The quantitation of manic behavior

Tropical and temperate wastewater treatment plants assemble different and diverse microbiomes

The diversity and assembly of activated sludge microbiomes play a key role in the performances of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), which are the most widely applied biotechnological process systems. In this study, we investigated the microbiomes of municipal WWTPs in Bangkok, Wuhan, and Beijing that respectively represent tropical, subtropical, and temperate climate regions, and also explored how microbiomes assembled in these municipal WWTPs. Our results showed that the microbiomes from these municipal WWTPs were significantly different. The assembly of microbiomes in municipal WWTPs followed deterministic and stochastic processes governed by geographical location, temperature, and nutrients. We found that both taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversities of tropical Bangkok municipal WWTPs were the highest and were rich in yet-to-be-identified microbial taxa. Nitrospirae and β-Proteobacteria were more abundant in tropical municipal WWTPs, but did not result in better removal efficiencies of ammonium and total nitrogen. Overall, these results suggest that tropical and temperate municipal WWTPs harbored diverse and unique microbial resources, and the municipal WWTP microbiomes were assembled with different processes. Implications of these findings for designing and running tropical municipal WWTPs were discussed. KEY POINTS: • Six WWTPs of tropical Thailand and subtropical and temperate China were investigated. • Tropical Bangkok WWTPs had more diverse and yet-to-be-identified microbial taxa. • Microbiome assembly processes were associated with geographical location.

Dopamine and mania: behavioral and biochemical effects of the dopamine receptor blocker pimozide

Although recent data suggest that pimozide has effects at other neurotransmitter receptor sites, it is one of the more specific neuroleptics in its effects on dopamine receptors. We report that in manic patients pimozide produces substantial clinical improvement with a magnitude and time course similar to that observed with the more routinely used phenothiazines chlorpromazine and thioridazine. Pimozide did not significantly increase probenecid-induced accumulations of the dopamine metabolite homovanillic acid (HVA) compared to pretreatment values. Higher HVA values were observed in manic than in nonmanic patients, however. These clinical and biochemical data add to a growing body of indirect evidence that a dopaminergic alteration may be associated with some components of the manic syndrome.

Effect of sodium valproate on mania. The GABA-hypothesis of affective disorders

A possible antimanic property of the GABA-ergic anticonvulsant valproate was examined by use of a double-blind placebo-controlled ABA design in 5 acutely ill manic patients. In 4 cases a marked improvement was observed after valproate medication whereas one patient showed no response. Seven further patients with frequently recurrent episodes of a manic or maniform schizoaffective psychosis, irresponsive to lithium prophylaxis, were chronically treated with valproate in combination with low doses of lithium (one case only with valproate). Over an observation period of 1 1/2-3 years none of the patients exhibited a relapse. It is proposed that, in general, GABA-ergic anticonvulsants possess antimanic properties and that the specific antimanic effect of lithium is due to a GABA-ergic mode of action. The possible role of GABA-systems in affective disorders and in organic types of psychoses (e.g.,porphyria-psychosis, delirium tremens) is discussed on the basis of pharmacopsychiatric considerations.

Classification of the MMPI profiles of two alcoholic groups

Ninety-two per cent of the MMPI CODES OF 60 ALCOHOLICS IN THE Link Society and institutional groups of the present study were classified according to a mixed typological-dimensional model. The study applied reciprocal two-digit high-point codes and also five different spiked codes and two different codes which include more than two scales in predominant position. Related codes suggesting different diagnostic descriptions were, however, separated from each other. The present study also used new interpretations of some MMPI scales, detailed descriptions of the other scales and applied some critically examined measurements of certain authors. Of special interest is a detailed interpretation of codes opathic deviate) scale as a measurement of hysterical personality. The above methods gave a more exact identification of the MMPI codes than a previous study of the present author and suggest that it is possible to give a more refined description of different personality disorders in particular but also of other psycho-pathological and behavioural characteristics of the alcoholic patients in the Link Society and institutional groups. The different typal dimensions measured by the MMPI high-point codes seem to be of theoretical value but also seem to be useful for a more differentiated and adequate treatment of alcoholics. In further corroborative studies there is a need for more case history descriptions in order to correct for local departures. It is also possible that these descriptions may aid in giving a clearer identification of the codes, including scale 5, not classified in the present study.

[The logic of decision in symptom rating (author's transl)]

The rating systems used in psychiatry consider sometimes different ways of classifying parameters, such as the valuability and the certainty of decision. Those two parameters have been analysed by means of the AMP-ratings of two samples (Berlin: 1879 patients, Zürich: 786 patients). We have found that the reply "not valuable" appears much less frequently than the reply "questionable valuable". For delusional symptoms and disorders of perception the certainty of decision is lowest. The various analyses carried out lead us to the conclusion that without loosing informatory value of any consequence we can renounce any separate documentation on valuability and certainty of decision.