Economical and rational in vivo and in vitro diagnosis in Basedow hyperthyroidism

Immunogenic hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease) is a life-long ailment. A widespread diagnostic evaluation is essential for unbiased initial values prior to therapy. The major goals of initial investigation are to determine a functional disturbance of the organ, its pathogenesis and morphology. Even a suppressed ultrasensitive bTSH value represents no evidence of overt hyperthyroidism; a positive diagnosis can only be established by the additional presence of increased parameters of circulating free thyroid hormones (fT3, fT4). Evidence of any immunogenic pathogenesis is given by positive thyroid antibody values (TRAK, MAK, TAK). Moreover, the use of sonography (with poor diffuse echo and increased thyroid depth) as well as Tc-99m scan indicating primary autonomy, thyroxine induced hyperthyroidism or painless thyroiditis) may both prove rather useful in a rational and economical diagnosis of Graves' disease.     

The cyclic-AMP concentration in plasma and in muscle in response to exercise and beta-blockade in man

At rest the cAMP concentration in (muscle samples of) the quadriceps femoris ranged from 1.55 to 3.00 μmol per kg dry muscle and in plasma from 15.3 to 32.3 nmol per 1. Blockade of the beta adrenoreceptors with propranolol resulted in a significant decrease in the concentration in muscle at rest, the magnitude of the fall being related to the inital level. Similarly in plasma there was a trend towards lower levels of cAMP in those with the highest pretreatment levels, but the overall change was not statistically significant. There was no relation between the concentrations in muscle and plasma, before or after beta-blockade. Maximum dynamic exercise for 4–8 min resulted in an approximate doubling in the cAMP concentration in both muscle and blood. The increase in plasma was closely related to that in muscle. Beta-blockade inhibited totally the rise in cAMP in muscle during exercise but was marginally less effective in preventing the increase in blood. No increase in plasma or muscle cAMP levels during 40–70 s isometric contraction were observed.     

Age-related impairments in memory and in CREB and pCREB expression in hippocampus and amygdala following inhibitory avoidance training

This experiment examined whether age-related changes in CREB and pCREB contribute to the rapid forgetting seen in aged animals. Young (3-month-old) and aged (24-month-old) Fischer-344 rats received inhibitory avoidance training with a low (0.2 mA, 0.4 s) or moderate (0.5 mA, 0.5 s) foot shock; memory was measured 7 days later. Other rats were euthanized 30 min after training, and CREB and pCREB expression levels were examined in the hippocampus, amygdala, and piriform cortex using immunohistochemistry. CREB levels decreased with age in the hippocampus and amygdala. After training with either shock level, young rats exhibited good memory and increases in pCREB levels in the hippocampus and amygdala. Aged rats exhibited good memory for the moderate but not the low shock but did not show increases in pCREB levels after either shock intensity. These results suggest that decreases in total CREB and in pCREB activation in the hippocampus and amygdala may contribute to rapid forgetting in aged rats. After moderate foot shock, the stable memory in old rats together with absence of CREB activation suggests either that CREB was phosphorylated in a spatiotemporal pattern other than analyzed here or that the stronger training conditions engaged alternate mechanisms that promote long-lasting memory.     

ALA和HMME水凝胶栓剂的制备和体内外释药研究

目的 制备光敏剂5-氨基酮戊酸(ALA)和血卟啉单甲醚(HMME)水凝胶栓剂,评价其对直肠肿瘤组织的光敏剂递送效率.方法 将皮下移植人直肠癌细胞SW837的BALB/c小鼠随机分为水凝胶栓剂直肠局部给药组、皮肤局部给药组、瘤内注射给药组和静脉注射给药组.用荧光光谱仪测量直肠壁、皮肤和皮下肿瘤中原卟啉(PpⅨ)和HMME的浓度,荧光光谱系统测定相应的光敏剂分布情况.结果 ALA水凝胶栓剂直肠局部给药组的PpⅨ浓度分别是皮肤局部给药组的9.76倍(1 h)和5.80倍(3 h),差异均具有统计学意义(均P＜0.05).皮肤局部给药后2h,ALA在肿瘤组织内达到最大穿透深度(3～6 mm).而HMME水凝胶栓剂直肠局部给药后,直肠壁中的HMME浓度极低,且皮肤局部给药后的最大肿瘤穿透深度不足2 mm.结论 与皮肤相比,ALA更易穿透黏膜屏障,以水凝胶栓剂形式直肠局部给药有望成为ALA用于光动力疗法治疗直肠癌的一种给药方式.     

Advances in adult asthma diagnosis and treatment and HEDQ in 2010

This summary reviews research published over the past year on asthma and through the prism of health care delivery and quality. Special attention is given to management, therapeutics, and the role of environmental exposures and their interactions with genetics. The discussion is framed around the 3 stages of translational research: from bench to first studies in human subjects, then to larger efficacy studies in well-defined patient populations, and finally into practice through effectiveness research in real-world settings.     

高校组织学与胚胎学课程思政研究状况

<正>为了解我国高校组织学与胚胎学课程思政的开展情况。通过检索中国科学引文数据库、维普信息资源系统和万方数据库获得相关文献,从课程思政的基本概念和意义、组织学与胚胎学课程思政状况和展望3个方面进行了归纳。课程思政的提出,目的是为高校思想政治教育改革探索新模式。目前组织学与胚胎学课程思政工作主要从课程思政的目标、思政元素、方法、存在的问题和解决方法等方面开展了探索和研究。     

Differences in startle reflex and prepulse inhibition in European-Americans and African-Americans

The acoustic startle reflex and its modulation by a prepulse are psychophysiological phenomena that are commonly studied to evaluate various aspects of information processing. Recent reports in human populations suggest that subjects from disparate racial backgrounds may have significant differences in the startle response. To determine if this pattern could be observed in our subject population and whether it extended to prepulse inhibition (PPI), we evaluated baseline startle parameters and PPI in 53 African-Americans (AA) and 38 European-Americans (EA). In AA compared to EA, mean startle magnitude and probability of blink response were lower, with no difference in habituation. PPI was greater in AA than EA when groups were matched on baseline startle magnitude. These findings support the idea of racial differences in startle response. Implications for study design are highlighted, and possible environmental and genetic influences are considered.     

Smoking behaviour and increase in nicotine and carboxyhaemoglobin in venous blood

Summary The connection between smoking behaviour (number of puffs, puff volume, depth of inhalation, duration of inhalation) and the increase in both nicotine and carboxyhaemoglobin (COHb) in venous blood was investigated with methods developed especially for measurement of the puff volume, the depth of inhalation, and the duration of inhalation in 28 inhaling cigarette smokers. A significant correlation could be demonstrated between the smoking parameters and the nicotine and carboxyhaemoglobin increase. The weighting obtained shows that the number of puffs is the most important parameter affecting the increase in nicotine, whereas the depth of inhalation and the puff volume are of much less relevance. The duration of inhalation does not affect the nicotine level. A significant increase in nicotine cannot be attained in non-inhalatioe smoking of cigarettes with an acid mainstream smoke (n=14). The increase in COHb is most affected by the puff volume, and slightly less by the number of puffs and the depth of inhalation. The duration of inhalation does not affect the COHb level.Abbreviations C compliance of the lung - C_sta static compliance of the lung - CO carbon monoxide - COHb carboxyhaemoglobin - D_coa diffusion of carbon monoxide in the lung - Hb haemoglobin - P_ACO alveolar partial pressure of carbon monoxide - P_cCO partial pressure of carbon monoxide in the pulmonary capillaries - P_A-cNCO difference in partial pressure between the alveolar cavity and the pulmonary capillaries - VC vital capacity - V_coa amount of diffusion of carbon monoxide per unit of time     

Ceramide in apoptosis and oxidative stress in allergic inflammation and asthma

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Participation in extracurricular activities and emotional and behavioral adjustment in middle childhood in Spanish Boys and Girls

This study examined the concurrent relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and externalizing and internalizing problems and social school behavior in a Spanish community sample, separately for boys (n=439) and girls (n=428), enrolled in 2nd, 4th, or 6th grades. Weekly participation in extracurricular activities was related to better emotional and behavioral adjustment and social competence. Overall, the relations were low and different according to gender, type of activity, and informant. Better adjustment was more related to participation in sports activities in boys and to participation in nonsports activities in girls. Size effect was higher for girls and decreased for both boys and girls when parental education and parenting practices were considered. Findings supported previous results obtained in American adolescents. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Imaging beta-cell mass and function in situ and in vivo

Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) from pancreatic beta-cells is critical to the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis in animals. Both decrease in pancreatic beta-cell mass and defects in beta-cell function contribute to the onset of diabetes, although the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Molecular imaging techniques can help beta-cell study in a number of ways. High-resolution fluorescence imaging techniques provide novel insights into the fundamental mechanisms underlying GSIS in isolated beta-cells or in situ in pancreatic islets, and dynamic changes of beta-cell mass and function can be noninvasively monitored in vivo by imaging techniques such as positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computed tomography. All these techniques will contribute to the better understanding of the progression of diabetes and the search for the optimized therapeutic measures that reverse deficits in beta-cell mass and function.     

Similarities and differences in black men and women in psychotherapy

A survey of 93 psychiatrists concerning the psychotherapy of black men and women indicated that there were more similarities than differences between the men and women. Black male patients aged 31 to 40 and black women in the age ranges from 26 to 30 and 31 to 40 were most frequently seen for treatment. The patients were usually married and employed in technical or semiprofessional occupations. Both men and women had depression as the most frequent presenting problem, with work-related and family problems the next most frequent presenting problems.