bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Structuring Favorable Market Opportunities for the Mixtec Region of Oaxaca, Mexico
Authors: Hernández Girón José de la Paz , Hernández Girón Maria Luisa
Published: January 2008

This article reports on a study that is part of a larger project, "A Model of Integral Development in the High Mixtec Region of Oaxaca." One objective of that project is to contribute to regional development through applied research and technical assistance programs. Another is to improve the standard of living of the Mixtec people, while preserving and protecting the environment. The present article examines how the development of a marketing program for woven palm fronds can be structured to contribute to both of these objectives. Afler a review of the historical, environmental, and cultural background of the Mixtec region; an examination of the marketing and trading system for palm frond handicrafts; and a brief review of the supply and production system, a strategy is suggested for sustainable development. The strategy seeks to develop technical and entrepreneurial skills that would enable the Mixtec to respond better to market needs, derive greater income from handicraft production and marketing activities, and exert greater control over the marketing of their crafts. It also takes into account the need to assemble a sourcing, production, and distribution system that is environmentally sustainable.
Externalities: Uncalculated Outcomes of Exchange
Authors: Mundt JoNel
Published: January 2008

Using the existing exchange and externalities literature as support, the author advances a marketing definition of externalities as the uncalculated costs and/or benefits of exchange. These may accrue to transacting parties or to others and may arise due to incorrect calculation of the exchange equation by one or both parties.
Changing Accessibility and the Reorganization of Rural Marketing in Nigeria
Authors: Porter Gina
Published: January 2008

This article documents the effect of changing accessibility on rural marketing in two regions of Nigeria over the past two decades and explores the implications for on-and off-road communities. The study indicates that appreciation of local process and diversity is vital for understanding the implications of current transformations.
Robotic Grasping of Novel Objects using Vision
Authors: Saxena Ashutosh , Driemeyer Justin , Ng Andrew Y.
Published: January 2008

We consider the problem of grasping novel objects, specifically objects that are being seen for the first time through vision. Grasping a previously unknown object, one for which a 3-d model is not available, is a challenging problem. Furthermore, even if given a model, one still has to decide where to grasp the object. We present a learning algorithm that neither requires nor tries to build a 3-d model of the object. Given two (or more) images of an object, our algorithm attempts to identify a few points in each image corresponding to good locations at which to grasp the object. This sparse set of points is then triangulated to obtain a 3-d location at which to attempt a grasp. This is in contrast to standard dense stereo, which tries to triangulate every single point in an image (and often fails to return a good 3-d model). Our algorithm for identifying grasp locations from an image is trained by means of supervised learning, using synthetic images for the training set. We demonstrate this approach on two robotic manipulation platforms. Our algorithm successfully grasps a wide variety of objects, such as plates, tape rolls, jugs, cellphones, keys, screwdrivers, staplers, a thick coil of wire, a strangely shaped power horn and others, none of which were seen in the training set. We also apply our method to the task of unloading items from dishwashers.
Energy Recovery By of Solid in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: Nels C.
Published: January 2008

Incineration of solid waste with recovery of energy is practiced in communities serving over 30% of the population of the F.R.G. Although solid waste has an energy content corresponding to only 2% of the total energy demand, in individual cases, up to 9% of the electrical requirements (e.g, Munich) are supplied by waste incineration. The basic problems of energy recovery via incineration are reviewed, and a number of practical suggestions are made for the planning and implementation of such schemes.
Toyohashi City's Total Waste Utilization System
Authors: Shimizu A.
Published: January 2008

The new treatment plan for waste materials in Toyohashi produces thermal energy, organic compost, and material for landfill projects out of waste material and recovers waste materials which can be recycled for re-use. The resource recovery and waste treatment centre consists of five parts: an incinerator, a high-rate compost production unit, a human faeces treatment unit, a resource recovery unit and a chicken manure treatment unit. This combination results in a saving of heat energy and materials used in the waste treatment processes. Non-combustible wastes, together with ashes and other residue are buried in large sunken fields and serve as the base for farmland reclamation projects. To provide the optimum treatment and utilization of waste materials it is necessary to separate the waste materials into separate categories before it is collected. Citizens co-operate by separating waste materials into five types at home, office wastes are separated into three different types. The centre has been operated satisfactorily since April 1980.
Costing and Cost Recovery for Waste Disposal Recycling
Authors: Gunnerson Charles G. , Jones David C.
Published: January 2008

World Bank research on appropriate technology for water supply and waste disposal has revealed a need for further research and development in integrated systems for recovery and utilization of household and community wastes. Technology options including resource recovery are reviewed with special emphasis on constraints arising particularly in developing countries. Cost control and recovery is complex, and it has rarely if ever been demonstrated that a potential exists for making a solid waste management project profitable in its entirity. Solid waste management represents a net cost which may be minimized by better operations and appropriate recycling. Financial and economic backgrounds including tax structures have an overriding influence on apparent costs, and sound financial management is essential. Hazards of relying on the commercial sector alone to manage waste collection and disposal are emphasized as well as the long term problems with highly sophisticated equipment in countries that lack Foreign exchange and local skills for their maintenance and repair.
Landfill Gas Recovery Utilization At Hills, California
Authors: Stearns R.P. , Wright T.D. , Stirrat B.A.
Published: January 2008

This paper describes the installation and operation of a system to recover and utilize landfill gas (LFG) at the Industry Hills Recreation-Convention Center Complex. The Industry Hills Development is located in the city of Industry, California. an industrial and commercial community located 24 km east of downtown Los Angeles. The site totals 243 ha, 61 ha of which were previously used for landfilling 3.25 million metric tons of primarily mixed municipal and commercial solid wastes. The landfill was started in 1951 and closed in 1969.

As a part of the conservation theme of the development, a system was installed to recover and use the LFG being generated in the landfill. The LFG is extracted from a series of 30 extraction wells using a centrifugal blower and supplied as a fuel for boilers to meet space heating and hot water demands for the convention centre/ hotel, swimming pool, and laundry facility, all of which are located on site.

The development began using LFG in February 1981, and currently uses from 4.5 to 13.5 m3/min of LFG.
Correlation of Refuse-Derived Fuel Properties, Processing and Cofiring Experience
Authors: Glaub J.C. , Savage G.M. , Fiscus D.E. , Ege H.D. , Joensen A.W.
Published: January 2008

An extensive engineering analysis has been performed on the nine U.S. facilities where refuse-derived fuel (RDF) has been prepared using front-end processing and cofired with coal or oil in utility boilers. The sites include Ames, Iowa; Baltimore County, Maryland; Bridgeport, Connecticut; Chicago, Illinois; Lakeland, Florida; Madison, Wisconsin; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Rochester, New York and St Louis, Missouri. The work effort is directed towards the ultimate objective of developing industry guidelines for RDF processing and cofiring. The paper describes the correlation of utility plant operating experience with the associated RDF properties and the correlation of RDF properties with the associated RDF processing schemes.
Phosphorus Agriculture Sewage for Agriculture
Authors: Lassen Regitze , Tjell Jens Chr. , Hansen Jens Aa.
Published: January 2008

Land application of sewage sludge seems justifiable mostly because of its phosphorus content. Depending on the distribution of cattle manure the total Danish supply of phosphorus could be provided by manure and sludge. Or sludge phosphorus could substitute from 30—100% of all imported raw phosphates utilized domestically for agricultural purposes.

Increased sludge phosphorus production would require extended waste water treatment. Due to increased costs of imported phosphorus such treatment may actually prove economically sound using well known technology. Furthermore it may reduce eutrofication of receiving waters.

Recent research shows that Danish sludge need not contribute more Cadmium to soil than chemical fertilizers, if both are applied only accordingly to plant phosphorus demand. Consequently, increased sewage sludge application in agriculture should be deemed favourable compared with present extensive use of chemical fertilizers.
Alternative Methods for the Analysis of Municipal Solid Waste
Authors: Brunner Paul H. , Ernst Walter R.
Published: January 2008

The classical approach of direct analysis of municipal solid waste (MSW) is compared with the determination of MSW composition by the analysis of the products of waste treatment and by the analysis of material balances of market products. The applications and the properties of the three methods are discussed and it is concluded that (1) the particular question of waste management determines the selection of the appropriate method of analysis; and (2) the direct waste analysis is useful to determine the contents of some materials in MSW, the waste product analysis is well suited to analyse elemental concentration in MSW, and the market product analysis is the most inexpensive and efficient method to give material and elemental concentrations of MSW if production figures are available.
Phosphorus in Sewage Sludges as a Fertilizer
Authors: Coker E.G. , Carlton-Smith C.H.
Published: January 2008

A knowledge of the value of the phosphorus in a sewage sludge relative to a conventional phosphorus fertilizer such as superphosphate can provide a strong economic incentive for farmers to accept sewage sludge as an application to agricultural land. A study of the literature showed a range of values. These appeared to be modified by method of assessment, by type of sludge, and by its metal content. An incubation study of soil-sludge mixtures showed that changes occurred in the values for solubility of phosphorus in 0.5 M sodium bicarbonate. A study of six crops and three soils indicated that the most suitable crop to indicate availability of phosphorus in sludge was spinach ( Spinacea oleracea cv.) with ryegrass ( Lolium perenne cv.) as the next best. Soil of any texture was suitable provided the initial bicarbonate solubility of phosphorus in the soil was less than 10 mg P kg-1. Data from the three studies carried out indicated that phosphorus in fresh undigested sludge was as available as that in superphosphate. Phosphorus in the digested sludge used was 60% as available as that in superphosphate.
Acid Tars: Their Production, Treatment and Disposal in the U.K
Authors: Milne D.D. , Clark A.I. , Perry R.
Published: January 2008

Acid tar is a hazardous waste produced by several industries which use concentrated sulphuric acid for the treatment of hydrocarbon materials. It is an acrid, corrosive substance with persistent, hazardous properties. Recent concern about the unsatisfactory treatment and disposal of acid tar has led to research into two main areas of interest: the potential problems which might be created by the legacy of historical disposal sites, and the most effective route for acid tar disposal. This work has found that problems will be created by historical dumps of acid tars, due to the potentially high number of tipping sites and the difficulties encountered in site rehabilitation. Incineration of acid tars in cement kilns is the most promising route for present arisings, because it provides effective and permanent disposal. However, more work is needed to assess its technical feasibility and application.
Sampling Method To Determine a Household Waste Composition Variance
Authors: Leroy D. , Giovannoni J.-M. , Maystre L.-Y.
Published: January 2008

Knowledge of waste composition is of crucial importance for waste management forecasting. Composition is usually specified by average content of glass, paper, organic matter etc. In this paper a sorting method and its application to variance determination is described. A variation coefficient and a confidence interval are then calculated. From these two parameters an appreciation of the dispersion and the uncertainty associated with the mean values can be derived. In the case studied, the variation coefficients calculated were between 0.10 and 0.50 depending on the class of waste. Analysis of confidence intervals shows that reliability is good for low-abundance components such as, for example, aluminium, iron and plastics. The influence of practical constraints on the theoretical guidelines is also discussed.
Effect the Addition of Sugarcane Bagasse Composts On Micronutrient Assimilability in Ryegrass
Authors: Baca M.T. , Benitez E. , Nogales R.
Published: January 2008

An experiment was conducted under greenhouse conditions to determine the effect of different applied sugarcane bagasse composts on micronutrient assimilability. Five treatments were prepared: soil alone (C), soil + mineral complements of N, P and K (NPK) and three treatments, containing soil + different sugarcane bagasse composts at 100 t ha-1, A ryegrass culture (Lolium perenne L. c.v. Varna) was grown in pots from which five harvests of plant material were obtained. Soil samples of each treatment were collected before sowing and after the third and fifth harvests. The addition of sugarcane bagasse composts to soil increased DTPA-extractable Fe, Mn, Cu and Zn throughout the entire experiment in comparison with C and NPK. These organic materials also led to an increase in Fe, Cu and Zn uptake by plants after the second harvest.
Monthly Variations in Solid Generation
Authors: Rhyner Charles R.
Published: January 2008

The monthly quantities of residential, commercial, industrial and other wastes generated between 1985-1989 in Brown County, Wisconsin, U.S.A. are analysed. For each month and each waste type, the quantity of waste generated is compared with the monthly average and the difference is computed as a percentage. The means and standard deviations of these percentage differences are computed for each month using the five values computed for each of the five years. The generation patterns for residential, commercial, construction and demolition wastes, and discarded tires show lower than average generation in winter months and higher than average in summer months, with the residential and commercial components being the most predictable. Ash has the opposite pattern with the most produced in winter months. General industrial wastes are produced at an almost constant rate throughout the year, typically varying by less than 10% from the monthly average. Sludge appears to be the least predictable component of the waste stream.
Career Advancement and Behavioral Style Among Alabama's Public Managers: A Comparison by Sex
Authors: Guy Mary E.
Published: January 2008

This paper reports findings from a survey conducted on Alabama state employees who hold middle and upper level managerial positions (N=317). The fundamental question addressed in the analysis of these data is whether or not men and women differ in key aspects related to their career advancement and style of management. Of specific interest are issues related to helps and hindrances in career development, family obligations, types of mentors, and behavioral style. The findings are consistent with those in other states where comparable surveys have been conducted.
Merit Pay in Academia: Historical Perspectives and Contemporary Perceptions
Authors: Taylor Ruth Lesher , Hunnicutt Garland G. , Keeffe Michael J.
Published: January 2008

This paper reviews the historical perspectives and contemporary perceptions of merit plans as tools to promote excellence and productivity. A review of literature involving merit plans, their success, and conditions linked with successful and unsuccessful plans is combined with a survey of deans of public and private business schools to determine perceived residual benefits of merit pay plans. Implementation problems are also addressed. Inasmuch as merit pay systems are currently being externally imposed on a number of public universities, this study -- with its implications and suggestions for future research -- should be of interest to administrators, departmental chairs, and faculty as well as to researchers involved in "merit pay" as a stream of research.
State Regulation of Employee Drug Testing Laboratories
Authors: Nice David C.
Published: January 2008

A recent survey by the General Accounting Office reveals that nearly half of the states have no regulation of laboratories thatperform employee drug testing and that only eleven states have specific provisions regulating employee drug testing procedures. Analysis indicates that politically liberal states are more likely to have specific regulatory provisions and that politically conservative states tend to have no regulations at all.
Ignition of Liquid Fuel Droplet in a Hot, Stagnant Oxidizing Atmosphere-Numerical Computations
Authors: Teodorczyk Andrzej
Published: January 2008

The paper describes the physical and mathematical model of the ignition of a liquid fuel droplet suddenly immersed in a hot oxidizing medium. The model was solved numerically by the finite element method. The ignition lags in terms of ambient temperature, oxygen concentration and initial droplet diameter were computed.
First Test of a Tenant-Centered Instrument for Measuring Tenant Participation in Subsidized Housing Projects
Authors: Blackford Karen A. , LeBrasseur Rolland
Published: January 2008

Consumer participation in public housing has been accepted as a positive phenomenon, but continues to be poorly understood. This article presents an instrument to measure a new concept of tenant participation. The instrument is based on a model within which tenant values, goals, and understanding influence both participation behaviors and perceptions. Nineteen scales were tested on a sample of 153 tenants from housing projects in two midsized Canadian cities. Results indicated that tenant communication was the most important predictor of housing satisfaction. The number and age of children were related to some of the participation scales. Path analysis indicated intriguing differences between the determinants of participation behaviors and housing satisfaction.
Changing Clusters of U.S. Industries: 1979 to 1986
Authors: Bingham Richard D.
Published: January 2008

This research utilizes factor analysis of County Business Patterns data for 1979 and 1986 to identify changes in the spatial structure of major industries in the United States and relates these changes to relevant theories of industrial location. The basic hypothesis of the research is that the 1981- 82 recession, coupled with technological changes and changes in government policy, led to rather remarkable changes in the spatial structure of many industries in the United States over a very short penod of time The research results confirmed these changes. In addition, many of the changes in locational relationships between industries are consistent with central place theory while others are consistent with profit cycle theory Both government action and technological developments caused the disintegration of some agglomerations and the emergence of others.
REVIEW SYMPOSIUM: Mastering Change: Winning Strategies for Effective City Planning Bruce W. McClendon and Ray Quay APA Planners Press, Chicago, Illinois, 1987. 282 pages. $21.95 (PB), $39.95 (HB). Making Equity Planning Work: Leadership in the Public Sector Norman Krumholz and John Forester Temple University Press, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1990. 271 pages. $16.95 (PB), $44.95 (HB)
Authors: Alexander E.R. , McClendon Bruce , Quay Ray , Krumholz Norman , Forester John , Bryson John M. , Farmer W. Paul
Published: January 2008

Two books have recently appeared which present very different views on planning. They are Bruce McClendon and Ray Quay's Mastering Change and Norm Krumholz and John Forester's Making Equity Planning Work. Each offers a perspective on planning practice, on American society and local government, and on the planner's roles in that context which, sometimes explicitly and often by implication, seem to be the polar opposite of the other. Both books are open about promoting their positions saying that this is how planners ought to practice, this is how we should teach would-be planners to plan successfully.

For the planning profession in general and for planning educators in particular the implicit models of society, and planning practice in that society, which these books contain present profound implications for planning theory, education, and practice. To stimulate an open discourse on these different approaches, this review symposium adopts an unusual format, but one which is clearly warranted by the presence of such a rare juxtaposition of views.

Each pair of authors compares the two books in a critical review that focuses on the differences between their approaches and their meaning for planning education and practice. Two commentators were chosen as discussants of this dialogue because they combine theory and practice: academic-practitioner John Bryson, Professor at the University of Minnesota, who has extensive practice and consulting experience in strategic planning; and practitioner-academic Paul Farmer, Deputy Director of Planning in Pittsburgh, who was on the faculty of the Universaty of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and now teaches at Carnegie-Mellon University.

Though these books are products of the eighties they are important. And the discussion below deserves our attention for its implicatzons for planning practice and education through the nineties and beyond.
The Establishment of the San Diego Housing Trust Fund: Lessons for Theory and Practice
Authors: Calavita Nico , Grimes Kenneth
Published: January 2008

In this paper we give an example of a successful interventionist approach in equity planning by presenting the course of action taken, the strategies chosen, the resources utilized, and the skills exhibited by the planners of the City of San Diego Housing Commission in their successful effort to establish a housing trust fund in that city. We suggest that progressive planners can develop and implement redistributive plans under conditions of adversity. To do so, however, they must devise creative strategies that make sense in the context of the prevailing social and political environment by framing the issue in terms responsive to business concerns and by building consensus through the creative accommodation of competing interests. Consensus building, however, can succeed only if the courting of business interests is accompanied by the mobilization of a strong political movement and the building of coalitions in favor of redistributive programs.
The Paradox of Power in Planning Practice
Authors: Hoch Charles J.
Published: January 2008

Planners rely on the protocol of the professional planner to cope with the politics of planning. However, this protocol promises more than it delivers as a source of moral authority, and delivers more than it promises as a source of political power. The protocol simultaneously resolves and reproduces the liberal paradox between freedom and justice. Hence, the ambivalence planners frequently express about their encounters with power on the job may reflect their use of this protocol.

Two planning stories drawn from face-to-face interviews illustrate how two practitioners facing similar problems adopt different versions of the professional protocol to justify their actions. Analysis of each tale, using critical and postmodern theory, explores how the professional protocol excuses the exercise of power in ways that obscure the liberal paradox. A third planning story offers an example of how a practitioner handles the inherent tension of professional practice in a liberal society without using the professional protocol either to impose closure or to foster premature reassurance.
Hallervorden-spatz Disease: Two New Early Childhood Onset Cases
Authors: Pena Joaquin A. , Molina Omaira , Cardozo Jose
Published: January 2008

Hallervorden-Spatz disease is a rare, autosomal-recessive hereditary condition characterized by early onset of progressive movement alterations such as dystonia, rigidity, and choreoathetosis, which is usually associated with pyramidal signs and mental deterioration. The authors report two cases for which diagnosis of Hallervorden-Spatz disease was based on clinical manifestations that appeared during the first year of life, illness progression, and late-stage magnetic resonance imaging findings. The possibility that these two cases, along with other previously described rare instances with similar clinical features, be considered as a variant of subtype of the early-onset type of Hallervorden-Spatz disease is suggested. The need to differentiate these cases from cases of static encephalopathy with mental retardation and motor impairment is also stressed. (J Child Neurol 2000;15:30-32).
Midline Developmental Anomalies With Lipomas in the Corpus Callosum Region
Authors: Kieslich Matthias , Ehlers Silke , Bollinger Matthias , Jacobi Gert
Published: January 2008

Three children with complete or partial callosal aplasia and intracranial lipoma in the corpus callosum region were investigated. Two lipomas were tubulonodular; one replaced the entire corpus callosum structure. Accompanying anomalies affected the cingulate gyrus, septum pellucidum, and choroid plexus. In one case, diagnosis was made in utero in the 25th gestational week by ultrasonography; in the second case it was made on the first day of life, also by screening ultrasonography. Two children had mild spastic distal diparesis; one complained of chronic headache. Electroencephalography showed no abnormalities; epilepsy anamnesis was negative. Somatosensory and visual evoked potentials showed prolonged conduction in two cases. Surgery was not indicated. Because of the risk of developing epileptic seizures, regular electroencephalographic follow-up investigations are essential. (J Child Neurol 2000; 15:85-89).
Prospective Analysis of Strength in Spinal Muscular Atrophy
Authors: Iannaccone Susan T. , Russman Barry S. , Browne Richard H. , Buncher C. Ralph , White Michael , Samaha Frederick J.
Published: January 2008

Spinal muscular atrophy is a genetic disorder of the motor neurons that causes profound hypotonia, severe weakness, and often fatal restrictive lung disease. Patients with spinal muscular atrophy present a spectrum of disease from the most severe infantile-onset type, called Werdnig-Hoffmann disease (type 1), associated with a mortality rate of up to 90%, to a late-onset mild form (type 3), wherein patients remain independently ambulatory throughout adult life. Although many clinicians agree that patients with spinal muscular atrophy lose motor abilities with age, it is unknown whether progressive weakness occurs in all patients with spinal muscular atrophy. We present here results of the first prospective study of muscle strength in patients with spinal muscular atrophy. There was no loss in muscle strength as determined by a quantitative muscle test during the observation period. However, motor function diminished dramatically in some patients with spinal muscular atrophy. Explanations for this loss of function could not be determined from our data. Decrease in motor function could be caused by factors other than loss of strength. Therefore, it is not clear from our results whether spinal muscular atrophy is a neurodegenerative disease. We conclude that treatment trials in spinal muscular atrophy should be designed with consideration of the natural history of strength and motor function in this disorder. (J Child Neurol 2000;15:97-101).
Developmental Brain Anomalies in Children With Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Authors: Nopoulos Peg , Berg Stephanie , Castellenos F. Xavier , Delgado Aymin , Andreasen Nancy C. , Rapoport Judith L.
Published: January 2008

The pathoetiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been considered to be neurodevelopmental, yet the timing and processes involved are not clearly identified. Neurodevelopmental brain anomalies have been associated with a variety of psychiatric conditions. However, they have never been evaluated in a population of patients with ADHD. This study was designed to determine the frequency of specific developmental brain anomalies in a group of children with ADHD ( n = 85; mean age, 10.9 years) and healthy control children ( n = 95; mean age, 11.7 years) by visually inspecting brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. Compared to controls, the ADHD group showed an increase in frequency of two developmental anomalies: (1) gray-matter heterotopia, a neuronal migration anomaly, in 2 of 85 patients versus 0 of 95 controls; and (2) posterior fossa abnormality (excess cerebrospinal fluid in the posterior fossa) in 8 of 85 patients versus 2 of 95 controls. There were no differences in frequency of enlarged cavum septi pellucidi between the two groups. These findings support and extend the idea that ADHD is of developmental origin, and further suggest that the timing of aberrant brain development could be in early gestation. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:102-108).
Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood in Half-Sisters
Authors: Kramer Uri , Nevo Yoram , Margalit Dov , Shorer Zamir , Harel Shaul
Published: January 2008

We present the family of two girls affected with alternating hemiplegia of childhood who were born to the same mother and different fathers. Previous reports suggested mitochondrial dysfunction as an etiologic mechanism for this disorder. Muscle biopsy, including a measurement of the respiratory chain enzymes, performed in one of the sisters showed no mitochondrial abnormalities. The mode of inheritance is not certain, but an autosomal-dominant gene is most likely. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:128-130).
Vagal and Hypoglossal Bell's Palsy
Authors: Zannolli Raffaella , Acquaviva Antonio , D'Ambrosio Alfonso , Pucci Lucia , Balestri Paolo , Morgese Guido
Published: January 2008

A 7-year-old boy was referred because of a sudden change to nasal speech, dysarthria for words with explosive consonants in speech, and nasal regurgitation of fluids. The symptoms arose over 1 week following a capricious episode of acute asthmatic bronchitis. Physical and neurologic examinations were normal except for a left deviation of the uvula, accompanied by a "curtain" movement of the posterior pharyngeal wall against the opposite side, and a left deviation of the protruded tongue. No vascular, traumatic, infectious, neoplastic, or neurologic causes could be identified. No therapy was administered. Full recovery occurred 4 months later. The diagnosis was idiopathic vagal and right hypoglossal nerve palsy (Bell's palsy). ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:130-132)
Oxcarbazepine Versus Carbamazepine Treatment and Induction of Serum Lipid Abnormalities
Authors: Papacostas Savvas S.
Published: January 2008

Long-term treatment with carbamazepine is associated with many metabolic changes, including elevations in serum cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, and triglyceride levels. Oxcarbazepine has been reported to be a preferable antiepileptic drug, when compared to carbamazepine with respect to its effects on lipid metabolism, especially cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins, and low-density lipoproteins. The case of a 16-year-old girl who developed high serum cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein levels on both of these medications successively, while triglyceride and high-density lipoprotein levels were unaffected, is reported. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:138-140).
Heterogeneity of Classic Congenital Muscular Dystrophy With Involvement of the Central Nervous System: Report of Five Atypical Cases
Authors: Reed Umbertina C. , Nagahashi Marie Suely K. , Vainzof Mariz , Gobbo Lucio F. , Gurgel Juliana E.P. , Carvalho Mary S. , Resende Maria Bernadete D. , Espíndola Adriana A. , Zatz Mayana , Diament Aron
Published: January 2008

A heterogeneous group of patients with congenital muscular dystrophy associated with clinical or radiologic central nervous system involvement other than the severe classic form with merosin deficiency, muscle-eye-brain disease, and Walker-Warburg syndrome is described. A probable hereditary or familial occurrence could be suggested in all patients. One merosin-positive patient presented severe motor incapacity and cerebral atrophy without any clinical manifestation of central nervous system involvement. A second patient, also merosin-positive, had moderate motor and mental handicap, and epilepsy with no changes in neuroimaging. A third patient, found to have partial merosin deficiency by muscle biopsy, manifested severe psychomotor retardation and cerebral atrophy with foci of abnormal white-matter signal on magnetic resonance imaging. Finally, two merosin-positive siblings with microcephaly, mental retardation, and an incapacitating progressive neuromuscular course, exhibited cataracts without defects of neuronal migration or brain malformation. This report emphasizes the broad clinical spectrum and heterogeneity of merosin-positive congenital muscular dystrophy with associated central nervous system involvement, and illustrates the importance of further studies on clinical, immunohistochemical, and genetic grounds for identifying new subsets of congenital muscular dystrophy. (J Child Neurol 2000;15:172-178).
Childhood Epilepsy With Occipital Paroxysms and Benign Nocturnal Childhood Occipital Epilepsy
Authors: Verrotti Alberto , Domizio Sergio , Guerra Maria , Sabatino Giuseppe , Morgese Guido , Chiarelli Francesco
Published: January 2008

Two types of childhood epilepsy have recently been reported: childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms, and benign nocturnal childhood occipital epilepsy. This article reports the clinical evolution, electroencephalographic (EEG) changes, and response to therapy of eight children with childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms (five boys and three girls, aged from 11/12 to 8 years) and eight children with benign nocturnal childhood occipital epilepsy (six boys and two girls, aged from 14/12 to 83/12 years). A careful clinical and EEG follow-up of at least 7 years was carried out for all patients. At the end of follow-up, all but one of the patients with childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms were seizure-free, and only two were still receiving anticonvulsant drugs. All but three children had a normal EEG, and normal mental development was observed in all but two cases. Patients with benign nocturnal childhood occipital epilepsy had a good long-term prognosis; all but two children with benign nocturnal childhood occipital epilepsy had a normal EEG. These two patients showed learning disabilities and poor school performances, and required remedial education. Therefore, although childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms and benign nocturnal childhood occipital epilepsy are two different types of epilepsy, the long-term prognosis seems to be similar. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:218-221).
Predictors of Independent Walking in Children With Spastic Diplegia
Authors: Fedrizzi Ermellina , Facchin Paola , Marzaroli Michela , Pagliano Emanuela , Botteon Gabriella , Percivalle Luciana , Fazzi Elisa
Published: January 2008

A prospective study was carried out to identify predictors of independent walking in 31 children with either spastic diplegia or triplegia, observed from the age of 9 to 18 months (mean, 11 months) and followed for a mean period of 30 months (range, 24 to 36 months). Mean age at most recent examination was 41 months (range, 36 to 54 months). We used an 18-item scheme to chart the acquisition, from the prone position, of prelocomotor, sitting, and locomotor skills. Examinations were conducted every 6 months and videotaped according to a standardized procedure. At latest assessment 18 (58%) of the 31 children had achieved walking, 7 (23%) independently and 11 (35%) with assistance; 13 (42%) did not achieve walking. Ambulatory status was related to developmental quotient and visual acuity: all the children who became independent walkers had normal visual acuity and in 86% of cases a normal general development quotient. Moreover, we found a significant correlation between the number of gross motor skills achieved and the rate of achievement before 2 years of age and ambulatory status at 3 to 5 years of age. Ability to put weight on the hands while prone and to roll from supine to prone position by 18 months of age were significantly related to independent walking, while ability to sit without support was predictive only at around 24 months of age. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:228-234).
Novel Missense Mutation in the L1 Gene in a Child With Corpus Callosum Agenesis, Retardation, Adducted Thumbs, Spastic Paraparesis, and Hydrocephalus
Authors: Sztriha László , Frossard Philippe , Hofstra Robert M.W. , Verlind Edwin , Nork Michael
Published: January 2008

Corpus callosum agenesis, retardation, adducted thumbs, spastic paraparesis, and hydrocephalus (CRASH syndrome) is an X-linked recessive disorder caused by mutations in the neuronal cell adhesion molecule L1 ( L1 CAM) gene. L1 plays a key role in axon outgrowth and pathfinding during the development of the nervous system. We describe the case of a boy from the United Arab Emirates who presented with CRASH syndrome. Scanning the L1 gene of the patient resulted in the discovery of a novel missense mutation: transition of a G (guanine) to T (thymine) at position 604 (G604→T), which results in conversion of aspartic acid to tyrosine at position 202 (D202Y) of the L1 protein. It is very likely that the cerebral dysgenesis is due to the abnormal structure and function of L1. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:239-243).
Developmental Changes in Cerebrospinal Fluid Concentrations of Monoamine-Related Substances Revealed With a Coulochem Electrode Array System
Authors: Takeuchi Yoshihiro , Matsushita Hiroko , Sakai Hisahiro , Kawano Hisashi , Yoshimoto Kanji , Sawada Tadashi
Published: January 2008

The relationship between age and cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of monoamine-related substances, including kynurenine, were investigated using a Coulochem electrode array system, to clarify developmental changes in monoamine-related substances in the human central nervous system. In neurologically normal children, significant inverse correlations with age were observed for the cerebrospinal fluid concentrations of 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxyindole-acetic acid, kynurenine, homovanillic acid, 3-methoxy-4- hydroxyphenyl glycol, and 3-O-methyl-dopamine. The concentrations of their precursors, tryptophan and tyrosine, were not related to age. This is the first comprehensive study revealing developmental changes in monoamine-related substances including their precursors and metabolites. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:267-270).
Pleomorphic Xanthoastrocytoma Derived From Glioneuronal Malformation in a Child With Intractable Epilepsy
Authors: Ramelli Gian P. , von der Weid Nicolas , Remonda Luca , Mariani Luigi , Weis Joachim
Published: January 2008

Malformative lesions as well as neoplasms can cause intractable epilepsy in childhood. Even though the neoplastic nature of a lesion is evident in most cases, the distinction can be difficult in some patients. We present the case of a child with intractable epilepsy caused primarily by a glioneuronal malformation. Years after the first surgical intervention, a pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma evolved from remnants of this lesion. This case suggests that glioneuronal malformations might be precursor lesions of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15: 270-272).
Neurologic Outcome in Survivors of Childhood Arterial Ischemic Stroke and Sinovenous Thrombosis
Authors: deVeber Gabrielle A. , MacGregor Daune , Curtis Rosalind , Mayank Supriya
Published: January 2008

Ischemic stroke during infancy and childhood has the potential for life-long morbidity. Information on the neurologic outcome of children who survive ischemic stroke is lacking. Children surviving ischemic stroke between January 1, 1995 and July 1, 1999 were prospectively followed. Neurologic deficit severity was based on the Pediatric Stroke Outcome Measure (PSOM) developed in this study and parental response to two recovery questions. Predictor variables for poor outcome were tested. One-hundred twenty-three children with arterial ischemic stroke and 38 with sinovenous thrombosis were followed for a mean of 2.1 years (range, 0.8 to 6.6 years). The primary outcome based on PSOM assessment was: normal, 37%; mild deficit, 20%; moderate deficit, 26%; and severe deficit, 16%. The secondary outcome was full recovery in 45% of patients, based on parental response. The primary and secondary outcome measures were moderately correlated ( P < .001; K = 0.5). In bivariate analysis, arterial stroke type, male gender, age of at least 28 days, presence of associated neurologic disorders, and need for rehabilitation therapy after stroke were predictors of poor outcome ( P < .05). Multivariate analysis showed that only arterial ischemic stroke, associated neurologic disorders, and presence of rehabilitation therapy were independent predictors of poor outcome ( P < .02). Poor outcome in children after ischemic stroke is therefore frequent and more likely in the presence of arterial stroke, rehabilitation therapy, and associated neurologic disorders, which justifies clinical trials of treatment strategies in childhood ischemic stroke. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:316-324).
Autism Associated With the Mitochondrial DNA G8363A Transfer RNALys Mutation
Authors: Graf William D. , Marin-Garcia Jose , Gao H.G. , Pizzo Senia , Naviaux Robert K. , Markusic David , Barshop Bruce A. , Courchesne Eric , Haas Richard H.
Published: January 2008

We report a family with a heterogeneous group of neurologic disorders associated with the mitochondrial DNA G8363A transfer ribonucleic acid (RNA)Lys mutation. The phenotype of one child in the family was consistent with autism. During his second year of life, he lost previously acquired language skills and developed marked hyperactivity with toe-walking, abnormal reciprocal social interaction, stereotyped mannerisms, restricted interests, self-injurious behavior, and seizures. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and repeated serum lactate studies were normal. His older sister developed signs of Leigh syndrome with progressive ataxia, myoclonus, seizures, and cognitive regression. Her laboratory studies revealed increased MRI T2-weighted signal in the putamen and posterior medulla, elevated lactate in serum and cerebrospinal fluid, and absence of cytochrome c oxidase staining in muscle histochemistry. Molecular analysis in her revealed the G8363A mutation of the mitochondrial transfer RNA Lys gene in blood (82% mutant mitochondrial DNA) and muscle (86%). The proportions of mutant mitochondrial DNA from her brother with autism were lower (blood 60%, muscle 61%). It is likely that the origin of his autism phenotype is the pathogenic G8363A mitochondrial DNA mutation. This observation suggests that certain mitochondrial point mutations could be the basis for autism in some individuals. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:357-361).
Magnetoencephalographic Study of Giant Somatosensory Evoked Responses in Patients With Rolandic Epilepsy
Authors: Kubota Masaya , Takeshita Kazuhide , Sakakihara Yoichi , Yanagisawa Masayoshi
Published: January 2008

We report five patients with rolandic epilepsy associated with giant somatosensory responses to median nerve stimulation, in whom we analyzed the pathophysiologic relationship between rolandic discharges and the somatosensory responses using magnetoencephalography. Four of the five patients showed giant P30m, the current source of which was localized in the primary somatosensory cortex, while the first cortical response, N20m, was not enhanced, except in one patient. The current source of the giant middle-latency component, N70m, was localized posterior to that of N20m, possibly in the posterior parietal cortex, in all patients. The initial positive peak and large negative peak of rolandic discharges were identical to P30m and N70m with respect to the current source localization, wave form, topographic pattern, and time relationship in the electroencephalogram and magnetoencephalogram, and somatosensory evoked magnetic field and somatosensory evoked potential records, respectively. In addition, the secondary sensory cortex was considered to be the generator of the middle-latency component in one patient. In one patient, the current intensity of the N70m was normalized along with clinical improvement and the disappearance of rolandic discharges, whereas those of other somatosensory evoked magnetic field components remained unchanged. Our data suggest that the rolandic discharge generator mechanism in these patients could be closely related to the developmental alteration of excitability in the primary somatosensory cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and secondary somatosensory cortex, which decreased with age, and it could share a common neuronal pathway, at least in part, with the giant P30m-N70m (N90m) in the somatosensory evoked magnetic field through the sequential and parallel processing of somatosensory information. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:370-379).
Occurrence of Tics in Asperger's Syndrome and Autistic Disorder
Authors: Ringman John M. , Jankovic Joseph
Published: January 2008

Asperger's syndrome is a condition in the autistic spectrum in which language development is normal. Patients with Asperger's syndrome frequently exhibit repetitive movements (stereotypies), and can have motor and phonic tics in addition to other behavioral abnormalities. We present 12 patients with autistic spectrum disorders who were referred to our Movement Disorders Clinic for evaluation of tics. Eight of the 12 had normal language development and therefore met criteria for Asperger's syndrome. All patients exhibited stereotypic movements; in addition, seven had tics and six of these met diagnostic criteria for Tourette syndrome. Of the six patients with clinical features of both Asperger's syndrome and Tourette syndrome, three had severe congenital sensory deficits. The autistic patients in our series were clinically heterogenous and though tics were clearly present, other aberrant movements demonstrated by them were harder to classify. Our series confirms the wide range of clinical manifestations in Asperger's syndrome and autism, including tics and other features of Tourette syndrome. Furthermore, it suggests that sensory deprivation contributes to the development of adventitious movements in this population. ( J Child Neurol 2000;15:394-400).