Investigation of nasal epithelial cells as a surrogate for bronchial epithelial cells in the research of equine asthma.

Equine asthma, previously known as Recurrent Airway Obstruction (RAO) or Inflammatory Airway Disease (IAD), is an often-debilitating condition that may severely affect both performance and quality of life. Research is hindered by the low sample numbers of subjects recruited to studies, a consequence in part of the invasive nature of the sampling methods of bronchial brushing and biopsy. We present an alternative method of sampling equine airway epithelial cells, the 'nasal brush method' (NBM).

as an infection model for the virulent H37Rv.

Tuberculosis (TB), caused by (), is a leading cause of infectious disease mortality. Animal infection models have contributed substantially to our understanding of TB, yet their biological and non-biological limitations are a research bottleneck. There is a need for more ethically acceptable, economical, and reproducible TB infection models capable of mimicking key aspects of disease.

A pragmatic low carbohydrate diet intervention changes neither carbohydrate consumption nor glycemia in adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes in a randomized trial.

Objective: Despite enthusiasm for low carbohydrate diets (LCDs) among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), no prospective study has investigated outcomes in adolescent T1DM. We aimed to quantify a pragmatic LCD intervention's impact on glycemia, lipidemia, and quality of life (QOL) in adolescents with T1DM.

Research Design And Methods: At an academic center, we randomized 39 patients with T1DM aged 13-21 years to one of three 12-week interventions: an LCD, an isocaloric standard carbohydrate diet (SCD), or general diabetes education without a prescriptive diet.

Effectiveness of a Novel Dentifrice Containing Stabilized Chlorine Dioxide, Sarkosyl, and Sodium Fluoride.

This in vitro study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel dentifrice containing stabilized chlorine dioxide, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate (sarkosyl), and sodium fluoride in enhancing enamel fluoride uptake, remineralization, pellicle cleaning and inhibiting biofilm regrowth. Remineralization was measured by fluoride uptake and surface microhardness assessment tests. Artificial stains were removed and scored based on pellicle cleaning ratio.

A novel biosafety level 2 compliant tuberculosis infection model using a ΔΔ double auxotroph of H37Rv and .

Mammalian infection models have contributed significantly to our understanding of the host-mycobacterial interaction, revealing potential mechanisms and targets for novel antimycobacterial therapeutics. However, the use of conventional mammalian models such as mice, are typically expensive, high maintenance, require specialized animal housing, and are ethically regulated. Furthermore, research using (MTB), is inherently difficult as work needs to be carried out at biosafety level 3 (BSL3).

Supporting the Health Care Transition From Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home.

Risk and vulnerability encompass many dimensions of the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Transition from pediatric, parent-supervised health care to more independent, patient-centered adult health care is no exception. The tenets and algorithm of the original 2011 clinical report, "Supporting the Health Care Transition from Adolescence to Adulthood in the Medical Home," are unchanged.

Galleria mellonella - a novel infection model for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.

Animal models have long been used in tuberculosis research to understand disease pathogenesis and to evaluate novel vaccine candidates and anti-mycobacterial drugs. However, all have limitations and there is no single animal model which mimics all the aspects of mycobacterial pathogenesis seen in humans. Importantly mice, the most commonly used model, do not normally form granulomas, the hallmark of tuberculosis infection.

Patients receiving chiropractic care in a neurorehabilitation hospital: a descriptive study.

Objectives: Individuals rehabilitating from complex neurological injury require a multidisciplinary approach, which typically does not include chiropractic care. This study describes inpatients receiving multidisciplinary rehabilitation including chiropractic care for brain injury, spinal cord injury (SCI), stroke, and other complex neurological conditions.

Design: Chiropractic services were integrated into Crotched Mountain Specialty Hospital (CMSH) through this project.

Virulence Characterisation of Salmonella enterica Isolates of Differing Antimicrobial Resistance Recovered from UK Livestock and Imported Meat Samples.

Salmonella enterica is a foodborne zoonotic pathogen of significant public health concern. We have characterized the virulence and antimicrobial resistance gene content of 95 Salmonella isolates from 11 serovars by DNA microarray recovered from UK livestock or imported meat. Genes encoding resistance to sulphonamides (sul1, sul2), tetracycline [tet(A), tet(B)], streptomycin (strA, strB), aminoglycoside (aadA1, aadA2), beta-lactam (bla TEM), and trimethoprim (dfrA17) were common.

Care coordination over time in medical homes for children with special health care needs.

Objectives: To explore how care coordination changes conceptually and practically in primary care practices when implementing the medical home and to identify reasons for different types of changes.

Methods: Six years after a 2003-2004 national learning collaborative to implement the medical home model for children with special health care needs, we examined care coordination in 12 pediatric practices with the highest postintervention Medical Home Index scores, indicating high level of adoption of the model. Data included interviews of 48 clinicians, care coordinators, and parents and medical record reviews of 60 patients with special health care needs receiving care in these practices.

Outcomes for Children with Chronic Conditions Associated with Parent- and Provider-reported Measures of the Medical Home.

Purpose: Assess relationships between having a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) and health care utilization among low-income children with chronic conditions using parent and practice perspectives.

Methods: We analyzed data from 240 publicly insured children with chronic conditions. Parents completed surveys assessing PCMH access and their child's primary care practice completed the Medical Home Index (MHI) self-assessment.

Pediatric to adult transition: a quality improvement model for primary care.

Purpose: To examine the relationship between quality improvement activities with pediatric and adult primary care practices and improvements in transition from pediatric to adult care.

Methods: This was a time-series comparative study of changes in pediatric and adult practices involving five large pediatric and adult academic health centers in the District of Columbia. Using the Health Care Transition Index (pediatric and adult versions), we examined improvements in specific indicators of transition performance, including development of an office transition policy, provider knowledge and skills related to transition, identification of transitioning youth, transition preparation of youth, transition planning, and transfer of care.

SPI-23 of S. Derby: role in adherence and invasion of porcine tissues.

Salmonella enterica serovars Derby and Mbandaka are isolated from different groups of livestock species in the UK. S. Derby is predominantly isolated from pigs and turkeys and S.

Care coordination and unmet specialty care among children with special health care needs.

Objectives: Care coordination and the medical home may ensure access to specialty care. Children with special health care needs (CSHCN) have higher rates of specialty care use and unmet need compared with the general pediatric population. We hypothesized that care coordination, regardless of whether it was provided in a medical home, would decrease unmet specialty care needs among CSHCN and that the effect of care coordination would be greater among low-income families.

A survey of the preferences of primary care physicians regarding the comanagement with specialists of children with rare or complex conditions.

Objectives: To assess primary care pediatric providers' comfort with co-managing patients with rare conditions.

Methods: A survey was sent via an electronic link to pediatricians and family practitioners. Chi-square test of significance and Fisher's exact test were used for categorical variable comparisons and the Student's t test was used for continuous variable comparisons.

Medical home transformation in pediatric primary care--what drives change?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to characterize essential factors to the medical home transformation of high-performing pediatric primary care practices 6 to 7 years after their participation in a national medical home learning collaborative.

Methods: We evaluated the 12 primary care practice teams having the highest Medical Home Index (MHI) scores after participation in a national medical home learning collaborative with current MHI scores, a clinician staff questionnaire (assessing adaptive reserve), and semistructured interviews. We reviewed factors that emerged from interviews and analyzed domains and subdomains for their agreement with MHI and adaptive reserve domains and subthemes using a process of triangulation.

Current status of transition preparation among youth with special needs in the United States.

Objective: To examine current US performance on transition from pediatric to adult health care and discuss strategies for improvement.

Methods: The 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs is a nationally representative sample with 17 114 parent respondents who have youth with special health care needs (YSHCN) ages 12 and 18. They are asked about transition to an adult provider, changing health care needs, increasing responsibility for health care needs, and maintaining insurance coverage.

An approach to family-centered coordinated co-management for individuals with conditions identified through newborn screening.

The care of individuals with rare heritable conditions, such as those detectable through newborn screening, is an important target for quality improvement. Not only is there great opportunity to improve long-term outcomes, but there are lessons that can be generalized to the care of all children with special health-care needs. To identify an approach to quality improvement for individuals with conditions identified through newborn screening, the National Coordinating Center for the Regional Genetic and Newborn Screening Service Collaboratives convened an expert workgroup to develop strategies based on a family-centered, community-based system of care.

Parent partnerships in communication and decision making about subspecialty referrals for children with special needs.

Objective: To describe factors that influence parent-clinician partnerships in information exchange and shared decision making (SDM) when children with special health care needs are referred to subspecialists.

Methods: We conducted focus groups with parents of children with special health care needs and pediatric primary care and subspecialty clinicians about how to include parents as partners in information exchange and SDM. Five parent and 5 clinician groups were held to identify themes to inform the development of interventions to promote parent partnerships; evaluate a prototype referral care plan and related parent supports as one example of a partnership tool; and compare the views of parents and clinicians.

“Stones run it”: taking back control of organized crime in Chicago, 1940-1975.

In the 1960s and 1970s African American “supergangs” emerged in Chicago. Many scholars have touted the “prosocial” goals of these gangs but fail to contextualize them in the larger history of black organized crime. Thus, they have overlooked how gang members sought to reclaim the underground economy in their neighborhoods.

Strategies for implementing screening for critical congenital heart disease.

Background: Although newborn screening for critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) was recommended by the US Health and Human Services Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children to promote early detection, it was deemed by the Secretary of the HHS as not ready for adoption pending an implementation plan from HHS agencies.

Objective: To develop strategies for the implementation of safe, effective, and efficient screening.

Methods: A work group was convened with members selected by the Secretary's Advisory Committee on Heritable Disorders in Newborns and Children, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, and the American Heart Association.