Evaluation of the Response Bias Scale and Improbable Failure Scale in assessing feigned cognitive impairment.

The present study evaluated the Response Bias scale (RBS), a symptom validity test embedded within the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF) that assesses for feigned neurocognitive complaints, in a sample of pretrial incompetent to stand trial (IST) criminal defendants. Additionally, we examined the Improbable Failure (IF) scale, a performance validity test embedded within the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms, Second Edition (SIRS-2), which similarly assesses for feigned cognitive impairment (FCI). Results indicated that both the RBS (area under the curve [AUC] = .

Inconsistent Responding in a Criminal Forensic Setting: An Evaluation of the VRIN-r and TRIN-r Scales of the MMPI-2-RF.

Criminal forensic evaluations are complicated by the risk that examinees will respond in an unreliable manner. Unreliable responding could occur due to lack of personal investment in the evaluation, severe mental illness, and low cognitive abilities. In this study, 31% of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/2011) profiles were invalid due to random or fixed-responding (T score ≥ 80 on the VRIN-r or TRIN-r scales) in a sample of pretrial criminal defendants evaluated in the context of treatment for competency restoration.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation induced cardiac dysfunction in newborn lambs.

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is routinely used to support cardiopulmonary failure in infants and children. Suboptimal outcomes for primary cardiac support suggest a need for investigation of the impact of ECMO on the heart. Twenty-four newborn lambs received a brief period of ECMO support to investigate the hypothesis that ECMO produces cardiac dysfunction in newborn lamb.

Enteroviral sepsis and ischemic cardiomyopathy in a neonate: case report and review of literature.

Neonatal entero-viral sepsis is a rare but fulminant infection with multisystem involvement, often presenting with hepatitis, meningo-encephalitis, disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), and myocarditis. Neonatal myocarditis often proves fatal. We report here a case of neonatal enteroviral myocarditis with multisystem organ failure and ischemic cardiomyopathy that was managed medically.

Cardiac hemangioma of the right atrium in a neonate: fetal management and expedited surgical resection.

Cardiac hemangioma is a rare tumor with a reported incidence of 1-2%. We describe the case of a neonate with a right atrial mass that was diagnosed prenatally. The fetus developed a supraventricular tachycardia and was delivered by cesarean section in the 35(th) week of gestation.

Increased susceptibility to gingival colonization by specific HACEK microbes in children with congenital heart disease.

It is well established that infective endocarditis (IE) involving the HACEK (Hemophilus, Actinobacillus, Cardiobacter, Eikenella, Kingella) group of microbes occurs in patients with congenital heart defects (CHD) and in those with prosthetic grafts. Dental caries and gingival disease have been presumed to be the focus of microbial shedding. The purpose of this study was to determine if children with CHD had a more severe gingival inflammatory condition and harbored the HACEK group of microbes to a greater extent than normal children.

Estrogen-induced relaxation in bovine coronary arteries in vitro: evidence for a new mechanism.

Numerous studies have shown estrogen to be vasoactive in various circulations. Our objective was to determine the effect of estrogen on isolated bovine coronary arteries and the possible mechanism. Bovine coronary arteries, precontracted with thromboxane mimetic U46619 were given doses (0.

Fetal echocardiography at West Virginia University: a seven-year experience.

The last decade has seen tremendous growth and utilization of fetal echocardiography. In order to assess the indications and yield of fetal echocardiography at West Virginia University, all fetal echocardiograms performed during a seven-year period were reviewed. There were 931 fetal echocardiograms performed on 803 women during this time period and there was a large increase in referral rate as has been seen in other regions.

Comparative study of clinical evaluation of heart murmurs by general pediatricians and pediatric cardiologists.

In a study to compare the clinical diagnostic skills of academic general pediatricians and academic pediatric cardiologists in the evaluation of heart murmurs, a total of 128 patients (aged 1 month to 18 years) newly referred to a university pediatric cardiology clinic were evaluated by one of three general pediatricians and one of four pediatric cardiologists. The murmurs were clinically classified as innocent, pathologic, or possibly pathologic. The classification was revised after the review of electrocardiogram (EKG) and chest radiograph (CXR), if indicated.

Nebulized nitroglycerin in children with pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease.

Pulmonary hypertension continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality, despite new treatments. Since inhaled nitric oxide has been reported to be effective in some cases, we investigated using nebulized nitroglycerine to treat pulmonary hypertension in children with congenital heart disease. Four children (ages 6-72 months) with severe pulmonary hypertension secondary to congenital heart disease (all with membranous ventricular septal defect, undergoing cardiac catheterization) were given 3 cc of nebulized normal saline over 10 min as placebo control, followed by nebulized nitroglycerine (20 micrograms/Kg in 3 cc normal saline).

In Vitro Vascular Relaxation to Progesterone and Its Metabolites in Human Umbilical and Placental Blood Vessels.

> Background: We have recently reported that progesterone caused a receptor-mediated, cAMP-dependent relaxation in isolated placental arteries and veins from normal term pregnancies that may be important in maintaining adequate blood flow in the placental circulation. Objective: To further investigate the activity of progesterone and some of its metabolites in both placental and umbilical vessels. Study design: Isolated human placental and umbilical arteries and veins from normal term pregnancies, incubated in Krebs-bicarbonate buffer and submaximally precontracted with potassium chloride, were exposed to cumulative concentrations (0.

Caffeine and Nicotine: Effects on Human Placental Vascular Tone In Vitro.

>Objective: To investigate if the adverse effects caffeine and nicotine have on the fetus are mediated by placental vascular tone alterations.Study Design: Isolated human placental arteries and veins at resting tone in the presence and absence of endothelium were exposed to cumulative doses of caffeine (0.1 nm-0.

Childhood acute rheumatic fever: a comparison of recent resurgence areas to cases in West Virginia.

A resurgence of acute rheumatic fever (ARF) was noted over the last 10 years in several areas of the United States. West Virginia was no exception with two reports appearing in the literature confirming an increased incidence in the 1980s among children and adults. The Pediatric Cardiology Division of West Virginia University Children's Hospital had 30 cases of ARF referred between 1980 and 1995, and surprisingly 27 of these cases had been diagnosed since 1986.

Alteration of human placental vascular tone by antiarrhythmic medications in vitro.

Introduction: Antiarrhythmic medications are commonly used during pregnancy for treatment of maternal or fetal arrhythmias, but little is known about their effect on human placental vascular tone and, consequently, placental blood flow. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tone responses caused by antiarrhythmic medications in human placental vessels from normal term pregnancies in vitro.

Methods And Results: Isolated human placental arteries and veins from uncomplicated term pregnancies incubated in Krebs'-bicarbonate under 5% oxygen/5% carbon dioxide/balance nitrogen (PO2 35 to 38 torr) were exposed to cumulative doses of quinidine, procainamide, lidocaine, flecainide, propranolol, amiodarone, verapamil, digoxin, and adenosine after submaximal contraction with 5-hydroxytryptamine.

Plasma antioxidant depletion after cardiopulmonary bypass in operations for congenital heart disease.

We describe the use of two in vitro tests to characterize plasma antioxidant capacity at the time of cardiac bypass in operations for congenital heart disease in 30 patients aged 3 days to 16 years (average 4.4 +/- 0.9 years [standard error]).

Myocardial lipid composition in turkeys with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective: The aim was to determine if reduced heart lipid peroxidation in turkeys with two forms of dilated cardiomyopathy, previously reported, was related to an alteration in the lipid composition of the ventricle.

Methods: Myocardial lipid composition was measured in turkeys with two types of dilated cardiomyopathy. Twenty six turkeys with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy, six with furazolidone induced dilated cardiomyopathy, and 18 age matched control birds were used at 1 day, 9-10 days, and 38-78 days of age.

Spectrophotometric measurement of plasma 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances in the presence of hemoglobin and bilirubin interference.

The 2-thiobarbituric acid reaction with malondialdehyde has been used to assess lipid peroxidation in a variety of biologic systems. However, in an attempt to measure plasma thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a form of sustained cardiopulmonary bypass, it became apparent that the absorbance signal at the 532-nm wavelength was composed not only of the peak absorbance of TBARS, but also of interfering substances from heme pigments and bilirubin. A method of subtracting interfering substances was developed and applied to normal human plasma.

Catecholamines in turkeys with alcohol-induced cardiomyopathy.

Although alcoholic cardiomyopathy has been difficult to reproduce in animals, turkeys fed 5% ethanol develop a dilated congestive cardiomyopathy. We therefore used this model to examine the adrenergic response to left ventricular dysfunction induced by alcohol. In normal turkeys, norepinephrine in kidneys decreased markedly with age from 1 day to 2 mo, with a similar but less dramatic decrease in cardiac norepinephrine.

Newborn cardiorenal dynamics: a state of atrial natriuretic peptide unresponsiveness.

The newborn has an attenuated response to saline fluid challenge. We studied the response of endogenous atrial natriuretic peptides (ANF) to 10% body weight graded isotonic saline volume expansion (VE) in 14 anesthetized neonatal lambs which were either 1 day old or 7 days old. Plasma ANF values were unchanged at 3.

Anisodamine increases blood flow to the retina-choroid and protects retinal and pancreatic cells against lipid peroxidation.

This study investigated the effect of anisodamine (2 and 5 mg/kg i.v.) on ocular and systemic blood flow distribution in awake lambs using the radioactive microsphere technique.

Reduced heart lipid peroxidation precedes cardiac dilatation in turkeys with naturally occurring cardiomyopathy.

Study Objective: The aim of the study was to determine if reduced heart lipid peroxidation in 1-2 month old turkeys with furazolidone induced dilated cardiomyopathy is drug related and model dependent, a non-specific characteristic of the dilated turkey heart, or if alterations of heart lipid peroxidation can occur prior to onset of cardiac dilatation, and therefore may be involved in its pathogenesis.

Design: Ventricular lipid peroxidation capacity and superoxide dismutase activity were measured in controls and in turkeys with spontaneous cardiomyopathy at various ages (newly hatched, 7-10 d, and 1-2 months) and stages of the disease.

Subjects: 46 turkeys with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy and 29 age matched controls were used at hatch, 7-10 d, and 1-2 months of age.

Prostaglandin catabolism in fetal and maternal tissues--a study of 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase and delta 13 reductase with specific assay methods.

Recent studies have demonstrated that extraductal tissues such as lung are important sources of prostaglandin E2 which maintains the patency of ductus arteriosus in fetuses and prematurely-born infants. Also, organs such as lung are known to be active in the catabolism of PGE2. Earlier studies of enzymes involved in the catabolism of PGE2 such as 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) and delta 13 reductase all used non-specific methods.

Physical and mechanical effects of cardioplegic injection on flow distribution and myocardial damage in hearts with normal coronary arteries.

The physical and mechanical effects of injecting crystalloid cardioplegic solution under various pressures and flows was studied (in canine hearts) to establish a safe method for administering it in the presence of normal coronary arteries. A constant pressure system (300 mm Hg = 15 psi) was maintained in the solution reservoir, and flows and pressures were varied with the use of cannulas of different inner diameters: 0.8, 1.