Thirty white mentally retarded children were administered the WISC-R under one of three conditions: standardized testing conditions, standardized plus immediate reinforcement, standardized plus delayed reinforcement. One reinforcement group earned tokens immediately after each correct response and the other reinforcement group received their earned tokens halfway through and at the end of the IQ test. Both reinforcement groups exchanged their tokens for a variety of backup reinforcers at the halfway point and at the end of the test. Both the immediate and delayed reinforcement groups showed significantly better performance than the standardized testing group, although the two reinforcement groups did not differ from one another. Half of the children in each of the groups that earned tokens scored above the mentally impaired range while only one child in the standardized testing group scored above the mentally impaired level. Implications for the use of intelligence tests for mentally retarded students are discussed.

Child↗

PubMed1982

Effects of serum-free defined medium on MCF-7 cell nuclear estrogen-receptor levels.

We have examined the effects of serum-free defined medium on filled and unfilled nuclear estrogen-receptor levels in the MCF-7 breast tumor cell line. Transfer of the cells to defined medium resulted in an initial increase in nuclear receptor levels, primarily of unfilled receptors, followed by a decrease of both receptor types to starting levels. Cells maintained in 10% fetal calf serum-containing medium, and sampled identically to those transferred to defined medium, exhibited a gradual but continuous increase in filled nuclear receptor levels accompanied by a decrease in unfilled receptors occurring toward the end of the 1-week experimental period. These results suggest that experiments requiring maximal depletion of endogenous MCF-7 nuclear estrogen will be optimized by repeated washing with estrogen-depleted medium, while limited washing with the same medium may be counter-productive.

Breast Neoplasms↗

PubMed1982

Pediatric endocarditis.

Infective endocarditis is a rare disease in the general pediatric population. Nonetheless, children with congenital heart disease have a substantial lifetime risk for development of endocarditis, and recent advances in the management of these children should increase the number of patients who survive infancy and early childhood. During the 30-year period from 1950 through 1979, 50 cases of endocarditis in children were diagnosed at the Mayo Clinic. Of these 50 patients, 37 had congenital heart disease, and 8 were diagnosed as having endocarditis within 3 months after having undergone a cardiac surgical procedure. Nineteen patients died of the disease or its complications. The most common organism isolated at Staphylococcus aureus (19 patients), followed by viridans streptococci (14 patients). Children younger than 10 years of age experienced a particularly high mortality, as did patients of all ages with S. aureus infection. Any unexplained fever in a child with congenital heart disease deserves close investigation; if endocarditis is suspected, early empiric antibiotic therapy is indicated after appropriate culture specimens have been obtained. Moreover, localized bacterial infections in children at risk must be treated aggressively to prevent metastatic spread to the heart.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

Luminol assay for superoxide dismutase.

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Animals↗

PubMed1981

Computed tomography and angiography of cavernous hemangiomas of the liver.

Cavernous hemangioma is the most common benign tumor of the liver. Eighteen patients were studied by both computed tomography (CT) and angiography. The angiographic features were classic, consisting of normal hepatic arteries, no tumor vessels, and densely stained blood-filled spaces producing a "cotton-wool" appearance. Before contrast infusion, CT scans showed roughly spherical, well-demarcated low-density masses; afterward there was a peripheral zone of enhancement which varied in thickness and sometimes had a corrugated inner margin, though the center remained low in density and the overall size of the lesion did not change. The authors feel that the CT findings are characteristic and that in some cases angiography is unnecessary.

Angiography↗

PubMed1981

Percutaneous biliary decompression: internal and external drainage in 50 patients.

A review of percutaneous biliary decompression performed at the Mayo Clinic was initiated to study indications, technique, technical problems, and short- and long-term complications. Data were collected on the initial 50 patients in whom biliary decompression had been performed. More than 80% of patients presented with lesions or a record of previous surgery near the ductal bifurcation that resulted in increased difficulty in obtaining internal drainage. Follow-up data were available in 40 patients and allowed careful evaluation of immediate and long-term complications. Significant complications were limited to intraabdominal bleeding, which occurred in four patients and resulted in death in one. Four patients experienced sepsis immediately after the procedure, and episodes of cholangitis occurred in seven patients who had long-term drainage catheters in place.

Adult↗

PubMed1981

[A case of granulomatous peritonitis caused by Ascaris lumbricoides ova].

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Adult↗

PubMed1980

Inner ear lidocaine concentrations following iontophoresis.

This study has established the feasibility of measuring perilymph lidocaine levels after iontophoresis for local tympanic anesthesia in the rabbit model. A subsequent study may now be performed to produce a valid, dose-response curve correlating perilymph lidocaine levels and cochlear responses. In this manner the effects of and safety of lidocaine iontophoresis for tympanic anesthesia can be determined with certainty. After intravenous sedation, eight rabbits underwent iontophoresis followed by diagnostic vestibulotomies. Perilymph samples were taken and analyzed for lidocaine levels. Significant amounts of perilymph lidocaine were found in both the intact and perforated tympanic membrane groups. In the perforated tympanic membrane group, the perilymph lidocaine level was eight times that of the intact tympanic membrane group. Future studies to determine the dose-response relationship of perilymph lidocaine to cochlear responses are now possible. Thus, the safety of lidocaine iontophoresis and the degree of inner ear toxicity of lidocaine can be established quantitatively.

Animals↗

PubMed1980

Micro enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the serodiagnosis of New World leishmaniasis.

Of 21 confirmed cases of New World leishmaniasis, 16 exhibited antibody to antigens of the promastigote of Leishmania braziliensis panamensis by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Comparison of antibody titers obtained by ELISA with titers obtained by indirect immunofluorescence using an amastigote substrate confirmed that the sensitivities of the two techniques were within the same range (r = 0.80). Although sera from patients with New World leishmaniasis failed to react with antigens extracted from epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, sera from 39 cases of Chagas' disease were reactive with promastigotes of L. braziliensis panamensis. This apparent unidirectional cross-reactivity has been attributed to differences in potency of the antigenic stimulus presented in the two diseases.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1980

Splenic arteriovenous fistula.

A patient with an uncalcified splenic artery aneurysm with an arteriovenous fistula and aneurysmal dilatation of the splenic vein who underwent splenectomy and resection of the fistula is described. Splenic arteriovenous fistulas are rare and are usually associated with aneurysms of the splenic artery. Patients with these fistulas frequently have signs and symptoms of portal hypertension and may often present with upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage. The patient described in this report was asymptomatic, and the only manifestation of the fistula was a loud, continuous bruit in the left flank noted on routine physical examination. Although an upper abdominal incision can be used to manage most splenic artery aneurysms, a left thoracoabdominal incision is advocated in the presence of an arteriovenous fistula, particularly in anticipation of portal hypertension or aneurysm of the splenic vein.

Arteriovenous Fistula↗

PubMed1979

The brow-lift 1978.

The direct brow-lift for correction of brow ptosis can be one of the most beneficial surgical procedures in cosmetic surgery. Careful preoperative evaluation and proper symmetrical marking of the correction are key elements for successful results. We discuss the surgical technique in detail.

Eyebrows↗

PubMed1979

Renal stone epidemiology: a 25-year study in Rochester, Minnesota.

There are no adequate studies of the incidence of urolithiasis in the United States, in spite of earlier claims that a "stone belt" exists in the southeastern section of the country. This report is the first description of the incidence and recurrence rates for symptomatic noninfected renal stones in a well-defined population. A total of 798 patients were enrolled in the study group, of whom 672 were incidence cases having had their first episode as documented residents of Rochester, Minnesota, between 1950 and the end of 1974. The annual age-adjusted incidence rate for females was stable over the 25-year study period at 36.0 per 100,000 population. That for males increased significantly (P less than 0.02) from 78.5 per 100,000 to 123.6 per 100,000. Recurrence calculations showed a high rate for both sexes in the first year, followed by lower but constant rates for all succeeding years.

Adult↗

PubMed1979

Behavioral contrast during the acquisition of speechreading.

Two hearing-impaired children were taught to speechread the names of 18 objects divided into three sets. A multiple baseline across sets of objects was obtained for each subject. Tokens presented contingent upon correct responses to certain sets of names increased the frequencies of those correct responses. Both subjects exhibited positive behavioral contrast during the acquisition of speechreading; correct responses to one set increased above the previously established level when the contingencies for a second set changed from token reinforcement to extinction. The obtained contrast effect was conductive to learning and the procedure was effective in teaching the children to speechread the training words.

Behavior Therapy↗