Psychopharmacotherapy in pregnancy and breast feeding

The primary purpose of this article is to review critically the literature on the use of psychotropic medications in pregnancy and during breast feeding in order to suggest strategies for the clinical management of these periods. Use of psychotropic medications during pregnancy may cause three complications: 1. teratogenicity, 2. perinatal syndromes (neonatal toxicity), and 3. postnatal behavioural sequelae (behavioural toxicity). The literature features few well-controlled studies concerning these points, so that the available information allows only few conclusions. Exposure to certain psychotropic drugs in utero may increase the risk for some specific congenital anomalies; there is mostly no strong evidence for behavioural toxicity in children exposed to psychotropic medications. Use of psychotropic drugs during pregnancy and breast feeding may be appropriate in many clinical situations and should include thoughtful weighing of risk of pre- and postnatal exposure versus risk of relapse following drug discontinuation. The authors try to present disorder-based guidelines for psychotropic drug use during pregnancy and breast feeding and for psychiatrically ill women who wish to conceive.     

Experimental characterization and finite element analysis of inflated fabric beams

An airbeam is a high-strength fabric sleeve with a highly flexible internal bladder that can be used as a load-bearing beam or arch when inflated. Due to their fabric construction, airbeams are inherently thin-walled structures that are prone to local buckling. In this study, airbeams were tested in bending at different inflation pressures to quantify their load–deformation response and the effect of inflation pressure on response. Tension–torsion tests of the airbeam fabric were conducted to estimate the fabric shear modulus, and the bend test results were used in conjunction with Timoshenko beam theory to estimate the fabric elastic modulus. Three-dimensional membrane finite element (FE) models were then used to predict the beam load–deformation response given these moduli. The FE models successfully predicted localized fabric buckling and softening of load–deflection response. Comparison of FE model-predicted load–deflection response with beam theory shows that conventional beam theory is accurate prior to local buckling of the airbeam fabric. The FE model and test results indicate that the consideration of work done by pressure under deformation-induced volume changes may increase beam capacity beyond previously derived theoretical limiting values.     

Utility of the Rorschach in predicting movement in psychiatric casework.

50 women were administered psychological tests at the time their children were institutionalized for emotional disturbances. Utilizing objective Rorschach signs, psychologists predicted which women would show movement in psychiatric casework. Highly significant agreement was found between the predictions and the actual outcomes of casework based on Hunt-Kogan ratings of movement following at least 1 yr. of casework. It was concluded that this method of using Rorschach data possesses considerable research utility, and that further investigation with these procedures may eventually contribute to increased efficiency in use of clinical facilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

THE MEANING AND CLINICAL VALIDITY OF THE TAYLOR ANXIETY SCALE AND THE HYSTERIA-PSYCHASTHENIA SCALES FROM THE MMPI.

The authors attempt to determine the meaning of the psychasthenia, anxiety, and composite hysteria-psychasthenia scales in terms of related personality traits as assessed by other techniques and to examine further the intercorrelations among these scales. Findings suggest caution in ascribing performance differences between high- and low-anxiety groups, measured by the Taylor scale, as being solely due to the drive properties of anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

3D Finite Element Study on Load Transfer at Doweled Joints in Flat and Curled Rigid Pavements

This study examines load transfer across doweled joints in rigid pavements using 3D finite element analysis. A recently developed dowel modeling strategy is employed that allows the efficient and rigorous consideration of dowel/slab interaction. Parametric studies on the response of a typical, dowel‐retrofitted pavement system subjected to axle loads and varying degrees of slab curling are conducted. To examine the effect of slab support on pavement response, the studies consider two different foundation types: layered elastic with an asphalt‐treated base and a dense liquid foundation. The results of the studies are discussed with emphasis on the effect of slab curling and foundation type on joint load transfer and the potential for joint distress. While there are significant differences in response for the ATB‐supported slabs and the slabs founded on a dense liquid, slab curling does generally increase dowel shears and dowel/slab bearing stresses. However, further examination of the parametric study results that accounts for compressive fatigue of the concrete at the dowel/slab interface indicates that slab curling may not significantly increase the potential for damage to the slab concrete surrounding the dowels.     

Rorschach and TAT indices of homosexuality in overt homosexuals, neurotics, and normal males.

Rorschach and TAT protocols of 20 male overt homosexuals, 20 male neurotics, and 20 normal male students were compared in order to determine whether proposed homosexual signs were discriminative. The homosexual group gave a significantly greater mean number of the Rorschach and TAT signs than did either nonhomosexual group. "Within the homosexual group, correlation between the number of Rorschach signs and number of TAT signs produced by each S proved significant, serving as a check on the validity of both schemes and indicating the consistency of these 2 diverse measures of homosexuality." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-concept, mother concept, and food aversions in emotionally disturbed and normal children.

Self-concept was measured via an adjective check list and a self-rating task (child asked to compare himself to others on traits); mother-child relationship was inferred from responses to specific cards of the Blacky test and a story completion test; food aversion was measured from a food preference list. In general, the self-concept and mother-concept were related and there was an inverse relation between these and food aversion. From Psyc Abstracts 36:04:4FF09D. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multigrid Preconditioner for Unstructured Nonlinear 3D FE Models

Multigrid and multigrid-preconditioned conjugate-gradient solution techniques applicable for unstructured 3D finite-element models that may involve sharp discontinuities in material properties, multiple element types, and contact nonlinearities are developed. Their development is driven by the desire to efficiently solve models of rigid pavement systems that require explicit modeling of spatially varying and discontinuous material properties, bending elements meshed with solid elements, and separation between the slab and subgrade. General definitions for restriction and interpolation operators applicable to models composed of multiple, displacement-based isoparametric finite-element types are proposed. Related operations are used to generate coarse mesh element properties at integration points, allowing coarse-level coefficient matrices to be computed by a simple assembly of element stiffness matrices. The proposed strategy is shown to be effective on problems involving spatially varying material properties, even in the presence of large variations within coarse mesh elements. Techniques for solving problems with nodal contact nonlinearities using the proposed multigrid methods are also described. The performance of the multigrid methods is assessed for model problems incorporating irregular meshes and spatially varying material properties, and for a model of two rigid pavement slabs subjected to thermal and axle loading that incorporates nodal contact conditions and both solid and bending elements.