Anger Management Style and Hostility: Predicting Symptom-Specific Physiological Reactivity Among Chronic Low Back Pain Patients

It was hypothesized that anger management style (anger-in or anger-out) and hostility affect the aggravation of chronic low back pain (CLBP) through symptom-specific (i.e., lower paraspinal muscle) reactivity during stress. Subjects were 102 CLBP patients who performed mental arithmetic and an Anger Recall Interview (ARI) while trapezius and lower paraspinal EMG, SBP, DBP, and HR were recorded. Results showed anger-in × hostility and anger-out × gender interactions for lower paraspinal but not trapezius reactivity, and only during the ARI. Further analyses revealed that (1) hostility was related positively to lower paraspinal reactivity among high anger suppressors, (2) hostility was related negatively to lower paraspinal reactivity among low anger suppressors, and (3) anger expression was related positively to lower paraspinal reactivity only among men. Anger management style and hostility may contribute to the exacerbation of CLBP by influencing stress reactivity only in muscles near the site of pain or injury.     

Both the HLA-CPB1 and -DRB1 alleles correlate with risk for multiple sclerosis in Japanese: clinical phenotypes and gender as important factors

The purpose of this study was to clarify the association of HLA-DRB1 and -DPB1 alleles with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Japanese, to determine whether optico-spinal MS (OS-MS) and conventional MS are immunogenetically distinct, and to verify the role of gender difference in HLA associations of MS. We studied HLA-DRB1 and -DPB1 polymorphisms in 166 Japanese patients with MS. Forty-seven patients were classified as having the optico-spinal MS (OS-MS) and 119 as having conventional MS. A lack of DPB1*0301 and a higher frequency of DPB1*0501 compared with controls (corrected P<0.0074; odds ratio=9.48) were found in OS-MS. By contrast, we found for the first time an association of DPB1*0301 with conventional MS in Japanese (corrected P=0.0444; odds ratio=3.28). Logistic analysis, adjusted for sex and age, revealed independent associations of DPB1*0301 (P=0.0004, adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=4.70), DPB1*0501 (P=0.0081, aOR= 2.50) and DRB1*1501 (P=0.0252, aOR=2.21) with conventional MS. However, the frequencies of DRB1*1501 and DPB1*0501 in male patients with conventional MS were equal to those in male controls while the DPB1*0301 frequency was increased in both male and female patients. We did not find any association of these HLA alleles with disease course and severity. In conclusion, OS-MS is a DPB1*0501-associated distinct subtype of MS, and DPB1*0301 is the most strongly associated allele with conventional MS in Japanese. In addition, gender plays an important role in HLA association with MS.     

Symptoms of illness in late adulthood are related to childhood social deprivation and misfortune in men but not in women

Experiencing adverse life events during childhood may increase vulnerability to physical illnesses and psychological disorders during adulthood. We developed an Early Life Events Questionnaire (ELEQ) with 12 scales and administered it to 92 relatively healthy elderly individuals (29 men and 63 women). A canonical-correlation analysis of the 12 ELEQ scales and physical and psychological symptoms revealed a significant canonical correlation. The results indicate that those who grew up in a family with a harsh climate and whose affiliation needs were not met tended to have more psychological and physical symptoms in old age. Regression analysis revealed that, in men, early life events accounted for 42% of the variance in physical symptoms and 39% in psychological symptoms. No significant relationship, however, was found between ELEQ scales and health outcomes in women. These results suggest that women may be less vulnerable than men to the adverse health consequences of childhood deprivation and other misfortunes.This work was supported by Award SA 325 from the Medical Research Service of the Department of Veterans Affairs.     

Effects of anonymity,gender, and erotophilia on the quality of data obtained from self-reports of socially sensitive behaviors

This study examined the effects of anonymity, gender, and erotophilia on the quality of self-reports of socially sensitive health-related behaviors. A sample of 155 male and 203 female undergraduate students was randomly assigned to an anonymous and a confidential (i.e., nonanonymous) assessment condition. Gender, erotophilia, self-reports (of substance use, sexual behaviors, illegal activity), and perceived item threat were assessed by questionnaire. Data quality was strongly affected by experimental condition and gender. Thus, terminations were more frequent in the confidential condition and among women. In the confidential condition, women were significantly more likely to prefer not to respond to sensitive items compared to men. Both female gender and confidential condition were associated with lower frequency reports of sensitive health behaviors, and greater perceived threat of the assessment questions. Self-reported engagement in sensitive behaviors was positively related to both perceived question threat and erotophilia. Path analyses suggest that question threat mediates the effects of anonymity manipulations and gender on data quality (item refusal, termination), and that erotophilia mediates the effects of gender on incidence and frequency self-reports. The results indicate that anonymous assessments as well as male gender are associated with better data quality.     

513例住院精神分裂症患者临床特点的性别差异

目的 :比较男性及女性精神分裂症住院病人的起病年龄、症状特点、病程演变特点及社会功能等指标的差异。方法 :选择 5 13例住院精神分裂症患者 ,详细收集临床资料 ,并进行《阳性及阴性症状评定量表》 (PANSS)及《大体功能量表》 (GAF)的评定 ,以此为依据进行性别间的比较分析。结果 :(1)总体上看 ,男性患者的起病年龄 (2 5 6± 7 3岁 )显著早于女性患者 (2 7 5± 8 6yrs) (P <0 0 1) ,但有家族史的患者间起病年龄差异不显著 (2 6 3± 6 9岁vs 2 6 8± 8 4岁 ) ;与男性相比 ,女性患者具有如下倾向 :症状模式较多为持续阳性症状 ,多为发作性波动或轻度恶化病程 ,阳性及情感症状更明显 ,且未婚或离婚的比例(5 3 9% )显著低于男性 (67 2 % )。结论 :男性及女性精神分裂症患者在发病年龄、症状特点及病程转归等多方面均存在显著差异 ,提示在制定治疗康复方案方面 ,应有所区别     

Effects of vasopressin on water and NaCl transport across the in vitro perfused medullary thick ascending limb of Henle's loop of mouse,rat, and rabbit kidneys

Direct tubular effects of arginine vasopressin (AVP) on water and NaCl transport across the medullary thick ascending limb of Henle (MAL) were examined by the in vitro perfusion of isolated nephron fragments of mice, rats, and rabbits. Osmotic water permeability of the MAL of mice and rats was low and remained unchanged with 2 mU/ml AVP added to the bath. A dose-dependent increase in transepithelial electrical potential difference (PD) with AVP was observed in the mouse MAL when the ambient medium was isotonic. A similar result was also obtained when 2×10^–4 mol/l dibutyryl adenosine 3,5-cyclic-monophosphate was added to the bath. In this preparation, AVP also caused an increase in the unidirectional Cl efflux from 323±45 to 398±61 pmoles·mm^–1 ·min^–1 (n=6,P<0.05). In contrast, under similar condition, we could not demonstrate any effect of AVP on PD, Cl efflux, or net Na flux in the rat MAL and on PD and Cl efflux in the rabbit MAL. Both PD and Cl efflux in the rat MAL were unaffected by AVP when the perfusate was made hypotonic. However, when the ambient medium was made hypertonic by adding NaCl and urea, a significant increase in PD was observed. In addition, we confirmed that AVP stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in the MAL as well as in the collecting tubule of mice and rats. We conclude that AVP stimulates Cl transport across the MAL of mice and rats by activating adenylate cyclase-cyclic AMP system. However, this effect of AVP may quantitatively vary among species.     

Filter properties of root mean square successive difference (RMSSD) for heart rate

The root mean square successive difference (RMSSD) in heart period series is a time domain measure of heart period variability. The RMSSD is sensitive to high-frequency heart period fluctuations in the respiratory frequency range and has been used as an index of vagal cardiac control. By transfer function simulations, the RMSSD statistic is shown to represent a high-pass filter that effectively captures respiratory sinus arrhythmia but also passes lower frequency fluctuations that can include sympathetic influences. These simulations, together with analysis of actual heart period series, reveal that the RMSSD is biased by basal heart period. Although between-subjects levels of RMSSD covary highly with spectral estimates of high-frequency variability, within-subject RMSSD change scores account for only 50-60% of the variance in spectral estimates. The present findings raise caveats in the applications and interpretation of the RMSSD statistic.     

CMOSens~流量计和控制器在NO输送系统中的应用

本文在研究分析了CMOSens质量流量计和控制器的基础上,研究设计了一套能与呼吸机周期同步且成比例地释放NO标气的NO输送系统,并用N O/NO 2电化学传感器连续监测治疗气中NO浓度和二氧化氮(NO 2)浓度。在NO治疗气浓度为20 ppm的情况下,通过整定系统软件参数后,呼吸机的吸气流量和NO供给流量的相位差为0,NO检测浓度相比较整定前的检测值平均增大2.15 ppm,更接近于NO设定浓度值,NO 2检测浓度≤0.2 ppm属于安全范围。结果表明经过整定后的系统系实现了和呼吸机周期同步地供给NO标气,并且提高了NO治疗气的精度、降低了NO由于被氧化而生成NO 2的可能性。     

Time course for strength and muscle thickness changes following upper and lower body resistance training in men and women

 The purpose of this study was to investigate the time course of skeletal muscle adaptations resulting from high-intensity, upper and lower body dynamic resistance training (WT). A group of 17 men and 20 women were recruited for WT, and 6 men and 7 women served as a control group. The WT group performed six dynamic resistance exercises to fatigue using 8–12 repetition maximum (RM). The subjects trained 3 days a week for 12 weeks. One-RM knee extension (KE) and chest press (CP) exercises were measured at baseline and at weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 12 for the WT group. Muscle thickness (MTH) was measured by ultrasound at eight anatomical sites. One-RM CP and KE strength had increased significantly at week 4 for the female WT group. For the men in the WT group, 1 RM had increased significantly at week 2 for KE and at week 6 for CP. The mean relative increases in KE and CP strength were 19% and 19% for the men and 19% and 27% for the women, respectively, after 12 weeks of WT. Resistance training elicited a significant increase in MTH of the chest and triceps muscles at week 6 in both sexes. There were non-significant trends for increases in quadriceps MTH for the WT groups. The relative increases in upper and lower body MTH were 12%–21% and 7%–9% in the men and 10%–31% and 7%–8% in the women respectively, after 12 weeks of WT. These results would suggest that increases in MTH in the upper body are greater and occur earlier compared to the lower extremity, during the first 12 weeks of a total body WT programme. The time-course and proportions of the increase in strength and MTH were similar for both the men and the women. Accepted: 6 September 1999     

A simple method for multiple fluid exchange

A simple device for fluid exchange is described, which allows the exchange of an unlimited number of solutions at low (10–1000 nl/min) constant perfusion rate. The applicability of the system has been tested in microperfusion experiments of rat distal tubules. At a luminal perfusion rate of 40 nl/min, the lag time was some 20 sec and 80 % fluid exchange time some 3 sec. Simple modification allows further reduction of the lag time. Under control conditions, the potential difference across the late distal tubule (PDte) approaches –19.4±2.5 mV (n = 27). Increase of luminal potassium concentration from 5.4 to 40 mmol/l hyperpolanzes PDte to –29.9±4.3 mV (n = 8). Amiloride (10 mol/l) leads to a reversible depolarization to –3.2±1.0 mV (n = 19), barium (1 mmol/l) to a reversible hyperpolarization to –25.8±2.6 mV (n = 19). As expected, PDte is largely created by amiloride sensitive sodium channels and is partially blunted by barium sensitive potassium channels.