Body Image Changes in Adolescents II Comparison among Patients with Eating Disorders and Controls with Thin, Normal and Obese Body Shapes

Abstract: The Self-Rating Body Image (SRBI) test was used to determine whether the patients with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia showed their body image disturbance or not. The SRBI was completed by 120 subjects who consisted of 30 low weight (LW) controls, 30 normal weight (NW) controls, 30 high weight (HW) controls, 18 anorexic patients (AN) and 12 bulimic patients (BN). The AN group had a significantly greater dissatisfaction with the scales of the body shape, visceral organ and face image of the SRBI than the weight-matched LW group. The BN group had a significantly greater dissatisfaction with the visceral organ image than the weight-matched NW group. However, no significant difference in the body shape and face images between the BN and NW groups was found. Our results suggest that the anorexic patients may disturb more parts of the body image than the bulimic patients though both the anorexic and bulimic patients showed the disturbance of body image.     

Visual evoked potentials relating to imagery: Words for concrete objects versus absolute concepts

Summary We recorded visual evoked potentials (VEPs) elicited with high or low imaginable Chinese characters (HIC or LIC), representing concrete objects or absolute concepts, respectively. A closed circle (CC) acts as control stimulus. These were displayed (at 1.6° visual angle) for 35 ms on a TV monitor. Twenty-one channel VEPs (band-pas filter: 0.05–60 Hz), using balanced non-cephalic electrodes, were recorded from –100 to 924 ms for 11 right-handed male volunteers. The VEPs were analyzed by multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and comparison of topographies at four remarkable peaks (P110, N160, P230 and N320). MANOVA showed significant differences (p< 0.001) for both conditions of channel and stimuli (HIC, LIC or CC). P100 for the CC-VEPs, N160 for the HIC-and LIC-VEPs, P230 for the CC-VEPs, and N320 for the HIC-VEPs were remarkable in the posterior scalp regions. Topographies at P100 and N160 showed no difference between the HIC-and LIC-stimuli. However, those at N320 showed difference between the HIC-and LIC-stimuli over the occipital and posterior temporal areas. Those results suggest that the responses at P100 and N160 might segregate Chinese characters from non Chinese characters. N320 suggested certain processes in imagery on recognizing Chinese characters over the occipital and posterior temporal areas.We are grateful to Dr. Yoshiji Kojima of Hamamatsu University for helpful comments.     

The relation between EEG and mental development following cardiac surgery performed under simple deep hypothermia in children

In order to assess the accuracy of electroencephalography (EEG), in children who have undergone cardiac surgery under simple deep hypothermia, the relation between IQ or schoolwork achievement and the duration of circulatory arrest was investigated in 75 such children. Abnormal preoperative EEG's were found in 16 per cent of the children while abnormal postoperative EEG's were found in 17 per cent. The children were divided into 4 groups, according to pre- and postoperative EEG results. Schoolwork achievement scores ranged between 3.0 and 3.2, the difference among the groups being insignificant. Moreover, no significant shift in IQ was found among the groups. Finally, regarding the number of children who were able to go on to a higher level of education, including high school the college or university, again no significant differences were found among the 4 groups. In a comparison with the number of such children in neighboring Nagasaki prefecture able to continue on to a higher level of education, no significant differences were seen either. The findings and statistics of this investigation therefore indicate that pre- and postoperative EEG's are not always a reliable reference for assessing the prognosis of cerebral activity.     

Transposition of modified latissimus dorsi musculocutaneous flap in the treatment of persistent bronchopleural fistula after posterolateral incision

The condition of a 51-year-old man was complicated with empyema and bronchopleural fistula (BPF) after left upper lobectomy and thoracoplasty for pulmonary aspergillosis. On the postoperative day (POD) 12, the opened bronchial stump was directly closed and covered with a pedicled pectoralis major muscle flap. On POD 66, an open-window thoracostomy was done, because of empyema with Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Two years later, we could fill the empyema cavity, and close the multiple BPFs with the transposition of a modified pedicled musculocutaneous (MC) flap and the additional thoracoplasty to gain good quality of life. Although the MC flap was a proximal part of the latissimus dorsi muscle, which was dissected along the posterolateral incision of the first operation, it could be successfully transplanted to cover the BPFs in the open-window. In some patients with a small open-window on the upper anterior chest wall, the pedicled proximal latissimus dorsi MC flap may be very useful for treating persistent BPFs even after a standard posterolateral incision.     

Frequent loss of heterozygosity for loci on chromosome 8p in hepatocellular carcinoma, colorectal cancer, and lung cancer.

Frequent loss of heterozygosity at chromosomal loci in a specific tumor type may indicate the presence of a tumor suppressor gene. We have examined loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 8p in paired tumor and constitutional DNA from 346 patients representing seven different types of human cancer. Frequent allelic losses were observed in hepatocellular carcinoma (22 of 46 cases, 47.8%), in colorectal cancer (12 of 26, 46.2%), and in non-small cell lung cancer (14 of 35, 40.0%), in contrast to low frequencies detected in breast cancer (5 of 56, 8.9%) and renal cell carcinoma (2 of 27, 7.4%). Ovarian cancer and gastric cancer showed intermediate frequencies of 33.3% and 22.2%. Subsequent analysis of 120 hepatocellular carcinomas and 94 colorectal cancers with five polymorphic markers along the short arm of chromosome 8 defined commonly deleted regions within the same chromosomal interval, 8p23. 1-8p21.3, suggesting that one or more tumor suppressor genes for both cancers may be present in that region.     

Pharmacokinetic studies on aztreonam in late pregnancy in sheep and humans

The transplacental passage of single intravenous doses of aztreonam (AZT), 1 g or 2 g, was examined in 7 sheep and 14 women in late pregnancy, respectively and the obtained data were analyzed by a two-compartment model. The obtained results were summarized as follows. After single 2 g intravenous doses were given to pregnant sheep, the mean peak level of AZT in maternal blood was 83.79 micrograms/ml and the half-life of the beta-phase was 1.525 hours. After single 1 g intravenous doses were administered to pregnant women, the mean peak level of AZT in blood was 102.62 micrograms/ml and the half-life of beta-phase was 2.128 hours. The peak levels in umbilical venous blood and amniotic fluid were 14.43 micrograms/ml and 11.86 micrograms/ml, respectively.