Decreased DNA density is a better indicator of a nuclear bleb than lamin B loss.

Nuclear blebs are herniations of the nucleus that occur in diseased nuclei that cause nuclear rupture leading to cellular dysfunction. Chromatin and lamins are two of the major structural components of the nucleus that maintain its shape and function, but their relative roles in nuclear blebbing remain elusive. To determine the composition of nuclear blebs, we compared the immunofluorescence intensity of DNA and lamin B in the main nucleus body to the nuclear bleb across cell types and perturbations.

Comparison of human milk bottle with infant/toddler test weights in the community setting.

Background: The accuracy of infant intake using test weights (TWs), the change in weight before and after an infant feeds, has only been validated in hospitalized premature infants. This study's primary aim was to identify how accurate parent infants/toddler (< 2 years old) TWs are at measuring infant intake.

Methods: Data were collected from 101 paired bottle and infant/toddler TWs with 31 participants.

DNA density is a better indicator of a nuclear bleb than lamin B loss.

Nuclear blebs are herniations of the nucleus that occur in diseased nuclei that cause nuclear rupture leading to cellular dysfunction. Chromatin and lamins are two of the major structural components of the nucleus that maintain its shape and function, but their relative roles in nuclear blebbing remain elusive. Lamin B is reported to be lost in blebs by qualitative data while quantitative studies reveal a spectrum of lamin B levels in nuclear blebs dependent on perturbation and cell type.

The experience and role of mentorship for paediatric occupational therapists.

Introduction: Within Australia, the introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme has led to a growth in paediatric occupational therapists working in community settings. This growth has increased the demand for support from more senior paediatric occupational therapists to novice clinicians. Mentoring has long been valued by occupational therapists as a means to provide this support.

Comparison of Newer Hand-Held Ultrasound Devices for Post-Dive Venous gas Emboli Quantification to Standard Echocardiography.

Decompression sickness (DCS) can result from the growth of bubbles in tissues and blood during or after a reduction in ambient pressure, for example in scuba divers, compressed air workers or astronauts. In scuba diving research, post-dive bubbles are detectable in the venous circulation using ultrasound. These venous gas emboli (VGE) are a marker of decompression stress, and larger amounts of VGE are associated with an increased probability of DCS.

Clinical evaluation of the BioFire Global Fever Panel for the identification of malaria, leptospirosis, chikungunya, and dengue from whole blood: a prospective, multicentre, cross-sectional diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Acute febrile illness is a common presentation for patients at hospitals globally. Assays that can diagnose a variety of common pathogens in blood could help to establish a diagnosis for targeted disease management. We aimed to evaluate the performance of the BioFire Global Fever Panel (GF Panel), a multiplex nucleic acid amplification test performed on whole blood specimens run on the BioFire FilmArray System, in the diagnosis of several pathogens that cause acute febrile illness.

A Metabolic Intervention for Improving Human Cognitive Performance During Hypoxia.

During hypoxia an operators cognitive performance may decline. This decline is linked to altered brain metabolism, resulting in decreased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production. Ketone bodies are an alternative substrate to glucose for brain metabolic requirements; previous studies have shown that the presence of elevated ketone bodies in the blood maintains brain ATP levels and reduces cerebral glycolysis during hypoxia.

Comparison of capillary and venous blood for malaria detection using two PCR-based assays in febrile patients in Sierra Leone.

Background: Rapid and sensitive diagnostics are critical tools for clinical case management and public health control efforts. Both capillary and venous blood are currently used for malaria detection and while diagnostic technologies may not be equally sensitive with both materials, the published data on this subject are scarce and not conclusive.

Methods: Paired clinical samples of venous and capillary blood from 141 febrile individuals in Bo, Sierra Leone, were obtained between January and May 2019 and tested for the presence of Plasmodium parasites using two multiplexed PCR assays: the FilmArray-based Global Fever Panel (GFP) and the TaqMan-based Malaria Multiplex Sample Ready (MMSR) assay.

Repurposing of Tranilast for Potential Neuropathic Pain Treatment by Inhibition of Sepiapterin Reductase in the BH Pathway.

Tetrahydrobiopterin (BH) is a cofactor in the production of various signaling molecules including nitric oxide, dopamine, adrenaline, and noradrenaline. BH levels are critical for processes associated with cardiovascular function, inflammation, mood, pain, and neurotransmission. Increasing pieces of evidence suggest that BH is upregulated in chronic pain.

The Mediterranean Diet in the Stroke Belt: A Cross-Sectional Study on Adherence and Perceived Knowledge, Barriers, and Benefits.

The Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is recommended by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, yet little is known about the perceived barriers and benefits to the diet in the U.S., particularly in the Stroke Belt (SB).

Behavioral Interventions to Reduce Infections in Pediatric Long-term Care Facilities: The Keep It Clean for Kids Trial.

Children in pediatric long-term care facilities (pLTCF) represent a highly vulnerable population and infectious outbreaks occur frequently, resulting in significant morbidity, mortality, and resource use. The purpose of this quasi-experimental trial using time series analysis was to assess the impact of a 4-year theoretically based behavioral intervention on infection prevention practices and clinical outcomes in three pLTCF (288 beds) in New York metropolitan area including 720 residents, ages 1 day to 26 years with mean lengths of stay: 7.9-33.

Anticorrosive Self-Assembled Hybrid Alkylsilane Coatings for Resorbable Magnesium Metal Devices.

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are promising candidates for use as resorbable materials for biomedical devices that can degrade in situ following healing of the defect, eliminating the need for a second surgery to remove the device. Hydrogen gas is the main product of magnesium corrosion, and one of the limitations for use of Mg devices in clinic is the formation of gas pockets around them. One potential solution to this problem is reducing the rate of corrosion to the levels at which H can diffuse through the body fluids.

Is hand hygiene frequency associated with the onset of outbreaks in pediatric long-term care?

Background: Studies in adult long-term care facilities (LTCFs) have shown a correlation between hand hygiene (HH) and viral outbreak reduction, but no such studies have been conducted in pediatric LTCFs where the epidemiology of viral pathogens is different.

Methods: We compared electronically monitored facility-wide HH frequency in the weeks immediately prior to outbreaks of acute respiratory or gastrointestinal infections versus control weeks in a 137-bed pediatric LTCF from October 2012-August 2015. Control weeks were the 8-14 day (control 1) and 15-21 day (control 2) periods prior to the onset of each outbreak.

Impact of Infection Prevention and Control Initiatives on Acute Respiratory Infections in a Pediatric Long-Term Care Facility.

We evaluated the collective impact of several infection prevention and control initiatives aimed at reducing acute respiratory infections (ARIs) in a pediatric long-term care facility. ARIs did not decrease overall, though the proportion of infections associated with outbreaks and average number of cases per outbreak decreased. Influenza rates decreased significantly.

Assessing Nursing Care Needs of Children With Complex Medical Conditions: The Nursing-Kids Intensity of Care Survey (N-KICS).

Unlabelled: Recent medical advances have resulted in increased survival of children with complex medical conditions (CMC), but there are no validated methods to measure their care needs.

Objectives/methods: To design and test the Nursing-Kids Intensity of Care Survey (N-KICS) tool and describe intensity of nursing care for children with CMC.

Results: The psychometric evaluation confirmed an acceptable standard for reliability and validity and feasibility.

Direct costs of acute respiratory infections in a pediatric long-term care facility.

Acute respiratory tract infections (ARI) are a major burden in pediatric long-term care. We analyzed the financial impact of ARI in 2012-2013. Costs associated with ARI during the respiratory viral season were ten times greater than during the non-respiratory viral season, $31 224 and $3242 per 1000 patient-days, respectively (P < 0·001).

Health care-associated infection outbreaks in pediatric long-term care facilities.

Children in pediatric long-term care facilities (pLTCFs) have complex medical conditions and increased risk for health care-associated infections (HAIs). We performed a retrospective study from January 2010-December 2013 at 3 pLTCFs to describe HAI outbreaks and associated infection control interventions. There were 62 outbreaks involving 700 cases in residents and 250 cases in staff.