Trauma, dreaming, and psychological distress among Kurdish children.

The authors examined (a) how traumatic events are associated with children's dream structure and content and (b) which dream characteristics might moderate the negative impact of traumatic events on mental health. Participants were 122 Kurdish children (9-17 years old, M = 13.02, SD = 1.66). Their dreams were collected during 1 week using a semistructured dream diary and scored according to the dream atmosphere, the role of the dreamer, bizarreness, narrative quality, fragmentation and resolution, and content such as themes of death, persecution and rejection, hostility, and anxiety. The results substantiated the hypothesis that children exposed to a high level of traumatic events would report dreams characterized by unpleasant atmosphere, fragmented flow, and low levels of bizarre narrative quality. Pleasant dreams containing complete narratives and happy endings moderated the negative impact of traumatic events on children's mental health. The authors argue that dreaming allows cognitive-emotional processing of traumatic events and may thus enhance child well-being in war conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

外伤性视神经病变最新治疗进展

外伤性视神经病(TON)最常见的原因是颅脑外伤,虽然其发病率不高,但是视力受损后果严重,特别是双侧视神经受损,大部分患者为青壮年,儿童患者占20%。其发病机制到目前为止仍未完全阐明,不同的医疗机构诊断和治疗不完全相同,临床疗效也千差万别。本文通过查阅近年最新文献,对外伤性视神经病变的最新研究进展从视神经解剖、发病机制、诊断、治疗(保守、手术)等方面分别进行综述。希望能够明确其发病机制,找到疗效确切的临床诊断和治疗方法。     

三种不同手术方案治疗急性闭角型青光眼合并白内障患者的疗效比较

目的:研究比较三种不同手术方案治疗急性闭角型青光眼(AACG)合并白内障患者的疗效。方法:选择2012年10月至2015年10月在我院接受手术治疗的AACG合并白内障患者50例(50只眼)进行研究,按患者前房角的粘连关闭程度将其分成A、B、C三组,A组给予小切口囊外摘除术,B组在A组基础上给予前房角分离术,C组在A组基础上给予小梁切除术,比较各组术后疗效。结果:A、B、C三组患者术后的眼压均显著低于术前,前房中央深度和视力均显著高于术前,差异均有统计学意义(P0.05)。A、B、C三组术后视力的分布中,0.3~0.5的比例均显著高于0.3及0.5的比例,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。A组术后的并发症总发生率为15.79%,B组为31.25%,C组为40.00%,三组间比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:AACG合并白内障患者可通过多种手术方案进行治疗,但应根据房角关闭程度合理地选择最佳术式,从而有效改善患者的症状和视力状况。     

Behavioral strategies for the reduction of pain and anxiety associated with orthopedic trauma

This study examined the efficacy of behavioral strategies in alleviating pain and anxiety associated with severe orthopedic trauma. Sixty-four patients with multiple fractures were divided into four groups: (1) control, (2) attention only, (3) EMG biofeedback-assisted relaxation, and (4) audiotaped relaxation training. All were measured over at least six sessions, or as long as hospital stay permitted. Significant between group differences were found on the following: systolic blood pressure, pheripheral temperature, subjective units of discomfort, state anxiety, with a trend for use of sleep medications. No differences were found on other vital signs, EMG recordings, or other medications. EMG-biofeedback relaxation and relaxation training were relatively equivalent for all measures, and little or no change was observed for those patients who received attention only or served as controls.     

An enigmatic hypoplastic defect of the deciduous canine

A roughly circular hypoplastic defect restricted to the labial enamel surface of the deciduous canine is described. This pathology is quite common in available samples of Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic children and a cadaver sample of recent Calcuttans, affecting 44% to 70% of individuals. It is rare in a Neanderthal sample and in children from a clinical practice in Vancouver. The lesion occurs twice as commonly in the lower jaw. The defect appears to commence at or after birth owing to localized pressure on thin or nonexistent alveolar bone overlying the bulging crypt of the deciduous canine. Population differences in the incidence of the pathology probably reflect innate and acquired variation in hard and soft tissue thicknesses in this region.     

Enhanced purification of Mullerian inhibiting substance by lectin affinity chromatography

Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS), a secreted testicular product responsible for regression of the Mullerian ducts in the male mammalian embryo, was purified 7000 fold, exploiting the glycoprotein nature of this important fetal regressor to achieve enhanced purification. The present procedure employs media incubation of newborn calf testis, passage through DEAE Bio-Gel A and CM Bio-Gel A and sequential lectin affinity chromatography on wheat germ lectin (WGL)-Sepharose 6MB and concanavalin A (Con A)-Sepharose 4B. Strongly bioactive MIS was released from both lectin columns in the bound glycoprotein fraction only after elution with lectin-specific sugar. Carbohydrate analysis of the highly purified glycoprotein fraction eluted from Con A indicated the presence of both N-acetyl glucosamine and mannose, as would be expected from its sequential lectin affinity, as well as of galactose, galactosamine and N-acetyl neuraminic acid. Electrophoresis of this fraction on polyacrylamide-SDS gels showed an identical band pattern after staining with either Coomassie blue or periodic acid-Schiff reagent, further indicating that MIS is a glycoprotein.     

Regulation of acetylcholinesterase activity by retinoic acid in a human neuroblastoma cell line

The ability of retinoic acid (RA) to modulate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in a human neuroblastoma cell line (LN-N-5) was examined. The specific activity of AChE was significantly increased 3 days after exposure of LA-N-5 to RA and reached its maximum values after 9 or more days of culturing. Dose-response experiments demonstrated that large increases of AChE occurred at RA concentrations between 10(-7) and 10(-6) M with maximum AChE values detected at 10(-6)-10(-5) M. Increased AChE activity paralleled neurite outgrowth in LA-N-5 cultures. These findings demonstrate that RA can regulate specific AChE activity in human neuroblastoma cells in a manner consistent with neuronal maturation.     

The influence of different flow velocities on tumor cell survival in micropore filters

Earlier studies have shown a lower degree of lodgement and early survival of tumor cells in muscle than in liver after infusion via the femoral artery and portal vein, respectively. A possible explanation to this difference might be that the tumor cells are mechanically destroyed, and thus die more rapidly in muscle because they enter this capillary network at a much higher flow velocity. In the present study, the effect on early tumor cell (rat fibrosarcoma) survival of a high and a low flow velocity/deformation rate was evaluated in micropore (5 μm) filters, using isotope (Cr⁵¹) technique. These experiments were combined with scanning electron microscopic (SEM) analyses. The filter experiments showed no significant differences in the rate of cell death in the filters between tumor cells subjected to high or low deformation rates, and there were no qualitative differences in tumor cell appearance in the SEM study. It is, therefore, concluded that the difference in tumor cell lodgement and survival between muscle and liver is not primarily caused by differences in the rate of cell deformation upon entry of the organ capillary network.     

Chroman amide and nicotinyl amide derivatives: Inhibition of lipid peroxidation and protection against head trauma

A series of chroman amide and nicotinyl amide derivatives was designed and synthesized for the treatment of traumatic and ischemic CNS injury. Five compounds were significantly more potent inhibitors of lipid peroxidation in vitro than the reference antioxidant, trolox (p < 0.01). Quantitative structure activity studies demonstrated that the inhibitory action was related to the ability to donate electrons, charge on hydroxy group and E_LUMO, to scavenging radicals and to the lipophilicity log P, which determines penetration of membrane lipids. ESR study indicated the ability of 12 to scavenge the hydroxyl radicals. The most promising compound, [(3,4-dihydro-6-hydroxy-2,5,7,8-tetramethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2yl)carbonyl]-3′-(aminoethyl) indole (12), inhibited ex vivo lipid peroxidation in a head injury model and showed potent in vivo neuroprotective efficacy. Improvement of neurological recovery within 1 h of injury (grip test score) by as much as 200% was observed together with significant anti-anoxia activity. Compound 12 was a potent antagonist of methamphetamine-induced hypermotility resulting from dopamine release in the mouse brain. These results support the importance of cerebroprotective radical-scavenging agents for the treatment of traumatic injury and anoxia as well as provide additional evidence for the role of oxygen radicals and dopamine in brain damage.     

SLEEP-WAKE SCHEDULE DISORDER DISABILITY: A LIFELONG UNTREATABLE PATHOLOGY OF THE CIRCADIAN TIME STRUCTURE

Certain sleep-wake schedule disorders (SWSDs) cannot be successfully managed clinically using conventional methods of sleep therapy. We describe two cases of SWSD, the first following head trauma and the second originating during childhood, that had been misdiagnosed by physicians for many years. After conventional treatment for SWSD with light therapy and melatonin failed to bring about substantial improvement, it was determined that they were suffering from an incurable disability. Hence, we propose new medical terminology for such cases—SWSD disability. SWSD disability is an untreatable pathology of the circadian time structure. Patients suffering from SWSD disability should be encouraged to accept the fact that they suffer from a permanent disability, and that their quality of life can only be improved if they are willing to undergo rehabilitation. It is imperative that physicians recognize the medical condition of SWSD disability in their patients and bring it to the notice of the public institutions responsible for vocational and social rehabilitation. (Chronobiology International, 18(6), 1019–1027, 2001)