On rating empathy and other psychotherapy variables: An experience with the effects of training.

Compared 3 methods of assessing the psychotherapist's empathy: (a) the Accurate Empathy Scale, (b) the Conjunctive Empathy Scale, and (c) the Raskin Empathy Scale. 5 moderately to very experienced judges rated 10 4-min segments of a tape-recorded psychotherapy session during pre- and posttraining phases. The mean reliability of the 3 scales increased significantly, and intercorrelations were nearly perfect when corrected for unreliability. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Performance evaluation of asynchronous,modular systems

A theoretical foundation is presented for a practical method of evaluating the expected performance of asynchronous, modular systems. Five basic types of asynchronous control modules are defined, which can be easily implemented using combinatorial logic. These modules can be used to control the execution of digital computations; and the result is a high degree of concurrency with true “speed-independence” (i.e. the correct operation of the system is not dependent on any relative timing assumptions). For such digital computations, methods are presented for estimating the expected execution time and throughput rate. Both deterministic and probabilistic models of computations are considered. For some restricted classes of computations, exact analytical solutions for the execution time are derived and for the general case, upper and lower bounds on the expected execution time are given.     

Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) initially seen as acute mastoiditis

Granulocytic sarcoma (chloroma) is a localized tumefaction of immature granulocytes that is typically seen in association with myelogenous leukemia. The primitive cell population seen in biopsy material may be misinterpreted as histiocytic lymphoma or other sarcoma unless additional studies are performed. We saw a 36-year-old woman with promyelocytic leukemia in remission who had the signs and symptoms of an acute coalescent mastoiditis. Histologic examination of the surgical specimen, however, demonstrated a granulocytic sarcoma. Our case exemplifies some of the difficulties that may be encountered in the diagnosis of granulocytic sarcoma and illustrates the point that symptoms of an inflammatory process in a patient with a diagnosis of leukemia must be regarded with a degree of suspicion.     

Sex-related differences in cadmium-induced alteration of drug action in the rat

A case of multiple adenocarcinoma arising from the kidney, bladder, and prostate is presented with a relevant discussion of the possible factors of pathogenesis. A staged approach of radical extirpative surgery is suggested.     

Perennial mystery of poor agreement among criteria for psychotherapy outcome.

Discusses S. Garfield, R. Prager, and A. Bergin's (see pa, vol. 47:issue 5) finding of little relationship among criteria and most change on global ratings of improvement which they believe are the most biased. Values of the global improvement ratings are discussed. Patient and therapist (and supervisor) have intimate knowledge of the specific areas needing change; many other measures are nonspecific or insensitive to change, and since therapeutic gains may be small, intercorrelations among criteria may be limited. Some of the statistics are questioned: raw gain scores are of questionable value; the relative importance of changes on the "other measures" is unclear; and considering the unreliability of single item ratings, the amount of the interrelationship among different criteria is not to be dismissed as slight. Furthermore, rotation of their factor matrix showed patient, therapist, and supervisor ratings of change loading the same factor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An examination of common concerns about rational–emotive therapy.

Examines some of the more frequent concerns and criticisms about rational–emotive therapy, including issues of relationship factors, emotive aspects, values, religious concerns, and intervention techniques and styles in therapy. (20 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exposure assessment to preformed environmental N-nitroso compounds from the point of view of our own studies

The largest human exposure to N-nitrosamines is in the industrial section. Leather tanners are exposed to N-nitrosodimethylamine at levels up to 47 microgram/m3, corresponding to 440 microgram/person/day. Workers in the curing area of tire factories are exposed to N-nitrosomorpholine at levels up to 27 microgram/m3, corresponding to a intake of 250 microgram/person/day. These industrial exposures are considerably greater than exposure via foodstuffs, beer, cosmetics, cutting fluids and herbicides.     

The DNA extruded by rat spleen cells in culture

1. Part of the DNA extruded by cultured rat spleen cells occurs in the form of a low density lipid complex. 2. The present work indicates that this complex is also associated with protein but not with RNA and its elementary properties have been studied. 3. For example, it is destroyed by freezing and thawing or by deoxycholate treatment and small quantities of copper salts added to the medium may either inhibit or stimulate its release depending on the conditions.