Self-administration in baboons and the discriminative stimulus effects in rats of bupropion,nomifensine, diclofensine and imipramine

The behavioral effects of the antidepressants nomifensine, diclofensine, bupropion, and imipramine were examined using a cocaine substitution drug self-administration procedure in baboons and a cocaine drug discrimination procedure in rats. Intravenous self-administration of the antidepressants was examined in baboons under conditions in which baseline responding was maintained by intravenous injections of cocaine HCl (0.32 mg/kg/injection). Drug was available under a fixed-ratio 80-response or 160-response schedule of intravenous injection. Each drug injection was followed by a 3-h time-out allowing a maximum of eight injections per day. The antidepressants or their vehicles were substituted for cocaine for a period of 15 days, followed by a return to the cocaine baseline. Nomifensine, diclofensine, and bupropion all maintained self-administration behavior at levels above those maintained by their respective vehicles. Some doses of nomifensine, diclofensine, and bupropion maintained levels of behavior similar to those maintained under baseline cocaine conditions. High doses of imipramine maintained levels of behavior above those maintained by its vehicle, but the amount of behavior maintained under these conditions was extremely small. In a second experiment rats were trained to discriminate 32 µmol/kg cocaine (IP 10 min presession) from no drug in a two-lever food reinforced drug discrimination procedure in which responding on one lever was reinforced following ten consecutive responses when the session was preceded by cocaine administration, while responding on the other lever was similarly reinforced in the absence of cocaine pretreatment. Cocaine, nomifensine, diclofensine, and bupropion all dose-dependently occasioned cocaine-appropriate responding. Imipramine did not occasion cocaine-appropriate responding over a range of behaviorally active doses.     

An analysis of the deep social structure preventing the development of a national policy for children and families in the United States

The United States is one of the few economically developed nations without a national policy supporting children and their families. This paper suggests that the United States has a unique national ideology, based on the “Calvinistic Ethic,” which results in opposition to not only social programs for children and families, but to all government supported welfare programs. Such an ethic is not found in European countries. Finally, since the United States does not have a national family policy, millions of children and their families go without health care, lack social services, and suffer from inadequate economic supports.     

Improvement of Decreased Critical Flicker Frequency (CFF) in Headache Patients With Drug Abuse After Successful Withdrawal

A considerable proportion of headache patients fulfill the criteria of "drug abuse" (definition according to the International Headache Society [IHS] criteria). These patients exhibit markedly reduced vigilance and continuous performance, as shown by the results of critical flicker frequency (CFF) analysis.
The present study deals with the question whether this impairment of vigilance and continuous performance is reversible. Forty-eight headache patients with drug abuse were investigated three times by means of CFF analysis: immediately before (A), immediately after (B), and 3 weeks after having finished (C) inpatient drug withdrawal.
Immediately after withdrawal, a significant decrease of headache intensity was observed. The CFF values, however, remained unchanged at a depressed level, probably due to withdrawal medication and the initial sedative side effects of thymoleptic agents (given as prophylaxis).
Three weeks after withdrawal, however, the CFF values were significantly improved, and were now within a range not far from the normal values known from a healthy general population. Thus, even after many years of drug abuse, headache patients have a good chance to improve their vigilance and continuous performance and to reach normal or close to normal levels.     

Investigation of Direct Causes of Drug Relapse and Abstainers’ Demands in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City of China

Objective To identify the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demand, and to develop programs for the prevention of drug relapse. Methods Abstainers in a Compulsive Detoxification Center in Wuhan City, capital of Hubei Province were randomly selected. An investigation on the direct causes of drug relapse and abstainers’ demands was conducted with multiple-choice questionnaires and face to face interviews. Data were analyzed with SPSS 12.0. Results The direct causes leading to drug relapse included: temptation to use drug again by themselves or by their drug mates, seeking pleasure and ecstasy from drug use, relatively well off living, mental stress, irritation, demoralization, family conflicts, unemployment, feeling distrusted by the family, lack of care and love from the family, and discrimination by others. abstainers’ demands after detoxification and returning to the society included: care and support from the family, employment assistance, changing living environment, understanding by others, support from the society, and keeping far away from drugs. Conclusions Environmental factors are the direct causes of drug relapse, and negative irritation is its predisposing causes. Leaving former residence, more care and help given by both the family and the society and raising their overall quality of life are the demands of abstainers.     

低位无肛术术中完整保留瘘口组织的必要性和可行性

目的探讨低位肛门直肠畸形术术中保留瘘口组织的必要性和可行性。方法对67例无肛前庭及会阴瘘患儿的临床资料进行回顾性分析。其中女童无肛前庭瘘59例,男童无肛会阴瘘8例。年龄3个月~16岁,平均10个月。患儿多以排便困难或肛门位置异常就诊。4例无肛前庭瘘患儿曾在婴儿期行瘘口后切术。患儿均采用完整保留瘘口的前矢状入路肛门成形术治疗。结果患儿术后3及6个月常规来院复诊,最长随访8年。65例(97.0%)患儿会阴部矢状切口一期愈合,会阴及肛门外观良好;另2例(男、女各1例)术中直肠破损患儿,自修补处穿孔导致会阴部矢状切口感染(占直肠破损修补术的40%),最终形成直肠会阴瘘,但肛门外观良好。67例均采用肛门功能临床评分标准评估患儿排便功能,64例(95.5%)患儿排便功能良好,总评分为5~6分;另3例(男1例,女2例)顽固便秘,需开塞露协助排便。结论低位无肛术中完整保留瘘口组织非常必要。     

Psychiatrists' Use of Melatonin with Children

Background:  Melatonin is gaining popularity as a sedative agent with children. This study sought to characterise this practice more precisely as well as examine aspects of its safety and efficacy in order to develop treatment guidelines.
Method:  Postal surveys of two groups of psychiatrists: generic child psychiatrists and psychiatrists who regularly treat learning disabled children.
Results:  Both groups (all of the specialists and 81% of the non-specialists) reported regular but not frequent use of melatonin in their usual practice, mostly for night-settling sleep problems refractory to behavioural modification strategies, commonly in the context of neurodevelopmental disability (especially autism). Treatment was described as being 'usually successful' and side-effects were highly infrequent and mild in nature. Variations in most prescribing practices were identified (dosage, timing).
Conclusions:  Melatonin appears to represent a useful and relatively safe drug when used in specific circumstances; however, the evidence-base underpinning its use, particularly over the long-term, remains modest. Thus caution and clinical audit of practice is required.     

轻度贫血对学龄儿童体力工作能力的影响

本文报告29对轻度贫血和非贫血儿童在平板机运动试验条件下的最大运动耐受时间,耗氧量、心率和运动后血乳酸浓度。结果表明,轻度贫血组儿童最大耐受时间、最大耗氧量均低于非贫血组。运动后血乳酸高于非贫血组。经一个月补铁治疗后,贫血组最大耐受时间提高0.9分钟,血乳酸降至非贫血组水平,但最大耗氧量无显著性变化。由此说明轻度贫血对学龄儿童体力工作能力有一定的影响。     

Pediatric lung transplantation: Literature review 2005

This review summarizes important original articles in the field of pediatric lung transplantation that were published in 2005. The review is intended to be comprehensive, but not exhaustive.     

Safety of levocetirizine treatment in young atopic children: An 18-month study

There are more than 40 H(1)-antihistamines available worldwide. Most of these medications have never been optimally studied in prospective, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trials in children. The aim was to perform a long-term study of levocetirizine safety in young atopic children. In the randomized, double-masked Early Prevention of Asthma in Atopic Children Study, 510 atopic children who were age 12-24 months at entry received either levocetirizine 0.125 mg/kg or placebo twice daily for 18 months. Safety was assessed by: reporting of adverse events, numbers of children discontinuing the study because of adverse events, height and body mass measurements, assessment of developmental milestones, and hematology and biochemistry tests. The population evaluated for safety consisted of 255 children given levocetirizine and 255 children given placebo. The treatment groups were similar demographically, and with regard to number of children with: one or more adverse events (levocetirizine, 96.9%; placebo, 95.7%); serious adverse events (levocetirizine, 12.2%; placebo, 14.5%); medication-attributed adverse events (levocetirizine, 5.1%; placebo, 6.3%); and adverse events that led to permanent discontinuation of study medication (levocetirizine, 2.0%; placebo, 1.2%). The most frequent adverse events related to: upper respiratory tract infections, transient gastroenteritis symptoms, or exacerbations of allergic diseases. There were no significant differences between the treatment groups in height, mass, attainment of developmental milestones, and hematology and biochemistry tests. The long-term safety of levocetirizine has been confirmed in young atopic children.     

A population-based study of repeat hospital admissions due to interpersonal violence for children aged 0–9 years

To assess the magnitude and nature of interpersonal violence resulting in hospitalisation of children and to identify subgroups at risk of repeat hospital admissions, a population-based, retrospective study of all violence hospitalisations in Western Australia for children aged 9 years or less was undertaken, using the 1990–2004 linked data retrieved from the Western Australian Mortality Database and the Hospital Morbidity Data System.
Of the 747 patients aged <10 years incurring 834 hospitalisations for the consequences of violence during the study period, 570 (76%) were less than 4 years of age. A total of 43 deaths from violence were recorded and 74 (9%) patients were admitted for more than one episode of violence. Victims aged 0–4 years from rural (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35, 5.43) and remote parts (HR = 2.79; 95% CI 1.25, 6.25) of the state were at increased risk of a subsequent admission for violence compared with those residing within the metropolitan area. Indigenous children aged 5–9 years were significantly more likely (HR = 3.57; 95% CI 1.14, 11.13) to incur a second hospitalisation for violence than their non-Indigenous counterparts. The identification of young victim subgroups at high risk of repeat hospitalisations is important for developing intervention strategies to reduce the burden of interpersonal violence. Young children aged 0–4 years living in rural and remote locations and Indigenous children aged 5–9 years should be specifically targeted for attention.