Influence of the lubricant and the alloy on the wear behaviour of attachments

Wear of attachments leads to a loss of retention and reduces the function of overdentures. This study evaluated the retention force changes of an attachment system for overdentures. The influence of the lubricant and the alloy on wear constancy was examined.

Potential influence of the anesthetic technique used during open radical prostatectomy on prostate cancer-related outcome: a retrospective study

Recently published studies suggest that the anesthetic technique used during oncologic surgery affects cancer recurrence. To evaluate the effect of anesthetic technique on disease progression and long-term survival, we compared patients receiving general anesthesia plus intraoperative and postoperative thoracic epidural analgesia with patients receiving general anesthesia alone undergoing open retropubic radical prostatectomy with extended pelvic lymph node dissection.

[The influence of the socio-economic structure of the breeding farms of Franches-Montagnes horses on the conditions of husbandry]

The socio-economic structure of the breeding farms of Franches-Montagnes horses (FM) in Switzerland is evaluated on the basis of an investigation carried out in 2002 by the Swiss FM breeding federation. Questionnaires were sent to 3500 of its members and the results include data from 968 breeding enterprises, housing a total of 3965 FM. The quality of the husbandry of FM varies according to factors such as the altitude and the geographical situation of the farms and studs. Socio-economic parameters, such as the role of FM in the business, their use (breeding, driving, riding) and the age and level of professional education of the owners may also have an effect on standards of husbandry. The results show that the owners for whom FM represent a source of income more frequently keep their horses in standing stalls, but give them more time to exercise at liberty than the horses belonging to amateur breeders. Younger and better educated breeders are more likely to house their animals in groups.

Influence of the condition of the adjacent tooth surface on fluorescence measurements for the detection of approximal caries

The aim of this study was to test whether the status of the adjacent tooth surface has an influence on the signal of a new laser fluorescence (LF) device for the detection of approximal caries. Seventy-eight teeth were selected from a pool of extracted permanent human molars, frozen at -20 degrees C until use. Before being measured the teeth were defrosted, cleaned, and any calculus removed. As a control, a defined approximal surface of each tooth was measured with the LF device holding the tip with the detecting- and the reverse-side on it, but without a neighboring tooth contacting the surface. The proximal site under examination was then placed adjacent to a tooth, which had deep dentinal caries, a composite restoration, a provisional ZnO-Eugenol restoration, or a ceramic restoration. The adjacent tooth with the ZnO-Eugenol restoration, the composite restoration, and the dentinal caries all demonstrated a statistically significant increase of LF readings on sound tooth surfaces. Teeth with enamel or dentinal caries were only slightly (and not statistically significantly) influenced by the different types of neighboring surfaces compared with the control LF readings. It can be concluded that caries detection of approximal tooth surfaces with the new LF system might be influenced by the condition of the adjacent tooth surface.

The influence of the surgeon's and the hospital's caseload on survival and local recurrence after colorectal cancer surgery

BACKGROUND: Past studies have identified surgeon- and institution- related characteristics as prognostic factors in colorectal cancer surgery. The present work assesses the influence of the surgeon's and the hospital's caseload on long-term results of colorectal cancer surgery. METHODS: The data on 2706 patients from 2, randomized, colorectal cancer trials (Swiss Group for Clinical Cancer Research [SAKK] 40/81, SAKK 40/87) investigating adjuvant intraportal and systemic chemotherapy and 1 concurrent registration study (SAKK 40/88) were reviewed. A first analysis included 1809 eligible, nonmetastatic patients from all 3 studies. A subsequent subgroup analysis included 915 eligible patients from both randomized trials. Overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and local recurrence (LR) were analyzed in multivariate models taking into account the possible effect of clustering. The main potential covariates were surgeon's annual caseload (>5 operations/year vs < or =5 operations/year), hospital's annual caseload (>26 operations/year vs < or =26 operations/year), tumor site, T stage, and nodal status. RESULTS: Primary analysis of all 3 studies combined found a high surgeon's caseload to be positively associated with OS (P = .025) and marginally with DFS (P = .058). Separate analysis for each trial, however, showed that a high surgeon's caseload was beneficial for outcome in both randomized trials but not in the registration study. A subgroup analysis of 915 patients with 376 rectal and 539 colonic primaries from both randomized trials, therefore, was performed. Neither age, gender, year of operation, adjuvant chemotherapy (intraportal vs systemic vs operation alone), hospital academic status (university vs non-university), training status of the surgeon (certified surgeon vs surgeon-in-training), nor inclusion in 1 of the 2 randomized trials (SAKK 40/81 vs SAKK 40/87) was a significant predictor of outcome. However, both high surgeon's and high hospital's annual caseloads were independent, beneficial prognostic factors for OS (P = .0003, P = .044) and DFS (P = .0008, P = .020), and marginally significant factors for LR (P = .057, P = .055). CONCLUSIONS: High surgeon's and hospital's annual caseloads are strong, independent prognostic factors for extending overall and disease-free survival and reducing the rate of local recurrence in 2 randomized colorectal cancer trials.

Influence of the spxB gene on competence in Streptococcus pneumoniae

In Streptococcus pneumoniae expression of pyruvate oxidase (SpxB) peaks during the early growth phase, coincident with the time of natural competence. This study investigated whether SpxB influences parameters of competence, such as spontaneous transformation frequency, expression of competence genes, and DNA release. Knockout of the spxB gene in strain D39 abolished spontaneous transformation (compared to a frequency of 6.3 x 10(-6) in the parent strain [P < 0.01]). It also reduced expression levels of comC and recA as well as DNA release from bacterial cells significantly during the early growth phase, coincident with the time of spontaneous competence in the parent strain. In the spxB mutant, supplementation with competence-stimulating peptide 1 (CSP-1) restored transformation (rate, 1.8 x 10(-2)). This speaks against the role of SpxB as a necessary source of energy for competence. Neither supplementation with CSP-1 nor supplementation with the SpxB products H2O2 and acetate altered DNA release. Supplementation of the parent strain with catalase did not reduce DNA release significantly. In conclusion, the pneumococcal spxB gene influences competence; however, the mechanism remains elusive.

Influence of the developmental state of valvular lesions on the antimicrobial activity of cefotaxime in experimental enterococcal infections

Cefotaxime has little antimicrobial activity in vitro against most strains of enterococci, as measured by conventional MICs and MBCs. However, the MICs of cefotaxime against many enterococci are markedly reduced by the addition of serum to the test medium. To assess the relevance of this observation in vivo, we examined the efficacy of cefotaxime in experimental Streptococcus faecalis endocarditis. Since response to antimicrobial agents may vary with the degree of vegetation development, therapeutic efficacy was assessed both in rabbits with newly formed vegetations and in rabbits with well-developed endocardial lesions. Peak serum levels of cefotaxime (50.1 +/- 20.0 micrograms/ml) exceeded the MIC in medium supplemented with serum (4 micrograms/ml), but not in Mueller-Hinton broth alone (greater than 64 micrograms/ml). After 4 days of therapy, animals with newly formed lesions (therapy initiated 1 h after infection, transvalvular catheters removed) had lower mean vegetation bacterial titers than did untreated controls. Among animals with mature vegetations (therapy initiated 12 h after infection, catheters indwelling), the rate of mortality was significantly reduced by cefotaxime therapy. However, no difference in vegetation titers was observed. Thus, cefotaxime demonstrated antienterococcal activity within newly formed vegetations, but did not inhibit bacterial proliferation within well-established vegetations.

Influence of the menstrual cycle on the oral microbial flora in women: a case-control study including men as control subjects

Changes in the levels of female sex hormones during the menstrual cycle may cause cyclic differences in subgingival bacterial colonization patterns. The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that hormonal changes in the menstrual cycle cause changes in the oral microbiota. METHODS: Bacterial plaque samples were collected in 20 systemically and periodontally healthy women using no hormonal contraceptives (test group) over a period of 6 weeks. Twenty age-matched systemically and periodontally healthy men were assigned to the control group. Samples were processed by checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridization assay, and 74 species were analyzed. RESULTS: No cyclic pattern of bacterial colonization was identified for any of the 74 species studied in women not using hormonal contraceptives. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (previously Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans) (Y4) was common at the beginning of menstruation (mean: 32%) and increased during the following 2 weeks (36%) in women (P <0.05). No cyclic differences in bacterial presence were found among the men (P values varied between 0.14 and 0.98). Men presented with significantly higher bacterial counts for 40 of 74 species (P <0.001), including Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa but not Porphyromonas gingivalis (P = 0.15) or Tannerella forsythia (previously T. forsythensis) (P = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: During a menstruation period, cyclic variation in the subgingival microbiota of periodontally healthy women of child-bearing age who were not using oral hormonal contraceptives could not be confirmed. Male control subjects presented with higher levels of many species but also without a cyclic pattern.