Does the osteopathic pedal pump reduce lower limb volume in healthy subjects?

Context: Lymphatic treatments are gentle and passive techniques believed to enhance movement of lymph back into the central circulatory system. Animal studies provide supportive evidence, yet there are few studies in humans.

Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate whether the osteopathic pedal pump protocol reduces volume in the lower limbs of healthy subjects.

Inhibition of Biofilm Formation with Surface Modified Polymeric Nanoparticles.

The gram-negative bacterial pathogen represents a prominent clinical concern. Due to the observed high levels of antibiotic resistance, copious biofilm formation, and wide array of virulence factors produced by these bacteria, new treatment technologies are required. Here, we present the development of a series of LecA-targeted polymeric nanoparticles and demonstrate the anti-adhesion and biofilm inhibitory properties of these constructs.

Development of a novel series of non-natural triaryl agonists and antagonists of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa LasR quorum sensing receptor.

Bacterial chemical communication, through a process called quorum sensing (QS), plays a central role in infection in numerous bacterial pathogens. Quorum sensing in Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs a series of small molecule receptors including the master QS regulator, LasR. In this study we investigate a non-natural triaryl series of LasR ligands using a combination of structure activity relationship studies and computational modeling.

MRSA colonization and the nasal microbiome in adults at high risk of colonization and infection.

Objective: The objective of this study was to define the nasal microbiome of hospital inpatients who are persistently colonized with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) compared with matched, non-colonized controls.

Methods: Twenty-six persistently MRSA-colonized subjects and 26 matched non-colonized controls were selected from the screening records of the infection control program at the Department of the Veteran Affairs Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA-ECHCS). The nasal microbiotas were analyzed with PCR amplification and sequencing of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene.

Disinfection of reusable elastomeric respirators by health care workers: a feasibility study and development of standard operating procedures.

Background: This was a feasibility study in a Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be used by health care workers to disinfect reusable elastomeric respirators under pandemic conditions. Registered and licensed practical nurses, nurse practitioners, aides, clinical technicians, and physicians took part in the study.

Methods: Health care worker volunteers were provided with manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection instructions and all necessary supplies.

Safety and effectiveness of drug-eluting versus bare-metal stents in saphenous vein bypass graft percutaneous coronary interventions: insights from the Veterans Affairs CART program.

Background: Stenosis of saphenous vein grafts (SVGs) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) is common and often requires percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) for treatment. However, data for the effectiveness of drug-eluting stents (DES) versus bare-metal stents (BMS) in SVG-PCI are unclear.

Objectives: This study sought to examine the association between DES versus BMS used during SVG PCI and clinical outcomes in the national Veterans Affairs integrated healthcare system.

Tryptophan supplementation and postoperative delirium--a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine whether the postoperative administration of tryptophan would be beneficial for elderly adults undergoing surgery who are at risk of developing postoperative delirium.

Design: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

Setting: Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

An Op-Ed concerning steroids and the law: how the Internet has changed illegal drug trade and its prosecution.

Athletes take anabolic steroids to increase strength, build muscle, and improve performance, even though the practice is banned by many athletic organizations and can cause serious adverse effects. State and federal laws regulate the sale and distribution of anabolic steroids to restrict their use, and yet, the Internet has become a world-flattening promoter of easy access to the drugs. While scientists continue to study the potential therapeutic and toxic effects of steroid drugs, prosecutors endeavor to uphold the laws in the slippery online environment.

Access and care issues in urban urgent care clinic patients.

Background: Although primary care should be the cornerstone of medical practice, inappropriate use of urgent care for non-urgent patients is a growing problem that has significant economic and healthcare consequences. The characteristics of patients who choose the urgent care setting, as well as the reasoning behind their decisions, is not well established. The purpose of this study was to determine the motivation behind, and characteristics of, adult patients who choose to access health care in our urgent care clinic.

Evidence for the involvement of cyclooxygenase activity in the development of cocaine sensitization.

Phospholipase A2 (PLA(2)) activation generates the release of arachidonic acid (AA) and platelet-activating factor (PAF), two compounds which may be involved in neuroplasticity. In previous studies, we found that PLA(2) activation is involved in the development of stimulant sensitization. In the present study, we have examined the roles of AA and PAF in the development of stimulant sensitization using agonists and antagonists selective for PAF receptors or the induction of various AA cascade-mediated eicosanoids.