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by Michael Luca and Max H. Bazerman HOW DID EXPERIMENTS, ONCE CLOISTERED IN LABORATORIES, BECOME A CONTEMPORARY lever wielded widely in both public and private sectors today? Michael Luca and [...]

A case of a high‐grade oligodendroglioma in a boxer dog is presented. Using magnetic resonance imaging, a parenchymal lesion was noted entering into the ventrocaudal, right lateral ventricle. Magnetic resonance imaging showed the mass had extensive, contiguous spread rostrally through the lateral ventricles, and caudally into the third and fourth ventricles, and central canal. This was confirmed with histopathology. This degree of invasion in the ventricles by an oligodendroglioma has not been reported and indicates that oligodendrogliomas should be included as a differential diagnosis for intraventricular tumours with bilateral, contiguous invasion of the ventricular system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about Se intakes and status in very young New Zealand children. However, Se intakes below recommendations and lower Se status compared with international studies have been reported in New Zealand (particularly South Island) adults. The Baby-Led Introduction to SolidS (BLISS) randomised controlled trial compared a modified version of baby-led weaning (infants feed themselves rather than being spoon-fed), with traditional spoon-feeding (Control). Weighed 3-d diet records were collected and plasma Se concentration measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). In total, 101 (BLISS n 50, Control n 51) 12-month-old toddlers provided complete data. The OR of Se intakes below the estimated average requirement (EAR) was no different between BLISS and Control (OR: 0·89; 95 % CI 0·39, 2·03), and there was no difference in mean plasma Se concentration between groups (0·04 μmol/l; 95 % CI −0·03, 0·11). In an adjusted model, consuming breast milk was associated with lower plasma Se concentrations (–0·12 μmol/l; 95 % CI −0·19, −0·04). Of the food groups other than infant milk (breast milk or infant formula), 'breads and cereals' contributed the most to Se intakes (12 % of intake). In conclusion, Se intakes and plasma Se concentrations of 12-month-old New Zealand toddlers were no different between those who had followed a baby-led approach to complementary feeding and those who followed traditional spoon-feeding. However, more than half of toddlers had Se intakes below the EAR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in the South Island of New Zealand to assess the dietary and biochemical selenium status of children (n = 136) and their mothers (n = 302), and to assess factors influencing selenium status. Serum and plasma samples from children and their mothers were analyzed for selenium using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Dietary selenium intakes were analyzed from 3-d weighed diet records, and food sources of selenium were quantified. Mean dietary selenium intakes in infants (6-11.9 mo), toddlers (12-24 mo), and mothers were below recommended levels. Toddlers had higher selenium intakes than infants (13.7 [+ or -] 8.4 and 7.9 [+ or -] 6.2 [micro]g/d, respectively, P = 0.0001) and the selenium density of their diets was also higher [3.2 [+ or -] 1.7 and 2.4 [+ or -] 1.7 [micro]g/(MJ * d), respectively, p 0.003]. Household smoking was associated with lower serum selenium concentrations in infants and toddlers (P = 0.02). South Island women who were currently pregnant had lower plasma selenium concentrations (0.74 [+ or -] 0.15 [micro]mol/L) than nonpregnant lactating and nonpregnant nonlactating women (0.94 [+ or -] 0.16 and 0.93 [+ or -] 0.16 [micro]mol/L, respectively, P = 0.0001). Clearly, pregnant women, infants and toddlers are at risk of suboptimal selenium status, and further research is warranted to assess potential effects in these groups. The finding of an association between household smoking and lower selenium concentrations in children should be investigated further. Dietary interventions are recommended to improve dietary selenium intakes in South Island children and their mothers. KEY WORDS: * selenium status * dietary selenium * children * infants * mothers * New Zealand