Multiple roles for heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor are suggested by its cell-specific expression during the human endometrial cycle and early placentation.

Embryonic expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor as well as embryonic and steroid-dependent uterine secretion of its ligand, heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor (HB-EGF), are temporally associated with the period of blastocyst implantation. We examined the temporal cell type-specific expression of HB-EGF in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. Early first trimester implantation sites were also examined to determine HB-EGF protein levels in decidual and fetal tissues. In the endometrial stroma, HB-EGF protein expression increased markedly during the late proliferative phase and then decreased in the early secretory phase. By contrast, luminal and glandular epithelial cells as well as blood vessel endothelium accumulated the protein between midcycle and cycle day 20, with peak expression observed during the period of uterine receptivity for implantation. HB-EGF expression decreased dramatically at the end of the cycle, before menses. Spatiotemporal expression of HB-EGF messenger ribonucleic acid demonstrated a similar pattern. During early pregnancy, HB-EGF immunostaining was noted in the decidua and in both villous and extravillous trophoblast populations. These findings suggest that HB-EGF promotes implantation and trophoblast invasion through paracrine and autocrine signaling as cells penetrate the stroma and displace the arteriole endothelium.     

A study on motility of sphincter of Oddi in postcholecystectomy syndrome

Endoscop c manometry of sphincter of Oddi(SO)and serumlevels of gastrin,glucagon,and somatostatin were measured in patients withpostcholecystectomy syndrome(n=12),asymptomatic cholecystectomised pa-tients(n=6),and controlled subjects(n=14).Pentagastrin-stimulated gastricacid secretion test was also performed in part of patients who had symptoms orno symptoms after gallbladder resection.The results showed that the patientsof symptomatic group had hypertonic dyskinesia of SO as shown by deep andwide waves superimposed on high basal pressure plateau of SO.The symptoma-tic group also had a higher serum level of gastrin and a greater BAO than tho-se of other two groups.No difference of serum levels of glucagon and soma-tostatin was found among these three groups.The hypertonic dyskinesia of SOand hypergastrinemia are considered as possibly important factors in the patho-genesis of postcholecystectomy syndrome.     

In vitro mitigation of arsenic toxicity by tea polyphenols in human lymphocytes.

The groundwater arsenicals have brought dreadful misery for the people residing in the endemic regions of West Bengal, India. Arsenic-related anomalies include arsenicosis, hyperkera-tosis, gastric complications, liver fibrosis, peripheral neuropathy, and cancer. Some of these diseases have been frequently associated with overproduction of reactive oxygen species that cause DNA damage and improper functioning of body's antioxidant defense mechanism. Natural polyphenols present in tea serve as excellent antioxidants. In the present study, an attempt has been made to elucidate the role of representative polyphenols and extracts of green and black tea in modulating sodium arsenite (As III)-induced DNA damage in normal human lymphocytes. Comet assay was used to detect the DNA damage. Arsenic-induced oxidative stress was measured with generation of reactive oxygen species, lipid peroxidation, and activity of some antioxidant enzymes. Expression of some repair enzymes such as poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase and DNA polymerase beta was measured to assess the effect of tea on DNA repair. Tea afforded efficient reduction of As III-induced DNA damage in human lymphocytes. Tea also quenched the excessive production of reactive oxygen species by arsenic, reduced the elevated levels of lipid peroxidation, and increased the activity of antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase. Furthermore, tea enhanced recovery of DNA damage, which was indicative of repair as confirmed by unscheduled DNA synthesis and pronounced expression of DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. It is speculated that the antioxidant potential and repair-inducing capacity of tea might help in combating the severe genotoxic effects induced by arsenic in the human population.     

医学生心理健康状况与人格特征的相关分析

目的 :了解在校医学生的心理健康状况 ,为今后开展心理健教育提供有益的依据。方法 :采用 SCL-90和 EPQ量表对在校 5 88名医学生调查并作相关分析。结果 :医学生出现各类心理问题的比例为 6.80 %～ 3 2 .11% ,以强迫、人际敏感、抑郁和偏执为主。临医和护理专业学生心理问题的侧重点不同。女生在人际敏感、抑郁和恐怖等方面均高于男性。情绪稳定性 N和精神质 P与各因子及总均分呈正相关关系 (P<0 .0 1) ,掩饰度 L 与各因子呈显著负相关 (P<0 .0 1)。多因素回归分析表明 ,情绪稳定性 N和掩饰度 L对心理健康的影响起着重要作用。结论 :搞好学生的心理健康 ,加强健全人格教育是关键 ,同时要根据不同性别和专业区别地对待     

Automated 3-dimensional registration of stand-alone (18)F-FDG whole-body PET with CT.

Image registration and fusion of whole-body (18)F-FDG PET with thoracic CT would allow combination of anatomic detail from CT with functional PET information, which could lead to improved diagnosis or PET-based radiotherapy planning. METHODS: We have designed a practical and fully automated algorithm for the elastic 3-dimensional image registration of whole-body PET and CT images, which compensates for the nonlinear deformation due to breath-hold CT imaging. A set of 18 PET and CT patient datasets has been evaluated by the algorithm. Initially, a 9-parameter linear registration is performed by maximizing the mutual information (MI)-based cost function, between the CT and the combination of emission and transmission PET volumes, using progressively increased matrix sizes to increase speed and provide better convergence. Subsequently, lung contours on transmission maps and corresponding contours on CT volumes are automatically detected. A large number (few hundreds) of corresponding point pairs are automatically derived, defining a thin-plate-spline (TPS) elastic transformation of PET emission and transmission scans to match the CT scan. RESULTS: In all 18 patients the automatic linear registration with multiresolution converged close to the final alignment, but, in 10 cases, the nonlinear differences in the diaphragm position and chest wall were still clearly visible. The nonlinear adjustment, which was in the order of 40-75 mm, significantly improved the alignment between breath-hold CT and PET, especially in the areas of the diaphragm. Lung volumes measured from transmission and CT scans match closely after the warping has been applied. The average computation time is <40 s for the linear component and <30 s for the nonlinear component for a typical PET scan with 4-6 bed positions. CONCLUSION: We have developed a technique for automatic nonlinear registration of CT and PET whole-body images to common spatial coordinates. This technique may be applied for automatic fusion of PET with CT acquired on stand-alone scanners during normal breathing or breath-hold data acquisition.     

Changes in gap junctional intercellular communication in mouse skin carcinogenesis

Gap junction intercellular communication (GJIC) has been measured in cell lines that represent different stages of chemically induced mouse skin carcinogenesis. No significant difference in GJIC, as measured by dye spread, was found in cultures of normal keratinocyte, papilloma or squamous carcinoma cell lines. There was no correlation, in this system, between the presence of a mutant Ha-ras gene and down- regulation of communication. There was, however, a marked decrease in GJIC (80-90%) on progression from squamous to spindle carcinoma cells. Measurement of GJIC in somatic cell hybrids shows that the genetic defect responsible for this down-regulation is recessive and is common to two independently isolated spindle cell lines. No abnormalities were found in the spindle cells in expression of connexin 43, a cell component involved in gap junction formation and permeability. However, expression of E-cadherin, a cell-cell adhesion molecule implicated in the process of gap junction formation, was missing in the spindle carcinoma cells. Introduction of an E-cadherin cDNA into the spindle cells partially restored junctional communication without causing any noticeable alterations in cell morphology. During the study a non- tumourigenic keratinocyte line, a sub-clone of a normal keratinocyte line, was also found to have a low level of GJIC. However, the defect in this line was shown, by genetic complementation in somatic cell hybrids, to be different from that in the spindle carcinoma cell lines. Consistent with these data, analysis by immunofluorescence shows an abnormal distribution of connexin 43 in these cells.      

Percutaneous cecostomy: controlled transperitoneal approach

The authors present two cases of percutaneous cecostomy performed with a modified approach previously described for percutaneous gastrostomy and cholecystostomy. T-fastener devices were used to affix the cecum to the anterior abdominal wall; thus, the potential problem of fecal spillage was prevented. In both cases, adequate fecal drainage was provided without complication.     

Characteristics of adults with serious psychological distress as measured by the K6 scale: United States, 2001-04

OBJECTIVE: This report estimates the prevalence of serious psychological distress (SPD) in the noninstitutionalized adult population of the United States, as measured by the K6 scale of nonspecific psychological distress, and describes the characteristics of adults with and without SPD. These findings are compared with results from previous studies of the characteristics of adults with serious mental illnesses that cause significant disability, such as severe major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. METHODS: The estimates in this report were derived from the Family Core and Sample Adult components of the 2001-04 National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Estimates were calculated using the SUDAAN statistical package to account for the complex survey design. RESULTS: The prevalence of SPD was higher among adults 45-64 years old than younger adults 18-44 years or older adults 65 years and over. Adults with SPD were more likely to be female, have less than a high school diploma, and live in poverty, and less likely to be married than adults without SPD. Moreover, those with SPD were more likely to be obese and to be current smokers. They have a higher prevalence of ever being diagnosed with heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and stroke than persons without SPD. Adults with SPD were more likely to report needing help with activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). They also used more medical care services such as doctor visits and visits to mental health professionals than adults without SPD. CONCLUSIONS:The associations between SPD and sociodemographic characteristics, health status, and health care utilization are similar to the relationships found between serious mental illnesses (for example, major depression or schizophrenia) and these same variables. Persons with SPD demonstrate disadvantage in both socioeconomic status and health outcomes.     

Fall injury episodes among noninstitutionalized older adults: United States, 2001-2003

OBJECTIVE: This report presents national estimates of fall injury episodes for noninstitutionalized U.S. adults aged 65 years and over, by selected characteristics. Circumstances surrounding the fall injury and activity limitations and utilization of health care resulting from the fall injury are also presented. METHODS: Combined data from the 2001-2003 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS), conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), were analyzed to produce estimates for the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population. Data on nonfatal medically attended fall injuries occurring within the 3 months preceding the interview were obtained from an adult family member. RESULTS: The annualized rate of fall injury episodes for noninstitutionalized adults aged 65 years and over in 2001-2003 was 51 episodes per 1,000 population. Rates of fall injuries increased with age, and were higher for women compared with men. Non-Hispanic white older adults had higher rates of fall injuries compared with non-Hispanic black older adults. Older adults with certain chronic conditions and activity limitations had higher rates of fall injuries compared with older adults without these conditions. The most common cause of fall injuries among older adults was slipping, tripping, or stumbling, and most fall injuries occurred inside or around the outside of the home. Nearly 60 percent of older adults who experienced a fall injury visited an emergency room for treatment or advice. Nearly one-third of older adults experiencing a fall injury needed help with activities of daily living as a result, and over one-half of these persons expected to need this help for at least 6 months. A similar percentage experienced limitation in instrumental activities of daily living as a result of fall injuries. CONCLUSION: Fall injuries remain very prevalent among older adults and result in high health care utilization and activity limitations. Rates of fall injuries vary by demographic and health characteristics of older noninstitutionalized adults.