Research activities in psychology: An update.

Presents an update on research activities in psychology, based on 14,634 responses to the American Psychological Association's (APA) 1982 Human Resources Survey (J. Stapp et al, 1983). The characteristics of APA members involved in research activities and funded research are described and compared to data from the 1978 Human Resources Survey (R. P. Lowman and J. Stapp [see PA, Vol 67:12943]). There has been little change in these characteristics; over 90% of APA members involved in research hold doctorates. Women were somewhat less likely than men to report involvement in research, and minorities were slightly more likely than nonminorities. The subfields, employment settings, and types of positions of those involved in research are also described. Of the projects reported in the 1982 survey, approximately half were funded (either by intramural or outside sources). Both funded and unfunded projects were primarily applied research and secondarily basic research; the institutional bases for research projects were most likely to be universities and colleges. Funded research activities are further described in terms of sources of funding, as well as the mechanism, length, and amount of funding. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Drug testing as part of the war on drugs

Drug testing programs in the United States may broadly be classified as mandatory (such as under DOT or Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulation) or nonmandatory. In the first group, a regulated employer is required by federal regulations to test. In the second, the employer chooses to test for reasons other than the federal requirements. It always was intended that the federal program would be the model for testing by private employers, and that mandatory testing would be extended to private employers who are regulated by various agencies of the federal government. This has happened. In addition, private employers who are not required to test under federal authority have instituted employee drug testing programs closely modeled on the federal program. Whether mandated or not, a well-designed and implemented drug testing program is a valuable tool in the effort to fight drugs in the workplace.     

Federal involvement in mental retardation programs: Past, present, and future directions.

Describes recent legislation on mental retardation issues. Suggestions are made for molding action into a comprehensive program in such areas as research, prevention, rehabilitation, and education. It is maintained that the most desirable ways to aid mentally retarded citizens are to increase the funding for research and training in the field; guarantee civil rights and services; and provide a comprehensive and effective service delivery system supported by a network of federal, state, local, and private agencies. (0 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of Federal Design-Build Request for Proposal Evaluation Criteria

This study’s objective is to identify the benefits federal owners are seeking through the design-build process by analysis of research data gathered from 110 requests for proposal (RFP) evaluation plans issued for $1.5 billion of federal work by 11 different agencies. The output from this study was then compared to a 1996 study whose authors sought to analyze the reasons cited by owners to use design-build project delivery. That study included a survey of 108 owners of public and private projects, which represented over $12.5 billion of construction. The goal of comparing the 1996 survey with the results of the new research project is to discover correlations between owner attitudes and the selection criteria identified in government RFPs. The comparison produced some interesting results. First, although owners in 1996 cited schedule as the most significant reason for selecting design-build delivery, the federal RFP content analysis found it to carry a very low average weight. Another finding shows that federal RFPs give price a very heavy weight in the government selection processes, again differing significantly from the previous survey of owner attitudes. Finally, the current study found that the qualifications of the firms and individuals that formed the design-build team were significantly more important than the proposed technical design approach. Thus, this paper concludes that the typical federal agency was looking for a low price from a well-qualified design-build team.     

The relationship between religious activities and cigarette smoking in older adults

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between religious activities and cigarette smoking in community-dwelling older adults. METHODS: Cigarette smoking and religious activities were assessed in a probability sample of 3968 persons age 65 years or older participating in the Duke Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) survey. Participants were asked if they currently smoked, if they ever smoked, and how many cigarettes per day they smoked. Attendance at religious services, participation in private religious activities (prayer or Bible study), and use of religious media (religious TV or radio) were also assessed. Data were available for Waves I-III of the survey (1986, 1989, and 1992). Analyses were controlled for age, race, sex, education, alcohol use, physical health, and in the longitudinal analyses, smoking status at prior waves. RESULTS: Cross-sectional analyses revealed that participants who frequently attended religious services were significantly less likely to smoke cigarettes at all three waves. Likewise, elders frequently involved in private religious activity were less likely to smoke (Waves II and III). Total number of pack-years smoked was also inversely related to both attendance at religious services and private religious activities. Watching religious TV or listening to religious radio, on the other hand, was not related to smoking at Waves I and II nor to total pack-years smoked, but was positively related to current smoking at Wave III. Among those who smoked, number of cigarettes smoked was inversely related to frequency of attendance at religious services (Wave I), private religious activities (Wave III), and religious TV/radio (Waves II and III). Retrospective and prospective analyses revealed that religiously active persons were less likely to ever start smoking, not more likely to quit smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Religiously active persons are less likely to smoke cigarettes, and if they do smoke, smoke fewer cigarettes. Given the association between smoking and disease, and the widespread prevalence of both smoking and religious activity, this finding has implications for public health.     

A 1970 overview of sources of support for psychological research.

Provides information on funding sources for research activities. Grant and contract programs sponsored by various federal agencies are described, including those of the National Science Foundation, various branches of Health, Education and Welfare (the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Office of Education, and the Social and Rehabilitation Service), and the Departments of Labor, Transportation, Defense, State, Justice, Housing and Urban Development, and the National Aeronautics and Space Program. Programs of 31 private foundations are also listed, including the foundation name and address, and the purposes and activities of the respective support programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Military Reports as Equivalents of "Personal Communications".

Contends that there is no simple answer to the question of how to treat, bibliographically and in reference to substance, the technical unclassified reports issued by military laboratories (Amer. Psychologist, 1954, 9, 642-643). Furthermore, the problem pertains, in an equal measure, to civilian research organizations which carry on investigative work supported by federal funds and are required to provide reports on their work. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Two routes to privacy protection: a comparison of health information legislation in Canada and the United States

The privacy of health information is a subject of great sensitivity in both Canada and the United States. As a result of public demands for more effective protection of such information as medical records, Canada and, particularly, its provincial governments, have implemented extensive legislation. The United States, on the other hand, has largely confined its efforts to private sector initiatives that are more reflective of voluntary codes than legal statutes. Because new technologic developments facilitate data sharing in the medical field, especially in the face of a continual reduction of healthcare budgets, the concern for privacy protection in this domain has intensified. Correspondingly, there has been a gradual theoretical shift in protective health information policies on both sides of the border. As Canada pushes to extend its federal and provincial legislation to the private sector, the United States is on the brink of approving a national bill that would protect the privacy of personal medical records. It is becoming evident that efforts to secure the privacy of health information in both countries are converging.     

Incomplete Boerhaave syndrome of the cervical esophagus

It is known that an acute postemetic injury may evoke a spontaneous rupture of the oesophagus. This spontaneous rupture may produce an intramural hematoma or a laceration of the oesophagus wall. The intramural hematoma is restricted to the esophageal wall and may produce a fistula into the lumen of the oesophagus (with creation of a double lumen) or into the mediastinum (haematoma of the mediastinum). On the other hand the rupture may extend from the mucosa (lesion of Mallory-Weiss) into the complete wall of the oesophagus (Boerhaave's Syndrome). There are reports on a lesion of the exterior muscular layer of the third distal half of the oesophagus, which had evoked an acute haemorrhage into the mediastinum and has been defined as a variant of Boerhaave's syndrome. We now describe a similar case which is confined to the cervical oesophagus and has been treated without surgical intervention.     

Politics and scientific expertise: scientists, risk perception, and nuclear waste policy

To study the homogeneity and influences on scientists' perspectives of environmental risks, we have examined similarities and differences in risk perceptions, particularly regarding nuclear wastes, and policy preferences among 1011 scientists and engineers. We found significant differences (p < 0.05) in the patterns of beliefs among scientists from different fields of research. In contrast to physicists, chemists, and engineers, life scientists tend to: (a) perceive the greatest risks from nuclear energy and nuclear waste management; (b) perceive higher levels of overall environmental risk; (c) strongly oppose imposing risks on unconsenting individuals; and (d) prefer stronger requirements for environmental management. On some issues related to priorities among public problems and calls for government action, there are significant variations among life scientists or physical scientists. We also found that--independently of field of research--perceptions of risk and its correlates are significantly associated with the type of institution in which the scientist is employed. Scientists in universities or state and local governments tend to see the risks of nuclear energy and wastes as greater than scientists who work as business consultants, for federal organizations, or for private research laboratories. Significant differences also are found in priority given to environmental risks, the perceived proximity of environmental disaster, willingness to impose risks on an unconsenting population, and the necessity of accepting risks and sacrifices.     

Idiosyncratic ocular symptoms associated with the estradiol transdermal estrogen replacement patch system

BACKGROUND: The medical review officer is a position established by federal statute in 1988. The role of the medical review officer is to interpret positive urine drug tests in view of the donor's medical history. With more than 4 million workers affected by the Department of Transportation guidelines for workplace drug testing, and many private employers having urine drug screening programs, there is a need for medical review officers. METHODS: Materials for this report were collected while the first author was pursuing certification from the Medical Review Officer Certification Council. Much of the data was published in the Federal Register from 1988 through 1993. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Urine drug testing is divided into three stages: collection, laboratory analysis,and medical review of results. Because the workplace urine drug test is a forensic test, the urine is collected under strict chain of custody. Analysis of specimens is conducted by laboratories that have met stringent technical criteria and are approved by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (formerly the National Institute on Drug Abuse). Family physicians are in a unique position to become medical review officers because of their training and professional roles. Educational programs are available for physicians interested in becoming a medical review officer.     

Olfactory Receptor Database: a database of the largest eukaryotic gene family

The Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB) is a WWW-accessible database that stores data on Olfactory Receptor-like molecules (ORs) and has been open to the public since June 1996. It contains a public and a private area. The public area includes published DNA and protein sequence data for ORs, links to OR models and data on their expression, chromosomal localization and source organism, as well as (i) links to bibliography through PubMed and (ii) interactive WWW-based tools, such as BLAST homology searching. The private area functions as a service to laboratories that are actively cloning receptors. Source laboratories enter the sequences of the receptor clones they have characterized to the private database and can search for identical or near identical OR sequences in both public and private databases. If another laboratory has cloned and deposited an identical or closely matching sequence there are means for communication between the laboratories to help avoid duplication of work. ORDB is available via the WWW at http://crepe.med.yale.edu/ORDB/HTML     

Protein translocation into and across the chloroplastic envelope membranes

A revolution has occurred in the attitude of biologists toward their intellectual property rights. What today is patentable and highly profitable was, 20 years ago, unpatentable and given away for nothing. The history of this revolution began in the early 1960s when we made the first effort to have self-duplicating cell strains patented. The application was denied because patent law at that time did not include living matter. Because of the demand for our normal human diploid cell strain, WI-38, by NIH grantees, NIH support was provided to distribute WI-38 gratis to hundreds of recipients. These included vaccine and cell manufacturers who profited enormously from the direct sale of WI-38 or its use as a substrate for many human virus vaccines. When federal support for the distribution of WI-38 ended, but demand did not, I continued to distribute it for costs similar to those made by the American Type Culture Collection. When I took the first initiative and asked NIH to have the then unique question of title to a self-duplicating system resolved, they sent an accountant who accused me of theft of government property. I replied with a lawsuit that, after six years of litigation, we won with an out-of-court settlement. During these six years the United States Supreme Court ruled that living matter could be patented. Also, the biotechnology industry was launched by biologists who, like me, started companies using cells or microorganisms developed with federal support. This use of intellectual property rights by the nascent biotechnology industry was ultimately embraced by the entire biological community and by a directive from the President of the United States. This revolution has now evolved to the point where government biologists themselves may profit from research in federal laboratories, and the NIH itself aggressively seeks private commercial alliances. Universities have also pursued similar alliances to the extent that today the distinction between a research university and a commercial organization is only in the eyes of the Internal Revenue Service.     

The impact of federal support on higher education.

A major university today, public or private, engaged in graduate teaching and research cannot maintain its stature without the present partnership with the Federal Government. The "problem between higher education and federal agencies is how to manage the future of a partnership that has been on balance eminently good over the past decade." Major sections are: The Educational Scene, Research Support (Alleged Evils of Federal Support, Benefits of Federal Support), A "Case History." Major "Institutions of higher education and those representing the scientific enterprise of the federal government are today completely dependent upon each other… . this relationship can be wisely managed, in such a way that both national and local interests can be met and strengthened." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Financial support for research in psychology and related areas.

"Financial support for psychological research has increased as psychologists have demonstrated their capabilities of contributing significantly to developments on a broad front ranging from the biological to the social sciences." As an aid to persons seeking information on agencies and foundations providing financial support for research in psychology and related areas, the American Psychological Association's Board of Scientific Affairs has compiled a list of sources; these are listed in 2 general sections—federal agencies and private foundations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Association for the Advancement of Psychology: 1983.

This article describes the public policy activities in Congress of the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP), which is the recognized independent national advocacy arm of American psychology, representing the interests of psychology in the public policy arena. AAP's public policy activities in Congress continued to focus on the elimination of discrimination with regard to the treatment of mental illness and mental health professionals, increased federal funding of behavioral and social science research and research training, and the protection of constitutional rights without exception. AAP activities included working with other mental health advocacy groups to urge Congress to enact fiscal 1984 appropriations measures favorable to psychology, lobbying for various child-related federal programs in 1983, and legislation drafted by the AAP to eliminate current discrimination between physical and mental health benefits for the 10 million federal employees, annuitants, and families. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Proposed federal legislation jeopardizes patient privacy

In the last year there has been a move to enact federal legislation concerning private health-care information. This move has been fueled by a growing trend toward the computerization and electronic transmission of health-care information. These advances in technology call for appropriate new protections of patients' privacy. Unfortunately, the proposed legislation has not received adequate attention in the medical community. Physicians and patients in general are not aware of the legislation and have not been engaged in shaping its contents. In its current form, the legislation would seriously undermine traditional protections of confidentiality that are ensured by physicians. The flaws of the proposed legislation are examined in this article.     

Association for the Advancement of Psychology: 1980.

Founded in 1974 under the auspices of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association, the Association for the Advancement of Psychology (AAP) is a nonprofit corporation that interacts with all branches of the federal government in the interest of psychology and the public. AAP's public policy activities in Congress and the federal agencies in 1980 continued to focus on the elimination of discrimination with regard to the treatment of mental illness and to mental health professionals; opportunities for funding in research and training; the protection of constitutional rights without exception; and fairness in government regulations. The cumulative effect of the advocacy effort, the constant monitoring of annual congressional appropriations and authorization processes, and the greater sophistication of AAP's interaction with the American Psychological Association resulted in significant gains for mental health in federal health programs. The AAP convention program featured a panel of psychologists who entered into a lively debate on the role of AAP and its interaction with state psychological associations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synaptic organization of the human striatum: a postmortem ultrastructural study

Converging with psycho-social research findings, animal and human laboratory studies indicate that behavioral alternatives are important determinants of drug-taking. To investigate associations between how early adolescents spend their time, i.e. their behavioral repertoire and drug use (use of marijuana, crack/cocaine or inhalants), we analyzed data from an epidemiological sample of 1516 urban middle-school students who had completed private interviews in spring 1993. The interview included a 36-item questionnaire to assess how frequently the youth engaged in different activities; history of drug-taking was assessed separately. Multiple logistic regression was used to estimate associations between drug use and each of seven behavioral domains as well as sex, age and racial-ethnic status. Youths spending a great deal of time working for pay and assuming other adult-like roles were more likely to have initiated drug use (estimated odds ratio, OR = 3.49; p = 0.002). Those who spent much time in religious activities were less likely (OR = 0.2, p <0.001). An exploratory search for interactions disclosed other associations that merit attention in future research. These results corroborate evidence on the potential etiological significance of behavioral repertoire in relation to risk of drug use.     

Managed healthcare consumer protection initiatives

This three part series on health legislation describes the policy shift toward regulating the private healthcare system to ensure adequate consumer protection and access to health insurance. Still burning from the failed 1993-1994 healthcare reform effort, Congress and the White House are looking only for incremental policies necessary to reduce the federal deficit and protect the public white the private healthcare system continues to undergo major transformation. In this series, the author discusses Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal program revisions: consumer protection legislation aimed at unacceptable managed care practices: and incremental health insurance proposals aimed toward segments of the uninsured.