Sickness as a dominant symbol in life course transitions: an illustrated theoretical framework

The paper examines how sickness as a cultural performance might be analysed as a dominant symbol within life course transitions. The concept of dominant symbol is taken from Victor Turner's framework for Symbolic Processual Analysis in ritual and pilgrimage and is used to interrogate data collected in an ethnographic study of sickness absence in an English primary school. It is suggested that sickness played a central part in the construction of meaning around the transition from primary to secondary school. The performance of sickness seemed to condense ideological features (especially those of gender and work discipline) and to express modulations in the meaning of the transition in its different phases. The concept of dominant symbol (and the related notion of liminality) illuminate these data but need modification to take account of the unritualised and fragmented character of many life course transitions in contemporary Western societies. It is suggested that with modification these concepts might be applied to the meaning of sickness in other life course transitions.     

骨关节炎大鼠关节软骨修复与橄榄叶提取物的干预效应

目的:观察橄榄叶提取物对白陶土及鹿角菜胶诱导的大鼠骨关节炎组织炎症的预防作用及对关节软骨的修复作用。方法:试验于2005-11/12在大连医科大学中日合作医药科学研究所进行。实验动物:选择健康雄性SD大鼠80只。实验材料:受试物橄榄叶提取物[由日本国Eisai食品与化学有限公司(日本国东京市)提供]。实验分组及给药:按体质量将大鼠随机分为5组,每组16只。模型对照组,灌胃给予蒸馏水,消炎痛组,灌胃给予消炎痛2mg/kg体质量,其余3组为橄榄叶提取物组,分别给予橄榄叶提取物(活性成分为以羟基酪醇为主的多酚)25,50,100mg/kg体质量灌胃,连续5d。第1天给药后1h,采用白陶土与鹿角菜胶诱发大鼠单发亚急性关节炎。实验评估:①诱发关节炎后1,3,5d,用容积测量法测定每组8只大鼠的左右后肢足跖体积,计算肿胀度,并同时用游标卡尺测定其胫跗骨关节最大径。②诱发关节炎后第5天,测定大鼠足跖伊文思蓝含量。每组的另8只大鼠,在诱发关节炎第5天麻醉后处死,剪下右足跖做组织病理学检查,观察橄榄叶提取物对大鼠骨关节炎中组织炎症的预防作用及对关节软骨的修复作用。结果:80只大鼠全部进入结果分析。①足跖肿胀度及胫跗骨关节径:诱发关节炎后1,3,5d,橄榄叶提取物50mg/kg组和100mg/kg组大鼠的右后足跖肿胀度均明显小于模型对照组大鼠[1d:(46.7±4.2)%,(44.8±6.8)%,(52.5±4.0)%;3d:(40.4±4.8)%,(37.4±5.7)%,(45.0±2.9)%;5d:(34.5±4.8),(31.7±5.3)%,(40.4±4.0)%,P<0.05],橄榄叶提取物25mg/kg体质量组,50mg/kg体质量组,100mg/kg体质量组大鼠的右后胫跗骨关节径与模型对照组大鼠比较差异无显著性(P>0.05)。②足跖伊文思蓝含量:诱发关节炎后第5天,橄榄叶提取物50mg/kg,100mg/kg组大鼠的右后足跖伊文思蓝含量均明显小于模型对照组大鼠(P<0.05)。③组织病理学检查及评分:组织病理学检查可见,与模型对照组比较,橄榄叶提取物50mg/kg组,100mg/kg组大鼠骨关节炎中组织炎症浸润明显减少,软骨组织无破坏,且组织病理学评分也明显小于模型对照组(P<0.05)。结论:橄榄叶提取物在50mg/kg体质量及以上剂量能有效地预防白陶土与鹿角菜胶诱发的大鼠骨关节炎中组织炎症,且对软骨有修复作用。     

Blood transfusion exposure does not influence survival in patients with carcinoma of the breast

There is abundant evidence of immune modulation induced by exposure to blood transfusions. Some studies have demonstrated a detrimental effect of transfusion on the recurrence of malignant disease and survival. We retrospectively studied the impact of blood transfusion exposure on 229 patients with breast cancer who were seen from July 1973 to September 1980, had at least 5 years' follow-up and had been randomized by therapy at the time of diagnosis. The patients were divided into four groups according to transfusion history: Group 1 (111 patients), no transfusion; Group 2 (34 patients), first transfusion after mastectomy; Group 3 (41 patients), first transfusion at mastectomy; and Group 4 (43 patients), first transfusion before mastectomy. All transfused patients received red cells or whole blood or both. At the time of analysis, 124 (54%) of the patients had died. Only Group 2 was statistically associated with decreased survival; recurrence of disease was 85 percent in this group, compared with 53 percent to 61 percent in the other three groups (p = 0.006, log-rank test). In general, Group 2 patients received transfusions because of recurrent disease. We conclude that transfusions before or at mastectomy are not associated with increased recurrence or reduced survival in patients with breast cancer.     

颈动脉内中膜厚度与初诊2型糖尿病视网膜病变的关系

目的:研究发现,糖尿病视网膜病变和动脉粥样硬化终点事件相关。试验拟验证颈动脉内中膜厚度与初诊汉族2型糖尿病患者糖尿病视网膜病变相关危险因素的关系。方法:①试验对象:选择2006-06/2007-06本院住院的初诊2型糖尿病患者187例,男114例,女73例;平均年龄(51±14)岁;平均体质量指数(24.7±4.7)kg/m2。均符合1997年美国糖尿病协会的2型糖尿病诊断标准,排除既往已存在心血管疾病者。患者对治疗及试验均知情同意。根据眼底照相检查结果,将所有受检者分为糖尿病视网膜病变组及非糖尿病视网膜病变组进行统计分析。②试验方法及评估:所有患者询问一般情况,测量颈动脉内中膜厚度以及相关生化指标,对糖尿病视网膜病变相关因素进行单因素及多因素Logistic回归分析。结果:纳入2型糖尿病患者187例,均进入结果分析。单因素Logistic回归分析显示,高血压、糖尿病家族史、颈动脉内中膜厚度、尿白蛋白、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇与糖尿病视网膜病变发生呈显著正相关,多因素Logistic回归分析未见显效因素。结论:单因素回归分析中颈动脉内中膜厚度及其他4项指标与糖尿病视网膜病变相关,而多因素回归分析这些因素未进入主效基因模型。     

颈椎椎后肌肉组织中肌膜Na^＋-K^＋-ATP酶活性与颈椎病

目的:探讨颈椎椎后肌肉组织Na -K -ATP酶活性变化与颈椎病的关系。资料来源:应用计算机检索PubMed1988-01/2004-12相关骨骼肌损伤与肌组织Na -K -ATP酶关系的文献,检索词“Na -K pump,Na -K -ATPase,muscle”,限定文献语言种类为English。同时计算机检索CNKI1990-01/2005-12相关Na -K -ATP酶与骨骼肌损伤的关系及颈椎病发病病因的文献,检索词“Na -K -ATP酶,骨骼肌,颈椎病病因”,限定文献语言种类为中文。资料选择:对资料进行初审,选取包括Na -K -ATP酶与肌组织损伤关系的文献,开始查找全文。纳入标准:Na -K -ATP酶活性变化与骨骼肌损伤密切相关的文献研究。排除标准:重复研究,Meta分析类文章。资料提炼:共检索到939篇关于Na -K -ATP酶与骨骼肌损伤相关方面的文献,最终纳入20篇符合标准的文献。资料综合:众多研究表明,Na 、K 与骨骼肌的兴奋、收缩、疲劳有密切关系,而Na -K -ATP酶又是调节细胞内外Na 、K 浓度必不可少的高分子蛋白,也就是说,骨骼肌一系列活动均离不开Na -K -ATP酶,Na -K -ATP酶活性变化与骨骼肌损伤是相互影响的。而强迫屈颈体位作为颈椎病发病的危险因素之一,可使颈椎椎后肌肉Na -K -ATP酶活性降低,酶活性降低致使肌细胞损伤,并最终导致骨骼肌损伤而发病。结论:以颈椎椎后肌肉酶活性的变化来阐释中医药对颈椎病确切疗效的相关研究未见,这有待于进一步研究,以充分展示中医药在颈椎病等相关疾病中的治疗优势。     

肿瘤干细胞的研究与进展

目的:作为"种子细胞"的肿瘤干细胞对研究肿瘤发生及其临床治疗具有重要意义。总结近年来肿瘤干细胞的研究进展,对肿瘤干细胞的概念、特性及应用进行综述。资料来源:应用计算机检索Medline数据库1980-01/2006-12期间的相关文章,检索词为"cancer stem cells",限定文章语言种类为English。资料选择:对资料进行初审,并查看每篇文献后的引文。纳入标准:肿瘤干细胞的研究进展及临床价值。排除标准:重复研究。资料提炼:共收集到106篇相关文献,30篇文献符合纳入标准,排除的76篇文献为内容陈旧或重复。符合纳入标准的30篇文献中,分别涉及肿瘤干细胞的定义及来源、研究进展、临床治疗价值等内容。资料综合:肿瘤干细胞具有分裂增殖、自我更新以及分化成其他细胞的能力,目前已证实其存在于白血病、乳腺癌、脑癌、前列腺肿瘤等肿瘤组织中。目前的抗肿瘤治疗方法主要针对的是大多数已经分化的肿瘤细胞,而不能影响到肿瘤干细胞,即治标不治本。肿瘤的复发、转移以及耐药等特征都很可能与肿瘤干细胞有关,因此肿瘤治疗的关键应是针对肿瘤干细胞进行灭杀,又要保护正常干细胞,但此两种细胞表型极为相似,故应找到更为特异的靶点。结论:肿瘤干细胞不仅已经从血液系统的恶性肿瘤中成功分离出来,在大量实体瘤中也证实了肿瘤干细胞的存在,其耐药机制之一是表达一种或多种药物运载蛋白,对于肿瘤的发生及治疗提供了更多的思路和方向。     

Treatment of invasive bladder cancer by cisplatin and radiation in patients unsuited for surgery

Seventy patients with muscle-invading bladder carcinoma (clinical stages T2 to T4) who were not candidates for cystectomy were treated with combined cisplatin and full-dose external-beam radiation on a multi-institutional prospective protocol from 1980 through 1985. Thirty-six patients are alive, all but three without evidence of cancer. The complete response rate is 77% in the 62 patients completing planned irradiation and 70% for all patients. Among the complete responders, 73% are currently maintained, and this group has a significantly higher four-year survival than those not having a complete response and those with recurrence of disease--57% vs 11%. The observed high complete response rates in patients in all stages and the high survival rates suggest irradiation plus cisplatin therapy offers an important therapeutic gain over radiation therapy alone for invasive cancer of the bladder. These results encourage further evaluation of combining cisplatin-based, multidrug chemotherapy with irradiation in patients with locally very-advanced bladder tumors who are not suited for surgery.