Formal Versus Agile: Survival of the Fittest

Many research have focused on new formal methods, integrating formal methods into agile ones, and assessing the agility of formal methods. This paper proves that formal methods can survive in an agile world; they are not obsolete and can be integrated into it. The potential for combining agile and formal methods holds promise. It might not always be an easy partnership, and succeeding will depend on a fruitful interchange of expertise between the two communities. Conducting a realistic trial project using a combined approach with an appropriate formal methods tool in a controlled environment will help assess the effectiveness of such an approach.     

Issues in the development of reliable measures in addiction research: Introduction to Project MATCH assessment strategies.

This article provides an introduction to the 5 instrument articles in this special section, each of which presents a psychometric evaluation of a self-administered questionnaire developed for use in addictions treatment research. An overview of measurement theory is presented, and social-psychological factors that affect reliability and validity are considered. The instruments evaluated in this issue are summarized, and the 2 common data sources for the 5 reports, the Project MATCH baseline data set and the Project MATCH Reliability Study, are described. The article concludes with a brief summary that offers recommendations regarding how psychometric investigation should be undertaken and applied to the development of self-report questionnaires in addictions research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variation in the Drinking Trajectories of Freshmen College Students.

F. K. Del Boca, J. Darkes, P. E. Greenbaum, and M. S. Goldman (2004) examined temporal variations in drinking during the freshmen college year and the relationship of several risk factors to these variations. Here, using the same data, the authors investigate whether a single growth curve adequately characterizes the variability in individual drinking trajectories. Latent growth mixture modeling identified 5 drinking trajectory classes: light-stable, light-stable plus high holiday, medium-increasing, highdecreasing, and heavy-stable. In multivariate predictor analyses, gender (i.e., more women) and lower alcohol expectancies distinguished the light-stable class from other trajectories; only expectancies differentiated the high-decreasing from the heavy-stable and medium-increasing classes. These findings allow for improved identification of individuals at risk for developing problematic trajectories and for development of interventions tailored to specific drinker classes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levels and patterns of alcohol consumption using timeline follow-back, daily diaries and real-time "electronic interviews"

BACKGROUND: Basic knowledge of the substances involved in wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) is essential for development of pharmacological intervention. We present preoperative and postoperative analysis of tear fluid extracellular matrix proteins and cytokines after PRK. METHODS: Tear fluid samples from 70 patients (72 eyes) who had PRK (38 women and 32 men, mean age 31.5 yr) were studied. Samples from 18 patients (18 eyes) were analyzed in two different studies. RESULTS: Mean preoperative tear fluid flow in the collection capillary (volume divided by tear collection time) varied from 4.5 to 22.5 microliters/min in five series of patients. It increased significantly during the first two postoperative days (range of means, 55.5 to 88.8 microliters/min, p < 0.01), and decreased to the preoperative level by day 7 (range of means, 9.7 to 18.2 microliters/min). The tenascin and cytokine release rates increased significantly during the first two days after PRK and returned to the preoperative level by day 7. Mean +/- standard error for tenascin: day 0 (5.2 +/- 1.9 ng/min); day 2 (22.7 +/- 6.1 ng/min; p = 0.02). Mean +/- standard error for HGF: day 0 (3.2 +/- 0.7 pg/min); day 1 (22.8 +/- 4.2 pg/min; p = 0.0003). Mean +/- standard error for TGF-beta 1: day 0 (63.3 +/- 19.6 pg/min); days 1-2 (826.2 +/- 253.7 pg/min; p = 0.001). Mean +/- standard error for VEGF: day 0 (166.0 +/- 29.6 pg/min); days 1-2 (824.4 +/- 165.1 pg/min; p = 0.0007). Mean +/- standard error for PDGF-BB: day 0 (0.42 +/- 0.19 pg/min); day 2 (27.6 +/- 5.8 pg/min; p = 0.0000). Mean +/- standard error for TNF-alpha: day 0 (9.5 +/- 2.6 pg/min); day 2 (28.6 +/- 5.9 pg/min; p = 0.003). Excluding PDGF-BB, all substances studied were present in normal human tear fluid. PDGF-BB was present in only 17% of the preoperative samples. CONCLUSION: Corneal wounding induces an increased release of several growth modulating cytokines which may be involved in healing processes.     

How many versus how much: 52 weeks of alcohol consumption in emerging adults.

In previous research using timeline follow-back methods to closely monitor drinking and related variables over the first year of college (9 months), we showed that drinking varied considerably over time in accord with academic requirements and holidays. In a new community sample (N = 576) of emerging adults (18- and 19-year-olds who reported having begun drinking prior to recruitment), we used similar methods to compare drinking patterns in college and noncollege individuals over a full calendar year (including summer). To reduce the extreme distortion in computations of average drinking over restricted time spans (i.e., 1 week) that arise because large numbers of even regular drinkers may not consume any alcohol, we analyzed data using recently developed two-part latent growth curve modeling. This modeling distinguished consumption levels from numbers of individuals drinking in a given period. Results showed that drinking levels and patterns generally did not differ between college and noncollege drinkers, and that both groups responded similarly to even those contexts that may have seemed unique to one (i.e., spring break). We also showed that computation of drinking amounts without accounting for “zero drinkers” could seriously distort estimates of mean drinking on some occasions; for example, mean consumption in the total sample appeared to increase on Thanksgiving, whereas actual average consumption for those who were drinking diminished. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Uptake and biological effects of chitosan-capped gold nanoparticles on Chinese Hamster Ovary cells

In this study we examine the cytotoxic effect of chitosan capped-gold nanoparticles on Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells in vitro. The particles were synthesized through a low cost and rapid method by the aqueous reduction of chloroauric acid (HAuCl₄) with ascorbic acid (C₆H₈O₆) at ambient temperature. High molecular weight chitosan biopolymer was used to stabilize the particles against aggregation. The conjugated particles were able to traverse the cell membrane and enter the cells by endocytic pathway, their intracellular presence being clearly revealed by dark field microscopy imaging and light scattering spectra. Gold nanoparticles cytotoxicity was measured and cells were found to be viable more than 85%, even after long time exposure. Our results suggest that chitosan-conjugated gold nanoparticles have minimal impact on cells viability and morphology during 19 h demonstrating great potential to be used in biomedical applications such as cellular imaging or photothermal therapy.     

Personal recollections of Peter Landin: 1987–2009

As well as a computer science pioneer, Peter Landin was an amazing lecturer and perceptive adviser. Through anecdotes, this paper gives some insight into his unique style. In one of the anecdotes, the true origin of the title The Next 700 Programming Languages is revealed.     

Flower-shaped gold nanoparticles: synthesis, characterization and their application as SERS-active tags inside living cells

The detection of Raman signals inside living cells is a topic of great interest in the study of cell biology mechanisms and for diagnostic and therapeutic applications. This work presents the synthesis and characterization of flower-shaped gold nanoparticles and demonstrates their applicability as SERS-active tags for cellular spectral detection. The particles were synthesized by a facile, rapid new route that uses ascorbic acid as a reducing agent of gold salt. Two triarylmethane dyes which are widely used as biological stains, namely malachite green oxalate and basic fuchsin, were used as Raman-active molecules and the polymer mPEG-SH as capping material. The as-prepared SERS-active nanoparticles were tested on a human retinal pigment epithelial cell line and found to present a low level of cytotoxicity and high chemical stability together with SERS sensitivity down to picomolar particle concentrations.     

Up Close and Personal: Temporal Variability in the Drinking of Individual College Students During Their First Year.

Surveys have documented excessive drinking among college students and tracked annual changes in consumption over time. This study extended previous work by examining drinking changes during the freshman year, using latent growth curve (LGC) analysis to model individual change, and relating risk factors for heavy drinking to growth factors in the model. Retrospective monthly assessments of daily drinking were used to generate weekly estimates. Drinking varied considerably by week, apparently as a function of academic requirements and holidays. A 4-factor LGC model adequately fit the data. In univariate analyses, gender, race/ethnicity, alcohol expectancies, sensation seeking, residence, and data completeness predicted growth factors (ps