Category Test and WAIS Scores: Sex and Age Inter-Relationships

The current study investigated sex and age differences on the WAIS and Category Test in a sample of 218 persons, half male and half female, between the ages of 16 and 39. The sample was composed of well educated diabetics without neurological symptomatology and of above average intelligence. Three types of statistical analyses were performed. The first of these were factor analyses of structural composition of WAIS and Category tests as influenced by sex. Results suggested that males and females exhibit different patterns of performance. The second analyses were regression analyses to predict Category Test performance from WAIS scores and age, as influenced by sex. Findings were that for males, verbal subtests and age more strongly predicted Category Test performance, while for females the Block Design subtest was the strongest predictor. The third analyses examined classification accuracy of good and bad performance on the Category Test for males and females utilizing discriminant function analyses. Good performance could not be predicted for either males or females, and poor performance was best predicted for females by Block Design. The major findings of this study were: (1) differences in Category Test performance and underlying cognitive strategies for males and females, and (2) unique variance contributions from the Category Test in factor analyses. Males appear to rely on well learned cognitive skills most in their Category Test performance, while for females this task is more closely related to novel spatial problem solving. There is support here for the inclusion of the Category Test in a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery as a measure of abilities not tapped by traditional intellectual instruments. Future research should attend to sex and age differences in establishing normative data. The major findings of this study were: (1) differences in Category Test performance and underlying cognitive strategies for males and females, and (2) unique variance contributions from the Category Test in factor analyses. Males appear to rely on well learned cognitive skills most in their Category Test performance, while for females this task is more closely related to novel spatial problem solving. There is support here for the inclusion of the Category Test in a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery as a measure of abilities not tapped by traditional intellectual instruments. Future research should attend to sex and age difference in establishing normative data

Spin Density wave instability in a ferromagnet

Ferromagnetic (FM) and incommensurate spin-density wave (ISDW) states are an unusual set of competing magnetic orders that are seldom observed in the same material without application of a polarizing magnetic field. We report, for the first time, the discovery of an ISDW state that is derived from a FM ground state through a Fermi surface (FS) instability in Fe$_3$Ga$_4$. This was achieved by combining neutron scattering experiments with first principles simulations. Neutron diffraction demonstrates that Fe$_3$Ga$_4$ is in an ISDW state at intermediate temperatures and that there is a conspicuous re-emergence of ferromagnetism above 360 K. First principles calculations show that the ISDW ordering wavevector is in excellent agreement with a prominent nesting condition in the spin-majority FS demonstrating the discovery of a novel instability for FM metals; ISDW formation due to Fermi surface nesting in a spin-polarized Fermi surface.Comment: 6 pages with 4 figures. Supplemental Materials Include

Total hip replacement: improving cement fixation of the acetabular component

The primary aim of this study was to propose fixation techniques that would improve the cement fixation of the acetabular cup. This was done by (1) studying current practice, (2) creating FE models of the reconstructed acetabulum to predict improved fixation techniques, (3) validating the FE models by laboratory investigations and (4) proposing designs of jigs and drill bit that would assist orthopaedic surgeons use the recommended techniques

Psychobiological Models of Adolescent Risk: Implications for Prevention and Intervention

Psychobiological models of risk have much to contribute to the prevention of and intervention with risky behavior among adolescents. Emerging research is beginning to provide better information about mechanisms underlying individual differences in risky behavior (e.g., differences in self-regulation) and providing insight into unique vulnerabilities that occur during adolescence (e.g., increases in reward seeking). This work suggests ways in which prevention programming can be designed to be sensitive to both individual differences and developmental timing. Psychobiological models of risk also have practical implications for the manner and methods of conducting prevention and intervention work. Future work in both the etiology and prevention of risky behavior can benefit from ongoing dialogue and has the potential to result in a more sophisticated understanding of the mechanisms of change related to risky behavior

Competing magnetic states, disorder, and the magnetic character of Fe3Ga4

The physical properties of metamagnetic Fe$_3$Ga$_4$ single crystals are investigated to explore the sensitivity of the magnetic states to temperature, magnetic field, and sample history. The data reveal a moderate anisotropy in the magnetization and the metamagnetic critical field along with features in the specific heat at the magnetic transitions $T_1=68$ K and $T_2=360$ K. Both $T_1$ and $T_2$ are found to be sensitive to the annealing conditions of the crystals suggesting that disorder affects the competition between the ferromagnetic (FM) and antiferromagnetic (AFM) states. Resistivity measurements reveal metallic transport with a sharp anomaly associated with the transition at $T_2$. The Hall effect is dominated by the anomalous contribution which rivals that of magnetic semiconductors in magnitude ($-5 \mu \Omega$ cm at 2 T and 350 K) and undergoes a change of sign upon cooling into the low temperature FM state. The temperature and field dependence of the Hall effect indicate that the magnetism is likely to be highly itinerant in character and that a significant change in the electronic structure accompanies the magnetic transitions. We observe a contribution from the topological Hall effect in the AFM phase suggesting a non-coplanar contribution to the magnetism. Electronic structure calculations predict an AFM ground state with a wavevector parallel to the crystallographic $c$-axis preferred over the experimentally measured FM state by $\approx$ 50 meV per unit cell. However, supercell calculations with a small density of Fe-antisite defects introduced tend to stabilize the FM over the AFM state indicating that antisite defects may be the cause of the sensitivity to sample synthesis conditions.Comment: 13 pages, 14 figures, and 4 supplementary table

Flux Compactifications of M-Theory on Twisted Tori

We find the bosonic sector of the gauged supergravities that are obtained from 11-dimensional supergravity by Scherk-Schwarz dimensional reduction with flux to any dimension D. We show that, if certain obstructions are absent, the Scherk-Schwarz ansatz for a finite set of D-dimensional fields can be extended to a full compactification of M-theory, including an infinite tower of Kaluza-Klein fields. The internal space is obtained from a group manifold (which may be non-compact) by a discrete identification. We discuss the symmetry algebra and the symmetry breaking patterns and illustrate these with particular examples. We discuss the action of U-duality on these theories in terms of symmetries of the D-dimensional supergravity, and argue that in general it will take geometric flux compactifications to M-theory on non-geometric backgrounds, such as U-folds with U-duality transition functions.Comment: Latex, 47 page

Generalised Geometry for M-Theory

Generalised geometry studies structures on a d-dimensional manifold with a metric and 2-form gauge field on which there is a natural action of the group SO(d,d). This is generalised to d-dimensional manifolds with a metric and 3-form gauge field on which there is a natural action of the group $E_{d}$. This provides a framework for the discussion of M-theory solutions with flux. A different generalisation is to d-dimensional manifolds with a metric, 2-form gauge field and a set of p-forms for $p$ either odd or even on which there is a natural action of the group $E_{d+1}$. This is useful for type IIA or IIB string solutions with flux. Further generalisations give extended tangent bundles and extended spin bundles relevant for non-geometric backgrounds. Special structures that arise for supersymmetric backgrounds are discussed.Comment: 31 page

Policy evaluation and behavioral economics

Empirical policy evaluation is necessary to answer the question: what is a good policy? To answer this question, this chapter will review the management of policy evaluation and cover key performance indicators for evaluation, such as efficiency and fidelity. On the basis of these indicators, common frameworks for policy evaluation are explained. Some of the challenges in conducting policy evaluation, though, are the complex and variable aspects of all policies, as well as their context-specific antecedents and outcomes. This makes comparison between policies very challenging, if not impossible; hence, we close with an example of strategies for standardizing the evaluation of policies across domains and approaches. Ultimately, the purpose of this chapter is to identify not only what comprises a strong policy but also how to produce effective policies that maximize the number of people reached and impacted.</p

The Grizzly, March 31, 2011

SIFE Wins Regionals for Second Year in a Row • Career Webinar Series Comes to Ursinus College • Director Domenick Scudera Presents Two Woody Allen Plays • John Prendergast Talks About Human Rights • The Vagina Monologues • Culture Shock While Studying Abroad in Spain • Internship Spotlight: Bob Wise • Opinions: Response to a Past Article; Give Artist a Break; United Nations Take Action Against Gaddafi; It\u27s More Than Fruit: Rant About Women Power • Ursinus Community Celebrates Ground Breakinghttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1833/thumbnail.jp