Overview No. 87 Solidification microstructures: Recent developments and future directions

During solidification a great variety of microstructures can form. These are plane front (and its related instabilities), cells, densrites and eutectic. Recent progress and future directions of research in this rapidly moving field are summarized. This overview is based on the critical assessment of the field made at an interdisciplinary workshop held in Zermatt during July 1988.     

Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to chronic pain: Recent advances and future directions.

Behavioral and cognitive-behavioral approaches to chronic pain are receiving increasing attention from researchers and clinicians. This article reviews and highlights recent research advances and future research directions. Assessment research reviewed includes studies examining the social context of pain, the relationship of chronic pain to depression, cognitive variables affecting pain, and comprehensive assessment measures. Treatment outcome studies reviewed are those evaluating the effects of behavioral and cognitive-behavioral treatments for chronic pain. These studies focus on comparisons of behavioral treatment with control conditions, comparisons of 2 behavioral treatments, and prevention of chronic pain. Future directions for assessment and treatment research are outlined. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The religion-health connection: evidence, theory, and future directions

The volume and quality of research on what we term the religion-health connection have increased markedly in recent years. This interest in the complex relationships between religion and mental and physical health is being fueled by energetic and innovative research programs in several fields, including sociology, psychology, health behavior and health education, psychiatry, gerontology, and social epidemiology. This article has three main objectives: (1) to briefly review the medical and epidemiologic research on religious factors and both physical health and mental health; (2) to identify the most promising explanatory mechanisms for religious effects on health, giving particular attention to the relationships between religious factors and the central constructs of the life stress paradigm, which guides most current social and behavioral research on health outcomes; and (3) to critique previous work on religion and health, pointing out limitations and promising new research directions.     

Evaluation of aging pilots: evidence, policy, and future directions

A male patient presented with complaints of fever, cough with expectoration, burning micturition and 5-6 semisolid motions per day for the past 6 days. Skiagram chest (PA view) revealed lung abscess in the left mid zone. There was no improvement, symptomatically and radiologically, after an empirical course of antibiotics (IV ampicillin and gentamycin). Sputum, urine and stool cultures grew salmonella group E organisms sensitive only to cefotaxime. The patient was treated with IV cefotaxime and responded well clinically, radiologically and bacteriologically.     

Recent advances and future directions in the biopsychosocial assessment and treatment of arthritis.

This article provides an overview of the emerging literature on biopsychosocial assessment and treatment for two of the most common forms of arthritis: osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The article is divided into 3 parts. In the 1st part, the basic elements of the biopsychosocial approach to assessing and treating persons having arthritis is described. In the 2nd part the authors evaluate studies of biopsychosocial approaches to the assessment of arthritis pain and disability. Six research areas are reviewed: learned helplessness, depression, stress, pain coping, self-efficacy, and the social context of arthritis. The 3rd part of the article reviews studies that testing the efficacy of biopsychosocial treatment approaches for persons having osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychosocial treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in adults: Current evidence and future directions.

As recently as 1997, the empirical database guiding the selection of psychosocial treatments for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be summarized as "entirely anecdotal" (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 1997, p. 107S). However, there is preliminary evidence supporting the use of psychosocial interventions (in conjunction with pharmacotherapy) tailored to meet the unique needs of adults with ADHD. The aim of this article is to review the current evidence base for psychosocial treatments for adult ADHD. We provide background information about adult ADHD, review the extant research of psychosocial treatments, summarize important aspects of psychotherapy for adults with ADHD, and offer suggestions for future research that may improve psychosocial services and treatment outcomes for this clinical population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral research in HIV/AIDS primary and secondary prevention: Recent advances and future directions.

Great advances have been made over the past decade in behavioral research on how to help persons avoid contracting HIV infections (primary prevention) and how to reduce or alleviate adverse consequences among persons who are living with HIV disease (secondary prevention). Within the primary prevention areas, research has shown the effectiveness of risk-reduction interventions undertaken with individuals, couples, small groups, communities, and at a social policy/structural level. Advances in HIV medical care have also created important new challenges and roles for behavioral scientists in the area of HIV secondary prevention. This article concludes by identifying key emerging issues in HIV behavioral research that will require attention in the years ahead. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Buspirone: future directions

Glucagon-like peptide 1(7-36) amide (GLP-1) is postulated to be the major physiological incretin in humans, but evidence is indirect. We report the first studies examining the physiological role of GLP-1 in the postprandial state in humans using the GLP-1 antagonist exendin 9-39. Exendin 9-39 completely blocked GLP-1-induced glucose-stimulated insulin release from perifused human islets of Langerhans. In healthy fasted volunteers, intravenous infusion of exendin 9-39 at 500 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) in the hyperglycemic state abolished the insulinotropic effect of a physiological dose of GLP-1 and fully reversed the glucose-lowering effect of GLP-1. Nine healthy subjects consumed a 150-g oral glucose tolerance test and were infused with 500 pmol x kg(-1) x min(-1) exendin 9-39 or saline. Exendin 9-39 increased the peak postprandial glucose level (exendin 9-39, 8.67 +/- 0.35 vs. saline, 7.67 +/- 0.35 mmol/l, P < or = 0.005) and increased postprandial plasma glucose incremental area under the curve by 35% (exendin 9-39, 152 +/- 19 vs. saline, 113 +/- 16 mmol x min x l(-1), P < or = 0.05). This could be explained as partly secondary to the blockade of glucose-induced suppression of glucagon and maybe also to an increased rate of gastric emptying. Thus, in humans exendin 9-39 acts as an antagonist of GLP-1 both in vitro and in vivo. When infused alone, exendin 9-39 causes a deterioration in postprandial glycemic control, suggesting that GLP-1 may be important for maintenance of normal postprandial glucose homeostasis in humans.     

Comorbidity and treatment planning: Summary and future directions.

Blends the commentaries from T. A. Brown and D. H. Barlow, K. T. Mueser et al, M. T. Shea et al, P. C. Kendall et al, H. Abikoff and R. G. Klein, and S. P. Hinshaw (see PA, Vol 80:13821, 13794, 14471, 13663, 13603, and 13616, respectively). Included is a discussion of various definitions of comorbidity, the merits and demerits of a hierarchical diagnostic system, and consideration of the extent, patterning, and nature of comorbidity. Directive comments with reference to future intervention planning mention both assessment (distinguishing overlapping constructs) and treatment (sequencing and treatment manuals) issues. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School consultation research: Past trends and future directions.

Reviews and evaluates school consultation research conducted during the past decade. Attention is given to the breadth and quality of the present consultation knowledge base, the appropriateness of data analysis procedures, and the impact of consultation research findings on consultation training. Recommendations for future directions in school consultation research are offered from both methodological and substantive perspectives. (41 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Occupational health psychology: Historical roots and future directions.

Occupational health psychology (OHP) is a term first coined by Jonathan Raymond in 1990, yet OHP has historical, international roots dating at least to the early decades of the twentieth century. It involves research and practice to create healthy workplaces. This article has 4 sections. The 1st section discusses psychology's long history of concern for occupational health in industrial organizations, beginning with Hugo Minsterberg's study of industrial accidents and human safety in the late 1800s. The 2nd section focuses on OHP's movement from the convergence of public health and preventive medicine with health and clinical psychology in an industrial/organizational context. The 3rd section addresses the central issues of organizational and individual health through the framework of preventive management. The article concludes with OHP case examples drawn from the Chaparral Steel Company, the U.S. Air Force, and Johnson & Johnson. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Item factor analysis: Current approaches and future directions.

The rationale underlying factor analysis applies to continuous and categorical variables alike; however, the models and estimation methods for continuous (i.e., interval or ratio scale) data are not appropriate for item-level data that are categorical in nature. The authors provide a targeted review and synthesis of the item factor analysis (IFA) estimation literature for ordered-categorical data (e.g., Likert-type response scales) with specific attention paid to the problems of estimating models with many items and many factors. Popular IFA models and estimation methods found in the structural equation modeling and item response theory literatures are presented. Following this presentation, recent developments in the estimation of IFA parameters (e.g., Markov chain Monte Carlo) are discussed. The authors conclude with considerations for future research on IFA, simulated examples, and advice for applied researchers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Chronic mental patient: Current status future directions.

The "hard core" group of chronically hospitalized mental patients still fill most hospital beds, and are not participants in the current upsurge in discharge rates. Target areas for rehabilitation of this population are suggested on the basis of a review of institutional studies within an interactional framework. A review of institutional treatment research suggests that "milieu" and "social learning" approaches, combined with special community aftercare procedures, offer the greatest promise for the future. Both approaches appear sufficiently promising to call for controlled comparative investigations. A program combining features of both milieu and social learning approaches is suggested for the interim. (4 p. ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Oral chemotherapy: rationale and future directions

PURPOSE AND METHODS: The expanding role of oral chemotherapy in oncology is suggested by the abundance of orally formulated agents currently in development. The pharmacoeconomic principles that drive oral drug formulation are discussed. Patient preference for oral therapy is identified as a second major impetus for the design of oral cytotoxics. While the rationale for oral formulations is apparent, substantial patient compliance and pharmacokinetic limitations have been identified for this route of administration. Specific aspects of bioavailability limitations and patient compliance are discussed. Relevant pharmacokinetic data for each orally formulated chemotherapy agent are compared and selected novel oral cytotoxics and cytotoxic modulators are discussed. RESULTS: A review of pharmacokinetic literature suggests substantial variability in bioavailability for many orally formulated cancer cytotoxics. While these findings are observed for all classes of oral drugs, the issue is especially critical for cancer chemotherapy, in which a narrow therapeutic index is frequently observed. Improved bioavailability and reduced interpatient biovariability are therefore desirable for new cytotoxic formulations. Pharmacologic manipulations to improve bioavailability and reduce costs are examined. CONCLUSION: Oral chemotherapy represents a fundamental change in contemporary oncology practice, driven by pharmacoeconomic issues, patient convenience, and the potential for improved patient quality of life. Novel cytostatic therapies that require protracted drug administration periods will also favor an oral formulation. While the use of oral chemotherapy may initially be limited to metastatic disease palliation, demonstration of equivalent efficacy would allow for its subsequent use in adjuvant settings. This efficacy is contingent on circumventing bioavailability limitations and patient noncompliance. The development of specific, low-toxicity inhibitors of CYP3A4, P-glycoprotein (P-gp), and other drug metabolizing enzymes such as dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase represents a major innovative step in the successful formulation of oral chemotherapy.     

Working alliance: Current status and future directions: Editor's introduction.

A special section of this issue of the Journal examines theoretically where we are in the area of working alliance and what is needed to advance understanding in this area. Six articles have been prepared by some of the very best minds in the field of psychotherapy in the area of working alliance. I am sure you will find these pieces to be thoughtful and far reaching and, just as important, they should provide energy and direction for research and thought on working alliance in the years ahead. The six papers are followed by a summary and integration by Dr. Samstag, in which she points out common themes and points of divergence among the six papers. From these, she develops some of her own thoughts about where we should be heading. As implied, our hope in creating this special section was that it would stimulate better theory, research, and clinical practice related to the working alliance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Male violence against women: Current research and future directions.

This Psychology in the Public Forum section, authored by the American Psychological Association's Committee on Women in Psychology's Task Force on Male Violence Against Women and by Senator Joseph Biden, examines the prevalence, impact, and public policy dimensions of physical assault, sexual assault, and sexual harassment of women. This introduction reviews common themes that emerge from the articles that follow. It concludes by emphasizing that the problem of violence against women cannot be fully understood, let alone solved, by focusing exclusively on individual psychology. Only by changing the social and cultural institutions that have given rise to the problem can a lasting solution be achieved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

School psychology: Dimensions of its dilemmas and future directions.

The diversity in school psychology (SP) raises problems in uniformly defining the nature of its research, training, and practice. Several major dilemmas confronting SP, including its affiliation with professional psychology, its relationship to clinical psychology and practice in the schools, entry-level issues, competency-based criteria in training, and its scientific basis are examined. Both Division 16 of the American Psychological Association and the National Association of School Psychologists are asked to consider them in a spirit of cooperation. (55 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Coping With Depression Course: Review and future directions.

Reviews the theoretical background of the Coping With Depression (CWD) Course, a multi-modal, group-psychoeducational treatment for depression, and discusses the specific course content and outcome study results. Long-term outcome and predictors of relapse, and client characteristics associated with improvement as a result of the CWD Course and therapist training are addressed. Several modified versions of the CWD Course, developed for use with depressed adolescents and elderly, and a prevention version for use with individuals at elevated risk for developing depression (e.g., low-income medical outpatients, older American Indians) are described. The need to replicate outcome results and establish generalizability to nonresearch clinical settings and with diagnostically more heterogeneous populations is emphasized. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Philosophy of nursing: future directions

At a time when psychiatric nurses in Australia face the changes brought about by the transfer of nursing education to the universities, it is timely to reconsider the knowledge base of the profession, not from the perspective of any one theoretical position, but by reflecting on a fundamental division in the way nursing is thought about. Many nurse theorists argue for a shift away from conceptions of nursing based on medicine and science. The alternative, idealism, brings with it a new set of problems, particularly the tendency to react against the perceived dominance of the medical profession instead of positing a philosophy of nursing that reflects a more considered response. The argument developed here begins by aligning medicine and related conceptions of nursing with materialism. This leads to a consideration of the relevance of philosophical positions on the nature of body and mind, that is then linked to the assumptions of medicine and nurse theorists. Introduction of the concepts of holism and interactionist dualism follows. The implications of these concepts for psychiatric nursing are drawn out by using conceptions of the objective and rational. Finally, it is argued that interactionist dualism enables psychiatric nurses to be sensitive to the experiences of patients while still acknowledging the importance of objective knowledge.     

Utility of intelligence tests for treatment planning, classification, and placement decisions: Recent empirical findings and future directions.

Intelligence testing in schools continues to be a frequent behavior among many school psychologists that creates a lucrative market for test publishers. Each year, between 1.5 and 1.8 million intelligence tests are administered by school psychologists. The typical school psychologist spends approximately two-thirds of his or her time in special education eligibility determination. This article maintains that intelligence tests contribute little if any information useful for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of instructional interventions for children. This argument is supported by the virtual absence of empirical evidence supporting the existence of aptitude?×?treatment interactions. We also suggest that intelligence tests are not particularly useful in making differential diagnostic and classification determinations for children with mild learning problems. Further, school study teams often ignore results of intelligence testing in making classification and placement decisions. We argue that intelligence testing is not a cost-beneficial use of school psychologists' time and should be replaced with assessment procedures directly related to the design, implementation, and evaluation of instructional interventions for children and youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)