Stress and arousal during pregnancy and childbirth.

Sixty primigravidae were assessed on the short form of the Stress-Arousal Adjective Check List (SACL) at the commencement of the third trimester of pregnancy. Fifty-four of these were also administered the SACL in the labour ward and at three days after birth. On the first assessment the mean levels for the group of mothers were above normative levels of stress but not normative levels of arousal.

A statistical audit of the clinical utility of the 168 version of MMPI.

Measured MMPI protocols from 347 female and 563 male psychiatric patients according to the standard form and the 168 version. Clinical scales were derived and profiles were classified using the procedure of Marks, Seeman, and Haller (1978). Approximately 50% agreement between MMPI-168 and full scale profiles was obtained.

Psychological adjustment to coronary artery surgery.

In a study of psychological adjustment to coronary artery bypass surgery 23 patients who underwent surgery were seen pre-operatively, prior to discharge and one year after surgery. A comparison sample of 19 patients not tested pre-surgically was contacted by postal questionnaire one year post-operatively. An hierarchical grouping analysis carried out on seven outcome variables yielded a two-group solution for the study sample and this was replicated in the comparison sample.

Measurement of stress and arousal: validation of the stress/arousal adjective checklist.

It is suggested that, although often confounded, the mood states of stress and arousal may be independent, and that they may have different psychological consequences. The present investigation demonstrated the ability of a stress/arousal adjective checklist to differentiate between groups of people subject to different potentially stressful situations. The results are interpreted as suggesting that two distinct responses to a perceived demand are possible.

High-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of chlorophenols in cardboard food containers and related materials.

A technique has been developed for the extraction of a clean concentrate of chlorophenols from cardboard food containers and adhesives of the type used in their manufacture. A simple, reversed-phase, isocratic high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) system employing an optimised mobile phase permitted the separation of nineteen different phenols. The use of a carefully selected internal standard permitted the estimation of (sub) parts per million levels of pentachlorophenol, 2,3,4,6-tetrachlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol in several samples of adhesives and various sections of cardboard food containers.

Eye-movements and sequential tracking in dyslexic and control children.

The efficiency of eye-movements while tracking sequential lights was compared for 15 dyslexic children and 15 controls, matched on age and non-verbal intelligence. Contrary to Pavlidis (1981), no significant differences were found between the two groups on two measures of efficiency. A hierarchical cluster analysis did not demonstrate unique patterns of errors for dyslexics, with the exception of a single female dyslexic.

Volatile Compounds Associated with Spoilage of Vacuum-Packaged Sliced Luncheon Meat by Brochothrix thermosphacta.

By using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, seven volatile compounds were identified in vacuum-packaged sliced corned beef spoiled by Brochothrix thermosphacta under aerobic conditions. Acetoin and diacetyl appeared to be of major sensory significance.

Individual differences in life-style response to coronary artery bypass surgery.

Fifty-three patients who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery 12 to 27 months previously were given four standard personality questionnaires and asked to write about the main effects the operation had on their life-styles. These responses were then content analysed. Although hierarchical grouping analysis indicated that the responses could best be classified into four groups, only three distinct response profiles emerged.

Comparison of writing and drawing performance of dyslexic boys.

A group of 10 dyslexic boys and 10 control boys matched for age and nonverbal IQ were asked to draw a person and to write about their favourite television program. The two groups did not differ on mean raw scores or time taken on the drawing but differed in number of spelling errors and writing time. The ratios of spelling/number of words written and grammatical errors/number of words written differed for the groups.

Augmentation-reduction and pain: reply to petrie.

The comments by Petrie (1978) on our earlier paper (Elton, et al., 1978) are discussed. Clarification of procedures demonstrates that Petrie's comments do not warrant any modification of our conclusion that the relationship between perceptual reactance and pain has not been clearly established.

Clinical measurement of pain.

The problems of clinical measurement of pain are considered. Various adjuncts to the standard clinical interview are proposed. These are: written reports, visual analogue scales, McGill's Pain Assessment Questionnaire, and a weekly pain chart.

A multidimensional approach to the assessment of pain.

The relative usefulness of various methods of assessment of pain is discussed. It is suggested that keeping an ongoing record of patients' pain is of value both to the patient and to the therapist.

Minicolumn detection method applied to almonds: collaborative study.

The minicolumn screening method for aflatoxins was collaboratively tested on naturally contaminated almonds. The nuts were extracted, and the extract was cleaned up and applied to a Velasco-type minicolumn. This permits the detection of total aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2) as a fluorescent band on the Florisil layer of the column.

Relaxation, the physiotherapist and the psychiatric patient.

This article discusses the role of relaxation training in psychiatric hospitals. Details of indications and contraindications are given. Interdisciplinary approach is stressed.

Augmentation-reduction and pain experience.

The role of augmentation-reduction in pain tolerance and threshold was examined using Petrie's (1967) criteria for classification of subjects. 14 augmenters did not differ from 14 reducers on pain tolerance and threshold. Trait anxiety correlated with both pain tolerance and threshold, but state anxiety did not.