An evaluation of the adequacy of cognitive/behavioural theories for understanding depression in women.

Four cognitive/behavioral theories (CBTs) of depression are evaluated against the criterion of their ability to account for the finding that rates of depression are higher in women than in men. A review of relevant research leads to the conclusion that CBTs as currently formulated are unable to account for the predominance of women among the depressed. In addition, because CBTs are implicitly male-biased in their assumptions about factors that increase vulnerability to depression, these theories, and the therapies derived from them, are inadequate for the purpose of furthering an understanding of depression in women. Models being developed by feminist theorists and therapists are considered potentially more promising for understanding depression in women. (French abstract) (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cellular vaccines

This project is devoted to the development of novel cellular vaccines designed to treat cancer patients. These cellular vaccines present and enhance immunogens, which will elicit a potent immune response. The goal is to achieve safe and effective immune reaction against the patient's own tumour. (1) Autologous cellular vaccines are prepared by processing circulating blood mononuclear cells outside of the patient's body (ex vivo) to differentiate them into antigen-presenting cells (APCs). Monocyte-derived APCs (MD-APCs) are then grown in the presence of exogenous target antigens (tumour cell debris, or apoptotic bodies) to become fully mature APCs. (2) Functionality for antigen presentation to T cells of ex vivo MD-APCs is evaluated in vivo. (3) Cellular vaccines are tested in selected rodent animal models. Efficiency and immune response are monitored in pertinent experimental systems for cancer. Pharmacological data are generated for clinical investigation. Tolerance and biologic effects are documented in primates. (4) The first clinical trials on cancer patients are taking place in 1998 on melanoma and prostate cancer to validate the concept. Specialized cell processors with dedicated software and standardized controls are being developed and used for the preparation of cellular vaccines. (5) The evaluation of new non-viral vectors and the validation of new non-viral transfection methods of mononuclear cells with marker genes is in progress and will lead to the ex vivo transfection of genes coding for immunostimulating cytokines or for tumour antigens in MD-APCs. Efficiency will be validated in vitro and in animal models. The ex vivo and animal model studies validate the clinical relevance of this new cellular immunotechnology. Clinical validation of individual autologous cellular vaccines in specific indications for which no treatment is presently available will allow the development of cellular and gene immunotherapy for other types of cancers.     

Cerebral mechanisms underlying facial, prosodic, and lexical emotional expression: A review of neuropsychological studies and methodological issues.

Cortical contributions to human emotional expression are examined with a focus on interhemispheric (right vs left) and intrahemispheric (anterior vs posterior) mechanisms. This article reviews behavioral studies of emotional expression in brain-damaged patients with unilateral lesions and in normal adults. Studies involving facial, prosodic, and lexical (verbal) communication channels are reviewed for patients; facial asymmetry studies are reviewed for normal Ss. Data are presented separately for posed and spontaneous conditions and for positive and negative emotions. Findings support right-hemisphere dominance for emotional expression, especially for prosodic and lexical expression in brain-damaged patients and for facial expression in normal Ss. Methodological factors are suggested to account for differences among facial expressions studies in brain-damaged patients. The data are discussed in terms of neuropsychological theories of emotion and directions for future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advanced practice nursing certification: where do we go from here?

Certification requirements for advanced practice nurses (APNs) vary between APN specialties and the certification agencies. This variability perpetuates confusion for APNs, the health care system, and the public. Recommendations are made for the certification of APNs: (1) standardization of the certification process for APNs, (2) consistency in the requirement for graduate level education for all APNs, (3) regulation requiring certification for practice in all states, and (4) nurse practitioner (NP) program accreditation or preaccreditation for eligibility to take the certification examination. To support these recommendations, two questions are considered: Where are we now in certification? Where do we need to go?     

Heterogeneity of the baseline risk within patient populations of clinical trials: a proposed evaluation algorithm

In this paper, the authors present an evaluation algorithm for systematic assessment of the observed heterogeneity in disease risk within trial populations. Predictive models are used to estimate the predicted patient hazards, the odds of having an event in the upper risk quartile (ODU) and the lower risk quartile (ODL), and the odds ratio (rate ratio for time-to-event analyses) for having an event in the upper risk quartile versus the lower risk quartile (extreme quartile odds ratio (EQuOR) and extreme quartile rate ratio (EQuRR)). The ranges for these metrics depend on the extent to which predictors of the outcome of interest exist and are known and the extent to which data are collected in the trial, as well as on the eligibility criteria and the specific patients who are actually enrolled. ODU, ODL, and EQuOR values are used to systematically interpret the results for patients at different levels of risk, to evaluate generalizability, and to determine the need for subgroup analyses. Individual data for five outcomes from three trials (n = 842, 913, and 1,001, respectively) are used as examples. Observed EQuOR values ranged from 1.5 (very little predicted heterogeneity) to 59 (large heterogeneity). EQuRR values ranged from 2 to 46. ODU values ranged from 0.24 to 3.19 (generally high risk), and ODL values ranged from 0.01 (clinically negligible risk) to 0.16 (clinically meaningful risk). The algorithm may also be used for comparing diverse trials (e.g., in meta-analyses) and used prospectively for designing future trials, as shown in simulations.     

Analyzing sequential categorical data on dyadic interaction: A comment on Gottman.

Recent theoretical developments emphasize that social interactions are dynamic and reciprocal, and this has led to widespread use of time-series data on behavior in 2-person systems. In principle, such data allow one to separate the influences of 2 actors on each other. Statistical methods currently being used, however, are deficient in several respects. The present article shows that (1) a statistic proposed by G. P. Sackett (1979) and later "proved" by J. M. Gottman (see PA, Vol 62:5153; and 1980) is incorrect, and (2) the failure to control for autodependence can produce misleading results. New procedures are presented that are based on both traditional and more recently developed methods for the analysis of contingency tables. Using these procedures, methods are shown for testing dependency, measuring dependency, testing for differences in dependency across subgroups, and testing for dominance in reciprocal behavior sequences. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The paired-object affordance effect.

We demonstrate that right-handed participants make speeded classification responses to pairs of objects that appear in standard co-locations for right-handed actions relative to when they appear in reflected locations. These effects are greater when participants “weight” information for action when deciding if 2 objects are typically used together, compared with deciding if objects typically occur in a given context. The effects are enhanced, and affect both types of decision, when an agent is shown holding the objects. However, the effects are eliminated when the objects are not viewed from the first-person perspective and when words are presented rather than objects. The data suggest that (a) participants are sensitive to whether objects are positioned correctly for their own actions, (b) the position information is coded within an egocentric reference frame, (c) the critical representation involved is visual and not semantic, and (d) the effects are enhanced by a sense of agency. The results can be interpreted within a dual-route framework for action retrieval in which a direct visual route is influenced by affordances for action. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nutrition and behavior.

This article focuses on three nutritional problems that are associated with developmental problems in infancy and childhood. Major points are that (a) nutritional problems are often linked to environmental disadvantage, (b) the possibility exists for long-term developmental effects, (c) treatment for undernutrition does not appear to reverse all negative effects, and (d) prevention of nutritional disorders rather than treatment holds the greatest promise for eradicating behavioral and developmental problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Planning and Organization of Research in Building

Identification of research needs in the building sector, and efficient organization of an institutional research effort for their fulfillment, is analyzed. First, the objectives of research in building are enumerated as: (1) Defining standards of performance and methods of measurement of their attainment; (2) exploring methods for attainment of standards at maximum efficiency; and (3) exploring the possibilities for improving performance of systems and compounds. Then the nature of the research process necessary to attain these objectives is explored. Later, methods for identification of research needs are considered, and criteria for determining their priority are suggested. Possible research contribution as identified in the Israeli building sector was divided, in this context, into the following subjects: (1) Generation of basic data; (2) preparation of infrastructure for codes and specifications; (3) development of tools for analysis and design; (4) development of building products; (5) formulation of building policy; and (6) development of managerial procedures. Finally the features of an efficient research organization are reviewed, the most important of which are careful work planning, high quality of work, conformance to time, and budget constraints and good communication with sponsors.     

Expanded Reliability-Based Design Approach for Drilled Shafts

This paper develops a more general reliability-based design approach for drilled shafts that formulates the design process as an expanded reliability problem in which Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) are used in the design. Basic design parameters, such as the shaft diameter (B) and depth (D), are formulated as discrete uniform random variables. Then the design process becomes one in which failure probabilities are developed for various combinations of B and D [i.e., conditional probability p(Failure∣B,D)] and are compared with a target probability of failure pT. Equations are derived for this expanded reliability-based design (RBDE) approach, and criteria are established for the minimum number of MCS samples to ensure a desired level of accuracy. Its usefulness is illustrated using a drilled shaft design example. This RBDE approach has the following advantages: (1) it gives results that agree well with current RBD designs, but it improves the resolutions of the designs; (2) it offers design engineers insight into how the expected design performance level changes as B and D change; (3) it gives design engineers the ability to adjust pT, without additional calculation effort, to accommodate specific needs of a particular project; and (4) it is transparent and “visible” to design engineers who are given the flexibility to include uncertainties deemed appropriate. Finally, the effects of uncertainties in the at-rest horizontal soil stress coefficient (K0) and allowable displacement (ya) are illustrated using this approach.     

Bed-Load Sediment Transport on Large Slopes: Model Formulation and Implementation within a RANS Solver

Standard bed-load sediment-transport formulas are extended using basic mechanical principles to include gravitational influence on large slopes of arbitrary orientation. The resulting sediment fluxes are then incorporated into a morphodynamics model in a general-purpose, three-dimensional, finite-volume, Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) code. Major features are: (1) the downslope component of weight is combined with the fluid stress to form an effective bed stress (similar to the work of Wu in 2004); (2) the critical effective stress is reduced in proportion to the component of gravity normal to the slope; (3) a simple flux-based model for avalanching is implemented as a numerical means of preventing the local slope from exceeding the angle of repose; (4) an entirely vectorial formulation of bed-load transport is developed to account for arbitrary surface orientation; and (5) methods for reducing numerical instability in the morphodynamics equation are described. Sample computations are shown for scour and accretion in a channel bend and for the movement of sand mounds on erodible and nonerodible bases.     

Calcium and mechanically induced potentials in fibroblasts of rat atrium

Pattern-mixture models stratify incomplete data by the pattern of missing values and formulate distinct models within each stratum. Pattern-mixture models are developed for analyzing a random sample on continuous variables y(1), y(2) when values of y(2) are nonrandomly missing. Methods for scalar y(1) and y(2) are here generalized to vector y(1) and y(2) with additional fixed covariates x. Parameters in these models are identified by alternative assumptions about the missing-data mechanism. Models may be underidentified (in which case additional assumptions are needed), just-identified, or overidentified. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods are developed for the latter two situations, using the EM and SEM algorithms, direct and interactive simulation methods. The methods are illustrated on a data set involving alternative dosage regimens for the treatment of schizophrenia using haloperidol and on a regression example. Sensitivity to alternative assumptions about the missing-data mechanism is assessed, and the new methods are compared with complete-case analysis and maximum likelihood for a probit selection model.     

Antoine Marfan and his syndrome: one hundred years later

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method is presented for the simultaneous detection of ubiquinone-9 and 10 in rat tissues such as blood, myocardium, and muscle. After liquid-liquid extraction, the ubiquinones are subsequently analyzed by HPLC with ultraviolet (UV) detection at their maximum absorbance (275 nm). Reference calibration curves in ethanol are used to determine tissular levels of ubiquinones. Because a treatment with HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors is expected to decrease the ubiquinone levels, reference calibration curves are performed to ensure that the ratios (ubiquinone/internal standard) observed in such an experiment could be evaluated directly on a calibration curve. The assay is sensitive (0.0625 microgram/mL), reproducible (4% coefficient of variation for ubiquinone-9 and 6% for ubiquinone-10), and linear up to 20 micrograms/mL (or 100 mg of tissue) for ubiquinone-9 and up to 10 micrograms/mL (or 100 mg of tissue) for ubiquinone-10. The ubiquinone levels in control tissues or blood are within the ranges of those previously reported.     

Features of spondyloarthritis around the world

The pressing need to document treatment efficacy for young children who stutter is discussed. Guidelines for such documentation are suggested and illustrated. Measures for verifying treatment effects in four realms are delineated: (a) conditions of documentation, (b) dependent variables to be measured, (c) establishment of treatment integrity, and (d) verification of the relationship between treatment and outcome. Illustrations of the application of the suggested guidelines are presented for 2 children.     

Digital mammography: M-channel quadrature mirror filters (QMFs) for microcalcification extraction

Multiresolution methods are reported for feature extraction in breast cancer screening using digital mammography. The initial application is directed at the detection of microcalcification clusters (MCCs). Quadrature mirror filter (QMF) banks, using both two and three channel are proposed for the first time for both multiresolution decomposition and reconstruction. These filters are specifically tailored for automatic extraction of MCCs. The QMF multiresolution methods are compared to two channel tree structured wavelet transforms (TSWTs) methods previously reported. The QMF filters are preceded by an advanced tree structured nonlinear filter for noise suppression, prior to feature extraction, in order to minimize the false positive (FP) detection rate in digital mammography. The relative performance of these methods were evaluated using both simulated images and fifteen representative digitized mammograms containing biopsy proven microcalcification clusters. Similar high sensitivity (true positive (TP) detection rate (100%) and high specificity (0.6 average false positive (FP) MCC's/image) were observed, substantially better than more traditional approaches using single scale filters. The three channel QMF method, however, demonstrated better detail preservation of MCC's extracted compared to the two channel method. Detail preservation is important for the characterization of MCC's or individual microcalcifications in cancer screening.     

Uncertainty orientation: Implications for affective and cognitive views of achievement behavior.

Three studies, with 734 undergraduates, tested the hypothesis that differences in performance due to achievement-related motives are moderated by individuals' uncertainty orientation—the degree to which situations of certainty vs uncertainty are cognitively relevant. The validity of this hypothesis was investigated for 3 predictions derived from J. W. Atkinson and J. O. Raynor's (1974) theory of achievement motivation: (a) Differences in performance due to achievement-related motives are greatest in situations of intermediate difficulty; (b) differences in performance due to achievement-related motives are greatest on tasks that must be successfully completed in order to move on to further tasks (contingent path tasks); and (c) differences in course grades due to achievement-related motives are greatest among those individuals who perceive the course as instrumental to their future goals. All 3 predictions were confirmed for uncertainty-oriented Ss, but results were actually reversed for certainty-oriented Ss. It is argued that the present formulation subsumes and integrates the existing cognitive and motivational interpretations of achievement behavior. (42 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ethical crisis for cross-cultural counseling and therapy.

The ethical crisis of cross-cultural counseling and therapy results from the use of mental health assumptions, assessments, and interventions that were developed in one cultural context but implemented in a totally different one. The present article sought (a) to determine if ethical guidelines sensitive to cross-cultural counseling and therapy are needed, (b) to discuss guidelines for research that have direct implications for cross-cultural counselors and therapists, and (c) to identify questions of ethics that come out of reading through American Psychological Association guidelines that pertain to serving a multicultural population. Questions for discussion are identified but solutions are not offered. The authors encourage increased discussion and cooperation that will result in the development of ethical guidelines for cross-cultural counselors and therapists. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Models for the 3(10)-helix/coil, pi-helix/coil, and alpha-helix/3(10)-helix/coil transitions in isolated peptides

Models for the 3(10)-helix/coil and pi-helix/coil equilibria have been derived. The theory is based on classifying residues into helical or nonhelical (coil) conformations. Statistical weights are assigned to residues in a helical conformation with an associated helical hydrogen bond, a helical conformation with no hydrogen bond, an N-cap position, a C-cap position, or the reference coil conformation. The models for alpha-helix formation and 3(10)-helix formation have also been combined to describe a three-state equilibrium in which alpha-helical, 3(10)-helical, and coil conformations are populated. The results are compared with the modified Lifson-Roig theory for the alpha-helix/coil equilibrium. The comparison accounts for the experimental observations that 3(10)-helices tend to be short and pi-helices are not favored for any length. This work may provide a framework for quantitatively rationalizing experimental work on isolated 3(10)-helices and mixed 3(10)-/alpha-helices.     

Circulatory kinetics of intravenously injected 238Pu(IV) citrate and 14C-CaNa3-DTPA in mice: comparison with rat, dog, and reference man

New ligands for in vivo chelation of Pu(IV) are being synthesized and evaluated in mice for efficacy and toxicity. Biokinetic studies of the new ligands, CaNa3-DTPA, and Pu(IV) are major components of those investigations. Young adult female mice were injected intravenously (iv) with 3H-inulin, 14C-CaNa3-DTPA, or 238Pu(IV) citrate to provide baseline data for plasma clearance, tissue uptake, and excretion rates and to determine the dilution volume (VOD) and renal clearance rate (RC) of filterable substances. Published plasma clearance data for iv-injected 14C-CaNa3-DTPA and Pu(IV) citrate in Reference Man, dog, and rat were collected. Based on combined data for 3H-inulin and 14C-CaNa3-DTPA, VOD = 17% of body weight and RC = 18 mL kg(-1) min(-1) for mice. Retention of 14C-CaNa3-DTPA in the four species is proportional to body weight and inversely proportional to RC: Integrals of the retention of 14C-CaNa3-DTPA from R(t) = 1.0 to R(t) = 0.05 are 108, 43, 28, and 10 DF min, respectively, for Reference Man, dog, rat, and mouse. Clearances of iv-injected Pu(IV) citrate from plasma are in the same order: The plasma curve integrals from injection to 1440 min are 840, 640, 280, and 67 DF min, respectively, for Reference Man, dog, rat, and mouse. In mice, a large fraction of newly injected Pu(IV) is rapidly transferred to the interstitial water of bulk soft tissue (excluding liver and kidneys), from which it is cleared at the same rate as from the plasma. Rapid plasma clearance, escape into interstitial water (22%ID at 20 min), significant early urinary excretion (8%ID in 12 h), and prompt deposition in liver and skeleton (complete in 12 h) are evidence of inefficient binding to plasma protein (mainly transferrin) of newly injected Pu(IV) in mice. Conversely, slow plasma clearance, little early urinary excretion, and delayed deposition in liver and skeleton reflect more efficient binding by transferrin of newly injected Pu(IV) in Reference Man and dog. Pharmacokinetic parameters (effective dosage, effective concentration) of CaNa3-DTPA, alone or combined with plasma Pu(IV) integrals, yielded only qualitative predictions of the relative efficacies of CaNa3-DTPA therapy in four species. The need for improved models of Pu(IV) and ligand biokinetics and the suitability of the three animals for predicting chelation therapy outcomes in humans are discussed.     

Proposed guidelines for the internal quality control of analytical results in the medical laboratory

The factors involved in analytical quality relate to definition of quality, creation of quality, and control of quality, and errors arise from external and internal sources as well as from permanent and variable factors. Further, the two main types of error are classified as systematic and random errors. Internal quality control (IQC) systems can only operate on the variable factors which are related to batch-to-batch variations (external factors) and to the performance in the laboratory (internal factors). In creating an adequate internal control system, several problems are faced: (i) quality of control materials, (ii) types and frequency of possible errors, (iii) number and types of control materials, (iv) number of replicates of the control, (v) probability of error detection, (vi) probability of false rejection, (vii) consequences of reject signals, (viii) trouble-shooting systems, and (ix) prevention of errors among many other conditions. Gaussian distributions of control results are assumed and the statistical control rules are evaluated in relation to probability of false rejections, Pfr, and probability of error detection, Ped, for the different rules. Combinations of low Pfr and high Ped are obtained by combining results from e.g. four measurements of the same control sample by use of mean and range rules. Further, it is not possible to establish a common control system which can be used for all quantities and analytical procedures; on the contrary, each procedure should have its particular efficient IQC system. These aspects are discussed and a number of guidelines for statistical control rules and problem related internal quality control are presented.