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Deals with the numerical modeling of transient characteristics of photovoltage in Schottky contacts. Parameters used in the calculation; Analysis of the transient characteristics of the photovoltage at different temperatures; Effect of the doping concentration of the semiconductor on the transient characteristics.

Objective: To examine the efficacy of a strength-focused mutual support group for reducing stress and enhancing psychological well-being of the caretakers of children with cerebral palsy. Methods: This pre- and post-intervention outcome study, conducted by Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital, recruited 12 primary caretakers of children with cerebral palsy in Hong Kong. A strength-focused support group manual was developed to help such caretakers to identify and cultivate the character strengths of their children and enhance their own positive emotions. Participants were asked to complete a full set of questionnaires at 3 time-points: before and immediately after the intervention (consisting of 4 weekly sessions), and after the 1-month follow-up booster session. Two additional questionnaires were administered before each session to check mood. Parenting stress, anxiety, depression, social support, hope, and other psychological well-being measures were also assessed. Results: Half of the caretakers (n = 6) who had attended the full intervention programme were included in the data analysis. Participants exhibited a significantly lower level of parental stress and higher hope level both after the 4 intervention sessions and at the booster session. Their perceived social support was significantly increased when the group was ongoing but not after it ended. Conclusion: This group intervention programme could effectively help caretakers reduce their parenting stress and enhance their hopefulness. Launching a similar programme with more sessions and regular follow-up sessions might help maintain positive effects and establish a social support network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

G-protein-coupled receptor-30 (GPR30) shows estrogen-binding affinity and mediates non-genomic signaling of estrogen to regulate cell growth. We here showed for the first time, in contrast to the reported promoting action of GPR30 on the growth of breast and ovarian cancer cells, that activation of GPR30 by the receptor-specific, non-estrogenic ligand G-1 inhibited the growth of androgen-dependent and androgen-independent prostate cancer (PCa) cells in vitro and PC-3 xenografts in vivo. However, G-1 elicited no growth or histological changes in the prostates of intact mice and did not inhibit growth in quiescent BPH-1, an immortalized benign prostatic epithelial cell line. Treatment of PC-3 cells with G-1 induced cell-cycle arrest at the G2 phase and reduced the expression of G2-checkpoint regulators (cyclin-A2, cyclin-B1, cdc25c, and cdc2) and phosphorylation of their common transcriptional regulator NF-YA in PC-3 cells. With extensive use of siRNA-knockdown experiments and the MEK inhibitor PD98059 in this study, we dissected the mechanism underlying G-1-induced inhibition of PC-3 cell growth, which was mediated through GPR30, followed by sustained activation of Erk1/2 and a c-jun/c-fos-dependent upregulation of p21, resulting in the arrest of PC-3 growth at the G2 phase. The discovery of this signaling pathway lays the foundation for future development of GPR30-based therapies for PCa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the prevalence of psychoactive substance use disorders (PSUDs) among a large, unselected group of seriously injured trauma center patients, using a standardized diagnostic interview and criteria.Design: Prevalence study.Setting: A level I regional trauma center.Patients: Trauma center patients fulfilling the following criteria were eligible subjects: aged 18 years or older, admission from injury scene, length of stay of 2 days or longer, and intact cognition.Outcome Measures: The PSUDs were diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview (SCID) for the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Revised Third Edition (DSM-III-R) and were categorized as abuse or dependence and past or current (within past 6 months). The SCID results were analyzed with respect to demographic factors, injury type, and blood alcohol concentration and urine toxicology results, using chi2 and logistic regression techniques.Results: Of the 1220 patients approached for study, 1118 (91.6%) consented. More than half (54.2%) had a diagnosis of a PSUD in their lifetime. Approximately 90% of alcohol and other drug use diagnoses were for dependence and more than 62% were current. Overall, 24.1% of patients were currently alcohol dependent (men, 27.7%; women, 14.7%; P<.001), and 17.7% were currently dependent on other drugs (men, 20.2%; women, 11.2%; P<.001). Current alcohol dependence rates were not associated with race; rates of dependence on other drugs were higher among nonwhites and victims classified with intentional injuries. While 54.3% of blood alcohol-positive patients were currently alcohol dependent and 38.7% of patients with positive urine screening test results for drugs other than alcohol and nicotine were currently drug dependent, 11.7% of blood alcohol-negative and 3.9% of drug-negative patients, respectively, had current diagnoses of dependence on psychoactive substances.Conclusions: A high percentage of seriously injured trauma center patients are at risk of having current PSUDs. Patients with positive toxicology screening test results and/or positive screening questionnaire responses should be referred for formal evaluation and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, and others, have previously described the histological changes that occur in the prostate gland of intact Noble (NBL) rats following prolonged hormonal treatment. Dysplasia, a pre-neoplastic lesion, develops specifically in the dorsolateral prostates (DLPs) of NBL rats treated for 16 weeks with a combined regimen of testosterone (T) and estradiol-17beta (E2) (T + E2-treated rats). Concurrent with DLP dysplasia induction, the dual hormone regimen also elicits hyperprolactinemia, in addition to an elevation of nuclear type II estrogen binding sites (type II EBS), no alteration in estrogen receptors (ER), and marked epithelial cell proliferation in the dysplastic foci. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the dual hormone action is mediated via E2-induced hyperprolactinemia. Bromocriptine (Br), at a dose of 4 mg/kg body wt per day, was used to suppress pituitary prolactin (PRL) release. Serum PRL levels were lowered from values of 341 +/- 50 ng/ml in T + E2-treated rats to 32 +/- 10 ng/ml in Br co-treated animals. The latter values were comparable to those in untreated control rats. In addition, Br co-treatment effectively inhibited the evolution of dysplasia (six out of eight rats) and the often associated inflammation (five out of eight rats) in most animals. In contrast, Br co-treatment did not suppress the T + E2-induced type II EBS elevation nor alter ER levels in the DLPs of these rats, when compared with T + E2-treated rats. These data extend the many previous studies that have detailed marked influences of PRL on rat prostatic functions. However, the current study is the first to implicate PRL in prostatic dysplasia induction in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening has low specificity. Assessment of methylation status in body fluids may complement PSA screening if the test has high specificity. Method: The purpose of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis of the sensitivity and specificity for prostate cancer detection of glutathione-s-transferase–π (GSTP1) methylation in body fluids (plasma, serum, whole blood, urine, ejaculate, and prostatic secretions). We conducted a comprehensive literature search on Medline (Pubmed). We included studies if they met all four of the following criteria: (1) measurement of DNA methylation in body fluids; (2) a case-control or case-only design; (3) publication in an English journal; and (4) adult subjects. Reviewers conducted data extraction independently using a standardised protocol. Twenty-two studies were finally included in this paper. Primer sequences and methylation method in each study were summarised and evaluated using meta-analyses. This paper represents a unique cross-disciplinary approach to molecular epidemiology. Results: The pooled specificity of GSTP1 promoter methylation measured in plasma, serum, and urine samples from negative-biopsy controls was 0.89 (95% CI, 0.80–0.95). Stratified analyses consistently showed a high specificity across different sample types and methylation methods (include both primer sequences and location). The pooled sensitivity was 0.52 (95% CI, 0.40–0.64). Conclusions: The pooled specificity of GSTP1 promoter methylation measures in plasma, serum, and urine was excellent and much higher than the specificity of PSA. The sensitivity of GSTP1 was modest, no higher than that of PSA. These results suggest that measurement of GSTP1 promoter methylation in plasma, serum, or urine samples may complement PSA screening for prostate cancer diagnosis.