Presence of Streptococcus mutans and lactobacilli in saliva and on enamel, glass ionomer cement, and composite resin surfaces

Abstract— The quantity of S. mutans , total streptococci, and lactobacilli on sound enamel surfaces and 1-yr-old glass ionomer cement and composite resin fillings with the cervical margins placed subgingivally was compared intraindividually. The amount of bacteria was compared to their number in saliva. The evaluation was done in a cross sectional study, where the patients continued to use their customary oral hygiene procedures and during a 14-day period of experimental plaque formation. The number of lactobacilli and S. mutans recovered from the test surfaces indicated that the critical salivary concentrations necessary for the isolation of S. mutans and lactobacilli from glass ionomer cement and composite resin surfaces are the same as for the enamel surfaces. The fluoride levels in plaque adjacent to glass ionomer cement will not become high enough to inhibit the accumulation of the investigated bacteria.     

Well-being and future sick-leave: Multivariate analyses with regard to preceding sick-leave

Consistent associations between self-rated well-being and futuresick-leave have previously been noted in a selected group ofrepeated short-term sick-leavers. The object was to retest thoseassociations after ruling out expected influences of precedingsick-leave. Hypothetically the well-being-sick-leave linkagesinitially observed would thereby overlap with the behaviouralconformity over time. Accordingly, they would possibly be erasedin a hierarchical stepwise regression analysis. The study groupcomprised 61 females and 62 males with diffuse reasons for theirhigh repeated sick-leave. Instead of having to present a doctor'scertificate on every new sick-leave occasion, they chose totake part In a support programme. Altogether 8 hierarchicalmultiple regression analyses were run with sick-leave occasionsand days the first and second years after the contact as separatedependent variables. In the first step, long-term behaviouralproneness to sickness absence was evaluated, i.e. the correlationsbetween the sick-leave parameters the year before and each ofthe 2 years after the programme were computed. In the secondstep, the possible additional impact of well-being ascertainedat entrance Into as well as exit from the clinical contact wasestablished. Sick-leave correlated strongly over the study periodsas expected. Yet, fairly consistent associations between well-beingand future sick-leave remained. The well-being parameters accountedfor another 4–8% of the entire variance in 5 of the 8regression analyses performed. That increment corresponded tobetween 25 and 100% of the proportion initially explained bypreceding sick-leave. Thus the independent role of perceivedself-image for the long-term inclination to sickness absencein the current ‘risk’ group was underscored. Thiswas particularly so since the influence of several other backgroundand job-related factors have previously proven to be empiricallynegligible. Moreover, similar prospective correlations havebeen seen in other study groups.     

Studies on the Mechanism of the Increased Dose-Response of Erythropoietin After Stimulation with Erythropoietin

The responsiveness to ESF of the erythremic mouse is increased one to fourdays after a previous stimulation with ESF. The formation of nucleated redcells by the priming ESF stimulation was suppressed either by simultaneousinjections of ESF and Actinomycin D, or by giving the priming ESF challengeto erythremic mice shortly after they had been exposed to 400 R. total bodyirradiation with X-rays. By these techniques it was demonstrated that thepresence of nucleated red cells within the erythron is not important for theobserved increase in dose response of ESF after ESF stimulation. It was concluded that the recruitment of primitive erythropoietin-responding cells isenhanced by ESF.

Submitted on May 12, 1969 Accepted on December 22, 1969     

Task Complexity and Visual Acuity in Senile Macular Degeneration

ABSTRACT The effects of choice of test object and inter-symbol spacing (contour interaction) on the measurement of low visual acuities was investigated. Visual acuities of sixteen subjects with senile macular degeneration and five age-matched normal subjects were measured using different test targets of varying complexities. Visual acuity of both groups of subjects decreased with increasing task complexity but the trend was more marked for the low vision subjects. However, within the low vision group, the complexity effect was not dependent on the level of visual acuity. This study showed that visual acuity of persons with senile macular degeneration can be measured equally well with single letters, constant contour interaction Landolt rings, or the Bailey-Lovie letter chart but the test used should be specified. Grating targets and word charts measure different visual functions from standard visual acuity tests.     

How to calculate human muscle fibre areas in biopsy samples—methodological considerations

Cross-sectional muscle fibre areas (type I, IIA and IIB) were determined in duplicate biopsies from the left vastus lateralis (n=11) and in biopsies from right and left vastus lateralis (n=8).The SD for the difference in means between duplicate biopsies was 510 μm² for type I, 1020 μm² for type II A and 860 μm² for type II B.Expressed as coefficient of variation (CV) these SD constituted 10, 15 and 15%, respectively. The variation in fibre size within a sample was considerably less than the variation between samples on the assumption that at least 15–20 areas of each fibre type were measured per sample. No difference in mean fibre area for type I, IIA and IIB fibres was obtained between the right and left muscle. Several artefacts due to the sampling and preparing procedures are discussed and a method for determining muscle fibre areas in biopsy samples is suggested.     

Genetic and Environmental Determinants for Lipoprotein Concentrations in Blood

ABSTRACT Path and segregation analyses have been performed on cholesterol and triglyceride contents of serum as well as on very low, low and high density lipoproteins in 78 Swedish nuclear families. The effect of environmental variables like alcohol and smoking on the concentrations of the different lipoproteins has been studied. Genetic heritability was 0.16-0.68 for the cholesterol fractions and 0-0.56 for the triglyceride fractions. No major gene was evident for any of the variables studied.     

Intra-arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring in the Neonate

Management of the critically ill neonate requires accurate and continuous pressure monitoring of intra-arterial blood pressure. An overview of arterial pressure monitoring is presented, including indications for monitoring, sites, normal values, technique, clinical observations, risks, and problems inherent in this procedure.     

Long-term β1-Selective Adrenergic Blockade and Adrenergic Receptors in Human Subcutaneous Adipocytes

ABSTRACT. Wahrenberg H, Arner P, Engfeldt P, Haglund K, RÖssner S, Östman J. (Department of Internal Medicine and Research Centre, Huddinge Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, and Department of Internal Medicine, Karolinska Hospital, and King Gustaf V Research Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.) Long-term β₁-selective adrenergic blockade and adrenergic receptors in human subcutaneous adipocytes. The influence of β-adrenergic blockade with metoprolol, a β₁-selective agent, on the adrenergic regulation of lipid mobilization was explored in subcutaneous adipocytes removed from 13 patients with essential hypertension. Treatment with metoprolol, which was associated with adequate β-adrenergic blockade and an antihypertensive effect, resulted in a significant increase (p<0.05) in the binding of the β-adrenergic antagonist (-)-(³H)-dihydroalprenolol and a 50% increase (p<0.01) in the maximum lipolytic response to the β-adrenergic agonist isopropylnoradrenaline. In 7 patients with normotriglyceridaemia the total plasma triglyceride level increased significantly (p<0.025) during metoprolol treatment, a change that was due to an increase in the very low density lipoprotein triglycerides. The findings suggest that chronic treatment with the β₁-selective adrenergic blocker metoprolol leads to a significant increase in β-adrenoceptor density and an increase in the lipolytic response to β-adrenergic agonists. This latter finding may, in some measure, account for the increased plasma triglyceride level observed.     

Senile Macular Degeneration – The Effects and Management

The previous paper in this series on the effects and management of senile macular degeneration (SMD) detailed the optometric low vision treatment available for alleviating the visual disabilities caused by SMD. This final paper in the series indicates that low vision care cannot be considered the responsibility of any one profession. Thus, the roles of other rehabilitation professionals in minimizing the visual disabilities and visual handicaps of persons with SMD are discussed in detail.