The influence of post-polio syndrome on independence and life satisfaction

Purpose : The aim of the study was to find out the influence of the new symptoms on life satisfaction and independent living and the most frequent disabilities in patients with post-polio syndrome that are affecting the satisfaction and independence. Method : A questionnaire was sent to all the post-polio survivors (207) who visited the Rehabilitation Institute in Ljubljana at least once in the last ten years. We got 100 answers, which were analysed by SPSS (statistical package for social sciences). Results : Sixty nine reported that they had new symptoms that may be classified as post-polio syndrome. Conclusions : We have found that the new symptoms in postpolio survivors, which may be classified as post-polio syndrome, increased their walking and climbing stairs disability, increased their disability to perform daily activities and also decreased their satisfaction with life.     

Entrainment of the Circadian Rhythm in Rat Pineal N-Acetyltransferase Activity Under Extremely Long and Short Photoperiods

Entrainment of a pacemaker driving the circadian rhythm in rat pineal N-acetyltransferase activity was studied under extremely long and short photoperiods. Adult male rats maintained under the light-dark regime (LD) 18:6 or under the regime LD 6:18 were exposed to a 1-min light pulse at different times at night, then they were released into darkness, and the next night phase-shifts of the evening N-acetyltransferase rise and of the morning N-acetyltransferase decline caused by light pulses were determined. The evening rise was phase-delayed by at most 0.5 h under LD 18:6, but by as much as 2.8 h under LD 6:18. The morning decline was phase-advanced by at most 1.9 h under LD 18:6, but by as much as 3.5 h under LD 6:18. Hence, the magnitude of phase-shifts and consequently patterns of phase-response curves, which show possibilities of discrete entrainment, depend on the photoperiods under which animals are maintained. A 1-min light pulse applied within 1 h before the end of the dark period phase-advanced the morning N-acetyltransferase decline under LD 18:6 as well as under LD 6:18, while a pulse applied within 1 h after the beginning of the dark period phase-delayed the evening N-acetyltransferase rise only in rats maintained under LD 18:6, but not in those kept under LD 6:18. It seems that under very long photoperiods, the N-acetyltransferase rhythm may be entrained by evening as well as by the morning light, while under very short photoperiods the rhythm may be synchronized by morning light only.     

Colorectal cancer in familial polyposis coli and ulcerative colitis

The records of all patients with familial polyposis coli and ulcerative colitis operated at The Mount Sinai Hospital were reviewed to determine the proportion of patients with cancer at the time of colon resection. Sixty-nine patients with familial polyposis coli undergoing operation between 1947 and 1983 were identified and 25 (36 percent) were found to have cancer. In the group with ulcerative colitis, 548 patients had surgical treatment between 1957 and 1983 and 65 (12 percent) had colonic cancer. There was a significant decrease in the proportion of patients with familial polyposis coli having cancer at the time of colon resection from 50 percent before 1968 to 20 percent since 1978. This change in cancer incidence was found to correlate with a decrease in the mean age at operation from 40 to 25 years. In the group with ulcerative colitis, the mean age at operation has remained essentially unchanged at 36 years. The proportion of patients with ulcerative colitis having cancer at the time of colon resection has remained constant throughout this study. Progression to carcinoma is still a significant concern in both familial polyposis coli and ulcerative colitis. Although removal of the colon and rectum prevents cancer development, patient selection and timing of the operation remain a difficult problem.