When not to comment.

Suggests that errors, such as the one S. D. McLaughlin (1980) made in his critique of M. H. Birnbaum's (1979) article on sex bias in salaries of psychologists, could be avoided if authors would read material cited as containing theory before rushing into print with claims that procedures are atheoretical. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

When not to syringe an ear

This article reviews the potential hazards of ear syringing and the Accident Compensation Corporation Medical Misadventure Unit's experience of alleged iatrogenic injury over a 17-month period. Syringing claims account for about 25% of the total claims received by the ACC ENT Medical Misadventure Committee. Forty-seven claims were accepted as either mishap or error, and 63 claims were declined. Perforation of the drum was by far the commonest injury resulting in significant disability. Severe iatrogenic otitis externa accounted for most of the remainder. Practice nurses had syringed the ears of approximately two-thirds of the claimants with significant disability. The contraindications to ear syringing are listed and discussed. The correct technique, with a few "do and don't" pointers, is briefly reviewed. Management of the unintentional injury is discussed.     

Using the theory of planned behavior to predict gambling behavior.

Gambling is an important public health concern. To better understand gambling behavior, we conducted a classroom-based survey that assessed the role of the theory of planned behavior (TPB; i.e., intentions, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and attitudes) in past-year gambling and gambling frequency among college students. Results from this research support the utility of the TPB to explain gambling behavior in this population. Specifically, in TPB models to predict gambling behavior, friend and family subjective norms and perceived behavioral control predicted past-year gambling, and friend and family subjective norms, attitudes, and perceived behavioral control predicted gambling frequency. Intention to gamble mediated these relationships. These findings suggest that college-based responsible gambling efforts should consider targeting misperceptions of approval regarding gambling behavior (i.e., subjective norms), personal approval of gambling behavior (i.e., attitudes), and perceived behavioral control to better manage gambling behavior in various situations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Resistance to antibiotics of Shigella strains isolated in Somalia

The resistance to antibiotics of 240 Shigella strains isolated in Somalia from 1973 to 1976 was studied. Many strains, particularly those of Shigella dysenteriae type 1, were found to be resistant to more than one drug. In view of their resistance to ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, tetracycline, and sulfonamides, it is suggested that polymyxin B or M sulfate - which have proved to be effective in vivo - should be used for the treatment of clinically typical cases of bacillary dysentery.     

Differences in immune responses to antibiotics in three guinea-pig strains

Dithiocarboxylate ligands were synthesized and characterised. New nitrido 99m-technetium complexes were obtained with these ligands and identified by thin layer chromatography. The nitrido complexes were tested in vitro in whole blood for leucocyte labelling and the design of the ligand was optimized. Best results were obtained with aliphatic linear ligands, containing 9 to 11 atoms of carbon. The in vivo experiment failed because an inflammated area could not be visualized by gamma imaging, the cell labelling mechanism being probably different.     

Effect of spontaneous breathing trial duration on outcome of attempts to discontinue mechanical ventilation. Spanish Lung Failure Collaborative Group

The duration of spontaneous breathing trials before extubation has been set at 2 h in research studies, but the optimal duration is not known. We conducted a prospective, multicenter study involving 526 ventilator-supported patients considered ready for weaning, to compare clinical outcomes for trials of spontaneous breathing with target durations of 30 and 120 min. Of the 270 and 256 patients in the 30- and 120-min trial groups, respectively, 237 (87.8%) and 216 (84.8%), respectively, completed the trial without distress and were extubated (p = 0.32); 32 (13.5%) and 29 (13.4%), respectively, of these patients required reintubation within 48 h. The percentage of patients who remained extubated for 48 h after a spontaneous breathing trial did not differ in the 30- and 120-min trial groups (75.9% versus 73.0%, respectively, p = 0.43). The 30- and 120-min trial groups had similar within-unit mortality rates (13 and 9%, respectively) and in-hospital mortality rates (19 and 18%, respectively). Reintubation was required in 61 (13.5%) patients, and these patients had a higher mortality (20 of 61, 32.8%) than did patients who tolerated extubation (18 of 392, 4.6%) (p < 0.001). Neither measurements of respiratory frequency, heart rate, systolic blood pressure, and oxygen saturation during the trial, nor other functional measurements before the trial discriminated between patients who required reintubation from those who tolerated extubation. In conclusion, after a first trial of spontaneous breathing, successful extubation was achieved equally effectively with trials targeted to last 30 and 120 min.     

Specific binding of aminoglycoside antibiotics to RNA

BACKGROUND: Aminoglycoside antibiotics interfere with ribosomal protein synthesis and with intron splicing. Various lines of evidence suggest that RNA is the molecular target for aminoglycosides, but little is known about the recognition process. Is recognition of a particular aminoglycoside specific for certain RNA structures? If so, what are the rules for recognition? We have begun to investigate this problem by in vitro selection of RNA molecules that can specifically bind to the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin. RESULTS: An RNA diversity library was used to select for sequences capable of binding to the aminoglycoside antibiotic tobramycin. After six cycles of selection, 82% of the RNA bound to tobramycin specifically. The selected RNA was reverse-transcribed into DNA, which was then cloned. At low selection stringency, an extremely large number of clones, on the order of 10(7), produced RNAs capable of binding tobramycin with Kds in the microM range (values similar to that observed for the binding of tobramycin to Escherichia coli ribosomes). Sequencing of 18 of the clones revealed no obvious consensus sequence. At higher selection stringencies (Kds in the nM range) only two consensus sequences for binding were observed. CONCLUSIONS: We have shown that RNA molecules can be readily selected that bind the aminoglycoside tobramycin. The RNAs that bind tobramycin with high affinity contain consensus binding regions that may be confined to predicted stem-loop structures. These studies open the way for understanding the basis of RNA-aminoglycoside recognition.     

The addition of antibiotics to fibrin glue

Coronary artery bypass grafting is the treatment of choice for significant left main coronary artery disease. A patient with an occluded left main coronary artery in the setting of myocardial infarction, who was given streptokinase and subsequently managed with intracoronary stenting, is reported.     

Resistance to antibiotics of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains

Streptococcus pneumoniae strains are exhibiting increasing rates of antibiotics resistance. A rapid increase of resistance was seen not only to penicillin but also other antimicrobial agents and therefore this paper describes the study of resistance and multiresistance of pneumococci to 7 antibiotics: penicillin (P), erythromycin (E), clindamycin (CC), tetracycline (T), co-trimoxazole (SXT), cefotaxime (CTX) and vancomycin (Va), using the disk-diffusion technique according to NCCLS procedure. We tested a total of 218 S. pneumoniae strains isolated from various materials: from sputum (54), noses (117), throats (28) and different swabs specimens (19). The overall percentage of resistant isolates to penicillin was 3.7%, to erythromycin--4.1%, to clindamycin--10.6%, to tetracycline--17.4%, to co-trimoxazole--15.6%, to cefotaxime--2.3%. In the sputum was most the monoresistant strains (66.7%). The multiresistance was highest in the penicillin resistant pneumococci. With the exception of vancomycin, the number of resistant strains to non-beta-lactam antibiotics (erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, co-trimoxazole) was higher in penicillin-resistant strains compared with penicillin susceptible isolates. All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin.     

When words are used to touch.

This article deals with the topic of physical contact versus affect in the analytic situation. In the 1st section, the topic of touch is examined from the historical, as well as contemporary, perspective. The author raises the hypothesis that direct emotional contact made through the use of a verbal interaction can be experienced as physical touch in the analytic situation. This hypothesis, illustrated by a case study, is explored in the light of contemporary accounts of the importance of actual interactions in psychoanalysis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)