Individualizing social skills training for behavior-disordered children.

Individualized social skills training was compared with nonindividualized social skills training and wait-list control conditions. Participants were 35 behavior-disordered children at a treatment center. Role-play tests indicated that children in both the individualized and nonindividualized conditions mastered the content of the training sessions. Observations of recess play indicated that the increase in cooperative play after treatment was significantly higher for the individualized training group. There were no significant differences in observed aggression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Diagnostic problems of gout

The arthritis urica is defined as a relatively rare, at the same time facultative symptom of different metabolic and other disturbances (primary and secondary gout). As a rule it is observed only several years of the beginning of the hyperuric-anemia nearly exclusively in males and is only one form of manifestation of the wide-spread complex gout syndrome. It is proposed to supplement the criteria for gout or arthritis urica of Rome 1961 and New York 1966 by new knowledge on the uncharacteristic gouty arthropathy. It is particularly referred to method problems of the determination of uric acid in the serum.     

Radiologic findings in gout

Radiological gout manifestations are detectable in the early stage, but also especially in the chronic stage of gout. Whereas in the early stage only soft tissue mutations (bursitis inflammation) and light calcium deposits are usually discernible, chronic gout leads to asymmetrical, diverse forms of osseous destruction, favouring smaller joints, but also affecting larger ones, which are caused by the intra-articular and extra-articular deposit of tophus material, corresponding to the progression and degree of severity of the illness. Radiologically-detectable changes in other organs, such as the kidneys, will be addressed. The high number of, and to some extent very characteristic, osseous mutations are compared with those mutations which are very similar to the diagnoses of other syndromes affecting the joints. Specifically, problems in differentiating diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis, arthritis psoriatica, chondrocalcinosis, and other diseases of the joints will receive special mention. Reference is also made to the extreme diagnostic difficulties resulting from the rare but nevertheless conceivable influence of gout on the spine or sacroiliac joints. The method of magnetic resonance imaging for gout shows a characteristic signal behaviour of the tophus material. It has been determined that, through magnetic resonance tomography, interosseous tophi can be detected earlier and in a more widespread manner than with the aid of native X-ray images, such that an increase in the use of this method is to be expected.     

Therapy of hyperuricemia and gout

Therapy of hyperuricemia and gout has to depend on pathogenesis and stage of the disease. Dietary regimen are in the forefront in treatment of asymptomatic hyperuricemia. Uric acid lowering drugs can only be supported in repeated serum-measures from 9 mg/dl up. The therapy of an acute attack of gout primarily is done with non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs, in rare cases with colchicine or corticoids. Gouty arthritis in intermission, independent of the extent of hyperuricemia, as well as chronic gout are indications for an uric acid lowering pharmacotherapy, usually for life. A special therapeutic challenge arises out of renal complications and the frequent association with the metabolic syndrome.     

Individualizing a web-based structure strategy intervention for fifth graders' comprehension of nonfiction.

In the study, we investigated effects of 2 different versions of a web-based tutoring system to provide 5th-grade students with strategy instruction about text structure, which was an intervention to improve reading comprehension. The design feature assessed varied in individualization of instruction (individualized or standard). The more individually tailored version was developed to provide remediation or enrichment lessons matched to the individual needs of each student. Stratified random assignment was used to compare the effects of 2 versions of the 6-month web-based intervention. Students in the individualized condition made greater improvements from pretest to posttest on a standardized reading comprehension test (d = 0.55) than did students in the standard condition (d = 0.30). Students receiving more individualized instruction demonstrated higher mastery achievement goals when working in the lessons than did students receiving the standard instruction (d = 0.53). Students receiving more individualized instruction showed greater improvement in using signaling, better work in lessons, and more positive posttest attitudes toward computers than did students receiving standard instruction. Students in both conditions improved their recall of ideas from texts and their use of the text structure strategy and comparison signaling words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ankylosing gout. Apropos of 2 cases

The Miles assay for vascular permeability has high intra- and interassay coefficients of variation (CVs). Quantification, usually by dye extraction and spectrophotometry, is time consuming. In this study, quantification by this means was compared with image analysis using the Olympus CUE-2 Image Analyzer (version 4). The test substance was recombinant human vascular permeability factor (rhVPF). The quantification process took approximately 10 min with image analysis. Formamide extraction and spectrophotometry required 1 hr of preparation, 4-6 days of incubation, and 1 hr for filtration and spectrophotometry. Between assay CVs ranged from 0 to 30% for spectrophotometry, but were all < 10% for image analysis. The sensitivity (2SD above the negative control mean) of the image analysis approach was 64 +/- 25 ng/mL, whereas for spectrophotometry it was 65 +/- 29 ng/mL. Interanimal CVs for rhVPF at 200 and 1000 ng/mL were 15% and 26% when assessed by spectrophotometry and 7% and 22%, respectively, by image analysis. The R2 value for the correlation of image analysis with spectrophotometry was 81.4%. Test substances injected close to the spine evoked a greater permeability response than those injected laterally: at 200 ng/mL p = 0.005, at 1000 ng/mL p = 0.1 (unpaired t tests).     

Concurrent gout and Mycobacterium tuberculosis arthritis

CLOser is a new, one-step, qualitative anti-Helicobacter pylori immunoglobulin G test having the advantage of convenience and simplicity. We aimed to evaluate its diagnostic accuracy and to compare it with a quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (HEL-pTEST II) in a study of 86 adult dyspeptic patients by using the results from histology and urease testing of gastric biopsies as a "gold standard." Forty-six patients were H. pylori positive. The sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values were 95.7, 72.5, 80.0, and 93.5%, respectively, for CLOser and 93.5, 92.5, 93.5, and 92.5%, respectively, for HEL-pTEST II. The grade of the colored test bands in CLOser was correlated with antibody titers in HEL-pTEST II (r = 0.71; p < 0.001). The mean antibody titers were 13, 74, 186, and 328 U/ml for the negative, faint, thin, and thick bands, respectively, of CLOser. We concluded that the CLOser rapid serological test yielded sensitivity similar to that of the conventional ELISA. Although CLOser is not suitable for epidemiologic screening for H. pylori infection on account of lower specificity, it is particularly convenient and very easy to perform. Therefore, it may eventually become widely used in the office-based care of patients and lead to more cost-effective patient management decisions.     

急慢性痛风患者的辩证施护

痛风是一种与现代经济发展和饮食结构有密切关系的疾病.随着痛风的发病率明显升高和发病低龄化,痛风患者急慢性期的护理尤为重要.     

Case report: an unusual presentation of gout

The efficacy of ear canal flushing and ear canal and mouth swabbing methods for the isolation of mycoplasmas was investigated in 39 goats. Of the 19 goats positive for Mycoplasma spp., 14 (73.7%) were positive with the ear canal flushing method, 4 (21.0%) were positive with both ear canal flushing and mouth swabbing methods, and 1 (5.3%) was positive by the mouth swabbing method. Mycoplasma arginini, M. mycoides subsp. mycoides, and M. mycoides subsp. capri were identified by direct immunofluorescence and growth inhibition tests. Previous reports on the isolation of M. arginini from the ear canal of goats were not found in the literature.     

Lead and the kidney: nephropathy, hypertension, and gout

Lead intoxication in human beings has been documented since the second century B.C. Renal disease, hypertension, and gout have all been linked to lead by strong circumstantial evidence. Both acute and chronic nephropathy can occur as a result of lead poisoning. Acute renal failure develops following acute lead intoxication and is often associated with gastrointestinal, neurologic, and hematologic disorders. Both blood and urinary laboratory abnormalities are associated with acute intoxication and are often diagnostic. Chronic lead nephropathy, a chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis on biopsy, occurs in the setting of long-term lead exposure and is often associated with hypertension and gout. Diagnosis of chronic lead nephropathy is more difficult since the laboratory abnormalities seen with acute lead intoxication are not present with chronic lead exposure. The typical clinical picture and the exclusion of other causes of renal disease allow the diagnosis of chronic lead nephropathy to be made. Evaluation of lead stores by either the calcium disodium edetate (EDTA) mobilization test or K-x-ray fluorescence are helpful in clinching the diagnosis. Treatment with EDTA lead mobilization is effective for acute lead poisoning while avoidance of further lead exposure prevents recurrence of lead intoxication. Treatment of chronic lead nephropathy with EDTA lead mobilization is useful if renal failure is modest; however, EDTA mobilization is of no benefit in patients with more severe renal insufficiency.