Substance use disorders in a geriatric psychiatry outpatient clinic: prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics

The effects of linoleic acid, linoleic acid anilide, and arachidonic acid on the expression of CD11b/ CD18, CD11c/CD18 integrins and L-selectin on human neutrophils were studied by flow cytometry in a whole blood assay. None of these compounds had any effect on the basal expression of CD11b, CD11c, or L-selectin in the concentration range of 20-100 microM. However, linoleic acid at a concentration of 1000 microM slightly up-regulated CD11b and CD11c by a factor of 2.1 and 1.7, respectively. Linoleic acid, linoleic acid anilide, and arachidonic acid did not affect the formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine induced up-regulation of CD11b or CD11c. However, linoleic acid and linoleic acid anilide slightly inhibited the phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-induced expression of CD11b, which was decreased by 27 and 21% at concentrations of 100 and 1000 microM, respectively. Likewise, arachidonic acid at 40 microM inhibited the PMA-induced expression of CD11b by 19%. Our results suggest that linoleic acid, linoleic acid anilide, and arachidonic acid do not dramatically affect the expression of leukocyte adhesion molecules in a whole blood assay.     

Electron interference oscillations and spin-density-wave energy gaps at the Fermi surface of antiferromagnetic chromium

A chain model incorporating the periodicity of the incommensurate spin density wave is used to describe the Fermi surface of antiferromagnetic chromium, and is found to give excellent semiquantitative agreement with much of the de Haas-van Alphen data obtained by other investigators. New experimental data are presented which confirm the anomalous features of the transverse magnetoresistance oscillations observed in antiferromagnetic chromium with the spin density wave vector Q[001], the current J[010], and the magnetic field H in the (010) plane near [100]. These anomalous features are explained with the help of the chain model as arising from a quantum interference effect in the transport of charge along open orbits in the direction of Q. Estimates are obtained from our experimental data for the size of the magnetic breakdown fields that characterize the interferometer trajectories, and hence for the energy gaps on the Fermi surface associated with the spin density wave. Previous theoretical estimates of the magnetic breakdown fields obtained by a perturbation calculation for a model of tight-binding s electrons are in poor agreement with our values.Work supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council.     

Change mechanisms in EMG biofeedback training: Cognitive changes underlying improvements in tension headache.

43 college students suffering from recurrent tension headache were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 EMG biofeedback training conditions. Although all Ss were led to believe they were learning to decrease frontal EMG activity, actual feedback was contingent on decreased EMG activity for half of the Ss and increased EMG activity for the other half. Within these 2 groups, Ss also viewed bogus video displays designed to convince them they were achieving large (high success) or small (moderate success) reductions in EMG activity. Results show that regardless of actual changes in EMG activity, Ss receiving high-success feedback had substantially greater improvement in headache activity (53%) than Ss receiving moderate success feedback (26%). Performance feedback was also related to score changes in locus of control and self-efficacy measures administered pre- and posttreatment. Changes in these 2 cognitive variables during biofeedback training were correlated with reductions in headache activity following treatment, while changes in EMG activity exhibited during training were uncorrelated with outcome. (54 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Specific and nonspecific effects in the biofeedback treatment of tension headache: 3-Year follow-up.

In a previous study by the present authors (see record 1980-32946-001), 39 tension headache sufferers were assigned either to no treatment, standard biofeedback, or 1 of 2 biofeedback control procedures to test factors mediating the effectiveness of biofeedback. No differences were found between the 3 biofeedback conditions, indicating that learned reductions of frontal EMG activity had little to do with the observed treatment effect. Three-year follow-up collected from 28 of the 39 original Ss revealed high levels of maintenance for all biofeedback groups but again showed that reductions in EMG activity were unrelated to long-term maintenance. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that cognitive and behavioral factors may underlie biofeedback's treatment effect. (4 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the behaviour of open-topped oil storage tanks in high winds. Part I. Aerodynamic aspects

Measurements are presented of the mean, r.m.s. and spectral components of the pressure distribution over the surfaces of an open-topped oil storage tank, derived from experiments on a 1/250 scale model immersed in a wind-tunnel simulation of an atmospheric boundary layer. In qualitative terms it is shown how the principal features of the pressure-distribution statistics are linked to the gross features of the air flow in the immediate vicinity of the tank. By comparing these results with data from other sources, some indications are given as to how changes in the structure itself and in the structure of the incident air flow affect the pressure distribution and air flow near the tank.     

Lead-induced solid metal embrittlement of an excess silicon Al−Mg−Si alloy at temperatures of −4°C to 80°C

It is shown that minute (e. g., <500 ppm) additions of heavy metal impurities (e. g., Pb, Bi) can induce sustained load cracking at ambient temperatures in Al−Mg−Si alloys. This article describes experiments designed to elucidate the role of Pb level, test temperature, strain rate, and stress state on the observed cracking phenomena. Sustained load cracking was observed at temperatures as low as −4°C in either air or vacuum with the rate of crack growth and the apparent threshold value for crack growth being strongly influenced by the amount of lead (i.e., internal) in the alloy. The fracture mode was strongly affected by the test temperature, Pb level, strain rate, and the imposed stress intensity level,K. Fracture in the low-lead (i.e., <10 ppm) alloys was predominantly by intergranular microvoid coalescence (IGMVC), while fracture in the higher lead alloys was predominantly by low ductility intergranular fracture (LDIGF) when the crack-tip strain rate was sufficiently low. High-resolution scanning electron micrographs taken from LDIGF surfaces suggested minimal deformation, while surface analyses of these surfaces performed using both laser microprobe mass spectroscopy (LMMS) and high-resolution scanning auger microscopy indicated that lead was primarily responsible for the LDIGF cracking phenomenon. Lead was observed both on the surfaces of fractured specimens as well as in subsurface cracks not contiguous with the macroscopic cracks. An external supply of Pbvia the application of either solid Pb or a Pb−Bi alloy to the external surfaces of specimens held under sustained load promoted LDIGF, decreased thresholdK’s, and increased the rate of crack growth. The phenomena and possible mechanisms of heavy metal impurity-induced cracking at ambient temperatures in aluminum alloys are discussed. Y.S. KIM, formerly with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, is with the Welding Research Center, Research Institute of Industrial Science and Technology (RIST), Pohang 790-600, Korea.     

Acoustic emission sensors for OEM applications

The acoustic emission (AE) technique is concerned with the detection of structure-borne ultrasonic activity that is naturally generated during the operation of all structures, machinery and processes. Most examples of its application involve the purchase and use of commercially available instrumentation by end-users. To satisfy these demands AE instrumentation has evolved into various forms for use by researchers, engineers and craftpersons. The increasing credibility of AE as a robust industrial measurement technique is creating opportunities for AE sensing to be built into machinery by original equipment manufacturers. In this paper, the evolution of AE technology towards an OEM technique is described and illustrated with examples of some of the information AE can provide in the industrial environment     

The neural basis of human error processing: Reinforcement learning, dopamine, and the error-related negativity.

The authors present a unified account of 2 neural systems concerned with the development and expression of adaptive behaviors: a mesencephalic dopamine system for reinforcement learning and a "generic" error-processing system associated with the anterior cingulate cortex. The existence of the error-processing system has been inferred from the error-related negativity (ERN), a component of the event-related brain potential elicited when human participants commit errors in reaction-time tasks. The authors propose that the ERN is generated when a negative reinforcement learning signal is conveyed to the anterior cingulate cortex via the mesencephalic dopamine system and that this signal is used by the anterior cingulate cortex to modify performance on the task at hand. They provide support for this proposal using both computational modeling and psychophysiological experimentation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of Leptospira hardjo vaccine in a northern Queensland beef herd

In a northern Queensland beef herd where there was serological evidence of L. hardjo infection, lactation failure or wastage between pregnancy diagnosis and branding was 11.9% in animals vaccinated with a single dose of a L. hardjo vaccine and 19.4% in unvaccinated controls. This difference was statistically significant (P less than 0.05). Vaccination caused a significant (P less than 0.05) reduction in rate of lactation failure in heifers but not in other classes of cows.