Reduced stress-induced hyperthermia in mGluR5 knockout mice.

It hs been suggested that metabotropic glutamate receptor subtype 5 (mGluR5) play a role in the expression of anxiety, based on anxiolytic-like effects of the selective mGluR5 antagonist MPEP (2-methyl-6-(phenylethynyl)pyridine) in rodent models of anxiety, including stress-induced hyperthermia (SIH). To examine the suggested role of mGlu5 receptors in the expression of anxiety, we examined the stress response in mice lacking mGluR5 in several variations of the SIH procedure. In this paradigm, stress causes a mild increase in body temperature that can be blocked by known anxiolytic agents.

Work stress and musculoskeletal disorder etiology: The relative roles of psychosocial and physical risk factors.

The intense battles preceding the recent promulgation of OSHA's Ergonomics Program Standard serve as a case study demonstrating the growing understanding that MSD causation, development, and exacerbation are the result of the combined contribution of (and possibly interaction between) a wide range of biomechanical and psychosocial stressors. The best designed studies, those that adequately measure both biomechanical and psychosocial exposures, strongly support this hypothesis. Work stress is one of the results of this stressor combination and is part of the physiological pathway to MSDs and a wide range of other occupational diseases.

Family presence during CPR: new decisions in the twenty-first century.

At present, a great deal of controversy exists on whether family members should be allowed during the resuscitation of a loved one at a hospital. Literature reports that family presence is beneficial in some cases. However, other literature, in contrast, indicates this practice is not advantageous.

Critical care family members' satisfaction with bereavement experiences.

Heideggerian hermeneutics is used to illuminate the dialogues of 23 participants who experienced the death of a family member in the critical care unit within the past year. Those constructs that were considered helpful and satisfying during the process of losing the family member included information from the hospital staff, support from the family, and unrestricted visits. Those that were considered unhelpful and dissatisfying during the process of losing the family member included inaccessibility of the physician, cause of death, inadequate treatment, uncaring staff, and not being present at time of death.

Evaluation of the status of laboratory practices and the need for continuing education in medical mycology.

A survey to determine the need for training in medical mycology was sent to 605 US laboratories. Training needs were determined by comparing actual laboratory mycology practices with recommended practices, documenting the extent of mycology training reported by employees, and asking respondents to specify the fungi they considered most difficult to identify. The response rate was 56.

A Dirichlet Tessellation-based sampling scheme for measuring whole-body exposure.

Dermal sampling can be conducted using small pads or patches attached to various areas of the skin or clothing, or by using a whole-body coverall. Both techniques are recognized standardized methods for collecting chemicals. Patch sampling is simple to perform and inexpensive to analyse compared with an entire overall, but may require some user intervention.

H RAS mutations in haematologically normal individuals.

Introduction: Point mutations in N, K and H RAS have been found in adverse haematological malignancies. The background frequency of RAS mutations in the normal population has yet to be determined. Here we report the results of a screen for RAS mutations from normal individuals.

Critical care nurses' perceptions of family needs as met.

In this descriptive, exploratory study, nurses' perceptions of family needs as met during the critical care experiences of an adult member were correlated to the families' perception of those same needs as being met. The population consisted of 45 family members in a large county hospital designated as a Level 3 trauma center. Family members of adult patients and registered nurses who were assigned to care for them completed a three-part instrument, which consisted of the Demographics Data Questionnaire, the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory (CCFNI), and the Needs Met Inventory (NMI).

Effectiveness of a genetics self-instructional module for nurses involved in egg donor screening.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a self-instructional module in increasing nurses' knowledge of genetics.

Design: Pretest/posttest study design. Participants completed a pretest questionnaire used to measure baseline knowledge of basic human genetic concepts and risk assessment and collect descriptive data.

Impact of a joint labor-management ergonomics program on upper extremity musculoskeletal symptoms among garment workers.

This study evaluated the effect of an ergonomics intervention program on the prevalence and intensity of symptoms of upper extremity work-related musculoskeletal disorders among 36 garment workers performing an operation called spooling. Adjustable chairs were introduced and workers were trained in their use. Symptom surveys were administered prior to and 6 months after introduction of adjustable chairs.

The creation of ergonomic data sheets for hazard communication of work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Information on human health hazards caused by chemical exposure has traditionally been supplied through Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). This report describes development of an analogous Ergonomic Data Sheet (EDS) to address hazards of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WRMSD) from use of hand tools. The EDS includes sections on risk factors for WRMSD, design aspects of the tool that decrease risks, precautionary measures, and objective testing of the tool compared to other comparable tools.

Capture-recapture estimation of unreported work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Connecticut.

Background: Estimates of the extent of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are usually based upon workers' compensation reports, although recent reports indicate that there may be widespread under-reporting of MSD.

Methods: An estimate of the incidence of arm and hand work-related MSD was made using capture-recapture analysis of the overlap between state workers' compensation reports and physician reports in Connecticut for 1995. The resulting estimate was compared to a population-based survey of MSD.

A role for Pax6 in the normal development of dorsal thalamus and its cortical connections.

The transcription factor Pax6 is widely expressed throughout the developing nervous system, including most alar regions of the newly formed murine diencephalon. Later in embryogenesis its diencephalic expression becomes more restricted. It persists in the developing anterior thalamus (conventionally termed "ventral" thalamus) and pretectum but is downregulated in the body of the posterior (dorsal) thalamus.

Biomechanical, psychosocial, and organizational risk factors for WRMSD: population-based estimates from the Connecticut upper-extremity surveillance project (CUSP).

In a case-control study of a population-based telephone survey of 3,798 working adults, symptoms of work-related musculoskeletal disorder (WRMSD) were associated with biomechanical, psychosocial, and organizational factors. In several models, biomechanical exposures with strong associations were static postures (odds ratios [ORs] = 2.00-5.

The transcription factor, Pax6, is required for cell proliferation and differentiation in the developing cerebral cortex.

The cerebral cortex develops from the dorsal telencephalon, at the anterior end of the neural tube. Neurons are generated by cell division at the inner surface of the telencephalic wall (in the ventricular zone) and migrate towards its outer surface, where they complete their differentiation. Recent studies have suggested that the transcription factor Pax6 is important for regulation of cell proliferation, migration and differentiation at various sites in the CNS.

Cutaneous phaeohyphomycosis due to Cladophialophora bantiana.

We present a case of cutaneous infection due to Cladophialophora bantiana, an agent of phaeohyphomycosis. The patient developed a nodule with pustule formation on the dorsum of the left hand; no trauma was reported. The lesion was successfully treated with itraconazole and surgical excision.

Ambiguities in office-related injury: the poverty of present approaches.

This is a straightforward entry into the fray over the association of upper extremity disorders with the modern workplace. The authors point out that successful intervention and prevention efforts are underway around the world, despite the continuing debate on theory.

The economic and social consequences of work-related musculoskeletal disorders: the Connecticut Upper-Extremity Surveillance Project (CUSP).

A population-based telephone survey was conducted in Connecticut to determine the social and economic impact of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs). Only 10.6% of cases had filed for workers' compensation.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy in multiple laparotomy Crohn's disease.

Patients with complicated Crohn's disease often require several surgical procedures resulting in multiple adhesions. They also have an increased incidence of gallstones. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy is associated with several advantages but is problematic for the inexperienced surgeon in the presence of multiple adhesions.

Perceived and unmet needs of critical care family members.

Family members of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) may experience stress, disorganization, and helplessness which may ultimately result in difficulty in mobilizing appropriate coping resources, thus leading to anxiety. The needs of family members are varied, and critical care nurses must become attuned to these needs and acquire the skills to direct their interventions more appropriately. This article presents the findings from a study that assessed the perceived level of importance of the needs of family members during the first 18 to 24 hours after admission to the ICU using the Critical care Family Needs Inventory.

A comparison of the effects of concentric versus eccentric exercise on force and position sense at the human elbow joint.

It is generally accepted that our sense of limb position and movement is provided, in part, by signals from muscle spindles, while the sense of muscle force derives from signals in tendon organs. Experiments are described here, using human subjects, in which the effects of eccentric and concentric exercise of elbow flexor muscles are compared on the sense of forearm position and the sense of tension in elbow flexors. Subjects were required to compress a preloaded spring with one arm, carrying out a concentric contraction in elbow flexors, then flexors of the other arm released the spring from compression and thereby carried out an eccentric contraction.