The perils of power in interpretive research.

Occupational therapy is based on core values of altruism, equality, and honoring the dignity of others. Embedded in these values is the ever-present negotiation of power. To honor the concern for the welfare of others, researchers are challenged to think about issues of power throughout the research process. This paper identifies dilemmas and raises questions researchers might ask themselves as they struggle to share power in the interpretive research process.     

Recommendations for participation in leisure-time physical activity and competitive sports of patients with arrhythmias and potentially arrhythmogenic conditions. Part II: ventricular arrhythmias, channelopathies and implantable defibrillators.

This consensus paper on behalf of the Study Group on Sports Cardiology of the European Society of Cardiology follows a previous one on guidelines for sports participation in competitive and recreational athletes with supraventricular arrhythmias and pacemakers. The question of imminent life-threatening arrhythmias is especially relevant when some form of ventricular rhythm disorder is documented, or when the patient is diagnosed to have inherited a pro-arrhythmogenic disorder. Frequent ventricular premature beats or nonsustained ventricular tachycardia may be a hallmark of underlying pathology and increased risk. Their finding should prompt a thorough cardiac evaluation, including both imaging modalities and electrophysiological techniques. This should allow distinguishing idiopathic rhythm disorders from underlying disease that carries a more ominous prognosis. Recommendations on sports participation in inherited arrhythmogenic conditions and asymptomatic gene carriers are also discussed: congenital and acquired long QT syndrome, short QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy and other familial electrical disease of unknown origin. If an implantable cardioverter defibrillator is indicated, it is no substitute for the guidelines relating to the underlying pathology. Moreover, some particular recommendations for patients/athletes with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator are to be observed.     

Parvovirus B19 and parvovirus V9 are not associated with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura in children.

BACKGROUND: Based on single case reports, parvovirus B19 (B19) has repeatedly been proposed as an etiologic agent in patients with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura (HSP), perhaps causing vasculitis by direct invasion of vascular endothelial cells because of the tissue distribution of the cellular B19 receptor. A cohort of children with HSP and other vasculitic diseases was investigated and compared with healthy control children to assess the role of B19 as well as parvovirus V9 (a putative emerging B19-like virus). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Serum samples from 36 children with HSP (n = 29) or other vasculitic diseases (n = 7) were examined, and 38 healthy bone marrow donors were used as controls. The presence of specific B19 and V9 IgM and IgG antibodies was determined with a recently developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and viral DNA was detected by a novel nested PCR. RESULTS: Specific IgM was not present in any of the patient or control serum samples. B19 DNA was detected in one patient, a previously healthy 8-year-old boy diagnosed with HSP, whereas none of the controls was B19-positive. V9 was not detected in any of the clinical or control samples. It seems likely that B19 infection might have triggered the development of HSP in the B19-positive patient, because B19 viremia is otherwise uncommon. CONCLUSIONS: Although causality is difficult to construe in single cases, the data indicate that B19 is not a common contributing factor in the pathogenesis of vasculitis and that this pathogen is only rarely associated temporally with HSP or vasculitic diseases in children.     

A model for university/early childhood education partnerships

A model for university/early childhood partnerships located in the community was designed based on previous and present characteristics of university/school teaching centers and professional development schools. The long-range goals of this collaborative model were to raise the quality of future preschool and child care teachers, to enhance university early childhood teacher education programs, and to strengthen child care and preschool programs. The present case study focused on the first step of developing a viable model for sustained rather than temporary partnerships. Formal collaborative roles supported by higher level administrative commitment were found to be necessary to overcome differences in goals and values. Overcoming such institutional differences may be easier to accomplish in smaller early childhood programs. Future early childhood partnerships need to be developed and evaluated to determine the long-term impact of this partnership model on enhancing early childhood programs and on producing better teachers.This study could not have been done without the active support of the Head Start staff members, the 13 Roosevelt University early childhood students, and Elizabeth Jones, the Head Start director.     

Randomized Controlled Trial of Hands‐and‐Knees Positioning for Occipitoposterior Position in Labor

ABSTRACT: Background: Hands‐and‐knees positioning during labor has been recommended on the theory that gravity and buoyancy may promote fetal head rotation to the anterior position and reduce persistent back pain. A Cochrane review found insufficient evidence to support the effectiveness of this intervention during labor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal hands‐and‐knees positioning on fetal head rotation from occipitoposterior to occipitoanterior position, persistent back pain, and other perinatal outcomes. Methods: Thirteen labor units in university‐affiliated hospitals participated in this multicenter randomized, controlled trial. Study participants were 147 women laboring with a fetus at ≥37 weeks’ gestation and confirmed by ultrasound to be in occipitoposterior position. Seventy women were randomized to the intervention group (hands‐and‐knees positioning for at least 30 minutes over a 1‐hour period during labor) and 77 to the control group (no hands‐and‐knees positioning). The primary outcome was occipitoanterior position determined by ultrasound following the 1‐hour study period and the secondary outcome was persistent back pain. Other outcomes included operative delivery, fetal head position at delivery, perineal trauma, Apgar scores, length of labor, and women's views with respect to positioning. Results: Women randomized to the intervention group had significant reductions in persistent back pain. Eleven women (16%) allocated to use hands‐and‐knees positioning had fetal heads in occipitoanterior position following the 1‐hour study period compared with 5 (7%) in the control group (relative risk 2.4; 95% CI 0.88–6.62; number needed to treat 11). Trends toward benefit for the intervention group were seen for several other outcomes, including operative delivery, fetal head position at delivery, 1‐minute Apgar scores, and time to delivery. Conclusions: Maternal hands‐and‐knees positioning during labor with a fetus in occipitoposterior position reduces persistent back pain and is acceptable to laboring women. Given this evidence, hands‐and‐knees positioning should be offered to women laboring with a fetus in occipitoposterior position in the first stage of labor to reduce persistent back pain. Although this study demonstrates trends toward improved birth outcomes, further trials are needed to determine if hands‐and‐knees positioning promotes fetal head rotation to occipitoanterior and reduces operative delivery. (BIRTH 32:4 December 2005)     

Helping families of homicide victims: A multidimensional approach

Homicide inflicts massive injury upon the intrapsychic and interpersonal realities of the surviving kin of murder victims. A New York City pilot program of outreach and counselling to 1182 families of Brooklyn homicide victims suggests that surviving kin undergo the symptoms of traumatic stress disorder. Recovery is prolonged by knowledge that the perpetrator is usually alive and in some cases unpunished, by repetitive confrontations with the criminal justice system and by the multiple losses endured: loss of a family member, loss of illusions of safety and invulnerability, loss of a sense of trust in the surrounding community, and loss of a belief system. Effective help to survivors requires interventions that respond to all aspects of the survivors' losses.     

Capillary-oxygenation-level-dependent near-infrared spectrometry in frontal lobe of humans.

Brain function requires oxygen and maintenance of brain capillary oxygenation is important. We evaluated how faithfully frontal lobe near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) follows haemoglobin saturation (SCap) and how calculated mitochondrial oxygen tension (PMitoO2) influences motor performance. Twelve healthy subjects (20 to 29 years), supine and seated, inhaled O2 air-mixtures (10% to 100%) with and without added 5% carbon dioxide and during hyperventilation. Two measures of frontal lobe oxygenation by NIRS (NIRO-200 and INVOS) were compared with capillary oxygen saturation (SCap) as calculated from the O2 content of brachial arterial and right internal jugular venous blood. At control SCap (78%+/-4%; mean+/-s.d.) was halfway between the arterial (98%+/-1%) and jugular venous oxygenation (SvO2; 61%+/-6%). Both NIRS devices monitored SCap (P<0.001) within approximately 5% as SvO2 increased from 39%+/-5% to 79%+/-7% with an increase in the transcranial ultrasound Doppler determined middle cerebral artery flow velocity from 29+/-8 to 65+/-15 cm/sec. When SCap fell below approximately 70% with reduced flow and inspired oxygen tension, PMitoO2 decreased (P<0.001) and brain lactate release increased concomitantly (P<0.001). Handgrip strength correlated with the measured (NIRS) and calculated capillary oxygenation values as well as with PMitoO2 (r>0.74; P<0.05). These results show that NIRS is an adequate cerebral capillary-oxygenation-level-dependent (COLD) measure during manipulation of cerebral blood flow or inspired oxygen tension, or both, and suggest that motor performance correlates with the frontal lobe COLD signal.