Life and fate of Ervin Bauer (1890-1938), the eminent scholar and foundational theoretical biologist

Ervin Bauer (1890-1938) was the first to build a general molecular-based biological theory. He defined the basic principles of theoretical biology from a thermodynamic perspective, focusing on the capacity of biological systems to produce and support the state of sustainable non-equilibrium. His central work "Theoretical Biology" (1935) was written long before modern advances in molecular biology, genetics, and information theory. Ervin Bauer and his wife Stefánia were executed in Stalin's Great Terror. This paper presents a brief introduction to Ervin Bauer's life and includes his short biography.

[Elastotonometry for evaluation of biomechanical characteristics of the eye after surgical hyperopia correction]

Modern tonometers (Ocular Response Analyzer) can only show the presence of biomechanical disorders of the fibrous membrane, while elastotonometry reacts not only to their presence, but also to their type.

PURPOSE

To build a mathematical model that would use elastotonometry to assess biomechanical properties of the eye in treatment of hyperopia with LASIK and FemtoLASIK surgeries.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 64 operations: 34 FemtoLASIK surgeries, and 31 LASIK surgeries. All patients before and after surgery underwent standard examination necessary for keratorefractive surgery, including elastotonometry. The next step was the analysis of elastotonometry curves and eye finite element model in the software package Ansys (Ansys, Inc.; U.S.A.). During the analysis, the fibrous membrane was modeled by two spherical segments, which before elastotonometry were influenced only by true intraocular pressure (IOP). There was a problem of determining tonometric IOP when the cornea is pressured with flat bottomed loads during elastotonometry. It was taken into account that at the first stage of loading, the IOP was applied, and then the force corresponding to the weight of the tonometer. After tonometry, IOP increased so that the volume inside the composite membrane corresponded to the value before loading.

RESULTS

Mathematical modeling has shown that after surgical treatment of hyperopia, flexural stiffness of the cornea decreases, elevation of the elastotonometry curve increases, and the higher the true IOP, the greater the elevation. The greatest increase in lift due to increased IOP is observed after LASIK operation, while after FemtoLASIK this change is not significant, in which case the dependence of tonometric IOP on the weight of the load is almost linear.

CONCLUSION

The obtained results allow for elastotonometry to be recommend for further medical research as a promising method for assessing biomechanical characteristics of the fibrous membrane of the eye.

Prevalence of Elevated Total IgE and Food Allergies in a Consecutive Series of ENT Pediatric Patients

OBJECTIVE: Food allergies in childhood have been found to vary in frequency from 6% to 8% in the general population. Previous studies indicate milk allergy affects approximately 2.5% of infants and egg allergy has been estimated at 1.6% to 2.6%. Numerous allergists believe that the prevalence of food allergies is rising, similar to the rise in other atopic conditions. Prior studies have demonstrated that food-specific IgE is a useful test for diagnosing symptomatic allergies to certain foods, including milk and eggs, and could decrease the need to perform cumbersome multiple double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges in children based on history alone. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of food allergies and elevated IgE in a consecutive series of pediatric otolaryngology patients.

STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: ImmunoCap™ studies were drawn in a 2-year series of children undergoing ENT procedures of bilateral myringotomy with tubes (BMT) with or without adenoidectomy or tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy alone between 2001 and 2003. Sera was analyzed for increased total IgE antibodies, as well as specific IgE antibodies to antigens, including milk, egg, beef, and environmental allergens. A positive patient history or family history of allergy were documented.

RESULTS: A total of 242 patients were assessed. Of the study population, milk allergy was found in 10.7%; egg white allergy was found in 5.0%. The prevalence of elevated IgE among participants was 11.2%. The overall food allergy prevalence was 14.5%.

CONCLUSIONS: Although we cannot imply causality, the study demonstrated an increased prevalence of food allergy in children undergoing ENT procedures, specifically milk and eggs, than in previous population studies.

Insights into genetic testing for colon cancer: the nurse practitioner role

As new genetic discoveries continue to gain public awareness, patients will increasingly call on their nurse practitioners (NPs) to discuss their inherited susceptibility to disease. Genetic testing for colon cancer can presently identify gene mutations for 2 inherited forms of this disease, familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer, accounting for approximately 6% of the cases. By identifying patients at high risk for colon cancer, NPs can discuss the benefits of early detection through screening procedures while helping patients gain insight into the meaning and impact genetic testing can have on their lives. This article discusses the basic genetics involved and screening recommendations for those with a hereditary disposition to colon cancer. Benefits, risks, and limitations are also considered, along with the importance of the NP in educating and supporting individuals in their decision making about genetic testing for colon cancer.

The voice of the customer--Part 2: Benchmarking battery chargers against the Consumer's Ideal Product

The Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Technology Evaluation and Transfer is exploring how the end users of assistive technology devices define the ideal device. This work is called the Consumer Ideal Product program. In this work, end users identify and establish the importance of a broad range of product design features, along with the related product support and service provided by manufacturers and vendors. This paper describes a method for systematically transforming end-user defined requirements into a form that is useful and accessible to product designers, manufacturers, and vendors. In particular, product requirements, importance weightings, and metrics are developed from the Consumer Ideal Product battery charger outcomes. Six battery charges are benchmarked against these product requirements using the metrics developed. The results suggest improvements for each product's design, service, and support. Overall, the six chargers meet roughly 45-75% of the ideal product's requirements. Many of the suggested improvements are low-cost changes that, if adopted, could provide companies a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Psychoneuroimmunology and cancer: an integrated review

The new field of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) studies the measurable interaction between psychological and physiological processes. Specifically, PNI is the study of the intricate interaction of consciousness (psycho), central nervous system (neuro), and the body's defense against external infection and aberrant cell division (immunology). Over the last 30 years, the body of knowledge in PNI has emerged and in the last 10 years has flourished. PNI has many implications for clinical nursing practice. This study provides supportive empirical evidence to systems theories, which have played a major role in nursing's attempt to comprehend the interaction between the mind and the body. Nurses are ideal candidates to take a lead in this new field because it reinforces the holistic perspective which is the essence and uniqueness of our discipline. Although a variety of clinical populations have been used in PNI research, the scope of this integrated review will be limited to PNI and cancer. Research studies addressing psychosocial variables' effect on aetiology, response to treatment, immunocompetence and overall survival in the oncology population will be examined.

Ejaculate disruption in two species of voles (Microtus): on the PEI matching law

We permitted male prairie and montane voles (Microtus ochrogaster and M. montanus) five thrusts, without ejaculation, with a female at variable times after a 1st male ejaculated. In both prairie and montane voles, there were fewer sperm, in relation to control conditions, in the female's tract 1 hr after ejaculation if the female received thrusts immediately or 15 min after the ejaculate. There was no such effect after a 50-min delay. There was no significant decrease in litter production in prairie voles caused by thrusts delivered either immediately or after a 15-min delay. Sperm transport in these species is susceptible to disruption for a longer period than in deer mice or rats. The proposal that the postejaculatory interval protects a male from disrupting its own sperm transport (the PEI matching law) appears not to hold for these species.