Intergenerational effects of high neuroticism in parents and their public health significance.

The article by Lahey (May–June 2009) provided a timely and important review of a growing body of evidence linking the personality trait of neuroticism to a host of health and psychosocial outcomes with public health significance. Lahey (2009) highlighted the links between high neuroticism and mental health, physical health, and quality of life and described the putative genetic and environmental causes of high neuroticism. He recommended screening for high neuroticism and interventions for those presenting this trait in order to reduce health care costs resulting from the associated conditions. We applaud his treatise but note that it failed to address the impact of high neuroticism among parents on their children’s long-term psychosocial functioning and mental health. In sum, Lahey (2009) provided a compelling argument for considering interventions for persons with high neuroticism as a public health initiative. We strongly support this call for action, as evidence does show that neuroticism adversely affects not only the individual and his or her social environment but the generations to follow. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

étude des rechutes constatés dans une cohorte de personnes jugées inptes à subir leur procés ou acquittées pour cause d'aliénation mentale.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 20(2) of Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science Revue canadienne des Sciences du comportement (see record 2007-09831-001). The abstract accompanying the original article was incorrect; the correct abstract (in French) is presented in the erratum.] We know little about individuals who are declared unfit to stand trial and/or not guilty by reason of insanity. The few existing studies are characterized by methodological weaknesses, notably by short follow-up periods and a lack of external validity. The present investigation, which aims to evaluate and explain readmissions that occurred during a seven- to nine-year period, corrects only some of these weaknesses. Sixty-one per cent of the subjects were rehospitalized during the period of study. It proved difficult to identify the factors associated with readmission. However, males with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and who had committed violent crimes were found the most likely to be readmitted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of maternal antibodies on protection and development of antibody responses to human rotavirus in gnotobiotic pigs

Although maternal antibodies can protect against infectious disease in infancy, they can also suppress active immune responses. The effects of circulating maternal antibodies, with and without colostrum and milk antibodies, on passive protection and active immunity to human rotavirus (HRV) were examined in gnotobiotic pigs. Pigs received intraperitoneal injections of high-titer serum (immune pigs [groups 1 and 2]) from immunized sows, low-titer serum from naturally infected sows (control pigs [groups 3 and 4]), or no serum (group 5). Immune or control colostrum and milk were added to the diet of groups 2 and 4, respectively. After inoculation (3 to 5 days of age) and challenge (postinoculation day [PID] 21) with virulent HRV, the effects of maternal antibodies on protection (from diarrhea and virus shedding), and on active antibody responses (measured by quantitation of antibody-secreting cells [ASC] in intestinal and systemic lymphoid tissues by ELISPOT) were evaluated. Groups 1 and 2 had significantly less diarrhea and virus shedding after inoculation but higher rates of diarrhea and virus shedding after challenge than did groups 3 and 5. Group 1 and 2 pigs had significantly fewer immunoglobulin A (IgA) ASC in intestinal tissues at PID 21 and at postchallenge day (PCD) 7 compared to group 5. Significantly fewer IgG ASC were present in the intestines of group 2 pigs at PID 21 and PCD 7 compared to group 5. There was a trend towards fewer ASC in intestinal tissues of group 2 than group 1, from PID 21 on, with significantly fewer IgA ASC at PCD 7. IgG ASC in the duodenum and mesenteric lymph nodes of group 3 and 4 pigs were significantly fewer than in group 5 at PCD 7. These decreases in ASC emphasize the role of passive antibodies in impairing induction of ASC rather than in merely suppressing the function of differentiated B cells. To be successful, vaccines intended for populations with high titers of maternal antibodies (infants in developing countries) may require higher titers of virus, multiple doses, or improved delivery systems, such as the use of microencapsulation or immune stimulating complexes, to overcome the suppressive effects of maternal antibodies.     

Healthy Aims: Developing New Medical Implants and Diagnostic Equipment

Healthy Aims is a 23- million, four-year project, funded under the EU's information society technology sixth framework program to develop intelligent medical implants and diagnostic systems (www.healthyaims.org). The project has 25 partners from 10 countries, including commercial, clinical, and research groups. This consortium represents a combination of disciplines to design and fabricate new medical devices and components as well as to test them in laboratories and subsequent clinical trials. The project focuses on medical implants for nerve stimulation and diagnostic equipment based on strain-gauge technology.     

Acrylonitrile-based copolymers: Synthesis,characterization, and formation of ultrafiltration membranes utilized for the immobilization of proteins

Various high molecular weight copolymers of acrylonitrile and a vinyl comonomer containing an aryl amine, a pyridine, or an aliphatic hydroxyl group were synthesized via slurry polymerization techniques so as to contain from 1 to 15 mol % functional comonomer. The comonomer content was quantitated by ultraviolet absorbance, base titration of acid polymer salts, and/or relative chemical reactivity with trichloro-s-triazine. Thin films were cast from copolymer solutions, coagulated into unsupported ultrafiltration membrances, and characterized with respect to both water permeability and pore size distribution. Analysis by size exclusion chromatography of the membrane permeate of a pool of dextran fractions yielded a continuous distribution curve for membrane pore size over the range 1.5 to 70 nm. The ultrafiltration membranes were used for protein immobilization after appropriate chemical activation. The three distinct types of functional copolymers gave comparable results for α-chymotrypsin, with protein weight loadings of 6–12% and 40–65% retention of enzymatic specific activity.     

Prospective and retrospective reports of mood states before relapse to substance use.

In a prospective design, it was predicted that the role of negative mood in precipitating relapses and crises among alcohol-dependent Ss would be greater when assessed with retrospective mood ratings than when assessed by prospective mood ratings because of Ss' attributional biases. This hypothesis was not supported. Support was found, however, for a relationship between negative bias and the amount of negative mood assessed at the time the retrospective report was given. As has been previously found, the most frequent precipitant of relapses and crises in this study was negative emotional states. Female Ss were more likely to report interpersonal and less likely to report intrapersonal determinants than male Ss. Minor relapses were more likely to be precipitated by social pressure and less likely to be related to negative emotions than major relapses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Substance abuse and the emergency room: programmatic implications

A literature review (1984 to 1995) was conducted to identify cost effective policy implications regarding substance use in the emergency room (ER) and trauma unit. Prevalence rates, ranging from 9% to 47%, vary according to where, when and who is tested. Other drugs, most commonly marijuana, benzodiazepines and cocaine, follow a similar pattern to alcohol. The optimal method of measuring substance use depends on the goal of the assessment and a combination of clinical, self-report and biochemical markers is recommended. Simple screening questions such as the TWEAK or AUDIT should be routinely used with all attendants and further assessment provided only when high risk factors have been identified. These include: males, younger patients, metropolitan centres, after midnight and on weekends, injury from violence, accidents including MVAs, high acuity and psychiatric morbidity. Further, this screening should be complimented by an intervention, referral and treatment resource for those in need.     

A Data‐driven Segmentation for the Shoulder Complex

The human shoulder complex is perhaps the most complicated joint in the human body being comprised of a set of three bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Despite this anatomical complexity, computer graphics models for motion capture most often represent this joint as a simple ball and socket. In this paper, we present a method to determine a shoulder skeletal model that, when combined with standard skinning algorithms, generates a more visually pleasing animation that is a closer approximation to the actual skin deformations of the human body. We use a data‐driven approach and collect ground truth skin deformation data with an optical motion capture system with a large number of markers (200 markers on the shoulder complex alone). We cluster these markers during movement sequences and discover that adding one extra joint around the shoulder improves the resulting animation qualitatively and quantitatively yielding a marker set of approximately 70 markers for the complete skeleton. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our skeletal model by comparing it with ground truth data as well as with recorded video. We show its practicality by integrating it with the conventional rendering/animation pipeline.     

电子鼻评价

电子装置能象人鼻一样分析复杂的气体吗？在用Neotronics科学有限公司开发的电子鼻分析Bell－Aire香精公司提供的13种无标签样品后,即可回答这个问题。结果令人吃惊。装置NOSE是指由Neotron－ics科学有限公司开发的嗅觉传感器英文名称（NeotronicsOlfactorySensingEquipment）的缩写。NOSE系统使用已获专利的传导式聚合物传感器和一个基于Windows分析软件包可对混合气体产生一个简单的可视化模拟。1传感器聚合物传感器已开发了约10年的时间,并于近期投入制造阶段。其基本材料包括一种可传导聚合物。一种平衡离子和一种溶剂。每个传…