Evaluation of renal function following treatment with 5-aminosalicylic acid derivatives in patients with ulcerative colitis.

Background: A number of cases of nephrotoxicity have been reported in patients with inflammatory bowel disease taking oral 5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA).

Aim: To evaluate the effects of 9 months of therapy with mesalazine or olsalazine on renal function in patients with ulcerative colitis in remission.

Methods: Forty patients with ulcerative colitis in complete remission for 6 months were randomized to either olsalazine (n=20) or mesalazine (n=20 for nine months).

Classification of mild Alzheimer's disease by artificial neural network analysis of SPET data.

An evaluation of the performance of artificial neural networks (ANNs) for the classification of probable Alzheimer's disease (pAD) patients was undertaken using data extracted from four regions of interest constructed on single photon emission tomographic (SPET) cerebral perfusion images. Two studies using feed-forward neural networks (FFNNs) were undertaken. The first was to determine if it would be possible to classify pAD patients and normal subjects in a mixed group, comprising 29 patients diagnosed as having pAD varying in severity from mild, established dementia to moderate dementia and 10 healthy control subjects.

Dose reduction in double contrast barium enema by use of low fluoroscopic current.

Under standard conditions double contrast barium enema (DCBE) was carried out on a selected patient cohort using either standard (1.5 mA) or low (0.5 mA) fluoroscopic current.

Somatostatin and somatostatin analogues in medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a neuroendocrine tumour characterized by the production and secretion of calcitonin. MTC tumours may express functional somatostatin receptors (hSSTR). A significant proportion of hSSTR receptor-positive MTC tumours, including metastatic disease, may be visualized in vivo through 111In-pentetreotide scintigraphy.