The Effect of Acute and Chronic Exercise on Thyroid Hormones in Obesity

Abstract Thyroid hormones were measured before, during and after acute exercise (60 min) or physical training (3 months) in obese women. Thyroid stimulating hormone concentration increased during acute work and decreased immediately after. No changes were seen during the two following days. An increase was seen after ten days as well as after three months of physical training. Thyroxine concentrations showed no changes. 3,5,3′-Triiodothyronine decreased slightly immediately after acute exercise, and after three months of physical training, 3,3′,5′-triiodothyronine (reverse triiodothyronine) increased slowly during and after acute exercise. A negative correlation was found between changes in fasting insulin and thyroxine and a positive correlation between changes in blood pressure and triiodothyronine after training. Lack of agreement in previous reports is probably due to methodological differences such as methods more or less susceptible to fatty acid interference, and thyroid hormones changing differently during acute work and before and after physical training. The duration of the study may also be of importance, even 3 months possibly being too short for attaining equilibrium in thyroid homeostasis.     

ALCOHOLICS WITH REDUCED DOPAMINE D2 RECEPTOR FUNCTION POSSESS NORMAL PLATELET MONOAMINE OXIDASE ACTIVITY

Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, proposed to be amarker for central 5- hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) capacity, wasinvestigated in 14 severely alcohol-dependent subjects withreduced dopamine (DA) D₂ receptor function, as assessed by thegrowth hormone responses to apomorphine. Twelve healthy menwere used as controls. Platelet MAO activity in the alcohol-dependent subjects was not different from that in controls.The finding from this preliminary study suggests that severelyalcohol-dependent subjects with reduced DA D₂ receptor functionhave normal 5-HT capacity.     

Job stress, absenteeism and coronary heart disease European cooperative study (the JACE study): Design of a multicentre prospective study

Background: The motives, objectives and design of a multicentreprospective study on job stress, absenteeism and coronary heartdisease in Europe (the JACE study) is presented in this paper.Some specific gaps in the reviewed literature are explicitlytapped into by the JACE study. Its objectives are i) to comparethe distributions of the Karasek job stress scales for the samebroad categories of occupations in different European countries(in males and females), ii) to study the predictive power ofthe job stress scales and the job strain model for one yearof sickness absence (in males and females) and iii) to studythe predictive power of the job stress scales and the job strainmodel for a three year incidence of coronary heart disease (Inmales only). Methods: In answering these questions, relationsare studied controlling for gender, age, level of education,company size, physical work risks and shift work, as well astraditional risk factors for CHD (i.e serum cholesterol, serumHDL cholesterol, smoking habits and blood pressure). The JACEstudy is a Biomed 1 concerted action. The JACE group consistsof eight participating centres from six countries, i.e. fromBelgium and Sweden (two centres), France, Italy, Spain, Swedenand The Netherlands (each one centre). The coordination of thegroup is in Brussels. The participating centres brought in over15, 000 European workers to test the hypotheses.     

Specialist paediatric dentistry in Sweden 2008 – a 25‐year perspective

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2010; 20: 313–321 Background. Paediatric dentistry in Sweden has been surveyed four times over the past 25 years. During this period postgraduate training, dental health, and the organization of child dental care have changed considerably. Aim. To investigate services provided by specialists in paediatric dentistry in Sweden in 2008, and to compare with data from previous surveys. Design. The same questionnaire was sent to all 30 specialist paediatric dental clinics in Sweden that had been used in previous surveys. Comparisons were made with data from 1983, 1989, 1996 and 2003. Results. Despite an unchanged number of specialists (N = 81 in 2008), the number of referrals had increased by 16% since 2003 and by almost 50% since 1983. There was greater variation in reasons for referrals. The main reason was still dental anxiety/behaviour management problems in combination with dental treatment needs (27%), followed by medical conditions/disability (18%), and high caries activity (15%). The use of different techniques for conscious sedation as well as general anaesthesia had also increased. Conclusions. The referrals to paediatric dentistry continue to increase, leading to a heavy work load for the same number of specialists. Thus, the need for more paediatric dentists remains.     

Torsion of accessory fallopian tube: Ultrasound findings in two premenarchal girls

The ultrasound findings of two cases of fallopian tube duplication, both of which had undergone torsion, are described. Two premenarchal girls were examined with ultrasound because of clinical evidence of pelvic pathology. Both were found to have complex cystic structures that on surgery and subsequent pathological examination were shown to be twisted accessory fallopian tubes. Accessory fallopian tubes have been reported to occur in 6–13% of selected patient groups. To our knowledge, torsion of an accessory tube has not been reported in the literature.     

MEASLES VACCINATION

Children immunized with 4 doses of formalin-killed (FK) whole virus vaccine containing adjuvant and aqueous, purified hemagglutinin prepared from Tween-ether (TE) treated material in different combinations have been followed serologically and clinically during a period of 3 to 4 years after the last dose of vaccine. The average decline in HI antibody titers was about 10-fold during this period of time, except in children who had received 4 doses of TE vaccine. The latter group displayed about a 40-fold decrease in titers. Four out of 10 children exposed to cases of regular measles displayed clinical symptoms of varying degrees of severity. Two more children responded with a rise in HI antibody titer only. All these reactions occurred in children with a pre-exposure HI serum titer of 160 or higher. A case of pneumonia was encountered in connection with exposure to wild virus in a child who had received only 2 doses of FK vaccine.