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Introduction: An escharotomy is an effective surgical procedure for the rapid decompression of a constricting and unyielding eschar, to permit restoration of blood flow. However, an escharotomy is also a full-thickness incision, which adds additional scarring to the burn injury area. The cosmetic and functional morbidity of escharotomy scarring in children is poorly characterised. Methods: Children who required a burn wound escharotomy at the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH) between May 2011 and May 2020 were included. Demographics of these children were described. In addition, the number of operations for revision of escharotomy scars was recorded as an indicator of functional or cosmetic concern. Results: A total of 19 patients required an escharotomy after a burn injury. Children with 1% to 96% TBSA burns required an escharotomy, with a median of 28% (IQR 10–39%) TBSA. Two patients (81% and 96% TBSA) died. Seventy-one percent (12/17) of survivors had operative revisions of their escharotomy scars. The median time from burn to first scar intervention was 35 weeks (IQR 19–70 weeks). Conclusion: There is substantial morbidity associated with escharotomies in children. Further investigation of the current methods of decompression after burn injury, and the long-term morbidity of escharotomy, is required.

Across taxa, individuals vary in how far they disperse, with most individuals staying close to their origin and fewer dispersing long distances. Costs associated with dispersal (e.g., energy, risk) are widely believed to trade off with benefits (e.g., reduced competition, increased reproductive success) to influence dispersal propensity. However, this framework has not been applied to understand variation in dispersal distance, which is instead generally attributed to extrinsic environmental factors. We alternatively hypothesized that variation in dispersal distances results from trade‐offs associated with other aspects of locomotor performance. We tested this hypothesis in the stream salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus and found that salamanders that dispersed farther in the field had longer forelimbs but swam at slower velocities under experimental conditions. The reduced swimming performance of long‐distance dispersers likely results from drag imposed by longer forelimbs. Longer forelimbs may facilitate moving longer distances, but the proximate costs associated with reduced swimming performance may help to explain the rarity of long‐distance dispersal. The historical focus on environmental drivers of dispersal distances misses the importance of individual traits and associated trade‐offs among traits affecting locomotion., Variation in dispersal distance is generally attributed to extrinsic environmental factors. We alternatively hypothesized that variation in dispersal distance results from trade‐offs associated with other aspects of locomotor performance. We tested this hypothesis in the stream salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus and found that salamanders with long forelimbs dispersed farther in the field but swam at slower velocities under experimental conditions, indicating that a distance–performance trade‐off likely shapes selection on dispersal distances.

The rapid loss of coastal and estuarine biogenic habitats has reduced the delivery of valuable ecosystem services, resulting in calls for increased habitat restoration. Yet, a lack of information on how key habitat characteristics (e.g., area, vertical relief, age) influence the ability of restored habitats to deliver these ecosystem services hinders efforts to maximize the return on restoration investments. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the influence of reef type (natural or restored), taxa, and restored reef size, vertical relief, age, and tidal zone on the presence and magnitude of recruitment enhancement for nekton (i.e., fish and swimming crabs). Both intertidal and subtidal reefs, as well as restored and natural reefs, enhanced nekton recruitment, though there was variation among taxonomic groups with reef types. Recruitment enhancement was more common across taxa on restored (six families) than on natural (one family) reefs. Resident nekton families were more consistently enhanced than transient families. Nekton enhancement varied with a number of restored reef characteristics. Recruitment enhancement increased with greater reef size across taxa, decreased with higher vertical relief for two families, showed maximum recruitment around a single intertidal reef age for one family, and showed minimum recruitment around a single subtidal reef age for three families. Understanding variation across species in response to key design elements will improve restoration success and enhance return on investment. Moving forward, we recommend studies that vary reef habitat characteristics independently and in combination to identify how variation in these characteristics interact to influence nekton recruitment enhancement by oyster reefs.

Summary Coexistence of organisms in nature is more likely when phenotypic similarities of individuals are reduced. Despite the lack of similarity, distantly related taxa still compete intensely for shared resources. No larger difference between organisms that share a common prey could exist than between carnivorous plants and animals. However, few studies have considered inter-Kingdom competition among carnivorous plants and animals. In order to evaluate interactions between a carnivorous plant (greater bladderwort, Utricularia vulgaris) and a vertebrate (bluegill, Lepomis macrochirus) on a shared prey (zooplankton), we conducted a mesocosm experiment. We deployed two levels of bladderwort presence (functional and crushed) and measured bluegill responses (survival and growth). Zooplankton abundance was reduced the greatest in bluegill and functional bladderwort treatments. Bluegill survival did not differ among treatments, but growth was greatest with crushed bladderwort. Thus, bluegill growth was facilitated by reducing interference competition in the presence of crushed bladderwort. The facilitating effect was dampened, however, when functional bladderwort removed a shared prey. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to experimentally demonstrate interactions between a carnivorous plant and a fish. Our data suggest that carnivorous plants may actively promote or reduce animal co-occurrence from some ecosystems via facilitation or competition.

The project was funded in part by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/HO1697X/1). S.E.H. was supported by a Nigel Groome PhD Studentship at Oxford Brookes University. S.E.H. was awarded a practical skills grant from the Society for Endocrinology and a travel grant from the Physiological Society to fund work at the University of Arizona.

Temperature elevation due to climate change is directly altering organismal performance and distributions, but the mechanisms behind these shifts require additional attention. Because small aquatic ectotherms are proposed to perform better at future climates, it is possible that competitive interactions in size-structured communities may also shift. To study the interactive effects of climate and competition on species performance, we evaluated body condition of small and large desmognathan salamanders at current and elevated temperatures in stream mesocosms, and characterized habitat use. In situ evaluation of capture locations demonstrated that the widespread and larger species, Desmognathus conanti, competitively excludes the smaller more narrowly distributed, D. abditus, from stream centers and cooler temperatures, but ex situ mesocosm experiments indicated an interaction between temperature and intra- versus inter-specific competition on D. abditus body condition. At current temperatures, D. abditus body condition increased in the presence of the larger D. conanti, but at elevated temperatures, D. abditus body condition tended to decline in the presence of the larger species relative to intraspecific competitors. We also noted that individuals at future temperatures prioritized growth differently than individuals at current temperatures by shifting allocations away from growth in length to growth in mass consistent with responses of other organisms to stressful conditions that could result in declining reproductive rates. This study demonstrates that processes in size-structured communities may interact with temperature to affect species’ future success.

Globally, Arctic and Subarctic regions have experienced the greatest temperature increases during the last 30 years. These extreme changes have amplified threats to the freshwater ecosystems that dominate the landscape in many areas by altering water budgets. Several studies in temperate environments have examined the adaptive capacity of organisms to enhance our understanding of the potential repercussions of warming and associated accelerated drying for freshwater ecosystems. However, few experiments have examined these impacts in Arctic or Subarctic freshwater ecosystems, where the climate is changing most rapidly. To evaluate the capacity of a widespread ectotherm to anticipated environmental changes, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) in the Canadian Subarctic. Three warming treatments were fully crossed with three drying treatments to simulate a range of predicted changes in wetland environments. We predicted wetland warming and drying would act synergistically, with water temperature partially compensating for some of the negative effects of accelerated drying. Across all drying regimes, a 1 °C increase in water temperature increased the odds of survival by 1.79, and tadpoles in 52-day and 64-day hydroperiod mesocosms were 4.1-4.3 times more likely to survive to metamorphosis than tadpoles in 45-day mesocosms. For individuals who survived to metamorphosis, there was only a weak negative effect of temperature on size. As expected, increased temperatures accelerated tadpole growth through day 30 of the experiment. Our results reveal that one of the dominant herbivores in Subarctic wetlands, wood frog tadpoles, are capable of increasing their developmental rates in response to increased temperature and accelerated drying, but only in an additive manner. The strong negative effects of drying on survival, combined with lack of compensation between these two environmental drivers, suggest changes in the aquatic environment that are expected in this ecosystem will reduce mean fitness of populations across the landscape.

Animals from cold environments are usually larger than animals from warm environments, which often produce clines in body size. Because variation in body size can lead to trade-offs between growth and reproduction, life-history traits should also vary across climatic gradients. To determine if life-history traits of wood frogs Rana sylvatica vary with climate, we examined female and male body length, clutch size, and ovum size from 37 locations across an unprecedented 32° of latitude. In conflict with recent research, body size, and ovum size decreased in cold climates and at higher latitudes. Clutch size did not vary with climate or latitude, but reproductive effort (clutch size:female size) did, suggesting selection for a life-history traits that favors maximizing propagule number over propagule size in cold climates. With accelerating climate change that will expose populations to novel environmental conditions, it is important to identify the limits of adaptation, which can be informed by greater understanding of variation in life-history traits.

Summary N-mixture models have become a popular method for estimating abundance of free-ranging animals that are not marked or identified individually. These models have been used on count data for single species that can be identified with certainty. However, co-occurring species often look similar during one or more life stages, making it difficult to assign species for all recorded captures. This uncertainty creates problems for estimating species-specific abundance, and it can often limit life stages to which we can make inference. We present a new extension of N-mixture models that accounts for species uncertainty. In addition to estimating site-specific abundances and detection probabilities, this model allows estimating probability of correct assignment of species identity. We implement this hierarchical model in a Bayesian framework and provide all code for running the model in BUGS language programs. We present an application of the model on count data from two sympatric freshwater fishes, the brook stickleback (Culaea inconstans) and the ninespine stickleback (Pungitius pungitius), and illustrate implementation of covariate effects (habitat characteristics). In addition, we used a simulation study to validate the model and illustrate potential sample size issues. We also compared, for both real and simulated data, estimates provided by our model to those obtained by a simple N-mixture model when captures of unknown species identification were discarded. In the latter case, abundance estimates appeared highly biased and very imprecise, while our new model provided unbiased estimates with higher precision. This extension of the N-mixture model should be useful for a wide variety of studies and taxa, as species uncertainty is a common issue. It should notably help improve investigation of abundance and vital rate characteristics of organisms’ early life stages, which are sometimes more difficult to identify than adults.

Metacommunity ecology emphasizes the role of dispersal in linking local processes across space. Competition is one such local process that can be affected by dispersal. Dispersal can influence intraspecific trait variation, thereby affecting the strength of intraspecific competition and, consequently, the relative importance of intra- versus interspecific interactions. Prior research has shown that spring salamanders, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, self-organize within streams by a common trait (body condition) and that dispersal and gene flow along streams vary with slope. Building on this prior work, we tested how dispersal influences the strength of intraspecific competition via one of two spatial mechanisms: (1) spatial sorting of individuals by traits that affect competitive performance or (2) variation in gene flow resulting in evolutionary divergence of traits affecting competitive performance. To test these alternative mechanisms, we conducted a mesocosm experiment with spring salamanders from downstream and upstream sites of streams with low and high rates of dispersal and gene flow. Spatial patterns of intraspecific competitive performance differed significantly in the low- and high-dispersal streams. In the low-dispersal stream, downstream individuals were better intraspecific competitors than upstream individuals, whereas the opposite was true in the high-dispersal stream. These differences support the spatial sorting mechanism, reinforcing direct dispersal data showing that high-performance individuals are more likely to move upstream in the high-dispersal stream and to remain downstream in the low-dispersal stream. To our knowledge, this is the first time that spatial sorting has been explicitly identified as contributing to the strength of intraspecific interactions. Our study underscores the importance of integrating natural rates of dispersal into mechanistic experiments to understand spatial variability in the strength of intra- and interspecific species interactions.

SUMMARY 1. Intraguild predation is common in nature, but it is unclear how species that both compete and eat each other can persist together. One possibility is that intermediate predators possess inducible morphological defences that protect them from top predators while not compromising their ability to compete with top predators. 2. The ability of intermediate predators to develop morphological defences may be compromised in environments with a high density of conspecifics because of reduced resource availability and predation risk due to the saturating functional response of top predators. Furthermore, since morphological defences take time to develop, the type and extent of morphological defences may vary during development. 3. We conducted an experiment to measure the phenotypic responses of an intermediate predator (larvae of the salamander Ambystoma opacum) to the presence of a caged top predator (larvae of the dragonfly Anax spp.) throughout ontological development in environments that differed in the density of conspecifics present. We also assessed how intermediate predators, reared in the different environments, differed in their vulnerability to top predators and ability to deplete their food resources. 4. We found that Anax induced morphological defences in A. opacum, but the extent of morphological change declined with the density of conspecifics. Moreover, some morphological traits disappeared, while others appeared just prior to A. opacum metamorphosis. The change in A. opacum phenotype in response to Anax made A. opacum less vulnerable to predation by Anax but had no significant effect on the foraging ability of A. opacum. 5. Our study demonstrates that top predators can induce phenotypes in intermediate predators that reduce their vulnerability to top predators while not compromising their ability to feed on a common prey. An increase in intermediate predator density, however, could diminish the ability of intermediate predators to develop the full suite of morphological defences. The inability to develop the full suite of morphological defences may reduce the probability of persistence with top predators.

Many studies have demonstrated that the nonconsumptive effect (NCE) of predators on prey traits can alter prey demographics in ways that are just as strong as the consumptive effect (CE) of predators. Less well studied, however, is how the CE and NCE of multiple predator species can interact to influence the combined effect of multiple predators on prey mortality. We examined the extent to which the NCE of one predator altered the CE of another predator on a shared prey and evaluated whether we can better predict the combined impact of multiple predators on prey when accounting for this influence. We conducted a set of experiments with larval dragonflies, adult newts (a known keystone predator), and their tadpole prey. We quantified the CE and NCE of each predator, the extent to which NCEs from one predator alters the CE of the second predator, and the combined effect of both predators on prey mortality. We then compared the combined effect of both predators on prey mortality to four predictive models. Dragonflies caused more tadpoles to hide under leaf litter (a NCE), where newts spend less time foraging, which reduced the foraging success (CE) of newts. Newts altered tadpole behavior but not in a way that altered the foraging success of dragonflies. Our study suggests that we can better predict the combined effect of multiple predators on prey when we incorporate the influence of interactions between the CE and NCE of multiple predators into a predictive model. In our case, the threat of predation to prey by one predator reduced the foraging efficiency of a keystone predator. Consequently, the ability of a predator to fill a keystone role could be compromised by the presence of other predators.

Standard Model extensions often predict low-mass and very weakly interacting particles, such as the axion. A number of small-scale experiments at the intensity/precision frontier are actively searching for these elusive particles, complementing searches for physics beyond the Standard Model at colliders. Whilst a next generation of experiments will give access to a huge unexplored parameter space, a discovery would have a tremendous impact on our understanding of fundamental physics.

The degree of dietary generalism among consumers has important consequences for population, community, and ecosystem processes, yet the effects on consumer fitness of mixing food types have not been examined comprehensively. We conducted a meta-analysis of 161 peer-reviewed studies reporting 493 experimental manipulations of prey diversity to test whether diet mixing enhances consumer fitness based on the intrinsic nutritional quality of foods and consumer physiology. Averaged across studies, mixed diets conferred significantly higher fitness than the average of single-species diets, but not the best single prey species. More than half of individual experiments, however, showed maximal growth and reproduction on mixed diets, consistent with the predicted benefits of a balanced diet. Mixed diets including chemically defended prey were no better than the average prey type, opposing the prediction that a diverse diet dilutes toxins. Finally, mixed-model analysis showed that the effect of diet mixing was stronger for herbivores than for higher trophic levels. The generally weak evidence for the nutritional benefits of diet mixing in these primarily laboratory experiments suggests that diet generalism is not strongly favored by the inherent physiological benefits of mixing food types, but is more likely driven by ecological and environmental influences on consumer foraging.

This article summarizes key pharmacokinetic properties of JNJ-Q2, a broad-spectrum fluoroquinolone, being developed for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. Two randomized placebo-controlled studies and one open-label study are presented: single and multiple ascending-dose studies evaluating intravenous (IV) and oral pharmacokinetics, absolute bioavailability accumulation, and lung penetration. Fifty-seven participants received JNJ-Q2, which was safe and well tolerated. The half-life was 13 to 20 hours, clearance (CLtot ) was 4.41 to 6.22 L/h, volume of distribution (Vd ) was 86 to 148 L, renal clearance (CLren ) was 0.58 L/h, and the fraction excreted in urine (%Fe) was 12%. Accumulation ratio was 1.63, and absolute bioavailability was 0.65. The lung penetration study demonstrated substantial concentration of JNJ-Q2 in epithelial lining fluid and alveolar macrophages with ratios to free plasma of 50.6 and 156.9, respectively, at 6 hours postdose. JNJ-Q2 doses under consideration for future clinical trials are 150 mg for IV and 250-mg tablets for oral administration.

By using two-photon (TP)[1] photoreleasable neurotransmitters like glutamate (Glu) or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), neuronal processes can be activated or inhibited with high temporal and spatial control (with around one micron three-dimensional precision) with reduced photodamage to cells or organs, and with deeper penetration of the light beam into living tissue compared to that of UV photoactivation.[2]

Summary 1. Many taxa can be found in food webs that differ in trophic complexity, but it is unclear how trophic complexity affects the performance of particular taxa. In pond food webs, larvae of the salamander Ambystoma opacum occupy the intermediate predator trophic position in a partial intraguild predation (IGP) food web and can function as keystone predators. Larval A. opacum are also found in simpler food webs lacking either top predators or shared prey. 2. We conducted an experiment where a partial IGP food web was simplified, and we measured the growth and survival of larval A. opacum in each set of food webs. Partial IGP food webs that had either a low abundance or high abundance of total prey were also simplified by independently removing top predators and ⁄ or shared prey. 3. Removing top predators always increased A. opacum survival, but removal of shared prey had no effect on A. opacum survival, regardless of total prey abundance. 4. Surprisingly, food web simplification had no effect on the growth of A. opacum when present in food webs with a low abundance of prey but had important effects on A. opacum growth in food webs with a high abundance of prey. Simplifying a partial IGP food web with a high abundance of prey reduced A. opacum growth when either top predators or shared prey were removed from the food web and the loss of top predators and shared prey influenced A. opacum growth in a nonadditive fashion. 5. The non-additive response in A. opacum growth appears to be the result of supplemental prey availability augmenting the beneficial effects of top predators. Top predators had a beneficial effect on A. opacum populations by reducing the abundance of A. opacum present and thereby reducing the intensity of intraspecific competition. 6. Our study indicates that the effects of food web simplification on the performance of A. opacum are complex and depend on both how a partial IGP food web is simplified and how abundant prey are in the food web. These findings are important because they demonstrate how trophic complexity can create variation in the performance of intermediate predators that play important roles in temporary pond food webs.

Microglial activation can lead to microglial apoptosis, which may serve to remove highly reactive and possibly neurotoxic microglia. However the loss of microglia may have consequences for future recovery, protection and repair. P53, a nuclear phosphoprotein transcription factor, is critical for activating the expression of genes involved in cell-cycle arrest and stress-induced apoptosis. In neurodegenerative diseases the expression of p53 is significantly increased in glial cells, and microglial numbers fall. Following activation with chromogranin A (100 nM), or beta-amyloid(25-35), (10 microM), microglia became apoptotic. Furthermore, p53 expression was enhanced, peaking at 4-6 h after exposure to activators. The p53 transcription inhibitor, pifithrin-alpha, (10 microM) significantly reduced the expression of p53 in microglia and significantly modulated the levels of microglial apoptosis induced by activation. Lithium chloride (5 mM), which can modulate p53-mediated pathways, also reduced p53 expression and reduced microglial apoptosis suggesting glycogen synthase kinase-3 plays a role. Regulating p53 pathways modulated microglial inducible nitric oxide synthase expression and tumour necrosis factor alpha secretion. Inhibiting p53 mediated microglial apoptosis prevented microglial neurotoxicity suggesting targeting of p53-mediated pathways in microglia may have therapeutic benefit in Alzheimer's disease.

Objective— To investigate the effects of recurrent laryngeal neurectomy (RLN) in combination with laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy on the postoperative performance of Thoroughbred racehorses treated for grade III left laryngeal hemiparesis (LLH). Study Design— Retrospective study. Sample Population— Fifty-five Thoroughbred racehorses. Methods— Medical records for Thoroughbred racehorses treated surgically by laryngoplasty and laser ventriculocordectomy with or without RLN between June 1993 and December 1996 were reviewed. Outcome was evaluated subjectively by assessment of performance obtained from telephone interviews with owners and trainers, and objectively by assessment of racing performance for 3 races before and after surgery using a performance index (PI). Results— Fifty-five Thoroughbred racehorses with resting endoscopic grade III LLH were treated by laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy either with (39 horses) or without (16 horses) RLN. For RLN horses, respondents for 38 horses believed performance was improved in 19 horses, unchanged in 16 horses, and decreased in 3 horses. For horses without RLN, respondents for 9 horses reported that performance was improved in 5 horses, unchanged in 2 horses, and decreased in 2 horses. PI scores were improved in 18 RLN horses and in 6 horses without RLN; there was no statistical difference in outcome. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance— Use of RLN in combination with laryngoplasty and ventriculocordectomy for treatment of grade III LLH may not improve postoperative racing performance.

Mobility is the keystone of the ‘new’ regional geography. Attention is drawn to the outpouring of work on travellers throughout history. Surprisingly, little mention is made of geographers who have crossed borders, been immigrants and have engaged in writing about movement. As is evident from Peter Scott's pocket log diary of air travel and airports, there is scope for a study of the whole range of spatial practices of individual geographers through an examination of maps, diaries, stories, books and television programs. As all geographers are travellers, it is perhaps more appropriate to create the spirit of the time so that we can position ourselves in the bigger picture and enjoy our private reveries. This paper, therefore, seeks to recreate the air transport geography of the mid-1960s and to list key changes over the following thirty years, before examining air transport geography in the mid-1990s. Attention is paid to advertising signs and images of each period.

Objective To review retrospectively the value of the human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) test in the evaluation of prepubertal boys with bilateral impalpable testes. Subjects and methods The study comprised 31 boys investigated between 1974 and 1990 at the Hospital for Sick Children, London. All boys had an hCG test consisting of three intramuscular injections of hCG on successive days at a daily dose dependent on their age ( 10 years, 1500 units). Blood samples were taken before the first dose and 24 h after the last dose and the level of plasma testosterone assessed and expressed as a pre/post ratio. Results Eight boys had no response to hCG, due to anorchia. One boy had no response to hCG but had bilateral atrophic intra-abdominal testes. Twenty-two boys responded to hCG and had testes whose size was related to the degree of testosterone elevation after this stimulatory test. The hCG test therefore had a positive predictive value of 89% and a negative predictive value of 100%. There was a quantitative difference in testosterone response between 14 boys who had bilateral intra-abdominal testes of ‘normal’ volume (median pre/post ratio, 11.4) and nine boys who had an otherwise reduced volume of testes (dysplastic or unilateral intra-abdominal) (median pre/post ratio of 4; P = 0.02). Conclusion The hCG test is a valid indicator of the presence of functioning testicular tissue. It is predictive of anorchia and a good response to hCG suggests the presence of testes sufficiently large for orchidopexy.

Dietary goals are usually expressed in the form of consumption of absolute quantities of specific nutrients. Translating such information into food patterns is difficult. Consequently it is not easy to convey these goals in the promotion of a healthy diet or to monitor dietary change in populations. This paper explores the difficulties and advantages of a food frequency questionnaire approach as used in a large regional health survey to describe food patterns and hence to monitor change in relation to dietary variables. There was considerable variation in the frequency of consumption of individual foods between different sub-groups in the population and these were as expected. To assess the overall diet a composite dietary index was proposed. The index score was significantly associated with various socio-demographic and lifestyle variables. Unhealthy lifestyles were associated with low scores (i.e. an ‘unhealthy’ diet) on the index indicating a measure of validity. However there were several limitations in the food frequency questionnaire method used: neither the questionnaire nor simple global indices of a ‘healthy’ diet derived from the questions used had been validated against a more robust quantifiable measure of diet; some of the questions were not specific for population groups of interest; some questions grouped foods in categories that masked differences in consumption and several did not correspond to recent food targets; and finally there was no energy adjustment, which meant that the obese appeared to have a healthy dietary pattern. The use of a valid set of food frequency questions as an efficient and practical way of monitoring a population's diet by survey is suggested. The questions must be validated against reliable measures of nutrients, and be compatible with food targets based on nutritional recommendations.

In order to clarify the concurrent validity of the Peabody Individual Achievement Test (PIAT) and the Metropolitan Achievement Test (MAT), product-moment correlations were computed for all subscores and total scores for 26 normal-range public school third-grade girls and boys. The reading comprehension subtests correlated.81, spelling.88, and PIAT Mathematics with MAT Total Math.64. Correlations were computed for the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test and the PIAT General Information subtest as.77, and the Otis-Lennon and the PIAT Total Test scores as.79. Concurrent validity of the PIAT with both tests is tentatively considered adequate except in the area of mathematics, in which the PIAT, relative to the MAT, appears to be reflecting ability to handle math concepts (.68) more accurately than math computation (.41) or math problem solving (.56). Correlations with IQ partialed out suggest the PIAT Total Test, and PIAT and MAT reading and spelling measures, are relatively uninfluenced by IQ variations, whereas with IQ held constant, the weak positive correlations between the PIAT and MAT math subtests became essentially random relationships.

Summary— Renal tract ultrasonography was performed in 82 of 111 patients with varying degrees of hypospadias. There were 2 true positive results (2.4%) and 1 false negative (1.2%). However, 2 of these patients would have been fully investigated because of the presence of an anorectal anomaly. The third boy had a pelvic ectopic kidney with no clinical significance. It was concluded that routine ultrasonography is not justified in this condition unless it is severe or there is an associated anomaly.