Prediction of termination migration of a rod-type particle in Ti–6Al–4Fe alloy

The kinetics for the termination migration of a rod-type alpha particle in a two-phase Ti alloy was predicted on the basis of the edge recession theory. The developed model quantified the effect of geometrical dimensions and diffusional factors on the spheroidization rate. Comparison with the experimental results of Ti–6Al–4Fe showed that the model can provide a reasonable prediction of the time to complete the static spheroidization of rod-type particles.     

Gami-Chunghyuldan ameliorates memory impairment and neurodegeneration induced by intrahippocampal Aβ 1-42 oligomer injection

Soluble oligomeric forms of amyloid beta (AβO) are regarded as a main cause of synaptic and cognitive dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and have been a primary target in the development of drug treatments for AD. The present study utilized a mouse model of AD induced by intrahippocampal injection of AβO (10 μM) to investigate the effects of Gami-Chunghyuldan (GCD), a standardized multi-herbal medicinal formula, on the presentation of memory deficits and neurohistological pathogenesis. GCD (10 and 50 mg/kg/day, 5 days, p.o.) improved AβO-induced memory impairment as well as reduced neuronal cell death, astrogliosis, and microgliosis in the hippocampus. In addition, GCD prevented AβO-triggered synaptic disruption and cholinergic fiber loss. These results suggest that GCD may be useful in the prevention and treatment of AD.     

Mou Zongsan and Tang Junyi on Zhang Zai��s and Wang Fuzhi��s Philosophies of Qi: A Critical Reflection

As the founders of Contemporary Neo-Confucianism, Mou Zongsan and Tang Junyi developed different interpretations of Zhang Zai’s and Wang Fuzhi’s philosophies of qi. In this essay, both the strength and weakness of their interpretations will be critically examined. As a contrast, an alternative interpretation of the School of qi in Song-Ming Neo-Confucianism will be outlined. This new interpretation will uncover that, like Leibniz, Zhang Zai and Wang Fuzhi introduced a non-substantivalist approach in natural philosophy in terms of an innovative concept of force. This interpretation not only helps to show the limitations of Mou Zongsan’s and Tang Junyi’s understandings of Zhang Zai’s and Wang Fuzhi’s doctrines of qi, but also indicates a way to bridge the traditional Chinese philosophy of nature and modern physics. More generally, our critical discussions will bring to light a new angle with which to re-appreciate Mou Zongsan’s and Tang Junyi’s contributions to the development of Confucianism.     

Altruistic Orientation in Children: Construction and Validation of the Child Altruism Inventory

The Child Altruism Inventory (CAI) consisted of 24 yes-or-no items which measured the altruistic orientation of children. The sample included 1095 Grades 2 to 6 Chinese children in Hong Kong, The test-retest and internal consistency reliabilities of the CAI were in the 0.70s. The correlations of the CAI score with the intelligence and self-esteem scores were significantly positive, while the correlations of the CAI score with the psychoticism and neuroticism scores were significantly negative. Children in classes of positive and negative social environment rated high and low on the CAI respectively. The relations of the CAI score with self-report prosocial and delinquent behavioural indices were also positive and negative respectively. The psychometric properties of the CAI are regarded as quite good.     

Are DSM-IV-TR Borderline Personality Disorder, ICD-10 Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder, and CCMD-III Impulsive Personality Disorder Analogous Diagnostic Categories Across Psychiatric Nomenclatures?

This study examined the validity of the borderline construct which encompasses diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV-TR Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), ICD-10 Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD), and CCMD-III Impulsive Personality Disorder (IPD) in a sample of 1,419 Chinese psychiatric patients. Participants completed the Chinese Personality Disorder Inventory and the Chinese Personality Assessment Inventory-2 assessing various disordered personality features. Adequate internal consistency was found for the borderline construct (α = .83). Exploratory factor analysis revealed two components: (1) affective and cognitive disturbances, and (2) impulse dysregulation, which were replicated by confirmatory factor analysis. Item analysis indicated that the various borderline criteria displayed similar levels of diagnostic efficiency, which does not support the elimination of fear of abandonment and transient psychotic features from the EUPD and IPD criteria set. Findings of this study suggest that BPD, EUPD, and IPD may represent analogous diagnostic categories across classification systems.     

Group therapy with inner city hispanic acting-out adolescent males: Some theoretical observations

Group therapy with inner city Hispanic acting-out adolescent males is described as an effective psychotherapeutic modality in treating this difficult population. Topics addressed include the development of personality during adolescence, Hispanic family dynamics and gender roles, group therapy as a pseudofamily structure, stages of group development as they pertain to this population, and the group therapist's role and characteristics in the treatment situation.     

Neurotic nucleus and test anxiety.

Undergraduate university students (N = 103) participated in a study of the relationship between test anxiety and the variables of trait anxiety, self-esteem, locus of control, mental ability, and gender. Results indicated bivariate associations between total test anxiety and the other measures except for mental ability. Further analyses revealed independent relationships between the "worry" component of test anxiety and the variables of trait anxiety, internality, chance, and mental ability. We also found independent associations between the "emotionality" aspect of test anxiety and the measures of trait anxiety and chance.     

Neurocardiac toxicity of racemicd,l-lactate fluids

Racemicd,l-lactate has long been used in burn therapy as Ringer’s lactate and in peritoneal dialysis fluid for treatment of renal failure. The d-lactate component of this racemic mixture is known to cause two forms of neurological toxicity in patients: encephalopathy and, in a subset of the population, panic reaction. Here we demonstrate that coma, similar in degree to that produced by blood levels of 75 mM ethanol was induced in rats by the intraperitoneal infusion of sodiumd-lactate sufficient to raise serumd-lactate concentration to 25 mM, whereas infusion of equal quantities of sodiuml-lactate produced no observable neurological effect. We further demonstrate that the intravenous infusion of racemicd,l-lactic acid into 48-hour fasted rats produced serious disturbances of cardiac rate and rhythm leading to death. When serumd-lactate concentration had reached 1–2 mM there was bradycardia, at 2–3 mM prolongation of QT interval, at 6–7 mM AV block with ectopic escape rhythms, and at 11 mM death in ventricular standstill or fibrillation. In contrast, intravenous infusion ofl-lactic acid to blood levels of 25 mM failed to produce any change in cardiac rhythm. On the other hand, the isolated working heart, free of influence from the central nervous system, displayed no change of cardiac rhythm or physiological function when perfused with 25 mM sodiumd,l-lactate.