Is fecundability associated with month of birth? An analysis of 19th and early 20th century family reconstitution data from The Netherlands

The relationship between fecundability and month of birth was investigated in a cohort of 1526 women who married between 1802 and 1929, using only women whose first marriage occurred before the age of 35 years. On the basis of their time to pregnancy (TTP, calculated as time between wedding and first birth minus gestational length), women were categorized into two groups: fecunds (TTP up to 12 months or prenuptial conceptions, n = 1348) and subfecunds (TTP >18 months, n = 118). By use of logistic regression, cosinor functions with a period of 1 year or 6 months and variable shift and amplitude were fitted through the monthly odds of subfecunds versus fecunds. The best fitting curve was unimodal, with a zenith in September (P = 0.13 for H0: no differences). Exclusion of childless women (n = 36, minimum follow-up 5 years) from the subfecunds led to a similar curve (P < 0.01), while childless women, as compared with fecunds, showed a birth distribution that was best represented with a bimodal curve with zeniths in January and July (P = 0.06). This study provides evidence for the existence of differences in fecundability by month of birth. The cause of this relationship is unclear, but may lie in a melatonin-dependent circannual variability of the quality of the oocyte.      

Bladder cancer mortality in The Netherlands, 1955-1988.

In 1955, 234 men and 116 women died from bladder cancer in the Netherlands. In 1988 the numbers were 794 and 317 respectively. After adjusting for the ageing of the Dutch population since 1955, female mortality rates per 10(5) person-years appear to be very stable: 2.9 from 1955 to 1959 and 3.0 from 1985 to 1988. By contrast, an increasing trend exists in males. From 1955 to 1959 and from 1985 to 1988, bladder cancer mortality rates per 10(5) person-years were 7.5 and 12.4 respectively. For men in particular, increasing mortality (and incidence) rates are seen all over the world. In many cases this increasing trend is thought to originate from a higher risk of dying from bladder cancer in successive birth cohorts rather than from a higher risk in successive calendar periods. This so-called cohort effect is explained by changes in smoking behaviour in the male population. Statistical modelling of bladder cancer mortality data from 1955 to 1988 in the Netherlands shows that the increasing temporal trend in men can also be described as a cohort effect. The risk of dying from bladder cancer increases from the 1875 birth cohort to the 1910 birth cohort, but decreases thereafter. It is concluded that this decreasing risk for generations born after 1910 will probably result in a decreasing trend in mortality in the near future, when more and more of these "youngsters" reach the age of 70+.     

Pediatric utilization of rapamycin for severe cardiac allograft rejection

BACKGROUND: Rapamycin is a new immunosuppressive agent that has been shown to be effective in the treatment of acute cardiac rejection in the adult population. METHODS: This case documents a pediatric patient with ongoing cardiac rejection that did not abate despite treatment with antithymocyte serum (RATS), corticosteroid pulses, and methotrexate in addition to daily prednisone, mycophenolate mofetil, and tacrolimus. RESULTS: Initiation of therapy with rapamycin resulted in a rapid resolution of cardiac rejection and reduction of concomitant immunosuppressive agents and few side effects. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrated the utilization of rapamycin in a pediatric patient with ongoing acute rejection despite several modifications in treatment.     

Clinical Analysis of 57 Patients with Ovarian Dysgerminoma

Objective  Ovarian dysgerminoma is an uncommon ovarian malignancy, Its clinicai features are special and there are many factors affecting its prognosis. If treated properly, the patient can be cured. Otherwise it may endanger the patient’s life. The aim of this study is to investigate the clinical features and factors related to prognosis of ovarian dysgerminoma. Methods  Data from 57 patients with pure ovarian dysgerminoma were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were admitted to the Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University from January 1.1964 to December 31, 2000. Results  The main clinical features were abdominal mass (56.1% ), abdominal pain (21.1% ), abdominal swelling (17.5%.), vaginal bleeding (5.3% )and genital tract abnormalities (5.3%). Twenty-six patients had stage I diseases, 8 stage II.9 stage III.1 stage IV and 13 recurrent and persistent diseases. The uterus was involved in 41.2% of patients with stage II -III diseases. Combined modality was given to 52 cases and a single-method treatment to 5 cases. The total overall 5 and 10-year survival rates for stages I-IV was 80.1 % and 70.0% respectively. The 5-year survival rate for stage I was 100%, stage II 55.2%. stage III 55.6% and stage IV 0%; for recurrent and persistent diseases, 72.7%. The stage I group of 12 patients. received adnexectomy and 14 patients underwent hysterectomy and adnexa removal. There was no significant difference between the 5 and 10-year survival rates (all 100%). Of the 23 patients in the stage I group to whom oniy chemotherapy was given after operation, 19 cases received 3 or more courses and were well without recurrence; 4 patients received only one course and one of them recurred 21 months after the operation. In the group of stages II and III cases, the 5-year survival rate was 86.7% for those whose chemotherapy courses were 3≥ 4 and 25.0% for patients who received less than 4 courses of chemotherapy (P<0.05). Conclusions  The prognosis of ovarian dysgerminoma is closely related to the disease stage and treatment modality. A fertility-preserving operation can be considered in early -staged patients, but caution needs to be exercised in the middle to late staged cases. Good results can be achieved with an operation-based combined modality in recurrent patients.     

灯盏花素对豚鼠单一心室肌细胞ICa的抑制作用

目的：观察灯盏花素对豚鼠单一心室肌细胞钙离子电流（ＩＣａ）的影响。方法：应用全细胞膜片钳制技术。结果：灯盏花素能明显抑制心室肌细胞的Ｃａ＾２＋通道,使ＩＣａ减小。此作用有明显的电压依赖性。在峰电流电压下作用最明显,而对其反转电位无明显影响。在指令电位０ｍＶ时,０．５ｍｇ％灯盏花素使ＩＣａ减小５．４％,１ｍｇ％灯盏花素使ＩＣａ减小２２．９％（Ｐ〈０．０１）,２ｍｇ％灯盏花素使ＩＣａ减小４５．０％（Ｐ     

腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运蛋白A1在动脉粥样硬化中的作用及其受控特点

目的:分析腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运蛋白A1(ATP binding cassette transport proteion A1,ABCA1)在动脉粥样硬化中的作用及其受控机制。资料来源:以“腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运蛋白A1”为检索词,应用计算机在Pubmed、中文全文数据库CNKI中检索2000-01/2006-11腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运蛋白A1与人有关的期刊文献,前者限定语言种类为英文,后者限定语言种类为中文。资料选择:对英文文献390篇、中文文献58篇初审。纳入标准:①与ABCA1结构及功能有关的文献。②与核受体有关的文献。③与载脂蛋白AⅠ有关的文献。④与ABCA1基因的突变、单核苷酸多态性有关的文献。⑤ABCA1蛋白、核受体、ABCA1基因的突变、单核苷酸多态性与动脉粥样硬化有关的文献。排出标准:①与哮喘、癌症、代谢性疾病有关的文献。②相关文献中内容相似的文献。③综述文献。资料提炼:选取3篇涉及ABCA1结构、功能的基础内容;18篇涉及与核受体的内容;2篇涉及载脂蛋白AⅠ的内容;7篇涉及ABCA1基因的突变、单核苷酸多态性的内容;9篇涉及ABCA1蛋白、核受体、ABCA1基因的突变、单核苷酸与动脉粥样硬化的内容。其中30篇列为参考文献。资料综合:分析了腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运体A1的结构和功能的基本情况;文献显示腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运体A1在动脉粥样硬化发病过程中起重要作用;核受体对腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运体A1的表达有调节,且腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运体A1受基因调控。结论:腺苷三磷酸结合盒转运体A1可能是与动脉粥样硬化密切相关的重要候选基因;深入探讨其机制,有利于开发新药防治动脉粥样硬化。     

Acute coronary syndromes

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below. Key points Coronary artery disease accounts for >30% ofdeaths in Western society. The diagnosis of myocardial infarctionshould be qualified by size, causation and time from occurrence. Mortalityis reduced by immediate or ‘primary’ percutaneouscoronary intervention or thrombolysis within the first 24 hof onset of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Strategiesto reduce platelet activation (glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptorantagonists, or clopidogrel) are now recommended in the treatmentof high-risk non-ST-segment myocardial infarction/unstable angina. Elevatedserum troponins may be the result of non-ischaemic myocardialdamage, especially in critical illness.