Investigating the acceptability of behavioral interventions in applied conjoint behavioral consultation: Moving from analog conditions to naturalistic settings.

Whereas there exists a vast literature investigating consumer satisfaction ratings of various behavioral interventions, the majority of these studies have been limited to analogue conditions, which may compromise utility and generalization. Additionally, most research has failed to explore multiple-source, multiple-setting data in the investigation of treatment acceptability. This study investigated parent, teacher, and child treatment acceptability ratings derived from field-based conjoint behavioral consultation cases. Data indicate that overall, 67 parents (aged 23-54 yrs), 67 teachers (aged 22-57 yrs), and 67 children (aged 5-15 yrs) rated conjoint behavioral consultation-based behavioral interventions as very to highly acceptable. For parents, interventions with a reductive component were rated as more acceptable than interventions using both positive and negative components; no significant differences were found among teacher and child group ratings. For teachers, there was a positive relationship between (a) intervention complexity and treatment acceptability ratings and (b) problem severity ratings and treatment acceptability ratings... (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fermi–Bose Correspondence and Bose–Einstein Condensation in the Two-Dimensional Ideal Gas

The ideal uniform two-dimensional (2D) Fermi and Bose gases are considered both in the thermodynamic limit and the finite case. We derive May's Theorem, viz. the correspondence between the internal energies of the Fermi and Bose gases in the thermodynamic limit. This results in both gases having the same heat capacity. However, as we shall show, the thermodynamic limit is never truly reached in two dimensions and so it is essential to consider finite-size effects. We show in an elementary manner that for the finite 2D Bose gas, a pseudo-Bose–Einstein condensate forms at low temperatures, incompatible with May's Theorem. The two gases now have different heat capacities, dependent on the system size and tending to the same expression in the thermodynamic limit.     

Becker muscular dystrophy with bundle branch reentry ventricular tachycardia

This report describes a case of Becker muscular dystrophy presenting with recurrent symptomatic wide complex tachycardia. Electrophysiologic testing demonstrated the mechanism to be bundle branch reentry ventricular tachycardia. It is important to consider this potential mechanism in patients with ventricular arrhythmias who have this particular clinical entity, since radiofrequency catheter ablation can represent a curative treatment.     

The application of nonlinear structures to the reconstruction ofbinary signals

The problem of reconstructing digital signals which have been passed through a dispersive channel and corrupted with additive noise is discussed. The problems encountered by linear equalizers under adverse conditions on the signal-to-noise ratio and channel phase are described. By considering the equalization problem as a geometric classification problem the authors demonstrate how these difficulties can be overcome by utilizing nonlinear classifiers as channel equalizers. The manner in which neural networks can be utilized as adaptive channel equalizers is described, and simulation results which suggest that the neural network equalizers offer a performance which exceeds that of the linear structures, particularly in the high-noise environment, are presented     

On the Auditory Modality Superiority Effect in Serial Recall: Separating Input and Output Factors.

The modality effect in immediate recall refers to superior recall of the last few items within lists presented in spoken as opposed to printed form. The locus of this well-known effect has been unclear. N. Cowan, J. S. Saults, E. M. Elliott, and M. Moreno (2002) introduced a new method to distinguish between the effects of input serial position, output serial position, and the number of items yet to be recalled and found that large modality effects occurred only in conditions in which delay and interference at output (from items already recalled) was high. The authors replicated that finding, even when the response period included output interference acoustically similar to the spoken stimuli to be recalled. However, the authors found that output delay and interference act only by lowering the level of performance to a more sensitive range. The modality effect thus originates during encoding of the list to be recalled, not during output. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Constraints on CD4 recovery postchemotherapy in adults: thymic insufficiency and apoptotic decline of expanded peripheral CD4 cells

To examine the mechanisms of CD4 reconstitution in an adult population, lymphocyte repopulation was assessed following dose-intense chemotherapy in 25 breast cancer patients, ages 33 to 69 years. Chemotherapy resulted in a greater than 60% reduction in total CD4 T cells and, in particular, a greater than 90% loss of the CD45RA+ CD4 cells. CD4 recovery was protracted, achieving less than 50% of pretreatment levels after 12 to 14 months. Two facets of the CD4 recovery were notable. First, generation of CD45RA+ CD4 cells played only a minor role in the first year, suggesting that thymic production was not the main route of CD4 regeneration. Indeed, recovery of CD45RA+ CD4 cell levels remained limited in half of the patients even after 2 years. Second, expansion of the mature peripheral CD4 cells (CD45RO+) remaining after chemotherapy was the main source of early CD4 repopulation, peaking at 3 to 6 months postchemotherapy. This expansion was limited in duration, however, and was followed by a secondary decline, such that the total CD45RO+ CD4 levels at 9 to 12 months were lower than at 6 months. When stimulated by mitogens, an increased susceptibility to apoptosis was observed in postchemotherapy CD4 cells as compared with those from normal donors. The elevated expression of markers such as HLA-DR during chemotherapy and for several months postchemotherapy is consistent with the presence of an activated T-cell population. CD4 apoptotic frequency correlated with the frequency of HLA-DR expression on T cells. Thus, CD4 recovery is constrained in adults by a limited thymic regenerative capacity and by an increased susceptibility to apoptosis within the expanding peripheral CD4 population.     

Timed reactions to an object in apparent motion: evidence on Cartesian and non-Cartesian perceptual hypotheses

In three experiments on apparent motion, subjects were to press a computer key as quickly as possible either when the apparently moving stimulus passed the midpoint of its trajectory or when it reached the endpoint. If motion is perceived as a trajectory through a series of spatial locations, and if this type of percept is the basis of deliberate responding (assumptions that can be considered Cartesian in origin), then reaction times should be faster to the midpoint than to the endpoint. In contrast to these assumptions, there was no difference between reaction times to these two points. Alternative accounts of the results are discussed.     

Characterization and Reconstitution of Human Lipoyl Synthase (LIAS) Supports ISCA2 and ISCU as Primary Cluster Donors and an Ordered Mechanism of Cluster Assembly

Lipoyl synthase (LIAS) is an iron–sulfur cluster protein and a member of the radical S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) superfamily that catalyzes the final step of lipoic acid biosynthesis. The enzyme contains two [4Fe–4S] centers (reducing and auxiliary clusters) that promote radical formation and sulfur transfer, respectively. Most information concerning LIAS and its mechanism has been determined from prokaryotic enzymes. Herein, we detail the expression, isolation, and characterization of human LIAS, its reactivity, and evaluation of natural iron–sulfur (Fe–S) cluster reconstitution mechanisms. Cluster donation by a number of possible cluster donor proteins and heterodimeric complexes has been evaluated. [2Fe–2S]-cluster-bound forms of human ISCU and ISCA2 were found capable of reconstituting human LIAS, such that complete product turnover was enabled for LIAS, as monitored via a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) assay. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) studies of native LIAS and substituted derivatives that lacked the ability to bind one or the other of LIAS’s two [4Fe–4S] clusters revealed a likely order of cluster addition, with the auxiliary cluster preceding the reducing [4Fe–4S] center. These results detail the trafficking of Fe–S clusters in human cells and highlight differences with respect to bacterial LIAS analogs. Likely in vivo Fe–S cluster donors to LIAS are identified, with possible connections to human disease states, and a mechanistic ordering of [4Fe–4S] cluster reconstitution is evident.     

Oxidation and quality of soybean oil: A preliminary study of the anisidine test

The anisidine test, a measure of secondary oxidation products in glyceride oils, was applied to a number of soybean salad oils processed from sound and damaged soybeans. A highly significant correlation (−0.68) was found between the anisidine values of salad oils from sound soybeans and their flavor scores. Multiple correlations between flavor scores, anisidine, and peroxide values yielded a correlation of 0.81 and provided a method for predicting the initial flavor scores of sound soybean salad oils. Similar data for oils from damaged beans gave a highly significant, but lower, correlation (−0.65). Comparative studies indicated that sound crude oils usually contain lower levels of oxidation products than damaged crude. Oxidation in both sound and damaged crudes increased roughly in proportion to iron content. Reproducibility of the test and the effects of hydrogenation, accelerated storage, and fluorescent light on anisidine values were studied. Analysis of damaged oils before and after deodorization showed that little, if any, reduction of anisidine value occurred. Deodorization of sound oils, however, lowered anisidine values. In comparison with damaged oils, the anisidine values of sound oils were lower at comparable stages of processing. The poor quality of damaged soybean oil was substantiated by organoleptic evaluations. Flavor scores of oils given special processing treatments increased as anisidine values decreased.