The physician assistant in South Carolina

This article provides an overview of the physician assistant profession in general and in South Carolina. Information on the educational program at the Medical University of South Carolina and the results of a study of the satisfaction and contribution of the physician assistant as perceived by a sample of South Carolina supervising physicians is included. The study demonstrates that the physician assistant makes an important contribution to health care in South Carolina.     

Assessment of viability of pancreas transplants from non-heart-beating cadaver

In adult rats, oxytocin (OT) has been shown to reduce the intake of both food and fluids, and oxytocinergic cells are activated by gastric distension and administration of the intestinal peptide cholecystokinin (CCK-8). These and other findings indicate that OT can play a role in inhibiting ingestion under some conditions. A previous study has shown, however, that oxytocinergic cells are unresponsive to CCK-8 in 2-day-old rats. We report here that OT is elevated in the plasma of 10-day-old rats after induction of gastric distension with both mother's milk and saline. These results indicate that the vagal-hypothalamic axis becomes mature between 2- and 10-days of age in infant rats.     

The natural history of eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome in a tryptophan-exposed cohort in South Carolina

BACKGROUND: In a previous study, we did follow-up on 418 patients who were exposed to tryptophan in 1989, of whom 47 (11%) had definite and 63 (9%) possible eosinophilia-myalgia syndrome (EMS). METHODS: We assessed mortality and clinical spectrum of illness since 1989 for 242 (58%) of the 418 tryptophan-exposed patients from the original study. To assess outcomes, we used hospital and death records, interviewer-administered questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests. RESULTS: During the follow-up interval, mortality from all causes was 19% in those with definite EMS, 7% in possible EMS, and 3% in those who were not ill. The age- and sex-adjusted mortality in those with definite EMS was more than 3 times that of the general population or of tryptophan users in the practice who were not ill. Six deaths (66%) among the definite EMS case patients occurred during the 18 months immediately after symptom onset. Compared with the tryptophan users who were not ill, survivors with definite EMS continued to report excess morbidity for 6 major EMS symptoms (myalgia, arthralgia, weakness, rash, alopecia, and sclerodermiform skin changes), but they also reported that the symptom number and severity diminished with time. None of the tryptophan users who were not ill in 1989 developed a symptom complex suggesting new EMS during the follow-up interval. CONCLUSIONS: This study assessing a tryptophan-exposed population found those persons who developed EMS during the 1989 epidemic were at increased risk for death, particularly early after disease onset. Survivors reported improvement or resolution of major symptoms, suggesting that the severity of EMS diminishes with time. We found no evidence of delayed onset of EMS in tryptophan users who were not ill in 1989, regardless of the brand used.     

Frequency of Discharge Causing Abutment Scour in South Carolina

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the adequacy of the 100-year discharge along with the Froehlich bridge abutment scour equation adopted by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHwA) in predicting abutment scour for bridge design purposes in South Carolina streams. The analysis utilized bridge properties, stream cross-sectional and hydraulic data, local flood frequency equations, a one-dimensional steady river flow computer model (WSPRO), and procedures recommended by the FHwA for predicting abutment scour. A method was developed to identify the single stream-discharge at each bridge that can cause the abutment scour that was observed at 73 bridge abutments. Analysis of the results revealed that for one-third of the abutments in the sandy soil region of South Carolina, the flow rates required to produce the observed scour depths had return periods greater than 100?years. Although for bridges in the region dominated by clay soil, the return periods were significantly smaller than 100?years.     

The doctoral program in school psychology at the University of South Carolina.

Traces the development of the doctoral program in school psychology at the University of South Carolina from its historical origins to the present. The program is built on the scientist-practitioner model, with broad training in both scientific and professional psychology. The program model is evaluated, and possible future directions in training are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Our expanding South Carolina Medicaid managed care program

Eosinophil differentiation is thought to occur by the action of interleukin (IL)-5 on CD34(+) progenitor cells. The allergen-induced increase in eosinophil numbers in isolated airway preparations in vitro, and detection of increased numbers of circulating CD34(+) cells in atopic subjects, led us to the hypothesis that the eosinophil infiltration of the airway in asthma may result from local mucosal differentiation, in addition to recruitment from the bone marrow. We examined CD34(+) cell numbers by immunohistochemistry and IL-5 receptor alpha (IL-5Ralpha) messenger RNA (mRNA) expression by in situ hybridization in bronchial biopsies from atopic asthmatic patients, and from atopic and nonatopic control subjects. CD34(+) cell numbers were increased in the airway in atopic asthmatic and atopic nonasthmatic subjects. In contrast, CD34(+)/ IL-5Ralpha mRNA+ cells were increased in asthmatic subjects when compared with both atopic and nonatopic control subjects. Airway numbers of CD34(+)/IL-5Ralpha mRNA+ cells were correlated to airway caliber in asthmatic subjects and to eosinophil numbers. These findings support the concept that eosinophils may differentiate locally in the airway in asthma.     

A phenomenological study of breastfeeding WIC recipients in South Carolina

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the phenomenon of breastfeeding in a low-income group of mothers and to determine its meaning to the mothers. Eleven mothers who had breastfeeding experience were interviewed. The focal meaning of support as related to breastfeeding emerged during data analysis from the participants' lived experience. In all participant interviews the recurring concept was support. Major themes included informational support, emotional support, and instrumental support. The article suggests implications for advanced practice.     

The golden anniversary symposium: CPA's first 50 years.

The author would like to say a few words about how this symposium was organized and how the participants were selected. When the author was asked to organize a session on the Association's history, it was suggested that the author should involve our past presidents as participants. Therefore, the author began by looking over the list of them in the Directory and discovered: there were 28 living and alert past presidents from whom to choose, all of them most attractive as potential participants and that selecting from among them was going to be very difficult. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Canadian Cardiovascular Society--the first and the next 50 years

BACKGROUND: Although beta2-adrenoceptor agonists are widely used in the treatment of asthma, a number of studies have suggested that their long-term use may exacerbate the condition. One possible mechanism for this stems from the in vitro observation that beta2-agonists increase IgE synthesis by human blood mononuclear cells. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the effect of regular beta2-agonist therapy on IgE production in vivo in human volunteers. METHODS: Placebo or salbutamol (8 mg BD) tablets were given in a double-blind, randomized fashion to 25 volunteers allergic to grass pollen throughout a period encompassing the UK grass pollen season (April through September). Levels of serum IgE were measured monthly, and nasal IgE was measured at the height and end of the season. Efficacy was assessed through monthly recordings of symptoms of blocked nose (vascular) and other symptoms of rhinitis (nonvascular). RESULTS: For the whole group the geometric mean of serum IgE levels rose from a baseline of 58.7 IU/mL (range, 0 to 1027 IU/mL) to 140 IU/mL (range, 12 to 878 IU/mL) at the height of the pollen season (P =.0001). There was no significant difference between the magnitude of the rise in IgE between the groups with a ratio of increase for salbutamol/placebo of 1.17 (confidence interval = 0.78 to 1.75). There was no change in nasal IgE levels. Total and nonvascular symptom scores were reduced by salbutamol, reaching statistical significance at the height of the pollen season (P <.05). CONCLUSION: An oral dose of the beta2-agonist salbutamol, sufficient to maintain therapeutic levels and provide clinical benefit, does not accentuate the seasonal increase of IgE in human atopic volunteers.     

Support for school-based sexuality education among South Carolina voters

A random-digit dialed telephone survey was conducted in a traditionally conservative southern state to determine the level of support for sexuality education in the public schools including support for specific sexuality education topics, the earliest grade level at which each topic should be taught, and the amount of instruction time required for sexuality education in the high schools. Survey data were obtained from 534 South Carolina registered voters in late January/early February 1997. Results demonstrated that most South Carolina registered voters: 1) supported sexuality education in the public schools; 2) supported instruction on a variety of sexuality education topics; 3) supported instruction at all grade levels, especially beginning in middle school; and 4) believed instruction time for sexuality education in the high schools should either remain the same or be increased. In addition, a significant increase in support for sexuality education occurred from the beginning of the survey to the end, suggesting that the instrument itself may have served as an educational tool for respondents. The characteristics of registered voters who supported sexuality education at the beginning of the survey and at the end were examined and compared. These results may assist in the development of educational and marketing strategies designed to build support for school-based sexuality education programs in South Carolina and elsewhere.     

Mercury levels in freshwater fish of the state of South Carolina

Samples of fish from freshwater sources of rivers, lakes and ponds all over the state of South Carolina were collected during the Summer of 1974 and 1975. The fish collected were Bass, Bluegill, Redbreast, Catfish, Shad, Carp, Crappie, Mudfish and Pike. Samples were analyzed using the flameless atomic absorption procedure outlined by Hatch and Ott, and Uthe et al as modified for use with Perkin-Elmer, Coleman MAS-50 mercury analyzer. Triplicate samples of fish tissue were analyzed by wet digestion method. The mean mercury levels in ppb were determined for baseline mercury levels. A significant finding of this report is that those species for which fish of widely differing weights were analyzed, larger fish had higher mercury levels. Mercury levels exceeding the U.S. Food and Drug Administration guideline of 500 ppb for fish tissues have been found in the Mudfish from Edisto River and Pike fish from Lake Murray. Higher levels of mercury occurred in the highly vascularized blood tissues of liver and kidney than in muscle. Carnivorous and bottom-feeding fishes are the most reliable indicators of mercury pollution.