The effects of widowhood on physical and mental health, health behaviors, and health outcomes: The Women's Health Initiative.

This study examined whether widowhood was associated with physical and mental health, health behaviors, and health outcomes using a cross-sectional (N=72,247) and prospective (N=55,724) design in women aged 50-79 years participating in the Women's Health Initiative observational study (85.4% White). At baseline, married women reported better physical and mental health and generally better health behaviors than widowed women. Whereas women who remained married over the 3-year period showed stability in mental health, recent widows experienced marked impairments and longer term widows showed stability or slight improvements. Both groups of widows reported more unintentional weight loss over the 3-year period. Changes in physical health and health behaviors were inconsistent, with generally small effect sizes. Findings underscore the resilience of older women and their capacity to reestablish connections, but point to the need for services that strengthen social support among women who have difficulty during this transition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Outcomes related to burn-related child abuse: a case series

Nationally, approximately 10% of child abuse cases involve burning, and up to 20% of pediatric burn admissions involve abuse or neglect. Historically, these cases have been more difficult to prosecute than nonburn cases for multiple reasons. Between 1995 and 1999, there were 285 pediatric (under 18) patients admitted to the Spectrum Health Regional Burn Center. Of these cases, 18 of the alleged perpetrators were legally investigated for suspicion of child abuse, and 7 received punitive sentences. We found that men tended to be prosecuted and convicted more often than women and that cases involving multiple instances of injury tended to be prosecuted more frequently. Similarly, we found that cases involving more severe injuries tended to be prosecuted more successfully. There are many psychological and social factors involved in handling burn abuse cases. However, by successful prosecution of these crimes, victims tend to fare better both socially and psychologically.     

Personality similarity in twins reared apart and together.

We administered the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) to 217 monozygotic and 114 dizygotic reared-together adult twin pairs and 44 monozygotic reared-apart adult twin pairs. A four-parameter biometric model (incorporating genetic, additive versus nonadditive, shared family-environment, and unshared environment components) and five reduced models were fitted through maximum-likelihood techniques to data obtained with the 11 primary MPQ scales and its 3 higher order scales. Solely environmental models did not fit any of the scales. Although the other reduced models, including the simple additive model, did fit many of the scales, only the full model provided a satisfactory fit for all scales. Heritabilities estimated by the full model ranged from .39 to .58. Consistent with previous reports, but contrary to widely held beliefs, the overall contribution of a common family-environment component was small and negligible for all but 2 of the 14 personality measures. Evidence of significant nonadditive genetic effects, possibly emergenic (epistatic) in nature, was obtained for 3 of the measures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multisensory exploration and object individuation in infancy.

Recent research indicates that by 4.5 months, infants use shape and size information as the basis for individuating objects but that it is not until 11.5 months that they use color information for this purpose. The present experiments investigated the extent to which infants' sensitivity to color information could be increased through select experiences. Five experiments were conducted with 10.5- and 9.5-month-olds. The results revealed that multimodal (visual and tactile), but not unimodal (visual only), exploration of the objects prior to the individuation task increased 10.5-month-olds' sensitivity to color differences. These results suggest that multisensory experience with objects facilitates infants' use of color information when individuating objects. In contrast, 9.5-month-olds did not benefit from the multisensory procedure; possible explanations for this finding are explored. Together, these results reveal how an everyday experience--combined visual and tactile exploration of objects--can promote infants' use of color information as the basis for individuating objects. More broadly, these results shed light on the nature of infants' object representations and the cognitive mechanisms that support infants' changing sensitivity to color differences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of climatic and management factors on conception rate of dairy cattle in subtropical environment

Breeding records, representing 12,038 inseminations at Bassett's Dairy Farm (Monticello, FL), were analyzed to document effects of environmental and management factors on fertility of dairy cattle from January 1, 1975 to December 31, 1977. Conception rates of lactating cows decreased sharply when maximum air temperature on day after insemination exceeded 30 degrees C. In contrast, conception rates for heifers did not decline until 35 degrees C. Virgin heifers had higher conception rates for all services (50%) than lactating cows (34%) and suffered only slight depression of fertility during summer months. Heifers required 1.5 services per conception compared with 2.3 for lactating cows. Relationship between conception rate and rainfall on day after insemination was negative and curvilinear. Jerseys had higher conception rates (45%) than Holstein (39%) and Brown Swiss (41%). Services per conception were 1.7, 2.0, and 1.9. Substantial decreases of fertility were associated with advancing service number. Estrous status (standing; positive heat detection patch; mounting activity), inseminator, and year of service were related to variation of conception rate. Seasonal effects on fertility of lactating cows were marked. Thus, environmental management of the postpartum cow during hot summer months is warranted to maximize fertility.     

Breed group effects on milk production of Brazilian crossbred dairy cows

Lactation records (n = 2362) of 1402 crossbred cows in 22 cooperating dairy herds in southeastern Brazil were evaluated. Cows were mixtures of Zebu (Gir, Guzera, and unknown) and European breeding (mostly Holstein). Lactation milk yields were expressed as total, 3050-d, or deviated 305-d yields, either adjusted or unadjusted for days in milk (DIM). Mean DIM was 280. Arithmetic means unadjusted for DIM were 1942, 1666, and 5 kg per record. Milk yields of daughters from sires of 6/8 and 7/8 European breeds were higher than yields of daughters from sires of 5/8 European breeds when data were either adjusted or unadjusted for DIM. The differences associated with breed group of sire were only slightly reduced when records were adjusted for DIM. There was no evidence of a decline in milk yield as the fraction of European breeding of the sire increased from 6/8 to 7/8. For a given breed group of sire, whether the grandsire was purebred or crossbred had no detectable effect. These results should be useful in determining strategies for crossbreeding of dairy cows in tropical areas, particularly when crossbred sires are used.     

The high-temperature oxidation of Ni-20%Cr alloys containing various oxide dispersions

The oxidation behavior of Ni-20%Cr alloys containing approximately 3 vol.% Y₂O₃, ThO₂, and A1₂O₃ as dispersed particles has been examined in the temperature range 900 to 1200° C in slowly flowing oxygen at 100 Torr. The results show that the oxidation behavior of the Y₂O₃-, ThO₂-, Al₂O₃-, and Ce0₂-containing alloys is very similar and that some anomalies in the behavior of the ThO₂-containing alloy might be explained by the slower rate of chromium diffusion in this coarse-grained alloy. Two Al₂O₃-containing alloys were studied. One with a relatively coarse dispersoid size behaved in a manner analogous to a dispersion-free Ni-30% Cr alloy at 1100°C. The other alloy contained a dispersion of fine Al₂O₃ particles and behaved exactly like the Y₂O₃-containing alloy at 1000 and 1100°C, but at 1200° C oxidized at a faster rate. It has been shown that the adherent scales on dispersion-containing alloys have a stabilized fine grain size, whereas the nonadherent scales on dispersion-free alloys undergo grain growth.This work has been supported by the Naval Air Systems Command under Contract No. N00019-72-C-0190.     

The use of acellular matrices for the tissue engineering of cardiac valves

Tissue-engineering approaches to cardiac valve replacement have made considerable advances over recent years and it is likely that this application will realize clinical success in the near future. Research in this area has been driven by the inadequacy of the currently available cardiac valve prostheses for younger patients who require multiple reoperations as they grow and develop. Tissue engineering has the potential to provide a valve capable of the same growth, repair, and regeneration as a natural valve and could improve outcomes for patients of all ages. Owing to the function and physical environment of the cardiac valve, the development of tissue-engineered replacements is unusual in that the biomechanical properties of the construct must dominate the biological properties in order for the valve to be functional at the time of implantation. As a result of this, conventional tissue-engineering scaffolds based on biodegradable polymers or collagen may not at present be suitable in this situation because of their initial limited strength. Research into the use of acellular xenogeneic and allogeneic matrices for tissue-engineered heart valves has consequently become extremely popular since the biomechanical properties of the valve can potentially be preserved with an optimal decellularization technique that removes the cells without damaging the matrix. A number of acellular scaffolds have already been tested clinically both unseeded and preseeded with cells and these have met with variable results. This article reviews the concepts involved and the advantages and disadvantages of the different approaches to tissue engineering a living cardiac valve.