Morphometric study of nucleolar organizer regions in human oral normal mucosa, papilloma and squamous cell carcinoma

A morphometric study of nucleolar organizer regions (NOR) was performed to analyze their distribution, volume, number and shape in the different strata of human normal oral mucosa epithelium and papilloma and in squamous cell carcinoma employing microphotographs of silver-stained paraffin sections. The different NOR-related parameters evidenced significant differences between normal mucosa, papilloma and squamous cell carcinoma. The functional polarity of normal mucosa epithelium and of papilloma is also evidenced in terms of NOR-related parameters. The discriminative value of certain NOR parameters was demonstrated.     

Automatic assessment of levodopa-induced dyskinesias in daily life by neural networks.

We developed an objective and automatic procedure to assess the severity of levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID) in patients with Parkinson's disease during daily life activities. Thirteen patients were continuously monitored in a home-like situation for a period of approximately 2.5 hours. During this time period, the patients performed approximately 35 functional daily life activities. Behavior of the patients was measured using triaxial accelerometers, which were placed at six different positions on the body. A neural network was trained to assess the severity of LID using various variables of the accelerometer signals. Neural network scores were compared with the assessment by physicians, who evaluated the continuously videotaped behavior of the patients off-line. The neural network correctly classified dyskinesia or the absence of dyskinesia in 15-minute intervals in 93.7, 99.7, and 97.0% for the arm, trunk, and leg, respectively. In the few cases of misclassification, the rating by the neural network was in the class next to that indicated by the physicians using the AIMS score (scale 0-4). Analysis of the neural networks revealed several new variables, which are relevant for assessing the severity of LID. The results indicate that the neural network can accurately assess the severity of LID and could distinguish LID from voluntary movements in daily life situations.     

Efficacy of short‐term oral cobalamin therapy for the treatment of cobalamin deficiencies related to food‐cobalamin malabsorption: A study of 30 patients

Background: It has been suggested that oral cobalamin (vitamin B₁₂) therapy may be an effective therapy for treating cobalamin deficiencies related to food‐cobalamin malabsorption. However, the duration of this treatment was not determined. Patients and method: In an open‐label, nonplacebo study, we studied 30 patients with established cobalamin deficiency related to food‐cobalamin malabsorption, who received between 250 and 1000 μg of oral crystalline cyanocobalamin per day for at least 1 month. Endpoints: Blood counts, serum cobalamin and homocysteine levels were determined at baseline and during the first month of treatment. Results: During the first month of treatment, 87% of the patients normalized their serum cobalamin levels; 100% increased their serum cobalamin levels (mean increase, +167 pg/dl; P < 0.001 compared with baseline); 100% had evidence of medullary regeneration; 100% corrected their initial macrocytosis; and 54% corrected their anemia. All patients had increased hemoglobin levels (mean increase, +0.6 g/dl) and reticulocyte counts (mean increase, +35 × 10⁶/l) and decreased erythrocyte cell volume (mean decrease, 3 fl; all P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that crystalline cyanocobalamin, 250–1000 μg /day, given orally for 1 month, may be an effective treatment for cobalamin deficiencies not related to pernicious anemia.     

Functional adaptation to full‐arch fixed prosthesis supported by osseointegrated implants in the edentulous mandible

The objective of the present study was to assess possible adaptive functional changes in the masticatory system after insertion of fixed prostheses supported by osseointegrated implants in the edentulous mandible. Registrations of mandibular movement characteristics and maximal biteforce were performed at insertion and after 1 week, 3 months and 1 year after connection. The duration of the opening and closing phase decreased and maximal biteforce increased significantly (p < or = 0.05-0.001) from connection of the prostheses to the annual check-up. However, the process of functional adaptation implied 2 identified stages. An immediate phase that occurred within the 1st week, probably due to altered impact from mechano-sensitive receptors and a later more time-dependent phase, based on learning and new cortical engrams. Accordingly, the process of adaptation will continue over a long period of time.     

FQ-I型清创(冲洗)机的研制

介绍一种电脑清创(冲洗)机的工作原理和系统功能。该机由水泵、水箱、压力调节器、温控器、喷枪等组成。操作时仅需打开开关，根据伤口类型调节压力、水温和冲洗水流的方式即可进行伤口冲洗，简单易行、省时省力，特别适合于战时救治。能降低火器伤的感染率、致残率，提高伤口清创冲洗的效率。     

服用左炔诺孕酮滴丸和妈富隆1年对血压、血糖和血脂的影响

目的：观察第二、三代口服避孕药(COC)对育龄妇女体重指数、血压、血糖和血脂的影响。方法：将自愿服用COC避孕1年的妇女105例随机分为两组，其中54例给予第二代COC(EE／LNG组)，51例给予第三代COC(EE／DG组)。并对研究前后所有病例的体重指数(BMI)、血压、血糖和血脂代谢指标进行比较分析。结果：EE／LNG组：BMI、收缩压、舒张压、甘油三酯(TG)、总胆固醇(TC)、低密度脂蛋白(LDL)和载脂蛋白B(ApoB)水平均升高，高密度脂蛋白(HDL)水平下降，血糖、载脂蛋白AI(ApoAI)水平无明显改变。EE／DG组收缩压、TG、HDL水平升高，BMI、舒张压、血糖、TC、LDL、ApoAI和ApoB均未发生显著变化。以上所有测量指标均未超出正常范围。结论：使用1年第二、三代COC对妇女BMI、血压和血脂代谢都有微弱的影响，对空腹血糖无明显影响。第三代COC对妇女BMI、收缩压、舒张压、TG、TC、LDL、HDL水平和ApoB的不利影响小于第二代，更加安全可靠。     

Fluctuations in Tumor Blood Flow under Normotension and the Effect of Angiotensin II-induced Hypertension

To elucidate the significance of angiotensin II (AID-induced hypertension chemotherapy, changes of tissue blood flow both in normal subcutis and in tumors (AH109A, LY80) were measured with the hydrogen gas clearance method. A newly-developed anesthetic machine was used to keep the animals' condition constant. Tissue blood flow in normal subcutis and tumors always fluctuated with time under normotension. The nature and the rate of fluctuation in tumor Wood flow were almost identical in two different types of tumors. However, the fluctuation of blood flow in tumor and that in normal subcutis were almost always inversely related when blood flows in these different tissues were measured simultaneously, i.e., when tissue blood flow in normal subcutis decreased, tumor blood flow increased, and vice versa. The findings supported the idea that the connection mode between the tumor vascular bed and normal vascular bed is a parallel circuit. Vascular resistance in the normal vascular bed under All-induced hypertension seemed to be greater than that under normotension, because the All-increased tumor blood flow always exceeded the maximum tumor blood flow under normotension. Due to the fluctuations of tumor blood flow, no-flow or low-flow areas, resistant to delivery of anti-cancer drugs, moved sporadically within the tumor under the normotensive condition. However, good conditions for drug delivery to tumor tissue were induced by All-induced hypertension.     

Disseminated histoplasmosis with oral manifestation

Histoplasmosis is a fungal disease that affects humans and is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum. The presentation of the infection may be acute, chronic, or disseminated. The disseminated form has extrapulmonary manifestations which may include oral manifestation a. A patient with AIDS sought treatment and he had disseminated histoplasmosis with oral manifestations. The purpose of this case report and literature review is to emphasize the role the dental team has in the diagnosis of disseminated disease when a patient presents with oral manifestations associated with the disease. This case report is clinically relevant because it is not uncommon for oral manifestations to be one of the first signs of systemic disease.     

The predictive value of specific immunoglobulin E levels for the first diagnosis of cow''s milk allergy. A critical analysis of pediatric literature

Investigators have tried to identify a level of seric specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) that had a sufficient predictive value to diagnose a food allergy without having will resort to the food challenge. To search in literature, all the studies that have estimated the possibility to identify a level of seric specific cow milk IgE with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 95% for the first diagnosis of cow's milk allergy (CMA) in pediatric age. We have identified six studies, nearly all studies suffer from relevant methodological bias. Proposed cut-off are all different. The studied pediatric populations were highly selected. Also neglecting the methodological bias of the studies and the great difference of value between the proposed cut-off, it always remains to consider that the pre-test probability of having a CMA between the children enrolled in the six studies included in this review is particularly high. The likelihood ratio helps to transfer the results of a study on a diagnostic test just to our population, and it is more realistic rather than to entrust itself to the PPV or the negative predictive value, that are much influenced from the prevalence of the disease in the studied population.