The pharmaco-erection test

Intracavernous administration of vasoactive drugs induces an erection in absence of erotic stimuli; we can use this property in the study of impotent patients, inducing the appearance on an erection to examine it in all its phases (FIC Test). In case of the appearance of a good erection, the test should rule out the presence of a penile arterial disease or of a corpora-veno-occlusive deficiency. When the administration of the drug does not cause complete tumescence, it is very probable that the erectile dysfunction is caused by arterial vascular alterations or by organic disorders of veno-occlusion mechanism, but we cannot exclude for a certainty a psychogenic dysfunction. In fact an excessive noradrenergic autonomic control, as during stress condition, may limit FIC Test response. Therefore we hope that more efficacious molecules will be available in a near future. Nevertheless, we consider the opportunity of enclosing tests in the diagnostic algorithm of impotent patients to reveal an excessive adrenergic tone, such as, for example, psychological tests, study of cavernous potential, or intracavernous catecholamine dosage.     

Moving Particles Through a Finite Element Mesh

We present a new numerical technique for modeling the flow around multiple objects moving in a fluid. The method tracks the dynamic interaction between each particle and the fluid. The movements of the fluid and the object are directly coupled. A background mesh is designed to fit the geometry of the overall domain. The mesh is designed independently of the presence of the particles except in terms of how fine it must be to track particles of a given size. Each particle is represented by a geometric figure that describes its boundary. This figure overlies the mesh. Nodes are added to the mesh where the particle boundaries intersect the background mesh, increasing the number of nodes contained in each element whose boundary is intersected. These additional nodes are then used to describe and track the particle in the numerical scheme. Appropriate element shape functions are defined to approximate the solution on the elements with extra nodes. The particles are moved through the mesh by moving only the overlying nodes defining the particles. The regular finite element grid remains unchanged. In this method, the mesh does not distort as the particles move. Instead, only the placement of particle-defining nodes changes as the particles move. Element shape functions are updated as the nodes move through the elements. This method is especially suited for models of moderate numbers of moderate-size particles, where the details of the fluid-particle coupling are important. Both the complications of creating finite element meshes around appreciable numbers of particles, and extensive remeshing upon movement of the particles are simplified in this method.     

A comparative analysis of the therapeutic focus in cognitive–behavioral and psychodynamic–interpersonal sessions.

This study compared therapeutic foci in a sampling of 30 cognitive-behavioral and 27 psychodynamic-interpersonal manual-driven treatments for depression. High- and low-impact sessions were coded for each client, with the Coding System of Therapeutic Focus. Results indicated that psychodynamic-interpersonal sessions focused more on such variables as emotion, patterns, incongruities, the impact that others made on clients, clients' expected reaction of others, the tendency to avoid therapeutic progress, therapists themselves, clients' parents, and links between people and time periods in clients' lives. Cognitive-behavioral sessions placed greater emphasis on external circumstances and clients' ability to make decisions, gave more support and information and encouraged between-session experiences, and focused more on the future. Relatively few differences emerged as a function of session impact. Results are discussed in terms of the different and similar theoretical conceptions of the change process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Development of a rapid method for quantitative evaluation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth based on competitive polymerase chain reaction

A competitive polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) assay for the quantitative evaluation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis growth was developed based on co-amplification of genomic DNA and a modified DNA fragment derived from a well-conserved region of the 16S rRNA gene. There was a good correlation between the number of DNA copies in the sample, indicated by competitive PCR, and the number of colony forming units determined by conventional culture methods.     

Normative data for the MMPI-2 in child custody litigation.

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) norms based on 508 child custody litigants are presented. Defensive underreporting and self-favorability were often exhibited along with an elevation on the Over-Controlled Hostility (O–H) scale. Highest mean clinical scale scores were Hysteria, Paranoia, and Psychopathic Deviate. Differences were not found among mothers, fathers, and stepparents, indicating that a single set of norms is suitable. Findings highlight the importance of context specificity in personality assessment. Proper interpretation of personality inventories in child custody disputes needs to consider both the norms of the standardization sample and the litigants' reference norms. It was not possible, to determine from the MMPI-2 per se whether a defensive approach overestimates mental health in a psychologically healthy population or conceals symptomatology in psychologically disturbed persons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological differentiation and psychotherapy

Patient's level of psychological differentiation was studied in relation to patients' and therapists' evaluations of the initial psychotherapy session. The evaluations assessed two broad dimensions of the interaction which generally have been considered important for psychotherapeutic success and which have been found to be related to patients' psychological differentiation: namely, patients' and therapists' satisfaction with the amount of structure, and therapists' impressions of patients' appropriateness for therapy. Significant correlations were obtained between patients' psychological differentiation and both of these dimensions. However, two control variables, socioeconomic status and alcohol use, were also found to be related to these dimensions. When the effects of these variables were partialed out, the relationships with therapists' impressions of appropriateness disappeared, but the relationships with patients' and therapists' satisfaction with the amount of structure remained significant. The relationship of these findings to other studies of psychological differentiation and psychotherapy is discussed. Finally, the contribution of the present results to the choice of the most appropriate measure of psychological differentiation is noted.     

Structure-activity relationship of new 2-substituted penem antibiotics

The antibacterial activities of three new penems with 4-hydroxyprolinamide, 1-prolinamide and N-methyl-N-2-propionamide substituents, respectively, in position 2 and of their stereoisomers were examined against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All substitutes conferred a broad antibacterial spectrum on the penem moiety. Changes in stereoisomerism selectively improved the activity against E. coli, S. aureus or enterococci. The structure-activity relationships of each compound were discussed in relation to minimum inhibitory concentrations, penicillin-binding protein (PBP) affinity and outer membrane permeability coefficient in E. coli. In this microorganism, PBP 2 was the target for all compounds. Changes in stereoisomerism influenced the affinity for PBPs 1A/B and 2. All antibiotics easily permeated the outer membrane of E. coli and, within each group of compounds, the penetration rate correlated with the antibacterial activity.     

Academic intrinsic motivation in elementary and junior high school students.

Investigated in 3 studies the significance of academic intrinsic motivation (AIM) for children's education. Ss for Studies 1–3 were 77 4th graders and 64 7th graders; 260 Ss in Grades 4–7; and 166 White middle-class Ss in Grades 5–8, respectively. Ss were administered an AIM inventory and an inventory of academic anxiety (AA). As predicted, AIM was found to be significantly and positively correlated with Ss' school achievement and perceptions of academic competence and negatively correlated with AA. Findings support the view that AIM is differentiated into school subject areas and is also a general orientation toward school learning. Relations between motivation and perception of competence and anxiety were differentiated by subject area, whereas achievement was more pervasively related to general motivation. Mathematics motivation, however, emerged as a unique predictor of mathematics achievement. The significance of AIM as differentiated into subjects and as a general orientation is discussed. (33 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characterization of superconducting thin films by Mo75Re25 target for rf cavity applications

superconducting thin films by Mo₇₅Re₂₅ single-target magnetron sputtering at various temperatures on sapphire substrates were prepared. Sharp superconductive transitions andT _c values above 10 K were achieved, and the deposited films showed a good metallic behavior. According to structural analyses (EDS and X-rays), all the samples have the same stoichiometry as the target and, even at low deposition temperatures, they exhibit theA15 phase. From measured residual resistivities and superconducting critical temperatures the theoretical BCS surface resistances were estimated and compared to those o Mo₆₀Re₄₀ films, presented in a previous work. Both these alloys, in fact, being characterized by low surface resistances and high critical fields, are good candidates as coating films in r.f. cavities.