Natural social behaviors in hyperactive children: Dose effects of methylphenidate.

The effects of methylphenidate on the social behaviors of hyperactive children between the ages of 6 and 11 were examined during relatively unstructured activities in outdoor settings. The 12 younger (mean age?=?7–8 years) and 12 older (mean age ?=?9–21 years) children received placebo, a low (0.3 mg/kg), and a moderate (0.6 mg/kg) dose of methylphenidate. During recess, lunch, and exercise sessions, trained observers coded the children's actions as either appropriate social, negative social, or nonsocial behavior. Both age groups showed decrements in negative social behaviors when placebo was compared with the low dose of methylphenidate. Only the younger group showed incremental improvement between the low and moderate doses. There were no significant age or dosage effects on the rates of nonsocial behaviors, which remained low throughout the study. Several implications for the treatment of hyperactive children are discussed, including (a) the finding that disruptive behaviors can be reduced successfully without decreasing overall sociability, (b) the importance of interpersonal heterogeneity and the distinction between group and individual patterns of response, and (c) the need to study relationships and friendships as well as social actions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of gamma-irradiation on the mechanical properties of carbon nanotube yarns

Gamma-irradiation of carbon nanotube yarns in air has significantly improved the tensile strength and modulus of the yarns, presumably because of an increased interaction between the individual nanotubes. The improvement has been much greater for tightly structured yarns than for loosely structured yarns. Sonic pulse tests have also shown increased sound velocity and dynamic modulus in the carbon nanotube yarns as a result of gamma-irradiation treatment. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analyses on progenitor carbon nanotube forests show that gamma-irradiation treatment in air has dramatically increased the concentration of oxygen, for example as carboxyl groups, in the carbon nanotube assemblies in proportion to radiation dose, indicating that carbon nanotubes were oxidized under the ionizing effect of the gamma-irradiation. Such oxygen species are thought to contribute to the interaction between carbon nanotubes and thus to the improvement of carbon nanotube yarn mechanical properties.     

C?C Bond Formation via C?H Activation and C?N Bond Formation via Oxidative Amination Catalyzed by Palladium‐ Polyoxometalate Nanomaterials Using Dioxygen as the Terminal Oxidant

An efficient heterogeneous palladium‐polyoxometalate catalyst with the formula Pd‐H₆PV₃Mo₉O₄₀/C has been successfully developed for carbon‐carbon (C C) bond formation via carbon‐hydrogen (C H) activation and carbon‐nitrogen (C N) bond formation via oxidative amination using oxygen as the terminal oxidant. The coupling processes are simple, and use relatively mild conditions to form the desired products. In addition, less waste is generated as no additional reagents such as organic/inorganic oxidants are required, and water is the only by‐product generated.     

现代建筑30年——矶崎新访谈录(上)

矶崎新首先回忆了与丹下健三合作的时期的工作情况,谈到设计比例与“市政厅”概念。在离开丹下后,他的设计思想发生了变化,转向城市设计。在分析了20世纪60～70年代的建筑流派后,矶崎新阐明了自己虚无主义的设计思想转向以及筑波中心的设计理念,并将建筑领域划分为三种类型———现实的,非现实的,虚构的。     

Two studies with the Psychiatric Rehabiliation Attitude Survey.

Evaluated the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Attitude Survey (PRAS) by the 1st author and A. Sklare-Lancaster (1981) in 2 experiments. In Exp I, reliability and validity data of the PRAS were assessed, using 37 vocational rehabilitation practitioners. Results indicate that test–retest reliability was high and that convergent and divergent validity were adequate compared with the Attitudes Toward Disabled Persons Scale and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Exp II assessed the effect of a 4-wk field placement on the attitudes of 48 undergraduate rehabilitation psychology majors. There was a significant positive change in Ss' attitudes toward psychiatric rehabilitation, and their scores after field placement were significantly more positive than norms obtained from general-caseload rehabilitation practitioners. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neuropsychological functioning in older insomniacs with or without obstructive sleep apnea.

The relationships between neuropsychological functioning and sleep loss, sleep apnea, and hypoxemia were examined. Forty-five older insomniacs (M age?=?64.6 yrs) with or without sleep apnea were administered neuropsychological tests after 1 night of nocturnal monitoring in a sleep laboratory. The results showed few differences on cognitive and psychomotor performance between individuals with sleep disruptions alone compared with those whose insomnia was associated with sleep apnea and hypoxemia. There were no significant relationships between nocturnal sleep and respiratory variables and daytime functioning. Furthermore, cognitive and psychomotor performance in older insomniacs with or without sleep apnea revealed minimal impairment compared with age-matched normative data. The results suggest that when the severity of sleep disruptions is controlled, there are minimal differences in neuropsychological functioning of older adults with mild to moderate sleep apnea compared with those without apnea. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Nanocrystalline Aluminum Nitride: II, Sintering and Properties

Nanocrystalline aluminum nitride powders obtained from gas condensation and in situ nitridation in a forced-flow reactor have been sintered successfully without pressure or additives. The resulting densified pellets showed good thermal conductivity and low oxygen content. A comparison of the improvement in densification with micrometer-size and nanocrystalline yttria additives was undertaken and it was found that the nanocrystalline yttria decreased the sintering temperature significantly. Besides spherical nanoparticles, needle-shaped nanocrystalline aluminum nitride particles that resulted in highly textured compacts when hot pressed could also be produced.     

Initiation latency and advanced planning in rapid recitation and oral reading.

12 university students and staff persons translated arrays of 1–8 letters into spoken letter names as rapidly as possible. Initial visual encoding was investigated by comparing a reading condition in which naming was direct from the display with a retrieval condition in which naming was from memory of an immediately preceding display. In both conditions, a preparatory process was revealed in which Ss delayed their initiation of naming for a time dependent on the number of letters to be named. This delay was briefer in the retrieval condition and was reduced in both conditions by orthographic structure in the letter array. The time taken to complete naming was a linear function of array size in the reading task; however, in the retrieval task the completion-time function was positively accelerated. For arrays of up to 5 letters speech was faster in the retrieval than in the reading condition, suggesting that preparation in the reading task had resulted in a lesser degree of response planning. The diminished speech rate with longer arrays in the retrieval task was partly attributable to discrete hesitations ascribed to difficulties in retrieving response information from short-term memory. This slowing was almost eliminated by structure in the letter arrays. (French abstract) (21 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)