Is ABH nonsecretor status a risk factor for obstructive lung disease?

In a multidisciplinary study of risk factors for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a significantly more impairment of forced expiration was observed in ABH nonsecretors than in ABH secretors among 1017 white adults. (ABH refers to the "A" and "B" antigens of the ABO blood group system and "H", the heterogenetic substance which is found in persons of all ABO types including type "O".) Nonsecretors had significantly lower mean values of forced expiratory volume in one second as a percentage of forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC%) and a significantly larger proportion of them had aberrant values, defined as FEV1/FVC% less than 68. These differences remained when mean values or rates of aberrancy were adjusted for other factors reported to alter risk of airway obstruction. In view of the known COPD-peptic ulcer and nonsecretor-duodenal ulcer associations, these findings suggest that the ability to secrete ABH antigens into secretions of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract may have a protective effect on epithelialized organs in general, or on the lung and portions of the gut specifically.     

What is morphological awareness? Tapping lexical compounding awareness in Chinese third graders.

One hundred twenty-one third-grade Chinese children were assessed with a new morphological awareness task involving open-ended lexical compounding, in addition to completing other measures. With children's age, nonverbal intelligence, phonological awareness, and previously established measures of morphological awareness statistically controlled, this compounding production task significantly explained unique variance in both Chinese character reading and vocabulary knowledge. Within this new task, subordinate and coordinative structures were significantly easier to compound than were subject–predicate and verb–object structures. Moreover, novel compounds that made use of verb morphemes were more difficult to manipulate than were those that did not contain verbs. This newly developed task of compounding production may be optimal for tapping older children's morphological awareness in the form of lexical compounding, in both Chinese and possibly other languages. In addition, these results demonstrate that linguistic manipulations within tasks of morphological awareness can influence their difficulty levels. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Processing bimodal stimulus information under alcohol: Is there a risk to being redundant?

The impairing effects of alcohol are especially pronounced in environments that involve dividing attention across two or more stimuli. However, studies in cognitive psychology have identified circumstances in which the presentation of multiple stimuli can actually facilitate performance. The “redundant signal effect” (RSE) refers to the observation that individuals respond more quickly when information is presented as redundant, bimodal stimuli (e.g., aurally and visually), rather than as a single stimulus presented to either modality alone. The present study tested the hypothesis that the response facilitation attributed to RSE could reduce the degree to which alcohol slows information processing. Two experiments are reported. Experiment 1 demonstrated the validity of a reaction time model of RSE by showing that adults (N = 15) responded more quickly to redundant, bimodal stimuli (visual + aural) versus either stimuli presented individually. Experiment 2 used the RSE model to test the reaction time performance of 20 adults following three alcohol doses (0.0 g/kg, 0.45 g/kg, and 0.65 g/kg). Results showed that alcohol slowed reaction time in a general dose-dependent manner in all three stimulus conditions with the reaction time (RT) speed-advantage of the redundant signal being maintained, even under the highest dose of alcohol. Evidence for an RT advantage to bimodal stimuli under alcohol challenges the general assumption that alcohol impairment is intensified in multistimulus environments. The current study provides a useful model to investigate how drug effects on behavior might be altered in contexts that involve redundant response signals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is Down syndrome a risk factor for poor outcome after repair of congenital heart defects?

Down syndrome is commonly associated with significant congenital heart disease with the potential for early development of pulmonary hypertension. As such, children with Down syndrome may be at increased risk for both perioperative and long-term mortality. The purpose of this study, using data collected from a population-based outcomes study, is to analyze the potential role that Down syndrome plays in the outcome of surgically "corrected" congenital heart disease. Data were collected from a registry of all Oregon residents who, in the period 1958 to the present, had a reparative operation for one of 14 congenital cardiac malformations when younger than 18 years (N = 3965 patients). Down syndrome was present in 289 (7%) of the total registry patients. In evaluating the cardiac mortality associated with Down syndrome for each of the repaired cardiac malformations, only complete atrioventricular septal defect was associated with significantly higher perioperative (13% vs 5%) as well as higher overall late cardiac mortality through 20 years after the operation (20% vs 5%; p = 0.04). The survival outcomes for each of the other cardiac malformations were similar for children with and without Down syndrome.     

Is melatonin an antioxidant?

The ever increasing understanding of oxygen radical-linked diseases, including the biological process of aging, has stimulated general interest in modulating these biological events. Among the many natural compounds recognized to exert protection against oxidative stress, melatonin was reported to have antioxidant properties in addition to its known hormonal activities. The present contribution critically reviews the published biochemical data on the antioxidant properties of melatonin. Furthermore, the suggested retardation effect of melatonin on senescence, which is based on the "free radical theory of aging", is also critically evaluated.     

Is myringoplasty worth while?

1. We have used fetal rats to study the following aspects of the development of hemopoiesis: (a) content of hemopoietic stem cells in fetal bone marrow, liver, and peripheral blood and (b) origin of hemopietic cells in the developing mammalian bone marrow. 2. In the studies we utilized the diffusion chamber technique to study the content of stem cells committed to granulopoiesis. The number of myelopoietic stem cells in liver peripheral blood and in "bone marrow" of 18-day-old rats is nearly identical. Since in "bone marrow" a considerable number of peripheral blood cells are present in the vessels at that time, whereas extravascular cells consist only of mesenchymal cells, one might assume that these peripheral blood cells give rise to granulocytic precursors in the cultures. Morphologically these cells are "blast" cells and lymphocytes. 3. Based on cell labeling indices of radioautograms, derived from continuous infusion of pregnant rats with [3H]thymidine, it could be shown that in the perichondral area mesenchymal cells of the fetus and newborn have a slow rate of DNA turnover whereas "bone marrow" cells are in an active state of profileration. 4. In further support of this it was also shown that injections of hydroxyurea (an agent which destroys cells in DNA synthesis) has vitrually no effect on perichondral mesenchymal cells whereas "bone marrow" cells were completely blocked in their ability to support myelopoietic differentiation in the diffusion chamber implants. 5. The conclusions would therefore be that (a) local perichondral cells, i.e., mesenchymal cells, do not contribute to marrow hemopoiesis, (b) matrix cells of the developing bone marrow cannot reconstitute hemopoiesis, and (c) hemopoietic bone marrow cells develop from migrating peripheral "stem cells", one of the sources being the liver.     

Is follicular atresia biphasic?

OBJECTIVE: To examine the rate of human follicular depletion and the interpretation of curved scatters on log-linear plots. DESIGN: Four mathematical models were tested with use of data drawn from published autopsy studies and histologic analyses of ovaries. SETTING: None. PATIENT(S): None. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): None. RESULT(S): Human oocyte depletion data do not support the inference of a biphasic follicular atresia. On original measurement scales there is no perturbation in the data between ages 37 and 40, and the instantaneous rate of follicle loss is lower after age 40 than ever before. CONCLUSION(S): There is no abrupt increase in the "rate" of follicular atresia that corresponds with a drop in fecundability or an increase in risk of chromosomal abnormalities at approximately age 38. The apparent abrupt increase in rate of follicular depletion is an artifact of log-linear transformation.     

Evaluation of cancer risk through genetic analysis?

BACKGROUND: The recent literature of familial cancer, specifically related to germline mutations of RB1, p53, NF1, ATM, BRCA1, Mismatch repair genes and APC is reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Germline mutations do not relate to an increased tumor risk of any single tissue, but instead to spectra of neoplastic diseases. The genetic background plays a major role in modifying the cancer risk. Therefore, mass screening for mutations of single genes seems to be without practical value. Only in combination with an adequate and informative family history can molecular genetic analysis significantly support the care for the individual. Comparison of the data of patients inheriting germline mutations and the experience from the corresponding "knockout" mouse demonstrate that only the p53 and APC knockout mice are useful models of human disease.     

Is dual-task slowing instruction dependent?

When 2 tasks must be performed concurrently, each requiring a choice of response, dual-task slowing is typically found. However, E. H. Schumacher et al. (1997) reported that dual-task slowing can be eliminated when equal priority is assigned to each task. Experiment 1 largely confirmed this with the same tasks as Schumacher et al. (tasks using stimulus–response combinations of visual–manual and auditory–vocal pairings). Experiment 2 retained the equal-priority instructions but switched the task pairings (to visual–vocal and auditory–manual); substantial dual-task slowing occurred. Experiment 3 used the same two response sets but only a single stimulus; slowing was again obtained despite equal priority instructions. Equalizing task priority was not sufficient to eliminate interference; relatively unusual cases in which dual-task interference is eliminated seem to depend on task-specific features. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is CLT feasible in China?

CLT has developed rapidly and has become one of the most effective teaching appmaches towards English Language Teaching(ELT).Thus,this paper will try to discuss whether CLT is feasible in China.     

Is the F scale irreversible?

"Four recent studies which have found a lack of positive correlations between the F scale and scales of reversed items were examined. It was argued that the attempts at reversals were often characterized by items that were not psychologically opposed to the original items… . A new set of items designed to overcome some of our objections was developed… . A method for determining the significance of response set was developed and data from an additional representative nation-wide sample of adults with a college background indicated no significant degree of acquiescence… . It is concluded that the data do not support the identification of acquiescence with authoritarianism." (26 ref.) From Psyc Abstracts 36:01:1HF43C. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is clinical psychology a science?

"Science is a matter of degree of systematic logical organization of phenomena; clinical psychology is a science to a degree that will rise in proportion to such systematization," but its development depends upon creative thinking and a vital matrix of pervasive, sympathetic, and qualitative experiences. A "science of personal human behavior seems more feasible in the domain of deviant (neurotic, psychic) behavior than in mentally healthy behavior. One may predict and logically systematize compulsive (neurotic) behavior, whereas the mentally healthy man is more spontaneous, free, and creative in his personal behavior—hence, in detail, less predictable or logically organizable. A science of clinical psychology seems more realizable (as to detailed prediction) than a science of general healthy personalityp" (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is angiodiathermocoagulation an outmoded operation?

It would be impossible to devise a complete list of "Do's and Don'ts" for the physician to follow in preventing legal involvement. Indeed, such a list, even if considered complete, would not benefit the physician as much as would an overall feel for this whole area of patient interaction. When about to engage in some specific activity, the physician should consult the helpful medical-legal articles in publications that are readily available, e.g., articles on artificial insemination (1, 10), sex therapy (12), and human experimentation (9, 11, 15, 17). The physician must never undertake an action for which he/she does not have the training, the experience, and the emotional security to perform. If complications occur, exact and detailed documentation of the circumstances and the steps taken to correct the complication should be made. All this should be explained to the patient, if she is in a condition to understand, or to relatives. The physician needs to assume a humble attitude, but should not be defensive or make guiltridden admissions. When surgical procedures are undertaken, there should always be adequate pathology to justify the procecure. The physician should avoid pressuring the patient for a quick consent and should avoid statements that might invoke excessively optimistic expectations on the part of the patient (7).     

Is Clinical Psychology a Science?

Comments on an article by Carton Berenda titled Is Clinical Psychology a Science? (see record 1959-03759-001). Few people would contest the thesis proposed by Berenda; clinical psychology is indeed a science. But perhaps the question concerns the maturity of science, rather than the matter of whether an empirical discipline qualifies for a franchise in the domain of "Science." By maturity in science, I mean logical rigor in the expression of laws and theories--a matter of stringent but elegant quantifications, if you will. In this context, most of psychology and practically all of clinical psychology is a child. Failure to keep maturity distinctions in mind has led to some rather unsupportable analogies between psychology and physics. In the writer's opinion, it could only be unfortunate if we were to attempt to establish the kinship of our science to physics on the grounds proposed by Berenda: that, since science has given up the ontological quest, all science is permitted artistic license. One senses that the weakness of Berenda's analogy between physics and psychology lies in the fact that hardly anywhere in psychology do we find it possible to apply those principles by which reflective physicists have resolved what appear to be the logical difficulties of entertaining alternative theories. In answer to Berenda, then, the writer would propose that, until there is more logical order in our theories, more mathematical models, it may be that we are premature in trumpeting our emancipation from the ontological search. True, we are not looking for the real, but we are seeking representations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is the common 677C-->T mutation in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase gene a risk factor for neural tube defects? A meta-analysis

In both jurisdiction and medical science, given conditions require appropriate intervention, which may in turn result in norms being created. Norms, however, counteract individuality. An essential prerequisite for free decision--making is an absolute awareness of all possibilities available. Therefore the physician/surgeon too, is obliged to impart all relevant information to the patient prior to an operation to enable the patient to reach a decision, either to agree to or refuse the operation. This process of information transfer may sometimes fail on one or both sides. Treatment errors are usually classified according to scientific medical practice. In the case of "breach to duty in information patient" the final decision is the judges. As judicial decisions are not foreseeable, the communication between patient and surgeon thus becomes standardized and doctors tend to become defensive, resulting in the information becoming even more extensive covering all possible situations. There is no guarantee of success in surgery. Selective perception on the part of the patient is unavoidable and confidence in the relationship between patient and surgeon is beneficial to the patient's rehabilitation. Therefore, we should strive to decriminalize the preoperative talk held between surgeon and patient.