Do routine antibiotics after loop diathermy excision reduce morbidity?

AIMS: To determine functional results after unilateral and bilateral cataract surgery in children with different aphakic optical correction. METHODS: In this retrospective study, we evaluated visual acuity and binocular vision in 107 children who underwent cataract surgery during the 10 year period from 1985 to 1995. Aphakia was corrected by an intracapsular intraocular lens (IOL), spectacles or contact lenses. RESULTS: Mean visual acuity was > 20/40 (< 0.3 log MAR) with normal binocular vision in 58 children over 7 months of age operated on for bilateral cataracts. Pseudophakic eyes regained visual acuity > 20/63 (< 0.5 log MAR) more often (90%) than aphakic eyes (46%) (p < 0.001). Binocular vision was also achieved more often after IOL implantation (p < 0.001). Visual outcome of early bilateral cataracts was less satisfactory in children with abnormal foveolar function. For 49 children who had surgery for unilateral cataracts, prognosis was poor when surgery was performed before the age of 7 months. For cataract surgery in older children (> or = 7 months) mean visual acuities were better with IOL implantation (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Cataract surgery with unilateral and bilateral IOL implantation can provide a beneficial effect on final visual outcome in children who are operated on before abnormal foveolar function develops.     

Energy metabolism in sedentary and active 49- to 70-yr-old women

This study examined differences between long-term exercising (LE) and long-term nonexercising (LNE) women [n = 24; age 56.4 +/- 6.2 (SD) yr] for resting metabolic rate (RMR) and energy expenditure in the free-living state by using doubly labeled water (DLW). There was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.0002) between the 12 LE (94.85 +/- 8.44 kJ . kg-1 . day-1) and 12 LNE (81.16 +/- 6.62 kJ . kg-1 . day-1) for RMR, but this difference was only marginally significant (P = 0.06) when the data (MJ/day) were subjected to an analysis of covariance with fat-free mass as the covariate. The DLW data indicated that the eight most active LE (12.99 +/- 3.58 MJ/day) expended significantly (P = 0.01) more energy than did the eight least active LNE (9.30 +/- 1.15 MJ/day). Energy expenditures ranged from 7.64 to 18.15 MJ/day, but there was no difference (P = 0.96) between the LE and LNE in energy expenditure during activity that was not designed to either improve or maintain fitness. These cross-sectional data on 49- to 70-yr-old women therefore suggest that 1) aerobic-type training results in a greater RMR per unit of body mass and also when statistical control is exerted for the effect of the metabolically active fat-free mass, 2) there is a large range in the energy intake necessary to maintain energy balance, and 3) aerobic training does not result in a compensatory reduction in energy expenditure during the remainder of the day.     

Criteria for good adjustment to chronic hemodialysis: Nurse-patient differences.

Examined nurse–patient agreement on behaviors and attitudes associated with patient adjustment to chronic hemodialysis treatment. 164 hemodialysis nurses and 79 chronic hemodialysis outpatients completed a patient adjustment to dialysis inventory consisting of 43 behaviors and attitudes reported by nurses in earlier research to be important for adjustment to chronic hemodialysis. Results show that over 60% of nurses and patients showed sufficient agreement on the importance of 33 of 43 behaviors and attitudes for patient adjustment in the areas of compliance with the medical regimen, involvement in treatment, patient–staff interactions, and psychological and social functioning. Nurses and patients disagreed as to whether 9 behaviors and attitudes were at least important, while agreeing that only 1 item was irrelevant. Results also show that significantly more patients than nurses rated 25 out of 43 behaviors and attitudes as crucial. Approximately 50% of these related to interacting with staff, family, and friends. It is suggested that social and psychological criteria for adjustment to hemodialysis treatment should be defined by nurses and patients together. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Van der Graaf's equivalent circuits for series and shunt modulators

It is shown that the equivalent circuits used by van der Graaf, while giving perfectly correct results for the problems to which he applied them, lack general validity, even within the conditions assumed by him. In particular they appear to demonstrate that it is possible to obtain a constant input resistance (i.e. constant with respect to time) in a series or shunt modulator, whereas clearly such a result is impossible in reality. An alternative system of equivalent circuits is shown to avoid the difficulty. An explanation is given.     

The effect of irradiation-induced re-solution on fission gas release

A finite-difference technique is used to compute exact solutions to the diffusion equation describing fission gas release from UO₂ nuclear fuel during steady reactor operation. The resolution of gas atoms from grain-boundary bubbles is treated in two alternative ways, and the results of the parallel calculations compared. Predictions of gas release using simple analytical models are compared with the numerical results and are found in general to describe the process very accurately.     

Pulsed energy conversion with a dc superconducting magnet

A generator system for pulsed power is described which employs a dc superconducting magnet in a magnetic flux compression scheme. Experience with a small-scale generator together with projections of numerical models indicate potential applications to fusion research and commercial power generation. When the system is large enough pulse energy can exceed that stored in the magnet and pulse rise time can range from several microseconds to tens of milliseconds.     

Free-stall dimensions: effects on preference and stall usage

In 2 experiments, free-stall dimensions were examined to determine how they affected stall preference, usage, cleanliness, and milk production in Holstein dairy cattle. In experiment 1, stall width (112 or 132 cm) and stall length (229 and 274 cm from curb to wall) were compared in a 2 x 2 factorial arrangement of stall treatments using 15 individually housed, non-lactating animals. Cows showed no clear preference for stall size as measured by lying time. When animals had no choice between stalls, average lying time was higher in the wide stalls than in the narrow stalls (10.8 vs. 9.6+/-0.3 h/24 h). Both length and width affected time spent standing with only the front hooves in the stall; total stall area is best explained by the variation associated with this behavior. In experiment 2, 27 lactating dairy cattle were alternately housed with access to stalls of 106, 116, or 126 cm in width using a cross-over design with exposure to each treatment lasting 3 wk. Animals spent an additional 42 min/24 h lying in stalls measuring 126 cm in width compared with stalls with only 106 cm between partitions. Free-stall width influenced the time spent standing with the front 2 hooves in the stall; animals averaged 58 min/24 h in the widest stalls and 85 min/24 h in the narrowest stalls. The amount of time spent standing with all 4 hooves in the stall tended to be longer in wider stalls, and these stalls were also most likely to become soiled with feces. Stall width did not affect the number of lying events or milk production. In conclusion, animals spent more time lying down, and less time was spent standing with only the front hooves in larger stalls, but larger stalls were also more likely to become soiled.     

Anxiety and perceptual structure: Individual differences in neuropsychological function.

Studied the cognitive performance of 24 high and 36 low trait anxious undergraduates under conditions of high and low situational stress, using tasks requiring greater contribution of the right or left hemisphere. In addition, a perceptual task was adapted from visual information processing research to assess Ss' global or analytic approaches to perception; if anxiety increased the left hemisphere's contribution to perception, anxious Ss might be expected to be more analytic and detail oriented. Results show no significant differences on left hemisphere tasks but a significant interaction of trait by state anxiety for right hemisphere tasks: Low trait Ss performed better and high trait Ss performed more poorly under situational stress. Trait anxiety showed a significant main effect on visual information processing strategy, low Ss tending to be more global and high Ss tending to process the stimulus analytically. Results support the utility of a neuropsychological model in describing the effects of emotion on perception. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)