Ethanol regulated preference in rats

A series of experiments evaluated the determinants of preference for mixtures of ethanol plus sucrose relative to sucrose in rats. One dipper served 10% ethanol mixed with 10% sucrose, and the second dipper served 10% sucrose. Lever presses operated each dipper according to a variable-interval 5-s schedule. In three experiments the subjects were given pre-session meals of sucrose (2.5–20 ml) or sucrose (20 ml) plus chow (5 or 10 g). Pre-session meals decreased responding maintained by sucrose but not responding maintained by ethanol mixture. In two experiments body weight was varied from 85% to 125% of the initial free-feeding values. Increases in body weight, like pre-session meals, decreased responding reinforced by sucrose, but typically did not decrease responding reinforced by ethanol mixture. Throughout most of the study, ethanol consumption remained at about 1.25 ml per half hour session (3–4 g/kg per 30 min). For example, pre-session access to ethanol mixture decreased within-session ethanol consumption, but total consumption, counting both sources, remained about 1.25 ml/session. The within-session patterns of responding also differed. Responding reinforced by ethanol mix decreased as a function of ethanol consumption, whereas responding reinforced by sucrose was relatively constant throughout the session. The simplest explanation of the results is that ethanol's pharmacological consequences regulated preference.     

The ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram: An evaluation of scoring methods and interrater reliability

The interrater reliability and concurrent validity of two methods of scoring the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram were evaluated. Impedance cardiographic and electrocardiographic signals were recorded from 40 undergraduate men and women during a baseline rest period and a vocal mental arithmetic task period. Recordings were scored by four raters using a conventional method, involving ensemble averaging after careful editing of beat-to-beat waveforms, and a streamlined method, involving ensemble averaging without beat-to-beat editing. Intraclass correlations for interrater reliability exceeded .92, whereas intraclass correlations for concurrent validity exceeded .97, indicating excellent agreement between raters and scoring methods for all cardiac measures. The streamlined method was significantly faster than the conventional method. The results indicate that variations in beat-to-beat editing do not constitute a serious source of error in the ensemble-averaged impedance cardiogram and support the interrater reliability and concurrent validity of the two scoring methods.     

A retrospective study of the therapeutic efficacy of doxycycline on concurrent canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis in a veterinary hospital population

Doxycycline has a well known broad spectrum activity against bacteria and rickettsia, as well as Ehrlichia spp. However, the use of doxycycline for the treatment of concurrent ehrlichiosis and babesiosis has rarely been evaluated, especially in veterinary hospital populations. A retrospective study of 70 canine ehrlichiosis and 12 canine babesiosis concurrent infections from Out Patient Department patients at Chulalongkorn Small Animal Teaching Hospital, admitted during 2001–2003, were studied. The results showed a complete curative effect of doxycycline on both canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis concurrent infections. The red blood cell indices after treatment were significantly higher in canine ehrlichiosis (P < 0.05). The platelet cell counts after treatment were significantly higher in concurrent canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis infections (P < 0.05). Doxycycline can be recommended as the drug of choice for both canine ehrlichiosis and canine babesiosis and concurrent infections of both conditions in veterinary hospitals.     

Concurrent infections ofTrichinella spiralis andToxoplasma gondii in mice

Concurrent infections with two parasites: a nematode,Trichinella spiralis, and a protozoon,Toxoplasma gondii, were investigated. Antibody production (total immunoglobulin and IgM) was similar in double and single infections. However, the number ofToxoplasma cysts in the brains of mice infected withTrichinella and challenged 1–6 weeks later withToxoplasma was higher than in mice infected withToxoplasma alone, while mice infected withToxoplasma and challenged 4–14 days later withTrichinella had lower worm burdens in the intestine than animals infected withTrichinella alone. Greater loss in body weight was observed in mice infected with both parasites than in those infected with either parasite alone.     

Concurrent progressive-ratio schedules to compare reinforcing effectiveness of different phencyclidine (PCP) concentrations in rhesus monkeys

  Rationale: Progressive ratio (PR) schedules have become well accepted for testing the reinforcing effectiveness of drugs. This study extends the methods to concurrent PR schedules with different concentrations of orally delivered phencyclidine (PCP). Objective: The sensitivity of the procedure is tested by presenting different PCP concentrations with independently-operating PR schedules. Method: PCP self-administration was investigated in seven rhesus monkeys. Six different PCP concentrations (0.03–1.0 mg/ml) and water were randomly paired (21 pairings). Liquid delivery (24 ml) was contingent upon lip-contact responses on solenoid-operated drinking spouts; whereby, the response requirement or fixed-ratio (FR) increased (from 8 to 16, 32, 64, 128... to 4096) after each successful completion of a previous FR and subsequent liquid delivery. Monkeys self administered PCP during daily 3-h sessions, and each pair of concentrations was held constant until behavior had stabilized for at least 4 days. Results: The higher of the two PCP concentrations always maintained greater responding, PR break point (BP), or the last ratio completed, and liquid deliveries than did the lower concentration. However, the monkeys did not exclusively respond on the drinking spout that yielded the higher drug concentration. When examined across all drug pairings, the percentage of total available deliveries of the higher concentration was significantly greater than those of the lower concentration. The monkeys maximized the amount (mg) consumed for the response output. Responding, BPs and liquid deliveries maintained by 0.12 and 0.25 mg/ml PCP were significantly greater than other PCP concentrations; however, drug intake (mg) increased directly with PCP concentration. Conclusion: These results indicate that concurrent PR schedules using oral drug self-administration and a concurrent choice paradigm reliably provide an estimation of relative reinforcing strength, and behavior maintained by these schedules is sensitive to small changes in PCP concentration. Received: 18 September 1998 / Final version: 28 December 1998     

The prediction of late rectal complications in patients treated with high dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix

: The aim of this work is to invetigate an unusually high rate of late rectal complications in a group of 43 patients treated with concomitant irradiation and chemotherapy for carcinoma of the cervix between December 1988 and April 1991, with a view to identifying predictive factors.

: The biologically effective dose received by each patient to the rectal reference point defined by the International Commission of Radiation Units and Measurements, Report 38, were calculated. Radiotherapy consisted of 46 Gy external beam irradiation plus three dose-rate intracavitary treatments of 10 Gy each prescribed to point A. Cisplatin 30 mg/m² was given weekly throughout the duration of the irradiation. The results have been compared to data from 119 patients treated with irradiation alone to assess the cofounding effect of the cisplatin.

: The relationship between the biologically effective dose delivered to the rectal reference point and the development of late complications shows a strong dose-response with a threshold for complications occurring at aproximately the same biologically effective dose threshold as that found for external beam irradiation in the head and neck region. The date from the group of patients treated wihout cisplatin is comparable to the date from the first group of patients in the lower dose ranges; the higher doses were not used and thus are not available for comparison.

: Using the linear quadratic model applied to our clinical results, we have established a threshold for late rectal complications for patients treated with external beam irradiation and high dose-rate brachytherapy for carcinoma of the cervix. This threshold is consistent with similar data for external irradiation in the head and neck region.     

新兵甲肝和乙肝疫苗联合免疫效果及安全性的对照研究

目的探讨新兵联合接种甲肝疫苗和乙肝疫苗的免疫效果及安全性。方法200名健康新兵随机均分为4组。A组:于0、6个月接种2剂甲肝减毒活疫苗,B组:于0、1、6个月接种3剂乙肝疫苗,C组:一侧上臂于0、6个月接种2剂甲肝减毒活疫苗,另一侧上臂于0、1、6个月接种3剂乙肝疫苗,D组:于0、6个月接种2剂甲、乙型肝炎联合疫苗。于首针后7个月时测定甲肝和乙肝抗体滴度,观察免疫效果和安全性。结果甲肝和乙肝疫苗双上臂同时接种,抗-HAV和抗-HBs的阳转率分别是100%和91.84%,与各自单独接种的免疫效果无显著性差异;按0、6个月2剂免疫程序接种甲、乙型肝炎联合疫苗,抗-HAV和抗-HBs的阳转率分别是100%和92.5%,与各自单独接种的免疫效果亦无显著性差异。结论新兵同时接种甲肝和乙肝疫苗安全、有效,若经济条件允许则可接种甲、乙型肝炎联合疫苗。     

Disparate genomic characteristics of concurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma and ovarian granulosa cell tumor,revealed by targeted next-generation sequencing

Concurrence of both endometrial adenocarcinoma and ovarian adult granulosa cell tumor (aGCT) is believed to be related to high estrogen milieu, but genomic alterations of the concurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma and aGCT are not known. For this, we analyzed an uterine endometrial adenocarcinoma and an ovarian aGCT in a same patient by a targeted next generation sequencing (NGS). We found a germline mutation in STK11 (p.L113fs). The endometrial adenocarcinoma harbored FGFR2 and TP53 mutations and the aGCT harbored a FOXL2 (p.C134?W) mutation. These germline and somatic mutations have been reported in non-concurrent tumors. These two tumors harbored 20 CNAs but only one CNA was exactly overlapped in the tumors. Our findings indicate that the concurrent endometrial adenocarcinoma and aGCT in this patient might not be genetically related to each other at germline or somatic level and suggest that such concurrence might be originated from non-genetic backgrounds including stimulated estrogen milieu.     

Smartphone-based inertial sensors technology – Validation of a new application to measure spatiotemporal gait metrics

BackgroundSmartphones are increasingly recognized as the future technology for clinical gait assessment.ResearchQuestion: To determine the concurrent validity of gait parameters obtained using the smartphone technology and application in a group of patients with musculoskeletal pathologies.MethodsPatients with knee, lower back, hip, or ankle pain were included in the study (n = 72). Spatiotemporal outcomes were derived from the walkway and the smartphone simultaneously. Pearson’s correlations and limits of agreement (LoA) determined the association between the two methods.ResultsCadence and gait cycle time showed excellent correlation and agreement between the smartphone and the walkway (cadence: r = 0.997, LoA=1.4%, gait cycle time: r = 0.996, LoA = 1.6%). Gait speed, double-limb support and left and right step length demonstrated strong correlations and moderate agreement between methods (gait speed: r = 0.914, LoA=15.4%, left step length: r = 0.842, LoA = 17.0%, right step length: r = 0.800, LoA=16.4%). The left and right measures of single-limb support and stance percent showed a consistent 4% bias across instruments, yielding moderate correlation and very good agreement between the smartphone and the walkway (r = 0.532, LoA = 9% and r = 0.460, LoA=9.8% for left and right single-limb support; r = 0.463, LoA = 5.1% and r = 0.533, LoA = 4.4% for left and right stance).Significance: The examined application appears to be a valid tool for gait analysis, providing clinically significant metrics for the assessment of patients with musculoskeletal pathologies. However, additional studies should examine the technology amongst patients with severe gait abnormalities.     

腹腔镜同期手术治疗胃神经内分泌癌肝转移1例

胃神经内分泌癌（Gastric neuroendocrine carcinoma，G-NEC）是一类少见的起源于胃神经内分泌细胞的高度恶性肿瘤。GB-NEC 侵袭性强，易于发生淋巴结和远处转移，预后较差。肝脏是G-NEC 最常见的远处转移部位。目前，对于G-NEC 伴肝脏转移的治疗仍存在争议，尚无腹腔镜手术治疗G-NEC 伴肝转移的相关报道。在这里，本文回顾性分析了1 例G-NEC 伴肝转移患者的临床特点和诊治经过。患者因“恶心伴食欲不振3 个月”入院，结合病史、体格检查及辅助检查结果，术前考虑诊断为胃恶性肿瘤伴肝转移，接受了腹腔镜胃癌根治术（全胃切除+食道空肠Roux-en-Y 吻合+D2 淋巴结清扫）+左肝外叶切除+空肠造瘘术，术后无严重并发症发生并顺利出院。术后予以6 个周期的“依托泊苷+顺铂”方案化疗，随访患者术后2 年未见肿瘤复发。