Late-onset left diaphragmatic hernia after group B streptococcal sepsis: An unusual presentation

There are several reported cases of late presentations of right diaphragmatic hernia with early- as well as late-onset group B streptococcal (GBS) infections. The authors describe the first case of late-onset left diaphragmatic hernia with late onset GBS infection in a preterm infant. The diagnosis was prompted by a dramatic clinical deterioration during the recovery phase of GBS sepsis. J Pediatr Surg 37:932-933.     

在一些地区开展新生儿听力普遍筛查的挑战

1背景 新生儿听力普遍筛查(universal neonatal hearing screening,UNHS)是早期发现听力损失的有效手段.一些发达国家,如美国,澳大利亚和英国等,已经或正在建立新生儿听力普遍筛查项目.有许多研究报道了开展该项目可能获得的效益[1～3],但是关于该项目在发展中国家可行性的报道却很少[4,5].     

Environmental impoverishment and aging alter object recognition,spatial learning,and dentate gyrus astrocytes

Environmental and age‐related effects on learning and memory were analysed and compared with changes observed in astrocyte laminar distribution in the dentate gyrus. Aged (20 months) and young (6 months) adult female albino Swiss mice were housed from weaning either in impoverished conditions or in enriched conditions, and tested for episodic‐like and water maze spatial memories. After these behavioral tests, brain hippocampal sections were immunolabeled for glial fibrillary acid protein to identify astrocytes. The effects of environmental enrichment on episodic‐like memory were not dependent on age, and may protect water maze spatial learning and memory from declines induced by aging or impoverished environment. In the dentate gyrus, the number of astrocytes increased with both aging and enriched environment in the molecular layer, increased only with aging in the polymorphic layer, and was unchanged in the granular layer. We suggest that long‐term experience‐induced glial plasticity by enriched environment may represent at least part of the circuitry groundwork for improvements in behavioral performance in the aged mice brain.     

Excess stroke among hypertensive men and women attributable to undertreatment of hypertension.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Most population-based studies indicate that a considerable proportion of hypertensive subjects are undertreated and that undertreatment is more prevalent among hypertensive men than among hypertensive women. The aim of our study was to investigate the consequences of undertreatment of hypertension for women and men in terms of stroke occurrence. METHODS: Approximately 45 000 men and women aged >/=20 years were examined in 2 population-based studies in the Netherlands. A cohort of 2616 hypertensive subjects (pharmacologically treated hypertensives and untreated hypertensives who needed pharmacological treatment according to the severity of their hypertension and the coexistence of additional cardiovascular risk factors) was selected for a follow-up study. Follow-up (mean duration, 4.6 years) was complete for 2369 (91%) of the enrolled hypertensive subjects. RESULTS: Compared with treated and controlled hypertensives, the relative risks of stroke for treated and uncontrolled hypertensives and for untreated hypertensives who needed treatment were 1.30 (95% CI, 0.70 to 2.44) and 1.76 (95% CI, 1.05 to 2.94), respectively. These relative risks and the prevalence of (undertreated) hypertension in the total population of 45 000 subjects were used to estimate the number of strokes in the Netherlands attributable to undertreatment. Among hypertensive men and women aged >/=20 years in the Netherlands, the proportions of strokes attributable to treated but uncontrolled blood pressure were 3.1% (95% CI, -5.2% to 18.7%) and 4.1% (95% CI, -7.2% to 20.7%), respectively. For untreated hypertensive men and women who should have been treated, these proportions were 22.8% (95% CI, 0.8% to 38.4%) and 25.4% (95% CI, 0. 5% to 42.5%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Increasing the detection of hypertension and improving adherence to current guidelines might prevent a considerable proportion of the incident strokes among hypertensives. The potential impact of achieving control of blood pressure in patients already being treated on the reduction of strokes requires further investigation.     

Peripheral muscle oxygenation and symptoms of stress in adolescents with and without temporomandibular disorder

Clinical Oral Investigations - To compare peripheral muscle oxygenation levels and the prevalence of psychological stress in adolescents with and without temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A...     

Electrochemical studies on c-type cytochromes at microelectrodes

The aim of this work is to use microelectrodes as a current approach for the study of unmediated electrochemistry of redox proteins. An electrochemical study of monohemic cytochromes c₅₅₂ from Pseudomonas nautica 617, cytochrome c₅₅₃ from Desulfovibrio vulgaris and horse heart cytochrome c is presented at inlaid disk microelectrodes of platinum, gold and carbon. Different electrochemical techniques were used such as linear scan, differential pulse and square wave voltammetry. The electrochemical response was also analysed at conventional size (macro) electrodes for comparison. In all situations a promoter was used. The electrochemical behaviour was evaluated in terms of kinetics of the electrode processes and the formal potentials determined. Diffusion coefficients were also calculated from the voltammetric data. A critical comparison of the results obtained is carried out and the advantages of microelectrodes for electrochemical studies of metalloproteins are pointed out.     

Agreement between self‐reported antihypertensive drug use and pharmacy records in a population‐based study in The Netherlands

From 1987 to 1991, over 36,000 men and women aged 2059 years have been examined in the Monitoring Project on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in The Netherlands. Classification of the treatment status of hypertensives in this populationbased study was based on selfadministered questionnaires. In order to assess the accuracy of selfreported antihypertensive drug use we compared the questionnaire information with computerized pharmacy records from a sample of 372 hypertensive subjects. Most antihypertensive drugs that were mentioned in the questionnaire were present in the pharmacy medication history (93%). However, this percentage was less (76%) when a comparison was made with the calculated duration of use based on the number of units prescribed and the directions for use in the pharmacy records. About 94% of the hypertensive subjects who were using an antihypertensive drug according to the pharmacy records, also mentioned at least one antihypertensive drug in the questionnaire. Agreement between selfreported antihypertensive drug use and pharmacy records was consistently high for all classes of antihypertensive drugs. Among 321 (86%) subjects, the number and types of selfreported antihypertensive drugs were exactly the same as in the pharmacy records. In conclusion, the agreement between selfreported antihypertensive drug use and pharmacy records was high, and the selfreported questionnaire information on antihypertensive drug use can be reliably used for the classification of treatment status of hypertensive subjects in this populationbased study.