Dynamic maps: a visual-analytic methodology for exploring spatio-temporal disease patterns

Background  

Epidemiologic studies are often confounded by the human and environmental interactions that are complex and dynamic spatio-temporal processes. Hence, it is difficult to discover nuances in the data and generate pertinent hypotheses. Dynamic mapping, a method to simultaneously visualize temporal and spatial information, was introduced to elucidate such complexities. A conceptual framework for dynamic mapping regarding principles and implementation methods was proposed.     

胫股关节吻合性对人工膝关节聚乙烯磨损的影响

人工关节置换术是矫正关节畸形、解除关节疼痛、重建关节功能的主要手段。多年来 ,人工全髋、全膝皆以聚乙烯为关节形成表面 ,随着人工关节置换的广泛开展 ,聚乙烯磨损问题越来越引起人们的关注。聚乙烯磨损及其产生的碎屑和磨损颗粒所引发的生物学反应及导致的骨吸收、骨溶解 ,是造成假体松动、人工关节翻修的主要原因[1,2 ] 。与人工髋关节的球洞几何形态相比 ,人工膝关节的几何形态要不吻合的多 ,胫骨假体表面常承受较大的接触应力 ,较易产生磨损[2 ,3 ] ,理论上关节形成表面越吻合 ,聚乙烯磨损越少 ,不同的胫股关节吻合性 ,对假体磨损产…     

Participatory environmental health research in Aotearoa/New Zealand: constraints and opportunities.

Within the Aotearoa/New Zealand context, this article identifies opportunities for, as well as constraints on, using participatory research to address environmental health concerns. In New Zealand, principles of partnership fundamental to the Treaty of Waitangi, and the requirements for consultation within the Resource Management Act, provide a framework for participatory approaches. Participatory environmental health research integrates knowledge from various scientific and community sources. It also fosters the innovation, evaluation, and sharing of information that new public health approaches demand. As an emerging field in Aotearoa/New Zealand, it must draw on experience from resource management, rural development, and public health research and practice. Water quality is used as an example of the complexity of environmental health issues and of the potential benefits of engaging stakeholders where long-term health and well-being require balancing ecosystem integrity, economic viability, and social processes.     

The endometrial biopsy as a guide to the treatment of the luteal phase defect associated with hyperprolactinemia

Twenty-five hyperprolactinemic patients were given the diagnosis of associated luteal phase defect (LPD) on the basis of endometrial biopsy. Fifteen patients were found to have glandular stromal synchrony, and 10 had glandular stromal asynchrony (GSA). After 3 months of initial bromocriptine therapy, the patients were divided into two groups and treated separately on the basis of the endometrial histologic pattern found. Persistent GSA was complemented with clomiphene citrate. The raw pregnancy rates were identical for both groups. Progesterone values between the two groups were not significantly different. Life-table analysis projected the cumulative pregnancy rate on the basis of the protocol of therapy administered. The efficacy of utilizing a combined drug approach based on the endometrial biopsy seems prudent in managing the fertility rate of the hyperprolactenemic patient with LPD.     

Thoracic disk herniation and recurrent dislocation of total hip prosthesis.

We have described a patient who had thoracic disk herniation, recurrent dislocation of a total hip prosthesis, and heterotopic ossification. The recurrent dislocation resulted from spasticity from a spinal lesion, but the treatment focused on technical solutions related to the hip. Evaluation for total hip arthroplasty should include careful neurologic examination. If recurrent dislocation occurs, spasticity from an occult lesion should be considered. Resection of calcified thoracic disks should be approached with caution.     

Treatment of malignant tumors in the parotid glands

This study is a review of 105 patients with histologically confirmed salivary gland carcinoma in the parotid glands. The patients were consecutively registered at the Radium Centre of Copenhagen from 1971 to 1980. The different treatment modalities of these patients are examined concerning recurrence and survival. Sixty-two patients obtained local tumor control, 36 of them were in the group of patients treated with a combination of surgery and irradiation therapy. Twenty-five patients developed distant metastasis, and six patients had disseminated disease at the time of diagnosis. The overall 5-year crude survival in this report is 46%. Tumors of the parotid salivary glands must not be neglected, as early diagnosis and treatment are vital in order to achieve better results.     

The regulation of transmitter expression in postembryonic lineages in the moth Manduca sexta. II. Role of cell lineage and birth order.

The expression of GABA is restricted to the progeny of only six of the 24 identified postembryonic lineages in the thoracic ganglia of the tobacco hornworm, Manduca sexta (Witten and Truman, 1991). It is colocalized with a peptide similar to molluscan small cardioactive peptide B (SCPB) in some of the neurons in two of the six lineages. By combining chemical ablation of the neuroblasts at specific larval stages with birth dating of the progeny, we tested whether the expression of GABA and the SCPB-like peptide was determined strictly by cell lineage or involved cellular interactions among the members of individual clonal groups. Chemical ablation of the six specific neuroblasts that produced the GABA-positive neurons (E, K, M, N, T, and X) or of the two that produced the GABA + SCPB-like-immunoreactive neurons (K, M) prior to the generation of their lineages resulted in the loss of these immunoreactivities. These results suggest that regulation between lineages did not occur. Ablation of the K and M neuroblasts after they had produced a small portion of their lineages had no effect on the expression of GABA, but did affect the pattern of the SCPB-like immunoreactivity. Combining birth-dating techniques with transmitter immunocytochemistry revealed that it was the position in the birth order and not interactions among the clonally related neurons that influenced the peptidergic phenotype. These results suggest that cell lineage is involved in establishing the GABAergic phenotype and that both cell lineage and birth order influence the determination of the peptidergic phenotype.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)