BACKGROUND: Deficits in social cognition, e.g. theory of mind (ToM) represent core characteristics involved in the etiology of psychopathological symptoms and an important predictor of social competence. In bipolar affective disorder, evidence for ToM deficits is scant, although brain imaging studies and impairments in non-social neurocognitive domains indicate deficits of prefrontal functions. METHODS: Twenty-nine euthymic patients with bipolar affective disorder and 29 matched healthy controls were examined with the 'Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition'(MASC). Target parameters comprised 1)'cognitive' and 'emotional' ToM scores, 2) qualitative analysis of errors brought about by 'undermentalizing' or 'overmentalizing' strategies and 3) non-social inferencing as a control factor. RESULTS: Patients compared to controls scored significantly lower for 'cognitive'(F=9.417, df=1, p=0.003) but not for 'emotional' ToM. Bipolar patients showed significantly higher 'undermentalizing'(F=4.830, df=1, p=0.032) but not 'overmentalizing' scores. A significant correlation (controlled for age) between the number of (hypo)manic episodes and 'undermentalizing'(r=0.527, p=0.030) as well as 'emotional' ToM (r=-0.546, p=0.023) was observed. LIMITATIONS: Sample size did not allow for the analysis of medication effects. DISCUSSION: This is the first study of ToM in euthymic bipolar patients with a realistic video-based examination. Independently from basic cognitive dysfunctions, patients displayed a pronounced deficit in the cognitive domain of ToM with preserved emotional mentalizing abilities. The correlation with the number of manic episodes may indicate an increase of the deficit with disease progression. It can be assumed that social cognition reflects an important dimension of the persisting cognitive deficits in bipolar disorder with possible impact on disease outcome.

Cigarettes are widely known to contain potent carcinogens, and their smoke contributes to many chronic and potentially fatal diseases. Cigarettes may also represent an underreported and underrecognized cause of allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Potential allergens from cigarettes can be found in the filters, paper, and tobacco. This article reviews the current literature on ACD from cigarettes to understand the clinical manifestation of ACD from cigarettes, to recognize components in cigarettes as potential sources of ACD, and to describe how to patch-test patients with suspected ACD from cigarettes. The potential allergens discussed in this article include cocoa, menthol, licorice, colophony, and formaldehyde.

This study examines the prevalence of risk factors for fires and burns in, homebound urban elderly. A home safety assessment was performed on 83 patients enrolled in a physician home visiting program. Information was collected on the presence and functioning of smoke alarms, the presence of fire extinguishers and the maximum temperature of hot tap water. Functional smoke alarms were not present in 37% of households, 82% of households had no access to a fire extinguisher, 46% of households had hot tap water temperature greater than the recommended 120 degrees F. Multiple risk factors for burns and fires exist in the homes of elderly homebound patients that are well known to the medical community. Further attention to burn and fire prevention should be incorporated into the medical and geriatrics curriculum.

Context: The efficacy of lifestyle interventions to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviors to prevent pediatric obesity remains unclear. Objective: To summarize evidence on the efficacy of interventions aimed at changing lifestyle behaviors (increased physical activity (PA), decreased sedentary activity (SA), increased healthy dietary habits (HD) and decreased unhealthy dietary habits (UD)) to prevent obesity. Data Sources: Librarian-designed searches of nine electronic databases, references from included studies and reviews (from inception until February 2006), and content expert recommendations. Study selection: Eligible studies were randomized trials enrolling children and adolescents, assessing the impact of interventions on both lifestyle behaviors and body mass index (BMI). Data extraction: Two reviewers independently abstracted data on methodological quality, study characteristics, intervention components and treatment effects. Data analysis: We conducted random-effects meta-analyses, quantified inconsistency using I(2), and conducted planned subgroup analyses for each examined outcome. Data synthesis: Regarding target behaviors, the pooled effect size for PA (22 comparisons; n=9891 participants) was 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.04, 0.20; I(2)=63%; SA (14 comparisons; n=3003) was -0.29, CI -0.35,-0.22; I(2)=0%; HD (14 comparisons, n=5468) was 0.00, CI -0.20, 0.20; I(2)=83%; and UD (23 comparisons, n=9578) was -0.20, CI -0.31,-0.09; I(2)=34%. The effect of these interventions on BMI (43 comparisons, n=32003) was trivial (-0.02, CI -0.06, 0.02; I(2)=17%) as compared to control. Trials with interventions lasting > 6 months (vs. shorter trials) and trials with post-intervention outcomes (vs. in-treatment outcomes) yielded marginally larger effects. Conclusion: Pediatric obesity prevention programs caused small changes in target behaviors and no significant effect on BMI as compared to control. Trials evaluating promising interventions applied over a long period, using responsive outcomes, with longer measurement timeframes are urgently needed.

For more than 2,000 years, the neem tree has been considered one of the most useful and versatile plants in the world. Neem oil has been used for both homeopathic remedies and as a pesticide. Both systemic and contact reactions have occurred with the use of neem oil. We report a patient who presented with an acute case of contact dermatitis on the scalp and face after the use of neem oil for alopecia and present a review of the literature regarding its uses, toxicity, and regulation.

Solar ultraviolet light electromagnetic waves are a known environmental carcinogenic agent closely associated with the development of skin cancer in light-complexioned individuals. Outdoor workers have higher annual exposure to ultraviolet light. We will review the topic of actinic keratoses among these individuals as this common rudimentary form of superficial cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is explored in greater detail.

Solar ultraviolet light electromagnetic waves are a known environmental carcinogenic agent closely associated with the development of skin cancer in light-complexioned individuals. Outdoor workers have higher annual exposure to ultraviolet light. We will review the topic of actinic keratoses among these individuals as this common rudimentary form of superficial cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is explored in greater detail.

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the clinical performance of a number of types of field (i.e., portable) dental equipment used under actual military deployment conditions. This equipment is often used under demanding field conditions where temperature, humidity, and air quality are not controlled. This article presents the results of a project conducted by the Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research and the Air Force Dental Evaluation and Consultation Service to evaluate commercially available field dental equipment through laboratory testing and clinical user evaluations at military deployment sites. The purpose of the study was to identify the best-performing and most cost-effective field dental equipment for possible operational use by the U.S. Navy. Initial laboratory testing was performed at the Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research and the equipment was then shipped to Okinawa, Japan, where it was tested by military dentists and assistants under deployment conditions. The testing provided beneficial results by identifying equipment that performed properly and equipment that exhibited shortcomings serious enough to render it inappropriate for field use.