Cognitive Assumptions and Long-Term Distress in Survivors of Childhood Abuse, Parental Alcoholism, and Dysfunctional Family Environments

Covariance structure modeling was used to test unique contributions of childhood abuse, parental alcoholism, and dysfunctional family environment to symptom distress and to cognitive assumptions regarding a worthy self, benevolent world, meaningful world, and spiritual world in college students (N = 651). Abuse history was related to adult symptom distress, while a dysfunctional family environment was related to negative assumptions concerning the self and the benevolence of the world. When included in the model with abuse history, family environment, gender, and other characteristics of the family of origin, parental alcoholism did not appear to be causally related to symptom distress or to cognitive assumptions. Cognitive assumptions were initially presumed to be mediators of symptom distress. Sequential refinement of the model through specification procedures suggested that more negative self assumptions may be a result, rather than a mediator, of symptom distress. Other assumptions were not related to symptom distress in the model.     

Isokinetic evaluation of quadriceps and hamstrings symmetry following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, isokinetic muscle parameters are commonly measured to assess the dynamic status of the knee and to monitor progress in rehabilitation. This study evaluated the symmetry of the quadriceps and hamstrings musculature in postsurgical and contralateral normal limbs of subjects who had undergone one of two types of ACL reconstruction. Subjects were also evaluated for differences on selected isokinetic parameters between types of surgery and lengths of postoperative periods. Postsurgical and normal contralateral limbs of 46 subjects aged 18 to 49 years (mean, 23.7 years) were divided into groups according to type of autogenous intraarticular ACL substitute and length of postoperative period. Results of paired t-tests and analyses of variance indicated significant asymmetries between limbs for all measures of quadriceps and hamstrings musculature strength and endurance (p less than .001) irrespective of the type of reconstruction technique. Average surgical knee deficits in hamstrings endurance were significantly less for the long-term (41 to 101 months) follow-up group (1.9%) than for the intermediate (24 to 40 months) group (12.1%). The results suggest that extended periods of time are required to approximate hamstrings endurance symmetry after ACL reconstruction. Asymmetries between postsurgical and contralateral normal limbs in these subjects may reflect either incomplete rehabilitation or an inability to regain full isokinetic strength and endurance after ACL reconstruction.     

Immunohistochemically Detected p53 Mutations in Epithelial Tumors and Results of Treatment with Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy A Treatment-Specific Overview of the Clinical Data

BACKGROUND: The aim was to ascertain whether many hundreds of clinical reports over the last decade are consistent with the prediction of a poorer outcome in cancer patients with p53 abnormalities treated with cytotoxic drugs and radiation. MATERIAL AND METHOD: There are 301 studies on the influence of p53 overexpression published through summer 2000, in which chemotherapy or radiotherapy was used alone or in combination with surgery. From 45 reports meeting stringent selection rules, comparison groups are identified in whom the same measure of outcome was reported for the same treatment applied to the same tumor, with results corrected for important prognostic factors. Metaanalysis techniques are then applied to the comparison groups. Attention was limited to reports using immunohistochemical techniques, to form comparison groups of sufficient size. RESULTS: Four comparison groups were identified by treatment and endpoint: 1) Stage I-III breast cancer (surgery and chemotherapy, disease-free survival, seven studies); 2) stage I-III breast cancer (surgery and chemotherapy, overall survival, six studies); 3) stage II-IV head and neck cancer (radiotherapy and chemotherapy, overall survival, five studies); 4) FIGO I-IV ovarian cancer (surgery and chemotherapy, overall survival, six studies). In the breast (disease-free survival) and ovarian (overall survival) comparison groups, the hazard ratio for a deleterious effect of p53 overexpression was significant or marginally significant, depending on assumed ranges for unreported hazard ratios in non-significant studies. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the many caveats related to metaanalysis applied to retrospective data, high variability of immunohistochemical technique, etc., a nearly significant negative effect of p53 overexpression on outcome of treatment with cytotoxic drugs and radiation emerges in the few studies where heterogeneity can be sufficiently reduced or accounted for.     

Distribution, type, and origin of Parkin mutations: review and case studies.

Early-onset Parkinson's disease (PD) has been associated with different mutations in the Parkin gene (PARK2). To study distribution and type of Parkin mutations, we carried out a comprehensive literature review that demonstrated two prominent types of mutations among 379 unrelated mutation carriers: exon rearrangements involving exon 3, 4, or both, and alterations in exons 2 and 7, suggesting mutational hot spots or founders. To elucidate the origin of 14 recurrent Parkin mutations in our samples, we carried out a detailed haplotype analysis at the PARK2 locus. Thirty-eight mutation-positive individuals, available family members, and 62 mutation-negative individuals were genotyped. We determined allele frequencies and linkage disequilibrium (LD) to evaluate the significance of shared haplotypes. We observed no LD between markers at PARK2. Our data support a common founder for the most frequent Parkin point mutation (924C>T; exon 7) and indicate a mutational hot spot as cause of a common small deletion (255/256delA; exon 2). Furthermore, the most frequent Parkin exon deletion (Ex4del) arose independently in 2 of our subjects. However, it also occurred as the result of a founder mutation in 2 cases that shared identical deletion break points. This study provides evidence for both mutational hot spots and founder mutations as a source of recurrent mutations in Parkin, regardless of the mutation type.     

Microradiography of the feline marginal periodontium with a microfocal high-resolution x-ray system

The present paper is a cross-sectional microradiographic study. Postmortem hemimandibles were radiographed with a microfocal high-resolution method. Microradiographic appearances of the feline periodontium are described and discussed. Mean relative alveolar bone support in clinically and histologically normal cats was 46.9%. Site-specific alveolar bone support (ABS) was calculated twice (blind). The 95% confidence limits of the method error for one observation were estimated. Differences between two site-specific measurements did not exceed ±2.72%. Microfocal radiography yielded valuable additional information about the feline periodontium and made it possible clearly to identify important dental and periodontal structures such as the CEJ (cementoenamel junction) and the bottom of infrabony defects.     

Effects of prazosin and propranolol on blood pressure and plasma lipids in patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis

Twenty patients receiving hemodialysis who had mild to moderate hypertension were treated with prazosin or propranolol to control predialysis hypertension. Effective blood pressure control was achieved with prazosin (mean dose 8.3 ± 2.2 mg [± standard error of the mean], n = 10) and propranolol (mean dose 123 ± 39 mg, n = 10). Therapy with prazosin did not significantly affect total plasma triglyceride or total cholesterol levels. The level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol tended to increase, but not significantly. However, the HDL₃ subfraction did increase significantly, from 16.3 ± 1.5 to 20.6 ± 1.5 mg/dl (p = 0.05). Propranolol therapy increased plasma triglyceride levels, primarily of the very low density lipoprotein class. HDL cholesterol levels decreased from 44.2 ± 6.7 to 34.7 ± 4.2 mg/dl (p < 0.03). The reduction in the HDL cholesterol levels was attributable to a decrease in HDL₂ cholesterol levels (from 21.3 ± 3.8 to 16.3 ± 3.0 mg/dl, p < 0.04) and HDL₃ cholesterol levels (from 23.0 ± 3.1 to 19.5 ± 2.1 mg/dl, difference not significant). Thus, both prazosin and propranolol are effective in controlling hypertension in patients undergoing hemodialysis. HDL₃ cholesterol levels increased in patients treated with prazosin, but no other significant changes in the plasma lipids occurred. Patients treated with propranolol had a significant decrease in plasma HDL₂ and HDL₃ cholesterol levels.     

Expression in yeast of binding regions of karyopherins α and β inhibits nuclear import and cell growth

Using truncated forms of recombinant yeast karyopherins α and β in in vitro binding assays, we mapped the regions of karyopherin α that bind to karyopherin β and the regions of karyopherin β that interact with karyopherin α and with Ran-GTP. Karyopherin α’s binding region for karyopherin β was localized to its N-terminal domain, which contains several clusters of basic residues, whereas karyopherin β’s binding region for karyopherin α was localized to an internal region containing two clusters of acidic residues. Karyopherin β’s binding region for Ran-GTP overlaps with that for karyopherin α and comprises at least one of the two acidic clusters required for karyopherin α binding in addition to further downstream determinants not required for karyopherin α binding. Overexpression in yeast of fragments containing either karyopherin β’s binding region for α and Ran-GTP or karyopherin α’s binding region for β resulted in sequestration of most of the cytosolic karyopherin α or karyopherin β, respectively, in complexes containing the truncated proteins. As these binding region-containing fragments lack other domains required for function of the corresponding protein, the overexpression of either fragment also inhibited in vivo nuclear import of a model reporter protein as well as cell growth.