Recent-onset ecstasy use: Association with deviant behaviors and psychiatric comorbidity.

Background: Despite increases in ecstasy (MDMA) use in the United States, little is known about characteristics linked with recent-onset ecstasy use, especially psychiatric symptoms and deviant behaviors. Aims: To test whether individuals with high levels of other drug use are more likely to be recent-onset ecstasy users; to test whether psychiatric symptoms in adults are associated with recent-onset ecstasy use; to explore the association between recent-onset ecstasy use and concomitant deviant behaviors in adolescents and adults. Methods: Data from the 2001 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Findings: Recent-onset ecstasy use was significantly more likely to occur among adolescents and adults (18-34 years old) who engaged in deviant behaviors during the past year as compared with those who did not engage in deviant behaviors during the past year. Higher levels of deviancy indicated a higher likelihood of being a recent-onset ecstasy user, and associations were strongest with nonviolent deviant behaviors such as selling illegal drugs and stealing. Associations between deviant behaviors and recent-onset ecstasy use were similar in strength to associations between deviant behaviors and recent-onset cocaine and marijuana use, respectively. Adults who had past-year psychiatric symptoms (both depressive and panic symptoms) were twice as likely to be recent-onset ecstasy users as compared with those without past-year psychiatric symptoms. Greater levels of drug involvement increased the odds of being a recent-onset ecstasy user. Conclusion: Recent-onset ecstasy use seems to be associated with a range of other behavioral problems and may reflect one aspect of a larger problem behavior syndrome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

300km/h高速铁路PC槽型梁动力试验研究

介绍北方交通大学与比利时鲁汶大学、布鲁塞尔自由大学、比利时铁路公司合作,在巴黎至布鲁塞尔之间高速铁路线上的Antoing大桥进行的二次高速铁路桥梁动力试验。试验桥梁由跨度50m的多跨预应力混凝土简支槽型梁构成,试验中列车速度达265-310km/h。通过现场试验和实验结果分析,得到了桥梁的频率、振型、阻尼等自振特性,以及桥梁在高速列车作用下的动挠度、梁和桥墩的横向和竖向加速度、橡胶支座的相对位移、梁体的动应变等动力响应特性。试验经验和测试结果对于充实高速铁路桥梁动力分析理论、改进数值分析模型、验证计算结果、提高高速铁路桥梁的动力设计水平、保证行车安全,具有重要的意义。     

PECVD of diamond-like carbon (a-C:H) from the decomposition of methane in a high-density inductively coupled discharge

The paper describes an experimental investigation of the diamond-like carbon deposition process from methane precursor with an innovative high-density inductively coupled plasma source. It appears that a high plasma density allows a fast growth of diamond-like carbon coatings exhibiting a high hardness. In contrast to what is usually found in the literature, it seems that the ion species participate significantly to the growth of the carbon film when exposed to a high ion flux.     

Preliminary model of the Ribeira Grande geothermal field (Azores Islands)

On the basis of a geological - volcanological - geophysical survey, integrated with petrological and geochronological data, a structural model, including a shallow magmatic body, was defined for the Ribeira Grande area, Sao Miguel island (Azores). Two series of production tests were carried out in the Pico Vermelho 1 and Ribeira Grande 1 wells, which led to a preliminary definition of the deep fluid circulation. The data obtained from these studies were used to reconstruct a preliminary model of the Ribeira Grande geothermal field.     

Modeling Crosstalk Effects in CNT Bus Architectures

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been widely proposed as interconnect fabric for nano and very deep submicron (silicon-based) technologies due to their robustness to electromigration. In this paper, issues associated with crosstalk among bus lines implemented by CNTs are investigated in detail. CNT-based interconnects are modeled and the effects of crosstalk on performance and correct operation are evaluated by simulation. Existing models are modified to account for geometries in bus architectures made of parallel single-walled nanotubes and a single multiwalled nanotube. New RLC equivalent circuits are proposed for these bus architectures. A novel bus architecture with low crosstalk features is also proposed. This bus architecture is made of dual-walled nanotubes arranged in parallel. In this architecture, the crosstalk-induced delay and corresponding uncertainty (as well as crosstalk-induced peak voltage) are significantly reduced; a modest area penalty is incurred. Reductions up to 59% for the crosstalk-induced delay and up to 81% for the crosstalk-induced peak voltage are reported. These results confirm that the proposed bus arrangement noticeably improves performance and provides reliable operation     

Premixed metal fibre burners based on a Pd catalyst

As an alternative to previously developed catalytic FeCrAlloy fibre mat burners based on perovskite catalysts, new catalytic burners have been developed based on Pd catalyst on lantana-stabilised Al₂O₃ and different fibre structures (NIT100A, NIT100S and NIT200S by ACOTECH NV). All development steps are considered, shifting from catalyst preparation (based on combustion synthesis of γ-Al₂O₃) to the optimisation of lantana and Pd loadings, from the definitions of the best catalyst-deposition conditions (washcoating) to the catalytic burners performances, determined in an ad hoc developed combustion chamber. The results show almost half pollutants emissions and better performance compared to various non-catalytic counterparts, especially as far as CO and NO_x emissions are concerned. Some flame instability problems were though registered, especially for one of the catalytic burner mattresses employed, at low specific power inputs and excesses of air (<375 kW/m² and <12%, respectively). Further, PdO/Pd transition is shown to influence the dynamic behaviour of the catalytic burners.     

A new epitope presenting system displays a HIV-1 V3 loop sequence and induces neutralizing antibodies

The principal neutralizing domain, IGPGRAF sequence, from the V3-loop of HIV-1 was inserted in two positions on the surface of the protein that makes up the capside shell of the insect Flock House Virus. The hybrid proteins were expressed in insect cells via recombinant baculoviruses. Three different hybrids were used as immunogens: two with a single copy of the insert in different positions of the carrier protein and a third with two copies of the insert at the same positions as before. All hybrid proteins induced strong and broad specific immune response in guinea pigs against different V3-loop sequences. However, only one of the hybrid proteins was able to induce a strong neutralizing response against MN and IIIB HIV-1 isolates. Our results demonstrate that a very short peptide sequence of HIV-1 can constitute a valuable immunogen able to induce a neutralizing response if presented to the immune system in the context of the FHV capsomer structure.