This is a three-part study that examined the accuracy of five brands of electronic pedometers (Freestyle Pacer, Eddie Bauer, L.L. Bean, Yamax, and Accusplit) under a variety of different conditions. In Part I, 20 subjects walked a 4.88-km sidewalk course while wearing two devices of the same brand (on the left and right side of the body) for each of five different trials. There were significant differences among pedometers (P < 0.05), with the Yamax, Pacer, and Accusplit approximating the actual distance more closely than the other models. The Yamax pedometers showed close agreement, but the left and right Pacer pedometers differed significantly (P = 0.0003) and the Accusplit displayed a similar trend (P = 0.0657). In Part II, the effects of walking surface on pedometer accuracy were examined. Ten of the original subjects completed an additional five trials around a 400-m rubberized outdoor track. The devices showed similar values for sidewalk and track surfaces. In Part III, the effects of walking speed on pedometer accuracy were examined. Ten different subjects walked on a treadmill at various speeds (54, 67, 80, 94, and 107 m.min-1). Pedometers that displayed both distance and number of steps were examined. The Yamax was more accurate than the Pacer and Eddie Bauer at slow-to-moderate speeds (P < 0.05), though no significant differences were seen at the fastest speed. While there are variations among brands in terms of accuracy, electronic pedometers may prove useful in recording walking activities in free-living populations.

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Late-onset dementia is associated with lower mental ability scores in childhood. Early-onset dementia mental ability scores did not differ from locally matched control subjects or from late-onset dementia. Mechanisms that account for the link between lower mental ability and late-onset dementia are probably not relevant to early-onset dementia.

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Objective To compare patient satisfaction, discomfort, procedure time, success rate and adverse events of hysteroscopic (ESSURE, Conceptus Inc, San Carlos, USA) versus laparoscopic sterilisation. Design Cohort controlled comparative study.Setting The day surgery and outpatient unit of three large UK hospitals.Population Eighty-nine women requesting sterilisation were enrolled into the study.Methods A 2:1 ratio of ESSURE placement to laparoscopic sterilisation was undertaken. Laparoscopic sterilisation was carried out under general anaesthesia in the day surgery unit whereas all ESSURE procedures were carried out in a dedicated outpatient facility. All patients completed a self-assessment diary on days 7 and 90 post-operatively. Patient satisfaction, tolerance and discomfort were measured using an ordinal Likert style scale. Data were analysed using the m 2 test for statistical significance. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure is patient satisfaction with ESSURE versus laparoscopic sterilisation. This included satisfaction with the decision to proceed with the relevant sterilisation method, recovery from the procedure and overall satisfaction following either ESSURE or laparoscopic sterilisation. Secondary outcome measures include successful completion of procedure, procedure time, tolerance, patient discomfort and post-operative adverse events. Results All women who underwent laparoscopic sterilisation had the procedure successfully completed whereas the overall bilateral device placement rate for ESSURE was 81%. Patient satisfaction with their decision to undergo either ESSURE or laparoscopic sterilisation was high with 94% of the ESSURE group being 'very' or 'somewhat' satisfied at 90 days post-procedure versus 80% in the laparoscopic sterilisation group. At 90 days post-procedure 100% of women in the ESSURE group were 'very satisfied' with their speed of recovery versus 80% in the laparoscopic sterilisation group. The procedure time (defined from the time of insertion of the hysteroscope or laparoscope to its removal) took significantly longer for ESSURE than laparoscopic sterilisation (mean ¼ 13.2 vs 9.7 minutes, P ¼ 0.045). However, the time required for insertion of a Verres needle and insufflation of the abdominal cavity is a necessary part of the laparoscopic sterilisation and had it been included would bring the procedures times more in line with each other. The mean time spent in hospital was significantly shorter for the ESSURE group than the laparoscopic group (188.7 vs 396.1 minutes, P < 0.005). Eighty-two percent of women in the ESSURE group described their tolerance of the procedure between 'good and excellent' compared with only 41% of the laparoscopic sterilisation group (P ¼ 0.0002). Only 31% of the ESSURE group reported moderate or severe pain following the procedure compared with 63% of the laparoscopic sterilisation group (P ¼ 0.08). Only 11% of patients had problems immediately post-operatively in the ESSURE group compared with 27% in the laparoscopy group. Finally, in the mor...