Epidemiological study of primary intracranial tumors in childhood. A population-based survey in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan

Between 1989 and 1995, we diagnosed primary intracranial neoplasms in 79 children younger than 15 years. All of them belonged to a well-defined population residing in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. Of the tumors, 64 (81.0%) were confirmed microscopically. The age-adjusted annual incidence rate was 34.3 cases per million child population. There was a marked difference in the incidence rate between boys (47.1) and girls (22.05). The age-specific annual incidence per million was 24.3 cases for the 0- to 4-year age group, 46.7 for the 4- to 9-year age group and 30.8 for the 10- to 14-year age group. The highest incidence rate was seen in 5- to 14-year-old boys (53.5), the lowest in 10- to 14-year-old girls (7.1). The most common tumors were astrocytomas (41.8%), with an incidence of 14.52 per million, followed by germ cell tumors (15.1%), with an incidence of 6.24 per million, craniopharyngiomas (15.1%), incidence 5.25 per million, ependymomas (6.3%), incidence 2.19 per million, and medulloblastomas (6.2%), incidence 2.19 per million. The distribution of tumor types varied with patient age at the time of diagnosis. Although no germ cell tumors were encountered in the 0- to 4-year age group, in the 10- to 14-year age group, they comprised about one third of all tumors. In contrast, white craniopharyngiomas were rare in the 10- to 14-year age group, they made up more than 22% in the 0- to 4-year age group. In this survey of Japanese children, we found a higher incidence of primary intracranial tumors, especially germ cell tumors and craniopharyngiomas, and a lower incidence of medulloblastomas compared to the incidence reported for Western countries.     

Epidemiological course of cardiovascular diseases in developing countries

Though the environmental and medical conditions are very different, similar population characteristics can be observed in the developing countries. The mean age of the population is young. Most people have a rural way of life, but migrations towards towns result in a disorganized urbanization and in habits more predisposing to cardiovascular diseases. Care access is often difficult for the patients. With respect to risk factors, smoking is increasing, hypertension is highly prevalent and severe, a trend towards obesity is frequent in medium or high economical level people. S or C hemoglobin diseases seem to be associated with coronary heart disease. In spite of very insufficient statistical data, it appears that: cardiovascular disease mortality is increasing when total mortality is decreasing: ischemic and hypertensive heart diseases are increasing when streptococcal or nutritional heart diseases are stabilizing or decreasing. The authors seem to be the different developing countries in respect to the crossing of these curves. Some countries have not reached the crossing. Subsaharan Africa for instance. Others have gone beyond the crossing, some Asian countries for instance. Other countries seem to be at the intersection (Mediterranean or Latin American countries). But many countries suffer the double burden of increasing and decreasing diseases. There is a general lack of prevention owing to other competing priorities and also to economical, social and educational difficulties. However in some developing countries feasibility and efficacy of preventive measures have been proved.     

Epidemiological study of Candida spp. colonization in cardiovascular surgical patients

Candida infections involve multiple risk factors. Among the independent risk factors identified, the degree of colonization of Candida spp. allows the prediction of subsequent severe candidosis in surgical patients. The aim of this study was to assess among 13 selected variables, those that would best predict the perioperative variation of the colonization index (CI) of Candida spp. in cardiovascular surgical patients. The colonization index took into account the number of sites colonized and the density of growth. The results showed that 56.8% of our patients were colonized perioperatively. A total of 116 isolates were identified and Candida albicans accounted for 76.7% of the strains. Among the patients who developed post-surgical Candida infections, 57.1% had an increase of the CI early after the operation. By univariate analysis, three factors were significantly associated with an increase of the CI in patients after surgery; sex (female), the duration of central intravascular catheterization and the length of stay in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU). Epidemiological data could help predict those patients who are at risk of developing Candida infections.     

A critical review of genetic studies of schizophrenia. I. Epidemiological and brain studies

Many patients with chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) suffer from comorbid major depression. The present study examines the responsiveness of such dual-diagnosis patients to antidepressant medication. Subjects were enrolled in the PTSD medication clinic at the San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Inclusion criteria were current diagnoses of PTSD and major depression, at least 6 months of regular participation in the clinic, and treatment with antidepressant medication at therapeutic levels and durations. Exclusion criteria were current drug or alcohol abuse, primary psychotic illness, and poor compliance or frequent missed appointments. Among 72 patients meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria, 50% were estimated to be substantially improved, on the basis of Clinical Global Evaluation (CGE) scores of 2 or 1, after remaining on the same antidepressant treatment regimen at therapeutic doses for at least 1 month. Antidepressant medications affecting predominantly serotonin reuptake (sertraline, fluoxetine) were associated with better outcomes than antidepressants affecting predominantly norepinephrine reuptake (nortriptyline, desipramine).     

Contributions of health-related biobehavioral research to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.

Discusses the roles that biobehavioral, psychosocial, and neurobiological approaches can have in epidemiologic studies, development and application of preventive measures, and use of therapeutic interventions for diseases within the purview of the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Progress in interdisciplinary research is considered as it pertains to heart, lung, and blood diseases. Efforts to prevent progression of the disease process, once it has begun and to rehabilitate those already afflicted are also addressed. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Survey of tick-borne diseases in dogs infested with Rhipicephalus sanguineus at a kennel in Okayama Prefecture, Japan

Serological tests were performed to investigate extent of tick-borne diseases in dogs infested with Rhipicephalus sanguineus at a kennel in Okayama Prefecture. Three of 22 dogs (13.6%) were positive for Ehrlichia canis. Two of 19 dogs (10.5%) were positive for Rickettsia japonica. Three of 22 dogs (13.6%) were positive for Babesia gibsoni. None of these animals were positive for Coxiella burnetii or Hepatozoon canis. A microfilaria was detected in a drop smear of hemolymph from an engorged female tick, however, species was not determined. It is possible that these ticks can transmit pathogens to domestic dogs which are rare in Japan.     

A case-control study of single and multiple stomach cancers in Saitama Prefecture, Japan

A case-control study of stomach cancer was done in Saitama Prefecture, Japan, in relation to dietary, smoking, and drinking habits. The study was based on two sets of cases (216 male single and 35 male multiple stomach cancer cases newly diagnosed and of adenocarcinoma type), and 483 male controls derived from residents of Saitama Prefecture. Dietary habits were investigated for the intake of 12 separate foods and 12 food groups by means of a food frequency questionnaire, including individual taste preferences. Among the single stomach cancer series, dose-response relationships were observed for 7 dietary items (preference for salty foods, miso soup, boiled fish, pickled vegetables, nuts, raw vegetables, and seaweed) in the multiple logistic regression analysis. As for the multiple stomach cancer case series, dose-response relationships were observed for 3 dietary items (miso soup, fruits, and seaweed) in the multiple logistic regression analysis. Cigarette smoking and alcohol use were not significantly related to the risk of either single or multiple stomach cancer.     

Pericollicular surgical approaches to the rhomboid fossa. Part I. Anatomical basis

A safe paramedian approach to the rhomboid fossa for surgical treatment of intrinsic brainstem lesions is based on detailed knowledge of the morphometric anatomy of superficially located motor structures. The morphometry of the rhomboid fossa is described in this report on the basis of histological studies conducted in six human brainstem specimens, with special emphasis on the colliculus facialis and the trigona nervi hypoglossi and vagi. Morphometric data include analysis of shrinkage factors in each specimen. The colliculus is a landmark for the nervus facialis, oculomotor nuclei, and the paramedian pontine reticular formation. In the surgeon's view from the posterior approach, the colliculus covers an area of 5.7 mm in the mediolateral and 6.8 mm in the craniocaudal direction and is located 0.6 mm lateral to the median sulcus. The fibers of the nervus facialis come as close as 0.2 mm to the surface of the fourth ventricle. The colliculus is located 15.7 mm above the obex. The trigona nervi hypoglossi and vagi cover a rectangular area measuring 3.1 by 6.5 mm and serve as a landmark for lower cranial nerve nuclei. These nuclei are located 0.3 mm lateral to the midline. An area with a maximum extension of 0.9 cm between the colliculus and trigona can be used for an infracollicular paramedian approach. The same applies to a supracollicular approach cranial to the colliculus and caudal to the fibers of the nervus trochlearis within the medullary velum, with a craniocaudal extension of 4 mm. Superficial motor nuclei and fibers can be identified by neurophysiological mapping, which helps to define safe surgical corridors into the rhomboid fossa, thus reducing functional morbidity caused by the operative approach in intrinsic pontine and pontomedullary lesions.     

Inflammatory diseases of the mucous membranes. Part 2. Immunopathologic ulcerative and desquamative diseases

Bullous and desquamative diseases of the oral mucosa are not common, with the exception of ulcerative lichen planus. All produce mild to severe mucosal pain and some can be life-threatening. Recent studies have helped elucidate the pathogenesis of immunopathologic diseases, although the precise etiology for most of them remains unknown. Minor and major aphthae, lichen planus, pemphigoid, pemphigus and erythema multiforme are discussed.     

Follow-up and family study of postpartum psychoses. Part I: Overview

A group of 119 patients suffering from a severe psychiatric postpartum disorder who were admitted for the first time in their life to a psychiatric hospital has been investigated. The onset of illness occurred within 3 months following delivery. The patients represented 92% of the total sample fulfilling the inclusion criteria. A follow-up investigation was performed after a mean of 21 years (range 2-35 years). Of the patients 66% had nonpuerperal psychotic episodes in later life. The diagnosis, taking into account the long-term course, was affective psychosis in 57%, schizoaffective psychosis in 18%, schizophreniform psychosis in 12%, brief reactive psychosis in 4% and schizophrenia in 9%. A bipolar psychosis was found in 31%. The relation of unipolar to bipolar psychoses corresponded to that in a control group of affectively ill women without puerperal onset. The frequency of a manic syndrome in bipolar psychoses at the index episode was the same as in nonpuerperal episodes, which does not suggest a mania-provoking pathoplastic effect of the puerperium. The comparison with female nonpuerperal controls matched for age and diagnosis revealed evidence of a better long-term course in the index patients. The risk of a puerperal relapse for further pregnancies was 35%. The global morbidity risk for functional psychoses in first-degree relatives was 11%, with affective psychoses representing the majority of secondary cases (6.8%). The index patients showed a nonsignificant lower morbidity risk in relatives than a control group of psychotically ill women without puerperal onset. The major aetiological factor found for postpartum psychoses is the relation of these disorders to functional psychoses. There is strong evidence that the postpartum period tends to provoke affective psychoses and other nonschizophrenic psychoses, but not, or only to a lesser degree, narrowly defined schizophrenias. The liability to puerperal decompensations suggests some common pathophysiological mechanism, the nature of which remains unknown.     

Fundamental studies of copper anode passivation during electrorefining: Part I. development of techniques

Anode passivation is an extremely important phenomenon in commercial copper electrorefining operations. Due to the electrochemical nature of the refining process, various electrochemical techniques have been applied to examine anode passivation behavior. In this investigation, cyclic voltammetry, linear potential sweep, and chronopotentiometry measurements were carried out on several commercial copper anodes, as well as on pure electrowon (EW) copper cathode, in synthetic electrolytes simulating the primary constituents for industrial operations. The important parameters associated with anode passivation were identified and compared for the three electrochemical techniques. Chronopotentiometry is an extremely sensitive technique and proved to be the most suitable for analyzing and characterizing copper anode passivation.     

A unified microscale-parameter approach to solidification-transport phenomena-based macrosegregation modeling for dendritic solidification: Part I. Mixture average-based analysis

Based on the scale-length comparisons of the microscale heat or solutal-mass transfers with dendrite structures, a general form for the time-differential mixture-averaged composition (TDMAC) term for a macroscale metallic dendrite solidification model with any finite solid backdiffusion (SBD) was shown to be necessary and valid. Starting from such an integral term-included TDMAC expression with a general dendrite geometric modeling, Fick’s second diffusion law and the species massconservation principle were applied to confirm the equivalency of a unified Φ-parameter-involved all-differential TDMAC form to the original TDMAC term. Through the modeling, the unified microscale parameter Φ was found to be a function of the Fourier diffusion number with dendrite geometrical modifications (ϕ) and of another nondimensional parameter, θ, representing the sensibility of the interdendritic-liquid-concentration variation in response to the SBD inside the growing dendrites. In the solved ϕ-parameter function of ϕ= (D _S(T)/R _f)ζ·A _2N , the scalar vector product defines the geometric modification accounting for a general growing dendrite morphology with five basic units of spherical, cylindrical, platelike, inward cylindrical, and inward spherical shapes. Through an approximate solution to the integral equation with respect to the solutal-mass solid/liquid (S/L) interface flux, (Eq. [19]), the unified Φ parameter was proposed to take a function form of Φ=θ·ϕ/(1+θ · ϕ), where θ=(1+β) · k · f _S/f _L ² . The result discussions and ϕ-f _S, and θ-f _S, and Φ-f _S curve sample calculations on an Al-4.5 pct Cu alloy with different constant alloy properties, solidifying phase morphologies, and solidification parameters were carried out to investigate the behaviors of various influential factors on the extent of SBD in a dendrite solidification process.     

Secondary prevention of cardiovascular diseases in the elderly

Secondary prevention in cardiovascular diseases has its meaning also in elderly people. It is specific in some factors. The currently known facts gradually include measures which are not associated with old age of individuals. They include: influencing of the deteriorated adaptation of old organism to internal and external effects, decreased physical activity, restricted self-sufficiency, social isolation, incorrect life style, polymorbidity and subsequent polypragmatic therapy, etc.. Prolongation of life span of man, the struggle against CVD and the improvement of the quality of life of patients can be secured only by means of a complex of rational preventive measures. (Ref. 22.)     

Vacuum distillation of liquid metals: Part I. Theory and experimental study

The kinetics of vacuum distilling copper, tin, manganese, and sulfur from melted steel scrap have been measured. The experiments found that 70 to 90 pct of initial copper, 60 to 80 pct of initial tin, 80 to 100 pct of initial managanese, and 20 to 40 pct of initial sulfur can be eliminated in 30 minutes exposure to vacuum. Melt masses were in the range 10 to 60 kg, melt temperatures in the range 1850 to 2050 K, and chamber pressures in the range 3 to 400 pascals. Crucible diameter was 0.2m. Mass transport has been described in terms of Machlin's model for melt phase diffusion, Langmuir's model for evaporation, and convective bulk flow for gas phase mass transport. Two preliminary criteria are shown to demonstrate the suitability of vacuum distillation to any particular system and a third operational criterion is developed to define the range of vacuum required to eliminate gas phase mass transport resistance effectively. W.G. Davenport formerly with McGill University     

The effect of an electric field on self-sustaining combustion synthesis: Part I. modeling studies

An analysis of the effect of an electric field on self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) reactions is presented. Using the synthesis of SiC as a model, the analysis showed that the imposition of a field results in a highly localized distribution of the current density. It was shown that the current is primarily restricted to the region just ahead of the combustion zone. Thus, in addition to the chemical heat release, this zone also includes heat release from an electric source, a value equivalent to σE₂ where σ is the conductivity andE is the field. From the dependence of the degree of conversion to the product on the applied voltage, it is shown that the velocity of the combustion wave is linearly proportional to the field.     

Toward an integrative approach to the study of stress.

Considers stress and coping as part of a process involving environmental events, psychosocial processes, and physiological response. The concept of stress as it involves recognition of and response to threat or danger as well as approaches to its study are discussed. Links between coping and perceived control are described, and measurement approaches are evaluated. Research indicates that although a single, acute event may be more intensely stressful while it lasts, chronic and repetitive stressors may ultimately be more costly. The usefulness of integrated approaches to the study of stress, emphasizing expansion of both conceptual and methodological perspectives, is discussed. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)