Pentobarbital pharmacokinetics in patients with severe head injury

Intravenous administration of high-dose pentobarbital has been proposed as a treatment for elevated intracranial pressure refractory to other measures in brain-injured patients. The purpose of this clinical study was to examine the pharmacokinetics of high-dose continuous intravenous infusion of pentobarbital in this critical care setting. Six patients received a 25-34 mg/kg intravenous loading dose followed by a 1-3 mg/kg/h continuous infusion for 61-190 hours. Dosing rates were adjusted based on the patient's clinical status. The mean clearance was 0.72 ml/min/kg, with a volume of distribution (Vd) of 1.03 L/kg and a terminal half-life of 19.1 h. Considerable variation in individual patient parameters was observed. In addition, a change in clearance was suggested in patients requiring a longer infusion duration.     

Test-retest reliability of audio-taped phallometric stimuli with adolescent sexual offenders

Twenty adolescent male sexual offenders were evaluated by penile plethysmography on two separate occasions. Stimuli consisted of 19, two-minute audiotaped cues. Test-retest reliability was demonstrated for 15 of the 19 audiotaped vignettes. The highest correlations were found for those sexual behaviors in which the adolescents had engaged.     

DISEASE-MODIFYING ANTIRHEUMATIC DRUGS IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS: CURRENT CONCEPTS

SUMMARY Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs are used in virtually all patients with established rheumatoid arthritis. An increasingly large number of new drugs is now available. Furthermore, old therapies are being used in novel ways. Treatment is now begun earlier and patients are rarely left untreated. This report summarises recent developments regarding the drugs currently in use and those that may be available in the near future.     

A randomized comparison of umbilical vein and intravenous oxytocin during the puerperium

Oxytocin was administered in a randomized fashion via either the umbilical or maternal intravenous route. Women who received intraumbilical oxytocin had significantly greater calculated blood loss compared with those who received peripheral administration (P = .01). This greater blood loss was confirmed by a decrease in hematocrit and hemoglobin concentrations after delivery. There was no difference between the groups in the length of the third stage of labor. The incidence of fetomaternal transfusion was higher in the intraumbilical group (P = .07). We conclude that intraumbilical oxytocin is no more beneficial than peripheral administration.     

农村居民艾滋病防治知识及高危行为调查研究

目的　通过对农村居民艾滋病 (AIDS)防治知识及高危行为的研究 ,为制定AIDS预防控制措施提供依据。方法　运用横断面调查研究方法 ,通过两阶段人群抽样对其AIDS防治知识及相关行为进行研究。结果　调查对象听说过AIDS的为 6 1.78% ;答对 0～ 3题为 5 6 .91% ,4～ 9题为 38.4 8% ,10～ 13题为 4 .5 5 % ;认为不可能感染艾滋病病毒的为 5 6 .94 % ,不清楚的为 38.38% ,有可能的为 4 .6 8%。 12人有卖血史 ,15人有性病史 ,在有性行为的 886人中 ,7.6 7%有过 1个以上多性伴。结论　农村居民AIDS知识匮乏 ,存在着相关危险行为。所以 ,我省预防AIDS的策略主要是开展健康教育积极推进健康促进 ,改善危险行为 ,提倡安全性行为和推广安全套的使用     

社区居民健康相关行为讨论与分析

目的了解当前社区居民中健康认知和主要健康相关行为，为深入开展健康教育提供科学依据。方法对黄浦区8个街道117个居委2546名居民分别召开座谈会，讨论并分析健康认知与健康相关行为。结果在2546名居民中对健康有正确认识的948人，占37．2％．自我评价身体状态为健康的531人，占20．9％，个人不健康行为位于前三位的是吸烟、不合理膳食和缺乏运动。团体不健康行为位于前三位的是出售不健康食品、食品污染和公共场所脏乱。结论健康相关行为受多因素及其多水平的影响，必须运用健康教育行为改变理念，采纳健康相关行为的生态学的观点，结合相关学科的方法，开展健康教育，促进人们的健康行为。     

Production and characterization of genetically engineered antibody molecules

Expression of antibody heavy- and light-chain genes by transfection permits the production of monoclonal antibodies with improved biological and antigen-binding properties. The immunoglobulin genes are placed in vectors containing a gene for encoding a protein that provides a biochemically selectable function in eukaryotic cells; these vectors are transfected into myeloma and hybridoma cells. Selection of drug-resistant cells permits the efficient isolation of the rare cells that express the transfected DNA. By placing heavy and light chains on plasmids with different selectable markers, one can deliver heavy- and light-chain genes simultaneously to the same cell. The transfected immunoglobulin genes are efficiently expressed and the proteins produced are a faithful mirror of the genes that were introduced. Using the standard techniques of genetic engineering and gene transfection, we can now produce antibodies of widely varying structures, including chimeric antibodies with segments derived from different species. These antibodies provide useful reagents to study structure-function relationships within the antibody molecule. Ultimately it will be possible to produce a new generation of antibody molecules with improved antigen-binding properties and effector functions.