The behavioural approach in medical practice.

This paper gives a description of the behavioural approach, behaviour therapy, and behavioural medicine in a medical and general hospital setting and describes the intimate link between behaviour and illness, showing how knowledge of the way learning takes place and influences behaviour can lead to a better understanding of the aetiology of illness and thus to appropriate treatment. A behavioural approach can be applied to the understanding and treatment of medical problems associated with sphincteric disturbances, such as childhood encopresis and urinary retention, as well as to the improvement of patient compliance and to the better management of pain. In the field of preventive medicine this approach is of importance in modifying behaviour associated with cardiovascular disorders, obesity, and smoking.

Carotid sinus baroreceptor modulation of fluid transport and blood flow in the feline jejunum.

Carotid sinus baroreceptor control of jejunal fluid transport and vascular resistance was studied in chloralose-anesthetized cats. The carotid sinuses were isolated and perfused with blood from the femoral arteries. The aortic nerves were divided.

Milk consumption and multiple sclerosis--an etiological hypothesis.

Epidemiological studies of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in the United States have shown an association with urban living and higher socio-economic groups and a higher incidence and earlier age at onset of symptoms in women. This study is based on the proposition that these trends may be a consequence of differences in exposure to an etiological factor around 15 years of age. As a result of variations in related United States and New Zealand data and other pertinent observations the possibility of a link between high childhood milk intake followed by a large or sudden reduction during the adolescent growth spurt, and the subsequent incidence of MS in young adults is proposed.

The electrophoretic analysis of low molecular weight nucleic acids from Crohn's disease tissues in the search for an unconventional small infectious agent. Brief report.

A small unconventional, viroid-like aetiological agent might initiate Crohn's disease (CD). Electrophoresis of radiolabelled low molecular weight nucleic acids from mesenteric lymph nodes and leucocytes did not distinguish CD-specific sequences compatible with a viroid-like agent.

Immunoprecipitation of antigen-associated [32P]-labelled nucleic acids from Crohn's disease mesenteric lymph nodes.

The methods of immunoselection and electrophoretic analysis of [32P]-labelled nucleic acids have been applied to the problem of defining Crohn's disease (CD) specific antigen associated DNA or RNA, with the intention of identifying a presumptive aetiological microbial agent. Mesenteric lymph node derived cells from CD and control gastrointestinal disease cases were cultured in vitro with [32P] orthophosphate after mitogenic stimulation with phytohaemaglutinin and pokeweed mitogen. Total cell lysates were immunoprecipitated with CD and control serum IgG fractions and immune complexes recovered with pansorbin.

No evidence for increased incidence of common cellular antigens recognized by Crohn's disease antisera.

Autoimmunity has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Crohn's disease. However, the molecular nature of the antigens involved is unknown. This study was undertaken to determine whether Crohn's disease antisera contain antibodies directed against any common cellular antigens.

Strategies for living: teaching psychological self-help as adult education.

This paper briefly describes some of the traditional approaches to teaching psychological skills and self-help techniques to non-psychologists. It is stressed that there have been few attempts to teach individuals a broad range of self-help strategies for dealing with psychological problems. The paper goes on to give a detailed description of a 12-week course of adult education evening classes designed for this purpose.

Existential-behaviour therapy: a possible paradigm?

A comparative discussion is presented of existential and behavioural psychotherapy, indicating where behavioural theory, empirical research and single case studies can be related to the existential emphasis on phenomenology and personal confrontation with death, freedom, isolation and meaninglessness. The conclusions are that: more recent emphasis on cognitive variables in behaviour therapy has brought the two conceptual systems closer together; and there is improvement in the understanding of aetiology and clinical effectiveness when the therapist incorporates existential-behavioural constructs and methods of working.

Habitual rumination: a benign disorder.

Nine patients who habitually ruminated after meals underwent clinical tests and psychological questioning. Barium meal radiography showed no abnormalities. In one patient oesophageal manometry detected an abnormally large gastric pressure wave 20 minutes after food.

Efficient translation and polyribosome binding of 125I-labelled rabbit globin messenger ribonucleoprotein.

Rabbit polyribosomal globin messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) was labelled under mild conditions, using 125I and Iodogen, in the protein moiety so that the fate of mRNA-associated proteins could be followed during translation. 125I-mRNP was shown to retain functional activity in the nuclease-treated reticulocyte lysate translation system under optimal labelling conditions. Polyribsome binding of 125I-mRNP and its sensitivity to cycloheximide indicated a functional- and translation-dependent binding of mRNP proteins.

The treatment of childhood-rooted separation anxiety in an adult.

This paper describes the behavioral treatment of a continuing separation anxiety experienced by a 31 yr old male with a long history of school phobia in childhood. The patient was successfully treated by using a wide variety of behavioral strategies. One novel therapeutic technique was used: the patient wore a bleeper which sounded as a regular reminder to prepare for a phobic situation and to relax in the face of anticipated fearful events.

Polyribosome binding of rabbit globin messenger RNA and messenger ribonucleoprotein labelled with bacteriophage-T4 RNA ligase and 5'-[32P] phosphocytidine 3'-phosphate.

Rabbit polyribosomal globin messenger RNA (mRNA) and messenger ribonucleoprotein (mRNP) were labelled at the 3' poly(A) tail to high specific activity with T4 RNA ligase and [5'-(32)P]pCp without consequent loss of functional activity. Labelled message was translated in both micrococcal nuclease treated and untreated rabbit reticulocyte lysates, as shown by the formation of labelled polyribosomes. The utilisation of labelled messenger was abolished by T2 toxin or sodium fluoride which are known to inhibit protein synthesis.

Kinetics of the in vitro gelation of a sickling haemoglobin from Hog deer (Axis porcinus).

In order to distinguish the molecular mechanisms involved in the polymerisation of animal and human sickling haemoglobins, the gelation properties of hog deer (Axis porcinus) haemoglobin have been studied. Continuous monitoring of viscosity and minimum gelling concentration measurements of hog deer haemolysates were made over a range of pH, temperature, ionic strengths and in the presence of urea and tris(hydroxymethyl)methylamine. The inhibition of gelling caused by lowering the pH or increasing ionic strength and the abolition of the reversible endothermic nature of gelation by urea suggest that electrostatic interactions predominate in polymerisation but that weak hydrogen and hydrophobic bonds may also be present.

Comparative studies on the glycoprotein composition of mammalian platelets.

1. The membrane glycoprotein composition of the blood platelets of 13 mammalian species has been compared by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. 2.

A comparative study of haemoglobins from the Artiodactyla by isoelectric focusing.

1. Isoelectric focusing on 7% acrylamide gels in 2% ampholyte of pH range 6-8 was used to fractionate the haemoglobins of 81 animals, representing 30 species from 4 families of the Order Artiodactyla. 2.