Alcoholism at the time of injury among trauma center patients: Vehicular crash victims compared with other patients

A structured in-depth interview employing standardized criteria was used to determine the prevalence of lifetime and current alcohol dependence (alcoholism) in unselected consecutive patients admitted to a regional Level I trauma center. Of 629 patients, 157 (25.0%) were current alcoholics at the time of injury. An additional 87 (13.8%) were diagnosed as lifetime non-current alcoholics. There was no significant difference in the rates of current alcohol dependence among patients injured in vehicular crashes (23.5%), other unintentional trauma victims (29.3%), and those injured as a result of violence (24.6%). Of BAC + (blood alcohol concentration positive) patients, 54.5% were current alcoholics. However, 14.4% of alcohol-negative patients were also diagnosed as alcohol dependent.     

Flocculation behavior of some cationic polyelectrolytes

The settling rates and adsorption isotherms produced by a variety of suites of cationic polyelectrolytes in 3% kaolin suspensions were measured. Settling rates increased with molar mass even for low-mass, high-charge polymers. The very high settling rates produced by cationic copolymers of acrylamide decreased as the charge density of the polymer used increased. Hydrolysis of unbuffered polymers occurred over time and produced large changes in the effectiveness of the polymers. This is attributed to conformational changes. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

The preparation and properties of coprecipitated Cu–Zr–Y and Cu–Zr–La catalysts used for the steam reforming of methanol

Several samples of exhaust diesel soot are investigated by inverse gas chromatography and linear solvation energy relationship (LSER) modelling according to their soluble organic fraction content and their time of exposure in oxidative conditions. The results demonstrate the evolution of the adsorptive properties of the studied materials towards volatile compounds during the oxidation under NO₂.     

Projection of the sexually dimorphic area of the gerbil hypothalamus to the retrorubral field is essential for male sexual behavior: Role of A8 and other cells.

To determine if the sexually dimorphic area (SDA) of the gerbil hypothalamus affects male sexual behavior through its projections to the retrorubral field (RRF) or ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (PAGvl), these pathways were lesioned asymmetrically. Unilateral radio frequency lesions of the lateral SDA (LSDA), the major source of the pathways, impaired mating when combined with contralateral RRF, but not PAGvl, lesions. N-methyl-{d}-aspartate (NMDA) lesions of the medial SDA, LSDA, and the area between them (the total pathway source) eliminated mating when combined with contralateral, but not ipsilateral, NMDA lesions of the RRF. To determine if A8 cells contributed to these effects, males received NMDA in the SDA and NMDA or 6-hydroxydopamine in the contralateral RRF. When combined with large SDA lesions, A8 lesions impaired but did not eliminate mating. Thus the SDA–RRF pathway, but not an SDA-A8 pathway, is essential for sexual behavior in male gerbils. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Use of pooled time series in the study of naturally occurring clinical events and problem behavior in a foster care setting.

Pooled time series is an underused analytic technique with the potential to increase researchers' ability to exploit clinical data. This article demonstrates the value of pooled time series by analyzing the behavior of youths in a specialized foster care treatment setting in response to a naturally occurring clinical event: changes in the number of youths living together in a treatment foster care setting. Pooled time series moves beyond typical clinical analyses with an increased capability of controlling statistically for complex within-S effects and with a clinically useful measure of effect size. The complexity of the intra-S data made it virtually impossible to determine the relevant significance (i.e., clinical meaning) of the clinical event by the use of standard n?=?1 visual analysis procedures or standard statistical methods (e.g., chi square). After things such as autocorrelation and individual time trends were statistically controlled, each additional youth increased the number of problematic behaviors by one behavior per youth per day on the Parent Daily Report. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improving graduate student performance in cognitive assessment: The saga continues.

Investigators have concluded that excessive numbers of errors in test administration and scoring are routinely committed by both graduate students and practicing psychologists. Developing new methods for teaching assessment is viewed as a major means of improving competency. Unlike previous studies, this investigation examined the impact of both lecture and laboratory interventions designed to improve graduate student performance in assessment. Interventions consisted of weekly lecture quizzes and a variety of laboratory interventions. The results suggest that the interventions used can significantly improve students' lecture and laboratory performance when compared with controls. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pulp Pulpits: Self-Disclosure on "Donahue"

This study examines why people choose to self-disclose on "Donahue" and what role television plays in their lives prior to disclosure. Focused interviews were conducted with 29 informants between the ages of 12 and 68 who had appeared on the program. Analysis revealed that an evangelical fervor underpinned their decision, overshadowing other concerns about disclosure in a public forum. Informants generally reported low levels of television viewing. They held a pragmatic view of talk shows as avenues to reach a dual audience that included the mainstream public and members of their out-groups. Television disclosure is a tactic in a counterhegemonic struggle. Respondents utilized numerous impression management techniques in their efforts to manage their stigmatized status. Participants on "Donahue" risk co-optation, but running the gauntlet of criticism and ridicule allows an opportunity for delabeling rarely afforded to out-groups.     

Two studies of the long-term follow-up of minimal therapist contact treatments of vascular and tension headache.

Tension and vascular headache patients, initially treated with biofeedback and/or relaxation training in either a minimal therapist contact protocol (3 visits) or an intensive individual protocol (10 or 16 visits) were followed-up prospectively for 2 years. In the first study, for the first 6 months of follow-up, half of all patients continued to keep headache diaries and were seen monthly and the other half had only minimal contact. The results at 1-year follow-up, based on 4 weeks of daily headache diaries, revealed equally good maintenance from both treatment protocols and from both follow-up conditions. In Study 2, we found that patients remained improved over pretreatment baseline levels at the 2-year follow-up regardless of initial treatment intensity. Approximately three quarters of vascular patients who were initially improved at posttreatment remained improved at 2 years. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group therapy for adult women survivors of child sexual abuse: Differentiation of completers versus dropouts.

Examined intake profiles of 54 depressed women survivors of child sexual abuse presenting for a specialized group therapy program at a community mental health center. The 32 therapy completers were compared with the 22 dropouts. Both groups possessed extensive and severe childhood and adult abuse histories. Both were extremely socially disadvantaged and clinically impaired as measured on the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI). Dropouts were more likely to have been battered as children and to have been sexually abused only within the family. Completers were more likely to have been multiply offended both by intrafamilial and extrafamilial perpetrators. The groups differed in terms of marital status and extent of economic dependence on spouse. Dropouts appeared to be more actively enmeshed in the abuse cycle at the time of therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On transitive orientations with restricted covering graphs

We consider the problem of finding a transitive orientation of a comparability graph, such that the edge set of its covering graph contains a given subset of edges. We propose a solution which employs the classical technique of modular tree decomposition. The method leads to a polynomial time algorithm to construct such an orientation or report that it does not exist.