Preliminary evidence for a role of apolipoprotein E alleles in identifying haemodialysis patients at high vascular risk

Conventional risk factors have very low predictive power in identifying haemodialysis patients at high risk of vascular accidents. A role for apolipoprotein E isotypes was looked for in a small, but rigorously defined, cohort of longterm haemodialysis patients. In individuals with high vascular risk, as identified by higher common carotid intima/media thickness, we found an excess of apolipoprotein E4 alleles. This preliminary result requires confirmation in large patient cohorts.      

The influence of stigma on the sexual risk behavior of rural men who have sex with men.

Research investigating predictors of risky sexual behavior of rural MSM is sparse, even though the prevalence of HIV in rural areas has increased. This study explored two sets of predictors of 93 rural MSM's levels of risky sexual behavior: mental health variables and stigma emanating from men's family members, health care professionals, and people in the rural communities in which they live. Over 47% of the men were found to be at modified high to high risk. Logistic regression using a continuation logit model was used to test the relationship of the predictor variables and the four levels of risk. Findings indicate that self-esteem was predictive of the highest sexual risk behavior but not lower levels of risk. Stigma was predictive of modified high sexual risk when compared to low and no risk categories. No variables differentiated men at low risk from men at no risk.     

Melorheostosis: report of two cases affecting the jaw.

Melorheostosis is a rare sclerosing bone dysplasia that is characterized by a localized, diffuse thickening of the cortical bone. This condition usually affects the appendicular skeleton and associated soft tissue and rarely affects the craniofacial complex. The etiology of this condition is obscure. Diagnosis of melorheostosis relies on clinical, radiographic, and histological correlation. Only 8 cases of melorheostosis involving the craniofacial complex have been reported. We report 2 new cases of isolated melorheostosis involving the maxilla and mandible, together with differential diagnostic considerations. To our knowledge, involvement of the maxilla only has not been previously reported.     

Providence School Asthma Partnership: School-based Asthma Program for Inner-City Families

Over 3 years, 972 families participated in an after-school asthma program at their child's school. Parents and children attended concurrent 2¹/₂ -hour workshops. Parents were 74% Latino; 45% non-English speaking, with 77% of children on Medicaid. Asthma symptoms were significantly reduced, from multiple times per week to less than once per week on average. Oral steroid use decreased to one third of baseline use. Hospital days decreased from 11% to 2%; emergency visits decreased 35% to 4%; and school days missed decreased 48% to 20%. This program has now become sustainable with both private and Medicaid insurance coverage.     

Measurements of acetabular cup position and pelvic spatial orientation after total hip arthroplasty using computed tomography/radiography matching.

This study presents a clinical validation of postoperative measurements of acetabular cup alignment following total hip arthroplasty (THA). The methodology was based on concurrent anatomic three-dimensional (3D) measurements of both the acetabular cup alignment and pelvic orientation, using an original CT/X-ray matching algorithm named Xalign. The subjects were 19 patients who had undergone bilateral THA using CT-based surgical navigation. All patients had postoperative pelvic CT scans and multiple antero-posterior (AP) pelvic X-rays. Using a proprietary software algorithm, the X-rays included in the study were matched with the corresponding postoperative CT scans. The goal of this method was to allow 3D anatomic pelvic and acetabular measurements on two-dimensional AP X-rays. The postoperative cup abduction, version and pelvic flexion angles were determined in three different ways: using CT images directly, applying the Xalign method, and finally by performing conventional (abduction only) measurements on AP pelvic X-rays. The cup orientation measured on CT images was taken as the ground truth. The Xalign measurement errors were defined as the difference between the CT cup values and those obtained by applying the matching method. The mean cup abduction error was 0.85 degrees +/- 1.3 degrees (+/- standard deviation) and the mean version error was 0.01 degrees +/- 1.99 degrees . Conventionally measured cup abduction ranged from 44 degrees to 62 degrees and correlated significantly (p = 0.001, r = -0.5) with pelvic flexion angle, proving the linear negative correlation between pelvic flexion and the error in conventional radiographic cup measurements. The Xalign method offered reasonable accuracy for cup orientation, and allowed cup and pelvic 3D anatomic measurements at different times.