Ageing and comorbidity among low-income psychiatric outpatients

The objective of this study was to determine if non-psychiatric morbidity increases with age in a group of low-income psychiatric outpatients. Data on demographics, presenting complaints, DSM-III diagnoses and use of psychiatric services were collected on all individuals (N = 382) admitted to a psychiatric outpatient clinic serving low-income population. Non-psychiatric morbidity was identified on the basis of medical history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations. Bivariate analyses were done to determine the significance of the associations of comorbidity with other variables. A logistic regression was done using the presence or absence of comorbidity as the dependent variable. Age was the only variable which was significantly predictive of comorbidity. Additional resources should be allocated for the diagnosis and treatment of comorbidity among low-income elderly.     

Community survey of primary dystonia in the city of Kolkata, India.

An epidemiological study on dystonia has not been reported from India. As part of a major study to find out the prevalence of major neurological disorders in the large urban city of Kolkata, Eastern India, we planned to determine the prevalence of primary dystonia. The study design was a cross-sectional study of a sample population obtained through stratified random selection and conducted in a two-stage procedure of screening by a nonprofessional team followed by confirmation of screened positive cases by the study neurologist. A total population of 52,377 was screened, and 29 subjects with dystonia were diagnosed. Out of them 23 subjects had primary dystonias [crude prevalence rate (CPR), 43.91/100,000; 95% confidence interval (CI), 28.41-64.81; age-standardized rates to world standard population, 49.06 (95% CI,31.74-72.41)] and all cases were focal type and predominantly of limb dystonia variety. Mean onset of dystonias were earlier in women (43.5 years) as compared to men (46.6 years). Thus our study on primary dystonia shows higher prevalence when compared with that of many studies globally, predominantly of focal type, earlier onset among women, and more cases of limb dystonias when compared with more prominent blepharospasm and cervical dystonias in western reports.     

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目的　探讨一种更精确而行之有效的测量甲状腺残留量的方法。方法　自 1996～ 2 0 0 1年对 15例原发性甲状腺功能亢进症病人于术前经CT对甲状腺进行体积测量 ,于双侧甲状腺次全切除术后 ,再用增强CT对上述病人残留甲状腺进行体积测量 ,并与术中测得残留量比较。结果　术中测得残留量 2 8～ 13 0 g ,术后CT测量为 3 4～ 16 6g ,二者之间有一定误差 (P =0 0 6 7) ,产生原因主要为术者对残留甲状腺背面气管旁沟处的不规则腺体测量不准确。体积切除率 83 1%～ 97 9% ,体积残留率 2 1%～ 17 9% ,活体组织相对体积质量 (1 0 5 4 8± 0 0 2 0 5 ) g/cm3 ,离体组织相对体积质量 (1 0 6 4 8± 0 0 188) g/cm3 。结论　CT测量更接近实际残留量 ,可重复性强 ,可比性强。体积残留率比腺体残留重量、手术切除率更具有个性化参考意义。     

影响同种异体肾移植受者勃起功能障碍的因素与治疗选择

性生活质量是肾移植受者生活质量的重要内容之一,随着肾移植受者存活率的提高,男性受者性生活质量,尤其是勃起功能已经受到医学界和移植肾受者的广泛关注。现有的资料表明男性肾移植受者勃起功能障碍(ED)的患病率为35.8%~78.3%;影响男性受者ED的因素有年龄、透析时间、手术方式、血红蛋白含量、精神心理因素、免疫抑制药物、糖尿病等。在对男性肾移植受者ED的治疗中万艾可是有效、安全的,在口服药物治疗失败后也可选择阴茎海绵体血管活性药物注射或阴茎假体植入术,但是三件套假体应该避免使用。     

Independent component analysis and clustering improve signal-to-noise ratio for statistical analysis of event-related potentials

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a new method of using Independent Component Analysis (ICA) and k-means clustering to increase the signal-to-noise ratio of Event-Related Potential (ERP) measurements while permitting standard statistical comparisons to be made despite the inter-subject variations characteristic of ICA. METHODS: Per-subject ICA results were used to create a channel pool, with unequal weights, that could be applied consistently across subjects. Signals derived from this and other pooling schemes, and from unpooled electrodes, were subjected to identical statistical analysis of the N170 own-face effect in a Joe/No Joe face recognition paradigm wherein participants monitored for a target face (Joe) presented amongst other unfamiliar faces and their own face. Results between the Joe, unfamiliar face and own face conditions were compared using Cohen's d statistic (square root of signal-to-noise ratio) to measure effect size. RESULTS: When the own-face condition was compared to the Joe and unfamiliar-face conditions, the channel map method increased effect size by a factor ranging from 1.2 to 2.2. These results stand in contrast to previous findings, where conventional pooling schemes failed to reveal an N170 effect to the own-face stimulus (Tanaka JW, Curran T, Porterfield A, Collins D. The activation of pre-existing and acquired face representations: the N250 ERP as an index of face familiarity. J Cogn Neurosci 2006;18:1488-97). Consistent with conventional pooling schemes, the channel map approach showed no reliable differences between the Joe and Unfamiliar face conditions, yielding a decrease in effect size ranging from 0.13 to 0.75. CONCLUSIONS: By increasing the signal-to-noise ratio in the measured waveforms, the channel pool method demonstrated an enhanced sensitivity to the neurophysiological response to own-face relative to other faces. SIGNIFICANCE: By overcoming the characteristic inter-subject variations of ICA, this work allows classic ERP analysis methods to exploit the improved signal-to-noise ratio obtainable with ICA.     

佛山市城区集体儿童健康状况调查分析

目的了解佛山市城区集体儿童健康状况,以制定干预措施。方法采用随机整群抽样的方法,抽取本市城区共15间幼儿园,并对各间园所的儿童体检的资料数据进行整理和分析。结果佛山市集体儿童缺点总检出率为71.40%。其中私营幼儿园儿童缺点患病率明显高于事业单位的幼儿园(P<0.05),有显著性差异。儿童骨矿物质测定缺钙的检出率为13.73%。男女儿童无性别差异。结论今后继续加强对幼儿园的管理工作,私营的幼儿园管理工作是我们今后管理工作的重点,做好防治工作,降低患病率,增强儿童的身心健康。     

Digital computer analysis of dermatoscopical images of 260 melanocytic skin lesions; perimeter/area ratio for the differentiation between malignant melanomas and melanocytic nevi

BACKGROUND: Digital computer analysis of dermatoscopical images has been reported to facilitate the differential diagnosis of pigmented skin lesions in recent years. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to perform digital computer analysis of a set of different melanocytic lesions and compare the objective results. METHODS: The set of 260 melanocytic lesions (150 excised difficult cases (46 melanomas, 47 atypical nevi, 57 common nevi and 110 unexcised common nevi) was automatically analysed by the digital dermatoscopical system microDERM. We searched for differences in asymmetry, size, compactness and colour distribution. Perimeter/area ratio was calculated. RESULTS: The perimeter/area ratio was detected as the most important criterion for differentiation between malignant and benign melanocytic lesions (sensitivity 91.3% and specificity 90.7% for malignant melanomas vs. all benign nevi; sensitivity 91.3% and specificity 80.8% for melanomas vs. clinically atypical nevi). Differences in size of the lesion, shape and asymmetry of colour were found and statistically verified. Using step-wise logistic regression the formula for calculation of probability of malignant nature of every analysed lesion was constructed. CONCLUSION: The perimeter/area ratio is a simple parameter for the differential diagnosis of melanocytic skin lesions.     

No significant increase within a 3-year interval in the prevalence of atopic dermatitis among schoolchildren in Baranya County, Hungary

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children has significantly increased worldwide in the past decades. Although it is well known that the number of AD patients has also been growing in Hungary, there are only a few published prevalence studies that allow international comparisons. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of AD among schoolchildren in Baranya County in 2005 and to compare the data with those from 2002. METHODS: The data from the 1454 children (771 girls, 683 boys) surveyed in 2002, and 1454 children (760 girls, 694 boys) surveyed in 2005, respectively, aged 7-14 years were analysed. The distinct populations of the 7- to 9-year-old age groups were separately compared in relation to their lifetime AD prevalence. RESULTS: The prevalence of AD accounted for 15.1% in 2002, and 16.1% in 2005. In the compared distinct 7- to 9-year-old populations the prevalence rates were 17.0% in 2002 and 17.1% in 2005. There were no statistically significant differences between the data of the two surveys. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate the high prevalence rate of AD nearly approaching the markedly high values registered in the welfare countries, and could indicate that AD has reached a plateau in Hungary.