Measuring Psychological Inflexibility of Suicidal Thoughts: The Acceptance and Action Questionnaire for Suicidal Ideation (AAQ-SI)

Cognitive Therapy and Research - Despite interest in psychological inflexibility as a marker of suicide risk, no measure of psychological inflexibility specific to SI exists. The present study...     

Use of different combination diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis vaccines does not increase risk of 30-day infant mortality. A population-based linkage cohort study using administrative data from the Australian Childhood Immunisation Register and the National Death Index.

Objective

To determine whether differences in combination DTaP vaccine types at 2, 4 and 6?months of age were associated with mortality (all-cause or non-specific), within 30?days of vaccination.

Evaluation of the influence of the aqueous phase bioconstituent environment on the F-19 T1 of perfluorocarbon blood substitute emulsions

Oxygen-sensitive F-19 magnetic resonance imaging of perfluorocarbon compounds requires that fluorocarbon T1 changes correlate with the local Po₂ and not with the composition of the surrounding aqueous phase. The influence of various bioconstituents and paramagnetic ions within the aqueous phase on the F-19 fluorocarbon phase T1 for PFC emulsions was evaluated at 0.14 and 0.66 T. T1 was measured for FC-43, perflubron, and a fluorinated surfactant. Controlled variables introduced in the aqueous phase included annex solution constituents, blood, pH changes, and Gd-DTPA. For a constant Po₂, the F-19 T1s were independent of the emulsion constituents, blood concentration, and pH. For FC-43 and perflubron, F-19 T1 was independent of the Gd-DTPA concentration, while the aqueous phase T1 decreased by more than an order of magnitude. XMO-10 (smallest emulsion particle size) showed a slight decrease in F-19 T1 with increasing Gd-DTPA concentration at 0.66 T.     

Anorectal function in the solitary rectal ulcer syndrome

The anorectal function of nine patients with solitary rectal ulcer syndrome (SRUS) (5 F: 4 M, median age, 27 (range, 19–41 years) and nine control subjects (5 F: 4 M, median age, 47 (35–66)P<0.01) has been investigated by a new technique that radiologically visualizes the anorectum during voiding of a semisolid contrast medium, while simultaneously measuring intrarectal pressure and anal sphincter EMG activity. A degree of rectal prolapse was demonstrated in eight of the SRUS patients; six of these lesions were clinically occult. Abnormal failure of the anal sphincter to relax on voiding was present in seven of the SRUS patients. These abnormalities resulted in the SRUS patients requiring a greater increase in intrarectal pressure (median, 100 cm water) to void than the control subjects (median, 65 cm water,P<0.01). This combination of high intrarectal pressure and rectal prolapse during straining seems to be the cause of SRUS This work was supported by a grant from the Medical Research Council.     

Simulated home treatment of depression with nortriptyline

1. Twenty-two patients hospitalized for treatment of depression were treated under conditions simulating those of home treatment. 2. Full doses of nortriptyline, from 100 to 150 mg/day, were started after baseline observations were made. 3. Two patients were dropped from the study, one for orthostatic hypotension, one for an aberrant response to nortriptyline. Two additional patients developed orthostasis which was easily managed. Otherwise no unusual side effects were noted. 4. After six days of treatment, 9 of 20 patients showed significant improvement with an overall reduction in scores on the Hamilton Depression Scale of 49% for the entire group. 5. Using the weight-adjusted dosage schedule, 18 of the 21 patients attained plasma concentrations of nortriptyline within the presumed therapeutic range; however, no clear relationship could be established between plasma concentrations and clinical response. 6. With proper selection of patients, it should be possible to treat at home some patients who currently are considered to require hospitalization.     

Surgical implications of cerebral dysgenesis

Cerebral dysgenesis encompasses varied disorders of brain development. Based on the understanding of these conditions provided by histopathologists, embryologists, radiologists and developmental pediatricians, surgeons are able to appropriately assist in the care of these patients. The surgeon can offer assessment of the ventriculomegaly that commonly accompanies cerebral dysgenesis in addition to providing methods to control hydrocephalus, to reconstruct cranial and facial malformations and to remove dysfunctional tissue. For most patients, surgical intervention is only one of the many factors that determine developmental prognosis. Based on the foundation built by other specialists, this review discusses cerebral dysgenesis from the perspective of historical and current surgical interventions.