Reproducibility of Two Four-Point Clinical Severity Scores for Lateral Canthal Lines (Crow''s Feet)

BACKGROUND: Several clinical scoring systems have been used to evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin A in the treatment of hyperkinetic wrinkles. So far very few have been investigated for their reproducibility. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the reproducibility of two clinical four-point scales for lateral canthal lines (crow's feet), at rest and at maximum smile. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Based on standardized photographs, a consensus atlas depicting the different severity grades [from 0 (none) to 3 (severe)] was developed. After training based on the atlas, 49 photographs at rest and 48 at maximum smile were graded by the same group of investigators on 2 consecutive days (n=9 on Day 1; n=8 on Day 2). The scores were compared for reproducibility using kappa statistics. RESULTS: Overall, reproducibility was good for both scales. Interobserver reproducibility showed an agreement of 0.6 at rest and 0.58 at maximum smile (unweighted kappa). Intraobserver reproducibility showed an agreement between 0.47 and 0.86 at rest and between 0.62 and 0.81 at maximum smile (unweighted kappa). Using weighted kappa analysis, the agreement ranged between 0.63 and 0.91 at rest and between 0.71 and 0.85 at maximum smile. CONCLUSION: The clinical scales using scores of 0 to 3 for crow's feet, both at rest and at maximum smile, show a good inter- and intraobserver reproducibility. The use of these scores in clinical trials can be recommended.     

LIVFR DEGENERATION FOLLOWING NEO- ARSPHF_NAMIXE AND MAPHARSEN TREATMENT WITH SOME REMARKS ON CATARRHAL JAUNDICE AND ARSENICAL JAUNDICE AND THEIR RELA- 'rION TO ACUTE YELLOW ATROPHY

The purpose of the pre~ent paper is to review certain aspects of catarrhal jaundice and arsenical jaundice and their relation to acute yellow atrophy in connection with a case of diffuse liver degeneration following neo-arsphenamine and mapharsen treatment with rapid fatal termination. Such a review may serve to clarify our present position in regard to the pathogenesis of catarrhal jaundice and arsenical jaundice. The case is remarkable in that the liver remained Iarge to the end in spite of the fulminating course.     

ISOLATION OF VIRULENT TREPONEMA PALLIDUM FRQM HUMAN AORTA THIRTY-TWO HOURS AFTER DEATH FROM CARDIOVASCULAR SYPHILIS

After a comprehensive rernew of the literature on syphilitic aortitis, Longcope, (1) stated in 1913; ": . . . the presence of spiro: chetes in these lesions, as might be expected, cannot by any means be constantly demonstrated with Levaaiti stain. . . . . . . That these organisms are ''Treponema pallidum seems almost certain thouS:h actual proof of such by culture from the arterial lesions, a most difficult task, or direct inoculation into animals, has not as yet been accomplished."     

Effect of metoprolol on death and cardiac events during a 2-year period after coronary artery bypass grafting

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effect of long-term treatment with metoprololafter coronary bypass grafting on death and cardiac events. METHODS: Patients in western Sweden on whom coronary artery bypass graftingwas performed between June 1988 and June 1991 were evaluatedfor inclusion during the first 3 weeks after surgery. Majorexclusion criteria were age >75 years, concomitant valvesurgery, traditional contraindications to beta-blockers andunwillingness to participate. Patients were randomized in adouble-blind fashion to 100 mg of metoprolollplacebo daily for2 weeks and thereafter 200 mg daily for 2 years. RESULTS: Of 2365 patients who were operated on, 967 were randomized toeither metoprolol (n=480) or placebo (n=487). Primary end points(death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, unstable angina pectoris,need for coronary artery bypass grafting or percutaneous transluminalangioplasty), were reached by 42 patients in the metoprololgroup (8·8%) as compared with 39 in the placebo group(8·0%) (P=0·73). Of all the patients randomizedto metoprolol, 34% withdrew from blind treatment prematurelycompared with 44% for placebo (P<0·01) CONCLUSION: Prophylactic treatment with metoprolol over a 2-year periodafter coronary artery bypass grafting did not reduce death orthe development of cardiac events. However, the 95% confidencelimits ranged from the possibility of a 30% reduction in eventsto a 68% increase in events if patients were treated with metoprololas compared with placebo.     

Investigation of Direct Causes of Drug Relapse and Abstainers’ Demands in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City of China

Objective To identify the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demand, and to develop programs for the prevention of drug relapse. Methods Abstainers in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City, capital of Hubei Province were randomly selected. An investigation on the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demands was conducted with multiple-choice questionnaires and face to face interviews. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0. Results The direct causes leading to drug relapse included: temptation to use drug again by themselves or by their drug mates, seeking pleasure and ecstasy from drug use, relatively well off living, mental stress, irritation, demoralization, family conflicts, unemployment, feeling distrusted by the family, lack of care and love from the family, and discrimination by others. abstainers’ demands after detoxification and returning to the society included: care and support from the family, employment assistance, changing living environment, understanding by others, support from the society, and keeping far away from drugs. Conclusions Environmental factors are the direct causes of drug relapse, and negative irritation is its predisposing causes. Leaving former residence, more care and help given by both the family and the society and raising their overall quality of life are the demands of abstainers.     

Endocrine therapy with or without radical prostatectomy for T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively compared the 5-year survival rates of T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients treated either by endocrine therapy plus radical prostatectomy or endocrine therapy alone. METHODS: Clinical T1b-T3N0M0 prostate cancer patients were enrolled at 104 institutions in Japan. They were assigned to study 1 (n = 176), if they were indicated to prostatectomy, if not indicated, they were assigned to study 2 (n = 151). The indication of prostatectomy was based on the clinical judgement of physicians and/or patients. Those assigned to study 1 underwent prostatectomy and adjuvant endocrine therapy with or without preoperative androgen deprivation. Those assigned to study 2 were treated with leuprorelin acetate with or without chlormadinone acetate. They were followed-up every 3 months until death or for 5 years and over. RESULTS: Those assigned to study 1 were younger (mean age 67.2 vs 75.7 years), less advanced in clinical stage, and had lower prostate specific antigen levels (mean 43.8 vs 103.6 ng/mL). Death for any reason was observed less frequently in study 1 (n = 29, 16%) than study 2 (n = 50, 33%), and the 5-year overall survival rate was higher in study 1 (87 vs. 68%). However, prostate cancer deaths were comparatively seldom (9% in study 1 and 7% in study 2), resulting in the identical 5-year cause specific survival rate in both study groups (91%). In both study groups the overall survival was almost equal to the natural survival of age-matched men. CONCLUSIONS: Endocrine therapy offers a reasonable survival rate in T1b-T3 prostate cancer patients within a 5-year follow-up. Observation will be extended to determine 10-year outcomes.     

RELATIVE CHANGES OF BLOOD AND CEREBRO- SPINAL FLUID SUGAR IN SCHIZOPHRENIC PATIENTS TREATED WITH INSULIhI*

Divisiort of Neuropsychiatry of Department of Medtczne and Department o/ Pharmacology, Natio礼ul rVedicat Ooltege of Shtrnghai, Shanghai, China. . As far as the writers are aware, few studies on the changes of blood and cerebrospinal fiuid sugar during hypoglycemia have been made in schizophrenic patients. While our work was in progress, two articles had come to our notice. In the paper by Dussik (1) the blood and cerebrospinal fluid sugar values at the time of insulm coma were determined, while in the communication by Day, Niver and Greenberg (2) the course of changes in blood ar.d cerebrospinal fIuid sugar after insulin was followed. The object of this paper is to report the results of a number of individual and serial determinations of both the bIood and cerebrospinal fluid sugar in schizophrenic patients treated by insulin according to Sakel''s method (3).     

Influence of Chemical Oxygen Demand Concentrations on Anaerobic Ammonium Oxidation by Granular Sludge From EGSB Reactor

INTRODUCTION The phenomenon of anaerobic ammonium oxidation was originally discovered in a denitrifying fluidized-bed reactor treating effluent from a methanogenic reactor in the 1990s[1]. Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (ANAMMOX) process is a strictly anaerobic denitrification process, in which ANAMMOX autotrophic bacteria directly oxidize ammonium to dinitrogen gas using nitrite as electron acceptor. In recent years, the anammox process has received great attention and lots of researc…