Evaluation of the original Ontario Child Health Study scales

This article presents evaluative information on the use of the original Ontario Child Health Study scales to serve as original-level measures of conduct disorder, hyperactivity and emotional disorder among children in the general (non clinic) population. Problem checklist assessments were obtained from parents and teachers of children aged six to 16 and youth aged 12 to 16 drawn from a general population (n = 1,751); and a mental health clinic sample (n = 1,027) in the same industrialized, urban setting. The results showed that the original OCHS scales possess adequate psychometric properties to be used as original-level measures of disorder. Correlations between individual items and their hypothesized scales were very strong, indicating convergent validity, while correlations between the same items and other (non hypothesized) scales were lower, indicating discriminant validity. Item analyses indicated that individual scale items possess both convergent and discriminant validity. Although the scales were skewed to the positive end of the continuum, they demonstrated good internal consistency (all estimates > or = 0.74) and test-retest (all estimates > or = 0.65) reliability. Finally, three different validity analyses confirmed hypotheses about how the original OCHS scales should perform if they provide useful measures of disorder.     

A longitudinal study of noncustodial parents: Parents without children.

Reports the results of a 3-wave longitudinal study of a sizable, regionally representative sample of both noncustodial and custodial parents interviewed initially before their divorce was final. A model was tested that predicted the noncustodial parent's postdivorce contact with the child and the payment of child support from a series of factors related to a social exchange orientation. This orientation highlights the noncustodial parent's implicit calculation of the rewards vs the costs of continuing involvement and support of the child. It was found that noninvolvement was, in general, well-predicted, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally, by the model. The most powerful factor in the model was the noncustodial parent's perception that he or she had some control over the child's upbringing. Among fully employed noncustodial parents who reported high perceived control, there was an excellent record of involvement and child support payment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Life stress and lymphocyte alterations among patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Studied the relation between life stress and immune parameters for 33 30–70 yr old female rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients interviewed during 3 routine monthly clinic checkups. Life stress from major and minor events, coping efficacy, and self-reported psychological distress were assessed, and immunofluorescence of T-cells and B-cells was performed on the blood drawn during each visit. Small stressful events were positively related to the proportion of circulating B-cells, psychological distress was inversely related to proportion of circulating T-cells, and major life events were associated with lower T-helper/T-suppressor cell ratios. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Motivational and associative aspects of mild depression in skill and chance tasks.

In Exp I, the levels of aspiration and expectancies for success of 281 mildly depressed and nondepressed college students on a skill and chance task were studied. The 2 groups did not differ in expectations for success, but depressed Ss displayed elevated levels of aspiration, particularly for the skill task. Exp II, with 120 college students, tested the prediction, based on an attainment discrepancy model, that increases in expectancy for success would be a function of the interaction of performance level and the skill–chance nature of a task for mildly depressed Ss but not for nondepressed Ss. Comparisons of increases in expectancy for success following average and superior performance support this prediction. The prediction that locus of control (Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale) and depression (Beck Depression Inventory) would not be significantly correlated was also confirmed. Results indicate that the level of aspiration of mildly depressed persons may be particularly elevated in skill tasks, resulting in the perception of average performance in such tasks as unsuccessful. (48 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Across the Secretary's Desk: Sample of Outgoing Mail.

In February, the Executive Secretary hit upon a new and to him a nicely adaptive mechanism for meeting the constantly felt need to let American Psychological Association (APA) members know at least as much as they want to about the operation of their Central Office. He asked the professional staff of the Central Office to look through copies of the last month's correspondence from the Secretary's Audograph to see if they could find material that was (a) of at least mild potential interest to a number of APA members, (b) illustrative of some facet of APA functioning, (c) free of any threat to the privacy of the recipient, and (d) at least moderately literate. Each member of the staff found some material which he was willing, under pressure, to mark as meeting the above criteria. Though the level of reliability was nothing to brag about, the process, abetted by some editorial license, resulted in the following array of sentences and paragraphs from the Executive Secretary's outgoing correspondence for a month or so early in 1955. Each item is reproduced in this article with the permission of its recipient. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Solution structure of the origin DNA-binding domain of SV40 T-antigen

The structure of the domain from simian virus 40 (SV40) large T-antigen that binds to the SV40 origin of DNA replication (T-ag-OBD131-260) has been determined by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The overall fold, consisting of a central five-stranded antiparallel beta-sheet flanked by two alpha-helices on one side and one alpha-helix and one 3(10)-helix on the other, is a new one. Previous mutational analyses have identified two elements, termed A (approximately 152-155) and B2 (203-207), as essential for origin-specific recognition. These elements form two closely juxtaposed loops that define a continuous surface on the protein. The addition of a duplex oligonucleotide containing the origin recognition pentanucleotide GAGGC induces chemical shift changes and slows amide proton exchange in resonances from this region, indicating that this surface directly contacts the DNA.     

Conflict structure moderates associations between cardiovascular reactivity and negative marital interaction.

This study examined the role of marital conflict structure--who desires and requests change versus who responds to the change request--in spouses' cardiovascular responses to marital interactions. Forty-one couples discussed 2 marital topics: one in which the wife desired change in the husband, and one in which the husband desired change in the wife. Cardiovascular responses were assessed at 2-min intervals. Results indicated that marital conflict structure moderates cardiovascular reactivity during negative marital interactions: Husbands and wives whose interactions were characterized by high levels of negative behavior showed the most pronounced diastolic blood pressure reactivity, but only when they were in the role of desiring change in their spouses. Implications for gender differences in marital conflict physiology are considered. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Creep and rupture of an ods alloy with high stress rupture ductility

The creep and stress rupture properties of an oxide (Y₂O₃) dispersion strengthened nickel-base alloy, which also is strengthened by γ′ precipitates, was studied at 760 °C and 1093 °C. At both temperatures the alloy YDNiCrAl exhibits unusually high stress rupture ductility as measured by both elongation and reduction in area. Failure was transgranular, and different modes of failure were observed including crystallographic fracture at intermediate temperatures and tearing or necking almost to a chisel point at higher temperatures. While the rupture ductility was high, the creep strength of the alloy was low relative to conventional γ′ strengthened superalloys in the intermediate temperature range and to ODS alloys in the higher temperature range. These findings are discussed with respect to the alloy composition; the strengthening oxide phases, which are inhomogeneously dispersed; the grain morphology, which is coarse and elongated and exhibits many included grains; and the second phase inclusion particles occurring at grain boundaries and in the matrix. The creep properties, in particular the high stress dependencies and high creep activation energies measured, are discussed with respect to the resisting stress model of creep in particle strengthened alloys. RICHARD M. ARONS, formerly a Graduate Student at Columbia University     

Oscillating cascade unsteady aerodynamics including separated flow effects

A mathematical model is developed to predict the effect of flow separation on the unsteady aerodynamic lift and moment acting on a two-dimensional flat plate cascade which is harmonically oscillating in a subsonic flow field. The unsteady flow is considered to be a small perturbation to the uniform steady flow, with the steady flow assumed to separate at a specified fixed position on the airfoil suction surface. This formulation does not require the difference in the upwash velocity across the airfoil in the separated flow region to be determined before calculating the unsteady pressure difference across the chordline of the airfoils, thereby eliminating the assumption that the upwash difference is zero at the trailing edge when the steady flow is separated. Results obtained demonstrate that although flow separation decreases bending mode stability, it does not result in bending mode flutter. However, flow separation can result in torsion mode flutter, with this instability being a function of the location of both the separation point and the elastic axis.     

Radiation enteritis following radiotherapy for prostatic carcinoma

Two cases of radiation enteritis and small bowel obstruction are reported following supervoltage radiation therapy for carcinoma of the prostate. The mechanisms of radiation injury to the small bowel and contributing factors are discussed. It is suggested that lymph node staging procedures for carcinoma of the prostate be done extraperitoneally in order to avoid the enhanced sensitivity of small bowel to radiation injury following transperitoneal procedures.