Coping strategies and psychological adjustment of couples presenting for IVF

The study was designed to examine the extent to which the psychological profiles of couples entering an IVF programme were influenced by evidence of previous fertility, the history of fertility investigations, the diagnosis made, and the coping strategies adopted. A sample of 152 couples was administered a number of standardized psychological instruments and a coping strategies questionnaire. They showed little variation from the normative range on the standardized measures. There was little evidence of differences between couples referred for primary or secondary infertility, between those with some evidence of fertility and those with none, or between different diagnostic groups. In relation to coping strategy, for women at least, taking direct action appears to be effective if it is associated with some degree of acceptance of one's position. For males, the picture is less clear, though direct action and acceptance again appear to be effective coping strategies.     

Image processing with VLSI

The development and implementation of systems for the more complex realtime image processing and scene understanding tasks, such as robot vision and remote surveillance, calls for faster computation than that possible using the traditional serial computer. The advent of VLSI has made feasible the consideration of more specialized processing architectures, designed to support these datarates, while keeping systems compact and relatively cheap. Two approaches are discussed: the use of a programmable processor array, and the customizing of image processing algorithms in silicon. This paper examines designs based upon each approach in the light of the techniques and constraints of VLSI. In particular we describe in some detail an example of a VLSI parallel array processor, the Grid (GEC rectangular image and data processor), and a number of special-purpose CMOS/SOS chips based on systolic design techniques.     

Cover Picture: Spontaneous Emission Control in Micropillar Cavities Containing a Fluorescent Molecular Dye (Adv. Mater. 6/2006)

The cover depicts a micropillar microcavity containing a fluorescent organic dye, Lumogen Red, the fabrication of which is described on p. 742 by Lidzey and co‐workers. The optical confinement resulting from the low‐dimensionality of the pillar results in a number of effects, including an enhancement in spontaneous‐emission rate. This process is confirmed using time‐resolved scanning near‐field optical microscopy. Such structures are of interest in the development of new types of low‐threshold lasers and single‐photon light sources for quantum cryptography.     

Cytochemical assay for differential respiratory activity in roots and root hairs

The study of the underground parts of plants is often difficult, and as a result roots are often treated as homogeneous physiological entities with respect to root respiration. In this study we demonstrate a partitioning of respiration within root tissues using nitro blue tetrazolium staining and an incident light optical system that permits detailed observations of intact roots. The assay is rapid and easy to perform, and reveals that respiratory activity in roots is not uniform in space and time. The results show that root hairs in particular may be regions of enhanced respiratory activity in some species or in certain developmental or physiological states. This fact has important implications for the role of root hairs in the overall respiratory budget of roots and the energetics of nutrient assimilation. The results suggest that root respiration studies should consider differential respiratory activities of root cell types within roots.     

Varieties of transference patterns in psychotherapy

This investigation explored the nature of transference of interpersonal patterns in patients' psychotherapy narratives. The relation between interpersonal patterns with significant others in a patient's life and the pattern with the therapist early in treatment was examined. Cluster analysis was used to categorize similar relationships for each of 35 patients. Many patients revealed multiple interpersonal themes in their relationship narratives. Furthermore, these interpersonal themes correlated significantly with the interpersonal pattern extracted from narratives told about the therapist for many of the patients who discussed the therapeutic relationship during therapy. However, the interpersonal pattern evident in the relationship with the therapist was not necessarily the most pervasive pattern exhibited in the narratives about significant others.     

Buss and sexual selection: The issue of culture.

Comments on D. M. Buss' (see record 1995-21138-001) comment on A. H. Eagly's (see record 1995-21141-001) discussion comparing the sexes in scientific research. The author disputes Buss' use of particular assumptions as facts and his concepts of culture, social behavior, and sexual selection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Colour measurement by video camera

If video cameras could be used to measure colours directly, many technical and commercial possibilities would opened up. Christine Connolly, William Leung and Jim Nobbs describe how this is now close to being a reality.