[Prevention of cigarette smoking in school. A prospective controlled study]. / Prävention des Zigarettenrauchens in der Schule. Eine prospektive kontrollierte Studie.

752 schoolchildren, mean age 12.7 years, were asked by multiple-choice questionnaire about their smoking experience. After this, eight educational lessons were given in seven of the schools ("intervention schools") to reinforce non-smoking. In six control schools no activities were performed. After 2.3 years, 579 schoolchildren (301 males and 278 females, mean age 15.0 years) again filled in a similar questionnaire. In the control schools 12.4% of children had begun to smoke, (greater than 1 cigarette per month), but only 7.4% in the intervention group (P less than 0.06). Daily cigarette smoking had been taken up by 8.4% in the control schools, but by only 4% in the intervention schools (P less than 0.04). 9.9% of children in the control schools and 3.8% in the intervention schools had smoked during the 24 hours before the questionnaire was filled in (P less than 0.004). The data indicate that an eight-hour course of instruction with reinforcement of non-smoking can lastingly influence smoking behaviour of juveniles.

Pre- and postnatal findings in Pena Shokeir I syndrome: case report and a review of the literature.

The Pena Shokeir type I syndrome is considered to be a lethal disorder in most cases. Infrequently, some of the affected children may reach the age of 1 year and beyond. When there is a history of another affected sib, the entity can be suspected prenatally. It is an uncommon autosomal recessive disorder. Out of 33 reported infants reviewed by us, six survived the neonatal period; among a further 27 cases, reported more recently, none survived the neonatal period. The clinical findings at birth are multiple and involve mainly the musculoskeletal and respiratory systems, accompanied by characteristic facial changes. The possibility of a primary hereditary malformation affecting the motor neuron cells of the spinal cord is postulated with the subsequent changes representing a fetal akinesia deformation sequence.

Congenital diverticulum of the heart arising from the coronary sinus.

A diverticulum originating from the coronary sinus was diagnosed by echocardiography in a two day old baby with hypoplastic left heart. At necropsy the diverticulum was seen to arise from the coronary sinus and it penetrated the right ventricular posterior wall.

Regeneration of transected dorsal root ganglion cell axons into the spinal cord in adult frogs (Xenopus laevis).

The extent of regeneration of the central axonal processes of dorsal root ganglion cells was determined using anterograde horseradish peroxidase histochemistry at 1-12 weeks after dorsal root transection in adult frogs. At 4, 8 and 12 weeks axons were found to have regenerated across the dorsal root entry zone and into the spinal cord.

Permanent overdrive pacing for the suppression of recurrent ventricular tachycardia in a newborn with long QT syndrome.

A newborn with long QT interval and repetitive ventricular tachycardia of the "torsade de pointes" type was seen at the age of one day. The arrhythmia was resistant to lidocaine, propranolol and atropine, but was controlled by isoproterenol infusion. A transvenous pacemaker, inserted at three days of age, suppressed the ventricular tachycardia at stimulation rates above 100/minute. At 19 days of age a permanent pacemaker at pulse rate of 119 beats/minute was implanted. At one year of age the infant was thriving and was completely free of ventricular arrhythmia.