Pulse Oximetry Screening to Detect Cyanotic Congenital Heart Disease in Sick Neonates in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate pulse oximetry for detection of congenital cyanotic heart disease in sick neonates using echocardiography as gold standard. METHODS: Pulse oximetry readings were taken at admission from 950 neonates from right upper limb and either foot with infant breathing room air. Pulse oximetry was considered abnormal if oxygen saturation at room air measured <90% or difference between right hand and foot was more than 3%. Persistent abnormality was considered positive result. Echocardiography was performed on all neonates with positive pulse oximetry (study group) and on one subsequent neonate with negative screen for each neonate with positive screen (controls). RESULTS: Pulse oximetry was positive in 210 neonates. It detected 20 out of 21 (95.2%) true positives. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and odds ratio (95% CI) of pulse oximetry was 95.2%, 52.4%, 9.5, 99.5 and 22 (5.3, 91.4), respectively. CONCLUSION: Pulse oximetry screening is useful in detecting cyanotic heart diseases in sick newborns.

Dynamical equations for high-order structure functions, and a comparison of a mean-field theory with experiments in three-dimensional turbulence.

Two recent papers [V. Yakhot, Phys. Rev. E 63, 026307, (2001) and R. J. Hill, J. Fluid Mech. 434, 379, (2001)] derive, through two different approaches that have the Navier-Stokes equations as the common starting point, a set of dynamic equations for structure functions of arbitrary order in turbulence. These equations are not closed. Yakhot proposed a "mean-field theory" to close the equations for locally isotropic turbulence, and obtained scaling exponents of structure functions and expressions for the peak in the probability density function of transverse velocity increments, and for its behavior for intermediate amplitudes. At high Reynolds numbers, some relevant experimental data on pressure gradient and dissipation terms are presented that are needed to provide closure, as well as on other aspects predicted by the theory. Comparison between the theory and the data shows varying levels of agreement, and reveals gaps inherent to the implementation of the theory.

Anisotropic scaling contributions to high-order structure functions in high-reynolds-number turbulence

We make an attempt at obtaining the scaling exponents for the anisotropic components of structure functions of order 2 through 6. We avoid mixing these components with their isotropic counterparts for each order by using tensor components that are entirely anisotropic. We do this by considering terms of the isotropic sector corresponding to j=0 in the SO(3) decomposition of each tensor, and then constructing components that are explicitly zero in the isotropic sector. We use an interpolation formula to compensate for the large-scale encroachment of inertial-range scales. This allows us to examine the lowest order anisotropic scaling behavior. The resulting anisotropic exponents for a given tensorial order are larger than those known for the corresponding isotropic part. One conclusion that emerges is that the anisotropy effects diminish with decreasing scale, although much more slowly than previously thought.

Scaling structure of the velocity statistics in atmospheric boundary layers

The statistical objects characterizing turbulence in real turbulent flows differ from those of the ideal homogeneous isotropic model. They contain contributions from various two- and three-dimensional aspects, and from the superposition of inhomogeneous and anisotropic contributions. We employ the recently introduced decomposition of statistical tensor objects into irreducible representations of the SO(3) symmetry group (characterized by j and m indices, where j=0ellipsisinfinity,-j

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary haemosiderosis (IPH) is a rare disorder characterized by recurrent bouts of haemoptysis, iron deficiency anaemia, and pulmonary infiltrates on chest radiograph. We present such a case and believe that it is the first report from the Middle East.

Effect of supplementation of milk fat with peanut oil on blood lipids and lipoproteins in infants.

Three different groups of infants were fed with different formulae based on milk fat. Group I received cow's milk fat formulae with 20% butter fat whereas groups II and III received a formulae which was supplemented with 50 and 33% of peanut oil supplementation in 20% milk fat respectively. Anthropometric measurements, cholesterol, triglyceride, lipoproteins and plasma fatty acids were followed up to a period of 6 months. The results indicated that cow's milk-fed infants had higher cholesterol levels (P < 0.01) than the other two groups. No significant differences with respect to high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) were found, whereas low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and very low-density lipoproteins (VLDls (VLDls) were found to be increasing up to a period of 6 months. No significant differences were observed with respect to saturated fatty acids and oleic acid (18:1) levels whereas linoleic acid (18:2) clearly showed a proportional relationship between the intake and plasma levels, indicating a positive correlation. Arachidonic acid (20:4) did not, however, show a proprotionate relationship with respect to linoleic acid (18:2) intake. The triene/tetraene, oleic/linoleic, linoleic/arachidonic and total n6 fatty acids were all normal indicating normal activity of desaturase and elongase enzymes for the optimal utilisation of linoleic acid. Thus, the present study suggests that a vegetable oil such as peanut oil could be used in milk fat to improve the essential fatty acid (EFA) status of infants.

Formulation and evaluation of controlled release dental implants of povidone iodine for periodontitis.

Diseases of the periodontium continue to be one of the man's most wide spread afflictions. Periodontitis is one of such which is characterised by a periodontal pocket formed due to the inflammatory disease of gingiva and the deeper periodontal tissues. Local controlled release implants of povidone iodine was prepared using various polymers and stability, release characteristics, total drug content etc, were evaluated. The clinical studies of the dental implants were carried out on 10 patients.

Discrepancies between results obtained by agar and broth techniques in testing of drug combinations.

One hundred strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis were tested by the double-disk agar diffusion method for their susceptibility to cephalothin, to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and to combinations of these drugs. Forty-five strains showed a bridging inhibition zone between the two disks, suggesting a synergistic effect of the combination of cephalothin plus sulfamethoxozole-trimethoprim against these strains. Ten of these strains were retested against the individual drugs and their combination by the twofold broth dilution method. No strain showed higher susceptibility to any combination as compared with cephalothin alone.