Psychiatry in crisis

Psychiatry today faces sociopolitical, economic, and philosophical pressures that threaten its existence as a valued medical specialty. Recent legislation that decreases the numbers of foreign medical graduates eligible to practice in the United States, increases the numbers of community mental health centers and types of services they offer, and limits federal support of psychiatric education will affect the future of psychiatry as a profession and discipline. Forthcoming legislation and federal health policies will be related to the ability of the profession to demonstrate its unique role in the provision of mental health and health services. The authors offer suggestions for the education of the American public regarding the important role of psychiatry in America's health and mental health care system.     

Removal of biological and non-biological viral surrogates by spiral-wound reverse osmosis membrane elements with intact and compromised integrity

The removal of bacteriophage MS2 and fluorescent-dyed polystyrene microspheres with intact and purposely compromised spiral-wound RO membrane elements was investigated. MS2 rejection with intact membrane elements was >99.9995%. A model developed for data evaluation revealed that the advective passage of MS2 through imperfections of intact membrane elements was <2 x 10(-5)% of the overall product water flow produced. The advective passage of MS2 and microspheres through a pinhole induced in one of the elements was 0.05-0.1% of the overall product water flow. Prolonged testing of both intact and compromised elements resulted in increased MS2 rejection corresponding to advective MS2 passage through membrane imperfections of <3 x 10(-7)% of the overall product water flow. The permeate flow rate obtained with an element with a larger pinhole was 5-13% greater than that of the intact element, and the corresponding rejection of MS2 and microspheres was similar to that observed for sodium chloride. The use of a cracked o-ring in the connection of the permeate tube to the element vessel end-cup resulted in advective passage of MS2 through the crack of <0.0001% of the overall permeate flow.     

Internet-based health information consumer skills intervention for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Medical information can improve health, and there is an enormous amount of health information available on the Internet. A randomized clinical trial tested the effectiveness of an intervention based on social- cognitive theory to improve information use among people living with HIV/AIDS. Men and women (N = 448) were placed in either (a) an 8-session intervention that focused on Internet information consumer skills or (b) a time-matched support group and were followed to 9 months postintervention. The Internet skills group demonstrated greater Internet use for health, information coping, and social support compared with the control group. The authors conclude that people with HIV infection may benefit from increased access to health information on the Internet and that vulnerability to misinformation and fraud can be reduced through behavioral interventions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A fault accommodation control for nonlinear systems

Based on the use of neural networks for representation of the dynamics of faults, an active fault accommodation control law is proposed that guarantees the closed-loop stability for a class of nonlinear systems with faults. An example of using the control design proposed demonstrates the efficiency of this law for a typical nonlinear system. __________ Translated from Kibernetika i Sistemnyi Analiz, No. 1, pp. 10–18, January–February 2006.     

Imaging gold nanoparticles for DNA sequence recognition in biomedical applications

The hybridization of single-stranded oligonucleotide-derivatized gold nanoparticles (Au nanoprobes) with double stranded complementary DNA was directly observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). This specific interaction is the basis for an Au nanoprobe-based homogeneous assay for specific DNA sequence detection, based on salt-induced particle aggregation that is prevented when a complementary target is present. For long DNA targets (linearized plasmid DNA) complicated hybridized target DNA-Au-nanoprobes structures were formed, that were interpreted as the basis for stability of the Au nanoprobes against salt-induced aggregation. For shorter DNA targets (PCR amplified fragments) hybridization with the Au nanoprobes occurred, in the majority of cases, in the expected location of the DNA target fragment containing the specific sequence. The formation of the observed DNA hybridized structures provides evidence at the molecular level for specific hybridization to the target sequence as the method of binding of the Au nanoprobes.     

Electric services and building fires

This paper discusses various issues regarding the supply of electric power and building fires. The scope of the paper is limited to services, service entrances and power supply. Electrical fires involving customer property are rarely caused by electric services or supply problems but instead are usually caused by customer systems and equipment. Physical evidence of shorting or faulting of the service or service entrance is commonly found at fire scenes but seldom is evidence of fire cause.Those service-related problems which do create fire hazards involve the customer system, physical damage, lightning, or improper service voltage. Fire hazards created by the connected service typically willinvolve either lightning or improper service voltage. Electric utilities are responsible for the supply system and for power supply within the system voltage range. Customers are responsible for premises wiring systems.     

Fit to forgive: Exploring the interaction between regulatory focus, repentance, and forgiveness.

Three studies, using diverse methodologies and measures, were conducted to examine the role that the regulatory focus of an injured party and of a transgressor (E. T. Higgins, 1997, 2000) plays in explaining the relationship between repentance and forgiveness. The authors predicted that when a victim's regulatory focus (i.e., promotion vs. prevention) was congruent (i.e., fit) with the regulatory focus of a transgressor's repentance (i.e., promotion vs. prevention), there would be greater forgiveness compared with when there was incongruence (i.e., mismatch). Three studies supported these predictions. The results also confirmed one potential explanation for why apologies are not always successful at eliciting forgiveness, namely, feeling right. This research suggests that regulatory focus theory can help inform the scientific study of forgiveness and its related processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Carl Bovill,Fractal Geometry in Architecture and Design – Boston: Birkhauser Verlag A.G., 1996

Nexus Network Journal - .     

Purification of serine racemase: biosynthesis of the neuromodulator D-serine

High levels of D-serine occur in mammalian brain, where it appears to be an endogenous ligand of the glycine site of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. In glial cultures of rat cerebral cortex, D-serine is enriched in type II astrocytes and is released upon stimulation with agonists of non-N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptors. The high levels of D-serine in discrete areas of rat brain imply the existence of a biosynthetic pathway. We have purified from rat brain a soluble enzyme that catalyzes the direct racemization of L-serine to D-serine. Purified serine racemase has a molecular mass of 37 kDa and requires pyridoxal 5'-phosphate for its activity. The enzyme is highly selective toward L-serine, failing to racemize any other amino acid tested. Properties such as pH optimum, Km values, and the requirement for pyridoxal phosphate resemble those of bacterial racemases, suggesting that the biosynthetic pathway for D-amino acids is conserved from bacteria to mammalian brain.     

Correlation of angiography and MR imaging in cerebral vasculitis

Sixty primary untreated squamous cell carcinomas were studied for C-erbB2 gene amplification by non-fluorescence in situ hybridization technique. Amplified tumour cells showed intranuclear dark brown, often paired signals under light microscopy. Twenty-two out of 60 tumours (36.6%) showed signs of amplification of different degree (+ to +). Considerable heterogeneity of C-erbB2 amplification per cell was seen within each amplified tumour. The proportion of amplified cells ranged between 10 and 90% in these tumours. The arrangement of C-erbB2 in clusters in most amplified tumours suggests that C-erbB2 amplification occurs intrachromosomally. No significant difference in the frequency of amplification was observed according to clinical stage or the histological patterns of the tumours. The results of the present study showed frequent amplification of C-erbB2 in cervical carcinoma on paraffin sections. This technique was found to be more sensitive than the Southern blot technique which could detect amplification in 14% of the tumours of the same cohort.