We tested documented in vitro and ex vivo advantages of novel hyaluronan based heparin bonded extracorporeal circuits in a prospective randomized study. During the period from June until September 2005, 40 patients undergoing reoperation for coronary artery bypass grafting were allocated into two equal groups (n = 20): Group 1 was treated with hyaluronan-based heparin-bonded circuits and group ...

This paper examines a number of issues encountered when using standard health accounts data to forecast national health expenditures. In particular, it focuses on measurement issues, model specifications, and a comparison of performance indicators based on commonly used health accounts data from OECD. It assesses the performance of alternative forecasting methods based on three criteria — accur...

CONTEXT Soft-tissue injuries are commonly treated with ice or menthol gels. Few studies have compared the effects of these treatments on blood flow and muscle strength. OBJECTIVE To compare blood flow and muscle strength in the forearm after an application of ice or menthol gel or no treatment. DESIGN Repeated measures design in which blood-flow and muscle-strength data were collected from ...

Lethal ventricular arrhythmias have occurred in patients taking thioridazine. Therefore, we studied two canine models to determine if thioridazine alters vulnerability to ventricular fibrillation. In 30 chloralose-anesthetized dogs, the repetitive response threshold was used to assess vulnerability during right ventricular stimulation with transvenous catheter electrodes. Placebo, 10 mg/kg of t...

The effects of 15 d of supplementation with L-carnitine L-tartrate (LC) on metabolic responses to graded-intensity exercise under conditions of altered substrate availability were examined. Fifteen endurance-trained male athletes undertook exercise trials after a 2-d high-carbohydrate diet (60% CHO, 25% fat) at baseline (D0), on Day 14 (D14), and after a single day of high fat intake (15% CHO, ...