Neurovascular flaps to the hand

The surgical return of sensibility in the injured upper extremity remains a major goal for the reconstructive surgeon. Free flaps have created the opportunity for successful reconstruction in those patients in whom irreplaceable sensory end organs have been destroyed. In addition, well-vascularized composite tissues may be transferred in continuity with the dorsalis pedis and forearm flaps, allowing for one-stage reconstructions. Extra blood supply is brought to a scarred area in a single step, unlike the multi-stage transfer of distant parasitic tissue. Donor site morbidity remains a problem with many of these flaps, and skin grafts are often required. Many of the larger flaps do not have a close skin match to the skin of the volar hand. There are reports of achievement of protective sensibility with use of all of these flaps. However, experience with fine two-point discrimination has been limited to only the first web space flap. This return to near normal sensibility in the hand remains a standard by which all these flaps must be judged.     

A single dose of benzodiazepine hypnotics alters the sleep EEG in the subsequent drug-free night

All-night spectral analysis of the sleep EEG was used to study the effect and after-effect of a single bedtime dose of flunitrazepam (2 mg), flurazepam (30 mg) or triazolam (0.5 mg) in healthy young males. In the night of drug treatment all 3 hypnotics reduced the EEG slow waves and enhanced the activity in the frequency range of sleep spindles. In the subsequent drug-free night, the latter changes were no longer present after triazolam, whereas the reduction of slow wave activity persisted after all compounds.     

Course evaluation by committee.

An intradepartmental course evaluation committee has been established in the Department of Community Dentistry at the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. This committee's review of student evaluation mechanisms was a major focus in the assessment of all departmental courses. An evaluation technique, based on a comparison of existing student evaluation mechanisms against criteria established by the committee and approved by the departmental faculty, was designed and applied. The committee was viewed as successful by departmental course directors; however, its suggestions were not widely implemented by the departmental faculty. Several reasons are cited for this, as well as suggestions for future modifications of the committee's procedures.     

Multidetector endodosimetry probe with silicon-pn-junction-diodes for in-vivo-dosimetry.

In-vivo-dosimetry is necessary to prevent overdosage during radiation treatment techniques of great risk. New special dosemeter probes with up to five Si-pn-junction-diodes in a silicone tube were developed and tested for endodosimetry. They show high efficiency and good linearity of response, without dose-rate dependence. The steep increase of the sensitivity for low energies causes a phantom depth dependence of response. A low temperature dependence but a large anisotropy of response is found for the tested diodes. These multidetector probes proved to be sufficient for direct reading endodosimetric control of dose and dose-distribution during radiotherapy.