The Appearance of Four Basement Membrane Zone Antigens in Developing Human Fetal Skin

In order to study the ontogeny of various structural and antigenic components of the basement membrane zone of human skin, we have examined skin specimens from 20 aborted fetuses ranging in gestational ages from 6 to 25 weeks, utilizing light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and indirect immunofluorescence with antibodies to bullous pemphigoid antigen, laminin, type IV collagen, and to the antigen defined by KF-1 monoclonal antibody. Both laminin and type IV collagen were detectable as early as 6 weeks of gestational age. In contrast, bullous pemphigoid antigen and the antigen defined by KF- 1 antibody were not detectable before 10 weeks and 16 weeks, respectively. The appearance of bullous pemphigoid antigen correlated with stratification of the epidermis and the formation of hemidesmosomes and anchoring fibrils at the basement membrane zone. KF- 1 antigen is first expressed when the epidermis is further stratified, hemidesmosomes and anchoring fibrils are present in greater numbers and with increased frequency at the dermal-epidermal junction, and hair follicles have begun to bud downward from the basal layer of the epidermis. Our findings suggest an orderly sequence to the appearance of these basement membrane zone components within human skin

The Ursinus Weekly, April 26, 1965

Ursinus Meistersingers present tour program • Student-Faculty show combines music, humor, satire • Library week: April 25 to May 1 • Campus Chest encouraged by enthusiastic support: One down, one to go • Campus freedom, Sunisru and you • Dr. Helfferich hosts dinner • Invitation • Shakespeare theatre festival • Last chapel May 13th • Editorial: Meistersingers concert; They\u27re all right, Jack; In the name of sweet charity • H.R.C. wages unending war: Greater than 1776 • Toward maturity • Peon or pledge? • Lacrosse team remains undefeated • Baseball team evens log; Beats W. Maryland, Johns Hopkins • Thinclads nip Swarthmore • Softballers open season with win • MSGA candidates speak out: L. Rudnyansky; R. Reed; R. Shaw • U.C. student pioneer corpsman • Ruby sales awards • Greek gleaningshttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1247/thumbnail.jp

The Ursinus Weekly, April 12, 1965

Farewell and welcome: 12th annual senior banquet • Women elect WSGA officers • Sprecher, Rodimer, Tucker and Katz named editors: Production staff also announced • YW-YMCA freshman camp plans now in progress • Summer reading program supplemented by film • Spring fashions grace Bomberger; Proceeds support foster child • Soc. classes hear Lloyd • Spirit Committee announces bake sale • Save money, read this note • Editorial: Our policy • Kennedy memorial day • YM-YWCA volunteer service programs • Red Chinese use truth against P.O.W.s • $400,000 a year? • Lantern and Giefan move toward merger • Baseball team drops opener • Cindermen extend streak: Trackmen rip Muhlenberg & H\u27ford • West Chester downed: Snellbelles end season with hard fought victory • Mermaids end season • Tennis team wins • Beta Sig new intramural champs • Letters to the editorhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/weekly/1245/thumbnail.jp

Evaluating the Manitoba Infant Feeding Database: Linking an infant feeding data repository with total population administrative data

Introduction Breastfeeding during the first two years of life supports optimal maternal and child health. Few linkable databases capture infant feeding data beyond hospital discharge. The Manitoba Infant Feeding Database (MIFD), a novel initiative started in 2015, records infant feeding practices at vaccination visits and is linkable with administrative data. Objectives and Approach Our objective was to evaluate the data quality and staff experiences with implementing the MIFD. The MIFD records whether the infant was exclusively or partially breastfeeding at each visit; it also records the infant’s age when (a) something other than human milk was first introduced and (b) the infant stopped breastfeeding entirely. Personal Health Identification Numbers (PHINs), birthdate, and postal code are used to link infant feeding information with administrative health records. Two authors independently reviewed the proportion of complete data fields and data fields with potential transcription errors. A survey was developed to assess experiences with implementing the MIFD. Results A total of 950 (out of 2500) records were randomly selected and reviewed, equating to 13,258 data fields. Data were 98.5% complete (n=13,064/13,258). Baby’s PHIN, mother’s PHIN, and relationship to the baby had 95.4%, 96.0%, and 97.6% complete data, respectively. Almost all records (95.5\%) had complete data for personal identifiers. Transcription had to be verified in 13.5% of MIFD data fields. The survey response rate was 78.4%. Nearly all felt that the MIFD data collection tool was easy to use (96.6\%). 65\% felt faxing the data to a central office was convenient. Most (93.1%) of respondents were happy to continue with the MIFD system. A 0.7 FTE is required to verify feeding data from all births in the province (N=15,000). Conclusion/Implications The MIFD is a sustainable and viable system for collecting and storing infant feeding information which can be linked with administrative health and social data. Having breastfeeding information after hospital discharge which can be linked with administrative data will facilitate the evaluation of programs aimed at supporting breastfeeding

Consensus-Based Care Recommendations for Pulmonologists Treating Adults with Myotonic Dystrophy Type 1

Purpose of Review: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a severe, progressive genetic disease that affects approximately 1 in 2,500 individuals globally [Ashizawa et al.: Neurol Clin Pract 2018;8(6):507-20]. In patients with DM1, respiratory muscle weakness frequently evolves, leading to respiratory failure as the main cause of death in this patient population, followed by cardiac complications [de Die-Smulders et al.: Brain 1998;121(Pt 8):1557-63], [Mathieu et al.: Neurology 1999;52(8):1658-62], [Groh et al.: Muscle Nerve 2011;43(5):648-51]. This paper provides a more detailed outline on the diagnostic and management protocols, which can guide pulmonologists who may not have experience with DM1 or who are not part of a neuromuscular multidisciplinary clinic. A group of neuromuscular experts in DM1 including pulmonologists, respiratory physiotherapists and sleep specialists discussed respiratory testing and management at baseline and during follow-up visits, based on their clinical experience with patients with DM1. The details are presented in this report. Recent Findings: Myotonic recruited 66 international clinicians experienced in the treatment of people living with DM1 to develop and publish consensus-based care recommendations targeting all body systems affected by this disease [Ashizawa et al.: Neurol Clin Pract. 2018;8(6):507-20]. Myotonic then worked with 12 international respiratory therapists, pulmonologists and neurologists with long-standing experience in DM respiratory care to develop consensus-based care recommendations for pulmonologists using a methodology called the Single Text Procedure. This process generated a 7-page document that provides detailed respiratory care recommendations for the management of patients living with DM1. This consensus is completely based on expert opinion and not backed up by empirical evidence due to limited clinical care data available for respiratory care management in DM patients. Nevertheless, we believe it is of relevance for professionals treating adults with myotonic dystrophy because it addresses practical issues related to respiratory management and care, which have been adapted to meet the specific issues in patients with DM1. Summary: The resulting recommendations are intended to improve respiratory care for the most vulnerable of DM1 patients and lower the risk of untoward respiratory complications and mortality by providing pulmonologist who are less experienced with DM1 with practical indications on which tests and when to perform them, adapting the general respiratory knowledge to specific issues related to this multiorgan disease

Encouraging Use of Seasonal Climate Forecasts by Farmers

What encourages use of seasonal climate forecasts? Considerable effort is being applied in developing seasonal climate forecasts and demonstrating the potential benefits available to farmers from using seasonal climate forecasts. This study examines three factors underlying the use of seasonal climate forecasts by farmers: the level of forecast understanding by farmers, the format presentation of the forecasts, and the attitude of farmers towards the usefulness of forecasts as indicators of future rainfall. Using judgement analysis, the use of forecasts in cropping decisions was determined for 73 Australian farmers. Then a moderated regression analysis was used to predict forecast use from the three underlying factors. The study found that a good understanding of the forecast was more important than the forecast format in predicting its use. However, this main effect of good understanding on higher use was qualified by a three-way interaction, such that seasonal climate forecasts and the forecasts were presented in a frequency format. Thus, the study found all three factors were important in predicting the use of seasonal climate forecasts by farmers. However, relatively little is known about farmer attitudes toward the usefulness of seasonal climate forecasts and how these attitudes arise, and further research is recommended in these areas

"Give me some space" : exploring youth to parent aggression and violence

A small scale qualitative project, undertaken by an interdisciplinary domestic violence research group involving academic researchers and research assistants, with colleagues from Independent Domestic Abuse Services (IDAS), investigated youth aggression and violence against parents. Following the literature review, data was generated through several research conversations with young people (n = 2), through semi-structured interviews with mothers (n = 3) and practitioners (n = 5), and through a practitioner focus group (n = 8). Thematic analysis and triangulation of the data from parents, practitioners and young people, elicited interconnected and complex overarching themes. Young people could be both victim and perpetrator. The witnessing or experiencing of domestic aggression and violence raised the concept of ‘bystander children’. The impact of young people experiencing familial violence was underestimated by parents. For practitioners, the effects of working with domestic violence was shown to be significant - both positively and negatively

A before-after implementation trial of smoking cessation guidelines in hospitalized veterans

Abstract Background Although most hospitalized smokers receive some form of cessation counseling during hospitalization, few receive outpatient cessation counseling and/or pharmacotherapy following discharge, which are key factors associated with long-term cessation. US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals are challenged to find resources to implement and maintain the kind of high intensity cessation programs that have been shown to be effective in research studies. Few studies have applied the Chronic Care Model (CCM) to improve inpatient smoking cessation. Specific objectives The primary objective of this protocol is to determine the effect of a nurse-initiated intervention, which couples low-intensity inpatient counseling with sustained proactive telephone counseling, on smoking abstinence in hospitalized patients. Key secondary aims are to determine the impact of the intervention on staff nurses' attitudes toward providing smoking cessation counseling; to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation of smoking cessation guidelines in VA hospitals; and to determine the short-term cost-effectiveness of implementing the intervention. Design Pre-post study design in four VA hospitals Participants Hospitalized patients, aged 18 or older, who smoke at least one cigarette per day. Intervention The intervention will include: nurse training in delivery of bedside cessation counseling, electronic medical record tools (to streamline nursing assessment and documentation, to facilitate prescription of pharmacotherapy), computerized referral of motivated inpatients for proactive telephone counseling, and use of internal nursing facilitators to provide coaching to staff nurses practicing in non-critical care inpatient units. Outcomes The primary endpoint is seven-day point prevalence abstinence at six months following hospital admission and prolonged abstinence after a one-month grace period. To compare abstinence rates during the intervention and baseline periods, we will use random effects logistic regression models, which take the clustered nature of the data within nurses and hospitals into account. We will assess attitudes of staff nurses toward cessation counseling by questionnaire and will identify barriers and facilitators to implementation by using clinician focus groups. To determine the short-term incremental cost per quitter from the perspective of the VA health care system, we will calculate cessation-related costs incurred during the initial hospitalization and six-month follow-up period. Trial number NCT00816036http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112349/1/13012_2009_Article_190.pd