Bending energy, EM algorithm, Kalman filter, Karahunen-Loeve expansions, Kriging, pollution, spatial temporal modelling, state-space model, 62M10, 62M30, 62M99,

Hydrotherapy for OA of the hip has rarely been evaluated in controlled studies. Forty-seven patients with OA of the hip were followed for 18 weeks. Patients were randomly allocated either to a regimen of home exercises or to twice weekly hydrotherapy for 6 weeks in addition to home exercises. There was an improvement seen in both subjective and objective measures in both groups with treatment. There was no significant difference between the two groups. Response to treatment appeared independent of age, sex and radiological severity. We conclude that for most patients, a carefully graded and supervised regimen of home exercises is beneficial and there is little benefit in adding hydrotherapy to this regimen.

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Aims-To examine the relation between nocturnal vasopressin release and response to treatment with the vasopressin analogue 1-desamino-8-D-arginine vasopressin (DDAVP) in children with primary monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis. Design-Children were recruited from a specific enuresis clinic and entered into a defined treatment programme. Nocturnal vasopressin concentrations were measured every 15 minutes over a four hour period during overnight admission. Results-Sixty seven children were eligible for entry into the study, 35 of whom agreed to overnight sampling. There was a quadratic relation between mean plasma AVP and response to treatment with DDAVP, with very high or very low concentrations being unresponsive. Plasma AVP profiles ranged from low concentrations with little variability to high concentrations with wide variability. Conclusion-The ability to respond to DDAVP is related to endogenous AVP production and is influenced by neuronal patterning in early infancy. The best predictors of success with treatment were a past history of breast feeding, mean nocturnal AVP concentration, and the height of the child. The response was adversely aVected by poor weight at birth and poor linear growth. The study suggests diVering causes of nocturnal enuresis related to diVerent patterns of AVP release. (Arch Dis Child 1999;80:448-451)