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Herbivorous insects frequently exhibit sexual dimorphism in body size and a variety of other traits. Such differences often lead to distinct behaviors, which may present themselves in insect responses to conspecifics, plant defenses, and feeding. Based on a previous study of a congeneric species, we hypothesized that sexual dimorphism may yield differences in how the host-specific red milkweed beetle Tetraopes tetrophthalmus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) deactivates milkweed defenses, a behavior in which beetles cut latex-delivering veins prior to feeding. We also predicted that beetles would display differences in their subsequent feeding patterns and attraction of conspecifics. Although beetles were size dimorphic (females were larger than males), we did not find consistent differences in the rates of vein cutting or initiation of feeding between males and females. Females did, however, cut more milkweed veins per leaf, and attracted more conspecifics than males. Sex differences in size and other traits were thus associated with differential attraction, but not strongly associated with the overall deactivation of plant defense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains the proof of general results on the calculation of the norms of monotone operators acting from one ideal space to another under matching convexity and concavity properties of the operator and the norms in ideal spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the Riemann–Liouville space of fractional potentials on the half-line and establish its properties such as embeddings in Besov spaces, Liouville classes, and Lizorkin–Triebel spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions of mutual covering and equivalence of cones of monotone functions and the corresponding estimates of their majorants are studied. Two types of coverings are considered: pointwise and integral. They correspond to pointwise and integral estimates of the majorants on these cones. The results obtained are used to derive formulas that allow estimating pointwise and integral majorants of decreasing rearrangements for generalized Riesz and Bessel potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to the problem of exact calculation of the norms in ideal spaces for monotone operators on the cones of functions with monotonicity properties. We implement a general approach to this problem that covers many concrete variants of monotone operators in ideal spaces and different monotonicity conditions for functions. As applications, we calculate the norms of some integral operators on the cones, associate norms over some cones in Lebesgue spaces, the norms of the dilation operator and embedding operators on weighted Lorentz spaces with general weights. Under some more general conditions, we present order sharp estimates for Hardy-type operators on the cones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on estimates for monotone operator norms on weighted Orlicz-Lorentz classes. It explains the Orlicz-Lorentz class is the cone of measurable functions decreasing rearrangements with respect to Lebesgue measures which belong to the weighted Orlicz space and proves the reduction theory allowing the norm of the operator to have its estimates reduced to those of the norm of its restriction to nonnegative step function clones. Mathematical formulae are given to show the estimate.

We obtain formulas for the generalized functional norm associated with the two-weight integral quasi-norm. We describe a minimal generalized Banach function space containing a given quasi-Banach space defined by the two-weight integral quasi-norm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The restriction of a monotone operator P to the cone Ω of nonnegative decreasing functions from a weighted Orlicz space L without additional a priori assumptions on the properties of theOrlicz function φ and the weight function v is considered. An order-sharp two-sided estimate of the norm of this restriction is established by using a specially constructed discretization procedure. Similar estimates are also obtained for monotone operators over the corresponding Orlicz-Lorentz spaces Λ. As applications, descriptions of associated spaces for the cone Ω and the Orlicz-Lorentz space are obtained. These new results are of current interest in the theory of such spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Magnetosphere Multiscale Mission (MMS) will provide the first opportunity to probe electron-scale physics during magnetic reconnection in Earth's magnetopause and magnetotail. This article will address only tail reconnection-as a non-steady-state process in which the first reconnected field lines advance away from the $x$-point in flux pile-up fronts directed Earthward and anti-Earthward. An up-to-date microscopic physical picture of electron and ion-scale collisionless tail reconnection processes is presented based on 2-D Particle-In-Cell (PIC) simulations initiated from a Harris current sheet and on Cluster and Themis measurements of tail reconnection. The successes and limitations of simulations when compared to measured reconnection are addressed in detail. The main focus is on particle and field diffusion region signatures in the tail reconnection geometry. The interpretation of these signatures is vital to enable spacecraft to identify physically significant reconnection events, to trigger meaningful data transfer from MMS to Earth and to construct a useful overall physical picture of tail reconnection. New simulation results and theoretical interpretations are presented for energy transport of particles and fields, for the size and shape of electron and ion diffusion regions, for processes occurring near the fronts and for the $\mathbf{j} \times \mathbf{B}$ (Hall) electric field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We consider a variational model related to the formation of islands in heteroepitaxial growth on unbounded domains. We first derive the scaling regimes of the minimal energy in terms of the volume of the film and the amplitude of the crystallographic misfit. For small volumes, non-existence of minimizers is then proven. This corresponds to the experimentally observed wetting effect. On the other hand, we show the existence of minimizers for large volumes. We finally study the asymptotic behavior of the optimal shapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the construction of generalized Bessel potentials using the generalized Bessel-McDonald kernels convolutions with basic rearrangement invariant space functions. Topics discussed include moduli cone of continuity for potentials description, the construction of generalized Bessel potentials over the basic weighted Lorentz space, and the calderon space embedding criterion.

The article discusses the criterion for optimal Calderon space for Bessel Potentials. It explores the construction of convolutions in Bessel and McDonald kernels with functions from a rearranged embedding of potentials into the invariant space. It also describes the optimal Calderon space constructed in the embedded Bessel potentials.

In this paper we investigate the strict convexity and the differentiability properties of the stable norm, which corresponds to the homogenized surface tension for a periodic perimeter homogenization problem (in a regular and uniformly elliptic case). We prove that it is always differentiable in totally irrational directions, while in other directions, it is differentiable if and only if the corresponding plane-like minimizers satisfying a strong Birkhoff property foliate the torus. We also discuss the issue of the uniqueness of the correctors for the corresponding homogenization problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of constructing a minimal Banach function space containing a given cone of nonnegative measurable functions. For the associate function norm of the norm of an optimal space, we obtain general formulas and specify them in the case of a cone defined by an integral representation. We also consider the similar problem of constructing an optimal rearrangement invariant space and compare the descriptions obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study generalized Bessel potentials constructed by means of convolutions of functions with kernels that generalize the classical Bessel-Macdonald kernels. In contrast to the classical case, nonpower singularities of kernels in a neighborhood of the origin are admitted. The integral properties of functions are characterized in terms of decreasing rearrangements. The differential properties of potentials are described by the kth-order moduli of continuity in the uniform norm. An order-sharp upper estimate is established for the modulus of continuity of a potential. Such estimates play an important role in the theory of function spaces. They allow one to establish sharp embedding theorems for potentials, find majorants of the moduli of continuity, and estimate the approximation numbers of embedding operators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of function spaces it is an important problem to describe the differential properties for the convolution u = G * f in terms of the behavior of kernel near the origin, and at the infinity. In our paper the differential properties of convolution are characterized by their modulus of continuity of order k ∈ N in the uniform norm. The kernels of convolution generalize the classical kernels determining the Bessel and Riesz potential. They admit non-power behavior near the origin. The order-sharp estimates are obtained for moduli of continuity of the convolution in the uniform norm as well as for continuity envelope function of generalized Bessel potentials. Such estimates admit sharp embedding theorems into a Calderon space and imply estimates for the approximation numbers of the embedding operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the theory of function spaces it is an important problem to describe the differential properties for the classical Bessel and Riesz potentials as well as for their generalizations. Bessel potentials are determined by the convolutions of functions with Bessel-MacDonald kernels G. In this paper we characterize the integral properties of functions by their decreasing rearrangements. The differential properties of potentials are characterized by their modulus of continuity of order k in the uniform norm. Estimates of such type were obtained by A. Gogatishvili, J. Neves, and B. Opic in the case k > α. Here, we remove this restriction and obtain the results for all values k ∈ N. We find order-sharp estimates from above for moduli of continuity and construct the examples confirming the sharpness. On the base of these results we obtain the order-sharp estimates for continuity envelope function in the space of potentials, and give estimates for the approximation numbers of the embedding operator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We establish existence of compact minimizers of the prescribed mean curvature problem with volume constraint in periodic media. As a consequence, we construct compact approximate solutions to the prescribed mean curvature equation. We also show convergence after rescaling of the volume-constrained minimizers towards a suitable Wulff Shape, when the volume tends to infinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We prove the equivalence of some three-weighted criteria for the boundedness of Hardy type operators on the cone of decreasing functions. These criteria are then applied to realize the direct comparisons of the results obtained in different forms in the papers of several authors (M. Goldman, G. Bennett and K.-G. Grosse-Erdmann, M. Carro, A. Gogatishvili, J. Martin, and L. Pick). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study a space of potentials on the n-dimensional Euclidean space that are constructed on the basis of rearrangement-invariant spaces (RISs) by means of convolutions with kernels of general form. These spaces include the classical spaces of Bessel and Riesz potentials as particular cases. We examine the integral properties of the potentials and find necessary and sufficient conditions for their embedding in an RIS. Optimal RISs for such embeddings are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is a well-established therapy for patients with moderate-to-severe heart failure (HF), left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction or=130 msec. Device optimization is often performed, adjusting the timing of RV and LV stimulation to produce a pacing sequence that yields the best global cardiac performance. However, no standard guidelines exist for optimization and many invasive and non-invasive techniques have been employed with mixed results. The aim of the present study was to determine whether there are any clinical predictors of the optimal V-V settings in patients implanted with CRT devices.Methods and Results: We prospectively evaluated 47 consecutive patients with HF who were referred to our device optimization clinic. The mean patient age was 64.9 +/- 12.7 years. Patients were in both sinus rhythm (83%) and atrial fibrillation. Prior to device implant, 51% of patients had left bundle branch block (LBBB), 17% had intra-ventricular conduction delay (IVCD) and 21% were RV paced. Sixty-two percent were male, the mean QRS duration was 152 +/- 29 ms, mean LVEF 26 +/- 8% and 60% had a non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Overall, 82% of patients required sequential pacing with 69% requiring LV pre-excitation to produce the best global cardiac function as determined by aortic velocity time integrals (VTI). In our cohort, none of the clinical characteristics evaluated, including etiology of the cardiomyopathy, QRS duration, LVEF, pre-implant rhythm or AV delay were predictive of an optimal simultaneous or sequential V-V setting.Conclusions: None of the clinical variables tested in our analysis predicted optimal RV-LV settings. Our results suggest that individual optimization and programming of V-V settings is necessary. The inability to predict optimal settings likely reflects the unique characteristics of each patient and supports the need for individualized programming of each device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the augmented RIC model of respiratory impedance and analyzes its parameter values estimated—by a modified Newton method with least squares criterion—from impulse oscillometry data. The data were from asthmatic children, tested pre- and post-bronchodilator, and from healthy adults and a second group of adults with COPD. Our analyses show that the augmented RIC model was 13.7–66.6% more accurate than the extended RIC model at fitting these data, while its parameter estimates were within previously reported ranges, unlike the Mead1969, DuBois and Mead models, which typically yielded compliance estimates exceeding 200 l/kPa. Additionally, the augmented RIC model’s C p parameter, representing peripheral airway compliance, is a statistically significant discriminator between unconstricted and constricted conditions (with p < 0.001) occurring in asthma and COPD. This corresponds well with current medical understanding, so the augmented RIC model is potentially useful for detection and treatment of airflow obstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this short article is to give a very schematic account of the main concepts associated with the spin temperature theory, in nuclear and in dilute electronic spin systems, and their applications to electron–nuclear thermal mixing as a mechanism of dynamic nuclear polarization. The body of existing theoretical and experimental material on these subjects is much too large to be described in any detail, and a selection can be found in the general references and in references therein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A space of generalized Bessel potentials constructed on the basis of rearrangement-invariant spaces is considered. An equivalent description of the cone of decreasing rearrangements is proposed for functions from the space of generalized Bessel potentials. An additional characterization of the cone of decreasing rearrangements is obtained in the case of spaces separated from the space L 1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time domain electromagnetic (TDEM) geophysical method was employed to detect saline groundwater bodies within and in the close margins of the Arava Rift Valley. The Arava Valley aquifers are known to occupy fresh to saline groundwater. The lateral subsurface inflow to the Arava from west and east is characterized by fresh to brackish waters. The results of the present study indicate that salination of groundwater is controlled by both present day and ancient base levels, namely by the Dead Sea in the north and by the Gulf of Elat in the south. The configuration obtained by the TDEM survey exhibits interfaces and palaeo-interfaces between fresh to brackish waters and underlying seawater or diluted seawater intruded inland from both base levels as well as brines intruded from the northern base level. The central Arava structural and hydrological divide seems to escape seawater or brine encroachment at least to the considerable depth of the TDEM measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendritic cell (DC) vaccines are used for the induction of anti-tumor T cell reaction in melanoma patients. DC are generated in vitro, pulsed with antigen and matured prior to injection. They are supposed to migrate to lymph nodes and to present the processed antigen to naive T cells allowing activation of tumor-specific lymphocytes. It has been suggested that intradermal injection allows a superior migration to the lymph node. Eight HLA-A2 positive patients with stage III or IV melanomas expressing NA 17 antigen were collected. They were included in a pilot trial of vaccination in which they received IL3/INFb DC presenting the NA17 A2 antigen. In each patient, a skin biopsy was performed at the injection site, 24 h after inoculation. The striking features of the biopsies were the presence of a perivascular CD3+/CD8+ T cell infiltrate with a slight population of CD4+ cells and the presence of a massive neutrophilic infiltrate associated with the injected DC still present, realizing a suppurative granuloma. The persistence of DC 24 h after the injection suggests that migration in the lymph node is not necessary for the induction of the immune response. The skin itself could be the location of a reaction starting with a massive recruitment of neutrophils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is safe in acute cholecystitis, but the exact timing remains ill-defined. This study evaluated the effect of timing of LC in patients with acute cholecystitis.Methods: Prospective data from the hospital registry were reviewed. All patients admitted with acute cholecystitis from June 1994 to January 2004 were included in the cohort.Results: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy was attempted in 1,967 patients during the study period; 80% were women, mean patient age was 44 years (range, 20-73 years). Of the 1,967 LC procedures, 1,675 were successful, and 292 were converted to an open procedure (14%). Mean operating time for LC was 1 h 44 min (SD +/- 50 min), versus 3 h 5 min (SD +/- 79 min) when converted to an open procedure. Average postoperative length of stay was 1.89 days (+/- 2.47 days) for the laparoscopic group and 4.3 days (+/- 2.2 days) for the conversion group. No clinically relevant differences regarding conversion rates, operative times, or postoperative length of stay were found between patients who were operated on within 48 h compared to those patients who were operated on post-admission days 3-7.Conclusions: The timing of laparoscopic cholecystectomy in patients with acute cholecystitis has no clinically relevant effect on conversion rates, operative times, or length of stay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The early loss of beta cells after islet cell transplantation has been attributed in part to blood coagulation at the implant site. Tissue factor expressed by beta cells and contaminating duct cells is considered to activate this process. Here, we investigated the ability of N-acetyl- l-cysteine to suppress the in vitro procoagulant activity of duct cells and human islet cell preparations. The effects of Nacystelyn, a salt derivative of N-acetyl- l-cysteine, were first assessed on procoagulant activity induced in human plasma by recombinant tissue factor, human primary duct cells or human islet cell preparations. The influence of Nacystelyn on clot formation, platelet counts and d-dimers were measured in a whole blood tubing loop model. Human beta cell viability and insulin synthesis after Nacystelyn treatment were assessed to exclude cytotoxicity of Nacystelyn. Nacystelyn efficiently inhibited the procoagulant activity of human recombinant tissue factor, primary duct cells and human islet cell preparations at clinically relevant concentrations without cellular toxicity. Nacystelyn is a pharmaceutical candidate to reduce early beta cell loss related to tissue factor-dependent coagulation after islet transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Gulf war exposure to depleted uranium, a known nephrotoxic agent, there is a renewed interest in the toxic effects of uranium in general and its mechanism of nephrotoxicity which is still largely unknown in particular. In order to investigate the mechanism responsible for uranium nephrotoxicity and the therapeutic effect of urine alkalization, we utilized rat renal brush border membrane vesicles (BBMV). Uranyl acetate (UA) caused a decrease in glucose transport in BBMV. The apparent K i of uranyl was 139±30 μg uranyl/mg protein of BBMV. Uranyl at 140 μg/mg protein of BBMV reduced the maximal capacity of the system to transport glucose [ V max 2.2±0.2 and 0.96±0.16 nmol/mg protein for control and uranyl treated BBMV ( P<0.001), respectively] with no effect on the apparent K m (1.54±0.33 and 1.54±0.51 mM for control, and uranyl treated BBMV, respectively). This reduction in V max is at least partially due to a decrease in the number of sodium-coupled glucose transporters as apparent from the reduction in phlorizin binding to the uranyl treated membranes, V max was reduced from 247±13 pmol/mg protein in control BBMV to 119±3 pmol/mg protein in treated vesicles ( P<0.001). The pH of the medium has a profound effect on the toxicity of UA on sodium-coupled glucose transport in BBMV: higher toxicity at neutral pH (around pH 7.0), and practically no toxicity at alkaline pH (7.6). This is the first report showing a direct inhibitory dose and pH dependent effect of uranyl on the glucose transport system in isolated apical membrane from kidney cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine if mental health service utilization increases when patients are converted to generic clozapine.Method: About 125 patients taking clozapine in a community mental health clinic were switched from Novartis Clozaril to generic clozapine (Mylan Pharmaceuticals). Serum clozapine levels were obtained 2 weeks before, and 2 weeks after, the switch to generic clozapine. The number of outpatient visits, emergency room visits, and hospitalizations in the year prior to the switch were compared to those in the year following the switch, to determine service utilization.Results: Psychiatric emergency room visits decreased, but clozapine serum levels, inpatient hospital days, partial hospital admissions, and outpatient psychiatrist visits did not change after the switch to generic clozapine.Conclusions: There were no significant increases in mental health service utilization after the conversion to Mylan generic clozapine. The switch to Mylan generic clozapine was cost effective, as the reduction in pharmacy costs was not offset by increased utilization costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a survey to look at psychiatrists' attitudes toward psychotropic prescribing guidelines, specifically the Texas Medication Algorithm Project (TMAP) algorithms. The 22-page survey was distributed to 24 psychiatrists working in 4 CMHC's; 13 completed the survey. 90% agreed that guidelines should be general and flexible. The majority also agreed that guidelines should define how to measure response to a specific agent; fewer agreed guidelines should specify dosage, side effect management, or augmentation strategies. Psychiatrists were familiar with TMAP; none referred to it in their practice. In spite of this, psychiatrists' medication preferences were similar to those suggested by guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The feasibility of implementing current medication treatment guidelines in a community mental health clinic was examined in this cross-sectional and retrospective study. Specifically, two issues were addressed: 1) could we identify a set of clinical guidelines whose utilization could be monitored with a routine medical chart review; and 2) were the requisite data for such a review available in the medical records. An examination of three sets of published guidelines revealed 5 specific guidelines that could be operationalized and monitored. Records were reviewed for a random sample of two-thirds of all patients currently diagnosed with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder (n = 309). Information was collected from the medical record on patient demographics, diagnosis, duration of illness, symptoms and side effects, and medication information. Rates of conformance to the 5 guidelines ranged from a high of 97% to a low of 43%. The use of current guidelines to improve treatment in community clinics appears to be limited by the deficiencies in the medical record and the structure of the guidelines themselves. Standardized progress notes and computerized prescribing programs will improve conformance, and permit the rapid and accurate assessment of conformance to guidelines in community clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seizures and status epilepticus, which may contribute to brain injury, are common consequences of exposure to organophosphorus (OP) cholinesterase inhibitors. Effective management of these seizures is critical. To investigate the efficacy of nasal midazolam as an anticonvulsive treatment for OP exposure, as compared to intramuscular midazolam, guinea pigs were connected to a recording swivel for electrocorticograph (ECoG) monitoring and clinical observation. The experimental paradigm consisted of pyridostigmine pretreatment (0.1 mg/kg i.m.) 20 min prior to sarin exposure (1.2× LD50, 56 µg/kg i.m.). One minute post-exposure, atropine (3 mg/kg i.m.) and TMB-4 (1 mg/kg im) were administered. Within 3–8 min after sarin exposure all animals developed electrographic seizure activity (EGSA), with convulsive behavior. Treatment with midazolam (1 mg/kg i.m.) 10 min after the onset of EGSA abolished EGSA within 389±181 s. The same dose was not effective, in most cases, when given 30 min after onset. However, a higher dose (2 mg/kg) was found efficacious after 30 min (949±466 s). In contrast, nasal application of midazolam (1 mg/kg) was found most effective, with significant advantages, in amelioration of EGSA and convulsive behavior, when given 10 min (216±185 s) or 30 min (308±122 s) following the onset of EGSA (P<0.001). Thus, nasal midazolam could be used as a novel, rapid and convenient route of application against seizure activity induced by nerve agent poisoning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have used a plasmid containing the Neurospora crassa pyr4 gene to transform an Aspergillus nidulans pyrG89 mutant strain in the presence of BamHI, and isolated multidrug-sensitive mutants among the transformants. Using this approach, we hoped to identify genes whose products are important for drug resistance by analyzing gene disruptions that alter the drug sensitivity of the cell. About 1300 transformants isolated following transformation were screened for sensitivity to drugs or various stress agents with different and/or the same mechanism of action. Seventy-seven of these transformants showed sensitivity to at least one drug, while fourteen transformants showed a complex phenotype of sensitivity to different drugs. The pyr4 marker was shown to be tightly linked to the mutant phenotype in only 36% of the pleiotropic mutants analyzed in sexual crosses. Genetic crosses between our multidrug-sensitive transformants and cycloheximide-sensitive and imazalil-resistant mutants of A nidulans were performed to determine whether mutations were present at the same loci. We have shown that the gene imaD that confers resistance to imazalil may also be involved in cycloheximide and hygromycin sensitivity, since this mutation is allelic to scyB (mutant scy290). In addition, the cross between the transformant R223 and the imazalil-resistant mutant ima535 showed that both mutations are in the same complementation group, suggesting that the gene imaG could also be involved in cycloheximide and itraconazole sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to investigate, by means of dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scan, the relations between vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) and its degree, pyelonephritis during infancy, and renal parenchymal findings. Seventy-four infants with pyelonephritis, 44 girls and 30 boys (mean age at their first pyelonephritic episode 4.12 months, median 3 months), were enrolled in the study. Voiding cystourethrography (VCU) and ultrasonography (US) were performed within 6 weeks following the infection. DMSA was performed at least 4 months after the urinary tract infection (UTI). The renal parenchymal pathology was defined as focal or multifocal defects or as a split renal uptake of less than 45%. DMSA scintigraphy revealed that 19% (14/74) of the children had renal damage. Renal parenchymal findings were observed only when VUR was present, and its grade was above 3/5. No abnormality was found in 51 renal units without reflux, 9 with VUR grade 1/5, and 54 with grade 2/5. Renal pathology was observed in 9/24 renal units with VUR grade 3, 3/8 with grade 4, and 2/2 with grade 5. No correlation was found between renal parenchymal defects and clinical presentation of the pyelonephritis, type of the microorganism, presence of bacteremia, or the number of recurrent infections. In adequately treated infants, renal damage is probably due to a reflux-associated, preexisting, congenital renal parenchymal pathology and not to the inflammatory process. We suggest that DMSA scintigraphy should not be performed routinely in every infant with UTI and should be reserved primarily for children with VUR grade 3 and above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of four sterilization treatments (gamma radiation in nitrogen, electron-beam radiation, ethylene oxide gas, and no sterilization) on the structure and morphology of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) were monitored as a function of ageing time in air for a period of 1.5 y. Characterization techniques employed include differential scanning calorimetry, density gradient column, transmission electron microscopy, and small-angle X-ray scattering. Ethylene oxide gas does not affect the structure of the polymer. Both forms of radiation lead to measurable alterations of the material's structure, including an increase in crystallinity, an increase in density, and the enhancement of lamellae crystalline stacking. Most changes in structure occur in the first few months with little differences observed upon subsequent ageing in air. The sharpness of the crystalline–amorphous boundaries decreases with time for irradiated UHMWPE and is believed to be linked to the oxidation of the polymer. © 1998 Chapman & Hall [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Animal Health & Production is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Tropical Animal Health & Production is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In a double-blind cross-over study, 12 patients with reversible airways obstruction were treated with 200 μg salbutamol base in aerosol or 400 μg of powder following methacholine-induced bronchoconstriction. Salbutamol was inhaled either from a conventional metered dose inhaler (MDI) or from an inhaler (Diskhaler) utilizing the powdered form of the drug. The efficacy of both forms was identical whether assessed in terms of FEV1 or vital capacity. The ratio of the increase in FEV1 or vital capacity after bronchodilatation to the decrease during the prior bronchoconstriction was 1.4, indicating that both FEV1 and vital capacity improved over baseline following bronchodilatation. In six subjects, the onset of action of the powder form was more rapid, and in four the MDI acted more rapidly. In the group as a whole, the mean time constant for the action of salbutamol was identical (3.8 min) for the two forms. It is concluded that salbutamol powder has a similar efficacy and time course of action as the aerosol, probably because both formulations produce similar sized particles of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]