Medical student musculoskeletal education: an institutional survey.

Background: Since the 1910 Flexner Report, medical education continues to undergo curriculum and graduation guideline reform to meet the needs of physicians and patients. Our aims were to (1) assess the quality of musculoskeletal education at our institution's School of Medicine by reporting the results of the Freedman and Bernstein examination among our medical students across all four years of training, and (2) stratify results according to medical school year, educational module, and intended career.

Methods: We surveyed the 460 2009-2010 School of Medicine students via e-mail.

AAV-based RNAi silencing of NADPH oxidase gp91(phox) attenuates cold-induced cardiovascular dysfunction.

Clinical observations and epidemiological surveys indicated that the prevalence of hypertension and heart diseases is increased in cold regions or during winter. Cold exposure increased NADPH oxidase gp91(phox) protein expression in heart, kidneys, and aorta in rats. The aim of this study was to investigate if RNA interference (RNAi) silencing of gp91(phox) would attenuate cold-induced hypertension and cardiovascular and renal damage.

Store operated Ca2+ entry dependent contraction of coronary artery smooth muscle: inhibition by peroxide pretreatment.

The sarco/endoplasmic reticulum (SER) Ca(2+) pool is refilled by the SER Ca(2+) pump (SERCA) using cytosolic Ca(2+) and/or extracellular Ca(2+) entering the cell. The effects of the SERCA pump inhibitor cyclopiazonic acid (CPA) were studied in pig coronary artery smooth muscle using two protocols. In protocol A, the SERCA pump was inhibited by adding CPA to cells/tissues in Ca(2+)-containing solution, whereas in protocol B, CPA was added to cells/tissues in Ca(2+)-free solution, followed by reintroduction of extracellular Ca(2+).

AAV delivery of mineralocorticoid receptor shRNA prevents progression of cold-induced hypertension and attenuates renal damage.

Unlabelled: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of RNA interference inhibition of mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) on cold-induced hypertension (CIH) and renal damage. Recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) carrying short hairpin small interference (si)RNA for MR (AAV.MR-shRNA) was constructed and tested for the ability to inhibit renal MR and to control CIH.

Effect of treatment with a monoclonal antibody against equine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) on clinical, hematologic, and circulating TNF responses of miniature horses given endotoxin.

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) is an important mediator of endotoxin-induced pathologic changes. To help define the role of TNF in equids with endotoxemia, the effects of pretreatment with a murine monoclonal antibody (MAB) against equine TNF were evaluated in Miniature Horses given endotoxin. Five horses were given TNF MAB at a dosage of 1.

Effects of tumor necrosis factor blockade on interleukin 6, lactate, thromboxane, and prostacyclin responses in miniature horses given endotoxin.

A monoclonal antibody (MAB) against equine tumor necrosis factor-alpha (Eq TNF) was used to investigate the role of TNF in cytokine, eicosanoid, and metabolic responses of Miniature Horses given endotoxin. Plasma concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), lactate, thromboxane A2 metabolite, and prostacyclin metabolite (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) were measured in 10 Miniature Horses given 0.25 microgram of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; Escherichia coli O55:B5)/kg of body weight.

Effect of tumor necrosis factor antibody on synovial fluid cytokine activities in equine antebrachiocarpal joints injected with endotoxin.

Six horses received intra-articular injections of a mixture of 1 micrograms of endotoxin/5 mg of equine tumor necrosis factor (eqTNF) monoclonal antibody in 1 antebrachiocarpal joint and an equal volume (2 ml) of 1 micrograms of endotoxin/5 mg of control antibody in the opposite joint. Synovial fluid sample collection (1 ml) was accomplished by use of an indwelling, intra-articular catheter at postinjection hours (PIH) 0, 1, 1.5, 2, 5, and 8, and by arthrocentesis at PIH 24.

Effects of polymyxin B and Salmonella typhimurium antiserum on horses given endotoxin intravenously.

Polymyxin B and an antiserum against an Re mutant Salmonella typhimurium were evaluated for protective effect in an equine model endotoxemia. Six 3- to 5-month-old foals were given endotoxin (0.25 micrograms/kg of body weight) IV after no pretreatment, or pretreatment with polymyxin B (6,000 U/kg, IV) or S typhimurium antiserum (1.

Secretion of tumor necrosis factor by endotoxin-treated equine mammary exudate macrophages: effect of dexamethasone and pentoxifylline.

Secretion of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by equine mammary exudate macrophages (MEM phi) exposed to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was dose-dependent and was maximal (216.5 +/- 51.9 U/ml) at 100 micrograms LPS/ml, the highest concentration tested.

Serving the needs of donor families: the role of the critical care nurse.

The humanitarian act of donating organs has tremendous benefits not only for the transplant recipients but also for the family of the donor. The opportunity to provide some hope to a grief-stricken family that something positive can result from their tragedy is an important contribution that a critical care nurse can make. The nurse's participation in recognizing the possibility of organ donation for the family of a terminal patient can drastically reduce the national shortage of transplantable organs.

Cytotoxic tumor necrosis factor activity produced by equine alveolar macrophages: preliminary characterization.

Blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages (AM) were harvested from foals (aged 46 days to 6 months) and cultured in either medium alone or medium containing 10 micrograms/ml bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). After 24 h, culture supernates were collected and analyzed for cytotoxic activity on sensitized L929 cells. Both monocytes and AM that had been treated with LPS produced significantly more cytotoxic activity than the same cell type exposed to medium lacking LPS.

Tumor necrosis factor activity in the circulation of horses given endotoxin.

Serum and plasma from horses injected with endotoxin was examined for cytotoxic activity. Each of the cell lines, L929 and WEHI 164 clone 13, was sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of equine serum; however, a precipitation artifact caused by the use of isopropanol in the WEHI assay limited the use of this assay to samples containing less than 2 mg of protein/ml. In foals treated with a sublethal IV bolus of 5 micrograms of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/kg and in adult horses given a low-dose continuous infusion of LPS (30 ng/kg/h for 4 hours), cytotoxic activity was detected in all serum or plasma samples taken between 30 minutes and 4 hours after LPS infusion began.