The Flynn Effect and U.S. Policies: The Impact of Rising IQ Scores on American Society Via Mental Retardation Diagnoses.

Over the last century, IQ scores have been steadily rising, a phenomenon dubbed the Flynn effect. Because of the Flynn effect, IQ tests are periodically renormed, making them harder. Given that eligibility for mental retardation (MR) services relies heavily on IQ scores, renormed tests could have a significant impact on MR placements. In longitudinal IQ records from 9 sites around the country, students in the borderline and mild MR range lost an average of 5.6 points when retested on a renormed test and were more likely to be classified MR compared with peers retested on the same test. The magnitude of the effect is large and affects national policies on education, social security, the death penalty, and the military. This paper reports the perceptions of professionals as they relate to IQ score fluctuations in normal, borderline, and/or MR populations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A solution of the neutron diffusion equation for a hemisphere containing a uniform source

An analytic solution of the diffusion equation for a hemisphere of fissile or non-fissile material is presented which contains a spatially uniform neutron source. Numerical results are given for the flux distribution for one-speed fast neutrons in ²³⁵U and also for a non-fissile element of similar scattering properties. We use these results to check the accuracy of the finite element code EVENT. The procedure is also developed for multigroup calculations. In an Appendix we outline the procedure required when the hemisphere contains a source and is also irradiated by an external current of neutrons.     

Moral reasoning and moral concerns: An alternative to Gilligan's gender based hypothesis.

Studied the differences in moral orientation in terms of gender specific modes of reasoning, in 2 experiments. In Exp 1, 32 Ss (aged 24–55 yrs) were read the "Heinz dilemma," and asked 3 questions regarding it. Deliberative and justificatory strategies were identified on the basis of the presence or absence of the higher level knowledge structures. In Exp 2, 40 undergraduates were presented with "Michael and Kohlberg Heinz dilemma," followed by a set of relevant questions. Male Ss preferred to apply a norm or rule in their solutions, while females rejected the application of a norm and sought alternative solutions. This was replicated in Exp 2, but the pattern was reversed with female Ss preferring to apply a norm. Males were divided in their use of either strategy indicating that although, genders differed in their judgments as to which norms or rules to apply; once adopted, norms and rules were used in similar ways. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Scalar network analysers operating at Ka- and W-bands

Scalar network analysers measuring the amplitude of the reflection/transmission coefficients of waveguide structures have been realised at Ka- and W-bands. Their accuracy derived by using standard mismatches is excellent at Ka- band and fairly good at W-band. To our knowledge this is the first instance where the accuracy of measurements obtained from a scalar network analyser was checked over full waveguide bands with the aid of standard mismatches. The reported reflectometers are precursors of vector network analysers based on six-port reflectometers. Methods aimed at increasing the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the measurements have been developed, while proposals for improving the dynamic range of these network analysers are put forward.     

Pathway to health: Cluster-randomized trail to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among smokers in public housing.

Objectives: Examine the effectiveness of an intervention to increase fruits and vegetables (FV) consumption among smokers. Design: Cluster-randomized trial of 20 public housing developments; 10 randomly assigned to an FV intervention and 10 to a smoking cessation intervention. Main outcome measures: Usual (past 7 days) and past 30 days change in daily FV intake at 8 weeks and 6 months postbaseline. Results: Greater increases were seen in the FV group. At Week 8 and Month 6, the FV group had consumed 1.58 (p = .001) and 0.78 (p = .04), respectively, more daily FV servings in the past 7 days than the cessation group. At the same time points, the FV group had consumed 3.61 (p = .01) and 3.93 (p = .01), respectively, more FV servings in the past 30 days than the cessation group. Completing more motivational interviewing sessions (p = .02) and trying more recipes (p = .02) led to significantly greater increases at Month 6 among FV participants. Conclusions: Motivational interviewing counseling and lifestyle modification through trying out healthy recipes may be effective in helping a high-risk population increase their FV intake. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Analysis of the effect of shrinkage on macrosegregation in alloy solidification

Numerical calculations based on a continuum model are used to examine the effects of solidification shrinkage on the redistribution of solute in a Pb-19.2 pct Sn mixture which is convectively cooled at a sidewall. For each of three different cooling rates, separate calculations are performed for shrinkage and buoyancy-induced flows, as well as for the combined influence of shrinkage and buoyancy effects. The calculations reveal that flow and macrosegregation patterns are more strongly influenced by buoyancy effects over a wide range of solidification rates. Although extremely large solidification rates yield small regions near the chilled wall in which shrinkage-induced flows control the redis-tribution of solute, the overall effect on macrosegregation is small relative to that associated with buoyancy. Scaling analysis of the governing equations produces reference shrinkage and buoyancy velocities which can be used to extend the current numerical results to other binary systems.     

Conditions for stability of the extended Kalman filter and their application to the frequency tracking problem

The error dynamics of the extended Kalman filter (EKF), employed as an observer for a general nonlinear, stochastic discrete time system, are analyzed. Sufficient conditions for the boundedness of the errors of the EKF are determined. An expression for the bound on the errors is given in terms of the size of the nonlinearities of the system and the error covariance matrices used in the design of the EKF. The results are applied to the design of a stable EKF frequency tracker for a signal with time-varying frequency.This research was supported by the Co-operative Research Centre for Robust and Adaptive Systems ((CR)² ASys). The authors wish to acknowledge the funding of the activities of (CR)² ASys by the Australian Commonwealth Government under the Co-operative Research Centre Program.     

Spatio-Temporal Short-Term Urban Traffic Volume Forecasting Using Genetically Optimized Modular Networks

Abstract:   Current interest in short-term traffic volume forecasting focuses on incorporating temporal and spatial volume characteristics in the forecasting process. This article addresses the problem of integrating and optimizing predictive information from multiple locations of an urban signalized arterial and proposes a modular neural predictor consisting of temporal genetically optimized structures of multilayer perceptrons (MLP) that are fed with volume data from sequential locations to improve the accuracy of short-term forecasts. The results show that the proposed methodology provides more accurate forecasts compared to the conventional statistical methodologies applied, as well as to the static forms of neural networks.     

On the dynamic nature of response criterion in recognition memory: Effects of base rate, awareness, and feedback.

The authors examined whether participants can shift their criterion for recognition decisions in response to the probability that an item was previously studied. Participants in 3 experiments were given recognition tests in which the probability that an item was studied was correlated with its location during the test. Results from all 3 experiments indicated that participants' response criteria were sensitive to the probability that an item was previously studied and that shifts in criterion were robust. In addition, awareness of the bases for criterion shifts and feedback on performance were key factors contributing to the observed shifts in decision criteria. These data suggest that decision processes can operate in a dynamic fashion, shifting from item to item. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Synthesis and activation of Pt nanoparticles with controlled size for fuel cell electrocatalysts

Well-dispersed Pt nanoparticles with controlled size and narrow size distribution were prepared by polyalcohol reduction of platinum acetylacetonate, using oleylamine as a capping agent. The particle size was varied from 3.5 nm to 11.5 nm by decreasing the amount of oleylamine added in the synthesis. Size selection of the as-prepared particles by solvent fractionation yielded nearly monodispersed Pt particles. The as-prepared particles were loaded on a carbon support by physical deposition, but showed no electrocatalytic activity due to the oleylamine bound to the particle surface. The particles were activated for electrocatalysis after heating the particles in air at 185 °C for 5 h, conditions that gave no particle-sintering and no oxidation. Cyclic voltammetry showed that the particles after the heat treatment in air were electrocatalytically active for methanol oxidation. The smaller 3.5 nm and 4.0 nm Pt particles had a higher intrinsic activity for methanol oxidation, but a lower tolerance to CO poisoning, compared with 6.0 nm, 9.5 nm and 11.5 nm particles. CO-stripping results suggest that CO is more easily oxidized on larger Pt particles.