The design of case-control studies: the effect of confounding on sample size requirements

This paper considers the extent to which confounding effects of covariates, which are not controlled for by matching in the design, may influence the sample size necessary for case-control studies. The quantitative calculations are performed for an age-matched case-control study on lung cancer and air pollution, and are based on different evaluation methods. For illustrative purposes attention is confined to a dichotomous risk factor and a single dichotomous covariate. By using the numerical values of a pilot study investigating lung cancer and air pollution, it turns out that the sample size required for detecting a relative risk as close as 1.15 to 1 is only slightly influenced by the strength of the association between confounder and risk factor for reasonable variations around our empirical values. On the other hand, sample size considerably increases with increasing relative risk of a confounder even when the association remains small. The sample size required for an individually matched analysis practically equals that for an age-stratified analysis when the relative risk of the covariate is one. With a relative risk greater than one, however, the size for a matched analysis exceeds that for a stratified analysis and the ratio between them increases with increasing relative risk.     

RIP: A cost-effective parent-implemented program for young handicapped children

The Regional Intervention Program (RIP) represents a pioneering effort in the utilization of parents as primary therapists for their own handicapped young children, as trainers of fellow parents, and as implementors of the program's daily operation.

This paper describes the essential elements of the program model, including its unique management-by-objectives evaluation system based on principles and techniques borrowed from the industrial engineering sector. Data regarding documented program effectiveness are presented in summary form.     

Cystometry. V. Bladder sensation.

Bladder sensation is an important variable in cystometry. Sensory complaints are a valuable portion of the history which may be further defined and documented by the cystometric examination.     

Molecular cytogenetic characterization of a 10p14 deletion that includes the DGS2 region in a patient with multiple anomalies

We report on a prenatally diagnosed four-month-old boy with DiGeorge-like phenotype and a deletion of chromosome 10pter --> 14. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments using phage artificial chromosome (PAC) and yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) clones indicated that the chromosomal breakpoint was located at the proximal boundary of the DiGeorge syndrome 2 (DGS2) critical region. The patient demonstrated a high forehead, high arched eyebrows, short palpebral fissures, sparse eyelashes, prominent nose with bulbous tip, small mouth, receding chin, round ears with deficient helices, cardiac defects atrial septal defect (ASD), ventricular septal defect (VSD), mild brachytelephalangy, mild syndactyly, hypoplastic left kidney, undescended testes, muscular hypertonia, dorsally flexed big toes, and developmental delay. The phenotype corresponded well with the clinical signs of 10p deletion of this region that were described previously. The facial features appeared different from the typical face with the 22q11 deletion.     

The nerve supply of the human auricle

Knowledge of the innervation of the outer ear is crucial for surgery in this region. The aim of this study was to describe the system of the auricular nerve supply. On 14 ears of seven cadavers the complete course of the nerve supply was exposed and categorized. A heterogeneous distribution of two cranial branchial nerves and two somatic cervical nerves was found. At the lateral as well as the medial surface the great auricular nerve prevails. No region with triple innervation was found.     

Barium in Tierknochen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Impact of immunosenescence on transplant outcome

Aging affects all compartments of the immune response and has a major impact on transplant outcome and organ quality. Although clinical trials in the aging transplant population remain rare, our current understanding of immunosenescence provides a basis for an age‐adapted immunosuppression and organ allocation with the goal to optimize utilization and to improve outcomes in older recipients. From a more general perspective, understanding the mechanisms and consequences of immunosenescence will have a broad impact on immune therapies in and beyond transplantation.     

Strategic retrieval and retrieval orientation in reality monitoring studied by event-related potentials (ERPs)

Reality monitoring requires the differentiation between perceived and imagined events or between our own actions and the actions of others. The role of control processes in reality monitoring is yet not fully understood. In the current event-related potential (ERP) study, we investigated such control processes in the form of retrieval orientation and strategic retrieval of nontarget information. At study, complete or incomplete object words were presented in sentences. Participants had to identify the words as the subject of the sentence (perceive condition) or had to complete them upon presentation of a word fragment (self-generate condition). The participants' memory accuracy was better for generated items than for perceived items, as tested in a subsequent memory exclusion task. Comparison of ERPs to new items between the two test conditions (i.e. assessing retrieval orientation) showed more positive ERPs when generated object names were targeted. Retrieval orientation also modulated the early midfrontal old/new effect: Items of the self-generate condition elicited this effect irrespective of their target/nontarget status, while in response to the less well remembered items of the perceive condition it was only found when these items were defined as targets. Target retrieval (as reflected in the left-parietal old/new effect) occurred in both test conditions, but nontarget retrieval was observed only for generated items (when perceived items were targeted). Current findings indicate that retrieval orientation can modulate familiarity-related processes. The selective occurrence of nontarget retrieval for generated items corroborates the concept that the ease with which nontarget information can be accessed promotes nontarget retrieval.