Simplified protocol for the micropropagation of selected Eucalyptus and Banksia species

The Australian native plants Eucalyptus microcorys, Banksia serrata and Banksia oblongifolia were evaluated for their potential to produce tissue culture stocks under a simplified regime of growth substance treatment for shoot multiplication and root induction. The use of N⁶-benzyladenine (BA) alone proved to be successful with the three species in producing shoot multiplication, but only if shoot apices were used as explant material. Juvenile material provided best shoot proliferation, and by varying the concentration of BA, shoot elongation was manipulated. A combination of half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and 0.25μM BA proved to be the best compromise medium for shoot proliferation combined with shoot elongation. The use of indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) alone was successful in initiating roots from the three species. Root induction was easiest in E. microcorys, at an optimum concentration of 5μM IBA, but the Banksia species were more difficult. The results demonstrate that a simplified protocol for shoot multiplication and root induction can be applied to a diverse group of Australian plants, which should result in more species being introduced into tissue culture programmes.     

Italian Norms for the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale,Form C1

This paper presents norms for an Italian translation of the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C (SHSS:C; Weitzenhoffer & Hilgard, 1962). Archival data on hypnosis research subjects recruited over a 10-year period of research on hypnosis were pooled, resulting in an aggregate sample of 356 participants (263 female and 93 male). Score distribution, item difficulty levels, and reliability of the SHSS:C were computed. Of this group, 218 subjects were administered the Harvard Group Scale of Hypnotic Susceptibility approximately 3 weeks prior to administration of the SHSS:C. The remaining 138 subjects received only the SHSS:C. Results suggest that the Italian version of the SHSS:C is a reliable and valid measure.     

Diagnosis and Management of Buerger's Disease

In the introduction of new drugs, one must consider critically their possible harmful effects on the blood and bone marrow. When there is a choice among several drugs, all of which have the same therapeutic effect but one of which occasionally harms a patient, use of the harmful drug should be excluded.     

Inhibitory effects of sigma‐1 ligands on handling‐induced tachycardia in conscious tethered rats

We used conscious tethered Sprague‐Dawley rats to evaluate the cardiovascular effects of four sigma‐1 (σ₁) agonists and five antagonists, given alone or in combination. All drugs were administered as a single intraperitoneal dose. The agonists were given at doses reported as efficacious in rodent cognition models, while the antagonists were administered at doses neutralizing agonist effects in vivo. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and heart rate (HR) were continuously recorded for 20 min before and 60 min postadministration. Immediately after injection, a sudden, transitory increase in HR and SBP was noted in all animals, because of the stress induced by handling. For both parameters, a peak value (ΔHR_max and ΔSBP_max) and an area under the curve of changes from baseline over the period 5–20 min postinjection (ΔHR_AUC_{5–20 min} and ΔSBP_AUC_{5–20 min}) were calculated. Three of the four σ₁ agonists (SKF‐10,047, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS), Compound 14) significantly reduced ΔHR_AUC_{5–20 min} value without changing ΔHR_max, while the fourth one, SA‐4503, had no significant effect. None of the antagonists (haloperidol, rimcazole, NE‐100, and BD1047) reduced, and even one (progesterone) enhanced the stress‐induced effects on HR. No changes in SBP were noted with any compound. When the antagonist NE‐100 was administered just before SKF‐10,047, it completely reversed the inhibitory effects of the σ₁ agonist on HR increase. In conclusion, we demonstrated for the first time the involvement of σ₁ receptors in the regulation of handling‐induced tachycardia in the conscious rat. Although additional investigations are needed to fully understand this role, it might offer new therapeutic perspectives to σ₁ ligands in the cardiovascular sphere.     

Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and rehabilitation

Purpose: The Disability Adjusted Life Year (DALY) is a unit that was developed for use in cost-effectiveness analysis and epidemiology studies. It is a combined measure of both death and disability, and has been extensively utilized in several countries and across various conditions. The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications for rehabilitation of the widespread use of this measure. Method: The premises upon which the disability weight were developed are examined in the light of existing literature. Conclusion: It is concluded that, whereas the incorporation of the impact of disability on disease burden is to be lauded, the DALY is insensitive to changes in disability status. Consequently, resource allocation to rehabilitation activities based on cost-effectiveness analysis using DALYs may be diminished. There is also a dearth of epidemiological information relating to disability and it is incumbent on rehabilitation professionals to address this lack. The DALY protocol is under revision and those concerned with rehabilitation issues should contribute to the debates surrounding cost-effectiveness analysis and the units that are used to determine the effectiveness component.