Conventional ileostomy patients are at an increased risk to urinary stone formation compared to normal controls. This study was designed to evaluate any further risk factors to urinary stone formation in patients with Kock ileostomies. Nine Kock ileostomy patients were matched for age, sex, and body weight with nine conventional ileostomy patients and nine controls. Two 24-hour urine samples from each patient were analyzed for volume, pH, Na+/K+ ratio, oxalate, and uric acid concentration. Both ileostomy groups demonstrated reduced urinary volume and Na+/K+ ratio as compared to the control groups (P less than 0.05). The Kock ileostomy group had the lowest urinary volume. There was no significant reduction in urinary pH or elevation in urine uric acid concentration in the Kock ileostomy group. The results suggest that there is no significantly added risk to uric acid stone formation in Kock ileostomy patients.

Calcium↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Structural brain abnormalities in first-episode mania.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we studied brain morphometric differences between patients with first-episode mania (n = 17) and normal control subjects (n = 16). Patients were admitted for their first psychiatric hospitalization and met DSM-III-R criteria for bipolar disorder, manic or mixed. Diagnoses were made using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. Patients and control subjects were matched for age, gender, height, past history of substance abuse, and handedness, although control subjects had attained higher levels of education. MRI inversion recovery coronal scans were used for measurements. Volumetric measurements were obtained for cerebral hemispheres, lateral and third ventricles, caudate, thalamus, and cingulate gyrus. Patients with first-episode mania demonstrated significantly larger third-ventricular volumes, possibly increased lateral ventricular volumes, and differences in gray/white matter distribution compared with normal control subjects. The possible pathophysiological meaning of these findings is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Corrective measures for myopia.

Many myopic people, expressing dissatisfaction with traditional methods of optical correction, are interested in a permanent correction of their refractive error which would alleviate dependence on corrective lenses. Although much effort has been put forth in the last century, there is still no method of correcting myopia which is broadly acceptable as safe and effective. The nonsurgical procedures of orthokeratology and the topical use of cycloplegics have not been well proven. Surgical measures are the current vectors of hope. Surgical procedures on parts of the eye other than the cornea have proven to be difficult. Surgery which alters the refractive power of the cornea (refractive keratoplasty) has been used frequently in the past decade. These procedures include keratomileusis, epikeratophakia and radial keratotomy. The latter is currently the most often performed method for the correction of myopia. This paper critiques the major methods, explains their historical development and basic procedures, lists major published studies and discusses their problems and promise for their future.

Contact Lenses↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anxiety in family practice.

The time course of patient initiated visits, somatic, functional, and other medical complaints was studied in a group of 58 patients from a family practice who had been diagnosed and treated for anxiety. The findings were contrasted with two other groups of patients from the same practice: 101 depressives and 101 controls. Results indicate that the anxiety patients differed markedly from the depressives in having a very short-lived episode of anxiety or somatic complaints in contrast to depressives' much longer history of somatic and functional complaints which appeared to precede by months the diagnosis of depression. The findings suggest that the anxiety patients in this practice either had a qualitatively different condition from the depressives, or possibly suffered from a short-lived and unrecognized depression.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Alternative methods of attenuating Salmonella species for potential vaccine use.

Because of their invasive properties, Salmonella species are uniquely suited for use as live oral vaccines, and mutants attenuated in general metabolic functions show promise as vaccine strains. We have identified a Salmonella choleraesuis transposon mutant which is deficient in abilities to attach to, invade or penetrate through animal cells. This mutant is avirulent in mice, yet is able to persist within the liver, spleen and gut-associated lymphoid tissue for periods which may be adequate for induction of secretory, humoral and cell-mediated immunity. This and other strains attenuated in factors specifically required for Salmonella pathogenesis may have potential as vaccine strains.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Tumor-suppressive activity of CD66a in prostate cancer.

CD66a (human homolog of rat cell-cell adhesion molecule, also known as biliary glycoprotein) is a cell surface protein of the immunoglobulin family. CD66a has been shown to mediate homotypic cell adhesion. Aside from this, no other functions of this molecule have been demonstrated. We have observed previously that CD66a protein expression is lost in most prostate tumors, suggesting that the down-regulation of CD66a is associated with the abnormal growth of prostate cells. CD66a is homologous (65% identity) to rat cell-cell adhesion molecule, which has been shown to have tumor-suppressive activity. This homology suggests the possibility that CD66a might also be a tumor suppressor. In this report, we show that restoring CD66a expression in DU145 human prostate cancer cells by adenovirus (Ad)-mediated gene transfer dramatically altered the malignant phenotype of these cells, as evidenced by their reduced ability to form tumors in a xenograft animal model. This result suggests that loss of CD66a protein plays an important role in the development of prostate cancer, and that restoring CD66a expression might provide an effective treatment for prostate cancer. We further explored the possibility of using Ad vectors to deliver CD66a as a potential therapeutic agent for prostate cancer. Direct injection of Ad-CD66a, an Ad vector carrying the CD66a gene, into DU145 tumors in mice significantly suppressed the growth of these tumors. This antitumor activity of CD66a was found to be dose-dependent. These results suggest that CD66a has tumor-suppressive activity and that Ad-CD66a is a potential therapeutic agent for prostate cancer treatment.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Biodistribution of an adenoviral vector carrying the luciferase reporter gene following intravesical or intravenous administration to a mouse.

The biodistribution and resulting pattern of transgene expression were determined following intravesical administration of an adenoviral vector carrying the luciferase reporter gene (AdLuc). Female BALB/c mice were subjected to intravesical instillation of 1 x 10(9) or 5 x 10(9) plaque-forming units of AdLuc. After sacrifice, transgene expression was detected in tissues using luciferase assays; vector DNA was detected by vector-specific polymerase chain reaction. These experiments showed very little vector dissemination outside of the bladder by this route of administration. High-level expression of the vector transgene in the bladder was found to diminish by severalfold after 3 days. In a supporting study, vector dissemination and resulting transgene expression were determined following tail vein injection of 5 x 10(9) plaque-forming units of AdLuc. Vector was distributed to and expressed in every organ analyzed, with the highest concentration and level of expression observed in the liver.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Young parents' understanding and actions related to the determinants of health.

Broad health determinants are accepted as key contributors to health; however, little is known about the public's understanding of these determinants. We describe the results of a survey of young parents (18-30 years) in Alberta regarding their understanding of determinants of health, and their actions (planned or undertaken) in promoting well-being and health for themselves, their families, and their communities. A telephone survey of young parents (N = 652) was conducted, using both open-ended and fixed response questions. In the open-ended responses, social support networks (46%) and personal health practices (40%) were most often cited as contributors to family well-being and health and as current actions (62% and 54% respectively). Health services were rarely mentioned as a contributor. Most frequently mentioned barriers to well-being and health related to income (36%) and coping skills (34%). Sub-sample differences by gender, age, income, and residence were detected. Fixed response questions indicated that parents rated a broad range of health determinants as "very important."

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The chaplain as a resource to families of patients in I.C.U.

A trained chaplain can be a major resource to families of patients in the I.C.U. The classical perceptions of a clergy person as God's representative, as an intermediator, as the repository of ethical standards and as the ritual leader at the time of death all work to help support families in crisis. Properly understood a chaplain can use these archetypical projections to help families deal with their stress. This in conjunction with the rest of the treatment team, can aid families to better cope with anxiety.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing the cost of behaviorally oriented residential treatment: predictive program factors.

The authors identify program characteristics most predictive of cost in 13 residential treatment facilities for emotionally disturbed children and discuss how easily obtainable quantitative information can be used to decide resource allocation.

Behavior Therapy↗