Diaphragm replacement. An animal experiment study

OBJECTIVE: The study was designed to test the hypothesis that a dentifrice with fluoride at the same concentration (1000ppm) from two sources, ie NaF and NaMFP, would provide a greater treatment effect than one with NaMFP alone. BASIC RESEARCH DESIGN: A double blind clinical trial with random assignment of children to one of two groups was carried out for three years. The two trial groups were similar at the outset in respect to those variables which might otherwise have affected the outcome, including age and gender, with means per subject of 98.4 sound surfaces and 2.2 decayed and filled surfaces in each group initially. CLINICAL SETTING: Secondary schools in the Isle of Wight, UK, an area of diminished caries experience. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand six hundred and thirty-three children aged initially 10-12 years. INTERVENTIONS: A test dentifrice containing 500ppm NaF plus 500ppm NaMFP, and a standard active control product containing 1000ppm NaMFP. Products were used in the home. OUTCOME MEASURES: Increment of DF teeth and surfaces measured over 36 months. RESULTS: After three years, mean approximal surface increments were 3.6 new DFS in the control group and 3.1 in the test group, a difference 13 per cent (P < 0.05). Thirty-four per cent of the subjects were caries free at the outset. In the 1075 subjects with caries at the outset, the total mean increment on all surfaces was 7.2 new DFS in the control group and 6.4 new DFS in the test group, a difference of 11 per cent (P < 0.05). However, those subjects with initial caries had approximal surface increments of 4.8 new DFS in the control group and 4.0 new DFS in the test group, a difference of 16 per cent (P < 0.01). Included separately along with the conventional rubric were enamel white spots on which no differential treatment effect was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Under the conditions of this study, the regular use of a dentifrice containing 1000ppm fluoride from two sources provided a significantly greater treatment effect than one with fluoride from a single source.     

Reduction of cataract by plasma etching of intraocular lenses. An animal experiment study

BACKGROUND: We studied if a modification of the silicon intraocular lens (IOL) by plasma etching is able to promote a bonding of the IOL surface and the capsular bag which might inhibit proliferation and migration of lens epithelial cells. METHODS: Silicon-disc lenses (90D, Adatomed), as disposable for regular cataract surgery, were used. Their haptic surface was etched via the use of a SO2 plasma, leaving the optic unmodified. The experiments were done on dwarf rabbits to allow for tight apposition of IOL and bag. Nine rabbits underwent extracapsular lensectomy using propofol anaesthesia and phaco/clear cornea surgical technique. Six eyes each received either no, a regular or a modified IOL. After 11 weeks the eyes were enucleated. Capsular bag and IOL were digitized using a flatbed scanner with transparency adapter. The data obtained were calibrated against a densitometric standard. The densities of the various specimen were analyzed quantitatively using self designed software. RESULTS: In aphacic eyes no significant posterior capsule opacification (PCO) was detectable. In the same time-span the regular IOL had developed a dense, heterogenous PCO. The plasma-treated IOL showed, especially in the central areas, a significant reduction of PCO as compared to untreated IOL. CONCLUSION: The reduction of PCO could not be explained by adhesion of the IOL surface and the capsular bag, which would impair migration of lens epithelial cells and thereby PCO. Likewise, lower PCO may be related to improved hydrophilic properties of the surface-modified IOL.     

Three-dimensional sonographic guidance for interstitial laser therapy in benign prostatic hyperplasia

In recent years, interstitial laser therapy was introduced to provide a new treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). However, the precise positioning of the laser fibers has remained a major unsettled issue. Three-dimensional (3-D) transrectal ultrasound scanning permits precise differentiation of the prostatic zones, in particular the transition zone, which is enlarged in BPH. Initially, a volume scan of the prostate is obtained. On the monitor, three sections of the prostate in the coronal, sagittal, and horizontal planes are displayed simultaneously. This new 3-D technology enables precise and reproducible positioning of the laser fibers at any selected site in the adenoma under sonographic guidance, thus providing the basis for complete laser prostatectomy. Placement of the laser fibers proved to be precise, quick, and uncomplicated.     

An experiment of Gestalt group therapy with hospitalized schizophrenics.

Tested the hypothesis that the use of gestalt methods in groups with schizophrenics will increase the level of reality differentiation and perception. 17 21–43 yr old schizophrenics served as Ss. Two measurements of the Rorschach were used to test reality perception. Results show a significant increase in one measurement of reality perception in the experimental group as opposed to the control group, supporting the hypothesis. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Argon laser therapy of benign tumors of the eyelid

Although a common site of metastases, primary fallopian tube carcinoma comprises only 0.3% of all gynaecological malignancies. Presenting symptoms are variable and non-specific, with preoperative diagnosis rarely entertained. The FIGO system assigns nearly two-thirds of patients to stage I or II and is based on surgical staging criteria similar to those for ovarian cancer. Likewise, management is based on that for ovarian cancer-radical debulking followed by platinum-based combination chemotherapy. Five-year survival for patients with disease confined to the tube at diagnosis (stage I) is only about 60% and only 10% of patients with advanced disease will be cured.     

Effect of surgical technique on meniscus transplants. A histological, animal experiment study

Heparan sulphate binding to cells of the gastric pathogen Helicobacter pylori at pH 4-6 is common. Binding was inhibited by various unlabelled sulphated polysaccharides and at high ionic strength and pH, but not by carboxylated or non-sulphated compounds. The inhibition by various sulphated compounds such as dextran sulphate and carrageenans was related to the sulphate content and not to the carbohydrate polymer backbone. The IC50 values for heparin and dextran sulphate for H. pylori strain 25 were calculated as 3.55 x 10(-7) M and 5.01 x 10(-6) M respectively. Heparin-binding proteins of H. pylori are exposed on the cell surface, as shown by biotinylation of cell-surface proteins before separation of outer membranes and by an indirect immunofluorescence assay. The strongest biotin-heparin binding by H. pylori was observed with a polypeptide in the 55-60 kDa region.     

Cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia: An initial outcome study.

Examined the efficacy of a cognitive-behavioral therapy for bulimia with 20 18–30 yr old bulimic females who were randomly assigned in equal numbers to either full- or brief-intervention therapy programs. Three Ss reported a previous history of anorexia nervosa; 3 of the Ss had previously received treatment for bulimia. The full intervention was based on a cognitive-behavioral conceptualization in which bulimia is viewed as a type of obsessive-compulsive problem, and it involved cognitive restructuring, exposure with response prevention, behavioral contracting, and process-oriented psychotherapy. Results indicate that the full-intervention Ss, relative to the brief-intervention Ss, substantially reduced the frequency of their bingeing-vomiting; improved their general psychological adjustment; and changed their attitudes about food, dieting, and their bodies. In addition, data collected in an actual eating situation demonstrated a dramatic reduction in the urge to vomit and level of discomfort for the full-intervention Ss. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Photodynamic therapy using m-tetra(hydroxyphenyl) chlorin. An animal model

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potent photosensitizer m-tetra (hydroxyphenyl) chlorin (m-THPC) by using rabbits with cottontail rabbit papillomavirus-induced tumors and the canine larynx as model systems. DESIGN: Nonrandomized control trial. SETTING: Division of ear, nose, and throat research at a tertiary care teaching hospital. MATERIALS: Rabbits were used for relative retention ratio studies and tissue tolerance tests. Studies on the swelling of normal tissues in the larynx after photoactivation were done with canines. INTERVENTION: Animals were injected with 0.3 mg/kg of m-THPC. At varying intervals, tissues were exposed to 652 nm of light. OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures consisted of four elements: (1) decay of plasma concentration over time, (2) interval to and duration of maximal ratio between drug concentration in normal tissue and tumor, (3) maximal permissible light exposure to normal tissue (skin and laryngeal mucosa) at an optimal interval, and (4) efficacy--number of tumors with partial and complete response. RESULTS: The largest papilloma to skin ratio (10:1) occurred 4 to 8 days after drug injection. The rabbit skin damage threshold was 40 to 60 J/cm2 at 6 days. The canine laryngeal edema and erythema thresholds were 50 to 70 J. A 75% cure rate of papillomas was achieved with tumors that were less than 100 mm2 in area at light doses that ranged from 25 to 75 J/cm2. CONCLUSIONS: m-THPC shows efficacy in treating papilloma virus-induced tumors. We present a protocol for rapid optimization of the factors required for tumor destruction with minimal normal tissue damage, thus permitting determination of an optimal therapeutic protocol for any photosensitizer.     

Attribution therapy requestioned: A secondary analysis of the Wilson-Linville study.

Presents results of a secondary analysis of T. D. Wilson and P. W. Linville's (see record 1982-26799-001) study that reported an attributional intervention that helped college freshmen to improve their academic performance. One long-term behavioral relationship, the tendency of Ss not experiencing the attributional therapy to leave college, proved on closer scrutiny to have an implication opposite to the one required by Wilson and Linville: The departing students had higher GPAs than did the students who remained in college. The 2nd long-term behavioral relationship, a grade point increase from the 1st freshman semester to the 2nd sophomore semester, is of uncertain dependability because of regression toward the mean effects; the dependence of the finding on an anomalous, aberrant score; and the unexpected differential influence of departing Ss on the characteristics of the remaining sample. The usefulness of replicating findings that are weak or dramatic is emphasized, and a greater role is advocated for secondary analysis of published data to speed the progress of psychology. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A.A. and group therapy for alcoholics. An application of the World Hypotheses Scale

The results of a study suggest that alcoholics with a preference for formistic thinking (as defined by Pepper's World Hypotheses) are more likely to benefit from participation in Alcholics Anonymous than from group therapy.     

Dynamic MR imaging of liver tumors: analysis with temporal reconstruction images

PURPOSE: To graphically display the time dependency of contrast enhancement of liver tumors at examination with dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A temporal reconstruction image was generated by obtaining a line of interest drawn on a single image through the liver and the tumor and reformatted over a sequence of temporal images. This calculated image expressed the temporal evolution of the line, including nontumoral liver and tumor, with regard to three variables: signal intensity, enhancement, and velocity. This allowed a visually integrated analysis of 95 hepatic lesions studied with dynamic single-section MR imaging after contrast material administration. RESULTS: Temporal reconstruction images were obtained for all the dynamic studies. Five patterns of enhancement based on signal intensity and velocity variations coupled with morphologic information were found: wall, diffusion, moderate enhancement, marked progressive, and early intense patterns. CONCLUSION: Temporal reconstruction of liver tumors after contrast material administration can be used to analyze, describe, and report the dynamics of lesion enhancement with morphologic and temporal resolution.     

An experiment study of the guided bone regeneration

BMP is one of important factors in the pathophysiology of bone regeneration. Fifteen New Zealand rabbits were used in this experiment. We studied the distribution and effectiveness of endogenic BMP on a 10 mm bone defect of radius, by utilizing immunohistochemistry of BMP and quantitative computer imaging system. On the 3rd day, death of osteocytes and BMP positive blood clot were observed. The mesenchymal cells from periosteum and endoosteum, and osteoblast were also BMP positive. By quantitative study, we found there was a gradient distribution of BMP in bone defect, i.e, the value of BMP decreased gradually along the distance from the fracture ends. The maximal value of BMP was noted at the 1st week postoperation. In conclusion, two sources of endogenic BMP were found, one was from the absorption of necrotic tissue of fracture ends, the other was from the secretion of osteogenic mesenchymal cells during the process of bone regeneration. Nonunion of bone defect was caused in part by the gradient distribution of BMP. Accordingly, the concept of effective quantity of endogenic BMP was drawn rosen. It might be a new method in the treatment of bone defect by increasing the concentration of endogenic BMP and improving its distribution.     

Dynamic systems theory as a paradigm for the study of change in psychotherapy: an application to cognitive therapy for depression

Dynamic systems theory provides a conceptual framework for the study of change in psychotherapy that is consistent with that used in other sciences. A dynamic systems model of change was proposed and evaluated in the context of cognitive therapy for depression. Consistent with this model, less client protection and more destabilization of depressive patterns predicted more improvement at the end of treatment. Less protection was associated with more therapist support/stabilization. More destabilization was associated with more affective intensity in the session and with more of a therapist focus on the historical antecedents of current problems, exposure to multiple sources of corrective information, and repeated practice of new skills. Although preliminary, this pattern of findings is consistent with the model proposed and with principles of dynamic systems from other sciences.