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Question-and-Answer Forum
- Terence A. Ketter, Trisha Suppes, Martha J. Morrell, Natalie Rasgon, Lee S. Cohen, Adele C. Viguera
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- Journal:
- CNS Spectrums / Volume 11 / Issue S5 / May 2006
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 07 November 2014, pp. 15-16
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The presentations and clinical courses of patients with bipolar disorder differ greatly by gender. In addition, medical therapy must be tailored differently for men and women because of emerging safety concerns unique to the female reproductive system. In November 2005, these topics were explored by a panel of experts in psychiatry, neurology, and reproductive health at a closed roundtable meeting in Dallas, Texas. This clinical information monograph summarizes the highlights of that meeting.
Compared to men with bipolar disorder, women have more pervasive depressive symptoms and experience more major depressive episodes. They are also at higher risk for obesity and certain other medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Mood changes across the menstrual cycle are common, although the severity, timing, and type of changes are variable. Bipolar disorder is frequently associated with menstrual abnormalities and ovarian dysfunction, including polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although some cases of menstrual disturbance precede the treatment of bipolar disorder, it is possible that valproate and/or antipsychotic treatment may play a contributory role in young women.
Pregnancy does not protect against mood episodes in untreated women. Maintenance of euthymia during pregnancy is critical because relapse during this period strongly predicts a difficult postpartum course. Suspending therapy in the first months of pregnancy may be an option for some women with mild-to-moderate illness, or those with a long history of euthymia during pre-pregnancy treatment. However, a mood stabilizer should be reintroduced either in the later stages of pregnancy or in the immediate postpartum period. Preliminary data suggest that fetal exposure to some mood stabilizers may raise the risk of major congenital malformations and neurodevelopmental delays. For women planning to become pregnant, clinicians may consider switching to other drugs before conception. The value and drawbacks of breastfeeding during treatment must be considered in partnership with the patient, with close monitoring of nursing infants thereafter. The risks and benefits of medical treatment for women with bipolar disorder should be carefully reconsidered at each stage of their reproductive lives, with a flexible approach that is responsive to the changing needs of patients and their families.
Investigation of uniformity in pig carcass and meat quality traits
- L. Alfonso, G. Zudaire, M. V. Sarries, J. Viguera, F. Flamarique
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The study was carried out to provide information on uniformity of commercial pigs on some of the most important traits determining pork quality: carcass, loin, ham and shoulder weights, fatness, drip loss, pH and colour. Three batches of pigs raised at the same farm and slaughtered at four different dates in the same commercial abattoir were considered. Batches included halothane-free females and castrated males, Duroc and Pietrain sire lines and two slaughter weights, but a common maternal line. The first batch was obtained using commercial Duroc sire boars, and included a total of 112 animals (56 castrated males and 56 females). The second batch used Duroc and Pietrain sire boars with the target to achieve two different final weights (105 and 115 kg live weight); 128 animals were controlled (64 castrated males and 64 females), 16 for each combination of sire boar, sex and final weight. The last batch used only Pietrain sire boars with 96 controlled pigs (48 castrated males and 48 females). The uniformity was measured by the coefficient of variation (CV) and the coefficient of dispersion (CD) for all data available, and for groups of common sex, sire breed and slaughter weight. Differences in uniformity were tested among traits and groups by using confidence intervals (CIs) at 95% confidence level (CI95%) for the CV and CD. Results showed a significantly lower uniformity for drip loss (CV = 40.4%, CI95% 36.9% to 44.7%; CD = 32.1%, CI95% 28.7% to 35.4%) and backfat (CV = 22.8%, CI95% 21.1% to 24.8%; CD = 18.3%, CI95% 17.1% to 20.2%) the pH being the most uniform trait (CV = 3.2%, CI95% 3.0% to 3.5%; CD = 2.6%, CI95% 2.4% to 2.9%). When comparing different ‘sire breed–sex–slaughter weight’ groups, no consistent sex and slaughter weight differences in uniformity were found, but animals from Pietrain sire breed showed a tendency to be less uniform for carcass traits than animals from Duroc sire breed. Nevertheless, variability within those groups was very high and often similar to that observed when considering all the animals from all the groups. Small differences were found comparing uniformity when using the CV or the CD. CIs of these coefficients have proved to be a simple and useful tool for testing differences in uniformity.
Mechanical properties and low-temperature aging of tetragonal zirconia polycrystals processed by hot isostatic pressing
- J. Muñoz-Saldaña, H. Balmori-Ramírez, D. Jaramillo-Vigueras, T. Iga, G. A. Schneider
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- Journal:
- Journal of Materials Research / Volume 18 / Issue 10 / October 2003
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 03 March 2011, pp. 2415-2426
- Print publication:
- October 2003
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The influence of grain size and density of yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZPs) ceramics on mechanical properties and on low-temperature aging degradation (LTD) in air and in hot water was investigated. A TZP powder containing 3 mol% Y2O3 was consolidated by slip casting and densified by the sintering/hot isostatic pressing (HIP) method. Only the presintered samples that contained less than 0.15% open porosity reached near full density after HIP. The best conditions to reach full density were found to be attained by presintering and HIP both at 1400 °C. At these conditions, some of the best mechanical properties such as modulus of rupture and Weibull modulus reached 1397 ± 153 MPa and, 10.6, respectively. These values were clearly higher than those obtained from sintered bodies and samples hot isostatically pressed at 1600 °C. Aging degradation of 3Y-TZP materials can be avoided through microstructural design. Fully dense materials with a critical grain size <0.36 μm did not show any evidence of degradation after extreme aging conditions at pressurized autoclaving in hot water at 100, 200, and 260 °C for 8 h. We propose a criterion to predict degradation in air as well as in hot water for the characterized materials based on the microstructure and density control of the samples.
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