Caudate nucleus volume and cognitive performance: Are they related in childhood psychopathology?

BACKGROUND: Impaired neuropsychological test performance, especially on tests of executive function and attention, is often seen in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Structures involved in fronto-striatal circuitry, such as the caudate nucleus, may support these cognitive abilities. However, few studies have examined caudate volumes specifically in children with ASD, or correlated caudate volumes to cognitive ability. METHODS: Neuropsychological test scores and caudate volumes of children with ASD were compared to those of children with bipolar disorder (BD) and of typically developing (TD) children. The relationship between test performance and caudate volumes was analyzed. RESULTS: The ASD group displayed larger right and left caudate volumes, and modest executive deficits, compared to TD controls. While caudate volume inversely predicted performance on the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test in all participants, it differentially predicted performance on measures of attention across the ASD, BD and TD groups. CONCLUSIONS: Larger caudate volumes were related to impaired problem solving. On a test of attention, larger left caudate volumes predicted increased impulsivity and more omission errors in the ASD group as compared to the TD group, however smaller volume predicted poorer discriminant responding as compared to the BD group.     

醋酸精氨酸对创烧伤患者预后的影响及安全性分析——86例多中心、随机、双盲、安慰剂对照试验

目的观察服用醋酸精氨酸对创烧伤患者预后的影响及可能出现的不良反应。方法采用多中心、随机、双盲、安慰剂平行对照的研究方法,将96例创烧伤患者(实际完成86例)随机分为治疗组和对照组,治疗组41例,服用醋酸精氨酸0．4 g·kg-1·d-1;对照组45例,服用安慰剂酪氨酸,剂量同前,均连用7 d。两组患者采用等氮、等热量的营养支持疗法。比较患者创面(切口)愈合时间、住院时间及不良反应发生情况。结果创伤患者治疗组(29例)创面(切口)愈合时间和住院时间分别为(11．1±2．8)、(19±6)d,明显短于对照组(13．2±5．5)、(22±6)d(33例,P< 0．05);烧伤患者治疗组(12例)创面愈合时间和住院时间各为(20±5)、(28±6)d,与对照组(22±8)、(29±8)d(12例)比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0．05)。在整个试验过程中,患者出现的不良反应为恶心、腹泻,其中治疗组1例占2．44％,对照组1例占2．22％,两组比较差异无统计学意义(P= 1．000)。以上不良反应停药后消失。结论服用醋酸精氨酸能显著促进创伤患者创面(切口)愈合,缩短住院时间,且无明显不良反应,但对烧伤患者的预后无明显改善,这可能与病例数较少有关,其确切疗效有待于通过大样本的临床试验予以确定。     

胃癌穿孔24例治疗分析

目的 :探讨胃癌穿孔的临床特点 ,指导临床诊治和提高疗效。方法 :对本院 2 4例胃癌穿孔病人采用不同手术方式治疗。其中 8例行单纯修补术 ,2例在穿孔修补术后 3周早期施行二期根治性手术 ,3例行穿孔修补加胃空肠吻合术 ,7例行姑息性胃大部切除术 ,4例行胃癌根治术。结果 :本组死亡 4例 ,其余病例中位生存期分别为 7,13 .2 ,2 5 .1个月。结论 :采取积极的治疗措施 ,可望延长患者的生存时间和提高生存质量     

Therapeutic effect of antimicrobial drugs against experimental infections due toYersinia pestis in mice

Although there are effective antibacterial agents against plague, newer antibacterial agents have been developed which show more potent activity against other bacterial organisms, but have not been tested againstYersinia pestis. A strain ofYersinia pestis was selected (no. 22; National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan) that caused a systemic infection in mice.Y. pestis no. 22 was intraperitoneally inoculated into DDY-strain mice, and 13 oral or 6 injectable antibacterial drugs given to the infected mice at varying doses 1 and 24 hours after infection. Levofloxacin, sparfloxacin and ofloxacin were the most effective oral agents against the infection, and prulifloxacin and pazufloxacin were also effective but to a lesser extent. Also, gentamicin and arbekacin were the most potent injectable antibacterial agents againstY. pestis. These results suggest that there are several new drugs, both oral and injectable, which exert excellent in vivo antibacterial activity against a mouse infection model and may be useful for the clinical treatment of plague.     

Stereoselectivity of actions of the calcium sensitizer [+]-EMD 60263 and its enantiomer [-]-EMD 60264

The thiadiazinone derivative [+]-EMD 60263 ((+)-5-(1-(α-ethylimino-3,4-dimethoxybenzyl)-1,2,3,4- tetrahydroquinoline-6-yl)-6-methyl-3,6-dihydro-2H-1,3,4 -thiadiazine-2-on) is a Ca²⁺-sensitizing agent with only minor phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity. Our aim was to characterize the inotropic and electrophysiological effects of [+]-EMD 60263 and its enantiomer [-]-EMD 60264 in several cardiac muscle preparations. The Ca²⁺-sensitizing activity resided in the [+]-enantiomer only. [+]-EMD 60263 (3 μM) shifted the EC₅₀ of Ca²⁺ for contractile activation of skinned fibers of pig heart from 2.41 μM to 0.73 μM, whereas [-]-EMD 60264 (30 μM) was ineffective. In Langendorff-perfused guinea pig hearts, [+]-EMD 60263 and [-]-EMD 60264 induced concentration-dependent positive and negative inotropic effects, respectively; both enantiomers reduced spontaneous heart rate but did not influence perfusion pressure. The maximum increase in force of human atrial trabeculae was 35 % of pre-drug control with [+]-EMD 60263 in comparison to 113 % with forskolin. In guinea-pig papillary muscles, [+]-EMD 60263 and [-]-EMD 60264 had opposite inotropic responses, however, both agents similarly prolonged action potential duration. Both enantiomers concentration-dependently blocked the rapidly activating component I_Kr of the delayed rectifier in guinea-pig myocytes. The block saturated at potentials positive to +30 mV, closely resembling the effects of the antiarrhythmic agent E-4031 which had been originally used to define I_Kr. It is concluded, that the positive inotropic action of [+]-EMD 60263 can be explained by prevalence of the Ca²⁺-sensitizing effect. The accompanying prolongation in action potential duration is caused by block of the I_Kr component of the delayed rectifier. While the inotropic effects are stereoselective, most of the electrophysiological actions are clearly independent of sterical configuration. The combination of Ca²⁺-sensitizing with class-III antiarrhythmic action may provide an interesting pharmacological profile of potential therapeutic use. Received: 7 January 1997 / Accepted: 25 February 1997     

复方华蟾胶囊抗小鼠肿中瘤作用的实验研究

目的了解复方华蟾胶囊抗小鼠移植性肿瘤的作用.方法以小鼠肝癌22(H22)、小鼠肉瘤180(S180)为瘤株,应用动物移植性肿瘤的体内试验法对药物进行抗癌药效学试验.结果复方华蟾胶囊灌胃4,2 g/kg@d,连续14 d,对小鼠移植性肝癌实体型生长有明显的抑制作用,抑瘤率分别为38.09%,30.95%.对小鼠移植性S180实体型生长有明显的抑制作用,抑瘤率分别为34.7%,30.08%.复方华蟾胶囊对荷瘤小鼠的胸腺和脾脏重量无影响.结论复方华蟾胶囊在试验条件下有一定抗肿瘤作用.     

苦碟子抗肿瘤作用的实验性研究

目的 研究苦碟子对动物移植性肿瘤的作用。方法 以小鼠移植性肉瘤180（S180)和艾氏腹水瘤（EAC）为模型，观察苦碟子的抗肿瘤作用，并分别计算出抑瘤率和生命延长率。结果 不同剂量的苦碟子对小鼠肉瘤S180的抑制率分别为39．86％，38．14％和35．73％（与对照组相比差异有显著性，P＜0．01），苦碟子也能延长荷艾氏腹水瘤（EAC）小鼠的存活期，生命的延长率分别为41．27％、29．79％和17．88％（高剂量组和中等剂量组与对照组相比差异有显著性，P＜0．01）。结论 苦碟子在动物体内可能具有抗肿瘤作用，可作为一种有前途的抗肿瘤药物进行研究。     

调整给药时间减轻顺铂肾毒性的研究

目的　观察不同给药时间对顺铂肾毒性的影响。　方法　 1 6例癌症患者分为两组各 8例 ,分别在上午 1 0时或下午 8时静滴 6 0mg m2 顺铂 ,3～ 4周后作第 2周期化疗时交换给药时间 ,以尿 β2 微球蛋白浓度作为肾小管功能改变的指标。　结果　治疗前两组的尿 β2 微球蛋白浓度均在 2 0 0 μg L以下。治疗后 ,上午 1 0时给药组的尿β2 微球蛋白浓度在第 1周期为 4 96± 6 6 μg L ,第 2周期为 5 0 4± 74 μg L ,下午 8时给药组分别为 2 77± 4 3μg L(t=3.6 6 ,P <0 .0 1 )和 2 83± 39μg L(t=3.6 3,P <0 .0 1 )。 　结论　不同时间给药对顺铂的肾毒性有显著影响 ,下午 8时给药可明显减轻顺铂的肾毒性。     

No Correlation Between Atrial Natriuretic Peptide Concentrations and Echocardiographic Measurements of Left Atrial Size or Left Ventricular Size and Function in Patients with Persistent Atrial Fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation (AF) may be associated with activation of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP). The exact trigger for the release of ANP is still being debated. Atrial volume, pressure, and wall stretch are considered to be the main determinants of ANP activation. The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma ANP concentrations in patients with persistent AF and to analyze the echocardiographic determinants of ANP concentration in this group. The study population included 67 patients, 59 ± 7 years of age, with a median AF duration of 5.5 months (range 0.1–12). The relationship between plasma ANP concentrations and echocardiographic left atrial (LA) diameter and volume, and left ventricular (LV) diameter and ejection fraction (EF) was analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The median baseline plasma ANP concentration was 63 pg/mL (range 21–126) in the study group versus 34 pg/mL (range 16–73) in a control group. The mean left antero-posterior atrial dimension, LA volume, LV enddiastolic diameter, and LVEF were 48 mm, 104 mL, 52 mm, and 54%, respectively. A significant linear positive correlation was found between plasma ANP concentration and maximal LA volume (r = 0.62, P < 0.01). A negative correlation was found between LVEF and plasma ANP concentration (r =−0.42, P = 0.01). However, by multivariate regression analysis, no echocardiographic parameter was an independent predictor of plasma ANP concentration. Plasma ANP concentrations were independent of echocardiographic measurements of LA size or LV size and function in patients with persistent AF.     

深圳市南山区医疗机构消毒效果分析

目的:了解南山区各医院及个体诊所卫生消毒状况。方法:对2002~2003年间区属各医院及个体诊所消毒效果的监测结果进行统计分析。结果:2002年与2003年区镇医院消毒效果平均合格率分别为94.4%和97.1%,个体诊所平均合格率分别为87.6%和89.8%。结论:区(镇)医院消毒效果优于个体诊所,空气合格率普遍较低,卫生防疫机构要加大力度进行监督检测,同时加强对医务人员进行消毒知识培训。