"Developing organization of mental verbs and theory of mind in middle childhood: Evidence from extensions": Correction to Schwanenflugel et al. (1998).

Reports an error in "Developing organization of mental verbs and theory of mind in middle childhood: Evidence from extensions" by Paula J. Schwanenflugel, Robbie L. Henderson and William V. Fabricius (Developmental Psychology, 1998[May], Vol 34[3], 512-524). In this article, Figures 2 and 4 were inadvertently switched. The figure appearing on page 519 is Figure 4, and the data pertain to third graders; the figure appearing on page 521 is Figure 2, and the data pertain to adults. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 1998-01885-012.) The purpose of the study was to assess developments in the theory of mind suggested by changes in the organization of cognitive verb extensions during the elementary school years. Adults and 3rd- and 5th-grade children were provided with a set of mental activity scenarios and were asked to select the best verbs from a list of cognitive verbs that might apply to each scenario. Changes in organization were assessed by examining overlapping uses of cognitive verbs in different contexts. There were 3 major changes with development: (a) the understanding of the role of memory in input functions increased, (b) the interrelatedness of memory- and comprehension-related verbs increased, and (c) the importance of cognitive certainty and uncertainty engaged by constructive processing verbs increased. Together, these findings suggest that a constructivist theory of mind develops in later childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Crystal structure and functional analysis of the HERG potassium channel N terminus: a eukaryotic PAS domain

More and more elderly subjects are offered for pulmonary resection. The object of this study was to review the results of excision for cancer in octogenarians. PATIENTS: 51 consecutive patients (44 men, 7 women) with a mean age of 82 years (80-91) were operated on. 31 lobectomies, 2 bilobectomies, 13 pneumonectomies, 1 segmental resection and 4 exploratory thoracotomies were carried out. 17 tumours were classed as stage I, 15 as stage II and 15 as stage III. RESULTS: 38 patients (75%) had uncomplicated post-operative periods; the predicted factors for complication were the existence of weight loss and alteration of respiratory function. 2 patients (4%) died in the post-operative phase. Neither the type of operation, the staging or the existence of cardiovascular dysfunction had any influence on the post-operative phase. The level of the survival at 3 and 5 years was 39% and 16% respectively. 30% of the late deaths were related to intercurrent events. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary excision may be envisaged in an octogenarian who is in good physical and intellectual state with a limited tumour. This surgery in general is applied to a population which probably only marginally consists of octogenarians but the results here justify their inclusion in the indications for selection.     

Morbillivirus downregulation of CD46

There is evidence that CD46 (membrane cofactor protein) is a cellular receptor for vaccine and laboratory-passaged strains of measles virus (MV). Following infection with these MV strains, CD46 is downregulated from the cell surface, and consequent complement-mediated lysis has been shown to occur upon infection of a human monocytic cell line. The MV hemagglutinin (H) protein alone is capable of inducing this downregulation. Some wild-type strains of MV fail to downregulate CD46, despite infection being prevented by anti-CD46 antibodies. In this study we show that CD46 is also downregulated to the same extent by wild-type, vaccine, and laboratory-passaged strains of rinderpest virus (RPV), although CD46 did not appear to be the receptor for RPV. Expression of the RPV H protein by a nonreplicating adenovirus vector was also found to cause this downregulation. A vaccine strain of peste des petits ruminants virus caused slight downregulation of CD46 in infected Vero cells, while wild-type and vaccine strains of canine distemper virus and a wild-type strain of dolphin morbillivirus failed to downregulate CD46. Downregulation of CD46 can, therefore, be a function independent of the use of this protein as a virus receptor.     

Primary nonampullary/periampullary adenocarcinoma of the duodenum

Primary duodenal adenocarcinoma not involving the ampullary region is rare. Our aim was to review the outcome of these patients and determine the factors that affect survival. We performed a retrospective review of all patients with primary, nonampullary duodenal adenocarcinoma at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from January 1986 through December 1996. Twenty-six patients with primary, nonampullary duodenal malignancies were identified. There were 16 adenocarcinomas, 3 gastrinomas, 3 stromal tumors, 3 leiomyosarcomas, and 1 carcinoid tumor. Patients with adenocarcinoma had symptoms present an average of 6.1 months. Tumors were identified by upper gastrointestinal contrast study and esophagogastroduodenoscopy in 90 per cent and 87 per cent of patients, respectively. Twelve of 13 (93%) cancers found in the third or fourth portion of the duodenum were adenocarcinomas. Seven of the 16 adenocarcinomas were resectable on exploration. Those that were contained within the serosa have not recurred (mean, 6 years); one of the two patients with locally invasive adenocarcinoma remains disease free. The average survival for patients with unresectable disease was 6.7 months. The 5-year survival rates were: all adenocarcinoma, 38 per cent; resectable, 86 per cent; and unresectable, 0 per cent. All patients presenting with weight loss or obstructive symptoms died of disease; those with melena survived long term. Patients with tumors other than adenocarcinoma had a 90 per cent 5-year survival. We conclude that patients typically present with a long history of symptoms. Distal duodenal malignancies are most frequently adenocarcinomas. Upper gastrointestinal contrast study or endoscopy is often diagnostic. Patients with weight loss and/or obstructive symptoms had invasive disease and a morbid prognosis. Aggressive surgery is warranted, and most with resectable disease (86%) had long-term survival.     

Mediation and mini-trial of construction disputes

Addressed in the paper are specific attitudes and experiences of construction lawyers using mediation and mini-trial techniques. The paper represents one of the first empirical investigations of non-binding dispute resolution in the construction field.     

High PCO does not alter pHi, but raises [Ca2+]i in cultured rat carotid body glomus cells in the absence and presence of CdC12

We measured the effect of high PCO (500-550 Torr) on the pHi and [Ca2+]i in cultured glomus cells of adult rat carotid body (CB) as a test of the two models currently proposed for the mechanism of CB chemoreception. The metabolic model postulates that the rise in glomus cell [Ca2+]i, the initiating reaction in the signalling pathway leading to chemosensory neural discharge, is due to [Ca2+] release from intracellular Ca2+ stores. The membrane potential model postulates that the rise in [Ca2+]i comes from influx of extracellular Ca2+ through voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCC) of the L-type. High PCO did not change pHi at PO2 of 120-135 Torr, showing that CO-induced changes in [Ca2+]i are not due to changes in pHi. High PCO caused a highly significant rise in [Ca2+]i from 90+/-12 nM to 675+/-65 nM, both in the absence and in the presence of 200 microM CdCl2, a potent blocker of L-type VDCCs. This result is fully consistent with release of Ca2+ from glomus cell intracellular stores according to metabolic model, but inconsistent with influx of extracellular Ca2+ through VDCCs according to the membrane potential model.