Effect of topical anesthetic use on initial patient satisfaction and overall success with rigid gas permeable contact lenses

BACKGROUND: Rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses have numerous benefits; however, RGP lens use is not increasing in the United States. An important factor for this trend has been initial comfort. Studies have demonstrated that how RGPs are presented to patients, in addition to lens design, can play an important role in the initial comfort process. Another important factor could be the use of a topical anesthetic during the fitting and dispensing visits. The purpose of this study was to use a multicenter format to determine if topical anesthetic use increased the likelihood of patient satisfaction and success. METHODS: A total of 80 subjects, with no previous rigid lens wear experience, was entered into this 1-month study, including 20 subjects from each of 4 institutions. Subjects were randomly divided into the following two groups: (A) anesthetic or (B) placebo, with the former group receiving one drop of a topical anesthetic before lens insertion at both the diagnostic fitting and dispensing visits, whereas the latter group received a placebo. Subjects completed a questionnaire on their perception of rigid lens wear both immediately before fitting and at the 1-month visit. After diagnostic fitting with rigid lenses, subjects completed an adaptation questionnaire after 15 min, 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month of lens wear. RESULTS: Seventy of the 80 subjects completed the study and, of the 10 subjects who discontinued, 8 were in the placebo group. In all categories evaluated, the anesthetic group experienced a more optimum adaptation experience at each visit vs. the placebo group. Specifically, overall comfort was rated significantly higher at both dispensing and 2 weeks. In addition, the anesthetic group exhibited significantly greater overall satisfaction with rigid lens wear at 2 and 4 weeks. Also, the anesthetic group perceived their adaptation, sensitivity, and adaptation time to be significantly better at the 1-month visit. There was no significant difference in corneal staining between these two groups at each visit, with the exception of a greater amount of staining in the central quadrant for the placebo group at the 1-month visit. CONCLUSIONS: The use of a topical anesthetic at the fitting and dispensing visits for first-time wearers of RGP lenses resulted in significantly fewer dropouts, improved initial comfort, an enhanced perception of the adaptation process, and greater overall satisfaction after 1 month of lens wear as compared to the use of a nonanesthetizing placebo at those visits. This result, in combination with both presenting RGP lenses in a nonthreatening manner and optimizing the lens design and fitting relationship, should result in a positive adaptation process and successful wear of RGP contact lenses.     

Optimising glucose conversion in the production of reduced alcohol wine using glucose oxidase

The use of a glucose oxidase (GOX)-catalase enzyme system for the production of reduced-alcohol white wine is investigated. The process reduces alcohol potential by converting glucose to gluconic acid. Trials were conducted with grape juice and model solution to determine key factors affecting the activity of the GOX system, and to optimise the process for use with grape juice. Under our processing conditions, the low pH of grape juice was found to be a dominant limiting factor in the rate and extent of glucose conversion by GOX. An optimised process for glucose conversion (up to 87%) was developed after investigation of the effects of enzyme dosage, sparging, aeration and mixing rates, and temperature. Maximum GOX activity was observed during the first 4 to 6 h of treatment, after which a significant decrease in the rate of gluconic acid formation and glucose degradation occurred. An expected increase in titratable acidity and concurrent decrease in pH during GOX treatment was also observed, and is attributable to an increase in the juice gluconic acid concentration of ca 73 g/l.     

Demonstration of nuclear magnetic resonance imaging for void detection in carbon-fibre reinforced polymer composites,and comparison with ultrasound methods

Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging has been used as a method of void detection in carbonfibre reinforced polymer composites. This is accomplished by observation of signal from water molecules which have ingressed into surface-connected defect regions within the polymer composite. Problems associated with the conductivity of these samples are discussed, along with methods of overcoming those difficulties.     

A computer algorithm for defining the group electromyographic profile from individual gait profiles

A computer algorithm was developed to determine the group electromyographic (EMG) profile for the soleus muscle during free speed level walking. Subjects consisted of 50 adults (21 male, 29 female) with no history of musculoskeletal disease. EMG was recorded from the soleus muscle with wire electrodes, and was normalized by maximum muscle test. Two algorithms (time-adjusted mean profile (TAMP) and mean intensity profile (MIP)) were implemented to construct a group profile from identical individual EMG profiles. In addition, a grand ensemble average (GEAV) of the same individual data was performed. A high positive correlation (omega 2 > .995) was found between MIP and GEAV of EMG data. A control group was established based on mean timing and relative intensity of the individual EMG profiles. The MIP and GEAV were shown to have earlier onsets, later cessations, and extended EMG duration in comparison to control values. No significant differences were observed comparing TAMP and mean values for any measure.     

Gender differences in alcohol metabolism: relationship to liver volume and effect of adjusting for body mass

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Alcoholic liver disease purportedly develops more readily in women than in men. Some studies have demonstrated faster rates of alcohol elimination in women. This study examined whether gender differences in alcohol metabolism are related to differences in liver volume and/or differences in lean body mass. METHODS: Ten men and 10 women had alcohol elimination rates determined by clamping of the breath alcohol concentration at 50 mg/dL by means of a constant rate of intravenous infusion of 6% ethanol. Liver volume was determined by computed tomography. RESULTS: Mean alcohol elimination rate and mean computed liver volume were not significantly different in men and women. Lean body mass was 42% greater in men than in women. Consequently, the calculated alcohol elimination rate and liver volume per kilogram of lean body mass were 33% and 38% higher in women than in men, respectively. When the alcohol elimination rate was calculated per unit liver volume, no gender-related difference was found. CONCLUSIONS: Women have greater clearance of ethanol per unit lean body mass, confirming previous oral alcohol administration studies. Women have approximately the same liver volume as men, explaining the equivalent alcohol elimination rates seen when men and women are compared on the basis of liver size.     

Estrogen regulates the association of intermediate filament proteins with nuclear DNA in human breast cancer cells

In a previous study we showed that the levels of the intermediate filament proteins, cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19, in the nuclear matrix-intermediate filament (NM-IF) fraction from the hormone-dependent and estrogen receptor (ER)-positive human breast cancer cell line T-47D5 were regulated by estrogens. In contrast, estrogens did not regulate the cytokeratins in the NM-IF fraction of the hormone-independent and ER-positive cell line, T5-PRF. In this study, human breast cancer cells were treated with cis-diamminedichloroplatinum to cross-link protein to nuclear DNA in situ, and proteins bound to DNA were isolated. We show that cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19 of T-47D5 and T5-PRF were associated with nuclear DNA in situ. The levels of the cytokeratins 8, 18, and 19 bound to nuclear DNA or associated with the cytoskeleton of T-47D5 human breast cancer cells decreased when estrogens were depleted or the pure antiestrogen ICI 164,384 was added. In contrast, the cytokeratin levels associated with nuclear DNA or cytoskeleton were not significantly affected by estrogen withdrawal or antiestrogen administration in T5-PRF cells. These observations suggest that estrogen regulates the organization of nuclear DNA by rearrangement of the cytokeratin filament network in hormone-dependent, ER-positive human breast cancer cells and that this regulation is lost in hormone-independent, ER-positive breast cancer cells.     

Solid phase ELISA for determination of the virus dose dependent sensitivity of human cytomegalovirus to antiviral drugs in vitro

The retention of 121 peptides was studied on a TSK Amide-80 column using solutions containing 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid and an increasing linear gradient of water in acetonitrile. The contribution of each residue to retention was calculated by linear multiple regression analysis. This paper described the contribution values 'hydrophilicity retention coefficients'. The result is an index of hydrophilicity retention coefficients for normal-phase liquid chromatography, analogous to the hydrophobicity indices calculated for the reversed-phase liquid chromatography. The order of residues in the index of one mode was substantially the inverse of the others'. Using the new hydrophilicity retention coefficients, retention times could be predicted for peptides of known amino acid content and sequence.