[Significance of Thoracic Surgery for Treatment of Pleural Empyema in Childhood and Adolescence].

Background: There still is controversy about surgical treatment of pleural empyema in children.

Patients And Methods: Retrospective analysis of treatment strategy, focussing on indication for surgery and outcome of children treated in 2 centres for pleural complications due to primary pneumonia from January 1(st) 2008 to December 31(st) 2012. RESULTS were compared to studies published within the last 10 years.

Prevalence and causes of severe visual impairment and blindness in children in Mongolia.

Background: Reliable epidemiological data on the prevalence and causes of visual loss in children are difficult to obtain, but are essential for planning. No such data are available from Mongolia.

Aim: To determine the prevalence and causes of severe visual impairment and blindness (SVI/BL) in children from a defined area of Mongolia, using several methods of identification.

Exposure to the n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid impairs alpha 1-adrenoceptor-mediated contractile responses and inositol phosphate formation in rat cardiomyocytes.

The beneficial effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids of fish oil in the prevention of fatal arrhythmias in myocardial ischemia were suggested to be at least in part mediated by a modulation of dihydropyridine-sensitive L-type calcium channels. As cardiac alpha 1-adrenoceptor stimulation has been suggested to have no significant effect on L-type calcium channels, the aim of this study using cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes was to investigate whether chronic n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid exposure may have an influence on alpha 1-adrenoceptor-induced positive inotropic effects and induction of arrhythmias. Pretreatment of the rat cardiomyocytes for 3 days in the presence of the n-3 polyunsaturated fish oil-derived fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (60 mumol/l) markedly decreased alpha 1-adrenoceptor-stimulated increase in contraction velocity and induction of arrhythmias.