bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Acute Stress Differentially Affects Aromatase Activity in Specific Brain Nuclei of Adult Male and Female Quail
Authors: Dickens Molly J. , Cornil Charlotte A. , Balthazart Jacques
Published: August 2011

The rapid and temporary suppression of reproductive behavior is often assumed to be an important feature of the adaptive acute stress response. However, how this suppression operates at the mechanistic level is poorly understood. The enzyme aromatase converts testosterone to estradiol in the brain to activate reproductive behavior in male Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). The discovery of rapid and reversible modification of aromatase activity (AA) provides a potential mechanism for fast, stress-induced changes in behavior. We investigated the effects of acute stress on AA in both sexes by measuring enzyme activity in all aromatase-expressing brain nuclei before, during, and after 30 min of acute restraint stress. We show here that acute stress rapidly alters AA in the male and female brain and that these changes are specific to the brain nuclei and sex of the individual. Specifically, acute stress rapidly (5 min) increased AA in the male medial preoptic nucleus, a region controlling male reproductive behavior; in females, a similar increase was also observed, but it appeared delayed (15 min) and had smaller amplitude. In the ventromedial and tuberal hypothalamus, regions associated with female reproductive behavior, stress induced a quick and sustained decrease in AA in females, but in males, only a slight increase (ventromedial) or no change (tuberal) in AA was observed. Effects of acute stress on brain estrogen production, therefore, represent one potential way through which stress affects reproduction.
Adipophilin regulates maturation of cytoplasmic lipid droplets and alveolae in differentiating mammary glands
Authors: Russell Tanya D. , Schaack Jerome , Orlicky David J. , Palmer Carol , Chang Benny Hung-Junn , Chan Lawrence , McManaman James L.
Published: August 2011

Milk lipids originate by secretion of triglyceride-rich cytoplasmic lipid droplets (CLDs) from mammary epithelial cells. Adipophilin (ADPH)/Plin2, a member of the perilipin family of CLD binding proteins, is hypothesized to regulate CLD production in these cells during differentiation of the mammary gland into a secretory organ. We tested this hypothesis by comparing CLD accumulation in differentiating mammary glands of wild-type and ADPH-deficient mice. ADPH deficiency did not prevent CLD formation; however, it disrupted the increase in CLD size that normally occurs in differentiating mammary epithelial cells. Failure to form large CLDs in ADPH-deficient mice correlated with localization of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) to the CLD surface, suggesting that ADPH promotes CLD growth by inhibiting lipolytic activity. Significantly, mammary alveoli also failed to mature in ADPH-deficient mice, and pups born to these mice failed to survive. The possibility that CLD accumulation and alveolar maturation defects in ADPH-deficient mice are functionally related was tested by in vivo rescue experiments. Transduction of mammary glands of pregnant ADPH-deficient mice with adenovirus encoding ADPH as an N-terminal GFP fusion protein prevented ATGL from localizing to CLDs and rescued CLD size and alveolar maturation defects. Collectively, these data provide direct in vivo evidence that ADPH inhibition of ATGL-dependent lipolysis is required for normal CLD accumulation and alveolar maturation during mammary gland differentiation. We speculate that impairing CLD accumulation interferes with alveolar maturation and lactation by disrupting triglyceride homeostasis in mammary epithelial cells.
Patients' Experiences with Patient-Centred Care are Associated with Documented outcome of Care Indicators for Diabetes: Findings from the Leuven Diabetes Project
Authors: Borgermans Liesbeth , Goderis Geert , Van Den Broeke Carine , Verbeke Geert , Carbonez An , Ivanova Anna , Mathieu Chantal , Heyrman Jan
Published: August 2011

Assessment of diabetes care quality increasingly integrates measurements of patient perceptions. With escalating demand for diabetic services, it is critical to evaluate patients' experiences with patient-centred care and their association with outcome of care indicators. Global satisfaction and experiences with patient-centred care were evaluated in patients with type 2 diabetes. Patients participated in a quality improvement programme set-up as a two-arm clustered randomized trial. The Usual Quality Improvement Programme (UQIP) targeted clinical inertia in primary care physicians. The Advanced Quality Improvement Programme (AQIP) aimed to reduce the rate of clinical inertia and improve the provision of patient-centred care. Objective measures of patient-centred care, including overall satisfaction with care and measures related to health promotion, were associated with mean levels of glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) and systolic blood pressure (SBP), measured after 18 months of intervention. The patient response rate was 55.4%. Fifty-nine per cent of patients were very satisfied with quality of care. Overall satisfaction scores and patients' experiences with patient-centred care, did not significantly differ between AQIP and UQIP. The association between overall satisfaction with care and HbA1c levels significantly differed between AQIP and UQIP (P = 0.048). Overall satisfaction with care and LDLc levels did not significantly differ between AQIP and UQIP, or among all patients. The association between overall satisfaction with care and SBP levels, significantly differed between AQIP and UQIP (P = 0.004). Positive experiences with support in the use of oral antidiabetic agents were associated with significantly lower levels of HbA1c in all patients (P = 0.006). Positive experiences with information provision on diabetes mellitus were associated with significantly lower levels of LDLc and SBP (P = 0.036 and 0.010, respectively), as were experiences with information provision on medical treatment (LDLc, P = 0.005; SBP, P = 0.003). In conclusion, results show relatively good performance in both overall satisfaction with quality of care and in all patient-centredness measures examined. Overall satisfaction and measures of patient-centred care are associated with improved outcomes of care, although not consistently.
Constitutive Equations and Empirical Creep Law of Structural Steel S460 at High Temperatures
Authors: Schneider Regine , Lange Jörg
Published: August 2011

Although the constitutive equations at elevated temperatures given in Eurocode 3 Part 1-2 are valid for steel grades up to S460, the experimental data base concerning the mechanical behaviour of this particular high strength fine-grained structural steel is very small. Especially its short time creep behaviour at high temperatures has not yet been analysed. A current research project, predominantly consisting of transient testing of numerous commercial S460 steels, targets a more precise determination of the stresss-train relationships at high temperatures. Additionally, the time-dependent strain components are extracted from test results gained at varying heating rates, and an empirical creep law, based on the concept of temperature-compensated time, is derived. As a result, the constitutive equations can be formulated taking the heating rate into account. The differences in the high temperature load-carrying capacity of steel structures made of S460 according to the research results and under the terms of Eurocode 3 Part 1-2 are assessed.
Design of Timber-Concrete Composite Floors for Fire Resistance
Authors: O'Neill James , Carradine David , Moss Peter , Fragiacomo Massimo , Dhakal Rajesh , Buchanan Andrew
Published: August 2011

This research investigated the fire performance and failure behaviour of timber-concrete composite floor systems currently under development in New Zealand, resulting in a design method for evaluating the fire resistance of these floors with different types of connections. Furnace tests were performed on two full-size floor specimens at the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ). Both floor specimens were 4 m long and 3 m wide, consisting of 65 mm concrete topping on plywood formwork, connected to double LVL (laminated veneer lumber) floor joists. They were tested over a 4 m span, subjected to a nominal design live load of 2.5 kPa. Both floors were subjected to the ISO 834 test fire for over 60 minutes. Two separate connection types were tested; concrete notches cut into the timber beams with an incorporated shear key, and metal toothed plates pressed between the double beams.

It was found that the reduction in section of the timber beams due to the fire governed the failure mode of the floors. The test data and visual observations aided in the development of an analytical model for evaluating the fire resistance of timber-concrete composite floors. This was implemented into a spreadsheet that is able to predict the expected fire resistance of these floors, taking into account some major time dependent variable properties that can have an effect on the overall performance. Load-span tables have been produced to give the estimated fire resistance of floors with differing dimensions, span lengths and applied loads.
The first two nucleotides of the respiratory syncytial virus antigenome RNA replication product can be selected independently of the promoter terminus
Authors: Noton Sarah L. , Fearns Rachel
Published: August 2011

There is limited knowledge regarding how the RNA-dependent RNA polymerases of the nonsegmented negative-strand RNA viruses initiate genome replication. In a previous study of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) RNA replication, we found evidence that the polymerase could select the 5′-ATP residue of the genome RNA independently of the 3′ nucleotide of the template. To investigate if a similar mechanism is used during antigenome synthesis, a study of initiation from the RSV leader (Le) promoter was performed using an intracellular minigenome assay in which RNA replication was restricted to a single step, so that the products examined were derived only from input mutant templates. Templates in which Le nucleotides 1U, or 1U and 2G, were deleted directed efficient replication, and in both cases, the replication products were initiated at the wild-type position, at position −1 or −2 relative to the template, respectively. Sequence analysis of the RNA products showed that they contained ATP and CTP at the −1 and −2 positions, respectively, thus restoring the mini-antigenome RNA to wild-type sequence. These data indicate that the RSV polymerase is able to select the first two nucleotides of the antigenome and initiate at the correct position, even if the 3′-terminal two nucleotides of the template are missing. Substitution of positions +1 and +2 of the template reduced RNA replication and resulted in increased initiation at positions +3 and +5. Together these data suggest a model for how the RSV polymerase initiates antigenome synthesis.
Interactions of a Pop5/Rpp1 heterodimer with the catalytic domain of RNase MRP
Authors: Perederina Anna , Khanova Elena , Quan Chao , Berezin Igor , Esakova Olga , Krasilnikov Andrey S.
Published: August 2011

Ribonuclease (RNase) MRP is a multicomponent ribonucleoprotein complex closely related to RNase P. RNase MRP and eukaryotic RNase P share most of their protein components, as well as multiple features of their catalytic RNA moieties, but have distinct substrate specificities. While RNase P is practically universally found in all three domains of life, RNase MRP is essential in eukaryotes. The structural organizations of eukaryotic RNase P and RNase MRP are poorly understood. Here, we show that Pop5 and Rpp1, protein components found in both RNase P and RNase MRP, form a heterodimer that binds directly to the conserved area of the putative catalytic domain of RNase MRP RNA. The Pop5/Rpp1 binding site corresponds to the protein binding site in bacterial RNase P RNA. Structural and evolutionary roles of the Pop5/Rpp1 heterodimer in RNases P and MRP are discussed.
Drug-Related Problems Detected in Australian Community Pharmacies: The PROMISe Trial
Authors: Williams Mackenzie , Peterson Gregory M , Tenni Peter C , Bindoff Ivan K , Curtain Colin , Hughes Josephine , Bereznicki Luke RE , Jackson Shane L , Kong David CM , Hughes Jeff D
Published: August 2011

Background

Drug-related problems (DRPs) are a major burden on health care systems. Community pharmacists are ideally placed to detect, prevent, and resolve these DRPs.

Objective:

To determine the number and nature of DRPs detected and clinical interventions performed by Australian community pharmacists, using an electronic system.

Methods:

An electronic documentation system was designed and integrated into the existing dispensing software of 186 pharmacies to allow pharmacists to record details about the clinical interventions they performed to prevent or resolve DRPs. Participating pharmacies were randomly allocated to 3 groups: group 1 had documentation software, group 2 had documentation software plus a timed reminder to document interventions, and group 3 had documentation software, a timed reminder, and an electronic decision support prompt. Pharmacists classified DRPs, entered recommendations they made, and estimated the clinical significance of the intervention. An observational substudy that included pharmacies without any documentation software was completed to verify intervention rates.

Results:

Over 12 weeks, 531 participating pharmacists recorded 6230 clinical interventions from 2,013,923 prescriptions, with a median intervention rate of 0.23% of prescriptions. No significant differences were seen between the 3 groups that used documentation software; as expected, however, the pharmacies that used this software had a significantly higher documentation rate compared to the pharmacies without documentation software. The most common interventions were related to drug selection problems (30.8%) and educational issues (24.4%). Recommendations were often related to a change in therapy (40.0%), and 41.6% of interventions were self-rated as highly significant. Drug groups most commonly subject to an intervention included antibiotics, glucocorticoids, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, and opioids.

Conclusions:

The documentation system allowed for the determination of the frequency and types of DRPs, as well as the recommendations made to resolve them In community pharmacy practice. Use of the software, including its electronic prompts, significantly increased the documentation of interventions by pharmacists.
Luxury Apartments with a Tenement Heart
Authors: Klahr Douglas Mark
Published: August 2011

In the 1880s the Kurfürstendamm was developed with opulent apartments for Berlin's Grossbürgertum, or haute bourgeoisie. It was designed to be the counterpart to the Champs-Elysées. Luxury Apartments with a Tenement Heart: The Kurfürstendamm and the Berliner Zimmer analyses the plans of these apartments, whose dining rooms—called Berliner Zimmer—retained a planning peculiarity from Berlin's infamous tenements, or Mietskaserne. Through careful comparison, Douglas Mark Klahr shows that the Berliner Zimmer interrupted the circulation pattern for visitors and residents in a manner and to a degree not seen in comparable Parisian residences of the same period. Although building ordinances and economics shaped important aspects of Berlin's domestic architecture, this humble plan feature endured in the architecture of the wealthy because of the rootedness of Grossbürgertum identity in the values and architecture of the lower middle and working classes.
Minimal impact of excess iodate intake on thyroid hormones and selenium status in older New Zealanders
Authors: Thomson Christine D , Campbell Jennifer M , Miller Jody , Skeaff Sheila A
Published: August 2011

Objective

Iodine deficiency has re-emerged in New Zealand, while selenium status has improved. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of excess iodine intake as iodate on thyroid and selenium status.

Methods

In a randomized controlled trial on older people (mean±s.d. 73±4.8 years;n=143), two groups received >50 mg iodine as iodate/day for 8 weeks because of supplement formulation error, either with 100 μg selenium (Se+highI) or without selenium (highI). Four other groups received 80 μg iodine as iodate/day with selenium (Se+lowI) or without selenium (lowI), selenium alone (Se+), or placebo. Thyroid hormones, selenium status, and median urinary iodine concentration (MUIC) were compared at weeks 0, 8, and 4 weeks post-supplementation.

Results

MUIC increased nine- and six-fold in Se+highI and highI groups, decreasing to baseline by week 12. Plasma selenium increased in selenium-supplemented groups (P<0.001). The level of increase in whole blood glutathione peroxidase (WBGPx) in the Se+highI group was smaller than Se+ (P=0.020) and Se+lowI (P=0.007) groups. The decrease in WBGPX in the highI group was greater than other non-selenium-supplemented groups, but differences were not significant. Ten of 43 participants exposed to excess iodate showed elevated TSH (hypothyroidism) at week 8. In all but two, TSH had returned to normal by week 12. In three participants, TSH decreased to <0.10 mIU/l (hyperthyroidism) at week 8, remaining low at week 12.

Conclusions

Excess iodate induced hypothyroidism in some participants and hyperthyroidism in others. Most abnormalities disappeared after 4 weeks. Excess iodate reduced WBGPx activity and resulted in smaller increases in WBGPx after selenium supplementation.
Embodied energy evaluation for sections of the UK Channel Tunnel rail link
Authors: Chau Chris , Soga Kenichi , O'Riordan Nick , Nicholson Duncan
Published: August 2011

Using embodied energy as a quantitative measure of environmental impact, this study evaluated the embodied energy of two built sections of the UK Channel Tunnel rail link, now known as High Speed 1, and an alternative design. Results show that contract 220's 7·15 m diameter twin bored tunnel section of 7·5 km has an embodied energy of 949 TJ, whereas 7·3 km of contract 310's, consisting mainly of a pile-slab structure, consumed 678 TJ. The alternative design for contract 310, based on a conventional embankment design, would have consumed 640 TJ. By examining the embodied energy content, these geotechnical structures can be categorised into the following two types: (a) structures of which the materials are totally dominant at 90% of the total energy, such as pile-slab; and (b) more direct energy-intensive constructions, where the transportation and installation can collectively account for as much as 40% of the total, such as the tunnel and the embankment. In both types materials are generally the dominating energy consumer: therefore engineers should optimise designs using fewer embodied energy-intensive materials. When compared with the annual UK household energy consumption, the embodied energy values of these structures are equivalent to over 10 000 annual households' consumption. This comparison reveals the large scale of energy involved in geotechnical infrastructure construction, compared to activities in everyday life. This calls for more attention to evaluate the embodied energy of geotechnical constructions as part of design evaluations.
Advertising to the enemy: enhanced floral fragrance increases beetle attraction and reduces plant reproduction
Authors: Theis Nina , Adler Lynn S.
Published: August 2011

Many organisms face challenges in avoiding predation while searching for mates. For plants, emitting floral fragrances to advertise reproductive structures could increase the attraction of detrimental insects along with pollinators. Very few studies have experimentally evaluated the costs and benefits of fragrance emission with explicit consideration of how plant fitness is affected by both pollinators and florivores. To determine the reproductive consequences of increasing the apparency of reproductive parts, we manipulated fragrance, pollination, and florivores in the wild Texas gourd, Cucurbita pepo var. texana. With enhanced fragrance we found an increase in the attraction of florivores, rather than pollinators, and a decrease in seed production. This study is the first to demonstrate that enhanced floral fragrance can increase the attraction of detrimental florivores and decrease plant reproduction, suggesting that florivory as well as pollination has shaped the evolution of floral scent.
Estradiol Valerate and Dienogest: A Novel Four-Phasic Oral Contraceptive Pill Effective for Pregnancy Prevention and Treatment of Heavy Menstrual Bleeding
Authors: Micks Elizabeth , Jensen Jeffrey T
Published: August 2011

Estradiol valerate and dienogest have been combined to create a novel four-phasic oral contraceptive pill effective for both pregnancy prevention and treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding. This formulation represents the only oral contraceptive pill available in the USA containing an estrogen component that is biologically active as the endogenous estrogen 17β-estradiol. This medication was developed out of efforts to replace the most common estrogen in contraceptive pills, ethinyl estradiol, which is known to be a potent inducer of hepatic protein synthesis. Estradiol valerate has been available since the 1970s in oral and injectable forms indicated for the treatment of menopausal climacteric symptoms. Dienogest has been used in other oral contraceptive pills for over 10 years. Previous attempts to develop an oral contraceptive pill with natural estradiol or estradiol valerate were unsuccessful due to poor cycle control. A novel dynamic-dosing regimen was devised to improve the bleeding pattern. This medication has been shown in several clinical trials to have good contraceptive efficacy and cycle control. Recent studies have also demonstrated that this medication is effective for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding. However, compared with other oral contraceptive pills, this medication is associated with a higher frequency of absent withdrawal bleeding. Furthermore, the dynamic dosing regimen requires relatively complex instructions for users who miss pills.
Preliminary Report on Construction and Validation of a Pediatric Sleep Disturbance Questionnaire
Authors: Cook John , Burd Larry
Published: August 2011

A scale to assess sleep disturbance of children with developmental disabilities is reported. The scale has been used with a small sample of 14 children diagnosed as having Tourette Disorder, 36 physically handicapped children (cerebral palsy). Also, a group of 115 nonhandicapped Native American children were surveyed to assess whether the items might be appropriate for use with such children. The scale has 6 distinct factors and appears to have adequate reliability and validity.
Method for Representing Quantitatively Whole Properties of Visual Patterns
Authors: Sohmiya Tamotsu , Sohmiya Kazuko
Published: August 2011

It was assumed that there is a variable, named “strength of fusion,” underlying binocular fusion and rivalry. The strength of fusion is the resistance of the fused left- and right-eye patterns to separation. The first task was to obtain a measure of the strength of fusion and the second to examine the strength of fusion as a function of various differences of the patterns. The experiments showed that the angular separation only in the temporalward direction could be used as an appropriate measure of the strength of fusion and its value was maximum when the patterns were identical and decreased as the difference increased. This result supports the assumption about the strength of fusion.
The Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire: Commentary on the Marks-Chara Debate
Authors: McKelvie Stuart J.
Published: August 2011

The purpose of this article is to comment on a recent debate between Chara and Marks over the construct validity of the Vividness of Visual Imagery Questionnaire (WIQ). Following a description of their positions, it is argued that, although some of Chara's logical criticisms merit attention, much of his empirical work is methodologically unsound. However, in view of the nature of construct validity itself, it is also suggested that Marks ought to specify more clearly his concept of imagery vividness so critical experimental predictions can be made.
Facilitative Effects of Labeling on Preschool Children's Copying of Simple Geometric Forms
Authors: Stiles Joan , Tada Wendy , Whipple Tamela
Published: August 2011

A total of 150 children between 2.5 and 5 yr. of age were tested on one of three conditions (one experimental and two control) of a copying task adapted from the 1982 Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration of Beery. In the experimental condition, the geometric forms were labeled with the names of familiar objects. Analysis of scores indicated that introduction of verbal labels on the copying task facilitated preschool children's ability to reproduce geometric forms. The effect was consistent across the ages tested but was limited in that facilitation was observed only for those forms just beyond the child's demonstrated level of mastery. These results suggested that the verbal labels evoked a representational context which provided children with additional information necessary for accurate reproduction of the forms. Two alternative interpretations of this finding are discussed.
Spatial Discrimination in Children with Poor Vergence Control
Authors: Riddell P M , Fowler M. S. , Stein J. F.
Published: August 2011

In a 1987 study of children with reading difficulties, Stein, Riddell, and Fowler observed a relationship between poor vergence control, as indicated on a Synoptophore vergence test, and the children's problems with learning to read. They suggested that poor vergence control led to impaired accuracy of spatial localisation and that this impeded learning to read. Here we have compared the accuracy of spatial localisation on a nonlinguistic computer game by children having good and poor vergence control. The children with poor vergence control made significantly more errors when locating targets than children with good vergence control. These results lend further support to the hypothesis that some children do not learn to read because they are unable to determine accurately the positions of letters in words.
Sleep Reduction in Night-Shift Workers: Is it Sleep Deprivation or a Sleep Disturbance Disorder?
Authors: Mahan Robert P. , Carvalhais Antonio B. , Queen Stephen E.
Published: August 2011

Two explanations of the reported reduction in night-shift workers' sleep length have emerged. One argues that these reductions in sleep are related to sleep disturbances which may require medical treatment as disorders. The other argues that sleep reduction is mainly due to a sleep deficit caused by the voluntary choice to delay sleep onset and reduce the sleep duration which requires a systems approach aimed at increasing sleep length and reducing the effect of a sleep deficit at the workplace. Using survey data from 1078 industrial shift workers, this study demonstrates that permanent night workers reporting sleep difficulties, as well as those who do not, report sleep reductions. This finding is interpreted as supporting, in part, the position that night-shift workers suffer primarily from a self-induced sleep deficit.
Manual Dexterity, Strength, Fatigue, and Perseveration: An Initial Test of Asymmetry in Cerebral Activation
Authors: Harrison David W. , Pauly Roberta S.
Published: August 2011

50 right-handed men were evaluated on right and left hand-grip strength, fatigue, and perseveration tasks and on a finger-tapping task. Subjects were tested in combined ambient sensory conditions of bright light and noise, bright light and quiet, dim light and noise, and dim light and quiet to provide an initial test of asymmetrical activation of the hemispheres. Analysis did not support the hypothesized asymmetry in activation. However, increased fatigue and perseveration were found using the left hand.
Does Newton's Falling Apple Require an Explanation? Antecedent Variables in Cognitive Development: Controversy and Resolution
Authors: Niaz Mansoor
Published: August 2011

According to Brainerd, Piaget's stages of cognitive development fall somewhere between the poles of explanation and pure description. It is argued that based on empirical evidence, Pascual-Leone's theory provides explanatory constructs for cognitive development by postulating the antecedent variables of Mental Capacity, Field Factor, and the Mobility-Fixity Dimension.
Differences in Comprehension Processes as a Function of Hemisphericity
Authors: Gadzella Bernadette M. , Kneipp Lee B.
Published: August 2011

Significant differences were found between hemisphericity and cognitive strategies on a comprehensive task. The subjects were 62 undergraduates identified as having preferences of left-hemisphericity, integrated, or right-hemisphericity. The differences were between the reaction times of left- and right-hemisphericity preferences in processing sentences structured as True Negatives and False Negatives.
Dynamic vs Static Stimuli in Their Effect on Visual Vigilance Performance
Authors: Koelega Harry S. , Brinkman Jan-Albert , Zwep Bert , Verbaten Marinus N.
Published: August 2011

This report describes a test of the prediction, made by Teichner in 1974, that on visual vigilance tasks dynamic stimuli result in greater performance decrements than do static stimuli. For correct detections and sensitivity there was only a nonsignificant trend in the predicted direction, but for response latency (RT) the prediction was supported. Positional uncertainty within displays did not affect vigilance performance. Teichner's assumption that ocular demand is responsible for the impairing effect of dynamic stimuli is questioned. Depletion of central capacity rather than an ocular effect may explain deteriorating performance. Just as in studies of visual fatigue, the contributions of central and modality-specific impairing effects are difficult to separate.
Performance of Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Subjects on a Rod and Frame Discrimination Task
Authors: Byrd Gary R. , Paige Shirley Morgan , Guyot Gary W. , Heck Vicki
Published: August 2011

This study assessed the relative ability of 7 field-independent and 8 field-dependent persons to detect changes in rod and frame positions. Each subject received 90 discrimination trials. Each trial consisted of the standard stimulus (both rod and frame tilted 15° to the subject's left) followed by a comparison stimulus (rod or frame differing from the standard by 3°, 6°, 9°, or 12°). Results supported the hypothesized superiority of field-independent persons in detecting frame changes; however, detections of rod changes did not differentiate field-dependent from field-independent persons.
Teachers' Perception of a Psychology of Pedagogy
Authors: White William F.
Published: August 2011

A survey of 455 graduate students at a university in Southeast Texas was conducted using a 40-item Survey of Teacher Attitudes—R by White and Stanley and a four-case instrument with 20-item responses. Four rotated factors emerged from the analysis of data: (1) Classroom Evaluation Systems, (2) Beyond Essential Elements, (3) Motivation and Rewards For Teaching, and (4) Pride, Self-esteem, and Love of Students. Responses to 20 questions relating to four case studies were rank-ordered to frequency of principles used in resolving the four case studies. Reinforcement or operant conditioning principles were the most frequently used.
A Classification of Acts of Attempted Suicide
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

A classification of attempted suicide is proposed, based upon whether the resulting self-harm is foreseen or desired: failed suicides, deliberate self-harm, sub-intentioned self-harm, counterproductive self-harm, and pseudoself-harm.
Image-Formation Time is Not Related to Recall of Bizarre and Plausible Images
Authors: Fritsch Thomas , Larsen Janet D.
Published: August 2011

Past studies of bizarre imagery in which image-formation time is reported have not directly investigated the potential relation of that measure to recall. In the present study, 50 subjects spontaneously formed images from pairs of words to test the idea that quickly formed images are recalled more often. There was no relationship between image-formation time and recall. Image bizarreness and image interaction did not facilitate recall, and there were no differences in the times required to form bizarre and plausible images. The latter findings, which are inconsistent with much of the past research, may be the result of allowing subjects to form images spontaneously, rather than specifying the image to be formed.
Auditory Search Using Vowel Sounds
Authors: Charleston Dodds E. , Boyer Robert W.
Published: August 2011

Using an auditory memory search task and 8 vowels as stimuli, latencies and accuracy (number correct) for 6 subjects were measured. Accuracy during the first session was above chance but evidence of automatic processing was tenuous and was not achieved for RT. Auditory search seems more difficult than visual search.
University Females are More Fearful and Males are More Egotistic: Possible Implications for Vocational Pursuits and Response to Crisis
Authors: Persinger M. A. , Makarec K.
Published: August 2011

Clusters of items that indicate fearfulness and egotism were derived from a data base accumulated over 10 years. There were 235 men and 331 women whose ages ranged between 18 and 29 yr. Women displayed higher scores on the fearfulness cluster and lower scores on the egotism cluster than men; the interaction was statistically significant. Discriminant analyses indicated that the two clusters explained 13% of the variance for the sex differences. The relatively enhanced fearfulness and decreased egotism among university women compared to their male cohorts may be a useful predictor for entry into novel vocations and responsiveness to catastrophes involving other young women.
Differences in Mood States between Belt Ranks in Karate Tournament Competitors
Authors: McGowan Robert W. , Miller Mark J. , Henschen Keith P.
Published: August 2011

Research over the past decade has demonstrated that performance and transitory affect (mood states) are related. This study examined the relationship between highly experienced (black belts), experienced (brown belts), moderately experienced (colored belts), and novice (white belts) karate practitioners and transitory affect. Analysis indicated that black belt competitors scored higher in precompetition fatigue-inertia than lower ranked competitors.
Sport Activity and Personality as Elements in Preventing Cancer and Coronary Heart Disease
Authors: Grossarth-Maticek R. , Eysenck H. J. , Uhlenbruck G. , Rieder H. , Vetter H. , Freesemann C. , Rakic L. , Gallasch G. , Kanazir D. T. , Liesen H.
Published: August 2011

Results are reported for 3 groups of healthy male probands, 318 in each group, matched for age and personality type on the Personality-Stress Questionnaire. One group was actively engaged in sports, one had discontinued former sporting activities, and one group had never taken part in regular sports. Follow-up after 13 yr. showed lowest mortality in those actively engaged in sport, highest mortality in those who had given up sport, with those who had never been engaged in sport intermediate. Prophylactic behaviour therapy was shown to reduce mortality of those who had given up sport to a significant extent but not to affect degree of retinal sclerosis.
Causal Attributions of Physical Education Majors and Mentally Retarded Adults
Authors: Boswell Boni , Arbogast Gary
Published: August 2011

This exploratory study examined the causal attributions and expectancies of 51 physical education majors and 25 mentally retarded adults. The majors completed a written questionnaire concerning their causal attributions and expectancies for motor performance of the adults. The adults responded through an interview procedure regarding causal attributions and expectancies for their own motor performance. Analysis did not support the hypothesis that people make stable attributions about the performance of mentally retarded populations and subsequently maintain low expectancies. Previous experiences of failure did not diminish the expectancies of the adults for their own future succcess.
Recency Effects and Distinctiveness of Position/Order Information
Authors: Sato Koichi
Published: August 2011

Temporal retrieval theory argues that both short-term and long-term recency effects reflect the distinctiveness of position/order information of recent items. The present study tested this proposal in both the standard immediate free-recall paradigm and the continuous-distractor paradigm. Serial-position curves of item information learned intentionally were compared to those of position/order information learned incidentally. In the immediate condition, similar recency effects were observed for item and position/order information; the correlation of item recency with position/order recency was significant. In the continuous-distractor condition, although significant recency effects were observed for item and position/order information, the correlation between them was low. These results suggest that the distinctiveness of position/order information contributes to short-term recency effects but not to long-term recency effects.
Demonstrations and Knowledge of Results in Motor Skill Acquisition
Authors: McCullagh Penny , Little William S.
Published: August 2011

In learning motor skills, different types of information can be utilized to reinforce correct execution of the skill. Over the years, augmented information after the movement (i.e., knowledge of results) has been the most widely studied and has received attention as the most important variable for learning. Recently, however, researchers have begun to focus on modeling or providing information prior to movement as another important aspect of skill learning. The present experiment compared a KR 100% condition with a KR 33% condition, with a final modeling plus KR condition on the acquisition and immediate transfer retention of a timing task. The results showed that all groups reached the same performance level by the end of acquisition. However, over the immediate transfer phase, subjects who had received modeling plus KR during acquisition, increased their errors. Delayed retention produced no significant group effects.
Restoration of Volitional Limb Movement of Hemiplegics following Patterned Functional Electrical Stimulation
Authors: Smith Leon E.
Published: August 2011

24 hemiplegic patients completed patterned functional electrical stimulation (PFES) upon the afflicted arm and leg. The multichannel PFES program was mathematically derived from the EMG agonist/antagonist pattern recorded from each subject's unaffected limbs during a series of monitored, voluntary movements. The average improvement in volitional range of motion for the group's paralyzed limbs was 90% for the upper extremities and 69% for the lower extremities. For partially paralyzed limbs, there was an average increase in range of movement of 68% for the upper extremities and 26% for the lower extremities. These findings support the relearning-based, PFES open-loop theory which uses individualized therapeutic PFES-derived from EMG coordination patterns modeled from specific, ballistic limb movements to rehabilitate patients who have been immobilized after stroke.
Minding the Need for Specialists in Brain Diseases
Authors: Spiegel David
Published: August 2011

A recent call for a new speciality in biologically based brain diseases is questioned on historical, empirical, and theoretical grounds. Psychiatry has oscillated between biological and psychosocial explanations for mental illness since its inception. Training in the biological basis of mental illness is and should be incorporated into psychiatric training, along with a balanced appreciation of the utility of psychotherapeutic and social intervention. Emphasis on only one aspect resurrects Cartesian dualism. Any disease, however biological in origin, is best treated by a clinician adept at multiple levels of understanding and intervention.
Systematic Tactile Error of Judgment in Finger-Toe Correspondence
Authors: Singh Maharaj
Published: August 2011

40 normal adults were tested for finger-toe correspondence identification. A systematic differential pattern of tactile judgment of errors for the five toes (with more errors in the case of the middle three toes) was obtained. The pattern was similar for both men and women and across right- and left-foot toes. These results are discussed in terms of poor sensory representation (or overlapping sensory pathways) of toes in the cerebral cortex.
A Computerized Visual-Search Task as a Measure of Cerebral Dysfunction and Organization
Authors: Curley James F. , Ginard Robert J.
Published: August 2011

This study examined differences in performance on a visual-search task between dysphonetic dyslexic children and three other groups of youngsters (other dyslexic, brain-damaged, and normals) on measures of cerebral dysfunction and cerebral organization. Subjects were required to match a centrally located design to an identical image, yielding a measure of cerebral dysfunction, i.e., latency. Cerebral organization of the diagnostic groups was studied by measuring the conjugate lateral eye movements of each child. Prior research suggests that initial direction of lateral eye movement on a cognitive task is indicative of lateralized cerebral activation. Analysis indicated that the dysphonetic dyslexics group, as predicted, differed significantly on latency from the normal and brain-damaged groups but not from the other dyslexic group. The dysphonetic dyslexic group differed significantly from all other groups on the measure of cerebral organization.
Anxiety in Black-Belt and Nonblack-Belt Traditional Karateka
Authors: Layton Clive
Published: August 2011

72 novice and kyu Shotokan karateka and 21 of dan grades were given the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Those at dan grades were less trait and less state anxious. Partial correlations controlling for age showed a negative association for years of training and measures of anxiety. Proper interpretation would require longitudinal data.
Hemisphericity and Reading Achievement for Black and Caucasian Elementary Students
Authors: Habenicht Donna J. , Byoune Helen O. , Futcher W. G. A.
Published: August 2011

This study was done to assess whether black and Caucasian students differ in hemispheric skills and whether such preference is related to reading achievement. Subjects were 111 fourth- and fifth-graders from a small rural school district in southwestern Michigan. For this group there was no significant difference in inferred hemisphericity on the Cognitive Laterality Battery with respect to race or sex, neither was hemisphericity related to reading achievement on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. However, individual subtests of the Cognitive Laterality Battery were significantly related to reading comprehension on the Iowa achievement tests.
Field Dependence/Independence and Eye-Hands-Legs Coordination
Authors: Terelak Jan
Published: August 2011

A study of the relationship between field-dependence and psychomotor performance is presented. Boys practicing amateur boxing (younger juniors) and 16 to 17 yr. of age were subjects. Field-dependence was assessed on Witkin's Group Embedded Figures Test and eye-hand-legs coordination by means of the SMA-3 coordinometer produced by Bryans Co. Higher scores on field-dependence were associated with better performance on the eye-hand-legs coordination task but not with effectiveness of learning.
Suicide and Homicide on St. Valentine's Day
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2011

No unusually large numbers of either the numbers of suicides or of homicides on St. Valentine's Day in the USA from 1972 to 1987 were observed.
Brief Note on Graduate Training in Statistics, Methodology, and Measurement in Psychology
Authors: Merenda Peter F.
Published: August 2011

Support is presented for the criticisms of Aiken, et al. in the American Psychologist of weakened current doctoral training for psychologists in quantitative, psychometric, and statistical methods and in assessment.
Response to Subliminally Activated Fantasies of Symbiotic-Like Oneness: A Function of Gender or Psychological Differentiation?
Authors: Greenberg Ann Core
Published: August 2011

Recently, Fudin critically evaluated Silverman's subliminal psychodynamic activation (SPA) method regarding issues of visual-field position of the stimulus, partial stimulus encoding, and structural matching of experimental and control stimuli. Fudin has outlined several ways to tighten the methodology and these suggestions have been followed herein. Consistent with previous research it was hypothesized that male and female nonclinical subjects ( N = 100), highly differentiated from their mothers, would respond adaptively to the subliminal message of symbiotic-like oneness, MOMMY AND I ARE ONE, but not to an incomplete or anagram message. Results were in the predicted direction although short of statistical significance. Also, new avenues of research were explored concerning Silverman's Adjective Rating Scale.
Effects of Clothing Values on Perceived Clothing Deprivation among Adolescents
Authors: Francis Sally K , Liu Qin
Published: August 2011

The present purpose was to investigate the relationship between clothing values and perceived clothing deprivation among adolescents. From previous studies a questionnaire was developed to measure perceived clothing deprivation (the dependent variable) and clothing values (the independent variable). Items were measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The sample was comprised of 338 high school students enrolled in Grades 9 to 12 home economics courses at six high schools. The effects of values (aesthetic, economic, exploratory, political, religious, sensory, social, and theoretical) on perceived clothing deprivation were tested. Pearson correlations and multiple regression indicated positive relationships between perceived clothing deprivation and the economic and social clothing values. Also, these values accounted for significant proportions of the variance of perceived clothing deprivation. Negative relationships between aesthetic and political clothing values and perceived clothing deprivation were noted; however, they did not contribute significantly to the variance of perceived clothing deprivation. No relationships were found between the remaining clothing values and perceived clothing deprivation.
Signal-Detection Analysis of Nonverbal Recognition Memory in Dementia
Authors: Taylor Robert , Gilleard Chris J.
Published: August 2011

A signal-detection analysis was applied to performance on two nonverbal recognition memory tasks for 21 subjects with presumed dementia of the Alzheimer type, 19 subjects with presumed multi-infarct dementia, and 19 elderly depressed subjects. Performance was best for the depressed and worst for the Alzheimer subjects. Response bias did not differ significantly among groups. Within the depressed group, more impaired and older subjects were more conservative on one test. Correlations suggested that the sensitivity and response-bias measures may depend on the type of material used and so have limited generality.
Investigation of the Children's Version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire with Primary and Junior High School Pupils in Japan
Authors: Ishihara Kaneyoshi , Honma Yukako , Miyake Susumu
Published: August 2011

A children's version of the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire was administered to approximately 1150 pupils of primary school and 500 pupils of junior high school. Analysis showed that the mean morningness-eveningness scores significantly changed to eveningness from Grade 4 of primary school to the Grade 1 junior high school and suggested that circadian phase might be established by the older age (grade).
Statistical Inference for the Odds Measure of Qualitative Variation
Authors: Kvålseth Tarald O.
Published: August 2011

The large-sample distribution of the odds measure of qualitative variation (OQV) is given. The results may be used for testing hypotheses and constructing confidence intervals for OQV. Numerical data are provided to exemplify the use of these statistical inference procedures.