Before-birth climatologic data may play a role in the development of allergies in infants

While an exacerbation in allergic symptoms corresponding to seasons has long been reported, few studies have investigated the association between the season of birth and allergic disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the climatologic data before and after birth affected the incidence of atopic dermatitis (AD) and the results of allergy-related blood tests in early infancy. From February 1995 to January 2000, 2136 infants were tested for AD and followed for 12 months. AD patients were tested by using allergy-related blood tests. Data were compared according to the month of birth and the climatologic data using a computed statistical software package. Six hundred and thirty infants had AD before 12 months old, and significant differences were found according to the season of birth (p < 0.0001). Infants born in spring showed the lowest (22.3%) incidence, while those born in autumn showed the highest (34.6%). In 369 patients, total serum IgE levels, and serum specific IgE levels with egg white at 3 months old were also different according to the season of birth. All of these levels were lower in patients born in spring and summer, and higher in patients born in autumn and winter. Furthermore, the cumulative sunshine amount during the 3 months before and after birth was inversely correlated, while the average temperature over the 3 months before birth was positively correlated to the incidence of AD according to the month of birth. The climatologic data around birth may play an important role in whether an infant develops allergies.     

Synaptic reorganization in the medial amygdaloid nucleus after lesion of the accessory olfactory bulb of adult rat. II. New synapse formation in the medial amygdaloid nucleus by fibers from the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis

The rearrangement of terminations from the bed nucleus of stria terminalis (BST) was examined in the medial amygdaloid nucleus (MAN) at 2 months following the lesion of the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) using an electron microscopy and degeneration study. At 2 days following a BST lesion, the number of degenerating synapses was 0.7 ± 0.1 (mean±S.E.M.) per unit area (2500 μm² in the molecular layer, and 3/0 ± 0.3 in the cellular part. At 2 months after an AOB lesion, the degenerating synapses from the AOB had completely disappeared from the MAN. The BST was then lesioned at 2 months after the AOB lesion and, 2 days following this BST lesion, the degenerating synapses were counted in MAN. The numbers observed were 3.3 ± 0.6 per unit area in the molecular layer and 4.5 ± 0.4 in the cellular part. Therefore, the number of these degenerating synapses increased significantly within the molecular layer, though, in the cellular part the number of synapses was not significantly elevated over control. No differences in postsynaptic profiles (ratio of synapses on dendritic spine to dendritic shaft) were observed after the AOB lesion. These results indicate that the BST fibers formed new synapses in the molecular layer following the denervation of AOB fibers. The possibility of new synapse formation by other afferent fibers in addition to the AOB fibers is discussed as is the relationship between lesion induced synaptic reorganization and functional recovery after injury.     

Lucian Leape on Patient Safety in U.S. Hospitals

PURPOSE: To describe and discuss the status of patient safety in U.S. hospitals. METHODS: Personal interview. This report is part of a series of discussions with a leading expert on patient safety. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Some improvements have been made in the past 10 years. But changes have not been adequate. Continuing barriers include the punitive environment in hospitals, physicians' denial of the scope of the problem, lack of national leadership, and lack of systems thinking.     

Impact of cosmetic care on quality of life in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy and radiotherapy: an initial randomized controlled study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and therefore represents a major problem in public health. Data from patients' self-report questionnaires provide valuable information about the side-effects that patients may view as having a significantly detrimental impact on their quality of life (QOL) and yet are not always recognized as important by healthcare professionals. Cosmetology is a specific care for patients and there is actually no scientific evidence regarding effects on QOL for women with breast cancer. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to assess the impact of cosmetic care on QOL in breast cancer patients during chemotherapy and radiotherapy. METHODS: We developed a prospective, multicentre, randomized, controlled study including 27 patients. All the patients had to fill in a French-validated dermatologic specific quality-of-life questionnaire to compare the QOL of the two groups, the cosmetic group and the control group, at three different times of the adjuvant treatment. RESULTS: The results show a statistically significant difference between the cosmetic group and the control group in two areas of QOL: mood state and self-perception of the disease. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the interest of cosmetic care in breast cancer patients. However, further larger trials are needed to confirm this study.     

Natural killer cell activity and quality of life were improved by consumption of a mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa, in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

A mushroom extract, Agaricus blazei Murill Kyowa (ABMK), has been reported to possess antimutagenic and antitumor effects. Here, we investigate the beneficial effects of ABMK consumption on immunological status and qualities of life in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. One hundred cervical, ovarian, and endometrial cancer patients were treated either with carboplatin (300 mg / m(2)) plus VP16 (etoposide, 100 mg / m(2)) or with carboplatin (300 mg / m(2)) plus taxol (175 mg / m(2)) every 3 weeks for at least three cycles with or without oral consumption of ABMK. We observed that natural killer cell activity was significantly higher in ABMK-treated group (ANOVA, n = 39, P < 0.002) as compared with nontreated placebo group (n = 61). However, no significant difference in lymphokine-activated killer and monocyte activities was observed in a manner similar to the count of specific immune cell populations between ABMK-treated and nontreated groups. However, chemotherapy-associated side effects such as appetite, alopecia, emotional stability, and general weakness were all improved by ABMK treatment. Taken together, this suggests that ABMK treatment might be beneficial for gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.     

眼轴线后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷比值的测定研究

目的:通过测量眼眶爆裂性骨折伴有眼眶扩大患者的后部眼眶容积、观察眼球内陷出现的时间及程度,研究后部眶容积扩大与眼球内陷的关系比值,为病情预测和眶内填充手术提供比较精确的参考数据。方法:将96例患者按发病时间分为早期病例组(60例、受伤时间1周以内)和晚期病例组(36例、受伤时间3个月以上),早期组除进行后部眼眶容积测量外,分别于1周、2周、3周测定眼球突出度(相差>1mm为阳性),记录眼球内陷出现时间,用卡方检验进行统计学分析;晚期组测量后部眶容积增大值和眼球内陷量,对其相关性采用Pearson统计方法进行统计学分析,并得出回归方程及相关系数。结果:早期组60例患者中,(58.33%)例患者在1周内出现眼球内陷,4(880%)例在2周内出现内陷,3周时有5(388.33%)例呈现出内陷;2周时出现眼球内陷的例数与1周时有显著性差异(χ2=62.484,P<0.001),2周时出现眼球内陷例数与3周时无差异(χ2=1.563,P>0.05),1周时出现眼球内陷例数与3周时有显著差异(χ2=76.885,P<0.001),后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷的比值约为1.0,两者之间呈正相关(r=0.994,P<0.001),即后部眶容积每增加1ml,产生1.0mm的眼球内陷。结论:眼球内陷通常于伤后2周～3周出现,3个月时趋向稳定;后部眶容积增大与眼球内陷产生比值为1.0,呈正相关;后部眶容积扩大与眼球内陷比值可预测发生眼球内陷的可能性和程度,为手术矫正眼球内陷提供可靠、精确的参考,具有十分重要的临床指导意义。     

护士执业权及其法律保护初探

护士执业权是依法取得护士执业证书,以护士名义为社会提供护理服务的医务人员进行护理工作的权利和相关权益,是护士执业规则的核心内容,护士执业权属于公民劳动权益的范畴,是一种具有职业特权性质的特殊劳动权,应立法保护。本文试图通过对护士执业权的法理初步探讨,结合目前存在的侵害护士执业权的突出现象分析,提出保护该项权利的立法建议。     

Preference awareness education as stress management training for academic staff

This paper describes a response directed stress management intervention (SMI) in the form of a Jungian based preference awareness education (PAE). It uses the Insights System of personality types to increase awareness of behaviour and communication preferences of self and different others. Eighteen self‐recruited academic employees participated for 7 weeks and received feedback about work preferences and personality type. The aim was to reduce perceptions of stress and interpersonal stress and to increase feelings of job satisfaction and interpersonal satisfaction. The data were analysed using two‐tailed t‐tests. No significant findings were observed for the total sample after training, however, interesting results were found for certain sub‐sample groups. Extravert‐thinking types, reported decreased stress levels (p > 0.018), and participants suffering high stress/interpersonal stress pre‐PAE, reported decreased stress levels (p > 0.010–0.018). Participants suffering low job/interpersonal satisfaction pre‐PAE, reported increased job satisfaction (p > 0.015–0.016). These results suggest that individuals who report high levels of stress and dissatisfaction are most likely to benefit from this type of intervention. Future PAE research might: (a) use pilot studies to meet the intervention preferences of employees that are reluctant to participate in SMIs; (b) include a wait‐list control group; use: (c) a follow up education/measures; (d) and organizational level (stressor directed) SMIs at the same time as response directed initiatives. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.