The effects of subliminal symbiotic stimulation on free-response and self-report mood.

Research has shown that subliminal presentation of MOMMY AND I ARE ONE (MIO) can help improve adaptive functioning. Two experiments tried to determine whether changes in mood, especially free-response mood, could help explain these findings. In one experiment, 20 men were randomly assigned to receive either a subliminal MIO or control stimulus. Results showed predicted effects on a free-response and no effects on a self-report mood measure. In the other experiment, 54 male subjects randomly received one of three subliminal stimuli. They evidenced the same pattern of mood results. Sentential semantics were shown to be relevant to the obtained results. Ascending threshold and 150 forced-choice discrimination trials demonstrated that subjects could not report stimulus content. It was concluded that MIO effects were attributable to unconscious processing of the entire message and that free-response mood may partly mediate these effects. Suggestions for future research were offered.

[Critical evaluation of schistosomiasis portal hypertension surgery]. / Avaliação crítica da cirurgia na hipertensão portal esquistossomótica.

There are over 100,000 patients affected by schistosomotic portal hypertension, that may suffer rupture of the esophageal varices. Besides the portal hypertension, local factors must be emphasized as responsible for the three distal centimeters of the esophagus, called "zona vulnerável" (vulnerable zone). The better liver functional reserve of these schistosomotic patients as compared to the cirrhotic, present two favorable conditions: (1) better possibility of conservative treatment during acute hemorrhage; (2) elective surgical treatment may be undergo without a mandatory step of large portal decompression. The Author only indicate surgical treatment in patients with hemorrhage antecedent and his preference consist in splenectomy plus obliterative suture of the varices at the "vulnerable zone" and when possible, ligature of left gastric vein also; 358 patients were undergone surgery with operative mortality 3.07%; 347 were followed during 1 to 25 years; late mortality 8.38%; recurrence hemorrhage 11.58%; none porto-systemic encephalopathy was observed.

Alexithymic characteristics and metabolic control in diabetic and healthy adults.

Diabetes has long been identified as a disease with possible psychological components. Alexithymia--an inability to express emotions verbally, operational thinking, and a lack of fantasy life--is found in a high proportion of psychosomatic patients. We therefore tested the hypothesis that diabetics would be more alexithymic than controls. In addition, the lack of awareness of affect was hypothesized to have negative consequences for the management of diabetes, as reflected in metabolic glucose control (HbA1). The number of emotion words produced in six imaginative (Thematic Apperception Test) stories was used as the measure of alexithymia, with few words reflecting alexithymic characteristics. Diabetics were found to be significantly more alexithymic than controls. Further, fewer emotion words (alexithymia) was associated with poorer metabolic control. These data suggest that alexithymic characteristics may interfere with a diabetic's ability to manage their illness, and support previous research showing that the suppression of emotions can lead to a difficulty in regulating glucose levels.

The role of affiliative loss in the recruitment of helper cells among insulin-dependent diabetics.

The study was undertaken to determine whether affiliative loss might play a role in the development of insulin-dependent diabetes by increasing the percentage of helper-inducer T cells when diabetics were reminded of the loss. It was found that diabetics who had experienced the recent death of a loved one showed a marked increase in helper cells, in contrast to diabetics who had not experienced a recent death, after both groups viewed a film about a happy, but doomed, love affair. The diabetics who had experienced a recent death also showed more affiliative distress after viewing the film. This increase in distress was associated with a physiological sign of increased activation, namely, increased plasma cortisol output, which in turn was associated with gains in helper-cell percentages. This suggests that frequent reminders of severe affiliative disturbances during the pre-onset histories of such diabetics may result in physiological activation, which leads to periodical recruitment of helper cells, which could augment the immune attack on the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. None of these results was obtained with controls, which suggests that the diabetics were unusually sensitive to affiliative distress.

The control of infection in general surgery: a four-year prospective study in Brazil.

On January 1, 1977 a prospective study of the control of infection was initiated in the Division of General Surgery of the Federal University of Pernambuco and continues to the present day. The results of the first four years of this study are assessed in this paper. In the period from January 1, 1977 to December 31, 1980 1,636 patients were submitted to surgery, whose operations were classified as clean, clean-contaminated, contaminated and dirty. The number of infections was studied in relation to the type of operation. Other parameters studied included etiology, bacterial sensitivity, infection related to the six surgical groups functioning in the division and to the indication for elective or emergency surgery, respiratory infection, respiratory infection related to the anesthetist who administered the general anesthesia and wound infection in relation to the surgeon who performed the operation. The overall mortality was 2.64% and the percentage of necropsies carried out was 72%. Among the fatalities, sepsis was the predominant cause of death, accounting for 41% of the cases. The authors conclude that the control of infection is fundamental to the education of the medical and paramedical community and is to be regarded as a quality control of the service provided by the division of surgery. It should also be extended to the outpatient department and be accompanied by necropsy on the majority of the patients who fail to survive the operation.

The control of postoperative infection in general surgery.

The results of a prospective study of infection control carried out in the Division of Abdominal Surgery of the Federal University of Pernambuco over a two year period are presented. A total of 760 patients operated on by the various teams of the Division were studied and rates of wound, respiratory and urinary infection were analyzed together with their relationship to the types of surgery performed. The etiology and antibiotic sensitivity of the main etiologic agents are also presented, plus a comparison of the results obtained with data found in the literature.

Regeneracao hepatica pos-hepatectomia parcial em ratos com fibrose esquistossomotica. / Hepatic regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats with schistosomotic fibrosis

A regeneracao hepatica pos-hepatectomia parcial em ratos albinos com fibrose esquistossomotica foi estudada atraves da contagem de figuras de mitose, hepatocitos binucleados e cariometria dos hepatocitos em 39 ratos albinos distribuidos em dois grupos: A - 23 ratos dois machos e duas femeas infectados no 3o. mes, e submetidos a hepatectomia parcial no 13o. mes e avaliada a regeneracao 48 horas apos a hepatectomia parcial; B - 16 ratos sete machos e nove femeas sem infeccao operados e avaliada a regeneracao nas mesmas condicoes do grupo A. Os resultados obtidos mostram com uma confianca de 5% que ocorreu regeneracao hepatico pos-hepatectomia parcial de ratos com fibrose hepatica esquistossomotica de forma semelhante aos ratos normais

Advanced megaesophagus with recurrent dysphagia following initial surgical treatment.

The results of the surgical treatment of twenty patients with advanced megaesophagus who had undergone previous treatment are presented. After the previous operation, the asymptomatic period was less than five years in mot cases; symptoms included dysphagia (100%), regurgitation (65%), heartburn (50%), pain (45%), excess saliva (20%) and palpitations (10%). The definitive treatment was cervico-abdominal esophagectomy (45%), distal esophagectomy (20%), Thal-Hatafuku's operation (15%) and miscellaneous (15%). In our experience, the best procedures are cervico-abdominal esophagectomy and Thal-Hatafuku's operation.

Ascorbic acid in schistosomiasis mansoni with or without digestive haemorrhage.

The authors studied the variations of ascorbic acid levels in white blood cells and plasma by Denson-Bowers' method in 20 normal individuals (Group I) and 36 schistosoma patients with hepatosplenic disease with and without gastrointestinal haemorrhage (Groups II and III, including 18 patients each). Having submitted the results to statistical analysis with a probability rate of 95%, the authors concluded that, while no significant difference could be seen between Groups I, II and III in ascorbic acid levels in white blood cells, there was a significant decrease in plasma ascorbic acid levels of Group III as compared with Groups I and II.

Mortalidade pos-operatoria em cirurgia geral. / Postoperative mortality in general surgery

Os autores estudaram 1.233 pacientes operados no Servico de Cirurgia Abdominal da UFPE no periodo de 1/1/77 a 31/12/79. Nos anos de 1977 e 1978, foram operados 754 pacientes sendo a mortalidade de 2.65% e necropsiados 70% dos casos. A sepsis foi responsavel por 45% dos obitos. Em 1979 foram operados 479 pacientes, sendo a mortalidade de 2,29% e necropsiados 72% dos casos. A sepsis foi responsavel por 27% dos obitos. A reducao da mortalidade e da sepsis nao foram estatisticamente significantes

Regeneracao hepatica pos-hepatectomia parcial em ratos com fibrose esquistossomotica, antes e apos o tratamento medicamentoso. / Liver regeneration after partial hepatectomy in rats with schistosomotic fibrosis, before and after drug therapy

A regeneracao hepatica pos-hepatectomia parcial em ratos albinos com fibrose esquistossomotica apos o tratamento medicamentoso da esquistossomose, estudada atraves da cariometria dos hepatocitos e contagem de figuras de mitose e hepatocitos binucleados em 45 ratos albinos distribuidos em dois grupos: Grupo A: 29 ratos, 15 machos e 14 femeas, infectados no 3o mes de vida com uma carga de 400 cercarias de S. mansoni por animal e tratados com uma dose unica de 15 mg/kg de hycanthone por via intraperitoneal, seis meses apos a infeccao e submetidos a hepatectomia parcial no 13o mes de vida e avaliada a regeneracao hepatica 48 horas apos a hepatectomia; Grupo B: 16 ratos, 10 machos e seis femeas, sem infeccao, que receberam hycanthone em dose unica de 15 mg/kg por via intraperitoneal no 9o mes de vida e quatro meses apos foram submetidos a hepatectomia parcial, sendo os sobreviventes sacrificados 48 horas apos a intervencao. Os resultados obtidos mostram com uma confianca de 5o que ocorreu regeneracao hepatica poshepatectomia parcial em ratos com fibrose esquistossomotica, apos o tratamento medicamentoso, de forma semelhante aos animais normais com relacao aos parametros cariometria dos hepatocitos binucleados

Infeccao pos-operatoria na esquistossomose hepatoesplencia. / Postoperative infection in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis

Os autores estudaram 1.339 pacientes submetidos a cirurgias limpas, limpas com contaminacao, contaminadas e infectadas. Entre estes pacientes, estudaram separadamente pacientes com hipertensao portal esquistossomatica para analise comparativa com outras patologias, submetidas a cirurgias equivalentes. Os autores concluiram que pacientes com hipertensao portal esquistossomatica apresentam um risco de infeccao significativamente maior que outros pacientes

Acido ascorbico na esquistossomose mansonica na vigencia ou nao de episodio de hemorragia digestiva. / Ascorbic acid in schistosomiasis mansoni with and without gastrointestinal haemorrhage

Estudo das variacoes dos niveis leucocitarios e plasmaticos de acido ascorbico, pelo metodo de Denson e Bowers, em 20 individuos normais (Grupo I) e em 36 pacientes esquistossomoticos na forma hapato-esplenica sem e com hemorragia digestiva (Grupos II e III, com 18 pacientes cada). Os resultados foram submetidos a uma analise estatistica (t de student) com uma probabilidade de confianca de 95%.Obteve resultados que nao demonstraram diferenca significativa entre os valores do acido ascorbico nos leucocitos dos Grupos I, II e III e observou uma diminuicao significante das concentracoes plasmaticas deste acido no Grupo III, quando comparadas com as dos Grupos I e II

Proximal gastric vagotomy in stenosed or perforated duodenal ulcer.

Thirty-five patients suffering from stenosed or perforated duodenal ulcer, who were submitted to surgical treatment in the form of proximal gastric vagotomy, are presented. There were no deaths in the series and the results were considered to be very good in the cases of perforation, whereas a high incidence of poor results (27 per cent) occurred in the cases of stenosis submitted to a proximal gastric vagotomy combined with digital dilatation of the pylorus.

Concentracoes leucocitarias e plasmaticas do acido ascorbico em portadores da forma hepatoesplenica da esquistossomose mansonica. / Ascorbic acid levels in white blood cells and plasma of patients with hepatosplenic form of schistosomiasis

Estudo das concentracoes leucocitarias e plasmaticas do acido ascorbico, pelo metodo de Denson e Bowers em 18 pacientes esquistossomoticos na forma hepatoesplenica (Grupo I) e em 20 individuos normais (Grupo II) que constituiram o Grupo-Controle. Os resultados foram submetidos a uma analise estatistica (t de Student) com uma probabilidade de confianca de 95%. Observou que nao houve diferenca estatisticamente significante entre os niveis do acido ascorbico nos leucocitos e no plasma dos grupos I e II