Inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion

Two cases of pulmonary tuberculosis with an inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (ADH) secretion are presented, and the possible mechanism of the syndrome is discussed. S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1161 (1974)

Osteoporosis in the rheumatoid hand the effects of treatment with D-penicillamine and oral gold salts

Osteoporosis is a common and important feature of rheumatoid disease which can be further influenced by the treatment admiflistered. o-penicillamine. a lathyritic agent. can also theoretically hasten the osteoporotic process through its effect on collagen metabolism. In the present study the effects of the long-term second-line drugs o-penicillamine and oral gold (Auranofin) on bone density are presented. All the patients studied lost bone mineral over the 3-year period, but continuous D-penicillamine therapy for 1 year reversed this t"rend. Oral gold did not have the same effect. Measurements of bone density are an accurate indirect measurement of hand function, and there is a good correlation between hand function and the progress of osteoporosis. It is therefore suggested that treatment with o-penicillamine reverses the tendency to lose bone mineral improving synovitis. thus leading to improved hand function

High-dispersion spectroscopic observations of Venus during 1968 and 1969 II. The carbon-dioxide band at 8689A

Thirty well-exposed photographic plates showing the spectrum of the carbon dioxide band at 8689A in the atmosphere of Venus were obtained during 1968 and 1969. All spectra were obtained at a dispersion of 2 A/mm for Venus phase angles varying from 10 deg. to 126 deg. Rotational temperatures ranging from 236 K to 274 K were found. The average value of the rotational temperature is 246 + or - 1 K (one standard deviation); for 1967 observations, the rotational temperatures ranged from 222 to 248 K, with an average value of 238 + or - 4 K. The variation of the equivalent width of the 8689A band, with Venus phase angle, was very similar for the two sets of observations (53 plates). The temporal variations, of approximately 30 percent, were comparable with the phase variations over this limited range of phase angle

Neurofibromatosis with renovascular hypertension

A 13-year-old Black patient presented with neurofibromatosis complicated by hypertension. Repeated normal vanillylmandelic acid estimations seemed to exclude a phaeochromocytoma. A transfemoral aortogram showed a double left renal artery, one branch narrowed with a poststenotic dilatation, and the other dilated. The ratio of left to right renal vein renin values was 1,75. Reconstructive surgery was not possible, and a nephrectomy was done. The blood pressure decreased during the 3-week postoperative period before the patient was discharged. A short review of the literature is presented.S. Afr. Med. J., 48, 1537 (1974)

Ökologischer Anbau von Zierpflanzen und Baumschulerzeugnissen - Struktur, Entwicklung, Probleme, politischer Handlungsbedarf

In the Federal Organic Farming Scheme Project "Organic production of ornamental plants and nursery trees - structure of the industry, development, problems and required policy initiatives“a quantitative and qualitative survey of certified organic and conventional / integrated nurseries was carried out. The aim was to assess the current status of production and marketing of organic ornamentals in Germany and to provide an overview of the general framework of this industry. • Currently approximately 1 % of the nurseries producing ornamentals in Germany are organic. Considering the small scale of many of the organic units, the share of total sales (2.4 billion Euro or 7.6 % of agricultural production in 2001) is likely to be lower. • Field and greenhouse production of organic annuals and perennials constitutes an estimated 56 ha and 12 ha, respectively. Organic field and container production of trees and shrubs constitutes an estimated 370 ha and 7 ha, respectively. • 90% of the organic nurseries surveyed would choose organic production again, if faced with the question of conversion a second time. • Fewer problems than anticipated were encountered in production - even in pest and disease management. However, problems persist in weed control and continuity of nutrient supply from the growing media. Other challenges were the sourcing of organically acceptable inputs (such as seedlings or growing media) in the production of annuals and perennials. In tree nurseries especially the decline in plant vigour caused by the common practice of successive planting of rosaceae raised difficulties. • Marketing was quoted to be the biggest problem for nurseries which engage in direct marketing. Wholesalers anticipated the biggest problems with the continuity and consistency of the supply of quality product. • The majority of organic operations surveyed encountered financial difficulties during the conversion period and afterwards. • 32 % of growers from integrated operations have already considered organic production, but have - for economic reasons - not pursued this idea further. • The operations surveyed noted that organic standards need expansion and revisions to cover their industry; and that organic inspectors were lacking sufficient technical knowledge. State subsidies for organic ornamental nurseries were found to be inconsistent between the member states of the Federal Republic of Germany. • A high need for an organic advisory service for these types of operations was indicated, but has not been sufficiently met to date. Further, there was almost no research about the organic production of ornamentals. Conclusion Organic production of ornamentals, trees and shrubs is technically feasible - but for further development this sector requires improvement of the basic conditions such as market structure, advisory services, subsidies and research activities

Beurteilung der Osseointegration einer Silberbeschichtung von Hüftendoprothesen bei Hunden anhand mikroskopischer Techniken

Die Studie sollte unter Verwendung mikroskopischer Techniken belegen, dass eine silberbeschichtete Hüftendoprothese ebenso gut in den Knochen osseointegriert wird wie eine baugleiche Titanprothese ohne Silberbeschichtung. In einer doppelblind, randomisierten in vivo Studie wurde 20 Beagle-Hunden eine Hüftendoprothese (10 Titan, 10 silberbeschichtet) in einen ihrer Hinterläufe implantiert. 365 Tage postoperativ wurden die Femora mikroskopischen Untersuchungen zugeführt. Mikroskopisch zeigte sich, dass die mit Silber beschichteten Endoprothesen in keinem einzigen Fall mit direktem Knochen-Implantatkontakt in ihr Lager integriert wurden. Eine bindegewebige Matrix trennte das Implantat vom umliegenden Knochen. Die implantierten Titanprothesen zeigten sich in jedem Fall fest in ihr Lager integriert. Ursächlich für die nicht stattgehabte Osseointegration in der Silberprothesengruppe sehen wir toxische Effekte einer zu hohen Silberkonzentration auf die Osteoblasten im periprothetischen Gewebe

The effect of e-learning on the quality of orthodontic appliances

Purpose: The effect of e-learning on practical skills in medicine has not yet been thoroughly investigated. Today’s multimedia learning environment and access to e-books provide students with more knowledge than ever before. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of online demonstrations concerning the quality of orthodontic appliances manufactured by undergraduate dental students. Materials and methods: The study design was a parallel-group randomized clinical trial. Fifty-four participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 1) conventional lectures, 2) conventional lectures plus written online material, and 3) access to resources of groups one and two plus access to online video material. Three orthodontic appliances (Schwarz Plate, U-Bow Activator, and Fränkel Regulator) were manufactured during the course and scored by two independent raters blinded to the participants. A 15-point scale index was used to evaluate the outcome quality of the appliances. Results: In general, no significant differences were found between the groups. Concerning the appliances, the Schwarz Plate obtained the highest scores, whereas the Fränkel Regulator had the lowest scores; however, these results were independent of the groups. Females showed better outcome scores than males in groups two and three, but the difference was insignificant. Age of the participants also had no significant effect. Conclusion: The offer that students could use additional time and course-independent e-learning resources did not increase the outcome quality of the orthodontic appliances. The advantages of e-learning observed in the theoretical fields of medicine were not achieved in the educational procedures for manual skills. Factors other than e-learning may have a higher impact on manual skills, and this should be investigated in further studies

Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopic (SORS) Analysis of Wine Alcoholic Fermentation: A Preliminary Study

Spatially offset Raman spectroscopy (SORS) is a non-invasive analytical technique that allows the analysis of samples through a container. This makes it an effective tool for studying food and beverage products, as it can measure the sample without being affected by the packaging or the container. In this study, a portable SORS equipment was used for the first time to analyse the alcoholic fermentation process of white wine. Different sample measurement arrangements were tested in order to determine the most effective method for monitoring the fermentation process and predicting key oenological parameters. The best results were obtained when the sample was directly measured through the glass container in which the fermentation was occurring. This allowed for the accurate monitoring of the process and the prediction of density and pH with a root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) of 0.0029 g·L−1 and 0.04, respectively, and R2 values of 0.993 and 0.961 for density and pH, respectively. Additionally, the sources of variability depending on the measurement arrangements were studied using ANOVA-Simultaneous Component Analysis (ASCA)