Peripheral ganglia supplying the genital smooth musculature in the female pig: an experimental study

The aim of the present study was to locate the sensory and autonomic ganglia innervating the female genital musculature in pigs. The retrograde neuronal tracers horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or fast blue (FB) were injected into the left retractor clitoridis muscle (RCM), which was treated as a typical model of the genital smooth musculature. Labelled cells were found in ipsilateral dorsal root ganglia Sl–S4, in bilateral sympathetic paravertebral ganglia from L5–L6 or L6–L7 to S3 and in the left and right caudal mesenteric ganglion. In two of the five animals treated, presumably preganglionic parasympathetic cells were labelled in the ipsilateral intermediate grey substance of the segments Sl–S2.     

Dark Nudges and Sludge in Big Alcohol: Behavioral Economics,Cognitive Biases,and Alcohol Industry Corporate Social Responsibility

Policy Points

• Nudges steer people toward certain options but also allow them to go their own way. “Dark nudges” aim to change consumer behavior against their best interests. “Sludge” uses cognitive biases to make behavior change more difficult.
• We have identified dark nudges and sludge in alcohol industry corporate social responsibility (CSR) materials. These undermine the information on alcohol harms that they disseminate, and may normalize or encourage alcohol consumption.
• Policymakers and practitioners should be aware of how dark nudges and sludge are used by the alcohol industry to promote misinformation about alcohol harms to the public.

Context“Nudges” and other behavioral economic approaches exploit common cognitive biases (systematic errors in thought processes) in order to influence behavior and decision‐making. Nudges that encourage the consumption of harmful products (for example, by exploiting gamblers’ cognitive biases) have been termed “dark nudges.” The term “sludge” has also been used to describe strategies that utilize cognitive biases to make behavior change harder. This study aimed to identify whether dark nudges and sludge are used by alcohol industry (AI)–funded corporate social responsibility (CSR) organizations, and, if so, to determine how they align with existing nudge conceptual frameworks. This information would aid their identification and mitigation by policymakers, researchers, and civil society.MethodsWe systematically searched websites and materials of AI CSR organizations (e.g., IARD, Drinkaware, Drinkwise, Éduc''alcool); examples were coded by independent raters and categorized for further analysis.FindingsDark nudges appear to be used in AI communications about “responsible drinking.” The approaches include social norming (telling consumers that “most people” are drinking) and priming drinkers by offering verbal and pictorial cues to drink, while simultaneously appearing to warn about alcohol harms. Sludge, such as the use of particular fonts, colors, and design layouts, appears to use cognitive biases to make health‐related information about the harms of alcohol difficult to access, and enhances exposure to misinformation. Nudge‐type mechanisms also underlie AI mixed messages, in particular alternative causation arguments, which propose nonalcohol causes of alcohol harms.ConclusionsAlcohol industry CSR bodies use dark nudges and sludge, which utilize consumers’ cognitive biases to promote mixed messages about alcohol harms and to undermine scientific evidence. Policymakers, practitioners, and the public need to be aware of how such techniques are used to nudge consumers toward industry misinformation. The revised typology presented in this article may help with the identification and further analysis of dark nudges and sludge.     

Use of EchoNavigator,a Novel Echocardiography‐Fluoroscopy Overlay System,for Transseptal Puncture and Left Atrial Appendage Occlusion

Structural heart disease requires a coordinated effort to join echocardiographic and fluoroscopic data. Various methods have been used, including echocardiography, CT, and MRI. We report on the use of EchoNavigator (Philips Inc., Amsterdam, Netherlands), a novel echocardiographic‐fluoroscopic fusion system. This new system allows real‐time integration and marking of important structures that track on fluoroscopy even with movement of the C‐arm. In this article, we describe potential uses for this system in respect to transseptal puncture and left atrial appendage closure.

     

Nasal packing after septoplasty

A prospective study to compare 3 different types of nasal pack after septoplasty with or without a supplementary turbinectomy has been performed with respect to discomfort and complications caused by the packing and the short-term results evaluated 3 months after operation. Fingerstall packings gave less problems than either Merocel or hydrocortisone-terramycine gauze packs with ventilation tubes. They were easier to remove and were associated with less persistent secretion in the post-operative period. No definite advantage from the patient's point of view has been demonstrated by the use of tubes and nasal packing. An analysis of the nasal patency 3 months post-operatively by peak-flow index and acoustic rhinometry revealed no differences between groups.     

PREDICTIVE FACTORS OF PERSISTING ILLICIT DRUG USE IN HOSPITALIZED HEROIN ADDICTS

The efficacy of methadone treatment in reducing the rate of positive urinalyses for opiates has been repeatedly assessed in outpatient intravenous heroin users (IHUs), but not in IHUs hospitalized for coexisting diseases. The aim of the present study, performed on 83 IHUs, was to assess the rate of drug-free urinalyses for addictive drugs over a 13-day period of hospitalization. The rate of drug-free urinalyses was then related to the intensity of withdrawal symptoms, the level of dependence (as measured by the severity of dependence scale (SDS)) and of heroin craving (as measured by a visual analogical scale, (VAS)), assessed on admission and on days 4, 7, 10, and 13. All but nine patients received methadone upon hospitalization. The results show that positive urinalyses for morphine and/or cocaine dropped over the period of observation from 67 to 7%. On admission, patients who persisted in the illicit use of heroin did not differ significantly from the rest in terms of abstinence scores or daily methadone dose, but scored higher at the SDS and yielded urinalyses which all tested positive for morphine and/or cocaine. In conclusion, in the hospital setting low methadone doses (32.5 mg per die on average) induce a drug-free condition in the majority of patients and high SDS scores associated with positive urinalysis for morphine and/or cocaine are predictive of persistent drug abuse during hospitalization.     

Effects of feeding on non‐nutritive sucking habits and implications on occlusion in mixed dentition

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2011; 21: 68–73 Background. Several studies have determined the effects of non‐nutritive sucking habits on malocclusions, but provided conflicting results. Aim. To analyse the influence of infant feeding In the presence of non‐nutritive sucking habits in children after the first year of life and to assess the effects of non‐nutritive sucking habits on occlusion in mixed dentition. Design. Data were collected by self‐reported questionnaire and confirmed by personal interview. Parents of 1451 children (aged 7–11) were asked about their children’s infant feeding and non‐nutritive sucking habits. A clinical evaluation of dental arches included classification of molar relationship (Angle classification), presence or absence of crossbite and open bite. Results. Children with bottle or complementary feeding showed a higher risk of acquiring non‐nutritive sucking habits after the first year of life (P < 0.01). Non‐nutritive sucking habits are associated with a greater risk of crossbite, open bite, Class II molar relationship (P < 0.01). Conclusions. Parents should be educated about benefits of the exclusive breast feeding in the first 6 months of age on mixed dentition. The activity of non‐nutritive sucking should be diagnosed in a timely manner in order to reduce the development of posterior crossbite, anterior open bite, and Class II molar relationship.     

Allergic reactivity and socio-economic level in a tropical environment

As some factors associated with the tropical environment can modify the expression of atopic disease, various indicators of allergic reactivity were compared between allergic and non-allergic subjects of different socio-economic level in Caracas, Venezuela (Lat. 10°N). The socio-economic levels considered were high (HSEL), medium-high (MSEL) or low (LSEL). As generally found in temperature climates, in the HSEL the total serum IgE levels of allergic patients were significantly greater than those of nonallergic individuals (geometric means of 274 vs 126 IU/ml, respectively), as were also the specific serum IgE antibody levels (55.6 vs 23.8% positive, respectively, for house dust). These results correlated closely with the skin-test reactivity of these subjects (60.3 vs 17.5% positive for house dust). In this group, the degree of intestinal helminthic infection was low (5.6% positive for Ascaris). In contrast, for the MSEL where the degree of parasitic infection was higher (13.0%), the total serum IgE levels were elevated in both allergic and non-allergic subjects (602 vs 363 IU/ml). Similarly, positivity for specific IgE antibody was high, and comparable between allergies and non-allergies of this group (61.5 vs 54.2%), as was also the case for skin-test reactivity (71.9 vs 60.4%). In the LSEL, parasitic infection was prevalent (47.6%), and the total serum IgE levels were markedly elevated, with little difference occurring between allergic and non-allergic individuals (2269 vs 1981 IU/ml). The positivity for specific IgE antibody was high, and effectively independent of the allergic state (75.6 vs 53.7%), but in contrast the skin test reactivity was relatively low (22.0 vs 9.8%). The lack of correlation between skin test and specific IgE results in this group appeared to have     

Temporal expression of the matrix metalloproteinase MMP-2 correlates with fibronectin immunoreactivity during the development of the vascular system in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane

In this study we have examined in the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (ChAM) the expression of the matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) and have correlated this parameter with the expansion of the ChAM vasculature and with the expression of 3 extracellular matrix components (fibronectin, laminin and type IV collagen), which differentially modulate angiogenesis. In the early phases of ChAM development, between d 6 and d 8 of incubation, when the increase of the ChAM vasculature is maximal, higher values of MMP-2 and, respectively, of fibronectin immunoreactive area, are detectable. These results indicate that MMP-2 activity and fibronectin expression are 2 strictly related components of angiogenesis occurring in vivo.