Attention, attraction, and individual differences in reaction to criticism.

82 female undergraduates were classified as repressors or sensitizers (by scores on the Repression-Sensitization Scale) and led to expect either some future interaction or no future interaction with negative and positive evaluators. It was predicted that repressors would avoid attending to negative evaluators when no future interaction was anticipated more than sensitizers would, but that the groups would not differ when interaction was anticipated. This first prediction was not confirmed: The negative evaluator received more attention than the positive evaluator across all conditions. It was also predicted that repressors would react more positively to the negative evaluator than sensitizers when there was a prospect of future interaction, but that repressors would react less positively to the negative evaluator than sensitizers when there was no prospect of future interaction. This prediction was confirmed. Utility and individual differences in perception processes are discussed. (34 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A simple technique for improving camera displacement estimation in eye-in-hand visual servoing

A simple technique for estimating the camera displacement from point correspondences in eye-in-hand visual servoing is presented. The idea for providing more accurate results than existing methods consists of taking into account that the point correspondences used during the camera motion correspond to stationary spatial points, hence exploiting additional information, This is done by first estimating the object Euclidean structure and then estimating the camera displacement from this estimate.     

Perceiving interpersonal conflict and reacting to it: the case for agreeableness

Two converging, multimethod studies probed the hypothesis that individual differences in Agreeableness are related to patterns of interpersonal conflict. In Study 1, participants (N = 263) evaluated the efficacy of 11 modes of conflict resolution within the context of 5 different interpersonal relationships. Across all relationships, high- and low-agreeable participants rated negotiation and disengagement tactics as better choices that power assertion tactics. However, low-agreeable participants rated power assertion as a better choice than did high-agreeable participants. In Study 2, participants (N = 124) were assigned partners and were asked to resolve jointly 2 social conflict problems. Partners were videotaped, and observers coded behaviors. Participants also completed ratings of perceived conflict, partner perception, and liking of their partner. Agreeableness differences, sex of participant, and type of dyad partner were related to patterns of interpersonal conflict. Results were discussed in terms of personality and social influences during interpersonal conflict.     

Inflammatory fibroid polyp of the stomach. Report of a case

Inflammatory fibroid polyp (IFP) is a rare lesion of the gastroenteric tract more frequently occurring at the level of the stomach. The etiopathogenesis of IFP as well as the nature of the cells constituting these lesions remain unknown. Abdominal pain and anaemia due to chronic blood loss are the most common presenting features but neither radiology and CT scanning nor endoscopy are capable to achieve any conclusive diagnostic information. Histologic examination of the specimen obtained by endoscopic or surgical excision is considered to be the only way for the definitive exclusion of a neoplastic nature. A case of IFP treated by means of total gastrectomy is presented.     

Impact of grade retention on the social development of elementary school children.

When children do not exhibit certain minimum academic competencies, they are retained in grade. Despite the pervasiveness of this school practice, little is known about the effects of grade retention on children's social development. The present study explored the hypotheses that peer discrimination may be one factor contributing to the negative effects of grade retention reported in the previous literature. Specifically, it was expected that retained children would (a) receive unfavorable peer attributions, (b) be assigned lower social status, (c) be the targets of peer discrimination, and (d) have lower expectations for themselves and for school. Evidence for peer discrimination against retained children was found, but effects were moderated by the age, gender, relative physical size, and retention status of the rater. Contrary to prediction, retained children had higher self-esteem than did nonretained children. These and other findings were discussed in terms of school and peer influence on social development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Determination of Alcohol Ethoxylates derivatized with Naphthoyl Chloride,in Waste Water Treatment Plant Influent,Effluent and Sludge Samples by Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry

A new analytical procedure for the determination of alcohol ethoxylates (AE) in environmental samples such as influents, effluents and sludge from waste water treatment plants (WWTPs) was developed. Although some work had been previously published on the detection of AE in water samples, this is the first paper that deals with AE in sludge. Alcohol ethoxylates were removed from water samples by sorption on polymeric discs followed by extraction with methanol. The methanol extracts were cleaned up with two alumina solid-phase extractions (SPE) at different conditions of solvent polarity, one before and the other after derivatization with naphthoyl chloride. A final polishing step was carried out on a Florisil SPE column. Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with electrospray ionization was used to quantify AE as naphthoyl derivatives. The detection limits for AE ethoxymers range from 0.07 to 0.005 μg/L in water samples. The method was applied to an Italian WWTP in order to follow the fate of AE during treatment, AE concentrations of 839 μg/L, 0.46 μg/L and 10.6 mg/kg were respectively found in the inlet, outlet and sludge samples. AE removals of each ethoxymer in the plant were in the range 99.6–100% and no difference was observed between high or low-mole ethoxymers and between AE with odd or even carbon chain lengths. An overall 99.7% removal was also determined on the mass balance of AE in the inlet, the outlet, and sludge of the plant.     

Dietary fibers and cardiometabolic diseases

The high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is largely attributable to the contemporary lifestyle that is often sedentary and includes a diet high in saturated fats and sugars and low ingestion of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), fruit, vegetables, and fiber. Experimental data from both animals and humans suggest an association between increased dietary fiber (DF) intakes and improved plasma lipid profiles, including reduced low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations. These observations underline that the intake of DF may protect against heart disease and stroke.     

Effects of water on the long‐term properties of Bis‐GMA and silylated‐(Bis‐GMA) polymers

Bis‐GMA (2,2‐bis‐[4‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐methacryloxypropoxy)phenyl]propane) is a viscous hygroscopic monomer which is used with triethyleneglycol‐dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) for dental restorations. Bis‐GMA was silylated with dimethyl‐isopropyl‐siloxane and further polymerized in order to increase water resistance and viscosity. The viscosity of the silylated monomer, Sil·Bis‐GMA, was 50 times lower than that of the parent monomer. After 1 month in water, poly(Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA) absorbed 2.6% water and the silylated polymer, poly(Sil·Bis‐GMA), only 0.56%. During this process water extracted residual monomer from each polymer. The behavior of water sorption and desorption as a function of time in poly(Sil·Bis‐GMA) was completely different from that shown by poly(Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA). The difference is discussed in terms of diffusion coefficients. Initially, water advancing contact angles (θ_ADV) were 75° and 95°, respectively. After 1 month in water both polymers showed a reduction of about 20° in θ_ADV. In poly(Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA), the reduction in θ_ADV obey to water absorption and bulk plasticization; it showed a reduction of 15°C in glass transition temperature, T_g. In contrast, the reduction in θ_ADV in poly (Sil·Bis‐GMA) obeyed to water adsorption and reorientation of the molecules at the surface in contact with the water phase; it only showed a change of 2°C in T_g. Contact angle hysteresis provided further evidence about plasticization. According to our results poly(Sil·Bis‐GMA) is more stable in water than poly(Bis‐GMA/TEGDMA). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Joint spatial analysis of gastrointestinal infectious diseases

A major obstacle in the spatial analysis of infectious disease surveillance data is the problem of under-reporting. This article investigates the possibility of inferring reporting rates through joint statistical modelling of several infectious diseases with different aetiologies. Once variation in under-reporting can be estimated, geographic risk patterns for infections associated with specific food vehicles may be discerned. We adopt the shared component model, proposed by Knorr-Held and Best for two chronic diseases and further extended by (Held L, Natario I, Fenton S, Rue H, Becker N. Towards joint disease mapping. Statistical Methods in Medical Research 2005b; 14: 61-82) for more than two chronic diseases to the infectious disease setting. Our goal is to estimate a shared component, common to all diseases, which may be interpreted as representing the spatial variation in reporting rates. Additional components are introduced to describe the real spatial variation of the different diseases. Of course, this interpretation is only allowed under specific assumptions, in particular, the geographical variation in under-reporting should be similar for the diseases considered. In addition, it is vital that the data do not contain large local outbreaks, so adjustment based on a time series method recently proposed by (Held L, H?hle M, Hofmann M. A statistical framework for the analysis of multivariate infectious disease surveillance data. Statistical Modelling 2005a; 5: 187-99) is made at a preliminary stage. We will illustrate our approach through the analysis of gastrointestinal diseases notification data obtained from the German infectious disease surveillance system, administered by the Robert Koch Institute in Berlin.