C.P.S.—Its Strengths and Weaknesses

The following, a supplement to the annual report of the Board of Trustees of California Physicians'' Service that was published in the March 1961 issue of California Medicine, was delivered at the 1961 Annual Session of the House of Delegates by Dr. John G. Morrison, chairman of the board.     

O.S.S浅谈

Oncology Support System是荷兰PHI LIPS公司O.S.S的全称。这是一台在Treatment Planning System(T.P.S治疗计划系统)基础上发展而成、辅助CT诊断、设计三维放射治疗的专用计算机系统。我院放射治疗科于84年完成了SL 75—20医用电子直线加速器、模拟定位机、O.S.S等设备的安装     

Overweight and obesity among foreign‐born and U.S.‐born Hispanics

Abstract

In this study, data from the New Immigrant Survey and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey are combined to examine patterns of overweight and obesity among U.S.‐born and foreign‐born Hispanics. Results indicate that, after using height and weight measures adjusted for self‐reporting bias, foreign‐born Hispanic men and women have substantially lower likelihoods of being overweight and obese than the U.S.‐born. However, both likelihoods increase as years in the U.S. accumulate for the foreign‐born. Controls for smoking behavior, physical activity, and the degree of dietary change do not reduce the strength of the positive relationship between years in the U.S. and overweight/obesity.     

Taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on Syrrhopodon gaudichaudii Mont. (Calymperaceae) and S. hawaiicus Müll.Hal.

Syrrhopodon gaudichaudii Mont. is lectotypified and its key features are discussed. A neotype is designated for Syrrhopodon hawaiicus Müll.Hal. and the taxon is placed in synonymy with S. gaudichaudii. A key to the species of Syrrhopodon occurring in the Hawaiian Islands is provided.     

Soluble polyamines in Salix myrsinifolia and S. myrsinites × S. myrsinifolia plantlets exposed to increased UV-B irradiation and decreased watering

Hybridisation between certain willow species is a common feature leading to novel genotypes varying in growth rate and stress tolerance. The objective of this 4-week study was to investigate the effects of decreased watering, enhanced ultraviolet-B irradiation (UV-B_BE, 280–315 nm, 7.2 kJ m⁻² day⁻¹) and combined decreased watering and enhanced UV-B irradiation on di- and polyamines in the leaves of Salix myrsinifolia and its hybrid with S. myrsinites. Control plantlets were well-watered and exposed to ambient UV-B irradiation (UV-B_BE, 3.6 kJ m⁻² day⁻¹). HPLC analyses showed that the constitutive concentrations of soluble di- and polyamines varied markedly between S. myrsinifolia and its hybrids. The degree of responses to treatments also varied: in S. myrsinifolia, concentrations of free putrescine were clearly increased by reduced watering, while in the hybrid willow, change in putrescine was less pronounced and not significant. Results also showed that the increase in putrescine in S. myrsinifolia by reduced watering was mitigated by concurrent enhancement of UV-B irradiation. There were no direct UV-B effects on the soluble polyamines.     

Understanding U.S. Healthcare Providers’ Practices and Experiences with Molluscum Contagiosum

Introduction

Molluscum contagiosum is a common superficial skin infection caused by the poxvirus, Molluscum Contagiosum virus. The study objective is to obtain a better understanding of physician practices and experiences with molluscum contagiosum in order to focus informational and guidance material.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey to assess medical practitioners’ knowledge and practices with molluscum contagiosum was conducted using the 2009 DocStyles survey. Questions regarding category and number of molluscum contagiosum patients seen, treatments used and advice given to patients were included in the survey.

Results

Dermatologists saw the most cases, with the majority seeing 51–100 molluscum contagiosum cases/year. The most common cases seen were children with multiple lesions and adults with genital lesions. Respondents were most likely to recommend treatment to immunocompromised individuals, HIV patients, adults with genital lesions and children with multiple lesions. Cryotherapy was the top choice for all specialties with the exception of OB/GYNs, whose top choice was curettage. “Avoid intimate contact until lesions resolve”, “Avoid touching lesions to reduce further spread”, and “Don’t be concerned, this will go away” were the top advice choices.

Discussion

Most survey respondents have dealt with molluscum contagiosum in their practice during the previous year. Overall, respondents picked appropriate choices for treatment and advice given; however some ineffective or unnecessary treatments were chosen and recommendations to prevent spread were chosen infrequently. Knowledge gaps for appropriate transmission precaution advice might cause unnecessary spread or autoinoculation. This survey has demonstrated that molluscum contagiosum is a common infection seen by many types of practitioners and therefore guidance on treatment considerations and infection control is valuable.     

Maternal nativity status and pregnancy outcome among U.S.‐born Filipinos

Abstract

Using 1979–87 Hawaii vital record data on single live births, this study compares by nativity status of the mother the maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes of resident Filipino women. Among ethnic minorities in the United States, the pregnancy outcomes of U.S.‐born mothers have been reported to compare unfavorably to their foreign‐born counterparts. In this study, unequivocally preferential pregnancy outcome indicators were not observed for foreign‐born women. Contrary to expectations, a significant, but modest, increase in the risk of preterm delivery was found for infants of Philippines‐born mothers, along with a less favorable mean birth weight and gestational age. As a growing minority population in the United States, the atypical determinants and patterns of pregnancy outcome in this population warrants further investigation.     

Do all human urinary infections with Schistosoma mattheei represent hybridization between S. haematobium and S. mattheei?

Enzyme electrophoresis indicated that all Schistosoma mattheei eggs passed in the urine of humans derive from S. mattheei females in copula with S. haematobium males. It appears that S. mattheei males do not reach sexual maturity in man; however, S. haematobiumxS. mattheei males possibly do.     

Subpopulations of human T lymphocytes. IV. Quantitation and distribution in patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

T cell subpopulations (Tμ and Tγ cells) were examined in the peripheral blood from fourteen patients with mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome. One patient with Sézary syndrome having low lymphocyte count had higher proportions of Tγ cells when compared to controls while the other with high lymphocyte count (75% Sézary cells) lacked Tγ cells and had normal proportions of Tμ cells. T cells from a third patient with Sézary syndrome having high lymphocyte count (95% Sézary cells) lacked almost completely both Tμ and Tγ cells. Three of eleven patients with mycosis fungoides had a high proportion of Tγ cells and one had a high proportion of Tμ cells. Study of T cells in the peripheral blood, lymph nodes, and bone marrow from two patients with mycosis fungoides demonstrated that the quantitative abnormality of tμ and Tγ cells is shared by the peripheral blood and bone marrow and not by the lymph nodes. Heterogeneity of T cells subsets in mycosis fungoides appears to be in non-malignant T cells. However, in Sézary syndrome malignant Sézary T cells demonstrate heterogeneity with regard to receptors for IgM (Tμ) and IgG (Tγ).     

洗衣粉S.S.琼脂培养基的初步应用报告

分离肠道病原菌的培养基种类繁多,但效果却不一致,其中效果较满意者当推3号胆盐S.S.琼脂及去氧胆酸钠-牛胆酸钠琼脂(简称郑氏S.S.琼脂)。我院试用的洗衣粉-去氧胆酸钠琼脂(简称洗衣粉S.S.琼脂)效果又较前者为优,这种培养基对肠道病原菌不但有很高的阳性检出率,而且痢疾杆菌在这种培养基上呈特殊的粘性菌落,可以在分离培养基上初步鉴别痢疾菌和沙门氏菌菌落,使肠道培养基更趋于完善。     

Lipid and phase specificity of α-toxin from S. aureus

The pore forming toxin Hla (α-toxin) from Staphylococcus aureus is an important pathogenic factor of the bacterium S. aureus and also a model system for the process of membrane-induced protein oligomerisation and pore formation. It has been shown that binding to lipid membranes at neutral or basic pH requires the presence of a phosphocholine-headgroup. Thus, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine may serve as interaction partners in cellular membranes. Based on earlier studies it has been suggested that rafts of sphingomyelin are particularly efficient in toxin binding. In this study we compared the oligomerisation of Hla on liposomes of various lipid compositions in order to identify the preferred interaction partners and conditions. Hla seems to have an intrinsic preference for sphingomyelin compared to phosphatidylcholine due to a higher probability of oligomerisation of membrane bound monomer. We also can show that increasing the surface density of Hla-binding sites enhances the oligomerisation efficiency. Thus, preferential binding to lipid rafts can be expected in the cellular context. On the other hand, sphingomyelin in the liquid disordered phase is a more favourable binding partner for Hla than sphingomyelin in the liquid ordered phase, which makes the membrane outside of lipid rafts the more preferred region of interaction. Thus, the partitioning of Hla is expected to strongly depend on the exact composition of raft and non-raft domains in the membrane.     

Association between Usual Sodium and Potassium Intake and Blood Pressure and Hypertension among U.S. Adults: NHANES 2005–2010

Objectives

Studies indicate high sodium and low potassium intake can increase blood pressure suggesting the ratio of sodium-to-potassium may be informative. Yet, limited studies examine the association of the sodium-to-potassium ratio with blood pressure and hypertension.

Methods

We analyzed data on 10,563 participants aged ≥20 years in the 2005–2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who were neither taking anti-hypertensive medication nor on a low sodium diet. We used measurement error models to estimate usual intakes, multivariable linear regression to assess their associations with blood pressure, and logistic regression to assess their associations with hypertension.

Results

The average usual intakes of sodium, potassium and sodium-to-potassium ratio were 3,569 mg/d, 2,745 mg/d, and 1.41, respectively. All three measures were significantly associated with systolic blood pressure, with an increase of 1.04 mmHg (95% CI, 0.27–1.82) and a decrease of 1.24 mmHg (95% CI, 0.31–2.70) per 1,000 mg/d increase in sodium or potassium intake, respectively, and an increase of 1.05 mmHg (95% CI, 0.12–1.98) per 0.5 unit increase in sodium-to-potassium ratio. The adjusted odds ratios for hypertension were 1.40 (95% CI, 1.07–1.83), 0.72 (95% CI, 0.53–0.97) and 1.30 (95% CI, 1.05–1.61), respectively, comparing the highest and lowest quartiles of usual intake of sodium, potassium or sodium-to-potassium ratio.

Conclusions

Our results provide population-based evidence that concurrent higher sodium and lower potassium consumption are associated with hypertension.