The relationship between communication and marital satisfaction: a review

This paper provides a comprehensive methodological review of the literature assessing the relationship between marital satisfaction and communication. The investigations vary greatly in the adequacy of their assessment measures and soundness of their research design. Although it is generally concluded that both content and process communication are related to marital satisfaction, replication of the better designs is necessary. Specific findings and their practical implications for both future research and marital therapy are discussed.     

Gangliosides of human melanoma: altered expression in vivo and in vitro

The ganglioside composition of human melanoma was analyzed in five sets of tumor specimens obtained directly from surgery, from the autologous tissue culture cell lines, and from the autologous cell lines grown in athymic nude mice. Total gangliosides of these 15 melanoma specimens were isolated and purified, and the amount of each component ganglioside was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and a thin-layer chromatography scanner. The ganglioside composition of the five surgical melanoma specimens clearly exhibited different patterns from each other. Moreover, none of the autologous cultured melanomas possessed the same ganglioside composition as their original biopsied tumors. However, when these melanoma cell lines were transplanted into nude mice, the ganglioside composition was converted back to the same ganglioside pattern as in the original surgical specimens. The results support the view that changes in the ganglioside composition of melanoma during in vitro growth are caused by the culture environment rather than by selection of melanoma cells with a particular genotype. Reestablishment of the original ganglioside patterns after passage in nude mice provides clear evidence that in vivo expression of gangliosides is a conserved and stable function specified by the human melanoma cells.     

The growth of microorganisms in total parenteral nutrition admixtures

Total nutrient admixtures (TNAs) containing glucose, amino acids, and lipid emulsion in one container and amino acid/dextrose solutions [conventional total parenteral nutrition (TPN) formulations] were studied in a controlled laboratory experiment for their ability to support the growth of microorganisms. Both TNA and conventional TPN formulations for peripheral and central venous administration with standard additives were inoculated with microorganisms to provide 10(1)-10(2) colony-forming units/ml (CFU/ml) of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans. The admixtures were stored at room temperature and samples for quantitative microbiology were taken at time 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 hr. K. pneumoniae, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa were able to proliferate in central TNAs, but the growth of these organisms was retarded in conventional TPN solutions. In the peripheral formulations, K. pneumoniae and E. coli proliferated in both the TNA and conventional TPN systems, whereas P. aeruginosa grew well only in the peripheral TNA. S. epidermidis was not able to grow in any admixtures tested; however, C. albicans grew well in all admixtures, but growth was slower in the conventional central TPN. In conclusion, peripheral and central TNAs supported the growth of microorganisms significantly better than conventional TPN solutions.     

Intrathecal morphine for post-thoracotomy pain

We wished to investigate possible differences in the duration of postoperative analgesia and the incidence of respiratory depression after the intrathecal injection in the lumbar area of 10 micrograms/kg morphine in hypobaric and hyperbaric solution for relief of post-thoracotomy pain. Twenty-nine patients received morphine plus dextrose (hyperbaric) and 21 received morphine in preservative-free normal saline. The duration of analgesia was longer with the morphine in the normal saline group than in the hyperbaric group (P less than 0.04). One patient developed delayed respiratory depression. Our data support the use of morphine in normal saline mixtures for greater duration of analgesia after thoracic operations.     

Intubating conditions after vecuronium and atracurium given in divided doses (the priming technique)

Intubating conditions have been assessed at 60 s following administration of vecuronium 0.1 mg kg-1 or atracurium 0.5 mg kg-1 given either as a single dose after induction of anaesthesia with thiopentone or in divided doses; vecuronium 0.015 mg kg-1 followed 4 or 6 min later by 0.085 mg kg-1, or atracurium 0.075 mg kg-1 followed 4 or 6 min later by 0.425 mg kg-1. In the divided dose groups the smaller initial (priming) dose was given prior to induction of anaesthesia. Onset and duration of clinical relaxation were assessed using a peripheral nerve stimulator. The intubating conditions at 60 s improved significantly, with the use of relaxants in divided doses being acceptable in 80 and 70% of patients, respectively, with vecuronium and atracurium, but the conditions are not as good as those commonly found using suxamethonium. Priming at 6 min has no advantage over priming at 4 min. The onset of complete block was accelerated with priming, but the difference was not significant. The duration of clinical relaxation of vecuronium was significantly prolonged by giving it in divided doses. Unpleasant awareness of muscle weakness was observed in 15 patients, requiring early induction of anaesthesia in five of them.     

Resin corrosion cast (Mercox) in experimental evaluation of small vessel anastomosis

This study focuses on obtaining more information about the site of anastomosis, with three-dimensional examination using methylmethacrylate resin (Mercox) corrosion casts. Seventy microvascular anastomoses were performed in Wistar albino rats, divided into two groups before sacrifice. In Group 1 (35), Mercox was injected into the vessels, whereas in Group 2 (35), the tissues were prepared without injecting Mercox. Both groups were compared under the scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM preparation in Group 1 was simple, easy, and artifacts were significantly minimized. The anastomotic site could be well appreciated in three-dimensional views. Clear negative imprints of the endothelial surface were achieved without any breakage in the Mercox corrosion cast, and it can be reliably used in the evaluation of small vessel anastomosis.     

Apramycin and gentamicin resistance in Escherichia coli and salmonellas isolated from farm animals

Since the aminoglycoside antibiotic apramycin was licensed for veterinary use in 1980, all isolates of Escherichia coli and salmonellas received at the Central Veterinary Laboratory have been monitored for resistance to apramycin and the related antibiotic gentamicin. During the period 1982-4, the incidence of resistance in E. coli to apramycin increased from 0.6% in 1982 to 2.6% in 1984. In salmonellas the incidence of resistance to apramycin increased from 0.1% in 1982 to 1.4% in 1984. Resistance to both apramycin and gentamicin was detected in six different salmonella serotypes, although an isolate of Salmonella thompson from poultry was resistant to gentamicin but not apramycin. Most of the cultures were isolated from pigs, although the incidence of apramycin resistance in S. typhimurium (DT 204C) from calves has shown a recent dramatic increase. All the isolates with one exception produced the enzyme aminoglycoside 3-N-acetyltransferase IV (ACC(3)IV). The resistance was transferable by conjugation in most of the strains examined, and the plasmids specifying the resistance have been found to belong to a number of different incompatibility groups. Plasmids from three E. coli strains were compatible with all the reference plasmids and belonged to a previously undescribed group which was investigated further. It is suggested that bacteria from humans should be examined for resistance to apramycin and gentamicin to determine the possibility of the antibiotic-resistance bacteria, and their genes, spreading from animals to humans.     

Simultaneous non-parametric confidence intervals for survival probabilities from censored data

In medical studies with censored data Kaplan and Meier's product limit estimator has frequent use as the estimate of the survival function. Simultaneous confidence intervals for the survival function at various time points constitute a useful addition to the analysis. This study compares several such methods. We consider in a simulation investigation two whole curve confidence bands and four methods based on the Bonferroni inequality. The results show that three Bonferroni-type methods are essentially equivalent, all being better than the other methods when the number of time points is small (3 or 5).