Menopause: a new era

The Endopore implant provides a novel method for reliable fixation of endosseous dental implants within the bone. Through the use of a porous-surfaced zone formed by sintering Ti alloy particles of the appropriate size and under appropriate processing conditions to a sold Ti alloy core of desired shape (tapered truncated cone), an implant is now available that can be placed using a relatively simple surgical procedure using either surgical burs or hand osteotomes. Of even greater value is the suitability of this implant design for treatment of cases that because of minimal bone height cannot be treated routinely using other currently-available implants. The high success rates experienced with significantly shorter implant lengths compared with other designs indicate the appropriateness of this system for difficult-to-treat cases. The Endopore system represents the next generation of endosseous dental implants characterized by uncomplicated and reliable treatment for a wider range of dentally-compromised patients. Its history is founded on extensive and fully-documented research at the human preclinical stage as well as human use experiences. The results during the past nine years have confirmed the high expectations that those early studies suggested.     

Disability insurance: a new era

With the potential for intraoperative reactions, it's imperative that operating room nurse managers are informed and prepared to handle latex-allergic patients.     

Interactions of vancomycin resistant enterococci with biomaterial surfaces

Many cytokines transmit signals to the cell interior through activation of receptor-associated, Janus family protein tyrosine kinases (Jak PTKs). The interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) is associated with the Jak1 and Jak3 PTKs, and ligand-induced activation of these PTKs is essential for lymphocyte proliferation. Here, the nonreceptor PTK, Pyk2, was found to be activated following IL-2 stimulation in a Jak-dependent manner. Furthermore, physical association was detected between endogenous Pyk2 and Jak3, and a dominant interfering mutant of Pyk2 inhibited IL-2-induced cell proliferation without affecting Stat5 activation. Collectively, these results suggest that Pyk2 is a newly identified component of the Jak-mediated IL-2 signaling pathway.     

Therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies: a new era?

The serum pyruvate and lactate levels were studied after exercise on a bicycle ergometer in a family of diabetes mellitus (DM) associated with a mutation at nucleotide 3243 in the mitochondrial gene. A 56-year-old Japanese woman with the mutation at a percentage of 5% in the blood had insulin-dependent DM and sensory hearing loss without muscle symptoms. Her serum lactate and pyruvate levels increased markedly during and after exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Two of her sons were found to have the same mutation at a percentage of 17% and 18%, respectively. Her 26-year-old son was found to have borderline DM after oral glucose loading, although he showed no abnormalities of the metabolism of pyruvate and lactate. Her 31-year-old son showed no abnormalities after oral glucose loading and after exercise on a bicycle ergometer. Although the same mutation causes more severe MELAS (mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes), little is known about whether these diabetic patients are subclinically involved with myopathy. The noninvasive ergometer exercise with determination of serum pyruvate and lactate may be useful in evaluating the severity of myopathy in these patients.     

Genetic immunization: a new era in vaccines and immune therapeutics

DNA inoculation represents a novel approach to vaccine and immune therapeutic development. The direct injection of gene expression cassettes into a living host transforms a number of cells into factories for production of the introduced gene products. Expression of these delivered genes has important immunological consequences and may result in the specific immune activation of the host against the novel expressed antigens. The recent demonstration by laboratories that these immune responses are protective in some infectious disease experimental models as well as cancers is viewed with cautious optimism. Further, the relatively short development times, ease of large-scale production, low development, manufacturing, and distribution costs all combine with immunological effectiveness to suggest that this technology will dramatically influence the production of a new generation of experimental vaccines and immune therapies. It is hoped that DNA inoculation will ultimately lead to new vaccines that are immunologically effective and economically accessible to all nations.     

Role of surgery for otitis media in the era of resistant bacteria

Otitis media is currently the most common diagnosis made by clinicians, and its prevalence has an impact on managed health care. With the emergence of bacterial pathogens resistant to many antimicrobial agents, an urgent need exists to reassess the indications for surgical management of this more prevalent disease. In an effort to determine the causative bacterial etiology of acute otitis media, which may be resistant to commonly prescribed antimicrobial agents, tympanocentesis is indicated today more than ever, especially when patients fail to improve or worsen while receiving antibiotics (i.e. treatment failures). In an effort to reduce the use of antimicrobial agents, prophylactic administration of these drugs for prevention of recurrent otitis media should only be prescribed on an individualized basis, with myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion being a more reasonable alternative. Adenoidectomy should be also considered when moderate to severe nasal obstruction is present or when repeat tympanostomy tube placement is needed. Likewise when chronic otitis media with effusion is unresponsive to a trial of antimicrobial therapy, tympanostomy tube insertion, adenoidectomy or both procedures should be considered, as opposed to re-treating with a variety of antibiotics. The role of these surgical procedures has become more important today in this era of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Also in our cost-conscious environment, it is uncertain which method of management is more expensive, surgery or prolonged medical management.     

Professional psychology in a new era: Practice-based evidence from California.

The California Survey of Psychological Practice provides comprehensive data on patient case mix, treatments, practice settings, and payment sources using a representative sample of psychologists. These psychologists practice in diverse settings and continue to deliver traditional psychotherapies. California psychologists' treatment of persons with private insurance highlights the profession's public health contribution by improving the functioning of employed persons and their families. Despite high managed care enrollment among Californians, these psychologists demonstrate wide variability in managed care participation. The authors compare the findings to prior surveys among psychologists and discuss the findings in relation to trends in psychological practice and public policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

绿色勘查--新时代地质找矿新模式

社会的发展及各种造物都离不开钢铁等金属,而在进行找矿时,会无可避免的对生态环境造成破坏,因此,地质找矿急需一种对环境破坏小、找矿效率高的新模式,绿色勘查由此诞生。绿色勘查是新时代背景下,满足绿色可持续发展战略的新模式,是在地质找矿工作中满足维护生态文明的重要举措,是保证资源丰富安全、满足国家快速发展的必经之路。本文将简单说明绿色勘查的含义及实施绿色勘查的重大意义,并结合实际,简述如何实现绿色勘查。     

In vitro activities in new oxazolidinone antimicrobial agents against enterococci

The comparative in vitro activities of two new oxazolidinone antimicrobial agents, U-100592 and U-100766, against 180 isolates of enterococci representing several resistance profiles were examined by using an agar dilution technique. The two oxazolidinones inhibited all isolates, including strains resistant to vancomycin, ampicillin, and minocycline, at concentrations between 1 and 4 micrograms/ml.