Movement abnormalities and the progression of prodromal symptomatology in adolescents at risk for psychotic disorders.

The link between movement abnormalities and psychotic disorders is presumed to reflect common neural mechanisms that influence both motor functions and vulnerability to psychosis. The prodromal period leading to psychotic disorders represents both a viable point for intervention and a developmental period that, if studied, could shed light on etiology; however, no published studies have examined the temporal progression of this link. A group with high levels of prodromal symptomatology (i.e., adolescents with schizotypal personality disorder [SPD]; n = 42) and both psychiatric controls (with other personality disorders or conduct disorder [OD]; n = 30) and nonpsychiatric controls ([NC]; n = 49) were recruited. Videotapes of structured psychiatric interviews were coded for movement abnormalities by raters blind to participants' diagnostic status, and follow-up assessments were conducted 1 year later. Controlling for psychotropic medications, the authors found that adolescents with SPD exhibited significantly more motor abnormalities in the face and upper body than did OD and NC controls. At baseline, movement abnormalities were positively correlated with the severity of positive, negative, and total prodromal symptoms. Within the SPD group, baseline movement abnormalities predicted symptom severity 1 year later. Movement abnormalities represent an early risk indicator that may be predictive of later symptom severity and potentially of psychosis onset. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Solution‐Deposited Zinc Oxide and Zinc Oxide/Pentacene Bilayer Transistors: High Mobility n‐Channel,Ambipolar, and Nonvolatile Devices

A solution processed n‐channel zinc oxide (ZnO) field effect transistor (FET) was fabricated by simple dip coating and subsequent heat treatment of a zinc acetate film. The field effect mobility of electrons depends on ZnO grain size, controlled by changing the number of coatings and zinc acetate solution concentration. The highest electron mobility achieved by this method is 7.2 cm² V^?1 s^?1 with On/Off ratio of 70. This electron mobility is higher than for the most recently reported solution processed ZnO transistor. We also fabricated bilayer transistors where the first layer is ZnO, and the second layer is pentacene, a p‐channel organic which is deposited by thermal evaporation. By changing the ZnO grain size (or thickness) this type of bilayer transistor shows p‐channel, ambipolar and n‐channel behavior. For the ambipolar transistor, well balanced electron and hole mobilities are 7.6 × 10^?3 and 6.3 × 10^?3 cm² V^?1 s^?1 respectively. When the ZnO layer is very thin, the transistor shows p‐channel behavior with very high reversible hysteresis. The nonvolatile tuning function of this transistor was investigated.