Prevalence of CKD, Diabetes, and Hypertension in Rural Tanzania.

Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD), diabetes, and hypertension play a disproportionate role in the growing public health challenge posed by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in East Africa. The impact of these NCDs may pose the greatest challenge in rural areas with limited screening and treatment facilities, although precise prevalence estimates of these conditions in rural Tanzania are lacking.

Methods: The prevalence of CKD, diabetes, and hypertension, were estimated from a probability sample of adults (n = 739) residing in 2 communities within Kisarawe, a rural district of Tanzania.

Mindfulness meditation in older adults with postherpetic neuralgia: a randomized controlled pilot study.

This parallel-group, randomized controlled pilot study examined daily meditation in a diverse sample of older adults with postherpetic neuralgia. Block randomization was used to allocate participants to a treatment group (n = 13) or control group (n = 14). In addition to usual care, the treatment group practiced daily meditation for six weeks.

Elevated cytokines, thrombin and PAI-1 in severe HCPS patients due to Sin Nombre virus.

Sin Nombre Hantavirus (SNV, Bunyaviridae Hantavirus) is a Category A pathogen that causes Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome (HCPS) with case fatality ratios generally ranging from 30% to 50%. HCPS is characterized by vascular leakage due to dysregulation of the endothelial barrier function. The loss of vascular integrity results in non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema, shock, multi-organ failure and death.

A randomized, masked, placebo-controlled study of darbepoetin alfa in preterm infants.

Background: A novel erythropoiesis stimulating agent (ESA), darbepoetin alfa (Darbe), increases hematocrit in anemic adults when administered every 1 to 3 weeks. Weekly Darbe dosing has not been evaluated in preterm infants. We hypothesized that infants would respond to Darbe by decreasing transfusion needs compared with placebo, with less-frequent dosing than erythropoietin (Epo).

Differential associations between maternal scaffolding and toddler emotion regulation in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Background: Parental "scaffolding" behavior has been associated with developmental outcomes in at-risk children.

Aims: Because there are limited empirical data regarding how scaffolding is associated with emotion-based developmental skills, the purpose of this study was to compare associations between maternal verbal scaffolding and toddler emotion regulation, including fewer displays of negative affect and increased contentment and enjoyment during play, in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Study Design: This study was a cross-sectional cohort design.

Association of maternal scaffolding to maternal education and cognition in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Aim: Parental behaviour described as 'scaffolding' has been shown to influence outcomes in at-risk children. The purpose of this study was to compare maternal verbal scaffolding in toddlers born preterm and full term.

Methods: The scaffolding behaviour of mothers of toddlers born preterm and healthy full term was compared during a 5-min videotaped free play session with standardized toys.

Comparison of the Bayley II Mental Developmental Index and the Bayley III Cognitive Scale: are we measuring the same thing?

Aim: To better understand differences between Bayley Scales 3rd edition (Bayley III) Cognitive Scale and Bayley Scales 2nd edition (Bayley II) Mental Developmental Index (MDI) in 18-22-month-old children born term and preterm and to create a conversion algorithm using Bayley II MDI to calculate Bayley III Cognitive score.

Methods: This study included 51 term and 26 preterm children between 18 and 22 months, ages adjusted for prematurity. Children's scores on Bayley II MDI and Bayley III Cognitive Scale were compared using t-tests.

Anti-IgE therapy results in decreased myeloid dendritic cells in asthmatic airways.

Anti-IgE treatment of intermittent to mild-persistent asthma in a cohort of seven volunteers resulted in improved allergen-induced airway hyperreactivity and a significant reduction in the number of airway myeloid dendritic cells.

Expression of the proapoptotic protein Bax is reduced in bronchial mucous cells of asthmatic subjects.

The present studies were designed to determine whether our findings in mice showing that the Bcl-2-associated protein X (Bax), which plays a role in the resolution of allergen-induced mucous cell metaplasia, can be applied to asthma in humans. Immunostaining of autopsy tissues from mild and severe asthmatic subjects showed a significant reduction in the percentage of Bax-positive mucous cells compared with those from nonasthmatic controls. To exclude the possibility that postmortem changes may have affected Bax expression, Bax mRNA levels in airway epithelial cells obtained from nonsmoking asthmatic subjects were compared with those from nonasthmatic controls.

Effect of chronic maternal methadone therapy on intrapartum fetal heart rate patterns.

Objective: Treatment of maternal opioid dependence with methadone is associated with a delay in fetal heart rate (FHR) accelerations in nonstress tests. The objective of this investigation was to determine the effect of methadone maintenance therapy on intrapartum FHR patterns.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study compared intrapartum FHR tracings from 56 methadone-treated patients > or =36 weeks gestation with a control group of nonsubstance using patients matched for maternal age, parity, gestational age, and ethnicity.

Prevalence of low cortisol values in term and near-term infants with vasopressor-resistant hypotension.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of low cortisol values and to evaluate clinical responses to hydrocortisone in ill term and near-term newborns.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study including infants >or=35 weeks gestational age who were mechanically ventilated, received vasopressor therapy, and had a cortisol concentration obtained for evaluation of vasopressor-resistant hypotension. In those infants treated with hydrocortisone, physiologic responses were evaluated and correlated with cortisol values (<15 vs >or=15 microg/dl).

Sleep Dynamic Therapy for Cerro Grande Fire evacuees with posttraumatic stress symptoms: a preliminary report.

Background: Sleep disturbance is common among disaster survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms but is rarely addressed as a primary therapeutic target. Sleep Dynamic Therapy (SDT), an integrated program of primarily evidence-based, nonpharmacologic sleep medicine therapies coupled with standard clinical sleep medicine instructions, was administered to a large group of fire evacuees to treat posttraumatic insomnia and nightmares and determine effects on posttraumatic stress severity.

Method: The trial was an uncontrolled, prospective pilot study of SDT for 66 adult men and women, 10 months after exposure to the Cerro Grande Fire.

Nightmare frequency in sexual assault survivors with PTSD.

Sexual assault survivors with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were assessed for frequency of nightmares, measured retrospectively on the Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire (NFQ) and prospectively on nightmare dream logs (NLOG). Retrospective frequency was extremely high, averaging occurrences every other night and an estimated number of nightmares greater than five per week. Test-retest reliability data on the NFQ yielded weighted kappa coefficients of .

Sleep-disordered breathing, psychiatric distress, and quality of life impairment in sexual assault survivors.

Using American Academy of Sleep Medicine research criteria, sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) was assessed in a pilot study of 187 sexual assault survivors with posttraumatic stress symptoms. Nightmares, sleep quality, distress, and quality of life were also assessed along with historical accounts of prior treatments for sleep complaints. Presumptive SDB diagnoses were established for 168 patients.