[The forced oscillation technique in the functional evaluation of COPD dyspnea].

Introduction: The goal of the present study is to assess the relationship between functional respiratory parameters measured by the forced oscillation technique (FOT) in COPD patients and (1) dyspnea; (2) inspiratory capacity (IC), along with the variations occurring subsequent to bronchodilation.

Methods: This cross-sectional study analyzed 40 stable COPD patients. Dyspnea was assessed by means of the San Diego Shortness of Breath Questionnaire.

Ventral Primary Hernia with Liver Content.

Background: Herniation of the liver through the anterior abdominal wall is an extremely rare phenomenon. Most cases occur within an incisional hernia (mostly upper abdomen surgery or cardiac surgery). Only two reports mentioned liver herniation without previous abdominal incision.

Breeding success of tree swallows along a gradient of agricultural intensification.

The intensification of agricultural practices has been identified as the main cause of population decline in farmland birds since the 1960s in both Europe and North America. Although the links between species richness or abundance and various components of agricultural intensification are well established, the mechanisms underlying these trends have rarely been addressed along a gradient of intensification or have been quantified at only one spatial scale. Here we quantified the influence of landscape structure on the nest box occupancy and breeding success of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) at seven spatial scales (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, and 20 km radii) over a 10 200-km2 gradient of agricultural intensification in southern Québec, Canada.

[Repercussions at the level of required health insurance of the introduction of three distinct professional titles in dentistry].

From July 2007 on, Belgian dental graduates must complete one year of vocational training in general dentistry or a specialization in the field of either orthodontics or parodontology in order to obtain a licence for the Belgian Social Security System. This introduction of special professional titles required massive legislation in concert with State Health Insurance (RIZIV/INAMI), the Departments of Education of both Communities, manpower planning, comparable arrangements for physicians, and European Directives. Overall the process of subsequent changes in legislation and implementation took up to 15 years.

Interleukin 10 reduces the incidence of pancreatitis after therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography.

Background & Aims: Prophylactic administration of interleukin (IL)-10 decreases the severity of experimental pancreatitis. Prevention of post-endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis in humans is a unique model to study the potential role of IL-10 in this setting.

Methods: In a single-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, the effect of a single injection of 4 microg/kg (group 1) or 20 microg/kg (group 2) IL-10 was compared with that of placebo (group 0), all administered 30 minutes before therapeutic ERCP.