Development of a predictive model for pediatric atopic dermatitis: A retrospective cross-sectional nationwide database study.

Background: The rise in prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) has been correlated with numerous elements of the exposome, modern-day lifestyle, and familial history. The combined analysis of familial history and other risk elements may allow us to understand the driving factors behind the development of AD.

Objective: To develop prediction models to assess the risk of developing AD using a large and diverse cohort (N = 77,525) and easily assessed risk factors.

The Framing Effect of Digital Textual Messages on Uptake Rates of Medical Checkups: Field Study.

Background: Health care authorities often use text messages to enhance compliance with medical recommendations. The effectiveness of different message framings has been studied extensively over the past 3 decades. Recently, health care providers have begun using digital media platforms to disseminate health-related messages.

The protective effect of moderate maternal peanut consumption on peanut sensitization and allergy.

Background: The Learning Early About Peanut Allergy or LEAP trial found that the early introduction of peanuts in the diet of infants at risk for peanut allergies prevents peanut allergy. The effect of maternal consumption of peanuts on subsequent peanut sensitization or peanut allergy in the LEAP trial has not been studied to date.

Objective: To determine whether maternal consumption of peanut protein while breastfeeding protects against peanut-allergic outcomes in the absence of peanut consumption in infants.

Childhood Asthma - The Effect of Asthma Specialist Intervention on Asthma Control: A Retrospective Review.

Background: Childhood asthma is the most common chronic disease throughout the western world. Improving asthma control is a leading health management goal.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of an intervention by a visit to an asthma specialist on asthma control in children.

Systemic corticosteroids for allergic fungal rhinosinusitis and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis: a comparative study.

Objectives: To compare the effect of preoperative high-dose systemic corticosteroids on the radiographic and endoscopic appearance of allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS) and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP).

Study Design And Setting: Eight AFRS and 10 CRSwNP patients underwent computed tomographic (CT) scans and then received preoperative 1 mg/kg prednisone for 10 days. CT scans were repeated 1 day before surgery and compared with pretreatment scans (Lund-MacKay radiologic scoring system).

Comparison of primary-care practitioners and sleep specialists in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

We wished to determine if being treated for sleep apnea by a sleep specialist increased patient awareness or long-term continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) compliance. We performed a retrospective telephone survey and laboratory chart review in patients with a diagnosis of sleep apnea evaluated either at a laboratory in which only sleep specialists can order polysomnography (University Specialty Hospital, noted as USH) or at a laboratory serving the medical community at large (Kernan Hospital, noted as K). Both laboratories are under the same medical director, use the same policies and procedures, equipment, and technician pool.

The rising incidence of adult acute epiglottitis and epiglottic abscess.

Objective: To examine preliminary observations that the incidence of adult acute epiglottitis has risen between 1986 and 2000.

Materials And Methods: Demographics, annual and seasonal occurrences, clinical presentation, diagnostic procedures, treatment, airway management, and complications of 116 consecutive adult patients with laryngoscopically confirmed acute epiglottitis are presented.

Results: The mean annual incidence of acute epiglottitis per 100,000 adults significantly increased from 0.

The erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation test (EAAT). A new biomarker to reveal the presence of low grade subclinical smoldering inflammation in individuals with atherosclerotic risk factors.

Background: Multiple acute phase proteins and atherosclerotic risk factors increase the aggregability of erythrocytes.

Methods And Results: We used a simple slide test and image analysis to determine the degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation in the peripheral blood of 222 women and 221 men with no, one, two or more atherosclerotic risk factors. The degree of erythrocyte adhesiveness/aggregation correlated significantly with the concentration of commonly used variables of the acute phase response.

The prospects of a harm reduction approach among indigenous people in Canada.

A harm reduction approach to alcohol and substance abuse is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to prohibitionist and abstentionist policies. It is seen as particularly valuable for some high-risk populations, such as injection drug users and street youth. A strong argument can be made that Aboriginal communities in Ontario, Canada, and probably across the country, are appropriate environments for a harm reduction approach.

Synthesis and properties of DNA purine dehydrodimers: 8-8-bideoxyribonucleosides and 8-8-bideoxyribonucleotides.

Purine dimers are formed by oxidation of DNA. There is evidence that these dimers are not repaired by cells from the human disease xeroderma pigmentosum. It has been suggested that unrepaired purine dimers are involved in the etiogenesis of internal cancers and neural degeneration that are observed in this disease.

Persons discharged from warrants of the Lieutenant Governor.

The authors compiled demographic, psychiatric, and criminological information on persons who were held on warrants of the Lieutenant Governor in Ontario. These warrants were vacated between the period 1969-1982. Of the entire population of 296 such persons, 46% were held as being Unfit to Stand Trial, 51% were Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, and the remainder were Mentally Ill prisoners.

Cost containment in the concentrated care center: a study of nursing, bed and patient assignment policies.

In an effort to deliver the best possible care to seriously ill patients in the most cost-effective manner, Georgetown University has developed the Concentrated Care Center (CCC) as an essential component of the medical center complex. The design of the CCC, together with the application of controlled variable staffing procedures, permits considerable flexibility in the assignment of nurses (as well as patients) to individual units. This report outlines certain research hypotheses regarding policies designed to increase the cost-effectiveness of patient care in the CCC environment.

A physician questionnaire study of the net cost of computerized tomographic scanning.

This paper reports the results of a physician questionnaire study of the net cost impact of CT Scanning on the health care system. The study objective is accomplished by questioning physicians, on a case-by-case basis, on the number and type of diagnostic tests and hospital care which would have been provided in lieu of CT. These findings indicate that CT Scanning, while expensive on a per use basis, results in significant cost savings on a per case basis because it eliminates the need for multiple alternative tests and hospital stays.

Decision theory model of the emergency medical triage process.

The major objective of this research project was to apply the scientific discipline of decision-making to the problem of identifying the appropriate receiving hospital for persons injured in accidents. This problem, which is usually referred to as the prehospital triage process, is enormously important in terms of maximizing the critically injured patient's chances for survival. The long term objective of this research program, for which this project was a pilot study, is to develop an interactive computer system to support decisions regarding triage of patients at the scene of medical emergencies.

The relation of antemortem characteristics to cardiovascular findings at necropsy--The Framingham Study.

The relation of premorbid cardiovascular risk attributes routinely measures at regular biennial examinations to cardiac necropsy findings using a special autopsy protocol was examined among 127 decedents of the Framingham cohort. Necropsy findings analyzed were: heart weight, left ventricular (LV) muscle thickness, percent luminal insufficiency of the coronary arteries, and percent intimal involvement with atherosclerosis. Clinical data analyzed included weight, height, blood pressure and serum cholesterol measured 1, 5, and 9 years prior to death.

Identification of the translation products of human fibroblast interferon mRNA in reticulocyte lysates.

Messenger RNA was purified from human foreskin fibroblasts FS11, a high interferon-producer line, after induction with synthetic double-stranded RNA. The mRNA was translated in a cell-free protein-synthesis system from rabbit reticulocytes. The translation products, containing biologically active human interferon, were immunoprecipitated by a serum from rabbits immunized against partially purified interferon.

Medical technology and cost containment: two applications of operations research.

The government proposes "common sense" regulations to help contain rising health costs due to the increasing use of high-technology procedures, such as computerized tomography scanning. Two illustrations are given showing that such ad hoc regulations may have the effect of increasing costs and are certainly far from the optimum obtained by known methods of operations research.