Comparison of Hispanic Children With and Without Limited English Proficiency on the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test.

Hispanic children with (n=148) and without (n=148) limited English proficiency were given the Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT; J. A. Naglieri. 1997a) and the Stanford Achievement Test-9th edition (SAT-9: 1995). The groups were selected from the NNAT standardization sample (N=22.620) and matched on geographic region, gender, socioeconomic status, urbanicity. and ethnicity. There was a very small difference (d ratio=0.1) between the NNAT standard scores for the children with limited English proficiency (M - 98.0) and those without limited English proficiency (M=96.7). The NNAT correlated moderately and similarly with achievement for the 2 groups. The sample of children with limited English proficiency earned considerably lower scores on SAT-9 Reading and Verbal subtests. Results suggest that the NNAT may be useful for the assessment of Hispanic children with and without limited English proficiency. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Ionic transport in lipid bilayer membranes

The current-voltage relationships of model bilayer membranes have been measured in various phospholipid systems, under the influence of both a gradient of potential and an ionic concentration, in order to describe the ion translocation through hydrated transient defects (water channels) across the bilayer formed because of lipid structure fluctuations and induced by temperature. The results have been analyzed in the light of a statistical rate theory for the transport process across a lipid bilayer, recently proposed by Skinner et al. (1993). In order to take into account the observed I-V curves and in particular the deviation from an ohmic behavior observed at high potential values, the original model has been modified, and a new version has been proposed by introducing an additional kinetic process. In this way, a very good agreement with the experimental values has been obtained for all of the systems we have investigated (dimyristoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine bilayers and mixed systems composed by dimyristoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine/dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine mixtures and dimyristoylphosphatidyl ethanolamine/phosphatidic acid dipalmitoyl mixtures). The rate constants governing the reactions at the bilayer interfaces have been evaluated for K+ and Cl- ions, as a function of temperature, from 5 to 35 degrees C and bulk ionic concentrations from 0.02 to 0.2 M. Finally, a comparison between the original model of Skinner and the modified version is presented, and the advantages of this new formulation are briefly discussed.     

Preparation and mechanical characterization of dense and porous zirconia produced by gel casting with gelatin as a gelling agent

A modified gel casting procedure based on a natural gelatin for food industry and commercial polyethylene spheres as pore formers was successfully exploited to produce dense and porous ceramic bodies made of yttria stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (Y-TZP). Vickers and Knoop microhardness, elastic modulus and fracture toughness measurements on dense samples obtained by experimental investigation closely matched results found in the literature for similar materials. However, after a careful analysis of obtained results, no indentation size effect and a lower scattering of experimental data from low load indentations were observed, in comparison with literature.     

IQ: Knowns and unknowns, hits and misses.

Questions the U. Neisser et al (see record 83-26553) task force report's emphasis on alternatives to traditional IQ tests that have not been put in a usable form for practicing psychologists. The author presents 3 important research efforts overlooked by the APA Task Force on Intelligence Report: (1) the Kaufman Assessment Battery Children (K-ABC) and Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test; (2) the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Abilities—Revised; and (3) the Cognitive Assessment System. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The structure and organization of the human carnitine/acylcarnitine translocase (CACT1) gene2

One hundred and eighty-one families with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A (MEN-2A) or familial medullary thyroid carcinoma (FMTC) have been investigated for mutations in the ret protooncogene in Germany. In 8 families with FMTC or MEN-2A, no mutation could be detected in the cysteine-rich domain encoded in exons 10 and 11 of the ret protooncogene. DNA sequencing of additional exons (no. 13-15) revealed rare noncysteine mutations in 3 families (codons 631, 768, and 844). In contrast to these rare events, heterozygous missense mutations in exon 13, codons 790 and 791, were found in 5 families (4 with MTC only; 1 family with MTC and pheochromocytoma) and 11 patients with apparently sporadic tumors. Two different mutations in codon 790 (TTG-->TTT, TTG-->TTC; Leu790Phe) and one mutation in codon 791 (TAT-->TTT; Tyr791Phe) created a phenylalanine residue. We conclude that codons 790 and 791 of the ret protooncogene represent a new hot spot for FMTC/MEN-2A causing mutations. With the discovery of these considerably common mutations in codons 790 and 791 and the identification of some rare mutations, 100% of the German FMTC/MEN-2A families could be characterized by a mutation in the ret protooncogene.     

Gender differences in planning, attention, simultaneous, and successive (PASS) cognitive processes.

Gender differences on academic and intelligence tests have been the focus of a large body of literature that has often left basic questions unanswered. Recently, researchers have suggested that sex-related differences be examined from a theoretical view of ability related to neurological models of cognitive functioning. This study applied the PASS cognitive processing model, based on the neuropsychological work of A. R. Luria (1973), to the study of gender differences for 3 samples of boys and girls. Girls significantly outperformed boys on attention tasks at Grade 3 (n?=?67) and on planning tests at Grade 6 (n?=?66). These findings suggest that the PASS model offers a viable approach to the conceptualiztion of cognitive processes that may prove especially useful in understanding sex-related differences in cognitive and academic performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mathematics instruction and PASS cognitive processes: an intervention study

By using two microelectrode voltage clamp technique, the effects of "ischemia" and lysophosphatidylcholine (LPC), a main toxic metabolite in acute ischemic myocardium, on pacemaker current I(f) were examined in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers. After perfusion with ischemia-like solution for 15, 30 and 60 min, the amplitude of I(f) current was decreased at all membrane potential levels between -60 mV (-) -120 mV (n = 5, P < 0.05), both the activation time and half activation time reaching a steady state value were prolongated (n = 5, P < 0.05), with a result of shifting activation curve of I(f) to a more hyperpolarizing level. In normal Tyrode solution, the amplitudes of I(f) at all measured potential levels were decreased significantly by LPC 2 x 10(-5) mol/L (n = 10, P < 0.05); the steady-state activation curve of I(f) was shifted to a more hyperpolarizing level but the activation time and half activation time to a steady-state value were not changed. When 2 x 10(-5) mol/L LPC was added to the solution after 30 min "ischemia", the amplitude of I(f) decreased significantly at all measured membrane potentials and further more for another 15 min (n = 10, P < 0.05). This suggests that ischemic metabolite LPC may have an inhibitory effect on the normal pacemaker activity of ventricle. Ischemic-like condition could aggravate the suppression of LPC without inducing abnormal strengthening of normal automatic rhythmic activity that might lead to ventricular tachyarrhythmia.     

Construct Validity of the PASS Theory and CAS: Correlations With Achievement.

The relationship among Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS) processing scores of the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) and the Woodcock-Johnson Revised Tests of Achievement (WJ-R) were examined with a sample of 1,559 students aged 5-17 years. Participants were part of the CAS standardization sample and closely represented the U.S. population on a number of important demographic variables. Pearson product-moment correlation between CAS Full Scale and the WJ-R Skills cluster was .71 for the Standard and .70 for the Basic CAS Battery scores, providing evidence for the construct validity of the CAS. The CAS correlated with achievement as well if not better than tests of general intelligence. The amount of variance in the WJ-R scores the CAS accounted for increased with age between 5- to 13-year-olds. The 4 PASS scale scores cumulatively accounted for slightly more of the WJ-R variance than the CAS Full Scale score. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)