Influence of family of origin and adult romantic partners on romantic attachment security.

According to attachment theory, attachment style derives from social experiences throughout the life span. The authors tested this expectation by examining associations between the quality of observed interaction patterns in the family of origin during adolescence and self-reported romantic attachment style and observed romantic relationship behaviors in adulthood (ages 25 and 27). Family and romantic relationship interactions were rated by trained observers from video recordings of structured conversation tasks. Attachment style was assessed with items from D. W. Griffin and K. Bartholomew's (1994a) Relationship Scales Questionnaire. Observational ratings of warmth and sensitivity in family interactions were positively related to similar behaviors by romantic partners and to attachment security. In addition, romantic interactions characterized by high warmth and low hostility at age 25 predicted greater attachment security at 27, after controlling for attachment security at age 25. However, attachment security at age 25 did not predict later romantic relationship interactions after controlling for earlier interactions. These findings underscore the importance of close relationships in the development of romantic attachment security but do not indicate that attachment security predicts the quality of interactions in romantic relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Contextual amplification of pubertal transition effects on deviant peer affiliation and externalizing behavior among African American children.

The effects of the pubertal transition on behavior problems and its interaction with family and neighborhood circumstances were examined with a sample of 867 African American children 10-12 years of age. Pubertal development status, pubertal timing, and primary caregivers' parenting behaviors were significantly related to affiliation with deviant peers and externalizing behaviors. Externalizing behavior among early-maturing children was associated positively with primary caregivers' use of harsh-inconsistent discipline and negatively with nurturant-involved parenting practices. Disadvantaged neighborhood conditions were significantly associated with deviant peer affiliation. The effect of pubertal transition varied according to family and neighborhood conditions: Early-maturing children living in disadvantaged neighborhoods were significantly more likely to affiliate with deviant peers. Early-maturing children with harsh and inconsistent parents were significantly more likely to have externalizing problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neighborhood disadvantage moderates associations of parenting and older sibling problem attitudes and behavior with conduct disorders in African American children.

Data from 296 sibling pairs (mean ages 10 and 13 years), their primary caregivers, and census records were used to test the hypothesis that African American children's likelihood of developing conduct problems associated with harsh parenting, a lack of nurturant-involved parenting, and exposure to an older sibling's deviance-prone attitudes and behavior would be amplified among families residing in disadvantaged neighborhoods. A latent construct representing harsh-inconsistent parenting and low levels of nurturant-involved parenting was positively associated with younger siblings' conduct disorder symptoms, as were older siblings' problematic attitudes and behavior. These associations were strongest among families residing in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods. Future research and prevention programs should focus on the specific neighborhood processes associated with increased vulnerability for behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

It's about timing and change: Pubertal transition effects on symptoms of major depression among African American youths.

Effects of early physical maturation and accelerated pubertal changes on symptoms of major depression were examined in 639 African American children. Three rival hypotheses, early timing, off-time, and stressful change, were tested using 2 waves of data (mean ages = 11 and 13 years). The pubertal effect operates differently according to children's gender and age. For girls, early maturation was consistently associated with elevated levels of depressive symptoms. For boys, early maturers manifested elevated levels of depression only at age 11, but these symptoms subsided by age 13. Boys who experienced accelerated pubertal growth over time displayed elevated symptom levels. Results support the early timing hypothesis for girls and the stressful change hypothesis for boys. Time at assessment is critical when examining boys' pubertal transition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Parenting Behaviors and the Occurrence and Co-Occurrence of Depressive Symptoms and Conduct Problems Among African American Children.

The occurrence and co-occurrence of depressive symptoms and conduct problems were examined in the context of parenting behaviors in a community-based sample of 897 African American children and their primary caregivers using a multi-informant, longitudinal design. Parenting behaviors and clinical symptoms were assessed in 2 waves, when the children averaged 10.5 and 12.3 years of age. Parenting behaviors differed significantly according to a child's symptomatology; (a) that is, when a child exhibited no depressive or conduct problems, (b) depressive problems only, (c) conduct problems only, or (d) co-occurring depressive and conduct problems. When parenting behaviors were examined according to changes in children's symptom levels, children whose symptoms increased over time reported increases in hostility and harsh-inconsistent parenting and decreases in warmth and nurturant-involved parenting. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship of the polymerase chain reaction for cytomegalovirus to the development of hepatitis in liver transplant recipients

In a pilot study, the polymerase chain reaction was found to be more sensitive than standard viral culture methods for the detection of cytomegalovirus, particularly from blood and tissues. We therefore applied this technique to 71 serially collected liver biopsies from 16 orthotopic liver transplant patients. All patients were CMV-seropositive (n = 15) or seroconverted (n = 1). Seven patients (9 biopsies) had histologically proved CMV hepatitis, and all these biopsies were CMV PCR-positive. Six of these 7 patients had a prior liver biopsy that was CMV PCR-positive, but culture and histology-negative, an average of 13.2 +/- 6.9 days before the histologically positive biopsy. The 7th patient was not biopsied prior to the diagnostic biopsy. Three patients had 7 liver biopsies that were CMV PCR-positive, but histologically negative for CMV hepatitis. Two of these three had CMV infection confirmed by viral culture of blood or liver biopsy. The remaining 6 patients had a total of 26 liver biopsies that were negative for CMV by PCR, culture, and histology. Among liver transplant patients, CMV PCR performed on liver biopsy specimens correctly identified all histologically proven cases of CMV hepatitis. CMV PCR positivity in liver tissue did not correlate with latent infection and preceded the development of CMV hepatitis or other meaningful CMV infection in 8 of 10 patients.     

Fuel cells for road transportation purposes — yes or no?

The issues surrounding the application of fuel cells for road transportation are evaluated. The advantages and disadvantages of the candidate fuel-cell systems and the various fuels are discussed, together with the issue of whether the fuel should be converted directly in the fuel cell or should be first converted to hydrogen on-board the vehicle. Developments in competing vehicles technologies, namely, internal-combustion-engined vehicles (ICEVs), pure-battery vehicles (EVs) and ICE–battery hybrid vehicles (HEVs) are reviewed. Finally, the impact of the introduction of fuel-cell vehicles (FCVs) on industry, and in particular on the oil and automotive industries, is examined. For FCVs to compete successfully with conventional ICEVs, it is concluded that direct-conversion fuel cells — using probably hydrogen, but possibly methanol — are the only realistic contenders for road transportation applications.     

High current, thin silicon-on-ceramic solar cell

Solar cells utilizing thin-film polycrystalline silicon can achieve photovoltaic power conversion efficiencies greater than 19%. These high efficiencies are a result of light trapping and back surface passivation. Optimum silicon thickness, for devices employing such technology, has been determined to be 20 μm (Blakers et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 60 (1992) 2572) to 35 μm (Rand et al., Proceedings of the IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, Orlando, FL, May 1990, p. 263). Low cost is achieved by minimizing the required amount of silicon feedstock per watt of power output. The use of an electrically insulating supporting substrate allows for monolithic, series connected sub-modules. A solar cell with a 20 μm thick polycrystalline Si-layer on a ceramic substrate, utilizing both light trapping and back-surface passivation, was fabricated and characterized. A short-circuit current of 25.8 mA/cm² was measured and verified by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).     

Factors associated with food workers working while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea

This study sought to determine the frequency with which food workers said they had worked while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, and to identify restaurant and worker characteristics associated with this behavior. We conducted interviews with food workers (n=491) and their managers (n=387) in the nine states that participate in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Environmental Health Specialists Network. Restaurant and worker characteristics associated with repeatedly working while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea were analyzed via multivariable regression. Fifty-eight (11.9%) workers said they had worked while suffering vomiting or diarrhea on two or more shifts in the previous year. Factors associated with workers having worked while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea were (i) high volume of meals served, (ii) lack of policies requiring workers to report illness to managers, (iii) lack of on-call workers, (iv) lack of manager experience, and (v) workers of the male gender. Our findings suggest that policies that encourage workers to tell managers when they are ill and that help mitigate pressures to work while ill could reduce the number of food workers who work while experiencing vomiting or diarrhea.