The investigation of 32P wire for catheter-based endovascular irradiation

The dose distribution from a 32P source has been measured and calculated in order to evaluate its application in endovascular irradiation. The source dimension was 27 mm in length and 0.3 mm in diameter and was embedded in the end of a Ni-Ti wire. Dose measurements were performed using radiochromic film in several specially designed tissue equivalent phantoms. Loevinger's point dose kernel was used for the calculation. The approximate dose rate at a radial distance of 1.5 mm from the center of the source was found to be 6.75 cGy/s per GBq (0.25 cGy/s per mCi), which allows the delivery of a therapeutic dose in a short time interval with a satisfactory homogeneity without stepping the source. However, the dose rate falls off almost exponentially along the radial distance. Therefore it may not be suitable for treating large diameter vessel from a centrally located source. The effect of a curved 32P wire source on the radial dose distribution was also investigated. The results showed that for a maximum bend of 180 degrees the dose rate was increased by as much as 20% along the inner radial distance but decreased by as much as 20% along the outer radial distance compared to the dose along a straight wire. However, for curvatures normally encountered in a clinical situation, the dose rate was changed less than 5%.     

Reply to Silverman.

Responds to commentary by I. Silverman (see record 2007-08963-001) entitled "Review of Pure types are rare": Comment on book review. I do not think that either one of us will change his position, and therefore it is up to the interested (yet disinterested) reader to adjudicate our dispute by checking Professor Silverman's book and his references. In the process, the reader will be forced to consider the thought-provoking implications for our mental health system of some of the incidents which the author describes so vividly, and that will not be a bad thing. There is one point, however, which is worth pursuing further here, for Professor Silverman persists in an elementary statistical fallacy. Let us take the situation which he cites, where the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia is 50%. Suppose with the same base rate the degree of agreement is in fact 53%; this is far above chance level. It must be emphasized, however, that the 53% agreement under discussion came not from a study where the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia was 50%, but from one where the conditions were far more stringent since the base rate for diagnosing schizophrenia was around 20%. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The COMMIT dental model: tobacco control practices and attitudes

The National Cancer Institute's program to help dentists reduce tobacco use among their patients is part of the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation, a 22-community, randomly controlled trial of an intervention program for smoking cessation. Results of COMMIT baseline surveys of dentists in the 11 intervention communities are presented.     

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland in a six-year-old girl

A 6-year-old white female was found to have an adenoid cystic carcinoma originating in a lacrimal gland. Eighteen months following diagnosis, the tumor recurred. Conservative surgery has been the sole mode of therapy. To date, after four operations and quadrimenstral imaging surveillance, there is no sign of disease progression. Our purpose is to record the unusual occurrence of an adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland in a child. An interim report, 32 months after diagnosis, is presented.     

Dyadic perfectionism as a predictor of relationship continuity and distress among college students.

This study examined the nature and impact of dyadic perfectionism over a 3-month interval within a sample of 116 college students who were currently involved in an intimate heterosexual relationship. Dyadic perfectionism scores were stable and correlated as expected with scores on concurrent measures of adult attachment orientations and relationship satisfaction. Logistic regression analyses revealed that, controlling for initial commitment status and adult attachment orientations, Time 1 dyadic perfectionism scores significantly and uniquely predicted relationship continuity 3 months later. Lastly, controlling for social desirability, relationship commitment status, and Time 1 adult attachment orientation scores, Time 1 dyadic perfectionism scores also uniquely predicted Time 2 relationship distress. Findings provide additional evidence that dyadic perfectionism is a risk factor for relationship dysfunction. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neighborhood disadvantage moderates associations of parenting and older sibling problem attitudes and behavior with conduct disorders in African American children.

Data from 296 sibling pairs (mean ages 10 and 13 years), their primary caregivers, and census records were used to test the hypothesis that African American children's likelihood of developing conduct problems associated with harsh parenting, a lack of nurturant-involved parenting, and exposure to an older sibling's deviance-prone attitudes and behavior would be amplified among families residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods. A latent construct representing harsh-inconsistent parenting and low levels of nurturant-involved parenting was positively associated with younger siblings' conduct disorder symptoms, as were older siblings' problematic attitudes and behavior. These associations were strongest among families residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Future research and prevention programs should focus on the specific neighborhood processes associated with increased vulnerability for behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Placebo-controlled immunotherapy with Cocos nucifera pollen extract

The effectiveness of Cocos nucifera pollen extract immunotherapy (CPE-IT) was studied in 96 patients allergic to C. nucifera pollen. A placebo-controlled study was performed at random for a period of 6-12 months. The clinical status of the patients measured by the symptom-medication scores demonstrated that C. nucifera pollen-allergic patients had significant (p < 0.005) clinical improvement after CPE-IT in comparison to placebo treatment. Serological study resulted a significant reduction (p < 0.001) of specific IgE and significant elevation (p < 0.01) of specific IgG in post-therapeutic patients' sera which were correlated significantly (r = 0.45, p < 0.001); the changes of the above immunoglobulin levels in the placebo-treated patients were nonsignificant. However, there was no correlation between symptom-medication scores and changes in specific serum IgE or IgG levels.