Nutritional status of the elderly in Naples

Nutritional status (anthropometry, food habits, thiamin and riboflavin status) has been evaluated in 136 (70 males and 66 females) free living healthy elderly individuals (age range 65-69 yrs) from the district of San Carlo Arena that can be considered representative of the sociocultural and economic level of the city of Naples. By assuming as reference values those of middle aged individuals, 50 percent of elderly men and 85 percent of elderly women showed different degree of excess body fat. As far as food habits are concerned legumes, vegetables and fruit daily intake was quite high whilst alcohol consumption was low. Furthermore milk and eggs intake was low and infrequent. Although prevalence of excess body weight was high, total daily energy intake was found to be equal or slightly above dietary recommendations for the elderly. Diet composition showed a high protein intake whilst CHO and fat intake was slightly below recommendations. Micronutrients' intake was insufficient for calcium in 10 percent of both males and females and for iron in 20 percent of men and 40 percent of women. Niacin intake was low in about 50 percent of both men and women. Thiamin nutritional status was found low in 20 percent of men and women and riboflavin status in 40 percent of men and 20 percent of women. In conclusion obesity and overweight are very frequent in an urbanized sample of free living healthy elderly individuals of Naples. On the other hand serum calcium and iron and some vitamin deficiency is not uncommon. The composition of the diet seems to be also poor in some micronutrients.     

The ultraviolet derivative spectrophotometric determination of neutral liposome-entrapped beta-lactam antibiotics

A simple, non-invasive spectrophotometric assay to measure the concentration of some beta-lactam antibiotics in turbid solutions containing liposomes was carried out. Since zero-order spectra gave strong interference because of sample turbidity, derivative spectrophotometry was used to enhance the spectral details. Derivative spectra showed bands in the ultraviolet region due to the presence of the cephalosporin and penicillin beta-lactams. A linear relationship between derivative amplitudes and antibiotic concentration was found when antibiotic-containing liposome solutions were measured. A saturative trend in the liposome-encapsulation was observed. The antibiotic entrapment was lowered by increasing the cholesterol-phospholipid ratio in the mixture used for liposome preparation. After treatment of antibiotic-loaded liposomes with beta-lactamase, a hydrolytic enzyme specific for beta-lactams, the remaining antibiotic concentration decreased significantly, showing that some of the antibiotic was retained on the outer surface of the vesicles.     

Thrombopoietin in postoperative thrombocytopenia following living donor hepatectomy.

Thrombocytopenia is a frequent finding following living donor hepatectomy. It appears more pronounced in right graft donors than in left graft donors. This study analyzed postoperative thrombocytopenia in 20 living liver donors and examined the change of endogenous thrombopoietin (TPO) in its recovery. Platelet count, TPO level, fibrinogen degradation product (FDP), and D-Dimer were measured before surgery and on postoperative days (PODs) 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 14. Concurrently, liver and spleen volumes were calculated by computed tomography. Platelet count on POD 3 was significantly lower in right graft donors than in left graft donors (13.0 +/- 3.7 x 10(4)/microL vs. 16.8 +/- 4.0 x 10(4)/microL, P = 0.039) but recovered by POD 7 in all donors. Postoperative elevations of FDP and D-Dimer were significantly higher in right graft donors than in left graft donors. TPO level rose immediately after surgery, peaked on POD 5 in left graft donors and on POD 7 in right graft donors, and fell nearly to preoperative levels by POD 14. Postoperative TPO level per liver volume was significantly higher in right graft donors than in left graft donors. In conclusion, thrombocytopenia following living donor hepatectomy resolved within the first week regardless of graft type and was mainly associated with increasing consumption of circulating platelets, possibly due to intrahepatic and splenic congestion. With a reduced number of circulating platelets, TPO level rapidly increases. Also, with reduced consumption of platelets related to recovery from surgery, thrombocytopenia should resolve. As a consequence, TPO level would be expected to fall.     

关于老年人植入心脏起搏器术后疗养康复的体会

目的避免或减少老年人植入心脏起搏器术后疗养康复过程中起搏器故障和相关疾病的发生。积极治疗基础疾病,改变其不良症状,并通过心理治疗改善不良心理情绪,使其增强自信,提高生活质量。方法入院后,详细了解安置起搏器的时间、类型及工作情况,全面掌握其身体状况和心理特点,为其制定合理的疗养计划。结果疗养期结束后,疗养员无一例出现起搏器故障和发生相关疾病;基础疾病及不良症状得到进一步控制,心理不良情绪得到进一步控制,基本达到了疗养的目的。结论疗养院医务人员应全面了解起搏器的类型及特性;掌握安置起搏器的适应症和容易出现的病症;掌握此类疗养员的身体情况和心理特点,制定合理的疗养计划并按计划认真予以实施,是保证老年人植入心脏起搏器疗养员能够顺利完成疗养生活的有效措施。     

Validating screening instruments for neuroepidemiologic surveys: experience in Sicily. Sicilian Neuro-Epidemiologic Study (SNES) Group.

In a hospital setting in Sicily, we assessed a screening instrument developed for a prevalence survey of parkinsonism, peripheral neuropathies, stroke, and epilepsy. The subjects consisted of (1) hospital patients with any of the above-mentioned diseases, to investigate sensitivity; and (2) hospital visitors free of all these diseases, to investigate specificity. The standard for comparison was a clinical evaluation based on specified criteria. Trained interviewers administered the screening instrument, asking subjects to answer symptom questions and to perform simple physical tasks. For the questions and tasks together, the sensitivity estimates were 100% for parkinsonism (n = 21), 96% for peripheral neuropathies (n = 22), 96% for stroke (n = 22), and 96% for epilepsy (n = 22), while the specificity estimate was 86% (n = 21). Analogous estimates were computed for the set of questions, for the set of tasks, and for each question and task individually. Despite limitations in our approach, we concluded that the screening instrument would be adequate for its intended use.     

奎的平与氯氮平治疗精神分裂症对照研究

目的：探讨奎的平、氯氮平对精神分裂症的疗效及副作用。方法：80例患者随机分为两组，分别应用奎的平或氯氮平治疗6周，采用四级临床疗效评定标准、阳性症状与阴性症状量表(PANSS)、副反应量表(TESS)评定疗效及副反应。结果：奎的平组有效率87．5％，氯氮平组有效率82．5％。治疗第一周末，奎的平组PANSS量表总分较治疗前差异有显著性(P＜0．05)。奎的平组副反应低于氯氮平组。结论：奎的平与氯氮平疗效相似，但奎的平起效较快，副反应较轻。     

High serum levels of tumour necrosis factor‐α and interleukin‐8 in severe asthma: markers of systemic inflammation?

BACKGROUND: Severe asthma is characterized by elevated levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and neutrophilic inflammation in the airways. Blood cytokines, markers of 'systemic' inflammation, may be a feature of amplified inflammation in severe asthma. OBJECTIVE: To detect differences in IL-8, TNF-alpha, IL-16 and IL-13 levels in the serum(s) of stable severe and mild-moderate asthmatics related to blood leucocytes proportion, airway calibre and exhaled nitric oxide (NO) levels. METHODS: We assessed cytokine serum levels by ELISA and blood leucocyte counts by an alkaline peroxidase method in 20 healthy controls, 22 mild-moderate [forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)(%pred): 89+/-3] and 14 severe asthmatics [FEV1(%pred): 49+/-2]. RESULTS: IL-8 and TNF-alpha levels were higher in severe asthmatics than in mild-moderate asthmatics or in controls (P<0.05). No differences in IL-16 and IL-13 levels were detected. Severe asthmatics showed higher circulating neutrophil and eosinophil number than controls (P<0.05). In severe asthmatics, exhaled NO levels were superior than in controls (P<0.05), but inferior than in mild-moderate asthmatics (P<0.05). We found positive correlation between TNF-alpha levels and exhaled NO (r=0.67; P=0.01) or circulating neutrophil counts (r=0.57; P=0.03) in severe asthmatics. CONCLUSION: sTNF-alpha and sIL-8 are markers of 'systemic' inflammation in severe asthmatics, in conjunction with augmented circulating neutrophils, suggesting the involvement of neutrophil-derived cytokine pattern in severe asthma.     

阴股沟皮瓣显微解剖学特征及其在组织修复功能重建中的应用

目的：明确阴股沟皮瓣的显微解剖基础，为临床应用此皮瓣提供解剖依据。资料来源：应用计算机检索Medline1991-01／2005-01的相关文章，检索词“pudendal-thigh flap，micranatomy”，并限定文章语言种类为English。并且手工检索《中文科技资料目录一医药卫生）1998-01／2005-01的相关文章，检索途径：分类途径。 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：①随机对照的基础及临床试验。②无论是否为单盲，双盲或非盲法。排除标准：重复性研究或综述性文章。 资料提炼：共检索到42篇相关文章，21篇文献符合纳入标准，排除的21篇文献为内容陈旧或重复。 资料综合：阴股沟区动脉血液供应充足，并且位置均比较恒定，尤以阴部外动脉最为恒定。静脉回流丰富，神经支配可靠。阴股沟皮瓣是位于股内侧上方与会阴部之间的无毛区域，上界平耻骨联合上缘水平，下界为两侧坐骨结节连线，内侧界为阴囊或大阴唇外侧缘，外侧界为股内侧皱襞，自阴囊（唇）外侧缘向大腿内上方延伸约5cm包括的范围。该区动脉血液供应丰富，计有阴部外动脉，闭孔动脉前皮支，阴囊（唇）后动脉的外侧支，旋股内侧动脉的皮支，股内侧的主要动脉支，以及来自阴部内动脉的肛动脉（直肠下动脉）等，并且位置均比较恒定，其中尤其以阴部外动脉最为恒定。在阴股沟区，阴囊（唇）后动脉与旋股内动脉、闭孔动脉前支及阴部外动脉的分支存在广泛的吻合并在内收肌内侧以上的深筋膜层形成血管网。进入阴股沟区的多支血管相互吻合成网。阴股沟区静脉回流丰富，神经支配可靠。 结论：阴股沟皮瓣血运丰富，解剖简便易行，切取方便，供区隐蔽，再造性器官外形及恢复神经感觉均取得较为理想的效果，是一种值得推广的方法。     

双炔失碳酯或丙睾配伍dl-15甲基PGF_(2α)抗早孕的临床比较

本文报告65例双炔失碳酯配伍d1-15甲基PGF_(2α)(以下简称PG)抗早孕结果并与33例丙睾配伍PG抗早孕结果进行比较。结果显示,双炔失碳酯组完全流产59例,占90%;不全流产3例,占5%;失败3例,占5%;总有效率95%。丙睾组完全流产27例,占82%;不全流产6例,占18%;总有效率100%。两组总有效率无显著差异;完全流产率无显著差异;但不全流产率有明显差异(P<0.05)。药流后点滴出血天数,双炔失碳酯组平均为8.1±5.0天;丙睾组平均为18.9±19.1天;两组有明显差别(P<0.05)。双炔失碳酯经阴道给药后无一例发生心、肝、肾功能变化。