Subperiosteal osteoid osteoma of the hamate: a case report.

Osteoid osteoma is uncommon in the hand. The lesion can arise from either cortical or cancellous bone or subperiosteally. The latter localization is extremely rare in the hand, with only 4 reported cases in the English-language literature. Furthermore, characteristic radiographic findings of a central lucency surrounded by reactive sclerosis often emerge only late in the process, or not at all. Consequently, the diagnosis of osteoid osteoma of the hand can be delayed. We report a case of a subperiosteal osteoid osteoma of the hamate in which the diagnosis was delayed 2 years.     

Second neoplasms in survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer are often treatable.

PURPOSE: To estimate the incidence and types of second neoplasms in survivors of childhood and adolescent cancer, as well as the characteristics of those who developed second neoplasms. METHODS: Survivors who were under age 21 years at initial diagnosis, off therapy, and in remission for 2 years are referred to the Long Term Survivors' Clinic (LTSC) at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC). This review includes patients entered in the clinic database from January 1, 1997 to August 30, 2002. RESULTS: Twenty-three (2.3%) of 987 childhood cancer survivors followed in the LTSC had 26 (2.6%) second and third neoplasms. The mean age was 6.7 years at initial diagnosis, 20.3 years at diagnosis of the second neoplasm, and 20.5 years at diagnosis of the third neoplasm. Of 10 female and 13 male patients, 15 were white, six black, one Hispanic, and one Asian. All but two of the patients received radiation. Nineteen neoplasms, including seven thyroid carcinomas, six central nervous system tumors (three meningiomas), three basal cell carcinomas, two breast cancers, and one soft tissue sarcoma, occurred at sites within or contiguous to radiation sites. Five patients died, but the majority of neoplasms were treatable and most patients had good outcomes. CONCLUSION: Indefinite follow-up in a long-term survivors' clinic is indicated for adolescent and adult survivors of childhood cancer, with routine examination and screening for recurrence of the initial cancer as well as late effects, including second neoplasms.     

Xenopus Tadpole Melanophores Are Controlled by Dark and Light and Melatonin Without Influence of Time of Day

Melanophores were studied in tadpoles of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis , during the first week after hatching (stages 46–49) at 25°C. The tadpoles had melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in the light and punctate melanophores in the dark in LD12:12. The melanophores remained punctate in constant dark and the melanosomes remained dispersed in constant light. Lights-out (in the light-time of LD12:12) caused the melanophores to become punctate, which occurred more quickly than the dispersion of melanosomes, which commenced when the lights were turned on (in the dark-time of LD12:12). Melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in tadpoles (in constant light) became punctate in response to a series of melatonin concentrations (0.2–5 ng/ml) in their bathing water irrespective of the time of day melatonin was administered. An image-analysis technique for assessing melanophore responses was tested.     

Weekly phase shifts of rhythms self-reported by almost feral human students in the USA and Spain

Eleven students in the USA and fifteen students in Spain wrote their wake-up and to-sleep times on forms for a month. The subjects reported large day-to-day phase shifts of magnitude comparable to those of travelers and shiftworkers. All individuals exhibited some large phase shifts of their day-to-day wake-up and to-sleep times (largest shift average, 4.54 hours; range, -12.7 to +13.9 hours). The students had daily cycles and weekly cycles in their wake-up and to-sleep times. Synchrony (entrainment) with the 24-hour environment was achieved by large weekly phase advances (individual averages ranged 1.2-4.8 hours) rather than by small daily adjustments. There was considerable variation in awake time: there were 2-3 hour differences between individuals, and there were 3.2 hour differences depending on day of the week. Alarm use appeared to be the Zeitgeber, in contrast to laboratory studies which show light and social Zeitgebers for humans. There was a 4 hour difference between the Spanish and USA students which was attributed to the 5 hour difference in time zones. Wake-up time and prior to-sleep time were interdependent.     

Culture confirmation of cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus by direct enzyme-labeled DNA probes and in situ hybridization.

Using probes consisting of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) directly attached to DNA, scrapings or trypsinized cells from 217 adequate clinical samples were cultured and analyzed in 3 blind studies by in situ hybridization for the presence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) and herpes simplex virus (HSV). Sixty samples were judged inadequate due to insufficient cell numbers; however, this problem was significantly decreased during the course of the study. One hundred and eighteen samples were found positive and 70 samples were found negative for CMV. Scrapings of cultured cells from 29 clinical samples revealed 9 samples which were positive and 20 samples which were negative for HSV. Forty-two additional samples, containing either uninfected cells or cells infected with various strains of CMV, were analyzed for the ability of the HRP-DNA CMV probe to detect such isolates. Twenty samples were positive and 22 negative for CMV. No false-negatives or false-positives were observed for either CMV or HSV. In addition to the specificity noted above neither the CMV nor the HSV DNA probe hybridized to potential contaminants found in clinical specimens.     

Guided imagery of female sexual assertiveness: turn on or turn off?

To test the effect of female sexual assertiveness on the subjective sexual arousal and emotional responses of 138 male undergraduates, subjects, randomly assigned by blocks, listened to audiotaped guided imagery of either a male or a female initiating a sexual invitation and a male or a female being assertive during coitus. Contrary to the claims of the "new impotence," men in the traditional male role experienced more disgust, fear, and anger and tended to experience less sexual arousal and more sadness. Whereas, men imagining women initiating sex and being coitally assertive experienced more surprise and enjoyment. These data were discussed as reflecting a new egalitarianism. More research is needed to distinguish between partisan claims of "new impotence" and "new egalitarianism."     

Options for measuring unintended pregnancy in cycle 6 of the National Survey of Family Growth

The National Survey of Family Growth staff contracted with researchers for an improved measurement of unintended pregnancy for Cycle 6 in the year 2001. There is a need for additional data related to unintended pregnancy for individuals practicing contraception, and for individuals who wanted to be pregnant but are not using any method. Substantive additions for the study include motivation desire to avoid pregnancy, ambivalence, and reasons for unintended pregnancy. Moreover, the introduction at the beginning of the "intendedness" series is to know about the feelings of a woman right before she becomes pregnant. A question is asked on the method or methods used in the month of conception. The impact of the question on the respondents needs to be assessed.