Evolution of the Biopsychosocial Model: Prospects and Challenges for Health Psychology.

Although advances have been made in specifying connections between biological, psychological, and social processes, the full potential of the biopsychosocial model for health psychology remains untapped. In this article, 4 areas that need to be addressed to ensure the continued evolution of the biopsychosocial model are identified and a series of recommendations concerning initiatives directed at research, training, practice and intervention, and policy are delineated. These recommendations emphasize the need to better understand and utilize linkages among biological, psychological, social, and macrocultural variables. Activities that facilitate the adoption of a multisystem, multilevel, and multivariate orientation among scientists, practitioners, and policymakers will most effectively lead to the kinds of transdisciplinary contributions envisioned by the biopsychosocial perspective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Heteroaromatic analogs of 1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]- and 1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazines (GBR 12935 and GBR 12909) as high-affinity dopamine reuptake inhibitors

A new series of heteroaromatic GBR 12935 [1-[2-(diphenylmethoxy)ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)-piperazine] (I) and GBR 12909 [1-[2-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methoxy]ethyl]-4-(3-phenylpropyl)piperazine] (2) analogs was synthesized and evaluated as dopamine transporter (DAT) ligands. Analogs 5-16, in which the benzene ring in the phenylpropyl side chain of the GBR molecule had been replaced with a thiophene, furan, or pyridine ring, exhibited high affinity and selectivity for the DAT vs serotonin transporter (SERT) and stimulated locomotor activity in rats in a manner similar to the parent compound 2. In cocaine and food self-administration studies in rhesus monkeys, both thiophene-containing (6 and 8) and pyridine-containing (14 and 16) derivatives displayed potency comparable to 2 in decreasing the cocaine-maintained responding at the doses tested (0.8, 1.7, and 3 mg/kg). However, these compounds did not produce the degree of separation between food- and cocaine-maintained responding that was seen with 2. Among the bicyclic fused-ring congeners 17-38, the indole-containing analog of 2, 22, showed the greatest affinity for binding to the DAT, with IC50 = 0.7 nM, whereas the corresponding indole-containing derivative of 1, 21, displayed the highest selectivity (over 600-fold) at this site vs the SERT site.     

Regulatory perspective of seismic issues

Some of the current seismic issues facing the nuclear power industry, such as seismic design criteria (USI A-40), seismic qualification of equipment in operating nuclear power plants (USI A-46), eastern United States seismicity, operating basis earthquake (OBE) exceedance criteria, seismic instrumentation, post OBE inspection of nuclear power plants, anchor bolts too close to a free edge, seismic margins of plants, and the potential for external events to cause severe accidents, are presented and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's perspective on the resolution of these issues are discussed.     

Treatment with antisense oligodeoxynucleotide to the opioid delta receptor selectively inhibits delta 2-agonist antinociception

Using approaches emphasizing differential antagonism of receptor selective agonists and cross-tolerance paradigms, evidence in vivo has suggested the existence of subtypes of opioid delta receptors, which have been termed delta 1 and delta 2. Recent work has elucidated the structure of an opioid delta receptor. The present investigation attempted to continue to test the hypothesis of subtypes of delta receptors and to correlate the cloned delta receptor with the existing pharmacological classification. Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (oligos) complementary to the 5' end of the cloned delta receptor coding region (antisense) or its corresponding sequence (sense) were given by intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration to mice, twice-daily for 3 days and antinociceptive responses to selective agonists at putative delta 1 and delta 2 receptors were subsequently determined. Treatment with antisense, but not sense, oligo significantly inhibited the response to [D-Ala2,Glu4]deltorphin (delta 2 agonist), but not to [D-Pen2,D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE, delta 1 agonist). Further, subsequent administration of DPDPE elicited a full antinociceptive response in the same antisense oligo treated mice which did not show a significant response to [D-Ala2,Glu4]deltorphin while antisense oligo treated mice which responded to DPDPE did not show antinociception when tested subsequently with [D-Ala2,Glu4]deltorphin. The data suggest that the cloned delta receptor corresponds to that pharmacologically classified as delta 2 and continue to support the concept of subtypes of opioid delta receptors.     

Of crazy numbers and release criteria

The author discusses the use of release criteria to decide when a project has a shippable product. He considers his experiences when working as a project manager for a small middleware applications group     

PAH Profiles of Charbroiled Hamburgers: Pyrene/B[a]P Ratios and Presence of Reactive PAH

Abstract

Analysis of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in charbroiled hamburgers, used in an earlier study of BaP-DNA adducts in peripheral white blood cells, has been accomplished using HPLC with UV diode array detection. The concentration data for one of these PAH, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), are in excellent agreement with data obtained using a thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/fluorescence technique. There is significant interest in pyrene/BaP ratios in these samples and other sources of human exposure to PAH since urinary metabolites of both compounds have been used as biomarkers of exposure. In the food samples examined, this ratio is roughly 5. However, differences in cooking procedures between different studies suggest that this value can only be used semi-quantitatively. The BaP concentrations themselves vary by a factor of almost twenty in hamburgers prepared under very similar conditions. Some unstable PAH, including cyclopenteno[cd]pyrene and methylated PAH are found in the hamburger. This possibly reflects their decreased reactivity under conditions different from those which prevail in the outdoor atmosphere.     

Kepler's Epitome of Copernican Astronomy in context

This paper evaluates Kepler's 1618–1621 Epitome of Copernican Astronomy in light of two contextual events: the 1616 Decree of the Index banning Copernican books (including Volume 1 of Kepler's Epitome in 1619) and the start of the Thirty Years' War in 1618. Kepler's Epitome seems to defy traditional genre expectations: it takes the form of a textbook, and yet (especially in later volumes) it is more complicated than a traditional university primer, and seems targeted toward more expert readers. I argue that Kepler deliberately reframed the Epitome and modified its focus and approach in the years between the publication of its first volume in 1618 and its later volumes in 1620 and 1621. These changes were related to Kepler's attempt to circumvent the ban on the first volume and help the book reach readers in Italy. To Kepler, a lifelong advocate for the Copernican cause, it was imperative that his book reach as many readers as possible. The spread of his work would both help educate potential future Copernicans and aid in overturning the ban on Copernican publication itself. Further, Kepler believed that princely readers might use the book's arguments as a model for peace in a time of war.     

Highly Reproducible Physiological Asymmetric Membrane with Freely Diffusing Embedded Proteins in a 3D‐Printed Microfluidic Setup

Experimental setups to produce and to monitor model membranes have been successfully used for decades and brought invaluable insights into many areas of biology. However, they all have limitations that prevent the full in vitro mimicking and monitoring of most biological processes. Here, a suspended physiological bilayer‐forming chip is designed from 3D‐printing techniques. This chip can be simultaneously integrated to a confocal microscope and a path‐clamp amplifier. It is composed of poly(dimethylsiloxane) and consists of a ≈100 µm hole, where the horizontal planar bilayer is formed, connecting two open crossed‐channels, which allows for altering of each lipid monolayer separately. The bilayer, formed by the zipping of two lipid leaflets, is free‐standing, horizontal, stable, fluid, solvent‐free, and flat with the 14 types of physiologically relevant lipids, and the bilayer formation process is highly reproducible. Because of the two channels, asymmetric bilayers can be formed by making the two lipid leaflets of different composition. Furthermore, proteins, such as transmembrane, peripheral, and pore‐forming proteins, can be added to the bilayer in controlled orientation and keep their native mobility and activity. These features allow in vitro recapitulation of membrane process close to physiological conditions.     

High-Operating-Temperature HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiodes

In this communication we report the first results of electro-optical characterization of planar heterostructure HgCdTe avalanche photodiodes (APDs), which enables the operation of APDs at high gain, at low bias, and with low dark current and/or at high operating temperature (HOT). The APD is based on a heterostructure in which the photons are detected in a wide-band-gap layer, and the photoelectrons are amplified in a vertical junction in a confined narrow-gap layer. The dark diffusion current and thermal background sensitivity of the device are limited by using a thin narrow-band-gap amplification layer. In addition, the defect-limited dark current is also expected to be reduced due to the reduced volume of the narrow-band-gap depletion layer. The electro-optical performance was characterized at T = 80 K and T = 200 K for two devices with a nominal thickness of the amplification layer of w = 100 nm and 500 nm, realized in x _Cd = 0.3 Hg-vacancy-doped layers grown by molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE). The measurements show an average gain of 〈M〈 = 10 at a reverse bias of 5 V, which is slightly reduced compared with a conventional APD with x _Cd = 0.3. The thermal diffusion current measured at low reverse bias, V _b = 0.1 V, and at T = 200 K is about 0.1 mA/cm² to 0.3 mA/cm², which is a factor of 50 lower than standard x _Cd = 0.3 n-on-p APDs. The quantum efficiency due to absorption in the gain layer is high (QE_peak > 30%), although no antireflecting coating was used, indicating that the device can also be used for high-operating-temperature thermal detection.     

Survey: Difficult arbitration E‐discovery process questions suggest increasingly complex future problems on costs,scope

The second of two parts on the lessons learned from a survey of arbitrators about E‐discovery issues, by Deborah Rothman , of Los Angeles, and Thomas J. Brewer , of Seattle.