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Notes: We briefly review instruments that have been used to measure cervical dilatation and describe the development of a new cervimeter. Curves derived from cervical dilatation and intrauterine pressure traces are presented in a form that clearly records the activity of the uterus and the response of the cervix to individual contractions. Our results suggest a new concept for behaviour of the cervix in labour.

Notes: Objective To test the hypothesis that women with pelvic venous congestion have a reduction of reactivity of their peripheral circulation.Design Comparison was made between 20 women with chronic pelvic pain due to congestion and a control group of 15 pain-free women matched for age, parity and body weight. A comparison of these results was made with those from six postmenopausal women taking hormone replacement therapy.Methods Study and control groups were investigated during the mid-follicular phase of the menstrual cycle (days 5–9) and the mid-luteal phase (days 19–23). The study group was also investigated during the fifth month of treatment with suppression of ovarian activity with leuprorelin or medroxyproges-terone acetate or six months after hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Head-up tilt sufficient to increase intra-vascular pressure in the toe by a standard 40 mmHg was used as a means of raising venous pressure in the lower limb. Skin capillary red blood cell velocity (flux) was measured using a laser Doppler flow probe placed over the pulp of the big toe. Heart rate and blood pressure were also recorded. The change in skin blood flow following head-up tilt was expressed as a percentage of baseline flow in the supine position.Main outcome measures Percentage change in skin red blood cell flux, heart rate and blood pressure in response to 40° head-up tilt.Results In the control group the median response to head-up tilt in the follicular phase was one of a reduction in flux, whereas in the luteal phase it was more variable ranging from an increase to a decrease in flux. The responses in the pelvic congestion group in both the follicular and luteal phases were similar to those of the control group in the luteal phase. A small but significant increase in heart rate in response to tilt in the pelvic pain group, compared with the control group, was interpreted as being due to a fall in venous return. Treatment of the pelvic congestion group by medical suppression of ovarian activity or total hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy resulted in a significant change in response to head-up tilt from the variable type of luteal response to one of a more constant reduction in flux, similar to that of the control group in the follicular phase. A reduction in flux was also found consistently in postmenopausal women.Conclusion The study confirms the hypothesis that women with pelvic pain due to congestion show a change in peripheral vascular reactivity which returns to normal after suppression of ovarian activity. It seems likely that some alteration of normal ovarian function is responsible for the observed changes in peripheral blood flow in response to a rise in venous pressure in women with pelvic congestion.

Notes: Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess current levels of regular cigarette, alcohol and illicit drug use in adolescents in light of reported research by Goddard & Higgins (1999). Design, setting, subjects. Survey of 9742 pupils (aged 11-16) in a stratified sample of 28 schools in four Local Education Authority areas in Northern England, the Midlands and London. Data were collected during the latter part of 1999 and the first 3 months of 2000. Measures. Respondents were asked confidentially about their use, and extent of use, of psychotropic substances (cigarettes, alcohol and illicit drugs). Results. The prevalence of reported daily cigarette use rose from 4.8% at age 11 to 24.1% at age 16. More girls than boys smoked (13.7%, 9.5%, χ2 = 39.1, p 〈 0.0001). Reported monthly use of alcohol rose from 5.1% at age 11 to 36% at 16. Alcohol was drunk more by boys than girls (16.4% and 12.8% respectively, χ2 = 23.0, p 〈 0.0001) Reported monthly illicit drug use rose from 0.9% at age 11 to 14.5% at age 16. No overall differences were found between boys and girls. Conclusions. The results confirm that rates of cigarette smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use rise rapidly in the early teenage years, with higher rates of smoking in girls and drinking in boys.

Notes: Objectives. The aim of this study was to explore in detail the relationship between various social aspects of young people's lives and substance use and differences in the degree of influence exerted by the different social factors as a function of age. Design, setting, participants. The study was a survey of pupils aged 11-16 in a stratified sample of five English schools. Data from 4516 participants were obtained in relation to their cigarette, alcohol and illicit drug use and their contact with the police, perceived academic achievements and future expectations, religious beliefs, family structure, the importance of family versus peer opinions and suspension from school. Measures. Cumulative, age-specific preferences of substance misuse were compared. Logistic regression was used to rank the various risk factors. Results. Substantial differences were found between substance users and non-users and the various risk factors being examined. For example, of those who had only been in trouble with the police, 18.8% used illegal drugs compared with 1.6% of those who had not had a police contact and who had no other risk factors. Many of these relationships were age-sensitive. For instance, the negative relationship between belief in God and illicit drug use became stronger as age increased (non-believers: y = 8.1886x - 9.16 R2 = 0.9484; believers: y = 5.1514x - 8.08 R2 = 0.9247). These results suggest that, within this sample of English adolescents, there was a strong relationship between substance use and the social factors examined. Although there were differences depending upon whether cigarette, alcohol or illicit drug use was being modelled, logistic regression indicated that the social factors could be ranked in the following order of importance: concurrent use of the second and third substances, having been in trouble with the police, perceived poor academic performance and low future academic expectations, a lack of religious belief, coming from a non-intact family, favouring peer over family opinion and having been suspended from school. Many of these relationships were age-sensitive with substance use peaking at age 15. Conclusion. The models and relationships presented in this paper show that a constellation of behaviours are related to adolescent substance use. Also demonstrated is that behaviours cannot be considered in isolation, but need to be examined from an holistic or biopsychosocial standpoint. These relationships are complex and future research should consider not only causality of adolescent substance use, but also of the aetiology of the satellite behaviours.

Notes: The efficacy of emamectin benzoate as an oral treatment of sea lice, Lepeophtheirus salmonis (KrÒyer), infestations in Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., was evaluated in a dose titration study and two dose confirmation studies. Replicated groups of salmon with induced infestations of sea lice were given emamectin benzoate on pelleted feed at doses of 0, 25, 50 and 100 μg kg−1 biomass day−1 for seven consecutive days. Sea lice were counted at 7, 14 and 21 days from the start of treatment, and comparisons made with control fish given the same diet without emamectin benzoate. Total numbers of sea lice were significantly reduced at all doses in all three studies when compared to control fish. There was no significant difference between doses of 50 and 100 μg kg−1, but the 50 μg kg−1 dose resulted in significantly fewer lice than the 25 μg kg−1 dose. Emamectin benzoate was highly effective in reducing numbers of preadult and adult lice and prevented the maturation of chalimus to motile stages. The optimum therapeutic dose was selected as 50 μg kg−1 day−1 for seven days. Treatment reduced the incidence of epidermal damage by sea lice and, in one study, survival of treated fish was 48% higher than in control groups. No fish mortalities or adverse effects were attributed to treatment with emamectin benzoate at any of the doses tested.

Notes: Abstract. The efficacy of florfenicol in the control of natural outbreaks of furunculosis in Atlantic sallmon, Salmo salar L. was evaluated on five Norwegian farms during the summer of 1992. A total of 115 245 first- or second-generation fish received florfenicol with feed at a dose rate of 10mgkg 1body weight daily for 10 consecutive days. Comparisons were made with similar pens of fish medicated with the preferred treatment for eaeh location. In the 10 days following introduction of therapy, all treatments were associated with a rapid decline in mortality caused by infection with Aeromonas salmonicida. Florfenicol-medicated salmon had a lower specific mortality than those given oxolinie acid, flumequine or a trimethoprim and sulphadiazine eombination. No adverse reactions to treatment with florfenicol were observed.