Aesthetic and functional outcomes in patients with a nasal prosthesis.

The aim was to evaluate the aesthetic and functional outcomes in patients with a nasal prosthesis after radical tumour resection. A questionnaire with 15 domains was created to evaluate the satisfaction of patients with their nasal prosthesis. Correlations with the results of the University of Washington Quality of Life (UWQOL) questionnaire, which was also completed by the patients, were analyzed. Forty-three patients with a partial or total nasal prosthesis completed the questionnaire. Twenty-seven patients were male and 16 were female; their median age was 62 years. The median follow-up time after tumour resection was 33 months. The best result was obtained for overall function (85.5) and the worst result for nasal crusts (58.5). The average daily duration of prosthesis use was 17.4h. There were sex-dependent and age-dependent differences in the domain 'self-confidence', age-dependent differences in the domain 'stability during sporting activities', and differences in the domain 'nose bleed' depending on the time since tumour resection. All patients would recommend this rehabilitation after rhinectomy. 'Satisfaction with function' had the most influence on UWQOL domains. The nasal prosthesis is a well-accepted rehabilitation after rhinectomy. The results for appearance are comparable to those obtained for nasal reconstruction, and high scores were found for the functional domains.

[Irregular antibodies. A comparative study of 2 series of 20,000 subjects: one with a conventional identification test, the other with gel-test]. / Recherche d'anticorps irréguliers. Etude comparative sur 2 séries de 20,000 sujets, l'une avec identification en technique tube, l'autre en gel-test.

The results of irregular antibody screening in two successive series of 21485 and 19819 individuals were retrospectively analysed. All the irregular antibody screenings were performed with an autoanalyser according to Rosenfield and Lalezary [1, 2] but red cell antibody identification tests were not the same: conventional manual tests in the first series and gel-test Diamed in the second one. In spite of a bigger number of identification tests performed in the second series, the percentage of patients with irregular antibodies was approximately the same (2.27% and 2.22%) in each series. Analysis of identified specificities shows in the second series the increase of immune antibodies (+ 42.3%) especially antibodies with anti-Rh specificity and the decline of natural antibodies (- 28.9%) essentially of anti-Lewis b and P1 antibodies. The sensitivity of both the gel-test and the autoanalyser screening for identification of immune antibodies are more or less the same. The sensitivity of gel-test probably gives a safer transfusion but increases the workload of both the laboratory and the blood bank delivery service.

The odds for success on NCLEX-RN by nurse candidates from a four-year baccalaureate nursing program.

First-time nurse candidates from a four-year baccalaureate nursing program were examined to identify predictors of success on NCLEX-RN. Five logistic regression models were tested to see if specific variables increased nurse candidates' odds for success or failure. The use of admission criteria was the poorest model in predicting performance. Cumulative grade point averages (GPAs) suggested that the end of the sophomore year was the best time for predicting success and the end of the junior year was best for predicting failure. Age was inversely related to successful performance in three of the five models. Using cumulative nursing GPAs, the likelihood of predicting success on NCLEX-RN increased at the end of each academic year.

Success-failure on the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses by nurse candidates from an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program.

Nine years of data from first-time nurse candidates taking the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) were examined to identify predictors of successful performance and determine probabilities of success. Using logistic regression, four statistical models at strategic time periods during an accelerated baccalaureate nursing program were tested to see when intervention might be initiated to influence student performance on the NCLEX-RN. By the end of the first semester the model could predict failure for 94 per cent of those who failed, but it was less consequential in correctly predicting success of those who passed. Significant variables placing nurse candidates at risk included their first-semester grade point average, sex, and whether they were foreign educated. By the end of the second semester, with each full letter grade increase in cumulative grade point average, nurse candidates had a 46 times better chance of passing the NCLEX-RN; American-educated nurse candidates had a 4.5 times better chance of passing than their foreign-educated counterparts. At the end of the final semester, with each full letter grade increase on the final cumulative grade point average, nurse candidates had a 97 times greater likelihood of performing successfully on the NCLEX-RN.

Propionibacterium acnes immunotherapy in chronic recurrent canine pyoderma. An adjunct to antibiotic therapy.

In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, dogs with chronic recurrent pyoderma were treated with antibiotics plus intravenous injections of either Propionibacterium acnes or placebo. Responses (an increase, decrease, or clearing of lesions) were measured and evaluated statistically. Eighty percent (12 of 15) of the dogs treated with antibiotics and P acnes compared with 38% (five of 13) of the dogs treated with antibiotics and placebo responded with significant improvement or complete remission of lesions at the end of the 12-week treatment schedule (P less than 0.05).

Nursing interventions and patient outcomes: a meta-analysis of studies.

The 84 subject-studies and 4,146 individual subjects in this meta-analysis were obtained from nurse-conducted experimental research over an 8-year period. The entire universe of accessible subject-studies that met criteria was included. Although both published and unpublished research were included to protect the study from publication bias, there was no statistically significant difference in findings. The mean effect size for the sample of comparisons from the 84 studies was .59. The associated U3 value of 72.2 and r of .28 indicate that patients who receive research-based nursing interventions can expect 28% better outcomes than 72% of the patients who receive standard nursing care.

[Cost of transfusion in AIDS. Experience at the Claude-Bernard Hospital apropos of 28 cases]. / Coût transfusionnel du SIDA. Expérience de l'hôpital Claude-Bernard à propos de 28 cas.

The study of 28 confirmed cases of AIDS shows that transfused patients use a large amount of hospital's blood products, especially platelets. For these patients, the average cost of transfusion is higher than that, for intensive care unit patient's. The use of irradiated products increases the cost (+ 35%). As there is a shortage of donors, if the present precautions are respected, there is no reason why the hospital should not continue to ask the patient's family and circle of friends, to donate blood.

3-Amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid in antibiotic biosynthesis. VI. Directed biosynthesis studies with ansamycin antibiotics.

Biosynthesis of the ansamycin antibiotic actamycin (2) was markedly increased by the addition of the precursor 3-amino-5-hydroxybenzoic acid (1) to the producing Streptomyces fermentation. Similar addition of the 4-chloro, 6-chloro, N-methyl and O-methyl analogues 4, 6, 5 and 7 of the amino acid 1 reduced actamycin production and did not yield structurally modified ansamycins. These results with the analogues 4, 5 and 7 indicate that the corresponding chlorine, N-methyl and O-methyl substituents present in the nuclei of various ansamycins are introduced at biosynthetic stages beyond the level of the amino acid 1.

[Psychiatry and antipsychiatry. Future aspects of an unsettled controversy]. / Psychiatrie und Antipsychiatrie. Zukunftsaspekte einer unabgeschlossenen Kontroverse.

The quotation of two representative examples of so-called "antipsychiatry" shows that the given arguments are neither coherent nor of practical use. There is no doubt that antipsychiatry has not only utopian but also very down-to-earth aims in mind which could finally result in parts of psychiatry and, in particular, of psychotherapy being more or less split off from medicine. This can, in the long run, be avoided only if medicine not only makes an effort to continuously update its own theoretical foundations (which are included in the following key words), but more over investigates to what degree practical psychiatric research takes them into account. Difficulties in this context are shown.

Metabolites of Dactylaria lutea. The structures of dactylariol and the antiprotozoal antibiotic dactylarin.

The metabolites of the predacious fungus Dactylaria lutea ROUTIEN include the anthraquinone macrosporin (2) and three hydroxylated 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro derivatives of this anthraquinone, altersolanol A (5), altersolanol B (4) and dactylariol (6). The structure and relative configuration of dactylariol are established from spectroscopic studies, and its absolute configuration is proposed as 1R, 2R, 3R by virtue of its co-occurrence with altersolanol B. Dactylarin, suggested by other authors to have the structure (1), is shown to be identical with altersolanol B (4).

Gamma benzene hexachloride in guinea-pig brain after topical application.

Blood and brain levels of gamma benzene hexachloride had been measured following topical application in guinea pigs. Levels increased with number of application, and the concentration in brain was at least 10 times greater than in blood.