Denture stomatitis with multiple intramucosal fistulae

Abstract – A hitherto undescribed clinical and histologic entity occurring in the palate of 13 denture-wearing patients is described. Clinically it is characterized by the presence of small yellowish areas in the hard palate, which on pressure yield a whitish creamy material through multiple openings. The surrounding mucosa may exhibit various degrees of erythema. The histologic changes are characterized by the presence of intramucosal fistulae lined with unkeratinized squamous epithelium. The content of the fistulae, which corresponds to the creamy material expelled, consists of desquamated epithelial cells. These changes have mostly been nodced in elderly females, all wearing maxillary dentures for many years. This entiPf is considered a type of demure stomatitis characterized by intramucosal proliferation of epithelium, possibly because of long-standing chronic irritation from dentures. The origin of the intramucosal fistulae is unknown. The fistulae are believed to originate either from the ductus of the minor salivary glands or from the surface epithelium of the palate.     

Efficient otoacoustic emission protocols employed in a hospital-based neonatal screening program

Within the context of a hospital-based newborn hearing screening program, we have studied the application of two OAE protocols (TEOAE and DPOAE) on a group of 250 well babies. The main goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of DPOAE protocol in a relatively large population sample. using a preset number of five tested frequencies, in comparison with a default TEOAE screening protocol. The data were collected on the second day of life and during spontaneous sleep. The TEOAE recordings were acquired with linear protocols using click stimuli of 70-75 dB SPL and were used as indicators of normal cochlear function. The cubic distortion product DPOAE responses were evoked by an asymmetrical 75-65 dB SPL protocol, with a frequency ratio of 1.22. Five frequencies (referring to F2) were tested at 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 kHz. The data from the DPOAE responses show a similar pass rate (similarity = 0.98) to the linear TEOAE protocol. The data presented suggest that a DPOAE cochlear evaluation, at 5 pre-selected frequencies, has clinical potential.     

Intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma: immunophenotypic and cytogenetic findings

A detailed immunohistologic and cytogenetic analysis of 12 cases of intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma was performed. The characteristic immunophenotype of intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma was: surface IgM and IgD+, BA1+, B1+, BA2-, B2-, B4+, Leu 14+, Leu 1+, HLA-DR+, and common acute lymphocytic leukemia associated (CALLA) antigen negative. Clonal chromosome abnormalities were identified in ten cases, with structural or numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 11 or 12 in nine cases. Five cases had structural abnormalities involving the long arm of chromosome 11; three of these had translocations with chromosome 14 at band q32. Three cases had trisomy 12, and one case had a translocation involving the long arm of chromosome 12. The tenth case had a translocation involving the long arms of chromosomes 7 and 9. These characteristic immunophenotypic and cytogenetic findings suggest a close lineage relationship between intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma and small lymphocytic (well differentiated) lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Their differing clinical, cytologic, and architectural features suggest, however, that intermediate lymphocytic lymphoma should be considered a separate category of lymphocytic lymphoma in the International Working Formulation.     

Clinical outcomes of primary total joint arthroplasty among nonagenarian patients

A retrospective cohort study and a comparative literature review were undertaken to determine outcomes and survival/mortality rates among nonagenarian patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty (TJA). Thirty-nine patients who underwent TJA (14 hips, 25 knees) aged 90+ years were identified from a database of 9817 primary TJA cases performed at one hospital between 1998 and 2010. Findings were compared to synthesized data from relevant published literature review (LR). The mean age was 91.3 (±1.4) years, 79.5% were rated by the American Society of Anesthetists as 3+. Medical complication rate was 25.6% vs 36.2% for LR cases (P = .219). Perioperative death rate was 2.6% vs 2.1% among LR cases (P = 1.000). At 3.8-year follow-up, mortality rate was 59% (LR, 58.2%; 5.1 years), with a mean age of 95.2 (±3.5) years at death (LR, 96.3 ± 3.4). Excellent clinical outcomes were achieved. Primary TJA remains a viable and effective procedure in nonagenarian patients.     

Significance of DopEcR,a G-protein coupled dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor,in physiological and behavioral response to stressors

Abstract

Organisms respond to various environmental stressors by modulating physiology and behavior to maintain homeostasis. Steroids and catecholamines are involved in the highly conserved signaling pathways crucial for mounting molecular and cellular events that ensure immediate or long-term survival under stress conditions. The insect dopamine/ecdysteroid receptor (DopEcR) is a dual G-protein coupled receptor for the catecholamine dopamine and the steroid hormone ecdysone. DopEcR acts in a ligand-dependent manner, mediating dopaminergic signaling and unconventional “nongenomic” ecdysteroid actions through various intracellular signaling pathways. This unique feature of DopEcR raises the interesting possibility that DopEcR may serve as an integrative hub for complex molecular cascades activated under stress conditions. Here, we review previously published studies of Drosophila DopEcR in the context of stress response and also present newly discovered DopEcR loss-of-function phenotypes under different stress conditions. These findings provide corroborating evidence that DopEcR plays vital roles in responses to various stressors, including heat, starvation, alcohol, courtship rejection, and repeated neuronal stimulation in Drosophila. We further discuss what is known about DopEcR in other insects and DopEcR orthologs in mammals, implicating their roles in stress responses. Overall, this review highlights the importance of dual GPCRs for catecholamines and steroids in modulating physiology and behavior under stress conditions. Further multidisciplinary studies of Drosophila DopEcR will contribute to our basic understanding of the functional roles and underlying mechanisms of this class of GPCRs.     

Why should i comply? Sellers' accounts for (non-)compliance with legal age limits for alcohol sales

Background

Availability is an important predictor of early and excessive alcohol consumption by adolescents. Many countries have implemented age limits to prevent underage purchases of alcohol. However, shop-floor compliance with these age limits appears to be problematic. This study addresses the issue of non-compliance with age limits. Which measures do vendors take to avoid underage alcohol sales, and what do they report as important reasons to comply or not with age limits for alcohol sales?

Methods

Open-ended telephone interviews were conducted with store managers selling alcohol (N = 106). Prior to the interviews, all outlets were visited by an underage mystery shopper in order to measure compliance with the legal age limits on alcohol sales. The interview results are compared against actual compliance rates.

Results

Several measures have been taken to prevent underage sales, but the compliance level is low. Furthermore, open coding resulted in 19 themes, representing both valid and invalid arguments, that vendors mentioned as relevant to their decisions of whether to comply with the law. Compliance with age limits is dependent on the knowledge of the rules and the ability and motivation to follow the rules. The ability aspect in particular seems to be problematic, but in many cases, the motivation to actively comply with the age limits is lacking.

Conclusions

To enhance compliance, it is important to raise the awareness of the importance of age limits and to connect possible violations of the regulations to negative consequences.     

Vertebral bone density in children: effect of puberty

To determine changes in bone density during growth, trabecular vertebral density and an index of spinal cortical bone were measured with quantitative computed tomography in 101 children. The children were divided by age into three groups: prepubertal, indeterminate, and pubertal. Compared with prepubertal children, pubertal adolescents had significantly higher trabecular bone density and more compact bone in the spine (P less than .001). After controlling for puberty, vertebral bone density failed to correlate significantly with age, sex, weight, height, surface area, and body mass index. The results indicate that bone density increases markedly during puberty.     

Acrylic resin-fiber composite—part I: The effect of fiber concentration on fracture resistance

This study tested the effect on the fracture resistance of acrylic resin test specimens when different amounts of fibers were incorporated in the resin matrix. The fibers used included glass, carbon, and aramid fibers, with 30 test specimens of each concentration of fibers. Transverse sections of the specimens were studied by scanning electron microscope to establish how the fibers behave in the polymerization process. The results indicated that an increase in the amount of fibers enhanced the fracture resistance of the test specimens (p < 0.001). The SEM micrographs of transverse sections of test polymerized specimens revealed void spaces of different sizes inside the fiber roving.