ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the delayed changes in middle ear function and audition after rapid changes in ambient pressure while breathing mixed gas with oxygen in different concentrations. Methods Five healthy male subjects, sitting in the hypobaric chamber breathed pure oxygen, 60% oxygen-rich air, or air respectively, one hour before hypobaric chamber test. The interval of two tests was longer than two weeks. After 20m/s rapid changes in the ambient pressure, all the three groups were tested with subjective symptoms, degree of congestion, middle ear function and audition at four timing. Results Just after test, the amount of symptomatic ears were 8, 2 and 3 in pure oxygen group, 60% oxygen-rich air group and air group, respectively. Some subjects in pure oxygen group felt aural fullness and pain again 3 hours after tests. The amount of III° congestion ears was 5, 2 and 3 in each group respectively with no congestion aggravation. The amount of ears with A type tympanogram was 5, 6 and 6 in each group respectively. The extraction ratio of tympanogram and acoustic reflex incomplete in all groups recovered gradually to the initial value without obviously delayed data rebound. The middle ear pressure and pure-tone threshold in subjects of pure oxygen group changed more obviously and recovered more slowly. Conclusion In hypobaric chamber test, the incidence of otic barotrauma may increase in those subjects breathing pure oxygen with symptoms aggravation and repetition within 24h.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the cognitive function, emotional status and activities of daily living in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). METHODS: Thirty-two MSA patients and 38 healthy controls from October 2009 to November 2012 were recruited from our hospital. Their cognitive function, emotional status and activities of daily living were assessed. Cognitive function was assessed by Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA) and mini-mental state examination (MMSE); emotional status by self-rating depression scale (SDS) and self-rating anxiety scale (SAS); daily living and activities by activities of daily living scale (ADL). Data analysis was performed with SPSS 19.0. And the results were presented as the mean ± standard deviation. Comparison of means was performed with independent sample t test. And Pearson's correlation test was used for correlation analysis. A P-value <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Mild or moderate cognitive impairment was documented in 71.9% of MSA patients. The scores of MoCA and MMSE in the MSA group were significantly lower than those in the control group. And the scores of ADL, SDS and SAS in the MSA group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). MoCA subitems such as space/executive function, attention, abstraction, language and delayed memory of the MSA group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). A negative correlation existed between the scores of MoCA and MMSE with disease duration (P < 0.01). There was a positive correlation between the scores of SDS and SAS with ADL and disease duration (P < 0.05). And the relationship was significant between the scores of SDS and SAS (P < 0.01). A positive correlation existed between scores of ADL with disease duration (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: MSA patients have certain degrees of cognitive impairment, emotion disorders and impaired ADL. Cognitive impairment in MSA patients may be more common than previously. Furthermore, the clinical features of cognitive impairment in these patients may have some clinical values for references.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Affect , Cognition , Multiple System Atrophy/psychology , Adult , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Neuropsychological TestsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cortactin is an important regulator involved in invasion and migration of tumor cells. Although the relationship between cortactin and tumor invasion has been reported, it lacks follow-up evidence to support the forecasting role of cortactin for HCC prognosis. The aim of this study was to determine whether cortactin detection combined with clinicopathologic features predicts the prognosis efficaciously. METHODS: 91 resectable HCCs were grouped according to clinicopathologic characteristics, and immunohistochemical (IHC) cortactin tumor tissue expression was evaluated. Cortactin gene (CTTN) mRNA of 77 HCCs, as well as that of 20 normal liver tissues, was examined by real-time PCR. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. RESULTS: It was found that cortactin expression was associated with liver capsule integrity, cancer embolus in portal vein or distant neoplasm metastasis, and with TNM stage. (p < 0.01) Moreover, CTTN mRNA expression level was higher in high invasiveness group. But no statistical significance was found between low invasiveness and normal control groups. Combining cortactin and CTTN mRNA detection with clinicopathologic features improved the predictive power. High expression of both cortactin and CTTN indicated poor survival time of 12 +/- 3.67 months and low expression indicated longer median survival time of 65 +/- 6.62 months. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate for the first time that cortactin overexpression indicates highly invasive potentialities and poor prognoses with HCCs. Further, the results also suggest that this new accurate evaluating method may be more useful to survival prediction and, therefore, the clinical decision making for resectable
