Sacral neuromodulation in diabetic patients: success and complications in the treatment of voiding dysfunction.

Aims: We compared success rates, subsequent complications, and possible indications for success of sacral neuromodulation (SNM) for urinary voiding dysfunction in diabetic and non-diabetic patients.

Methods: Thirty-two diabetic patients (mean age 61.8 years, range 27-83) with urge incontinence, urgency-frequency syndrome, and/or urinary retention refractory to non-surgical treatment were retrospectively evaluated along with 211 non-diabetic patients (mean age 54.

The impact of community-built playgrounds on the community.

Background: Community-built playgrounds have been an integral component of Injury Free Coalition for Kids sites as they work with communities to provide safe places for children to play. The purpose of this pilot survey was to explore the potential impact of the community-built playground on the community.

Methods: A survey was developed and sent electronically via an Injury Free listserve to the Injury Free sites that had built one of the 29 Injury Free playgrounds between 2002 and 2007.

Mitochondrial DNA depletion induces radioresistance by suppressing G2 checkpoint activation in human pancreatic cancer cells.

We hypothesized that mitochondrial function regulates cell cycle checkpoint activation and radiosensitivity. Human pancreatic tumor cells (MiaPaCa-2, rho(+)) were depleted of mitochondrial DNA (rho degrees ) by culturing cells in the presence of ethidium bromide. Depletion of mitochondrial DNA was verified by PCR amplification of total DNA using primer pairs specific for mitochondrial DNA.

Minimally conscious state after ruptured giant basilar aneurysm.

Objective: To report the clinical and radiologic findings in a case of transient minimally conscious state after rupture and coiling of a giant basilar aneurysm.

Design: Case report.

Setting: Neuroscience intensive care unit.

Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis - United States, 2007.

Problem: In the United States, acute viral hepatitis most frequently is caused by infection with any of three distinct viruses: hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV). These unrelated viruses are transmitted through different routes and have different epidemiologic profiles. Safe and effective vaccines have been available for hepatitis B since 1981 and for hepatitis A since 1995.

Convection-enhanced drug delivery of interleukin-4 Pseudomonas exotoxin (PRX321): increased distribution and magnetic resonance monitoring.

Convection-enhanced drug delivery (CED) enables achieving a drug concentration within brain tissue and brain tumors that is orders of magnitude higher than by systemic administration. Previous phase I/II clinical trials using intratumoral convection of interleukin-4 Pseudomonas exotoxin (PRX321) have demonstrated an acceptable safety and toxicity profile with promising signs of therapeutic activity. The present study was designed to assess the distribution efficiency and toxicity of this PRX321 using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to test whether reformulation with increased viscosity could enhance drug distribution.

Seat belt misuse among children transported in belt-positioning booster seats.

Objective: Observe and report seat belt use among children transported in belt-positioning booster seats.

Design: We conducted a cross-sectional, observational survey of children transported in motor vehicles between 2006 and 2007. While drivers completed a survey reporting the child's age, weight and gender, and the driver's age, gender, race, income, education, and relationship to the child; a child passenger safety technician recorded vehicle seating location, restraint type, and use of the car safety seat harness or seat belt as appropriate for the child.

UK National Audit of Sexual History-taking: clinic policies audit.

Provision of a confidential, private environment for sexual history-taking was provided in almost all clinics. However, less than half of the clinics had a policy displayed about their confidentiality policy in waiting areas, although more had this available by other means. About two-thirds of clinic information/advertising literature included information about the need to take a sexual history.

UK National Audit of Sexual History-taking: case-notes audit.

A national audit of sexual history-taking was conducted in genitourinary medicine clinics in the UK in 2008. Data were aggregated by region and clinic, allowing practice to be compared between regions, as well as to national averages and against national Guidelines. In this paper the case-notes of 4121 patients were audited.

Analysis of nonfatal dog bites in children.

Background: Dog bites are a significant public health problem among children. The purpose of this study was to examine the hospital incidence, hospital charges, and characteristics of dog bite injuries among children by age group and hospitalization status who were treated at our health care system to guide prevention programs and policies.

Methods: An electronic hospital database identified all patients younger than 18 years who were treated for dog bites from 1999 to 2006.

Beta-peptides with improved affinity for hDM2 and hDMX.

We previously described a series of 3(14)-helical beta-peptides that bind the hDM2 protein and inhibit its interaction with a p53-derived peptide in vitro. Here we present a detailed characterization of the interaction of these peptides with hDM2 and report two new beta-peptides in which non-natural side chains have been substituted into the hDM2-recognition epitope. These peptides feature both improved affinity and inhibitory potency in fluorescence polarization and ELISA assays.

Examining attendance, academic performance, and behavior in obese adolescents.

Although academics and safety continue to rank as high-priority issues in public schools, educators and administrators are beginning to recognize the importance of student health on school success. This move toward a holistic approach suggests that efforts to improve a student's physical, social, and emotional well-being are as important as efforts to increase test scores. Adolescent obesity is epidemic, and it is a complex integration of social, psychological, and physical factors that exacerbate the turbulent transitional years of adolescence.

Food intake in laboratory rats provided standard and fenbendazole-supplemented diets.

The benzimidazole anthelmintic fenbendazole (FBZ) is a common and effective treatment for pinworm infestation in laboratory animal colonies. Although many investigators have examined the potential for deleterious biologic effects of FBZ, more subtle aspects of the treatment remain untested. Accordingly, we evaluated differences in food intake when healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were provided a standard nonmedicated laboratory rodent chow or the same chow supplemented with FBZ.

Theory of simple biochemical "shape recognition" via diffusion from activator coated nanoshapes.

Inspired by recent experiments, we model the shape sensitivity, via a typical threshold initiation response, of an underlying complex biochemical reaction network to activator coated nanoshapes. Our theory re-emphasizes that shape effects can be vitally important for the onset of functional behavior in nanopatches and nanoparticles. For certain critical or particular shapes, activator coated nanoshapes do not evoke a threshold response in a complex biochemical network setting, while for different critical or specific shapes, the threshold response is rapidly achieved.

Salirasib (farnesyl thiosalicylic acid) for brain tumor treatment: a convection-enhanced drug delivery study in rats.

Our aim was to assess the ability of convection-enhanced drug delivery (CED), a novel approach of direct delivery of drugs into brain tissue and brain tumors, to treat brain tumors using salirasib (farsnesyl thiosalicylic acid). CED was achieved by continuous infusion of drugs via intracranial catheters, thus enabling convective distribution of high drug concentrations over large volumes while avoiding systemic toxicity. Several phase II/III CED-based trials are currently in progress but have yet to overcome two major pitfalls of this methodology (the difficulty in attaining efficient CED and the significant nonspecific neurotoxicity caused by high drug doses in the brain).

The effect of ghrelin on water intake during dipsogenic conditions.

Ghrelin has been studied extensively in the context of food intake and energy homeostasis, but less is known about its role in other ingestive behaviors. The present studies investigated the effects of this orexigenic peptide on both food and water intake during dipsogenic conditions. Specifically, animals were exposed to one of five dipsetic stimuli: (1) 24-h water deprivation, (2) replacement of drinking water with 2.

Angiotensin II stimulates water and NaCl intake through separate cell signalling pathways in rats.

Angiotensin II (AngII) stimulation of water and NaCl intake is a classic model of the behavioural effects of hormones. In vitro studies indicate that the AngII type 1 (AT(1)) receptor stimulates intracellular pathways that include protein kinase C (PKC) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase activation. Previous studies support the hypotheses that PKC is involved in AngII-induced water, but not NaCl intake and that MAP kinase plays a role in NaCl consumption, but not water intake, after injection of AngII.

UK National Audit of chlamydial infection management in sexual health clinics. clinic policies audit.

There was a wide range of activity and chlamydial diagnoses between the 177 clinics that responded. Most (92%) clinics have nucleic acid tests for chlamydial diagnosis. Different practitioners largely share roles in providing advice to patients about partner notification, treatment adherence, safer sex advice and abstinence.

UK National Audit of chlamydial infection management in sexual health clinics. case notes audit: information-giving, partner notification and follow-up.

Verbal information-giving is good, but only half of cases were reportedly given written information on chlamydia. Follow-up by 'phoning or texting (43%) was as common as follow-up in clinics (39%). About one-fourth of cases did not have follow up, with no recall for around 60% of these cases.

UK National Audit of chlamydial infection management in sexual health clinics. case notes audit: demography, diagnosis and treatment.

The case notes of cases of genital chlamydial infection were audited against the UK National Guideline. This was the first web-based and the largest national audit to date, with 193 clinics in all UK Regions contributing data. About half of all cases had no symptoms, with about one-third attending for routine or asymptomatic screens; suggesting significant provision of screening by clinics that might be managed differently to reduce workload.

Caudal brainstem delivery of ghrelin induces fos expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract, but not in the arcuate or paraventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus.

Ghrelin increases food intake when injected into either the forebrain or hindbrain ventricles. Brain areas activated by ghrelin after forebrain delivery have been examined using Fos immunohistochemistry and include the hypothalamic arcuate (Arc) and paraventricular (PVN) nuclei, and the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) in the medulla. It is not clear, however, if ghrelin applied directly to the hindbrain activates forebrain structures.

Addressing medical school diversity through an undergraduate partnership at Texas A&M Health Science Center: a blueprint for success.

Imperative to increasing diversity in the physician workforce is increasing the pool of qualified underrepresented minority applicants to medical schools. With this goal in mind, the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine (A&M College of Medicine) has partnered with Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), a historically black college and university that is a component of the Texas A&M university system, to develop the undergraduate medical academy (UMA). The UMA was established by legislative mandate in 2003 and is a state-funded program.

Monomer depletion, pressure difference, and membrane tube radius reduction due to fiber polymerization in microspikes.

In many processes vital to life, the growth of biological fibers outwards from a membrane surface naturally produces membrane tube tethers or microspikes in biological cells. Here, we investigate the novel effect of pressure difference (due to monomer depletion) on the polymerization dynamics of biological fibers within long membrane tubes. We crucially find that fiber monomers become depleted close to the growing tip as the fiber polymerizes, thus reducing the local pressure, and hence decreasing the membrane tube radius at the tip.

Convection-enhanced delivery of maghemite nanoparticles: Increased efficacy and MRI monitoring.

Convection-enhanced drug delivery (CED) is a novel approach to delivering drugs into brain tissue. Drugs are delivered continuously via a catheter, enabling large volume distributions of high drug concentrations with minimum systemic toxicity. Previously we demonstrated that CED formation/extent of small molecules may be significantly improved by increasing infusate viscosities.