Perfectionism discrepancy and falling short of the ideal self: Investigating drinking motives and impaired control on the road to alcohol-related problems.

Self-Discrepancy Theory (Higgins, 1987) predicts that the difference between the ideal and the actual self will be associated with impaired-control-over-drinking (IC; dysregulated drinking beyond one's own limits) as well as alcohol-related-problems. According to Slaney et al. (2001) perfectionism is a multi-faceted personality trait which represents both adaptive (e.g. high-standards) and maladaptive (e.g. discrepancy) aspects. In particular, discrepancy has been associated with poorer coping approaches, which may suggest a Self-Medication route to IC. Yet, to date, no one has examined whether drinking-motives (e.g., social, enhancement, coping and conformity) mediate the relations between discrepancy and high standards and alcohol-outcomes such as IC. We used a structural equation model to test indirect associations of discrepancy and high-standards to both heavy-episodic-drinking and alcohol-related-problems through the mediating mechanisms of drinking-motives and IC. Results supported the distinction between discrepancy and high-standards consistent with the Self-Medication Hypothesis (Hersh & Hussong, 2009). Discrepancy was associated with poorer alcohol-outcomes through greater coping-motives, conformity-motives and IC. In contrast, higher-standards were associated with fewer alcohol-outcomes through less coping-motives, conformity-motives, and IC. This study illustrates the importance of personality factors such as discrepancy in the development of problematic alcohol-use suggesting that it might be a good target for intervention.

Moxalactam therapy of difficult infections in patients with serious underlying conditions.

Moxalactam was the single therapeutic agent used to treat a variety of infections in sixty-three patients, most of whom had serious concomitant illnesses. Fifty-three patient case reports qualified for evaluation, including those with pneumonia (8), urinary tract infections (18), superficial infections (6), orthopaedic infections (7), osteomyelitis (8), septicaemia (4), pansinusitis (1), and meningitis (1). Preliminary in vitro studies had indicated that most organisms, including those resistant to other antibacterial agents, would respond to moxalactam. Infecting bacteria from the fifty-three evaluable patients included a wide variety of Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. Doses of moxalactam ranged from 1 to 16 g/day administered intravenously or intramuscularly for 5 to 41 days. With few explainable exceptions, clinical and bacteriologic responses were adequate and satisfactory. Adverse effects were inconsequential. Allergic reactions were not observed, even in patients with a past history of reactions to penicillin.