Sex differences in tolerance to visually-induced motion sickness

BACKGROUND: Women report a history of motion sickness (MS) about twice as frequently as men, but the results of experimental studies are equivocal. In the present investigation, we sought to replicate previous findings that women report a greater history of MS than men when interrogated with MS history questionnaires. We examined the hypothesis that those reporting that they are prone to MS are less likely to volunteer for MS provocative experiments than those who are MS resistant. Finally, using a subset of these participants, we exposed men and women, during two separate sessions, to visually elicited apparent motion, with and without voluntary head motion (pseudo-Coriolis stimulation), to examine any differences in MS elicited between these two groups on exposure to such motion stimulation. METHOD: Experiment 1 used a MS History Questionnaire, which included an opportunity for male and female participants to volunteer for "psychology experiments" in the coming semester. This instrument was used to determine effects of sex and volunteer status on motion sickness susceptibility (MSS). Experiment 2 involved exposing a subset of these participants to rotation of a vertically striped rotating drum under static and head movement conditions. Measures of vection and MS were recorded. RESULTS: We found higher MSS scores in women vs. men, particularly when looking at participants who elected to volunteer. Women in the second experiment reported significantly more MS, but they exhibited less tolerance with head movement. No significant differences in vection were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that laboratory manipulations that are more provocative of MS reveal reliable sex differences.     

Fusidic acid resistance in Staphylococcus aureus

This review summarises current knowledge of the microbiological and clinical aspects of fusidic acid resistance in Staphylococcus aureus, and makes recommendations about fusidic acid prescribing and further research.     

Posttraumatic stress disorder in female veterans: association with self-reported health problems and functional impairment

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report is to identify self-reported health problems and functional impairment associated with screening positive for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women seen for care at a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical center. METHODS: A survey was mailed to all women (N = 1935) who received care at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System between October 1996 and January 1998. The survey inquired about health history and habits. It included the PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version (PCL-C) and validated screening measures for other psychiatric disorders. The veteran's version of the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36-V) was included to assess health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Of the 1259 eligible women who completed the survey, 266 women (21%) screened positive for current PTSD (PCL-C score >or= 50). In age-adjusted bivariate analyses, women who screened positive for PTSD reported more psychiatric problems, substance abuse, and lifetime exposure to domestic violence. They were significantly more likely to endorse physical health problems including obesity, smoking, irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, chronic pelvic pain, polycystic ovary disease, asthma, cervical cancer, and stroke. In fully adjusted multivariate models, a PCL-C score of 50 or greater was independently associated with scoring in the lowest quartile on SF-36-V subscales and composite scales. CONCLUSIONS: Symptoms of PTSD are common in women treated at VA facilities. In addition, PTSD is associated with self-reported mental and physical health problems and poor health-related quality of life in these patients. These findings have implications for the design of VA primary care services for the growing population of female veterans.     

Depression and tinnitus

Most patients with tinnitus are neither depressed nor seriously bothered by their tinnitus. Patients who complain bitterly of tinnitus, however, are often found to have a MDD. Treatment with tricyclic antidepressant drugs helps these patients, especially those who complain of insomnia. Other types of drugs and psychotherapy may also be helpful.     

血液感染性安全问题的现状与展望

输血和大多数临床治疗技术一样，存在着一定的风险，输血风险主要由免疫性输血风险和输血感染性风险两大类相关的安全问题。20世纪80年代开始，由于艾滋病的发现迫使输血相关的安全问题更进一步成为公众关注的焦点。随着输血用血医学的不断发展，在已经获得很好治疗效果的同时，如何更加科学的安全用血是挑战当今公共卫生事业发展的一项大课题。     

Dynamic holographic imaging of the beating human heart

Background--Currently, the reporting and archiving of echocardiographic data suffer from the difficulty of representing heart motion on printable 2-dimensional (2D) media. Methods and Results--We studied the capability of holography to integrate motion into 2D echocardiographic prints. Images of normal human hearts and of a variety of mitral valve function abnormalities (mitral valve prolapse, systolic anterior motion of the mitral leaflets, and obstruction of the mitral valve by a myxoma) were acquired digitally on standard echocardiographic machines. Images were processed into a data format suitable for holographic printing. Angularly multiplexed holograms were then printed on a prototype holographic "laser" printer, with integration of time in vertical parallax, so that heart motion became visible when the hologram was tilted up and down. The resulting holograms displayed the anatomy with the same resolution as the original acquisition and allowed detailed study of valve motion with side-by-side comparison of normal and abnormal findings. Comparison of standard echocardiographic measurements in original echo frames and corresponding hologram views showed an excellent correlation of both methods (P<0.0001, r2=0.979, mean bias=2.76 mm). In this feasibility study, both 2D and 3D holographic images were produced. The equipment needed to view these holograms consists of only a simple point-light source. Conclusions--Holographic representation of myocardial and valve motion from echocardiographic data is feasible and allows the printing on a 2D medium of the complete heart cycle. Combined with the recent development of online holographic printing, this novel technique has the potential to improve reporting, visualization, and archiving of echocardiographic imaging.     

Intraventricular haemorrhage in the preterm infant without hyaline membrane disease

The clinicopathological associations of 33 singleton infants who died with intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH) without hyaline membrane disease (HMD) ('IVH only') were compared with those of 39 infants who died with IVH+HMD over the same gestation range in order to determine what factors other than those related to HMD may contribute to the pathogenesis of IVH. The incidence of 'IVH only' was inversely related to gestational age in the Hammersmith birth population, whereas the incidence of IVH+HMD rose to a peak at 28-29 weeks' gestation. Infants with 'IVH only' lived longer on average than those with IVH+HMD despite a lower birthweight and shorter gestation. Infants who died in the first 12 hours from 'IVH only' had suffered severe birth asphyxia but in those who died later the main symptom was recurrent apnoea. Fewer infants with asphyxia but in those who died later the main symptom was.recurrent apnoea. Fewer infants with 'IVH only' were given alkali therapy or were connected to the ventilator as compared to those with IVH+HMD, but there were no differences in alkali therapy in those who lived for 12 hours or more. In the 'IVH only' group there was a high incidence of haemorrhage from other sites and of bacterial infections. It is suggested that, in the absence of HMD, extreme immaturity is the main factor determining the occurrence of IVH. Birth asphyxia, apnoeic attacks, haemorrhage, and infections may play subsidiary roles, possibly through development of metabolic acidosis.     

Prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease in Canadians 55 to 74 years of age: results from the Canadian Heart Health Surveys, 1986-1992

BACKGROUND: By 2016, the proportion of Canadians older than 65 years of age will increase to 16%, and there will be an increase in the absolute number of cases of cardiovascular disease in older Canadians. The Canadian Heart Health Surveys database provides information about this population upon which health policy related to cardiovascular disease can be based. This paper presents for the first time population-based data on the risk factors for cardiovascular disease in older Canadians. METHODS: Canadians from all 10 provinces participated in surveys of cardiovascular risk factors; health insurance registries were used as sampling frames. In each province, probability samples of 2200 adults 18 to 74 years old not living in institutions, on reserves or in military camps were asked to participate in interviews and to undergo testing at clinics for major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. RESULTS: A total of 2739 men (response rate 70%) and 2617 women (response rate 66%) aged 55 to 74 years participated in the survey and also provided follow-up clinical measurements at the clinic. Overall, 52% of participants were hypertensive, 26% had isolated systolic hypertension, and 30% had a total blood cholesterol level of 6.2 mmol/L or greater. Rates of current smoking were lower in women than men (17% v. 22%). Overall, 87% of men and 78% of women who were current smokers smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day. Only slightly more than half of participants exercised at least once a week for at least 15 minutes, and almost half had a body mass index of 27 or greater. In only 4% was no major risk factor for cardiovascular disease detected. INTERPRETATION: Significant numbers of older Canadians have one or more major risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Many of these risk factors are amenable to modification.     

Obstructive sleep apnea: diagnosis with ultrafast CT

Patients with sleep-disordered breathing often have physiologic and anatomic abnormalities of the upper airway that are demonstrable while awake. An ultrafast computed tomographic (CT) scanner was used to measure the oropharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cross-sectional areas of 11 patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Twenty-four healthy volunteers served as control subjects. The percentage of change in cross-sectional area during quiet tidal breathing was used as a measure of airway compliance. Compared with weight-matched control subjects, patients with obstructive sleep apnea had smaller oropharyngeal airways (40.4 vs 177.8 mm2) (P less than .001) and smaller nasopharyngeal airways (31.3 vs 134.2 mm2) (P less than .001). In addition, their oropharyngeal airways were significantly more compliant (75% vs 27%) (P less than .001). Patients with obstructive sleep apnea are characterized by a small, collapsible oropharyngeal airway and by nasopharyngeal airway narrowing. These abnormalities can cause sleep-disordered breathing. Ultrafast CT scanning allows rapid, noninvasive assessment of airway variables.