Neuroimaging in Pineal Tumors

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The authors report radiological findings in 11 tumors in the pineal region, which were histologically diagnosed as germinomas, pineocytomas pineoblastomas, ependymomas, teratomas, and astrocytomas. METHODS: Computed tomography (CT) was performed in seven patients and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all patients. RESULTS: CT showed a solid or solid/cystic mass with variable contrast enhancement. MRI showed a heterogeneous mass, with hypointense signal on T1 and iso/hyperintense signal on T2-weighted images (WI) and gadolinium enhancement. Extension to adjacent structures occurred in five patients and spread through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in two. CONCLUSIONS: Pineal region tumors have no pathognomonic imaging pattern. MRI and CT are complementary in diagnosis and are important to determine localization, extension, and meningeal spread.     

躯干运动和负重时对足底支撑面侧向横移的姿势控制

目的:本研究假设自主运动命令和姿势控制信号间有冲突,因此设计在附加重物和不同自主任务的同时给予足底一个模拟受滑的干扰(横移)来观察姿势变化并分析其是否受冲突命令或者力学参数的影响.方法:受试者在执行各种不同的自主任务时,随机给予足底支撑面一个左侧或右侧的横移干扰.这些不同的自主任务包括不负重静止站立、静止站立单手负重5kg、负重5kg站立并躯干静止侧屈15°、负重5kg动态地提重物和放重物5项任务.测量和分析下列参数:中心压力的侧位移(COP)、躯干和股部在冠状面上的角位移和腹内压(IAP).结果:干扰离开质量(向右)、始反应超射的幅度、达到终平衡的时间和达到平衡前COP位移的次数都增加,这种情况可以看作是为了再获得平衡的姿势反应效率降低,因此,如果质量的重力效果能对抗干扰,则再获得平衡的反应效率甚至可以被增进.结论:提重和负重是危害姿势反应效率的因素,因为提重和负重改变了重力效果,加大了对躯干的干扰.在动态条件下躯干的运动不是被横移干扰增强就是被横移干扰抵消,并没有显著地影响改变最终平衡位置姿势校正的效应.因此附加任务的同时给一个支持面上的横移干扰,姿势控制的效应可以被抵消.这个减低的效应可以引起脊柱周围结构的负荷增加和增加受伤的危险性.但是,在恰当地放置负重的位置时,反而可以增进躯干控制和协助恢复姿势平衡.     

Perspectives on history: military dietetics in the Philippines during World War II.

The history of the profession of dietetics is a history of caring, dedicated, and capable individuals. This article examines the experiences of three dietitians during World War II in the Philippines--their pre-war status and their changing environments as the Japanese invaded the Philippines in overwhelming numbers. It recounts the extreme hardships they endured for 3 years as prisoners of war of the Japanese at Santo Tomas Internment Camp (formerly Santo Tomas University) in Manila. The article covers the time before Army dietitians had military status and concludes shortly after the former prisoners returned to the United States, when they were commissioned and promoted to the rank of first lieutenant.     

Current perspectives on childhood depression: an overview

The rapidly increasing research interest in childhood depression indicates that it has become a recognized disorder. The authors review the literature on depression in children, focusing on epidemiology, various diagnostic criteria, classification schemes, assessment instruments, and intervention studies that have been applied to childhood depression. Given that there are many etiological factors, it will be important to study the disorder from various conceptual frameworks, including biochemical, genetic learned helplessness, life stresses, cognitive distortion, behavioral reinforcement, and sociological models.     

Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease: Medical or surgical treatment? Report of an interactive workshop

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is the most common disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. With the introduction of proton pump inhibitors medical treatment of GERD has been significantly improved. However, the development of laparoscopic antireflux surgery resulted in an increasing interest of surgeons in this disease. An interactive meeting was organized in order to develop an agreement between gastoenterologists and surgeons regarding therapeutic decisions and this is the main topic of this paper.     

Strategies for journal publication

Publication in professional journals has become an expectation not only of neuroscience nurse educators but practitioners as well. Through publication, the neuroscience nurse demonstrates commitment to the profession and specialty area by sharing clinical insights and knowledge with colleagues practicing in the field. The publication process includes many steps beginning with the idea for publication to a careful review of the galley proofs. This article describes opportunities for journal publication and strategies for ensuring success in the publication process.     

Acute volaemic changes modify the gastroduodenal resistance to the flow of saline in anaesthetized dogs

The effect of acute and sequential volaemic changes on the gastroduodenal flow of saline was assessed in 23 anaesthetized dogs following two different experimental protocols. Hypervolaemia, by i. v. infusion of saline, induced a gradual decrease on gastroduodenal flow which amounted to 76% below control values (P < 0.001) when volaemic expansion attained 5% of body weight. This effect was volume dependent (17% increase on gastroduodenal flow per volume of infused saline equivalent to 0.5% of body weight, P < 0.001), lasted for at least 90 minutes after infusion was completed and was also obtained by expanding previously bled animals. Hypovolaemia due to bleeding was followed by an increase on gastroduodenal flow of about 88% above control values (P < 0.05) when haemorrhage was equal to 3% of body weight. This effect was also volume dependent (23 % increase on gastroduodenal flow per volume of blood shed equivalent to a 0.5% of body weight, P < 0.01) and was reversed after blood volume was restored. These modifications in the resistance of the gastroduodenal segment to the flow of liquid due to acute volaemic changes suggest that the extracellular fluid volume modulates the contractile activity of the gastroduodenal portion of the gut possibly to set a gastroduodenal handling of liquid adequate to cope with volaemic imbalances.     

Semantic memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease: failure of access or degraded knowledge?

A battery of neuropsychological tests designed to assess semantic knowledge about the same items both within and across different modalities was administered to a group of 22 patients with dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT) and 26 matched controls. The DAT patients were impaired on tests of category fluency, picture naming, spoken word-picture matching, picture sorting and generation of verbal definitions. A relative preservation of superordinate knowledge on the sorting and definition tests, as well as a disproportionate reduction in the generation of exemplars from lower order categories was noted. Analysis of the errors made by each patient across the different tests, revealed a significant correspondence between the individual items. These findings offer compelling evidence that the semantic breakdown in DAT is caused by storage degradation.     

Factors associated with work-related injury among hospital employees: a case-control study.

The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) spends $1 million annually on occupational illnesses and injuries. To address the problem of injuries among hospital employees, a retrospective case-control study was conducted to examine select risk factors for work-related injuries (WRI) among CAVHS employees. Study methods included a review of employee health charts and computer and manual databases from 1997 to 2002 (N = 2,050). The researchers found that WRI increased with age; WRI occurred more often in women than in men; WRI was greater among maintenance and custodial staff compared to direct caregivers, and less among clerical staff; WRI occurred less often in part-time than full-time staff; and WRI increased with increasing body mass index. Developing standards, guidelines, and policies for preplacement screening, preventive measures, training, and education may help to minimize WRI and associated costs.