The Disease Ecology, Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, and Management of Trichinellosis Linked to Consumption of Wild Animal Meat.

Historically, human trichinellosis was caused by Trichinella spiralis and transmitted to humans by consumption of undercooked domestic pork. Today, most cases of trichinellosis are caused by other Trichinella species and transmitted by consumption of raw or undercooked wild game meats. Given the increasing global prevalence of wild animal meat-linked trichinellosis, the objectives of this review are: 1) to describe the life cycle and global distribution of Trichinella worms; 2) to describe the changing epidemiology of trichinellosis; 3) to describe the clinical phases of trichinellosis; 4) to recommend the latest diagnostic tests; and 5) to recommend treatment and prevention strategies. Internet search engines were queried with keywords as subject headings to meet the objectives of this review. Although trichinellosis surveillance systems and laws regulating commercial pork production have limited T spiralis-caused trichinellosis in Europe and the United States, trichinellosis due to consumption of raw and undercooked wild boar and feral hog meat continues to occur throughout Southeast Asia. Trichinellosis due to consumption of raw or undercooked meats of other infected game, such as bear, deer, moose, and walrus, continues to occur worldwide. Only adherence to hygienic practices when preparing wild game meats and cooking wild game meats to recommended internal temperatures can prevent transmission of trichinellosis to humans. Wilderness medicine clinicians should be prepared to advise hunters and the public on the risks of game meat-linked trichinellosis and on how to diagnose and treat trichinellosis to prevent fatal complications.

Static length changes of cochlear outer hair cells can tune low-frequency hearing.

The cochlea not only transduces sound-induced vibration into neural spikes, it also amplifies weak sound to boost its detection. Actuators of this active process are sensory outer hair cells in the organ of Corti, whereas the inner hair cells transduce the resulting motion into electric signals that propagate via the auditory nerve to the brain. However, how the outer hair cells modulate the stimulus to the inner hair cells remains unclear. Here, we combine theoretical modeling and experimental measurements near the cochlear apex to study the way in which length changes of the outer hair cells deform the organ of Corti. We develop a geometry-based kinematic model of the apical organ of Corti that reproduces salient, yet counter-intuitive features of the organ's motion. Our analysis further uncovers a mechanism by which a static length change of the outer hair cells can sensitively tune the signal transmitted to the sensory inner hair cells. When the outer hair cells are in an elongated state, stimulation of inner hair cells is largely inhibited, whereas outer hair cell contraction leads to a substantial enhancement of sound-evoked motion near the hair bundles. This novel mechanism for regulating the sensitivity of the hearing organ applies to the low frequencies that are most important for the perception of speech and music. We suggest that the proposed mechanism might underlie frequency discrimination at low auditory frequencies, as well as our ability to selectively attend auditory signals in noisy surroundings.

Minimal basilar membrane motion in low-frequency hearing.

Low-frequency hearing is critically important for speech and music perception, but no mechanical measurements have previously been available from inner ears with intact low-frequency parts. These regions of the cochlea may function in ways different from the extensively studied high-frequency regions, where the sensory outer hair cells produce force that greatly increases the sound-evoked vibrations of the basilar membrane. We used laser interferometry in vitro and optical coherence tomography in vivo to study the low-frequency part of the guinea pig cochlea, and found that sound stimulation caused motion of a minimal portion of the basilar membrane. Outside the region of peak movement, an exponential decline in motion amplitude occurred across the basilar membrane. The moving region had different dependence on stimulus frequency than the vibrations measured near the mechanosensitive stereocilia. This behavior differs substantially from the behavior found in the extensively studied high-frequency regions of the cochlea.

Spinal cord injuries: overcoming barriers to seamless care for patients.

Patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) often have complex needs that require multidisciplinary support in specialist centres. Optimal management depends on seamless transitions between service providers. Delays at any point potentially compromise clinical outcomes and efficient resource utilisation. The Spinal Advisory Working Group aims to develop and implement practical initiatives to improve SCI care, initially focusing on admission and discharge. A literature review identified few relevant papers. In addition, the generalisability of the findings of these papers to SCI centres in the UK is unclear. Therefore, further research is needed to, for example: establish best practice in the UK; quantify the associations between admission criteria and clinical and economic outcomes from a UK perspective; and determine the extent and impact of barriers that influence the transition of SCI patients between NHS care providers. Such research would enable the development of evidence-based strategies to overcome or minimise these barriers. In the meantime, pragmatic consensus guidelines would help standardise management, aid service optimisation, overcome inequities and, potentially, reduce bed blocking. The working group agreed that the robust inclusion and exclusion criteria developed by the Welsh Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Centre could form the basis of a consensus guideline, to be piloted across the five SCI centres represented by members of the group.

Primate archaeology.

All modern humans use tools to overcome limitations of our anatomy and to make difficult tasks easier. However, if tool use is such an advantage, we may ask why it is not evolved to the same degree in other species. To answer this question, we need to bring a long-term perspective to the material record of other members of our own order, the Primates.

Staphylococcus aureus--a cross sectional study of prevalence and risk factors in one general practice.

BACKGROUND: Infection control and antibiotic resistant organisms are a community health concern. This article presents findings of a cross sectional study of 100 users of the Thirroul Medical Practice clinical treatment room, in Thirroul, New South Wales. METHODS: Nasal Staphylococcus aureus colonisation rates and risk factors were investigated. RESULTS: Twenty-six percent of participants (n=26) were found to have S. aureus; 11.5% (n=3) of cases were community acquired methicillin resistant S. aureus. Methicillin resistant S. aureus was significantly correlated with older age (p=0.02) and skin infection within the preceding year (p=0.03). Clinical staff (n=15) had low rates of S. aureus at 6.6% (n=1) and no methicillin resistant S. aureus. DISCUSSION: Overall, S. aureus rates were unremarkable, but methicillin resistant S. aureus rates were higher than elsewhere with older patients most at risk. General practice staff developing infection control strategies should consider the vulnerable nature and cross-contamination risks in this group of patients. Encouragingly, clinical staff showed low levels of S. aureus and no methicillin resistant S. aureus.

The Impact of Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability on Music Therapy Practica Students.

A variety of factors affect the success of music therapy students in practica. Many music therapy students may have invisible illnesses or invisible disabilities (II/ID) that affect their work. II/ID have physical or psychological effects but are not apparent to an observer. Such illnesses may include chronic illnesses, mental illnesses, and developmental disabilities. Although researchers have studied the success of post-secondary students with II/ID and the success of music therapy students without II/ID, there is a lack of research on music therapy students who identify with having II/ID. This researcher used an exploratory online survey to investigate the prevalence of II/ID among music therapy students and how it may affect their success in music therapy practica. Quantitative responses were compiled and analyzed into frequencies and percentages, and open-ended responses were coded and analyzed for patterns and themes. Results indicated that music therapy students with II/ID have various reasons for disclosure or nondisclosure. Some music therapy students with II/ID required accommodations, while many did not. Additionally, the effects of II/ID on music therapy practica students included physical, psychosocial, and cognitive symptoms, which led to various choices for disclosure/nondisclosure and the request/use of individualized accommodations. Music therapy students with II/ID self-reported that making decisions regarding appropriate disclosure and determining their need for accommodations or not allowed them to be more successful in practica.

Measuring storage and loss moduli using optical tweezers: broadband microrheology.

We present an experimental procedure to perform broadband microrheological measurements with optical tweezers. A generalized Langevin equation is adopted to relate the time-dependent trajectory of a particle in an imposed flow to the frequency-dependent moduli of the complex fluid. This procedure allows us to measure the material linear viscoelastic properties across the widest frequency range achievable with optical tweezers.