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Complete follow-up and evaluation of a skin cancer screening in Connecticut.

On May 21, 1988, 251 persons were screened for skin cancer in New Haven, Connecticut. A total body skin examination was performed on 98% of the participants. On the basis of follow-up of 93% of persons with positive screens for basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, or Bowen's disease, positive predictive values were 43% for basal cell carcinoma, 14% for squamous cell carcinoma, and 50% for Bowen's disease. In the group with atypical nevi, a person with two or more clinically atypical nevi was 16 times more likely to have histologic confirmation than a person with a single clinically atypical nevus (p = 0.003). Eighty persons were screened by both a dermatologist and a dermatology nurse; the crude agreement rate for actinic keratoses was 0.62; for atypical nevi, 0.53; and for BCC, 0.88. Both nurses and physicians overdiagnosed in the screening setting, the nurses more so than the physicians. Of the 128 persons screened who were advised to seek medical follow-up, 16 did not do so despite several reminders; their reasons are discussed.

Adolescent↗

[Development of an olfactory screening test based on the Connecticut test (CCCRC)].

OBJECTIVE: To create a screening olfactory test based on the CCCRC (Connecticut Chemosen-sory Clinical Research Center). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We compare the screening test based on CCCRC with PST (Pocket Smell Test) based on UPSIT in 40 patients with nasal poliposis, in order to de-termine the specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive and negative predictive value. The validity index was 95% and accuracy rate was 10%. We determine unit cost, the time required to perform the test in outpatients office and how difficult it is to do the test. RESULTS: Sensibility was 88%, specificity was 77%. The positive predictive value was 34% and the negative predictive value was 94%. The unitary cost of our screening test was 0.57 euros when it is performed by a nurse. The unitary cost of PST is 1.76 euros. To perform our screening test took 2.8 +/- 0.4 minutes. The 96% of the patients thought the test was easy to do. CONCLUSION: Our test is a valid screening test to be used in patients with nasal poliposis.

Adolescent↗

Rapidly progressive cervical cancer: the Connecticut experience.

A review is presented of 15 years of clinical experience working with women who developed cervical cancer within a short interval after the last reported negative Papanicolaou smear. Our initial report concerned isolated cases in which women were diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer within 1 year of a reported normal Papanicolaou smear. Our second report focused on a 10-year review of the Yale-New Haven Hospital experience, during which 40 of 555 women had rapidly progressive invasive disease; 35 cases (87.5%) occurred in women younger than 40 years old and almost all of the 40 diagnosed because of persistent symptoms despite a recent normal Papanicolaou smear. Our final experience is a population-based study of all women in Connecticut who developed cervical cancer between 1985 and 1990. A total of 118 of 481 (24.5%) participants were diagnosed with cervical cancer within 3 years of their last true-negative Papanicolaou smear. Adenocarcinomas occurred in 38 cases (32.2%). These data suggest that rapidly occurring cervical cancer may be a manifestation of endocervical carcinomas that have been inadequately screened.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Effects of discharge on silver loading and transport in the Quinnipiac River, Connecticut.

Silver concentrations were measured in water and sediment samples collected from the Quinnipiac River in Connecticut. This river was chosen for study because of its history of industrialization and high levels of Ag contamination. Sewage treatment plant (STP) effluent accounts for approximately 15% of the total river discharge and approximately 60% of the dissolved Ag in the water column during baseflow conditions. Erosion of contaminated riverbank sediment is the primary source of particulate Ag in the river. Both dissolved and particulate Ag fractions vary as a function of river discharge. Increased discharge due to rain events decreases the relative importance of STP effluent, and thus dilutes the dissolved Ag concentration in the water column. Conversely, increasing discharge results in higher particulate Ag concentrations from increased erosion. The results of this study clearly indicate that both point and non-point sources contribute significantly to Ag loading in this river system, with the level of river discharge determining the relative importance of each.

Journal Article↗

Phosphorus in Connecticut lakes predicted by land use.

The concentration of phosphorus in parts per billion (ppb) in 33 Connecticut lakes was predicted from information on land use and simple models for concentration decreases in lakes. The best predictions were obtained from [Formula: see text] where P is the concentration of phosphorus in ppb, Q is the water load on the lake in meters per year, D is the water export from the entire watershed in meters per year, and U, A, and W are the fractions of urban, agricultural, and wooded land, respectively, in the watershed. The phosphorus export coefficients and SEM, estimated by least squares regression, were 170 +/- 21 mg per m(2)/yr for urban, 54 +/- 15 mg per m(2)/yr for agricultural, and 10 +/- 3 mg per m(2)/yr for wooded land. P +/- (SEM) 6.9 ppb was predicted.

Journal Article↗

Connecticut Pictorial Learning Test: a pictorial version of the California Verbal Learning Test.

This paper describes the development of a pictorial version of the California Verbal Learning Test. The new instrument, named the Connecticut Pictorial Learning Test (COPLT), was tested in two experiments. The first experiment involved selection and testing of new verbal stimuli to be adapted for pictorial use. Results suggest that these new items are approximately equivalent in difficulty to the original CVLT stimuli. These stimuli can serve as CVLT alternate Form III for use in clinical verbal memory research. Recall means and standard deviations are provided for the new stimulus set with a young adult sample. The second experiment explores the psychometric properties of the new COPLT after stimuli were translated into pictorial form. The psychometric evidence suggests that the pictorial test has good internal consistency and concurrent validity with widely-used clinical memory tests. Furthermore, verbally-mediated information processing serves successful pictorial learning and subsequent recall performance in normal healthy control subjects when verbally-encodable pictorial stimuli are used. The use of semantic organization appears to be even more important for optimal performance using pictorial stimuli than with verbal stimuli. Scoring rules for the COPLT are included in the Appendix.

Adolescent↗

Genetic divergence of Connecticut Melanoplus femurrubrum populations.

We surveyed Melanoplus femurrubrum populations within the state of Connecticut for genetic diversity at multiple genetic markers, including three mitochondrial [cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI), reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2), and AT rich] and one nuclear [internal transcribed spacers of the ribosomal DNA cluster (ITS1)] gene regions. All markers were variable, and the AT-rich gene showed the highest sequence divergence. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), fixation index (Fst) analysis, and phylogeographic patterns showed little divergence between northern and southern regions. Estimates of genetic diversity (pi) showed higher mitochondrial diversity in the northern region but nearly equal diversity for the ITS1 gene. This study shows for the first time in Melanoplus genetic variation for the ND2, AT rich, and ITS genes within a small geographic area. Our methods and results should be useful for other researchers interested in conducting population-level studies on closely related species.

Animals↗

Infection with agents of human granulocytic ehrlichiosis, lyme disease, and babesiosis in wild white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) in Connecticut.

White-footed mice, Peromyscus leucopus, were captured in southern Connecticut during 1997 and 1998 to determine the prevalence of infections caused by granulocytic Ehrlichia sp., Borrelia burgdorferi, and Babesia microti. Of the 50 mice captured and recaptured, 25 of 47 (53.2%) and 23 of 48 (47.9%) contained antibodies to the BDS or NCH-1 Ehrlichia strains, respectively, as determined by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining methods. The majority (83.3%) of 48 mice also contained antibodies to B. burgdorferi, as determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Moreover, 20 of 26 (76.9%) contained antibodies to B. microti by IFA staining methods. In nested PCR tests using the 16S rRNA gene, the DNA of the human granulocytic ehrlichiosis (HGE) agent was detected in 17 of 47 mice (36.2%), but only 4 (23.5%) of these 17 mice were PCR positive at each capture. Antibody-positive reactions to granulocytic Ehrlichia sp. organisms were detected in 17 of 23 (73. 9%) of the PCR-positive mice. The sequences from PCR products from nine positive blood samples were identical to the HGE agent. Ehrlichia spp. were cultured from three of five mice captured in April 1998, including one that was PCR positive in April 1997. In addition, 2 of 14 larval Ixodes scapularis pools, which were attached to two PCR-positive mice, contained DNA of the HGE agent. A high percentage of white-footed mice are infected or have been infected naturally by the HGE agent with low-level persistent infection or frequent reinfection in some individual mice. However, the changes noted in the presence of DNA and antibodies in repeated blood and serum samples from individual mice over several months of field collection suggests that infection with granulocytic Ehrlichia is transient in most wild P. leucopus.

Animals↗

Chronological association between increases in drug abuse and psychosis in Connecticut state hospitals.

Disagreement remains as to whether drug use can result in an autonomous psychotic disorder. If drug use can create new psychosis cases, an increase in the number of psychosis patients ought to be observable following periods of increased drug use by the general population. First admissions data for the categories of drug abuse and schizophrenia/paranoid disorders from all Connecticut state hospitals from 1965 to 1983 were examined to determine the prevalence of psychotic disorders before, during, and after a period of increased drug use by the general population. Affective disorders first admissions were examined for comparison. A rapid increase in new schizophrenia admissions coincided with a peak period for drug-related admissions. The data suggest that increased drug use of the late 1960s may have contributed to the increase noted 3 to 5 years later in first admissions of patients diagnosed with psychotic disorders.

Adolescent↗

The distinction between witchcraft and madness in colonial Connecticut.

This essay argues two points in regard to early New England: first, that witchcraft is not a significant aspect of the history of mental illness; and second, that seventeenth-century society had a cultural protocol for distinguishing one from the other. The examples discussed in detail are from Connecticut, but they are representative of colonial New England as a whole.

Colonialism↗

Do vascular surgeons improve the outcome of carotid endarterectomy? An analysis of 12,618 elective cases in the state of Connecticut.

Because cardiac complications may predict long-term survival after carotid endarterectomy (CEA), this study evaluates contemporary outcome, including cardiac complications, after CEA. Patients in Connecticut hospitals undergoing CEA between 1991 and 2002 were identified using the state discharge database (Chime, Inc.; ). Of the 12,618 CEAs performed, there were 53 (0.4%) deaths, 155 (1.2%) neurologic complications, and 300 (2.4%) cardiac complications. Despite an increase in patient age (p < .0001, Kruskal-Wallis test) over time, there were decreases in mortality (p = .0001, chi-square), postoperative stroke (p = .001), and cardiac complications (p = .0003). Vascular surgeons performed a minority of the procedures in the state (11%), but there were fewer cardiac complications after CEA performed by vascular surgeons than general surgeons (0.8% vs 3.0%; p < .0001). Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that the risk of a cardiac complication was elevated in patients operated on by a nonvascular surgeon, patients with previous heart disease or stroke, and the elderly. In a state with very high performance of CEA by general and nonvascular surgeons, postoperative mortality and neurologic complications remain low. However, there were fewer cardiac complications when a vascular surgeon performed the procedure. These results suggest that increased referral to vascular surgeons could improve procedural safety.

Age Factors↗

Evaluation of olfactory dysfunction in the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center.

The olfactory test administered to patients at the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center combines stability of outcome with sensitivity to variables known to affect olfaction (age, sex). The test, which pairs an odor threshold component with an odor identification component, readily resolves differences in function between patients and controls. It reveals differences in the distribution of functioning for various probable causes (nasal/sinus disease, postupper respiratory infection, and head trauma), proves sensitive to improvements in function caused by therapeutic intervention (ethmoidectomy, steroid administration for nasal/sinus disease), and correlates with objective signs of nasal/sinus disease (visual exam, x-ray). The two components of the test agree well, though the odor identification component seems somewhat more sensitive than the threshold component as currently designed.

Adolescent↗

Interactions between Medicare and Medicaid home care in Connecticut: responses to the 1997 BBA.

Although overlaps exist in the provision of home care services financed by Medicare and Medicaid, interactions of the two funding sources at the beneficiary and home care provider levels have not been widely studied. The recent dramatic declines in Medicare home health spending present a rare opportunity to examine how changes in Medicare spending can affect the provision of Medicaid home care services. We conducted a study of Medicare-Medicaid dynamics in the state of Connecticut to shed light on the inter-relationships of the two funding sources.

Aged↗

The formation of gay and lesbian identity and community in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts, 1900-1970.

The formation of lesbian and gay identity and community in the Connecticut River Valley of western Massachusetts was greatly shaped by social changes and trends in gender ideology which originated outside the region. Safe and supportive space for the exploration of homosexual identity was limited and limiting, as gay and lesbian residents turned to homoerotic communities away from the area to try to come to terms with and act out their same-sex desires. Gay men and lesbians in the Valley began to generate self-affirming and politically oriented institutions, however, within the context of the radical political culture of the 1960s.

Adult↗

Ethnicity and skin test reactivity to aeroallergens among asthmatic children in Connecticut.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the relationship between ethnicity and sensitization to allergens among children with asthma living in urban and suburban areas of Connecticut. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. STUDY POPULATION: A total of 791 children with mild-to-severe asthma who received their medical care in the city of Hartford. RESULTS: Puerto Rican ethnicity was associated with skin test reactivity (STR) to cockroach (odds ratio [OR], 3.3; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.7 to 6.4), STR to dust mite (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.4), STR to mixed grass pollen (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.1 to 2.7), and STR to mugwort/sage (OR, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.4 to 4.1). African-American ethnicity was associated with STR to four outdoor allergens (ie, mixed tree pollen [OR, 2.3; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.9], mixed grass pollen [OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.6 to 4.8], mugwort/sage [OR, 3.1; 95% CI, 1.6 to 6.0], and ragweed [OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2 to 3.8]). Among all children, STR to outdoor allergens was strongly associated with the extent of allergen sensitization. As an example, children sensitized to mixed grass pollen had 34.7 times higher odds of having at least four positive skin tests to other allergens than nonsensitized children (95% CI for OR, 15.6 to 77.0). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that Puerto Rican ethnicity is associated with an increased risk of sensitization to indoor and outdoor allergens among children with asthma, and that allergy skin testing should be performed more often as part of the management of asthma in African-American children and in Puerto Rican children in the United States.

Adolescent↗

The screening histories of women with invasive cervical cancer, Connecticut.

OBJECTIVES: Each case of a continuous series of invasive cervical cancer cases was studied with a structured review procedure conducted by an expert panel to assess the reason that it was not detected before it became invasive. METHODS: All cases of invasive cervical cancer diagnosed in a 5-year period among Connecticut residents were identified; a screening history and screening outcome were obtained for 72% (481 of 664). RESULTS: Two hundred fifty women (51.9%) had suboptimal screening. One hundred thirty-seven women (28.5%) had never had a screening test, and their mean age was greater than that of the rest of the study population (64.5 years vs 46.5 years). Of the 344 women who had ever had a Pap test, 113 (32.8%) had their last Pap test 5 or more years before their diagnosis of invasive cancer; 52 (15.1%) were not followed up properly; 33 (9.6%) had their last smear misread as normal; and 118 (34.3%) developed cervical cancer within 3 years of their last Pap test. CONCLUSIONS: Physicians, nurses, and other care providers need to ensure that woman have timely and accurate screening with proper follow-up, make increased efforts to reach older women, and improve quality control of Pap smear readings.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Prevalence of dust-mite allergens in homes and workplaces of the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New England.

This study sought to determine the relative abundance and seasonal variation of Dermatophagoides farinae and D pteronyssinus allergens in homes and workplaces of the Upper Connecticut River Valley of New England. Dust samples were obtained from 15 homes and 23 carpeted workplaces in public buildings. Half the samples were collected in June 1990 and half in September 1990. D pteronyssinus and D farinae content of the samples were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This observational study of homes and workplaces found a predominance of D pteronyssinus allergens in both homes and workplaces; a marked seasonal increase in total Dermatophagoides group I allergens from June to September; and only very low levels of allergens in workplaces. Workplaces seem an unlikely source of significant dust-mite allergen exposure, and workplace exposure does not negate efforts at home dust control by affected patients in this region.

Air Pollution, Indoor↗

"The facts concerning the recent carnival of smoking in Connecticut" and elsewhere.

The behavior of health care practitioners toward their patients can greatly affect the patients' motivation for change. Mark Twain's story, "The Facts Concerning the Recent Carnival of Crime in Connecticut," is used to illustrate how traditional strategies for motivating patients to change can have the paradoxic effect of inhibiting change and growth. We use a theory of human motivation, referred to as self-determination theory, to explain this effect and suggest alternative strategies for facilitating patient motivation. Empirical tests of the theory have shown that people will accept more responsibility for behavior change when motivated internally rather than externally. In the doctor-patient relationship, this internal motivation for change can be facilitated when doctors allow choice, provide relevant information, and acknowledge the patient's perspective. We propose a simple, three-question model, consistent with self-determination theory, for physicians to use with patients who smoke and are not yet ready to try quitting.

Counseling↗