Understanding a link between sexual harassment and eating disorder symptoms: A mediational analysis.

Using data from 3 samples of working women and men, the present study examines the association between sexual harassment and eating disorder symptoms by studying the processes that may underlie this relationship. The results of structural equation modeling suggest a link between sexual harassment and eating disorder symptoms among women and indicate that this relationship is mediated by psychological distress, self-esteem, and self-blame. Further, sexual harassment was found to predict eating disorder symptoms among women even when experiences of sexual assault were included in the model. No relationship was found between sexual harassment and eating disorder symptoms among men. The theoretical and clinical implications of these results are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ultralight lithography [IC manufacture]

Smaller IC features-in particular, narrower connecting linewidths-require the development of more precise tools. One key technology is semiconductor lithography, essentially the photographic transfer of IC features onto silicon substrates. As the wavelength of the light source used to expose IC patterns on wafers decreases, the properties of the camera system used for creating these minuscule patterns have become more crucial. One potential next-generation lithographic technology is extreme ultraviolet (UV), which promises to produce IC-feature sizes as small as 30 nm using a reflective camera system and a wavelength of 13.4-nm. The author discusses the reasons for using extreme UV lithography and describes the illumination system, optical materials and coatings, resolution and depth of focus issues, reticles and masks and chemically amplified photoresists     

The effect of ascorbic acid and ferric ammonium citrate on iron uptake and storage in lens epithelial cells

Fas antigen (CD95) is a membrane receptor that plays a major role in induction of apoptosis. In surface conjunctival epithelial cells the expressions of Fas, Fas ligand, the apoptotic marker APO2.7 and of HLA DR class II antigen, a membrane marker known to be expressed in inflammatory conditions were investigated. Impression cytology specimens were collected in 65 patients: 20 normal ones, 15 contact lens wearers, 20 receiving chronic topical antiglaucoma treatment and 10 with nonspecific chronic conjunctivitis. Cells were processed for flow cytometry, using monoclonal antibodies to Fas, Fas ligand, APO2.7, HLA DR antigens and a negative isotypic control. Percentages of positive cells were recorded and levels of fluorescence quantified using fluorescent beads at standardized fluorescence intensities. In addition, a human conjunctival cell line was incubated with anti-Fas stimulating antibodies in order to test Fas-induced apoptosis in vitro. Fas was found in all specimens in most of the conjunctival cells, but quantitation of levels of fluorescence showed a significantly higher expression in pathologic eyes than in normal ones. Fas ligand and APO2.7 were variably expressed by conjunctival cells, but in a significantly higher percentage of cells in pathological eyes than in normal ones. In these eyes a strong expression of HLA DR was also observed, whereas normal eyes showed lowest levels. Highly significant correlations were found between Fas, Fas ligand, APO2.7 and HLA DR levels. Anti-Fas antibodies in vitro induced strong apoptosis in epithelial cells as confirmed by APO2.7 expression and DAPI staining. This study confirms that conjunctival epithelial cells normally express Fas antigen, and more inconstantly its ligand, as do corneal ones or keratinocytes. Fluorescence quantitation by flow cytometry showed much higher expression in inflammatory eyes than in normal ones, and demonstrated a strong correlation between apoptotic and inflammatory pathways in the ocular surface.     

Sexual assault and other types of sexual harassment by workplace personnel: A comparison of antecedents and consequences.

Although sexual assault by workplace personnel is widely viewed as a type of sexual harassment, little is known about whether these overlapping constructs may possess some unique characteristics. This article compares the theoretical antecedents and consequences of sexual assault by workplace personnel and other types of sexual harassment among 22,372 women employed in the U.S. military. Path analysis revealed that low sociocultural and organizational power are associated with an increased likelihood of both types of victimization. Organizational climate and job gender context are directly associated with sexual harassment but are only indirectly associated with sexual assault by workplace personnel. Both types of victimization are associated with a variety of negative outcomes, but the pattern of negative consequences differs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Bile duct carcinoma associated with chronic ulcerative colitis

Patients with chronic ulcerative colitis are prone to a variety of liver disorders. This case report illustrates development of bile duct carcinoma in a patient with long-standing inactive colitis. The report emphasizes the association of chronic ulcerative colitis with bile duct carcinoma and discusses the radiologic preoperative evaluation of the ulcerative colitis patient who develops jaundice.     

Laser-damage impact on lithography system throughput

With the transition to high-power excimer laser sources for lithography systems, the impact of laser damage, particularly compaction in fused silica, on the optics life, dose at the wafer plane, and system throughput, is a major concern. This paper will develop the first-order equations for the analysis, apply the equations to a step-and-scan catadioptric system, and show that for 248-nm systems, the limitation on throughput is dose, not laser-induced damage, while at 193 nm, laser-induced damage becomes the limitation for throughput for system lifetimes in excess of ten years. The boundary conditions used in the analyses are based on design experience at SVG Lithography Systems, Inc. (SVGL), data from excimer laser manufacturers, and papers presented at SPIE Microlithography 1995     

Perfluoroctyl bromide as a blood pool contrast agent for computed tomographic angiography

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: We determined whether perfluoroctyl bromide (perflubron) could be used as a computed tomography (CT) angiographic agent by studying vessel visibility (celiac artery, superior mesenteric artery [SMA], and renal arteries) with spiral CT and three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions. METHODS: Five rhesus monkeys were examined with a perflubron emulsion (90% [w/v] perfluorochemical; administered intravenously at a dose of 1.5 ml/kg and at a rate of 0.5 ml/sec. Spiral CT was performed immediately and at 5 hr after injection. Three dimensional images of the aorta at the level of the celiac artery, SMA, and renal arteries were reconstructed and blindly rated 0-4 (0 = not seen; 4 = excellent visualization) by two observers. RESULTS: All the vessels had the best ratings immediately after injection: celiac artery, 2.8 +/- 0.42; SMA, 2.7 +/- 0.48; left renal artery, 2.1 +/- 0.99; and right renal artery, 1.2 +/- 1.03. The ratings after the 5-hr delay were as follows: celiac artery, 1.3 +/- 1.34; SMA, 1.5 +/- 1.08; left renal artery, 1.5 +/- 0.97; and right renal artery, 1.2 +/- 0.79. CONCLUSIONS: Spiral CT angiography with a perflubron emulsion successfully demonstrated all vessels immediately and at 5 hr after contrast agent infusion. Further refinements of the dose, rate, and reconstruction technique are expected to increase vessel visibility over this wide imaging window.     

Does It Matter What You Call It? The Relationship Between Labeling Unwanted Sexual Experiences and Distress.

Using cross-sectional data from 2 samples of women attending a university (N = 1,395), the author examined the relationship among women's labeling of their unwanted sexual experiences (USEs) with dating partners and a variety of psychological and school-related outcomes. Three competing path analysis models were tested to determine whether the distress associated with sexual victimization stems from the USE itself, from the woman's self-definition as a victim, or from both. The best-fitting model indicates that labeling is irrelevant to the determination of negative outcomes and that it is the USE itself that is associated with psychological and school-related distress. These results suggest that labeling cannot be considered a valid criterion for determining who has experienced sexual victimization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Guidelines for differential diagnoses in a population with posttraumatic stress disorder.

In a large posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression treatment outcome study, thorough diagnostic assessments of veterans at pretreatment, posttreatment, and 3 follow-up times were completed. The research team that reviewed these assessments encountered several challenges in the differential diagnosis of PTSD because of high comorbidity and symptoms shared with or resembling other disorders. For example, how do mental health professionals distinguish symptoms of agoraphobia from avoidance and hypervigilance symptoms of PTSD? When are hallucinations symptomatic of PTSD (e.g., flashbacks) versus a nonpsychotic near-death experience or an independent psychotic disorder? How do mental health professionals differentiate overlapping symptoms of PTSD and depressive disorders? To help make reliable diagnoses, the team developed clarifying questions and diagnostic guidelines, which may prove useful to other clinicians and researchers working with PTSD populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)