Parental Substance Abuse and Its Relationship to Severe Aggression and Antisocial Behavior in Youth

Research concerning hypothesized relationships between parental alcoholism and conduct problems in their children has had mixed findings. In this study, general and specific aspects of a possible relationship between a history of parental substance abuse (a category including parental alcohol abuse and parental abuse of other substances) with antisocial behavior and severe aggressive/destructive behavior was studied by reviewing preadmission variables in a large group of hospital-treated children and adolescents. The results indicated that various categories of more specifically defined parental substance abuse (e.g., substance abuse in fathers) were related to severe aggressive/destructive behavior and/or conduct disorder in their children. Parental abuse of nonalcohol substances appears to be more important than parental alcohol abuse in predicting severe aggressive and antisocial behavior. Substance abuse in fathers, especially abuse of substances other than alcohol, also seems more important than substance abuse in mothers in predicting severe aggression and conduct disorder.     

Leadership in the Managed Care Era: Challenges, Conflict, Ambivalence

Mental health organizations are in the midst of massive changes brought about by managed care. This paper explores attitudes and reactions of leaders in mental health organizations to these changes. The leader's own conflicts regarding this approach to mental health care is a major determinant of why some organizations adapt more readily than others. Strategies for leaders that recognize the need to address conflict within the individual and the organization are discussed. The importance of facilitating dynamic interactional processes between leaders and non-leaders in regard to mutual expectations also is emphasized.     

Retinal slip during active head motion and stimulus motion

Gaze control in various conditions is important, since retinal slip deteriorates the perception of 3-D shape of visual stimuli. Several studies have shown that visual perception of 3-D shape is better for actively moving observers than for passive observers watching a moving object. However, it is not clear to what extent the improved percept of 3-D shape for active observers has to be attributed to corollary discharges to higher visual centers or whether the improved percept might be due to improved gaze stabilization during active head movements. The aim of this study was to measure binocular eye movements and to make a quantitative comparison of retinal slip for subjects instructed to fixate a visual stimulus in an active condition (subject makes an active head movement, object is stationary) and in a passive condition (the stimulus moves, the subject is stationary) for various movement frequencies, viewing distances, and stimulus diameters. Retinal slip remains below the acuity threshold of about 4 deg/s in active conditions, except for the highest frequency tested in this study (1.5 Hz) for nearby targets (0.25 cm). Retinal slip exceeds this threshold for most passive conditions. These results suggest that the enhanced performance in the visual perception of 3-D shape during active head movements can, at least partly, be explained by better fixation by actively moving observers.     

Analysis of the mechanism of lipoprotein(a) assembly

We have assessed the ability of a battery of purified recombinant apolipoprotein(a) (r-apo(a)) derivatives to bind to immobilized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) by ELISA. Removal of the apo(a) kringle IV type 8 and type 9 sequences dramatically reduced apo(a) binding to LDL. The binding of apo(a) to LDL was effectively inhibited by arginine, lysine, the lysine analogue ε-aminocaproic acid and proline; comparable inhibition was observed using the 17K and KIV_5–8 r-apo(a) derivatives, suggesting a direct role for sequences contained in the latter species in mediating the initial non-covalent interactions which precede specific disulfide bond formation. We also determined that r-apo(a) binds directly to a synthetic apoB peptide spanning amino acid residues 3732–3745; this interaction appeared to be mediated by sequences present in apo(a) kringle IV types 8 and 9, and could be inhibited by arginine, lysine and proline. The results of this study indicate that the efficiency of Lp(a) assembly is a direct function of the initial non-covalent interactions between apo(a) and LDL; in addition, these studies suggest that Cys3734 in apoB mediates covalent linkage with apo(a) by virtue of the ability of the apoB sequences surrounding this residue to directly interact with apo(a) KIV type 9.     

大鼠胸腺降黑素受体的鉴定及生物学特性

应用放射配体结合法证实大鼠胸腺内存在降黑素特异结合部位，该结合位点可以满足特异结合部位的基本条件：１．低结合容量；２．高亲和力；３．可饱和性；４．可逆性；５．对降黑素高度特异性。此外，该特异结合位点具昼夜节律；亚细胞分布的研究表明以细胞核含量最高，线粒体次之，并具有年龄依赖性降低，以出生时最高。     

Conservative management of early endometrial adenocarcinoma with repeat curettage and hormone therapy under assistance of hysteroscopy and laparoscopy

We report a rare case of early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma in a 22 year old nullipara with polycystic ovaries undergoing conservative treatment. Pretreatment evaluation including tumour grade, depth of myometrial invasion, tumour size, hormone receptor status and flow cytometric analysis indicated a favourable prognosis. The patient underwent repeat endometrial curettage and a 6 month period of therapy with megestrol acetate and tamoxifen. A combination contraceptive pill was then prescribed to ensure withdrawal of the menstrual cycle thereafter. Now, 1 year after the last curettage, there is no evidence of disease. During the treatment period, hysteroscopy allowed for a more precise approach in panoramically examining the tumour nest in the endometrial cavity, and the subsequent endometrial response to hormone therapy. Laparoscopy using bulldog clamps applied to the isthmic portion of the Fallopian tubes prevented i.p. spread of endometrial tissue from retrograde regurgitation during hysteroscopy. Laparoscopic ovarian electrocautery resulted in the reduction of abnormal hypervascularization on the surface of polycystic ovaries postoperatively but caused a peri-ovarian adhesion complication. It is interesting that this case posed a unique opportunity to demonstrate the tumour regression under the assistance of laparoscopy and hysteroscopy.      

Activation and Sorting of Human White Blood Cells

We demonstrate a novel activation behavior of human leucocyte adhesion under physiological flow conditions in a microfabricated silicon array of channels with length scales similar to those of human capillaries. Vital nuclei stains and cell specific, flourochrome labeled antibodies reveal that the equilibrium distribution of stuck cells in the arrays displays a strong dependence on cell type and nuclear morphology, and there is eventual separation of the two cell types in the array. The distortion of the cells is the same as they experience in vivo and the response of the granulocytes is consistent with a model describing adhesion as a function of the distortion of the cell by its environment; in other words, activated adhesion. We propose that this complex non-random behavior is due to a deformation activated change in the cells relevant to observed in vivo behavior.     

Small businesses' changing views on health reform

Our national sample of 750 randomly chosen firms with fewer than 50 employees reveals surprising findings about the traditional views of small business on health care reform. A substantial segment of the small business community is sympathetic to health care reform, including such controversial measures as mandating that all employers contribute to the coverage of their workers, limits on health care spending, and altering the tax treatment of employer contributions for health insurance. Without premium savings, fewer than half of small businesses support the concept of health insurance purchasing cooperatives. With premium savings, a majority support it.     

Is managed competition a field of dreams?

In recent months, managed competition has gained the upper hand in the debate over how to reform the U.S. health system and likely will be a part of President-elect Clinton's proposal. But recent data reveal that managed care plans, an important piece of the managed competition approach, have not significantly altered the rate of increase in costs. These findings cast doubt on the assumption by managed competition advocates that the proper incentives exist to cause the health delivery system to reorganize itself.