ADHD and Present Hedonism: time perspective as a potential diagnostic and therapeutic tool.

The article draws primarily from the behavioral findings (mainly psychiatric and psychological observations) and points out the important relationships between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and time orientation. Specifically, the authors argue that there is a significant overlap between the symptoms of ADHD and Present Hedonism. Present Hedonism is defined by Zimbardo's time perspective theory and assessed by Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. Developmental data on Present Hedonism of males and females in the Czech population sample (N=2201) are also presented. The hypothesis of relationship between ADHD and Present Hedonism is mainly derived from the prevalence of addictive behavior (mainly excessive Internet use, alcohol abuse, craving for sweets, fatty foods, and fast foods), deficits in social learning, and increased aggressiveness both in ADHD and in the population scoring high on Present Hedonism in the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory. We conclude that Zimbardo's time perspective offers both: 1) a potential diagnostic tool - the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, particularly its Present Hedonism scale, and 2) a promising preventive and/or therapeutic approach by the Time Perspective Therapy. Time Perspective Therapy has so far been used mainly to treat past negative trauma (most notably, posttraumatic stress disorder); however, it also has value as a potential therapeutic tool for possible behavioral compensation of ADHD.

[Long-term results following fracture of the femoral neck in children]. / Dlouhodobé výsledky po zlomenine krcku stehenní kosti u detí.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate the severity and nature of long-term sequelae of femoral neck fractures in children in relation to the strategy and technique of therapy. MATERIAL: The study included 15 patients with a fracture of the femoral neck who, at the time of injury, had an opened proximal physis. The average age at the time of injury was 11.5 years (range, 4 to 16.3 years). There were eight boys and seven girls. Twelve children suffered injury due to a fall varying in gravity, two were knocked down by a vehicle, and one was injured as a co-driver in a car accident. The group involved no type I fracture, six type II, seven type III and two type IV fractures, as classified by the Delbet and Colonna system. METHODS: All children were operated on within an average of 4.1 days after injury. The delay was caused by a late referral from an outside hospital or was due to associated complications.However, the majority of fractures were treated within 24 hours of injury. Surgery was carried out from the anterolateral approach. Miniarthrotomy was performed in 11 patients to remove hematoma and decompress the intra-articular space. The methods of stabilization included Kirschner's wires in four children, compressive osteosynthesis using lag screws inserted extraphyseally in 10 children and the combination of both methods in one child. No plaster of Paris spica or traction was applied after surgery. RESULTS: The long-term results were evaluated at a minimum of 5 years after injury. The average follow-up was 9 years and 11 months, with the range from 5 years and 1 month to 15 years and 5 months, and 12 patients were involved. Six had a type II and six had a type III fracture. Ten patients were treated by arthrotomy. Stabilization of the fracture was performed with lag screws in nine children and Kirschner's wires in three patients. Both subjective and objective findings were evaluated by the modified Rattlif criteria. Concerning pain, eight (67 %) children had excellent outcomes, three (25 %) reported good outcomes and only one (8 %) had a poor outcome. The activity following injury was subjectively evaluated as excellent by 11 (92 %) patients and as good by one (8 %) patient. None of the patients was noticeably limited in their activity, as compared with the pre-injury state. Objective findings were based on X-ray images and the range of hip motion. No or minimal radiographic changes were found in five (42 %) patients and were assessed as excellent outcomes. A good outcome, i. e., a spherical head with a moderate neck deformity, was achieved in five (42 %) patients. A poor outcome, i. e., avascular necrosis free of revitalization, but with collapse, on X-ray images was recorded in two (16 %) patients. The values for the range of motion and limb-length discrepancy were excellent in eight (67 %), good in two (16.5 %) and poor in two (16.5 %) patients. Poor objective and subjective findings were recorded in the patients who had not undergone miniarthrotomy. DISCUSSION: A comparison with the literature data showed that the occurrence of each fracture type was in agreement with the reports of other authors. The finding of a higher frequency of type I fractures can be explained by a pathological slip due to hormonal changes. The opinions on treatment of these fractures have developed to the view that surgery is necessary in the early post-injury period, preferably with the use of compressive osteosynthesis or Kirschner's wires. However, subsequent immobilization in a plaster cast spica is not necessary. The subjective and objective findings were not exactly correlated due to differences in patients' age and different intervals between injury and treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The authors recommend early surgery and stabilization by compressive osteosynthesis or Kirschner's wires, together with miniarthrotomy in order to decompress the articular space.

P2Z-Independent and P2Z receptor-mediated macrophage killing by Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from cystic fibrosis patients.

We demonstrate that a mucoid, alginate-producing strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from the lungs of a cystic fibrosis (CF) patient secretes multiple enzymes with nucleoside diphosphate kinase (Ndk), ATPase, adenylate kinase, 5'-nucleotidase, and ATP-modifying enzymatic activities. The secretion is triggered at high cell density and in complex media but is greatly reduced when the mucoid cells are grown in mineral salts media or in presence of 5.0 mM Ca2+ or Mg2+. Interestingly, the secretion is triggered primarily in the mucoid CF isolate of strain 8821M (or in strain FRD1) but not in a nonmucoid laboratory strain, PAO1. The purified secreted Ndk shows 100% match in its N-terminal amino acid sequence with that of purified intracellular Ndk and demonstrates similar enzymatic properties. The N-terminal sequence of the purified ATPase isolated from an ndk knockout mutant shows its identity with that of the heat shock chaperonin Hsp60. During fractionation, the flowthrough fraction from a Mono Q column demonstrates the presence of 5'-nucleotidase, adenylate kinase, and a putative ATP reductase activity. These fractions demonstrate high cytotoxic activities for murine peritoneal primary macrophages which can be further stimulated in the presence of ATP or inhibited by pretreatment of macrophages with oxidized ATP (oATP). The cytotoxicity associated with ATP-induced stimulation is believed to be due to activation of macrophage surface-associated P2Z (P2X7) receptors, which are one of the purinergic receptors responsible for pore formation on macrophage membrane. Blocking of these receptors by pretreatment with oATP blocks ATP-induced macrophage cell death. Thus mucoid P. aeruginosa cells elaborate enzymes that modulate the external ATP levels of macrophages, thereby modulating macrophage cell death through P2Z receptor activation. Evidence for the presence of secreted cytotoxic agents that act independently of P2Z receptor activation is also presented.

Effect of cultivation conditions on glycerophosphate oxidase production by a mutant strain of Aerococcus viridans.

The effect of different concentrations of carbon source (lactose) and inducer (glycerol) on biomass and glycerophosphate oxidase (GPO) production by mutant strain of Aerococcus viridans 1509 was tested. The best combination of lactose and glycerol concentrations for good enzyme productivity was 0.5% lactose and 2.5% glycerol. Further improvement of GPO levels was achieved after scaling-up of the bioprocess and cultivation of the cells in a 3 liter laboratory bioreactor. Using 4.5 x 10(-5) m3 s-1 air flow rate during growth, GPO activity increased 20-times in comparison with cultivation in flasks.