Validation of the motivational phase of the integrated motivational-volitional model of suicidal behavior in a German high-risk sample.

BACKGROUND: The Integrated Motivational-Volitional (IMV) model of suicidal behavior proposes in its motivational phase that perceptions of defeat and entrapment (total, internal and external entrapment) lead to the development of suicidal ideation and that thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness moderate this process. The aim of this study was to test the motivational phase of the IMV model cross-sectionally in a German sample of psychiatric inpatients. METHODS: A total of 308 psychiatric inpatients (53% female) aged 18 to 81 years (M = 36.92, SD = 14.30) were included in the study and investigated within 14 days after psychiatric admission due to suicide attempt (53%) or acute suicidal crisis (47%). Statistical analyses included a mediation analysis and moderation analyses. RESULTS: Results demonstrate a simple mediation of defeat via entrapment (total, internal and external entrapment) on suicidal ideation. The interaction between thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness was confirmed as a motivational moderator. LIMITATIONS: Limiting factors of the present study are the cross-sectional design and the retrospective assessment of suicidal ideation. CONCLUSION: The main assumptions of the motivational phase of the IMV model could empirically be confirmed. Perceptions of defeat, internal and external entrapment, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness should be taken into account with regard to prevention, risk assessment and interventions of suicidal ideation and attempts. However, future investigations based on prospective data are warranted.

Recovery of foodborne microorganisms from potentially lethal radiation damage.

A two-stage recovery protocol was examined for microorganisms following gamma irradiation in phosphate buffer at 0 degrees C. In the first stage, survivors were recovered on basal yeast extract agar and held at various temperatures suboptimal for their growth for 20 h (resuscitation protocol). In the second stage the survivors were incubated for an additional 24 h, but in this case at their optimum temperature for growth. Controls consisted of survivors which were not subjected to the resuscitation protocol (direct incubation at their optimum growth temperature). The ratio of survivors enumerated with and without the resuscitation protocol (control) at each specified temperature was used to formulate a recovery factor(RF). An RF was determined for each treatment dose. Results of this study indicated that the number of Escherichia coli, Salmonella serotype typhimurium and Brochothrix thermosphacta survivors increased following a resuscitation protocol (RF > 2.0). Overall, optimum resuscitation temperatures ranged from 14 to 22 degrees C. The extent of recovery also appeared dose dependent, with larger treatment doses giving rise to a higher RF. S. serotype typhimurium irradiated at 1.5 kGy exhibited the highest RF, 161, when resuscitated at 22 degrees C. Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Staphylococcus aureus, Aeromonas hydrophila and Saccharomyces cerevisiae exhibited an RF < 2.0 regardless of resuscitation temperature. Results of this study indicated that the use of suboptimal holding temperatures as part of a recovery protocol may have advantages, especially with respect to the enumeration of E. coli and salmonellae survivors in irradiated foods such as poultry.

Efficient transfer and sustained high expression of the human glucocerebrosidase gene in mice and their functional macrophages following transplantation of bone marrow transduced by a retroviral vector.

A recombinant retroviral vector (MFG-GC) was used to study the efficiency of transduction of the human gene encoding glucocerebrosidase (GC; D-glucosyl-N-acylsphingosine glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.45), in mouse hematopoietic stem cells and expression in their progeny. Transfer of the GC gene to CFU-S (spleen cell colony-forming units) in primary and secondary recipients was virtually 100%. In mice 4-7 months after transplantation, highly efficient transfer of the human gene to bone marrow cells capable of long-term reconstitution was confirmed by detection of one or two copies per mouse genome in hematopoietic tissues and in cultures of pure macrophages. Expression of the human gene exceeded endogenous activity by several fold in primary and secondary CFU-S, tissues from long-term reconstituted mice, and explanted macrophages cultures. These studies are evidence of the feasibility of efficient transfer of the GC gene to hematopoietic stem cells and expression in their progeny for many months after reconstitution. The results of this study strengthen the rationale for gene therapy as a treatment for Gaucher disease.

Microbiological and Other Characteristics of Chicken Breast Meat Following Electron-Beam and Sous-Vide Treatments.

The combined effects of radiation and sous-vide treatment of chicken breast meat were investigated with respect to survival and growth of Listeria monocytogenes , shelf life, thiamine content, and sensory qualities. Chicken breasts were inoculated with L. monocytogenes 81-861 (105 CFU/g), vacuum-packed, irradiated with electron beam (EB) up to 2.9 kGy, and cooked to an internal temperature of 65.6°C. Sous-vide treatment alone had marginal lethal effect on the L. monocytogenes ; the residual inoculum reached 107 CFU/g after 8 weeks at 2°C. However, after the combined treatments of sous-vide and EB at 2.9 kGy, the organism remained undetectable during the 8-week storage period. Parallel studies on uninoculated breast meat revealed that sous-vide samples had a shelf life of less than 6 weeks without EB treatment, whereas samples that were irradiated and then received sous-vide treatment had a shelf life of at least 8 weeks. There was a slight reduction in thiamine levels as a result of the EB treatment, but there was essentially no additional loss of thiamine due to the subsequent sous-vide treatment and storage at 2°C. Electron-beam treatment had very little effect on the odor and flavor of the reheated samples. It was concluded that EB treatment combined with sous-vide treatment can greatly enhance the microbial safety and shelf life of chicken breast meat.

The structure of highly crosslinked poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels.

Films were prepared by reaction of HEMA monomer with the crosslinking agent ethyleneglycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) at crosslinking ratios, X, of 0.005, 0.01, 0.0128, 0.025, and 0.050 mol EGDMA/mol HEMA in the presence of 40 wt.% water at 60 degrees C for 12 h. These membranes were subsequently swollen in water at 37 degrees C and their structure analyzed using a modified Gaussian distribution equation of equilibrium swelling. The calculated values of Mc varied between 800 and 3700 daltons, which corresponded to a correlation length of the mesh size xi of 16.2 to 35.6 A. The structural analysis and diffusive studies of PHEMA membranes indicate that the recent determinations of Mc for PHEMA by Migliaresi et al. (C. Migliaresi, L. Nicodemo, L. Nicolais, and P. Passerini, "Physical characterization of PHEMA gels," J. Biomed. Mater. Res., 15, 307 (1981). and others are not accurate. The methods presented can also be used for analysis of any highly crosslinked polymer network produced by simultaneous polymerization and crosslinking reactions.