Influence of performance evaluation rating segmentation on motivation and fairness perceptions.

This study investigated the impact of rating segmentation (i.e., the number of alternative appraisal categories available for rating employee performance) on motivation and perceptions of fairness. Participants were 305 student volunteers who performed a catalog search task, A 2 X 4 factorial design with 2 performance rating systems--low segmentation (3 categories) and moderate segmentation (5 categories)--and 4 performance levels was used. Overall, the results indicated that the 5-category system resulted in higher self-efficacy regarding participants' ability to reach the next higher rating category, higher goals for rating improvement, and higher rating improvements than the 3-category system. The effects of rating system and performance rating on rating improvement were partially mediated by self-efficacy and personal goals. The rating system and the performance rating affected perceptions of distributive and procedural justice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

cis-Amminedichloro(2-methylpyridine) platinum(II) (AMD473), a novel sterically hindered platinum complex: in vivo activity, toxicology, and pharmacokinetics in mice

A novel sterically hindered platinum complex, AMD473 [cis-amminedichloro(2-methylpyridine) platinum(II)], designed primarily to be less susceptible to inactivation by thiols, has shown in vitro activity against several ovarian carcinoma cell lines. Notably, AMD473 has shown activity in vitro in human carcinoma cells that have acquired cisplatin resistance due to reduced drug transport (41M/41McisR) or enhanced DNA repair/increased tolerance of platinum-DNA adducts (CH1/CH1cisR). In this study, we show that AMD473, at its maximum tolerated dose of 35-40 mg/kg i.p. administration, produced marked in vivo antitumor activity against a variety of murine (ADJ/PC6 plasmacytoma, L1210 leukemia) and human ovarian carcinoma xenograft models, including several possessing acquired resistance to cisplatin [ADJ/PC6cisR, L1210cisR, CH1cisR, and HX110 (carboplatin-resistant)]. In the ADJ/PC6 model, an increased therapeutic index was noted following oral as opposed to i. p. administration. In a head-to-head comparison using CH1cisR xenografts and equitoxic doses (q7dx4 schedule), comparative growth delays were as follows: AMD473, 34 days; cisplatin, 10.4 days; carboplatin, 6.4 days; and JM216 (p.o. administration), 3.5 days (in a previous experiment, the trans-platinum complex JM335 induced a growth delay of 5.4 days against this model). In this model, oral activity was also noted with a growth delay of 34 days at 400 mg/kg every 7 days (total of four doses). In addition, AMD473 showed promising activity against CH1 xenografts that had regrown following initial treatment with cisplatin (additional growth delay of 30 days over that observed for retreatment with cisplatin). Across the whole panel of cisplatin-sensitive to cisplatin-resistant human ovarian carcinoma xenografts, AMD473 showed improved or at least comparable activity to that observed for an equitoxic dose (4 mg/kg) and schedule of cisplatin. Platinum pharmacokinetics showed that following i.v. administration of 20 mg/kg AMD473 in saline to Balb/c- mice bearing murine plasmacytoma (ADJ/PC6), a biexponential decay was observed in the plasma with a rapid distribution t1/2alpha of 24 min followed by a slow elimination t1/2beta of 44 h. Platinum accumulated in various organs with platinum tissue to plasma area under the curve ratios of 8.6 for liver and kidney, 5.7 for spleen, 3.7 for heart, 5.2 for lung, and 5 for tumor. The plasma and tissue concentration time curve following i.p. administration was similar to that observed following i.v. administration, with a bioavailability of 89%. When AMD473 was given p.o., the platinum absorption was rapid (K01 of 30 min) and the bioavailability was 40%. A less than proportional increase in area under the curve and Cmax was noted in tissue, plasma, and plasma ultrafiltrate following increasing oral doses of AMD473. In vitro, with AMD473, the rate of binding to different plasma proteins was approximately half of that of cisplatin. Following administration of 45 mg/kg i.p. in oil, 33% of the administered platinum was eliminated in the urine after 24 h, and 40% was eliminated after 72 h. Fecal recovery represented 13% of the administered dose after 3 days. Similar results were observed following oral and i.v. administration of 20 mg/kg, but significantly more was excreted in the feces (over 50% of the administered dose) following oral administration of 400 mg/kg, showing that absorption might be a limiting factor by this route of administration. The dose-limiting toxicity for AMD473 in mice was myelosuppression, and no renal toxicity was observed. The promising antitumor activity of AMD473, together with its lack of nephrotoxicity and favorable pharmacokinetic profile, suggests that AMD473 is a good candidate for clinical development. AMD473 is entering Phase I clinical trials under the auspices of the United Kingdom Cancer Research Campaign in 1997.     

The effect of antimicrobial agents on the induction of tumour necrosis factor by alveolar macrophages in vitro in response to endotoxin

1. In the present study, we evaluated the role of repeated administration on conditioning place preference (CPP) induced by fencamfamine (FCF) in male rats. 2. Repeated FCF (3.5 mg/kg) or saline once or daily for ten consecutive days enhanced sniffing duration and decreased locomotion and rearing duration. 3. At the 3.5 mg/kg dose, FCF produced a significant place-preference effect. 4. Repeated exposures to FCF intensified its reinforcing properties. 5. These results suggest that repeated FCF administration sensitizes its rewarding effects, as with other addictive substances.     

Mutations in purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of unexpected malignant uveal melanoma in the age of ultrasound diagnostics and to highlight the reasons for misdiagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All eyes were surgically removed and histologic examination was performed between 1981 and 1995. The eyes were investigated for the incidence of uveal melanoma, and the history of the unexpected malignant melanoma of the uvea or ciliary body highlighted. RESULTS: 225 (18.7%) eyes with malignant melanoma out of 2583 enucleated eyes were found. Eight (3.6%) of 225 were clinically unexpected. The clinical misdiagnoses were secondary angle closure or open angle glaucoma (6), retinal detachment (5), iritis (1), scleritis (1), cataract (4) and an intraocular mass that was believed to be a metastasis of a colon carcinoma. Seven of eight eyes were blind, and one eye had light perception only. The longest follow up before enucleation was 13 years. On three eyes diagnostic ultrasound was reportedly performed without specific diagnosis of uveal melanoma. Surgery was performed on four eyes for reasons of uncontrollable intraocular pressure or retinal detachment up to five years before enucleation. Histologic diagnoses were 3 epitheloid-type, 2 spindel-type and 3 necrotic melanoma of the uvea. Four eyes showed scleral invasion by tumor cells and one eye an invasion into the episcleral space. CONCLUSIONS: Even today the rate of unexpected uveal melanoma, according to our study is 3.6%. Therefore, all blind eyes without visualisation of the posterior pole should be examined with ultrasound in order to diagnose an uveal melanoma prior to enucleation.     

Insulin therapy could prevent salt-induced high blood pressure in diabetes mellitus

The effectiveness of insulin replacement therapy in the prevention of salt-induced hypertension in diabetes mellitus was examined using Alloxan diabetic rats. Early daily (eight units/day) treatment with insulin prevented the development of high blood pressure after six weeks of high-salt feeding. The mean arterial pressure (MAP) for the early insulin-treated and salt-fed group (DET-SF) was 123.37 +/- 6.37 mmHg which was close to the value for normal (control) rats 128.17 +/- 4.84 mmHg, but significantly (p < 0.001) less than that of the untreated diabetic salt-fed group (DSF) which was 164.58 +/- 8.33 mmHg. The nondiabetic salt-fed (NDSF) group had MAP of 150.27 +/- 4.24 mmHg. Late commencement of insulin therapy did not significantly affect the sensitivity of the diabetic rats to high-salt diet. The results suggest that early commencement of insulin therapy could prevent the development of high blood pressure in diabetic rats.     

Identification and characterization of genes that interact with lin-12 in Caenorhabditis elegans

We identified and characterized 14 extragenic mutations that suppressed the dominant egg-laying defect of certain lin-12 gain-of-function mutations. These suppressors defined seven genes: sup-17, lag-2, sel-4, sel-5, sel-6, sel-7 and sel-8. Mutations in six of the genes are recessive suppressors, whereas the two mutations that define the seventh gene, lag-2, are semi-dominant suppressors. These suppressor mutations were able to suppress other lin-12 gain-of-function mutations. The suppressor mutations arose at a very low frequency per gene, 10-50 times below the typical loss-of-function mutation frequency. The suppressor mutations in sup-17 and lag-2 were shown to be rare non-null alleles, and we present evidence that null mutations in these two genes cause lethality. Temperature-shift studies for two suppressor genes, sup-17 and lag-2, suggest that both genes act at approximately the same time as lin-12 in specifying a cell fate. Suppressor alleles of six of these genes enhanced a temperature-sensitive loss-of-function allele of glp-1, a gene related to lin-12 in structure and function. Our analysis of these suppressors suggests that the majority of these genes are part of a shared lin-12/glp-1 signal transduction pathway, or act to regulate the expression or stability of lin-12 and glp-1.     

A new Diamentor for measuring kerma-area product and air-kerma simultaneously

The new M4KDK Diamentor (PTW-Freiburg) for measuring the air-kerma-area product (KAP) and air kerma (AK) simultaneously was evaluated. The special design of the Diamentor chamber influences the variation of the calibration factor with respect to the field size somewhat differently to what is the case with the classic Diamentor. It is therefore recommended that calibration be performed for a larger field size. If the M4KDK Diamentor is calibrated for a field size of 3.8 cm x 3.8 cm (at the chamber), an uncertainty in the AK value of better than 15% for a field size larger than the calibration field, can be expected. The influence of backscattered radiation on the calibration factor is equivalent to that for the classic Diamentor chamber. The variation in response in accordance with tube potential, is also comparable with that of the classic Diamentor. Dramatic changes in response have to be expected if additional filters are introduced in close proximity to the Diamentor chamber.