Modes of reinforcement and gender and culture of experimenter and subject: effects of "alien" and external reinforcement for Japanese and American men and women

In this study, we examined external and "alien" reinforcement (ER and AR. respectively) as a factor in social learning, and studied the combined effects of culture and reinforcement mode. A female (Experiment 1) and a male (Experiment 2) experimenters conducted experimental sessions. Both men and women, who grew up in the same culture as the experimenter, participated and performed the experimental task. A three-way interaction effect of experimenter gender, culture, and reinforcement mode was found on task performance. And the effect was more pronounced for a Japanese experimenter. A female and a male experimenters conducted Experiments 3 and 4, respectively; however participants this time were men and women who grew up in different cultures than the experimenter. Results indicated that the pattern of the subject gender and reinforcement mode interaction effect, when the experimenter was Japanese with American subjects, was exactly opposite to that when the experimenter was American. These experiments showed that AR was as effective for social learning as ER, and that the cultural backgrounds of experimenter and subject influenced AR and ER effectiveness.     

Timing and intensity of early fevers and the development of allergies and asthma

BACKGROUND: Early childhood fevers appear to protect against later allergies and asthma. What is not known is the time in which fevers exert this effect and whether the degree of temperature increase is important. OBJECTIVE: We sought to examine the relationship between the time and degree of early fevers and later allergies and asthma. METHODS: Eight hundred thirty-five children from southeast Michigan were enrolled at birth. Clinic records from their first 2 years were abstracted for episodes of fever. At age 6 to 7 years, children underwent allergy testing. We examined fevers occurring within 6-month intervals in the first 2 years of life and outcomes at age 6 to 7 years. The primary outcome measures were allergic sensitization, asthma, asthma with allergic sensitization, and asthma without allergic sensitization. RESULTS: In the unadjusted analysis each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months of age was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.93) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.21-0.90) at age 6 to 7 years. Likewise, every 1 degrees C increase in the maximum temperature between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower odds of allergic sensitization (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.61-0.96) and asthma with allergic sensitization (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40-0.94). After adjusting for potential confounders, each episode of fever between 7 and 12 months was associated with a lower likelihood of asthma with allergic sensitization (adjusted OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.11-0.94) at age 6 to 7 years. CONCLUSIONS: Both the timing and intensity of childhood fevers appear to be important factors in the development of allergies and asthma.     

Rates of oxygen consumption and of anaerobic glycolysis in renal cortex and medulla of adult and new-born rats and guinea-pigs

1. Rates of oxygen uptake and of anaerobic glycolysis were estimated in slices from the renal cortex and medulla (a) of adult rats and guinea-pigs, (b) of new-born (1-, 5- and 21-day-old) rats and of guinea-pigs of 1, 12, 21, 24 and 120 hr age.2. In the adult rat, Q(O2) values for the cortex were 12.55 +/- 0.20 (22) and for the medulla: 8.56 +/- 0.17 (22) mul./hr.mg dry weight, while in the new-born rat (24 hr old) they were 10.99 +/- 0.46 (12) and 9.33 +/- 0.18 (9) mul./hr.mg dry weight respectively.3. Values for Q(CO2) (N2) (anaerobic glycolysis) in the 14 hr old new-born rat were in the renal cortex 9.65 +/- 0.35 (5) and in the medulla 7.39 +/- 0.43 (5) mul./hr.mg dry weight; while in the adult they were 2.25 +/- 0.08 (16) and 5.76 +/- 0.14 (16) mul./hr.mg dry weight, respectively.4. In the adult guinea-pig values for Q(CO2) (N2) were of the same order as in the adult rat, though the rate of O(2) uptake was for the cortex 8.12 +/- 0.22 (12) and for the medulla 5.02 +/- 0.23 (11) mul./hr.mg dry weight.5. Though the Q(O2) values in the renal cortex and medulla were smaller in the 1 hr old new-born guinea-pig, they were already increasing in the 12 hr old neonate.6. The results are discussed in the light of enzyme changes occurring during the process of maturation of the nephron as indicated by histochemical observations.     

男性乳腺发育症临床病理分析及雌,孕激素受体检测

对１１３例男性乳腺发育症进行临床病理分析。同时检测其中３０例乳腺组织中雌激素受体和孕激素受体分布情况，结果发现两者阳性率分别为８０．０％和８３．３３％。结合文献讨论了男性乳腺发育症的发生与高血清激素浓度及乳腺组织高受体水平的关系。     

Association between functional alterations of senescence and senility and disorders of gait and balance

OBJECTIVES:

Declines in cognition and mobility are frequently observed in the elderly, and it has been suggested that the appearance of gait disorders in older individuals may constitute a marker of cognitive decline that precedes significant findings in functional performance screening tests. This study sought to evaluate the relationship between functional capacities and gait and balance in an elderly community monitored by the Preventive and Integrated Care Unit of the Hospital Adventista Silvestre in Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.

METHODS:

Elderly individuals (193 females and 90 males) were submitted to a broad geriatric evaluation, which included the following tests: 1) a performance-oriented mobility assessment (POMA) to evaluate gait; 2) a mini-mental state examination (MMSE); 3) the use of Katz and Lawton scales to assess functional capacity; 4) the application of the geriatric depression scale (GDS); and 5) a mini-nutritional assessment (MNA) scale.

RESULTS:

Reductions in MMSE, Katz and Lawton scores were associated with reductions in POMA scores, and we also observed that significant reductions in POMA scores were present in persons for whom the MMSE and Katz scores did not clearly indicate cognitive dysfunction. We also demonstrated that a decline in the scores obtained with the GDS and MNA scales was associated with a decline in the POMA scores.

CONCLUSIONS:

Considering that significant alterations in the POMA scores were observed prior to the identification of significant alterations in cognitive capacity using either the MMSE or the Katz systems, a prospective study seems warranted to assess the predictive capacity of POMA scores regarding the associated decline in functional capacity.     

Pathology and genetics of phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma

Phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PHEO/PGL) are rare tumours with an estimated annual incidence of 3 per million. Advances in molecular understanding have led to the recognition that at least 30–40% arise in the setting of hereditary disease. Germline mutations in the succinate dehydrogenase genes SDHA, SDHB, SDHC, SDHD and SDHAF2 are the most prevalent of the more than 19 hereditary genetic abnormalities which have been reported. It is therefore recommended that, depending on local resources and availability, at least some degree of genetic testing should be offered to all PHEO/PGL patients, including those with clinically sporadic disease. It is now accepted that that all PHEO/PGL have some metastatic potential; therefore, concepts of benign and malignant PHEO/PGL have no meaning and have been replaced by a risk stratification approach. Although there is broad acceptance that certain features, including high proliferative activity, invasive growth, increased cellularity, large tumour nests and comedonecrosis, are associated with an increased risk of metastasis, it remains difficult to predict the clinical behaviour of individual tumours and no single risk stratification scheme is endorsed or in widespread use. In this review, we provide an update on advances in the pathology and genetics of PHEO/PGL with an emphasis on the changes introduced in the WHO 2017 classification of endocrine neoplasia relevant to practising surgical pathologists.     

纳米水平分子成像与诊疗一体化研究进展与挑战

分子成像能以非侵入性的方式重现活体细胞的生理功能和生物学过程,提高疾病的早期和特异性诊断水平。纳米颗粒/材料具有物理性质可控性高、易于表面修饰、血液循环时间长和可功能化等优点,在疾病诊断与治疗中显示出巨大潜力。但如何阐明纳米材料多功能间的内在联系、解决其代谢及安全性等关键机制难题、实现纳米颗粒/材料多功能性到临床多功能性的转化,成为目前研究的短板。本文就纳米颗粒/材料在分子成像及诊疗一体化中的应用现状、最新研究进展、面临的挑战和未来前景进行述评。     

壬基酚与卵清蛋白的结合与鉴定

目的：合成壬基酚与卵清蛋白的偶联物。方法：在磷酸盐（PBS，pH=8．0）缓冲液中利用甲醛通过曼尼希反应连接壬基酚与卵清蛋白（OVA）；通过抗体芯片技术与紫外扫描鉴定偶联物。结果：壬基酚与OVA偶联成功，壬基酚单克隆抗体对偶联物的识别浓度小于2．68μg／ml。结论：本方法可用于壬基酚与卵清蛋白的偶联，且方法简单易实现。     

Diagnosis of leptospirosis and comparison of ELISA and MAT techniques

Leptospirosis is perhaps the most common, most wide spread yet under diagnosed zoonosis in the world, Inada et al identified the causal agent in Japan in 1916. Microscopic agglutination test (MAT) developed initially by Martin and Pettit (1918) is the reference method that was successively done after ELISA test to evaluate and compare and make a reliable diagnosis. Blood samples were collected from August 2004 to September 2004 from hospitalized patients of South Gujarat region who were clinically suspected cases of leptospirosis according to WHO case definition. In our setup we separated the sera and carried out ELISA for detection of IgM antibodies and rest of the sera were stored at -20 degrees C. As we do not have the facility for performing MAT test in our centre, we personally carried these sera to Chennai for performing the MAT and identified the serovars prevalent in South Gujarat region. Out of 30 samples tested 16 samples (53.3%) were positive by ELISA and 12 samples (40%) were negative by ELISA. By MAT, 17 samples (56.67%) were found positive and 13 samples (43.33%) were negative. 2 samples were borderline by ELISA and these turned out to be negative by MAT. Cosidering MATas the gold standard the sensitivity of IgM ELISA in this study was 88% and specificity 90.90%. We concluded that IgM ELISA is rapid test and its results are quite similar to MAT. The most common serovars isolated and identified are L. hebdomadis, L. pyrogenes, L. autumnalis and L. grippotyphosa in this part of the country.     

Definition and prevalence of subfertility and infertility

A common definition of sub- and infertility is very important for the appropriate management of infertility. Subfertility generally describes any form of reduced fertility with prolonged time of unwanted non-conception. Infertility may be used synonymously with sterility with only sporadically occurring spontaneous pregnancies. The major factor affecting the individual spontaneous pregnancy prospect is the time of unwanted non-conception which determines the grading of subfertility. Most of the pregnancies occur in the first six cycles with intercourse in the fertile phase (80%). After that, serious subfertility must be assumed in every second couple (10%) although--after 12 unsuccessful cycles--untreated live birth rates among them will reach nearly 55% in the next 36 months. Thereafter (48 months), approximately 5% of the couples are definitive infertile with a nearly zero chance of becoming spontaneously pregnant in the future. With age, cumulative probabilities of conception decline because heterogeneity in fecundity increases due to a higher proportion of infertile couples. In truly fertile couples cumulative probabilities of conception are probably age independent. Under appropriate circumstances a basic infertility work-up after six unsuccessful cycles with fertility-focused intercourse will identify couples with significant infertility problems to avoid both infertility under- and over-treatment, regardless of age: Couples with a reasonably good prognosis (e.g. unexplained infertility) may be encouraged to wait because even with treatment they do not have a better chance of conceiving. The others may benefit from an early resort to assisted reproduction treatment.     

自主创新学习与问题探究教学改革的探索与实践

<正>人体解剖学与组织学胚胎学是高职护理及助产专业的学生接触最早而又重要的医学基础核心课程。鉴于目前高职护理及助产专业的教学内容多,课时少等难题,教与学的矛盾日益突出。因此,如何在有限的时间内既保证教学体系的完整性,又能解决时间与内容冲突的矛盾,从而使医学生对所学内容真正达到"必须、够用",是授课教师面临的严峻挑战。同时,顺应医学终身教育发展的需求,提高医学生自主学习的能力,     

Immunological and non-immunological mechanisms of some of the desirable and undesirable effects of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs

Studies were carried out on patients with adverse reactions to aspirin, paracetamol, phenacetin, codeine, dihydrocodeine, some pyrazolone derivatives, and indomethacin. Three clinico-pathological forms of adverse reactions received particular attention: (1) Asthma, with or without manifestations of systemic anaphylaxis; (2) Serum-sicknesslike syndrome; (3) Lymph node enlargement with histological features simulating lymphoma or Hodgkin's disease, which occurred in patients receiving phenylbutazone in particular. A variety of immunological investigations, including some in vitro correlates of immediate- or delayed-type allergy, were carried out. The three syndromes seemed to be associated with immediate-type (or immediate-type-like), immediate-type plus delayed-type, and delayed-type allergy, respectively. In most of the patients with immediate-type-like reactions, and where immunological mechanisms were apparently not involved, pharmacological mediators, particularly histamine, were released from their leucocytes when challenged in vitro with the causative agent(s). This suggested that the main underlying abnormality of their asthma of peripheral vascular manifestations was a direct release of mediators by the drugs, i.e. some type of idiosyncrasy. The causative mechanism of this abnormality has not been established yet.