Levoamphetamine and Dextroamphetamine: Differential Effect on Aggression and Hyperkinesis in Children and Dogs

In laboratory experiments with hyperkinetic, untrainable dogs and in a comparison of levoamphetamine, dextroamphetamine, and placebo in children, levoamphetamine and dextroamphetamine were found to be approximately equal in calming an aggressive, hostile dog and in benefiting "unsocialized-aggressive" children; dextroamphetamine was more effective than levoamphetamine in calming "nervousness" and hyperactivity in dogs and in overanxious-hyperkinetic children. These data suggest that in the hyperkinetic syndrome, aggression and hostility may be benefited equally by levoamphetamine or dextroamphetamine via a dopaminergic mechanism, while anxiety and overactivity may be benefited significantly only by the dextro isomer via a norepinephrinergic mechanism

Superconducting proximity effects in magnetic metals

We explain the basic physics behind oscillatory effects in superconductor/metallic ferromagnet (S/F) sand- wiches, and describe the important effects of the spin orbit scattering in these systems. We find that spin-orbit scattering plays a major role in the physics of the superconducting proximity effect with a conducting ferro- magnet. As examples, we present calculations of the Tc of an S/F bilayer and the Josephson current near Tc of an S/F/S trilayer.Physic

Effects of risperidone on cognitive-motor performance and motor movements in chronically medicated children

This study was designed to explore the placebo-controlled effects of risperidone on cognitive-motor processes, dyskinetic movements, and behavior in children receiving maintenance risperidone therapy. Sixteen children aged 4-14 years with disruptive behavior were randomly assigned to drug order in a crossover study of risperidone and placebo for 2 weeks each. Dependent measures included tests of sustained attention, memory, visual matching, tremor, seat activity, abnormal movements, and parent behavior ratings. Results were compared by repeated measures ANOVA Fourteen boys and 2 girls with disruptive behavior and IQ ≤ 84 all completed the protocol. Risperidone was superior to placebo on response time (p = 0.01, ηP ^ 2 = 0.43) and seat movement (p < 0.05, ηP ^ 2 = 0.29) on a short-term memory task, and on a measure of static tremor (p = 0.05, ηP ^ 2 = 0.28). There was not a significant difference between treatment conditions on the Abnormal Involuntary Movement scale. Risperidone was superior to placebo on three subscales of the Nisonger Child Behavior Rating Form [Overly Sensitive (p < 0.01, ηP ^ 2 = 0.44), Conduct Problem (p = 0.02, ηP ^ 2 = 0.36), Hyperactivity (p = 0.03, ηP ^ 2 = 0.32)] and on the Hyperactivity/Noncompliance subscale of the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (p = 0.01, ηP ^ 2 = 0.41). Significant increases in heart rate (p = 0.05, ηP ^ 2 = 0.27) and weight (p = 0.02, ηP ^ 2 = 0.36) occurred in the risperidone condition. The findings suggest a beneficial effect of risperidone after several months of treatment on efficiency of responding, activity level, static tremor, and aspects of behavior

Bipolar and ADHD Comorbidity: Both Artifact and Outgrowth of Shared Mechanisms

Published rates of comorbidity between pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been higher than would be expected if they were independent conditions, but also dramatically different across different studies. This review examines processes that could artificially create the appearance of comorbidity or substantially bias estimates of the ADHD-BPD comorbidity rate, including: categorization of dimensional constructs, overlap among diagnostic criteria, over-splitting, developmental sequencing, and referral or surveillance biases. Evidence also suggests some mechanisms for “true” BPD-ADHD comorbidity, including shared risk factors, distinct subtypes, and weak causal relationships. Keys to differential diagnosis include focusing on episodic presentation and non-overlapping symptoms unique to mania

On the distribution of career longevity and the evolution of home run prowess in professional baseball

Statistical analysis is a major aspect of baseball, from player averages to historical benchmarks and records. Much of baseball fanfare is based around players exceeding the norm, some in a single game and others over a long career. Career statistics serve as a metric for classifying players and establishing their historical legacy. However, the concept of records and benchmarks assumes that the level of competition in baseball is stationary in time. Here we show that power-law probability density functions, a hallmark of many complex systems that are driven by competition, govern career longevity in baseball. We also find similar power laws in the density functions of all major performance metrics for pitchers and batters. The use of performance-enhancing drugs has a dark history, emerging as a problem for both amateur and professional sports. We find statistical evidence consistent with performance-enhancing drugs in the analysis of home runs hit by players in the last 25 years. This is corroborated by the findings of the Mitchell Report [1], a two-year investigation into the use of illegal steroids in major league baseball, which recently revealed that over 5 percent of major league baseball players tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in an anonymous 2003 survey.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, 2-column revtex4 format. Revision has change of title, a figure added, and minor changes in response to referee comment