Deprivation of parenting disrupts development of homeostatic and reward systems in marmoset monkey offspring.

BACKGROUND: Early environment is a major determinant of long-term mental health, evidenced by the relationship between early-life neglect or abuse and chronically increased vulnerability to developmental psychopathology, including major depressive disorder (MDD). Animal studies can increase understanding of environmentally mediated causal risk processes. We describe how daily deprivation of biological parenting in primate infants disrupts development of homeostatic and reward systems central to MDD. METHODS: Nine breeding pairs of marmoset monkeys provided control twins (CON) and early-deprived twins (ED); the latter were socially isolated for 30-120 min/day on days 2-28. During the first year of life, basal urinary norepinephrine (NE) titers and cardiophysiologic activity were measured. At the end of year 1 (adolescence), automated neuropsychologic tests were conducted to measure responsiveness to changes in stimulus-reward association (simple/reversed visual discrimination learning) and to reward per se (progressive ratio [PR] reinforcement schedule). RESULTS: The ED monkeys exhibited increased basal urinary NE titers and increased systolic blood pressure relative to CON siblings. The ED monkeys required more sessions to reinstate stimulus-oriented behavior following reversal, suggesting increased vulnerability to perceived loss of environmental control; ED monkeys also performed less PR operant responses, indicating that reward was less of an incentive and that they were mildly anhedonic relative to CON. CONCLUSIONS: In marmoset monkeys, neglect-like manipulation of ED leads to chronic changes in homeostatic systems, similar to those in children and adolescents exposed to early-life adversity and in MDD, and to responses to environmental stimuli similar to those that characterize MDD.     

肾上腺皮质腺癌的诊断与治疗

目的 探讨肾上腺皮质腺癌的早期诊断、手术及围手术期处理。方法 回顾分析了1990年至2001年间31例肾上腺皮质腺癌临床资料．并与1978年至1989年同种病例作比较。结果 近10年患者病理分期更趋向早期，更易行根治性切除，5年的存活率明显提高。结论 影像学的发展，使患者易早期诊断；围手术期的充分准备是减少手术并发症及死亡率的关键。     

Early rapid weight gain and current overweight in relation to asthma in adolescents born with very low birth weight

Early catch-up growth and subsequent overweight are suggested to be associated with later cardiovascular diseases and later type II diabetes. However, the impact of early catch-up growth and childhood overweight on the development of asthma has been less studied, particularly in children born with very low birth weight (VLBW). A birth cohort of 74 VLBW children (birth weight < or = 1500 g) was followed from birth and investigated on asthma at 12 yr of age. Early rapid weight gain was in one way defined as an increase of weight > or =1 standard deviation score (SDS) at 6 months of corrected postnatal age. Current overweight was defined by body mass index (BMI) exceeding 21.2 and 21.7 kg/m(2), respectively, for boys and girls at 12 yr of age. Current asthma was diagnosed by a pediatrician, according to asthma ever in combination with a positive response to hypertonic saline bronchial provocation test and/or wheeze at physical examination at 12 yr old. Being overweight at 12 yr of age was associated with an increased risk for current asthma in the VLBW children [crude odds ratio (OR): 5.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.3-22.2]. After adjustment for early weight gain and neonatal risk, the OR of overweight increased nearly three times (adjusted OR: 15.3, 95% CI: 2.5-90.6). Early rapid weight gain seemed to be inversely associated with current asthma (adjusted OR: 0.49 for an increase of weight equal to 1 SDS, 95% CI: 0.23-1.02, p = 0.06). In addition, early rapid weight gain was inversely associated with the magnitude of bronchial responsiveness at 12 yr (coefficient -1.15, p < 0.01). There was a strong and positive association between overweight and asthma at 12 yr of age in the VLBW children. This strong association had been reduced by early rapid weight gain, possibly via the reduction of bronchial responsiveness.     

Before-birth climatologic data may play a role in the development of allergies in infants

While an exacerbation in allergic symptoms corresponding to seasons has long been reported, few studies have investigated the association between the season of birth and allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the climatologic data before and after birth affected the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the results of allergy-related blood tests in early infancy. From February 1995 to January 2000, 2136 infants were tested for AD and followed for 12 months. AD patients were tested by using allergy-related blood tests. Data were compared according to the month of birth and the climatologic data using a computed statistical software package. Six hundred and thirty infants had AD before 12 months old, and significant differences were found according to the season of birth (p < 0.0001). Infants born in spring showed the lowest (22.3%) incidence, while those born in autumn showed the highest (34.6%). In 369 patients, total serum IgE levels, and serum specific IgE levels with egg white at 3 months old were also different according to the season of birth. All of these levels were lower in patients born in spring and summer, and higher in patients born in autumn and winter. Furthermore, the cumulative sunshine amount during the 3 months before and after birth was inversely correlated, while the average temperature over the 3 months before birth was positively correlated to the incidence of AD according to the month of birth. The climatologic data around birth may play an important role in whether an infant develops allergies.     

Spectral characteristics of early receptor potential in congenital red-green color blindness

The spectral response curve (amplitude versus wavelength) of the R₂ of the early receptor potential (ERP) was studied in normal, protan, and deutan subjects. The R₂ amplitude peaked at 520nm in most normal subjects. The R₂ at long wavelengths was smaller than normal in protans and larger than normal in deutans when the maximum amplitudes were normalized to 100% at the peak. The ratio of the R₂ amplitude at 460 nm to that at 600 nm clearly differed between protans and deutans. The ERP and the rapid off-response, which is mainly due to the cessation of the late receptor potential, were recorded in the same subjects. The ratio of the sensitivity of the rapid off-response at 500 nm to that at 600 nm was correlated with the ratio of the R₂ amplitude at 460 nm to that at 600nm (correlation coefficient, 0.823, p < 0.001). This study, in conjunction with our previous study, indicates that the abnormality is in the outer segments of the cones in protans and deutans.     

SUCCESSFUL ENDOSCOPIC CLOSURES OF COLONIC PERFORATIONS REQUIRING ABDOMINAL DECOMPRESSION AFTER ENDOSCOPIC MUCOSAL RESECTION AND ENDOSCOPIC SUBMUCOSAL DISSECTION FOR EARLY COLON CANCER

Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) for colorectal cancer is not widely accepted because of its technical difficulty and the risk of perforation. In addition, the risk of peritonitis cannot be completely eliminated even if a perforation is closed successfully. Reported here are two cases of early colon cancer in which the patients sustained iatrogenic perforations of the ascending colon during conventional endoscopic mucosal resection and of the sigmoid colon during ESD, respectively, requiring abdominal decompression with an 18 G Medicut needle. Both of these perforations were successfully treated by endoscopic clipping. In conclusion, conservative medical management may be possible in patients who have undergone successful closure of colonic perforations using endoscopic clipping. In order to perform immediate endoscopic closure, abdominal decompression has been useful to decrease patient discomfort and colonic lumen collapse. Now, CO₂ insufflation is being used effectively for the prevention of pneumoperitoneum.     

下颈椎骨折脱位伴关节突交锁的治疗策略选择

[目的]探讨并评估在下颈椎骨折脱位伴关节突交锁时安全、简便和有效的治疗策略。[方法]对16例创伤性下颈椎骨折脱位伴关节突交锁的患者于清醒状态及X线透视机监视下先行早期持续闭合颅骨牵引复位。所有患者在治疗前均行X线片和MRI/CT检查及ASIA神经功能评级。持续闭合牵引复位时行动态ASIA神经功能评级及X线透视机监视。损伤至开始牵引复位的间隔平均为31 h(6~52 h)。复位成功后维持颅骨牵引并择期行颈前路或颈前后路联合手术。9例患者于复位成功后再次行MR I扫描。[结果]治疗前MRI显示分别有8例和5例患者存在脱位节段的椎间盘突出和损坏;ASIA神经功能评级分别为:C级7例,D级5例,E级4例。16例患者均闭合复位成功且无一例出现神经功能恶化。复位成功后再次MRI扫描显示:6例脱位节段的椎间盘突出中有2例接近自动回纳,4例仍维持原样;3例脱位节段的椎间盘损坏中有2例维持原样,另1例转变为椎间盘突出。平均牵引重量为19 kg(10~32kg),平均牵引时间为53 min(30~135 min)。[结论]当患者处于清醒及检体合作的状态下通过动态神经功能评级及X线透视机监视,对下颈椎骨折脱位伴关节突交锁行早期持续闭合颅骨牵引复位,择期根据全身及局部状况行颈前路或颈前后路联合手术是一种安全、简便和有效的治疗策略。     

外伤性胸椎间盘突出症的早期诊断与手术治疗

[目的]探讨外伤性胸椎间盘突出症的临床表现、早期诊断及手术治疗效果。[方法]2000年6月-2005年6月共收治外伤性胸椎间盘突出症患者11例，其中男8例，女3例，年龄15-38岁，平均23．96岁。诊断时间距外伤时间最短的为2d，最长的8个月，平均4．1个月。早期明确诊断后行经关节突入路胸椎间盘摘除术。[结果]11例患者获得1、1-3．8年术后随访，平均随访2．6年。根据Otani’s等分级方法进行疗效评价：优7例，良3例，可1例，差0例，失败0例。手术优良率为90．91％。[结论]外伤性胸椎间盘突出较少见，无典型临床表现，本症的早期诊断及早期手术治疗是远期优良疗效的保证。     

Performance measures for evaluating services for people with a first episode of psychosis

Aim: The purpose of this project was to operationalize and apply a previously identified set of performance measures designed to evaluate services for those experiencing a first episode of a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Methods: Operational definitions were developed for previously identified measures through an iterative process of discussions between clinical experts and health‐care evaluators. Data were collected from existing sources including corporate databases, clinical databases and chart review. Results: Definitions were developed for 44 measures covering seven of eight domains recommended for service level evaluation by the Canadian Institute for Health Information domains. Forty measures could be calculated. Conclusions: The measures represent a comprehensive set of performance measures suitable for the evaluation of services for people with a first‐episode psychosis. The measures could be used by other services in order to establish standards and norms for routine clinical practice.