Gingival and mucosal reactions after intensive chlorhexidine gel treatment with or without oral hygiene measures

Abstract – The aim of this study was to elucidate whether soft tissue reactions during chlorhexidine (CHX) treatment might be associated with meticulous oral hygiene measures. A commercially available 1% chlorhexidine digluconate gel (Hibitane Dental Gel) was applied in a custom tray for the mandibular arch, 10 min daily, for 14 days. A split mouth approach was used to allow evaluation of the effect of oral hygiene measures with toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental floss on one side of the arch. During the treatment period, 8 out of 12 subjects developed gingival and/or mucosal reactions appearing as white patches or ulcerations. Both the gingival reactions on the buccal marginal gingiva and the mucosal reactions near the margin of the custom tray occurred only when the gel treatment was combined with meticulous oral hygiene measures. The white patches, which could easily be detached, leaving ulcerated areas, consisted entirely of stratified squamous epithelium. The findings suggest that intensive treatment with chlorhexidine gel, in individually fitted custom trays, combined with meticulous oral hygiene measures may induce toxic effects on the surface layers of the gingiva and mucosa.     

Outcomes of different speech and language goal attack strategies.

The purpose of this study was to assess phonological and morphosyntactic change in children with co-occurring speech and language impairments using different goal attack strategies. Participants included 47 preschoolers, ages 3;0 (years;months) to 5;11, with impairments in both speech and language: 40 children in the experimental group and 7 in a no-treatment control group. Children in the experimental group were assigned at random to each of 4 different goal attack strategies: (a) in the phonology first condition, children received a 12-week block of phonological intervention followed by 12 weeks of work on morphosyntax; (b) the morphosyntax first condition was the same as phonology first, with the order of interventions reversed; (c) the alternating condition involved intervention on phonology and morphosyntax goals that alternated domains weekly; and (d) the simultaneous condition addressed phonological and morphosyntactic goals each session. Data were collected pretreatment, after the first intervention block, and posttreatment (after 24 weeks). For the control group, data were collected at the beginning and end of a period equivalent to 1 intervention block. Change in a finite morpheme composite and target generalization phoneme composite was assessed. Results showed that morphosyntactic change was greatest for children receiving the alternating strategy after 24 weeks of intervention. No single goal attack strategy was superior in facilitating gains in phonological performance. These results provide preliminary evidence that alternating phonological and morphosyntactic goals may be preferable when children have co-occurring deficits in these domains; further research regarding cross-domain intervention outcomes is necessary.     

Announcement

We have observed significantly lower kinetic parameters (K_M and V_max) for methionine adenosyltransferase activity in erythrocytes obtained from early onset schizophrenics when compared to samples from normal subjects. These differences are apparently not due to differences in S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) utilization. These results offer an explanation for the conflicting reports of previous investigators and support the concept that undermethylation may characterize some forms of schizophrenia. Methylation is involved in multiple aspects of metabolism and although similar differences in the MAT enzyme in the brain have not been reported, such a deficit could have profound effects on the nervous system. Decreased availability of SAM could decrease catecholamine metabolism or rates of phospholipid methylation.     

On-the-Job Moms: Work and Breastfeeding Initiation and Duration for a Sample of Low-Income Women

OBJECTIVES: As both employed and breastfeeding mothers increase, more women are facing the decision of whether and how to combine the behaviors. This paper examines three hypotheses for a sample of low-income women: 1) Mothers who expect to return to work after the birth of their baby will be less likely to initiate breastfeeding; 2) The timing of the return to work and quitting breastfeeding will coincide; 3) Mothers in professional jobs and Stay-at-Home (SAH) Moms will breastfeed for longer durations than mothers with other types of jobs. METHODS: The Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a sample of mostly low-income, unmarried U.S. mothers, offers a unique opportunity to study this issue, as there is reason to believe that employment may impact breastfeeding differently for low-income women. Logistic regression determines the relationship between the expectation of work and breastfeeding initiation, and discrete-time logit models examine breastfeeding duration, the timing of the return to work, and occupation type. RESULTS: Expecting to work in the year after the baby's birth does not impact breastfeeding initiation. The timing of quitting breastfeeding and the return to work are closely and powerfully linked, and mothers in administrative and manual positions quit earlier than other women. Interestingly, women in service occupations do not differ in breastfeeding duration from SAH mothers or professionals. CONCLUSIONS: This research demonstrates that low-income women are having difficulty combining work and breastfeeding, which has important health implications for their infants, and that women working in administrative and manual occupations may face special constraints.     

Urinary Excretion of I131-Diodrast Injected Intraventricularly in Communicating Hydrocephalus and Aqueduct Stenosis

Nine cases of expansive infantile hydro-cephalus were investigated by injecting Small amounts of I¹³¹-Diodrast intra-ventricularly. Urinary excretion of the tracer was determined during the first 4-5 hours after injection. The cumulative excretion of Diodrast from the C.S.F. differs in cases with communicating hydrocephalus from those with stenosis of the aqueduct. The investigation is rapid and easily performed and has not produced any side effects.