Searching for differences in race: Is there evidence for preferential detection of other-race faces?

Previous research has suggested that like animal and social fear-relevant stimuli, other-race faces (African American) are detected preferentially in visual search. Three experiments using Chinese or Indonesian faces as other-race faces yielded the opposite pattern of results: faster detection of same-race faces among other-race faces. This apparently inconsistent pattern of results was resolved by showing that Asian and African American faces are detected preferentially in tasks that have small stimulus sets and employ fixed target searches. Asian and African American other-race faces are found slower among Caucasian face backgrounds if larger stimulus sets are used in tasks with a variable mapping of stimulus to background or target. Thus, preferential detection of other-race faces was not found under task conditions in which preferential detection of animal and social fear-relevant stimuli is evident. Although consistent with the view that same-race faces are processed in more detail than other-race faces, the current findings suggest that other-race faces do not draw attention preferentially. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eating behavior in response to food-cue exposure: Examining the cue-reactivity and counteractive-control models.

Many studies have demonstrated that those high in weight-related concerns eat more after food-cue exposure, which is consistent with predictions of the cue-reactivity model. However, the counteractive-control model predicts that exposure to fattening foods activates dieting-related goals and behavior in weight-concerned individuals. Although these models seem incongruous, the authors hypothesized that the salience of the cue could represent a critical factor in determining which model is activated. The authors predicted that attending to salient food cues would result in increased intake (cue reactivity) in individuals with high weight-related concerns, whereas incidental food-cue exposure would result in decreased intake (counteractive control), relative to control exposure. The authors employed a 3 (attended vs. incidental vs. control cue) × 2 (low vs. high weight-related concerns) design. As expected, participants with high weight-related concerns who attended to a food cue ate more than did both those with high weight-related concerns in the control condition and those with low weight-related concerns in the attended-cue condition; however, intake of individuals with high weight-related concerns who were exposed to the incidental cue did not differ from that of those in the control condition. The manner of food-cue presentation may be a critical factor in determining eating behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effective components of TORDIA cognitive–behavioral therapy for adolescent depression: Preliminary findings.

In this report, we conducted a secondary analysis of the Treatment of SSRI-Resistant Depression in Adolescents (TORDIA) study to explore the impact of specific cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) treatment components on outcome. In TORDIA, 334 youths (ages 12 to 18 years) with major depressive disorder who had failed to respond to an adequate course of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) medication were randomized to a medication switch (either to an alternative SSRI or venlafaxine) with or without 12 weeks of adjunctive CBT. Participants who had more than 9 CBT sessions were 2.5 times more likely to have adequate treatment response than those who had 9 or fewer sessions. CBT participants who received problem-solving and social skills treatment components, controlling for number of sessions and other confounding variables, were 2.3 and 2.6 times, respectively, more likely to have a positive response. These preliminary findings underscore the importance of receiving an adequate number of sessions to attain an adequate clinical response. Finally, social skills and problem solving may be active elements in CBT for adolescent depression and should be considered in treatment by those working with seriously depressed youths. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An intervention to reduce kerosene-related burns and poisonings in low-income South African communities.

Objective: Unintentional injury rates in low- and middle-income countries are up to 50 times higher than high-income nations. In South Africa, kerosene (paraffin) is a leading cause of poisoning and burns, particularly in low-income communities where it serves as a primary fuel for light, cooking, and heating. This study tested a community-based intervention to reduce kerosene-related injury risk. The intervention used a train-the-trainers model, whereby expert trainers train local paraprofessionals, who in turn deliver educational materials to community residents. The intervention was theory-driven, pragmatically motivated, and culturally sensitive. Design: Prospective quasi-experimental intervention design with nonequivalent case versus control groups. Main Outcome Measures: Three primary outcome measures were considered: self-reported knowledge of kerosene safety, observed practice of safe kerosene use, and self-reported recognition of risk for kerosene-related injury. Results: ANOVA models suggest a large and significant increase in self-reported kerosene-related knowledge in the intervention community compared to the control community. There were smaller, but statistically significant changes, in kerosene-related safety practices and recognition of kerosene injury risk in the intervention community compared to the control community. Conclusion: The intervention was successful. A train-the-trainers model might be an effective educational tool to reduce kerosene-related injury risk in low-income communities within low- and middle-income countries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

COMPARISON OF DETOXIFICATION ENZYME mRNAS IN WOODRATS (Neotomalepida) AND LABORATORY RATS

To understand how mammalian herbivores process plant secondary compounds, we examined differences in expression of biotransformation enzyme mRNAs among populations of wild woodrats (Neotoma lepida) and laboratory rats. We compared expression of mRNAs for 10 biotransforming enzymes in five families (CYP, mEH, QOR, GST, and UGT) by using Northern blot analysis. We found significant differences in eight of 10 mRNAs tested. We suggest that the differences in mRNA expression among populations of woodrats and laboratory rats may be due to differences in the secondary compound composition of their diets. Our results provide background for future studies of detoxification strategies in mammalian herbivores that combine pharmacological techniques with an ecological perspective.     

Mentoring students and professionals with disabilities.

Mentoring can have a significant positive impact on the lives of individuals. People with disabilities seeking to locate mentors face a variety of potential challenges and benefits. This article addresses mentoring-related issues faced by professionals with disabilities. The article presents a model of mentoring and discusses the difficulties faced by individuals with disabilities in locating mentors. It describes the negative impact of the lack of available mentors upon the educational and vocational development of people with disabilities. It offers effective strategies aimed at enhancing mentoring relationships with people with disabilities, including macrofocused strategies capable of enhancing the effectiveness of disability-related mentoring programs and microfocused strategies useful in developing quality mentoring relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A preliminary pharmacogenetic investigation of adverse events from topiramate in heavy drinkers.

Topiramate, an anticonvulsant medication, is an efficacious treatment for alcohol dependence. To date, little is known about genetic moderators of side effects from topiramate. The objective of this study was to examine 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the glutamate receptor GluR5 gene (GRIK1) as predictors of topiramate-induced side effects in the context of a laboratory study of topiramate. Heavy drinkers (n = 51, 19 women and 32 men), 75% of whom met criteria for an alcohol use disorder, completed a 5-week dose escalation schedule to a target dose of either 200 or 300 mg or matched placebo. The combined medication groups were compared with placebo-treated individuals for side effects at target dose. Analyses revealed that an SNP in intron 9 of the GRIK1 gene (rs2832407) was associated with the severity of topiramate-induced side effects and with serum levels of topiramate. Genes underlying glutamatergic neurotransmission, such as the GRIK1 gene, may help predict heterogeneity in topiramate-induced side effects. Future studies in larger samples are needed to more fully establish these preliminary findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Examining corporate reputation judgments with generalizability theory.

The researchers used generalizability theory to examine whether reputation judgments about corporations function in a manner consistent with contemporary theory in the corporate-reputation literature. University professors (n = 86) of finance, marketing, and human resources management made repeated judgments about the general reputations of highly visible American companies. Minimal variability in the judgments is explained by items, time, persons, and field of specialization. Moreover, experts from the different specializations reveal considerable agreement in how they weigh different aspects of corporate performance in arriving at their global reputation judgments. The results generally support the theory of the reputation construct and suggest that stable estimates of global reputation can be achieved with a small number of items and experts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Distributing prejudice unequally: Do Whites direct their prejudice toward strongly identified minorities?

Across 6 studies, Whites expressed more negative attitudes toward strongly identified racial minorities than toward weakly identified minorities. Whites who personally endorsed worldviews that legitimize the status hierarchy were particularly likely to express negative attitudes toward strongly identified minorities relative to weakly identified minorities, whereas Whites who personally rejected status-legitimizing worldviews displayed the opposite pattern. In addition, Whites' biases against strongly identified minorities dissipated when strongly identified minorities expressed strong endorsement of status-legitimizing worldviews. These studies suggest that Whites do not distribute their prejudicial attitudes equally among all members of minority groups and that some subsets of minorities (the strongly identified) might bear the brunt of racial prejudice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A review of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers airborne coastal mapping in the Great Lakes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) collected its first airborne coastal mapping data on the Great Lakes in 1995. Since then, the JALBTCX has collected nearly 5 billion elevation and depth measurements and created over 2000 geographic information system (GIS) products for the shorelines of the Great Lakes. With improvements in airborne coastal mapping technology and the introduction of regional management for the USACE, surveys expanded into the regional scale, multi-sensor National Coastal Mapping Program (NCMP). The NCMP was initiated in 2004 to produce recurrent, regional, high-resolution light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data and hyperspectral and aerial imagery to support regional sediment management, regulatory functions, flood damage reduction, asset management, emergency operations, and environmental stewardship. The JALBTCX is a collaboration among the USACE, the U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The partners have worked together on airborne coastal mapping and charting since the late 1980s with the goal of advancing airborne lidar bathymetry and associated technologies. The collaboration has fielded three generations of airborne sensors and has transferred this technology to the commercial sector, supporting an expanding market for bathymetric lidar. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the history of USACE survey efforts in the Great Lakes (1995–2012), an in-depth review of the resulting imagery and lidar data products, and new information product developments and applications to support environmental and coastal engineering throughout the Great Lakes region.