Search

Laboratorians are using the International Normalized Ratio (INR) instead of prothrombin time (PT) to determine the level of anticoagulation in patients. Unlike PT, INR considers the sensitivity of the thromboplastin reagent and shows the primary indications for anticoagulation. It is shown that INR improves physician anticoagulation dosing by monitoring anticoagulation of thromboplastins more effectively., Here's an inside look at one lab system's switch to INR from PT and its effect on physician anticoagulation dosing. THE INTERNATIONAL NORMALIZED RATIO (INR) is replacing the use of [...]

Patient-centered care requires that treatments respond to the problematic situation of each patient in a manner that makes intellectual, emotional, and practical sense, an achievement that requires shared decision making (SDM). To implement SDM in practice, tools—sometimes called conversation aids or decision aids—are prepared by collating, curating, and presenting high-quality, comprehensive, and up-to-date evidence. Yet, the literature offers limited guidance for how to make evidence support SDM. Herein, we describe our approach and the challenges encountered during the development of Anticoagulation Choice, a conversation aid to help patients with atrial fibrillation and their clinicians jointly consider the risk of thromboembolic stroke and decide whether and how to respond to this risk with anticoagulation.

IMPORTANCE: Shared decision-making (SDM) about anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is widely recommended but its effectiveness is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To assess the extent to which the use of an SDM tool affects the quality of SDM and anticoagulant treatment decisions in at-risk patients with AF. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This encounter-randomized trial recruited patients with nonvalvular AF who were considering starting or reviewing anticoagulant treatment and their clinicians at academic, community, and safety-net medical centers between January 30, 2017 and June 27, 2019. Encounters were randomized to either the standard care arm or care that included the use of an SDM tool (intervention arm). Data were analyzed from August 1 to November 30, 2019. INTERVENTIONS: Standard care or care using the Anticoagulation Choice Shared Decision Making tool (which presents individualized risk estimates and compares anticoagulant treatment options across issues of importance to patients) during the clinical encounter. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Quality of SDM (which included quality of communication, patient knowledge about AF and anticoagulant treatment, accuracy of patient estimates of their own stroke risk [within 30% of their estimate], decisional conflict, and satisfaction), decisions made during the encounter, duration of the encounter, and clinician involvement of patients in the SDM process. RESULTS: The clinical trial enrolled 922 patients (559 men [60.6%]; mean [SD] age, 71 [11] years) and 244 clinicians. A total of 463 patients were randomized to the intervention arm and 459 patients to the standard care arm. Participants in both arms reported high communication quality, high knowledge, and low decisional conflict, demonstrated low accuracy in their risk perception, and would similarly recommend the approach used in their encounter. Clinicians were significantly more satisfied after intervention encounters (400 of 453 encounters [88.3%] vs 277 of 448 encounters [61.8%]; adjusted relative risk, 1.49; 95% CI, 1.42-1.53). A total of 747 of 873 patients (85.6%) chose to start or continue receiving an anticoagulant medication. Patient involvement in decision-making (as assessed through video recordings of the encounters using the Observing Patient Involvement in Decision Making 12-item scale) scores were significantly higher in the intervention arm (mean [SD] score, 33.0 [10.8] points vs 29.1 [13.1] points, respectively; adjusted mean difference, 4.2 points; 95% CI, 2.8-5.6 points). No significant between-arm difference was found in encounter duration (mean [SD] duration, 32 [16] minutes in the intervention arm vs 31 [17] minutes in the standard care arm; adjusted mean between-arm difference, 1.1; 95% CI, −0.3 to 2.5 minutes). CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The use of an SDM encounter tool improved several measures of SDM quality and clinician satisfaction, with no significant effect on treatment decisions or encounter duration. These results help to calibrate expectations about the value of implementing SDM tools in the care of patients with AF. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02905032

Byline: Burnett, Bruce The Magic Garden A helping of herbs can add formidable flavor--and antioxidant powers--to any meal flavoring your food with herbs, rather than salt or an extra swipe [...]

Science restores an old medicine. As long ago as 1840, German doctors discovered that the urine of people who ate cranberries contained a chemical called hippuric acid. In their research, [...]

The medicinal power of calendula. The sunny face of calendula, or pot marigold, is a year-round delight in our herb beds, especially in the fall when other plants are succumbing [...]

Oral immunotherapy (OIT) is an investigational therapeutic approach for the treatment of food allergies. Characterization of the drug product used in oral immunotherapy trials for peanut allergy has not been reported.

Introduction:Shared decision-making (SDM) about anticoagulant treatment in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) is widely recommended but its effectiveness is unclear. We assessed the extent to which using an SDM tool promotes high-quality SDM.Hypothesis:SDM will improve communication quality, knowledge, and decisional conflict and will translate to improved medication adherence and outcomes.Methods:In this multicentre encounter-randomized trial, we included patients with nonvalvular AF considering starting/reviewing anticoagulation, and their clinicians. We compared usual care with or without ANTICOAGULATION CHOICE, an SDM conversation tool for use during the clinical encounter that presents individualized risk estimates and compares anticoagulation options across patient important issues.Results:We enrolled and video-recorded 922 patient-clinician encounters. So far, our data have shown that participants in both arms reported near-optimal communication quality, knowledge, and decisional conflict (JAMA IM-2020). Patients in intervention-arm estimated their stroke risks more accurately and were more involved in decision-making (JAMA IM-2020), clinicians were more satisfied (JAMA IM-2020), and cost conversation were more common (JAMA NO-2021). Use of the intervention had no effect on treatment decisions, encounter duration (JAMA IM-2020), treatment adherence, clinical outcomes (JAHA-epub) or patient-perceived sense of the care plan (PEC-epub). New analyses have shown that compared to eligible white participants, black participants more frequently did not enrol to the study. Enrolment of Black, indigenous, and people of colour benefited most form including and prioritizing practices most likely to care for them. We found no evidence of contamination (tool use, functional, or learned) between study arms.Conclusions:Use of an SDM tool improved some measures of SDM quality, without affecting treatment decisions and their sensibility, encounter duration, patient adherence, or clinical outcomes. Our results should calibrate expectations as to what could be accomplished by implementing SDM tools about anticoagulation in the care of patients with AF

THIS PAPER PRESENTS THEfindings from a conversation between an Aboriginal educator and a non-Indigenous pre-service educator about the importance and complexities of building productive partnerships. Although the participants focused on the challenges and benefits of building relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander educators and non-Indigenous educators in Australian early years settings, the more significant outcome of the meeting was the personal connection two young women were able to make when a friendship began to develop. The project was intended to enable an opportunity for the participants ‘to engage in reflexivity on their pedagogic work’, something Mills (2012) understands as crucial to the support of social justice and transformation in the classroom.

The article discusses the versatility and usefulness of mint (Menthe) herb. An overview on its several medicinal uses, its botanical species and hybrids, its suitable growing conditions, potting tips to grow mint, and its application in preparation of several food dishes is provided. The benefits of pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) species, spearmint (Mentha spicata), and peppermint (Mentha piperita) are cited. A recipe for the Middle Eastern salad, quinoa tabbouleh, is also presented.

The article offers suggestions on several herbs which can be used for fighting common cold. It is reported that, usnea herb which is a grey or greenish hairlike lichen that grow on tree branches, can be used for treating lung, upper respiratory tract, and urinary tract infections. It is reported that, osha or ligusticum porteri herb is primarily used for respiratory system problems, and it should be taken at the first sign of flu or cold because of its strong antiviral properties.

The article offers information on herbs grown in indoor gardens. It focuses on several important factors for maintaining indoor herb garden including, planting, lighting and moisture. It discusses beneficial properties and uses of various herbs including basil, oregano, and lemon verbena. Also included are suggestions from experts on herbs best suited for indoor gardening and tips for protecting the indoor herb garden from winter pests.

The article offers information on the top 10 healing herbs. Astragalus is known in China as huang qi and is regarded by some herbalists as superior to ginseng. It states that dandelion can treat high blood pressure and is used as a general detoxifier. Cayenne is considered the purest and safest stimulant known.

Focuses on essential oils that are effective in combating mosquitoes and other disease-carrying insects. Toxicity of traditional DEET-based chemical insect repellants; Effectiveness of rose geranium oil in repelling mosquitoes; List of precautions in applying essential oil repellants.

Conventional itraconazole (C-ITZ) suffers from absorption variability. SUBA-itraconazole (S-ITZ) is more bioavailable than C-ITZ at steady-state in a fed condition, but there are no data comparing the two under a fasted state.

Previous work has shown that triplex DNA is an intermediate in homologous pairing and strand exchange promoted by RecA protein. Heterology at the proximal end of duplex DNA blocks strand exchange, but triplex joints form nonetheless at the homologous distal end. Experiments on the formation and processing of distal joints revealed that the yield of distal joints depends critically on the concentration of RecA-coated single strands and the adequacy of the ATP-regeneration system, and reflects a steady state. Distal joints reversibly formed and dissociated, as shown by several methods, including a chase with unlabeled duplex DNA. Controls excluded a contribution of exonucleolytic nibbling to the formation of distal joints and the stability of the deproteinized product. RecA protein was bound preferentially by putative triplex sites both in isolated proximal and distal joints. These high affinity sites disappeared from proximal joints as strand exchange progressed, and disappeared from distal joints as the joints dissociated. Dissociation of distal joints under all conditions, however, was completely arrested by the addition of ATPγS. Distal triplex joints can be as long as six kilobases. The observed inhibition of the dissociation of such long non-productive triplex intermediates by ATPγS leads us to propose that an essential role of ATP hydrolysis in RecA recombinational exchanges may be to ensure that no potentially troublesome triplex DNA remains in the cell. Copyright 1994, 1999 Academic Press

Families who might not apply to a social service agency are interviewed in their homes at a time when denial of the problem is virtually impossible

The phenotype of the recA1730 mutant is highly dependent on the level of expression of the RecA1730 protein. If the recA1730 gene was expressed from its own promoter, the cells were deficient in recombination and SOS induction. In contrast, when the recA1730 gene was expressed under the control of recAo98, a constitutive operator that increased the RecA1730 concentration 20-fold, cells became proficient in recombination and SOS induction. Likewise, in crude extracts, fivefold more RecA1730 than RecAwt was required to produce full cleavage of LexA protein. The requirement for a high RecA1730 concentration for recombination and LexA cleavage suggests that the recA1730 defect alters a common reaction step. In fact, in vitro data show that the impaired assembly of RecA1730 protein on single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can account for the mutant phenotype. Purified RecA1730 protein was assayed in vitro for ssDNA binding and ATPase activities. RecA1730, like RecAwt, retained ssDNA equally well on nitrocellulose filters; this activity was specifically inhibited by a monoclonal anti-RecA antibody. However, RecA1730 protein did not form complete filaments on ssDNA, as shown by two observations: (i) most of the protein did not elute with ssDNA during gel filtration; and (ii) binding of RecA1730 to ssDNA did not protect it from being digested by DNaseI. RecA1730 hydrolysed ATP in high salt but was defective in ssDNA-dependent ATP hydrolysis. These results strongly suggest that RecA1730 binds to ATP and ssDNA but does not form normal nucleoprotein filaments.

The article emphasizes the health and therapeutic capabilities of fennel. Fennel is not just a good source of food because of its great taste but also for its medicinal purposes. It is best in relieving stomach bloating and gas, effective breath sweetener, eye wash for treating conjunctivitis and sore eyes, and asthma and other respiratory problems. Moreover, it is also a good treatment for kidney stones and best for promoting lactation in women. INSET: fennel IN THE GARDEN.

The article focuses on the wrong notions about saturated fat in the U.S. According to the author, it is wrong to believe that heart diseases are caused by the saturated fats that people eat. He adds that people were misguided by the promotions of the processed-food industry. Furthermore, he cited different studies of universities that supports that there is no connection between saturated fat and heart diseases.

Super bioavailability (SUBA) itraconazole (S-ITZ), which releases drug in the duodenum, and conventional itraconazole (C-ITZ), which releases drug in the stomach, were compared in two pharmacokinetic (PK) studies: a 3-day loading dose study and a 15-day steady-state administration study. These were crossover oral bioequivalence studies performed under fed conditions in healthy adult volunteers. In the loading dose study, C-ITZ (two doses of 100 mg each) and S-ITZ (two doses of 65 mg each) were administered three times daily for 3 days and once on day 4 (n= 15).

Polypharmacy presents a serious and significant public health challenge as average lifespans increase. The objective of this study was to identify patterns of polypharmacy before dementia diagnosis, their prevalence, and possible complications.

The article presents information on the herb Calendula, a self-seeding annual which can become quite invasive if grown in ideal conditions. The word calendula comes from the Latin calens which means the first day of the month, because the Romans thought that this was when the plant bloomed. It cites a Greek legend about calendula. Also presented are recipes that includes calendula as the main ingredient such as Calendula corn muffins and Romantic rice.

The article discusses the therapeutic use of cloves. Cloves are widely used in both Eastern and Western cultures as alternative medicine for treating toothaches because cloves possess powerful analgesic and antiseptic qualities. Cloves are also known for their effectiveness in relieving vomiting and nausea during pregnancy, however, pregnant women are advised to avoid the use of clove oil and other essential oils because they are very strong.

The article presents the usage of the herbal plant marsh mallow. Marsh mallow has demulcent and calming effect because it counteracts the excess stomach acid, gastritis and peptic ulcers. The flowers, leaves and the roots of this plant are rich source of starch, pectin and phenolic acids, as well as prevents the enzymatic deterioration of the skin.

The article examines the effectiveness of yucca on human melanoma. The main medicinal ingredients in the yucca plant act as anti-inflammatory agents that block the release of toxins from the intestines that impair cartilage function. In fact, herbalists often prescribe yucca as a remedy for both rheumatoid and osteoarthritis. It is noted that the steroidal saponins in yucca act on the intestinal flora to regulate the balance of bacterial and yeast colonies in the colon.

The article discusses the health benefits of an ancient Ayurvedic herb known as holy basil or tulsi. It states that holy basil has drawn attention in the stresses-out 21st century because of its ability to lower cortisol levels and ease stress. In addition, it cites that the herb has appeared to work as an adaptogen which helps the body adapt the stress in a healthy way.

The article discusses how to improve overall health and vigor and prevent injury by having a healthy diet among kayakers and canoeists. It explains that bad habits like smoking and eating fast food can generate free radicals which grab electrons from cellular tissue and wreaks havoc. It also discusses how to fight free radicals by having plenty of antioxidants in one's diet.

The article presents information related to dandelion leaves which are more nutritious than spinach. These leaves are best harvested in spring or early summer and preferably before flowering. For the prevention of gallstones, herbalists sanction dandelion leaf and root. Also, the fresh latex from dandelion stems is used to banish warts by applying several times daily.

Presents information on stinging nettle. Benefits of the herb to gardens; Factors to consider in planting the nettle; Therapeutic uses.

Focuses on the health benefits of a super food spirulina. Food nutrients found in spirulina; Vitamins level of the food; Components of spirulina and its uses.

Explores the health benefits provided by sweet woodruff herbs. Origin of the herb; Tips for growing sweet woodruff; Benefits of the herb for the digestive system; Belief on the use of the herb by athletes and soldiers.

Features Hazelwood Herb Farm in Ladysmith, British Columbia. Comments from Richard White, owner of the garden; Favorite culinary creation of White; Reasons White and Jacynthe Dugas picked the property where their garden grows; Special events at Hazelwood Herb throughout the year.

Discusses health benefits of proteins. Protection against heart disease; Better metabolism; Lower cholesterol and triglycerides; Fat-burning; Stronger bones.

Focuses on the plant lavender. Citation of the therapeutic use of the plant; Physical description of the plant; Usefulness of lavenders in cold fruit soups. INSETS: Lavender and Rose Geranium Potpourri;Lavender and Blueberry Soup.