Enantiomeric Analysis of Chiral Isotopomers via Microwave Three-Wave Mixing.

Many achiral molecules can be made chiral by appropriate positioning of an isotope. Accurate detection of this type of chirality has remained elusive, and there is as yet no general method for detection of isotopically chiral species. Here, we present the first application of microwave three-wave mixing to isotopically chiral molecules, detecting enantiomeric excess in ( R/ S)-benzyl-α-D alcohol.

Focused but fixed: the impact of expectation of external rewards on inhibitory control and flexibility in preschoolers.

Promise of rewards has been widely used in controlling preschoolers' behaviors. The current study investigated how the expectation of receiving an external reward may influence preschoolers' executive function. Four- to 5-year-old Singaporean children were randomly assigned to reward-informed and reward-uninformed conditions.

Combination antidepressant therapy in primary care.

Increasing clinical experience with the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants make combination antidepressant therapy at times a reasonable alternative to single-agent therapy in primary care patients with depression. This article describes three cases that illustrate possible rationales for combination antidepressant therapy: reduced side effects, synergistic treatment effects, reduced treatment response time, prescriber familiarity, and clinical experience. The combination of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and tricyclic antidepressants may be useful in treating patients who experience intolerable side effects or who are resistant to therapy with a single antidepressant.

The supervisors' conference.

Since 1985, approximately 75% of the psychiatry department faculty of a medical school have met every two weeks for a supervisors' conference. The conference was conceived by members of the Residency Education Committee as a way to improve the supervision of psychiatry residents. It has evolved into a study group of supervision and serves as a forum for supervisors to share their methods of supervision.

Effects of ECT on diabetes mellitus. An attempt to account for conflicting data.

The authors review the recent, conflicting findings of the effect of ECT on diabetes mellitus. To further explore this relationship, they present case reports of three adult-onset diabetic patients with varying degrees of diabetic management who were treated for depression with ECT. The results point to the variability of effects which ECT may have on blood glucose in diabetic patients.

Spinal epidural lipomatosis: a complication of glucocorticoid therapy.

A 21-year-old woman receiving prolonged high dosage glucocorticoids developed spinal cord compression due to excessive accumulation of epidural fat. Computerized tomographic scanning confirmed the diagnosis and revealed a peculiar pattern of spinal cord displacement which we believe to be unique to compression by fat. Laminectomy did not afford relief, possibly because of prolonged neural compression or because of compression at a higher spinal level.