Let's end the duel.

Argues for an end to the psychologist–psychiatrist rivalry. 50 yrs ago, the handful of psychologists was confined to ability–achievement diagnosis. This author then wrote that the growth of psychology as a unified science would eventually qualify psychologists in both cognitive and emotional practice. This has happened, and psychotherapists now approach psychiatrists in number and status. Sharing the field, however, continues to be troublesome. The psychologist's position, apart from political weakness, is weaker because of locally variable PhD training qualifications. However, it is stronger in an intrinsic scientific sense as a result of statistical–psychometric advance. In reviewing the past 50 yrs, it is seen that diagnosis, monitoring, and therapeutic strategy developed from computer-assisted, quantitative, personality theory to what can be called systems therapy. Since human limitations demand specialization, the practical functional division is between psychology and physiology, indicating a team of psychologist and internist-psychosomatist and perhaps redefining the psychiatrist's specialization. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Magnetic and catalytic properties of sintered nickel catalysts for the methanation reaction

Ni catalysts supported on Al₂O₃, as received commercially and subjected to sintering at 723–973 K, were characterised in terms of distinct magnetic structures. It was found that the Ni on all the catalysts consisted of a mixture of single domain structures, with and without anisotropic effects, and multidomain (ferromagnetic) structures. The formation of the multidomain particles during the sintering process coincides with a decrease in catalytic activity for the reaction CO+3H₂°CH₄+H₂O. From this study it was concluded that the methanation reaction is ‘magnetic-structure’ sensitive.     

The noradrenergic system of the amygdala and aversive information processing.

In 4 experiments, 113 water-deprived male Long-Evans rats were trained to drink in a passive avoidance apparatus. After reaching a latency criterion, Ss were given a single 3-sec, 3-mA footshock. Immediately or 12 hrs after footshock, Ss were given intracranial injections of vehicular saline, norepinephrine (NE), propranolol, or dopamine (DA) into the amygdala, internal capsule, lateral ventricles, or caudate-putamen. Ss were tested for passive avoidance at 30 min or 24 hrs following footshock. No memory deficits were seen as a consequence of short-term retention or because of proactive or toxicity effects. Retention deficits were seen in the 24-hr test only in Ss injected with NE in the amygdala, internal capsule, or lateral ventricles. However, qualitative differences in stress-indicative behaviors were noted in the NE groups and in the DA-amygdala Ss. Results suggest that the noradrenergic system of the amygdala is involved in the long-term processing of the emotional attributes of aversive information. (66 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Slow Growth of Microcracks: Evidence for One Type of ZrO2 Toughening

Alumina containing 15 vol% monoclinic ZrO₂ dispersed at the grain boundaries exhibited very high room-temperature fracture toughness (∼11 MPa·m^1/2) on cooling from 1275°C when microcrack precursors nucleated at Ts. With increasing time (up to ∼12 h) at room temperature, K_Ic and Young's modulus decreased when dilational and thermal-expansion strains subcritically propagated inter granular microcracks. Thus, transformation toughening of ceramics with inter crystalline ZrO₂ dispersions is to a great extent caused by microcrack nucleation and extension.     

Opiate antagonists and long-term analgesic reaction induced by inescapable shock in rats.

Five experiments with 240 male albino rats examined the influence of opiate antagonists (naltrexone; 1–24 mg/kg, ip) on both the short-term analgesic reaction resulting 30 min after exposure to inescapable shock and the long-term analgesic reaction resulting after reexposure to shock 24 hrs after inescapable shock exposure. Exp I showed that the long-term analgesic reaction could be reduced by administration of naltrexone prior to exposure to inescapable tail shock. Exp II showed that the reduction in the long-term analgesic reaction produced by naltrexone was dose-dependent. Exp III showed that the long-term analgesic reaction could also be reduced by administration of naltrexone prior to reexposure to shock. Exp IV showed that the long-term analgesic reaction could be reduced by administration of a large dose of naloxone prior to reexposure to shock. Exp V showed that the short-term analgesic reaction was reduced by naltrexone administered prior to inescapable shock. Implications for the biochemical substrates of both learned helplessness and stress-induced analgesia are discussed. (56 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of stimulus complexity and familiarization time on infant preferences for novel and familiar stimuli.

Measures of visual fixation (VF) and of focused manipulation of an array of familiar and of novel toys were evaluated for 32 8-mo-olds and 32 12-mo-olds for whom both arrays contained 3 toys and 32 12-mo-olds for whom both arrays contained 5 toys. Prior to testing, half of the Ss in each group had been habituated to the familiar array, whereas the other half had been familiarized but interrupted before habituation could be completed. Results show that habituated Ss in each group preferred to look at and manipulate toys in a novel array. In contrast, interrupted Ss preferred toys in a familiar array, but only if the array was complex relative to age (3 toys for 8-mo-olds and 5 toys for 12-mo-olds) and only with the focused manipulation measure. If the stimulus was simple and/or the response measured was VF, interrupted Ss showed no preference for either array. Findings provide evidence of a progression from familiarity preference to novelty preference that is not tied to a particular age but occurs repeatedly as new stimuli are encountered. Age-related changes are present, however, in the effective complexity of the stimuli, the amount of familiarization, and the form of response necessary to elicit the progression. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychological approaches to productivity improvement.

A review of 207 recent (1971–1981) American experiments using 1 or more of 11 psychological approaches to improving employee productivity found that 87% reported improvement in at least 1 concrete measure of productivity. The kinds of programs that were most often successful were training, goal setting, financial compensation, participative supervision, and sociotechnical systems design. It was also found that more favorable attitudes toward work often resulted from the productivity programs, showing that productivity and quality of work life can be improved together. (17 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

AERODYNAMIC ATOMIZATION OF POLYMERIC SOLUTIONS

A helium activated firing device was used to propel viscoelastic fluid slugs (350 cc) to Mach I velocities. Aerodynamic forces disrupt the slug which eventually transforms into a cloud of droplets that fall on the ground below. Various concentrations and types of polymethyl methacrylate (PMM A) in diethylmalonate (DEM) were disseminated. The resultant average drop size for each trial was measured and shown to significantly increase with the addition of polymer. A correlation between average drop size and fluid viscosity was not observed. Both a relative relaxation time deduced from a simple die swell experiment and the first normal stress difference N₁correlated dissemination trials conducted at ambient temperatures. However, only the relative relaxation time correlation was consistent with breakup trials using heated fluids. Use of N₁, for predicting particle size from dissemination tests employing heated viscoelastic fluids can produce considerable error.     

Studies in early infant learning: Classical conditioning of the neonatal heart rate.

Three experiments demonstrated that human newborn heart rate level can be reliably modified through classical conditioning procedures. The theory of sensitization served as a frame of reference for Exps I and II, and drive reduction served for Exp III. In Exp I the delay, delay-trace, and control groups, with 10 2-day-old newborns in each, received 5 preconditioning trials of the CS alone, 16 conditioning trials with CS–UCS pairings differing for each group, and 5 extinction trials. Exp II was a replication of the 1st study and involved only the delay and delay-trace groups with 10 infants each. In both studies the delay group curves showed significant monophasic acceleratory responses during extinction. Results support the sensitization hypothesis (i.e., the CR occurring in the interstimulus interval was fashioned out of the response to the CS). In Exp III, the measure of conditioning was the response to the probe technique. 10 experimental Ss received preconditioning trials of nitrogen puff (UCS?) administered to the abdomen, followed by 10 CS–UCS? (500-Hz tone acetic acid) pairings with an interstimulus interval of 3 sec. 10 controls received the same design with a CS–UCS? interval of 40 sec. Analyses of the probe stimulus trials showed significant changes for the control group and none for the experimental group. The CS–UCS? pairings in the experimental group are interpreted as producing increased drive and adaptive damping of the heart rate response. Findings show that early learning may occur under a variety of conditions and that the results can be incorporated by different theories. (79 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A comparison of Anglo- and Mexican-American college students on locus of control.

Data from 47 Anglo and 47 Mexican-American college students matched for sex and socioeconomic background show that Mexican-American Ss scored significantly less external on the full Rotter Internal-External Control Scale and on 2 of the 5 dimensional categories (respect and luck and fate). Findings not only contradict the stereotype that Mexican-Americans are fatalistic but also suggest that their culture contributes to a greater perception of internal control. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)