No association between an intronic presenilin-1 gene polymorphism and schizophrenia in a Chinese population

We investigated the association between schizophrenic psychosis and an intronic polymorphism of the presenilin-1 (PS1) gene in a Chinese population. Schizophrenic and control groups had similar PS1 genotype distributions and allele frequencies, indicating that this polymorphism may not be involved in the development of schizophrenia.     

The efficacy of potassium citrate based medical prophylaxis for preventing upper urinary tract calculi: a midterm followup study

PURPOSE: We examined the efficacy of potassium citrate based medical prophylaxis for preventing upper urinary calculous recurrence, and compared it with the stone recurrence rate in patients who only received intermittent or no medical prophylaxis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records of 493 patients with upper urinary calculi, of whom 237 men and 76 women with a mean age of 56.1 and 51.4 years, respectively, were enrolled in the study. Of the 313 participants 64 (group 1, 20.4%) received regular medical prophylaxis for 24 to 42 months (mean 27.8), 80 (group 2, 25.6%) received intermittent medical prophylaxis for 1.5 to 19 months (mean 7.9) and 169 (group 3, 54%) did not receive any medical prophylaxis. RESULTS: At midterm followup of 24 to 60 months 107 patients (34.2%) had stone recurrence. In group 1 the stone recurrence rate was 7.8%, which was significantly less (p <0.001) than in groups 2 (30%) and 3 (46.2%). Similarly new calculous events in patients with a history of multiple stone recurrence were less frequent in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3 (9.7, 47.4 and 52.2%, respectively, p <0.001). Multiple stone recurrence history, hypercalciuria, hyperuricosuria and calcium oxalate dihydrate calculi were independent risk factors for stone recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Regular medical prophylaxis may effectively prevent stone recurrence regardless of previous treatment modalities, stone composition, metabolic abnormalities and stone-free status. Cost effectiveness, patient compliance and gastrointestinal upset may limit patient acceptability and clinical use of medical prophylaxis. However, patients with a history of multiple stone recurrence, calcium oxalate dihydrate stones, hypercalciuria and hyperuricosuria benefit from regular medical prophylaxis.     

K-serotype analyses of Vibrio parahaemolyticus isolated in northern Taiwan, 1983 through 1993

From 1983 through 1993, 786 strains of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were collected from food-borne disease outbreaks and sporadic cases of diarrheal illness in northern Taiwan, involving 42 K-serotypes. Five top leading serotypes were K8 (36.8%), K15 (10.8%), K12 (8.7%), K56 (7.9%) and K63 (4.7%). However, a variation of K-serotypes was found during this study period. From 112 food-borne outbreaks associated with this microorganism, only 54 (48.2%) outbreaks were caused by a single serotype, while 58 (51.8%) were caused by multiple K-serotypes. Numbers of outbreaks caused by two, three and more than three K-serotypes were 29 (26%), 16 (14.2%), and 13 (11.6%), respectively. In a special outbreak, eight K-serotypes was found. Outbreaks caused by party caterers were most frequently associated with multiple K-serotypes.     

Brief report: Comorbid psychiatric disorders of autistic disorder

Conclusion The behavioral and/or psychiatric symptoms in autistic people as described above have been viewed by many professionals dealing with autistic populations as associated features of autism that may result from these individuals' inability to cope with the environmental demands and physical discomfort. Traditionally, in treating individuals with autism, special education intervention including behavioral modifications has been the main emphasis. Such an approach has made some progress in milder and uncomplicated cases of autism. However, if many of these behavioral and/or psychiatric symptoms in those with more severe associated features can be viewed as symptoms of various comorbid psychiatric disorders, there are data suggesting that with an appropriate evaluation, predrug workups, a specific diagnosis, and multiple measures of outcome, pharmacotherapy can be a safe and efficacious adjunct treatment for some symptoms in autistic persons. Nevertheless, the data presented here were obtained mainly from autistic children. A great deal of work remains to be done Future research should put more emphasis on developing agreeable, reliable, and valid diagnostic instruments for identifying comorbid psychiatric disorders in autistic people. Future research should also emphasize employing a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design, as well as involving multicenters and using uniformed diagnostic criteria to study autistic adolescents and adults.     

The standardized mortality ratio and life expectancy.

This paper develops a theoretical relation between the standardized mortality ratio (SMR) and the expected years of life and establishes a regression equation for easy conversion between these two statistics. The mathematical expression of the derived relation is an approximation, requiring an assumption of constant age-specific mortality ratios. It underestimates the "true" value calculated based on life table technique when the age-specific mortality ratios increase with age. This equation provides a conservative method to estimate the expected years of life for cohort mortality studies and facilitates an assessment of the impact of work-related factors on the length of life of the worker. It also allows one to convert the SMR to life expectancy in smaller studies whose sole objective is to determine the SMR in a working population. A 1% decrease (or increase) in the standardized mortality ratio will result in 0.1373 years increased (or decreased) life expectancy based on white male data for the US population. Furthermore, with data from 14 large oil refinery and chemical worker cohorts of white males, the "derived" expected years of life based on the regression equation closely predicts the corresponding value calculated using a standard life table technique. This statistical equation is expected to have practical applications when used in conjunction with the SMR to provide an approximate measure of life expectancy, a term and statistic familiar to most lay people.     

Experimental vascularized total joint autografts--a primate study

Autogenous vascularized and nonvascularized total joint transfers were studied in the hands of Macaca fascicularis monkeys. Nine second toe proximal interphalangeal joints were transferred as a vascularized free graft to the hand, and the excised finger joints were transferred to the foot as a nonvascularized free graft. The grafts were examined clinically and histopathologically at 16 weeks to 10 months. Two of the nonvascularized free grafts were amputated because of infection and necrosis. Three had chronic infections. The four surviving nonvascularized grafts demonstrated necrosis of the hyaline cartilage and degenerative changes. Of the nine vascularized joints, one developed a wound infection that required amputation, another failed at 2 weeks because of wound dehiscence, and the remaining seven survived with preservation of the hyaline articular surfaces. The experimental technique was designed to be easily applied to clinical use. A skin island is provided as a "patency/viability monitor." The extensor mechanism is included in the graft for early function.     

Wolfram syndrome: phenotype and novel mutation in two Taiwanese siblings.

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder. The responsible gene, WFS1, was identified in 1998 and over 66 mutations have been reported since then. We report 2 siblings in a Taiwanese family with WS. They had similar clinical courses, including successive development of diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy, diabetes insipidus, hearing impairment, and urological complications from age 5 to 15 years. Rapid progression of systemic and neurological symptoms was noted in the elder brother. Mutation analysis of the 2 probands revealed compound heterozygotes of 1 novel and 1 previously reported mutation. Their parents and an asymptomatic sibling were carriers of 1 mutation.