Mapping the Characteristics of a 'Good' Play Therapist.

In this pilot study, concept mapping, a methodological approach combining qualitative and quantitative analytic strategies, was used to identify the therapist qualities, competencies, and skills necessary for effective play therapy outcomes as perceived by a sub-sample of 28 experienced play therapists who are members of the Association for Play Therapy (APT). The clusters associated with the therapeutic relationship and facilitative skills (e.g., empathy, warmth, and genuineness) were rated as the most essential skills to possess and also as the most difficult to develop. In contrast, the clusters associated with play therapy interventions and theories were rated as the least important skills to possess but as the easiest to acquire. The findings are discussed, with implications for therapeutic practice, research, and policy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL): initial reliability and validity data

OBJECTIVE: To describe the psychometric properties of the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) interview, which surveys additional disorders not assessed in prior K-SADS, contains improved probes and anchor points, includes diagnosis-specific impairment ratings, generates DSM-III-R and DSM-IV diagnoses, and divides symptoms surveyed into a screening interview and five diagnostic supplements. METHOD: Subjects were 55 psychiatric outpatients and 11 normal controls (aged 7 through 17 years). Both parents and children were used as informants. Concurrent validity of the screen criteria and the K-SADS-PL diagnoses was assessed against standard self-report scales. Interrater (n = 15) and test-retest (n = 20) reliability data were also collected (mean retest interval: 18 days; range: 2 to 36 days). RESULTS: Rating scale data support the concurrent validity of screens and K-SADS-PL diagnoses. Interrater agreement in scoring screens and diagnoses was high (range: 93% to 100%). Test-retest reliability kappa coefficients were in the excellent range for present and/or lifetime diagnoses of major depression, any bipolar, generalized anxiety, conduct, and oppositional defiant disorder (.77 to 1.00) and in the good range for present diagnoses of posttraumatic stress disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (.63 to .67). CONCLUSION: Results suggest the K-SADS-PL generates reliable and valid child psychiatric diagnoses.     

Bone mineralisation, body fat and anthropometric measurement in mothers delivering preterm

Twenty mothers of preterm babies who had survived to 1 year old, were matched for age and parity of the mother and time of birth of the baby, with 20 mothers delivering fullterm. Bone mineral, body composition and anthropometric measurements were obtained for each mother and analysed using paired t-tests. The only significant difference (P < 0.01) between the groups was a lower fat-free mass in the preterm mothers calculated from skinfold thickness measurements.     

Congenital chylothorax in siblings

We describe two cases of congenital chylothorax in siblings with important differences from previously described familial cases. Our findings support the likelihood of an autosomal recessive inheritance in some cases of this condition, rather than X-linked recessive inheritance, which has also been suggested. Autopsy findings from one of these cases and others previously described suggest that the pathophysiological mechanisms involved may be variable.     

Measurement of neutron emission from Ti and Pd in pressurized D2 gas and D2O electrolysis cells

Experiments using high-efficiency neutron detectors have detected neutron emission from various forms of Pd and Ti metal in pressurized D₂ gas cells and D₂O electrolysis cells. Four independent neutron detectors based on³He gas tubes were used. Both random neutrons (0.05–0.2 n/s) and time-correlated neutron bursts (10–280 n) of 100-s duration were measured using time-correlation counting techniques. The majority of the neutron burst events occurred at –30°C as the samples were warming up from the liquid nitrogen temperature.     

Morphology and preferred orientation of Y2O3 film prepared by high-speed laser CVD

Yttria (Y₂O₃) films were prepared at high deposition rates of up to 83 nm/s (300 μm/h) by laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) using an Y(dpm)₃ precursor. The effects of deposition conditions, mainly total gas pressure and laser power, on morphology, deposition rate and preferred orientation were studied. Plasma was produced around the substrate over a critical laser power resulting in significant increases in deposition temperature and deposition rate. The high deposition rate (300 μm/h) by LCVD was about 100 to 1000 times as high as those by conventional CVD. The morphology of Y₂O₃ films changed from faceted and columnar structures with high (400) orientation to a columnar structure with high (440) orientation, and finally to a cone-like structure with moderate (440) orientation with increasing total gas pressure (P_tot).     

Determination of the vapor pressures of select polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans at 75-275 °C

Vapor pressures were determined for several polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) at 75-275 °C, extending the available literature data to more relevant temperature regions and providing the first experimental data for 2,3,7-trichlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7-TriCD). A modification of the effusion technique, based upon controlling the diffusion of the target compound and subsequent high resolution gas chromatography/low resolution mass spectrometry (HRGC/LRMS) analysis, was proven comparable to other accepted methods for determining the vapor pressures of semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs). Vapor pressures for octachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (OCDD) and octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF) were in excellent agreement with those reported in literature. The application of the current method for the vapor pressure determinations of eight polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins/dibenzofurans (PCDDs/PCDFs) in the extended temperature range (up to 275 °C) is reported. The extension of the vapor pressures to such temperatures, unprecedented for the PCDDs/Fs, is important for vapor-particle partitioning modeling in regions relevant to PCDD/F formation and control. Estimates for the melting temperatures and enthalpies of sublimation and vaporization are also reported, the latter for which no experimentally determined values have been found in the literature. The use of the method to deliver reproducible, trace concentrations (ppt-ppb) of targets was applied to the calibration of the jet-REMPI/TOFMS as an online detector for low chlorinated PCDDs/Fs.     

Crystallization behavior of oxyethylene/oxybutylene diblock and triblock copolymers

The crystallization behavior of poly(oxyethylene)-b-poly(oxybutylene) block copolymers with different compositions, morphologies and architectures (E_mB_n diblock copolymers and E_mB_nE_m, B_nE_mB_n triblock copolymers) were investigated and the effect of volume fraction and architecture on the crystallization temperature (T_c) in non-isothermal crystallization was determined. It is found that the E_mB_n diblock copolymers having long E blocks exhibit similar crystallization temperatures, irrespective of volume fraction and morphology, but for the block copolymers with shorter E blocks the crystallization temperature increases with both the volume fraction, φ_E, and the length, m, of the E block. Some block copolymers with extremely low T_c, which fall into the temperature range normally associated with homogenous nucleation, were chosen for time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and isothermal crystallization kinetics experiments. The results show that breakout crystallization occurs in all these block copolymers. Therefore, unlike E_mB_n/B_h blends, there is no obvious relationship between T_c and crystallization behavior in neat block copolymers and homogeneous nucleation does not definitely lead to confined crystallization. The values of χ_c/χ_ODT for all the block copolymers with hex and bcc morphology were also calculated. It is found that all the block copolymers have χ_c/χ_ODT<3, in agreement with the previously reported critical value and consistent with their breakout crystallization behavior.     

Implications of variable fluid resistance caused by start-up flow in microfluidic networks

Electrical circuit analogies are often used to design microfluidic systems because they simplify device design, providing simple relationships between fluid flow rate, driving forces, and channel dimensions. However, such approximations often significantly overestimate flow rates in situations where start-up energy losses from establishing kinetic head are similar in magnitude to the energy required to overcome viscous shear stresses, as is often the case within complex microfluidic networks. These reduced flows can be more accurately predicted within an electrical analogy framework that accounts for the nonlinear flow resistance generated on the transient regime of start-up flow. In this work, standard flow resistance expressions are modified to account for such effects, and the onset of nonlinear resistance is predicted by a dimensionless parameter, $\xi = Re\frac{D}{L},$ which is dependent on the Reynolds number and the channel length. As a demonstration, variable fluid resistance is shown to dramatically affect the flow performance of common microfluidic units such as T-junctions and serpentine channels, and the change in performance is accurately predicted. Experimental and theoretical analysis of T-junctions further shows that variable flow resistance causes the ratio of flows through the junction to converge toward unity with respect to an increasing total flow rate. In addition, serpentine channels are shown to exaggerate these start-up effects, owing to compounded energetic demand associated with changing a flow’s direction. As a result, serpentine channels cause the ratio of flow rates exiting a T-junction to diverge from unity with respect to an increasing flow rate.     

An engineering study of the film embossing process

A mathematical model of the dynamics and heat transfer of the film embossing process has been developed. The thermal analysis around the preheat roll is determined from an unsteady, two-dimensional heat conduction equation along with appropriate boundary conditions by neglecting the curvature of the preheat roll and choosing a Lagrangian reference frame. The heat transfer occurring between the preheat roll and the embossing rolls is based on a one-dimensional analysis, including both convective and radiative effects. The deformation occurring in the nip region is analyzed for two different situations. For the case where the surface features are small in comparison with the film thickness, a modified one-dimennsional calendering analysis is given, accounting for the irregular geometry of the embossing roll surface. For the case where the polymer does not make complete contact with the surface of the engraved channel, the local deformation is determined by means of a simple one-dimensional cavity filling model. The required pressure distribution is determined by means of a simple one-dimensional cavity filling model, The required pressure distribution is determined by means of a conventional calendering analysis. The analysis for the case of a Newtonian and power-law model is presented in detail. The model yields qualitatively correct results and is computationally simple.