Predictors of outcome in LAAM, buprenorphine, and methadone treatment for opioid dependence.

This study examined (1) predictors of treatment outcome for opioid-dependent participants in a single-site controlled trial comparing methadone, buprenorphine, and LAAM treatments and (2) the extent to which various subpopulations of patients may have more successful outcomes with each medication. The relationships between patient demographics, drug use history, and psychological status and outcome measures of treatment retention, opiate use, and cocaine use were assessed. We believe this study to be the first to demonstrate that predictors of treatment success appear to be largely similar in LAAM, buprenorphine, and methadone treatment for opioid dependence. We did not find any factors that would strongly guide selection of one medication over others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Lipid and lipoprotein distributions in children by ethnic group, gender, and geographic location--preliminary findings of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH)

Male and female isometric strength curves for elbow fixation, shoulder flexion, and wrist supination-pronation are obtained during systematic variation in arm configuration. The shape of a given moment-angle curve is found to be a function of the orientations of joints kinematically coupled to the primary joint. It is also found that female elbow strength curves are shifted toward flexion with respect to male elbow-strength curves, suggesting that the in situ rest length of upper-limb muscles relative to joint angle may be longer for males than for females. Experimental results were contrasted with simulation results obtained using a three-dimensional musculoskeletal model which estimates the relationships between initial joint orientations, muscle tension-length behavior, and joint moments. In most of the cases, simulation results complimented experimental data and provided insights into likely in situ muscle rest lengths and moments arms, especially for the multiarticular biceps brachii muscle. Where inconsistencies exist between simulated and experimental data, subtle biomechanical complexities within the forearm and the shoulder girdle complex are identified that require future investigation.     

A Comparison of Voucher-Delivery Schedules for the Initiation of Cocaine Abstinence.

Studies on the use of shaping procedures to increase rates of cocaine abstinence have produced promising results. This study used a Brief Abstinence Test to examine the impact of reinforcement for initial reductions in cocaine use on a subsequent abstinence reinforcement test. Methadone maintenance patients showing evidence of cocaine use were exposed to two 1-week reinforcement conditions. During the shaping condition, participants could earn $50 vouchers on Wednesday and Friday for meeting quantitative urinalysis criteria and a $100 voucher on the following Monday for meeting the more stringent qualitative criteria. During the terminal condition, only the $100 earning opportunity for meeting the qualitative criteria was provided. Participants were more likely to meet the qualitative reinforcement criteria on Wednesday and Friday in the shaping condition than in the terminal condition. However, contrary to the initial hypothesis, the shaping reinforcement condition did not increase rates of abstinence on the final abstinence test. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior of Pt Atoms on Oxide Supports During Reduction Treatments at Elevated Temperatures,Characterized by Aberration Corrected Stem Imaging

Abstract  

Aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy at the sub-?ngstr?m resolution allows imaging the structure of catalytic materials at the single atom level and permits fundamental studies of the behavior of heavy metal catalytic species as a result of elevated temperature gas-treatments. The present study is aimed at understanding the development of clusters and nanoparticles of Pt on γ-alumina during reduction treatments of a pre-oxidized highly dispersed catalyst. A special built ex situ reactor and a specimen holder allowing cyclic anaerobic transfer between the reactor and microscope were used for the study. The number of atoms in a nascent cluster can be determined along with the general shape of the cluster. Reduction experiments without air exposure of the sample showed that although clusters are formed at 500 °C, many Pt atoms are not associated with the cluster and are still dispersed on the catalyst support. After a 700 °C reduction, all of the Pt atoms are associated with the clusters. Movement of the clusters on the catalyst support is different depending upon the catalyst support.     

Promoting CM Student Success: Establishing an Academic Performance Benchmark Given Construction-Education Self-Efficacy,Motivation and Planned Behavior

High levels of self-efficacy, motivation and intentions to perform well are necessary to achieve high grade point averages (GPA) in demanding academic programs including engineering, mathematics and the sciences. However, scant research has investigated these constructs within the domain of construction management (CM) education. The Construction Training Attitudes and Intentions Scale (CTAIS), which adapts self-efficacy, motivation and planned behavior constructs to the construction-education domain, was administered among CM and Non-CM students (n = 633) enrolled in courses required for a bachelor degree at three American Council for Construction Education accredited programs. Significant differences (p < .001) in construction-education domain-level constructs were observed for CM and Non-CM majors providing evidence of face validity. CM majors (n = 587) were separated for ANOVA. Significant differences in self-efficacy (p = .014) and planned behavior (p = .001) were observed by GPA. Post-hoc analysis revealed differences in these constructs based on GPA above, or below, 3.0. CM majors (n = 587) were aggregated using the 3.0 GPA benchmark (GPA > 3.0, n = 328; GPA< 3.0, n = 239). T-test results revealed significantly higher levels of self-efficacy (p = .001) and planned behavior (p < .001) among students with GPAs above 3.0. This study provides CM educators with a domain-specific measure to target students for interventions that promote success. Limitations and opportunities for further research are discussed.     

Multiport vector network analyzer measurements

An increasing number of multiport devices, whether they be multiband wireless phone components, backplane balanced transmission lines, or classical devices such as power dividers, are being characterized in the RF, microwave, and millimeter-wave frequency bands. S-parameter measurements are often required, and ordinary vector network analyzer (VNA) measurements must be modified to perform these measurements quickly and accurately. This article explores a number of hardware architectures and calibration procedures for multiport measurements and their impacts on flexibility and uncertainties.     

Narcotics addiction treatment: behavioral methods concurrent with methadone maintenance

Methadone maintenance patients were assigned among four treatment cells involving contingency management, emotionally-based behavior therapy, a combination of these, or a control condition receiving counseling but no behavioral treatment. With 60 patients who remained in treatment at least 6 months, treatment outcomes were compared using objective measures: hours employed, urinalysis results, and counseling participation. No significant differences were found between modalities. Case studies suggested that under appropriate conditions, contingency management might reduce illicit drug use. It is suggested that focused experimental studies may be more productive than broad clinical outcome evaluations.     

Decreased conformational stability of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca-ATPase in aged skeletal muscle

Sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membranes purified from young adult (4-6 months) and aged (26-28 months) Fischer 344 male rat skeletal muscle were compared with respect to the functional and structural properties of the Ca-ATPase and its associated lipids. While we find no age-related alterations in (1) expression levels of Ca-ATPase protein, and (2) calcium transport and ATPase activities, the Ca-ATPase isolated from aged muscle exhibits more rapid inactivation during mild (37 degrees C) heat treatment relative to that from young muscle. Saturation-transfer EPR measurements of maleimide spin-labeled Ca-ATPase and parallel measurements of fatty acyl chain dynamics demonstrate that, accompanying heat inactivation, the Ca-ATPase from aged skeletal muscle more readily undergoes self-association to form inactive oligomeric species without initial age-related differences in association state of the protein. Neither age nor heat inactivation results in differences in acyl chain dynamics of the bilayer including those lipids at the lipid-protein interface. Initial rates of tryptic digestion associated with the Ca-ATPase in SR isolated from aged muscle are 16(+/- 2)% higher relative to that from young muscle. indicating more solvent exposure of a portion of the cytoplasmic domain. During heat inactivation these structural differences are amplified as a result of immediate and rapid further unfolding of the Ca-ATPase isolated from aged muscle relative to the delayed unfolding of the Ca-ATPase isolated from young muscle. Thus age-related alterations in the solvent exposure of cytoplasmic peptides of the Ca-ATPase are likely to be critical to the loss of conformational and functional stability.     

Wetting properties of liquid helium on rubidium metal

Wetting properties of liquid helium on rubidium metal have been investigated in the temperature range 1.0–1.7 K using a heat conduction method. The rubidium surface is found to be wetted under saturated vapor conditions. Prewetting transitions have been observed for rather weak offsets from saturation, indicating that rubidium is close to the nonwetting limit at T = 0 K. Presumably because of substrate inhomogeneities, the prewetting transitions are experimentally found to be continuous and hysteretic. No evidence for the prewetting critical point has been found up to 1.7 K. The prewetting line verifies a simple linear relation between the liquid-vapour surface tension and the two third power of the chemical potential offset, but does not conform quantitatively to the simple model currently used.On leave of Rochester University.Laboratoire de L'Ecole Normale Supérieure et de l'Universté Pierre et Marie Curie, associé au CNRS (URA 18).