The role of health promotion in physical therapy in California, New York, and Tennessee

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: As health care providers, physical therapists are in an ideal position to address health promotion issues with their patients; yet, little is known about actual health promotion practice patterns or the confidence of physical therapists in engaging in such activities. The purposes of this study were: (1) to investigate perceptions of practice patterns in 4 focus areas of Healthy People 2010 (disability and secondary conditions by assessing psychological well-being, nutrition and overweight, physical activity and fitness, and tobacco use) and (2) to identify related self-efficacy and outcome expectations in California, New York, and Tennessee. SUBJECTS: A instrument was pilot tested and distributed in 2 waves to 3,500 randomly selected, licensed physical therapists from 3 states: California, New York, and Tennessee. METHODS: Interviews were randomly conducted via telephone with 23 physical therapists in all 3 states until similar responses were identified in order to create the qualitative instrument, which was then pilot tested with 20 physical therapists in California. The total number of qualitative instruments used in the data analyses was 417 (145 from California, 127 from New York, and 145 from Tennessee) or 11.9%. RESULTS: The health promotion behavior most commonly thought to be practiced by physical therapists was assisting patients to increase physical activity (54%), followed by psychological well-being (41%), nutrition and overweight issues (19%), and smoking cessation (17%). Self-efficacy predicted all 4 behaviors beyond the control variables. Minimal state-to-state differences were noted. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Physical therapists believe they are addressing health promotion topics with patients, although in varying degrees and in lower than desirable percentages based on Healthy People 2010 goals. This study demonstrated that a physical therapist's confidence in being able to perform a behavior (self-efficacy) was the best predictor of perceptions of practice patterns and is an area to target in future interventions.     

Human interleukin 1. Purification to homogeneity

We have purified human interleukin 1 (IL-1) to homogeneity by a simplified procedure that results in excellent yields of pure material that retains a high level of biological activity. IL-1, secreted by human peripheral blood macrophages that have been stimulated with Staphylococcus aureus, was purified by ion exchange chromatography and affinity chromatography on Procion Red agarose. The pure protein has a specific activity of 3.2 X 10(8) U/mg in the thymocyte mitogenesis assay, and is pyrogenic. No molecular weight heterogeneity was observed, in contrast to findings for mouse IL-1 and earlier reports of human IL-1. Purified IL-1, as analyzed by two-dimensional electrophoresis/electrofocusing gels, exhibited a series of charged species with isoelectric points ranging from 6.0 to 4.9, all with a molecular weight of approximately 17,500. Amino acid analysis indicated an abundance of acidic residues, in agreement with the low isoelectric points. There is little or no cysteine in the molecule. No evidence was found for the presence of carbohydrate moieties. The overall yield for this procedure was approximately 31% of the activity contained in the initial culture supernatant.     

H-FABP与GPBB早期诊断AMI的价值研究

目的:探讨H-FABP(心肌型脂肪酸结合蛋白)与GPBB(糖原磷酸化酶同工酶)在临床早期诊断急性心肌梗死(AMI)的应用指标及实用价值.方法:选取48例正常人与42例急性心肌梗死病人采用用双抗体夹心ELISA法对急性胸痛的病人在0～1h、1～3h、3～6h内快速检测H- FABP与GPBB.结果:本实验研究结果表明H-...     

SA/hIL21双功能融合蛋白的表达、纯化及生物学活性检测

目的 制备链亲和素(SA)标记的人白细胞介素21融合蛋白(SA-hIL-21),检测其生物学活性.方法 构建hIL21-SA-pET21及pET24a-SA-hIL21质粒,利用大肠杆菌BL21(DE3)表达两种双功能融合蛋白,并利用镍金属螯合层析柱(Ni-NTA)纯化,之后透析复性,Western blotting进行鉴定,最后利用MTT法检测hIL21-SA及SA-hIL21融合蛋白与抗CD3单克隆抗体(anti-CD3)共刺激人外周血淋巴细胞的增殖活性,流式细胞仪分析两种融合蛋白对生物素化的MB49肿瘤细胞的锚定修饰效率.结果 hIL21-SA及SA-hIL21重组融合蛋白在大肠杆菌中实现了高效表达,约占菌体蛋白的30%,经复性后hIL21-SA及SA-hlL21具有了双重活性,即不仅可以与抗CD3单抗共刺激淋巴细胞的增殖,而且具有了SA介导的高效结合已生物素化的MB49肿瘤细胞表面的功能(表面修饰效率95.18%,96.91%).结论 本实验成功研制了具有双重活性的hIL21-SA及SA-hlL21融合蛋白,两种融合蛋白的双功能活性无显著性差异,该项研究为SA/hIL21双功能融合蛋白应用于肿瘤疫苗以及肿瘤局部治疗奠定了基础.     

Isoflurane depresses the response of inspiratory hypoglossal motoneurons to serotonin in vivo

BACKGROUND: Endogenous serotonin (5-HT) provides important excitatory drive to inspiratory hypoglossal motoneurons (IHMNs). In vitro studies show that activation of postsynaptic 5-HT receptors decreases a leak K+ channel conductance and depolarizes hypoglossal motoneurons (HMNs). In contrast, volatile anesthetics increase this leak K+ channel conductance, which causes neuronal membrane hyperpolarization and depresses HMN excitability. Clinical studies show upper airway obstruction, indicating HMN depression, even at subanesthetic concentrations. The authors hypothesized that if anesthetic activation of leak K+ channels caused neuronal depression in vivo, this effect could be antagonized with serotonin. In this case, the neuronal response to picoejected serotonin would be greater during isoflurane than with no isoflurane. METHODS: Studies were performed in decerebrate, vagotomized, paralyzed, and mechanically ventilated dogs during hypercapnic hyperoxia. The authors studied the effect of approximately 0.3 minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) isoflurane on the spontaneous discharge frequency patterns of single IHMNs and on the neuronal response to picoejection of 5-HT. RESULTS: Normalized data (mean +/- SD, n = 19) confirmed that 0.3 +/- 0.1 MAC isoflurane markedly reduced the spontaneous peak discharge frequency by 48 +/- 19% (P < 0.001) and depressed the slope of the spontaneous discharge patterns. The increase in neuronal frequency in response to 5-HT was reduced by 34 +/- 22% by isoflurane (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Subanesthetic concentrations of isoflurane strongly depressed canine IHMNs in vivo. The neuronal response to 5-HT was also depressed by isoflurane, suggesting that anesthetic activation of leak K+ channels, which is expected to result in a larger 5-HT response, was not a dominant mechanism in this depression.     

Management issues for women with epilepsy—Focus on pregnancy (an evidence-based review): I. Obstetrical complications and change in seizure frequency

A committee assembled by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) reassessed the evidence related to the care of women with epilepsy (WWE) during pregnancy, including the risk of pregnancy complications or other medical problems during pregnancy, change in seizure frequency, the risk of status epilepticus, and the rate of remaining seizure-free during pregnancy. The committee evaluated the available evidence according to a structured literature review and classification of relevant articles. For WWE who are taking antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), there is probably no substantially increased risk (>2 times expected) of cesarean delivery or late pregnancy bleeding, and probably no moderately increased risk (>1.5 times expected) of premature contractions or premature labor and delivery. There is possibly a substantially increased risk of premature contractions and premature labor and delivery during pregnancy for WWE who smoke. WWE should be counseled that seizure freedom for at least 9 months prior to pregnancy is probably associated with a high likelihood (84–92%) of remaining seizure-free during pregnancy. WWE who smoke should be counseled that they possibly have a substantially increased risk of premature contractions and premature labor and delivery.