Prevalence of pigmented lens striae in a black population: a potential indicator of age-related pigment dispersal in the anterior segment.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of pigmented striae of the anterior lens capsule, with or without associated glaucoma, in a black primary eye care population.

Methods: Over a 16-month period, five practitioners searched for pigmented lens striae (PLS) among consecutive patients who underwent pupillary dilation during routine eye care provided within the primary care service of an urban eye clinic in Chicago, Illinois.

Results: Meeting the inclusion criteria were 1608 blacks (mean age +/- SD, 40.

Telerehabilitation research: emerging opportunities.

The field of clinical rehabilitation is rooted in the premise that carefully planned and delivered therapeutic intervention enhances patient outcomes. Underlying this statement is a deeper scientific reality: The field exists because biosystems (e.g.

Self-selected modular recurrent neural networks with postural and inertial subnetworks applied to complex movements.

It has been shown that dynamic recurrent neural networks are successful in identifying the complex mapping relationship between full-wave-rectified electromyographic (EMG) signals and limb trajectories during complex movements. These connectionist models include two types of adaptive parameters: the interconnection weights between the units and the time constants associated to each neuron-like unit; they are governed by continuous-time equations. Due to their internal structure, these models are particularly appropriate to solve dynamical tasks (with time-varying input and output signals).

Primary prevention of agricultural injuries. Use of standardized nursing diagnosis, interventions, and outcomes.

1. The use of standardized nursing language is important to the advancement of nursing knowledge and practice. The standardization of nursing diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes provides a means for collecting and analyzing large clinical databases.

Behavioral couples therapy for female substance-abusing patients: effects on substance use and relationship adjustment.

Married or cohabiting female drug-abusing patients (N = 75) were randomly assigned to either a behavioral couples therapy condition (BCT; n = 37), which consisted of group, individual, and behavioral couples therapy sessions, or to an equally intensive individual-based treatment condition (IBT; n = 38), which consisted of group and individual counseling. During most of the 1-year follow-up, compared with participants who received IBT, those who received BCT reported (a) fewer days of substance use, (b) longer periods of continuous abstinence, (c) lower levels of alcohol, drug, and family problems, and (d) higher relationship satisfaction. However, differences in relationship satisfaction and number of days of substance use dissipated over the course of the posttreatment follow-up period and were not significantly different by the end of 1 year.

Comparative performance of herpes simplex virus type 1-specific serologic assays from MRL and Meridian Diagnostics.

Two companies, MRL and Meridian Diagnostics, have developed Food and Drug Administration-approved herpes simplex virus type 1 type-specific enzyme immunoassays. The sensitivity, specificity, and overall testing efficiency of these assays were 98.2, 93.

Absence of mutations in the HoxA10, HoxA11 and HoxD11 nucleotide coding sequences in thrombocytopenia with absent radius syndrome.

Recent studies have suggested the HoxA10, HoxA11 and HoxD11 homeobox genes as candidate loci for the thrombocytopenia with absent radius (TAR) syndrome. For example, targeted disruptions of these Hox genes result in abnormal development of the mouse radius, while overexpression of HoxA10 stimulates mouse megakaryocyte (MK) development in vitro. To examine the expression of Hox genes in human MK cells, we utilized reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction with degenerate oligonucleotides to study megakaryocytic cell lines (MEG-01, DAMI), and primary human MK purified from adult and cord blood.

The antiosteoporotic efficacy of intravenous pamidronate in men with prostate carcinoma receiving combined androgen blockade: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study.

Background: Prostate carcinoma therapy with combined androgen blockade may result in high bone-turnover with significant bone loss. This study was undertaken to evaluate the antiosteoporotic efficacy of intravenous pamidronate in a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study.

Methods: Twenty-one consecutive men with metastatic prostate carcinoma who were receiving combined androgen blockade with a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (gosarelin acetate) and an androgen antagonist (flutamide or bicalutamide) were evaluated at baseline and at 6 and 12 months after therapy.

RBC alloantibody specificity and antigen potency in Olmsted County, Minnesota.

Background: While RBC antigen frequencies for whites of Northern European ancestry are known, the relative frequencies of RBC antibodies within this population have not been determined. The distribution of RBC alloantibodies by sex and age was studied, as were the immunogenicity of RBC antigens and the occurrence of RBC alloantibody clusters in a geographically defined population.

Study Design And Methods: RBC alloimmunization among patients and donors in Olmsted County, MN, was determined for the period from 1975 to 1995.

Comparative performance of herpes simplex virus type 2-specific serologic assays from Meridian Diagnostics and MRL diagnostics.

MRL Diagnostics and Meridian Diagnostics have recently designed herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2)-specific enzyme immunoassays for HSV-2 antibody detection. Blood donor sera were assayed for HSV-2 antibodies by both methods. The sensitivity, specificity, and efficiency were 97.

Congenital glioblastoma multiforme: a report of three cases and a review of the literature.

The clinical histories, histologic features, and immunohistochemical staining patterns for glial fibrillary acidic protein, vimentin, p53, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) of three cases of congenital glioblastoma multiforme are given and previous case reports are reviewed. Of the three cases reported in this series, two have had long-term survivals of greater than 2 1/2 and 5 1/2 years after surgery and surgery followed by chemotherapy, respectively. Both of these cases also demonstrated p53 protein accumulation, a finding in pediatric glioblastoma multiforme associated with poor prognosis.

Colpocleisis for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse.

Most females with total vault prolapse undergo reconstructive procedures to restore normal anatomy and function; however, elderly patients who no longer desire sexual intercourse or are medically unstable can be treated effectively with a vaginal closure or colpocleisis. The traditional approach to colpocleisis has been to simply invert the vagina using pursestring sutures after removing the vaginal mucosa. Although simple to perform, after repairing referred treatment failures who used this approach, we began to use a different approach that emphasizes the strength of an anterior repair and extensive posterior repair that then is sutured together.

Transabdominal approach to repair of vaginal vault prolapse.

Purpose: To review the preoperative evaluation of women with vaginal vault prolapse and describe the surgical methods of treatment using a transabdominal approach.

Methods: Abdominal sacral colpopexy is the most widely performed method of transabdominal correction of vaginal vault prolapse. The procedure is completed by securing the apex to the vagina to the periosteum of the sacrum with mesh.

Variability in doses obtained from a multi-dose ophthalmic solution: a potential source of error in the assessment of compliance.

Background: Assessment of compliance with prescribed therapy is an important aspect of patient management that can be overlooked. Compliance with topical ophthalmic medications is frequently assessed without knowledge of doses obtained per bottle.

Method: Thirty-three normal subjects who agreed to participate were asked to instill one drop of Refresh Tears in each eye twice daily until a 3-ml bottle was empty.

Abdominal sacral colpopexy and abdominal enterocele repair in the management of vaginal vault prolapse.

Vaginal vault prolapse and enterocele represent challenging forms of female pelvic organ relaxation. These conditions are most commonly associated with other pelvic organ defects. Proper diagnosis and management is essential to achieve long-term successful outcomes.

Use of bone anchors in female urology.

Stress urinary incontinence remains one of the most prevalent conditions encountered by urologists. In many cases, surgical correction of this condition is carried out using a pubovaginal sling procedure. Bone anchors were initially used in transvaginal needle suspension procedures to improve stabilization of the bladder neck.

Aspects of human factors engineering in home telemedicine and telerehabilitation systems.

Human factors engineering and system design are critical elements in the newly developing field of telerehabilitation. Telerehabilitation is the remote delivery of rehabilitative services such as monitoring, training, and long-term care of persons with disabilities using telecommunications technology. This paper describes projects at the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Telerehabilitation in the context of three conceptual models: telecounseling and training, telemonitoring and assessment, and teletherapy.

Comparison of biomechanical properties of periosteal suture fixation and bone anchor fixation to the pubic bone.

Objectives: To compare the relative strength of fixation using bone anchors (BAs) compared with direct suture placement into the periosteum.

Methods: The anterior bony pelvis was harvested from 21 female cadavers. In each pelvis, BA suture fixation was performed using Cinch anchors on one side of the pubic bone and direct periosteal suture fixation (PSF) on the contralateral side of the same pelvis.

Collagen injection therapy in elderly women: long-term results and patient satisfaction.

Objectives: To evaluate long-term results and patient satisfaction using collagen injection therapy in elderly women.

Methods: Periurethral injection of collagen using local anesthesia was performed on 58 women 65 years old or older (range 65 to 86, mean 73. 2) to treat stress urinary incontinence.

Private practice and community activities in sports dentistry.

For dentists interested in sports dentistry, there are a wide variety of private practice and community activities available for involvement. These activities include, among others, volunteering for mouth guard programs, participating as a sports team dentist, and becoming an active member in the Academy for Sports Dentistry.

Management of sports-related concussions.

Mild head injury is a frequent occurrence in a multitude of athletic endeavors across all levels of play. Clinicians should carefully consider all interventions at their disposal to reduce the prevalence and severity of injury to protect those involved. The exploration and evaluation of using properly fitted mouthguards to provide effective, albeit limited, defense against brain injury merits attention.

Trends in the incidence of delayed hemolytic and delayed serologic transfusion reactions.

Background: An increasing incidence of delayed hemolytic and delayed serologic transfusion reactions (DHTRs/DSTRs) has been seen at the Mayo Clinic since 1978. Recently, the average length of stay (LOS) for inpatients and the average number of red cell transfusions per inpatient (TPI) decreased, and the albumin and papain technique for RBC antibody detection was replaced by a polyethylene glycol technique. These changes may have affected the incidence of DHTRs/DSTRs.