Information services for primary care: the organizational culture of general practice and the information needs of partnerships and primary care groups.

In a primary-care led National Health Service it is imperative for librarians not only to develop user-centred services for health professionals based in the community but also to facilitate information management within Primary Care Groups. In this article recent research in the field is discussed, and challenges intrinsic to delivering information services to primary care are identified. Drawing on the experience of one Practice Librarian in the Aylesbury area, the importance of organizational culture is considered, along with its implications for making successful approaches to partnerships. Five factors that motivated these practices to contract the services of an independent librarian are identified. The information needs of Primary Care Groups are discussed and the essential characteristics of future service provision are noted.

Practice libraries: managing printed information and meeting the information needs of staff in general practice.

Librarians and GPs share an interest in exploring different approaches to providing information to general practice and improving information management within it. Describing the aims, policy, collections, enquiries and services of three Practice Libraries in the Aylesbury area, this paper demonstrates that an information professional can make a significant impact on the management of printed information whilst facilitating access to external sources. A wealth of opportunities lie ahead for those willing to apply information handling skills to general practice. Medical librarians will need to strike a careful balance between providing direct access to sources and the development of information services tailored to meet the needs of primary health care workers.

Type and severity of child abuse and college students' lifetime suicidality.

OBJECTIVE: The present study compared reported histories and severity of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and both, in college men and women. METHOD: Four hundred and eighty-six consenting undergraduates completed measures of suicidality, sexual abuse (SA), and physical abuse (PA). Based on their responses, they were categorized into 12 mutually exclusive groups: no PA/no SA (n = 234), moderate PA/no SA (n = 78), severe PA/no SA (n = 34), no PA/mild SA (n = 21), moderate PA/mild SA (n = 12), severe PA/mild SA (n = 5), no PA/moderate SA (n = 20), moderate PA/moderate SA (n = 15), and severe PA/moderate SA (n = 10). RESULTS: Participants who reported both severe sexual and severe physical abuse reported more lifetime suicidality than participants who reported either mild sexual and/or physical abuse. Those who reported sexual abuse involving invasive sexual acts such as rape, and physical abuse involving behaviors that resulted in physical injury to the child, were more suicidal than those who reported less severe abuse. In addition, although combined sexual and physical abuse correlated with increased suicidality, unexpectedly, there was no interaction. Finally, women students endorsed more reasons for living than men and about the same level of suicidal ideas and global suicidality, despite a greater likelihood of having been abused. CONCLUSIONS: The absence of an interaction between sexual and physical abuse suggests that this increased suicidality is additive rather than multiplicative. An implication is that college counseling personnel need to be aware of the suicidal risk of women and men students reporting either sexual or physical abuse.

Suicidality in college women who were sexually and physically abused and physically punished by parents.

In order to ascertain if physically abused, sexually abused, physically punished, and nonabused/nonpunished women students reported different levels of suicidality, 182 women completed measures of suicidality, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and physical punishment. Women who reported sexual abuse were more suicidal than all other groups, and those physically abused were more suicidal than those nonabused/nonpunished. In a multiple regression, sexual abuse accounted for the most variance in suicidality (15%). Apparently women who report sexual or physical abuse, but not ordinary physical punishment alone, are at greater risk for suicide.

Testosterone-LH response and episodic secretion in the male marsupial, Dasyurus viverrinus.

The pattern of testosterone-LH secretion, feedback mechanism, and periodicity of release were investigated in the male marsupial eastern quoll. Testosterone secretion is controlled directly by LH and in the wild, the secretion of both are synchronous and show a major peak at breeding time. An inverse relationship between the secretion of LH and testosterone occurs after castration which supports the hypothesis that a negative feedback mechanism exists between the gonads and the pituitary gland as in other mammals. These hormones fluctuate in a cyclic manner over 24 hr.

Older widows and independent lifestyles.

Societies differ over the importance of individualistic/independent behaviors. In the United States, such behaviors are highly valued. Thus, subtle pressures exist on older widowed Americans to develop and maintain independent lifestyles. Respondents (N = 300) were older widows, age 60+, who were individually interviewed in their own homes. Various measures of self-sufficiency were derived from a list of fifteen life-maintenance tasks. The ability of widows to accomplish traditionally female tasks is significantly related to health, education, age, and work history, whereas their ability to accomplish traditionally male tasks is significantly related to income, living alone, and work history. Results did not support the hypotheses in that neither high levels of overall self-sufficiency or male-task sufficiency are related to widows' psychological well-being or life satisfaction.

Recent widows' kin support and orientations to self-sufficiency.

This paper examines two issues: the role of the adult child network in task support to widows, and whether widows' attitudes toward independence result in lower levels of task support. Data on recently widowed women suggest that many are quite self-sufficient; however, in those areas where support is needed, they largely rely on children. Widows' past experiences and attitudes toward independence influence the amount of overall help they receive, whereas income, number of children, and perceived willingness of children to help affect the proportion of help that comes from children.

Haematology of the Australian eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus--II. Red cell enzymes and metabolic intermediates.

1. The activity of 21 red cell enzymes and three red cell metabolic intermediates were measured in adult Dasyurus viverrinus and compared with published data on other marsupials. 2. Phosphofructokinase (PFK), glyceraldehyde dehydrogenase (GAPD) and phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) were elevated in comparison to other marsupials. 3. Enolase (ENO) and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) were lower than in other marsupials.

Financial experience and well-being among mature widowed women.

Widowhood for women may be complicated by a lack of financial experience or knowledge, further diminishing well-being. Analyzed were data from 300 widowed women aged 60 and older regarding financial experience prior to widowhood, planning undertaken before death of spouse, and their effects on well-being in early widowhood. Shown by the findings was that preparation was associated with somewhat better well-being among widows, but financial experience prior to widowhood had no effect.

Analysis of hospital-formulated oral liquid preparations by second derivative ultraviolet spectroscopy.

Second derivative ultraviolet spectrophotometric methods have been devised for the analysis of hospital-formulated oral liquid preparations. These rapid techniques are useful in the routine quality control of oral liquid formulations where direct spectrophotometric determination of the drug analyte is precluded by interference from formulation excipients and colouring agents. This report describes examples in which the active principles of a dipipanone mixture, a methadone mixture and an orphenadrine syrup were determined by derivative spectroscopy. In each case spectral interference from formulation excipients was abolished. The accuracy, precision and specificity of each method has been established.

Seasonal variation of plasma testosterone in a wild population of male Eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus (Marsupialia: Dasyuridae), from Tasmania.

In the wild, male Eastern quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus, exhibit a synchronized sequence of increase and decrease in plasma testosterone concentration, body weight, and scrotal size in response to the breeding season. Basal concentrations of peripheral testosterone between 0.5 and 0.7 ng/ml circulate during the nonbreeding period. By April, 2 months prior to breeding, testosterone concentrations increased to around 1.6 ng/ml. This increase may reflect a resurgence in testicular activity, as scrotal size is maximal at this time. A synchronized testosterone peak of 5.0 ng/ml was observed during the mating period in early June. With the cessation of breeding, testosterone concentrations in resident males returned to basal levels by July; however, transient males maintained elevated levels for slightly longer. The timing of breeding and the short duration of the testosterone breeding peak enable the quoll to intensify its reproductive effort.

Growth and role of the corpus luteum throughout delayed gestation in the potoroo, Potorous tridactylus.

The growth cycle of the corpus luteum (CL) of the potoroo is similar to that of other macropodids. During delayed gestation, the post-partum CL remains quiescent until it is reactivated by removal of the sucking pouch young. The CL then undergoes a period of growth, rapid from Day 6 until Day 12, followed by a gradual decline from Day 21 to Day 27. Excision of the CL before Day 6 of pregnancy either inhibited embryonic development or failed to support it. Excision of the CL between 6 and 21 days after removal of pouch young did not prevent embryos developing to full term but interfered with parturition. Excision on Day 25 after removal of pouch young allowed birth but impaired lactation, neonates dying within 2 days. By Day 27, the CL appeared to be no longer essential for embryonic development, birth or neonate survival. It is suggested that the CL of the potoroo is required for a slightly greater proportion of pregnancy than in most larger kangaroos because the birth canal must be prepared before each parturition.

Bridging the gap between information and health. The role of an information broker.

In Croydon, health information is not only accessible to health educators. A pioneering approach means that links have been forged with community agencies, and with local public libraries, which serve as useful vehicles for health promotion. In the second part of our series, Sue Lacey Bryant describes how the system was established, how it works, and the positive reactions it has stimulated.

Effect of cadmium on the reproductive organs of the male potoroo Potorous tridactylus (macropodidae).

Low (2.28 mg/kg) or high (4.56 mg/kg) doses of cadmium chloride were administered, either intraperitoneally or subcutaneously, to adult male potoroos (P. tridactylus). After 7 days, the testes, caput epididymis and spermatic cords of the high-dose groups all displayed a degree of cellular damage; however, the damage was not as extensive as that which occurs in some eutherian species after only 24 h. This time differential might be attributed to structural differences between the testicular blood supply in eutherians and marsupials.

Adolescent discipline: Different family members' perception.

Adolescence is perhaps the most difficult period of child rearing for parents. This study attempted to identify disciplinary techniques used by parents as perceived by mothers, fathers, and their adolescent children. Results indicated several significant areas of intrafamilial disagreement in regard to disciplinary techniques utilized, although all subjects tended to agree that some form of verbal reasoning was the primary disciplinary technique utilized with these adolescents.