Alcohol-related effects on automaticity due to experimentally manipulated conditioning

Background: The use of alcohol is associated with various forms of automatic processing, such as approach tendencies and attentional biases, which may play a role in addictive behavior. The development of such automaticity has generally occurred well before subjects perform tasks designed to detect them. Although it seems plausible that this development involves some form of alcohol‐related conditioning, this process is not usually included in the experimental procedure. Methods: The development of automaticity involving alcoholic or nonalcoholic stimuli was experimentally manipulated via a conditioning task. Subjects were presented with pairs of stimuli from a set of 4 stimuli: 2 pictures of alcoholic beverages, and 2 pictures of nonalcoholic beverages. One of the alcoholic and 1 of the nonalcoholic beverages was associated with reward, the other stimuli with punishment. Subjects had to learn to select the rewarded stimuli from pairs of 1 rewarded and 1 punished stimulus. The task, thus experimentally established reward versus punishment stimulus–response–outcome associations, for alcoholic and for nonalcoholic stimuli. Subsequently, a cued reversal task was used to test automaticity involving alcoholic versus nonalcoholic, and rewarded versus punished stimuli. Results: An association was found between heavier drinking and an alcohol‐related conditioning bias: heavier drinkers had more difficulty overcoming a conditioned response when it involved selecting a previously punished nonalcoholic stimulus over a previously rewarded alcoholic stimulus. Conclusions: The study provided novel information on secondary reinforcement involving alcoholic stimuli: heavier drinkers may more easily develop automaticity related to alcohol‐reward contingencies. This may have implications for interventions and the interpretation of findings concerning alcohol‐related automatic processing.     

Anticoagulation therapy prevents portal-splenic vein thrombosis after splenectomy with gastroesophageal devascularization

AIM: To compare the incidence of early portal or splenic vein thrombosis (PSVT) in patients treated with irregular and regular anticoagulantion after splenectomy with gastroesophageal devascularization.METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 301 patients who underwent splenectomy with gastroesophageal devascularization for portal hypertension due to cirrhosis between April 2004 and July 2010. Patients were categorized into group A with irregular anticoagulation and group B with regular anticoagulation, respectively. Group A (153 patients) received anticoagulant monotherapy for an undesignated time period or with aspirin or warfarin without low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) irregularly. Group B (148 patients) received subcutaneous injection of LMWH routinely within the first 5 d after surgery, followed by oral warfarin and aspirin for one month regularly. The target prothrombin time/international normalized ratio (PT/INR) was 1.25-1.50. Platelet and PT/INR were monitored. Color Doppler imaging was performed to monitor PSVT as well as the effectiveness of thrombolytic therapy.RESULTS: The patients’ data were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Among the patients, 94 developed early postoperative mural PSVT, including 63 patients in group A (63/153, 41.17%) and 31 patients in group B (31/148, 20.94%). There were 50 (32.67%) patients in group A and 27 (18.24%) in group B with mural PSVT in the main trunk of portal vein. After the administration of thrombolytic, anticoagulant and anti-aggregation therapy, complete or partial thrombus dissolution achieved in 50 (79.37%) in group A and 26 (83.87%) in group B.CONCLUSION: Regular anticoagulation therapy can reduce the incidence of PSVT in patients who undergo splenectomy with gastroesophageal devascularization, and regular anticoagulant therapy is safer and more effective than irregular anticoagulant therapy. Early and timely thrombolytic therapy is imperative and feasible for the prevention of PSVT.     

VD方案和VAD方案治疗多发性骨髓瘤的疗效观察和比较

目的 探讨VD方案和VAD方案治疗多发性骨髓瘤的临床疗效和安全性.方法 回顾性分析了2008年6月到2011年6月我院收治的59例多发性骨髓瘤患者的临床资料,根据治疗方案将患者分为VD组(38例)和VAD组(21例),VD组接受硼替佐米联合地塞米松治疗,3周为一个疗程,治疗2个疗程;VAD组接受长春新碱、阿霉素联合地塞米松治疗,4周为一疗程,治疗2个疗程.分别对两组疗效和不良反应进行分析.结果 VD组和VAD组治疗缓解率分别为83.78％和59.09％,VD方案优于VAD方案,差异具有统计学意义(P＜0.05).VD组主要不良反应为血液毒性和周围神经病变,症状较轻微,在停药和对症处理后症状消失或缓解.VAD组主要不良反应为感染、脱发和血液毒性等,其中感染多以3～4度为主.结论 VD方案治疗多发性骨髓瘤疗效优于VAD方案,不良反应轻微,患者可耐受,值得临床推广使用.     

A Review: Frustrations and Needs in Clinical Care of Spinal Cord Injury Patients

Abstract

Background: Systems of functional electrical stimulation (FES) have been demonstrated to enable some persons with paraplegia to stand and ambulate limited distances. However, the energy costs and acute physiologic responses associated with FES standing activities have not been well investigated.

Objective: To compare the physiologic responses of persons with paraplegia to active FES-assisted standing (AS) and frame-supported passive standing (PS).

Methods: Fifteen persons with paraplegia (T6-T11) previously habituated to FES ambulation, completed physiologic testing of PS and AS. The AS assessments were performed using a commercial FES system (Parastep-1; Altimed, Fresno, Calif); the PS tests used a commercial standing frame (Easy Stand 5 000; Altimed, Fresno, Calif) . Participants also performed a peak arm-cranking exercise (ACE) test using a progressive graded protocol in 3 -minute stages and 1 0-watt power output increments to exhaustion. During all assessments, metabolic activity and heart rate (HR) were measured via open-circuit spirometry and 12-lead electrocardiography, respectively. Absolute physiologic responses toPS and AS were averaged over 1-minute periods at 5-minute intervals (5 , 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes) and adjusted relative to peak values displayed during ACE to determine percentage of peak (%opk) values. Absolute and relative responses were compared between test conditions (AS and PS) and across time using two-way analysis of variance.

Results: The AS produced significantly greater values of V02 (43%pk) than did PS (20%pk). The mean HR responses to PS (100-102 beats per minute [bpm] throughout) were significantly lower than during AS, which ranged from 108 bpm at 5 minutes to 132 bpm at test termination.

Conclusion: Standing with FES requires significantly more energy than does AS and may provide a cardiorespiratory stress sufficient to meet minimal requirements for exercise conditioning.     

A novel protocol for postpartum magnesium sulphate in severe pre-eclampsia: a randomized controlled pilot trial

Objective: Magnesium sulphate is the preferred anticonvulsant used to prevent the development of fits in severe pre-eclampsia; we aim to compare between three different protocols of postpartum magnesium sulphate in the effectiveness of preventing the development of fits in severe pre-eclampsia.

Methods: Double-blind randomized controlled pilot trial, done in Cairo university hospital, Cairo, Egypt during 2013–2014, on 240 women with severe pre-eclampsia. Magnesium sulphate intravenous infusion was given in the postpartum period to all the patients, women were randomly allocated to group I (Single loading dose only), group II (12?h abbreviated protocol) or group III (24?h standard protocol) (n?=?80 in each group).

Results: There were no significant difference between the three groups as regards the incidence of eclampsia, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets syndrome, maternal ICU admission and; however The incidence of flushing was significantly higher in group III than group II and I (24 [30%] versus 12 [15%] versus 4 [5%]; p?<?0.001) respectively.

Conclusion: The pilot study demonstrates that the single-loading dose of postpartum magnesium sulphate is a promising alternative to the standard and the abbreviated protocol in preventing eclampsia; however, a large clinical trial is necessary to prove this.     

FOLFOX4联合参麦注射液治疗中晚期肝癌术后存活质量的影响

目的探究FOLFOX4联合参麦注射液治疗中晚期肝癌术后存活质量的影响。方法选取2012年3月~2014年2月我院收治的90例原发性肝癌患者为研究对象,按随机数字表法分为观察组和对照组,每组45例,对照组患者单独给予FOLFOX4方案(奥沙利铂~+亚叶酸钙~+5-氟尿嘧啶)治疗,观察组在对照组基础上联合参麦注射液,治疗2个疗程后评价两组患者治疗疗效,同时分别检测治疗前后患者血液T淋巴细胞亚群(CD3~+、CD4~+、CD8~+)变化情况,比较两组患者治疗前后细胞免疫指标。观察两组患者治疗前后生存质量评分和KPS评分改善程度和毒副反应。结果观察组患者治疗总有效率为57.78%,对照组患者治疗总有效率为35.56%,两组差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后两组患者CD3~+、CD4~+、CD8~+、CD4~+/CD8~+细胞免疫指标差异显著,观察组患者CD3~+、CD4~+、CD4~+/CD8~+细胞免疫指标明显明显高于对照组,CD8~+指标明显低于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗后两组患者生活质量评分和KPS评分总改善率差异显著,观察组生活质量评分和KPS评分总改善率显著高于对照组,差异具有统计学意(P0.05)。两组患者在骨髓抑制、神经毒性、肝功能方面等毒副反应差异具有统计学意义(P0.05),而在胃肠道反应、口腔炎上差异不具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论参麦注射液联合FOLFFOX4方案治疗中晚期原发性肝癌具有良好疗效,能够改善患者免疫力和提高患者生活质量,降低化疗引起的毒副反应,其疗效明显优于单独FOLFFOX4方案治疗。     

鸦胆子油乳协同周剂量TX方案治疗晚期胃癌的疗效研究

摘 要 目的：评价鸦胆子油乳注射液协同周剂量TX方案治疗晚期胃癌的临床疗效。方法：42例晚期胃癌患者随机分为观察组（给予鸦胆子油乳注射液联合周剂量用剂量TX方案）19例和对照组（给予单纯周剂量TX方案化疗）23例。入组患者均至少接受2个周期以上的化疗。观察比较两组近期疗效、生活质量和生存期。结果：观察组近期有效率为63.2%,显著高于对照组的8.7%(P<0.05);观察组疾病控制率为94.7%,对照组为87.0%,差异无统计学意义( P>0.05)。观察组中位生存时间为741 d,显著高于对照组的359 d( P<0.05)。 结论：鸦胆子油乳注射液联合周剂量TX方案治疗晚期胃癌可明显提高患者化疗的近期疗效,延长患者的生存期。