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Based on a sample of Canadian university students (n=379), examines six components within a model of well-being: (1) self-acceptance; (2) positive relations with others; (3) autonomy; (4) environmental mastery; (5) purpose in life; and (6) personal growth. Focuses on how well-being was related to stereotypic gender roles and the impostor phenomenon. Presents the results in detail and includes references. (CMK)

A shock canine pneumonia model that permitted relief of discomfort with the use of objective criteria was developed and validated. After intrabronchial Staphylococcus aureus challenge, mechanical ventilation, antibiotics, fluids, vasopressors, sedatives, and analgesics were titrated based on algorithms for 96 h. Increasing S. aureus (1 to 8 x [10.sup.9] colonyforming units/kg) produced decreasing survival rates (P = 0.04). From 4 to 96 h, changes in arterial-alveolar oxygen gradients, mean pulmonary artery pressure, IL-1, serum sodium levels, mechanical ventilation, and vasopressor support were ordered based on survival time [acute nonsurvivors ([less than or equal to]24 h until death, n = 8) [greater than or equal to] subacute nonsurvivors (>24 to 96 h until death, n = 8) [greater than or equal to] survivors ([greater than or equal to] 96 h until death, n = 22) (all P < 0.05)]. In the first 12 h, increases in lactate and renal abnormalities were greatest in acute nonsurvivors (all P < 0.05). Compared with survivors, subacute nonsurvivors had greater rises in cytokines and liver enzymes and greater falls in platelets, white cell counts, pH, and urine output from 24 to 96 h (all P < 0.05). Importantly, these changes were not attributable to dosages of sedation, which decreased in nonsurvivors [survivors vs. nonsurvivors: 5.0 [+ or -] 1.0 vs. 3.8 [+ or -] 0.7 ml x [h.sup.-1] x [(fentanyl/midazolam/ medetomidine).sup.-l]; p = 0.02]. In this model, the pain control regimen did not mask changes in metabolic function and lung injury or the need for more hemodynamic and pulmonary support related to increasing severity of sepsis. The integration into this model of both specific and supportive titrated therapies routinely used in septic patients may provide a more realistic setting to evaluate therapies for sepsis. sepsis; dog; Staphylococcus aureus

We investigated whether decreases in circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) during lethal Escherichia coli (E. coli) sepsis in canines are related to insufficient host granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). Two-year-old purpose-bred beagles had intraperitoneal E. coli-infected or -noninfected fibrin clots surgically placed. By 10 to 12 h following clot, both infected survivors and nonsurvivors had marked increases (P = 0.001) in serum G-CSF levels (mean peak G-CSF ng/ml [+ or -] SE, 1,931 [+ or -] 364 and 2,779 [+ or -] 681, respectively) compared with noninfected controls (134 [+ or -] 79), which decreased at 24 to 48 h. Despite increases in G-CSF, infected clot placement caused delayed (P = 0.06) increases in PMN (mean [+ or -] SE change from baseline in cells x [10.sup.3]/[mm.sup.3] at 24 and 48 h) in survivors (+3.9 [+ or -] 3.9 and +13.8 [+ or -] 3.6) compared with noninfected controls (+13.1 [+ or -] 2.8 and +9.1 [+ or -] 2.5). Furthermore, infected nonsurvivors had decreases in PMN (-1.4 [+ or -] 1.0 and -1.1 [+ or -] 2.3, P = 0.006 compared with the other groups). We next investigated whether administration of G-CSF immediately after clot placement and continued for 96 h to produce more rapid and prolonged high levels of G-CSF after infection would alter PMN levels. Although G-CSF caused large increases in PMN compared with control protein from 2 to 48 h following clot in noninfected controls, it caused much smaller increases in infected survivors and decreases in infected nonsurvivors (P = 0.03 for the ordered effect of G-CSF comparing the three groups). Thus insufficient host G-CSF is unlikely the cause of decreased circulating PMN in this canine model of sepsis. Other factors associated with sepsis either alone or in combination with G-CSF itself may reduce increases or cause decreases in circulating PMN. granulocyte colony-stimulating factor; infection

Previous analysis showed that selective inhibitors of five different host inflammatory mediators administered for sepsis, although beneficial with severe sepsis and high-control mortality rates, were ineffective or harmful with less severe sepsis. We hypothesized that severity of sepsis would also influence inhibition of superoxide anion, another inflammatory mediator. To test this, 6-h infusions of M40401, a selective SOD mimetic, or placebo were given to antibiotic-treated rats (n = 547) starting 3 h after challenge with differing doses of intravenous Escherichia coli designed to produce low- or high-control mortality rates. There was a positive and significant (P = 0.0008) relationship between the efficacy of M40401 on survival rate and control mortality rates. M40401 increased or decreased the log (odds ratio of survival) (means ± SE), dependent on whether control mortality rates were greater or less than the median (66%) (+0.19 ± 0.12 vs. -0.25 ± 0.10, P = 0.01). In a subset of animals examined (n = 152) at 9 h after E. coli challenge, M40401 increased (mean effect ± SE compared with control) mean arterial blood pressure (8 ± 5 mmHg) and decreased platelets (-37 ± 22 cells × 10³/ml) with high-control mortality rates but had opposing effects on each parameter (-3 ± 3 mmHg and 28 ± 19 cells × 10³/ml, respectively) with low rates (P < 0.05 for the differing effects of M40401 on each parameter with high- vs. low-control mortality rates). A metaregression analysis of published preclinical sepsis studies testing SOD preparations and SOD mimetics showed that most (16 of 18) had control mortality rates >66%. However, across experiments from published studies, these agents were less beneficial as control mortality rate decreased (P = 0.03) in a relationship not altered (P = not significant) by other variables associated with septic challenge or regimen of treatment and which was similar, compared with experiments with M40401 (P = not significant). Thus, in these preclinical sepsis models, possibly related to divergent effects on vascular function, inhibition of superoxide anion improved survival with more severe sepsis and high-control mortality rates but was less effective or harmful with less severe sepsis. Extrapolated clinically, inhibition of superoxide anion may be most efficacious in septic patients with severe sepsis and a high risk of death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]