Reduced platelet BDNF level in patients with major depression

Serum and plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels as well as brain BDNF have previously been shown to be decreased in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). We explored whether platelet BDNF levels, circulating stored BDNF, would be lower in MDD patients than in normal controls. BDNF levels were examined in platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) in 20 hospitalized non-suicidal MDD patients, 20 recent-suicidal MDD patients, and 20 normal controls. Platelet BDNF content was calculated by subtracting PPP BDNF level from PRP BDNF level, and dividing the result by the total platelet count, and it was expressed as pg/10⁶ platelets. Individuals were evaluated using a Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV and a Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Platelet BDNF contents were significantly lower in non-suicidal patients (3.09 ± 2.53 pg/10⁶ platelets) and recent-suicidal MDD patients (3.16 ± 1.99 pg/10⁶ platelets) than in healthy controls (6.17 ± 2.64 pg/10⁶ platelets) (p < 0.01). However, platelet BDNF contents had no significant differences between non-suicidal and recent-suicidal patients. PRP BDNF levels were also significantly lower in non-suicidal and suicidal MDD patients than in healthy controls (p = 0.029), while PPP BDNF had no significant difference between 3 groups (p = 0.971). Our findings suggest that there is a decrease in the platelet BDNF of patients with major depression. Reduced platelet BDNF contents as circulating stored BDNF could be associated with lower serum BDNF level in patients with major depression.     

应用团体咨询技术对医学院校新生心理素质的干预

目的应用团体咨询技术对医学院校新生心理素质进行干预,为大学生心理健康教育和高校团体心理咨询提供指导。方法采用症状自评量表对2007级392名在校大学新生进行筛查,通过对其中39名有不同程度心理问题的学生进行团体咨询,探讨大学新生心理状况及团体咨询对大学新生心理健康水平的影响。结果心理干预前后,干预组的SCL-90总分较实验前改善,强迫、焦虑、人际敏感、抑郁、恐怖、偏执6项因子有明显改善。结论团体咨询对大学新生的心理素质水平的改善具有一定的近期效应,可以有效解决大学新生的心理问题,在大学生心理健康教育工作中有着广阔的应用前景。     

大学新生自我和谐与焦虑情绪的关系研究

目的 探讨大学新生自我和谐的程度对其焦虑情绪的影响,为有针对性的提供大学新生心理健康干预的模式提供理论依据.方法 使用统一的焦虑自评量表(SAS)和王登峰编制的自我和谐量表(SCCS),对821名新生进行调查.结果 ①自我与经验不和谐水平及自我灵活性水平不同的学生焦虑水平差异有显著性.②焦虑与自我和谐及其各因子间都存在显著相关.③自我刻板性、自我与经验不和谐、自我灵活性对焦虑评分均有正性影响.结论 可以通过提高大学生的自我和谐程度来改善其焦虑情绪.

Abstract：

Objective To explore the influence of college freshmen's self consistency on anxiety and provide the theory basis for the college students' psychological intervention model. Methods the Self Consistency and Congruence Scale (SCCS) that was differences between the students with high and low level of the disharmony of self and experience and self flexibility on the anxi-el of the self-rigidence, the disharmony of self and experience and self flexibility had positive influences on anxiety. Conclusion We can try to ameliorate anxious emotion of college students by improving their self consistency and congruence.     

Oral health disparities and food insecurity in working poor Canadians

Objectives: This study explored oral health disparities associated with food insecurity in working poor Canadians. Methods: We used a cross‐sectional stratified study design and telephone survey methodology to obtain data from 1049 working poor persons aged between 18 and 64 years. The survey instrument contained sociodemographic items, self‐reported oral health measures, access to dental care indicators (dental visiting behaviour and insurance coverage) and questions about competing financial demands. Food‐insecure persons gave ‘often’ or ‘sometimes’ responses to any of the three food insecurity indicators used in the Canadian Community Health Survey (2003) assessing ‘worry’ about not having enough food, not eating enough food and not having the desired quality of food because of insufficient finances in the previous 12 months. Results: Food‐insecure working poor persons had poor oral health compared with food‐secure working poor persons indicated by a higher percentage of denture wearers (P < 0.001) and a higher prevalence of toothache, pain and functional impacts related to chewing, speaking, sleeping and work difficulties (P < 0.001). Fewer food‐insecure persons rated their oral health as good or very good (P < 0.001). Logistic regression analyses showed that oral health disparities between food‐insecure and food‐secure persons related to denture wearing, having a toothache, reporting poor/very poor self‐rated oral health or experiencing an oral health impact persisted after adjusting for sociodemographic factors and access to dental care factors (P < 0.05). Food‐insecure working poor persons reported relinquishing goods or services in order to pay for necessary dental care. Conclusions: This study identified oral health disparities within an already marginalized group not alleviated by access to professional dental care. Working poor persons regarded professional dental care as a competing financial demand.     

Decreased sleep quality in Parkinson’s patients is associated with higher anxiety and depression prevalence and severity,and correlates with pain intensity and quality

Objective: Pain, poor sleep quality, restless legs syndrome (RLS), and other symptoms are frequently reported by patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). However, the impact that pain severity and interference has on non-motor symptoms (NMS) has not been extensively studied. The objective of the present study is to explore the relationship between sleep quality in PD to pain and other NMS that affect quality of life.Methods: The study included 100 PD patients and 100 age and gender-matched controls assessed for pain severity and pain interference using the Brief Pain Inventory and sleep quality using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Participants were also evaluated for their subjective levels of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.Results: PD patients with poor sleep quality had greater pain severity and pain interference than controls and PD patients with good or borderline sleep quality. PD patients with poor sleep quality also had the greatest case-ness and severity for depression and anxiety. However, RLS was not significantly correlated with depression, anxiety or pain.Discussion: Poor sleep quality in PD patients is related to greater pain severity, pain interference, and more radiating and paresthestic pain that is independent of RLS. There is a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in PD patients compared to controls, especially in PD patients with poor sleep quality. Our findings suggest a relationship between poor sleep quality in PD with pain, anxiety and depression. Prospective studies are warranted to investigate the causal relationship.     

Success of acupuncture treatment in patients with initially low sperm output is associated with a decrease in scrotal skin temperature

Poor spermatogenesis in patients with inflammation of the genital tract is associated with scrotal hyperthermia. These patients can benefit from acupuncture treatment. We conducted a study to verify whether the influence of acupuncture treatment on sperm output in patients with low sperm density is associated with a decrease in scrotal temperature. The experimental group included 39 men who were referred for acupuncture owing to low sperm output. The control group, which comprised 18 normal fertile men, was used to define a threshold (30.5°C) above which scrotal skin temperature was considered to be high. Accordingly, 34 of the 39 participants in the experimental group initially had high scrotal skin temperature; the other five had normal values. Scrotal skin temperature and sperm concentration were measured before and after acupuncture treatment. The five patients with initially normal scrotal temperatures were not affected by the acupuncture treatment. Following treatment, 17 of the 34 patients with hyperthermia, all of whom had genital tract inflammation, had normal scrotal skin temperature; in 15 of these 17 patients, sperm count was increased. In the remaining 17 men with scrotal hyperthermia, neither scrotal skin temperature nor sperm concentration was affected by the treatment. About 90% of the latter patients suffered from high gonadotropins or mixed etiological factors. Low sperm count in patients with inflammation of the genital tract seems to be associated with scrotal hyperthermia, and, consequently, acupuncture treatment is recommended for these men.     

A randomized prospective study on the effect of short and long Buserelin treatment in women with repeated unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles due to inadequate ovarian response

Fifty four women with repeated unsuccessful in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles due to inadequate ovarian response to stimulation with human menopausal gonadotropins (hMG) participated in this study. They were randomized to receive either gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist (GNRHa), Buserelin, prior to and during induction of ovulation by hMG (Group I—long protocol), or GnRHa starting on the first day of the cycle together with induction of ovulation by hMG (Group II—short protocol). Mean follicular phase serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone (P) levels were significantly lower in Group I than in Group II (P<0.01). Cancellation rate was significantly lower in Group I than in Group II (P<0.01). The long GNRHa protocol resulted in statistically significant lower cancellation rates, more oocytes per pickup (OPU), more embryos trans-ferred per patient, and a higher pregnancy rate. Significantly more hMG ampoules and more treatments days were required in the long GNRHa protocol. Our data demonstrate that the use of GNRHa prior to and during ovarian stimulation with hMG offers a very good alternative for patients with repetitive unsuccessful IVF cycles due to inadequate response.     

Phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins in primary lung cancer correlates with proliferation and prognosis

To determine the usefulness of tyrosine phosphorylation in evaluating biological characteristics, we attempted to evaluate the relationship between the amount of phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins and clinicopathological factors, cell proliferation and outcome in non-small cell lung cancer. To evaluate phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins we used 96 surgically resected materials of non-small cell lung cancer and normal peripheral lung, while immunohistochemical evaluation was performed. Cell proliferating ability was evaluated using the labelling index of proliferating cell nuclear antigen-positive nuclear staining cells. There were statistically significant differences between the expression levels of phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins of normal and cancerous tissues (P<0.0001). Evaluations based on clinicopathological factors apart from histopathological differentiation, showed no statistically significant differences of phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins expression. However, phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins correlated with cell proliferation activity evaluated (P((Low, High))<0.0001; P((Low, Int)) <0.0001; P((Int, High))<0.0001). Furthermore, non-small cell lung cancer cases with high expression and intermediate expression of phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins had a significantly shorter disease-free postoperative survival than those with low expression of phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins using log-rank analysis (P((Low, Int)) <0.0028; P((Low, High))=0.0002). Furthermore, phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins expression level statistically contributed to disease-free survival in Cox's proportional hazard model. Therefore, phosphorylated tyrosine-containing proteins in non-small cell lung cancer tissues seem to reflect its biological malignancy, and this evaluation may be valuable for constructing the most appropriate therapeutic strategy.     

GnRH拮抗剂配伍HMG方案对卵巢低反应患者IVF—ET治疗结局分析

目的探讨促性腺激素释放激素拮抗剂（GnRH拮抗剂）配伍HMG方案对卵巢低反应患者控制性超排卵的效果，及其对体外受精-胚胎移植结局的影响。方法研究对象为前次IVF—ET治疗失败，证明是卵巢低反应，要求再次IVF—ET治疗的患者，随机分为2组，实验组使用GnRH拮抗剂＋HMG方案，共21个周期，对照组使用GnRH激动剂短方案，共23个周期。将两组患者的年龄、基础FSH水平、Gn使用天数和剂量、hCG日血清E2水平、获卵数、受精率、临床妊娠率、胚胎种植率等进行比较。结果两组患者不孕年限、与前次IVF—ET间隔时间、周期取消率、Gn使用天数、HCG日E2水平、获卵数、受精方式、受精率，胚胎移植数等比较差异均无显著性（P〉0．05）。拮抗剂组与激动剂组的平均年龄分别为：（37．7±3．3）岁和（35．9±4．1）岁；平均基础FSH分别为：（14．21±6．76）μ／L和（10．04±4．60）μ／L。平均Gn使用量：拮抗剂组为（32．3±17．8）支，激动剂组为（39．8±12．2）支。拮抗剂组与激动剂组的临床妊娠和胚胎种植率分别为（42．1％vs10．5％）和（25．7％vs5．0％），两组患者的年龄、基础FSH、平均Gn用量、临床妊娠率、胚胎种植率等比较差异均有显著性（P〈0．05）。结论GnRH拮抗剂与HMG配伍，对卵巢低反应的患者是一种有效的超排卵治疗方案，可以提高IVF—ET的临床妊娠率和胚胎种植率，并且费用低廉。     

Cash benefits are associated with lower risk behavior among the homeless and marginally housed in San Francisco

To address the widespread debate about the role of public assistance to the urban poor, the authors determined characteristics of individuals receiving cash assistance and explored the link between cash subsidies and risk behavior. From 1999 to 2000, a representative sample of homeless and marginally housed (HMH) adults living in San Francisco was recruited and interviewed about subsidies, shelter, jail, and drug use. Among 1,156 adults, 87% were ever homeless, 22% currently injected drugs, and 14% were HIV positive. Sixty percent of participants reported that most of their income came from subsidies [mostly subsidized (MS)]. The MS had lower odds of receiving any income from selling drugs or trading sex. Adjusting for HIV infection, the MS had higher odds of sleeping in a hotel [odds ratio (OR)=2.39] or shelter (OR=1.61) compared to the street. The MS had lower odds of injection drug use (OR=0.69) and recent incarceration (OR=0.77). Among San Francisco’s homeless, being MS was positively associated with having shelter and negatively associated with injection drug use and incarceration. These data suggest that government subsidies are associated with positive health behaviors among the urban poor.