Seasonal variation and comparative analysis of non-specific humoral immune substances in the skin mucus of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

The epidermal secretion of fish contains various non-specific immune substances that act as the first line of defense against invading pathogens. The present study investigated the level of mucosal antibodies, the activities of hemagglutinin and protease, and other enzymes in the skin mucus of farm reared olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus) for 1year, in order to gain an insight into the relationship between these mucosal immune substances and their seasonal variation. These levels varied significantly during different months of sample collection. The present study showed a positive correlation between water temperature and the level of mucosal antibodies, and an inverse relationship between the level of mucosal antibodies and the activity of mucosal hemagglutinin and protease, but no relationship between lysozyme activity and other innate immune substances. This relationship is thought to be a compensatory response in olive flounder to protect itself against pathogenic microorganisms which are inherently present in the aquatic environment.     

Objections against the view of visual extinction as an attentional disengagement deficit: the interaction between spatial position and temporal modulation

Visual extinction is a common consequence of brain injury where individuals fail to detect a contralesional target when it is presented with a competing ipsilesional target. This disorder is often seen as either a consequence of biased competitive interactions or as a consequence of an attentional disengagement deficit. A study of neurological patients by Rorden et al. (2008) found that extinction is maximal at stimulus simultaneity when the target stimuli straddle the central gaze fixation location, while it is maximal when the ipsilesional stimulus has a temporal lead on the contralesional stimulus when both target stimuli are presented in the ipsilesional visual field. The authors argued that these results are most parsimoniously explained as a consequence of low-level biased competitive interactions due to cortical magnification, but acknowledged that an attentional disengagement deficit could also accommodate the results. The present study set out to adjudicate between these models by examining the performance of neurologically healthy subjects who exhibit normal cortical magnification but do not have pathological attentional biases. We presented (a)synchronous double stimulation trials where both targets to be identified could straddle the central gaze fixation location or be presented in either the left or the right visual field. We found that in both the left and the right visual field target performance accuracy was poorest when the more peripheral stimulus led. This suggests that the findings from Rorden et al. can indeed be explained by a low-level physiological bias due to cortical magnification and argues against the notion that neurological extinction represents an attentional disengagement deficit.     

Cannabis use and age at onset of symptoms in subjects at clinical high risk for psychosis

Dragt S, Nieman DH, Schultze‐Lutter F, van der Meer F, Becker H, de Haan L, Dingemans PM, Birchwood M, Patterson P, Salokangas RKR, Heinimaa M, Heinz A, Juckel G, Graf von Reventlow H, French P, Stevens H, Ruhrmann S, Klosterkötter J, Linszen DH, on behalf of the EPOS group. Cannabis use and age at onset of symptoms in subjects at clinical high risk for psychosis. Objective: Numerous studies have found a robust association between cannabis use and the onset of psychosis. Nevertheless, the relationship between cannabis use and the onset of early (or, in retrospect, prodromal) symptoms of psychosis remains unclear. The study focused on investigating the relationship between cannabis use and early and high‐risk symptoms in subjects at clinical high risk for psychosis. Method: Prospective multicenter, naturalistic field study with an 18‐month follow‐up period in 245 help‐seeking individuals clinically at high risk. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess their cannabis use. Age at onset of high risk or certain early symptoms was assessed retrospectively with the Interview for the Retrospective Assessment of the Onset of Schizophrenia. Results: Younger age at onset of cannabis use or a cannabis use disorder was significantly related to younger age at onset of six symptoms (0.33 < r_s < 0.83, 0.004 < P < 0.001). Onset of cannabis use preceded symptoms in most participants. Conclusion: Our results provide support that cannabis use plays an important role in the development of psychosis in vulnerable individuals. Cannabis use in early adolescence should be discouraged.     

康复辅具对小儿脑瘫康复治疗效果探讨

目的探讨小儿瘫家庭使用康复辅具配合医疗机构综合康复治疗的有效性。方法将2009年6月至2010年6月于我院明确诊断为脑瘫的患儿60例（男性31例,女性29例）分为治疗组和对照组,每组30例。两组患儿均在医疗机构进行每周3次的综合康复治疗,不同的是治疗组在康复治疗师指导下,由家长每天使用康复辅具进行家庭康复训练。治疗前、治疗6个月后,采用粗大运动功能测试量表（gross motor function measure,GMFM）66项和88项评估两组患儿粗大运动功能。结果治疗后两组GMFM66项总分均高于治疗前,治疗组51±13与44±15（t=-7．473,P=0．000）,对照组42±17与38±16（t=-3．580,P=0．001）,且治疗组高于对照组（P〈0．05）。治疗后,除对照组卧位与翻身功能区外,两组患儿GMFM88项各功能区得分均高于治疗前（P〈0．01）,治疗组在卧位与翻身、坐位、行走与跑跳功能区得分均显著高于对照组,卧位与翻身：F：4．59,P=0．036;坐位：F=6．40,P=0．014;行走与跑跳：F=4．35,P=0．041。结论在医疗机构综合康复治疗的同时,配合康复辅具进行家庭康复,可以有效地促进小儿脑瘫粗大运动功能的改善。     

The AMC Linear Disability Score (ALDS): a cross-sectional study with a new generic instrument to measure disability applied to patients with peripheral arterial disease

Background  

The AMC Linear Disability Score (ALDS) is a calibrated generic itembank to measure the level of physical disability in patients with chronic diseases. The ALDS has already been validated in different patient populations suffering from chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the clinimetric properties of the ALDS in patients with peripheral arterial disease.