Talk the walk: the importance of teaching patients how to use their walking stick effectively and safely

Background: Walking sticks are used widely by people with arthritis, principally to reduce pain and improve stability and balance. However, they are frequently used incorrectly and can be dangerous if not properly maintained. Methods: Fifty randomly selected patients attending a rheumatology department were surveyed to determine whether their stick was appropriate to their needs and whether they were using it correctly. Results: Of the 50 patients, 38% used their stick incorrectly, usually in the wrong hand. Forty‐four per cent of sticks were of the wrong length and 54% were in imperfect condition, the main defect being a worn ferrule. Among the minority (18 patients) who had received instruction and training, 72% used their stick correctly, while only 50% of those who had not been trained used their stick in the correct hand where applicable to their condition. Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of educating patients on how to obtain greatest benefit from their walking stick and of the necessity to check it regularly for defects to ensure safe usage.     

Correction to: “Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders -     

MR Denoising Increases Radiomic Biomarker Precision and Reproducibility in Oncologic Imaging

Journal of Digital Imaging - Several noise sources, such as the Johnson–Nyquist noise, affect MR images disturbing the visualization of structures and affecting the subsequent extraction of...     

Arteriolar responses to vasodilator stimuli and elevated P(O2) in renin congenic and Dahl salt-sensitive rats

OBJECTIVES: Angiotensin II suppression leads to impaired vascular relaxation in normotensive animals on a high-salt diet. The goal of this study was to determine whether normal vascular reactivity could be restored by transferring the chromosomal region carrying the Dahl salt-resistant (R) renin gene into the Dahl salt-sensitive (SS) genetic background in a strain of renin congenic rats (RGRR). METHODS: Male RGRR and SS rats were fed low-salt (0.4%) and high-salt (4%) diets for 4 weeks. The responses of cremaster muscle arterioles to acetylcholine (ACh), sodium nitroprusside (SNP), and elevated PO2 were assessed using video microscopy. RESULTS: ACh-induced dilation was significantly enhanced in RGRR on a high-salt diet compared to SS rats, while dilation to the NO donor SNP was similar in both strains. A high-salt diet significantly enhanced arteriolar constriction in response to elevated PO2, in both SS and RGRR rats. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that transfer of the chromosomal region containing the renin gene is crucial in the recovery of ACh-induced dilation of arterioles in RGRR rats vs. SS rats, and that factors in the SS genetic background contribute to an enhanced sensitivity to elevated PO2, independent of genes on chromosome 13.     

Training Coaches in Community Agencies to Support Parents of Children with Suspected Autism: Outcomes,Facilitators, and Barriers

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This study evaluated the fidelity and effectiveness of a parent coach training program for toddlers at risk for autism spectrum disorder and...