Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation for change in cigarette smokers, marijuana smokers, and cocaine users.

Modified versions of the Reasons for Quitting (RFQ) Scale designed for use with smokers were included in 2 randomized trials testing treatment programs for marijuana and cocaine users. Three of the 4 motivation dimensions from the Tobacco RFQ were confirmed for marijuana and cocaine. These results provide preliminary support for the application of the motivation framework and RFQ to other substances. Differences in levels and type of motivation for abstaining from various substances suggest that motivational intervention strategies may need to be tailored to the substance. Further work is needed to better understand what constitutes intrinsic and extrinsic motivation across substances. Refinement of legal and other extrinsic motivators for abstaining from illicit substances is also needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized trial of a brief primary-care based intervention for reducing at-risk drinking practices.

This randomized trial evaluated an intervention for reducing at-risk drinking practices in a sample of 307 patients. Eligible drinking patterns included chronic drinking (≥ 2 drinks per day in the past month), binge drinking (≥ 5 drinks per occasion at least twice in the past month), and drinking and driving (driving after ≥ 2 drinks in the past month). Members of the intervention group received a message from their physician during their regularly scheduled visit, a self-help manual, written personalized feedback, and up to 3 telephone counseling calls. Dropout was significantly higher in the intervention than control group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An Analysis of Initiative Selection in Collaborative Task-Oriented Discourse

In this paper we propose a number of principles and conjectures for mixed-initiative collaborative dialogs. We explore some methodologies for managing initiative between conversational participants. We mathematically analyze specific initiative-changing mechanisms based on a probabilistic knowledge base and user model. We look at the role of negotiation in managing initiative and quantify how the negotiation process is useful toward modifying user models. Some experimental results using computer–computer simulations are presented along with some discussion of how such studies are useful toward building human–computer systems.     

Analysis of the initial treatment phase in first-episode psychosis

BACKGROUND: The Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre (EPPIC) commenced operation in Melbourne, Australia, in 1992. It offers a model for management of first-episode psychosis, utilising principles of early detection, low-dose medication and comprehensive psychosocial interventions within the least restrictive setting. METHOD: Data were examined from the first three months of treatment for all consecutive people with first-episode psychosis (n = 231) accepted in the programme in 1995-1996. A subsample of patients (n = 120) was assessed comparing clinical ratings with variables of gender, diagnosis, hospitalisation, and medication. RESULTS: Hospitalisations were brief, and avoided for a third of the people. Low-dose antipsychotic medication was maintained in both in-patient and community settings. Those people with manic psychosis were more likely to be hospitalised. Hospitalised people received higher antipsychotic dosages, and had a greater rate of reduction in Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale psychotic subscale scores at three months follow-up. Eighty per cent of a representative subsample had responded to treatment and 63% were in remission by the end of the three months. CONCLUSION: This naturalistic study suggests that the feasibility of implementing the EPPIC model in a range of clinical settings is promising and applicable in practice.     

Continuing medical education in Maritime Canada: the methods physicians use, would prefer and find most effective

A cluster epidemic of 13 Morganella morganii infections involving 11 patients occurred over a 3-month period in 1977. This epidemic was unusual in that it involved four services and five hospital floors. The outbreak was effectively terminated when strict asceptic techniques were reinforced.     

Development of an Oral Drug Formulation for Dichloroacetate and Thiamine

Dichloroacetate (DCA) is an investigational drug for the treatment of several metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Hitherto, it has been used mostly in intravenous, short term treatment regimens. Chronic administration of the drug may be toxic, due in part to the depletion of tissue thiamine stores. We therefore developed a stable liquid preparation of the sodium salt of DCA and thiamine HCl suitable for chronic oral administration. The DCA-thiamine mixture is formulated as a palatable solution containing glycerol, sodium benzoate and aspartame in phosphate buffer at pH 3.5. A thermally accelerated decomposition study of the oral DCA formulation revealed a shelf-life of about 5 years at 4°C and about 156 days at 25°C. The stability was also followed for 1 year at its storage condition of 4°C and it was found to be stable at least for 1 year, which is its current recommended storage time. A new high performance liquid chromatographic method was developed to quantitate DCA, thiamine, aspartame and sodium benzoate in the formulation. The DCA-thiamine formulation is palatable and well tolerated by children, some of whom have received it continuously for over three years. Under chronic treatment, at a dose of 12.5 mg/Kg or 25 mg/Kg, DCA has a mean plasma half life of 7.9 hrs in children with congenital lactic acidosis.     

Dexter: A guide to selecting the best design for an industrial screening experiment

As a means of increasing the quality and productivity of R&D efforts, we provide an integrated collection of experimental design tools for use by researchers at the Becton Dickinson Research Center. The bases for these tools are a set of well-accepted guidelines for experimental procedures and a tabulation of practical experimental designs. The designs themselves are provided to researchers in an easy-to-use personal computer (PC) spreadsheet format. The data can then be easily exported to a commercial PC statistics package. A PC based expert system, called Dexter, assists researchers in following the guidelines for selecting which of the tabulated designs should be used for a given experiment.Dexter incorporates the expertise of a consulting statistician in helping a user select a design from among 35 designs for industrial screening experiments. The designs considered include from three to eleven experimental factors with a maximum sample size of 32 runs. The evaluation is based on the calculation of design scores which model guidelines for selecting experimental designs. A graph isomorphism algorithm is used to match particular design characteristics such as estimable two-factor interactions. Smart search techniques and precomputing of graph representations minimize run times and make the PC platform practical. The window-oriented, menu-driven interface is intuitive and easy-to use.     

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) after blood product transfusion from a donor with CJD

We report a second case of an association between an albumin transfusion and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. On balance, we believe our case represents a chance and not a causal relation.     

A Dynamic Programming Algorithm for Facility Location and Allocation

This article considers the problem of facility location-allocation. The problem is to allocate K facilities in M facility locations and assign N demands such that the total cost is minimized. The model is formulated as a mathematical programming problem and decomposed into the recursive equations of dynamic programming. A sample problem is presented and analyzed in detail in order to demonstrate an application of the model. The procedure was coded in Fortran IV and used to obtain the sample problem results.     

Structure And Change In A Local Holiday Resort: Peaceful Bay,On The Southern Coast Of Western Australia

Most of the literature dealing with holiday resorts focuses on high impact, mass market destinations like the south-east coast of Queensland, Bali and other major tourist attractions. Relatively little attention is given to the low profile holiday resort patronised by local holiday-makers taking a relaxed vacation with family and friends. Such resorts may not appear important to tourism researchers as they have a lower impact on their host communities, they do not provide much in the way of facilities or packaged entertainment for the traveller, and they are not featured in the glossy travel literature. Nevertheless, low profile holiday resorts have an important function, satisfying a legitimate market niche. Moreover, perhaps unfortunately for their traditional patrons, these resorts eventually tend to be ‘discovered’ by a wider clientele and their intrinsic character changes.