Measuring social participation in children with chronic health conditions: validation and reference values of the child and adolescent scale of participation (CASP) in the German context.

Background: While ICF-CY-based models of care are promising avenues for improving participation of children with chronic health conditions, feasible and valid instruments to assess participation as an outcome in routine are still needed. We aimed to validate a German parent-report version of the Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation (CASP) in children with chronic health conditions of different severity.

Methods: Cross-sectional data were collected in 327 children (mean age 7.

Crystal structures of archaemetzincin reveal a moldable substrate-binding site.

Background: Archaemetzincins are metalloproteases occurring in archaea and some mammalia. They are distinct from all the other metzincins by their extended active site consensus sequence HEXXHXXGXXHCX(4)CXMX(17)CXXC featuring four conserved cysteine residues. Very little is known about their biological importance and structure-function relationships.

Contrast-enhanced sonography for differential diagnosis of an inhomogeneous spleen of unknown cause in patients with pain in the left upper quadrant.

Objective: Second-generation contrast agents have shown spleen-specific uptake. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of contrast-enhanced sonography (CES) to demarcate splenic lesions in patients with pain in the left upper quadrant (LUQ) and an inhomogeneous splenic texture.

Methods: From October 2003 to July 2005, 31 consecutive patients with pain in the LUQ and splenic inhomogeneity on B-mode sonography were studied by CES using a second-generation contrast agent (SonoVue; Bracco SpA, Milan, Italy).