To what extent does IQ 'explain' socio-economic variations in function?

Background  

The aims of this study were to examine the extent to which higher intellectual abilities protect higher socio-economic groups from functional decline and to examine whether the contribution of intellectual abilities is independent of childhood deprivation and low birth weight and other socio-economic and developmental factors in early life.     

New advances in treating osteoporotic compression fractures.

Osteoporosis is a chronic and potentially debilitating disease. A painful consequence of osteoporosis is a compression fracture of a vertebral body of the spine. These fractures can lead to physical deformities and emotional trauma. Treatment options for these fractures are limited and occasionally ineffective. New surgical advances in treating vertebro-compression fractures are evolving. Kyphoplasty is a new surgical procedure now being used to treat the painful compression fracture.     

Discordant repeat size and phenotype in Kennedy syndrome

Previous reports in the literature have described correlation of increasing repeat length with severity of the phenotype, in Kennedy syndrome. We describe male siblings with different repeat lengths, with lack of expression of the phenotype in the sibling with the longer repeat length. The phenotype was identical to motor neurone disease. There is variability of expression in Kennedy syndrome and repeat length even in siblings cannot be taken as a conclusive indicator of severity. CAG repeat length cannot be used to predict the natural history of Kennedy disease. The diagnosis of Kennedy syndrome should be considered in male patients presenting with atypical motor neurone disease.     

Cast syndrome

The term cast syndrome is used to denote duodenal obstruction occurring after application of a corrective plaster cast to patients with scoliosis. We report a classical case in a 14-year-old female who required surgical intervention after conservative treatment failed. Six months later the patient had no further gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical, radiological, and pathological details as well as the surgical treatment are described and discussed. Offprint requests to: M. E. Martín Hortigüela     

Porphyrins and pentachlorophenol in rat-liver mitochondria in hexachlorobenzene-induced porphyria

This study investigated the extent of impairment in functional parameters of liver mitochondria from rats treated for 60 days with hexachlorobenzene (HCB). A constant amount of mitochondrial uncoupling was found throughout the treatment period. At the same time a nearly constant amount of pentachlorophenol was detected in these mitochondria. In contrast, the level of mitochondrial porphyrins increased progressively. There was good correlation between the concentration of mitochondrial pentachlorophenol and the degree of uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation.