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AbstractObjectives:To examine if the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with a differential effect over time in relation to its psychological and social impact on patients with established anxiety disorders.Methods:Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 24 individuals attending the Galway–Roscommon Mental Health Services with an International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 diagnosis of an anxiety disorder at two time points (six months apart) to determine the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on anxiety and depressive symptoms, social and occupational functioning and quality of life.Results:No statistical difference in symptomatology was noted between the two time points in relation to anxiety symptoms as measured by utilising psychometric rating scales (BAI and HARS) or utilising a Likert scale. The greatest impact of COVID-19 at both time points is related to social functioning and quality of life. Significant variability was noted for individual participants. Qualitative analysis noted social isolation, concern for the participants’ future and increased difficulty managing anxiety with ongoing restrictions.Conclusions:No significant overall change in symptomatology or functioning over time was noted for individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders. Variability was, however, demonstrated between individuals, with some individuals describing ongoing anxiety, social isolation and concern for their future. Identifying those with ongoing symptoms or distress and providing multidisciplinary support to this cohort is suggested.

ObjectivesTo examine the psychological and social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with established anxiety disorders during a period of stringent mandated social restrictions.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 individuals attending the Galway-Roscommon Mental Health Services with an International Classification of Diseases diagnosis of an anxiety disorder to determine the impact of the COVID-19 restrictions on anxiety and mood symptoms, social and occupational functioning and quality of life.ResultsTwelve (40.0%) participants described COVID-19 restrictions as having a deleterious impact on their anxiety symptoms. Likert scale measurements noted that the greatest impact of COVID-19 related to social functioning (mean = 4.5, SD = 2.9), with a modest deleterious effect on anxiety symptoms noted (mean = 3.8, SD = 2.9). Clinician rated data noted that 8 (26.7%) participants had disimproved and 14 (46.7%) participants had improved since their previous clinical review, prior to commencement of COVID-19 restrictions. Conditions associated with no ‘trigger’, such as generalised anxiety disorder, demonstrated a non-significant increase in anxiety symptoms compared to conditions with a ‘trigger’, such as obsessive compulsive disorder. Psychiatric or physical comorbidity did not substantially impact on symptomatology secondary to COVID-19 mandated restrictions.ConclusionsThe psychological and social impact of COVID-19 restrictions on individuals with pre-existing anxiety disorders has been modest with only minimal increases in symptomatology or social impairment noted.

ObjectivesThe Vasarhelyi Method of Child Art Psychotherapy (CAP) is a largely understudied psychotherapeutic modality. This study aims to describe the Vasarhelyi Method of CAP and to describe a stakeholder survey of the views and attitudes of CAP placement supervisors towards CAP among various Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) teams nationwide.MethodsA phone- and letter-based survey of 17 CAP placement supervisors who oversee CAP masters students attached to CAMHS teams was performed. A questionnaire was designed enquiring about their experiences with CAP in their clinic and their thoughts on the validity of CAP in various conditions/patient demographics. Participants received written correspondence and were asked to return the survey by post; this was followed up by a telephone call to complete missing surveys.ResultsIn all, 12 (70.6%) complete surveys were returned. Of the 12 respondents, all considered the CAP student to be a valuable member of the team. In total, 10 respondents (83.33%) stated they would make regular use of the service if it were made available to them. With regard to the therapy itself, nine respondents (75%) believed it was better for internalising symptoms than externalising symptoms. Depression, anxiety, attachment difficulties, trauma, deliberate self-harm and possible psychosomatic illnesses are the conditions viewed as receiving the most benefit from CAP. No gender difference was reported.ConclusionCAP is considered an effective modality and valuable addition to a psychotherapeutic repertoire. Further, more extensive studies are needed in this field.

To describe the disease course and natural history of Type A Niemann-Pick disease (NPD).

Mixed self-assembled monolayers (MMLs) were prepared by exposing mica to (i) a solution of octyltrichlorosilane and 2,2,2-trifluoroethyl 11-(trichlorosilyl)-undecanoate in toluene and (ii) an aqueous solution of decamethonium bromide and dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and contact angle measurements were used to examine the composition, the thickness, the smoothness, and the stability of the self-assembled layers in different solvents. For both types of MMLs, we report the experimental conditions under which smooth mixed monolayers with a well-defined composition can be obtained. In silanization experiments, the ratio of silane species in the mixed layer was close to that in the solution, and the MMLs obtained from positively charged amphiphiles exhibited strong surface enrichment with dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide.

The indolic compound auxin regulates virtually every aspect of plant growth and development, but its role in embryogenesis and its molecular mechanism of action are not understood. We describe two mutants of Arabidopsis that define a novel gene called AUXIN-RESISTANT6 (AXR6) which maps to chromosome 4. Embryonic development of the homozygous axr6 mutants is disrupted by aberrant patterns of cell division, leading to defects in the cells of the suspensor, root and hypocotyl precursors, and provasculature. The homozygous axr6 mutants arrest growth soon after germination lacking a root and hypocotyl and with severe vascular pattern defects in their cotyledons. Whereas previously described mutants with similar developmental defects are completely recessive, axr6 heterozygotes display a variety of morphological and physiological alterations that are most consistent with a defect in auxin physiology or response. The AXR6 gene is likely to be important for auxin response throughout the plant, including early development.

Tillage effects on the soil environment suggest that it may influence rooting depth and root distribution. In this study, corn (Zea maysL.) rooting depth and root mass distribution were compared under conventional and conservation (chisel, ridge, no-) tillage on sandy loam and clay loam soils at Ottawa, Ontario. Root depth and distribution in 0.10-m vertical increments during vegetative growth were estimated using a combination of excavation of the surface horizon (0–0.10 m) and 0.05-m diameter cores obtained in the row and midway between two rows over a 3-yr period. An exponential model was used to fit root mass distribution data normalized with respect to total root density summed over all increments and maximum rooting depth in the profile. Soil moisture, temperature, mechanical resistance and bulk density varied with tillage treatment, but differences were not associated with root mass distribution. Rooting depth varied with soil texture, year and tillage, with increased rooting depth associated with increased tillage and decreased moisture in surface soil layers. In contrast, a common exponential model was found to fit normalized root mass distribution data under all tillage treatments. Our data suggest that simulation of root mass distribution under all tillage practices is possible if rooting depth and root mass density of the surface soil layer are known. Key words:Corn, model fitting, root distribution, tillage, Zea mays

Normal feline and human arylsulfatase B isozymes were purified to homogeniety from liver. The specific activities of the feline and human enzymes toward p-nitrocatechol sulfate were 1,100,000 and 800,000 units/mg of protein, and toward UDP-N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfate were 5,500 and 4,000 units/mg of protein, respectively. Although both enzymes had the same pH optimum (5.7), the feline enzyme was more electronegative than the human enzyme when electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels. Compared to the human isozyme, feline arylsulfatase B had a lower Km toward p-nitrocatechol sulfate (1.2 versus 3.6 mM), was more thermostable at 60 degrees C (68 versus 30 min), and had a slightly lower pI (7.8 versus 8.0). The native molecular weight of the feline enzyme was estimated to be about twice that the human isozyme by gel filtration, analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and sucrose density-gradient centrifugation. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed single protein bands of Mr = 41,000 and 38,000 for the feline and human isozymes, respectively. Alkylation and cross-linking experiments were consistent with the feline enzyme being a homodimer and the human enzyme a monomer. Amino acid compositional analyses revealed few significant differences between the two isozymes.

Graft versus host disease is a preventable complication of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. A complex biological manoeuvre has enabled us to achieve this. Unfortunately T-cell depletion of the donor marrow shifts the delicate immunological balance in favour of the recipient immune system. The consequence has been an increased risk of graft rejection and leukaemia relapse. It is necessary to shift this balance back in favour of the donor (derived) immune system. This can be achieved by increasing the immunosuppressive power of the 'conditioning' chemoradiotherapy. Toxicity considerations limit our scope although single fraction fast dose rate radiotherapy appears to diminish the risks inherent with T-cell depletion. Logically an approach with greater promise will be to use specific immunological means of eliminating the recipient T lymphocytes in vivo. Early experience with a monoclonal anti-lymphoid antibody in vivo in an HLA matched unrelated donor programme suggests that this approach has great promise whilst lacking toxicity. We hypothesise that a shift in immunological superiority to the donor derived immune system will not only allow T-cell depletion whilst minimising the risk of graft rejection, but also enhance the anti-leukaemic properties of the graft. Of further interest will be the potential for application of lymphokines (e.g. IL2) without increasing the risk of lethal graft versus host disease.

SThis investigation of the supervisory process was designed to extend the first author's (MMcG) previous work that had resulted in categories for analysis of clinical competence in student therapists. The supervisory interactions between five students and their clinicians were video-taped and analysed. Participants' perceptions of the dyad were rated using visual analogue scales. The findings indicated that clinicians' verbal comments could be assigned to the categories previously identified. A further analysis of three of these categories revealed that seven interview strategies were used by the clinicians in the process of supervision. Supervisors appeared to be more accurate in estimating the extent of students' participation in the conference whereas students tended to make a more realistic estimation of the level of positive feedback. Pointers for future research are suggested.Cette recherche à propos des méthodes d'encadrement a été conçue pour compléter le travail précédent du premier auteur, qui avait aboutit à des catégories d'analyse pour les compétences cliniques des étudiants orthophoniste. L''interaction entre5 étudiants et les cliniciens responsables de l'encadrement de chacun d'eux a été filme et analysé. Les impressions des deux parlies de ces paires ont été notées avec des échelles analogues visuelles. Les résultats ont monlré que les commentaires pariés des cliniciens pouvaient etre répartis en fonction des catégories précédemment établies. Une analyse plus poussée de trois de ces catégories a révélé que sept stratégies d'entretien étaient utilisées par les cliniciens dans leur méthode d'encadrement. Les cliniciens se sont révélés plus précis dans lew estimation de l'importance de la participation des étudiants, alors que les étudiants semblaient faire une estimation plus réaliste du niveau de rétroaction positive. Des points à approfondir sont suggérés.Diese Unlersuchung des Verfahrens für die Aufsicht von Sprachtherapiestudenten sollte die bisherige Arbeit einer der Autorinnen (MMcG), die zur Aufstellung von Kategorien zur Analyse der klinischen Kompetenz geführt hatte, weiterentwickeln. Die Studie besleht aus einer Analyse von Videoaufnahmen der Interaktionen zwischen fünf Studenten und den für sie verantwortlichen Klinikern. Die Wahrnehmungen der Teilnehmer der Austausche wurde mit Hilfe visuell analoger Skalen bewertet. Die Resultate deuteten darauf hin, dass die verbalen Äusserungen der Kliniker den vorher festgestellten Kategorien zugeordnet werden konnten. Eine weitere Analyse von drei dieser Kategorien zeigte, dass die Kliniker sieben von diesen Interviewstrategien im Aufsichtsverfahren benutzten. Die Aufsichtspersonen konnten anscheinend den Crad der Teilnahme der Studenten an der Besprechung genauer einschätzen, während die Studenten den Grad des positiven Feedbacks realistischer einschätzen konnten. Eine Richtung für weitere Forschung wird angedeutet.

Aspartylglucosaminidase (EC 3.5.1.26), the lysosomal enzyme which hydrolyzes the N-acetylglucosamine-asparagine linkages in glycoproteins, was purified from human liver to homogeneity. The purification procedure included chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and concanavalin A-Sepharose, gel filtration on Sephadex G-200, and high performance liquid chromatography. The purified enzyme had a final specific activity of 1,200,000 units/mg of protein, a pH optimum of 6.1, a pI of 5.7, a Vmax of 1,240,000 units/mg, and a Km of 1.25 mM toward a natural substrate, aspartylglucosamine. The purified enzyme was remarkably thermostable, retaining 90% of initial activity after 1 h at 60 degrees C. The molecular weight of the native enzyme was estimated to be 80,000 by gel filtration and 84,000 by analytical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Under denaturing conditions, the molecular weight was 76,000, indicating that the native enzyme was a monomer. Amino acid composition revealed only 2 methionine residues/enzyme molecule.

The optimization of a two-parameter river catchment simulation model is described. The parameter K1 controls the rate of infiltration into the soil, and the second parameter, K2, is used in the routing equation. The Simplex direct search method is used and is implemented on a hybrid computer. The computer programme forms an n-dimensional "simplex" (n being the number of parameters) from initial trial values of the parameters, and uses the basic operations of reflection, expansion and contraction to find the optimum value of the objective function. The operations are carried out according to the value of the objective function at each apex of the "simplex." The peripheral devices linked to the hybrid computer are used to give a continuous display of the optimization process, and the effects of systematically varying the parameters are studied by plotting sample hydrographs for various pairs of parameter values and by plotting the surface of the objective function.

Epidemiological studies have demonstrated a clustering of breast and prostate cancers in some families. Moreover, there is an increase in the number of cases of prostate cancer in families with inherited mutations of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1. We assessed the role of BRCA1 and BRCA2 in prostate cancer. We tested for the BRCA1 185delAG frameshift mutation, found in 0.9% of Ashkenazi Jews, and the BRCA2 6174delT mutation, found in 1% of Ashkenazi Jews, in Ashkenazi Jewish men with prostate cancer. We studied 60 Ashkenazi men with prostate cancer. A family history was obtained by interview or a self-report questionnaire. Histological confirmation of diagnosis was obtained for all subjects. Ethnic background was confirmed for all subjects by self-report or interview. Mutations of BRCA1 and BRCA2 were detected by amplification of lymphocyte DNA from peripheral blood according to standard polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and dot blot procedures. Patients' ages ranged from 55 to 80 years (mean +/- s.d. 70 +/- 5.25). There were six men with a family history of prostate cancer; three of these had a father with prostate cancer. Five of the men had a family history of breast cancer, in a mother, a sister or an aunt. None of the men had a family history of both breast and prostate cancer. None of the 60 men carried the 185delAG BRCA1 or 6174delT BRCA2 mutations. Of 268 Ashkenazi Jewish women with sporadic breast cancer, tested in an unrelated study, 16 carried either the 185delAG mutation of BRCA1 or the 6174delT mutation of BRCA2. There was a significant difference in the incidence of the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the breast and prostate cancer cases (P = 0.05, two-tailed Fisher's exact test). The contribution of germline BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations to prostate cancer incidence is probably small and could be limited to specific subgroups.