The comparative efficacy of religious and nonreligious imagery for the treatment of mild depression in religious individuals

No previous outcome study in cognitive therapy has examined either the efficacy of imagery modification for depressives or the efficacy of a cognitive therapy geared specifically to the individual's value system. The present study did both of these by comparing the relative therapeutic efficacy of a religious and nonreligious imagery modification for mildly depressed religious individuals. The nonreligious imagery treatment showed no effects beyond those of the self-monitoring treatment or the minimal treatment condition. The religious imagery treatment, however, showed significantly more treatment gains than the self-monitoring or nonreligious imagery treatments, while the self-monitoring plus therapist contact treatment was intermediate in effectiveness.The author wishes to thank J. T. Reagan and Russell Dern for their valuable help in the execution of the study.     

Elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchungen der Zonulafasern mit besonderer Berücksichtigung der Trypsinwirkung

Zusammefassung Die elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchung der Zonula des Rinderauges zeigt, daß die in reichlich Kittsubstanz eingebetteten Fasern aus gleichmäßig breiten, unverzweigten Fibrillen aufgebaut sind. Die Dicke der Fibrillen beträgt 1500–2000 Ä; dies entspricht im Durchschnitt dicken Kollagenfibrillen. Die Zonulafibrillen besitzen, ähnlich wie Mesenchymfibrillen, eine regelmäßige periodische Querstruktur mit einem D-und einem H-Teil und einer Periodenlänge von 730 Ä, ferner eine intraperiodische Feinstruktur mit 2–4 Querbändern in einer Periode. Zum Unterschied gegenüber reifen Mesenchymfibrillen besitzen die Fibrillen der Zonula häufig spitze Enden.Durch Behandlung der Fibrillen mit Trypsin in einer Verdünnung von 15000 und -Chymotrypsin 12500 bis zu einer Dauer von 36 Std treten in vitro keine auffälligen Veränderungen der Fibrillen auf, nur die Kittsubstanz wird langsam und teilweise abgebaut.Die enzymatische Zonulolyse bei der Staroperation kann daher nicht durch die Fermentwirkung allein zustande kommen. Die Ergebnisse früherer Untersuchungen haben gezeigt, daß die fermentative Zonulolyse nur an gespannten Zonulafasern möglich ist. Es liegt daher die Vermutung nahe, daß beim Spannen molekulare Strukturveränderungen auftreten, welche die Vorbedingung für den Angriff zonulolytischer Fermente darstellen.Mit 4 Textabbildungen     

Histologische und elektronenmikroskopische Untersuchung der Sehnennekrose

Zusammenfassung Die Kollagenfibrillen der Sehnen zeigen bei ischämischer Nekrose (Mumifikation und Gangrän) zum Unterschied von den zelligen Gewebsbestandteilen eine bemerkenswerte Widerstandskraft. Histologische, elektronenmikroskopische und UV-spektrographische Untersuchungen ergaben selbst bei 6wöchiger Dauer der Gangrän keine wesentlichen Veränderungen gegenüber der Norm. Dies spricht für eine besondere Stabilität des Fasereiweißgerüstes des Kollagens. Dagegen konnten im Versilberungsmodus und im Gehalt an sauren Mucopolysacchariden eindeutige Unterschiede gefunden werden. Sie sind auf Veränderungen der interfibrillären Kittsubstanz beim Absterben infolge autofermentativer Vorgänge und auf die Durchtränkung des Gewebes mit Blutbestandteilen zurückzuführen.Herrn Prof. Dr. A.Hafferl zum 70. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

A multi-centre study of therapeutic efficacy and safety of platelet components treated with amotosalen and ultraviolet A pathogen inactivation stored for 6 or 7 d prior to transfusion

Bacteria in platelet components (PC) may result in transfusion-related sepsis (TRS). Pathogen inactivation of PC with amotosalen (A-PC) can abrogate the risk of TRS and hence facilitate storage to 7 d. A randomized, controlled, double-blinded trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of A-PC stored for 6-7 d was conducted. Patients were randomized to receive one transfusion of conventional PC (C-PC) or A-PC stored for 6-7 d. The primary endpoint was the 1 h corrected count increment (CCI) with an acceptable inferiority of 30%. Secondary endpoints included 1- and 24-h count increment (CI), 24-h CCI, time to next PC transfusion, red blood cell (RBC) use, bleeding and adverse events. 101 and 100 patients received A-PC or C-PC respectively. The ratio of 1-h CCI (A-PC:C-PC) was 0·87 (95% confidence interval: 0·73, 1·03) demonstrating non-inferiority (P = 0·007), with respective mean 1-h CCIs of 8163 and 9383; mean 1-h CI was not significantly different. Post-transfusion bleeding and RBC use were not significantly different (P = 0·44, P = 0·82 respectively). Median time to the next PC transfusion after study PC was not significantly different between groups: (2·2 vs. 2·3 d, P = 0·72). Storage of A-PCs for 6-7 d had no impact on platelet efficacy.     

Inflammatory bowel disease: A survey of the epidemiology in Asia

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has long been considered a disease that affects predominantly a Western population. The incidence and prevalence rates from Asian populations are much lower in comparison. More recent data, however, have shown significantly higher rates in Asians and time trend studies have shown an increase in the incidence of ulcerative colitis (UC) and a similar but lower rise in Crohn's disease (CD). The epidemiological changes that are taking place mirror that of the Western experience seen 50 years previously and seem to occur in parallel with the rapid socioeconomic development taking place in Asia. It appears that certain racial groups are more prone than others to develop IBD. For instance, Indians in South‐East Asia have higher rates compared to Chinese and Malays. While there is host genetic predisposition, environmental factor(s) may be responsible for this difference. Migrant studies of South Asians in the UK, where second‐generation immigrants have assumed incidence rates as high as the indigenous whites and Asian Jews who develop high incidence rates comparable to Jews from Europe or North America in Israel point to the role of environmental factors. It is unclear which specific factors are responsible. Studies have suggested a change in diet to a more Westernized one may underlie this epidemiological change in the Asian population. It is likely that there are racial groups amongst Asians who are more susceptible to IBD and who will demonstrate a higher frequency of IBD when exposed to putative environmental factors.