Psychotherapy and the twelve step approach for substance abusers: The limits of integration.

Argues that while there is potential for successful blending of 12-step approaches and psychotherapies for chemical dependency at the level of helping strategies/techniques, some basic differences in values and philosophy will make it impossible to ever fully integrate the 2 approaches without compromising one or the other approach. Some of the differences between the 2 approaches involve leadership (indigenous vs professional), individual control (increasing vs decreasing), and spirituality (enhanced vs decreased). Given that psychotherapy and the 12-step approach must remain largely independent, a model for interactions based on mutual respect, independent control, and cooperation is suggested. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prostate enlargement in mice due to fetal exposure to low doses of estradiol or diethylstilbestrol and opposite effects at high doses

On the basis of results of studies using high doses of estrogens, exposure to estrogen during fetal life is known to inhibit prostate development. However, it is recognized in endocrinology that low concentrations of a hormone can stimulate a tissue, while high concentrations can have the opposite effect. We report here that a 50% increase in free-serum estradiol in male mouse fetuses (released by a maternal Silastic estradiol implant) induced a 40% increase in the number of developing prostatic glands during fetal life; subsequently, in adulthood, the number of prostatic androgen receptors per cell was permanently increased by 2-fold, and the prostate was enlarged by 30% (due to hyperplasia) relative to untreated males. However, as the free serum estradiol concentration in male fetuses was increased from 2- to 8-fold, adult prostate weight decreased relative to males exposed to the 50% increase in estradiol. As a model for fetal exposure to man-made estrogens, pregnant mice were fed diethylstilbestrol (DES) from gestation days 11 to 17. Relative to controls, DES doses of 0.02, 0.2, and 2.0 ng per g of body weight per day increased adult prostate weight, whereas a 200-ng-per-g dose decreased adult prostate weight in male offspring. Our findings suggest that a small increase in estrogen may modulate the action of androgen in regulating prostate differentiation, resulting in a permanent increase in prostatic androgen receptors and prostate size. For both estradiol and DES, prostate weight first increased then decreased with dose, resulting in an inverted-U dose-response relationship.     

Color Grouping in Space and Time: Evidence From Negative Color-Based Carryover Effects in Preview Search.

Five experiments addressed the role of color grouping in preview search (D. G. Watson & G. W. Humphreys, 1997). Experiment 1 used opposite color ratios of distractors in preview and second search displays, creating equal numbers of distractors in each color group in the final display. There was selective slowing for new targets carrying the majority color of the old items. This effect held when there was no bias in the preview and only the second search set had an uneven color ratio (Experiment 2). In Experiment 3, participants had foreknowledge of the target color, and effects were shown over and above those due to color biases. Experiment 4 demonstrated negative color carryover even when previews changed color. Experiment 5 showed reduced color carryover effects when previews were presented more briefly. Collectively, the results provide evidence for inhibitory carryover effects in preview search based on feature grouping. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Global shape cannot be attended without object identification.

Tested whether the global shape of objects can be processed without accessing semantic or identity information. Ss judged which of 2 fragmented forms had the same global shape as a reference stimulus. Matching stimuli could be physically identical, semantically related, or unrelated. The reference stimulus and nonmatching (distractor) form could be semantically related or unrelated. Similarity effects in the related condition were unconfounded with matches nameable and nonnameable forms. For nameable forms, related matching forms facilitated performance; a related distractor disrupted performance. Semantic interference was eliminated when nameable distractors were replaced with nonnameable partners; semantic similarity effects on matching were eliminated with a nonnameable reference stimulus and with inverted targets and distractors. Access to information concerning global shape does not normally occur without object identification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Perfluorocarbons are effective oxygen carriers in cardiopulmonary bypass

Intravascular perfluorochemical (PFC) emulsions together with a high oxygen (O2) tension may increase the delivery of dissolved O2 to useful levels. A severely anemic model of cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) was used to test the hypothesis that a novel PFC emulsion (PFCE; Oxygent [Alliance Pharmaceutical Corp., San Diego, CA] 90% w/v perflubron) used at a high PO2 during bypass delivers sufficient O2 to ameliorate hypoxic myocardial contractile dysfunction. Acutely anemic dogs (N = 42; hematocrit = 15.8 +/- 0.6% [mean +/- SEM] before CPB and 10.9 +/- 0.1% during CPB) were divided into four groups. Group 1 was a control (n = 12). As CPB was initiated, groups 2 (n = 10), 3 (n = 10), and 4 (n = 10) had 1.35 g PFC.kg-1, 2.7 g PFC.kg-1, or 5.4 g PFC.kg-1 added via the venous return cannula. Pre-CPB and post-CPB cardiac function was measured by the first derivative of left ventricular pressure (dP/dtmax). The dP/dtmax on separation from CPB was: group 1, 619 +/- 96; group 2, 738 +/- 56; group 3, 782 +/- 101; and group 4, 828 +/- 100 (p < 0.05 groups 3 and 4 versus group 1). Mortality during the first hour after separation from CPB was higher in group 1 than in PFCE treated dogs; however, this trend did not attain statistical significance (p < 0.065). The PFC dose was higher in survivors than in nonsurvivors (2.6 +/- 0.4 g PFC.kg-1 versus 1.2 +/- 0.5 g PFC.kg-1; p < 0.05). A PFCE used at a high PO2 provides sufficient physically dissolved O2 to relieve myocardial hypoxic injury in a severely anemic model of CPB. Current PFCEs are effective O2 carriers. This finding suggests that they can be used as a temporary erythrocyte substitute to diminish the need for allogeneic transfusions during cardiac operations.     

Nursing care of children of battered women

Our understanding of children of battered women and their responses to violence is developing. Children's responses vary. Although some children manifest signs of distress, anxiety, and worry, others are able to overcome the deleterious effects of family violence with the help of inner resources and the support of caring people. Knowledge of these factors offer suggestions for nursing practice with battered women and their children. Nurses who care for battered women and their children must seek them out, listen, offer information, encouragement, and understanding.     

Mobile Social Networks and Social Practice: A Case Study of Dodgeball

A mobile social network system (MSNS) allows groups of friends to be accessed and engaged with from one's mobile phone. Dodgeball is a MSNS that seeks to facilitate social connection and coordination among friends in urban public spaces. Based on a year-long qualitative field study, this article reports on the social and behavioral norms of Dodgeball use. A comparison between social network sites and Dodgeball highlights some of the communicative differences of mobile technology and the Internet. The findings of the study suggest that Dodgeball use can influence the way that informants experience public space and social relations therein. At times Dodgeball can facilitate the creation of third spaces, which are dynamic and itinerant forms of "third places." Additionally, exchanging messages through Dodgeball can lead to social molecularization, whereby active Dodgeball members experience and move through the city in a collective manner.     

INTRODUCTION TO INCONEL ALLOY 740: AN ALLOY DESIGNED FOR SUPERHEATER TUBING IN COAL-FIRED ULTRA SUPERCRITICAL BOILERS

1. IntroductionW hile w orldw ide environm entalrestrictionsare requiring pow ercom paniesto reduce SO x,N O x andCO 2 em issions, econom ic pressuresare sim ultaneously necessitating im provem entsin the therm aleffi-ciency ofallcoal-fired plants. A ddin…     

Application of the scaling factor method to estimation of beta dose distributions for dissimilar media separated by a planar interface

Reliable methods of estimating doses are essential for the use of beta emitting radionuclides for radiotherapy. The passage of electrons through matter is a very complex phenomenon due to the large number of elastic and inelastic interactions resulting in scattering and energy losses. The analytical solution for the electron transport being intractable, the problem has been addressed by the Monte Carlo technique. Empirical or semiempirical less time consuming methods, such as the scaling factor method, may appear more preferable in practice when dealing with complicated source distributions. The method, proposed by Cross and co-workers [AECL Report Nos. AECL-1617 (1982), AECL 10521 (1992)] consists in the derivation of beta-ray dose distribution in other media from those in water by using a "scaling factor" or "relative attenuation factor" on distance and a closely related renormalization factor imposed by the energy conservation. This work investigates the accuracy of the scaling factor method using a statistical approach, a generalized chi 2 test, focusing on the particular case of potential interest, the scaling factor for water to bone. The direct comparison of the shapes of the depth dose deposition curves in the two media indicates discrepancies of less than 5% up to at least 60% of the range in bone, a depth within which 95% of the initial energy is deposited. The scaling factor derived by this method, 0.9720 +/- 0.0012, confirms the existing experimentally determined value of 0.973 +/- 1% [AECL Report No. AECL-10521 (1992)]. The accuracy of the determination is increased by almost a factor of 10. A way of improving the scaling method, especially for depth over the 60% continuous slowing down approximation range, by using a modulation function is also proposed.     

Vortex imaging in superconducting films by scanning hall probe microscopy

We have used a low noise Scanning Hall Probe Microscope (SHPM) to study vortex structures in superconducting films. The microscope has high magnetic field (2.9×10^–8T/Hz at 77K) and spatial resolution, 0.85m. Magnetic field profiles of single vortices in High T_c YBa₂Cu₃O_7– thin films have been successfully measured and the microscopic penetration depth of the superconductor has been extracted as a function of temperature. Flux penetration into the superconductor has been imaged in real time (8s/frame).