Sonographic Investigation of the Rectoanal Inhibitory Reflex: A Qualitative Pilot Study in Healthy Females

Purpose The rectoanal inhibitory reflex has been studied using various methods, e.g., anometry and electromyography. The aim of this study was to apply ultrasound for direct visualization of the rectoanal inhibitory reflex. Method The rectoanal inhibitory reflex was induced in ten healthy females (age range, 21–55 years) by injection of small amounts of water (7, 12, and 20 ml), into the rectum. The intra-anal pressure was measured with a microtransducer and the rectoanal inhibitory reflex was visualized with real-time transvaginal or transperineal sonography. Results The rectoanal inhibitory reflex consisted of a reduction in the intra-anal pressure and relaxation of the internal anal sphincter, manifested as an increase in the inner diameter of the internal anal sphincter from the mean of 11 to 16 mm (P < 0.001). Simultaneously, a wave of rectal contents entered the anal canal. The distance from the most distal border of the rectal contents to the anal verge decreased from a mean of 33 to 20 mm (P < 0.001). The rectoanal inhibitory reflex ended with a retrograde transport returning anal contents into the rectum. During the retrograde transport a contraction in the internal anal sphincter was observed. Conclusions The rectoanal inhibitory reflex can readily be visualized with ultrasound as a wave of rectal contents entering the anal canal. The transport into the anal canal was not of voluntary origin and could be either noticed or not noticed by the subjects. The observed retrograde transportation in the anal canal was not noted by the subjects; it is related to a contraction in the internal anal sphincter and visualized for the first time using ultrasound. Hitachi Ultrasound Holding AG, Zug, Switzerland, provided the ultrasound scanner. Presented at the World Congress on Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Paris, France, September 1 to 5, 2003. Reprints are not available.     

Hybrid forum or network? The social and political construction of an international ‘technical consultation’: Male circumcision and HIV prevention

The technical consultation in Montreux, organised by World Health Organization and UNAIDS in 2007, recommended male circumcision as a method for preventing HIV transmission. This consultation came out of a long process of releasing reports and holding international and regional conferences, a process steered by an informal network. This network's relations with other parties is analysed along with its way of working and the exchanges during the technical consultation that led up to the formal adoption of a recommendation. Conducted in relation to the concepts of a ‘hybrid forum’ and ‘network’, this article shows that the decision was based on the formation and consolidation of a network of persons. They were active in all phases of this process, ranging from studies of the recommendation's efficacy, feasibility and acceptability to its adoption and implementation. In this sense, this consultation cannot be described as the constitution of a ‘hybrid forum’, which is characterised by its openness to a debate as well as a plurality of issues formulated by the actors and of resources used by them. On the contrary, little room was allowed for contradictory discussions, as if the decision had already been made before the Montreux consultation.     

L’irradiation des aires ganglionnaires (sus-claviculaire et mammaire interne) augmente-t-elle la toxicité de la radiothérapie adjuvante mammaire ?

Treatment volume is a major risk factor of radiation-induced toxicity. As nodal irradiation increases treatment volume, radiation toxicity should be greater. Nevertheless, scientific randomised data do not support this fact. However, a radiation-induced toxicity is possible outside tangential fields in the nodal volumes not related to breast-only treatment. Treatment should not be adapted only to the disease but personalized to the individual risk of toxicity for each patient.     

核磁共振波谱法测定安立生坦对照品的含量

摘 要 目的： 建立测定安立生坦对照品含量的方法。 方法: 采用核磁共振波谱法,使用Bruker AscendTM 400超导核磁共振谱仪,以氘代DMSO为溶剂,在脉冲宽度10.0 μs, 延迟时间5 s和扫描次数16的条件下采集试样氢谱。结果:以化学位移分别为6.16 ppm和6.28 ppm的安立生坦和顺丁烯二酸的氢质子峰作为定量峰,其峰面积比与其质量比的线性回归方程为Y=0.140 7X+0.034 8,相关系数为0.999 4,含量测定重复性试验的RSD为0.2%（n=6）。测得安立生坦对照品的绝对含量为99.9%。结论: 分析结果表明,在没有对照品的情况下,该方法可行,且具有快速、准确、简便的优点。     

Evidence for the contribution of non-covalent steroid interactions between DNA and topoisomerase in the genotoxicity of steroids

Fifty two steroids and 9 Vitamin D analogs were docked into ten crystallographically-defined DNA dinucleotide sites and two human topoisomerase II ATP binding sites using two computational programs, Autodock and Surflex. It is shown that both steroids and Vitamin D analogs exhibit a propensity for non-covalent intercalative binding to DNA. A higher predicted binding affinity was found, however, for steroids and the ATP binding site of topoisomerase; in fact these drugs exhibited among the highest topo II binding observed in over 1370 docked drugs. These findings along with genotoxicity data from 26 additional steroids not subjected to docking analysis, support a mechanism wherein the long known, but poorly understood, clastogenicity of steroids may be attributable to inhibition of topoisomerase. A “proof of principle” experiment with dexamethasone demonstrated this to be the likely mechanism of clastogenicity of, at least, this steroid. The generality of this proposed mechanism of genotoxicity across the steroids and vitamin-D analogs is discussed.     

肝癌内放射治疗的并发症及其防治

目的 :观察磷微球治疗晚期肝癌的并发症并探讨其防治方法。方法 :1994年至 1998年 ,采用3 2 磷 -玻璃微球 (phosphorus- 32glassmicrospheres,3 2 P -GMS) 2 6 - 17 9mCi,术中栓塞法附加肝动脉结扎及置管化疗 2 3例 (OAE +HAL) ,经Seldinger导管栓塞法 2 1例 (TAE) ,以纯甘油或碘化油作媒介加化疗药制成放化疗综合性栓塞液。结果 :全组OAE +HAL组副反应高于TAE组 ;均无骨髓抑制和肾毒性 ;肝功能指标多呈一过性改变 ,4例肝功恶化 ;肺、脾、胆、胰异位栓塞各为 2、1、4、2例。 4 4例肿瘤缩小率为 4 6 7± 2 4 5 % (0 - 91 8% ) ,9/2 3例癌栓缩小 ,2 5 /2 7例AFP下降 ,肿瘤稳定期 5 3± 3 9月 ,平均生存 12 5± 9 2月。结论 :3 2 P -GMS可成为治疗肝癌安全有效的临床医用生物材料。良好的病例选择、合理的内照射剂量是有效降低术后近期并发症和提高远期疗效的关键。     

Testing of variants of the MTHFR and ESR1 genes in 1798 Finnish individuals fails to confirm the association with migraine with aura

Among the few independently replicated genetic associations in migraine are polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and oestrogen receptor (ESR1) genes. We studied the contribution of these genes to migraine susceptibility by genotyping six MTHFR and 26 ESR1 polymorphisms in 898 unrelated migraine with aura (MA) patients and in 900 unrelated healthy controls. There were no differences in the genotype distributions of the previously migraine-associated SNPs C677T (MTHFR) and G2014A (ESR1) between cases and controls (P-values 0.83 and 0.55, respectively). Thus, we were not able to replicate the previous findings, although our study had considerable power. However, five of the ESR1 SNPs (rs6557170, rs2347867, rs6557171, rs4870062 and rs1801132) that were in strong linkage disequilibrium were nominally associated with MA (uncorrected P-values 0.007-0.034). These results did not, however, remain significant after taking multiple testing into account. Thus it seems unlikely that the studied genes are involved in migraine susceptibility, at least in this sample.     

Programme-related stressors among part-time undergraduate nursing students

AIM: The aim of this paper is to report a study exploring the perceived stressors identified by a group of 70 students who undertook a part-time degree at one Irish university. BACKGROUND: In the literature on stress, part-time nursing students who are undertaking continuing education programmes appear to have received little attention. Stress amongst nurses is evident within the nursing literature but little information is available on the specific stressors that affect Registered Nurses who undertake further academic study. Anecdotally, students attending part-time programmes while working full-time report high levels of stress. METHOD: Quantitative methods were used. While many instruments exist to measure overall stress, this study aimed to explore student's perceptions of specific stressors associated with academic study. We used a questionnaire developed from the literature on the topic. RESULTS: Factors related to writing assignments at degree level, fulfilling personal needs and academic demands, were perceived as major stressors by these students. Factors of little concern were financial issues and attendance on the programme. Individual items receiving highest mean scores were: trying to balance work commitments and the required study (mean 3.89, sd = 1) and the prospect of the final examination (mean 3.86, sd = 1). This study was limited by the use of convenience sampling and self-report methods. Larger studies are required to support the findings. In addition, student stress was not observed or measured. CONCLUSION: Those involved in the delivery of nurse education programmes to part-time students need to consider the impact of the workload on student welfare, and to prepare students for demands of the programme.     

Mothering in Public: A Meta-Synthesis of Homeless Women With Children Living in Shelters

ISSUES AND PURPOSE The purpose of this paper is to synthesize the current qualitative literature on homeless women with children living in shelters. METHODS Eighteen qualitative studies on homeless women with children living in shelters were included in the synthesis. The meta‐synthesis was conducted using the meta‐ethnographic approach of Noblit and Hare (1988). RESULTS Six reciprocal translations (themes) of homeless mothers caring for their children in shelters emerged: On becoming homeless, protective mothering, loss, stressed and depressed, survival strategies, and strategies for resolution. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The results may be used by healthcare workers as a framework for developing intervention strategies directed toward helping mothers find new solutions to dealing with shelter living and innovative ways to resolve their homelessness.