Fiberoptic endoscopic findings of oropharyngeal swallowing of different food consistencies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Purpose: This study aimed to compare the fiberoptic endoscopic findings of oropharyngeal swallowing of distinct food consistencies in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: This was a retrospective clinical study of a convenience sample of 20 individuals (13 males and seven females aged 34 to 78 years old) with a diagnosis of ALS and oropharyngeal dysphagia confirmed by clinical and objective evaluation of swallowing, regardless of the bulbar or skeletal type and of the time of neurological diagnosis. The fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) of the liquid (N = 18), thickened liquid (N = 19) and pureed samples (N = 20) in a volume of 5 ml were analyzed.

Isotopic imprints of mountaintop mining contaminants.

Mountaintop mining (MTM) is the primary procedure for surface coal exploration within the central Appalachian region of the eastern United States, and it is known to contaminate streams in local watersheds. In this study, we measured the chemical and isotopic compositions of water samples from MTM-impacted tributaries and streams in the Mud River watershed in West Virginia. We systematically document the isotopic compositions of three major constituents: sulfur isotopes in sulfate (δ(34)SSO4), carbon isotopes in dissolved inorganic carbon (δ(13)CDIC), and strontium isotopes ((87)Sr/(86)Sr).

Groundwater quality and its health impact: An assessment of dental fluorosis in rural inhabitants of the Main Ethiopian Rift.

This study aims to assess the link between fluoride content in groundwater and its impact on dental health in rural communities of the Ethiopian Rift. A total of 148 water samples were collected from two drainage basins within the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER). In the Ziway-Shala basin in particular, wells had high fluoride levels (mean: 9.

Growth hormone deficiency in patients with chronic heart failure and beneficial effects of its correction.

Context: A reduced activity of the GH/IGF-I axis in chronic heart failure (CHF) has been described by several independent groups and is associated with poor clinical status and outcome.

Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of GH deficiency in a patient population with CHF and evaluate the cardiovascular effects of GH replacement therapy.

Design And Setting: The randomized, single-blind, controlled trial was conducted at the Federico II University.

A preliminary randomized study of growth hormone administration in Becker and Duchenne muscular dystrophies.

Aim: Since growth hormone (GH) has proven beneficial in experimental heart failure, and the natural history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) is frequently complicated by the development of dilated cardiomyopathy, we administered GH to six patients with DMD and 10 with BMD, with the evidence of cardiac involvement.

Methods And Results: Patients were randomized to receive for 3 months either placebo or recombinant human GH, in a double-blind fashion. In GH-treated patients, left ventricular (LV) mass increased by 16% in BMD and by 29% in DMD (both p<0.