The influence of occlusal conditions on stomatognathic function can be assessed by electromyography. Electromyographic activity of left and right temporal and masseter muscles was recorded in 30 young healthy adults with a normal occlusion during: (1) a 3-s maximum voluntary clench on cotton rolls positioned on the posterior teeth (standardization recording); (2) a 3-s maximum voluntary clench in intercuspal position; and (3) a 3-s alternate 'maximum' voluntary contraction and relaxation with a 1 Hz frequency. All potentials were standardized as a percentage of the maximum potential of test 1. Waveforms of paired muscles were compared by computing a percentage overlapping coefficient (ratio between each 50-ms overlapped areas and the total areas, up to 100% for symmetric muscles). Waveforms were also analysed for a laterodeviating effect on the mandible given by unbalanced muscular couples, and a torque coefficient (up to 100% for a significant laterodeviating couple on the mandible) was computed. In all subjects, both tests were performed with symmetric muscular patterns (more than 88%) and with negligible laterodeviating couples on the mandible (lower than 10%). The two coefficients allow an assessment of muscular asymmetry during static and dynamic clenching tests, and, together with the standardization of the potentials, could be a useful tool to detect functionally altered occlusal conditions, i.e. conditions where an apparent good morphological situation is not related to a correct neuromuscular status.

Summary:Bone marrow (BM) and/or peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) given after high-dose chemo-radiotherapy are commonly cryopreserved. Re-infusion of the thawed product can cause cardiovascular and other complications. We compared two groups of adult patients receiving autologous BM or PBPC transplant to assess the incidence of adverse events occurring during infusion. Fifty-one patients received BM, and 75 PBPC. The two groups were comparable in respect of age, total volume infused, quantity of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and number of polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Patients receiving PBPC had a higher number of nucleated cells per kg of body weight; those in the BM group received a significantly greater quantity of red cells. Non-cardiovascular complications occurred in 19% and 8% of patients rescued by BM and PBPC respectively. The incidence of hypertension was 21% in the BM and 36% in the PBPC group. Asymptomatic hypotension was more frequent in PBPC patients (P Ͻ 0.001). Bradyarrhythmia was noticed in two of 75 PBPC patients and in 14 of 51 BM patients (P Ͻ 0.001). In the former group one patient had heart block; he died of renal failure 10 days later. Bradycardia and hemoglobinuria were more common in patients receiving BM where a higher concentration of red cells was present (P Ͻ 0.001). Since bradyarrhythmias may be a life-threatening complication we advise continuous careful monitoring during infusion of thawed BM. The strong correlation between bradycardia and red blood cell contamination suggests the use of purified products with a very low red cell content.

Sequential nasopharyngeal aspirates from patients without respiratory symptoms undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) were tested for genomic RNA of human metapneumovirus (hMPV). Persistent hMPV infection was documented in most of them and confirmed by virus isolation. hMPV infection etiology was also evaluated during the same period in samples from pediatric patients with acute respiratory diseases (ARDs). Sequence analysis of hMPV in HSCT recipients documented infection by hMPV genotype A and strong interhost similarity; this pattern differs from that observed in pediatric patients with ARDs. The data indicate that HSCT recipients may frequently develop symptomless hMPV infection.

The objective of this study was to gain information about normal sex-related linear and angular dimensions of the orbital region; left-right symmetry; and growth changes between adolescence and mid-adulthood. The three-dimensional coordinates of several soft-tissue landmarks on the orbits and face were obtained by an electromagnetic digitizer in 40 male and 33 female adolescents aged 12 to 15 years, 73 female and 89 male young adults aged 19 to 30 years, and 41 male and 38 female adults aged 31 to 56 years. From the landmarks-binocular and intercanthal widths; paired height and inclination of the orbit relative to both the true horizontal (head in natural head position) and Frankfurt plane; length and inclination of the eye fissure; and the orbital height to eye fissure length ratio were calculated and averaged for age and sex. Comparisons were performed by factorial analysis of variance. Both the linear dimensions and the angular values were significantly larger in male subjects than in female subjects of corresponding age (p < 0.05). A significant effect of age was found (p < 0.05): while the linear distances and the orbital height-to-length ratio were greater in older people of the same sex, the inclination of the eye fissure decreased as a function of age. Both orbital inclinations were larger in the young adult group than in the adolescent and middle-aged groups. On average, the paired measurements were symmetrical, with similar values within each sex and age group. Data collected in this investigation could serve as a database for the quantitative description of human orbital morphology during normal adolescent and adult growth.