Is the political system really related to health?

We analyze whether the political system and its stability are related to cross-country differences in health. We apply factor analysis on various national health indicators for a large sample of countries over the period 2000–2005 and use the outcomes of the factor analysis to construct two new health measures, i.e., the health of individuals and the quality of the health care sector. Using a cross-country structural equation model with various economic and demographic control variables, we examine the relationship between the type of regime and political stability on the one hand and health on the other. The political variables and the control variables are measured as averages over the period 1980–1999. Our results suggest that democracy has a positive relationship with the health of individuals, while regime instability has a negative relationship with the health of individuals. Government instability is negatively related to individual health via its link with the quality of the health care sector, while democracy is positively related with individual health through its link with income. Our main findings are confirmed by the results of a panel model and various sensitivity tests.     

丙丁酚对载脂蛋白E~(-/-)小鼠主动脉粥样硬化病变及病变处凝集素样氧化型低密度脂蛋白受体1表达的影响

目的观察丙丁酚对载脂蛋白E-/-小鼠主动脉粥样硬化斑块形成及主动脉凝集素样氧化型低密度脂蛋白受体1表达的影响,以探讨丙丁酚调节血脂以外的可能的抗动脉粥样硬化作用机制。方法将21只4周龄的雄性载脂蛋白E-/-小鼠随机分成基础饮食对照组、高脂饮食对照组和高脂饮食加丙丁酚组     

肿瘤坏死因子及中性粒细胞在脊髓继发性损伤中的作用

目的 探讨炎性反应对脊髓损伤细胞凋亡的影响及其作用机制。方法 健康Wistar大鼠48只。随机分为2组，实验组与对照组。采用Allen法挫伤大鼠T10节段脊髓，于术后1、8h和1、2、3、7d取材。检测肿瘤坏死因子（TNF）与髓过氧化物酶水平的变化。结果 实验组肿瘤坏死因子与髓过氧化物酶水平均明显升高（P〈0．01）。结论 中性粒细胞及TNF-α参与了脊髓继发性损伤，并可能是触发迟发性神经元凋亡的重要因素之一。     

BcL-2、Bax、CD44V6在乳腺癌表达及预后的研究

目的探讨影响乳腺癌患者预后的因素,协助临床制定手术方式及术后治疗方案。方法选择80例各型乳腺癌患者的标本,应用免疫组化SP方法,检测乳腺癌组织中癌基因BcL-2、Bax及黏附因子CD44V6的表达情况。结果乳腺癌中BcL-2、Bax及CD44V6的表达情况与肿瘤组织学分级、瘤体直径。有无转移及患者术后存活时间均有显著性相关(P<0.05或0.01)。结论BcL-2高表达、Bax低表达、CD44V6低表达的患者组织学分级好,肿瘤体积小,淋巴结转移少,术后存活时间长,这部分患者可做肿物扩大切除而保留乳房或即使已做乳房切除,术后也可减少放疗及化疗剂量。     

Electrophysiological properties of the propafenone-analogue GE 68 (1-[3-(phenylethyl)-2-benzofuryl]-2-(propylamino)-ethanol) in isolated preparations and ventricular myocytes of guinea-pig hearts

GE 68 ((Rac.)-1-[3-(Phenylethyl)-2-benzofuryl]-2-(propylamino)-ethanol hydrochloride) is structurally related to propafenone, and exerts negative inotropic and negative chronotropic effects similar to the parent drug, but lacks any β-adrenoceptor blocking activity contrary to propafenone. Thus, the electrophysiological effects of GE 68 were studied in papillary muscles, left atria, Purkinje fibres, sinoatrial nodes and ventricular myocytes of the guinea-pig heart with the intracellular microelectrode technique and the patch-clamp technique in the cell-attached mode. The decrease of the maximum upstroke velocity (V˙_max) by GE 68 (1 to 10 μM) was use- and frequency-dependent. V˙_max recovered from the use-dependent block with a time constant of 4.1 ± 0.6 s. In papillary muscles and Purkinje fibres action potential duration was shortened, while it was prolonged in left atria and sinoatrial nodes. Half-maximal steady-state inactivation of the sodium channels was shifted to more negative membrane potentials (control: –91.5 ± 0.8 mV, 10 μM GE 68: –97.9 ± 2.5 mV). The peak of the current-voltage relationship and the reversal potential were not changed by GE 68. The amplitude of the unitary current remained unaltered, while open state probability was decreased. The most striking effect of GE 68 was an increase of the number of sweeps without single channel openings (1 μM: 2 fold, 10 μM: 6 fold). GE 68 also caused a decrease of the mean open times, and an increase of the mean closed times in unmodified and pronase-modified sodium channels. Besides the lack of β-adrenoceptor blocking activity, data present a faster recovery from the use-dependent block by GE 68 and a lower affinity to inactivated sodium channels compared to the reference drug propafenone, as well as differences in the effect on single channel kinetics. Received: 25 July 1996 / Accepted: 14 October 1996     

新生儿先天性畸形与孕妇乙型肝炎病毒感染关系的研究

为探讨孕妇乙型肝炎病毒(HBV)感染和某些因素对先天性畸形的致病作用,本文进行了96对新生儿先天畸形的配对(1:1)病例对照研究,报道先天畸形的频率和构成,单因素和多因素的条件Logistic回归分析,表明孕妇HBsAg阳性等6个因素对先天畸形呈阴性结果,而与接触农药和孕周的因素有明显联系,值得进一步探讨。     

Pyramidal cells in primary auditory cortex project to cochlear nucleus in rat

Recent work has demonstrated that the auditory cortex in rat sends direct projections to the auditory nuclei of the brainstem, including the cochlear nucleus and superior olive. To determine the cortical origin of the projections to cochlear nucleus, Fast Blue, a retrograde fluorescent tracer, was injected into the cochlear nucleus. Labeled cells in the forebrain were then studied with light microscopy and mapped. The projection was found to originate from large pyramidal neurons in layer V of primary auditory cortex. The projection was predominantly ipsilateral, and no labeled neurons were found in other cortical areas. These data imply that primary auditory cortex exerts influence over ascending auditory information at the earliest stages of the central auditory system.     

Capillary hemangioblastoma: histogenesis of stromal cells

Summary The histogenesis of stromal cells in capillary hemangioblastoma has been the subject of debate. The light and electron microscopic studies of hemangioblastomas presented here showed pericytic and leiomyoblastic features in stromal cells. Cells cultured by the monolayer method showed similar features to those of the original tumors. Immunohistochemical studies for glial fibrillary acidic protein and factor VIII/von Willebrand factor indicated that stromal cells were antigenically distinct from astrocytes and endothelial cells. These findings suggest that stromal cells are closely related to pericytes and smooth muscle cells, and support Rhodin's speculation that pericytes serve as a precursor to smooth muscle cells.     

广州市大学生尝试自杀现况及其影响因素分析

目的了解广州市大学生尝试自杀现状及其影响因素，为高校健康教育提供理论依据。方法采用整群随机抽样方法，用自编调查表对大学生进行问卷调查，在此基础上结合专题小组讨论的定性研究方法进行分析。结果大学生近1a内尝试自杀报告率为6．0％，不同性别、学校、专业的学生尝试自杀报告率差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）；城镇学生尝试自杀报告率为6．6％，高于农村学生的4．2％（x^2=4．71，P=0．032）。对自杀行为的态度、朋友和家人有过自杀行为、消极应对、负性生活事件等是尝试自杀的危险因素，获得社会支持是尝试自杀的保护因素。定性访谈发现，学校几乎没有开展过自杀行为的健康教育活动，绝大部分学生对自杀行为持中立态度。结论加强健康教育、消除危险因素、提高保护因素可以最大限度地预防自杀.