Audiological follow-up in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme: An exploratory study of the influencing factors.

Background:  Follow-up return rate in Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) programmes is of specific importance as it ensures that benchmarks are met and that no child with suspected hearing loss is left unidentified.

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to determine the factors influencing audiological follow-up of high-risk infants in a risk-based newborn hearing screening programme.

Method:  A non-experimental, exploratory, qualitative research design was employed.

Numerical investigation of the cylinder movement in granular matter.

We investigate numerically the mechanisms governing horizontal dragging of a rigid cylinder buried inside granular matter, with particular emphasis on enumerating drag and lift forces that resist cylinder movement. The recently proposed particle finite element method is employed, which combines the robustness of classical continuum mechanics formulations in terms of representing complex aspects of the material constitutive behavior, with the effectiveness of discrete element methods in simulating ultralarge deformation problems. The investigation focuses on the effect of embedment depth, cylinder roughness, granular matter macromechanical properties, and of the magnitude of the cylinder's horizontal displacement on the amplitude of the resisting forces, which are discussed in light of published experimental data.

Philanthropy: a priceless lesson in healthcare leadership--the Sanford Health story.

At Sanford Health, philanthropic leadership has been transformational in nature. Denny Sanford's $400 million gift to Sanford Health (the largest known gift to an American healthcare organization) demonstrates how philanthropic leadership transforms an organization by enhancing the role it will play in its community, region, and beyond. This article describes how the gift came about, the accomplishments in fulfilling the donor's intentions, the leadership initiatives and challenges associated with the gift, and its overall impact on the organization.

[Induction phenomena during vertebrate limb development and homeo box gene expression].

In tetrapod vertebrates, limbs are formed as a result of inductive interactions between ectoderm and mesoderm. The mesoderm from the limb field induces the formation, in the ectoderm, of a pseudo-stratified epithelium, the apical ectodermal ridge, which in turn is required for limb mesoderm outgrowth and patterning. Homeobox genes from the msh family are expressed in the apical region of limb bud mesoderm.

Talpid2 limb bud mesoderm does not express GHox-8 and has an altered expression pattern of GHox-7.

We have studied the expression patterns of the chick homeobox-containing genes, GHox-7 and GHox-8, in the talpid2 (ta2) chick mutant whose limbs have abnormal pattern. These studies provide new insight into how homeobox gene expression and limb patterning may be related. This is the first study demonstrating a natural change in GHox-7 and GHox-8 along the anteroposterior axis.

Altered expression of the chicken homeobox-containing genes GHox-7 and GHox-8 in the limb buds of limbless mutant chick embryos.

It has been suggested that the reciprocal expression of the chicken homeobox-containing genes GHox-8 and GHox-7 by the apical ectodermal ridge and subjacent limb mesoderm might be involved in regulating the proximodistal outgrowth of the developing chick limb bud. In the present study the expression of GHox-7 and GHox-8 has been examined by in situ and dot blot hybridization in the developing limb buds of limbless mutant chick embryos. The limb buds of homozygous mutant limbless embryos form at the proper time in development (stage 17/18), but never develop an apical ectodermal ridge, fail to undergo normal elongation, and eventually degenerate.

The formation of leg or wing specific structures by leg bud cells grafted to the wing bud is influenced by proximity to the apical ridge.

When quail or chick leg bud mesoderm was grafted to a chick wing bud, toes developed from grafts placed in direct contact with the wing apical ridge. The toes were primarily derived from quail leg cells, with variable participation of host wing cells. Donor cells also integrated into wing-specific structures, such as cartilage of the wing digits and the surrounding connective tissues.

Inflammation of the neck.

In the evaluation of a large series of infectious processes in the cervical region, certain diagnostic sonographic patterns have been established, which prove very helpful in differentiating the various stages and the extension of inflammatory processes. The advantages of sonographic imaging are demonstrated.

Influence of culture media on the radiation resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans.

The addition of NZ-case (a tryptic digest of casein) to a growth medium (PC) consisting of tryptone, glucose, and yeast extract caused a significant decrease in gamma radiation resistance of Micrococcus radiodurans. The level of radiation resistance was inversely related to the concentration of NZ-case. The ld(50) for this organism was approximately 700 krad when grown in tryptone, glucose, yeast extract, and dl-methionine (TGYM) broth, but it was approximately one-half as resistant when grown in a PC medium containing 0.

Ecology of Micrococcus radiodurans.

An ecological study of Micrococcus radiodurans indicated that microorganisms possessing the same morphological and radiation-resistance characteristics as that organism could be isolated from ground beef and from pork sausage. Further studies showed that such organisms also could be isolated from beef hides and from water from a creek adjacent to the packing plant from which the meat samples were obtained. Similar microorganisms were not isolated, however, from a limited number of samples of soil, hay, and fecal material.

Antibiotic sensitivities of organisms isolated from mastitic and nonmastitic mammary secretions.

Antibiotic sensitivity tests to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and the minimal lethal concentrations (MLC) for six antibiotics were conducted against mastitic isolates of staphylococci in skim milk and broth. The MIC and the MLC for all the antibiotics except benzylpenicillin were considerably higher in skim milk than in broth. Benzylpenicillin was the most effective antibiotic tested in either medium, and dihydrostreptomycin was the least effective against the organisms tested.

CHEMICAL SENSITIZATION OF CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM SPORES TO RADIATION IN MEAT.

Beef ground round inoculated with 1,000,000 spores of Clostridium botulinum 33-A per gram and containing various additives was exposed to gamma radiation. Spores were inactivated in samples (irradiated at 2.0, 2.