Context-Processing Deficits in Schizotypal Personality Disorder.

Research suggests that schizotypal personality disorder (SPD) is a part of the spectrum of schizophrenia-related illnesses. This article hypothesizes that a deficit in the representation and maintenance of context is a core cognitive disturbance in schizophrenia and that SPD individuals should demonstrate context-processing deficits. To test this hypothesis, the authors administered 3 versions of their AX-CPT task, designed to assess context processing, to 35 healthy controls and 26 individuals with DSM-IV SPD. They also administered working memory and selective attention tasks. SPD individuals displayed context representation deficits similar to those found in schizophrenia but did not show the same additional deficits in context maintenance. Context processing was strongly associated with working memory and selective attention performance in the SPD individuals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advances in the stabilization of flexible PVC by using a liquid calcium‐zinc technology

The global market for liquid mixed‐metal stabilizers is migrating toward heavy‐metal‐free products, Historically, these systems have not been performance and cost competitive. High efficiency calcium‐zinc stabilizers have the potential to replace heavy‐metal‐based products. The intrinsic value of non‐phenolic lubricating calcium intermediates and calcium‐zinc stabilizers is discussed.     

移动终端软件的成功要素

移动终端是一种采用先进通信协议栈的复杂系统,它需要具有与许多网络供应商设备的互操作性、支持先进而丰富的多媒体应用程序,而且,所有这些都必需在一个资源有限的嵌入式系统的约束条件下实现。提供一个满足上述要求的软件解决方案需要考虑许多方面的问题并经历诸多阶段。成功的要素是:平台质量、应用程序集成质量和产品质量。平台质量能让制造商用来生成多种设计方案的移动手机参考设计,必须提供一个用于制造高品质终端用户产品的优质平台。移动手机软件包括三个关键部分——协议栈、应用程序架构和应用程序。协议栈毫无疑问是最为复杂的…     

Chlorisondamine inhibits the nicotine-induced stimulation of c-fos in the pigeon brain for up to 2 weeks.

Chlorisondamine is a charged molecule that acts as long-acting nicotinic antagonist in many species, including pigeon. Evidence indicates that, despite the charged nature of chlorisondamine, it blocks some central effects of nicotine. The present study examined the time course of chlorisondamine's blockade of nicotine-induced c-fos expression in the pigeon brain. Chlorisondamine's central blockade was examined from 1 hr to 28 days prior to nicotine administration. Nicotine stimulated increases in c-fos mRNA in the hippocampus, hyperstriatum accessorium, hyperstriatum ventrale, nucleus accumbens, bulbus olfactorius, paleostriatum augmentatum, and stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale. Nicotinic receptors labeled by [(125)I]-epibatidine were not always found in the same regions as nicotine-induced increases in c-fos expression. Acute chlorisondamine increased the level of c-fos mRNA in the cerebellum, hippocampus, hyperstriatum accessorium, locus parolfactorius, nucleus accumbens, tectum opticum, paleostriatum augmentatum, and stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale but had no effect on its own 24 hr after administration. Chlorisondamine blocked nicotine-induced increases in c-fos RNA for 4 days in the nucleus accumbens, a week in the bulbus olfactorius, and 2 weeks in the stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale. The time course of chlorisondamine's blockade of nicotine-induced c-fos expression is consistent with the time course of the ability of chlorisondamine to block behavioral and physiological responses to nicotine.     

Identification and characterization of a two-component regulatory system involved in invasion of eukaryotic cells and heavy-metal resistance in Burkholderia pseudomallei

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis, a disease increasingly recognized as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in many regions of the world. B. pseudomallei is a facultative intracellular pathogen capable of invading eukaryotic cells. We used Tn5-OT182 mutagenesis to generate mutants deficient in the ability to invade a human type II pneumocyte cell line (A549 cells). One of these mutants, AJ1D8, exhibited approximately 10% of the ability of the parental strain, 1026b, to invade A549 cells. There was no difference in the abilities of 1026b and AJ1D8 to resist killing by RAW macrophages or the human defensin HNP-1. The nucleotide sequence flanking the Tn5-OT182 integration in AJ1D8 was determined, and two open reading frames were identified. The predicted proteins shared considerable homology with two-component regulatory systems involved in the regulation of heavy-metal resistance in other organisms. AJ1D8 was 16-fold more sensitive to Cd2+ and twofold more sensitive to Zn2+ than was 1026b but was not sensitive to any of the other heavy metals examined. The B. pseudomallei two-component regulatory system, termed irlRS, complemented the invasion-deficient and heavy-metal-sensitive phenotype of AJ1D8 in trans. There was no significant difference between the virulence of AJ1D8 and that of 1026b in infant diabetic rats and Syrian hamsters, suggesting that the irlRS locus is probably not a virulence determinant in these animal models of acute B. pseudomallei infection.     

Adverse consequences of prenatal illicit drug exposure

Our appreciation of the impact on health of illicit drug use is growing. Once considered a maternal risk, prenatal drug exposure may target fetal neurobehavior, affecting attention and learning as the child grows into adulthood. Cocaine, opiates, marijuana, and amphetamines have each been scrutinized for adverse actions on placental transport, fetal behavior states, newborn withdrawal, and childhood learning and attentive skills. Neurotransmitter analysis in the animal model after prenatal drug exposure now provides biological support for these clinical findings. The increasing prevalence of drug use by pregnant women, the effect of illicit drug use on transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus, and the maternal and fetal consequences of illicit drug exposure make illicit drug use in pregnancy a central challenge in maternal-fetal medicine and a need-to-know field in general obstetrics.     

The impact of III-V semiconductors on microelectromechanicalsystems

This article examines the special features of the III-V semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide and chemically related compounds, which make them an attractive alternative to silicon-based technology in the field of microelectromechanical systems. As in conventional electronic systems, it is not expected that the III-V compounds will become exclusively used in all instances, but rather a substantial niche market-exploiting the special advantages of the compound semiconductors-is likely to be established     

Information Assurance Technology Forecast 2008

A virtual roundtable (featuring panelists Steven Bellovin, Terry Benzel, Bob Blakely, Dorothy Denning, Whitfield Diffie, Jeremy Epstein, and Paulo Verissimo) discussing the next 15 years in computer security.