Teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms: Factor structure and normative data.

Behavior rating scales are a primary method for screening and identifying children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The factorial structure and normative data of a teacher rating scale containing the 18 symptoms of ADHD were examined in this study. Factor analyses and assessment of differences in ADHD ratings across sex, age, and ethnic group were conducted with 4,009 children and adolescents who attended kindergarten through 12th grade in 31 U.S. school districts. Two factors (inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity) were derived, and normative data for a nationally representative sample were presented. Boys, younger children, and African Americans received higher ratings of ADHD symptoms. Limitations of this investigation and potential uses of this scale in clinical practice and research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Faking and selection: Considering the use of personality from select-in and select-out perspectives.

The effects of faking on criterion-related validity and the quality of selection decisions are examined in the present study by combining the control of an experiment with the realism of an applicant setting. Participants completed an achievement motivation measure in either a control group or an incentive group and then completed a performance task. With respect to validity, greater prediction error was found in the incentive condition among those with scores at the high end of the predictor distribution. When selection ratios were small, those in the incentive condition were more likely to be selected and had lower mean performance than those in the control group. Implications for using personality assessments from select-in and select-out strategies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Salt Mixture and in vivo Digestibility of Groundnut Oil in Rats

Coefficient of true digestibility of refined groundnut oil in rats, fed a diet containing 4% Hawk and Oser's salt mixture which is stoichiometrically equivalent to Osborne-Mendel's salt mixture and which provides 473.4 mg calcium and 71.6 mg magnesium per 100 g diet was found to be 96.6. Corresponding figure with a similar diet but containing 2% salt mixture-351 of Hubbel et al. providing 434.2 mg calcium and 20.9 mg magnesium per 100 g diet was only 90.0. Higher digestibility of the oil with the Hawk-Oser's salt mixture was due to lesser excretion of soap (in the main) and neutral fat, compared to that obtained with the diet containing the other salt mixture. In Hawk and Oser's salt mixture, the sources of calcium are citrate, hydrogen phosphate and carbonate of calcium whereas in the other salt mixture, it is exclusively derived from calcium carbonate. It seems that source of calcium in a diet has profound effect on the digestibility of a fat.     

Clarifying and Extending the Construct of Adult Resilience.

In this article the author responds to comments made in this issue (see records 2005-03019-010; 2005-03019-011; 2005-03019-012; 2005-03019-013; and 2005-03019-014) responding to his original article entitled Loss, trauma, and human resilience: Have we underestimated the human capacity to thrive after extremely aversive events? (see record 2004-10043-003). The author notes that in his original article he focused on three crucial points: Resilience among adults represents a distinct and empirically separable outcome trajectory from that normally associated with recovery from trauma; resilience is more prevalent than generally accepted in either the lay or professional literature; and there are multiple and sometimes unexpected factors that inform adult resilience. Owing to the brevity of the article, the author could only touch briefly on many of the more nuanced and complex issues suggested by the resilience construct; this left plenty of room for critique. Fortunately, the comments are generous and insightful and for the most part compatible with the driving goal of the article. As might be expected, of course, there were statements peppered throughout the comments that the author deemed worthy of rebuttal or correction. He considers four points that seemed to beg most urgently for response. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Decatungstate catalyst supported on silica and γ-alumina: Efficient photocatalytic oxidation of benzyl alcohols

Four supported catalysts with the same tungsten loading were prepared by depositing decatungstate species W₁₀O⁴⁻₃₂, through wet impregnation, on the surface of γ-alumina and silica at different pH values. The prepared samples were characterized using BET measurements as well as XRD, UV–vis DR, and XP spectroscopies. Higher dispersion of W(VI) oxo-species was obtained in the silica-supported catalysts compared with the corresponding alumina-supported ones. Within the same support, the dispersion was higher when the impregnation pH is lower than the point of zero charge (pzc) of the support. The decatungstate anions were present mainly on the silica surface without any modification, whereas these underwent a partial depolymerization on their deposition on the γ-alumina surface. The extent of depolymerization was less in the sample prepared at pH above pzc. These findings were explained in terms of the mode of deposition of the W(VI) species from the solution onto the support surface. The photocatalytic activity of the aforementioned catalysts, concerning the photooxidation of 1-phenylethanol, depends on the fraction of the W₁₀O⁴⁻₃₂ supported species rather than on the W(VI) dispersion. Thus, extremely high conversions have been obtained over the silica-based catalysts and also over the γ-alumina-based catalyst prepared at relatively high pH. These catalysts also are very effective in the photooxidation of a series of secondary and primary benzyl alcohols, in which benzyl ketones and benzoic acids were formed as the only or major products, respectively. The easy separation of the solid catalyst from the reaction mixture, the high activity, selectivity, and stability as well as the retained activity in subsequent catalytic cycles, make these supported catalysts suitable for a small-scale synthesis. Based on product analysis and kinetic data on the heterogeneous oxidation of benzyl alcohols, we suggest that a hydrogen abstraction transfer (HAT) mechanism predominates with respect to an electron transfer (ET) one in these reactions.     

California apricot oil

Summary The characteristics and the percentages of the fatty acids present in apricot kernel oil as glycerides have been determined. The oil studied was found to contain about 90.6 per cent of unsaturated acids consisting of a mixture of oleic and linoleic acids. The saturated acids amounted to about 3.6 per cent and were composed almost entirely of palmitic and stearic acids. Mention is made of the utilization of the press cake for the recovery of volatile oil, for fertilizer, and as a feed for livestock. An analysis of the press cake is given. A table of the smoking points for various fats and oils by the J. M. McCoy procedure is given for comparison with that of apricot kernel oil. In addition to the established use of the oil by cosmetic manufacturers, other possible outlets include its use as a salad and cooking oil, for the roasting of shelled nuts, and for the manufacture of soap.     

Simulation of Binary Random Fields with Applications to Two-Phase Random Media

This paper introduces a methodology for simulation of binary random fields according to their prescribed autocorrelation function. It starts with a brief outline of the essential features of binary random fields and their implications in modeling two-phase random media. The exposition of the proposed methodology is done in two steps. In the first step, an algorithm is introduced to obtain samples of a binary field from generated realizations of a Gaussian field, using the theory of zero crossings of Gaussian fields. This mapping constitutes essentially a nonlinear transformation with memory of the Gaussian sample functions. In the second step, an iterative algorithm is introduced that allows the determination of the probabilistic characteristics of the underlying Gaussian field, so that the resulting binary field obtained through the proposed nonlinear transformation has a prescribed autocorrelation function. Several numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the capabilities of the methodology, especially in modeling two-phase random media. The methodology is shown to have a wide range of applicability and its computational cost is small, especially when a large number of realizations is needed.     

Electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry facilitates detection of fibrinogen (Bbeta 14 Arg --> Cys) mutation in a family with thrombosis

We report the first direct detection of a fibrinogen mutation by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry. The propositus, from a family with a history of thrombosis, came to attention after a pulmonary embolism subsequent to a spontaneous abortion. Prolonged thrombin (41 s) and reptilase times (26 s) together with an impairment of fibrinopeptide B release suggested a mutation at the thrombin cleavage site of the Bbeta chain. Direct mass analysis of purified fibrin chains from a thrombin induced clot showed that 50% of the Bbeta chains remained uncleaved. The measured mass of the mono sialo isoform of this uncleaved chain was 54150 Da, compared to a value of 54198 Da for normal Bbeta chains. This decrease of 48 Da in the intact protein is indicative of either a Bbeta 14 Arg to Cys, or Arg to Leu substitution. Heterozygosity for the Bbeta 14 Arg --> Cys mutation was verified by PCR amplification and DNA sequence analysis.