Psychopathy and suicide: A multisample investigation.

Evidence suggests that behavioral aspects of psychopathy are associated with suicidal behavior, whereas the affective and interpersonal aspects are not. The authors tested the robustness of this bifurcated association across 1,711 persons and 12 samples of adult and juvenile criminal offenders, forensic psychiatric patients, and civil psychiatric patients. The authors observed a small but significant partial correlation (.13) between the behavioral/impulsive lifestyle features of psychopathy and suicidality, but no effect for affective/interpersonal features. Several method and sample features (mental disorder; psychopathy and suicidality measurement format) significantly strengthened or weakened this association. The authors conclude that it is not possible to speak of "the" association between psychopathy and suicide, but that this relationship appears to be partially dependent on methodological (i.e., self-report vs. clinician-administered psychopathy measures) and sample composition (i.e., age; mental illness) factors. Recommendations for practice are provided, including that clinicians should not consider psychopathy a buffer against suicidal behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Educating school psychologists to work with bilingual/bicultural populations.

Describes a university 66-credit professional diploma sequence that includes 1 yr of internship experience for the training of school psychologists to work with bilingual/bicultural populations. Competence for working with these populations involves 3 general areas: language, cross-cultural expertise, and assessment. An integrated curriculum and faculty offers linguistics, cultural-urban studies, and bilingual education courses in addition to the core courses in professional school psychology. Bilingual students and faculty have been recruited. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phosphate binding protein as the biorecognition element in a biosensor for phosphate

This work explores the potential use of a member of the periplasmic family of binding proteins, the phosphate binding protein (PBP), as the biorecognition element in a sensing scheme for the detection of inorganic phosphate (Pi). The selectivity of this protein originates from its natural role which, in Escherichia coli, is to serve as the initial receptor for the highly specific translocation of Pi to the cytoplasm. The single polypeptide chain of PBP is folded into two similar domains connected by three short peptide linkages that serve as a hinge. The Pi binding site is located deep within the cleft between the two domains. In the presence of the ligand, the two globular domains engulf the former in a hinge-like manner. The resultant conformational change constitutes the basis of the sensor development. A mutant of PBP (MPBP), where an alanine was replaced by a cysteine residue, was prepared by site-directed mutagenesis using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mutant was expressed, from plasmid pSD501, in the periplasmic space of E. coli and purified in a single chromatographic step on a perfusion anion-exchange column. Site-specific labeling was achieved by attaching the fluorophore, N-[2-(1-maleimidyl)ethyl]-7-(diethylamino)coumarin-3-carboxamide (MDCC), to the protein through the sulfhydryl group of the cysteine moiety. Steady-state fluorescence studies of the MPBP-MDCC conjugate showed a change in the intensity of the signal upon addition of Pi. Calibration curves for Pi were constructed by relating the intensity of the fluorescence signal with the amount of analyte present in the sample. The sensing system was first developed and optimized on a spectrofluorometer using ml volumes of sample. It was then adapted to be used on a microtiter plate arrangement with microliter sample volumes. The system's versatility was finally proven by developing a fiber optic fluorescence-based sensor for monitoring Pi. In all three cases the detection limits for the analyte were in the sub-microMolar range. It was also demonstrated that the sensing system was selective for phosphate over other structurally-similar anions, paving the way for the design and development of a new family of biosensors utilizing the specific binding properties of periplasmic proteins.     

The secret of velvety skin

Asperity scattering adds a 'surface lobe' to the usual diffuse, backscatter, and specular lobes of rough surfaces. Although rarely acknowledged, it is an important effect in many materials that are covered with a thin layer of sparse scatterers, such as dust or hairs. In common cases where single scattering predominates, asperity scattering adds important contributions to the structure of the occluding contour and the edge of the body shadow. This is because the bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) is inversely proportional to the cosines of both the illumination and viewing angles. The BRDF is generally low (and typically negligible) except when either the illuminating rays or visual directions graze the surface. Because asperity scattering selectively influences the edges in the image of an object, it has (as judged by photometric magnitudes) a disproportionally large effect on (human) visual appreciation. We identify it as a neglected but often decisive visual cue in the rendering of human skin. Its effect is to make smooth cheeks look 'velvety' or 'peachy', that is to say, soft (the appearances of both velvet and peachy skin are dominated by asperity scattering). This is a most important aesthetic and emotional factor that is lacking in Lambertian (looks merely dullish and paper-like), 'skin-type' BRDF (looks like glossy plastic), or even translucent (looks 'hard', vitreous) types of rendering.Published online: 8 August 2003     

Optical and electrical characterization of r.f. sputtered ITO films developed as art protection coatings

Transparent and conductive tin-doped indium oxide (ITO) films have been prepared by r.f. plasma sputtering technique in Ar and Ar + O₂ gas mixture. The influence of the deposition conditions, film thickness, and substrate heating, as well as the post-annealing treatment on the optical and electrical properties of the ITO films has been investigated.The present study has extended the optical behaviour characterization of the ITO films in a wide UV-VIS-IR spectral region in addition to the comprehensive optical studies of this material at shorter wavelengths.The optical constants: refractive index (n), extinction (k) and absorption (α) coefficient, and the optical band gap (E_go) have been calculated for the ITO films in the spectral range between 350 and 2500 nm. A combination of several well-known theoretical models has been applied to describe precisely the complex optical behaviour of ITO films in separate spectral parts. In this approach, a good overlapping between the experimental and the simulated spectra in the whole investigated spectral region has been achieved.The deposition conditions and the optical and electrical properties of the ITO films have been optimized with respect to the requirements for their applications in art protection coatings.     

Shallow Trench Isolation for the 45-nm CMOS Node and Geometry Dependence of STI Stress on CMOS Device Performance

In the present work, a high aspect ratio process (HARP) using a new O₃/TEOS based sub atmospheric chemical vapor deposition process was implemented as STI gapfill in sub-65-nm CMOS. Good gapfill performance up to aspect ratios greater than 10:1 was demonstrated. Since the HARP process does not attack the STI liner as compared to HDP, a variety of different STI liners can be implemented. By comparing HARP with HDP, the geometry dependence of nand p-FET performance due to STI stress is discussed     

Modelling square-wave pulse regulation

The characteristic hypothalamus square-wave secretion and its regulation of the pituitary are essential for the optimal functioning of the menstrual cycle. Here we consider two coupled models, where one mimics the square-wave secretion and the second, a self-replication chemical system, represents a regulated subsystem. We analyse the relation of the period and amplitude of the square-wave oscillations on the secondary oscillator, finding that both period and amplitude shape the secondary oscillations. Furthermore, a combined slow change of both period and amplitude are required for biologically suitable product concentrations of the secondary oscillator.