Nonessential fatty acids in formula fat blends influence essential fatty acid metabolism and composition in plasma and organ lipid classes in piglets

The online version of the original article can be found at     

Randomized trial of contingent prizes versus vouchers in cocaine-using methadone patients.

Contingency management (CM) interventions frequently utilize vouchers as reinforcers, but a prize-based system is also efficacious. This study compared these approaches. Seventy-four cocaine-dependent methadone outpatients were randomly assigned to standard treatment (ST), ST plus a maximum of $585 in contingent vouchers, or ST plus an expected average maximum of $300 in contingent prizes for 12 weeks. CM participants achieved longer durations of abstinence (LDA) than ST participants, and CM conditions did not differ significantly in outcomes or amount of reinforcement earned. Although long-term abstinence did not differ by group, LDA during treatment was the best predictor of abstinence at 9 months. Thus, reinforcement with prizes was similar to voucher CM in promoting LDA, which is associated with posttreatment benefits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Multiple objective shift allocation model

This paper is concerned with a production planning problem of allocating production items to production shifts on production lines in a multiple objective decision environment. The problem is modeled and solutions are generated using integer goal programming techniques. Objectives are formulated not only in terms of minimizing the sum of deviations from goal target levels, but also in terms of minimizing the maximum deviation. Test results indicate that the model structure and solution process utilized can provide decision makers with a good set of representative solutions in a rather complex multiple objective decision environment.     

Dear Sheila: An experimental study of the effectiveness of written communication as a form of psychotherapy.

42 college students who responded to an announcement for a writing therapy study were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 groups. The writing therapy group wrote letters describing their problems to a psychotherapist whose written replies contained behaviorally oriented responses. Reassuring responses were written to the problem letters of Ss in a reassurance control group. A 2nd control group was asked to count the frequency of occurrence of specific problem behaviors and mail them to the therapist, who did not reply. 10 Ss in the writing therapy group and 8 in each of the control groups completed the 4-mo treatment period. The decrease in the number of problems (as measured by the Mooney Problem Check List) was significantly greater in the writing therapy group than in the 2 control groups. Analysis of demographic data revealed that more males than females dropped out of the study, and a significantly greater proportion of the dropouts were from lower-class families. It is concluded that writing therapy may be useful and appeal to students who do not feel able to use traditional student counseling services. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Rebuttals Needed.

Comments on the S. C. Ericksen article (see record 1964-01620-001), which summarizes the "rationale which both justifies and demands that psychologists address themselves to the broad matter of social control". The present author argues that Ericksen did not see fit to address himself to the very serious problems which legislation affecting psychology has raised in the eyes of academic psychologists, but chose, instead, to write a baseless attack upon the motives of those who have questioned the wisdom of these laws. It is noted that a desire for legislation is by no means a necessary indication of social responsibility. Bad laws have been passed before, and may be again if care is not taken. All psychologists have the right, indeed the obligation, to take a good hard look at laws proposed to regulate their field, and to object to them if they seem undesirable. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of a psychoeducational approach to HIV risk behavior reduction.

The effectiveness of a psychoeducational treatment program for reducing high-risk HIV transmission behaviors was compared with that of an information only group evaluated in a sample of 127 inpatients (aged 22–62 yrs), mostly African-American, on a drug abuse treatment unit. Both treatments were effective in increasing factual knowledge about AIDS, proficiency at demonstrating correct procedures for needle cleaning and condom use, and perceived susceptibility to and response efficacy for avoiding HIV infection. At posttreatment, Ss in the psychoeducation condition obtained higher scores on the condom demonstration test; however, at 1-mo follow-up, the performance of both groups on this test was equivalent. In terms of HIV knowledge, the psychoeducation group was superior at follow-up, but not at posttreatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Separating individual and group effects.

Presents a new multivariate statistical technique that includes both individual and group effects and allows for nonindependence between group members in hierarchically nested designs in small-group research. In the present statistical technique, the estimated correlation matrices for the individual and for the group can be used as input into multivariate procedures (e.g., multiple regression, factor analysis). The application of the technique is illustrated for data on crowding in university residential environments. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dendritic cell-based immunotherapy of prostate cancer

The protective effect of catechins, major components of green tea, was studied in cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells exposed to toxicity induced by linoleic acid hydroperoxide (LOOH). In the case where cells were incubated in medium containing both LOOH and catechins, (+)-catechin (C) was effective in suppressing of LOOH-induced cytotoxicity, but (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-epigallocatechin (EGC), (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), and (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) had no effect. EGCG monoglucoside (EGCG-G1) and EGCG diglucoside (EGCG-G2), apophilic derivatives of EGCG, show a protective effect on LOOH-induced cytotoxicity when present at the time of treatment with LOOH. On the other hand, when cells were incubated with catechins for 24 h before treatment with LOOH there was no protection against the oxidative damage by LOOH. Furthermore, the interaction between catechins and alpha-tocopherol was examined under these culture conditions. C showed a synergistic effect with alpha-tocopherol in protecting against LOOH-induced damage. These results suggest that catechins interact with LOOH present in the medium or near the surface of membranes, but not with LOOH incorporated into cellular membranes and that catechins are able to interact with alpha-tocopherol to provide synergistic protection against the cytotoxicity of LOOH.     

Anxiety sensitivity and depression: How are they related?

Anxiety sensitivity is the fear of anxiety-related bodily sensations, which arises from beliefs that the sensations have harmful somatic, psychological, or social consequences. Elevated anxiety sensitivity, as assessed by the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), is associated with panic disorder. The present study investigated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and depression. Participants were people with panic disorder (n?=?52 ), major depression (n?=?46), or both (n?=?37 ). Mean ASI scores of each group were elevated, compared to published norms. Principal components analysis revealed 3 factors of anxiety sensitivity: (a) fear of publicly observable symptoms, (b) fear of loss of cognitive control, and (c) fear of bodily sensations. Factors 1 and 3 were correlated with anxiety-related measures but not with depression-related measures. Conversely, factor 2 was correlated with depression related measures but not with anxiety-related measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)