Developing composite furnace module cooling systems

The composite furnace module cooling system is designed to provide an essentially uniform hot-face temperature that is low enough to promote the formation of a protective accretion layer for furnace containment. A minimal amount of copper is used to ensure that the installation of the modules will not significantly alter the process heat balance during normal operation. The modules have been successfully tested in both copper and nickel flash furnaces, and 11 demonstration modules are now in operation in WMC Resources’ Kalgoorlie nickel smelter. For more information, contact A.K. Kyllo, University of Melbourne, GK Williams CRC for Extractive Metallurgy, Swanston Street, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; telephone 61-3-9344-4675; fax 61-3-9344-4952; e-mail a.kyllo@chemeng.unimelb.edu.au.     

Implications of short-term retest effects for the interpretation of longitudinal change.

Although within-person comparisons allow direct assessments of change, some of the observed change may reflect effects associated with prior test experience rather than the processes of primary interest. One method that might allow retest effects to be distinguished from other influences of change involves comparing the pattern of results in a longitudinal study with those in a study with a very short retest interval. Three short-term retest studies with moderately large samples of adults are used to provide this type of reference information about the magnitude of change, test-retest correlations, reliabilities of change, and correlations of the change in different cognitive variables with each other, and with other types of variables. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Depression among acute spinal cord injury patients: A study utilizing the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale.

Administered the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SRDS) an average of 63 days post-injury to 58 acute spinal cord injury (SCI) patients (aged 18–55 yrs) and 51 age-matched healthy controls (CTLs). Mean SRDS scores were 37.1 for CTLs and 49.0 for SCI Ss. Several factors, including age, yrs of education, level of injury (paraplegic vs quadriplegic), etiology of injury (violent vs nonviolent), presence of acute closed head injury, or recent history of alcohol or substance abuse, had no association with SRDS scores. Since undiagnosed and untreated depression may compromise an SCI patient's adaptation to injury and motivation during rehabilitation, abnormally elevated SRDS scores may help to determine which patients might require more focused psychological assessment and treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Microbiological quality of water immersion-chilled and air-chilled broilers

Carcass chilling during broiler processing is a critical step in preventing growth of pathogenic and spoilage bacteria. The objective of this study was to compare the microbiological quality of air- and water-chilled broiler carcasses processed at the same commercial facility. For each of four replications, 15 broilers were collected from the same commercial processing line after evisceration, after spraying with cetylpyridinium chloride (a cationic disinfectant), and after air chilling or water immersion chilling (WIC). All carcasses were quantitatively examined for mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, coliforms, and Campylobacter as well as for the presence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were seen between air and water chilling for E. coli or coliforms or for the incidence of Salmonella and Campylobacter. Lower numbers of Campylobacter were recovered from WIC than from air-chilled carcasses (P < 0.05), but the incidence of Campylobacter on WIC carcasses was similar, suggesting that some Campylobacter organisms were injured rather than killed during WIC. In-line spraying with the disinfectant effectively decreased the incidence of Salmonella and Campylobacter on prechilled carcasses; however, cells presumably injured by the sanitizer recovered during chilling. Therefore, on-farm intervention strategies remain critically important in minimizing the spread of microbial contaminants during processing.     

Entorhinal cortex of aged subjects with Down''s syndrome shows severe neuronal loss caused by neurofibrillary pathology

OBJECTIVE: To examine directly the extent to which ICD-10 hyperkinetic disorder and DSM-IV attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) identify the same children with the same difficulties. METHOD: Participants were children referred for symptoms of overactivity, inattention, and impulsivity, and a normal control group. Diagnostic criteria for ICD-10 hyperkinetic disorder and DSM-IV ADHD were applied retrospectively. Four groups were identified: hyperkinetic disorder and ADHD (n = 21), ADHD only (n = 22), clinic control (n = 15), and normal control (n = 19). The groups were compared on measures reflecting the central characteristics of ADHD, neurodevelopmental functioning, academic and cognitive functioning, and the presence of conduct problems. RESULTS: There is some evidence of increased symptom severity in the combined diagnostic group. Few differences emerged on measures of neurodevelopmental, academic, and cognitive functioning. Rates of conduct disturbance were similar in both ADHD groups. CONCLUSIONS: DSM-IV criteria identify a broader group of children than those identified by ICD-10. However, there is substantial overlap between the groups formed with these different criteria.     

Glomerular endothelial cells synthesize collagens but little gelatinase A and B

Mesangial sclerosis is a major feature of progressive renal disease. The mesangium contains mesangial cells and is bounded by the peripheral glomerular basement membrane and endothelial cells. Mesangial cells synthesize and degrade extracellular matrix. Whereas both mesangial and endothelial cells synthesize extracellular matrix components, the degradative pathway, well studied in the former, has not been investigated in endothelial cells. This study examines lines of all three glomerular cell types derived from female B6SJLF1/J mice, as well as mRNA levels for collagens alpha1(I), alpha1(IV), alpha3 (IV), alpha5 (IV), and alpha1 (VI), laminin, tenascin, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9. Type I and IV collagen synthesis was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzyme activity was measured by zymography. It was found that glomerular endothelial cells are a significant source of collagens, laminin, and tenascin. However, they express only low levels of MMP-2 and no detectable MMP-9. Stimulation with exogenous transforming growth factor-beta1 leads to a significant increase in collagen I, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1, and MMP-9 in conditioned media. These data suggest that glomerular endothelial cells may play an active role in extracellular matrix remodeling in glomerular disease.     

Making research apply: High stakes public policy in a regulatory environment.

The experiences of 3 social psychologists asked to evaluate (and improve) a series of large-scale programs designed to change energy-related attitudes and behavior are described. The research generated significant change but also substantial conflict involving both the utility companies being evaluated and the state agency that commissioned the evaluation. This experience is reviewed with an eye to maximizing the usefulness of future efforts to apply social psychology in complex and potentially conflicted public policy arenas. The difference between influence and power models of applied research is discussed, and possible remedies are examined for social psychologists undertaking future research similar in scale, policy consequences, or potential controversy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)