Ornithine, putrescine and cadaverine in farm silage

A method is described for the determination of ornithine, putrescine and cadaverine in silage, together with their parent arginine and lysine. Large amounts of diamine are present even in what is regarded as ‘good’ silage and there is often almost complete disappearance of arginine and lysine. The sole exception is silage of very low pH, and it is suggested that the rate of fall of pH in the early stages of the fermentation is more important than the final pH.     

Oral midazolam premedication in children: the minimum time interval for separation from parents

Meningitis may be the sole presenting sign of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula of the temporal bone. An eight-year-old boy suffering from recurrent meningitis was found to have bilateral severe cochlear dysplasia. Bilateral tympanotomies were performed, planning to obliterate each vestibule. In the right ear a stapedectomy was performed, resulting in a torrential 'CSF gusher' and difficulty in packing the vestibule. CSF rhinorrhoea requiring revision surgery and two episodes of gram-negative bacterial meningitis complicated the post-operative management, resulting in a prolonged hospital stay. Subsequently, the left ear was managed in a different fashion, leaving the stapes in situ, with grafts placed to seal the oval window niche. We would recommend this alternative procedure in cases of severe cochlear dysplasia, where abnormalities of the vestibule and basal turn of the cochlea mean that performing a stapedectomy to pack the vestibule may result in a severe 'CSF gusher', by opening directly into the subarachnoid space.     

Threshold shift calculations for ion implanted MOS devices

The solutions of Poisson's equation applicable to ion implanted MOS devices have been used to generate capacitance-voltage relationships for capacitors and threshold voltage shifts for transistors. The calculations agree well with previously published transistor data for profiles centered near Si-SiO₂ interface. These shallow implants (< 0.1 μm) are easily controlled by the gate and yield voltage shifts equal to that expected for all of the charge lumped at the silicon surface. In addition, the observed saturation of gate voltage shift for deeper implants in enhancement mode transistors can be duplicated by the calculations provided that the stopping power of SiO₂ is reduced as has been proposed elsewhere. Further, it has been predicted that gate control will be lost for depletion mode transistors with sufficiently deep implants. This is caused by the formation of a deep channel which is isolated from gate control by an induced surface charge layer. The inability of the gate field to pinch off the channel defeats device use for transistor inverter loads.     

"Acquired" congenital diaphragmatic hernia

"Acquired" congenital diaphragmatic hernia (ACDH), has been defined as delayed or late appearance of a congenital diaphragmatic hernia after a documented time periol of postnatal life with no evidence of herniation. Three new cases are presented. This diagnosis has been characterized on the basis of a review of these cases and 14 additional patients from the literature. A classification based upon timing of herniation and state of pulmonary development is presented.     

Relations between the timing of the second heart sound and aortic blood pressure

The second heart sound (S2) is triggered by an aortic valve closure as a result of the ventricular-arterial interaction of the cardiovascular system. The objective of this paper is to investigate the timing of S2 in response to the changes in hemodynamic parameters and its relation to aortic blood pressure (BP). An improved model of the left ventricular-arterial interaction was proposed based on the combination of the newly established pressure source model of the ventricle and the nonlinear pressure-dependent compliance model of the arterial system. The time delay from the onset of left ventricular pressure rise to the onset of S2 (RS2) was used to measure the timing of S2. The results revealed that RS2 bears a strong negative correlation with both systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure under the effect of changing peripheral resistance, heart rate, and contractility. The results were further validated by a series of measurements of 16 normal subjects submitted to dynamic exercise. This study helps understand the relationship between the timing of S2 and aortic BP under various physiological and pathological conditions.     

Do pigeons (Columba livia) study for a test?

In 4 experiments, the authors asked whether pigeons (Columba livia) would show metamemory by choosing to study a sample stimulus before taking a memory test. In Experiments 1a–1c, pigeons chose between cues that led either to exposure to a sample stimulus or directly to the comparison test stimuli without seeing the sample in a delayed matching-to-sample task. The same choice was used in Experiment 2 to see whether pigeons would take a reminder when memory of the sample was weak. In Experiments 3 and 4, pigeons’ responses led to either a choice between red and green side keys with a sample present to guide the choice or a choice with no sample present. The findings of all of these experiments suggest the absence of metamemory in pigeons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bend sensors with direction recognition based on long-period gratings written in D-shaped fiber

The curvature- or bend-sensing response of long-period gratings (LPGs) UV inscribed in D-shaped fiber has been investigated experimentally. Strong fiber-orientation dependence of the spectral response when such LPGs are subjected to bending at different directions has been observed and is shown to form the basis for a new class of single-device sensor with vector-sensing capability. Potential applications utilizing the linear response and unique bend-orientation characteristics of the devices are discussed.     

The magnified molehill and the misplaced focus: Sex-related differences in spatial ability revisited.

Refutes criticisms by J. Eliot, M. Hiscock, S. A. Burnett, D. F. Halpern, and B. Sanders et al (see PA, Vol 74:305, 310, 301, 309, and 324, respectively) of the present authors' (see record 1986-10956-001) findings that (a) no-difference results in studies of sex-related spatial ability are underreported and what differences are found are often exaggerated and (b) spatial abilities is an inadequate construct, rendering premature and even inappropriate the question of whether sex differences in this area exist. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)