Funding for urolithiasis research: progress and strategies for future NIH support.

A review of the National Institutes of Health funding history for urolithiasis shows that support has increased from about $3 million in 1990 to about $4.7 million in 1993 and to an estimated $5.1 million in 1994. The award of large project grants accounts for the increase: individual research project grant funding (R01-type grants) has not increased. The overall funding for urologic research supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more than doubled in this same period, with most of the increase attributable to the award of individual research grants. Although there has been a significant number of urolithiasis research grant applications submitted in this time period, the percent of successful (funded) applications continues to lag behind the number in other urology-related areas. Strategies for improving the award rate for urolithiasis-related research grant applications are reviewed.

Assessing the reliability of measurements from the Krusen limb load monitor to analyze temporal and loading characteristics of normal gait.

This study assessed the reliability of measurements made by four physical therapists on healthy subject gait data recorded from the Krusen limb load monitor. The five components of step (stance time, time up, time to second peak, and force at the first and second peaks) were analyzed. Six components contributing to gait (ambulation time; velocity; cadence; average swing phase duration, left lower extremity; average swing phase duration, right lower extremity; and ratio of unilateral weight bearing, right lower extremity to left lower extremity) were also analyzed. Intraclass correlation coefficients for the five step components and the gait measures of ambulation time, velocity, and cadence showed high measurement reliability. The other measures of gait showed low intraclass correlation coefficients. The limb load monitor can, therefore, be used by clinicians to measure the five step components and three gait measures (ambulation time, velocity, and cadence) with high measurement reliability.