Testosterone deficiency and the metabolic syndrome

Evidence is presented to link components of the metabolic syndrome to testosterone deficiency and obesity. Testosterone deficiency in hypogonadism or testosterone deprivation in normo-gonadotropic men increases fat mass as well as fasting insulin levels. Testosterone supplementation (TS) in a dose dependent manner, increase lean body mass (LBM), reduces fat mass, body mass index (BMI) and waist hip ratio in both young and elderly hypogonadal men. A negative association between T and insulin resistance as well as impaired glucose intolerance has been demonstrated and in type 2 diabetic men TS improves metabolic parameters. TS improves most components of the metabolic syndrome and also reduces inflammatory cytokines.     

Bone mineral density in men with and without the metabolic syndrome

The objective of this study was to measure bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged men with and without the metabolic syndrome according to the International diabetes federation (IDF) definition from 2005. We studied 80 men (mean age: 51.9 ± 9.0 y, mean body mass index (BMI): 32.0 ± 1.7 kg/m²) with and 92 men without the metabolic syndrome (mean age: 52.6 ± 15.1 y, mean BMI: 24.9 ± 2.8 kg/m²). Height (cm), weight (kg), waist circumference (cm) and blood pressure were measured. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and blood lipids were determined. BMD at the lumbar spine and total hip was measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry on a Hologic QDR 4500 bone densitometer. In men around 59.3% had a waist circumference > 94 cm (abdominal obesity). Among them 58.7% showed abnormal BP values. Around 30.7% had FPG ≥ 5.6 mmol/L and 22.7% had low high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol and 36.6% had hypertriglyceridemia. In men with the metabolic syndrome, mean lumbar spine BMD was 0.986 ± 0.210 g/cm² and total hip BMD – 1.012 ± 0.209 g/cm². The corresponding values in men without this syndrome were 0.934 ± 0.179 g/cm² and 0.894 ± 0.189 g/cm², respectively. The inter-group BMD difference reached statistical significance only at the hip (p = 0.039). Respectively, the prevalence of osteoporosis at the central sites was significantly higher in men without the metabolic syndrome (MS) (13.2 versus 20.8%, p = 0.03). Our data confirmed the trend for higher BMD in the studied men with the metabolic syndrome.     

大学生非主流症候群特征探究

大学生非主流症候群是指部分大学生以直接或间接形式呈现出的与社会主流思想价值要求和期待不一致、甚至相悖的新异思想行为模式的集合.这些新异的思想行为不仅凸显为大学生在学习活动中学习需求的实用性、学习动机的功利性、学习态度的散漫性、学习方式的碎片化等特点,也表现在其非理性、亚健康的生活方式中,还在人际交往中展现出超越传统的“非主流”特性.究其本质,大学生“非主流”症候群是其人格和内在精神发展诉求的显性表征,因而有必要归总、剖析其特性,以便进行合理的有针对性的干预和引导.     

Commentary: The Public Health Consequences of an Industry-Influenced Psychiatric Taxonomy: “Attenuated Psychotic Symptoms Syndrome” as a Case Example

Determining the distribution of psychiatric disorders and developing sound preventive and intervention practices are pressing public health issues. Since at present mental disorders lack biological markers, psychiatric taxonomies must grapple with how best to address issues of validity and reliability. With the increasing congruence between the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) (American Psychiatric Association, 2010 American Psychiatric Association. 2010. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental DisordersProposed Revisions, Fifth, Washington, D.C: American Psychiatric Association.  [Google Scholar]), it is imperative that decisions regarding the inclusion of new disorders be research-based and not unduly influenced by industry. The first draft of DSM-V, recently made public, has created a firestorm of controversy, for the DSM's nomenclature of disease or other pathology not only affects such disparate domains as jurisprudence and insurance claims but is also an instrument designed to facilitate research on psychopathology.     

《二月》症候的原型阐释

萧涧秋觉得陶岚是可爱的,但他对陶岚就是爱不起来;萧涧秋觉得他不该爱嫂,但他确实强烈地爱上了嫂。萧涧秋患了一种“强迫症”：他内心中有一种强大的力量迫使他不爱陶岚而非爱嫂不可。这种强大的力量来源于他的潜意识情结——他童年时期的阿尼玛原型——堂姊。     

文化翻译:本质、策略与方法

"文化翻译"这一术语使用混乱之现状所引发的困惑可以通过厘清文化翻译实践背后的文化逻辑加以解决。欲厘清文化翻译实践背后之文化逻辑,就须首先厘清对于文化翻译这一概念不同人类群体共享的假设。这些假设可通过把"文化"这一概念之逻辑意义与"翻译"这一概念之逻辑意义组合成对形成的概念矩阵而获得,具体表现为文化翻译之三种模式,即:文化翻译乃是对异域诠释视域之诠释;文化翻译乃是对另一社会成员诠释某一对象或事件的方式之诠释;文化翻译乃是对把社会凝聚在一起的文化惯约之诠释。基于文化翻译的这三种模式,以《孙子兵法》文化专有项英译的经验分析为例,阐明了文化翻译之本质、策略与方法。     

A decision-theoretic approach to variable selection in discriminant analysis

In discriminant analysis it is often desirable to find a small subset of the variables that were measured on the individuals of known origin, to be used for classifying individuals of unknown origin. In this paper a Bayesian approach to variable selection is used that includes an additional subset of variables for future classification if the additional measurement costs for this subsst are lower than the resulting reduction in expected misclassification costs.     

Reconstruction of the Infection Curve for SARS Epidemic in Beijing,China Using a Back-Projection Method

The infection curve of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) using the back-projection method was reconstructed for the SARS outbreak period (from March 1, 2003 to June 20, 2003) in Beijing to assess the effectiveness of the intervention measures. There were 2,521 confirmed SARS cases with a population size of 13 million. The SARS outbreak pattern corresponded well with the major events timeline over the SARS outbreak. Despite the limited resources with such a large population size, the intervention measures taken by the Beijing Municipal Government seemed to be effective in containing the SARS epidemic in Beijing.     

Child Abuse and Sudden Infant Death

In times past, parents were usually blamed when an infant died suddenly and unexpectedly. A more caring attitude evolved with the adoption of the term ‘cot death’ or ‘sudden infant death syndrome’ (SIDS). Recent research looking at the factors responsible for SIDS has focused on aspects of child care and parental behaviour. Epidemiological studies confirm that several risk factors associated with child maltreatment are also to be found in many families who experience a sudden infant death. Social deprivation and other well-known associated features linked to maltreatment are correlated with sudden death in infancy. It is suggested that both physical abuse (suffocation is the most usual mechanism proposed) and neglect (failure to thrive, failure to recognize and treat illness) are important mechanisms. Infanticide (filicide) has existed widely over past centuries and its continuation in modern times is reflected in the highest murder rates of all age groups in infancy. However, much fatal abuse and neglect remains hidden, as demonstrated from the results of detailed fatality reviews. The evidence linking child abuse and neglect with sudden unexpected death in infancy is reviewed.     

‘How can a chord be weird if it expresses your soul?’ Some critical reflections on the diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome

This paper questions the way in which the diagnosis of Aspergers syndrome has come to be widely accepted and used as an essentially medical category. It does so by drawing upon sociological and historical analyses of society, psychiatry and psychology, as well as the writings of service users, other practitioners in the autistic spectrum disorder field and the author's own clinical experience. It is argued that the seeming popularity of this label within Western society may have as much to do with widespread social and cultural change during recent decades as with the supposed deficits of those who attract the diagnosis. The aims are to ask what this might mean for health and social care practice in this field and to encourage the growth of theories and approaches that are grounded more firmly in an awareness of the social environment, while also reflecting the varied experiences and standpoints of people who carry this label.