UNLABELLED Serum aminotransferase [such as aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT)] is commonly used as an indicator of liver disease. The aim of the study was to determine the degree to which aminotransferase results are associated with increased mortality at the population level. All adult residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, who had a health care encounter at M...

The characteristics of XML documents require new ways of storing and querying such documents. Queries on both textual content and structural aspects must be supported efficiently. For this reason, we examined existing work on both document storage approaches and models for querying documents deriving requirements that are essential for the storage of XML documents. As a result of our study, we ...

BACKGROUND Patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) have a high prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms. The use of acid suppressive therapy (AST) in these patients is unexplored. We assessed the use of and indication for AST in CRF patients and compared them with hospitalized patients and patients with another chronic disease. METHODS A total of 293 patients with CRF were compared with 261 ...

The scanning ion-selective electrode technique (SIET) was utilized for the first time in Locusta migratoria to characterize K(+) transport along the digestive tract and to determine the effect of two locust FGLamide allatostatins (FGLa/ASTs) on K(+) transport: a previously sequenced FGLa/AST from Schistocerca gregaria (Scg-AST-6; ARPYSFGL-NH2) and a newly sequenced FGLa/AST from L. migratoria (...

We have developed a rapid and sensitive microimmunodot blot assay, the antigen spot test (AST), for the detection of bovine coronavirus (BCV) antigen from neonatal calf fecal samples. The AST procedure can be completed in 3.5 h, whereas the previously reported immunodot blot assays require 10 to 12 h. Ninety-six samples can be tested per membrane, and 10 membranes (960 samples) may be processed...

INTRODUCTION Microbiology laboratories must provide accurate blood culture reports with rapid turnaround time (TAT) to effectively manage patients with sepsis. In this study three methods are compared for reporting blood culture results: a manual method that included use of a serum separator tube (SST), the conventional manual, and an automated method for identification and susceptibility (ID/A...

OBJECTIVE To examine effects of activity strategy training (AST), a structured rehabilitation program taught by occupational therapists and designed to teach adaptive strategies for symptom control and engagement in physical activity (PA). METHODS A randomized controlled pilot trial was conducted at 4 sites (3 senior housing facilities and 1 senior center) in southeastern, lower Michigan. Fif...

OBJECTIVE To compare various biochemical markers i.e. APRI (AST to platelet ratio index), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) alanine aminotransferase (ALT) ratio, FIB-4 (AST, platelet, AST and age) with biopsy for assessing the severity of hepatic fibrosis in patients with hepatitis C. STUDY DESIGN Descriptive study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Medical Department, Liaquat University of Medica...