Age determines memory for face identity and expression

Background: The recognition of facial expressions is an important component of emotion processing which contributes to interactional behavior. One of the factors highly associated with potential decline of ability in behavioral tasks is age. Methods: We have investigated age‐related changes in facial identity and expression memory of healthy subjects in three age groups: young adults (20–40 years), elderly adults (60–80 years) and, for the first time in the literature, very old adults (over 80 years of age). Using a picture test, photographs of faces with happy or angry expressions were presented to study participants during the encoding task, and the memory for identity and emotional facial expression was investigated in a subsequent recognition task showing emotionally neutral faces. Half of the faces presented in the recognition task were initially shown in the encoding task. Results: Age interacted with the memory process: the ability to recognize both facial identity and emotional expression declined with advanced age. Happy facial expressions were better recognized in all age groups. Although there was a continuous overall decrease in recognition of both happy and angry expressions with advanced age, the effect favoring happy facial expressions was stable also in very old adults. Other factors such as gender or educational level did not affect the memory process for facial expressions. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that age is a significant determinant of memory for facial identity and emotional expression, and that, similar to younger adults, the recognition process of the elderly favors happy emotional facial expressions.     

老年护理院医院感染病原菌及其耐药特征分析

目的探讨目前老年护理医院院内感染病原菌及其耐药特征。方法对2000年4月-2004年3月徐汇区两家老年护理院出院病人的病史进行统计分析。结果两家老年护理院共计发生医院感染939例次，医院感染率12．86％，检出病原菌284株，阳性率30．28％；病原菌以革兰阴性菌为主，占44．65％，其次为真菌、革兰阳性菌，分别为29．12％、25．92％，位于前3位的病原菌分别为其他真菌（14．36％）、白色念珠菌（12．23％）、铜绿假单胞菌（8．69％）；除嗜麦芽寡养单胞菌外，革兰阴性菌以亚胺培南最敏感，敏感率87％，对氨苄西林、阿莫西林的耐药率〉51％，对头孢哌酮、哌拉西林的耐药率〉33％；MRSA和MRSE的检出率高达86．76％和76．32％；混合感染率34．51％。结论老年护理院医院感染率高．真菌所占的比例高；细菌对抗菌药物的耐药性相当严重。     

Normal obstetric ultrasound reduces the risk of Down syndrome in fetuses of older mothers

The objective of this study is to determine whether a normal fetal morphology ultrasound scan in women older than 35 years reduces the risk of aneuploidy. We reviewed the results of amniocentesis and second trimester sonogram in all women older than 35 years from 1991 to 1995. None had prior screening. We excluded fetuses with structural anomalies. We determined the sensitivity and specificity of minor markers in detecting Down syndrome and also determined the reduction in risk of a normal sonogram. Among the 2060 women older than 35 years giving birth during the study period, 16 (0.78%) delivered an infant with Down syndrome. Of the 16 fetuses, two had no prenatal testing or ultrasound, two had invasive testing but no second trimester sonogram, five had a normal sonogram and seven had one or more sonographic markers of Down syndrome. At least 17% of women older than 35 years did not participate in prenatal testing or ultrasound. Ultrasound detected Down syndrome with a sensitivity of 59% (95% confidence interval: 45–72%), a false‐positive rate of 10.6% (9.4–11.8%) and a positive predictor value of 1 in 9. The likelihood of having normal karyotype if the sonogram was normal was 0.46 (0.31–0.61). In women older than 35 years, a normal second trimester sonogram reduces the risk of Down syndrome by more than 50%. At least 17% of women older than 35 years do not participate in prenatal testing or ultrasound.     

急性脑梗死88例临床分析

[背景 ]比较分析 88例不同年龄组急性脑梗死患者的病因、症状、体征及头部CT所见 .[病例报告 ]将 88例急性脑梗死患者分为老年组和非老年组 ,对发病因素、症状、体征和头部CT特点进行对比分析 ,发病因素中有高血压者占 6 4 % ,心脏病者占 2 3% ,糖尿病者占 2 5 % ,有短暂性脑缺血发作病史者占 30 % ,高脂血症者占 4 5 % ,吸烟者占 5 2 % ,有家族史者占 33% .非老年组中初发者多见 ,有头痛、头晕及偏身感觉障碍等症状者比老年组多见 ,而偏瘫、四肢瘫、构音障碍及意识障碍者则老年组多见 .头部CT示单梗塞灶者在非老年组多见 ,多梗塞灶、脑白质脱髓鞘及脑萎缩者在老年组多见 .[讨论 ]脑梗死病人因年龄不同 ,其发病因素、临床表现及头部CT所见有所不同     

妊高征与眼底视网膜病变的临床探讨

目的 :探讨妊高征患者临床特征与视网膜病变的关系。方法 :观察 2 2 0例妊高征患者的眼底情况。结果 :视网膜病变与水肿关系不密切 ,与平均动脉压、蛋白尿的严重程度、病程及红细胞压积有密切关系 ;有眼底改变者 118例 ,占 5 0 .3%。结论 :眼底镜检查是临床上借以了解视网膜血管的常用方法 ,并可反映妊高征病情的程度 ,为产程处理提供依据     

高龄女患巨大腮腺混合瘤1例

腮腺混合瘤(mixed tumor)是颌面部常见的良性肿瘤之一,但本例为高龄患者,且肿瘤重达4 600 g,国内外少见报道[1,2],现报告如下。患者女性,86岁,农民(住院号69133)。主因“左颌面部渐进性增大肿块40余年,”于1999年8月20日上午8时入院。入院体检,一般情况可,心、肺、腹部未见异常     

宜昌市20年结肠镜检查大肠癌患病率回顾性分析

目的探讨该市大肠癌流行病学和临床特点。方法以所有结肠镜受检对象为研究群体,对大肠癌患病率、大肠癌患者性别、年龄、肿瘤部位进行统计分析;比较大肠癌临床症状与大肠癌患者年龄、肿瘤发生部位的关系。结果自1980年以来,大肠癌年度患病率呈非线性缓慢上升,男性大肠癌患病率7.1%;女性大肠癌患病率5.5%;在3个年限段(80年代、90年代和21世纪5年)大肠癌中位患病年龄分别为男53.5、56.7和59.0岁;女51.9、53.7和55.2岁。986例大肠癌中直肠癌691例,乙状结肠癌82例,降结肠癌18例,脾曲癌4例,横结肠癌37例,肝曲癌30例,升结肠、回盲部癌79例,大肠多发性癌45例。临床症状以便血为主,其次为腹痛、腹部包块和肠梗阻发生率较低,半数以上患者有不同程度贫血。结论该市大肠癌患病率和中位发病年龄呈缓慢上升,低于国内大肠癌高发区。大肠癌肿瘤发生部位有近移和多发趋势。便血是直肠癌主要症状,中老年患者便血发生率高于青年患者,但腹痛发生率低于青年患者。     

Sociodemographic Differences in the Prevalence of Self-Reported Headache in Icelandic School-Children

SYNOPSIS
The study considers the prevalence of headache experiences in a random national sample of 2140 Icelandic 11-12 and 15-16 year-old school-children. The study finds an overall 21.9% prevalence of "at least weekly" headache. The prevalence is significantly higher among younger children end among girls. The gender difference is found to be related to the fact that older boys have a markedly lower prevalence than younger boys. No gender difference is observed in the younger group. Social class interacts with gender, with the gender difference leveling out in the upper class. The frequency of headache experiences correlates with last months use of medication to relieve headache. The high overall prevalence of headache found in this study agrees with earlier findings, and is a matter of concern since little is being done to counter this problem of discomfort among school-children.     

Mature-age entrants to medical school: a controlled study of sociodemographic characteristics, career choice and job satisfaction

A comparison of 121 mature-age and 270 normal-age entrants who graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School between 1972 and 1987 shows that mature-age entrants are some 7 years older, are more likely to come from public (state) schools and less likely to have parents in professional/technical occupations. Otherwise, the two groups were similar in terms of gender, marital status, number of children, ethnic background and current practice location. The educational background of mature-age entrants prior to admission includes 44.6% with degrees in health-science areas and 31.4% with degrees in non-health areas. Reasons for delayed entry of mature-age entrants include late consideration of medicine as a career (34.7%), financial problems (31.4%), dissatisfaction with previous career (30.6%), poor academic results (19.8%), or a combination of the above factors. Motivations to study medicine include family influences (more so in normal-age entrants), altruistic reasons (more so in mature-age entrants) and a variety of personal/social factors such as intellectual satisfaction, prestige and financial security (similar for both groups) and parental expectations (more so in normal-age entrants). Mature-age entrants experienced greater stress throughout the medical course, especially with regard to financial difficulties, loneliness/isolation from the students and family problems (a greater proportion were married with children). While whole-course grades were similar in both groups, normal-age entrants tended to win more undergraduate honours/prizes and postgraduate diplomas/degrees, including specialist qualifications. Practice settings were similar in terms of group private practice, hospital/clinic practice or medical administration, but there was a greater proportion of mature-age entrants in solo private practice, and a smaller proportion in teaching/research. If given the time over, some two-thirds of both groups would choose medicine as a career. Reasons for job satisfaction include helping patients, intellectual stimulation and financial rewards. Reasons for dissatisfaction include pressure of work, red-tape/paperwork, 'doctor-bashing', long working hours, emotional strain, financial pressure, unfulfilled career expectations and irritation with trivial medical complaints.     

儿童胫后神经刺激的体感诱发电位正常值及其特点

探讨儿童体感诱发电位的正常值。对３０例８－１４岁健康儿童记录和测量了刺激胫扣神经引起的脊髓和皮层ＳＥＰｓ正常值，并计算出胫后神经４ 传导速度。结果１．ＳＥＰＳ各波潜伏期与身高均呈高度正线怀相关，与年龄，体重亦呈正相关，而潜伏期与年龄，体重的正相关是由身高引起的。２．Ｐ４０－Ｎ２０波间期与身高，年龄，体重均无显著相关关系。结论，ＳＥＰＳ潜伏期正常值应按其与身高的回归方程确定，Ｐ４０－Ｎ２０波间期正常