Complex HIV treatment regimens and patient quality of life.

Recent advances in the treatment of HIV/AIDS have led to medical improvements for persons living with the virus. As a result, many now think of HIV infection as a chronic rather than a terminal illness. Along with this shift comes the understanding that individuals now live with treatments that require long-term adherence to regimens that are often complex, time consuming, and not without deleterious side effects. The greater life expectancy, nature of new treatments and their dependence on regimented adherence has recently led to the investigation of psychosocial variables loosely categorized as quality of life (QOL). Although there has been relatively little research on the topic in relation to new HIV therapies, what is known is that QOL--with all of its complications and dimensions--appears to play an essential role in HIV and HIV treatment. Moreover, QOL would seem to be a most worthwhile component to further investigations of improved therapies and betterment for the lives of infected individuals. The following literature review discusses these issues, highlights key research findings, and provides directions for further research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

If you want to know, consider asking: How likely is it that patients will hurt themselves in the future?

Although self-harming behavior is a common and costly problem for psychiatric inpatients released from the hospital, standardized tools that assess patients' risk for self-harm are rarely used in clinical settings. In this study of dually diagnosed psychiatric inpatients (N = 147), we assessed the utility of patients' self-perceptions of risk in predicting self-harm in the community. Patients' self-perceptions of risk predicted self-harm 8 weeks after discharge from the hospital (Lag 1; area under the curve [AUC] = 0.75). Self-perceptions of risk at the 8-week interview also predicted self-harm 2 months later (Lag 2; AUC = 0.72). Self-perceived risk added predictive utility above and beyond scores on a measure of depression and seemed to capture changes in risk state over time. The results suggest that inpatients can accurately perceive their own risk and therefore may be important collaborators in the risk management process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Trauma, binge eating, and the “strong Black woman”.

Objective: The primary goal of this study was to test a culturally specific model of binge eating in African American female trauma survivors, investigating potential mechanisms through which trauma exposure and distress were related to binge eating symptomatology. Method: Participants were 179 African American female trauma survivors who completed questionnaires about traumatic experiences; emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties; self-silencing (prioritizing others' needs and adopting external self-evaluation standards); eating for psychological reasons; binge eating; and internalization of “Strong Black Woman” (SBW) ideology, an important cultural symbol emphasizing strength and self-sufficiency. Results: Structural path analysis supported the proposed model in which SBW ideology, emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties, and eating for psychological reasons mediated the relationship between trauma exposure/distress and binge eating. The proposed model provided better fit to the data than several competing models. Conclusions: These findings suggest that among African American trauma survivors, trauma exposure and distress predict greater internalization of SBW ideology, which is associated with emotional inhibition/regulation difficulties, eating for psychological reasons, and ultimately binge eating. Implications of these findings for assessment, treatment, and prevention efforts are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unearthing the Infrastructure: Humans and Sensors in Field-Based Scientific Research

Distributed sensing systems for studying scientific phenomena are critical applications of information technologies. By embedding computational intelligence in the environment of study, sensing systems allow researchers to study phenomena at spatial and temporal scales that were previously impossible to achieve. We present an ethnographic study of field research practices among researchers in the Center for Embedded Networked Sensing (CENS), a National Science Foundation Science & Technology Center devoted to developing wireless sensing systems for scientific and social applications. Using the concepts of boundary objects and trading zones, we trace the processes of collaborative research around sensor technology development and adoption within CENS. Over the 10-year lifespan of CENS, sensor technologies, sensor data, field research methods, and statistical expertise each emerged as boundary objects that were understood differently by the science and technology partners. We illustrate how sensing technologies were incompatible with field-based environmental research until researchers “unearthed” their infrastructures, explicitly reintroducing human skill and expertise into the data collection process and developing new collaborative languages that emphasized building dynamic sensing systems that addressed human needs. In collaborating around a dynamic sensing model, the sensing systems became embedded not in the environment of study, but in the practices of the scientists.     

Exaggerated anxiety is not unique to CO? in panic disorder: A comparison of hypercapnic and hypoxic challenges.

Current biological models of panic disorder (PD) assert that this disorder is maintained by hypersensitivity to carbon dioxide (CO?) and related asphyxia cues, which is manifested as an exaggerated suffocation alarm (D. F. Klein, see record 1993-37796-001). Because suffocation can result from both increased CO? (hypercapnia) and decreased oxygen (O?; hypoxia), this study examined respiratory responding and anxiety during 5% CO? (a hypercapnic challenge) and 12% O? (a hypoxic challenge) in 14 PD patients and 14 matched controls (MC). Results demonstrate that irrespective of the source of suffocation, PD patients respond with increased anxiety relative to MC participants. Significant group differences were observed in respiratory functioning, with the PD patients showing higher respiratory rates in response to both challenges. The MC sample demonstrated the expected respiratory responses to both hypercapnia and hypoxia. The findings indicate that PD patients are hypersensitive to alterations in breathing and that this reactivity is not specific to CO?. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis of N-acetyllactosamine derivatives with variation in the aglycon moiety for the study of inhibition of sialyl Lewis x expression

Herein we describe an inhibition study of the sialyl Lewis x (sLe(x)) expression on a human monocytic cell line (U937), using a series of peracetylated N-Acetyllactosamine (LacNAc) analogues with variation at the aglycon moiety. It was found that the extent of inhibition was related to the hydrophobicity and structure of the aglycon. In general, peracetylated LacNAc analogues with a naphthyl or biphenyl aglycon (3, 4, 6, and 7) were better in suppression of sLe(x) expression than a benzyl derivative (2). Steady-state kinetic experiments with human alpha-1,3-fucosyltransferases IV and VI (FucT IV and VI, EC 2.4.1.65) revealed that the deacetylated LacNAc-aglycons with naphthyl (18, 19, and 20) or biphenyl (17) moieties exhibited higher affinity to the fucosyltransferases than aglycon moieties with smaller hydrophobic groups (14, 15, and 16). These results are in agreement with the findings of the U937 cell-based experiments, and suggest that the higher enzyme affinity LacNAc-aglycons make better acceptor decoys and, hence, the observed differences in LacNAc-aglycon inhihitory effects on sLe(x) expression.     

葡萄串模式与“三级自然”

为准确把握建构城乡生态结构和空间属性,提出第一自然与第二自然加人工景观的“三级自然理论“。第二自然即纯地理的自然生态景观,包括雪山、原始森林、生物多样性等;第二自然多指农业文明意象：农田、川西特有林盘、水利工程等人文景观,“第三自然”即人造景观,相对于人或城市,是一种客观存在的“自然”。     

Sleep and errors in a group of Australian hospital nurses at work and during the commute

There is a paucity of information regarding Australian nurses' sleep and fatigue levels, and whether they result in impairment. Forty-one Australian hospital nurses completed daily logbooks for one month recording work hours, sleep, sleepiness, stress, errors, near errors and observed errors (made by others). Nurses reported exhaustion, stress and struggling to remain (STR) awake at work during one in three shifts. Sleep was significantly reduced on workdays in general, and workdays when an error was reported relative to days off. The primary predictor of error was STR, followed by stress. The primary predictor of extreme drowsiness during the commute was also STR awake, followed by exhaustion, and consecutive shifts. In turn, STR awake was predicted by exhaustion, prior sleep and shift length. Findings highlight the need for further attention to these issues to optimise the safety of nurses and patients in our hospitals, and the community at large on our roads.     

Getting off to a better start in reading and spelling: The effects of phonemic awareness instruction within a whole language program.

In the present study the effect of providing phonemic awareness instruction, at school entry, on the reading and spelling progress of 5-yr-old children was examined within a whole language program. In Exp 1, which focused on spelling acquisition, 15 children received phonemic awareness training twice weekly, each time for 20 min, over a 10-wk period, while another group of 15 children was involved in "process writing." In Exp 2, which focused on reading acquisition, 17 children received phonemic awareness training while a 2nd matched group of 17 children participated in other language and reading activities that did not involve phonemic instruction, and a 3rd matched group of 17 children received no extra instruction at all. Overall, the training in the 2 experiments had significant effects on spelling and reading performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)