The complex enterprise of modelling prenatal exposure to cigarettes: what is ‘enough’?

While there is a burgeoning body of research linking smoking during pregnancy to problem behaviour in offspring, a major criticism of this work has been the crude measurement of exposure in these studies (e.g. retrospective, self-reported only) that could lead to biased estimates. To address this issue, we used a pregnancy cohort with repeated prospective measures of exposure as well as biological assays to generate estimates of exposure patterns using a range of modelling techniques. In this paper we report on the analytical approaches we have developed, including patterns of exposure over time and best-estimate approaches that combine self-report and cotinine measures, and compare their predictive value in relation to different dimensions of fetal growth as a first step towards examining the utility of greater precision of exposure measurement.
Surprisingly, in this sample the more complex assessments of exposure, including biological measures, generally did not perform better than simple indicators of exposure based on repeated self-report measures, with one exception: a combined self-report cotinine 'best estimate' of third trimester exposure was uniquely associated with lower brain : body ratio. Further study is needed using more sophisticated cotinine assays and testing prediction of a range of outcomes to ascertain whether these findings represent true differences or are specific to the sample, methods and outcomes used. Such research will inform the development of guidelines for adequate exposure characterisation in developmental studies.     

经尿道切除技术在下尿路疾病中的应用（附128例报告）

目的 探讨经尿道切除技术（TUR）治疗下尿路疾病的适应证、操作方法、术中术后处理及并发症预防的要点。方法 应用经尿道汽化电切术（TURVP）和双极等离子汽化电切术（TUPKVP），分别以5％葡萄糖液和生理盐水作冲洗介质，选择性耻骨上膀胱造瘘，持续低压灌洗，术后气囊导尿管留置5～7天拔管，自行排尿。结果 经尿道前列腺双极等离子汽化电切术7例，经尿道前列腺汽化电切术58例，合计前列腺手术65例；腺性膀胱炎汽化电切术43例；膀胱肿瘤汽化电切术15例；后尿道狭窄等离子汽化电切术3例；精阜腺瘤汽化电切术2例。全部病例均一次手术完成，有效率（126／128）98．4％。无膀胱穿孔、电切综合征、大出血、真性尿失禁发生。前列腺术后尿道狭窄、排尿困难再次手术者2例，占3．08％，排尿疼痛、不适感6例，占9．23％，逆行射精4例，占6．15％。结论 TUR技术是一种微创、安全、迅速、有效、恢复快、并发症较少的腔内泌尿外科治疗方法，特别适用于下尿路疾病的手术；术中持续低压灌注对确保切割视野清晰、预防并发症至关重要。     

射频消融术后尿潴留患者的护理

分析86例射频消融术后患者出现尿潴留的不同原因，包括不习惯床上排尿、精神因素、疼痛等。护理对策包括：减少卧床时间，心理护理，变换体位，物理诱导，术后多饮水等，结果81例患者排尿成功，只有5例(5．8％)男性前列腺肥大患者需要导尿。     

Disposition Characteristics of Macromolecules in Tumor-Bearing Mice

As part of the strategy for the design of macromolecular carriers for drug targeting, the disposition characteristics of macromolecules were studied in mice bearing tumors that served as target tissues. Eight kinds of macromolecules including four polysaccharides and four proteins with different molecular weights and electric charges were used; tissue distribution and tumor localization after intravenous injection were studied. Pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the tissue radioactivity uptake rate index calculated in terms of clearance was different among the tested compounds; especially, the urinary radioactivity excretion clearances and the total hepatic radioactivity uptake clearances varied widely. Compounds with low molecular weights (approximately 10 kD) or positive charges showed lower tumor radioactivity accumulation; radioactivity was rapidly eliminated from the plasma via rapid urinary excretion or extensive hepatic uptake, respectively. On the other hand, large and negatively charged compounds, carboxymethyl dextran, bovine serum albumin, and mouse immunoglobulin G, showed higher radioactivity accumulation in the tumor (calculated total amounts were 15.6, 10.8, and 20.8% of the dose, respectively) and prolonged retention in the circulation. These results demonstrated that the total systemic exposure rather than the uptake rate index was correlated with total tumor uptake. Molecular weight and electric charge of the macromolecules significantly affected their disposition characteristics and, consequently, determined radioactivity accumulation in the tumor. It was concluded that a drug–carrier complex designed for systemic tumor targeting should be polyanionic in nature and larger than 70,000 in molecular weight.     

One month maximal electrostimulation for genuine stress incontinence in women

While awaiting surgery for genuine urinary stress incontinence, 51 women with were treated at home for 1 month with vaginal maximal electrostimulation. They were evaluated subjectively, urodynamically, and with two different pad tests. Six patients (12%) were cured and 17 (33%) were much improved, subjectively and objectively. Statistically significant improvement was observed for both pad tests. Successful treatment was significantly more likely in women with milder degrees of incontinence but was unrelated to age or urethral pressure. Patient acceptance was excellent and apart from some vaginal soreness no complications were seen. Sixteen patients (31%) elected not to be operated on. These 16 patients were reevaluated after 1 year and 13 (81%) had maintained their improvement. Three had disimproved but were still better than before treatment; 2 again refused surgery and 1 opted for surgery. Therefore, 15 of 51 (29%) operations were saved after 1 year. This conservative treatment for stress incontinence is safe, simple, inexpensive, and reasonably successful. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

无张力阴道吊带术治疗女性压力性尿失禁(附20例报告)

目的 评价无张力阴道吊带术(tension-free vaginal tape，TVT)治疗女性压力性尿失禁的疗效。方法 总结采用TVT术治疗女性压力性尿失禁20例的临床资料。结果 平均手术时间26.5min。拔除尿管后，19例病人控尿满意，1例仍有轻微尿失禁。术后平均随访12(3-24)个月，20例病人均无尿失禁。合并症有1例膀胱穿孔，1例术后轻度排尿不畅，2例尿频尿急。结论 TVT术操作简便快捷，创伤小，合并症少，术后康复快，是一种治疗女性压力性尿失禁的理想方法。     

胃管作尿道支撑引流管在尿道下裂中的应用

目的 评价单纯用胃管兼作尿道支撑管和引流管在尿道下裂尿道成形术中的作用。方法 回顾性分析新华医院1997年12月～2004年12月间收治的先天性尿道下裂患者，在做尿道成形手术中单纯应用胃管作尿道支撑引流管1176例，年龄6个月-20岁。未进行膀胱造瘘等尿液改道引流方法。结果 术后因发生尿瘘而需再次尿道成形术的113例（9．6％），尿道狭窄需再次手术成形的8例（0．7％），尿道裂开需尿道再成形的5例（0．4％）。结论 在尿道下裂尿道成形术中单纯用胃管兼作尿道支撑管和引流管引流尿液是充分有效的，无须另行尿流改道。     

An effective treatment for functional urinary incoordination

Twenty women diagnosed with functional urinary incoordination were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups: biofeedback or progressive muscle relaxation. Ten subjects who were placed on a waiting list prior to treatment allocation served as a comparison group. The biofeedback intervention focused specifically on retraining of pelvic floor musculature (PFM). Patients were assessed pretreatment, posttreatment, and at 2-month follow-up. Outcome measures included self-reported symptomatology, psychological functioning, psychophysiological assessment of the PFM, and urologist ratings of problem severity and treatment efficacy. Both treatment approaches proved effective in improving symptomatology and psychological state. Subjects on the waiting list demonstrated no change in urological difficulties. No differences were found between the two treatment groups on any of the outcome measures. Theoretical and practical implications of the results are discussed.     

Prejunctional effects of muscarinic agonists on 3H-acetylcholine release in the rat urinary bladder strip

Summary The inhibitory effects of some muscarinic agonists on tritiated acetylcholine release evoked by field stimulation were investigated in the rat urinary bladder strip. The acetylcholine stores of the preparation were labelled with ³H-choline. Electrical field stimulation caused an outflow of tritium, reflecting the release of ³H-acetylcholine. The release of ³H-acetylcholine was decreased in a concentration-dependent manner by all the agonists tested: oxotremorine, muscarone, muscarine, carbachol and methylfurtrethonium. On the contrary, only muscarine and muscarone enhanced the basal efflux of tritium in a concentration-dependent fashion. Concentration-response curves were determined both at 2 Hz and at 1 Hz by using intermittent administration of the drugs. Maximal depression in release (by 78 – 82%) was observed in experiments at 1 Hz. A similar inhibition was obtained at 2 Hz frequency only when a low concentration of calcium (0.6 mM) in the medium was used. Oxotremorine was the most potent among the tested compounds with the same intrinsic activity as the other drugs. In contrast to the other agonists investigated, oxotremorine showed in about 10-fold greater potency at pre- than at postjunctional muscarine receptors in the rat urinary bladder. This difference might depend either on heterogeneity of muscarine receptors or on different mechanism(s) relating to the transducing properties of receptors at the pre- and postjunctional level. A comparison between the relative prejunctional potencies in the rat urinary bladder and in the guinea pig myenteric plexus (data from the literature) suggests that prejunctional muscarine receptors are similar in these tissues. Furthermore, the findings obtained with a low concentration of calcium in the medium may support the view that intraneuronal availability of calcium plays a significant role in modulating the prejunctional negative feed-back mechanism in the rat urinary bladder.Send offprint requests to Dr. G. D'Agostino at the above address