Poor co-ordination in 5 year olds: A screening test for use in schools

A simple standardized screening test (South Australian Motor Co-ordination Screening Test, SAM Test) was developed to screen for poor co-ordination in 5 year olds; This SAM Test, which can be used by teachers, nurses and doctors, has explicit pass/fail criteria and has classified correctly 90% of children. The McCarthy Motor Scales, which are time consuming and limited to use by psychologists, were used to categorize 60 poorly co-ordinated and 60 normal children. The 120 children thus selected were tested on 19 items covering gross and fine motor skills. Statistical analysis to determine which items best discriminated between the two groups found the following five gross motor items to be most effective: one leg balancing, hopping, heel-toe walking on line, jumping Over ribbon and dropping ball and catching.     

Undersensing of VF in a Patient With Optimal R Wave Sensing During Sinus Rhythm

We describe a case of potentially fatal undersensing of VF by a third generation ICD with predetermined automatic gain control. In this patient, ventricular sensing was optimal, as R wave amplitudes during sinus rhythm were at least 16 mV. Cyclical, high amplitude signals during VF elevated the sensing floor to such an extent that complete undersensing of subsequent lower amplitude local electrograms occurred. This led to bradypacing and complete ICD therapy failure. Therefore, high R wave amplitudes during sinus rhythm do not warrant flawless sensing during VF. (PACE 2004; 27[Pt. I] 833–834)     

Uroscopy in the 21st century: high-field NMR spectroscopy

From the experiments described, it can be seen that there are different research approaches that can be taken and these are summarized in Table 1. Whereas much scientific research is principally hypothesis led, there remains, nevertheless, an important place for exploratory research. High resolution NMR can measure, directly and simultaneously, a wide range of endogenous metabolites in biological fluids and has the unique capability of providing structural information on the metabolites detected. It has proved to be a powerful research tool with which to study inherited metabolic diseases, renal disease, drug metabolism, and toxicity, and can be used to monitor the effects of drug therapy. For instance, by using a library of experimental toxins one can map the metabolic profile of site-specific nephron injury. With this approach in man one could eventually take an unknown disease such as Balkan nephropathy and predict the initial site of tubular injury, the mode of injury and therefore the kind of toxin capable of producing that injury. NMR spectroscopic techniques are still advancing rapidly, with ever increasing sensitivity and sophistication of NMR pulse sequences to enhance structural elucidation in complex mixtures. Given the advances in directly coupled HPLC-NMR and even HPLC-NMR-mass spectroscopy it is likely that these technologies in conjunction with pattern recognition will make major contribution to our understanding of renal processes and provide new diagnostic insights in the 21st century.      

Temporal stability of lipid responses to acute psychological stress in middle-aged men

The purpose of this study was to establish the temporal stability of lipid responses to acute psychological stress. Eighteen men were tested twice an average of 16.2 months apart in identical laboratory reactivity protocols. Total cholesterol, triglycerides, high- and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, plasma volume, heart rate, and blood pressure were assessed during rest, serial subtraction, and speech. After correction for changes in plasma volume, significant elevations were recorded for all variables during the speech task, but fewer variables showed changes during the serial subtraction task. Strong intersession associations were found when considering levels of the variables during baseline and stress (rs≥58). Correlations for the change scores ranged from .36 to .52 for the atherogenic lipids and from .39 to .87 for the cardiovascular variables. Little evidence was found for stability of plasma volume changes. There is moderate to high temporal stability of the atherogenic lipids when considering rest and stress levels and small to moderate temporal stability when considering change scores.     

Chronic Morpholine Exposure of Rats

Chronic Morpholine Exposure of Rats. HARBISON, R. D., MARINO,D. J., CONAWAY, C. C., RUBIN, L. F., AND GANDY, J. (1989). FundamAppl. Toxicol. 12,491–507. The chronic toxicity and carcinogenicpotential of morpholine were evaluated in 60 Sprague-Dawleyrats/sex/group receiving morpholine at mean inhalation exposureconcentrations of 0, 10, 50 and 150 ppm for 6 hr/day, 5 days/week,for 104 weeks. Survival, body weight gains, organ weights, hematology,and clinical chemistries were normal in exposed groups and comparableto those of the control animals. The incidences of palpabletissue masses and of histologically confirmed neoplasia werecomparable among all groups, including the control groups, andwere typical of the strain and age of the rats tested. In-lifeclinical examinations revealed increased incidences of irritationaround the eyes and nares, chromadacryorrhea, and urine stainson the fur, predominately in high-dose animals. Morpholine exposurewas associated with corneal irritation seen by ophthalmoscopicexamination and confirmed microscopically as keratitis limitedto the highest exposure group. Irritation of the maxillary andnasoturbinates as indicated by infiltration of neutrophils,focal squamous metaplasia of the turbinate epithelium, and necrosisof the turbinate bone was observed in high-dose animals. Therefore,chronic exposure of rats to morpholine for 2 years at concentrationsof 150 ppm or less revealed no carcinogenic potential or chronicsystemic toxicity. Consistent with its known irritating properties,morpholine produced only local irritation, which was limitedalmost exclusively to high-dose animals.     

Decision support in psychiatry – a comparison between the diagnostic outcomes using a computerized decision support system versus manual diagnosis

Background  

Correct diagnosis in psychiatry may be improved by novel diagnostic procedures. Computerized Decision Support Systems (CDSS) are suggested to be able to improve diagnostic procedures, but some studies indicate possible problems. Therefore, it could be important to investigate CDSS systems with regard to their feasibility to improve diagnostic procedures as well as to save time.     

An improved low-formaldehyde embalming fluid to preserve cadavers for anatomy teaching

The desired properties required for successful embalming of cadavers for gross anatomy teaching include: (1) good long-term structural preservation of organs and tissues with minimal shrinkage or distortion; (2) prevention of over-hardening, while maintaining flexibility and suppleness of internal organs; (3) prevention of desiccation; (4) prevention of fungal or bacterial growth and spread within a specific cadaver and to other cadavers in the dissection room; (5) reduction of potential biohazards (spread of infection to dissection personnel and students); (6) reduction of environmental chemical hazards (especially from formaldehyde and phenol) in order to comply with increasingly severe health and safety regulations and a new awareness of possible dangers of these chemicals in the workplace; and (7) retention of colour of tissues and organs while minimising oxidation effects that result in 'browning'.