Physical urticaria

Physical urticarias are a unique subgroup of chronic urticaria in which patients develop urticaria secondary to environmental stimuli. Common triggers include exercise, temperature changes, cold, heat, pressure, sunlight, vibration, and water. Systemic symptoms have occurred during severe episodes. Physical urticarias are responsible for approximately 20% to 30% of all cases of chronic urticaria. A basic knowledge of these unusual disorders is important for all healthcare providers. This article covers the following types of physical urticarias: dermatographism, cholinergic urticaria, local heat urticaria, exercise-induced anaphylaxis, vibratory angioedema, solar urticaria, and aquagenic urticaria.     

Genetics of Physical Activity and Physical Inactivity in Humans

Emerging evidence suggests that physical activity and sedentary behavior [reflected in physical inactivity (PI)], might be two different phenotypes that may have distinct underlying physiological mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to summarize the existing literature on the genetic determinants of PA and PI phenotypes in humans, considering them as distinct behaviors. Completed in January 2011, this review includes family studies, twin studies, association studies, genome-wide linkage studies and genome-wide association scan (GWAs) reporting different physical activity/inactivity-related phenotypes. In regards to PA, familial aggregation studies resulted in heritability estimates ranging from 0 to 60 %, and twin studies yielded heritability estimates (a²) and shared environment (c²) scores for PA phenotypes ranging from 0.00 to 0.85 and 0.00 to 0.84, respectively. Unique environmental (e²) results are well dispersed from 0.12 to 0.72. Suggestive linkages were found with markers nearby different activity-related genes: EDNRB, MC4R, UCP1, FABP2, CASR, SLC9A9. Significant associations with PA phenotypes were found for Ace, Gln223ARrg, MC4R and DRD2 genes. We found one GWAs that reported novel SNPs in the PAPSS2 gene on chromosome 10q23.2 and in two intergenic regions on chromosomes 2q33.1 and 18p11.32. Heritability estimates for PI ranged from 25 to 60 % and linkage studies recorded higher LOD scores for PI versus PA. The ACE genotype was strongly associated with PI. There are potentially different genetic influences on PA versus PI phenotypes. Future studies should focus on the different genetic influences on PA and PI to improve our understanding of underlying determinants of these behaviors.     

Superego-Based Physical Symptoms

SUMMARY. Freud's'Dora'case is an example of hysteria in which the symptoms themselves are fundamentally id-phenomena modified and disguised. In other hysteria cases the symptoms may originate in the harsh superego and represent childhood punishments, reinvoked in a desperate effort to hold forbidden impulses in repression. Analytic interpretation of such symptoms can help to loosen the repressive barrier. At the same time the fact of reinvocation of childhood punishments can alert the analyst to the presence of forbidden impulses clamouring for expression.     

Physical versus pharmacological counter-measures

Summary 128 experiments were carried out on febrile rabbits at air temperatures of 8, 18, 24 and 30° C in order to analyze the thermoregulatory effects and mechanisms of physical and/or pharmacological counter-measures. Fever was achieved by injection of 0.1 g Salmonella typhi endotoxin (LPS)/kg into an ear vein. As the pharmacological counter-measure, injections of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) into an ear vein were chosen. For the physical counter-measure, cooling thermodes (5° C) were constructed for the abdominal skin, for the ear and for the rectum. ASA injections had no effect on the first fever maximum, even if applied 20 to 60 min before the LPS injection, but eliminated the second fever maximum. Of course, the additional hyperthermia observed at 30° C ambient temperature could not be eliminated by the injections. On the other hand, cooling procedures can obviously not affect the pyrogen-induced temperature increase, but reduce the hyperthermic effect of a higher ambient temperature. Rectal cooling was more effective than ear or abdominal skin cooling. Abdominal cooling evoked an increase in metabolic heat production. Application of combined physical and pharmacological counter-measures achieved the strongest and quickest reduction of the second maximum, whereas the first maximum was not affected, as in all other experiments. The study emphasizes the necessity of taking into account the time course of the effector mechanisms in order to discriminate between hyperthermic and febrile components of temperature increase. In the initial phase cooling measures would evoke unwanted regulatory responses of the effectors, whereas during the second febrile maximum they would achieve a quicker reduction of core temperatures. Antipyretics can be applied at the beginning of effector increase. However, it should be taken into account that in many cases an increased febrile metabolic and circulatory load can be tolerated for the sake of a probable stimulation of the immune system and the elimination of secondary effect of pharmacological therapy.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 114     

屯堡人的体质特征

目的 探讨屯堡人的体质特征。方法 应用Martin、《人体测量方法》和《人体测量手册》规定的方法,调查了贵州省安顺市507例（男251例,女256例）屯堡成人的87项体质指标,对23项体质指数进行计算,统计指数分型情况,并与我国一些族群资料进行比较。 结果 屯堡人多数具有上眼睑皱褶,近1/5的人具有蒙古褶,眼外角高型者居多,鼻根高度多为中等型,鼻背多为直型,鼻基部多为水平型,鼻翼高度多为中等型,鼻孔最大径斜位率与横位率接近,耳垂圆形率最高,上唇皮肤高度多为中等型,红唇厚度多为中等型;发色多为黑色,皮肤黄色率最高、眼褐色较多。屯堡人男、女性身高均属于亚中等型身材。屯堡人男女均以中头型、高头型、狭头型、中鼻型、长躯干型、宽骨盆型率最高,男性阔面型、中腿型、中胸型、中肩型、矮型率最高,女性则宽胸型率最高;阔面型与中面型、亚短腿型与中腿型、窄肩型与中肩型、矮型与亚中等型率接近。 结论 屯堡人体质特征与其他地区汉族、中国北亚类型族群较为接近。     

Physical training in man

Summary The metabolic and morphologic adaptation to physical training in skeletal muscle tissue of eleven middle-aged, physically untrained men was studied. Muscle biopsies were taken from the vastus lateralis before, after 8 weeks and after 6 months of physical training for analysis of metabolic and morphologic variables.Glucose tolerance test indicated increased insulin sensitivity after 6 months of physical training. The activities of glycogen phosphorylase, hexokinase and glucose-6-P-dehydrogenase were increased but other enzymes involved in glycogen turnover and glycolysis were unchanged after 6 months of physical training. The activities of citrate synthase and cytochrome-c-oxidase, representing the oxidative capacity were significantly increased already after 8 weeks of physical training. The incorporation rate of palmitate-carbon into CO₂ and triglycerides increased, and the incorporation rate of leucine-carbon into CO₂ decreased with 6 months of physical training. The fiber diameter of both Type 1- and Type 2-fibers increased, while the mitochondrial volume increased predominantly in Type 2-fibers.Significant correlations were found between metabolic, physiologic and morphologic variables before and after physical training. The results indicate an increased oxidative capacity, mainly located to Type 2-fibers, and an increased utilization of fatty acids in response to this type of physical training.