Continuing education: A new challenge for psychology.

Notes that pressures are mounting from within and from outside psychology for the demonstration of continued professional competence. The need for systematically available continuing education opportunities for both the practicing professional and the teacher-scientist is great. It is suggested that some services can be provided centrally by the American Psychological Association which will facilitate the development of a continuing education network for all psychologists. The following services are proposed: consultation on the development of programs, a resource center, a registration service, publication of a calendar, and a self-assessment examination system. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple personality disorder: A new challenge for psychology.

Reviews recent literature on multiple personality disorder. Despite a significant increase in the number of publications on this topic during the past 10 yrs, it is noted that limited knowledge exists on issues such as prevalence rates, differential diagnosis, etiology, and treatment. Psychologists are encouraged to become actively involved in the study of this disorder, and specific research suggestions are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new generation of sprayed iron powder for complex parts

The basic parameters have been developed for the production of sprayed iron power of compressive strength approaching that of high-quality reduced powder. The properties of such powder are due to the chemical purity and rounded shape of the particles, as well as the developed surface microrelief. At the experimental facility at Bardin Central Scientific-Research Institute of Ferrous Metallurgy, a laboratory batch of iron and partially alloyed powder has been produced from powder composites based on air-sprayed powder and activating iron-bearing additives, by simulating OOO SSM-Tyazhmash industrial equipment.     

A one-piece plexiglass access chamber for subcutaneous implantation in the dorsal skin fold of the mouse

This technical report describes the production and installation of a newly developed, one-piece, light-weight (0.6 g) access plexiglass chamber for the dorsal skin fold of the mouse.     

The challenge of environmental psychology: A proposal for a new functionalism.

Argues that the hardship conditions under which man evolved put a high premium on rapid and efficient information handling. Currently maladaptive behavior with respect to overpopulation and environmental decline may be in part the result of an inadequate conception of what the future holds. The missing knowledge is unlikely to be verbal. Substitutes for experience that enhance imagery of alternative futures may be pivotal. A few of the multitude of researchable topics that arise in this context are presented. It is concluded that a broad functional psychology could find much to learn, study, and contribute in the environmental area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of antitumor activity rhizoxin for human lung cancer cell lines: a potent new drug for drug-resistant lung cancer

Rhizoxin is a new macrocyclic lactone isolated from the fungus Rhizopus chinensis. In an attempt to predict the effectiveness of rhizoxin in the treatment of lung cancer, we compared the antitumor activity of rhizoxin with those of cisplatin and etoposide using four small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines, SBC-2, -3, -4, and -7, and two non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, ABC-1 and EBC-1. The concentrations producing 50% inhibition of the growth of these cell lines (IC50) for each drug were obtained by MTT assay. The IC50 of rhizoxin for these cell lines ranged 0.408 nM to 1.56 nM, which were significant lower than those of cisplatin (660 nM to 16,300 nM) and etoposide (275 nM to 31,300 nM). The ratio of IC50 for the most sensitive cell line, SBC-3, to that for the most resistant cell line was less than 4-fold in rhizoxin, in contrast to more than 20-fold in cisplatin and 100-fold in etoposide. Cross-resistance of rhizoxin to cisplatin and etoposide was investigated using a cisplatin-resistant SCLC subline, SBC-3/CDDP, and an etoposide-resistant SCLC subline, SBC-3/ETP. Of interest, the parent cell line, and the resistant sublines were equally sensitive to rhizoxin, indicating rhizoxin being non-cross-resistant to cisplatin and etoposide. In conclusion, rhizoxin may be beneficial in the salvage chemotherapy of drug-resistant SCLC and non-SCLC.     

A new route of heparin administration--the lung

Instillation of a single dose of heparin into the lungs of the dog resulted in a steady prolonged hypocoagulability as measured by the Lee and White clotting time, partial thromboplastin and activated partial thromboplastin times. 15 mg of heparin/kg increased clotting time three to five times control values. The anticoagulant effect occurred within one hour and lasted 48 h or more, in contrast to the short effect of intravenous heparin. For doses of 8, 10, 12, 15 and 20 mg/kg, there was a corresponding increase in the area under the response curve. The very prolonged moderate anticoagulant state with intrapulmonary heparin did not show the wide fluctuations in coagulation test values which occur with intravenous heparin.     

Histopathological changes in Yucatan minipig skin following challenge with sulphur mustard. A sequential study of the first 24 hours following challenge

The importance of calcium in neuronal function has been amply demonstrated in recent years. The discovery of a class of proteins within neurons which bind calcium, therefore, has proven to be a catalyst for the generation of theories and hypotheses regarding mechanisms of neurotoxicity in the CNS. In addition, the distribution of certain calcium-binding proteins changes during neural development, suggesting that they may play a role in organization or pattern generation. We have examined the ontogeny of three related calcium-binding proteins, calbindin-D28, parvalbumin and calretinin, with respect to the ventral and dorsal compartments or tiers of the dopaminergic population in the ventral midbrain. Single and dual-label immunocytochemistry was employed to map the distributions of calcium-binding proteins and tyrosine hydroxylase from E18 through adulthood. The results show that each of the three proteins exhibits a unique developmental sequence and compartment preference, with calbindin D28 clearly related to the later-developing dorsal tier, and parvalbumin and calretinin to the ventral tier of the dopaminergic ventral mesencephalon.     

Integrating positive emotions into theory, research, and practice: A new challenge for psychotherapy.

This article elaborates on the themes and directions that emerged from a dialogue on the potential usefulness of positive emotions in psychotherapy. In defining a positive emotion, the authors propose that there are two intersecting axes of interest. The axes are emotional experience--whether something feels good or bad to the client--and therapeutic value--how helpful the emotion is to the therapeutic process. Three of the four quadrants formed by the intersection of these axes potentially contain positive emotions. Special consideration is given to the quadrant of positive experience/positive value, which has been relatively neglected until now. In this quadrant, positive emotions generate change either in their facilitating role--often in the therapeutic relationship--or as central agents of the change process. The authors conclude by considering how positive and negative emotions interact and call for careful theorizing and research to clearly understand positive emotions in psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A new generation solution model for predicting thermodynamic properties of a multicomponent system from binaries

During the past 3 decades, all solution models that were used to predict thermodynamic properties of a multicomponent system from binaries improperly assumed that the selected binary compositions in a model are independent of the practical system to be treated. This assumption causes problems both in symmetrical and asymmetrical models. In this article, a new solution model has been suggested, which gets rid of this traditional way and assumes that the selected binary compositions should be closely related to the system considered. After introducing a new concept, the “similarity coefficient,” the relation between the selected binary compositions and the composition of the multicomponent system is established and a new model is generated. This new generation model is more reasonable in theoretical considerations, more reliable in practical use, and more realistic in computerization for estimating thermodynamic properties and calculating phase diagrams in a multicomponent system.     

A novel fluorescence chamber for the determination of volume changes in human CaSki cell cultures attached on filters

The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that, in the cultured human cervical epithelium, CaSki, the effect of calcium mobilizing agents on transepithelial electrical conductance (GTE), is the result of cell volume decrease. CaSki cells attached on filters were loaded with fura-2, and measurements of fluorescence at the isosbestic wavelength 360 nm (excitation/emission [F360/510]) were made in a newly designed fluorescence chamber; this design allowed us also to determine changes in cytosolic calcium ([Ca2+]i). The experimental conditions were similar to those used to measure changes in paracellular permeability in the Ussing chamber, and they enabled us to compare the time-course of changes in [Ca2+]i, in F360/510, and in GTE. Hypertonicity increased, and hypotonicity decreased F360/510 and GTE, without having an effect on [Ca2+]i, and the changes in F360/510 and in GTE correlated linearly. Metabolism, bleaching, and extrusion of intracellular fura-2 were minimal, indicating that the changes in F360/510 reflect changes in dye concentration. Hypertonicity decreased, and hypotonicity increased the size of dispersed CaSki cells, suggesting that osmolarity-induced changes in F360/510 reflect changes in size of the attached cells. Ionomycin increased [Ca2+]i, F360/510, and GTE, but the increases in [Ca2+]i preceded those in F360/510 and GTE. The calcium chelator BAPTA blocked the ionomycin-induced increase in [Ca2+]i, F360/510, and in GTE. Preincubation with 4-acetamido-4'isothiocyanatostilbene-2,2'disulfonic acid (SITS) augmented the ionomycin-induced increase in [Ca2+]i, but blocked the increases in F360/510 and in GTE. Pretreatment of cells with hypertonic solution abrogated the increases in F360/510 and in GTE in response to ionomycin, but had little effect on the ionomycin-induced increase in [Ca2+]i. On the basis of these results we suggest that the ionomycin-induced increase in GTE is mediated by [Ca2+]i-dependent chloride secretion and osmotic water loss.     

A new generation of dressings in the treatment of leg ulcers]

Current methods of topical treatment of leg ulcers are reviewed. Leg ulcers are chronic wounds in a trophically altered tissue that affects the healing capacity. Complete healing requires prolonged and rather expensive treatment and the patient is often disabled during this period. The conventional methods of treatment of leg ulcers, including various compresses, ointments, pastes and other topical drugs, that may possess a considerable sensitizing potential, are to an increasing extent replaced by updated therapy consisting in the use of a new generation of dressings. The latter include a number of materials that have been developed on the basis of recent knowledge of wound healing, such as hydrogels, hydrocolloids, xerogels, hydropolymer dressings, polyurethane foam sheets, alginate dressings, and non-adherent, non-woven cloth impregnated with silver and activated charcoal. The selection of the available materials must depend on the character and stage of the healing process. Each group of dressings exerts specific effects and none of them can recommended generally for the treatment of any types of ulceration. A brief survey of indications is given for each group to avoid their abuse.