On language laterality in normal dextrals and sinistrals: Results from the Bilateral Object Naming Latency Task

Rasmussen and Milner [N.Y. Acad. Sci. Vol. 299, pp. 355–379, 1977] published data on late-lesioned (after age 6) epileptic patients who had suffered left hemisphere lesions. They estimated that left hemisphere dominance occurred in 96% of dextrals and 70% of sinistrals. These figures have been regarded as valid estimates for normal dextrals and sinistrals. We administered the Bilateral Object Naming Latency Task, a verbal tachistoscopic task with very good psychometric properties, to 188 dextral and 72 sinistral normals. Results showed that 93.6% of the dextrals and 80.3% of the sinistrals were left hemisphere dominant. A consideration of results from a number of carefully conducted dichotic listening studies suggests, as do present results, that the 70% left-dominance estimate of Rasmussen and Milner for normal sinistrals may be too low by about 10%. It is suggested that ‘bilateral dominance’, present in 15% of the epileptic sinistrals of Rasmussen and Milner, may be much less common in normal sinistrals.     

Medical removals of the Multiload IUD

In a follow-up evaluation of 3721 Multiload IUD users, the removal rate for medical reasons other than bleeding/pain was only 2.6 per 100 women at three years. Most of these removals were for reasons that appeared to be unrelated to IUD use. The removal rate for pelvic inflammatory disease was 0.3 per 100 woman years. Women were followed up for up to three years after removal of their IUDs. Among women with PID at least 70% of those who desired pregnancy subsequently became pregnant, a rate similar to that of women who had their IUDs electively removed to become pregnant. The study provides further data on the safety of intrauterine contraception.

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Resumen Durante el seguimiento de 3721 usuarias del DIU Multiload, la tasa de remociones por otras razones médicas que sangrado/dolor, fué de 2.6 por 100 mujeres en tres años. La mayoría de estas remociones fueron hechas por razones que parecen no estar relacionadas con el uso del DIU. La tasa de remociones por enfermedad inflamatoria pelviana fué de 0.3 por 100 años-mujer. Las mujeres tuvieron seguimiento hasta tres años después de la remoción de sus DIU. Entre las mujeres con enfermedad inflamatoria pelviana, al menos 70% de las que desearon un embarazo lo consiguieron; una tasa similar a la de mujeres que eligieron la remoción del DIU para quedar embarazadas. El estudio proporciona más información sobre la inocuidad de la anticoncepción intrauterina.

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Résumé Lors d'une évaluation de suivi effectuée sur 3721 utilisatrices de DIU Multiload, le taux de retrait pour des raisons médicales autres que des pertes sanguines/douleurs n'a atteint que 2,6 pour cent des femmes après trois ans. La plupart de ces retraits ont été pratiqués pour des raisons qui ne semblaient pas liées à l'utilisation du DIU. Le taux de retrait pour cause d'inflammation pelvienne s'est élevé à 0,3 pour cent femmes-an. Les femmes ont été suivies pendant des périodes allant jusqu'à trois ans après le retrait du DIU. Parmi les patientes qui avaient contracté une inflammation pelvienne, 70% au moins de celles qui souhaitaient une grossesse sont par la suite devenues enceintes; taux semblable à celui des femmes qui avaient choisi de ne plus porter leur DIU précisément pour avoir un enfant. Cette étude fournit des données supplémentaires sur la sécurité qu'apporte la contraception intrautérine.

     

The Effect of Flurbiprofen on Steady-State Plasma Lithium Levels

Study Objective . To evaluate the effects of flurbiprofen therapy on the pharmacokinetics of lithium. Design . Placebo-controlled, single-blind, crossover study. Setting . University-affiliated hospital. Patients . Eleven healthy women with bipolar disorder. Interventions . The subjects received therapeutic doses of lithium administered as an immediate-release capsule every 12 hours. In addition, they received one placebo tablet every 12 hours during phase I and flurbiprofen 100 mg every 12 hours during phase II of the study. Measurements and Main Results . Steady-state pharmacokinetic parameters were measured for each phase. Lithium trough plasma concentration (C_min) and area under the curve were statistically significantly increased (p<0.05) when patients received flurbiprofen. Flurbiprofen also caused decreases in lithium clearance and 24-hour lithium urine excretion, although the changes did not reach statistical significance. Clinically significant increases in C_min appeared to be associated with a greater than 1000-μg/24 hour decrease in urinary excretion of prostaglandin E₂. Conclusion . Patients with clinically normal renal function may experience an increase in lithium levels with the initiation of flurbiprofen therapy.     

Neonatal Sucking Behaviors

Neonatal sucking responses or behaviors have been of great interest to researchers and clinicians since the early 1800s. Since 1960, there has been a resurgence of interest in the objective study of sucking behaviors in both the psychological and medical literature. The studies have examined both nutritive and non-nutritive sucking measurements. Sucking behaviors have been studied to understand the development of the feeding mechanism as well as to track neurobehavioral development. The relationship between sucking behaviors and behavioral organization of the newborn are considered, along with a historical perspective of sucking measurements, relevant literature on nutritive sucking, physiologic correlates, differences in breast and bottle feeding patterns, non-nutritive sucking, and factors that modify sucking organization. Implications for nursing practice will be discussed.     

Mentoring in inservice training for child care workers

A model for training the trainers of child care providers that employs Vygotsky's framework of the Zone of Proximal Development is described. This efficient training mechanism proposes mentoring relationships as a means to meet the developmental needs of experienced child care professionals and improve the quality of existing child care programs.The authors would like to thank Dr. Bille Thomas and the satellite resource center directors and staff members for their work on the project.     

Ecology of a Southern Ohio stream receiving fly ash pond discharge: Changes from acid mine drainage conditions

Prior to 1975, Stingy Run was a third-order tributary of Kyger Creek, which empties into the Ohio River at Mile 260 (Gallia County, Ohio). Both streams drained strip mine refuse areas and physicochemical measurements indicated acidicmine drainage conditions (e.g., low pH). A depauperate macroinvertebrate community, dominated by a few acid-tolerant taxa, was found in both streams and no fishes were collected. In 1974, Stingy Run was impounded to form a fly ash pond which contains fly ash sluiced from Ohio Power Company's General James M. Gavin coal-fired power plant. Physicochemical and biological sampling during 1975–1986 indicated marked changes in the aquatic ecology of Stingy Run between 1) pre-impoundment and post-impoundment conditions; and 2) effluent pH control treatments after impoundment. Fly ash discharge eliminated acidicmine drainage characteristics in Stingy Run and lower Kyger Creek. After impoundment, net spinning caddisflies and a few dipteran taxa dominated the Stingy Run benthic community, reflecting changes in functional niches likely due to improved habitat and greater food availability. Replacement of acid feed by CO₂ injection for effluent pH control and changes in ash pond chemistry occurred concomitant with elimination of a substrate floc; increased species richness and densities of invertebrates were subsequently observed. In Stingy Run, species richness and diversity of fishes increased from 1983 to 1986, reflecting improved water quality and increased benthic production after impoundment. Many of these fishes are opportunistic feeders on drifting insects.     

Sensory functions of institutionalized Romanian infants: A pilot study

Infants living in an orphanage (n = 22) in Romania were assessed on the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI). Testing of the institutionalized infants was done before and 6 months after an enriched caregiver intervention program. Results showed significant changes in areas of reactivity to tactile deep pressure, visual-tactile integration, oculomotor control, reactivity to vestibular stimulation and total test responses. No significant changes occurred in the area of adaptive motor functions. Effects of sensory deprivation resulting from institutional settings and changes that can occur from enriched caregiver environments are discussed.     

Increased collagen IV layer in the basal membrane area of the capillaries in severe chronic venous insufficiency

Lipodermatosclerosis is a sign of severe chronic venous insufficiency. In this stage of CVI one can find capillary leakage of water and plasmaproteins which results in a higher capillary filtration rate. In skin biopsies the result of this process can be seen as a pericapillary halo. The group of Burnand recently described fibrinogen deposits in this area. We studied the capillaries and their surrounding tissue to determine the thickness of the collagen IV deposits. In severe CVI with lipodermatosclerosis a significant increase of the collagen IV layer was observed. Collagen IV thickness was measured by an index method. The collagen IV thickness for this purpose refers to the capillary diameter. It can be suggested that the increase of the venous pressure in the capillaries leads to leakage of several proteins and namely fibrinogen. As a result of the increase of fibrinogen the collagen IV layer becomes thicker which leads to a decreasing function of the capillaries. In this way an auto-amplification mechanism maintains CVI. An other explanation can be induction of collagen IV due to the high capillary pressure in CVI.