Effects of supportive-expressive group therapy on pain in women with metastatic breast cancer.

Objective: To examine whether a group intervention including hypnosis can reduce cancer pain and trait hypnotizability would moderate these effects. Design: This randomized clinical trial examined the effects of group therapy with hypnosis (supportive-expressive group therapy) plus education compared to an education-only control condition on pain over 12 months among 124 women with metastatic breast cancer. Main Outcome Measures: Pain and suffering, frequency of pain, and degree of constant pain were assessed at baseline and 4-month intervals. Those in the treatment group also reported on their experiences using the hypnosis exercises. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that the intervention resulted in significantly less increase in the intensity of pain and suffering over time, compared to the education-only group, but had no significant effects on the frequency of pain episodes or amount of constant pain, and there was no interaction of the intervention with hypnotizability. Within the intervention group, highly hypnotizable participants, compared to those less hypnotizable, reported greater benefits from hypnosis, employed self-hypnosis more often outside of group, and used it to manage other symptoms in addition to pain. Conclusion: These results augment the growing literature supporting the use of hypnosis as an adjunctive treatment for medical patients experiencing pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Tailoring a fruit and vegetable intervention on ethnic identity: Results of a randomized study.

Objective: Many targeted interventions have been developed and tested with African Americans (AA); however, AAs are a highly heterogeneous group. One characteristic that varies across AAs is Ethnic Identity (EI). Little research has been conducted on how to incorporate EI into the design of health messages and programs. Design: We tested whether tailoring a print-based fruit and vegetable (F & V) intervention on EI would enhance program impact. AA adults were recruited from two integrated healthcare delivery systems and then randomized to receive three newsletters focused on F & V behavior change over three months. One set of newsletters was tailored only on demographic and social cognitive variables (control condition), whereas the other (experimental condition) was additionally tailored on EI. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome for the study was F & V intake, assessed at baseline and three months later using the composite of two brief self-report frequency measures. Results: A total of 560 eligible participants were enrolled, of which 468 provided complete 3-month follow-up data. The experimental group increased their daily mean F & V intake by 1.1 servings compared to .8 servings in the control group (p = .13). Afrocentric experimental group participants showed a 1.4 increase in F & V servings per day compared to a .43 servings per day increase among Afrocentric controls (p     

Influence of stressors on breast cancer incidence in the Women's Health Initiative.

Objective: To examine associations among life events stress, social support, and breast cancer incidence in a cohort of postmenopausal women. Design and main outcome measure: Women's Health Initiative observational study participants, breast cancer free at entry, who provided assessment of stressful life events, social support, and breast cancer risk factors, were prospectively followed for breast cancer incidence (n = 84,334). Results: During an average of 7.6 years of follow-up, 2,481 invasive breast cancers were diagnosed. In age-adjusted proportional hazards models, 1 stressful life event was associated with increased risk, but risk decreased with each additional stressful life event. After adjustment for confounders the decreasing risk was not significant. Stressful life events and social support appeared to interact in relation to breast cancer risk such that women who had greater number of stressful life events and low social support had a decreased risk of breast cancer. Conclusions: This study found no independent association between stressful life events and breast cancer risk. The results are compatible with a more complex model of psychosocial factors interacting in relation to breast cancer risk. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Large pore bi-functionalised mesoporous silica for metal ion pollution treatment

Here we demonstrate aminopropyl and mercatopropyl functionalised and bi-functionalised large pore mesoporous silica spheres to extract various metal ions from aqueous solutions towards providing active sorbents for mitigation of metal ion pollution. Elemental analysis (EA) and FTIR techniques were used to quantify the attachment of the aminopropyl and mercatopropyl functional groups to the mesoporous silica pore wall. Functionalisation was achieved by post-synthesis reflux procedures. For all functionalised silicas the functionalisation refluxing does not alter particle morphology/agglomeration of the particles. It was found that sorptive capacities of the mesoporous silica towards the functional groups were unaffected by co-functionalisation. Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and nitrogen adsorption techniques were used to establish the pore diameters, packing of the pores and specific surface areas of the modified mesoporous silica spheres. Atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) techniques were used to measure the extraction efficiencies of each metal ion species from solution at varying pHs. Maximum sorptive capacities (as metal ions) were determined to be 384micromolg(-1) for Cr, 340micromol g(-1) for Ni, 358micromol g(-1) for Fe, 364micromol g(-1) for Mn and 188micromol g(-1) for Pd.     

Effect of cylindrical confinement on the determination of laminar flame speeds using outwardly propagating flames

The effect of nonspherical (i.e. cylindrical) bomb geometry on the evolution of outwardly propagating flames and the determination of laminar flame speeds using the conventional constant-pressure technique is investigated experimentally and theoretically. The cylindrical chamber boundary modifies the propagation rate through the interaction of the wall with the flow induced by thermal expansion across the flame (even with constant pressure), which leads to significant distortion of the flame surface for large flame radii. These departures from the unconfined case, especially the resulting nonzero burned gas velocities, can lead to significant errors in flame speeds calculated using the conventional assumptions, especially for large flame radii. For example, at a flame radius of 0.5 times the wall radius, the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects can be low by ∼15% (even with constant pressure).A methodology to estimate the effect of nonzero burned gas velocities on the measured flame speed in cylindrical chambers is presented. Modeling and experiments indicate that the effect of confinement can be neglected for flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius while still achieving acceptable accuracy (within 3%). The methodology is applied to correct the flame speed for nonzero burned gas speeds, in order to extend the range of flame radii useful for flame speed measurements. Under the proposed scaling, the burned gas speed can be well approximated as a function of only flame radius for a given chamber geometry - i.e. the correction function need only be determined once for an apparatus and then it can be used for any mixture. Results indicate that the flow correction can be used to extract flame speeds for flame radii up to 0.5 times the wall radius with somewhat larger, yet still acceptable uncertainties for the cases studied. Flow-corrected burning velocities are measured for hydrogen and syngas mixtures at atmospheric and elevated pressures. Flow-corrected flame speeds in the small cylindrical chamber used here agree well with previously reported flame speeds from large spherical chambers. Previous papers presenting burning velocities from cylindrical chambers report performing data analysis on flame radii less than 0.5 or 0.6 times the wall radius, where the flame speed calculated neglecting confinement effects may be low by ∼15 or 20%, respectively. For cylindrical chambers, data analysis should be restricted to flame radii less than 0.3 times the wall radius or a flow correction should be employed to account for the burned gas motions.With regard to the design of future vessels, larger vessels that minimize the flow aberrations for the same flame radius are preferred. Larger vessels maximize the relatively unaffected region of data allowing for a more straightforward approach to interpret the experimental data.     

Fecal indicator bacteria are abundant in wet sand at freshwater beaches

Potential fecal contamination of sand in the wave-washed zone of public bathing beaches is overlooked in beach monitoring programs. Activity in this zone can bring pathogens to the sand surface or into the water, presenting a health risk to sensitive populations. On a unit weight basis (colony forming units per 100g), the mean summer abundance of the fecal indicator bacteria enterococci and Escherichia coli was 3-38 times higher in the top 20 cm of wet-sand cores than in the water column at six freshwater bathing beaches. E. coli were 4 times more abundant than enterococci in water but counts were similar in the sand. A correlation (r=0.60) existed between E. coli counts in the water and in the top 5 cm of sand only, whereas no relationship existed between enterococci abundance in water and sand. In general, enterococci were most numerous in the 5-10 cm sand stratum and E. coli in the 0-5 cm stratum. These preliminary data show that wet freshwater beach sand is a reservoir of fecal indicator bacteria. Enteric pathogens may also be present in beach sand.     

Atom probe tomography of reactor pressure vessel steels: an analysis of data integrity

In this work, the importance of optimising experimental conditions for the analysis of reactor pressure vessel (RPV) steels using atom probe tomography is explored. The quality of the resultant atom probe data is assessed in terms of detection efficiency, noise levels and mass resolution. It is demonstrated that artefacts can exist even when experimental conditions have been optimised. In particular, it is shown that surface diffusion of some minority species, including P and Si, to major poles prior to field evaporation can be an issue. The effects were most noticeable during laser pulsing.The impact of surface migration on the characterisation of dislocations and grain boundaries is assessed. The importance of selecting appropriate regions of the reconstructed data for subsequent re-analysis is emphasised.     

Discrimination of Swiss Cheese from 5 Different Factories by High Impact Volatile Organic Compound Profiles Determined by Odor Activity Value Using Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry and Odor Threshold

Swiss cheese contains more than 200 volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry has been utilized for the analysis of volatile compounds in food products; however, it is not sensitive enough to measure VOCs directly in the headspace of a food at low concentrations. Selected ion flow tube mass spectrometry (SIFT‐MS) provides a basis for determining the concentrations of VOCs in the head space of the sample in real time at low concentration levels of parts per billion/trillion by volume. Of the Swiss cheese VOCs, relatively few have a major impact on flavor quality. VOCs with odor activity values (OAVs) (concentration/odor threshold) greater than one are considered high‐impact flavor compounds. The objective of this study was to utilize SIFT‐MS concentrations in conjunction with odor threshold values to determine OAVs thereby identifying high‐impact VOCs to use for differentiating Swiss cheese from five factories and identify the factory variability. Seventeen high‐impact VOCs were identified for Swiss cheese based on an OAV greater than one in at least 1 of the 5 Swiss cheese factories. Of these, 2,3‐butanedione was the only compound with significantly different OAVs in all factories; however, cheese from any pair of factories had multiple statistically different compounds based on OAV. Principal component analysis using soft independent modeling of class analogy statistical differentiation plots, with all of the OAVs, showed differentiation between the 5 factories. Overall, Swiss cheese from different factories was determined to have different OAV profiles utilizing SIFT‐MS to determine OAVs of high impact compounds.     

Single and Binge Methamphetamine Administrations Have Different Effects on the Levels of Dopamine D2 Autoreceptor and Dopamine Transporter in Rat Striatum

Methamphetamine (METH) is a central nervous system psychostimulant with a high potential for abuse. At high doses, METH causes a selective degeneration of dopaminergic terminals in the striatum. Dopamine D2 receptor antagonists and dopamine transporter (DAT) inhibitors protect against neurotoxicity of the drug by decreasing intracellular dopamine content and, consequently, dopamine autoxidation and production of reactive oxygen species. In vitro, amphetamines regulate D2 receptor and DAT functions via regulation of their intracellular trafficking. No data exists on axonal transport of both proteins and there is limited data on their interactions in vivo. The aim of the present investigation was to examine synaptosomal levels of presynaptic D2 autoreceptor and DAT after two different regimens of METH and to determine whether METH affects the D2 autoreceptor-DAT interaction in the rat striatum. We found that, as compared to saline controls, administration of single high-dose METH decreased D2 autoreceptor immunoreactivity and increased DAT immunoreactivity in rat striatal synaptosomes whereas binge high-dose METH increased immunoreactivity of D2 autoreceptor and had no effect on DAT immunoreactivity. Single METH had no effect on D2 autoreceptor-DAT interaction whereas binge METH increased the interaction between the two proteins in the striatum. Our results suggest that METH can affect axonal transport of both the D2 autoreceptor and DAT in an interaction-dependent and -independent manner.     

Precipitation in solutions containing mixtures of synthetic anionic surfactant and soap. I. Effect of sodium octanoate on hardness tolerance of sodium dodecyl sulfate

The effect of sodium octanoate (SO) and pH on the precipitation of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) with calcium (hardness tolerance) in water was investigated. SO can exist as octanoate anion (O⁻) or as the protonated nonionic fatty acid (HO) with the HO/O⁻ ratio increasing with decreasing pH. At intermediate pH levels, SO or SO/SDS systems are composed of mixtures of anionic and nonionic surfactants, resulting in enhancement of micelle formation due to nonideal mixed micelle formation. Above the critical micelle concentration (CMC), the highest hardness tolerance at each pH level occurs at a mole ratio of 80∶20 SDS/SO due to synergism in the SDS/SO mixtures. This synergism also results in an increase in hardness tolerance of SDS with decreasing pH above the CMC.