Preparation and characterization of dense sodium superionic conducting Na5YSi4O12 (NYS)

Na₅YSi₄O₁₂ has been prepared from spray-frozen/freeze-dried precursor powders calcined at 620°C for three hours. Sintering at 1140°C for 30 minutes gave a ceramic of 97.7% theoretical density. The material was single phase NYS with a 300°C resistivity of 6.5 Ωcm, an activation energy for Na⁺ ion conduction of 20.1 kJ/mol, a flexural strength of 75 MPa, a duplex fine grain structure of (0.1–3μm) and a constant linear thermal expansion coefficient (25–470°C) of 13.1 × 10^?6/°C ±5%. The properties of the NYS ceramics are especially sensitive to small soda deficiencies.     

A 1957 outbreak of Legionnaires' disease associated with a meat packing plant

Retrospective study shows that a 1957 outbreak of pneumonia in Austin, Minnesota, was Legionnaires' disease. Between June 7 and August 9, 1957, 78 persons were hospitalized with acute respiratory disease of unknown cause. Most had fever, headache, cough, and pneumonitis; two died. Ages ranged from 14-83 years; half of the patients were aged 55 years or older. Eighty-seven per cent were men. There were no secondary cases. Forty-six (59%) of the 78 patients were employees at a local meat packing plant, in distinction to the area's total working population (32%). Serosurvey of 15 of the 1957 outbreak cases and 30 controls matched for age, sex, and either occupation or residence was carried out in 1979. Antibody titers were determined for Legionella pneumophila serogroups 1-4 by means of indirect immunofluorescence. Twelve (80%) of the 15 cases and 13 (43%) of the 30 controls had antibody titers of 1:64 or greater to one or more of the L. pneumophila serogroups. Significant differences in L. pneumophila antibody titers (prevalence and level) were found between cases and control groups matched for residence (serogroups 1-3) or occupation (serogroups 2 and 3). Only three of 20 Austin residents with pneumonia diagnosed between 1978 and 1980 had L. pneumophila antibody titers of 1:128 or greater (p less than 0.001), in comparison to cases. These serologic data and the 1957 clinical and epidemiologic observations support the contention that this is the earliest documented outbreak of Legionnaires' disease.     

An observational study of peer interaction in racially mixed "accelerated" classrooms.

Observed the peer interactions of 69 White and 32 Black 8th graders each week of a semester. The race and sex of the person with whom S was interacting were coded, as were the behavior's mutuality (one-sided, mutual), affective tone (positive, neutral, negative), and orientation (task oriented, ambiguous, social). Considerably more cross-race interaction was noted than found in previous studies conducted in nonacademic settings in interracial schools. Ss interacted significantly more with peers of their own race than with peers of the other race. This was due to the females' strong own-race preference. Males interacted cross-racially at approximately the rate that would be expected if race were not a factor in interactant choice. Male interactions were predominantly mutual in nature, whereas those of females were predominantly one-sided. There were no major differences in the tone of the inter- or intraracial interactions of Ss in the 4 sex–race subgroups. Negative behaviors constituted less than 1% of all interactions. Cross-race interactions of all groups were more task related than within-race interactions, within-race interactions were more social than cross-race interactions. (37 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The issue of sex bias in DSM-III: A critique of "A Woman's View of DSM-III" by Marcie Kaplan.

Criticizes M. Kaplan's (see PA, 71:6606) theory that 1 explanation for certain mental disorders being diagnosed more frequently in women is because of masculine-biased assumptions about what behaviors are healthy that are codified in DSM-III. Kaplan makes the faulty assumption that recognizing a societal problem (e.g., sexism) excludes the utility of clinical diagnosis of the individual. Examination of the sex ratios for the DSM-III Axis I clinical syndromes in the DSM-III field trials reveals many categories that are more commonly diagnosed in men, providing no support to Kaplan's thesis. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Adherence-health status relationships in childhood diabetes.

Examined the relationship between adherence (ADH) behavior (to a diabetes regimen) and health status in 78 6–19 yr olds with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. 13 ADH measures were grouped into 6 ADH factors (Injection, Exercise, Diet Type, Testing/Eating Frequency, Calories Consumed, and Concentrated Sweets). Prevailing glucose levels were indexed, and fasting triglycerides (TRIG) and total cholesterol (CHOL) assays were used to estimate lipid metabolism. Adolescents were generally less adherent than younger Ss. Only Calories Consumed showed any predictive power. No significant regression equations emerged for CHOL. In contrast, TRIG was significantly associated with most ADH factors; in all cases, ADH interacted with the Ss' metabolic status, suggesting that ADH had different effects for Ss in good vs poor diabetes control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Auditory evoked potentials and hand preference in 6-month-old infants: Possible gender-related differences in cerebral organization.

Normal 6-mo-old infants (10 male and 10 female) were studied to determine if cortical auditory evoked potentials (EPs) recorded to probe stimuli during verbal and musical stimulus presentation provided an index of cerebral functional organization. Furthermore, EP left–right amplitude asymmetries were examined in relation to gender differences and hand-reaching preference in these infants. Six-mo-old girls exhibited EP amplitude asymmetries associated with the stimulus conditions, whereas boys did not. In addition, both boys and girls showed associations between their patterns of EP asymmetry and their hand-reaching preference. The patterns of electrophysiological responses observed and their relation to hand preference suggest that the rate of maturation of the left and right hemispheres differs and is dependent on the gender of the infant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Canadian Psychological Association: Minutes of the Annual General Meeting.

Presents the minutes of the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association held June 4, 1981 in Toronto, Ontario. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neonatal imitation: Fact or artifact?

Reports an unsuccessful attempt to replicate in Exp I with 11 infants (17–20 days old) the findings of A. N. Meltzoff and M. K. Moose (see record 1979-10716-001) who reported neonatal imitation of tongue protrusion and mouth opening. In Exp II with 16 infants (17–22 days old), a potential artifact of their procedure was assessed whereby variation in the experimenter's (E) determination of the onset of data recording might have been influenced by Ss' ongoing behavior with a pacifier held by E. No evidence of imitation was found. Results indicate that the type of mouth movement on a pacifier just prior to its removal (i.e., tongue pressure or passive release) was a reliable predictor of subsequent infant behavior and could have contributed to artifactually producing the results interpreted by Meltzoff and Moore as evidence of neonatal imitation. (8 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)