BACKGROUND It is still unclear whether signs of neutrophil mobilization in the blood of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease represent true systemic events and how these relate to bacterial colonization in the airways. In this study, we evaluated these issues during clinically stable periods and during exacerbations in smokers with obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic bronch...

Bacterial wilt, caused by Ralstonia solanacearum E.F. Smith, is one of the most destructive diseases of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) in Sri Lanka. Twenty isolates of R. solanacearum from tomato plants grown in eleven different agro climatic zones from selected districts (Kandy, Matale, Monaragala) were characterized in terms of pathogenicity on susceptible check variety Marglobe and in...

PURPOSE To assess the corneal keratometric values obtained using the VERION image-guided surgery system and other devices. METHODS This study evaluated the right eyes of 115 cataract patients before intraocular lens (IOL) implantation through consecutive tests using 5 devices: VERION Reference Unit, Placido-based corneal topography (OPD-Scan III), monochromatic light-emitting diodes (LenStar ...

The knowledge of medication errors is an essential prerequisite for better healthcare delivery. The present study investigated prescribing errors in prescriptions from outpatient departments (OPDs) and emergency wards of two public sector hospitals in Lahore, Pakistan. A manual prescription system was followed in Hospital A. Hospital B was running a semi-computerised prescription system in the ...

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this article was to examine whether injuries in early childhood and gender predict prescriptions of stimulant medication in three groups of children: With attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and other psychiatric disorders (OPD). METHODS This was a population-based study with prospective and complete follow-up of children w...

Enzymes are versatile catalysts in laboratories and on an industrial scale; improving their immobilization would be beneficial to broadening their applicability and ensuring their (re)use. Lipid-coated nano-magnets produced by magnetotactic bacteria are suitable for a universally applicable single-step method of enzyme immobilization. By genetically functionalizing the membrane surrounding thes...

Background and Objectives:Heart failure is a progressive chronic disease with high morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to determine whether the N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels in the blood can predict readmission due to heart failure or cardiac death (cardiac event) following hospital discharge, and if these are a better predictive marker than a pre-d...

A choriostoma is an aggregate of microscopically normal cells or tissues which occurs in an aberrant location. It follows a benign course, rarely seen in head and neck region. A choriostoma of the palatine tonsil is very rare; less than 10 cases were reported till date. A 11-year-old male referred to ENT OPD with chronic tonsillitis and underwent tonsillectomy. The histopathological examination...

A compact fluorescence detector was constructed on a microchip from an organic light emitting diode (OLED) as the light source and an organic photodiode (OPD) as the photo-detector and was used in an immunoassay for alkylphenol polyethoxylates (APE). The OLED based on a terbium complex emitted a sharp light at the main wavelength of 546 nm with a full width at half maximum of 9 nm. The incident...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pre-dialysis care by a nephrology out-patient department (OPD) may affect the outcomes of patients who ultimately undergo maintenance dialysis. This study examined the effect of pre-dialysis care by a nephrology OPD on the incidence of one-year major cardiovascular events after initiation of dialysis. DESIGN, SETTING PARTICIPANTS, & MEASUREMENTS The study consisted o...