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Charles Williams n'est pas très connu en France. Il a pourtant eu son heure de gloire entre les deux guerres, comme ami de C.S. Lewis, de Tolkien, de Dorothy Sayers et comme membre du célèbre groupe des "Inklings" d'Oxford. Poète, dramaturge, romancier, auteur de nombreux essais, il a longtemps été l'objet d'un culte fervent de la part d'un groupe restreint de fidèles admirateurs. L'objet de cette communication est d'explorer le rôle de la ville dans ses œuvres de fiction, plus particulièrement dans Shadows of Ecstasy, Descent into Hell, War in Heaven, et All Hallows' Eve. Romans difficiles, dont l'économie tourne autour de la duelle problématique de la Ville et de la Cité, l'une occultant l'autre pour mieux l'appeler, la faire exister comme entité virtuelle, et la convoquer comme illustration de thèses que l'auteur développe dans de nombreux articles et qui relèvent d'une orientation lointainement théologique. Il sera important de montrer comment dans chaque roman la dynamique narrative naît de cette opposition entre la ville des hommes et la Cité de Dieu, et dans quelle mesure est efficace, ou simplement acceptable dans un univers fictionnel, cette tacite référence à St Augustin.

Graphic arts are not the only arts based on images: fiction (Gothic novels in particular) uses images which arouse comparable emotions. The object of this paper is to liken a number of set subjects typical of Gothic fiction to Turner’s use of the mezzotint technique in his Liber Studiorum. His engraved plates representing the St Gothard pass or Mont Cenis look as though they were illustrations of a number of passages of The Mysteries of Udolpho in which Ann Radcliffe describes mountains. The Via Mala and the "Devil’s Bridge" could be seen as graphic interpretations of certain scenes in The Italian or in Lewis’s Monk. The mezzotint technique, based on the progressive introduction of light on a copper plate which has been uniformly blackened, can be seen as a powerful metaphor of Gothic writing, because of its insistence on the dark side of people and nature, on "mountain gloom" and "mountain glory"

Summary In this paper we have tried to discuss the optimal approach to prevention and treatment of peritonitis. Because prevention involves the knowledge of factors predisposing to peritonitis, we have examined some potential factors. Data are, however, very limited in this area. The optimal management should be tailored to the patient. Basic guidelines are suggested, though a variety of successful approaches are used at different pediatric centers. One has to remember that overzealous treatment with antibiotics may be associated with candida infection, further complicating the treatment of peritonitis. Improvement of the dialysis technique, optimal home care, early identification of exit-site infection and its management, increased use of CCPD or NIPD and optimal antibiotic management will prevent recurrent episodes of peritonitis and their associated complications.

Resting cardiovascular parameters were predicted from anthropometric data, resting baseline cardiovascular data, and cardiovascular responses to three laboratory stressors completed 1 year earlier. Subjects were 106 male and female children (72 Whites, 34 Blacks) aged 6–7 years at the initial evaluation. During initial testing, blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance were assessed at rest and also during a forehead cold pressor task, postural change, and treadmill exercise. The same cardiovascular parameters were then assessed at rest 1 year later. After controlling for significant anthropometric measures and the pertinent previous year's resting data, systolic and diastolic responses to the cold pressor were predictive of respective follow-up resting levels. Postural change heart rate responses were predictive of follow-up resting heart rate after controlling for initial resting levels. Exercise cardiac index reactivity predicted follow-up cardiac index after controlling for earlier resting levels and adiposity. Follow-up total peripheral resistance index was predicted by earlier resting levels. © 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.

The aim of this study is to compare the gated SPECT ejection fraction (EF) measured a few minutes (mn) after stress and more than 40 mn after stress by using Myoview as tracer and a gamma camera with fast acquisition (GE discovery). It is generally accepted that patients without severe ischemia have a post stress ejection fraction equal to the post rest one. It is also accepted that a difference of more than 5% in absolute value between 2 EF is considered as significantly different. Methods and results In our study 111 patients, mean age 59,7 years, without known coronary artery disease (CAD), had first a 4 mn fast camera acquisition. The mean delay between myoview injection and beginning of SPECT imaging was 3,83 mn+/− 2,98 with a mean cardiac rate of 86,86±26 bpm. The secon acquisition was done after 42,89 mn+/− 19 mn and the mean cardiac rate was 74,34+/− 22 bpm. Mean difference in the delay is 39 mn (Max 64, Min 22). The average value of the immediate EF (computed from the first scan) was 71,55 +/−17,’4% and the average value of the delayed EF (computed from the second scan) was 64,68+/− 16,8%. The resulting mean difference is 6,86+/−14 which is significant. Mean difference between the end diatolic volume is −5,16 and −7,26 for the end systolic volume. Myocardial perfusion was normal in all the patients. Conclusion The EF value measured on a scan done just after the stress test is significantly higher than the one mesured after a delay of about 40 mn This is an interesting result as a lower than expected ejection fraction value after stress compared to the rest one may be an argument for a severe CAD.

BackgroundSince the pathogenesis of coronary heart disease (CHD) has its origins in childhood, researchers have increasingly evaluated CHD risk factors in youth. In this study we examined the hypothesized behavioral risk factor of cardiovascular responsivity as a predictor of very young children's r

We describe six children with acute decreases in heart rate temporally related to amphotericin B administration. All patients had achieved their maximal dose within 3 to 4 days. Heart-rate drops occurred as early as day 3 but could be delayed up to day 7 after start of therapy. The mean heart rate dropped from 104 ± 8/min (range 96 to 114) to 62 ± 8/min (range 48 to 72) (P= 0.0001). A slower heart rate than baseline was noted during the entire duration of drug administration, from 60 minutes of starting the infusion to 220 minutes (mean 120 ± 40) after discontinuation of the infusion. This reaction was noted in six of 90 (6.7%) patients who had amphotericin. These six children were compared with six age-matched children who received the drug but in whom such changes in heart rate did not develop. The method of administration of amphotericin B was similar in both patients and controls, starting with 0.25 mg/kg/day and increasing by 0.25 mg/kg/day up to 1 mg/kg/day. Children with heart-rate drop received amphotericin for 4.6 ± 1.8 days, significantly shorter than their controls (12.6 ± 6.9 days) ( P= 0.02), suggesting that this adverse effect has led to early discontinuation of amphotericin therapy. Physicians and nurses caring for children receiving amphotericin B should be aware of this potential adverse effect, which can be serious in a patient with an underlying heart condition or in a patient who is already on heart-rate-lowering drugs.

Hemodynamic responses to three standard laboratory stressors (i.e., postural change, video game, forehead cold) were evaluated in 341 children (170 males) who had a mean age of 11.2 +/- 2.6 years. Inter-task consistency was evaluated for five physiological parameters for all stressor pairings. Evidence of consistency in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, and total peripheral resistance responses to all three stressors was observed. The highest and most consistent correlations across stressors were observed for cardiac output and total peripheral resistance responses. The need for clarification in the categorization of laboratory stressors used to measure reactivity is discussed.

Various nutrition guidelines recommend increased consumption of fruits and vegetables (F+V); a Year 2000 goal targets five or more daily servings of F+V. Decisions are needed regarding how to define F+V to facilitate measurement of goal achievement. Four alternative definitions (narrow and broad, each with and without legumes) were developed and applied to food frequencies from 133 children and 211 parents. Results varied by definition. Mean intake met the goal of five or more daily servings regardless of definition and exceeded it for both broad definitions by children and both broad definitions and the narrow definition with legumes for adults. Median intakes met the goal for all definitions except for children with the narrow definition without legumes, and exceeded it for children with both broad definitions and for adults with the broad definition with legumes. These differences by definition indicate that a clear definition of F+V is needed.

Because interpersonal relationships may have an impact on the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, the authors examined the prospective relationship of family functioning upon hemodynamic stress responses in 87 6- to 8-year-old children. The parents completed the cohesion, conflict, expressiveness, and control subscales of the Family Environment Scale; 2 years later, the authors assessed the children's hemodynamic responses to postural change, forehead cold stimulation, and treadmill exercise. Maternal reports of greater cohesion and expressiveness were related to less increases in systolic pressure and systemic vascular resistance in response to the forehead cold. Mothers' reports of expressiveness were related to lower systolic pressure and cardiac index reactivity to postural change. Fathers' reports of greater control were associated with greater diastolic pressure and vascular resistance increases to forehead cold and to greater vascular resistance responses to exercise. Paternal reports of greater conflict were associated with greater systemic vascular resistance increases and with lower cardiac index increases to exercise. Results suggest family functioning may predict later hemodynamic reactivity to stress. The findings are discussed in terms of previous research on parent-child interaction patterns and children's cardiovascular health.

The relationship between hostility and coronary artery disease may be partially mediated by unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. This study examined the relationship between hostility, lifestyle behaviors, and physical risk factors in 138 adult men and women. Subjects completed the Cook and Medley Hostility Scale (Ho scale) and self-reports of their dietary habits, consumption of alcohol and cigarettes, and physical activity. Recent findings indicated that a composite hostility score from three rationally derived subscales of the Ho scale tapping the dimensions of cynicism, hostile affect, and aggressiveness was a better predictor of mortality than the total Ho score. Thus, this composite measure of hostility and the total Ho score were used in data analyses. Measures of resting blood pressure, height, weight, and adiposity were also obtained. In men and women, both measures of hostility were positively associated with cholesterol intake and vigorous physical activity. Among women, both hostility measures were positively related to animal fat intake and negatively related to fiber intake. The composite measure was positively related to their resting systolic pressures. Among men, both hostility measures were positively related to cigarette smoking and sugar intake and negatively associated with systolic blood pressure and calcium intake. Findings are discussed in terms of previous research linking hostility to lifestyle behaviors and CAD.

Background The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility, the image quality, and the clinical relevance of an early gated post-stress (GPS) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) tetrofosmin (Myoview™—GE Healthcare) acquisition protocol. Time delay between myocardial technetium-labeled tracer administration and SPECT acquisition is usually about 30 minutes after stress, and 45 to 60 minutes at rest: because of the absence of significant redistribution, perfusion images are related to stress even 30 minutes after stress injection, while function and thickening data obtained with gated acquisition 30 minutes after stress are mainly related to rest conditions. Methods 194 patients were prospectively included and analyzed, in a multicenter registry. Three gated-SPECT 99mTc-Tetrofosmin studies were performed per patient: GPS-SPECT, 30 minutes post-stress (GS30), and at rest (GR30). Results GPS image quality was excellent/good (93.9%), and similar to GS30 images (96.6%). The presence of adjacent myocardial sub-diaphragmatic activity on GPS images was similar to GS30 images (24% vs 22%), and less frequent than on GR30 images (31%). For perfusion, thickening, and motion scores, there was no significant difference between early and 30 minute post-stress in the global patient population, but significant differences were observed between GPS and GS30 for LVEF (65% ± 15% vs 63% ± 14%). In the ischemic patients, with the stress-rest protocol, the perfusion score was 14.2 on GPS images and 12.4 on GS30 images (P = .002). Conclusions Tetrofosmin early GPS-SPECT is feasible without impairment of image quality (better count rate). Ischemic defect size on early post-stress images is slightly more pronounced than at 30 minutes: this could modify therapeutic decision. This technique produces reliable function information during early post-stress period, and might be useful for disclosing transient motion abnormalities.

Perinatal transmission of hepatitis B (HB) virus occurs if the mother has had acute HB infection during late pregnancy or in the first months postpartum, or if the mother is a chronic HB antigen carrier. Vertical transmission from chronic carriers exceeds 90% and accounts for up to 40% of the world chronic carriers in endemic areas. Hepatitis in pregnancy is not associated with increased abortion rate, stillbirth, or congenital malformation. However, prematurity seems to be increased if hepatitis is acquired in the last trimester. Sixty percent of pregnant women who acquire acute HB infections at or near delivery will transmit the HB virus to their offspring. Although infection is rarely symptomatic, 70 to 90% of the babies will remain chronically infected into adult life and be prone to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Because of such high risks and the safety and efficacy (seroconversion 90 to 100%) of HB vaccine in preventing HB infection, it is recommended that HB vaccine be given to pregnant women at high risk. However, its safety to the fetus is not well documented. Only one human study reports the safety and efficacy of Heptavax, but only when administered (to 72 pregnant women) in the last trimester of pregnancy when embryopathy cannot occur. We report pregnancy outcome in ten women, mostly health care personnel or patients traveling to endemic areas exposed to the vaccine during the first trimester of pregnancy. No congenital abnormalities were observed and all the infants are physically and developmentally normal for their ages at 2 to 12 months. Although small, this cohort suggests safe use of the vaccine in early pregnancy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Although the use of chloroquine (C) and hydroxychloroquine (HC) in the treatment of malaria prophylaxis during pregnancy is probably safe, the use of much higher doses for treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis during pregnancy has been controversial. We analyzed the cases of 24 pregnant women with a total of 27 pregnancies who had taken these drugs during their first trimester of pregnancy. C and HC were given in 11 patients with SLE, three with rheumatoid arthritis, and four for malaria prophylaxis. Most of these women had already been on antimalarial drugs for 1 to 172 months prior to pregnancy (mean, 32.2 months). Of the 27 pregnancies, 14 resulted in normal full-term deliveries, six were aborted due to severe disease activity or social conditions, three were stillbirths, and four pregnancies resulted in spontaneous abortions. No congenital abnormalities were detected in the 14 live births at ages between 9 months and 19 years (mean, 5.3 years). All these children are physically and developmentally normal with no clinical evidence of eye or hearing defects. The seven pregnancies that were associated with fetal loss occurred particularly in patients who had active SLE, although stillbirth and spontaneous abortion occurred also in patients with rheumatoid arthritis and in two of the three patients who had been treated prophylactically for malaria. Although of the 215 reported pregnancies with C and HC exposure, including our study, only seven (3.3%) had congenital abnormalities, the risk associated with antimalarials may be cumulative and further studies are needed to elucidate the safety of this drug later in pregnancy.

We report our experience with the use of tissue plasminogen activator to treat 12 infants and children with various thromboembolic states after conventional thrombolytic agents had failed. The dosage range was between 0.1 to 0.5 mg/kg per hour. Complete clot dissolution occurred in seven cases after 2 hours to 3 days of therapy. Partial clot dissolution and clinical improvement were noted in another four patients. Bleeding complications were noted in 6 of the 12 patients and included bruising, oozing from various venipuncture sites, and bleeding; these complications were controlled by clinically available means. In all cases with bleeding the dose rate was in the higher range (0.46 to 0.50 mg/kg per hour). In one patient, restlessness, agitation, and screaming were noted during administration of tissue plasminogen activator and when it was reinstituted. We conclude that tissue plasminogen activator is effective in inducing clot lysis in children. Because the effective dose appears to overlap with those causing bleeding, we recommend that a dose of 0.1 mg/kg per hour be started and increased gradually if clot dissolution does not occur, with close monitoring for bleeding.

On the basis of a literature review and eight cases of our own, we analyzed 37 cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) infection and Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS). Our clinical and laboratory findings do not differ from those reported in the literature for MP infection with no exanthem or for SJS of various etiologies. Eighty percent of the children presented with symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (cough, fever, sore throat, malaise, headache), with a mean of 10 days (range 1 to 30) before skin rash broke out. Skin manifestations occurred in 94.2% of the patients after 3 to 21 days (mean 10.3 days) of fever. The exanthem, composed predominantly of maculopapular and vesicular, was distributed chiefly on the trunk and extremities and lasted less than 14 days in 87.8% of the patients. Stomatitis was observed in 91.6% of the patients and conjunctivitis in 50%. No consistent pattern seems to emerge by which one could predict the existence of MP infection causing SJS. The complications of SJS associated with MP seem less frequent (2.7%) and much less severe than in cases where SJS arises from other reported causes. Because coincidence cannot be excluded from the assessments of the degree and rate of improvement for the few patients treated with corticosteroid, from the low frequency of complications, and from the mortality rate of zero in this series of patients, the use of corticosteroids for SJS associated with MP infection is questionable.

We studied blood pressure response, plasma renin activity (PRA) and captopril pharmacokinetics in 8 children receiving orally 0.7 mg/kg of the drug. The drug increased PRA in all patients, in 5 to abnormally high levels. Peak captopril concentrations were achieved between half an hour and 2 h, and ranged between 100 and 547 ng/ml. Mean elimination half-time (T1/2) was 1.5 h, ranging between 0.98 and 2.3 h. There was a significant positive correlation between the area under the curve (AUC) and elimination T1/2 of the drug. There was a significant inverse correlation between AUC or elimination T1/2 and percent change in diastolic blood pressure; the 2 children who had no change in diastolic blood pressure had the largest AUC and the lowest apparent clearance of captopril. The kidney is the major site of captopril's pharmacological action. It is possible that longer retention of captopril in the plasma, evidence by larger AUC, may reflect less captopril available to modulate renin activity in the kidney.

A total of 11 cases of red man syndrome collected among 650 children who had received vancomycin in our hospital between 1986 and 1988 (estimated prevalence 1.6%) were retrospectively analyzed. These 11 children were compared with 11 age-matched children who received vancomycin in whom red man syndrome did not develop. Of the patients with red man syndrome, 73%, and of the patients with no reaction, 45.4% received vancomycin for penicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis-positive cultures, or because of history of penicillin allergy. No difference was observed in the dose per kilogram given to both groups (12.9 ± 3.5 mg/kg per dose in those with red man syndrome vs 12.3 ± 6.9 mg/kg per dose in control childrens. The duration (mean ± standard deviation) of vancomycin infusion was 45.9 ± 16.7 minutes (range 10 to 90 minutes) in patients with red man syndrome and 54.5 ± 7.6 minutes (range 45 to 65 minutes) in the control group (P = .07). In the 5 children with red man syndrome rechallenged with vancomycin, slower infusion rates prevented or reduced the syndrome, which emphasized the fact that the rate of administration is the important determinant of red man syndrome in susceptible cases. Clinically, the syndrome developed at the end of the infusion in most patients, but appeared as early as 15 minutes after initiation of the infusion. It was mostly manifested as a flushed, erythematous rash on the face, neck, and around the ears. Less frequently, the rash was distributed all over the body. Pruritus was usually localized to the upper trunk but was also generalized (2 of 11 children). Associated signs and symptoms were hypotension, watery puffy eyes, tachycardia, respiratory distress, dizziness, agitation, and mild temperature increase. A premature infant with the red man syndrome had skin rash associated with poor perfusion, cold extremities, increased need for oxygen, and severe hypotension. The rash disappeared within 20 minutes (range 5 minutes to 7 hours) after vancomycin infusion was stopped. There was no association between serum vancomycin concentrations and red man syndrome; in both groups of patients therapeutic as well as subtherapeutic concentrations were observed, suggesting that this is an idiosyncratic and not a concentration-dependent phenomenon.

Thirty-four patients have been admitted to our palliative care program since its institution in March 1986. Five were unsuitable and were withdrawn soon after admission. Of the remainder, 22 (75.9%) had central nervous system (CNS) tumors, 5 (17.2%) had myelomeningocoele, 1 (3.45%) had an arteriovenous (AV) malformation, and 1 (3.45%) had a storage disease. Twenty-five (86.2%) have since died and 17 (68%) of these have died at home. In comparison with a similar group of 30 patients studied in a feasibility study prior to the institution of our program, patients admitted to our palliative care program were hospitalized for significantly fewer days during the terminal phase of their illness (p

Nutrient intakes of preschool-age children were assessed with a 24-hour dietary recall and a 3-month food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Parents of 55 preschoolers (mean age = 4.25 +/- 0.59 years) completed the recall and FFQ on two occasions 1 week apart. The recalls and FFQs were analyzed for energy, cholesterol, protein, total carbohydrate, calcium, sodium, potassium, and saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated fats; each nutrient was expressed as raw value, value per kg body weight, and value per 1,000 kcal. Test-retest reliability estimates for the 24-hour recall indicated significant variability in reported total energy intake, but stable reports of intake were observed for one or all units of expression for polyunsaturated fats, cholesterol, protein, total carbohydrate, calcium, and potassium. The FFQ showed significant positive test-retest reliability estimates for all nutrients for all units of expression. Comparison of the recall and FFQ data showed similar percentages of intakes of energy from fat, carbohydrate, and protein and significant correlations for reported intakes of cholesterol, protein, calcium, and potassium. Comparison of the recall and FFQ data with recall data from a comparable cohort showed lower reported intakes for our sample, with the exception of protein, carbohydrate, calcium, and potassium. If validation studies are successful, the FFQ may be useful in epidemiological studies of preschoolers' intakes over extended periods. The recall may prove to be a useful tool in the assessment of day-to-day variations in macronutrient intakes.

The effects of family history of hypertension on cardiovascular reactivity to forehead cold stimulation was examined in 16 black males from 11 to 14 years of age. Measures of blood pressure, heart rate, cardiac output, stroke volume and systemic vascular resistance were obtained during baseline, forehead cold stimulation and recovery phases. Diastolic blood pressure and systemic vascular resistance increases to the forehead cold stimulation were significantly greater in subjects with positive family histories of hypertension than in those with negative family histories. These findings are compared with the results of adult studies and discussed in terms of racial differences in alpha and beta-adrenergically mediated cardiovascular reactivity.

Captopril is an orally active inhibitor of angiotensin-converting enzyme. A rapid, accurate, and sensitive high-performance chromatography (HPLC) method is described for measuring plasma concentrations of captopril. Captopril was stabilized by forming an adduct with p-bromophenacyl bromide. This adduct was measured by HPLC using a C-18 reverse-phase column and monitoring the column effluent by ultraviolet absorption at 260 nm. The method proved to be linear in the clinical range of 10-1,000 ng/ml. The plasma levels of captopril in a young patient given a small oral dose were determined by this method.

L’auteur tente d’explorer les lieux modernes du gothique et interroge les avatars d’un genre en prodigieuse expansion. Jadis étroitement confiné à un contexte historique précis, le Gothique a, dans l’immédiate après guerre, envahi les halls de gare et d’aéroport, les supermarchés et les drugstores. Les illustrations de couverture de ces romans peuvent servir à analyser une culture qui reproduit l’ancienne thématique — adaptée aux particularismes de la société moderne. Le féminisme des années soixante s’est emparé d’un genre évidemment apte — mettant en scène le malheur de la condition féminine — à illustrer, argumenter, voire formuler ses thèses. Mais le gothique, déborde aujourd’hui le cadre littéraire : il est devenu phénomène de société et sert à désigner tout ce qui, sur nos écrans, dans la rue, dans la presse, dans nos alcôves, renvoie à l'Autre, qui incarne l’horreur, l’abomination et l’effroi. Le Gothique, c’est le ça. Mais c’est aussi, comme le prétendent certains commentateurs de Derrida, le retour menaçant du politique. C’est enfin les vibrations "musicales" produites par des groupes qui s’intitulent Sex Gang Children, Southern Death Cult ou Alien Sex Fiend : tout, aujourd’hui, est gothique, et réciproquement., Lévy Maurice. FAQ : What is Gothic ?. In: Anglophonia/Caliban, n°15, 2004. Les vestiges du gothique. Le rôle du reste / The Remains of the Gothic. Persistence as Resistance. pp. 23-37.

Amantadine hydrochloride is a well-known antiviral agent that has been used for the prevention of influenza A2, the treatment of Parkinson disease, and, more recently, multiple sclerosis. However, very few data exist about its use in pregnant women. We report a 34-year-old woman who had used amantadine to prevent relapse of her multiple sclerosis throughout two of her pregnancies who subsequently delivered two normal infants. We review the available animal data and two other human pregnancy exposure reports.

The recommended maintenance dosage interval for digoxin in infants and children is 12 hours] ,2 whereas in adults the drug is administered once daily. Because target trough and peak values in children do not differ from those in adults, and because elimination half-life.is not shorter, it is not clear why digoxin should be administered twice daily. On the basis of available studies, the elimination half-life of digoxin averages between 20 hours in infants and up to 40 hours in children. 3-5 In our study, we compared serum concentrations and clinical observations in infants and children during once-daily and twice-daily administration of the cardiac glycoside.

Cardiovascular responses to three laboratory Stressors (i.e., postural change, treadmill exercise, forehead cold) were evaluated in 106 children (72 Whites, 34 Blacks) who varied in family history (FH) of early myocardial infarction (53 positive FH, 53 negative FH). Subjects were evaluated on two occasions separated by one year. In general, regardless of ethnicity, gender or FH, stability of resting blood pressures (BP) and heart rates were comparable to existing data. Resting cardiac output (CO) and total peripheral resistance (TPR) stability estimates were comparable or higher than the BP estimates across groups except for the + FH subjects and males who showed poor stability to one or both parameters. Moderate stability was observed for all parameters in response to forehead cold and low to moderate stability was observed in HR, CO, and TPR postural change reactivity. The only consistent pattern of significant differences in stability estimates involved ethnicity. African-Americans exhibited significantly higher coefficients compared to Whites in TPR at rest and during postural change and forehead cold. Reasons for the low to moderate resting and reactivity stability estimates are discussed.

Blood pressure (BP). heart rate, cardiac index, and total peripheral resistance index were measured at rest and in response to postural change, forehead cold stimulation, and a video game challenge in a sample of 128 White and 155 African-American normotensive youth with family histories of essential hypertension (EH). These measurements were readministered 1 year later (12.5 +/- 3.2 months). Moderate temporal stability was observed for all resting and absolute stress responses. Reliability estimates for reactivity change scores were lower, although some were within acceptable ranges. African-American youth exhibited greater BP and peripheral resistance index reactivity to forehead cold on both evaluations. After controlling for various anthropometric and demographic parameters and the pertinent previous year's resting cardiovascular (CV) parameter, mean video game systolic blood pressure (SBP) responses were predictive of resting SBP whereas absolute forehead cold and video game diastolic responses predicted resting diastolic blood pressure (DBP) 1 year later. Mean video game DBP responses were also predictive of resting peripheral resistance index after controlling for significant demographic and anthropometric measures. CV reactivity is discussed with regard to possible value in prediction of changes in resting BP and cardiac structure prior lo establishment of EH.

This study compared blood pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, vascular resistance, and cardiac output responses to a video game challenge and forehead cold stressor in 6- to 15-year-old males who varied in ethnicity and family history of essential hypertension. Controlling for age, significant baseline differences were obtained with black boys exhibiting higher systolic and diastolic pressures than their white cohorts. Positive family history children were found to have higher cardiac outputs and stroke volumes indexed by body surface area during baseline. Controlling for baseline hemodynamic responses and age, positive family history children exhibited greater increases in systemic vascular resistance and systolic and diastolic pressure and greater decreases in heart rate to the cold stressor. The positive family history children exhibited greater decreases in cardiac index during both the video game and cold stressor phases. Implications of the findings and directions for future research are discussed.

Propylthiouracil (PTU) is widely used to treat patients with hyperthyroidism. In rare cases, this drug has been found to have severe toxic effects on the liver. The case of a 14-year-old girl treated with PTU for hyperthyroidism who developed jaundice, severe hepatocellular dysfunction, and hepatomegaly is reported. Her condition gradually deteriorated, and she developed paranoid ideation, profound lethargy, and peripheral edema. After three weeks of prednisone therapy, clinical and laboratory signs of improvement were observed. This patient was one of only five pediatric cases among the 16 reported cases of PTU liver toxicity reported to date. Her history and the fatal outcome in some reported cases demonstrate the high degree of sensitivity required to recognize this potential complication in patients treated with PTU, particularly since its immediate discontinuance and steroid-therapy intervention may lead to recovery.

Background . Physical inactivity is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, yet little is known concerning factors which influence participation in physical activity or exercise. Two studies assessed the relationships between self-reported physical activity and social support for exercise. Method . One study involved a biracial sample of middle-class male and female teachers (mean age = 38.5 ± 8.9 years) and one involved a biracial sample of lower- to middle-class males and females (mean age = 35.8 ± 5.1 years). Results . In both studies the social support scales had high internal consistencies and a two-component solution identical to the original validation study. In both studies, social support for exercise positively correlated with physical activity, but the relationships were mediated by race, gender, specific types of support (i.e., family, friend), and dimensions of physical activity (i.e., global, work, sports, and leisure). In both studies, regardless of work status and race, women's overall activity, particularly during leisure time, was positively related to family support for exercise. In both studies white women's overall activity levels, especially sports and leisure activities, were positively related to friend support. In both studies, black women's sports activity was positively associated with family support. Among white men in both studies, sports activities and total energy expenditure were positively related to family and friend support. Black men's sports-related activity was positively related to family support among the teachers and to friend support among subjects in the second study. Conclusion . Findings are discussed in terms of future research directed toward identification of other familial and sociocultural variables which might influence individuals' involvement in physical activity.

With an increase in illicit drug use in North America, more fetuses are exposed to cocaine, cannabinoids, alcohol, cigarettes, and opioids. Whereas the adverse fetal effects of some agents have been established (for example, ethanol), those of other compounds are still controversial (for example, cocaine, THC). Two important trends may hamper our understanding of the potential reproductive risks of recreational drugs: 1. The clustering of many other risk factors in the same women. 2. A tendency to publish studies showing adverse reproductive fetal effects while discouraging reports of no effects by drugs and chemicals. Although short-term research has addressed some of the immediate postnatal physical and behavioral performance of these babies, much more work is needed to address the difficult questions of long-term neurobehavioral outcome in babies exposed to recreational drug abuse in utero.