Family function in families with children of normal height and in families with short children

The purpose of this study was to examine any differences regarding cohesion and adaptability between Swedish families with children of normal stature (group A) and those with children of short stature (group B). Cohesion and adaptability were measured using a Swedish translation of the third version of the self-report questionnaire FACES (Family Adaptability and Cohesion, Evaluation Scales). Most of the 55 families in group A and most of the 49 families in group B appeared to be well balanced with regard to cohesion and adaptability. There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups concerning the variable cohesion. Significant differences were found in adaptability: fathers in group A had higher values than mothers in group A and than mothers and fathers in group B. CONCLUSION: There are no major differences between families with children of normal stature and those with short children. However, it was found that fathers with children of normal stature perceived a greater adaptation within their families compared with mothers with children of normal stature and mothers and fathers with children of short stature.     

Renal function studies in hyponatremic cardiac patients with edema (dilution syndrome)

In the present series, cardiac output, renal blood flow corrected for PAH extraction rate, and glomerular filtration rate were measured in 8 patients with decompensated congestive heart failure with hyponatremia and normal or increased exchangeable sodium (dilution syndrome). The renal sodium reabsorption and oxygen consumption have also been measured.The cardiac output was reduced to less than half the normal. The renal blood flow was reduced to a greater degree than cardiac output, indicating a specific diversion of blood away from the kidneys. The glomerular filtration rate was also reduced, but to a lesser extent than the renal plasma flow, giving filtration fractions higher than usually reported. The reduction in renal blood flow and in glomerular filtration rate or the increase in filtration fraction had no relation to the magnitude of exchangeable sodium.In our patients, variations in the glomerular filtration rate revealed constancy in the sodium reabsorptive mechanism. The renal oxygen consumption was found to vary independently of the sodium reabsorption. The findings were compatible with an increased passive back diffusion of sodium in the tubular lumen in patients with advanced congestive heart failure. Data from the present study support the assumption that such passive re-entry for sodium is related to an increased filtration fraction, although other mechanisms must also be considered.     

Systemic Availability of Acetylsalicylic Acid in Human Subjects after Oral Ingestion of Three Different Formulations

Abstract: Systemic availability of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) in normal human subjects after oral ingestion of 1 g in three different formulations was determined by using high-pressure liquid chromatography for ASA assay. For an effervescent, a plain and a sustained release preparation systemic availabilities expressed in percent of the ingested dose were 16.9±3.2, 8.6±1.2 and 2.6±0.4%, respectively. All subjects had clearly measureable amounts of ASA in plasma after oral intake of a sustained release preparation with an average peak concentration of 15 μmol/1. Peak concentration after an effervescent and plain formulation was on the average 80 and 40 μmol/1, respectively. Half-life of ASA in plasma was 18.1±1.2 min. for the effervescent and 28.7±5.3 min. for the plain preparation, while the elimination phase was too ill defined for the sustained release formulation. Average plasma half-life of salicylic acid (SA) was similar after the three different administration forms with values between 3.0 and 3.7 hrs. Further, no difference in SA distribution volumes or amounts of SA absorbed was found. The present study demonstrates that oral ingestion of ASA in effervescent, plain and sustained release formulations gives rise to significant amounts of ASA in plasma. Concentrations found indicate that long-term antithrombotic therapy with ASA in a sustained release formulation may be possible.     

Some aspects of the bonds interlinking soluble fibrin complexes in human plasma

I¹²⁵ labelled fibrinogen was used to study the appearance of soluble fibrin complexes in thrombin incubated citrated plasma or in glass activated native plasma. Polyacrylamide gel (4%) electrophoresis demonstrated that approximately 7% of the plasma fibrinogen had been converted to slower moving species, eg. soluble fibrin complexes. Only a minor part of these complexes, with mobility as a fibrinogen derived dimer, persisted upon electrophoresis in the presence of 5 M urea. Also, agarose gel chromatography (Seph. 4 B) revealed the formation of high molecular weight fibrin/fibrinogen derivatives, which disappeared when chromatography was performed in the presence of 5 M urea.Thus, the major part of the soluble fibrin complexes in plasma was not resistant to urea, indicating that mainly non covalent bonds were involved. This implicates only a minor part of such complexes in a plasma milieu to be cross-linked through the action of the Fibrin Stabilizing Factor.     

Expressions of hope in cystic fibrosis patients: a comparison with the general population

PURPOSE: Hope was evaluated in Norwegian patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). PARTICIPANTS: The subjects were 87 Norwegian adults with CF and a control group of 1020 from the general population (GP). METHODS: Subjects completed a questionnaires that included the Herth Hope Index and demographic variables. Data on health-related variables were collected for the CF group. RESULTS: The mean age of the CF patients was 29 years (range 18-54). Almost 50% had a forced expiratory volume for one second percent predicted (FEV1%) below 50%, and 21% reported perceiving being in a bad phase of the disease. The CF patients reported lower (poorer) levels of hope than the GP sample, especially for the item scared about the future. However, they scored higher on inner strength and were younger, more often living alone, unmarried, not in paid work, but with similar educational levels. Levels of hope increased with increasing age in the CF patients but decreased for the GP subjects. The health variable that most affected hope in the CF sample was pulmonary function, not the presence of asthma or chronic lung infections. CONCLUSIONS: Persons growing up with CF experience many challenges. CF patients expressed slightly lower levels of hope and were more scared of the future. They scored higher on inner strength than the general population.     

Photonic crystal fibre enables short-wavelength two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy with fura-2

We report on a novel and compact reliable laser source capable of short-wavelength two-photon laser scanning fluorescence microscopy based on soliton self-frequency shift effects in photonic crystal fibre. We demonstrate the function of the system by performing two-photon microscopy of smooth muscle cells and cardiac myocytes from the rat pulmonary vein and Chinese hamster ovary cells loaded with the fluorescent calcium indicator fura-2/AM.