Relationship between clinical outcomes measures and personal and social performance functioning in a prospective, interventional study in schizophrenia

Objectives: To explore clinical and demographic characteristics impacting patient functioning by determining extent of overlap in factors driving change in Personal and Social Performance (PSP) and other clinical outcomes. Methods: Post-hoc analysis from a single-arm trial of paliperidone extended release in adult patients with nonacute symptomatic schizophrenia. Psychosocial functioning measures: PSP, Clinical Global Impression–Severity (CGI-S), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), Short-Form 36 (SF-36), treatment satisfaction, sleep quality/daytime drowsiness, and Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale. Results: Highest correlations with PSP total score change included PANSS total score change (Spearman's r = 0.607), PANSS general psychopathology change (r = 0.579), and CGI-S change (r = 0.569). A PSP score change of −32 predicted 90% probability of deterioration in CGI-S (score change of ≥1). The power of PSP change to predict PANSS total score change was lower. Linear stepwise regression demonstrated independent relationships for PSP change and: PANSS total change; CGI-S change; SF-36 Mental Component change; treatment satisfaction at endpoint; PSP at baseline; previous psychiatric hospitalizations. R 2 = 0.55 meant that 45% of PSP variation could not be explained by other clinical outcome measures. Conclusions: Psychosocial functioning improvement is important in schizophrenia. PSP may be valuable for assessing functioning; it encompasses psychosocial and clinical factors not measured by other established assessments

Czochralski crystal growth, thermal conductivity, and magnetic properties of Pr(x)La(1- x)AlO3, where x = 1, 0.75, 0.55, 0.40, 0

Crystals of Pr(x)La(1-x)AlO3 solid solution have been grown by the Czochralski method for the first time, to the best of our knowledge. Crystals with high praseodymium concentration tend to grow spirally. The color of the crystals changes with chemical composition. X-ray diffraction shows an increase of the lattice constants with an increase in lanthanum ion concentration. The thermal conductivity has been investigated in the temperature range from 5 to 300 K. Completely different behavior of thermal conductivity is observed at low temperatures for the investigated crystals, whereas it remains roughly constant at high temperatures. The values of magnetic susceptibility lie within the expected range that could be expected for a paramagnetic material. (Figure Presented) © 2011 American Chemical Society