Relationship between conjugate lateral eye movements and alexithymia.

The relationship between conjugate lateral eye movements (CLEMs) and alexithymia was investigated in a group of 60 (23 male and 37 female) right-handed university students. Subjects completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS), the Schalling-Sifneos Personality Scale, and the Basic Personality Inventory, which measures 12 basic dimensions of personality and psychopathology, CLEMs were recorded while subjects were asked 20 general knowledge questions that have no tendency to elicit eye movements predominantly in one direction. A series of gender by CLEM preference (left vs. right mover) ANOVAs were conducted with the various measures. There was a significant relationship between right CLEM preference and higher scores on the TAS, but no relationships between CLEMs and any of the other measures. These results suggest that alexithymia is associated with left cerebral lateralization, and support the hypothesis that alexithymic characteristics reflect a variation in brain organization.     

Empirically derived pain-patient MMPI subgroups: Prediction of treatment outcome

Fifty-seven male chronic pain patients admitted to an inpatient multimodal pain treatment program at a Midwestern Veterans Administration hospital completed the MMPI, Profile of Mood States (POMS), Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS), Rathus Assertiveness Schedule (RAS), activity diaries, and an extensive pain questionnaire. All patients were assessed both before and after treatment, and most also were assessed 2–5 months prior to treatment. No significant changes occurred during the baseline period, but significant improvements were evident at posttreatment on most variables: MMPI, POMS, TSCS, RAS, pain severity, sexual functioning, and activity diaries. MMPI subgroup membership, based on a hierarchical cluster analysis in a larger sample, was not predictive of differential treatment outcome. Possible reasons for comparable treatment gains among these subgroups, which previously have been shown to differ on many psychological and behavioral factors, are discussed.This paper originally was presented at the Fourth World Congress on Pain, Seattle, Washington, September, 1984.     

Absence of simian virus 40 (SV40) DNA in lymphoma samples from Tasmania, Australia

AIMS: It has been postulated that the recent world-wide increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) may have been caused by human infection with simian virus 40 (SV40) (a lymphotropic monkey virus that was introduced to man from contaminated poliovirus vaccines between 1955 and 1963); therefore, we set out to determine the incidence of SV40 DNA positivity in lymphoma samples from patients in Tasmania, Australia. METHODS: One hundred lymph node samples, 50 from patients with lymphomas and 50 from controls, were tested using PCR amplification of three SV40-specific primer pairs followed by dot-blot hybridisation. RESULTS: All of the samples tested contained amplifiable DNA, but none contained amplifiable SV40 sequences with any of the primer sets used. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate absence of SV40 in the lymphoid tissues of our study population in Tasmania, Australia. SV40 does not explain the increasing incidence of NHL in our population.     

Confidentiality and serious harm in genetics - preserving the confidentiality of one patient and preventing harm to relatives

Genetics can pose special challenges to the principle of confidentiality within the health professional-patient relationship, since genetic information is by its nature both individual and familial. Most professional guidelines allow confidentiality to be broken in rare circumstances, where it will prevent a 'serious', 'imminent' and 'likely' harm. We argue that the types of harms that may result from genetic medicine are particularly diverse. Using clinical examples, we explore ethical issues that arise when balancing individual and family member interests. As genetic testing becomes more, widespread situations will arise where clinicians are faced with a choice between preserving the confidentiality of one patient and preventing harm to another. Professionals need to incorporate the notion of familial implications in their counseling of individuals. Since such dilemmas have been relatively rare in the pre-genetic age, we call for a wider debate on the balance between confidentiality and harm to others.     

Inclusion of CpG adjuvant with plasmid DNA coding for NcGRA7 improves protection against congenital neosporosis

The present study showed that incorporation of CpG adjuvant into plasmid DNA coding for NcGRA7 antigen resulted in a twofold increase in the level of protection against congenital transfer of Neospora caninum. The level of protection was considerably higher than that observed in pups born from dams immunized with nonrecombinant plasmid.     

Silica-filled elastomer/methacrylate systems as soft liners

Denture soft lining materials are compliant cushions used at the oral tissue-denture interface. They are generally required to have sufficient compliance to redistribute mastication load, as well as an adequate modulus for long-term dimensional stability and control over the water uptake. This study investigated the effect of using silane treated fumed silica as a filler on the properties of experimental soft lining materials based on blends of isoprene-styrene (SIS) block co-polymer and mixtures of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and 1,6-hexandiol dimethacrylate (HDMA). The overall elastomer/monomer ratios were maintained, whereas the monomers ranged from 10 to 60% HDMA. The silica filler level was maintained at 10 wt% with respect to SIS. The properties investigated were the dynamic mechanical parameters of storage modulus (E') and tan delta as a function of temperature and the quasi-static mechanical parameters of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and elongation to break (Eb) as well as absorption properties that were carried out in water and saline. In both unfilled and filled systems there was an increase in E' and a decrease in tan delta with an increase in HDMA. Silica addition tended to increase E' and substantially reduce tan delta in materials with less than 20% HDMA. UTS decreased with filler and HDMA content, however, Eb was greater for filled systems. Generally, in the long term, the water uptake decreased with increasing HDMA content and E'. The silanated silica further reduced the water uptake, indicating a cross-linking effect, thus increasing the restraining force on droplet growth. The uptake in saline was significantly reduced indicating an osmotically controlled uptake process.     

Bilateral microphthalmia with cyst,facial clefts,and limb anomalies: a new syndrome with features of Waardenburg syndrome,cerebro-oculo-nasal syndrome,and craniotelencephalic dysplasia

We report a patient with bilateral microphthalmia with cyst, limb anomalies, and multiple facial malformations. This patient has clinical features similar to Waardenburg ophthalmo-acromelic syndrome, cerebro-oculo-nasal syndrome, and craniotelencephalic dysplasia. Although all of these syndromes are characterized by microphthalmia, the presently reported patient does not have the complete pattern of any of these syndromes, It is possible that he has a previously undescribed syndrome, most closely related to the cerebro-oculo-nasal syndrome with malformations outside the craniofacial region. More case reports are needed to further delineate this possibly new syndrome.     

Cognitive function in depression: a distinct pattern of frontal impairment in melancholia?

BACKGROUND: Although depressed patients demonstrate impaired performance on a range of neuropsychological tests, there is little research that examines either frontal cognitive deficits or possible differences in test performance between melancholic and non-melancholic subtypes. METHODS: Depressed subjects were administered a broad neuropsychological battery. In an overall analysis, 77 depressed subjects were compared with 28 controls. In a second set of analyses, the depressed sample was divided into melancholic and non-melancholic subsets according to DSM-III-R, the CORE system and the Newcastle scale. These depressed subsets were contrasted to controls and with each other using ANCOVA controlling for age, IQ, simple reaction time and Hamilton Depression scores where appropriate. RESULTS: The total depressed sample was impaired on most mnemonic tasks, simple reaction time and Trails B. Similar findings applied to DSM-III-R melancholic and non-melancholic subjects. When defined by the CORE and Newcastle (narrower definitions of melancholia), melancholic patients were additionally impaired on WCST (perseverative response) and (for Newcastle) digit symbol substitution. In contrast, the cognitive performance of the CORE and Newcastle-defined non-melancholic patients was largely unimpaired. CONCLUSIONS: Using narrower definitions of melancholia, i.e. CORE and (in particular) Newcastle, melancholic patients were impaired on mnemonic tasks and tasks of selective attention, and set-shifting while non-melancholic subjects were largely unimpaired in their cognitive performance. These differences may be due to impairment of specific neuroanatomical regions in narrowly defined melancholic patients, in particular the anterior cingulate.