A preliminary classification system for homeless veterans with mental illness.

The purpose of this study was that of defining psychiatric profiles among veterans based on a structured interview of 3,595 individuals administered by outreach mental health clinicians to individuals who were presently or recently homeless. The interview included ratings of presence or absence of current psychiatric disorders; alcoholism, drug abuse, psychosis, mood disorders, personality disorders, PTSD, and adjustment disorders. We identified three subgroups using cluster analysis each showing different diagnostic profiles that were characterized as "addiction" (n = 3,061), "psychosis" (n = 218), and "personality" disorders (n = 54). Cluster membership was related to demographic characteristics, living situation, length of homelessness, and symptoms and complaints including cognitive difficulties, suicidality, violence, and depression. Group comparison statistics were used to compare intercluster differences in demographics, homeless situation, symptoms, and subjective complaints. There were no major intercluster differences in socioethnic, demographic, and homeless situation variables. Differences occurred in complaints of depression, positive symptoms of psychosis, and suicidality. It was concluded that despite the disproportionate sizes of the clusters homeless veterans with mental illness are nevertheless heterogeneous with regard to their psychiatric profiles. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ultracold atoms and precise time standards

Experimental techniques of laser cooling and trapping, along with other cooling techniques, have produced gaseous samples of atoms so cold that they are, for many practical purposes, in the quantum ground state of their centre-of-mass motion. Such low velocities have virtually eliminated effects such as Doppler shifts, relativistic time dilation and observation-time broadening that previously limited the performance of atomic frequency standards. Today, the best laser-cooled, caesium atomic fountain, microwave frequency standards realize the International System of Units (SI) definition of the second to a relative accuracy of ≈3×10(-16). Optical frequency standards, which do not realize the SI second, have even better performance: cold neutral atoms trapped in optical lattices now yield relative systematic uncertainties of ≈1×10(-16), whereas cold-trapped ions have systematic uncertainties of 9×10(-18). We will discuss the current limitations in the performance of neutral atom atomic frequency standards and prospects for the future.     

The influence of altruism on influenza vaccination decisions

Game theory is based on the assumption that individuals act according to self-interest and make decisions that maximize their personal payoffs. To test this fundamental assumption, we conducted a survey study in the context of influenza vaccination decisions. Contrary to the assumption of self-interest, we found that altruism plays an important role in vaccination decisions. Nevertheless, altruistic motivation has not yet been considered in epidemiological models, in predictions of vaccination decisions or in the design of vaccination policies. To determine the impact of altruism on the adherence to optimal vaccination policies and on resulting disease burden, we incorporated altruism into a game-theoretic epidemiological model of influenza vaccination. We found that altruism significantly shifted vaccination decisions away from individual self-interest and towards the community optimum, greatly reducing the total cost, morbidity and mortality for the community. Therefore, promoting altruism could be a potential strategy to improve public health outcomes.     

Patterns of authorship in major bibliographic databases: The European region

European authorship trends in fifteen major scientific and technical bibliographic databases on the DIALOG information system are examined for works published between 1970 and 1990. There was an increasing number of records with European authors in 21% of the data set. In 6%, an overall decline was found. In 52%, authorship increased into the 1980's, and then declined. The most heavily represented countries were the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. Overall, with the exception of MEDLINE, BIOSIS, and INSPEC, coverage of the works of European authors has been declining over the past twenty years, and particularly so in the last five.     

Temporal discounting and utility for health and money.

In 3 experiments choices for hypothetical amounts of future health and money showed that, contrary to normative discounted utility theory, the temporal discount rate, or annual percentage increase in value needed to offset a delay, differed for the 2 domains. Domain independence, defined as the low correlation between health and money discount rates relative to the consistency within each domain, was not due to different utility functions for health and money. Consistent with other research, these results suggest that decision domain affect the cognitive processes used. Despite this domain difference, there were some similarities between the 2 domains. Both health and money decisions revealed that discount rates were larger for short delays, small magnitudes, and gains as compared with losses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Structural models of extraversion,communication, and team performance

We consider the degree to which the Five Factor Model characteristic of individual extraversion is predictive of the overall performance of dyadic teams. An Anti-Air Warfare Coordinator (AAWC) simulation is employed in an experimental environment wherein dyads are required to communicate key information to complete a series of tasks. Communication is monitored with respect to the number of utterances, number of words per utterance, and the durations of each utterance. Several structural equation models are considered to examine the direct and indirect effects of individual extraversion on team performance. Notably, the degree of extraversion did not directly affect team performance. However, there are several models that indicate significant relationships between extraversion and team performance with communications as mediators. The current results contribute to the literature by adding to our understanding of the mediating variables that exist within the personality–performance team dynamic.     

Learning lessons from sunk costs.

Study participants rated the quality of several arguments for continuing an original plan in sunk cost situations in order to (a) avoid wasting resources, (b) learn to make better decisions, (c) punish poor decision making, and (d) appear consistent. The lesson-learning argument was perceived as most appropriate when adult teachers taught lessons to others, the original decision was carelessly made, or if it consumed comparatively more resources. Ratings of the lesson-learning argument were higher for teacher-learner than for adult-alone situations, regardless of whether the learner was a child or an adult. The implications for improving decision making and judging whether the sunk cost effect is a bias are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eye tracking dysfunction in schizophrenia: Characterization of component eye movement abnormalities, diagnostic specificity, and the role of attention.

To characterize oculomotor components and diagnostic specificity of eye tracking abnormalities in schizophrenia, we examined a large consecutively admitted series of psychotic patients and matched controls. The most common abnormality in schizophrenic patients was low gain (slow) pursuit eye movements (47% of cases). Pursuit and saccadic eye movement abnormalities were no more severe in schizophrenic Ss than in those with affective psychoses, except that high rates of catch-up saccades were unique to schizophrenic Ss (17% of cases). These findings indicate that impaired pursuit eye movements are a major cause of eye tracking impairments in schizophrenia, that tracking dysfunctions commonly occur in affective psychoses, and that markedly high rates of catch-up saccades during eye tracking may be specific to schizophrenia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Oxidative elimination of cyanotoxins: comparison of ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide and permanganate

As the World Health Organization (WHO) progresses with provisional Drinking Water Guidelines of 1 microg/L for microcystin-LR and a proposed Guideline of 1 microg/L for cylindrospermopsin, efficient treatment strategies are needed to prevent cyanotoxins such as these from reaching consumers. A kinetic database has been compiled for the oxidative treatment of three cyanotoxins: microcystin-LR (MC-LR), cylindrospermopsin (CYN), and anatoxin-a (ANTX) with ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide and permanganate. This kinetic database contains rate constants not previously reported and determined in the present work (e.g. for permanganate oxidation of ANTX and chlorine dioxide oxidation of CYN and ANTX), together with previously published rate constants for the remaining oxidation processes. Second-order rate constants measured in pure aqueous solutions of these toxins could be used in a kinetic model to predict the toxin oxidation efficiency of ozone, chlorine, chlorine dioxide and permanganate when applied to natural waters. Oxidants were applied to water from a eutrophic Swiss lake (Lake Greifensee) in static-dose testing and dynamic time-resolved experiments to confirm predictions from the kinetic database, and to investigate the effects of a natural matrix on toxin oxidation and by-product formation. Overall, permanganate can effectively oxidize ANTX and MC-LR, while chlorine will oxidize CYN and MC-LR and ozone is capable of oxidizing all three toxins with the highest rate. The formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) in the treated water may be a restriction to the application of sufficiently high-chlorine doses.     

TiO2 Nanoparticles and Commensal Bacteria Alter Mucus Layer Thickness and Composition in a Gastrointestinal Tract Model

Nanoparticles (NPs) are used in food packaging and processing and have become an integral part of many commonly ingested products. There are few studies that have focused on the interaction between ingested NPs, gut function, the mucus layer, and the gut microbiota. In this work, an in vitro model of gastrointestinal (GI) tract is used to determine whether, and how, the mucus layer is affected by the presence of Gram‐positive, commensal Lactobacillus rhamnosus; Gram‐negative, opportunistic Escherichia coli; and/or exposure to physiologically relevant doses of pristine or digested TiO₂ NPs. Caco‐2/HT29‐MTX‐E12 cell monolayers are exposed to physiological concentrations of bacteria (expressing fluorescent proteins) and/or TiO₂ nanoparticles for a period of 4 h. To determine mucus thickness and composition, cell monolayers are stained with alcian blue, periodic acid schiff, or an Alexa Fluor 488 conjugate of wheat germ agglutinin. It is found that the presence of both bacteria and nanoparticles alter the thickness and composition of the mucus layer. Changes in the distribution or pattern of mucins can be indicative of pathological conditions, and this model provides a platform for understanding how bacteria and/or NPs may interact with and alter the mucus layer.