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Biomedical subjects

S Way

Publications and source records attributed to S Way.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Retooling social work practice for high volume, short stay.

The re-engineered acute care environment that emphasizes managed care, reduced costs per case and shorter lengths of stay also demands innovative approaches to the delivery of social work service. As departments disappear and other professions compete for roles in counselling, discharge planning and community liaison, there is a real threat to the viability of the acute hospital as a setting for social work. This paper focuses on the adaptive skills needed for the restructured acute care context, including (1) the creation of key roles for social work on the multidisciplinary team, (2) pre-admission high-risk screening and discharge planning, (3) high volume recording, (4) solution-focused brief interventions, and (5) the development of community partnerships. These conceptual strategies are implemented differently in examples drawn from three distinct high-volume patient groups: reconstructive orthopaedics, high-risk fetal assessment and thoracic oncology.

Cost Control↗

Can 16-18-year-old elite ballet dancers improve their hip and ankle range of motion over a 12-month period?

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a 12-month intensive ballet training regimen on hip and ankle range of motion in male and female, first- and second-year professional dancers. DESIGN: 12-month longitudinal follow-up. SETTING: National classical ballet school in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: 28 female and 20 male full-time ballet students with a mean +/- 1 SD, ages 16.8 +/- 0.8 and 17.7 +/- 1.2 years, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Degrees of range of motion of left and right sides for the following movements: standing plié in parallel-passive ankle dorsiflexion (DF); standing turnout in the balletic first position--lower leg external rotation (LLER); supine hip external rotation (ER); supine hip internal rotation (IR). An additional range of motion was calculated: external rotation below the hip joint (BHER) derived by subtracting hip ER from LLER. MAIN RESULTS: In all subjects combined, hip and ankle ranges increased statistically on the right. However, the amount was generally minimal and most at the borderline of the amount of error associated with the measurement tool. While there was no change in LLER, there was a decrease in BHER. There were no overall gender differences, and year differences existed only for left hip ER and total hip ER with first-year dancers showing significant improvements in these ranges. For DF and sum of hip IR, first-year males and second-year females had increases in range. There was a negative relationship between baseline range and the amount of change over the 12 months. CONCLUSIONS: Dancers ages 16-18 years who enter full-time ballet training did not augment their ankle dorsiflexion to any appreciable degree. Some, but certainly not all, increased their hip active external rotation over 12 months without increasing their total lower limb turnout. Hip ER was more likely to improve in the first-year rather than second-year student in this elite full-time training school.

Adolescent↗

Social construction of episiotomy.

This article explores the meaning of episiotomy. A review of the literature examines the definition, procedure, perceptions and outcomes of episiotomy to create a better understanding for those using or experiencing its practice. The article highlights that episiotomy means more than just a cut in the perineum. Episiotomy means different things to different individuals and groups, the meaning being socially constructed depending on social context, professional background and personal experience. It is concluded that midwives need to understand what an episiotomy means to women, and that through research midwives need to develop their own body of knowledge of childbirth from the viewpoints of those who are actually experiencing it.

Adult↗

Hip and ankle range of motion in elite classical ballet dancers and controls.

OBJECTIVE: To report range of motion at the hip and ankle in male and female ballet dancers compared with controls. DESIGN: Cross-sectional cohort study with convenience control sample. SETTING: National classical ballet school in Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-three female and 30 male full-time ballet students of mean (SD) age 16.9 (0.8) and 18.0 (1.4) years, respectively. Controls were 31 female and 16 male nondancing, normally active university students of average ages 18.8 +/- 0.6 and 18.8 +/- 0.9 years, respectively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Degrees of range of motion of left and right sides for the following four movements: standing plié in parallel-passive ankle dorsiflexion (DF), standing turnout in the balletic first position-lower limb external rotation (LLER), supine hip external rotation (ER), supine hip internal rotation (IR). Two additional ranges of motion were calculated. External rotation below the hip joint (BHER) was derived by subtracting hip ER from LLER, and total supine hip rotation (Hip IR + ER) was derived by summing hip ER and hip IR. MAIN RESULTS: On both left and right sides, dancers had greater LLER (p < 0.0001) and hip ER (p < 0.0001) but lesser hip IR than the controls (p < 0.0001). Female but not male dancers had greater total supine hip rotation (hip ER+IR) than controls (p < 0.05). There was no difference in either BHER or ankle DF between dancers and controls. Within dancers, females had greater range in both left and right hip IR, LLER, and hip IR + ER. There was no difference in hip ER. Regression analysis revealed that LLER related to hip ER in both males and females. CONCLUSIONS: Elite classical dance students had greater hip external rotation (both ER and LLER) and less hip internal rotation than controls but similar BHER and ankle DF. Since ER below the hip joint and ankle DF do not differ between dancers and controls, despite repeated training of these movements in ballet, there may be anatomical (bony/ligamentous) limitations to these movements.

Ankle Joint↗

Episiotomy and body image.

An episiotomy scar can be a source of altered body image. The size of the episiotomy scar may be disproportionate to the impact it has on a woman's body image. The use of the lithotomy position may add to the distress of a woman. Further research is needed to understand how an episiotomy scar may affect the way a woman perceives her own body image.

Body Image↗

Overuse injuries in classical ballet.

Successful management of classical ballet dancers with overuse injuries requires an understanding of the art form, precise knowledge of anatomy and awareness of certain conditions. Turnout is the single most fundamental physical attribute in classical ballet and 'forcing turnout' frequently contributes to overuse injuries. Common presenting conditions arising from the foot and ankle include problems at the first metatarsophalangeal joint, second metatarsal stress fractures, flexor hallucis longus tendinitis and anterior and posterior ankle impingement syndromes. Persistent shin pain in dancers is often due to chronic compartment syndrome, stress fracture of the posteromedial or anterior tibia. Knee pain can arise from patellofemoral syndrome, patellar tendon insertional pathologies, or a combination of both. Hip and back problems are also prevalent in dancers. To speed injury recovery of dancers, it is important for the sports medicine team to cooperate fully. This permits the dancer to benefit from accurate diagnosis, technique correction where necessary, the full range of manual therapies to joint and soft tissue, appropriate strengthening programmes and maintenance of dance fitness during any time out of class with Pilates-based exercises and nutrition advice. Most overuse ballet conditions respond well to a combination of conservative therapies. Those dancers that do require surgical management still depend heavily on ballet-specific rehabilitation for a complete recovery.

Ankle Injuries↗

Identification of oxytoxin cells in the rat supraoptic nucleus by their response to cholecystokinin injection.

Identification of specific cell types is fundamental to interpreting single cell recording studies. The hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus (SON) contains phasic (putative vasopressin) cells and a mixed population of continuously firing vasopressin and oxytocin cells. We injected cholecystokinin (CCK-8; i.v.), which is known to release oxytocin but not vasopressin, to see if such injections might differentiate oxytocin from vasopressin cells. Recordings made, using the ventral surgical approach to the SON in female rats under urethane anaesthesia (1.3 g/kg) from 49 non-phasic cells showed that CCK-8 (20 micrograms/kg) excited 41. Twenty of these 41 cells were tested for their response to i.v. injections of phenylephrine (10 micrograms), which interrupts the firing of putative vasopressin cells, and none were inhibited. Only one out of 8 cells recorded from suckled, lactating rats which showed a burst of spikes just before reflex milk-ejection was inhibited by phenylephrine. Injections of CCK-8 also excited 4 out of four such 'milk ejection' cells. Cells activated by CCK, cells unaffected by phenylephrine, cells activated just before reflex milk-ejection and cells which fire continuously appear to be a single population, thus continuous firing gives a good indication that an SON cell secretes oxytocin.

Animals↗

Pethidine (meperidine) inhibition of oxytocin secretion and action in parturient rats.

Pethidine (also known as meperidine and as Demerol) injected subcutaneously at 10 mg/kg into parturient rats on the birth of the second pup resulted in a marked slowing of the progress of parturition, associated with reduced plasma oxytocin concentrations. Injection of the opiate antagonist naloxone counteracted the inhibition of oxytocin secretion and largely prevented the slowing of parturition. In vitro, pethidine inhibited spontaneous, oxytocin-induced and acetylcholine-induced contractions of uteri from rats immediately post partum, and these effects were not reversed by naloxone. In anesthetized lactating rats, pethidine inhibited the suckling-induced milk-ejection reflex and attenuated oxytocin-induced contractions of mammary myoepithelium. Finally, pethidine depressed plasma oxytocin concentrations in rats given 2% saline to drink for 24 h to stimulate oxytocin secretion. Thus pethidine inhibits oxytocin secretion in all three conditions; this inhibition is probably mediated by central opioid receptors. In addition, however, pethidine depresses the oxytocin responsiveness both of mammary myoepithelium and of myometrium. The latter effect at least is not opioid mediated.

Administration, Oral↗

Effects of naloxone and of intraperitoneal hypertonic saline upon oxytocin release and upon supraoptic neuronal activity.

Urethane anaesthetized male rats were given an i.p. injection of hypertonic saline to increase plasma osmotic pressure. This injection resulted in significantly elevated plasma oxytocin levels and increased discharge activity of putative oxytocin cells in the supraoptic nucleus. Subsequent injection of naloxone (1 mg/kg) i.v. resulted in a similarly large increase in plasma oxytocin, but did not affect the discharge activity of putative oxytocin neurones. The results suggest that, following an i.p. injection of hypertonic saline, endogenous opioids act at the neurosecretory terminals to partially inhibit oxytocin release.

Animals↗

Population pharmacokinetics of gentamicin in neonates.

The influence of a number of clinical characteristics on the population pharmacokinetics of gentamicin were examined using routine drug-monitoring data from a group of 113 neonates. The data were analyzed using the programme NONMEM. Clearance was 0.053 litres.h-1.kg-1 and was reduced in neonates with postconceptional age less than or equal to 34 weeks (X 0.83) and 5-min Apgar score less than 7 (X 0.82). Volume of distribution was 0.47 litres.kg-1. These population mean parameter estimates were used to generate dosage regimens to achieve concentrations within the therapeutic range.

Aging↗

Induction of glutamate binding sites in hippocampal membranes by transient exposure to high concentrations of glutamate or glutamate analogs.

The number of Na+-independent, Cl--dependent glutamate binding sites in rat hippocampal membranes is increased two- to fourfold after pre-exposing isolated membranes or hippocampal slices to high concentrations (0.1-10 mM) of L-glutamate or of glutamate analogs with high affinity for this binding site, such as quisqualate, homocysteate, or aminoadipate. N-Methylaspartate and kainate are ineffective. A similar binding increase is induced by transient exposure to the dipeptide tyrosylglutamate. The newly induced binding sites appear to be identical with pre-existing Cl--dependent binding sites by several criteria: They have a similar pharmacological profile, they are sensitive to low concentrations of Na+, and the number of sites can be further increased by transient exposure to micromolar calcium concentrations. Moreover, binding of [3H]APB, a ligand selective for the Cl--dependent glutamate binding sites, is also increased after glutamate preincubation. The induction of binding sites by high glutamate concentrations, described herein, is calcium-independent, not inhibited by leupeptin and, therefore, different from the previously described activation of binding sites by a calcium-sensitive protease. The high concentration of ligand needed to induce increased binding suggests the presence in hippocampal membranes of a binding site with low, millimolar affinity that is functionally related to the known high-affinity binding sites. Several interpretations of the observed effects and their implications for the possible relationship between the binding site and the synaptic receptor are discussed.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗

Smear campaign.

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Age Factors↗