Quantifying the Representation of Black Adolescents in Suicide Intervention Research.

This systematic review aimed to quantify the representation of Black youth in U.S. suicide intervention research. Specifically, we sought to evaluate Black youth representation in terms of (a) equity of inclusion (i.e., the inclusion of Black youth in research study samples at a rate consistent with the overall national rate of Black adolescents in the US) and (b) equity of intervention efficacy (i.e., evaluating the presence of racial disparities in intervention efficacy/effect sizes). In addition, we aimed to evaluate whether an association existed between funding status of research and representation of Black youth in studies, and to provide recommendations for future research in this area. To this end, the present study extracted and analyzed demographic information of studies included in recent meta-analyses conducted by Robinson and colleagues (2018), which were not previously analyzed, in addition to new literature published between September 2017 and January 2021. Results showed that the prevalence of Black youth included in studies was representative (14.67%; ntotal = 4451, nBlack = 664), with a median inclusion rate of 13%; however, absolute sample and group sizes were so small that it precluded comparison of differential treatment outcomes for Black youth. Thus, out of 22 studies identified, only one was able to investigate treatment outcomes for suicide in Black youth specifically. This study points to the conclusion that without adequately powered studies, disparities in treatment efficacy for Black youth cannot be compared or addressed, and the existing disparity in suicidal outcomes for Black youth will grow even larger.

Daily patterns in nonsuicidal self-injury and coping among recently hospitalized youth at risk for suicide.

Among adolescents at high suicide risk, using a daily diary design, this study examined: (1) the co-occurrence between nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) and suicidal ideation, (2) the link between NSSI and coping, and (3) endorsement of using NSSI to cope with suicidal ideation (anti-suicide function). Thirty-four adolescents hospitalized due to suicide risk (76% female; ages 13-17) responded to daily surveys for four weeks after discharge (n = 650 observations). NSSI was positively associated with suicidal ideation at the between- (i.e. relative to others) and within-person (relative to adolescents' own average) levels of analysis. When NSSI and suicidal thoughts co-occurred, adolescents used NSSI to cope with thoughts of suicide on nearly all occasions. While adolescents did not use less adaptive coping when they engaged in NSSI (i.e. within-person), youth who utilized more coping strategies in general (i.e. between-person) had lower probability of NSSI. The probability of NSSI also decreased when adolescents perceived coping to be helpful and for youth who generally tended to perceive coping as helpful. Findings offer fine-grained insights about the intersection of NSSI, suicidal thoughts, and coping among high-risk adolescents, adding to the body of research highlighting the benefit of broadening adolescents' coping strategies as well as assessing their perceived utility.

First search for gravitational wave bursts with a network of detectors

We report the initial results from a search for bursts of gravitational radiation by a network of five cryogenic resonant detectors during 1997 and 1998. This is the first significant search with more than two detectors observing simultaneously. No gravitational wave burst was detected. The false alarm rate was lower than 1 per 10(4) yr when three or more detectors were operating simultaneously. The typical threshold was H approximately 4x10(-21) Hz-1 on the Fourier component at approximately 10(3) Hz of the gravitational wave strain amplitude. New upper limits for amplitude and rate of gravitational wave bursts have been set.

SB-253514 and analogues: novel inhibitors of lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 produced by Pseudomonas fluorescens DSM 11579. II. Physico-chemical properties and structure elucidation.

A series of novel inhibitors of lipoprotein associated phospholipase A2 were isolated from the culture broths of Pseudomonas fluorescens strain DSM11579. The inhibitors fall into two structurally isomeric classes each of which comprise compounds incorporating glycosylated hydrocarbon chains. The structure elucidation for the major member of each structural class is reported. The crystal structure of a non-glycosylated analogue of the 5,5-series, produced through biotransformation, is also reported.

Therapist physical attractiveness: an unexplored influence on client disclosure.

Existing research indicates that clients perceive facially attractive therapists as more competent, trustworthy, genuine, and effective than less attractive therapists. No studies exist to help explain how the therapist's attractiveness influences a client's self-disclosure. Participants (n = 241) were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental groups to test the interaction of the therapist's attractiveness, client's gender, the nature of presenting problem, and the client's comfort with disclosing in a hypothetical couple therapy scenario. Analysis of variance procedures established that most participants reported feeling more comfortable disclosing a benign (communication) problem than a potentially embarrassing (sexual) problem, and more comfortable disclosing problems to an attractive than to a less attractive female therapist. Therapists are encouraged to understand the power attractiveness may have in their own and their clients' lives.

Treatment issues for survivors of physical and sexual abuse*.

Many clients who participate in family therapy have experienced trauma such as physical and sexual abuse in their families of origin. Extensive literature suggests that abusive experiences can result in post-traumatic stress disorders, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, and other long-term effects. Without recognition of the effects that abuse can have on individuals, it is possible to misdiagnose clients or fail to provide them with adequate assistance. This study is an attempt to compare the symptomology of nonabused clients with physically and sexually abused clients using an empirically sound measure. The results demonstrate that the majority of clients who experienced physical and/or sexual abuse in their backgrounds scored in the clinical range on scales from the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Instrument (MCMI) (Millon, 1984). In contrast, clients who did not report abuse had significantly lower scores than the abused clients, and the majority of the nonabused clients scored in the nonclinical range on the scales of the MCMI. Treatment and theoretical implications surrounding the issues of abuse are discussed, and recommendations for marriage and family therapists are provided.

Differences between seated and recumbent resting measurements of auscultative blood pressure.

Clinical blood pressure measurements conventionally have been taken while subjects are seated and at rest. FFA aviation medical examiners are required to measure blood pressure while the airman is in a recumbent position. Concern for possible positional differences in blood pressure values generated this study. Calibrated apparatus and objective methodology were used to record and measure blood pressure. Subjects consisted of 100 males between 20 and 60 years of age. Three blood pressure measurements were obtained for each body position. Measurement accuracy was to 2 mm Hg. Body-position order of measurement was randomized. Age and body-position order of measurement had no significant effect on body-position differences in systolic and diastolic pressure. For the total group, the average systolic and diastolic pressure were 6.6 and 0.8 mm Hg higher, repectively, in the recumbent position than in the sitting position. Although the former value was statistically significant, its practical application is obviated by the usual error of clinical measurement.

Paroxysmal and chronic atrial fibrillation in airman certification.

Of the 757,693 airmen with valid FAA medical certificates on Oct. 31, 1974, 125 (all males but one) had a history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. Episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation occurred once in 91, twice in 14, and more than twice in 20 airmen, and were attributed to one or more of 23 factors in 72 of the medical records studied. Associated symptoms reported in 27 records were considered serious enough to produce pilot incapacitation. Chronic atrial fibrillation was idiopathic in all but one airman, who developed this arrhythmia following atrial septal defect repair. Medical records report no associated symptoms, and heart rates, resting and in response to exercise, were reported as within normal limits.

Protection of airline flight attendants from hypoxia following rapid decompression.

To determine the maximum time for working flight attendants to effectively initiate airline passenger mask donning after onset of a rapid, severe decompression, we exposed 10 subjects in two series of tests to a decompression from 6,500 to 34,000 ft (2,000 to 10,400 m) in 26 s, followed by descent at 5,000 ft/min (1,500 m/min) while subjects performed a light-to-moderate workload. Supplemental oxygen was provided in one series from a compressed oxygen system, and in the other series from a chemical oxygen generator system. With delays to mask doning of 10 and 15 s, no hypoxic effects occurred. With delays of 20 and 25 s, increasing hypoxic effects, similar in frequency for the two systems, occurred. Some technical problems in mask donning contributed to losses of consciousness with the latter two delays.

ST segment distortions by high-side frequency filtration in direct-writing ECG recorders.

ST segment depression in 12-lead resting and single-lead or multi-lead exercise ECGs is a useful screening criterion for detection of coronary heart disease (CHD). The recommended minimum frequency specification for direct-writing ECG recorders is 0.05-100 Hz (-3 dB). ST segment distortion by unintention low- and high-side frequency filtration could possibly weaken this screening capability. Consequently, one low- and two high-side potential filtration causes of such distortions were investigated in resting and exercise recordings of normal and both J-junction and ST-depressed ECGs. Of 4,914 filtered ST segments, 365 ST category changes were observed. Of these changes, approximately 15% was produced by filtration of the 0.05-0.1 Hz (amplifier function) and 45-100 Hz (60-Hz "noise" filtering) frequency bands. The remaining 85% was attributable to filtration of the 23-45 Hz (stylus overpressure) band. An optional remedy is discussed.

Effect of physical activity of airline flight attendants on their time of useful consciousness in a rapid decompression.

To determine the effect of physical activity on the "time of useful consciousness" (TUC) of airline flight attendants in a rapid, severe decompression, 10 male and 10 female subjects were exposed to a decompression profile while at rest and performing light-to-moderate work. Decompression from 6,500 to 34,000 ft (2,000 to 10,400 m) was followed by descent at 5,000 ft/min (1,500 m/min). The average TUC for the males decreased from 54 s (omega 7.1) at rest to 34 s (omega 4.4) while performing work. The average TUC for the females decreased from 54 s (omega 8.1) at rest to 32 s (omega 4.0) while performing work. Supplemental oxygen had a marked paradoxical effect when the subjects were performing work.

Salmonellosis in songbirds in the Canadian Atlantic provinces during winter-summer 1997-98.

From winter 1997 to summer 1998, an epizootic of salmonellosis affected several species of songbirds over a large area of the eastern North American continent. This article describes the details of this epizootic in the Canadian Atlantic provinces, based on laboratory examination of dead affected birds and on suspected but unconfirmed cases of salmonellosis reported by members of the public. The common redpoll (Carduelis flammea) was the species most often affected, followed by pine siskins (C. pinus), purple finches (Carpodacus purpureus), evening grosbeaks (Coccothraustes vespertinus), and American goldfinches (Carduelis tristis). A poor body condition and necrotizing and fibrinopurulent esophagitis and ingluvitis were the most common gross lesions in these birds. Thirty-four of 35 isolates of Salmonella recovered from these birds were identified as phage type 40. Despite the magnitude of this and previous epizootics of salmonellosis among North American songbirds, the sources of these epizootics and the precise influence of environmental factors on their occurrence remain poorly understood.

Upper limits on a stochastic background of gravitational waves.

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory has performed a third science run with much improved sensitivities of all three interferometers. We present an analysis of approximately 200 hours of data acquired during this run, used to search for a stochastic background of gravitational radiation. We place upper bounds on the energy density stored as gravitational radiation for three different spectral power laws. For the flat spectrum, our limit of omega0 < 8.4 x 10(-4) in the 69-156 Hz band is approximately 10(5) times lower than the previous result in this frequency range.

Limits on gravitational-wave emission from selected pulsars using LIGO data.

We place direct upper limits on the amplitude of gravitational waves from 28 isolated radio pulsars by a coherent multidetector analysis of the data collected during the second science run of the LIGO interferometric detectors. These are the first direct upper limits for 26 of the 28 pulsars. We use coordinated radio observations for the first time to build radio-guided phase templates for the expected gravitational-wave signals. The unprecedented sensitivity of the detectors allows us to set strain upper limits as low as a few times 10(-24). These strain limits translate into limits on the equatorial ellipticities of the pulsars, which are smaller than 10(-5) for the four closest pulsars.

Patterns of sexual coercion in adult heterosexual relationships: an exploration of male victimization.

The sexual coercion of adult males by females in heterosexual relationships has received little empirical attention. The purpose of this study was to identify and describe such relationships--in comparison with relationships involving the sexual coercion of females, of both males and females, and of neither--through analysis of data for 3,032 couples that completed the Preparation for Marriage instrument (Holman, Busby, & Larson, 1989). Current individual and couple characteristics were investigated for male subjects and their partners. The results revealed greater deficiencies in relational resources and commitment in coercive versus noncoercive couples. In addition, gender differences were noted among results for different victim/offender configurations.

Brain acetylcholinesterase activity in forest songbirds exposed to a new method of UULV fenitrothion spraying.

Brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity was measured in forest songbirds exposed to Ultra Ultra Low Volume (UULV) aerial spraying of fenitrothion in New Brunswick for spruce budworm control. Brain AChE activity was determined in 324 songbirds from the sprayed blocks and 47 from an unsprayed control area, and represented four species. In most cases, more than half of the individuals of any species sampled were diagnosed as "exposed" (greater than or equal to 20% inhibition) to the fenitrothion sprays and had a mean percent level of inhibition of 40% or greater, relative to mean control values. The proportion of birds with life-threatening levels of inhibition (greater than or equal to 50%) was usually less than 20%. The largest proportion of birds with life-threatening inhibition was found after the first 210 g AI/ha spray. The White-throated Sparrow had the highest proportion (25-55%) of individuals with life-threatening inhibition after all sprays. Brain AChE inhibition was greater in exposed birds collected after the first 210 g AI/ha spray than after the second one. Variation among species' responses to the sprays is discussed in relation to habitat and foraging preferences. Several sampling biases which may contribute to underestimation of the impact of fenitrothion spraying on birds are identified.