Neurocognitive Functioning in AD/HD,Predominantly Inattentive and Combined Subtypes

The Predominantly Inattentive (PI) and Combined (CB) subtypes of AD/HD differ in cognitive tempo, age of onset, gender ratio, and comorbidity, yet a differentiating endophenotype has not been identified. The aim of this study was to test rigorously diagnosed PI, CB, and typical children on measures selected for their potential to reveal hypothesized differences between the subtypes in specific neurocognitive systems (anterior vs. posterior attentional systems) and processes (arousal vs. activation). Thirty-four CB and 26 PI children meeting full DSM-IV criteria for subtype both in school and at home, without confounding reading disability or emotional disorder, were enrolled along with 20 typically developing children. Neurocognitive functions measured included attention, inhibitory control, working memory, learning, and executive functions. Tasks included the Stroop, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Continuous Performance Test (CPT). Buschke Selective Reminding Test, ad the Tower of London (TOL), as well as instruments developed by Posner and Sternberg, and tasks assessing the impact on reaction time of [corrected] varying preparatory intervals and stimulus/response complexity. After co-varying for IQ, subtypes differed primarily on measures of impulsivity during tests of vigilance (CPT) and executive function (TOL), with the CB group showing greater impulsivity than both other groups. In addition, the PI group showed worse performance than CB and control groups on the WISC-III Processing Speed Index. Whether analyzed with or without an IQ co-variate, there was no support in the data for hypothesized differences between subtypes in functioning of the anterior vs. posterior attentional systems, nor in involvement of arousal vs. activation processes. The results indicate that the PI and CB subtypes are best differentiated by ratings, observations and tests of cognitive tempo and behavioral impulsivity. Neuropsychological methods have yet to identify critical neuropsychological [corrected] substrates of these differences.     

Semantic clustering as a neuropsychological predictor for amnestic-MCI

ABSTRACT

Recent research has demonstrated that patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show deficits in semantic processing when compared to cognitively healthy individuals. This difference is thought to be attributed to losses in higher cortical systems that are predominantly associated with executive functioning. The first aim of the study will be to determine if differences in semantic clustering can accurately differentiate patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) from cognitively normal (CN) individuals. The second aim will be to determine the extent to which semantic processing might be associated with executive functions. Data from 202 (134 CN, 68 aMCI) participants were analyzed to quantify differences in semantic clustering ratios on the HVLT-R. Study participants ages ranged from 51 to 87 with education ranging from 6 to 20 years. ANCOVA revealed statistically significant differences on semantic clustering ratios (p < .001). Moderate correlations between semantic clustering Category Fluency Test (r = .45) were also found. Statistically significant group differences were also present on Trails-B and WAIS-R Digit Symbol performance (p < .001). Overall, these data indicate that deficits in semantic clustering are present in aMCI patients.     

Influence of precipitation of intermetallics on Young's modulus in nickel and zirconium base alloys

The influence of precipitation of intermetallic phases on changes in Young's modulus in nickel and zirconium base alloys is discussed. This study shows clearly for the first time that the change in the modulus due to precipitation of intermetallic phases in these alloys is essentially governed by the change in the modulus of the matrix due to removal of precipitation forming elements, and not by the modulus of the precipitated intermetallics or the matrix/intermetallic interface.     

Avian Artistry: Decoding the Intertextuality Between Mahābhārata and Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa

International Journal of Hindu Studies - Why do four birds narrate the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa? Narrative enframement plays a crucial role in contextualizing Sanskrit...     

Gender and Suicide in India: A Multiperspective Approach

The gap between male and female suicide rates in India is relatively small. However, society's views on female and male motives are quite different. In order to investigate the perceptions of male and female suicide, we interviewed a focus group of university professors as well as police inspectors, crime reporters, and hospital nurses in Bangalore. We also obtained four narratives of suicide. Women tended to be blamed for their own or their husband's suicide, although they were also viewed more often as victims of life adversities than men. A historical review illustrates that both men and women have been associated with culturally sanctioned suicides. One known form is sati, and we discuss the recent case of sari-murder of Roop Kanwar in 1987. The social sciences and the media also pay a lot of attention to the typical female suicides, symbolizing their role as martyrs of society, which seems to compensate for attribution of blame.     

Hearing loss and perceptual effort: Downstream effects on older adults' memory for speech

A group of older adults with good hearing and a group with mild-to-moderate hearing loss were tested for recall of the final three words heard in a running memory task. Near perfect recall of the final words of the three-word sets by both good- and poor-hearing participants allowed the inference that all three words had been correctly identified. Nevertheless, the poor-hearing group recalled significantly fewer of the nonfinal words than did the better hearing group. This was true even though both groups were matched for age, education, and verbal ability. Results were taken as support for an effortfulness hypothesis: the notion that the extra effort that a hearing-impaired listener must expend to achieve perceptual success comes at the cost of processing resources that might otherwise be available for encoding the speech content in memory.     

Women's Sexual Health: The Need for Feminist Analyses in Public Health in the Decade of Behavior

Women's sexual health is directly affected by women's low status in society. This low status, and subsequent lack of sexual autonomy, not only increases risk for sexual health problems, it also decreases ability to obtain treatment and support when a sexual health concern arises. This has clearly been demonstrated in the HIV epidemic within the U.S.. Earlier in the epidemic, women were simply ignored by public health research and practice. Once they could no longer be ignored, they were blamed and viewed as vectors. Current seroprevalence rates among men reveal that women are not significant vectors. In contrast, rates among women indicate that infection from men is the primary mechanism by which women are contracting HIV, and male-controlled sexual decision-making, male partner violence against women, and histories of sexual assault all contribute to increased HIV risk for women. Once infected, women are not given the support and resources they need as mothers and caretakers of HIV-positive partners and/or children. These findings are especially true for marginalized women such as women of color, poor women, women addicted to alcohol or drugs, and women who exchange sex for drugs or money. Findings from this review demonstrate the need for feminist approaches in understanding and addressing this issue in the Decade of Behavior. Such approaches must include an understanding of the needs of diverse women. An empowerment approach is needed to better contend with the sexual health needs of women; this must include the goal of ensuring women's control of their own bodies.