Skin abnormalities in the Finnish National Gallery

The search for clinical signs suggestive of diseases and medical analysis in works of art and portraits is also known as iconodiagnosis. It raises discussions about underlying diseases and about whether the artist intended to represent them. We assessed the frequency of cutaneous signs in paintings on display in the permanent collections of the Ateneum and Sinebrychoff Art Museums, Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki. The most common feature was facial redness. Redness was mainly located on the cheeks with variable intensity according to paintings. Facial redness may be related to stylistic features, to make‐up of the sitter, or the painter intended to depict an individual in good health or a specific emotion. It may be also related to rosacea, a common feature in individuals with fair skin. Lupus was not evoked in any of the cases. Additional specific findings included mainly sun‐exposed skin lesions such as sun tan or chronic poikiloderma, skin aging (Milian's citrine skin), naevi, keratosis pilaris rubra, and ear piercing. We report here some specificities of the skin conditions displayed in the Finnish National Gallery. Examining from a dermatological point of view, works of art gives to a museum visit a twist.     

用分子细胞遗传学技术检测白血病染色体易位

本文概述了荧光素原位杂交(FISH),染色体涂抹(CP)和比较基因组杂交(CGH)等FISH相关技术,并讨论了这些技术应用于多种染色体易位的白血病的检测,其中包括对急性早幼粒细胞白血病(APL),儿童B系急性淋巴细胞白血病(B-ALL)及慢性粒细胞白血病急性变(CML-BT)病人的染色体易位的检测。这些技术的应用为白血病发病的分子机制的阐明奠定了基础,同时为临床诊断和残余白血病细胞监测提供了直观、快速、敏感和特异的方法。     

Preserved painting creativity in an artist with Alzheimer''s disease

Creativity in any of its forms, either visual, musical, literary or performing arts, may be conceived as a cognitive capability, and should be actively explored in relation to patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias, even when other cognitive functions do not allow us to even communicate with them. We are reporting the case of a talented artist with the diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer disease (AD) with progressive cognitive impairment but with preservation of her creativity until very late in the course of the disease.     

Hg-provocation of oral mucosa in patients with oral lichenoid lesions

Five amalgam-bearing patients, with clinically and histologically confirmed oral lichenoid lesions, were tested by applying 0.5% Hg in petrolatum for 10 min to clinically normal mucosa. Control sites were exposed to petrolatum only. Four amalgam-bearing patients with no clinical evidence of oral lichenoid lesions served as controls; they were subjected to similar Hg and petrolatum exposure. After 24 h, biopsies were taken and immunocytochemically analyzed with monoclonal antibodies to lymphoid and nonlymphoid cells. No distinct differences could be detected between the Hg-exposed areas of the lichen patients and those of the nonlichen patients. Furthermore, normal mucosa exposed to petrolatum only showed a staining pattern in the lichen patients which was no different from the nonlichen patients. The findings are discussed with respect to possible mechanisms of development of lichen-like lesions in oral mucosa.     

卡通画与背景音乐在儿科穿刺室的应用

目的探讨一种服务方式,旨在减轻患儿痛苦,提高穿刺成功率,提升患者满意度。方法将儿科静脉穿刺的2 869例患者分成2组,在普通穿刺室静脉穿刺者为对照组(1 417例),在经过卡通画装饰墙面、播放儿歌背景音乐后的穿刺室中脉穿刺者为观察组(1 452例),比较两组患者一次穿刺成功率、头皮静脉穿刺疼痛程度、对护理工作的满意度。结果观察组一次穿刺成功率与患者对护士工作的满意度均高于对照组,观察组疼痛程度较轻,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论卡通画与背景音乐在儿科穿刺室的应用,可缓解静脉穿刺给患儿造成的疼痛,提高一次穿刺成功率,提升患者满意度。     

岩彩画:一种奇异的艺术返祖现象

中国画坛在由传统走向现代的大趋势下 ,出现了“岩彩画”这一新的绘画样式。从表面上看 ,岩彩画的出现 ,是由于绘画材料的变革和相应技法的翻新。从本质上来说 ,则是与中国画色彩观念的革新紧密相联 ,即对“随类赋彩”与“墨分五色”传统色彩观的不断超越。岩彩画是以色彩的新颖、独特来显示其艺术魅力的。近年来 ,岩彩画取得了令人可喜的成绩 ,但从中国画发展的整体进程看 ,目前取得的突破 ,仅是一个开始 ,如何把握岩彩画未来发展趋势 ,关键在于解决好传统性与现代性的关系问题。     

7,12-Dimethylbenz[a]anthracene-DNA adducts in mouse skin, dermis and epidermis

Female NIH Swiss mice were treated topically with either 0.01 or 0.1 μmol 7,12-[³H]dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and DNA was isolated either from the whole skin, the dermis or the epidermis. Levels of binding to DNA and levels of individual adducts formed were similar in all 3 tissue fractions for a given dose of carcinogen with levels for the epidermis being marginally greater than in the other fractions. In all tissue fractions, the syn dihydrodiol epoxide-deoxyribonucleoside adducts were responsible for a greater fraction of total binding at the higher, than at the lower, carcinogen dose. The mechanism of metabolic activation of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene for DNA binding is, therefore, qualitatively the same in both the dermis and epidermis. Quantification of adducts suggests some subtle differences between the DMBA activating systems in dermis and epidermis.     

Molecular cytogenetics: Applications in clinical genetics

To illustrate the advantage of fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in clinical genetics, we have chosen six clinical cases from our routine laboratory where we have used molecular cytogenetic techniques to optimise the cytogenetic analysis. Using centromere-specific DNA probes and whole chromosome DNA libraries either obtained from somatic cell hybrids or generated from flow-sorted chromosomes, we have been able to identify small marker chromosomes, chromosomal duplications and inversions, to determine the ploidy in interphase nuclei, and to characterize subtle chromosomal translocations. We conclude that molecular cytogenetics is a valuable technique that should be used as a supplement to conventional cytogenetics to reduce the number of unresolved karyotypes in clinical genetics.