Occupational exposure to non-ionizing radiation and an association with heart disease: an exploratory study

Exploratory analyses for dose-related exposure to non-ionizing radiation and adverse health effects among male physical therapists were done from a mail questionnaire survey. The cohort consisted of 3004 respondents who were stratified into subgroups according to exposure across and within the various types of non-ionizing radiation energy emitted from diathermy equipment. The radiation modalities considered were ultrasound, microwave, shortwave, and infrared. An association between heart disease and exposure to shortwave radiation was the only consistently significant finding when high and low exposure groups were compared.     

Panniculitis in childhood and adolescence

Background: The purpose of the present paper was to describe the clinical manifestations and treatment of patients with panniculitis. Methods: From January 1983 to December 2002, 4294 patients were treated for pediatric rheumatological diseases at Pediatric Rheumatology Unit, University of São Paulo, Brazil. Of these, 35 children and adolescents (0.8%) presented with panniculitis: erythema nodosum (EN) or Weber–Christian disease (WCD). Clinical characteristics, laboratory exams, biopsy of the lesion, treatment and clinical course were studied. Results: Of the 35 patients, 29 presented with EN and six with WCD, one of these with cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis. Mean age at symptom onset was 85 months (6–204 months) and the mean duration of follow up was 55 months (1–144 months). All the patients presented with inflammatory subcutaneous nodules. The patients with WCD presented with systemic manifestations and cutaneous atrophy. The principal etiologies of EN were streptococcal infection (42%), undetermined (13.5%), pulmonary tuberculosis (10%), and acute rheumatic fever (10%). Biopsy of the nodules indicated septal panniculitis in 14 patients with EN and lobular panniculitis without vasculitis in the patients with WCD, one of which had cytophagic histiocytic panniculitis. There was recurrence in 11 patients (38%) with EN and in all those with WCD. Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs were used in 15 patients with EN and corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs in the six patients with WCD. Three patients died. Conclusions: EN is the most frequent panniculitis, with a benign course and is mainly associated with infections. WCD is a severe disease, with systemic involvement, that proceeds with cutaneous atrophy and requires the use of corticosteroids and or immunosuppressive drugs.     

HPLC-based activity profiling of Salvia miltiorrhiza for MAO A and iNOS inhibitory activities

In the course of a screening of plant extracts for potential CNS and anti-inflammatory activities, a dichloromethane extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza showed a pronounced inhibitory effect on recombinant monoamine oxidase A (MAO A) and on inducible NO synthase (iNOS) induction in Raw 267.4 cells. With the aid of HPLC-based profiling techniques, activities could be linked, to a significant extent, to peaks of tanshinone-type diterpenoids, four of which were subsequently isolated. The IC50 of the most active compound, 15,16-dihydrotanshinone I, on human recombinant MAO A was at 23 microM, and 2.4 microM on lipopolysaccharide-mediated iNOS induction in Raw 267.4 cells.     

借鉴军队院校管理模式 推行量化考评规范实习生管理

本文通过对当前军队医院实习生管理现状的分析,探讨了军队院校管理模式、量化考评在医院实习生管理中的作用,提出了一些具体的工作方法和措施。     

外旋外展推顶法治疗肩关节前脱位

目的：探讨外旋外展推顶法治疗肩关节前脱住可行性及疗效。方法：自1995年1月～2009年12月,采用外旋外展推顶法治疗肩关节前脱住500例,治疗后根据恢复症状及并发症,分析治疗方法的可行性及疗效。结果：所有患者均获得随访,时间为6个～1年;500例治愈432例。好转68例,无效O例。结论：外旋外展推项法治疗肩关节前脱住是一种可行的方法,较其他方法有更大的优点。     

HPLC-based activity profiling for antiplasmodial compounds in the traditional Indonesian medicinal plant Carica papaya L

Ethnopharmacological relevance

Leaf decoctions of Carica papaya have been traditionally used in some parts of Indonesia to treat and prevent malaria. Leaf extracts and fraction have been previously shown to possess antiplasmodial activity in vitro and in vivo.

Materials and methods

Antiplasmodial activity of extracts was confirmed and the active fractions in the extract were identified by HPLC-based activity profiling, a gradient HPLC fractionation of a single injection of the extract, followed by offline bioassay of the obtained microfractions. For preparative isolation of compounds, an alkaloidal fraction was obtained via adsorption on cationic ion exchange resin. Active compounds were purified by HPLC–MS and MPLC–ELSD. Structures were established by HR-ESI-MS and NMR spectroscopy. For compounds 5 and 7 absolute configuration was confirmed by comparison of experimental and calculated electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy data, and by X-ray crystallography. Compounds were tested for bioactivity in vitro against four parasites (Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Trypanosoma cruzi, Leishmania donovani, and Plasmodium falciparum), and in the Plasmodium berghei mouse model.

Results

Profiling indicated flavonoids and alkaloids in the active time windows. A total of nine compounds were isolated. Four were known flavonols – manghaslin, clitorin, rutin, and nicotiflorin. Five compounds isolated from the alkaloidal fraction were piperidine alkaloids. Compounds 5 and 6 were inactive carpamic acid and methyl carpamate, while three alkaloids 7–9 showed high antiplasmodial activity and low cytotoxicity. When tested in the Plasmodium berghei mouse model, carpaine (7) did not increase the survival time of animals.

Conclusions

The antiplasmodial activity of papaya leaves could be linked to alkaloids. Among these, carpaine was highly active and selective in vitro. The high in vitro activity could not be substantiated with the in vivo murine model. Further investigations are needed to clarify the divergence between our negative in vivo results for carpaine, and previous reports of in vivo activity with papaya leaf extracts.