The Japanese career progress study: A 7-year follow-up.

A longitudinal study of managerial progress, begun by the present 1st author and colleagues (1978, 1980) in 1972 in a Japanese department store chain, monitored the professional and dyadic development of a cohort group of 80 newly recruited male college graduates (mean age 23.6 yrs) over their 1st 3 yrs with the company. Seven waves of data were collected from Ss, their immediate superiors, and company records. After 7 yrs with the company, Ss were promoted to their 1st management positions. The present study examined the preemployment selection test results and measured quality of vertical dyadic exchanges between S and his immediate superior over the 1st 3 yrs and the interaction of these 2 factors in predicting the speed of promotion, annual salary, and size of bonus after 7 yrs. Results show that the 1st 3 yrs were critically important to Ss; the combined effect of exchange and ability produced significant contributions to all 3 career outcomes assessed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Borderline disorder in Turkey: a 2- to 4-year follow-up

1. Conventional and germ-free rats were fed a fibre-free elemental diet with or without the addition of fermentable dietary fibres. We have previously reported that fibre was associated with greatly increased epithelial cell proliferation, but only in the conventional group, implying that it is the breakdown of fibre by the colonic microflora that is the main determinant of mucosal proliferation in the hind gut. The relationship of these changes to various plasma hormones implicated in intestinal growth control are described in this paper. 2. The most dramatic finding was that plasma levels of enteroglucagon and peptide YY were greatly increased in the germ-free groups. The response of these rats to fibre differed in that fibre decreased levels of enteroglucagon and peptide YY in the germ-free animals, but increased them in the conventional rats. Gastrin and insulin levels were significantly lowered in the fibre-supplemented groups, but were not affected by the microflora. 3. These results corroborate our previous findings that the effects of fibre and its fermentation are dynamically complex, and demonstrate that, like proliferation, direct effects and indirect fermentation-derived effects on plasma hormones also coexist.     

Arthroscopic-assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with the central third patellar tendon. A 5-8-year follow-up

We reviewed 89 arthroscopically assisted patellar tendon anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions for chronic isolated injuries with an average follow-up of 7 years (range 5.4 to 8.6 years). Pain was present in 7 knees (8%). Giving-way symptoms were reported by 7 patients (8%). A KT-2000 side-to-side difference over 5 mm at 30 lbs was recorded in 12 cases (16%). The pivot shift was glide in 17 cases (19%) and clunk in 10 (11%). A 3 degrees-5 degrees extension loss compared with the normal side was present in 20 knees (22%) and 6 degrees-10 degrees in 4 knees (4%). The intra-articular exit of the femoral tunnel was misplaced in the anterior 50% of the condyles along the roof of the notch in 10% of the knees. This positioning significantly (P = 0.003) increased the frequency of graft failure (62.5%) compared with the cases with a more posterior placement (graft failure 12%). An anterior position of the intra-articular exit of the tibial tunnel (in the anterior 15% of the sagittal width of the tibia) significantly (P = 0.01) increased the frequency of extension loss > 5 degrees. Medial meniscectomy was associated with a 35% incidence of narrowing of the medial joint space, which was significantly higher compared with knees with normal menisci (9%; P = 0.04) or with medial meniscal repair (7%; P = 0.05). In conclusion this study showed satisfactory anterior stability (KT-2000 side-to-side difference up to 5 mm and pivot absent or glide) in 83% of the knees. This percentage increases to 88% in the knees with a correct posterior and proximal femoral tunnel placement. Accuracy in tunnel positioning is essential for the success of ACL surgery. Meniscal repair was effective in decreasing joint space narrowing and should be attempted when possible.     

The Stanmore total hip arthroplasty. A 15- to 20-year follow-up study

An ongoing study was made of 804 primary Stanmore total hip prostheses implanted in 839 patients between 1973 and 1991. The earliest surviving implants were brought back for radiologic and clinical review in 1995 at an average of 17 years after surgery. The remainder of the patients still living were sent a questionnaire to assess their current status. Survivorship was 95% at 10 years, 85% at 15 years, and 73% at 20 years. The average Merle d'Aubigné-Postel score was excellent up until 14 years. Patient satisfaction remained high until 22 years. Overall, 10% of the prostheses had failed. The results of this study suggest that the Stanmore prosthesis is capable of producing satisfactory long-term results that compare favorably with those of other cemented prostheses.     

The vertebral body depths of the cervical spine and its relation to anterior plate-screw fixation

STUDY DESIGN: A study was performed to measure the vertebral body depths in different locations from C2 to C7. OBJECTIVES: To measure the vertebral body depths in 10 linear dimension from C2 to C7. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Anterior plate-screw fixation of the cervical spine has been the common surgical procedure for management of multilevel degenerative disc disease and fracture dislocation. However, injury to the spinal cord during drill or screw placement is the most feared complication of this procedure. It is beneficial for one to have a knowledge of the vertebral body depths in different locations of the vertebral body before anterior cervical plating. METHODS: Twenty-seven cervical spines from C2 to C7 were evaluated directly for this study. Anatomic evaluation of the vertebral body included the anteroposterior midline sagittal depth and the anteroposterior parasagittal depth 5 mm lateral to midline on the superior and inferior endplates, as well as on the middle body. Measurements also were made of anteroposterior parasagittal vertebral depth with both medial and lateral inclination of 10 degrees, with respect to the parasagittal plane of the vertebral body. RESULTS: In general, the measurements of male specimens were larger than those of female specimens. Significant differences were noted at 21 measurements over C3 through C7. The mean depths of the superior endplate for all male and female specimens increased consistently from C3 to C7. The mean depths of the inferior endplate varied but generally increased from C2 to C6, then decreased to C7. The mean sagittal and parasagittal middle vertebral body depths were both 14 mm. CONCLUSIONS: This information, in conjunction with preoperative computed tomographic evaluation, may be helpful in determining proper screw length during anterior plating of the cervical spine.     

Mitral valve repair for patients with pure mitral insufficiency. 1- to 15-year follow-up

Mitral valve repair rather than replacement was performed in 133 of 183 patients (73%) with considerable mitral valve insufficiency requiring surgery. There were seven operative deaths (50%) and 16 late deaths in the 133 patients followed up from 1 to 15 years. Only four of the late deaths were possibly related to the underlying valvular heart disease. Repair is preferable to replacement with present-day mitral valve prostheses.     

Translaminar screw fixation of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine. A 5-year follow-up

STUDY DESIGN: In a retrospective study, the long-term results of translaminar facet screw fixation of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine are reviewed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the clinical results, fusion rates and complications of this posterior fusion technique in various conditions of the lumbar spine. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Posterior fusion of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine is one of the possible methods to relieve pain and eliminate instability in degenerative conditions. Data in the literature support the use of internal fixation to optimize the rate of fusion. METHODS: Posterior lumbar and lumbosacral fixation with translaminar screws and fusion in 173 patients with degenerative changes with or without compressive syndromes including failed back syndromes, monosegmental hypermobilities, and posttraumatic conditions were investigated. Fixation and fusion with translaminar screws was performed in 57% monosegmentally, in 40% across two segments and in 2% over three segments. Decompressive surgery was performed in addition in 52% and nucleotomy in 30% of the cases. Clinical and radiologic assessment with flexion/extension x-rays was performed in 145 (83%) patients by two independent orthopedic surgeons. After an average follow-up of 68 months (range, 52-83). RESULTS: Ninety-four percent of the patients showed solid bony fusion in the radiologic follow-up. Loosening of the screws was noted in 3%, and two screws were broken without apparent motion on the functional x-rays. Pain scores decreased from 7.6 before surgery to 2.9 after surgery on a 10-point pain scale. The results were further analyzed according to Stauffer and Coventry with 99 good results, 70 satisfactory results, and 4 bad results. CONCLUSIONS: Translaminar screw fixation offers an immediate postoperative stability of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine and enhances fusion. In the present series no neurologic complications were noted. It represents a useful and inexpensive technique for short segment fusion of the nontraumatic lumbar and lumbosacral spine.     

Conjunctival nevi in Denmark 1960-1980. A 21-year follow-up

The clinicopathological characteristics of 343 naevi of the conjunctiva were studied. A significant increase in the number of naevi excised per year was observed. This may have been caused by an increased exposure to actinic rays. An approximately even distribution was found between the three main locations: caruncle, limbal area and eye ball. Intrastromal naevi were excised at a higher median age than compound naevi, and the lowest median age at excision was for junction naevi, which is in accordance with the known histopathological nature of naevi. Recurrence occurred in nine patients (2.7%), and one had transformed into a malignant melanoma. Eight of the recurring naevi were located in the limbal area. Eight of the nine patients were women, suggesting hormonal factors as a possible cause. Recommendations for the handling of conjunctival naevi are given, based on the present findings and on previous reports.     

The effect of surface coating of femoral prostheses implanted without cement: a 2- to 4-year follow-up study

The complement system covalently attaches C3d to microbial antigens which binds to CR2 on B lymphocytes, leading to a markedly enhanced adaptive immune response to that antigen. The enhancement is mediated by the cross-linking of the CR2-CD19 complex to mIg which augments the activation of several intracellular signalling pathways. Two additional receptors of the B lymphocyte, FcgammaRIIB and CD22, have opposing effects when cross-linked to mIg, the former suppressing signalling by recruiting the inositol phosphatase, SHIP, and the latter by activating the phosphotyrosine phosphatase, SHP-1. Two principles emerge from these studies: innate immunity guides the adaptive immune response, and activation of the B lymphocyte is determined by co-receptors which evaluate the biological characteristics of antigen.     

Robinson anterior cervical discectomy and arthrodesis for cervical radiculopathy. Long-term follow-up of one hundred and twenty-two patients

We evaluated the results of the Robinson method of anterior cervical discectomy and arthrodesis with use of autogenous iliac-crest bone graft, at one to four levels, in 122 patients who had cervical radiculopathy. A one-level procedure was done in sixty-two of the 122 patients; a two-level procedure, in forty-eight; a three-level procedure, in eleven; and a four-level procedure, in one. The average duration of clinical and roentgenographic follow-up was six years (range, two to fifteen years). The average age was fifty years (range, twenty-five to seventy-eight years). Preoperatively, 118 patients had pain in the arm, fifty-five had weakness of one or more motor roots, and seventy-seven had sensory loss. At the time of follow-up, eighty-one patients had no pain in the neck, twenty-six had mild pain in the neck, nine had moderate pain in the neck, four had mild radicular pain, and two had a combination of mild radicular pain and moderate pain in the neck. One hundred and eight patients had no functional impairment, and fourteen had a slight limitation of function during the activities of daily living. Nine of eleven patients who had symptoms related to a change at one level cephalad or caudad to the site of a previous arthrodesis had another operative procedure. Lateral roentgenograms of the cervical spine, made in flexion and extension, showed a pseudarthrosis at twenty-four of 195 operatively treated segments. Sixteen of the patients who had a pseudarthrosis were symptomatic, but only four had sufficient pain to warrant revision. The risk of pseudarthrosis was significantly greater after a multiple-level arthrodesis than after a single-level arthrodesis (p < 0.01). At the time of the most recent follow-up, fifty-three of the fifty-five patients who had had a motor deficit had had a complete recovery, and the two remaining patients had had a partial recovery. Seventy-one of the seventy-seven patients who had had a sensory loss had regained sensation. None of the patients had an increased neurological deficit postoperatively. Our results suggest that the Robinson anterior cervical discectomy and arthrodesis with an autogenous iliac-crest bone graft for cervical radiculopathy is a safe procedure that can relieve pain and lead to resolution of neurological deficits in a high percentage of patients.     

Behavioral treatment of "nightfears" in children: Maintenance of improvement at 2?- to 3-year follow-up.

Subsequent to a 3-wk, behaviorally oriented self-control training program for families, 39 of the 40 participating children (aged 6–13 yrs) had significantly reduced or completely overcome their severe, chronic nighttime fears. Maintenance of improvement from 2? to 3 yrs, without additional treatment and without the occurrence of new problems, was demonstrated in 31 of the 34 follow-up Ss. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Predictive validity of the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey: A 12- to 19-year follow-up.

More than 1,000 men and women were located 12-19 yrs after taking an early form of the Kuder Occupational Interest Survey either in high school or in college. Satisfactory data were available for 882 Ss. 51% were employed at the time of the follow-up in an occupation that would have been suggested to them had their inventory been interpreted to them. This compared favorably with other validity findings for occupationally scaled interest inventories and represented about 90% of the possible validity as derived from concurrent validity figures. College major scales from a high school level administration correctly predicted 55%. Ss in occupations consistent with their early interest profiles did not report greater job satisfaction or success, but did show greater continuance in their occupational career. Better prediction was achieved when the occupation was one named on the profile and when the person had gone to or graduated from college or entered a high-level or scientific-technical occupation. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A 2-year follow-up of the effectiveness of traditional child psychotherapy.

This study examined outcomes at a 2-year follow-up assessment for child psychotherapy as it typically is delivered in outpatient settings. The treatment condition (53 children, mean age?=?10.5 years) and control condition (53 children, mean age?=?10.0 years) were compared with regard to rates of linear and curvilinear change for psychopathology, adaptive functioning, and consumer satisfaction. Although both conditions showed curvilinear as well as linear improvement in behavioral and emotional problems, relatively little support was found for the effectiveness of traditional child psychotherapy or for the presence of a psychotherapy "sleeper effect." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A 3- to 6-year follow-up of former long-stay psychiatric patients in Northern Ireland

Little is known about the first patients who left hospital before and during the official implementation of the hospital discharge policy in Northern Ireland. This study describes patterns of residential provision for former long-stay patients (approximately two-thirds of whom had an ICD-9 diagnosis of schizophrenia) discharged from the six major psychiatric hospitals in Northern Ireland between 1987 and 1990 (n = 321). It also employs several instruments within a retrospective survey design to examine outcomes for a 35% sample of people (112/321) discharged between 1997 and 1990 and followed up in 1993. Almost two-thirds (61%) had been discharged to independent living or low-staffed statutory settings. None of the group was homeless, one person was in prison and three people had committed suicide during the first 2 years after discharged. Almost one-third had to be re-admitted at some stage during the 6-year period and 13% had died. 'Moderate' to 'major problems' with most daily living skills were reported for less than 25% of people, while 15% or less had problem behaviour. Approximately 90% or more were satisfied with most aspects of their new homes and most also reported feeling happier (77%), healthier (63%) and more independent (78%) since discharge. However, social, recreational and occupational opportunities were limited. Purchasers, providers and practitioners need to review ways in which former long-stay patients might be empowered to live more meaningful and integrated lives in the community, particularly as the current government strategy for health and social well-being (1997-2002) in Northern Ireland points to the closure of existing psychiatric hospitals.     

Submergence of roots for alveolar ridge preservation. A failure (4-year follow-up study)

A 4-year clinical and radiographic follow-up study of 20 cases of crown-resected root-filled roots, covered by mucosal flaps, distributed among 15 patients, has been carried out. Only cases of uneventful submergence of the root with intact healthy mucosa were regarded as successful. This study shows that: (1) The number of failures increases with the years; from 3 cases at the 1-year to 11 cases at the 4-year follow-up, corresponding to 53% (8/15) of the patients. In the failures, an exposure of the root-surface was seen, but without inflammation in the surrounding tissue. These roots could be extracted without bone loss. (2) Alveolar ridge atrophy is not prevented by retained roots, and is probably the primary reason for failure of coverage. The 11 failures showed alveolar ridge atrophy, which was observed before failure in 6 cases. None of the successful cases showed alveolar ridge atrophy. The present method cannot be recommended as a routine procedure.     

The development of ADHD boys: A 12-year follow-up.

12 yrs after initial assessment, 33 male attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) Ss (aged 14.4–24.9 yrs) were compared with 52 normal controls. Controls (selected at follow-up) were sex-, SES-, language-, and age-matched. According to childhood scores from the IOWA Conners Teacher Rating Scale, 24 ADHD Ss were inattentive/overactive (IO) and 9 were aggressive plus inattentive/overactive (A–IO). Ss and parents were interviewed and Ss completed a battery of tests. Core deficits of the disorder persisted in more than half of the ADHD group. IO Ss did not differ significantly from the controls in psychiatric functioning, except for their persistent ADHD. A–IO Ss had received the most individual and residential treatment for their behavior problems. ADHD Ss experienced significantly more problems in high school and displayed significantly poorer spelling, arithmetic, and reading comprehension skills than did controls. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of a program to teach phonemic awareness to young children: A 2- and 3-year follow-up and a new preschool trial.

This article reports a follow-up study of children in Grades 1 and 2 who had been instructed in phonemic awareness in preschool. Compared to a control condition, the trained children were superior in nonword reading 2 and 3 yrs later and in reading comprehension at 3 yrs. Control children furnished a disproportionate number of readers dependent on sight word reading. The superiority of the experimental condition did not extend to measures of automaticity in reading. W. A. Hoover and P. B. Gough's (1990) "simple view" of reading (Reading Comprehension?=?Listening Comprehension?×?Decoding) was supported. In a supplementary experiment, preschool children were trained with the program by their regular teachers and showed greater progress in aspects of phonemic awareness than the control condition from the main experiment. However, they did not gain as much as those in the more intensely trained experimental condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rehabilitation of patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis after orthotopic liver transplantation: a 7-year follow-up

Endemic infectious diseases still constitute a threat to Latin American countries. In view of this, research on tropical medicine should be encouraged, particularly in countries like Brazil where this kind of scientific investigation was historically highly early in this century. It is suggested that more resources should be made available to stimulate such studies and the publication in English, Portuguese and Spanish.     

Prediction of response to treatment in a randomized clinical trial of couple therapy: A 2-year follow-up.

Many studies have examined pretreatment predictors of immediate posttreatment outcome, but few studies have examined prediction of long-term treatment response to couple therapies. Four groups of predictors (demographic, intrapersonal, communication, and other interpersonal) and 2 moderators (pretreatment severity and type of therapy) were explored as predictors of clinically significant change measured 2 years after treatment termination. Results demonstrated that power processes and expressed emotional arousal were the strongest predictors of 2-year response to treatment. Moderation analyses showed that these variables predicted differential treatment response to traditional versus integrative behavioral couple therapy and that more variables predicted 2-year response for couples who were less distressed when beginning treatment. Findings are discussed with regard to existing work on prediction of treatment response, and directions for further study are offered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is bracing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction necessary? A 2-year follow-up of 78 consecutive patients rehabilitated with or without a brace

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility of using archival oral mucosal tissue to examine gene expression at the ribonucleic acid (RNA) level. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We describe the isolation of RNA from 8 microns sections of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded oral mucosal tissue. RNA was reverse transcribed and three candidate genes amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The ribosomal protein S14 gene is a housekeeping gene which has been used as an internal standard in several quantitative PCR protocols. The thymidine kinase (TK) gene is expressed at low levels in most tissues and, with a well-documented genomic organisation, is a useful tool for discrimination between genomic DNA and cDNA. The RI alpha gene is reported to be overexpressed in many cancer cell lines, in malignant tissue and in vitro transformed cells. RESULTS: The S14 gene, the TK gene and the RI alpha gene of the cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA) were amplified successfully from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections. The TK primer pair is a useful additional tool in the unambiguous identification of RNA-derived species. CONCLUSION: RNA suitable for reverse transcribed (RT)-PCR was extracted from archival oral mucosal tissue. This should permit rapid sequence analysis of transcribed tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes in this material. Furthermore, the RT-PCR approach described may allow quantification of gene expression in oral mucosal archival material processed in a standard fashion.