Cryotherapy of retinal prematurity in Denmark 1992-1996

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disorder often met in infants of very preterm delivery. Lower stages usually regress spontaneously, but progression to so-called threshold-ROP should lead to anterior retinal ablation therapy, by cryopencil or laser. Fifty-three Danish infants born 1992-96 were evaluated in the University eye clinic of Rigshospitalet for the disease; 65 eyes of 36 infants had cryotherapy; eight infants developed severe bilateral visual handicap (22%). The reason for not giving cryotherapy to the remaining 17 was: too late referral in five, and ROP below threshold in 12; seven of the 17 later appeared in the (mandatory) national register for childhood visual handicap. Perusing these data the other way round, 15 of the registered 18 cases were thus known to us, while three had escaped referral. With reservation for the small numbers included, the national trend at present is an increasing annual number of subjects receiving retinal ablation therapy for ROP, and a decrease in severe visual impairment due to the disorder. Obviously all preterm infants at risk should be under early regular ophthalmic surveillance for ROP.     

Recent patterns of alcohol consumption in the Russian elderly, 1992-1996

We present data on patterns of alcohol consumption in the Russian elderly aged > or = 60 y (< or = 100 y) between 1992 and 1996. These results come from nationally representative data collected as part of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS), based on three-stage stratified cluster probability samples of the Russian population. The data showed a decreasing prevalence of drinking during this period, but an increase in the amount of alcohol consumed by some members of this population. There were significant differences within the group, with 60-69-y-old men having both the highest prevalence and the highest amounts of alcohol consumption compared with older men and women. Although the decrease in drinking prevalence is reassuring, the increase in the absolute amount of alcohol consumption by drinkers is of concern.     

The prevalence and timing of obstetric ultrasound in Victoria 1991-1992: a population-based study

Viscosupplementation is a relatively new treatment concept for restoring the normal rheologic properties of the osteoarthritic joint. It is most often used for the knee. This case report describes results that were achieved using viscosupplementation following conservative therapy for a patient with osteoarthritis of the temporomandibular joint. Further study in the use of these treatments is recommended.     

Traumatic occupational fatalities in the retail industry, United States 1992-1996

BACKGROUND: Retail is a growing economic sector and employs an increasing number of the overall workforce, yet little is known about the incidence and characteristics of work-related deaths in the retail industry. METHODS: Workplace deaths were examined using the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries from 1992 through 1996. Occupational fatality rates were calculated by age, gender, and type of establishment, and characteristics of occupational deaths in the retail industry were compared to other industries. RESULTS: Liquor stores had the highest work-related fatality rates in the retail industry. The two leading causes of death in the retail industry were violence (69.5%) and motor vehicle crashes (19.3%). Females, younger, minority, and foreign-born workers were more likely to be killed in retail than other industries. Deaths in the retail industry were more likely to be in small businesses, after normal business hours, and in urban settings. DISCUSSION: Workers in the retail industry were at lower risk of most types of workplace deaths but had a markedly increased risk of violent death than workers in other industries.     

Dental practitioners' experiences on the usefulness of restorative materials in Finland 1992-1996

OBJECTIVE: To analyse general dentists' choice of restorative materials in Finland, where the use of amalgam has significantly decreased and the use of composites increased during the past 10 years. DESIGN AND SETTING: Postal survey in 1997 to a random sample of general dental practitioners mainly working with adult patients. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage distribution of dentists' opinions. RESULTS: The response rate was 82%. Tooth-coloured restorations were considered to be more time consuming, technically complicated and to have shorter life spans. Most dentists were not willing to return to the wide-scale use of amalgam restorations. CONCLUSIONS: The rapid changes in the restorative material selection have not resulted in serious problems in restorative therapy.     

HIV positive tests at Coronial Services in Victoria 1989-1996: lessons for HIV surveillance

Results of routine testing at other sites can supplement surveillance of the HIV epidemic in Australia which is largely based upon voluntary testing. Since 1989, systematic onsite HIV testing has been undertaken on all bodies taken to the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM). Information was collected on all cases of HIV infection detected at VIFM between 1989 and 1996, and matched to surveillance databases. In 8 years, 75 people were diagnosed with HIV; all except one were male. The age range was 14-70 years, mean 37.4 years. The major causes of death were suicide 35%, AIDS 21%, drug toxicity 16%, natural causes 12% and injury 7%. The major exposure categories were male homosexual 51%, male bisexual 11%, homosexual/bisexual IDU 16%, IDU other 8%, and haemophiliac 7%. For only two was exposure information unavailable. Seropositivity for anti-HCV and HBsAg was 37% and 11% respectively. The deceased was recorded as having HIV/AIDS on the police report in 73% of cases, and at least 90% of subjects had been diagnosed with HIV prior to their death. The study suggests there is relatively little undiagnosed HIV infection in Victoria, that HIV infection has not moved outside traditional risk groups, and that many tests for HIV are undertaken using false namecodes. Many patients could not be matched on the HIV/AIDS databases, identifying a problem with HIV surveillance systems in Victoria, and the need to capture all information on HIV positives detected at VIFM.     

HIV type 1 subtypes in Malaysia, determined with serologic assays: 1992-1996

We investigated the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 subtypes in Malaysia among injecting drug users (IDUs) and sexual transmission risk groups, using serologic and genetic techniques. Frozen sera collected at a general hospital, a blood bank, several drug treatment centers, and an STD clinic in Kuala Lumpur, between 1992 and 1996, were investigated retrospectively. V3 peptide serotyping and monomeric gp120 capture serotyping were used to study 89 known HIV-1-infected subjects. The methods differentiate subtypes B, E, and C. V3 peptide and gp120 capture results were comparable. No subtype C-specific reactive sera were found; one specimen was dually reactive for subtypes C and B, using the V3 peptide ELISA; and four were durally reactive for subtypes E and C using this assay. Genotypic analysis of HIV-1 gag RNA in serum was done on a subset of subjects and confirmed serologic findings. HIV-1 subtypes differed significantly by risk category: of 53 IDUs, 29 (55%) were infected with subtype B and 19 (36%) were infected with subtype E, 3 (6%) were dually reactive, and 2 (4%) were not typable. Of 36 persons with heterosexual risks, 29 (81%) were infected with subtype E, 5 (14%) were infected with subtype B, and 2 (5%) were not typable. Persons with IDU risks were significantly more likely to be infected with subtype B than were those with sexual risks (OR 5.89; 95% CI, 1.94-18.54; p < 0.001). Subtypes B and E of HIV-1 appear to predominate in Malaysia; subtype B was more prevalent among IDUs; subtype E was more prevalent among all other groups. These results may have important HIV-1 vaccine implications.     

External quality control in the medical laboratory: evaluation of 12 ring trials 1994-1996

The regulations for reimbursement of laboratory tests provide that such tests will be paid for by social insurance institutions only if the laboratories participate in internal and external quality control schemes. Twelve surveys of the external quality assessment scheme of MQ Zürich (Association for Medical Quality Control) were evaluated. We analyzed the imprecision and inaccuracy of the participant results depending on the analytical system or methods used. Furthermore, the number of participants who met the quality criteria published by FKGRAL (Expert Committee for Overall Revision of Analysis List) was determined. The deviations from the internationally recommended or reference methods respectively were within +/-33% for the metabolites and enzymes if native plasma was used as control sample. If lyophilized samples were used, 5 deviations observed were > +/-33% (maximum +99%). For hematologic parameters the deviations were in the range of +/-10%. The CV's were 5.7-17.6% for wet chemistry methods used by the participants and 4.5-15.1% for the other methods. (Cobas Ready, Ektachem, Reflotron, Vision). For hematologic parameters we found CV's between 4.5 and 14.0%. 69-83% of the participants using wet chemistry methods met the FKGRAL criteria, while 86-98% of participants using one of the other system obtained adequate results. The corresponding figure for the hematologic parameters was 83-93%. The nature of the control samples (native samples or lyophilizate) did not influence the number of participants who successfully passed the survey. The study showed that the surveys are an adequate tool for determining participants with inadequate analytical performance, and in many cases the survey results make it possible to propose the necessary educative measures.     

Measles virus infection of cells in perivascular infiltrates in the brain in subacute sclerosing panencephalitis: confirmation by non-radioactive in situ hybridization, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy

As part of continuing multidisciplinary studies on the neuropathogenesis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), in situ hybridisation, immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy were used to detect measles virus nucleic acid, protein and nucleocapsids in brain perivascular infiltrates of three cases. Perivascular cuffing cells which contained measles virus nucleic acid and antigens were found in all cases. Infected cuffs occurred predominantly in areas of general parenchymal cell infection and in many of these a high proportion of the infiltrating cells were infected. Other cuffs in these areas were either uninfected or contained only a few infected cells. Occasional infected cells were also seen in cuffs in non-infected areas. In contrast, no specific immunocytochemical reactions or in situ hybridisation for measles virus was observed in brain tissue from a patient with herpes encephalitis. By electron microscopy viral nucleocapsid, consistent with measles virus, was found within the cytoplasm of plasma cells in the inflammatory cuffs in SSPE brain tissue. Possible explanations for our results are that infiltrates become infected on arrival in the CNS or alternatively, that the infected infiltrates reflect a generalised infection of the reticuloendothelial system. The frequent presence of uninfected cuffs favours the former explanation.     

Suicide in Greek prisons: 1977 to 1996

Data obtained from the records of the Greek Ministry of Justice revealed that there were 457 deaths in the Greek prison system (which includes prisons, mental hospitals and other general hospitals) over the past 20 years. Of these deaths, 93 were recorded as suicides--an average of 4.65 suicides per year or 112 per 100,000 inmates classified as convinced, on remand or hospitalized. The suicide rates fluctuated widely, from a low rate 32.3 in 1982 to the incredibly high rate of 390.8 in 1979 (11 total suicides, 10 of which occurred in prison hospitals). The present study, the first of its kind in Greece, was based solely on unpublished prison data, which revealed defects in recording (e.g., 11% of the deaths recorded by the correctional administration remained without specification of cause in the years 1977 through 1996; social and penal demographic data of the inmates who committed suicide were kept unsystematically; detailed information on the circumstances of suicide was not always available, etc.). Despite a noticeable decrease in the suicide rate in the years 1995 and 1996, the limited data suggest that the suicide rate in the Greek prison system has basically remained stable over the past 20 years.     

Epidemiologic and actual importance of entero-hemorrhagic E. coli in Northern Bavaria (1996)

OBJECTIVES: To compare peripheral type 1 (T1) and type 2 (T2) T cell activities in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with that found for osteoarthritic (OA) patients and healthy controls and to correlate peripheral T1/T2 cell activity in RA with parameters of the disease. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated from patients with RA (n = 66), OA (n = 19), and healthy controls (n = 15). Primary T cell activity in these mononuclear cells was enhanced by means of anti-CD3/anti-CD28, which mimicks stimulation of T cells by activation of the T cell receptor and a major co-stimulatory signal. Interferon gamma (IFN gamma) production and interleukin 4 (IL4) production in the three groups were quantified as measures of T1 and T2 cell activity, respectively, and compared. Serum tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C reactive protein (CRP), and joint destruction assessed radiographically of RA patients were determined as parameters of disease activity and correlated with T1/T2 cell activity. RESULTS: Peripheral T cells from RA patients produced significantly less IFN gamma and more IL4 than T cells from both age and sex matched OA patients and healthy controls. Moreover, in RA patients both a decrease in IFN gamma and an increase in IL4 production correlated with an increase in serum TNF alpha, ESR, CRP, and joint destruction. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest a role for differential T cell activity in RA. In view of the intra-articular T1 cell predominance the results might be explained by selective T1 cell migration into the joint or peripheral suppression of T1 cell activity.     

Measles virus in the brain

In this work the metallic ion release in oral implants with superstructures of different metals and alloys used in clinical dentistry has been determined. This study has been realized in a saliva environment at 37 degrees C. The measurements of the ion release were carried out by means of the Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry technique. The titanium oral implant coupled with a chromium-nickel alloy releases a high quantity of ions and the implant coupled with the titanium superstructure presents a low value of ion release.     

Reassessing working memory: Comment on Just and Carpenter (1992) and Waters and Caplan (1996).

M. A. Just and P. A. Carpenter's (1992) capacity theory of comprehension posits a linguistic working memory functionally separated from the representation of linguistic knowledge. G. S. Waters and D. Caplan's (1996) critique of this approach retained the notion of a separate working memory. In this article, the authors present an alternative account motivated by a connectionist approach to language comprehension. In their view, processing capacity emerges from network architecture and experience and is not a primitive that can vary independently. Individual differences in comprehension do not stem from variations in a separate working memory capacity; instead they emerge from an interaction of biological factors and language experience. This alternative is argued to provide a superior account of comprehension results previously attributed to a separate working memory capacity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prospects and possibilities: Next steps in sound understanding of youth violence: Reply to Kuperminc and Reppuci (1996), Henggeler (1996), Dakof (1996), and McCord (1996).

Four issues regarding family influences and youth violence are discussed: (a) the need to consider family processes and influences on development in a more complex fashion than generally has occurred in risk and intervention models, (b) theoretical implications of methods used to assess family processes, (c) construction of risk models and translation of risk models to intervention design, and (d) inclusion of developmental theory and contextual influences in risk and intervention models of youth violence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Process of family stress: A response to Boss (1992) and Kazak (1992).

Emphasizes that family stress is not an event or internal state but an ongoing process that especially affects and is affected by individuals' personal and social resources. This process entails both objective and subjective factors. However, the authors argue that the subjective factors are largely a product of the actual event. This differs from others who accentuate individual differences rather than classes of differences that are common to like stressful circumstances. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measles outbreaks in the Bern canton

Currently, overall vaccination coverage against measles among infants ranges between 77% and 89% in Switzerland. Experience in other countries has shown that this level of vaccination is not sufficient to prevent measles outbreaks, especially among schoolchildren. During 1992 surveillance for measles outbreaks in closed populations was conducted in the Canton of Berne. Outbreaks were investigated for vaccine efficacy. Two measles outbreaks in schoolchildren were observed during the study period. In 2 Bernese suburban schools 6 measles cases in children (median age 12.5 years) occurred over a period of 37 days. One of the cases had been vaccinated. Vaccination rate in the healthy control children was 89.7%. Estimated vaccine efficacy was 97.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 68%, 99%). The second outbreak occurred in a rural region and comprised 21 measles cases (median age 7.5 years) within 43 days. 10 (47.6%) of the cases attended the same school. None of the cases had been vaccinated. Of the healthy control children 82.6% had received measles vaccine. Estimated vaccine efficacy was 100% (CI: 87%, 100%). These two measles outbreaks were due to failure to vaccinate rather than low vaccine efficacy. Surveillance for measles cases is currently not sufficient for the detection of measles outbreaks in our population. Laboratory confirmation of measles, especially in vaccinated persons, has become more important in a time of relatively low measles incidence.     

样品制备在实验室工作流程自动化解决方案中的重要性

近年来,钢铁工业中用于过程控制的金属试样制备已经取得了显著进展。铣削法成为首选的样品制备技术,为使用者提供了新的机遇：首先,专业从事此领域的中国制造商提供专为此目的设计的试样制备机器;另一方面,数控加工中心的普遍使用扩大了可用解决方案的范围。现代试样制备机器是全自动化实验室的一部分,回顾分析影响试样制备机的最重要参数有助于理解它所起的作用。新一代自动化光电发射光谱仪（OES）、X射线荧光光谱仪（XRF）和火试金分析仪（FAA）的紧密集成可以最大化扩展现代试样制备系统在分析速度、样品处理量、灵活性、拥有成本以及使用寿命等方面的潜力。