Variability of the Schirmer tear test values in a normal Arab population

Background: As in many parts of the world, the Schirmer tear test is the main test used by optometrists in Saudi Arabia for assessing adequacy of tear production. Variability of the test has been reported in different ethnic groups but not in Arabs. This paper looks at the mean and repeatability of the values obtained by the Schirmer test in a normal Arab population Method: The test was performed on the right eyes of 23 young adult Saudi male subjects at five visits over two weeks. Result: Results showed that for each subject the test values were not repeatable, varying widely over the period of evaluation. The mean value was estimated at 10.6 mm and the 95 per cent confidence limits were 7.9 and 13.3 mm. It was also established that the greater the amount of tears, the greater the variability. Conclusion: This study supports the claim that the Schirmer test is not repeatable and hence is unreliable. Therefore, caution should be exercised in employing it for clinical diagnosis. (Clin Exp Optom 1995; 78: 5: 190–193)     

Identity formation in adolescence: Case study of gender identity disorder and treatment through an intermediate-care day hospital

A review of the literature on gender identity disorders is integrated with a case study presentation of a psychiatrically disturbed nineteen-year-old transvestite youth. Accommodations and interventions made both with this patient and in the day care program for psychiatrically disturbed youths that allowed him to live at home and be maintained despite severe pathology are discussed. Amaro Reyes, M.D. was formerly an attending Psychiatrist in the Community Division of Bronx Children's Psychiatric Center     

Mortality among plutonium and other radiation workers at a plutonium weapons facility

Mortality among 5,413 white males who were employed for at least two years at a plutonium weapons facility was investigated to measure risks from exposures to low levels of plutonium and external radiation. When compared with US death rates, fewer deaths than expected were found for all causes of death, all cancers, and lung cancer. No bone cancer was observed. An excess of brain tumors was found for the cohort in general. Elevated rate ratios for all causes of death and all lymphopoietic neoplasms were found when employees with plutonium body burdens greater than or equal to 2 nCi were compared with those with body burdens less than 2 nCi, while accounting for age, calendar period, and induction time. Increased rate ratios were also found for esophageal, stomach, colon, and prostate cancers, and for lymphosarcomas and reticulum cell sarcomas. No elevated rate ratios were noted for bone and liver cancers. When employees with cumulative exposures greater than or equal to 1 rem were compared with those with exposures less than 1 rem, elevated rate ratios were found for myeloid leukemia, lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma, liver neoplasms, and unspecified brain tumors. No overall dose-response relationships were found for plutonium or external radiation exposures. Standardized rate ratios increased, however, as plutonium body burden levels increased for all causes, all cancers, and digestive cancers at five years induction time. Standardized rate ratios also increased as external radiation exposure categories increased for all lymphopoietic cancers and unspecified brain tumors for a two-year induction period. With the exception of analyses of combined categories of death, and perhaps of lung cancer, confidence limits were wide, indicating limited precision. Nevertheless, these findings suggest that increased risks for several types of cancers cannot be ruled out at this time for individuals with plutonium body burdens of greater than or equal to 2 nCi. Plutonium-burdened individuals should continue to be studied in future years.     

Slow degeneration of zebrafish Rohon-Beard neurons during programmed cell death.

Rohon-Beard cells are large, mechanosensory neurons located in the dorsal spinal cord of anamniote vertebrates. In most species studied to date, these cells die during development. We followed labeled Rohon-Beard cells in living zebrafish embryos and found that they degenerate slowly, over many days. During degeneration, the soma shrinks and finally disappears, and the processes become beady in appearance and finally break apart, but they do not retract. Zebrafish Rohon-Beard cells apparently fragment their DNA, as revealed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) labeling, before undergoing degenerative morphologic changes. We also followed the development of labeled dorsal root ganglion neurons, as they are developing at the same stages that Rohon-Beard cells are degenerating. We found that, although axons of both cell types extend into similar regions, Rohon-Beard cells degenerate normally in mutants lacking dorsal root ganglia, providing evidence that interactions between the two cell types are not responsible for Rohon-Beard cell degeneration. Developmental Dynamics 229:30-41,2004.     

Cephalosporin C acylase in the autolysis of filamentous fungi

Cephalosporin C acylase activity was studied using fluorescamine determination of free--NH2 groups produced in the deacylation of cephalosporin C by the enzyme. Fourteen fungi from different genera were studied and low extracellular cephalosporin C acylase activity was found in the genera Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium. Forty one fungi of these genera were checked but not all presented acylase activity. The enzyme was generally found to be an extracellular enzyme and during the process of autolysis its activity increased with incubation time and with increasing pH of the medium. In no case was beta-lactamase activity detected. Penicillium rugulosum and Penicillium griseofulvum were identified as good cephalosporin C acylase producers. Deacetyl esterase activity was also detected in these fungi.     

生理盐水用于会阴切开缝合术后擦洗效果观察

目的观察生理盐水用于会阴切开缝合术后伤口擦洗的效果。方法按时间顺序将790例会阴切开缝合术后产妇分为对照组371例，观察组419例。分别采用5％活力碘与生理盐水擦洗外阴及伤口，比较两组伤口愈合情况。结果两组伤口愈合情况比较，差异无显著性意义（P〉0．05）。结论采用生理盐水擦洗会阴及伤口对伤口愈合亦可起到与活力碘同样的作用，且成本低，对皮肤无刺激。