Motivation for treatment: A review with special emphasis on alcoholism.

Provides an integrative review of research relating motivational variables and interventions to treatment entry, compliance, and outcome, emphasizing alcoholism and other addictive behaviors. Disadvantages of a trait model of motivation and perceptions of motivation, including agreement, self-label, desire for help, distress, and compliance/dependence, are discussed. Empirical evidence is considered regarding motivational interventions, including advice, feedback, goal setting, role playing, modeling, contingencies, continuity of care, voluntary choice, and modification of behavior attractiveness. Nonspecific aspects of motivation are addressed, including client characteristics (distress, self-esteem, locus of control, severity, conceptual level), environmental variables, and therapist characteristics (hostility, expectancy, empathy). A dynamic conceptualization of treatment motivation is proposed as an alternative to a trait model. (7 p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

UV-B and the immune system. A review with special emphasis on T cell-mediated immunity

The immunosuppressive activity of ultraviolet light-B (UV-B) has become a major topic of interest, especially now that there are indications of an increased exposure to UV-B on the earth's surface, caused by a decreased thickness of the ozone layer. This review indicates that the thymus-dependent immune system is a prime target for damage by UV-B. Especially the systemic effects of UV-B on T cell mediated immunity are described and analyzed with respect to the mode of action. In summary, this review demonstrated that UV-B can alter T cell mediated immune responses by different pathways in which cytokines (e.g. TNF-alpha) and other soluble mediators (e.g. cis-urocanic acid) may play a role. Effects of UV-B on the location and morphology of different cells in the skin affect functionality of the immune system. Thus, UV-B may suppress local immunity against skin tumours and skin-associated infections as well as systemic immunity against non skin-associated infectious diseases and tumours.     

Lateral eye movements and hemispheric asymmetry: A critical review.

Eye movements to the left or right have been hypothesized to reflect activation of the cerebral hemisphere contralateral to the direction of gaze. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the direction of lateral eye movements (LEMs) following questions designed to engage the left or right hemisphere. The evidence from such studies was equivocal. Fewer than half found the predicted pattern of more right LEMs for left-hemisphere questions, and conceptual and methodological ambiguities in the questions, scoring, and experimental situation made interpretation of these studies difficult. In addition, findings showing more upward eye movements and more stares for right-hemisphere questions cannot be incorporated into the hemispheric asymmetry model of LEMs. Studies on individual differences in LEM patterns indicated a fair degree of stability and some consistency in their correlates. However, since "right" and "left movers" do not differ in verbal or spatial abilities, there is little justification for linking LEM patterns with "hemisphericity." It is concluded that further research on the relationship between directional ocular events and cognitive-affective processes is required before inferences about hemispheric function can be drawn from studies of lateral eye movements. (2? p ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Kikuchi's disease. A clinicopathological study of 3 cases

We had reviewed all the patients with Histiocytic Necrotizing Lymphadenitis (Kikuchi's disease) seen in a General Hospital during two years. Three of the six cases were young females who showed the same clinical symptoms: Fever and unilateral painful, lymphadenopathy, usually at the latero-cervical region. All patients have mild neutropenia and high levels of serum transaminases. The lymph node biopsy yielded the proper diagnostic in all cases. The course of disease was good, and all patients healed without treatment one to two month after the symptom started. To date, we have not recorded any relapse. Our finding are quite similar to the other cases published in the medical literature. The benign course of this disease, and the need for biopsy to get a correct diagnosis, can explain why this disease may be unrecognized in clinical practice.     

The syntagmatic-paradigmatic shift revisited: A review of research and theory.

Discusses 4 classes of theories about the significance of the syntagmatic-paradigmatic shift in children's word associations: (a) associative strength, (b) syntactic, (c) semantic, and (d) cognitive theories. Qualifications regarding the generality of the phenomenon are pointed out. It is suggested that both a shift in conceptual organization and a change in children's interpretation of the task may account for the data. (71 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between attitudes and evaluative space: A critical review, with emphasis on the separability of positive and negative substrates.

Evaluative processes refer to the operations by which organisms discriminate threatening from nurturant environments. Low activation of positive and negative evaluative processes by a stimulus reflects neutrality, whereas high activation of such processes reflects maximal conflict. Attitudes, an important class of manifestations of evaluative processes, have traditionally been conceptualized as falling along a bipolar dimension, and the positive and negative evaluative processes underlying attitudes have been conceptualized as being reciprocally activated, making the bipolar rating scale the measure of choice. Research is reviewed suggesting that this bipolar dimension is insufficient to portray comprehensively positive and negative evaluative processes and that the question is not whether such processes are reciprocally activated but under what conditions they are reciprocally, nonreciprocally, or independently activated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Gangliogliomas: a clinicopathological study of 25 cases and review of the literature

The histopathological, clinical, and radiological findings in 25 patients (median age 20.5 years; range 1.7-64.2 years) with gangliogliomas were assessed to correlate degree of astrocytic anaplasia and proliferative potential with recurrence or survival. Most patients (64%) presented with seizures (median Karnofsky Performance Score 90%; range 70-100%). Computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed nonspecific abnormalities. Neoplastic ganglion cells were defined as heterotopic, irregularly grouped, or having more than one nucleus of bizarre shape or size. The astrocytic component was moderately anaplastic in 15 cases and highly anaplastic (HAA) in 10. Eight patients had gross total resection, 11 had subtotal resection, and six underwent biopsy. Ten patients (five gross total resection, three subtotal resection, two biopsy) had no further treatment, 15 underwent external irradiation, and five had adjuvant chemotherapy. Twenty-four patients are alive 15-394 weeks (median 203.5 weeks) postoperatively; one with ganglioglioma-HAA died at 65 weeks. No tumor recurred after gross total resection. Duration of preoperative symptoms < 1 year, greater anaplasia, and age > 30 years at diagnosis may have increased the risk of recurrence after subtotal resection or biopsy by four, three, and two times, respectively (not significant). Bromodeoxyuridine labeling index (BUdR LI) was < 1% in eight non-recurring tumors and 1.3% in another recurring twice (second recurrence LI = 1.6%). Most patients with ganglioglioma have a good prognosis. After gross total resection, only observation is required. After subtotal resection or biopsy, recurrence is possible. BUdR labeling may guide further therapy.     

Reactive lesions of the gingiva. A clinicopathological study of 741 cases

A series of 741 consecutive cases of localized hyperplastic lesions of the gingiva were studied. The lesions were reclassified into four groups: pyogenic granuloma, peripheral giant cell granuloma, fibrous hyperplasia and peripheral fibroma with calcification. This study indicates that there are some differences between these groups in age and sex distribution as well as in location and size of the lesion. Fibrous hyperplasia was the most common type, followed in descending order by pyogenic granuloma, peripheral fibroma with calcification and peripheral giant cell granuloma. The peripheral giant cell granuloma showed no sex predilection while fibrous hyperplasia, pyogenic granuloma and peripheral fibroma with calcification were more common in females. Pyogenic granuloma and peripheral fibroma with calcification occur in younger patients more often than fibrous hyperplasia, and thus may represent a stage in the development of fibrous hyperplasia.     

Do illusory conjunctions support the feature integration theory? A critical review of theory and findings.

Presents a critical review of the feature integration theory and the studies of A. Treisman and H. Schmidt (see record 1982-07512-001); W. Prinzmetal et al (see record 1986-26854-001); and K. A. Briand and R. M. Klein (see record 1987-23943-001) and suggests that the phenomenon of illusory conjunctions does not support Treisman's theory of feature integration. I propose that the theory is too vague because it does not explicate the processes that glue features into objects and that each of the reviewed studies has suffered from methodological difficulties that leave the data open to alternative interpretations. The only solid demonstration that attention facilitates feature integration is provided by Experiment 3 of Prinzmetal et al.'s study. This finding, however, is irrelevant to the question of whether feature perception and feature integration can or cannot be performed preattentively. It may simply suggest that in addition to its effect on feature perception, attention can also influence feature integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between facial expressiveness and sympathetic activation in emotion: A critical review, with emphasis on modeling underlying mechanisms and individual differences.

Two important questions bearing on personality processes and individual differences are how do facial expressiveness and sympathetic activation vary as a function of the intensity of an emotional stimulus, and what is the functional mechanism underlying facial expressiveness and sympathetic activation in emotion? A formulation is proposed that is based on 2 propositions: (1) All strong emotions result in some degree of activation of the organism (i.e., principle of stimulus dynamism) and (2) there are individual differences in the gain (amplification) operating on the facial expressive and sympathetic response channels (i.e., principle of individual response uniqueness). This formulation organizes much of the existing data on internalizers and externalizers and yields novel predictions regarding the subpopulation labeled as generalizers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Studies of aversive conditioning for alcoholics: A critical review of theory and research methodology.

Reviews studies of the applications of aversive conditioning procedures to alcoholics. The review is divided into sections on electrical and chemical aversive stimulation and is organized according to the level of research design used. While many positive outcomes are reported, inconsistent theoretical underpinnings of the research are also reported. The lack of systematic investigation of relationships between therapist, patient, and technique characteristics indicate the need for further investigation. The ethics of using the techniques reviewed with human Ss are discussed. (62 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Imaging of pediatric head and neck rhabdomyosarcomas with emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging and a review of the literature

In the mouse, the initiation of the attachment reaction between the blastocyst trophectoderm and luminal epithelium of the receptive uterus occurs in the evening (2200-2300 h) of day 4 of pregnancy (day 1 = vaginal plug) and is followed by proliferation and differentiation of stromal cells into decidual cells at the sites of blastocyst attachment. This investigation demonstrates that an inappropriate expression of the human transforming growth factor alpha (hTGF-alpha) transgene in the uterus under the direction of a mouse metallothionein-I promoter downregulates uterine expression of TGF-beta receptor subtypes and delays the initiation of implantation (attachment reaction) resulting in delayed parturition. This delay in the attachment reaction is accompanied by deferred uterine expression of amphiregulin. The results suggest that a coordinated 'cross-talk' between the signaling pathways executed by epidermal growth factor-like growth factors and TGF-beta 5 is important for the normal implantation process.     

Primary endoprosthetic replacement for acute femoral neck fractures. A review of 150 cases

A review of 150 consecutive endoprosthetic replacements for acute displaced femoral neck fractures was undertaken to investigate the following serious criticisms of the method. The first is excessive hospital mortality and morbidity, especially in comparison to internal fixation procedures retaining the femoral head. The second is pain, derived from the "unphysiologic" nature of placing a metal prosthesis against otherwise normal acetabular cartilage. In the first instance the procedure is condemned as too major an operative procedure, poorly tolerated by elderly patients. In the second, it is a poor procedure if it requires revision in a patient incapable of withstanding more than one operation. A detailed follow-up shows that the in-hospital mortality in patients averaging 79.8 years of age, was 4%, lower than published mortality for either hemiarthroplasty or internal fixation. Close postoperative monitoring, antibiotic and antiembolic prophylaxis (2.0% infection, 6% embolic complications), and rapid mobilization contributed significantly to the increased survival. Painful endoprostheses, the most frequent complication, occurred in 16.7% of the 125 patients available for follow up at an average of 21 months. The causes of pain were considered technical problems judging prosthetic neck length, head size, sinking and loosening. Dissolution of the medial femoral neck was associated with a narrow stem prosthesis in five of six of these failures. The above statistics suggest that primary endoprosthetic replacement for displaced femoral neck fractures carries with it neither the excessive mortality and morbidity nor the pain induced potential for early reoperations that have been suggested by the recent literature.     

Trichogenic trichoblastoma arising on the supraclavicular fossa with an immunohistochemical study of cytokeratin expression

Efforts to address facility-wide educational topics in one staff development department have resulted in the development of innovative strategies to reach the maximum number of nurses with the greatest positive outcome. We were faced with the challenge of trying to improve discharge planning. A random chart review completed by the hospital utilization coordinator showed an appalling lack of discharge planning on the part of most hospital nursing staff. How would we entice nurses to attend inservice programs concerning such a potentially "dry" topic? Enter Olga and Bertha Smith, two characters devised to inject humor and entertainment into the educational sessions. The characters were role played by the authors and videotaped to show a standard scenario that demonstrated the intricate discharge planning needs of a young single mother (Olga) and her dependent mother (Bertha). Evaluations revealed extremely positive feedback for the characters as an enjoyable and effective way of teaching. Since then, Olga and Bertha have attracted, entertained, and educated nurses about three subsequent inservice topics.     

Gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumors. A clinicopathological, immunohistochemical, and ultrastructural study of 12 cases

The gastrointestinal autonomic nerve tumor (GAN tumor) is an uncommon stromal tumor of the intestinal tract and retroperitoneum first described by Herrera and associates in 1984. Distinction of GAN tumors from other gastrointestinal stromal tumors is based on electron microscopic findings. Thus far there have been 12 reported cases. We present an additional 12 GAN tumors, identified by us during 4 years. There were seven male and five female patients and they ranged in age from 10 to 85 years (mean: 58 years). Sites of the tumors were stomach (three), jejunum (two), ileum (four), mesentery (one), and retroperitoneum (two). Eight of the tumors measured > 10 cm in greatest dimension. Usually well circumscribed, the neoplasms were tan to light pink, sometimes hemorrhagic, and soft. There was a variety of histologic patterns including fascicles, palisades, and whorls. Mitotic activity varied from 0 to 23 mitosis per 10 high-power fields (HPF). Using a panel of 10 immunohistochemical stains, only vimentin was consistently positive. There was neuron-specific enolase reactivity in six and S-100 protein reactivity in two cases. All muscle markers were negative. Ultrastructural studies showed neuron-like cells with long axonic cytoplasmic processes ending in bulbous synapse-like structures containing dense-core neurosecretory granules and clear vesicles. Basement membrane was absent. These features are reminiscent of ganglia of the intestinal autonomic nervous system. The patients were followed for 5-125 months (mean of 26 months). Tumor recurred or metastasized to the liver in seven patients (58%) and four patients died with tumor. There were correlations between tumor size (> 10 cm), mitotic count (at least five per 10 HPF), and aggressive behavior.     

Merkel cell tumor of the head and neck. Five new cases with literature review

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) of the skin is an uncommon, but highly aggressive neoplasm with a marked propensity for local and distant metastasis. Despite the fact that more than half of the 600 cases of MCC reported in the literature involved primary sites in the head and neck, MCC has rarely been discussed in otolaryngology publications. We present five new cases of MCC of the head and neck and summarize 89 additional cases from the literature in which detailed treatment and survival data were given. Our findings again emphasize the difficulty in making the initial histopathologic diagnosis of MCC and demonstrate the necessity of early diagnosis and multimodality treatment.     

A critical reflection on Arnheim's Gestalt theory of aesthetics.

Rudolf Arnheim applied the fundamental principles of Gestalt psychology to the creation and appreciation of film and art. These principles emphasize the primacy of structured perception and the spontaneous experience of emotional expression. The interplay of compositional "forces" creates a sense of tension in the overall structure of an artwork. Viewers spontaneously experience these effects but must learn that aesthetic "seeing" proceeds from the broadest overall pattern to individual features. The metaphorical meaning in a painting emerges when its subject matter is experienced in the context of its expressive structure. By way of critical commentary, it is proposed that metaphorical concepts like "forces" and "fields" should not be taken too literally lest they become reified. The focus should be placed on the dynamic effects of compositional contrasts and resulting tensions rather than on abstract "forces." With these ideas in mind, expressive structure in painting is explored in terms of complementary relations between two-dimensional surface and three-dimensional illusionist spaces. Following in Arnheim's didactic tradition, these ideas are examined in relation to a specific artwork through a discussion with the artist. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)