Rejoinder to Robert F. Morgan's review of psychobattery.

The present author applauds Robert F. Morgan's stated efforts in his review (see record 2007-04428-001) of the author's book, Psychobattery, (1981) to form "an ombudsman group to improve professional practice and protect the consumer." However, the present author does not approve of Morgan's inability to interpret straightforward statements in Psychobattery. He first seems to have completely missed the point that the book is about serious mental illness; essentially schizophrenia and bipolar and unipolar affective diseases. If Morgan were more interested in reviewing Psychobattery, instead of ventilating his prejudices in favour of unproved treatments by unqualified personnel, perhaps he would have mentioned the chapter of "The Biological Basis of Mental Illness." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Highly organised and dense vertical silicon nanowire arrays grown in porous alumina template on <100> silicon wafers

In this work, nanoimprint lithography combined with standard anodization etching is used to make perfectly organised triangular arrays of vertical cylindrical alumina nanopores onto standard <100>−oriented silicon wafers. Both the pore diameter and the period of alumina porous array are well controlled and can be tuned: the periods vary from 80 to 460 nm, and the diameters vary from 15 nm to any required diameter. These porous thin layers are then successfully used as templates for the guided epitaxial growth of organised mono-crystalline silicon nanowire arrays in a chemical vapour deposition chamber. We report the densities of silicon nanowires up to 9 × 10⁹ cm⁻² organised in highly regular arrays with excellent diameter distribution. All process steps are demonstrated on surfaces up to 2 × 2 cm². Specific emphasis was made to select techniques compatible with microelectronic fabrication standards, adaptable to large surface samples and with a reasonable cost. Achievements made in the quality of the porous alumina array, therefore on the silicon nanowire array, widen the number of potential applications for this technology, such as optical detectors or biological sensors.     

Decreased DOC concentrations in soil water in forested areas in southern Sweden during 1987-2008

During the last two decades, there is a common trend of increasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in streams and lakes in Europe, Canada and the US. Different processes have been proposed to explain this trend and recently a unifying hypothesis was presented, concluding that declining sulphur deposition and recovery from acidification, is the single most important factor for the long-term DOC concentration trends in surface waters. If this recovery hypothesis is correct, the soil water DOC concentrations should increase as well. However, long-term soil water data from Sweden and Norway indicate that there are either decreasing or indifferent DOC concentrations, while positive DOC trends have been found in the Czech Republic. Based on the soil water data from two Swedish integrated monitoring sites and geochemical modelling, it has been shown that depending on changes in pH, ionic strength and soil Al pools, the DOC solubility might be positive, negative or indifferent. In this study, we test the acidification recovery hypothesis on long-term soil water data (25 and 50 cm soil depth) from 68 forest covered sites in southern Sweden, showing clear signs of recovery from acidification. The main aim was to identify potential drivers for the DOC solubility in soil solution by comparing trends in DOC concentrations with observed changes in pH, ionic strength and concentrations of Alⁿ⁺. As in earlier Swedish and Norwegian studies, the DOC concentrations in soil water decreased or showed no trend. The generally small increases in pH (median < 0.3 pH units) during the investigation period seem to be counterbalanced by the reduced ionic strength and diminished Al concentrations, increasing the organic matter coagulation. Hence, opposite to the conclusion for surface waters, the solubility of organic matter seems to decrease in uphill soils, as a result of the acidification recovery.     

Droplet Digital PCR Based Androgen Receptor Variant 7 (AR-V7) Detection from Prostate Cancer Patient Blood Biopsies

Androgen receptor splice variant V7 (AR-V7) was recently identified as a valuable predictive biomarker in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer. Here, we report a new, sensitive and accurate screen for AR-V7 mRNA expression directly from circulating tumor cells (CTCs): We combined EpCAM-based immunomagnetic CTC isolation using the IsoFlux microfluidic platform with droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) to analyze total AR and AR-V7 expression from prostate cancer patients CTCs. We demonstrate that AR-V7 is reliably detectable in enriched CTC samples with as little as five CTCs, even considering tumor heterogeneity, and confirm detection of AR-V7 in CTC samples from advanced prostate cancer (PCa) patients with AR-V7 detection limited to castrate resistant disease status in our sample set. Sensitive molecular analyses of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) or circulating tumor nucleic acids present exciting strategies to detect biomarkers, such as AR-V7 from non-invasive blood samples, so-called blood biopsies.     

Application of hazard analysis and critical control point methodology and risk-based grading to consumer food safety surveys

Traditionally, consumer food safety survey responses have been classified as either "right" or "wrong" and food handling practices that are associated with high risk of infection have been treated in the same way as practices with lower risks. In this study, a risk-based method for consumer food safety surveys has been developed, and HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control point) methodology was used for selecting relevant questions. We conducted a nationally representative Web-based survey (n = 2,008), and to fit the self-reported answers we adjusted a risk-based grading system originally developed for observational studies. The results of the survey were analyzed both with the traditional "right" and "wrong" classification and with the risk-based grading system. The results using the two methods were very different. Only 5 of the 10 most frequent food handling violations were among the 10 practices associated with the highest risk. These 10 practices dealt with different aspects of heat treatment (lacking or insufficient), whereas the majority of the most frequent violations involved storing food at room temperature for too long. Use of the risk-based grading system for survey responses gave a more realistic picture of risks associated with domestic food handling practices. The method highlighted important violations and minor errors, which are performed by most people and are not associated with significant risk. Surveys built on a HACCP-based approach with risk-based grading will contribute to a better understanding of domestic food handling practices and will be of great value for targeted information and educational activities.     

Usability perceptions and beliefs about smart thermostats by chi-square test,signal detection theory,and fuzzy detection theory in regions of Mexico

It is well known that smart thermostats (STs) have become key devices in the implementation of smart homes; thus, they are considered as primary elements for the control of electrical energy consumption in households. Moreover, energy consumption is drastically affected when the end users select unsuitable STs or when they do not use the STs correctly. Furthermore, in future, Mexico will face serious electrical energy challenges that can be considerably resolved if the end users operate the STs in a correct manner. Hence, it is important to carry out an in-depth study and analysis on thermostats, by focusing on social aspects that influence the technological use and performance of the thermostats. This paper proposes the use of a signal detection theory (SDT), fuzzy detection theory (FDT), and chi-square (CS) test in order to understand the perceptions and beliefs of end users about the use of STs in Mexico. This paper extensively shows the perceptions and beliefs about the selected thermostats in Mexico. Besides, it presents an in-depth discussion on the cognitive perceptions and beliefs of end users. Moreover, it shows why the expectations of the end users about STs are not met. It also promotes the technological and social development of STs such that they are relatively more accepted in complex electrical grids such as smart grids.     

Reuse of treated municipal wastewater in irrigation: a case study from Lebanon and Jordan

In this study, we present the results of scenarios where secondary‐treated municipal wastewater was used for table grapes irrigation in the region of Ablah, Bekaa valley in Lebanon, and fodder crops irrigation (vetch and barley) in the region of Ramtha in Jordan. In Lebanon, we carried out experiments to assess the response of drip‐irrigated table grapes grown under two water quality regimes (Freshwater (FW) and treated wastewater (TW) and two water levels (100% of evapotranspiration (ETc) and 75% of ETc). While in Jordan, we carried out experiments to assess the response of drip‐irrigated fodder crops considering 4 irrigation levels (Q1: Rain fed; Q2: 80% of ETc; Q3: 100% of ETc; Q4: 120% of ETc) and three crop patterns (C1: Barley 100%; C2: Vetch 100%; C3: Mix 50% barley and 50% vetch). Based on the production and quality components, table grapes were successfully grown on plots that are supplied with TW. Fodder crops were successfully grown using TW with remarkable increase in biomass and grain yield production for the irrigated treatments.     

Molecular Biomarkers in Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive cancer with poor prognosis that needs better treatment modalities. Moreover, there is a lack of reliable biomarkers to predict the response and outcome of current or newly designed therapies. While several molecular markers have been proposed as potential biomarkers for GBM, their uptake into clinical settings is slow and impeded by marker heterogeneity. Detailed assessment of prognostic and predictive value for biomarkers in well-defined clinical trial settings, if available, is scattered throughout the literature. Here we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the prognostic and predictive significance of clinically relevant molecular biomarkers in GBM patients. Material and methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted to retrieve publications from 3 databases (Pubmed, Cochrane and Embase) from January 2010 to December 2021, using specific terms. The combined hazard ratios (HR) and confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to evaluate the association of biomarkers with overall survival (OS) in GBM patients. Results: Twenty-six out of 1831 screened articles were included in this review. Nineteen articles were included in the meta-analyses, and 7 articles were quantitatively summarised. Fourteen studies with 1231 GBM patients showed a significant association of MGMT methylation with better OS with the pooled HR of 1.66 (95% CI 1.32–2.09, p < 0.0001, random effect). Five studies including 541 GBM patients analysed for the prognostic significance of IDH1 mutation showed significantly better OS in patients with IDH1 mutation with a pooled HR of 2.37 (95% CI 1.81–3.12; p < 0.00001]. Meta-analysis performed on 5 studies including 575 GBM patients presenting with either amplification or high expression of EGFR gene did not reveal any prognostic significance with a pooled HR of 1.31 (95% CI 0.96–1.79; p = 0.08). Conclusions: MGMT promoter methylation and IDH1 mutation are significantly associated with better OS in GBM patients. No significant associations were found between EGFR amplification or overexpression with OS.     

Enzymatic Assays Coupled with Mass Spectrometry with or without Embedded Liquid Chromatography

This article reviews monitoring strategies for enzymatic assays coupled with mass spectrometric detection. This coupling has already been shown to be helpful in providing versatile and detailed knowledge about enzyme kinetics. Various available publications address two general approaches. 1) The continuous‐flow setup allows real‐time determination of substrate degradation. Simultaneously, resulting product or potential intermediates can be detected. 2) The online coupled continuous‐flow mixing assay allows the direct coupling of an enzymatic assay to chromatographic separation of complex mixtures. The latest efforts in improving the methodology have been made with regard to miniaturization. This is especially advantageous with regard to reducing costly consumption of chemicals. Finally, these developments are applicable for diverse bioanalytical purposes in the realms of pharmaceutical, biotechnological, food, and environmental research.     

Reproductive behavior of Drosophila melanogaster and D. nigrospiracula in the field and in the laboratory.

The reproductive behaviors of two species of fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster and D. nigrospiracula, were compared in field and laboratory populations. A number of differences were observed in the behavior of the two species in their natural habitats. D. melanogaster, which was observed on citrus, mates at its feeding site, whereas D. nigrospiracula, which is cactiphilic, mates on a non-resource-based male territory adjacent to its feeding site. In both species large male size is important for reproductive success. However, in D. melanogaster smaller males tended to be excluded from the breeding site and were therefore not among the pool of potential mates to which females were exposed. Sex ratios were biased toward females in both species, but the high frequency of female remating in D. nigrospiracula may have provided more mating opportunities for the males of this species. Field observations differed from laboratory observations, and I discuss the importance of these differences for understanding the evolution of Drosophila mating systems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)