Efficacy and cost of micronutrient treatment of childhood psychosis.

Psychosis is difficult to treat effectively with conventional pharmaceuticals, many of which have adverse long-term health consequences. In contrast, there are promising reports from several research groups of micronutrient treatment (vitamins, minerals, amino acids and essential fatty acids) of mood, anxiety and psychosis symptoms using a complex formula that appears to be safe and tolerable. We review previous studies using this formula to treat mental symptoms, and present an 11-year-old boy with a 3-year history of mental illness whose parents chose to transition him from medication to micronutrients.

Survey of Alberta hospital pharmacists' perspectives on additional prescribing authorization.

Purpose: The results of a survey to determine reasons for the slow adoption of prescribing authority by hospital pharmacists in the Canadian province of Alberta are presented.

Methods: A Web-based survey was conducted to elucidate pharmacist perspectives on additional prescribing authorization (APA), which permits independent prescribing by Alberta pharmacists who complete a peer-reviewed application process (at the time of the survey, only 52 hospital pharmacists had been granted APA). The survey elicited demographic data and practice characteristics and explored perspectives on APA and their influence on the decision to apply or not apply for APA.

Ovarian and placental production of progesterone and oestradiol during pregnancy in reindeer.

We obtained uterine and peripheral venous plasma, and samples of luteal and placental tissues from 2- to 7-year-old, Eurasian mountain reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) from a free-living, semi-domesticated herd in northern Norway in November 1995, and February and March 1996. In November, ovarian venous blood was also collected from four animals. Plasma samples were assayed for progesterone and oestradiol.

Psychosocial needs of women infected with HIV.

This article describes an exploratory social work study that examined the psychosocial needs of HIV seropositive (HIV+) Caucasian women. A questionnaire was used to obtain both qualitative and quantitative data from the sample of 12 women. Further, more substantive data were obtained through in-depth interviews with 6 of the sample.

Dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene potentiates the effect of protein kinase A pathway activators on progesterone synthesis in cultured porcine granulosa cells.

The insecticide dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) and its major metabolite p,p'-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) have been implicated as endocrine-modulating chemicals. The DDT metabolite p, p'-DDE has been found contaminating human tissues and follicular fluid because of dietary exposure. We investigated the effects of DDE on progesterone synthesis in a stable porcine granulosa cell line, JC-410, and in primary cultures of porcine granulosa cells.