Physical characterization of unimplanted gel filled mammary prostheses was undertaken using both destructive and non-destructive test methods. Physical properties measured included mass, volume, optical transmittance, coefficient of kinetic friction, mechanical stiffness, dynamic response to a stationary random vibration, bursting strength, elasticity of the envelopes, and nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times. The data obtained from this study will provide reference points for quantifying the rate of degradation of prostheses in past and current clinical use. Some of the test methods are suitable for use as routine quality control procedures to improve the uniformity of the properties and performance of breast prostheses. This investigation also showed that some currently used prostheses do not comply with the relevant American Society for Testing and Materials standards, or even with the manufacturers' own stated claims or specifications.

Breast Implants↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Localization of atherosclerosis in arterial junctions. Modeling the release rate of low density lipoprotein and its breakdown products accumulated in blood vessel walls.

Arterial bifurcations and surgically created junctions at anastomoses are places where blood flow may be disturbed and slow recirculation may occur. To address the hypothesis that such disturbances in flow may result in atherogenesis, the transfer of atherogenic substances from vessel wall to flowing blood was studied theoretically using a two dimensional T-junction model. Calculations showed that the transfer of atherogenic substances from vessel wall into flowing blood was suppressed in the two regions of disturbed flow, one in the main vessel, the other in the subsidiary vessel. The lowest release rates were at the points of flow separation and were found to be much lower than those in the undisturbed flow regions. Therefore, our mathematical model predicts that locally disturbed blood flows at arterial bifurcations and surgically created junctions are responsible for two distinct phenomena. First, they provide favorable conditions for the accumulation of LDL at the luminal surface, thus increasing the potential for lipid infiltration into the vessel wall, and second, they impair the transfer into blood of atherogenic substances accumulated in the vessel wall. Such mass transfer abnormalities may account for atherogenesis and late failures of arterial grafts at these sites.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A planar model for mucociliary transport: effect of mucus viscoelasticity.

A planar two-layer fluid model is proposed to study the transport of mucus in the respiratory tracts due to cilia beating and air motion by considering mucus as a viscoelastic fluid. The effect of air motion due to forced expiration and other processes is considered by prescribing shear stress at the mucus-air interface. It is shown that the transport of mucus increases as the pressure drop, shear stress due to air motion and the velocity generated by cilia tips and the serous sublayer increase. Mucus transport also increases as the shear modulus of elasticity decreases. This property is effective only in the presence of pressure drop or air motion. It is noted that the effect of gravity is similar to pressure drop. It is observed that mucus transport decreases as the viscosity of serous layer fluid increases, but any increase at high values of mucus viscosity does not seem to affect the mucus transport. It is also found that for a given total depth of serous and mucus layers, there exists a serous fluid layer thickness for which the mucus transport is maximum. The functional dependence of mucus transport predicted by the model is discussed in relation to experimental observations.

Elasticity↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sustainability beyond starvation.

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Ecology↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Letter from Ethiopia.

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Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus.

Benign neonatal sleep myoclonus is a disorder characterised by abnormal episodic jerky movements, which occur exclusively during sleep. When the history is suggestive of the diagnosis, and physical examination and basic investigations are normal, a confident diagnosis can usually be reached, and other potentially more serious neonatal seizure disorders excluded. This allows the doctor to reassure the parents as to the prognosis--the condition resolves spontaneously within the first year, most often within the first three months, with no sequelae. We describe four patients who presented to one unit with this condition.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

PubMedDate not supplied

UNICEF's call to greatness--an open letter to Ms Carol Bellamy, Executive Director, United Nations Children's Fund.

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Food Supply↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Changing students' attitudes to diabetes.

In a cross-sectional study, the appropriateness of attitudes of first, second and third year undergraduate nursing students to seven aspects of diabetes care were measured using the revised Diabetes Attitude Scale. The aim of the research was to identify changes in the students' attitudes and to examine the relationship between attitudinal changes and the exposure of students to diabetes-related education. The study found that attitudes of graduating students to five aspects of the care of people with diabetes were significantly more appropriate than those of beginning students. It was concluded that exposure to diabetes education had been the major factor in engendering attitudes that underlie positive nursing approaches to the health care of people with diabetes.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The effect of nursing education and experience on attitudes to diabetes.

The diabetes-related attitudes of 629 nurses working in South Australian hospitals were identified in a study using a questionnaire that included the revised Diabetes Attitudes Scale. Overall, the nurses' attitudes were appropriate; some were found to be related to levels of nursing education and others to nursing experience. There were significant differences between some attitudes held by nurses and previously reported attitudes of pre-registration nursing students. This study indicates that formal nursing education affects nurses' attitudes to diabetes and implications of the findings for inservice diabetes programs are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Diabetes health care of aboriginal people at Nunkuwarrin Yunti.

A small pilot study was undertaken by Flinders University and Nunkuwarrin Yunti (an Aboriginal health agency in Adelaide). The intention was to strengthen the curriculum of a short course on diabetes by including relevant information about the diabetes-related health issues of Aboriginal people who lived in Adelaide. The results indicated that Aboriginal clients lack adequate resources to manage their condition and access to adequate nutrition, health promotional programs, and support for family carers. Of significance, it was found that Aboriginal clients do not receive culturally acceptable health care from non-indigenous health providers. Diabetes mellitus is a serious health problem in Australia and if nurses are to effectively care for clients with this condition, they need to undertake specialised training in this area. With this in mind, The Flinders University School of Nursing offers annually the Diabetes Educators Course (DEC) to interested nurses working in this important area of health care. To ensure that the course meets the needs of society, the DEC is evaluated regularly by participants, consumers and diabetes educators. During a recent evaluation, Aboriginal health care was identified as an area that should be addressed. To assist with this change, Nunkuwarrin Yunti, a major provider of Aboriginal health care in Adelaide, was consulted and a decision was made to undertake a joint study to address the matter.

Clinical Nursing Research↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nurse in profile.

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Community Health Centers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of clubfoot: implications for patient counseling.

This study was undertaken to determine the incidence of prenatally, sonographically diagnosed clubfoot; the incidence of associated anomalies; and the correlation with postnatal findings. Cases of prenatally diagnosed clubfeet were abstracted from a prospectively entered ultrasound database. Scans were reviewed for the presence of associated anomalies. Available neonatal charts were reviewed for correlation with prenatal findings. The incidence of prenatally diagnosed clubfoot was 0.43%. This was isolated in 33% of the cases and associated with other anomalies in 67%. All cases with associated anomalies were identified prenatally. There was a 40% false-positive rate for isolated clubfoot, all diagnosed in the third trimester of pregnancy. Prenatally diagnosed clubfoot was seen in 0.43% of this high-risk population. The correct identification of associated anomalies facilitates prenatal counseling, but limitations of prenatal ultrasound must be remembered. This information should be helpful to orthopaedic surgeons involved in the counseling of these patients.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗