Decreased Neuron Density and Increased Glia Density in the Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (Brodmann Area 25) in Williams Syndrome.

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a deletion of 25⁻28 genes on chromosome 7 and characterized by a specific behavioral phenotype, which includes hypersociability and anxiety. Here, we examined the density of neurons and glia in fourteen human brains in Brodmann area 25 (BA 25), in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), using a postmortem sample of five adult and two infant WS brains and seven age-, sex- and hemisphere-matched typically developing control (TD) brains. We found decreased neuron density, which reached statistical significance in the supragranular layers, and increased glia density and glia to neuron ratio, which reached statistical significance in both supra- and infragranular layers. Combined with our previous findings in the amygdala, caudate nucleus and frontal pole (BA 10), these results in the vmPFC suggest that abnormalities in frontostriatal and frontoamygdala circuitry may contribute to the anxiety and atypical social behavior observed in WS

Music Appreciation Programs for Rural Clubs

Music appreciation consists of two essentials, listening to and actual participation in musical expression. Both involve musical experience. Music can hardly be thought of as something to be talked about or taught. It must be experienced. The most musical community is that community which has made music a vital experience in the life of its people. This can be brought about in the rural communities of South Dakota. (See more in text.

The effect of electronic prescribing and medication administration on nurses’ workflow and activities: an uncontrolled before and after study

Background: Electronic prescribing and medication administration (ePMA) is purported to improve patient safety through a number of benefits including reducing medication errors and facilitating identification of prescribers. However little is known of its effect on nurses’ workflow and the associated patient safety implications. Our objective was to explore differences in drug round duration, medication administration workflow and activities, interruptions, and timeliness of medication administration before and after implementation of ePMA. / Methods: The study was an uncontrolled before and after study starting one month before and continuing until one month after implementation of ePMA, in a medicine for the elderly ward in a UK teaching hospital. Observation of nursing staff and documentation of workflow patterns, activities, interruptions and timeliness of medication administration during 20 scheduled drug rounds pre-ePMA and 14 rounds afterwards. / Results: While the introduction of ePMA did not significantly affect drug round duration, it altered the distribution of tasks with a doubling of the time spent on documentation. As might be expected, it eliminated time spent searching for paper drug charts. While there was no significant change in interruption rate, the types of interruption changed with an increase in healthcare related interruptions and a decrease in non-healthcare related interruptions. The timeliness of medication administration improved. / Conclusion: This small exploratory study suggests that introduction of ePMA does not significantly affect drug round duration, but alters the time spent on different tasks. The timeliness of medication administration improved, with potential benefits to patient safety

The Jolt-Pack Fabrication of Special Ceramic Ware

The jolt-pack method for fabrication of refractory crucibles and other shapes is described. The particle size distribution of the material to be packed has been found to be an important consideration in this method. Data are presented on packing densities of various graded fractions of beryllia and the development of a dense-packing mixture is described