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In order to have a "diverse workforce," occupational therapy (OT) as a profession must expose and mentor underserved high school students to study in the health sciences. Outreach/exposure, retention/pipeline programming, and mentoring/volunteer experience will be explored to answer the question: "What are the benefits of a health science mentoring program for underserved high school students?" Furthermore, "How can occupational therapy recruit and retain underrepresented racial minority (URM) high school students to the profession ?" This evidence- based paper will describe a cohesive model to expose underserved high school students to occupational therapy. Exposures to health science professions for underrepresented racial minority (URM) high school students was the focus of the literature review. Repeated exposures to health science professions and positive adult encouragement were resources that reinforced the intent to pursue health science professions as a career choice. This evidence-based paper can be used as a basis to start collaboration between a health science university or college and a public high school with underserved students. The health science mentoring program is low-cost provided the university faculty is given release time to perform service to the community. If the occupational therapy faculty member can enlist the cooperation of an additional five health science discipline colleagues, then the exposures to health sciences can accommodate up to 60 high school students rotating through health science stations with an example from a health science university and a public high school health academy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Left atrial (LA) function helps to preserve cardiac output and to control pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in the setting of left ventricular (LV) impairment, but little is known about the contribution of the LA function to ventricular arrhythmia. We sought whether LA booster pump function was associated with arrhythmias in patients undergoing primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation for non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM), independent of global longitudinal strain (GLS) and mechanical dispersion (MD). Methods and results We identified 124 NICM patients (56 ± 13, 67 male) who underwent echocardiography pre-ICD implantation for primary prevention. The main outcome measure was appropriate ICD therapy (anti-tachycardia pacing or shock). The mitral A-wave was used as an LA functional marker. MD was defined as standard deviation of time to peak strain of each segment. Over a median follow-up of 3.8 ± 2.2 years, 36 patients had appropriate ICD therapy, including 23 shocks. Patients with appropriate ICD therapy had lower A-wave velocity (P < 0.001), larger LA volume (P < 0.001), and impaired circumferential MD (P = 0.006), but similar ejection fraction (EF) (P = 0.40) and GLS (P = 0.11). In sequential Cox proportional hazards models, A-wave, E/A ratio, and GLS were significantly associated with outcomes, independent of age, sex, and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillatoror left bundle branch block. In nested Cox models, mitral A-wave had a prognostic value incremental to models with LV systolic (EF and GLS) and diastolic functional parameters (E/A, E/e', and LA volume) and MD. Conclusion LA booster pump function was an independent and incremental predictor of arrhythmias in NICM over GLS and MD, and may aid better risk stratification in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A unique mechanism of "cross-talk" has recently been described in the Gemini 415A DDD pacemaker in which cross-inhibition of the ventricular output stimulus may occur in the early Gemini 415A models which were manufactured with dual anodal rings interconnected by a wire. The Gemini 415A units with dual anodal rings were implanted under investigational protocol in 53 patients from September 1982 to August 1984. To date, cross-talk has been discovered in six patients during clinical follow-up, manifesting as inappropriate ventricular inhibition. Syncope was documented in one patient. Non-Cordis atrial and ventricular leads were present in all six patients and five patients had at least one chronic lead. Cross-talk was neither evident nor provokable in Gemini 415A units which had compatible Cordis lead systems. Reduction of the atrial output and/or the ventricular sensitivity prevented cross-inhibition in three patients. Cross-talk persisted in three patients despite programming to the lowest atrial output and/or ventricular sensitivity parameters. Gross-talk, spontaneous or provoked, has not occurred in 36 patients having currently designed 415A pulse generators manufactured with a single anodal ring in the ventricular connector channel. We conclude that: (1) this unique form of cross-talk is "design-dependent" and occurs only in Gemini 415As with dual interconnected anodal rings and cannot occur in 415As manufactured with a single anodal ring: (2) this form of cross-talk has occurred only in 415As with non-Cordis leads and appears to be a time-dependent development; (3) reduction of the atrial output or use of pacing modes without atrial pacing or ventricular sensing can prevent cross-talk; (4) patients with Gemini 415As having dual anodal rings, which can be identified radiographically. are at risk for this design-dependent cross-talk and merit close observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Left atrial (LA) function helps to preserve cardiac output and to control pulmonary capillary wedge pressure in the setting of left ventricular (LV) impairment, but little is known about the contribution of the LA function to ventricular arrhythmia. We sought whether LA booster pump function was associated with arrhythmias in patients undergoing primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) implantation for non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM), independent of global longitudinal strain (GLS) and mechanical dispersion (MD)., Methods and Results: We identified 124 NICM patients (56 ± 13, 67 male) who underwent echocardiography pre-ICD implantation for primary prevention. The main outcome measure was appropriate ICD therapy (anti-tachycardia pacing or shock). The mitral A-wave was used as an LA functional marker. MD was defined as standard deviation of time to peak strain of each segment. Over a median follow-up of 3.8 ± 2.2 years, 36 patients had appropriate ICD therapy, including 23 shocks. Patients with appropriate ICD therapy had lower A-wave velocity (P < 0.001), larger LA volume (P < 0.001), and impaired circumferential MD (P = 0.006), but similar ejection fraction (EF) (P = 0.40) and GLS (P = 0.11). In sequential Cox proportional hazards models, A-wave, E/A ratio, and GLS were significantly associated with outcomes, independent of age, sex, and cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator or left bundle branch block. In nested Cox models, mitral A-wave had a prognostic value incremental to models with LV systolic (EF and GLS) and diastolic functional parameters (E/A, E/e', and LA volume) and MD., Conclusion: LA booster pump function was an independent and incremental predictor of arrhythmias in NICM over GLS and MD, and may aid better risk stratification in this population., (Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2015. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)