Skeletal age estimation in Hungarian population of known age and sex.

Several methods of estimating age on the basis of human skeletal remains are used all over the world, methods that were established using known age and sex databases or during medicolegal autopsies. Over the course of the past several decades, many tests have been carried out on various populations to confirm the applicability of these methods in age assessment. While the opinions of experts vary regarding the cranial suture closure techniques, morphology of the sternal end of the fourth rib has been proven to be more accurate as an age assessor. The purpose of this paper is to test the reliability of three age estimation methods on a Central European population. Observation of ecto- and endocranial suture closure after Meindl and Lovejoy and Acsádi and Nemeskéri (239 individuals in the case of Meindl and Lovejoy and 238 in the case of Acsádi and Nemeskéri) and morphology of the sternal ends of the third, fourth and fifth ribs in accordance with Iscan (116 individuals) was done on a Hungarian sample of known sex and age at death at autopsy procedures. According to the observations, (1) the state of ectocranial suture closure was so erratic that it was not useful in age assessment, (2) obliteration phases of the endocranial sutures yield only a rough estimation, and (3) age determination from sternal ends of the ribs was the most reliable, especially with the application of slightly expanded age intervals on the Hungarian population.

Fatty acid composition of intramuscular lipids in various muscles of Holstein-Friesian bulls slaughtered at different ages.

Holstein-Friesian bulls were slaughtered at 7, 14 and 19 months of age. Samples were collected from the psoas major, longissimus and semitendinosus muscles. The total lipids (TL) of the samples were extracted and the fatty acid compositions were analysed by gas chromatography. Both the slaughtering age and the type of muscles had significant effects on the intramuscular TL contents and fatty acid compositions. The longissimus muscle had higher intramuscular TL both at 14 and 19 months than at 7 months of age. As the bulls became older the proportion of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) increased in the TL of each muscle tested, whereas that of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) decreased. Among the muscle types, the semitendinosus had the lowest, intramuscular TL at each slaughtering age and the psoas major the highest. Except for SFA at 7 months of age, the semitendinosus showed lower levels of SFA and MUFA and higher proportions of PUFA than the other two muscles.

Prevalence of impaired gastric emptying of solids in systemic sclerosis: diagnostic and therapeutic implications.

The aims of this study were to evaluate the gastric emptying of solids in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, correlate the esophageal motility abnormalities with their gastric emptying status, delineate the symptoms suggestive of abnormal gastric emptying, and assess the effect of metoclopramide in patients with abnormally slow gastric emptying. Twenty patients underwent esophageal motility evaluation and gastric emptying studies with a radiolabeled solid meal. Gastric emptying was also measured in 13 healthy volunteers. Four patients in whom esophageal motility was normal also had an accompanying normal rate of gastric emptying. In 16 patients with abnormal esophageal motility, mean gastric emptying was significantly delayed as compared with that in normal subjects (67.4% vs 49.8% retention of isotope at 2 hours, P < .05). Ten patients had absolute criteria for slow gastric emptying (>+2 SD). However, only postprandial bloating and early satiety were symptoms that accurately predicted slow radionuclide emptying. In four of these patients in whom gastric emptying was slow, 10 mg intramuscular metoclopramide significantly (P < .05 vs baseline) accelerated the gastric emptying of the same test meal. We conclude that (1) gastric emptying of solids was delayed in approximately two thirds of patients with abnormal esophageal motility, whereas it was normal in patients with normal esophageal motor function; (2) metoclopramide significantly accelerated this slow gastric emptying; and (3) delayed gastric emptying contributes to the severity of the gastroesophageal reflux frequently present in patients with progressive systemic sclerosis, and promotility agents offer a valuable therapeutic approach.

Medical honoraria in the 17th century.

Paolo Zacchias (1584-1659), the physician of the Pope, in his main work, "Quaestiones medico-legales" (Rome, 1621-1625) provides answers to hundreds of important practical and theoretical questions. On the following pages the author tries to summarize Zacchias's opinion concerning the problem of honorarium and fee, hoping that this short extract will prove to be useful for the modern physician as well.