State and professional affairs: A message from the incoming BPA Chairman.

The following paragraphs were submitted by Boyd R. McCandless, the new Chairman of the Board of Professional Affairs, on the eve of his departure for Chicago in late August to attend the Conference on the Professional Preparation of Clinical Psychologists and the APA Convention. In this column, the author discusses his plans for the new position. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A room of their own: A proposal to renovate the Children's Bureau.

Discusses the need to reorganize the Children's Bureau in relation to the necessity of developing coordinated policies to address such problems as child abuse and neglect, unavailable and inadequate childcare, and the health risks of poor children. It is recommended that the Children's Bureau (1) become the central data base on children and families in the US, (2) promote research and demonstration projects, (3) serve as an interagency and interdepartmental coordinator of child and family programs in the federal government, and (4) disseminate information to other government agencies and the general public. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The medium and the message in mental imagery: A theory.

Describes a computational theory of imagery that posits that visual mental images are transitory data structures that occur in an analog spatial medium. These "surface" representations are generated from more abstract "deep" representations in long-term memory and, once formed, can be operated upon in various ways. The theory is described in terms of detailed claims about the mental structures and processes invoked during imagery. In addition, the philosophical and empirical roots of the present theory are briefly reviewed. Further, arguments and data that have been offered against the theory are critically examined, and none are found damaging. An alternative account of the data that purportedly support the theory is also examined and found deficient in several respects. Finally, the current status of the "analog-propositional" debate is reviewed. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Radiation sensitivity of lymphocytes from human blood and from the thoracic duct

Rats were cerebellectomized 72-96 hr prior to evaluation (1) during maximum electroshock seizures and (2) for their capacity to respond to pentylenetetrazol-induced clonic seizures. Cerebellectomized rats failed to exhibit tonic hindlimb extension, an endpoint characteristic of maximal electroshock seizures. The dose of pentylenetetrazol required to produce clonic seizures or death was not different in cerebellectomized and sham-operated controls. The anticonvulsant efficacy of diazepam, when assessed as a pentylenetetrazol antagonist, was not influenced by removal of the cerebellum. These data indicate that whereas cerebellar influences may suppress seizure activity which is largely focal, seizures of more diffuse origin are not markedly influenced by cerebellar activity. It is, therefore, essential that the role of the cerebellum in suppressing seizures be characterized for each kind of experimentally induced seizure process.     

Effect of increasing the salience of message ambiguities on kindergartners' evaluations of communicative success and message adequacy.

Previous research has shown that kindergarten children often appear uncertain or confused when they try to execute inadequate instructions but then go on to indicate that they had succeeded in doing what the instructor intended and that the instructions had been adequate. The present study was conducted with 72 kindergartners to test this research. Results confirm these findings and demonstrate that Ss' positive evaluations of inadequate messages were not due to forgetting their initial uncertainty. Extra emphasis on the ambiguous nature of the instructions helped Ss realize that they might not have succeeded in doing what the instructor intended them to, but it did not help them realize that the instructions had been inadequate. In contrast, emphasizing exactly what they were to achieve did not help them recognize either their possible failure in the task or the inadequacy of the instructions. Ss' performance resulted from a poor understanding of message quality and the role it plays in determining the success or failure of a communication. (15 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

History of Drainage in the Bureau of Reclamation

In the early days of the Reclamation Service, the criteria for irrigability of lands generally consisted of two elements: (1) is water available? and (2) can we get the water to the land? Within a few years, many of the early projects were experiencing reduced agricultural productivity and reduced ability to repay construction loans because the soils were becoming waterlogged and saline. By 1915, construction of subsurface drainage facilities had been initiated on several projects. However, at the time, subsurface drainage was more of an art than a science. Much of the world’s experience with agricultural drainage had been gained in humid areas which were quite different from arid areas. With no standards and limited knowledge of ground water movement, these early drainage efforts met with varying degrees of success. This paper summarizes the development of scientific methods to ensure successful application of drainage in a sustainable irrigated agriculture. Reclamation has introduced these methods to solve irrigated drainage problems at the international level. This paper will address the international experience, and how the same design and construction methods and procedures are now being used to design corrective drainage facilities for dams and other major structures and to support environmental enhancement programs.     

Gap junctions: getting the message through

Connexin proteins make intercellular channels - gap junctions - which provide a direct pathway for cell-cell signaling in vertebrates. Studies of mice lacking connexin genes have demonstrated the need for intercellular transfer of messenger molecules and are uncovering the specific functions of each connexin.     

Molecular characterization of a novel Rickettsia species from Ixodes scapularis in Texas

Triclosan (Irgasan) is a broad spectrum antimicrobial agent used in handsoaps, toothpastes, fabrics, and plastics. It inhibits lipid biosynthesis in Escherichia coli, probably by action upon enoyl reductase (FabI) (McMurry, L.M., Oethinger, M. and Levy, S.B. (1988) Nature 394, 531-532). We report here that overexpression of the multidrug efflux pump locus acrAB, or of marA or soxS, both encoding positive regulators of acrAB, decreased susceptibility to triclosan 2-fold. Deletion of the acrAB locus increased the susceptibility to triclosan approximately 10-fold. Four of five clinical E. coli strains which overexpressed marA or soxS also showed enhanced triclosan resistance. The acrAB locus was involved in the effects of triclosan upon both cell growth rate and cell lysis.     

Radiation absorbed dose to the embryo/fetus from radiopharmaceuticals

Radiation protection practice requires the knowledge of estimated absorbed radiation doses to aid in the understanding of the potential detriment of various exposures. In nuclear medicine, the radiation doses to the internal organs of the subject are commonly calculated using the MIRD methods and equations. The absorbed dose to the embryo or fetus has long been an area of concern. The recent release of the pregnant female phantom series, and its incorporation into the MIRDOSE 3 computer software, has made possible the estimation of absorbed doses from radionuclides in the body to the fetus in early pregnancy and at 3, 6, and 9 mo gestation. A survey of several major medical institutions was made to determine the radiopharmaceuticals which might be given, whether intentionally or not, to women of childbearing years. Biokinetic data for these radiopharmaceuticals were gathered from various documents and other resources, and the absorbed doses to the embryo and fetus at these different stages of gestation from radiations originating within the mother's organs were estimated. In addition, information about activity distributed within the placenta and fetus was included where quantitative data were available. These absorbed dose estimates can be used to evaluate the risk associated with the use of different radiopharmaceuticals so that a more informed evaluation of the risks and benefits of the different procedures may be made. Further research is needed into the mechanisms and quantitative aspects of the placental transfer of many radiopharmaceuticals.