Recent data and their analysis from the Toshiba multiphasic-health-screening centre

An automated multiphasic-health-test system has been opened in Japan for the early detection and treatment of disease in adults. The centre utilises system simulation, digital computation and automated medical equipment, and has made it possible to handle many examinees daily, and to retrieve their data easily. This paper reports many new data and their analysis.     

慢性低氧大鼠肾上腺皮质球状带的变化

将Ｗｉｓｔａｒ大鼠喂养在逐渐降低的常压低氧条件下，用氮气和空气的混合气体调节氧含量。氧浓度由正常逐步降低为１５％、１２％、１０％、８％，最后降至７％，实验共进行１１２ｄ，结果显示低氧动物体重下降，肾上腺重量减少，肾上腺皮质球状带萎缩，脂质丢失，球状带细胞线粒体肿胀和空泡变性，溶酶体增多，表明在慢性常压低氧中，当吸入气氧含量降至７％时，可导致肾上腺皮质球状带细胞超微结构改变，从而影响醛固酮的合成与分     

白松片对慢性应激抑郁模型大鼠行为学及血浆CORT、ACTH的影响

目的：观察白松片对慢性应激抑郁大鼠模型行为学和血浆CORT、ACTH含量的影响。方法：SD雄性大鼠28只随机分为空白对照组、模型对照组、氟西汀对照组及白松片试验组，选用慢性轻度不可预见性应激加孤养造模，观察各组大鼠敞箱实验和液体消耗等行为学指标变化，采用放射免疫方法检测大鼠血浆皮质醇(CORT)和促肾上腺皮质激素(ACTH)含量。结果：慢性应激抑郁大鼠体重增加缓慢，敞箱实验中的水平运动、垂直运动得分、清洁动作次数显著减少，中央格停留时间显著延长；糖水消耗明显下降，纯水消耗显著增多，而且其血浆皮质醇和促肾上腺皮质激素含量增加。氟西汀和白松片均显著改善慢性应激抑郁大鼠模型的行为学和神经内分泌变化。结论：慢性轻度不可预见性应激可使大鼠行为及神经内分泌发生异常改变，引起抑郁状态，白松片对此具有一定拮抗作用。     

慢性乙肝患者NK,ADCC活性及其对IFN—α,IFN—γ的反应

本文用Hela细胞乳酸脱氢酶释放法测定了42例慢性乙肝病人外周血NK、ADCC活性及其对IFN-α100U/ml、500U/ml及IFN-γ500U/ml预处理4小时后的反应。结果显示,病人PBL NK,ADCC活性与正常对照有显著差别,经IFNs处理后,其NK或/和ADCC活性均有不同程度的升高反应,从而提示了IFNs在慢性肝病治疗中的重要作用。     

Information security concepts and practices: the case of a provincial multi-specialty hospital

In recent years, major and widely accepted information security understandings and achievements confirm that the problem is complex. They clarify that technologies are fundamental tools, but management processes have even bigger relevance, as also prestigious international magazines dossier clearly explained recently. Such a magazine attention outlines the wide impact that the subject has on watchful decision makers. ISO17799 is an emerging standard in information security. In principle there are no reasons for considering it not applicable to the health care sector. In practice, because of both the just conceptual level of the standard and the peculiarities of the health care data and institutions, a lot of analysis and design work need to be invested any time a health care institution decides to deal with the subject. CEN/ENV 12924 is another emerging standard certainly more on the spot of the health care. Nevertheless, it also asks for evident further investigation. The practical case of information security design, implementation, management, and auditing inside a multi-specialty provincial Italian hospital will be described.     

Successive infection of coxsackievirus B3 and encephalomyocarditis virus: an animal model of chronic myocarditis.

Successive infection of coxsackievirus B3 and encephalomyocarditis virus was investigated as a disease model of chronic myocarditis. Four-week-old C3H/He mice were inoculated with coxsackievirus B3 and then inoculated with encephalomyocarditis virus at 8 weeks old. The hearts were evaluated on histopathological changes compared with those of non-infected mice and mice infected with either virus alone. At 10 weeks old, the hearts of the mice infected successively with both viruses showed co-existence of fibrosis surrounding calcified lesions and marked cellular infiltration with myocardial necrosis. These findings resembled chronic active myocarditis in humans, unlike the lesions due to either virus alone. At 12 weeks old, the hearts of all the infected mice showed fibrosis with scarce cellular infiltration. The successively infected hearts also showed a significantly higher heart weight to body weight ratio than that of the non-infected control mice, and localized wall thinning in the damaged regions. Thus, we conclude that successive infection additively causes myocardial damage that resembles chronic myocarditis and may produce a heart condition similar to dilated cardiomyopathy.     

Distinguishing characteristics of a new neuroblastoma cell line

The characteristics of a new neuroblastoma cell line (MC-NB-1) established from the bone marrow of a 2-year-old male are described. Morphologically, the cells appear as flattened and epithelial-like or as small and spherical. Electron microscopy demonstrated microtubules and dense core secretory granules. The doubling time was approximately 35 hr. Isoenzyme patterns and catecholamine secretion indicated a human line of neuronal origin. The soft agar tumor colony forming system demonstrated drug resistance in vitro comparable to in vivo nonresponsiveness. The stemline karyotype of MC-NB-1 is 44,Y,del(1) (p22:), -4, -7, +del(7)(q22:), -16, +t(7;16)(16pter leads to 16q24::7q22 leads to 7q32), -17. Additionally, double-minute bodies were observed. However, no evidence of homogeneous staining regions (HSRs) were detected.     

Flexible printed-circuit probe for electrophysiology

Photofabrication techniques have been used to produce a nickel-iron microelectrode array on Kapton film specifically designed for biological implantation. The probe is 2·5 mm×2 mm and carries four tissue terminals, each 2 μm in width. Both spontaneous and evoked potentials have been recorded from frog sciatic nerve. Developmental possibilities for the probe are fully discussed.     

Psychosis as a predictor of response to lithium maintenance treatment in bipolar affective disorder

Sixty-six bipolar I lithium clinic patients were studied for a history of psychotic symptoms at some time during the course of their illness. Agreement between different sources of information was calculated, and the patient population was divided into psychotic and non-psychotic subgroups. Probability of remaining well on lithium for the different subgroups was analyzed by the life table method. Psychosis during mania appeared to be associated with especially good early lithium prophylaxis.