Tester and testing procedure influence clinically determined gait speed

BackgroundThere is a clinical need to be able to reliably detect meaningful changes (0.1 to 0.2 m/s) in usual gait speed (UGS) considering reduced gait speed is associated with morbidity and mortality.Research questionWhat is the impact of tester on UGS assessment, and the influence of test repetition (trial 1 vs. 2), timing method (manual stopwatch vs. automated timing), and starting condition (stationary vs. dynamic start) on the ability to detect changes in UGS and fast gait speed (FGS)?MethodsUGS and FGS was assessed in 725 participants on a 8-m course with infrared timing gates positioned at 0, 2, 4 and 6 m. Testing was performed by one of 13 testers trained by a single researcher. Time to walk 4-m from a stationary start (i.e. from 0-m to 4-m) was measured manually using a stopwatch and automatically via the timing gates at 0-m and 4-m. Time taken to walk 4-m with a dynamic start was measured during the same trial by recording the time to walk between the timing gates at 2-m and 6-m (i.e. after 2-m acceleration).ResultsTesters differed for UGS measured using manual vs. automated timing (p = 0.02), with five and two testers recording slower and faster UGS using manual timing, respectively. 95% limits of agreement for trial 1 vs. 2, manual vs. automated timing, and dynamic vs. stationary start ranged from ±0.15 m/s to ±0.20 m/s, coinciding with the range for a clinically meaningful change. Limits of agreement for FGS were larger ranging from ±0.26 m/s to ±0.35 m/s.SignificanceRepeat testing of UGS should performed by the same tester or using an automated timing method to control for tester effects. Test protocol should remain constant both between and within participants as protocol deviations may result in detection of an artificial clinically meaningful change.     

眶骨延长术治疗眼球突出的实验研究

目的探讨眶骨延长术扩大眶容积治疗眼球突出的可行性。方法1年龄山羊6只,环行截开右侧眶壁,于眶上壁放置延长器,侧向延长1.5cm,经大体、X线、干骨标本及组织学观察成骨情况。结果6只山羊眶骨得到不同程度的侧向延长,延长侧随着眶骨容量的增加,眼球突度较自身对照侧为小。结论眶骨延长术可造成山羊眶骨侧向移位,有可能成为治疗眼球过度突出的方法之一。     

小鼠眼球中脂肪酸组成分析

用气相色谱法分析了小鼠眼球中脂肪酸的组成及百分含量。分离是在２５ｍ×０．２５ｍｍＰＥＧ－２０Ｍ熔融石英毛细管柱内进行，眼球中１２种主要饱和及不饱和脂肪酸得到了定性和定量。本实验可为有关眼疾病的治疗、预防及生化方面的深入研究提供有意义的信息。     

劳动姿势对流量－容积曲线的影响─—波速学说的进一步验证

用“点值法”对健康工人４７３例［轻体力劳动工人（简称轻工）２４８例，重体力劳动工人（简称重工）２２５例］。作了流量一容积曲线和常规通气功能检查。结果表明：重工男女在４０岁以后其高肺容积流量下降，３０岁以后低肺容积流量上升，而且这些改变有随年龄增长而更加明显的倾向；轻工仅有个别年龄组的低肺容积流量上升。对７名健康坐位工作者模拟劳动的前倾姿势作多次通气功能检查，亦有明显高肺容积流量下降和低肺容积流量上升的现象，这一事实提示波速学说亦可应用于颈和躯干前倾进行重体力劳动工人的通气行为。     

应用微波技术切割睑球粘连22例

目的探讨微波热凝切割睑球粘连的治疗效果。方法随机抽取１９９５年１月～１９９７年１２月我科应用微波治疗睑球粘连２２例进行回顾性总结。结果２２例轻、中、重度睑球粘连患者，经１～４次热凝切割，均痊愈。结论微波技术切割睑球粘连操作简便易行，是一种较为理想的治疗方法。     

Editorial: Genetics of Brain Function and Cognition

There is overwhelming evidence for the existence of substantial genetic influences on individual differences in general and specific cognitive abilities, especially in adults. The actual localization and identification of genes underlying variation in cognitive abilities and intelligence has only just started, however. Successes are currently limited to neurological mutations with rather severe cognitive effects. The current approaches to trace genes responsible for variation in the normal ranges of cognitive ability consist of large scale linkage and association studies. These are hampered by the usual problems of low statistical power to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) of small effect. One strategy to boost the power of genomic searches is to employ endophenotypes of cognition derived from the booming field of cognitive neuroscienceThis special issue of Behavior Genetics reports on one of the first genome-wide association studies for general IQ. A second paper summarizes candidate genes for cognition, based on animal studies. A series of papers then introduces two additional levels of analysis in the black box between genes and cognitive ability: (1) behavioral measures of information-processing speed (inspection time, reaction time, rapid naming) and working memory capacity (performance on on single or dual tasks of verbal and spatio-visual working memory), and (2) electrophyiosological derived measures of brain function (e.g., event-related potentials). The obvious way to assess the reliability and validity of these endophenotypes and their usefulness in the search for cognitive ability genes is through the examination of their genetic architecture in twin family studies. Papers in this special issue show that much of the association between intelligence and speed-of-information processing/brain function is due to a common gene or set of genes, and thereby demonstrate the usefulness of considering these measures in gene-hunting studies for IQ.     

摘除双侧眼球对大鼠视交叉上核节律性的影响

成年Ｗｉｓｔａｒ雌鼠５７只，随机分为实验组３０只，行双眼摘除术。对照组２７只。术后４周将各组动物体重相近的每３只列为一个配伍组，分别在０９：００～１０：００、１７：００～１８：００、２３：００～２４：００三个时间处死。将含有视交叉上核的脑组织经固定、恒冷箱切片后，用免疫组化ＡＢＣ法染色显示视交叉上核内含ＶＩＰ或ＡＶＰ的神经元，微机图像分析仪上测量光镜下这两种神经元的相对切面面积及平均免疫反应强度。结果：（１）对照组不同时间处死的动物ＶＩＰ能神经元切面面积以２３：００～２４：００最大，０９：００～１０：００次之，１７：００～１８：００最小，呈昼夜节律变化，ＡＶＰ能神经元也以２３：００～２４：００最大，但在０９：００～１０：００和１７：００～１８：００间差异无显著性；（２）摘除双眼后各时间组间ＶＩＰ能神经元和ＡＶＰ能神经元切面面积均不再显示显著性差异。提示实验组动物视交叉上核的这两种神经元功能活动的昼夜节律已发生改变；（３）实验组和对照组动物的ＶＩＰ能神经元和ＡＶＰ能神经元平均免疫反应强度在所测的三个时间中，均未见明显差异。     

采用纱球进行口腔护理的效果观察

目的探寻有效的口腔护理方法,取得更好的清洁口腔及洁牙效果。方法随机对53例有口腔护理适应症、意识清醒的患者,用纱球或棉球分别作左或右侧牙齿及口腔粘膜的清洁护理,并按同一标准进行效果评价。结果53例患者,以纱球擦洗侧,效果好的为42例,一般为11例,差为0例。以棉球擦洗侧,效果好为13例,效果一般为40例,差为0例,两组效果比较有显著性差异(P<0.01)。结论以纱球作口腔护理的清洁效果明显优于棉球的清洁效果。