Dose–effect relations in time-limited psychotherapy for depression.

Criteria for reliable and clinically significant improvement were applied to standard and individually tailored outcome measures data from 212 depressed clients who had been randomly assigned to receive either 8 or 16 sessions of time-limited psychotherapy. The data were used to address 2 questions: (a) Is the dose-effect curve for psychological symptoms negatively accelerated? and (b) is there a differential rate of response for acute, chronic, and characterological/interpersonal components of depression? The results supported the differential rate of response of different components of depression and suggested qualifications to the acute, chronic, and characterological/interpersonal components and evidence that both supported and qualified previous suggestions that the dose effect curve is negatively accelerated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dose-effect relations and responsive regulation of treatment duration: The good enough level.

This study examined rates of improvement in psychotherapy as a function of the number of sessions attended. The clients (N = 1,868; 73.1% female; 92.4% White; average age = 40), who were seen for a variety of problems in routine primary care mental health practices, attended 1 to 12 sessions, had planned endings, and completed the Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation-Outcome Measure (CORE-OM) at the beginning and end of their treatment. The percentage of clients achieving reliable and clinically significant improvement (RCSI) on the CORE-OM did not increase with number of sessions attended. Among clients who began treatment above the CORE-OM clinical cutoff (n = 1,472), the RCSI rate ranged from 88% for clients who attended 1 session down to 62% for clients who attended 12 sessions (r =-.91). Previously reported negatively accelerating aggregate curves may reflect progressive ending of treatment by clients who had achieved a good enough level of improvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Client introversion and counseling session impact.

Tested the hypothesis that insofar as personal counseling is a social encounter, introverted clients may be expected to experience greater distress in sessions than extraverted clients. This expectation was confirmed in a total of 83 clients (aged 17–39 yrs) in a university clinic who completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) during their treatment and completed a session evaluation questionnaire immediately after their sessions. With differences among counselors statistically controlled, relatively introverted (higher MMPI Social Introversion) clients rated their sessions as relatively uncomfortable, unpleasant, tense, rough, and difficult and rated their postsession mood as relatively unfriendly, uncertain, sad, angry, and afraid. Conversely, relatively gregarious, overactive, extraverted (higher MMPI Hypomania scores) clients rated their sessions as relatively comfortable, pleasant, relaxed, smooth, and easy. It is suggested that client introversion should be incorporated explicitly into counseling theories and should be measured as a possible mediating variable in process and outcome research. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stability of ramipril in water, apple juice, and applesauce

The stability of ramipril in water, in apple juice, and in applesauce was studied. The contents of a single capsule each of ramipril 1.25, 2.5, and 5 mg were mixed in glass beakers with 120 mL of deionized and filtered water, apple juice, or applesauce. Each mixture was apportioned into 10 120-mL amber polyethylene terephthalate (PET) containers. Five of the containers in each set were stored at 23 degrees C, and samples were taken at 0, 1, 2, 6, 12, and 24 hours. The other five containers were stored at 3 degrees C, and samples were taken at 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours. The samples were analyzed for ramipril concentration by stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The quantity of drug remaining in the PET container after "administration" was determined by mixing the contents of single 5-mg ramipril capsules with 60 mL of apple juice, pouring the mixture into a waste receptacle, rinsing the PET container three separate times with 10 mL of water, and analyzing the pooled fluid from these rinses for ramipril concentration by HPLC. Under no condition did the percentage of ramipril remaining drop below 90%. No peaks for degradation products appeared in the chromatograms. The mean +/- S.D. quantity of ramipril remaining in the PET containers after draining was 0.3 +/- 0.3% for the apple juice. Ramipril from 1.25-, 2.5-, and 5-mg capsules mixed in water, in apple juice, and in applesauce was stable for 24 hours at 23 degrees C and for 48 hours at 3 degrees C.     

MoSi2 diffusion barrier for the passivation of copper at elevated temperatures

Sputter deposited MoSi₂ coatings (200 and 400 nm thick) on copper have been studied in an attempt to prevent or at least reduce the oxidation of copper. Samples were exposed to an air ambient at temperatures ranging from 600–850 °C for up to 15 min. Sputter-deposited MoSi₂ was amorphous upon deposition and crystallized on annealing. Silicon from the MoSi₂ was found to diffuse into the copper causing the MoSi₂ to transform to lower suicides. The primary oxidation product for MoSi₂-coated samples was CuO (with small amounts of Cu₂O), which is in contrast to uncoated copper where Cu₂O is the main oxidation product. The amount of copper consumed by oxidation, for a 200 nm MoSi₂ barrier relative to uncoated copper, was reduced by 140 times at 600 °C and 30 times at 800 °C. A 400 nm MoSi₂ coating yielded an improvement of 420 times at 600°C, and 200 times at 850 °C. For the 400 nm barrier exposed to air for 15 min, this corresponds to a 35 nm CuO layer at 600°C and a 300 nm thick oxide layer at 850 °C.     

Maximal growth occurs at a broad range of essential amino acids to total nitrogen ratios in kittens

Low concentrations of antibodies, specific to human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) have been shown to enhance virus replication in human monocytic cell lines by several workers. In the present study, replication of bovine RSV in ovine peripheral blood monocytes was shown to be enhanced in the presence of low concentration of bovine RSV-specific antibodies. Antibodies had no enhancing effect on virus replication in secondary lamb testis cells or monocytic cell lines derived from peripheral blood monocytes. The possible effects of low titres of bovine RSV-specific antibodies on the development of clinical disease were examined by inoculating groups of lambs with a mixture of virus and antibodies and assessing the severity of clinical disease and by measuring venous oxygen (PO2) and carbon dioxide (PCO2) tensions, as hypoxia has been associated with respiratory diseases. Inoculation of bovine RSV and virus-specific antibody complexes to lambs did not enhance clinical disease and had no effect on the clinical chemistry, haematology and PO2 and PCO2 tensions. Groups of lambs inoculated with virus alone or virus-antibody complexes developed significant humoral and cellular immune responses. There was no significant difference in the cellular immune responses of lambs exposed to virus alone and lambs exposed to virus-antibody mixture, as measured by virus-specific lymphocyte transformation or by cytotoxicity assays but the period of virus shedding was longer in lambs inoculated with a mixture of virus and immune serum.     

Convergent validy of the Agnew Relationship Measure and the Working Alliance Inventory.

The convergent validity of the Agnew Relationship Measure (ARM) and the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) was assessed in samples drawn from 2 comparative clinical trials of time-limited psychotherapies for depression. In 1 sample, clients (n=18) and therapists (n=4) completed self-report versions of both measures after every session (n=198). In the other sample, clients (n=39) and therapists (n=6) completed the ARM, and observers subsequently rated selected audiotaped sessions (n=78) using the WAI. In both samples, the ARM's core alliance scales (Bond, Partnership, and Confidence) were correlated with the WAI's scales (Bond, Tasks, and Goals) strongly when assessed within client and therapist perspectives and, with some qualifications, moderately when assessed between client, therapist, and observer perspectives, supporting the assumption that the ARM and the WAI measure some of the same core constructs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

QuikSCAT geophysical model function for tropical cyclones andapplication to Hurricane Floyd

The QuikSCAT radar measurements of several tropical cyclones in 1999 have been studied to develop the geophysical model function (GMF) of Ku-band radar σ₀ values (normalized radar cross section) for extreme high wind conditions. To account for the effects of precipitation, the authors analyze the co-located rain rates from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) and propose the rain rate as a parameter of the GMF. The analysis indicates the deficiency of the NSCAT2 GMF developed for the NASA scatterometer, which overestimates the ocean σ₀ for tropical cyclones and ignores the influence of rain. It is suggested that the QuikSCAT σ₀ is sensitive to the wind speed of up to about 40-50 m s^-1. The authors introduce modifications to the NSCAT2 GMF and apply the modified GMF to the QuikSCAT observations of Hurricane Floyd. The QuikSCAT wind estimates for Hurricane Floyd in 1999 was improved with the maximum wind speed reaching above 60 m s^-1. The authors perform an error analysis by comparing the QuikSCAT winds with the analyses fields from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hurricane Research Division (HRD). The reasonable agreement between the improved QuikSCAT winds and the HRD analyses supports the applications of scatterometer wind retrievals for hurricanes     

The Recognition of Extended Targets: SAR Images for Level And Hilly Terrain

An experiment was performed using radar image simulation techniques to determine what a SAR image would look like for a collection of area extensive targets, first with flat underlying terrain and second, in the presence of moderate relief. Although compression, layover, and shadow are well known from the one-dimensional geometry analyses, it has not been previously demonstrated in a pictorial fashion what happens to the appearance of the same controlled reflectivity pattern, for level and hilly ground. It is not surprising to radargrammetrists that even modest elevation changes seriously affect the detection and recognition of boundaries and shapes. The image results clearly demonstrate these effects, and are valuable for many researchers who have previously used, or are just beginning to apply SAR imagery to crops and soils, minerals, and water resources assessment, etc. This research was performed during the course of an investigation to establish the performance of the Seasat-A SAR, in terms of user-oriented features, thus the radar system model and geometry are pertinent to that sensor, although the results can be applied to radar imaging in general. A review of range perspective imaging is included, since information extraction from radar imagery necessitates the knowledge of geometry/propagation effects.     

Reformulation of assimilation analysis in terms of voices.

This article explores the implications of a multivoiced construction of the self for the assimilation model (W. B. Stiles et al, 1991-10592-001). The result is a theoretical reformulation of the model in terms of voices. According to the reformulation, assimilation is conceived as a process of dialogue between a previously unwanted voice and a representative of the dominant community of voices. A successful dialogue reconciles the problematic voice with the community of voices that comprise the self. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)