Effect of trichloroethylene on the exploratory and locomotor activity of rats exposed during development

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a common contaminant of underground water supplies. To examine the effect of TCE on the developing central nervous system, rats were exposed to TCE throughout gestation until 21 days postpartum via their dams' drinking water. TCE concentrations of 312 mg/l, 625 mg/l and 1250 mg/l were tested. Exploratory behavior was higher in 60- and 90-day old male rats which were exposed to any level of TCE. The effect of TCE-exposure on locomotor activity (running wheel) was also examined in 60-day old males (625 and 1250 ppm exposure groups). Locomotor activity was significantly higher in rats exposed to 1250 ppm TCE. These data suggest that TCE has long-term effects on behaviour.     

The impact of cross-training on team effectiveness.

The authors examined the role of cross-training in developing shared team-interaction mental models, coordination, and performance in a 2-experiment study using computer simulation methodology (for Experiment 1, N=45 teams; for Experiment 2, N=49 teams). Similar findings emerged across the 2 experiments. First, cross-training enhanced the development of shared team-interaction models. Second, coordination mediated the relationship between shared mental models and team performance. However, there was some inconsistency in the findings concerning the depth of cross-training necessary for improving shared mental models. Results are discussed in terms of the impact of different levels of cross-training on team effectiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Telomeric fusions in cultured human fibroblasts as a source of genomic instability

Adrenal myelolipomas are rare benign tumours that may be identified on routine imaging studies. The association of myelolipomas with obesity, hypertension and malignant tumours has been reported. We describe a giant intra-adrenal myelolipoma in a 40-year-old woman that is the largest asymptomatic tumour of this type documented in the past 10 years. To avoid unnecessary and extensive treatment, the distinction of benign from malignant adrenal tumours or extra-medullary haematopoietic tumour is important, particularly when a small, inactive adrenal mass is found incidentally.     

Spheres and cylinders in parametric nonlinear optics

We show how crystals cut as spheres or cylinders lead to new approaches in the field of optical frequency conversion. This article is a review of our research dealing with the advantage of these curve geometries for the conception of new methods of optical characterization and new tunable parametric devices.     

Strategic information provision and experiential variety as tools for developing adaptive leadership skills.

The development of adaptability skills is critical for organizational success and survival, yet traditional training interventions are not sufficient to promote adaptive expertise. In this article, we summarize prior research on two training techniques that develop such expertise: experiential variety and strategic information provision in the form of instructions, performance feedback, and cognitive/behavioral guidance. Prior integrative reviews have described how these strategies can promote adaptability by fostering skills in cognitive frame-switching and flexibility. We extend these arguments in the present article by reviewing prior research that supports the use of experiential variety and strategic information provision as elements of an adaptability training strategy. We examine the use of these elements not only in formal training (which was the prime focus of prior reviews), but also in developmental work experiences and in self-development. Additionally, we include a more specific focus on developing cross-cultural adaptability skills through these training techniques. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Orientation of Organic Nanocrystals Grown in Sol–Gel Matrices under a High Magnetic Field

In order to obtain new optical properties, such as quadratic nonlinear optical or electro‐optical properties, we have undertaken the orientation control of organic nanocrystals during their growth in the pore of sol–gel matrices by applying a high magnetic field, H , of 16 T. H favors the dye aggregation and improves the crystalline quality of nanocrystals by reducing the orientation freedom of molecules and clusters through their diamagnetic susceptibility. When H is not applied, the NPP (N‐(4‐nitrophenyl)‐(L )‐prolinol) nanocrystals generate a weak second harmonic generation (SHG) intensity due to self‐oriented domains of nanocrystals induced by dipole–dipole interactions. In the case of 3‐methyl‐4‐nitropyridine‐1‐oxide (POM), which exhibits a very weak dipolar moment, no SHG signal can be detected. When H is applied, the SHG intensity of NPP nanocrystals increases significantly due to the reduction of their orientational freedom and the increase of dipole–dipole interactions, thus improving the formation of oriented domains of nanocrystals.     

Trait-based perspectives of leadership.

The trait-based perspective of leadership has a long but checkered history. Trait approaches dominated the initial decades of scientific leadership research. Later, they were disdained for their inability to offer clear distinctions between leaders and nonleaders and for their failure to account for situational variance in leadership behavior. Recently, driven by greater conceptual, methodological, and statistical sophistication, such approaches have again risen to prominence. However, their contributions are likely to remain limited unless leadership researchers who adopt this perspective address several fundamental issues. The author argues that combinations of traits and attributes, integrated in conceptually meaningful ways, are more likely to predict leadership than additive or independent contributions of several single traits. Furthermore, a defining core of these dominant leader trait patterns reflects a stable tendency to lead in different ways across disparate organizational domains. Finally, the author summarizes a multistage model that specifies some leader traits as having more distal influences on leadership processes and performance, whereas others have more proximal effects that are integrated with, and influenced by, situational parameters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conformational behaviour of C(alpha,alpha)-diphenylglycine: folded vs. extended structures in DphiG-containing tripeptides

BACKGROUND: Personality assessment may allow reliable measurement of risk of mood disorders. METHODS: A group of adults (804) representative of the general population were assessed by questionnaire. Personality types were measured by the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). RESULTS: Specific TCI configurations define personality types that can be described as hyperthymic, cyclothymic, irritable, and depressive. Each type had a unique profile of emotions, suicide attempts, and hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: TCI traits are associated with mood disorders. LIMITATIONS: Different ways of measuring Kraepelinean subtypes may disagree. Whether differences in personality cause psychopathology, or vice versa, remains uncertain. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Personality profiles help in assessing suicidality and planning treatment.     

Relationships between insulin resistance and lipoproteins in nondiabetic African Americans, Hispanics, and non-Hispanic whites: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study

The study purpose was to explore the association between dyslipidemia and insulin resistance in three ethnic groups. The Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study (IRAS) is a multicenter epidemiologic study conducted at four clinical centers in California, Texas, and Colorado. The study population for this analysis consisted of 931 non-Hispanic white, African American, and Hispanic men and women (aged 45 to 64 years) without diabetes. The IRAS clinical examinations included lipoprotein measures, a 75-g glucose tolerance test, and the frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance (FSIGT) test. The results show a consistent relationship between insulin-mediated glucose disposal and dyslipidemia in African American, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic white men and women. Further, LDL size was inversely associated with insulin resistance in all three ethnic groups. These findings indicate that dyslipidemia is a fundamental part of the insulin resistance syndrome in all of the ethnic groups studied.