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Prevalence of carbon monoxide (CO) alarm usage in localities where they are not required is poorly defined and the reasons for failing to have a home CO alarm have never been described. In this study, the authors conducted a computer-based survey among employees of similar major medical centers in Seattle, Washington, and Salt Lake City, Utah. Questions were asked about the prevalence of use of residential smoke and CO alarms with regard to home style and structure, ownership status, and energy use. Respondents not using home CO detectors were asked the reasons. Among 1,351 individuals participating in the survey, 98% reported residential use of smoke alarms, while only 51% used CO alarms. CO alarm use was more common among residents of Utah than Washington, among home owners than renters, and among those with single family homes rather than other styles. Reasons for failure to use CO alarms related largely to lack of knowledge about the devices and motivation., Introduction Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is responsible for an estimated 500 unintentional non-fire-related deaths in the U.S. annually (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2005), along with 15,000-50,000 emergency [...]

Advancements in transportation coupled with the growth and movement of human populations enable efficient transport of infectious diseases almost anywhere in the world within 24 hours (1). This recognition has [...]

Byline: Christa E. Pereira (Center for Advanced Research in Physical Sciences, Department of Physics Fatima Mata National College, Kollam 691 001, Kerala, India); V.K. Vaidyan (Center for Advanced Research in [...]

Although specific tests screen children in preschool programs for vision, hearing, and dental conditions, there are no published validated instruments to detect preschool-age children with asthma, one of the most common pediatric chronic conditions affecting children in economically disadvantaged communities of color. As part of an asthma education intervention, a 15-item Brief Respiratory Questionnaire (BRQ) was developed to detect children with probable asthma in Head Start and subsidized preschool settings in communities with high asthma prevalence and associated morbidity. Preschool personnel administered the BRQ to consenting parents of 419 enrolled children. Trained interviewers administered validation interviews (VALs) to parents of 149 case-positive children and 51 case-negative children. Three physicians independently assessed deidentified summaries of the VALs that captured responses about signs and symptoms of asthma, diagnosis and treatment, and use of medical services. The physicians' assessments of the summarized VALs were the validated standard to which the BRQ classifications were compared. A simple algorithm of 4 items was identified that can be administered and scored by nonmedical preschool personnel in less than 5 minutes. The chance-corrected agreement between these 4 items of the BRQ and the VAL was good: kappa, .73 (95% confidence interval, 0.62-0.84); specificity, 96%; sensitivity, 73%; and positive predictive value, 97%. The BRQ appears to be a valid instrument for detecting children with probable asthma in Head Start and other subsidized preschool settings in communities with high prevalence of asthma., The need for school-based instruments to detect children who have asthma symptoms but no diagnosis and children with diagnosed asthma that is poorly controlled has been carefully examined by Wheeler, [...]

Context.--Uroplakin II is a 15-kDa protein component of the urothelial plaques that enhance the permeability barrier and strength of the urothelium. Studies have shown uroplakin II messenger RNA to be expressed in bladder cancer tissues and peripheral blood of patients with urothelial carcinoma. Little is known about the protein expression of uroplakin II in urothelial carcinoma, possibly because of the absence of a commercially available uroplakin II antibody. Pathologists have used the uroplakin III antibody (AU1) to identify tumors of urothelial origin; however, the use of AU1 is limited because of its poor sensitivity. Objectives.--To evaluate a newly developed mouse monoclonal uroplakin II antibody (BC21) in urothelial carcinoma and to compare it with previously developed mouse monoclonal uroplakin III (BC17 and AU1). Design.--Uroplakin II and III antibodies were optimized for staining using a horseradish peroxidase-polymer detection system and were visualized with 3,3 -diaminobenzidine. Results.--BC21, BC17, and AU1 demonstrated sensitivities in urothelial carcinoma of the bladder of 79% (44 of 56), 55% (31 of 56) (P = .002), and 34% (19 of 56) (P < .001), respectively. Subsequently, the increased staining sensitivity and intensity of BC21, compared with BC17, was validated in a larger study (134 of 174; 77% and 94 of 174; 54%, respectively) (P < .001). BC21 was found to be highly specific when evaluated in various normal and neoplastic tissues, including prostatic and renal carcinomas. Conclusions.--The mouse monoclonal uroplakin II antibody (BC21) demonstrated superior sensitivity and specificity in urothelial carcinoma, compared with uroplakin III (BC17 and AU1), suggesting its advantages in the differential diagnosis of urothelial carcinoma and in the detection of tumors of unknown origin. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2014; 138:943-949; doi: 10.5858/arpa.2013-0221-0A), Bladder cancer is the sixth most commonly occurring carcinoma in the United States, with 73 510 new cases expected to be diagnosed in 2012. (1) This cancer is particularly associated [...]