Detection of an explosive simulant via electrical impedance spectroscopy utilizing the UiO-66-NH2 metal-organic framework.

Electrical impedance spectroscopy, in conjunction with the metal-organic framework (MOF) UiO-66-NH2, is used to detect trace levels of the explosive simulant 2,6-dinitrotoluene. The combination of porosity and functionality of the MOF provides an effective dielectric structure, resulting in changes of impedance magnitude and phase angle. The promising data indicate that MOFs may be used in low-cost, robust explosive detection devices.

Alzheimer's disease underlies some cases of complex partial status epilepticus.

Alzheimer's disease is a known risk factor for seizures, and age older than 60 years is a recognized risk factor for poor outcome from convulsive and nonconvulsive status epilepticus. The authors suspect that there may be a causal relationship between dementia pathology and the development and maintenance of refractory seizures. They report two selected patients with complex partial status epilepticus whose presentation and clinical course provide partial support for this hypothesis. Their methods include case reports with clinical, EEG, imaging, and pathologic correlations. The patients were 70 and 85 years of age. Both had central and peripheral brain atrophy on imaging studies (with some regions that were affected more than others), left temporal seizure foci corresponding to areas of greatest cortical atrophy, and early presentation with inhibitory epileptic symptoms (aphasia), with evolution to complex partial status epilepticus. Pathologic confirmation of Alzheimer's disease was obtained in one patient who had not been diagnosed previously. It involved maximally the cortex underlying the seizure focus. A diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease was established in the other patient. Alzheimer's disease may be causal in some cases of complex partial status epilepticus. Additional observations in support of this hypothesis are needed.

The effect of Tomm's therapeutic questioning styles on therapeutic alliance: a clinical analog study.

Tomm (1988) suggests that circular and reflexive questions tend to elicit feelings of freedom/acceptance whereas lineal and strategic questions usually trigger feelings of judgment/constraint. Employing an analog methodology, each of Tomm's four questioning styles was portrayed in the form of a 5-minute videotaped intake scenario. Forty family triads with a mother, father, and adolescent son were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions with ten families each. Each condition involved viewing one of four questioning style scenarios. All participants (N = 120 individuals--40 mothers, 40 fathers, and 40 adolescent sons) completed the Family Therapy Alliance Scale (FTAS; Pinsof & Catherall, 1986) and a validity-check instrument. The results indicated that circular and reflexive questioning styles elicited significantly higher (p < 0.001) alliance scores on the FTAS than did either lineal or strategic questions. Implications for the use of different types of questions in family therapy are discussed.

Life satisfaction among low-income rural youth from Appalachia.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative strength of objective, subjective, and congruency variables as predictors of life satisfaction among low-income youth from rural areas. A 10-year longitudinal survey of low-income, rural youth from Appalachia (n = 322) was conducted to explore these issues. Although support was provided for variables representing all three types of life satisfaction predictors, the strongest of these were subjective variables such as self-perceptions about goal attainment in jobs, overall goal attainment in life, and self-esteem. Another set of consistent predictors of life satisfaction, congruence variables, were concerned with the extent to which low-income you believed that they had fulfilled their own aspirations in terms of formal education, proximity to their childhood homes, and number of children, Finally, some of the objective variables consisting of family of origin's SES, community size, and marital status also were predictive of life satisfaction. In general, the life satisfaction of low-income, rural youth seemed to be influenced more extensively by personal meanings shaped within a particular cultural context rather than by traditional objective measures of life circumstances.

Dose-response curve of human extensor digitorum brevis muscle function to intramuscularly injected botulinum toxin type A.

To develop a human model for measuring the effect of intramuscularly injected botulinum toxin, we injected both extensor digitorum brevis (EDB) muscles in 13 healthy volunteers with seven varying doses of botulinum toxin type A. We measured, pre- and postinjection, EDB M-wave amplitude, area, and mean rectified voltage (MRV) (obtained during maximal voluntary muscle activation). There was a logarithmic-appearing dose-response relationship between increasing doses of botulinum toxin and decline in EDB M-wave amplitude, area, and MRV. The decline was incrementally less at higher doses of toxin and appeared to level off at a maximal effect of 85 to 90% decrement from baseline (85 to 90% "paralysis") at 15 to 20 units. The peak toxin effect was present on day 6 postinjection. Measurement of EDB M-wave amplitude, area, and MRV is a simple objective method for quantifying the onset and degree of human muscle "paralysis" following botulinum-toxin injection.

Adolescent social competence, parental qualities, and parental satisfaction.

Dimensions of adolescent social competence and parental qualities were examined as predictors of parental satisfaction using a sample of 736 parents. Several aspects of adolescent social competence and parental qualities were found to predict parental satisfaction. Of these, parental support was the strongest predictor, while the use of induction (rational control) was related only to fathers' well-being. Perceptions of adolescent social competence evidenced some differences between mothers and fathers in parental satisfaction. Implications for intervention strategies are discussed.

Elevated plasma glucagon in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

This study shown an abnormality in glucagon levels that may explain the glucose intolerance, abnormal insulin reactions, and abnormal plasma amino acid levels seen in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). We randomly administered two test meals, differing only in protein source (soy versus casein) at least 1 week apart and measured fasting and postprandial bloods for glucagon, insulin, and glucose levels in 11 ALS patients. With the soy test meal, glucagon levels were elevated in all ALS patients compared with controls: at fasting (237 +/- 111 versus 108 +/- 46 pg/ml, p less than 0.01) and 1/2 hour (389 +/- 94 versus 133 +/- 68 pg/ml, p less than 0.001), and 2 hours postprandial (379 +/- 75 versus 108 +/- 53 pg/ml, p less than 0.001). Glucagon levels after the casein test meal were also significantly elevated. Insulin was elevated by both test meals. Casein produced significant glucose intolerance.

Coaptation of the anterior rami of C-3 and C-4 to the upper trunk of the brachial plexus for cervical nerve root avulsion.

No surgical procedure has been available to repair cervical nerve root avulsion inside the spinal canal. Results with peripheral neurotization of denervated muscles have been discouraging. The authors have performed bridge-graft coaptation in three patients with C-5 and C-6 nerve root avulsion. The components of the coaptation included the anterior primary rami of C-3 and C-4 as the donor material, the entire upper trunk as the recipient, and the sural nerve graft as the bridge. This procedure resulted in restoration of motor function in the biceps and shoulder-girdle muscles and produced improved sensation. Stimulation of the C-3 and C-4 nerve roots elicited electrical responses in the biceps and deltoid muscles that indicated nerve growth through the graft and the brachial plexus into these muscles. This reconstructive procedure is effective and should stimulate development of new approaches to treatment of cervical nerve root avulsion and proximal brachial plexopathy.

Toward an empirical confirmation of the Wegscheider role theory.

This study explored the validity of the Wegscheider role typology through the development of a measure to assess the extent to which adolescents manifest the characteristics of the respective roles explicated in the theory. Subjects were 224 students enrolled in Grades 9 through 12 of a university developmental research school. A principal components analysis yielded five orthogonal and independent constructs. Four of the five factors were interpreted as consistent with the Wegscheider typology. Sixteen items loaded on the achievement factor (hero role), 11 items the entertainment factor (mascot role), 9 items on the nonconformity factor (scapegoat role), 7 items on the emotional sensitivity factor (lost child role), and 3 items on the domesticity factor (enabler role). Alpha reliabilities ranged from .74 to .85. The factor structure was replicated on two independent data sets. The domesticity factor did not appear to be a valid measure of Wegscheider's description of the enabler role. The inference is that adolescents tend not to play the enabler role in their families.

Medial brachial fascial compartment syndrome: anatomic basis of neuropathy after transaxillary arteriography.

The authors reviewed their experience with 320 transaxillary arteriograms, as well as the English-language literature on neuropathy complicating transaxillary arteriography. Three of their patients had median and ulnar motor and sensory nerve injury, and six others had only sensory involvement. The occurrence or severity of nerve injury did not correlate well with the size or presence of an observable axillary or arm hematoma. Dissection of the axillae and arms of 25 human cadavers revealed a tough medial brachial fascial compartment (MBFC) outside a thin axillary sheath. The median and ulnar nerves were within the MBFC at an arterial puncture site just lateral to the anterior axillary fold. The radial and musculocutaneous nerves exited the MBFC more proximally. The different levels at which the major nerves of the brachial plexus exit the MBFC explain the anatomic distribution of the nerve injuries associated with compression by a hematoma after transaxillary arteriography.

The utility of MMPI subtle, obvious scales for detecting fake good and fake bad response sets.

The MMPI was administered twice to 40 graduate students to determine the utility of the Weiner subtle and obvious scales (D, HY, PD, PA, MA) for estimating how fake good and fake bad response sets might influence full scale scores. The first time, the MMPI was administered under standard conditions. Subjects then were divided randomly into two groups: fake good (complete MMPI for job application) and fake bad (qualify for psychotherapy). There were significant multivariate test effects (standard vs. response set) for the raw scores of all five obvious, subtle, and full scales. However, when raw scores were converted to T scores to ascertain practical significance, the obvious scales appeared to provide the most useful information to enhance the interpretation of full scale scores in normal populations.

Prognostic value of electrodiagnosis in Guillain-Barré syndrome.

This study was designed to identify clinical and electrodiagnostic indicators of prognosis in Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Sixty severe GBS patients (all bedfast, 22 ventilator dependent) were analyzed clinically and with standard electromyography and nerve conduction studies. Both ventilator dependence and rapid evolution of weakness were more common in patients with a poor prognosis. The most powerful predictor of a poor outcome was reduced mean compound muscle action potential amplitude (less than 10% of the lower limit of normal).

Newer electrodiagnostic techniques in peripheral nerve injuries.

Careful attention to technique is essential for the accurate evaluation of peripheral nerve function using conventional EMG and nerve conduction studies. Numerous technical, anatomic, and physiologic pitfalls must be avoided. The amplitudes of the M wave and SNAP contain useful diagnostic information and should be evaluated carefully in addition to conduction velocity and distal latency. Newer techniques using the F wave, H reflex, SEP, dermatomal SEP, and quantitative EMG may be helpful in evaluation of selected peripheral nerve problems. Comparative nerve conduction studies using "inching" technique permit evaluation of short nerve segments. Comparisons with parallel nerves improve diagnostic sensitivity.

Unilateral asterixis due to ipsilateral lesions in the pons and medulla.

Unilateral asterixis was ipsilateral to the brainstem lesions in 2 patients. The finding of unilateral asterixis has been consistently associated with structural neurological disease, but contrary to previous reports it is not a reliable localizing or lateralizing finding.

Unilateral asterixis.

Eighteen cases of unilateral asterixis were studied. A good correlation was found between the presence of unilateral asterixis and structural intracranial disease. For this reason, unilateral asterixis is a valuable sign when found on the neurological examination. It is not helpful in localizing intracranial pathology or in determining etiology.

Multisystem-Multimethod family assessment in clinical contexts.

A framework for assessing multiple levels of the family system by using multiple methodologies is proposed in this paper. This approach for measuring family phenomena is referred to as Multisystem-Multimethod (MS-MM) family assessment. Ideas from systems theory, measurement theory, and clinical application are used to describe the measurement strategy. A clinical case example is offered illustrating one way in which a MS-MM procedure can be implemented with families. Several currently available assessment tools are utilized to assess the individual, marital, and family levels of the family system. This diversity of measurement techniques provides convergent and divergent information within and across system levels. An MS-MM procedure has the capacity to assess the wholistic qualities of systems as well as specific issues within the boundaries of particular family subsystems.

A clarification of Multisystem-Multimethod assessment: reductionism versus wholism.

A clarification and response to a critique of the Multisystem-Multimethod (MS-MM) family assessment is provided in this paper. This approach consists of a logic for integrating family assessment, systems thinking, and clinical interventions. In contrast to the wholistic, or systemic, focus of MS-MM family assessment, the critique of these procedures recommends a more reductionistic approach that contradicts basic elements of systems theory. The critique advocates the isolation and measurement of a few family phenomena, whereas MS-MM assessment recognizes the interdependence among the levels of organization and components of family systems.