Insect mechanoreception: what a long, strange TRP it's been.

Insect bristles are model mechanosensory organs. An ion channel of the TRP superfamily has recently been identified which is required for production of mechanoreceptor currents by insect bristles, and seems likely to represent a new kind of mechanically gated channel.

Screening for iron deficiency anemia by dietary history in a high-risk population.

Background: Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) in young children is important to identify because of its adverse effects on behavior and development. Because of costs and inconvenience associated with blood test screening and the decline in prevalence of IDA, the Institute of Medicine and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that blood test screening for IDA be targeted to children first identified by dietary and health history.

Objective: To evaluate a parent-completed dietary and health history as the first stage of 2-stage screening for IDA.

Use of social services by pregnant Medicaid eligible women in Baltimore.

Objectives: To use linked health and social service databases to determine differences in the use of social services by pregnant women in different managed care systems.

Methods: Comparison of service use by women enrolled in a fee-for-service primary care case management program (Maryland Access to Care or MAC), in a capitated health maintenance organization (HMO), or not assigned to managed care using six state databases. Participants included 5181 women receiving Medical Assistance (MA) and delivering in Baltimore City in 1993.

Hawaii's healthy start program of home visiting for at-risk families: evaluation of family identification, family engagement, and service delivery.

Objective: To describe family identification, family engagement, and service delivery in a statewide home visiting program for at-risk families of newborns.

Setting: Six target communities of Hawaii's Healthy Start Program (HSP), which incorporates 1) early identification of at-risk families of newborns via population-based screening and assessment, and 2) paraprofessional home visiting to improve family functioning, promote child health and development, and prevent child maltreatment.

Design: Cross-sectional study: describes early identification process and family characteristics associated with initial enrollment.

Use of spun urine to enhance detection of Trichomonas vaginalis in adolescent women.

Background: Diagnosis of Trichomonas vaginalis infection is traditionally performed by microscopic examination of vaginal fluid. Although this technique is relatively insensitive compared with culture, it is widely used because of its lower cost and immediate results.

Objective: To assess the utility of microscopic examination of spun urine as a means of increasing the sensitivity of microscopic diagnosis of T.

Testing for Helicobacter pylori infection: validation and diagnostic yield of a near patient test in primary care.

Objective: To evaluate the performance of a near patient test for Helicobacter pylori infection in primary care.

Design: Validation study performed within a randomised trial of four management strategies for dyspepsia.

Setting: 43 general practices around Nottingham.

Relationship between primary care practices in medical school admission and the matriculation of underrepresented-minority and female applicants.

Purpose: To determine whether primary care-oriented (generalist) admission practices at U.S. medical schools address physician workforce diversity issues by resulting in the admission of more members of underrepresented-minority populations or more women.

Evaluation of Hawaii's Healthy Start Program.

Hawaii's Healthy Start Program (HSP) is designed to prevent child abuse and neglect and to promote child health and development in newborns of families at risk for poor child outcomes. The program operates statewide in Hawaii and has inspired national and international adaptations, including Healthy Families America. This article describes HSP, its ongoing evaluation study, and evaluation findings at the end of two of a planned three years of family program participation and follow-up.

Communicating about youth's sun exposure risk to soccer coaches and parents: a pilot study in Georgia.

Efforts to increase the sun-protective behaviors of children were extended to outdoor recreational sports and youth soccer settings in this study. The pretest results of a pilot survey of coaches (n = 12), parents (n = 50), and youths (n = 61) on eight soccer teams in south Georgia were used to guide the development of a health education program for coaches. In the pilot programs, half the coaches were trained to be involved in soccer-playing youths' sun protection by acting as positive role models and promoting sun protection to youths and their parents.

Modelling different approaches to the management of upper gastrointestinal disease.

A treatment algorithm for the management of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) disease in general practice has been developed by an international group of general practitioners [the International Gastro Primary Care Group (IGPCG)]. When the algorithm was evaluated to consider the overall cost per patient, it was shown to offer savings over current practice in the UK. Adjustments to the algorithm have been proposed, usually on the basis of variations in the place and timing of Helicobacter pylori testing and eradication, with or without endoscopy.

Is oral albuterol effective for acute cough in non-asthmatic children?

Fifty-nine non-asthmatic children with acute cough were randomized to receive oral albuterol or placebo for 7 d. There was a similar, rapid rate of resolution of acute cough for the two groups, but more shaking or trembling in those treated with albuterol (5/30 vs 0/29; p = 0.05).

Protection against aspirin-induced human gastric mucosal injury by bosentan, a new endothelin-1 receptor antagonist.

Background: Gastric ulceration induced by aspirin and by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is a major clinical problem. The mechanism of injury is unclear. There is evidence that NSAID-induced injury may cause endothelin activation.

Mortality and rebleeding following Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Stent Shunt for variceal haemorrhage.

The present study investigates clinical factors associated with decreased survival following Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Stent Shunt (TIPSS). Sixty-seven patients underwent TIPSS for bleeding related to portal hypertension, 42 (63%) on an urgent basis. TIPSS was successfully placed in 65 (97%) patients with no fatal procedural complications.

Ipratropium bromide added to asthma treatment in the pediatric emergency department.

Objective: To determine if the addition of ipratropium bromide to the emergency department (ED) treatment of childhood asthma reduces time to discharge, number of nebulizer treatments before discharge, and the rate of hospitalization.

Methods: Patients >12 months of age were eligible if they were to be treated according to a standardized ED protocol for acute asthma with nebulized albuterol (2.5 mg/dose if weight <30 kg, otherwise 5 mg/dose) and oral prednisone or prednisolone (2 mg/kg up to 80 mg).

Primary afferent-evoked release of immunoreactive galanin in the spinal cord of the neuropathic rat.

We have determined if peripheral nerve stimulation altered the increased spontaneous release of immunoreactive (ir)-galanin that is found in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord of neuropathic rats. Using the antibody microprobe technique to study the localized sites of ir-galanin release in vivo, we found that high intensity electrical stimulation of the injured nerve resulted in a further increase in ir-galanin release in the superficial dorsal horn, with no significant persistence of ir-galanin after release. Release of ir-galanin at stimulus strengths sufficient to activate C fibres, in an area of the spinal cord thought to be concerned with nociceptive transmission, indicates a possible role for this peptide in the spinal modulation of pain after peripheral nerve injury.

High Helicobacter pylori eradication rate with a 1-week regimen containing ranitidine bismuth citrate.

Background: High Helicobacter pylori eradication rates have consistently been reported with 2-week dual therapy regimens of ranitidine bismuth citrate plus clarithromycin. Ranitidine bismuth citrate with two antibiotics may provide an alternative 1-week eradication regimen.

Methods: This double-blind, randomized, parallel group, international, multicentre study compared ranitidine bismuth citrate 400 mg b.

Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori in Britain.

The prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in the United Kingdom (UK) is similar to that of other developed Western countries with H. pylori infection a major cause of morbidity from peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Guidelines for testing and treating H.

Associations between primary care-oriented practices in medical school admission and the practice intentions of matriculants.

Purpose: To assess associations of primary-care-oriented medical school admission practices with matriculants practice intentions.

Method: The authors performed cross-sectional, secondary analyses of databases from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). The independent variables were four medical school admission practices.

Appendicectomy, childhood hygiene, Helicobacter pylori status, and risk of inflammatory bowel disease: a case control study.

Aims: To examine the relation between inflammatory bowel disease and appendicectomy, childhood domestic hygiene, and Helicobacter pylori infection.

Methods: Case control study involving 213 patients with ulcerative colitis, 110 with Crohn's disease, and 337 controls having elective surgery.

Results: Nine patients with ulcerative colitis (4.

Evaluation of vaginal infections in adolescent women: can it be done without a speculum?

Objective: Given that highly sensitive urine-based nucleic acid amplification tests may eliminate the need for speculum exam to diagnose gonorrhea and chlamydia cervicitis, we sought to determine if vaginal infections could be diagnosed without using a speculum.

Methods: Matched pairs of vaginal specimens were collected from participants before and during speculum exam for diagnosis of trichomoniasis, bacterial vaginosis, and vulvovaginal candidiasis. Females age 12 to 22 years presenting to the Johns Hopkins adolescent primary care clinics who required a pelvic examination were eligible to participate.