Hyperbaric oxygen therapy may improve symptoms in autistic children

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder that currently affects as many as 1 out of 166 children in the United States. Recent research has discovered that some autistic individuals have decreased cerebral perfusion, evidence of neuroinflammation, and increased markers of oxidative stress. Multiple independent single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) research studies have revealed hypoperfusion to several areas of the autistic brain, most notably the temporal regions and areas specifically related to language comprehension and auditory processing. Several studies show that diminished blood flow to these areas correlates with many of the clinical features associated with autism including repetitive, self-stimulatory and stereotypical behaviors, and impairments in communication, sensory perception, and social interaction. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has been used with clinical success in several cerebral hypoperfusion syndromes including cerebral palsy, fetal alcohol syndrome, closed head injury, and stroke. HBOT can compensate for decreased blood flow by increasing the oxygen content of plasma and body tissues and can even normalize oxygen levels in ischemic tissue. In addition, animal studies have shown that HBOT has potent anti-inflammatory effects and reduces oxidative stress. Furthermore, recent evidence demonstrates that HBOT mobilizes stem cells from human bone marrow, which may aid recovery in neurodegenerative diseases. Based upon these findings, it is hypothesized that HBOT will improve symptoms in autistic individuals. A retrospective case series is presented that supports this hypothesis.     

Acute cannabinoid administration attenuates female socio-sexual motivation

Endocannabinoids may normally inhibit the generation and expression of female estrous behaviors. Previous work in our laboratory demonstrated that acute administration of a CB₁ receptor antagonist (AM251) increased sexual incentive motivation in estrous female rats. The current experiment examined the effect of CP55,940, a synthetic cannabinoid agonist, on sexual motivation. Seventy-two ovariectomized female Long-Evans rats were tested for their socio-sexual motivation via a runway methodology. Baseline motivation to approach and maintain close proximity to an empty goalbox, a female conspecific, and a male conspecific was assessed over six trials. Subjects were then grouped into nine experimental conditions and re-tested for their socio-sexual motivation after one of three possible hormonal treatments and three drug doses. Hormone treatments were: oil (nonestrous), 10 μg estradiol benzoate (partially estrous), and 10 μg estradiol + 500 μg progesterone (fully estrous). Drug doses were: 0, 20, or 40 μg/kg CP55,940 (IP, 30 min prior to testing). As expected, hormonal priming with both estradiol and progesterone significantly increased sexual motivation in females that did not receive drug treatment. This occurred even though females were kept sexually-naïve throughout the experiment. CP55,940 dose-dependently attenuated sexual motivation for a male target in estrous females; the 40 μg/kg dose completely blocked sexual motivation. However, this same dose also significantly reduced social motivation for another female. Cannabinoid agonists reduce female sexual motivation, either directly by inhibiting estrus or indirectly by increasing social anxiety.     

Deviations in upper-limb function of the less-affected side in congenital hemiparesis

In the present study we examined upper-limb function of the less-affected side in young adolescents with congenital hemiparesis (cerebral palsy: CP). Five participants with hemiparetic CP and five control participants performed a cyclical reach-and-grasp task with the less-affected hand towards targets placed at 60%, 100%, and 140% of the participant's arm-length. Trunk involvement, end-effector kinematics and activation of the biceps and triceps were examined together with several clinical measures. Movements at the less-affected side were slower and peak velocity was reached later in the experimental group. Even though total trunk involvement was identical in both groups, it was selectively limited to forward bending in participants with CP. Elbow amplitudes of these participants were smaller for the 60% and 100% arm-length target distances. Additionally, participants with CP showed weak positive correlations between agonist (triceps) activity and elbow amplitude, suggesting that deficient agonist rather than antagonist innervation was responsible for the decreased elbow involvement. Especially the more severely affected participants with CP proved to compensate their relatively small elbow amplitudes by increased forward bending. Collectively, the findings demonstrate deviations in upper-limb control of the less-affected body side in congenital hemiparesis.     

MRCP对胆管癌的诊断价值

目的探讨磁共振胰胆管成像（MRCP）在胆管癌疾病中的诊断价值。方法对31例经手术和病理证实的胆管癌患者的MRCP图像进行回顾性分析,分析MRCP图像的诊断价值。结幕MRCP不但能直观显示胰胆管扩张和梗阻的部位、形态、范围,而且能清晰显示胰胆管树的结构：本组病例MRCP的定位准确率为31／31（100％）,定性准确率为24／31（77．4％）。结论MRCP是一种安全、有效的胰胆管系统影像检查方法,对诊断和鉴别诊断胆管癌有较高的诊断价值。     

A Unified Approach for Assessing Agreement for Continuous and Categorical Data

Abstract

In simultaneous testing for noninferiority and superiority, Morikawa and Yoshida (Morikawa, T., Yoshida, M. (1995 Morikawa, T. and Yoshida, M. 1995. A useful testing strategy in phase III trials: Combined test of superiority and test of equivalence. J. Biopharmaceutical Statistics, 5: 297–306. [Taylor &; Francis Online] , [Google Scholar]). A useful testing strategy in phase III trails: Combined test of superiority and test of equivalence. J. Biopharmaceutical Statistics 5:297–306) argue that multiplicity adjustment is not necessary by using the closed testing (CT) principle. In fact, using the same argument, no multiplicity adjustment is necessary in simultaneous testing of any number of nested null hypotheses. However, simultaneous testing of many nested null hypotheses is problematic in a confirmatory trial because such simultaneous testing is similar to post-hoc specification of the null hypothesis. Thus, simultaneous testing for noninferiority and superiority may be viewed as an initial step towards exploratory analysis and may be best used cautiously in confirmatory evaluation.     

基于UPOINTS的中西医结合治疗慢性前列腺炎的规范化思考

根据慢性前列腺炎的发病机制与治疗现状,分析UPOINTS分类系统及其临床价值,结合中医学对慢性前列腺炎的认识与辨治特点,探讨UPOINTS与中医辨证论治结合的具体方法和意义。认为根据前列腺炎UPOINTS的分类体系,将现有的中医辨证分型和方剂归类,有利于促进中西医结合治疗慢性前列腺炎的规范化,达到有序治疗的目的。