Proteolytic Enzymes and Plasminogen Activator in Melanoma

Proteolytic activities were measured in extracts of human skin melanoma, lymphatic metastasis and in nonmalignant naevi by using various proteinase substrates as well as plasminogen activator assay. pH-optima for hydrolysis of various proteinase substrates by these tumors were found to be essentially the same as in healthy human skin. Melanoma extracts were found to especially readily hydrolyze N-alpha-benzoyl-DL-arginine beta-naphthylamine (BANA) at pH 5.8 in the presence of 1 mmol/l dithiothreitol and EDTA (cathepsin B1-like enzyme) as well as histones and p-tosyl-L-arginine methyl ester (TAME) at pH 7.5, and showed increased capacity to activate plasminogen when compared to nonmalignant naevus. The possible role of proteinases in malignant melanoma is discussed.     

Density and functioning of human lymphocytic β-adrenergic receptors during prolonged physical exercise

In order to study the regulation of β-adrenergic receptor number and function in response to prolonged physical effort, lymphocytic β-adrenoceptor density (determined by (-)[¹²⁵I]iodocyanopindolol binding), lymphocytic basal and isoproterenol-stimulated cyclic AMP (cAMP) production and concentrations of plasma catecholamines were measured before and during 3 h running exercise in eight healthy volunteers. A significant (P < 0.01) increase of the lymphocytic β-adrenoceptor density from 45±4 to 81 ± 9 fmol mg^-1 protein (mean ± SEM) took place during the first hour of exercise. As the exercise was continued for up to 2.1–3 h, the receptor densities did not change significantly any more and remained elevated (72 ± 9 fmol mg^-1 protein) in comparison to the resting levels (P < 0.02). The isoproterenol-stimulated cAMP production of the lymphocytes increased during the first hour of running from 190 ± 36 to 269 ± 56 pmol mg^-1 protein (P < 0.01) and returned to the resting level at the end of the exercise (182 ± 38 pmol mg^-1 protein). The mean levels of plasma catecholamines increased ? sixfold during the first hour of exercise and remained elevated until the end of the running. This study demonstrates that the β-adrenergic receptor system is activated in lymphocytes during prolonged aerobic physical exercise. This activated state becomes, however, attenuated within 2–3 h of exercise as indicated by a diminishing ability of β-adrenoceptors to mediate catecholamine-induced cAMP production.     

Persistent pain after groin hernia surgery: a qualitative analysis of pain and its consequences for quality of life

Background: Despite a high prevalence of persistent groin pain after hernia repair, the specific nature of the pain and its clinical manifestation are poorly known. The aim of this study was to determine the type of post-herniorrhaphy pain and its influence on daily life.
Methods: In order to assess long-term pain qualitatively and to explore how it affects quality of life, 100 individuals with persisting pain, identified in a cohort study of patients operated for groin hernia, were neurologically examined, along with 100 pain-free controls matched for age, gender and type of operation. The patients were asked to answer the SF-36 questionnaire, the hospital anxiety and depression scale, the Swedish Scales of Personality (SSP) and a standardised questionnaire for assessing everyday life coping. The patients were approached approximately 4.9 years after surgery.
Results: Twenty-two patients from the pain group had become pain free by the time of examination, whereas 76 patients still had pain, of whom 47 (68%) suffered from neuropathic pain and 11 from nociceptive pain. The remaining patients suffered from mixed pain, neuropathic and nociceptive, or were found to have another reason for pain. All dimensions of SF-36 were poorer for the pain group than the control group.
Conclusion: Persistent post-herniorrhaphy pain is mainly neuropathic and has a substantial impact on health-related quality of life.     

The connection between personnel resources with work loading and patient satisfaction on in-patient wards

Aim  The aim of the study is to describe the connection between the burden of nurses' work experience and patient dissatisfaction using electronic indicators available in databases.
Background  The hospitals in this study have a lot of information stored in electronic databases, but the data is stored in different databases and there are no straight connections between them.
Methods  This study was retrospective. Inpatient rates, workload statistics, patient classification, patient satisfaction and financial statistics were collected on 39 hospital wards from electronic databases. The data were analysed statistically.
Results  The results showed that the higher care intensity index and number of gross treatment days are, the greater was the burden on nurses. The burden was smaller on those wards using a named nurse system.
Conclusions  Nurses' workload varies according to the condition of patients and patient flow. There is a connection between high workload and patient dissatisfaction. Nurse Managers should easily be able to use significant indicators.
Implications for nursing management  Nursing management must have tools that are easy to use in every day workload measurement, burden adjustment and personnel planning in the long run. This article presents patient classification and the number of beds used including daily change percentage of wards as instruments for nursing management.     

EA204对兔离体主动脉的影响

目的 研究雌酚酮衍生物EA204对兔离体主动脉的作用及其作用机制.方法 兔主动脉环离体实验.结果 EA204(10-5～3×10-3mol/L)可以剂量依赖性地抑制氯化钡、氯化钾、去甲肾上腺素引起的兔离体主动脉环的收缩.兔离体主动脉环经亚甲基蓝或吲哚美辛预处理后,分别可使10-5-10-4或10-4×10-3mol/LEA204的舒张作用受抑制;经普萘洛尔预处理后,对FA204(10-5～3 × 10-3mol/L)的舒张作用无影响.结论 EA204舒张兔离体主动脉的作用与N0-cGMP途径及前列腺素合成酶途径有关.     

简易实验性细菌性心内膜炎模型的制作方法

目的用α_甲型溶血链球菌建立兔细菌性心内膜炎模型。方法自麻醉兔颈总动脉插一导管至左心室 ,24h后随机分为空白对照组和感染组。对照组耳缘静脉注射1ml生理盐水 ,感染组注射108CFU甲型溶血链球菌 ,7d后抽血进行血液培养 ,处死后观察主动脉瓣赘生物和左心室腔内壁性赘生物的情况。结果感染组的每个动物在主动脉瓣和左心室中底部均有大小不等的赘生物生长 ,血液中均有细菌。对照组则没有。结论用这种方法制作的兔实验性细菌性心内膜炎成功率高且简单易行。     

Brush Border Enzymes in Evaluation of Acute Small Bowel Rejection

The change in activity of three disaccharidase enzymes (maltase, sucrase and lactase) was determined according to the method of Dahlqvist during acute rejection in non-immunosuppressed piglet small bowel grafts. In addition, two brush border enzymes, lactase and aminopeptidase, were stained with monoclonal antibodies. Diminishing disaccharidase activity was an early event during rejection. Diminution began 2 days before distinct morphological changes were seen in the mucosal biopsies. Evaluation of disaccharidase activity can thus be used as a confirmatory method in detecting rejection. Reduction in immunohistological staining of lactase and aminopeptidase with monoclonal antibodies and changes in mucosal morphology were observed to progress simultaneously.     

Confidential conversations between supervisor and employee as a means for improving leadership: a quasi-experimental study in hospital wards

Although yearly confidential conversations between a supervisor and an employee have been recommended as a means for improving leadership, evidence on the actual effects of these conversations has been lacking. The present study therefore investigated whether confidential conversations improve perceptions of goal clarity, sufficiency of feedback and innovativeness, and elicit satisfaction with the supervisor's leadership style within the hospital setting. Nine wards were divided into one experimental group (3 wards) and two control groups (3+3 wards). A questionnaire on goal clarity, feedback, innovativeness and satisfaction was administered twice to every group (1st measurement: n=186, 2nd measurement: n=163). The experimental group began confidential conversations after the first measurement, control group 1 entered into conversations during both measurements, and control group 2 did not enter into conversations at the time of either measurement. Confidential conversations improved perceived feedback. In both measurements, the sufficiency of feedback was reported to be significantly better in the groups having conversations than in the other groups. In addition, there was a significant positive change in the perceived sufficiency of feedback in the experimental group but not in the other groups. Confidential conversations did not affect the perceptions of goal clarity and innovativeness or elicit satisfaction with the supervisor's management style.