Treatment with PB125® Increases Femoral Long Bone Strength in 15-Month-Old Female Hartley Guinea Pigs.

Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor-2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor that serves as a master regulator of anti-inflammatory agents, phase I xenobiotic, and phase II antioxidant enzymes, all of which provide a cytoprotective role during disease progression. We hypothesized that oral administration of a purported phytochemical Nrf2-activator, PB125®, would increase long bone strength in aging Hartley guinea pigs, a model prone to musculoskeletal decline. Male (N = 56) and female (N = 56) guinea pigs were randomly assigned to receive daily oral treatment with either PB125® or vehicle control. Animals were treated for a consecutive 3-months (starting at 2-months of age) or 10-months (starting at 5-months of age) and sacrificed at 5-months or 15-months of age, respectively. Outcome measures included: (1) ANY-maze™ enclosure monitoring, (2) quantitative microcomputed tomography, and (3) biomechanical testing. Treatment with PB125® for 10 months resulted in increased long bone strength as determined by ultimate bending stress in female Hartley guinea pigs. In control groups, increasing age resulted in significant effects on geometric and structural properties of long bones, as well as a trending increase in ultimate bending stress. Furthermore, both age and sex had a significant effect on the geometric properties of both cortical and trabecular bone. Collectively, this work suggests that this nutraceutical may serve as a promising target and preventive measure in managing the decline in bone mass and quality documented in aging patients. Auxiliary to this main goal, this work also capitalized upon 5 and 15-month-old male and female animals in the control group to characterize age- and sex-specific differences on long bone geometric, structural, and material properties in this animal model.

[Successful hemodialysis for life-threatening carbamazepine drug overdose: Case-based introduction of new guidelines]. / Erfolgreiche Hämodialyse bei lebensbedrohlicher Carbamazepinintoxikation : Vorstellung neuer Leitlinien anhand eines Fallberichts.

BACKGROUND: Over the last decade, there has been a paradigm shift in the extracorporeal treatment of intoxications. The availability of new treatment options, especially new membranes has led to a decrease in the use of techniques like charcoal hemoperfusion, once considered the gold standard to eliminate highly protein bound substances. EXTRIP GUIDELINES: The EXtracorporeal Treatments In Poisoning (EXTRIP) workgroup is a collaborative international effort of pharmacologists, toxicologists, critical care physicians, and nephrologists that is reviewing all available evidence in extracorporeal procedures for the treatment of poisonings in a standardized way to distill treatment recommendations for the physician at the bedside. One of the first available EXTRIP guidelines summarizes treatment recommendations for severe carbamazepine intoxications. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 43-year-old Caucasian woman with who ingested about 21 g carbamazepine in a suicidal attempt together with alcohol. Combining gastroscopic removal of carbamazepine and multiple dose activated charcoal with intermittent high-flux hemodialysis lowered the initial carbamazepine level of 56.5 mg/l (47 mg/l before dialysis) to 25 mg/l. The patient, who initially required mechanical ventilation could be transferred to the psychiatric ward 24 h after ICU admission.

Inhibition of tumor angiogenesis by antibodies, synthetic small molecules and natural products.

Cancer remains one of the major causes of death worldwide. The switch to pathological angiogenesis is a key process in the promotion of cancer and consequently provides several new and promising targets to anticancer therapy. Thus, antagonizing angiogenesis cuts off the tumor's oxygen and nutrition supply. This review focuses on angiogenesis inhibitors as option for cancer treatment. Modes of action, adverse effects, mechanisms of resistance as well as new developments are highlighted. One approach in angiogenesis inhibition is intermitting the further VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) signal pathway with monoclonal antibodies. Bevacizumab is a highly specific recombinant humanized monoclonal IgG antibody targeting VEGF-A. An efficient antitumor therapy demands more specific antibodies that affect other signal molecules besides VEGF-A, which is in the focus of current research. In addition to antagonizing VEGF, there are also small molecules that inhibit receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs). Many RTK inhibitors have been described, which exhibit different specificity profiles. The question, whether highly specific antagonists are necessary remains open, because other affected RTKs may also represent growth factor receptors that are essential for tumor growth. Therefore their inhibition may also contribute to anticancer activity. Secondary plant metabolites represent templates for the development of new small molecules. The identification of new drugs from plants has a long and successful history. There is convincing evidence for the beneficial effect of phytochemicals on cancer-related pathways, particularly with regard to anti-angiogenesis. Plant phenolics are the most important category of phytochemicals, including flavanoids. Prominent phytochemicals affecting different pathways of angiogenesis are green tea polyphenols (epigallocatechin gallate) and soy bean isoflavones (genistein).

Obsessive-compulsive disorder in popular magazines.

To examine what the general public is learning about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) through popular magazines, all articles listed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature under the topic headings of "obsessive-compulsive behavior" or "obsessive-compulsive disorder" between 1983 and 1997 were read and rated. Only 31 of the 107 articles under these headings dealt explicitly with OCD, and these were found to be reasonably accurate in their presentations of symptoms, causes, and treatments. Many of the other articles under the target headings, however, focused on incidents of "stalking" of famous people by "obsessed" fans. The implications of the content patterns of these articles for understanding and misunderstanding of OCD are discussed.

Mental health consumers' experience of stigma.

The extent to which mental health consumers encounter stigma in their daily lives is a matter of substantial importance for their recovery and quality of life. This article summarizes the results of a nationwide survey of 1,301 mental health consumers concerning their experience of stigma and discrimination. Survey results and followup interviews with 100 respondents revealed experience of stigma from a variety of sources, including communities, families, churches, coworkers, and mental health caregivers. The majority of respondents tended to try to conceal their disorders and worried a great deal that others would find out about their psychiatric status and treat them unfavorably. They reported discouragement, hurt, anger, and lowered self-esteem as results of their experiences, and they urged public education as a means for reducing stigma. Some reported that involvement in advocacy and speaking out when stigma and discrimination were encountered helped them to cope with stigma. Limitations to generalization of results include the self-selection, relatively high functioning of participants, and respondent connections to a specific advocacy organization-the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

Children's beliefs about people labeled mentally ill.

A group of 104 third-grade students told stories in response to pictures of adults labeled mentally ill, physically disabled, or unlabeled, and answered questions regarding expected behavior of these adults. Results indicate that, children of this age hold more overall negative attitudes about adults labeled mentally ill than about those designated as physically disabled or nondisabled.

Schizophrenia in popular periodicals.

To examine what the general public is learning about schizophrenia, all articles on schizophrenia listed in the Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature for all even-numbered years between 1964 and 1992 were read and rated. Hallucinations and delusions were the most commonly mentioned symptoms in the articles reviewed, biochemical dysfunction and heredity the most noted causes, and drugs the most cited treatment. The average yearly number of articles was relatively small, however (9.1), and only a minority of those appeared in general circulation magazines. In addition, community support was seldom included in discussions of treatment and specific misconceptions about schizophrenia were rarely addressed.

Community impact of group homes for mentally ill adults.

The phenomenon of resistance to the establishment of group homes for mentally ill adults is well-documented. The extent to which such homes, once established, do or do not create problems for communities is less clear. The current study examined the impressions of residents of a group home neighborhood one year or more after the establishment of the home. Forty-one residents of group home neighborhoods and thirty-nine residents of control (non-home) neighborhoods responded to a survey about their impressions of how a group home had affected or (for controls) would affect their neighborhoods. More than one fourth of the group home neighbors did not even know that they were living near a home. Those who did know tended to report a negligible impact of the group homes on things such as property values, neighborhood crime, resident safety, and distressing incidents in the community. Most of these residents also indicated that they were satisfied with the group home in their neighborhoods. The actual experience of group home neighbors was far more favorable than what residents of the control neighborhood anticipated, despite lack of differences in demographic characteristics or overall attitudes toward community care of mentally ill persons. Results support the view that the feared consequences of group home establishment in residential neighborhoods do not occur and that such homes may gain reasonable acceptance after they are established.

Mental illness topics in popular periodicals.

Recent emphases on educating the general public about mental illness have included the encouragement of the publication of plainly written, lay-oriented information about mental disorders and their treatment in popular periodicals. To examine the extent to which coverage of mental health topics in popular magazines is being accomplished, the present study looked at the numbers and types of articles related to mental health indexed in the Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature and changes in indexed articles between 1965 and 1988. The number of articles and number of headings related to mental illness and treatment have increased significantly since 1965, particularly those describing specific disorders. In addition, many of the changes in headings used by the Readers' Guide are consistent with changes in the field (e.g., the introduction of new diagnostic categories) and with desired changes in terminology (e.g., using less stigmatizing terms). These general findings are encouraging for mental health education advocates, although more detailed analysis of the content of articles is needed to be sure that the increased periodical information available to the public is accurate and up-to-date.

Psychotic versus nonpsychotic misdemeanants in a large county jail: an analysis of pretrial treatment by the legal system.

There are significant numbers of mentally ill men and women in jail and the level of their psychopathology is often serious. Once in jail, the psychotic individual is subjected to conditions conducive to further decompensation and higher suicide rates. If this is the case, the duration of confinement--that is, the duration of exposure to this toxic environment--is not trivial. Of further concern, from the standpoint of due process, would be the duration of confinement prior to any determination of guilt or innocence. Therefore, it makes sense to examine what happens to jailed psychotic individuals as they wait for trial. Our experience suggested that pretrial jail time, even for minor offenses, is lengthy. The central hypothesis of our study, then, was that psychotic men, charged with misdemeanor offenses, would be incarcerated for significantly longer periods of time, prior to trial, than their nonpsychotic fellows. Descriptive data was also collected.

Are gender effects being neglected in schizophrenia research?

Research on schizophrenia published in four professional journals--Journal of Abnormal Psychology, Archives of General Psychiatry, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, and American Journal of Psychiatry--over a 5-year period from January 1985 through December 1989 was examined for gender composition of subject samples and gender analyses of findings. Results indicate a continued predominance of male subjects in schizophrenia research, with males outnumbering females two to one, and frequent neglect of possible gender differences within mixed-sex samples. Possible explanations for the male bias are considered and greater research and editorial attention to possible gender effects are urged.

Impact of a television film on attitudes toward mental illness.

The possible impact of a prime time television film portraying a mentally ill killer was investigated. Groups of college students were shown the film with and without a film trailer reminding viewers that violence is not characteristic of mentally ill persons. A third group viewed a film not about mental illness. Postfilm responses to the Community Attitudes toward the Mentally Ill scale indicated that those who saw the target film expressed significantly less favorable attitudes toward mental illness and community care of mentally ill persons than did those who saw the control film, regardless of whether of not they received the trailer along with the target film. Results support concerns that media depictions add to mental illness stigma and also suggest that corrective information alone may be sufficient to counteract the stigmatizing impact of such audience-involving mass media portrayals.

Family views of stigma.

The views of 487 members of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) concerning stigma were surveyed in 20 different States. Almost all identified stigma as a problem for their mentally ill relatives and for families in general. The most frequently cited effects of stigma on ill relatives were damage to self-esteem, difficulty making and keeping friends, difficulty finding a job, and reluctance to admit mental illness. The most frequently cited effects on families were lowered self-esteem and damaged family relationships. NAMI respondents identified popular movies about mentally ill killers, news coverage of tragedies caused by mentally ill people, casual use of terms like "crazy" and "psycho," and jokes about mental illness as prominent sources of stigma. The things families reportedly found most helpful in dealing with stigma were factual information about mental illness, interaction with other families with mentally ill relatives, support within the family, and research findings that establish a biological basis for mental illness. Mental health professionals received mixed reviews from family members. While not generally viewed as contributing to stigma, mental health professionals were seen as least helpful in dealing with stigma. Overall, survey results indicate that considerable concern about stigma exists among families with mentally ill relatives and that substantial numbers of family members experience the stigma of mental illness in one form or another and perceive that their ill relatives experience it as well.

Influence of pollen feeding and physiological condition on pesticide sensitivity of the honey bee Apis mellifera carnica.

In two consecutive years heavy bee mortality at end April/early May followed the use of pesticides classed as harmless for bees along road verges. It was thought that old weak winter bees had succumbed to a preparation otherwise innocuous. Extensive tests to reveal any links between the bees' physiological condition and pesticide sensitivity involved 6 hormone herbicides, 11 fungicides and 2 insecticides, all approved harmless for bees and functioning on them wholly or mainly as stomach poisons. As a rule bee sensitivity was measured as LD 50 per os, in smaller tests as percentage mortality. Amount and quality of pollen ingested in the first days of life affected the pesticide sensitivity of young and older bees. Bees fed adequate high quality pollen are less sensitive than counterparts fed inadequate or inferior pollen or pollen substitute; such differences persisted if the LD 50 was calculated for the same body weight. Pesticides containing manganese are an exception. To these, bees fed inadequate pollen are no more or even less sensitive than comparable well-fed bees. Pesticide sensitivity decreases generally from early to late summer. Quality of pollen available for larvae has no effect on poison sensitivity of imagines. Food supply conditions however exert a clear influence: tested with the same pesticides, hive bees from colonies having had a rich early food supply, and young bees bred then, are less sensitive than their counterparts having had moderate or no early food supply. Poison sensitivity of summer bees increases with age; most sensitive are old winter bees which had practiced broodcare in early spring.Inadequate pollen intake can be regarded as causing protein deficiency. Investigation of this in mammals and man indicate that the higher poison sensitivity in bees results from inhibition of the enzymatic decomposition of pesticides. For practical bee protection it is important that all organic fungicides tested are effectively harmless. Hormone hebicides can be ranked as practically harmless even for bees inadequately protein-fed, as long as the approved concentrations are observed. Our tests raised doubts however about the registration as harmless for bees of insecticides based on Endosulfan and Phosalon. Of interest in practice and for the official testing of pesticides are also the high pesticide sensitivity of old winter bees, the decrease in sensitivity of bees on a stable feed from early to late summer, and the sensitivity-reducing influence of pollen-rich food supply promoting development.It is important ecologically that pollens of different plant species vary in nutrient quality for the honey bee: there are perfectly worthless (conifers), poor-to-medium, and highly effective pollen types. As shown in this paper, these differences are relevant not only for the development of the physiological condition and breeding potential of the bee, but also for pesticide sensitivity. That bees gather worthless and poor-quality, sometimes even poisonous, pollen (some Ranunculus sp.) is evidently due to the phagostimulant present in all pollen types.

Perceived sex differences in inpatients' psychopathology: some preliminary findings.

21 staff members from an inpatient psychiatric hospital were interviewed about their perceptions of symptomatological differences between male and female inpatients. Analysis of the interview data indicated significant staff agreement on 4 of 9 rated contrast categories and trends toward significance in two others. Staff described females as greater management problems, showing more emotion, being more troublesome and uncooperative, having poorer contact with reality, and being less willing to participate in social interactions than their male counterparts. These consistently perceived differences, it is suggested, likely lead to different ward atmospheres and difference staff expectations for male and female inpatients.

Time estimation among schizophrenics.

Studies of time estimation among schizophrenics have sometimes been difficult to integrate with one another because of differing methodologies and inconsistent definitions. The present study should increase clarity by employing several methods of time estimation within the same study and maintaining a consistent definition of overestimation and underestimation across tasks. 26 schizophrenic and 26 control subjects were given three types of time-estimation tasks. Longer interval Estimation involved judging, at different points in the interview/testing session, how much time had passed. Verbal Estimation required subjects to judge the length of brief intervals signalled by the examiner. Operative Estimation required subjects to indicate when a specified number of seconds had passed. Schizophrenic subjects were significantly more inaccurate than controls in the Verbal and Operative Estimation tasks. Moreover, with overestimation defined consistently as judging more time to have passed than actually has, both Verbal and Operative Estimation results indicated schizophrenics were significantly more likely to overestimate. These results indicate support for the suggestion that schizophrenics have a disturbed sense of time, with real (clock) time experienced as passing more slowly than is actually the case. Long Interval Estimation produced quite different results, but it was felt that the retrospective and unfocused nature of the time judgments in this task made it a less valid indicator of ability to estimate.

Schizophrenic patterns of dichotic shadowing performance.

This study sought to utilize dichotic shadowing tasks in the investigation of differences between schizophrenics and controls and, secondarily, between paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics. Sixteen subjects from each of four diagnostic groups--paranoid schizophrenics, nonparanoid schizophrenics, psychiatric controls, and normal controls--were tested in dichotic shadowing under one of two instructional conditions ("ignore the left ear" or "listen to both ears"). Schizophrenics made more errors with distraction, showed poorer ?recall of target material than did controls, and were abnormally insensitive to task instructions. This was interpreted as supporting previous reports that schizophrenics are lacking in selective attentional ability, deficient in retrieval of information, and inefficient in the sense of being unable to adapt to task instructions. In addition, recall and recognition results indicated that distraction affected paranoid and nonparanoid schizophrenics somewhat differently, resulting in overinclusion for paranoids but general response disruption or overexclusion for nonparanoids.

Handedness in schizophrenia.

26 schizophrenic patients (40 to 55 yr.), 21 non-schizophrenic patients (40 to 55 yr.), and 18 staff controls (25 to 40 yr.) from the same unit of a public psychiatric hospital were questioned about hand preference. Schizophrenics showed somewhat more confusion about hand preference than other subjects, but otherwise patterns of hand preference did not differ for the three groups. The inclusion of schizophrenics among those groups identified with laterality disturbances, then, was not supported.