Photoluminescent properties of flexible PVC compounds and their interpretation for performance analysis of automotive exterior parts

Study of fluorescence emission from flexible PVC‐based formulations, colored by exposure to road asphalt or degraded thermally or by UV aging, shows that fluorescent species are formed during the interaction of PVC with road asphalt. For the conditions found in exterior automotive applications, no other known degradation causes development of fluorescence. Flexible PVC‐based formulations discolored by asphalt staining or degraded thermally at moderate temperatures bleach completely under conditions of natural or artificial weathering. A simple technique, using visually observed photoluminescence and photobleaching, can thus identify photoactive groups formed during the interaction of PVC with road asphalt. Application of this test method will allow selective improvement of failed asphalt resistance without treating the “overall” stability of a compound.     

Do changes in cognitive factors influence outcome following multidisciplinary treatment for chronic pain? A cross-lagged panel analysis.

Changes in maladaptive cognitions may constitute therapeutic processes of multidisciplinary pain programs. A cross-lagged panel design was used to determine whether (a) early-treatment cognitive change predicted late-treatment outcome index change, but not vice versa; and (b) these effects remained significant with depression change controlled. Ninety chronic pain patients, in a 4-week multidisciplinary program, completed measures of catastrophizing, pain helplessness, depression, pain, interference, and activity level at pre-, mid-, and posttreatment. With depression changes controlled, early-treatment catastrophizing and pain helplessness changes predicted late-treatment outcome index changes, but not vice versa; early-treatment depression changes predicted late-treatment activity changes, but not vice versa. Findings advance understanding of pain treatment process and suggest that negative cognition changes may indeed affect improvements in treatment outcome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Type A behavior, aerobic power, and cardiovascular recovery from a psychosocial stressor.

Investigated the relationship between Type A (coronary prone) behavior, aerobic fitness, and cardiovascular recovery from stress in 56 male undergraduates. Ss were tested for actual aerobic power and Type A behavior on the Jenkins Activity Survey—Form T before performing the Stroop Color–Word Interference Test. Type A behavior was related to speed of recovery following the test, with Type As being slower to return to baseline heart rate levels than Type B (noncoronary prone) Ss. Physiological and cognitive variables affecting speed of recovery from stress are examined, and the lack of effect of fitness on recovery is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's judgments of expected value.

Expected value judgments of 5-, 6-, 8-, and 10-yr-olds were studied by using an information integration approach. Children saw roulette-type games with prizes of crayons. They made judgments in a continuous scale of how happy a puppet playing the game would be. In one task, probability and value of a single winning outcome were varied factorially. All ages took both cues into account. Young children used an additive integration rule, whereas children 8 yrs and older used the multiplying rule as predicted by mathematical theory. A 2nd task contained games with both 1 and 2 alternative prizes. At all ages, data patterns were similar to the normative predictions. Even young children showed some understanding of probability dependence. A serial version of the addition strategy may contribute to advanced performance in the 2-prize task. These results are consistent with conceptual understanding of expected value. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quantitative estimation: From the real world to the psychology lab.

Banaji and Crowder (see record 1990-00387-001) contend "that the movement to develop an ecologically valid psychology of memory has proven itself largely bankrupt" (p. 1185). The authors have two primary concerns. First, they believe that it is rare for studies of real-world cognition to support conclusions that generalize broadly. Second, they are concerned that such studies may be inherently incapable of making significant theoretical or methodological contributions. The research program outlined here can be viewed as a response (in the form of a case study) to the Banaji and Crowder position. Specifically, this project has adopted both theoretical and methodology perspectives from the study of real-world memory to address a long-standing issue in the mainstream memory literature. The project itself was designed to characterize the strategies used to estimate event frequency and the conditions that foster the use of these strategies. A valid model of the estimation process is necessary in order to understand the encoding and representation of event frequency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Exact Power Function of Compendial Test Requirements for Content Uniformity

The exact distributions associated with the current compendial test requirements are generated by resorting to the well known Computer Intensive Algorithm method to establish the exact percentage point (limit) for RSD, corresponding to each selected cut-off probability level (confidence level) for each of the four possible experimental outcomes based on the USP-NF test requirements. A table is constructed to present the two-dimensional power function. The similarities between these tabular values and the current compendial RSD limits for 10 and 30 dosage units are extremely remarkable.

Minor differences exist, however. It is suggested that both the theoretical as well as the numerical approaches should be carried out to arrive at a comprehensive solution.     

Leona Elizabeth Tyler (1906–1993).

Reports the death of L. E. Tyler, who served as the 81st president of the American Psychological Association. Her view was that the purpose of counseling was to encourage natural, life-long developmental processes as distinguished from psychotherapy, which she felt was more appropriate to clinicians' dealings with disturbances of personality. It is noted that Tyler's concern for clarifying the human puzzle of personal change moved, over time, from individual differences to individuality and from a psychometric perspective to a systems–ecological view of real-world choices. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)