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[Co-production of knowledge about custody criteria with subjects affected by their parents' custody dispute: a participatory study].

This article explores methods within a longitudinal study for allowing subjects more direct participation in research as co-producers of scientific knowledge concerning custody decision-making after divorce. The purpose of the longitudinal study was to evaluate the scientific custody criteria that were applied to children after their parents' divorce. The results of the study, published after the first survey, showed the relevance of children's personal preferences and residence wishes for custody regulations.

[The journal impact factor as a parameter for the evaluation of researchers and research].

The journal impact factor (IF), which is published annually by the Institute for Scientific Information, (Philadelphia, USA), is meanwhile in widespread use as a scientometric parameter for the evaluation of research and researchers in Germany and other European countries. The present article subjects the IF to critical analysis. It first deals with processes of production, transfer, and use of medical knowledge, because the IF intervenes in these processes on account of its reflexivity.

["I tried to be as defiant as possible". Case histories with autobiographical diaries: relationship with the custodial parent during childhood as recalled by young adults].

The predominant structural orientation of divorce research which either ignores or under represents to a great extent the child's perspective and his/her agency is criticized. As a consequence of these methodological shortcomings not only the production of scientific knowledge but also professional practice working with children from divorced families might be negatively affected--especially the regulation of custody and visiting issues. Therefore, the aim of this article is to give children a voice in describing their own experiences of visits and relationships with the non-residential father or mother during childhood and adolescence (sometimes until adulthood).

Virtual reality in medicine.

Virtual reality (VR), as part of computer science, allows computer-based models of the real world to be generated, and provides humans with a means to interact with these models through new human-computer interfaces and, thus, to nearly realistically experience these models. This contribution explores the technical requirements for VR, describes technological advances and deficits, and analyzes the framework for future technological research and development. Although some non-medical applications are discussed, this contribution focuses primarily on medical applications of VR and outlines future prospects of medical VR applications.

Perspectives on osteoporosis.

The goal of this chapter was to provide enough information so that the following questions could be answered in a clinical context: 1. Does the patient have osteoporosis or a risk for it? Is densitometry needed? 2. Why does the patient have osteoporosis? Is the diagnosis "the tip of the iceberg" because of an occult secondary cause? 3.

[Literature data banks for university education, continuing education and medical research. A report of experiences with the use of the Medline data base in a CD-ROM version].

The National Library of Medicine (USA) database Medline is available as a CD-ROM version in the Federal Republic of Germany since 1988. The utilization of this system and an evaluation of the literature searches in the special medical library of a university clinic was examined. The results of 25 interviews with users and 400 questionnaires (completed by all users after CD-ROM use) were analysed.

Nifedipine-propranolol interaction: dependence of cardiovascular effects on plasma drug concentrations.

The relationships between plasma drug concentrations and cardiovascular effects during combined administration of nifedipine and propranolol were evaluated in dogs anesthetized with thiopental. Three received small intravenous (i.v.

Hemodynamic and pharmacokinetic aspects of the interactions between verapamil and pindolol.

Combined administration of verapamil, a phenylalkylamine calcium-entry antagonist, with a pure beta-adrenoceptor blocker, propranolol, produces profound cardiovascular depression associated with decreased hepatic clearance of both drugs. We have therefore studied the combination of verapamil and pindolol, a beta-adrenoceptor blocker with intrinsic sympathomimetic activity (ISA), to evaluate whether or not the property of ISA will confer protection from the usual toxic effects observed with verapamil and a beta-adrenoceptor blocking agent. In an anesthetized dog model, dosing regimens which produced stable plasma concentrations of either verapamil and/or pindolol resulted in drug effects which were closely related to the plasma levels of the individual agents.

Cardiovascular and pharmacokinetic consequences of combined administration of verapamil and propranolol in dogs.

Verapamil and propranolol, alone and in combination, were given intravenously to anesthetized dogs to analyze the interaction between drug-induced cardiovascular effects and the resulting changes in pharmacokinetics. Dosing regimens were used that produced steady state plasma levels of both drugs, and the observed effects were clearly related to the plasma concentrations of the agents. When given alone, at stable "therapeutic" levels in plasma, verapamil or propranolol decreased spontaneous heart rate, increased atrioventricular conduction time, and had opposite effects on cardiac output.

Pharmacodynamic comparison of verapamil and nifedipine in anesthetized dogs.

The relationships between steady-state plasma concentrations of verapamil or nifedipine and the resultant hemodynamic and electrophysiologic effects were evaluated in anesthetized, instrumented dogs. In different groups of animals, the drugs were given intravenously by loading-maintenance infusions designed to rapidly achieve and sustain stable plasma drug concentrations, over four different target ranges which span those found in clinical use of these agents. Plasma levels of nifedipine varied from 5 to 125 ng/ml, and those of verapamil, from 40 to 500 ng/ml.

Effects of phenobarbital and SKF-525A on in vitro hepatic metabolism of verapamil and nifedipine.

Both verapamil and nifedipine are first-generation calcium-entry antagonist drugs which are eliminated by hepatic metabolism. To evaluate the effects of enzyme induction and suppression on the biotransformation of these compounds, liver homogenate fractions were prepared from male Fisher (F344) rats, which were either untreated, or injected intraperitoneally with phenobarbital or with SKF-525A prior to sacrifice. Known concentrations of verapamil or nifedipine were incubated with the 9,000 g supernatant, and the quantity of unchanged drug remaining after 10 min was measured.

Quadruple injection of hypothalamic peptides to evaluate pituitary function in normal subjects.

A single intravenous injection of four hypothalamic releasing hormones-corticotropin-, growth hormone-, gonadotropin- and thyrotropin-releasing hormones-was administered to normal subjects. Except for the plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level, a statistically significant increase in all anterior pituitary hormone levels occurred. Transient flushing was the only consistent side effect.

Effects of hemodynamic changes on the elimination kinetics of verapamil and nifedipine.

This study used a steady-state approach to evaluate the relationships between the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic characteristics of nifedipine and verapamil. In anesthetized and instrumented dogs, i.v.