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At least 1,621 records · Page 90Linked to original sources

The cancer experience in the Framingham Heart Study cohort.

The almost 40-year records of The Framingham Heart Study (FHS) cohort were reviewed to establish the cancer experience of this noninstitutionalized group of white subjects. Diagnoses were confirmed from pathology and laboratory reports and clinical notes. Age-specific incidence rates were compared with Connecticut Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) data. Among the 5209 subjects, 1201 malignancies were confirmed. Median age at diagnosis was 69 for men and 65 for women. Lung, prostate, skin, and colon accounted for more than half of men's cancers; breast, colon, and skin made up half of the women's. FHS and Connecticut SEER rates matched closely, with the same primary tumor sites appearing commonly in both groups. Thus, the FHS cohort should provide a fair database for analysis of risk factors in cancer incidence, as it has done in cardiovascular diseases.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Can mammography screening explain the race difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer?

BACKGROUND: A race difference in the stage at diagnosis of breast cancer is well established: African American women are less likely than white women to be diagnosed at a localized stage. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the observed race (black/white) difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer could be accounted for by race differences in the mammography screening history. METHODS: This was a population-based, retrospective study of 145 African American and 177 white women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in Connecticut, between January, 1987 and March, 1989. Cases were ascertained through active surveillance of 22 Connecticut hospitals. RESULTS: Black women were diagnosed more commonly with later stage cancer (TNM stage > or = II) (age-adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.01, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.24-3.24) than were white women. Blacks were also more likely than whites to report that they had not received a mammogram in the 3 years before development of symptoms or diagnosis (OR = 2.05, 95% CI 1.26-3.35); this association was not altered substantially with adjustment for socioeconomic status. In race-specific analyses, mammography was protective against later stage diagnosis in white women, but not in black women. With adjustment for mammography screening, the OR for the race-stage association was reduced only minimally, and race remained a significant predictor of stage at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: In these population-based data, history of mammography screening was not an important explanatory variable in the race-stage association. Specifically, history of mammographic screening accounted for less than 10% of the observed black/white difference in stage at diagnosis of breast cancer.

Adult↗

Reproductive anomalies in stenoglossan snails related to pollution from marinas.

Over 3090 snails of the dioecious intertidal species Nassarius obsoletus Say were collected from a total of 71 localities. Their reproductive anatomy was examined for a superimposition of male characteristics on to the normal female anatomy, an abnormality called 'imposex'. Imposex was rated numerically in terms of the fraction of the population affected and the intensity of expression in bearer snails. An initial survey of 22 localities in Fairfield and Westport, Connecticut, led to the hypothesis that imposex was related to a substance arising from marinas. This was tested at nine pairs of marina and control localities in Long Island Sound, as well as six pairs along a transect ranging from Rhode Island to Georgia. Imposex scores were significantly higher at the marina locality in every pair. Further confirmation was found in a detailed survey of the estuarine harbor at Southport, Connecticut, which showed that adjacent populations could differ in the amount of imposex to the extent that both the snails and the waters they lived in remained separated by natural or man-made barriers. Imposex has been found in populations of N. obsoletus ranging from Damariscotta, Maine, to Savannah, Georgia, and it has been reported from San Francisco Bay, California. Similar anatomical abnormalities have been reported in at least 27 other species of taenioglossan and stenoglossan snails, extending the range to the Atlantic and Mediterranean coast of Europe and the British Isles. Concern is raised regarding the possible existence of another global pollutant with novel effects on marina biota.

Animals↗

Second primaries in children with central nervous system tumors.

Among 670 children diagnosed with central nervous system tumors before age 20 and recorded in the Connecticut Tumor Registry, nine had a second neoplasm as well. From known age-specific and year-specific cancer incidence figures for Connecticut, the expected number of second neoplasms for the series of 670 is 0.99; therefore the relative risk is 9.1 (95% confidence limits: 4.0, 17.3). Three patients developed two central nervous system tumors, while 0.16 were expected, giving a relative risk of 19 (95% confidence limits: 3.8, 55). Six patients developed two neoplasms in childhood, versus 0.66 expected; the relative risk of this event is 9.1 (95% confidence limits: 3.3, 20). In four cases of lapse in time between the diagnosis of the first and second tumor, the first tumor had been treated with radiation. Five cancers occurred in parents or siblings of these nine patients, versus 0.91 expected; the relative risk is 5.5 (95% confidence limits: 1.2, 10.0). Three of these relatives had leukemia, while only 0.04 cases were expected (relative risk = 75). We conclude that not only is a child with CNS cancer at increased risk for other cancers, but such a child with two cancers is often part of a familial cluster with increased risk of cancer.

Adenoma, Chromophobe↗

Toxicity of weathered coal tar for shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) embryos and larvae.

Weathered coal tar collected from the Connecticut River near Holyoke, Massachusetts, was toxic to shortnose sturgeon embryos and larvae in whole sediment flow-through and elutriate static-renewal laboratory exposures. Sterile laboratory sand and clean Connecticut River sand, collected upstream from the coal tar deposits, produced no significant difference in toxicity to sturgeon embryos-larvae, while coal tar-contaminated sediment produced over 95% embryo-larval mortality. Hydrocarbon transfer and subsequent toxicity appeared to be via direct contact of the embryos with contaminated sediment, rather than via exposure to soluble hydrocarbons. This conclusion was supported by exposure of embryos and larvae to elutriates (e.g., water soluble extract) of coal-tar sediments, that resulted in embryo and larval mortality at low molecular weight PAH concentrations-0.47 mg/L, higher than would occur naturally. No decrease in petroleum hydrocarbon concentration was observed in sediments exposed to flowing water for 14 d, supporting the contention that soluble hydrocarbons were not responsible for the observed toxicity in whole sediment exposures under the conditions employed in this study.

Animals↗

An investigation of some problems concerning nucleolus organizers in salamanders.

Observed differences in the sizes of lampbrush nucleolus organizers in Plethodon cinereus have been shown by in situ hybridization to reflect true molecular differences in the numbers of ribosomal cistrons located at these organizers. Likewise, from in situ hybridization experiments on lampbrush and spermatocyte chromosomes it has been shown that animals may be, and indeed usually are, heterozygous with respect to the numbers of ribosomal cistrons on each half of the nucleolus bivalent. Filter hybridizations carried out on 33 males from a New Jersey population and 20 males from a Connecticut population have shown a 7.5-fold range in the numbers of ribosomal cistrons per diploid cell in the New Jersey population, and a 2.5-fold range in the Connecticut population. In view of the general heterozygosity of nucleolus organizers in these animals, the actual range in nucleolus organizer sizes in the New Jersey population is estimated to be at least 15-fold.

Animals↗

Hardware complications in scoliosis surgery.

BACKGROUND: Scoliosis surgery has undergone a dramatic evolution over the past 20 years with the advent of new surgical techniques and sophisticated instrumentation. Surgeons have realized scoliosis is a complex multiplanar deformity that requires thorough knowledge of spinal anatomy and pathophysiology in order to manage patients afflicted by it. Nonoperative modalities such as bracing and casting still play roles in the treatment of scoliosis; however, it is the operative treatment that has revolutionized the treatment of this deformity that affects millions worldwide. As part of the evolution of scoliosis surgery, newer implants have resulted in improved outcomes with respect to deformity correction, reliability of fixation, and paucity of complications. Each technique and implant has its own set of unique complications, and the surgeon must appreciate these when planning surgery. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Various surgical techniques and types of instrumentation typically used in scoliosis surgery are briefly discussed. Though scoliosis surgery is associated with a wide variety of complications, only those that directly involve the hardware are discussed. The current literature is reviewed and several illustrative cases of patients treated for scoliosis at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center and the Newington Children's Hospital in Connecticut are briefly presented. CONCLUSION: Spine surgeons and radiologists should be familiar with the different types of instrumentation in the treatment of scoliosis. Furthermore, they should recognize the clinical and roentgenographic signs of hardware failure as part of prompt and effective treatment of such complications.

Adolescent↗

Macroinvertebrate and fish populations in a restored impounded salt marsh 21 years after the reestablishment of tidal flooding.

During the last two decades, the State of Connecticut has restored tidal flow to many impounded salt marshes. One of the first of these and the one most extensively studied is Impoundment One in the Barn Island Wildlife Management Area in Stonington, Connecticut. In 1990, twelve years after the re-establishment of tidal flooding, the density of the marsh snail Melampus bidentatus, the numerically dominant macroinvertebrate of the high marsh, in Impoundment One was about half that in reference marshes below the breached impoundment dike. By 1999 the densities of Melampus above and below the dike were not significantly different, but the shell-free biomass was greater above the dike as a result of the somewhat larger number and size of the snails there. Twenty-one years after the renewal of tidal flooding, three marsh macroinvertebrates (the amphipods Orchestia grillus and Uhlorchestia spartinophila and the mussel Geukensia demissa) were significantly less abundant in the previously impounded marsh than in the reference marshes, whereas another amphipod (Gammarus palustris) was more abundant above the breached dike where conditions appeared to be somewhat wetter. In 1991 the fish assemblage in a mosquito-control ditch in Impoundment One was similar to that in a ditch below the breached dike; however, the common mummichog Fundulus heteroclitus appeared to be less abundant in the restoring marsh. By 1999 the number of mummichogs caught in ditches was significantly greater in Impoundment One than in the reference marsh, but the numbers of mummichogs trapped along the tidal creek were comparable above and below the dike. The results obtained in this study and those of other restoring marshes at Barn Island indicate the full recovery of certain animal populations following the reintroduction of tidal flow to impounded marshes may require up to two or more decades. Furthermore, not only do different species recover at different rates on a single marsh, but the time required for the recovery of a particular species may vary widely from marsh to marsh, often independently of other species.

Animals↗

Differences in young driver crash involvement in states with varying licensure practices.

Teenage driver licensing practices and the crashes of teenagers were compared in several states with differing laws and policies regarding licensure. High school seniors in Delaware, a state with laws that allow early driving and licensure, reported that they first drove on a public road, obtained a learner's permit and obtained a driver's license at younger ages than high school seniors in other northeastern states (Connecticut, New Jersey and upstate New York). State crash data indicated that Delaware and Connecticut, which allow unrestricted licensing at age 16, showed the highest rates of 16-year-old driver involvements in nonfatal and fatal injury crashes. Pennsylvania and upstate New York, which have night driving curfews for 16 year-olds, showed lower crash rates overall and much lower crash rates during their respective curfew hours. New Jersey and Nassau and Suffolk counties, where unsupervised driving by 16 year-olds is generally not allowed, showed the lowest crash rates for 16 year-olds. Graduated licensing programs that include delayed full-privilege licensure, night driving curfews, and extended periods of supervised practice driving are a possible countermeasure for the high motor vehicle crash rates of young drivers.

Accidents, Traffic↗

The seasonal risk of pediatric/juvenile acute lymphocytic leukemia in the United States.

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) occurring in pediatric and juvenile patients of nine U.S.A. locations during 1973 through 1980 was investigated by epidemiologic methodology. Time series periodic regression analysis of the monthly cumulative risk for ages 0-19 years revealed evidence of trimodal periodicity at seven of the nine locations tested. Combined analyses revealed a significant effect of latitude in causing asynchrony of the trimodal patterns observed. The average risk maxima occurred in April, August, and December for U.S.A. locations with latitude above 40 degrees (Seattle, Nebraska, Iowa, Detroit, and Connecticut), and in February, July, and October for other locations (San Francisco, Utah, New Mexico, and Atlanta). Because periodic regression analysis is a complex method, independent validation tests were performed to supplement the original results. Here, the best symmetric trimodal sine curve model of each location was utilized to predict the average pattern among the remaining locations of similar latitude. These validation tests supported the existence of similar trimodal patterns for all of the southern locations, and all of the northern locations except Connecticut. The observed peaks in monthly ALL risk coincide with seasonal elevations in the rates of allergenic and infectious diseases, elements of which are capable of promoting lymphocytic proliferation and transformation. Annual disease rates were significantly lower in populations with a high proportion of Blacks or American Indians compared to predominantly Caucasian populations. The possibility that seasonal factors (environmental allergens and/or infectious agents) promote leukomogenesis via indirect mechanisms is briefly discussed.

Adolescent↗

Warthin's tumor. Report of a case and survey of 205 salivary neoplasms.

A case of Warthin's tumor with an unusual sialographic appearance is reported. The extensive pooling of the contrast media within the tumor was probably the result of communication of the cystic spaces of the tumor with the ductal system of the parotid gland. This case stimulated a re-examination of the incidence of this tumor, with a study of 205 major salivary gland tumors from pathology reports in the files of Hartford Hospital which is affiliated with the University of Connecticut Health Center in Farmington, Connecticut.

Adenolymphoma↗

Childhood neurologic disorders and Lyme disease during pregnancy.

To determine the prevalence of clinically significant nervous system disease attributable to transplacental transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi, we surveyed neurologists in areas of the United States in which Lyme disease is endemic (i.e., Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota). Overall, 162 of the 176 (92%) pediatric neurologists contacted responded to the survey with a range of 90-100% in the different geographic areas. One pediatric neurologist was following 3 children who were labeled as having "congenital Lyme disease," but none of the 3 met our case definition. None of the other pediatric neurologists surveyed had ever seen a child whose mother had been diagnosed as having Lyme disease during pregnancy. Similarly, none of the 37 adult neurologists in Connecticut surveyed had ever seen a child whose mother had been diagnosed as having had Lyme disease during pregnancy. We conclude that congenital neuroborreliosis is either not occurring or is occurring at an extremely low rate in areas endemic for Lyme disease.

Adult↗

Strategies for reducing the risk of Lyme borreliosis in North America.

The incidence of Lyme borreliosis continues to increase in the United States. In 1991, when Lyme borreliosis first became a nationally reportable disease to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a total of 9470 cases were reported; in contrast, by 2002 a total of 23,763 cases were reported, >2.5x the total in 1991. Area-wide acaricides can be highly effective in killing nymphal Ixodes scapularis, with >95% of nymphs killed in studies using cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, or carbaryl. The majority of residents living in households within the area hyperendemic for Lyme borreliosis will not, however, consider the use of area-wide acaricides. A survey of communities in 4 states (Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York) demonstrated that <25% of the populace have used area-wide acaricides on their own property. In searching for alternative methods of reducing Lyme borreliosis risk, host-targeted methods have been proven to be effective. Newly developed methods include the use of acaricides applied to deer feeder stations. This method is called the 4-poster method and has been shown in trials to reduce populations of nymphal I. scapularis by 69%. In addition, rodent-targeted bait boxes containing fipronil have been shown to eliminate ticks on mice and negatively impact the population of questing I. scapularis and reduce the proportion of these ticks infected with Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto. Host eradication can also be utilized. On Monhegan Island, Maine, white-tailed deer were totally eradicated from the island from 1999 to 2000. By 2004, no immature I. scapularis could be found on rodents on Monhegan Island. Landscape management practices can also be utilized to reduce the risk of Lyme borreliosis as can personal protection procedures including regular tick checks. These practices have been nicely summarized in a new Tick Management Handbook produced by Dr. Kirby C. Stafford III with the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Although there is no magic bullet available to completely eliminate the risk of Lyme borreliosis from large geographic areas, the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices holds the prospect for reducing and managing Lyme borreliosis risk in the future.

Animals↗

Detection of antibodies to Francisella tularensis in cats.

Blood samples were obtained from privately owned cats in Connecticut and New York State, USA in 1985-1990, and analyzed for evidence of Francisella tularensis, the etiologic agent of tularemia. Of the 91 sera tested by microagglutination (MA) methods, 11 (12%) contained antibodies to F. tularensis. Analyses of the same sera by indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) staining methods revealed 22 (24%) positives. There was good agreement in results of both tests (73% concordance). However, we measured higher titers (1:80 to 1:640) with IFA analysis than by MA methods (1:80 to 1:160). Both tests were suitable for general screening purposes. The DNA of F.tularensis was not detected in the 24 antibody-positive sera tested. Cats living in Connecticut and New York State were naturally exposed to F.tularensis or a closely related organism. With exposure to ticks, other biting arthropods, mice, and rabbits, cats are at risk for acquiring F.tularensis infections and can be an important source of information on the presence of this agent in nature.

Agglutination Tests↗

Outcome study of cholecystectomy during pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Several anecdotal papers suggest that laparoscopic cholecystectomy can be done safely in pregnant patients, but few patients are reported and other patients such as those who underwent laparoscopic appendectomy are often included. A larger series would help clarify the situation. METHODS: The Connecticut Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Registry and data from the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) were combined to search for all cholecystectomies performed in pregnant patients from 1992 through 1996. Information on outcomes for both mother and infant was obtained through the cooperation of most of the CHA hospitals. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 46 patients, 20 laparoscopic and 26 open cases. The groups were comparable in all demographic respects except for the timing of cholecystectomy, which was performed at a mean of 18.4 +/- 6.7 weeks (range 9 to 32) of gestation for the laparoscopic and 24.8 +/- 4.7 weeks (range 14 to 35) for the open patients (P = 0.01). A maternal-fetal mortality due to intra-abdominal hemorrhage occurred in the laparoscopic group 2 weeks postoperatively. In the open group, a fetal demise occurred at 21 weeks gestation, 5 weeks postcholecystectomy. The open patients experienced 8 episodes of premature contractions compared with one one such event in the laparoscopic group (P = 0.057). CONCLUSIONS: This represents the largest reported series of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in pregnant patients. Laparoscopic cholecystectomy does not lead to increased numbers of fetal complications. Premature uterine contractions tend to occur more frequently after open cholecystectomy and when the procedure is performed later in gestation.

Adult↗

Hemispheric lateralization for speech perception in stutterers.

Sixteen adult, right-handed, moderate-to-severe atutterers (12 males, 4 females) and 20 nonstuttering controls (10 males, 10 females) were given a dichotic nonsense-syllable test to determine hemispheric lateralization for speech. Both male and female stutterers evidenced right-ear advantages in syllable identification similar in magnitude to those found for normals. These data confirm other reports of no difference in cerebral speech lateralization for stutterers and nonstutterers and, therefore, lend no support to theories that relate stuttering to abnormalities in cerebral lateralization. Acknowledgments. This study was conducted while the authors were at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. The assistance of Dr. R. L. Webster, the staff of the Institute for Behavioral Research, and the Departments of Psychology and Linguistics at the University of Connecticut is gratefully acknowledged.

Auditory Perception↗

Changes in prostate cancer incidence and treatment in USA.

We examined time trends and geographical variations in the detection and treatment of prostate cancer in USA, based on information from white men aged 50 to 79 who resided in areas covered by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program of the United States National Cancer Institute. Prostate-cancer incidence and treatment rates were determined for the 9 population-based cancer registries which participate in the SEER program. Prostate-cancer mortality rates were assessed from data compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics. Prostate cancer incidence rates increased by 6.4% per year between 1983 and 1989. The increase appeared to be due to detection of early-stage disease; there was no increase in the incidence rate of metastatic cancer. Incidence rates varied widely among the SEER program areas: in 1989 from 267.9 per 100,000 in Connecticut to 606.8 in Seattle. Radical prostatectomy rates more than tripled between 1983 and 1989 in the SEER areas as a whole. Among men aged 70-79, the rate of prostatectomy increased by nearly 35% per year. There was a five-fold variation among SEER areas in radical prostatectomy rates in 1989, with a low of 43.4 per 100,000 in Connecticut and a high of 224.4 in Seattle. Prostate cancer mortality rates did not increase during the period of study; there was little variation among areas in prostate-cancer mortality rates, and no apparent correlation between the incidence and mortality rates for an area. Increases in rates of prostate cancer incidence and prostate surgery have occurred in the United States without clear evidence that screening and prostectomy are effective in reducing mortality. Moreover, much of the growth in incidence and radical prostatectomy rates has occurred among older men, who appear least likely to benefit from early detection and surgery of occult prostate cancer.

Aged↗

The Leapfrog Initiative: a potential threat to surgical education.

PURPOSE: The Leapfrog Initiative was established in January 2000 by the Business Roundtable (BRT) in response to the Institute of Medicine report on quality and safety of medical care. The BRT is composed of chief executive officers of U.S. corporations representing more than 28 million employees. Leapfrog has proposed 3 hospital safety measures-computerized physician order entry, intensive care unit physician staffing standards and evidence-based hospital referral, which states that hospitals must meet certain volume/year criteria. Three of these criteria are pertinent to general surgery. They are abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair greater than or equal to 30/year, carotid endarterectomy (CE) greater than or equal to 100/year, and esophageal cancer surgery (ECS) greater than or equal to 7/year. Hospitals failing to meet these requirements would not be eligible to treat patients employed by BRT corporations. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Residency Review Committee (RRC) for Surgery Resident Statistics Summary for 1999 to 2001. Comparisons were made between the numbers of the Leapfrog index cases required and the actual number of cases performed by each graduating chief resident. Data from the Connecticut Hospital Association (CHA) for fiscal year 2000 were also analyzed. Outcomes for procedures at The Stamford Hospital were reviewed. RESULTS: Data obtained from the RRC reveal that the mode numbers for each of the 3 evidence-based standards for each graduating chief resident in 2000 and 2001 are 5 and 3 for AAA, 15 and 17 for CE, and 0 in both years for ECS. Extrapolation using the mode for each procedure reveals that hospitals with 5 or 6 graduating chief residents may be ineligible to treat patients for AAA and CE. Hospitals with less than or equal to 5 chief residents would be excluded from performing CE. Very few institutions are performing adequate numbers of ECS. Only 4 of 31 CT hospitals would be allowed to perform AAA, and only 3 of 31 could perform CE. Only 1 Connecticut hospital performed more than 7 ECS cases in FY 2000. It is apparent that Leapfrog standards will have serious economic impact on many hospitals, as well as displacing patients to other cities for care. CONCLUSIONS: Surgical chairs and program directors should be aware of the Leapfrog standards and assess their own programs and institutions for compliance. Performance improvement and outcomes data for all evidence-based standards should be reviewed.

Aortic Aneurysm↗