Jesse Graham Harris, Jr. (1926–1988): Obituary.

Notes the death of J. G. Harris, Jr. and discusses his career as a teacher-scientist-administrator in the departments of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Kentucky. His interests included premorbid competence and schizophrenia, clinical vs actuarial prediction, and probability theory applied to the detection and diagnosis of clinical disorders. Harris served as president of the Kentucky Psychological Association and for 18 yrs served on the board of editors of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associative retuning in the thalamic source of input to the amygdala and auditory cortex: Receptive field plasticity in the medial division of the medial geniculate body.

The medial division of the medial geniculate body (MGm) projects to the lateral amygdala and the upper layer of the auditory cortex and develops physiological plasticity rapidly during classical conditioning. The effects of learning on frequency receptive fields (RFs) in the MGm of the guinea pig have been determined. Classical conditioning (tone–footshock), as indexed by rapid development of conditioned bradycardia, produced conditioned stimulus (CS)–frequency specific RF plasticity: increased response at the CS frequency with decreased responses at other frequencies, both immediately and after a 1-hr retention period. Sensitization training produced only general changes in RFs. These findings are considered with reference to both the elicitation of amygdala-mediated, fear-conditioned responses and the mechanism of retrieval of information stored in the auditory cortex during acquisition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selective NOx Reduction During the H2 + NO + O2 Reaction Under Oxygen-Rich Conditions Over Pd/V2O5/Al2O3: Evidence for In Situ Ammonia Generation

Under oxygen-rich conditions in H₂ + NO + O₂ mixtures, Pd/V₂O₅/Al₂O₃ catalysts are active and highly selective (～80%) for NO_x reduction to N₂. In situ DRIFT spectroscopy and reactor data show that the system operates via formation of NH_x species on the highly dispersed V₂O₅ component. Both NH₃ and NH₄ ⁺ are formed, with the latter dominant. The role of the palladium component is also discussed.     

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)