Kiowa Calendars and the Search for Sacred Power

This article explores Kiowa sai-gut, or calendars produced in the 1880s and 1890s to show how makers used material culture to represent new ritual practices as both broadly indigenous and particularly Kiowa. Using calendars as one form of Kiowa cultural expression, the article considers how Kiowas navigated their reservation’s changing religious landscape. Building on literature in American Indian studies that emphasizes native agency and activity in this period, the article suggests that scholars of American religions can look to forms of material culture as ways to track American Indian religious life in this period.     

An investigation of the object relations theory of depression.

The current study investigated a particular aspect shared by a number of theories of depression under the common heading of object relations theory (ORT), namely that depression is associated with a continuing pattern of poor attachment that is laid out in childhood and continues into adulthood. The study examined the relationship between attachment (both parental and peer) and depressive symptoms in young adults (N = 85) of Northern Ireland. Results provided support for the continuity of perceptions of attachment styles across the life span and revealed that perceptions of early attachment experiences, as well as continuing peer attachment styles, appeared to be predictive of current depressive symptoms. More specifically, the analyses revealed a statistically significant positive correlation between perceived quality of current peer attachment and symptoms of depression, as well as a statistically significant negative correlation between self-reported childhood maternal care and symptoms of depression. However, other self-reported measures of childhood attachment were not found to be significant predictors of depressive symptoms (i.e., paternal care, maternal overprotection, paternal overprotection). Taken together, the findings lend some support for this important element of a number of object relations theories, as they pertain to depression. Further empirical research is indicated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms in multiple candidate genes and carcass and meat quality traits in a commercial Angus-cross population

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in 10 candidate genes previously shown to be associated with quality traits in pigs and cattle. The data set comprised 28 traits recorded on a commercial population of 536 Aberdeen Angus-cross beef cattle. Among the traits, 20 were carcass and sirloin quality related, one mechanical measure of tenderness, and the remaining seven were taste panel assessed sensory traits. The candidate genes studied included growth hormone (GH) and pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC). Association analysis showed that 13 of the 28 SNPs were significantly associated with at least one of the traits. Some of these were novel (POMC and mechanical tenderness), whilst others confirmed previous results (GH and eye muscle length).     

Children's interactions in triads: Behavioral profiles and effects of gender and patterns of friendships among members.

In all, 56 triads of same-sex 3rd, 4th-, and 5th-grade children were observed during an intimate discussion, a cooperative puzzle task, a competitive game, and free play. Observers coded triadic interaction using a Q sort and individual process ratings. Of particular interest was how gender and the pattern of friendship ties among group members related to children's behavior. Triads of girls were more intimate, exchanged more information, and were less aggressive than were triads of boys. Analyses of within-gender variability revealed 2 prototypical types of triads among boys but only 1 among girls. Girls and boys expressed similar attitudes toward triadic interaction in post-session interviews. However, girls', but not boys', attitudes were closely linked to the quality of interactions during the session. For both sexes, interaction was not strongly influenced by the initial configuration of friendship ties among triad members. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Design∕Build Methods for Electrical Contracting Industry

This paper reports on a project sponsored by the Electrical Contracting Foundation that examined the design∕build (D∕B) approach and the various dimensions of the decision process that electrical contractors consider before entering this emerging marketplace. Electrical contractors were surveyed regarding many different aspects of D∕B and how those factors impact their business. The survey revealed several important trends and preferences among electrical contractors. One area identified in the survey worthy of note is that many of the electrical contractors felt ill prepared to embark on D∕B with their current understanding of the issues.     

The relationship between mental rotation and representational momentum.

Two experiments explored a possible relationship between mental rotation and representational momentum, a task in which participants were asked to remember an object's position following a sequence of images implying motion. Typically, participants misremember the position as distorted forward along the implied trajectory. If representational momentum relies on mental imagery, the magnitude of memory distortion in a representational momentum task should be positively correlated with the rate of mental rotation. As predicted, faster mental rotation rates and larger memory distortions for object position were observed for rotational axes aligned with the viewers' coordinate system. In addition, participants with slower mental rotation rates produced smaller memory distortions in the implied-event task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of basecoat bell application parameters on elements of appearance for an automotive coatings process

This research investigated the effects of basecoat (BC) bell application parameters on the appearance of automotive vehicles. A full factorial two-level DOE matrix was created to test the impact of four BC bell zone variables on appearance: flow rate, shaping air, voltage, and bell speed. Paint age was a covariate in the analysis. Panels were sprayed with waterborne BC followed by solventborne clearcoat and cured vertically at 144°C. The appearance was characterized by measuring the DOI, surface waviness, and multiangle color. Flow rate, bell speed, and shaping air were found to have the most impact on surface waviness. In addition, four interactive effects were also found to be significant. Three of these interactive effects included flow rate in combination with the other parameters. The results of this study indicate that particle size and fluid atomization play a key role in paint appearance. Decreasing the flow rate and/or increasing bell speed lead to a smoother finish, but are also correlated to a darker appearance at near specular angles, whereas the opposite is true at far specular angles.     

Evaluation of the Brief Problem Checklist: Child and caregiver interviews to measure clinical progress.

Objective: To support ongoing monitoring of child response during treatment, we sought to develop a brief, easily administered, clinically relevant, and psychometrically sound measure. Method: We first developed child and caregiver forms of a 12-item Brief Problem Checklist (BPC) interview by applying item response theory and factor analysis to Youth Self-Report (YSR; Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL;Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) data for a sample of 2,332 youths. These interviews were then administered weekly via telephone to an ethnically diverse clinical sample of 184 boys and girls 7–13 years of age and their caregivers participating in outpatient treatment, to examine psychometric properties and feasibility. Results: Internal consistency and test–retest reliability were excellent, and factor analysis yielded 1 internalizing and 1 externalizing factor. Validity tests showed large and significant correlations with corresponding scales on paper-and-pencil administrations of the CBCL and YSR as well as with diagnoses obtained from a structured diagnostic interview. Discriminant validity of the BPC interviews was supported by low correlations with divergent criteria. Longitudinal data for the initial 6 months of treatment demonstrated that the BPC significantly predicted change on related measures of child symptoms. Estimates obtained from random coefficient growth models showed generally higher slope reliabilities for the BPC given weekly relative to the CBCL and YSR given every 3 months. Conclusions: Given their combination of brevity and psychometric strength, the child and caregiver BPC interviews appear to be a promising strategy for efficient, ongoing assessment of clinical progress during the course of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)