Organochlorine Contaminants of Wintering Ducks Foraging on Detroit River Sediments

Organochlorine analysis was performed on carcasses of 13 diving ducks from a 1981 wintering population that foraged on contaminated sediments in the lower Detroit River. Mean total PCB concentrations were 10 mg/kg for seven lesser scaups (Aythya affinis), 11 mg/kg for three greater scaups (A. marila), and 7.6 mg/kg for three goldeneyes (Bucephala clangula). Highest mean levels of other residues were measured for hexachlorobenzene (1.7 mg/kg) in goldeneyes, and transnonachlor (0.33 mg/kg) and 4,4’-DDE (1.3 mg/kg) in greater scaup. Quantitative analysis of 72 PCB congeners also was applied to water, seston, sediment, benthie oligochaetes, and carp from the same site. Principal congeners in most of the samples included some of the more toxic and persistent PCBs. Results of a multivariate analysis indicated that ratios of more conservative to less conservative PCBs did not vary significantly among ducks (α = .05), but differed from those in carp, oligochaetes, and sediment. For the February through March period of fat mobilization, concentrations of total PCB in lipid were inversely correlated with percent lipid (r = 0.76) in ducks. The percentage of conservative PCBs increased slightly. The distribution and partitioning of organochlorines, including toxic PCB congeners, varied considerably within this water column-sediment-fauna ecosystem. Estimates of toxic exposure based on total PCB values may be unreliable.     

A Multinomial Model of Event-Based Prospective Memory.

Prospective memory is remembering to perform an action in the future. The authors introduce the 1st formal model of event-based prospective memory, namely, a multinomial model that includes 2 separate parameters related to prospective memory processes. The 1st measures preparatory attentional processes, and the 2nd measures retrospective memory processes. The model was validated in 4 experiments. Manipulations of instructions to place importance on either the prospective memory task or the background task (Experiments 1 and 2) and manipulations of distinctiveness of prospective memory targets (Experiment 2) had expected effects on model parameters, as did a manipulation of the difficulty of prospective memory target encoding (Experiments 3 and 4). An alternative model was also evaluated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A theory of reservation-dwelling American Indian alcohol use risk.

The authors present a theory for understanding risk for problem drinking among reservation-dwelling American Indians. The theory offers an overall framework for understanding the risk process for this group. It considers the distinction between factors that influence mean levels of American Indian problem drinking and factors that influence individual differences in American Indian drinking. It proposes important contextual differences between reservation-dwelling American Indians and Caucasians that may help explain the higher mean levels of American Indian problem drinking. The theory further holds that, within the high mean level of problem drinking characteristic of many American Indian reservations, individual differences in problem drinking can be explained by very similar personality and learning factors as those that influence problem-drinking levels for other ethnic groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcomes related to burn-related child abuse: a case series

Nationally, approximately 10% of child abuse cases involve burning, and up to 20% of pediatric burn admissions involve abuse or neglect. Historically, these cases have been more difficult to prosecute than nonburn cases for multiple reasons. Between 1995 and 1999, there were 285 pediatric (under 18) patients admitted to the Spectrum Health Regional Burn Center. Of these cases, 18 of the alleged perpetrators were legally investigated for suspicion of child abuse, and 7 received punitive sentences. We found that men tended to be prosecuted and convicted more often than women and that cases involving multiple instances of injury tended to be prosecuted more frequently. Similarly, we found that cases involving more severe injuries tended to be prosecuted more successfully. There are many psychological and social factors involved in handling burn abuse cases. However, by successful prosecution of these crimes, victims tend to fare better both socially and psychologically.     

Intensive filial therapy with child witnesses of domestic violence: A comparison with individual and sibling group play therapy.

The rationale for utilizing filial therapy as a treatment intervention with child witnesses of domestic violence while residing with their mothers in a shelter facility is explored and the effectiveness of an intensive 12-session filial therapy parent training group, conducted within 2-3 weeks, is described (n=11; aged 4-10 yrs). Results of analysis of covariance revealed that child witnesses in the experimental group significantly reduced behavior problems prevalent in child witnesses and significantly increased their self-concept as compared to child witnesses in the non-treatment comparison group. In addition, t-test results showed that mothers who facilitated treatment of the experimental group scored significantly higher after training on both their attitudes of acceptance and their empathic behavior. Comparative analysis revealed that intensive filial therapy as facilitated by the children's mothers was as effective in reducing behavior problems as was intensive individual play therapy and intensive sibling group play therapy as facilitated by professionally trained therapists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Flash-lamp annealing of semiconductor materials—Applications and process models

Flash-lamp annealing (FLA) on a millisecond time scale has been shown to be a promising tool in the preparation of high-quality semiconducting materials. The process imposes time varying through-thickness temperature profiles on the substrates being processed, and consequently thermal stresses. A combined thermal and optical model has been developed to predict the substrate temperature distribution and this model has been linked to a structural model to compute stresses and deflections. The paper shows how these models can be used to explore process conditions in flash lamp annealing, with particular regard to the annealing of ion implants in silicon and the crystallization of amorphous silicon layers on glass substrates.     

Effect of Pressure on Intermediate Valence States in Cerium Kondo Compounds

Electrical resistance, thermal expansion, lattice constants of the intermediate valence materials, α-Ce and CeBe13, were measured at high pressure. It is found that the Grttneisen parameters of Kondo temperature TK are 13 and 42 for α-Ce and CeBe13, respectively, and it decreases with increasing pressure. The magnetoresistance of α-Ce shows H^2 dependence and its coefficient increases with pressure below 1 GPa, but becomes nearly constant above 1 GPa. The results indicate that the intermediate valence states are enhanced at high pressure indicating the enhancement of hybridization between the 4f electron and conduction band.