Folic acid in the treatment of acute watery diarrhoea in children: a double-blind, randomized, controlled trial

One-hundred and six male children aged 6-23 months with a history of acute watery diarrhoea of less than 72 h duration were randomized to receive either folic acid in a dose of 5 mg at 8-h intervals or placebo for 5 d. There were 54 children in the folic acid group and 52 in the placebo group. The admission characteristics were comparable between the two groups. No significant differences were observed in the intake of oral rehydration solution or stool output between the groups. The mean ± SD of total stool output (g kg⁻¹) was 532 ± 476 vs 479 ± 354 and the duration (h) of diarrhoea was 108 ± 68 vs 103 ± 53 in the folic acid vs placebo group, respectively. The findings, therefore, should have a positive influence on preventing the inappropriate use of folic acid in acute diarrhoea.     

Ejection fraction by combined inverse Fourier analysis and second-derivative technique: Correlation with isocontour method

Summary In order to measure ejection fractions (EFs) from nuclear ventriculograms, we devised a semi-automated edge-detection technique based on a combination of inverse Fourier analysis and second-derivative techniques. Initial clinical studies showed that, for the left ventricle, our method gives EF values statistically identical with those obtained using a conventional isocontour technique. For the right ventricle, however, the values obtained using the two methods were somewhat more at variance. Despite requiring a longer processing time, the results obtained with our method are reproducible because less operator intervention is necessary.     

Dysphagia due to cervical osteophytes

Summary Five patients are described who had cervical fusion for dysphagia. A prospective study showed that this symptom was rare in those presenting with cervical spondylosis. Excision of the osteophytes together with an anterior fusion is required.

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Résumé Cinq malades, dont le symptôme principal était une dysphagie, ont du subir une arthrodèse du rachis cervical. Une étude rétrospective a montré que ce symptôme était rare chez les malades atteints d'arthrose du rachis cervical. L'ablation des ostéophytes, associée à une fusion vertébrale antérieure, paraît le meilleur traitement.

     

A review of in-situ EBSD experiments

IntroductionIn the firstautomated Electron Backscatter Diffrac-tion(EBSD)[1]or Orientation Imaging Microscopy(OIM)[2]systems,patterns were indexed at a rate ofabout four seconds per pattern.In the past decade,OIMscan speeds have increased to over 300 times fas-ter than the original measurements.During this sametime period,scanning electron microscope(SEM)technology has also seen large improvements enablingthe OIMtechnique to be applied at higher spatial reso-lutions and with more flex…     

A multicenter clinical trial of gadolite oral suspension as a contrast agent for MRI

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness and safety of Gadolite Oral Suspension as a gastrointestinal (GI) contrast agent for MRI in a phase II and two phase III multicenter clinical trials. Gadolite was administered to 306 patients with known or suspected abdominal and/or pelvic disease. MRI with T1- and T2-weighted sequences was performed before and after ingestion. Efficacy was evaluated by having two masked readers rate the certainty of their MR diagnosis (0 = uncertain, 1 = probable, 2 = definite) on randomly presented pre- and post-Gadolite Oral Suspension enhanced images. Principal investigators also evaluated the images and established the final diagnosis. Vital signs, clinical chemistries, and adverse events were documented. Blood and urine samples were analyzed for gadolinium content to determine whether Gadolite Oral Suspension was absorbed systemically. Certainty in MR diagnosis increased significantly (P < .001) for both blinded readers between pre- and post-Gadolite images (.49–1.18 for reader 1; .46–1.53 for reader 2). Sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy also increased for both masked readers. No gadolinium was detected in blood or urine samples. There were no serious adverse events and no apparent drug-related trends in mean vital signs or laboratory values. Gadolite is a highly effective, safe, and well tolerated contrast agent for clinical use with MRI.     

Health assessment of environmental pollutants: proliferative and degenerative diseases

In order to achieve a balanced approach to risk assessment between carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic health effects one must examine the risk of disease or death in the general population exposed to a particular air pollutant that can be related quantitatively to intensity and duration of exposures (National Academy of Sciences, 1983). Such risk assessment should be based upon careful evaluation of scientific findings of dose-response relationships in the chronically exposed population. Quantitative assessment of environmentally produced disease in man has proven to be complex and demanding. A variety of factors play important roles in this task. As an example, there are induction-latency periods for chronic diseases, including cancer, which may range from five to twenty-five years. The diseases themselves, whether proliferative or degenerative, may follow several stages of progression. There is only sparse epidemiological data on serious health effects that may be due to environmental as compared to occupational exposures. Exposures to chemical or radiological air contaminants do not occur singly but to a multiplicity of agents, and disease processes are frequently markedly affected by the interaction of a variety of factors, particularly that of cigarette smoking. There is growing recognition of potentially sensitive subpopulations, including the elderly and the very young, but adequate techniques for assessing the magnitude of increased risks to these groups have not yet been developed.     

Bioavailability of zinc to rats as affected by protein source and previous dietary intake

The bioavailability of zinc from defatted soy flour, dried chicken meat or mixed (50:50 dry weight basis) soy flour and chicken meat included in egg white-based diets was investigated in rats. Following a 6-d experimental diet (9 ppm Zn) feeding period, marginally zinc-depleted weanling rats were fed a test meal, identical in composition to the experimental diet except that the protein source was labeled either intrinsically or extrinsically with 65Zn. Retention of 65Zn from the chicken test meal was significantly higher than that from the soy test meal. Retention of 65Zn from the mixed soy/chicken test meal was midway between the retention values for either protein alone regardless of which protein source was labeled. Intrinsic and extrinsic labeling techniques resulted in similar assessment of zinc bioavailability. Additionally, the influence of previous dietary protein source on zinc retention from a soy test meal was investigated. Retention of 65Zn from an intrinsically labeled soy test meal was higher in rats adapted to chicken protein than in rats adapted to soy protein. The levels of tibia zinc and tibia 65Zn were associated with whole-body retention of 65Zn.