Fibrous metaphyseal defects — determination of their origin and natural history using a radiomorphological study

The radiomorphological appearance of fibrous metaphyseal defects (FMDs) is demonstrated by long-term follow-up studies. A characteristic radiomorphological course rather than a typical single appearance can be established. These findings correlate well with the duration of these tumor-like lesions; therefore, the radiological findings allow conclusions to be made about the age of a fibrous metaphyseal defect. In addition, the characteristic locations of FMDs will be explained in respect of their origins at insertions of tendons and ligaments.     

Osteogenesis imperfecta: A clinical study of the first ten years of life

Summary One hundred twenty-seven children with osteogenesis imperfecta (O.I.) were studied during the first 10 years of life. According to Sillence, 40 patients were assigned to type I, 39 to type III, and 48 to type IV O.I. Centiles for height, weight, and the annual number of fractures could be established for the different types of O.I. The development of the skeletal changes could be documented for the different forms of the disease. At birth, the skeletal changes were significantly more severe in type III than in type IV patients. During the first 10 years of life the number of fractures, extent of skeletal deformities, and growth retardation did not differ between types III and IV. Only fracture nonunion, dentinogenesis imperfecta, and congenital cardiac malformations were more frequent in type III than in type IV. Papillary calcifications of the kidney and kidney stones were diagnosed in 4 type III and 2 type IV patients. Hemihypertrophy of the body developed, in 2 type I patients. Although types III and IV patients suffered from severe short stature, serum insulin-like growth factor (IGF) I was in the normal range.     

Development of the Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation and Pain Control) Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney

The Diploma in Clinical Dentistry (Conscious Sedation and Pain Control) of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Sydney, is the first dedicated programme devoted to this field in Australia. Its development followed a decision by the Dental Board of New South Wales to require a formal qualification from the University of Sydney before dental practitioners could offer sedation and pain management in practice.
The programme is conducted at Westmead Hospital in conjunction with the Department of Anaesthetics, and satisfies the guidelines developed by the Royal Australasian College of Dental Surgeons and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
The course is conducted either over one or two years, with block sessions requiring attendance at Westmead Hospital, together with assignments which are completed outside the block sessions. In this way, a dental practitioner enrolled in the programme is able to continue practice.
The block sessions need not be completed over one year, but must be completed within two years.     

Time-dependent changes in sensitivity to apomorphine and monoamine receptors following withdrawal from continuous cocaine administration in rats

The effects of withdrawal from continuous administration of cocaine on behavioral sensitivity to apomorphine and monoamine receptor density were examined in rats. Subdermal minipumps that delivered either saline or 20 mg/kg/day cocaine hydrochloride were implanted for 2 weeks. Apomorphine-induced stereotypy (0.5 mg/kg, SC) was examined in separate groups of rats either 4 hr or 7, 28, or 60 days after removal of the minipumps. Transient enhanced sensitivity to apomorphine-induced stereotypy occurred during the course of withdrawal. Animals withdrawn from cocaine for 4 hours did not differ from controls in their sensitivity to apomorphine, whereas animals withdrawn from cocaine for 7 days exhibited an increase in apomorphine-induced oral stereotypy relative to controls. However, the enhanced stereotypy response was no longer evident in animals withdrawn for 28–60 days. The animals were sacrificed after behavioral testing, and their brains were assayed for changes in monoamine receptor density in the frontal cortex, caudate-putamen, and nucleus accumbens. The density of ³H-SCH-23390-labeled D1 receptors was altered in all three regions examined in a time-dependent manner that paralleled the changes in behavioral sensitivity to apomorphine. There was a transient decrease in D1 receptor density that was evident by 7 days following withdrawal from continuous cocaine administration and was no longer evident 28 or 60 days posttreatment. There were no changes in ³H-spiroperidol-labeled D2 receptors, ¹²⁵-pindolol-labeled β-adrenergic receptors, or ³H-ketanserin-labeled 5-HT₂ receptors in any of the regions examined at both 4 hr and 7 days after termination of the cocaine infusion. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to developing pharmacologic treatments for withdrawal from cocaine. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Is the apparent U-shape of well-being over the life course a result of inappropriate use of control variables? A commentary on Blanchflower and Oswald (66: 8, 2008, 1733–1749)

In their article in this journal “Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle?” Blanchflower and Oswald (Blanchflower, D.G., & Oswald, A.J. (2008). Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle? Social Science & Medicine, 66, 1733–1749) report the results of an ambitious cross-national study of age and well-being and conclude that in most societies studied the well-being of adults tends to be high in young adulthood and old age and lowest around age 40. I argue that the appearance of this U-shaped curve of well-being is the result of the use of inappropriate and questionable control variables. The most clearly inappropriate control variable is marital status, the control of which to a large extent accounts for the U-shaped curve. Most researchers who have studied the relationship between being married and being happy believe that happiness affects marital status (happier people are more likely to marry and stay married), and of course a variable that is affected by the dependent variable should not be included as a control variable in a simple recursive model. Such control variables as income and education are suspect because the relationship between them and well-being is likely to be partially spurious, and such variables as race and whether or not persons lived with both parents at age 16 should not be controlled, because they cannot affect or be affected by age. Finally, year of survey should not be controlled because of the age-period-cohort conundrum, which makes including age, period, and cohort all as predictor variables in a regression inappropriate (and impossible if the three variables are measured precisely and comparably). The only clearly appropriate control variable is birth cohort, and when only it is controlled, the regression data become estimates of how the well-being of persons has actually changed as they have gone through the life course. I argue that such estimates are much more useful than the counterfactual abstractions provided by Blanchflower and Oswald (Blanchflower, D.G., & Oswald, A.J. (2008). Is well-being U-shaped over the life cycle? Social Science & Medicine, 66, 1733–1749), and I conclude that those authors (or someone else) could make a very important contribution by redoing their analyses with birth cohort as the only control variable. I do that with the American happiness data and find that the results do not come close to the U-shaped pattern.     

CXCL10 haplotypes and multiple sclerosis: association and correlation with clinical course

CXCL10 (interferon- γ -inducible protein-10) levels are increased in cerebrospinal fluid of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with symptomatic attacks of inflammatory demyelination, supporting a role for this molecule in MS pathogenesis. Two hundred and twenty-six patients with MS and 235 controls were genotyped for G  →  C and T  →  C single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in exon 4 of CXCL10 gene. Haplotypes were tested for association and correlated with clinical variables. The two SNPs studied were in complete linkage disequilibrium. None of the determined haplotypes was associated with MS. However, carriers of the GGTT haplotype (defined as wild type, according to the sequence in National Centre for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database) had a significantly lower progression index than non-carriers ( P  = 0.016). Furthermore, amongst patients who had an initial relapsing remitting (RR) course of the disease, the time between onset and second episode was significantly longer in GGTT carriers ( P  = 0.021). Considering secondary progressive (SP)–MS patients, the time between the initial RR form and the subsequent worsening to SP was longer in this group ( P  = 0.08). Therefore, the GGTT haplotype of the CXCL10 gene is not a susceptibility factor for the development of MS, but is probably to influence the course of MS, possibly contributing to slow down the progression of the disease.     

Comparing orthodontic undergraduate student satisfaction with teaching in Leeds,UK and Marburg,Germany

A questionnaire was used to compare undergraduate student satisfaction with orthodontic teaching in two units; one in Leeds, UK, the other in Marburg, Germany. Whilst the methods of teaching differed between the units, the aim was to highlight aspects of both courses which students might wish to see improved. Statistical analysis suggested that students appreciate clarity of course structure and means of assessment and that use of a course manual is helpful in achieving this. Recommended texts to back-up course work are also appreciated whilst students from both locations, want to see more patients. Alternatives, such as patient case folders, computer-assisted learning packages and use of videos showing treatment progression, seem to be acceptable alternatives should there be difficulty in supplying “real” patients. The relevance of laboratory courses needs to be reviewed. Overall, the use of student questionnaires is seen as a useful tool in monitoring standards of teaching.     

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