Superior oblique myokymia: quantitative description of the eye movement

We studied superior oblique myokymia (intermittent uniocular microtremor) using magnetic scleral search coils. The monocular disorder consisted of both phasic and tonic components consistent with the primary, secondary, and tertiary actions of the superior oblique muscle. These observations support the hypothesis of a disorder restricted to the superior oblique motor unit.     

Effect of unclipping on pressor responses in rats with renovascular hypertension

Pressor responses to angiotensin II and noradrenaline have been examined in two models of renovascular hypertension (two-kidney one-clip and one-kidney one-clip) before and 24 h after removal of the renal artery clip to examine the possible role of pressor hyper-responsiveness in the maintenance of hypertension. Early and chronic hypertension was studied to assess the part played by progressive structural hypertrophy. Plasma renin concentration was elevated in early two-kidney hypertensive rats, whereas it was similar to that in age-matched normal rats in early one-kidney and chronic two-kidney hypertensive rats. Twenty-four hours after unclipping plasma renin concentration was the same in all groups. Unclipping restored blood pressure to normal levels by 24 h, whereas sham-operated animals remained hypertensive. Angiotensin II responses in both early and chronic two-kidney one-clip hypertensive rats were lower than in age-matched normal rats. In unclipped rats responses were similar to those in normals. One-kidney hypertensive rats had similar angiotensin II responses to normal rats and there was no change with unclipping. Blockade of endogenous angiotensin II production by converting enzyme inhibition resulted in similar angiotensin II responses in hypertensive and unclipped groups. In normal rats, angiotensin II responses were inversely related to plasma renin concentration (r = -0.47, P less than 0.001). Angiotensin II responses in hypertensive and unclipped rats were found to show a similar relationship to plasma renin concentration as normal rats. Noradrenaline responses in hypertensive rats were similar to those in age-matched normals and there was no significant change with unclipping.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

应用Heath-Carter体型法分析辽西地区城市汉族儿童青少年1263名体型特征

目的:分析辽西地区城市汉族儿童青少年的体型发育规律和特点,为体质人类学补充必要的数据。方法:按整群分层抽样法,抽取2001-07/2003-09辽西地区城市7所中小学7～19岁经学校正常体质检查证明身体健康的汉族学生,按性别分两大组,每大组按年龄分12小组,7～18岁每岁为1个年龄组,18～19岁为1个年龄组,每小组45～86名,共分24组,搜集完整资料1263名(男657名,女606名)。采用Heath-Carter体型法,每项指标测量2次,取平均值,10项指标由专人负责,测试数据按年龄和性别在微机中建立数据库,依次计算出各年龄组的内因子、中因子和外因子,体型图上的X,Y坐标值,身高/体质量1/3,样本中平均体型点到所有体型点空间距离的均数,三维空间中两个体型点间的差异,体脂含量和各类体型分布频数。结果:参加调查1263名,均进入结果分析。①7～17岁儿童青少年身高、体质量随年龄的增加而增长。平均身高、体质量男生大于女生。身高/体质量1/3指数除14,16和17岁外,各年龄组女生>男生,平均值女生>男生。体脂含量11岁以前男生>女生,12岁以后女生>男生。②辽西地区城市汉族男生的平均体型值为3.9-3.5-3.4,属中间型,女生平均体型值为4.3-2.9-3.6,属偏外胚层的内胚层体型。体型频数的变化提示辽西城市汉族男生体型分布较散,女生分布较集中,主要在内胚层体型。③内因子男生在3.18～4.81,女生在3.05～5.33,11岁以前男生>女生,12岁以后女生>男生;中因子男生在3.02～4.23,女生在2.54～3.42,除16岁男女相差不多外,其他年龄组男生>女生,外因子男生在2.64～4.22,女生在2.92～4.14,13岁以前女生>男生,14岁以后男生>女生。因此,男生较女生骨骼粗壮,肌肉发达,随着年龄的增长,女生的皮下脂肪更发达,体态丰满,男生的身体相对瘦高程度增长,身材修长。男女各年龄组间体型比较,7～,8～,9～,10～,11～,12～,13～,14～,15～,16～,17～,18～19岁三维空间中两个体型点间的差异值分别为0.95,0.85,1.10,1.06,1.37,0.43,0.87,1.44,1.42,1.12,1.11,1.33,7～,8～,12～,14～,17～,18～19年龄组男女间体型差异有显著性(t=2.07,4.09,3.12,3.86,3.39,3.99,P<0.05)。④与国内汉族及其他少数民族相比,辽西汉族男生体脂最多,骨骼肌肉不发达,身体相对矮小;辽西地区汉族女生体脂较多,骨骼肌肉不发达,体型修长。结论:辽西地区城市男生较女生骨骼粗壮,肌肉发达,随着年龄的增长,女生的皮下脂肪更发达,体态丰满,男生的身体相对瘦高程度增长,身材修长。与国内汉族及其他少数民族相比,辽西地区城市汉族儿童青少年体脂发育较好,骨骼肌肉欠发达,青春期是形成健壮体型的关键时期,辽西地区城市儿童青少年应注意合理饮食和加强体育锻炼。     

Low total psoas area as scored in the clinic setting independently predicts midterm mortality after endovascular aneurysm repair in male patients

Objective

Preoperative sarcopenia is an established risk factor for poor outcomes after surgery. Methods for assessing sarcopenia are either complex, time consuming, or poorly validated. We aimed to assess the interobserver reliability of scoring psoas area at the level of the L3 vertebra and to evaluate whether sarcopenia scored by this simple and rapid method correlated with other fitness scoring methods or impacted on mortality and duration of stay for patients undergoing endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

大黄苷元联合溶栓对血栓栓塞性脑缺血大鼠肺胃损伤的保护作用

目的:观察大黄苷元联合溶栓治疗对大鼠脑缺血损伤肺胃组织的保护作用。方法:实验于2005-08/2006-07在河南中医学院老年医学研究所实验室完成。①260只SD大鼠采用随机数字法分为假手术组20只、模型组60只、尿激酶组60只、大黄苷元组60只、大黄苷元 尿激酶组60只;除假手术组外,其余各组根据缺血后动脉用药时间又各分为3,6,9h3个时间点,每个时间点20只。②自体血栓结合线栓阻塞大鼠大脑中动脉制备局灶性脑缺血动物模型。③各组大鼠均于术前4d灌胃用药,大黄苷元组、大黄苷元 尿激酶组用大黄苷元灌胃(灌胃体积为每100g大鼠1mL),假手术组、模型组和尿激酶组用等体积的生理盐水灌胃;动脉用药除假手术组外,其余各组分别于造模后3,6,9h经导管由区域动脉给药,尿激酶组与大黄苷元 尿激酶组用尿激酶(用药体积为20μL),模型组和大黄苷元组区域动脉用同等体积的生理盐水。④动脉给药后24h,观察大鼠脑组织病理损伤、颅内和胃出血率、脑和肺组织含水量、肺和胃病理损伤变化。结果:实验过程中因麻醉、操作等原因死亡及剔除大鼠156只,进入结果分析104只。①颅内和胃出血率:尿激酶组9h大鼠颅内出血率较模型组高(66.67%,28.57%,P<0.05);尿激酶组9h脑和胃出血率较3h高(脑:66.67%,18.75%;胃:41.18%,17.65,P<0.05);大黄苷元 尿激酶组9h颅内出血率较尿激酶组9h低(P<0.05)。②脑和肺及胃组织病理改变:各模型组大鼠脑、胃和肺组织病理损伤均较假手术组明显;各用药组脑和肺组织分别较相应时间模型组减轻;各组脑、胃和肺组织损伤9h均较其3h明显;大黄苷元 尿激酶组9h较相应时间点尿激酶组和大黄苷元组损伤减轻(P<0.05)。③脑和肺组织含水量:各模型组脑和肺组织含水量均较假手术组增高(P<0.01);尿激酶组和大黄苷元 尿激酶组各时间点均较模型组降低(P<0.01);各组9h分别较其3h脑和肺含水量增加(P<0.01,P<0.05);大黄苷元 尿激酶组6h脑组织和9h肺含水量分别较尿激酶组降低(P<0.05)。结论:脑缺血后延迟溶栓治疗可引起大鼠脑和胃出血率增高、脑组织和肺组织水肿加重,脑和肺及胃组织病理损伤明显;大黄苷元联合溶栓可降低脑出血率,改善神经细胞超微结构,降低脑和肺组织含水量,对脑缺血肺和胃组织损伤具有保护作用。     

Improvement of renal function during long-term treatment of severe hypertension with minoxidil

Sixty-nine patients with refractory hypertension were treated with minoxidil and in 66 good control of blood pressure was achieved. Renal function was stabilized in 31 patients in whom the serum creatinine was normal at presentation. Twenty-eight patients with impaired renal function had a substantial fall in serum creatinine (25 per cent) during the first three to six months of treatment and this improvement was maintained. In contrast, renal function in six out of seven patients with primary renal disease continued to deteriorate despite adequate control of blood pressure. Effective control of blood pressure prevents or reverses impairment of renal function in patients with refractory hypertension not associated with primary renal disease.     

A developmental psychopathology framework of the psychosocial needs of children orphaned by HIV

In addition to the obstacles to a successful resolution of grief normally faced by children whose parents have died, children orphaned by AIDS may face additional psychological and social challenges. However, limited attention has been paid to psychosocial and developmental needs of children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, particularly in resource-poor countries or regions. In this article the authors review the global literature on child bereavement and AIDS orphan care experiences in developing countries and present a developmental psychopathology model of the psychosocial issues facing AIDS orphans. The authors identify gaps in the literature and provide suggestions for future research on AIDS orphans in resource-poor countries and regions. They emphasize that future studies need to assess the status of behaviors and mental health of children orphaned by AIDS within a developmental framework, identify those individual and social factors associated with grief, and examine the long-term impact of quality of care, developmental maturation, and attachment with caregivers on the psychosocial well-being of AIDS orphans.     

Evaluation of an education program for patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy

The acquisition of knowledge is presumed to be part of the coping process for women facing increased stress because of a breast cancer diagnosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an education program on the perceived adequacy of knowledge of patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy. Second, the intent was to investigate the patients' preferences regarding involvement in decision making, amount and type of information wanted, and preferred information-seeking activities.A priori quota sampling was planned to ensure that at least 20 subjects were recruited to each of 3 age categories, assumed to represent premenopausal, perimenopausal, and postmenopausal patients with breast cancer receiving radiation therapy. Subjects (N = 79) completed questionnaires before and after the evidence-based education program. The education consisted of a 20-minute interactive video (first session); individualized education, including technical procedures and self-care (second session); and a 1-hour class (third session). Individual teaching as required was provided afterward during radiation therapy.Significant increases in perceived adequacy of knowledge scores indicate that the program was effective, especially with information concerning disease and treatment for postmenopausal subjects. Subjects' participation in 7 of the information-seeking strategies suggests that many had actively sought information before undergoing radiation therapy. Preferences for information that may be indicative of individual coping patterns were similar for more than half of the subjects. The majority preferred as many details as possible, as much information as possible (good and bad), and to participate in decision making. However, not all subjects wanted complete information, except for the information on all side effects. Findings from this study suggest that individual patients' information preferences, priority information needs, and preferred information-seeking activities should be identified early and incorporated within educational programs to target resources and maximize the likelihood that positive patient outcomes will result.     

Bronchoscopy and Tuberculostearic Acid Assay in the Diagnosis of Sputum Smear-negative Pulmonary Tuberculosis: A Prospective Study with the Addition of Transbronchial Biopsy

A prospective study of the efficacy of bronchoscopy and tuberculostearicacid assay in the diagnosis of sputum smear-negative pulmonarytuberculosis (TB) was carried out in 39 patients with symptomsand radiographic changes suggestive of active pulmonary TB.The diagnosis of TB was confirmed in 15 patients, probable TBwas diagnosed in eight and 16 patients did not have TB. An earlydiagnosis of TB was made by bronchoscopy in six patients (40per cent). Culture of sputum obtained before bronchoscopy waspositive in nine patients (60 per cent) while combined withbronchoscopy specimens, a positive mycobacterial culture wasobtained in 12 patients (80 per cent). Mycobacteria were culturedfrom transbronchial biopsy specimens from five patients (33per cent) but none of these was exclusively positive. Histologicalexamination of transbronchial biopsy tissue was diagnostic ofTB in four patients and it was the exclusive means of earlydiagnosis in two. Transbronchial biopsy also provided an alternativediagnosis in four other patients. Tuberculostearic acid assayhad a sensitivity of 0.40 in bronchial aspirate, 0.80 in bronchoalveolarlavage fluid, and 0.27 in transbronchial biopsy specimens: thecombined result was 0.87. In nine patients with pulmonary TBin whom an early diagnosis could not be made, the tuberculostearicacid assay was positive in seven (78 per cent). We concludethat bronchoscopy with bronchoalveolar lavage and transbronchialbiopsy is helpful in providing early diagnosis and positiveculture results. Assay of tuberculostearic acid in bronchoalveolarlavage fluid is a useful adjunct to early diagnosis. However,mycobacterial culture and assay of tuberculostearic acid intransbronchial biopsy specimens have little diagnostic value.