Esophageal compression in association with silicosis and Mycobacterium intracellulare

An enameler with dysphagia was found to have extrinsic compression of the esophagus by enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes. Scalene lymph node biopsy revealed silicosis, and tissue cultures grew Mycobacterium intracellulare. We believe our patient is the first reported to have dysphagia due to silicotic adenopathy complicated by an atypical mycobacteriosis.     

Ultrasound scanning of the gastrointestinal tract in children: subject review

Water path ultrasound scanning of the abdomen was used to evaluate 103 children with clinically apparent disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. Dynamic ileus was distinguished from adynamic ileus, congenital disorders were identified, tumors of the bowel wall were distinguished from vascular lesions, and thickening of the bowel wall in metabolic and toxic disorders was seen. Traumatic and inflammatory conditions were evaluated successfully in 17 patients, obviating the need for barium gastrointestinal studies in these children. Given the benign nature of ultrasound, the authors believe that ultrasound examinations of the bowel should be used with greater frequency, particularly in children.     

The ''spread of effect'' of a school based dental health education project

A study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of a school based dental health education programme ("Natural Nashers') upon the families of adolescents receiving the programme. Interviews with 73 randomly selected parents were conducted. One group (n = 35) had a child who had recently received the programme, the other (n = 38) had not. During the interview they were asked if they or other family members (apart from the programme recipient) had changed their dental behaviour or received any new dental information in the previous 2 months. Changes in behaviour were reported from 12 parents in the study group compared with seven in the control. Twenty two parents from the study group reported receiving new dental information in the family compared with four in the control group. The information and reported changes in behaviour related primarily to aspects of disclosing. In 80% of these cases of change or new information in the study group the source was an adolescent who had recently been taught "Natural Nashers'.     

Effect of naloxone on the behaviour of rats exposed to a novel environment

It has recently been suggested that endogenous opiates may play a general role in stress responding. To test this hypothesis, naloxone hydrochloride (0.5–4.0 mg/kg SC) was administered to rats exposed to an open field situation. Naloxone treatment produced a decrease in locomotor activity and rearing, and an increase in defaecation. A simple dose-response relationship was not observed, with the most potent effects exerted by the 1 mg/kg dose. Nevertheless, these results indicate that naloxone increases emotionality in the rat and suggest that opioid peptides may be released under conditions of nonpainful stress.