The Effect of Intense Passive Apnea in the Acid-Base Balance and Electrolytes

The aim of this study was to investigate the disturbances of the acid-base balance and electrolyte disorders in healthy individuals in the greatest passive apnea (prior to apnea and prior to first inhalation). The changes of the acid-base balance, the serum potassium and calcium levels as well as the disturbances of the cardiac rhythm were studied in a group of 15 healthy males aged 18 to 41 years old. Seven individuals part of the original group participated in a second trial. Following the initial apnea trial the individuals were allowed to 2–3 free inhalations and a second passive apnea effort was performed. The same parameters were measured in the second effort. In the primary effort the apnea duration was 170 ± 53 s (mean ± SD). The results received prior to the effort and immediately before the end of the apnea (paired t-test), showed no significant changes in the blood pH. The PaCO₂ increased significantly, the PaO₂ decreased significantly, blood bicarbonate increased significantly, the hemoglobin oxygen saturation decreased significantly. In addition the serum potassium and calcium levels decreased significantly. In the subgroup (7 individuals) the second effort of apnea lasted 50–70 s and showed no significant changes in the blood pH. The same changes concerning PaCO₂ and blood bicarbonate were observed in the first and second effort of passive apnea. The serum potassium and calcium levels as well as the hemoglobin oxygen saturation showed no significant changes. During the initial effort of apnea all men presented bradycardia, which was followed by tachycardia immediately after the end of the effort. One individual, whose effort lasted 290 s suffered intense tachycardia, cyanosis, convulsions, and loss of consciousness. It is concluded that during an intense effort of passive apnea: (a) the blood PaCO₂ is significantly increased, as well as the blood bicarbonates, (b) the PaO₂, the hemoglobin oxygen saturation and the serum potassium and calcium levels are significantly decreased, (c) the cardiac rate is significantly decreased, and (d) the second effort of apnea, following immediately the initial one, is sorter in duration and produces similar or milder changes of the above parameters.     

Evaluation of Oxidative Metabolism in Child and Adolescent Patients with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Objective

Oxidative metabolism is impaired in several medical conditions including psychiatric disorders, and this imbalance may be involved in the etiology of these diseases. The present study evaluated oxidative balance in pediatric and adolescent patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

The study included 48 children and adolescents (34 male, 14 female) with ADHD who had no neurological, systemic, or comorbid psychiatric disorders, with the exception of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and 24 sex- and age-matched healthy controls (17 male and seven female).

Results

TAS was significantly lower, and TOS and OSI were significantly higher in patients with ADHD than in healthy controls. Total antioxidant levels were lower in patients with comorbid ODD than in those with no comorbidity. No difference was found in TOS or OSI among the ADHD subtypes; however, TAS was higher in the attention-deficient subtype.

Conclusion

Our findings demonstrated that oxidative balance is impaired and oxidative stress is increased in children and adolescents with ADHD. This results are consistent with those of previous studies.     

Relationship between effort–reward imbalance and hair cortisol concentration in female kindergarten teachers

Objective

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between effort–reward imbalance and hair cortisol concentration among teachers to examine whether hair cortisol can be a biomarker of chronic work stress.

Methods

Hair samples were collected from 39 female teachers from three kindergartens. Cortisol was extracted from the hair samples with methanol, and cortisol concentrations were measured with high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Work stress was measured using the effort–reward imbalance scale.

Results

The ratio of effort to reward showed significantly positive association with hair cortisol concentration.

Conclusion

The cortisol concentration in the system increases with the effort–reward imbalance. Measurement of hair cortisol can become a useful biomarker of chronic work stress.     

Colchicine Overdose-Induced Acute Renal Failure and Electrolyte Imbalance

Colchicine has been used to control gouty arthritis for long time; colchicine overdose, however, causes multiple organ dysfunction. To date, no investigation has revealed the site of kidney lesion or dysfunction. This investigation describes the case of a male with a history of gout who ingested a large amount of colchicine and developed renal, hematopoietic, gastrointestinal, muscular, electrolytic, and hepatic disorder. Glucosuria was noted during hospital days. Colchicine intoxication is shown to induce proximal tubule damage. Severe electrolytes imbalance was noted, including hypomagnesemia, hypophosphatemia, and hypocalcemia. After management, the renal function and serum electrolyte of the patient recovered on the sixth day of hospitalization.     

Dynamic class imbalance learning for incremental LPSVM

Linear Proximal Support Vector Machines (LPSVMs), like decision trees, classic SVM, etc. are originally not equipped to handle drifting data streams that exhibit high and varying degrees of class imbalance. For online classification of data streams with imbalanced class distribution, we propose a dynamic class imbalance learning (DCIL) approach to incremental LPSVM (IncLPSVM) modeling. In doing so, we simplify a computationally non-renewable weighted LPSVM to several core matrices multiplying two simple weight coefficients. When data addition and/or retirement occurs, the proposed DCIL-IncLPSVM¹ accommodates newly presented class imbalance by a simple matrix and coefficient updating, meanwhile ensures no discriminative information lost throughout the learning process. Experiments on benchmark datasets indicate that the proposed DCIL-IncLPSVM outperforms classic IncSVM and IncLPSVM in terms of $F$-measure and $G$-mean metrics. Moreover, our application to online face membership authentication shows that the proposed DCIL-IncLPSVM remains effective in the presence of highly dynamic class imbalance, which usually poses serious problems to previous approaches.     

Effort–Reward Imbalance and Mental Health Problems in 1074 German Teachers,Compared with Those in the General Population

High degrees of premature retirement among teachers warrant investigating the occupational burden and the mental health status of this profession. A sample of 1074 German teachers participated in this study. Two samples of the general population (N = 824 and N = 792) were used as comparison groups. Work distress was assessed with the Effort–Reward‐Imbalance questionnaire, and mental health problems were measured with the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ‐12). Teachers reported more effort–reward imbalance (M = 0.64) compared with the general population (M = 0.57), and they perceived more mental health problems (GHQ: M = 12.1) than the comparison group (M = 9.5). School type was not associated with work stress and mental health. Teachers with leading functions perceived high degrees of effort and reward, resulting in a moderate effort–reward ratio and no heightened mental health problems. Teachers working full time reported more effort than teachers working part time, but the reward mean values of both groups were similar. This results in a somewhat unfavourable effort–reward ratio of teachers working full time. Moreover, teachers working full time reported more mental health problems. The results support the appropriateness of the effort–reward conception, applied to the profession of teachers. The higher degree of effort–reward imbalance and the level of mental health problems warrant preventive measures. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

轻型胰腺炎患者早期给予软食的临床研究

目的探讨轻型胰腺炎患者早期摄入软食的效果,为该类患者的营养支持提供参考。方法将72例轻型胰腺炎患者随机分为观察组与对照组各36例。对照组允许经口进食后按常规开始给予流质食物,观察组拟定饮食处方,早期给予低脂高热量高蛋白软食,比较两组营养状况、消化道症状、继发感染及住院时间。结果干预2周后,观察组血清蛋白显著高于对照组,肠道菌群失调发生率显著低于对照组,住院时间显著短于对照组,感染发生率显著低于对照组(P0.05,P0.01)。结论轻型胰腺炎患者早期进软食能提供充足营养素及能量,纠正营养不良状况,减少肠源性感染的发生,促进患者疾病转归和预后。     

平衡阴阳法对多囊卵巢综合征雌雄激素的调节

本文依据月经周期节律演变和阴阳消长变化的规律,在中医基础理论的指导下,用阴阳失衡来阐释多囊卵巢综合征(polycystic ovary syndrome, PCOS)女性周期节律失序导致高雄、低雌激素血症内分泌失调的机制;并遵循《内经》"谨察阴阳所在而调之, 以平为期"的宗旨,说明"阴平阳秘"可使PCOS患者达到阴阳平衡及升雌降雄,最终恢复月经周期自然节律的目的.     

Correction of pelvic obliquity in neuromuscular spinal deformities using the “T construct”: results and complications in a prospective series of 60 patients

Background

We present the results of a prospective series of 60 patients treated for neuromuscular spinal deformities with an original spinopelvic construct using two sacral screws and two iliac screws. Clinical and radiological results obtained with this new surgical technique were studied and discussed according to the epidemiological data and relevant literature.

Methods

From January 2008 to June 2010, the clinical data of every patient who underwent spinopelvic fixation for treatment of a neuromuscular spinal deformity were recorded prospectively.

Results

Sixty patients were operated on during the study period. Spinal correction and fusion was performed by posterior approach. In six patients with a residual spinopelvic imbalance more than 15° on lateral preoperative bending films, an anterior release of the thoracolumbar junction was performed on the same day, before posterior correction. Preoperative pelvic obliquity (PO) ranged from 4° to 44° (mean 21.6°). Postoperative pelvic obliquity ranged from 0° to 14 (mean 4.6°). No significant loss of correction was noted at the last follow-up. One patient died 3 months after the initial procedure due to respiratory compromise. 11 patients had early postoperative infections of the posterior approach.

Conclusions

Despite a high rate of infectious complications, optimal correction of pelvic obliquity requires extension of spinal instrumentation to the pelvis. Spinopelvic fixation remains a difficult challenge in neurological patients with hypotrophy. We think that pelvic fixation with the “T construct” did provide effective and improved spinal stabilization in these patients, while reducing the need for a postoperative cast or brace. As a result, patients had a favourable postoperative course with early mobilization and return to a comfortable sitting position.