Effects of trazodone on polysomnography, blood concentration and core body temperature in healthy volunteers

Polysomnography, blood concentration and core body temperature recordings were performed on 12 healthy volunteers with administration of trazodone and placebo. Trazodone increased slow wave sleep (SWS), and decreased the average, the highest and lowest core body temperature significantly compared to placebo. The blood concentration of trazodone correlated positively with amplitude (the difference between the highest and lowest temperature) and %SWS during the first period of a sleep phase divided into three periods, and negatively with the lowest temperature. The appearance time of the lowest temperature correlated negatively with %SWS.     

Volunteer bias in a study of male alcoholics' sexual behavior

Studies on sexual behavior frequently require that subject volunteers engage in intrusive/sensitive assessment procedures. While earlier investigators have found that these demands may result in volunteer bias (volunteers differing from nonvolunteers), these studies were limited to nonclinical samples. The present study involved 182 males admitted to an inpatient alcoholism rehabilitation program. Those patients who volunteered to participate in an intrusive study examining sexual functioning were dissimilar to nonvolunteers. Compared to nonvolunteers, volunteers reported a greater interest in sex, less satisfaction with sex, more concerns about sexual functioning, a greater incidence of premature ejaculation, and a greater incidence of negative sexual experience. Volunteers also had a higher MAST score, used outpatient substance-abuse counseling more often, and more frequently had a diagnosis of cocaine/amphetamine dependence and cannabis dependence. These differences between volunteers and nonvolunteers suggest a need to use caution when generalizing the results of similar studies to the overall population. Procedures that may help to minimize volunteer bias are offered.This research was funded by a Veterans Administration Merit Review Grant awarded to Sudhir Bansal and John P. Wincze.Substance Abuse Treatment Center, Roger Williams General Hospital     

5.12地震中医院学生志愿者研究

[目的]分析5.12地震中医院学生志愿者的特点,为常态下学生志愿者管理提出意见。[方法]本研究以5.12地震中7所医院的志愿者和志愿者管理者为研究对象,向其发放问卷并进行访谈,了解医院学生志愿者工作,并在此基础上分析医院学生志愿者的特点,提出建议。[结果]医院学生志愿者多以团队形式参与;组织迅速;易于发掘骨干;自身有统一标识;个体服务时间短,团体服务时间长;工作不积极的现象较为严重。[结论]学生志愿者具有组织化程度高,个体学业负担重,时间分散,合理组织后,可进行长期服务,热情高,持续性差等特点,针对这些特点,建议将志愿服务纳入学生教学;招募时对学生进行筛选;组织学生参加大型活动,在活动中发掘管理人才;建立激励机制,提高学生的工作热情。     

Improving the outcome of unrelated donor stem cell transplantation by molecular matching

Volunteer unrelated donor (VUD) stem cell transplantation is now a well-established procedure in the treatment for many haematological and other disorders. The improved success of this modality of treatment is related, in part, to the existence of large volunteer donor registries (with well characterized tissue typing), as well as to the improved understanding of the molecular factors that have an influence on transplantation outcome. It is clear that close attention to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) matching is essential in ensuring a satisfactory transplant outcome, however the extent to which donor-recipient pairs need to be matched is not yet clear. There is also an increased understanding that factors other than HLA do affect clinical outcome. The ability to perform high resolution molecular typing techniques has allowed researchers to begin assessing the significance of mismatches at particular loci against an otherwise matched background, and in this way highlight the effects of individual genetic factors on transplantation outcome.     

ARTERIAL AND VENOUS EFFECTS OF VERAPAMIL IN NORMAL VOLUNTEERS

1. The effects of verapamil (120 mg orally) and a placebo on arterial pressure, heart rate, PR interval, arterial flows and diameters of the brachial and carotid arteries (pulsed Doppler technique), forearm vascular resistance, and venous diameter and compliance (cutaneous microstrain gauge and plethysmography) have been compared over a 10-hr period in six healthy volunteers during a double-blind and cross-over study. 2. Verapamil reduced diastolic blood pressure by approximately 10 mm Hg, did not affect heart rate and increased PR interval by approximately 15%. 3. Verapamil significantly increased brachial and carotid arterial blood flows by 56% (P less than 0.01) and 16% (P less than 0.05), respectively, but the diameters of these vessels were not significantly modified (+7 and +4%, respectively, NS). Forearm vascular resistance decreased by 40% (P less than 0.01), indicating that verapamil preferentially dilates small arteries. All these effects peaked at 2 h after drug intake and lasted for 6 h. 4. Verapamil increased hand dorsal vein diameter and flow by 95% (P less than 0.05) and 80% (P less than 0.05), respectively, from 2 to 4 h after drug intake but venous compliance, assessed by the venous diameter/venous flow ratio, was not significantly modified (from 0.71 to 0.69, NS), thus indicating that veins are not directly affected by this drug.     

Gastric inhibitory effects of CM57755

Summary The gastric inhibitory effects of CM57755, a new histamine H₂ receptor antagonist, have been compared in ten healthy male volunteers with the actions of an equal dose of cimetidine and with placebo. The inhibitory effect of CM57755 was virtually identical with, and not significantly different from the effects of cimetidine on nocturnal gastric secretion of acid, while neither drug influenced the secretion of pepsin. Neither drug, administered in the evening, influenced the intragastric pH and acidity during the following day, from breakfast onwards. The therapeutic impact of the new drug is likely to resemble that of cimetidine and clinical application will depend on the safety profile.     

将志愿者机制引入城市贫困人口护理援助体系的构想

城市贫困人口的健康问题已经成为政府和社会普遍关注的重大问题。护理援助体系的建立是利用社会民间资源对城市贫困人口实施救助的有效途径。引入志愿者机制,可实现“一助一”结对服务,普及专科防治知识,保障城市贫困人口得到持久的护理援助。     

服务营销理念在无偿献血中应用的效果评价

目的探讨服务营销理念在无偿献血中的应用方法及效果。方法将服务营销的理念引入无偿献血护理工作中，包括无偿献血的宣传招募、献血全过程护理、献血后回访等方面，创新和优化献血服务。观察应用此理念后2006年1-10月无偿献血者献血反应发生情况、固定献血者人数以及一次性献血400m1人数，并与2005年同期进行比较，观察服务营销理念应用的效果。结果在无偿献血护理中引入服务营销理念后献血反应发生率由开展前的1．798％下降至0．499％；一次性献血400ml人数占献血者比例由14．878％增加至57．055％；固定献血者比例由3．448％增加到10．758％：两组比较差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．05或P〈0．01）。结论将服务营销的基本原理和方法运用于无偿献血护理工作中，可减少献血反应的发生率和降低献血反应的严重程度，并提高一次性献血400ml的人数，稳定和扩大固定无偿献血者队伍。     

The effect of staggered administration of zinc sulfate on the pharmacokinetics of oral cephalexin

AIMSTo investigate the effect of zinc sulfate on pharmacokinetics of cephalexin when administered concurrently or at strategically spaced dosing times designed to avoid the potential interaction in healthy volunteers.METHODSIn this study, all subjects (n = 12) were randomized to receive the following four treatments, separated by a wash-out period of 7 days: cephalexin 500 mg alone, concomitantly with zinc 250 mg, 3 h after zinc 250 mg or 3 h before zinc 250 mg.RESULTSAll subjects completed the study safely. Zinc supplements administered concurrently with cephalexin significantly decreased the peak serum concentration (C_max), area under the plasma concentration–time curve from zero to infinity (AUC_0–∞) and the time for which the plasma concentration of the drug remained above the minimal inhibitory concentration of the pathogenic organism (T > MIC) of cephalexin [mean percentage decrease (95% confidence intervals) of 31.05% (22.09–40.01%), 27.40% (18.33–36.47%) and 22.33% (12.51–32.16%), respectively; P < 0.05] compared with administration of cephalexin alone. Also, administration of zinc 3 h before cephalexin decreased the C_max, AUC_0–∞ and T > MIC of the drug compared with administration of cephalexin alone [mean percentage decrease (95% confidence intervals) of 11.48% (3.40–19.55%), 18.12% (9.63–26.60%) and 23.75% (14.30–33.20%), respectively; P < 0.05]. In contrast, the pharmacokinetics of cephalexin was not notably altered by administration of zinc 3 h after cephalexin dosing (P > 0.05).CONCLUSIONSThe significant interaction between zinc and cephalexin might affect the clinical outcome of cephalexin therapy. The dosing recommendation is that zinc sulfate can be safely administered 3 h after a cephalexin dose.     

Social support and striatal dopaminergic activities: Is there a connection?

Objectives

Although patients' social support is a critical factor for the prognosis of mental disorder treatments, biological mechanisms responsible for the impact of social support remain scarcely explored. We speculated that there may be an association between social support and central dopaminergic activities in humans.

Methods

A total of 65 medicated patients with schizophrenia and their primary first-degree caregivers and 54 healthy volunteers were recruited for Studies 1 and 2, respectively. In Study 1, the extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) of medicated patients with schizophrenia and the social support scores of their caregivers were examined. In Study 2, the availability of striatal D₂/D₃ receptors, dopamine transporters (DAT) and social support scores were measured in 54 healthy volunteers.

Result

Study 1: the EPS scores of medicated patients with schizophrenia were negatively correlated with the social support scores of their relatives. Study 2: a positive correlation between the subjective social support scores and striatal DAT availability was noted.

Conclusion

The central dopaminergic activity may be linked to the sense of social support.