Gender differences in treatment adherence among youth with cystic fibrosis: development of a new questionnaire.

Background: Some prior studies have reported that girls with cystic fibrosis (CF) experience higher morbidity and mortality compared to boys. In this study, the authors compared boys' and girls' perceptions of disease-related strains and resources associated with living with CF, and the relationship of these factors to CF treatment feelings and behaviors.

Methods: All 10-21 year olds with CF at the Minnesota Cystic Fibrosis Center were invited by mail to complete a new self-report survey (Living with CF Questionnaire--LCFQ).

How do climate warming and species richness affect CO2 fluxes in experimental grasslands?

This paper presents the results of 2 yr of CO(2) flux measurements on grassland communities of varying species richness, exposed to either the current or a warmer climate. We grew experimental plant communities containing one, three or nine grassland species in 12 sunlit, climate-controlled chambers. Half of these chambers were exposed to ambient air temperatures, while the other half were warmed by 3 degrees C.

Adolescents' feelings about openness in adoption: implications for adoption agencies.

Adoption research commonly uses parents' reports of satisfaction when examining openness in adoption arrangements. This qualitative study aimed to fill a gap in the adoption research by using adolescents' voices to gain a better understanding of their adoption experiences. Adopted adolescents (n = 152) were interviewed concerning their satisfaction with the openness in their adoption arrangements with their birthmothers.

Processes linked to contact changes in adoptive kinship networks.

The purpose of this study was to reveal underlying processes in adoptive kinship networks that experienced increases or decreases in levels of openness during the child's adolescent years. Intensive case study analyses were conducted for 8 adoptive kinship networks (each including an adoptive mother, adoptive father, adopted adolescent, and birth mother), half of whom had experienced an increase in openness from indirect (mediated) to direct (fully disclosed) contact and half of whom had ceased indirect contact between Waves 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study. Adoptive mothers tended to be more involved in contact with the birth mother than were adoptive fathers or adopted adolescents.

Long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids dissociate phosphorylation of Akt from phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase activity in rats.

We examined whether a low amount of dietary long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n-3 PUFA) modulated phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase (PI 3-kinase) activity and downstream Akt phosphorylation differently in normal or insulin-resistant rats. Rats were fed for 28 days with either a control diet containing 14.6% of metabolizable energy (ME) as peanut-rape oil (PR) or an n-3 diet where 4.

Circumstances surrounding dying in the paediatric intensive care unit.

Background: Death is inevitable in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). We aimed to describe the circumstances surrounding dying in a PICU.

Method: The chart records of all patients less than 18 years of age who died at the PICU between January first 2000 and July first 2005 were retrospectively analyzed.

Sufficient conditions for uniqueness in Candecomp/Parafac and Indscal with random component matrices.

A key feature of the analysis of three-way arrays by Candecomp/Parafac is the essential uniqueness of the trilinear decomposition. We examine the uniqueness of the Candecomp/Parafac and Indscal decompositions. In the latter, the array to be decomposed has symmetric slices.

Efficacy of shock-absorbing versus rigid pylons for impact reduction in transtibial amputees based on laboratory, field, and outcome metrics.

Prosthetic manufacturers have marketed shock-absorbing pylons (SAPs) for attenuation of injurious loads from foot-ground contact. In this study, we compared a commonly prescribed SAP with a conventional rigid pylon, using a within-subject design (n = 15 unilateral transtibial amputees), to assess effect on gait mechanics, measure transmitted accelerations in situ, and determine functional outcomes using step counts and questionnaires. No differences were found across pylons for self-selected walking speed, prosthetic-side step length, prosthetic-side loading rate and decelerative peak of the vertical ground reaction force, peak pylon acceleration, step count per week, or questionnaire results that examined pylon performance and subjects' pain and fatigue levels.

Prosthetic intervention effects on activity of lower-extremity amputees.

Objective: To investigate the effect of prosthetic interventions on the functional mobility of lower-extremity amputees.

Design: Crossover with repeated measures.

Setting: Household and community environment.

Fatty acids from lipids of marine organisms: molecular biodiversity, roles as biomarkers, biologically active compounds, and economical aspects.

Because of their characteristic living environments, marine organisms produce a variety of lipids. Fatty acids constitute the essential part of triglycerides and wax esters, which are the major components of fats and oils. Nevertheless, phospholipids and glycolipids have considerable importance and will be taken into account, especially the latter compounds that excite increasing interest regarding their promising biological activities.

Adipose tissue compensates for defect of phosphatidylinositol 3'-kinase induced in liver and muscle by dietary fish oil in fed rats.

The present work aimed to study in rats whether substitution of a low level of fish oil (FO; 2.2% of calories) into a low-fat diet (6.6% of calories from fat as peanut-rape oil or control diet) 1) has a tissue-specific effect on insulin signaling pathway and 2) prevents dexamethasone-induced alteration of insulin signaling in liver, muscle, and adipose tissue.

The kinematics and kinetics of turning: limb asymmetries associated with walking a circular path.

The biomechanics of changing direction while walking has been largely neglected despite its obvious relevancy to functional mobility. The world is filled with turns that must be negotiated. These turns carry an increased risk of injury due to a decrease in stability.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in the Grenlandfjords (Norway)--disposition, levels, and effects.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are regarded as highly toxic. Their lipophilicity and persistence also render them subject to bioaccumulation. The Grenlandfjords (southern Norway) have long been polluted by PCDD/Fs through the magnesium production at Herøya (1951-2002).

An evaluation of immediate sheath removal and use of the Angio-Seal vascular closure device in neuroradiological interventions.

We set out to assess the effect of using an arteriotomy closure device in patients at high risk of access site complications. One-hundred nineteen patients with femoral artery access were prospectively included in five centers in France (56 males, 63 females, age range 20-84 years). The neurointerventional procedures were embolization of intracranial aneurysm (71.

Endovascular treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations using onyx: preliminary results of a prospective multicenter study.

The main final goal of the treatment of brain AVMs is to prevent bleeding and to obtain a complete occlusion of the nidus. The strategy of treatment of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVM) has to be defined by a multidisciplinary team and will usually combine several modalities (surgery, radiosurgery, embolization). Embolization is generally the first step of treatment.

Comparison of human turning gait with the mechanical performance of lower limb prosthetic transverse rotation adapters.

Given the importance of minimizing transverse plane shear stress on soft tissue, several transverse rotational adapters (TRAs) are available for incorporation in lower limb prostheses. This study compares kinetic and kinematic data from human subjects during straight and turning gaits to the mechanical performance of several TRAs. Physiological data were collected from three individuals walking straight and turning at self-selected speeds around a 1 m radius circle.

Disposition of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in two Norwegian epibenthic marine food webs.

Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs) are a group of halogenated hydrocarbons, comprising 210 different, theoretically possible congeners. They are relatively hydrophobic and persistent to biodegradation, thereby rendering them subject to bioaccumulation. This study was conducted in Frierfjord and Eidangerfjord in the Grenland fjord system, Norway, heavily polluted by PCDD/PCDF discharges from the 16,600,859 magnesium production at Herøya from 1951 to 2001.

Fluorescence polarization method to characterize macrolide-ribosome interactions.

A fluorescence polarization assay is described that measures the binding of fluorescently labeled erythromycin to 70S ribosomes from Escherichia coli and the displacement of the erythromycin from these ribosomes. The assay has been validated with several macrolide derivatives and other known antibiotics. We demonstrate that this assay is suitable for determining the dissociation constants of novel compounds that have binding sites overlapping those of macrolides.

Effects of increased sea water concentrations of CO2 on growth of the bivalve Mytilus edulis L.

It has been proposed that emission of anthropogenic carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will lead to increased concentrations of CO(2) in sea water corresponding to a decrease of pH of several tenths of pH units. An experiment was performed to test the effects of increased sea water concentrations of CO(2) on shell growth of the blue mussel Mytilus edulis. The experiment was performed in aquaria continuously flushed with sea water spiked with CO(2) to provide five different levels of pH between 6.

Clinical results of an open prospective study of a bis-GMA composite in percutaneous vertebral augmentation.

In this open prospective trial, 53 patients with acute pain from osteoporotic vertebral fracture related to osteoporosis or malignancy underwent vertebral augmentation with a new bisphenol-a-glycidyl dimethacrylate (bis-GMA) resin (Cortoss, Orthovita, Malvern, Pa, USA). Treatment consisted of up to 8 ml of Cortoss injected into a given vertebra. The procedure encompassed single and multiple injections (including the contralateral hemivertebra, to a maximum of 3 vertebral levels).

Triple total cervical vertebrectomy for a giant cell tumor: case report.

Study Design: Case report of a triple total cervical vertebrectomy.

Objective: To describe a new management for cervical tumor. Preoperative planning using arteriography, successive occlusion of both vertebral arteries, and the cervical vertebrectomy are reported.

[Long term clinical follow up of vertebral hemangiomas treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty].

Purpose: Long term clinical follow up of vertebral hemangiomas (VH) treated by percutaneous vertebroplasty.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 19 patients treated fro 21 VH associated with chronic pain in 16 cases, using pecutaneous vertebrosplasty. One patient underwent both vertebroplasty and surgery.

Cerebrospinal fluid leakage during transsphenoidal surgery: postoperative external lumbar drainage reduces the risk for meningitis.

Postoperative meningitis is a well known complication of transsphenoidal surgery (TSS). The objective of this study was to evaluate whether postoperative external cerobrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage in case of intraoperative CSF-leakage, reduces the risk of postoperative meningitis. We retrospectively reviewed a series of 278 consecutive transsphenoidal operations.

Resistance to fipronil in Drosophila simulans: influence of two point mutations in the RDL GABA receptor subunit.

The Eyguieres 42 strain of Drosophila simulans, obtained by laboratory selection, displayed approximately 20,000-fold resistance to the insecticide fipronil. Molecular cloning of the cDNA encoding the RDL GABA receptor subunit of this strain revealed the presence of two mutations: the Rdl mutation (A301G) and an additional mutation in the third transmembrane domain (T350M). In order to assess the individual and combined roles of the two mutations in fipronil resistance, the functional properties of wild-type, A301G, T350M and A301G/T350M homomultimeric RDL receptors were compared by expression in Xenopus oocytes.

Room temperature palladium catalysed coupling of acyl chlorides with terminal alkynes.

Conditions are reported for the facile, high-yielding coupling of acyl chlorides with terminal alkynes in a reaction involving palladium and copper iodide; the reaction is tolerant of a wide variety of acyl chlorides and terminal alkynes and provides a convenient one-pot route to acetylenic ketones.