Estudio comparativo del cintigrama renal estático (DMSA) y ecotomografía renal para el diagnóstico de pielonefritis aguda en niños.

Tesis (Tecnólogo Médico, Especialidad en Imagenología y Física Médica)RESUMEN: La pielonefritis aguda (PNA), es una enfermedad que compromete el parénquima renal, y es prevalente en la población pediátrica (1) siendo de difícil detección en lo niños menores, pudiendo llevar a lesiones renales irreversibles. Por esto es primordial que, además, de fijarse en los signos y síntomas, se deben realizar exámenes de imágenes los cuales, den la certeza de esta enfermedad, y así confirmar este diagnóstico. Dentro de los cuales se encuentran el cintigrama renal estático (DMSA) y la ecotomografía renal (E.R). Objetivos: Comparar rendimiento diagnóstico en modalidad de imágenes no invasivas entre Cintigrama renal DMSA y ecotomografía renal en pacientes pediátricos diagnosticados con PNA. Métodos: Se estudiaron 302 niños con edades entre 0 y 12 años, con diagnóstico clínico de sospecha de pielonefritis aguda, atendidos en la red salud U.C., entre los años 2010 hasta el 2012, de los cuales 135 se les realizó una gammagrafía renal estática y ecotomografía renal, con un número no mayor de siete días de diferencia entre ambos. Resultados: De los 135 pacientes en 61 se confirmó el diagnóstico de pielonefrítis aguda, en el cintigrama renal DMSA 58 pacientes obtuvieron un resultado positivo, habiendo coincidencia de diagnóstico en 26 exámenes de ecotomografía renal. Además 3 pacientes dieron positivo con ecografía renal y negativo con cintigrama renal DMSA Conclusiones: Se demostró que el rendimiento diagnóstico de la cintigrama renal DMSA fue mejor que el de la ecografía renal, en la detección de la pielonefrítis aguda en la población pediátrica. Al comparar ambas técnicas la ecotomografía renal asignó un valor menor al daño renal. Palabras Claves: Pielonefritis, Síntomas, Cuadro clínico, Tc99m DMSA (ácido dimercaptosuccínico ), Ecotomografía renal

Camp-Based Intervention for Overweight Children with Developmental Disabilities

Childhood obesity is a growing epidemic and results in negative health and psychosocial outcomes. Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) experience increased rates of obesity compared to typically developing children, but interventions targeting health behaviors in this population have been limited. We examined the feasibility and efficacy of a health behaviors camp for children and adolescents with IDD. We also tested the correlation of child behavior problems and social skills with baseline weight status and health behaviors. Furthermore, we examined these psychosocial risk factors as moderators of camp outcomes. The camp included participants aged 9 – 15 years who were diagnosed with mild to moderate IDD and were overweight. Based on demand, practicality, implementation, and acceptability, camp-based intervention appeared to be feasible for this population. There were no significant changes in child BMI, hours of physical activity, or parental feeding practices. We observed a significant increase in health and fitness related knowledge during the intervention, but this was not maintained at a four-month follow-up assessment. At baseline, there were no significant correlations between behavior problems or social skills and BMI, physical activity, or parental feeding practices. Social skills also did not predict intervention outcomes. However, higher levels of externalizing behavior problems predicted larger changes in hours of physical activity and parental restriction in feeding and reduced changes in child BMI. Increased internalizing and total behavior problems also predicted lesser changes in BMI. Total behavior problems had a trending relationship with changes in physical activity. Given the elevated obesity rates in children with IDD and associated negative outcomes, it will be crucial to continue examining risk factors and interventions for this population

Parental Stress and Child Behavior Problems in Families of Children with Autism

Background: Studies have shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) exhibit higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children or children with other types of developmental disabilities. This relationship appears to be mediated by elevated levels of behavior problems observed in children with ASD. However, little is known about what specific child behavior problems are most common in this population, how these behavior problems relate to parental stress, and/or how these behavior problems may impact the efficacy of a stress-reduction intervention. We examined the relationship between parenting stress and child behavior problems in parents of young children with ASD participating in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention. Method: The current study utilized data from the Mindful Awareness for Parenting Stress Project and included 39 parents of children with ASD. Results: The most commonly endorsed child behavior problems included attention problems, language problems, and externalizing behavior problems. Two specific behavior problems, “doesn’t answer when people talk to him/her” and “temper tantrums or hot temper,” were significantly related to parental stress levels at intake and both of these behavior problems significantly predicted changes in parenting stress from pre to post intervention. Conclusions: Identifying the behavior problems that are most difficult for parents to handle will allow clinicians to tailor interventions to the specific needs of families. Those behavior problems that have the greatest negative impact on parental stress are ideal targets for interventions

Expression of A152T human tau causes age-dependent neuronal dysfunction and loss in transgenic mice.

A152T-variant human tau (hTau-A152T) increases risk for tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease. Comparing mice with regulatable expression of hTau-A152T or wild-type hTau (hTau-WT), we find age-dependent neuronal loss, cognitive impairments, and spontaneous nonconvulsive epileptiform activity primarily in hTau-A152T mice. However, overexpression of either hTau species enhances neuronal responses to electrical stimulation of synaptic inputs and to an epileptogenic chemical. hTau-A152T mice have higher hTau protein/mRNA ratios in brain, suggesting that A152T increases production or decreases clearance of hTau protein. Despite their functional abnormalities, aging hTau-A152T mice show no evidence for accumulation of insoluble tau aggregates, suggesting that their dysfunctions are caused by soluble tau. In human amyloid precursor protein (hAPP) transgenic mice, co-expression of hTau-A152T enhances risk of early death and epileptic activity, suggesting copathogenic interactions between hTau-A152T and amyloid-β peptides or other hAPP metabolites. Thus, the A152T substitution may augment risk for neurodegenerative diseases by increasing hTau protein levels, promoting network hyperexcitability, and synergizing with the adverse effects of other pathogenic factors

Exploring differences in psychological well-being and self-regulated learning in university student success

Worldwide, there are increasing concerns about postsecondary students’ mental health and how student success is implicated. Previous research has established psychological well-being and self-regulated learning are important components of student success, however, there is a paucity of research examining the interplay between these factors during a semester-long course. In this study, 118 students in a learning-to-learn elective university course completed nine weekly online planning and reflection tools. Students planned for a study session, completed an academic engagement and a psychological well-being measure, then reflected on a challenge faced and described the strategy chosen to overcome that challenge. Findings revealed (a) students who reported always attaining their goals also reported higher overall psychological well-being, and (b) within-person patterns of psychological well-being and academic engagement over time may affect regulatory responses to challenge or vice versa. Implications for theory, research, and practice are discussed. 

Acceptance of earphones in children 12- to 24-months of age during visual reinforcement audiometry

Insert and circumaural earphones were used during visual reinforcement audiometry with children 12-to 24-months of age. Acceptance of earphones was determined by the number of ear specific thresholds obtained and by audiologist subjective ratings. Results indicate that children in this age range accept both types of earphones; however, significantly more ear specific thresholds were obtained using insert earphones compared to circumaural

Interaction in the radio news interview: a case study of BBC Radio 4's the Today programme and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008

News interviews are core within current practices of journalism. They point to the existence of a mediated public space and bolster the concept of democratic accountability. This research investigates what impact these concepts have on the news interviews broadcast by the Today programme (BBC Radio 4) and how interaction within them invoked the public. The programme has a responsibility to uphold the democratic life of the UK, making it a compelling focus of research. The case study examined in this thesis is the broadcast of news interviews concerning the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 2008 (HFEA 2008) and how they shaped representations of the biomedical techniques contained within the legislation. In particular, research investigated what the news interviews reveal about the biological citizen: a specific configuration of citizenship increasingly important in the twenty first century. The research method is Conversation Analysis and the news interviews as broadcast are the empirical data on which findings are based. The study contributes to the understanding of the method through the investigation of the structural organisation of the news interviews and how this affected interaction. Findings suggest that the news interviews on the Today programme highlights the political dimensions of the HFEA 2008, that interviewees were predominantly MPs or public figures and that the gender ratio is skewed towards male voices. It points to the fact that the programme prefers news interviews that contain two interviewees, as this promotes adversarial encounters within interaction. Research also establishes how interviewers have at their disposal a range of devices, such as third party citations, which they use within questions in order to achieve a neutral posture. A further set of findings uncovers the need of interviewees to maintain a positive image of themselves, employing politeness strategies in order to co-operate when answering a question

Trainee Teachers’ Reflections on Approaches to Enhance their Subject Knowledge in Physics and Mathematics

Subject knowledge enhancement (SKE) is considered an essential part of initial teacher training (ITT) for secondary school roles. The article gives an insight into trainee teachers’ different experiences and approaches they used to expand and acquire Physics and Mathematics subject knowledge, alongside other forms of knowledge. The unique feature of this article is that is written by four students in collaboration with their academic advisor. The trainee teachers joined the Physics with Maths Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) secondary course from varied backgrounds, with differing strengths. Therefore, they have enhanced their subject knowledge in different ways. Their reflections show how their subject knowledge has been synthesized from a range of previous experiences, subsequently developed in practice throughout the course, and how they develop their subject knowledge to the required level to begin their teaching careers in a confident manner