Spatial resolution of body surface potential maps and magnetic field maps: a simulation study applied to the identification of ventricular pre-excitation sites

Telemedicine is defined as the "delivery of health care and sharing of medical knowledge over a distance using telecommunication systems." The concept of telemedicine is not new. Beyond the use of the telephone, there were numerous attempts to develop telemedicine programs in the 1960s mostly based on interactive television. The early experience was conceptionally encouraging but suffered inadequate technology. With a few notable exceptions such as the telemetry of medical data in the space program, there was very little advancement of telemedicine in the 1970s and 1980s. Interest in telemedicine has exploded in the 1990s with the development of medical devices suited to capturing images and other data in digital electronic form and the development and installation of high speed, high bandwidth telecommunication systems around the world. Clinical applications of telemedicine are now found in virtually every specialty. Teleradiology is the most common application followed by cardiology, dermatology, psychiatry, emergency medicine, home health care, pathology, and oncology. The technological basis and the practical issues are highly variable from one clinical application to another. Teleradiology, including telenuclear medicine, is one of the more well-defined telemedicine services. Techniques have been developed for the acquisition and digitization of images, image compression, image transmission, and image interpretation. The American College of Radiology has promulgated standards for teleradiology, including the requirement for the use of high resolution 2000 x 2000 pixel workstations for the interpretation of plain films. Other elements of the standard address image annotation, patient confidentiality, workstation functionality, cathode ray tube brightness, and image compression. Teleradiology systems are now widely deployed in clinical practice. Applications include providing service from larger to smaller institutions, coverage of outpatient clinics, imaging centers, and nursing homes. Teleradiology is also being used in international applications. Unresolved issues in telemedicine include licensure, the development of standards, reimbursement for services, patient confidentiality, and telecommunications infrastructure and cost. A number of states and medical boards have instituted policies and regulations to prevent physicians who are not licensed in the respective state to provide telemedicine services. This is a major impediment to the delivery of telemedicine between states. Telemedicine, including teleradiology, is here to stay and is changing the practice of medicine dramatically. National and international communications networks are being created that enable the sharing of information and knowledge at a distance. Technological barriers are being overcome leaving organizational, legal, financial, and special interest issues as the major impediments to the further development of telemedicine and realization of its benefits.     

Some questions about the results of the Abecedarian Early Intervention Project cited by the APA Task Force on Intelligence.

Comments on the results used by U. Neisser et al (see record 83-26553) in the American Psychological Association (APA) task force study on intelligence, which cited the Carolina Abecedarian Project (C. T. Ramey and F. A. Campbell, 1987) as an example of a successful early intervention program that produced larger and more lasting effects on intelligence scores than did Head Start programs. The author claims that Neisser et al "shortchange" the Carolina project by mentioning results occurring only at or after age 2, although startling test score differences were apparent in Ss by age 18 mo. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Practice parameters for evaluating new fever in critically ill adult patients. Task Force of the American College of Critical Care Medicine of the Society of Critical Care Medicine in collaboration with the Infectious Disease Society of America

OBJECTIVE: To develop practice parameters for the evaluation of adult patients who develop a new fever in the intensive care unit (ICU) for the purpose of guiding clinical practice. PARTICIPANTS: A task force of 13 experts in disciplines related to critical care medicine, infectious diseases, and surgery was convened from the membership of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, and the Infectious Disease Society of America. EVIDENCE: The task force members provided the personal experience and determined the published literature (MEDLINE articles, textbooks, etc.) from which consensus would be sought. Published literature was reviewed and classified into one of four categories, according to study design and scientific value. CONSENSUS PROCESS: The task force met several times in person and twice monthly by teleconference over a 1-yr period of time to identify the pertinent literature and arrive at consensus recommendations. Consideration was given to the relationship between the weight of scientific evidence and the experts' opinions. Draft documents were composed and debated by the task force until consensus was reached by nominal group process. CONCLUSIONS: The panel concluded that, because fever can have many infectious and noninfectious etiologies, a new fever in a patient in the ICU should trigger a careful clinical assessment rather than automatic orders for laboratory and radiologic tests. A cost-conscious approach to obtaining cultures and imaging studies should be undertaken if it is indicated after a clinical evaluation. The goal of such an approach is to determine, in a directed manner, whether or not infection is present, so additional testing can be avoided and therapeutic options can be made.     

Practice guideline for examination of the placenta: developed by the Placental Pathology Practice Guideline Development Task Force of the College of American Pathologists

The Placental Pathology Practice Guideline Development Task Force, a multidisciplinary group, has prepared this guideline to assist those involved with placental examination. It provides recommendations related to indications and methods for placental examination as well as sample worksheets. An algorithm for the handling of placentas summarizes the recommendations of the guideline. A summary of specific findings of placental examination together with their pathogenesis and clinical associations is also provided. Recommendations related to reporting with sample reporting formats are included. The guideline is intended as an educational tool, and its use should be guided by the individual circumstances and care setting of specific cases.     

Evidence-based interventions in school psychology: Conceptual foundations of the Procedural and Coding Manual of Division 16 and the Society for the Study of School Psychology Task Force.

We present the conceptual, philosophical, and methodological basis for the Procedural and Coding Manual for Review of Evidence-Based Interventions (hereafter called the Procedural and Coding Manual), which is available on the World Wide Web (http://www.sp-ebi.org). First, we discuss some key conceptual issues and areas of potential controversy surrounding the content and organization of the Procedural and Coding Manual. Second, we discuss our research framework for coding evidence-based interventions (EBIs), taking into account the dimensional classification approach adopted by the Task Force on Evidence-Based Interventions in School Psychology. We contrast this coding scheme with the approach embraced by the Committee on Science and Practice of the Society of Clinical Psychology, Division 12, American Psychological Association. Third, we present our methodological framework for reviewing EBIs, including quantitative group-based and single-participant designs, qualitative research designs, and theory-guided confirmatory program evaluation models. Finally, we introduce the concept of a coding system to be implemented by practitioners to develop a knowledge base on what works in practice and help bridge the gap between research and practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

人工滑液在材料表面成膜的AFM图像分析

用原子力显微技术（AFM）观测复合人工滑液在材料表面形成的吸附膜的表面形貌图像,吸附膜上清晰地显示有大量的椭球形分子．该吸附膜的形成可能是复合人工滑液对人工关节材料润滑性能显著提高的一个重要因素．     

Unconventional therapies for cancer: 3. Iscador. Task Force on Alternative Therapies of the Canadian Breast Cancer Research Initiative

Unconventional therapies (UTs) are therapies not usually provided by Canadian physicians or other conventionally trained health care providers. Examples of common UTs available in Canada are herbal preparations, reflexology, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. UTs may be used along with conventional therapies (complementary) or instead of conventional therapies (alternative). Surveys have shown that many Canadians use UTs, usually as complementary therapies, for a wide range of diseases and conditions. Reliable information about UTs is often difficult to find. Your doctor may be unable to give you specific advice or recommendations, since UTs are often not in a physician's area of expertise. However, he or she will usually be able to provide some general advice and help supervise your progress. For your own health and safety, it is important to keep your doctor informed of the choices you make. This document is intended to (a) provide you with questions to consider when making your treatment choices, (b) help you find information about UTs, (c) help you decide whether a specific UT is right for you, and (d) provide tips to help you evaluate the information you find.