Ethnicity, Expressed Emotion, Attributions, and Course of Schizophrenia: Family Warmth Matters.

The authors examined the role of family factors and the course of schizophrenia by carrying out additional assessments and analyses in 2 previously published studies of Mexican American and Anglo American patients and families. The authors found partial support for an attributional model of relapse for families who are low in emotional overinvolvement. Attributions of control, criticism, and warmth together marginally predicted relapse. The data also indicated that for Mexican Americans, family warmth is a significant protective factor, whereas for Anglo Americans, family criticism is a significant risk factor. These findings suggest that the sociocultural context shapes the pathways by which family processes are related to the course of illness. Moreover, the warmth findings suggest that families may contribute to preventing relapse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preparation of transmission electron microscopy cross-section specimens of crack tips using focused ion beam milling

The preparation of transmission electron microscope (TEM) thin foil specimens from metal alloys containing cracks is usually thwarted by the difficulty in preventing preferential erosion of material along the flanks and at the tips of cracks. Recent developments in focused ion beam (FIB) micromachining methods have the potential to overcome this inherent problem. In this article we describe the development of new procedures, one using FIB alone and the other using a combination of FIB with more conventional ion milling to generate TEM specimens that largely retain the microstructural information at stress corrosion cracks in austentic alloys. Examples of corrosion product phase identification and interfacial segregation are included to verify that detailed information is not destroyed by ion bombardment during specimen preparation.     

Percutaneous radiologic drainage of pancreatic abscesses

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to review and report the patient selection, techniques, and results of percutaneous drainage of pancreatic abscesses by retrospective review. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-nine patients (46 men and 13 women) with a mean age of 44 years old had 80 pancreatic abscesses that were drained percutaneously under radiologic guidance (CT, n = 77; sonography, n = 2; and fluoroscopy, n = 1). Abscesses had a wide spectrum of causes, with alcoholic pancreatitis being most common, trauma second most common, and gallstones third. Ten patients had undergone surgery for pancreatic necrosis or abscess. Patients with pancreatic pseudocysts, necrosis, or acute fluid collections were excluded from this study. RESULTS: Of the 59 patients, 51 (86%) were cured with percutaneous drainage and antibiotic therapy. Of the patients who were not cured with percutaneous drainage, seven required surgery and one underwent repeat percutaneous drainage. In the 59 patients, complications included non-life-threatening bleeding in three patients. Ten of 59 patients (17%) had fistulas that spontaneously formed into the gastrointestinal tract. The duration of catheterization ranged from 4 to 119 days, with a mean duration of 33 days. The rate of mortality at 30 days after completion of percutaneous drainage was 8% (5 of 59). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous drainage was an effective therapy for this defined group of patients with pancreatic abscesses. Factors leading to the relatively high success rate described in this study likely included selection of patients; catheters of adequate size, number, and location; careful follow-up with appropriate catheter manipulations; and an integrated, cooperative approach whereby surgeons were willing to permit drainage to effect its benefits, rather than operating prematurely.     

Sublethal concentrations of mercury in river otters: monitoring environmental contamination

Hair, muscle, and liver mercury concentrations were determined in river otter (Lutra canadensis) carcasses collected from the lower coastal plain and piedmont of Georgia. Mean muscle and hair mercury concentrations were greater (P < 0.001) in otters from the lower coastal plain (4.42 and 24.25 mg/kg wet wt, respectively) compared to otters from the piedmont (1.48 and 15.24 mg/kg, respectively). Liver tissue from lower coastal plain otters averaged 7.53 mg/kg mercury. Mean fetus brain and muscle mercury concentrations were 1.03 and 1.58 mg/kg wet wt, respectively, and fetal muscle mercury concentrations were correlated (r = 0.92) with maternal muscle mercury concentrations. Comparison of mercury concentrations found in Georgia otters to those associated with adverse effects in otter and mink (Mustela vison), indicate sublethal contamination with concentrations in some individuals approaching that observed in experimentally dosed individuals that developed clinical signs of mercurialism. Mercury concentrations in fish from the lower coastal plain approached or exceeded concentrations demonstrated to be toxic to experimentally dosed otters.     

The Developing Starch Granule Part I. The Starch Content of Cereal Grains during their Development

When fertilization of developing cereal grains occurs, the pericarp (ovary wall) already contains starch granules. Hence the starch content of developing grains of wheat, triticale, rye, oats and barley commences at 30 or 40% of the dry weight. It increases only to 60 or 70% at ripeness when the pericarp has degenerated to bran layers and the endosperm is filled with stored starch granules and protein. All these cereals showed similar patterns of starch increase, with an inflexion at 40 to 50% starch due to degeneration of pericarp starch before endosperm deposition. In wheats and triticale there was a second inflexion at 50 to 60% starch caused by endosperm cells proliferating faster than they filled with starch granules. The rise and fall of rate of starch deposition coincided with the rise and fall of percentage of metabolic (non-storage) protein in the grain, calculated from total amino acid analyses. In the mature grain about 8% of the dry matter is not associated with starch and thus is non-endosperm tissues. About 70% of the remaining dry matter (endosperm) is starch. We suggest that fluctuations of metabolites and enzymes result from development or breakdown of groups of cells constituting distinct tissues in the grain.     

Poly(L‐lactic acid) with added α‐tocopherol and resveratrol: optical,physical, thermal and mechanical properties

Poly(L ‐lactic acid) (PLLA) films containing various concentrations of two natural antioxidants, α‐tocopherol and resveratrol, were fabricated by a melt compounding and compression molding process. The influence of the antioxidants on the optical properties such as color and UV‐visible light transmission was analyzed. The thermal, mechanical, rheological and physical properties of PLLA films with added antioxidants were assessed. PLLA films with added α‐tocopherol and resveratrol showed a yellowish brown color and the lightness was influenced by the presence of the antioxidants. The glass transition and melting temperatures were significantly reduced with the addition of antioxidants while enhanced thermal stability was observed, which could be a benefit and important for processing and production. PLLA films with added antioxidants were slightly more hydrophobic than neat PLLA. The combination effect of plasticizing and enhancement of the elastic modulus with differing concentrations of two antioxidants played a critical role in the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of PLLA films. The melt viscosity of the PLLA films with added antioxidants was substantially higher than that of neat PLLA. The higher melt viscosity and G′(ω) could be an indication of formation of entanglement between PLLA and the two antioxidants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Human performance under two different command and control paradigms

The paradoxical behaviour of a new command and control concept called Network Enabled Capability (NEC) provides the motivation for this paper. In it, a traditional hierarchical command and control organisation was pitted against a network centric alternative on a common task, played thirty times, by two teams. Multiple regression was used to undertake a simple form of time series analysis. It revealed that whilst the NEC condition ended up being slightly slower than its hierarchical counterpart, it was able to balance and optimise all three of the performance variables measured (task time, enemies neutralised and attrition). From this it is argued that a useful conceptual response is not to consider NEC as an end product comprised of networked computers and standard operating procedures, nor to regard the human system interaction as inherently stable, but rather to view it as a set of initial conditions from which the most adaptable component of all can be harnessed: the human.     

Land Use Planning and Bushfire Risk: CFA Referrals and the February 2009 Victorian Fire Area

The Victoria Planning Provisions (VPPs) include siting and design regulations incorporated into local government planning schemes to mitigate risk in areas prone to bushfires. Introduced in 1997, these provisions were previously called the Wildfire Management Overlay (WMO). Now updated and renamed the Bushfire Management Overlay (BMO), the provision's ongoing development has been informed by fire behaviour and how houses ignite. The aim of the research reported here, conducted following the catastrophic February 2009 Victorian fires, was to review dwelling losses in terms of the WMO's effectiveness. Empirical evidence compares house losses of dwellings referred to the Country Fire Authority (CFA) via the WMO, with overall house losses. The results suggest that proportionately fewer houses referred to the CFA were lost, compared with those not assessed under the WMO. It should be noted that other factors influenced the results, such as the houses assessed under the WMO being generally newer.     

A boronic acid-based fluorescent hydrogel for monosaccharide detection

A boronic acid-based anthracene fluorescent probe was functionalised with an acrylamide unit to incorporate into a hydrogel system for monosaccharide detection. In solution, the fluorescent probe displayed a strong fluorescence turn-on response upon exposure to fructose, and an expected trend in apparent binding constants, as judged by a fluorescence response where D-fructose>D-galactose>D-mannose>D-glucose. The hydrogel incorporating the boronic acid monomer demonstrated the ability to detect monosaccharides by fluorescence with the same overall trend as the monomer in solution with the addition of D-fructose resulting in a 10-fold enhancement (≤0.25 mol/L).     

Development of a bioprocess combined with membrane technology for the treatment and recycling of textile effluent

A mixed culture of dye-decolorising Pseudomonas spp. was immobilised on polyurethane foam, and used in a bench-scale continuous culture bioreactor to treat textile effluent for colour removal. The provision of soluble wheat starch (0.2% w/v) to the culture medium promoted growth of biomass and enhanced decolorisation of effluent in the bioreactor. The bioprocess was further combined with membrane filtration technology to improve the quality of treated effluent. The treated effluent showed 90, 82 and 60% reduction in COD, BOD₅ and toxicity levels, respectively, and had potential for re-use in dyeing processes. The colour difference of the cotton fabrics dyed using the treated effluent samples compared to those dyed using normal supply water was found to be industrially acceptable. The described process could improve treatment efficiency and allow water recycling within the textile factory.