Sol Garfield, have you not heard about family psychotherapy?

Responds to S. Garfield's (see record 1981-33210-001) article appraising the progress and claims of psychotherapy over the last 40 yrs. It is argued that Garfield failed to mention the impact and existence of the psychotherapeutic modality of family therapy and that his focus on the progress and claims of psychotherapy is thus incomplete. Garfield's exclusion of family therapy is seen as characteristic of the current interface between individual psychology and family theory. It is argued that it is possible to integrate individual psychology with systems theory and associated therapies and that such an integration and progression to systems thinking is a logical and necessary step in the development of psychotherapy. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enhanced specificity of truncated transmembrane protein for serologic confirmation of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) and HTLV-2 infections by western blot (immunoblot) assay containing recombinant envelope glycoproteins

Immunoassays based on the highly immunogenic transmembrane protein of human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) (protein 21c) are capable of detecting antibodies in all individuals infected with HTLV-1 and HTLV-2. However, because of antigenic mimicry with other cellular and viral proteins, such assays also have a large proportion of false-positive reactions. We have recently identified an immunodominant epitope, designated GD21-I located within amino acids 361 to 404 of the transmembrane protein, that appears to eliminate such false positivity. This recombinant GD21-I protein was used in conjunction with additional recombinant HTLV type-specific proteins and a whole virus lysate to develop a modified Western blot (immunoblot) assay (HTLV WB 2.4). The sensitivity and specificity of this assay were evaluated with 352 specimens whose infection status was determined by PCR assay for the presence or absence of HTLV-1/2 proviral sequences. All HTLV-1-positive (n = 102) and HTLV-2-positive (n = 107) specimens reacted with GD21-1 in the HTLV WB 2.4 assay, yielding a test sensitivity of 100%. Furthermore, all specimens derived from individuals infected with different viral subtypes of HTLV-1 (Cosmopolitan, Japanese, and Melanesian) and HTLV-2 (IIa0, a3, a4, IIb1, b4, and b5) reacted with GD21-I in the HTLV WB 2.4 assay. More importantly, HTLV WB 2.4 analysis of 81 PCR-negative specimens, all of which reacted to recombinant protein 21e in the presence or absence of p24 and p19 reactivity in the standard WB assay, showed that only two specimens retained reactivity to GD21-I, yielding an improved test specificity for the transmembrane protein of 97.5%. None of 41 specimens with gag reactivity only or 21 HTLV-negative specimens demonstrated reactivity to GD21-I. In an analysis of additional specimens (n = 169) from different geographic areas for which PCR results were not available, a substantial increase in the specificity of GD21-I detection was demonstrated, with no effect on the sensitivity of GD21-I detection among specimens from seropositive donors. Thus, the highly sensitive, GD21-I-based HTLV WB 2.4 assay eliminates the majority of false-positive transmembrane results, thereby increasing the specificity for serologic confirmation of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2 infections.     

Microbial resistance: what is to be done? Information from the panel of experts

This document represents the recommendations of a panel of Spanish experts on antibiotic use and resistance. In a Task Force, under the auspices of the Spanish Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs that took place in 1994 in Madrid, the members were gravely concerned about the national increase in antibiotic resistance. They analysed the development, evolution and spread of antibiotic resistance among community-acquired human bacterial pathogens in Spain, its relation with antibiotic consumption, and they proposed future surveillance strategies for monitoring the patterns of antibiotic use and consumption. Success will require a collective action among the producers (pharmaceutical industry), prescribers (doctors, veterinarians), dispensers (pharmacists), and consumers (patients). Two similar documents have been recently published by the American Society of Microbiology and the World Health Organization showing the global concern about this topic.     

A digitally temperature-compensated crystal oscillator

The base frequency of oscillators used in the Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) network or Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver applications needs to be very stable with respect to temperature and supply-voltage variations. One approach to obtain extremely good frequency stability is the use of oven-stabilized crystal oscillators. With this kind of oscillator, a frequency stability versus temperature of a few ppb versus the standard temperature range can be achieved. In this paper, a digitally compensated crystal oscillator is described. The system provides a frequency stability of (Δf)/f<1.5 ppm for a temperature range of -40°C to 90°C compared to about ±20 ppm for a noncompensated crystal. The core of the system is an application-specified integrated circuit (ASIC) fabricated in a standard 0.8-μm CMOS process. The power consumption for the oscillator running at 13 MHz is 100 mW. The final device equipped with the ASIC, crystal blank, and a few external components fits into a 14×9×3 mm³ package     

Raman and infrared spectroscopic investigations on aqueous alkali metal phosphate solutions and density functional theory calculations of phosphate-water clusters

Phosphate (PO(4)(3-)) solutions in water and heavy water have been studied by Raman and infrared spectroscopy over a broad concentration range (0.0091-5.280 mol/L) including a hydrate melt at 23 degrees C. In the low wavenumber range, spectra in R-format have been constructed and the R normalization procedure has been briefly discussed. The vibrational modes of the tetrahedral PO(4)(3-)(aq) (T(d) symmetry) have been assigned and compared to the calculated values derived from the density functional theory (DFT) method for the unhydrated PO(4)(3-)(T(d)) and phosphate-water clusters: PO(4)(3-).H(2)O (C(2v)), PO(4)(3-).2H(2)O (D(2d)), PO(4)(3-).4H(2)O (D(2d)), PO(4)(3-).6H(2)O (T(d)), and PO(4)(3-).12H(2)O (T), a cluster with a complete first hydration sphere of water molecules. A cluster with a second hydration sphere of 12 water molecules and 6 in the first sphere, PO(4)(3-).18H(2)O (T), has also been calculated. Agreement between measured and calculated vibrational modes is best in the case of the PO(4)(3-).12H(2)O cluster and the PO(4)(3-).18H(2)O cluster but far less so in the case of the unhydrated PO(4)(3-) or phosphate-water cluster with a lower number of water molecules than 12. The asymmetric, broad band shape of v(1)(a(1)) PO(4)(3-) in aqueous solutions has been measured as a function of concentration and the asymmetric and broad band shape was explained. However, the same mode in heavy water has only half the full width at half-height compared to the mode in normal water. The PO(4)(3-) is strongly hydrated in aqueous solutions. This has been verified by Raman spectroscopy comparing v(2)(H(2)O), the deformation mode of water, and the stretching modes, the v(1)OH and v(3)OH of water, in K(3)PO(4) solutions as a function of concentration and comparison with the same modes in pure water. A mode at approximately 240 cm(-1) (isotropic R spectrum) has been detected and assigned to the restricted translational mode of the strong hydrogen bonds formed between phosphate and water, P-O...HOH. In very concentrated K(3)PO(4) solutions (C(0) > or = 3.70 mol/L) and in the hydrate melt, formation of contact ion pairs (CIPs) could be detected. The phosphate in the CIPs shows a symmetry lowering of the T(d) symmetry to C(3v). In the less concentrated solutions, PO(4)(3-)(aq) solvent separated ion pairs and doubly solvent separated ion pairs exist, while in very dilute solutions fully hydrated ions are present (C(0) < or = 0.005 mol/L). Quantitative Raman measurements have been carried out to follow the hydrolysis of PO(4)(3-)(aq) over a very broad concentration range. From the hydrolysis data, the pK(3) value for H(3)PO(4) has been determined to be 12.45 at 23 degrees C.     

Size and surface effects on the MRI relaxivity of manganese ferrite nanoparticle contrast agents

Superparamagnetic MnFe2O4 nanocrystals of different sizes were synthesized in high-boiling ether solvent and transferred into water using three different approaches. First, we applied a ligand exchange in order to form a water soluble polymer shell. Second, the particles were embedded into an amphiphilic polymer shell. Third, the nanoparticles were embedded into large micelles formed by lipids. Although all approaches lead to effective negative contrast enhancement, we observed significant differences concerning the magnitude of this effect. The transverse relaxivity, in particular r2*, is greatly higher for the micellar system compared to the polymer-coated particles using same-sized nanoparticles. We also observed an increase in transverse relaxivities with increasing particle size for the polymer-coated nanocrystals. The results are qualitatively compared with theoretical models describing the dependence of relaxivity on the size of magnetic spheres.     

Electronic Kaleidoscopes for the Mind

The goal ofthis article is to present an informal introduction and tutorial on aestheticallypleasing kaleidoscopic images. The article is intended for the non-mathematical reader interested in computer art. Simple generating formulas and recipes are included.     

A hybrid,finite element—finite difference approach to simplified large deflection analysis of structures

A new and considerably simplified solution technique for geometrically nonlinear problems is introduced. In contrast to the existing numerical methods, the present approach obtains an approximate large deflection pattern from the linear displacement vector by successively employing updated correction factors. Conservation of energy principle yields a general expression for these subsequent corrections. While the linear portion of the strain energy can be computed using finite element approach, evaluations of its nonlinear counterparts often require mathematical discretization techniques. The simple, self-correcting iterative procedure is unconditionally stable and its fast oscillatory convergence offers further computational efficiency. To illustrate the application of the proposed method and to assess its accuracy, moderately large deflections of beam, plate and flexible cable structures have been computed and compared with known analytical solutions. If required, the obtained results—which are acceptable for most design purposes—can be further improved.     

Filaments for Incandescent Lamps with Energy Conserving Envelopes

The design considerations for filaments in energy conserving incandescent lamps are described. Such lamps require compact high emissivity filaments to absorb infrared radiation reflected from heat mirrored focusing envelopes. The relationships between the electrical parameters in the radiation returning environment and in the clear surroundings are developed. Efficiency experiments with filaments of various geometries under conditions of radiation return were performed. A highly compact coiled coil filament seems most promising for development. A calculation is presented of the filament emissivity as a function of spacing of the windings in a coil. Measurements of the emissivity as a function of the pitch of a coiled coil filament agree with the calculation.