Contracting, prompting, and reinforcing substance use disorder continuing care: A randomized clinical trial.

Although continuing care is strongly related to positive treatment outcomes for substance use disorder (SUD), participation rates are low and few effective interventions are available. In a randomized clinical trial with 150 participants (97% men), 75 graduates of a residential Veterans Affairs Medical Center SUD program who received an aftercare contract, attendance prompts, and reinforcers (CPR) were compared to 75 graduates who received standard treatment (STX). Among CPR participants, 55% completed at least 3 months of aftercare, compared to 36% in STX. Similarly, CPR participants remained in treatment longer than those in STX (5.5 vs. 4.4 months). Additionally, CPR participants were more likely to be abstinent compared to STX (57% vs. 37%) after 1 year. The CPR intervention offers a practical means to improve adherence among individuals in SUD treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Studies of How the Mind Publicly Enfolds into Being.

Review of book Studies of How the Mind Publicly Enfolds into Being edited by William E. Smythe and Angelina Baydala. This volume contains the fruits of a symposium of the Western Canadian Theoretical Psychologists devoted to the topic contained in the title, though the original idea was expressed by considering "psyche and polis" (p. viii), the two Greek terms from which our conceptions of self and public largely derive. Most of the reflection does not return all the way to ancient Greece, but the essays draw deeply on historical sources, retracing the influences of contemporary thought and reminding the audience of some roads not taken. The issue and definition of self are the predominant theme. Judging from the references, the sources of inspiration for many of these essays is predominantly philosophical, with liberal borrowings from sociology, cultural studies, and political theory. Despite the complexity and range of theoretical issues discussed, the contributions are uniformly clear and engaging, a credit to authors and editors alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychiatric illness and family support in children and adolescents with diabetic ketoacidosis: a controlled study

BACKGROUND: In the adult respiratory distress syndrome, nitric oxide (NO) inhalation improves oxygenation through reducing ventilation-perfusion mismatching, but detailed information on the pulmonary effects of NO inhalation in septic shock is scarce. The present study investigated the effects of inhaled NO on alveolar dead space (Vdalv) and venous admixture as well as on respiratory system compliance (Crs) and respiratory system resistance (Rrs) in a porcine model of septic shock. Protective effects of NO are discussed. METHODS: Thirteen anaesthetised and ventilated pigs were given an infusion of endotoxin for an observation time of 220 min to induce acute lung injury (ALI). In the NO-early group (n=6), an inhalation of 60 ppm NO was started simultaneously with the endotoxin infusion and continued for 190 min. In 7 control/NO-late animals, 60 ppm NO was administered for 30 min following 190 min of endotoxin infusion. Haemodynamics, single-breath CO2-, pressure-, and flow signals were recorded. RESULTS: Endotoxin induced haemoconcentration, pulmonary vasoconstriction, and a decrease in Crs, while venous admixture, Vdalv, and Rrs increased. In the NO-early group, the pulmonary vasoconstriction was attenuated, no increase in pulmonary venous admixture or in Vdalv was seen before cessation of NO, and the improvements in oxygenation outlasted the NO inhalation. In the control/NO-late group, the NO inhalation reversed the changes in dead space and venous admixture. NO had no effect on the changes in respiratory mechanics. CONCLUSION: In porcine ALI, 60 ppm NO diminishes pulmonary vasoconstriction and improves gas exchange by reducing pulmonary venous admixture and alveolar dead space, but does not prevent a fall in Crs. NO inhalation may help prevent long-lasting pulmonary failure.     

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-gamma activates Bruton's tyrosine kinase in concert with Src family kinases

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (Btk) is essential for normal B lymphocyte development and function. The activity of Btk is partially regulated by transphosphorylation within its kinase domain by Src family kinases at residue Tyr-551 and subsequent autophosphorylation at Tyr-223. Activation correlates with Btk association with cellular membranes. Based on specific loss of function mutations, the Btk pleckstrin homology (PH) domain plays an essential role in this activation process. The Btk PH domain can bind in vitro to several lipid end products of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) family including phosphatidylinositol 3,4,5-trisphosphate. Activation of Btk as monitored by elevation of phosphotyrosine content and a cellular transformation response was dramatically enhanced by coexpressing a weakly activated allele of Src (E378G) and the two subunits of PI 3-kinase-gamma. This activation correlates with new sites of phosphorylation on Btk identified by two-dimensional phosphopeptide mapping. Activation of Btk was dependent on the catalytic activity of all three enzymes and an intact Btk PH domain and Src transphosphorylation site. These combined data define Btk as a downstream target of PI 3-kinase-gamma and Src family kinases.     

The HP1a disordered C terminus and chromo shadow domain cooperate to select target peptide partners

Drosophila melanogaster heterochromatin protein 1a (HP1a) is essential for compacted heterochromatin structure and the associated gene silencing. Its chromo shadow domain (CSD) is well known for binding to peptides that contain a PXVXL motif. Heterochromatin protein 2 (HP2) is a non-histone chromosomal protein that associates with HP1a in the pericentric heterochromatin, telomeres, and the fourth chromosome. Using NMR spectroscopy, fluorescence polarization, and site-directed mutagenesis, we identified an LCVKI motif in HP2 that binds to the HP1a CSD. The binding affinity of the HP2 fragment is approximately two orders of magnitude higher than that of peptides from PIWI (with a PRVKV motif), AF10 (with a PLVVL motif), or CG15356 (with LYPLL and LSIVA motifs). To delineate differential interactions of the HP1a CSD, we characterized its structure, backbone dynamics, and dimerization constant. We found that the dimerization constant is bracketed by the affinities of HP2 and PIWI, which dock to the same HP1a homodimer surface. This suggests that HP2, but not PIWI, interaction can drive the homodimerization of HP1a. Interestingly, the integrity of the disordered C-terminal extension (CTE) of HP1a is essential for discriminatory binding, whereas swapping the PXVXL motifs does not confer specificity. Serine phosphorylation at the peptide binding surface of the CSD is thought to regulate heterochromatin assembly. Glutamic acid substitution at these sites destabilizes HP1a dimers, but improves the interaction with both binding partners. Our studies underscore the importance of CSD dimerization and cooperation with the CTE in forming distinct complexes of HP1a.     

High Stable Al-MCM-41: Structural Characterization and Evaluation for Removal of Methylene Blue from Aqueous Solution

Aluminosilicate (Al-MCM-41) was synthesized via a modified wet-method in a Si/Al atomic ratio of 13.64:1.00 and calcination at 500 °C. The structural     

Ruthenium(II)–Arene Thiocarboxylates: Identification of a Stable Dimer Selectively Cytotoxic to Invasive Breast Cancer Cells

Ru^II-arene complexes provide a versatile scaffold for novel anticancer drugs. Seven new Ru^II-arene-thiocarboxylato dimers were synthesized and characterized. Three of the complexes ( 2 a , b and 5 ) showed promising antiproliferative activities in MDA-MB-231 (human invasive breast cancer) cells, and were further tested in a panel of fifteen cancerous and noncancerous cell lines. Complex 5 showed moderate but remarkably selective activity in MDA-MB-231 cells (IC₅₀=39±4 μm Ru). Real-time proliferation studies showed that 5 induced apoptosis in MDA-MB-231 cells but had no effect in A549 (human lung cancer, epithelial) cells. By contrast, 2 a and b showed moderate antiproliferative activity, but no apoptosis, in either cell line. Selective cytotoxicity of 5 in aggressive, mesenchymal-like MDA-MB-231 cells over many common epithelial cancer cell lines (including noninvasive breast cancer MCF-7) makes it an attractive lead compound for the development of specifically antimetastatic Ru complexes with low systemic toxicity.     

The PIBETA spectrometer for studying rare and forbidden decays of muons and pions

The construction and characteristics of the PIBETA spectrometer are described. This spectrometer is designed to implement a program of precise measurement of pion decay ^{+ 0} + e ⁺ + _e at the Paul Scherrer Institute (Switzerland). A spherical calorimeter, consisting of 240 crystals of pure CsI scintillator and embracing a solid angle of 3, is the main detector of the setup. In addition, the spectrometer is composed of an active collimator (which also acts as a beam degrader), a segmented active plastic target, two multiwire cylindrical proportional chambers, a 20-element cylindrical plastic hodoscope, and veto counters of cosmic muons.__________Translated from Pribory i Tekhnika Eksperimenta, No. 2, 2005, pp. 39–48.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Baranov, Kalinnikov, Karpukhin, Khomutov, A. Korenchenko, S. Korenchenko, Kravchuk, Kuchinskii, Mzhaviya, Rozhdestvenskii, Sidorkin, Tsamalaidze, Sakhelashvili, Frlez, Poanic, Li, Minehart, Smith, Stephens, Ziock, Bertl, Horisberger, Ritt, Schnyder, Wirtz, Ritchie, Supek, Kozlowski.     

Preparation of polyaniline and studying its electrical conductivity

Polyaniline was prepared by chemical methods. Its electrical conductivity was measured. The electrical conductivity of polyaniline salt and polyaniline base were compared with composites prepared by the hot press of polyaniline base with KBr, Co(CH₃COO)₂, and picric acid. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 77: 1658–1665, 2000