Improving Clinician Communication through Action Research.

There are many challenges to interdisciplinary communication in home care. Management often takes a top-down approach, instructing home care clinicians on methods to improve communication. In this pretest-posttest intervention study, a bottom-up approach was taken using a focus group to allow home care clinicians to identify, develop, and implement strategies to share critical clinical and social information.

COVID-19 measures as an opportunity to reduce the environmental footprint in orthopaedic and trauma surgery.

Background: Climate change and its consequences on our everyday life have also tremendous impacts on public health and the health of each individual. The healthcare sector currently accounts for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Study of the relationship between untypable and typable isolates of Streptococcus suis recovered from clinically ill and healthy nursery pigs.

Streptococcus suis naturally colonizes the upper respiratory tract of pigs and can lead to severe disease conditions. Although there are several serotypes associated with disease, untypable isolates have also been observed. The objective of this study was to investigate the relatedness of untypable S.

Practical diagnosis and treatment of suspected venous thromboembolism during COVID-19 pandemic.

A markedly increased demand for vascular ultrasound laboratory and other imaging studies in COVID-19-positive patients has occurred, due to most of these patients having a markedly elevated D-dimer and a presumed prothrombotic state in many of the very ill patients. In the present report, we have summarized a broad institutional consensus focusing on evaluation and recommended empirical therapy for COVID-19-positive patients. We recommend following the algorithms with the idea that as more data becomes available these algorithms may well change.

A Case-Control Study to Investigate the Serotypes of Isolates by Multiplex PCR in Nursery Pigs in Ontario, Canada.

naturally inhabits the tonsils and nasal cavities of pigs. Some strains can cause systemic infection, leading to a wide range of diseases. A case-control study was conducted to (i) examine serotypes isolated from systemic sites (blood/meninges/spleen) in cases, (ii) determine whether serotypes in systemic sites were found in upper respiratory sites (tonsil/nasal cavity) of the same cases, and (iii) determine the serotypes in upper respiratory sites of case and farm and pen- matched controls.

Intertidal fishes of Mauritius with special reference to shallow tidepools.

Intertidal fishes are found in large numbers and play an important role in their ecosystems, but knowledge of their ecology is still very limited in many tropical regions. Within this context, data from intertidal fishes in Mauritius were compiled from different sources and intertidal resident species were examined in Mauritian tidepools. A total of 292 fish species occurring in Mauritius were reported from intertidal habitats, of which 62 species represent permanent intertidal residents.

Antimicrobial resistance of isolates recovered from clinically ill nursery pigs and from healthy pigs at different stages of production.

isolates (N = 379) from clinically ill pigs and from healthy pigs were tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using a disk diffusion method. Isolates from clinical cases had a higher prevalence of resistance compared with isolates from healthy pigs. There was a high to moderate prevalence of resistance to antibiotics commonly used in nursery pig diets such as tetracycline (84.

An epidemiological study of serotypes of pigs in Ontario determined by a multiplex polymerase chain reaction.

The purpose of the study was to identify the serotypes of from tonsil swabs in clinically ill and healthy pigs in Ontario using a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method. Although 22 different serotypes were identified, most isolates were -like bacteria or untypable.

Poly(Amide-imide) Aerogel Materials Produced via an Ice Templating Process.

Low density composites of sodium montmorillonite and poly(amide-imide) polymers have been created using an ice templating method, which serves as an alternative to the often-difficult foaming of high temperature/high performance polymers. The starting polymer was received in the poly(amic acid) form which can be cured using heat, into a water insoluble amide-imide copolymer. The resulting materials have densities in the 0.

Biomechanics. Mechanistic origins of bombardier beetle (Brachinini) explosion-induced defensive spray pulsation.

Bombardier beetles (Brachinini) use a rapid series of discrete explosions inside their pygidial gland reaction chambers to produce a hot, pulsed, quinone-based defensive spray. The mechanism of brachinines' spray pulsation was explored using anatomical studies and direct observation of explosions inside living beetles using synchrotron x-ray imaging. Quantification of the dynamics of vapor inside the reaction chamber indicates that spray pulsation is controlled by specialized, contiguous cuticular structures located at the junction between the reservoir (reactant) and reaction chambers.

Effects of sitagliptin and metformin treatment on incretin hormone and insulin secretory responses to oral and "isoglycemic" intravenous glucose.

Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors prevent degradation of incretin hormones (glucagon-like peptide 1 [GLP-1] and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide [GIP]), whereas metformin may increase GLP-1 levels. We examined, in a four-period crossover trial, the influence of metformin (2,000 mg/day), sitagliptin (100 mg/day), or their combination, on GLP-1 responses and on the incretin effect in 20 patients with type 2 diabetes, comparing an oral glucose challenge (75 g, day 5) and an "isoglycemic" intravenous glucose infusion (day 6). Fasting total GLP-1 was significantly increased by metformin and not changed by sitagliptin.

Effect of salt solutions applied during wheat conditioning on lipase activity and lipid stability of whole wheat flour.

Lipolytic activity in whole wheat flour (WWF) is largely responsible for the loss in baking quality during storage. Metal ions affect the activity of seed lipases; however, no previous studies have applied this information to WWF in a way that reduces lipase activity, is practical for commercial manufacture, and uses common food ingredients. NaCl, KCl, Ca-propionate, or FeNa-ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (FeNa-EDTA) were applied to hard red winter (HRW) and hard white spring (HWS) wheats during conditioning as aqueous solutions at concentrations that would be acceptable in baked goods.

Dietary modeling shows that substitution of whole-grain for refined-grain ingredients of foods commonly consumed by US children and teens can increase intake of whole grains.

Background: Currently available whole-grain foods are not frequently consumed, and few children achieve the whole-grain intake recommendation.

Objective: To investigate the influence on whole-grain consumption of substituting whole-grain for refined-grain ingredients of foods commonly consumed by children.

Design: Secondary cross-sectional analysis of publicly available food consumption data collected by the US Department of Agriculture.

Children's acceptance, nutritional, and instrumental evaluations of whole grain and soluble fiber enriched foods.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 report recommends 3 or more daily ounce-equivalents of whole grains (WG), and the FDA suggests consumption of 25 g of total dietary fiber (TDF) and 6 g of soluble fiber (SF) for a 2000-calorie diet. Efforts to increase the consumption of WG and SF among elementary school-aged children are needed. The objectives of this study were to examine the consumption of WG- and SF-enriched burritos and cookies among elementary school-aged children and to perform a quality evaluation of all products.

Influence of whole grain barley, whole grain wheat, and refined rice-based foods on short-term satiety and energy intake.

This study compared the effect of whole grain high-fiber barley, whole grain wheat and refined rice-based foods on energy intake and satiety. Forty-seven healthy subjects consumed a breakfast of hot cereal and a snack mix containing either barley, wheat, or refined rice, followed by an ad libitum smorgasbord lunch using a crossover design. Energy intake was measured at the lunch using plate waste.

Pulsed electrodeposition of porous ZnO on Ag-coated polyamide filaments.

Silver-coated polyamide filaments were used as substrates for the electrodeposition of ZnO/eosinY hybrid thin films from aqueous mixed solutions containing Zn(NO(3))(2) and eosinY. Electrodeposition under pulsed potentiostatic control turned out advantageous to control the conditions of mass flow and to suppress parasitic currents and thereby obtain homogeneous porous films of ZnO as proven by scanning electron microscopy. Crystalline films of ZnO were formed as shown by X-ray diffraction.

Effect of a barley breakfast cereal on blood glucose and insulin response in normal and diabetic patients.

Prowashonupana (Prowash) is a shrunken-endosperm, short awn, waxy starch, hulless barley with low starch, high fiber, high protein, and a relatively high concentration of free sugars. The study was designed to compare equivalent breakfast meals (w/w) of Prowash and oatmeal for glycemic response in diabetic and non-diabetic subjects. A commercial liquid meal replacer (LMR) was included as a reference standard.

Injury patterns in big ten conference football.

Background: In 1998, the National Collegiate Athletic Association legislated a decrease in the number of scrimmages and full-contact practices allowed during the spring season.

Hypothesis: A significantly increased risk of injury faced by the same player during the spring versus fall practice sessions does exist, but the National Collegiate Athletic Association regulations will not have the intended effect of reducing injury rates to equal or below those of the fall practice sessions.

Study Design: Retrospectively analyzed, descriptive study of prospectively collected injury surveillance data followed by a prospective, controlled, repeated-measures study after the rule change.

[Can follow-up controls improve the accuracy of MR mammography? A retrospective analysis of MR mammography follow-up studies].

Purpose: To assess the change in diagnostic confidence between first and follow-up dynamic MR examination of the breast (MRM).

Methods: The reports of a total of 175 MRM in 77 patients (mean age 50 years; 36-76) with 98 follow-up MRM were analyzed. All examinations were performed as a dynamic study (Gd-DTPA, 0.

Anhydro sugar and linkage contributions to circular dichroism of agarose and carrageenan, with conformational implications.

The geometry-dependent linkage contributions to the circular dichroism (CD) of agarose and carrageenan were determined by subtracting the monomeric CD from the CD of the polymers. For this purpose, the CD of methyl 3,6-anhydro-alpha-D-galactopyranoside, and of other anhydro sugars, was measured. Application of empirical quadrant rules indicates the observed CD to be that expected for the helical conformations of agarose and carrageenan as derived from diffraction data and modeling calculations.

Experimental chiroptical verification of linkage flexibility in methyl 3-O-(alpha-d-mannopyranosyl)-alpha-d-mannopyranoside.

Vacuum UV CD spectra of methyl 3-O-(alpha-D-mannopyranosyl)-alpha-D- mannopyranoside in D2O and as a cast film were obtained in the 145-200 nM region. The disaccharide solution CD per residue is nearly identical to that of the monosaccharide solution CD, and to the monosaccharide film CD. Conversely, the disaccharide film spectrum exhibits a strong positive CD linkage contribution in the 160-170 nm range, which is consistent with the known crystal conformation under the aegis of previously determined sector rules.

Vacuum ultraviolet circular dichroism of gellan-family polymer films from water and dimethyl sulfoxide.

The denaturing effect of dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO) on the conformation of the gellan-welan-rhamsan family of microbial polysaccharides is directly demonstrated by circular dichroism (CD). The three polysaccharides display strikingly similar CD spectra (140-210 nm) for films cast from Me2SO. The disrupting effect of Me2SO on gellan and welan conformations has previously been reported by others on the basis of light-scattering and viscosity studies.