Effects of psychosocial and situational variables on substance abuse among homeless adults.

Finding direct and indirect influences of salient psychosocial and situational variables on problem substance use among homeless people is important in designing evidence-based, effective, and relevant interventions for this special population. A stress-coping paradigm in conjunction with situational items specialized for homeless people was used to explore predictive relationships in a sample of homeless adults (N = 664) among (a) psychosocial variables of self-esteem, social support, positive and negative coping, and emotional distress, (b) situational variables of homelessness history and quality of recent housing, and (c) outcomes of alcohol use, injection drug use (IDU), and non-IDU. Lower self-esteem predicted greater emotional distress, lower positive coping, greater negative coping, and more alcohol use. Social support predicted less emotional distress and more positive coping. Chronic homelessness predicted more emotional distress, less positive coping, greater alcohol use, and IDU. Poor housing was associated with more alcohol use and IDU. Substance abuse interventions among the homeless should have a dual focus that includes attention to psychological issues and negative coping patterns while also addressing situational, environmental factors, including encouraging provision of permanent supportive housing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aroma compounds in fresh and dried mango fruit (Mangifera indica L. cv. Kent): impact of drying on volatile composition

Volatile compounds from fresh and dried mango were extracted by the solvent‐assisted flavour evaporation (SAFE) technique and analysed by GC‐MS. Forty‐one and fifty five volatile compounds were identified in fresh and dried mango, respectively. Monoterpenes, followed by sesquiterpenes, lactones and alcohols were the major compounds. Drying induced substantial losses of several compounds. The total amount of volatiles decreased by about 59%. These losses could be mainly attributed to the evaporation of the volatiles during drying, the extent of which seemed to increase with the hydrophobicity and Henry's law constant of the compounds. However, new compounds appeared and enrichment of some compounds was observed after drying. Limonene, β‐myrcene, δ‐3‐carene, β‐caryophyllene, γ‐butyrolactone and 3‐methylbutyl butanoate were found to be flavour contributors in both products on the basis of the odour activity values (OAVs). Mesifuran displayed high OAV only in fresh fruit while hexanal and heptanal only in dried mango.     

Suicide and natural death in a state hospital population: A comparison of admission complaints, MMPI profiles, and social competence factors.

Contrasted completed suicides in a state hospital with natural deaths and inpatients. No significant differences were found among the groups on patterns of admission complaints. For all 3 groups (Ns = 27, 173, 109), depression was found to be the most frequent admission complaint. Neither MMPI profiles nor a recently developed suicide threat scale served to discriminate suicides from the comparison groups. Highly significant differences were found on social competence variables, with suicides tending to be younger, more intelligent, and better educated than comparison groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antioxidant capacity of four polyphenol-rich Amazonian plant extracts: A correlation study using chemical and biological in vitro assays

Many plants used in Amazonian folk medicine present a high antioxidant activity. In this study, the antioxidant activities of four largely used plants, namely Byrsonima crassifolia, Davilla kunthii, Davilla rugosa and Inga edulis, were evaluated, using methanolic extracts of their leaves, fruits and bark and several different in vitro tests, based either on the capacity to scavenge free radicals (ORAC, TRAP) or on the ability to protect biological structures (LDLs, erythrocytes). The total phenolics (TP), flavanoids (TFA) and flavonols (TFO) were also measured. Almost all extracts performed well in all assays of antioxidative capacity, with best activities found in leaves (compared to fruits and bark). Most antioxidative performance indicators (ORAC, TRAP, LDL protection) correlated well with the TP and TFA content of the extracts. Conversely, correlation was lower between TFO and these indicators, reflecting a lower involvement of these compounds in antioxidant processes. Erythrocyte protection against oxidant-triggered haemolysis showed no correlation with any of the phenolic content indicators, suggesting that most of these compounds have a low ability to protect lipid targets in the erythrocyte membrane. On the other hand, protection of erythrocytes against haemolysis correlated positively with LDL protection. The extract of I. edulis leaves contained average amounts of polyphenols but ranked first in the majority of the tests, indicating the occurrence of particularly efficient compounds with very important antioxidant properties, which could be used for medicinal and other applications.     

Elastic properties of extruded starchy melts containing wheat bran using on-line rheology and dynamic mechanical thermal analysis

Addition of wheat bran reduces the expansion volumes of extruded cereals. This may be explained by the influence wheat bran has on the elastic properties of the melt. The elastic properties of extruded refined wheat flour supplemented with wheat bran were investigated using a complementary on-line and an off-line rheological technique. The Bagley pressure (end pressure), reflecting extensional properties of the melt, was measured on-line using the orifice die method (dies with different lengths). The storage modulus of the extruded samples was measured using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA). Increasing the bran concentration to an intermediate level significantly increased the Bagley pressure likely due to a reduced mobility of starch molecules. Further increasing the bran concentration significantly decreased the Bagley pressure. This might be caused by physical rupture of the melt at the die exit due to the low adhesion properties between starch and bran particles. This change in Bagley pressure indicates that the elastic properties of the composite melt may be reduced by bran particles. The storage modulus measured by DMTA was decreased when increasing the bran concentration, further supporting a potential decrease of the elastic properties of the melt with bran.     

Advanced PERC and PERL production cells with 20.3% record efficiency for standard commercial p‐type silicon wafers

Following intensive research and development, Suntech Power has successfully commercialised its Pluto technology with 0.5 GW annual production capacity, delivering up to 10% performance advantage over conventional screen‐printed cells. The next generation of Pluto involves the development of improved rear surface design based on the design features of passivated emitter and rear locally diffused cells. Cells with an average efficiency over 20% were fabricated on 155 cm² commercial‐grade p‐type wafers using mass‐manufacturing processes and equipment, with the highest single‐cell efficiency independently confirmed at 20.3%. This is believed to be a record efficiency for this wafer type. Further optimisation work on contact pattern and rear surface passivation suggests the potential for further efficiency increase approaching 23%. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Kinematic Viscosity of Aqueous Solutions of Ethanol and Glucose in the Range of Temperatures from 20 to 45°C

The purpose of this investigation was to determine, using a capillary viscosimeter, kinematic viscosity data of aqueous solutions of ethanol and glucose, at several temperatures (from 20 up to 45ºC) and concentrations. Glucose solubility strongly depended on ethanol concentration allowing the kinematic viscosity study (from 5% up to 45% w/w ethanol concentration with variable glucose concentrations as a function of its solubility). Kinematic viscosity modelling with solution concentration and temperature simultaneously, based on previous models for respective binary systems, was successfully carried out. The estimated values by this model give low average deviations (2.62%) from the experimental data. Glucose solubility (at 25ºC) in alcohol solutions and index of refraction (at 20ºC) of ternary solutions were also determined and empirical models are proposed in order to evaluate both physical properties with high (R² > 0.993 and >?0.991, respectively) accuracy.     

Impedimetric immunoglobulin G immunosensor based on chemically modified graphenes

Immunosensors which display high sensitivity and selectivity are of utmost importance to the biomedical field. Graphene is a material which has immense potential for the fabrication of immunosensors. For the first time, we evaluate the immunosensing capabilities of various graphene surfaces in this work. We propose a simple and label-free electrochemical impedimetric immunosensor for immunoglobulin G (IgG) based on chemically modified graphene (CMG) surfaces such as graphite oxide, graphene oxide, thermally reduced graphene oxide and electrochemically reduced graphene oxide. Disposable electrochemical printed electrodes were first modified with CMG materials before anti-immunoglobulin G (anti-IgG), which is specific to IgG, was immobilized. The principle of detection lies in the changes in impedance spectra of the redox probe after the attachment of IgG to the immobilized anti-IgG. It was found that thermally reduced graphene oxide has the best performance when compared to the other CMG materials. In addition, the optimal concentration of anti-IgG to be deposited onto the modified electrode surface is 10 μg ml(-1) and the linear range of detection of the immunosensor is from 0.3 μg ml(-1) to 7 μg ml(-1). Finally, the fabricated immunosensor also displays selectivity for IgG.