Electrical effects of gases on lead telluride thin films

Imperial Users onl

Assessment of sexual difficulties associated with multi-modal treatment for cervical or endometrial cancer: A systematic review of measurement instruments

Background: Practitioners and researchers require an outcome measure that accurately identifies the range of common treatment-induced changes in sexual function and well-being experienced by women after cervical or endometrial cancer. This systematic review critically appraised the measurement properties and clinical utility of instruments validated for the measurement of female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in this clinical population. Methods: A bibliographic database search for questionnaire development or validation papers was completed and methodological quality and measurement properties of selected studies rated using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instrument (COSMIN) checklist. Results: 738 articles were screened, 13 articles retrieved for full text assessment and 7 studies excluded, resulting in evaluation of 6 papers; 2 QoL and 4 female sexual morbidity measures. Five of the six instruments omitted one or more dimension of female sexual function and only one instrument explicitly measured distress associated with sexual changes as per DSM V (APA 2013) diagnostic criteria. None of the papers reported measurement error, responsiveness data was available for only two instruments, three papers failed to report on criterion validity, and test-retest reliability reporting was inconsistent. Heterosexual penile-vaginal intercourse remains the dominant sexual activity focus for sexual morbidity PROMS terminology and instruments lack explicit reference to solo or non-coital sexual expression or validation in a non-heterosexual sample. Four out of six instruments included mediating treatment or illness items such as vaginal changes, menopause or altered body image. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) remains the most robust sexual morbidity outcome measure, for research or clinical use, in sexually active women treated for cervical or endometrial cancer

The Social, Personal and Spiritual Dynamics of Ghost Stories in Early Modern England

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Cambridge University Press via the DOI in this record.In early modern England, spectral figures were regular visitors to the world of the living and a vibrant variety of beliefs and expectations clustered around these questionable shapes. Yet whilst historians have established the importance of ghosts as cultural resources that were used to articulate a range of contemporary concerns about worldly life, we know less about the social and personal dynamics that underpinned the telling, recording, and circulation of ghost stories at the time. This article therefore focuses on a unique set of manuscript sources relating to apparitions in late seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century England to uncover a different vantage point. Drawing on the life-writing and correspondence of the antiquarian who collected the narratives, it lays bare concerns about familial relations and gender that ghost stories were bound up with. Tracing the way that belief in ghosts functioned at an individual level also allows the recovery of the personal religious sensibilities and spiritual imperatives that sustained and nourished continuing belief in ghosts. This subjective angle demonstrates that ghost stories were closely intertwined with processes of grieving and remembering the dead, and they continued to be associated with theological understandings of the afterlife and the fate of the soul

Pronthocyanidin-Rich Cranberry-FractionInduced Alteration of Periodontal Pathogen Lipopolysaccharide Functions

The cranberry (species: Vaccinium macrocarpon, family: Ericaceae) is a polyphenolicrich berry fruit native to North America and exhibits numerous beneficial properties for human health, such as inhibition of human cancer cell line proliferation and prevention of urinary tract colonization by bacterial pathogens. The proanthocyanidin rich cranberry fraction has long been speculated to possess the capacity to reduce the production of inflammatory mediators by LPSstimulated macrophages and gingival fibroblasts and to inhibit host extracellular matrix destructive enzyme production and activity. The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effect of cranberry non dialyzable material (NDM), which was shown to be rich in proanthocyanidins; this has a suppressive effect on production of inflammatory cytokines mediated by LPS which are known to play a major destructive role in periodontal disease. In addition to the cytokines, stimulation of superoxide ions by the monocytes also contributes to the severity of periodontal disease. In this study we chose to investigate the effect of NDM on LPS-mediated stimulation of the cultured monocytic cells (THP-1) to secrete the two cytokines; IL-1β and TNF-α, and also on superoxide release. We chose to study the effect of NDM on biological functions of isolated LPS from periodontal pathogens. LPS was isolated from P. gingivalis, T. denticola and F. nucleatum. Secretion of the two cytokines by the cultured monocytes was found to be dosedependent upon the concentration of LPS. Secretion of TNF-α varied from 110±28 to 610±42 picograms/ml (pg/ml) when stimulated cells with 1.0 and 20 ng/ml of LPS. Similarly, IL-1β secretion varied from 49±6 to 196±16 pg/ml. The LPS of both T. denticola and F. nucleatum also exhibited similar phenomenon. In the presence of NDM (20 µg/ml), the cells secreted 80- 90% less of the two cytokines when stimulated with LPS. LPS isolated from the same three oral pathogens grown in the presence of NDM (10-20 µg/ml) also failed to stimulate the monocytes compared to the LPS isolated from bacteria grown in culture media alone. Interestingly, when the THP-1 cells were first incubated with NDM, the cranberry components also caused a significant decrease in the secretion of cytokines. The results of the study strongly indicate the suppressive effect of NDM on LPS-mediated secretion of cytokines by the monocytic cells. It may be possible that the NDM may be interfering with LPS interaction with LPS binding protein and the CD-14, a known receptor on the monocytes which triggers the secretion of cytokine molecules. The LPS of pathogenic bacteria induces the monocytic cells to secrete superoxide ions; a mechanism which aids in tissue destruction. Our results showed that the LPS isolated from all three pathogens stimulated cells to secrete superoxide ions several folds higher (65 to 89%) than the control cells which were not exposed to LPS. Cultured monocytic cells when incubated with LPS along with NDM secreted significantly lesser superoxide ions (60-70% reduction). The results of the study clearly demonstrated that the cranberry NDM alters the biological functions of bacterial LPS. The NDM inhibited the secretion of cytokines and also superoxide ions by the cultured monocytes in response to LPS. Therapeutic agents that modulate host inflammatory mediators have shown promise for managing adult periodontitis and may be highly useful for individuals with a substantially increased risk for periodontitis. In addition to the previously recognized inhibitory effect of the cranberry non-dialyzable material fraction on the aggregation of oral bacteria and dental biofilm formation we showed that this fraction was a potent inhibitor of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and superoxide ions induced by LPS of periodontopathogens. This provides promising perspectives for the development of novel host-modulating therapies for adjunctive treatments of periodontitis or other inflammatory diseases by use of the high molecular weight constituents from cranberries

An Evaluation of the Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle Bisector (FMAB) Wits Appraisal in the Assessment of Anteroposterior Jaw Relationships in Class II Individuals

Accurate diagnosis and treatment planning are of vital importance to practicing orthodontists. The purpose of this longitudinal study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Frankfort Mandibular Plane Angle Bisector (FMAB) reference plane in the assessment of anteroposterior discrepancies in a sample of Class II Division 1 individuals. Comparisons were made between the FMAB, ANB angle, and maxillo-mandibular Bisector (MMB) in both treated and control samples of Class II Division 1 patients. The data was collected from pre-treatment (T0), immediate post-treatment (T1) and two year post-retention (T2) lateral cephalograms of 40 female and 36 male Class II Division 1 subjects. Patients were treated non-extraction with fixed orthodontic appliances in conjunction with cervical or straight pull headgears and Class II elastics. Cephalometric data were compared to an untreated control group of 15 female and 15 male Class II Division 1 subjects. The data was evaluated using independent samples t-tests and ANOVA statistical tests to determine statistical differences between groups (p \u3c 0.05). The FMAB was determined to be a highly reproducible reference plane which mimics the ANB angle in the changes seen with growth and treatment. The FMAB-Wits had a mildly higher correlation with the ANB angle than the MMB-Wits. A good correlation (r \u3e 0.80) was found between the FMAB-Wits and MMB-Wits appraisal measurements in both the control and treatment groups for all time periods, indicating that the use of either of these measures may be indicated in cephalometric analysis