Increase in myocardial resistance to ischemia by excluding the heart from the circulation by using a beta-adrenergic receptor block]

The effect of propranolol on the function of the heart, its hemodynamics and metabolism was studied on dogs and rats. It was established that propranolol-induced block of the beta-adrenergic receptors is conducive to a decrease in the intensity of myocardial metabolism and increase of myocardial tolerance to ischemia.     

Health-related quality-of-life assessment in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

OBJECTIVE: To measure and evaluate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a visible cutaneous malignancy that may have a profound effect on patients' lives. DESIGN: Monocenter, cross-sectional study. SETTING: The Skin Oncology Program, Department of Dermatology, and the Photopheresis Unit of Boston Medical Center. PATIENTS: A total of 22 adult patients with confirmed CTCL. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: (1) Evaluation of general oncologic and skin disease-specific HRQOL using, respectively, the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) and Skindex-29 profiles; (2) assessment of HRQOL association with disease stage (early stage, IA-IIA; late stage, IIB-IVB). RESULTS: Patients with more advanced CTCL stages reported more effects on general health (FACT-G), particularly in the physical, emotional, and functional domains (P < .05). Patients with early-stage CTCL reported better skin-specific HRQOL overall (Skindex-29; P = .002) and for each specific domain than did patients with late-stage disease. The Skindex-29 scales had high internal consistency, and the confirmatory factor structure was similar to that of previous studies. CONCLUSIONS: The HRQOL of patients with CTCL can be evaluated using the Skindex-29 and FACT-G instruments. Patients with more advanced stages of CTCL had lower HRQOL scores.     

Feeding patterns of Triatoma longipennis Usinger (Hemiptera, Reduviidae) in peridomestic habitats of a rural community in Jalisco State, Mexico

We analyzed triatomine blood feeding patterns to evaluate the role of peridomiciles in Trypanosoma cruzi transmission at the rural village of Tepehuaje de Morelos at Jalisco State, Mexico (1999). A total of 206 bugs were collected in 11 out of 26 households (42.3%). Nymphs predominated in the collections (64.9% of the total). Except for one Triatoma barberi female, a species that belongs to the protracta species complex, all adults were Triatoma longipennis, a species of the phyllosoma complex. Triatomines were exclusively present in peridomestic sites mainly piles of tiles and bricks, and none were found indoors. Overall infection rate was 56.6% and no significant differences (P > 0.05) were observed between nymphs and adults or males and females. Identified blood meals were chicken (29.4%), opossum (20.9%), pig (24.5%), murid (20.9%), dog (3.5%), and armadillo (0.7%). No gut content reacted against anti-human, anti-bovine, anti-rabbit, and anti-cat sera. In contrast to fifth nymphs and adults, 87% of the small nymphs fed on one host, indicating that they are less mobile than other stages. Most fifth nymphs and adults fed on domestic hosts, while small nymphs mainly fed on opossum and murid. Infection blood-meal indexes were around 50% for single meals on opossum and murid, stressing their importance as trypanosome donors. Peridomiciles in Tepehuaje could be regarded as interaction sites among domestic and wild and synanthropic mammals and triatomines, which would facilitate circulation of the same T. cruzi strains between domestic and sylvatic cycles. Stone-made walls and building materials, which hold synanthropic rodents and opossums, should be considered as targets for vector control measures.     

Colonization of rock pile boundary walls in fields by sylvatic triatomines (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) in Jalisco State, Mexico

Granite rocks is a very abundant material in Mexico because they are used habitually as borders for fields. The current work established the significance of this ecotype as a colonization site for triatomines of the Phyllosoma complex. Seven sites, arbitrary selected, in San Martin de Hidalgo municipality (Mexico) were investigated in April 2002 by using 210 mouse bait-traps left during the night in wall hollows. One hundred and seventy-two triatomines of all life stages were collected from the seven sites. Triatomines adhered to the tape that covered the traps or were found near them, and 36.6% of the traps collected triatomines. The principal species was Triatomia longipennis Usinger (1939) and low numbers of Triatoma picturata Usinger (1939) were found. The nymphal population was very young, probably corresponding to the reproductive period in April (end of the dry season). The infection rate of the triatomines for Trypanosoma cruzi was 49%. Because collecting triatomines in the field is laborious and time-consuming, the mouse bait-trap method found to be practical to assess the population of triatomines within a sylvatic habitat.     

Characteristics associated with use or intention to use indoor tanning among adolescents

BACKGROUND: Indoor tanning is a popular behavior that may increase skin cancer risk. OBJECTIVE: To examine characteristics associated with use or intention to use indoor tanning among adolescents. METHODS: A telephone interview was conducted with 1273 adolescents, aged 14 to 17 years, in the Minneapolis-St Paul, Minn, and Boston, Mass, metropolitan areas. Questions included demographic and phenotypic characteristics, knowledge, attitudes, social factors, use of indoor tanning, and intention to tan indoors. RESULTS: Twelve percent of boys and 42% of girls had tanned indoors. Among nontanners, 22.4% planned to start, and 77.2% of tanners planned to continue tanning indoors. Nontanners and tanners at risk for future indoor tanning use were each significantly more likely to be female, less likely to use sun protection, less knowledgeable about skin cancer risks, more likely to agree that tans were attractive, and more strongly influenced by social factors compared with their low-risk counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that intention to tan indoors may identify a group of adolescents at risk for adopting the behavior; prospective studies are needed for confirmation.     

Postural stability in the elderly: empirical confirmation of a theoretical model

The study investigated whether physiological factors related to specific body systems can explain postural control as measured by the scalar distance at a given time between the center of pressure (COP) and the center of mass (COM), the COP-COM variable. The data from 46 healthy subjects and 29 subjects with disabilities due to stroke or diabetic peripheral neuropathy were analyzed. The biomechanical variable COP-COM was determined using two force platforms and an optoelectric system. Three systems were considered as possible predictors of the COP-COM amplitude: sensory (somatosensory and vision), musculoskeletal and central processor. A confirmatory analysis was done using structural equation modeling. Strength explained 23.74% of the COP-COM amplitude in the antero-posterior (A/P) with eyes open (EO) condition, and in the medio-lateral (M/L) direction strength explained 40.73 and 28.75% in the EO and eyes closed (EC) respectively. In the A/P direction with EC, 51.75% of the COP-COM amplitude variance was explained mainly by the somatosensory system. This study highlight the role of peripheral somatosensory input and muscle strength in the maintenance of postural stability during quiet stance in the elderly. The indirect action of the different systems on the COP-COM amplitude supports the systems theory.