Laparoscopic Findings in Senescent Patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Abstract: Fifty -two patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), 10 of whom were 65 years or older at the time of diagnosis, were investigated by laparo-scopy. Laparoscopic findings in these 10 patients were evaluated and compared with those in younger patients. The 10 cases were composed of nine females and one male, and two had been diagnosed as having symptomatic PBC with skin itching, while the remaining eight had asymptomatic PBC. Two, seven and one case were in Scheuer's stage I, II and III, respectively, and eight had chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis (CNSDC) on liver biopsy specimens. The majority of senescent PBC patients had typical findings of the early stage of PBC on the liver surface; mild undulations in nine and reddish patches in eight. The laparoscopic findings in senescent PBC were relatively mild.     

Relationship between cellular ATP content and cellular functions of primary cultured rat hepatocytes in hypoxia

The importance of oxygen in maintaining the functional integrity of hepatocytes has been well established in a variety of experimental models, such as in vivo , perfused liver and isolated hepatocytes. However, one of the shortcomings of these systems is their short life span. Therefore, we have examined the effects of long-term hypoxia on cellular adenine nucleotide content and cellular functions, such as albumin production, urea production and DNA synthesis, in adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture. Hepatocytes were cultured at a density of 11 × 10⁴ and 5 × 10⁴ cells/0.18 mL per cm² for the study of albumin and urea production and DNA synthesis, respectively, at various oxygen tensions (20, 12, 8 and 5%) for 24 h. Cellular ATP content in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia gradually declined, corresponding to the decrease in oxygen tension, and the cellular ATP level at 5% oxygen was approximately 20% of that at 20% oxygen. Albumin production also decreased in parallel with the decrease in cellular ATP content in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia. However, even when cellular ATP content gradually declined corresponding with the decrease in oxygen tension in cultured hepatocytes in hypoxia, such as at 8 or 5% oxygen, urea production remained at a high level; in contrast, DNA synthesis was completely suppressed. These results suggest that the cellular ATP content decreases in cultured hepatocytes during long-term hypoxia in relation to oxygen tension and that the relationship between decreased ATP levels and liver function in cultured hepatocytes during hypoxia differs for albumin production, urea production and DNA synthesis.     

115例腹会阴直肠切除术会阴伤口一期缝合的评估

本文就115例腹会阴直肠切除术,对会阴伤口的两种不同处理方法进行分析比较.在年龄、性别、病理分期及恶性程度无明显差异的情况下,会阴伤口一期缝合组的平均愈合时间为16.90±4.35天,伤口敞开组为37.04±15.44天,差异显著(P<0.002).术后局部复发率分别为3/69例和2/46例,均为4.35%(P>0.05).一期缝合组的平均住院费用约为敞开组的46.87%～76.52%.作者指出,鉴于直肠癌逆行向下的淋巴扩散极为罕见,仅发生于高恶性或伴广泛淋巴转移的病例,因而对癌肿远端需切除2cm～3cm正常肠管而同时切除肛直肠环、不得不作手术者,会阴部清除范围无需太大,会阴伤口可分层完全缝合;对位于肛管内或侵及肛直肠环的癌肿,须彻底清除坐骨直肠窝脂肪结缔组织.本文两组术后局部复发率无差异,进一步表明这一认识的正确性.本组结果充分表明了会阴伤口一期缝合法的合理性与可行性.     

Attitudes of College Football Officials Regarding NCAA Mouthguard Regulations and Player Compliance

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) mandates the use of brightly colored, intraoral mouth- guards by football players to reduce the frequency and severity of craniofacial and intraoral morbidity and mortality, and to enhance the ability of officials to observe player compliance. The purpose of this 12-question mail survey was to determine the attitudes of on-Held game officials regarding current NCAA mouthguard regulations and patterns of utilization by college football players. The sample consisted of all 50 Big East Football Conference officials; a response rate of 100 percent was achieved. Only 42 percent of the officials reported observing all players in compliance, and quarterbacks were identified by others as the least compliant group (52%). The majority (88%) indicated that the 1990 rule for brightly colored mouthguards had been beneficial to them in determining player compliance, and 52 percent reported that this rule had resulted in more frequent use by these athletes. Nearly all officials (96%) indicated that they would issue a warning for noncompliance to the player or coach, rather than charging a timeout for a violation as prescribed by NCAA regulations. The majority (70%) believe current enforcement is appropriate, but expressed the opinion that coaches should be held more accountable for player compliance.     

Evaluation and Treatment of Children with Primary Immune Deficiency in the Emergency Department

The potential for morbidity and mortality in patients who have PID with febrile and nonfebrile illness is extremely high. Familiarity with the clinical manifestations of PID and collaboration with a pediatric immunologist are prerequisites for optimal short-term care of these complex patients. Conservative management with empiric broad-spectrum antimicrobials, early and aggressive surgical debridement of abscesses, and admission at a tertiary pediatric care center are often indicated.     

Deleterious effects of the prone position in the full-term infant throughout the first year of life

Summary Seventy-one first-born infants who had been nursed in prone position since birth, were referred for motor assessment at 3 months, 5 months and 9 months. All infants were administered the same checklist of motor items, based on the Amiel-Tison Infant Neurological Evaluation and on the Brunet-Lézine Developmental Psychomotor Scale. Abnormalities in muscular shortening and delay in motor skills were found. These findings are critical as regards environmental influences on postural development, continuities in motor development and issues of early primary prevention. Early identification and follow-up programmes, including frequent changes in posture, are suggested in order to avoid abnormalities of motor behaviour and subsequently in postural patterns.     

Conditions of Alzheimer-type dementia in the old-old and oldest-old patients with special reference to extreme conditions of brain aging

A neuropathological study on 1540 consecutive autopsy brains ranging from 60 to 107 years of age revealed the following points. (1) Of the of the demented cases of the plaque-predominant type, 93% were complicated with multiple tiny cortical infarcts. They showed a tendency for dementia to develop before or after the appearance or worsening of a systemic disorder such as cardiovascular disease, respiratory infection and cancer. However, there was no case showing Alzheimer-type dementia (ATD). (2) The plaque-predominant type might be an extreme condition of brain aging in terms of senile plaques (SP). It is likely that although the pathological appearance of SP alone is not responsible for dementia, its coexistence with multiple cortical infarcts could be the cause of dementia. Therefore, this type should be distinguished from ATD. (3) Primary hippocampal degeneration could also be an extreme condition of brain aging in terms of neurofibrillary tangles. This condition was different pathologically from the hippocampal lesion in ATD. (4) Several characteristics of old-old and oldest-old patients were clarified.     

156例脑梗塞的临床分析

本文报道脑梗塞患者156例,就其发病情况,诱发因素,临床特点,治疗及预防进行了分析讨论。脑梗塞的发病高于脑出血,高血压动脉硬化是发生脑梗塞的主要危险因素。积极预防和治疗高血压有极其重要的意义。脑梗塞的治疗应根据脑水肿的情况进行,不宜普遍首先应用扩血管治疗。本病复发率高,反复发作可引起广泛性脑部损害,其病死率、病残率明显高于首次发病。小剂量阿斯匹林等药物应用对预防复发可能有一定作用。