bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapid ID Technology (RIDT) in Plants: High-Speed DNA Fingerprinting in Grain Seeds for the Identification, Segregation, Purity, and Traceability of Varieties Using Labautomation Robotics
Authors: Procunier J. Douglas , Prashar Suvira , Chen Gang , Wolfe Danielle , Fox Stephen , Ali M. Liakat , Gray Mark , Zhou Yi , Shillinglaw Mike , Roeven Robert , DePauw Ron
Published: July 2009

A rapid and inexpensive DNA diagnostic platform for fingerprinting Cdn. registered, wheat varieties has been developed. Two current, real-time applications being used in Canada include the determination of purity (% contamination) of grain shipments in rail cars and the monitoring of field plots that represent a midge varietal blend. The quantification of a sample is accomplished by fingerprinting single seeds and a sample having a mixture of varieties can be assayed. The Rapid ID Technology (RIDT) platform enables high-speed, high-throughput, robotic labautomation and low-cost single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-DNA fingerprinting in wheat. The inexpensive seed DNA extraction method, rapid PCR amplification, and miniaturization of the Invader assay for SNP scoring are all paramount for fingerprinting millions of single seeds per year in numerous rail cars/field plots at a low cost. The cost factor is the dominant concern in any fingerprinting program and the total cost for consumables for a single marker tested is estimated at less than $0.60 per seed. The RIDT platform can also segregate closely related cultivars, an important characteristic since many varieties have a common genetic background. The results “from seed to fingerprint data” at a central lab can then be transferred electronically to any location using a laboratory information management system.
Microbial Identification: Tracking the Great Unknown with Innovative and Advanced Technologies
Authors: Raengpradub Sarita
Published: July 2009

Major changes in production and distribution practices in the global food industry are prompting increased scientific efforts to identify, understand, and control the transmission of microbial contaminants. Through the development of advanced diagnostic tools, significant inroads in microbial source tracking are making important contributions to the safety of the food supply.
Advanced Technologies for Pathogen and Toxin Detection in Foods: Current Applications and Future Directions
Authors: Ge Beilei , Meng Jianghong
Published: July 2009

Despite great strides made in the past decades, the detection of microbial pathogens and their toxins in foods remains a challenging task. This is due primarily to several inherent difficulties associated with food analysis, that is, the complexities of food matrices (inhibitors and normal flora), the attributes of target analytes in foods (low level, heterogeneous distribution, and cell injury during processing), and the ratio between the amount of food samples and the detection assay volume. This review aims to provide an overview and a better understanding of the limitations, current applications, and future perspectives in terms of pathogen and toxin detection in foods.
Application of Kevin—Voigt Model in Quantifying Whey Protein Adsorption on Polyethersulfone Using QCM-D
Authors: Liu Sean X. , Kim Jun-Tae
Published: July 2009

The study of protein adsorption on the membrane surface is of great importance to cheese-making processors that use polymeric membrane-based processes to recover whey protein from the process waste streams. Quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) is a lab-scale, fast analytical technique that can precisely monitor and quantify the amount of proteins adsorbed onto the polymer surface in real time. The ability of the software that accompanies the instrument to predict the minute amount of the mass of the protein on the surface and the structural properties of the adsorbed protein requires a suitable viscoelastic model to convert the data of frequency and dissipation shift responses generated from the QCM-D apparatus into the mass and viscoelastic properties of the proteins adsorbed on the surface at given times. In this study, data recorded by a QCM-D apparatus were fitted into the Kevin—Voigt model, to quantify the whey protein adsorption on the polyethersulfone membrane surface.
A Convenient Low-Resolution NMR Method for the Determination of the Molecular Weight of Soybean Oil-Based Polymers
Authors: Doll Kenneth M.
Published: July 2009

By studying a series of soybean oil-based polymers, using low-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, an easy method to estimate molecular weight (MW) was developed. The relationship between a polymer's MW and the instrument's response can be correlated in a linear relationship. Correlation constants ( R 2 ) of 0.988, when data were taken at −10°C, and 0.999, when the study was done at 0 °C, were observed. Overall, this method is simple and with instrument modification, could be applied to other types of polymers as well.
Automated Yeast Transformation Protocol to Engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae Strains for Cellulosic Ethanol Production with Open Reading Frames That Express Proteins Binding to Xylose Isomerase Identified Using a Robotic Two-Hybrid Screen
Authors: Hughes Stephen R. , Rich Joseph O. , Bischoff Kenneth M. , Hector Ronald E. , Qureshi Nasib , Saha Badal C. , Dien Bruce S. , Liu Siqing , Jackson John S. , Sterner David E. , Butt Tauseef R. , LaBaer Joshua , Cotta Michael A.
Published: July 2009

Commercialization of fuel ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass has focused on engineering the glucose-fermenting industrial yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to use pentose sugars. Because S. cerevisiae naturally metabolizes xylulose, one approach involves introducing xylose isomerase (XI), which catalyzes conversion of xylose to xylulose. In this study, an automated two-hybrid interaction protocol was used to find yeast genes encoding proteins that bind XI to identify potential targets for improving xylose utilization by S. cerevisiae. A pDEST32 vector re-engineered for TRP selection and containing the Gal4 binding domain fused with the Piromyces sp. E2 XI open reading frame (ORF) was used as bait with a library of LEU-selectable pOAD vectors containing the Gal4 activation domain in fusion with members of the S. cerevisiae genome ORF collection. Binding of a yeast ORF protein to XI activates two chromosomally located reporter genes in a PJ69–4 yeast strain to give selective growth. Five genes, including ADHI, were identified in the two-hybrid screen, suggesting the proteins encoded by these genes bind to XI. The effect of ADHI overexpression was examined using the pSUMOduoHisADHI vector in an automated protocol to transform eight previously identified yeast strains that showed anaerobic growth on xylose. One transformant consumed all available glucose, xylose, and arabinose during growth on wheat straw hydrolysate.
How successful would a phone‐pillow be: Using dual process theory to predict the success of hybrids involving dissimilar products
Authors: Gibbert Michael , Mazursky David
Published: July 2009

Drawing on dual process theory from psycholinguistics, results reveal that, in order for respondents to develop preferences for hybrids from dissimilar categories the products underlying the hybrid need to be structurally aligned based on links between individual functions, and that these links also need to be situated in concrete consumer goals (study 1). In addition, it was found that category similarity interacts with these two factors (study 2). Specifically, prompting the potential consumer to think about structural alignment and consumer goals increased the success of hybrids made up of dissimilar products, but decreased the success of hybrids involving similar products.
NEW COINCIDENCE POINT THEOREMS IN CONTINUOUS FUNCTION SPACES AND APPLICATIONS
Authors: WU JUN , LIU YICHENG
Published: July 2009

In this paper, some new coincidence point theorems in continuous function spaces are presented. We show the hybrid mapping version and multivalued version of both Lou’s fixed point theorem (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.127 (1999)) and de Pascale and de Pascale’s fixed point theorem (Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.130 (2002)). Our new results encompass a number of previously known generalizations of the theorems. Two examples are presented.
Food balance sheet and household budget survey dietary data and mortality patterns in Europe
Authors: Naska Androniki , Berg Mari-Anna , Cuadrado Carmen , Freisling Heinz , Gedrich Kurt , Gregorič Matej , Kelleher Cecily , Leskova Emilia , Nelson Michael , Pace Lucienne , Remaut Anne-Marie , Rodrigues Sara , Sekula Wlodzimierz , Sjöstrom Michael , Trygg Kerstin , Turrini Aida , Volatier Jean Luc , Zajkas Gabor , Trichopoulou Antonia
Published: July 2009

Worldwide dietary data for nutrition monitoring and surveillance are commonly derived from food balance sheets (FBS) and household budget surveys (HBS). We have compared food supply from FBS and food availability data from HBS among eighteen European countries and have estimated the extent to which they correlate, focusing on food groups which are comparably captured by FBS and HBS and for which there is epidemiological evidence that they can have a noticeable impact on population mortality. Spearman's correlation coefficient was +0·78 (P < 10− 3) for vegetables (including legumes),+0·76 (P < 10− 3) for fruits, +0·69 (P < 10− 3) for fish and seafood and +0·93 (P < 10− 3) for olive oil. With respect to meat and meat products, the coefficient was lower at +0·39 (P = 0·08). Moreover, we have examined whether the supply (FBS) or the availability (HBS) of food groups known or presumed to have beneficial effect on the occurrence of CHD and total cancer can predict overall, coronary and cancer mortality in ecological analyses. After controlling for purchasing power parity-adjusted gross domestic product and tobacco smoking we found that for vegetables, fruits, fish and seafood, as well as for olive oil, both the FBS and the HBS estimates were inversely associated with all three indicators of mortality, although the number of countries with complete information on all study variables hindered formal statistical documentation (P>0·05 in some instances). FBS and HBS have their own strengths and weaknesses, but they may complement each other in dietary assessments at the population level.
The Public Thermostat, Political Responsiveness and Error-Correction: Border Control and Asylum in Britain, 1994–2007
Authors: Jennings Will
Published: July 2009

The responsiveness of government to the preferences of its citizens is considered to be an important indicator of the performance of advanced democracy. This article argues that the thermostatic model of policy/opinion responsiveness can be represented in the form of an error-correction model where policy and public opinion variables are cointegrated, and extends the focus of investigation to government outputs. This models the short-run and long-run equilibrium of interactions between public opinion and policy/bureaucratic outputs. The article assesses the performance of British government – and, in particular, the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office – in the operation of border controls and administration of claims for asylum, for the period between 1994 and 2007.
A novel image-processing based method for the automatic detection, extraction and characterization of marine mammal tonal calls
Authors: Sánchez-García Antonio , Muñoz-Esparza Patricio , Sancho-Gomez José Luis
Published: July 2009

A novel, automatic method for the detection, extraction and characterization of marine mammal tonal calls is presented. Signals are automatically detected from the spectrogram, isolated using region-based segmentation, extracted and finally characterized by means of a fixed number of radial basis function (RBF) coefficients. A total of sixteen RBF coefficients are sufficient to accurately capture the time–frequency information contained in the calls. These coefficients can be later used to classify signals based on their characteristics. New specific functions for contour extraction and cross-resolution have been developed. The performance of the method has been extensively tested using simulated signals and a set of recordings covering a significant range of situations that can be encountered at sea.
Obesity and body image: an evaluation of sensory and non-sensory components
Authors: Gardner Rick M. , Martinez Renee , Sandoval Yvonne
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Body image in 38 obese and normal weight subjects was measured using a video TV monitor. Tasks included a continuous task where subjects manipulated the size of their body image on a TV screen, and a discrete task, where they judged the accuracy of their TV image which was presented as either too heavy or too thin. Subjects viewed their images in both regular street clothes and with minimal clothing.

Results from the continuous task revealed that obese subjects overestimated body size. All subjects were more accurate on trials in which the initial image was adjusted in the heavier direction.

On the discrete task, a signal detection analysis revealed sensory sensitivity differences between obese and normal weight subjects. Obese subjects were better at detecting distortion caused by a too thin image, but were inferior in detecting a too heavy distortion. No significant differences were obtained in response criteria or between clothing conditions.
Expressed emotion and perceived family interaction in the key relatives of elderly patients with dementia
Authors: Orford Jim , O'Reilly Paul , Goonatilleke Arnold
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Four groups of families were investigated using an interview designed to assess expressed emotion (EE) in relatives of psychiatric patients and a family interaction questionnaire (FIQ) based upon the Leary and Benjamin schemes for coding interpersonal behaviour. The families included 25 containing a psychiatric patient aged between 18 and 46, and three groups of 12 families each, all containing a patient over 60 (patients with dementia, a functional psychiatric disorder, or a chronic physical disorder respectively). In all cases data were obtained from key relatives.

The FIQ clearly separated out the group of dementia relatives who reported the most dominant and protective behaviours and the highest levels of hostile-dominance and the lowest levels of affection. EE was not found to be so sensitive to interactions occurring in families with a member with dementia, and the possible reasons for this are discussed.
993W: Birthplace not stated or born at sea
Authors: Glover Gyles R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Cochrane, in his studies of psychiatric admission rates amongst immigrant groups in Britain, allocated cases for which birthplace data was lacking by assuming that the patients were most likely to be British-born. A validation study shows this may not be justified. Estimates are made of the magnitude of the possible resulting error.
Affective disorders in five United States communities
Authors: Weissman Myrna M. , Leaf Philip J. , Tischler Gary L. , Blazer Dan G. , Karno Marvin , Bruce Martha Livingston , Florio Louis P.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Results on the age/sex specific prevalence of DSM-III affective disorders from the NIMH Epidemiologic Catchment Area Study (ECA), a probability sample of over 18000 adults from five United States communities, are presented. The cross-site means for bipolar disorder ranged from 0·7/100 (2 weeks) to 1–2/100 (lifetime), with a mean age of onset of 21 years and no sex difference in rates. The cross-site means for major depression ranged from 1·5/100 (2 weeks) to 4·4/ 100 (lifetime), with a mean age of onset of 27 years and higher rates in women. The cross-site means for dysthymia, a chronic condition, was 3·1/100 with a higher rate in women. There was reasonable consistency in prevalence rates among sites. The implications of these findings for understanding psychopathology are discussed.
A comparison of psychiatric decision-making by trainee general practitioners and trainee psychiatrists using a simulated consultation model
Authors: Wilkinson Greg
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A videotape-assisted simulated consultation model was used in a pilot study comparing a range of assessment and treatment decisions made by trainee general practitioners and trainee psychiatrists in response to two cases representing women with depressive disorders. The doctors were studied individually in their consulting rooms or offices. In relation to the methods of analysis chosen, levels of agreement within and between the two groups of trainees were generally low. The findings are discussed in relation to previous similar work undertaken with experienced clinicians studied in groups.
The development of a measure of intimate bonds
Authors: Wilhelm Kay , Parker Gordon
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper discusses the relevance of assessing the nature of intimate relationships and reports on the development of such an instrument. The Intimate Bond Measure (IBM) is a self-report measure assessing two key underlying dimensions, care and control. Its properties are assessed in separate studies, establishing its high test-retest reliability, the homogeneous nature of the isolated dimensions, its insensitivity to broad socio-demographic influences and its minimal sensitivity to depressed mood state. Support for its validity, in terms of both perceived and actual characteristics of care and control, is demonstrated. It provides a simple and efficient measure of central constructs underlying intimate relationships, and is of potential use in studies attempting to assess the relevance of intimate relationships to the onset and course of psychiatric disorders.
Plasma immunoreactive beta-endorphin in bulimics
Authors: Fullerton Donald T. , Swift William J. , Getto Carl J. , Carlson Ian H.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The plasma beta-endorphin response to glucose ingestion was compared in 8 bulimics and 8 controls. The bulimics demonstrated a sustained elevation of plasma beta-endorphin unrelated to glucose ingestion throughout the 5-hour study period. It is hypothesized that such an elevation of beta-endorphin is the result of stress and that it may play an important role in the perpetuation of the binge-vomiting cycle.
Child psychiatry: the interface between clinical and developmental research
Authors: Rutter Michael L.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Developmental psychopathology constitutes a research strategy that is concerned with questions about continuities and discontinuities over time (the developmental perspective) and over the span of behavioural variation (the psychopathological perspective). The utility of this approach is discussed in relation to childhood depression, autism and schizophrenia, and the effects of adverse life experiences.
E. coli antibodies in schizophrenia
Authors: Krøll J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The present investigation demonstrates relatively high antibody titres against an E. coli O-antigen in sera from somatically healthy male schizophrenic patients. This observation supports the suggestion that abnormal portasystemic collaterals are relevant to the manifestation of schizophrenia.
The domain of life events: a comparison of two techniques of description
Authors: Bebbington Paul , Tennant Christopher , Sturt Elizabeth , Hurry Jane
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper compares the coverage of potential life events by the inventory developed by Tennant & Andrews (1976) and the post hoc designation originated by Brown (1974). It was found that the rubric of the inventory failed to describe 5% of ‘marked’ events and 21% of ‘moderate’ events. The relative risk of minor psychiatric disorder in response to events was 3·1 for those defined by the Brown technique and 1·4 for those using the inventory. The results suggests that the post hoc designation is superior. This superiority must be weighed against its undoubted costliness.
Screening for psychiatric disorder in general practice
Authors: Skuse David , Williams Paul
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The extent of psychiatric morbidity was investigated in a consecutive series of patients attending a south London general practitioner. The GP identified a psychiatric component in the reason for consultation in 40% of the sample, and he regarded 24% as ‘psychiatric cases’. The estimated true prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in the sample was 34%. These data are used as the basis for a theoretical discussion of prescriptive screening strategies for psychiatric disorder in general practice.
HLA antigens and manic-depressive disorders: further evidence of an association
Authors: Shapiro Robert W. , Ryder Lars P. , Svejgaard Arne , Rafaelsen Ole J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

One hundred and seven unrelated Danish patients considered to be manic-depressive according to strict diagnostic, symptomatic and course criteria were typed for antigens of the HLA system, the major histocompatibility system in man. Preliminary results from the first 47 patients had previously been reported to suggest a positive association between manic-depressive disorders and HLA-A3, HLA-B7, and HLA-Bw16 and a negative association between such disorders and HLA-B8. Results from the extended series provide confirmatory evidence that there is a positive association between manic-depressive disorders and HLA-Bw16 and also strongly suggest a positive association between HLA-B7 and such disorders. HLA typing may prove to be a useful way of identifying sub-groups of manic-depressive patients for other biological studies. The associations described provide a potential lead for formulating hypotheses about the nature of the biological mechanisms which predispose to manic-depressive disorders.
A census study of mental illness in Samsø
Authors: Nielsen Johannes , Nielsen Jørgen Achton
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Census data from the Danish island of Samsø have provided information on all but 20% of the population. Fifty per cent of the population with past or present mental illness had been referred to the psychiatric service during the 18-year-period 1957–74; the proportion varied from 85 % for patients with psychoses (100 % for schizophrenic patients, and 90% for manic-depressive patients) to 43 % with non-psychotic disorders. The frequency of past and present mental illness was 24 %, higher for women with manic-depressive disorders, psychogenic (reactive) psychoses, and neuroses. The possible reasons for these and other findings are discussed.
Self-reported use of psychotropic drugs and alcohol abuse in South-Verona
Authors: Siciliani O. , Bellantuono C. , Williams P. , Tansella M.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The data for this cross-sectional survey were obtained from a stratified probability sample of 510 residents in South-Verona during the period May–June 1980. The two-week prevalence of psychotropic drug consumption was found to be 13%. The prevalence was higher in women (18%) than in men (9%). The most commonly consumed category of psychotropic drugs were the benzodiazepines, which accounted for 70% of all the psychotropic drugs consumed by women and 85% of those consumed by men. Using a logistic analysis, a strong association between drug consumption and minor psychiatric morbidity, as indicated by the GHQ scores, was found for both sexes, a finding not significantly different from that found in the West London study by Murray et al. (1981). Alcohol abuse in men was less prevalent in the youngest age-group. Thirty-three (19%) of the male GHQ low scorers were alcohol abusers, compared with 12 (40%) of the high scorers. No significant association was found between psychotropic drug consumption and alcohol abuse in men.
The neuroendocrine responses and psychological effects of infusion of L-tryptophan in anorexia nervosa
Authors: Goodwin G. M. , Shapiro C. M. , Bennie J. , Dick H. , Carroll S. , Fink G.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

The secretion of prolactin and growth hormone (GH), together with subjective ratings of sedation and hunger, were determined in 13 in-patients with anorexia nervosa and 15 controls during the intravenous infusion of L-tryptophan (100 mg/kg). Prolactin responses were not different between groups but GH responses were markedly blunted in patients. In addition sedation responses in patients were attenuated compared with controls. Hunger ratings were reduced by the infusion in controls but were too variable to be interpreted in the patients. Plasma amino acid levels were also determined before and after infusion of L-tryptophan. Tryptophan levels were comparable in the two groups as were the levels of tyrosine, phenyl alanine, valine, leucine and iso-leucine. The results suggest that some aspects of 5-hydroxytryptamine function may be attenuated in anorexia nervosa. However, they undoubtedly contrast with the finding of enhanced hormonal responses in acute dieting and may be relevant to the interpretation of similar experiments in depressive illness.
Filling the preparatory interval with temporal information or visual noise: crossover effect in schizophrenics and controls
Authors: Borst Ulrike , Cohen Rudolf
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

Three variants of a simple reaction time task with regular and irregular series of different preparatory intervals (Pls) were presented to schizophrenics and a control group of alcoholics and normals: the visual warning signal (WS) either (1) remained fixed, (2) shrank at a constant rate, or (3) changed in size erratically. Time information provided by shrinking WSs reduced the average reaction time in all groups and attenuated the crossover effect (COE) of schizophrenics, although even here more schizophrenics than controls had COE-scores ≥ 25 msec. Erratically changing WSs introduced the COE in controls. Within groups the COE was not related to general response speed, age, duration of hospitalization, or medication. Results are interpreted as indicating that schizophrenics eschew controlled anticipatory processes on the basis of WS- and PI-information which are crucial for motor preparation when PIs are too long to allow an automatic perceptual grouping of warning and imperative stimulus. This may also occur in controls when time estimation is impeded by distraction.
Cost-benefit analysis and the evaluation of psychiatric services
Authors: Goldberg D. , Glass N. J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The paper sets out a method for evaluating changes in psychiatric services in a cost-benefit framework. The first section of the paper analyses some of the problems which arise with those elements which can be measured in monetary terms – the ‘hard’ costs and benefits. The second section looks at a method of presenting the less tangible effects – the ‘soft’ costs and benefits. Finally, it is suggested how these can be brought together to aid rational decision-making.
Psychiatry and the Jewish tradition
Authors: Lewis Aubrey
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The attitude to mental illness in early Jewish thought and the contributions of some modern Jewish workers to psychiatry are summarized. The possible associations of mental illness among Jews are discussed.
Initial response to drugs in depressive illness and psychiatric and community adjustment a year later
Authors: Raskin Allen , Boothe Helvi , Reatig Natalie , Schulterbrandt Joy G.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Three hundred and sixty depressed in-patients initialy treated with imipramine, chlorpromazine or a placebo were re-evaluated a year later. Patients showing the poorest adjustment at one year were those who failed to show a good initial response to treatment and those who responded positively to a placebo.
Effects of certainty, modality shift and guess outcome on evoked potentials and reaction times in chronic schizophrenics
Authors: Verleger Rolf , Cohen Rudolf
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Evoked potentials and reaction times were obtained from chronic schizophrenics and normal controls to light and sound stimuli presented in random order. In the ‘ certain’ condition subjects were told what the next stimulus would be, in the ‘uncertain’ condition they were asked to guess. Amplitudes were usually larger for normals than for schizophrenics, for ‘uncertain’ than for ‘certain’ conditions, and in cross- than in ipsimodal stimulus-sequences. The effect of certainty was stronger in normals across 4 leads; so was the effect of modality shift at vertex. While these findings replicate earlier results from acute schizophrenics, no condition x group interactions could be found in the reaction time measures.

Two additional results were interpreted as showing basically different attitudes with respect to the predictability of events: (1) there was a slow positivity between the verbal information and the following stimuli which was largest for schizophrenics in the conditions of certainty; (2) while normals showed long-term habituation only in N1- but not in P3-amplitudes, the reverse was true for schizophrenics.
The endogenous—neurotic distinction as a predictor of response to antidepressant drugs
Authors: Raskin Allen , Crook Thomas H.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

An inverse factor analysis of 880 depressed inpatients on 33 endogenous–neurotic variables yielded four patient types. Type 3 resembled the endogenous depressions and Type 2 the neurotic depressions. Type 3 patients responded well to both imipramine and chlorpromazine and did poorly on a placebo. Type 2 patients showed the greatest overall improvement at three weeks irrespective of treatment received, including a placebo.
Greeks, British Greek Cypriots and Londoners: a comparison of morbidity
Authors: Mavreas V. G. , Bebbington P. E.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper reports the results of a comparison of the rates of psychiatric disorder from three general population surveys in which the PSE-ID-CATEGO system was used for case-definition. These surveys were of an English sample in Camberwell, London, and of two Greek samples, the first in Athens, the second of Greek Cypriot immigrants living in Camberwell. The results show that the rates of psychiatric disorders in both Greek samples were somewhat higher than those of the Camberwell population, the differences being accounted for by higher rates of anxiety disorders, especially in women. Comparisons in terms of syndrome profiles showed that Greeks reported more symptoms of generalized anxiety than their English counterparts who, in their turn, reported higher rates of obsessive symptoms, and symptoms of social anxiety. The higher rates in the Greek samples were possibly due to an increased frequency of non-specific neurotic symptoms like worrying and tension. The results of other European community surveys with the PSE suggest that there might be a genuine and general North-South difference in the expression of psychological distress. Cultural differences in terms of personality traits and culturally sanctioned child rearing practices might account for the findings.
The problems of people in long-term psychiatric day care; An introduction to the Camberwell High Contact Survey
Authors: Brugha T. S. , Wing J. K. , Brewin C. R. , MacCarthy B. , Mangen S. , Lesage A. , Mumford J.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The aims of the Camberwell High Contract Survey (CHCS) were to develop and test a systematic needs assessment procedure and use it to evaluate the services provided to long-term users of day centres and sheltered residential accommodation (excluding hospital wards). This paper describes the background to the study, the sample of 145 attenders and their characteristics, their clinical and social problems and the care provided for them.
The fate of the mentally ill in Germany during the Third Reich
Authors: Meyer Joachim-Ernst
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper surveys the measures taken against mental patients in Germany during the National Socialist regime. It covers the eugenic sterilization programme, the killing of handicapped children, the so called Action T4 (the killing of adult psychiatric patients) and the second phase of Action T4 after its official termination, i.e. between 1941 and 1945. The possible social and political causes of these measures, and the attitude of German psychiatrists to them are discussed. In particular, attention is drawn to a prevalent fear of national degeneration, to social Darwinism, and the ideas of Binding & Hoche on ‘permission for the extermination of worthless life’.
Tryptophan and nutritional status of patients with senile dementia
Authors: Thomas D. E. , Chung-A-On K. O. , Dickerson J. W. T. , Tidmarsh S. F. , Shaw D. M.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The nutritional status of 23 severely demented patients was compared with that of 23 similarly aged controls in the community. A 3-day weighed intake on all subjects showed lower mean intakes of energy, protein, ascorbic acid and nicotinic acid in the patient group. This group had lower levels of plasma ascorbic acid and red cell folate and of urinary N-methylnicotinamide excretion relative to creatinine. Over a third of both controls and patients had evidence of thiamin deficiency, as judged by a raised percentage erythrocyte transketolase activity. An earlier finding in patients with senile dementia of reduced fasting plasma concentrations of tryptophan was confirmed for total and protein bound fractions. With the possible exception of ascorbic acid, the data could not be explained satisfactorily in terms of intake. It is suggested that the association between the phenomena of ageing, senile dementia and nutritional status merits further investigation.
Hunger perceptions and satiety responses among normal-weight bulimics and normals to a high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich food
Authors: Chiodo June , Latimer Paul R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The hunger perceptions and satiety responses to a high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich food among 10 normal-weight females who met the DSM-III criteria for bulimia were compared with 10 normal-weight females who denied a current or past history of eating or weight disorders. As indicated by self-report responses on the Hunger–Satiety Questionnaire, bulimics did not differ from the normals in their perceptions of hunger sensations. Differences, however, were detected the responses following eating. Most notably, the bulimics reported feelings of irritability, nervousness, tenseness and depression which persisted 30 minutes later. These findings and directions for future research are discussed.
Emotion recognition in autism: coordinating faces and voices
Authors: Hobson R. P. , Ouston J. , Lee A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Autistic and non-autistic mentally retarded adolescents and young adults were individually matched for age and verbal ability and were given tasks in which they chose photographs of faces for emotionally expressive voices, and photographs of non-emotional things or events to accompany recorded sounds. The results were that relative to control subjects, autistic individuals performed less well on the emotion tasks than on the non-emotion tasks. The findings suggest that autistic individuals have a disability in recognizing bodily expressions of emotion, and that there is a degree of task-specificity to this impairment.
Depression in torticollis: a controlled study
Authors: Jahanshahi M. , Marsden C. D.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Eighty-five patients with idiopathic, persistent spasmodic torticollis were compared to a control group of 49 patients with cervical spondylosis to assess (1) the prevalence of psychiatric disorder prior to and following the onset of their physical complaint, and (2) to establish the effect of torticollis on self-reports of depression on the Beck Depression Inventory, and self-rated hopelessness on the Hopelessness Scale. The prevalence of psychiatric disorder in the two groups did not differ. The torticollis patients had significantly higher mean scores on the Beck Depression Inventory, but did not differ from the control group in terms of hopelessness. Self-referent negative cognitions such as self-blame, self-accusation, self-punitive thoughts, and negative body-image emerged as the prominent component of depression in torticollis, which has implications for the management of depression in torticollis.
A comparative study of the psychiatric practice of a tantrik healer and a hospital out-patient clinic in the Kathmandu Valley
Authors: Skultans Vieda
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper summarizes the information gathered from healer and hospital patients consulting for mental illness in the Kathmandu Valley. While the tantrik healer appeared to be emulating the hospital in the speed and impersonality with which patients were processed, healer patients appeared to enjoy a greater degree of family support than did hospital patients.
Scoring nonresponse on the Mini-Mental State Examination
Authors: Fillenbaum G. G. , George L. K. , Blazer D. G.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Alternative procedures for coding nonresponse on the Mini-Mental State Examination (as error or as correct) results in different classification of 13% of a random sample of 1931 subjects aged 60 and over. Comparison of responders' and nonresponders' ability to perform activities of daily living, and examination of the relative difficulty level of omitted items indicates that, in epidemiological surveys, scoring nonresponse as error is more likely to be correct.
Application of survival analysis to the inception of dementia
Authors: Sturt Elizabeth
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The age at onset of dementia of the Alzheimer, Pick or senile type in relatives of probands with early onset dementia was examined using survival analytical techniques applied to data collected by Sjögren et al. (1952). Female relatives were found to have a higher risk of dementia than males, and there was a deficit of affected brothers compared with fathers of probands. In these comparisons due allowance was made for age at the last observation of each relative. Relatives of probable and definite Pick probands had a higher risk than relatives of probable and definite Alzheimer probands, but the difference was not significant and dementia did not occur at an earlier age to the former group.

For the relatives as a whole, and for subgroups of relatives, the risk of dementia increased with age, at least up to age 80. It is hypothesized that the pattern of the age-related hazard of dementia is due to the nature of the dementing process; that this slow degenerative process is widespread; and that individual differences in the rate of the process are under the influence of genes. The statistical methods are explained in detail as they have rarely been applied to dementia before, though Chase et al. (1983) have used life tables and survival analysis in testing genetic hypotheses, with an application to Alzheimer's disease.
Abnormal diurnal weight gain among chronically psychotic patients contrasted with acutely psychotic patients and normals
Authors: Vieweg W. V. R. , Godleski L. S. , Mitchell M. , Hundley P. L. , Yank G. R.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

We found diurnal weight gain to be abnormal among 28 institutionalized chronically psychotic patients. They were weighed daily for 15 days at 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. We normalized the diurnal weight gain (NDWG) as a percentage by subtracting the 7 a.m. weight from the 4 p.m. weight, multiplying the difference by 100, and then dividing the result by the 7 a.m. weight. NDWG was 2·8 ± 1·3% for the 28 study patients, 0·631 ±0·405% for 16 acutely psychotic controls, and 0·511 ±0·351 % for 29 normals. Ninety-three per cent of the study sample had NDWG values above the upper limit of normal. Sex, diagnosis, smoking, baseline weight, blood pressure, and pulse did not explain these observations. NDWG related (N = 28, r = 0·552, P = 0·002) to antipsychotic drug dose. The implications of our findings are discussed.
Psychiatric morbidity in the clients of social workers: clinical outcome
Authors: Huxley Peter , Raval Hitesh , Korer Jacky , Jacob Caroline
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Out of 141 new referrals to a Social Services Department 101 were assessed at inception and twelve-month follow-up using the Present State Examination (PSE), the Social Maladjustment Schedule (SMS) and the Case Review Form (CRF). Mental illness, financial and housing problems were the three problems most frequently identified by the social workers. At inception 72 (51%) of the subjects were PSE cases (ID > 5) and 25% at follow-up. The type of social work help offered to cases and non-cases did not differ.

Social and clinical data collected at inception and follow-up were used to classify (using discriminant function analysis) caseness at inception and follow-up and clinical change. Caseness at inception (82% of subjects were correctly classified) was associated with depression, subjective social problems and poverty. Caseness at follow-up (74% correctly classified) was associated with poor coping abilities at inception and clinical features of depression. Clinical change (worsening) (71% correctly classified) was associated with seeing a Community Psychiatric Nurse and poor coping abilities at inception. The ability to classify correctly cases and change was enhanced when additional data from follow-up interviews were used. In the PSE cases, only clinical worsening was correctly classified by a high GHQ score at inception, age and poor coping abilities. The last result is similar to that obtained in general practice by Mann et al. (1981).
Autobiographical memory. Sensitivity to age and education of a standardized enquiry
Authors: Borrini Giuseppina , Dall'Ora Paola , Sala Sergio Della , Marinelli Laura , Spinnler Hans
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

A structured enquiry for assessing autobiographical memory is proposed. It is made up of three standardized time-cued sets of questions focusing on three life periods: adolescence, early and late adulthood, with five questions for each life period. Standardized testing procedure, checking for veracity and scoring methods are described. Normative data from 157 healthy individuals aged over 55 are converted into ‘equivalent scores’ for use with the enquiry and for diagnostic purposes. Education and ageing, but not sex, appear to be significant factors in the efficiency of retrieval from the autobiographic repertoire.
Biological psychiatry: is there any other kind?
Authors: Guze Samuel B.
Published: July 2009

It has been my custom as Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University to interview as many as possible of the medical students applying for positions in our residency training programme. I typically ask the candidates how they decided to apply to us, what they know about our programme, and what they have heard from others about our department. The answers to these questions have been interesting and informative to me and have characteristically provided a good basis for the discussions that followed, designed to help us decide about the applicants and, equally important, to help the applicants decide about us.
The General Health Questionnaire: a psychometric analysis using latent trait theory
Authors: Andrich David , Schoubroeck Lesley Van
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This study examines the Likert-style successive integer scoring of Goldberg's (1972, 1978) General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) with a psychometric model in which the thresholds between successive categories within each item can be estimated. The model is particularly appropriate because the scoring of the successive categories, which are not named in the same way across items, by successive integers has received substantial discussion in the literature. Results from 1967 teachers in Western Australia who completed the 30-item form of the GHQ show that the items conform reasonably well to the model at a general or macro-level of analysis. In particular, the original ordering of categories is supported. However, as expected, there are systematic differences between distances among threshold within items and systematic differences among thresholds between items. The differences between positively and negatively orientated items confirm a suggestion in the literature that these two classes of items form sufficiently different scales so that they could be treated as separate, though reasonably correlated, scales.
Gun ownership and suicide in the United States
Authors: Lester David
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

The circulation of firearm magazines was used as an index of gun ownership in the states of the USA. States with a higher per capita circulation of firearm magazines had higher suicide rates by gun and higher overall suicide rates. Homicide rates were unrelated to this measure of gun availability. Implications for the prevention of suicide are discussed.
Demonic possession and mental disorder in medieval and early modern Europe
Authors: Kemp Simon , Williams Kevin
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

Western European belief in demonic possession as a cause of mental disorder has been traced through the medieval and early modern periods. Generally it appears that the range of disorders attributed to demonic possession has gradually narrowed. In any period, however, there seem to have been marked individual and cultural differences in outlook; some of these differences are still evident today in the survival of belief in demonic possession in pentecostal sects.
Schizophrenic syndromes, cognitive performance and neurological dysfunction
Authors: Liddle Peter F.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

In a sample of chronic schizophrenic patients, a group of symptoms which included poverty of speech and lack of spontaneous movement was found to be associated with poor performance in tests of conceptual thinking, object naming and long-term memory, and also with cortical neurological signs. A second group of symptoms which included formal thought disorder and inappropriate affect was associated with poor performance in tests of concentration, immediate recall and word learning, and with cortical neurological signs. The findings suggest that these two syndromes are associated with dysfunction at two different sites within the frontal lobes. A third group of symptoms, comprising various delusions and hallucinations, was associated with poor figure-ground perception, and might reflect temporal lobe dysfunction.
The Scale of Emotional Arousability: bridging the gap between the neuroticism construct and its measurement
Authors: Braithwaite V. A.
Published: July 2009

Synopsis

This paper outlines and evaluates a newly developed measure of neuroticism, the Scale of Emotional Arousability (SEA). The 15-item scale is economical to use, avoids the consistent pattern of negatively worded items that plagues the neuroticism (N) Scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and comprises of items that focus specifically on emotional arousability, thereby bringing the measurement of neuroticism in line with Eysenck&s (1967) original conceptualization. The SEA shows every indication of being psychometrically sound and correlates with related constructs in much the same way as the N Scale of the EPI. The SEA is recommended as an alternative to the EPI for research purposes, particularly where there is a need to measure independently such related constructs as neurosis, self-esteem and private self-consciousness.
Perceptual and physiological dysfunction in depression
Authors: Blackburn I. M. , Roxborough H. M. , Muir W. J. , Glabus M. , Blackwood D. H. R.
Published: July 2009

SYNOPSIS

P300 responses to emotive words of different hedonic tones were assessed in depressed patients (unipolar major), patients recovered from the same type of depression and normal controls. Depressed patients showed a smaller amplitude of P300 in response to negatively toned words than to positive words; normal controls showed the opposite pattern and recovered patients showed a pattern of response which resembled that of depressed patients. The experimental trials comparing responses to negative and positive stimuli in relation to neutral words showed significant differences for negative as compared with neutral stimuli, but not for positive as compared with neutral stimuli. Latencies of P300 did not differentiate depressed patients from normal controls. The results are discussed within the context of the ‘expectancy’ theory of information processing.