Oral and maxillofacial manifestations of Gardner's syndrome associated with growth hormone deficiency: case report and literature review.

Gardner's syndrome (GS) is a hereditary disorder inherited as autosomal dominant with complete penetrance and variable expression. GS is a variant of familial adenomatous polyposis characterized by extracolonic manifestations including osteomas, dental anomalies, and epidermoid cysts. The association between GS and endocrine abnormalities has been well documented but a direct pituitary involvement has never been reported. We present a case of oral and maxillofacial manifestations in an adult patient affected by GS associated with growth hormone deficiency, a hitherto unreported association. The possible pathogenic mechanisms are discussed.     

Program for the Prevention of Smoking in Secondary School Students

Background and ObjectiveSchool smoking prevention programs have never yielded the expected results. The aim of this study was to analyze the efficacy of an intensive smoking prevention program created by the educational community in which it was to be applied.Population and MethodA 3-year smoking prevention program was carried out among the students of Fuentesaúco Secondary School in Zamora, Spain. The Babilafuente Secondary School in Salamanca, Spain was the control group. The program included both prevention and treatment activities. The former were carried out in the school, in out-of-school situations, and in the community. The questionnaire of the European Smoking Prevention Framework Approach was used.ResultsA total of 417 students aged 12 to 17 years participated in the study. Of these, 54.4% belonged to the intervention group and 45.6% to the control group. Smokers represented 36.7% of the population. After the intervention smokers represented 40.1% of the Fuentesaúco students compared with 46.1% of the Babilafuente students, though the difference was not statistically significant. With respect to the cognitive determinants of smoking behavior, after the intervention significant differences in favor of the intervention group were only observed in the subjects’ perception of the behavior of their siblings, peers, and teachers.ConclusionsThe use of smoking prevention programs in schools should be reconsidered, and their evaluation should be based on educational rather than clinical criteria. Proposed changes in the program include decreasing its intensity, starting with students of an earlier age and seeking greater involvement of parents.     

Imipenem: morphological changes and lethal effects on Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Imipenem, a new carbapenem antibiotic shows an extremely broad spectrum of antibacterial activity for almost all Gram-negative and Gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. It is stable to beta-lactamases and shows a high affinity for PBP 2. The changes in morphology and ultrastructure caused by the antibiotic on Ps. aeruginosa confirm that imipenem acts by binding primarily to PBP 2, resulting in irregular and round shaped cells, and later during treatment to PBP 1 with cellular lysis. The involvement of PBP 1 is also demonstrated by the fast bactericidal kinetics on Ps. aeruginosa, E. coli and Staph. aureus.