Relationship between goblet cell density and tear function tests

AIM: The objective of this study was to find a relationship between goblet cell density (GCD) and other diagnostic tests of dry eye in a group of normal healthy Chinese subjects. The capability of using GCD as a tear function test was assessed. METHOD: A total of 42 optometry students with no contact lens wear history were recruited. Subjects were required to fill in a dry eye questionnaire. The non-invasive tear break-up time (NITBUT) of each subject was measured, followed by phenol red thread test (PRTT) and tear break-up time (TBUT) tests. Conjunctival epithelial cells from the inferior nasal bulbar conjunctiva were harvested by the impression cytology technique. The specimens collected were labelled and stained with PAS (Periodic Acid Schiff)-haematoxylin. The goblet cells and the conjunctival epithelial cells were counted under a light microscope of 100x magnification. Spearman's rho (rho) correlation test was used to analyse the relationship between GCD and the other tear function tests. RESULTS: With a probability level of 0.0051 (corrected for a cumulative familywise error rate of p = 0.05), GCD was found to have no correlation with NITBUT (rho = -0.193, p = 0.222), McMonnies Dry Eye Scores (MCDES) (rho = -0.052, p = 0.742), PRTT (rho = - 0.188, p = 0.234) and TBUT (rho = 0.246, p = 0.117). CONCLUSION: There was no correlation between GCD and MCDES, NITBUT, PRTT and TBUT. The GCD alone is not a useful diagnostic test for tear film instability in normal eyes although it is a good indicator in the diagnosis of ocular surface diseases

Financial disclosure levels and foreign stock exchange listing decisions

Firms are increasingly listing their shares on foreign stock exchanges. However, not all exchanges have had equal appeal. Anecdotal evidence suggests that when firms are making foreign listing decisions, they are influenced by financial disclosure requirements. As a result, regulatory authorities around the globe are weighing increasing demands for foreign capital and investment opportunities against the desire to protect domestic investors from possibly misleading foreign financial disclosures. The competitiveness of domestic stock exchanges often hangs in the balance. This study examines a key question in this debate: whether firms' choices regarding alternative foreign stock exchange listings are influenced by financial disclosure levels. Examined are the listings of 302 internationally traded firms with at least one foreign listing, on one of nine major exchanges, as of year-end 1987. Also examined are changes in listings between 1981 and 1987, an important design feature since these changes are more likely to have been influenced by differences across countries in financial disclosure levels during this period. Financial disclosure levels are obtained from a survey of 142 experts actively involved in the foreign listing process. Test results based on the cross-section of listings at year-end 1987 are consistent with the hypothesis that exchange choices are influenced by financial disclosure levels. However, they do not lend support to a second hypothesis suggesting that this effect should operate only for firms whose domestic disclosure levels are lower than those of a given foreign exchange. Tests based on changes in listings between 1981 and 1987 support both hypotheses. Overall, the results lend credence to concerns expressed by regulatory authorities and exchange officials that stringent disclosure levels could reduce access to foreign capital and foreign investment opportunities.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Non-compliance in contact lens wear

Non-compliance is emerging as a critical issue in the contact lens field. This problem has been studied at depth in general health care situations and is seen as the responsibility of both practitioner and patient (client) working in a health care partnership. The contact lens practitioner and patient present a specific case for the study of non-compliance in areas such as hygiene, solution use, appointment attendance and wearing times. From 40 to 91% of contact lens patients have been reported as non-complaint in the use of recommended care and maintenance regimens and many of these are confused or ignorant about their behaviour. In order to arrive at a general set of conclusions from the studies published to date, it is important to understand the methodology of each study, it purpose, the definition of non-compliance used and the way the results were analysed and described. This review summarizes the research into non-compliance in the contact lens field to data. A set of general conclusions is drawn and a model for compliance in the context of contact lens practice is proposed