Acute cardiac and pulmonary arrest after infusion of vancomycin with subsequent desensitization

J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;100:853-4.     

Elements of psychological support in nursing care

The paper presents the results of a pilot study which involved 50 nurses from several departments of internal medicine of The State Clinical Hospital of the Collegium Medicum, Jagiellonian University in Cracow. The results are based on the Statement Response Questionnaire. They show that the most common responses of the nurses in the face of anxiety expressed by patients are cheering up the patient, collecting information about the symptom, and offering explanation of the symptom. The least common responses included expressing one's own positive emotions and showing empathy towards the patient.     

Total cortisol,free cortisol,and growth hormone associated with brief social separation experiences in young macaques

Many behavioral, immunological, and physiological consequences of brief maternal separation in bonnet (Macaca radiata) and pigtail monkeys (Macaca nemistrina) have been documented. However, the impact of social separation on plasma cortisol and growth hormone is unknown for these particular species. In the present study, the behavioral and endocrinological consequences of a 2-week maternal separation in socially housed infant bonnet and pigtail monkeys were followed. In seven pairs (separated and matched control) of bonnet and six pairs of pigtail infants, plasma was obtained under baseline, separated, and reunion conditions twice weekly for the duration of the study. Blood samples were obtained from both infants of the pair in approximately 10 min. Plasma total cortisol, free cortisol, and growth hormone were measured in these samples. Focal animal behavioral observations were made on all subjects twice daily throughout the study period. In both species, total cortisol and free cortisol rose immediately following maternal separation in comparison to the matched nonseparated controls and returned to basal levels (e.g., that of matched non-separted controls) following reunion with the mother. In contrast, plasma growth hormone rose only in the pigtail infants over a time course that peaked around the time of reunion. Multiple regression techniques indicated for the first week of separation, in the separated but not control subjects, that mean plasma free and total cortisol was positively related to distress behaviors (vocalization and postural slouch) observed during this week and negatively related to social behaviors (play and proximity to others) noted during the same period. In contrast, plasma growth hormone was related to both species and sex of the subjects but unrelated to behavioral variables. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Photoinduced electron transfer in porphyrin-naphthyl pairs covalently and randomly bound to α-helical poly(L-lysine)

The photophysics of protoporphyrin-naphthyl (P-N) pairs covalently and randomly bound to the ε-amino groups of the side-chains of poly(L -lysine) (PL) were investigated by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. The results indicate that quenching of excited naphthalene (λ_ex = 280 nm) chiefly occurs by interconversion to the triplet state when the polymeric matrix is in random coil (pH ≈ 7) and by intramolecular electron transfer from ground-state porphyrin, P → ¹N^*, when the polypeptide is in α-helical conformation (pH ≈ 11), the specific rate constant of the electron transfer being 3,1 · 10⁷ s^?1 (25°C). PNPL exhibits very little exciplex fluorescence, whatever the pH, suggesting both a reduced internal Brownian motion of the chromophores, owing to the amide bond in the substituted side-chains, and a relatively large average interprobe separation distance. This agrees with polarized fluorescence data and with the results of a conformational statistics analysis on the fully ordered PNPL, indicating that the average interchromophoric distance for which the electron transfer has the highest probability to occur is around 12 Å. The computational results allowed us to reproduce the experimental fluorescence decay curves and estimate the parameters governing the electron transfer process. Implications of these findings on the relaxation time of the heli-xcoil transition in PNPL are briefly discussed.     

Assessment of sexual abuse and trauma: Clinical measures

Examined are several measures currently used in the assessment of child abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma. These measures include structured clinical interviews, self report measures, screening inventory, symptom checklist, and some measures that include decision making properties. Issues and implications for clinical practice are explored.     

Nutrition, Exercise, and Healthy Aging

Advancing age is associated with a remarkable number of changes in body composition, including reduction in lean body mass and increase in body fat, which have been well documented. Decreased lean body mass occurs primarily as a result of losses in skeletal muscle mass. This age-related loss in muscle mass has been termed “sarcopenia”. Loss in muscle mass accounts for the age-associated decreases in basal metabolic rate, muscle strength, and activity levels, which, in turn are the cause of the decreased energy requirements of the elderly. In sedentary persons, the main determinant of energy expenditure is fat-free mass, which declines by about 15% between the third and eighth decade of life. It also appears that declining energy needs are not matched by an appropriate decline in energy intake, with the ultimate result being increased body fat content. Increased body fatness and increased abdominal obesity are thought to be directly linked to the greatly increased incidence of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus among the elderly. In this review we will discuss the extent to which regularly performed exercise can affect nutrition needs and functional capacity in the elderly. We will also discuss a variety of concerns when prescribing exercise in the elderly, such as planning for a wide variability in functional status, medical status, and training intensity and duration. Finally, we will attempt to provide some basic guidelines for beginning an exercise program for older men and women and establishing community-based programs.