ABSTRACT
The influence of selenium (Se) restriction on disposition in plasma and urine fractions of infused (74)Se (selenite) was studied when adult males (Enshi City, Hubei Province, PRC) whose habitual daily Se intake is approximately 480 microg per day were transferred to Lichuan County, where the daily intake is approximately 30 microg. The subjects received an infusion (106 microg Se) on the day before consuming foods low in Se and a second infusion (113 microg Se) 63 days later. Blood and 24-hour urine samples were collected each day for 7 days after the first infusion and on days 22, 43, and 62 following the first infusion. Urine and blood were also collected daily for the next 7 days after the second infusion. Plasma total Se concentration increased for 7 days after each of the two infusions and urine Se decreased exponentially following both the first and second infusions. The excretion of trimethylselenonium followed the same pattern as the total urinary Se. Surprisingly, there was not a significant difference in selenite retention between the two infusion periods, and the data indicated that, regardless of the chemical form of Se present in various organs, its catabolism leading to excretion in urine followed the same pathway as that of selenite. Labeled Se was incorporated predominantly in the plasma selenoprotein P fraction and the half-life of Se in this fraction was determined to be 1.9 to 2.9 days. Thus, a longer depletion period is required in these subjects to obtain more significant changes.
ABSTRACT
Following the presentation of the evolution of the medieval public assistance for the poor to the modern "Beggar--and Poor-Decrees" in the German language area with special consideration to Bavarian measures, the problem of medical care for the needy is considered. Here, special focus is on the Bavarian "poor people's physician" in the first half of the nineteenth century with his duties and problems.
Subject(s)
Medical Indigency/history , Physicians/history , Germany , History, 15th Century , History, 16th Century , History, 17th Century , History, 18th Century , History, 19th Century , Medical Assistance/historySubject(s)
Discrimination Learning , Heart Rate , Acoustic Stimulation , Animals , Birds , Columbidae , Discrimination, Psychological , Species SpecificitySubject(s)
Optic Nerve Diseases/diagnosis , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Humans , Middle Aged , Optic Chiasm , Optic Nerve Diseases/surgery , Prognosis , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Fifteen to 20% of premature infants weighing below 1500 g develop variable degrees of acute retrolental fibroplasia (RLF). Approximately 5% of those infants who develop RLF can be expected to become blind. A prospective study was carried out to evaluate if early cryopexy can prevent this blindness. The study showed that, among 533 infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit between July 1976 and December 1978, 55 had some degree of active RLF. In 18 eyes of 9 infants in whom the retinopathy progressed beyond active stage II cryopexy treatment was applied to the avascular retina. In all the treated eyes the active retinopathy regressed, and there were no complications due to the procedure. The long-term follow-up showed that in 15 eyes there was good vision and that the remaining 3 eyes had some impairment of vision but were not blind. These results suggest that cryotherapy may prove useful in treating premature infants with RLF who show progression of their active stage, without the danger of further visual loss or complete blindness.
Subject(s)
Cryosurgery , Retinopathy of Prematurity/surgery , Acute Disease , Birth Weight , Blindness/prevention & control , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Prospective Studies , Time FactorsABSTRACT
Three premature babies with advanced stages of retrolental fibroplasia underwent retinal surgery by buckling procedures, with satisfactory results. The indications and surgical technical problems are discussed.