Effect of postactivation potentiation on dynamic knee extension performance

Six men and four women performed, in separate trials, maximal dynamic knee extensions with loads of 15%, 30%, 45% and 60% of maximal isometric knee extension peak torque (MVC). The dynamic extensions were done after postactivation potentiation (PAP) had been induced with a 10-s MVC, and in a control trial without PAP. PAP, measured as the increase in evoked twitch torque, was 53 (4)% (SE) and 43 (3)% at the time of the first and second extensions with each load. PAP failed to increase the attained peak velocity with any load; on the contrary, there was a trend for peak velocity to decrease in the first extension, which occurred ≅15 s after the 10-s MVC. The results suggest that fatigue produced by the 10-s MVC suppressed any benefit that could be derived from the induced PAP. A surface electromyogram (EMG) recorded from one muscle of quadriceps femoris gave no indication of activation failure in the first knee extension; however, activation impairment specific to the rate of force development cannot be ruled out. It is concluded that the strategy employed, namely of having knee extensions performed soon after the 10-s MVC to maximize PAP at the time of performance, was unsuccessful because there had been insufficient time for recovery from fatigue. It is possible that a longer recovery time, even at the cost of a diminished PAP, may have proved beneficial. Accepted: 27 July 2000     

Summation of fibre potentials and the e.m.g.-force relationship during the voluntary movement of a forearm

A linear mathematical model of the electromyogram (e.m.g.) has been developed for the biceps muscle. The number of motor units (and therefore muscle fibres) contributing to the resultant e.m.g. at any stage of movement has been found from the force analysis of elbow flexion. The depths of various motor units and the phase difference between the recruitment of any two motor units have been formulated using a spiral spread of recruitment sequence. The attenuation of individual motor-unit action potentials due to varying depths has been taken into consideration, and due regard has been taken of the length-tension diagram of a muscle while performing the force analysis. Attention has been focused on the flexion of the elbow joint, in which a method of finding the individual contribution of the biceps and brachialis muscles has been developed and applied. The results predicted by the model have been verified by experiments. The model can also be extended to the e.m.g. of other fast skeletal muscles. The conditions and limitations for such generalisations have been stated and discussed.     

The influence of social environmental condition on the production of stress-induced 22 kHz calls in adult male Wistar rats

Adult rats emit 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in response to aversive stimuli, and these sounds are suggested to have communicative information among conspecifics. It is conceivable that social environment during development of rats has relevance to the emission of 22 kHz USVs. To examine the effects of social environment after weaning on production of stress-induced USVs, we compared the amount of emission of USVs among three groups of rats reared under different conditions after weaning. One group of rats was housed individually, and the other two groups were housed in pairs, in which social hierarchy of the pair was determined by social dominance-subordination relationships. The USVs were induced by acute mild somatic stimuli on the back and neck. Individually reared rats emitted much fewer USVs than pair-reared rats. In addition, socially subordinate rats emitted more USVs compared with socially dominant ones. These results suggest that not only social interaction but also the status in social hierarchy may play an important role in the process of the development of USVs induced by somatic stimuli.     

Radiotherapy alone in breast cancer. I. Analysis of tumor parameters, tumor dose and local control: the experience of the Gustave-Roussy Institute and the Princess Margaret Hospital

This retrospective study involved 463 breast cancer patients treated by radiotherapy alone at the Princess Margaret Hospital and at the Institut Gustave-Roussy. These patients either had operable tumors, but were unfit for general anesthesia, or had inoperable tumors due to local contraindications to surgery. Results were analyzed according to tumor response, local recurrence rate, tumor size, tumor fixation, nodal fixation and tumor dose. Conventional statistical analysis of local control showed two significant factors: tumor dose and tumor size. Multivariate analysis permitted to define an "individual risk" (IR) of local recurrence according to three independent factors: tumor size, tumor fixation, and nodal fixation. It was shown that the IR was a good prognostic factor for local control. Increase in tumor dose gave a similar effect in the local recurrence relative risk for all the IR groups. According to the slope of the dose-effect curve, it was deduced that a dose increase of 15 Gy can decrease the relative risk of local recurrence 2-fold. In fact, it was shown that tumor dose was the most significant independent factor on local control, able to produce up to a 10-fold increase compared to 2-fold decrease for tumor size. If the IR of local recurrence is known, a theoretical predictive value on local control, taking into account the tumor dose, can be determined according to the present data.     

Certain characteristics of myocardial contractility of isovolumic dog heart at randomly variable heart rhythm

Summary The relationship heart rate-left ventricular pressure was investigated in the isolated canine heart perfused with constant pressure at different preloads. Rhythmical stimulation was performed with constant stimulus interval duration and with stimulus intervals randomly changed near the average value (150–200 stimuli in series).Correlation and dispersion function analysis show that rhythm dispersion had a negative inotropic effect which was independent of the preload of the ventricle in the range of 120–180 beat/min, but this dependence occurred with low rates of stimulation.This method is proposed for the assessment of contractility under conditions of heart rate variations (physiological and pathological arrhythmias).     

Relationship between the ocular and systemic disposition of flurbiprofen: The effect of altered protein dynamics at steady state

The differences in flurbiprofen disposition in the aqueous humor and the plasma were examined after systemic doses. Steady state plasma concentrations of flurbiprofen (20–60 g/mL) were achieved via intravenous infusion to albino rabbits. Flurbiprofen demonstrated linear systemic kinetics throughout the dosing range, with constant body clearance and unbound fraction in plasma. At steady state, aqueous humor drug concentrations depended on the corresponding plasma drug concentration. Two clearance terms—CL_so, the systemic clearance to ocular tissues, and CL_os, the ocular clearance to systemic circulation—were used. After systemic doses, the drug concentration in the aqueous humor was related to that in the plasma as well as to the ratio of these two clearances. Flurbiprofen was extensively bound to plasma proteins and showed limited ocular distribution; its CL_so to CL_so tratio was very small. Thus, the concentration of flurbiprofen in the aqueous humor after systemic doses was lower than that obtained after ophthalmic doses. A plasmapheresis technique was utilized to lower the plasma protein concentrations to 60% of normal levels. As a consequence, flurbiprofen demonstrated reduced aqueous humor protein concentrations, increased unbound fractions in the plasma and the aqueous humor, elevated aqueous humor drug concentrations, and elevated total body clearance. The unbound body clearance stayed unchanged. Our study indicated that a drug should present a significant CL_so/CL_os ratio in order to achieve therapeutic concentrations in the eye via systemic doses. The drug-protein binding kinetics can be different between the plasma and the aqueous humor circulations. Because the ocular compariment is very small compared to the overall systemic distribution of flurbiprofen, it has little effect on the steady state systemic concentrations.     

Dose-response analysis of the behavioral effects of diazepam: II. Psychomotor performance,cognition and mood

The psychomotor, cognitive, and mood effects of orally administered diazepam and placebo were measured over 3.5 h. A total of 120 volunteers were assigned to 12 groups of 10 each, representing the combination of four treatments (placebo, 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3 mg/kg diazepam) and three testing sessions (7 AM, 1 PM, and 7 PM). A variety of cognitive tasks, tapping and postural stability tests, and a mood evaluation scale were used. Psychomotor and cognitive functions showed consistent dose-response effects, while for subjective evaluations, the only effect of dose level was in the duration of sedation. The pattern of impairment of cognitive functions suggests that the drug affects speed rather than accuracy, and it primarily blocks acquisition of new information or skills. Use of repeated testing may therefore be necessary to detect subtle drug effects. Subjects reported no tranquilization, which suggests that the anxiolytic action of the drug cannot be studied in healthy volunteers. There was no circadian influence on the actions of the drug.     

对医院办公室工作的思考

面对医疗卫生事业改革的新形势、新任务,医院办公室应该更新观念,树立改革创新意识、大局意识、法制意识、市场竞争意识和以病人为中心的意识;积极参与医院改革、成本核算、组建医疗集团、建立医院信息系统、开拓医疗服务市场、参与市场竞争等医院重点工作;建立和协调好对内对外的关系,在医院改革与发展中发挥积极作用。     

广山楂HPLC指纹图谱建立及其活血化瘀作用谱效关系研究

目的 建立广山楂Malus doumeri指纹图谱,测定各批次广山楂的“活血化瘀”药效学指标,探讨广山楂化学成分与活血化瘀功效的谱效关系。方法 采用HPLC法建立18批广山楂的指纹图谱。利用大鼠高脂模型,测定不同批次广山楂的“活血化瘀”药效学指标,包括高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（high density lipoprotein cholesterol,HDL-C）、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（low density lipoprotein cholesterin,LDL-C）、总胆固醇（total cholesterol,TC）、三酰甘油（triglyceride,TG）含量及血液流变学指标等。运用偏最小二乘回归法（partial least-square method regression,PLSR）、灰色关联度分析法,分析广山楂化学成分与活血化瘀药效指标间的谱效关系。结果 构建了广山楂的HPLC图谱,确定了6个共有峰,并指认了其中的2个共有峰（绿原酸、根皮苷）。活血化瘀实验表明,不同批次广山楂活血药效指标间具有明显差异,在标定的广山楂6个特征峰中,峰2～6与HDL-C呈正相关,峰1、5、6与LDL...