bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of retinoid receptor expression patterns in canine normal lymph nodes and in nodal lymphomas
Authors: Souza C. H. M. , Valli V. E. O. , Fan T. M. , Vail D. M.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  Retinoids are derivatives of vitamin A, which are essential for cell growth and differentiation of a variety of cells. Retinoid activity occurs after binding to a class of nuclear receptors termed retinoic acid receptor (RAR) and retinoid X receptor (RXR). Receptor‐ligand interactions ultimately activate the transcription of target genes. Retinoids have been shown in vitro to participate in both lymphocyte activation and apoptosis. In human cancer patients, specific ligands to retinoid receptors have been approved for the treatment of T‐cell cutaneous lymphomas. The use of retinoids for the treatment of additional lymphoid malignancies, both of B and T‐cell types, has been speculated. In vitro experiments demonstrating lymphocyte apoptosis subsequent to treatment with both natural and synthetic retinoids further support the potential utility of retinoid therapy in spontaneous lymphoid malignancies.

Objectives:  To detect the pattern of retinoid receptor expression (RAR and RXR) and their isoforms (α, β, and γ) in normal lymph nodes and in nodal lymphomas in dogs.

Methods:  Immunohistochemistry was performed in tissue specimens derived from naturally occurring cases of nodal lymphomas and normal lymph nodes from dogs. Rabbit polyclonal antibodies (Santa Cruz Biotechnology), previously demonstrated to be cross‐reactive with canine tissue, were utilized to assess the expression patterns of RAR/RXR and their respective isoforms (α, β, and γ) in all pathologic and normal tissue samples evaluated.

Results:  Normal lymph nodes were consistently negative for all isoforms. In hyperplastic nodes, macrophages were positive for all isoforms. Lymphomas both of B and T‐cell type stained strongly positive for the isoforms RARα and RXRγ.

Conclusions:  A distinctive pattern of expression between lymphomas, lymphoid hyperplasia, and normal lymph nodes was detected in dogs. Different retinoid receptor expression profiles from normal lymph nodes and nodal lymphomas seem to be of diagnostic importance. Further investigation with larger number of lymphoma cases is warranted to thoroughly characterize retinoid receptor expression patterns in lymphoid malignancies with the possibility of using specific retinoid receptor ligands for the treatment of canine nodal lymphomas.
Thalidomide for the treatment of hemangiosarcoma in dogs
Authors: Woods J. P. , Mathews K. A. , Binnington A. G.
Published: August 2004

Introduction:  Hemangiosarcoma is a malignant neoplasm of vascular endothelium occurring most frequently in older large breed dogs. Noncutaneous hemangiosarcoma is highly metastatic (>80% at diagnosis). Surgery is the primary method of treatment; however, even with adjuvant chemotherapy the prognosis for long‐term survival is low. Hence, new therapies are needed.

The sedative‐hypnotic drug thalidomide (alpha‐N‐phthalimidoglutarimide) was withdrawn from general distribution in the 1960's after recognition of its teratogenicity and association with phocomelia. Recently, discredited thalidomide is making a comeback for its immunomodulatory and antiangiogenesis properties to treat inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic diseases in people. Thalidomide can inhibit the proliferation of blood vessels associated with tumour development, thereby stopping or slowing tumour growth (similar to the devastating effect of the in utero interference with the blood supply of the developing limbs of the fetus).

Therefore, the purpose of this study was to retrospectively obtain the results of thalidomide therapy for canine hemangiosarcoma. A prospective study for the use of thalidomide therapy for the treatment of canine hemangiosarcoma was also planned.

Materials and Methods:  Fourteen dogs with histologically diagnosed hemangiosarcoma were retrospectively entered into the study. Dogs were treated at 100–400 mg per day. Unfortunately, a legal, consistent source of thalidomide for treatment of dogs could not be obtained; therefore, the prospective study was postponed.

Results:  The median survival was 61 days with a range of 0 days to 2 years.

Conclusions:  Only limited efficacy data are available so far to define the clinical utility of thalidomide in canine hemangiosarcoma. However, in this pilot study there were prolonged responses to thalidomide in some patients which prompts a phase 2 investigation of thalidomide in canine hemangiosarcoma. The optimal dose and schedule of administration in dogs remains to be determined but the absence of myelosuppressive and other important adverse effects suggests thalidomide could be used in combination with chemotherapy. We conclude that thalidomide (or its analogues) could open the possibility for novel treatment that targets tumours and their microenvironment.
The Psychological Assessment of Candidates for Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain Management
Authors: Beltrutti Diego , Lamberto Aldo , Barolat Giancarlo , Bruehl Stephen P. , Doleys Daniel , Krames Elliot , Meglio Mario , North Richard , Olson Kern , Reig Enrique , Simpson Brian , Turk Dennis , Aronoff Gerald , Melzack Ronald
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  It is known that, in spite of meeting appropriate clinical criteria for spinal cord stimulation (SCS) and having undergone flawless procedures, a significant number of patients who fail the therapy continues to exist. It is the purpose of this article to focus on the development of psychosocial indicators of success for SCS, if any. Referring to specialist literature authors present a review of what is known, what is not known, and what remains controversial on this topic. After reading this article we hope the reader will understand the importance of a psychological evaluation as part of the development of standards for identifying appropriate patients for this therapy. To improve treatment outcomes of SCS, seems to be essential to perform psychosocial evaluations on all persons clinically indicated for SCS to exclude those patients, who most probably, on a psychosocial level, will fail the procedure. To maximize treatment efficacy, authors believe spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain control must be part of a comprehensive program. An accurate preoperative psychosocial assessment and a course of psychological assistance both before and after therapy seems to be crucial for improving outcomes.
Outcome Prediction Following Sympathetic Block for Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Authors: Hartrick Craig T. , Kovan Juliann P. , Naismith Patti
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Evidence for the efficacy of sympathetic blocks as either diagnostic or therapeutic tools in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) remains anecdotal. Systematic evaluation has been confounded by inconsistent terminology, difficulties in objectively quantifying physical findings, and failure to control for co‐morbid psychological factors. This study examines the relative contribution of physical and psychometric features as prospective predictors of outcome following sympathetic block in the treatment of CRPS. Twenty patients with CRPS characterized by mechanical allodynia and vasomotor/sudomotor disturbance were treated with sympathetic blocks. Long‐term outcome was assessed at > 6 months following the last treatment using a mailed questionnaire. Pain relief and functional improvement were negatively influenced by anxiety (P < 0.001). When the improvement in the initial visual analog for pain (VAS) was 50% or greater following “diagnostic” sympathetic block, the percent improvement was highly correlated with improvement at long‐term follow‐up (P < 0.001). Higher “sensitivity” scores on the Neuropathic Pain Scale (P < 0.001), C fiber allodynia (P < 0.01) and Aδ‐fiber allodynia (P < 0.01) on quantitative sensory testing, and pretreatment reported dynamic mechanical allodynia (P < 0.02) all predicted positive response to initial sympathetic block. While sympathetic blocks can be helpful in the reduction of mechanical allodynia, and thus the facilitation of physical and occupational therapy, ultimate response to a regime that includes medications is not predicted by sympathetic block alone.
Treatment of Chronic Refractory Intractable Headache with Botulinum Toxin Type A: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Sundaraj S. Raj , Ponciano Paul , Johnstone Charlotte , Noore Faiz , Castro Maria
Published: August 2004

Abstract:  Chronic refractory daily headache is a relatively common problem in the Australian population. Several million working hours per year are lost due to this illness. Generally not responding to conventional therapies. We treated 22 such patients diagnosed as severe refractory migraine and/or mixed tension headache at our multidisciplinary pain management center. Before inclusion to our study, they received maximal medical management, which included cognitive behavior therapy, but failed to respond. These patients received between 30 and 100 units of botulinum toxin type A. Our study showed 84% (19 of 22) achieved significant improvement in their pain complaint. There was significant reduction of medications particularly opioids. The duration of pain relief ranged from 1 to 6 months. Repeat injections were necessary in several of the patients. There were minor complications but these reversed spontaneously without further treatment.
Evaluation of red blood cells stored at −80°C in excess of 10 years
Authors: Lecak J. , Scott K. , Young C. , Hannon J. , Acker J.P.
Published: August 2004

BACKGROUND:  RBCs frozen in 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol are currently approved by the FDA and the AABB for storage at −80°C for up to 10 years.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  This study examined 20 RBC units that had been cryopreserved in 40 percent (wt/vol) glycerol and stored at −80°C for up to 22 years. Measures of the freeze‐thaw‐wash (FTW) recovery, ATP, 2,3‐DPG, methemoglobin, RBC indices, morphology, and osmotic fragility were made immediately after deglycerolization and after 24 hours of storage at 4°C.

RESULTS:  RBCs frozen for longer than 10 years had acceptable mean FTW recovery, normal oxygen transport function, RBC morphology, RBC indices, methemoglobin, and osmotic fragility. Statistical analysis indicated that the in‐vitro viability and function of cryopreserved RBCs was not dependent on the length of frozen storage or postthaw storage at 4°C but did correlate with the storage length at 4°C before cryopreservation.

CONCLUSION:  The data reported in this study demonstrate that RBCs can be stored at −80°C beyond 10 years with acceptable in‐vitro quality and suggest that more defined criteria for the cryopreservation process be adopted.
The Oklahoma Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura–Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome Registry: a program for patient care, education and research
Authors: George James N.
Published: August 2004

The Oklahoma Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura–Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (TTP‐HUS) Registry was created by collaboration of the Oklahoma Blood Institute and the Colleges of Medicine and Public Health of the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, combining their respective strengths of community service, patient care, education, and clinical research methodology. The organization of the Registry is based on the fundamental principles of patient‐oriented research: 1) all consecutive patients are identified at a uniform time early in the course of their disease; 2) analysis of clinical data requires quantitative and reproducible definitions; 3) patient follow‐up is complete; and 4) therefore the data are generalizable to community practice. A summary of 15 years experience with 301 consecutive patients is presented. Some of these results and interpretations are different from other case series. These differences emphasize the distinct perspective of the Registry that includes all patients in the community who have had a clinical diagnosis of TTP or HUS and for whom plasma‐exchange treatment was requested. The Oklahoma TTP‐HUS Registry provides educational and research opportunities, in addition to improved patient care, and serves as a model for productive collaboration of community blood centers and universities.
The effect of ASA on platelet activation during apheresis and on in‐vitro properties of stored platelet concentrates
Authors: Zeiler Thomas , Gritzka Debora , Karger Ralf , Kretschmer Volker
Published: August 2004

BACKGROUND:  Preventing the activation of PLTs may ameliorate (or mitigate) the PLT storage lesion (PSL), which encloses all structural and biochemical changes caused by collection, processing, and storage of PLT concentrates (PCs). Partial inhibition of PLT function due to ingestion of aspirin (ASA) by blood donors reduces the functional activity of the collected PLTs, however, by preventing premature PLT activation, it might reduce the PSL as well.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  In a randomized crossover study, 10 healthy donors donated two single‐donor PCs (SDPCs) each, taking 500 mg ASA 12 hours before one of the aphereses (Group A) and taking no medication before the other donation (Group B). In‐vitro tests of PLT function were performed in donors before and after apheresis and in SDPCs during storage (Days 1, 3, and 5).

RESULTS:  ASA ingestion resulted in a significant decrease of induced PLT aggregation in donors (p < 0.005) and SDPCs on Day 1 (p < 0.01). TRAP‐6–induced expression of p‐selectin (CD62p) was significantly reduced in Group A SDPCs only on Day 1 (p < 0.02). There were no significant differences of in‐vitro function (LDH, lactate, pH, morphology score, CD62p expression, fibrinogen binding) between Group A and B (SDPCs and donors). Apheresis did not result in a significant activation of PLTs in donors or SDPCs.

CONCLUSIONS:  These limited data do not show a detectable beneficial effect of ASA ingestion on the PSL but do suggest that ASA ingestion before apheresis may not be detrimental to the clinical effectiveness of the stored product.
A retrospective analysis of the value of monocyte monolayer assay results for predicting the clinical significance of blood group alloantibodies
Authors: Arndt Patricia A. , Garratty George
Published: August 2004

BACKGROUND:  Cellular assays (e.g., monocyte monolayer assays [MMAs]) have been used to predict the clinical significance of red blood cell (RBC) alloantibodies.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  Twenty years of MMA data were retrospectively analyzed to 1) determine the optimal cut point (by correlating MMA results from 46 patients with RBC survival study results and/or laboratory and clinical signs of hemolytic transfusion reactions [HTRs] when incompatible blood was transfused), and 2) determine what percentage of 251 unusual alloantibodies (most to high‐incidence antigens) were predicted to be clinically significant.

RESULTS:  Two MMA cut points (5% and 20%) were chosen using a receiver‐operating characteristics curve. No patients with MMA results less than or equal to 5 percent had clinical signs of a reaction; one‐third of patients with MMA results 5.1 to 20 percent versus two‐thirds with results greater than 20 percent had clinical signs of a HTR after transfusion of incompatible blood. Using 5‐percent or 20‐percent cut points, 173 (69%) or 97 (39%) of 251 unusual alloantibodies gave positive MMAs, respectively.

CONCLUSION:  A negative MMA (≤5%) indicates that incompatible blood can be given without risk of an overt HTR but does not guarantee normal long‐term survival of those RBCs. Most unusual alloantibodies are predicted to cause shortened RBC survival, but transfusion of incompatible blood may not result in any clinical or laboratory signs of a HTR. We have used the MMA for approximately 20 years, instead of a 1‐hour chromium‐51 RBC survival, to aid in the decision to transfuse RBCs incompatible with antibodies to high‐incidence antigens.
Lack of correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA levels in blood donors who test positive for HBsAg and anti‐HBc: implications for future HBV screening policy
Authors: Kuhns Mary C. , Kleinman Steven H. , McNamara Anne L. , Rawal Bhupat , Glynn Simone , Busch Michael P.
Published: August 2004

BACKGROUND:  Studies showing a significant correlation between hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) levels have focused on the HBV seroconversion window period.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:  HBsAg levels relative to HBV DNA results in 200 HBsAg‐positive, anti‐hepatitis B core antigen (HBc)–reactive blood donations were analyzed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) (detection limit 400 copies/mL), two research PCR assays with increasing sensitivities (65 copies/mL and 1.3 copies/mL, respectively), and a quantitative HBsAg assay; HBsAg and HBV DNA levels were correlated with HBV serologic profiles; and the potential for replacing HBsAg screening with nucleic acid testing (NAT) was analyzed.

RESULTS:  Serologic profiles for over 90 percent of the donor samples were consistent with chronic HBV infection. Correlation between HBsAg and HBV DNA concentrations was weak (correlation coefficient = 0.33). Thirty‐six percent (72/200) of donor samples had DNA levels under 400 copies per mL. Retesting of the 72 samples by more sensitive PCR assays showed that 60 out of 200 (30%) were positive by PCR with sensitivity of 65 copies per mL, whereas 6 out of 200 (3%) required PCR sensitivity of 1.3 copies per mL for positivity. Three percent (6/200) were negative by all three NAT assays.

CONCLUSIONS:  HBV DNA levels in HBsAg‐positive, anti‐HBc–reactive blood donations can be extremely low. About 6 percent of donations would be negative by current minipool HBV NAT methods. About 3 percent of donations would remain undetected by sensitive single‐donor NAT. These results indicate caution in any consideration of dropping HBsAg screening.
Maternal ABO‐mismatched blood for intrauterine transfusion of severe hemolytic disease of the newborn due to anti‐Rh17
Authors: Denomme G.A. , Ryan G. , Seaward P.G.R. , Kelly E.N. , Fernandes B.J.
Published: August 2004

BACKGROUND: Clinically significant antibodies to high‐incident antigens present a challenge in hemolytic disease of the newborn. Antigen‐negative blood may be difficult to obtain for intrauterine transfusion (IUT). In these instances, maternal blood is de facto compatible regardless of an ABO mismatch.

CASE REPORT: A group B/D‐‐ woman with a history of hemolytic disease of the newborn due to anti‐Rh17 (titer 256) presented to the obstetrical clinic at 12 weeks gestation for management of her third pregnancy. She consented to donate blood for possible IUT.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Washed maternal packed cells were suspended in saline to 75 percent Hct and irradiated before transfusion. The fetus was transfused via the intrahepatic vein.

RESULTS: Ultrasound examination at 19 weeks indicated a hydropic fetus. The fetal blood group was O Rh+, direct antiglobulin test 4+, and hemoglobin 22 g per L. A total of 368 mL of maternal blood was transfused during seven procedures. Labor was induced at 38 weeks, and a 2560‐g male infant was delivered by Caesarian‐section due to fetal distress. The infant grouped as B Rh+, direct antiglobulin test negative. No group O red blood cells were detected. The hemoglobin level was 143 g per L rising to 209 g per L at discharge 3 days later. The indirect bilirubin was 55 µmol/L and remained stable during the hospital stay. Phototherapy was discontinued after 1 day, and the infant was discharged without an exchange or top‐up transfusion.

CONCLUSIONS: Maternal ABO‐mismatched blood is an alternate source for IUT in instances when antigen‐compatible allogenic blood is unavailable.
A Systems Dilemma
Authors: HOFFMAN LYNN , LONG LORENCE , AUERSWALD EDGAR H.
Published: August 2004

The current shift of interest, reflected in public policy, from the production of goods to the provision of services, has caused a major re‐examination of the nature of the services the individual can expect from his society. This re‐examination is producing a number of insights, some of them shocking. In particular, we are learning that many of the systems we have created to deliver services are, in the name of “progress” and “civilization,” contributing to the conditions of human distress they were designed to alleviate.

Much has been written lately about how service systems of one kind or another subvert their announced goals—how a welfare system perpetuates poverty, or how the medical profession creates iatrogenic illness. There has not been very much written, however, about how several systems inadvertently combine in their day to day operations in such a way as to frustrate each others' activities, and how, in so doing, they destroy in varying degrees the lives of people, or render it difficult for them to improve their lives. We have all been much too tightly locked in our own niches by training, experience, and various types of private interest to see this kind of interlock. It comes into sharp perspective only when one studies the problems of a single person in terms of his total life space, his “ecology.”

This paper represents an effort to describe one such situation in a family as viewed from a community health services program designed to approach human crises as ecological phenomena, and to explore and respond to them within this framework. We have found that the best way to organize our view of the environmental field people move in is according to the diverse systems which make it up, so we have labeled our theoretical base “ecological systems theory.” (1) What is of particular interest to the behavioral scientist in the situation described is that neither individual nor family diagnosis, nor the contributions of the larger systems (in this case a housing system and a system of medical care) will, if viewed separately, explain the state of the man in question. Only when the contributions of all of these systems are made clear, and their interrelationships explored, do the origins of the phenomena described begin to emerge.
The Don D. Jackson Memorial Conference
Authors: Ackerman Nathan W.
Published: August 2004

On the 29th of January, 1968 Don De Avila Jackson died at the age of 48. His death was both expected and unexpected. For some time rumors of his ill health had been circulating among concerned colleagues; his incredible vitality and enduring youthfulness made the rumors seem incredible. One year after his death a Memorial Conference honoring him was held at the Conference Center in Asilomar, California. The Conference was sponsored by the Mental Research Institute and organized by Jay Haley, then the Editor of FAMILY PROCESS, with the collaboration of the MRI staff. It was attended by the Advisory Editors of this Journal, co‐founded in 1961 by Jackson and Nathan W. Ackerman. The Conference lasted four days; there were only two prepared addresses which are printed here. Ackerman's Eulogy and Review opened the meeting; Bell's Prospectus closed it.
Treating the Doll's House Marriage
Authors: PITTMAN FRANK S. , FLOMENHAFT KALMAN
Published: August 2004

The Doll's House, a common pitfall for family therapists, is an extremely unequal relationship in which one spouse's incompetence is required or encouraged by the other. This pattern of marriage is common in a sick population and is chosen by people with clear individual pathology. It may be stable and satisfying, but it is crisis prone. Doll's Houses are likely to be disrupted by the arrival of children, financial reverses, and, most important, the intrusion of another person upon whom the Doll is dependent and who sets out to equalize the marital relationship. A well‐intentioned therapist with an intolerance for pathology can destroy the marriage. Therapy seems more successful when the therapist respects the basically unequal framework the couple has chosen and works toward greater understanding and respect for unique individual needs within that framework.
The Conjoint Family Drawing
Authors: BING ELIZABETH
Published: August 2004

A new technique, the Conjoint Family Drawing, is described as a means of assessing family functioning. The method is projective as well as interactive, reflecting individual feelings and group interaction. Fourteen randomly chosen families, whose children had been referred to a Child Psychiatry Clinic, were studied. They were observed in a structured, performance‐task‐oriented session where they collaborated on drawing a picture of their family, which was discussed with them on its completion. Analyzing the data on all of the family portraits, six relevant dimensions were identified: 1) organizing role, 2) sequence, 3) size, 4) choice of person, 5) isolation, and 6) content. Clinical material is presented to demonstrate the value of the Conjoint Family Drawing as a potential research instrument, a diagnostic tool and a therapeutic device.
Sequential Patterning in Family Interaction: A Methodological Note
Authors: WAXLER NANCY E. , MISHLER ELLIOT G.
Published: August 2004

Participation rates have traditionally been used to indicate certain aspects of family and group structure. A recently reported indicator is the predictability of sequences of speakers in ongoing interaction; investigators have assumed that the greater the predictability the greater the rigidity, organization or structure of the group. We have examined one method, reported by Haley, for analyzing participation sequences and have shown that findings from the sequential analysis mix the effects of aggregate participation rates with the clustering of participation in time. We suggest an alternate method for measuring the predictability of sequences of speeches that can be more clearly interpreted and that, in combination with other measures, can provide findings which are more complex and more directly relevant to theories of family organization.
Research on Family Interaction I: Static and Dynamic Models
Authors: TAYLOR WILLIAM R.
Published: August 2004

A static and dynamic model of family structure are presented and illustrated in clinical application to a pilot study. The basic measure is a content‐free assessment of the sequence of states of interaction in family sessions. Using Markov process concepts, certain parallels between the behavioral variables (state transitions) and the more abstract clinical concepts of family structure can be identified. By subsuming the latter structural concepts under a framework of “balance theory” (Heider; Cartwright and Harary) considerable reduction in complexity is achieved without sacrificing clinical relevance.

Still to be explored are the applications to the study of therapist‐family interaction and of treatment‐related changes in structural and behavioral measures.
Family Systems: Morphostasis and Morphogenesis, or “Is Homeostasis Enough?”
Authors: SPEER DAVID C.
Published: August 2004

The role of family homeostasis in Conjoint Family Therapy is reviewed and examined from the standpoint of the Sociocultural Systems framework as presented by Buckley. Sociocultural Systems concepts are presented, and an attempt is made to relate them to a view of the family. It is concluded that the concept of homeostasis by itself is insufficient as a basic explanatory principle for family systems and that it may limit both our expectations for families and our approaches to helping families. The concepts viability, positive feedback processes, morphogenesis, and “variety” are presented and emphasized as important for a more tenable conceptualization of the family system in our society today. An attempt is made to relate these concepts to some of the clinical family literature and to examine the implications of these concepts for mental health and educational approaches to the family.
Family Therapy or Religion: A Rereading of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party
Authors: SANDER FRED M.
Published: August 2004

From the framework of analytic sociology the author discusses areas of overlap between family psychotherapy and religion. This is done through the analysis of T. S. Eliot's The Cocktail Party, a play written in 1949 which anticipated the innovation of family therapy. The emergence of the Family Therapy Movement is viewed in part as a response to changes in the structure of the modern family.
A Four‐Day Diagnostic‐Therapeutic Home Visit in Turkey
Authors: GARDNER RICHARD A.
Published: August 2004

The author has presented his experiences during a four‐day home visit in Istanbul, where he was invited for the purpose of making a diagnosis and recommendations for the care of a 20‐year‐old English‐speaking Turkish patient.

His preparations are described, as are the details of his conduct of the evaluation. His findings and recommendations have been presented. Emphasis is placed throughout on the importance of the examiner acquainting himself in detail with his patient's cultural, social, and ethnic milieu. The way in which such information contributed to a clearer understanding of the patient's psychological difficulties is demonstrated.

A Greek and a Turkish psychiatrists' comments on the article are published together with a final note by the author.
Characteristics of Schizogenic Families During a Joint Story‐Telling Task
Authors: Friedman C. Jack , Friedman Alfred S.
Published: August 2004

For a joint family story‐telling task, families with a schizophrenic offspring were compared to normal families on the completeness and clarity of the final composite stories and on their interactional behavior. The composite stories from schizogenic families were more “vague and confused”, fragmented, and less complete as to the five components required to satisfy the task instructions. Schizogenic families displayed more conflict, failure, and confusion during the interactional task than control families, and, fathers and mothers of schizophrenic offspring displayed more “anxiety and tension”, “depressive mood”, “evasiveness” and “lack of interest” than fathers and mothers of normal families. Mothers of schizophrenic offspring were also described as more “hostile” than control mothers. Comparing schizogenic families from which the patient was absent during the task with schizogenic families with the patient present, and with control families, indicated that the central findings were not attributable to the immediate presence and participation of the schizophrenic member.
A Topography of Early Marriage
Authors: RYDER ROBERT G.
Published: August 2004

Twenty‐one patterns of marriage were derived on the basis of interview reports of 200 young nonclinic couples. The patterns themselves were then organized along five conceptual dimensions: husband “potency” or effectiveness, husband impulse control, wife dependency (vs. counter‐dependency), wife attitude toward sex, and wife orientation toward the marriage.
A Didactic Course for Family Therapy Trainees
Authors: SANDER FRED M. , BEELS C. CHRISTIAN
Published: August 2004

This paper describes the rationale, procedures, and reading materials used in a didactic course included in a training program for family therapists.
The Easy Rider Syndrome: A Pattern of Hetero‐ and Homosexual Relationships in a Heroin Addict Population
Authors: WELLISCH DAVID K. , GAY GEORGE R. , McENTEE ROSEANN
Published: August 2004

A pattern of dyadic relationship in the addict subculture is described in terms of its familial antecedents, current dynamics, and treatment implications. The chief feature of this pattern is that the male member of the dyad is an “Easy Rider,” supported and cared for by the female partner.
Personal Pronoun Usage in Families of Schizophrenics And Social Space Utilization
Authors: CHEEK FRANCES E. , ANTHONY RICHARD
Published: August 2004

Personal pronoun usage of individuals in interaction is proposed as an index of the social functioning of both the individuals and the groups. The interaction of schizophrenic young adults, male and female, with their mothers and fathers, is compared with that of normal young adults with their parents in these terms. Previous findings regarding disproportionate use of the first person singular by schizophrenics are confirmed, and it would appear that this behavior is not learned tom their parents who are low in usage of these pronouns. Findings of other studies regarding male‐female differences in schizophrenics and coalition patterns and social control mechanisms in their family interactions are also suggested by the data.
The Double Bind Hypothesis and the Parents of Schizophrenics
Authors: SOJIT CLOË M.
Published: August 2004

This paper is a report of an investigation in which the interaction of parents of schizophrenics, in response to a double bind situation, was compared with that of parents of delinquents, ulcerative colitis patients, and controls. Differences in the parental transactions that are related to the offsprings' pathology are reported. The parents of schizophrenics were also exposed to a non‐double‐binding situation and significant differences in their interaction are described. The results support the double bind hypothesis as a theory of the current family situation of the schizophrenic.
Narcissism and Dependency in the Obsessional‐Hysteric Marriage
Authors: BARNETT JOSEPH
Published: August 2004

Marriages in which one partner is an obsessional neurotic and the other an hysteric lead to certain patterns of difficulty and conflict that are functions both of the character structure of each and of their interaction. The central dynamic task of marriage is the development and integration of constructive and viable patterns of intimacy. Both the obsessional and the hysteric have serious problems with intimacy and introduce into the marriage distortions and limitations of experience which restrict or even bar intimacy. This paper will examine some of the interpersonal and transactional dynamics considered especially important in such relationships.
The Emergence of Eric: Co‐Therapy in the Treatment of a Family with a Disabled Child
Authors: HALL JUANITA , TAYLOR KATHLEEN
Published: August 2004

This paper focuses on the problem of socialization of the disabled child within his family. For the family of the disabled child, socialization is doubly challenging; the family must teach its child not only how to be human, but also how to be disabled in the larger society. Often families of disabled children need help in enhancing their child's participation in family life — a critical aspect of socialization. One highly effective means of assisting families in this task is the use of family therapy. A case study is included to illustrate the use of family interviewing with a congenitally blind adolescent boy. Two therapists — a rehabilitation counselor (who is blind) from a state agency serving blind childrena and a social worker from a child guidance agencyb— collaborated in working with the family, which included a mother, father, their congenitally blind thirteen‐year‐old boy, and his two sighted brothers. The authors conclude that the child's family is the most potentially powerful resource for the successful habilitation of the disabled child into larger society and postulate family treatment as an effective means of attaining this end.
Decision‐Making as to the Choice of Family Therapy in an Adolescent In‐Patient Setting
Authors: EVANS HARVEY A. , CHAGOYA LEOPOLDO , RAKOFF VIVIAN
Published: August 2004

One hundred adolescent cases admitted to an in‐patient unit were studied to determine how often conjoint family therapy was used. Although the explicit policy of the ward was to use this form of treatment in all cases, in fact only fifty per cent were so treated. This paper reviews the possible explanations for this.
Group and Multilateral Marriage: Definitional Notes, Glossary, and Annotated Bibliography
Authors: CONSTANTINE LARRY L. , CONSTANTINE JOAN M.
Published: August 2004

The purpose of this note is to define the phenomenon under current study in the Multilateral Relations Study Project and differentiate it from certain other related but different sociological phenomena. Confusion in the area of alternative family structures is all but universal, even among professionals and researchers. While definitions that are overly rigid may reduce the value of study, most research and journalism in this area has been characterized by serious imprecision that has reduced rather than added to understanding.
Paranoia or Persecution: The Case of Schreber
Authors: SCHATZMAN MORTON
Published: August 2004

Many psychoanalysts base their understanding of paranoia upon Freud's analysis of Schreber. Freud thought Schreber became paranoid as a “defense” against homosexual love. Freud, and those who analyzed Schreber after him, neglected an important source of data — the writings of Schreber's father about child‐rearing. The father had been an eminent German pedagogue.

I show some striking similarities between the father's methods of rearing children and some of the son's strange experiences for which he was considered paranoid.I infer from reading the father's writings that he persecuted Schreber. Schreber did not imagine he was persecuted; he was persecuted.

I propose a transactional theory of paranoia to explain Schreber's experiences. I link his experiences with his father's behavior. I part company here with all previous analyses of Schreber's paranoia. If my theory also explains other cases of paranoia, its effects could, and should be widespread.
The Qualified Pronoun Count as a Measure of Change in Family Psychotherapy
Authors: WINER LILIAN R.
Published: August 2004

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the original Multiple Family Psychotherapy group at Georgetown University, Department of Psychiatry. The author, a clinician, used the technique of content analysis of recorded interviews and developed a “change ratio” which is called the “qualified pronoun count.” Although “therapeutic improvement” is not the main goal of the treatment strategy under research here, ordinarily anyone that exhibits the kind of change in differentiation from “family ego mass” (1) reflected in this study, also experiences diminution or remission of symptoms.

Preliminary findings indicate this new system of observing change is useful in determining variations in differentiation, and that these families did change.
CORRESPONDENCE
Authors: HORNER ALTHEA J.
Published: August 2004

Readers are invited to send letters to the Editor on subjects of interest. These will be published, if found suitable, as space permits. It is preferred that they be typewritten and of reasonable length. They will be subject to editing and possible abridgement.
The Birthday Party: An Experiment in Obtaining Change in One's Own Extended Family
Authors: FRIEDMAN RABBI EDWIN H.
Published: August 2004

The author describes a venture in providing disequilibrating information and experience to his extended family with a view to inducing change in stable patterns of interaction. The philosophy and method derives from the teachings of Murray Bowen.
The Double Bind as a Universal Pathogenic Situation
Authors: SLUZKI CARLOS E. , VERÓN ELISEO
Published: August 2004

In this report we have tried to propose specific models for the genesis of three types of neurosis (i.e., hysteric, phobic, and obsessive‐compulsive). We believe that this approach, based on a conceptual reconstruction of the specific learning contexts and experiences of an individual, is applicable to the study of the other functional disturbances as well. A central position is assigned in this to the ubiquity of double‐bind phenomena which are assumed to be of greater importance than previously believed.
Parental Perceptions of Separating Children
Authors: Stierlin Helm , Levi L. David , Savard Robert J.
Published: August 2004

Newer models of familial interaction emphasize the importance of parental perceptions of the child as determinants for his self‐image and interpersonal functioning. This paper examines this issue in detail as it bears on the developmental phase of separation and individuation in adolescence.
Cytokine and chemokine response of bone cells after dentin challenge in vitro
Authors: Silva TA , Lara VS , Rosa AL , Cunha FQ
Published: August 2004

Objective:  The aim of this study was to characterize the effects of dentin extracts on cytokine, chemokine and nitric oxide (NO) production by primary rat bone cells.

Study design:  Osteoblastic bone marrow cultures were exposed to particulate (D‐part), non‐particulate (D‐n‐part) and demineralized dentin extracts and evaluated for proliferative activity, cell morphology, alkaline phosphatase activity and bone‐like nodule formation. Cytokine production was assessed by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and NO release by the Griess method.

Results:  The dentin extracts did not affect osteoblast numbering. Conversely, they up regulated in a dose‐dependent manner the production by the osteoblasts of the pro‐inflammatory interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β), tumor necrosis factor‐α, IL‐6, cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant‐1, and of the anti‐inflammatory cytokine, IL‐10. The NO production was stimulated only by D‐n‐part.

Conclusion:  These results demonstrate that dentin induces the production of inflammatory cytokines by osteoblasts and suggest that pro‐resorptive pathways might be stimulated when dentin molecules come into contact with bone cells during pathological processes associated with dentin and bone matrix dissolution.
The validation of self‐reported smoking status by analysing cotinine levels in stimulated and unstimulated saliva, serum and urine
Authors: Binnie V , McHugh S , Macpherson L , Borland B , Moir K , Malik K
Published: August 2004

Objectives:  Cotinine, a nicotine metabolite, can be used to measure exposure to tobacco smoke. The aim of this study was to compare cotinine levels in different biological fluids collected from both smokers and non‐smokers and to relate the findings to self‐reported smoking status. Data were also collected concerning the acceptability of the differing methods of sample collection.

Material and method:  Patients recruited to the study were asked to provide samples of urine, blood and saliva (both stimulated and unstimulated). Data collected from patients by questionnaire included information on smoking behaviour such as daily number of cigarettes and environmental exposure to smoke. After the sample collection, patients were asked to rate the acceptability of each sampling method. Samples were analysed using enzyme immunoassay (EIA) kits.

Results:  In total, 80 patients participated, with 49 being smokers and 31 being non‐smokers. There was clear differentiation between smokers and non‐smokers (P < 0.001) for all the different samples in terms of cotinine. A significant relationship was seen between cotinine and daily number of cigarettes for both salivas and urine (all P < 0.001) but not for serum. Participants found serum and urine collection methodologies ‘very acceptable’ (67 and 66%, respectively) whereas 9% found collection of stimulated saliva ‘not at all acceptable’.

Conclusion:  Cotinine, whatever the collection method and analysed by EIA kits, shows good differentiation between smokers and non‐smokers. Salivary samples have the advantage of being non‐invasive, although collection methodology is important, as cotinine levels may vary.
Alterations in enzyme histochemical characteristics of the masseter muscle caused by long‐term soft diet in growing rabbits
Authors: Kitagawa Y , Mitera K , Ogasawara T , Nojyo Y , Miyauchi K , Sano K
Published: August 2004

Objective:  Recently young people have an increasing tendency to intake an easily chewable diet and spend less time on mastication. The aim of the present study was to investigate the histochemical effects of long‐term soft diet on the masseter muscle in growing rabbits.

Materials and methods:  Twelve young male Japanese white rabbits were divided into two groups (n = 6 each) at weaning (1 month after birth) and fed a solid diet (control group) or a powder diet (soft‐diet group). The duration of the experimental period was 6 months. Masseter fibers from the superficial and the deep portions were histochemically defined as type 1, 2A, 2B, or 2C fibers.

Results:  As compared with that of the control, the deep masseter of the soft‐diet group showed a significantly lower ratio of type 1 fiber cross‐sectional area to total area (6.3 and 10.1% for the soft‐diet and control group, respectively), significantly more type 2A fibers (74.0%vs 50.3%) and significantly fewer type 2B fibers (4.3%vs 12.5%). However, fiber size did not differ between the two groups. NADH‐tetrazolium‐reductase (NADH‐TR) of the masseter was less reactive in the soft‐diet group, reflecting a lower oxidative capacity.

Conclusions:  These findings indicate that the alteration of the functional activities contributed to selective disuse influences on the type 1 and type 2B fibers, and a resultant increase in type 2A fibers. This study suggests that long‐term alteration of jaw function induced by a soft diet can lead to adaptations of the masseter muscle.
Intracellular localization of Porphyromonas gingivalis thiol proteinase in periodontal tissues of chronic periodontitis patients
Authors: Rautemaa R , Järvensivu A , Kari K , Wahlgren J , DeCarlo A , Richardson M , Sorsa T
Published: August 2004

Objectives:  Porphyromonas gingivalis is a significant periodontal pathogen that has been shown in vitro to be able to invade gingival epithelial cells and grow intracellularly. The aim of the present study was to detect P. gingivalis in gingival tissues from chronic periodontitis (CP) patients.

Materials and methods:  Monoclonal antibodies specific to a cell membrane‐bound thiol proteinase of P. gingivalis were used to detect the microbe in gingival tissues of CP patients (n = 13) by immunohistochemistry. The presence of P. gingivalis was also analysed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

Results:  Immunohistochemical analysis of the periodontal tissues revealed positive staining for P. gingivalis thiol proteinase in 11 of the 13 patients. Positive staining was mainly located intracellularly in the perinuclear region of the cytoplasm in the periodontal epithelial cells and it could be detected throughout the whole depth of both pocket and oral epithelium. The sensitivity of immunohistochemistry was found to be comparable with that of PCR.

Conclusions:  Our results provide in vivo evidence of the ability of P. gingivalis to enter human gingival epithelial cells. Intracellular localization of P. gingivalis contributes to its evasion of the host immune surveillance and eventually increases its resistance to conventional treatments of periodontal diseases.
Lack of evidence of hepatic disease in patients with oral lichen planus in Serbia
Authors: Bokor‐Bratic M
Published: August 2004

Objective:  The reported frequency of chronic liver disease, and particularly, Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP) shows geographical variation. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of chronic hepatic disease, Hepatitis B virus and HCV infection in patients with OLP and control subjects resident in Serbia.

Patients and Methods:  In this prospective study 48 patients with OLP (33 women and 15 men, with a mean age of 49.7 years) and 60 control subjects (38 women and 22 men, with a mean age of 46.7 years) were examined for the presence of serological evidence of chronic hepatic disease, Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and anti‐HCV seropositivity.

Results:  All patients with OLP had normal liver function. HBsAg was not found in any of the patients with OLP or control group. None of the patients with OLP or control subjects were HCV seropositive.

Conclusion:  Patients with OLP resident in Serbia do not have evidence of chronic liver disease or infection with HBV or HCV. The exact aetiological role between hepatic disease and OLP remains unclear.
The Coefficient of Restitution of Baseballs as a Function of Relative Humidity
Authors: Kagan David , Atkinson David
Published: August 2004

The only published scientific data on the effect of humidity on baseballs known to the authors is contained in Robert Adair's book The Physics of Baseball: “long flies hit with balls stored under conditions of extreme humidity could be expected to fall as much as 30 feet short of the distance expected for normal balls.”1 In this paper we report on our measurements of the coefficient of restitution of baseballs as a function of the humidity at which they have been stored.