More of What? Issues raised by the Fort Bragg study.

The sobering findings of the Fort Bragg study (L. Bickman, see record 83-31861; L. Bickman et al, 1995) illustrate why ambitious demonstration projects must be combined with objective outcome evaluations. The study does suggest that "more is better," but more of what? Little is known about the specific interventions that were combined to form the Fort Bragg system of care, so the study does not really reveal what failed or what needs to be changed. Moreover, there is no evidence that the specific treatments used had any empirical support. Combining and systematizing various treatments may not produce improved outcomes if the treatments are not effective in the first place. Costly demonstration programs that combine untested treatments may be a poor investment. A better strategy may be to develop and test an array of well-documented treatments for an array of child and family problems, creating the building blocks needed for effective systems of care in the future. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of brief puppet therapy upon the emotional responses of children undergoing cardiac catheterization.

40 children between ages 3 and 11, admitted to a children's hospital for cardiac catheterization (CC), served as Ss for a study of the effect of this therapy upon the emotional responses of patients hospitalized for this diagnostic procedure. 20 of the Ss were assigned randomly to an experimental group which received puppet therapy before and after CC; 20 were placed in a control group which was not given therapy but otherwise was treated similarly to the experimental group. Children who received therapy were less disturbed during CC (p     

Removal of phenol from aqueous solutions by continuous RF-pertraction

Water dephenolation was studied using a multistage Rotating Film Pertractor (RFP). This relatively new liquid membrane technique allows the use of almost water-insoluble liquids as intermediate organic ‘membranes’. The effects of the main processing parameters such as disc rotation velocity, temperature and phase flowrate, on removal efficiency were studied. A mathematical model describing the process of dephenolation in a counter-current multistage cascade of n-RFP contactors was proposed for the prediction of phenol removal.     

Inhibition of hepatic lipogenesis by 2-tetradecylglycidic acid

2-Tetradecylglycidic acid (TDGA), a hypoglycemic agent, has been found to be a very effective inhibitor of de novo fatty acid synthesis by isolated hepatocytes. A comparison was made between the effectiveness of TDGA and 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA), a hypolipidemic agent, on the metabolic processes of isolated hepatocytes. These compounds are structurally related and both inhibit fatty acid synthesis; however, they have opposite effects from each other on the oxidation and esterification of fatty acids. TDGA inhibits whereas TOFA stimulates fatty acid oxidation. TDGA stimulates whereas TOFA inhibits fatty acid esterification.     

Mental health providers' perceptions of cultural variables in evaluating ethnically diverse clients.

The study assessed anonymously the perceptions of 107 mental health providers concerning the importance of considering cultural variables in the assessment of mental disorders in ethnic minority individuals. Although the providers overwhelmingly reported a belief in the importance of cultural variables, a relatively small percentage considered themselves highly successful in assessing the degree of the clients' assimilation and acculturation. Additionally, 73% of the respondents reported a high degree of need for more culturally focused training. The results indicate the need to increase such training in order to better serve minority individuals and the possible need to increase the numbers of mental health providers serving minority clients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)