Use of ClearGuard HD caps in pediatric hemodialysis patients.

Background: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a leading cause of hospitalizations and mortality among patients receiving hemodialysis (HD) therapy, especially those with a central venous catheter (CVC) for dialysis access. The use of chlorhexidine impregnated catheter caps (ClearGuard) has been associated with a decrease in the rate of HD catheter-related BSIs (CA-BSIs) in adults; similar data have not been published for children.

Methods: We compared CA-BSI data from participating centers within the Standardizing Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric Endstage Kidney Disease (SCOPE) collaborative based on the center's use of ClearGuard caps for patients with HD catheter access.

The cost of hospitalizations for treatment of hemodialysis catheter-associated blood stream infections in children: a retrospective cohort study.

Background: Hospitalization costs for treatment of hemodialysis (HD) catheter-associated blood stream infections (CA-BSI) in adults are high. No studies have evaluated hospitalization costs for HD CA-BSI in children or identified factors associated with high-cost hospitalizations.

Methods: We analyzed 160 HD CA-BSIs from the Standardizing Care to Improve Outcomes in Pediatric End-stage Kidney Disease (SCOPE) collaborative database linked to hospitalization encounters in the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) database.

Standardize, Engage, and Collaborate: An Initiative to Reduce Community Acquired Central Line Blood Stream Infections Across the Continuum of Care.

Background: Community acquired blood stream infections (CA-CLABSI) are a major source of morbidity and mortality for pediatric patients. Many organizations discharge pediatric patients to home health agencies to care for central lines. To reduce the incidence of CA-CLABSIs requires a concentrated effort between hospitals and home health agencies.

High Trapped Fields in C-doped MgB Bulk Superconductors Fabricated by Infiltration and Growth Process.

The grain boundaries in superconducting MgB are known to form effective magnetic flux pinning sites and, consequently, bulk MgB containing a fine-grain microstructure fabricated from nanoscale Mg and B precursor powders exhibits good magnetic field-trapping performance below 20 K. We report here that the trapped field of MgB bulk superconductors fabricated by an infiltration and growth process to yield a dense, pore-free microstructure, can be enhanced significantly by carbon-doping, which increases intra-band scattering within the superconducting grains. A maximum trapped field of 4.

A flux extraction device to measure the magnetic moment of large samples; application to bulk superconductors.

We report the design and construction of a flux extraction device to measure the DC magnetic moment of large samples (i.e., several cm(3)) at cryogenic temperature.

Humans and cattle: a review of bovine zoonoses.

Infectious disease prevention and control has been among the top public health objectives during the last century. However, controlling disease due to pathogens that move between animals and humans has been challenging. Such zoonotic pathogens have been responsible for the majority of new human disease threats and a number of recent international epidemics.

HCA Voices Make Council Debut.

I have been an RCN member since 2002 when healthcare assistants (HCAs) had to have an NVQ level 3 to join - so I got one. Soon after, with encouragement from the general secretary and chair of congress, I was the first HCA to vote and speak at RCN congress - in a speech in favour of nursery nurses joining the RCN with an NVQ level 2 qualification.

Synthesis of YBa2Cu3O(7-δ) and Y2BaCuO5 nanocrystalline powders for YBCO superconductors using carbon nanotube templates.

We fabricate nanosized superconducting YBa(2)Cu(3)O(7-δ) (Y-123) and nonsuperconducting Y(2)BaCuO(5) (Y-211) powders using carbon nanotubes as template. The mean particle size of Y-123 and Y-211 is 12 and 30 nm, respectively. The superconducting transition temperature of the Y-123 nanopowder is 90.

CMV-induced neonatal thrombocytopenia: a case report and review of the literature.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a member of the Herpesviridae family of DNA viruses. It is unique in its ability to cause latent infection with secondary reactivation. Neonatal infection results from congenital and/or perinatal transmission.

Evidence of resilience: neuroimaging in former prisoners of war.

In this study, single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging ((1)H-MRS) and volumetric analysis of hippocampal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images were used to determine if any differences in hippocampal biochemistry or volume were present between former prisoners of war (POWs) with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and control subjects matched for age and education. This study did not find lower hippocampal concentrations of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), smaller hippocampal volumes, or more impaired memory function in older veterans with PTSD compared with a group matched for traumatic experience or a nontraumatized control group.

Relationship of in vivo medial temporal lobe magnetic resonance spectroscopy to documented combat exposure in veterans with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder.

Veterans diagnosed with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and comparison subjects underwent single voxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the medial temporal lobe (MTL). PTSD subjects were divided into combat and non-combat groups based on military records. Combat PTSD subjects did not have lower MTL levels of N-acetylaspartate compared with non-combat PTSD subjects.

A practical route for the fabrication of large single-crystal (RE)-Ba-Cu-O superconductors.

Single-crystal superconductors of the general formula (LRE)-Ba-Cu-O (light rare earth, LRE = Nd, Sm, Eu and Gd) have considerable potential for engineering applications because of their ability to trap magnetic fields significantly higher than those achievable with permanent magnets. But the lack of a process by which these materials can be fabricated reliably and economically in the form of large single grains has severely hindered their development. We report a practical processing method for the fabrication in air of single-crystal (RE)BCO.

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the medial temporal lobes of former prisoners of war with and without posttraumatic stress disorder.

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to compare medial temporal lobe (MTL) concentrations of N-acetylaspartate and choline between former prisoners of war (POWs) with and without posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MTL N-acetylaspartate and reexperiencing symptoms correlated strongly in the POW subjects with PTSD, suggesting a relationship between reexperiencing symptoms and the integrity of MTL structures.

Effects of gender and region on proton MRS of normal human brain.

Localized, in vivo 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy has been performed in a number of brain regions of neuropsychiatric interest in male and female control subjects to determine if gender and region affect the measured metabolite ratios. In contrast to some previous reports, no significant differences were seen in any region for any metabolite ratio between males and females. As expected, significant variations with brain region were seen for metabolite ratios for the total group of subjects.

Regional proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in schizophrenia and exploration of drug effect.

Schizophrenia is a disorder with an unclear pathophysiology, despite numerous attempts to elucidate its etiology. We have employed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in vivo to explore the neurochemistry of several brain regions (left frontal and temporal cortices, left basal ganglia, and left and right thalamus) in patients with schizophrenia and in normal control subjects. We have also examined patients in different medication states.

In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the medial temporal lobes of subjects with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

Recent findings using volumetric MRI techniques have revealed that patients with combat-related and noncombat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have reductions in right hippocampal volume. Twenty-one veterans with PTSD and eight age-matched control veterans were studied using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy to test the hypothesis that the N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid/creatine (NAA/Cr) ratio would be decreased in the right medial temporal lobe structures of patients with PTSD compared to controls. Patients with PTSD displayed significantly lower NAA/Cr ratio for the right medial temporal lobe relative to the left (P < or = 0.

Reproduction of Meloidogyne chitwoodi on Popcorn Cultivars.

Popcorn cultivars were evaluated in field and greenhouse tests for resistance to the Columbia root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne chitwoodi, as potential resistant crops in potato rotations. A nematode reproductive factor (Rf) was calculated for each cultivar. Reproductive factor values also were compared on a relative basis as percentages of the Rf on a susceptible field corn standard, Pioneer 3578.

In vivo 19F spin relaxation and localized spectroscopy of fluoxetine in human brain.

Fluorine-19 NMR spectroscopy was used to monitor the anti-depressant drug fluoxetine (and its metabolite norfluoxetine) in vivo in human brain. A quadrature birdcage head coil, developed for operation at 60.1 MHz, yielded a signal from the head 2 to 4 times stronger than for surface coils.

In vivo 7Li nuclear magnetic resonance study of lithium pharmacokinetics and chemical shift imaging in psychiatric patients.

New data are presented on the application of 7Li in vivo nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to human studies. The technique was used to monitor the between-dose pharmacokinetics of lithium (Li) in brain for three patients on Li therapy. Brain Li concentrations were at their highest from 0 to 2 hours after the peak occurred in serum concentration.

In vivo 7Li NMR imaging and localized spectroscopy of rat brain.

Lithium-7 in vivo NMR spectroscopy and imaging techniques have been developed at 4.7 T for rat head. The pharmacokinetics of lithium (Li) uptake in rat head has been measured using STEAM localized spectroscopy for the whole brain, which showed relatively rapid uptake of Li and a steady level of Li from about 5 to 20 h.