Preliminary evaluation of the processes of changing to a low-fat diet

The purpose of the present paper is to identify the processesof changing dietary fat consumption using Prochaska's transtheoreticalmodel. This model assigns individuals into a series of stages,emphasizing the cognitive, social and behavioral steps of change.At each of the stages an individual focuses on different processes,or coping strategies, to enable movement to the next stage.Dietary process items were created by a multidisciplinary teamusing the smoking processes as a model. These items were subjectedto a Q-sort and piloted in convenience samples. The processitems were distributed with staging questionnaires to 720 membersof an outdoor folk music festival audience. The final groupof 121 process items was subjected to exploratory factor analysisof principle components with varimax rotation. Eight independentfactors emerged during this factor analysis. The processes measuredby the final 60-item questionnaire relate to the stages of changein the hypothesized manner. Applications of this model to interventionsettings seem possible.     

The clearance of a single i.v. bolus of recombinant human erythropoietin from the serum of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes and its effects on erythropoiesis.

The serum erythropoietin (EPO) concentration in patients with myelodysplasia (MDS) varies widely at similar hemoglobin concentrations, although the reasons for this variation are unclear. We have studied the pharmacokinetics of an i.v. bolus of recombinant human EPO in ten subjects with myelodysplasia. Basal serum EPO concentration varied from 210 to 5984 mU/ml. Plasma half-time clearance (t1/2) varied from 3.9 to 20.0 h. A significant positive correlation was found between t1/2 and basal EPO concentration. An increase in immature peripheral blood reticulocytes was found on days 1 and 2 after EPO treatment; this may represent either an effect on hemopoiesis or on reticulocyte release from the bone marrow.     

Delayed Haemolytic Transfusion Reaction Due to Simultaneous Appearance of Anti-Fya and Anti-Fy5

We report here the development of anti-Fy5 in a young Negro female with sickle cell disease. The antibody was responsible for a delayed hemolytic transfusion reaction. We believe this is the first report of such an antibody in Europe.     

DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达与颅咽管瘤预后的关系

目的检测颅咽管瘤组织中DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα(DNATopoⅡα)的表达情况,分析其表达与肿瘤复发的关系,探讨其是否可作为判定颅咽管瘤预后的一个有效指标。方法设计前瞻性队列研究方案,采用免疫组化方法和图像分析技术测定63例颅咽管瘤组织切片中DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达水平,评价颅咽管瘤釉质上皮瘤与鳞状乳头瘤病理亚型、复发组与非复发组、原发组与复发组之间肿瘤细胞的增殖能力。结果32例釉质上皮瘤14例复发,31例鳞状乳头瘤6例复发;釉质上皮瘤与鳞状乳头瘤病理亚型之间以及复发组与非复发组肿瘤之间DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达水平有显著性差异(P<0.05),而原发组与复发组肿瘤之间DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达水平无统计学差异(P>0.05)。结论颅咽管瘤的病理亚型以及DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达水平与肿瘤的预后和复发有关,可作为预测肿瘤复发危险性的一个参考指标;DNA拓扑异构酶Ⅱα的表达水平在原发组和复发组肿瘤之间无显著性差异,提示肿瘤在复发过程中瘤细胞的增殖活性无明显变化。     

Experimental microvascular growth plate transfers. Part 2--Investigation of feasibility

We investigated the feasibility in the dog of using transfers of the distal ulna into the radius either as growth plate replacements or as accessory growth plates in the diaphysis. Preliminary work determined the most satisfactory method of skeletal fixation. The experimental study showed that transfers used as growth plate replacements grew at almost normal rates, uniting with the recipient bone in a mean of 7.1 weeks. Transfers into the diaphysis initially nearly doubled the growth rate of the radius, although in the long-term results were unsatisfactory, because of fracture of the graft after a mean period of 8.2 weeks.     

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease: focal symmetrical cortical involvement demonstrated by MR imaging.

The authors present two biopsy-proved cases of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. MR appears to be more sensitive than CT in detecting pathologic changes; signal abnormalities, when found, are predominantly within gray matter and may involve only peripheral cortex.     

Dipyridamole-thallium myocardial scanning in the pre-operative assessment of patients undergoing abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy

Dipyridamole thallium scanning (DTS) is an imaging technique with good sensitivity for coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to compare the haemodynamic courses and the correlation between pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) and central venous pressure (CVP) in patients with normal DTS (Group 1: n = 12) with those whose scans demonstrated CAD (Group2: n = 11). Haemodynamic profiles were obtained prior to anaesthesia and at several times during surgery. The haemodynamic courses in both groups were similar with significant decreases in cardiac index, stroke index, and left ventricular stroke work index during aortic cross-clamping compared with values prior to anaesthesia. There were no significant changes in PCWP and CVP throughout the study. The correlations between PCWP and CVP were significant in both groups as were the correlations between the changes in PCWP and the changes in CVP observed at the time of cross-clamping. These correlations all had large standard errors of the estimate, however, making it impossible to predict the PCWP from the CVP with precision. It is concluded that, in a limited study population, an abnormal DTS did not identify patients in whom the PCWP and CVP correlated poorly during abdominal aortic aneurysmectomy.