Influential psychotherapy figures, authors, and books: An Internet survey of over 2,000 psychotherapists.

In a partial replication and extension of a survey conducted 25 years ago (Smith, 1982), over 2,400 North American psychotherapists completed a Web-based survey in which they identified prominent figures in the psychotherapy field who have most influenced their practice and the best psychotherapy books they had read in the past 3 years. There is a continued prominence to leaders of the field from 25 years ago but who are now deceased, notably the top-ranked Carl Rogers. Three books on the top-10 list represent empirically supported therapies (ESTs); two are treatment manuals for an EST, and one is a self-help book derived from an EST that has itself been shown to be efficacious bibliotherapy. Differences between psychologist and nonpsychologist therapists in the choice of influential figures, authors, and books are negligible. Implications are discussed in terms of the contemporary context into which therapeutic innovations are disseminated, as well as the conditions that may be necessary for successful dissemination. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

New hard ternary Hf–Ir–B borides formed by reaction hafnium diboride with iridium

A variety of the ternary Hf–Ir–B phases formed via the reaction between iridium and hafnium diboride at elevated temperatures was found. The data on the phase and elemental composition, as well as crystal structure, obtained by powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and time-of-flight neutron diffraction analysis unambiguously confirm that HfIr₃B_x solid solution, two known ternary borides (HfIr₃B₄, Hf₂Ir₅B₂), as well as two novel ternary HfIr_2.1B_1.3 and HfIr_5.7B_2.7 phases, are formed at elevated temperatures. This result is fundamentally different from that previously obtained by us for the Hf–Ir–C system in which only one binary intermetallic compound, HfIr₃, was produced. The measured Vickers microhardness for all the aforementioned ternary borides (13–19 GPa) allows us to consider them hard. The coefficients of thermal expansion of ternary borides were measured by in situ high-temperature X-ray analysis.     

Mitochondrial Dysfunction and Chronic Inflammation in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is the most common endocrine–metabolic disorder affecting a vast population worldwide; it is linked with anovulation, mitochondrial dysfunctions and hormonal disbalance. Mutations in mtDNA have been identified in PCOS patients and likely play an important role in PCOS aetiology and pathogenesis; however, their causative role in PCOS development requires further investigation. As a low-grade chronic inflammation disease, PCOS patients have permanently elevated levels of inflammatory markers (TNF-α, CRP, IL-6, IL-8, IL-18). In this review, we summarise recent data regarding the role of mtDNA mutations and mitochondrial malfunctions in PCOS pathogenesis. Furthermore, we discuss recent papers dedicated to the identification of novel biomarkers for early PCOS diagnosis. Finally, traditional and new mitochondria-targeted treatments are discussed. This review intends to emphasise the key role of oxidative stress and chronic inflammation in PCOS pathogenesis; however, the exact molecular mechanism is mostly unknown and requires further investigation.     

Pathways of hydrogen photoproduction by immobilized Chlamydomonas reinhardtii cells deprived of sulfur

The green algae Сhlamydomonas reinhardtii entrapped in a thin alginate film have been shown to sustain elevated rates of hydrogen photoproduction under anaerobic incubation in sulfur/phosphorus depleted tris-acetate medium. In the present work we studied mechanisms, underlying hydrogen photoproduction by the immobilized culture, particularly, the roles of PSII and starch accumulation/breakdown. DCMU, a specific inhibitor of electron transport in PSII, is known to suppress hydrogen evolution by circa 80% in suspension cultures of S-deprived C. reinhardtii. In immobilized cells DCMU caused successive stimulatory and inhibitory effects on hydrogen photoproduction, both depending on the deprivation status of the algal cell. The inhibitory effect of DCMU was 25% at 70 h of S deficiency when maximal rates of hydrogen photoproduction were observed. Measurements of the light-induced prompt and delayed chlorophyll fluorescence transients and reflectance at 820 nm (P₇₀₀ redox transitions) revealed very rapid decline of PSII activity in the entrapped S-deprived cells as compared with the suspension culture, whereas PSI suffered less. The immobilized culture showed a high capacity to accumulate starch during early stages of S deprivation and relatively high rates of anaerobic starch degradation during the following hydrogen evolution period. DCMU partly inhibited starch breakdown. Results of the present work brought us to the conclusion that PSII-independent pathway of hydrogen evolution is elevated in the immobilized S-deprived cells rather due to the rapid inactivation of PSII, efficient starch catabolism and non-photochemical PQ reduction.     

Monomolecular enzyme films stabilized by amphiphilic polyelectrolytes for biosensor devices

This paper describes the use of new amphiphilic polyelectrolytes for protein immobilization. Monomolecular films of glucose oxidase (GO) and monoamine oxidase (MAO) stabilized by amphiphilic polyelectrolytes (polyethyleneimine and poly-4-vinylpyridine derivatives modified by lauryl chains) were formed on a water surface in a Langmuir-Blodgett trough. The compressed films containing the enzymes were transferred onto the surface of a polypropylene membrane of a Clark electrode according to the Langmuir-Schaefer method. The analytical responses of the resulting biosensors were linear over the range 1–10 mM of glucose and 8–100 μM of tyramine. Furthermore, direct functional coupling of GO and ferrocenecarboxylic acid in multilayer films stabilized by amphiphilic polyelectrolytes was demonstrated. The amperometric response of such a sensor was linear over the range 1–20 mM of glucose. The dependence of the kinetic parameters of the enzymes on the amphiphilic polyelectrolyte structures is discussed.     

Precursor synthesis and properties of iron and lithium co-doped cadmium oxide

Journal of Electroceramics - Lithium and iron co-doped cadmium oxide Cd0.9(Li1-xFex)0.1O (x?=?0.1, 0.3, 0.5, 0.7) with NaCl structure has been synthesized using formate of the...     

Biological sensing and interface design in gold island film based localized plasmon transducers

Discontinuous, island-type gold films (typically < or = 10 nm nominal thickness) prepared by evaporation of the metal on transparent substrates show a localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) extinction in the visible-to-NIR range and can be used as optical transducers for monitoring local refractive index change. Such transducers, operated in the transmission configuration, provide an effective scheme for label-free biological sensing using basic spectrophotometric equipment. Optimization of the sensitivity of LPSR transducers requires consideration of the distance between the metal island surface and the bound analyte, strongly affecting the optical response due to the fast decay of the evanescent field of localized plasmons. In the present work Au island based LSPR transducers were used to monitor antibody-antigen interactions, demonstrating the effect of the biorecognition interface thickness. Evaporated Au island films derivatized with IgG or hCG antigens were used as biological recognition elements for selective sensing of antibody binding, distinguishing between specific and nonspecific interactions. The LSPR results are supported by XPS and ellipsometry data as well as by AFM and HRSEM imaging, the latter providing actual visualization of the two protein binding steps. Increase of the recognition interface thickness leads to a concomitant decrease in the extinction and wavelength sensitivity, generally conforming to a model of an exponentially decaying surface plasmon (SP) evanescent field.     

Shedding new light on the molecular architecture of oocytes using a combination of synchrotron Fourier transform-infrared and Raman spectroscopic mapping

Synchrotron Fourier transform-infrared (FT-IR) and Raman microspectroscopy were applied to investigate changes in the molecular architecture of mouse oocytes and demonstrate the overall morphology of the maturing oocyte. Here we show that differences were identified between immature mouse oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) and mature metaphase II (MII) stage when using this technology, without the introduction of any extrinsic markers, labels, or dyes. GV mouse oocytes were found to have a small, centrally located lipid deposit and another larger polar deposit of similar composition. MII oocytes have very large, centrally located lipid deposits. Each lipid deposit for both cell types contains an inner and outer lipid environment that differs in composition. To assess interoocyte variability, line scans were recorded across the diameter of the oocytes and compared from three independent trials (GV, n = 91; MII, n = 172), and the data were analyzed with principal component analysis (PCA). The average spectra and PCA loading plots show distinct and reproducible changes in the CH stretching region that can be used as molecular maturation markers. The method paves the way for developing an independent assay to assess oocyte status during maturation providing new insights into lipid distribution at the single cell level.