The Relationship Among Compulsive Buying,Compulsive Internet Use and Temperament in a Sample of Female Patients with Eating Disorders

The aim of the present study was to investigate the association among compulsive buying (CB), compulsive internet use (CIU) and reactive/regulative temperament in a sample of 60 female patients with eating disorders. All patients were assessed by means of the Compulsive Buying Scale, the CIU scale, the Eating Disorder Inventory—2, the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Activation System scales, the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology and the effortful control scale of the Adult Temperament Questionnaire. The results showed a positive association between CB and CIU, both categorized as impulse control disorders, not otherwise specified. Both CB and CIU showed significantly positive correlations with emotional lability, excitement seeking and lack of effortful control (more specifically lack of inhibitory and lack of activation control). The implication of these findings for the treatment of both disorders will be discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.     

Homeless Shelter Policies for Women in an Urban Environment

A survey of shelters serving women in Chicago (N = 43) identified admission criteria, policies and services, estimated the number of homeless women in childbearing years served by the shelters, the number who were pregnant or mothers with children, and identified unmet health needs and health services provided. The majority (64%) of the women using shelters were African American and there was great variability in shelter policies. Women with male children more than seven years old, pregnant women and substance abusers were less likely to be admitted.     

Determination of the solute removal index for urea by using a partial spent dialysate collection method

In 22 hemodialysis patients, during a dialysis session, the solute removal index (SRI) for urea obtained from the use of a partial spent dialysate collection method was compared with that derived from the use of a total spent dialysate collection technique. The partial spent dialysate collection method was used to harvest a small representative sample of the total spent dialysate. The volumes of spent dialysate collected by the partial and the total spent dialysate collection methods were 1.7 +/- 0.4 L and 129.6 +/- 15.3 L, respectively. The total amount of urea nitrogen removed by dialysis as estimated by the partial spent dialysate collection method was similar to that determined by the total spent dialysate collection approach. As a result, the SRI value for urea obtained by the partial spent dialysate collection method (namely, 63% +/- 8%) correlated very well (r = 0.95, P < 0.001) with that derived by the total spent dialysate collection technique (namely, 62% +/- 8%). Our data suggest that it is feasible to use a simple partial spent dialysate collection method to obtain SRI results in patients treated with hemodialysis.     

Screening of an elderly female population for hypo- and hyperthyroidism by use of a thyroid hormone panel

The elderly female population living in a rural primary health care district in the south of Sweden was screened for hypo- and hyperthyroidism. A total of 1 442 (97.3%) of the 1 482 women 60 years of age or older attended the study. By use of a computer-evaluated thyroid hormone panel, 178 women (12.3%) were identified as probably abnormal. Among them, 8 women (0.55% of total) with previously unknown thyroid disease were detected as overtly hypothyroid. If also 13 women with spontaneous subclinical hypothyroidism were included, the prevalence of earlier unknown hypothyroidism was 21/1 442 (1.5%). The number of subjects with hyperthyroidism discovered by screening was 28/1 442 (1.9%). Although much remains to be elucidated regarding medical, social and economic factors, the high figures obtained for newly discovered abnormal thyroid function suggest that screening for hyper- and hypothyroidism may be worthwhile in such an elderly female population.     

Preparative purification of the rat mast cell chymase. Characterization and Interaction with granule components

The rat mast cell granule chymotrypsinlike enzyme was purified to homogeneity from 1 M NaCl solubilized membrane and granule-rich fractions of concentrated rat peritoneal mast cells by a preparative technique utilizing chromatography on Dowex 1, filtration on Sephadex G-75, and affinity chromatography with D-tryptophan methyl ester. Acid disk gel electrophoresis of the purified chymase disclosed a single stained band with activity being eluted from a replicate sliced gel in the same region. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified protein gave a single stained band that did not change in position with reduction and alkylation. Mast cell chymase is thus a cationic protein of 25,000 mol wt composed of a single polypeptide chain. The apparent K(m) of the chymase for BTEE was 1.5 x 10(-3) M and the V(max) was 67.8 μmol/min per mg. The enzyme was inhibited by TPCK and not by TLCK. The chymase complexed with native macromolecular rat mast cell heparin in molar ratios of 12:1 and 16:1, and complete heparin uptake occurred at a 40:1 ratio of chymase to heparin. Chymase activity was partially masked by combination with heparin in the isolated granule or experimental chymase-heparin complex, and soluble purified chymase was inhibited by concentrations of 5-HT comparable to those present in mast cells. It is therefore possible that the active site of chymase in the mast cell granule is largely masked by the combined effects of macromolecular heparin and 5-HT.     

Posture testing (posturography) in the diagnosis of peripheral vestibular pathology

Summary In patients with peripheral vestibular deficiencies, the testing of posture or posturography can give specific information about any compensation obtained in the vestibulospinal reflex (VSR). We have used the statokinesimetric parameter of length in this study. Nearly 50% of the patients with unilateral vestibular hypofunction as well as those patients with paroxysmal positional vertigo (PPV) show abnormal results. These findings indicate deficient compensation at the vestibulospinal level, which is independent of any compensation already achieved at the vestibulo-ocular level. The tests used for the latter, such as positioning and rotational tests, are unable to provide information about the degree of compensation reached in the VSR. The examinations used in the different modalities of sensory interaction can show the presence of influences of ocular fixation and changes of head position. We have observed three types of deviant interaction. Our posturographic data have allowed us to assess functional situations in a more precise way. Any rehabilitation exercises used should be adapted according to these data.Supported by a grant from the Nationaal Fonds voor Geneeskundig Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek