Sponsorship of national and regional professional paediatrics associations by companies that make breast-milk substitutes: evidence from a review of official websites.

Objectives: Professional paediatrics associations play an important role in promoting the highest standard of care for women and children. Education and guidelines must be made in the best interests of patients. Given the importance of breastfeeding for the health, development and survival of infants, children and mothers, paediatric associations have a particular responsibility to avoid conflicts of interest with companies that manufacture breast-milk substitutes (BMSs).

Some factors associated with mortality in perforated peptic ulcer: a case-control study.

This study examined the associations of individual coexisting illnesses, septicaemia, intra-abdominal abscess, marital status, smoking and alcohol use, with mortality following perforation of peptic ulcer without pre-operative evidence of haemorrhage. Patients who died in hospital following ulcer perforation (cases; n = 300) were compared with patients who survived following ulcer perforation (controls; n = 276). The controls were frequency-matched to the cases on age, sex and perforation site.

Trends in peptic ulcer mortality in Sydney from 1971 to 1987.

Gastric and duodenal ulcer (GU,DU) mortality in Western countries has varied over time by age and sex. Temporal variation raises the question of whether these ulcers have an environmental etiology. Using death certificate data, we investigated peptic ulcer mortality time trends from 1971 to 1987 in Sydney, Australia, and whether ulcer mortality and overall mortality in Sydney were similar with regard to time trends and associations with demographic and environmental factors.

Field trials of a method of induction of autoimmune gonad rejection in Atlantic salmon (salmon salar L.).

Autoimmune gonad destruction was induced in Atlantic salmon of both sexes in trials carried out on fish kept in sea cages on a fish farm. Damage to gonads was only found in fish where the first injection of gonad extract had been given together with Complete Freund's Adjuvant, injections without adjuvant or with carrageenan as an adjuvant were unsuccessful. Length and weight differences between treated and untreated groups of fish were slight at the termination of the experiment.

New developments in ultrasonic fish tracking.

A range of small, long-life ultrasonic fish tags is described and their use illustrated with an improved system of fixed hydrophone tracking stations. A boat-mounted hydrophone system giving bearing and range estimations for use in open-water fish tracking is described together with a portable hand-held unit for simple location of tagged fish in rivers, etc. Typical results based on intensive use of these systems are given.