‘Your whole life is lived through your teeth’: biographical disruption and experiences of tooth loss and replacement

The experience and meaning of tooth loss and replacement has varied historically and culturally but has received relatively little attention from social scientists. Our study set out to understand these experiences in the context of the arrival of newer, dental implant treatments. Semi‐structured qualitative interviews were carried out with 39 men and women who had experienced tooth loss and replacement. A thematic analysis was sensitised by previous sociological work on chronic illness, particularly Bury's notion of biographical disruption. We found that while for some individuals the loss of a tooth was relatively insignificant, for others it was devastating and disruptive. In seeking to understand this difference, the concept of biographical disruption was a helpful analytical tool. Our analysis identified two forms of disruption. The first related to the meanings of tooth loss (the neglected mouth) and denture wearing (a marker of old age). The second, embodied, disruption concerned the relationship between the self and mouth in those wearing dentures (the invaded, unreliable mouth) and could occur even where tooth loss and denture wearing had been biographically anticipated.     

Strain measurement by cardiovascular magnetic resonance in pediatric cancer survivors: validation of feature tracking against harmonic phase imaging

Background

Left ventricular strain may be a more sensitive marker of left ventricular dysfunction than ejection fraction in pediatric cancer survivors after anthracycline therapy, but there is limited validation of strain measurement by feature tracking on cardiovascular magnetic resonance (MR) images.

Objective

To compare left ventricular circumferential and radial strain by feature tracking vs. harmonic phase imaging analysis (HARP) in pediatric cancer survivors.

Materials and methods

Twenty-six patients (20.2?±?5.6 years old) underwent cardiovascular MR at least 5 years after completing anthracycline therapy. Circumferential and radial strain were measured at the base, midventricle and apex from short-axis myocardial tagged images by HARP, and from steady-state free precession images by feature tracking.

Results

Left ventricular ejection fraction more closely correlated with global circumferential strain by feature tracking (r?=??0.63, P?=?0.0005) than by HARP (r?=??0.39, P?=?0.05). Midventricular circumferential strain did not significantly differ by feature tracking or HARP (?20.8?±?3.4 vs. ?19.5?±?2.5, P?=?0.07), with acceptable limits of agreement. Midventricular circumferential strain by feature tracking strongly correlated with global circumferential strain by feature tracking (r?=?0.87, P?HARP, particularly at higher values of radial strain. Intraobserver and interobserver reproducibility was excellent for feature tracking circumferential strain, but reproducibility was poor for feature tracking radial strain.

Conclusion

Midventricular circumferential strain by feature tracking is a reliable and reproducible measure of myocardial deformation in patients status post anthracycline therapy, while radial strain measurements are unreliable. Further studies are necessary to evaluate potential relation to long-term outcomes.     

A Low Molecular Weight Folate Receptor Targeted Contrast Agent for Magnetic Resonance Tumor Imaging

Purpose  

This study aims to develop a low molecular weight folate receptor (FR) contrast agent for MR tumor imaging.     

Early rapid growth,early birth: Accelerated fetal growth and spontaneous late preterm birth

The past two decades in the United States have seen a 24% rise in spontaneous late preterm delivery (34–36 weeks) of unknown etiology. This study tested the hypothesis that fetal growth was identical prior to spontaneous preterm (n = 221, median gestational age at birth 35.6 weeks) and term (n = 3706) birth among pregnancies followed longitudinally in Santiago, Chile. The hypothesis was not supported: Preterm‐delivered fetuses were significantly larger than their term‐delivered peers by mid‐second trimester in estimated fetal weight, head, limb, and abdominal dimensions, and they followed different growth trajectories. Piecewise regression assessed time‐specific differences in growth rates at 4‐week intervals from 16 weeks. Estimated fetal weight and abdominal circumference growth rates slowed at 20 weeks among the preterm‐delivered, only to match and/or exceed their term‐delivered peers at 24–28 weeks. After an abrupt growth rate decline at 28 weeks, fetuses delivered preterm did so at greater population‐specific sex and age‐adjusted birth weight percentiles than their peers from uncomplicated pregnancies (P < 0.01). Growth rates predicted birth timing: one standard score of estimated fetal weight increased the odds ratio for late preterm birth from 2.8 prior to 23 weeks, to 3.6 (95% confidence interval, 1.82–7.11, P < 0.05) between 23 and 27 weeks. After 27 weeks, increasing size was protective (OR: 0.56, 95% confidence interval, 0.38–0.82, P = 0.003). These data document, for the first time, a distinctive fetal growth pattern across gestation preceding spontaneous late preterm birth, identify the importance of mid‐gestation for alterations in fetal growth, and add perspective on human fetal biological variability. Am. J. Hum. Biol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Overexpression of human papillomavirus type 16 oncoproteins enhances hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha protein accumulation and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in human cervical carcinoma cells.

PURPOSE: Human papillomavirus (HPV)-16 oncoproteins, E6 and E7, are associated with enhanced tumor angiogenesis in human cervical cancers. The purpose of this study was (a) to investigate whether expression of HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncoproteins induces hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1 alpha) and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in cervical cancer cells; and (b) to assess the effect of resveratrol on 16 E6- and E7-induced HIF-1 alpha and VEGF gene expression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Human cervical cancer cell lines C-33A and HeLa were transiently cotransfected with pSG5-HPV-16 E6 or 16 E7 constructs along with HIF-1 alpha small interfering RNA (siRNA) or nonspecific siRNA. The expression of HIF-1 alpha/VEGF was measured using real-time PCR, Western blot analysis, or ELISA. The in vitro angiogenic activity induced by 16 E6- and E7-transfected cells was examined. The effect of resveratrol on oncoprotein-induced HIF-1 alpha/VEGF expression and in vitro angiogenesis was investigated. RESULTS: HPV-16 E6- and E7-transfected cervical cancer cells express increased HIF-1 alpha protein and VEGF expression. These stimulatory effects were abrogated by cotransfection with either HIF-1 alpha siRNA or treatment with resveratrol. Blocking extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK 1/2) and phosphoinositide-3-kinase by PD98059 and LY294002, respectively, abolished 16 E6- and E7-induced HIF-1 alpha and VEGF expression. Functionally, we showed that HPV-16 E6- and E7-transfected cervical cancer cells stimulated in vitro capillary or tubule formation, and these angiogenic effects could be abolished either by cotransfection with HIF-1 alpha siRNA or by treatment with resveratrol. CONCLUSION: HPV-16 oncoproteins contribute to enhanced angiogenesis in cervical cancer cells via HIF-1 alpha-dependent VEGF expression. Resveratrol suppresses 16 E6- and E7-induced HIF-1 alpha-mediated angiogenic activity and, thus, is a promising chemotherapeutic agent for human cervical cancer.     

Repeatability of near visual acuity measurement at high and low contrast

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the repeatability of high‐ and low‐contrast visual acuity (VA) measurements at near. Methods: Fifty‐five normal subjects were recruited. Inclusion criteria included visual acuity of at least 0.00 logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) on each eye at distance. One eye was selected for this study, either the one with a better acuity or randomly chosen if there was no difference between the two eyes. Near VA was measured in a random order with the PolyU high‐contrast (PolyU‐HC), the PolyU low‐contrast (PolyU‐LC), the Precision high‐contrast (P‐HC) and the Precision low‐contrast (P‐LC) charts at 400 mm. Measurements were repeated after one to two weeks. Repeatability was presented using the 95% limits of agreement between visits. Results: The between‐visit repeatability was ±0.063 logMAR for high‐contrast and ±0.141 for low‐contrast using the PolyU charts. The between‐visit repeatability was ±0.120 logMAR for high‐contrast and ±0.110 for low‐contrast using the Precision charts. Seventeen subjects had high‐contrast VA better than ‐0.10 logMAR using Precision chart, which could not be measured by PolyU chart. The mean difference between high‐ and low‐contrast VA was 0.108 from the Precision charts (median difference of 0.10 or one line). Conclusions: The Precision charts could measure high‐contrast near VA to threshold level. Practitioners should be aware of a VA difference of more than one line in repetitive measurement, at both high and low contrast. A difference in near high‐ and low‐contrast VA of more than one line may warrant further investigation.     

Physical effects of reuse and repeated ethylene oxide sterilization on transscleral cyclophotocoagulation laser G-probes

PURPOSE: The authors documented the physical effects of reuse and repeated ethylene oxide sterilization on transscleral cyclophotocoagulation laser G-probes. METHODS: Transscleral cyclophotocoagulation was performed using G-probes on fresh porcine eyes. Each of two G-probes was used for four transscleral cyclophotocoagulation procedures, with three cycles of ethylene oxide sterilization in between. The power output from the G-probes was measured by a laser output meter before and after each transscleral cyclophotocoagulation procedure. The G-probes were also examined under a slit lamp for signs of physical damage. RESULTS: Repeated use of the G-probe in transscleral cyclophotocoagulation, with ethylene oxide sterilization in between, resulted in an average decrease of 3% in laser energy delivered per repeated cycle of use up to the fourth cycle. No signs of physical damage were found. CONCLUSIONS: Laser G-probes remain functional after repeated use and ethylene oxide resterilization for up to four cycles. No visible physical damage to the probes was identified. It is safe and cost-effective to reuse G-probe for transscleral cyclophotocoagulation with ethylene oxide sterilization, provided the surgeon stays alert for signs of probe damage. This alertness should be retained regardless of whether new or old G-probes are used.