广西中小学生头发元素含量的地域性差异研究

目的　探讨广西中小学生头发中的人体必需元素含量及其地域性差异。方法　用偏振塞曼原子吸收仪 ,检测了来自融水、三江和马山县的 3 0 5 0名 7～ 16岁中小学生头发中铜、镁、镍、硒、钴、铬、铁、锌、钙 9种人体必需元素的含量 ,并用SPSS统计软件做了统计分析。结果　中小学生头发中除铜以外的 8种元素含量有明显的地域性差异 :①融水的镁、镍、钴、铬、铁、钙含量高于三江的 ,硒、锌含量低于三江的 ;②融水的镁、钴、铁、锌、钙含量高于马山 ,镍、铬含量低于马山的 ;③三江的硒、钴、锌含量高于马山 ,镍、铬含量低于马山。其中融水的钴、铁、钙、镁含量最高 ;三江的硒、锌含量最高 ;马山的镍、铬含量最高。结论　广西融水、三江和马山县中学生头发中镍、硒、钴、铬、铁、锌、钙、镁含量有明显的地域性差异     

ABO, Rh, MNS, Duffy, Kidd,Yt, Scianna, and Colton blood group systems in indigenous Chinese

The frequencies of selected alleles in the ABO, Rh, MNS, Duffy, Kidd, Yt, Scianna, and Colton blood group systems were determined among four indigenous Chinese ethnic populations: Han, Tajik, She, and Yugu. Genotypes were determined by PCR or PCR with sequence specific primers (PCR-SSP). In the Han population, the frequencies of A1, A2, B, and O1 alleles were 0.189, 0.003, 0.170, and 0.638, respectively, and the O2 allele was not identified. Among D+ Hans, the frequencies of C and c alleles were 0.67 and 0.33 and the frequencies of E and e were 0.22 and 0.78, respectively. Among D- Hans, the frequencies of C and c alleles were 0.23 and 0.77 and the frequencies of E and e were 0.04 and 0.96, respectively. The frequencies of M and N alleles were 0.478 and 0.522 among Hans and 0.655 and 0.345 among Tajiks, respectively. The frequencies of Fya and Fyb alleles were 0.94 and 0.06 among Hans and 0.98 and 0.02 among Shes, respectively. The frequencies of Jka and Jkb alleles were 0.49 and 0.51 among Hans and 0.56 and 0.44 among Shes, respectively. The frequency of the Yta allele was 1.00 among Hans. The frequencies of Yta and Ytb alleles were 0.94 and 0.06 among Tajiks, respectively. The frequency of the Sc1 allele was 1.00 in both Han and Tajik ethnic populations. The frequency of the Coa allele was 1.00 in Han, She, and Tajik ethnic populations.     

Spatial pattern of nerve fiber abnormality indicative of pathologic mechanism.

Estimates of the number, density, and size distribution of myelinated fibers at selected levels of roots, spinal tracts, and sampled levels of peripheral nerves may be used in the detection and characterization of alterations of motor, sensory, and autonomic neurons and their axons with development, aging and disease. Use of imaging techniques, now available, increases the reliability, versatility, and speed of such analysis. In this study, the authors evaluated the spatial pattern of fibers in sampled frames and contour areas of transverse sections of nerve fascicles, utilizing, the coefficient of variation and index of dispersion (ID), the latter extensively employed by plant ecologists. The ID was used for recognization of increased, normal, or decreased variability of density within fascicles, between fascicles, and between nerves in health and in various experimental neuropathies. In addition, various morphometric measurements were made in transverse sections at defined levels along the hind limb nerves of rats in acute and chronic ischemia, after rhizotomy and in galactose neuropathy. These stereomorphometric studies, emphasizing the number, size, shape, and spatial pattern of fibers, revealed differences among experimental neuropathies and may be found to be helpful in the characterization and prediction of pathologic mechanisms in neuropathies of unknown cause. Specifically, these approaches could be used for study of whether fiber loss in human diabetic neuropathy is multifocal and determination of the levels of such losses.     

Advances in synthesis of calcium phosphate crystals with controlled size and shape

Calcium phosphate (CaP) materials have a wide range of applications, including biomaterials, adsorbents, chemical engineering materials, catalysts and catalyst supports and mechanical reinforcements. The size and shape of CaP crystals and aggregates play critical roles in their applications. The main inorganic building blocks of human bones and teeth are nanocrystalline CaPs; recently, much progress has been made in the application of CaP nanocrystals and their composites for clinical repair of damaged bone and tooth. For example, CaPs with special micro- and nanostructures can better imitate the biomimetic features of human bone and tooth, and this offers significantly enhanced biological performances. Therefore, the design of CaP nano-/microcrystals, and the shape and hierarchical structures of CaPs, have great potential to revolutionize the field of hard tissue engineering, starting from bone/tooth repair and augmentation to controlled drug delivery devices. Previously, a number of reviews have reported the synthesis and properties of CaP materials, especially for hydroxyapatite (HAp). However, most of them mainly focused on the characterizations and physicochemical and biological properties of HAp particles. There are few reviews about the control of particle size and size distribution of CaPs, and in particular the control of nano-/microstructures on bulk CaP ceramic surfaces, which is a big challenge technically and may have great potential in tissue engineering applications. This review summarizes the current state of the art for the synthesis of CaP crystals with controlled sizes from the nano- to the macroscale, and the diverse shapes including the zero-dimensional shapes of particles and spheres, the one-dimensional shapes of rods, fibers, wires and whiskers, the two-dimensional shapes of sheets, disks, plates, belts, ribbons and flakes and the three-dimensional (3-D) shapes of porous, hollow, and biomimetic structures similar to biological bone and tooth. In addition, this review will also summarize studies on the controlled formation of nano-/microstructures on the surface of bulk ceramics, and the preparation of macroscopical bone grafts with 3-D architecture nano-/microstructured surfaces. Moreover, the possible directions of future research and development in this field, such as the detailed mechanisms behind the size and shape control in various strategies, the importance of theoretical simulation, self-assembly, biomineralization and sacrificial precursor strategies in the fabrication of biomimetic bone-like and enamel-like CaP materials are proposed.     

Efficacy of adulticidal and larvicidal properties of botanical extracts against Haemaphysalis bispinosa, Hippobosca maculata, and Anopheles subpictus

The aim of the present study was to investigate the adulticidal and larvicidal activity of dried leaf hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts of Nelumbo nucifera, Manilkara zapota, Ipomoea staphylina, and Acalypha indica against the adults of Haemaphysalis bispinosa (Acarina: Ixodidae), hematophagous fly Hippobosca maculata (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), and fourth instar larvae of malaria vector Anopheles subpictus (Diptera: Culicidae). Parasites were exposed to varying concentrations of plant extracts for 24 h. All extracts showed moderate parasitic effects; however, the percent parasitic mortality observed in the crude leaf hexane, ethyl acetate, acetone, and methanol extracts of N. nucifera and M. zapota against H. bispinosa were 80, 74, 72, and 100 and 100, 83, 74, and 91, respectively, and the activity for I. staphylina and A. indica against Hip. maculata were 100, 93, 87, and 66 and 78, 90, 87, and 100 at 2,000 ppm, respectively; the larvicidal activity for the same extracts of I. staphylina against A. subpictus were 76, 82, 84, and 100 at 100 ppm, respectively. The maximum efficacy was observed in the leaf methanol extract of N. nucifera, hexane extract of M. zapota and leaf hexane extract of I. staphylina, and methanol extract of A. indica against the adults of H. bispinosa and Hip. maculata with LC(50) and LC(90) values of 437.14 and 200.81, and 415.14 and 280.72 ppm, 1,927.57 and 703.52 ppm, and 1,647.70 and 829.39 ppm, respectively. The effective larvicidal activity was observed in leaf methanol extract of I. staphylina against A. subpictus with LC(50) and LC(90) values of 10.39 and 37.71 ppm, respectively. Therefore, this study provides the first report on the adulticidal and larvicidal activity of crude solvent extracts. This is an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of H. bispinosa, Hip. maculata, and the medically important vector A. subpictus.     

The 2004 International AIDS Conference and how to globally counter HIV/AIDS

This article reports noteworthy HIV/AIDS clinical trials presented at the XVth International AIDS Conference, Bangkok, July 2004, and also outlines goals of comprehensive prevention, care, treatment, and monitoring plans. The Bangkok conference theme was "Access for All." Outlined are goals of comprehensive prevention, care, and treatment programs: increased education and prevention efforts, greater involvement of national health authorities, reduction of new HIV infections, increased use of voluntary counseling and testing, increased acceptance and use of condoms, acceptance of an individual's right to be protected against HIV infection during sexual activity, increased support of NGOs, reduction of sexual partners, increased sexual fidelity, availability of antiretroviral medication, prevention of mother-to-child transmission, reduction of AIDS deaths, improved surveillance of sexually transmitted infections, improved blood supply security, increased coordination with tuberculosis and malaria treatment, equity for urban and rural persons, increased orphan services, reduction of orphan rate, greater involvement of local leaders, increased media involvement, reducing HIV/AIDS discussion taboo, reduced injecting drug user needle sharing, and continuing education for health care professionals. Monitoring parameters include incidence and prevalence of HIV infections, use of voluntary counseling and testing, condom use and attitudes to right of protection, AIDS deaths, orphan rate, public advertisements, leadership participation, antiretroviral use and availability, public awareness of services, blood supply security, and professional education.     

Detection of Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae by enzyme immunoassay, culture, and three nucleic acid amplification tests

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare three commercially available nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) for the detection of Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Chlamydia trachomatis. Roche PCR and Becton Dickinson strand displacement amplification (SDA) were performed on 733 endocervical swab specimens from commercial sex workers. Abbott ligase chain reaction (LCR) was performed on a subset of 396 samples. Endocervical specimens from all women were also tested by culture for N. gonorrhoeae and by Syva MicroTrak enzyme immunoassay (EIA) for C. trachomatis. A positive N. gonorrhoeae result was defined as a positive result by culture or by two NAATs, and a positive C. trachomatis result was defined as a positive result by two tests. According to these definitions, the sensitivities and specificities for the subsample of 396 specimens of N. gonorrhoeae culture, PCR, SDA, and LCR were 69.8, 95.2, 88.9, and 88.9% and 100, 99.4, 100, and 99.1%, respectively; the sensitivities and specificities of C. trachomatis EIA, PCR, SDA, and LCR were 42.0, 98.0, 94.0, and 90.0% and 100, 98.0, 100, and 98.6%, respectively. The performance characteristics of N. gonorrhoeae culture, PCR, and SDA and C. trachomatis EIA, PCR, and SDA for all 733 specimens were defined without inclusion of LCR results and by discrepant analysis after resolution of discordant N. gonorrhoeae PCR results and of discordant C. trachomatis EIA and PCR results by LCR testing. The sensitivities of N. gonorrhoeae culture, PCR, and SDA before and after LCR resolution were 67.8, 95.7, and 93.9% and 65, 95.8, and 90.0%, respectively. The sensitivities of C. trachomatis EIA, PCR, and SDA decreased from 39.4, 100, and 100% to 38.7, 98.7, and 94.7%, respectively. All three NAATs proved to be superior to N. gonorrhoeae culture and to C. trachomatis EIA. The accuracies of the different NAATs were quite similar. SDA was the only amplification assay with 100% specificity for detection of both N. gonorrhoeae and C. trachomatis in endocervical specimens.     

青藏铁路格尔木至唐古拉山段的重要吸血双翅目昆虫的分布与活动规律

本文以人帐诱、畜诱、灯诱和网捕等方法研究了青海高原格尔木至唐古拉山铁路沿线重要吸血双翅目昆虫的分布与活动规律。结果共发现吸血双翅目昆虫4科8属52种,其中蚊科3属9种,蠓科2属24种,虻科4属10种和蚋科1属9种。优势种在沱沱河地区为沱沱河细蠓,纳赤台地区为沱沱河细蠓和灰股瘤虻,格尔木地区为凶小库蚊、黄背伊蚊、格尔木细蠓、灰股瘤虻、马蚋和乌什蚋。不同海拔高度吸血双翅目昆虫的种群组成不同,分布差异明显,密度指数高低相差悬殊,呈海拔递增其种类组成由复杂逐步转入简单且数量逐步增大的独特高原分布特征;生态习性在不同地理、海拔高度中蚊、蠓、虻、蚋虫的种群组成、密度指数、飞舞时域、觅食规律和活动高峰不同,均以白天活动为主,夜间不见飞舞,其中库蚊和库蠓的活动主要在早晨和傍晚,伊蚊、细蠓和虻、蚋虫活动主要在白天的10∶00~18∶00时。格尔木地区全年蚊、蠓、虻、蚋的活动主要在4~10月,活动猖獗期蠓虫为5月,蚊虫为6月,虻、蚋为7月。本研究初步掌握了青海高原格尔木至唐古拉山铁路沿线重要吸血双翅目昆虫的种群组成、地理分布和活动规律,给青海高原格尔木至唐古拉山铁路沿线蚊、蠓、虻、蚋类防治提供了科学依据。     

miRNA 表达与免疫细胞因子相关性在原发性肝癌早期诊断和预后中的作用

目的:检测miR-146a、miR-224、miR-34c、miR-200a、miR-148b、miR-375 六种miRNAs 在原发性肝癌中的表达变化及其与HBsAg、抗-HBs、HBeAg、抗-HBe、抗-HBc 和IL-12、IL-4、IL-6、IL-10、IFN-γ、TNF-α等炎症因子表达的相关性,以验证循环miRNA 是否可作为理想的血源性新型生物标志物用于原发性肝癌的早期检测。方法:收集肝炎、肝硬化患者及健康对照组静脉血,并收集原发性肝癌患者癌组织和癌旁组织。提取总RNA 后通过实时定量PCR 检测并比较各组miRNA 的相对表达水平,同时检测miRNA 表达水平变化与血清肿瘤标志物AFP、CEA、CA19-9、CA125 表达的关系;并检测miRNAs 表达水平变化与HBsAg、抗-HBs、HBeAg、抗-HBe、抗-HBc 和炎症因子IL-12、IL-4、IL-6、IL-10、IFN-γ、TNF-α表达相关性。结果:相对于健康组,miR-34c、miR-224、miR-146a 在PHC 组血清和组织中表达显著上调;miR-200a、miR-148b、miR-375 在PHC 组血清和组织中表达显著下调,差异具有统计学意义。HBsAg 与血清miR-375 和miR-146a 存在回归关系,miR-375 随HBsAg 表达水平升高而降低,而miR-146a 随HBsAg 表达升高而升高。IFN-γ与miR-146a 存在回归关系, miR-146a 随IFN-γ表达水平降低而升高,miR-375 和miR-146a 诊断能力大于CA19-9 和AFP。结论:miR-146a、miR-224、miR-34c、miR-200a、miR-148b、miR-375 在原发性肝癌血清和组织中存在表达差异,其中miR-375 和miR-146a 诊断能力优于AFP 和CA19-9,血清miR-375 和miR-146a 可能成为新的肝癌早期诊断标志。     

新生儿体重、身长和体表面积的研究

目的　探讨新生儿的营养及发育状况。方法　直接获取新生儿的体重、身长值,采用Du.Bois公 式计算每位新生儿的体表面积,并对其进行性别、城乡和年代差异的比较。结果　体重、身长、体表面积依年 代递增,其中体重、身长均无明显的性别、城乡及年代差异,而体表面积存在一定的年代及城乡差异,但这种差 异依年代递减。结论　新生儿的营养及发育状况在年代及城乡的差异逐渐减低。     

The Professional Stress Syndrome

Following a review of studies of protracted stress, the manifestations of professional stress syndrome are described. These include disruptions in relationships and complaints of ex haustion, fatigue, headaches, gastrointestinal disturbances, weight loss or gain, insomnia, and depression. Accompanying behavioral signs are lability of mood, diminished frustration tolerance, sus piciousness, feelings of omnipotence, and heightened levels of risk-taking. Unless recognized and treated early, physical and emotional disorders, including addictive behavior, can develop. Personal and institutional strategies for intervention include de velopment of peer relationships, changes in work and recreational routines, clarification of goals, and ventilation of feelings.     

Molecular approaches to understanding neural network plasticity and memory: the Kavli Prize Inaugural Symposium on Neuroscience

The Kavli Prizes were awarded for the first time in Oslo, Norway on September 9, 2008 to seven of the world's most prominent scientists in astrophysics, nanoscience and neuroscience. The astrophysics prize was awarded jointly to Maarten Schmidt, of the California Institute of Technology, USA, and Donald Lynden-Bell, of Cambridge University, UK; the nanoscience prize was awarded jointly to Louis E. Brus, of Columbia University, USA, and Sumio Iijima, of Meijo University, Japan; and the neuroscience prize was awarded jointly to Pasko Rakic, of the Yale University School of Medicine, USA, Thomas Jessell, of Columbia University, USA, and Sten Grillner, of the Karolinska Institute, Sweden. The Kavli Prize is a joint venture of the Kavli Foundation, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research.     

Histopathological effects of homocysteine thiolactone on epithelial and stromal tissues

To study the effects of homocysteine on epithelial and stromal tissues, the free base of homocysteine thiolactone was synthesized and administered to mice. Intraperitoneal and intramuscular doses of 0.2 to 2.0 mg/g are acutely toxic, causing as much as 90% mortality because of intense tissue necrosis at the injection site, congestion and fibrin thrombi in pulmonary vessels, focal necrosis of liver and kidney, and deposition of lipid within hepatocytes. In survivors of intramuscular injection the area of tissue necrosis is surrounded by fibrosis, calcification, hypertrophy of nerves and ducts, and formation of acanthotic squamous epithelium with hyperkeratosis and focal dysplasia. Topical homocysteine thiolactone on skin is not systemically toxic, but ulceration, fibrosis, acute and chronic inflammation, angiogenesis, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, and dysplastic squamous epithelium are observed. The findings show that homocysteine thiolactone promotes keratin formation by squamous epithelium, interferes with cellular processes necessary for viability, stimulates epithelial dysplasia and stromal hyperplasia, and produces intravascular fibrin thrombi.     

Current methods of immunologic diagnosis in parasitology

This review of the immunological diagnosis of parasitic diseases defines the various indications, the means of collection and preparation, the various levels of specificity and the choice of parasitic antigen which should be used for immuno-diagnosis. The detection and assay of circulating antibodies relies on the techniques of immuno-precipitation (immunodiffusion, immunoelectrophoresis, electrosyneresis), indirect agglutination (latex and haemagglutination) or the use of labelled compounds (immunofluorescence, enzymo-immunoassay, radio-immunoassay). Their respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed. The detection and assay of circulating antigens involve the use of agglutination techniques (mycoses), radio-immunoassay or enzymo-immunoassay (protozooses and helminthiases). The authors review the applications of immunological diagnosis for the helminthiases (Trichinosis, Toxocarosis, Filariasis, Anguillosis, Ascaridiasis, Echinococcosis, Taeniasis and Cysticercosis, Distomatosis and Schistosomiasis), the protozoan infections (malaria, Toxoplasmosis, Amebiasis, Trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis) and the mycoses (Aspergillosis, Candidiasis, Cryptococcosis). They also discuss the prospects for the development of immunological diagnosis by identification, purification and standardization of parasitic antigens and the study of circulating antigens and idiotypic anti-parasitic antibodies. Finally, they outline the respective responsibilities of the biologist and the prescribing doctor for the proper use of immunological diagnosis of parasitic diseases.     

Systematization,Description, and Territory of the Caudal Cerebral Artery in Surface of the Brain of the Ostrich (Struthio camelus)

Brain specimens from 30 ostriches were injected with red‐dyed latex via the internal carotid arteries, and the caudal cerebral arteries and their branches were systematically described. On the right side, the caudal cerebral artery was double‐, triple‐, quadruple‐, and single‐branched in 73.5%, 23.3%, 3.3%, and 3.3% of cases, respectively; on the left side, it was double‐, triple‐, quadruple‐, and single‐branched in 76.7%, 20%, 3.3%, and 3.3% of cases, respectively. The dorsal tectal mesencephalic artery appeared as a single vessel in 96.7% of cases, emerging as a collateral branch of the caudal cerebral artery. The dorsal mesencephalic tectal artery originated from the right dorsal cerebellar artery in 40% of cases and from the left side in 63.3% of cases. On the right side, there were four and three medial occipital hemispheric branches in 46.7% and 20% of cases, respectively; on the left side, there were four and three branches in 30% and 26.7% of cases. On the right side, the pineal artery was double‐, single‐, triple‐, and quadruple‐branched in 50%, 23.3%, 20%, and 6.7% of cases, respectively; on the left side, this artery was double‐, single‐, triple‐, and quadruple‐branched in 50%, 23.3%, 16.7%, and 10% of cases, respectively. The diencephalic artery was on the right side in 43.3% of cases and on the left side in 56.7% of cases. The interhemispheric artery was on the right side in 56.7% of cases and on the left side in 43.3% of cases; four, three, two, five, and one dorsal hemispheric trunks branched off of the interhemispheric artery in 40%, 40%, 10%, 6.7%, and 26.7% of cases, respectively. The caudal cerebral artery was classified as Type I in 56.7% of cases (subtype IA in 33.3% of cases and IB in 23.3% of cases), Type II in 40% of cases (subtype IIA in 20% of cases and IIB in 20% of cases), and Type III in 3.3% of cases. Anat Rec, 297:1523–1531, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The right cerebral hemisphere: emotion, music, visual-spatial skills, body-image, dreams, and awareness

Based on a review of numerous studies conducted on normal, neurosurgical and brain-injured individuals, the right cerebral hemisphere appears to be dominant in the perception and identification of environmental and nonverbal sounds; the analysis of geometric and visual space (e.g., depth perception, visual closure); somesthesis, stereognosis, the maintenance of the body image; the production of dreams during REM sleep; the perception of most aspects of musical stimuli; and the comprehension and expression of prosodic, melodic, visual, facial, and verbal emotion. When the right hemisphere is damaged a variety of cognitive abnormalities may result, including hemi-inattention and neglect, prosopagnosia, constructional apraxia, visual-perceptual disturbances, and agnosia for environmental, musical, and emotional sounds. Similarly, a myriad of affective abnormalities may occur, including indifference, depression, hysteria, gross social-emotional disinhibition, florid manic excitement, childishness, euphoria, impulsivity, and abnormal sexual behavior. Patients may become delusional, engage in the production of bizzare confabulations and experience a host of somatic disturbances such as pain and body-perceptual distortions. Based on studies of normal and "split-brain" functioning, it also appears that the right hemisphere maintains a highly developed social-emotional mental system and can independently perceive, recall and act on certain memories and experiences without the aid or active reflective participation of the left. This leads to situations in which the right and left halves of the brain sometime act in an uncooperative fashion, which gives rise to inter-manual and intra-psychic conflicts.     

阿克陶县塔吉克族成人头面部表型特征

目的 获得阿克陶县塔吉克族成人的头面部体质人类学特征,并通过与其他人群的聚类分析探讨其族源问题。 方法 按照《人体测量方法》对新疆阿克陶县286名塔吉克族成人（男121人,女165人）的12项头面部形态观察指标、19项头面部测量指标、12项头面部指数及其分型进行调查分析。 结果 阿克陶县塔吉克族成人头长、头宽、头高、额最小宽、面宽、下颌角间宽、鼻宽、口裂宽、耳上头高、容貌面高、形态面高、鼻长、鼻高、容貌耳长、容貌耳宽、颧部突出度、鼻根高度、鼻背侧面观、鼻基底方向等指标具有性别间差异（P<0.05）;阿克陶县与塔什库尔干县塔吉克族相比：颧部突出度、眼裂倾斜度、鼻根高度、鼻基底方向、鼻孔最大径、耳垂分型、头宽高指数分型、形态面指数分型、鼻指数分型等头面部类型指标存在地区间差异（P<0.05）;聚类分析结果显示塔吉克族具有独特的头面部特征,单独聚为一类,并与伊朗人较相似。 结论 阿克陶县塔吉克族具有欧罗巴人种的头面部特征,阿克陶县塔吉克族与塔什库尔干县塔吉克族的头面部特征有一定差异,从头面部特征看可能与东伊朗部族人群具有亲缘关系。     

Neuroendocrine control of growth hormone secretion

The secretion of growth hormone (GH) is regulated through a complex neuroendocrine control system, especially by the functional interplay of two hypothalamic hypophysiotropic hormones, GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) and somatostatin (SS), exerting stimulatory and inhibitory influences, respectively, on the somatotrope. The two hypothalamic neurohormones are subject to modulation by a host of neurotransmitters, especially the noradrenergic and cholinergic ones and other hypothalamic neuropeptides, and are the final mediators of metabolic, endocrine, neural, and immune influences for the secretion of GH. Since the identification of the GHRH peptide, recombinant DNA procedures have been used to characterize the corresponding cDNA and to clone GHRH receptor isoforms in rodent and human pituitaries. Parallel to research into the effects of SS and its analogs on endocrine and exocrine secretions, investigations into their mechanism of action have led to the discovery of five separate SS receptor genes encoding a family of G protein-coupled SS receptors, which are widely expressed in the pituitary, brain, and the periphery, and to the synthesis of analogs with subtype specificity. Better understanding of the function of GHRH, SS, and their receptors and, hence, of neural regulation of GH secretion in health and disease has been achieved with the discovery of a new class of fairly specific, orally active, small peptides and their congeners, the GH-releasing peptides, acting on specific, ubiquitous seven-transmembrane domain receptors, whose natural ligands are not yet known.     

Anger experience and the process of calming down

This study investigated the affects and behaviors that accompany and follow anger episodes, and examined the relationship among them, in hope of developing self-regulated and effective methods of controlling anger. With an open-ended questionnaire, 42 anger episodes were collected and categorized. Results suggested that typical anger episodes were instigated by selfishness, insult, coercion, and trouble and a close person such as friends was often the cause and target of anger. Surprise and depression frequently accompanied it, and eight forms of response followed: rationalization, cause searching, aggression, social sharing, displacement to object, mood change, forgetfulness, and rumination. Another questionnaire examined the relationship among these variables, as well as trait anger, perception of malice, and sense of injury, with a sample of 118 undergraduates. Results indicated, first, that sense of injury was heightened by trait anger and malice perception. Second, anger and depression were evoked only by a sense of injury. Finally, while anger without depression evoked aggression, anger with depression led to mood change and forgetfulness.