Masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and intensity of masticatory muscle and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) pain in Croatian war veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The examined group consisted of 100 Croatian war veterans, in whom PTSD had previously been diagnosed. Patients were compared with 92 subjects who had not taken part in the war and in whom PTSD was excluded by psychiatric examination. The clinical examination consisted of palpation of the masticatory muscles, the prominent neck musculature, and TMJ. The examination technique used and the definition of items were previously tested for reliability and validity. 93% of the subjects with PTSD had masticatory muscle tenderness compared to 45.65% of the subjects in the control group (chi2 = 51.46, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location in the subjects with PTSD was the left lateral pterygoid site in 88%, and in subjects of the control group the right lateral pterygoid site in 28.26% of cases. The most painful location in the PTSD group was the left lateral pterygoid site in 72%, and in the control group the left posterior digastric in 4.35% of cases. 58% of the subjects with PTSD had TMJ tenderness compared to 3.26% of subjects in the control group (chi2 = 66.23, p < 0.0001). The most frequent painful location of TMJ in both groups was the left posterior capsule; in the PTSD group 38% and in subjects in the control group 2.17% of cases. The most painful location was the left posterior capsule in 28% of subjects with PTSD, while not one subject in the control group reported severe painful sensitivity. The very high frequency and intensity of pain in subjects with PTSD confirms the effect of stress on muscle and joint sensitivity, i.e. perception of pain.     

Chronic stress, catecholamines, and sleep disturbance at Three Mile Island

The present study was concerned with the relationship between chronic stress and sleep disturbance. Previous research has provided evidence of chronic stress responding among people living near the Three Mile Island nuclear generating facility. Compared to control subjects, the TMI group has exhibited greater symptom reporting, poorer performance on behavioral measures of concentration, and elevated levels of urinary norepinephrine and epinephrine. Other research has suggested a relationship between arousal and insomnia. The extent to which stress and sleep disturbances were experienced by residents at TMI was examined and compared to levels of stress and sleep disturbance among a group of control subjects. The relationship between stress and sleep disturbances was also examined. Results indicated that TMI area residents exhibited more stress than the controls and reported greater disturbance of sleep. Modest relationships among stress and sleep measures suggested that the symptoms of stress measured in this study were not primary determinants of sleep problems.     

龙血竭对辐射诱导的神经炎症的保护作用

背景：深空探测的不断发展,潜在的战争威胁以及核事故的发生增加了人类辐射暴露的风险。神经炎症是人体在辐射暴露后重要生理反应之一。神经炎症的发生与神经退行性疾病如阿尔茨海默氏病(Alzheimer"s disease, AD)和帕金森氏病(Parkinson"s disease, PD)密切相关。开发具有抗氧化和抗炎作用的中药对辐射引起的中枢神经系统损伤有积极意义。结论：中药龙血竭对辐射诱导的神经炎症具有良好的治疗作用。本文总结了龙血竭在降低氧化应激水平,相关炎症因子表达和线粒体损伤中的作用。同时,我们提出内源性神经毒素可能加重辐射诱导的神经炎症的进程,而龙血竭可缓解这种神经炎症。     

The effect of dance over depression

Dance and movement therapy are consisted of music, easy exercises and sensorial stimulus and provide drugless treatment for the depression on low rates. In this study, it has been aimed to examine the effect of dance over the depression. A total of 120 healthy male and female conservatory students ranged from 20 and 24 ages volunteered to participate in this study. They were divided randomly into 1 of 2 groups: dance training group (DTG; N = 60) and control group (CG; N = 60). A dance training program was applied to the subjects three days a week (Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday) during 12 weeks. The subjects in the control group did not participate in the training and participated only in the pre and post test measurements. Beck Depression Scale was used for the pre and post test measurements of subjects. 12 weeks of dance training has been found to be effective on the depression levels of the subjects participating in the research as the training group (p < 0.05). The depression level of males and females before training has meaningfully decreased after 12 weeks of dance training (p < 0.05). When the depression levels of the subjects participated in research as the control group were separately evaluated for males and females, no meaningful change has been found in the depression levels during 12 weeks (p > 0.05). In conclusion, it has been seen that dance affects the depression levels of university students positively and decreases their depression levels.     

Decreased density of peripheral benzodiazepine receptors in psychiatric patients after a suicide attempt

To date, two main types of benzodiazepine (BDZ) receptors have been identified: one of these is the so-called central receptor which is found mainly in the cortex, limbic areas and cerebellum, and the other is known as the peripheral receptor, which is found in the kidneys, lungs, ovaries, testes, adrenal glands and blood cells, but is present also in the central nervous system (CNS), in particular in glial cells. Although for some time the peripheral BDZ receptor has been considered an acceptor site with no pharmacological activity, recent data have suggested that it may be involved in a variety of actions, such as the response to stress. The presence of these receptors in blood platelets, which are considered a reliable, peripheral mirror of the same structures located in the SNC, prompted us to evaluate them in a group of psychiatric patients after a suicide attempt, as compared with healthy control subjects, by means of the specific binding of 3H-PK 11195. Suicide, with no doubt, may be considered one of the most stressful situations occurring to humans. The results showed the presence of a significant decrease in the density of 3H-PK 11195 binding sites in the patients, as compared with healthy control subjects. This finding may represent a non-specific indicator of a condition of stress, since peripheral BDZ receptors are modulated by stress and hormones, or it may result more from an abnormal metabolism of steroid substances which could play a pivotal role in the development of vulnerability towards suicide.     

Breath ethane in dialysis patients and control subjects

Oxidant stress may play a role in the accelerated pathology of patients on dialysis, especially in the development of cardiovascular disease, which is a frequent condition in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients. Measurement of hydrocarbons can be employed to assess oxidant stress since breath hydrocarbons have been directly traced to in vivo breakdown of lipid hydroperoxides. We undertook to measure ethane, a major breath hydrocarbon, in 15 control subjects, 13 patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 35 patients on hemodialysis (HD). Within the HD group, we separately examined 12 diabetic and 23 nondiabetic patients. Breath samples were collected after patients had breathed purified air for 4 min, and ethane content was measured by GC and expressed as pmoles/kg-body weight-minute (pmol/kg-min). As the data for the hemodialysis patients appeared skewed, nonparametric statistical techniques were employed to analyze these data, which are reported as median and interquartile range (IQR). Ethane levels were similar in 15 control subjects (median, 2.50 pmol [1.38-3.30]/kg-min] and 13 PD patients (median, 2.51 pmol [1.57-3.17]/kg-min). Breath ethane was significantly elevated in a portion (18 of 35 patients, 52%) of the HD patients (median, 6.16 pmol [4.46-8.88]/kg-min) (p <.001 vs. control, Mann-Whitney U test). Two of the diabetic HD patients showed extremely high values of breath ethane. Breath ethane was not altered by a single hemodialysis session, suggesting that long-term metabolic processes contribute to its elevation. Measurement of breath ethane may provide insight into severity of oxidant stress and metabolic disturbances, and provide guidance for optimal therapy and prevention of pathology in patients on long-term hemodialysis.     

No association between socio-economic status and white blood cell telomere length

It has been hypothesized that more socio-economically deprived individuals age faster and, thus, have shorter telomeres than their more affluent counterparts. A weak association between white blood cell telomere length and socio-economic status in a large heterogeneous sample of females has recently been reported. In 318 individuals from a homogeneous birth cohort, we found no evidence of an association between any measure of socio-economic status and peripheral blood mononucleocyte telomere length at age 50 after control for lifestyle variables, gender and paternal age at birth. The results of this, and the previous study, suggest that there is little evidence of a strong or consistent correlation between white blood cell telomere length and markers of socio-economic status.     

Biofeedback-assisted relaxation: effects on phagocytic capacity

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether subjects who self-report high levels of stress have lower immunity, and whether "low"-immunity subjects under "high" stress could enhance phagocytic activity through biofeedback-assisted relaxation (BAR). During Phase 1, the level of stress and the level of phagocytic immune functioning (nitroblue tetrazolium test) were assessed as "high" or "low." Significant chi-square analysis (chi 2 = 3.8624, df = 1, p less than .05) showed that subjects with "high" stress had "low" immunity. Sixteen "high"-stress, "low"-immunity subjects were randomly assigned to BAR and control groups during Phase 2. Following treatment, NBT changes showed significant increases (F = 11.11, p less than .003) for experimental group as compared to control group. White blood cell count and white blood cell differential were unchanged across blood samples for both groups. Experimental subjects reported significant decreases in tension-anxiety and increases in overall coping. BAR was concluded to have improved coping skills and phagocytic capacity. BAR affected the quality, rather than the quantity, of phagocytic neutrophils.     

妊娠期高血压疾病发病危险因素及对妊娠结局的影响

目的:探讨妊娠期高血压疾病(HDCP)发病的危险因素及其对妊娠结局的影响,以期为HDCP的诊断和早期预防提供一定的临床依据。方法:选择2011年11月到2014年11月在我院接受治疗的120例HDCP患者,设为实验组,同期选择120例正常孕产妇作为对照组。自制调查问卷调查受试者的临床资料以及妊娠结局,分析HDCP的危险因素,对比观察两组妊娠结局的差异。结果:(1)单因素分析显示,HDCP发病的危险因素可能有:年龄、体质指数(BMI)、月收入、高血压家族史、孕期并发症、负面情绪、文化程度(均P0.05)。(2)进一步行多因素非条件Logistic回归分析显示,HDCP发病的危险因素有:BMI、高血压家族史、负面情绪及文化程度。(3)实验组患者胎儿窘迫、低体重儿、新生儿窒息、围产儿死亡及胎儿畸形的发生率均明显高于对照组,具有显著性差异(P0.05)。结论:导致HDCP发病的危险因素较多,主要有BMI、高血压家族史、负面情绪及文化程度等,这些因素极易导致不良妊娠结局。     

A web based relational database management system for filariasis control

The present study describes a RDBMS (relational database management system) for the effective management of Filariasis, a vector borne disease. Filariasis infects 120 million people from 83 countries. The possible re-emergence of the disease and the complexity of existing control programs warrant the development of new strategies. A database containing comprehensive data associated with filariasis finds utility in disease control. We have developed a database containing information on the socio-economic status of patients, mosquito collection procedures, mosquito dissection data, filariasis survey report and mass blood data. The database can be searched using a user friendly web interface.

Availability     

Juvenile perpetrators of homicides and attempted homicides--a case control study

The aim of this study was to explore the influence of certain aspects of family dynamics, as well as some behavior and psychological development disorders on the occurrence of homicides and attempted homicides among juveniles in the Split Dalmatian County over a period of 10 years (1989-1998). A retrospective case-control study was performed to compare juvenile murderers and attempted murderers with minors who committed other offences, i.e. property crimes. The subjects were paired according to demographic and socio-economic background. The data obtained from County Court's files included social anamnesis, specialists' observation and psychiatric expertise results. There was a significant difference between the study group and their controls in the frequency of physical violence and parental rejection during childhood. Neuropsychological and neurophysiological abnormalities were more frequent in the experimental than in the control group. Stealing occurred more often in the control group. No significant differences were found for other studied risk factors. There is no unique type of juvenile murderer. A juvenile homicide is committed under the influence of various developmental characteristics, family milieu, and constitution combined with environmental factors and perpetrator's perception of the victim.     

Detection of mtDNA with 4977 bp deletion in blood cells and atherosclerotic lesions of patients with coronary artery disease

Recent evidence suggests that somatic mutations in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA accumulated during aging, may significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic-degenerative illness such as coronary artery disease (CAD). Mitochondrial DNA with 4977 bp deletion mutation (mtDNA4977) is a common type of mtDNA alteration in humans. However, little attempt has been made to detect the presence of mtDNA4977 deletion in cells and tissues of cardiovascular patients. This study investigated the presence of mtDNA4977 in blood samples of 65 cardiovascular patients and 23 atherosclerotic plaques of human coronaries with severe atherosclerosis. Moreover, the presence of the deletion has been investigated in blood cells from 22 healthy age-matched subjects. The detection of mtDNA4977 has been performed by using a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol and normalized to wild-type mtDNA. A significant higher incidence of mtDNA4977 was observed in CAD patients with respect to healthy subjects (26.2% versus 4.5%; P=0.03). Furthermore, the relative amount of the deletion was significantly higher in the patients compared to the control group (P=0.02). The mtDNA4977 was detected in 17 of the 65 patients blood samples (26.2%) and deletion levels ranged from 0.18 to 0.46% of the total mtDNA (mean: 0.34+/-0.02%). For what concerns atherosclerotic lesions, 5 patients (21.7%) showed the deletion ranging from 0.13 to 0.45% of the total mtDNA (mean: 0.35+/-0.06%). In both samples from patients, the incidence and the relative amount of mtDNA4977 was not significantly influenced by atherogenic risk factors and clinical parameters. The obtained results may suggest that the increase of oxidative stress in cardiovascular disease may be responsible for the accumulation of mtDNA damage in coronary artery disease patients.     

术前合理管理对老年下肢骨折全麻手术患者血糖水平、血流动力学及应激因子的影响

摘要 目的：探讨术前合理管理对老年下肢骨折全麻手术患者血糖水平、血流动力学及应激因子的影响。方法：选择2017年6月-2019年6月我院收治的120例拟行全麻手术治疗的老年下肢骨折患者,随机分为两组。观察组（60例）给予术前合理管理,对照组（60例）给予传统术前管理。对比两组围术期血糖水平、血流动力学以及应激因子指标差异。结果：两组平均动脉压（MAP）、心输出量（CO）、体外循环阻力（SVR）、胸腔液体含量（TFC）、血糖、胰高血糖素、胰岛素、C肽、皮质醇 （Cor）、肾素（Rn）和促肾上腺皮质激素（ACTH）整体比较差异具有统计学意义（P＜0.05）,观察组麻醉后或术后各时点MAP、CO、TFC、胰岛素、C肽高于对照组,SVR、血糖、胰高血糖素、Cor、Rn、ACTH低于对照组（P＜0.05）。观察组术后首次排气时间、首次下床活动时间、术后住院时间短于对照组（P＜0.05）,口渴饥饿、术后感染发生率低于对照组（P＜0.05）。结论：术前合理管理可稳定老年下肢骨折全麻手术患者围术期血流动力学和血糖水平,降低应激因子水平和术后并发症风险,加快术后患者的康复。     

Coenzyme Q10 supplementation reduces corticosteroids dosage in patients with bronchial asthma

Bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of respiratory system, with disturbances in the dynamic balance of oxidant-antioxidant capacity of the lungs. Long-term administration of corticosteroids has been shown to result in mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage of mitochondrial and nuclear DNAs. We previously documented decreased coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10)) and alpha-tocopherol concentrations in plasma and blood in corticosteroid-dependent bronchial asthma patients. In the present study we demonstrate that CoQ(10) supplementation reduces the dosage of corticosteroids in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was an open, cross-over, randomized clinical study with 41 bronchial asthma patients (13 males, 28 females), ages 25-50 years. All patients suffered from persistent mild to moderate asthma. The patients were divided into two groups, one group receiving standard antiasthmatic therapy and clinically stabilized, and the second group receiving, in addition, antioxidants consisting of CoQ(10) as Q-Gel (120 mg) + 400 mg alpha-tocopherol + 250 mg vitamin C a day. The groups were crossed over at 16 weeks for a total duration of 32 weeks. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Data show that patients with corticosteroid-dependent bronchial asthma have low plasma CoQ(10) concentrations that may contribute to their antioxidant imbalance and oxidative stress. A reduction in the dosage of corticosteroids required by the patients following antioxidant supplementation was observed, indicating lower incidence of potential adverse effects of the drugs, decreased oxidative stress. This study also demonstrates the significant uptake of CoQ(10) by lung tissue in a rat model using hydrosoluble CoQ(10) (Q-Gel).     

Further evidence that oxidative stress may be a risk factor responsible for the development of atherosclerosis

There are numerous data suggesting that oxidative stress may be involved in the development of atherosclerosis. Therefore, in the present study we measured the amount of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OH-dG), one of the typical biomarkers of oxidative stress, in DNA isolated from lymphocytes of the patients and in the control group. Levels of antioxidant vitamins (A, C, and E) and intracellular labile iron pool (LIP), which can influence oxidative stress, were also determined. Blood samples were obtained from a control group of 55 healthy persons and from 43 atherosclerotic patients. 8-OH-dG and the vitamin levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Labile iron pool in lymphocytes was analyzed by fluorescent assay. The levels of 8-OH-dG and LIP were significantly higher and vitamin C concentration was significantly lower in the patient group than in the control group. The rest of the analyzed parameters do not significantly differ between the groups. A lower concentration of vitamin C and higher levels of labile iron pool in a group of atherosclerotic patients when compared with the control group may lead to oxidative stress, which is manifested by a higher level of 8-OH-dG in blood lymphocytes. All these factors may create an environment that promotes the development of atherosclerosis.     

Controlled trial of biofeedback-aided behavioural methods in reducing mild hypertension.

Employees of a large industry were screened for the presence of coronary risk factors. A total of 204 employees, aged 35-64 years, with two or more such factors (serum cholesterol concentration greater than or equal to 6.3 mmol/l (243.6 mg/100 ml), blood pressure greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg, and current cigarette consumption greater than or equal to 10 cigarettes a day) were randomly allocated to a biofeedback group receiving training in relaxation and management of stress or a control group. Both groups received simple health education literature. After eight weeks of training, and again eight months later, the biofeedback group showed a significantly greater fall in systolic and diastolic blood pressures than the control group (p less than 0.001). Plasma renin activity and plasma aldosterone concentration were measured in a subsample at entry to the study and again at eight weeks and eight months; both showed a greater reduction in the biofeedback compared with the control group at eight weeks'' follow-up. The greater reduction in blood pressure in the subjects in the biofeedback group compared with the control group (11.0 mm Hg systolic and 8.8 mm Hg diastolic), persisting eight months after the training, suggests that relaxation-based behavioural methods might be offered as a first-time treatment to patients with mild hypertension.     

Multiparametric Analyses of Human PBMCs Loaded Ex Vivo with a Candidate Idiotype Vaccine for HCV-Related Lymphoproliferative Disorders

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been identified as one of the major risk factors for type II mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC), during the clinical evolution of chronic hepatitis, which may lead to development of B cell non-Hodgkin''s lymphoma (NHL). We have previously shown that the candidate idiotype vaccine, based on the IGKV3-20 light chain protein, is able to induce activation and maturation of circulating antigen presenting cells (APCs) in both HCV-positive and HCV-negative healthy control subjects, with production of Th2-type cytokines. Here, the effect of the recombinant IGKV3-20 protein on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from HCV-positive subjects, with known blood levels of cryoglobulins, is shown via gene expression profiling analysis combined to multiparameter flow cytometry and multiplex analyses of cytokines.     

THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP OF OCCUPATIONAL STRESS TO CLINICAL CORONARY HEART DISEASE

Perhaps because of difficulties inherent in quantitation and evaluation, the possible influence of differences in personality factors and of socio-economic stresses has largely been ignored in epidemiological studies of coronary artery disease. This relationship is explored and it is shown that the major factors contributing to the development of coronary disease, including intimal damage, elevated plasma lipid content, altered hemodynamics and accelerated blood clotting, are each affected by certain types of such stresses. On the basis of the considerable clinical and experimental evidence cited, it is suggested that the increasing occupational stress unique to industrialized society plays a dominant role in the high incidence of clinical coronary heart disease.     

A Nonparametric Procedure for Defining a New Humoral Immunologic Profile in a Pilot Study on HIV Infected Patients

This work aims at identifying a set of humoral immunologic parameters that improve prediction of the activation process in HIV patients. Starting from the well-known impact of humoral immunity in HIV infection, there is still a lack of knowledge in defining the role of the modulation of functional activity and titers of serum antibodies from early stage of infection to the development of AIDS. We propose an integrated approach that combines humoral and clinical parameters in defining the host immunity, implementing algorithms associated with virus control. A number of humoral parameters were simultaneously evaluated in a whole range of serum samples from HIV-positive patients. This issue has been afforded accounting for estimation problems typically related to “feasibility” studies where small sample size in each group and large number of parameters are jointly estimated. We used nonparametric statistical procedures to identify biomarkers in our study which included 42 subjects stratified on five different stages of HIV infection, i.e., Elite Controllers (EC), Long Term Non Progressors (LTNP), HAART, AIDS and Acute Infection (AI). The main goal of the paper is to illustrate a novel profiling method for helping to design a further confirmatory study. A set of seventeen different HIV-specific blood humoral factors were analyzed in all subjects, i.e. IgG and IgA to gp120IIIB, to gp120Bal, to whole gp41, to P1 and T20 gp41 epitopes of the MPER-HR2 region, to QARILAV gp41 epitope of the HR1 region and to CCR5; neutralization activity against five different virus strains and ADCC were also evaluated. Patients were selected on the basis of CD4 cell counts, HIV/RNA and clinical status. The Classification and Regression Trees (CART) approach has been used to uncover specific patterns of humoral parameters in different stages of HIV disease. Virus neutralization of primary virus strains and antibodies to gp41 were required to classify patients, suggesting that clinical profiles strongly rely on functional activity against HIV.     

脑栓通联合丁苯酞治疗缺血性脑卒中的临床价值分析

目的:分析脑栓通联合丁苯酞治疗急性缺血性脑卒中(AIS)的临床价值。方法:选取我院收治的104例AIS患者为研究对象,采用随机数字表法将其分为对照组及观察组,每组各52例。两组均给予抗血小板凝集、控制血压、降糖、调脂等基础治疗,对照组在基础治疗基础上给予丁苯酞治疗,观察组则在对照组基础上予以脑栓通治疗。记录和比较两组的临床疗效、不良反应的发生情况,治疗前及治疗2周后神经功能缺损程度[美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)]、血清炎性因子[超敏C反应蛋白(hs-CRP)、白细胞介素-8(IL-8)]水平、氧化应激指标[脂质过氧化物(LPO)、甘胱甘肽过氧化物酶(GSH-Px)]、血流动力学指标[大脑中动脉(MCA)收缩期血流速度(Vs)、平均血液流速(Vm)]的变化。结果:治疗后,观察组临床总有效率为96.15%,明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。两组治疗期间并发症发生率比较差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。治疗2周后,两组NIHSS评分、血清hs-CRP、IL-8、LPO水平均较治疗前显著降低(P<0.05),GSH-Px、MCA Vs和Vm则较治疗前明显升高(P<0.05),且观察组以上指标的变化明显优于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:脑栓通联合丁苯酞治疗AIS具有较好的疗效及较高的安全性,可减轻机体炎症反应与氧化应激反应,改善脑血流灌注及神经功能。