Specific somatic sensory relays in the mammalian diencephalon

There are five major domains within the diencephalon that receive input from ascending somatic sensory pathways serving the limbs, trunk and viscera. These domains include the ventroposterolateral nucleus (VPL), the posterior group complex (PO), the zona incerta (ZI), the intralaminar complex and the thalamic reticular nucleus. Of these five domains, VPL is commonly considered a "specific" somatic "relay". The reasons for this view are that VPL receives dense, synaptically secure and precisely organized input from the equally precisely organized dorsal column nuclei (DCN), that most of VPL's neurons have small, unimodal cutaneous receptive fields which reflect their input from DCN, and that these neurons project this information in a precise way to the somatic sensory cortex. Several lines of evidence suggest that this rather simple view of VPL be modified. First, not only does VPL receive complex patterns of partially converging input from other ascending somatic pathways besides the DCN, but the pattern of its input from DCN appears to be more complex than once thought. Second, such input convergence and complex connective patterns also occur within PO and ZI (although the characteristics of the patterns differ between the three domains). Third, the response properties of neurons within VPL differ in its different parts and are not necessarily precise mirrors of the response properties of neurons within DCN. Fourth, although the responses of neurons in PO on the whole differ from those in VPL, there are some similarities. The same conclusion may prove true for neurons in the DCN-recipient portion of ZI.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

急性有机磷农药中毒120例的救治

0　引言　近年来 ,我科在救治急性有机磷农药 (organophos-phorus,OP)中毒方面 ,积累了一些经验 ,现报告如下 .1　对象和方法1 .1　对象　本组 1 2 0例符合《急诊急救学》中的诊断标准 [1 ](男 2 9例 ,女 91例 ) ,年龄 1 .5～ 70岁 ,平均 2 8.6岁 .经口中毒 99例 ,经皮肤中毒 2 1例 .轻度中毒 1 5例 ,中度中毒 42例 ,重度 (含极重度 )中毒 6 3例 . 1 996年 39例 ,1 997年 43例 ,1 998年 38例 . DDV 79例 ,乐果 2 0例 ,混合性中毒 1 0例 ,水胺磷 3例 ,氧化乐果、 391 1、 1 0 5 9、对硫磷各 2例 ,敌百虫 1例 ,药名不详 1 0例 .服毒量 >2 5 …     

Dynamics and Constraints of Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV Infection in Rural Kenya

A cohort design was used to determine uptake and drop out of 213 HIV-exposed infants eligible for Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) of HIV. To explore service providers and care givers knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of the EID process, observations and in-depth interviews were conducted. 145 (68%) infants enrolled after 2 months of age. 139 (65%) dropped out before follow up to 18 months old. 60 (43%) drop outs occurred within 2 months of enrolment. Maternal factors associated with infant drop out were maternal loss to follow up (48 [68%] vs. 8 [20%], P < 0.001) and younger maternal age (27.2 vs. 30.1 years, P = 0.033). Service providers and caregivers had inadequate training, knowledge and understanding of EID. Poverty and lack of social support were challenges in accessing EID services. EID should be more closely aligned within PMTCT services, integrated with routine mother and child health (MCH) activities and its implementation more closely monitored.     

Sustained, retransplantable, multilineage engraftment of highly purified adult human bone marrow stem cells in vivo

Data from many laboratory and clinical investigations indicate that CD34+ cells comprise approximately 1% of human bone marrow (BM) mononuclear cells, including the progenitor cells of all the lymphohematopoietic lineages and lymphohematopoietic stem cells (stem cells). Because stem cells are an important but rare cell type in the CD34+ cell population, investigators have subdivided the CD34+ cell population to further enrich stem cells. The CD34+/CD38- cell subset comprises less than 10% of human CD34+ adult BM cells (equivalent to < 0.1% of marrow mononuclear cells), lacks lineage (lin) antigens, contains cells with in vitro replating capacity, and is predicted to be highly enriched for stem cells. The present investigation tested whether the CD34+/CD38- subset of adult human marrow generates human hematopoiesis after transfer to preimmune fetal sheep. CD34+/ CD38- cells purified from marrow using immunomagnetic microspheres or fluorescence-activated cell sorting generated easily detectable, long- term, multilineage human hematopoiesis in the human-fetal sheep in vivo model. In contrast, transfer of CD34+/CD38+ cells to preimmune fetal sheep generated only short-term human hematopoiesis, possibly suggesting that the CD34+/CD38+ cell population contains relatively early multipotent hematopoletic progenitor cells, but not stem cells. This work extends the prior in vitro evidence that the earliest cells in fetal and adult human marrow lack CD38 expression. In summary, the CD34+/ CD38- cell population has a high capacity for long-term multilineage hematopoietic engraftment, suggesting the presence of stem cells in this minor adult human marrow cell subset.     

Do Fructose-Containing Sugars Lead to Adverse Health Consequences? Results of Recent Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

Sugars have replaced fat as the dominant public health nutrition concern. A fructose-centric view of cardiometabolic disease has emerged whereby fructose-containing sugars are thought to have deleterious effects on body weight, fasting and postprandial blood lipids, glycemia, blood pressure, uric acid, and markers of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Long-term prospective cohort studies have not supported these associations when assessing the relation between total fructose-containing sugars at any amount of intake and incident cardiometabolic disease. Conversely, a consistent signal for harm has been reported for sugary beverages when comparing the highest with the lowest intakes. These associations, however, do not hold at moderate intakes, which are more reflective of real-world intakes, are subject to important collinearity effects, and have small risk estimates with modest population-attributable risk fractions. Higher-level evidence from controlled feeding trials shows that fructose-containing sugars in either liquid or solid form have adverse cardiometabolic effects only when they supplement diets with excess calories compared with the same diets without the excess calories. In the absence of harm when fructose-containing sugars are exchanged for other sources of carbohydrate under energy-matched conditions, excess calories appear to be the dominant consideration. Like with the earlier fat story, it is difficult to separate the contribution of fructose-containing sugars from that of other sources of excess calories in the epidemic of obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Attention needs to remain focused on reducing the overconsumption of all caloric foods associated with obesity and cardiometabolic disease, including sugary beverages and foods, and promoting greater physical activity.     

IgMs produced by two acquired immune deficiency syndrome lymphoma cell lines: Ig binding specificity and VH-gene putative somatic mutation analysis [published erratum appears in Blood 1994 Aug 1;84(3):995]

Two B-cell lines, 2F7 and 10C9, were established by single cell cloning from biopsies obtained from two acquired immune deficiency syndrome patients with Burkitt's lymphoma. Representation of the original tumors was verified by demonstration of (1) identical biallelic rearrangement of Ig genes for 2F7 and (2) shared idiotype for 10C9. Both cell lines displayed cell-surface Ig and secreted Ig (IgM lambda for 2F7, IgM kappa for 10C9). IgMs from both cell lines immunoprecipitated actin; in addition, 2F7 IgM lambda immunoprecipitated recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gp 160. 2F7 IgM lambda did not react with other autoantigens (double-stranded and single-stranded DNA, actin, bovine serum albumin, IgG), whereas 10C9 IgM kappa reacted with human IgG. The 2F7 IgM heavy-chain variable region (VH) showed a 95% nucleotide homology with a previously sequenced VHIII germline gene, hv3019b9, whereas the 10C9 IgM VH showed a 95% homology with a previously sequenced VHIV germline gene, VH4.21. Use of minimally modified VH genes and demonstration of reactivity with chronically present antigens (ie, actin, HIV-1 gp 160, or human IgG) suggests that B cells in HIV-1-infected individuals proliferating in response to chronic antigenic stimulation may be at increased risk for lymphomagenesis.     

Studying sex and gender differences in pain and analgesia: a consensus report

In September 2006, members of the Sex, Gender and Pain Special Interest Group of the International Association for the Study of Pain met to discuss the following: (1) what is known about sex and gender differences in pain and analgesia; (2) what are the "best practice" guidelines for pain research with respect to sex and gender; and (3) what are the crucial questions to address in the near future? The resulting consensus presented herein includes input from basic science, clinical and psychosocial pain researchers, as well as from recognized experts in sexual differentiation and reproductive endocrinology. We intend this document to serve as a utilitarian and thought-provoking guide for future research on sex and gender differences in pain and analgesia, both for those currently working in this field as well as those still wondering, "Do I really need to study females?"     

Active immunization of murine allogeneic bone marrow transplant donors with B-cell tumor-derived idiotype: a strategy for enhancing the specific antitumor effect of marrow grafts

Persistence of the underlying malignancy remains the major obstacle limiting the success of high-dose chemoradiotherapy with allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT) for lymphomas and multiple myeloma. We used the C3H 38C13 murine B-cell lymphoma, which expresses and secretes clonally derived Ig, the idiotype of which can serve as a tumor-specific antigen, to test the principle of transfer of tumor idiotype-specific immunity with BM. BALB/c marrow donors were twice immunized with 38C13-derived Ig, or with an isotype-matched control Ig, conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Lethally irradiated C3H recipients reconstituted with marrow from idiotype immune, but not nonspecifically immune, donors demonstrated protection against subsequent lethal tumor challenge. The immunoprotective effect of immune allogeneic marrow was abrogated by T-cell depletion of the marrow graft before infusion. Low levels of serum anti-idiotypic antibody remained unaltered in recipients of T-cell-depleted immune marrow, consistent with a primary role for T-cell immunity in the cellular mechanism of this phenomenon. A modest therapeutic effect of immune allogeneic marrow was observed against 10 day, 1 cm established subcutaneous tumors, but only in combination with a booster immunization of the recipient post-BMT. These results provide the rationale for a novel strategy for enhancing the specific antitumor effect of allogeneic marrow grafts.