The Ritual of Therapeutic Artmaking in Long-Term Care

The transition to long-term care settings can be difficult for residents and feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety are not uncommon in these environments. However, participating in therapeutic artmaking rituals creates opportunities for residents to process their feelings, experience states of flow and mindfulness, engage with others, and focus on their own psychological growth. In long-term care, the physical needs of residents are often prioritized, but psychosocial needs also require attention. For this project, therapeutic artmaking rituals were created at a long-term care facility in three levels of care over 12 months. Older adults engaged with clay, paint, raw fiber, and wood. Reflections and recommendations for artists interested in creating similar programming are discussed. Suggestions for future research on therapeutic artmaking rituals are also included, such as the consideration of artist in residence programs within long-term care settings and assessing how the ritual of engaging in therapeutic artmaking could improve person-centered care and resident and staff dynamics

Structure – Function Studies of Annexin A2 & A5

University of Minnesota Duluth 2014 UROP paperSwenson College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota Dulut

Structure – Function Studies of Annexin A2 & A5

UROP paper, 2014, Chemistry and BiochemistryUndergraduate Research Opportunities Program, University of Minnesota Dulut

Згадав Василя Черниха чи Василя Черних?

Anafylactische reacties ten gevolge van chemotherapeutische medicatie komen soms voor en kunnen ernstig zijn. De diversiteit aan oorzaken maakt het optreden van een dergelijke overgevoeligheidsreactie moeilijk te voorspellen. Een 60-jarige vrouw ontwikkelde na toediening van een tweede chemotherapie etoposide ter behandeling van een kleincellig longcarcinoom een anafylactische reactie. Tijdens het vervolg van de behandeling werd etoposide vervangen door paclitaxel, waarna zij kort na het starten van de paclitaxel een tweede, ernstige anafylactische reactie kreeg. Opname op de intensivecareafdeling volgde, waarna de patiënte weer herstelde. Van zowel etoposide als paclitaxel is bekend dat een allergische reactie kan ontstaan bij intraveneuze toediening. Het mechanisme dat ten grondslag ligt aan deze reactie is niet bekend. Gezien het verschil in structuur is kruisovergevoeligheid tussen etoposide en paclitaxel niet waarschijnlijk. Om de oplosbaarheid van beide middelen te verhogen, worden respectievelijk de hulpstoffen polysorbaat 80 en Cremophor® EL gebruikt. Intradermale testen met beide middelen gaven een positieve reactie. De anafylactische reacties op beide cytostatica kunnen waarschijnlijk worden verklaard op grond van kruisovergevoeligheid voor de hulpstoffen

Diagnostic yield of computed tomography and densitometric measurements of the lung in thoracoscopically-defined idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax

AbstractIn the present study, the diagnostic yield of high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) is evaluated in patients with thoracoscopically-verified idiopathic spontaneous pneumothorax (SP). Visual assessment as well as densitometry of lung parenchyma was performed. In eight of the 20 prospectively-evaluated SP patients, emphysema-like (EL) changes such as blebs and bullae could be detected. The SP patients with EL changes were significantly older and were more heavy smokers. Spirometrically-controlled CT lung densitometry showed no differences between the patient group with or without these EL changes. Comparing the densitometric measurements of the patient group with a healthy control group no significant differences in densitometry between both groups were found.In conclusion, this study confirms that HRCT is a reliable method of detecting blebs and bullae in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax. Furthermore CT lung densitometry revealed no parenchymal abnormalities or signs of air trapping in patients with spontaneous pneumothorax

A novel magnet-based scratch method for standardisation of wound-healing assays

A novel magnetic scratch method achieves repeatability, reproducibility and geometric control greater than pipette scratch assays and closely approximating the precision of cell exclusion assays while inducing the cell injury inherently necessary for wound healing assays. The magnetic scratch is affordable, easily implemented and standardisable and thus may contribute toward better comparability of data generated in different studies and laboratories

Acetylation of UBF changes during the cell cycle and regulates the interaction of UBF with RNA polymerase I

The upstream binding factor UBF, an activator of RNA polymerase I transcription, is posttranslationally modified by phosphorylation and acetylation. We found that in NIH3T3 cells, UBF is acetylated in S-phase but not in G(1)-phase. To assess the role of acetylation in regulation of UBF activity, we have established an NIH3T3 cell line that inducibly overexpresses HDAC1. Both in vivo and in vitro, HDAC1 efficiently hypoacetylates UBF. Immunoprecipitation with antibodies against the Pol I-associated factor PAF53 co-precipitated UBF in mock cells but not in cells overexpressing HDAC1. Pull-down experiments showed that acetylation of UBF augments the interaction with Pol I. Consistent with acetylation of UBF being important for association of PAF53 and recruitment of Pol I, the level of Pol I associated with rDNA and pre-rRNA synthesis were reduced in cells overexpressing HDAC1. The results suggest that acetylation and deacetylation of UBF regulate rRNA synthesis during cell cycle progression

Regional ventilation distribution and dead space in anaesthetized horses treated with and without continuous positive airway pressure: novel insights by electrical impedance tomography and volumetric capnography

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) on regional distribution of ventilation and dead space in anaesthetized horses. Study design: Randomized, experimental, crossover study. Animals: A total of eight healthy adult horses. Methods: Horses were anaesthetized twice with isoflurane in 50% oxygen and medetomidine as continuous infusion in dorsal recumbency, and administered in random order either CPAP (8 cmH2O) or NO CPAP for 3 hours. Electrical impedance tomography (and volumetric capnography (VCap) measurements were performed every 30 minutes. Lung regions with little ventilation [dependent silent spaces (DSSs) and nondependent silent spaces (NSSs)], centre of ventilation (CoV) and dead space variables, as well as venous admixture were calculated. Statistical analysis was performed using multivariate analysis of variance and Pearson correlation. Results: Data from six horses were statistically analysed. In CPAP, the CoV shifted to dependent parts of the lungs (p < 0.001) and DSSs were significantly smaller (p < 0.001), while no difference was seen in NSSs. Venous admixture was significantly correlated with DSS with the treatment time taken as covariate (p < 0.0001; r = 0.65). No differences were found for any VCap parameters. Conclusions and clinical relevance: In dorsally recumbent anaesthetized horses, CPAP of 8 cmH2O results in redistribution of ventilation towards the dependent lung regions, thereby improving ventilation-perfusion matching. This improvement was not associated with an increase in dead space indicative for a lack in distension of the airways or impairment of alveolar perfusion

Severe Bronchomalacia in a 65-Year-Old Man Treated With Stent Insertion Instead of Surgical Bronchoplasty

Bronchomalacia in adults is rare. A case is reported here of a 65-year-old man with severe cough and mucostasis, caused by a benign bronchomalacia of the ventral wall of the left main bronchus. This was treated successfully with the insertion of a silicone Dumon stent as an alternative to surgical bronchoplasty