Men, medicine and machines

PURPOSE: To examine the management and possible causes of primary valve malfunction of the Krupin eye valve with disk. METHODS: The authors reviewed the results of 113 patients undergoing implantation of the Krupin eye valve with disk and identified eight patients with primary valve malfunction requiring surgical revision. RESULTS: Valve revision involved manipulation (n = 1 case), explantation of the malfunctioning valve and implantation of a new valve (n = 2), and amputation of the valve (n = 5). Six of eight patients had final intraocular pressures of < 21 mmHg on one or no medications at a mean interval of 15.9 months (range 5-36) after surgical revision. Transient postoperative hypotony was noted in three patients and chronic hypotony with loss of light perception in one patient. One explanted valve was examined and found to have partially fused leaflets. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical revision in cases of primary valve malfunction of the Krupin eye valve with disk may be accomplished relatively safely with an acceptable level of postoperative complications. The etiology of primary valve malfunction may be related to the sterilization process and prolonged storage before implantation.     

Hydrologic regionalisation impacts on wet-weather control selection.

Continuous simulation is performed using the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) to evaluate regional differences around the United States in hydrologic and water quality performance of wet-weather controls. Controls are characterised as being limited by peak inflow rate (i.e. any device with little or no storage, such as screens, filters and some proprietary devices) or by storage capacity (e.g., ponds, tanks). For flow-limited devices, results are presented in the form of percentage of annual runoff volume captured (passing through the device) for a given inflow capacity. For storage-limited devices, results are presented in two forms: percentage of annual runoff volume captured as a function of unit basin size and drawdown (drain) time, and as a percentage of total suspended solids captured, for the same two variables. Regional differences are apparent, driven mainly by variations in rainfall patterns around the country.     

Relating catalyst structure and composition to the water–gas shift activity of Cu–Zn-based mixed-oxide catalysts

In order to investigate the effect of cerium oxide on Cu–Zn-based mixed-oxide catalysts four catalyst samples were characterized by means of XRD, in situ XANES and thermogravimetric analysis. The activity of the catalyst samples was tested for the forward water–gas shift reaction. Cerium oxide was found to increase the crystallinity of the ZnO phase indicating a segregation of the Cu and ZnO phases. The TOF of the water–gas shift reaction based on chemisorption data was found to be independent of composition and preparation conditions of the four catalyst samples. In contrast, the catalyst stability depends on composition and preparation conditions. Cerium oxide impregnated before calcination of the hydrotalcite-based Cu–Zn precursors leads to a more stable water–gas shift catalyst.     

Fetus-in-fetu with malignant recurrence

Fetus-in-fetu is an unusual condition in which a vertebrate fetus is enclosed within the abdomen of another fetus. These occurrences are usually benign. This report describes an instance of malignant recurrence after resection of a fetus-in-fetu.     

RNA movement between the nucleus and the cytoplasm

The past year has seen significant advances in our understanding of the mechanism of RNA movement between the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The emerging view is that proteins bind to and escort RNAs to their proper subcellular location. The discovery of peptide signals that target nuclear export and the identification of novel protein mediators of RNA export are examples of significant recent discoveries.     

Stability of proximal femoral grafts in canine hip arthroplasty

In a canine model, the fixation stability of a prosthesis and proximal bone graft composite were measured relative to the distal femur. One group had the prosthesis graft composite cemented into the distal femur. The second group had the prosthesis graft composite press fit into the distal femur for biologic ingrowth. Displacements of the proximal femoral grafts relative to the host bone in each group were measured after ex vivo (acute with graft) implantation and 4 months after implantation. A third group with no osteotomy (acute intact) simulated perfect graft to host bone union. Relative displacements representing 6 degrees freedom (translation and rotation) were calculated from the displacement values measured by 9 eddy current transducers. Measurements of displacement were used to test the hypothesis that distal press fit fixation equals distal cement fixation at 4 months after implantation. In all cases the measured translations and rotations of the graft to implant construct were small and of a magnitude that should encourage bone ingrowth (< 0.05 mm and < 0.1 degree, respectively). The stability of the press fit group at 4 months was not significantly different from the cemented group in axial and transverse displacement during axial and transverse loading, respectively. There was no difference in stabilities at 4 months between distal press fit and cemented fixation in hip replacements requiring a proximal femoral graft.     

Induced abortion in a Swiss canton from 1990 to 1993: implications for epidemiological surveillance

BACKGROUND: To describe abortion utilization in the Canton of Vaud (Switzerland) and to identify desirable changes in the data collection system to improve the epidemiologic monitoring METHODS: Retrospective survey of the 5600 abortion requests to the Canton Health Authority for resident women between 1990 and 1993. RESULTS: Nine women out of 1000 residents requested an abortion, but the abortion rate was higher among women of foreign origin compared to Swiss women (17/1000 vs. 6/1000, p < 0.0001). The proportion of terminated recognized conceptions was 127/1000, and the ratio of IVG to livebirths was 0.18. The abortion rate was lower during adolescence (6/1000) or after 40 years of age (1.8/1000), whereas the proportion of terminated conceptions was highest at these ages (527/1000 and 312/1000). Abortion utilization in Canton of Vaud is among the lowest. CONCLUSIONS: Although these indicators do reflect a satisfactory accessibility and use of family planning services, improvements could be made. A better knowledge of the causes (motives, contraceptive method, reproductive history) and of the consequences of abortion (psycho-social implications, medical complications) would allow to design more focused prevention strategies and to fit health services to current needs. Updating the 1942 Swiss legislation is also desirable.