Skeletal muscle atrophy: Potential therapeutic agents and their mechanisms of action.

Over the last two decades, new insights into the etiology of skeletal muscle wasting/atrophy under diverse clinical settings including denervation, AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and chronic heart failure have been reported in the literature. However, the treatment of skeletal muscle wasting remains an unresolved challenge to this day. About nineteen potential drugs that can regulate loss of muscle mass have been reported in the literature.

New-onset refractory status epilepticus in an adult with an atypical presentation of cat-scratch disease: successful treatment with high-dose corticosteroids.

New-onset refractory status epilepticus (NORSE) is defined as a sudden onset of refractory status epilepticus in patients who do not have a history of epilepsy. It is a neurologic emergency, and determining the underlying etiology is an important factor for effectively managing and predicting the prognosis of NORSE. We describe the case of a 28-year-old woman who was hospitalized with NORSE secondary to an unknown etiology.

Segmentation of pulmonary nodules in computed tomography using a regression neural network approach and its application to the Lung Image Database Consortium and Image Database Resource Initiative dataset.

We present new pulmonary nodule segmentation algorithms for computed tomography (CT). These include a fully-automated (FA) system, a semi-automated (SA) system, and a hybrid system. Like most traditional systems, the new FA system requires only a single user-supplied cue point.

Effect of serum nicotine level on posterior spinal fusion in an in vivo rabbit model.

Background Context: Cigarette smoking has a deleterious effect on spinal fusion. Although some studies have implied that nicotine is primarily responsible for poor fusion outcomes, other studies suggest that nicotine may actually stimulate bone growth. Hence, there may be a dose-dependent effect of nicotine on posterior spinal fusion outcomes.

Is height a core geometric cue for navigation? Young children's use of height in reorientation.

With respect to reorientation, children older than 1.5 to 2 years can use geometric cues (distance and left/right sense). However, because previous studies have focused mainly on the plane geometric properties, little is known about the role of information with respect to vertical dimension in children's reorientation.

The appeal of medical quackery: a rhetorical analysis.

Medical quackery has been a pressing issue nearly from the start of the medical profession - whether the nostrums and patent medications of old or the super-foods and miracle supplements of today. Throughout history and into the modern day, the medical establishment has tried to counteract the claims of charlatans in order to protect patients from potentially harmful treatments. Countering today's pseudo-medicine begins with an examination of what makes patients susceptible to the claims of quack medicine.

Experiences of Indonesian mother managing preschool children's acute abdominal pain in Taiwan.

The aim of this study was to understand the Indonesian mothers' experiences of managing preschool children's acute abdominal pain. The descriptive qualitative research design comprises semi-structured interviews with 11 Indonesian mothers. The qualitative content analysis revealed three themes, including (1) insight of abdominal pain, (2) "inheritance of the strategies for assessment of management for abdominal pain from the family of origin", (3) "obstacles and insights related to cultural differences".

Predicting Baylisascaris procyonis roundworm prevalence, presence and abundance in raccoons (Procyon lotor) of southwestern Ohio using landscape features.

Raccoon roundworm is a leading cause of a neurological disease known as larva migrans encephalopathy in vertebrates. We determined that roundworm prevalence is significantly lower in Beavercreek Township than other townships surveyed, and that mean patch size and proportion of landscape modified by urbanization or by agriculture are good predictors of roundworm prevalence and abundance in raccoons. The proportion of landscape modified by urbanization was the best predictor of roundworm presence.

Impact of the Geriatric Medication Game® on nursing students' empathy and attitudes toward older adults.

Background: Nurses should be well-prepared to improve and address health-related needs of older adults, but students may have difficulty understanding and empathizing, as they may not yet have personally experienced aging-related challenges. Simulation games can be used to help students understand the experiences of others, but limited information is available on the impact of simulation experiences on student empathy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine the impact of participation in an aging simulation game on nursing students' empathy and attitudes toward older adults as well as their understanding of patients' experiences in the healthcare system.

RNAi Therapeutics in Autoimmune Disease.

Since the discovery of RNA interference (RNAi), excitement has grown over its potential therapeutic uses. Targeting RNAi pathways provides a powerful tool to change biological processes post-transcriptionally in various health conditions such as cancer or autoimmune diseases. Optimum design of shRNA, siRNA, and miRNA enhances stability and specificity of RNAi-based approaches whereas it has to reduce or prevent undesirable immune responses or off-target effects.

Impact of a health literacy assignment on student pharmacist learning.

Background: The average American adult reads at the 8th grade level while most written health information materials, including medication guides, are written at the 12th grade level. To assist students with health literacy-sensitive communication, pharmacy schools should incorporate educational activities addressing health literacy competencies.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the impact of a health literacy assignment on student pharmacists' perceptions of: 1) learning about health literacy; 2) ability to write health literacy level-appropriate patient education material; and 3) the use of these skills in future pharmacy practice.

Health Literacy Influences Heart Failure Knowledge Attainment but Not Self-Efficacy for Self-Care or Adherence to Self-Care over Time.

Background. Inadequate health literacy may be a barrier to gaining knowledge about heart failure (HF) self-care expectations, strengthening self-efficacy for self-care behaviors, and adhering to self-care behaviors over time. Objective.

Relationships between health literacy and heart failure knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-care adherence.

Background: It has been argued that only 12% of adults have the necessary health literacy to manage their health care effectively, which can lead to difficulties in self-care activities, such as medication adherence. Prior research suggests that health literacy may influence knowledge, self-efficacy and self-care, but this has not been fully examined.

Objective: To test a model to explain the relationships between health literacy, heart failure knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-care.

Plan B and the German Catholic bishops.

Germany's Catholic bishops recently ruled that levonorgestrel emergency contraception (EC) was acceptable for prevention of pregnancy in the case of rape. The ruling represents a significant change in Catholic doctrine that has been opposed to most forms of birth control. In their ruling the bishops cited a lack of evidence that levonorgestrel EC acts as an abortifacient.

Anxiety experienced by individuals with cancer in remission.

For this qualitative research study, we interviewed 25 individuals who survived cancer regarding the sentiments they experienced in adjusting to having their condition in remission. Among other findings that we reported elsewhere, two themes emerged from the in-depth interviews relating to apprehensive percepts. One was that participants spoke of their tendency to battle worrisome thoughts.

Pilot testing of checklists to discern adverse drug reactions and adverse drug events.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of patient-reported adverse drug events (ADEs)/adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the community pharmacy setting and determine the prevalence relative to pharmacist judgment.

Data Sources: The 2009 version of the Pharmacy Times top 200 drugs was used to identify the prescription medications most commonly used within the ambulatory population during 2008. All ADEs/ADRs for each medication were obtained by combining the ADEs/ADRs listed in Drug Facts and Comparisons, Lexi-Comp, and Micromedex.

Bone creep and short and long term subsidence after cemented stem total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Stem-cement and cement-bone interfacial failures as well as cement fractures have been noted in cemented total hip arthroplasty (THA) as the cause of aseptic loosening. Attempts to reduce the risk of femoral component loosening include improving the stem-cement interface by various coatings, using a textured or porous coated stem surfaces or by using a tapered stem having a highly-polished surface. The latter approach, often referred to as "force-closed" femoral stem design, would theoretically result in stem stabilization subsequent to debonding and 'taper-lock'.

Kinesio taping and the circulation and endurance ratio of the gastrocnemius muscle.

Context: Kinesio Tex tape is a therapeutic tape that is applied with the Kinesio-taping (KT) method and is theorized to increase circulation and subsequently improve muscle function. However, little research has been conducted to determine how KT affects performance.

Objective: To determine the effect of KT on muscular endurance ratio, blood flow, circumference, and volume of the gastrocnemius muscle.

Undergraduate students' perceptions of practicing psychiatrists.

This article reports research findings from a survey of 261 students regarding their perceptions of psychiatrists. Overall, students view psychiatrists as competent and prestigious. At the same time, however, only approximately half of respondents reported having a "positive view" of these professionals and around one-third were neutral.

Nicotine Increases Osteoblast Activity of Induced Bone Marrow Stromal Cells in a Dose-Dependent Manner: An in vitro Cell Culture Experiment.

Previous studies by our group showed that nicotine delivered via a transdermal nicotine patch significantly enhanced posterior spinal fusion rates in rabbits. Nicotine transdermal patches provide a steady serum level; there may be a dose-dependent effect of nicotine on posterior spinal fusion. In an in vitro cell culture model of rabbit bone marrow-derived osteoblast-like cells, cells were exposed to different concentrations of nicotine (0, 20, 40, 80 ng/mL and 10, 100, 250 μg/mL).

Partnerships for health in the African American community: moving toward community-based participatory research.

Health disparities related to ethnicity are attributed to the complex interaction of social and physical environments, which influence minority health. The prevalence of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, strokes, diabetes, and maternal and child health outcomes exist among African Americans contributing to health disparities. Extensive support systems within the African American community, however, serve to resist disparities in healthcare and improve the health and well-being of community members.