Changes in parental barriers to immunizations.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to explore if parental barriers to childhood immunizations change over time.

Design And Sample: Using secondary data, a pretest post-test design was employed to measure changes in parental barriers to childhood immunizations in the first 7 months of life. Thirty-nine parent/infant dyads were included in this study.

Allergic rhinitis and associated pathologies: the rationale for steroid options.

The aim of this review article is to provide greater insight into the relationship between allergic rhinitis and the three most frequently diagnosed conditions of exacerbating viral infections, chronic rhinosinusitis with polyps and obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome. The alleged physiopathological effects of steroids are also investigated within the scope of this paper. Regarding the exacerbating viral infections, seems to establish a dynamic and counter relationship between the load and nature of the viral infection on one hand and widespread and pre-existing allergic inflammation on the other.

Distance optical sensor for quantitative endoscopy.

We present a novel optical sensor able to measure the distance between the tip of an endoscopic probe and the anatomical object under examination. In medical endoscopy, knowledge of the real distance from the endoscope to the anatomical wall provides the actual dimensions and areas of the anatomical objects. Currently, endoscopic examination is limited to a direct and qualitative observation of anatomical cavities.

A randomised controlled cross-over trial of aerobic training versus Qigong in advanced Parkinson's disease.

Aim: To investigate the effects of an aerobic training in subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD) as compared to a medical Chinese exercise (Qigong).

Design: randomized controlled trial with a cross over design.

Setting: PD out-patients referred to a Neurorehabilitation facility for the management of motor disability.

The sting challenge test in Hymenoptera venom allergy: pros and cons.

This paper examines the main features of the deliberate sting challenge with regard to the type of insect, the advantages and disadvantages of its use in untreated and treated patients and after discontinuation of specific immunotherapy.