Mediastinal mixed dendritic cell sarcoma with hybrid features.

This report describes a recurrent sarcoma involving the soft tissues of the posterior mediastinum with features of both follicular dendritic and interdigitating dendritic cells. Histologically, the tumour, which was a recurrent neoplasm 19 years after the initial removal, was composed of bland spindle shaped cells with interspersed inflammatory cells, predominantly lymphocytes. Immunohistochemically, the spindle cells were positive for S100 protein, CD45, CD68, and vimentin, but negative for CD21 and CD35 (markers of follicular dendritic cells). The immunophenotype was in keeping with interdigitating dendritic cells. However, ultrastructural examination demonstrated elongated cell processes joined by desmosome-like junctions-features in keeping with follicular dendritic cells. Follicular dendritic cell sarcoma and interdigitating dendritic cell sarcoma are rare neoplasms and a high index of suspicion is required to make a correct diagnosis. Immunohistochemistry and/or electron microscopy are required for a definitive diagnosis. This case shows that hybrid neoplasms can occur, which have features of both follicular and interdigitating dendritic cells.

Belief in and use of a questionable technique, facilitated communication, for children with autism.

23 educators and therapists of children with autism were surveyed about their beliefs and use of Facilitated Communication, a technique previously shown to have questionable scientific validity. 65.2% or 15 use the procedure often or very often in their work with children. Some factors that appeared related to this choice were beliefs consistent with those of proponents of Facilitated Communication, less education, belief in the notion that individuals with autism were more intelligent than their behavior indicated, and lack of belief in science as a source of explanation of human behavior. It was concluded that supervisors need to be more informing about the scientific validity of techniques used by their employees.

Popping sealed air-capsules to reduce stress.

30 undergraduate students participated in a study to assess whether tactile manipulation in the form of popping sealed plastic air-capsules would be stress-reducing. Three of the four dependent measures were significantly changed; subjects reported feeling significantly more energized, less tired, and more calm after popping the capsules. Some advantages to this technique over existing ones include that this technique involves minimum ability, essentially no training or practice, and little likelihood of paradoxical anxiety effects that have been shown to accompany meditative relaxation techniques in some subjects.

Unusual cleaning behavior in the luteal phase.

18 undergraduate women recorded episodes of unusual cleaning, defined as excessive cleaning or cleaning of things not usually cleaned, and the dates of their menstruation over a 2-mo. period. Unusual cleaning was significantly more likely to occur during the luteal phase than at any other time in women not using oral contraceptives. Possible links between changes in progesterone levels and obsessive compulsive disorders are suggested.

Inhibition of calmodulin and protein kinase C by amiodarone and other class III antiarrhythmic agents.

Class III antiarrhythmic agents may prolong refractoriness via modulation of ion channels, which may be sensitive to Ca2+ regulatory proteins or enzymes. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to quantitate the effects of several structurally diverse class III antiarrhythmic agents on calmodulin-regulated enzymes and protein kinase C activity, and to evaluate the ability of these agents and known calmodulin antagonists to prolong cardiac refractoriness in vivo. The rank order of potency (IC50;microM) of selected class III antiarrhythmic agents and reference calmodulin antagonists as inhibitors of calmodulin-regulated phosphodiesterase activity were: calmidazolium (0.12 microM) greater than amiodarone (0.62 microM) greater than desethylamiodarone (1.5 microM) greater than trifluoperazine (4.3 microM), bepridil (5 microM) greater than W-7 (7.5 microM), clofilium (13 microM). Similar concentration-related inhibition was evident in a second calmodulin-regulated system, inhibition of myosin light-chain phosphorylation and superprecipitation of arterial actomyosin. Sotalol and tetraethylammonium were inactive at 100 microM. Protein kinase C activity was also inhibited by some of these agents; desethylamiodarone (IC50 = 11 microM) was more potent than the reference agent, H-7 (IC50 = 79 microM), or amiodarone (38% inhibition at 100 microM) and clofilium (32% inhibition at 100 microM). In vivo, the minimally effective doses required to increase ventricular effective refractory periods in paced guinea pigs were (in mg/kg) bepridil, sotalol [1] greater than clofilium [3] greater than amiodarone [10] greater than W-7, desethylamiodarone [20]. No changes in refractory period were noted with maximum testable doses of calmidazolium or trifluoperazine. These studies show that some, but not all, class III antiarrhythmic agents are effective and potent calmodulin antagonists or protein kinase C inhibitors. Moreover, some calmodulin antagonists are effective at prolonging refractoriness in vivo. However, a lack of correlation between these agents suggests that these mechanisms are not solely responsible for the prolongation of refractoriness of all class III agents.

Lateral preference and students' worries: a correlation.

A significant correlation was found between left-sided lateral preference as measured by the General Laterality subtest of the Lateral Preference Schedule and scores on the Student Worry Survey for 34 male college students but not for 44 female college students (M age = 19.9 yr.). This finding is consistent with other studies done with clinical populations showing correlations between left-handedness in males and various psychological disorders.

Psychological factors, immunocompetence, and health of breast-feeding mothers and their infants.

We investigated whether the use of humor as a coping device and psychological hardiness were related to IgA levels in the saliva and breast milk of mothers, and if these factors were related to the incidence of upper respiratory infection (URI) in the mothers and their newborns. Nineteen mothers volunteered to participate and met the qualifications; however, only 17 completed all phases of the study. Prior to the birth of their child, mothers filled out demographic questionnaires and the psychological inventories. Saliva and milk samples were taken within 1 week after delivery, and follow-up questionnaires were mailed out 2 months after delivery. Coping humor was inversely related to URI incidence in both the mothers and the infants. Hardiness was directly related to coping humor and inversely related to URI incidence in the infants. Older mothers had higher coping humor and hardiness scores and fewer URIs in themselves and their infants.

Sex roles, gender, and fear.

Male and female college students classified as masculine, feminine, androgynous, or undifferentiated on the Bem (1974) Sex Role Inventory (N = 199) were given the Wolpe (1969) Fear Inventory. Significant differences in average fear scores were seen between men and women and between the four sex-role categories, with sex role and gender contributing equally to the variability. The argument is raised here that excessive fearfulness or fearlessness might be as much a product of sex-role conditioning as a product of gender.

Positive emotional states and enhancement of the immune system.

Salivary immunoglobulin A (IgA) concentration increased significantly after subjects viewed a humorous videotape and did not change significantly after they viewed a didactic videotape. Scores on a questionnaire measuring the perceived use of humor as a coping skill were positively related to initial IgA concentration and inversely related to changes in IgA concentration after subjects' viewing of the humorous videotape, which implies a ceiling effect. Enhancement of the immune system may be one link between anecdotal claims of relationships between an individual's being in a positive emotional state and healing.

Attitudes toward aging portrayed by birthday cards.

In this article, contemporary attitudes toward the aged inferred from an analysis of birthday greeting cards which are divided into six thematic categories. Overall, the attitudes appear to be negative supporting previous studies that analyzed attitudes toward the aged found in joke anthologies. The question is raised whether this kind of humor is being used defensively to counteract age anxiety by exaggerating age-related deficits to create a psychological distance, or whether, in fact, it reflects a healthy adaptation to a difficult truth.