A WRIST-WALKER EXHIBITING NO “UNER TAN SYDNROME”: A THEORY FOR POSSIBLE MECHANISMS OF HUMAN DEVOLUTION TOWARD THE ATAVISTIC WALKING PATTERNS

After discovering two families with handicapped children exhibiting the “Uner Tan syndrome,” the author discovered a man exhibiting only wrist-walking with no primitive mental abilities including language. According to his mother, he had an infectious disease with high fever as a three months old baby; as a result, the left leg had been paralyzed after a penicilline injection. This paralysis most probably resulted from a viral disease, possibly poliomyelitis. He is now (2006) 36 years old; the left leg is flaccid and atrophic, with no tendon reflexes; however, sensation is normal. The boy never stood up on his feet while maturing. The father forced him to walk upright using physical devices and making due exercises, but the child always rejected standing upright and walking in erect posture; he always preferred wrist-walking; he expresses that wrist-walking is much more comfortable for him than upright-walking. He is very strong now, making daily body building exercises, and walking quite fast using a “three legs,” although he cannot stand upright. Mental status, including the language and conscious experience, is quite normal. There was no intra-familiar marriage as in the two families mentioned earlier, and there is no wrist-walking in his family and relatives. There were no cerebellar signs and symptoms upon neurological examination. The brain-MRI was normal; there was no atrophy in cerebellum and vermis. It was concluded that there may be sporadic wrist-walkers exhibiting no “Uner Tan Syndrome.” The results suggest that the cerebellum has nothing to do with human wrist-walking, which may rather be an atavistic trait appearing from time to time in normal individuals, indicating a live model for human reverse evolution. It was concluded that pure quadrupeds may sporadically appear due to random fluctuations in genotypes and/or environmental factors (hormonal or nutritional); the human development following the human evolution may be stopped in the stage of transition from quadrupedality to bipedality. That is, the activity of the philogenetically youngest supraspinal centers for bipedal walking responsible for suppression of the older supraspinal centers for quadrupedal gait may be interrupted at the atavistic level due to genetic and/or environmental factors. Consequently, it is assumed that these individuals prefer their natural wrist-walking to move around more quickly and efficiently.     

Histamine hypersensitivity in mice induced by Bordetella pertussis or pharmacologic beta adrenergic blockade. Effects of adrenergic, cholinergic, and other drugs.

The effects of prostaglandin E1, E2, F2alpha (PGE2 PGF2alpha), isoproterenol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, salbutamol, practolol, atropine, aminophylline, and corticosterone on the hypersensitivity to anaphylaxis, histamine, and serotonin in Bordetella pertussis-treated mice and propranolol-treated mice were investigated. Female HLA-SW (ICR) mice, 27-29 gm, were injected with pertussis vaccine intravenously 4 days before challenge with antigen, histamine, or serotonin. Alternatively, instead of pertussis vaccine, propranolol was injected intraperitoneally 45 min before histamine challenge. Test drugs were administered intraperitoneally 15 min before challenge. PGE1 and PGE2 at a narrow range of between 10 and 100 mug and epinephrine at 100 mug protected both pertussis- and propranolol-treated mice. Isoproterenol (25 mug) and aminophilline (800 mug) protected beta-blocked mice, but did not protect pertussis-treated mice even with very high doses (1,000 and 3,2000 mug, respectively), although salbutamol (500 mug) did. PGF2alpha, norepinephrine, and atropine were not protective at all. Practolol, a beta 1-blocker, given intraperitoneally 30 min before histamine neither sensitized normal mice nor changed the effect of isoproterenol or salbutamol in pertussis-treated mice. Corticosterone 10 mg/kg reduced the number of deaths from histamine in beta-blocked mice, but not in pertussis-treated mice. The protective effect is discussed in connection with probable effects of the drugs on intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels.     

Barriers to Kidney Transplantation as a Choice of Renal Replacement Therapy

Brunei Darussalam has a live related kidney transplant program since 2013. Uptake of transplant remains poor in the country despite full government subsidy for health care. This study aims to assess barriers and factors affecting patients' preference toward dialysis over transplant as their choice of renal replacement therapy. It is hoped that the study can provide a better insight into the poor uptake of transplant in the country.

Prospective Comparison of Equations Based on Creatinine and Cystatin C for the Glomerular Filtration Rate Estimation in Chinese Renal Transplant Recipients

Background

Currently, there is no dedicated equation to estimate glomerular filtration rate (GFR) for transplanted kidneys. This study aimed to compare the performance of serum creatinine (Scr)- and cystatin C (CysC)-based equations in Chinese renal transplant recipients.

Chlorhexidine and octenidine use,carriage of qac genes,and reduced antiseptic susceptibility in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates from a healthcare network

ObjectivesWith the widespread use of antiseptics in healthcare facilities for the prevention of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission, there are concerns for antiseptic tolerance and resistance. We sought to understand the use of chlorhexidine and octenidine, carriage of qac genes, and reduced antiseptic susceptibilities.MethodsA serial cross-sectional study was conducted in an acute care hospital and three extended-care facilities of a healthcare network in June–July, 2014–2016. Two of the extended-care facilities were exposed to intranasal octenidine and universal daily chlorhexidine/octenidine bathing. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) levels and qac genes were determined by broth microdilution tests and whole genome sequencing respectively. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess for the independent associations between antiseptic exposures, qac genes, and reduced antiseptic susceptibilities.ResultsA total of 878 MRSA isolates were obtained. There were associations between qacA/B carriage and chlorhexidine (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.80; 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.25–18.71) and octenidine (aOR 11.79; 95% CI 5.14–27.04) exposures. Chlorhexidine exposure was associated with reduced chlorhexidine susceptibility (MIC ≥4 mg/L) (aOR 3.15; 95% CI 1.14–8.74). Carriage of qacA/B (aOR 10.65; 95% CI 4.14–27.40) or qacC (aOR 2.55; 95% CI 1.22–5.32) had an association with reduced chlorhexidine susceptibility; while MRSA sequence type modified the association. However, we found no direct association between (i) antiseptics use and qacC carriage, (ii) octenidine exposure and reduced susceptibility, and (iii) reduced octenidine susceptibility and qacA/B or qacC carriage.ConclusionsAntiseptic exposures were associated with carriage of qac genes. Chlorhexidine exposure was associated with reduced chlorhexidine susceptibility, requiring continued surveillance for the emergence of resistance.     

丹参酮联合盐酸伐昔洛韦片治疗带状疱疹神经痛的临床观察

目的：探讨丹参酮联合盐酸伐昔洛韦片治疗带状疱疹神经痛的临床效果。方法：2012年9月到2015年2月选择在我院诊治的带状疱疹神经痛患者120例,根据随机数字表法分为治疗组与对照组各60例,对照组给予盐酸伐昔洛韦片治疗,治疗组给予丹参酮联合盐酸伐昔洛韦片治疗,治疗周期都为14d。结果：治疗后经过观察,治疗组的有效率为98.3％,对照组为88.3％,治疗组的有效率高于对照组。治疗组的止疱时间、完全结痂时间和皮损痊愈时间明显少于对照组。两组治疗后的疼痛评分都均明显下降,与对照组相比,治疗后治疗组的疼痛评分明显较低。治疗期间,两组均无严重不良反应,与对照组相比,治疗组的感染、血肿、呕吐、腹胀等明显少于对照组。结论：丹参酮联合盐酸伐昔洛韦片可以治疗带状疱疹,同时缓解患者神经痛,改善患者临床症状,提高总有效率,减少不良反应的发生。     

丹参酮ⅡA诱导人鼻咽癌CNE1细胞凋亡

目的研究丹参酮ⅡA(TanshinoneⅡA,TanⅡA)对人鼻咽癌CNE1细胞诱导凋亡及肿瘤相关基因Bcl-2和COX-2启动子表达的影响。方法不同浓度的TanⅡA体外干预CNE1细胞,用MTT比色法检测TanⅡA对CNE1细胞增殖的抑制作用,流式细胞术检测CNE1细胞凋亡、细胞周期及抗凋亡基因Bcl-2的表达,双荧光素酶法检测CNE1细胞COX-2启动子的活性。结果经TanⅡA干预后,CNE1细胞生长出现抑制,抑制率与TanⅡA浓度及作用时间呈依赖效应,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01);TanⅡA组细胞凋亡率较对照组升高(P<0.01),凋亡率随TanⅡA浓度的增加而上升;细胞周期被阻滞于G2/M期。Bcl-2蛋白表达在短时间(6 h)内被TanⅡA抑制,且随TanⅡA浓度的增加而上升,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);TanⅡA处理24 h后,Bcl-2蛋白表达随着TanⅡA浓度的增加先升高后抑制,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);COX-2启动子活性随TanⅡA浓度增加而下降,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01)。结论 TanⅡA对CNE1细胞具有抑制生长、促进凋亡的作用,Bcl-2蛋白的表达下调和COX-2基因启动子活性下降可能是TanⅡA诱导CNE1细胞凋亡作用的机制之一。     

谭新华教授治疗男科疾病临床经验举隅

谭新华,湖南中医药大学第一附属医院主任医师,教授,湖南省名中医,国家首批、第三批中医药学术经验继承人指导老师,享受国家特殊政府津贴.擅长诊治各种外科疾病,尤其对男科疾病的中医药诊治有较深研究和造诣.本文就谭老对部分男科常见病的认识和治疗经验介绍如下.     

“校所企三位一体”培养卓越制药工程师

“卓越工程师教育培养计划”是教育部着力实施的一项系统工程。安徽新华学院通过“校所企”联合制定培养方案,精心设计课程体系和实践教学环节,加强实践教学和实习基地建设等改革与实践,对“卓越制药工程师”培养进行了有益的探索。