The global crisis of malaria: report on a Yale conference.

An international conference, "The Global Crisis of Malaria: Lessons of the Past and Future Prospects," met at Yale University, November 7-9, 2008. The symposium was organized by Professor Frank Snowden and sponsored by the Provost's office, the MacMillan Center, the Program in the History of Science and History of Medicine, and the Section of the History of Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine. It brought together experts on malaria from a variety of disciplines, countries, and experiences--physicians, research scientists, historians of medicine, public health officials, and representatives of several non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

Emerging and reemerging diseases: a historical perspective.

Between mid-century and 1992, there was a consensus that the battle against infectious diseases had been won, and the Surgeon General announced that it was time to close the book. Experience with human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the return of cholera to the Americas in 1991, the plague outbreak in India in 1994, and the emergence of Ebola in Zaire in 1995 created awareness of a new vulnerability to epidemics due to population growth, unplanned urbanization, antimicrobial resistance, poverty, societal change, and rapid mass movement of people. The increasing virulence of dengue fever with dengue hemorrhagic fever and dengue shock syndrome disproved the theory of the evolution toward commensalism, and the discovery of the microbial origins of peptic ulcer demonstrated the reach of infectious diseases.

Neodymium:YAG laser damage of intraocular lenses.

Intraocular lenses (IOLs) suitable for implantation were analyzed for the presence of refractile particles. These were found in lathe-cut and injection-molded lenses from various manufacturers. A YAG laser was focused 2 mm beyond the IOLs in a special test chamber and fired through them.

Topographical anatomy of the ciliary sulcus.

The topography of the ciliary sulcus area in humans was examined by slitlamp biomicroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Characteristics of this area included the following: the sulcus was angulated anteriorly; the ciliary processes were of unequal length; the zonules did not insert on the tips of the ciliary processes but, instead, inserted slightly posteriorly; the contour of the sulcus area was irregular; bands stretched from the base of the ciliary processes to the posterior surface of the iris, making the sulcus a potential space in some areas of the eye. Effects of this topography on IOL implantation are postulated.