Diabetes mellitus and hearing loss

A prospective hearing survey was performed in a sample of 102 diabetic patients. The hearing data were compared with the hearing thresholds of three control population groups. A significant difference was found in the average hearing thresholds between the diabetic patients and all of the three control populations. Diabetic patients have worse hearing threshold levels especially at low and mid frequencies (P < 0.001). There was also a correlation between the duration of diabetes and hearing loss. No significant correlation was found between the different stages of diabetic retinopathy and the degree of hearing loss.     

Super-reactivity to amphetamine toxicity induced by schedule of reinforcement

The chronic exposure of rats to a schedule of operant water reinforcement coupled with chronically restricted access to water sensitized the animals to intermittentd-amphetamine injections (0.31–2.5 mg/kg with intervals of 12–23 days between any two injections) in such a way that this drug came to produce catastrophic losses of body weight (32.4% of control levels). In the sessions whend-amphetamine was administered, the rats were also given a total of 12 brief electric shocks. Loss of body weight was unaccompanied by parallel changes in operant behavior performance, or in food or water intake. Remarkably, in other studies with the same interventions (sham schedule sessions, water deprivation, and foot shocks), with the exception that reinforcers were never delivered,d-amphetamine did not produce catastrophic falls in body weight. This super-reactivity tod-amphetamine toxicity may be mediated by a possible stressor action of the schedule of reinforcement. Its mechanism might be analogous to the known sensitization produced by classical experimental stressor stimuli to the repeated administration ofd-amphetamine.     

Terminal transverse limb defects and early chorionic villus sampling: Evaluation of 4,300 cases with completed follow-up

Data from 4,300 consecutive cases following prenatal diagnosis by transcervical (TC) CVS (n = (1,570) and transabdominal (TA) CVS (n = 2,370) were evaluated. In the follow-up study only infants examined by a physician were included. Gestational age varied between 8.5 and 11.6 weeks (mean 10.3 weeks) for TC-CVS and between 9.3 and 20 weeks (mean 12.3 weeks) for TA-CVS 98% of TC-CVS was performed at 9–10 weeks, 80.7% of TA-CVS procedures were carried out at 12–15 weeks. Selective termination took place in 97 cases of TC-CVS (6.1%) and in 72 cases of TA-CVS (2.6%). Another 8 Women had a termination for psychosocial reasons, resulting in 4,123 (1,469 TC, 2,645 TA) continuing pregnancies. The overall fetal loss rare <28 weeks was 5.4% (n = 80) for TC-CVS and 2.6% (n = 70) for TA-CVS. The overall incidence of congenital abnormalities after birth was 0.9%. Two terminal transversal limb defects were detected in the TC-CVS group (0.14%) against one (0.04%) in the TA-CVS group. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Outcome Following Bariatric Surgery in Super versus Morbidly Obese Patients: Does Weight Matter?

Background: Numerous investigators have attempted to identify prognostic indicators for successful outcome following bariatric surgery. The purpose of this study was to determine whether degree of obesity affects outcome in super obese [>225% ideal body weight (IBW)] versus morbidly obese patients (160-225% IBW) undergoing gastric restrictive/bypass procedures. Methods: Since 1984, 157 patients underwent either gastric bypass or vertical banded gastroplasty. Super obese (78) and morbidly obese (79) patients were followed prospectively, documenting outcome and complications. Results: Super obese patients reached maximum weight loss 3 years following bariatric surgery, exhibiting a decrease in body mass index (BMI) from 61 to 39 kg/m² and an average loss of 42% excess body weight (EBW). Morbidly obese patients had a decrease in BMI from 44 to 31 kg/m² and carried 39% EBW at 1 year. After their respective nadirs, each group began to regain the lost weight with the super obese exhibiting a current BMI of 45 kg/m² (61% EBW) versus 34 kg/m² (52% EBW) in the morbidly obese at 72 months cumulative follow-up. Currently, loss of 50% or more of EBW occurred in 53% of super obese patients versus 72% of morbidly obese (P < 0.01). Twenty-six percent of super obese patients returned to within 50% of ideal body weight (IBW) while 71% of morbidly obese were able to reach this goal (P < 0.01). Co-morbidities and complications related to surgery were similar in each group. Conclusions: Super obese patients have a greater absolute weight loss after bariatric surgery than do morbidly obese patients. Using commonly utilized measures of success based on weight, morbidly obese patients tend to have better outcomes following bariatric surgery.     

Clarke's column in sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Summary Histological, ultrastructural and morphometrical observations on Clarke's column were carried out in 18 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 15 age-matched control subjects. Of the 18 ALS patients 6 had been on a respirator before death. Bunina bodies were found in the neuronal cytoplasm in 7 of the 12 non-respirator-supported ALS patients and in 3 of the 6 respirator-supported patients. The number of spheroids was significantly higher in the non-respirator-supported patients (P<0.01) than in the control subjects; however, the number in the respirator-supported patients was about equal to that in the controls. The number of neurons in Clarke's column in the non-respirator-supported ALS patients was not reduced, but in the respirator-supported patients they tended to disappear with time after respiratory support. These findings suggest that Clarke's column neurons are also involved primarily in the disease process in sporadic ALS. However, they may begin to disappear only after the patients require respiratory support.Supported in part by a research grant for CNS degenerative diseases from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan     

京剧器乐的听力损伤（附55例调查报告）

本文对从事京剧打击乐的55人（110耳）进行了听力调查及动态观察。利用图表进行对比分析，发现110耳中高频听力损伤89耳，占81％；语频听力损伤32耳，占29.1%；其中伴有高频耳鸣78耳，占70．9％。动态观察30人（60耳），均为永久性听阈阈移。高频听力损伤最早出现的频率是4kHz，并见典型“V”谷，符合噪声性聋的诊断。     

极低频强磁场对豚鼠听阈的影响

本研究以豚鼠皮层听觉诱发电位反应阈为指标，采用自体或群体对照方法，观察０．１Ｈｚ极低频磁场对豚鼠听力的影响。结果表明，豚鼠经５０ｍＴ（毫特）、４ｈ，１００ｍＴ、４８ｈ及１０ｍＴ、４周暴露后，听阈降低；５０ｍＴ、４８ｈ，２０ｍＴ、４周暴露后听阈无明显变化。提示０．１Ｈｚ极低频磁场对豚鼠听敏度无不利的影响，在某些暴露条件下，听敏度尚有改善。     

用磨牙作支柱拉尖牙向远中支柱情况的早期观察

选择６２例拔除第一双尖牙的样本，分为平弓丝组、带“Ｕ”型阻滞曲组、固定舌弓组，采用方丝弓细丝弓技术，以磨牙作支抗拉尖牙向远中移动，对支抗磨牙进行观察。为期４周的观察发现，平弓丝组、带“Ｕ”型阻滞曲组的支抗磨牙均有近中舌向扭转，第二双尖牙中央窝间距亦比治疗前减少；而固定舌弓组支抗磨牙未见有近中舌向扭转。作者认为：以磨牙为支抗移动尖牙时，应注意支抗控制。本文对力的使用及支抗失控的预防、处理问题进行了讨论。