Device satisfaction and preference are important patient-reported outcomes to consider when choosing inhaled therapy. A subset of adults (n = 153) with moderate or severe asthma participating in a randomized parallel-group, double-dummy trial that compared the efficacy and safety of 12 weeks' treatment with budesonide delivered via Respimat Soft Mist Inhaler (SMI) (200 or 400 microg bd) or Turb...

Data are presented from two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies in which the tolerability of tiotropium Respimat Soft MistTM Inhaler (SMI), a new-generation, propellant-free device for use in COPD, and the ocular safety oftiotropium were examined. In Study 1, 36 healthy males received tiotropium 8, 16, or 32 microg (n = 9/dose) or placebo (n = 3/dose level), administered once d...

Laser diode (LD)-based self-mixing interferometry (SMI) is a promising technique for noncontact sensing and its instrumentation. According to the well-known Lang-Kobayashi equations, an SMI waveform is shaped by multiple parameters, including linewidth enhancement factor (denoted as α), optical feedback level factor (denoted as C), and the movement of the external cavity of an LD. This paper pr...

Increasing competition from traditional and emerging channels has placed new emphasis on rapid innovation and continuous differentiation in every aspect of supply chain, from earliest production stage to the final distribution steps. To bridge the gap between brilliant ideas and successful business initiatives, leading companies implement engineering simulation particularly in logistics and sup...

During blood flow evaluation in young children, assessment of subtle blood flow is limited by motion artefacts when using conventional US blood flow methods (color Doppler imaging, power Doppler imaging, and advanced dynamic flow), in particular for evaluation of respiratory fluctuating organs or in restless non-sedated children. In the conventional methods, a wall filter is usually employed to...

AIMS This study aimed to compare the positive predictive value (PPV) of stress myocardial scintigraphy (SPECT) and of dobutamine echocardiography (DE) in the diagnosis of significant coronary artery stenosis (CAD) in asymptomatic type 2 diabetic patients, and to assess long-term clinical outcomes according to silent myocardial ischaemia (SMI) screening. METHODS A total of 204 asymptomatic typ...

Schizophrenia and bipolar illness are severe mental illnesses that affect around 1–2% of the population. They are associated with premature mortality with a reduced life-expectancy of 10–20 years. Although suicide and trauma contribute the highest relative risk of mortality, physical illness accounts for around three-quarters of all deaths, with cardiovascular disease being the most common caus...

BACKGROUND We evaluated the relation of proliferative indices with clinicopathological features and prognosis in breast cancer (BC) of Libyan female patients. The data were compared with corresponding results in Finland and Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS Histological samples of breast cancer from 130 patients were retrospectively studied. Mitotic activity index (MAI) and standardized mitotic i...

BACKGROUND The Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) incentivises general practices in England to provide proactive care for people with serious mental illness (SMI) including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and other psychoses. Better proactive primary care may reduce the risk of psychiatric admissions to hospital, but this has never been tested empirically. METHODS The QOF data set included ...

The current study examined the effects of an 8-week Story Mapping Intervention (SMI) to improve narrative comprehension in adolescents with ADHD. Thirty 12 - 16 year-old adolescents with ADHD who were participating in a summer treatment program for adolescents with ADHD received the SMI instruction ten times and completed SMI homework ten times in a structured environment with teacher feedback....