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The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to empirically evaluate the effects of a 21-day wilderness therapy program (WT) on the defense styles, perceived psychosocial stressors (expressed concerns), dysfunctional personality patterns, clinical syndromes, and maladaptive behaviors of 109 troubled adolescents, as measured by the Defense Style Questionnaire-40, Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI), and Youth Outcome Questionnaire-2.0 (Millon, 1997); and (b) to begin to identify the types of clinical concerns on Axes I, II, and IV for which wilderness therapy is most effective. Wilderness therapy resulted in statistically significant improvement on immature defense and maladaptive behavior scores, and on the Expressed Concerns, dysfunctional Personality Patterns, and Clinical Syndromes scores of subjects. Moderate to large effect sizes were found for a wide range of clinical concerns on Axes I, II, and TV. The most striking finding of this study is that WT appears to facilitate positive characterological change in adolescents with clinically elevated MACI Personality Patterns scores. Short-term interventions leading to characterological change are virtually unheard of in the personality literature. Future research is needed to confirm whether or not WT is effective for treating budding personality disorders. Appended are tables A1, A2, and A3. (Contains 7 tables.)

To many Near Eastern archaeologists, the Late Bronze Age-Early Iron Age transition in the southern Levant indicates the emergence of a new ethnicity. The question remains, however, whether changes in the material culture are the result of an invasion of foreigners, or instead arose from shifting cultural and technical practices by indigenous peoples. This study utilized dental morphological traits to assess phenetic relationships between the Late Bronze Age site of Dothan (1500-1100 BC) and the Iron Age II site of Lachish (Tell ed-Duweir, 701 BC). Information on 30 dental crown and root traits was collected for 4,412 teeth, representing 392 individuals from Lachish and a minimum of 121 individuals from Dothan, using the Arizona State University Dental Anthropology System. Seventeen traits from Dothan and Lachish were compared with dentitions from a Byzantine Jerusalem monastery, Iron Age Italy, a Natufian group (early agrarians from the Levant), and a Middle Kingdom Egyptian site using C.A.B. Smith's mean measure of divergence statistic. The findings suggest that there are more similarities between Dothan and Lachish than either of them and other sites. This analysis indicates that the material culture changes were not the result of a foreign invasion. Rather, the Iron Age people of the southern Levant were related to their Bronze Age predecessors. KEY WORDS Dothan; Lachish; biocultural; dental anthropology

TopCat (Topic Categories) is a technique for identifying topics that recur in articles in a text corpus. Natural language processing techniques are used to identify key entities in individual articles, allowing us to represent an article as a set of items. This allows us to view the problem in a database/data mining context: Identifying related groups of items. This paper presents a novel method for identifying related items based on traditional data mining techniques. Frequent itemsets are generated from the groups of items, followed by clusters formed with a hypergraph partitioning scheme. We present an evaluation against a manually categorized ground truth news corpus; it shows this technique is effective in identifying topics in collections of news articles. Index Terms--Topic detection, data mining, clustering.

It is estimated that over seven billion static pages exist in the Web today, and backend databases can potentially produce at least three times as many dynamic pages. However, the […]

Objectives: To test the efficacy of an intermittent use, dental unit waterline cleaner, containing 0.12% chlorhexidine, in a proprietary formulation, to reduce bacterial levels in three functioning dental units with independent water reservoir systems. Method and materials: Baseline water samples were first taken from six units. Two ounces of the undiluted test product was run through lines, left overnight, and flushed out the next morning. This was repeated for 6 nights initially, and once a week thereafter for 12 weeks. Three control dental units did not have chemicals added. Weekly samples were collected in bottles containing sodium thiosulphate on the afternoon before overnight treatment, plated on R2A agar, and incubated at room temperature for 7 days. Results: Mean colony-forming units per millimeter (CFU/mL) in treatment units declined from 23,389 (± 20,085) at baseline, to 6 (± 10) in week 4, to 5 (± 2) in week 12. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference between treatment and control units. Conclusion: Intermittent treatment of dental unit waterlines with 0.12% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), in a proprietary formulation, resulted in significantly reduced bacterial counts to levels that were consistently below the American Dental Association's goal of 200 CFU/mL for 8 weeks. (Quintessence Int 2004;35:630-634) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 4-META-containing adhesive was evaluated for its ability to bond a composite resin and two types of amalgam to dentin. One group of composite resin was tested after 24 hours and another group after 24 hours of thermocycling. Shear bond strengths were: composite resin at 24 hours = 22.38 MPa; thermocycled composite resin = 20.86 MPa; spherical alloy = 3.38 MPa; admixed alloy = 3.84 MPa. Microleakage was evaluated after the 4-META adhesive was applied to cavity preparations and compared to that of a group treated with a cavity varnish. There was statistically significantly less microleakage in the 4-META group at both the occlusal and gingival margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of four 10% carbamide peroxide gels on surface roughness (profilometer), lightness (colorimeter) and hardness (Rockwell) of three composite resin materials. Twenty samples of each composite resin were prepared and treated every 2 hours with fresh carbamide peroxide gel for 14 days. Only two groups had a statistically significant increase in surface roughness: Prisma APH with White & Brite and Silux Plus with Gly-Oxide. Three groups had a statis tically significant increase in lightness: Prisma APH with Gly-Oxide, Bis-Fil with Proxigel, and Bis-Fil with Gly-Oxide. Four groups had a statistically significant increase in hardness: Bis-Fil with Lighten, Bis-Fil with White & Brite, Prisma APH with White & Brite, and Prisma APH with Gly-Oxide. All these effects were minimal and probably not clinically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bond strength and microleakage patterns of three light-curing glass-ionomer cement liners/bases (Vitrebond, XR Ionomer, and Zionomer) were evaluated and compared to a fluoride-releasing resin (TimeLine) designed for the same use. Bond strength tests were performed at 24 hours and 7 days. At 24 hours Vitrebond, TimeLine, and Zionomer had statistically significantly greater bond strengths than XR Ionomer. At 7 days, Vitrebond had a statistically significantly stronger bond than the others. Microleakage was evaluated after 24 hours of thermocycling. Vitrebond and XR Ionomer had statistically significantly less leakage than the others, while TimeLine had significantly more leakage than the others. Polymerization contraction gaps between the liners/bases and dentin were examined with scanning electron microscopy. Contraction gaps were approximately 10 μm with Vitrebond and XR Ionomer and 5 μm with TimeLine. A contraction gap generally was not observed with Zionomer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method was developed to give removable appliances a fluoride-releasing capability. Visible light-cured glass-ionomer cement inserts were made, placed in resins commonly used for removable appliances, and evaluated for fluoride release over a 2-month period. Fluoride release was measured daily for 7 days, weekly for 4 weeks, and monthly for 1 month. All specimens released fluoride at every time period. There was a burst effect in which more fluoride was released the first day, but the amount released decreased significantly on the second day. The amount of fluoride released decreased at each of the daily and weekly measurements, but became relatively stable after 7 days. All specimens were still releasing fluoride at the end of the 2-month test period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panavia is a modified phosphate ester of dimethacrylate that purportedly forms a strong bond to tooth structure and to metals. The ability of this adhesive to bond orthodontic brackets to enamel was compared to the bond strengths of a no-mix bracket adhesive and a paste/paste autopolymerizing composite resin. Panavia did not form a bond as strong as that achieved by the bracket adhesive but was stronger than the composite resin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retentive-pin twist drills were subjected to four methods of sterilization and then examined to determine possible effects on resistance to fracture, cutting efficiency, and surface condition. Sterilization methods included steam autoclave, chemical vapor autoclave, dry heat, and immersion in glutaraldehyde. Although the steam and chemical vapor groups had lower mean fracture strengths after sterilization, there was no statistically significant difference among the groups. Only the steam autoclave group showed a statistically significant loss of cutting efficiency. Scanning electron microscopic evaluation revealed that only drills sterilized by steam autoclave showed changes in the surface condition or cutting edges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new visible light-curing cavity liners/bascs that contain fluoride were evaluated for fluoride release over a 17-iteek period. Fluoride was released from all the materials, but the level of fluoride release decreased significantly (P <.01) over the test period. There was also a statistically significant ( P <.05) difference among the materials in the amount of fluoride released. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the air-powered Warm Air tooth dryer (ADEC).

The article talks about bond strength of three dentinal adhesives on recently extracted versus aged teeth. As stated, dentinal bonding is a challenge for dentists community. Three commercially available dentinal adhesives are talked about and it is stated that they have shown potential in improving dentinal bonding. Gluma manufactured by Columbus Dental, Tenure of DenMat Corp. and Scotchbond 2 of 3M Dental Products are based on different systems, but Gluma bonds to the organic phase in dentin. Laboratory studies are being performed on these dentinal adhesives using extracted human teeth and, in some cases, bovine teeth. It has been found that storage media for extracted teeth, such as formalin, and long storage may alter the organic phase and affect bond strength.

The article focuses on the research on fluoride-containing composite resin FlourEver™ for fluoride release and color stability over a six-month period. It discusses the methodology and materials used in the study. 10 specimens of FlourEver using the universal and gray shades and a control disk were prepared. Two tests were performed on each sample, calorimeter measurements for determination of color stability and fluoride measurements on the storage water for fluoride release. Results show that all ten specimens released fluoride over the test period. The weekly and monthly fluoride determinations exhibited a decrease in fluoride release over the test period. The mean lightness values indicate a small increase in both lightness and yellowness over the test period.

The article presents information on a laboratory study which assesses the clinical potential for staining or discoloration of six currently marketed light cured posterior composite resins. In the study, posterior composite resins used were Estilux Posterior, Ful-Fil, Heliomolar, Occiusin, P-30, and Sinter Fil. All specimens were placed in deionized water for 72 hours before testing began. Visual examination of the various groups of posterior resins revealed that Occlusin and Ful-Fil exhibited the least staining.

The article provides information on the various types of injuries that can occur in dental office and methods of preventing the injuries. It states that the most common ocular injury is the corneal abrasion, which occurs when a portion of the epithelium is removed from the cornea. Meanwhile, recurrent erosion is a consequence of a corneal abrasion, which damage the underlying basement membrane of the cornea. Moreover, patient and dentist must wear optical instruments to protect the eyes from high speed projectiles, pieces of calculus and foreign objects.

The article focuses on the method of reutilizing and relining a gold cast crown. The method involves removing of the defective crown, treatment of the damaged tooth, threaded port system insertions and the relining of the crown with acrylic. In cases where the caries are so severe and only a small portion of the tooth remains, a cast gold post or a pin amalgam may be used. Duralay, a self-curing resin is utilized to avoid adherence of the reline material to the tooth. Once the Duralay has set, the casting is then placed on the amalgam core and retained in place. After the acrylic sets, the crown is cemented in place. It also states that this procedure extends the life of a cast restoration indefinitely.

The article discusses the evaluation of vital tissue penetration of heat and cold therapy application. A study was conducted wherein two human subjects were chosen for testing the application of heat and cold therapy to the cheek area. A digital electronic thermometer was applied to find out if there are any temperature change occurring on the cheek's medial surface. Hot water bottle, hot water compress, and an incandescent lamp are types of heat application that were evaluated for their potential to penetrate vital tissue. Penetration of heat and cold application through the cheek tissue was recorded together with the significant changes in temperature.

The article focuses on how to prevent the contamination of the environment from the mercury vapor released from amalgam scrap at dental offices. According to the American Dental Association's Council on Dental Materials and Devices, proper handling of mercury and proper storage of amalgam are necessary for reducing the mercury vapor levels. The Council has recommended that scrap amalgam and waste mercury should be stored in tightly closed containers. The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) has recommended that amalgam scrap should be stored in a covered jar filled with used X-ray fixer. The article also presents a study to test the efficacy of used X-ray fixer solution as compared to water and HgX solution in limiting the escape of vapor from mercury.

The article explores several types of patient reaction to a local anesthetic solution, lidocaine or mepivacaine. It states that several reactions, such as fainting, nausea and hyperventilation, are symptomatic of apprehension and do not represent a true allergic response. It suggests the need for the clinician to know how to evaluate the patients so that those suspected of having a true allergy can be referred to an allergy clinic for testing. It also argues that clinicians must be prepared to deliver instant emergency support, despite that the patient is not sensitive to the solutions.

The article discusses the process of polishing of a metallic dental restorations during the restorative dentistry. It is stated that while the cast restorations are regularly polished in a dental laboratory, dental amalgam and gold restorations are polished in an oral environment. A clinical table is prepared to exhibit heat production and temperature change during the procedure. A thermistor embedded in ivorine teeth is used in the process along with a rubber prophy cup and rubber points. While polishing instruments are applied to the restoration, a light is used with a slow speed handpiece. It is stated that the result showed that the heat generated during the process is directly proportional to the speed of the rotating instrument and the pressure applied to the handpiece.

The article presents several case studies of patients affected by Bell's palsy induced by mandibular blocks. The cases include that of an 18 year old white female, a 22 year old white female and a 32 year old white male. It has been concluded that mandibular injections of local anesthetic solutions can produce a temporary type of Bell's palsy. Such facial paralysis is characterized by an inability of closing the eye on the affected side and drooping of the corners of the mouth.

The article focuses on a study about operative dentistry, the aim of which was to determine the bond strength of Cover-Up II and Panavia to dental amalgam when the dental metal alloy surface is finished with a diamond stone or an air polisher. Both diamond stone and air polisher surface treatments were applied until the oxide layer was removed. Results showed that the mean bond strengths for both materials have very little difference among the Panavia bond strengths, regardless of storage temperature or surface finish. The study concluded by saying that amalgam surfaces treated with a diamond stone had higher bond strengths than those treated with an air polisher. It also found that Cover-Up II developed higher bond strength than Panavia on diamond stone-treated amalgam surfaces.