Electron microscopic immunocytochemical study of somatostatin neurons in the periventricular nucleus of the rat hypothalamus with special reference to their relationships with homologous neuronal processes

The neurons containing somatostatin in the rat periventricular nucleus were studied by using a modified electron microscopic immunocytochemical technique that improves both the penetration of immunoreagents into unembedded immunostained tissues and the preservation of ultrastructural morphology. Inside perikarya and dendrites, immunostaining was not only associated with neurosecretory granules but also with ribosomes and saccules of the cis face of the Golgi apparatus. In the axonal profiles found in this region the labeling was observed both on neurosecretory granule cores and on the limiting membrane of small synaptic-like vesicles. Throughout the periventricular nucleus, both non-synaptic and synaptic relationships were shown between labeled neurons. Non-synaptic relationships mainly consisted of direct apposition of the membranes of neighboring neurons by dendrosomatic, somasomatic or dendrodendritic contacts. These labeled perikarya and dendrites were also synaptically contacted by labeled axonal endings containing numerous aggregated synaptic-like vesicles. The physiological significance of the synaptic and non-synaptic relationships between somatostatinergic neurons is discussed in terms of possible synchronization between homologous neurons of the somatostatin neuroendocrine system and control of these neurons by a central ultra-short loop feedback mechanism.     

The relative effects of external spatial and motoric factors on the bimanual coordination of discrete movements

The ability to coordinate the two hands effectively is a fundamental requirement for many everyday tasks. To investigate how bimanual coordination is achieved we asked subjects to perform discrete bimanual key-press responses under conditions in which the motoric (i.e., muscles employed) and external spatial (i.e., direction of movement in external space) relationships between the actions of the left and right index fingers were systematically varied. Subjects made simultaneous right and left index finger key-presses in response to an auditory tone. The right finger always made downward flexion movements whilst the left finger either flexed in a downward/upward direction, or extended in a downward/upward direction. Unimanual control trials of each movement type for both hands were also performed. Reaction times for each hand (RTs) and the inter-response interval (IRI) were recorded . Right hand RTs were significantly affected only when the left finger performed motorically different actions, but were unaffected by the external spatial direction in which the left hands actions were made. The IRI results followed a similar pattern with the worst coordination (highest IRI) occurring when the left finger performed different motor actions to the right finger regardless of the direction of the left hand movement. In contrast to other recent results from experiments examining oscillatory tasks (e.g., Mechsner et al. 2001), our results suggest that in discrete tasks there is a dominance of the motor relationship between the hands over the external spatial relationship.     

Longitudinal studies of drug abuse in a fifteen-year-old population. 5. Prognostic factors

In an attempt to identify prognostic factors, non-drug users and abusers in the Gothenburg year cohort of 1953 were compared with reference to background data. Individuals with chronic abuse differed most from the "normal" group. Prognostic factors for drug abuse were: member of a multiproblem family, child psychiatric care, contact with the Social Welfare Administration at an early age, truancy, placement in special class, premature drop-out from school, admitted high-frequency drug use in a school questionnaire, for boys early registration for crimes and for girls nervous complaints. The results indicate the necessity of earlier and more effective prevention.     

The role of surgery in transmitting ≪ post-transfusion hepatitis ≫

The role of surgery as an additional risk in transmitting post-transfusion hepatitis was investigated in a retrospective study on acute hepatitis occurring in 77 transfused patients, 293 transfused and operated patients and 243 hepatitis cases with history of surgery without transfusion.Hepatitis A patients admitted to the same centres in the same period were utilized as controls. In transfused patients the percentage of NANB hepatitis was higher than that of type B (61.0% vs. 36.4%), while in the operated not transfused group the percentage of type B was twice that of type NANB (63.4% vs. 32.5%).In transfused and operated cases intermediate values were observed. The age-adjusted measures of association between exposures and the different hepatitis types showed a lack of effect of transfusion and a dominant role of surgery in transmitting type B hepatitis. In contrast, NANB post-transfusional cases were actually a mixture of post-transfusional and post-surgical cases, since both these exposures were found to be significantly associated with the disease.Our results suggest that studies on the incidence and the etiology of post-transfusion hepatitis should take into account the risk of surgical exposure which might have occurred.Corresponding author.     

Autocrine and paracrine growth regulation of human breast cancer

Summary We consider the hypothesis that estrogen control of hormone dependent breast cancer is mediated by autocrine and paracrine growth factors secreted by the breast cancer cells themselves. Though we show direct, unmediated effects of estrogen on specific cell functions, we also provide evidence that human breast cancer cells secrete a collection of growth factors (IGF-I, TGF, TGF, a PDGF-like competency factor, and at least one new epithelial colony stimulating factor). Some of these are estrogen-regulated in hormone dependent cells, and are constitutively increased in cells which acquire independence either spontaneously or byras transfection. Collectively, the secreted growth factors are capable of promoting tumor formation by MCF-7 cells in nude mice, though not to the same extent as estrogens. There would seem to be potential for clinical intervention in the autocrine and paracrine control of breast cancer cells, including some cells which are no longer dependent on estrogens.     

Prevalence of mental disorder in an urban population in central Sweden

The principal reason for this epidemiological study was the lack of psychiatric morbidity studies in a predominantly urban population, by psychiatrists in direct interviews. The psychiatric examination, covering 1970-71, included a representative selection of 2,283 persons, 18-65 years old from "former" Stockholm County, and the 12-month prevalence of mental disorders was measured. The total of non-participants was 12%. Forty-seven percent had a psychiatric diagnosis - significantly more women (54%) than men (40%). Excluding the psychosomatic diagnoses, 31% of the population received a psychiatric diagnosis, which agrees closely with other contemporary studies of mental disorder in the Nordic countries. The primary diagnoses were: neuroses 26%, psychosomatic diagnoses 16%, schizophrenic/paranoid conditions or other psychoses 0.6%, affective disorders 0.2%, psychoorganic syndromes 1.2%, psychopathy 0.2%, character neurosis 1%, drug dependence 0.2% (as a primary or a secondary diagnosis 0.6%), alcoholism 1.4% (as a primary or a secondary diagnosis 3.1%) and mental retardation 0.4% (as a primary or a secondary diagnosis 0.8%).     

Association of Opioid Use Disorder With 2016 Presidential Voting Patterns: Cross-sectional Study in New York State at Census Tract Level

BackgroundOpioid overdose-related deaths have increased dramatically in recent years. Combating the opioid epidemic requires better understanding of the epidemiology of opioid poisoning (OP) and opioid use disorder (OUD).ObjectiveWe aimed to discover geospatial patterns in nonmedical opioid use and its correlations with demographic features related to despair and economic hardship, most notably the US presidential voting patterns in 2016 at census tract level in New York State.MethodsThis cross-sectional analysis used data from New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System claims data and the presidential voting results of 2016 in New York State from the Harvard Election Data Archive. We included 63,958 patients who had at least one OUD diagnosis between 2010 and 2016 and 36,004 patients with at least one OP diagnosis between 2012 and 2016. Geospatial mappings were created to compare areas of New York in OUD rates and presidential voting patterns. A multiple regression model examines the extent that certain factors explain OUD rate variation.ResultsSeveral areas shared similar patterns of OUD rates and Republican vote: census tracts in western New York, central New York, and Suffolk County. The correlation between OUD rates and the Republican vote was .38 (P<.001). The regression model with census tract level of demographic and socioeconomic factors explains 30% of the variance in OUD rates, with disability and Republican vote as the most significant predictors.ConclusionsAt the census tract level, OUD rates were positively correlated with Republican support in the 2016 presidential election, disability, unemployment, and unmarried status. Socioeconomic and demographic despair-related features explain a large portion of the association between the Republican vote and OUD. Together, these findings underscore the importance of socioeconomic interventions in combating the opioid epidemic.     

论合理择医的制约因素及对策

医学知识的高度专业性和医疗服务给的垄断性妨碍患者作出合理择医行为。欲通过患者的合理择医行为激发医疗服务的竞争机制,达到改进态度、提高质量、降低费用之目的,必须提高患者择医能力,适度放宽卫生服务市场的资源准入制度,大力培育医疗服务信息市场,推动医疗机构提供多种可替代性医疗服务。     

脊髓损伤患者撑起动作相关影响因素分析

目的：分析脊髓损全国各地患者撑起动作实施过程中的相关影响因素。方法：采用撑起问卷表形式分析影响撑起动作完成的主要相关因素。结果：撑起动作正确完成受多种因素的影响,其中最主要的影响因素是重心的调查问题。结论：实施撑起动作时应分析相关影响因素再进行有针对性的训练。     

Outcomes and factors associated with early mortality in pediatric postcardiotomy veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation

Mortality and morbidity of children received veno‐arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA‐ECMO) support after cardiac surgery remain high despite remarkable advances in medical management and devices. The purpose of this study was to describe outcomes and risk factors of applying VA‐ECMO in the surgical pediatric population. We retrospectively analyzed 85 consecutive pediatric patients (aged <18 years) who received postcardiotomy VA‐ECMO from January 2010 to December 2018. Median (IQR) age at ECMO implantation in this cohort was 12.7 (6.4, 43.2) months, median weight was 8.5 (6.0, 12.8) kg, mean ECMO duration was 143.2 ± 81.6 hours and mean hospital length of stay was 48.4 ± 32.4 days. Seventy‐five patients (88.2%) were indicated for postcardiotomy cardiogenic shock. The successful ECMO weaning rate was 70.6% and in‐hospital mortality was 52.9%. The most common diagnosis was transposition of great arteries (n = 18, 21.2%), while acute kidney injury occurred most often (n = 64, 75.3%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that thrombocytopenia, hemolysis, and nosocomial infection were positively correlated with in‐hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis presented that thrombocytopenia significantly increased the 180‐day mortality in patients with successful weaning. Therefore, multiple factors had adverse effects on prognosis. Patient selection and procedures from ECMO implantation to weaning need to be closely monitored and performed in a timely manner to improve outcome.