Perioperative Medicine for Older People.

Global demographic changes have resulted in an older, frailer surgical population with significant multimorbidity causing higher frequency of adverse postoperative outcomes. The need for restructuring of perioperative care pathways to address this issue has been recognised. Comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) and optimisation are emerging as innovative perioperative pathways.

Perioperative comprehensive geriatric assessment: what do we need to know?

As a consequence of an ageing population greater numbers of elderly patients are presenting for both elective and emergency surgery. These older patients typically present with an increased burden of age-related problems and multimorbidity, which is associated with an increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes. Traditional preoperative assessment models are adept at discerning patients' suitability for anaesthesia and surgery, but there is minimal focus on improving postoperative outcomes.

Successful Ageing in Singapore.

Singapore has experienced rapid development in the past 50 years. This has presented unique challenges with regard to land space and a rapidly ageing population. The role of extrinsic factors in successful ageing is well documented, and places a degree of responsibility on the state and healthcare systems.

High numbers of Staphylococcus aureus at three bathing beaches in South Florida.

While the value of Staphylococcus aureus as an indicator for non-enteric diseases is unclear, understanding its prevalence in recreational beaches would prove useful, given its pathogenic potential. Staphylococcus aureus levels were evaluated in sand and seawater at three beaches during one year. To elucidate possible S.

Complementary and alternative medicine use among women receiving chemotherapy for ovarian cancer in 2 patient populations.

Objective: The authors evaluated attitudes toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in 2 populations of women receiving chemotherapy for epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Methods: Women with EOC currently being treated with chemotherapy at 2 tertiary cancer centers, in Canada and the United Kingdom, completed a self-administered questionnaire on attitudes and perceptions of CAM and types of CAM used within the previous month.

Results: One hundred ninety-two patients (94 from Canada, 98 from United Kingdom) completed the questionnaire.

First account of apochlorotic diatoms from mangrove waters in Florida.

From January to December 2004, monthly samples were collected from the mangrove salt marsh of J.U. Lloyd State Park, Florida, to examine the spatial and temporal distributions of heterotrophic diatoms in this subtropical region.

Prevalence and distribution of fecal indicator organisms in South Florida beach sand and preliminary assessment of health effects associated with beach sand exposure.

Fecal indicator levels in nearshore waters of South Florida are routinely monitored to assess microbial contamination at recreational beaches. However, samples of sand from the surf zone and upper beach are not monitored which is surprising since sand may accumulate and harbor fecal-derived organisms. This study examined the prevalence of fecal indicator organisms in tidally-affected beach sand and in upper beach sand and compared these counts to levels in the water.

Variable responses of Acanthamoeba strains to three multipurpose lens cleaning solutions.

Purpose: A novel method has been developed to compare Acanthamoeba strain differences by testing their susceptibility to multipurpose contact lens cleaning solutions (MPS).

Methods: This method uses surface-attached amoebae that mimic cells attached to a contact lens. In brief, acanthamoebae were grown on non-nutrient agar plates with Escherichia coli prey.

Molecular and physiological evaluation of subtropical environmental isolates of Acanthamoeba spp., causal agent of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

Previous molecular examination of Acanthamoeba spp. has resulted in the determination of distinct genotypes in this genus (designated T1-T12, T14). Genotype T4 has been responsible for the majority of cases of Acanthamoeba keratitis.

The application of peptide nucleic acid probes for rapid detection and enumeration of eubacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in recreational beaches of S. Florida.

A novel chemiluminescent in situ hybridization technique using peptide nucleic acids (PNA) was adapted for the detection of bacteria in beach sand and recreational waters in South Florida. The simultaneous detection and enumeration of eubacteria and the novel indicators, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, was achieved within 6-8 h of processing. Following 5 h of incubation on TSA, soybean peroxidase-labeled peptide nucleic acid probes (Boston Probes, Boston, MA) targeting species-specific 16S rRNA sequences of P.

Identification and phylogenetic analysis of morphologically similar naked amoebae using small subunit ribosomal RNA.

Fan-shaped, naked amoebae are commonly encountered in samples from freshwater and marine habitats suggesting that they are an important component of the microbial food web. However, there are considerable problems in both detecting these amoebae and identifying them, given their morphological similarity. In this study we used restriction analysis and partial sequence analysis of the small-subunit 18S ribosomal RNA gene to examine the phylogenetic relationships between nine "fan-shaped" Vannella and Platyamoeba species.

Dry to wet weight biomass conversion constant for Tetrahymena elliotti (Ciliophora, Protozoa).

The wet and dry weights of both axenic and monoxenic cultures of the ciliate Tetrahymena were determined directly. These estimates are dependent upon the method of volume determination. Assuming a prolate spheroidal shape for the ciliate, we calculate a mean wet weight of 0.