Specialized I/O and High-Speed CPU Yields Efficient Microcontroller for Automotive Applications

Due to increasing governmental demands for tighter exhaust emission standards, a greater fuel economy, and the contrasting consumer desire for higher performance and efficiency from smaller displacement power plants, the automotive industry is turning to electronics for a wider range of applications. Electronics, specifically in the form of the microcontroller, has evolved specialized on-chip peripheral functions to meet this need. Higher resolution analog-to-digital converters, high-speed inputs and outputs, timer/counters, and watchdog timers have been added on-board to augment standard digital I/O ports, make a more cost-effective solution, and to unburden the CPU.     

Experimental demonstration of meso-scale carbon nanotube self-assembled tube structures

In addition to numerous other properties of interest, carbon nanotubes (CNT) promise to form a basis for new materials of extraordinary strength owing mainly to the very high carbon–carbon bond energies and their unique tubular structure at the molecular scale. In the area of materials development, the guiding concept of bio-inspired hierarchical structures combined with controlled fabrication at multiple scales has the potential to result in substantially improved mechanical performance. Here we show examples of a multiple-scale self-assembled tube structure, which are themselves composed of multi-wall CNTs, while also demonstrating some important aspects of their nucleation and growth. These hierarchical and self-assembled objects strongly indicate the feasibility of controlled synthesis of macroscopic CNT structures and CNT-reinforced materials for use in various engineering applications. These applications could encompass the areas of structures, thermal transfer, electronics, fluid dynamics, and micro-fluidics.     

A Survey of Hospital Psychology in Canada.

Despite the major advances in health psychology over the past decade and the changes that have taken place in the Canadian health sector, there remains a paucity of information available about the structure of psychological services in Canadian health-care settings. The most current information about psychology in Canada's hospitals was gathered in 1982 - almost 20 years ago (Arnett, Martin, Steiner, & Goodman, 1987). This article updates the previous information, as it presents the results of a survey that was sent to 975 acute, psychiatric and continuing care health facilities with a minimum patient bed count of 100. Detailed information about the number of psychologists and administrative organizations of psychological services in Canada are reported. The range of services provided by psychologists in health-care settings has expanded, and professional autonomy, as shown by the existence of independent departments of psychology, has changed. The implications of these results for the organization and delivery of psychological services in Canadian healthcare, and for advocacy on the part of psychology, are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

How Canadian coordinators of graduate psychiatric education view psychologists.

Investigated the views toward psychologists as expressed by 16 Canadian coordinators of postgraduate education in psychiatry. The majority of Ss opposed psychologists holding senior administrative roles in departments of psychiatry and believed that psychologists should continue to be organized in divisions within departments of psychiatry. Considerable respect was evident for the clinical and academic skills that psychologists possess, and there was nearly unanimous support for psychologists holding academic appointments in departments of psychiatry. Most Ss approved of psychologists conducting psychotherapy as well as supervising psychiatric residents on psychotherapy cases and supported psychologists' involvement in the training of psychiatrists and vice versa. Views about eligibility of psychologists for senior administrative roles in psychiatry departments were related to views on other issues concerning psychologists. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Clinical psychology education and training: Commentary on Kenkel et al. and Linden et al.

Despite general acceptance of clinical psychology as a broadly based health-care discipline, many graduate programs in clinical psychology have been slow to change from their continued primary focus on mental health education and training. The two papers in this Special Section (Linden et al., see record 2005-14076-001; Kenkel et al., see record 2005-14076-002) clearly articulate the compelling rationale for clinical psychology's full participation in all aspects of health, and provide a variety of creative ideas and initiatives regarding current and future educational reform. Interestingly, neither paper focused on the considerable research literature that already exists on graduate education reform and hence I have briefly outlined some of this work here. After reading the papers in this Special Section, I found myself agreeing with much of what was said and disagreeing strongly with some ideas. I also found myself sensitized to the notion that as educational reform proceeds, psychologists need to be vigilant to ensure that they maintain their own unique identity without drifting toward adopting key aspects of the identities of other professions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

La psychologie et la santé.

This article traces the historical development of Canadian medicare and its significant influence on shaping not only the clinical services provided within Canada's public health care system but also its major impact on the nation's overall health research agenda. Particular emphasis is placed on how this has influenced the development and role of psychology in the public health care system. It is argued that all psychologists, whether their work is focused on the applied or experimental areas of the discipline, have much to offer Canadians across the entire health care spectrum. Nevertheless, psychological services in the public health care system, and particularly in hospitals, have mainly developed within and continue to be primarily focused around mental health. Services in nonmental health areas of health have been more limited, although their importance is well recognized. The current situation partly reflects the limited training in general health issues that clinical psychologists-in-training generally receive in many graduate school programs in Canada. However, it also reflects the overall influence of medicare on the development of Canada's health care system. Medicare has tended to focus the activities of Canada's health care system primarily on treating illness rather than on preventing it and/or maintaining health. Also, medicare has oriented Canada's health care system mainly toward delivering medical services rather than providing more comprehensive health services (e.g., the "medically necessary" criterion for funding). However, times are changing. The growing emphasis among health policymakers in Canada on illness prevention and health promotion (e.g., the creation of the federal government Public Health Agency of Canada in 2004) will significantly expand psychology's role across all areas of health. Psychology education and training programs are urged to seriously examine whether psychology practitioners and researchers are being adequately prepared at present for the much broader array of future interdisciplinary professional, research, and educational activities and responsibilities that will emerge. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Characterization of resistance patterns and detection of apramycin resistance genes in Escherichia coli isolated from swine exposed to various environmental conditions

Weaned pigs were separated into eight treatments including a control without exposure to apramycin; a control with exposure to apramycin; and apramycin plus either cold stress, heat stress, overcrowding, intermingling, poor sanitation, or intervention with oxytetracycline, to determine the effects of management and environmental conditions on antibiotic resistance among indigenous Escherichia coli. Pigs exposed to apramycin sulfate received that antibiotic in the feed at a concentration of 150 g/ton for 14 days. Environmental treatments were applied 5 days following initial antibiotic administration and maintained throughout the study. Fecal samples were obtained on day 0 (prior to antibiotic treatment) and on days 2, 7, 14, 28, 64, 148, and 149. E. coli were isolated and tested for resistance to apramycin using a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) broth microdilution method. Macrorestriction profiling, arbitrarily primed PCR, PCR targeting a gene coding for apramycin resistance, and DNA hybridization were used to characterize genetic elements of resistance. Increased (P<0.0001) resistance to apramycin was noted in E. coli from all treatment groups administered apramycin. MICs of isolates from control pigs receiving apramycin returned to pretreatment levels following removal of the antibiotic, whereas isolates from cold stress, overcrowding, and oxytetracycline groups expressed greater (P<0.05) MICs through day 64, before returning to pretreatment levels. Genetic analysis indicated that all resistant isolates carried the aac(3)IV gene sequence and this sequence was found in a variety of E. coli isotypes. Our data indicate that E. coli resistance to apramycin is increased upon exposure to various stressors.     

Hypothyroidism presenting as a polymyositis-like syndrome. Report of two cases

Two patients with proximal muscle weakness and marked elevations of serum muscle enzymes were initially believed to have polymyositis; however electromyography and muscle biopsies were normal. Both patients were subsequently found to have hypothyroidism. Each regained her muscle strength, and serum enzymes normalized with thyroid hormone replacement. Because muscle weakness and an elevated creatine phosphokinase occur in most patients with hypothyroidism, thyroid dysfunction must be considered in the differential diagnosis of polymyositis.