bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ensuring the Quality of HIV Rapid Testing in Resource-Poor Countries Using a Systematic Approach to Training
Authors: Yao Katy , Wafula Winnie , Bile Ebi Celestin , Cheignsong Rachanee , Howard Stacy , Demby Austin , Nkengasong John
Published: September 2010

HIV rapid testing is a key tool in the fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic; it enables the rapid expansion of prevention and treatment programs in resource-limited countries. Meeting the goals of these programs means that millions of people will need testing annually. Accuracy and reliability of these tests are critical to the success of these programs. Given the enormous number of rapid tests that are performed each year, even a low error rate of 0.5% applied to 100 million people will result in 500,000 erroneous results. Ensuring the quality of HIV rapid testing presents unique challenges in that testing is often performed in various settings by personnel without formal laboratory training. This article describes the development and implementation of a generic HIV rapid test training package using a systems approach in an effort to standardize training and ensure the quality of rapid tests. It also highlights achievements from Uganda, Haiti, and Botswana.
A Quality Management Systems Approach for CD4 Testing in Resource-Poor Settings
Authors: Westerman Larry E. , Kohatsu Luciana , Ortiz Astrid , McClain Bernice , Kaplan Jonathan , Spira Thomas , Marston Barbara , Jani Ilesh V. , Nkengasong John , Parsons Linda M.
Published: September 2010

Quality assurance (QA) is a systematic process to monitor and improve clinical laboratory practices. The fundamental components of a laboratory QA program include providing a functional and safe laboratory environment, trained and competent personnel, maintained equipment, adequate supplies and reagents, testing of appropriate specimens, internal monitoring of quality, accurate reporting, and external quality assessments. These components are necessary to provide accurate and precise CD4 T-cell counts, an essential test to evaluate start of and monitor effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infected patients. In recent years, CD4 testing has expanded dramatically in resource-limited settings. Information on a CD4 QA program as described in this article will provide guidelines not only for clinical laboratory staff but also for managers of programs responsible for supporting CD4 testing. All agencies involved in implementing CD4 testing must understand the needs of the laboratory and provide advocacy, guidance, and financial support to established CD4 testing sites and programs. This article describes and explains the procedures that must be put in place to provide reliable CD4 determinations in a variety of settings.
Is the Association of “Cup-like” Nuclei With Mutation of the NPM1 Gene in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Clinically Useful?
Authors: Bennett John M. , Pryor Jennifer , Laughlin Todd S. , Rothberg Paul G. , Burack W. Richard
Published: September 2010

Cup-like nuclear invaginations (NIs) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blasts have been associated with NPM1 mutations. Precision for enumeration of NI blasts has not been previously studied. Furthermore, the sensitivity and specificity for the morphologic prediction of NPM1 mutations have been variously reported. By using 66 AML specimens (17 with NPM1 mutations and 49 without), we found that interobserver reproducibility for enumeration of NI blasts was high (r = 0.98) and that identification of this feature was teachable (r = 0.96). No NPM1 mutation–negative case had greater than 7% NI blasts. The fraction of NI blasts was highly variable among 17 NPM1 mutation–positive cases, ranging from 0% to greater than 40%. These data indicate that an NI blast fraction of more than 10% is highly specific for NPM1 mutation–positive cases but with a sensitivity of about 30%. Therefore, although NI blasts can be reliably identified in routine smears and although they are a specific marker of NPM1 mutation–positive cases, the majority of NPM1 mutation–positive cases lack this distinctive finding.
A validated and rapid high-performance liquid chromatography method for the quantification of conversion of radio-labelled sex steroids
Authors: Sivik Tove , Vikingsson Svante , Gréen Henrik , Jansson Agneta
Published: September 2010

The 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzymes modify the availability of potent sex steroids and have thus attracted interest in the study of several steroid-dependent pathologies including breast, endometrial and prostate cancers. An increased awareness of the importance of steroidogenic enzymes has brought forth a demand for efficient assays to study the effects of individual enzymes on steroid levels. Methods used for assessing steroid conversion are often laborious and frequently involve hazardous sample preparation steps. We developed and validated an optimised simple method for sample preparation of sex steroids using protein precipitation by the addition of zinc sulphate/sodium hydroxide. The interconversion of radio-labelled oestrogens and androgens was quantified using high-performance liquid chromatography separation of oestrone, oestradiol, androstenedione and testosterone followed by online radiometric flow scintillation analysis. The method, which can be applied for assessing, e.g., the efficacy of inhibitors of steroidogenic enzymes, was successfully used for evaluating oestrogenic interconversion in breast cancer cell lines MCF7 and T-47D.
Impact of Irradiation Damage Recovery During Transportation on the Subsequent Room Temperature Tensile Behavior of Irradiated Zirconium Alloys
Authors: Bourdiliau B. , Onimus F. , Cappelaere C. , Pivetaud V. , Bouffioux P. , Chabretou V. , Miquet A.
Published: September 2010

Zirconium alloys are commonly used in pressurized water reactor as fuel rod cladding tubes. After irradiation and cooling in pool, the spent nuclear fuel assemblies are either transported for wet storage to a devoted site or loaded in suitable casks for dry storage on a nuclear power plant site. During dry transportation or at the beginning of dry storage, at temperatures around 400°C, the cladding experiences a creep deformation under the hoop stress induced by the internal pressure of the fuel rod. During creep, a recovery of the radiation damage can occur that can affect the subsequent mechanical properties. The mechanical behavior of the cladding has been investigated in laboratory on two neutron irradiated cladding materials: fully recrystallized Zr-1 % Nb and stress-relieved Zircaloy-4. Creep tests under internal pressure were conducted at 400 and 420°C. After depressurization and cooling, ring tensile tests were carried out at room temperature. In addition, transmission electron microscopy observations have been performed after testing. The post-creep mechanical response exhibited a decrease of the strength compared to the as-irradiated material. This decrease is associated with a significant recovery of the ductility, which becomes close to the ductility of the unirradiated material. The transmission electron microscopy examinations, conducted on recrystallized Zr-1 % Nb ring samples, revealed that the radiation defects have been annealed. It was also observed that as for the unirradiated material, the deformation occurred homogeneously throughout the grains. No dislocation channeling was observed contrary to the as-irradiated material. These observations explain the recovery of the strength and of the ductility after post-irradiation creep that may also occur during dry transportation or at the beginning of dry storage.
A New, Ultrafast Technique for Mapping Dislocation Density in Large-area, Single-crystal and Multicrystalline Si Wafers
Authors: Sopori Bhushan , Rupnowski Przemyslaw , Budhraja Vinay , Albert Matthew , Khattak Chandra , Seacrist Mike
Published: September 2010

We describe a new technique for rapidly measuring average dislocation density and for mapping dislocation distribution of crystalline and multicrystalline silicon wafers. The wafer is etched in Sopori etch and the light scattered by dislocation etch pits is used to statistically count the pits. We also describe a unique arrangement for wafer illumination and measurement of scattered light that allows each dislocation map to be generated very rapidly—typically in less than 20 ms. The measurement system is now commercially available and has capabilities for measuring many other physical parameters of wafers and solar cells
SOLID-STATE SYNTHESIS AND SOME PROPERTIES OF MAGNESIUM-DOPED COPPER ALUMINUM OXIDES
Authors: Liu Chang , Ren Fei , Wang Hsin , Case Eldon D. , Morelli Donald T
Published: September 2010

Copper aluminum oxide (CuAlO2) with delafossite structure is a promising candidate for high temperature thermoelectric applications because of its modest band gap, high stability and low cost. We investigate magnesium doping on the aluminum site as a means of producing higher electrical conductivity and optimized Seebeck coefficient. Powder samples were synthesized using solid-state reaction and bulk samples were prepared using both cold-pressing and hot-pressing techniques. Composition analysis, microstructural examination and transport property measurements were performed, and the results suggest that while hot-pressing can achieve high density samples, secondary phases tend to form and lower the performance of the materials.
Advanced Computational Design of Intermediate-Band Photovoltaic Material V-substituted MgIn2S4
Authors: Aguilera Irene , Palacios Pablo , Sànchez Kefren , Wahnòn Perla
Published: September 2010

An intermediate-band material based on thiospinel semiconductor MgIn2S4is presented. This material is proposed as high efficiency photovoltaic material for intermediate-band solar cells. We analyze V substitution for In in the parent compound MgIn2S4and the formation of the V d-states intermediate band. For the proper characterization of the width and position of this band inside the band gap, the standardone-shotGW method within the plasmon-pole approximation is applied. The electronic properties thus obtained are discussed and compared to those studied with Density Functional Theory (DFT), and the advantages and the limitations of the two methods are discussed. In addition, DFT electronic-charge density analysis is shown.
Controlled Fabrication of Nanostructure Material Based Chemical Sensors
Authors: Evans Laura J , Hunter Gary W. , Xu Jennifer C. , Berger Gordon M. , Vander Wal Randall L.
Published: September 2010

The use of nanotechnology based materials for chemical sensing has been of great interest since nanocrystalline materials have been shown to offer improved sensor sensitivity, stability, and response time. Several groups are successfully integrating nanostructures such as nanowires into operational sensors. The typical procedure may include random placement (e.g., dispersion, with fine-line patterning techniques used to create functional sensors) or time consuming precise fabrication (e.g., mechanical placement using an atomic force microscope or laser tweezer techniques). Dielectrophoresis has also been utilized, however it can be challenging to achieve good electrical contact of the nanostructures to the underlying electrodes. In this paper we report on a sensor platform that incorporates nanorods in a controlled, efficient, and effective manner. Semiconducting SnO2 nanorods are used as the sensing element for detection of hydrogen (H2) and propylene (C3H6) up to 600oC. Using a novel approach of combining dielectrophoresis with standard microfabrication processing techniques, we have achieved reproducible, time-efficient fabrication of gas sensors with reliable contacts to the SnO2 nanorods used for the detection of gases. The sensor layout is designed to assist in the alignment of the nanorods by selectively enhancing the electric field strength and allowing for the quick production of sensor arrays. The SnO2 nanorods are produced using a thermal evaporation-condensation approach. After growth, nanorods are separated from the resulting material using gravimetric separation. The rods vary in length from 3μm to greater than 10μm, with diameters ranging from 50 to 300nm. Dielectrophoresis is used to align multiple nanorods between electrodes. A second layer of metal is incorporated using standard microfabrication methods immediately after alignment to bury the ends of the rods making contact with the underlying electrodes within another layer of metal. Electrical contact was verified during testing by the response to H2 and C3H6 gases at a range of temperatures. Testing was performed on a stage with temperature control and probes were used for electrical contact. Gas flows into the testing chamber at a flow rate of 4000sccm. Sensor response of normalized current shift, |Igas-Iair|/Iair, was measured at a constant voltage bias. Sensors showed response to both H2 and C3H6. Detection of H2 was achieved at 100oC and response levels improved approximately 12000-fold at 600oC. Detection of C3H6 started at 100oC and improved approximately 10000-fold at 600oC. Detection of at least 200ppm for both gases was achieved at 600oC. Using this novel microfabrication approach, semiconducting SnO2 nanorods integrated into a microsensor platform have been demonstrated and sensing response showed dramatic increases at higher temperatures.
The Path Towards Woven Thin-film Transistors
Authors: Cherenack Kunigunde , Tröster Gerhard
Published: September 2010

Electronic textiles (or e-textiles) have a wide range of potential applications in wearable computing and large-area applications, including medical monitoring, assistance to the disabled, and distributed sensor networks. We aim to integrate thin-film electronics directly into clothing during the weaving process. First, thin-film devices are fabricated on plastic substrates. Individual devices are separated by cutting the substrate into stripes which can then be woven into a textile. Devices on stripes need to survive high applied bending strains during weaving. As a first building block, we used atomic layer deposition (ALD) at a maximum temperature of 150oC to fabricate bottom-gate zinc-oxide thin-film transistors (TFTs) with a 25nm-thick Al2O3 gate dielectric, and a 15nm-thick ZnO semiconducting layer on 50μm-thick Kapton E substrates. These TFTs had average mobilities of 12cm2/Vs, threshold voltages around 1V and subthreshold slopes around 250mV/decade. However, after applying a tensile bending diameter of 1cm to the TFTs, ~80% of TFTs fail due to cracking of the brittle device layers. We studied causes of failure and investigated patterning holes in the brittle layers to prevent crack propagation though the channel. This reduced TFT failure to ~45% under the same applied bending conditions. In this paper, we will discuss failure mechanisms in our standard TFT structure when high tensile bending strains are applied and how the device structure was adjusted to decrease TFT failure.
Synthesis and Characterization Ag/CeO2 Nanocomposites
Authors: Glisenti Antonella , Frasson Andrea , Galenda Alessandro , Ferroni Matteo , Concina Isabella , Natile Marta Maria
Published: September 2010

Two Ag/CeO2 nanocomposite samples were prepared by deposition-precipitation (Ag/Ce nominal atomic ratio = 0.03 and 0.12). XPS data suggest the possible presence of traces of Ce(III). Beside Ag (0), oxidized silver species are also revealed in the Ag/CeO2 sample with lower metal content. The deposition of metal increases surface hydroxylation and carbonatation. Methanol interacts molecularly and dissociatively with the samples; oxidation products are observed from low temperature and depend on Ag content. Both the samples reveal a high activity in methanol complete oxidation; traces of partial oxidation products are observed in the sample with lower Ag content.
Investigation of Local Dynamics on the Sub-micron Scale in Organic Blends Using an Ultrafast Confocal Microscope
Authors: Grancini Giulia , Polli Dario , Clark Jenny , Virgili Tersilla , Cerullo Giulio , Lanzani Guglielmo
Published: September 2010

We introduce a novel instrument combining femtosecond pump-probe spectroscopy and confocal microscopy for spatio-temporal imaging of excited-state dynamics of phase-separated polymer blends. Phenomena occurring at interfaces between different materials are crucial for optimizing the device performances, but are poorly understood due to the variety of possible electronic states and processes involved and to their complicated dynamics. Our instrument (with 200-fs temporal resolution and 300-nm spatial resolution) provides new insights into the properties of polymer blends, revealing spatially variable photo-relaxation paths and dynamics and highlighting a peculiar behaviour at the interface between the phase-separated domains.
Capillary And Magnetic Forces For Microscale Self-Assembled Systems
Authors: Morris Christopher J. , Laflin Kate E. , Isaacson Brian , Grapes Michael , Gracias David
Published: September 2010

Self-assembly is a promising technique to overcome fundamental limitations with integrating, packaging, and generally handling individual electronic-related components with characteristic lengths significantly smaller than 1 mm. Here we briefly summarize the use of capillary and magnetic forces to realize two example microscale systems. In the first example, we use capillary forces from a low melting point solder alloy to integrate 500 μm square, 100 μm thick silicon chips with thermally and chemically sensitive metal-polymer hinge actuators, for potential medical applications. The second example demonstrates a path towards self-assembling 3-D silicon circuits formed out of 280 μm sized building blocks, utilizing both capillary forces from a low melting point solder alloy and magnetic forces from integrated, permanent magnets. In the latter example, the utilization of magnetic forces combined with capillary forces improved the assembly yield to 7.8% over 0.1% achieved previously with capillary forces alone.
Plasma Serotonin and Interleukin 18 Levels after Taking Powdered Processed Aconiti Tuber
Authors: Nakae Hajime
Published: September 2010

Processed Bushi Powder for Ethical Dispensing, called TJ-3022 (Aconitum carmichaeli Debeaux), is a herbal drug of processed Aconiti tuber (PAT) and TJ-3023 newly developed to contain a higher proportion of diester alkaloid of aconitine (Aconitum carmichaeli Debeaux and Aconitum japonicum Thunberg). Serotonin (5-HT) and 5-HA receptors are involved in cytokine production in infection or sepsis. Interleukin (IL)-18 is known to be one of key mediators in patients with severe organ dysfunctions. We measured the level of 5-HT and IL-18 in healthy adult volunteers and assessed whether PAT inhibits the production of 5-HT or IL-18. Thirty subjects were assigned to one of two groups: the TJ-3022 group or TJ-3023 group. The subjects received powdered PAT 3 g/day for 3 days and the blood concentrations of 5-HT and IL-18 were measured at the start, 90 minutes after, and 72 hours after taking the study drug. No significant differences in 5-HT levels between the three points were observed in the TJ-3022 and TJ-3023 groups. No significant differences in IL-18 levels between the three points were observed in the TJ-3022 group. In contrast, the IL-18 levels after 72 hours was significantly lower than that after 90 minutes in the TJ-3023 group. Significant negative correlations were observed between 5-HT and IL-18 levels in both TJ-3022 and TJ-3023 groups. These results indicate that TJ-3023 inhibits the production of IL-18 and that PAT may prevent the progression of severe organ dysfunctions.
A Note on Rationalizability and Restrictions on Beliefs
Authors: Cappelletti Giuseppe
Published: September 2010

Rationalizability is a widely accepted solution concept in the study of strategic-form games with complete information and is fully characterized in terms of assumptions on the rationality of the players and common certainty of rationality.Battigalli and Siniscalchi extend rationalizability taking as given some exogenous restrictions on players' beliefs and derive the solution concept called ?-rationalizability. This new solution concept has been applied to games with incomplete information as well as dynamic games.On this note, I focus on games with incomplete information and characterize ?-rationalizability with a new notion of iterative dominance that is able to capture the additional hypothesis on players' beliefs.
Effects of Limited Peripheral Vision on Shuttle Sprint Performance of Soccer Players
Authors: Lemmink Koen A. P. M. , Dijkstra Baukje , Visscher Chris
Published: September 2010

This study examined the effect of limited peripheral vision on the shuttle sprint performance of soccer players. Participants were 14 male soccer players of a student soccer club ( M age = 22.1 yr., SD = 1.3 yr.). They performed a repeated shuttle sprint with full and limited peripheral vision. Mean total sprint time and mean turning time increased significantly with limited peripheral vision. It is concluded that only turning during shuttle sprint performance decreases when sprinting with a restricted peripheral field of view, indicating the use of peripheral vision for the control of directional changes while sprinting.
Sleep Disturbances and Psychomotor Decline in HIV
Authors: Vance David E. , Burrage Joe W.
Published: September 2010

Sleep disturbances may contribute to cognitive and psychomotor impairments. 50 HIV-positive and 50 HIV-negative adults were assessed on cognitive performance and sleep hygiene. The HIV-positive group performed more poorly on cognitive measures; however, no group differences were found for the sleep variables. In the HIV-positive group, indicators of sleep disturbance were correlated to various measures of cognitive functioning and depression.
Activity-Based Intervention in Motor Skill Development
Authors: Apache R. R. Goyakla
Published: September 2010

This study assessed the effectiveness of an activity-based intervention program and a direct instruction program for preschool children with disabilities. Two groups of preschool students (average age = 4.1 yr.), classified as having developmental delays or at risk for such delays, were selected. They were provided 15 weeks of physical education through activity-based intervention and 15 weeks of physical education by direct instruction. Instruction was provided three times a week for 30-min. each session. In the fall semester the morning group received physical education through activity-based intervention, while the afternoon group received physical education through direct instruction. In the spring semester delivery of instruction was reversed for each group. The curriculum and activities provided to each group were identical with only the instructional delivery format altered. Two sets of pre- and post-tests using the Test of Gross Motor Development were administered before and after each 15-wk. instructional period. Group improvement in skills was compared between instructional methods. Significant improvement in both locomotor and object control skills through the activity-based intervention was found compared to direct instruction. Activity-based intervention was shown to be easily adapted to a naturalistic educational setting befitting that of preschool education.
Dynamic Chinese Text on a Single-Line Display: Effects of Presentation Mode
Authors: Shieh Kong-King , Hsu Sheng-Hsiung , Lin Yu-Chao
Published: September 2010

There are many technologies with which users must read text from small-screen electronic devices. So, understanding the constraints and optimization of humans' use of these devices is important. In the present study, the optimal ways to display Chinese text on a single-line display were explored. 64 Chinese-speaking Taiwanese undergraduates participated in a 4 × 2 mixed design in which the presentation mode was a between-subjects factor and the text difficulty was a within-subjects factor. Four presentation modes in which two presentation formats, i.e., leading and rapid serial visual presentation, combined with two text layouts, i.e., convention and Interword spacing, were investigated. Chinese texts of High Difficulty and Low Difficulty were compared. The results showed that the leading format with Interword spacing resulted in greater reading efficiency and faster preferred reading speed than other presentation modes. Although the reading efficiency and preferred reading speed for Low Difficulty materials were significantly greater than for High Difficulty materials, the interaction between the presentation mode and text difficulty was not significant. The applications for presenting moving Chinese text on a single-line display are briefly discussed.
Testing an Algebraic Model of Self-Reflexion
Authors: Grice James W. , McDaniel Brenda L. , Thompsen Dana
Published: September 2010

Self-reflexion is the conscious process of taking the position of an observer in relation to one's own thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Building on the work of Lefebvre, Lefebvre, and Adams-Webber, we used a formal algebraic model of self-reflexion to derive several predictions regarding the frequencies with which individuals would rate themselves and others positively on bipolar scales anchored by adjective terms. The current results from 108 participants (41 men, 67 women; M age = 20.2 yr.) confirmed two predictions derived from the model. Three other predictions, however, were not supported even though the observed frequencies were close to the predicted values. Although not as promising as results reported by Lefebvre, et al., these mixed findings were interpreted as encouraging support for the validity of Lefebvre's algebraic model of self-reflexion. Differences between the current methods and those from previous investigations were also examined, and methodological implications for further studies were discussed.
Sensitivity to Verb Phrase Grammatically by Children with Specific Language Impairment
Authors: Beverly Brenda L. , Swanson Lori A.
Published: September 2010

8 preschoolers with specific language impairment (age range = 44–58 mo.) and 8 language-matched, typically developing toddlers (22–29 mo.) participated in a verb comprehension task to investigate sensitivity to auxiliary is in four contexts—grammatical ( Who is pushing?), omitted ( Who pushing?), ungrammatical ( Who in pushing?), and nonsense ( Who id pushing?). Analysis yielded a significant interaction: children with specific language impairment had the lowest comprehension in the ungrammatical context and typically developing children had the highest. Perhaps children with specific language impairment, but not younger typically developing children, were sensitive to grammatical co-occurrences. One explanation is that knowledge of morphosyntax exceeded production for children with specific language impairment. Moreover, typically developing children may have ignored morpheme anomalies, perhaps benefitting from other input cues or flexible sentence processing.
Predicting Moral Behavior in Physical Education Classes: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Tsorbatzoudis Haralambos , Emmanouilidou Maria
Published: September 2010

This study aimed to examine the potential of the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict moral behavior in primary school physical education classes. Primary school children ( N = 611) completed a questionnaire including the Theory of Planned Behavior variables. Also, 21 teachers filled in an adapted version of Horrocks' Prosocial Play Behavior Inventory which assesses five moral behavior facets. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that attitudes toward moral behavior and perceived behavioral control were significant predictors of intention towards moral behavior (54%). Intention and perceived behavioral control predicted teacher-reported moral behavior (41%). The present results indicated that the theory provides a valuable framework for study of primary school children's moral behavior.
Sport Orientation Model for Wheelchair Basketball Athletes
Authors: Skordilis E. K. , Stavrou N. A.
Published: September 2010

This study examined the validity of the Sport Orientation Questionnaire (Competitiveness: 13 items, Win Orientation: 6 items, and Goal Orientation: 6 items) in a sample of 195 wheelchair basketball athletes from the USA. Following evidence for sample-specific validity, the measurement model that underlies the questionnaire was examined. A short-form with 15 items for three factors of Competitiveness (7 items), Win Orientation (5 items) and Goal Orientation (3 items) fit the data (χ2/ df ratio = 2.21, NNFI = .892, CFI = .991, RCFI = .935, SRMR = .058, RMSEA = .071). To evaluate the findings further, we cross-validated the short-form by sex. Structural equation modeling indicated there were similar measurement properties and factor structures for the men and women, indicating similar conceptualization of sport orientations. Meaningful comparisons across sex may be undertaken, since both men and women who are wheelchair basketball athletes perceive the three short-form SOQ factors similarly.
Effects of Specific versus Variable Practice on the Retention and Transfer of a Continuous Motor Skill
Authors: Heitman Robert J. , Pugh Steven F. , Kovaleski John E. , Norell Phillip M. , Vicory James R.
Published: September 2010

The effects of specific versus variable practice on retention and transfer was investigated. 30 participants were randomly assigned to one of three practice conditions. The variable speed group practiced on a pursuit rotor task at three different speeds (60, 45, 30 rpm) which were randomly distributed but equal in number for 30 10-sec. trials on Day 1. The Specific Practice group performed all 30 10-sec. trials at 45 rpm on Day 1. On Day 2, all groups performed 15 trials at the 45-rpm retention speed and 15 trials at the 75-rpm transfer speed. The Control group only performed on Day 2. Analysis showed the Specific Practice group had significantly higher scores on Day 1. On Day 2, the Specific Practice group had significantly higher retention scores and the Variable Practice group had higher transfer scores. Continuous motor skills might be practiced differently depending on the environmental context in which the skill may be used.
Physical Activity Patterns of College Students with and without High School Physical Education
Authors: Everhart Brett , Kernodle Michael , Ballard Kesley , McKey Cathy , Eason Billy , Weeks Megan
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine differences in physical activity patterns of high school graduates in Texas who completed physical education class credit during high school and those who did not but who were varsity athletes. A questionnaire was designed and tested for reliability prior to being administered to 201 college students. Analysis indicated that participants who completed high school physical education class credit do not currently participate in regular physical activity as mucn as those who were not required to complete such credit. Conversely, athletes who did not participate in physical education reported currently engaging in more cardiovascular exercise and team sports than the physical education students during high school.
Insomnia as a Sequela of Sarin Toxicity Several Years after Exposure in Tokyo Subway Trains
Authors: Kawada Tomoyuki , Katsumata Masao , Suzuki Hiroko , Li Qing , Inagaki Hirofumi , Nakadai Ari , Shimizu Takako , Hirata Kimiko , Hirata Yukiyo
Published: September 2010

More than 5,000 passengers on Tokyo subway trains were injured with toxic chemicals including the nerve gas “sarin” on March 20, 1995. The purpose of this study was to identify the effect of sarin exposure on insomnia in a cross-sectional study. A self-administered questionnaire concerning sleep-related items was distributed to victims of sarin exposure in October and November, 2003. Questionnaires were completed by 161 of the 163 participants (98.8%), who were selected from 1,500 subjects. Among them, the authors selected 75 women 30 to 69 years of age. Control participants were collected from inhabitants living in Maebachi City, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. For the younger exposed group (under 50 yr. of age), percentages of poor sleep, difficulty falling asleep, intermittent awakening, early morning awakening, a feeling of light overnight sleep, and insomnia were significantly higher than those for the control group. In contrast, the older exposed group (ages 50 to 69 years) had significantly higher prevalence of poor sleep, a feeling of light overnight sleep, and early morning awakening for the exposed group when compared with the control group. The high prevalence of insomnia and insomnia-related factors for victims especially under 50 years of age suggests a need for research on sleep quality after sarin exposure. Although posttraumatic stress disorder is assumed to be a psychological effect of exposure to a toxic substance, a cause-and-effect relationship has not been established.
Differences in Saccadic Latency and Express Saccades between Skilled and Novice Ball Players in Tracking Predictable and Unpredictable Targets at Two Visual Angles
Authors: Zhang Jian , Watanabe Kazuhiko
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the study was to investigate saccadic latency and percentage of express saccades involved in predictable tasks between skilled and novice ball players. Participants performed four different tasks, including time and direction unpredictable task, time predictable task, direction predictable task, and time and direction predictable task at the visual angles of 10 and 20°. Skilled ball players had shorter mean saccadic latency than novice players on direction and time and direction predictable tasks. The percentage of express saccades of skilled ball players was higher than that of novice players on the latter. Saccadic latency was shorter in the 10° condition in time and direction unpredictable task and time predictable task than for 20°. These results suggested that predictive ability might be one of the general characters distinguishing skilled ball athletes from novices in visuomotor performance. The prediction might reduce the mean difference in the saccadic latency at various visual angles.
Mountaineers' Risk Perception in Outdoor-Adventure Sports: A Study of Sex and Sports Experience
Authors: Demirhan Giyasettin
Published: September 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine mountaineers' (expert, less-experienced, nonparticipant) risk perception in 19 outdoor-adventure sports related to their sex and sports experience. A total of 299 experienced mountaineers (90 women, 209 men), 321 less-experienced mountaineers (110 women, 211 men) and 193 volunteers nonparticipants in sport (95 women and 98 men) took part. Data were collected with items on a Likert-type 5-point scale. Test-retest over 15 days ranged from .64–86. A two-way variance analysis of sex × group showed that men's mean risk perception was lower than that of women for orienteering, mountain biking, rowing, surfing, sailing, nordic skiing, tour skiing, snowboarding, parachuting, and cliff jumping. Also, experienced mountaineers' mean risk perception was lower than that of those less experienced.
Examination of the Hierarchical Self-Esteem Model in Adults with Physical Disability
Authors: Uchida Wakaki , Hashimoto Kimio , Lutz Rafer
Published: September 2010

The primary purpose of this research was to examine the validity of the hierarchical physical self-perceptions model developed by Fox and Corbin (1989) within a population of physically disabled individuals. The secondary purpose was to compare the physical self-perceptions of those who were physically active and physically inactive. 97 adults with physical disabilities completed a self-esteem scale and the Physical Self-perception Profile, Japanese short version to assess General Physical Self-worth and its subdomains of Perceived Sports Competence, Physical Condition, Attractive Body, and Physical Strength. Path analysis showed adequate fit of the data to the hierarchical physical self-perception model. In general, physical self-perceptions were rated more favorably by physically active participants.
Effects of Geometric Form Features on Three-Dimensional Object Categorization
Authors: Hsu Shang H. , Chang Wuefay , Chuang Ming-Chuen
Published: September 2010

The purpose was to investigate the effects of 3-D form features on the object-categorization process. 30 subjects [17 male and 13 female undergraduate industrial design students whose mean age was 20.7 yr. ( SD = 1.5)] were asked to classify 32 3-D prismatic images according to their similarity. Multidimensional scaling and cluster analyses indicated that the classification process was strongly related to the prisms' compounded features. The attention-weighting of each individual form feature was calculated by regression analysis which further indicated that each feature had a different effect on the categorizing process.
Effect of Low Body Temperature on Associative Interference in Conditioned Taste Aversion
Authors: Christianson John P. , Misanin James R. , Anderson Mathew J. , Hinderliter Charles F.
Published: September 2010

When two novel conditioned stimuli precede an unconditioned stimulus (US), the interval between the two conditioned stimuli (CS1 and CS2) influences the magnitude of the CS-US associability of each CS. As the interval between CS1 and CS2 increases, the associability of CS1 with the US decreases due to interference by CS2 and the associability of CS2 increases, given its temporal proximity to the US. Because hypothermia has been reported to increase the interval at which conditioned taste aversions can be formed, its influence was examined on the above relationship, i.e., how interference from CS2 affects the associability of CS1 with the US. Rats received a conditioned taste aversion procedure where CS1 and CS2 were presented either one after the other or separated by an 80-min. delay. For all subjects, the US or pseudo-US was presented immediately after CS2. When hypothermia was interpolated between the two flavor stimuli that were spaced 80 min. apart, CS2-interference with the CS1-US association was greatly attenuated. We propose that hypothermia modifies internal timing mechanisms such that the externally timed 80-min. CS1-CS2 interval was perceived as much shorter for rats made hypothermic. As a result of this perceived shortened inter-CS interval, CS2 produced less interference for the CS1-US association than would be expected for such a relatively long delay between CS1 and CS2.
Seasonal Changes in Suicide in the United States, 1971 to 2000
Authors: Bridges F. Stephen , Yip Paul S. F. , Yang Kris C. T.
Published: September 2010

The seasonality of suicides in the USA increased from the 1970s to the 1990s. A significant proportion of suicide variation due to the seasonal component has been reported. Noted increments in seasonal rhythms in the latter part of the 1980s and 1990s seem to support those of Warren, et al. but contradict the conclusions of diminishing drawn by Hakko, et al., Rhimer, et al., and Yip, et al.
Dreams and Age
Authors: Zanasi Marco , De Peris Simone , Caporali Manlio , Siracusano Alberto
Published: September 2010

This work evaluated the association of age and dream reports. The verbal reports of 148 dreams of elderly people ( M age = 75.8 yr.) were compared with 151 dreams of a group of young people ( M age = 22.0). The dreams were analyzed according to the Jungian vision (which looks at the dream as a text produced by the dreamer's unconscious while sleeping), using processing techniques derived from textual analysis. Significant differences were found between the number of words denoting emotion, with the young people reporting more explicit statements regarding emotional states. Significant differences were found also in use of verb tenses. When older people explicitly expressed an emotional state in a dream text, they shifted between present and past tense more frequently than young people. A significant prevalence in the semantic field of visual sense was evident as younger subjects used more sentences referring to sight than the elderly participants.
Familiarity and Older Adults' Transcriptions of Native and Nonnative Speech
Authors: Burda Angela N. , Overhake Dana R. , Thompson Kimberly K.
Published: September 2010

24 adults ages 60+ yr. transcribed 60 words and 30 sentences spoken by native speakers of English, Taiwanese, and Spanish to assess whether familiarity with the nonnative English speakers' accents improved transcription scores. The accuracy of listeners' transcription scores on the first half of the stimulus items was compared with accuracy of listeners' scores on the second half. Analysis indicated accuracy of transcriptions declined on words but improved for sentences, so familiarity and length of the stimuli may influence listeners' accurate transcribing of accented speech.
Effects of Display Medium and Luminance Contrast on Concept Formation and EEG Response
Authors: Shieh Kong-King , Chen Mei-Hsiang
Published: September 2010

Reading from a visual display terminal (VDT) has increased enormously with widespread computer use. Whether such reading affects higher cognitive processes requires study so the effect of display medium (LCD screen vs paper) and luminance contrast (1:3, 1:7, 1:11) on concept-formation performance and EEG responses was investigated. 96 men and 24 women participated in two concept-formation tasks (rule learning vs attribute and rule learning). Concept-formation performance and EEG responses were similar for stimuli displayed on paper or LCD screen. The concern that the screen may be detrimental to conception-formation performance was not confirmed; however, luminance contrast significantly affected time to complete a concept-formation task and EEG response. The middle contrast (1:7) had the smallest mean EEG power, so this contrast might be appropriate for cognitive performance. Participants' performance was significantly faster and EEG power lower for the rule-learning task than for an attribute and rule-learning task.
An Examination of Word Relevance in a Modified Stroop Task in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain
Authors: Roelofs Jeffrey , Peters Madelon L. , Crombez Geert , Verschuere Bruno , Vlaeyen Johan W. S.
Published: September 2010

The present study examined the role of personal relevance of sensory pain-related words in selective attentional processing measured with a modified Stroop task administered to 30 patients with chronic low back pain. A related aim of this study was to introduce the application of multilevel analysis to test the influence of personal relevance on selective attentional processing in this sample. Patients completed the modified Stroop task, as well as a set of self-report measures aimed to assess Fear of Pain, Trait Anxiety, Catastrophizing, Pain Vigilance, and Pain Intensity. The modified Stroop task comprised 33 sensory pain-related words for which the personal relevance towards current concerns was rated afterwards by each participant on a 7-point Likert-type scale. The multilevel analyses did not support the hypothesis that personal relevance of sensory pain-related words interacted with Fear of Pain scores of patients in accounting for reaction times in naming the color of sensory pain-related words. None of the other self-report measures accounted for reaction times in isolation or in interaction with personal relevance. The modified Stroop task does not appear to be a robust measure of selective attentional processing in patients with chronic low back pain. The usefulness of other paradigms, such as the visual dotprobe task, should be explored in examining selective attentional processing in this population.
A Short Computer Anxiety Scale
Authors: Lester David , Yang Bijou , James Simon
Published: September 2010

A 6-item measure of computer anxiety was devised and showed good reliability and validity in both American and English samples so it could be useful in survey research when a brief measure of computer anxiety is needed.
Qualitative Examination of Flow Experience among Top Japanese Athletes
Authors: Sugiyama Takuya , Inomata Kimihoro
Published: September 2010

The purpose of the present study was two-fold, (1) to examine the psychological elements of flow state experienced by top athletes during competition and (2) to explore the psychological states leading to flow experience. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 29 Japanese athletes regarding experiences in which they felt they were able to display 100% of their abilities and which they fully enjoyed. Interview contents were classified by the main investigator and independently by an external examiner. Analysis indicated that 92.6% of elements agreed with Csikszentmihalyi's model of flow. Three categories in Jackson's nomenclature (1996), unambiguous feedback, concentration on the task at hand, and autotelic experience, reported at a higher rate in the present study, may be the basic characteristics of flow state. The psychological states leading up to flow state were placed into six categories: relaxed, self-confident, highly motivated, completely focused, lack of negative thoughts and feelings, and extremely positive. Relaxed, self-confident, and highly motivated were reported by most of the athletes, suggesting they are primary elements for an optimal experience.
Effects of Task Constraints on Reaching Kinematics by Healthy Adults
Authors: Wu Ching-Yi , Lin Keh-Chung , Lin Kwan-Hwa , Chang Chein-Wei , Chen Chia-Ling
Published: September 2010

Understanding the control of movement requires an awareness of how tasks constrain movements. The present study investigated the effects of two types of task constraints—spatial accuracy (effector size) and target location—on reaching kinematics. 15 right-handed healthy young adults (7 men, 8 women) whose mean age was 23.6 yr. ( SD = 3.9 yr.) performed the ringing task under six conditions, formed by the crossing of effector size (larger vs smaller size) and target location (left, right, or a central position). Significant main effects of effector size and target location were found for peak velocity and movement time. There was a significant interaction for the percentage of time to peak velocity. The findings suggested that task constraints may modulate movement performance in specific ways. Effects of effector size might be a consequence of feedforward and feedback control, and location effects might be influenced by both biomechanical and neurological factors.
Relations of Body Esteem Factors with Exercise Session Attendance in Women Initiating a Physical Activity Program
Authors: Annesi James J.
Published: September 2010

Based on tenets of cognitive behavioral and social cognitive theory, the association of change in body-esteem factors and attendance in a newly initiated, 12-wk. cardiovascular exercise program was estimated in women (age range = 21 to 60 years, M = 41.4, SD = 12.2). For the group given the exercise program ( n = 48), there were significant positive changes on the Weight Control and Physical Condition scores of the Body Esteem Scale at 12 weeks, but not on Sexual Attractiveness scores. For the no-exercise control group ( n = 30), no significant changes were found on any of the Body Esteem Scale subscales. For the exercise group, regression analyses indicated between 8% and 9% of the variance in exercise session attendance was accounted for by the changes in scores on each of the three subscales. Entering age into multiple regression equations did not increase the explained variances in attendance. The fit of the findings within behavioral theory, implications for change in exercise behavior, and the need for replication and extension were discussed.