The reliability and validity of the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ) and the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ) among an adult burn survivor sample.

In this study, 361 adult burn survivors completed the Perceived Stigmatization Questionnaire (PSQ), the Social Comfort Questionnaire (SCQ), and other measures. Both the PSQ and SCQ had good internal consistency indices. Factor analysis of the PSQ yielded 3 factors (absence of friendly behavior, confused/staring behavior, and hostile behavior). The SCQ had 1 factor. Conjoint factor analysis with measures of related constructs (body esteem, body-esteem importance, depression, social support) suggested that PSQ and SCQ measure distinct constructs. Correlations with the related psychosocial constructs and burn characteristics suggested the PSQ and SCQ have good convergent and discriminant validity. Limitations of the study are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of cerebral blood flow and CO2 reactivity after controlled cortical impact by perfusion magnetic resonance imaging using arterial spin-labeling in rats

We measured CBF and CO2 reactivity after traumatic brain injury (TBI) produced by controlled cortical impact (CCI) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and spin-labeled carotid artery water protons as an endogenous tracer. Fourteen Sprague-Dawley rats divided into TBI (CCI; 4.02 +/- 0.14 m/s velocity; 2.5 mm deformation), sham, and control groups were studied 24 hours after TBI or surgery. Perfusion maps were generated during normocarbia (Paco2 30 to 40 mm Hg) and hypocarbia (PaCO2 15 to 25 mm Hg). During normocarbia, CBF was reduced within a cortical region of interest (ROI, injured versus contralateral) after TBI (200 +/- 82 versus 296 +/- 65 mL.100 g-1.min-1, P < 0.05). Within a contusion-enriched ROI, CBF was reduced after TBI (142 +/- 73 versus 280 +/- 64 mL.100 g-1.min-1, P < 0.05). Cerebral blood flow in the sham group was modestly reduced (212 +/- 112 versus 262 +/- 118 mL.100 g-1.min-1, P < 0.05). Also, TBI widened the distribution of CBF in injured and contralateral cortex. Hypocarbia reduced cortical CBF in control (48%), sham (45%), and TBI rats (48%) versus normocarbia, P < 0.05. In the contusion-enriched ROI, only controls showed a significant reduction in CBF, suggesting blunted CO2 reactivity in the sham and TBI group. CO2 reactivity was reduced in the sham (13%) and TBI (30%) groups within the cortical ROI (versus contralateral cortex). These values were increased twofold within the contusion-enriched ROI but were not statistically significant. After TBI, hypocarbia narrowed the CBF distribution in the injured cortex. We conclude that perfusion MRI using arterial spin-labeling is feasible for the serial, noninvasive measurement of CBF and CO2 reactivity in rats.     

Finite element analysis of the effects of martensitic phase transformation in TRIP steel sheet forming

This paper aims at investigating the effects of the martensitic phase transformation on the formability of unstable austenitic steel sheets. To this end, the constitutive model developed by Iwamoto and Tsuta (International Journal of Plasticity 2002;18:1583–606) has been implemented in the user's material subroutine of the finite element code Abaqus/Explicit. The different contributions of the martensitic transformation to the overall plastic behaviour are analysed with the aim of assessing their influence in sheet-metal forming. The effects of transformation strains, and of the stress-state dependence of the kinetics of phase transformation are critically discussed in the case of the cup drawing test. The simulation results are also compared with experimental cup tests from the literature.     

Modifying YCN key assignment scheme to resist the attack from Hwang

This paper presents a modified YCN cryptographic key assignment scheme in a hierarchy with exceptions which is secure against Hwang's attack.     

Cerebrovascular response in infants and young children following severe traumatic brain injury: a preliminary report

PURPOSE: Endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide [LPS])-induced systemic organ injury leads to disruption of normal systemic organ metabolic processes, which are manifest clinically by signs of accelerated anaerobic metabolism (e.g., tissue acidosis and hyperlactatemia) and altered VO2-DO2 relationships. The association of increased anaerobic metabolism with VO2-DO2 alterations has led to the notion that ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury may be a prerequisite for the development of VO2-DO2 alterations during endotoxemia. However, in contrast to sepsis, in which oxygen consumption is often increased, oxygen consumption is severely decreased after I/R injury. Based on these observations, we hypothesized that I/R injury would result in systemic organ VO2-DO2 alterations, which are distinct from those that occur in sepsis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used the in situ autoperfused feline ileal preparation to simultaneously examine microvascular permeability, reflected as the ileal lymph to plasma protein concentration ratio (CL/CP), and ileal VO2-DO2 relationships after either intravenous LPS (2.0 mg/kg; n = 5) or I/R injury (n = 5), and in matching controls (n = 5). RESULTS: As expected, all LPS-treated and I/R-injured animals were found to have extensive ileal histological damage and marked increases in the CL/CP compared with controls (0.315 +/- 0.009 and 0.329 +/- 0.034, respectively, v 0.097 +/- 0.009; P < .001, both comparisons). In addition, the critical DO2 (DO2c) was elevated, and the critical oxygen extraction was decreased in both the I/R and LPS groups relative to controls. However, as initially hypothesized, the VO2 at the critical DO2 was markedly decreased in the I/R group compared with that of the LPS group. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that I/R injury is insufficient to account for the systemic organ VO2-DO2 alterations that occur with LPS injury.     

Rules for neuropsychological diagnosis: Classification of brain function in older children.

A system of rules based on neuropsychological test data and the 2nd author's 4 methods of inference (level of performance, right–left differences, patterns of performance, and pathognomonic signs) was developed for classifying 3 samples (19 Ss each) of 9–14 yr old children as normal, learning disabled, or brain damaged. The 37 rules used a 4-point scaled scoring system with 0 representing adequate performance, 3 indicating distinctly abnormal performance, and 1 and 2 indicating intermediate performance. The rules system classified children into the 3 groups (normal, learning disabled, and brain damaged) with 73.3% accuracy. Although in need of replication, results indicate that the rules system is sensitive to neuropsychological differences between these groups and represents a set of initial guidelines for differentiating among normal, brain-damaged, and learning disabled children. Results also support the contention that learning disability often represents a degree of cerebral dysfunction that is frequently undetected by neurological examination but that can be reliably measured by neuropsychological tests. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The dorsal tegmental noradrenergic projection: An analysis of its role in maze learning.

Evaluated the hypothesis that the noradrenergic projection from the locus coeruleus (LC) to the cerebral cortex and hippocampus is an important neural substrate for learning. Four experiments were conducted with 61 male Wistar rats. Maze performance was studied in Ss receiving either electrolytic lesions of LC or 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions of the dorsal tegmental noradrenergic projection. The LC lesions did not disrupt the acquisition of a running response for food reinforcement in an L-shaped runway, even though hippocampal-cortical norepinephrine (NE) was reduced to 29%. Greater telencephalic NE depletions (to 6% of control levels) produced by 6-OHDA also failed to disrupt the acquisition of this behavior or to impair the acquisition of a food-reinforced position habit in a 'T'-maze. Neither locomotor activity nor habituation to a novel environment was affected by the 6-OHDA lesions. Ss with such lesions were, however, found to be significantly more distractible than were controls during the performance of a previously trained response. The hypothesis that telencephalic NE is of fundamental importance in learning was not supported. The data suggest that this system may participate in attentional mechanisms. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Emotions and the microcomputer: An exploratory study of young children's responses

The emotional effects of early microcomputer use are of interest to educators and child development researchers. This study took a microanalytic emotion coding system which has been used in basic child development research, and applied it to exploring the effects of computer use on children's emotional responses. Sixteen 5-year-old children were videotaped while using three pieces of software (a drawing program, a face construction program, and a counting program). All three pieces elicited more active, positive, and complex facial expressions than did a comparison segment of television watching. Greater levels of concentration and more socially responsive behavior were also seen in the computer conditions. The drawing program tended to elicit more indicators of concentration and social engagement than the other two, although individual preferences and sample size made conclusions tentative. Results appear to reflect the motivational value of emotions and children's interest in experiences which offer autonomy and control. On the basis of this exploratory study, the methodology seems to have potential for investigating other aspects of children's emotional responses to computers.