How well does number of parents explain unique variance in self-reported drug use?

Data from an anonymous survey of 3,690 adolescents were used to assess how much of the unique variance in adolescents' self-reported drug use was accounted for by number of parents in comparison to the adolescents' sex, age, social class, and peer drug use. Multiple regression revealed that the contribution of number of parents was small and nonsignificant compared to peer use, student age, parental occupation and remarriage, student sex, and parental unemployment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cancer, emotions and mental illness: the present state of understanding

The authors review recent and current literature on the relationship between psychological factors and cancer. They discuss the roles of predisposing personality patterns and emotional stress in the development, site, and course of cancer; the influence of awareness of terminal illness on the behavior of cancer patients; and the management of psychiatric symptoms in these patients.     

Surface plasmon resonance: theoretical evolutionary design optimization for a model analyte sensitive absorbing-layer system

Surface plasmon resonance (SPR) has been widely used in a Kretschmann configuration to study optical thickness changes of layers on a Au surface in response to an analyte. The method has been popularized and optimized for protein layers, but has also been used in the same format for other layers without further optimization including those absorbing at the incident wavelength. In this paper, we examine whether SPR remains the "best"attenuated reflectivity format for absorbing overlayers. Experimental data from the SPR response of a copper phthalocyanine film to nitrogen dioxide are used as an input example for a design process using an evolutionary algorithm. The data showed a trend toward thinner gold layer systems ( approximately 25 nm gave an contrast-enhancement of 42.9% compared with approximately 50-nm Au) or Au-free solutions including a layer with low refractive index. From the evolutionary design predictions, further modification could be tested based on available materials and "redundant layers" could be eliminated from the final selection. By inclusion of the external optics, a design could be selected to accommodate poor precision (+/-0.5 degrees ) in the incident angle and a possible multilayer solution was shown using Teflon AF 1600, with refractive index approximately 1.3. The predicted NO(2) response showed an improvement compared with the classical SPR configuration, and the incident angle chosen by the SGA for the interrogation of these layers was close to a stationary point in the absolute response curve, thus offering very good tolerance to automatic position referencing to the reflectivity minimum.     

Evaluation of reliability and metallurgical integrity of wire bonds and lead free solder joints on flexible printed circuit board sample modules

This paper presents a study of the optimization of the gold plating thickness for the use of both wire bonding and soldered interconnects on a flexible printed circuit board sample module. Wire bondability is typically better, when the gold plating thickness is greater than 30 μin.; however, the risk of problems with solder joint embrittlement becomes a concern with thick gold plating. In order to better understand the effect of the gold plating thickness on wire bondability and solder joint embrittlement, an evaluation was performed on samples with three ranges of gold plating thicknesses (10–20 μin., 20–30 μin., and 30–45 μin.), on flexible printed circuit board (PCB), substrates. Mechanical shear testing and metallurgical analyses were conducted on chip component solder joints in this three thickness gold study. Thermal shock and drop testing were conducted to evaluate the reliability of the sample modules. Drop testing is especially critical for determining the reliability of the sample modules, which are used in portable consumer electronics products. Reliability testing and metallurgical analyses have been performed to characterize the effect of gold embrittlement on the mechanical integrity of the solder joints with a gold content ranging from 1 to 4 wt.%.     

The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study: design and methodology

PURPOSE: Organized interscholastic athletics are an integral part of the educational program at almost every school level. With this growing popularity of sports and their inclusion in more public school programs, it becomes increasingly apparent that additional consideration must be given to the injury problem associated with sport. The North Carolina High School Athletic Injury Study (NCHSAIS) was undertaken to identify patterns of injury among male and female athletes in North Carolina high schools participating in any of 12 sports. Specific aims are to measure the incidence, severity and etiology of injuries; to determine the relationship of demographic factors and protective equipment, exposure to play, and school characteristics to injuries; to study the relationship of coaches' training and experience to injury occurrence; and to compare the incidence and severity of injury among female and male athletes in the same or comparable sports. METHODS: A two-stage cluster sample of 100 high schools in North Carolina was selected for this 4-yr prospective study. RESULTS: Participation by the initial sample or a random replacement was achieved for 91 of the 100 schools. Nonresponse occurred at multiple levels of the sample for this study, and the weekly participation form posed the greatest respondent burden. CONCLUSIONS: The NCHSIAS offers a successful methodology for addressing sports injuries. In this paper we describe the design, methodology, and implementation issues that emerge in conducting a large scale epidemiological study in a population of high school athletes.     

Localization of telencephalic regions concerned with habituation of cardiac and ventilatory responses associated with arousal in the goldfish (Carassius auratus).

54 goldfish were presented with a light-on stimulus at 2-min intervals, and their cardiac and ventilatory responses were monitored. Normal Ss, Ss with sham operations for telencephalic lesions, and Ss with bilateral electrolytic lesions of the telencephalon (anterior commissural and posterior telencephalic groups) were compared for responsiveness and habituation to regularly presented stimuli. There was no evident difference in responsiveness between the 4 groups, although 3 Ss with lesions in the regions ventralis pars dorsalis and ventralis pars ventralis gave fright responses to novel stimuli. Lesions in posterior telencephalic regions dorsalis pars centralis and ventralis pars intermedialis and at the telencephalic/diencephalic border close to the habenula caused significant impairment of habituation. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)