An electronic instructor for gross anatomy dissection.

Gross anatomy is time consuming to teach and to learn. Because the process of dissection takes up so much student time, assistance in the form of an in-lab instructional DVD program might improve student performance. The DVD could be viewed with a portable device by individual dissection groups at their tables. Groups could dissect at their own pace, with access to step-by-step demonstrations and answers to frequently asked anatomical questions. We created an instructional DVD program demonstrating dissection of the canine ventral neck and thoracic limb. The effect on student exam scores of using the DVD versus not using it was measured in a controlled, two-sample study using incoming first-year veterinary students as volunteers. Volunteers were told the study was of two different dissection methods; the DVD was not specifically mentioned until after the students were separated into two groups (Blue/DVD group and Orange/No DVD group), and then only to volunteers in the Blue group. Except for the DVD, the two groups had the same resources. The difference in scores on an exam given after a single dissection period did not differ sufficiently to conclude that DVD use raised the mean score; however, 73% of the DVD group scored 60% or higher, while only 38% of the No DVD group scored 60% or higher. The difference in mean scores overall was 2.3 points out of a possible 49, suggesting that the DVD helped students, especially those with lower scores, to earn two to three more points than they would have otherwise.

Components of depression in HIV-1 infection: their differential relationship to neurocognitive performance.

Both depression and neurocognitive compromise are commonly observed among persons infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). To date, the majority of studies have failed to find a consistent relationship between mood and cognition among HIV-seropositive (HIV+) individuals, suggesting that these constructs are independent of one another. However, depression is a multi-dimensional syndrome and its measurement often utilizes multi-factorial instruments containing cognitive, affective, somatic, and motivational components. The degree to which various symptoms or dimensions of depression might be related to neuropsychological performance in HIV-1 infection is not typically explored and was a main objective of the current study. A sample of 247 HIV+ persons completed both a comprehensive neurocognitive battery and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) as part of a standard clinical evaluation at a major community hospital. To examine the dimensionality of the BDI, a principal components analysis was conducted which suggested a three-factor solution comprised of factors representing Self-Reproach (SR), Mood-Motivation Disturbance (MM), and Somatic Disturbance (SOM). The relationship between each of these three factors and neurocognitive performance was examined using both regression and analysis of variance techniques. These analyses showed the MM factor, more so than either the SR or SOM factors, to be associated with several aspects of neurocognitive performance, including verbal memory, executive functioning, and motor speed. These findings suggest that certain items on depression rating scales may be more indicative of central nervous system (CNS) involvement than others. The association between disturbance in mood and motivation and neurocognitive compromise may suggest that each are sequelae of disease specific mechanisms.

Evaluation of the patient for temporomandibular joint surgery.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) surgery is the preferred treatment for tumors, neoplasms, and selected injuries and infections of the TMJ. It is also an appropriate and effective treatment for subsets of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) that are characterized by mechanical disruption of joint function. Careful and systematic clinical evaluation and imaging is required to determine if painful TMD with altered range of motion is amenable to surgery of the TMJ. This article offers a rational approach to evaluation of patients for TMJ surgery.

Rapid Evaluation of Pathogenicity in Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae with a Lilac Tissue Culture Bioassay and Syringomycin DNA Probes.

Losses from diseases caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae occur on a large number of deciduous woody plants in commercial nurseries in the Pacific Northwest. Bioassays for pathogenicity are one step in the identification of P. syringae pv. syringae and are usually performed on the host of isolation; however, woody plants can take months to develop symptoms. A bioassay with highly susceptible lilac (Syringa vulgaris 'Sensation') tissue culture plantlets evaluated pathogenicity in strains of P. syringae pv. syringae isolated from 25 species of deciduous woody plants. DNA colony hybridization with the syrB probe for a syringomycin synthetase gene and the syrD probe for a syringomycin export gene was also evaluated as a method for identifying pathogens. Of 552 strains provisionally identified as P. syringae pv. syringae, 59% were pathogenic in the bioassay and hybridized with the syr probes, while 19% were non-pathogenic and did not hybridize with the syr probes, giving 78% agreement between the two methods. Nine percent of strains were pathogenic in the bioassay but did not hybridize with the syr probes, and 13% were not pathogenic in the bioassay but did hybridize with the syr probes. These methods detected pathogenic strains of P. syringae pv. syringae isolated from diverse woody plants in 5 to 16 days.