A Naturalistic Study of the Associations between Changes in Alcohol Problems, Spiritual Functioning and Psychiatric Symptoms

The study evaluated how spiritual and religious functioning (SRF), alcohol-related problems, and psychiatric symptoms change over the course of treatment and follow-up. Problem drinkers (n = 55, including 39 males and 16 females) in outpatient treatment were administered questionnaires at pretreatment, posttreatment, and follow up, which assessed two aspects of SRF (religious well-being and existential well-being), two aspects of alcohol misuse (severity and consequences), and two aspects of psychiatric symptoms (depression and anxiety). Significant improvements in SRF, psychiatric symptoms and alcohol misuse were observed from pretreatment to follow-up. Although SRF scores were significantly correlated with psychiatric symptoms at all three time points, improvement in the former did not predict improvement in the latter. When measured at the same time points, SRF scores were not correlated with the measures of alcohol misuse. However, improvement in SRF (specifically in existential well-being) over the course of treatment was predictive of improvement in the alcohol misuse measures at follow-up. These results suggest that the association between SRF, emotional problems, and alcohol misuse is complex. They further suggest that patients who improve spiritual functioning over the course of treatment are more likely to experience improvement in drinking behavior and alcohol-related problems after treatment has ended. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved

PROFILE user's guide

User information for program PROFILE, an aerodynamics design utility for refining, plotting, and tabulating airfoil profiles is provided. The theory and implementation details for two of the more complex options are also presented. These are the REFINE option, for smoothing curvature in selected regions while retaining or seeking some specified thickness ratio, and the OPTIMIZE option, which seeks a specified curvature distribution. REFINE uses linear techniques to manipulate ordinates via the central difference approximation to second derivatives, while OPTIMIZE works directly with curvature using nonlinear least squares techniques. Use of programs QPLOT and BPLOT is also described, since all of the plots provided by PROFILE (airfoil coordinates, curvature distributions) are achieved via the general purpose QPLOT utility. BPLOT illustrates (again, via QPLOT) the shape functions used by two of PROFILE's options. The programs were designed and implemented for the Applied Aerodynamics Branch at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, and written in FORTRAN and run on a VAX-11/780 under VMS

Recent Photoproduction Results From ZEUS

Recent results from ZEUS for inclusive jet cross sections, dijet cross sections and dijet angular distributions are compared with NLO perturbative QCD calculations. The observation of isolated high $P_T$ photons (prompt photons) is also reported.Comment: 5 pages including 3 figures. Presented on behalf of the ZEUS collaboration at the 5th International Workshop on Deep Inelastic Scattering and QCD, DIS97. Chicago, IL. 14th-18th April 199

On the Distribution and Fishery Potential of the Japanese Red Crab Chaceon granulatus in the Palauan Archipelago, Western Caroline Islands

A deep-water trapping survey in the Palauan archipelago, Western Caroline Islands, has revealed an abundance of the Japanese red crab, Chaceon granulatus. The recorded depth range (250-900 m) is similar to that of other geryonids, but the large numbers of females caught below 700 m is atypical. Mean yields in excess of 5 kg crabs plus 1 kg shrimp, Heterocarpus laevigatus, by-catch per trap-night were attainable at optimum depths. Chaceon granulatus is apparently a very large geryonid, with maximum weights of 2.02 kg and 1.51 kg recorded for male and female specimens, respectively. A range of body colors was observed: Orange-red shades appear to dominate the deeper waters (below 500 m) while yellow-tan colors are more abundant in the upper reaches. Preliminary evidence suggests that Chaceon granulatus is highly marketable, and the infrastructure in Palau is such that crabs could either be marketed fresh locally or airfreighted to Japan as a quick-frozen product. The high post-trapping survival rates observed indicate that maintaining crabs in live-holding tanks may be a feasible option. The large catches and quality of deep-water crabs taken suggests that the Palauan population of Chaceon granulatus may be able to support a small-scale fishery. It is not yet known whether this population is unusually large or whether these findings typify the deep forereef fauna of the region

Psychology Doctoral Students’ Perspectives on Addressing Spirituality and Religion with Clients: Associations with Personal Preferences and Training

Students (n = 543) in doctoral clinical and counseling psychology programs were surveyed about training experiences with regard to addressing the spiritual and religious beliefs and practices (SRBP) of their patients. About one fourth of the respondents indicated they had received no training related to patients’ SRBP. Another half had only read material on their own or discussed such issues with a supervisor. Nonetheless, respondents almost universally endorsed the idea that patients should be asked about spirituality and religiousness. Participants also rated the appropriateness of spiritual and religious queries that might be asked of patients. As expected, queries about the relevance of SRBP were rated as the most appropriate, whereas queries that implied a disrespectful or challenging tone were rated as the least appropriate. Participants’ personal SRBP and training that was specific to patients’ SRBP were weakly but significantly associated with appropriateness ratings. The results suggest that students are formulating ideas about how to ask patients about their spiritual and religious issues despite potentially inadequate formal instruction

Tyrosinase and phenolic pressor amines

Basic to the consideration of the action of tyrosinase on the oxidation of phenolic pressor amines are the observations of Keilin and Mann (16) and of Nelson and his coworkers (17-19) that show that different preparations may vary considerably in their relative actions on monophenols and o-diphenols. Both of these types of activity appear to belong to the same enzyme complex, as they bear a proportionality to the same copper content. However, since the activities vary with the purity and method of purification, each enzyme preparation must be defined in terms of both monophenolase and o-diphenolase activities. This was done in the present studies, and modifications of previously described preparative methods were required to retain a reasonable proportioning of such activities in purified preparations

Foaming-electrolyte fuel cell

Foam structure feeds fuel gas solution into electrolyte. Fuel gas reacts at static, three-phase interface between fuel gas, electrolyte, and electrode material. The foam forms an electrical contact between main body of electrolyte and the electrode, and aids in removal of by-products of the chemical reaction

Guide to the use of Mariner images

Planetary imaging from unmanned spacecraft, almost exclusively done by digital systems, is examined. The Mars Mariner 9 television camera, representative of such systems, is considered. Each image consists of 700 lines, each containing 832 picture elements, or pixels. Each pixel contains nine binary bits of information capable of displaying 512 discrete brightness levels. Several problems inherent in television systems are discussed. These include nonuniform target response, residual images, noise, and blemishes. These defects can be removed to some extent by decalibration of the image. The final product is geometrically corrected for camera distortion and photometrically corrected. Several versions of the decalibrated images are available. The most generally useful are the geometrically corrected images with enhanced contrast. The Mariner 10 imaging of Mercury is briefly discussed

Design approaches to more energy efficient engines

The status of NASA's Energy Efficient Engine Project, a comparative government-industry effort aimed at advancing the technology base for the next generation of large turbofan engines for civil aircraft transports is summarized. Results of recently completed studies are reviewed. These studies involved selection of engine cycles and configurations that offer potential for at least 12% lower fuel consumption than current engines and also are economically attractive and environmentally acceptable. Emphasis is on the advancements required in component technologies and systems design concepts to permit future development of these more energy efficient engines

The energy efficient engine project

The Energy Efficient Engine Project is directed at providing, by 1984, the advanced technologies which could be used for a generation of fuel conservative turbofan engines. The project is conducted through contracts with the General Electric Company and Pratt and Whitney Aircraft. The scope of the entire project and the current status of these efforts are summarized. A description of the preliminary designs of the fully developed engines is included and the potential benefits of these advanced engines, as well as highlights of some of the component technology efforts conducted to date, are discussed