An new index to evaluate the elderly health care-geracomia effect index

This paper introduced a new index--geracomia effect index (GEI) which is expressed by the ratio of survival years of the elderly after their retirement to the expected survival years in order to evaluate the health care service to the elderly. The application of this index was discussed using the mortality data of cardiovascular diseases of a city from 1983 to 1994. The results showed that coronary heart disease, pulmonary heart disease and cerebrovascular disease had a stable influence on the survival years of the elderly during this period while the negative effect of diabetes had been weaken with the calendar years. However, myocardial infarction had begun to threaten the younger groups. The author realized that it needs further practice to make the index applicable.     

Cervical assessment by magnetic resonance imaging--its relationship to gestational age and interval to delivery

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the uterine cervix in late pregnancy, using MRI, and to study its relationship to the gestational age and the time interval to delivery. 91 women with a singleton cephalic presenting fetus had MRI of the pelvis between 35 and 41 weeks. All had had one prior lower segment Caesarean section and no history of prior vaginal delivery. The cervical length, internal and external os diameter, cervical signal intensity and the angulation of the cervix with the cephalocaudal axis were measured on sagittal T2 weighted images and correlated with the gestational age and the interval from the MRI examination to delivery. It was found that the signal intensity of the cervical stroma increased with the gestational age. A higher signal intensity in the cervical stroma was associated with a shorter time interval to delivery. Deliveries after 40 weeks tended to occur more commonly in those with lower signal intensity in the cervical stroma and also in those with a smaller external os diameter. It is concluded that cervical softening as assessed on MRI correlated with gestational age and the time interval to delivery.     

Preparation and stability testing of a hydrogel for topical analgesia

With the commercial availability of a cream (EMLA) containing a eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics, 2.5% (w/w) lidocaine and 2.5% (w/w) prilocaine, effective topical anaesthesia of the intact skin is possible without the need for subcutaneous injections or exposure to high concentrations of local anaesthetics. In our hospital a topical anaesthetic product was designed for the same purpose. The home-made product contains a eutectic mixture of a local anaesthetic (5% w/w) and l-menthol (1% w/w). Prilocaine was used as the local anaesthetic because it is known for its safety and its well investigated analgesic effects. The eutectic mixture of prilocaine and l-menthol was mixed with a carbopol hydrogel (1% w/w). Preliminary testing of this anaesthetic hydrogel in our hospital has yielded satisfactory results. The anaesthetic hydrogel was found to be stable after at least 3 months' storage at ambient temperature.     

Relationships of orbital computed tomographic findings and activity scores to the prognosis of corticosteroid therapy in patients with Graves'' ophthalmopathy

PSD-95/SAP90, which binds to the C-terminus of NMDA receptor and Shaker-type potassium channel, is one of the major postsynaptic density proteins. Recently, novel classes of proteins interacting with the guanylate kinase domain of PSD-95 have been identified, guanylate kinase-associated protein (GKAP) and SAP90/PSD-95-associated proteins (SAPAPs). Here we report the isolation of new isoforms of PSD-95 binding protein (GKAP/SAPAP1) using the yeast two-hybrid system. The isolated protein directly interacts with the guanylate kinase domain of PSD-95. Northern blot analyses revealed that the expression of these isoforms containing distinct N-terminal sequences is differentially regulated during brain development. The present findings suggest that each isoform of the PSD-95 binding protein is differentially expressed in a development-dependent manner and may be involved in the complex formation of PSD-95 and channel/receptors at the postsynaptic density.