Lancet
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The muscular dystrophies are inherited myogenic disorders characterised by progressive muscle wasting and weakness of variable distribution and severity. They can be subdivided into several groups, including congenital forms, in accordance with the distribution of predominant muscle weakness: Duchenne and Becker; Emery-Dreifuss; distal; facioscapulohumeral; oculopharyngeal; and limb-girdle which is the most heterogeneous group. In several dystrophies the heart can be seriously affected, sometimes in the absence of clinically significant weakness. ⋯ This information is essential to establish an accurate diagnosis and for reliable genetic counselling and prenatal diagnosis. There is, as yet, no way of greatly affecting the long-term course of any of these diseases. However, advances in gene manipulation and stem-cell therapy suggest cautious optimism for finding an effective treatment in the not-too-distant future.
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New technologies for the detection of early-stage ovarian cancer are urgently needed. Pathological changes within an organ might be reflected in proteomic patterns in serum. We developed a bioinformatics tool and used it to identify proteomic patterns in serum that distinguish neoplastic from non-neoplastic disease within the ovary. ⋯ These findings justify a prospective population-based assessment of proteomic pattern technology as a screening tool for all stages of ovarian cancer in high-risk and general populations.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Chloramphenicol versus benzylpenicillin and gentamicin for the treatment of severe pneumonia in children in Papua New Guinea: a randomised trial.
Pneumonia is the most frequent cause of child mortality in less-developed countries. We aimed to establish whether the combination of benzylpenicillin and gentamicin or chloramphenicol would be better as first-line treatment in children with severe pneumonia in Papua New Guinea. ⋯ For children with severe pneumonia in less-developed countries the probability of a good outcome is similar if treated with chloramphenicol or with the combination of benzylpenicillin and gentamicin.