bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE EFFECTIVE USE OF ENACTMENTS INFAMILY THERAY: DISCOVERY‐ORIENTED PROCESS STUDY
Authors: Nichols Michael P. , Fellenberg Stephaine
Published: June 2007

In this investigation we examine the elements of enactments‐in‐session dialoguse used to observe and modify family interactions in sturctrual family therapy. Twenty‐one videotaped segments of 18 therapy sessions with differnt familes were used to compile detailed descriptions of therapist techniques and client responses. Enactments were analyzed as consisting of three distinst phases‐initiation, facilitation, adn closing‐each of which required more numerous and complex interventions than are usually described in the clinical literautre. Judges were able to reliable describe therapist interventions that led to successful enactments as well as what therapists did or failed to do that led to unproductive outcomes. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
THE INFLUENCE OF RELIGIOUS AND ETHNIC DIFFERENCES ON MARITAL INTIMACY: INTERMARRIAGE VERSUS INTRAMARRIAGE
Authors: Heller Patrice E. , Wood Beatrice
Published: June 2007

The influence of religious and ethnic differences on marital intimacy was examined by administering the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships and a demographic/attitudinal questionnaire to 25 Jewish couples (intramarried) and 25 couples with one Jewish partner (intermarried). All couples were childless and in the first 5 years of their first marriage. Results indicated that the groups did not differ regarding couple level of intimacy, similarity of intimate experience, or mutual understanding. However, in‐depth interviews revealed differences in the pathways by which these two groups arrived at a similar level of intimacy. Intramarried couples appear to experience greater personal similarity and mutual understanding rooted in their ethnic bond, which aids the development of intimacy. Intermarried couples appear to find that the very process of negotiating ethnic differences leads to greater mutual understanding and intimacy. These findings indicate that clinicians and religious leaders should not assume that intermarriage constrains levels of intimacy. Nor should it be assumed that intramarriage assures high intimacy.
THE INFLUENCE OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY ON HEALTH CARE UTILIZATION IN A HEALTH‐MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATION
Authors: Law David D. , Crane D. Russell
Published: June 2007

Research has shown that people reduce their use of health care after individual psychotherapy. However, little research has been done to learn if marital and family therapy has a similar effect. Subjects (n = 292) from a health‐maintenance organization were randomly selected according to the type of therapy they had received. Subjects' medical records were examined for 6 months before, during, and after therapy. Those who received marital and family therapy significantly reduced their use of health care services by 21.5%. These results show an “offset effect” for marriage and family therapy.
CLIENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF PIVOTAL MOMENTS IN COUPLES THERAPY: A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF CHANGE IN THERAPY
Authors: Helmeke Karen B. , Sprenkle Douglas H.
Published: June 2007

Few qualitative research studies have been conducted on change processes in couples therapy, and even fewer have focused on the clients' perceptions of change processes. In this grounded theory qualitative study on marital therapy, clients' perceptions and experiences of pivotal moments are identified. Analysis of transcripts of therapy sessions, postsession questionnaires, and two posttherapy interviews with each couple revealed that clients did identify specific therapy events or discourses as pivotal. Reports of pivotal moments tended to be highly individualized accounts, with little overlap between spouses and little overlap between therapist and client identification of pivotal moments. Pivotal moments tended to occur during discussions of topics that were presenting problems for the couple but, typically, after repeated discussions of the same topic. Other findings and implications are discussed.
SUPERVISING SELF‐SUPERVISION: CONSTRUCTIVE INQUIRY AND EMBEDDED NARRATIVES IN CASE CONSULTATION
Authors: Lowe Roger
Published: June 2007

The development of self‐supervision has been suggested as a universal supervisory goal. However, the principle of isomorphism suggests that supervisors from different orientations will view this practice quite differently. This article elaborates an approach to self‐supervision that is consistent with constructive therapies, though the intention is to provide flexible guidelines that can accommodate a range of supervisory activities. Case consultation is viewed as an “embedded narrative” involving the case story, the therapist story, and the supervision story. A process of “constructive inquiry” is used to connect these stories in order to construct the identity of a self‐sustaining therapist. This process requires a conceptual shift from supervising practice to supervising self‐supervision.
ANTECEDENTS AND CONSEQUENCES OF NEGATIVE MARITAL STRESSORS
Authors: Cano Annmarie , Christian‐Herman Jennifer , O'Leary K. Daniel , Avery‐Leaf Sarah
Published: June 2007

Many couples seeking therapy report the occurrence of severe, negative marital stressors (e.g., infidelity, threats of marital dissolution). In addition, existing research has demonstrated that these marital stressors precipitate Major Depressive Episodes and psychological symptoms. This longitudinal study examines the antecedents and consequencs of negative marital stressors to help clinicians and researchers develop interventions that might prevent these stressors and their outcomes. Forty‐one women completed a semistructured interview and measures of marital discord and depressive symptoms within one month after experiencing a marital stressor (baseline) and at a 16‐month follow‐up. The results indicate taht baseline marital discord contributes to the occurrence of additional marital stressors during the follow‐up period. Although baseline depressive symptoms do not predict additional marital stressors, depressive symtoms along with marital discord predict future depressive symptoms. Finally, baseline marital discord and additional marital stressors contribute to future dissolution. Clinical and research implications are discussed.
A REVIEW OF THREE COMPREHENSIVE PREMARITAL ASSESSMENT QUESTIONNAIRES
Authors: Larson Jeffry H. , Newell Kenneth , Topham Glade , Nichols Sheldon
Published: June 2007

Three comprehensive premarital assessment questionnaires (PAQs) are described, evaluated on their psychometric characteristics, and compared. They include the PREmarital Preparation and Relationship Enhancement (PREPARE) questionnaire, the Facilitating Open Couple Communication, Understanding and Study (FOCCUS) questionnaire, and the RELATionship Evaluation (RELATE). Recommendations for using each PAQ are discussed.
PREDICTING 2‐YEAR MARITAL SATISFACTION FROM PARTNERS' DISCUSSION OF THEIR MARRIAGE CHECKUP
Authors: Gee Christina B. , Scott Rogina L. , Castellani Angela M. , Cordova James V.
Published: June 2007

This study tested whether the observed marital interactions of partners follwing a marriage checkup predicted marital satisfaction 2 years later. In addition, this study examined whether recommendations to pursue therapy predicted subsequent treatment seeking and whether changes in marital distress follwing the checkup remained stable over 2 years. Results suggest that the affective tone of a couple's interaction predicts later marital satisfaction. Further, receiving a treatment recommendation predicted subsequent treatment seeking for wives. Finally, support was found for the hypothesis that changes in marital distress are self‐sustaining.
PARENTS' AND CHILDREN'S PERCEPTIONS OF FAMILY PROCESSES IN INNER‐CITY FAMILIES WITH DELINQUENT YOUTHS: A QUALITATIVE INVESTIGATION
Authors: Madden‐Derdich Debra A. , Leonard Stacie A. , Gunnell Gordon A.
Published: June 2007

This study explored youths' and parents' perceptions of family interaction processes as well as the broader social and cultural factors that influence family functioning in a multiethnic sample of inner‐city families with delinquent youth. In‐depth interviews were conducted with 61 male youths and 33 parents predominatly from minority families. Guided by an ecological framework, qualitative data analyses were employed to explore individual and contextual factors that were perceived either to foster or to impede individual and family functioning. Findings supported previous empirical research highlighting the importance of family interaction processes in the lives of delinquent youths. Analysis of parent and youth data revealed important relationships among the individual, family, and community domains. The emphases placed on these interrelationships, however, varied in distinct and notable ways for parents and youths. The implications of these divergent patterns for family‐level interventions are addressed.
PROTECTING PERSONS IN FAMILY THERAPY RESEARCH: AN OVERVIEW OF ETHICAL AND REGULATORY STANDARDS
Authors: Cain Harry I. , Harkness Jennifer L. , Smith Angela L. , Markowski Edward Mel
Published: June 2007

Family therapists are expected to engage in ethical and responsible research, while maintaining rigorous ethical standards and adhering to federal regulations that require protection for research participants. We present a short historical overview of the significant events and ethical controversies leading to the formulation of current regulations in human subject research and review. Federal regulations and guidelines, including issues of informed consent, special populations, and conflict of interest are reviewed. A short list of recommendations to assist family therapists in staying abreast of contemporary research protocol is provided.
WHO'S DRAGGING THEIR FEET? HUSBANDS AND WIVES SEEKING MARITAL THERAPY
Authors: Doss Brian D. , Atkins David C. , Christensen Andrew
Published: June 2007

Despite its demonstrated efficacy, marital therapy's impact has been limited by couples' general reluctance to seek help unitl their problems become severe. To understand this delay, 147 married couples (294 individuals) in the process of seeking marital therapy were surveyed. Using multilevel confirmatory factor analysis, three relatively independent steps (problem recognition, treatment consideration, and treatment seeking) were identified. On average, wives were rated as completing all three steps before their husbands. Gender‐role orientation, demographics, relationship satisfaction, and specific relationship problems (especially husbands' dissatisfaction with sex) were also predictive of the steps toward therapy. Implications for marital therapy are discussed.
EFFECTIVENESS OF COUPLES TREATMENT FOR SPOUSE ABUSE
Authors: Stith Sandra M. , Rosen Karen H. , McCollum Eric E.
Published: June 2007

Despite its controversy, carefully conceptualized and delivered couples treatment appears to be at least as effective as traditional treatment for domestic violence, and preliminary data suggests that it does not place women at greater risk for injury. However, the body of research on which these conclusions rest is sparse. Only six experimental studies have been done, each using different eligibility criteria, outcome measures, and treatment approaches. Thus, further study of this modality is warranted. Marriage and family therapists have an important part to play in continuing to develop and test innovative ways of helping couples end violence and improve their relationships‐an endeavor that promises to improve the quality of the partners' lives as well as those of their children.
USE OF TOPOLOGICAL INFORMATION IN HYDROGRAPH ESTIMATION1
Authors: Karlinger M. R. , Guertin D. P. , Troutman B. M.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:Discharge hydrographs computed from the theory of linear flow through topologically random channel networks are compared to actual discharge hydrographs for basins in semiarid regions of central Wyoming. The basins drained by the channel networks range in size from 0.69 to 10.8 square miles. Topological information consisting of stream‐network magnitude and link ‐length distribution parameters are used in calibrating celerity values that ensure that the peak discharge and excess rainfall volume of the resulting computed hydrographs match the peak discharge and excess‐rainfall volume of the actual hydrographs. Results indicate that, for a given peak discharge and excess‐rainfall volume in a basin, the sensitivity of the calibrated celerity values to excess‐rainfall duration is small if the ratio of excess‐rainfall volume to peak discharge is at least 1.75 times the excess‐rainfall duration.
TEMPERATURE AND THE PRODUCTIVITY‐LIGHT RELATIONSHIP1
Authors: Field Stephen D. , Effler Steven W.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Seventy‐three in situ primary productivity experiments over a six‐month period in hypereutrophic Onondaga Lake near Syracuse, New York, demonstrated variations in the light saturation parameter, Ip, which in part describes the interaction between productivity and light. Substantial variations in Ip were observed (coefficient of variation = 60 percent). Variations in Ip were significantly correlated (greater than 99 percent confidence level) with temperature (°C). An Arrhenius‐type relationship (Ip= 1.312 × 1.088 (T‐20)) accounted for approximately 37 percent of the variation in Ip and may be appropriate for other systems dominated by green algae.
LONG TERM TRENDS OF ANNUAL AND MONTHLY PRECIPITATION IN JAPAN1
Authors: Yue Sheng , Hashino Michio
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Long term trends in Japan's annual and monthly precipitation are investigated in this study. The statistical significance of a trend at a study site is assessed by the Mann‐Kendall (MK) test, and field significance of trends in climatic Regions II, III, and IV is evaluated using the bootstrap test preserving cross correlation. The practical significance of a trend is judged by a percentage change of the sample mean over an observation period. The field significance assessment demonstrates that annual precipitation in Region II did not show any significant change, but regional precipitation shifts occurred in different months. Precipitation significantly increased by 12.2 percent in May, while it significantly decreased by 12.0, 10.5, 15.6, and 19.7 percent, respectively, in April, September, October, and December. In Region III, annual precipitation declined by 11.8 percent, and monthly precipitation significantly decreased from September through January and in April, with the greatest decrease (38.2 percent) in December. In Region IV, significant reductions occurred in both annual precipitation (by 15.6 percent) and monthly precipitation from September through February and in June and July, with the worst reduction (44.7 percent) in December.
MODELING DRINKING WATER QUALITY VIOLATIONS WITH BAYESIAN NETWORKS1
Authors: Pike William A.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:Compliance violations at community water systems are rare but represent significant human health risks. These risks are mediated by the decision schema of human operators at water treatment facilities. However, causal uncertainty among physical and human factors involved in water quality problems complicates assessment of their probability and severity. This study uses a probabilistic Bayesian network modeling approach to explore the causes of compliance violations in a sample of water treatment systems in Pennsylvania. The model presented here is one of several created by treatment system operators during an expert elicitation process. The expert model alone predicts violations poorly, suggesting that experts make inaccurate quantitative estimates. However, Bayesian networks are capable of combining the subjective expertise of treatment system operators with the objective compliance histories of the facilities they manage, and the expert model accurately predicts violations when trained with historical compliance data. Analysis of the trained network reveals those components of the treatment process, including environmental and system characteristics as well as operator decisions, that play the greatest role in determining the likelihood of major violation types. Among operator decisions, coagulant dosing and filter backwash frequency are the most important determinants of violation likelihood.
MODELING TOC AND UV‐254 ABSORBANCE FOR RESERVOIR PLANNING AND OPERATION1
Authors: Westphal Kirk S. , Chapra Steven C. , Sung Windsor
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: Total organic carbon (TOC) is an important indicator of water quality in drinking water supply systems. Prescribed chlorination rates are often based on TOC levels, and levels of disinfection byproducts (DBP) can be subsequently approximated. Unfortunately, TOC is difficult to measure, and some water utilities rely on the more easily measured absorbance of ultraviolet light (specifically at a wavelength of 254 nm, abbreviated UV‐254) as a surrogate indicator of organic content. For daily or weekly operating purposes, measurements of UV‐254 can provide inexpensive and meaningful prescriptive guidance for disinfection processes. However, for longer term planning periods (monthly, seasonal, or annual) over which the minimization or reduction of TOC is an objective, a modeling approach may be necessary, and in a modeling environment, simulating TOC with simple mass balance relationships is much less data intensive than simulating light absorbance. This study aims to (1) develop a simple mass balance model for TOC in a stratified drinking water reservoir that can be used to help minimize TOC in real time and over longer term planning periods, and (2) demonstrate that TOC and UV‐254 are well correlated, so that either value can be used as model input or output. The study shows that TOC and UV‐254 are correlated reasonably well in a water supply reservoir for Boston, MA, and that a simple mass balance tool can effectively assist with planning and operations management using UV‐254 as a primary water quality indicator.
INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT OF IN‐FIELD, EDGE‐OF‐FIELD, AND AFTER‐FIELD BUFFERS1
Authors: Dabney Seth M. , Moore Matthew T. , Locke Martin A.
Published: June 2007

This review summarizes how conservation benefits are maximized when in‐field and edge‐of‐field buffers are integrated with each other and with other conservation practices such as residue management and grade control structures. Buffers improve both surface and subsurface water quality. Soils under permanent buffer vegetation generally have higher organic carbon concentrations, higher infiltration capacities, and more active microbial populations than similar soils under annual cropping. Sediment can be trapped with rather narrow buffers, but extensive buffers are better at transforming dissolved pollutants. Buffers improve surface runoff water quality most efficiently when flows through them are slow, shallow, and diffuse. Vegetative barriers ‐ narrow strips of dense, erect grass ‐ can slow and spread concentrated runoff. Subsurface processing is best on shallow soils that provide increased hydrologic contact between the ground water plume and buffer vegetation. Vegetated ditches and constructed wetlands can act as “after‐field” conservation buffers, processing pollutants that escape from fields. For these buffers to function efficiently, it is critical that in‐field and edge‐of‐field practices limit peak runoff rate and sediment yield in order to maximize contact time with buffer vegetation and minimize the need for cleanout excavation that destroys vegetation and its processing capacity.
ESTIMATING AREAS AND TIMBER VALUES OF RIPARIAN MANAGEMENT ON FOREST LANDS1
Authors: Ice George G. , Skaugset Arne , Simmons Amy
Published: June 2007

Buffers, filter strips, and other riparian protection zones are widely accepted practices used to minimize water quality impacts from forest management and other land use activities. Riparian management prescriptions are often developed with limited or inconsistent consideration of the impact they will have on land management opportunities or economics. A combination of factors influences the area and value of riparian management zones (RMZs). A simple tool can determine the percentage of a watershed in RMZs where they comprise only a small fraction of the watershed. For a more detailed analysis, the Oak Creek Watershed in Oregon served as an example of a geographic information system (GIS) assessment. The same watershed can have dramatically different areas and values of timber in RMZs depending on the resolution used to determine the stream network, different stream types (perennial fish‐bearing, perennial nonfish bearing, and nonperennial; small, medium, and large), and different RMZ widths and management restrictions for each stream type. The areas of watershed put into riparian protection for two drainage densities and three RMZ prescriptions were determined. Finally, the volumes of merchantable timber in the RMZs and their subsequent values were determined.
A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A WETLAND ASSESSMENT METHOD: THE CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE1
Authors: Sutula Martha A. , Stein Eric D. , Collins Joshua N. , Fetscher A. Elizabeth. , Clark Ross
Published: June 2007

Wetland rapid assessment methods (RAMs) can provide a cost effective, scientifically defensible estimate of wetland and riparian condition for use in ambient and project monitoring in resource management and regulatory programs. Those who have chosen to develop a RAM to assess wetland and riparian condition are faced with a range of issues and important choices that they must make throughout the development process. This paper is intended as a practical guide to RAM development. Six basic stages in the RAM development process are discussed: (1) organize RAM development by identifying the intended applications, assessment endpoints, and geographic scope of the RAM and forming appropriate teams to advise and review the development process and its products; (2) build a scientific foundation for method development by conducting a literature review, choosing a wetland classification system, building conceptual models, and identifying the major assumptions underlying the model; (3) assemble the method as a system of attributes and metrics that describe a full range of conditions; (4) verify the ability of the method to distinguish between wetlands along a continuum of conditions; (5) calibrate and validate the method against sets of quantitative data representing more intensive measures of wetland condition; and (6) implement the method through outreach and training of the intended users. Important considerations within each of these stages lead to choices in accuracy, precision, robustness, ease of use, and cost. These are identified and the tradeoffs of the various options discussed. Experience with the ongoing development and implementation of the California Rapid Assessment Method (CRAM) is used to illustrate these stages and associated choices in RAM development.
COMPARISON OF PROCESS‐BASED AND ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORK APPROACHES FOR STREAMFLOW MODELING IN AN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHED1
Authors: Srivastava Puneet , McNair James N. , Johnson Thomas E.
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT:The performance of the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) and artificial neural network (ANN) models in simulating hydrologic response was assessed in an agricultural watershed in southeastern Pennsylvania. All of the performance evaluation measures including Nash‐Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (E) and coefficient of determination (R2) suggest that the ANN monthly predictions were closer to the observed flows than the monthly predictions from the SWAT model. More specifically, monthly streamflow E and R2were 0.54 and 0.57, respectively, for the SWAT model calibration period, and 0.71 and 0.75, respectively, for the ANN model training period. For the validation period, these values were −0.17 and 0.34 for the SWAT and 0.43 and 0.45 for the ANN model. SWAT model performance was affected by snowmelt events during winter months and by the model's inability to adequately simulate base flows. Even though this and other studies using ANN models suggest that these models provide a viable alternative approach for hydrologic and water quality modeling, ANN models in their current form are not spatially distributed watershed modeling systems. However, considering the promising performance of the simple ANN model, this study suggests that the ANN approach warrants further development to explicitly address the spatial distribution of hydrologic/water quality processes within watersheds.
DECISION SUPPORT FOR ALLOCATION OF WATERSHED POLLUTION LOAD USING GREY FUZZY MULTIOBJECTIVE PROGRAMMING1
Authors: Chen Ho‐Wen , Chang Ni‐Bin
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACT: This paper uses the grey fuzzy multiobjective programming to aid in decision making for the allocation of waste load in a river system under versatile uncertainties and risks. It differs from previous studies by considering a multicriteria objective function with combined grey and fuzzy messages under a cost benefit analysis framework. Such analysis technically integrates the prior information of water quality models, water quality standards, wastewater treatment costs, and potential benefits gained via in‐stream water quality improvement. While fuzzy sets are characterized based on semantic and cognitive vagueness in decision making, grey numbers can delineate measurement errors in data collection. By employing three distinct set theoretic fuzzy operators, the synergy of grey and fuzzy implications may smoothly characterize the prescribed management complexity. With the aid of genetic algorithm in the solution procedure, the modeling outputs contribute to the development of an effective waste load allocation and reduction scheme for tributaries in this subwatershed located in the lower Tseng‐Wen River Basin, South Taiwan. Research findings indicate that the inclusion of three fuzzy set theoretic operators in decision analysis may delineate different tradeoffs in decision making due to varying changes, transformations, and movements of waste load in association with land use pattern within the watershed.
Copper Induction of Lactate Oxidase ofLactococcus lactis: a Novel Metal Stress Response
Authors: Barré Olivier , Mourlane Frédéric , Solioz Marc
Published: June 2007

Lactococcus lactisIL1403, a lactic acid bacterium widely used for food fermentation, is often exposed to stress conditions. One such condition is exposure to copper, such as in cheese making in copper vats. Copper is an essential micronutrient in prokaryotes and eukaryotes but can be toxic if in excess. Thus, copper homeostatic mechanisms, consisting chiefly of copper transporters and their regulators, have evolved in all organisms to control cytoplasmic copper levels. Using proteomics to identify novel proteins involved in the response ofL. lactisIL1403 to copper, cells were exposed to 200 μM copper sulfate for 45 min, followed by resolution of the cytoplasmic fraction by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. One protein strongly induced by copper was LctO, which was shown to be a NAD-independent lactate oxidase. It catalyzed the conversion of lactate to pyruvate in vivo and in vitro. Copper, cadmium, and silver induced LctO, as shown by real-time quantitative PCR. A copper-regulatory element was identified in the 5′ region of thelctOgene and shown to interact with the CopR regulator, encoded by the unlinkedcopRZAoperon. Induction of LctO by copper represents a novel copper stress response, and we suggest that it serves in the scavenging of molecular oxygen.
Staphylococcus aureus
ArcR Controls Expression of the Arginine Deiminase Operon
Authors: Makhlin Julia , Kofman Tzili , Borovok Ilya , Kohler Christian , Engelmann Susanne , Cohen Gerald , Aharonowitz Yair
Published: June 2007

We identified a single open reading frame that is strongly similar to ArcR, a member of the Crp/Fnr family of bacterial transcriptional regulators, in all sequenced
Staphylococcus aureus
genomes. The
arcR
gene encoding ArcR forms an operon with the arginine deiminase (ADI) pathway genes
arcABDC
that enable the utilization of arginine as a source of energy for growth under anaerobic conditions. In this report, we show that under anaerobic conditions,
S. aureus
growth is subject to glucose catabolic repression and is enhanced by arginine. Likewise, glucose and arginine have reciprocal effects on the transcription of the
arcABDCR
genes. Furthermore, we show using a mutant deleted for
arcR
that the transcription of the
arc
operon under anaerobic conditions depends strictly on a functional ArcR. These findings are supported by proteome analyses, which showed that under anaerobic conditions the expression of the ADI catabolic proteins depends on ArcR. Bioinformatic analysis of
S. aureus
ArcR predicts an N-terminal nucleotide binding domain and a C-terminal helix-turn-helix DNA binding motif. ArcR binds to a conserved Crp-like sequence motif, TGTGA-N
6
-TCACA, present in the
arc
promoter region and thereby activates the expression of the ADI pathway genes. Crp-like sequence motifs were also found in the regulatory regions of some 30 other
S. aureus
genes mostly encoding anaerobic enzymatic systems, virulence factors, and regulatory systems. ArcR was tested and found to bind to the regulatory regions of four such genes,
adh1
,
lctE
,
srrAB
, and
lukM
. In one case, for
lctE
, encoding
l
-lactate dehydrogenase, ArcR was able to bind only in the presence of cyclic AMP. These observations suggest that ArcR is likely to play an important role in the expression of numerous genes required for anaerobic growth.
A RAPID AND PRECISE METHOD FOR THE DETERMINATION OF UREA
Authors: Fawcett J. K. , Scott J. E.
Published: June 2007

A method is described for the determination of urea in plasma and urine. The effects of variations in the experimental conditions are examined and the results of recovery experiments and other tests of precision and accuracy are reported.

In comparison with other methods in current use, this method has distinct advantages in sensitivity, simplicity, and precision, thus economizing in time, sample volume, reagents, and equipment.
THE EFFECT OF HEPARIN ON THE EARLY STAGES OF BLOOD COAGULATION
Authors: O'Brien J. R.
Published: June 2007

From experiments reported it is concluded that heparin combines with and inactivates Christman factor (C.F.) to form reversibly a heparin-C.F. complex. Apart from the effect of heparin on C.F. and on thrombin, heparin in moderate concentrations was not shown to inactivate any other coagulation factors.

“Available” heparin is defined as heparin in such a state that it can delay some clotting systems. Heparin was rendered “unavailable” or inactive by plasma C.F. and especially by serum C.F., by platelet protein (but not intact platelets), and by platelet-like activity of serum (P.L.A.S.). These three proteins uniquely among all the plasma and serum proteins inactivate heparin.

If an appropriate concentration of heparin is added to whole blood the clotting time is prolonged, due presumably to the inactivation of C.F. by heparin: “available” heparin disappears during clotting and none is found in the serum. The interactions summarized above probably account for these findings. The disappearance of available heparin would also account for the normal thrombin generation and prothrombin consumption observed when heparinized blood clots.

Some properties of P.L.A.S. are reported and its possible role in normal coagulation is considered. Heparin is known to become attached preferentially to one protein rather than another. Some plasma and serum fractions can be arranged in order of their increasing affinity for heparin thus: β Lipoproteins<thrombin clotting system<C.F.<platelet protein<protamine sulphate.
THE DIAGNOSIS, EPIDEMIOLOGY AND CONTROL OF URINARY INFECTION IN UROLOGY AND GYNAECOLOGY
Authors: Gillespie W. A. , Linton K. B. , Miller A. , Slade N.
Published: June 2007

In a study of the urine after urological operations, quantitative bacteriological criteria for the diagnosis of infection were determined.

The bacteria responsible for urinary infection after urological or gynaecological procedures sometimes came from the same patient, but more often came from other patients by cross-infection. The principal final route of entry was the urethra or the indwelling catheter lying in it. These findings led to the elaboration of methods of destroying bacteria in the urethra before operation, improving the disinfection of cystoscopes, and preventing the entry of bacteriaviathe indwelling catheter. Application of these methods reduced the incidence of infection after prostatectomy from 83% to 6%, and after emergency bladder drainage for acute retention of urine from 73% to 10%. A smaller improvement followed the introduction of closed bladder drainage after gynaecological operations.
A study of six representative methods of plasma bilirubin analysis
Authors: Watson Derek , Rogers Janice A.
Published: June 2007

The large number of modern methods which have been published for the determination of total bile pigments in the blood plasma indicates the difficulties of the estimation and suggests the need for a reliable standard method. In view of the present importance of plasma bilirubin levels in the diagnosis and treatment of jaundiced subjects, six analytical procedures have been studied, each chosen as far as possible, as a representative of a group of methods each embodying different principles.

A spectrophotometric method (White, Haidar, and Reinhold, 1958) and five diazo coupling procedures (Jendrassik and Gróf, 1938; Powell, 1944; Perryman, Richards, and Holbrook, 1957; Stoner and Weisberg, 1957; Lathe and Ruthven, 1958) were investigated, and the results obtained by carrying out duplicate analyses by different methods on 54 stored and 64 fresh plasmas or sera are presented and discussed in this paper.

An amount of haem pigment which can be detected visually in plasma is sufficient to cause a considerable underestimation of bilirubin by the method of Powell (1944) and overestimation by the method of Stoner and Weisberg (1957). Inferences drawn from serial estimations by these methods can therefore be misleading, and this is especially pertinent when results obtained from infant blood containing variable amounts of haem pigments are being assessed. Methods based on the original van den Bergh procedure with various preliminary steps of protein precipitation in alcoholic solutions at aboutpH4 give low and poorly reproducible results; losses due to the coprecipitation of bilirubin esters with protein have been confirmed. In our opinion such methods should be abandoned.

Determination of total bilirubin by colour (Whiteet al., 1958) is reliable only for plasma known to contain no lipochrome or `directly-reacting' pigment; total bile pigment may be overestimated by this technique in plasma containing conjugated bilirubin.

We consider that the method of Lathe and Ruthven (1958) is to be preferred for use on a routine basis. It is conveniently simple, and under all conditions normally encountered gives results sufficiently accurate and reproducible for clinical use. When this or any other procedure is used, a primary standardization between different laboratories with sera containing known amounts of added bilirubin is essential if comparable results are to be obtained.
Paper tests for occult blood in faeces and some observations on the fate of swallowed red cells
Authors: Huntsman R. G. , Liddell J.
Published: June 2007

Paper tests for occult blood were assessed on faecal specimens from adults. An orthotolidine/sodium perborate and a modified orthotolidine/peroxide test were found to be reasonably satisfactory. The Hematest and Occultest tablets and a paper guaiac test were unsatisfactory.

A large number of false positive results was obtained in children and infants. It is suggested that this might be due to meat derivatives reaching the faeces more easily in the young.

Red cells labelled with either Cr51or Fe59were swallowed by human volunteers. Although between 45% and 73% of the red cell iron reappeared in the faeces, the peroxidase activity of the labelled material dropped six-fold on passage through the alimentary canal.
A rapid micro method for recording red cell osmotic fragility by continuous decrease of salt concentration
Authors: Danon D.
Published: June 2007

A single volume of 0·075 ml. of a 1 in 10 dilution of whole blood in isotonic NaCl solution is introduced into a container cell, two walls of which are made of a dialysing membrane. The container cell is introduced into a test tube of distilled water, placed in an instrument which is essentially a colorimeter with a recorder, between the source of light and the photoelectric cell. Dialysis through the membrane results in a continuous decrease in the salt concentration of the medium surrounding the erythrocytes. The measurement of the degree of haemolysis is based on the increasing transparency of the erythrocyte suspension while haemolysis takes place. Recording this increasing light transmission as a function of time,i.e.,as a function of decreasing salt concentration, yields the osmotic fragility curve. The automatically recorded curve is obtained in less than 10 minutes.
Pathological findings in homocystinuria
Authors: Gibson J. B. , Carson Nina A. J. , Neill D. W.
Published: June 2007

Pathological findings are described in four cases of a new aminoaciduria in which homocystine is excreted in the urine. All the patients were mentally retarded children. Three of them presented diagnostic features of Marfan's syndrome. Necropsy on one case and biopsy findings in the others are described. Fatty change occurs in the liver. The most striking lesions are vascular. Metachromatic medial degeneration of the aorta and of the elastic arteries in the necropsied case are considered in relation to Marfan's syndrome. Other changes, particularly thrombosis which is prevalent in homocystinuria, suggest the possibility of a platelet defect. The findings are discussed in respect of an upset in the metabolism of sulphur-containing amino-acids and with particular reference to Marfan's syndrome.
Studies on the fibrinolytic enzyme system in obesity
Authors: Bennett N. B. , Ogston C. M. , McAndrew G. M. , Ogston D.
Published: June 2007

Plasma fibrinolytic activity, inhibitors of fibrinolysis, and fibrinogen were estimated in 34 subjects of varying ratio of observed to standard weight. The inverse relationship between fibrinolytic activity and the ratio of observed to standard weight was confirmed. No significant correlation was found between anti-plasmin or anti-urokinase and the ratio of observed to standard weight. It was therefore concluded that the decreased plasma fibrinolytic activity in obese subjects is due to decreased production of plasminogen activator rather than to excessive inhibition.
Vitamin B12absorption studies: effect of parenteral non-radioactive vitamin B12on serum level of57Co vitamin B12
Authors: Harwood Lilian , Forshaw J.
Published: June 2007

The intestinal absorption of57Co vitamin B12has been measured by counting the radioactivity in the serum, and the effect of the parenteral administration of 1 mg. non-radioactive vitamin B12two hours after the oral dose has been studied. When parenteral vitamin B12was not given, the mean radioactivity in the serum was lower in both patients with pernicious anaemia and in control subjects, and the results in the patients with pernicious anaemia were more definitive. There was no significant difference between the results obtained with an Ekco scaler and those with an I.D.L. scaler.

This is the simplest and most convenient method of measuring vitamin B12absorption. It is suggested that the test be standardized by giving 0·5 μg.57Co vitamin B12with a maximal histamine stimulation of intrinsic factor secretion, but without a parenteral dose of non-radioactive vitamin B12. The results are expressed most usefully as a percentage of the administered dose per litre of serum or plasma.
Autofluorescence of bone tissues
Authors: Prentice A. I. D.
Published: June 2007

The phenomenen of autofluorescence of bone is due primarily to the collagen itself rather than to incidental substances adsorbed on to it. Fluorescent microscopy is a convenient method of dating the different microanatomical components of bone, and in this respect the same conclusions can be reached from the study of microradiographs or autofluorescent photographs, which is proof of the intimate relation between the development of matrix and the progression of mineralization.
Measurements of plasma zinc
Authors: Davies I. J. T. , Musa M. , Dormandy T. L.
Published: June 2007

Zinc is an essential trace element. Previous methods of measuring zinc in clinical material have been difficult and reported findings must be treated with caution. Using atomic absorption spectroscopy it has been established that plasma zinc is one of the most uniform biochemical characteristics of normal adult blood. Sex and age differences in adult life are insignificant. Increased metabolic activity, on the other hand, induces a marked, immediate fall in plasma zinc level. The possible implications of this are discussed. Zinc levels in patients with diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and anaemia due to acute blood loss have been within normal limits. Plasma zinc is low in certain types of liver disease.
Storage iron in `muscle'
Authors: Torrance J. D. , Charlton R. W. , Schmaman A. , Lynch S. R. , Bothwell T. H.
Published: June 2007

In Bantu subjects with iron overload iron is visible in skeletal muscle cells and in the tissue histiocytes which lie between these cells. In the present study the concentrations of `muscle' iron were measured chemically in subjects with varying hepatic storage iron concentrations. The results indicate that the concentrations of storage iron in `muscle' are much lower than those in the liver. However, the muscle mass is so large that the total amount of iron present is at least equal to that in the liver in subjects with normal body stores. The concentrations of iron in `muscle' are raised in subjects with iron overload but the degree to which they rise is far less than occurs in the liver; a thirtyfold increase in hepatic iron concentrations is associated with only a sixfold increase in `muscle' iron. Experiments in rats revealed that storage iron in `muscle' represents a relatively non-miscible pool which responds very little to acute changes in the iron environment.
Chemical and histochemical characterization of mucopolysaccharides in a jaw myxoma
Authors: Hodson J. J. , Prout R. E. S.
Published: June 2007

Chemical and histochemical analyses, including testicular and staphylococcal hyaluronidase digestion, have been made of a jaw myxoma and the results show the presence of two acid mucopolysaccharides. Of the total mucopolysaccharide present 80% was hyaluronic acid and 20% chondroitin sulphate. The high content of non-sulphated mucopolysaccharide would seem to explain the paucity of fibres characteristic of the myxoma. It is suggested that myxomas generally probably have a similar high hyaluronic acid content. It is considered that the cell concerned is a mesenchymal cell elaborating non-sulphated mucopolysaccharide and may be called a `myxoblast'; it is metabolically different from the sulphated-mucopolysaccharide-collagen-producing fibroblast. The high hyaluronic acid content is much greater than that found in embryonic connective tissue and may be a significant factor in the neoplastic behaviour of the myxomatous tissue. The aggressive behaviour of the myxoma is against a simple reversion to embryonic mesenchyme. It is concluded that the myxoblast is an active mucopolysaccharide-secreting cell and that mucin in the myxoma is not a sign of cell degeneration of preexisting fibroblasts or collagen.
Mesonephroid tumours of the ovary
Authors: Anderson M. C. , Langley F. A.
Published: June 2007

Thirty cases of mesonephroid tumour of the ovary were studied. The differential diagnosis is discussed and it is concluded that mesonephroid tumours form a distinct entity. An attempt is made to correlate the histological appearance of the tumours with the clinical course and criteria are suggested which might be a guide to prognosis. Views on histogenesis are discussed but at present there seems insufficient evidence to justify any particular hypothesis.
The measurement of serum pyridoxal by a microbiological assay usingLactobacillus casei
Authors: Anderson Barbara B. , Peart M. Barbara , Fulford-Jones Catherine E.
Published: June 2007

A new method has been developed for the assay of serum pyridoxal usingL. casei.Bound pyridoxal phosphate in serum is converted by acid hydrolysis to pyridoxal for which this organism is specific. This method proved to be considerably more sensitive than other methods so far reported in the literature.

Serum pyridoxal concentrations were measured in 151 control subjects aged 17 to 80 years. The range of concentrations found was 1·5 to 13·5 ng/ml which compared well with values obtained by most workers measuring pyridoxal phosphate by enzymatic methods. A marked fall with age was confirmed, and levels in women of childbearing age were lower than in men of comparable age. Subnormal serum pyridoxal concentrations were found in 62% of patients with sideroblastic anaemia and in the majority of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, coeliac disease, and in pregnant women at term.
Pathological and clinical study of calcification of the mitral valve ring
Authors: Pomerance Ariela
Published: June 2007

The pathology and clinical features of 258 cases of mitral ring calcification were reviewed. The overall incidence in patients over 50 years of age was 8·5%; it was more than twice as high in women (11·5%) as in men (4·5%) and rose sharply with age.

Cardiac failure and systolic murmurs were each noted in over half the patients. Hypertension was slightly commoner than in age- and sex-matched groups without ring calcification, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Small nodules of calcification were more frequent in men and heavy deposits in women. Distortion and atrial displacement of the posterior mitral cusp was present in 26% of the hearts with early ring calcification, in 56% of the hearts with moderate, and in almost all hearts with marked changes. Systolic murmurs had been heard in 73% of these cases. `Caseation' of the calcified ring was seen in seven hearts and haemorrhagic valvulitis in three. Calcium had ulcerated through the cusp in 12 cases, with thrombotic and/or bacterial endocarditis in five. Aortic valve calcification was present in 36% of men and was quantitatively related to the severity of mitral ring calcification. In women the incidence was 30% and there was no corresponding quantitative relationship.

Microscopy showed nonspecific chronic inflammatory changes adjacent to calcium in about half the cases in both sexes, with foreign body type giant cells in 6%. Similar inflammatory changes in the valve cusp were almost twice as common in women as in men.

There was no evidence that previous endocarditis was responsible for mitral ring calcification, neither did parity influence its incidence. Severe coronary atherosclerosis was unrelated but severe aortic atherosclerosis was commoner in patients with calcified mitral rings. The difference, in women, was statistically significant.

The higher incidence of severe degrees of ring calcification, complications, and valvular inflammation in women suggests a sex-determined difference in tissue response in the mitral area. Possible provoking factors apply to both sexes and both left side valves, and such a difference would account for the relative frequency and sex incidence of mitral ring calcification.
Noise levels in a clinical chemistry laboratory
Authors: Griffiths P. D. , Kell R. L. , Taylor W.
Published: June 2007

An investigation into the noise levels in a clinical chemistry laboratory has been carried out. It was shown that although the levels were insufficient to cause damage to hearing, they exceeded the criteria of acceptability for offices and workshops.