切尔诺贝利核事故受照射人员生物标本数据库的建立

目的建立一种简易的核事故受照射人员生物标本库,准备用于研究小剂量电离辐射对人体作用。方法将血液标本固定于滤膜上加以封存,血液标本常规涂片染色保存和保存一部分头发。结果收集1162例人体生物标本,其中958例切尔诺贝利核事故清理工作人员,46例其他核事故受照射人员,158例对照组人员,这些生物标本附有完整的信息数据。结论建立的生物标本数据库对于更加详尽获取辐射生物效应信息、回顾性研究辐射对人类机体作用机制,具有重要的理论和实践价值。     

Circulating noradrenaline and β-adrenergic receptors in children with congestive heart failure

This study was designed to investigate changes in plasma catecholamine concentrations and the number of β-adrenoceptors (β-AR) of circulating lymphocyte in 94 noncyanotic congenital heart patients, in 43 patients with congestive heart failure, β-AR density was significantly lower ( p < 0.001) and plasma noradrenergic levels were significantly higher ( p < 0.001) compared with corresponding values in 51 patients without heart failure. A significant negative correlation between lymphocyte β-AR density and plasma noradrenergic levels was observed ( r =−0.61, p < 0.001). The degree of left-to-right shunt and pulmonary pressure was correlated directly with noradrenaline level and inversely with lymphocyte β-AR density. Both plasma noradrenaline level and lymphocyte β-AR density return to normal in children with heart failure after surgical repair. Our results support the idea that changes in noradrenaline level and lymphocyte β-adrenoceptor density occur concurrently with the presence and severity of heart failure in children.     

Robinow syndrome

Robinow syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive mesomelic dwarfism with just more than 100 cases reported in the literature so far. The lower extremity is spared with skeletal deformity usually confined to the forearm, hand, and the dorsal spine. Diagnosis is made easily in the early childhood by the typical “fetal facies” appearance, which disappears to a certain extent as the patient grows. The author reports two cases of this entity with vertebral segmentation defects, rib fusion, and typical severe brachymelia and facial features.     

The effect of 3 moisturisers on skin surface hydration

Background/aims: The hydrating properties of three moisturising preparations, commonly recommended for the treatment of dry skin, were compared by utilising non-invasive measuring methods.
Methods: The preparations were Decubal®/Abitima® cream, Dumex Ltd; pH5-Eucerin® ointment, Beiersdorf; and Essex® cream, Schering Plough. Skicon-200® and a Corneometer CM 420® were used for assessment of skin hydration. Readings of the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin temperature were also taken. The study was conducted in 2 parts, each with 12 women. The preparations were applied to a designated area on the forearms 2× a day for 7 days; the 4th, untreated, area served as control. Readings were taken before the start of treatment and every morning during the treatment period and the following week.
Results: Both electrical measuring methods showed that hydration of the stratum corneum increased after a few days of treatment, especially after the application of Decubal®/Abitima®. TEWL was not affected by any of the treatments.
Conclusions: The two electrical methods ranked the products consistently, i.e. Decubal®/Abitima® >pH5-Eucerin® >Essex®. Conductance (Skicon-200) was more discriminative than capacitance (Corneometer CM420). However, these methods are not water specific. TEWL was not affected by the treatments.