Do children with primary nocturnal enuresis have a retarded bone age? A cross‐sectional study

OBJECTIVE: Nocturnal enuresis is a common pediatric problem, the etiology of which is unclear. In recent years, various studies have been published stating that children with nocturnal enuresis exhibit growth and skeletal maturation retardation. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we included 27 patients (16 boys, 11 girls) between the ages of 6 and 14 years who had presented with primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) complaints. We included in the evaluation 19 healthy subjects (12 boys, 7 girls), who were the siblings of the children with PNE, as the control group. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were similar in chronological age, bone age, height and weight, with no significant difference between groups (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: The two groups in our study consisted of the same genetic background. Thus, our results were found to be different from the previous studies. We have concluded that there is no direct relationship between enuresis nocturnal and skeletal maturation.     

Changes in the Eeg Background Activity of Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia During Cytotoxic Therapy

Thirteen children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were investigated before and during cytotoxic therapy. EEG findings were correlated with the clinical course and the therapy protocol and compared with normal data obtained from 295 healthy children. Frequency analysis of the background activity of the EEG revealed an initial slowing of the background activity prior to therapy and further slowing each time a combination of vincristine (VCR), daunorubicine (DAU) or adriblastine (ADR), prednisone (FRED), and L-asparaginase (L-ASP) was administered. The slowing of the background activity correlated only with the administration of these drugs. DAU, ADR, and FRED are not known to influence the EEG; therefore, VCR and L-ASP remain the primary candidates responsible for the central nervous system alteration.     

多普勒超声心动图食道调搏负荷试验对冠心病左室功能的评价

本文对１９例冠心病患者和１３例健康人进行了经食道心房调搏负荷多普勒超声心动图检查，旨在观察此法对冠心病患者的诊断价值。结果表明：（１）静息状态下多普勒超声心动图各项心功能指标二组之间无显著差异（Ｐ＞０．０５）；（２）在经食道心房调搏试验中左心室收缩指标Ｖｍａｘ、Ｖｍｅａｎ、ＶＴＩ、ＳＶ、ＣＯ等与对照组比较有显著差异（Ｐ＜０．００ｌ），以此几项指标进行二类判别分析，符合率达９３．７５％。结论认为经食道心房调搏负荷多普勒超声心动图是诊断冠心病的一项较敏感、无创易行的方法。     

解脲脲原体与自然流产关系的探讨

采用聚合酶链反应技术对３２例自然流产患者的宫颈粘液及其中２２例清宫组织进行解脲脲原体（ＵＵ）检测，并与３０例人工流产妇女比较。结果表明：自然流产与ＵＵ寄生于宫颈无关（Ｐ＞０．０５），与宫内感染ＵＵ明显相关（Ｐ＜０．０５）。     

Directional asymmetry in smooth ocular tracking in the presence of visual background in young and adult primates

The smooth pursuit system moves the eyes in space accurately while compensating for visual inputs from the moving background and/or vestibular inputs during head movements. To understand the mechanisms underlying such interactions, we examined the influence of a stationary textured visual background on smooth pursuit tracking and compared the results in young and adult humans and monkeys. Six humans (three children, three adults) and six macaque monkeys (five young, one adult) were used. Human eye movements were recorded using infrared oculography and evoked by a sinusoidally moving target presented on a computer monitor. Scleral search coils were used for monkeys while they tracked a target presented on a tangent screen. The target moved in a sinusoidal or trapezoidal fashion with or without whole body rotation in the same plane. Two kinds of backgrounds, homogeneous and stationary textured, were used. Eye velocity gains (eye velocity/target velocity) were calculated in each condition to compare the influence of the textured background. Children showed asymmetric eye movements during vertical pursuit across the textured (but not the homogeneous) background; upward pursuit was severely impaired, and consisted mostly of catch-up saccades. In contrast, adults showed no asymmetry during pursuit across the different backgrounds. Monkeys behaved similarly; only slight effects were observed with the textured background in a mature monkey, whereas upward pursuit was severely impaired in young monkeys. In addition, VOR cancellation was severely impaired during upward eye and head movements, resulting in residual downward VOR in young monkeys. From these results, we conclude that the directional asymmetry observed in young primates may reflect a different neural organization of the vertical, particularly upward, pursuit system in the face of conflicting visual and vestibular inputs that can be associated with pursuit eye movements. Apparently, proper compensation matures later. Electronic Publication     

Erratum: Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1): Identification of eight unreported mutations in NF1 gene in Italian patients

In the original version of this article, the title was incorrect. Please find the correct title given here. The publisher deeply regrets this error. The original article to which this Erratum refers was published in Human Mutation 22:179–180 Human Mutation(2003) 22(2) 179–180     

How to improve microscopic images obtained with consumer-type digital cameras

AIM: Digital imaging is useful in conventional photography because it immediately provides images, and the image quality can be improved afterwards by the use of computer programs. The major disadvantages of consumer-type digital cameras mounted on microscopes are (i) unequal illumination through the image, and (ii) a coloured background. A computer program was specifically adapted and refined to improve images obtained with consumer-type digital cameras mounted on microscopes. METHODS AND RESULTS: An approach using a division operation between the specimen image and a background image leads to homogeneous illumination throughout the image, with automatically corrected brightness and white background. The correct colour spectrum is preserved by correction of the histogram. This approach was obtained from the freeware computer program 'Image Arithmetic'. In a test, three different consumer-type digital cameras (Sony, Nikon, Olympus) on different microscopes were used to obtain images of different types of histological specimens (cervical smear, bone marrow biopsy, and colonic biopsy). The computer program dramatically improved the quality of images obtained with all tested cameras. CONCLUSION: Using this approach, even low-cost digital cameras mounted on microscopes produce brilliant images with homogeneous illumination and a white background, the image quality being comparable with expensive cameras especially designed for microscopes.     

Longitudinal studies of drug abuse in a fifteen-year-old population. 5. Prognostic factors

In an attempt to identify prognostic factors, non-drug users and abusers in the Gothenburg year cohort of 1953 were compared with reference to background data. Individuals with chronic abuse differed most from the "normal" group. Prognostic factors for drug abuse were: member of a multiproblem family, child psychiatric care, contact with the Social Welfare Administration at an early age, truancy, placement in special class, premature drop-out from school, admitted high-frequency drug use in a school questionnaire, for boys early registration for crimes and for girls nervous complaints. The results indicate the necessity of earlier and more effective prevention.     

湿温病湿重于热证的动物实验研究

用多因素综合造模方法,模拟湿温病湿重于热证的发生发展过程,观察实验动物血液生化、免疫功能的变化及病理切片。并用自拟中药燥湿运脾汤治疗模型动物,观察其治疗前后的变化。初步揭示湿重于热证的病理实质以及燥湿运脾汤的作用机理。     

克肝胶囊治疗慢性乙型肝炎的临床研究

目的：观察克肝胶囊治疗慢性乙型肝炎的临床疗效。方法：用克肝胶囊治疗６０例慢性乙型肝炎患并与干抗素组（６０例）进行对照。结果：中药克肝胶囊能明显改善临床症状,总有效率（９３．３３％）,明显优于干扰素组（Ｐ＜０．０１）。与治疗前比较,能显降低ＡＬＴ、ＡＳＴ、γ－ＧＴ（Ｐ＜０．０１）,显升高ＡＬＢ、Ａ／Ｇ（Ｐ＜０．０５）,与干扰素组比无显性（Ｐ＞０．０５）。结论：克肝胶囊能明显改善慢性乙型肝炎的