bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An occasional series in which contributors reflect on their careers and interests in psychiatry
Authors: Sim Myre
Published: May 2008

I have had a very busy professional career and have not been much concerned with its formative influences. I was born in Edinburgh on 2 October 1915 into an orthodox Jewish family which migrated to Scotland from Lithuania at the turn of the century. As my father was serving in the army during World War One I did not see him till he was ‘demobbed’ and as my mother had the responsibility of bringing up a family and running a small business on her own I did not see very much of her either. Yet, I consider that I was brought up in a very caring home. I attended Boroughmuir Secondary School where the standard was first-class and I concentrated on modern languages (French, German and English) and mathematics and was offered a place at Edinburgh University when I was 16 years old. I had also acquired a better than average knowledge of Hebrew as well as of Holy Writ and a smattering of Talmud. I then decided to study medicine so I spent an extra year at school to get the necessary grades in physics and chemistry and enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine at 17 years and qualified in July 1938 at 22 years.
Otto Dix: Appearance and the Unconscious
Authors: Rosen Ismond
Published: May 2008

Otto Dix (1891–1969) was a leading German Impressionist painter whose major work was associated with the Weimar Republic period, although his art extended from before to after both world wars.
A new look at Asylum
Authors: Crichton J. H. M.
Published: May 2008

The 1970s horror film Asylum∗ is new out on the video store shelves. On the cover, above a severed head wrapped in brown paper, it warns, “you'll find more than cuckoos in this nest”. This anthology of popular perceptions of madness and mad-doctors
The value of mental illness
Authors: Culliford Larry
Published: May 2008

The value of mental illness is not obvious. It is a subtle matter.
Assessment for psychotherapy by interactive television suitable for transmission through telephone links
Authors: McLaren P. M. , Ball C. J. , Watson J. P.
Published: May 2008

Despite the increased availability of psychotherapy within the NHS, inequalities remain (Holmes & Lindley, 1989). Traditionally, psychotherapy services have been provided from teaching centres in cities and patients have had to travel for treatment. This may account in part for the middle-class predominance in psychotherapy patients and Holmes (1991) has identified the need for psychotherapists to reach out and cater for the disadvantaged in large housing estates and rural areas. While services are changing to meet such needs (Pedder, 1989) there are powerful economic restrictions on service expansion. The potential for communications technology such as interactive television to aid the delivery of general psychiatric services has been reviewed by McLaren et al (1992) and similar arguments apply to the delivery of psychotherapy.
Quality assurance and parasuicides presenting to casualty departments
Authors: Cantor Christopher H.
Published: May 2008

In view of concern regarding rising youth suicide rates, suicide being a critical event in increasing emphasis on clinical accountability, I conducted a quality assurance exercise in relation to casualty department assessments of parasuicides. While much has been written in the area of suicide assessment and rating scales, I found nothing adequate for my purpose. Accordingly, I present a format for conducting such an exercise with the aim of providing suggestions as to which clinical assessment items might usefully be emphasised in future clinical assessments. It has been designed solely to guide this process with no attempts to estimate reliability or validity.
Section 5(4)
Authors: Bowler Clare , Cooper Sally-Ann
Published: May 2008

The 1983 Mental Health Act brought several changes aimed at improving the rights of detained patients. Included was a new provision safeguarding the position of nursing staff – Section 5(4); no provision equivalent to the nurses' holding power existed in the 1959 Act. Nurses previously were expected to act in good faith to restrain patients where necessary while the doctor was sought. Such actions under common law were viewed by some to provide nurses with insufficient protection. The 1983 Act made clear the legal position of nurses. A suitably qualified psychiatric nurse can compulsorily detain a hospital patient receiving treatment for a mental disorder for up to six hours. This allows time for the responsible medical officer or nominated deputy to be obtained. The mental disorder must be of a degree where immediate detention is required to protect others from the patient, or to protect the patient's own health or safety.
Administration of electroconvulsive therapy: training, practice and attitudes
Authors: Henderson Tom , Anderson Marilyn J. , Stark Cameron R.
Published: May 2008

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is an effective treatment in severe depressive illness (Kendell, 1981). It is unusual in being administered predominantly by junior doctors, although prescribed by consultants. Pippard (1988) has drawn attention to a tendency for practice to depend on established custom rather than research evidence, and to a lack of consultant involvement in ECT teaching.
Advice to purchasing authorities
Authors: Urwin Peter
Published: May 2008

We are now well into the second year of the separation of purchaser and provider functions in the National Health Service. District health authorities as purchasers of services are required to assess the health care needs of their population (NHS Management Executive, 1991a) and seek professional advice regarding both the need for, and the provision of, services. The NHS Management Executive acknowledges that local clinicians in provider units will continue to make a major contribution to this advice (NHS Management Executive, 1991b).
General practitioner fundholding and psychiatric practice
Authors: Sims Andrew
Published: May 2008

This is a personal view on the implications for mental health services of the Executive Letter of the National Health Service Management Executive (NHSME), published in July 1992 (EL (92) 48): ‘Guidance on the extension of the Hospital and Community Health Services elements of the GP Fundholding Scheme from 1st April, 1993’.
Read codes for the mental health professions: the Clinical Terms Project
Authors: Wing John
Published: May 2008

In mid-1991, the Conference of Medical Royal Colleges and their Faculties initiated an Advisory Group on Information Services with broad representation from the profession, the NHS Management Executive, and the Department of Health. The aim of the group is to facilitate and co-ordinate input from the profession to the NHS Information and Technology Strategy. It is chaired by Sir Duncan Nichol, NHS Chief Executive.
Developing local services for people with a learning disability and a psychiatric disorder
Authors: Roy Ashok , Cumella Stuart
Published: May 2008

Recent ministerial statements and health circulars have identified a key role for the NHS in providing services for people with a learning disability who have a mental illness or a severe behaviour disorder (NHS Management Executive, 1992). This is not an insignificant task, given that psychiatric disorders (including both mental illness and/or severe behaviour disorders) occur among approximately 30% of people with a moderate or severe learning disability (Corbett, 1979; Lund, 1985). Patients with psychiatric disorders have proved particularly difficult to resettle from mental handicap hospitals, and form a substantial proportion of the patients who become long-stay residents of mental handicap hospitals despite the development of community-based services. It is therefore essential that each district health authority defines the most appropriate pattern of services for this group of patients, as part of their purchasing strategy for mental health. The type of service required was discussed by the department of Health report Needs and Responses: Services for Adults with Mental Handicap who are Mentally Ill, who have Behaviour Problems, or who Offend. This noted that no consistent pattern of services has yet emerged, and that suitable alternatives included admission to a specialised mental illness unit in a mental handicap hospital, admission to a general psychiatric ward, admission to a small staffed house, or treatment by a community support team.
Emergency admissions for assessment at All Saints Hospital
Authors: Fox David J.
Published: May 2008

During 1991, only 0.54% of all admissions to All Saints Hospital (ASH) were under section 4 of the 1983 Mental Health Act (MHA) (England & Wales), representing 2.63% of all admissions under the MHA. These figures compare favourably with other published studies. This paper looks at possible reasons for these low figures and reports on an audit of those few admissions against the criteria laid down in the MHA.
Community psychiatry in Scotland
Authors: Naismith A. Jane
Published: May 2008

Several trainees have described their experiences of training in community psychiatry (Lock, 1991; Malcolm, 1989; Naismith, 1989; Shah, 1991). Their reports indicate disadvantages as well as advantages in this type of training but are generally positive.
Bridges to borderlines
Authors: Holmes Jeremy
Published: May 2008

According to Kurt Lewin there is nothing so practical as a good theory. The Bridge Foundation Autumn Conference, which drew an audience from the Western psychotherapeutic diaspora ranging from Hereford to Torbay to hear three London psychoanalytic superstars speak about the treatment of borderline patients, provided a good opportunity to think about the relationship between theory and psychotherapeutic practice.
A child sexual abuse clinic
Authors: Handy S. , Feehan C. , Burnham J. , Harris Q.
Published: May 2008

It is only in the very recent past that health care professionals have accepted the reality of child sexual abuse (CSA), and it has only been classified as a separate category in Index Medicus since 1987. Since then, the literature has expanded enormously and various treatment strategies have developed.
What happens to patients discharged by Mental Health Review Tribunals?
Authors: Wilkinson Philip , Sharpe Michael
Published: May 2008

Under the Mental Health Act (1983) Mental Hospital Review Tribunals act as a safeguard against unwarranted detention of patients in psychiatric hospitals. Detention, other than in special hospitals, is most commonly under section 2 (assessment order) or section 3 (treatment order) of the 1983 Act. Patients thus detained have the right to appeal to a Review Tribunal, which has the power to order their discharge.
Eastenders on the South Coast
Authors: Duffett Richard , Lawton Claire
Published: May 2008

In spite of the moves over the last 20 years towards community care, there remain substantial numbers of elderly people with both physical and mental illness who require residential, nursing home and hospital care. There is evidence to suggest that health service provision of long term care for the mentally ill has been, and continues to be, reduced. In addition there has been reduction in beds for long term care by geriatric physicians and while the nursing home and residential care sectors have expanded, this expansion has been entirely within the ‘independent’ private and voluntary sector, with considerable contraction of local authority provision. Representations have been made about this to the Old Age Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and they have reported on this (Benbow & Jolley, 1992). Concern has not been confined to the profession. Over the last year, there has been considerable media publicity about the long term care of elderly people in institutions. Some of this has been very critical [Panorama, 20.1.92] and has provoked debate on the pages of the national papers.
Improving the attendance for new psychiatric out-patient referrals
Authors: Baggaley Martin
Published: May 2008

A significant proportion of patients referred to psychiatric out-patient clinics fail to attend the first appointment. Previous work suggested that typically 30% do not attend (Burgess & Harrington, 1964; Skuse, 1975) and this results in an inefficient utilisation of psychiatrists' time. One solution would be to overbook new patients by 30%. Unfortunately the proportion of non-attendance at each clinic is variable and difficult to estimate in advance. Psychiatrists have been shown to be poor predictors of non-attendance from examining referral letters (Woods, 1992). Overbooking might result in a long waiting time and short time for assessment. Previous research has suggested patients are more likely to attend if they received a personal letter rather than a standard card, had a previous psychiatric history, and if they were seen in a health centre rather than a hospital (Hillis, 1990). Allaying the patient's fears and misconceptions about psychiatry also improved attendance (Skuse, 1975). Work in a child and family setting suggested that sending a family questionnaire prior to the appointment reduced the non-attendance rate (Mathai & Markantonakis, 1990).
Who should refer to psychotherapy?
Authors: Maloney Christopher
Published: May 2008

The referral rate to the Psychotherapy Department at the Warneford Hospital, Oxford, has increased by 84% in the last three years, creating a bottleneck at the assessment stage. As part of the response to this we carried out the audit reported here. Assessment for psychotherapy is costly in professional time. If any group of referrers is significantly better at referring patients who need, and make use of psychotherapy, we would have to consider selectively accepting referrals from these sources. We thus asked whether different referrer groups, and different “levels” of referral (secondary or tertiary), were more or less likely to provide patients who ultimately entered treatment.
Psychiatrists' letters to general practitioners: choosing the right format
Authors: Pether R. G. , Johnson B. A. , O'Donoghue G. , Connolly J.
Published: May 2008

Letters from psychiatrists to general practitioners (GPs) should provide an appropriate content in a format which is easy to write and assimilate. For content, GPs have requested “key items” (diagnosis, suicide risk, treatment, prognosis and follow-up), and an explanation which is educational (Williams & Wallace, 1974; Pullen & Yellowlees, 1985; Margo, 1982). For format, GPs preferred a one page letter with two or three sub-headings in a survey based on one fictitious case (Yellowless & Pullen, 1984). Real letters from psychiatrists in one district averaged one and three quarter pages with four subheadings (Prasher et al, 1992). GPs' opinions about actual changes in the format and content of letters sent to them have not been reported.
Time spent by doctors on medical audit
Authors: Davison Kenneth , Smith Lesley
Published: May 2008

The Newcastle Mental Health NHS Trust Medical Audit Committee has become increasingly concerned with the problem of doctors within the Trust being unable to find sufficient time to devote to medical audit.
Disagreements between psychiatrists and social workers over compulsory admissions under the 1983 Mental Health Act
Authors: Sammut Robert G. , Sergeant Howard
Published: May 2008

We followed up 33 cases over three months where psychiatrists recommended the compulsory detention in hospital of mentally ill men and women but social workers disagreed. Seventeen of the cases were detained a mean of 25 days after the index date of assessment by social workers, but the group as a whole spent fewer days in hospital than a “control” set of patients whose detention had been agreed (P = 0.02). The terms of reference of the Mental Health Act Commission should be extended to cover such cases.
Diminished responsibility in Scotland: new technology and old legal definitions
Authors: Stewart Mary
Published: May 2008

The following recent murder trial at a Scottish High Court raises some points of interest to all UK psychiatrists in relation to the use of brain imaging test results as psychiatric evidence and their relevance to the question of diminished responsibility. It should be noted that in Scotland diminished responsibility has a much narrower scope than that encountered in the England and Wales (Chiswick, 1991) and is dependent upon the presence of a “mental disorder or a mental illness or disease” (Connelly v HMA 1990).
Launch of the National Register of Psychotherapists
Authors: Fahy Thomas
Published: May 2008

In the imposing surroundings of the Moses Room in the House of Lords, the United Kingdom Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP) launched its first National Register of Psychotherapists on 20 May 1993. Or rather, celebrated the launch of the Register, as one of the arcane rules of the “other place” is that official launches of such documents cannot take place in the building. These regulations were brushed aside in a successful and upbeat meeting attended by representatives of the Council, politicians and members of the press.
Henri Ey
Authors: Brisset Ch. , Jenner F. A.
Published: May 2008

Henri Ey died on 6 November 1977. For 40 years he had been the dominant figure of French psychiatry. He came from an exceptional generation and trained at the same time as Pierre Male, Jacques Lacan and Sacha Nacht, who together led psychoanalysis in France. Ey himself, though, was not an analyst, but he tried to integrate psychoanalysis with general psychiatry. In this he was much influenced by Hughlings Jackson. The book he wrote in 1938 with Julien Rouart, which was expanded and republished in 1975 as Des Idées de Jackson à un Modèle Organodynamique expressed the views which dominated his life. He thought that psychiatry could not avoid looking at the articulation of diverse levels of psychic life, and their disorganization.
Alex Walk, Mentor and Friend
Authors: Rollin Henry R.
Published: May 2008

If I may parody James Agate, who was talking about Sir Henry Irving, who in turn parodied Dr Johnson, who was talking about a gentleman of the name of Hume: ‘If anybody thinks Alexander Walk was the greatest member of our College of modern times and does not say so, he lies. If he does not think so, he is mad.’ I submit this judgment with little fear of contradiction; but should anyone choose to doubt me, let him only glance through Natalie Cobbing's detailed list of the high offices Walk has held, any one of which would cause us to sing praise unto his name.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Section: Issues in 1981
Authors: Gath Ann
Published: May 2008

During the course of the year, the Section has held two major meetings. The first, held in March at the Royal College of Physicians, was devoted to the considerations of Longitudinal Studies, a topic particularly relevant to those working with developing individuals. The second meeting, a residential one spread over three days, was held in Southampton, and the 1982 meeting will be in Edinburgh. Since 1981 was the year dedicated to disabled people, there was a special emphasis on children handicapped by mental retardation or by physical disorders.
Secrets and Gossip—Staff Communication
Authors: Bruggen Peter , Brilliant Barbara , Ide Suzanne
Published: May 2008

We get in a muddle about responsibility and in our communications. Doctors are not the only ones who can discharge patients from hospital—patients can do that themselves (Teeling-Smith, 1979) and the myths about medical responsibility (as if patients are not responsible for themselves) exacerbate feelings of inequality. We are responsible for ourselves and our work; not for our patients or colleagues, much as we may care for them.
Psychiatry at the Careers Fair
Authors: Goldberg David
Published: May 2008

Earlier this year the Department of Psychiatry was invited to participate in a Careers Fair at the Medical School, organized by the Postgraduate Dean's Department rather than the BMA. This fair was aimed at medical students and junior doctors, and consisted of poster displays and stands by many different medical specialties. The students attended in huge numbers and in discussions afterwards their representatives commented that it was particularly helpful to realize that careers were available in specialties such as dermatology, venereology and some branches of chemical pathology.
Consultant Psychiatrists: Their Career Choice and Training
Authors: Brook Peter
Published: May 2008

When, and for what reasons, do doctors decide to specialize in psychiatry? Having committed themselves, how adequate do they find their training? Is the general level of their training improving as a result of the efforts of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and of the Joint Committee on Higher Psychiatric Training (JCHPT)? These were the questions asked of consultants in general psychiatry newly appointed between 1 October 1978 and 30 September 1981.
‘In Dublin's Fair City’: The Mentally Ill of ‘No Fixed Abode’
Authors: Fernandez Joe
Published: May 2008

In 1977 a number of considerations prompted a review of the facilities for the mentally ill of ‘no fixed abode’ in St Brendan's Hospital, Dublin. At that time the hospital had three clinical teams who serviced three geographically distinct catchment areas within the city and attended to the needs of patients with ‘no fixed abode’ on a rotational basis. There were complaints from community care agencies concerned with the care of the homeless which alleged that patients were discharged without adequate preparation or follow-up. However, this view was not shared by hospital staff, who instanced occasions when patients sought help in what seemed to be a psychiatric or social emergency, and then abused the service by discharging themselves shortly afterwards. The truth perhaps lay somewhere in between. Another complaint was that no single medical practitioner was clearly responsible for these disadvantaged individuals, thereby making it difficult for community care agencies to liaise with the hospital staff.
The Aftermath of the Mental Health Act 1983: Some Preliminary Impressions
Authors: Fenton T. W.
Published: May 2008

A survey of the views of consultant psychiatrists concerning possible difficulties for the practising clinician in the early aftermath of the Mental Health Act 1983 is presented. The number of consultant psychiatrists written to was 118 and the breakdown of responses was as follows: 37 of 79 general psychiatrists replied; 4 of 8 psychogeriatricians replied; 2 of 9 consultant adolescent psychiatrists replied; 2 of 4 forensic psychiatrists replied; and 5 of 18 consultants in mental handicap replied. The letter asked eight questions concerning specific aspects of the Act and invited any comment.
North West Division Trainees Day
Authors: Craufurd D. , Davidson I. A. , Simpson N.
Published: May 2008

The 1984 North West Division Trainees Day took place at Prestwich Hospital on 29 February 1984. This was the first occasion on which it was held at a peripheral hospital.

Dr A. A. Campbell (Chairman, NW Division) welcomed trainees to the meeting. He outlined the current programme of the division and encouraged greater trainee participation. This was followed by an explanation of the structure and function of trainee representation, both centrally and locally, from Dr N. Simpson (Honorary Secretary, CTC), who also included a brief report on activities in the past year.
Tribunal Nouveau 1983: A First Taste of the Mental Health Act
Authors: Farmer Anne
Published: May 2008

While not claiming any record, the Tribunal held on 4 November 1983 at Springfield Hospital to hear an appeal against detention under Section 2 of the 1983 Mental Health Act must have been among the first. The case is instructive as it illustrates the difficulties which may arise in obtaining the full facts for presentation in the short time which is available under the new legislation.
Expatriate Stress and Breakdown
Authors: Lipsedge Maurice , Caplan Ricky
Published: May 2008

A symposium on Expatriate Stress and Breakdown was held on 27 October 1983 in London under the auspices of Guy's Hospital and Charter Medical to bring together psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists and physicians with an interest in occupational health. Since the 1920s, when one-fifth of the British employees of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company suffered from ‘tropical neurasthenia’, little has been published on this topic.
Job Hunting in London, 1984
Authors: Healy Kevin
Published: May 2008

I have just spent 18 months searching for a job to continue higher psychiatric training in the London area. In connection with this quest, I wrote many letters, made numerous telephone calls, spoke with more than 50 consultant psychiatrists in 11 teaching hospital settings, investigated and considered 23 advertised posts, applied for 16, was shortlisted for 12, withdrew from one and was interviewed for 12, before finally being offered a job which I was happy to accept.
Talking with my Depressed Patients
Authors: Braude Walter
Published: May 2008

Education for consultants may appear to some to be a paradox. Consultants are often expected to be providers of an endless fund of knowledge, expertise and skill. Their own needs have perhaps been subordinated as a consequence. Traditionally education for consultants has been provided by postgraduate conferences where the participants are invariably passive recipients of a series of lectures. For the participant, weighted down by the excellence of the gastronomic hospitality, these occasions may become a personal battle against creeping postprandial somnolence, and are only enlivened by the conviviality of social encounters and renewed aquaintances. Their educational value may be less profound.
Australian Sojourn
Authors: Reilly Stephen P.
Published: May 2008

Community psychiatry means different things to different people. Since the 1970s the American model of community psychiatry based on mental health clinics has attracted heavy criticism, whilst the UK concept of rooting community psychiatric services firmly within primary health care has gained increasing support. The need for community-orientated psychiatric services is generally agreed upon but definition of community and the mode of delivery are not. In Australia both free and private health care are available; community health centres and community mental health clinics exist (sometimes literally) side by side.
Inhibition of Brain Prostaglandin Endoperoxide Synthase-2 Prevents the Preparturient Increase in Fetal Adrenocorticotropin Secretion in the Sheep Fetus
Authors: Gersting Jason , Schaub Christine E. , Keller-Wood Maureen , Wood Charles E.
Published: May 2008

Maturation of the fetal hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis is critical for the timely somatic development of the fetus and readiness for birth. Recently, we proposed that prostaglandin generation within the fetal central nervous system is critical for the modulation of hypotension-induced fetal ACTH secretion. The present study was designed to test the hypothesis that the preparturient increase in fetal ACTH secretion is dependent upon fetal central nervous system prostaglandin synthesis mediated by the activity of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase (PGHS)-2 (cyclooxygenase-2) in the fetal brain. We performed two studies in chronically catheterized fetal sheep. In the first study, we infused nimesulide or vehicle intracerebroventricularly (icv) into singleton fetal sheep and collected blood samples until spontaneous parturition. Nimesulide significantly delayed parturition, and inhibited fetal ACTH and proopiomelanocortin secretion but did not prevent the preparturient increase in fetal plasma cortisol concentration. In the second study, we used twin fetuses. One fetus received intracerebroventricular nimesulide and the other intracerebroventricular vehicle. Nimesulide reduced brain tissue concentrations of prostaglandin estradiol, while not affecting plasma prostaglandin E2 concentrations, demonstrating an action restricted to the fetal brain. Nimesulide reduced PGHS-2 mRNA and increased PGHS-2 protein, while not altering PGHS-1 mRNA or protein in most brain regions, suggesting an effect of the inhibitor on PGHS-2 turnover and relative specificity for PGHS-2 in vivo. We conclude that the preparturient increase in fetal ACTH and proopiomelanocortin is dependent upon the activity of PGHS-2 in the fetal brain. However, we also conclude that the timing of parturition is not solely dependent upon ACTH in this species.
Synaptic transmission in neurons that express theDrosophilaatypical soluble guanylyl cyclases, Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db, is necessary for the successful completion of larval and adult ecdysis
Authors: Morton David B. , Stewart Judith A. , Langlais Kristofor K. , Clemens-Grisham Rachel A. , Vermehren Anke
Published: May 2008

Insect ecdysis is a precisely coordinated series of behavioral and hormonal events that occur at the end of each molt. A great deal is known about the hormonal events that underlie this process, although less is known about the neuronal circuitry involved. In this study we identified two populations of neurons that are required for larval and adult ecdyses in the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster (Meigen). These neurons were identified by using the upstream region of two genes that code for atypical soluble guanylyl cyclases to drive tetanus toxin in the neurons that express these cyclases to block their synaptic activity. Expression of tetanus toxin in neurons that express Gyc-89Da blocked adult eclosion whereas expression of tetanus toxin in neurons that express Gyc-89Db prevented the initiation of the first larval ecdysis. Expression of tetanus toxin in the Gyc-89Da neurons also resulted in about 50% lethality just prior to pupariation; however, this was probably due to suffocation in the food as lethality was prevented by stopping the larvae from burrowing deep within the food. This result is consistent with our model that the atypical soluble guanylyl cyclases can act as molecular oxygen detectors. The expression pattern of these cyclases did not overlap with any of the neurons containing peptides known to regulate ecdysis and eclosion behaviors. By using the conditional expression of tetanus toxin we were also able to demonstrate that synaptic activity in the Gyc-89Da and Gyc-89Db neurons is required during early adult development for adult eclosion.
Numerical investigation of the hydrodynamics of carangiform swimming in the transitional and inertial flow regimes
Authors: Borazjani Iman , Sotiropoulos Fotis
Published: May 2008

We employ numerical simulation to investigate the hydrodynamics of carangiform locomotion as the relative magnitude of viscous and inertial forces, i.e. the Reynolds number (Re), and the tail-beat frequency,i.e. the Strouhal number (St), are systematically varied. The model fish is a three-dimensional (3D) mackerel-like flexible body undulating with prescribed experimental kinematics of carangiform type. Simulations are carried out for three Re spanning the transitional and inertial flow regimes, Re=300 and 4000 (viscous flow), and ∞ (inviscid flow). For each Re there is a critical Strouhal number, St*, at which the net mean force becomes zero, making constant-speed self-propulsion possible. St* is a decreasing function of Re and approaches the range of St at which most carangiform swimmers swim in nature (St∼0.25) only as Re approaches infinity. The propulsive efficiency at St* is an increasing function of Re while the power required for swimming is decreasing with Re. For all Re, however, the swimming power is shown to be significantly greater than that required to tow the rigid body at the same speed. We also show that the variation of the total drag and its viscous and form components with St depend on the Re. For Re=300, body undulations increase the drag over the rigid body level, while significant drag reduction is observed for Re=4000. This difference is shown to be due to the fact that at sufficiently high Re the drag force variation with St is dominated by its form component variation, which is reduced by undulatory swimming for St>0.2. Finally, our simulations clarify the 3D structure of various wake patterns observed in experiments –single and double row vortices – and suggest that the wake structure depends primarily on the St. Our numerical findings help elucidate the results of previous experiments with live fish, underscore the importance of scale (Re) effects on the hydrodynamic performance of carangiform swimming, and help explain why in nature this mode of swimming is typically preferred by fast swimmers.
Size matters: diversity in swimbladders and Weberian ossicles affects hearing in catfishes
Authors: Lechner Walter , Ladich Friedrich
Published: May 2008

Otophysine fish possess Weberian ossicles, which connect the swimbladder to the inner ear and improve hearing ability. There is a high diversity in the morphology of the swimbladder and Weberian apparatus in catfishes, which might affect hearing. We have examined these structures in representatives of six families with large, single bladders (Ariidae, Auchenipteridae, Heptapteridae,Malapteruridae, Mochokidae, Pseudopimelodidae) and five subfamilies from two families (Callichthyidae, Loricariidae) having small, paired, encapsulated bladders. We tested their hearing abilities utilizing the non-invasive auditory evoked potential recording technique. Species with single,non-encapsulated, free airbladders possess one, three or four ossicles,whereas species with encapsulated bladders possess one or two. The relative sizes of the bladders and ossicles were significantly smaller in the latter group. All species were able to detect sound stimuli between 50 Hz and 5 kHz. Interspecific differences in hearing sensitivity varied at most by 24 dB below 1 kHz, whilst this variation increased to more than 50 dB at higher frequencies. Catfishes with free bladders had lower thresholds above 1 kHz than those having encapsulated ones. The relative lengths of swimbladders and of ossicular chains were correlated with hearing sensitivity above 1 and 2 kHz, respectively. The number of ossicles affected hearing at 4 and 5 kHz. These results indicate that larger bladders and ossicles as well as higher ossicle numbers improve hearing ability at higher frequencies in catfishes. We furthermore assume that the tiny bladders have minimized their hydrostatic function but were not completely lost because of their auditory function.
Feasibility of degraded adhesion tests in a locomotive roller rig
Authors: MAlvezzi M , Allotta B , Pugi L
Published: May 2008

In railway applications, the testing of on-board components is necessary to optimize the efficiency of the systems and to allow high safety levels. In order to reduce the time and the cost of the testing phase, the use of dedicated test rigs is being increased. The current paper summarizes some studies for the realization of a full-scale locomotive roller rig. The main mechanical and control problems that arise in the design of this type of test rig have been highlighted, and in particular, the feasibility of tests with degraded adhesion conditions between the wheel and the rail is simulated.
Modelling and analysis of force transmission in floating-slab track for railways
Authors: Li Z G , Wu T X
Published: May 2008

In order to study the vibration isolation performance of floating-slab track (FST), three track models are developed with different slab lengths. The ratio of root sum square of the force transmitted to the infrastructure to an assumed harmonic load on the rail is used as the criterion to evaluate vibration isolation performance for the FST. The results show that the FST has good ability to isolate the vibration transmitted from the track to the infrastructure, compared with the reference (ballasted) track. As expected, the lower the natural frequency of the slab-bearing system, the better vibration isolation performance. It is also found that the force transmitted to the infrastructure through the FST with short slab decays more rapidly along the track than [it does] through that with the long slab at low and higher frequencies. In addition, the performance of the FST with medium length slab is greatly affected by the dynamic behaviour of the slab. Moreover, the FST shows different vibration isolation performance when the load acts at different positions relative to the slab.
Proposed procedure and trial simulation of rail profile evolution due to uniform wear
Authors: Enblom R , Berg M
Published: May 2008

A procedure for numerical simulation of rail wear and the corresponding profile evolution has been formulated. The wear is assumed to be uniform in the sense that the profiles remain constant along the track portion to be investigated. A simulation set is selected defining the vehicles running on the track, their operating conditions, and contact parameters. Several variations of input data may be included together with the corresponding occurrence probability.

Simulation of multi-body dynamics is used to calculate contact forces and positions, and Archard's wear equation is applied for the calculation of wear depth. Wear coefficients as a function of contact pressure and relative sliding velocity are collected from different test results.

Trial calculations of four non-lubricated and two lubricated curves with radii from 303 to 802m show qualitatively reasonable results in terms of profile shape development and difference in wear mechanisms between gauge corner and rail head. The wear rates related to traffic tonnage are, however, overestimated and the lubrication efficiency underestimated.

It is expected that model refinements in terms of environmental influence and contact stress calculation are useful to improve the quantitative results.
Development of a hybrid composite bodyshell for tilting trains
Authors: Seo S I , Kim J S , Cho S H
Published: May 2008

In this study, a concept of a hybrid bodyshell for a tilting train is proposed and a prototype model has been developed. Tilting trains require lightweight structure and stability on curves. To satisfy these requirements, the upper bodyshell of the prototype model was made of composite honeycomb panels and the lower underframe of stainless steel. The composite honeycomb panel was composed of carbon fiber reinforced skins and an aluminum honeycomb core. The hybrid structure made it possible to reduce the carbody weight by almost 30 per cent. The hybrid bodyshell was tested for the static and fatigue strength and fire safety was also verified by testing. The hybrid bodyshell was proved to be good enough for commercial use. As a result, the conventional manufacturing process for the rolling stock could be changed by introduction of this new structure.
Fraction of Total Plasma Vitamin B12 Bound to Transcobalamin Correlates with Cognitive Function in Elderly Latinos with Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Garrod Marjorie G , Green Ralph , Allen Lindsay H , Mungas Dan M , Jagust William J , Haan Mary N , Miller Joshua W
Published: May 2008

Background: The fraction of total plasma vitamin B12 bound to transcobalamin (holoTC/B12 ratio) may reflect tissue levels of the vitamin, but its clinical relevance is unclear.

Methods: We assessed associations between cognitive function and total B12, holoTC, and holoTC/B12 ratio in a cohort of elderly Latinos (n = 1089, age 60–101 years). We assessed cognitive function using the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination (3MSE) and a delayed recall test; we diagnosed clinical cognitive impairment by neuropsychological and clinical exam with expert adjudication; and we assessed depressive symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D). We measured total B12 and holoTC using radioassays.

Results: HoloTC/B12 ratio was directly associated with 3MSE score (P = 0.026) but not delayed recall score. Interactions between holoTC/B12 and CES-D score were observed for 3MSE (P = 0.026) and delayed recall scores (P = 0.013) such that associations between the ratio and cognitive function scores were confined to individuals with CES-D ≥16. For individuals with CES-D ≥16, the odds ratio for clinical cognitive impairment for the lowest holoTC/B12 tertile was 3.6 (95% CI 1.2–11.2) compared with the highest tertile (P = 0.03). We observed no associations between cognitive function and total B12 or holoTC alone, except between holoTC and 3MSE score (P = 0.021), and no interactions between holoTC or total B12 and CES-D score on cognitive function.

Conclusions: HoloTC/B12 ratio is associated with cognitive function in elderly Latinos with depressive symptoms and may better reflect the adequacy of B12 for nervous system function than either holoTC or total B12 alone.
Relationship between Progression to AIDS and Thrombophilic Abnormalities in HIV Infection
Authors: Lijfering Willem M , Sprenger Herman G , Georg Rita R , van der Meulen Piet A , van der Meer Jan
Published: May 2008

Background: HIV-infected patients are at increased risk of venous and arterial thrombosis. We hypothesized that acquired thrombophilic abnormalities that could predispose to thrombosis are most pronounced in patients in advanced stages of HIV infection.

Methods: We included 109 consecutive HIV-infected patients in the study and tested them twice for currently known thrombophilic abnormalities at an interval of at least 3 months (median, 3 months; range, 3–12 months). Detailed information was collected about the date of diagnosis of HIV infection, HIV treatment, and previous episodes of venous and arterial thrombosis.

Results: After HIV infection was diagnosed, 16% of the patients experienced symptomatic thrombosis (venous, 10%; arterial, 6%). Repeated measurements established protein C deficiency in 9% of the patients, increased factor VIII concentrations in 41%, high fibrinogen concentrations in 22%, and free protein S deficiency in 60%. Median factor VIII concentrations were higher in patients with AIDS (CD4 cell counts <2 × 108/L) than in patients with a non–AIDS-defining illness (2260 IU/L vs 1 490 IU/L; P < 0.001), whereas median free protein S concentrations were lower (450 IU/L vs 580 IU/L; P < 0.001). Developing AIDS was associated with increasing factor VIII concentrations and decreasing free protein S concentrations. Increasing factor VIII concentrations were correlated with increasing fibrinogen concentrations and decreasing free protein S concentrations.

Conclusions: Multiple acquired and persistent thrombophilic abnormalities are more frequently observed in HIV-infected patients than in the healthy population. The frequencies of these thrombophilic abnormalities increase with the progression to AIDS. These findings may contribute to the high prevalence of venous and arterial thrombosis in HIV-infected patients.
What Do Adolescents Learn From Counselling? Measuring Learning Outcomes
Authors: Burnett Paul C.
Published: May 2008

This paper describes the development of two mechanisms that can be used to measure the learning outcomes of counselling. It is particularly important to encourage clients and adolescents who have participated in a counselling experience to reflect on what they have learned and how the experience has affected them. Adolescents over the age of 13 years have the metacognitive skills to be able to reflect on their learnings and should be encouraged to engage in such activity. This approach contrasts the dominant outcome paradigm of assessing behaviour and attitude changes over time by analysing group data using statistics and meta-analytic techniques. This paper expands the ideas reported by Burnett (1999), Burnett and Van Dorssen (2000), and Burnett and Meacham (2002).
Facilitating Children's Self-Concept: A Rationale and Evaluative Study
Authors: Hay Ian
Published: May 2008

This study reports on the design and effectiveness of the Exploring Self-Concept program for primary school children using self-concept as the outcome measure. The program aims to provide a procedure that incorporates organisation, elaboration, thinking, and problem-solving strategies and links these to children's multidimensional self-concept. The results of this research support the notion that teachers and guidance counsellors need to establish a nonthreatening framework that allows them to discuss with children a range of relevant issues related to peer pressure, parent relations, self-image, body image, gender bias, media pressure, values and life goals, in a systematic, objective and cooperative manner. Within the paper, notions associated with self-concept maturation, ‘crystallisation’ of self-concept beliefs, cognitive differentiation and self-concept segmentation are reviewed.
Cyber Bullying: An Old Problem in a New Guise?
Authors: Campbell Marilyn A.
Published: May 2008

Although technology provides numerous benefits to young people, it also has a ‘dark side’, as it can be used for harm, not only by some adults but also by the young people themselves. E-mail, texting, chat rooms, mobile phones, mobile phone cameras and web sites can and are being used by young people to bully peers. It is now a global problem with many incidents reported in the United States, Canada, Japan, Scandinavia and the United Kingdom, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. This growing problem has as yet not received the attention it deserves and remains virtually absent from the research literature. This article explores definitional issues, the incidence and potential consequences of cyber bullying, as well as discussing possible prevention and intervention strategies.
Computational Modeling of the Lateral Load Transfer Capacity of Rimboard
Authors: Wang Bing , Liu Xiaoqin , Lam F.
Published: May 2008

This paper evaluates the performance of structural composite lumber in terms of lateral load transfer capacity in rimboard application from the perspective of computational modeling with the finite element method (FEM). Computational modeling is effective at predicting and evaluating performance of structural composite lumber as rimboard. It provides insight into the system behavior of floor assembly and demonstrates that with the current test setup, as stipulated in the AC124 standard, the lateral load transfer capacity of rimboard may be overestimated if the vertical restraints in real buildings are not as stiff as the hold-down device used in the laboratory. Two solutions are proposed to improve the test setup to yield more reliable evaluation of lateral load transfer capacity of rimboard.
Testosterone selectively increases primary follicles in ovarian cortex grafted onto embryonic chick membranes: relevance to polycystic ovaries
Authors: Qureshi A I , Nussey S S , Bano G , Musonda P , Whitehead S A , Mason H D
Published: May 2008

Histological studies have demonstrated that polycystic ovaries (PCO) contain increased numbers of preantral follicles with a specific increase in primary follicles. Polycystic ovary syndrome is associated with hyperandrogenism and pre- and postnatal androgenisation of primates increases the pool of growing follicles producing changes resembling PCO. In vitro studies could test the hypothesis that androgens alter early folliculogenesis, but conventional culture techniques for small follicles are generally unsuitable in non-rodent species. Our objective was to develop and use a method to investigate the effects of testosterone on early folliculogenesis. We adapted an in ovo technique in which lamb cortical ovarian fragments were grafted onto the chorioallantoic membrane of fertilised chick eggs. Optimal experimental conditions for vascularisation and survival of tissue were determined and the model then used to investigate the effects of testosterone on follicle growth. Eggs were inoculated with testosterone at the time of implantation of the ovarian tissue, which was retrieved 5 days later. Tissue was sectioned and follicles staged and counted. There was no wholesale initiation of primordial follicle growth over the 5-day in ovo culture. Importantly, the proportion of primordial, primary and secondary follicles remained similar to those in unimplanted tissue. Testosterone increased the number of primary follicles by 50% compared with controls, an effect that was largely due to a reduction in atresia. In conclusion, incubation of ovarian cortex with testosterone reproduces the changes in early folliculogenesis reported in histological studies of PCO.