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PubMedDate not supplied

Alu insertions versus blood group plus protein genetic variability in four Amerindian populations.

BACKGROUND: Do the population relationships obtained using DNA or blood group plus protein markers remain the same or do they reveal different patterns, indicating that the factors which influence genetic variation at these two levels of analysis are diverse? Can these markers shed light on the biological classification of the Aché, a Paraguayan tribe which only recently established more permanent contacts with non-Indians? SUBJECTS AND METHODS: To consider these questions we typed 193 individuals from four Amerindian tribes in relation to 12 Alu polymorphisms (five of them never studied in these populations), while 22 blood group plus protein systems were studied among the Aché. These data were then integrated with those previously available (blood groups plus proteins) for the three other populations. DNA extraction and amplification, as well as the other laboratory procedures, were performed using standard methods currently in use in our laboratory. The genetic relationships were obtained using the D(A) distance, and the trees were constructed by the neighbour-joining method, both developed by M. Nei and collaborators. Reliability of the trees was tested by bootstrap replications. Other population variability values were also determined using Nei's methods. RESULTS: Alu polymorphism was observed in all populations and for most of the loci; in the seven systems from which we could compare our results with those of other Amerindian groups agreement was satisfactory. Unusual findings on the blood group plus protein systems of the Aché were a very low (5%) HP*1 frequency and the presence of the C(W) phenotype in the Rh blood group. The intertribal patterns of relationship and other aspects of their variation were remarkably congruent in the two sets (Alu; blood group plus protein) of systems. CONCLUSIONS: The answer to the first question posed above is affirmative. However, the problem of whether the Aché derived from a Gê group that preceded the Guarani colonization of Paraguay, or are just a differentiated Guarani group, could not be answered with the genetic information available; the second hypothesis seems more likely at present, but the point to be emphasized is the striking genetic distinctiveness of the Aché as compared to other Amerindians.

Alleles↗

PubMed2001

[Economic comparison of 2 surgical techniques fr the treatment of stress urinary incontinence in women: Burch's technique versus the TVT technique].

The TVT device (Tension-free Vaginal Tape) is used in our Hospital to treat stress urinary incontinence, resulting in an excess cost for the Pharmacy. The Burch technique, used previously, does not require any specific medical device, but is invasive and requires a longer hospital stay. The objective of this study was to compare the financial impact of these two techniques, by defining the discriminant costs. Seventeen isolated Burch procedures and twenty one TVT procedures were included. The costs analysed concerned medical devices, medicinal products, laboratory procedures, operating time, hospital stay and duration of postoperative follow-up. The Burch procedure cost FFR 26,322 and the TVT procedure cost FFR 10,958. The TVT technique reduces the cost of hospitalisation and represents an economy of operative equipment and nursing workload (reduction of operating time and postoperative stay).

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Primary and acquired drug resistance in adult black patients with tuberculosis in South Africa: results of a continuous national drug resistance surveillance programme involvement.

Drug resistance is a major problem in the treatment of tuberculosis, and monitoring programmes are essential in control of this disease. The extent of primary resistance in a community is an important indication of the effectiveness of treatment schedules. Since 1965 the Tuberculosis Research Institute (TBRI) of the South African Medical Research Council has performed 25 annual surveys of drug resistance in adult black tuberculosis patients where the disease is most prevalent. Methodology for patient selection, specimen collection, laboratory procedures and criteria for drug resistance were strictly adhered to. All specimens were processed in a central laboratory supervised by the same two technologists. Between 1965 and 1988 a total of 33,111 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were isolated from new cases and 19,134 from old cases. Both primary and acquired resistance to the 5 major antituberculosis drugs has decreased dramatically. Sex and age do not influence resistance rates, while patients' ethnic origin and geographical location do. The results indicate that current tuberculosis treatment practices are satisfactory. The prevalence of primary drug resistance in black South Africans is now intermediate between those countries where eradication of tuberculosis is well advanced and those where the disease remains a public health problem. Also, it can be shown that comparable and clinically significant data can be obtained from a central laboratory employing unsophisticated and inexpensive drug susceptibility testing procedures.

Black or African American↗

PubMed1987

Simplified acetylcysteine-alkali digestion-decontamination procedure for isolation of mycobacteria from clinical specimens.

During our attempts to reevaluate and improve mycobacteriology laboratory procedures, we found that isolation of mycobacteria from undecontaminated specimens through the use of selective media was unrewarding and that specimen decontamination was an essential step. A reevaluation of the N-acetyl-L-cysteine-sodium hydroxide (NALC-NaOH) decontamination procedure (G. P. Kubica, W. E. Dye, M. L. Cohn, and G. Middlebrook, Am. Rev. Respir. Dis. 87:775-779, 1963) indicated that this method could be simplified and shortened without affecting the isolation rate or growth and without increasing the contamination rate. The modified NALC-NaOH procedure effectively combines the decontamination step with the concentration step: specimens are mixed with the NALC-NaOH solution on a Vortex mixer and, without any waiting or addition of buffer or water to the digested specimens, centrifuged at 3,000 X g for 15 min, and the sediment is suspended in phosphate buffer (pH 5.3). The modified method is simpler, faster, and safer than the original procedure, and the reduced manipulation is also likely to minimize the chance for cross-contamination in sequential specimen processing. The total alkali exposure time in the modified NALC-NaOH method should be kept to a minimum; if necessary or feasible, the concentration of NaOH in the digestion solution may be reduced from the usual strength of 2% to about 1.5% to compensate for the longer alkali exposure time in the modified method to maintain the isolation rate or to improve it.

Acetylcysteine↗

PubMed1990

Efficiency, costs, and quality: the New Jersey experience revisited.

Focusing on two prospective payment systems that operated concurrently in New Jersey, this study employs the hospital department as the unit of analysis and compares the effects of the all-payer DRG system with those of the SHARE program on hospitals. Relative to the SHARE program, which regulated the revenue derived from Blue Cross and Medicaid, the results indicate that the comprehensive approach to prospective payment induced hospitals to control not only the direct costs of multiple dimensions of patient care per case but also the direct cost per day of nursing care and per unit of ancillary care. The results also suggest that the DRG system reduced the length of stay, the daily use of radiological procedures, and the volume of these services per case. On the other hand, the DRG system was accompanied by an increase in the daily use of laboratory procedures and the volume of laboratory care per case.

Ancillary Services, Hospital↗

PubMed2006

Point-of-care testing in the cardiovascular operating theatre.

Point-of-care testing (POCT) remains under scrutiny by healthcare professionals because of its ill-tried, young history. POCT methods are being developed by a few major equipment companies based on rapid progress in informatics and nanotechnology. Issues as POCT quality control, comparability with standard laboratory procedures, standardisation, traceability and round robin testing are being left to hospitals. As a result, the clinical and operational benefits of POCT were first evident for patients on the operating table. For the management of cardiovascular surgery patients, POCT technology is an indispensable aid. Improvement of the technology has meant that clinical laboratory pathologists now recognise the need for POCT beyond their high-throughput areas.

Blood Gas Analysis↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Prosthodontic solutions for compromised implant placement.

The various clinical and laboratory procedures for use of auxiliary prefabricated metal screw retention, castable plastic telescopic, and custom laboratory-fabricated systems are presented as adjuncts to implant-supported restorative procedures. These devices aid in the fabrication of predictable and retrievable screw-retained, fixed-detachable implant-supported prostheses for various conditions and combinations of support. Ancillary screw systems are also useful in solving cosmetic problems when implant placement compromises this goal.

Blade Implantation↗

PubMed1989

[The ceramic-tooth margin in ceramometal prosthesis. A comparative study of three fabrication procedures].

This study of the ceramicbutt joint in metal-ceramic prosthesis permits to compare three different laboratory procedures. With the results obtained with two reading processes (numerical measurement and direct measurement of image replicas of S.E.M. to evaluate the marginal gap, it is possible to confirm that: the gold foil method gives the thinnest gap (between 32.7 and 44.7 micrometers) with presence of overcontoured margins. The ceramicbutt joint made by duplicate method, in refractory material, proves to be larger (between 57 and 67.8 micrometers) with overhanging margins, and damaged by sandblasting. The direct elaboration method, on a plaster model, proves to be less precise (gap between 74.6 and 80.4 micrometers) with a round but glossy ceramic margins.

Crowns↗

PubMed1980

A bilaterally balanced occlusal scheme for patients with arch width and curvature discrepancies.

A technique is described that will allow the patient maximum tooth contact in bilateral balanced occlusion without compromising esthetics or mechanics for a patient with an underdeveloped retrognathic and normal or oversized maxillae (Figs. 4 and 5). A disadvantage is maintaining the upper posterior teeth in the mold during the boil-out procedure, but this problem may be minimized with careful execution of the laboratory procedures.

Dental Arch↗

PubMed1993

Practical denture disinfection.

Dental laboratory personel are at risk of contracting infections from dental prostheses that have not been properly disinfected. A 4% chlorhexidine scrub for 15 seconds followed by a 3-minute contact time with a chlorine dioxide solution was effective in disinfecting contaminated dentures. Chair-side disinfection of dental prostheses before laboratory procedures is the key to keeping microbial contamination out of the dental laboratory.

Chlorhexidine↗

PubMed2000

Immediate maxillary denture base extension for posterior palatal seal.

A procedure for extension of the maxillary denture base for development of a posterior palatal seal is described. The technique involves provisional extension with paraffin wax and adding direct relining resin supported by a silicone putty core. This simple, quick procedure achieves immediate recovery of retention for underextended maxillary dentures without additional laboratory procedures.

Dental Polishing↗

PubMed2006

Reproducibility of risk figures in 2nd-trimester maternal serum screening for down syndrome: comparison of 2 laboratories.

BACKGROUND: Analytical error affects 2nd-trimester maternal serum screening for Down syndrome risk estimation. We analyzed the between-laboratory reproducibility of risk estimates from 2 laboratories. METHODS: Laboratory 1 used Bayer ACS180 immunoassays for alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), Diagnostic Systems Laboratories (DSL) RIA for unconjugated estriol (uE3), and DSL enzyme immunoassay for inhibin-A (INH-A). Laboratory 2 used Beckman immunoassays for AFP, hCG, and uE3, and DSL enzyme immunoassay for INH-A. Analyte medians were separately established for each laboratory. We used the same computational algorithm for all risk calculations, and we used Monte Carlo methods for computer modeling. RESULTS: For 462 samples tested, risk figures from the 2 laboratories differed >2-fold for 44.7%, >5-fold for 7.1%, and >10-fold for 1.7%. Between-laboratory differences in analytes were greatest for uE3 and INH-A. The screen-positive rates were 9.3% for laboratory 1 and 11.5% for laboratory 2, with a significant difference in the patients identified as screen-positive vs screen-negative (McNemar test, P<0.001). Computer modeling confirmed the large between-laboratory risk differences. CONCLUSION: Differences in performance of assays and laboratory procedures can have a large effect on patient-specific risks. Screening laboratories should minimize test imprecision and ensure that each assay performs in a manner similar to that assumed in the risk computational algorithm.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Clinical and laboratory steps for the fabrication of a fixed, cement-retained, implant-supported, complete-arch maxillary prosthesis.

The fabrication of a complete-arch maxillary prosthesis has been associated with several prosthetic complications and difficulties. Although it has been reported that phonetics, esthetics, and proper lip support are difficult to achieve, there is a scarcity of literature on the clinical and laboratory procedures necessary to minimize these complications. The current article provides clinical and laboratory steps that may enable the clinician to achieve more predictable restorative results when fabricating a cement-retained, implant-supported, complete-arch maxillary prosthesis.

Cementation↗

PubMed2000

A porcine model for instruction of lateral canthotomy.

OBJECTIVES: Retrobulbar hemorrhage is a rare condition often necessitating immediate lateral canthotomy for preservation of vision. It is performed infrequently in emergency departments (EDs); therefore, a laboratory-based curriculum using a swine model was developed to teach emergency medicine (EM) residents and pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) fellows the proper technique of lateral canthotomy and to provide them with hands-on training. METHODS: Anesthetized adult swine are used due to similarity with human anatomy and availability from other concurrent procedure laboratories. Fifteen to twenty milliliters of saline is injected behind the orbit to produce proptosis and mimic retrobulbar hemorrhage. A dissection is performed on one orbit to demonstrate the technique and to illustrate the lateral canthal ligaments. The resident then performs a rapid lateral canthotomy on the contralateral orbit under faculty supervision. RESULTS: Over one year, 19 EM residents and 3 PEM fellows were trained using this model. During the same period no lateral canthotomies were performed in the EDs. A post-laboratory survey demonstrated a high subjective level of comfort with this procedure. Video-based demonstration of this laboratory is publicly available on the World Wide Web. CONCLUSION: Adult swine can effectively serve as a model for resident training in lateral canthotomy, a rarely performed sight-saving procedure.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

One clinical visit for a multiple implant restoration master cast fabrication.

The making of a one-piece, long-span, implant-supported prosthesis with conventional procedures frequently has difficulties associated with the accuracy of fit. This article presents a clinical and laboratory procedure for making an accurate implant working cast that facilitates fabrication of the casting on the master cast. The procedure demonstrates the process of sectioning and rejoining of the resin between the transfer copings and then pouring the impression by first joining the analogs alone with impression plaster, sectioning it, and rejoining it again to stabilize the analogs, and finally, using dental stone to pour the impression. Clinical, radiographic, and laboratory (optical microscope) measurements for one clinical implant restoration confirm the accuracy of fit of this one prosthesis made with this procedure. Its advantage is that it can allow fabrication of the final casting on the cast, thereby eliminating the clinical time necessary to obtain repetitive solder indexes, and thus minimizing inconvenience to the patient.

Calcium Sulfate↗

PubMed1979

Evaluation of room cleaning procedures in a laboratory animal facility.

Animal room cleaning procedures were developed that could be used routinely and economically in this animal facility. Bacterial samples from the floors of rooms housing rabbits, rats and mice provided a useful way to evaluate the effectiveness of the cleaning procedures, and to determine the in-use effectiveness of disinfectant solutions.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Importance of detection of SS-A/Ro autoantibody in screening immunofluorescence tests for autoantibodies to nuclear antigens.

SS-A/Ro autoantibodies are related to Sjögren's syndrome and to several clinical subsets of lupus erythematosus. The most widely used laboratory procedure for ANA screening is the indirect immunofluorescence test (IF-ANA); the laboratory detection of anti-SS-A/Ro requires implementation and adherence to several technical and quality assurance recommendations. Using appropriate substrate cells containing the SS-A/Ro antigen, many so-called "ANA-negative" lupus erythematosus patients will demonstrate a positive IF-ANA.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗

PubMed2001

Testing episodic memory in animals: a new approach.

Episodic memory involves the encoding and storage of memories concerned with unique personal experiences and their subsequent recall, and it has long been the subject of intensive investigation in humans. According to Tulving's classical definition, episodic memory "receives and stores information about temporally dated episodes or events and temporal-spatial relations among these events." Thus, episodic memory provides information about the 'what' and 'when' of events ('temporally dated experiences') and about 'where' they happened ('temporal-spatial relations'). The storage and subsequent recall of this episodic information was thought to be beyond the memory capabilities of nonhuman animals. Although there are many laboratory procedures for investigating memory for discrete past episodes, until recently there were no previous studies that fully satisfied the criteria of Tulving's definition: they can all be explained in much simpler terms than episodic memory. However, current studies of memory for cache sites in food-storing jays provide an ethologically valid model for testing episodic-like memory in animals, thereby bridging the gap between human and animal studies memory. There is now a pressing need to adapt these experimental tests of episodic memory for other animals. Given the potential power of transgenic and knock-out procedures for investigating the genetic and molecular bases of learning and memory in laboratory rodents, not to mention the wealth of knowledge about the neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of the rodent hippocampus (a brain area heavily implicated in episodic memory), an obvious next step is to develop a rodent model of episodic-like memory based on the food-storing bird paradigm. The development of a rodent model system could make an important contribution to our understanding of the neural, molecular, and behavioral mechanisms of mammalian episodic memory.

Animals↗