Riboflavin-UV--a crosslinking for fixation of biosynthetic corneal collagen implants.

Purpose: To evaluate riboflavin-UV-A crosslinking as an alternative suture-free fixation method for biosynthetic corneal collagen implants.

Methods: A range of cell-free corneal implants consisting of recombinant human collagen type III were examined. In vitro, the implants were crosslinked with different riboflavin solutions and irradiations.

Comparison of the maximum applicable stretch force after femtosecond laser-assisted and manual anterior capsulotomy.

Purpose: To objectively measure the strength of the capsulotomy performed with a femtosecond laser-assisted technique or performed manually in a pig-eye laboratory study.

Setting: International Vision Correction Research Centre, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Design: Experimental study.

Assessment of nonoccupational exposure to DDT in the tropics and the north: relevance of uptake via inhalation from indoor residual spraying.

Background: People who live in dwellings treated with indoor residual spraying (IRS) of DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane] for disease-vector control in the tropics and indigenous populations in the Arctic who consume marine mammals experience high nonoccupational exposure to DDT. Although the use of DDT in IRS is rising, the resulting nonoccupational exposure is poorly characterized.

Objectives: We have provided a comparative assessment of exposure to DDT and its metabolites in the general population of the tropical and northern regions and in highly exposed populations in these regions.

Intrinsic human elimination half-lives of polychlorinated biphenyls derived from the temporal evolution of cross-sectional biomonitoring data from the United Kingdom.

Background: Most empirical estimates of human elimination kinetics for persistent chemicals reflect apparent elimination half-lives that represent the aggregated effect of intrinsic elimination, ongoing exposure, and changes in body weight. However, estimates of intrinsic elimination at background levels are required for risk assessments for the general population.

Objective: To estimate intrinsic human elimination half-lives at background levels for nine polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners, we used a novel approach based on population data.

A multi-individual pharmacokinetic model framework for interpreting time trends of persistent chemicals in human populations: application to a postban situation.

Background: Human milk and blood are monitored to detect time trends of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in humans. It is current practice to use log-linear regression to fit time series of averaged cross-sectional biomonitoring data, here referred to as cross-sectional trend data (CSTD).

Objective: The goals of our study are to clarify the interpretation of half-lives derived from fitting exponential functions to declining CSTD and to provide a method of estimating human elimination half-lives from CSTD collected in a postban situation.