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This article describes an analysis of spouse concordance for major depression and for other depressive experiences. Respondents to a community survey of married men and women (N = 586 couples) completed a modified version of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule from which diagnoses of major depression and dysthymia were derived. Subclinical depressive episodes were also identified. A cross-tabulation of husbands' and wives' diagnoses revealed weak concordance for lifetime prevalence of major depression. In contrast, concordance for the experience of depressive episodes, regardless of associated symptomatology, is statistically significant. Contrary to earlier suggestions, concordance does not increase over the length of the marriage, nor is it stronger among divorced couples.

A discrete-time survival analysis of recovery from major depressive episodes for a sample of married subjects (N = 119) identified several significant predictors of recovery including comorbidity for anxiety disorders or substance abuse, social support, age, and education. Furthermore, the analysis distinguished between different sources and types of social support, documenting that spouses' positive responses to the depression predict rapid recovery whereas the perception that friendships are conflictual predicts slow recovery. Finally, the analysis documented changes in the importance of predictor variables over the course of the episode. Specifically, spouse's negative reactions to the depression and subject's education level became more important predictors of recovery as the episode became longer, and the recovery advantage experienced by younger respondents lessened over time.

1. The vascular actions of leukotrienes C4 (LTC4) and LTD4 in the guinea-pig isolated perfused heart were studied in the presence of potassium (K+) channel modulatory compounds. 2. Cromakalim (0.35-10 microM), a K+ channel activator, inhibited the vasoconstrictor responses of LTC4 (30 pmol), LTD4 (30 pmol) and angiotensin II (AII) (100 pmol) in a concentration-dependent manner. 3. Glyceryl trinitrate (10 mgl-1) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (10 nM) induced a similar vasodilator action to cromakalim in the isolated heart but had no effect on responses to LTC4 and LTD4. 4. The inhibitory action by cromakalim (10 microM) on the LTC4 (30 pmol) response could be reversed in the presence of an equimolar concentration of glibenclamide. However, glibenclamide (10 microM) only partially restored the LTD4 (30 pmol) actions. 5. Galanin (10 nM) and charybdotoxin (60 nM) had no effect on the vascular responses to LTC4 and LTD4 (30 pmol). 6. Inhibition by cromakalim of coronary vasospasm induced by vascular LTC4, LTD4 and AII appears to be separate from its vasodilator action and it is postulated that a cromakalim-sensitive mechanism in the coronary vasculature is important in the vasoconstrictor responses to LTC4, LTD4 and AII.

The coronary vascular endothelium of the guinea-pig isolated perfused heart was removed by treatment with 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)-dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate (CHAPS), a zwitterionic detergent. After CHAPS treatment of the heart the vasoconstrictor responses of leukotriene (LT) C4, LTD4 and angiotensin II (AII) were significantly attenuated whereas the vascular actions of U46619, a thromboxane (Tx) A2 mimetic, and endothelin-1 (ET-1) were unaltered. The endothelium-dependent vasoconstrictor response of LTC4 and LTD4 could not be attributed to the release of TxA2, platelet-activating factor or AII since indomethacin, WEB 2086 and captopril had no effect on LT actions. However, in the presence of cromakalim, a potassium channel activator, the vasoconstrictor effects induced by LTC4, LTD4 and AII were significantly attenuated to a greater extent than the responses of U46619 and ET-1. The results suggest that in the coronary vasculature of the guinea-pig isolated heart the vasoconstrictor responses of LTC4, LTD4 and AII are endothelium-dependent and may involve a cromakalim-sensitive mechanism.

Previous research demonstrates convincingly that childhood parental deaths and parental divorces have implications for adult well-being as defined by levels of depression, educational attainment, early age at marriage, and risk of divorce. What this research has failed to examine are the interconnections among these outcomes. Specifically, are the socioeconomic and marital outcomes of parental loss implicated in the observed higher levels of depression? This analysis takes a first step in answering this question. Using data from a sample of 1,755 married men and women, I estimated regression models which examine the extent to which adult socioeconomic status and current marital quality mediate and/or modify the loss-depression relationship. Parental divorce was strongly related to socioeconomic and marital outcomes. Furthermore, current marital quality contributed importantly to understanding the higher levels of depressed mood observed among persons from divorced homes. Parental death was much more weakly related to socioeconomic and marital outcomes, and these outcomes played little role in explaining its relationship to depression. Finally, all of these relationships were stronger among women than men. These findings support the utility of life-course approaches to understanding adult mental health.

Peptidoleukotrienes (LTs), LTC4 and LTD4, cause potent vasoconstriction and myocardial depression in a range of species including man. The recent availability of specific LTD4 antagonists has allowed the evaluation of LT involvement in disease states and the characterisation of LT receptors in the airways. We decided to study the actions of four LT antagonists; ICI 198,615, SK + F 104,353, MK-571 and CGP45715A on LTD4-, LTC4- and U46619-induced effects in the coronary vasculature and on cardiac contractility in the guinea-pig isolated heart. We found a difference in the actions of the antagonists in the GP heart compared with the lung. ICI 198,615 retained its selectivity towards LTD4 whereas SK + F 104,353 antagonised both LTD4 and LTC4. MK-571 and CGP45715A had a non specific action against the LTs. Our results also indicated a direct action of the LTs on cardiac contractility which was not associated with the constriction of the coronary vasculature. These studies indicate that if the leukotrienes are involved in cardiac disease antagonists specific for the peptidoleukotrienes may be of therapeutic benefit in many of the disease states of the heart.

Previous research has documented consistently that persons holding low-socioeconomic status (SES) positions are more strongly affected emotionally by undesirable life events than are their higher-status counterparts. Two types of resources have been implicated in this differential vulnerability: financial resources and a broader class of coping resources, including social support and resilient personality characteristics. We present an analysis that disaggregates measure of life events and of SES to identify which events and which components of SES are most important for understanding differential vulnerability. We document that the lower-SES vulnerability persists across all types of personal events. In addition, we find that differential vulnerability is not confined to income but extends to education and occupational status as well. On the basis of these patterns, we conclude that differential vulnerability reflects more than a simple economic reality. Previous research offers speculative evidence that status differences in past and current social environments may explain differential vulnerability, especially through their effects on the socialization of resilient personality characteristics. We propose future research that could help to evaluate the validity of these speculations.

This article presents a comparison of the diagnostic results from a lay-administered diagnostic interview for depression with a clinical diagnosis in a community sample. The purpose of the comparison is to assess reasons for the discrepancies between the two diagnostic approaches. The majority of the discrepancies result from inconsistent episode reports at the two interviews. We propose a number of possible explanations for the inconsistencies. An empirical analysis that identifies predictors of consistent vs. inconsistent reports supports a strong influence for respondent recall error. We discuss the implications of our analysis for previous comparisons of lay-administered and clinical diagnostic instruments.

In a recent survey examining responses to life stress, difficulties were encountered by lay interviewers. These are addressed, as are ethical issues arising from the combination of survey and clinical methodologies. The issues of respondent harm and informed consent are discussed and initial strategies outlined.

An abundant, previously problematic fossil from the Lower Ordovician (Canadian) Black Rock limestone of the Ozark Uplift area is an undescribed dianulitid bryozoan. It is believed to be the oldest unquestionable bryozoan known. The growth morphology varies widely and is believed to be environmentally influenced.