Healing of adult male survivors of childhood sexual abuse

1. Lamotrigine is a new antiepileptic drug, chemically unrelated to currently used antiepileptic medication. Its pharmacokinetics can be influenced by concomitant antiepileptic medication. 2. This study was performed to assess the pharmacokinetic profile of lamotrigine in three groups of children treated with different types of comedication: drugs known to induce, to inhibit or to have no clinically significant influence on drug metabolism, respectively. 3. Thirty-one children aged 6 months to 5 years were included and received a 2 mg kg-1 single oral dose. Lamotrigine plasma profiles were different between the three comedication groups. The half-lives (mean +/- s.d.) were: 7.7 +/- 1.8 h, 21.9 +/- 6.8 h, 44.7 +/- 10.2 h in the "inducer', "other' and "inhibitor' groups respectively. 4. Patients were then dosed to steady state, with the dosage adjusted on the basis of the single dose pharmacokinetics to achieve a minimum plasma concentration between 1.5 and 3 mg l-1. The mean minimum plasma concentration for the three groups was 2.54 +/- 1.28 mg l-1 at steady state. 5. Dosage of lamotrigine can be optimised with knowledge of the metabolic effects of antiepileptic comedication.     

Mixing of glass fibers with nylon 6,6

Nylon 6,6 is one of the toughest of the engineering thermoplastic resins. It is resistant to corrosion and chemicals, but has a limited capability due to low rigidity, strength and moisture adsorption. Glass fibers are very strong and rigid but susceptible to environmental attack. Proper mixing of these two materials would form a fiber composite with high strength, toughness, rigidity and stability at elevated temperatures. The main purpose of this work was to study the effect of properties of a fiber composite containing 20% loading of glass fibers in Nylon 6,6. Two different types of twin screw extruders, one a co-rotating and the other a counter-rotating, were used. Two different screw designs, a high-shear and a low-shear design, were used on each of these extruders. A statistical process study was developed using ECHIP. RPM of the screw and the output rate of the extruder were the identified variables in the process. Molded samples were evaluated for tensile, flexural, impact and heat deflection characteristics. Scanning Electron Microscopy study was also performed to evaluate the fiber distribution, length and wetting characteristics. The results were analyzed for all of the above properties and it was concluded that there was a great improvement in the properties of the reinforced material. Also, it was found that low RPM and output rates on the co-rotating twin-screw extruder would result in the best properties.     

Cognitive adaptation of female incest survivors.

A survey questionnaire was completed by 142 adult female incest survivors. It was hypothesized that the closeness between the offender and the survivor at the time of the abuse (termed perceived incestuousness) was related to adult functioning and that this relationship could be examined, in part, by the level of accomplishment of three cognitive coping tasks (S. E. Taylor; see record 1984-17824-001). These tasks are searching for the meaning of a threatening event, regaining a sense of mastery over the event and over one's life generally, and enhancing one's self-esteem by engaging in downward social comparisons. The mediational model as described was not supported because perceived incestuousness was not significantly related to the tasks or to adult functioning. Most of the tasks, however, were significantly related to adult functioning, providing some empirical support for Taylor's (1983) model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)