Origin of Groundwater Arsenic in a Rural Pleistocene Aquifer in Bangladesh Depressurized by Distal Municipal Pumping.

Across South Asia, millions of villagers have reduced their exposure to high-arsenic (As) groundwater by switching to low-As wells. Isotopic tracers and flow modeling are used in this study to understand the groundwater flow system of a semi-confined aquifer of Pleistocene (>10 kyr) age in Bangladesh that is generally low in As but has been perturbed by massive pumping at a distance of about 25 km for the municipal water supply of Dhaka. A 10- to 15-m-thick clay aquitard caps much of the intermediate aquifer (>40- to 90-m depth) in the 3-km2 study area, with some interruptions by younger channel sand deposits indicative of river scouring. Hydraulic heads in the intermediate aquifer below the clay-capped areas are 1-2 m lower than in the high-As shallow aquifer above the clay layer. In contrast, similar heads in the shallow and intermediate aquifer are observed where the clay layer is missing. The head distribution suggests a pattern of downward flow through interruptions in the aquitard and lateral advection from the sandy areas to the confined portion of the aquifer. The interpreted flow system is consistent with 3H-3He ages, stable isotope data, and groundwater flow modeling. Lateral flow could explain an association of elevated As with high methane concentrations within layers of gray sand below certain clay-capped portions of the Pleistocene aquifer. An influx of dissolved organic carbon from the clay layer itself leading to a reduction of initially orange sands has also likely contributed to the rise of As.

[Moderate rise of transaminases in asymptomatic patients. An etiologic approach from the primary care viewpoint]. / Elevación moderada de transaminasas en pacientes asintomáticos. Una aproximación etiológica desde la atención primaria.

OBJECTIVE: To discover the frequency of presentation, the aetiological distribution and clinical importance of a moderate rise in transaminases, which were found by chance in patients free from hepatic symptomology who were attending primary care clinics. DESIGN: Descriptive study of a crossover type. SETTING: La Victoria Health Centre in Valladolid. PATIENTS: The patients attended at any of the six general medical clinics between january and june 1993, in whom a moderate rise in transaminases was detected by chance and confirmed after a one-month interval. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Hepatic function tests were performed on 1,285 patients, in 212 of whom biochemical function was found to be disturbed. 137 of these 212 were studied in line with a diagnostic procedure worked out in collaboration with the Area specialist, after 75 had been eliminated for various reasons. The following aetiological distribution was observed: Viral 37.2% (Anti VHC + 30.7%, Ag HBs + 6.5%), ethylic 35.03%, metabolic 15.32% and medicinal 8.77%. Hemochromatosis was diagnosed in 2 patients; and a possible aetiology could not be established in 3. It was possible to perform a biopsy on 11 patients, with the suspected aetiology being confirmed in all of them. CONCLUSIONS: The likelihood of the primary care doctor correctly diagnosing hepatic illnesses is high, given that we could establish an aetiology in 97% of cases. The most common aetiologies were viral and ethylic.

[Prophylaxis of superficial bladder cancer with 1 mg of intravesical BCG: comparison with other doses]. / Profilaxis del cáncer vesical superficial con 1 mg de BCG endovesical: comparacion con otras dosis.

Presentation of results obtained in 171 evaluable patients from a series of 181, presenting surface vesical cancer in Tis, Ta and T1 stages, treated with 3 different dosages of endovesical BCG as prophylaxis for tumour relapse: a) high dose, 100 to 120 mg, 72 patients; b) intermediate dose, 20 to 50 mg, 39 patients; and, c) minidose of 1 mg, 60 patients. Complications and adverse reactions were seen to be dose-dependent, also percentage of patients free of disease both after treatment and following addition of retreatment in several patients was similar in all the dosages used. It is thus concluded that endovesical BCG 1 mg, would be an optimal dosage for the prophylaxis of surface vesical cancer relapse.

School programmes in drug rehabilitation and social reintegration in the Philippines.

In recognition of the role of education in the process of the social reintegration of drug-dependent persons, the Dangerous Drugs Board, the Philippines' highest policy-making and co-ordinating body on all matters pertaining to drug abuse control, the Department of Education, Culture and Sports, and other drug-rehabilitation centres have jointly initiated and are implementing a formal school programme at the secondary level, within the confines of rehabilitation centres. Thus far, a built-in school programme has been established in the three rehabilitation centres existing in the country, from which 500 individuals have graduated. A follow-up study is currently underway to determine the effect that these programmes have had with respect to the successful reintegration of those individuals into community life.