Correlation between the M-echo and the calcified pineal gland

Summary The position of the pineal gland can be computed and surface marked on the hairy scalp. There is a correlation between the high M-echo spike in the echogram and the visible calcification of the pineal gland on the radiograph. As there is a great conformity in the outcome of the findings, the supposition that on this specific point these quantities are the same is reasonable in every respect. The unskilled operator will be able to find on this given point the position of the pineal gland in his echogram in regard to the midline.

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Korrelations zwischen dem Mittel-Echo und der verkalkten Pinealis

Zusammenfassung Die vorliegenden Untersuchungen wurden bei 650 Patienten durchgeführt. Es erfolgte dabei ein Vergleich zwischen dem Mittel-Echo und der verkalkten Pinealis.

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Correlation entre l'echo M et la pineale calcifiee

Résumé La hauteur de l'echo M correspond à la situation de la glande pinéale calcifiée. C'est ainsi qu'on peut utiliser l'information echographique pour compléter celle de la radiographie et vice-versa.

     

Evidence that Increased Circulating 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D is the Probable Cause for Abnormal Calcium Metabolism in Sarcoidosis

Mean plasma 1(alpha),25-dihydroxyvitamin D[1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D] was significantly increased and serum parathyroid hormone was suppressed in three patients with sarcoidosis and hypercalcemia. Prednisone lowered the mean plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D to normal range and corrected the hypercalcemia. To elucidate the mechanism for the increased sensitivity to vitamin D in this disorder, the effects of orally-administered vitamin D(2) were determined in seven normal subjects, four patients with sarcoidosis and normal calcium metabolism and three patients with sarcoidosis and a history of hypercalcemia who were normocalcemic when studied. Serum and urinary calcium, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OHD), plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D and, in some studies, calcium balance were measured. Vitamin D(2), 250 mug a day for 12 d, produced little, if any, change in mean plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D and in urinary calcium in the normals and in the patients with normal calcium metabolism. In contrast, vitamin D(2) produced increases in plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D from concentrations which were within the normal range (20-55 pg/ml) to abnormal values and increased urinary calcium in two patients with abnormal calcium metabolism. In an abbreviated study in the third patient, vitamin D(2), 250 mug a day for 4 d, also increased plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D abnormally from a normal value. There was a highly significant correlation between plasma 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D and urinary calcium. Serum 25-OHD and serum calcium remained within the normal range in all subjects and patients. These findings provide evidence that the defect in calcium metabolism in sarcoidosis probably results from impaired regulation of the production and(or) degradation of 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D. Prednisone may act to correct the abnormal calcium metabolism by reducing circulating 1(alpha),25(OH)(2)D.     

The community adaptation schedule and the California Psychological Inventory: A validational study with college students

To study the construct validity of the Community Adaptation Schedule (CAS), the CAS and the California Psychological Inventory (CPI) were administered to a group of 57 university students. The scores on the two instruments were correlated and a factor analysis was performed. The results of the study give further evidence for the construct validity of the CAS and indicate that the communityadapted person is personally well adjusted as measured by the CPI.     

Prolactin and heregulin override DNA damage-induced growth arrest and promote phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase-dependent proliferation in breast cancer cells

Heregulin (HRG), a ligand of ErbB receptor tyrosine kinases, is a potent mitogenic factor for breast cancer cells. Prolactin (PRL) has also been reported to regulate proliferation in breast cancer cells through its receptor, a member of the type I cytokine receptor family. Cytokine receptors are potent mitogens in hematopoietic cells, where they also override DNA damage-induced growth arrest checkpoints through activation of a phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway. In this study, we assessed the effect of gamma-irradiation on the mitogenic activity of HRG and PRL in breast cancer cells. HRG and PRL enhanced the proliferation of non-irradiated breast cancer cell lines in association with their ability to activate PI3K signaling pathways. Both growth factors also overrode irradiation-induced growth arrest in T47D cells, which resulted in decreased viability after irradiation. An inhibitor of PI3K, LY294002, abrogated growth factor-induced proliferation and the activity of cell cycle-dependent kinases in non-irradiated and irradiated cells. Thus, growth factors acting through distinct receptor families share a similar PI3K-dependent ability to promote proliferation and override DNA damage-induced growth arrest in breast cancer cells. These observations also suggest that selective activation of PI3K-dependent signaling can enhance radiosensitivity in breast cancer cells.     

Primary lymphomas of bone

Primary bone lymphoma is rare. The majority of cases are diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphomas. Classification, staging, and treatment are controversial. The relatively small number of cases has led to many case reports and series describing institutional experiences but precludes the use of randomized clinical trials to address the question of optimal management. This article will review clinical and radiologic presentations, diagnostic techniques, and histologic characteristics. Most important, it will present what limited information we do have regarding effective treatment options for this unusual type of lymphoma.     

Reduced phospholipid breakdown in Alzheimer’s brains: a 31P spectroscopy study

Background Abnormalities of membrane phospholipid metabolism have been described in Alzheimers disease (AD). We investigated, with the aid of ³¹P magnetic resonance spectroscopy, the in vivo intracerebral availability of phosphomonoesters (PME) and phosphodiesters (PDE) in patients with AD.Methods Eighteen outpatients with mild or moderate probable AD and 16 nondemented elderly volunteers were assessed with the Cambridge Examination for Mental Disorders of the Elderly (CAMDEX) and its cognitive subscale of the CAMDEX schedule (CAMCOG). Scans were performed on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance imager addressing a 40-cm³ voxel in the left prefrontal cortex. Main outcome measures were mean relative peak areas of PME and PDE, which provide an estimate of membrane phospholipid metabolism.Results PME resonance and the PME/PDE ratio were increased in AD patients as compared to controls (p<0.05). PME was negatively correlated with global cognitive performance as shown by the Mini-Mental State Examination (r_s=–0.36, p=0.05) and CAMCOG scores (r_s=–0.49, p=0.007), as well as with discrete neuropsychological functions, namely, memory (r_s=–0.53, p=0.004), visual perception (r_s=–0.54, p=0.003), orientation (r_s=–0.36, p=0.05), and abstract thinking (r_s=–0.48, p=0.01).Conclusions We provide evidence of reduced membrane phospholipid breakdown in the prefrontal cortex of mild and moderately demented AD patients. These abnormalities correlate with neuropsychological deficits that are characteristic of AD.     

Recreation and child development: an approach in music and in nursing care

The imaginary world is important for the comprehension and insertion of the child in her surrounding world. Being this way, the ludicrous nursing care arises, assuring an integral and careful assitance, where games, plays, songs, and dances are present to subsidize the care. Music and all its involving and instructing sonority must be highlighted, being its musicality inserted in her environment. The child establishes herself as to be for to interact with other and the world, being the playing necessary for her growth and development.     

Breast cancer treatment experiences of Latinas in Los Angeles County

OBJECTIVE: We examined breast cancer treatment experiences of and outcomes for Latinas in Los Angeles County. METHODS: We conducted a population-based survey of women who were diagnosed with breast cancer between December 2001 and November 2002 (n=910) to evaluate the types of treatments received, communication with clinicians, and satisfaction. RESULTS: About two thirds were non-Latina White, 18.8% were African American, and 18.9% were Latina (with 11.0% preferring English and 7.9% preferring Spanish). The rest indicated other ethnic groups. Latinas who preferred Spanish were more likely to experience a delay of 3 months or more from diagnosis to surgical treatment (36.4% vs 9.1% for non-Latina Whites, 18.6% for African Americans, and 12.7%, for other Latinas, P<.001). African Americans and Latinas who preferred Spanish had very low rates of reconstruction (13.8% and 9.2%, respectively, compared with 42.1% for Whites and 34.5% for Latinas who preferred English, P=.009). Latinas who preferred Spanish had the highest odds ratio for low satisfaction. CONCLUSION: Latinas who preferred Spanish received different treatments and perceived a different treatment experience than did other cultural groups.     

Family characteristics and smoking among urban and rural adolescents living in China

BACKGROUND: Adolescent smoking is a public health concern in China. Although the family is an important social influence in China, few associations among family characteristics and adolescent smoking have been examined using Chinese samples. METHODS: Survey data on psychosocial variables and smoking were collected from a sample of 3629 7th grade adolescents (46% female; 54% male; mean age 12.7 years) in Wuhan, China. For adolescents, past 30-day smoking, family relationships, parents' negative sanctioning of smoking, parents' agreement with smoking, and parents' smoking behaviors are assessed. To account for the clustered data structure, hierarchical logistic regression analyses controlling for demographics (urbanization, age) examined the independent and multivariate effects of family characteristics for each gender. RESULTS: Girls are less likely than boys to report smoking and are more likely to report positive family relationships, and having parents with negative attitudes toward them smoking. Positive family relationships and age were strongly associated with smoking for both genders. No significant differences exist by gender. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the quality of family relationships are important for adolescent female and male smoking in China.