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The recently endorsed World Health Organization (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is proposed as a new tool to describe human functioning and health in a multiprofessional approach for individuals of all ages. Its application to paediatric neurorehabilitation may be of great help, especially in children with complex disabilities. However, experience with its application in this field is still limited. We tested the application of ICF in 40 children (26 males, 14 females; age range 3 to 18 years; mean age 11 years 1 month, SD 5 years 3 months) with various types and degrees of disability. We tested the applicability and reliability of the classification, and studied its correlation with well-established measures of functioning (Verbal IQ; gross motor function measure; functional independence measure). The ICF proved to be applicable and reliable, and strongly correlated with established scales. However, several of the Activity and Participation components do not fully capture the developmental nature of many abilities of children. Our study, although acknowledging the universal application of the ICF, and the ICF's value as a clinical tool, calls for its specific adaptation to accommodate better the peculiarities of child functioning and disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interaction of human and bovine serum albumin with Cibacron Blue and Blue Dextran in aqueous solution was studied by means of difference spectroscopy. Both human and bovine albumin interact strongly with underivatized Cibacron Blue in three independent binding sites (K = 105). On the contrary, Blue Dextran interacts strongly only with human albumin, but does not bind appreciably to bovine albumin. These results suggest that the binding sites are exposed and easily accessible in human albumin, while in bovine albumin they are sterically hindered and therefore not accessible to the bulky Blue Dextran.

When purified preparations of human chorionic somatomammotropin (HCS) were examined by polyacrylamide electrophoresis in the presence of mercaptoethanol, four new fast-moving bands were observed, in comparison with the pattern obtained in the absence of the reducing agent. We have found that the new bands correspond to fragments due to the presence of two broken bonds inside the main loop of the HCS chain, and one of these breakage points has been located at Leu 100. It has also been shown that the nicked form corresponds to the slow-moving band in the electrophoretic pattern, obtained in the absence of mercaptoethanol. The nicked form of HCS can be attributed to artefacts during the preparation or to metabolic events. Comparison with HCS prepared by affinity chromatography from retroplacental blood seems to indicate that the former hypothesis is correct.