Scotland's GP paediatric scholarship: an evaluation.

In a previous publication we described the implementation and early evaluation of general practice paediatric scholarships in Scotland. We suggested that it was too early to be able to determine whether this significant investment will produce a return for Scotland in terms of enhanced roles in providing, leading or developing children's services in primary care or at the primary care/secondary care interface. This paper presents the results of a survey of the impact of the scholarship for the first six cohorts of the scholarship (119 General Practitioners).

A conscious sedation protocol for videolaryngostroboscopy in pediatric patients.

Unlabelled: Objective. To determine best sedation protocol for videolaryngostroboscopy in children unable to tolerate non-sedated evaluation. Materials and Methods.

Review of chemical signature databases.

This review assesses the current state of chemical signature databases, the primary characteristics that determine their applicability, characterization of their capability to support spectral identifications, and the target audience to which they are directed. Database file formats, spectrometer operating conditions, and spectral matching tools are found to be primary characteristics that determine the applicability of databases and their ability to support spectral identifications. Chemical signature databases have evolved in two very different directions.

Use of micellar electrokinetic chromatography to measure palmitoylation of a peptide.

Palmitoylation is the thioester linkage of the fatty acid, palmitate (C16:0), to cysteine residues on a protein or peptide. This dynamic and reversible post-translational modification increases the hydrophobicity of proteins/peptides, facilitating protein-membrane interactions, protein-protein interactions and intracellular trafficking of proteins. Manipulation of palmitoylation provides a new mechanism for control over protein location and function, which may lead to better understanding of cell signaling disorders, such as cancer.

Impact of microdialysis probes on vasculature and dopamine in the rat striatum: a combined fluorescence and voltammetric study.

Measuring extracellular dopamine in the brain of living animals by means of microdialysis and/or voltammetry is a route towards understanding both normal brain function and pathology. Previous reports, however, suggest that the tissue response to implantation of devices may affect the outcome of the measurements. To address the source of the tissue response and its impact on striatal dopamine systems microdialysis probes were placed in the striatum of anesthetized rats.

Chemical analysis of single cells.

Chemical analysis of single cells requires methods for quickly and quantitatively detecting a diverse array of analytes from extremely small volumes (femtoliters to nanoliters) with very high sensitivity and selectivity. Microelectrophoretic separations, using both traditional capillary electrophoresis and emerging microfluidic methods, are well suited for handling the unique size of single cells and limited numbers of intracellular molecules. Numerous analytes, ranging from small molecules such as amino acids and neurotransmitters to large proteins and subcellular organelles, have been quantified in single cells using microelectrophoretic separation techniques.

Determination of sphingosine kinase activity for cellular signaling studies.

Regulation of sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate concentrations is of growing interest due to their importance in cellular signal transduction. Furthermore, new pharmaceutical agents moderating the intracellular and extracellular levels of sphingosine metabolites are showing promise in preclinical and clinical trials. In the present work, a quantitative assay relying on capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence detection was developed to measure the interconversion of sphingosine and sphingosine-1-phosphate.

Outcomes studies of epiglottic and base of tongue prolapse in children.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare previously reported flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) findings of a grading system for children with epiglottic and base of tongue (EBT) prolapse with findings at follow-up FFL. Surgical outcomes and tracheotomy decannulation are also reported.

Study Design: : Retrospective medical record review.

Myristoyl-based transport of peptides into living cells.

Translocation of membrane-impermeant molecules to the interior of living cells is a necessity for many biochemical investigations. Myristoylation was studied as a means to introduce peptides into living cells. Uptake of a myristoylated, fluorescent peptide was efficient in the B lymphocyte cell line BA/F3.

Flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy in children: effect of sitting versus supine position.

Currently no standard exists as to the exact technique of flexible fiberoptic laryngoscopy (FFL) for children. Our objective was to determine the effects of examination in the sitting versus supine position on upper airway findings during FFL in children using a standardized technique and a grading system. In this prospective study, each child acted as his or her own control.

Simultaneous determination of biogenic monoamines in rat brain dialysates using capillary high-performance liquid chromatography with photoluminescence following electron transfer.

Simultaneous determination of biogenic monoamines such as dopamine, serotonin, and 3-methoxytyramine in brain is important in understanding neurotransmitter activity. This study presents a sensitive determination of biogenic monoamines in rat brain striatum microdialysates using capillary high-performance liquid chromatography with the photoluminescence following electron-transfer detection technique. Separation conditions were optimized by changing the concentration of an ion-interaction agent and the percentage of an organic modifier.

Theory for the impact of basal turnover on dopamine clearance kinetics in the rat striatum after medial forebrain bundle stimulation and pressure ejection.

Although microdialysis measurements suggest that extracellular dopamine concentrations in the rat striatum are in the low nanomolar range, some recent voltammetry studies suggest that the concentration may be considerably higher, perhaps in the micromolar range. The presence of such high dopamine levels in the extracellular space has to be rationalized with the rapid, linear clearance of extracellular dopamine observed after electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle. Kinetic analysis of dopamine clearance after evoked release suggests that the basal extracellular dopamine concentration is below the K(M) of dopamine uptake, which is near 0.

Voltammetric study of extracellular dopamine near microdialysis probes acutely implanted in the striatum of the anesthetized rat.

Establishing in vivo microdialysis methods for the quantitative determination of dopamine concentrations in the extracellular space of the brain is an important yet challenging objective. The source of the challenge is the difficulty in directly measuring the microdialysis recovery of dopamine during an in vivo experiment. The recovery value is needed for quantitative microdialysis, regardless of whether conventional or no-net-flux methods are used.

Voltammetric study of the control of striatal dopamine release by glutamate.

The central dopamine systems are involved in several aspects of normal brain function and are implicated in a number of human disorders. Hence, it is important to understand the mechanisms that control dopamine release in the brain. The striatum of the rat receives both dopaminergic and glutamatergic projections that synaptically target striatal neurons but not each other.

Frequency of anesthesia-related complications in children with Down syndrome under general anesthesia for noncardiac procedures.

Background: Craniofacial and cardiac anomalies of Down syndrome (DS; trisomy 21) would seem to place these patients at higher risk of anesthesia-related complications (ARCs), but to date no comprehensive large-scale study has quantified this risk.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted on all patients with DS undergoing anesthesia between April 1, 1988, and May 31, 1995, at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. In addition, the Anesthesiology Department Quality Assurance (QA) System database of concurrently collected anesthesia information on all patients undergoing anesthesia at the hospital since 1985 was analyzed.

The future of the cuffed endotracheal tube.

It has been traditionally taught that only uncuffed endotracheal tubes (ETTs) should be used for intubation in children younger than 8, or even 10, years old. However, recent literature suggests that the advantages of using uncuffed ETTs in children may be just another myth of paediatric anaesthesia. Using an uncuffed ETT does allow a tube of larger internal diameter to be used, minimizing resistance to airflow and the work of breathing in the patient who is breathing spontaneously.

Option pricing formulas based on a non-Gaussian stock price model.

Options are financial instruments that depend on the underlying stock. We explain their non-Gaussian fluctuations using the nonextensive thermodynamics parameter q. A generalized form of the Black-Scholes (BS) partial differential equation and some closed-form solutions are obtained.

Escape time in anomalous diffusive media.

We investigate the escape behavior of systems governed by the one-dimensional nonlinear diffusion equation theta(t)rho=theta(x)[theta(x)Urho]+Dtheta(x)2rho(nu), where the potential of the drift, U(x), presents a double well and D,nu are real parameters. For systems close to the steady state, we obtain an analytical expression of the mean first-passage time, yielding a generalization of Arrhenius law. Analytical predictions are in very good agreement with numerical experiments performed through integration of the associated Ito-Langevin equation.

Pulmonary aspiration in pediatric patients during general anesthesia: incidence and outcome.

Study Objectives: To determine the incidence of, outcome of, and risk factors for anesthesia-related pulmonary aspiration in the predominantly pediatric population receiving anesthesia care.

Design: Using a clinical concurrent quality assessment system we developed, we used data stored in a custom-designed computerized database to initiate a retrospective review. Statistical relationships were analyzed by Fisher's exact test and binary logistic regression with commercially available software.

Postoperative complications after tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in children with Down syndrome.

Objective: To compare the postoperative course and complications after tonsillectomy or tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in children with Down syndrome (group 1) with the postoperative course and complications in children in a control group (group 2).

Design: Retrospective review of medical records for the period January 1, 1986, through March 30, 1996.

Setting: Tertiary care children's hospital.

Airway management for CO2 laser surgery on the larynx: Venturi jet ventilation and alternatives.

Supralaryngeal Venturi jet ventilation provides superb surgical visualization and access to the larynx, including the anterior and posterior commissure. When VJV is delivered through a metal cannula and laryngoscope or all-metal endotracheal tube or bronchoscope, there is no inorganic combustible material in the surgical field, making supralaryngeal VJV a safe as well as effective technique for CO2 laser surgery on the airway.

Consequences of using a simplified kinetic model for dynamic PET data.

Unlabelled: We compared a physiological model of 82Rb kinetics in the myocardium with two reduced-order models to determine their usefulness in assessing physiological parameters from dynamic PET data.

Methods: A three-compartment model of 82Rb in the myocardium was used to simulate kinetic PET ROI data. Simulations were generated for eight different blood-flow rates reflecting the physiological range of interest.

Continuous Infusion Ranitidine in Postoperative Pediatric Liver Transplant Patients: Effects on Intragastric pH, Gastrointestinal Bleeding and Metabolic Alkalosis.

The effects of ranitidine, an H(2)-receptor antagonist, on gastric pH, incidence of upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage and postoperative metabolic alkalosis were evaluated in 23 pediatric liver transplant recipients. Intragastric pH probes were inserted postoperatively and pH was monitored for 48 h. Ranitidine was infused for 48 h at 0.