Women's attractiveness is linked to expected age at menopause

A great number of studies have shown that features linked to immediate fertility explain a large part of the variance in female attractiveness. This is consistent with an evolutionary perspective, as men are expected to prefer females at the age at which fertility peaks (at least for short-term relationships) in order to increase their reproductive success. However, for long-term relationships, a high residual reproductive value (the expected future reproductive output, linked to age at menopause) becomes relevant as well. In that case, young age and late menopause are expected to be preferred by men. However, the extent to which facial features provide cues to the likely age at menopause has never been investigated so far. Here, we show that expected age at menopause is linked to facial attractiveness of young women. As age at menopause is heritable, we used the mother's age at menopause as a proxy for her daughter's expected age of menopause. We found that men judged faces of women with a later expected age at menopause as more attractive than those of women with an earlier expected age at menopause. This result holds when age, cues of immediate fertility and facial ageing were controlled for. Additionally, we found that the expected age at menopause was not correlated with any of the other variables considered (including immediate fertility cues and facial ageing). Our results show the existence of a new correlate of women's facial attractiveness, expected age at menopause, which is independent of immediate fertility cues and facial ageing.

[Filtering surgery in glaucoma: comparative study of three surgical approaches]

INTRODUCTION

The multiple complications observed with trabeculectomy encouraged the re-emergence of non penetrating glaucoma surgery (NPGS) in the 1980's. Since then, several modifications have been developed in order to improve success rates and safety. We describe a new variation of deep sclerectomy (DS) in which we include an autologous corneal stromal implant soaked in mitomycin C and sutured to the scleral bed. Next, we compare intraocular pressure (IOP) at 2 years in three groups: I: DS; II: DS with autologous implant soaked in mitomycin C; III: conventional trabeculectomy.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

All surgeries were performed by the same surgeon. There were 40, 22 and 15 eyes with medically uncontrolled primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in groups I, II and III, respectively. All patients underwent the usual pre- and postoperative exams over 24 months. Selected patients underwent Visante OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) (Carl Zeiss, Meditec, Inc. Germany) examination of their anterior segments.

RESULT

Age and sex distribution in all three groups showed no statistical difference. Mean preoperative IOP was 24 ± 11 mmHg, 26 ± 14 mmHg and 25 ± 9 mmHg in group I, II and III, respectively (P>0.8). Mean postoperative IOP was 14 ± 3 mmHg, 10 ± 3 mmHg and 13 ± 4 mmHg (P=0.05) at six months; 16 ± 4 mmHg, 13 ± 3 mmHg and 11 ± 4 mmHg (P=0.02) at 12 months; and 15 ± 4 mmHg, 12 ± 3 mmHg and 14 ± 4 mmHg (P=0.2) at 24 months. Mean number of eye medications dropped from 1.85, 2.18 to 1.92 (P>0.05) preoperatively in group I, II, and III, respectively, to and 0.25, 0.05 to 0.18 (P=0.02) at 24 months. Patients with a visible implant under the bleb at 24 months had a better outcome.

DISCUSSION

DS with autologous implant significantly reduced IOP at 12 and 24 months. The results seem better than those obtained with collagen implants, most likely due to the persistence of the corneal implant under the bleb at 2 years. Its non-resorption and the minimal fibrosis at the level of the scleral bed may be related to the fact that it is an autologous material which has been soaked with mitomycin C.

CONCLUSION

DS with autologous implant soaked in mitomycin C, an inexpensive technique, demonstrates medium-term efficacy in the surgical management of POAG. Our results suggest that our technique may enhance both success rate and efficacy in lowering IOP. Further long-term studies are needed.

Pseudophakic ametropia managed with a phakic posterior chamber intraocular lens

We report the use of a phakic posterior chamber intraocular lens (IOL) to correct pseudophakic ametropia. Two eyes of 2 patients developed ametropia after unilateral phacoemulsification and IOL implantation. The manifest refraction was -6.00 -0.50 x 50 in the first patient and +4.50 -1.00 x 15 in the second. Both patients were bothered by the induced anisometropia and had posterior chamber phakic IOL implantation in the pseudophakic eye. Postoperatively, uncorrected visual acuity improved from 20/400 to 20/30 in the first patient and from 20/200 to 20/40 in the second patient. The manifest refraction was -0.50 -0.75 x 55 and +1.50 -1.50 x 30, respectively. No complications were noted. Implantation of a phakic posterior chamber IOL may be an alternative to currently available methods of managing pseudophakic ametropia.

[Subjective perception of the effect of neuroleptics by outpatient schizophrenic patients: a cross-sectional study]

Subjective response to neuroleptics is essential to long term observance of treatment and quality of life of patients. Numerous factors (pharmacological, relational and psychopathological) are responsible of this subjective response. Objectives of this study are: (a) to examine psychometric features of the french version of the Drug Attitude Inventory (DAI-30) [13] and (b) to explore pharmacological, relational and psychopathological factors related to this subjective response.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

78 subjects were rated (self rated response rate 61% (n = 48)) for (a) subjective response to neuroleptics, (b) compliance, (c) therapeutic alliance, (d) symptoms (e) severity of disorder.

RESULTS

Factor analysis yielded 2 main clinically relevant factors, similar to the original version: (I) global subjective response and (II) specific subjective response. Internal consistency is high. Correspondance analysis showed two important dimensions in the treatment of schizophrenic patients: (I) Recovery--aggravation, (II) Therapeutic ambition--positive or negative symptoms.

CONCLUSION

French version of DAI-30 seems to have a similar structure and psychometric features as the original version. It shows concordance with the degree of compliance. Pharmacological factors are not the only factors implicated in subjective response, but are still to be identified. Limitations of our study are: (a) nonhomogenous indication for treatment, (b) small rate and degree of non compliance in our sample. Relationships between therapeutic ambition, type of symptoms and treatment outcome should be further studied.

[Mortality and birthdays]

The authors study the date of death in relationship, in the annual cycle, to date of birth of every person who died of natural causes in Switzerland between 1st January, 1969 and 31st December, 1992 (N = 12,275,033). They highlight a maximal mortality (17% over expected) on the actual anniversary of birth with the entire population, a slightly lower figure being found under 80 years of age, higher over this age. They tie this phenomenon to the classical group of "anniversary reactions", in which problems of identity probably play a role. An uncertainty hangs nevertheless over the value of these findings, which are not confirmed by any published material, and even denied by some.

[Informed consent in the framework of biomedical research: a survey]

Inquiry on the quality and steps taken to obtain informed consents for biomedical research projects, based on the cases of 39 patients coming from 15 different projects with immediate therapeutic goals and 16 healthy subjects coming from 4 different projects without immediate therapeutic goals. Comparison between observed reality and the more or less demanding norms that were recommended. We noted a much bigger gap (therefore a consent actually informed in a lesser way) in the group of patients than in the group of healthy subjects. Explanatory hypotheses: the healthy subjects' higher social and cultural level, but also the investigators' difficulty and comprehensible discomfort to integrate, with respect to the patient, the essentially different and possibly contradictory points of view of scientific research and medical care; the "double market" notion.

[Comparison of astigmatism due to ambulatory cataract surgery with 3 different techniques]

We show that there was little difference in the average astigmatism induced in three surgical groups (Extracapsular (EC), Phacoemulsification with and without scleral tunnelization) at the last control. An examination of a second group of patients shows a significant reduction in the time necessary for recovering at least 80% of the final visual function and a significant shortening of the time elapsed before the prescription of the glasses in the group of patients operated on using phaco with tunnellization. Just as there is a significant relationship between the post-operative cyclinder and postoperative phase 1, there is also a reduction in, and early and lasting stabilisation of, the cyclinder induced by surgery using small incisions. We show that the technique of vectorial calculation brings into play discontinuous trigonometric functions that require great prudence when interpreting statistics of cylinders induced by surgery.

[Benefits of ambulatory surgery in cataract surgery]

We monitored 300 patients who had undergone ambulatory cataract operations. Patients are more and more preferring this type of surgery, which allows them to go home immediately after the operation. We compare ambulatory ECCE and phacoemulsification operations and their complications, advantages and disadvantages. We shall not go into the real cost-saving benefits of this type of surgery compared with conventional surgery, as these have already been demonstrated in other countries. Ambulatory surgery requires that the patient is to be monitored after the operation, which is difficult to do in large centers. We explain the reasons for this. We discuss the indications and contra-indications of this type of cataract procedure.

[Development and concept of a new operatory chair]

We present a novel type of operatory chair which directs an operation microscope by remote control using infrared beams: XV, zoom, focal and accessories. The advantage of this system is the absence of transmission cables, and consequently represents an important improvement in terms of flexibility. It is a vast improvement as well for maintaining sterile conditions in the operation room. The ergonomics of this chair was especially designed for microsurgery. The adjustment and stability of the forearm has been considerably improved.

[The eye as an art form: the ocular prosthesis]

The technique of fabricating an ocular prosthesis out of glass is a rare art originating from Thüringen (formerly DDR). This technique is still practised by a few artists. A close collaboration between the ocularist and surgeon is indispensible towards achieving an optimal adaptation. We present several rules of plastic surgery enabling the cavity to receive the prosthesis after enucleation. The realization and adaptation of such a prosthesis has been filmed and will be presented.

[Phacoemulsification: technical initiation at what price?]

Phacoemulsification of the cataract is perhaps technically superior which is considered "classic". This technic consists however of a number of difficulties that may be mastered during an apprentiship. Considerable complications may arise during this initiation periods; imposing this surgical method on patients is thus an ethical problem. If the risks encountered during the apprentiship of phacoemulsification appear comparable to those during the classic extracapsular technique, phacoemulsification may be recommended with less reservation. We have compared 250 initial cases of classic extracapsular extraction with 250 "initial cases" of phacoemulsification, taking into account operative and post-operative complications and final functional results.

Monozygotic twin brothers with age-related macular degeneration

We report the simultaneous development of exudative macular degeneration in monozygotic twin brothers. This report supports the hypothesis that genetic factors may be implicated in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration.

Psychotherapeutic treatments evaluated with two instruments: clinical questionnaire and semantic differential

We evaluated about 100 psychotherapeutic treatments on the Freudian model with two independent instruments: a clinical questionnaire (assessed globally and intuitively) and a semantic differential (processed through various mathematic analyses). The results obtained with the two instruments were compared, and we also compared the semantic evolution of patients with that of normal subjects. Both instruments show an undeniable average improvement among patients. The semantic differential also shows that the various 'zones' tested by the inducive words are neither equally affected by neurosis nor equally modified by treatment.

[Diffusion of O2 in the normal and the ischemic retina of miniature pigs]

Transretinal PO2 profiles were recorded during normoxia and hyperoxia in normal and ischemic retinal territories in anesthetized miniature pigs using double barrelled recess type microelectrodes. In normoxia and hyperoxia the PO2 in the normal territory decreased from the inner retina and the choroid towards the mid-retina, indicating that the choroid cannot supply O2 to the whole normal retina. Preretinal and transretinal PO2 measurements in ischemic territories following a laser occlusion of a retinal branch vein demonstrated that in normoxia the direction of PO2 gradients prevents O2 diffusing from the choroid to reach the inner retina. This explains why the ischemic territories are hypoxic. In the contrary, during hyperoxia the intraretinal PO2 gradient indicates an O2 flux from the choroid to the inner retina resulting to marked preretinal PO2 increase at the affected territories. We proposed the hypothesis that in the ischemic retinas the hyperoxia does not induce a rise of the O2 consumption of the outer retina. Hence hyperoxia could be a useful tool to restore the oxygenation of the inner hypoxic retinal layers.

Application of Osgood's Semantic Differential to the study of psychotherapeutic treatments

Osgood's Semantic Differential was applied to a group of 35 neurotic patients at initial and final stage of individual psychoanalytical psychotherapy. When compared to 'normal' subjects who had not undergone treatment but were examined under the same conditions, neurotic subjects showed, between test and retest, more conspicuous semantic changes, several of which--although not all--brought them closer to normal subjects.

A device for observing wild beavers in their lodge

A device is described that allows direct visual observation of wild beavers within their original lodges.

Evaluation of psychotherapies and Osgood's Semantic Differential. A tentative approach

Setting up a semantic differential according to Osgood for evaluating analytical psychotherapies: a selection of scales and inducive words plus a factor analysis based on answers obtained from two test groups--the one composed of ambulatory psychiatric patients, the other composed of normal individuals. Preliminary validity tests of the results for applicability in clinical situations: examples of individual semantic configurations reflecting in a plausible manner certain clinical characteristics; comparison of the configurations of a group of neurotics with those of a group of schizophrenics; example of the evolution of one configuration during the period of psychoanalytical treatment. These first tests led us to believe that the semantic differential could contribute effectively to the evaluation of psychotherapies.

[The future of suicidal patients admitted to a general hospital. Comparative study of 2 methods of prevention recurrence and of suicides]

This is a comparative study of two groups of suicide attempters admitted in a general hospital, who were treated in different ways. The 143 attempters of the "systematically treated group (STG)" were proposed the classical therapeutic measures (supportive psychotherapy, psychiatric hospitalization, crisis interventions within couples or families, mixed interventions with the above treatments, psychoanalytically oriented psychotherapy, etc.), plus ambulatory controls (a few days after discharge from the general hospital, after one month, three months, six months, a year, and two years). The 145 attempters of the "reference group (RG)" were proposed the classical measures only. All the attempters of both groups had a follow-up after two years. The results suggest the controls to be probably responsible for the difference of relapses and committed suicides between the two groups. More indirectly, this study facilitated a further analysis of the relational problems between suicide attempters and staff, and among staff members themselves. The consequences were a modification of some attitudes of the staff toward the attempters and their significant others, and a new collaboration for an interdisciplinary clinical research.