Highlights of the year in gastroenterology

The past 12 months have been a period of steady progress in the field of gastroenterology. Helicobacter pylori continues to dominate many areas of clinical research and the indications for eradication are increasing. A potent, topically-acting corticosteroid for Crohn's disease, and new hope and potential treatments for IBS sufferers are other developments.     

Highlights lecture of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine and the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology Congress, Berlin 1998. Where next and how?

Nuclear medicine benefits not only the people of developed countries but also those who are in developing or deteriorating countries. The combination of diagnostic imaging, tissue characterisation, function measurement and targeted therapy is powerful and cost-effective. This congress provides a sample of nuclear medicine's contribution to the world.     

A process evaluation of condom availability in the Seattle, Washington public schools

In 1993, Seattle began making condoms available in all of its 15 high schools. As part of an evaluation of this program, 16 focus groups with students from 13 high schools were conducted to explore students' perceptions of the school environment, program effectiveness, and suggestions for program improvement. The study also included data from a student survey conducted in 10 high schools. The focus group results revealed that students support school condom availability but have concerns about privacy when obtaining condoms. Students prefer obtaining condoms from baskets in private areas of school-based clinics to obtaining them from vending machines. Students do not believe that having condoms available has affected sexual activity or condom use among students. Recommendations for improving school condom availability include access to free condoms in private locations.     

The impact of asthma and asthma-like illness in Seattle school children

The impact of asthma and asthma-like illness was measured in a population of 5-9-year-old Seattle public school children. Child health information was obtained from a survey of 1665 parents of first and second grade students to assess medical services use and impaired physical functioning among diagnosed asthmatics and those with current wheezing, defined as wheezing in the past 12 months without a diagnosis of asthma, relative to an asymptomatic population with neither condition. Relative to the asymptomatic population, the prevalence of respiratory-related activity limitation, and perception of poorer child health was larger among diagnosed asthmatics than children with current wheezing. However, the prevalence of sleep disturbances, school absences, medical services use, and parental concern over their child's health was similar for both the asthmatic and wheezing groups relative to the asymptomatic group. Also, in both symptomatic groups, a history of moderate or severe wheezing was associated with an increased prevalence of respiratory-related sleep disturbances and activity limitation. The similarity between the impact of diagnosed asthma and undiagnosed asthma-like illness suggests that the overall social and economic burden of asthma may be higher than previously estimated.     

Psychology and the United States science exhibit: Seattle World's Fair, 1962.

"The increasing interest in psychology as a science of behavior is being recognized at the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle, April 21 to October 21, 1962. An entire section on psychology has been included." The 6 exhibits relating to psychology involve: (a) conditioned reactions in salmon, (b) imprinting in chicks, (c) surrogate mothering in monkeys, (d) heredity and environment effects in mice, (e) visual discrimination in pigeons, (f) the value of teaching machines. "The educational effect on the public should be a meaningful one." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cohort differences in cognitive aging and terminal decline in the Seattle Longitudinal Study.

Life span researchers have long been interested in how and why fundamental aspects of human ontogeny differ between cohorts of people who have lived through different historical epochs. When examined at the same age, later born cohorts are often cognitively and physically fitter than earlier born cohorts. Less is known, however, about cohort differences in the rate of cognitive aging and if, at the very end of life, pervasive mortality-related processes overshadow and minimize cohort differences. We used data on 5 primary mental abilities from the Seattle Longitudinal Study (Schaie, 2005) to compare both age-related and mortality-related changes between earlier born cohorts (1886–1913) and later born cohorts (1914–1948). Our models covary for several individual and cohort differences in central indicators of life expectancy, education, health, and gender. Age-related growth models corroborate and extend earlier findings by documenting level differences at age 70 of up to 0.50 SD and less steep rates of cognitive aging on all abilities between 50 and 80 years of age favoring the later born cohort. In contrast, mortality-related models provide limited support for positive cohort differences. The later born cohort showed steeper mortality-related declines. We discuss possible reasons why often reported positive secular trends in age-related processes may not generalize to the vulnerable segment of the population that is close to death and suggest routes for further inquiry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Highlights on endothelins: a review

The endothelins (ET) are a family of contractile peptides made up of 21 amino acids. They are synthesised from larger precursors and they are expressed in different tissues. ET-1 is synthesised in endothelial cells by means of a specific endothelin converting enzyme and it is assumed that most of it is secreted into the basolateral compartment. It acts in a paracrine manner on the ETA and ETB2 receptors located on the surface of the vascular smooth muscle to elicit an increase in intracellular calcium and vasoconstriction. The circulating ET-1 can also activate endothelial ETC and ETB1 receptors releasing vascular smooth muscle relaxing factors, such as nitric oxide and prostacyclin. At present, it is generally accepted that ET-1 is a vasodilator in physiological conditions acting on endothelium ETB1 receptors. Nevertheless, in pathological situations such as hypertension, heart failure, acute myocardial infarction, acute renal failure and vasospastic conditions (Raynaud's disease and subarachnoid haemorrhage), ET-1 levels increase and it binds to the receptors present in vascular smooth muscle in such a way that its vasoconstrictor effect is manifested. Currently, experimental and clinical evidence exists to support the importance of the development of drugs that block the production or actions of ET for use in cardiovascular medicine, particularly in conditions in which these peptides are clearly implicated.