Visual impairment in Swedish children. III. Diagnoses

PURPOSE: To gain an overview of the spectrum of diagnoses among Swedish visually impaired children. METHODS: An epidemiological study of all known visually impaired children was made by review of medical records. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In all we found 2373 children, 0-19 years of age, with an age-specific prevalence of 10.9/10,000. The two largest diagnostic groups included neuro-ophthalmological and retinal diseases. The most frequent disorders were cerebral visual impairment, non-hereditary optic atrophy, retinal dystrophy (when regarded as a general entity), congenital hypoplasia of the optic nerve and congenital cataract. Nystagmus secondary to brain disorder, albinism, congenital nystagmus, retinopathy of prematurity and high myopia were also found in a considerable number of patients. The leading diagnoses in children with WHO-defined childhood blindness were non-hereditary optic atrophy, cerebral visual impairment and retinopathy of prematurity. A large proportion of the children, especially in the groups with neuro-ophthalmological disorders and malformations of the posterior segment had additional impairments, emphasizing the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach when assessing multi-handicapped children.     

Human recombinant anti-Rh(D) monoclonal antibodies: improvement of biological properties by in vitro class-switch

The aim of this study was to investigate how intrauterine growth retardation affects body proportions in VLBW infants. The cohort consisted of 135 surviving and 80 deceased preterm infants weighing less than 1250 grams at birth. Gestational age varied between 24 and 36 weeks (mean age 29.7 and 27.5 weeks, respectively). Birth weight was more than 2 SD below the mean birth standard values in 32% of the surviving, and in 27% of the deceased infants. Reduction of weight, length and head circumference at birth was analysed using Z scores based on Swedish birth standards. Z scores of weight, length and head circumference were highly correlated in the surviving and the deceased infants (r = 0.78 to 0.94 and 0.65 to 0.97, respectively). Length was significantly more affected by growth retardation than weight. Weight and head circumference were proportionately reduced. Intrauterine growth retardation influences body proportions in VLBW infants differently than in larger preterm and term infants.     

In times of survival, the right of silence

The purpose of this study was to assess cortical and cancellous bone responses to unilateral limb immobilization and, subsequently, to remobilization with exercise, in a young adult canine model. Right forelimbs of 14 1-2-year old mongrel dogs were immobilized in a non-weight-bearing position by a bandage for 16 weeks. Six control dogs were untreated. At 16 weeks, seven immobilized and three control dogs were euthanized. The remaining seven immobilized dogs began a recovery protocol consisting of 16 weeks of kennel confinement (without the right forelimb bandaged) followed by 16 weeks of treadmill exercise conducted three times per week. These seven dogs and three control dogs were euthanized at 48 weeks. Bone mineral density of the proximal radii was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and humeral middiaphyseal cross-sectional areas were determined with computed tomography. Humeri were tested in cranio-caudal three-point bending to failure. Cancellous bone cores from the lateral humeral condyles had wet apparent density determined and were tested to failure in compression. Mechanical properties, bone density, and cross-sectional areas were compared between immobilized (right forelimb), contralateral weight bearing (left forelimb), and control forelimbs with Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc tests. At 16 weeks, bone mineral density, cortical load, yield, and stiffness as well as cancellous bone failure stress, yield stress, and modulus were significantly lower (p < 0.02) for immobilized limbs than control limbs. Immobilized limb cancellous bone mechanical properties were 28%-74% of control values, and cortical bone mechanical properties were 71%-98% of control values. After 32 weeks of remobilization, cortical and cancellous bone mechanical properties were not different from control values except that cortical bone failure stress and modulus were significantly higher (p < 0.01) between remobilized and control limbs. In summary, 16 weeks of forelimb immobilization was associated with significantly lower mechanical properties, and with greater differences in cancellous than cortical bone properties. Mechanical properties were not different from control values after 32 weeks of recovery that included 16 weeks of treadmill exercise.     

Analyses of rhythms of the body temperature in free running in rats

The objective of this study was to determine the disturbances of urea in serum and urine of endurance trained volunteers during prolonged exposure to hypokinesia (decreased number of km/day). The studies during hypokinesia (HK) were performed for 364 days on twenty long-distance runners in the age of 23 to 26 years, with an average peak oxygen uptake, of 66 ml.kg.min-1. All volunteers were divided into two equal groups: Ten volunteers were placed on a continuous regime of exercise 14.8 km/day and served as control subjects (CS). The remaining volunteers were subjected to continuous HK without the use of any preventive measures and were considered as the hypokinetic subjects (HS). For the simulation of the hypokinetic effect, the HS were kept continuously under an average of 2.7 km/day for the duration of the study. Prior to exposure to HK, the HS were on the same exercise regime as the CS. During a 60 day pre-HK period and during the experimental period, urinary excretion of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium and calcium and concentrations thereof in serum were measured. In the HS the concentrations of urea, creatinine, sodium, potassium and calcium in serum and the rate of excretion thereof in urine increased significantly when compared to the CS. It was concluded that prolonged restriction of muscular activity induces significant disturbances of urea in serum and urine of endurance trained volunteers.     

Climatic solar roof: an ecological alternative to heat dissipation in buildings

A new system based on the harnessing of solar and wind power is presented for heat dissipation in air conditioning facilities. The innovation offered by the new system is the integration of two well-known subsystems: a cooling tower and a solar chimney which increases the air flow without the use of electric power. The system is described and presented together with a model for its study. The field data acquired from the prototype built in southern Spain establishes the actual potential of the system, which provides a new approach to a sustainable technological development.     

The new intra-urban dynamics: Suburbanisation and functional specialisation in French cities

This article examines the relationships between the employment suburbanisation from central cities towards their suburbs, and the process of intra-urban specialisation that occurred simultaneously in the fifty largest French metropolitan areas. A methodology is proposed to identify urban subcentres and to analyse the effects of the intra-urban specialisations on suburbanisation patterns. We conclude that the specialisation of both subcentres and central cities has a significant effect on suburbanisation rates. Lastly, an intra-metropolitan shift/share analysis provides additional insights into the employment dynamics of central cities and suburbs during the last twenty years. Received: 25 July 2000 / Accepted: 29 May 2001     

Comparative study of the colorants monascus and cochineal used in the preparation of gels made with various gelling agents

The possibilities of using monascus to colour gels were studied by comparing it with cochineal. Gels were prepared with four gelling agents—carrageenan, gellan, gelatine and xanthan—and their colour was measured with a Hunter Lab colorimeter. The equations relating L^* and h with the concentrations of sugar [SU] and colorant [COL] were deduced, and it was found that [COL] had more influence on colour than [SU]. In general, for these four gelling agents the colour of monascus gels is orange-red and the colour of cochineal gels is purplish red. The gels made with xanthan were always the lightest, whether they were made with cochineal or with monascus.