Patient, Caregiver, and Provider Perspectives on Improving Provider-Patient Interactions in Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Improving interactions between people receiving hemodialysis and health care providers of facility-based hemodialysis care is a top priority for patients, caregivers, and health care providers.

Objective: To identify challenges for high-quality clinical interactions in facility-based hemodialysis care as well as potential solutions.

Design: Multicentre qualitative study using focus groups and semi-structured interviews to elicit the perspectives of patients, caregivers, and health care providers.

Complex Spatio-Temporal Interplay of Distinct Immune and Bone Cell Subsets during Bone Fracture Healing.

Background: The healing of a bone injury is a highly complex process involving a multitude of different tissue and cell types, including immune cells, which play a major role in the initiation and progression of bone regeneration.

Methods: We histologically analyzed the spatio-temporal occurrence of cells of the innate immune system (macrophages), the adaptive immune system (B and T lymphocytes), and bone cells (osteoblasts and osteoclasts) in the fracture area of a femoral osteotomy over the healing time. This study was performed in a bone osteotomy gap mouse model.

Patient, Caregiver, and Provider Perspectives on Improving Information Delivery in Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Patients with kidney failure are exposed to a surfeit of new information about their disease and treatment, often resulting in ineffective communication between patients and providers. Improving the amount, timing, and individualization of information received has been identified as a priority in in-center hemodialysis care.

Objective: To describe and explicate patient, caregiver, and health care provider perspectives regarding challenges and solutions to information transfer in clinical hemodialysis care.

Spatio-Temporal Bone Remodeling after Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation.

The interaction of hematopoietic cells and the bone microenvironment to maintain bone homeostasis is increasingly appreciated. We hypothesized that the transfer of allogeneic T lymphocytes has extensive effects on bone biology and investigated trabecular and cortical bone structures, the osteoblast reconstitution, and the bone vasculature in experimental hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT). Allogeneic or syngeneic hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and allogeneic T lymphocytes were isolated and transferred in a murine model.

Patient, Caregiver, and Provider Perspectives on Challenges and Solutions to Individualization of Care in Hemodialysis: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Clinical settings often make it challenging for patients with kidney failure to receive individualized hemodialysis (HD) care. Individualization refers to care that reflects an individual's specific circumstances, values, and preferences.

Objective: This study aimed to describe patient, caregiver, and health care professional perspectives regarding challenges and solutions to individualization of care in people receiving in-center HD.

A Mixed Method Investigation to Determine Priorities for Improving Information, Interaction, and Individualization of Care Among Individuals on In-center Hemodialysis: The Triple I Study.

Background: Current health systems do not effectively address all aspects of chronic care. For better self-management of disease, kidney patients have identified the need for improved health care information, interaction with health care providers, and individualization of care.

Objective: The Triple I study examined challenges to exchange of between patients and health care providers and of care in in-center hemodialysis with the aim of identifying the top 10 challenges that individuals on in-center hemodialysis face in these 3 areas.

Spatial mapping of VOC exhalation by means of bronchoscopic sampling.

Breath analysis holds promise for non-invasive in vivo monitoring of disease related processes. However, physiological parameters may considerably affect profiles of exhaled volatile organic substances (VOCs). Volatile substances can be released via alveoli, bronchial mucosa or from the upper airways.

Primary clear cell sarcoma in the lung apex with spinal metastasis: a fatal outcome.

Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a rare tumour that manifests in tendons and aponeuroses of the distal extremities and comprises roughly 1% of all soft tissue cancers. Only two cases of a primary CCS arising in the lung have been reported in the literature, and neither were located in the lung apex. We report a case of a primary CCS located in the lung apex that originally presented as ptosis, as well as arm pain and weakness.

Volatile scents of influenza A and S. pyogenes (co-)infected cells.

Influenza A is a serious pathogen itself, but often leads to dangerous co-infections in combination with bacterial species such as Streptococcus pyogenes. In comparison to classical biochemical methods, analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in headspace above cultures can enable destruction free monitoring of metabolic processes in vitro. Thus, volatile biomarkers emitted from biological cell cultures and pathogens could serve for monitoring of infection processes in vitro.

VOC breath profile in spontaneously breathing awake swine during Influenza A infection.

Influenza is one of the most common causes of virus diseases worldwide. Virus detection requires determination of Influenza RNA in the upper respiratory tract. Efficient screening is not possible in this way.

Taking the Test Taker's Perspective: Response Process and Test Motivation in Multidimensional Forced-Choice Versus Rating Scale Instruments.

The multidimensional forced-choice (MFC) format has been proposed as an alternative to the rating scale (RS) response format. However, it is unclear how changing the response format may affect the response process and test motivation of participants. In Study 1, we investigated the MFC response process using the think-aloud technique.

Bringing prosocial values to translational, disease-specific stem cell research.

Background: Disease-specific stem cell therapies, created from induced pluripotent stem cell lines containing the genetic defects responsible for a particular disease, have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of refractory chronic diseases. Given their capacity to differentiate into any human cell type, these cell lines might be reprogrammed to correct a disease-causing genetic defect in any tissue or organ, in addition to offering a more clinically realistic model for testing new drugs and studying disease mechanisms. Clinical translation of these therapies provides an opportunity to design a more systematic, accessible and patient-influenced model for the delivery of medically innovative treatments to chronically ill patients.

Hepatitis C treatment with triple therapy in a patient with hemophilia A.

We report a case of successful treatment of chronic hepatitis C infection with telaprevir-based triple therapy in a patient with hemophilia A complicated by factor VIII inhibitor. A twenty-two years old male with hereditary hemophilia A and high-titer factor VIII inhibitor was taking maintenance doses of recombinant factor VIII. He visited our clinic for treatment of his chronic hepatitis C with the newly instituted protease inhibitor based therapy.

Toward a more stable blood supply: charitable incentives, donation rates, and the experience of September 11.

Although excess blood collection has characterized U.S. national disasters, most dramatically in the case of September 11, periodic shortages of blood have recurred for decades.

[Impact of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on N2O emission from different soils].

To investigate the effect of different urea incorporation amount in different soils on N2O emission, a pot experiment was carried in 2002-2003. Four treatments were designed as the control (without urea incorporation); low N fertilizer level (334 kg/hm2); middle N fertilizer level (670 kg/hm); high N fertilizer level (1004 kg/hm2). In rice growing season, compared to control, the increment of N2O emission accumulation flux of each soil has no obviously differences among three N fertilizer levels.

[Impact of different levels of nitrogen fertilizer on CH4 emission from different paddy soils].

To investigate the effect of different urea incorporation amount in different soils on CH4 emission, a pot experiment was carried in 2002. Four treatments were designed as the control (without urea incorporation); low N fertilizer level (0.64 g urea/pot); middle N fertilizer level (1.

Effects of copper concentration on methane emission from rice soils.

Outdoor pot experiments with various paddy soils representing five soil types were conducted at Nanjing Agricultural University during the 2000 and 2001 rice-growing seasons. Eighteen soils and ten out of the eighteen soils were involved in the 2000 and the 2001 experiment, respectively. Two treatments were designed as mineral fertilization (MF) and mineral fertilizer + wheat straw incorporation (MF + WS) for the 2001 experiment.

[Integrated effect of incorporation with different organic manures on CH4 and N2O emissions from rice paddy].

Field experiment was conducted in 2001 rice growing season to understand the effect of organic manure application on CH4 and N2O emissions. Five treatments of fertilizer including urea and NH4HCO3 used as chemical fertilizer (CF), chemical fertilizer + pig manure (CF + PM), chemical fertilizer + cow manure (CF + CM), chemical fertilizer + rapeseed cake (CF + RC) and chemical fertilizer + wheat straw (CF + WS) were dedicated to this experiment. Results from the field observations indicated that application of the organic manure did not change the seasonal pattern of CH4 and N2O emissions but significantly affected the seasonal amounts.

[Methane emission from rice paddy soils as influenced by soil physicochemical properties].

To identify the key soil parameters influencing methane emission from rice paddies, and to quantitatively describe the relationship of methane emission with the soil properties, an outdoor pot experiment with a total of 18 paddy soils sampled from different regions in Jiangsu province was conducted in Nanjing Agricultural University during 2000 rice growing season. Seasonal average rate of CH4 emission for all the 18 soils was 6.42 +/- 2.

[Influence of planting density and precipitation on N2O emission from a winter wheat field].

To investigate the impact of plant density on N2O emission from winter wheat field and the cause of seasonal variation in the emission, field experiment with four planting rates of 0, 90, 180 and 270 kg/ha was conducted at the Jiangning County near Nanjing during 1999-2000 winter wheat growing season. Data of the field measurements indicated that the N2O emission rates during the season from planting to overwintering were not influenced by the plant density, while the emission was positively correlated with the planting density during the season from turning green to maturity. The emissions from the field plots with planting rates of 0 and 90 kg/ha were not found to be significantly different.

The dark side of Taiwan's globalization success story.

Government regulators and researchers in Taiwan (Republic of China) express optimism about their country's economic success in its transition from a traditional society to a first world, industrialized nation. But this economic success, as measured by the standards and ideology of globalization, also has a dark side for many ordinary workers, especially Taiwan's 300,000 foreign workers. The promise of growth and future prosperity is conditional upon global economic practices and an adherence to a science-technology ideological perspective that shapes political content.

Agricultural "killing fields": the poisoning of Costa Rican banana workers.

The poisoning of Costa Rican banana workers by multinational corporations' excessive use of pesticides is not a local issue; it is embedded in a dominant ideology expressed by the phenomenon of globalization. This ideology seeps into every aspect of our social institutions--economic, political, and legal. The practice of this ideological perspective is evident in the industrialization of global agriculture and the shift from "developmentalism"--liberal welfarism, industrialization, and urbanization--to a dominant, undemocratic, global financial elite with "economism" and a neoliberal political agenda overriding the nation-state polis.

The unwritten story of women's role in the birth of occupational health and safety legislation.

Women's role in the formation of trade unions and development of collective bargaining, as well as in labor's historical struggle to improve day-to-day working conditions, has been conspicuously underplayed, if not ignored. Yet, when one reviews the history of the reduction of working hours, prohibition of child labor, elimination of homework in tenement slums, reform of factory legislation, and investigations into accidents precipitating early workers' compensation legislation, the literature is rich with women's investigative reports and studies on unhealthy and unsafe working conditions. This was the case from the late 19th century in North America up until the 1950s and the Cold War.