Total anomalous pulmonary venous return complicating portoenterostomy for biliary atresia

Cardiovascular anomalies such as absent inferior vena cava and preduodenal portal vein are reported in cases of biliary atresia and make hepatic portoenterostomy a technical challenge. The authors present the case of a severe cardiac anomaly that significantly altered the functional outcome of a Kasai procedure. Baby M., an 8-week-old boy born with total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR), underwent hepatic portoenterostomy for biliary atresia. Over the next 3 months he remained icteric and febrile, and failed to gain weight. After multiple antibiotic treatments for suspected cholangitis, he underwent reexploration of the portoenterostomy, with no improvement in his overall condition. His prognosis was considered dismal because correction of the cardiac anomaly is associated with a high mortality rate (> 90%). The cardiac surgeon agreed to attempt a cure of the TAPVR, provided liver transplantation is contemplated if the patient survived. Within 48 hours postoperatively, his hepatic function had improved drastically. He became afebrile, had an improved appetite and weight gain, and was finally discharged 203 days after admission. One year later, he is thriving and remains anicteric. The exact reason for this drastic improvement is not well understood, but the right-sided cardiac failure caused by the TAPVR had a significant effect on the functional outcome of the portoenterostomy.     

1,4-Cyclohexanecarboxylates: potent and selective inhibitors of phosophodiesterase 4 for the treatment of asthma

Evaluation of a variety of PDE4 inhibitors in a series of cellular and in vivo assays suggested a strategy to improve the therapeutic index of PDE4 inhibitors by increasing their selectivity for the ability to inhibit PDE4 catalytic activity versus the ability to compete for high affinity [3H]rolipram-binding sites in the central nervous system. Use of this strategy led ultimately to the identification of cis-4-cyano-4-[3-(cyclopentyloxy)-4-methoxyphenyl]cyclohexane-1-carboxyl ic acid (1, SB 207499, Ariflo), a potent second-generation inhibitor of PDE4 with a decreased potential for side effects versus the archetypic first generation inhibitor, (R)-rolipram.     

Validity and time savings in the selection of short forms of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised.

Validity and reliability were calculated from data in the standardization sample of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale—Revised (WAIS-R; D. Wechsler, 1981) for 565 short forms. Percentage of time savings in comparison to the full WAIS-R was estimated for each subtest combination from the data of J. J. Ryan and S. J. Rosenberg (1984), and short forms were rank-ordered, according to validity, within 5% intervals from 45% to 90% savings. The most efficient combinations for predicting total scores were generally those composed of subtests that are quick to administer, and short forms selected in previous research because of their brief administration times proved to be efficient in comparison to other subtest combinations. Several short forms from each time-savings category had acceptable validities and reliabilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Metacognitive differences between skilled and less skilled readers: Remediating deficits through story grammar and attribution training.

Designed a metacognitive intervention program to remediate the failures of 42 4th-grade boys in using metacognitive skills to aid their reading comprehension. The program consisted of 2 components: story grammar training, designed to increase comprehension monitoring; and attribution training, designed to increase awareness of effort in efficient reading. Ss were assigned to 3 groups: 1 group received both components and the other 2 groups each received one component alone. 14 skilled 4th-grade male readers served as a contrast group. Maintenance was assessed through free and probed recall; generalization was assessed through a metareading test and an error detection and correction task. Results indicate that strategy training produced dramatic gains in comprehension. Only Ss receiving attribution training alone showed poorer performance than skilled readers. Partial support was obtained for generalization on the metareading assessment. It is concluded that strategy training improved poor readers' comprehension by providing them with metacognitive skills. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fuzzy logic based intelligent selection of machining parameters

Fuzzy logic principles have been applied for selecting cutting conditions in machining operations. The materials data used for theoretical calculations were for medium carbon leaded steel (BHN 125–425) and Freemachining carbon wrought steel (BHN 225–425). Three different depths of cut (1mm, 4mm and 8mm) and four types of tools were used for these theoretical study, I) High Speed Steel Tool, ii) Carbide Tool-Coated, iii) Carbide Tool-Uncoated Brazed and iv) Carbide Tool-Uncoated indexable.     

Isolation,identification, and bioassay of chemicals affecting nonpreference carrot-root resistance to carrot-fly larva

Roots of the carrot cultivars Vertou L.D. (resistant) and Long Chantenay (susceptible) were subjected to detailed chemical analysis to identify extracts and compounds influencing larval host-finding (preference/non-preference) behavior and to compare concentrations of these compounds in resistant and susceptible cultivars. Vertou yielded threefold less volatile material in headspace extracts of pureed roots. Extracts of chopped root in methanol, steam, hexane, and chloroform were inactive in behavioral assays. However, ether extracts were active and their hydrocarbon and carbonyl-rich fractions contained potent attractants. The principal constituent of the carbonyl-rich fraction of each cultivar was the carotatoxin complex comprising the neurotoxin falcarinol (carotatoxin), falcarindiol, and falcarindiol monoacetate, the latter compound here reported for the first time from carrot. Falcarinol (50 and 100 g) was active in a behavioral assay, and all three ingredients of the complex were potent electrophysiological stimuli, eliciting maximum single unit responses to source concentrations of 10 ng. Furthermore, the complex was more abundant by about 1000 g/root in Long Chantenay. As this comprised extra amounts of 70, 862, and 110 g of falcarinol, falcarindiol, and falcarindiol monoacetate, respectively, the observed differences seem both behaviorally and physiologically relevant. It is generally accepted that coevolution has transformed the role of many toxins into host-location cues, but this seems a relatively rare example of a neurotoxin (falcarinol) evincing, in decreased concentrations, nonpreference host resistance. This evolved response to a toxin present in large concentrations is contrasted with that totrans-2-nonenal, which paralyses and kills the larva and is present in only trace amounts in the root.     

Essential books in clinical neuropsychology.

Questionnaires were mailed to the clinical training directors of American Psychological Association-approved clinical training programs in the US offering formal neuropsychology training. Respondents were asked to list which books they considered essential readings in the field of clinical neuropsychology. 34 of 59 programs responded. Overall, 22 different books were mentioned, with 8 mentioned once, 2 cited twice, and 12 recommended 4 times or more. The frequencies of the 12 most referenced books are reported. (2 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Isolation of Actinomyces viscosus from two patients with clinical infections

The isolation of Actinomyces viscosus from two patients is described. One was a case of multiple myeloma, the organism being found on blood culture; the other was a patient with a submandibular abscess. These are believed to be the first such isolations of A. viscosus in this country.     

A neutral beam sciopticon

A sciopticon based on the pinhole-camera effect is being used to determine individual beamlet contributions to the quality of neutral beams extracted from multiaperture ion sources. The technique outlined in this note can be used to study the effects on beam optics of nonhomogeneous source plasma density or acceleration gap nonuniformities, grid nonparallelism or aperture misplacement, and space-charge blowup or scattering in the neutralizer cell.