The role of a single free {beta}-human chorionic gonadotrophin measurement in the diagnosis of early pregnancy failure and the prognosis of fetal viability

This prospective controlled study investigated the concentrationsof free -human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) subunit in 554women with a singleton intrauterine or tubal pregnancy. Theypresented with vaginal bleeding and/or abdominal pain in thefirst 18 weeks of pregnancy. The control group comprised 156women with musculo-skeletal pain and no vaginal bleeding. Theirpregnancies continued to term. The study group comprised 398women (141 threatened-continuing pregnancies, 37 threatened-miscarriages,185 non-continuing pregnancies and 35 tubal pregnancies). Free-HCG concentrations were significantly lower in the non-continuing,threatened-miscarriage and tubal pregnancy groups [mean 4.62,6.50 and 4.27 ng/ml respectively; 95% confidence interval (CI)3.75–-5.69, 4.46–9.48 and 2.92–6.2 respectively]than in the control and threatened-continuing groups (mean 41.61and 48.22 ng/ml respectively; 95% CI 34.53–50.13 and 42.03–55.32respectively) (P < 0.001 in all cases). A cut-off value at20 ng/ml was found to differentiate between the ‘viable’(control and threatened-continuing) and the ‘abnormal’(non-continuing, threatened-miscarriage and tubal) pregnancies,with 88.3% sensitivity and 82.6% positive predictive value.An excellent diagnostic and prognostic usability of free HCGwas confirmed by a receiver operating characteristic curve plotIn conclusion, a single serum free -HCG measurement taken inearly pregnancy is valuable in the immediate diagnosis of earlypregnancy failure and the long-term prognosis of viability.     

What is a normal family? Common assumptions and current evidence

The social and applied human sciences have been built upon the assumption that the normal family consists of a first-marriage conjugal couple cohabiting with biological children. It is taken for granted that the wife should be responsible for child and domestic work, and that the husband should be the family's economic provider and ultimate authority. In the professional literature such traditional family structure is often described as normal in the sense of most common, as well as normal in the sense of well-functioning. Current psychological, sociological, anthropological and historical studies, however, do not support the assumption that the traditional nuclear family is the most natural, common, and/or healthy form of family arrangement. The idealization of the traditional nuclear family has had implications for theory, research, mental health practice, and social policy. Scientists and practitioners have been slow to recognize pathology in traditional nuclear families. Families other than traditional nuclear ones have been rendered invisible or pathologized. It is time for contemporary social and applied human sciences to recognize that the traditional nuclear family is a culturally- and historically-specific construct. It is also time for contemporary social and applied human sciences to develop an account of, and a research agenda about, families that take into consideration their variations across time, place, social class, ethnicity, and culture.     

Reference ranges of echocardiographic measurements in the Dutch population

Reference ranges for echocardiographic measurements were determinedin 609 healthy Dutch subjects, using height, weight, age, sex,RR-interval and blood pressure (in adults only) as determinants.Endsystolic as well as end-diastolic measurements of the aorticroot as well as left ventricular inner diameter, posterior andseptal thickness were taken, as was the left atrial end-systolicdiameter. Multiple linear regression was performed of the form: =A.(age)^B.(height)^C.(weight)^D.(RR-interval)^E.(sex)^F. The residuals were calculated in order to determine the percentilelimits by means of linear interpolation. Sex and weight weresignificant determinants in all the echocardiographic parametersstudied. The results were presented twofold, with a simple versionfor males and females separately, using only weight as a determinantand allowing graphical presentation, and secondly a complexversion taking into account all determinants, which can onlybe solved with help of a calculator.     

Acute myocardial infarction with normal coronary arteries. In vivo demonstration of coronary thrombosis during the acute episode

Two cases with acute myocardial infarction are presented. Both had thrombotic occlusion of the infarct-related artery. Following successful thrombolysis with streptokinase, coronary angiography was normal. These cases prove that "myocardial infarction with normal coronaries" can be associated with coronary thrombosis in the acute stage.     

Acanthosis nigricans is a reliable cutaneous marker of insulin resistance in obese Japanese children

BACKGROUND: Acanthosis nigricans (AN) is a skin condition characterized by darkening and thickening of skin with formation of irregular folds, usually limited to a few specific areas of the body. Recently, AN has been reported to be linked to hyperinsulinemia and obesity. The aim of the present study was to determine whether or not the presence of AN in obese Japanese children is a reliable cutaneous marker. METHODS: The authors analyzed the clinical characteristics of 439 obese Japanese children (260 boys, 179 girls; mean age 10.1 years; mean percentage overweight 51.9%), who had visited Tsuruoka City Shonai Hospital in 1990-2000. Eighty-two of the 439 children were examined using an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Of these children, the authors retrospectively studied 16 subjects: eight with AN and eight without AN (age range: 10.8-13.9 years; percentage overweight range: 54.3-97.0%). They were age and percentage obesity-matched males with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT. Females with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT were excluded from the 16 subjects because the number was too small and children with impaired glucose tolerance or type 2 diabetes during OGTT were also excluded because of glucose toxicity. Eighty-two children including the 16 subjects were analyzed at their first visit for the presence or absence of AN on the posterior of the neck, and for characteristics including age, birthweight, body height, bodyweight, percentage overweight, blood pressure, liver function markers serum lipid concentrations, fasting plasma glucose concentrations and insulin concentrations shown by the results of OGTT. RESULTS: (1) Children with AN showed significantly more glucose intolerance including impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes compared with those children without AN, and fasting plasma insulin concentrations were most significantly correlated with the presence of AN. (2) Insulin resistance based on fasting plasma insulin concentrations was seen in significantly more children with AN than in children without AN, even in age and percentage obesity-matched subjects with normal glucose tolerance during OGTT. CONCLUSIONS: Acanthosis nigricans could be a reliable cutaneous marker of insulin resistance in obese Japanese children.     

薄层色谱法测定阿德福韦酯有关物质

目的：建立阿德福韦酯有关物质薄层色谱检查法。方法：反相薄层色谱法，甲醇-水(3：1)为展开剂，在紫外光254nm下检视。结果：经方法学验证本法能有效分离并检测阿德福韦酯中的有关物质。最小检测限为0．1μg。结论：反相薄层色谱法避免了阿德福韦酯在硅胶薄层色谱法中发生分解的现象，且分离效果好，检测灵敏度高。     

针刺对家兔正常眼压的影响

目的：观察针刺对家兔正常眼压的影响。方法：对１０只家兔眼的晴灵、风门、趾间穴进 刺，对针刺前和针刺后即时，针后第１小时和第２小时的眼压进行了测量。结果：针刺前的眼压平均值与针刺后各时段相比均无显著性差异。     

Prosopo-Thoracopagus Conjoined Twins and Other Cephalopagus-Thoracopagus Intermediates: Case Report and Review of the Literature

Prosopo-thoracopagus twins are united from the face down to the umbilicus, none with union in the brain but all with visceral anomalies intermediate between those of cephalopagus and thoracopagus. In a review of over 1200 cases of conjoined twins reported during the past 100 years, there were 14 that illustrate the continuum between cephalopagus and thoracopagus, including three that were united only from the cervical region to the umbilicus. Classic cephalopagus twins are joined from the top of the head to the umbilicus, sharing a single foregut as well as two relatively normal hearts, the “posterior” one often diminished. Typical thoracopagus, however, are conjoined only from the upper thorax to the umbilicus, each twin with a normal foregut but both sharing a single complex multiventricular heart. The intermediate cases shared either a single very abnormal heart or two hearts united by double aortic arches, and all except one had a single foregut. It is these cases intermediate between cephalopagus and thoracopagus which are the subject of this report. Received September 11, 1996; accepted December 16, 1996     

双膦酸盐对肺癌细胞增殖的影响

背景与目的双膦酸盐在临床上被广泛用于多种骨病的治疗，在动物实验中可减少乳腺癌及前列腺癌细胞骨转移的发生，抑制和减少肿瘤在骨上的发展及负累，但对同样易于发生骨转移的肺癌的作用尚缺少研究。本实验的目的是研究几种双膦酸盐（阿仑膦酸钠、埃本膦酸钠、亚甲基二膦酸钠及因卡膦酸二钠）对不同肺癌细胞体外增殖的抑制作用，并验证这种抑制作用的广泛性或者选择性。方法采用磺酰罗丹明B染色法检测不同浓度的双膦酸盐药物对肺癌细胞及人正常肝细胞体外增殖的影响。结果不同浓度的双膦酸盐药物作用72h后，能小同程度地抑制肺癌细胞的增殖，亚甲基二膦酸钠的抑制效果很小，埃本膦酸钠及因昔膦酸二钠的作用介于业甲基二膦酸钠和阿仑膦酸钠之间。不同的双膦酸盐对人正常肝细胞的影响具有差异性，亚甲基二膦酸钠、埃奉膦酸钠及因卡膦酸二钠均表现出低毒性，而阿仑膦酸钠的毒性显著。不同的肺癌细胞对双膦酸盐的敏感性也有明显差异，H446及SPC—A1相对较为耐受，而H460及A549则较为敏感。结论双膦酸盐药物对肺癌细胞及人正常肝细胞均有不同程度的抑制增殖作用，且这种作用与药物种类、浓度和肺癌细胞的种类有关。     

不同月龄正常大鼠骨形态计量学参数动态变化的研究

目的 :探讨不同月龄正常大鼠骨形态计量学参数变化 ,为抗骨质疏松药物研究提供对照依据。方法 :4 .5月龄SD雌性大鼠 ,按体重随机分组 ,在实验的d 0 (4.5月龄 )、d 30 (5 .5月龄 )、d 75 (7月龄 )、d 14 0 (10月龄 )杀死大鼠取材 ,采用体内双荧光标记法 ,胫骨上段硬组织包埋切片及松质骨形态计量学分析 ,观察不同月龄段大鼠的骨变化情况。结果 :正常大鼠 4 .5～ 10月龄 ,骨量有一缓慢上升后下降的过程 ,但变化辐度不大 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,骨量相对稳定 ,骨形成和骨吸收有先上升后下降的变化过程 (P <0 .0 5 )。结论 :4 .5～ 10月龄的SD雌性大鼠体重和骨计量学参数变化正常 ,选择该月龄段大鼠做模型 ,研究药物对骨质疏松的防治是可行的。