Prevalence and characteristics of child physical abuse in Sweden – findings from a population‐based youth survey

Aim: To examine prevalence rates of child physical abuse perpetrated by a parent/caretaker, abuse characteristics and the extent of disclosures. Methods: A population‐based survey was carried out in 2008 amongst all the pupils in three different grades (n = 8494) in schools in Södermanland County, Sweden. The pupils were asked about their exposure to violence and their experiences of parental intimate‐partner violence. Data were analysed with bi‐ and multivariate models and a comparison between means of accumulating risk factors between three groups were performed. Results: A total of 15.2% of the children reported that they had been hit. There were strong associations between abuse and risk factors and there was a dose–response relationship between risks and reported abuse. It was shown that children who reported parental intimate‐partner violence were at a considerably higher risk for abuse than other children and that only 7% of the children exposed to violence had disclosed this to authorities. Conclusion: Even though child abuse in Sweden has decreased markedly during the last 40 years, violence against children is still a considerable problem. It is a challenge to develop methods of assessment and interventions that will ensure that the violence and its underlying causes are directly addressed.     

Prognosis of T3N0M0 small-cell non-anaplastic bronchogenic carcinoma

We analyzed the survival after surgery for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) classified as T3N0. Between January 1969 and 1995, 151 patients underwent surgery for NSCLC in our hospital. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier statistical method and the curves were compared using Mantel-Cox, Breslow and Tarone-Ware tests. The estimated five-year survival in the studied population was 44.46 +/- 4.30%. Four groups were defined based on degree of tumoral invasion of mediastinal structures, parietal pleura, chest wall or superior sulcus. Significant differences in five-year survival were observed between groups. Patients in the mediastinal group (59.98 +/- 8.71%) had the best prognosis, followed by patients with parietal pleura involvement (52.79 +/- 6.69%). Survival in the chest wall group was 27.53 +/- 7.22%. No patients with superior sulcus tumors survived over five years (median survival 1.50 +/- 1.16 years; 95% confidence interval 0.00 to 3.77 years). Prognosis is clearly determined by degree of tumoral invasion in T3N0 patients. In spite of the evident conceptual improvements achieved with the revised International Staging System, the system still fails to fully define prognosis in such cases.     

Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extracts and fractions of Mangifera indica

ObjectiveTo evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activity of leaf extracts and fractions of Mangifera indica in in vitro conditions.MethodsIn vitro DPPH radical scavenging activity and lipoxygenase (LOX) inhibition assays were used to evaluate the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities respectively. Methanolic extract (MEMI), successive water extract (SWMI) and ethyl acetate fraction (EMEMI), n-butanol fraction (BMEMI) and water soluble fraction (WMEMI) of methanolic extract were evaluated along with respective reference standards.ResultsIn in vitro DPPH radical scavenging activity, the MEMI, EMEMI and BMEMI have offered significant antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ values of 13.37, 3.55 and 14.19 μg/mL respectively. Gallic acid, a reference standard showed significant antioxidant activity with IC₅₀ value of 1.88 and found to be more potent compared to all the extracts and fractions. In in vitro LOX inhibition assay, the MEMI, EMEMI and BMEMI have showed significant inhibition of LOX enzyme activity with IC₅₀ values of 96.71, 63.21 and 107.44 μg/mL respectively. While, reference drug Indomethacin also offered significant inhibition against LOX enzyme activity with IC₅₀ of 57.75. Furthermore, MEMI was found to more potent than SWMI and among the fractions EMEMI was found to possess more potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the MEMI and EMEMI possess potent anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory activities in in vitro conditions.     

急性重症胰腺炎与胰腺感染

急性胰腺炎可分为轻型和重型两种类型,其中约80％为急性间质水肿型,其余20％的急性胰腺炎可发展成为胰腺坏死和胰腺周围组织的坏死,这类为急性重症胰腺炎。重症胰腺炎的病程可分为早期的血管毒性阶段和后期的败血症及并发症阶段。恰当得力的治疗手段可以减少因系统炎性反应综合征(systemic inflammatory response syndrome, SIRS)而导致的心血管系统及肾脏并发症。在坏死性胰腺炎中,有40％～70％的患者可出现胰腺感染,而这种感染是危及生命的主要并发症,持续的胰腺感染及由感染引起的多脏器功能衰竭是死亡的主要原因,这类患者的死亡率可高达50％。因此,如何应用抗生素是一个值得研究的问题。研究发现,在急性胰腺炎早期,许多治疗措施对胰腺炎的病程并无明显作用。后来,人们逐渐把焦点集中到抗生素的预防应用方面。应用抗生素是基于它可以减少胰腺感染,减少后期并发症的发生率,从而降低死亡率。但是,目前对抗生素的临床应用亦有不同的观点。     

Isolation of functionally different human monocytes by counterflow centrifugation elutriation

Human peripheral blood monocytes were isolated by counterflow centrifugation elutriation (CCE). This technique was modified in such a way that various monocyte fractions (viability greater than 99%) could be elutriated by increasing the density of the CCE-medium in steps of 0.0027 g/ml. All monocytes showed the same size distributions as determined by electronic sizing, which indicated that they differed in their density only. Both cytoplasmic esterase and peroxidase activity increased with the density of the cells. Furthermore, the monocytes with the highest density were 2.3-4 times more active in an antibody- dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assay than those with the lowest density. In contrast, the monocyte with the highest density were less capable to induce the proliferation of lymphocytes in mixed leukocyte cultures (MLC) than those with the lowest density. This observation could not be attributed to differences in the expression of HLA-DR determinants, since a monoclonal antibody directed against HLA-DR antigens reacted equally well with the monocytes in different fractions. These results provide evidence for the existence of functionally different subsets of monocytes or different states of differentiation or maturation.