Aerobiology of the Colorado Rockies: pollen count comparisons between Vail and Denver, Colorado.

Pollen patterns were compared between Vail, CO (8,200 feet elevation), Aspen, CO (7,900 feet) and Denver, CO (5,280 feet) from 1984 through 1988. Counts were obtained at all sites with a volumetric intermittent cycling rotating impaction sampler. Aspen and Denver were compared in 1984, and Vail and Denver from 1985 through 1988. While counts were generally lower in the mountain sites than Denver, certain pollens, especially trees, were quite high. Ragweed was essentially absent from Aspen and Vail, and chenopod-amaranth counts were very low. Cedar, pine, and aspen frequently pollinated despite active snowfall.     

MR imaging of neurocysticercosis

Magnetic resonance (MR) was performed in 50 patients with neurocysticercosis. Comparison was made with other neuroradiological imaging modalities including CT, myelography, CT ventriculography, and CT myelocisternography. Eighteen patients were found to have intraventricular cysts. In several patients, these were multiple and 22 intraventricular cysts were discovered. Although 4 of the 22 ventricular cysts were missed by MR, T1-weighted images can play a significant role in the early detection of intraventricular cysticercosis cysts, showing the cyst wall (9 of 22), a high intensity mural nodule (6 of 22), and increased signal intensity of the cyst fluid (5 of 22). Cisternal cysts (14 cysts in 10 patients) could be identified; they appear similar to intraventricular cysts, but mural nodules are infrequently seen (1 of 14). Twenty-nine patients had 69 parenchymal cysts. An attempt was made to assess the viability of these parenchymal lesions by matching the CT and MR findings with the Escobar pathologic staging system. Neuroimaging findings seemed compatible with early parenchymal lesions in the vesicular stage in 11 instances. Findings in cases with later stage cysts tend to support the concept that a dying larva provokes pronounced inflammatory reaction in the adjacent brain. Computed tomography remains the superior modality for depicting parenchymal calcifications within dead larvae. A case of a spinal cysticercosis cyst demonstrated with MR (in a patient with extensive intracranial cisternal cysts and a fourth ventricular cyst) is described.     

Removal of bone cement from the femoral shaft using a femoral windowing device

The authors previously described a method of windowing the femur that allowed good exposure for femoral cement removal and provided for reconstruction of the defect. Since that report, they have developed instrumentation to facilitate windowing of the femoral shaft. They describe its use in this report.     

Kearns-Sayre syndrome with sideroblastic anemia: molecular investigations.

The progressive syndrome of Kearns-Sayre has been studied at the clinical, biochemical and genetic levels in a patient. Clinical arguments suggest an evolution from Pearson's disease to Kearns-Sayre syndrome. The respiratory chain activities were low, and Southern blot analysis, together with gene sequencing, showed a heteroplasmic deletion of 7767 base pairs in a significant proportion of the mitochondrial DNA in different tissues. Protein synthesis studies on lymphoblasts did not reveal any translation of the new reading frame created by the deletion, although the corresponding deleted mitochondrial DNA sequence is transcribed.     

Benign meningioma with a short latency period following irradiation.

Meningiomas have been reported following radiation of the head, usually with a long latent interval between exposure and the diagnosis of the new tumor. We report a benign meningioma resected approximately 3 1/2 years after radiation therapy for a glioma, which represents an unusually short latent interval between radiation and new tumor growth.     

Putting some PEP into pulmonary rehabilitation.

By focusing on quality of life through education and ongoing support, the pulmonary rehabilitation staff at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Torrance, Calif, gives hope to respiratory patients and teaches them to become partners in the management of their disease.     

Determinants of elderly residential mobility in Southern China: Exploration and implications

It is a widely accepted observation that many older Hong Kong residents have lived periodically on the Chinese mainland since the relaxation of restrictions on cross-border mobility and the closer connection between Hong Kong and the mainland. This paper explores and compares the determinants of various modes of residential mobility by Hong Kong retirees to the Pearl River Delta based on the data of two samples—one from Hong Kong and the other from the mainland. The findings support those of studies in Western societies that the decision of elderly residential mobility can be effectively predicted by the personal attributes, place ties, and person ties of the retirees, and that the effects of these factors vary with different modes of retiree mobility. The implications of these findings for the formulation of migration and housing policies for the older population and the economic development of amenity communities are discussed. He is also a Research Associate at the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement in Toronto, Canada. His research interests are elderly residential mobility, gerontology and geriatrics education, and the help-seeking behavior of older people. Dr. Ma’s latest study concerns the utilization and accessibility of human services for older residents in Hong Kong. He is also a reviewer of several international journals. Dr. Chow’s research interests are social security policies and practice, social policies and services for older people, and family support. The focus of his latest research project is the service needs of new immigrants to Hong Kong.     

Coronary bypass surgery early after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction

The safety of coronary bypass operations after coronary reperfusion with streptokinase for acute myocardial infarction is not well documented. Therefore we studied 23 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.5 years; 22 men) undergoing bypass operations a median of 5 days (range, 1 to 23 days) after thrombolysis (streptokinase). The control group consisted of 169 concurrent patients of similar mean age (58.8 years) having bypass operations for standard indications. The preoperative angiographic ejection fraction was 68 +/- 14% in the control patients and 61 +/- 14% in the streptokinase group (p less than 0.05). The number of diseased vessels (70% stenosis or greater) averaged 2.6 in control and 2.3 in streptokinase patients. A previous myocardial infarction had occurred in 42% of the controls and all of the streptokinase patients. Aortic cross-clamp times did not differ between the two groups (80 +/- 35 minutes for the controls and 68 +/- 25 minutes for the streptokinase group). Cardiopulmonary bypass times were similar: 108 +/- 45 minutes in the controls versus 109 +/- 28 minutes in the streptokinase group. Grafts per patient averaged 3.7 +/- 1.5 for the controls versus 2.8 +/- 1.1 for the streptokinase patients (p less than 0.01). Difficult operative hemostasis was noted in 4% of both groups. Inotropic support was given postoperatively to 11% of the control and 13% of the streptokinase patients (p = not significant). Measured blood loss during the first 48 hours postoperatively was similar, averaging 809 ml in controls and 776 ml in the streptokinase group. Blood product replacement was also comparable: mean, 713 ml in the control group versus 759 ml in the streptokinase group.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

A longitudinal study of mental health consumer/survivor initiatives: Part 3—A qualitative study of impacts of participation on new members

This article examines the outcomes of participation in mental health Consumer/Survivor Initiatives (CSIs) and identifies helpful qualities of CSIs through a longitudinal, qualitative study that involved in‐depth interviews of people who experienced severe mental health challenges in Ontario, Canada. We used a nonequivalent control group design in which we compared active participants in CSIs ( n = 15) with nonactive participants ( n = 12) at baseline and at 9‐ and 18‐month follow‐up intervals. Compared with non‐CSI participants, CSI participants reported more stable mental health, enhanced social support, sustained work, stable income, and participation in education and training at 9‐ and 18‐month interviews. The helpful qualities of CSIs that participants reported were (1) safe environments that provide a positive, welcoming place to go; (2) social arenas that provide opportunities to meet and talk with peers; (3) an alternative worldview that provides opportunities for members to participate and contribute; and (4) effective facilitators of community integration that provide opportunities to connect members to the community at large. The findings are discussed in terms of previous research in self‐help and consumer‐run organizations in mental health. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.