The authors assessed CSF and plasma HIV-1 RNA and neuropsychological test performance (composite neuropsychological test Z score [NPZ-4]) in 25 HIV-1-infected subjects 4 and 8 weeks after beginning potent antiretroviral therapy that included a protease inhibitor. In the 14 subjects who entered the study on no antiretroviral treatment, NPZ-4 improvement was associated with decline in CSF HIV-1 RNA at both visits (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02), and those treated with zidovudine or indinavir had greater improvement in NPZ-4 at both visits compared to those treated with other drugs (p = 0.003 and p = 0.01).

Selegiline was safe and well tolerated by HIV-infected individuals with cognitive impairment and mild to moderate immune suppression; however, no cognitive or functional improvement was observed in this phase II study.

RN staffing in government hospitals is more favourable than in private hospitals as measured by employment tenure, vacancy rates, turnover rates and ability to recruit and retain more experienced RNs. On average, respondents reported over half (59%) of total RN turnover was the result of nurse migration overseas.

Purpose This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of the International Classification for Nursing Practice (ICNP) Palliative Care for Dignified Dying catalogue for palliative nursing in the Philippines. Methods The study recruited 230 nurses to complete the ICNP Dignified Dying survey. Participants rated ICNP nursing intervention items and identified additional interventions for promoting dignified dying. Results All of the intervention items were scored on average as being at least ‘slightly important’. The three top-ranked nursing intervention categories were providing social support, maintaining privacy boundaries, and relieving psychological distress. Conclusions The ICNP Palliative Care for Dignified Dying catalogue lists nursing interventions that are appropriate to promoting dignity at the end of life in the Philippines.

In wound healing studies that investigate therapeutic interventions, it is important to characterize cellular responses. In a randomized trial enrolling patients at risk for surgical infection, one goal is to phenotype cells within a polytetrafluoroethylene implant using flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry, together with standard hematoxylin and eosin based histology. Subcutaneous implants are removed 8–9 days postoperatively. To obtain single cells associated with the mechanism of wound healing, we initially used a mouse skin digestion protocol. We optimized this to increase cell yield and isolate sufficient cells for flow cytometry. The modifications increased the total cells recovered per subject from an average of 5.3×104 to 41×104 with an average viability of 80%.The immunoflourescent staining assay was verified for our samples, which have smaller cell sample numbers than tissue biopsies. Thirty-two samples were stained. Cells from the polytetrafluoroethylene tubes were isolated and stained positively with fluorescent-labeled antibodies to CD3, CD20, CD31, CD34, CD68, CD133 and VEGFR2. Flow cytometry data correlated with IHC data especially with respect to CD68. This antigen was the most prevalent in both cell analysis methods. Our findings demonstrate flow cytometry can be used with polytetrafluoroethylene samples as an additional evaluation method to document and describe cellular wound healing responses.