Secular trends in growth

Human adult height has been increasing world-wide for a century and a half. The rate of increase depends on time and place of measurement. Final height appears to have reached a plateau in Northern European countries but it is still increasing in southern European countries as well as Japan. While mean birth length has not changed recently in industrialized countries, the secular trend finally observed in adult height mostly originates during the first 2 years of life. Secular trend in growth is a marker of public health and provides insights into the interaction between growth and environment. It has been shown to be affected by income, social status, infections and nutrition. While genetic factors cannot explain such rapid changes in average population height, epigenetic factors could be the link between growth and environment.     

Les allergènes recombinants : leur apport à l’allergologie en 2006

Advances in molecular biology techniques have led to the production of recombinant allergens, about thirty of them now being available for measurements (DIAGNOSIS?) in vitro. These recombinant allergens correspond to a precise molecular variant of a natural allergen, and their biological activity has to be evaluated in comparison with the corresponding natural allergen. The advantages of recombinant allergens are essentially the creation of allergenic preparations having constant pharmaceutic properties, which allows determination of specific IgE directed against different molecular components of an allergenic source, for example, pollen, mites, etc. The main consequences of these biological advances are the following: evaluation of sensitivities to allergen molecules in different populations (molecular epidemiology), improvement of extracts used for diagnosis by selection of the most pertinent allergenic sources and in quantifying their major allergen content, definition of the spectrum of recognition of specific IgE vis-à-vis different molecular components (spectrotype), quantitative evaluation of IgE responses, establishing the molecular basis of cross-reactions between different inhaled allergens, between different food allergens, and between inhaled allergens and food allergens. As regards allergy practice, this new diagnostic tool can lead to better interpretation of polysensitivities, observed by skin tests and in vitro tests. Some examples of particular clinical cases associated with specific sensitivities vis-à-vis certain recombinant allergens will be presented.     

Removal of biofilm is essential for long-term ventilation tube retention

BACKGROUND Although long-term retention of a ventilation tube is required in many ear diseases,spontaneous removal of conventional ventilation tube is observed in patients within 3 to 12 mo.To address this issue,we aimed to determine a new method for long-term retention of the ventilation tube.AIM To explore the value of removing the biofilm for long-term retention of tympanostomy ventilation tubes.METHODS A case-control study design was used to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of long-term tube retention by directly removing the biofilm(via surgical exfoliation)in patients who underwent myringotomy with ventilation tube placement.The patients were randomly divided into two groups:Control group and treatment group.Patients in the treatment group underwent regular biofilm exfoliation surgery in the clinic,whereas those in the control group did not have their biofilm removed.Only conventional ventilation tubes were placed in this study.Outcome measures were tube position and patency.Tube retention time and any complications were documented.RESULTS Eight patients with biofilm removal and eight patients without biofilm removal as a control group were enrolled in the study.The tympanostomy tube retention time was significantly longer in the treatment group(43.5±26.4 mo)than in the control group(9.5±6.9 mo)(P=0.003).More tympanostomy tubes were found to be patent and in correct position in the treatment group during the follow-up intervals than in the control group(P=0.01).CONCLUSION Despite the use of short-term ventilation tubes,direct biofilm removal can be a well-tolerated and effective treatment for long-term tube retention of tympanostomy ventilation tubes in patients who underwent myringotomy.     

肿瘤坏死因子β基因多态性与吉兰-巴雷综合征不同亚型的关联研究

目的研究肿瘤坏死因子βTNFβ基因多态性与吉兰-巴雷综合征(GBS)的两种主要亚型-急性炎症性脱髓鞘性多发性神经病(AIDP)和急性运动性轴索型神经病(AMAN)的易感性和预后的关系。方法对我院在2008至2011年收治的吉兰-巴雷综合征患者进行电生理标准分型,在疾病高峰期和发病1年后随访时进行Hughes神经功能评分;采用聚合酶链式反应-限制性片段长度多态性(PCR-RFLP)技术对41例AIDP患者、52例AMAN患者和98名健康人进行TNFβ基因多态性分析。结果 AIDP组TNFβ基因型分布与对照组没有差别,TNFβG等位基因频率明显高于对照组(37.8%,25%);AMAN组TNFβ基因型分布与对照组相比有差别,TNFβG等位基因频率明显高于对照组(40.4%,25%),P<0.05;GBS重症型患者(Hughes评分4⁶分)TNFβG等位基因频率明显高于对照组(40.6%,25%),P<0.05。GBS预后较差患者(Hughes评分>2分)TNFβG等位基因频率明显高于对照组(47.5%,25%),P<0.05。结论 TNFβG等位基因与GBS两种亚型的易患性有关,携带有TNFβG等位基因患者更倾向有较严重的疾病病程且预后较差。     

青川县野生重楼资源的分布概况

目的 调查青川县野生重楼的种类、分布区域及资源现状.方法 通过走访调查、野外考察、样本采集、标本鉴定和资料查阅相结合的方法,调查了青川县的重楼资源.结果 在调查的青川县21个乡镇35个样品地区中,5个乡镇6个样地有野生重楼分布,主要分布在海拔1000～2200 m的阔叶林和针叶林下,主要为华重楼、黑籽重楼、多叶重楼、平伐重楼等4种,以华重楼的数量最多.初步估算,总蕴藏量为51.72吨.结论 青川县野生重楼的资源分布广泛,是平伐重楼的已知最北端的分布地,重楼野生资源蕴藏量正在急剧下降,有效保护和合理利用势在必行.     

外周血流式细胞仪分析在淋巴瘤性红皮病诊断中的作用研究

目的:探讨外周血流式细胞仪检测在红皮病诊断中的应用价值。方法:收集2017年9月至2020年12月在中国医学科学院皮肤病医院就诊的29例红皮病患者,包括6例红皮病型蕈样肉芽肿（EMF）、5例Sézary综合征（SS）及18例不同病因的炎症性红皮病（IE）,4例健康志愿者为健康对照。采用流式细胞仪检测外周血淋巴细胞亚群、...     

La biologie et le futur de la psychanalyse : un nouveau cadre conceptuel de travail pour une psychiatrie revisitée

The American Journal of Psychiatry has received a number of letters in response to my earlier “Framework” article (1). Some of these are reprinted elsewhere in this issue, and I have answered them briefly there. However, one issue raised by some letters deserves a more detailed answer, and that relates to whether biology is at all relevant to psychoanalysis. To my mind, this issue is so central to the future of psychoanalysis that it cannot be addressed with a brief comment. I therefore have written this article in an attempt to outline the importance of biology for the future of psychoanalysis.     

Ultrastructure of the sinus gland and lateral cephalic nerve plexus in the isopod Ligia oceanica (Crustacea Oniscoidea)

Isopod crustaceans have two distinct cephalic neurohemal organs: the sinus gland (SG) and lateral cephalic nerve plexus (LCNP). The present study of Ligia oceanica was designed to ascertain the ultrastructure, during the moulting cycle, of the terminals constituting the SG and LCNP, both of which store and release neurosecretory material, and to trace these terminals to their probable origin in neurosecretory perikarya. The SG was observed to contain four types of terminals (I, II, III, and IV) assigned, on the basis of the appearance of their neurosecretory granules, to four types of neurosecretory cells in the protocerebrum (β₁, β₂, B₁ and B_u). When the same morphological criteria were applied to the LCNP, two types of terminals were found—III′ and IV′. Type III′ was thought to originate in the B_p plexus cells and in the B₂ cells of the suboesophageal ganglion. The origins of Type IV′ terminals were believed to be the B_u and B_m cells of this ganglion. Release from both the GS and LCNP occurred by exocytosis. The discussion attempts to relate the ultrastructural variations observed in the SG and LCNP with existing data on the neuroendocrine regulation of the moult. Such regulation involves the two antagonistic hormones (moult-inhibiting and moult-accelerating) which determine the circulating ecdysteroid level. It is also suggested that the plexus cells are the site of synthesis of a factor controlling the release of the exuviation factor.