Preinjury Personality Traits and the Prediction of Early Neurobehavioral Symptoms Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To determine if preinjury personality predicts early outcome in mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) compared with orthopedic injury (OI). Study Design: Participants and significant others (SO) completed preinjury personality and early postinjury symptom questionnaires. Setting: Inpatient hospital and outpatient follow-up. Subjects: Eighty-seven people with MTBI and 82 with OI. Outcome Measures: NEO Personality Inventory-Revised (NEO-PI-R); Neurobehavioral Functioning Inventory (NFI). Results: Personality ratings and symptom endorsement were within normal limits. Concordance between self- and SO ratings was moderate (r≥.50). In both groups, there were very modest associations between preinjury personality and early symptoms. Significant effects were primarily due to overlapping item content between the personality and symptom questionnaires. Conclusions: Preinjury personality holds limited predictive value for MTBI outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Suicide Intent and Accurate Expectations of Lethality: Predictors of Medical Lethality of Suicide Attempts.

The degree of intent to commit suicide and the severity of self-injury were examined in individuals (N = 180) who had recently attempted suicide. Although a minimal association was found between the degree of suicide intent and the degree of lethality of the attempt, the accuracy of expectations about the likelihood of dying was found to moderate the relationship between suicide intent and lethality. Specifically, higher levels of suicide intent were associated with more lethal attempts but only for those individuals who had more accurate expectations about the likelihood of dying from their attempts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex and age distribution in transport-related injuries in Tehran

Intercountry or regional differences in patterns of injury by the road user type have significant implication for prevention policies. In order to have an estimate from the existing conditions of transport-related injuries (TRIs) and especially to evaluate sex and age distribution of traffic accident victims, we analyzed information of 8426 hospitalized trauma patients during 13 months of data gathering process. Forty-five percent of the injuries were related to car accidents and men/women ratio in these patients was 4.2/1. The highest men/women ratio was (16/1) for motorcyclists, while the lowest ratio (1/1), was for rear seat car passengers. Mean (+/-S.D.) age of the patients was 31 (+/-18), and men were nearly 2 years younger than women (33 versus 31). Sixty-seven percent of the females' and 44% of the males' injuries were related to pedestrian crashes. Motorcycle-related injuries in men and car passenger related injuries in women were the second most common type of crash (42 and 22%, respectively). The use of protective devices in our population was worrisome. In only 6% of the male motorcyclists helmet use was reported, and 3% of the male car occupants had used seatbelts at the time of the accident. The condition in the female population was much worse and no use of the protective devices was reported in this group of the patients. Crude mortality rate in men was nearly two times that of women (6.2% versus 3.8%). After adjustment for age, injury severity score (ISS) and category of the road users, men and women had similar mortality rate.     

Protecting the child's abdomen: a retractable bicycle handlebar

A surveillance system in the Emergency Department of a level 1 pediatric trauma center previously identified minor bicycle crashes as a cause of serious child abdominal injury. A discordancy exists between the apparently minor circumstances and serious injuries sustained by child bicyclists who impact bicycle handlebars. The objective of this work was to redesign the bicycle handlebar to reduce the forces transmitted to the child's abdomen during an impact with the handlebars. A retractable handlebar consisting of a spring–mass–damper system was designed to retract and absorb the majority of energy at impact (Patent pending). Because the child remains in contact with the bar after impact, the retracting system also includes a mechanism to damp the outward motion of the handlebar. This prototype will reduce the forces at impact by 50% in a collision similar to those discussed above. A unique methodology of translating research findings into product design produced a novel handlebar that absorbs significant energy that otherwise would be transferred to the child's abdomen when impacting the handlebar.     

苯妥英钠对鼠脑缺血再灌注时血浆细胞因子及内皮素的影响

目的 探讨苯妥英钠对脑缺血再灌注后TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ 和ET₁的影响。方法 采用线栓法制备大鼠局灶性脑缺血再灌注模型, 用放射免疫方法检测脑缺血再灌注大鼠血浆TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET₁的变化, 以及苯妥英钠对TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET₁ 含量的干预作用。结果 缺血再灌组与假手术组相比, 血浆TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET₁ 含量明显增加, 应用苯妥英钠各剂量组TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET₁水平均降低。结论 TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET1 参与了局灶性脑缺血再灌注损伤的病理过程, 苯妥英钠通过降低TNFα、IL-Ⅰβ、ET₁ 的含量能发挥一定的脑保护作用。     

颅脑损伤治疗仪的研究

本项研究是一种高氧低温式颅脑损伤治疗仪.它设有颅脑罩,颅脑罩扣合在底板上,颅脑罩上分别设置有与其内腔相通的进氧口,进冷口及阀门.制氧由电子制氧机制氧充入颅脑罩内,低温由晶体管降温技术降温,使罩内温度降至4℃左右.本仪器是在计算机控制下,使罩内达到高氧低温.在此环境内,能够对伤者头部进行均匀供氧并保持低温状态,使之达到治疗目的.它的特点是操作简单,治疗效果好,治疗费用低.     

Two abbreviated versions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III: Validation among persons with traumatic brain injury.

Objective: To examine the clinical value of two 7-subtest versions of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-III (WAIS-111): one using Block Design (WAIS-III/BD7) and another using Matrix Reasoning (WAIS-III/MR7) among persons with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Study Design: Actual obtained scores from the full WAIS-111 were compared with scores that would have been obtained using each of the two abbreviated versions. Participants: One hundred eighteen persons with TBI tested consecutively in an academic medical center outpatient neuropsychology laboratory. Results: For the WAIS-IIVBD7, corrected validity coefficients were .97 (Verbal IQ [VIQI), .94 (Performance IQ [PIQ]), and .97 (Full Scale IQ [FSIQJ); 92%, 70%, and 92% of scores fell within 5 points of full version scores for VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ, respectively. WAIS-III/MR7 corrected validity coefficients were .97 (VIQ), .95 (PIQ), and .97 (FSIQ); 92%, 76%, and 92% of short-form scores were within 5 points of actual scores for VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ, respectively. Conclusions: Both abbreviated versions demonstrated acceptable psychometric characteristics, but the matrix reasoning version may be more advantageous in assessing persons with TBI because it can be used with persons who have TBI-related motor skills impairment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The bias in regression-based indices of premorbid IQ.

Formulas for premorbid intelligence estimates are typically derived by linear regression and are therefore biased in individual cases because of regression to the mean. It is shown that it is inappropriate to compare such IQ estimates with current IQ scores to determine whether a decline from premorbid levels has occurred. This widespread practice grossly overestimates the probability of an IQ decline in the below-average range and grossly underestimates it in the above-average range, with serious implications for clinical practice. The authors present a formula for computing unbiased estimates of IQ decline as well as a test of the null hypothesis of no decline. Corresponding tables for several combinations of test indices and estimation methods are included for practical reference. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

菜豆冷害生理及其防治措施的研究

研究了热处理与间歇升温对菜豆冷害及其生理生化的影响,结果表明：间歇升温与热处理延缓了由于冷害引起的菜豆呼吸强度的上升、电导的增加和过氧化物酶活性的增强;降低了菜豆的表面水浸凹陷与锈斑的发生。两处理相结合具有协同增效作用,既能有效抑制表面水浸凹陷,又可阻止锈斑的发生,是防止菜豆冷害发生的有效措施。