Factors involved in the postoperative occurrence of mental disorders in patients with esophagus cancer

食道癌手術を受ける患者の術後精神症状の出現にかかわる要因とその関連性を明らかにする目的で、手術後ICUに入室した食道癌患者を対象に、生活背景、病状経過、生体機能変化、身体的苦痛、心理、サポートシステム、睡眠状況に関する91項目について診療記録および看護記録より調査を行った。術後精神症状出現群と非出現群との比較により、手術目的、ICU入室日数、気管内挿管日数、人工呼吸器装着日数、排液ドレーン留置日数、術後の血糖値の変化、ICUにおける個別の看護ケア計画、術後の夜間覚醒、術後の入眠処置（以上P＜0.01）、喫煙歴、病名告知、再建臓器、術後の血圧変動、術後のpH値･PO(2)値・PCO(2)値の変動、術後の病気に対する不安の訴え（以上P＜0.05）の有意な17要因が明らかになった。さらに要因間の関連分析により、精神症状の出現には手術侵襲による生体機能変化と術後の呼吸管理による身体的・精神的苦痛が大きな影響を及ぼしていることが明らかになった。出現予防のための看護は、術前・術後をとおしての患者の身体的・心理的状況の把握とICU環境からの早期離脱が重要であることが考えられる。To identify factors involved in the postoperative occurrence of mental disorders in patients with esophagus cancer and their relationship, 91 items about life background, disease course, changes in organic functions, physical pain, psychological conditions, support system, and sleep conditions were examined in patients with esophagus cancer treated at the ICU after operation using their medical and nursing records. Comparisons of patients with and without postoperative mental disorders revealed the following 17 factors that had significant influences on the mental conditions of patients : the aim of operation, period of treatment in the ICU, period of intratracheal intubation, period of artificial respiration, period of indwelling of a drainage tube, changes in blood sugar after operation, individual nursing care plan in the ICU, observation during the night after operation, and treatment for sleeping after operation (these parameters, p<0.01), and the history of smoking, notification of disease conditions, reconstructed organs, changes in blood pressure after operation, changes in pH, PO(2), and PCO(2) after operation, and anxiety about disease conditions after operation (these parameters, P<0.05). Analyses of the relationship between factors revealed that changes in organic functions caused by operative invasion as well as physical and mental pain due to respiration control greatly affect the occurrence of mental disorders

Misrecognition of facial expressions in delinquents

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Previous reports have suggested impairment in facial expression recognition in delinquents, but controversy remains with respect to how such recognition is impaired. To address this issue, we investigated facial expression recognition in delinquents in detail.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We tested 24 male adolescent/young adult delinquents incarcerated in correctional facilities. We compared their performances with those of 24 age- and gender-matched control participants. Using standard photographs of facial expressions illustrating six basic emotions, participants matched each emotional facial expression with an appropriate verbal label.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Delinquents were less accurate in the recognition of facial expressions that conveyed disgust than were control participants. The delinquents misrecognized the facial expressions of disgust as anger more frequently than did controls.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest that one of the underpinnings of delinquency might be impaired recognition of emotional facial expressions, with a specific bias toward interpreting disgusted expressions as hostile angry expressions.</p

Efeito a longo prazo de queimadas prescritas na estrutura da comunidade de lenhosas da vegetação do cerrado sensu stricto

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, 2003.O presente estudo foi realizado na Reserva Ecológica do IBGE (35 km de Brasília) com o objetivo de determinar os impactos de diferentes regimes de queima (época de ocorrência do fogo) na estrutura da vegetação lenhosa de cerrado sensu stricto, protegida contra o fogo por 18 anos e submetida a cinco queimadas bienais prescritas no final de junho (precoce), em meados de agosto (modal) e no final de setembro (tardia). Foram selecionadas três parcelas experimentais, com 10 ha (500 m x 200 m) cada e demarcadas áreas amostrais permanentes de 50 m x 20 m para a realização do inventário da vegetação do estrato arbóreo-arbustivo. Nestas áreas, todos os indivíduos com diâmetro, a 30 cm do solo, igual ou superior a 5 cm foram marcados e inventariados quanto à espécie, à altura e ao diâmetro a 30 cm do solo. Após cada queimada, foram inventariados todos os indivíduos marcados, mensurando a altura e o diâmetro, a 30 cm do solo, bem como o dano sofrido: dano parcial com rebrota aérea; ou com rebrota basal e/ou subterrânea (top kilf) e dano total com morte do indivíduo. Antes da primeira queimada, foram inventariados 1114 indivíduos vivos na parcela precoce, 1144 indivíduos na parcela modal e 1031 indivíduos na tardia, sendo 63 indivíduos mortos na parcela precoce, 61 na modal e 52 na tardia. Após as cinco queimas, a parcela precoce apresentou 683 indivíduos vivos e 49 mortos, a parcela modal 629 indivíduos vivos e 67 mortos e a parcela submetida a queimadas em setembro 580 indivíduos vivos e 72 mortos, resultando na mortalidade acumulada de «39%, 45% e «44%, nas parcelas precoce, modal e tardia, respectivamente. As cinco queimadas bienais resultaram na taxa de caules destruídos (top kill + mortos) de 44% dos fustes presentes inicialmente na área precoce, de «59% na área modal e de 75% na área tardia. Porém, houve recrutamento de indivíduos nas três parcelas, 240 indivíduos distribuídos em 38 espécies foram recrutados na parcela precoce; 74 indivíduos (19 espécies) na parcela modal e 30 indivíduos (13 espécies) na parcela tardia. Antes das queimadas, um total de 26.5 t/ha de biomassa aérea foi estimado para a parcela precoce, 25,7 t/ha na modal e 25.6 t/ha na tardia, sendo que a biomassa do estrato lenhoso contribuiu com 58%, 66% e 75% deste total. A biomassa total, nas áreas experimentais após cinco queimadas, foi de 22,2 t/ha para a parcela precoce, 17,5 t/ha para a modal e de 17,2 t/ha para a tardia. Resultando eni uma redução no total da biomassa aérea de cerca de 16,0% na parcela precoce, 32,0% na modal e 33,0% na tardia. Antes das queimadas prescritas, o estoque de carbono era cerca de 11 t C/ha em cada parcela, sendo que 6,9 t C/ha, 7,6 t C/ha e 8,6 t C/ha estavam armazenados na biomassa do estrato arbóreo-arbustivo. Após cinco queimadas prescritas houve redução de 1,8 t/ha no estoque de carbono na parcela precoce, 3,8 t/ha na modal e 4,1 t/ha na tardia, sendo que na parcela precoce cerca de 67% desta redução foram provenientes do estrato herbáceo e 33% do arbóreo; na parcela modal, »79,0% foram da vegetação do estrato lenhoso e apenas «21,0% do herbáceo, enquanto que na parcela tardia, houve redução de 4 ,7 1 C/ha da vegetação lenhosa e foram adicionadas 0,6 t C/ha do estrato herbáceo. Os dados mostram que a freqüência bianual e a época de queima resultam em dano diferenciado na estrutura da comunidade lenhosa de cerrado sensu stricto, sugerindo que a manutenção do sistema com o uso de queimadas no início da estação seca como instrumento de manejo é o mais indicado, pois é o padrão mais próximo da ocorrência natural de queimadas na região do cerrado.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES).The work was carried out at the Reserva Ecológica do 1BGE (35 km south of Brasilia) to investigate the effects of different fire regimes on the structure of the woody vegetation of the cerrado sensu stricto. The experimental plots were protected from fire for 18 years and submitted to prescribed fires every two years since 1992 at the beginning (June), middle (August) and end (September) of the dry season. Three plots of 10 ha (500 m x 200 m) were selected. Inside each plot five 50 m x 20 m subplots were marked for permanent inventory. All woody individuals with diameter equal or greater than 5 cm at 30 cm from the soil surface were included in the inventory. After each fire, all the tagged trees were inventoried and the damage recorded. The damage was classified as partial, presenting aerial resprout or with top kill, or total, with the death of the tree or shrub. Before the prescribed fires of 1992, there were 1114, 1144 and 1031 live individuals and 63, 61 and 52 dead individuals in the early, mid and late dry season. After the five fires, in 2002, there were 683, 629 and 580 live individuals and 49, 67 and 72 dead individuals, resulting in a mortality of 39%, 45% and 44%. Considering the mortality and top kill, the reduction in the number of stems was 44%, 59% and 75%. Although the percentage of dead individuals was high, 240 new individuals belonging to 38 species were added, after the five prescribed fires, to the inventory in the early dry season plot, 74 ( 19 species) in the August area and 30 individuals (13 species) in the September area. The total aboveground biomass before the fires there was estimated to be 26,5 t/ha in the June area, 25,7 t/ha and 25,6 t/ha in the August and September areas. The woody vegetation contributed with 58%, 66% and 75% of the total aboveground biomass. After the fires, in 2002, the total aboveground biomass was reduced to 22,2 t/ha n the June area, 17,5 t/ha and 17,2 t/ha in the August and September plots representing a reduction of 16%, 32% and 33%. The average carbon stock was 11 t C/ha with 6,9 t C/ha, 7,6 t C/ha e 8,6 t C/ha stocked in the woody vegetation in the June, August and September areas. After the fires a reduction of 1,8 t/ha in the carbon stock was estimated for the June area, 3,8 t C/ha and 4,1 t C/ha in the August and September areas. In the June area the woody vegetation contributed with 33% of the carbon loss and 75% in the August area. In the September area there was a loss of 4,7 t C/ha from the woody vegetation and an increase of 0,6 t C/ha in the carbon stock o f the herbaceous vegetation. Thus the effects of biennial fires on the structure of the woody vegetation of the cerrado sensu stricto depend on the time when it occurs during the dry season. The less damaging prescribed fires were the ones at the beginning of the dry season, when natural fires are common in this region

Suzaku observations of the Hydra A cluster out to the virial radius

We report Suzaku observations of the northern half of the Hydra A cluster out to ~1.4 Mpc, reaching the virial radius. This is the first Suzaku observations of a medium-size (kT ~3 keV) cluster out to the virial radius. Two observations were conducted, north-west and north-east offsets, which continue in a filament direction and a void direction of the large-scale structure of the Universe, respectively. The X-ray emission and distribution of galaxies elongate in the filament direction. The temperature profiles in the two directions are mostly consistent with each other within the error bars and drop to 1.5 keV at 1.5 r_500. As observed by Suzaku in hot clusters, the entropy profile becomes flatter beyond r_500, in disagreement with the r^1.1 relationship that is expected from accretion shock heating models. When scaled with the average intracluster medium (ICM) temperature, the entropy profiles of clusters observed with Suzaku are universal and do not depend on system mass. The hydrostatic mass values in the void and filament directions are in good agreement, and the Navarro, Frenk, and White universal mass profile represents the hydrostatic mass distribution up to ~ 2 r_500. Beyond r_500, the ratio of gas mass to hydrostatic mass exceeds the result of the Wilkinson microwave anisotropy probe, and at r_100, these ratios in the filament and void directions reach 0.4 and 0.3, respectively. We discuss possible deviations from hydrostatic equilibrium at cluster outskirts. We derived radial profiles of the gasmass- to-light ratio and iron-mass-to-light ratio out to the virial radius. Within r_500, the iron-mass-to-light ratio of the Hydra A cluster was compared with those in other clusters observed with Suzaku.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures; Accepted for publication in PAS

Suzaku Observation of HCG 62: Temperature, Abundance, and Extended Hard X-ray Emission Profiles

We present results of 120 ks observation of a compact group of galaxies HCG~62 ($z=0.0145$) with Suzaku XIS and HXD-PIN\@. The XIS spectra for four annular regions were fitted with two temperature {\it vapec} model with variable abundance, combined with the foreground Galactic component. The Galactic component was constrained to have a common surface brightness among the four annuli, and two temperature {\it apec} model was preferred to single temperature model. We confirmed the multi-temperature nature of the intra-group medium reported with Chandra and XMM-Newton, with a doughnut-like high temperature ring at radii 3.3--6.5$'$ in a hardness image. We found Mg, Si, S, and Fe abundances to be fairly robust. We examined the possible ``high-abundance arc'' at $\sim 2'$ southwest from the center, however Suzaku data did not confirm it. We suspect that it is a misidentification of an excess hot component in this region as the Fe line. Careful background study showed no positive detection of the extended hard X-rays previously reported with ASCA, in 5--12 keV with XIS and 12--40 keV with HXD-PIN, although our upper limit did not exclude the ASCA result. There is an indication that the X-ray intensity in $r<3.3'$ region is $70\pm 19$% higher than the nominal CXB level (5--12 keV), and Chandra and Suzaku data suggest that most of this excess could be due to concentration of hard X-ray sources with an average photon index of $\Gamma=1.38\pm 0.06$. Cumulative mass of O, Fe and Mg in the group gas and the metal mass-to-light ratio were derived and compared with those in other groups. Possible role of AGN or galaxy mergers in this group is also discussed.Comment: 29 pages with 9 figures, accepted for publication in PASJ Vol 60, second Suzaku special issu

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Analysis Reveals Phytoestrogen Modification of Promoter Methylation Patterns during Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

BACKGROUND: Environmental challenges during development affect the fetal epigenome, but the period(s) vulnerable to epigenetic dysregulation is(are) not clear. By employing a soy phytoestrogen, genistein, that is known to alter the epigenetic states of the A(vy) allele during embryogenesis, we have explored the sensitive period for epigenetic regulation. The post-implantation period, when de novo DNA methylation actively proceeds, is amenable to in vitro analysis using a mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell differentiation system. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Mouse ES cells were differentiated in the presence or absence of genistein, and DNA methylation patterns on day 10 were compared by microarray-based promoter methylation analysis coupled with a methylation-sensitive endonuclease (HpaII/McrBC)-dependent enrichment procedure. Moderate changes in methylation levels were observed in a subset of promoters following genistein treatment. Detailed investigation of the Ucp1 and Sytl1 promoters further revealed that genistein does not affect de novo methylation occurring between day 0 and day 4, but interferes with subsequent regulatory processes and leads to a decrease in methylation level for both promoters. CONCLUSION: Genistein perturbed the methylation pattern of differentiated ES cells after de novo methylation. Our observations suggest that, for a subset of genes, regulation after de novo DNA methylation in the early embryo may be sensitive to genistein

Involvement of MAPKs in ICAM-1 Expression in Glomerular Endothelial Cells in Diabetic Nephropathy

Inflammatory processes are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. The aim of this study was to clarify the role of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways for induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression in glomerular endothelial cells under diabetic conditions. We examined the expression of ICAM-1 in the kidneys of experimental diabetic rats. Human glomerular endothelial cells (GE cells) were exposed to normal glucose concentration, high glucose concentration (HG), or high mannitol concentration (HM), and then the expression of the ICAM-1 protein and the phosphorylation of the 3 subfamilies of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) were determined using Western blot analysis. Next, to evaluate the involvement of MAPKs in HG- or HM-induced ICAM-1 expression, we preincubated GE cells with the inhibitors for ERK, p38 or JNK 1h prior to the application of glucose or mannitol. Expression of ICAM-1 was increased in the glomeruli of diabetic rats. Both HG and HM induced ICAM-1 expression and phosphorylation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK in GE cells. Expression of ICAM-1 was significantly attenuated by inhibitors of ERK, p38 and JNK. We conclude that activation of ERK1/2, p38 and JNK cascades may be involved in ICAM-1 expression in glomerular endothelial cells under diabetic conditions

Experiências internacionais de manejo integrado do fogo em áreas protegidas – recomendações para implementação de manejo integrado de fogo no Cerrado

O Manejo Integrado do Fogo (MIF) é uma abordagem que considera aspectos ecológicos, culturais e de manejo para propor uso de queimas controladas, bem como a prevenção e combate a incêndios, com vistas a garantir a conservação e uso sustentável de ecossistemas. Programas de MIF foram implementados há décadas e em larga escala em Áreas Protegidas em diferentes continentes do mundo, especialmente em ambientes dependentes do fogo ou pirofíticos. Este artigo sintetiza, de forma não exaustiva, experiências internacionais de manejo do fogo em áreas protegidas e propõe recomendações para sua implementação em Programas de MIF em Unidades de Conservação (UC) do Cerrado ainda em fase de experimentação. Exemplos de implementação de manejo do fogo foram revisados com ênfase nas metodologias de pesquisa e monitoramento em regiões de ocorrência de savanas, mais especificamente, na região sul da África e Norte da Austrália, onde os objetivos de pesquisa focam geralmente em avaliar impactos de diferentes regimes de queima na flora e fauna. Programas de pesquisa e monitoramento foram implementados apenas para um número reduzido de espécies ou grupos indicadores. Dentre indicadores comumente reportados pode-se citar o monitoramento, via sensoriamento remoto de áreas queimadas, épocas e locais de ocorrência de queimadas (manejadas ou não) e o monitoramento da estrutura da vegetação, especialmente vegetação arbórea. Dentre os grupos animais, aves, insetos e mamíferos terrestres são os grupos mais comumente monitorados em áreas de manejo do fogo. Fica evidente que mesmo em regiões em que há esforços sistemáticos de pesquisa e monitoramento para subsidiar decisões de manejo, certo grau de incerteza é sempre mantido. Muitas vezes, a influência de pesquisas sobre as decisões de manejo é limitada e está muito mais explícita na criação de ambientes de aprendizagem, trocas de informações e melhoria na qualidade técnica das tomadas de decisão por parte dos gestores em relação ao manejo do que na identificação de regimes definidos de queimas ou receitas prontas para melhoria da gestão ambiental. A partir das experiências sistematizadas, são feitas recomendações para implementação de MIF em UC do Cerrado