A prospective study of psychosocial stress and fertility in women

The objective of this study was to compare average stress levels during the month of conception to those of previous infertile months. We postulated that stress level during the actual month of conception would be lower than that during previous non-conception cycles. Thirteen normal women from the general community, who were attempting pregnancy, kept daily records of coital activity and basal body temperature, and twice a month completed self-administered questionnaires and provided a 12 h overnight urine sample. On average, women reported significantly more favourable mood states on standard psychometric tests, during the month of conception than during the previous non-conception cycles. In addition, they felt significantly less 'hassled' during the month of conception. However, mean urinary hormone excretion of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol did not significantly differ between conception and non-conception cycles and there was little relationship between the psychological measures of mood state and excretion of adrenaline and cortisol. There was no evidence of increased coital frequency during the month of conception when mood states were improved, suggesting that stress effects on libido were unlikely to account for the findings. The results support the conclusion that psychosocial stress influences fertility in females but as yet mechanisms remain unclear.      

不同发育阶段红系造血细胞的流变特性的研究

通过对不同发育阶段红系造血细胞的变形性、取向性和膜的流动性的研究 ,发现它的变形性、取向性和膜的流动性随着分化发育而不断改变 ,而且这种变化以晚幼红细胞为转折点。这些变化与核的不断固缩 ,偏核 ,排核 ,细胞核与细胞质比不断减少 ,膜骨架蛋白 (尤其膜收缩蛋白 )变化及脂质分子与蛋白原分子相互作用有关。本研究还对用电子自旋共振测得结果和用LBY BX2型激光衍射仪测得结果作相关分析 ,表明它们存在负相关关系 ,相关系数R2 =0 .9834。     

Effects of Systolic Atrial Function on Plasma Renin Activity and Natriuretic Peptide Secretion after High Rate Atrial and Ventricular Pacing in Dogs

Rapid atrial rates cause electrical, structural remodeling, and neuro-humoral changes. This study compares the effects of mechanical remodeling on plasma renin activity (PRA) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) secretion. Eight beagles were subjected to rapid atrial pacing (AP) at 400 beats/min for 16 days. After complete recovery of left ventricular function, they underwent rapid ventricular pacing (VP) at 240 beats/min of equal duration. Left atrial systolic maximal dimension (LAmax) and left atrial appendage (LAA) peak late emptying velocity (LAA-E) were assessed by echocardiography. Blood samples were taken from the right atrium and from the peripheral vein. LAmax after AP and VP enlarged significantly (2.16 ± 0.21 cm vs 2.41 ± 0.23 cm, P = 0.002). Compared with baseline, LAA-E velocities were significantly reduced (0.65 ± 0.12 m/s vs 0.26 ± 0.16 m/s, P = 0.001) after AP only. AP caused a significant elevation of PRA in right atrial (9.28 ± 4.23 nmol/L per hour) and peripheral samples compared with baseline values (4.82 ± 2.53 nmol/L per hour, P = 0.04). ANP levels increased after AP (1117.12 ± 252.21 fmol/L) with respect to baseline values (824.37 ± 159.08 fmol/L, P = 0.001). There was no difference in PRA and ANP levels between atrial and peripheral samples. Atrial size and impaired systolic appendage function play an important role in secretion of PRA and ANP. Both neuro-humoral pathways may be therapeutic targets in the treatment of patients with AF.     

PATIENT SATISFACTION WITH RIZATRIPTAN VERSUS OTHER TRIPTANS: DIRECT HEAD-TO-HEAD COMPARISONS

This study summarises the impact of treatment with rizatriptan 10 mg versus other 5-HT_1B/1D receptor agonists (triptans) on patient satisfaction with medication. Rizatriptan is a potent, selective 5-HT_1B/1D receptor agonist shown to be fast, effective and well tolerated in the acute treatment of migraine. We investigated patients' overall satisfaction with treatment in studies in which direct comparisons with other triptans were made. Data from five double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in which rizatriptan 10 mg was compared with another triptan were included in the analysis. Rizatriptan 10 mg was compared with sumatriptan 100 mg in one parallel study (n=916), sumatriptan 50 mg in two crossover studies (n=1599), naratriptan 2.5 mg in one parallel study (n=502), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg in one parallel study (n=701). Satisfaction was reported by patients on a seven-point scale ranging from ‘completely satisfied, couldn't be better’ to ‘completely dissatisfied, couldn't be worse’ at 2 hours after dosing. The percent of patients in the top two ‘satisfied’ categories (completely or very satisfied) were analysed. More patients on rizatriptan 10 mg were completely or very satisfied compared with sumatriptan 100 mg (33% vs 26%, p<0.05), sumatriptan 50 mg (40% vs 35%, p<0.05), naratriptan 2.5 mg (33% vs 19%, p<0.01), and zolmitriptan 2.5 mg (38% vs 30%, p<0.05). In all five studies more patients treated with rizatriptan 10 mg or other triptans were completely or very satisfied with treatment than patients receiving placebo (p<0.001, except naratriptan vs placebo p=0.004). The results, combined with the superior efficacy profile (fast, effective, well tolerated) of rizatriptan 10 mg, should enhance the treatment of migraine headache and lead to improved therapeutic intervention in clinical practice.     

Control of head lice with a coconut-derived emulsion shampoo

Objective   To evaluate a novel coconut-derived emulsion (CDE) shampoo against head lice infestation in children.
Design   A school trial in which pupils were treated on days 0 and 7 and checked on days 8 and 15 and a family trial where product was applied by parents three times in 2 weeks or used as a cosmetic shampoo and checked on days 14 and days 70.
Setting   UK schools in Bristol and Western-super-Mare and families in Northern Somerset.
Main outcome measure   Numbers of children free from infestation after treatment.
Results   In the school trial, percentage cures at day 8 were 14% (permethrin, n  = 7) and 61% (CDE, n  = 37). In the family trial where all family members were treated, cure rate was 96% ( n  = 28), and if the shampoo was subsequently used as a cosmetic shampoo, only 1 of 12 children became re-infested after 10 weeks.
Conclusion   CDE shampoo is a novel effective method of controlling head lice and used after treatment as a cosmetic shampoo can aid in the reduction of re-infestation.     

Diabetes and cognitive function: An evidence-based current perspective

Several epidemiological studies have clearly identified diabetes mellitus(DM) as a major risk factor for cognitive dysfunction, and it is going to be a major public health issue in the coming years because of the alarming rise in diabetes prevalence across the world. Brain and neural tissues predominantly depend on glucose as energy substrate and hence, any alterations in carbohydrate metabolism can directly impact on cerebral functional output including cognition, executive capacity, and memory...