A computer-administered version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale.

The Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) was converted to an interactive computer-administered format. To examine its utility, the computer version of the Y-BOCS was administered in a design counterbalanced with the clinician-administered version to a sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), patients with other anxiety disorders, and nonpatient controls. The computer-administered version of the Y-BOCS correlated highly with the clinician-administered version, especially in the OCD sample, and showed equal ability to distinguish OCD patients from Ss in the other 2 groups. It was also well understood and liked by Ss, who showed no preference for the clinician interview over the computer interview. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Energy-efficiency research, development and demonstration : New roles for US states

At least eight states have established energy research, development and demonstration (RD&D) programmes. In contrast to federal and utility energy RD&D, most states emphasize applied research on end-use efficiency and renewable energy. States also try to closely link research and technology deployment, in some cases deliberately blurring the line between the two. The states discussed in this paper spend about US$39 million per year for energy RD&D, or one-fifth of the US Department of Energy (DOE) budget for conservation and renewable energy RD&D. When indexed per capita or per energy dollar, the average rate of state RD&D spending on conservation and renewables is about 65–75% that of the US DOE.     

Structural requirements for peptidic antagonists of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor (CRFR): development of CRFR2beta-selective antisauvagine-30

Different truncated and conformationally constrained analogs of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) were synthesized on the basis of the amino acid sequences of human/rat CRF (h/rCRF), ovine CRF (oCRF), rat urocortin (rUcn), or sauvagine (Svg) and tested for their ability to displace [125I-Tyr0]oCRF or [125I-Tyr0]Svg from membrane homogenates of human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably transfected with cDNA coding for rat CRF receptor, type 1 (rCRFR1), or mouse CRF receptor, type 2beta (mCRFR2beta). Furthermore, the potency of CRF antagonists to inhibit oCRF- or Svg-stimulated cAMP production of transfected HEK 293 cells expressing either rCRFR1 (HEK-rCRFR1 cells) or mCRFR2beta (HEK-mCRFR2beta cells) was determined. In comparison with astressin, which exhibited a similar affinity to rCRFR1 (Kd = 5.7 +/- 1.6 nM) and mCRFR2beta (Kd = 4.0 +/- 2.3 nM), [DPhe11,His12]Svg(11-40), [DLeu11]Svg(11-40), [DPhe11]Svg(11-40), and Svg(11-40) bound, respectively, with a 110-, 80-, 68-, and 54-fold higher affinity to mCRFR2beta than to rCRFR1. The truncated analogs of rUcn displayed modest preference (2- to 7-fold) for binding to mCRFR2beta. In agreement with the results of these binding experiments, [DPhe11, His12]Svg(11-40), named antisauvagine-30, was the most potent and selective ligand to suppress agonist-induced adenylate cyclase activity in HEK cells expressing mCRFR2beta.     

Impression management, social desirability, and computer administration of attitude questionnaires: Does the computer make a difference?

G. J. Lautenschlager and V. L. Flaherty (1990) unexpectedly found that more socially desirable responding occurred on a computer version of an attitude and personality questionnaire than on a paper-and-pencil version. The present study attempted to replicate and extend their findings in a noncollege environment. Male Navy recruits (N?=?246) completed several questionnaires in either a computer-administered or paper-and-pencil condition and in either an anonymous or identified condition. Identified respondents had higher impression management and self-deceptive enhancement scores than anonymous respondents. Contrary to Lautenschlager and Flaherty's results, however, there was no systematic difference between computer and paper-and-pencil modes. It is concluded that computer and paper-and-pencil modes of administration yield similar responses on attitude questionnaires. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition of insulin receptor activation by insulin-like growth factor binding proteins

The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are transported by a family of high-affinity binding proteins (IGFBPs) that protect IGFs from degradation, limit their binding to IGF receptors, and modulate IGF actions. The six classical IGFBPs have been believed to have no affinity for insulin. We now demonstrate that IGFBP-7/mac25, a newly identified member of the IGFBP superfamily that binds IGFs specifically with low affinity is a high-affinity insulin binding protein. IGFBP-7 blocks insulin binding to the insulin receptor and thereby inhibiting the earliest steps in insulin action, such as autophosphorylation of the insulin receptor beta subunit and phosphorylation of IRS-1, indicating that IGFBP-7 is a functional insulin-binding protein. The affinity of other IGFBPs for insulin can be enhanced by modifications that disrupt disulfide bonds or remove the conserved COOH terminus. Like IGFBP-7, an NH2-terminal fragment of IGFBP-3 (IGFBP-3((1-87))), also binds insulin with high affinity and blocks insulin action. IGFBPs with enhanced affinity for insulin might contribute to the insulin resistance of pregnancy, type II diabetes mellitus, and other pathological conditions.     

Motion artifact correction in MRI using generalized projections

An algorithm that suppresses translational motion artifacts in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) by using post processing on a standard spin-warp image is presented. It is shown that translational motion causes an additional phase factor in the detected signal and that this phase error can be removed using an iterative algorithm of generalized projections. The method has been tested using computer simulations and it successfully removed most of the artifact. The algorithm converges even in the presence of severe noise.     

Egomotion analysis based on the Frenet-Serret motion model

In this paper we propose a new model,Frenet-Serret motion, for the motion of an observer in a stationary environment. This model relates the motion parameters of the observer to the curvature and torsion of the path along which the observer moves. Screw-motion equations for Frenet-Serret motion are derived and employed for geometrical analysis of the motion. Normal flow is used to derive constraints on the rotational and translational velocity of the observer and to compute egomotion by intersecting these constraints in the manner proposed in (Duri and Aloimonos 1991) The accuracy of egomotion estimation is analyzed for different combinations of observer motion and feature distance. We explain the advantages of controlling feature distance to analyze egomotion and derive the constraints on depth which make either rotation or translation dominant in the perceived normal flow field. The results of experiments on real image sequences are presented.The support of the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Grant F49620-93-1-0039 is gratefully acknowledged.     

Gender gap in cystic fibrosis mortality

The authors conducted the largest study to date of survival in cystic fibrosis. The study cohort consisted of all patients with cystic fibrosis seen at Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-accredited care centers in the United States between 1988 and 1992 (n = 21,047), or approximately 85% of all US patients diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was used to compare the age-specific mortality rates of males and females and to identify risk factors serving as potential explanatory variables for the gender-related difference in survival. Among the subjects 1-20 years of age, females were 60% more likely to die than males (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.4-1.8). Outside this age range, male and female survival rates were not significantly different. The median survival for females was 25.3 years and for males was 28.4 years. Nutritional status, pulmonary function, and airway microbiology at a given age were strong predictors of mortality at subsequent ages. Nonetheless, differences between the genders in these parameters, as well as pancreatic insufficiency, age at diagnosis, mode of presentation, and race, could not account for the poorer survival among females. Even after adjustment for all these potential risk factors, females in the age range 1-20 years remained at greater risk for death (relative risk = 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.2-2.1). The authors concluded that in 1- to 20-year-old individuals with cystic fibrosis, survival in females was poorer than in males. This "gender gap" was not explained by a wide variety of potential risk factors.