Comparative bond strength of brackets cured using a pulsed xenon curing light with 2 different light-guide sizes.

Light curing of composite resin material beneath orthodontic brackets is common in clinical orthodontics. Experiences with composite resins and high-intensity lights indicate some advantages to staged curing of the composite. In this study, the shear/peel bond strength of orthodontic brackets bonded to bovine enamel and cured with a pulsed xenon plasma arc light was compared with that of bonds cured with a conventional tungsten-quartz-halogen light and a nonpulsed xenon plasma arc light. The pulsed light provided less light energy than the nonpulsed lights. A small and a larger light-guide tip were used with the pulsed xenon plasma arc light. Three different orthodontic composite resin adhesives were tested with each light. The pulsed xenon plasma arc light resulted in either the same or decreased shear/peel bond strength when compared with the nonpulsed lights. There appeared to be no advantage to the use of a pulsed xenon plasma arc light in bonding orthodontic brackets. Results from using either a small or a large light-guide tip varied with the adhesive tested.     

Eyelid movements during blinking in patients with Parkinson's disease.

We examined eyelid movements during spontaneous, voluntary, and trigeminal reflex blinks in 16 patients with mild to moderate Parkinson's disease (PD) off medication and 14 controls. Voluntary and reflex blink amplitudes tended to be smaller than normal for PD patients, whereas eyelid kinematics (amplitude-maximum velocity relationship) for all three blink types were normal. Spontaneous blink rate was less than normal for 10 patients and abnormally high for 6 patients. A significant positive correlation between spontaneous blink amplitude and blink rate was found. These observations suggest that PD modifies the gain of a premotor blink circuit shared by spontaneous, voluntary, and reflex blinks.     

Influenza vaccination in elderly patients with advanced colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To examine influenza vaccination use in patients undergoing chemotherapy for advanced cancer. METHODS: All Medicare patients treated for stage IV colorectal cancer between 1993 and 1998 while living in one of the regions monitored by the Survival, Epidemiology, and End Results Program who were alive in the fall months and who survived at least 4 months with their cancer were considered eligible to have received vaccination. Their medical bills were analyzed to determine receipt of influenza vaccination and subsequent outcomes. RESULTS: Eligibility criteria were met by 1,225 patients who were undergoing chemotherapy during 1,577 person-years of observation. Overall, 39.7% of patients received influenza vaccination, increasing from 26% in 1993 to 43% in 1998. When vaccination was administered, it was provided by primary care physicians 68% of the time. Vaccinated patients were more likely to be white, of higher socioeconomic status, and to have more comorbidity. Fewer diagnoses of influenza and pneumonia infections were made in vaccinated patients while undergoing treatment. Those patients who were immunized also had fewer chemotherapy interruptions and were more likely to survive through to the beginning of the next fall (hazard ratio, 0.88; 95% confidence interval, 0.77 to 0.99). There was a trend toward decreased resource use among immunized patients. CONCLUSION: This study observed outcomes associated with influenza vaccination that are similar to those reported for patients without cancer. However, rates of immunization are relatively low, and disparities exist for vulnerable populations. As part of delivering high-quality care, oncologists should promote influenza vaccination for their patients who are undergoing treatment for advanced cancer.     

Management of metastatic breast cancer

Systemic treatment almost certainly prolongs the median survival of women with metastatic breast cancer, and it may prolong the survival of a small number of patients substantially. Even with conventional therapy, 10% or more patients may live into the second decade after recurrence. However, the disease cannot be eradicated, and the primary goal of treatment remains palliation and improvement of the quality of life. Because of the great variability in the pattern and course of the disease from one patient to another, therapy should be selected judiciously to maximize response and minimize toxicity. In some clinical situations, such as pathologic fractures and brain metastases, local therapies alone, such as surgery or irradiation, are the treatments of choice. Patients who will respond to endocrine therapy are well defined, and all patients with the characteristics of an endocrine responder deserve a chance at palliation with this modality alone because of its limited toxicity. A number of new forms of endocrine therapy with more specific targets at estrogen and progesterone receptor sites are now in clinical trials. When used appropriately, chemotherapy significantly improves patient quality of life despite its toxicity. No drug combinations, schedules, or doses have been shown to prolong survival or provide better net palliation than classic CMF (oral cyclophosphamide with intravenous methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil) or CAF (intravenous cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, and 5-fluorouracil). Treatment with these combinations in excess of 6 to 9 months provides only marginal additional benefits and no survival advantage. The role of high dose chemotherapy with autologous bone marrow transplantation remains a promising area of investigation, but the available survival data are entirely compatible with the possibility that this modality will eventually prove inferior to conventional therapy. Many new cytotoxic agents with unique mechanisms of action are currently under investigation, including taxol, taxotere, Topotecan, and amonafide. Taxol may be the most promising therapy now available for patients whose disease has become refractory to doxorubicin. Biologic therapies using monoclonal antibodies against a specific oncogene or its product have entered clinical trials, and novel drug delivery systems using liposomes are under evaluation.

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Resumen El tratamiento sistémico casi ciertamente prolonga la supervivencia media de las mujeres con cáncer mamario metastásico y logra prolongar la sobrevida de un muy pequeño número de pacientes en forma muy sustancial. Aún con terapia convencional, 10% o más de las pacientes sobreviven hasta la segunda década después de una recurrencia. Sin embargo, la enfermedad no puede ser erradicada y el objetivo primario del tratamiento sigue siendo paliativo para mejorar la calidad de vida. Teniendo en cuenta la gran variabilidad del patrón y de la evolución de la enfermedad entre una y otra paciente, la terapia debe ser cuidadosamente seleccionada a fin de lograr la máxima respuesta y minimizar la toxicidad. En algunas situaciones clínicas, tales como las fracturas patológicas y las metástasis cerebrales, las solas modalidades de terapia local, tales como la cirugía o la irradiación, constituyen los tratamientos de elección. Las pacientes que puedan responder a la terapia endocrina están bien definidas, y todas las pacientes con las características de ser una de las que responda al manejo endocrino merece la oportunidad de paliación con esta modalidad, en virtud de su limitada toxicidad. Variadas y nuevas formas de terapia endocrina con miras más específicas en cuanto a receptores de estrógeno y de progesterona se encuentran en ensayo. Cuando la quimioterapia es utilizada en forma apropiada, ésta mejora significativamente la calidad de vida a pesar de su toxicidad. Ninguna combinación de drogas, programas o dosificaciones ha demonstrado prolongar la sobrevida o lograr mejor paliación que el régimen clásico CMF (ciclofosfamida oral con metotrexato IV y 5-fluorouracilo). El tratamiento con estas combinaciones por más de 6–9 meses provee apenas beneficios adicionales marginales y ninguna ventaja en cuanto a sobrevida. El papel de la quimioterapia de altas dosis con trasplante autólogo de médula ósea permanece como una promisoria área de investigación, pero la información sobre supervivencia hasta ahora disponible es enteramente compatible con la posibilidad de que esta modalidad llegue a demostrar ser inferior a la terapia convencional. Muchos nuevos agentes citotóxicos con mecanismos de acción únicos están siendo investigados en la actualidad. Estos incluyen el taxol, el taxotere, el Topotecan y el amonafide. El taxol puede ser la forma más promisoria de terapia actualmente disponible para pacientes cuya enfermedad se ha hecho resistente a la doxorubicina. Las terapias biológicas usando anticuerpos monoclonales contra un oncogene específico o su producto han ingresado a los ensayos clínicos y novedosos sistemas de administración de drogas, utilizando liposomas, también se hallan en proceso de investigación.

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Résumé Le traitement par voie systémique prolonge la survie médiane des patientes ayant un cancer métastatique du sein et peut également prolonger, sans doute, la survie d'un petit nombre d'autres patientes quel que soit le dégréé de sévérité de la maladie. Même avec une thérapeutique conventionnelle, 10% ou plus des patientes peuvent espérer survivre plus de 10 ans après leur récidive. La maladie ne peut, dans ce cas cependant, être enrayée et le but de la thérapeutique restera palliatif et d'améliorer la qualité de vie. En raison de la grande variabilité du type et de l'évolutivité de la maladie d'une patiente à l'autre, chaque protocole thérapeutique se doit d'être élaboré de façon à maximaliser la réponse tout en minimisant la toxicité. Dans certaines situations cliniques, telles les fractures pathologiques ou les métastases cérébrales, les thérapeutiques locales, telles la chirurgie ou l'irradiation, sont de modalités thérapeutiques de choix. On connaît aussi une catégorie de patientes qui répondent bien au traitement hormonal, qui devraient toutes être traitées par cette modalité étant donnée le peu de toxicité. Un certain nombre de ces traitements hormonaux sont actuellement l'objet d'essais thérapeutiques. Utilisée judicieusement la chimiothérapie améliore de façon significative la qualité de vie, et ce souvent, malgré sa toxicité. Aucune combinaison de médicaments ni de régimes ou de doses ne se sont montrés plus efficaces pour prolonger la survie ou améliorer le confort mieux que la classique association CMF (cyclophosphamide per os, methotrexate et 5-Fluorouracil par voie intraveineuse) ou la CAF (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicine, 5-fluorouracil par voie intraveineuse). Un traitement par ces combinaisons pendant plus de 6–9 mois n'apporte guère d'avantages, sans prolonger la survie pour autant. Le rôle de la chimiothérapie à hautes doses combinée avec la greffe de moelle osseuse était une voie prometteuse mais pour le moment, il semble exister de preuves en faveur de son infériorìté par rapport aux traitements conventionnels. D'autres nouvelles substances cytotoxiques, faisant intervenir d'uniques mécanismes d'actions, sont actuellement en cours d'évaluation. Ces nouveaux médicaments comprennent le taxol, le taxotère, le Topotécane, et l'amonafide. Le taxol est probablement celuì qui a le plus d'intérêt, semble-t'il, e cas de résistance à la doxorubicine. Des traitements biologiques, utilisant des anticorps spécifiques dirigés contre tel on tel oncogèn ou son produit, ainsi que de nouveaux systèmes d'apport des médicaments sont également au stade d'évaluation clinique.

     

Ultrasound screening for congenital dysplasia of the hip in newborns: its value

Three hundred seven newborns were examined clinically and by ultrasound for congenital dysplasia of the hip (CDH). The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of sonographic abnormalities and to discover if sonography could be helpful in detecting cases of CDH that would be missed by clinical diagnosis alone. Eighty-two hips (13.4%) had ultrasound abnormalities despite a normal clinical examination. Of these, three developed definite hip dysplasia. The remaining 79 hips became clinically and sonographically normal within 12 weeks. Ultrasound visualized and recorded the dislocation-reposition maneuver of three other hips that were clinically dislocatable at birth. Dislocation occurred in a craniodorsal direction.     

Characterization of a YAC containing part or all of the Norrie disease locus

It has been shown from pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE)that the monoamine oxidase genes A and B (MAOA & MAOB) andDXS7 loci are physically very close. We have therefore extendedstudies on their relationship through the characterisation ofa 650 kb YAC isolated using L1.28 (recognising the DXS7 locus)as a probe. Restriction mapping of the YAC indicates that itcontains both MAOA and MAOB genes in addition to the DXS7 locus.The map derived from the YL1.28-YAC is compatible both withthe map from an independently derived YAC carrying MAOA andB genes and with the long range genomic map for the region.A series of subclones prepared from a 'phage library (lambdaDASH II) of the YAC have been characterised and have been employedto determine the end point of the deletion of a Norrie disease(NDP) patient who has been shown to lack both DXS7 and MAO codingsequences. The pattern of retention of subclones in the deletionpatient place the end point of the deletion within 30–130kb of the proximal end of the YAC. By combining the data withestablished recombination analysis, we provide evidence thatall or part of the NDP lies in the interval of approximately250kb within the YAC.     

聚合酶链反应检测尖锐湿疣皮损内人乳头瘤病毒

１３个皮损组织取自１３例尖锐湿疣（ＣＡ）患者，１３例基底细胞上皮瘤（ＢＣＣ）组织作为对照，用溴化钠液分离表真皮，从组织中提出的 ＤＮＡ和溴化钠液分别用聚合酶链反应检测 ＨＰＶ ＤＮＡ。１１例ＣＡ表皮中检出 ＨＰＶ ＤＮＡ，ＨＰＶ６有７例，ＨＰＶ１１有４例。３例ＣＡ真皮中发现有ＨＰＶ ＤＮＡ，ＨＰＶ６有２例，ＨＰＶ１１有１例。２例标本因溴化钠液被ＨＰＶ污染未作统计。在ＢＣＣ组织中未发现有ＨＰＶ ＤＮＡ。在某些ＣＡ真皮内含有 ＨＰＶ ＤＮＡ可以解释散发病例的复发性。