Masculinity ideology among young African American and European American women and men in different regions of the United States.

This is a report of 2 studies. Study 1, a replication of R.F. Levant and R.G. Majors (1997), examined variations in the endorsement of traditional and nontraditional masculinity ideology, by gender and race, among 270 African American and 226 European American young men and women using the Male Role Norms Inventory (MRNI; Levant & Fischer, in press). Although both gender and race differences in masculinity ideology were significant, gender had a larger effect size. Study 2, focused on the effect of residence in different geographic regions of the country, compared the MRNI scores of the more metropolitan Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic sample of the present study with those of the more rural Southern sample used by Levant and Majors. This study found that the effect of geographic place of residence moderates the effect of race on masculinity ideology, which underscores the importance of subcultural variations (e.g., metropolitan vs. rural) within cultural groups defined by race.

Achieving full range of motion after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

A review of 119 consecutive anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions showed that the time from injury to surgery (early versus delayed) did not make a difference in obtaining full range of motion. Only patients with late surgery had a slight decrease in range of motion. Followup data were obtained for 111 reconstructions. Twenty-one were early surgeries (1 to 14 days), 22 were delayed surgeries (15 to 28 days), and 68 were late surgeries (more than 28 days). The patients involved in the 21 early surgeries obtained 0 degree of knee extension or better and 135 degrees of knee flexion or better. The patients involved in the 22 delayed reconstructions reached 0 degree of knee extension or better and 135 degrees of flexion or better. Among the patients with the 68 late surgeries, 93% of the knees reached 0 degree of extension or better and all reached at least 135 degrees of flexion. The five patients who did not achieve full knee extension had extension loses less than 4 degrees. All 111 reconstructions were determined stable when full range of motion was achieved based on clinical examination, which included the Lachman test, anterior drawer test, pivot shift, and KT-1000 arthrometer when appropriate.

Automated on-line multi-dimensional high-performance liquid chromatographic techniques for the clean-up and analysis of water-soluble samples.

The application of an automated on-line multi-dimensional liquid-liquid chromatographic technique for the clean-up and analysis of water-soluble samples was investigated. The use of microparticulate aqueous-compatible steric exclusion columns as the primary separation step coupled to either reversed-phase, normal-phase or ion-exchange columns as the secondary step allowed the direct injection of complex samples without prior clean-up. The entire operation was automatically controlled by a microprocessor-based liquid chromatograph with time-programmable events which allowed precise switching of high-pressure pneumatically operated valves. Both heart-cutting and on-column concentration methods were used. The heart-cutting technique had the advantage of selectivity but lacked sensitivity; more successful was the on-column concentration technique, which, by the concentration of the solute from a larger volume of exclusion column effluent on to the secondary column, gave better sensitivity. The technique was applied to the analysis of theophylline and caffeine in biological fluids, catecholamines in urine, vitamins in a protein food supplement and sugars in molasses and candy bars.

A recommended protocol for pacemaker follow-up: analysis of 1,705 implanted pacemakers.

This study, developed for the purpose of establishing an appropriate protocol for general follow-up of the paced patient, is based on clinical experience with patients derived from diverse specialties, geographical locations and protocol preferences. The analysis represents a four-year study of the transtelephonic follow-up of 1,705 implanted cardiac pacers, which represents 44,616 pacer-months of experience. There were 340 system malfunctions, 41% (141) due to battery exhaustion and 59% (199) due to other causes. Of all observed system failures 9.7% (33) occurred within 1 month of implantation, with the rate declining sharply thereafter until battery failures began to occur at approximately the twenty-fourth month. Only 10.9% (37) of all system failures were accompanied by clinical symptoms. Of the clinical failures, 62% (23) occurred in patients who were tested at intervals greater than 10 weeks. Our analysis indicates that testing should be performed weekly for the first month following lead manipulation. Thereafter, tests should be performed at 8- to 10-week intervals for the first 24 months of pacemaker life. During the third postimplant year tests should be conducted more frequently, depending on the energy source of the generator.