Tracking bacterial growth in liquid media and a new bacterial life model.

By increasing viscosity of liquid media above 8.4 centipoise (cp) i.e.

Attitudes toward family-centered care and clinical decision making in early intervention among physical therapists.

Family-centered care is the mandated service delivery model in early intervention. The purpose of this study was to examine the attitudes of physical therapists toward family-centered care and to describe clinical decision making factors in determining frequency and duration of service. A convenience sample of 25 physical therapists working in early intervention participated in a mail survey.

Expert consensus on physical therapist intervention after botulinum toxin a injection for children with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to gather expert consensus on physical therapist (PT) intervention after lower extremity botulinum toxin A (BtA) injection(s) for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and lower extremity spasticity. This study also examined differences in expert opinion on intervention for two groups of children with CP and differing levels of functional ability.

Methods: The Guide to Physical Therapist Practice was used to develop a questionnaire.

Pyogenic arthritis caused by capnocytophaga gingivalis in an immunocompetent three-year-old male.

Capnocytophaga gingivalis is most often isolated as normal oral flora or with periodontal disease. This organism is also associated with sepsis usually in immunocompromised hosts. We identified pyogenic arthritis caused by C.

Chest pain of esophageal origin.

Patients with unexplained chest pain remain a difficult and perplexing challenge for the gastroenterologist. Despite exclusion of a cardiac origin many patients remain disabled by pain. In these, a diligent search for an esophageal cause-gastroesophageal reflux disease, motility abnormalities, or esophageal hypersensitivity using all available diagnostic (therapeutic) tools-results in a positive outcome.

Chest pain of esophageal origin.

The treatment of patients with unexplained chest pain is difficult and challenging. After a cardiac etiology has been ruled out, a diligent search for an esophageal etiology-gastroesophageal reflux disease, motility abnormalities, or esophageal hypersensitivity-should be undertaken with judicious use of a diagnostic (therapeutic) trial of therapy, ambulatory pH monitoring, or esophageal manometry. The recent literature discusses the use of high-dose omeprazole in diagnosing and treating chest pain associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, correlates abnormal ambulatory pH monitoring with response to omeprazole, and provides additional insights into the pathogenesis of esophageal chest pain.

Facial Expressivity at 4 Months: A Context by Expression Analysis.

The specificity predicted by differential emotions theory (DET) for early facial expressions in response to 5 different eliciting situations was studied in a sample of 4-month-old infants (n = 150). Infants were videotaped during tickle, sour taste, jack-in-the-box, arm restraint, and masked-stranger situations and their expressions were coded second by second. Infants showed a variety of facial expressions in each situation; however, more infants exhibited positive (joy and surprise) than negative expressions (anger, disgust, fear, and sadness) across all situations except sour taste.

Cerebrospinal fluid leaks following spinal or posterior fossa surgery: use of fat grafts for prevention and repair.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks are relatively common following spinal or posterior fossa surgery. A midline dural tear in the spine is readily repaired by direct application of a suture. However, far-lateral or ventral dural tears are problematic.

Laminotomy/medial facet approach in the excision of thoracic disc herniation.

Object: The author describes a technique of thoracic discectomy that has evolved from the posterolateral transfacet and the transpedicular approaches but that spares the pedicle and most of the facet joint.

Methods: This approach was used to remove a total of 11 discs (T6-12) in seven patients. The follow-up period ranged from 8 months to 3 years.

Age-related alterations in GABA(A) receptor subunits in the nonhuman primate hippocampus.

Pharmacological studies have documented that altered drug responses, particularly to benzodiazepines, are common in elderly populations. While numerous factors may contribute to changes in drug response, age-related alterations in the molecular composition of GABA(A) receptors may be a key factor in regulating these responses. We employed quantitative densitometry to examine the cytological features and density of highly prevalent hippocampal GABA(A) receptor subunits (alpha1 and beta2/3) in young and aged rhesus monkeys.

Helping expand nurse practitioner students' clinical skills repertoire: learning minor procedures.

This course is immensely popular with students. Many express a sense of accomplishment in knowing that they have performed a specific procedure at least once before facing the requirement in the clinical setting. Students who complete the course have a firm foundation in minor procedures and are knowledgeable about indications, contraindications, and methods to perform the procedure before facing that first patient in the clinical setting.

Using dance/movement therapy to augment the effectiveness of therapeutic holding with children.

Problem: Therapeutic holding is a commonly used tool for the containment of aggressive behavior in children. Although often effective, the intervention has inherent physical and emotional safety risks. Can a body-based therapy be used to limit these risks?

Methods: Research was conducted incorporating dance/movement therapy techniques (D/MT) before and after therapeutic holding to investigate this question.

Learning and change among leaders of a professional nursing association.

This is a report of the results of a qualitative research study that investigated the informal learning and changes experienced by 20 members of an exemplary chapter of critical care nurses as they advanced from being new members to becoming officers and board members. Qualitative research methods were used that included analysis of critical incidents, documents, and individual interviews. Methods used, results of the study, and conclusions and recommendations are discussed.

High energy external cardioversion for refractory atrial fibrillation in postoperative tetralogy of fallot.

Long-term complications of surgical repair of Tetralogy of Fallot include atrial arrhythmias. These can be difficult to treat, and loss of sinus rhythm can lead to profound hemodynamic consequences in the presence of residual structural abnormalities. We describe the first report of high-energy external cardioversion in a 46-year-old man with repaired tetralogy of Fallot with atrial fibrillation refractory to conversion with normal energy.

A review of the Knops blood group: separating fact from fallacy.

It has been more than 10 years since the topic of "high-titer, low-avidity" (HTLA) antibodies was reviewed in Immunohematology. We have learned a lot about these antibodies in the past 10 years and that knowledge has helped us to understand some of the unusual characteristics of these antibodies. Furthermore, it has helped us to name and delineate the various associated blood group systems.

Subregional analysis of GABA(A) receptor subunit mRNAs in the hippocampus of older persons with and without cognitive impairment.

We employed in situ hybridization and quantitative densitometry techniques to examine hippocampal mRNA expression of GABA(A) receptor subunits alpha1 and alpha5 in human subjects with progressing cognitive impairment. Included in this study were 17 participants of the Religious Order Study (ROS), who were categorized into three groups based upon degree of cognitive impairment: no cognitive impairment (n = 6); moderate cognitive impairment (n = 5); and probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) (n = 6). While the levels of each specific subunit mRNA were relatively homogeneously distributed throughout the five hippocampal subregions analyzed (CA1-4, and the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus), mRNA expression of the alpha1 receptor subunit was found to be 20% reduced in the moderate cognitive impairment group as compared to the no cognitive impairment group.

Variations in adequate levothyroxine replacement therapy in patients with different causes of hypothyroidism.

Objective: To compare the levothyroxine replacement dose in 181 patients with various causes of hypothyroidism.

Methods: We analyzed the dose of levothyroxine used in the following five patient groups: (1) 37 patients with hypothyroidism after radioiodine therapy for Graves' thyrotoxicosis who were receiving a stable (for at least 4 years) replacement dose (mean time after 131 I therapy, 11.3 years); (2) 36 patients with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism (chronic autoimmune thyroiditis with a goiter or positive test results for antithyroid antibodies); (3) 36 patients with central hypothyroidism; (4) 36 patients with hypothyroidism after near-total thyroidectomy and 131 I therapy for thyroid carcinoma with negative total-body 131 I scans who were euthyroid when receiving levothyroxine; and (5) 36 patients with atrophic thyroiditis (no goiter and negative test results for antithyroid antibodies).

A 5-HT2C agonist elicits hyperactivity and oral dyskinesia with hypophagia in rabbits.

Serotonergic 5-HT2C and 5-HT1B receptors mediate inhibitory controls of eating. Questions have arisen about potential behavioral and neurological toxicity of drugs that stimulate the 2C site. We evaluated eating and other motor responses in male Dutch-belted rabbits after administration of m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP).

Combination antithrombotic therapy with antiplatelet agents and anticoagulants for patients with atherosclerotic heart disease.

We reviewed the efficacy and safety of combination antithrombotic therapy with aspirin plus warfarin versus aspirin alone in patients with atherosclerotic heart disease. We performed a comprehensive MEDLINE search of English-language reports published between 1966 and 2002 and search of references and relevant papers. Only clinical research studies on primary or secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients at high risk for coronary artery disease or patients experiencing unstable angina or myocardial infarction were included.