Uptake and intracellular distribution of idarubicin in secondary cultures of normal and neoplastic urothelium

This study analyzes the uptake and endocellular distribution of idarubicin (IDA) in normal and neoplastic urothelial secondary cultures in relation to the changes in concentration and time of exposure. The urothelial lines were isolated by Freshney's method from biopsy fragments taken from five patients with superficial bladder cancer. Pharmacological experiments were carried out on subcultures previously immunophenotypically characterized and did not exceed ten passages. The uptake and endocellular distribution of IDA was analyzed by densitometric image analysis on cells treated for 10, 20, 30 and 60 min and 2 h with scalar dosages from 10 ng/ml to 2430 ng/ml. Microscopic observations and densitometric analyzes revealed that in the cells treated with IDA, fluorescence was higher in the cytoplasm compared to the nucleus and increased with the change in dosage. Moreover, densitometric data showed that IDA uptake in the first 20 min was higher in the neoplastic cells, but after that period its behavior became heterogeneous at 30 and 60 min, while at 2 h there was an inversion of the trend. These results suggest that the in vitro cytotoxicity should be evaluated in order to verify whether the elevated uptake of IDA in the first 20 min of treatment is really correlated to a more elevated toxicity in the neoplastic cells with respect to the normal cells. This is presently under investigation.     

天然放射性气溶胶的粒径分布及其测量方法

天然放射性气溶胶粒径分布的变化会引起氡及其子体所致肺剂量的较大涨落。由于我国对其报道甚少，在肺剂量估算中均引用ＵＮＳＣＥＡＲ的推荐值。为验证这种引用的合理性和建立气溶胶粒径分布的测量方法，开展本项研究。方法采用金属丝网筛（１６５目）扩散法测量天然空气经不同数目网筛扩散前后的放射性浓度比（衰减比）来绘制衰减曲线，然后用池边模式计算出粒径分布曲线。衰减比、粒径分布的计算和曲线的绘制均采用计算机。结果室内外天然放射性气溶胶粒径呈几何正态分布，分布的峰值的平均值分别为（０．２０±０．０９）μｍ和（０．２７±０．１１）μｍ。粒径分布和氡浓度、气压、气温、湿度等未发现相关关系。结论本研究结果与ＵＮＳＣＥＡＲ报告书（１９８８）的推荐值相比，室内值相同，室外值略高，与Ｊａｃｏｂｉ的研究相近。由此可得出结论，福州地区引用ＵＮＳＣＥＡＲ报告书的推荐值来估算氡及其子体所致肺剂量是合适的。此结论能否推广到其他地区，还需作进一步的研究。     

Memory function in normal aging

Basic findings obtained on memory functions in normal aging are presented and discussed with respect to five separate but interacting memory systems. These systems are: episodic memory, semantic memory, short-term memory, perceptual representation system and procedural memory. All available evidence from cross-sectional research shows that there is a linear, decreasing memory performance as a function of age for episodic memory. Longitudinal studies suggest, however, that this age deficit may be an overestimation, by showing a relatively stable performance level up to middle age, followed by a sharp decline. Studies on semantic memory, short-term memory, perceptual representation system, and procedural memory show a relatively constant performance level across the adult life span, although some tasks used to assess short-term memory and procedural memory have revealed an age deficit. Disregarding the mixed results for these latter two memory systems, it can be concluded that episodic memory is unique in showing an age deficit. Episodic memory is also unique in the sense that it is the only memory system showing gender differences in performance throughout the adult life span with a significantly higher performance for women.     

Childhood precursors of age at first intercourse for females

Age at first intercourse for a sample of adult white women using variables measured during childhood is predicted. Childhood predictors were measured at birth, and ages 5 and 9–11, using existing public-use data on the women. Median age at first intercourse for the sample was 17.5 years. Early family predictors, early developmental characteristics, and temperamental characteristics during childhood together could predict about a fourth of the variance in age at first intercourse. The strongest predictors were motor skills and nightmares at age 5, church attendance with family at age 9, and domineering and mature personality at age 9.This research was supported by grants R01-HD23454 and P30-HD05798 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. An earlier version of this paper was presented at the annual meetings of the Population Association of America, Denver, Colorado, April 30–May 2, 1992.     

1600例住院病人死亡原因分析

[目的 ]探讨 160 0例住院病人的死亡原因及其分布特征 .[方法 ]收集 1995年 1月至 2 0 0 2年12月间 160 0例我院住院死亡病人资料 ,对死亡疾病构成比率、男女主要疾病死亡构成比率、汉族和朝鲜族主要疾病死亡构成比率及年龄构成比率进行统计 .[结果 ] 160 0例死亡病例的死亡原因中脑血管疾病占 2 4 9% ,恶性肿瘤占 2 3 4% ,消化系统疾病占 13 7% ,意外伤害和中毒占 10 3 % ,心血管疾病占9 2 % ;男性与女性主要疾病死亡分布不同 ,两者间有非常显者性差异 ;汉族与朝鲜族主要疾病死亡分布不同 ,两者间亦有非常显者性差异 ;年龄构成比中 61～ 70岁居首位 ,占 2 6 6% ,51～ 60岁占 18 0 % ,41～ 50岁占 16 8% ,71～ 80岁占 15 8% ,3 1～ 40岁占 10 8% .[结论 ]住院死亡的疾病构成因性别及民族不同 ,其分布不同     

在线考试系统设计

作为评价网络学习效果的一个环节，网上考试越来越被人们接受和认同。文章介绍了在线考试系统的功能和结构，并对该考试系统中所用到的关键技术进行了详细的介绍，包括系统的通用性和安全性、题库的建设和管理、随机组卷算法等。     

Predictors of mortality in an aging community-based cohort in Korea

Background: Multiple factors related to specific dimensions of health – general, physical and mental – contribute to mortality in the elderly, but their relative contributions to mortality risk is not well‐known. The objectives of this prospective population‐based cohort study were to measure mortality rates and to identify predictors of mortality in community‐dwelling men and women aged 65 years or older in Korea by examining self assessments of general health, objective medical burden, and measurement of cognition, mood and function. Methods: A total of 1245 elderly (529 men; 716 women) were followed up longitudinally for 3.5 years. Fixed predictor variables observed at baseline examined in Cox proportional hazards models were age, sex, education, chronic medical illnesses, self‐rated health, basic activities of daily living, depression measured by the Geriatric Depression Scale, and cognition measured by the Mini‐Mental State Examination. Results: Mortality rates were similar to those of the 2001 Korean population. Older age, male sex, poor self‐rated health and presence of cerebrovascular disease were significant predictors of mortality. Presence of ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease at baseline predicted mortality in men, but not in women. Depression predicted mortality only when chronic medical illnesses were excluded from the model. Conclusions: Subjective self‐rated health and objective medical burden are strong independent predictors of mortality in this elderly community population, in addition to age and sex.     

A typological model of schizophrenia based on age at onset,sex and familial morbidity

We investigated the age at onset distributions of schizophrenia in men and women and the relationship of age at onset and sex to the familial rates of schizophrenia and manic-depression in data from a Swedish family study of 270 schizophrenic probands. On the logarithmic scale, the age at onset distribution of schizophrenia in both male and female relatives was bimodal, suggesting that broadly defined schizophrenia may be a mixture of 2 (probably related) disorders. The risk of schizophrenia in relatives decreased as a function of the age at onset of the proband, irrespective of the sex of the proband or relative. In contrast, the risk of manic-depression was significantly higher in relatives of female probands with an age at onset in the twenties than in relatives of female probands with earlier or later onset, or in relatives of male probands. This suggests a third disorder related to affective psychosis, with an intermediate age at onset and female preponderance.     

Integrated plasma cortisol concentration in children with asthma receiving long-term inhaled corticosteroids.

We assessed the effect of long-term therapy with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate (BDP) on the pituitary-adrenal axis, by measuring the integrated concentration (IC) of plasma cortisol in eight children with asthma (age, 6-16 years) who regularly used inhaled BDP in doses ranging from 8 to 26.5 micrograms/kg (200-450 micrograms/day) for 6 months to 4 years. The control group included six children (age, 6-16 years) who had the IC of plasma cortisol measured as part of an endocrinological evaluation and were found to be healthy. Cortisol concentration was measured in blood samples collected continuously over a 24-hr period. Mean IC of plasma cortisol in the study group was significantly lower than in the healthy controls (mean +/- SD, 4.9 +/- 3.3 vs 9.1 +/- 1.9 micrograms/mL; P less than 0.02). Cortisol response to 0.25 mg ACTH (iv) was abnormal in one of the eight BDP-treated patients. No correlation was found between IC of plasma cortisol and the BDP dose, severity of asthma, height percentile, or the Tanner stage. We conclude that long-term therapy, even with relatively conventional doses of inhaled BDP may cause reduction in the normal physiological secretion of cortisol. The clinical relevance of low IC of plasma cortisol is not clear, but it may reflect partial suppression of the pituitary-adrenal axis.