Physical Therapy and Complementary and Alternative Medicine: An Educational Tool for Enhancing Integration

In an outpatient rehabilitation setting, both patients’ use and therapists’ knowledge of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) varies widely. Based on this observation and a recognition of CAM as an emerging practice area for rehabilitation professionals, it was felt that a thorough and consistent approach to the education and orientation of physical therapists to the world of CAM and integrative care was needed. This special interest paper will describe one center’s approach, development, and use of a unique and comprehensive training manual designed to provide both a structured and standardized approach for educating physical therapists about CAM and related therapeutic modalities. This innovative teaching tool allows for multiple methods of content delivery within a multidisciplinary format and can be used for those who practice currently or desire to practice in an integrative care environment.     

Evaluation of NaOH treatment of human dura mater implants to obviate Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease transmission.

One of the few disinfectants known to inactivate the causative agent of Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease is NaOH. In this study, NaOH was evaluated as a possible routine treatment for human dura mater alloimplants. Use of high concentration NaOH (1 M) resulted in protein loss and macroscopic changes to the tissue. Lower concentrations (0.1 M), although exhibiting little direct detrimental effect, greatly increased the susceptibility of the tissue to collagenase digestion. The use of NaOH treated commercial or institutionally prepared human dura mater should be approached with caution.     

Source agreement in assessing youth stress and negative affectivity: New evidence for an old problem

The present study examined dichotomies potentially relevant to parentchild and interparent agreement in the assessment of internalizing problems in youngsters. Specifically, 98 children and their parents completed the Daily Life Stressors Scale or a variant to examine child ratings of daily stress, parent ratings of their children's daily stress, and parent predictions of how their children would self-rate their stress. In addition, a distinction was made between subscores of negative affectivity and stressful life events. Results indicated moderate parent-child and interparent agreement, with the latter somewhat more influenced by a negative affectivity-stressful events dichotomy. Parent-child agreement appeared more enhanced for items involving more parental contact. Implications of these data for future research are discussed.     

Effects of IgM Allotype Suppression on Serum IgM Levels,B-1 and B-2 Cells,and Antibody Responses ir Allotype Heterozygous F1 Mice

IgM allotype heterozygous F1 mice were independently suppressed for Igh6a or Igh6b to evaluate the contribution of B-1 and B-2 cells to natural serum IgM levels and Ab responses. B-2 B cells expressing IgM of the suppressed allotype were evident in the spleens of suppressed mice 4 to 6 weeks after cessation of the suppression regimen, whereas B-1 B cells of the suppressed allotype were undetectable for up to 9 months. Although serum IgM of the suppressed allotype was initially depleted in mice suppressed for either allotype, by 7 months of age, there were detectable levels of IgM of the suppressed allotype in the serum; however, the levels were significantly below that found in nonsuppressed mice. When mice were immunized with either the T-independent or T-dependent form of phosphorylcholine, those suppressed for either allotype, and consequently depleted of B-1 B cells of that allotype, did not respond with phosphorylcholine-specific IgM of the suppressed allotype. In contrast, when mice were immunized with α1-3 dextran, the Igh6a allotype-suppressed mice were able to produce dextran-specific IgM of that allotype. These results show that allotype-bearing B-1 cells of both allotypes can be effectively suppressed by this suppression protocol and this produces long-lasting effects on B-1 cell levels and serum IgM of the suppressed allotype. These observations reflect the derivation of the majority of B-1 cells from fetal-neonatal precursors, which cannot be replaced by newly emerging B-2 cells of adult origin. Their ablation by antibody treatment results in permanent alterations to the adult B-cell repertoire.     

Brachial plexus injury: association with subclavian and axillary vascular trauma

Proximal upper extremity (subclavian and axillary) vascular injury (SAVI) and brachial plexus injury (BPI) occur uncommonly. However, BPI may be associated with SAVI and frequently is an important determinant of long-term disability. The medical records of patients with traumatic SAVI, BPI, or both over a 5-year period were reviewed. A total of 31 patients were identified. The group was predominantly male (28 men/3 women) with a mean age of 30.5 +/- 1.8 years (range, 15-63 years). Blunt trauma accounted for 43.5% of SAVI cases and 77.8% of BPI cases. Thirteen patients (41.9%) sustained SAVI alone (group I), 10 patients (32.2%) had combined SAVI and BPI (group II), and 8 patients (25.9%) had BPI alone (group III). Subclavian and axilliary vascular injury occurred in 10 of 18 patients (55.6%) with a BPI. Brachial plexus injury occurred in 10 of 23 patients (43.5%) with a SAVI. Patients with SAVI from blunt trauma were significantly more likely to have an associated complete BPI than patients with penetrating trauma. All patients with a complete BPI (6 patients) had an associated SAVI regardless of mechanism of injury. Only one patient with a partial BPI from blunt trauma had an associated SAVI. The Injury Severity Score was significantly higher for patients in group II. An average of 2.8 and 3.3 associated injuries were observed in patients with SAVI (groups I and II) versus patients without SAVI (group III), respectively. No patient who had a complete BPI showed an improvement in neurologic status during a mean follow-up of 7.2 months. No late vascular sequelae occurred in group-III patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Identification of a surface protein (p100) associated with two glycosyl-phosphatidylinositol-linked molecules (Thy-1 and ThB) by natural anti-lymphocyte autoantibodies.

Our previous study of natural autoantibodies showed that anti-lymphocyte antibodies are frequently produced by perinatal B cells from normal strains of mice. One-third of these monoclonal antibodies (mAb) recognized similar epitopes on the surface of thymocytes. In the present report, we have characterized the molecule recognized by three of these mAb (D10, G7, 22). These mAb identified a 100-kDa protein (p100) on the surface of thymocytes. This protein resolved into 70-kDa polypeptide chains under reducing conditions. Inhibition experiments as well as antibody immunoprecipitations in the presence of mild detergents revealed non-covalent association of the p100 with Thy-1 and ThB. A similar multimolecular complex was identified following chemical cross-linking of thymocyte surface proteins. Analysis of several Thy-1-defective mutant cells lines, and thymocytes treated with phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) showed that the expression of p100 was strongly influenced by Thy-1 molecule. The p100 was resistant to PI-PLC treatment and was not released into the supernatant as was the case for Thy-1 and ThB molecules. These data lead us to propose that the p100 is a transmembrane protein, the expression of which in the plasma membrane is dependent on the association or presence of Thy-1 molecule.     

A test of the assumptions of the transtheoretical model in a post-traumatic stress disorder population

Prior reports suggest an ambivalence regarding treatment in individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A model that accommodates such ambivalence is the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM, also known as the Stages-of-Change Model). Fifty veterans presenting for treatment completed self-report measures (94% response rate) that assessed disorder variables and constructs relating to the TTM. While the relationships between the components of each specific construct were found to be consistent with the findings of other studies and a number of predicted relationships between variables were confirmed, many results were inconsistent with the TTM. Notwithstanding questions about the suitability of the self-report measures, the unique characteristics of the veteran sample and the small sample size, the results suggest that the assumptions of the TTM were not met in veterans with PTSD. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.