantibody transfusion factors have not yet been confirmed to cause TRALI in humans, the general term "TRALI, non-antibody mediated" is appropriate for such cases. In contrast, evidence is against possible TRALI being due to transfusion with the more likely cause of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) being the alternative ARDS risk factor present in these patients. We propose to drop the misleading term "possible TRALI" and to rename this category of cases as "transfused ARDS." These nomenclature updates will more accurately categorize ARDS cases that develop after transfusion. © 2016 AABB.

  16. A proposal to rationalize within-species plant virus nomenclature: benefits and implications of inaction.

    PubMed

    Jones, Roger A C; Kehoe, Monica A

    2016-07-01

    Current approaches used to name within-species, plant virus phylogenetic groups are often misleading and illogical. They involve names based on biological properties, sequence differences and geographical, country or place-association designations, or any combination of these. This type of nomenclature is becoming increasingly unsustainable as numbers of sequences of the same virus from new host species and different parts of the world increase. Moreover, this increase is accelerating as world trade and agriculture expand, and climate change progresses. Serious consequences for virus research and disease management might arise from incorrect assumptions made when current within-species phylogenetic group names incorrectly identify properties of group members. This could result in development of molecular tools that incorrectly target dangerous virus strains, potentially leading to unjustified impediments to international trade or failure to prevent such strains being introduced to countries, regions or continents formerly free of them. Dangerous strains might be missed or misdiagnosed by diagnostic laboratories and monitoring programs, and new cultivars with incorrect strain-specific resistances released. Incorrect deductions are possible during phylogenetic analysis of plant virus sequences and errors from strain misidentification during molecular and biological virus research activities. A nomenclature system for within-species plant virus phylogenetic group names is needed which avoids such problems. We suggest replacing all other naming approaches with Latinized numerals, restricting biologically based names only to biological strains and removing geographically based names altogether. Our recommendations have implications for biosecurity authorities, diagnostic laboratories, disease-management programs, plant breeders and researchers.

  17. Fuzzy pharmacology: theory and applications.

    PubMed

    Sproule, Beth A; Naranjo, Claudio A; Türksen, I Burhan

    2002-09-01

    Fuzzy pharmacology is a term coined to represent the application of fuzzy logic and fuzzy set theory to pharmacological problems. Fuzzy logic is the science of reasoning, thinking and inference that recognizes and uses the real world phenomenon that everything is a matter of degree. It is an extension of binary logic that is able to deal with complex systems because it does not require crisp definitions and distinctions for the system components. In pharmacology, fuzzy modeling has been used for the mechanical control of drug delivery in surgical settings, and work has begun evaluating its use in other pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic applications. Fuzzy pharmacology is an emerging field that, based on these initial explorations, warrants further investigation.

  18. NASA 2010 Pharmacology Evidence Review

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinberg, Susan

    2011-01-01

    In 2008, the Institute of Medicine reviewed NASA's Human Research Program Evidence in assessing the Pharmacology risk identified in NASA's Human Research Program Requirements Document (PRD). Since this review there was a major reorganization of the Pharmacology discipline within the HRP, as well as a re-evaluation of the Pharmacology evidence. This panel is being asked to review the latest version of the Pharmacology Evidence Report. Specifically, this panel will: (1) Appraise the descriptions of the human health-related risk in the HRP PRD. (2) Assess the relevance and comprehensiveness of the evidence in identifying potential threats to long-term space missions. (3) Assess the associated gaps in knowledge and identify additional areas for research as necessary.

  19. The World Health Organization Global Programme on AIDS proposal for standardization of HIV sequence nomenclature. WHO Network for HIV Isolation and Characterization.

    PubMed

    Korber, B T; Osmanov, S; Esparza, J; Myers, G

    1994-11-01

    The World Health Organization Global Programme on AIDS (WHO/GPA) is conducting a large-scale collaborative study of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) variation, based in four potential vaccine-trial site countries: Brazil, Rwanda, Thailand, and Uganda. Through the course of this study, it was crucial to keep track of certain attributes of the samples from which the viral nucleotide sequences were derived (e.g., country of origin and viral culture characterization), so that meaningful sequence comparisons could be made. Here we describe a system developed in the context of the WHO/GPA study that summarizes such critical attributes by representing them as standardized characters directly incorporated into sequence names. This nomenclature allows linkage of clinical, phenotypic, and geographic information with molecular data. We propose that other investigators involved in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) nucleotide sequencing efforts adopt a similar standardized sequence nomenclature to facilitate cross-study sequence comparison. HIV sequence data are being generated at an ever-increasing rate; directly coupled to this increase is our deepening understanding of biological parameters that influence or result from sequence variability. A standardized sequence nomenclature that includes relevant biological information would enable researchers to better utilize the growing body of sequence data, and enhance their ability to interpret the biological implications of their own data through facilitating comparisons with previously published work.

  20. Pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments for chronic pain in individuals with HIV: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Merlin, Jessica S.; Bulls, Hailey W.; Vucovich, Lee A.; Edelman, E. Jennifer; Starrels, Joanna L.

    2016-01-01

    Chronic pain occurs in as many as 85% of individuals with HIV and is associated with substantial functional impairment. Little guidance is available for HIV providers seeking to address their patients’ chronic pain. We conducted a systematic review to identify clinical trials and observational studies that examined the impact of pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic interventions on pain and/or functional outcomes among HIV-infected individuals with chronic pain in high-development countries. Eleven studies met inclusion criteria and were mostly low or very low quality. Seven examined pharmacologic interventions (gabapentin, pregabalin, capsaicin, analgesics including opioids) and four examined non-pharmacologic interventions (cognitive behavioral therapy, self-hypnosis, smoked cannabis). The only controlled studies with positive results were of capsaicin and cannabis, and had short-term follow-up (≤12 weeks). Among the seven studies of pharmacologic interventions, five had substantial pharmaceutical industry sponsorship. These findings highlight several important gaps in the HIV/chronic pain literature that require further research. PMID:27267445

  1. Nurse Practitioner Pharmacology Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waigandt, Alex; Chang, Jane

    A study compared the pharmacology training of nurse practitioner programs with medical and dental programs. Seventy-three schools in 14 states (40 nurse practitioner programs, 19 schools of medicine, and 14 schools of dentistry) were surveyed by mailed questionnaire about the number of hours devoted to the study of pharmacology. The major findings…

  2. Amyloid fibril proteins and amyloidosis: chemical identification and clinical classification International Society of Amyloidosis 2016 Nomenclature Guidelines.

    PubMed

    Sipe, Jean D; Benson, Merrill D; Buxbaum, Joel N; Ikeda, Shu-Ichi; Merlini, Giampaolo; Saraiva, Maria J M; Westermark, Per

    2016-12-01

    The Nomenclature Committee of the International Society of Amyloidosis (ISA) met during the XVth Symposium of the Society, 3 July-7 July 2016, Uppsala, Sweden, to assess and formulate recommendations for nomenclature for amyloid fibril proteins and the clinical classification of the amyloidoses. An amyloid fibril must exhibit affinity for Congo red and with green, yellow or orange birefringence when the Congo red-stained deposits are viewed with polarized light. While congophilia and birefringence remain the gold standard for demonstration of amyloid deposits, new staining and imaging techniques are proving useful. To be included in the nomenclature list, in addition to congophilia and birefringence, the chemical identity of the protein must be unambiguously characterized by protein sequence analysis when possible. In general, it is insufficient to identify a mutation in the gene of a candidate amyloid protein without confirming the variant changes in the amyloid fibril protein. Each distinct form of amyloidosis is uniquely characterized by the chemical identity of the amyloid fibril protein that deposits in the extracellular spaces of tissues and organs and gives rise to the disease syndrome. The fibril proteins are designated as protein A followed by a suffix that is an abbreviation of the parent or precursor protein name. To date, there are 36 known extracellular fibril proteins in humans, 2 of which are iatrogenic in nature and 9 of which have also been identified in animals. Two newly recognized fibril proteins, AApoCII derived from apolipoprotein CII and AApoCIII derived from apolipoprotein CIII, have been added. AApoCII amyloidosis and AApoCIII amyloidosis are hereditary systemic amyloidoses. Intracellular protein inclusions displaying some of the properties of amyloid, "intracellular amyloid" have been reported. Two proteins which were previously characterized as intracellular inclusions, tau and α-synuclein, are now recognized to form extracellular

  3. ExplorEnz: a MySQL database of the IUBMB enzyme nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    McDonald, Andrew G; Boyce, Sinéad; Moss, Gerard P; Dixon, Henry BF; Tipton, Keith F

    2007-01-01

    Background We describe the database ExplorEnz, which is the primary repository for EC numbers and enzyme data that are being curated on behalf of the IUBMB. The enzyme nomenclature is incorporated into many other resources, including the ExPASy-ENZYME, BRENDA and KEGG bioinformatics databases. Description The data, which are stored in a MySQL database, preserve the formatting of chemical and enzyme names. A simple, easy to use, web-based query interface is provided, along with an advanced search engine for more complex queries. The database is publicly available at . The data are available for download as SQL and XML files via FTP. Conclusion ExplorEnz has powerful and flexible search capabilities and provides the scientific community with the most up-to-date version of the IUBMB Enzyme List. PMID:17662133

  4. ExplorEnz: a MySQL database of the IUBMB enzyme nomenclature.

    PubMed

    McDonald, Andrew G; Boyce, Sinéad; Moss, Gerard P; Dixon, Henry B F; Tipton, Keith F

    2007-07-27

    We describe the database ExplorEnz, which is the primary repository for EC numbers and enzyme data that are being curated on behalf of the IUBMB. The enzyme nomenclature is incorporated into many other resources, including the ExPASy-ENZYME, BRENDA and KEGG bioinformatics databases. The data, which are stored in a MySQL database, preserve the formatting of chemical and enzyme names. A simple, easy to use, web-based query interface is provided, along with an advanced search engine for more complex queries. The database is publicly available at http://www.enzyme-database.org. The data are available for download as SQL and XML files via FTP. ExplorEnz has powerful and flexible search capabilities and provides the scientific community with the most up-to-date version of the IUBMB Enzyme List.

  5. Recommendations for standardised description of, and nomenclature concerning, oxidatively damaged nucleobases in DNA

    PubMed Central

    Cooke, Marcus S.; Loft, Steffen; Olinski, Ryszard; Evans, Mark D.; Bialkowski, Karol; Wagner, J. Richard; Dedon, Peter C.; Møller, Peter; Greenberg, Marc M.; Cadet, Jean

    2013-01-01

    The field of oxidative stress, and the study of oxidatively damaged DNA, in particular, is a subject of intense, and growing interest. This has, in part, benefited from the availability of kits from commercial suppliers which are advertised as reporting on markers of oxidative stress. Such widespread use has inevitably led to an increase in the number of concerns, amongst experts in the field, editors and referees, over appropriateness of terminology and methodology. Thus, the widely used term “oxidative DNA damage” is misleading as it implies that the damage, i.e. the lesion per se, is oxidative and thus capable of oxidising other substrates. We would encourage the use of such terms as ‘oxidatively damaged DNA’, ‘oxidatively generated DNA damage’, ‘oxidatively-derived damage to DNA’ or ‘oxidation-induced DNA damage’ to describe the consequence of the interaction of reactive oxygen species with DNA. One of the most studied nucleic acid-derived biomarkers of oxidative stress is 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-oxodG). Yet, in the literature, this compound has been referred to using a number of different terms, sometimes leading to confusion over the designation of the modified nucleobase or (2′-deoxy)ribonucleoside. Standardisation of nomenclature would not only simplify literature searches, but also clarify the lesion in question. Herein, we provide justification for our preferred nomenclature, and suggest a number of steps by which we may work towards standardisation of calibration, and with it improved inter-laboratory agreement, for assays of 8-oxodG, in order to achieve accurate measurements. PMID:20235554

  6. Pharmacology for the Psychotherapist.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goldenberg, Myron Michael

    This book covers those areas of pharmacology that are of importance and interest to the psychotherapist. The 1st chapter introduces the various types of drugs. The 2nd chapter presents an overview of pharmacology and its principles. The 3rd chapter reviews aspects of the human body of importance to understanding the workings of psychotropic drugs.…

  7. Finnish nurses' and nursing students' pharmacological skills.

    PubMed

    Grandell-Niemi, Heidi; Hupli, Maija; Leino-Kilpi, Helena; Puukka, Pauli

    2005-07-01

    PURPOSES AND OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to investigate the pharmacological skills of Finnish nurses and graduating nursing students, to determine how pharmacological skills are related to background factors and to identify differences between nurses and students and, finally, to examine how the instrument used, the Medication Calculation Skills Test, works. Pharmacology is a relevant and topical subject. In several studies, however, pharmacological skills of nurses and nursing students have been found insufficient. In addition, pharmacology as a subject is found to be difficult for both nursing students and nurses. The study was evaluative in nature; the data were collected using the Medication Calculation Skills Test, developed for the purposes of this study. The instrument was used to gather information on background factors and self-rated pharmacological and mathematical skills and to test actual skills in these areas. Results concerning pharmacological skills are reported in this paper. The maximum Medication Calculation Skills Test score was 24 points. The mean score for nurses was 18.6 and that for students 16.3. Half of (50%) the students attained a score of 67% and 57% of nurses attained a score of 79%. Nurses and students had some deficiencies in their pharmacological skills. Nurses had better pharmacological skills than students according to both self-ratings and actual performance on the test. It is vitally important that nurses have adequate pharmacological skills to administer medicines correctly. This study showed that the Medication Calculation Skills Test seems to work well in measuring pharmacological skills, even though it needs further evaluation. Findings from this study can be used when planning the nursing curriculum and further education for Registered Nurses.

  8. Pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments for major depressive disorder: review of systematic reviews

    PubMed Central

    Gartlehner, Gerald; Wagner, Gernot; Matyas, Nina; Titscher, Viktoria; Greimel, Judith; Lux, Linda; Gaynes, Bradley N; Viswanathan, Meera; Patel, Sheila; Lohr, Kathleen N

    2017-01-01

    Objectives This study aims to summarise the evidence on more than 140 pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options for major depressive disorder (MDD) and to evaluate the confidence that patients and clinicians can have in the underlying science about their effects. Design This is a review of systematic reviews. Data sources This study used MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO and Epistemonikos from 2011 up to February 2017 for systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials in adult patients with acute-phase MDD. Methods We dually reviewed abstracts and full-text articles, rated the risk of bias of eligible systematic reviews and graded the strength of evidence. Results Nineteen systematic reviews provided data on 28 comparisons of interest. For general efficacy, only second-generation antidepressants were supported with high strength evidence, presenting small beneficial treatment effects (standardised mean difference: −0.35; 95% CI −0.31 to −0.38), and a statistically significantly higher rate of discontinuation because of adverse events than patients on placebo (relative risk (RR) 1.88; 95% CI 1.0 to 3.28). Only cognitive behavioural therapy is supported by reliable evidence (moderate strength of evidence) to produce responses to treatment similar to those of second-generation antidepressants (45.5% vs 44.2%; RR 1.10; 95% CI 0.93 to 1.30). All remaining comparisons of non-pharmacological treatments with second-generation antidepressants either led to inconclusive results or had substantial methodological shortcomings (low or insufficient strength of evidence). Conclusions In contrast to pharmacological treatments, the majority of non-pharmacological interventions for treating patients with MDD are not evidence based. For patients with strong preferences against pharmacological treatments, clinicians should focus on therapies that have been compared directly with antidepressants. Trial registration number International

  9. The analytical calibration in (bio)imaging/mapping of the metallic elements in biological samples--definitions, nomenclature and strategies: state of the art.

    PubMed

    Jurowski, Kamil; Buszewski, Bogusław; Piekoszewski, Wojciech

    2015-01-01

    Nowadays, studies related to the distribution of metallic elements in biological samples are one of the most important issues. There are many articles dedicated to specific analytical atomic spectrometry techniques used for mapping/(bio)imaging the metallic elements in various kinds of biological samples. However, in such literature, there is a lack of articles dedicated to reviewing calibration strategies, and their problems, nomenclature, definitions, ways and methods used to obtain quantitative distribution maps. The aim of this article was to characterize the analytical calibration in the (bio)imaging/mapping of the metallic elements in biological samples including (1) nomenclature; (2) definitions, and (3) selected and sophisticated, examples of calibration strategies with analytical calibration procedures applied in the different analytical methods currently used to study an element's distribution in biological samples/materials such as LA ICP-MS, SIMS, EDS, XRF and others. The main emphasis was placed on the procedures and methodology of the analytical calibration strategy. Additionally, the aim of this work is to systematize the nomenclature for the calibration terms: analytical calibration, analytical calibration method, analytical calibration procedure and analytical calibration strategy. The authors also want to popularize the division of calibration methods that are different than those hitherto used. This article is the first work in literature that refers to and emphasizes many different and complex aspects of analytical calibration problems in studies related to (bio)imaging/mapping metallic elements in different kinds of biological samples. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. PHARMACOLOGY PART 2: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMACOKINETICS.

    PubMed

    Currie, Geoffrey M

    2018-05-03

    Pharmacology principles provide key understanding that underpins the clinical and research roles of nuclear medicine practitioners. This article is the second in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will build on the introductory concepts, terminology and principles of pharmacodynamics explored in the first article in the series. Specifically, this article will focus on the basic principles associated with pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the final article will address drugs in the emergency trolley. Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  11. Neuropathic pain in people with cancer (part 2): pharmacological and non-pharmacological management.

    PubMed

    Taverner, Tarnia

    2015-08-01

    The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the management of neuropathic pain associated with cancer and to provide helpful clinical advice for nurses working with patients who may have neuropathic pain. While cancer pain is a mixed-mechanism pain, this article will focus only on neuropathic pain management. The impact of neuropathic pain on patients' quality of life is great and while many patients recover from their cancer, a significant number continue to suffer from a neuropathic pain syndrome. Management of neuropathic pain is significantly different from management of nociceptive pain with respect to pharmacological and non-pharmacological strategies. Neuropathic pain is complex, and as such requires complex management using pharmacological as well as non-pharmacological approaches. Specific drugs for neuropathic pain may be effective for some patients, but not all; therefore, ongoing and comprehensive assessment and management are required. Furthermore, these patients may require trials of several drugs before they find one that works for them. It is important for nurses to understand neuropathic pain, its manifestation, impact on quality of life and management when nursing patients with neuropathic pain associated with cancer.

  12. The Pharmacology of Regenerative Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Saul, Justin M.; Furth, Mark E.; Andersson, Karl-Erik

    2013-01-01

    Regenerative medicine is a rapidly evolving multidisciplinary, translational research enterprise whose explicit purpose is to advance technologies for the repair and replacement of damaged cells, tissues, and organs. Scientific progress in the field has been steady and expectations for its robust clinical application continue to rise. The major thesis of this review is that the pharmacological sciences will contribute critically to the accelerated translational progress and clinical utility of regenerative medicine technologies. In 2007, we coined the phrase “regenerative pharmacology” to describe the enormous possibilities that could occur at the interface between pharmacology, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering. The operational definition of regenerative pharmacology is “the application of pharmacological sciences to accelerate, optimize, and characterize (either in vitro or in vivo) the development, maturation, and function of bioengineered and regenerating tissues.” As such, regenerative pharmacology seeks to cure disease through restoration of tissue/organ function. This strategy is distinct from standard pharmacotherapy, which is often limited to the amelioration of symptoms. Our goal here is to get pharmacologists more involved in this field of research by exposing them to the tools, opportunities, challenges, and interdisciplinary expertise that will be required to ensure awareness and galvanize involvement. To this end, we illustrate ways in which the pharmacological sciences can drive future innovations in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering and thus help to revolutionize the discovery of curative therapeutics. Hopefully, the broad foundational knowledge provided herein will spark sustained conversations among experts in diverse fields of scientific research to the benefit of all. PMID:23818131

  13. Interprofessional education in pharmacology using high-fidelity simulation.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Brittney A; Seefeldt, Teresa M; Ngorsuraches, Surachat; Hendrickx, Lori D; Lubeck, Paula M; Farver, Debra K; Heins, Jodi R

    2017-11-01

    This study examined the feasibility of an interprofessional high-fidelity pharmacology simulation and its impact on pharmacy and nursing students' perceptions of interprofessionalism and pharmacology knowledge. Pharmacy and nursing students participated in a pharmacology simulation using a high-fidelity patient simulator. Faculty-facilitated debriefing included discussion of the case and collaboration. To determine the impact of the activity on students' perceptions of interprofessionalism and their ability to apply pharmacology knowledge, surveys were administered to students before and after the simulation. Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams scale (ATHCT) scores improved from 4.55 to 4.72 on a scale of 1-6 (p = 0.005). Almost all (over 90%) of the students stated their pharmacology knowledge and their ability to apply that knowledge improved following the simulation. A simulation in pharmacology is feasible and favorably affected students' interprofessionalism and pharmacology knowledge perceptions. Pharmacology is a core science course required by multiple health professions in early program curricula, making it favorable for incorporation of interprofessional learning experiences. However, reports of high-fidelity interprofessional simulation in pharmacology courses are limited. This manuscript contributes to the literature in the field of interprofessional education by demonstrating that an interprofessional simulation in pharmacology is feasible and can favorably affect students' perceptions of interprofessionalism. This manuscript provides an example of a pharmacology interprofessional simulation that faculty in other programs can use to build similar educational activities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Elucidating Article 45.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: A dichotomous key for the determination of subspecific or infrasubspecific rank

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    We present an overview of the difficulties sometimes encountered when determining whether a published name following a binomen is available or infrasubspecific and unavailable, following Article 45.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999). We propose a dichotomous key that...

  15. Chromosome Nomenclature and Cytological Characterization of Sacred Lotus.

    PubMed

    Meng, Zhuang; Hu, Xiaoxu; Zhang, Zhiliang; Li, Zhanjie; Lin, Qingfang; Yang, Mei; Yang, Pingfang; Ming, Ray; Yu, Qingyi; Wang, Kai

    2017-01-01

    Sacred lotus is a basal eudicot plant that has been cultivated in Asia for over 7,000 years for its agricultural, ornamental, religious, and medicinal importance. A notable characteristic of lotus is the seed longevity. Extensive endeavors have been devoted to dissect its genome assembly, including the variety China Antique, which germinated from a 1,300-year-old seed. Here, cytogenetic markers representing the 10 largest megascaffolds, which constitute approximately 70% of the lotus genome assembly, were developed. These 10 megascaffolds were then anchored to the corresponding lotus chromosomes by fluorescence in situ hybridization using these cytogenetic markers, and a set of chromosome-specific cytogenetic markers that could unambiguously identify each of the 8 chromosomes was generated. Karyotyping was conducted, and a nomenclature based on chromosomal length was established for the 8 chromosomes of China Antique. Comparative karyotyping revealed relatively conserved chromosomal structures between China Antique and 3 modern cultivars. Interestingly, significant variations in the copy number of 45S rDNA were detected between China Antique and modern cultivars. Our results provide a comprehensive view on the chromosomal structure of sacred lotus and will facilitate further studies and the genome assembly of lotus. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  16. Phylogeny, identification and nomenclature of the genus Aspergillus

    PubMed Central

    Samson, R.A.; Visagie, C.M.; Houbraken, J.; Hong, S.-B.; Hubka, V.; Klaassen, C.H.W.; Perrone, G.; Seifert, K.A.; Susca, A.; Tanney, J.B.; Varga, J.; Kocsubé, S.; Szigeti, G.; Yaguchi, T.; Frisvad, J.C.

    2014-01-01

    Aspergillus comprises a diverse group of species based on morphological, physiological and phylogenetic characters, which significantly impact biotechnology, food production, indoor environments and human health. Aspergillus was traditionally associated with nine teleomorph genera, but phylogenetic data suggest that together with genera such as Polypaecilum, Phialosimplex, Dichotomomyces and Cristaspora, Aspergillus forms a monophyletic clade closely related to Penicillium. Changes in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi and plants resulted in the move to one name per species, meaning that a decision had to be made whether to keep Aspergillus as one big genus or to split it into several smaller genera. The International Commission of Penicillium and Aspergillus decided to keep Aspergillus instead of using smaller genera. In this paper, we present the arguments for this decision. We introduce new combinations for accepted species presently lacking an Aspergillus name and provide an updated accepted species list for the genus, now containing 339 species. To add to the scientific value of the list, we include information about living ex-type culture collection numbers and GenBank accession numbers for available representative ITS, calmodulin, β-tubulin and RPB2 sequences. In addition, we recommend a standard working technique for Aspergillus and propose calmodulin as a secondary identification marker. PMID:25492982

  17. Labor Dystocia: Uses of Related Nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Neal, Jeremy L; Ryan, Sharon L; Lowe, Nancy K; Schorn, Mavis N; Buxton, Margaret; Holley, Sharon L; Wilson-Liverman, Angela M

    2015-01-01

    Labor dystocia (slow or difficult labor or birth) is the most commonly diagnosed aberration of labor and the most frequently documented indication for primary cesarean birth. Yet, dystocia remains a poorly specified diagnostic category, with determinations often varying widely among clinicians. The primary aims of this review are to 1) summarize definitions of active labor and dystocia, as put forth by leading professional obstetric and midwifery organizations in world regions wherein English is the majority language and 2) describe the use of dystocia and related terms in contemporary research studies. Major national midwifery and obstetric organizations from qualifying United Nations-member sovereign nations and international organizations were searched to identify guidelines providing definitions of active labor and dystocia or related terms. Research studies (2000-2013) were systematically identified via PubMed, MEDLINE, and CINAHL searches to describe the use of dystocia and related terms in contemporary scientific publications. Only 6 organizational guidelines defined dystocia or related terms. Few research teams (n = 25 publications) defined dystocia-related terms with nonambiguous clinical parameters that can be applied prospectively. There is heterogeneity in the nomenclature used to describe dystocia, and when a similar term is shared between guidelines or research publications, the underlying definition of that term is sometimes inconsistent between documents. Failure to define dystocia in evidence-based, well-described, clinically meaningful terms that are widely acceptable to and reproducible among clinicians and researchers is concerning at both national and global levels. This failure is particularly problematic in light of the major contribution of this diagnosis to primary cesarean birth rates. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  18. NOMENCLATURAL NOTES ON THE EURYTOMIDS (CHALCIDOIDEA: EURYTOMIDAE) DESCRIBED BY JEAN BRÈTHES HOUSED IN MUSEO ARGENTINO DE CIENCIAS NATURALES “BERNARDINO RIVADAVIA”

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Nine species parasitic eurytomid wasps described by Jean Brèthes and deposited in the National Insect Collection of Argentina, Buenos Aires are treated and their nomenclature stabilized. The condition of the type material is described. Lectotypes are designated for Prodecatoma parodii, Eudecatoma o...

  19. Carotenoids and Retinoids: Nomenclature, Chemistry, and Analysis.

    PubMed

    Harrison, Earl H; Curley, Robert W

    Carotenoids are polyenes synthesized in plants and certain microorganisms and are pigments used by plants and animals in various physiological processes. Some of the over 600 known carotenoids are capable of metabolic conversion to the essential nutrient vitamin A (retinol) in higher animals. Vitamin A also gives rise to a number of other metabolites which, along with their analogs, are known as retinoids. To facilitate discussion about these important molecules, a nomenclature is required to identify specific substances. The generally accepted rules for naming these important molecules have been agreed to by various Commissions of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and International Union of Biochemistry. These naming conventions are explained along with comparisons to more systematic naming rules that apply for these organic chemicals. Identification of the carotenoids and retinoids has been advanced by their chemical syntheses, and here, both classical and modern methods for synthesis of these molecules, as well as their analogs, are described. Because of their importance in biological systems, sensitive methods for the detection and quantification of these compounds from various sources have been essential. Early analyses that relied on liquid adsorption and partition chromatography have given way to high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled with various detection methods. The development of HPLC coupled to mass spectrometry, particularly LC/MS-MS with Multiple Reaction Monitoring, has resulted in the greatest sensitivity and specificity in these analyses.

  20. Anatomy of the Volar Retinacular Elements of the Hand: A Unified Nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Godfrey, Jenna; Rayan, Ghazi M

    2018-03-01

    Many investigators have described the anatomy of the volar retinacular structures of the hand over the last 60 years. As a result, multiple terms have been assigned to 1 anatomical structure and 1 name designated to more than 1 structure. Our purpose is to review the detailed anatomy and key components of the volar retinacular elements of the hand, their etymology, and their most recent descriptions. The objective also is to organize these structures into systems, which can be helpful for learners to assimilate into a practical anatomical guide. Lastly, the goal is to create a common nomenclature for identifying the volar retinacular structures of the hand in order to facilitate clear communication about them across languages. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. A Standard Nomenclature for Referencing and Authentication of Pluripotent Stem Cells.

    PubMed

    Kurtz, Andreas; Seltmann, Stefanie; Bairoch, Amos; Bittner, Marie-Sophie; Bruce, Kevin; Capes-Davis, Amanda; Clarke, Laura; Crook, Jeremy M; Daheron, Laurence; Dewender, Johannes; Faulconbridge, Adam; Fujibuchi, Wataru; Gutteridge, Alexander; Hei, Derek J; Kim, Yong-Ou; Kim, Jung-Hyun; Kokocinski, Anja Kolb-; Lekschas, Fritz; Lomax, Geoffrey P; Loring, Jeanne F; Ludwig, Tenneille; Mah, Nancy; Matsui, Tohru; Müller, Robert; Parkinson, Helen; Sheldon, Michael; Smith, Kelly; Stachelscheid, Harald; Stacey, Glyn; Streeter, Ian; Veiga, Anna; Xu, Ren-He

    2018-01-09

    Unambiguous cell line authentication is essential to avoid loss of association between data and cells. The risk for loss of references increases with the rapidity that new human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC) lines are generated, exchanged, and implemented. Ideally, a single name should be used as a generally applied reference for each cell line to access and unify cell-related information across publications, cell banks, cell registries, and databases and to ensure scientific reproducibility. We discuss the needs and requirements for such a unique identifier and implement a standard nomenclature for hPSCs, which can be automatically generated and registered by the human pluripotent stem cell registry (hPSCreg). To avoid ambiguities in PSC-line referencing, we strongly urge publishers to demand registration and use of the standard name when publishing research based on hPSC lines. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Pharmacology in space. Part 2. Controlling motion sickness

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lathers, C. M.; Charles, J. B.; Bungo, M. W.

    1989-01-01

    In this second article in the two-part series on pharmacology in space, Claire Lathers and colleagues discuss the pharmacology of drugs used to control motion sickness in space and note that the pharmacology of the 'ideal' agent has yet to be worked out. That motion sickness may impair the pharmacological action of a drug by interfering with its absorption and distribution because of alteration of physiology is a problem unique to pharmacology in space. The authors comment on the problem of designing suitable ground-based studies to evaluate the pharmacological effect of drugs to be used in space and discuss the use of salivary samples collected during space flight to allow pharmacokinetic evaluations necessary for non-invasive clinical drug monitoring.

  3. MOLECULAR BIOLOGY OF PHARMACOLOGIC VITREOLYSIS

    PubMed Central

    Sebag, J

    2005-01-01

    Purpose Pharmacologic vitreolysis is a promising new therapy to improve vitreoretinal surgery and, ultimately, prevent disease by mitigating the contribution of vitreous to retinopathy. The mechanism of action of the agents being developed for pharmacologic vitreolysis remains unclear. The experiments in this thesis test the hypothesis that pharmacologic vitreolysis agents break down vitreous macromolecules into smaller particles. Methods Microplasmin, hyaluronidase, and collagenase were tested in solutions of hyaluronan (n = 15) and collagen (n = 15), explants of bovine vitreous (n = 15), dissected porcine vitreous (n = 9), and intact porcine eyes (n = 18). There were also 21 controls, totaling 93 specimens. Vitreous macromolecule sizes were determined with dynamic light scattering (DLS), performed at intervals from 10 minutes to 24 hours following injections. Results Studies of DLS reproducibility showed a coefficient of variance of less than 3.3% in all but one specimen. Microplasmin decreased porcine vitreous macromolecule size in a dose-dependent manner (correlation coefficient r = 0.93), with an 85% reduction after a 30-minute exposure to the maximum dose. Hyaluronidase decreased vitreous macromolecule size in hyaluronan solutions by 50% at high (1,000 IU/mL, P < .001) doses and in bovine vitreous by 20%. Collagenase decreased macromolecule size in collagen solutions by 20% at both low (1 mg/mL, P < .001) and high (10 mg/mL, P < .001) doses, but not at all in bovine vitreous. Conclusions Pharmacologic vitreolysis can induce a significant decrease in vitreous macromolecule sizes, depending upon the pharmacologic agents and the experimental model. Broad-spectrum agents were more effective than substrate-specific enzymes. Defining the molecular biology of pharmacologic vitreolysis has implications for surgical developments and may impact upon the design of clinical trials to induce prophylactic posterior vitreous detachment. PMID:17057814

  4. [Contribution of animal experimentation to pharmacology].

    PubMed

    Sassard, Jean; Hamon, Michel; Galibert, Francis

    2009-11-01

    Animal experimentation is of considerable importance in pharmacology and cannot yet be avoided when studying complex, highly integrated physiological functions. The use of animals has been drastically reduced in the classical phases of pharmacological research, for example when comparing several compounds belonging to the same pharmacological class. However, animal experiments remain crucial for generating and validating new therapeutic concepts. Three examples of such research, conducted in strict ethical conditions, will be used to illustrate the different ways in which animal experimentation has contributed to human therapeutics.

  5. Medical curriculum and pharmacology: An appraisal

    PubMed Central

    Haranath, P.S.R.K.

    2016-01-01

    Pharmacology was introduced with Western Medical Education in India in 1900s. RN Chopra was the first Professor of Pharmacology along with patient care in School of Tropical Medicine Calcutta. Now Pharmacologists do not have clinical care nor give laboratory services to hospitals. Medical Education advanced in the West in 1960s with more emphasis on Integrated Teaching and Student Self-study and less on didactic lectures. System Based Learning and Problem Based Learning reduced importance of individual subjects. Medical Council of India (MCI) has mandatory regulations with no major changes in the last 5 decades. Universities and Medical institutions have no freedom in teaching programs. In Pharmacology didactic lectures dominate teaching. Practicals started with Dispensing Pharmacy were later replaced with Experimental Pharmacology. At present after restrictions on animals for study practicals are converted to Theoretical Exercises on Prescription writing and Incompatibilities. Students study mostly before examinations with little influence of yearlong teaching. Suggestions in line with Western Countries: Reduce the course of Pharmacology to 6 months. Examinations should be completely Internal with frequent tests by Internal Examiners. MD (Therapeutics) course may be introduced to teach Pharmacology in first semester. MCI rules to be only advisory and not mandatory. Teaching Institutions should form an independent Association and have freedom in teaching programs. A Nonofficial National Board of Medical Examination has to be formed to conduct an Entrance Test for admissions to Medical College and a National test for each graduate before registration. PMID:28031600

  6. Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers - Current Perspectives.

    PubMed

    Sachdeva, Ankur; Kumar, Kuldip; Anand, Kuljeet Singh

    2015-07-01

    Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving. Cognitive dysfunctions are an integral part of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in healthy ageing. Cognitive Enhancers are molecules that help improve aspects of cognition like memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Recently, Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers have gained popularity as effective and safe alternative to various established drugs. Many of these Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers seem to be more efficacious compared to currently available Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers. This review describes and summarizes evidence on various Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers such as physical exercise, sleep, meditation and yoga, spirituality, nutrients, computer training, brain stimulation, and music. We also discuss their role in ageing and different neuro-psychiatric disorders, and current status of Cochrane database recommendations. We searched the Pubmed database for the articles and reviews having the terms 'non pharmacological and cognitive' in the title, published from 2000 till 2014. A total of 11 results displayed, out of which 10 were relevant to the review. These were selected and reviewed. Appropriate cross-references within the articles along with Cochrane reviews were also considered and studied.

  7. Development of Clinical Pharmacology in the Russian Federation.

    PubMed

    Petrov, V I; Kagramanyan, I N; Khokhlov, A L; Frolov, M U; Lileeva, E G

    2016-05-01

    The article aims to provide the history, organization, and approaches to clinical pharmacology in the Russian Federation. This article is based on major international and Russian documents, along with groundbreaking historical facts and scientific articles related to the development of modern clinical pharmacology the Russian Federation. Improving the quality of drug therapy is the main goal of clinical pharmacology in the Russian Federation. Decisions of the World Health Organization, scientific achievements, and the work of well-known scientists among the world community and in the Russian Federation have strongly influenced the development of clinical pharmacology the Russian Federation. Clinical pharmacology in the Russian Federation addresses a wide range of problems; it actively engages in modern scientific research, education; and clinical practice. Clinical pharmacologists participate in studies of new drugs and often have a specific area of expertise. The future development of clinical pharmacology in the Russian Federation will be related to improvements in training, refinement of the framework that regulates clinical pharmacologists, and the creation of clinical pharmacology laboratories with modern equipment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier HS Journals, Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Scleroderma: nomenclature, etiology, pathogenesis, prognosis, and treatments: facts and controversies.

    PubMed

    Fett, Nicole

    2013-01-01

    Scleroderma refers to a heterogeneous group of autoimmune fibrosing disorders. The nomenclature of scleroderma has changed dramatically in recent years, with morphea (localized scleroderma), limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis, diffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis, and systemic sclerosis sine scleroderma encompassing the currently accepted disease subtypes. Major advances have been made in the molecular studies of morphea and systemic sclerosis; however, their etiologies and pathogenesis remain incompletely understood. Although morphea and systemic sclerosis demonstrate activation of similar inflammatory and fibrotic pathways, important differences in signaling pathways and gene signatures indicate they are likely biologically distinct processes. Morphea can cause significant morbidity but does not affect mortality, whereas systemic sclerosis has the highest disease-specific mortality of all autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Treatment recommendations for morphea and systemic sclerosis are based on limited data and largely expert opinions. Current collaborative efforts in morphea and systemic sclerosis research will hopefully lead to better understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of these rare and varied diseases and improved treatment options. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  9. Statistical reporting of clinical pharmacology research.

    PubMed

    Ring, Arne; Schall, Robert; Loke, Yoon K; Day, Simon

    2017-06-01

    Research in clinical pharmacology covers a wide range of experiments, trials and investigations: clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses of drug usage after market approval, the investigation of pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic relationships, the search for mechanisms of action or for potential signals for efficacy and safety using biomarkers. Often these investigations are exploratory in nature, which has implications for the way the data should be analysed and presented. Here we summarize some of the statistical issues that are of particular importance in clinical pharmacology research. © 2017 The British Pharmacological Society.

  10. Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification.

    PubMed

    Sapone, Anna; Bai, Julio C; Ciacci, Carolina; Dolinsek, Jernej; Green, Peter H R; Hadjivassiliou, Marios; Kaukinen, Katri; Rostami, Kamran; Sanders, David S; Schumann, Michael; Ullrich, Reiner; Villalta, Danilo; Volta, Umberto; Catassi, Carlo; Fasano, Alessio

    2012-02-07

    A decade ago celiac disease was considered extremely rare outside Europe and, therefore, was almost completely ignored by health care professionals. In only 10 years, key milestones have moved celiac disease from obscurity into the popular spotlight worldwide. Now we are observing another interesting phenomenon that is generating great confusion among health care professionals. The number of individuals embracing a gluten-free diet (GFD) appears much higher than the projected number of celiac disease patients, fueling a global market of gluten-free products approaching $2.5 billion (US) in global sales in 2010. This trend is supported by the notion that, along with celiac disease, other conditions related to the ingestion of gluten have emerged as health care concerns. This review will summarize our current knowledge about the three main forms of gluten reactions: allergic (wheat allergy), autoimmune (celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and gluten ataxia) and possibly immune-mediated (gluten sensitivity), and also outline pathogenic, clinical and epidemiological differences and propose new nomenclature and classifications.

  11. Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    A decade ago celiac disease was considered extremely rare outside Europe and, therefore, was almost completely ignored by health care professionals. In only 10 years, key milestones have moved celiac disease from obscurity into the popular spotlight worldwide. Now we are observing another interesting phenomenon that is generating great confusion among health care professionals. The number of individuals embracing a gluten-free diet (GFD) appears much higher than the projected number of celiac disease patients, fueling a global market of gluten-free products approaching $2.5 billion (US) in global sales in 2010. This trend is supported by the notion that, along with celiac disease, other conditions related to the ingestion of gluten have emerged as health care concerns. This review will summarize our current knowledge about the three main forms of gluten reactions: allergic (wheat allergy), autoimmune (celiac disease, dermatitis herpetiformis and gluten ataxia) and possibly immune-mediated (gluten sensitivity), and also outline pathogenic, clinical and epidemiological differences and propose new nomenclature and classifications. PMID:22313950

  12. Pharmacological chaperoning: a primer on mechanism and pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Leidenheimer, Nancy J; Ryder, Katelyn G

    2014-05-01

    Approximately forty percent of diseases are attributable to protein misfolding, including those for which genetic mutation produces misfolding mutants. Intriguingly, many of these mutants are not terminally misfolded since native-like folding, and subsequent trafficking to functional locations, can be induced by target-specific, small molecules variably termed pharmacological chaperones, pharmacoperones, or pharmacochaperones (PCs). PC targets include enzymes, receptors, transporters, and ion channels, revealing the breadth of proteins that can be engaged by ligand-assisted folding. The purpose of this review is to provide an integrated primer of the diverse mechanisms and pharmacology of PCs. In this regard, we examine the structural mechanisms that underlie PC rescue of misfolding mutants, including the ability of PCs to act as surrogates for defective intramolecular interactions and, at the intermolecular level, overcome oligomerization deficiencies and dominant negative effects, as well as influence the subunit stoichiometry of heteropentameric receptors. Not surprisingly, PC-mediated structural correction of misfolding mutants normalizes interactions with molecular chaperones that participate in protein quality control and forward-trafficking. A variety of small molecules have proven to be efficacious PCs and the advantages and disadvantages of employing orthostatic antagonists, active-site inhibitors, orthostatic agonists, and allosteric modulator PCs are considered. Also examined is the possibility that several therapeutic agents may have unrecognized activity as PCs, and this chaperoning activity may mediate/contribute to therapeutic action and/or account for adverse effects. Lastly, we explore evidence that pharmacological chaperoning exploits intrinsic ligand-assisted folding mechanisms. Given the widespread applicability of PC rescue of mutants associated with protein folding disorders, both in vitro and in vivo, the therapeutic potential of PCs is vast

  13. Transdermal fentanyl: pharmacology and toxicology.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Lewis; Schwaner, Robert

    2009-12-01

    To evaluate the underlying pharmacology, safety, and misuse/abuse of transdermal fentanyl, one of the cornerstone pharmacotherapies for patients with chronic pain. Literature was identified through searches of Medline (PubMed) and several textbooks in the areas of pharmacology, toxicology, and pain management. A bibliographical review of articles identified by these searches was also performed. Search terms included combinations of the following: fentanyl, transdermal, patch, pharmacology, kinetics, toxicity, and poisoning. All pertinent clinical trials, retrospective studies, and case reports relevant to fentanyl pharmacology and transdermal fentanyl administered by any route and published in English were identified. Each was reviewed for data regarding the clinical pharmacology, abuse, misuse, and safety of transdermal fentanyl. Data from these studies and information from review articles and pharmaceutical prescribing information were included in this review. Fentanyl is a high-potency opioid that has many uses in the treatment of both acute and chronic pain. Intentional or unintentional misuse, as well as abuse, may lead to significant clinical consequences, including death. Both the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Health Canada have warned of potential pitfalls associated with transdermal fentanyl, although these have not been completely effective in preventing life-threatening adverse events and fatalities related to its inappropriate use. Clinically consequential adverse effects may occur unexpectedly with normal use of transdermal fentanyl, or if misused or abused. Misuse and therapeutic error may be largely preventable through better education at all levels for both the prescriber and patient. The prevention of intentional misuse or abuse may require regulatory intervention.

  14. PHARMACOLOGY PART 1: INTRODUCTION TO PHARMAOCLOGY AND PHARMACODYNAMICS.

    PubMed

    Currie, Geoffrey M

    2018-03-29

    There is an emerging need for greater understanding of pharmacology principles amongst technical staff. Indeed, the responsibility of dose preparation and administration, under any level of supervision, demands foundation understanding of pharmacology. This is true for radiopharmaceuticals, contrast media and pharmaceutical interventions / adjunctive medications. Regulation around the same might suggest a need to embed pharmacology theory in undergraduate education programs and there is a need to disseminate that same foundation understanding to practicing clinicians. Moreover, pharmacology foundations can provide key understanding of the principles that underpin quantitative techniques (e.g. pharmacokinetics). This article is the first in a series of articles that aims to enhance the understanding of pharmacological principles relevant to nuclear medicine. This article will deal with the introductory concepts, terminology and principles that underpin the concepts to be discussed in the remainder of the series. The second article will build on the pharmacodynamic principles examined in this article with a treatment of pharmacokinetics. Article 3 will outline pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in general nuclear medicine, the fourth pharmacology relevant to pharmaceutical interventions and adjunctive medications employed in nuclear cardiology, and the fifth the pharmacology related to contrast media associated with computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Copyright © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Inc.

  15. HFE gene polymorphism defined by sequence-based typing of the Brazilian population and a standardized nomenclature for HFE allele sequences.

    PubMed

    Campos, W N; Massaro, J D; Martinelli, A L C; Halliwell, J A; Marsh, S G E; Mendes-Junior, C T; Donadi, E A

    2017-10-01

    The HFE molecule controls iron uptake from gut, and defects in the molecule have been associated with iron overload, particularly in hereditary hemochromatosis. The HFE gene including both coding and boundary intronic regions were sequenced in 304 Brazilian individuals, encompassing healthy individuals and patients exhibiting hereditary or acquired iron overload. Six sites of variation were detected: (1) H63D C>G in exon 2, (2) IVS2 (+4) T>C in intron 2, (3) a C>G transversion in intron 3, (4) C282Y G>A in exon 4, (5) IVS4 (-44) T>C in intron 4, and (6) a new guanine deletion (G>del) in intron 5, which were used for haplotype inference. Nine HFE alleles were detected and six of these were officially named on the basis of the HLA Nomenclature, defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) Nomenclature Committee for Factors of the HLA System, and published via the IPD-IMGT/HLA website. Four alleles, HFE*001, *002, *003, and *004 exhibited variation within their exon sequences. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Constellation Pharmacology: A new paradigm for drug discovery

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt, Eric W.; Olivera, Baldomero M.

    2015-01-01

    Constellation Pharmacology is a cell-based high-content phenotypic-screening platform that utilizes subtype-selective pharmacological agents to elucidate the cell-specific combinations (“constellations”) of key signaling proteins that define specific cell types. Heterogeneous populations of native cells, in which the different individual cell types have been identified and characterized, are the foundation for this screening platform. Constellation Pharmacology is useful for screening small molecules or for deconvoluting complex mixtures of biologically-active natural products. This platform has been used to purify natural products and discover their molecular mechanisms. In the on-going development of Constellation Pharmacology, there is a positive-feedback loop between the pharmacological characterization of cell types and screening for new drug candidates. As Constellation Pharmacology is used to discover compounds with novel targeting-selectivity profiles, those new compounds then further help to elucidate the constellations of specific cell types, thereby increasing the content of this high-content platform. PMID:25562646

  17. Hydroides Gunnerus, 1768 (Annelida, Serpulidae) is feminine: a nomenclatural checklist of updated names

    PubMed Central

    Read, Geoffrey B.; ten Hove, Harry A.; Sun, Yanan; Kupriyanova, Elena K.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract As a service to taxonomists and ecologists using names in the well-known and species-rich ship-fouling serpulid genus Hydroides we present an update of all 107 non-synonymised scientific names, with additional information on Hydroides nomenclature, original names, etymologies, and type localities derived from original literature, and in accord with the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) database. An update is needed because the gender of genus Hydroides has from 1 January 2000 reverted to the original feminine, due to a change in the wording of International Code of Zoological Nomenclature which was overlooked at that time, and is contrary to the usage in practice of Hydroides as masculine which had started about 1992, although Code-required from the 1960s. We match 31 further original names of current WoRMS subjective junior synonyms to each non-synonymised name, and also report on the world distribution of the genus as illustrated by type localities of the valid names. We include notes on seven species inquirenda. The correct rendering is given of six names that have been altered for gender agreement for the first time herein. Hydroides gottfriedi nom. n. replaces junior homonym Hydroides rostrata Pillai, 1971. Currently there are 41 non-synonymised species-group names in Hydroides which should be gender invariant, and 23 names which would only change if moved to a neuter genus; the remaining 43 names are fully gender variable. Place-names (23), and personal names (16) make up more than a third (36%) of the species names, with most of the remainder (68) being descriptive of species character states, usually of operculum morphology (54). All species, except Hydroides norvegica (63°N), have type localities in shallow-water coastal locations in temperate to tropical waters below latitude 44°, with the highest number of new species (54) from the adjoining Western Pacific and Indian Ocean areas. The other concentration of new species (31) are those

  18. Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Pharmacological Ascorbate

    PubMed Central

    Cieslak, John A.; Cullen, Joseph J.

    2016-01-01

    The prognosis for patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer remains dismal, with less than 3% survival at 5 years. Recent studies have demonstrated that high-dose, intravenous pharmacological ascorbate (ascorbic acid, vitamin C) induces cytotoxicity and oxidative stress selectively in pancreatic cancer cells vs. normal cells, suggesting a promising new role of ascorbate as a therapeutic agent. At physiologic concentrations, ascorbate functions as a reducing agent and antioxidant. However, when pharmacological ascorbate is given intravenously, it is possible to achieve millimolar plasma concentration. At these pharmacological levels, and in the presence of catalytic metal ions, ascorbate can induce oxidative stress through the generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Recent in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated ascorbate oxidation occurs extracellularly, generating H2O2 flux into cells resulting in oxidative stress. Pharmacologic ascorbate also inhibits the growth of pancreatic tumor xenografts and displays synergistic cytotoxic effects when combined with gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer. Phase I trials of pharmacological ascorbate in pancreatic cancer patients have demonstrated safety and potential efficacy. In this chapter, we will review the mechanism of ascorbate-induced cytotoxicity, examine the use of pharmacological ascorbate in treatment and assess the current data supporting its potential as an adjuvant in pancreatic cancer. PMID:26201606

  19. Pharmacological management of sepsis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Fletcher, J.R.

    Systemic sepsis continues to be the most-difficult management problem in caring for the combat casualty. The complications of sepsis pervade all areas of injury to soldiers in the field, whether it is mechanical (missiles), thermal (burns), chemical, biological, or radiation injury. With the advent of tactical nuclear weapons, the problem of sepsis will be much higher in future wars than has previously been experienced through the world. The purpose of this chapter is a) to review the data suggesting pharmacological agents that may benefit the septic patient, and b) to emphasize the adjunctive therapies that should be explored in clinicalmore » trials. The pharmacological management of sepsis remains controversial. Most of the drugs utilized clinically treat the symptoms of the disease and are not necessarily directed at fundamental mechanisms that are known to be present in sepsis. A broad data base is emerging, indicating that NSAID should be used in human clinical trials. Prostaglandins are sensitive indicators of cellular injury and may be mediators for a number of vasoactive chemicals. Opiate antagonists and calcium channel blockers require more in-depth data; however, recent studies generate excitement for their potential use in the critically ill patient. Pharmacological effects of antibiotics, in concert with other drugs, suggest an entirely new approach to pharmacological treatment in sepsis. There is no doubt that new treatment modalities or adjunctive therapies must be utilized to alter the poor prognosis of severe sepsis that we have observed in the past 4 decades.« less

  20. Nature, nomenclature and taxonomy of obligate methanol utilizing strains.

    PubMed

    Cercel, M

    1999-01-01

    In a screening program, a number of different bacterial strains with the ability to utilize methanol as a sole carbon and energy source were isolated and described. They are well known methanol utilizing genera Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Micrococcus, Methylomonas or, on the contrary, the new, unknown genera and species of methylotrophic bacteria. In the last category, Acinetobacter and Alcaligenes are the new reported genera of organisms able to use methanol as a sole carbon and energy source. The present paper reports the very complex physiological and biochemical modifications when very versatile bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus are cultured on methanol and when the obligate methylotrophic state is compared with the facultative methylotrophic state of the same bacterial strain. Based on experiments and comparisons with literature data, it seems that Methylomonas methanica is the obligate methylotrophic state of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and that Acinetobacter calcoaceticus is the facultative methylotrophic state of Methylococcus capsulatus, an obligate methylotroph. The relationship of the obligate to the facultative and of the facultative to the obligate methylotrophy were established. These new methylotrophic genera and species, the profound physiological and biochemical modifications as well as the new data concerning nature, nomenclature and taxonomy of methanol utilizing bateria were reported for the first time in 1983.

  1. Recent advance in the pharmacology of dihydropyrimidinone.

    PubMed

    Wan, J-P; Pan, Y

    2012-04-01

    Dihydropyrimidinones (DHPMs) are a series of highly valuable small molecules possessing versatile pharmaceutical properties. Although the first one-pot synthesis of DHPMs had been reported more than 100 years ago, the fascinating achievement in DHPMs-based pharmacology during the past century promoted durative interests to the pharmacological and related studies of the scaffold, which lead to the discovery of many new biological functions of DHPMs. Recent pharmacological development on DHPMs-based molecules have been summarized in this review.

  2. Pharmacology Goes Concept-Based: Course Design, Implementation, and Evaluation.

    PubMed

    Lanz, Amelia; Davis, Rebecca G

    Although concept-based curricula are frequently discussed in the nursing education literature, little information exists to guide the development of a concept-based pharmacology course. Traditionally, nursing pharmacology courses are taught with an emphasis on drug class where a prototype drug serves as an exemplar. When transitioning pharmacology to a concept-based course, special considerations are in order. How can educators successfully integrate essential pharmacological content into a curriculum structured around nursing concepts? This article presents one approach to the design and implementation of a concept-based undergraduate pharmacology course. Planning methods, supportive teaching strategies, and course evaluation procedures are discussed.

  3. Revised Nomenclature for Avian Telencephalon and Some Related Brainstem Nuclei

    PubMed Central

    REINER, ANTON; PERKEL, DAVID J.; BRUCE, LAURA L.; BUTLER, ANN B.; CSILLAG, ANDRÁS; KUENZEL, WAYNE; MEDINA, LORETA; PAXINOS, GEORGE; SHIMIZU, TORU; STRIEDTER, GEORG; WILD, MARTIN; BALL, GREGORY F.; DURAND, SARAH; GÜTÜRKÜN, ONUR; LEE, DIANE W.; MELLO, CLAUDIO V.; POWERS, ALICE; WHITE, STEPHANIE A.; HOUGH, GERALD; KUBIKOVA, LUBICA; SMULDERS, TOM V.; WADA, KAZUHIRO; DUGAS-FORD, JENNIFER; HUSBAND, SCOTT; YAMAMOTO, KEIKO; YU, JING; SIANG, CONNIE; JARVIS, ERICH D.

    2008-01-01

    The standard nomenclature that has been used for many telencephalic and related brainstem structures in birds is based on flawed assumptions of homology to mammals. In particular, the outdated terminology implies that most of the avian telencephalon is a hypertrophied basal ganglia, when it is now clear that most of the avian telencephalon is neurochemically, hodologically, and functionally comparable to the mammalian neocortex, claustrum, and pallial amygdala (all of which derive from the pallial sector of the developing telencephalon). Recognizing that this promotes misunderstanding of the functional organization of avian brains and their evolutionary relationship to mammalian brains, avian brain specialists began discussions to rectify this problem, culminating in the Avian Brain Nomenclature Forum held at Duke University in July 2002, which approved a new terminology for avian telencephalon and some allied brainstem cell groups. Details of this new terminology are presented here, as is a rationale for each name change and evidence for any homologies implied by the new names. Revisions for the brainstem focused on vocal control, catecholaminergic, cholinergic, and basal ganglia-related nuclei. For example, the Forum recognized that the hypoglossal nucleus had been incorrectly identified as the nucleus intermedius in the Karten and Hodos (1967) pigeon brain atlas, and what was identified as the hypoglossal nucleus in that atlas should instead be called the supraspinal nucleus. The locus ceruleus of this and other avian atlases was noted to consist of a caudal noradrenergic part homologous to the mammalian locus coeruleus and a rostral region corresponding to the mammalian A8 dopaminergic cell group. The midbrain dopaminergic cell group in birds known as the nucleus tegmenti pedunculopontinus pars compacta was recognized as homologous to the mammalian substantia nigra pars compacta and was renamed accordingly; a group of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic neurons at

  4. Osteogenesis imperfecta: Clinical diagnosis, nomenclature and severity assessment

    PubMed Central

    Van Dijk, FS; Sillence, DO

    2014-01-01

    Recently, the genetic heterogeneity in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), proposed in 1979 by Sillence et al., has been confirmed with molecular genetic studies. At present, 17 genetic causes of OI and closely related disorders have been identified and it is expected that more will follow. Unlike most reviews that have been published in the last decade on the genetic causes and biochemical processes leading to OI, this review focuses on the clinical classification of OI and elaborates on the newly proposed OI classification from 2010, which returned to a descriptive and numerical grouping of five OI syndromic groups. The new OI nomenclature and the pre-and postnatal severity assessment introduced in this review, emphasize the importance of phenotyping in order to diagnose, classify, and assess severity of OI. This will provide patients and their families with insight into the probable course of the disorder and it will allow physicians to evaluate the effect of therapy. A careful clinical description in combination with knowledge of the specific molecular genetic cause is the starting point for development and assessment of therapy in patients with heritable disorders including OI. © 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial–NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. PMID:24715559

  5. Inferring 'weak spots' in phylogenetic trees: application to mosasauroid nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Madzia, Daniel; Cau, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    Mosasauroid squamates represented the apex predators within the Late Cretaceous marine and occasionally also freshwater ecosystems. Proper understanding of the origin of their ecological adaptations or paleobiogeographic dispersals requires adequate knowledge of their phylogeny. The studies assessing the position of mosasauroids on the squamate evolutionary tree and their origins have long given conflicting results. The phylogenetic relationships within Mosasauroidea, however, have experienced only little changes throughout the last decades. Considering the substantial improvements in the development of phylogenetic methodology that have undergone in recent years, resulting, among others, in numerous alterations in the phylogenetic hypotheses of other fossil amniotes, we test the robustness in our understanding of mosasauroid beginnings and their evolutionary history. We re-examined a data set that results from modifications assembled in the course of the last 20 years and performed multiple parsimony analyses and Bayesian tip-dating analysis. Following the inferred topologies and the 'weak spots' in the phylogeny of mosasauroids, we revise the nomenclature of the 'traditionally' recognized mosasauroid clades, to acknowledge the overall weakness among branches and the alternative topologies suggested previously, and discuss several factors that might have an impact on the differing phylogenetic hypotheses and their statistical support.

  6. [PROFESSOR VLADIMIR V. NIKOLAEV AND RUSSIAN PHARMACOLOGY.

    PubMed

    Bondarchuk, N G; Fisenko, V P

    2016-01-01

    Various stages of scientific research activity of Prof. Vladimir V. Nikolaev are analyzed. The importance of Prof. Nikolaev's discovery of the two-neuron parasympathetic nervous system and some new methods of pharmacological substances evaluation is shown. Prof. Nikolaev is known as the editor of the first USSR Pharmacopoeia. Peculiarities of pharmacology teaching at the First Moscow Medical institute under conditions of changing social demands are described. Successful research of Prof. Nikolaev with colleagues in studying new mechanisms of drug action and developing original pharmacological substances is summarized.

  7. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics: Past, Present, and Future.

    PubMed

    Waldman, S A; Terzic, A

    2017-03-01

    Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CPT), the definitive and timely source for advances in human therapeutics, transcends the drug discovery, development, regulation, and utilization continuum to catalyze, evolve, and disseminate discipline-transformative knowledge. Prioritized themes and multidisciplinary content drive the science and practice of clinical pharmacology, offering a trusted point of reference. An authoritative herald across global communities, CPT is a timeless information vehicle at the vanguard of discovery, translation, and application ushering therapeutic innovation into modern healthcare. © 2017 American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  8. The Jaw Adductor Muscle Complex in Teleostean Fishes: Evolution, Homologies and Revised Nomenclature (Osteichthyes: Actinopterygii)

    PubMed Central

    Datovo, Aléssio; Vari, Richard P.

    2013-01-01

    The infraclass Teleostei is a highly diversified group of bony fishes that encompasses 96% of all species of living fishes and almost half of extant vertebrates. Evolution of various morphological complexes in teleosts, particularly those involving soft anatomy, remains poorly understood. Notable among these problematic complexes is the adductor mandibulae, the muscle that provides the primary force for jaw adduction and mouth closure and whose architecture varies from a simple arrangement of two segments to an intricate complex of up to ten discrete subdivisions. The present study analyzed multiple morphological attributes of the adductor mandibulae in representatives of 53 of the 55 extant teleostean orders, as well as significant information from the literature in order to elucidate the homologies of the main subdivisions of this muscle. The traditional alphanumeric terminology applied to the four main divisions of the adductor mandibulae – A1, A2, A3, and Aω – patently fails to reflect homologous components of that muscle across the expanse of the Teleostei. Some features traditionally used as landmarks for identification of some divisions of the adductor mandibulae proved highly variable across the Teleostei; notably the insertion on the maxilla and the position of muscle components relative to the path of the ramus mandibularis trigeminus nerve. The evolutionary model of gain and loss of sections of the adductor mandibulae most commonly adopted under the alphanumeric system additionally proved ontogenetically incongruent and less parsimonious than a model of subdivision and coalescence of facial muscle sections. Results of the analysis demonstrate the impossibility of adapting the alphanumeric terminology so as to reflect homologous entities across the spectrum of teleosts. A new nomenclatural scheme is proposed in order to achieve congruence between homology and nomenclature of the adductor mandibulae components across the entire Teleostei. PMID

  9. A Narrative Review of Pharmacologic and Non-pharmacologic Interventions for Disorders of Consciousness Following Brain Injury in the Pediatric Population

    PubMed Central

    Evanson, Nathan K.; Paulson, Andrea L.; Kurowski, Brad G.

    2016-01-01

    Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is the most common cause of long-term disability in the United States. A significant proportion of children who experience a TBI will have moderate or severe injuries, which includes a period of decreased responsiveness. Both pharmacological and non-pharmacological modalities are used for treating disorders of consciousness after TBI in children. However, the evidence supporting the use of potential therapies is relatively scant, even in adults, and overall, there is a paucity of study in pediatrics. The goal of this review is to describe the state of the science for use of pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic interventions for disorders of consciousness in the pediatric population. PMID:27280064

  10. First Employment of British Pharmacology Graduates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hollingsworth, Michael; Markham, Anthony

    2006-01-01

    A survey was conducted in UK Universities to identify the employment of pharmacology graduates (BSc, MSc and PhD) 6 months after graduation in 2003. The aim was to provide data for the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) so they could offer advice to interested bodies and to University staff for careers information. 85% of 52 Universities…

  11. The Complete Set of Genes Encoding Major Intrinsic Proteins in Arabidopsis Provides a Framework for a New Nomenclature for Major Intrinsic Proteins in Plants1

    PubMed Central

    Johanson, Urban; Karlsson, Maria; Johansson, Ingela; Gustavsson, Sofia; Sjövall, Sara; Fraysse, Laure; Weig, Alfons R.; Kjellbom, Per

    2001-01-01

    Major intrinsic proteins (MIPs) facilitate the passive transport of small polar molecules across membranes. MIPs constitute a very old family of proteins and different forms have been found in all kinds of living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, animals, and plants. In the genomic sequence of Arabidopsis, we have identified 35 different MIP-encoding genes. Based on sequence similarity, these 35 proteins are divided into four different subfamilies: plasma membrane intrinsic proteins, tonoplast intrinsic proteins, NOD26-like intrinsic proteins also called NOD26-like MIPs, and the recently discovered small basic intrinsic proteins. In Arabidopsis, there are 13 plasma membrane intrinsic proteins, 10 tonoplast intrinsic proteins, nine NOD26-like intrinsic proteins, and three small basic intrinsic proteins. The gene structure in general is conserved within each subfamily, although there is a tendency to lose introns. Based on phylogenetic comparisons of maize (Zea mays) and Arabidopsis MIPs (AtMIPs), it is argued that the general intron patterns in the subfamilies were formed before the split of monocotyledons and dicotyledons. Although the gene structure is unique for each subfamily, there is a common pattern in how transmembrane helices are encoded on the exons in three of the subfamilies. The nomenclature for plant MIPs varies widely between different species but also between subfamilies in the same species. Based on the phylogeny of all AtMIPs, a new and more consistent nomenclature is proposed. The complete set of AtMIPs, together with the new nomenclature, will facilitate the isolation, classification, and labeling of plant MIPs from other species. PMID:11500536

  12. Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers – Current Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Kumar, Kuldip; Anand, Kuljeet Singh

    2015-01-01

    Cognition refers to the mental processes involved in thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem solving. Cognitive dysfunctions are an integral part of neuropsychiatric disorders as well as in healthy ageing. Cognitive Enhancers are molecules that help improve aspects of cognition like memory, intelligence, motivation, attention and concentration. Recently, Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers have gained popularity as effective and safe alternative to various established drugs. Many of these Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers seem to be more efficacious compared to currently available Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers. This review describes and summarizes evidence on various Non Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancers such as physical exercise, sleep, meditation and yoga, spirituality, nutrients, computer training, brain stimulation, and music. We also discuss their role in ageing and different neuro-psychiatric disorders, and current status of Cochrane database recommendations. We searched the Pubmed database for the articles and reviews having the terms ‘non pharmacological and cognitive’ in the title, published from 2000 till 2014. A total of 11 results displayed, out of which 10 were relevant to the review. These were selected and reviewed. Appropriate cross-references within the articles along with Cochrane reviews were also considered and studied. PMID:26393186

  13. Training in paediatric clinical pharmacology in the UK

    PubMed Central

    Choonara, Imti; Dewit, Odile; Harrop, Emily; Howarth, Sheila; Helms, Peter; Kanabar, Dipak; Lenney, Warren; Rylance, George; Vallance, Patrick

    2004-01-01

    Aims To produce a training programme in paediatric clinical pharmacology. Methods A working group, consisting of clinical pharmacologists (paediatric and adult), general paediatricians and the pharmaceutical industry was established to produce the training programme. Results Following a two year training programme in general paediatrics, a three year training programme in clinical pharmacology has been established. This includes one year of research in clinical pharmacology (paediatric or adult). The other two years involve training in different aspects of paediatric clinical pharmacology and general paediatrics. Conclusion The existence of a formal training programme should result in a significant increase in the number of paediatric clinical pharmacologists. PMID:15255806

  14. Nurses' knowledge of pharmacology behind drugs they commonly administer.

    PubMed

    Ndosi, Mwidimi E; Newell, Rob

    2009-02-01

    To determine if nurses had adequate pharmacology knowledge of the drugs they commonly administer. Literature suggests that nurses have insufficient pharmacology knowledge. We also know that nurses and teachers of pharmacology are not satisfied with the amount of pharmacology taught in preregistration programmes in the UK. There is a lack of primary research on nurses' knowledge of pharmacology for the purpose of drug administration. We used a non-experimental causal comparative and correlational design. We recruited a convenience sample of 42 nurses working in surgical wards of a foundation hospital in the North of England. Data were collected by structured interview and questionnaire methods. During the interview, the participants made a blinded selection of one out of four drugs they commonly administer and answered standard questions which focused on specific pharmacology knowledge. Their answers were given a score out of 10 (100%) to determine their actual pharmacology knowledge. The sample comprised of 18 (42.9%) junior nurses and 24 (57.1%) senior nurses. They had a median experience of 10.87 years postregistration. Their mean knowledge score was six ranging between two and nine (SD 1.9). Only 11 (26.1%) nurses scored eight or above and the majority 24 (57.2%) scored below seven, indicating inadequate knowledge. Knowledge of the mechanism of action and drug interactions was poor. There was a correlation between knowledge and experience. The results of this study suggest that nurses have inadequate knowledge of pharmacology. The results will contribute to the evidence of nurses' knowledge of pharmacology in the UK. This study supports the need for supplementary pharmacology education for nurses in clinical settings, focusing on common drugs they administer. This will increase nurses' knowledge and confidence in drug administration and safer medicines management.

  15. Genetic diversity of bat orthohepadnaviruses in China and a proposed new nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ling'en; Wu, Jianmin; Hu, Tingsong; Qin, Shaomin; Deng, Bo; Liu, Jinfeng; Zhang, Fuqiang; He, Biao; Tu, Changchun

    2018-05-26

    The orthohepadnaviruses, which include the major human pathogen hepatitis B virus, exist in a wide range of hosts. Since 2013, a large group of orthohepadnaviruses has been identified in bats worldwide and classified as 4 species within the genus Orthohepadnavirus. To further investigate orthohepadnaviruses in the Chinese bat population, 554 archived bat samples from 20 colonies covering 3 southern provinces were screened with results showing that 9 (1.6%) were positive. A systematic phylogenetic analysis has indicated the need for a new nomenclature for bat hepatitis B virus-like viruses: BtHBV, with the addition of 3 new species, one being divided into 6 genotypes. Viruses identified here shared 9.0-19.2% full genome divergence and classified into 3 different genotypes. This study illustrates the genetic diversity of orthohepadnaviruses in the Chinese bat population, and emphasizes need for further investigation of their public health significance. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Phylogenetic-based nomenclatural proposals for Ophiocordycipitaceae (Hypocreales) with new combinations in Tolypocladium.

    PubMed

    Quandt, C Alisha; Kepler, Ryan M; Gams, Walter; Araújo, João P M; Ban, Sayaka; Evans, Harry C; Hughes, David; Humber, Richard; Hywel-Jones, Nigel; Li, Zengzhi; Luangsa-Ard, J Jennifer; Rehner, Stephen A; Sanjuan, Tatiana; Sato, Hiroki; Shrestha, Bhushan; Sung, Gi-Ho; Yao, Yi-Jian; Zare, Rasoul; Spatafora, Joseph W

    2014-06-01

    Ophiocordycipitaceae is a diverse family comprising ecologically, economically, medicinally, and culturally important fungi. The family was recognized due to the polyphyly of the genus Cordyceps and the broad diversity of the mostly arthropod-pathogenic lineages of Hypocreales. The other two cordyceps-like families, Cordycipitaceae and Clavicipitaceae, will be revised taxonomically elsewhere. Historically, many species were placed in Cordyceps, but other genera have been described in this family as well, including several based on anamorphic features. Currently there are 24 generic names in use across both asexual and sexual life stages for species of Ophiocordycipitaceae. To reflect changes in Art. 59 in the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants (ICN), we propose to protect and to suppress names within Ophiocordycipitaceae, and to present taxonomic revisions in the genus Tolypocladium, based on rigorous and extensively sampled molecular phylogenetic analyses. When approaching this task, we considered the principles of priority, monophyly, minimizing taxonomic revisions, and the practical utility of these fungi within the wider biological research community.

  17. A review of traditional pharmacological uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacological activities of Tribulus terrestris.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Wenyi; Du, Yijie; Meng, Hong; Dong, Yinmao; Li, Li

    2017-07-11

    Tribulus terrestris L. (TT) is an annual plant of the family Zygophyllaceae that has been used for generations to energize, vitalize, and improve sexual function and physical performance in men. The fruits and roots of TT have been used as a folk medicine for thousands of years in China, India, Sudan, and Pakistan. Numerous bioactive phytochemicals, such as saponins and flavonoids, have been isolated and identified from TT that are responsible alone or in combination for various pharmacological activities. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the traditional applications, phytochemistry, pharmacology and overuse of TT and provides evidence for better medicinal usage of TT.

  18. [The Arabic pharmacology and the introduction to Europe: the background of the Arabic pharmacology - the legacy from Greece].

    PubMed

    Provençal, P

    2001-01-01

    When the Arabic-Islamic medicine evolved partly as a consequence of the wave of translations from mainly Greek medical books to Arabic in the 9th century the pharmacological works, which were available, were also translated. The books of Dioscurides and Galen on pharmacological matters became the decisive books of pharmacological translated literature and they formed the basis of the pharmacological understanding in the subsequent extensive literature on pharmacognosy and pharmacology written in Arabic. Nevertheless the Arabs united these two disciplines in a regular pharmacy and they evolved it as an independent discipline, which although attached to medicine was regarded as having its own praxis. The physicians and scientists rationalized and systematized their knowledge of medicinal plants and drugs and extended their knowledge by using original observations and research. Many books on medicaments were written, both as materia medica, i.e. records on simple drugs, and dispensatories, i.e. books on compounded drugs. These two kinds of books were always written separately as they were seen by the Arabs themselves as pertaining to two different subdisciplines, which meant that they were separated too in independent chapters or books in general Arabic works on medicine. When the extensive translations of Arabic medical literature to Latin took place in Italy and Spain in the 11th and 12th centuries, the Arabic pharmacological literature was of course also translated, and its decisive influence on later medieval European medical writings is easy to demonstrate. In the 18th century Peter Forsskaal was one of the first Europeans in the modern scientific tradition to collect and make notes on drugs used in Cairo and in Yemen.

  19. [The development of experimental pharmacology 1790-1850].

    PubMed

    Bickel, M H

    2000-01-01

    1. The use of drugs goes back to the origins of mankind. In historical times oral drug-lore became codified empiric drug theory (materia medica) and ultimately, in the 19th century, experimental pharmacology. The initiator of experimental pharmacology as an independent medical discipline is Rudolf Buchheim (1820-1879). This study traces the pathways leading to Buchheim and identifies his predecessors between 1790 and 1850. The history of empirical pharmacology and its major theories in Antiquity, the Middle Ages, and early modern times is summarized. For the 18th century an overview is given on early attempts at experimental testing of drug effects and on the new therapeutic systems and medical sects. 2. Many authors have dealt with the grievances of pharmacology and therapy between 1790 and 1850, among them chief representatives of contemporary medicine like the French Fourcroy, Bichat, Pinel, Alibert, Magendie, and the Germans Schönlein, Mitscherlich, Wunderlich, Henle, and Oesterlen. Their criticisms are a means for a better understanding of the situation. They cover the following aspects. Pharmacology is distorted by speculations on the causes of drug action and confusion with regard to terminology and indications. Drug actions are being tested with inadequate methods. An increase in the number of drugs is mistaken for an increase in knowledge. The statement is made that pharmacology is the least developed of all medical subjects. The critics point out that only a more developed chemistry, physiology, and etiology will allow a scientific pharmacology. The drug theories of the medical sects are likewise rejected. Polypharmacy, composite drugs, and absurd formulas are regarded with contempt. Aggressive drug therapy is repudiated, but this easily results in avoidance of drugs and in therapeutic nihilism. 3. In 1799 Johann Christian Reil elaborated his principles for a future pharmacology. Reil establishes the rules for clinical experiments on which a scientific

  20. Tissue-Specific Analysis of Pharmacological Pathways.

    PubMed

    Hao, Yun; Quinnies, Kayla; Realubit, Ronald; Karan, Charles; Tatonetti, Nicholas P

    2018-06-19

    Understanding the downstream consequences of pharmacologically targeted proteins is essential to drug design. Current approaches investigate molecular effects under tissue-naïve assumptions. Many target proteins, however, have tissue-specific expression. A systematic study connecting drugs to target pathways in in vivo human tissues is needed. We introduced a data-driven method that integrates drug-target relationships with gene expression, protein-protein interaction, and pathway annotation data. We applied our method to four independent genomewide expression datasets and built 467,396 connections between 1,034 drugs and 954 pathways in 259 human tissues or cell lines. We validated our results using data from L1000 and Pharmacogenomics Knowledgebase (PharmGKB), and observed high precision and recall. We predicted and tested anticoagulant effects of 22 compounds experimentally that were previously unknown, and used clinical data to validate these effects retrospectively. Our systematic study provides a better understanding of the cellular response to drugs and can be applied to many research topics in systems pharmacology. © 2018 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  1. Pharmacological screening technologies for venom peptide discovery.

    PubMed

    Prashanth, Jutty Rajan; Hasaballah, Nojod; Vetter, Irina

    2017-12-01

    Venomous animals occupy one of the most successful evolutionary niches and occur on nearly every continent. They deliver venoms via biting and stinging apparatuses with the aim to rapidly incapacitate prey and deter predators. This has led to the evolution of venom components that act at a number of biological targets - including ion channels, G-protein coupled receptors, transporters and enzymes - with exquisite selectivity and potency, making venom-derived components attractive pharmacological tool compounds and drug leads. In recent years, plate-based pharmacological screening approaches have been introduced to accelerate venom-derived drug discovery. A range of assays are amenable to this purpose, including high-throughput electrophysiology, fluorescence-based functional and binding assays. However, despite these technological advances, the traditional activity-guided fractionation approach is time-consuming and resource-intensive. The combination of screening techniques suitable for miniaturization with sequence-based discovery approaches - supported by advanced proteomics, mass spectrometry, chromatography as well as synthesis and expression techniques - promises to further improve venom peptide discovery. Here, we discuss practical aspects of establishing a pipeline for venom peptide drug discovery with a particular emphasis on pharmacology and pharmacological screening approaches. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Venom-derived Peptides as Pharmacological Tools.' Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Pharmacology of intracellular signalling pathways

    PubMed Central

    Nahorski, Stefan R

    2006-01-01

    This article provides a brief and somewhat personalized review of the dramatic developments that have occurred over the last 45 years in our understanding of intracellular signalling pathways associated with G-protein-coupled receptor activation. Signalling via cyclic AMP, the phosphoinositides and Ca2+ is emphasized and these systems have already been revealed as new pharmacological targets. The therapeutic benefits of most of such targets are, however, yet to be realized, but it is certain that the discipline of pharmacology needs to widen its boundaries to meet these challenges in the future. PMID:16402119

  3. Osteogenesis imperfecta: clinical diagnosis, nomenclature and severity assessment.

    PubMed

    Van Dijk, F S; Sillence, D O

    2014-06-01

    Recently, the genetic heterogeneity in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), proposed in 1979 by Sillence et al., has been confirmed with molecular genetic studies. At present, 17 genetic causes of OI and closely related disorders have been identified and it is expected that more will follow. Unlike most reviews that have been published in the last decade on the genetic causes and biochemical processes leading to OI, this review focuses on the clinical classification of OI and elaborates on the newly proposed OI classification from 2010, which returned to a descriptive and numerical grouping of five OI syndromic groups. The new OI nomenclature and the pre-and postnatal severity assessment introduced in this review, emphasize the importance of phenotyping in order to diagnose, classify, and assess severity of OI. This will provide patients and their families with insight into the probable course of the disorder and it will allow physicians to evaluate the effect of therapy. A careful clinical description in combination with knowledge of the specific molecular genetic cause is the starting point for development and assessment of therapy in patients with heritable disorders including OI. © 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made. © 2014 The Authors. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Efficacy of Neurofeedback Versus Pharmacological Support in Subjects with ADHD.

    PubMed

    González-Castro, Paloma; Cueli, Marisol; Rodríguez, Celestino; García, Trinidad; Álvarez, Luis

    2016-03-01

    Behavioral training in neurofeedback has proven to be an essential complement to generalize the effects of pharmacological support in subjects who have attention deficit with hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Therefore, this investigation attempts to analyze the efficacy of neurofeedback compared with pharmacological support and the combination of both. Participants were 131 students, classified into four groups: control (did not receive neurofeedback or pharmacological support), neurofeedback group, pharmacological support group, and combined group (neurofeedback + pharmacological support). Participants' executive control and cortical activation were assessed before and after treatment. Results indicate that the combined group obtained more benefits and that the neurofeedback group improved to a greater extent in executive control than the pharmacological support group. It is concluded that this kind of training may be an alternative to stimulate activation in subjects with ADHD.

  5. Guidelines to classification and nomenclature of Arabian felsic plutonic rocks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Ramsay, C.R.; Stoeser, D.B.; Drysdall, A.R.

    1986-01-01

    Well-defined procedures for classifying the felsic plutonic rocks of the Arabian Shield on the basis of petrographic, chemical and lithostratigraphic criteria and mineral-resource potential have been adopted and developed in the Saudi Arabian Deputy Ministry for Mineral Resources over the past decade. A number of problems with conventional classification schemes have been identified and resolved; others, notably those arising from difficulties in identifying precise mineral compositions, continue to present difficulties. The petrographic nomenclature used is essentially that recommended by the International Union of Geological Sciences. Problems that have arisen include the definition of: (1) rocks with sodic, zoned or perthitic feldspar, (2) trondhjemites, and (3) alkali granites. Chemical classification has been largely based on relative molar amounts of alumina, lime and alkalis, and the use of conventional variation diagrams, but pilot studies utilizing univariate and multivariate statistical techniques have been made. The classification used in Saudi Arabia for stratigraphic purposes is a hierarchy of formation-rank units, suites and super-suites as defined in the Saudi Arabian stratigraphic code. For genetic and petrological studies, a grouping as 'associations' of similar and genetically related lithologies is commonly used. In order to indicate mineral-resource potential, the felsic plutons are classed as common, precursor, specialized or mineralized, in order of increasing exploration significance. ?? 1986.

  6. PTSD: from neurobiology to pharmacological treatments

    PubMed Central

    Kelmendi, Benjamin; Adams, Thomas G.; Yarnell, Stephanie; Southwick, Steven; Abdallah, Chadi G.; Krystal, John H.

    2016-01-01

    Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic debilitating psychiatric disorder characterized by symptoms of re-experience, avoidance, and hyperarousal that can arise immediately or many years after exposure to a traumatic event and injury. Although extensive research has been done over the past 30 years, the etiology of PTSD remains largely unknown. Several neurobiological systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology and vulnerability for developing PTSD; however, first-line pharmacotherapies are limited. Less than 30% achieve full remission, and even then, approved pharmacological treatments often take weeks for therapeutic effect. This article aims to review the pathophysiology of PTSD within multiple neurobiological systems and how these mechanisms are used as pharmacologic targets of treatment, as well as their potential for future targets of intervention. Highlights of the article We reviewed the neurobiological abnormalities in PTSD as they relate to well-established, preliminary, and future targets for pharmacological interventions. Abnormalities across different neurotransmitter systems have been implicated in the pathophysiology of PTSD but none of these systems function uniformly among all patients with PTSD First-line pharmacotherapy for PTSD provides a suboptimal response rates. Future pharmacological targets for PTSD include the cannabinoid and oxytocin systems, as well glutamatergic modulating agents. Drug development for PTSD should specifically address various dimensions of PTSD symptomatology. PMID:27837583

  7. Nomenclature and diagnosis of gluten-related disorders: A position statement by the Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO).

    PubMed

    Elli, Luca; Villalta, Danilo; Roncoroni, Leda; Barisani, Donatella; Ferrero, Stefano; Pellegrini, Nicoletta; Bardella, Maria Teresa; Valiante, Flavio; Tomba, Carolina; Carroccio, Antonio; Bellini, Massimo; Soncini, Marco; Cannizzaro, Renato; Leandro, Gioacchino

    2017-02-01

    "Gluten-related disorders" is a term that encompasses different diseases induced by the ingestion of gluten-containing food. Because of their incidence the scientific community has been intensively studying them. To support gastroenterologists with a correct nomenclature and diagnostic approach to gluten-related disorders in adulthood. The Italian Association of Hospital Gastroenterologists and Endoscopists (AIGO) commissioned a panel of experts to prepare a position statement clarifying the nomenclature and diagnosis of gluten-related disorders, focusing on those of gastroenterological interest. Each member was assigned a task and levels of evidence/recommendation have been proposed. The panel identified celiac disease, wheat allergy and non-celiac gluten sensitivity as the gluten-related disorders of gastroenterological interest. Celiac disease has an autoimmune nature, wheat allergy is IgE-mediated while the pathogenesis of non-celiac gluten sensitivity is still unknown as is the case of non-IgE mediated allergy. Diagnosis should start with the serological screening for celiac disease and wheat allergy. In case of normal values, the response to a gluten-free diet should be evaluated and a confirmatory blind food challenge carried out. Gluten-related disorders are clinically heterogeneous. Patients should be carefully managed and specific protocols applied for a correct differential diagnosis in gastroenterological setting. Copyright © 2016 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Introductory pharmacology for clinical practice.

    PubMed

    Corbett, Robin Webb; Owens, Laura Williford

    2011-01-01

    The average woman will take many medications, both prescription and nonprescription, as well as herbs or other dietary supplements over the course of her lifetime. These chemicals can produce therapeutic benefits but can also cause toxic effects. Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, pharmacotherapy, adverse drug reactions, and research in pharmacology are discussed as applied to women's health. Clinicians must have a firm understanding of the basic principles of pharmacology so that they can appropriately administer medications, monitor for anticipated effects and adverse reactions, and communicate as needed with women, their families, and other health care team members. © 2011 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  9. Sex determination and disorders of sex development according to the revised nomenclature and classification in 46,XX individuals.

    PubMed

    Kousta, Eleni; Papathanasiou, Asteroula; Skordis, Nicos

    2010-01-01

    There have been considerable advances concerning understanding of the early and later stages of ovarian development; a number of genes have been implicated and their mutations have been associated with developmental abnormalities. The most important genes controlling the initial phase of gonadal development, identical in females and males, are Wilms' tumor suppressor 1 (WT1) and steroidogenic factor 1 (SF1). Four genes are likely to be involved in the subsequent stages of ovarian development (WNT4, DAX1, FOXL2 and RSPO1), but none is yet proven to be the ovarian determining factor. Changes in nomenclature and classification were recently proposed in order to incorporate genetic advances and substitute gender-based diagnostic labels in terminology. The term "disorders of sex development" (DSD) is proposed to substitute the previous term "intersex disorders". Three main categories have been used to describe DSD in the 46,XX individual: 1) disorders of gonadal (ovarian) development: ovotesticular DSD, previously named true hermaphroditism, testicular DSD, previously named XX males, and gonadal dysgenesis; 2) disorders related to androgen excess (congenital adrenal hyperplasia, aromatase deficiency and P450 oxidoreductase deficiency); and 3) other rare disorders. In this mini-review, recent advances concerning development of the genital system in 46,XX individuals and related abnormalities are discussed. Basic embryology of the ovary and molecular pathways determining ovarian development are reviewed, focusing on mutations disrupting normal ovarian development. Disorders of sex development according to the revised nomenclature and classification in 46,XX individuals are summarized, including genetic progress in the field.

  10. Quantitative Systems Pharmacology: A Case for Disease Models.

    PubMed

    Musante, C J; Ramanujan, S; Schmidt, B J; Ghobrial, O G; Lu, J; Heatherington, A C

    2017-01-01

    Quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) has emerged as an innovative approach in model-informed drug discovery and development, supporting program decisions from exploratory research through late-stage clinical trials. In this commentary, we discuss the unique value of disease-scale "platform" QSP models that are amenable to reuse and repurposing to support diverse clinical decisions in ways distinct from other pharmacometrics strategies. © 2016 The Authors Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  11. What Happened to the Streptococci: Overview of Taxonomic and Nomenclature Changes

    PubMed Central

    Facklam, Richard

    2002-01-01

    Since the division of the Streptococcus genus into enterococci, lactococci, and streptococci in 1984, many changes in the nomenclature and taxonomy of the Streptococcus genus have taken place. The application of genetic comparisons has improved the proper classification of the different species. The Lancefield system of serogrouping the streptococci by the expression of beta-hemolysis on blood agar plates is still very useful for the identification of streptococci for patient management. The Lancefield grouping system cannot be used in itself for accurate identification of specific beta-hemolytic species, but it can be a useful part of the identification procedure. Except for identification of the “Streptococcus bovis group” of species and Streptococcus suis, Lancefield grouping is of little value in identification of the non-beta-hemolytic streptococci and related genera. In fact, identification of the non-beta-hemolytic species is problematic for conventional as well as commercially available identification procedures. A combination of conventional tests and specific chromogenic tests suggested by several investigators is presented and discussed. Tables are included that suggest tests and procedures to guide investigators attempting to identify all the species. PMID:12364372

  12. Casimer Funk, nonconformist nomenclature, and networks surrounding the discovery of vitamins.

    PubMed

    Maltz, Alesia

    2013-07-01

    In the 2 decades between when the existence of vitamins was first postulated and when they were isolated, scientists and research physicians could produce no conclusive evidence for their existence from the laboratory or clinic. By the time the first vitamin was chemically isolated, vitamins were already widely accepted by scientists, clinicians, the public, and government agencies. In the period between when vitamins were postulated and the Nobel Prize was awarded for their discovery, a debate over nomenclature served as a substitute for a priority dispute. The most popular term "vitamine" was introduced by Casimer Funk in 1912 and was changed to "vitamin" by Cecil Drummond in 1920. Initial conditions surrounding the discovery of vitamins, including World War I, necessitated the creation of unusual networks for the dissemination of scientific information about vitamins. In Great Britain, research institutes, government agencies, and individual researchers were instrumental in creating a set of national and international networks for the dissemination of information from research laboratories to hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical houses, and the public. These networks of dissemination still exert an influence on how scientific information about vitamins is communicated to the public today.

  13. Annotated checklist of the recent and extinct pythons (Serpentes, Pythonidae), with notes on nomenclature, taxonomy, and distribution

    PubMed Central

    Schleip, Wulf D.; O’Shea, Mark

    2010-01-01

    Abstract McDiarmid et al. (1999) published the first part of their planned taxonomic catalog of the snakes of the world. Since then, several new python taxa have been described in both the scientific literature and non-peer-reviewed publications. This checklist evaluates the nomenclatural status of the names and discusses the taxonomic status of the new taxa, and aims to continue the work of McDiarmid et al. (1999) for the family Pythonidae, covering the period 1999 to 2010. Numerous new taxa are listed, and where appropriate recent synonymies are included and annotations are made. A checklist and a taxonomic identification key of valid taxa are provided. PMID:21594030

  14. Crataegus pinnatifida: chemical constituents, pharmacology, and potential applications.

    PubMed

    Wu, Jiaqi; Peng, Wei; Qin, Rongxin; Zhou, Hong

    2014-01-30

    Crataegus pinnatifida (Hawthorn) is widely distributed in China and has a long history of use as a traditional medicine. The fruit of C. pinnatifida has been used for the treatment of cardiodynia, hernia, dyspepsia, postpartum blood stasis, and hemafecia and thus increasing interest in this plant has emerged in recent years. Between 1966 and 2013, numerous articles have been published on the chemical constituents, pharmacology or pharmacologic effects and toxicology of C. pinnatifida. To review the pharmacologic advances and to discuss the potential perspective for future investigation, we have summarized the main literature findings of these publications. So far, over 150 compounds including flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenoids, lignans, hydroxycinnamic acids, organic acids and nitrogen-containing compounds have been isolated and identified from C. pinnatifida. It has been found that these constituents and extracts of C. pinnatifida have broad pharmacological effects with low toxicity on, for example, the cardiovascular, digestive, and endocrine systems, and pathogenic microorganisms, supporting the view that C. pinnatifida has favorable therapeutic effects. Thus, although C. pinnatifida has already been widely used as pharmacological therapy, due to its various active compounds, further research is warranted to develop new drugs.

  15. Towards a genealogy of pharmacological practice.

    PubMed

    Camargo, Ricardo; Ried, Nicolás

    2016-03-01

    Following Foucault's work on disciplinary power and biopolitics, this article maps an initial cartography of the research areas to be traced by a genealogy of pharmacological practice. Pharmacology, as a practical activity, refers to the creation, production and sale of drugs/medication. This work identifies five lines of research that, although often disconnected from each other, may be observed in the specialized literature: (1) pharmaceuticalization; (2) regulation of the pharmaceutical industry; (3) the political-economic structure of the pharmaceutical industry; (4) consumption/consumerism of medications; (5) and bio-knowledge. The article suggests that a systematic analysis of these areas leads one to consider pharmacological practice a sui generis apparatus of power, which reaches beyond the purely disciplinary and biopolitical levels to encompass molecular configurations, thereby giving rise not only to new types of government over life, but also to new struggles for life, extending from molecular to population-wide levels.

  16. Pharmacology and function of melatonin receptors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dubocovich, M.L.

    The hormone melatonin is secreted primarily from the pineal gland, with highest levels occurring during the dark period of a circadian cycle. This hormone, through an action in the brain, appears to be involved in the regulation of various neural and endocrine processes that are cued by the daily change in photoperiod. This article reviews the pharmacological characteristics and function of melatonin receptors in the central nervous system, and the role of melatonin in mediating physiological functions in mammals. Melatonin and melatonin agonists, at picomolar concentrations, inhibit the release of dopamine from retina through activation of a site that ismore » pharmacologically different from a serotonin receptor. These inhibitory effects are antagonized by the novel melatonin receptor antagonist luzindole (N-0774), which suggests that melatonin activates a presynaptic melatonin receptor. In chicken and rabbit retina, the pharmacological characteristics of the presynaptic melatonin receptor and the site labeled by 2-(125I)iodomelatonin are identical. It is proposed that 2-(125I)iodomelatonin binding sites (e.g., chicken brain) that possess the pharmacological characteristics of the retinal melatonin receptor site (order of affinities: 2-iodomelatonin greater than 6-chloromelatonin greater than or equal to melatonin greater than or equal to 6,7-di-chloro-2-methylmelatonin greater than 6-hydroxymelatonin greater than or equal to 6-methoxymelatonin greater than N-acetyltryptamine greater than or equal to luzindole greater than N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine greater than 5-methoxytryptamine much greater than 5-hydroxytryptamine) be classified as ML-1 (melatonin 1). The 2-(125I)iodomelatonin binding site of hamster brain membranes possesses different binding and pharmacological characteristics from the retinal melatonin receptor site and should be classified as ML-2. 64 references.« less

  17. Suggested nomenclature change and new reference locality for Dequeen Formation, Pike County, Arkansas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Ham, T.L.; Landry, R.J.

    1983-09-01

    The DeQueen Formation of the Trinity Group, Comanchean Cretaceous, crops out in southwestern Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. The outcrop, located in the Highland gypsum quarry of Pike County, southwestern Arkansas, is described in detail in this paper and presented as a reference locality. Data from the locality provide the basis for a nomenclature change from the DeQueen Limestone Member to the DeQueen Formation. The formation consists of 64.23% clastic sediments, 24.72% gypsum, and 11.05% limestone. Hopper salt casts, ripple marks, scattered pyrite and marcasite nodules, celestite, and chickenwire gypsum can also be found. The DeQueen Formation is underlain by claysmore » and the Ultima Thule Gravel lentil, while the top is unconformably overlain by Upper Cretaceous Tokio gravels. The general paleoenvironment represents a normally low-energy subtidal environment ranging from brackish to normal to hypersaline waters in a lagoonal setting that shallows upward.« less

  18. Lumbar disc nomenclature: version 2.0: recommendations of the combined task forces of the North American Spine Society, the American Society of Spine Radiology, and the American Society of Neuroradiology.

    PubMed

    Fardon, David F; Williams, Alan L; Dohring, Edward J; Murtagh, F Reed; Gabriel Rothman, Stephen L; Sze, Gordon K

    2014-11-15

    This article comprises a review of the literature pertaining to the normal and pathological lumbar disc and the compilation of a standardized nomenclature. To provide a resource that promotes a clear understanding of lumbar disc terminology among clinicians, radiologists, and researchers. The article "Nomenclature and Classification of Lumbar Disc Pathology. Recommendations of the Combined Task Forces of the North American Spine Society, American Society of Spine Radiology and American Society of Neuroradiology" was published in 2001 in Spine © Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins and formally endorsed by the 3 boards. Its purpose, which it served for well over a decade, was to promote greater clarity and consistency of usage of spine terminology. Since 2001, there has been sufficient evolution in our understanding of the lumbar disc to suggest the need for revision and updating. The document represents the consensus recommendations of the current combined task forces and reflects changes consistent with current concepts in radiological and clinical care. A PubMed search was performed for literature pertaining to the lumbar disc. The task force members individually and collectively reviewed the literature and revised the 2001 document. It was then reviewed by the governing boards of the American Society of Spine Radiology, the American Society of Neuroradiology, and the North American Spine Society. After further revision based on their feedback, the paper was approved for publication. The article provides a discussion of the recommended diagnostic categories and a glossary of terms pertaining to the lumbar disc, a detailed discussion of the terms and their recommended usage, as well as updated illustrations and literature references. We have revised and updated a document that, since 2001, has provided a widely accepted nomenclature that helps maintain consistency and accuracy in the description of the properties of the normal and abnormal lumbar discs and that

  19. Clinical pharmacology in Russia-historical development and current state.

    PubMed

    Zagorodnikova Goryachkina, Ksenia; Burbello, Aleksandra; Sychev, Dmitry; Frolov, Maxim; Kukes, Vladimir; Petrov, Vladimir

    2015-02-01

    Clinical pharmacology in Russia has long history and is currently active, but rather unrecognized internationally. It is governmentally approved as a teaching/scientific specialty since 1983 and as a medical specialty since 1997. Courses of clinical pharmacology are included in the undergraduate curricula in the 5th and/or 6th year of education at all medical schools in the Russian Federation. Postgraduate education includes initial specialization in internal medicine with further residency in clinical pharmacology. Governmental legislation recommends that every healthcare institution has either a department or a single position of clinical pharmacologist. Major routine duties include information about and monitoring of medication use, consultations in difficult clinical situations, pharmacogenetic counseling, therapeutic drug monitoring, pharmacovigilance, and participation in drug and therapeutics (formulary) committees. There are official experts in clinical pharmacology in Russia responsible for coordinating relevant legislative issues. The chief expert clinical pharmacologist represents the discipline directly at the Ministry of Health. Research in clinical pharmacology in Russia is extensive and variable, but only some of it is published internationally. Russia is a participant of international societies of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics and collaboration is actively ongoing. There are still certain problems related to the development of the discipline in Russia-some healthcare institutions do not see the need for clinical pharmacology. However, the number of clinical pharmacologists in Russia is increasing as well as their role in physicians' education, national healthcare, and research.

  20. Pharmacological Potential of Sea Cucumbers

    PubMed Central

    Khotimchenko, Yuri

    2018-01-01

    This review presents a detailed analysis of published research data focused on the pharmacological activity exerted by biologically active compounds isolated from sea cucumbers belonging to the class of Holothuroidea, phylum Echinodermata. The review contains descriptions of the structure, physico-chemical properties and pharmacological effects of these active substances. Particular attention is given to compounds with anticoagulant, antithrombotic, antioxidant, anticancer, anti-infectious, immune-stimulating and anti-ACE (angiotensin converting enzyme) activities as well as to the substances exerting a regulating influence on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. All these compounds may be considered as prototypes for development of new pharmaceutical substances and medicines. PMID:29724051

  1. Non-pharmacological approaches to alleviate distress in dementia care.

    PubMed

    Mitchell, Gary; Agnelli, Joanne

    2015-11-25

    Distress is one of the most common clinical manifestations associated with dementia. Pharmacological intervention may be appropriate in managing distress in some people. However, best practice guidelines advocate non-pharmacological interventions as the preferred first-line treatment. The use of non-pharmacological interventions encourages healthcare professionals to be more person-centred in their approach, while considering the causes of distress. This article provides healthcare professionals with an overview of some of the non-pharmacological approaches that can assist in alleviating distress for people living with dementia including: reminiscence therapy, reality orientation, validation therapy, music therapy, horticultural therapy, doll therapy and pet therapy. It provides a summary of their use in clinical practice and links to the relevant literature.

  2. [The non-pharmacological management of chronic pain].

    PubMed

    Berlemont, Christine

    2017-05-01

    Pain management is not limited to the putting in place of pharmacological, surgical, physiotherapy or psychological strategies. Non-pharmacological therapies can also be proposed, notably in relation to chronic pain. Appreciated by patients and developed by caregivers, they require appropriate regulatory guidelines and specific training in order for them to be implemented safely. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Breastfeeding information in pharmacology textbooks: a content analysis.

    PubMed

    Amir, Lisa H; Raval, Manjri; Hussainy, Safeera Y

    2013-07-01

    Women often need to take medicines while breastfeeding and pharmacists need to provide accurate information in order to avoid undue caution about the compatibility of medicines and breastfeeding. The objective of this study was to review information provided about breastfeeding in commonly used pharmacology textbooks. We asked 15 Australian universities teaching pharmacy courses to provide a list of recommended pharmacology textbooks in 2011. Ten universities responded, generating a list of 11 textbooks that we analysed for content relating to breastfeeding. Pharmacology textbooks outline the mechanisms of actions of medicines and their use: however, only a small emphasis is placed on the safety/compatibility of medicines for women during breastfeeding. Current pharmacology textbooks recommended by Australian universities have significant gaps in their coverage of medicine use in breastfeeding. Authors of textbooks should address this gap, so academic staff can recommend texts with the best lactation content.

  4. Measuring the effectiveness of pharmacology teaching in undergraduate medical students.

    PubMed

    Urrutia-Aguilar, Maria Esther; Martinez-Gonzalez, Adrian; Rodriguez, Rodolfo

    2012-03-01

    Information overload and recent curricular changes are viewed as important contributory factors to insufficient pharmacological education of medical students. This study was designed to assess the effectiveness of pharmacology teaching in our medical school. The study subjects were 455 second-year medical students, class of 2010, and 26 pharmacology teachers at the National University of Mexico Medical School. To assess pharmacological knowledge, students were required to take 3 multiple-choice exams (70 questions each) as part of their evaluation in the pharmacology course. A 30-item questionnaire was used to explore the students' opinion on teaching. Pharmacology professors evaluated themselves using a similar questionnaire. Students and teachers rated each statement on a 5-point Likert scale. The groups' exam scores ranged from 54.5% to 90.0% of correct responses, with a mean score of 77.3%. Only 73 (16%) of 455 students obtained an exam score of 90% and higher. Students' evaluations of faculty and professor self-ratings were very high (90% and 96.2%, of the maximal response, respectively). Student and professor ratings were not correlated with exam scores (r = 0.291). Our study shows that knowledge on pharmacology is incomplete in a large proportion of second-year medical students and indicates that there is an urgent need to review undergraduate training in pharmacology. The lack of relationship between the subjective ratings of teacher effectiveness and objective exam scores suggests the use of more demanding measures to assess the effectiveness of teaching.

  5. Pharmacological effects of biotin.

    PubMed

    Fernandez-Mejia, Cristina

    2005-07-01

    In the last few decades, more vitamin-mediated effects have been discovered at the level of gene expression. Increasing knowledge on the molecular mechanisms of these vitamins has opened new perspectives that form a connection between nutritional signals and the development of new therapeutic agents. Besides its role as a carboxylase prosthetic group, biotin regulates gene expression and has a wide repertoire of effects on systemic processes. The vitamin regulates genes that are critical in the regulation of intermediary metabolism: Biotin has stimulatory effects on genes whose action favors hypoglycemia (insulin, insulin receptor, pancreatic and hepatic glucokinase); on the contrary, biotin decreases the expression of hepatic phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase, a key gluconeogenic enzyme that stimulates glucose production by the liver. The findings that biotin regulates the expression of genes that are critical in the regulation of intermediary metabolism are in agreement with several observations that indicate that biotin supply is involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis. Biotin deficiency has been linked to impaired glucose tolerance and decreased utilization of glucose. On the other hand, the diabetic state appears to be ameliorated by pharmacological doses of biotin. Likewise, pharmacological doses of biotin appear to decrease plasma lipid concentrations and modify lipid metabolism. The effects of biotin on carbohydrate metabolism and the lack of toxic effects of the vitamin at pharmacological doses suggest that biotin could be used in the development of new therapeutics in the treatment of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia, an area that we are actively investigating.

  6. Developing and delivering clinical pharmacology in pharmaceutical companies.

    PubMed

    Richards, Duncan

    2012-06-01

    The challenges of developing new medicines are well known. Effective application of clinical pharmacology expertise is vital to the successful evaluation of potential new medicines. In drug development, this depends on effective integration of diverse skills. Many of these are currently in short supply, but through innovative partnerships between industry and academia there is an opportunity to reinvigorate the discipline by nurturing these key skills to the benefit of both partners. Specific areas of focus should be experimental medicine, modelling and simulation, and translational skills. © 2012 The Author. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology © 2012 The British Pharmacological Society.

  7. How research in behavioral pharmacology informs behavioral science.

    PubMed

    Branch, Marc N

    2006-05-01

    Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its conceptualizations and theory. In this article, I outline three general strategies in behavioral pharmacology research that have been employed to increase understanding of behavioral processes. Examples are provided of the general characteristics of the strategies and of implications of previous research for behavior theory. Behavior analysis will advance as its theories are challenged.

  8. Recent Pharmacology Studies on the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wotring, Virginia

    2014-01-01

    The environment on the International Space Station (ISS) includes a variety of potential stressors including the absence of Earth's gravity, elevated exposure to radiation, confined living and working quarters, a heavy workload, and high public visibility. The effects of this extreme environment on pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and even on stored medication doses, are not yet understood. Dr. Wotring will discuss recent analyses of medication doses that experienced long duration storage on the ISS and a recent retrospective examination of medication use during long-duration spaceflights. She will also describe new pharmacology experiments that are scheduled for upcoming ISS missions. Dr. Virginia E. Wotring is a Senior Scientist in the Division of Space Life Sciences in the Universities Space Research Association, and Pharmacology Discipline Lead at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Human Heath and Countermeasures Division. She received her doctorate in Pharmacological and Physiological Science from Saint Louis University after earning a B.S. in Chemistry at Florida State University. She has published multiple studies on ligand gated ion channels in the brain and spinal cord. Her research experience includes drug mechanisms of action, drug receptor structure/function relationships and gene & protein expression. She joined USRA (and spaceflight research) in 2009. In 2012, her book reviewing pharmacology in spaceflight was published by Springer: Space Pharmacology, Space Development Series.

  9. Activating Student to Learn Chemistry using Chemmy Card 6-1 Game as an Instructional Medium in IUPAC Nomenclature of Inorganic Compounds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lutfi, A.; Hidayah, R.

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study is to know the effect of Internet-assisted Chemmy Card 6-1 game as an instructional medium in IUPAC Nomenclature of Inorganic Compounds material for X grade of senior high school on students’ activity, learning motivation, and learning outcome. The study was conducted at SMA Negeri Sidoarjo, Indonesia, in two different classes. The instruction was done based on the lesson plan made. The observation on students’ activity was conducted during the instruction with the game while test and questionnaire were given after the instruction. The result showed positive activities, which students listened to the teacher’s explanation, actively delivered questions, and enabled to solve problems in naming compounds. It was also effective to avoid the drowsiness. The result of students’ motivation of X MIPA 6 was 74.78% (good) while X MIPA 7 was 83.80% (very good). The pretest results of two classes showed that no students mastered but 100% students mastered and the increase of N-gain scores in two classes was categorized as high, ≥0,7, after the instruction. The result of this study showed that the use of Internet-assisted Chemmy Card 6-1 game in IUPAC nomenclature of inorganic compounds for X grade of senior high school could be pleasant for students to learn and effective in achieving the learning objective.

  10. Manual of praying mantis morphology, nomenclature, and practices (Insecta, Mantodea)

    PubMed Central

    Brannoch, Sydney K.; Wieland, Frank; Rivera, Julio; Klass, Klaus-Dieter; Olivier Béthoux; Svenson, Gavin J.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This study provides a comprehensive review of historical morphological nomenclature used for praying mantis (Mantodea) morphology, which includes citations, original use, and assignment of homology. All referenced structures across historical works correspond to a proposed standard term for use in all subsequent works pertaining to praying mantis morphology and systematics. The new standards are presented with a verbal description in a glossary as well as indicated on illustrations and images. In the vast majority of cases, originally used terms were adopted as the new standard. In addition, historical morphological topographical homology conjectures are considered with discussion on modern interpretations. A new standardized formulation to present foreleg femoral and tibial spines is proposed for clarity based on previous works. In addition, descriptions for methods of collection, curation, genital complex dissection, and labeling are provided to aid in the proper preservation and storage of specimens for longevity and ease of study. Due to the lack of consistent linear morphometric measurement practices in the literature, we have proposed a series of measurements for taxonomic and morphological research. These measurements are presented with figures to provide visual aids with homologous landmarks to ensure compatibility and comparability across the Order. Finally, our proposed method of pinning mantises is presented with a photographical example as well as a video tutorial available at http://mantodearesearch.com. PMID:29200926

  11. Words matter: Recommendations for clarifying coral disease nomenclature and terminology

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rogers, Caroline S.

    2010-01-01

    Coral diseases have caused significant losses on Caribbean reefs and are becoming a greater concern in the Pacific. Progress in coral disease research requires collaboration and communication among experts from many different disciplines. The lack of consistency in the use of terms and names in the recent scientific literature reflects the absence of an authority for naming coral diseases, a lack of consensus on the meaning of even some of the most basic terms as they apply to corals, and imprecision in the use of descriptive words. The lack of consensus partly reflects the complexity of this newly emerging field of research. Establishment of a nomenclature committee under the Coral Disease and Health Consortium (CDHC) could lead to more standardized definitions and could promote use of appropriate medical terminology for describing and communicating disease conditions in corals. This committee could also help to define disease terminology unique to corals where existing medical terminology is not applicable. These efforts will help scientists communicate with one another and with the general public more effectively. Scientists can immediately begin to reduce some of the confusion simply by explicitly defining the words they are using. In addition, digital photographs can be posted on the CDHC website and included in publications to document the macroscopic (gross) signs of the conditions observed on coral colonies along with precisely written characterizations and descriptions.

  12. Botulinum Neurotoxins: Biology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology

    PubMed Central

    Pirazzini, Marco; Rossetto, Ornella; Eleopra, Roberto

    2017-01-01

    The study of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) is rapidly progressing in many aspects. Novel BoNTs are being discovered owing to next generation sequencing, but their biologic and pharmacological properties remain largely unknown. The molecular structure of the large protein complexes that the toxin forms with accessory proteins, which are included in some BoNT type A1 and B1 pharmacological preparations, have been determined. By far the largest effort has been dedicated to the testing and validation of BoNTs as therapeutic agents in an ever increasing number of applications, including pain therapy. BoNT type A1 has been also exploited in a variety of cosmetic treatments, alone or in combination with other agents, and this specific market has reached the size of the one dedicated to the treatment of medical syndromes. The pharmacological properties and mode of action of BoNTs have shed light on general principles of neuronal transport and protein-protein interactions and are stimulating basic science studies. Moreover, the wide array of BoNTs discovered and to be discovered and the production of recombinant BoNTs endowed with specific properties suggest novel uses in therapeutics with increasing disease/symptom specifity. These recent developments are reviewed here to provide an updated picture of the biologic mechanism of action of BoNTs, of their increasing use in pharmacology and in cosmetics, and of their toxicology. PMID:28356439

  13. Botulinum Neurotoxins: Biology, Pharmacology, and Toxicology.

    PubMed

    Pirazzini, Marco; Rossetto, Ornella; Eleopra, Roberto; Montecucco, Cesare

    2017-04-01

    The study of botulinum neurotoxins (BoNT) is rapidly progressing in many aspects. Novel BoNTs are being discovered owing to next generation sequencing, but their biologic and pharmacological properties remain largely unknown. The molecular structure of the large protein complexes that the toxin forms with accessory proteins, which are included in some BoNT type A1 and B1 pharmacological preparations, have been determined. By far the largest effort has been dedicated to the testing and validation of BoNTs as therapeutic agents in an ever increasing number of applications, including pain therapy. BoNT type A1 has been also exploited in a variety of cosmetic treatments, alone or in combination with other agents, and this specific market has reached the size of the one dedicated to the treatment of medical syndromes. The pharmacological properties and mode of action of BoNTs have shed light on general principles of neuronal transport and protein-protein interactions and are stimulating basic science studies. Moreover, the wide array of BoNTs discovered and to be discovered and the production of recombinant BoNTs endowed with specific properties suggest novel uses in therapeutics with increasing disease/symptom specifity. These recent developments are reviewed here to provide an updated picture of the biologic mechanism of action of BoNTs, of their increasing use in pharmacology and in cosmetics, and of their toxicology. Copyright © 2017 by The Author(s).

  14. Graphical Modeling Meets Systems Pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Lombardo, Rosario; Priami, Corrado

    2017-01-01

    A main source of failures in systems projects (including systems pharmacology) is poor communication level and different expectations among the stakeholders. A common and not ambiguous language that is naturally comprehensible by all the involved players is a boost to success. We present bStyle, a modeling tool that adopts a graphical language close enough to cartoons to be a common media to exchange ideas and data and that it is at the same time formal enough to enable modeling, analysis, and dynamic simulations of a system. Data analysis and simulation integrated in the same application are fundamental to understand the mechanisms of actions of drugs: a core aspect of systems pharmacology.

  15. Graphical Modeling Meets Systems Pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Lombardo, Rosario; Priami, Corrado

    2017-01-01

    A main source of failures in systems projects (including systems pharmacology) is poor communication level and different expectations among the stakeholders. A common and not ambiguous language that is naturally comprehensible by all the involved players is a boost to success. We present bStyle, a modeling tool that adopts a graphical language close enough to cartoons to be a common media to exchange ideas and data and that it is at the same time formal enough to enable modeling, analysis, and dynamic simulations of a system. Data analysis and simulation integrated in the same application are fundamental to understand the mechanisms of actions of drugs: a core aspect of systems pharmacology. PMID:28469411

  16. A System to Automatically Classify and Name Any Individual Genome-Sequenced Organism Independently of Current Biological Classification and Nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Song, Yuhyun; Leman, Scotland; Monteil, Caroline L.; Heath, Lenwood S.; Vinatzer, Boris A.

    2014-01-01

    A broadly accepted and stable biological classification system is a prerequisite for biological sciences. It provides the means to describe and communicate about life without ambiguity. Current biological classification and nomenclature use the species as the basic unit and require lengthy and laborious species descriptions before newly discovered organisms can be assigned to a species and be named. The current system is thus inadequate to classify and name the immense genetic diversity within species that is now being revealed by genome sequencing on a daily basis. To address this lack of a general intra-species classification and naming system adequate for today’s speed of discovery of new diversity, we propose a classification and naming system that is exclusively based on genome similarity and that is suitable for automatic assignment of codes to any genome-sequenced organism without requiring any phenotypic or phylogenetic analysis. We provide examples demonstrating that genome similarity-based codes largely align with current taxonomic groups at many different levels in bacteria, animals, humans, plants, and viruses. Importantly, the proposed approach is only slightly affected by the order of code assignment and can thus provide codes that reflect similarity between organisms and that do not need to be revised upon discovery of new diversity. We envision genome similarity-based codes to complement current biological nomenclature and to provide a universal means to communicate unambiguously about any genome-sequenced organism in fields as diverse as biodiversity research, infectious disease control, human and microbial forensics, animal breed and plant cultivar certification, and human ancestry research. PMID:24586551

  17. How Research in Behavioral Pharmacology Informs Behavioral Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Branch, Marc N.

    2006-01-01

    Behavioral pharmacology is a maturing science that has made significant contributions to the study of drug effects on behavior, especially in the domain of drug-behavior interactions. Less appreciated is that research in behavioral pharmacology can have, and has had, implications for the experimental analysis of behavior, especially its…

  18. Review of pharmacological therapy for tinnitus.

    PubMed

    Patterson, Matthew B; Balough, Ben J

    2006-01-01

    This article provides a review of studies investigating the pharmacological treatment of tinnitus. Tinnitus continues to be a significant and costly health problem without a uniformly accepted treatment. A wide variety of studies exploring prescription, supplement, and vitamin therapies are assessed for efficacy of treatment and for establishing consistencies in symptom definition, assessment, and outcome measures. This review reveals no compelling evidence suggesting the efficacy of any pharmacological agent in the treatment of tinnitus. Analysis of prior investigations provides insight to appropriate methods for future work, which are outlined.

  19. Phage Therapy: Eco-Physiological Pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Abedon, Stephen T.

    2014-01-01

    Bacterial virus use as antibacterial agents, in the guise of what is commonly known as phage therapy, is an inherently physiological, ecological, and also pharmacological process. Physiologically we can consider metabolic properties of phage infections of bacteria and variation in those properties as a function of preexisting bacterial states. In addition, there are patient responses to pathogenesis, patient responses to phage infections of pathogens, and also patient responses to phage virions alone. Ecologically, we can consider phage propagation, densities, distribution (within bodies), impact on body-associated microbiota (as ecological communities), and modification of the functioning of body “ecosystems” more generally. These ecological and physiological components in many ways represent different perspectives on otherwise equivalent phenomena. Comparable to drugs, one also can view phages during phage therapy in pharmacological terms. The relatively unique status of phages within the context of phage therapy as essentially replicating antimicrobials can therefore result in a confluence of perspectives, many of which can be useful towards gaining a better mechanistic appreciation of phage therapy, as I consider here. Pharmacology more generally may be viewed as a discipline that lies at an interface between organism-associated phenomena, as considered by physiology, and environmental interactions as considered by ecology. PMID:25031881

  20. [Non-pharmacological diabetes therapy].

    PubMed

    Martin, Stephan; Kolb, Hubert

    2008-02-01

    Diabetes mellitus type 2 is a life-style disease that is triggered by obesity and lack of physical activity. The pathophysiological basis of the disease is a reduction of insulin sensitivity, that is caused by the trigger factors. Glucose metabolic disorders appear if overproduction of insulin can not compensate the insulin resistance. In early phases postprandial blood glucose is increased, in late phases elevation of fasting blood glucose is noted. In the general awareness manifestation of type 2 diabetes is associated with an initiation of a pharmacological therapy. This is not the case, as described in detail in this review. Next to epidemiological studies, which indicate trigger factors, intervention trials will be discussed that led to a shift in paradigm in the diabetology. Non-pharmacological interventions are a therapeutical alternative in a lot of patients or are able to reduce the amount of antidiabetic agents significantly.

  1. Pharmacological enhancement of treatment for amblyopia

    PubMed Central

    Rashad, Mohammad A

    2012-01-01

    Background The purpose of this study was to compare a weight-adjusted dose of carbidopa- levodopa as treatment adjunctive to occlusion therapy with occlusion therapy alone in children and adults with different types of amblyopia. Methods This prospective study included 63 patients with amblyopia classified into two groups, ie, an occlusion group which included 35 patients who received occlusion therapy only and a pharmacological enhancement group which included 28 patients who received oral carbidopa-levodopa together with occlusion therapy for 6 weeks. Results The mean logarithm of the minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) of the eyes with amblyopia was not significantly different in the occlusion group (0.52, 0.52, and 0.51) than in the pharmacological enhancement group (0.58, 0.49, and 0.56) at three follow-up visits (at months 1, 3, and 12, respectively). There was a highly significant improvement in mean logMAR of amblyopic eyes compared with baseline in both occlusion groups (from 0.68 to 0.52, from 0.68 to 0.52, and from 0.68 to 0.51) and in the pharmacological enhancement group (from 0.81 to 0.58, from 0.81 to 0.49, and from 0.81 to 0.56) at the month 1, 3, and 12 visits (P = 0.01, P = 0.01, and P = 0.001, respectively). The improvement of mean logMAR in the subgroup of patients older than 12 years was greater in the pharmacological enhancement group (42.5%) than in the occlusion group (30%). The improvement of mean logMAR in the subgroup of patients with severe amblyopia was greater in the pharmacological enhancement group (34.3%) than in the occlusion group (22%). Conclusion Significant improvement was reported in both groups at all follow-up visits over 1 year. Regardless of the etiology of amblyopia, levodopa-carbidopa may be added to part-time occlusion in older patients as a means of increasing the plasticity of the visual cortex. Levodopa may add to the effect of occlusion in severe amblyopia and bilateral amblyopia. PMID:22536029

  2. [Pharmacological treatment].

    PubMed

    Arriola Manchola, Enrique; Álaba Trueba, Javier

    2016-06-01

    Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic degenerative and inflammatory process leading to synapticdysfunction and neuronal death. A review about the pharmacological treatment alternatives is made: acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AChEI), a nutritional supplement (Souvenaid) and Ginkgo biloba. A special emphasis on Ginkgo biloba due to the controversy about its use and the approval by the European Medicines Agency is made. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Geriatría y Gerontología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  3. Geriatric pharmacology and pharmacotherapy education for health professionals and students: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Keijsers, Carolina J P W; van Hensbergen, Larissa; Jacobs, Lotte; Brouwers, Jacobus R B J; de Wildt, Dick J; ten Cate, Olle Th J; Jansen, Paul A F

    2012-01-01

    AIMS Given the reported high rates of medication errors, especially in elderly patients, we hypothesized that current curricula do not devote enough time to the teaching of geriatric pharmacology. This review explores the quantity and nature of geriatric pharmacology education in undergraduate and postgraduate curricula for health professionals. METHODS Pubmed, Embase and PsycINFO databases were searched (from 1 January 2000 to 11 January 2011), using the terms ‘pharmacology’ and ‘education’ in combination. Articles describing content or evaluation of pharmacology education for health professionals were included. Education in general and geriatric pharmacology was compared. RESULTS Articles on general pharmacology education (252) and geriatric pharmacology education (39) were included. The number of publications on education in general pharmacology, but not geriatric pharmacology, has increased over the last 10 years. Articles on undergraduate and postgraduate education for 12 different health disciplines were identified. A median of 24 h (from 15 min to 4956 h) devoted to pharmacology education and 2 h (1–935 h) devoted to geriatric pharmacology were reported. Of the articles on education in geriatric pharmacology, 61.5% evaluated the teaching provided, mostly student satisfaction with the course. The strength of findings was low. Similar educational interventions were not identified, and evaluation studies were not replicated. CONCLUSIONS Recently, interest in pharmacology education has increased, possibly because of the high rate of medication errors and the recognized importance of evidence-based medical education. Nevertheless, courses on geriatric pharmacology have not been evaluated thoroughly and none can be recommended for use in training programmes. Suggestions for improvements in education in general and geriatric pharmacology are given. PMID:22416832

  4. Inferring ‘weak spots’ in phylogenetic trees: application to mosasauroid nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    2017-01-01

    Mosasauroid squamates represented the apex predators within the Late Cretaceous marine and occasionally also freshwater ecosystems. Proper understanding of the origin of their ecological adaptations or paleobiogeographic dispersals requires adequate knowledge of their phylogeny. The studies assessing the position of mosasauroids on the squamate evolutionary tree and their origins have long given conflicting results. The phylogenetic relationships within Mosasauroidea, however, have experienced only little changes throughout the last decades. Considering the substantial improvements in the development of phylogenetic methodology that have undergone in recent years, resulting, among others, in numerous alterations in the phylogenetic hypotheses of other fossil amniotes, we test the robustness in our understanding of mosasauroid beginnings and their evolutionary history. We re-examined a data set that results from modifications assembled in the course of the last 20 years and performed multiple parsimony analyses and Bayesian tip-dating analysis. Following the inferred topologies and the ‘weak spots’ in the phylogeny of mosasauroids, we revise the nomenclature of the ‘traditionally’ recognized mosasauroid clades, to acknowledge the overall weakness among branches and the alternative topologies suggested previously, and discuss several factors that might have an impact on the differing phylogenetic hypotheses and their statistical support. PMID:28929018

  5. Computational Approaches to Drug Repurposing and Pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Hodos, Rachel A; Kidd, Brian A; Khader, Shameer; Readhead, Ben P; Dudley, Joel T

    2016-01-01

    Data in the biological, chemical, and clinical domains are accumulating at ever-increasing rates and have the potential to accelerate and inform drug development in new ways. Challenges and opportunities now lie in developing analytic tools to transform these often complex and heterogeneous data into testable hypotheses and actionable insights. This is the aim of computational pharmacology, which uses in silico techniques to better understand and predict how drugs affect biological systems, which can in turn improve clinical use, avoid unwanted side effects, and guide selection and development of better treatments. One exciting application of computational pharmacology is drug repurposing- finding new uses for existing drugs. Already yielding many promising candidates, this strategy has the potential to improve the efficiency of the drug development process and reach patient populations with previously unmet needs such as those with rare diseases. While current techniques in computational pharmacology and drug repurposing often focus on just a single data modality such as gene expression or drug-target interactions, we rationalize that methods such as matrix factorization that can integrate data within and across diverse data types have the potential to improve predictive performance and provide a fuller picture of a drug's pharmacological action. PMID:27080087

  6. Pharmacology of the Phosphate Binder, Lanthanum Carbonate

    PubMed Central

    Damment, Stephen JP

    2011-01-01

    Studies were conducted to compare the phosphate-binding efficacy of lanthanum carbonate directly with other clinically used phosphate binders and to evaluate any potential adverse pharmacology. To examine the phosphate-binding efficacy, rats with normal renal function and chronic renal failure received lanthanum carbonate, aluminum hydroxide, calcium carbonate, or sevelamer hydrochloride in several experimental models. Lanthanum carbonate and aluminum hydroxide markedly increased excretion of [32P]-phosphate in feces and reduced excretion in urine in rats with normal renal function (p < 0.05), indicating good dietary phosphate-binding efficacy. In rats with chronic renal failure, lanthanum carbonate and aluminum hydroxide reduced urinary phosphate excretion to a greater degree and more rapidly than calcium carbonate, which in turn was more effective than sevelamer hydrochloride. The potential to induce adverse pharmacological effects was assessed systematically in mice, rats, and dogs with normal renal function using standard in vivo models. There was no evidence of any adverse secondary pharmacological effects of lanthanum carbonate on the central nervous, cardiovascular, respiratory, or gastrointestinal systems. These studies indicate that lanthanum carbonate is the more potent of the currently available dietary phosphate binders. No adverse secondary pharmacological actions were observed in vivo in a systematic evaluation at high doses. PMID:21332344

  7. [PHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF NANOMATERIALS].

    PubMed

    Chekman, I S

    2015-01-01

    Literature data and results of our department studies on theoretical and practical basics of nanoscience were summarized in the article. Much attention is paid to research in the field of physical, chemical, biological, medical, physiological, pharmacological, and toxicological properties of nanomaterials with the aim of their wider implementation into practice lately. The discovery of new quantum/wave properties of nanoparticles is of particular importance. The author of the article advances an idea: wave properties of nanomaterials play greater role with a decrease in particle size. The preponderance of wave properties compared with corpuscular ones in nanostructures determines a great change in their physical. chemical properties and an increase in physical, mechanical biological, physiological, pharmacological, and toxicologica activity. The idea advanced in the article hasn't been verified by theoretical or experimental studies for now. Joined efforts of scientists of different scientific fields are needed. A confirmation of hypothesis by specific findings will be of great importance for physiology, medicine, pharmacology and promote an implementation of new efficacious preparations into clinical practice. New fundamental discoveries could be made only by multidisciplinary approach.

  8. Teaching the pharmacology of antiarrhythmic drugs.

    PubMed

    Zdanowicz, Martin M; Lynch, Launa M J

    2011-09-10

    To provide doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students with highly integrated, comprehensive and up-to-date instruction related to the pharmacology of antiarrhythmic drugs. Students were taught the medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and therapeutics of antiarrhythmic agents in the cardiology module presented in quarter 7 of the PharmD curriculum. Important foundational information for this topic was presented to students in prerequisite physiology courses and pathophysiology courses offered earlier in the curriculum. Emphasis was placed on student critical thinking and active involvement. Weekly recitation sessions afforded students the opportunity to apply the information they learned regarding arrhythmia pharmacotherapy to comprehensive patient cases. Student comprehension was measured using class exercises, short quizzes, case write-ups, comprehensive examinations, group exercises, and classroom discussion. Students were afforded the opportunity to evaluate the course, and the instructors as well as rate the degree to which the course achieved its educational outcomes. Students learned about cardiac arrhythmias through a high-quality, interdisciplinary series of classes presented by faculty members with extensive experience related to the pharmacology and pharmacotherapy of cardiac arrhythmias.

  9. Applications of stable isotopes in clinical pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Schellekens, Reinout C A; Stellaard, Frans; Woerdenbag, Herman J; Frijlink, Henderik W; Kosterink, Jos G W

    2011-01-01

    This review aims to present an overview of the application of stable isotope technology in clinical pharmacology. Three main categories of stable isotope technology can be distinguished in clinical pharmacology. Firstly, it is applied in the assessment of drug pharmacology to determine the pharmacokinetic profile or mode of action of a drug substance. Secondly, stable isotopes may be used for the assessment of drug products or drug delivery systems by determination of parameters such as the bioavailability or the release profile. Thirdly, patients may be assessed in relation to patient-specific drug treatment; this concept is often called personalized medicine. In this article, the application of stable isotope technology in the aforementioned three areas is reviewed, with emphasis on developments over the past 25 years. The applications are illustrated with examples from clinical studies in humans. PMID:21801197

  10. Enterobacter aerogenes Hormaeche and Edwards 1960 (Approved Lists 1980) and Klebsiella mobilis Bascomb et al. 1971 (Approved Lists 1980) share the same nomenclatural type (ATCC 13048) on the Approved Lists and are homotypic synonyms, with consequences for the name Klebsiella mobilis Bascomb et al. 1971 (Approved Lists 1980).

    PubMed

    Tindall, B J; Sutton, G; Garrity, G M

    2017-02-01

    Enterobacter aerogenes Hormaeche and Edwards 1960 (Approved Lists 1980) and Klebsiella mobilis Bascomb et al. 1971 (Approved Lists 1980) were placed on the Approved Lists of Bacterial Names and were based on the same nomenclatural type, ATCC 13048. Consequently they are to be treated as homotypic synonyms. However, the names of homotypic synonyms at the rank of species normally are based on the same epithet. Examination of the Rules of the International Code of Nomenclature of Bacteria in force at the time indicates that the epithet mobilis in Klebsiella mobilis Bascomb et al. 1971 (Approved Lists 1980) was illegitimate at the time the Approved Lists were published and according to the Rules of the current International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes continues to be illegitimate.

  11. Fibromyalgia syndrome: prevalence, pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in outpatient health care. An analysis of statutory health insurance data.

    PubMed

    Sauer, Kristin; Kemper, Claudia; Glaeske, Gerd

    2011-01-01

    Fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) is a chronic pain condition impacting on quality of life, causing physical and psychological impairment resulting in limited participation in professional and social life. The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence, recommended pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions of FMS, patients' characteristics and to compare findings to current research. About 1.6 Mio patients of a German statutory health insurance company (GEK) in 2007 were analyzed for: (a) the prevalence of FMS (ICD-10: M79.7); (b) and comorbid depression (ICD-10: F32/33); (c) the recommended pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention rates; (d) and characteristics of patients associated with being prescribed recommended interventions. The (a) standardized prevalence of FMS in 2007 was 0.05% in men and 0.4% in women. (b) 51.9% of the patients with prevalent FMS had a comorbid depression in 2007 (88.2% female). (c) 66% of FMS patients received the recommended pharmacological treatment, 59% physical therapy, 6.1% cognitive-behavioural therapy and 3.4% a combination of these (multi-component therapy, MCT). (d) One year increase in age was associated with a 3% decrease in the predicted odds of receiving MCT (95%, CI 0.95-0.99). The current data indicate an FMS-prevalence that differs from epidemiological surveys and screenings, probably due to methodological differences. Especially females with comorbid depression are affected. The likelihood of receiving MCT is not associated with gender, but with younger age. Yet, the findings seem to indicate insufficient and inadequate treatment, but FMS warrants more research. Copyright © 2010 Société française de rhumatologie. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. Pharmacological Management of Cardiorenal Syndromes

    PubMed Central

    House, Andrew A.; Haapio, Mikko; Lassus, Johan; Bellomo, Rinaldo; Ronco, Claudio

    2011-01-01

    Cardiorenal syndromes are disorders of the heart and kidneys whereby acute or chronic dysfunction in one organ may induce acute or chronic dysfunction of the other. The pharmacological management of Cardiorenal syndromes may be complicated by unanticipated or unintended effects of agents targeting one organ on the other. Hence, a thorough understanding of the pathophysiology of these disorders is paramount. The treatment of cardiovascular diseases and risk factors may affect renal function and modify the progression of renal injury. Likewise, management of renal disease and associated complications can influence heart function or influence cardiovascular risk. In this paper, an overview of pharmacological management of acute and chronic Cardiorenal Syndromes is presented, and the need for high-quality future studies in this field is highlighted. PMID:21660311

  13. [Military pharmacology education outside the imperial school of medicine].

    PubMed

    Yildirim, N

    1998-01-01

    In 1870, just after starting medical education in Turkish at the Imperial School of Medicine (Mekeb-i Tibbiye-i Sahani) favor in the pharmacology and surgery courses decreased; and even pharmacology graduates continued their education to be physicians. This change gave rise to the shortage of pharmacists and surgeons in the army, and consquently in 1873 the branch of surgery and in 1876 pharmacology were inaugurated at the Haydarpasa Military Hospital. Those who had studied at this Hospital for three years were given a diploma for pharmacy practice (ameliyat eczaciligi sehadetnamesi) and were appointed to the army and to military hospitals. The years of education was raised to four years in 1888, and it was reduced to three years again in 1891. According to Charles Bonkowski, the chemist of Sultan Abdulhamid II, the instruction of military pharmacology was independent from the School of Medicine; he suggested the foundation of a higher school of pharmacy in Istanbul on the standards of the Paris Higher School of Pharmacology (Ecole Superieur de Pharmacie de Paris) where he had studied and graduated in 1865. Unfortunately this advice was not realised; but a department of pharmacology was opened within the Military High School for Veterinarians (Baytar Rustiye-i Askeriyesi) in Eyup in order to educate the students properly. This institution, renamed as the Military High School for Veterinarians and Pharmacists (Baytar ve Eczact Mekteb-i Rustiye-i Askeriyesi), had sent its graduates to the Imperial School of Medicine for many years. Since this process had proved to be useful, the Pharmacology Branch at the Haydarpasa Military Hospital was closed in 1892. In 1895, another military school which was called Eczaci ve Timarci Sibyan Mektebi started instruction on the Naval Hospital. Graduates of this school were appointed to the naval offices for minor operations.

  14. Veterinary pharmacology: history, current status and future prospects.

    PubMed

    Lees, P; Fink-Gremmels, J; Toutain, P L

    2013-04-01

    Veterinary therapeutics, based on the art of Materia Medica, has been practised for countless centuries, but the science of veterinary pharmacology is of very recent origin. This review traces the contribution of Materia Medica to veterinary therapeutics from the Egyptian period through to the Age of Enlightenment. The first tentative steps in the development of the science of veterinary pharmacology were taken in the 18th century, but it was not until the mid 20th century that the science replaced the art of Materia Medica. This review traces the 20th century developments in veterinary pharmacology, with emphasis on the explosion of knowledge in the 35 year period to 2010. The range of factors which have influenced the current status of the discipline are reviewed. Future developments are considered from the perspectives of what might be regarded as desirable and those innovations that might be anticipated. We end with words of encouragement for young colleagues intent upon pursuing a career in veterinary pharmacology. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. The Case for Adopting the "Species Complex" Nomenclature for the Etiologic Agents of Cryptococcosis.

    PubMed

    Kwon-Chung, Kyung J; Bennett, John E; Wickes, Brian L; Meyer, Wieland; Cuomo, Christina A; Wollenburg, Kurt R; Bicanic, Tihana A; Castañeda, Elizabeth; Chang, Yun C; Chen, Jianghan; Cogliati, Massimo; Dromer, Françoise; Ellis, David; Filler, Scott G; Fisher, Matthew C; Harrison, Thomas S; Holland, Steven M; Kohno, Shigeru; Kronstad, James W; Lazera, Marcia; Levitz, Stuart M; Lionakis, Michail S; May, Robin C; Ngamskulrongroj, Popchai; Pappas, Peter G; Perfect, John R; Rickerts, Volker; Sorrell, Tania C; Walsh, Thomas J; Williamson, Peter R; Xu, Jianping; Zelazny, Adrian M; Casadevall, Arturo

    2017-01-01

    Cryptococcosis is a potentially lethal disease of humans/animals caused by Cryptococcus neoformans and Cryptococcus gattii . Distinction between the two species is based on phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Recently, it was proposed that C. neoformans be divided into two species and C. gattii into five species based on a phylogenetic analysis of 115 isolates. While this proposal adds to the knowledge about the genetic diversity and population structure of cryptococcosis agents, the published genotypes of 2,606 strains have already revealed more genetic diversity than is encompassed by seven species. Naming every clade as a separate species at this juncture will lead to continuing nomenclatural instability. In the absence of biological differences between clades and no consensus about how DNA sequence alone can delineate a species, we recommend using " Cryptococcus neoformans species complex" and " C. gattii species complex" as a practical intermediate step, rather than creating more species. This strategy recognizes genetic diversity without creating confusion.

  16. A Python package for parsing, validating, mapping and formatting sequence variants using HGVS nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Hart, Reece K; Rico, Rudolph; Hare, Emily; Garcia, John; Westbrook, Jody; Fusaro, Vincent A

    2015-01-15

    Biological sequence variants are commonly represented in scientific literature, clinical reports and databases of variation using the mutation nomenclature guidelines endorsed by the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS). Despite the widespread use of the standard, no freely available and comprehensive programming libraries are available. Here we report an open-source and easy-to-use Python library that facilitates the parsing, manipulation, formatting and validation of variants according to the HGVS specification. The current implementation focuses on the subset of the HGVS recommendations that precisely describe sequence-level variation relevant to the application of high-throughput sequencing to clinical diagnostics. The package is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. Source code, documentation and issue tracking are available at http://bitbucket.org/hgvs/hgvs/. Python packages are available at PyPI (https://pypi.python.org/pypi/hgvs). Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press.

  17. A Python package for parsing, validating, mapping and formatting sequence variants using HGVS nomenclature

    PubMed Central

    Hart, Reece K.; Rico, Rudolph; Hare, Emily; Garcia, John; Westbrook, Jody; Fusaro, Vincent A.

    2015-01-01

    Summary: Biological sequence variants are commonly represented in scientific literature, clinical reports and databases of variation using the mutation nomenclature guidelines endorsed by the Human Genome Variation Society (HGVS). Despite the widespread use of the standard, no freely available and comprehensive programming libraries are available. Here we report an open-source and easy-to-use Python library that facilitates the parsing, manipulation, formatting and validation of variants according to the HGVS specification. The current implementation focuses on the subset of the HGVS recommendations that precisely describe sequence-level variation relevant to the application of high-throughput sequencing to clinical diagnostics. Availability and implementation: The package is released under the Apache 2.0 open-source license. Source code, documentation and issue tracking are available at http://bitbucket.org/hgvs/hgvs/. Python packages are available at PyPI (https://pypi.python.org/pypi/hgvs). Contact: reecehart@gmail.com Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:25273102

  18. Pharmacological Properties of Melanin and its Function in Health.

    PubMed

    ElObeid, Adila Salih; Kamal-Eldin, Afaf; Abdelhalim, Mohamed Anwar K; Haseeb, Adil M

    2017-06-01

    The biological pigment melanin is present in most of the biological systems. It manifests a host of biological and pharmacological properties. Its role as a molecule with special properties and functions affecting general health, including photoprotective and immunological action, are well recognized. Its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, radioprotective, hepatic, gastrointestinal and hypoglycaemic benefits have only recently been recognized and studied. It is also associated with certain disorders of the nervous system. In this MiniReview, we consider the steadily increasing literature on the bioavailability and functional activity of melanin. Published literature shows that melanin may play a number of possible pharmacological effects such as protective, stimulatory, diagnostic and curative roles in human health. In this MiniReview, possible health roles and pharmacological effects are considered. © 2016 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).

  19. Post-mortem clinical pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Ferner, R E

    2008-01-01

    Clinical pharmacology assumes that deductions can be made about the concentrations of drugs from a knowledge of the pharmacokinetic parameters in an individual; and that the effects are related to the measured concentration. Post-mortem changes render the assumptions of clinical pharmacology largely invalid, and make the interpretation of concentrations measured in post-mortem samples difficult or impossible. Qualitative tests can show the presence of substances that were not present in life, and can fail to detect substances that led to death. Quantitative analysis is subject to error in itself, and because post-mortem concentrations vary in largely unpredictable ways with the site and time of sampling, as a result of the phenomenon of post-mortem redistribution. Consequently, compilations of ‘lethal concentrations’ are misleading. There is a lack of adequate studies of the true relationship between fatal events and the concentrations that can be measured subsequently, but without such studies, clinical pharmacologists and others should be wary of interpreting post-mortem measurements. PMID:18637886

  20. Holistic Management of Schizophrenia Symptoms Using Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Treatment.

    PubMed

    Ganguly, Pronab; Soliman, Abdrabo; Moustafa, Ahmed A

    2018-01-01

    Individuals with schizophrenia lead a poor quality of life, due to poor medical attention, homelessness, unemployment, financial constraints, lack of education, and poor social skills. Thus, a review of factors associated with the holistic management of schizophrenia is of paramount importance. The objective of this review is to improve the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia, by addressing the factors related to the needs of the patients and present them in a unified manner. Although medications play a role, other factors that lead to a successful holistic management of schizophrenia include addressing the following: financial management, independent community living, independent living skill, relationship, friendship, entertainment, regular exercise for weight gained due to medication administration, co-morbid health issues, and day-care programmes for independent living. This review discusses the relationship between different symptoms and problems individuals with schizophrenia face (e.g., homelessness and unemployment), and how these can be managed using pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods. Thus, the target of this review is the carers of individuals with schizophrenia, public health managers, counselors, case workers, psychiatrists, and clinical psychologists aiming to enhance the quality of life of individuals with schizophrenia.

  1. Effectiveness of Psychological and Pharmacological Treatments for Nocturnal Enuresis.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houts, Arthur C.; And Others

    1994-01-01

    Assesses overall effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments, relative effectiveness of specific treatments, and moderators of treatment effectiveness for nocturnal enuretic children via quantitative integration of research. Findings confirm that more children benefit from psychological than from pharmacological interventions and…

  2. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics: Past, Present and Future

    PubMed Central

    Waldman, SA; Terzic, A

    2016-01-01

    Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (CPT), the definitive and timely source for advances in human therapeutics, transcends the drug discovery, development, regulation and utilization continuum to catalyze, evolve and disseminate discipline-transformative knowledge. Prioritized themes and multidisciplinary content drive the science and practice of clinical pharmacology, offering a trusted point of reference. An authoritative herald across global communities, CPT is a timeless information vehicle at the vanguard of discovery, translation and application ushering therapeutic innovation into modern health care. PMID:28194770

  3. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological strategies of brown adipose tissue recruitment in humans.

    PubMed

    Lee, Paul; Greenfield, Jerry R

    2015-12-15

    Humans maintain core temperature through a complex neuroendocrine circuitry, coupling environmental thermal and nutritional cues to heat-producing and dissipating mechanisms. Up to 40% of resting energy expenditure contributes to thermal homeostasis maintenance. Recent re-discovery of thermogenic brown adipose tissue (BAT) has brought the relation between ambient temperature, thermogenesis and systemic energy and substrate metabolism to the forefront. In addition to well-known pituitary-thyroid-adrenal axis, new endocrine signals, such as FGF21 and irisin, orchestrate crosstalk between white adipose tissue (WAT), BAT and muscle, tuning non-shivering and shivering thermogenesis responses. Cold exposure modulates the endocrine milieu, and cold-induced hormones cause bioenergetics transformation sufficient to impact whole body metabolism. This review will appraise the nature of human BAT and the basis of BAT-centred therapeutics, highlighting how the interaction between hormones and adipose tissue impacts metabolic responses. Non-pharmacological and pharmacological strategies of BAT recruitment and/or fat browning for metabolic benefits will be discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors: Pharmacology and Toxicology

    PubMed Central

    Čolović, Mirjana B; Krstić, Danijela Z; Lazarević-Pašti, Tamara D; Bondžić, Aleksandra M; Vasić, Vesna M

    2013-01-01

    Acetylcholinesterase is involved in the termination of impulse transmission by rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in numerous cholinergic pathways in the central and peripheral nervous systems. The enzyme inactivation, induced by various inhibitors, leads to acetylcholine accumulation, hyperstimulation of nicotinic and muscarinic receptors, and disrupted neurotransmission. Hence, acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, interacting with the enzyme as their primary target, are applied as relevant drugs and toxins. This review presents an overview of toxicology and pharmacology of reversible and irreversible acetylcholinesterase inactivating compounds. In the case of reversible inhibitors being commonly applied in neurodegenerative disorders treatment, special attention is paid to currently approved drugs (donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine) in the pharmacotherapy of Alzheimer’s disease, and toxic carbamates used as pesticides. Subsequently, mechanism of irreversible acetylcholinesterase inhibition induced by organophosphorus compounds (insecticides and nerve agents), and their specific and nonspecific toxic effects are described, as well as irreversible inhibitors having pharmacological implementation. In addition, the pharmacological treatment of intoxication caused by organophosphates is presented, with emphasis on oxime reactivators of the inhibited enzyme activity administering as causal drugs after the poisoning. Besides, organophosphorus and carbamate insecticides can be detoxified in mammals through enzymatic hydrolysis before they reach targets in the nervous system. Carboxylesterases most effectively decompose carbamates, whereas the most successful route of organophosphates detoxification is their degradation by corresponding phosphotriesterases. PMID:24179466

  5. Pharmacological versus sensory factors in the satiation of chocolate craving.

    PubMed

    Michener, W; Rozin, P

    1994-09-01

    This is the first experimental study directed at differentiating between physiological or sensory accounts of the satiation of nondrug cravings, using chocolate craving, the most common craving in North America. At the onset of craving, chocolate cravers consumed a chocolate bar, the caloric equivalent in "white chocolate" (containing none of the pharmacological components of chocolate), the pharmacological equivalent in cocoa capsules, placebo, and no treatment conditions had virtually no effect. White chocolate produced partial abatement, unchanged by the addition of all the pharmacological factors in cocoa. This result indicates no role for pharmacological effects in the satisfaction of chocolate craving. It also suggests a role for aroma independent of sweetness, texture, and calories.

  6. An overview of the safety pharmacology society strategic plan.

    PubMed

    Pugsley, M K; Authier, S; Koerner, J E; Redfern, W S; Markgraf, C G; Brabham, T; Correll, K; Soloviev, M V; Botchway, A; Engwall, M; Traebert, M; Valentin, J-P; Mow, T J; Greiter-Wilke, A; Leishman, D J; Vargas, H M

    2018-01-09

    Safety Pharmacology studies are conducted to characterize the confidence by which biologically active new chemical entities (NCE) may be anticipated as safe. Non-clinical safety pharmacology studies aim to detect and characterize potentially undesirable pharmacodynamic activities using an array of in silico, in vitro and in vivo animal models. While a broad spectrum of methodological innovation and advancement of the science occurs within the Safety Pharmacology Society, the society also focuses on partnerships with health authorities and technology providers and facilitates interaction with organizations of common interest such as pharmacology, physiology, neuroscience, cardiology and toxicology. Education remains a primary emphasis for the society through content derived from regional and annual meetings, webinars and publication of its works it seeks to inform the general scientific and regulatory community. In considering the future of safety pharmacology the society has developed a strategy to successfully navigate forward and not be mired in stagnation of the discipline. Strategy can be defined in numerous ways but generally involves establishing and setting goals, determining what actions are needed to achieve those goals, and mobilizing resources within the society to accomplish the actions. The discipline remains in rapid evolution and its coverage is certain to expand to provide better guidance for more systems in the next few years. This overview from the Safety Pharmacology Society will outline the strategic plan from 2016 to 2018 and beyond and provide insight into the future of the discipline which builds upon a previous strategic plan established in 2009. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Blues for the Lecture Theatre--The Pharmacology Songbook

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacDonald, Ewen; Saarti, Jarmo

    2006-01-01

    In 2005, we were able to digitally record the so-called pharmacology songbook; a set of songs with lyrics devoted to pharmacological topics. A CD was prepared entitled The Beta-blocker Blues and its contents are now all freely available in mp3 format from our web page (Ewen MacDonald & friends, 2005). The web page also contains the lyrics and…

  8. Clinical Pharmacology in Sleep Medicine

    PubMed Central

    Proctor, Ashley; Bianchi, Matt T.

    2012-01-01

    The basic treatment goals of pharmacological therapies in sleep medicine are to improve waking function by either improving sleep or by increasing energy during wakefulness. Stimulants to improve waking function include amphetamine derivatives, modafinil, and caffeine. Sleep aids encompass several classes, from benzodiazepine hypnotics to over-the-counter antihistamines. Other medications used in sleep medicine include those initially used in other disorders, such as epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, and psychiatric disorders. As these medications are prescribed or encountered by providers in diverse fields of medicine, it is important to recognize the distribution of adverse effects, drug interaction profiles, metabolism, and cytochrome substrate activity. In this paper, we review the pharmacological armamentarium in the field of sleep medicine to provide a framework for risk-benefit considerations in clinical practice. PMID:23213564

  9. AnnoTALE: bioinformatics tools for identification, annotation, and nomenclature of TALEs from Xanthomonas genomic sequences

    PubMed Central

    Grau, Jan; Reschke, Maik; Erkes, Annett; Streubel, Jana; Morgan, Richard D.; Wilson, Geoffrey G.; Koebnik, Ralf; Boch, Jens

    2016-01-01

    Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs) are virulence factors, produced by the bacterial plant-pathogen Xanthomonas, that function as gene activators inside plant cells. Although the contribution of individual TALEs to infectivity has been shown, the specific roles of most TALEs, and the overall TALE diversity in Xanthomonas spp. is not known. TALEs possess a highly repetitive DNA-binding domain, which is notoriously difficult to sequence. Here, we describe an improved method for characterizing TALE genes by the use of PacBio sequencing. We present ‘AnnoTALE’, a suite of applications for the analysis and annotation of TALE genes from Xanthomonas genomes, and for grouping similar TALEs into classes. Based on these classes, we propose a unified nomenclature for Xanthomonas TALEs that reveals similarities pointing to related functionalities. This new classification enables us to compare related TALEs and to identify base substitutions responsible for the evolution of TALE specificities. PMID:26876161

  10. Fesoterodine: Pharmacological properties and clinical implications.

    PubMed

    Gamé, Xavier; Peyronnet, Benoit; Cornu, Jean-Nicolas

    2018-05-24

    Fesoterodine (as one of three drugs: dutasteride, finasteride and fesoterodine) was classified B (beneficial) by LUTS-FORTA 2014, indicating that it is a medicinal product with proven or obvious efficacy in the elderly, with limited side effects and/or safety concerns. A systematic literature review was undertaken in January 2018 using the PubMed and Google Scholar databases with the following individual and combined keywords: "fesoterodine", "pharmacology", "overactive bladder" and "antimuscarinics". The aim of the review was to determine which of fesoterodine's pharmacological properties explains its clinical benefits in general patient populations with OAB and the elderly in particular. The articles in the results were then selected by publication language (English and French only), methodology (off-topic studies, reported cases and literature reviews were excluded), relevance to the subject matter and publication date prior to 31 January 2018. A total of 205 articles was initially obtained, with 115 read and 45 selected. It appears that the association of four pharmacological properties specific to fesoterodine can explain that this drug has a good balance between efficacy and tolerability. These properties are namely the drug's high and nearly equal affinity for both the M2 and M3 muscarinic receptors, poor penetration of the blood-brain barrier, lack of hepatic first-pass activation -fesoterodine being rapidly and extensively converted to its active metabolite, 5-hydroxymethyl tolterodine, by ubiquitous esterases-, and its extended-release formulation. Fesoterodine's pharmacological profile is optimal for the treatment of overactive bladder. It is now recognized as one of the leading first-line treatment for this indication. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. The genus Caesalpinia L. (Caesalpiniaceae): phytochemical and pharmacological characteristics.

    PubMed

    Zanin, João L Baldim; de Carvalho, Bianca A; Martineli, Paloma Salles; dos Santos, Marcelo Henrique; Lago, João Henrique G; Sartorelli, Patrícia; Viegas, Cláudio; Soares, Marisi G

    2012-06-29

    The genus Caesalpinia (Caesalpiniaceae) has more than 500 species, many of which have not yet been investigated for potential pharmacological activity. Several classes of chemical compounds, such as flavonoids, diterpenes, and steroids, have been isolated from various species of the genus Caesalpinia. It has been reported in the literature that these species exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties, including antiulcer, anticancer, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antirheumatic activities that have proven to be efficacious in ethnomedicinal practices. In this review we present chemical and pharmacological data from recent phytochemical studies on various plants of the genus Caesalpinia.

  12. Pharmacological Effects of Biotin in Animals.

    PubMed

    Riveron-Negrete, Leticia; Fernandez-Mejia, Cristina

    2017-01-01

    In recent decades, it was found that vitamins affect biological functions in ways other than their long-known functions; niacin is the best example of a water-soluble vitamin known to possess multiple actions. Biotin, also known as vitamin B7 or vitamin H, is a water-soluble B-complex vitamin that serves as a covalently-bound coenzyme of carboxylases. It is now well documented that biotin has actions other than participating in classical enzyme catalysis reactions. Several lines of evidence have demonstrated that pharmacological concentrations of biotin affect glucose and lipid metabolism, hypertension, reproduction, development, and immunity. The effect of biotin on these functions is related to its actions at the transcriptional, translational, and post-translational levels. The bestsupported mechanism involved in the genetic effects of biotin is the soluble guanylate cyclase/protein kinase G (PKG) signaling cascade. Although there are commercially-available products containing pharmacological concentrations of biotin, the toxic effects of biotin have been poorly studied. This review summarizes the known actions and molecular mechanisms of pharmacological doses of biotin in animals and current information regarding biotin toxicity. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  13. Achieving the World Health Organization's vision for clinical pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Henry, David; Gray, Jean; Day, Richard; Bochner, Felix; Ferro, Albert; Pirmohamed, Munir; Mörike, Klaus; Schwab, Matthias

    2015-01-01

    Clinical pharmacology is a medical specialty whose practitioners teach, undertake research, frame policy, give information and advice about the actions and proper uses of medicines in humans and implement that knowledge in clinical practice. It involves a combination of several activities: drug discovery and development, training safe prescribers, providing objective and evidence‐based therapeutic information to ethics, regulatory and pricing bodies, supporting patient care in an increasingly subspecialized arena where co‐morbidities, polypharmacy, altered pharmacokinetics and drug interactions are common and developing and contributing to medicines policies for Governments. Clinical pharmacologists must advocate drug quality and they must also advocate for sustainability of the Discipline. However for this they need appropriate clinical service and training support. This Commentary discusses strategies to ensure the Discipline is supported by teaching, training and policy organizations, to communicate the full benefits of clinical pharmacology services, put a monetary value on clinical pharmacology services and to grow the clinical pharmacology workforce to support a growing clinical, academic and regulatory need. PMID:26466826

  14. Yin and Yang of ginseng pharmacology: ginsenosides vs gintonin

    PubMed Central

    Im, Dong-soon; Nah, Seung-yeol

    2013-01-01

    Ginseng, the root of Panax ginseng, has been used in traditional Chinese medicine as a tonic herb that provides many beneficial effects. Pharmacologic studies in the last decades have shown that ginsenosides (ginseng saponins) are primarily responsible for the actions of ginseng. However, the effects of ginseng are not fully explained by ginsenosides. Recently, another class of active ingredients called gintonin was identified. Gintonin is a complex of glycosylated ginseng proteins containing lysophosphatidic acids (LPAs) that are the intracellular lipid mitogenic mediator. Gintonin specifically and potently activates the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for LPA. Thus, the actions of ginseng are now also linked to LPA and its GPCRs. This linkage opens new dimensions for ginseng pharmacology and LPA therapeutics. In the present review, we evaluate the pharmacology of ginseng with the traditional viewpoint of Yin and Yang components. Furthermore, we will compare ginsenoside and gintonin based on the modern view of molecular pharmacology in terms of ion channels and GPCRs. PMID:24122014

  15. Fundamentals of Clinical Pharmacology With Application for Pregnant Women.

    PubMed

    Patil, Avinash S; Sheng, Jessica; Dotters-Katz, Sarah K; Schmoll, Maria S; Onslow, Mitchell; Pierson, Rebecca C

    2017-05-01

    Medication use is common in pregnancy, yet for most medications the optimal formulation and dosage have not been described specifically for pregnant women. Often, adverse effects are only discovered anecdotally or after extensive off-label use occurs. Since pharmacologic research that includes pregnant women is sparse and animal studies are often not applicable to the human fetus, providers must use knowledge of drug behavior and normal physiologic changes of pregnancy to personalize treatment for pregnant women. In this review, we present an overview of the basic concepts of clinical pharmacology: pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and pharmacogenomics. The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy are presented as a framework to understand alterations in drug behavior. A clinical vignette that addresses 4 pregnancy scenarios involving medications-preterm birth, vaccination, herpes simplex virus infection, and codeine toxicity-is provided to illustrate application of core clinical pharmacologic concepts. Discussion of relevant literature illustrates the challenges of offering individualized pharmacologic therapy in pregnancy. © 2017 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

  16. Human Behavioral Pharmacology, Past, Present, and Future: Symposium Presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Behavioral Pharmacology Society

    PubMed Central

    Comer, Sandra D.; Bickel, Warren K.; Yi, Richard; de Wit, Harriet; Higgins, Stephen T.; Wenger, Galen R.; Johanson, Chris-Ellyn; Kreek, Mary Jeanne

    2010-01-01

    A symposium held at the 50th annual meeting of the Behavioral Pharmacology Society in May 2007 reviewed progress in the human behavioral pharmacology of drug abuse. Studies on drug self-administration in humans are reviewed that assessed reinforcing and subjective effects of drugs of abuse. The close parallels observed between studies in humans and laboratory animals using similar behavioral techniques have broadened our understanding of the complex nature of the pharmacological and behavioral factors controlling drug self-administration. The symposium also addressed the role that individual differences, such as gender, personality, and genotype play in determining the extent of self-administration of illicit drugs in human populations. Knowledge of how these factors influence human drug self-administration has helped validate similar differences observed in laboratory animals. In recognition that drug self-administration is but one of many choices available in the lives of humans, the symposium addressed the ways in which choice behavior can be studied in humans. These choice studies in human drug abusers have opened up new and exciting avenues of research in laboratory animals. Finally, the symposium reviewed behavioral pharmacology studies conducted in drug abuse treatment settings and the therapeutic benefits that have emerged from these studies. PMID:20664330

  17. How do the top 12 pharmaceutical companies operate safety pharmacology?

    PubMed

    Ewart, Lorna; Gallacher, David J; Gintant, Gary; Guillon, Jean-Michel; Leishman, Derek; Levesque, Paul; McMahon, Nick; Mylecraine, Lou; Sanders, Martin; Suter, Willi; Wallis, Rob; Valentin, Jean-Pierre

    2012-09-01

    How does safety pharmacology operate in large pharmaceutical companies today? By understanding our current position, can we prepare safety pharmacology to successfully navigate the complex process of drug discovery and development? A short anonymous survey was conducted, by invitation, to safety pharmacology representatives of the top 12 pharmaceutical companies, as defined by 2009 revenue figures. A series of multiple choice questions was designed to explore group size, accountabilities, roles and responsibilities of group members, outsourcing policy and publication record. A 92% response rate was obtained. Six out of 11 companies have 10 to 30 full time equivalents in safety pharmacology, who hold similar roles and responsibilities; although the majority of members are not qualified at PhD level or equivalent. Accountabilities were similar across companies and all groups have accountability for core battery in vivo studies and problem solving activities but differences do exist for example with in vitro safety screening and pharmacodynamic/pharmokinetic modeling (PK/PD). The majority of companies outsource less than 25% of studies, with in vitro profiling being the most commonly outsourced activity. Finally, safety pharmacology groups are publishing 1 to 4 articles each year. This short survey has highlighted areas of similarity and differences in the way large pharmaceutical companies operate safety pharmacology. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. An Integrated Approach to Instruction in Pharmacology and Therapeutics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Talbert, Robert L.; Walton, Charles A.

    1976-01-01

    The impact of the clinical faculty on the content of the pharmacology course is described in a discussion of trends in pharmacology instruction. Interfaculty communication and development of course objectives are reviewed, and descriptions of two baccalaureate courses at the University of Texas College of Pharmacy are appended. (LBH)

  19. History, anatomical nomenclature, comparative anatomy and functions of the hippocampal formation.

    PubMed

    El-Falougy, H; Benuska, J

    2006-01-01

    The complex structures in the cerebral hemispheres is included under one term, the limbic system. Our conception of this system and its special functions rises from the comparative neuroanatomical and neurophysiological studies. The components of the limbic system are the hippocampus, gyrus parahippocampalis, gyrus dentatus, gyrus cinguli, corpus amygdaloideum, nuclei anteriores thalami, hypothalamus and gyrus paraterminalis Because of its unique macroscopic and microscopic structure, the hippocampus is a conspicuous part of the limbic system. During phylogenetic development, the hippocampus developed from a simple cortical plate in amphibians into complex three-dimensional convoluted structure in mammals. In the last few decades, structures of the limbic system were extensively studied. Attention was directed to the physiological functions and pathological changes of the hippocampus. Experimental studies proved that the hippocampus has a very important role in the process of learning and memory. Another important functions of the hippocampus as a part of the limbic system is its role in regulation of sexual and emotional behaviour. The term "hippocampal formation" is defined as the complex of six structures: gyrus dentatus, hippocampus proprius, subiculum proprium, presubiculum, parasubiculum and area entorhinalis In this work we attempt to present a brief review of knowledge about the hippocampus from the point of view of history, anatomical nomenclature, comparative anatomy and functions (Tab. 1, Fig. 2, Ref. 33).

  20. Syntax diagrams for body wave nomenclature, with generalizations for terrestrial planets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Knapmeyer, M.

    2003-04-01

    The Apollo network on the Moon constitutes the beginning of planetary seismology. In the next few decades, we may see seismometers deployed on the Moon again, on Mars, and perhaps on other terrestrial planets or satellites. Any seismological software for computation of body wave travel times on other planets should be highly versatile and be prepared for a huge variety of velocity distributions and internal structures. A suite of trial models for a planet might, for example, contain models with and without solid inner cores. It would then be useful if the software could detect physically meaningless phase names automatically without actually carrying out any computation. It would also be useful if the program were prepared to deal with features like fully solid cores, internal oceans, and varying depths of mineralogical phase changes like the olivine-spinel transition. Syntax diagrams are a standard method to describe the syntax of programming languages. They represent a graphical way to define which letter or phrase is allowed to follow a given sequence of letters. Syntax diagrams may be stored in data structures that allow automatic evaluation of a given letter sequence. Such diagrams are presented here for a generalized body wave nomenclature. Generalizations are made to overcome earth-specific notations which incorporate discontinuity depths into phase names or to distinguish olivine transitions from ice-ice transitions (as expected on the Galilean Satellites).

  1. The role of clinical pharmacology in molecular genetics

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Robertson, D.

    1997-01-01

    PROBLEM: Discovering the causes of unusual phenotypes in human subjects is an important aspect of patient-oriented research. MATERIAL: The tools of clinical pharmacology are uniquely useful in addressing these problems. PATIENTS, SUBJECTS, OR CASE HISTORIES: We evaluated a 42-year-old patient with lifelong orthostatic hypotension and ptosis of the eyelids. He underwent a series of biochemical, physiological, and pharmacological tests outlined in this article. RESULTS: These studies indicated that sympathetic innervation was intact but that the sympathetic neurotransmitter was dopamine rather than norepinephrine. These results demonstrated that dopamine-beta-hydroxylase deficiency underlies the clinical abnormalities of this patient. CONCLUSION: In selected individuals with unusual phenotypes, the techniques of clinical chemistry and clinical pharmacology can define the nature of the defect at almost the resolution of the human genome.

  2. Pharmacological treatment of tobacco dependence.

    PubMed

    Jarvik, M E; Henningfield, J E

    1988-05-01

    Pharmacologically based approaches for the treatment of tobacco dependence are reviewed. The rational basis for pharmacologic treatment approaches is that tobacco dependence is partially, and critically, mediated by the actions of tobacco-delivered nicotine to the central nervous system. These actions include direct reinforcing properties of nicotine itself, tolerance and physiologic dependence, possible beneficial effects of nicotine in the alleviation of anxiety and control of weight, and neurohormonal regulation which can become important to the maintenance of emotional well-being and performance at work. Insofar as tobacco abstinence leads to negative consequences, via these biobehavioral mechanisms, pharmacologic intervention should be able to assist in initial tobacco detoxification and help tobacco abstinent persons to avoid subsequent relapse. The purpose of this review is to survey some of the efforts to develop such interventions, as well as to elucidate some of the issues relevant to such development. Four distinct approaches are discussed: (1) Nicotine replacement, in which physiologic dependence is transferred to a safer and more therapeutically manageable nicotine delivering formulation; this category includes nicotine polacrilex gum; (2) Blockade therapy, in which a drug is taken that blocks the reinforcing properties of nicotine should relapse occur; (3) Nonspecific pharmacotherapy, in which the biobehaviorally mediated correlates of tobacco abstinence are treated on a symptomatic basis; (4) Deterrent therapy, in which a drug is taken prior to smoking such that any tobacco use would produce reliable aversive effects.

  3. Effective non-pharmacological birth interventions.

    PubMed

    Davis, Jude

    2015-02-01

    Midwifery expertise is in 'normal' birth. What constitutes 'normal' is debatable, but well embedded within 'normal' are the birth plans of women who aspire to give birth without using drugs. To give birth without drugs for many may seem undesirable or intolerable, especially to those whose cultural references to birth have been overwhelmingly negative, fearful or risk-obsessed. However, significant numbers of women have confidence in their innate ability to birth their babies and are rightfully concerned about the undesirable side effects of pharmacological interventions. As well as providing wider choice for women, looking for alternative ways of addressing pain and progress in labour enhances birth attendants' knowledge and becomes a delightful journey of discovering the ancient and modern arts of midwifery. Shared here are a collection of ideas to contribute to the toolkit of knowledge about non-pharmacological interventions.

  4. Rapid Analysis of Pharmacology for Infectious Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Hopkins, Andrew L; Bickerton, G. Richard; Carruthers, Ian M; Boyer, Stephen K; Rubin, Harvey; Overington, John P

    2011-01-01

    Pandemic, epidemic and endemic infectious diseases are united by a common problem: how do we rapidly and cost-effectively identify potential pharmacological interventions to treat infections? Given the large number of emerging and neglected infectious diseases and the fact that they disproportionately afflict the poorest members of the global society, new ways of thinking are required to develop high productivity discovery systems that can be applied to a large number of pathogens. The growing availability of parasite genome data provides the basis for developing methods to prioritize, a priori potential drug targets and analyze the pharmacological landscape of an infectious disease. Thus the overall objective of infectious disease informatics is to enable the rapid generation of plausible, novel medical hypotheses of test-able pharmacological experiments, by uncovering undiscovered relationships in the wealth of biomedical literature and databases that were collected for other purposes. In particular our goal is to identify potential drug targets present in a pathogen genome and prioritize which pharmacological experiments are most likely to discover drug-like lead compounds rapidly against a pathogen (i.e. which specific compounds and drug targets should be screened, in which assays and where they can be sourced). An integral part of the challenge is the development and integration of methods to predict druggability, essentiality, synthetic lethality and polypharmocology in pathogen genomes, while simultaneously integrating the inevitable issues of chemical tractability and the potential for acquired drug resistance from the start. PMID:21401504

  5. Evidence-based pharmacological treatment of substance use disorders and pathological gambling.

    PubMed

    van den Brink, Wim

    2012-03-01

    This review summarizes our current knowledge of the pharmacological treatment of substance use disorders and pathological gambling using data mainly from randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses regarding these randomized controlled trials. The review is restricted to the selection of first and second line pharmacological treatments for smoking, alcohol dependence, opioid dependence, cocaine dependence, cannabis dependence and pathological gambling. It is concluded that great progress has been made in the last three decades and that currently evidence-based pharmacological treatments are available for smoking cessation, alcohol and opioid dependence and pathological gambling. At the same time a series of existing and new pharmacological compounds are being tested in cocaine and cannabis dependence. The review concludes with a summary of additional strategies to increase the effect size of already available pharmacological interventions, including polypharmacy, combining pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy and psychosocial support, and improved patient-treatment matching.

  6. Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids: Chemistry, Pharmacology, Toxicology and Food Safety.

    PubMed

    Moreira, Rute; Pereira, David M; Valentão, Patrícia; Andrade, Paula B

    2018-06-05

    Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PA) are widely distributed in plants throughout the world, frequently in species relevant for human consumption. Apart from the toxicity that these molecules can cause in humans and livestock, PA are also known for their wide range of pharmacological properties, which can be exploited in drug discovery programs. In this work we review the current body of knowledge regarding the chemistry, toxicology, pharmacology and food safety of PA.

  7. A Review of Pharmacologic Treatment for Compulsive Buying Disorder.

    PubMed

    Soares, Célia; Fernandes, Natália; Morgado, Pedro

    2016-04-01

    At present, no treatment recommendations can be made for compulsive buying disorder. Recent studies have found evidence for the efficacy of psychotherapeutic options, but less is known regarding the best pharmacologic treatment. The purpose of this review is to present and analyze the available published evidence on the pharmacological treatment of compulsive buying disorder. To achieve this, we conducted a review of studies focusing on the pharmacological treatment of compulsive buying by searching the PubMed/MEDLINE database. Selection criteria were applied, and 21 studies were identified. Pharmacological classes reported included antidepressants, mood stabilizers, opioid antagonists, second-generation antipsychotics, and N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists. We found only placebo-controlled trials for fluvoxamine; none showed effectiveness against placebo. Three open-label trials reported clinical improvement with citalopram; one was followed by a double-blind discontinuation. Escitalopram was effective in an open-label trial but did not show efficacy in the double-blind phase. Memantine was identified as effective in a pilot open-label study. Fluoxetine, bupropion, nortriptyline, clomipramine, topiramate and naltrexone were only reported to be effective in clinical cases. According to the available literature, there is no evidence to propose a specific pharmacologic agent for compulsive buying disorder. Future research is required for a better understanding of both pathogenesis and treatment of this disorder.

  8. Pharmacologic Conversion during Dofetilide Treatment for Persistent Atrial Fibrillation.

    PubMed

    Steinberg, Jonathan S; Shah, Yash; Szepietowska, Barbara

    2017-06-01

    Dofetilide is a pure I Kr blocker and is one of the few drugs specifically studied and approved in the United States for the management of persistent atrial fibrillation (AF). Dofetilide has been noted to have a high rate of pharmacologic conversion during initial dosing in prior smaller studies. The intent of the study was to examine the safety of an inpatient loading strategy, and the incidence and patterns of pharmacologic conversion by dofetilide during the treatment of persistent AF in a large consecutive cohort. This is a retrospective analysis of 308 consecutive patients with persistent AF electively admitted for inpatient dofetilide loading. The initiation dose of dofetilide was determined by the creatinine clearance. Overall, 88% (n = 271) successfully completed initiation of dofetilide and were discharged in sinus rhythm. The most common reason for failure to complete initiation of dofetilide loading was QTc prolongation in 24 patients (7.8%), and torsade de pointes occurred in three patients (1%). Pharmacologic conversion was observed in 56% (n = 151) after a median of two doses. The rate of pharmacologic conversion based on the final dose was 75%, 9%, and 0% for 500 mcg, 250 mcg, and 125 mcg, respectively (P < 0.05). Dofetilide is a well-tolerated antiarrhythmic drug with a low incidence of proarrhythmia and an especially high rate of pharmacologic conversion in patients with persistent AF. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Pharmacological and Chemical Effects of Cigarette Additives

    PubMed Central

    Rabinoff, Michael; Caskey, Nicholas; Rissling, Anthony; Park, Candice

    2007-01-01

    We investigated tobacco industry documents and other sources for evidence of possible pharmacological and chemical effects of tobacco additives. Our findings indicated that more than 100 of 599 documented cigarette additives have pharmacological actions that camouflage the odor of environmental tobacco smoke emitted from cigarettes, enhance or maintain nicotine delivery, could increase the addictiveness of cigarettes, and mask symptoms and illnesses associated with smoking behaviors. Whether such uses were specifically intended for these agents is unknown. Our results provide a clear rationale for regulatory control of tobacco additives. PMID:17666709

  10. The current status and trend of clinical pharmacology in developing countries

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Several international forums for promoting clinical pharmacology in developing countries have been held since 1980, and several clinical pharmacology programmes targeting developing countries were instituted such that the status of clinical pharmacology in developing countries is not where it was 50 years ago. Therefore, a survey and an appraisal of the literature on the current status of clinical pharmacology in developing countries were undertaken with a hope that it would enable development of appropriate strategies for further promotion of clinical pharmacology in these countries. Methods First, nine determinants (or enabling factors) for running a successful clinical pharmacology programme were identified, i.e., disease burden, drug situation, economic growth, clinical pharmacology activities, recognition, human capital, government support, international collaboration, and support for traditional/alternative medicines. These factors were then evaluated with regard to their current status in the developing countries that responded to an electronic questionnaire, and their historical perspective, using the literature appraisal. From these, a projected trend was constructed with recommendations on the way forward. Results Clinical pharmacology services, research and teaching in developing countries have improved over the past 50 years with over 90% of countries having the appropriate policies for regulation and rational use of medicines in place. Unfortunately, policy implementation remains a challenge, owing to a worsening disease burden and drug situation, versus fewer clinical pharmacologists and other competing priorities for the national budgets. This has led to a preference for training ‘a physician clinical pharmacologist’ in programmes emphasizing local relevancy and for a shorter time, and the training of other professionals in therapeutics for endemic diseases (task shifting), as the most promising strategies of ensuring rational use of

  11. Pharmacology of P2X channels.

    PubMed

    Gever, Joel R; Cockayne, Debra A; Dillon, Michael P; Burnstock, Geoffrey; Ford, Anthony P D W

    2006-08-01

    Significant progress in understanding the pharmacological characteristics and physiological importance of homomeric and heteromeric P2X channels has been achieved in recent years. P2X channels, gated by ATP and most likely trimerically assembled from seven known P2X subunits, are present in a broad distribution of tissues and are thought to play an important role in a variety of physiological functions, including peripheral and central neuronal transmission, smooth muscle contraction, and inflammation. The known homomeric and heteromeric P2X channels can be distinguished from each other on the basis of pharmacological differences when expressed recombinantly in cell lines, but whether this pharmacological classification holds true in native cells and in vivo is less well-established. Nevertheless, several potent and selective P2X antagonists have been discovered in recent years and shown to be efficacious in various animal models including those for visceral organ function, chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and inflammation. The recent advancement of drug candidates targeting P2X channels into human trials, confirms the medicinal exploitability of this novel target family and provides hope that safe and effective medicines for the treatment of disorders involving P2X channels may be identified in the near future.

  12. Some pharmacological aspects of drug dependence.

    PubMed

    Chesher, G B

    1975-12-06

    The self-administration of drugs to achieve altered states of consciousness is recognized as normal human behaviour. Community attitudes towards drug use vary according to the drug and often bear little relationship to the known pharmacological and toxicological effects of the drug. For an objective assessment of the potential dangers associated with drug use, a distinction is made between drug use and drug abuse. It is stressed that the progression from drug use to drug abuse involves social and psychological factors in addition to the pharmacological factors which are outlined in this paper. The sequential development of drug dependency is described under the headings: Induction; continued consumption; compulsive consumption; withdrawal; abstinence; reinduction. Man uses psychotropic drugs because he finds the effects rewarding. Some experimental models to explore the neurophysiological basis of the reward are described. Experiments employing inhibitors of protein synthesis suggest that the phenomena of tolerance and physical dependence involve the synthesis of new protein. It has been suggested that the new protein might be new receptor molecules for the drug or neurotransmitter substances. These new receptors might constitute a "drug memory" and provide a possible explanation for high relapse rate of drug dependent subjects. A pharmacological basis for the methadone maintenance programme of management of narcotic dependent subjects is briefly outlined.

  13. Ginseng leaf-stem: bioactive constituents and pharmacological functions

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Hongwei; Peng, Dacheng; Xie, Jingtian

    2009-01-01

    Ginseng root is used more often than other parts such as leaf stem although extracts from ginseng leaf-stem also contain similar active ingredients with pharmacological functions. Ginseng's leaf-stems are more readily available at a lower cost than its root. This article reviews the pharmacological effects of ginseng leaf-stem on some diseases and adverse effects due to excessive consumption. Ginseng leaf-stem extract contains numerous active ingredients, such as ginsenosides, polysaccharides, triterpenoids, flavonoids, volatile oils, polyacetylenic alcohols, peptides, amino acids and fatty acids. The extract contains larger amounts of the same active ingredients than the root. These active ingredients produce multifaceted pharmacological effects on the central nervous system, as well as on the cardiovascular, reproductive and metabolic systems. Ginseng leaf-stem extract also has anti-fatigue, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-aging properties. In normal use, ginseng leaf-stem extract is quite safe; adverse effects occur only when it is over dosed or is of poor quality. Extracts from ginseng root and leaf-stem have similar multifaceted pharmacological activities (for example central nervous and cardiovascular systems). In terms of costs and source availability, however, ginseng leaf-stem has advantages over its root. Further research will facilitate a wider use of ginseng leaf-stem. PMID:19849852

  14. [Non-Pharmacological Interventions for Pregnancy-Related Sleep Disturbances].

    PubMed

    Hung, Hsuan-Man; Chiang, Hsiao-Ching

    2017-02-01

    Most women experience the worse sleep quality of their life during pregnancy and the early postpartum period. Although pregnancy typically accounts for a relatively short part of a woman's life, the related sleep disturbances may have a significant and negative impact on her long-term health. Approximately 78-80% of pregnant women experience sleep disturbances, including interruptions in deep sleep, decreased total sleep time, poor subjective sleep quality, frequent night waking, and reduced sleep efficacy. Sleep disturbances during pregnancy start during the first trimester and become prevalent during the third trimester. Related factors include physiological and psychosocial changes and an unhealthy lifestyle. As non-pharmacological interventions have the potential to improve sleep quality in 70% to 80% of patients with insomnia, this is the main approached that is currently used to treat pregnancy-related sleep disturbances. Examples of these non-pharmacological interventions include music therapy, aerobic exercise, massage, progressive muscle relaxation, multi-modal interventions, and the use of a maternity support belt. The efficacy and safety of other related non-pharmacological interventions such as auricular acupressure, cognitive therapy, tai chi, and aromatherapy remain uncertain, with more empirical research required. Additionally, non-pharmacological interventions do not effectively treat sleep disturbances in all pregnant women.

  15. Rehmannia glutinosa: review of botany, chemistry and pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Ru-Xue; Li, Mao-Xing; Jia, Zheng-Ping

    2008-05-08

    Rehmannia glutinosa, a widely used traditional Chinese herb, belongs to the family of Scrophulariaceae, and is taken to nourish Yin and invigorate the kidney in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and has a very high medicinal value. In recent decades, a great number of chemical and pharmacological studies have been done on Rehmannia glutinosa. More than 70 compounds including iridoids, saccharides, amino acid, inorganic ions, as well as other trace elements have been found in the herb. Studies show that Rehmannia glutinosa and its active principles possess wide pharmacological actions on the blood system, immune system, endocrine system, cardiovascular system and the nervous system. Currently, the effective monomeric compounds or active parts have been screened for the pharmacological activity of Rehmannia glutinosa and the highest quality scientific data is delivered to support the further application and exploitation for new drug development.

  16. Effects of Heart Failure and its Pharmacological Management on Sleep

    PubMed Central

    Jiménez, Jessica A.; Greenberg, Barry H.; Mills, Paul J.

    2011-01-01

    Heart failure (HF) patients have a high prevalence of disturbed sleep. Optimal pharmacological management of HF includes the use of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and β-blockers, which have been associated with decreased severity of central sleep apnea, which is likely secondary to improvements in cardiac performance. There is also evidence, however, indicating that other pharmacological treatments for HF might adversely affect sleep. This brief review introduces the topic of disturbed sleep in HF and examines the extent to which its standard pharmacological management impacts sleep quality. PMID:22125571

  17. Benign summer light eruption and polymorphic light eruption: genetic and functional studies suggest that a revised nomenclature is required.

    PubMed

    Hawk, John

    2004-07-01

    New research indicates that polymorphic light eruption (PLE) is an autoimmune disease against an ultraviolet radiation-induced cutaneous antigen. PLE may even confer some protection against skin cancer later in life. This new information demands a reassessment of the precise nature and nomenclature of PLE. Benign summer light eruption (BSLE) (lucite estivale bénigne) is the name used in continental Europe, and particularly France, to describe a clinically short-lived, itchy, papular eruption particularly affecting young women after several hours of sunbathing at the beginning of summer or on sunny vacations. Clinically more prolonged forms of solar eruption, starting early in spring and persisting for long periods, have been known in France as polymorphic light eruption (PLE) (lucite polymorphe) ('European PLE'). Investigative studies, however, now suggest that BSLE and some cases of 'European PLE' are part of the same spectrum. In the Anglo-Saxon literature, they are lumped together as PLE ('Anglo-Saxon PLE'). The other cases of 'European PLE', which do not fall within the compass of 'Anglo-Saxon PLE', are, in the Anglo-Saxon literature, classified as either actinic prurigo (AP) (a genetically determined, prolonged, excoriated form of Anglo-Saxon PLE), or chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD) (a sunlight-induced eczema precisely resembling allergic contact dermatitis, apparently to an ultraviolet radiation-induced antigen). It is therefore proposed that: i. the European term BSLE be dropped and that these patients be reclassified within the spectrum of (Anglo-Saxon) PLE, ii. the European use of the term PLE ('European PLE') be discontinued, iii. those previously diagnosed as having 'European PLE' be reclassified as (Anglo-Saxon) PLE, AP or CAD, as appropriate. The benefits of such a change in nomenclature would be twofold, firstly a uniformity of terminology and secondly, and more importantly, terminology would then correlate better with our recently improved

  18. Elucidating Article 45.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: a dichotomous key for the determination of subspecific or infrasubspecific rank.

    PubMed

    Lingafelter, Steven W; Nearns, Eugenio H

    2013-01-01

    We present an overview of the difficulties sometimes encountered when determining whether a published name following a binomen is available or infrasubspecific and unavailable, following Article 45.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN, 1999). We propose a dichotomous key that facilitates this determination and as a preferable method, given the convoluted and subordinate discussion, exceptions, and qualifications laid out in ICZN (1999: 49-50). Examples and citations are provided for each case one can encounter while making this assessment of availability status of names following the binomen.

  19. Cholinesterases, a target of pharmacology and toxicology.

    PubMed

    Pohanka, Miroslav

    2011-09-01

    Cholinesterases are a group of serine hydrolases that split the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) and terminate its action. Of the two types, butyrylcholinesterase and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), AChE plays the key role in ending cholinergic neurotransmission. Cholinesterase inhibitors are substances, either natural or man-made that interfere with the break-down of ACh and prolong its action. Hence their relevance to toxicology and pharmacology. The present review summarizes current knowledge of the cholinesterases and their inhibition. Particular attention is paid to the toxicology and pharmacology of cholinesterase-related inhibitors such as nerve agents (e.g. sarin, soman, tabun, VX), pesticides (e.g. paraoxon, parathion, malathion, malaoxon, carbofuran), selected plants and fungal secondary metabolites (e.g. aflatoxins), drugs for Alzheimer's disease (e.g. huperzine, metrifonate, tacrine, donepezil) and Myasthenia gravis (e.g. pyridostigmine) treatment and other compounds (propidium, ethidium, decamethonium). The crucial role of the cholinesterases in neural transmission makes them a primary target of a large number of cholinesterase-inhibiting drugs and toxins. In pharmacology, this has relevance to the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders.

  20. Nanoparticles: pharmacological and toxicological significance

    PubMed Central

    Medina, C; Santos-Martinez, M J; Radomski, A; Corrigan, O I; Radomski, M W

    2007-01-01

    Nanoparticles are tiny materials (<1000 nm in size) that have specific physicochemical properties different to bulk materials of the same composition and such properties make them very attractive for commercial and medical development. However, nanoparticles can act on living cells at the nanolevel resulting not only in biologically desirable, but also in undesirable effects. In contrast to many efforts aimed at exploiting desirable properties of nanoparticles for medicine, there are limited attempts to evaluate potentially undesirable effects of these particles when administered intentionally for medical purposes. Therefore, there is a pressing need for careful consideration of benefits and side effects of the use of nanoparticles in medicine. This review article aims at providing a balanced update of these exciting pharmacological and potentially toxicological developments. The classes of nanoparticles, the current status of nanoparticle use in pharmacology and therapeutics, the demonstrated and potential toxicity of nanoparticles will be discussed. PMID:17245366

  1. A meta-analysis to determine the effect of pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments on fibromyalgia symptoms comprising OMERACT-10 response criteria.

    PubMed

    Papadopoulou, Despoina; Fassoulaki, Argyro; Tsoulas, Christos; Siafaka, Ioanna; Vadalouca, Athina

    2016-03-01

    Fibromyalgia is characterized by widespread pain, sleep problems, fatigue, functional impairment, psychological distress, and cognitive dysfunction. The objective of this meta-analysis is to synthesize the available data on the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions across all domains included in the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials (OMERACT-10) fibromyalgia response definitions, and to examine response based on these definitions. We searched Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, and the reference lists of articles for randomized controlled trials of any drug formulation or non-pharmacological intervention used for fibromyalgia treatment. We extracted efficacy data regarding pain, sleep, physical function, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and cognition. The available data were insufficient to draw definite conclusions regarding response. Indirect evidence indicates that it may be expected with the use of serotonin noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (NRIs), and multidisciplinary treatment.

  2. Pharmacology education in North American dental schools: the basic science survey series.

    PubMed

    Gautam, Medha; Shaw, David H; Pate, Ted D; Lambert, H Wayne

    2013-08-01

    As part of the Basic Science Survey Series (BSSS) for Dentistry, members of the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) Physiology, Pharmacology, and Therapeutics Section surveyed course directors of basic pharmacology courses in North American dental schools. The survey was designed to assess, among other things, faculty affiliation and experience of course directors, teaching methods, general course content and emphasis, extent of interdisciplinary (shared) instruction, and impact of recent curricular changes. Responses were received from forty-nine of sixty-seven (73.1 percent) U.S. and Canadian dental schools. The findings suggest the following: 1) substantial variation exists in instructional hours, faculty affiliation, placement within curriculum, class size, and interdisciplinary nature of pharmacology courses; 2) pharmacology course content emphasis is similar among schools; 3) the number of contact hours in pharmacology has remained stable over the past three decades; 4) recent curricular changes were often directed towards enhancing the integrative and clinically relevant aspects of pharmacology instruction; and 5) a trend toward innovative content delivery, such as use of computer-assisted instruction applications, is evident. Data, derived from this study, may be useful to pharmacology course directors, curriculum committees, and other dental educators with an interest in integrative and interprofessional education.

  3. Teaching clinical opioid pharmacology with the Human Patient Simulator.

    PubMed

    Hassan, Zaki; DiLorenzo, Amy; Sloan, Paul

    2010-01-01

    Postoperative pain should be aggressively treated to decrease the development of chronic postsurgical pain. There has been an increase in the use of Human Patient Simulator (HPS) for teaching advanced courses in pharmacology to medical students, residents, and nurses. The aim of this educational investigation was to pilot the HPS for the training of medical students and surgical recovery room staff nurses in the pharmacology of opioids for the management of postoperative pain. The computerized HPS mannequin is fully monitored with appropriate displays and includes a voice speaker mounted in the head. Medical students and Postanesthesia care unit nurses, led by faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology in small groups of 4-6, participated in a 2- to 3-hour HPS course on the use of opioids for the management of acute postoperative pain. Trainees were asked to treat the acute and severe postoperative pain of a simulated patient. Opioid effects and side effects (such as respiratory depression) were presented on the mannequin in real time to the participants. Side effects of naloxone to reverse opioid depression were presented as a crisis in real time to the participants. Participants completed a 10-item course evaluation using a 5-point Likert scale (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree). Twenty-two nurses and nine medical students completed the HPS opioid pharmacology scenario. Almost all participants rated the HPS course very highly and rated every item as either agree or strongly agree. Most participants agreed that the simulator session improved their understanding of opioid pharmacology including opioid side effects and management of opioid complications. Course participants felt most strongly (median, interquartile range) that the simulator session improved their understanding of naloxone pharmacology (5, 0), simulators serve as a useful teaching tool (5, 0), and that they would be pleased to participate in any additional HPS teaching sessions (5, 0). The

  4. New approaches to pharmacological treatment of osteoporosis.

    PubMed Central

    Akesson, Kristina

    2003-01-01

    Osteoporosis has been recognized as a major public health problem for less than two decades. The increasing incidence of fragility fractures, such as vertebral, hip, and wrist fractures, first became apparent from epidemiological studies in the early and mid-1980s, when effective treatment was virtually unavailable. Pharmacological therapies that effectively reduce the number of fractures by improving bone mass are now available widely in countries around the world. Most current agents inhibit bone loss by reducing bone resorption, but emerging therapies may increase bone mass by directly promoting bone formation--as is the case with parathyroid hormone. Current treatment alternatives include bisphosphonates, calcitonin, and selective estrogen receptor modulators, but sufficient calcium and vitamin D are a prerequisite. The availability of evidence-based data that show reductions in the incidence of fractures of 30-50% during treatment has been a major step forward in the pharmacological prevention of fractures. With all agents, fracture reduction is most pronounced for vertebral fracture in high-risk individuals; alendronate and risedronate also may protect against hip fracture in the elderly. New approaches to pharmacological treatment will include further development of existing drugs, especially with regard to tolerance and frequency of dosing. New avenues for targeting the condition will emerge as our knowledge of the regulatory mechanisms of bone remodelling increases, although issues of tissue specificity may be difficult to solve. In the long term, information gained through knowledge of bone genetics may be used to adapt pharmacological treatments more precisely to each individual. PMID:14710507

  5. Pharmacology Experiments on the Computer.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keller, Daniel

    1990-01-01

    A computer program that replaces a set of pharmacology and physiology laboratory experiments on live animals or isolated organs is described and illustrated. Five experiments are simulated: dose-effect relationships on smooth muscle, blood pressure and catecholamines, neuromuscular signal transmission, acetylcholine and the circulation, and…

  6. Pharmacologic Treatments for Binge-Eating Disorder.

    PubMed

    McElroy, Susan L

    2017-01-01

    Binge-eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder and is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes. Psychological and behavioral interventions have been a mainstay of treatment for BED, but as understanding of this disorder has grown, pharmacologic agents have become promising treatment options for some patients. At this time, only one drug-the stimulant prodrug lisdexamfetamine-is approved for the treatment of BED. Numerous classes of medications including antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and antiobesity drugs have been explored as off-label treatments for BED with variable success. Although not all patients with BED may be suitable candidates for pharmacotherapy, all patients should be considered for and educated about pharmacologic treatment options. © Copyright 2017 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

  7. Some taxonomic and nomenclatural changes in American Mantodea (Insecta, Dictyoptera)--Part I.

    PubMed

    Agudelo, Antonio A; Rivera, Julio

    2015-03-20

    Multiple nomenclatural problems persist in mantodean taxonomy. This constitutes an important challenge for praying mantis systematics, its forthcoming development and future consolidation. In this first contribution, we attempt solving a number of issues involving mostly Neotropical praying mantis species described by Brazilian entomologists Paulo S. Terra, Cândido F. de Mello-Leitão, Salvador de Toledo Piza Junior and Lauro J. Jantsch. We provide evidence to justify the following nomenclatural changes. In Acanthopidae, Acontiothespis travassosi Jantsch, 1986 is a new synonym of Raptrix perspicua (F. 1787). Changes in Thespidae are: Emboicy Terra, 1982 is a new synonym of Chloromiopteryx Giglio-Tos, 1915, E. mirim Terra, 1982 is transferred to Chloromiopteryx as C. mirim (Terra, 1982) (new combination); Musoniola plurilobata Mello-Leitão, 1937 is transferred to Chloromiopteryx as C. plurilobata (Mello-Leitão, 1937) (new combination); Metathespis modesta Piza, 1968 is removed from synonymy with Chloromiopteryx thalassina (Burmeister, 1838) and considered valid as C. modesta (Piza, 1968) (new combination and status revalidated); Metathespis precaria Piza, 1968 is removed from synonymy with Chloromiopteryx thalassina (Burmeister, 1838) and considered a new synonym of Miobantia rustica (Fabricius, 1781); Eumiopteryx magna Jantsch, 1991 is transferred to Anamiopteryx as A. magna (Jantsch, 1991) (new combination). For Mantidae/Amelinae, Tithrone corseuli Jantsch, 1986 and T. clauseni Jantsch, 1995 are new synonyms of Litaneutria minor (Scudder, 1872); in Mantidae/Photininae Coptopteryx gigliotosi Piza, 1960 (non Werner, 1925), its replacement name Coptopteryx ermannoi Jantsch & Corseuil, 1988 and Paraphotina precaria Piza, 1966 (the latter currently placed within Coptopteryx) are all new synonyms of Coptopteryx argentina (Burmeister, 1838), whereas Brachypteromantis bonariensis Piza 1960 (currently placed among Coptopteryx) is a new synonym of Coptopteryx gayi

  8. Trichosanthis Fructus: botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Yu, Xiankuo; Tang, Liying; Wu, Hongwei; Zhang, Xiao; Luo, Hanyan; Guo, Rixin; Xu, Mengying; Yang, Hongjun; Fan, Jianwei; Wang, Zhuju; Su, Ruiqiang

    2018-05-26

    Trichosanthis Fructus (ripe fruits of Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. and Trichosanthes rosthornii Harms) is an essential traditional Chinese medicine to treat thoracic obstruction, angina, cardiac failure, myocardial infarction, pulmonary heart disease, some cerebral ischaemic diseases, etc. The present report reviews the advancements in research on the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology of Trichosanthis Fructus. Finally, perspectives on future research and its possible directions are discussed. This review provides up-to-date information about the botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and quality control of Trichosanthis Fructus and discusses the perspectives on future research and possible directions of this traditional Chinese Medicine and its origin plants. The information on Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. and Trichosanthes rosthornii Harms was collected from published scientific materials, including books; monographs on medicinal plants; pharmacopoeia and electronic databases such as SCI finder, PubMed, Web of Science, ACS, Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor, CNKI and Google Scholar. Approximately 162 compounds, including terpenoids, phytosterols, flavonoids, nitrogenous compounds and lignans, have been isolated and identified from Trichosanthes kirilowii Maxim. and Trichosanthes rosthornii Harms. Numerous studies have shown that the extracts and compounds isolated from these two plants exhibit pharmacological activities, including protection against myocardial ischaemia, calcium antagonist, endothelial cell protection, anti-hypoxic, anti-platelet aggregation, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic and antioxidant. Trichosanthis Fructus is an essential traditional Chinese medicine with pharmacological activities that mainly affect the cardiovascular system. This review summarises its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. Future research is needed to clarify the different uses of the

  9. Cannabis Pharmacology: The Usual Suspects and a Few Promising Leads.

    PubMed

    Russo, Ethan B; Marcu, Jahan

    2017-01-01

    The golden age of cannabis pharmacology began in the 1960s as Raphael Mechoulam and his colleagues in Israel isolated and synthesized cannabidiol, tetrahydrocannabinol, and other phytocannabinoids. Initially, THC garnered most research interest with sporadic attention to cannabidiol, which has only rekindled in the last 15 years through a demonstration of its remarkably versatile pharmacology and synergy with THC. Gradually a cognizance of the potential of other phytocannabinoids has developed. Contemporaneous assessment of cannabis pharmacology must be even far more inclusive. Medical and recreational consumers alike have long believed in unique attributes of certain cannabis chemovars despite their similarity in cannabinoid profiles. This has focused additional research on the pharmacological contributions of mono- and sesquiterpenoids to the effects of cannabis flower preparations. Investigation reveals these aromatic compounds to contribute modulatory and therapeutic roles in the cannabis entourage far beyond expectations considering their modest concentrations in the plant. Synergistic relationships of the terpenoids to cannabinoids will be highlighted and include many complementary roles to boost therapeutic efficacy in treatment of pain, psychiatric disorders, cancer, and numerous other areas. Additional parts of the cannabis plant provide a wide and distinct variety of other compounds of pharmacological interest, including the triterpenoid friedelin from the roots, canniprene from the fan leaves, cannabisin from seed coats, and cannflavin A from seed sprouts. This chapter will explore the unique attributes of these agents and demonstrate how cannabis may yet fulfil its potential as Mechoulam's professed "pharmacological treasure trove." © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Status of Undergraduate Pharmacology Laboratories in Colleges of Pharmacy in the United States

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Norman L.; And Others

    1978-01-01

    U.S. colleges of pharmacy were surveyed in 1976 to determine whether a trend exists in continuing, discontinuing, or restructuring laboratory time in pharmaceutical education. Data regarding core undergraduate pharmacology courses, undergraduate pharmacology laboratory status, and pharmacology faculty are presented. (LBH)

  11. An Endocrine Pharmacology Course for the Clinically-Oriented Pharmacy Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rahwan, Ralf G.

    1976-01-01

    In view of trends in clinical pharmacy education, the role of the traditional basic sciences has to be reassessed. An endocrine pharmacology course comprised of 49 clock-hours and open for professional undergraduate and graduate credit is described that blends basic and applied pharmacology. (LBH)

  12. Methodologies for Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) Models: Design and Estimation.

    PubMed

    Ribba, B; Grimm, H P; Agoram, B; Davies, M R; Gadkar, K; Niederer, S; van Riel, N; Timmis, J; van der Graaf, P H

    2017-08-01

    With the increased interest in the application of quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) models within medicine research and development, there is an increasing need to formalize model development and verification aspects. In February 2016, a workshop was held at Roche Pharma Research and Early Development to focus discussions on two critical methodological aspects of QSP model development: optimal structural granularity and parameter estimation. We here report in a perspective article a summary of presentations and discussions. © 2017 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  13. Pharmacological treatment of sexual offenders in German outpatient treatment centers.

    PubMed

    Turner, Daniel; Gregório Hertz, Priscilla; Sauter, Julia; Briken, Peer; Rettenberger, Martin

    2018-05-04

    In Germany, depending on a sexual offender's culpability and the severity of the offence, he/she can be placed either in the forensic-psychiatric or the correctional system. Numbers related to the pharmacological treatment of sexual offenders for the correctional system are missing so far. In sexual offenders, the pharmacological treatment of paraphilic disorders is of special importance. The present study aimed at assessing the prevalence of pharmacological sexual offender treatment in German outpatient treatment centers supervising mainly clients from the correctional sector. An online questionnaire was sent to 112 outpatient treatment centers and 21 provided data relevant for the present study. The included institutions reported about a total of 813 sexual offenders, of whom 200 (24.6%) were treated with pharmacological agents, most frequently antipsychotics (14.8%) and selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors (7.1%). Of the total sample, 26.7% of sexual offenders were diagnosed with a paraphilic - mainly with a pedophilic - disorder. Only 2% were treated with androgen-deprivation therapy. Compared with forensic-psychiatric institutions, only a minority of sexual offenders are treated with medication specifically addressing paraphilic symptomatology. However, the prevalence of paraphilic disorders found in the present study suggests that pharmacological treatment of paraphilic fantasies and behaviors could be of great importance in the correctional sector as well.

  14. The Pharmacologic and Clinical Effects of Illicit Synthetic Cannabinoids.

    PubMed

    White, C Michael

    2017-03-01

    This article presents information on illicitly used synthetic cannabinoids. Synthetic cannabinoids are structurally heterogeneous and commonly used drugs of abuse that act as full agonists of the cannabinoid type-1 receptor but have a variety of additional pharmacologic effects. There are numerous cases of patient harm and death in the United States, Europe, and Australia with many psychological, neurological, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and renal adverse events. Although most users prefer using cannabis, there are convenience, legal, and cost reasons driving the utilization of synthetic cannabinoids. Clinicians should be aware of pharmacologic and clinical similarities and differences between synthetic cannabinoid and cannabis use, the limited ability to detect synthetic cannabinoids in the urine or serum, and guidance to treat adverse events. © 2016, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

  15. Pharmacology of Marihuana (Cannabis sativa)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maickel, Roger P.

    1973-01-01

    A detailed discussion of marihuana (Cannabis sativa) providing the modes of use, history, chemistry, and physiologic properties of the drug. Cites research results relating to the pharmacologic effects of marihuana. These effects are categorized into five areas: behavioral, cardiovascular-respiratory, central nervous system, toxicity-toxicology,…

  16. The Pharmacological Potential of Mushrooms

    PubMed Central

    2005-01-01

    This review describes pharmacologically active compounds from mushrooms. Compounds and complex substances with antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antiallergic, immunomodulating, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective and central activities are covered, focusing on the review of recent literature. The production of mushrooms or mushroom compounds is discussed briefly. PMID:16136207

  17. Phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical trials of Morus alba.

    PubMed

    Chan, Eric Wei-Chiang; Lye, Phui-Yan; Wong, Siu-Kuin

    2016-01-01

    The present review is aimed at providing a comprehensive summary on the botany, utility, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and clinical trials of Morus alba (mulberry or sang shu). The mulberry foliage has remained the primary food for silkworms for centuries. Its leaves have also been used as animal feed for livestock and its fruits have been made into a variety of food products. With flavonoids as major constituents, mulberry leaves possess various biological activities, including antioxidant, antimicrobial, skin-whitening, cytotoxic, anti-diabetic, glucosidase inhibition, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, cardioprotective, and cognitive enhancement activities. Rich in anthocyanins and alkaloids, mulberry fruits have pharmacological properties, such as antioxidant, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, anti-obesity, and hepatoprotective activities. The root bark of mulberry, containing flavonoids, alkaloids and stilbenoids, has antimicrobial, skin-whitening, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperlipidemic properties. Other pharmacological properties of M. alba include anti-platelet, anxiolytic, anti-asthmatic, anthelmintic, antidepressant, cardioprotective, and immunomodulatory activities. Clinical trials on the efficiency of M. alba extracts in reducing blood glucose and cholesterol levels and enhancing cognitive ability have been conducted. The phytochemistry and pharmacology of the different parts of the mulberry tree confer its traditional and current uses as fodder, food, cosmetics, and medicine. Overall, M. alba is a multi-functional plant with promising medicinal properties. Copyright © 2016 China Pharmaceutical University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics—past, present and future

    PubMed Central

    Reid, John L.

    1997-01-01

    Aims To obtain information about the speciality of clinical pharmacology and therapeutics in the United Kingdom. Methods A survey of the views of 26 individuals in academic posts in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics was carried out by postal questionnaire. Response rate was 100%. Results Of 25 assessable responses of 25 centres, there were 35 academic staff of professorial status (median 2, range 0–5) and 61 staff of reader/senior lecturer status (median 2, range 0–5) but only 20 clinical staff in training grades in 19 institutions. All had extensive clinical commitments. Two-thirds of respondents considered that the speciality was stable locally and nationally. However, recruitment of trainees was poor with only 8% of responders having several good applicants for each post and 90% reported that recruitment had deteriorated in the last 5–10 years. Likely good future careers for clinical pharmacologists in training were considered by 75–80% of respondents to likely lie in the pharmaceutical industry or regulatory authorities. Greater flexibility is required to facilitate training in clinical pharmacology and therapeutics. Conclusions Clincal pharmacology and therapeutics in the United Kingdom has a strong academic base but a sub-optimal age structure. Recent experience in recruitment into training posts was disappointing. This may reflect wider problems of recruitment into academic medicine in this country. PMID:9241105

  19. Pharmacological modulation of spreading depolarizations.

    PubMed

    Sánchez-Porras, Renán; Zheng, Zelong; Sakowitz, Oliver W

    2015-01-01

    Spreading depolarization (SD) is a wave of almost complete depolarization of the neuronal and glial cells. Nowadays there is sufficient evidence demonstrating its pathophysiological effect in migraine with aura, transient global amnesia, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hemorrhage, and traumatic brain injury. In these cases, occurrence of SD has been associated with functional neuronal damage, neuronal necrosis, neurological degeneration, and poor clinical outcome. Animal models show that SD can be modulated by drugs that interfere with its initiation and propagation. There are many pharmacological targets that may help to suppress SD occurrence, such as Na⁺, K⁺, Cl⁻, and Ca²⁺ channels; Na⁺/K⁺ -ATPase; gap junctions; and ligand-based receptors, for example, adrenergic, serotonin, sigma-1, calcitonin gene-related peptide, GABAA, and glutamate receptors. In this regard, N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor blockers, in particular, ketamine, have shown promising results. Therefore, theoretically pharmacologic modulation of SD could help diminish its pathological effects.

  20. Pharmacological potential of cerium oxidenanoparticles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Celardo, Ivana; Pedersen, Jens Z.; Traversa, Enrico; Ghibelli, Lina

    2011-04-01

    Nanotechnology promises a revolution in pharmacology to improve or create ex novo therapies. Cerium oxidenanoparticles (nanoceria), well-known as catalysts, possess an astonishing pharmacological potential due to their antioxidant properties, deriving from a fraction of Ce3+ ions present in CeO2. These defects, compensated by oxygen vacancies, are enriched at the surface and therefore in nanosized particles. Reactions involving redox cycles between the Ce3+ and Ce4+oxidation states allow nanoceria to react catalytically with superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, mimicking the behavior of two key antioxidant enzymes, superoxide dismutase and catalase, potentially abating all noxious intracellularreactive oxygen species (ROS) via a self-regenerating mechanism. Hence nanoceria, apparently well tolerated by the organism, might fight chronic inflammation and the pathologies associated with oxidative stress, which include cancer and neurodegeneration. Here we review the biological effects of nanoceria as they emerge from in vitro and in vivo studies, considering biocompatibility and the peculiar antioxidant mechanisms.

  1. Pharmacological ascorbate and ionizing radiation (IR) increase labile iron in pancreatic cancer☆

    PubMed Central

    Moser, Justin C.; Rawal, Malvika; Wagner, Brett A.; Du, Juan; Cullen, Joseph J.; Buettner, Garry R.

    2013-01-01

    Labile iron, i.e. iron that is weakly bound and is relatively unrestricted in its redox activity, has been implicated in both the pathogenesis as well as treatment of cancer. Two cancer treatments where labile iron may contribute to their mechanism of action are pharmacological ascorbate and ionizing radiation (IR). Pharmacological ascorbate has been shown to have tumor-specific toxic effects due to the formation of hydrogen peroxide. By catalyzing the oxidation of ascorbate, labile iron can enhance the rate of formation of hydrogen peroxide; labile iron can also react with hydrogen peroxide. Here we have investigated the magnitude of the labile iron pool in tumor and normal tissue. We also examined the ability of pharmacological ascorbate and IR to change the size of the labile iron pool. Although a significant amount of labile iron was seen in tumors (MIA PaCa-2 cells in athymic nude mice), higher levels were seen in murine tissues that were not susceptible to pharmacological ascorbate. Pharmacological ascorbate and irradiation were shown to increase the labile iron in tumor homogenates from this murine model of pancreatic cancer. As both IR and pharmacological ascorbate may rely on labile iron for their effects on tumor tissues, our data suggest that pharmacological ascorbate could be used as a radio-sensitizing agent for some radio-resistant tumors. PMID:24396727

  2. Molecular Pharmacology of δ-Opioid Receptors

    PubMed Central

    Gendron, Louis; Cahill, Catherine M.; von Zastrow, Mark; Schiller, Peter W.

    2016-01-01

    Opioids are among the most effective analgesics available and are the first choice in the treatment of acute severe pain. However, partial efficacy, a tendency to produce tolerance, and a host of ill-tolerated side effects make clinically available opioids less effective in the management of chronic pain syndromes. Given that most therapeutic opioids produce their actions via µ-opioid receptors (MOPrs), other targets are constantly being explored, among which δ-opioid receptors (DOPrs) are being increasingly considered as promising alternatives. This review addresses DOPrs from the perspective of cellular and molecular determinants of their pharmacological diversity. Thus, DOPr ligands are examined in terms of structural and functional variety, DOPrs’ capacity to engage a multiplicity of canonical and noncanonical G protein–dependent responses is surveyed, and evidence supporting ligand-specific signaling and regulation is analyzed. Pharmacological DOPr subtypes are examined in light of the ability of DOPr to organize into multimeric arrays and to adopt multiple active conformations as well as differences in ligand kinetics. Current knowledge on DOPr targeting to the membrane is examined as a means of understanding how these receptors are especially active in chronic pain management. Insight into cellular and molecular mechanisms of pharmacological diversity should guide the rational design of more effective, longer-lasting, and better-tolerated opioid analgesics for chronic pain management. PMID:27343248

  3. Fraxinus: A Plant with Versatile Pharmacological and Biological Activities.

    PubMed

    Sarfraz, Iqra; Rasul, Azhar; Jabeen, Farhat; Younis, Tahira; Zahoor, Muhammad Kashif; Arshad, Muhammad; Ali, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Fraxinus , a member of the Oleaceae family, commonly known as ash tree is found in northeast Asia, north America, east and western France, China, northern areas of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Chemical constituents of Fraxinus plant include various secoiridoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, coumarins, and lignans; therefore, it is considered as a plant with versatile biological and pharmacological activities. Its tremendous range of pharmacotherapeutic properties has been well documented including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective. In addition, its bioactive phytochemicals and secondary metabolites can be effectively used in cosmetic industry and as a competent antiaging agent. Fraxinus presents pharmacological effectiveness by targeting the novel targets in several pathological conditions, which provide a spacious therapeutic time window. Our aim is to update the scientific research community with recent endeavors with specifically highlighting the mechanism of action in different diseases. This potentially efficacious pharmacological drug candidate should be used for new drug discovery in future. This review suggests that this plant has extremely important medicinal utilization but further supporting studies and scientific experimentations are mandatory to determine its specific intracellular targets and site of action to completely figure out its pharmacological applications.

  4. Fraxinus: A Plant with Versatile Pharmacological and Biological Activities

    PubMed Central

    Sarfraz, Iqra; Jabeen, Farhat; Younis, Tahira; Arshad, Muhammad; Ali, Muhammad

    2017-01-01

    Fraxinus, a member of the Oleaceae family, commonly known as ash tree is found in northeast Asia, north America, east and western France, China, northern areas of Pakistan, India, and Afghanistan. Chemical constituents of Fraxinus plant include various secoiridoids, phenylethanoids, flavonoids, coumarins, and lignans; therefore, it is considered as a plant with versatile biological and pharmacological activities. Its tremendous range of pharmacotherapeutic properties has been well documented including anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and neuroprotective. In addition, its bioactive phytochemicals and secondary metabolites can be effectively used in cosmetic industry and as a competent antiaging agent. Fraxinus presents pharmacological effectiveness by targeting the novel targets in several pathological conditions, which provide a spacious therapeutic time window. Our aim is to update the scientific research community with recent endeavors with specifically highlighting the mechanism of action in different diseases. This potentially efficacious pharmacological drug candidate should be used for new drug discovery in future. This review suggests that this plant has extremely important medicinal utilization but further supporting studies and scientific experimentations are mandatory to determine its specific intracellular targets and site of action to completely figure out its pharmacological applications. PMID:29279716

  5. Thrills, spills and pills: Bond, Benzedrine and the pharmacology of peace.

    PubMed

    Goodman, Sam

    2010-06-01

    This paper examines the conjunction of pharmacological science and espionage fiction of the post-war era. This paper argues that, during the 1950s, the relatively new science of pharmacology propounded the possibility that illness and human deficiency could be treated in a way that better reflected the post-war zeitgeist. The use of pharmacological medicine, perceived as cleaner and quicker than more 'bodily' forms of treatment, represented progress in contemporary medical science. It is argued that this philosophy extended to more overt means of pharmacological application, directly related to the geopolitical concerns of the 'Cold War'. A growing form of popular literature in this period was the espionage novel. This paper argues that the benefits proffered by pharmacology were incorporated into the fabric of espionage fiction, specifically the James Bond novels of Ian Fleming. Here, it is demonstrated how Fleming used pharmacological knowledge of Benzedrine throughout his novels. His works illustrate a belief that the augmentation of the spy's natural ability with pharmacological science would award decisive advantage in the Cold War conflict played out in spy fiction. However, the relationship between public use of Benzedrine and awareness of its side effects changed during the period of Fleming's publications, moving from a position of casual availability to one of controlled prescription. It is argued that the recognition of the dangers associated with the drug were over-ruled in favour of the benefits its use presented to the state. The continued use of the drug by Bond illustrates how the concerns of the nation are given priority over the health, and life, of the individual.

  6. Acanthopanax senticosus: review of botany, chemistry and pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Huang, Linzhang; Zhao, Hongfang; Huang, Baokang; Zheng, Chengjian; Peng, Wei; Qin, Luping

    2011-02-01

    Acanthopanax senticosus (Rupr. et Maxim) Harms (Araliaceae), also called Siberian Ginseng, Eleutherococcus senticosus, and Ciwujia in Chinese, is a widely used traditional Chinese herb that could invigorate qi, strengthen the spleen, and nourish kidney in the theory of Traditional Chinese Medicine. With high medicinal value, Acanthopanax senticosus (AS, thereafter) is popularly used as an "adaptogen" like Panax ginseng. In recent decades, a great number of chemical, pharmacological, and clinical studies on AS have been carried out worldwide. Several kinds of chemical compounds have been reported, including triterpenoid saponins, lignans, coumarins, and flavones, among which, phenolic compounds such as syringin and eleutheroside E, were considered to be the most active components. Considerable pharmacological experiments both in vitro and in vivo have persuasively demonstrated that AS possessed anti-stress, antiulcer, anti-irradiation, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and hepatoprotective activities, etc. The present review is an up-to-date and comprehensive analysis of the botany, chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and clinical trials of AS.

  7. Advances in pharmacologic strategies for cancer cachexia.

    PubMed

    Madeddu, Clelia; Mantovani, Giovanni; Gramignano, Giulia; Macciò, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Cancer cachexia is a severe inflammatory metabolic syndrome accounting for fatigue, an impairment of normal activities and, eventually, death. The loss of muscle mass associated with body weight loss is the main feature of this syndrome. The present review aims to describe the advances in the pharmacological approaches for cancer cachexia, highlighting the impact on weight loss, muscle wasting and related outcomes. Among the pharmacological agents, attention should yet be given to the currently most widely studied drugs, such as progestogens and NSAIDs. Emerging drugs, such as ghrelin and selective androgen receptor modulators, have obtained promising results in recent randomized clinical trials. Larger sample sizes and more robust data on the effectiveness of anti-cytokine agents are needed. Any pharmacological approach to counteract cancer cachexia should always be associated with an adequate caloric intake, obtained by diet or through enteral or parenteral supplementation, if indicated. Finally, we can currently state that a combined approach that simultaneously targets the fundamental pathways involved in the pathogenesis of cancer cachexia is likely to be the most effective in terms of improvements in body weight as well as muscle wasting, function, physical performance and quality of life.

  8. Quantitative Systems Pharmacology Modeling of Acid Sphingomyelinase Deficiency and the Enzyme Replacement Therapy Olipudase Alfa Is an Innovative Tool for Linking Pathophysiology and Pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Kaddi, Chanchala D; Niesner, Bradley; Baek, Rena; Jasper, Paul; Pappas, John; Tolsma, John; Li, Jing; van Rijn, Zachary; Tao, Mengdi; Ortemann-Renon, Catherine; Easton, Rachael; Tan, Sharon; Puga, Ana Cristina; Schuchman, Edward H; Barrett, Jeffrey S; Azer, Karim

    2018-06-19

    Acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder with heterogeneous clinical manifestations, including hepatosplenomegaly and infiltrative pulmonary disease, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Olipudase alfa (recombinant human acid sphingomyelinase) is an enzyme replacement therapy under development for the non-neurological manifestations of ASMD. We present a quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) model supporting the clinical development of olipudase alfa. The model is multiscale and mechanistic, linking the enzymatic deficiency driving the disease to molecular-level, cellular-level, and organ-level effects. Model development was informed by natural history, and preclinical and clinical studies. By considering patient-specific pharmacokinetic (PK) profiles and indicators of disease severity, the model describes pharmacodynamic (PD) and clinical end points for individual patients. The ASMD QSP model provides a platform for quantitatively assessing systemic pharmacological effects in adult and pediatric patients, and explaining variability within and across these patient populations, thereby supporting the extrapolation of treatment response from adults to pediatrics. © 2018 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  9. Clinical pharmacology of antiepileptic drug use: "clinical pearls about the perils of patty".

    PubMed

    Schraeder, P L; Lathers, C M

    1995-12-01

    This Clinical Pharmacology Problem Solving (CPPS) Unit is for use with fourth- or fifth-year pharmacy students and third- or fourth-year medical students during conferences held when they are taking either a rotation in Neurology or Clinical Pharmacology. It may also be used for house staff teaching of residents in Neurology, Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Family Practice and fellows in Clinical Pharmacology. This material was prepared for a Teaching Clinic in Clinical Pharmacology taught by Claire M. Lathers, PhD, FCP, Hugh J. Burford, PhD, FCP, and Cedric M. Smith, MD, FCP, and sponsored by the American College of Clinical Pharmacology, September 19-20, 1992, Washington, DC. This workbook includes: (1) an introduction to the Clinical Pharmacology Problem Solving (CPPS) Unit; (2) the learning objectives of the clinical simulation; (3) a pretest; (4) four clinical episodes occurring over many years in the life of a patient; (5) answers to the pretest; (6) a posttest; (7) answers to the posttest.

  10. Pharmacologic issues in management of chronic disease.

    PubMed

    DeSevo, Gina; Klootwyk, Jacqueline

    2012-06-01

    A significant portion of the adult population uses one or more medications on a regular basis to manage chronic conditions. As the number of medications that patients are prescribed increases, an increase in pharmacologic-related issues and complications may occur, such as polypharmacy, inappropriate prescribing, medication nonadherence and nonpersistence, and adverse drug reactions and events. Risk factors and consequences of these issues have been identified and are discussed in this article. In addition, a review is presented of the numerous methods that have been evaluated to help prevent and minimize these pharmacologic issues in the management of chronic disease. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Ginsenoside Re: pharmacological effects on cardiovascular system.

    PubMed

    Peng, Lu; Sun, Shi; Xie, Lai-Hua; Wicks, Sheila M; Xie, Jing-Tian

    2012-08-01

    Ginsenosides are the bioactive constituents of ginseng, a key herb in traditional Chinese medicine. As a single component of ginseng, ginsenoside Re (G-Re) belongs to the panaxatriol group. Many reports demonstrated that G-Re possesses the multifaceted beneficial pharmacological effects on cardiovascular system. G-Re has negative effect on cardiac contractility and autorhythmicity. It causes alternations in cardiac electrophysiological properties, which may account for its antiarrhythmic effect. In addition, G-Re also exerts antiischemic effect and induces angiogenic regeneration. In this review, we first outline the chemistry and the pharmacological effects of G-Re on the cardiovascular system. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  12. Performance of Clinical Nurse Educators in Teaching Pharmacology and Medication Management: Nursing Students' Perceptions.

    PubMed

    Ghamari Zare, Zohre; Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen

    2016-03-01

    Pharmacological knowledge and medication management skills of student nurses greatly depend on the clinical nurse educators' performance in this critical issue. However, the Iranian nurse educators' performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management are not adequately studied. The current study aimed to investigate the nursing students' perceptions on the status of clinical pharmaceutical and medication management education. A cross-sectional study was conducted on all 152 nursing students registered in the seventh and eighth semesters at the Qom and Naragh branches of Islamic Azad University, and Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 - 2014 academic year. The students' perceptions on the performance of clinical nurse educators in teaching pharmacology and medication management were assessed using a researcher made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items regarding clinical educators' performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management and two questions about students' satisfaction with their level of knowledge and skills in pharmacology and medication management. Descriptive statistics was employed and analysis of variance was performed to compare the mean of scores of teaching pharmacology and medication management in the three universities. Among a total of 152 subjects, 82.9% were female and their mean age was 22.57 ± 1.55 years. According to the students, instructors had the weakest performance in the three items of teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the students' learning needs, teaching medication management through a patient-centered method and teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the course plan. The students' satisfaction regarding their own knowledge and skill of pharmacology and medication management was at medium level. Nursing students gave a relatively low score in several aspects of their instructors' performance regarding teaching pharmacology and medication

  13. The pharmacology of lysergic acid diethylamide: a review.

    PubMed

    Passie, Torsten; Halpern, John H; Stichtenoth, Dirk O; Emrich, Hinderk M; Hintzen, Annelie

    2008-01-01

    Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) was synthesized in 1938 and its psychoactive effects discovered in 1943. It was used during the 1950s and 1960s as an experimental drug in psychiatric research for producing so-called "experimental psychosis" by altering neurotransmitter system and in psychotherapeutic procedures ("psycholytic" and "psychedelic" therapy). From the mid 1960s, it became an illegal drug of abuse with widespread use that continues today. With the entry of new methods of research and better study oversight, scientific interest in LSD has resumed for brain research and experimental treatments. Due to the lack of any comprehensive review since the 1950s and the widely dispersed experimental literature, the present review focuses on all aspects of the pharmacology and psychopharmacology of LSD. A thorough search of the experimental literature regarding the pharmacology of LSD was performed and the extracted results are given in this review. (Psycho-) pharmacological research on LSD was extensive and produced nearly 10,000 scientific papers. The pharmacology of LSD is complex and its mechanisms of action are still not completely understood. LSD is physiologically well tolerated and psychological reactions can be controlled in a medically supervised setting, but complications may easily result from uncontrolled use by layman. Actually there is new interest in LSD as an experimental tool for elucidating neural mechanisms of (states of) consciousness and there are recently discovered treatment options with LSD in cluster headache and with the terminally ill.

  14. Pinocembrin: A Novel Natural Compound with Versatile Pharmacological and Biological Activities

    PubMed Central

    Rasul, Azhar; Millimouno, Faya Martin; Ali Eltayb, Wafa; Ali, Muhammad; Li, Jiang; Li, Xiaomeng

    2013-01-01

    Pinocembrin (5,7-dihydroxyflavanone) is one of the primary flavonoids isolated from the variety of plants, mainly from Pinus heartwood, Eucalyptus, Populus, Euphorbia, and Sparattosperma leucanthum, in the diverse flora and purified by various chromatographic techniques. Pinocembrin is a major flavonoid molecule incorporated as multifunctional in the pharmaceutical industry. Its vast range of pharmacological activities has been well researched including antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer activities. In addition, pinocembrin can be used as neuroprotective against cerebral ischemic injury with a wide therapeutic time window, which may be attributed to its antiexcitotoxic effects. Pinocembrin exhibits pharmacological effects on almost all systems, and our aim is to review the pharmacological and therapeutic applications of pinocembrin with specific emphasis on mechanisms of actions. The design of new drugs based on the pharmacological effects of pinocembrin could be beneficial. This review suggests that pinocembrin is a potentially promising pharmacological candidate, but additional studies and clinical trials are required to determine its specific intracellular sites of action and derivative targets in order to fully understand the mechanism of its anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and apoptotic effects to further validate its medical applications. PMID:23984355

  15. Temporal trends in pharmacology publications by pharmacy institutes: A deeper dig

    PubMed Central

    Bhatt, Parloop Amit; Patel, Zarana

    2016-01-01

    Objective: Publications in Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) are the face of contemporary pharmacology practices followed in health-care profession - a knowledge-based profession. It depicts trends in terms of quantity (proportions), quality, type (preclinical/clinical), thrust areas, etc., of pharmacology followed by biomedical community professions both nationally and internationally. This article aims to establish temporal trends in pharmacology research by pharmacy institutes in light of its publications to IJP from 2010 to 2015. Methodology: The website of IJP was searched for publications year and issue wise for contributing authors from pharmacy institutions and analyzed for types of publications, their source and the categories of research documented in these publications. Results: A total of 1034 articles were published, of which 189 (18%) articles were published by pharmacy institutes, of which 90% (n = 170) were contributed from pharmacy institutes within India whereas 10% (n = 19) from international pharmacy institutes. 75% of these were research publication, the majority of which (65%) were related to preclinical screening of phytochemical constituents from plants. Conclusion: With multi and interdisciplinary collaborations in pharmacy profession the trend needs to improve toward molecular and cellular pharmacology and clinical studies. PMID:28031614

  16. Temporal trends in pharmacology publications by pharmacy institutes: A deeper dig.

    PubMed

    Bhatt, Parloop Amit; Patel, Zarana

    2016-10-01

    Publications in Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) are the face of contemporary pharmacology practices followed in health-care profession - a knowledge-based profession. It depicts trends in terms of quantity (proportions), quality, type (preclinical/clinical), thrust areas, etc., of pharmacology followed by biomedical community professions both nationally and internationally. This article aims to establish temporal trends in pharmacology research by pharmacy institutes in light of its publications to IJP from 2010 to 2015. The website of IJP was searched for publications year and issue wise for contributing authors from pharmacy institutions and analyzed for types of publications, their source and the categories of research documented in these publications. A total of 1034 articles were published, of which 189 (18%) articles were published by pharmacy institutes, of which 90% ( n = 170) were contributed from pharmacy institutes within India whereas 10% ( n = 19) from international pharmacy institutes. 75% of these were research publication, the majority of which (65%) were related to preclinical screening of phytochemical constituents from plants. With multi and interdisciplinary collaborations in pharmacy profession the trend needs to improve toward molecular and cellular pharmacology and clinical studies.

  17. What we call what we do affects how we do it: a new nomenclature for simulation research in medical education.

    PubMed

    Haji, Faizal A; Hoppe, Daniel J; Morin, Marie-Paule; Giannoulakis, Konstantine; Koh, Jansen; Rojas, David; Cheung, Jeffrey J H

    2014-05-01

    Rapid technological advances and concern for patient safety have increased the focus on simulation as a pedagogical tool for educating health care providers. To date, simulation research scholarship has focused on two areas; evaluating instructional designs of simulation programs, and the integration of simulation into a broader educational context. However, these two categories of research currently exist under a single label-Simulation-Based Medical Education. In this paper we argue that introducing a more refined nomenclature within which to frame simulation research is necessary for researchers, to appropriately design research studies and describe their findings, and for end-point users (such as program directors and educators), to more appropriately understand and utilize this evidence.

  18. INTERSPECIES DOSIMETRY MODELS FOR PULMONARY PHARMACOLOGY

    EPA Science Inventory

    Interspecies Dosimetry Models for Pulmonary Pharmacology

    Ted B. Martonen, Jeffry D. Schroeter, and John S. Fleming

    Experimental Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangl...

  19. Pharmacological and therapeutic potential of Cordyceps with special reference to Cordycepin.

    PubMed

    Tuli, Hardeep S; Sandhu, Sardul S; Sharma, A K

    2014-02-01

    An entomopathogenic fungus, Cordyceps sp. has been known to have numerous pharmacological and therapeutic implications, especially, in terms of human health making it a suitable candidate for ethno-pharmacological use. Main constituent of the extract derived from this fungus comprises a novel bio-metabolite called as Cordycepin (3'deoxyadenosine) which has a very potent anti-cancer, anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. The current review discusses about the broad spectrum potential of Cordycepin including biological and pharmacological actions in immunological, hepatic, renal, cardiovascular systems as well as an anti-cancer agent. The article also reviews the current efforts to delineate the mechanism of action of Cordycepin in various bio-molecular processes. The study will certainly draw the attention of scientific community to improve the bioactivity and production of Cordycepin for its commercial use in pharmacological and medical fields.

  20. Internet discussion forums as part of a student-centred teaching concept of pharmacology.

    PubMed

    Sucha, Michael; Engelhardt, Stefan; Sarikas, Antonio

    2013-01-01

    The world wide web opens up new opportunities to interconnect electronic and classroom teaching and to promote active student participation. In this project article we describe the use of internet discussion forums as part of a student-centred teaching concept of pharmacology and discuss its advantages and disadvantages based on evaluation data and current literature. Final year medical students at the Technische Universität München (Munich, Germany) with the elective pharmacology moderated an internet forum that allowed all students to discuss pharmacology-related questions. Evaluation results of forum participants and elective students demonstrated a learning benefit of internet forums in pharmacology teaching. Internet discussion forums offer an easy-to-implement and effective way to actively engage students and increase the learning benefit of electronic and classroom teaching in pharmacology.

  1. Systems pharmacology, pharmacogenetics, and clinical trial design in network medicine.

    PubMed

    Antman, Elliott; Weiss, Scott; Loscalzo, Joseph

    2012-01-01

    The rapidly growing disciplines of systems biology and network science are now poised to meet the fields of clinical medicine and pharmacology. Principles of systems pharmacology can be applied to drug design and, ultimately, testing in human clinical trials. Rather than focusing exclusively on single drug targets, systems pharmacology examines the holistic response of a phenotype-dependent pathway or pathways to drug perturbation. Knowledge of individual pharmacogenetic profiles further modulates the responses to these drug perturbations, moving the field toward more individualized ('personalized') drug development. The speed with which the information required to assess these system responses and their genomic underpinnings is changing and the importance of identifying the optimal drug or drug combinations for maximal benefit and minimal risk require that clinical trial design strategies be adaptable. In this paper, we review the tenets of adaptive clinical trial design as they may apply to an era of expanding knowledge of systems pharmacology and pharmacogenomics, and clinical trail design in network medicine. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. Importance of Resolving Fungal Nomenclature: the Case of Multiple Pathogenic Species in the Cryptococcus Genus.

    PubMed

    Hagen, Ferry; Lumbsch, H Thorsten; Arsic Arsenijevic, Valentina; Badali, Hamid; Bertout, Sebastien; Billmyre, R Blake; Bragulat, M Rosa; Cabañes, F Javier; Carbia, Mauricio; Chakrabarti, Arunaloke; Chaturvedi, Sudha; Chaturvedi, Vishnu; Chen, Min; Chowdhary, Anuradha; Colom, Maria-Francisca; Cornely, Oliver A; Crous, Pedro W; Cuétara, Maria S; Diaz, Mara R; Espinel-Ingroff, Ana; Fakhim, Hamed; Falk, Rama; Fang, Wenjie; Herkert, Patricia F; Ferrer Rodríguez, Consuelo; Fraser, James A; Gené, Josepa; Guarro, Josep; Idnurm, Alexander; Illnait-Zaragozi, María-Teresa; Khan, Ziauddin; Khayhan, Kantarawee; Kolecka, Anna; Kurtzman, Cletus P; Lagrou, Katrien; Liao, Wanqing; Linares, Carlos; Meis, Jacques F; Nielsen, Kirsten; Nyazika, Tinashe K; Pan, Weihua; Pekmezovic, Marina; Polacheck, Itzhack; Posteraro, Brunella; de Queiroz Telles, Flavio; Romeo, Orazio; Sánchez, Manuel; Sampaio, Ana; Sanguinetti, Maurizio; Sriburee, Pojana; Sugita, Takashi; Taj-Aldeen, Saad J; Takashima, Masako; Taylor, John W; Theelen, Bart; Tomazin, Rok; Verweij, Paul E; Wahyuningsih, Retno; Wang, Ping; Boekhout, Teun

    2017-01-01

    Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. The two varieties within C. neoformans were raised to species level, and the same was done for five genotypes within C. gattii . In a recent perspective (K. J. Kwon-Chung et al., mSphere 2:e00357-16, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16), it was argued that this taxonomic proposal was premature and without consensus in the community. Although the authors of the perspective recognized the existence of genetic diversity, they preferred the use of the informal nomenclature " C. neoformans species complex" and " C. gattii species complex." Here we highlight the advantage of recognizing these seven species, as ignoring these species will impede deciphering further biologically and clinically relevant differences between them, which may in turn delay future clinical advances.

  3. Importance of Resolving Fungal Nomenclature: the Case of Multiple Pathogenic Species in the Cryptococcus Genus

    PubMed Central

    Lumbsch, H. Thorsten; Bertout, Sebastien; Cabañes, F. Javier; Carbia, Mauricio; Chen, Min; Cuétara, Maria S.; Espinel-Ingroff, Ana; Falk, Rama; Ferrer Rodríguez, Consuelo; Fraser, James A.; Khan, Ziauddin; Kurtzman, Cletus P.; Lagrou, Katrien; Liao, Wanqing; Linares, Carlos; Nielsen, Kirsten; Pan, Weihua; Pekmezovic, Marina; Romeo, Orazio; Sánchez, Manuel; Sampaio, Ana; Sriburee, Pojana; Sugita, Takashi; Takashima, Masako; Taylor, John W.; Theelen, Bart; Tomazin, Rok; Verweij, Paul E.; Wahyuningsih, Retno

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Cryptococcosis is a major fungal disease caused by members of the Cryptococcus gattii and Cryptococcus neoformans species complexes. After more than 15 years of molecular genetic and phenotypic studies and much debate, a proposal for a taxonomic revision was made. The two varieties within C. neoformans were raised to species level, and the same was done for five genotypes within C. gattii. In a recent perspective (K. J. Kwon-Chung et al., mSphere 2:e00357-16, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSphere.00357-16), it was argued that this taxonomic proposal was premature and without consensus in the community. Although the authors of the perspective recognized the existence of genetic diversity, they preferred the use of the informal nomenclature “C. neoformans species complex” and “C. gattii species complex.” Here we highlight the advantage of recognizing these seven species, as ignoring these species will impede deciphering further biologically and clinically relevant differences between them, which may in turn delay future clinical advances. PMID:28875175

  4. Pharmacologic therapy for acute pancreatitis

    PubMed Central

    Kambhampati, Swetha; Park, Walter; Habtezion, Aida

    2014-01-01

    While conservative management such as fluid, bowel rest, and antibiotics is the mainstay of current acute pancreatitis management, there is a lot of promise in pharmacologic therapies that target various aspects of the pathogenesis of pancreatitis. Extensive review of preclinical studies, which include assessment of therapies such as anti-secretory agents, protease inhibitors, anti-inflammatory agents, and anti-oxidants are discussed. Many of these studies have shown therapeutic benefit and improved survival in experimental models. Based on available preclinical studies, we discuss potential novel targeted pharmacologic approaches that may offer promise in the treatment of acute pancreatitis. To date a variety of clinical studies have assessed the translational potential of animal model effective experimental therapies and have shown either failure or mixed results in human studies. Despite these discouraging clinical studies, there is a great clinical need and there exist several preclinical effective therapies that await investigation in patients. Better understanding of acute pancreatitis pathophysiology and lessons learned from past clinical studies are likely to offer a great foundation upon which to expand future therapies in acute pancreatitis. PMID:25493000

  5. [Effect of non-pharmacological methods for alleviation of pain in newborns].

    PubMed

    Chromá, Jana; Sikorová, Lucie

    2012-01-01

    The aim of the paper is to analyze currently most used non-pharmacological methods for pain alleviation in newborns for the best evidence-based practice. Source of the required data for the period 2000-2011 were electronic licensed and freely accessible databases. Evaluation found evidence (30 studies) was carried out according to the table-level evidence (Fineout-Overholt, Johnston 2005). The selection was included in the evidence level I, II, III. Nutritive sucking is currently considered the most effective method for alleviating pain in newborns. Analysis of studies shows that non-pharmacological methods used to control pain in neonates are much more effective when used in combination with other non-pharmacological methods, such as music therapy, swaddling, facilitated tucking, multiple-stimulation, kangaroo care and non-nutritive suction. Non-pharmacological procedures are effective and lead to pain relief especially in procedural performance as heel lancet and venipuncture for blood sampling, etc.

  6. The metabolism of berberine and its contribution to the pharmacological effects.

    PubMed

    Wang, Kun; Feng, Xinchi; Chai, Liwei; Cao, Shijie; Qiu, Feng

    2017-05-01

    Berberine, a bioactive alkaloid isolated from several herbal substances, possesses multiple pharmacological effects, including antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anticancer activities. Meanwhile, berberine undergoes extensive metabolism after oral administration which results in its extremely low plasma exposure. Therefore, it is believed that the metabolites of berberine also contribute a lot to its pharmacological effects. Along these lines, this review covers the metabolism studies of berberine in terms of its metabolic pathways and metabolic organs based on the identified metabolites, and it also covers the pharmacological activities of its active metabolites. In brief, the predominant metabolic pathways of berberine are demethylation, demethylenation, reduction, hydroxylation and subsequent conjugation in vivo. Active metabolites such as columbamine, berberrubine and demethyleneberberine also exhibit similar pharmacological effects by comparison with berberine, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antimicrobial, hepatoprotective, neuroprotective, hypolipidemic and hypoglycemic effects. Overall, berberine together with its metabolites formed the material basis of berberine in vivo.

  7. Principles of pharmacological research of nutraceuticals

    PubMed Central

    Andrew, Ruth

    2017-01-01

    Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc PMID:28500635

  8. Performance of Clinical Nurse Educators in Teaching Pharmacology and Medication Management: Nursing Students’ Perceptions

    PubMed Central

    Ghamari Zare, Zohre; Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen

    2016-01-01

    Background Pharmacological knowledge and medication management skills of student nurses greatly depend on the clinical nurse educators’ performance in this critical issue. However, the Iranian nurse educators’ performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management are not adequately studied. Objectives The current study aimed to investigate the nursing students’ perceptions on the status of clinical pharmaceutical and medication management education. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on all 152 nursing students registered in the seventh and eighth semesters at the Qom and Naragh branches of Islamic Azad University, and Kashan University of Medical Sciences in 2013 - 2014 academic year. The students’ perceptions on the performance of clinical nurse educators in teaching pharmacology and medication management were assessed using a researcher made questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items regarding clinical educators’ performance in teaching pharmacology and medication management and two questions about students’ satisfaction with their level of knowledge and skills in pharmacology and medication management. Descriptive statistics was employed and analysis of variance was performed to compare the mean of scores of teaching pharmacology and medication management in the three universities. Results Among a total of 152 subjects, 82.9% were female and their mean age was 22.57 ± 1.55 years. According to the students, instructors had the weakest performance in the three items of teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the students’ learning needs, teaching medication management through a patient-centered method and teaching pharmacology and medication management based on the course plan. The students’ satisfaction regarding their own knowledge and skill of pharmacology and medication management was at medium level. Conclusions Nursing students gave a relatively low score in several aspects of

  9. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) superfamily in plants: gene nomenclature and comparative genomics.

    PubMed

    Brocker, Chad; Vasiliou, Melpomene; Carpenter, Sarah; Carpenter, Christopher; Zhang, Yucheng; Wang, Xiping; Kotchoni, Simeon O; Wood, Andrew J; Kirch, Hans-Hubert; Kopečný, David; Nebert, Daniel W; Vasiliou, Vasilis

    2013-01-01

    In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of completely sequenced plant genomes. The comparison of fully sequenced genomes allows for identification of new gene family members, as well as comprehensive analysis of gene family evolution. The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily comprises a group of enzymes involved in the NAD(+)- or NADP(+)-dependent conversion of various aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids. ALDH enzymes are involved in processing many aldehydes that serve as biogenic intermediates in a wide range of metabolic pathways. In addition, many of these enzymes function as 'aldehyde scavengers' by removing reactive aldehydes generated during the oxidative degradation of lipid membranes, also known as lipid peroxidation. Plants and animals share many ALDH families, and many genes are highly conserved between these two evolutionarily distinct groups. Conversely, both plants and animals also contain unique ALDH genes and families. Herein we carried out genome-wide identification of ALDH genes in a number of plant species-including Arabidopsis thaliana (thale crest), Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (unicellular algae), Oryza sativa (rice), Physcomitrella patens (moss), Vitis vinifera (grapevine) and Zea mays (maize). These data were then combined with previous analysis of Populus trichocarpa (poplar tree), Selaginella moellindorffii (gemmiferous spikemoss), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) and Volvox carteri (colonial algae) for a comprehensive evolutionary comparison of the plant ALDH superfamily. As a result, newly identified genes can be more easily analyzed and gene names can be assigned according to current nomenclature guidelines; our goal is to clarify previously confusing and conflicting names and classifications that might confound results and prevent accurate comparisons between studies.

  10. Does non-pharmacological therapy for antenatal depression reduce risks for the infant?

    PubMed

    Jarde, A; Morais, M; Kingston, D; Giallo, R; Giglia, L; MacQueen, G; Wang, Y; Beyene, J; McDonald, S D

    2016-06-01

    Depression during pregnancy has been associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes for the infant such as preterm birth. These risks are not reduced with pharmacological treatment, but the effect of non-pharmacological therapies is unknown. We performed a systematic review to assess the risk of adverse perinatal outcomes in non-pharmacologically treated depressed women compared to non-depressed women. We found no studies that met our inclusion criteria, highlighting a critical need for research on this topic.

  11. An update on the distribution and nomenclature of fleas (Order Siphonaptera) of bats (Order Chiroptera) and rodents (Order Rodentia) from La Rioja Province, Argentina

    PubMed Central

    Berrizbeitia, M. Fernanda López; Sánchez, R. Tatiana; Barquez, Ruben M.; Díaz, M. Monica

    2017-01-01

    Abstract The mammalian and flea fauna of La Rioja Province is one of the least known from northwestern Argentina. In this study, the distribution and nomenclature of 13 species of fleas of bats and rodents from La Rioja Province are updated. Four species of fleas are recorded for the first time in La Rioja Province including a new record for northwestern Argentina, and two new flea-host associations. An identification key and distribution map are included for all known species of Siphonaptera of bats and rodents from La Rioja Province, Argentina. PMID:28769701

  12. Evidence of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the management of dental fear in paediatric dentistry: a systematic review protocol

    PubMed Central

    Cianetti, Stefano; Paglia, Luigi; Gatto, Roberto; Montedori, Alessandro

    2017-01-01

    Introduction Several techniques have been proposed to manage dental fear/dental anxiety (DFA) in children and adolescents undergoing dental procedures. To our knowledge, no widely available compendium of therapies to manage DFA exists. We propose a study protocol to assess the evidence regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to relieve dental anxiety in children and adolescents. Methods and analysis In our systematic review, we will include randomised trials, controlled clinical rials and systematic reviews (SRs) of trials that investigated the effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to decrease dental anxiety in children and adolescents. We will search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects=, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and the Web of Science for relevant studies. Pairs of review authors will independently review titles, abstracts and full texts identified by the specific literature search and extract data using a standardised data extraction form. For each study, information will be extracted on the study report (eg, author, year of publication), the study design (eg, the methodology and, for SRs, the types and number of studies included), the population characteristics, the intervention(s), the outcome measures and the results. The quality of SRs will be assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Reviews instrument, while the quality of the retrieved trials will be evaluated using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions criteria. Ethics and dissemination Approval from an ethics committee is not required, as no participants will be included. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. PMID:28821522

  13. TCOF1 mutation database: novel mutation in the alternatively spliced exon 6A and update in mutation nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Splendore, Alessandra; Fanganiello, Roberto D; Masotti, Cibele; Morganti, Lucas S C; Passos-Bueno, M Rita

    2005-05-01

    Recently, a novel exon was described in TCOF1 that, although alternatively spliced, is included in the major protein isoform. In addition, most published mutations in this gene do not conform to current mutation nomenclature guidelines. Given these observations, we developed an online database of TCOF1 mutations in which all the reported mutations are renamed according to standard recommendations and in reference to the genomic and novel cDNA reference sequences (www.genoma.ib.usp.br/TCOF1_database). We also report in this work: 1) results of the first screening for large deletions in TCOF1 by Southern blot in patients without mutation detected by direct sequencing; 2) the identification of the first pathogenic mutation in the newly described exon 6A; and 3) statistical analysis of pathogenic mutations and polymorphism distribution throughout the gene.

  14. Lung Function Measurements in Rodents in Safety Pharmacology Studies

    PubMed Central

    Hoymann, Heinz Gerd

    2012-01-01

    The ICH guideline S7A requires safety pharmacology tests including measurements of pulmonary function. In the first step – as part of the “core battery” – lung function tests in conscious animals are requested. If potential adverse effects raise concern for human safety, these should be explored in a second step as a “follow-up study”. For these two stages of safety pharmacology testing, both non-invasive and invasive techniques are needed which should be as precise and reliable as possible. A short overview of typical in vivo measurement techniques is given, their advantages and disadvantages are discussed and out of these the non-invasive head-out body plethysmography and the invasive but repeatable body plethysmography in orotracheally intubated rodents are presented in detail. For validation purposes the changes in the respective parameters such as tidal midexpiratory flow (EF50) or lung resistance have been recorded in the same animals in typical bronchoconstriction models and compared. In addition, the technique of head-out body plethysmography has been shown to be useful to measure lung function in juvenile rats starting from day two of age. This allows safety pharmacology testing and toxicological studies in juvenile animals as a model for the young developing organism as requested by the regulatory authorities (e.g., EMEA Guideline 1/2008). It is concluded that both invasive and non-invasive pulmonary function tests are capable of detecting effects and alterations on the respiratory system with different selectivity and area of operation. The use of both techniques in a large number of studies in mice and rats in the last years have demonstrated that they provide useful and reliable information on pulmonary mechanics in safety pharmacology and toxicology testing, in investigations of respiratory disorders, and in pharmacological efficacy studies. PMID:22973226

  15. Pharmacologic management of chronic neuropathic pain

    PubMed Central

    Mu, Alex; Weinberg, Erica; Moulin, Dwight E.; Clarke, Hance

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Objective To provide family physicians with a practical clinical summary of the Canadian Pain Society (CPS) revised consensus statement on the pharmacologic management of neuropathic pain. Quality of evidence A multidisciplinary interest group within the CPS conducted a systematic review of the literature on the current treatments of neuropathic pain in drafting the revised consensus statement. Main message Gabapentinoids, tricyclic antidepressants, and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors are the first-line agents for treating neuropathic pain. Tramadol and other opioids are recommended as second-line agents, while cannabinoids are newly recommended as third-line agents. Other anticonvulsants, methadone, tapentadol, topical lidocaine, and botulinum toxin are recommended as fourth-line agents. Conclusion Many pharmacologic analgesics exist for the treatment of neuropathic pain. Through evidence-based recommendations, the CPS revised consensus statement helps guide family physicians in the management of patients with neuropathic pain. PMID:29138154

  16. Quality of reporting statistics in two Indian pharmacology journals.

    PubMed

    Jaykaran; Yadav, Preeti

    2011-04-01

    To evaluate the reporting of the statistical methods in articles published in two Indian pharmacology journals. All original articles published since 2002 were downloaded from the journals' (Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) and Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (IJPP)) website. These articles were evaluated on the basis of appropriateness of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics was evaluated on the basis of reporting of method of description and central tendencies. Inferential statistics was evaluated on the basis of fulfilling of assumption of statistical methods and appropriateness of statistical tests. Values are described as frequencies, percentage, and 95% confidence interval (CI) around the percentages. Inappropriate descriptive statistics was observed in 150 (78.1%, 95% CI 71.7-83.3%) articles. Most common reason for this inappropriate descriptive statistics was use of mean ± SEM at the place of "mean (SD)" or "mean ± SD." Most common statistical method used was one-way ANOVA (58.4%). Information regarding checking of assumption of statistical test was mentioned in only two articles. Inappropriate statistical test was observed in 61 (31.7%, 95% CI 25.6-38.6%) articles. Most common reason for inappropriate statistical test was the use of two group test for three or more groups. Articles published in two Indian pharmacology journals are not devoid of statistical errors.

  17. Pharmacological Interventions for Students with ADD.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin, Vance L.

    2003-01-01

    A review of the research on pharmacological interventions for students with attention deficit disorder finds that psychostimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin) are effective in improving focus and impulse control, but should be used in conjunction with psychosocial and behavioral interventions. Comprehensive medical screenings and guidelines…

  18. A comparison of medical and pharmacy students' knowledge and skills of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy.

    PubMed

    Keijsers, Carolina J P W; Brouwers, Jacobus R B J; de Wildt, Dick J; Custers, Eugene J F M; Ten Cate, Olle Th J; Hazen, Ankie C M; Jansen, Paul A F

    2014-10-01

    Pharmacotherapy might be improved if future pharmacists and physicians receive a joint educational programme in pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics. This study investigated whether there are differences in the pharmacology and pharmacotherapy knowledge and skills of pharmacy and medical students after their undergraduate training. Differences could serve as a starting point from which to develop joint interdisciplinary educational programmes for better prescribing. In a cross-sectional design, the knowledge and skills of advanced pharmacy and medical students were assessed, using a standardized test with three domains (basic pharmacology knowledge, clinical or applied pharmacology knowledge and pharmacotherapy skills) and eight subdomains (pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, interactions and side-effects, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification groups, prescribing, prescribing for special groups, drug information, regulations and laws, prescription writing). Four hundred and fifty-one medical and 151 pharmacy students were included between August 2010 and July 2012. The response rate was 81%. Pharmacy students had better knowledge of basic pharmacology than medical students (77.0% vs. 68.2% correct answers; P < 0.001, δ = 0.88), whereas medical students had better skills than pharmacy students in writing prescriptions (68.6% vs. 50.7%; P < 0.001, δ = 0.57). The two groups of students had similar knowledge of applied pharmacology (73.8% vs. 72.2%, P = 0.124, δ = 0.15). Pharmacy students have better knowledge of basic pharmacology, but not of the application of pharmacology knowledge, than medical students, whereas medical students are better at writing prescriptions. Professional differences in knowledge and skills therefore might well stem from their undergraduate education. Knowledge of these differences could be harnessed to develop a joint interdisciplinary education for both students and professionals. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

  19. Changes to taxonomy and the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (2018).

    PubMed

    King, Andrew M Q; Lefkowitz, Elliot J; Mushegian, Arcady R; Adams, Michael J; Dutilh, Bas E; Gorbalenya, Alexander E; Harrach, Balázs; Harrison, Robert L; Junglen, Sandra; Knowles, Nick J; Kropinski, Andrew M; Krupovic, Mart; Kuhn, Jens H; Nibert, Max L; Rubino, Luisa; Sabanadzovic, Sead; Sanfaçon, Hélène; Siddell, Stuart G; Simmonds, Peter; Varsani, Arvind; Zerbini, Francisco Murilo; Davison, Andrew J

    2018-05-12

    This article lists the changes to virus taxonomy approved and ratified by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses in February 2018. A total of 451 species, 69 genera, 11 subfamilies, 9 families and one new order were added to the taxonomy. The current totals at each taxonomic level now stand at 9 orders, 131 families, 46 subfamilies, 803 genera and 4853 species. A change was made to the International Code of Virus Classification and Nomenclature to allow the use of the names of people in taxon names under appropriate circumstances. An updated Master Species List incorporating the approved changes was released in March 2018 ( https://talk.ictvonline.org/taxonomy/ ).

  20. Post-stroke Movement Disorders: Clinical Manifestations and Pharmacological Management

    PubMed Central

    Siniscalchi, Antonio; Gallelli, Luca; Labate, Angelo; Malferrari, Giovanni; Palleria, Caterina; Sarro, Giovambattista De

    2012-01-01

    Involuntary abnormal movements have been reported after ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Post stroke movement disorders can appear as acute or delayed sequel. At the moment, for many of these disorders the knowledge of pharmacological treatment is still inadequate. Dopaminergic and GABAergic systems may be mainly involved in post-stroke movement disorders. This article provides a review on drugs commonly used in post-stroke movement disorders, given that some post-stroke movement disorders have shown a partial benefit with pharmacological approach. PMID:23449883

  1. Post-stroke Movement Disorders: Clinical Manifestations and Pharmacological Management.

    PubMed

    Siniscalchi, Antonio; Gallelli, Luca; Labate, Angelo; Malferrari, Giovanni; Palleria, Caterina; Sarro, Giovambattista De

    2012-09-01

    Involuntary abnormal movements have been reported after ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke. Post stroke movement disorders can appear as acute or delayed sequel. At the moment, for many of these disorders the knowledge of pharmacological treatment is still inadequate. Dopaminergic and GABAergic systems may be mainly involved in post-stroke movement disorders. This article provides a review on drugs commonly used in post-stroke movement disorders, given that some post-stroke movement disorders have shown a partial benefit with pharmacological approach.

  2. Pharmacology education for nurse prescribing students – a lesson in reusable learning objects

    PubMed Central

    Lymn, Joanne S; Bath-Hextall, Fiona; Wharrad, Heather J

    2008-01-01

    Background The shift away from a biological science to a social science model of nursing care has resulted in a reduction in pharmacology knowledge and understanding in pre-registration nursing students. This has a significant impact on nurse prescribing training where pharmacology is a critical component of the course from a patient safety perspective. Methods Reusable learning objects (RLOs) are electronic resources based on a single learning objective which use high quality graphics and audio to help engagement with the material and to facilitate learning. This study used questionnaire data from three successive cohorts of nurse prescribing students (n = 84) to evaluate the use of RLOs focussed around pharmacology concepts to promote the understanding of these concepts in students. A small number of students (n = 10) were followed up by telephone interview one year after qualification to gain further insight into students' perceptions of the value of RLOs as an educational tool. Results Students' perceptions of their own understanding of pharmacology concepts increased substantially following the introduction of RLOs to supplement the pharmacology component of the course. Student evaluation of the RLOs themselves was extremely positive with a number of students continuing to access these tools post-qualification. Conclusion The use of RLOs to support the pharmacology component of nurse prescribing courses successfully resulted in a perceived increase in pharmacology understanding, with some students directly implicating these educational tools in developing confidence in their own prescribing abilities. PMID:18215261

  3. Rufus of Ephesus and his contribution to the development of anatomical nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Bujalkova, Maria

    2011-01-01

    Rufus of Ephesus, a famous ancient physician, lived about the years 80 - 150 CE. His theories stressed the importance of anatomy and he preferred pragmatic approach to diagnosis and treatment. In his work "On the Names of the Parts of the Human Body", he put in pragmatic effort to make a lexicon of anatomy for his pupils. In the introduction, he described it as a manual for the students of medical art which relied on demonstration in teaching; visible (outer) parts of the body were shown on a demonstrator and invisible (inner) parts were shown on a dissected monkey. The brief explanation of the anatomical terms includes position, shape, and functions of organs, and this is what makes his work a pioneering effort to explain the anatomy clearly, systematically, and using consistent terminology. Rufus stressed the importance of exact nomenclature to prevent misunderstandings in medical practice. This anatomy manual had a major influence on the development of anatomical terminology. It is an important contribution to the history of teaching. The other essential contribution of Rufus' lexicon (also known for its briefer title Onomastikon) is that the author recognised and critically reviewed the knowledge and views of his predecessors, physicians of the pre-Galenic period. No less important was his teaching to anatomists and physicians who followed, as they often cited or paraphrased Rufus in their own works (Galen, Oribasius). Many fragments of Rufus' work have been preserved by medieval Arabic medical writers, especially by Rhazes.

  4. 2011 Annual Meeting of the Safety Pharmacology Society: an overview.

    PubMed

    Cavero, Icilio

    2012-03-01

    The keynote address of 2011 Annual Meeting of the Safety Pharmacology Society examined the known and the still to be known on drug-induced nephrotoxicity. The nominee of the Distinguished Service Award Lecture gave an account of his career achievements particularly on the domain of chronically instrumented animals for assessing cardiovascular safety. The value of Safety Pharmacology resides in the benefits delivered to Pharma organizations, regulators, payers and patients. Meticulous due diligence concerning compliance of Safety Pharmacology studies to best practices is an effective means to ensure that equally stringent safety criteria are applied to both in-licensed and in-house compounds. Innovative technologies of great potential for Safety Pharmacology presented at the meeting are organs on chips (lung, heart, intestine) displaying mechanical and biochemical features of native organs, electrical field potential (MEA) or impedance (xCELLigence Cardio) measurements in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes for unveiling cardiac electrophysiological and mechanical liabilities, functional human airway epithelium (MucilAir™) preparations with unique 1-year shelf-life for acute and chronic in vitro evaluation of drug efficacy and toxicity. Custom-designed in silico and in vitro assay platforms defining the receptorome space occupied by chemical entities facilitate, throughout the drug discovery phase, the selection of candidates with optimized safety profile on organ function. These approaches can now be complemented by advanced computational analysis allowing the identification of compounds with receptorome, or clinically adverse effect profiles, similar to those of the drug candidate under scrutiny for extending the safety assessment to potential liability targets not captured by classical approaches. Nonclinical data supporting safety can be quite reassuring for drugs with a discovered signal of risk. However, for marketing authorization

  5. A Survey of State Boards of Optometry Concerning Educational Requirements in Pharmacology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lesher, Gary A.

    1986-01-01

    Results of a survey of state optometry licensing requirements for coursework in pharmacology, intended as a tool for optometry curriculum development, suggest a need for training in pharmacology in both the college curriculum and continuing education. (MSE)

  6. Pharmacological enhancement of fear reduction: preclinical models

    PubMed Central

    Graham, Bronwyn M; Langton, Julia M; Richardson, Rick

    2011-01-01

    Anxiety disorders have a high prevalence, and despite the substantial advances in the psychological treatment of anxiety, relapse is still a common problem. One approach to improving existing psychological treatments for anxiety has been to develop pharmacological agents that can be used to enhance the processes underlying exposure therapy, which is the most commonly used and empirically validated psychological treatment for anxiety during which individuals are taught to appropriately inhibit fear. Animal models of exposure therapy, particularly fear extinction, have proved to be a very useful way of examining the neural and molecular correlates of fear inhibition, which has in turn led to the identification of numerous drugs that enhance these processes in rats. Several of these drugs have subsequently been tested as novel pharmacological adjuncts to exposure therapy in humans with a range of anxiety disorders. The purpose of this review is to outline the key animal models of exposure therapy and to describe how these have been used to develop potential pharmacological adjuncts for anxiety disorders. Drugs that are currently in clinical use, as well as those currently in the preclinical stages of investigation, are described. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed issue on Translational Neuropharmacology. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.164.issue-4 PMID:21175588

  7. Pharmacological treatment of diabetes in older people.

    PubMed

    Valencia, W M; Florez, H

    2014-12-01

    The pharmacological management of diabetes in older people is complex and challenging. It requires a comprehensive understanding of the individual beyond the diabetes itself. Through the ageing years, the older individual presents with diabetes-related and non-related comorbidities and complications, develops functional limitations and psychological issues, and may lack social support and access to care. A disturbance in these categories, known as the four geriatric domains, will negatively affect diabetes self-management and self-efficacy, leading to poor outcomes and complications. Furthermore, older people with diabetes may be more interested in the management of other chronic conditions such as pain or impaired mobility, and diabetes may be lower in their list of priorities. Proper education must be provided to the older individual and caregivers, with continuous monitoring and counselling, especially when pharmacological interventions offer risks of side effects, adverse reactions and interactions with other medications. Informed shared medical decisions will help to improve adherence to the regimen; however, such discussions ought to be based on the best evidence available, which is unfortunately limited in this age group. We performed a review focused on pharmacological agents and summarize current evidence on their use for the treatment of diabetes in older people. We encourage clinicians to investigate and incorporate the four geriatrics domains in the selection and monitoring of these agents. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  8. Surgical versus pharmacologic treatment of intraspinal gout.

    PubMed

    Chang, I-Chang

    2005-04-01

    A controversy between pharmacologic and surgical treatment of intraspinal gout exists in the literature. If gout is diagnosed timely, pharmacologic therapy may avert the need of surgery. The lack of readily available synovial fluid makes the diagnosis particularly difficult. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical pictures and magnetic resonance imaging features in rapid differentiations of intraspinal gout. I retrospectively evaluated lumbar intraspinal tophaceous gout without the classic radiographic punched-out lesions. Four patients (average age, 65 years) had a history of hyperuricemia with multiple tophaceous deposits in the joints or visceral organs or both. The common presentations were low back pain with or without inflammatory reaction (fever, elevated C-reactive protein level, and mild leukocytosis). The patients also presented with intermittent claudication or radiculopathy of variable duration or both. The gouty tophi yielded homogeneous and hypointense masses on T1- and T2-weighted images, with multiple hypointense speckles. The masses were located in bilateral lumbar facet joints in all patients, with additional midline extension along the ligamentum flavum in three. All patients had uneventful outcomes after surgical decompression and pharmacologic treatment. Rapid deposition of tophi may aggravate nerve compression. If neurologic deficits are found, surgical decompression can provide a satisfactory outcome. Therapeutic study, Level IV. See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  9. Disrupting Reconsolidation: Pharmacological and Behavioral Manipulations

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soeter, Marieke; Kindt, Merel

    2011-01-01

    We previously demonstrated that disrupting reconsolidation by pharmacological manipulations "deleted" the emotional expression of a fear memory in humans. If we are to target reconsolidation in patients with anxiety disorders, the disruption of reconsolidation should produce content-limited modifications. At the same time, the fear-erasing effects…

  10. [Preliminary analysis on relationship between traditional efficacy of Chinese medicine and modern pharmacological action].

    PubMed

    Ren, Jun-Guo; Wang, Dong-Zhi; Lei, Lei; Kang, Li; Liu, Jian-Xun

    2017-05-01

    To find the relationship between traditional efficacy of Chinese medicine and modern pharmacological action by using data mining, and provide information and reference for further research and development for the pharmacology research of traditional Chinese medicine.The information of 547 kinds of traditional Chinese medicines, 335 kinds of Chinese medicine effects and 86 kinds of pharmacological actions were collected and processed in Clinical Guide to the Chinese Pharmacopoeia published in 2010; Access and Excel software were used to analyze the frequence and frequency of single effect, pharmacological action, and both. In addition, the relationship between efficacy and pharmacology was analyzed with the clearing heat and antibacterial effects as the example. The analysis results showed that 547 kinds of Chinese medicines involved 335 kinds of Chinese medicine effects and 86 kinds of pharmacological actions. Among them, the most frequent Chinese medicine effect was"clearing heat", whose frequence was 130 and the frequency was 0.24; the most frequent pharmacological action was "anti-inflammatory action" whose frequence was 191 and the frequency was 0.35. The most common efficacy-pharmacological action group was "clearing heat" and "anti-bacterial action", whose frequence was 75 and the frequency was 0.26. The couple of "purgation" and "cathartic effect" had the largest frequency of 0.30, but they just appeared together for 3 times. There were 52 kinds of pharmacological actions that occurred together with clearing heat, of which, the top 10 were anti-bacterial action, anti-inflammatory action, antineoplastic action, anti-hepatic injury action, immunoregulation action, antipyretic action, antiviralaction, hypoglycemic action, antioxidant action and analgesic action. There were 161 kinds of Chinese medicine effects that occurred together with anti-bacterial action, of which, the top 10 were clearing heat, detoxification, detumescence, analgesia, resolving dampness

  11. Swiss University Students' Attitudes toward Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement.

    PubMed

    Maier, Larissa J; Liakoni, Evangelia; Schildmann, Jan; Schaub, Michael P; Liechti, Matthias E

    2015-01-01

    Pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) refers to the nonmedical use of prescription or recreational drugs to enhance cognitive performance. Several concerns about PCE have been raised in the public. The aim of the present study was to investigate students' attitudes toward PCE. Students at three Swiss universities were invited by e-mail to participate in a web-based survey. Of the 29,282 students who were contacted, 3,056 participated. Of these students, 22% indicated that they had used prescription drugs (12%) or recreational substances including alcohol (14%) at least once for PCE. The use of prescription drugs or recreational substances including alcohol prior to the last exam was reported by 16%. Users of pharmacological cognitive enhancers were more likely to consider PCE fair (24%) compared with nonusers (11%). Only a minority of the participants agreed with the nonmedical use of prescription drugs by fellow students when assuming weak (7%) or hypothetically strong efficacy and availability to everyone (14%). Two-thirds (68%) considered performance that is obtained with PCE less worthy of recognition. Additionally, 80% disagreed that PCE is acceptable in a competitive environment. More than half (64%) agreed that PCE in academia is similar to doping in sports. Nearly half (48%) claimed that unregulated access to pharmacological cognitive enhancers increases the pressure to engage in PCE and educational inequality (55%). In conclusion, Swiss students' main concerns regarding PCE were related to coercion and fairness. As expected, these concerns were more prevalent among nonusers than among users of pharmacological cognitive enhancers. More balanced information on PCE should be shared with students, and future monitoring of PCE is recommended.

  12. Swiss University Students’ Attitudes toward Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement

    PubMed Central

    Maier, Larissa J.; Liakoni, Evangelia; Schildmann, Jan; Schaub, Michael P.; Liechti, Matthias E.

    2015-01-01

    Pharmacological cognitive enhancement (PCE) refers to the nonmedical use of prescription or recreational drugs to enhance cognitive performance. Several concerns about PCE have been raised in the public. The aim of the present study was to investigate students’ attitudes toward PCE. Students at three Swiss universities were invited by e-mail to participate in a web-based survey. Of the 29,282 students who were contacted, 3,056 participated. Of these students, 22% indicated that they had used prescription drugs (12%) or recreational substances including alcohol (14%) at least once for PCE. The use of prescription drugs or recreational substances including alcohol prior to the last exam was reported by 16%. Users of pharmacological cognitive enhancers were more likely to consider PCE fair (24%) compared with nonusers (11%). Only a minority of the participants agreed with the nonmedical use of prescription drugs by fellow students when assuming weak (7%) or hypothetically strong efficacy and availability to everyone (14%). Two-thirds (68%) considered performance that is obtained with PCE less worthy of recognition. Additionally, 80% disagreed that PCE is acceptable in a competitive environment. More than half (64%) agreed that PCE in academia is similar to doping in sports. Nearly half (48%) claimed that unregulated access to pharmacological cognitive enhancers increases the pressure to engage in PCE and educational inequality (55%). In conclusion, Swiss students’ main concerns regarding PCE were related to coercion and fairness. As expected, these concerns were more prevalent among nonusers than among users of pharmacological cognitive enhancers. More balanced information on PCE should be shared with students, and future monitoring of PCE is recommended. PMID:26657300

  13. Evidence of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for the management of dental fear in paediatric dentistry: a systematic review protocol.

    PubMed

    Cianetti, Stefano; Paglia, Luigi; Gatto, Roberto; Montedori, Alessandro; Lupatelli, Eleonora

    2017-08-18

    Several techniques have been proposed to manage dental fear/dental anxiety (DFA) in children and adolescents undergoing dental procedures. To our knowledge, no widely available compendium of therapies to manage DFA exists. We propose a study protocol to assess the evidence regarding pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to relieve dental anxiety in children and adolescents. In our systematic review, we will include randomised trials, controlled clinical rials and systematic reviews (SRs) of trials that investigated the effects of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions to decrease dental anxiety in children and adolescents. We will search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects=, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and the Web of Science for relevant studies. Pairs of review authors will independently review titles, abstracts and full texts identified by the specific literature search and extract data using a standardised data extraction form. For each study, information will be extracted on the study report (eg, author, year of publication), the study design (eg, the methodology and, for SRs, the types and number of studies included), the population characteristics, the intervention(s), the outcome measures and the results. The quality of SRs will be assessed using the A Measurement Tool to Assess Reviews instrument, while the quality of the retrieved trials will be evaluated using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions criteria. Approval from an ethics committee is not required, as no participants will be included. Results will be disseminated through a peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted

  14. [Development of a pharmacological curriculum for general practice: Identifying and prescribing orally administered pharmacological substances with relevance for general practice].

    PubMed

    Straßner, Cornelia; Kaufmann-Kolle, Petra; Flum, Elisabeth; Schwill, Simon; Brandt, Bettina; Steinhäuser, Jost

    2017-05-01

    General practitioners (GPs) are among the specialists who prescribe the highest number of medication. Therefore the improvement of pharmacological competencies is an important part of the GP specialist training. The self-concept of general practice stating that GPs are the first contact persons for all health problems makes it challenging to define and acquire competencies for specialist training. While the "Competence-based Curriculum" developed by the German College of General Practitioners and Family Physicians defines diagnoses, reasons for counselling and competencies which are essential for general practice, a similar orientation guide is lacking for the pharmacological field. The aim of this study is to define and characterize pharmacological substances which every GP should know so well that he or she is able to conduct counselling and monitoring. We analysed private and public health insurance prescriptions of all general practices participating in the CONTENT project in the period from 2009 to 2014. The analysis was limited to substances with oral application which were prescribed at least once by at least 25 % (n = 11) of the practices. While the 100 most frequent prescriptions were included due to their frequency, less frequently prescribed substances were assessed concerning their relevance for general practice in a rating procedure. The substances included were classified by diagnoses and reasons for counselling. We analysed 1,912,896 prescriptions from 44 practices and 112,535 patients on the basis of the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification system. After applying the inclusion criteria, 453 substances were left, 302 of which were considered relevant for general practice and could be assigned to 45 diagnoses / reasons for counselling. The result of this study could be considered a working draft for a pharmacological curriculum for general practice, which may complement the "Competence-based Curriculum" in the medium term. Copyright

  15. Pharmacologic treatments for dry eye: a worthwhile investment?

    PubMed

    Novack, Gary D

    2002-01-01

    To determine whether investment in a novel pharmacologic agent for the treatment of dry eye would be worthwhile from a financial perspective. Estimates were made of the cost and time required to develop a novel pharmacologic treatment of dry eye and the potential revenues for the product. These estimates were used to compute the value of the investment, adjusting for the time value of money. Development was estimated to cost $42 million and to take 55 months from investigational new drug exemption filing to new drug application approval. The potential market for this treatment was estimated at $542 million per year at year 5. Adding in the cost of development and marketing as well as other costs, net present value was very positive at the 5, 8, 10, and 40% cost of financing. The internal rate of return was 90%. In summary, if there were a successful pharmacologic treatment of dry eye and if a firm could manage the cash flow during the development, then the market potential approaches that of other treatment of chronic ophthalmic conditions (e.g., glaucoma), and it would be a worthwhile investment.

  16. Integrating pharmacology topics in high school biology and chemistry classes improves performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwartz-Bloom, Rochelle D.; Halpin, Myra J.

    2003-11-01

    Although numerous programs have been developed for Grade Kindergarten through 12 science education, evaluation has been difficult owing to the inherent problems conducting controlled experiments in the typical classroom. Using a rigorous experimental design, we developed and tested a novel program containing a series of pharmacology modules (e.g., drug abuse) to help high school students learn basic principles in biology and chemistry. High school biology and chemistry teachers were recruited for the study and they attended a 1-week workshop to learn how to integrate pharmacology into their teaching. Working with university pharmacology faculty, they also developed classroom activities. The following year, teachers field-tested the pharmacology modules in their classrooms. Students in classrooms using the pharmacology topics scored significantly higher on a multiple choice test of basic biology and chemistry concepts compared with controls. Very large effect sizes (up to 1.27 standard deviations) were obtained when teachers used as many as four modules. In addition, biology students increased performance on chemistry questions and chemistry students increased performance on biology questions. Substantial gains in achievement may be made when high school students are taught science using topics that are interesting and relevant to their own lives.

  17. Pharmacological properties of Datura stramonium L. as a potential medicinal tree: An overview

    PubMed Central

    Soni, Priyanka; Siddiqui, Anees Ahmad; Dwivedi, Jaya; Soni, Vishal

    2012-01-01

    India has a great wealth of various naturally occurring plant drugs which have great potential pharmacological activities. Datura stramonium (D. stramonium) is one of the widely well known folklore medicinal herbs. The troublesome weed, D. stramonium is a plant with both poisonous and medicinal properties and has been proven to have great pharmacological potential with a great utility and usage in folklore medicine. D. stromonium has been scientifically proven to contain alkaloids, tannins, carbohydrates and proteins. This plant has contributed various pharmacological actions in the scientific field of Indian systems of medicines like analgesic and antiasthmatic activities. The present paper presents an exclusive review work on the ethnomedical, phytochemical, pharmacological activities of this plant. PMID:23593583

  18. The behavioral pharmacology of hallucinogens

    PubMed Central

    Fantegrossi, William E.; Murnane, Aeneas C.; Reissig, Chad J.

    2008-01-01

    Until very recently, comparatively few scientists were studying hallucinogenic drugs. Nevertheless, selective antagonists are available for relevant serotonergic receptors, the majority of which have now been cloned, allowing for reasonably thorough pharmacological investigation. Animal models sensitive to the behavioral effects of the hallucinogens have been established and exploited. Sophisticated genetic techniques have enabled the development of mutant mice, which have proven useful in the study of hallucinogens. The capacity to study post-receptor signaling events has lead to the proposal of a plausible mechanism of action for these compounds. The tools currently available to study the hallucinogens are thus more plentiful and scientifically advanced than were those accessible to earlier researchers studying the opioids, benzodiazepines, cholinergics, or other centrally active compounds. The behavioral pharmacology of phenethylamine, tryptamine, and ergoline hallucinogens are described in this review, paying particular attention to important structure activity relationships which have emerged, receptors involved in their various actions, effects on conditioned and unconditioned behaviors, and in some cases, human psychopharmacology. As clinical interest in the therapeutic potential of these compounds is once again beginning to emerge, it is important to recognize the wealth of data derived from controlled preclinical studies on these compounds. PMID:17977517

  19. Fighting obesity: Non-pharmacological interventions.

    PubMed

    Higuera-Hernández, María Fernanda; Reyes-Cuapio, Elena; Gutiérrez-Mendoza, Marissa; Rocha, Nuno Barbosa; Veras, André Barciela; Budde, Henning; Jesse, Johanna; Zaldívar-Rae, Jaime; Blanco-Centurión, Carlos; Machado, Sérgio; Murillo-Rodríguez, Eric

    2018-06-01

    The abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that impairs health is one of the criteria that fulfills obesity. According to epidemiological data, obesity has become a worldwide public health problem that in turn would trigger additional pathologies such as cardiorespiratory dysfunctions, cancer, gastrointestinal disturbances, depression, sleep disorders, just to mention a few. Then, the search for a therapeutical intervention aimed to prevent and manage obesity has been the focus of study during the last years. As one can assume, the increased prevalence of obesity has translated to search of efficient pharmaceuticals designed to manage this health issue. However, to further complicate the scenario, scientific literature has described that obesity is the result of interaction between multiple events. Therefore, pharmacological approaches have faced a serious challenge for develop the adequate treatment. Here, we argue that a wide range of non-pharmacological/invasive techniques can be used to manage obesity, such as diets, cognitive behavioral interventions, exercise and transcranial direct current stimulation. Combining these techniques may allow improving quality of life of obese patients. Copyright © 2018 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The internet as a tool in clinical pharmacology

    PubMed Central

    Castel, Josep-Maria; Figueras, Albert; Vigo, Joan-Miquel

    2006-01-01

    The invention of the internet and the world-wide web was a landmark that has affected many aspects of everyday life, but is so recent and dynamic that many of its potential uses are still being explored. Aside from its purely commercial use as a virtual pharmacy (e-commerce), the internet is useful in at least three aspects related to clinical pharmacology: communication, training and research. In this paper we briefly review several internet applications related to clinical pharmacology and describe, as an example, the logistics of a multicentre research collaboration related to the promotion of rational drug use in the prevention of postpartum haemorrhage. PMID:16722847

  1. Neuroscience of behavioral and pharmacological treatments for addictions

    PubMed Central

    Potenza, Marc N.; Sofuoglu, Mehmet; Carroll, Kathleen M.; Rounsaville, Bruce J.

    2011-01-01

    Summary Although substantial advances have been made in behavioral and pharmacological treatments for addictions, moving treatment development to the next stage may require novel ways of approaching addictions, particularly those derived from new findings regarding of the neurobiological underpinnings of addictions, while assimilating and incorporating relevant information from earlier approaches. In this review, we first briefly review theoretical and biological models of addiction and then describe existing behavioral and pharmacologic therapies for the addictions within this framework. We then propose new directions for treatment development and targets that are informed by recent evidence regarding the heterogeneity of addictions and the neurobiological contributions to these disorders. PMID:21338880

  2. Comment on Spracklandus Hoser, 2009 (Reptilia, Serpentes, ELAPIDAE): request for confirmation of availability of the generic name and for the nomenclatural validation of the journal in which it was published (Case 3601; BZN 70:234–237; 71:30–38; 133-135,181-182 ,252-253)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Rhodin, Anders G.J.; Kaiser, Hinrich; van Dijk, Peter Paul; Wüster, Wolfgang; O’Shea, Mark; Archer, Michael; Auliya, Mark; Boitani, Luigi; Bour, Roger; Clausnitzer, Viola; Contreras-MacBeath, Topiltzin; Crother, Brian I.; Daza, Juan M.; Driscoll, Carlos A.; Flores-Villela, Oscar; Frazier, Jack; Fritz, Uwe; Gardner, Alfred L.; Gascon, Claude; Georges, Arthur; Glaw, Frank; Grazziotin, Felipe G.; Groves, Colin P.; Haszprunar, Gerhard; Havaš, Peter; Hero, Jean-Marc; Hoffmann, Michael; Hoogmoed, Marinus S.; Horne, Brian D.; Iverson, John B.; Jäch, Manfred; Jenkins, Christopher L.; Jenkins, Richard K.B.; Kiester, A. Ross; Keogh, J. Scott; Lacher, Thomas E.; Lovich, Jeffrey E.; Luiselli, Luca; Mahler, D. Luke; Mallon, David P.; Mast, Roderic; McDiarmid, Roy W.; Measey, John; Mittermeier, Russell A.; Molur, Sanjay; Mosbrugger, Volker; Murphy, Robert W.; Naish, Darren; Niekisch, Manfred; Ota, Hidetoshi; Parham, James F.; Parr, Michael J.; Pilcher, Nicolas J.; Pine, Ronald H.; Rylands, Anthony B.; Sanderson, James G.; Savage, Jay M.; Schleip, Wulf; Scrocchi, Gustavo J.; Shaffer, H. Bradley; Smith, Eric N.; Sprackland, Robert; Stuart, Simon N.; Vetter, Holger; Vitt, Laurie J.; Waller, Tomás; Webb, Grahame; Wilson, Edward O.; Zaher, Hussam; Thomson, Scott

    2015-01-01

    In Case 3601 Raymond Hoser has asked the Commission to validate for the purposes of nomenclature the name Spracklandus Hoser, 2009, and ‘the journal in which it was published,’ issue 7 of the Australasian Journal of Herpetology (AJH). We note that the entire run of AJH has been written, edited, and published solely by Hoser. Although his requests to the Commission were presented as narrow and, in his words, ‘routine matters,’ we are convinced that they represent an important tipping-point with broad implications of major concern for zoological taxonomy and nomenclature as a whole and, by extension, the greater scientific community. Since Hoser’s actions and works have failed to follow scientific best practices (e.g. Turtle Taxonomy Working Group, 2007, 2014; Kaiser et al., 2013; Kaiser, 2014) and both the Commission’s general Recommendations and Code of Ethics in Appendix A, the global herpetological community has widely rejected his taxonomic decisions and resultant nomenclature. This has unfortunately caused a confusing dual nomenclature to develop in the herpetological community, with most boycotting or ignoring Hoser’s 700+ new names coined in the AJH, while he and a few personal followers actively promote their usage. We believe that suppression of the name Spracklandus, and all issues of AJH, is the only effective way to bring this contentious and confusing issue to resolution. The plenary power available under Article 81.1 of the Code exist specifically to allow the Commission to make rulings in individual cases that disturb stability and cause confusion, whether the works are Code-compliant or not. We maintain that it is in the interest of nomenclatural stability, not only for herpetology, but for all of zoological taxonomy, that the plenary power be invoked to declare the works in AJH unavailable, regardless of any narrow interpretation of their technical Code-compliance. We present our arguments for rejection of the validity of AJH in the

  3. PHARMACOLOGIC PROBING OF AMPHOTERICIN B-INDUCED RENAL DYSFUNCTION IN THE NEONATAL RAT

    EPA Science Inventory

    Pharmacologic Probing of Amphotericin B-Induced Renal Dysfunction in the Neonatal Rat. Gray, J.A., and Kavlock, R.J. (1988). Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 93, 360-368. Acetazolamide, furosemide, chlorothiazide, and amiloride pharmacologic agents that act primarily in the proximal tub...

  4. Quality of reporting statistics in two Indian pharmacology journals

    PubMed Central

    Jaykaran; Yadav, Preeti

    2011-01-01

    Objective: To evaluate the reporting of the statistical methods in articles published in two Indian pharmacology journals. Materials and Methods: All original articles published since 2002 were downloaded from the journals’ (Indian Journal of Pharmacology (IJP) and Indian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology (IJPP)) website. These articles were evaluated on the basis of appropriateness of descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. Descriptive statistics was evaluated on the basis of reporting of method of description and central tendencies. Inferential statistics was evaluated on the basis of fulfilling of assumption of statistical methods and appropriateness of statistical tests. Values are described as frequencies, percentage, and 95% confidence interval (CI) around the percentages. Results: Inappropriate descriptive statistics was observed in 150 (78.1%, 95% CI 71.7–83.3%) articles. Most common reason for this inappropriate descriptive statistics was use of mean ± SEM at the place of “mean (SD)” or “mean ± SD.” Most common statistical method used was one-way ANOVA (58.4%). Information regarding checking of assumption of statistical test was mentioned in only two articles. Inappropriate statistical test was observed in 61 (31.7%, 95% CI 25.6–38.6%) articles. Most common reason for inappropriate statistical test was the use of two group test for three or more groups. Conclusion: Articles published in two Indian pharmacology journals are not devoid of statistical errors. PMID:21772766

  5. Forensic pharmacology: An important and evolving subspecialty needs recognition in India

    PubMed Central

    Malve, Harshad Onkarrao

    2016-01-01

    With training in pharmacology, a pharmacologist has an expert knowledge as well as working experience in the subjects of therapeutics, pharmacokinetics, and toxicology along with exposure to subjects such as forensic medicine during the medical education. All these knowledge domains can be applied and act as an interface to the forensic situations. The skills and expertise of a forensic pharmacologist can be useful in a large and diverse number of legal cases. With an ever increasing incidence of criminal and civil cases in India, the development and inclusion of forensic pharmacologist in the judicial system of India are the need of the hour. The research in pharmacology has witnessed great technological advancement that allows it to expand its scope beyond the domain of therapeutics, thus enabling Indian pharmacologists to explore the niche area of Forensic Pharmacology. Differing pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of drugs in living and dead, drug interactions, abuse of drugs, personal injury or death due to drug exposure leading to medico-legal issues, environmental exposure to chemicals, and doping and forensic pharmacovigilance are the diverse aspects of Forensic Pharmacology. PMID:27134459

  6. Aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) superfamily in plants: gene nomenclature and comparative genomics

    PubMed Central

    Brocker, Chad; Vasiliou, Melpomene; Carpenter, Sarah; Carpenter, Christopher; Zhang, Yucheng; Wang, Xiping; Kotchoni, Simeon O.; Wood, Andrew J.; Kirch, Hans-Hubert; Kopečný, David; Nebert, Daniel W.

    2012-01-01

    In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of completely sequenced plant genomes. The comparison of fully sequenced genomes allows for identification of new gene family members, as well as comprehensive analysis of gene family evolution. The aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) gene superfamily comprises a group of enzymes involved in the NAD+- or NADP+-dependent conversion of various aldehydes to their corresponding carboxylic acids. ALDH enzymes are involved in processing many aldehydes that serve as biogenic intermediates in a wide range of metabolic pathways. In addition, many of these enzymes function as ‘aldehyde scavengers’ by removing reactive aldehydes generated during the oxidative degradation of lipid membranes, also known as lipid peroxidation. Plants and animals share many ALDH families, and many genes are highly conserved between these two evolutionarily distinct groups. Conversely, both plants and animals also contain unique ALDH genes and families. Herein we carried outgenome-wide identification of ALDH genes in a number of plant species—including Arabidopsis thaliana (thale crest), Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (unicellular algae), Oryza sativa (rice), Physcomitrella patens (moss), Vitis vinifera (grapevine) and Zea mays (maize). These data were then combined with previous analysis of Populus trichocarpa (poplar tree), Selaginella moellindorffii (gemmiferous spikemoss), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum) and Volvox carteri (colonial algae) for a comprehensive evolutionary comparison of the plant ALDH superfamily. As a result, newly identified genes can be more easily analyzed and gene names can be assigned according to current nomenclature guidelines; our goal is to clarify previously confusing and conflicting names and classifications that might confound results and prevent accurate comparisons between studies. PMID:23007552

  7. Label-free integrative pharmacology on-target of drugs at the β2-adrenergic receptor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ferrie, Ann M.; Sun, Haiyan; Fang, Ye

    2011-07-01

    We describe a label-free integrative pharmacology on-target (iPOT) method to assess the pharmacology of drugs at the β2-adrenergic receptor. This method combines dynamic mass redistribution (DMR) assays using an array of probe molecule-hijacked cells with similarity analysis. The whole cell DMR assays track cell system-based, ligand-directed, and kinetics-dependent biased activities of the drugs, and translates their on-target pharmacology into numerical descriptors which are subject to similarity analysis. We demonstrate that the approach establishes an effective link between the label-free pharmacology and in vivo therapeutic indications of drugs.

  8. Experiences of nurses as postgraduate students of pharmacology and therapeutics: a multiple case narrative study.

    PubMed

    Lim, Anecita Gigi; North, Nicola; Shaw, John

    2014-06-01

    Pharmacology and therapeutics are essential components of educational programmes in prescribing, yet little is known about students' experiences in studying these subjects for a prescribing role. To investigate the views and experiences of nurses as postgraduate students who were studying pharmacology and therapeutics in preparation for a prescribing role. Qualitative study using a multiple case narrative approach. The participants were undertaking or had recently completed a Master's degree programme; they worked in a range of clinical areas and services in the Auckland region. Twenty nurses, with advanced clinical backgrounds and experience engaged in postgraduate studies in pharmacology and therapeutics. A semi-structured interview of approximately 1h was undertaken with each participant. Transcripts were analysed within and across cases using Narralizer software to support thematic analysis. There were four broad thematic areas. In the first, 'prescribing in the context of advanced nursing practice', participants reflected on why prescribing authority was important to them. In the second theme, 'adequacy of prior pharmacology knowledge' they discussed the relative lack of pharmacology in their undergraduate programmes and in nursing practice. In the third, 'drawing on clinical experience in acquiring pharmacology knowledge', participants discussed how, as they grappled with new pharmacological science, they drew on clinical experience which facilitated their learning. In the fourth theme, 'benefits of increased pharmacology knowledge' they discussed how their studies improved their interactions with patients, medical colleagues and as members of multi-disciplinary teams. All nurses viewed their studies in pharmacology as fundamental to their roles as prescribers, through knowledge development and an increase in confidence. Although pharmacology theory was new to many participants, their learning was facilitated because they were able to reflect on previous

  9. Current status and future directions of pharmacological therapy for acromegaly.

    PubMed

    Mercado, Moisés; Espinosa, Etual; Ramírez, Claudia

    2016-09-01

    Acromegaly is a chronic systemic disorder caused in the vast majority of cases by a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma and resulting in significant morbidity and mortality if left untreated. The treatment of choice is the trans-sphenoidal resection of the adenoma, and although 80% of patients with microadenomas or confined macroadenomas achieve biochemical remission, the surgical success rate for patients harboring tumors with extrasellar extension is below 50%. Thus, a considerable proportion of patients will require some form of adjuvant treatment. Acromegaly can be approached pharmacologically by inhibiting GH secretion by the tumor (somatostatin analogues, dopamine agonists) or by antagonizing GH actions at its target tissues (GH receptor antagonists). The primary pharmacological treatment of acromegaly is increasingly gaining acceptance by both physicians and patients. The decision to use primary pharmacological treatment has to take into account the clinical characteristics of the patient (presence of comorbidities that significantly increase the surgical risk) and the biological nature of the adenoma (tumor size and location), as well as other aspects such as the availability of a pituitary surgeon and the cost of medications. This review provides a critical summary and update of the pharmacological treatment of acromegaly focusing both, on well-established agents and strategies as well as on novel compounds that are currently being developed.

  10. Proanthocyanidins and hydrolysable tannins: occurrence, dietary intake and pharmacological effects.

    PubMed

    Smeriglio, Antonella; Barreca, Davide; Bellocco, Ersilia; Trombetta, Domenico

    2017-06-01

    Tannins are a heterogeneous group of high MW, water-soluble, polyphenolic compounds, naturally present in cereals, leguminous seeds and, predominantly, in many fruits and vegetables, where they provide protection against a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors. Tannins exert several pharmacological effects, including antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity as well as antimicrobial, anti-cancer, anti-nutritional and cardio-protective properties. They also seem to exert beneficial effects on metabolic disorders and prevent the onset of several oxidative stress-related diseases. Although the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data for these phytochemicals are still sparse, gut absorption of these compounds seems to be inversely correlated with the degree of polymerization. Further studies are mandatory to better clarify how these molecules and their metabolites are able to cross the intestinal barrier in order to exert their biological properties. This review summarizes the current literature on tannins, focusing on the main, recently proposed mechanisms of action that underlie their pharmacological and disease-prevention properties, as well as their bioavailability, safety and toxicology. This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc. © 2016 The British Pharmacological Society.

  11. 21 CFR 320.28 - Correlation of bioavailability with an acute pharmacological effect or clinical evidence.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... pharmacological effect or clinical evidence. 320.28 Section 320.28 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION... Correlation of bioavailability with an acute pharmacological effect or clinical evidence. Correlation of in vivo bioavailability data with an acute pharmacological effect or clinical evidence of safety and...

  12. Nomenclature updates resulting from the evolution of avian influenza A(H5) virus clades 2.1.3.2a, 2.2.1, and 2.3.4 during 2013-2014.

    PubMed

    Smith, Gavin J D; Donis, Ruben O

    2015-09-01

    The A/goose/Guangdong/1/96-like hemagglutinin (HA) genes of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses have continued to rapidly evolve since the most recent update to the H5 clade nomenclature by the WHO/OIE/FAO H5N1 Evolution Working Group. New clades diverging beyond established boundaries need to be identified and designated accordingly. Hemagglutinin sequences deposited in publicly accessible databases up to December 31, 2014, were analyzed by phylogenetic and average pairwise distance methods to identify new clades that merit nomenclature changes. Three new clade designations were recommended based on division of clade 2·1·3·2a (Indonesia), 2·2·1 (Egypt), and 2·3·4 (widespread detection in Asia, Europe, and North America) that includes newly emergent HPAI virus subtypes H5N2, H5N3, H5N5, H5N6, and H5N8. Continued global surveillance for HPAI A(H5) viruses in all host species and timely reporting of sequence data will be critical to quickly identify new clades and assess their potential impact on human and animal health. © 2015 The Authors. Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Cardiovascular outcomes after pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging.

    PubMed

    Lee, Douglas S; Husain, Mansoor; Wang, Xuesong; Austin, Peter C; Iwanochko, Robert M

    2016-04-01

    While pharmacologic stress single photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT-MPI) is used for noninvasive evaluation of patients who are unable to perform treadmill exercise, its impact on net reclassification improvement (NRI) of prognosis is unknown. We evaluated the prognostic value of pharmacologic stress MPI for prediction of cardiovascular death or non-fatal myocardial infarction (MI) within 1 year at a single-center, university-based laboratory. We examined continuous and categorical NRI of pharmacologic SPECT-MPI for prediction of outcomes beyond clinical factors alone. Six thousand two hundred forty patients (median age 66 years [IQR 56-74], 3466 men) were studied and followed for 5963 person-years. SPECT-MPI variables associated with increased risk of cardiovascular death or non-fatal MI included summed stress score, stress ST-shift, and post-stress resting left ventricular ejection fraction ≤50%. Compared to a clinical model which included age, sex, cardiovascular disease, risk factors, and medications, model χ(2) (210.5 vs. 281.9, P < .001) and c-statistic (0.74 vs. 0.78, P < .001) were significantly increased by addition of SPECT-MPI predictors (summed stress score, stress ST-shift and stress resting left ventricular ejection fraction). SPECT-MPI predictors increased continuous NRI by 49.4% (P < .001), reclassifying 66.5% of patients as lower risk and 32.8% as higher risk of cardiovascular death or non-fatal MI. Addition of MPI predictors to clinical factors using risk categories, defined as <1%, 1% to 3%, and >3% annualized risk of cardiovascular death or non-fatal MI, yielded a 15.0% improvement in NRI (95% CI 7.6%-27.6%, P < .001). Pharmacologic stress MPI substantially improved net reclassification of cardiovascular death or MI risk beyond that afforded by clinical factors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Fluoroscopy-guided hydrostatic reduction of intussusception in infancy: role of pharmacological premedication.

    PubMed

    Esposito, Francesco; Ambrosio, Concetta; De Fronzo, Simona; Panico, Maria Rita; D'Aprano, Marilena; Giugliano, Anna Marcella; Noviello, Domenico; Oresta, Patrizia

    2015-06-01

    Intussusception is one of the most common causes of paediatric emergency. Fluoroscopy-guided hydrostatic reduction is a common nonoperative management strategy for the treatment of intussusception. The role of pharmacological premedication in increasing the success rate of hydrostatic reduction is still controversial. The purpose of this study was to verify the presence of a possible correlation between pharmacological premedication and the percentage of hydrostatic reduction of intussusception in paediatric patients. This study considered children with a diagnosis of idiopathic intussusception treated at our hospital between January 2007 and June 2013. One group of patients underwent hydrostatic reduction by barium enema without any preliminary therapy. A second group of patients received pharmacological premedication with both a sedative and an anti-oedematous agent before the procedure. A total of 398 patients were treated with barium enema for therapeutic purposes. In the group of patients who received no premedication (n = 254), 165 (65 %) children achieved hydrostatic reduction of the intussusception. Among the patients who received pharmacological premedication prior to barium enema (n = 144), 122 (85 %) children achieved resolution of the intussusception. Our study shows that the use of pharmacological premedication is effective for the reduction of the intussusception, as its limit patient stress, fluoroscopic time and radiation dose.

  15. A comparison of medical and pharmacy students' knowledge and skills of pharmacology and pharmacotherapy

    PubMed Central

    Keijsers, Carolina J P W; Brouwers, Jacobus R B J; de Wildt, Dick J; Custers, Eugene J F M; ten Cate, Olle Th J; Hazen, Ankie C M; Jansen, Paul A F

    2014-01-01

    Aim Pharmacotherapy might be improved if future pharmacists and physicians receive a joint educational programme in pharmacology and pharmacotherapeutics. This study investigated whether there are differences in the pharmacology and pharmacotherapy knowledge and skills of pharmacy and medical students after their undergraduate training. Differences could serve as a starting point from which to develop joint interdisciplinary educational programmes for better prescribing. Methods In a cross-sectional design, the knowledge and skills of advanced pharmacy and medical students were assessed, using a standardized test with three domains (basic pharmacology knowledge, clinical or applied pharmacology knowledge and pharmacotherapy skills) and eight subdomains (pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, interactions and side-effects, Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification groups, prescribing, prescribing for special groups, drug information, regulations and laws, prescription writing). Results Four hundred and fifty-one medical and 151 pharmacy students were included between August 2010 and July 2012. The response rate was 81%. Pharmacy students had better knowledge of basic pharmacology than medical students (77.0% vs. 68.2% correct answers; P < 0.001, δ = 0.88), whereas medical students had better skills than pharmacy students in writing prescriptions (68.6% vs. 50.7%; P < 0.001, δ = 0.57). The two groups of students had similar knowledge of applied pharmacology (73.8% vs. 72.2%, P = 0.124, δ = 0.15). Conclusions Pharmacy students have better knowledge of basic pharmacology, but not of the application of pharmacology knowledge, than medical students, whereas medical students are better at writing prescriptions. Professional differences in knowledge and skills therefore might well stem from their undergraduate education. Knowledge of these differences could be harnessed to develop a joint interdisciplinary education for both students and professionals. PMID:24698099

  16. Non-pharmacological interventions for people with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Cerian F; Makin, Selina M; Marson, Anthony G; Kerr, Michael

    2015-09-10

    Approximately 30% of patients with epilepsy remain refractory to drug treatment and continue to experience seizures whilst taking one or more antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). Several non-pharmacological interventions that may be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to AEDs are available for refractory patients. In view of the fact that seizures in people with intellectual disabilities are often complex and refractory to pharmacological interventions, it is evident that good quality randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are needed to assess the efficacy of alternatives or adjuncts to pharmacological interventions.This is an updated version of the original Cochrane review (Beavis 2007) published in The Cochrane Library (2007, Issue 4). To assess data derived from randomised controlled trials of non-pharmacological interventions for people with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities.Non-pharmacological interventions include, but are not limited to, the following.• Surgical procedures.• Specialised diets, for example, the ketogenic diet, or vitamin and folic acid supplementation.• Psychological interventions for patients or for patients and carers/parents, for example, cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), electroencephalographic (EEG) biofeedback and educational intervention.• Yoga.• Acupuncture.• Relaxation therapy (e.g. music therapy). For the latest update of this review, we searched the Cochrane Epilepsy Group Specialised Register (19 August 2014), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) via CRSO (19 August 2014), MEDLINE (Ovid, 1946 to 19 August 2014) and PsycINFO (EBSCOhost, 1887 to 19 August 2014). Randomised controlled trials of non-pharmacological interventions for people with epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. Two review authors independently applied the inclusion criteria and extracted study data. One study is included in this review. When two surgical procedures were compared, results indicated that corpus callosotomy

  17. Non-pharmacologic pain management intervention.

    PubMed

    Adams, Melissa L; Arminio, Gary J

    2008-07-01

    Unfortunately, many physicians and patients only seek pharmacologic treatments to aid in pain relief; however, many nonpharmacologic interventions exist with excellent potential for pain treatment. This article reviews several of these strategies with an emphasis on clinical indications and expected outcomes. The topics of chronic pain psychology and prescription writing also are reviewed. As a medical provider, it is important to remain open minded to alternative approaches to pain control.

  18. A pretest prognostic score to assess patients undergoing exercise or pharmacological stress testing.

    PubMed

    Morise, Anthony; Evans, Matthew; Jalisi, Farrukh; Shetty, Rajendra; Stauffer, Marc

    2007-02-01

    A previously developed pretest score was validated to stratify patients presenting for exercise testing with suspected coronary disease according to the presence of angiographic coronary disease. Our goal was to determine how well this pretest score risk stratified patients undergoing pharmacological and exercise stress tests concerning prognostic endpoints. Retrospective cohort analysis. University hospital stress laboratory. 7452 unselected ambulatory patients with symptoms of suspected coronary disease undergoing stress testing between 1995 and 2004. All-cause death, cardiac death and non-fatal myocardial infarction. The rate of all-cause death was 5.5% (CI 5.0 to 6.1) with 4.3 (SD 2.4) years of follow-up (Exercise 2.8% (CI 2.3 to 3.2) v Pharmacological group 11.9% (CI 10.5 to 13.3); p<0.001). The rate of cardiac death/myocardial infarction was 2.6% (CI 2.2 to 3.0) (Exercise 1.4% (CI 1.1 to 1.8) v Pharmacological group 5.3% (CI 4.3 to 6.2); p<0.001). In both groups, stratification by pretest score was significant for all-cause death and the combined endpoint. However, stratification was more effective in the pharmacological group using the combined endpoint rather than all-cause death. Pharmacological stress patients in intermediate and high risk groups were at higher risk than their respective exercise test cohorts. Referral for pharmacological stress testing was found to be an independent predictor of time to death (2.7 (CI 2.0 to 3.6); p<0.001). A pretest score previously validated to stratify according to angiographic outcomes, effectively risk stratified pharmacological and exercise stress patients according to the combined endpoint of cardiac death/myocardial infarction.

  19. Pharmacological treatments for cocaine dependence: is there something new?

    PubMed

    Karila, Laurent; Reynaud, Michel; Aubin, Henri-Jean; Rolland, Benjamin; Guardia, Dewi; Cottencin, Olivier; Benyamina, Amine

    2011-01-01

    There is no specific and approved treatment, by regulatory authorities, for cocaine dependence. Therefore, developing new medications for the treatment of this disease continues to be a research priority. Recent advances in neurobiology and brain imaging studies have suggested several promising pharmacological approaches. Literature searches were conducted for the period from January 1990 to February 2011 using PubMed, EMBASE, PsycInfo, the NIDA research monograph index and the reference list of clinicaltrials.gov, which are the main electronic sources of ongoing trials. Recent controlled clinical studies have highlighted some very promising medications, especially glutamatergic (N-Acetylcysteine, modafinil, topiramate) and GABAergic (vigabatrin) agents, agonist replacement therapy (sustained-release methylphenidate, d-amphetamine) and dopamine agents (disulfiram). Additionally, immunotherapy is a new and promising pharmacological approach. Promising pharmacological approaches have emerged for the treatment of cocaine dependence, but larger, randomized, placebo-controlled studies are needed for some medications. Preclinical studies suggest new targets of interest in cocaine dependence. The optimal therapeutic platform is the combination of pharmacotherapies with behavioral therapies.

  20. Review of the chemistry and pharmacology of 7-Methyljugulone.

    PubMed

    Mbaveng, Armelle T; Kuete, Victor

    2014-03-01

    Naphthoquinone is a class of phenolic compounds derived from naphthalene. 7-Methyljuglone (7-MJ) is a naphthoquinone also known as ramentaceone or 6-Methyl-8-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone or 5-Hydroxy-7-methyl-1,4-naphthoquinone or 7-Methyl-5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone or 5-Hydroxy-7-methyl-,1,4-naphtoquinone or 7-Methyl-5-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione. This compound is a biologically active naphtoquinone, with a molecular weight of 188 g/mol mostly isolated in the genus Diospyros and Euclea. This review was aimed at providing available chemically and pharmacological data on 7-MJ. The chemical and pharmacological data were retrieved from the well-known scientific websites such as Pubmed, Google Scholar, Reaxys, Scirus, Scopus, Sciencedirect, Web-of-knowledge and Scifinder. 7-MJ was reported to have a variety of pharmacological activities such as antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, antitubercular, anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. The hemi-synthesis of the compound have been described. The present review pooled out together the knowledge on 7-MJ, and can serve as the start point for future research and valorization accomplishments.

  1. Future pharmacological treatments for substance use disorders

    PubMed Central

    Forray, Ariadna; Sofuoglu, Mehmet

    2014-01-01

    Substance use disorders represent a serious public health and social issue worldwide. Recent advances in our understanding of the neurobiological basis of the addictive processes have led to the development of a growing number of pharmacological agents to treat addictions. Despite this progress, there are no approved pharmacological treatments for cocaine, methamphetamine and cannabis addiction. Moving treatment development to the next stage will require novel ways of approaching substance use disorders. One such novel approach is to target individual vulnerabilities, such as cognitive function, sex differences and psychiatric comorbidities. This review provides a summary of promising pharmacotherapies for alcohol, opiate, stimulant and nicotine addictions. Many medications that target positive and negative reinforcement of drugs, as well as individual vulnerabilities to addiction, are in different phases of development. Clinical trials testing the efficacy of these medications for substance use disorder are warranted. PMID:23039267

  2. Salbutamol in paediatrics: pharmacology, prescribing and controversies.

    PubMed

    Andrzejowski, Paul; Carroll, Will

    2016-08-01

    Salbutamol has become a key drug in respiratory medicine since it was first developed by Sir David Jack et al in 1968, 5000 years after the β agonist ephedrine was first used in its raw form, as the Ma Huang herb in Chinese medicine to treat asthma. It is one of the most commonly encountered medicines in paediatric practice and the authors have found that an understanding of its pharmacology in clinical practice is incredibly helpful. In this article, we discuss its pharmacology and pharmacodynamics, practical prescribing points and some unresolved issues surrounding its use, which should serve to provide an essential working knowledge for the busy paediatrician. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  3. Outside-In Systems Pharmacology Combines Innovative Computational Methods With High-Throughput Whole Vertebrate Studies.

    PubMed

    Schulthess, Pascal; van Wijk, Rob C; Krekels, Elke H J; Yates, James W T; Spaink, Herman P; van der Graaf, Piet H

    2018-04-25

    To advance the systems approach in pharmacology, experimental models and computational methods need to be integrated from early drug discovery onward. Here, we propose outside-in model development, a model identification technique to understand and predict the dynamics of a system without requiring prior biological and/or pharmacological knowledge. The advanced data required could be obtained by whole vertebrate, high-throughput, low-resource dose-exposure-effect experimentation with the zebrafish larva. Combinations of these innovative techniques could improve early drug discovery. © 2018 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

  4. Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological Therapies of Cognitive Impairment in Multiple Sclerosis.

    PubMed

    Miller, Elzbieta; Morel, Agnieszka; Redlicka, Justyna; Miller, Igor; Saluk, Joanna

    2018-01-01

    Cognitive impairment is one of the most important clinical features of neurodegenerative disorders including multiple sclerosis (MS). Conducted research shows that up to 65 percent of MS patients have cognitive deficits such as episodic memory, sustained attention, reduced verbal fluency; however, the cognitive MS domain is information processing speed. It is the first syndrome of cognitive dysfunction and the most widely affected in MS. Occasionally these impairments occur even before the appearance of physical symptoms. Therefore, this review focused on the current status of our knowledge about possible methods of treatment cognitive impairment in MS patients including novel strategies. Research and online content was performed using Medline and EMBASE databases. The most recent research suggests that cognitive impairment is correlated with brain lesion volume and brain atrophy. The examination of the cognitive impairment is usually based on particular neuropsychological batteries. However, it can be not enough to make a precise diagnosis. This creates a demand to find markers that might be useful for identifying patients with risk of cognitive impairment at an early stage of the disease. Currently the most promising methods consist of neuroimaging indicators, such as diffusion tensor imaging, the magnetization transfer ratio, and N-acetyl aspartate levels. Diagnosis problems are strictly connected with treatment procedures. There are two main cognitive therapies: pharmacological (disease modifying drugs (DMD), symptomatic treatments) and non-pharmacological interventions that are focused on psychological and physical rehabilitation. Some trials have shown a positive association between physical activity and the cognitive function. This article is an overview of the current state of knowledge related to cognition impairment treatment in MS. Additionally, novel strategies for cognitive impairments such as cryostimulation and other complementary methods are

  5. Outpatient pharmacologic weaning for neonatal abstinence syndrome: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Murphy-Oikonen, Jodie; McQueen, Karen

    2018-05-09

    AimThe purpose of this systematic review was to assess the literature regarding the effectiveness and safety of outpatient pharmacologic weaning for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). NAS is a multi-system disorder observed in infants experiencing withdrawal from opioid exposure in utero. Infants requiring pharmacologic treatment to manage withdrawal, traditionally receive treatment as a hospital inpatient resulting in lengthy hospitalization periods. However, there is evidence to suggest that some healthcare institutions are continuing outpatient pharmacologic weaning for select infants in a home environment. As there is no standard of care to guide outpatient weaning, assessment of the safety and effectiveness of this approach is warranted. A systematic review of outpatient weaning for infants with NAS was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed, Nursing and Allied Health, CINAHL, Evidence-Based Medicine, Web of Science, Medline, and PsychINFO. Studies were eligible for inclusion in the review if they fulfilled the following criteria: (1) reported original data on outcomes related to the effectiveness or safety of outpatient weaning for infants with NAS, (2) infants were discharged from hospital primarily receiving opioid pharmacologic treatment for NAS, (3) the method included quantitative designs that included an inpatient comparison group, and (4) articles were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal.FindingsThe search identified 154 studies, of which 18 provided information related to NAS and outpatient weaning. After reviewing the remaining full-text studies, six studies met all inclusion and exclusion criteria. All studies identified that outpatient weaning for select infants was associated with shorter hospitalization compared with infants weaned in-hospital only and may be potentially effective in reducing associated healthcare costs. However, duration of pharmacologic treatment was longer in the outpatient weaning groups in

  6. Beyond reverse pharmacology: Mechanism-based screening of Ayurvedic drugs

    PubMed Central

    Lele, R. D.

    2010-01-01

    This paper reviews the pharmacology of Indian medicinal plants, starting with the historical background of European work on the subject beginning as early as the 17th century, and tracing its history through the work of Sen and Bose in the 1930‘s, and Vakhil’s historic 1949 paper on Sarpaghanda. The often crucial role of patient feedback in early discoveries is highlighted, as is the time lag between proof of pharmacological action and identification of the active principle, and subsequent elucidation of mechanism of action. In the case of Indian plants in the 20th century this process sometimes took almost 50 years. Reserpine and its mechanisms are given in detail, and its current relevance to public health discussed. The foundation of present day methods of pharmacology is briefly presented so the complexity of methods used to identify properties of Ayurveda derived drugs like forskolin and baicalein, and their bioavailability, may be better appreciated. Ayurveda derived anti-oxidants and their levels of action, immuno-modulators, particularly with respect to the NF-kB pathway and its implications for cancer control, are all considered. The example of curcumin derived from turmeric is explained in more detail, because of its role in cancer prevention. Finally, the paper emphasizes the importance of Ayurveda’s concepts of rasayana as a form of dietary chemo-prevention; the significance of ahar, diet, in Ayurveda’s aspiration to prevent disease and restore health thus becomes clear. Understood in this light, Ayurveda may transcend pharmacology as a treatment paradigm. PMID:21731372

  7. Systems pharmacology identifies drug targets for Stargardt disease–associated retinal degeneration

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yu; Palczewska, Grazyna; Mustafi, Debarshi; Golczak, Marcin; Dong, Zhiqian; Sawada, Osamu; Maeda, Tadao; Maeda, Akiko; Palczewski, Krzysztof

    2013-01-01

    A systems pharmacological approach that capitalizes on the characterization of intracellular signaling networks can transform our understanding of human diseases and lead to therapy development. Here, we applied this strategy to identify pharmacological targets for the treatment of Stargardt disease, a severe juvenile form of macular degeneration. Diverse GPCRs have previously been implicated in neuronal cell survival, and crosstalk between GPCR signaling pathways represents an unexplored avenue for pharmacological intervention. We focused on this receptor family for potential therapeutic interventions in macular disease. Complete transcriptomes of mouse and human samples were analyzed to assess the expression of GPCRs in the retina. Focusing on adrenergic (AR) and serotonin (5-HT) receptors, we found that adrenoceptor α 2C (Adra2c) and serotonin receptor 2a (Htr2a) were the most highly expressed. Using a mouse model of Stargardt disease, we found that pharmacological interventions that targeted both GPCR signaling pathways and adenylate cyclases (ACs) improved photoreceptor cell survival, preserved photoreceptor function, and attenuated the accumulation of pathological fluorescent deposits in the retina. These findings demonstrate a strategy for the identification of new drug candidates and FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of monogenic and complex diseases. PMID:24231350

  8. Phytochemistry and Pharmacology of Berberis Species

    PubMed Central

    Mokhber-Dezfuli, Najmeh; Saeidnia, Soodabeh; Gohari, Ahmad Reza; Kurepaz-Mahmoodabadi, Mahdieh

    2014-01-01

    The genus Berberis (Berberidaceae) includes about 500 species worldwide, some of which are widely cultivated in the north-eastern regions of Iran. This genus consists of spiny deciduous evergreen shrubs, characterized by yellow wood and flowers. The cultivation of seedless barberry in South Khorasan goes back to two hundred years ago. Medicinal properties for all parts of these plants have been reported, including: Antimicrobial, antiemetic, antipyretic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-arrhythmic, sedative, anti-cholinergic, cholagogic, anti-leishmaniasis, and anti-malaria. The main compounds found in various species of Berberis, are berberine and berbamine. Phytochemical analysis of various species of this genus revealed the presence of alkaloids, tannins, phenolic compounds, sterols and triterpenes. Although there are some review articles on Berberis vulgaris (as the most applied species), there is no review on the phytochemical and pharmacological activities of other well-known species of the genus Berberis. For this reason, the present review mainly focused on the diverse secondary metabolites of various species of this genus and the considerable pharmacological and biological activities together with a concise story of the botany and cultivation. PMID:24600191

  9. Pharmacological modulation of mitochondrial calcium homeostasis.

    PubMed

    Arduino, Daniela M; Perocchi, Fabiana

    2018-01-10

    Mitochondria are pivotal organelles in calcium (Ca 2+ ) handling and signalling, constituting intracellular checkpoints for numerous processes that are vital for cell life. Alterations in mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis have been linked to a variety of pathological conditions and are critical in the aetiology of several human diseases. Efforts have been taken to harness mitochondrial Ca 2+ transport mechanisms for therapeutic intervention, but pharmacological compounds that direct and selectively modulate mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis are currently lacking. New avenues have, however, emerged with the breakthrough discoveries on the genetic identification of the main players involved in mitochondrial Ca 2+ influx and efflux pathways and with recent hints towards a deep understanding of the function of these molecular systems. Here, we review the current advances in the understanding of the mechanisms and regulation of mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis and its contribution to physiology and human disease. We also introduce and comment on the recent progress towards a systems-level pharmacological targeting of mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis. © 2018 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2018 The Physiological Society.

  10. Nursing students learning the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus with complexity-based computerized models: A quasi-experimental study.

    PubMed

    Dubovi, Ilana; Dagan, Efrat; Sader Mazbar, Ola; Nassar, Laila; Levy, Sharona T

    2018-02-01

    Pharmacology is a crucial component of medications administration in nursing, yet nursing students generally find it difficult and self-rate their pharmacology skills as low. To evaluate nursing students learning pharmacology with the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells environment, a novel approach to modeling biochemical interactions using a multiscale, computer-based model with a complexity perspective based on a small set of entities and simple rules. This environment represents molecules, organelles and cells to enhance the understanding of cellular processes, and combines these cells at a higher scale to obtain whole-body interactions. Sophomore nursing students who learned the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus with the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells environment (experimental group; n=94) or via a lecture-based curriculum (comparison group; n=54). A quasi-experimental pre- and post-test design was conducted. The Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire and the course's final exam were used to evaluate students' knowledge of the pharmacology of diabetes mellitus. Conceptual learning was significantly higher for the experimental than for the comparison group for the course final exam scores (unpaired t=-3.8, p<0.001) and for the Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire (U=942, p<0.001). The largest effect size for the Pharmacology-Diabetes-Mellitus questionnaire was for the medication action subscale. Analysis of complex-systems component reasoning revealed a significant difference for micro-macro transitions between the levels (F(1, 82)=6.9, p<0.05). Learning with complexity-based computerized models is highly effective and enhances the understanding of moving between micro and macro levels of the biochemical phenomena, this is then related to better understanding of medication actions. Moreover, the Pharmacology Inter-Leaved Learning-Cells approach provides a more general reasoning scheme for biochemical processes, which enhances

  11. Anatomy and nomenclature of murine lymph nodes: Descriptive study and nomenclatory standardization in BALB/cAnNCrl mice.

    PubMed

    Van den Broeck, Wim; Derore, Annie; Simoens, Paul

    2006-05-30

    Murine lymph nodes are intensively studied but often assigned incorrectly in scientific papers. In BALB/cAnNCrl mice, we characterized a total of 22 different lymph nodes. Peripheral nodes were situated in the head and neck region (mandibular, accessory mandibular, superficial parotid, cranial deep cervical nodes), and at the forelimb (proper axillary, accessory axillary nodes) and hindlimb (subiliac, sciatic, popliteal nodes). Intrathoracic lymph nodes included the cranial mediastinal, tracheobronchal and caudal mediastinal nodes. Abdominal lymph nodes were associated with the gastrointestinal tract (gastric, pancreaticoduodenal, jejunal, colic, caudal mesenteric nodes) or were located along the major intra-abdominal blood vessels (renal, lumbar aortic, lateral iliac, medial iliac and external iliac nodes). Comparative and nomenclative aspects of murine lymph nodes are discussed. The position of the lymph nodes of BALB/cAnNCrl mice is summarized and illustrated in an anatomical chart containing proposals for both an official nomenclature according to the Nomina Anatomica Veterinaria and English terms.

  12. Novel riboflavin transporter family RFVT/SLC52: identification, nomenclature, functional characterization and genetic diseases of RFVT/SLC52.

    PubMed

    Yonezawa, Atsushi; Inui, Ken-ichi

    2013-01-01

    Riboflavin, a water-soluble vitamin also known as vitamin B2, is essential for normal cellular functions. Riboflavin transporters play important roles in its homeostasis. Recently, three novel riboflavin transporters were identified, and designated as RFT1, RFT2 and RFT3. Because the RFTs did not show similarity to other SLC transporters, and RFT1 and RFT3 are similar in sequence and function, they were assigned into a new SLC family, SLC52. Subsequently, RFT1/GPR172B, RFT3/GPR172A and RFT2/C20orf54 were renamed as RFVT1/SLC52A1, RFVT2/SLC52A2 and RFVT3/SLC52A3, respectively. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the cloning, nomenclature, functional characterization and genetic diseases of RFVT1/SLC52A1, RFVT2/SLC52A2 and RFVT3/SLC52A3. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Generation and structural validation of a library of diverse xyloglucan-derived oligosaccharides, including an update on xyloglucan nomenclature.

    PubMed

    Tuomivaara, Sami T; Yaoi, Katsuro; O'Neill, Malcolm A; York, William S

    2015-01-30

    Xyloglucans are structurally complex plant cell wall polysaccharides that are involved in cell growth and expansion, energy metabolism, and signaling. Determining the structure-function relationships of xyloglucans would benefit from the availability of a comprehensive and structurally diverse collection of rigorously characterized xyloglucan oligosaccharides. Here, we present a workflow for the semi-preparative scale generation and purification of neutral and acidic xyloglucan oligosaccharides using a combination of enzymatic and chemical treatments and size-exclusion chromatography. Twenty-six of these oligosaccharides were purified to near homogeneity and their structures validated using a combination of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, high-performance anion exchange chromatography, and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Mass spectrometry and analytical chromatography were compared as methods for xyloglucan oligosaccharide quantification. 1H chemical shifts were assigned using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. A comprehensive update of the nomenclature describing xyloglucan side-chain structures is provided for reference. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Cytogenetics of donkey chromosomes: nomenclature proposal based on GTG-banded chromosomes and depiction of NORs and telomeric sites.

    PubMed

    Raudsepp, T; Christensen, K; Chowdhar, B P

    2000-01-01

    With the expansion of comparative genome analysis across different mammals, there is an increasing need to have well-defined banded karyotypes for the species chosen for investigation. In this context, the steadily growing gene mapping data in the donkey urgently require a framework whereby alignment/comparison of genetic information can be readily made with equids and other mammalian species. Hence a GTG-banded karyotype of the donkey (Equus asinus; EAS) is presented, along with schematic drawings and nomenclature of the banded chromosomes. In addition, the most characteristic features of individual chromosomes are described and their relative size estimated. Using the FISH approach, the location of nucleolous organizer regions (NORs) and telomeric repeat sequences (TTAGGG) were detected. Where possible, information on asine chromosomes is supplemented with known/likely equine and human homologues. The study thus primarily aims to provide an appropriate cytogenetic basis for the donkey chromosomes, so that research focused on gene mapping and comparative genomics in this species can be reported under a common format.

  15. Periodic Review Sessions Contribute to Student Learning across the Disciplines in Pharmacology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barry, Orla P.; O' Sullivan, Eleanor; McCarthy, Marian

    2015-01-01

    Background: The teaching of the discipline of pharmacology is in constant flux. In order to meet the challenges of teaching pharmacology effectively we investigated a new teaching and learning strategy. Aim: Our aim was to investigate whether structured periodic review sessions (RS) could improve teaching and learning for students in a…

  16. Current Status of Undergraduate, Nonprofessional Pharmacology Courses Taught in Colleges of Pharmacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerald, Michael C.

    1976-01-01

    Of the 57 colleges of pharmacy surveyed, 33 are currently offering a total of 44 elective, undergraduate, nonprofessional pharmacology courses, and seven contemplate initiating such courses by 1977. The courses generally cover three areas: social and legal aspects of drug usage and nonprescription consumerism; pharmacology of the drugs of abuse;…

  17. Survey of Clinical Pharmacology Programs in U.S. and Canadian Medical Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    And Others; Fisher, James W.

    1980-01-01

    A survey is reported that was undertaken by the Association for Medical School Pharmacology to assess the status of developing clinical pharmacology programs in medical schools in the United States and Canada and to determine why some schools have been unable to mount such programs. Survey questions are included. (Author/JMD)

  18. A pretest prognostic score to assess patients undergoing exercise or pharmacological stress testing

    PubMed Central

    Morise, Anthony; Evans, Matthew; Jalisi, Farrukh; Shetty, Rajendra; Stauffer, Marc

    2007-01-01

    Objective A previously developed pretest score was validated to stratify patients presenting for exercise testing with suspected coronary disease according to the presence of angiographic coronary disease. Our goal was to determine how well this pretest score risk stratified patients undergoing pharmacological and exercise stress tests concerning prognostic endpoints. Design Retrospective cohort analysis. Setting University hospital stress laboratory. Patients 7452 unselected ambulatory patients with symptoms of suspected coronary disease undergoing stress testing between 1995 and 2004. Main outcomes measures All‐cause death, cardiac death and non‐fatal myocardial infarction. Results The rate of all‐cause death was 5.5% (CI 5.0 to 6.1) with 4.3 (SD 2.4) years of follow‐up (Exercise 2.8% (CI 2.3 to 3.2) v Pharmacological group 11.9% (CI 10.5 to 13.3); p<0.001). The rate of cardiac death/myocardial infarction was 2.6% (CI 2.2 to 3.0) (Exercise 1.4% (CI 1.1 to 1.8) v Pharmacological group 5.3% (CI 4.3 to 6.2); p<0.001). In both groups, stratification by pretest score was significant for all‐cause death and the combined endpoint. However, stratification was more effective in the pharmacological group using the combined endpoint rather than all‐cause death. Pharmacological stress patients in intermediate and high risk groups were at higher risk than their respective exercise test cohorts. Referral for pharmacological stress testing was found to be an independent predictor of time to death (2.7 (CI 2.0 to 3.6); p<0.001). Conclusion A pretest score previously validated to stratify according to angiographic outcomes, effectively risk stratified pharmacological and exercise stress patients according to the combined endpoint of cardiac death/myocardial infarction. PMID:17228070

  19. Cardiovascular mortality prediction in veterans with arm exercise vs pharmacologic myocardial perfusion imaging.

    PubMed

    Martin, Wade H; Xian, Hong; Chandiramani, Pooja; Bainter, Emily; Klein, Andrew J P

    2015-08-01

    No data exist comparing outcome prediction from arm exercise vs pharmacologic myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) stress test variables in patients unable to perform treadmill exercise. In this retrospective study, 2,173 consecutive lower extremity disabled veterans aged 65.4 ± 11.0years (mean ± SD) underwent either pharmacologic MPI (1730 patients) or arm exercise stress tests (443 patients) with MPI (n = 253) or electrocardiography alone (n = 190) between 1997 and 2002. Cox multivariate regression models and reclassification analysis by integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) were used to characterize stress test and MPI predictors of cardiovascular mortality at ≥10-year follow-up after inclusion of significant demographic, clinical, and other variables. Cardiovascular death occurred in 561 pharmacologic MPI and 102 arm exercise participants. Multivariate-adjusted cardiovascular mortality was predicted by arm exercise resting metabolic equivalents (hazard ratio [HR] 0.52, 95% CI 0.39-0.69, P < .001), 1-minute heart rate recovery (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.44-0.86, P < .001), and pharmacologic and arm exercise delta (peak-rest) heart rate (both P < .001). Only an abnormal arm exercise MPI prognosticated cardiovascular death by multivariate Cox analysis (HR 1.98, 95% CI 1.04-3.77, P < .05). Arm exercise MPI defect number, type, and size provided IDI over covariates for prediction of cardiovascular mortality (IDI = 0.074-0.097). Only pharmacologic defect size prognosticated cardiovascular mortality (IDI = 0.022). Arm exercise capacity, heart rate recovery, and pharmacologic and arm exercise heart rate responses are robust predictors of cardiovascular mortality. Arm exercise MPI results are equivalent and possibly superior to pharmacologic MPI for cardiovascular mortality prediction in patients unable to perform treadmill exercise. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Emerging pharmacological therapy for functional dyspepsia.

    PubMed

    Hojo, Mariko; Nagahara, Akihito; Asaoka, Daisuke; Watanabe, Sumio

    2013-10-01

    Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a multifactorial disease with complex underlying pathophysiology. To date, there is no established treatment for FD. This review summarizes recent progress in pharmacological therapy for the disease. A newly developed drug, acotiamide, is expected to improve symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome. Herbal medicines are also expected to become options for FD treatment.

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