Corporate instability is related to airline pilots' stress symptoms

The Symptoms of Stress questionnaire was administered to three random samples of commercial airline pilots. Respondents included 1 group of 212 pilots who were employed by an airline company with a history of corporate instability; and 2 groups, totalling 220 pilots, who were employed by 2 airline carriers with histories of corporate stability. The pilot group employed by the airline with a history of corporate instability reported significantly more stress and depression symptoms and a greater accumulation of symptoms than did the pilot groups employed by the stable airlines. With the advent of airline deregulation and its concomitant changes in the airline industry, including corporate instability, we conclude that the relationship between corporate instability within the aviation environment and the subjective distress reported by pilots suggests the need for further investigation into implications for health and safety.     

Management of chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting using a serotonin antagonist.

Patients receiving chemotherapy continue to experience nausea and vomiting despite recent strides to understand the physiology of these symptoms and despite current antiemetic therapies. Ondansetron, a serotonin antagonist, has shown to be a safe and effective drug in alleviating nausea and vomiting. This research-synthesis article provides summaries of eight clinical trials completed between 1988 and 1991. It includes a discussion of the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of ondansetron, suggestions for adverse events, and implications for nursing practice and future research.     

Effects of benserazide on tryptophan metabolism in the mouse

Benserazide [N-(seryl)-N′-(2,3,4-trihydroxybenzyl)-hydrazine, Ro4-4602] is known to inhibit aromatic amino acid decarboxylase. David [1] has shown that administration of [1-¹⁴C]tryptophan to mice leads to a considerable evolution of ¹⁴CO₂, and that this is inhibited by prior administration of benserazide. This was interpreted as indicating that decarboxylation to tryptamine may be a major pathway of tryptophan metabolism in the mouse. In the present work, an alternative explanation is advanced. Evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ from [1-¹⁴C]tryptophan could be due to metabolism of the alanine released by the action of kynureninase. In this case there would also be evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ following administration of [2-¹⁴C]tryptophan. This has been demonstrated. It has further been shown that benserazide is a potent inhibitor of kynureninase and kynurenine aminotransferase in the mouse. The result of this inhibition is both a decrease in oxidative metabolism of tryptophan and an increase in the concentration of kynurenine in the liver. These effects are seen at levels of the drug similar to doses used clinically in treatment of Parkinson's disease. One effect of reduced oxidative metabolism of tryptophan would be reduced synthesis of nicotinamide, and it is possible that patients treated with benserazide may show some signs of niacin deficiency.     

Dissolution of cholesterol gallstones using methyl tert-butyl ether

Symptomatic cholelithiasis affects a large segment of the population. Several nonoperative therapeutic alternatives for treatment of these gallstones have recently been developed. We present here the technical aspects and results of gallstone dissolution in 75 patients with the use of methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) administered via a small percutaneously placed cholecystostomy catheter. Successful stone dissolution was achieved in 69 patients. The average time required for stone dissolution was 12.4 h over an average of 2.4 days, with the success and rate of dissolution being very dependent on technique. Six patients have developed recurrent gallstones. Future efforts will focus on decreasing the labor intensity of the procedure, dealing with the noncholesterol components of gallstones, and preventing gallstone recurrence.     

Biochemical quantification of crypt hyperplastic villous atrophy by aldolase activity assay

Aldolase activity with the two substrates fructose-1-phosphate and fructose-1,6-diphosphate was measured in the homogenate of small intestinal biopsy specimens from children with different malabsorptive diseases (celiac disease, cow's milk protein intolerance, infectious diarrhea, giardiasis, and Crohn's disease) and controls. It is demonstrated that the ratio of fructose-1,6-diphosphate/fructose-1-phosphate activity, which reflects the relative amounts of the crypt enzyme aldolase A (EC 4.1.2.13) and the villous enzyme aldolase B (EC 4.1.2.7), correlates very well with both the ratio of crypt to villous height (correlation factor r = 0.92) and the mitotic index (r = 0.80).