Assessment of organic brain damage by psychological tests.

Approaches to the diagnosis of organic brain damage reflect diverse concepts of the nature of brain damage and of its behavioral effects. The principal approaches incorporated in published tests and research include diagnostic signs, single variable tests, scatter patterns, and qualitative techniques. A few investigators have used multiple variable batteries. Problems of selection of Ss and neurophysiological considerations are emphasized in the review. Although most tests were designed on the assumption of a unitary concept of organicity, the evidence supports the conclusion that brain damage is a multi-dimensional concept. A sequential multivariate measurement approach, including accurate neurological data, is required. Factors other than brain damage may influence the behavior of brain damaged persons. (75 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Factor-analytic study of performance on the Bender-Gestalt.

Investigated the relationship between personality and performance on the Bender-Gestalt. 106 undergraduates were given the 16 PF, the Guilford-Zimmerman Spatial Orientation and Spatial Visualization Tests, and the Bender-Gestalt. The Bender-Gestalt records were scored by the Pascal and Suttell scoring system. 2 factor analyses were done: 1 analyzing each design and 1 analyzing 5 scoring categories. Both analyses revealed that personality characteristics were related to Bender performance and that the Bender was not measuring a unitary dimension of behavior. (17 ref.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Low temperature thermal expansion of barium ferrite

The linear thermal expansion of polycrystalline barium ferrite, BaFe₁₂O₁₉, was measured from 76 to 293 K both parallel and perpendicular to the magnetization direction. An anisotropy of about 15–20% was observed. The results match well with the available data above room temperature and have also been extrapolated to O K.     

Assessment of marital satisfaction and interaction.

Assessed the discriminant and criterion-related validity of 2 questionnaire measures of marital satisfaction (the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Scale and Stuart's Marital Precounseling Inventory), as well as the discriminant and criterion-related validity and stability and perceived reactivity of a system for observation of marital interaction in the home. Seven dissatisfied and 6 satisfied couples were administered a marital satisfaction questionnaire, and each couple was observed in their home for 3 ?-hr periods by 2 trained observers. Analysis of the data suggests that there was (a) a high level of stability and discriminant validity for several behavior codes, (b) discriminant validity for the questionnaires, and (c) a moderate degree of self-reported reactivity to the observation process. (5 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Aggressive Chemical Mimicry by the Bolas Spider Mastophora hutchinsoni: Identification and Quantification of a Major Prey's Sex Pheromone Components in the Spider's Volatile Emissions

The adult female bolas spider Mastophora hutchinsoni feeds exclusively on attracted males of a few moth species. This exclusivity and the behavior of the approaching moths suggest that the spider aggressively mimics the sex pheromones of its prey species. Males of the bristly cutworm, Lacinipolia renigera, are a major prey of this spider, accounting for about two thirds of the biomass of prey consumed. Female bristly cutworms produce a pheromone blend consisting of (Z)-9-tetradecenyl acetate (Z9–14 : Ac) and (Z,E)-9,12-tetradecenyl acetate (ZE-9,12–14 : Ac). To determine if M. hutchinsoni females mimic the sex pheromone components and blend ratio of L. renigera, we collected volatiles from hunting adult female spiders and analyzed them with gas chromatography–electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). GC-EAD analysis of volatile collections, using a male bristly cutworm antenna as the detector and two capillary columns of different polarities, revealed the presence of peaks with retention times (R _ts) identical to Z9–14 : Ac and ZE-9,12– 14 : Ac. The mass spectrum of a peak with R _t of Z9–14 : Ac was identical to the mass spectrum of the synthetic equivalent. There was an insufficient quantity of the compound with R _t of ZE-9,12–14 : Ac to get a full spectrum, but selective detection of ions at m/z 61 and 192 at the correct R _t supported the identification. On average, the blend collected from spiders contained 54.8 ± 20.8 (SE) pg/min of Z9–14 : Ac and 2.5 ± 1.7 (SE) pg/min of ZE-9,12–14 : Ac. The latter, on average, comprised 2.6 ± 0.7% of the total, which is similar to the blend ratio emitted by bristly cutworm females. Our results indicate that the adult female M. hutchinsoni produces an allomone blend that mimics not only the composition, but also the blend ratio, of the sex pheromone of a major prey species.     

Electrochemical measurement of endogenous serotonin release from human blood platelets

Platelet aggregation in the bloodstream is tightly associated with the secretory function of platelets based on several types of cytoplasmic secretory granules, each sequestering distinct chemical messenger species. Dense-body granules are one prominent type of secretory granule responsible for storing small molecule chemical messengers. Upon platelet activation, the timely and rapid release of these small molecules is critical in facilitating platelet aggregation. Therefore, techniques capable of measuring real-time granule content release are needed to understand the fundamental properties of platelet secretion and aggregation. Existing techniques lack adequate time resolution or require potentially toxic exogenous reagents for real-time measurement of granule content release. Herein, we demonstrate a label-free electrochemical method based on the endogenous electroactive chemical messenger serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine or 5-HT) for the real-time measurement of dense-body granule secretion from platelet suspensions; fast-scan cyclic voltammetry (FSCV) using carbon-fiber microelectrodes was chosen on the basis of its excellent temporal resolution, high sensitivity, and the ability to provide the electrochemical signature cyclic voltammograms for molecular identification. Real-time serotonin release from thrombin-stimulated human platelet suspensions was successfully measured, and the amount and time course of the bulk serotonin release were found to agree well with data obtained from single platelet measurements, thus confirming accurate characterization of granular secretion. Furthermore, this electrochemical method was applied to study the stimulation-secretion coupling in platelets, serotonin storage and release dynamics with applied pharmacological agents, and chemical messenger storage deficiency in Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome (HPS) platelets, and the potential of this method to reveal secretion behavior in both normal and diseased platelets has clearly been demonstrated.