Adverse effects of superactivated charcoal administered to healthy volunteers.

OBJECTIVES: Activated charcoal is frequently administered to drug overdose patients, who may experience nausea and vomiting secondary to the drug overdose. Drinking a charcoal slurry orally may be difficult for them necessitating a gastric tube. The purpose of this study is to report the frequency of adverse effects from oral superactivated charcoal (SAC) given to healthy volunteers. METHODS: Healthy adult study subject volunteers were given a single 2000 mg (first 13 subjects) or 3000 mg (remaining 35 subjects) dose of acetaminophen. Subjects were randomized to receive no charcoal (ctrl) or 75 grams of SAC administered orally in a slurry 3 hours following the acetaminophen dose. The adverse effects of both groups were recorded and compared. RESULTS: There were 48 study subject runs. The mean age was 27.4 years (SD6.5). SAC was administered to 24 subjects. Adverse effect rates were as follows (*one-tail p 71kg) completed SAC consumption significantly faster than the 12 lighter subjects (18.7 vs 7.8 minutes, p = 0.04, single sided). This comparison included the two subjects (both lighter) who did not finish SAC consumption, so this difference was no longer significant when these two subjects were removed. CONCLUSIONS: Superactivated charcoal consumption is associated with significant adverse effects in some healthy volunteers, which may impede a drug overdose patient's ability to willingly drink charcoal slurry in a reasonable period of time.P20 RR11091/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United State

Analysis of Surface Electromyography for On-Off Control

Myogram on-and-off controller is important for improving or assisting the elderly people. One of the most important aspects of the controller development is to determine the on and off time with respect to the body movement. In this project, high accuracy signal filtering, high gain amplifier, signal converter, microcontroller and electrodes are used for circuit simulation and development to obtain muscle signal (Electromyogram). Precision rectifier is used to solve the ordinary semiconductor problem to avoid signal block. To ensurethe user-friendliness in the development of this device, non-invasive electrodes are used in this project instead of invasive electrodes

Teacher Development Multi-Year Study Series: Evaluation of Australia’s Investment in Teacher Development in Lao PDR: Baseline Report

This report constitutes the Baseline Report of the multi-year study of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s (DFAT) investment in teacher development in Lao PDR through the Basic Education Quality and Access in Laos program (BEQUAL). This Lao PDR study is part of a three-country multi-year study series on teacher development, in response to DFAT’s Office of Development Effectiveness’ 2015 Investing in Teachers report. This study is framed within the context of Lao PDR’s staged introduction of a new primary education curriculum, and accompanying in-service teacher professional development support. The overall aim of this study is to investigate the teacher professional development component to answer the question: to what extent does BEQUAL support improve teaching quality and student literacy in Lao PDR

Alcohol promotes breast cancer cell invasion by regulating the Nm23-ITGA5 pathway

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Alcohol consumption is an established risk factor for breast cancer metastasis. Yet, the mechanism by which alcohol promotes breast cancer metastases is unknown. The ability of cancer cells to invade through tissue barriers (such as basement membrane and interstitial stroma) is an essential step towards establishing cancer metastasis. In the present study, we identify and examine the roles of two genes, <it>Nm23 </it>and <it>ITGA5</it>, in alcohol-induced breast cancer cell invasion.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Human breast cancer T47D cells were treated with ethanol at various concentrations. Boyden chamber invasion assays were used to measure cellular invasive ability. The mRNA expression level of metastasis suppressor genes including <it>Nm23 </it>was determined by qRT-PCR. <it>ITGA5 </it>was identified using a qRT-PCR array of 84 genes important for cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions. <it>Nm23 </it>overexpression in addition to <it>Nm23</it>- and <it>ITGA5 </it>knock-down were used to determine the role of the Nm23-ITGA5 pathway on cellular invasive ability of T47D cells. Protein expression levels were verified by Western blot.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Alcohol increased the invasive ability of human breast cancer T47D cells in a dose-dependent manner through the suppression of the <it>Nm23 </it>metastatic suppressor gene. In turn, <it>Nm23 </it>down-regulation increased expression of fibronectin receptor subunit <it>ITGA5</it>, which subsequently led to increased cellular invasion. Moreover, <it>Nm23 </it>overexpression was effective in suppressing the effects of alcohol on cell invasion. In addition, we show that the effects of alcohol on invasion were also inhibited by knock-down of <it>ITGA5</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results suggest that the Nm23-ITGA5 pathway plays a critical role in alcohol-induced breast cancer cell invasion. Thus, regulation of this pathway may potentially be used to prevent the establishment of alcohol-promoted metastases in human breast cancers.</p

Development of a self-sufficient Ad Hoc Sensor to Perform Electrical impedance tomography measurements from within imaged space

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is an ill-posed problem whereby there are insufficient measured data to solve for a large amount of unknowns (finite elements). Conventionally, EIT measurements are performed on the boundary of an object or a process vessel. This results in a lower spatial resolution in central regions far off the conventional periphery electrodes. This paper presents the development of a self-sufficient EIT sensor with an aim to obtain EIT measurements from any locality within the object or the process vessel. An ad hoc EIT sensor that performs the current injection and voltage measurement around two pairs of electrodes is developed. The sensor consists of a current source, voltage amplifier, multiplexers, and microcontroller. Tests were conducted on a phantom tank. The sensor successfully performs localized voltage measurements from the interior of the imaged space with channel SNR average of 15dB

2004-2005 Young Musicians Competition - Strings

Coordinator Sergiu Schwartz, Lynn University Conservatory of Music Accompanist Tao Lin, Lynn University Conservatory of Music Judges Jody Atwood, cello - American String Teachers Association, Florida Chapter Shigeru Ishikawa, double-bass - Lynn University Conservatory of Music Marcia Littley de Arias, violin - Artist-in-Residence, Florida International University and Amernet String Quartethttps://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_other-competitions/1002/thumbnail.jp

Students’ Self-Perceptions of Self-Awareness/Self-Regulation when Experiencing Unexpected Situations in an Interprofessional Clinical Simulation

Background: The healthcare environment is becoming increasingly complex and demanding; therefore, providers need to possess both technical and non-technical skills to respond in unexpected circumstances. Self-awareness and regulation are non-technical skills where an individual becomes aware of personal and others’ emotions and then modulates those emotions to effectively act during a challenging situation. Educational programs need to embed more opportunities for students to develop these skills to enhance patient outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this research study was to explore student self-perceptions of self-awareness and self-regulation when experiencing unexpected situations in an interprofessional clinical simulation. Methods: Healthcare students (n = 109) from four disciplines participated in this qualitative research study involving an interprofessional small group, face to face simulation with unexpected circumstances. Following the simulation, participants engaged in a semi-structured debriefing. Comments were recorded and analyzed to develop a thematic structure. Results: Participants had varying views about their level of preparedness to handle complex, unexpected situations ranging from feeling not prepared at all to recognizing that they need to be equipped for anything. Students also reported a greater appreciation for the interprofessional team, acknowledging the need for one another as they navigated unexpected circumstances. Some students used their self-awareness and regulation skills in the moment to manage their emotions and move to action in response to the unexpected circumstances, while others benefited from observing and hearing from others during the simulation and debriefing session. Conclusions: The interprofessional simulation helped to prepare students to navigate unexpected challenging patient care circumstances. Students experienced some role and action confusion in response to the emotionally charged scenario; however, they recognized the importance of being self-aware, regulating their own emotions and the skills of the interdisciplinary team to best meet the needs of the patient and family. Additional opportunities for non-technical skill practice should be included in healthcare curriculums to enhance students’ preparedness for the current healthcare environment. Further research is recommended to determine best practices for teaching these non-technical skills

Community health programs delivered through information and communications technology in high-income countries : Scoping review

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has required widespread and rapid adoption of information and communications technology (ICT) platforms by health professionals. Transitioning health programs from face-to-face to remote delivery using ICT platforms has introduced new challenges. Objective: The objective of this review is to scope for ICT-delivered health programs implemented within the community health setting in high-income countries and rapidly disseminate findings to health professionals. Methods: The Joanna Briggs Institute’s scoping review methodology guided the review of the literature. Results: The search retrieved 7110 unique citations. Each title and abstract was screened by at least two reviewers, resulting in 399 citations for full-text review. Of these 399 citations, 72 (18%) were included. An additional 27 citations were identified through reviewing the reference lists of the included studies, resulting in 99 citations. Citations examined 83 ICT-delivered programs from 19 high-income countries. Variations in program design, ICT platforms, research design, and outcomes were evident. Conclusions: Included programs and research were heterogeneous, addressing prevalent chronic diseases. Evidence was retrieved for the effectiveness of nurse and allied health ICT-delivered programs. Findings indicated that outcomes for participants receiving ICT-delivered programs, when compared with participants receiving in-person programs, were either equivalent or better. Gaps included a paucity of co-designed programs, qualitative research around group programs, programs for patients and carers, and evaluation of cost-effectiveness. During COVID-19 and beyond, health professionals in the community health setting are encouraged to build on existing knowledge and address evidence gaps by developing and evaluating innovative ICT-delivered programs in collaboration with consumers and carers

Defining Human Embryo Phenotypes by Cohort-Specific Prognostic Factors

Hundreds of thousands of human embryos are cultured yearly at in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers worldwide, yet the vast majority fail to develop in culture or following transfer to the uterus. However, human embryo phenotypes have not been formally defined, and current criteria for embryo transfer largely focus on characteristics of individual embryos. We hypothesized that embryo cohort-specific variables describing sibling embryos as a group may predict developmental competence as measured by IVF cycle outcomes and serve to define human embryo phenotypes.We retrieved data for all 1117 IVF cycles performed in 2005 at Stanford University Medical Center, and further analyzed clinical data from the 665 fresh IVF, non-donor cycles and their associated 4144 embryos. Thirty variables representing patient characteristics, clinical diagnoses, treatment protocol, and embryo parameters were analyzed in an unbiased manner by regression tree models, based on dichotomous pregnancy outcomes defined by positive serum beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG). IVF cycle outcomes were most accurately predicted at approximately 70% by four non-redundant, embryo cohort-specific variables that, remarkably, were more informative than any measures of individual, transferred embryos: Total number of embryos, number of 8-cell embryos, rate (percentage) of cleavage arrest in the cohort and day 3 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) level. While three of these variables captured the effects of other significant variables, only the rate of cleavage arrest was independent of any known variables.Our findings support defining human embryo phenotypes by non-redundant, prognostic variables that are specific to sibling embryos in a cohort