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We describe a modification of the two-stage laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens technique in which the gubernacular vessels are preserved and the testis is brought down the canal via the internal ring. A purely laparoscopic second stage is performed. We report our outcomes with this technique.All laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchidopexies undertaken at our hospital from 1996 to July 2004 were identified from a prospectively collected database of all surgical procedures undertaken in the unit. A retrospective case-note review was undertaken.We identified 21 patients, 4 bilateral and 17 unilateral, giving a total of 25 intra-abdominal testes. Mean age at presentation was 21 months (range, 0-56 months). Mean age at the first stage was 36 months (range, 11-68 months). The testis position at initial laparoscopy was high in 5, close to the internal inguinal ring in 9, peeping in 6, and pelvic in 5. The testis size at this stage was either normal, good sized, or reasonable sized in 15, small or dysplastic in 5, and in 5 the size was not commented upon. The testicular vessels were mainly divided by diathermy at the first stage, but in 6 the vessels were clipped. The second stage was undertaken 6 months after the first, in order to allow the collateral blood supply to adapt. Twelve testes had changed position category during this interval, 2 having ascended to a higher position and 10 descended to a lower position; 12 were in the same position at both stages; and in 1 case the position was not commented upon at the second stage. A purely laparoscopic second stage technique was used in 21 cases; an assisted-open second stage was undertaken in 1 case. In 3 cases the testis was palpable in the groin at examination under anesthesia and so an open second stage orchidopexy was performed. Follow-up was at 6 and 18 months after the second stage. Eighteen of the 21 testes that underwent a purely laparoscopic second stage survived at 6 months, giving a success rate with this technique of 86%. The overall testis survival rate in the entire group at 6 months was 88% (22/25). Findings in those patients reviewed at 18 months were unchanged.The two-stage laparoscopic Fowler-Stephens orchidopexy, with preservation of the gubernacular vessels and predominantly using a purely laparoscopic second stage, provided a very good testis survival rate, approaching 90%.

Hilazon Tachtit, a small Natufian cave site in northern Israel, served first and foremost as a ritual location for the burial of the dead. Burials were found in all loci of the 30 m2 occupation. At least twenty-eight individuals were buried at the site—two of them in structures that were too small for human habitation. The ritual nature of the site is supported by some aspects of material culture, including the deposition of unusual animal parts and other kinds of ‘special garbage’ in the graves. Nevertheless, the dominant activities attested by the lithic and faunal assemblages are mundane and include hunting, tool manufacture and food processing. The ritual and domestic duality of the site attests to the integration of the sacred and the mundane in everyday Natufian life and to the importance of considering multiple dimensions of material culture in the interpretation of site function.

SUMMARY Forty patients with chronic skin disease who have used potent topical corticosteroids for a prolonged period were studied to determine if adrenal axis suppression had occurred. Thirty-seven cases (92·5%) were normal when the first test was performed and all were normal when retested. Adrenal axis suppression was therefore not of importance in this group of typical outpatients with chronic skin disease. This is an important finding to put into perspective a theoretical rather than a real complication of topical corticosteroid therapy in adults.

SUMMARY Eighty-four patients with alopecia areata of varying degree have been treated by intralesional injections of triamcinolone acetonide, using a needleless injector (Porto-Jet). Results indicate that, in limited alopecia, a high proportion will produce a rapid regrowth of hair. In established alopecia totalis, lasting hair growth is exceptional.

No studies have previously been published on the glucosinolate content of cauliflower in air and/or controlled-atmosphere storage. Field-grown cauliflower heads (cv. Freemont) were harvested on three different dates and placed into either air or controlled-atmosphere (3% O2 and 5% CO2) storage at 0 °C. Samples were removed on days 0, 14, 28, 42, and 56 and analyzed for percent weight loss, lightness (L), chroma, hue angle, soluble solids, and titratable acidity. Free sugar (glucose, sucrose, and fructose) and individual glucosinolate levels were also determined. Trends in the changes within these assessed parameters during storage were not significantly different among the three harvests. Controlled-atmosphere storage delayed quality loss as determined by percent weight loss, L, and chroma values. No differences in free sugar or glucosinolate profiles were found between storage treatments. However, the glucosinolates gluconapin and glucobrassicin increased for each treatment during storage, albeit later in controlled-atmosphere storage. Glucobrassicin was the major glucosinolate component, and the dramatic increase in the concentrations of this compound was reflected in increased total glucosinolate levels of air-stored cauliflower on day 28 of storage. Levels of the other glucosinolates (sinigrin, progoitrin, epiprogoitrin, 4-OH-glucobrassicin, 4-MeOH-glucobrassicin, as well as an unidentified glucosinolate) did not change during storage; glucoiberin content decreased after day 28. Increases in levels of gluconapin and glucobrassicin may be related to metabolic changes associated with natural and/or stress-induced senescence.

To determine the benefits of nephrectomy in children performed via a retroperitoneoscopic approach compared to the laparoscopic route.We reviewed all endoscopic nephrectomies performed at our institution from August 1998 to February 2003.A total of 32 endoscopic nephrectomies were undertaken: 22 laparoscopic nephrectomies with 5 conversions to open surgery, and 10 retroperitoneoscopic. The main indication for surgery was poor function secondary to either reflux or obstructive nephropathy. Intraoperative heart rate changes were less marked in patients undergoing retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy. The median operative time for retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy was 65 minutes and 95 minutes for laparoscopy. Epidural analgesia was not required in successful endoscopic nephrectomies. The median postoperative morphine requirement in the retroperitoneoscopic group was 110mcg/kg compared to 280mcg/kg in the laparoscopic group. The majority of patients who had successful endoscopic nephrectomies were discharged to home within 2 days of surgery.Retroperitoneoscopic nephrectomy appears to be a safe technique in children, with reduced intraoperative physiological effects compared to the laparoscopic approach. Operative time was generally shorter than the laparoscopic approach and there appeared to be an additional benefit of reduced postoperative pain.

With Anorectal Agenesis: A Case Report and Review of Literature N. J. ARESTIS, C. CLARKE, F. D. MUNRO, C. MICALLEF, AND M. J. O'SULLIVAN* Department of Surgery, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Department of Radiology, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, United Kingdom Department of Anatomic Pathology, University of British Columbia, Room L214, 4480 Oak Street, Vancouver, British Columbia V6H 3V4, Canada

We investigate mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) carcass processing to reconstruct resource intensification strategies during the Epipalaeolithic period of northern Israel. We adopt a multivariate taphonomic approach to identify the processes that most influenced bone survivorship in five gazelle assemblages. All of the assemblages are characterized by significant density-mediated biases, yet in situ attrition played a minimal role in assemblage formation. In contrast, the survivorship of hare (Lepus capensis) skeletons is not mediated by bone density indicating that different prey taxa experienced independent taphonomic histories. Both gazelle cortical and cancellous bone is highly fragmented and the degree of fragmentation and survivorship are strongly correlated with fat yields. Results of multiple tests point to intensive marrow and grease extraction as the primary determinant of gazelle bone survivorship. Although gazelle carcasses were intensively utilized throughout the Epipalaeolithic, the intensity of use is stable across the duration of the period.

Climatic change, population pressure, and environmental stress are frequently cited as major catalysts for the adoption of agriculture. The role of these factors immediately prior to the agricultural transition in the southern Levant is here explored by reconstructing human economic and demographic conditions in the Natufian period. Thorough processing of gazelle carcasses for edible products including meat, marrow, and bone grease and the capture of abundant juvenile animals reflect intensive yet stable ungulateprocurement strategies across the Natufian. Despite this stability, a dramatic shift in the ratio of high to lowranked game at the Early/Late Natufian boundary signals a reduction in siteoccupation intensity and increased population mobility immediately prior to the agricultural transition. Contrary to current models, the faunal evidence suggests not that agriculture was adopted in immediate response to the cooling and drying of the Younger Dryas but that the Late Natufians embraced more costeffec...

Ubiquinone functions primarily in the electron transport chain of the mitochondria of plants and animals. Secondary roles in plant tissue, such as antioxidant activity, have also been proposed. The effect of low temperature exposure on etiolated seedling embryonic axes of two differentially chilling-sensitive species, mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) (chilling-sensitive) and pea (Pisum sativum L.cv. Lincoln) (chilling-tolerant) with respect to respiration rate, lipid peroxidation and ubiquinone content was examined. Whole seedlings (embryonic axis and cotyledon) of both species were exposed to control temperatures (20°C) (6 days) or an acclimatory low temperature treatment of 10°C (3 days) followed by exposure at 5°C (3 days). Measurements were initiated 3 days after seedlings had reached 50% germination (DO). Prior to measurements the cotyledons were removed and only the embryonic axis was used in these experiments. Ubiquinol (UQH 2 ), ubiquinone (UQ) and total ubiquinone (UQ tot ) content decreased in mung bean in response to the temperature treatment and UQH 2 and UQ tot remained stable in the more chilling-tolerant pea. The reduction of the total Q-pool was approximately 85-92%, suggesting a high degree of saturation of the respiration pathways. Respiration declined and the RQ ratio increased in both species in response to low temperature. Cytochrome c oxidase (COX) (EC 1.9.3.1) activity was higher in pea than in mung bean but decreased during low temperature exposure in both species. Considering that levels of MDA (lipid peroxidation) did not increase in either species in response to chilling, decreased levels of UQH 2 and UQ observed in chilling-sensitive mung bean may indicate that these compounds were damaged prior to other membrane lipids during low temperature treatment and rendered undetectable.

The present study examined whether individuals' current political worldviews would bias perceptions of historical information gathered over the course of their lifetime. Kent State University students from 1995 and 2000 reported their political ideologies (e.g., conservative, liberal) and responded to items assessing their culpability and global attributions about the shooting of demonstrators by the National Guard at Kent State in 1970. The 1995 data revealed consistent support for biased responding to culpability and global attribution items. The 2000 data replicated the political ideology differences of the 1995 data. However, by including knowledge of the incident as an independent variable, the 2000 data revealed that the political ideology bias was strongest among people reporting high knowledge about the event.

Activities of the antioxidant enzymes ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, dehydroascorbate reductase, glutathione reductase, guaiacol peroxidase, monodehydroascorbate reductase, and superoxide dismutase were assayed in honeydew (Cucumis melo L.) fruit and spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) leaves either as fresh, frozen to -80 degrees C, frozen in liquid nitrogen, freeze-dried, or acetone powder, representing the various ways tissues are treated prior to enzyme extraction. Treated tissues were analyzed following treatment or stored for up to 8 weeks at -80 degrees C. Enzyme activities in fruit frozen with or without liquid nitrogen and leaves frozen with or without liquid nitrogen or freeze-dried were equal to those of fresh tissue. Enzyme activities in freeze-dried or acetone-powdered fruit and leaves and in acetone-powdered tissues were significantly higher or lower than those in fresh tissue. Enzyme activities in both tissues frozen with or without liquid nitrogen and stored for 8 weeks at -80 degrees C changed little; those in freeze-dried and acetone-powdered tissues, however, significantly increased/decreased over the same period. Fresh tissue should be used in antioxidant enzyme assays, but if storage is necessary, tissues should be placed directly into a -80 degrees C freezer.

Four species of biraphid pennate diatoms (Craticula cuspidata (Kutzing) D.G. Mann, Stauroneis phoenicenteron (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg, Nitzschia linearis (Agardh) W. Smith, and Pinnularia viridis (Nitzsch) Ehrenberg) were studied to determine the effect of temperature changes on their motility and adhesion to the substratum. The pattern of cell movement in response to temperature was similar in all species; the average cell speed increased with temperature, with a maximal speed at 30–35°C. Temperatures > 35°C caused a rapid decrease in cell speed, with cells showing little movement at 40°C; the shape of the temperature profile was nearly identical in all species. The loss of motility above the threshold was not due to cell death as cells exposed to 42°C could recover movement when cooled. In contrast to temperature effects on cell movement, its effect on adhesion for all four species showed distinct qualitative differences. The adhesion of P. viridis and S. phoenicenteron to a glass substrate decreased from 20...

We report 4 cases of the rare condition, congenital colonic atresia, presenting over 9 years. Two patients had dilated loops of bowel noted on routine ante-natal ultrasound. Three had primary anastomosis for lesions in transverse or distal descending colon and one had a staged procedure with colostomy formation. All had type III atresia. One patient had an early leak following primary colo-colic anastomosis for atresia extending from the hepatic flexure to the sigmoid colon. If it is desired to preserve the proximal colon in a right sided lesion with significant loss of colonic length then primary anastomosis may not be safe and we would advocate a staged procedure. Otherwise we would support current moves towards primary anastomosis in this condition. We also urge early investigation in all patients who exhibit intestinal dilatation on antenatal ultrasound.

Published polymer distribution data for aqueous poly(ethylene glycol)/dextran mixtures have been reassessed to illustrate the feasibility of their quantitative characterization in terms of the Flory-Huggins theory of polymer thermodynamics. Phase diagrams predicted by this characterization procedure provide better descriptions of the experimental data than those based on an earlier, oversimplified treatment in similar terms. (C) 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

In aquaculture, harvesting presents an unavoidable risk of disease transmission. The spread of the disease infectious salmon anaemia appears to have been associated with harvesting in both Scotland and Norway. An assessment is made of the relative risks of disease transmission associated with various different means of harvesting farmed salmon based on the assumption that best practice is followed for each harvest method. The assessment is qualitative, quantitative data being absent for most of the processes involved. Slaughter on the farm risks the spread of infection to adjacent farms, whereas, infection at a processing plant may be rebroadcast by well-boats. The risks associated with transporting live fish in cages and of storing live fish near centralised processing plants are discussed. Provided the vessel does not release contaminated water in the vicinity of salmon farms, transport of live fish directly to the processing plant for immediate slaughter by sea may be the safest means of collecting harvest.

Zooarchaeological data on small game use hold much potential for identifying and dating Paleolithic demographic pulses in time and space, such as those associated with modern human origins and the evolution of food-producing economies. Although small animals were important to human diets throughout the Middle, Upper, and Epi-Paleolithic periods in the Mediterranean Basin, the types of small prey emphasized by foragers shifted dramatically over the last 200,000 years. Slow-growing, slow-moving tortoises, and marine mollusks dominate the Middle Paleolithic record of small game exploitation. Later, agile, fast-maturing animals became increasingly important in human diets, first birds in the early Upper Paleolithic, and soon thereafter hares and rabbits. While the findings of this study are consistent with the main premise of Flannery's Broad Spectrum Revolution (BSR) hypothesis (Flannery, K. V. (1969). In Ucko, P. J., and Dimbleby, G. W. (eds.), The Domestication and Exploitation of Plants and Animals, Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, pp. 73–100), it is now clear that human diet breadth began to expand much earlier than the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. Ranking small prey in terms of work of capture (in the absence of special harvesting tools) proves far more effective in this investigation of human diet breadth than taxonomy-based diversity analyses published previously. Our analyses expose a major shift in human predator–prey dynamics involving small game animals by 50–40 KYA in the Mediterranean Basin, with earliest population growth pulses occurring in the Levant. In a separate application to the Natufian period (13–10 KYA), just prior to the rise of Neolithic societies in the Levant, great intensification is apparent from small game use. This effect is most pronounced at the onset of this short culture period, and is followed by an episode of local depopulation during the Younger Dryas, without further changes in the nature of Natufian hunting adaptations. An essential feature of the diachronic and synchronic approaches outlined here is controlling the potentially conflating effects of spatial (biogeographic) and temporal variation in the faunal data sets.

Aşıklı Höyük is the earliest known preceramic Neolithic mound site in Central Anatolia. The oldest Levels, 4 and 5, spanning 8,200 to approximately 9,000 cal B.C., associate with round-house architecture and arguably represent the birth of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic in the region. Results from upper Level 4, reported here, indicate a broad meat diet that consisted of diverse wild ungulate and small animal species. The meat diet shifted gradually over just a few centuries to an exceptional emphasis on caprines (mainly sheep). Age-sex distributions of the caprines in upper Level 4 indicate selective manipulation by humans by or before 8,200 cal B.C. Primary dung accumulations between the structures demonstrate that ruminants were held captive inside the settlement at this time. Taken together, the zooarchaeological and geoarchaeological evidence demonstrate an emergent process of caprine management that was highly experimental in nature and oriented to quick returns. Stabling was one of the early mechanisms of caprine population isolation, a precondition to domestication.

Background In children undergoing a unilateral inguinal herniotomy, the contralateral groin is often explored on the basis of a high incidence of patency of the processus vaginalis. The patency rate is highest in infants but there are no data on the subsequent risk of contralateral hernia development purely in this population. This was a study of the incidence of contralateral inguinal hernia following unilateral inguinal herniotomy in infancy (aged less than 1 year). Methods All infants who underwent a unilateral inguinal herniotomy between January 1986 and December 1991 were studied retrospectively. Results One hundred and eighty-one infants (165 boys and 16 girls) were studied. Median gestational age was 37 (range 25–42) weeks and median age at operation was 87 (range 1–365) days. The herniotomy was right sided in 82·9 per cent of infants. Follow-up ranged from 5 to 10 years. A contralateral hernia/hydrocele developed in 14 infants (7·7 per cent). None of the hernias was incarcerated. Median time from operation to occurrence of the contralateral hernia was 18 (2–67) months. Gestational age, sex and the side of the hernia did not influence the incidence of contralateral hernia development. Conclusion The low incidence of contralateral hernia development in infants undergoing a unilateral inguinal herniotomy does not justify routine contralateral groin exploration.

Theoretical aspects of the thermodynamic characterization of cooperative protein interactions with non-specific segments of a linear polymer lattice have been re-examined. This reconsideration has not only provided an alternative derivation of recursive expressions for the stoichiometry of random ligand binding prior to elimination of the parking problem but also extended that treatment to include binding with overlap of additional lattice units. The major obstacle to thermodynamic characterization of non-specific protein-polymer interactions is determination of the lattice capacity for ligand, which in turn defines the length of the polymer segment to which the protein binds. Although these parameters are most readily obtained from studies under conditions that ensure essentially stoichiometric interaction, the endpoint of such a titration is likely to reflect the irreversible rather than the equilibrium binding capacity of the lattice for ligand. Consideration of published results for spectrofluorometric titrations of the thrombin-heparin system under stoichiometric conditions in such terms has permitted their reconciliation with results of a later publication on the interaction under equilibrium conditions. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

This study illustrates the potential of small‐game data for identifying and dating Paleolithic demographic pulses such as those associated with modern human origins and the later evolution of food‐producing economies. Archaeofaunal series from Israel and Italy serve as our examples. Three important implications of this study are that (1) early Middle Paleolithic populations were exceptionally small and highly dispersed, (2) the first major population growth pulse in the eastern Mediterranean probably occurred before the end of the Middle Paleolithic, and (3) subsequent demographic pulses in the Upper and Epi‐Paleolithic greatly reshaped the conditions of selection that operated on human subsistence ecology, technology, and society. The findings of this study are consistent with the main premise of Flannery's broad‐spectrum‐revolution hypothesis. However, ranking small prey in terms of work of capture (in the absence of special harvesting tools) proved far more effective in this investigation of human diet...

Purpose: A prospective review was carried out to compare laparoscopic and open appendicectomy in children over a 12-month period. Patients and Methods: One hundred thirty-two patients with clinical features of acute appendicitis underwent emergency appendicectomy. Thirty-six patients underwent laparoscopic appendicectomy and 96 had an open procedure, depending on the availability of a pediatric surgeon with laparoscopic experience. There was no difference in age, weight, operating time, pathologic findings, or postoperative stay between the two groups. Results: The postoperative morphine requirement was reduced in the laparoscopic group. Patients in this group were also able to tolerate normal diet earlier. Conclusion: In pediatric centers with laparoscopic surgical expertise, laparoscopic appendicectomy can be safely introduced for the management of acute appendicitis.

The anesthetic and physiologic aspects of the authors' first 51 laparoscopic Nissen fundoplications are reviewed (age range 5 months to 20 years; weight 4.4–69 kg). Fourteen patients (27%)...

Background. Totally implantable central venous access devices (ports) have been available for over 10 years but have not achieved wide-spread use in paediatric oncology patients. We reviewed our experience with these devices over 9 years to assess their safety and acceptability. Procedure. We conducted a retrospective review of insertion technique and reasons for removal of all ports placed in paediatric oncology patients in this hospital between 1989 and 1996, with follow-up until 1998. Acceptability of both ports and external catheters was assessed by a questionnaire in a subgroup of families attending the oncology clinic. Results. One hundred forty-nine ports were inserted during the study period. The median catheter life was 399 days (4-1,406), with a total of 69,342 catheter days. Sixty-nine percent of ports were removed electively at the end of treatment; 8% required removal because of infection and 5% because of blockage. No ports were accidentally dislodged or damaged. Children experienced significantly less restriction of activity with a port compared to an external catheter and greatly preferred the cosmetic appearance. The need for needle insertion to access the port was not seen as a disadvantage by most families. Conclusions. Ports can provide satisfactory central venous access for the majority of paediatric oncology patients, with a low risk of line-related complications and a high degree of acceptability to children and their parents.

Exposure of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis to ultraviolet radiation in 1 mm deep liquid layers at an energy intensity of 38 mW cm −2 reduced the rotifer bacterial load by >90% within 2 min. Such radiation doses had no significant effect upon rotifer viability, fatty acid composition, swimming or feeding activity. The surviving bacterial flora of irradiated rotifers was similar to that of un-irradiated rotifers and there was no evidence of major differences in sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation between different bacteria. For irradiation of large numbers of rotifers, a flow-through cell was used, operated with rotifer densities of 200 ml −1 and a flow rate of 1.5 l min −1 . In two separate field trials involving groups of 34,000 turbot larvae per group, higher survival was found in groups receiving ultraviolet-irradiated rotifers in which the bacterial load was reduced by 88%. This was attributed to the slower rate of colonisation of the larval gut by bacteria, as a consequence of the lower bacterial load on the rotifers. Attempts to introduce specified bacteria into the larval turbot gut in significant numbers by colonisation of either normal or irradiated rotifers with particular bacteria were unsuccessful.

The aim of this study was to report on the early experience of pediatric thoracoscopic lobectomy in two UK centers (Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Edinburgh, and Addenbrookes Hospital, Cambridge).Twelve patients between February 2000 and November 2005 were treated with a lobectomy for pulmonary disease.Diagnoses included 7 congenital cystic adenomatous malformations, 4 patients with bronchiectasis, and 1 thoracic mature teratoma. The patients' ages ranged from 8 months to 15 years. In all patients, a thoracoscopic lobectomy was attempted. In all cases, the lobectomy was completed; however, in 6 patients, the conversion to either video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) or open thoracotomy was required. Of note, 9 of the 12 patients had had previous lung infections prior to lobectomy. Five of 6 that required a conversion to VATS or open thoracotomy had had significant previous pulmonary infection, causing hilar lymphadenopathy and adhesions that complicated the dissection. The other case requiring a conversion to thoracotomy had abnormal hilar anatomy with an incomplete oblique fissure.Patients with a previous history of pulmonary infection can cause difficulty in dissection of the hilum that can necessitate a conversion to VATS or open thoracotomy. An infection prior to lobectomy can cause difficulty in completing the procedure safely thoracoscopically. Consideration of patients with pulmonary disease for lobectomy should be made prior to the onset of infectious complications. The thoracoscopic lobectomy can still be performed in patients with a preceding history of infectious complications, though a higher rate of conversion is likely.

A solid-phase degradation test has been developed to assess the fate in marine sediment of synthetic mud base fluids used in the off-shore drilling industry. The degradation rate of an ester-type drilling fluid was investigated at three nominal concentrations in a fine sand. A naturally occurring triester, olive oil, was used as a positive control and a traditional mineral oil served as an example of a poorly degradable substance. Two synthetic drilling fluids, an ester and a blend of n-alkanes with poly-alpha olefin and linear-alpha olefin, were compared in a mud and a coarse sand to examine the effect of different sediments on degradability. Glass jars, containing marine sediment that had been homogeneously mixed with test fluid, were placed in troughs in a continuous flow of seawater. Periodically, triplicate jars were sacrificed and, following solvent extraction, the concentration of test fluid remaining in the sediment was determined by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The test was able to reproducibly distinguish between easily degradable and poorly degradable fluids. The rate of degradation was concentration dependent; the half-life increased as the nominal concentration increased. The ester was more rapidly degraded than the blended synthetic drilling fluid and degradation was slower in sand compared with mud.

If preference-inconsistent information initiates more effortful cognitive analysis than does preference-consistent information, then people should be more sensitive processors of information they do not want to believe than of information they do want to believe. Three studies supported this prediction. Study 1 found that inferences drawn from favorable interpersonal feedback revealed a correspondence bias, whereas inferences drawn from unfavorable feedback were sensitive to situational constraint. Study 2 showed this sensitivity to the quality of unfavorable feedback to disappear under cognitive load. Study 3 showed that evaluations of the accuracy of favorable medical diagnoses were insensitive to the probability of alternative explanation, whereas evaluations of unfavorable diagnoses were sensitive to probability information. The importance of adaptive considerations in theories of motivated reasoning is discussed.

Two Escherichia coli isolates were studied. MIC patterns and hydrolysis assays suggested that they hyperproduced AmpC beta-lactamase, but synergy between ceftazidime and tazobactam was greater than between ceftazidime and Ro 48-1256, whereas the converse pattern is typical of AmpC hyperproducers. Studies with purified beta-lactamase from one of the isolates confirmed that tazobactam was a 100-fold stronger inhibitor than for the classical E. coli AmpC enzyme. Moreover, in contrast to typical AmpC types, the new enzyme had greater affinity for cephaloridine than for benzylpenicillin.

The interaction ofCF3CF2OCF2CF3 and CF3OCF3 with high-surface-areaAl2O3, TiO2, and SiO2were studied by FTIR. Under vacuum conditions, it was found that adsorbed fluoroethers thermally oxidized to fluorinated formate and acetate on Al2O3, to a lesser extent onTiO2, and not at all on SiO2. Reaction mechanism and implications for tribology are discussed.

A first set of shock propagation, laser-plasma interaction, hohlraum energetics and hydrodynamic experiments have been performed using the first 4 beams of the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in support of indirect drive Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) and High Energy Density Physics.

Two studies examined (a) whether biased assimilation and attitude polarization occur in the processing of stereotype-relevant scientific information and (b) the role of affect in these processes. In Study 1, individuals high or low in prejudice toward homosexuals read two fictitious studies, one confirming and one disconfirming the stereotype of homosexuality. Study 2 replicated Study 1 using a sample including individuals with moderate attitudes about homosexuality. Evidence of biased assimilation was found. Participants perceived research consistent with their attitude about homosexuality as more convincing than research inconsistent with their attitude. Evidence of attitude polarization was also found but was restricted to measures of perceived attitude change. Finally, participants reported more negative affective reactions after attitude-inconsistent than attitude-consistent information, and evidence was found that these affective reactions mediated biased processing. Implications of the results for biased assimilation, attitude polarization, and the resiliency of prejudicial attitudes are discussed.

Eighteen cases of bladder outlet obstruction were diagnosed at Queen Mother's Hospital, Glasgow, over a period of 6 years. Commonest cause was posterior urethral valve in 11 cases (61%). Oligohydramnios was present in 78% of cases with a mortality of 67% mainly due to pulmonary hypoplasia. The 6 surviving infants (33%) underwent early postnatal surgery. Two of these have chronic renal failure on follow-up.

A method for the extraction and quantification of synthetic drilling fluids in sediment, which could be adapted for different concentrations and types of synthetic fluid, was developed. Six different base fluids were investigated at four different concentrations (≤5, 100, 500 and 5000 µg g–1). The method used varied depending on the type and concentration of fluid in the sediment. Extraction of the base fluids was achieved by sonication in dichloromethane and methanol. The extract was purified using normal-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. Quantitative analysis was carried out by gas chromatography with flame ionisation detection. Recoveries and limits of detection were calculated for each of the six synthetic fluids at each of the four concentration levels by spiking clean sediment. This method was used to monitor synthetic fluid concentrations in samples from sea-bed surveys and from a solid-phase test designed to assess the biodegradability of these compounds.

During growth of larval turbot in aquaculture the first food supplied is usually the rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis and algae are commonly included in the system as food for the rotifers, thereby maintaining their nutrient quality. As bacteria are known to influence markedly the survival of larval turbot, the effect of bacteria, isolated from larval turbot, on growth of Pavlova lutheri was measured over a 3-d period. Of 41 bacteria tested, 23 inhibited growth to various degrees, eight had no effect and 10 were weak growth stimulants. Four bacteria, identified as a Flavobacterium, Vibrio fluvialis, Vibrio natrigens and a Vibrio sp., were strongly inhibitory and the Flavobacterium inhibited growth of Pavlova lutheri from an inoculum of 10 3 colony-forming units per ml. Inhibition was due to a heat-labile factor released by the Flavobacterium into the culture medium. The Flavobacterium also produced bacteriocin(s) which inhibited the growth of a range of vibrios. Bacteria antagonistic towards algae would be undesirable in larval rearing and if bacteria are to be selected which are beneficial (probiotics) in larval rearing systems their possible interaction with algae must be considered.

It is widely agreed that a pivotal shift from wild animal hunting to herd animal management, at least of goats, began in the southern Levant by the Middle Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period (10,000-9,500 cal. BP) when evidence of ritual activities flourished in the region. As our knowledge of this critical change grows, sites that represent different functions and multiple time periods are needed to refine the timing, pace and character of changing human-animal relationships within the geographically variable southern Levant. In particular, we investigate how a ritual site was provisioned with animals at the time when herd management first began in the region. We utilize fauna from the 2010-2012 excavations at the mortuary site of Kfar HaHoresh-the longest continuous Pre-Pottery Neolithic B faunal sequence in the south Levantine Mediterranean Hills (Early-Late periods, 10,600-8,700 cal. BP). We investigate the trade-off between wild and domestic progenitor taxa and classic demographic indicators of management to detect changes in hunted animal selection and control over herd animal movement and reproduction. We find that ungulate selection at Kfar HaHoresh differs from neighboring sites, although changes in dietary breadth, herd demographics and body-size data fit the regional pattern of emerging management. Notably, wild ungulates including aurochs and gazelle are preferentially selected to provision Kfar HaHoresh in the PPNB, despite evidence that goat management was underway in the Mediterranean Hills. The preference for wild animals at this important site likely reflects their symbolic significance in ritual and mortuary practice.

The current view for the southern Levant is that wild game hunting was replaced by herd management over the course of the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B period, but there is significant debate over the timing, scale and origin of this transition. To date, most relevant studies focus either on wild game exploitation in the periods prior to domestication or on classic markers of domestication of domestic progenitor species over the course of the PPNB. We studied the faunal remains from the 2007–2008 excavations of the Middle PPNB (MPPNB) site of Yiftah’el, Northern Israel. Our analysis included a close examination of the timing and impact of the trade-off between wild game and domestic progenitor taxa that reflects the very beginning of this critical transition in the Mediterranean zone of the southern Levant. Our results reveal a direct trade-off between the intensive hunting of wild ungulates that had been staples for millennia, and domestic progenitor taxa. We suggest that the changes in wild animal use are linked to a region-wide shift in the relationship between humans and domestic progenitor species including goat, pig and cattle.

Half a century of intermittent interest in the topic has demonstrated moderate but reliable relationships between reaction times (RTs), measured by special tasks, and intelligence test scores. This paper raises the possibility that similar relationships might be found for the item response times which can be routinely gathered using computerised versions of ability tests. An exploratory analysis of a general ability screening test by the author, based on the responses of 1,465 engineering apprenticeship applicants, is outlined. The results indicate that the response time measures are reliable, and though the simpler relationships between response times and scores did not show the same patterns as have been found for RTs, some of the analyses did support theoretical predictions based on RT work. Therefore, further exploration of routinely collected response times seems justified, though the methods of analyses will need to be adapted to the cruder measures which are the result of more elaborate an...

As a result of a combination of the European Communities (EC) Bathing Water and Urban Waste Water Treatment Directives, the option of discharging biologically treated effluent into estuaries and shallow coasteal waters through short outfalls is being increasingly considered. This has meant that sewage disposal models are now required to resolve water movements in inshore waters. As part of an environmental assessment into the options for the treatment and disposal of sewage from Felixstowe, Harwich and Dovercourt, Anglian Water commissioned WRc to produce a bacterial dispersion model of the area. It was necessary to quantify the complex flows suspected in Harwich Harbour and to be able to simulate their impact on effluent dispersion. This paper describes the development and application of this model. A detailed 2D hydrodynamic model was calibrated against Vessel Mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler data gathered in the area. A bacterial dispersion model driven by this hydrodynamic model was validated using bacteriophage tracer releases. The model has been applied to demonstrate that the treatment options under consideration will comply fully with the Bathing Water Directive and are constant with the Anglian Water Environmental Policy.

Dysphagia in childhood encompasses all disorders of swallowing. The patient groups seen frequently in paediatric surgical practice are those with repaired oesophageal atresia, some patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease and those with neurological impairment. Oesophageal atresia patients frequently experience dysphagia that is most troublesome in early childhood, fortunately for most the long-term outlook is good. Gastro-oesophageal reflux may give rise to dysphagia as a result of peptic structure, dysmotility associated with oesophagitis or as a complication of anti-reflux surgery. Children with neurological impairment and swallowing problems are very difficult for their carers to manage. Gastrostomy represents a pragmatic solution to their nutritional needs.

To assess the reasons for and outcomes of referrals concerning the foreskin, 100 consecutive patients seen in paediatric clinics were followed to discharge. 18 referrals were for circumcision on religious grounds. Of the other 82, the main reason for referral was non-retractability or phimosis. At clinic, 24 (29%) of these were deemed normal for age, 31 (38%) were treated with topical steroid (successfully in 25), 9 (11%) were listed for preputioplasty, 7 (9%) were listed for adhesiolysis, 7 (9%) were listed for circumcision, and 4 were listed for other forms of surgery. 6 patients were identified as having balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO), a condition that had not been suggested on referral. With the advent of new treatments for foreskin disorders, circumcision is decreasingly necessary. Knowledge of the natural history of the foreskin, and the use of topical steroids, could shift the management of paediatric foreskin problems from the hospital outpatient department to primary care. BXO is not sufficiently recognized as a form of phimosis that requires operation.

Three cases of urinary ascites are presented, each with a different underlying aetiology. The age and modes of presentation also varied and management strategies were accordingly tailored to each patient's clinical requirements. All 3 patients survived and subsequently were discharged with good renal function. Although a rare condition, infants with urinary ascites can present as clinical emergencies in need of prompt resuscitation with subsequent drainage of the urine and decompression of the urinary tract. The ultimate management regime will vary and depend upon site of urinary extravasation and underlying aetiology.

Purpose To determine whether Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK) donor cornea graft thickness impacts measurements of best spectacle-corrected visual acuity (BSCVA), refractive error and intraocular pressure (IOP). Design Retrospective chart review in a tertiary care center at Duke University Eye Center. Methods We studied 460 eyes that had undergone DSAEK surgery. They were segregated into three groups based on the thickness of the donor graft: 150 μm (n = 77 eyes). The three graft-thickness groups were assessed at about 6 months postoperatively for measurement of BSCVA, spherical equivalent, and IOP. Results Baseline demographics were similar in the three groups. All groups experienced significant improvement in BSCVA (mean ± SD = −0.34 ± 0.50 logMAR); mild hyperopic shift (mean ± SD = 0.48 ± 1.7 D); and stability in IOP measurements (mean ± SD = 0.19 ± 4.8 mm Hg). There were no significant differences in groups according to donor graft thicknesses with respect to change in BSCVA ( P = 0.8); hyperopic shift ( P = 0.76); or IOP measurement ( P = 0.56). Conclusions DSAEK significantly improves BSCVA. DSAEK graft thickness may not play an important role in the final BSCVA, refractive error, or accuracy of IOP measurement. The ideal DSAEK graft thickness to minimize graft-related complications remains to be determined.

An improved method is described for evaluation of the dissociation rate constant for the solute—matrix interaction from affinity chromatographic elution profiles in which the flow-rate dependence of the variance reflects the combined effects of chemical and partition kinetics. Results of a previous investigation of the interaction between saccharides and concanavalin A immobilized on CPG 3000 are reconsidered in terms of the new procedure, which takes advantage of an analytical expression to separate the two contributions. Although the revised analysis confirms the adequacy of the earlier empirical approach to this problem, it also renders redundant the necessity for the empiricism.

The rarest form of congenital diaphragmatic hernia involves a central tendon defect, which is often associated with a massive pericardial effusion. Very few of these have been reported, and they present unique challenges to the pediatric surgeon. We present a case report of our recent experience of this condition in a term neonate and the difficulties in diagnosing the condition. We also detail the first use of laparoscopy to close such a defect.

Background Mammary duct ectasia is uncommon in children, and is usually considered to be an acquired disease in adults. However the occurrence in infants and children suggest it may be developmental. Aims To report a case series of mammary duct ectasia, and review the published literature to ascertain the common findings and histological findings in children. Study design Case series report and review of the literature. Results We report three cases of mammary duct ectasia, an unusual disease in children. The most common presenting features are a bloody nipple discharge; there may also be a palpable mass or general breast enlargement. Two patients in this series presented with large masses simulating other conditions. Summary of all reported cases in children found that symptoms can arise from infancy, but is most common around the age of 3 years (range 2 months to 13 years), with a 5:2 male:female ratio. Histology centres on peri-ductal inflammation and dilation. Haemosiderin laden macrophages were seen commonly in this series; and may represent a histological marker in children. The disease is often self-limiting. Patients may require surgery for persistent nipple discharge or lump. Conclusions Duct ectasia should be entertained in small infants and children presenting with both small and large peri-areolar breast masses and/or bleeding. The occurrence of the disease in infants suggests that mammary duct ectasia may represent a developmental anomaly in the paediatric population.

Experimental studies have been combined with numerical simulations of frontal affinity chromatography to illustrate the potentials of this technique for obtaining rate constants for the interaction of the solute with affinity matrix and for a reaction in competition with the solute—matrix interaction. Frontal chromatography of p -nitrophenylmannoside on a standard HPLC column of concanavalin A—CPG 3000 at flow-rates of 2–10 ml/min has yielded a rate constant of 0.42 s −1 for the dissociation of the solute-immobilized lectin complex on the basis of the flow-rate dependence of boundary spreading in the elution profile: this constant ( k −1 ) has been obtained by extrapolating the apparent dissociation rate constant ( k obs −1 ) to zero solute concentration to eliminate the consequences of non-linear (Langmuir) kinetics. Numerical simulations of the affinity chromatographic behaviour of p -nitrophenylmannside (A) in the presence of a fixed concentration of a second saccharide (B) that competes for matrix sites have shown that the corresponding extrapolation of k obs −1 to zero solute concentration again yields k −1 , but that the presence of competing saccharide is manifested as a change in slope of the essentially linear dependence of k obs −1 upon p -nitrophenylmannoside concentration ([A]). A calibration plot of the variation of d( k obs −1 /d[A] with dissociation rate constant for the competing ligand—matrix interaction ( k −2 ) has been used to obtain a rate constant of 1 s −1 for the dissociation of methylmannoside from the immobilized lectin on the basis frontal affinity chromatography of p -nitrophenylmannoside in the presence of 100μ M competing saccharide. Finally, the potential of affinity chromatography for the evaluating the dissociation rate constant for a competing interaction between ligand and solute has been illustrated by numerical simulation of elution profiles and their interpretation in terms of a published expression for the flow-rate dependence of boundary spreading under conditions of linear kinetics; and by extrapolation of the rate constants so obtained to zero solute concentration to take into account the effects of Langmuir kinetics on chromatographic migration.

Longitudinal smooth muscle strips taken from the urinary bladders of Sprague-Dawley rats, aged approximately 6 months and 24 months, were examined under a variety of conditions. Force development in response to electrical field stimulation and to cumulative addition of Ca 2+ in the continual presence of 64 mM. KC1 was the same in both adult and aged preparations. In response to cumulative additions of carbachol, however, it was observed that there was a shift to the right of the dose-response curve and a decrease in maximal force in the aged muscle strips. The maximal velocity of shortening was significantly lower in muscles from aged animals than in those from young adult animals. The metabolic tension cost during isometric contraction was, however, the same in both groups suggesting that the decline in V us is largely due to factors not influencing energetic cost. The aged muscles also exhibited a lower basal metabolic rate and a reduced contribution of aerobic glycolysis to total metabolic energy production during both quiescence and stimulation under normoxic conditions than did muscles from young adult animals. They were, however, able to increase their rate of lactate production to the same levels as young adult muscles when stimulated under anoxic conditions.

Guttate psoriasis may be precipitated by acute streptococcal infection, usually of the upper respiratory tract. We have studied the immune response to streptococci in 26 patients presenting with a first or recurrent episode of acute guttate psoriasis (AGP), using immunoblotting. Eighteen of 26 patients studied had a demonstrable response to a wide range of streptococcal antigens using this approach, compared with 14 of 26 patients who demonstrated a response using more conventional anti-streptococcal antibody tests. Patients with AGP had a significantly higher antibody detection score using immunoblotting than did control subjects (P