Challenging oppressive practice in mental health: The development and evaluation of a video based resource for student nurses.

Some aspects of mental health nursing practice are inherently oppressive; for example detention in hospital or forced medication under restraint. What is more challenging is thinking about oppression in the context of everyday mental health nursing work, such as nursing handovers, and the impact this has on the quality and safety of service user care. An online resource was co-developed for use (via a workshop) with student mental health nurses to assist them with questioning their own and others practice in relation to oppression as exhibited in the nursing handover.

An assessment of Ultrasound screening for soft tissue lumps referred from primary care.

Aims: To assess the efficacy of ultrasound as a screening tool in the assessment of soft-tissue masses referred from primary care and to investigate the incidence of malignancy in this population.

Materials And Methods: Retrospective analysis was performed on patients who underwent ultrasound for a suspected soft-tissue mass at our centre between January 2011 and December 2012. Patient demographics, ultrasound findings, further imaging investigations and histopathology were recorded.

Challenges in the identification of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus argenteus by routine diagnostics.

Current clinical diagnostic procedures have shortcomings in the differentiation of Staphylococcus argenteus from Staphylococcus aureus. This article presents three cases of Staphylococcus argenteus obtained from clinical samples. The initial results from biochemical and molecular methods led to an incorrect identification of the isolates as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Use of a Commercially Available Microarray to Characterize Antibiotic-Resistant Clinical Isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

A commercially available microarray (IDENTIBAC AMR-ve) for the detection of antibiotic resistance determinants was investigated for its potential to genotype 30 clinical isolates and two control strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Resistance profiles and the production of extended-spectrum β-lactamases were determined by disc diffusion and the results were compared with the microarray profiles in order to assess its scope and limitations. Genes associated with resistance to a wide range of antibiotics, including current first line therapy options, were detected.

The Acceptability of Iterative Reconstruction Algorithms in Head CT: An Assessment of Sinogram Affirmed Iterative Reconstruction (SAFIRE) vs. Filtered Back Projection (FBP) Using Phantoms.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) is the primary imaging investigation for many neurologic conditions with a proportion of patients incurring cumulative doses. Iterative reconstruction (IR) allows dose optimization, but head CT presents unique image quality complexities and may lead to strong reader preferences.

Objectives: This study evaluates the relationships between image quality metrics, image texture, and applied radiation dose within the context of IR head CT protocol optimization in the simulated patient setting.

Placental Homing Peptide-microRNA Inhibitor Conjugates for Targeted Enhancement of Intrinsic Placental Growth Signaling.

Suboptimal placental growth and development are the underlying cause of many pregnancy complications. No treatments are available, primarily due to the risk of causing fetal teratogenicity. microRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNA sequences that regulate multiple downstream genes; miR-145 and miR675 have previously been identified as negative regulators of placental growth.

Exercise and eating habits among urban adolescents: a cross-sectional study in Kolkata, India.

Background: Unhealthy eating and lack of exercise during adolescence culminated into earlier onset and increasing burden of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) worldwide. Among urban Indian adolescents, prevalence of these risk factors of CVD seemed to be high, but data regarding their pattern and predictors was limited. To address this dearth of information, a survey was conducted among urban adolescent school-students in Kolkata, a highly populated metro city in eastern India.

Stand Up and Be Counted: Measuring and Mapping the Rheumatology Workforce in Canada.

Objective: To characterize the practicing rheumatologist workforce, the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRA) launched the Stand Up and Be Counted workforce survey in 2015.

Methods: The survey was distributed electronically to 695 individuals, of whom 519 were expected to be practicing rheumatologists. Demographic and practice information were elicited.

Study of Vitamin B deficiency and peripheral neuropathy in metformin-treated early Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: Long-term therapy with metformin was shown to decrease the Vitamin B level and manifested as peripheral neuropathy.

Aim: The aim of this study is to define the prevalence of Vitamin B deficiency in early Type 2 diabetic patients (duration ≤5 years or drug treatment ≤3 years) and the relationship among metformin exposure and levels of cobalamin (Cbl), folic acid, and homocysteine (Hcy) with severity of peripheral neuropathy.

Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study involving randomly selected ninety patients (male 56, female 34) between age groups of 35 and 70 years, comparing those who had received >6 months of metformin (Group A) ( = 35) with those without metformin (Group B) ( = 35) and patients taking metformin with other oral hypoglycemic agent (Group C) ( = 20).

Respiratory Morbidity among Indian Tea Industry Workers.

Background: Indian tea industry workers are exposed to various exposures at their workplace.

Objective: To investigate the respiratory health of Indian tea industry workers.

Methods: We administered a respiratory questionnaire to and measured lung function in workers of 34 tea gardens and 46 tea factories.

Metronidazole-Induced Bullous Pemphigoid: A Case Report.

Bullous pemphigoid is an autoimmune cutaneous blistering disorder, the exact pathogenesis of which is still not fully elucidated. Drug-induced bullous pemphigoid eruptions are rare but have been reported earlier with the use of frusemide, psoralens, ibuprofen, galantamine hydrobromide, ACE inhibitors like captopril, spironolactone, penicillin, ampicillin, levofloxacin, penicillamine. We hereby report a case of metronidazole induced bullous pemphigoid (BP) in a 52-year-old male patient suffering from liver abscess following 4 days of drug administration.

Correlation of intracranial atherosclerosis with carotid stenosis in ischemic stroke patients.

Introduction: Carotid stenosis is a major risk factor for ischemic stroke. However, the effect of carotid stenosis on the site of stroke is still under investigation.

Aims: This study aimed to elucidate how the presence of carotid stenosis influenced the pattern of stroke and also how it interacted with other risk factors for stroke.

Spindle Cell Hemangioendothelioma: Rare Clinical Entity.

Spindle-cell hemangioendothelioma (SCHE) comprise a rare subset of vascular tumors, and here, we describe such a case and review the clinical presentation, patho-physiology, differential diagnosis of these tumors to promote early identification and discussion guidance. A 25-years-old male patient presented with multiple painful elevated swellings of both left upper and lower extremities for last 15 years without any systemic involvement. After excluding close differential diagnosis by relevant investigations an excisional biopsy was performed.

The impact of a human IGF-II analog ([Leu27]IGF-II) on fetal growth in a mouse model of fetal growth restriction.

Enhancing placental insulin-like growth factor (IGF) availability appears to be an attractive strategy for improving outcomes in fetal growth restriction (FGR). Our approach was the novel use of [Leu(27)]IGF-II, a human IGF-II analog that binds the IGF-II clearance receptor IGF-IIR in fetal growth-restricted (FGR) mice. We hypothesized that the impact of [Leu(27)]IGF-II infusion in C57BL/6J (wild-type) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase knockout (eNOS(-/-); FGR) mice would be to enhance fetal growth and investigated this from mid- to late gestation; 1 mg·kg(-1)·day(-1) [Leu(27)]IGF-II was delivered via a subcutaneous miniosmotic pump from E12.

Hemangioblastic foci in human first trimester placenta: Distribution and gestational profile.

Introduction: The human placenta is a site of both hematopoiesis and vasculogenesis. There are reports of hemangioblastic foci (HAF) in the first trimester placenta, but little published information about their spatiotemporal incidence.

Methods: We have used semi-thin sections and whole mount staining techniques on archival early pregnancy hysterectomy material as well as freshly-collected termination tissue.

Establishment of a comprehensive set of regional DRLs for CT by means of electronic X-ray examination records.

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has indicated that the diagnostic reference level (DRL) has the optimisation of protection as its objective for diagnostic and interventional procedures [International Commission on Radiological Protection. Protection against ionising radiation from external sources: ICRP Report 105 (2007)]. An important aim of this paper was to demonstrate a straightforward and cost-effective mechanism for undertaking patient dose audits that can be employed in the production of local and regional DRLs for use by medical physics experts in the provision of scientific support services to diagnostic radiology.

Diclofenac-serratiopeptidase combination induced stevens - johnson syndrome - a rare case report with review of literature.

Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are severe cutaneous adverse reactions (SCAR) which are frequently caused by exposure to drugs and cause significant morbidity and mortality. A careful literature search revealed that only a few reports of diclofenac induced and one case of serratiopeptidase associated case report of SJS or TEN have been published till date. However, to our knowledge, no case report of diclofenac-serratiopeptidase combination induced SJS have been published till date.

End of life care services for patients with heart failure.

Heart failure has high incidence and prevalence in the UK. However, access to palliative care services for patients with heart failure is inequitable. Patients with heart failure often do not receive specialist palliative care at the end of life, or referral is made only in the last days of life.

Human uterine and placental arteries exhibit tissue-specific acute responses to 17β-estradiol and estrogen-receptor-specific agonists.

The discrete regulation of vascular tone in the human uterine and placental circulations is a key determinant of appropriate uteroplacental blood perfusion and pregnancy success. Humoral factors such as estrogen, which increases in the placenta and maternal circulation throughout human pregnancy, may regulate these vascular beds as studies of animal arteries have shown that 17β-estradiol, or agonists of estrogen receptors (ER), can exert acute vasodilatory actions. The aim of this study was to compare how acute exposure to ER-specific agonists, and 17β-estradiol, altered human placental and uterine arterial tone in vitro.

Establishing local and regional DRLs by means of electronic radiographical X-ray examination records.

The objective of the paper is to demonstrate that patient dose audits may be undertaken at the local and regional levels by employing electronic examination records contained in Radiology Information Systems (RISs) that have been collected, analysed and managed by modern IT systems. The resulting mean and third quartile values obtained may then be used to establish local and regional dose reference levels (DRLs) as part of an optimisation strategy. The method involved the collection of roughly 1.

Differential effect of insulin like growth factor-I on constriction of human uterine and placental arteries.

Context: Discrete regulation of the uterine and placental vasculatures is an important feature of uteroplacental perfusion and pregnancy success because appropriate maternal/fetal exchange of nutrients and gases is crucial for normal fetal growth. Placental vasculature lacks autonomic innervation so tone is controlled by locally derived vasoactive factors. IGF-I, which is produced by the placenta, is critical for normal fetal growth and studies of animal vascular systems have shown that IGF-I regulates vasomotor tone.

Reticulocyte hemoglobin content testing for iron deficiency in healthy toddlers.

Objectives: To investigate reticulocyte hemglobin content (CHr) as a primary screening test to detect iron deficiency (ID) in healthy toddlers. Demographic and dietary risk factors associated with ID were studied for an association with low CHr.

Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study of healthy toddlers aged 12 to 36 months coming to well-child visits at two military pediatric ambulatory clinics in the Washington, DC, area from August 2006 to November 2007.

Qualifying the use of RIS data for patient dose by comparison with DICOM header data.

A system was developed in 2008 to calculate patient doses using Radiology Information System (RIS) data and presents these data as a patient dose audit. One of the issues with this system was the quality of user-entered data. It has been shown that Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine (DICOM) header data can be used to perform dose audits with a high level of data accuracy.