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The iliolumbar ligament has been described as the most important ligament for restraining movement at the lumbosacral junction. In addition, it may play an important role in restraining movement in the sacroiliac joints. To help understand its presumed restraining effect, the anatomy of the ligament and its orientation with respect to the sacroiliac joints were studied in 17 cadavers. ⋯ Fibre direction, length, width, thickness and orientation of the sacroiliac part of the iliolumbar ligament are described. It is mainly oriented in the coronal plane, perpendicular to the sacroiliac joint. The existence of this sacroiliac part of the iliolumbar ligament supports the assumption that the iliolumbar ligament has a direct restraining effect on movement in the sacroiliac joints.
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Count rates observed at end-diastole and end-systole in the region of the left ventricle on gated radionuclide angiograms were correlated with corresponding estimates by biplane contrast angiography of left ventricular volumes in 37 patients. When count rates were normalized for number of cardiac cycles processed, time per frame, isotope decay, and count rate observed in venous blood after equilibrium, there was a strong correlation between normalized left ventricular count rate and contrast angiographic volume, whether the venous sample was counted in a well counter or with the use of the same gamma camera. The latter technique was judged easier and more accurate. ⋯ Interobserver variability of both the radionuclide and the contrast angiographic estimate of the left ventricular volume was similar. Changes in left ventricular stroke volume induced by sublingual administration of nitroglycerin as measured by the radionuclide method correlated reasonably with corresponding changes in stroke volume measured by the dye-dilution method. It is concluded that left ventricular volumes obtained noninvasively by the radionuclide technique were accurate and were subject to the same interobserver variability as the contrast angiographic technique.
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Exposure to paracetamol during intrauterine life, childhood, and adult life may increase the risk of developing asthma. We studied 6-7-year-old children from Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) programme to investigate the association between paracetamol consumption and asthma. ⋯ Use of paracetamol in the first year of life and in later childhood, is associated with risk of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis, and eczema at age 6 to 7 years. We suggest that exposure to paracetamol might be a risk factor for the development of asthma in childhood.
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Trop. Med. Int. Health · May 2006
The burden of disease in Zimbabwe in 1997 as measured by disability-adjusted life years lost.
To rank health problems contributing most to the burden of disease in Zimbabwe using disability-adjusted life years as the population health measure. ⋯ Using local sources of information to a large extent, it was possible to develop plausible estimates of the size and the relative significance of the major health problems in Zimbabwe. The disease pattern of Zimbabwe differed substantially from regional estimates for sub-Saharan Africa justifying the need for countries to develop their own burden of disease estimates.
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Acceleration of progress in nutrition will require effective, large-scale nutrition-sensitive programmes that address key underlying determinants of nutrition and enhance the coverage and effectiveness of nutrition-specific interventions. We reviewed evidence of nutritional effects of programmes in four sectors--agriculture, social safety nets, early child development, and schooling. The need for investments to boost agricultural production, keep prices low, and increase incomes is undisputable; targeted agricultural programmes can complement these investments by supporting livelihoods, enhancing access to diverse diets in poor populations, and fostering women's empowerment. ⋯ Many of the programmes reviewed were not originally designed to improve nutrition yet have great potential to do so. Ways to enhance programme nutrition-sensitivity include: improve targeting; use conditions to stimulate participation; strengthen nutrition goals and actions; and optimise women's nutrition, time, physical and mental health, and empowerment. Nutrition-sensitive programmes can help scale up nutrition-specific interventions and create a stimulating environment in which young children can grow and develop to their full potential.