Pharmacokinetic interactions and side effects resulting from concomitant administration of lithium and divalproex sodium

BACKGROUND: Valproic acid is added to the lithium regimens of many patients with bipolar disorder, especially those with mania refractory to lithium treatment. METHOD: We evaluated the pharmacokinetic effects and safety of coadministration of lithium and valproate in 16 healthy volunteers in this randomized, placebo-controlled, two-period (12 days each) crossover trial. Valproate or placebo was given twice daily. On Days 6-10, lithium was added. Blood samples drawn on Days 5 and 10 were analyzed for valproate by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) and for lithium by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. RESULTS: Lithium pharmacokinetics were unchanged by valproate, but valproate C(max), C(min), and AUC rose slightly during lithium coadministration. Adverse events did not change significantly. CONCLUSION: Concomitant administration of lithium and valproate appears to be safe in patients with bipolar disorder.     

Effects of guilt and approachability of examiner upon associative sexual responses

Two sexually attractive female undergraduate examiners each administered the Word Association Test to 12 high- and 12 low-guilt male undergraduates and 12 high- and 12 low-guilt female undergraduates (all of whom had taken the Mosher Forced Choice Guilt Inventory). Results indicate that low-guilt males made more sexual responses when tested by an approachable examiner than an unapproachable examiner. The approachability of the examiner did not lead to differences for the high-guilt males or for the low- or high-guilt females. Ss' perceptions of examiners were consistent with predictions derived from social learning theory; only high-guilt males failed to discriminate between the approachability roles, whereas low-guilt males, and low- and high-guilt females, were able to do so. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ultrastructure of the taste disc in the red-bellied toad Bombina orientalis (Discoglossidae, Salientia)

To establish the prevalence, with 95% confidence limits, of some of the indicators of coronary heart disease in the rural population of Thiruvananthapuram district, Kerala state, India, we did a field survey on a cluster sample with probability proportionate to size (PPS sample) of 500 households from five villages. Altogether the sample consisted of 1253 individuals who were more than 25 years of age, of which 1130 responded (90%). The survey instruments included the Malayalam translation of the Rose questionnaire, a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram with a battery operated portable electrocardiograph machine, blood pressure measurements using a mercury sphygmomanometer, and routine anthropometric measurements. The prevalence rates estimated were: (a) ECG changes suggestive of coronary heart disease, 36/1000 (95% C.L., 18, 55), (b) Rose questionnaire angina, 48/1000 (95% C.L. 35, 62), (c) definitive evidence of coronary heart disease, 14/1000 (95% C.L., 7, 21), (d) possible evidence of coronary heart disease, 74/1000 (95% C.L., 55, 93). Prevalence of major risk factors were, (a) hypertension by the WHO criteria, 179/1000 (95% C.L., 137, 221), (b) smoking, 219/1000 (95% C.L., 151, 287), (c) diabetes, 40/1000 (95% C.L., 17, 63), (d) obesity, 55/1000 (95% C.L., 6, 104). We have found that objective criteria indicate a lower prevalence of coronary heart disease in rural Thiruvananthapuram district when compared to studies from urban centres in India, but the prevalence of angina by Rose questionnaire is greater.     

Bücherschau

Ohne Zusammenfassung VDI     

Structural safety and reliability of primary system pressure boundaries for water cooled power reactors: Panel Discussion at the Second International Conference on Structural Mechanics in Reactor Technology, Berlin, Germany, 10–14 September, 1973

A stochastic model is presented for predicting the elastic response of light multi-degree-of-freedom secondary systems to strong motion earthquakes. Secondary systems may include light mechanical or electrical equipment, piping, or other light systems attached at one or several points to walls or floors of the supporting or primary structures. The critical functions of these secondary systems in nuclear power plants make the accurate prediction of their maximum responses important. The response of such secondary structures may be obtained by a direct time-history analysis, or more approximately, by the response spectrum method. The time-history solution is, of course, expensive; moreover, there is no single representative earthquake and thus a number of possible earthquake ground motions have to be considered. On the other hand, the response spectrum method applied to secondary systems can lead to unreliable results.Within the framework of the normal mode method, a decoupled stationary random vibration model is developed based on the assumption of Gaussian response process and Poisson barrier crossings. The accuracy of the proposed model is verified by comparing the calculated responses, at the 10 and 50% probability of exceedance level, with the second highest and average of the time-history responses from eight normalized accelerograms. The influence of decoupling, i.e. ignoring the dynamic interaction between the primary and the secondary systems, on the response is examined.The influence of nonstationarity is also evaluated. It is observed that nonstationarity is unimportant for earthquakes of relatively long duration, and that for a given damping most of the error can be accounted for by a simple scaling. It is also shown that one aspect of the proposed method constitutes the basis for some of the approximations in the response spectrum method; however, the proposed method yields results that are consistently more reliable than the response spectrum method. Moreover, results obtained with the proposed method represent maximum response statistics from an ensemble of earthquakes rather than a single earthquake.     

Characterization of growing lettuce from density contours—II. Statistics

The density profiles of standing iceberg lettuce are obtained by recording the transmitted X-ray signal during traverse of the row. From the profile of each single head, five parameters are extracted which are used in a regression analysis to predict weight, W, volume, V, and density, D, of the head when stripped for market display. The regression equations are only slightly dependent on variety for 3 varieties tested (Salinas, Monterey, and Great Lakes) and cover a time span of 17 days, from head formation to one week after optimum maturity. Ninety-two, 81 and 80%, of the variation of W, V, and D, respectively, is accounted for by the regression. The distribution of both independent and dependent variables is found to be consistent with a normal distribution. This is one in a series of papers using X-ray scanners to characterize standing row crops.     

Methane coupling to acetylene over Pt-coated monoliths at millisecond contact times

We have studied the adiabatic and autothermal oxidative coupling of methane over Pt on -Al₂O₃ monoliths at space velocities above 10⁵ h^-1. The selectivity to C₂ hydrocarbons (primarily acetylene) reaches a maximum of around 20% at low fuel to oxygen ratios, low dilution, and high space velocities. These conditions promote a large temperature gradient in the monolith, with an exit temperature of nearly 1500°C and an entrance temperature of less than 200°C. This temperature gradient appears to be the driving force for C₂ hydrocarbon formation under these conditions. Both homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions may be involved in producing coupling products, and a combustion model predicts C₂ selectivities similar to those observed.     

Repair of damaged aluminum truss joints of highway overhead sign structures using FRP

An innovative repair technique is introduced for aluminum truss-type highway overhead sign structures, using fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) sheets. The welded k-joints are typically subjected to excessive fatigue-induced cracking under the effects of wind and moving traffic. The repair technique proposed in this paper utilizes longitudinal FRP layers bonded to the diagonals and wrapped around the main chord to form alternating v-patterns, followed by additional circumferential layers for anchorage. Eight tests were conducted on four full-scale specimens. Weld lines at the junction between diagonals and main chord were ground to simulate a 90% loss of joint strength. After repair, diagonals were loaded to failure in tension. The study showed that full strength of the welded joints was restored using carbon-FRP sheets. Only 70% of joint strength was restored when using glass-FRP. The strengthening technique is particularly sensitive to quality control during installation. A field application using the proposed technique was successfully completed by the New York State Department of Transportation for a cracked aluminum truss over Route 88 in NY State.     

Empfehlungen des Arbeitskreises 6.1 “Geotechnik der Deponiebauwerke” der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geotechnik e. V.

Recommendations of the DGGT Committee “Geotechnics of Landfill Structures”. The Committee “Geotechnics of Landfill Structures”, formerly “Geotechnics of Landfills and Contaminated Land”, published up to now 75 recommendations. The series is continued by the revised recommendations E2‐1 “Principles of geotechnical design for landfills” and E1‐3 “Site investigation with geophysical methods”, as well as by a draft version of a new recommendation E5‐10 “Tasks and required qualification of an independent inspector for mineral components in lining systems”. Other subjects and revised recommendations are reported.