Reduction in sodium chloride intake: effects on urinary Na, K and aldosterone output in healthy free-living adults

Eleven healthy free-living adults (six women, five men) weighed and recorded all food and drink consumed and collected all urine for two non-consecutive 7-day periods whilst eating their usual diet (Period 1) and attempting to reduce salt intake (Period 2). Bread (including pitta bread) provided on average a quarter of total Na intake of subjects in Period 1 so that wholemeal bread made without added salt was made available in Period 2. All subjects achieved substantial reductions (mean 65%) in Na intake in Period 2 with no change in K intake so that the Na:K molar ratio fell from 1.3 to 0.5. Urinary Na output closely followed intakes and there was a large increase (mean 11.2 μg/d) in aldosterone excretion with a non-significant increase in K output. Simple linear relationships which allow prediction of Na and K intake from the more easily measured urinary output were derived.     

Surgical management for mentosternal contractures by flap procedures

Mentosternal contractures still represent a surgical challenge due to their prominent position. They require early operative treatment for both function and aesthetic reasons. Careful clinical examination of scar position and traction forces, both at rest and when functioning, in addition to proper evaluation of the surrounding soft tissue are mandatory for precise preoperative planning of the required reconstruction. In general, the technically most feasible operation is favored if the functional and aesthetic results are good and postoperative risk for recurrence is low. Between 1987 and 1994, 21 patients with cervical, mentosternal, and mentothoracic contractures were operated upon. Eight patients were reconstructed with local flaps and 13 with microvascular free flaps.     

Transhemation of bovine and human hemoglobin polymers in a simulated circulatory system

All-Union Hematology Research Center, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. I. Vorob'ev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 112, No. 11, pp. 500–501, November, 1991.     

Mutagenicity of benzo(a)pyrenyl-1-sulfate in the Ames test.

Comparison of the mutagenicity of nine isomeric benzo(a)pyrenyl [B(a)P] phenols conjugated with either sulfate or glucuronide was carried out using strain Salmonella typhimurium TA98. Of the nine conjugates tested, only B(a)P-1-sulfate was mutagenic. Accordingly, the mutagenicity of B(a)P-1-sulfate was compared with that of B(a)P and 1-hydroxybenzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P-1-OH] in the presence and absence of rat lung S9 and Aroclor-induced liver S9 with and without an NADPH-generating system. B(a)P-1-sulfate was slightly mutagenic, whereas B(a)P and the 1-hydroxy derivative were nonmutagenic when S9 fractions and NADPH were omitted. Addition of induced liver S9 with NADPH caused mutagenicity with B(a) -1-OH greater than B(a)P greater than B(a)P-1-sulfate. B(a)P-1-sulfate was the only mutagenic species when lung S9 was added. This mutagenicity did not require NADPH. Sodium sulfite, an inhibitor of arylsulfatase, decreased the mutagenicity of B(a)P-1-sulfate. These data suggest that a unique mutagenic species is generated from B(a)P-1-sulfate via arylsulfatase in rat lung.     

Body composition in the elderly: Total body water and anthropometry

Body composition measured with isotopic dilution was compared with anthropometric measurements. The study was carried out in 47 subjects from both sexes, 65 to 92 years old. Total body water (TBW), anthropometric measurements, and dynamometry were assessed. TBW was significatively higher in men than women and decreased with age. Dynamometry and fatfree mass were well correlated (r=0.73 in males and r=0.58 in females) and significantly different between sexes. A negative correlation was found for dynamometry with age, being significant for women. Linear regression equations to predict TBW from anthropometric measurements in males and females were obtained: Males: TBW(I)=19.349+0.617 weight(kg) — 0.931 mid-arm circumference(cm)+0.122 dynamometry (kg) Females: TBW(l)=−5.531+0.343 weight(kg)-0.213 triceps skinfold (mm)+ 0.148 dynamometry(kg) + 3.424 wrist diameter (cm). This simple model is proposed for use in epidemiological and field studies where other more sophisticated methods can not be applied.     

Effect of different questionnaire formats on reporting of occupational exposures

During an exposure monitoring study, 78 saw maintenance tradesmen were randomly assigned to be interviewed about their exposures using one of two questionnaire formats: open-ended and partly prompted questions about five categories of materials; and detailed prompting about 75 agents. The more open-ended questionnaire elicited fewer exposure responses overall, but more responses about agents not included on the detailed questionnaire. Composite materials and trade name products were more frequently cited as exposures than individual metals or compounds. Validity of responses was ascertained using air measurements (individual metals) or observations of the employees (composite materials). Sums of sensitivities and specificities were very low (near 1.0) for most of the metals for both types of questionnaire. For composite materials, validity improved substantially. Sensitivities with the partly prompted format (0.44–0.85) were always lower than with detailed prompting (0.80–1.00). Specificities were usually, but not always, higher with partial prompting (0.66–0.92) than with detailed prompting (0.18–0.86). Selection of questionnaire format for an epidemiologic study would depend on the likely prevalence of exposure in controls and the effects of trade-offs in sensitivity and specificity.     

Family system test (FAST): Are parents' and children's family constructs either different or similar,or both?

Perceptions of family cohesion and hierarchy structures were assessed by theFamily System Test (FAST), a clinically-derived figure placement technique. Parents (N=140) and their preadolescent offspring (N=70) completed typical and conflict representations in individual as well as group settings. Typical representations were characterized by balanced family structures (i.e. cohesive and moderately hierarchical) and those displaying conflict situations showed predominantly unbalanced patterns. FAST portrayals were related to respondent (mother vs. father vs. child). Fathers represented typical family relations as balanced more often than mothers. Regarding conflict representations, children were more likely than fathers to portray the family as unbalanced. However, analyses of representations of the same family (i.e. intra-family comparisons) indicated that all respondents differed in their perceptions and, that fathers' typical portrayals showed most often the same structure as those done by the family members as a group.     

ORL-HNS training in South Africa

An out line of the scheme of training specialists in Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) in South Africa is given and the difference with Indian training discussed