2,828 research outputs found
Electroretinography in Dogs and Cats. Part I. Retinal Morphology and Physiology
Electroretinography is an important objective procedure that is used to assess the outer retina and follow the progression of and recovery from retinal disorders. This procedure is more sensitive than other diagnostic techniques, such as ophthalmoscopy, for determining subtle or early alterations in the outer retina. Electroretinography cannot, however, assess vision because an electroretinograpn (ERG) may be normal in dogs and cats with cortical blindness or early stages of glaucoma. If retinal dysfunction is known or suspected, an ERG may be necessary. This two-part presentation provides general practitioners with information about this relatively noninvasive electrodiagnostic procedure in order to assist them in assessing the need for referral to a veterinary ophthalmologist or neurologist. Part I reviews the morphologic and physiologic characteristics of the retina; Part II will examine electroretinographic technique, interpretations, and indications
Electroretinography in Dogs and Cats. Part II. Technique, Interpretation, and Indications
Electroretinography, a technique that objectively assesses the function of the retina, is used to evaluate the progression of retinal disorders. Part I of this two-part presentation discussed the morphologic and physiologic characteristics of the retina. The information presented in Part II can help practitioners determine when an electroretinogram (ERG) is recommended. In addition to the standard flash ERG, visual evoked potentials (VEPs) are useful for evaluating disorders that lead to blindness.
The most common indications for electroretinography are presurgical evaluation of patients with cataracts, characterization of disorders that cause blindness, and identification of the extent of retinal damage caused by glaucoma. A flash ERG can only show changes that occur to the retina in advanced stages of glaucoma; whereas a pattern ERG (PERG) can record early, selective damage to ganglion cells in the retina
Advancing science from plankton to whalesâCelebrating the contributions of James J. McCarthy
Hailing from Sweet Home, Oregon, where his father introduced him to the fascinations of pondwater (McCarthy 2018), Jim McCarthy graduated from Gonzaga University, and in the late 1960s joined the Food Chain Research Group at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, where he received his doctorate in 1971. The Food Chain Research Group, which was becoming recognized as the premier research group on plankton, was at that time directed by such distinguished scientists as John Strickland and Dick Eppley, among others. The goal of the Food Chain Group was to understand plankton dynamics and trophodynamics, âto a degree that will enable man to exercise satisfactory control of the environment and make useful predictionsâ (Institute of Marine Resources annual report, 1968, cited in Shor 1978:143) and âto predict the formation and transfer of nutrients through the full cycle of life in the oceanâ (Shor 1978:140). It was there that Jim became immersed in all aspects of nutrients, plankton, and the marine food web
The Challenge of Adolescent Health: Views from Catholic Social Teaching and the Social and Medical Sciences
This book provides a multidisciplinary examination of the complex social issues surrounding adolescent health and health care delivery. It draws specifically on the resources of Catholic social teaching, presents an overview of the medical problems common among young people, and explores the social and familial contexts in which these problems arise. It provides a framework within which to view the conditions limiting the health and well-being of adolescents and to understand the resultant deterioration of the physical and mental health of adolescents in this country.
The insights gained from Catholic moral teaching are included with those of social science and medicine in order to formulate specific recommendations for creative and effective delivery of health care to adolescents
Models : tools for synthesis in international oceanographic research programs
Author Posting. © Oceanography Society, 2010. This article is posted here by permission of Oceanography Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Oceanography 23, no. 3 (2010): 126-139, doi: 10.5670/oceanog.2010.28Through its promotion of coordinated
international research programs, the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic
Commission (IOC) has facilitated
major progress on some of the most
challenging problems in oceanography.
Issues of global significanceâsuch as
general ocean circulation, the carbon
cycle, the structure and dynamics
of ecosystems, and harmful algal
bloomsâare so large in scope that
they require international collaboration
to be addressed systematically.
International collaborations are even
more important when these issues are
affected by anthropogenic processesâ
such as climate change, CO2 enhancement,
ocean acidification, pollution,
and eutrophicationâwhose impacts
may differ greatly throughout the global
ocean. These problems require an entire
portfolio of research activities, including
global surveys, regional process studies,
time-series observations, laboratorybased
investigations, and satellite remote
sensing. Synthesis of this vast array of
results presents its own set of challenges
(Hofmann et al., 2010), and models
offer an explicit framework for integration
of the knowledge gained as well as
detailed investigation of the underlying
dynamics. Models help us to understand
what happened in the past, and to make
predictions of future changesâboth
of which support the development of
sound policy and decision making. We
review examples of how models have
been used for this suite of purposes,
focusing on areas where IOC played a
key role in organizing and coordinating
the research activities.Support from the
National Science Foundation, National
Aeronautics and Space Administration,
National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, and National Institute
of Environmental Health Sciences.
DS acknowledges CLISAP (Integrated
Climate System Analysis and Prediction)
at the KlimaCampus of the University
of Hamburg. PG acknowledges SCOR/
LOICZ Working Group 132
Novel patient-centered approach to facilitate same-day discharge in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention
Background
Sameâday discharge (
SDD
) after elective percutaneous coronary intervention is safe, less costly, and preferred by patients, but it is usually performed in lowârisk patients, if at all. To increase the appropriate use of
SDD
in more complex patients, we implemented a âpatientâcenteredâ protocol based on risk of complications at BarnesâJewish Hospital.
Methods and Results
Our objectives were as follows: (1) to evaluate time trends in
SDD
; (2) to compare (a) mortality, bleeding, and acute kidney injury, (b) patient satisfaction, and (c) hospital costs by
SDD
versus no SDD (
NSDD
); and (3) to compare
SDD
eligibility by our patientâcentered approach versus Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions guidelines. Our patientâcentered approach was based on prospectively identifying personalized bleeding, mortality, and acute kidney injury risks, with a personalized safe contrast limit and mitigating those risks. We analyzed BarnesâJewish Hospital's National Cardiovascular Data Registry Cath
PCI
Registry data from July 1, 2009 to September 30, 2015 (N=1752).
SDD
increased rapidly from 0% to 77% (
P
<0.001), independent of radial access. Although
SDD
patients were comparable to
NSDD
patients,
SDD
was not associated with adverse outcomes (0% mortality, 0% bleeds, and 0.4% acute kidney injury). Patient satisfaction was high with
SDD
. Propensity scoreâadjusted costs were 7331 lower/
SDD
patient (
P
<0.001), saving an estimated 1.8Â million annually. Only 16 patients (6.95%) met the eligibility for
SDD
by Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions guidelines, implying our patientâcentered approach markedly increased
SDD
eligibility.
Conclusions
With a patientâcentered approach,
SDD
rapidly increased and was safe in 75% of patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention, despite patient complexity. Patient satisfaction was high, and hospital costs were lower. Patientâcentered decision making to facilitate
SDD
is an important opportunity to improve the value of percutaneous coronary intervention.
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Wii-Fit for Improving Gait and Balance in an Assisted Living Facility: A Pilot Study
Objectives. To determine the effects on balance and gait of a Wii-Fit program compared to a walking program in subjects with mild Alzheimer's dementia (AD). Methods. A prospective randomized (1â:â1) pilot study with two intervention arms was conducted in an assisted living facility with twenty-two mild AD subjects. In both groups the intervention occurred under supervision for 30 minutes daily, five times a week for eight weeks. Repeated measures ANOVA and paired t-tests were used to analyze changes. Results. Both groups showed improvement in Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Tinetti Test (TT) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) over 8 weeks. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups over time. Intragroup analysis in the Wii-Fit group showed significant improvement on BBS (P = 0.003), and TT (P = 0.013). The walking group showed a trend towards improvement on BBS (P = 0.06) and TUG (P = 0.07) and significant improvement in TT (P = 0.06). Conclusion. This pilot study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of Wii-Fit in an assisted living facility in subjects with mild AD. Use of Wii-Fit resulted in significant improvements in balance and gait comparable to those in the robust monitored walking program. These results need to be confirmed in a larger, methodologically sound study
Multivariate models from RNA-Seq SNVs yield candidate molecular targets for biomarker discovery: SNV-DA
Breast: up and downstream SNVs model. (CSV 22.1 kb
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