Training Occupational Therapy Managers

There is a need for occupational therapists to become competent managers in a diverse range of health care settings. In this paper, the author's continuing education course on management which they have conducted at the West Australian Institute of Technology (now Curtin University of Technology) over the past four years. Details of participants, their reasons for attending and their comments on the course are included. The authors emphasise the need for more continuing education in management and the provision of skills for coping with organisational life, in particular in a female dominated profession such as occupational therapy.     

DIFFERING EFFECTS OF CARBOHYDRATE, FAT AND PROTEIN ON THE RATE OF ETHANOL METABOLISM

The rate of metabolism of ethanol in humans has been assessedby intravenous infusion of ethanol/saline under feedback controlto maintain a constant blood alcohol concentration. After equilibration,meals consisting predominantly of carbohydrate, fat or proteinwere eaten and changes in ethanol metabolic rate were found.Carbohydrate caused a significant increase in this rate andfat or protein caused small but non-significant decreases. Infusionof ethanol/saline resulted in a temporary fall in plasma freefatty acid levels and a steady rise in plasma triglycerides.The changes in alcohol metabolism following carbohydrate cannotbe accounted for by changes in insulin, free fatty acid or lactate/pyruvatelevels.     

A Group-Based Training Programme for General Practitioners: A Norwegian Experience

Westin S, stensen A I, Lvslett K, Prytz J, Telje J, TelstadW and Lie A. A group-based training programme for general practitioners:a Norwegian experience. Family Practice 1988; 5: 244–252. There are approximately 3000 general practitioners in Norway,serving a population of slightly above four million people.A three year postgraduate education scheme for general practitionershas been in effect since 1973, to be replaced by a five yearvocational training programme from January 1985, making generalpractice a fully recognized specialty from that date. The educationalrequirements consist of one year of hospital training, fouryears of training in general practice, and a total of 400 hoursof course education, mainly in clinical subjects. The core elementof the training is attendance at a group-based structured educationalprogramme of two years' duration. This article describes theconcepts and content of this decentralized group-based education,as well as some of the conflicting considerations which eventuallyled to this new Norwegian model of general practice training.The first evaluation studies indicate that the educational programmehas met a long standing need among general practitioners.     

朝藿素D的分离和结构

从朝鲜淫羊藿(Epimedium koreanum)地上部分分离得到一新黄酮成分(I)和一已知化合物(II)。经光谱解析,证明I的结构为5,7,3',4'-tetrahydroxy-5'-prenylflavone,命名为朝藿素D(epimedokoreanin D);II为2-hydroxy-3,4,6,7-tetramethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthren。     

Effect of plant neutrophil elastase inhibitor on leucocyte migration, adhesion and cytokine release in inflammatory conditions

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The serine and cysteine peptidase inhibitor, BbCI, isolated from Bauhinia bauhinioides seeds, is similar to the classical plant Kunitz inhibitor, STI, but lacks disulphide bridges and methionine residues. BbCI blocks activity of the serine peptidases, elastase (K_iapp 5.3 nM) and cathepsin G (K_iapp 160.0 nM), and the cysteine peptidase cathepsin L (K_iapp 0.2 nM). These three peptidases play important roles in the inflammatory process.

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

We measured the effects of BbCI on paw oedema and on leucocyte accumulation in pleurisy, both induced by carrageenan. Leucocyte–endothelial cell interactions in scrotal microvasculature in Wistar rats were investigated using intravital microscopy. Cytokine levels in pleural exudate and serum were measured by elisa.

KEY RESULTS

Pretreatment of the animals with BbCI (2.5 mg·kg⁻¹), 30 min before carrageenan-induced inflammation, effectively reduced paw oedema and bradykinin release, neutrophil migration into the pleural cavity. The number of rolling, adhered and migrated leucocytes at the spermatic fascia microcirculation following carrageenan injection into the scrotum were reduced by BbCI pretreatment. Furthermore, levels of the rat chemokine cytokine-induced neutrophil chemo-attractant-1 were significantly reduced in both pleural exudates and serum from animals pretreated with BbCI. Levels of interleukin-1β or tumour necrosis factor-α, however, did not change.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Taken together, our data suggest that the anti-inflammatory properties of BbCI may be useful in investigations of other pathological processes in which human neutrophil elastase, cathepsin G and cathepsin L play important roles.     

Changes in the pulmonary glucocorticoid receptor content in the course of interstitial disease

The level of cytosolic glucocorticoid receptors (GR) was measured in 12 open-chest lung biopsies of interstitial pulmonary diseases. The results showed an increase in the GR content in the diseased lungs correlated to the degree of septal cellularity in nine cases. Two pulmonary sarcoidosis and one end-stage idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients presented higher levels of GR than those predicted by the septal cellularity. It was concluded that the GR content of the lungs increases in the course of interstitial diseases, reflecting the number of cells that express cytosolic GR in pulmonary parenchyma.