Tooth wear and occlusal sounds. Comparative study of restorative and orthodontic indices. Preliminary report

A comparative study of dental arch forms was conducted according to their manifestation of relative tooth wear and occlusal sounds. Thirty-six subjects were grouped according to their dental treatment experience into one of five arch form categories. Significant differences in the severity of tooth wear were found between the five groups. Tooth sounds were also found to be related to the dental arch form, and thus dental treatment category.     

Results of Medical Research Council Childhood Leukaemia Trial UKALL VIII (Report to the Medical Research Council on behalf of the Working Party on Leukaemia in Childhood)

During the 1970s, despite apparently similar treatment, the prognosis for children with lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) improved more in some countries, notably the United States and West Germany, than in others. To find out why, the first phase of the United Kingdom (UK) Medical Research Council (MRC) childhood ALL trial, UKALL VIII, was designed to see whether similar results to the United States Children's Cancer Study Group (CCSG) could be obtained in the U.K. using an identical protocol (CCG 162). Protocol 162 was one of a series of regimens devised by the American Children's Cancer Study Group in the 1970s and was used specifically for their average risk patients (all children with ALL with an initial white cell count up to 50 x 10(9)/l except those aged 3-6 years with white cell counts under 10 x 10(9)/l). One arm (1A) of their study was adopted by the MRC for all children in the U.K. aged 0-14 years with confirmed ALL. Eight hundred and twenty-nine consecutive patients were entered between 1980 and 1984. The first 199 patients formed a single arm study as per the original protocol 162 (arm 1A), but the subsequent 630 children were randomized to receive or not two doses of daunorubicin on the first 2 d of induction. This randomization was an attempt to answer the important question as to whether event-free survival was influenced by the use of four rather than three induction agents. A second randomization between 2 and 3 years continuing therapy was also introduced at this stage as it had been by the CCSG in their protocol. With a minimum follow up period of more than 5 years, disease-free survival for the whole group is 55%, a considerable improvement on all previous UKALL trials. Results for patients directly comparable with those in CCSG 162 ('average risk' patients) and their American counterparts were similar. Daunorubicin was associated with more early deaths but improved disease-free survival for those achieving remission. More children relapsed who stopped treatment after 2 years than those who continued for 3, but this was balanced by increased treatment mortality in the third year. The fact that for UKALL VIII the results were similar to those of the CCSG suggests that previous MRC protocols were not sufficiently sustained and intensive, particularly during the maintenance phase of treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Immunoregulatory markers in rats carrying Dunning R3327 H, G, or MAT-LyLu prostatic adenocarcinoma variants

The Dunning R3327 tumor represents a system for studying prostate cancer in Copenhagen X Fischer rats. Animals bearing variant sublines (H, G, and MAT-LyLu) differing in growth rate, differentiation, hormone responsiveness, and metastatic ability were assayed for three immunological markers. Spleens were passed through a tissue sieve, and mononuclear cells were obtained by Ficoll-Hypaque centrifugation. These were assayed for leukocytic subsets using monoclonal antibodies. An adherent population was isolated and evaluated using thin-layer chromatography for conversion of radiolabeled arachidonic acid to E series prostaglandins. Finally, sera from these animals were assayed for levels of circulating immune complexes using polyethylene glycol precipitation. Data from 52 rats bearing the various tumors were obtained, correlated with subline aggressiveness, and compared to 15 controls. Each tumor group demonstrated significantly lower helper/suppressor T-cell ratios than controls, probably due to general tumor presence. In addition, the most aggressive R3327 MAT-LyLu variant had significantly increased prostaglandin E synthesis by adherent spleen cells compared to the H or G sublines and significantly increased levels of circulating immune complexes relative to the H subline. G subline values for both prostaglandin E and circulating immune complexes levels were intermediate, suggesting that these markers correlate better with tumor aggressiveness than helper/suppressor T-cell ratios.     

Determinations of glucose turnover and oxidation in normal volunteers and septic patients using stable and radio-isotopes: the response to glucose infusion and total parenteral feeding

Rates of glucose turnover and oxidation were isotopically determined in normal volunteers (n = 16) and in severely septic patients (n = 10). Glucose turnover was determined using primed constant infusions of either 6-3H- or 6,6-d-glucose and glucose oxidation with either U-14C-glucose or U-13C-glucose after appropriate priming of the bicarbonate pool. Basal rates of glucose turnover, oxidation, and plasma clearance were significantly higher in the septic patients than in the volunteers. During glucose infusion (4 mg/kg.min) endogenous glucose production was virtually abolished in the volunteers (94 +/- 4% suppression). There was significantly less suppression in the septic patients (39 +/- 7%); (P less than 0.01). In addition, the percentage of available glucose oxidized (i.e. the percentage of glucose uptake oxidized) was significantly less in the septic patients. When the patients were studied during total parenteral nutrition (at a similar rate of glucose infusion) there was no further suppression of endogenous glucose production compared with that seen during 2 h of glucose infusion. However, the percentage of available glucose oxidized increased significantly. From these studies it is concluded that septic patients continue to have ongoing consumption of host tissue despite receiving either glucose infusion or total parenteral nutrition, and septic patients are less able to oxidize glucose than normal volunteers when infused for only 2 h. However, adaptation occurs with the longer infusion time used in total parenteral nutrition (TPN).     

Methodological Studies on Genomic DNA Extraction and Purification from Plant Drug Materials

本文探讨了菊科９种植物和地胆草的４种对口商品药材基因组ＤＮＡ提取与纯化的原理、方法通过对３种常用植物基因组ＤＮＡ提取方法（ＣｓＣｌ梯度超速离心法、ＣＴＡＢＣｓＣｌ梯度超速离心法和ＣＴＡＢ微量提取法）的条件摸索在ＤＮＡ产率、纯度以及提取纯化过程中影响ＰＣＲ扩增因子方面进行比较，认为ＣＴＡＢ微量提取法是植物类药材基因组ＤＮＡ一种比较省时、有效、经济的提取方法     

Rotational ablation of balloon angioplasty failures

In this series, we evaluated the use of rotational ablation in stenoses that were previously refractory to balloon angioplasty. Forty-one stenoses were treated; in 26, the balloon did not adequately expand within the lesion and in 15 the balloon could not be delivered to the stenosis. Rotational ablation was technically successful in 40 of 41 (97.6%) of the lesions attempted. Twenty-four patients have been followed (mean time = 9 +/- 5 months) and the restenosis rate was similar to that of balloon angioplasty. Rotational ablation appears well suited and may be the treatment of choice for heavily calcified, severely angulated, and diffusely diseased vessels.     

Concordance of creatine kinase-MB activity and mass

The recent availability of monoclonal antibodies that are highly specific for creatine kinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) MB isoenzyme should allow for the development of rapid, sensitive, and specific assays of CK-MB mass and activity. However, the relationship between the mass concentration of CK-MB and its activity in plasma has previously been thought by some to be variable. To determine the extent to which discrepancies of potential clinical significance might arise between measurements of activity and mass in plasma, we compared CK-MB activity and concentration in 1298 samples obtained from 226 patients admitted to the cardiac-care unit. CK-MB activity concentration was determined with an immunoadsorption assay, and mass concentration was measured by an automated "sandwich" assay (Magic Lite; Ciba Corning Diagnostics). Both of these assays are based on specific monoclonal antibodies for CK-MB. Values obtained with these assays correlated well (r = 0.94). Normal and abnormal values with the two assays were concordant in 96% of the samples. In all but three instances, differences occurred late after myocardial infarction and were characterized by minimal increases as determined by one method vs values at the upper limit of normal as determined with the other. Thus, measurements of CK-MB mass and activity concentrations in plasma with assays based on these specific monoclonal antibodies are comparable for the detection or exclusion of acute myocardial infarction.     

Correlation of manual dexterity and comprehension with oral hygiene and periodontal status in mentally handicapped adults

Although there is relatively little information concerning the oral health of handicapped adults there is increasing evidence to suggest that their oral condition, particularly periodontal health, is poor. The present investigation involved assessment of 382 handicapped patients attending four different Adult Training Centres in Birmingham. The caries status, oral hygiene, and periodontal conditions were evaluated and the Community Periodontal Index of Treatment Need (CPITN) was calculated. In order to assess the manual dexterity and the comprehension of the trainees a standard test was devised. This consisted of timing each participant in carrying out simple instructions to pick up and position certain common objects. The results indicated high levels of plaque, calculus, and bleeding with a mean CPITN of 7.43. The mean time taken for the manual dexterity and comprehension test was 23.9 seconds with a range from 10 to 80 seconds, S.E.+/- 1.33. This compares with results from 34 "normal" adults of a mean time of 8.2 seconds +/- 1.8 with a range of 6 to 12 seconds. There was no significant correlation between the Manual Dexterity and Comprehension scores and the periodontal indices in the handicapped adults.     

Megalencephaly in sudden infant death syndrome

The fresh brain weights of 79 infants with sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) were tabulated and compared with expected "normal" brain weights. The series included 47 males and 32 females. Their ages ranged from 8 days to 16 months with a median of 2.5 months. The weights of all these brains were above the 50th percentile for age, and 64 of 79 brains (81%) were above the 95th percentile, including 15 (19%) at or above the 99.9th percentile. The ratio of the brain stem plus cerebellum weight to the whole brain weight of 93 formalin-fixed brains from victims of SIDS showed that the cerebrum was disproportionately heavier in most cases. No gross or microscopic evidence of cerebral edema was noted to account for the heavier weight. The significance of these findings is debatable. The increase in brain weight was less obvious in infants younger than 1 month of age but accelerated after that age. The brain weights of infants with SIDS may represent the really "normal" weights, since these patients were not known to be ill prior to death. If the brain weights of SIDS infants are really heavier than "normal," the possibility must be considered that disproportionately rapid growth of the brain during early infancy may be detrimental to the neural control of the cardiorespiratory system.