Experience using radio frequency laptops to access the electronic medical record in exam rooms. (1/88)

Kaiser Permanente, Northwest, evaluated the use of laptop computers to access our existing comprehensive Electronic Medical Record in exam rooms via a wireless radiofrequency (RF) network. Eleven of 22 clinicians who were offered the laptops successfully adopted their use in the exam room. These clinicians were able to increase their exam room time with the patient by almost 4 minutes (25%), apparently without lengthening their overall work day. Patient response to exam room computing was overwhelmingly positive. The RF network response time was similar to the hardwired network. Problems cited by some laptop users and many of the eleven non-adopters included battery issues, different equipment layout and function, and inadequate training. IT support needs for the RF laptops were two to four times greater than for hardwired desktops. Addressing the reliability and training issues should increase clinician acceptance, making a successful general roll-out for exam room computing more likely.  (+info)

Long-term telemetric recording of arterial pressure and heart rate in mice fed basal and high NaCl diets. (2/88)

Research examining the control of arterial pressure in mice has primarily relied on tail-cuff plethysmography and, more recently, on tethered arterial catheters. In contrast, the radiotelemetry method has largely become the "gold standard" for long-term monitoring of arterial pressure and heart rate in rats. Whereas smaller telemetry probes have recently been developed, no published studies have used radiotelemetric monitoring of arterial pressure in mice, largely because of a relatively low success rate in small mice (ie, <30 g body weight). We report on the development of a protocol for the use of these probes to continuously monitor arterial pressure and heart rate in mice as small as 19 g body weight. To test the accuracy and reliability of this method, adult C57/BL6 mice were monitored for 3 weeks during exposure to a basal followed by a high NaCl diet. The results demonstrate that carotid and aortic placements of the telemetry probe provide equally accurate monitoring of arterial pressure and heart rate, but the carotid placement has a much greater rate of success. Exposure to a high NaCl diet increases both the amplitude of the arterial pressure rhythm (+ 6.0+/-0.6 mm Hg, approximately 32%) and the average mean arterial pressure (+ 8.6+/-1.1 mm Hg, approximately 8%), as would be predicted from previous studies in NaCl-resistant rats. Thus, the data demonstrate that telemetric recording of long-term arterial pressure and heart rate provides a powerful tool with which to define the mechanisms of cardiovascular control in mice.  (+info)

A novel genetic pathway for sudden cardiac death via defects in the transition between ventricular and conduction system cell lineages. (3/88)

HF-1 b, an SP1 -related transcription factor, is preferentially expressed in the cardiac conduction system and ventricular myocytes in the heart. Mice deficient for HF-1 b survive to term and exhibit normal cardiac structure and function but display sudden cardiac death and a complete penetrance of conduction system defects, including spontaneous ventricular tachycardia and a high incidence of AV block. Continuous electrocardiographic recordings clearly documented cardiac arrhythmogenesis as the cause of death. Single-cell analysis revealed an anatomic substrate for arrhythmogenesis, including a decrease and mislocalization of connexins and a marked increase in action potential heterogeneity. Two independent markers reveal defects in the formation of ventricular Purkinje fibers. These studies identify a novel genetic pathway for sudden cardiac death via defects in the transition between ventricular and conduction system cell lineages.  (+info)

Method for measuring long-term function of muscle-powered implants via radiotelemetry. (4/88)

Long-term remote monitoring of muscle-powered implants has been made possible with development of an adjustable workload that can be remotely monitored to assess device function. This technique obviates the need for percutaneous access lines and allows test animals to remain untethered, eliminating deleterious effects caused by infection, sedation, or animal stress. Hardware components include a latex bladder fixed within a hermetically sealed canister, multichannel implantable telemetry unit, and subcutaneous access port (for pressure charge adjustment). To validate this method, in vitro tests were performed by using a third-generation muscle energy converter designed to function as an implantable hydraulic pump. Two channels of telemetered pressure data were collected and used to calculate six indexes of device function. Calculated parameters were then compared with measured values to determine accuracy. Correlation between measured and calculated parameters was high in all instances, with most estimates yielding errors of <3%. These results demonstrate the utility of this approach and support its use as a means to monitor muscle-powered devices during long-term animal trials.  (+info)

Ecology and behavior of Gecarcoidea natalis, the Christmas Island red crab, during the annual breeding migration. (5/88)

The terrestrial crab Gecarcoidea natalis is endemic to the forests of Christmas Island but must migrate each year to the coast to breed. During 1993 and 1995, radio-tracking, mark and recapture, and counting methods were used to establish the routes, walking speeds, direction of travel, and destinations of migrating crabs, as well as crab numbers and distribution. The density of crabs ranged from 0.09 to 0.57 crabs per square meter, which gave a population estimate of 43.7 million adult crabs on the island. During the dry season the crabs were relatively inactive but on arrival of the wet season immediately began their migration. The crabs generally walked in straight lines, and most crabs from around the Island traveled toward the northwest shore instead of simply walking toward the nearest shore. The maximum recorded distance walked by a red crab in one day was 1460 m, but the mean was 680 m per day in 1993 and 330 m in 1995. Comparing the 1993 and 1995 study seasons, there was a 3-week difference in the timing of the start of the migration, but the spawning date was fixed by the lunar phase and took place 17 to 18 days after mating. In 1993, late rain prompted a "rushed" migration and crabs walked directly to their shore destinations; in contrast, in 1995 most crabs made stops of 1 to 7 days during the downward migration. By giving the crabs a chance to feed along the way and minimizing the time that the population was concentrated near the shore, these stops may be important in ensuring that the animals have enough food after the long dry season. Furthermore, this behavior implies that the crabs are able to judge how far away they are from the shore during the migration.  (+info)

Using folk media in HIV/AIDS prevention in rural Ghana. (6/88)

The pandemic of HIV/AIDS continues to pose a serious threat to the population of sub-Saharan Africa, despite ongoing public health efforts to control the spread of infection. Given the important role of oral tradition in indigenous settings throughout rural Africa, we are beginning an innovative approach to HIV/AIDS prevention based on the use of folk media. This commentary explains the types of folk media used in the traditional Ghanaian setting and explores their consistency with well-known theories. Folk media will be integrated with broadcast radio for interventions under the HIV/AIDS Behavior Change Communication Project being undertaken as part of the CARE-CDC Health Initiative (CCHI) in 2 districts in Ghana.  (+info)

Radio-paging services. (7/88)

This report is a description of the development and organisation of an area radio paging service in Cambridge and its application to doctors and para-medical staff working in various hospitals and in the community. It reviews the first five years of operation.Personal selective radio paging has some fundamental advantages over the car radio-telephone as a means of communication. Currently, the service operates only in the Cambridge area, but it is planned to extend this to cover the new county of Cambridgeshire by February 1975, and, at the same time, to introduce speech.  (+info)

Observations of noise exposure through the use of headphones by radio announcers. (8/88)

This study examined the potential risk of hearing loss by commercial radio announcers. This risk is developed through the regular use of headphones. These headphones are used to monitor broadcast transmission and communication information from program producers. To our knowledge there are no published studies of the noise exposure of radio announcers. The experimental method utilised a headphone parallel to the one in use mounted on a wideband, artificial ear. A Sound Level Meter was then used to measure the sound level and then calculate the exposure level. Depending on the feedback level applied to their headphones radio announcers are exposed to potentially damaging levels of noise. Levels measured correlate with results from other studies of long-term average speech spectrum and voice level measurements.  (+info)