Diversity training in graduate school: An exploratory evaluation of the Safe Zone project.

How can psychologists and graduate students become more affirmative of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) issues? Safe Zone is a diversity-training program to increase sensitivity toward, knowledge of, and advocacy for LGBT populations and issues that affect them. In this exploratory study, the implementation of Safe Zone is described within a school of professional psychology; its effectiveness was assessed by self-reported behavioral and attitudinal changes and from participant evaluations. Results were encouraging with regard to the goals of Safe Zone and its adaptation to institutions interested in improving relations with the LGBT community, but additional empirical studies are needed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On the catalytic C-H activation of some silicon dioxide overlayers on thin metal film systems — An observation on the isokinetic effect

Kinetic data on the exchange reaction betwee hexane and deuterium have recently been reported by Maier and coworkers [1]. The reaction was catalysed by a series of platinum or rhodium systems, some of which had the property that the upper surface was shielded by a silica overlayer. The data are reinterpreted to indicate an isokinetic temperature of 580 K. This observation indicates that all the catalysts behave in a similar manner, which means that the exchange reaction does not require a free metal surface.     

Remediation of heavy metal contaminated soil washing residues with amino polycarboxylic acids

Removal of Cu, Pb, and Zn by the action of the two biodegradable chelating agents [S,S]-ethylenediaminedisuccinic acid (EDDS) and methylglycinediacetic acid (MGDA), as well as citric acid, was tested. Three soil samples, which had previously been treated by conventional soil washing (water), were utilized in the leaching tests. Experiments were performed in batches (0.3 kg-scale) and with a WTC-mixer system (Water Treatment Construction, 10 kg-scale). EDDS and MGDA were most often equally efficient in removing Cu, Pb, and Zn after 10–60 min. Nonetheless, after 10 d, there were occasionally significant differences in extraction efficiencies. Extraction with citric acid was generally less efficient, however equal for Zn (mainly) after 10 d. Metal removal was similar in batch and WTC-mixer systems, which indicates that a dynamic mixer system could be used in full-scale. Use of biodegradable amino polycarboxylic acids for metal removal, as a second step after soil washing, would release most remaining metals (Cu, Pb and Zn) from the present soils, however only after long leaching time. Thus, a full-scale procedure, based on enhanced metal leaching by amino polycarboxylic acids from soil of the present kind, would require a pre-leaching step lasting several days in order to be efficient.     

Chemical and nutritional quality of silage made from raw or cooked lizard fish (Saurida undosquamis) and blue crab (Portunus pelagicus)

Twelve silages were prepared from uncooked or cooked lizard fish (Saurida undosquamis) and blue crab (Portunus pelagicus) and stored at ambient temperature (30 ± 2 °C) for 60 days. The antioxidative effect of adding ethoxyquin was also investigated. Generally, the nutritional quality of all the silages was stable for up to 60 days of storage and the composition of raw materials was reflected in the composition of the silages. Crab had a lower level of crude protein than fish (85 versus 162 mg kg^?1), but a higher level of ash (96 versus 36 g kg^?1); moreover, there were significant differences in nutritional composition between uncooked and cooked materials. High level of ash in crab required addition of high levels of formic acid in crab‐related silages. At the end of the experiment cooked silages showed a tendency for spoilage; in particular, maggots were observed in cooked crab silages on the last few days of the experiment. Comparison of treatments with or without ethoxyquin showed that only rancidity of fish silage groups was higher without addition of ethoxyquin. Uncooked materials are more suitable for prolonged storage than cooked materials, and it is probably not necessary to add antioxidants to silages made from material with low lipid content. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Differences in cause-specific patterns of unintentional injury mortality among 15-44-year-olds in income-based country groups

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to investigate the cause-specific patterns of unintentional injury mortality among 15-44-year-olds in various income-based country groups, and to analyze which specific causes contribute the most to the unintentional injury mortality in each country group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional data on the five most common causes of unintentional injury mortality by age-sex specific subgroups were compiled for 57 countries from the World Health Statistics Annuals for the year 1993 (1991-1994 if information for 1993 was unavailable). Data were categorized into four income-based country groups according to their gross national product (GNP) per capita for the year 1993. The differences between means and rate ratios of low, lower-middle, and upper-middle income countries were calculated by comparing them with those of the high-income countries. Regression analysis was performed to determine the trends in the direction of income for each specific cause of unintentional injury mortality by age-sex. RESULTS: For any of the specific causes of unintentional injury mortality there was an inverse relationship between mortality rates and GNP per capita except for motor vehicle traffic (MVT) among the 15-24-year-old age group. MVT accidents were the most common cause and contributed 26-77% of all unintentional injury mortality. The second most common cause was poisoning in all country groups except low-income countries where drowning dominated for males and mixed causes for females. Upper-middle income countries represented the highest MVT mortality in all age-sex subgroups except among 15-24-year-old females for which high-income countries displayed the highest rate. For other causes, lower-middle income represented the highest rates with a few exceptions. In the 15-24-year age group, the rate ratio of motor vehicle traffic mortality was higher in high-income countries compared to low-income countries, while in the 35-44-year age group, all other country groups showed a higher rate ratio than high-income countries. Drowning for males and burns for females in the low and middle-income countries were significantly higher than in high-income countries.     

Measuring transport injuries in a developing country: an application of the capture-recapture method

The purposes of this study are to provide an estimation of the incidence of transport injuries in a defined local community in Nicaragua by using the capture-recapture method, and to compare results using this method when data at different levels of severity are utilized.Two sources of injury data were used to monitor injuries: hospital data (inpatient and outpatient) and traffic police records. Characteristics available for matching included name, age, sex, and date of occurrence. The methodology of capture-recapture was used to estimate the ascertainment degree of both sources of data and the estimate mortality and incidence rates. Estimates were calculated both when all hospital data were taken into account (inpatient and outpatient combined) and when only inpatient records were matched against police records.First, including police records and all hospital data, the mortality and morbidity estimates were 35.5/100000 and 43.7/1000 per year, respectively. Second, when outpatients were excluded from the analysis, the corresponding estimates were 28.6/100000 and 7.5/1000, respectively. In non-fatal cases, the ascertainment-corrected coverage through police records was 2.6% and through hospital surveillance 19.0% when both inpatients and outpatients were included. In fatal cases, the corresponding rates were 56.1 and 22.8%, respectively. The combined data set pointed out pedestrians and cyclists as the main risk groups. Most fatalities were due to head injuries.Our results show that neither police records nor hospital records nor the aggregate database provided acceptable coverage of transport-related injuries. Combining police and hospital data by means of capture-recapture analysis produces more valid estimates, but caution must be given to the issue of severity heterogeneity between the two sources.     

A method for measuring the imbibation rate of powder in a liquid

Mixing of powders into liquids is a common unit operation. Mixing can be divided into several steps: imbibation of the powder into the liquid being the first. Under some circumstances, for instance, if the powder has poor wetting properties, imbibation can be the rate-determining step. In this study imbibation in a commercial mixer was studied and a method to measure powder imbibation in a model that simulates the commercial mixer was developed. The imbibation mechanism in the commercial mixer is based on a wave drawing the powder down into the liquid, and surface flow transporting it towards the wave. A wave imbibation model was constructed based on the same mechanisms, in which physical parameters such as wave height, surface velocity and surface residence time could be varied. An experimental procedure was used to determine the maximum imbibation rate. Measurements were found to have good reproducibility, with a standard error of means of 4.7% for spray-dried sodium caseinate. The maximum imbibation rates were found to be of the same magnitude in the commercial mixer and the wave imbibation model: 0.04 kg/s m in the commercial mixer and 0.06–0.16 kg/s m in the wave imbibation model for spray-dried sodium caseinate powder.     

Relationship problems in the early stages of marriage: A longitudinal investigation.

131 couples (aged 16–35 yrs) were assessed premarriage for relationship problems and adjustment. At each follow-up (12 wks and 1.5, 3, 4, and 5 yrs) a portion of the sample completed an interview, a set of interaction tasks, and the questionnaire. Consistent patterns were found among 3 methods (mean problem intensity, percentage checked in problem areas, and percentage ranked) of assessing couples' problems. Subsequent analyses on problem intensity ratings indicated a moderately strong association between male and female ratings at each stage of family development. Changes in clusters of problems were found between stages consistent with some changes in developmental tasks predicted by stage theories of family development. Support was found for the assumption that men and women confront developmental tasks at different rates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)