Therapeutic and Economic Benefits of Service Dogs Versus Emotional Support Dogs for Veterans With PTSD.

Objective: This work aimed to assess the therapeutic and economic benefits of service dogs versus emotional support dogs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: Veterans with PTSD (N=227) participating in a multicenter trial were randomly assigned to receive a service or emotional support dog; 181 veterans received a dog and were followed up for 18 months. Primary outcomes included overall functioning (assessed with World Health Organization Disability Assessment Scale II [WHODAS 2.

Design and challenges for a randomized, multi-site clinical trial comparing the use of service dogs and emotional support dogs in Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a leading cause of impairments in quality of life and functioning among Veterans. Service dogs have been promoted as an effective adjunctive intervention for PTSD, however published research is limited and design and implementation flaws in published studies limit validated conclusions. This paper describes the rationale for the study design, a detailed methodological description, and implementation challenges of a multisite randomized clinical trial examining the impact of service dogs on the on the functioning and quality of life of Veterans with PTSD.

Analysis of eight commercial enzyme immunoassay tests for detection of antibodies to Mycoplasma pneumoniae in human serum.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae is an important etiologic agent of primary atypical pneumonia in children and adults. The diagnosis of M. pneumoniae infection is commonly confirmed through serologic testing.

ResearchTraining.org and AALASLearningLibrary.org: online learning management systems for technicians, researchers, and IACUCs.

ResearchTraining.org and the AALASLearningLibrary.org are web-based learning management systems that utilise database architecture in Microsoft SQL Server 2000 and Internet browsers (Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.

Cellular remodeling of depopulated bovine ureter used as an arteriovenous graft in the canine model.

Background: One of the greatest challenges in hemodialysis access surgery is improving the durability of prosthetic grafts caused by structural deterioration. The depopulated bovine ureter SynerGraft (SG) (CryoLife, Inc) is a tissue-engineered vascular graft processed to remove the xenograft cells while maintaining an unfixed connective tissue matrix capable of autologous cell repopulation by the recipient.

Study Design: Nineteen 6-mm diameter bovine ureter SG conduits were implanted in 12 dogs as arteriovenous grafts between the carotid artery and jugular vein (n = 11) or between the femoral artery and vein (n = 8).

The increased bactericidal activity of a fatty acid-modified synthetic antimicrobial peptide of human cathepsin G correlates with its enhanced capacity to interact with model membranes.

The bactericidal potency of a synthetic peptide (CG 117-136) of human lysosomal cathepsin G (cat G) can be substantially increased by covalent attachment to its N- or C-termini, of saturated, linear fatty acids (FAs), namely those with C-8, C-10 and C-12 hydrocarbon chains. In order to understand better the mechanism by which FA moieties increase the bactericidal activity of CG 117-136, the interaction of N-terminally FA-modified peptides with artificial membranes was studied. First, the content of secondary structure motifs in the modified and unmodified peptides was determined by circular dichroism (CD).