Factor analysis and reduction of a Fear Survey Schedule among dental phobic patients

A fear survey instrument, based on the Fear Survey Schedule-II and five additional fear items, was administered to 109 patients (70 women and 39 men) on a waiting list at a specialized dental fear clinic. The fear survey was analyzed to identify its factorial structure. Five fear factors, explaining 54% of the total variance, were identified concerning areas of "illness and death", "failures and embarrassment", "social situations", "physical injuries", and "animals and natural phenomena". An ad hoc reduction of items was carried out to form a shorter, more practical to use questionnaire, which resulted in factors of four or five items with loadings greater than 0.50. The factors intercorrelated significantly (r_p varying between 0.33 and 0.59) and "illness and death" correlated highly with "physical injuries" (r_p=0.59) and "animals and natural phenomena" (r_p=0.56), while "failures and embarrassment" correlated highly to "social situations" (r_p= 0.54). Statistically significant, but generally lower correlations were found between each factor and the dental fear measures. The highest correlations were found between fear of "physical injuries" and dental fear. There was also a high and significant correlation between sex and fear of "animals and natural phenomena".     

Achilles detachment in rat and stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157: Promoted tendon-to-bone healing and opposed corticosteroid aggravation.

Stable gastric pentadecapeptide BPC 157 (BPC 157, as an antiulcer agent in clinical trials for inflammatory bowel disease; PLD-116, PL 14736, Pliva, no toxicity reported) alone (without carrier) ameliorates healing of tendon and bone, respectively, as well as other tissues. Thereby, we focus on Achilles tendon-to-bone healing: tendon to bone could not be healed spontaneously, but it was recovered by this peptide. After the rat's Achilles tendon was sharply transected from calcaneal bone, agents [BPC 157 (10 microg, 10 ng, 10 pg), 6alpha-methylprednisolone (1 mg), 0.9% NaCl (5 mL)] were given alone or in combination [/kg body weight (b.w.) intraperitoneally, once time daily, first 30-min after surgery, last 24 h before analysis]. Tested at days 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, and 21 after Achilles detachment, BPC 157 improves healing functionally [Achilles functional index (AFI) values substantially increased], biomechanically (load to failure, stiffness, and Young elasticity modulus significantly increased), macro/microscopically, immunohistochemistry (better organization of collagen fibers, and advanced vascular appearance, more collagen type I). 6alpha-Methylprednisolone consistently aggravates the healing, while BPC 157 substantially reduces 6alpha-methylprednisolone healing aggravation. Thus, direct tendon-to-bone healing using stabile nontoxic peptide BPC 157 without a carrier might successfully exchange the present reconstructive surgical methods.     

Effects of abdominal hot compresses on indocyanine green elimination – a randomized cross over study in healthy subjects

Background  

Hot compresses on the right upper abdomen are used as support for patients with liver diseases in Germany. The study was designed to determine, whether they affect hepatic blood flow.     

Acute Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury After Isogeneic Kidney Transplantation Is Mitigated in a Rat Model of Chronic Renal Failure

The influence of chronic renal failure on renal susceptibility to an acute ischemic insult was evaluated. Recipient Lewis rats were randomly assigned to undergo 5/6 nephrectomy (chronic renal failure, CRF) or sham operation (normal renal function, NRF). After 11 weeks, normal kidneys of Lewis donor rats were transplanted in the recipients. The outcome of the isografts was assessed. Filtration capacity of the isografts in the CRF rats was preserved to approximately one-quarter of its normal capacity on the 1st day post-transplantation, whereas it fell to 0 in the NRF rats. This was reflected by a significantly higher increase in serum creatinine in the latter group. The isografts in the CRF rats had a significantly lower degree of acute tubular necrosis and no increase in the number of macrophages and T lymphocytes in the first 24 h in contrast to the NRF rats. Epithelial regeneration and repair started earlier in the CRF group. In conclusion, the present study indicated that CRF blunted ischemia/reperfusion injury of a transplanted kidney, and that its regeneration capacity was certainly not hampered by the presence of chronic uremia. These results will be the basis for studies on modulation of early leukocyte-endothelial interactions resulting from immunological disturbances inherent to the uremic environment.     

Gallbladder disease,primary cholelithiasis,or gallbladder hydrops: review of 32 children

Gallbladder disease is generally considered uncommon in childhood, but in recent years the frequency seems to be increasing. Therefore, a review was made of children appearing with gallbladder disease during the past 10 years at the Department of Pediatric Surgery, St. Göran's Hospital, Stockholm. There were 32 patients, 15 boys and 17 girls. Two-thirds of the cases were diagnosed in 1988 or later. One-half were younger than 8 years; 7 were 2 years old or younger. Hemolytic disease was found in 2/32 patients. One patient had received total parenteral nutrition, but only for a period of 10 days. In 6/32 children the symptoms were interpreted to be caused by gallbladder dysfunction, either as intermittent hydrops or a defect of emptying after a fatty meal. One of these 6 also had a stone. Surgery was performed in 22 children: cholecystectomy in 15 and cholecystotomy with stone extraction in 7. Analysis of 14 stones showed that pigmentary stones were most common. We conclude that gallbladder disease in children seems to be increasing. The preoperative examination should include both ultrasound and cholecystography. We also find that stone extraction is an adequate procedure if there is good gallbladder function and no sign of cholecystitis. Correpondence: M.-L. Molander