The comfort of rigid gas-permeable contact lenses is influenced by multiple factors, including the composition of lens material and the presence of surface deposits and/or cleaning solution residues on the lens, as well as the direct effect of lens care solutions on the lens and eye. This study was designed to examine the comparative properties of several soaking solutions with respect to wettability, viscosity, and substantivity, which are essential to maintaining patient comfort. Solutions included in this trial were: OPTI-SOAK Conditioning Solution, Boston Advance Conditioning Solution, Boston Advance Conditioning Solution, Boston Conditioning Solution, Barnes-Hind Wetting and Soaking Solution, Duracare Conditioning, and Total Cleaning, Wetting & Soaking Solution. Wettability, as indicated by mean wetting angle, was determined and OPTI-SOAK Conditioning Solution, followed by Boston Advance and Boston Conditioning solutions, respectively, yielded superior results. For viscosity, OPTI-SOAK Conditioning Solution again provided the most favorable (highest) viscosity, followed by Boston Conditioning and Barnes-Hind solutions. With regard to substantivity, a measure of sustained wettability, Boston Conditioning Solution achieved the highest measurement, followed by OPTI-SOAK and Boston Advance solutions. On the basis of this in vitro evaluation, OPTI-SOAK Conditioning Solution provided the highest potential for patient comfort based on a combination of wettability, viscosity, and substantivity.

Contact Lens Solutions↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical efficacy of Apomorphine SL in erectile dysfunction of diabetic men.

Although subgroup analyses from large randomised premarketing studies have shown that Apomorphine SL enhances the percentage of erections firm enough for sexual intercourse in diabetic men, the clinical role of the drug in this patient population remains to be elucidated. The aim of the present study was to assess the efficacy of Apomorphine SL in diabetic males with erectile dysfunction (ED) and to identify factors predicting those who may benefit from the treatment. A total of 130 diabetic patients were randomised to receive either four tablets of 3 mg Apomorphine or a matching placebo. Assessments of efficacy comprised the erectile function (EF) domain of the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) and the one-item global efficacy question (GEQ). Patients with both a positive response to the GEQ and an improvement of at least 5 points in the EF domain of the IIEF were considered responders and subanalysed by several parameters indicative of the severity of both ED and diabetes. Response rate was 17% after placebo and 22% after Apomorphine SL. The EF domain of the IIEF and both questions 3 and 4 scores did not significantly improve in either of the two arms over the baseline. A younger age and a lower Hb1Ac were significantly linked to the status of responder in the Apomorphine arm. Apomorphine SL failed to show a statistically significant benefit over a placebo, but 22% of patients had a clinically significant erectile response. These figures seem to suggest that the drug has a limited use for ED diabetic patients.

Apomorphine↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Microevolution in Ferrara: isonymy 1890-1990.

The distribution of surnames in the population of the town of Ferrara, as it existed in the memory banks of the Municipality Computer in June 1990, was studied by sex, age and place of birth of residents. Random isonymy was studied separately in persons born before 1901, and in persons born in the nine decades thereafter, ending with the period 1981-90. Isonymy was higher in the older age groups studied. Also other indicators of the abundance of surnames in the distribution, the common ecological indexes derived from entropy, were calculated and compared between age groups. It was found that redundancy, as isonymy, is larger in older age classes than in younger classes. Surname effective number was defined as the inverse of isonymy corrected for sample size, and it was observed that it is practically identical with Fisher's alpha. It was then possible to separate random isonymy into two components, so that for sample size N its formulation becomes Ir = 1/alpha + 1/N It was found that in Ferrara alpha increased significantly in time, indicating enrichment of surnames in the population in the century 1890-1990.

Age Factors↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Harmonized Italian version of the Aging Males' Symptoms scale.

INTRODUCTION: The interest in clinical investigations in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of aging men has increased over recent years, particularly in the context of partial androgen deficiency. The aim of this paper is to inform the scientific community about a harmonized Italian Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) scale. METHODS: There were two slightly different Italian AMS scales, which both underwent an up-to-date linguistic & cultural translation process, i.e., were both valid to be applied in clinical research. However, there are potential long-term problems associated with having two Italian language versions of the scale in the same country. Therefore, an ad hoc committee of key persons related to both versions met with the scale's developer, to create a harmonized single Italian AMS. RESULTS: The harmonization meeting came up with a consensus item-by-item and the new Italian reference scale was agreed upon. It was decided that this scale should be published to avoid any confusion among future users. CONCLUSION: The Italian AMS scale published in this paper should be used for future clinical and other research.

Aged↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Heteromorphic variant 18ph+ analyzed by sequential CBG and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

An 18ph+ variant formerly detected by QFQ/CBG was subsequently analyzed by CBG and fluorescence in situ hybridization. It was found to be the consequence of amplification of alphoid DNA specific for centromeric heterochromatin of chromosome 18.

Chromosome Banding↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Radiological study of complications and recurrences of esophageal carcinoma after surgery (author's transl)].

256 esophageal carcinoma patients subject to various surgical procedures were examined with a view to identifying as early as possible the complications and possible tumoral recurrences, early or late, at anastomosis level. The most caracteristic and frequent radiological features, especially of neoplastic recurrences are presented; the various morphological types are described and discussed and for the first time a radiographic classification is proposed, followed by a discussion of the criteria of differential diagnosis of these lesions, especially from postoperative perivisceritis. Correct identification and precise radiographic description of the early signs of neoplastic recurrence in the esophagogastric anastomoses make it possible to reoperate, at least in some patients.

Cardia↗