Dimensions of impulsive behavior in adolescent smokers and nonsmokers.

Robust associations have been identified between impulsive personality characteristics and cigarette smoking during adolescents, indicating that impulsive behavior may play an important role in the initiation of cigarette smoking. The present study extended this research by using laboratory behavioral assessments to explore relationships between three specific dimensions of impulsive behavior (impulsive decision-making, inattention, and disinhibition) and adolescent cigarette smoking. Participants were male and female adolescent smokers (n = 50) and nonsmokers (n = 50). Adolescent smokers were more impulsive on a measure of decision-making; however, there were significant smoking status by gender interaction effects for impulsive inattention and disinhibition. Male smokers were most impulsive on the measure of inattention, but male smokers were least impulsive on the measure of disinhibition. Correlations between biomarkers of smoking and impulsive inattention and disinhibition were found for females but not males. The current findings, coupled with previous findings (Reynolds et al., 2007), indicate there may be robust gender difference in associations between certain types of impulsive behavior and cigarette smoking during adolescence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Antioxidant capacity of 3D human skin EpiDermTM model: effects of skin moisturizers

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of skin moisturizers on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of human skin using EpiDerm^TM model. Three different skin moisturizers containing antioxidant ingredients (samples 1–3) or aloe vera extract were topically applied to EpiDerm^TM units and incubated for 2 and 24 h to determine acute and longer-term effects of applied samples on TAC and glutathione peroxidase activity in medium and/or homogenized skin tissues. Total antioxidant capacity in medium and skin homogenates was enhanced ( P  < 0.0001) by gel containing antioxidant ingredients (sample 2) after 2 and 24 h of incubation. Total antioxidant capacity in medium was also enhanced ( P  < 0.001) by cream containing antioxidant ingredients (sample 3) after 24 h of incubation. Overall, TAC in medium was greater ( P  < 0.02) after 24 h than 2 h of incubation. Skin moisturizer cream with high antioxidant levels determined by using oxygen radical absorbance capacity testing (sample 1) and aloe vera extract did not affect TAC. Glutathione peroxidase activity was enhanced ( P  < 0.0001) in medium and skin homogenates by sample 2 but not by any other sample. These data demonstrate high potential of gel and cream (samples 2 and 3) containing antioxidant ingredients in enhancing antioxidant capacity of EpiDerm^TM which will likely contribute to overall skin health. Results of this experiment will help to better understand mechanisms of effects of skin moisturizers containing antioxidant ingredients on skin function at the tissue level and to establish effective strategies for skin protection and clinical treatments of skin disorders and possibly healing wounds.     

Human Jumping and Bobbing Forces on Flexible Structures: Effect of Structural Properties

The behavior of humans jumping and bobbing on flexible structures has become a matter of some concern for both structural integrity and human tolerance. The issue is of great importance for a number of structure types including stadia terraces. A unique test rig has been developed for exploring the forces, accelerations, and displacements that occur when a human subject jumps or bobs on a flexible structure where motion can be perceived. In tests reported earlier, it was found that the subject is able to generate near resonant structural response but it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to jump or bob at or very near to the natural frequency of the structure when its vertical motion is significant. Also, under such near-resonant conditions, the force developed by the subject was found to drop significantly. In this paper, the effect of altering the subject-to-structure mass ratio and the damping ratio of the structure on these phenomena is presented. As would be expected, it is shown that as the structure becomes more massive and more highly damped it moves less for nominally the same excitation. In this situation, it becomes easier to jump and bob near to resonance and the degree of force dropout reduces, although it is still significant for even the most massive and highly damped case considered. A method for including these effects of human-structure interaction in a load model for dynamic response calculations is then proposed.     

Convergent and discriminant validity of three measures of stage of change.

The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (E. A. McConnaughy, J. O. Prochaska, & W. F. Velicer, 1983), the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (W. R. Miller & J. S. Tonigan, 1996), and the Readiness to Change Questionnaire (S. Rollnick, N. Heather, R. Gold, & W. Hall, 1992) are commonly used multidimensional measures of stage of change. The authors examined the convergent and discriminant validity of drug-use versions of these 3 measures through multitrait-multimethod analysis in a population of indigent, out-of-treatment drug users (N = 377). Agreement in stage-of-change assignment and the relationship between stage of change and drug-use behaviors were also examined. Confirmatory factor analysis suggests that the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale may have questionable convergent validity with the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment and Readiness to Change Questionnaire. There was moderate agreement in stage assignment. Analysis of behavior did provide some support for the construct validity of the measures. The results suggest that these drug-use stage-of-change measures may not be equivalent. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Electrically conducting polymers and composites for applications in space exploration

Pushing the boundaries of space exploration and settlement requires innovative materials that are multi-functional, reusable, and tolerant of the extreme hazards in space environments. Polymers represent an interesting class of materials for these applications due to their range of properties, low density, and ease of manufacturing. Electrically conductive materials based on polymers and other organic materials can be beneficial for safety purposes or for integrating advanced functions, such as dust mitigation and non-destructive evaluation. Given the unique demands of the space industry, emerging materials developed for space may not appear in conventional forums. Conversely, many investigators focus on polymers and composites for other applications and may not realize the suitability of their material for space. This review provides an informational bridge between experts from conventional polymer fields and more space-focused research groups. First, a brief history of polymer material integration from Apollo to Artemis is used as a context for their increasing importance to space exploration. Next, a polymer and composite materials-focused summary of space hazards is discussed for different space environments. Finally, different space applications suitable for electrically conductive polymers and composites are discussed in the context of enabling space exploration and developing new terrestrial technology.     

Influence of gender on cardiac risk and survival in patients with infrarenal aortic aneurysms

PURPOSE: To determine whether gender distinction influence the cardiac risk or survival rates associated with surgical treatment of infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). METHODS: From 1983 to 1988, graft replacement of intact AAAs was performed in 490 men (84%) and in 92 women (16%) who had no history of myocardial revascularization before the discovery of their AAAs. Patients of both genders were comparable with respect to mean age (68 years) and the prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) by standard clinical criteria (men, 73%; women, 65%). Preoperative coronary angiography was obtained in 471 of the 582 patients (men, 81%; women, 80%) during this particular study period. Preliminary coronary bypass was warranted on the basis of existing indications in 111 (24%) of these 471 patients (men, 25%; women, 18%), including 104 (31%) of the 337 who had clinical indications of CAD (men, 32%; women, 26%) but only 7 (5.2%) of the 134 who did not (men, 6%; women, 4%). Follow-up data were collected during a mean interval of 53 months (men, 54 months; women, 48 months) and were analyzed by Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Twenty-nine perioperative deaths (5.0%) occurred in conjunction with AAA repair (men, 5.1%; women, 4.3%), and 126 early and late deaths have occurred (men, 22%; women, 22%). Survival rates for the series were found to correlate with age (p < 0.001), the serum creatinine level (p < 0.001), and the coronary angiographic classification (p < 0.001). No significant differences were identified between the gender cohorts. The cardiac mortality rate for AAA resection was only 1.8% in the 111 patients who had preliminary coronary bypass, but five additional perioperative deaths (4.5%) related to renal failure or sepsis occurred in this group. However, 5-year survival rates for patients receiving preliminary bypass (men, 82%; women, 75%) were closely comparable with those for patients found to have only mild to moderate CAD by angiography (men, 86%; women, 82%). CONCLUSION: We conclude that men and women with AAAs have similar cardiac risks and survival rates associated with surgical treatment. Our results also illustrate that the potential benefit of coronary intervention for severe CAD in patients of either gender must be considered in the context of long-term outcome and the early mortality rate of AAA repair.     

Molecular characterization of hobo-mediated inversions in Drosophila melanogaster

The structure of chromosomal inversions mediated by hobo transposable elements in the Uc-1 X chromosome was investigated using cytogenetic and molecular methods. Uc-1 contains a phenotypically silent hobo element inserted in an intron of the Notch locus. Cytological screening identified six independent Notch mutations resulting from chromosomal inversions with one breakpoint at cytological position 3C7, the location of Notch. In situ hybridization to salivary gland polytene chromosomes determined that both ends of each inversion contained hobo and Notch sequences. Southern blot analyses showed that both breakpoints in each inversion had hobo-Notch junction fragments indistinguishable in structure from those present in the Uc-1 X chromosome prior to the rearrangements. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of the 12 hobo-Notch junction fragments in the six inversions, followed by DNA sequence analysis, determined that each was identical to one of the two hobo-Notch junctions present in Uc-1. These results are consistent with a model in which hobo-mediated inversions result from homologous pairing and recombination between a pair of hobo elements in reverse orientation.     

Pregnancy-specific alterations in the expression of the insulin-like growth factor system during early placental development in the ewe

The placenta is recognized as an important determinant of fetal growth rate, yet the factors regulating its proliferation remain poorly understood. Components of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system were localized in the ovine uterus using in situ hybridization between days 13-55 of gestation, the period of implantation and placentome formation. IGF-II messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was intense in the fetal mesoderm, particularly at the tips of the invading placentome villi. Moderate levels of IGF-II mRNA were also observed in the maternal caruncular stroma. In contrast, expression of IGF-1 mRNA was low (compared to estrous levels) and ubiquitous decreasing as gestation advanced. IGF-binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2 mRNA was not detected until day 29 of gestation, when it appeared restricted to the dense caruncular-like stroma lining the luminal epithelium, colocalized with IGFBP-4. High concentrations of IGFBP-4 mRNA expression were also found in the placentome capsule. IGFBP-3 mRNA expression was intense in the luminal epithelium between days 13-15 of gestation. Subsequently, levels in this region dropped significantly (P < 0.001). IGFBP-3 mRNA expression was also high in the maternal placentome villi, where photographic emulsions localized expression to blood vessel walls. Peak expression of IGF type 1 receptor (IGF-1R) mRNA was found in the deep uterine glands, with intermediate expression in the superficial uterine glands. Moderate expression of IGF-1R mRNA was initially recorded in caruncular stroma, but levels in this region decreased significantly (P < 0.001) to below the detection limit of the technique after interdigitation by the fetal allantochorion. Furthermore, IGF-1R mRNA could not be detected in any fetal placentome tissue. This study, therefore, has established the pattern of expression of the IGFs, IGF-1R, and three of the IGFBPs during establishment of the ovine placenta. It will form the basis for future work to investigate how this system is regulated and to determine the role of the IGFs in placental development.     

Development and validation of a computer-administered version of the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale.

A computer-administered form of the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression was designed to provide scores with a high degree of correspondence with the clinician-administered 17-item version of the scale. Both forms of the Hamilton scale were administered in a counterbalanced design to 97 subjects, including 52 outpatients with a Research Diagnostic Criteria diagnosis of Major Depression, 20 outpatients with Minor Depression, and 25 nonpsychiatric control subjects. Both the computer- and clinician-administered interviews demonstrated high internal consistency reliability of .91 and .90, respectively. A correlation of .96 was found between the two versions, and the mean score difference between the two forms was nonsignificant for the total sample. Both forms also demonstrated clinical sensitivity and specificity in differentiating between Major and Minor Depression and Control group subjects. Overall results support the clinical and research use of the computer administered version of the Hamilton scale. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mainstreaming school psychology: A proposal to develop and evaluate alternative assessment methods and intervention strategies.

Since the passage of Public Law 94-142 in 1975, numerous problems related to special education have surfaced. The Advocacy Statement presented in 1985 by school psychologists and child advocates represents one significant attempt to address these problems. It challenges the current pullout and special class system by focusing on alternative ways of serving all children more adequately in the regular education mainstream. Such a change would affect all sectors of education, and school psychologists as a group need to examine both alternative assessment methods and program delivery strategies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)