A multichannel PC tachistoscope with high resolution and fast display change capability

The number of channels that PC tachistoscopes can have has increased recently (Bokhorst, 1995; Myors, 1998); however, neither the quality of display nor speed of image switching has been improved. This article shows the capability of VESA’s VBE 3.0 standard (1998) for increasing the number of channels of high-quality images. And the refresh rate can be set to the fastest cathode ray tube (CRT) scanning rate the monitor can tolerate in order to reduce the timing delay of changing display. A PCTSCOPE library was written in C to provide these capabilities, which is compatible with conventional DOS real mode. The PC tachistoscope can have numbers of channels with various resolutions and colors and different refresh rates. For example, 25 images with the resolution of 640 × 480 pixels and 256 colors can be loaded to video memory, and vertical refresh rate can be set to 180 Hz. It takes less than 6 msec to change the display among 25 channels in synchronizing with the start of the video scanning frame. In this library, the number of channels, the resolution of the images, and the speed of changing display all are improved. The multichannel PC tachistoscope with this technique is especially suitable for research requiring high-quality images and rapid successive presentation of stimuli.     

Effect of external motion on correspondence between infant actigraphy and maternal diary

Correspondence between infant actigraphy and mother-recorded diary differed significantly when receiver–operator function area under the curve, correlation, and logistic regression was calculated with and without excluding periods of external motion. External motion occurred in 40% of recording time and significantly changed activity count per epoch.     

Market Openness, Transition Economies and Subjective Wellbeing

This study attempts to examine the impact on subjective wellbeing (SWB) of economic openness as a social institution. The empirical testing of the liberal argument for the importance of market openness in human wellness is based on a cross-national design. Average scores of ‘feeling of happiness’ in 65 countries and ‘life satisfaction’ in 76 countries measured during the 1990s that are drawn from the World Database of Happiness overseen by Veenhoven (2006) are modeled as dependent variables. Regression analysis generates favorable results for the liberal argument in that length of being an open economy (versus closed economy) boosts the level of happiness, while transition to openness augments life satisfaction. Although the post communist countries registered less happiness in the early phase of transition towards the market economy, in general, our model specification indicates that an open market in itself was not responsible for this region’s unpleasant psychology.     

Rapid stimulatory effects of testosterone upon myotubule metabolism and sugar transport,as assessed by silicon microphysiometry

A considerable number of studies have revealed behavioral circumstances that give rise to small or transient differences in circulating testosterone concentrations; however, careful consideration of androgen physiology leads to the disquieting conclusion that these differences are often unlikely to have much physiologic or behavioral significance. In the present report, we observe that small transients of testosterone secretion could have very rapid anabolic effects on a cultured muscle-derived cell line. Specifically, we have examined the effects of testosterone on metabolism in cultured C2C12 myotubules, using a silicon microphysiometer. The instrument monitors cellular extrusion of protons and acidic metabolites, and such extrusion is directly linked to ATP hydrolysis, thus providing a real-time measure of cellular metabolism. Testosterone caused a small but significant increase in metabolism. The most striking feature of this effect was its rapidity, in that it occurred within 3 hr. This rapid enhancement of metabolism suggested that testosterone might be enhancing substrate uptake even more rapidly. Indeed, we found that testosterone increased 2-deoxyglucose uptake within 1 min. The rapidity of this effect seemed to preclude mediation by classical intracellular steroid receptors. In support of this, we were unable to detect specific intracellular binding of testosterone. These findings show that testosterone can exert rapid anabolic effects on substrate transport and metabolism in myotubules. Should this finding general to muscle in vivo, it suggests that relatively small individual differences in testosterone profiles, in response to various social interactions, may have very real consequence for subsequent muscle physiology. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Why Is Cancer Genetic Counseling Underutilized by Women Identified as at Risk for Hereditary Breast Cancer? Patient Perceptions of Barriers Following a Referral Letter

Family history information comprises an important tool in identifying and referring patients at risk for hereditary breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) to cancer genetic counseling. Despite recommendations and support provided by numerous professional organizations, cancer genetic counseling services are underutilized by atrisk patients. This study aimed to: (1) determine the rate of genetic counseling utilization following a referral letter, (2) characterize factors (barriers and supports) which influenced uptake of services, and (3) identify potential strategies for increasing utilization. This study evaluated the uptake of cancer genetic counseling among 603 screening mammography patients identified as having an increased risk for HBOC based on National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. At risk individuals and their primary care providers were mailed a referral letter recommending genetic counseling. Three focus groups (N = 24) were conducted to identify responses to receiving a letter recommending genetic counseling, barriers to seeking genetic counseling, and facilitating factors to utilizing these services. Participant responses were qualitatively analyzed using thematic and cross case analysis. Within one year, 50/603 (8 %) of the identified at-risk women completed a genetic counseling appointment. Participant-perceived barriers which influenced their decision not to seek genetic counseling included lack of relevance and utility, limited knowledge about genetic counseling, concerns about the genetic counseling process, and concerns about cost and insurance coverage. Participant-perceived facilitating factors which would support a decision to seek genetic counseling included greater awareness and education about genetic counseling services when receiving a referral, and improved follow up and guidance from their provider. Findings from this study support the need for patient and primary care provider education, and improved provider-patient communication to increase uptake of genetic counseling services.     

Learning what feelings to desire: socialization of ideal affect through children's storybooks

Previous findings suggest that cultural factors influence ideal affect (i.e., the affective states that people ideally want to feel). Three studies tested the hypothesis that cultural differences in ideal affect emerge early in life and are acquired through exposure to storybooks. In Study 1, the authors established that consistent with previous findings, European American preschoolers preferred excited (vs. calm) states more (indexed by activity and smile preferences) and perceived excited (vs. calm) states as happier than Taiwanese Chinese preschoolers. In Study 2, it was observed that similar differences were reflected in the pictures (activities, expressions, and smiles) of best-selling storybooks in the United States and Taiwan. Study 3 found that across cultures, exposure to exciting (vs. calm) storybooks altered children's preferences for excited (vs. calm) activities and their perceptions of happiness. These findings suggest that cultural differences in ideal affect may be due partly to differential exposure to calm and exciting storybooks.     

Clinician Perspectives of Diagnosis and Perceived Client Change in “Real World” Psychotherapy for Youth Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

We investigated the extent to which clinician-assigned diagnoses of emotional and behavioral disorders and clinicians’ perceptions of client change are consistent with structured measures of youth clinical functioning and parent/family characteristics within the context of usual care or “real world” psychotherapy. A total of 54 therapists from two publicly-funded youth outpatient mental health clinics and 128 youths and parents from the therapists’ combined caseloads were included in the study. Clinician-assigned diagnosis and youth and family demographics were collected at the initial visit, clinician-reported perceived client change was collected at 6-month follow-up, and structured measures of youth clinical functioning and parent/family characteristics were collected at both time points. Results indicate some overlap between clinician-assigned diagnosis, clinician-reported perceived client change, and structured measures of youth clinical functioning and parent/family characteristics after controlling for demographic factors. Results are discussed in terms of implications for the implementation of evidence-based practices in real world community settings.     

MEASUREMENT ERROR IN RESEARCH ON HUMAN RESOURCES and FIRM PERFORMANCE: HOW MUCH ERROR IS THERE AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE EFFECT SIZE ESTIMATES?

Studies of the relationship between human resource (HR) practices and firm performance typically use a single respondent to assess firm level HR practices or HR effectiveness. However, previous research in other substantive areas suggests that rater differences are a potentially important source of measurement error. We demonstrate analytically the potential consequences of both random and systematic measurement error in research on HR and firm performance. However, our main focus is on random error and we show how generalizability theory can be applied to obtain better estimates of reliability by simultaneously recognizing multiple sources (e.g., items, raters) of random measurement error. These more inclusive reliability estimates, in turn, offer the possibility of more precisely quantifying substantive relationships in the HR and firm performance literature. In our sample, reliabilities (as estimated by generalizability coefficients) for single-rater assessments of HR variables were generally below .50. This degree of measurement error, if present in substantive studies on HR and firm performance, could lead to considerable bias, given that an unstandardized regression coefficient is corrected for measurement error in the independent variable by dividing by its reliability coefficient (not its square root). We also found only limited convergent validity between HR and line managers ratings of a second type of HR measure, HR effectiveness. In general, our findings suggest that future researchers need to devote greater attention to measurement error and construct validity issues. Our study provides an example of how generalizability theory can be useful in this pursuit.