Psychosocial outcomes of sex reassignment surgery.

Reviews research on sex-reassignment surgery. Investigations, all but a handful of which are preexperimental, are classified as prequantitative or quantitative. Data are evaluated in relation to methodological rigor, with special attention paid to the controversial Hopkins study reported by J. K. Meyer and D. J. Reter (see record 1981-01871-001), which found that sex reassignment conferred no advantage in terms of social rehabilitation. Approximately two-thirds of those undergoing sex-change procedures were improved at follow-up. Females-to-males enjoyed somewhat greater success than males-to-females, almost 10% of whom suffered a serious complication. The lack of control groups frustrates the effort to attribute either the improvement or the possible casualties to the surgical intervention. These conclusions are integrated with the findings of previous reviews based on the disproportionately case historical pre-1980 data. (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The course on individual mental assessment: A national survey of course instructors.

Information concerning coursework on individual mental assessment was obtained through a survey of 49 course instructors selected throughout the US. It was found that the course typically provides 3 credit hours at the graduate level and is taught by persons holding doctoral degrees, assisted by a teaching assistant. An average of 20 students take the course each year. Courses in tests and measurement and introductory statistics are common prerequisites. The assessment tests emphasized most heavily are the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised (WISC—R), the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), and the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale. Topics most strongly featured in the course include test administration, scoring, interpretation, and reporting. J. M. Sattler's (1982) Assessment of Children's Intelligence and Special Abilities is the most widely used textbook. (9 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Generalized Parallel Signature Analyzers with External Exclusive-OR Gates

A new generalized parallel signature analyzer with external Exclusive-OR gates(GPSA-EE)ispresented.It allows the signature analyzer to have twice the number of inputs compared with an originalparallel signature analyzer.The equivalence between a GPSA-EE and an SSA-EE(serial signatureanalyzer)is established.Using the concept of multiple signatures,the error detection capability of signatureanalyzer can be enhanced by changing the connection between signature analyzer and circuit-under-test,or changing the characteristic polynomial p(x)of signature analyzer.     

Processing of Piezocomposites by Fused Deposition Technique

Piezoelectric ceramic/polymer composites were made by a fused deposition (FD) technique, which is a solid-freeform fabrication (or layered manufacturing) technique where three-dimensional (3-D) objects are built layer by layer from a computer-aided design (CAD) file on a computer-controlled fixtureless platform. Indirect and direct FD methods were used to fabricate lead zirconate titanate (PZT)/polymer composites. For the indirect method, a CAD file for the negative image of the final part was created. A polymer mold was made via FD using a thermoplastic filament, and composite formation was completed via a lost mold technique. In the direct FD method, a thermoplastic polymeric filament that was filled with 50–55 vol% of PZT powder was used to form a positive image of the desired structure. Three-dimensional honeycomb ("3-D honeycomb") composites and "ladder" composites with 3-3 connectivity, which were formed via the FD technique, showed excellent electromechanical properties for transducer applications. In addition, the FD technique showed the ability to form composites with controlled phase periodicity, various volume fractions, and a variety of microstructures and macrostructures that are not possible with traditional composite-forming techniques.     

Etiological Contributions to Heavy Drinking From Late Adolescence to Young Adulthood.

The authors examined genetic and environmental contributions to stability and change in heavy drinking from late adolescence to young adulthood in a sample of 1,152 twin pairs. In men, heavy drinking was similarly heritable at ages 17 (h2 = .57) and 20 (h2 = .39), and its stability owed primarily to common genetic factors. In women, heavy drinking was less heritable than in men at ages 17 (h2 = .18) and 20 (h2 = .30) and its stability was primarily due to enduring shared environmental influences. P3 amplitude, an event-related brain potential marker of alcoholism risk, was less predictive of heavy drinking in women than in men, providing further support for the proposition that biological factors have less impact on heavy drinking in young adult women than in young adult men. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conditional stimulus probability and activity of hippocampal, cingulate cortical, and limbic thalamic neurons during avoidance conditioning in rabbits.

Multi-unit and field potential responses in the anterior (AC) and posterior cingulate cortices (PC), dentate gyrus (DG), and anterior ventral (AV) and medial dorsal (MD) thalamic nuclei of rabbits were recorded during acquisition and performance of a locomotor conditioned response (CR). The CR, stepping in an activity wheel in response to a tone (conditioned stimulus [CS+]), prevented the occurrence of a shock unconditioned stimulus (UCS) scheduled 5 sec after CS+ onset. Ss also learned to ignore a different tone (CS–), not predictive of the UCS. Training was given daily until behavioral discrimination reached criterion. After criterion, asymmetric probability (AP) sessions were given that were the same as the conditioning session except for probability manipulation. A significant discriminative response developed in all regions during behavioral acquisition. The unit response in the AP session was enhanced in all areas by rare presentation of the CS–, compared with the equal and frequent CS– conditions. Rare presentation of the CS+ enhanced the unit response in the AC, PC, and DG, but it suppressed the firing of AV and MD neurons. Rare CS+ presentations did not alter AV and PC neuronal activity in Ss with subicular lesions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Doublecortin May Play a Role in Defining Chondrocyte Phenotype

Embryonic development of articular cartilage has not been well understood and the role of doublecortin (DCX) in determination of chondrocyte phenotype is unknown. Here, we use a DCX promoter-driven eGFP reporter mouse model to study the dynamic gene expression profiles in mouse embryonic handplates at E12.5 to E13.5 when the condensed mesenchymal cells differentiate into either endochondral chondrocytes or joint interzone cells. Illumina microarray analysis identified a variety of genes that were expressed differentially in the different regions of mouse handplate. The unique expression patterns of many genes were revealed. Cytl1 and 3110032G18RIK were highly expressed in the proximal region of E12.5 handplate and the carpal region of E13.5 handplate, whereas Olfr538, Kctd15, and Cited1 were highly expressed in the distal region of E12.5 and the metacarpal region of E13.5 handplates. There was an increasing gradient of Hrc expression in the proximal to distal direction in E13.5 handplate. Furthermore, when human DCX protein was expressed in human adipose stem cells, collagen II was decreased while aggrecan, matrilin 2, and GDF5 were increased during the 14-day pellet culture. These findings suggest that DCX may play a role in defining chondrocyte phenotype.     

Suppression of dislocations by Sb spray in the vicinity of InAs/GaAs quantum dots

The effect of Sb spray prior to the capping of a GaAs layer on the structure and properties of InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is studied by cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Compared to the typical GaAs-capped InAs/GaAs QDs, Sb-sprayed QDs display a more uniform lens shape with a thickness of about 3 ~ 4 nm rather than the pyramidal shape of the non-Sb-sprayed QDs. Particularly, the dislocations were observed to be passivated in the InAs/GaAs interface region and even be suppressed to a large extent. There are almost no extended dislocations in the immediate vicinity of the QDs. This result is most likely related to the formation of graded GaAsSb immediately adjacent to the InAs QDs that provides strain relief for the dot/capping layer lattice mismatch.

PACS

81.05.Ea; 81.07.-b; 81.07.Ta