Urodynamic investigations. Volume/flow and pressure/flow relationship in children (author's transl)

Subject of the report are urodynamic investigations in 122 children with a normal urinary tract and in 168 children with disturbances of the subvesical outflow. The children were divided into four groups corresponding to age and sex. Measuring methods were uroflowmetry and cystometry. The latter was performed with small urethral plastic catheters 1,5 mm in diameter. In comparison with the investigations without catheter our measured values show a revoked or distinctly decreased dependence of the maximal urinary flow on the micturition volume. This behaviour can be explained by an approximately maximal widening of the subvesical outflow tract due to the obstructive effect of the catheter. The pressure/flow relations confirm this behaviour. They correspond to those of a rigid tube with individual constant diameter. This condition permits a good comparison between the measured values and an accurate separation between normal and pathologic cases. Normal ranges of the pressure/flow relations at the moment of maximal flow were calculated and presented by diagrams. Pathologic micturitions can be differentiated and classified by such diagrams. Among the various urodynamic methods the uroflowmetry has a good diagnostic value in boys. With the urethra resistance relation PQmax/Qmax2 a subvesical obstruction may be recognized in both sexes. A better assessment of the functional obstructive effect with regard to compensation and decompensation is only possible with the demonstrated pressure/flow diagrams.     

Conquest by force: A narcissistic reactance theory of rape and sexual coercion.

Men's efforts to force women to engage in unwanted sexual activity can be explained by a combination of reactance theory and narcissism. Reactance theory suggests that deprivation of specific sexual options will cause men to desire them more, to try to reclaim them by forcing sex and by aggressing against the woman who has refused them, and assorted findings support this analysis. Narcissism is proposed to moderate the link, especially because coercion is relatively rare in response to sexual refusals. Evidence about sexually coercive men supports the narcissism hypothesis, such as by showing self-serving cognitive distortions, an excessive concern with being admired, an inflated sense of entitlement, selectively low empathy, and a broadly exploitative approach to heterosexual relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stop, look, listen, and think? What young children really do when crossing the road.

This study sought to provide basic information about children's behaviour in realistic traffic situations. Most literature in this area has focused on children's knowledge about road safety or has assessed their behaviour in simulated traffic environments. However, until more is known about what children actually do in traffic environments, our ability to identify the important elements for inclusion in educational programmes remains limited. Fifty-six children, aged 5-6 years, took part in a 'treasure trail' activity in which they were confronted with two road crossings, one at a T-junction with a moving car and the other between parked cars. Children's performance was videotaped and coded for relevant behaviours such as stopping at the kerb, looking for traffic, direction of gaze, and style of crossing (i.e. walking vs. running). Results revealed that performance was extremely poor. Sixty percent of the children failed to stop before proceeding from the kerb onto the road. Looking for oncoming traffic was exhibited by no more than 41% of the sample, dropping to as low as 7% in some instances. When looking did occur, it was initially as likely to be in the inappropriate direction (i.e. to the left) as in the appropriate direction (i.e. to the right). Consideration of individual performance revealed the existence of individual differences within the sample; such differences were relatively stable across the two road crossings. These findings, based on controlled naturalistic tasks and detailed observational methods, build on earlier studies that are generally able to provide only estimated rates of children's behaviour.     

Diagnosis and treatment of congenital thumb hypoplasia

The hypoplastic thumb has a variety of presentations, which have been generalized into a formal classification system that has treatment implications. In most cases, the spectrum of hypoplasia has predictable deficits in terms of tendon and bone absence. The ultimate goal is always the same--to enhance usage of the radial digit. In this article, a straightforward, reliable, and reproducible surgical technique is discussed and illustrated. Pitfalls, indications, and treatment regimes also are discussed to help the physician successfully treat the child with a hypoplastic thumb.     

Intestinal tuberculosis: return of an old disease

OBJECTIVE: Tuberculosis (TB) can no longer be considered a rare disease in the United States due, in part, to the AIDS epidemic. Because the signs and symptoms of intestinal TB are nonspecific, a high index of suspicion must be maintained to ensure a timely diagnosis. The aim of this article is to review the history, epidemiology, pathophysiology, and treatment of TB. METHODS: This review is based on an examination of the world literature. RESULTS: In only 20% of TB patients is there associated active pulmonary TB. Areas most commonly affected are the jejunoileum and ileocecum, which comprise >75% of gastrointestinal TB sites. Diagnosis requires colonoscopy with multiple biopsies at the ulcer margins and tissue sent for routine histology, smear, and culture. If intestinal TB is suspected, empiric treatment is warranted despite negative histology, smear, and culture results. Treatment is medical, and all patients should receive a full course of antituberculous chemotherapy. Exploratory laparotomy is necessary if the diagnosis is in doubt, in cases in which there is concern about a neoplasm, or for complications that include perforation, obstruction, hemorrhage, or fistulization. CONCLUSIONS: This review draws attention to the resurgence of tuberculosis in the United States. An increased awareness of intestinal tuberculosis, coupled with knowledge of the pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment should increase the number of cases diagnosed, thus improving the outcome for patients with this disease.     

The use of microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography in pharmaceutical analysis

The use of a single set of microemulsion electrokinetic chromatography (MEEKC) separation conditions has been assessed for its applicability in the analysis of a range of pharmaceutical compounds. Particular emphasis was placed on neutral or very hydrophobic compounds, which can be difficult to analyse by conventional capillary electrophoresis. The microemulsion employed for the majority of separations consisted of 0.81% w/w octane, 6.61% w/w 1-butanol, 3.31% w/w sodium dodecyl sulphate and 89.27% w/w 10 mM sodium tetraborate buffer. Good separations of methyl, ethyl, butyl and propyl hydroxybenzoates, and a range of ionic and neutral water soluble and insoluble compounds was achieved using a single set of separation conditions. A number of novel applications of MEEKC were developed included the simultaneous determination of the active components and preservatives in liquid formulation and determination of drug related impurities. Improved performance was obtained through use of internal standards and preparation of the samples dissolved in the microemulsion solution. Validation aspects such as linearity, repeatability, accuracy, injection precision and sensitivity were successfully assessed.     

Characterization of two distinct monoclonal antibodies specific for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor

The kinesin-related motor protein CHO1/MKLP1 was initially thought to be expressed only in mitotic cells, where it presumably transports oppositely oriented microtubules relative to one another in the spindle mid-zone. We have recently shown that CHO1/MKLP1 is also expressed in cultured neuronal cells, where it is enriched in developing dendrites [Sharp et al. (1997a) J. Cell Biol., 138, 833-843]. The putative function of CHO1/MKLP1 in these postmitotic cells is to intercalate minus-end-distal microtubules among oppositely oriented microtubules within developing dendrites, thereby establishing their non-uniform microtubule polarity pattern. Here we used in situ hybridization to determine whether CHO1/MKLP1 is expressed in a variety of rodent neurons both in vivo and in vitro. These analyses revealed that CHO1/MKLP1 is expressed within various neuronal populations of the brain including those in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, olfactory bulb and cerebellum. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) levels are high within these neurons well after the completion of their terminal mitotic division and throughout the development of their dendrites. After this, the levels decrease and are relatively low within the adult brain. Parallel analyses on developing hippocampal neurons in culture indicate that the levels of expression increase dramatically just prior to dendritic development, and then decrease somewhat after the dendrites have differentiated. Dorsal root ganglion neurons, which generate axons but not dendrites, express significantly lower levels of mRNA for CHO1/MKLP1 than hippocampal or sympathetic neurons. These results are consistent with the proposed role of CHO1/MKLP1 in establishing the dendritic microtubule array.     

Milk leakage in nonlactating women: a randomized clinical trial evaluating a polyvinyl chloride device versus disposable breast pads

A randomized clinical trial was carried out to evaluate the safety and helpfulness of the LactaPrev System (LPS) compared with disposable pads for milk leakage management for postpartum, nonlactating women (those who do not breastfeed). Fifty-five women completed the single-blind, randomized trial. Participants wore each device on each breast concurrently. Assignment of the LPS or pad to each breast was done randomly. Fifty-eight percent of participants preferred the LPS. The longer the participation in the study, which correlated with the duration of milk leakage, the greater the preference (p = 0.05). Preference was related to bra size (p = 0.05). The smaller the bra size, the greater the preference for the LPS. There was no greater incidence of complications from the LPS compared with the disposable breast pad.     

Immobilization and health assessment of free-ranging black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus chamek)

Eight free-ranging black spider monkeys (Ateles paniscus chamek) were immobilized with Telazol in Bolivia for the purpose of radio-collaring. During this procedure, the animals received complete medical examinations, and samples were collected for health analyses. Biochemical test results varied with the degree of condition of the animals, and a variety of physical abnormalities were found. Evidence of previous infections with Leptospira sp., encephalitis virus, and yellow fever virus was found. All findings contribute to establishing baseline health values for the species. The handling of primates for research projects provides a valuable opportunity to collect health-related data and samples that can contribute to wildlife management and conservation efforts. The capture and handling of free-ranging primates is always accompanied by risk of injury or mortality. It is ethically important to maximize the amount of information gathered during these procedures. Furthermore, sharing the undesirable impacts with the scientific community enables informed decisions to be made during future project development.