Differential thermosensitivity and electric prepolarization of the ampullae of Lorenzini

Summary In single-fibre preparations the afferent discharges from prepolarized ampullae of Lorenzini responding to graded temperature steps were investigated in the dogfish (Scyliorhinus canicula).The transformation characteristics of the ampullary receptors, especially their differential thermosensitivity interfering with electrosensitivity, were analyzed. Prepolarization significantly influenced the dynamic component of differential thermosensitivity, while the static component remained practically unchanged. Hyperpolarization reduced positive and negative dynamic thermal responses: depolarization amplified them.Biological consequences of this bimodal interference for receptor transformation of superimposed thermal and electric stimuli and for decoding afferent ampullary impulse patterns are discussed.This investigation was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

神经症的研究进展

目的探讨神经症的病因,防御机制,应对方式,心理治疗及药物治疗的研究进展,以便为其研究、预防和治疗工作提供科学依据。方法以最近20年国内外有关神经症研究的成果为基础,采用文献研究法分析总结了近50余篇有关的研究论文的研究成果。结果神经症患者多内向,情绪明显不稳定,神经质影响心理症状最大;他们的父母较正常人的父母对子女缺乏情感温暖,并有过度的拒绝和过度保护,家庭不和睦,其在发病前一年内负性生活事件数目与严重程度均高于对照组(P<0.01);情绪表达受限,生活单调乏味,父母采取不良教养方式,人际关系紧张等。患者存在防御上的不适当,多使用不成熟或中间型防御机制,缺乏良好的应对方式。心理疗法主要有支持心理治疗,森田疗法,认知领悟疗法和精神分析疗法;而药物以三环类药物,苯二氮卓类为主。药物与心理疗法相结合的疗效比单纯应用心理治疗或药物治疗要好。结论神经症的病因主要有人格特征,家庭环境,生活事件,教养方式,人际关系等。采用心理干预与药物治疗相结合的方法是目前比较公认的。     

病理切片图像分割技术的研究

介绍了用图像处理及模式识别技术对显微细胞图像的自动分析和分类的方法,并针对医学图像分析中的难点,提出了基于归一化彩色空间和RGB,HSV彩色模型的分割方法:利用模式识别技术中关于特征向量空间聚类的方法实施真彩色分割.这种方式有效地利用了多维特征空间对于分割目标所提供的信息,使分割的准确性有了较大的提高,解决了图像分割过程中的单个细胞检出问题.     

颞叶癫痫的临床特点与脑电图分析

目的：分析颞叶癫痫患的临床特点及脑电图定位的意义。方法：回顾分析92例颞叶癫痫患的脑电图。结果：左颞有癫痫样波42例，右颞有癫痫样波29例，双颞有癫痫样波21例，临床表现与癫痫样波发放部位有关，癫痫波的传导主要有容积传导和神经传导方式。结论：结合患临床表现与脑电图癫痫样波起始部位分析有助于致痫灶的定位。     

Spatial Characteristics of Cisterna Magna in Rats and Novel Technique for Puncture with a Stereotactic Manipulator

The actual size and sites for puncture of the cisterna magna in adult Wistar rats were estimated on acrylic models. We proposed a new method for obtaining cerebrospinal fluid from narcotized rats. This method consists in controlled introduction of a needle into the cisterna magna through the skin and/or dura mater above this structure using a stereotactic micromanipulator. Experiments on rats with focal and global cerebral ischemia showed that this technique ensures single and repeated sampling of at least 50 microl liquor not containing blood admixtures.     

Dustborne and airborne fungal propagules represent a different spectrum of fungi with differing relations to home characteristics

BACKGROUND: Exposure to fungi is often assessed by culturing floor dust or air samples. Our objective was to evaluate the relationships between dustborne and airborne fungi and to identify factors that modify these relationships. METHODS: From November 1994 to September 1996 sequential duplicate 45-l air samples were collected in bedrooms of 496 homes in the Boston area, using a Burkard culture plate sampler. After air sampling, bedroom floors were sampled with a vacuum cleaner that was modified to collect dust in a cellulose extraction thimble. Dust was sieved, and the fine dust was dilution-plated onto DG-18 media. RESULTS: Concentrations of total culturable fungi per gram of bedroom-floor dust were correlated weakly, but significantly, with those of indoor air (r = 0.13, P < 0.05). Concentrations of some individual taxa in the dust and indoor air were also weakly associated. Adjusting for the concentrations of fungi in outdoor air, dustborne fungal concentrations were positively associated with those in indoor air for the taxa Cladosporium and Penicillium, but not for total fungi. The indoor air fungal levels were often predicted by different covariates to those predicting fungal levels in dust. The type of housing (house or apartment) and the presence of carpeting were often predictive factors for dust fungi. In contrast, outdoor fungal levels were often predictive of the indoor air fungal levels. CONCLUSIONS: Because our data do not indicate a strong overall relationship between culturable fungi in dust and indoor air, the results from these two methods (dust and air sampling) likely represent different types of potential fungal exposures to residents. It may be essential to collect both air and dust samples, as well as information on housing characteristics, as indicators for fungal exposure.     

湖南省阿片类物质滥用的流行病学调查Ⅱ滥用者使用模式和人口学特征

目的:了解湖南省6地区阿片类物质滥用的类型、方式、首次滥用年龄、原因和滥用者的人口学特征。方法:采用整群抽样,入户调查与线索调查相结合的方法,对在68192名15岁~50岁社区普通居民中筛查出的370例阿片类物质滥用者的毒品滥用模式进行调查,并分析滥用者的人口学特征。结果:约95%的阿片类滥用者吸食海洛因,有少量滥用者用度冷丁和美沙酮;烫吸是首选滥用方式(81.4%),注射吸毒居第二位(38.6%);首次用药平均年龄是27±6岁,90.2%的首次用药年龄小于35岁;受他人影响(75.1%)、好奇心驱使(72.7%)和追求刺激(56.5%)是阿片类物质滥用者首次用药的三大原因;滥用者中男性(87.3%)、35岁以下者(71.1%)居多,78.7%为初中或以下者,无稳定婚姻关系和无固定职业者药物滥用率明显高于稳定婚姻关系和有固定职业者。结论:海洛因是湖南阿片类物质滥用的主要类型,使用途径以烫吸和注射为主,青中年男性、受教育程度较低者、无业/失业等非固定职业者、未婚或非稳定婚姻者是阿片类物质滥用的高危人群,应加强对高危人群的毒品滥用健康教育,有效防治毒品滥用的蔓延。     

疑病性神经症患者个性特征分析

目的 探讨疑病性神经症患者的人格特征,为临床心理干预提供参考依据.方法 采用MMIP量表对46例疑病性神经症患者进行测试,与中国常模比较.结果 疑病性神经症患者的MMPI分值以Hs、D、Hy、Pt最高,呈1-2-3-7型图形(P＜0.05～0.01);另有Pd、Pa和Sc量表也明显高于常模(P＜0.05～0.01).男女之间比较女性Hs、D、Hy、Mf和Pt显著高于男性组(P＜0.05～0.01).结论 疑病性神经症的发生与个性基础有关,MMIP对辅助评价疑病性神经症患者的人格特征有重要意义.     

Sex differences in prefrontal volume with aging and Alzheimer's disease

We used volumetric magnetic resonance imaging to examine sex differences in prefrontal tissue volumes of healthy aged and patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Healthy subjects had greater total prefrontal volume than AD, and men had greater total prefrontal volume than women (ps ≤ 0.02). This was true for both gray and white matter volumes. There were no interactions between group and sex for total prefrontal volume. An exploratory analysis of each group suggested that sex differences in both gray and white matter in healthy aging are not sustained in AD.     

Reflections on experimental and human pathology of aggression

On the basis of the already proposed distinction between "normal" and "pathological" aggression in laboratory animals, it is essayed an integration of the experimental findings derived from a specific animal model of aggression with the available clinical information on human violent behavior. The too disregarded importance of the role played by the inhibitory control of brain functions, appears instead reportedly essential in the regulation of emotions and behavior, and is of great relevance in explaining the behavioral changes that follow induced or spontaneous impairment of the serotonergic system of the brain. As a matter of fact, the numerous evidences indicate that genetic predisposition and induced or acquired defects of serotonergic inhibitory control greatly concur to precipitate anomalous strong aggression. Interestingly, the cluster of symptoms presented by laboratory rats in consequence of the serotonergic discontrol, has many unexpected similarities with several pathological conditions of man. This fact confers to laboratory experiments the value of a tool aimed at a better understanding of the biological mechanisms which underlie corresponding alterations of human conduct, with special reference to pathological aggression and violence. In this line, some specific nutrient defects and/or malabsorption conditions can be important in the facilitation or elicitation of mental illness including human aggression. In addition, the efficacy and neurochemical action of those substances capable to partially or completely block or prevent experimental aggression, will likely assume equal relevance in the management or prevention of human violent behavior.