Individual differences in cardiovascular reactions to stress and cigarette smoking.

Examined the stability of cardiovascular (CDV) reactions to psychological stress and cigarette smoking and the extent to which CDV actions to stress were predictive of CDV reactions to smoking. 26 male Ss were given an initial test involving 2 repetitions of mental arithmetic stress and paced smoking while blood pressure and heart rate were measured. Ss were retested 2 mo later in the same paradigm. Large and stable individual differences were observed in CDV reactivity to both stress and smoking. For systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but not heart rate, reactions to stress were modestly correlated with reactions to cigarette smoking, suggesting that levels of reactivity to cigarette smoking may have significance for coronary heart disease and blood pressure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Desirability of control versus locus of control: Relationship to paralinguistics in the Type A interview.

Examined the relationship between heightened preference for control of the physical and social environment and Types A (coronary-prone) and B (noncoronary-prone) personality ratings derived from structured interviews, using 67 undergraduates. There was a significant relationship between scores on the Desirability of Control Scale (DSC), the structured interviews and the Jenkins Activity Survey (JAS). Scores on Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale and the DCS correlated only with the JAS. Findings suggest that autonomic nervous system arousal can create psychological discomfort that may serve to increase both need for control and Type A vocal stylistics and that such vocal mannerisms may actually facilitate control of the social environment. Evidence implicating genetic factors in these processes is discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Language, cognition and deafness.

Reviews the book, Language, cognition and deafness by Michael Rodda and Carl Grove (see record 1987-97707-000). In this book, Rodda and Grove clearly subscribe to the view that along with speech and hearing, deaf persons should be allowed to use their "natural" language, Sign Language, American Sign Language (ASL), or in Canada, Canadian Sign Language (CSL). What makes this book unusual and important is that the authors have taken great pains to document their position through reference to hard experimental evidence, much of which has been done by psychologists. It is hard to imagine that anyone reading this book would not be definitively persuaded by their arguments, which are based on recent developments in psychology, psycholinguistics, neurolinguistics, as well as many other allied fields. Rodda and Grove clearly want to see Sign Language (ASL) accepted as part of the educational, psychological and cultural world of deaf adults, without demeaning the importance of speech and hearing in the communication process. This highly readable and informative book will undoubtedly help move the field in that direction, and I highly recommend it to the specialist and non-specialist alike. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sexual attitudes and self-reported behavior of congenitally disabled adults.

A 1–3 hr personal interview was conducted and a questionnaire was administered to 45 18–35 yr old physically disabled Ss. The questionnaire dealt with (a) attitudes towards pornography, masturbation, and other aspects of sexuality; (b) degree of personal interest in sex; and (c) the extent and form of Ss' intimate sexual behavior. Results indicate that while Ss tended to express liberal attitudes toward sexuality, they did not indicate a high degree of personal interest in sex. Nearly all of the Ss were unmarried, and over half had never had a serious relationship with the opposite sex or any intimate sexual experience. There were indications that many Ss were uninformed about sexual matters. Ss' negative attitudes toward sex could be attributed to restrictive living conditions and insufficient sex education and guidance. As a group, females expressed more conservative attitudes toward sexuality than did males. Findings suggest the need for reorientation on the part of parents, educators, and society toward recognizing and accepting the emotional and sexual needs of disabled persons. (French summary) (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Calculation for the cathode surface concentrations in the electrochemical reduction of CO2 in KHCO3 solutions

This article presents a mathematical model that predicts the chemical conditions at the electrode surface during the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Such electrochemical reduction of CO₂ to valuable products is an area of interest for the purpose of reducing green house gas emissions. In the reactions involved, CO₂ acts as both a reactant and a buffer, consequently the estimation of local concentrations at the electrode surface is not trivial and a numerical approach is required. The necessary partial differential equations (PDEs) have been set-up and solved using MATLAB. The results show the local concentrations at the electrode surface to be significantly different from the bulk concentrations under typical reported experimental conditions. The importance of buffer strength and a careful quantification of the degree of mixing produced in the experimental apparatus is demonstrated. The model has also been used to re-examine previously published data, showing that the Tafel slopes in CO₂ reduction are consistent with those reported for the simpler CO reduction system. Further, the effect of pulsed electroreduction was also modeled, showing that pulsing causes corresponding swings in local pH and CO₂ concentrations.     

Psychopathy evidence in legal proceedings involving adolescent offenders.

Despite debates surrounding juvenile psychopathy, we do not know how frequently psychopathy evidence is presented in adolescent court cases or how this information is used. To address this gap, we reviewed 111 American and Canadian adolescent offender cases, which included 143 separate evaluations involving psychopathy. Results suggest that psychopathy evidence has been introduced in a sizable number of cases and is becoming increasingly common. While judges generally did not refer to psychopathy evidence in making ultimate legal decisions, psychopathy evidence appeared influential in some cases. In addition, consistent with concerns voiced by scholars, evidence of psychopathy was frequently used to infer that a youth would be difficult or impossible to treat. Conversely, the absence of psychopathy was occasionally interpreted as a sign of amenability and used to support more lenient sanctions. Whereas some cases appeared to attend to key issues that have been discussed in the research literature, such as the need for caution in applying psychopathy labels to youth and the importance of developmentally appropriate assessment strategies, other cases did not. The implications of these findings are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Targeted Rediscovery and Biosynthesis of the Farnesyl-Transferase Inhibitor Pepticinnamin E

The natural product pepticinnamin E potently inhibits protein farnesyl transferases and has potential applications in treating cancer and malaria. Pepticinnamin E contains a rare N-terminal cinnamoyl moiety as well as several nonproteinogenic amino acids, including the unusual 2-chloro-3-hydroxy-4-methoxy-N-methyl-L-phenylalanine. The biosynthesis of pepticinnamin E has remained uncharacterized because its original producing strain is no longer available. Here we identified a gene cluster (pcm) for this natural product in a new producer, Actinobacteria bacterium OK006, by means of a targeted rediscovery strategy. We demonstrated that the pcm cluster is responsible for the biosynthesis of pepticinnamin E, a nonribosomal peptide/polyketide hybrid. We also characterized a key O-methyltransferase that modifies 3,4-dihydroxy-l -phenylalanine. Our work has identified the gene cluster for pepticinnamins for the first time and sets the stage for elucidating the unique chemistry required for biosynthesis.     

Mechanical Model for Unbonded Seven-Wire Tendon with Single Broken Wire

This paper presents the derivation and experimental validation of a mechanical model for unbonded seven-wire prestressing tendons with a single broken outer wire. The model has practical significance because corrosion of these tendons typically causes a single outer wire to fail first. The tendency for the tendon to deflect toward the broken wire causes strains in the unbroken wires to be unequal at any cross section. As a result, the strains in the two wires adjacent to the broken wire increase significantly due to the wire break. Equations are presented for: (1) the strains along the lengths of the broken and unbroken wires; (2) the affected length, where the broken wire can be detected because its strain is less than the strains in the unbroken wires; and (3) the prestress force remaining after the break occurs. Experimental data obtained from tests of seven-wire tendons performed on an 18.3?m (60?ft) long strongback beam validate the model.     

Mechanical Model for Unbonded Seven-Wire Tendon with Symmetric Wire Breaks

A mechanical model for unbonded seven-wire tendons with broken wires that accounts for the effects of interwire friction and contact forces between the tendon and surrounding concrete is derived. The model is an essential tool for predicting the response, and reliability, of unbonded posttensioned concrete structures containing corroded tendons with broken wires. For the case where the broken wires are symmetrically arranged around the tendon cross section, the model predicts: (1) the strain variation with distance from the break in the broken and unbroken wires; (2) the affected length, where strains in the broken wires are less than those in the unbroken wires; and (3) the prestress force remaining after wire breaks occur. The affected length has practical significance because techniques used in practice to detect wire breaks will fail if performed outside the affected length. Experimental data obtained using a novel strongback beam confirm the response predicted by the model and indicate the coefficient of interwire friction is 0.164 for uncorroded tendons.     

Laboratory Reaction Cell to Model Maillard Color Development in a Starch-Glucose-Lysine System

A starch-glucose-lysine Maillard system was heated in a reaction cell at different pHs (2.9 to 10.7), moisture (13 to 18%) and temperature (100 to 155°C). Tristimulus Z values were used to develop a quadratic response surface regression equation. Fitted values from the equation modeled very accurately the effect of pH (2.9 to 9.0), moisture and temperature. Color development followed Arrhenius kinetics over the range 120 to 155 °C. Activation energies for color development at all pH and moisture levels were between 41.1 and 110.6 kJ/mol. Activation energy generally decreased as moisture content increased and as pH increased from 8.5 to 10.7.