MR imaging of the acutely injured patient with cervical traction

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the patient with acute cervical injury is important because of the potential prognostic significance of the appearance of the spinal cord at the time of injury. However, cervical traction may involve equipment incompatible with the magnetic environment, and transferring the patient to the imaging table may make it difficult to maintain traction. The authors describe a simple, inexpensive, and reliable method for providing cervical traction within the magnet room.     

Think-Aloud, Thought-Listing, and Video-Mediated Recall Procedures in the Assessment of Children's Self-Talk

Two studies examined the extent to which different cognitive assessment procedures yield similar data in pre-adolescent children. In Study 1, situationally anxious children reported their self-talk via think-aloud and verbal thought-listing procedures (N = 88). Half of the children reported their self-talk using both think-aloud and thought-listing while the remainder engaged in thought-listing only. Prior participation in think-aloud did not influence the self-talk subsequently reported by children during verbal thought-listing. Compared with thought-listing, more problem-solving (analytical) self-talk and less valenced self-talk was reported during think-aloud. In Study 2, 41 children reported their self-talk via both verbal thought-listing and video-mediated recall (own and other's perspective) procedures. Video-mediated recall generated self-talk of a similar valence to that obtained by thought-listing. More self-talk was generated when the children viewed their own perspective videotape compared with observer perspective videotape and thought-listing. While pre-adolescent children were able to respond to all three cognitive assessment methods, the self-talk produced was not identical. In choosing a cognitive assessment method, researchers and clinicians should be guided by the purpose of the assessment and the setting in which it occurs.     

Circulating immune complex levels in patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia

The clinical course, human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) levels, and serial circulating immune complex (CIC) levels in 21 patients with gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) were correlated for the evaluation of the relationship between CIC levels and trophoblastic tumor burden. CIC levels were normal in 18 of 21 patients at the time of presentation, and 2 of 3 patients who presented with elevated CIC levels had significant comorbid disease (toxemia and hepatitis). Nine patients were followed into gonadotropin remission, and all 9 developed an increase in CIC levels at the time of remission. It was concluded that CIC, at least as measured by two antigen-nonspecific techniques, is generally not elevated at initial presentation in the patient with GTN; this lack of an elevation is probably due to marked tumor antigen excess. Thus the in vivo importance of CIC as a "blocker" of host antitumor response at this stage is doubtful. After effective treatment as HCG levels return to normal, the demonstrated elevation in serial levels of CIC may reflect a return of adequate host immune response at a time of minimal tumor burden.     

Beneficial effects of the novel cholecystokinin agonist (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8 in mouse models of obesity/diabetes

Aims/hypothesis  

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is a rapidly degraded gastrointestinal peptide that stimulates satiety and insulin secretion. We aimed to investigate the beneficial weight-lowering and metabolic effects of the novel N-terminally modified CCK analogue, (pGlu-Gln)-CCK-8.