Parental language and verbal responsiveness to children in crowded homes.

This article is a secondary data analysis of the University of Kansas Language Acquisition Project, which intensively studied, on a regular basis, parent and child language from age 6 months to 30 months. The association between residential density and parent–child speech was examined. Parents in crowded homes speak in less complex, sophisticated ways with their children compared with parents in uncrowded homes, and this association is mediated by parental responsiveness. Parents in more crowded homes are less verbally responsive to their children. This in turn accounts for their simpler, less sophisticated speech to their children. This mediational pathway is evident with statistical controls for socioeconomic status. This model may help explain prior findings showing a link between residential crowding and delayed cognitive development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Student reactions to topics in general psychology.

"Two hundred students in four general psychology classes were asked to rank 16 topics on five dimensions. The topics used on the ranking sheets were the 16 chapter titles in Ruch's "Psychology and life," the textbook used in the general psychology course… . The five dimensions along which the chapters were ranked were Interest, New Information, Organization (preferred order of topics), Ease of Understanding, and Usefulness (in everyday life)." Results are presented in two tables and discussed. "The five dimensions themselves were ranked in importance by Ss as follows: (1) Usefulness; (2) Interest; (3) Ease of Understanding; (4) Organization; and (5) New Information." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Improvement of measurement precision of SPME-GC/MS determination of tributyltin using isotope dilution calibration

A unique approach was developed to improve the precision of quantification of tributyltin (TBT) in sedimentsby solid phase microextraction (SPME) using isotope dilution GC/MS. The precision of the analytical technique was initially evaluated using standard calibration solutions. In selective ion monitoring (SIM) mode, the relative standard deviation (RSD) obtained for TBT based on peak area response was 18% (n = 11). When an internal standard, tripropyltin (TPrT), was used, the RSD decreased to 12%. A significant improvement in the precision using SPME was noted when a 117Sn-enriched TBT spike was employed; the RSD decreased 4-fold to 3%. Detection limits of 0.2 and 20 ng(Sn) L(-1) were achieved with SPME sampling and liquid-liquid extraction, respectively. Six analyses were performed for determination of TBT in PACS-2 sediment Certified Reference Material using both standard additions and isotope dilution procedures. For the latter, a 117Sn-enriched TBT spike was used. A concentration of 0.88 +/- 0.03 microg g(-1) (RSD 3.4%) obtained using standard additions was in good agreement with the certified value of 0.98 +/- 0.13 microg g(-1) as tin. Concentrations found using isotope dilution were 0.895 +/- 0.015 microg g(-1) (RSD 1.73%) as tin and 0.874 +/- 0.014 microg g(-1) (RSD 1.66%) as tin using a liquid-liquid extraction and SPME sampling, respectively. A 2-fold improvement in the precision of TBT concentration measurement using isotope dilution was clearly achieved, demonstrating its superiority in providing more accurate and precise results as compared to the method of standard additions. The isotope dilution technique eliminated the problem of poor reproducibility, which typically plagues SPME.     

Statistical process control application to weld process

A statistical weld process monitoring system is described. Using data collected while welding, the welding statistical process control (SPC) tool provides weld process quality control by implementing techniques of data trending analysis, tolerance analysis, and sequential analysis. The SPC system computes the mean, standard deviation, and range of each of the parameters sampled by the data collection system. Changes in the mean, standard deviation, and range are displayed using control (or trend) charts. The control chart displays a function of a parameter with respect to the ordering of the weld records (for a single weld) or weld number (for multiple welds). The SPC tool also permits plotting tolerance charts of the mean, standard deviation, and range for each of the sampled parameters. The tolerance chart is plotted versus the record number (or weld number) and consists of a vertical line for each record (or weld number) showing the minimum and maximum value of that parameter for that record (or weld number). The upper control limit (UCL), lower control limit (LCL), and nominal value may also be displayed on the tolerance chart printout. The SPC also performs sequential analysis, which allows the user to examine the process as it goes along, which in turn may permit the user to locate a possible change in the process before it goes out of control. Work directed toward developing an expert interpreter of the voluminous statistical output generated by the SPC is also described