Growth, bone maturation and pubertal development in children with the EMG-syndrome

In 7 patients (5 girls, 2 boys) with the EMG or Wiedemann-Beckwith syndrome, statural growth, bone age (BA), weight and pubertal development were studied longitudinally. Height was above the 90th percentile (%) for chronological age (CA) after age 2 years, reaching an average of 2.5 SD above the mean at or after puberty. Adult or attained height also exceeded significantly (P<0.015) parental (genetic) target height by 13.2 cm on the average. In one girl, adult height prognosis (190 cm) could be reduced to an adult height of 183 cm by high-dose estrogen treatment. In most children, growth velocity remained above the 90th % up to 4–6 years of age and normalized thereafter. In all patients studied, bone age was markedly advanced and particularly so during the first 4 years after birth. Weight was above the 90th–97th % during infancy and early childhood and remained there, appropriate or slightly subnormal for height, until adulthood, except for 3 girls who reached and maintained the 50th % during or after puberty. Spontaneous pubertal development occurred within normal limits for CA and around the 50th % for BA. Except for the marked bone age acceleration, the reason for the increased statural growth and adult height in patients with the EMG syndrome is still unknown.     

Indoor radon measurement with The Lucas cell technique

Rn-222 is the most important source of natural radiation and is responsible for approximately half of the received dose from all sources. Most of this dose is from inhalation of the Rn-222 progeny, especially in closed atmospheres. A Lucas cell technique, using a portable device, “PRASSI” (SILENA mod. 5S), for Rn-222 measurements inside the Centre for Radiation Protection and Radioecology (ZSR), Hannover University was used. The portable radon monitor PRASSI is suitable for radon gas continuous or grab sampling measurements with the scintillation cell technique. In recognition of the wide periodic variations in concentration, measurements were made daily for extended periods. At the same time, meteorological variables, such as temperature and humidity were observed so that their influence on radon levels could be evaluated. The radon average concentration during the year was about 55.9 Bq/m³ which gives rise to an annual effective dose 2.2 mSv y⁻¹. The radon concentration is within the limits prescribed by the International Commission for Radiation Protection. A detailed analysis of radon distribution with seasonal variation is presented.     

直线加速器十年故障分析总结

目的分析和总直线加速器十多年来的故障。方法根据十多年来的故障维修记录，统计和分析直线加速器各阶故障率及故障特点。结果直线加速器使用早期由于机器不稳定故障率比较高，使用中期及其比较稳定，故障率比较低，使用后期由于零部件老化，故障率比较高。     

Mivacurium in infants and children

Mivacurium is the only available short-acting nondepolarizing muscle relaxant in clinical use. It is a bis-quaternary benzylisoquinolinium ester hydrolysed by plasma-cholinesterase into inactive compounds. The ED₅₀ and ED₉₅ in children are about 50 μg·kg^?1 and 90 μg·kg^?1 respectively. In infants, they have a tendency to be lower. A standard intubating dose of 0.25 mg·kg^?1 causes complete neuromuscular depression in 1.5–2 min, recovery to 5% in 6–10 min, and complete recovery in 15–20 min. The recent tendency is to use 0.3 mg·kg^?1 to obtain better intubating conditions with slight prolongation of effect. Since the recovery profile of mivacurium is independent of the dose and duration, it is most suitable for administration by continuous infusion. The infusion requirement in children is 10–16 μg·kg^?1 min^?1, which is about twice that of adults. Cutaneous flushes from histamine release are commonly seen with the larger doses of mivacurium; however, the associated hypotensive effects are minimal and counteracted by the tracheal intubation. The duration of action of mivacurium is prolonged in patients with cholinesterase deficiency. Mivacurium's neuromuscular effects can be satisfactorily antagonized by edrophonium or neostigmine.     

安徽省X射线诊断受检者剂量水平调查

目的　了解安徽省X射线诊断受检者体表剂量水平。方法　体表剂量监测按国家标准 ,采用热释光剂量计。结果　胸部摄片受检者的体表剂量最低 ,为 0 .39～ 0 .5 3mGy ,比胸部透视平均体表剂量减少 88.6 6 %。结论　减少或控制透视比例 ,降低受检者群体的体表剂量 ,以减少医疗照射对人体造成的危害。     

恒猴精索内注射长效局麻药后对睾丸和附睾的影响

在13只恒河猴精索内注射长效局麻药后,睾丸发生明显变化;而且给药剂量不同,睾丸曲精小管改变的程度和恢复正常的时间亦不同。睾丸间质细胞无明显变化;睾酮分泌不减少,无毒性反应。对临床男性节育应用及生殖生理研究均具有意义。     

Postsynaptic potentiation of end-plate currents in the rat diaphragm during variation in synaptic acetylcholinesterase activity

Leningrad University. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR S. N. Golikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 111, No. 5, pp. 458–460, May, 1991.     

In-vitro synthesis of steroid hormones in corpora lutea from normal women and women treated with 300 micrograms norethisterone.

The in-vitro oestradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) production by corpora lutea (CL) obtained at sterilization from 30 untreated women and 43 women treated with norethisterone (NET) 300 micrograms daily was measured. The CL were obtained at different stages of the luteal phase in the untreated women [luteinizing hormone (LH) 0 to +3, n = 7; LH +4 to +7, n = 7; LH +8 to +11, n = 9; LH +12 to menses, n = 7] and on days LH +8 to +11 or cycle days 22 to 26 in the NET-treated women. In the treated women, four types of ovarian reaction were identified. Four women showed ovarian reaction Type A (completely inhibited ovarian activity), 14 women Type B (marked follicular activity, but no luteal function), 12 women Type C (normal follicular activity, followed by insufficient luteal function) and 13 women Type D (apparently normal follicular and luteal activity). The CL were incubated in Eagle's medium with and without stimulation by human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) for 2 and 4 h. In the untreated women, P and E2 production increased significantly with both incubation time and stimulation by HCG throughout the luteal phase, except in the late luteal phase (LH +12 to menses) where P increased (P less than 0.01) only after 4 h stimulation by HCG. The maximal production of P was found after 4 h incubation with HCG stimulation of CL tissue in the early-mid luteal phase (LH +4 to +7).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

模拟调强技术照射鼻咽低分化鳞癌细胞的生物效应机制研究

Objective To study the altered radiobiological effect of simulative intensity-modulated radiotherapy (SIMR) in cultured human nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) cells and the related mechanism. Methods Single cell suspension of exponentially growing CNE-2 cells, a poor differentiated NPC cell line, was seeded and cultured for 12 hours, then the cells were irradiated in two different models by 6 MV X-ray beams at 3 Gy/min. In single fraction irradiation (SFR) model, cells were irradiated a single fraction of 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 Gy within 0 to 3 minutes. In S1MR model, cells were irradiated 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8 Gy in 5 frac-tions with interval of 8.0-8.5 minutes between. Clonogenic assay was performed to determine the radiosen-sitivity. Cellular apoptosis was measured by flow cytometry. RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA expressions of Bax and Bcl-2, Respectively. Results Compared with SFR group, the survival fraction in SIMR group was higher at all the dose levels. The values of α, β, D0 and Dq were higher in SIMR group than in SFR group. At dose levels of 2 Gy, 4 Gy and 6 Gy, The early and late apoptotic cells in SIMR group were lower than in SFR group (21.20%: 15.89%, F=18.51, P=0.020;13.00%: 10.20, F=15.67, P=0.040).The mRNA expression of Bax was upregulated in a dose-dependent manner in the both groups. Compared with SFR group, the mRNA expression of Bax in SIMR group was lower at all the dose levels (Mean value of 76.75% : 62.50%, F =36.57, P =0.000). Bcl-2 mRNA expression at every dose level had no significant difference between the two groups (Mean value of 29.25% : 29.75%, F=0.74, P=0.800). Conclusions Prolonged delivery time in SIMR model can decrease the radiobiological effects.