Factorial structure of the suicide intervention response inventory.

Previous research has reported the development and validation of the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory (SIRI), a self-report instrument assessing a counselor's ability to select an appropriate response to the life-threatening client. The present study examined whether the response skill measured by the instrument might be multidimensional, rather than unitary as previously assumed. Inventories completed by 457 paraprofessional counselors from five suicide and crisis intervention services throughout the United States were factor-analyzed to yield their simple structure. Results suggested that the instrument is indeed multifactorial, with four component factors identified as Elaboration of the Complaint, Exploration of Suicidality, Involvement, and Reflection of Negative Feelings. The implications of these findings for training in crisis counseling and for the further psychometric development of the instrument are noted.

Interim report of results from an international collaborative study of the Proposed International Reference Preparation of porcine pancreatic kininogenase.

A collaborative study of the ampouled preparation of porcine pancreatic kininogenase, the Proposed International Reference Preparation (PIRP), was carried out, on behalf of the World Health Organization, by 19 laboratories in seven countries. The PIRP was studied using in vivo bioassays, immunoassays and in vitro enzyme assays involving natural protein substrate and small molecular ester and peptide substrates. An analysis of results obtained from a majority of the participating laboratories is presented. Comparison of the PIRP with the widely used Bayer house standard of porcine pancreatic kininogenase showed general agreement for estimates of relative activity, although differences were detected in some assay systems. The PIRP was shown to be stable and appears to be suitable to serve as an international reference preparation. Comparison of the PIRP with a preparation of highly purified human urinary kininogenase showed a wide diversity of estimates so that no general comparison of activities for these preparations is possible.

A comparison of high performance liquid chromatographic assays with the current pharmacopoeial assays for the combined formulation of ergometrine and oxytocin.

This paper reports the comparison of recently-developed chromatographic assays (using high performance liquid chromatography) with the present British Pharmacopoeial methods for the combined formulation of ergometrine and oxytocin. The estimates using high performance liquid chromatography were in good agreement with both the Pharmacopoeial determinations and nominal contents. The variability of estimates for ergometrine was similar for both procedures, whereas the variability of estimates of oxytocin content by chromatographic assay was significantly less than the variability of estimates by the Pharmacopoeial bioassay.

Measurement of hypozincaemia in mice: a sensitive test for detection of pyrogens.

1. The effect of bacterial pyrogens on plasma zinc concentration in mice was studied as a method of bioassay for these substances. 2. A dose-related depression of plasma zinc concentrations was observed 4 h after intravenous injection of doses of 0.05-500 ng of purified endotoxins of Salmonella abortus equi, Shigella dysenteriae and Escherichia coli. Responses were dose-dependent and reproducible for each endotoxin in five strains of mice. 3. Tolerance to endotoxin could be induced in mice by injection of doses of 500 ng but was not seen with doses of less than 5 ng, even after repeated treatment. 4. Dinitrophenol, a metabolic inhibitor, and amphetamine, a metabolic enhancer, did not affect plasma zinc levels, indicating that changes in basal metabolic rate do not affect the outcome of this assay. The effects of pyrogenic materials other than endotoxin on plasma zinc levels were also tested and the results suggest that measurement of hypozincaemia in mice provides the basis for a simple, practical and inexpensive test for endotoxins and other pyrogens.

Fundus changes immediately after cataract extraction.

The effect of acute ocular hypotony as a factor in the formation of serous choridal detachments was investigated in 45 eyes undergoing cataract extraction. A fundus examination was made with binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy immediately after lens removal and in the early postoperative period. No choroidal detachments occurred, either early or late. Full-thickness infoldings of the eye wall in the posterior segment were seen in 80 per cent of the eyes immediately after lens extraction. The orientation of these folds is described, and factors leading to their formation are discussed.