Comparison of inhibitory effects of glucosamine and mannosamine on bovine articular cartilage degradation in vitro.

Objective: To compare the inhibitory effects of glucosamine and mannosamine on articular cartilage degradation and the effects on chondrocyte viability in vitro.

Sample Population: Bovine articular cartilage explants.

Procedures: Explants were cultured in commercial medium for 48 hours.

[Follow-up of children less than five years of age suffering from respiratory diseases: literature review].

Study of a descriptive nature, aiming at identifying publications related to respiratory diseases in children aged less than five years, in national and international periodicals and in some textbooks, from 1990 through 2002, and identifying the ones which describe respiratory diseases over the course of children's growth and development. Twenty-seven works were analyzed. Some features are presented referring to quantity of authors published, language of publication, and methodological as well as thematic aspects: respiratory diseases in children, their determiners and risk factors; use of health services for children suffering from respiratory problems; follow-up and respiratory diseases in childhood.

[Caring for children and adolescents with cancer: the intrathecal chemotherapy phase].

This study aims to explore the experiences of children and adolescents with cancer during the intrathecal chemotherapy phase, by means of a qualitative approach. Empirical data were collected on the basis of semi-structured interviews. Study participants were eleven children/adolescents who received intrathecal chemotherapy, between 07 and 16 years old, from both genders, attended at a hospital school in the interior of São Paulo State, Brazil.

[Undergraduate education at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing throughout the 50 years of its history (1953-2003)].

This study aims to describe the course of undergraduate education developed at the University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto College of Nursing throughout the 50 years of its history (1953-2003), offering tools for reflection about the historical and social context, about current curricular guidelines and political and pedagogical challenges with a view to nursing formation.

Evaluation of a RAPD-based typing scheme in a molecular epidemiology study of Vibrio cholerae O1, Brazil.

Aims: To evaluate the utility of random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique for routine practice in public health laboratories for epidemiological studies of Vibrio cholerae O1 isolates.

Materials And Results: Seventy-nine strains were examined by PCR for the toxin genes (ctx A, zot and ace), virulence-associated genes (tcp A and tox T) and RAPD sequences. Except for one strain (no.

[Nursing practice in the health care of children at a basic health unit].

This study aimed at identifying nursing actions in the follow-up of growth and development of children under five years old who were assisted at two Basic Health Units in Franca, Brazil. The empirical study was based on observation of nursing activities in the vaccination, pre-consultation, post-consultation and newborn screening test collection sectors, using video recording. We concluded that basic follow-up actions concerning growth and development, breastfeeding stimulation, food orientation, vaccination and prevalent disease prevention are permeating nursing care, although in a fragmented way in communication and ties established with clients.

[Nursing training and the strategy of integrated management of childhood prevalent illnesses].

The Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses (IMCI) strategy aims at improving the quality of care delivered and children's health conditions. This article presents a description and reflection on the introduction of the Integrated Management of Childhood Illnesses in the Nursing undergraduate curriculum, based on the literature and on the experience of the authors teaching at the Nursing program on Children's Health from University of São Paulo (Nursing School and Nursing School from Ribeirão Preto). The authors mention historical aspects regarding the IMCI in Brazil and the principles that guide it.

[Use of video recording technique in nursing research on children's health].

This study aims at describing the methodological approach adopted in an investigation on nursing care in the follow-up of children's growth and development in a Basic Health Unit, focusing on the videotaping technique. The study discusses aspects of the exploratory phase, empirical data collection, recording and observation unit by emphasizing the use of video recording as well as its advantages and difficulties.

[Mother-child bonding: comparative study of mothers after normal delivery and cesarean section].

The authors chose behavior observation through continuous and specific cursive recording. The purpose was to compare the behavior of mothers and natural-birth newborns with that of caesarian section newborns in their first 24 hours of life in rooming-in. Fourteen mother-child pairs, seven natural births and seven caesarian sections were observed.

Surgery for congenital heart disease in low-birth weight neonates: a comprehensive statewide Connecticut program to improve outcomes.

Low-birth weight (LBW) remains a significant risk factor in surgery for congenital heart disease (CHD). The timing of surgery and the choice of complete repair vs palliative measures are controversial issues. Delay of surgery to achieve weight gain may result in poorer outcomes.

Effect of enalaprilat on postoperative hypertension after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta.

Objective: Hypertension in pediatric patients after surgical repair of coarctation of the aorta can be difficult to control and may lead to morbidity. The renin-angiotensin system mediates at least part of this hypertension. Enalaprilat, the only intravenous angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, is used to treat hypertension in pediatric patients in other settings.

Are your patients depressed? Implications for dental practice.

Depressive disorders traditionally reside outside the realm of customary dental practice. Nonetheless, one in every five patients who visits a dentist experiences clinically significant symptoms of depression. The clinical implications of this are substantial.

[Maternal care of low-birth weight infants].

This is an exploratory and descriptive study which aimed at characterizing mothers' accounts on the care given to the health of children with low weight at birth during their first and second years of life by means of home interviews with a group of eleven mothers of children from Ribeirão Preto--SP. The mothers pointed to difficulties with breastfeeding, the babies' diet and medication use. They also referred to concerns about intercurrences, re-hospitalizations and psychomotor development, which results in the need for professional support in order to evaluate and follow the growth and development process of children within families' everyday life.

Using nurse practitioners to implement an intervention in primary care for high-utilizing patients with medically unexplained symptoms.

Patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) often are a source of frustration for clinicians, and despite high quality biomedical attention and frequent diagnostic tests, they have poor health outcomes. Following upon progress in depression treatment approaches, we developed a multidimensional treatment protocol for deployment by primary care personnel. This multi-faceted intervention for MUS patients emphasized cognitive-behavioral principles, the provider-patient relationship, pharmacological management, and treating comorbid medical diseases.

Intraoperative radiofrequency ablation of the atrium: effectiveness for treatment of supraventricular tachycardia in congenital heart surgery.

Background: Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) is common in surgical patients with congenital heart disease. Ablation and maze operations have been shown to be effective in treating SVT, but these procedures can be complex and time-consuming because of variable anatomy and a thickened right atrium. To simplify and shorten these procedures, we used a long, flexible radiofrequency probe capable of producing long ablation lines quickly and effectively.

[Assistance to parents of preterm newborns at neonatal units].

The purpose of this study is to reflect about the assistance to be given to parents of preterm and low weight babies, born in neonatal units, based on existing literature and the authors' practical experiences. Although mothers right to be close to their babies is assured by law, most of the nurseries still keep strict visit schedules to parents. However, there are some units where mothers' permanency is allowed.