Search

Thirsty rats habituated to drinking .12 M sodium chloride accepted .12 M lithium chloride for 5 min on the first trial but stopped short of their sodium baseline. With repeated trials they reduced consumption of the toxin by either (a) detecting subtle oral (conditioned stimulus, CS) differences, thus avoiding toxicosis (unconditioned stimulus, US) or (b) detecting earlier signs of malaise (US), thus escaping further distress. When both solutions were masked with saccharin, the discrimination was more difficult but still possible. When both solutions were mixed in a solution masking all four taste qualities, the discrimination was severely disrupted. When oral sensors were bypassed with nasopharyngeal tubes, intragastric pumping rats were unable to use postingestional cues to escape, even though such cues were proximal to the ultimate malaise. Oral cues at the distal end of the consummatory chain were extremely effective.

Authors present a study of 84 patients with myelomeningocele between years 1971 to 1985. They analyze morbimortality related to level and condition of the lesion, Lorber's selection criteria and treatment received. They find better survival in females and in patients in whom surgical closure of the lesion was carried out without variations if one Lorber's criteria is present. The moment of operation did not change survival and was not related with development of hydrocephaly.

Twenty three cases of alterations of the epididymis-testicular union found in 1,000 children with cryptorchism are discussed. Anatomical and pathological findings are described and world literature on the subject is reviewed, finding very scanty references to this problem in spite of the fact that expected incidence of epididymis testicular non-junction is between 1 and 2% of the patients with cryptorchism.

One hundred and forty two cases of intussusception were treated in our hospital since 1970 to 1982. Patients were divided for analysis into two groups, each consisting of 71 consecutively treated patients. In the second group (1977-1982) the hydrostatic pressure reduction was attempted under general anaesthesia an was successful in 50% of the patients. We compare both groups from the point of view of hydrostatic pressure reduction and conclude that anaesthesia significantly reduces the number of surgical procedures in children with intussusception.