Abortion and mental health: Evaluating the evidence.

The authors evaluated empirical research addressing the relationship between induced abortion and women’s mental health. Two issues were addressed: (a) the relative risks associated with abortion compared with the risks associated with its alternatives and (b) sources of variability in women’s responses following abortion. This article reflects and updates the report of the American Psychological Association Task Force on Mental Health and Abortion (2008). Major methodological problems pervaded most of the research reviewed. The most rigorous studies indicated that within the United States, the relative risk of mental health problems among adult women who have a single, legal, first-trimester abortion of an unwanted pregnancy is no greater than the risk among women who deliver an unwanted pregnancy. Evidence did not support the claim that observed associations between abortion and mental health problems are caused by abortion per se as opposed to other preexisting and co-occurring risk factors. Most adult women who terminate a pregnancy do not experience mental health problems. Some women do, however. It is important that women’s varied experiences of abortion be recognized, validated, and understood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Novel Genetically Modified Mouse Model to Assess Soman-Induced Toxicity and Medical Countermeasure Efficacy: Human Acetylcholinesterase Knock-in Serum Carboxylesterase Knockout Mice

The identification of improved medical countermeasures against exposure to chemical warfare nerve agents (CWNAs), a class of organophosphorus compounds, is dependent on the choice of animal model used in preclinical studies. CWNAs bind to acetylcholinesterase and prevent the catalysis of acetylcholine, causing a plethora of peripheral and central physiologic manifestations, including seizure. Rodents are widely used to elucidate the effects of CWNA-induced seizure, albeit with a caveat: they express carboxylesterase activity in plasma. Carboxylesterase, an enzyme involved in the detoxification of some organophosphorus compounds, plays a scavenging role and decreases CWNA availability, thus exerting a protective effect. Furthermore, species-specific amino acid differences in acetylcholinesterase confound studies that use oximes or other compounds to restore its function after inhibition by CWNA. The creation of a human acetylcholinesterase knock-in/serum carboxylesterase knockout (C57BL/6-Ces1c^tm1.1LocAChE^tm1.1Loc/J; a.k.a KIKO) mouse may facilitate better modeling of CWNA toxicity in a small rodent species. The current studies characterize the effects of exposure to soman, a highly toxic CWNA, and evaluate the efficacy of anti-seizure drugs in this newly developed KIKO mouse model. Data demonstrate that a combination of midazolam and ketamine reduces seizure duration and severity, eliminates the development of spontaneous recurrent seizures, and protects certain brain regions from neuronal damage in a genetically modified model with human relevance to organophosphorus compound toxicity. This new animal model and the results of this study and future studies using it will enhance medical countermeasures development for both defense and homeland security purposes.     

3D extrusion of multi-biomaterial lattices using an environmentally informed workflow

The conventional building material palette has been proven limited in terms of adaptability to our current environmental challenges. Innovations in computational design and digital manufacturing have supported the broadening of biomaterial applications as an alternative. While biomaterials are characteristically responsive to stimuli such as temperature and humidity, their unpredictable behaviour is a hurdle to standardization and architectural utilisation. To examine the nexus between material formulation, computation and manufacturing, multi-biomaterial lattice structures were produced through an environmentally informed workflow. Customized biomaterial development resulted in three candidate biopolymer blends with varying levels of hydro-responsiveness and transparency. The computational strategy included a machine learning clustering algorithm to customise results and dictate material distribution outputs. To test the workflow, environmental data of solar radiation exposure and solar heat gain from a specific location was used to inform the material deposition via pneumatic extrusion for the design and digital fabrication of a deformation-controlled prototype of 350 mm × 350 mm. This led to a series of multi-biomaterial wall panel components that can be applied at architectural scale. In future, these techniques can support the incorporation of living elements to be embedded within the built environment for truly animate architecture.     

Theoretical Study of Peroxo- and Diperoxomolybdate Formation as Catalysts in the Oxidative Desulfurization of Diesel

The desulfurization is a very important process in the fuel production with less sulfur content, for this reason, several catalysts in different supports and conditions have been tested, however in the most of cases the reaction mechanism is not studied because it is very complicated. In the present work, the molybdate catalyst formation is studied by Density Functional Theory to demonstrate that this catalyst could be used in the oxidative desulfurization. As it is well-know, the solvent influence is very important in the reaction mechanism studies. There are several methodologies where the solvent effect could be considered. In this study the solvent was simulated by three ways: the first one by explicit n-water molecules (with n = 0, 1 and 2), the second one by PCM theory and the last by a combination of the two first. The results show that the structure called I01 is the most probable catalyst in the oxidative desulfurization reaction; additionally the effect of the water molecule surrounding this structure is fundamental to stabilize it. Finally this reactive structure could be formed in water and acetonitrile phases.     

The integration of agency and communion in moral personality: Evidence of enlightened self-interest.

Agency and communion are fundamental human motives, often conceptualized as being in tension. This study examines the notion that moral exemplars overcome this tension and adaptively integrate these 2 motives within their personality. Participants were 25 moral exemplars—recipients of a national award for extraordinary volunteerism—and 25 demographically matched comparison participants. Each participant responded to a life review interview and provided a list of personal strivings, which were coded for themes of agency and communion; interviews were also coded for the relationship between agency and communion. Results consistently indicated that exemplars not only had both more agency and communion than did comparison participants but were also more likely to integrate these themes within their personality. Consistent with our claim that enlightened self-interest is driving this phenomenon, this effect was evident only when agency and communion were conceptualized in terms of promoting interests (of the self and others, respectively) and not in terms of psychological distance (from others) and only when the interaction was observed with a person approach and not with the traditional variable approach. After providing a conceptual replication of these results using different measures elicited in different contexts and relying on different coding procedures, we addressed and dismissed various alternative explanations, including chance co-occurrence and generalized complexity. These results provide the first reliable evidence of the integration of motives of agency and communion in moral personality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

2‐Carbaborane‐3‐phenyl‐1H‐indoles—Synthesis via McMurry Reaction and Cyclooxygenase (COX) Inhibition Activity

Cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) inhibitors have been the focus of medicinal chemistry efforts for years, and many compounds that exhibit high selectivity and affinity have been developed. As carbaboranes represent interesting pharmacophores as phenyl mimetics in drug development, this paper presents the synthesis of carbaboranyl derivatives of COX‐2‐selective 2,3‐disubstituted indoles. Despite the lability of carbaboranes under reducing conditions, 2‐carbaborane‐3‐phenyl‐1H‐indoles could be synthesized by McMurry cyclization of the corresponding amides. Whereas the meta‐carbaboranyl‐substituted derivatives lacked COX inhibitory activity, an ortho‐carbaboranyl analogue was active, but showed a selectivity shift toward COX‐1.