Depressive symptoms in adolescents as a function of personality factors

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between the personality factors of sociotropy and autonomy and depressive symptomatology in a nonclinical sample of adolescents. One hundred and thirty-six adolescents (60 males, 76 females), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years and enrolled in a high school of the Western Quebec Regional School Board, completed the Sociotropy-Autonomy Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory. Subjects with high sociotropy showed significantly more depressive symptoms than subjects with low sociotropy. With regard to autonomy, high autonomous females scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory than high autonomous males. Results are discussed in light of the literature on adolescent depression.This is an extended version of a poster presented at the 12th annual convention of the Quebec Society for Research in Psychology (SQRP), Ottawa, October 1989. The authors wish to thank Mr. Michael Donlan for his cooperation.Received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from University of Ottawa. Major research interest is adolescent depression. To whom reprint requests should be addressed.     

Potential and pitfalls in establishing the provenance of Earth-related samples in forensic investigations

Earth scientists are often asked to establish or constrain the likely provenance of very small quantities of earth-related material as part of a forensic investigation. We tested the independent and collective interpretations of four experts with differing analytical skills in the prediction of sample provenance for three samples from different environmental settings. The methods used were X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, the assessment of pollen assemblages, and structural characterization of organic matter at the molecular level. Independent interpretations were less accurate than those where multiple techniques were combined. Collective interpretation was very effective in the assessment of provenance for two of the three sites where the mineralogy and plant communities were distinctive. At the other site, although the mineralogical analysis correctly identified the Triassic mudstone soil parent material, Carboniferous spores from domestic coal were initially interpreted as deriving directly from bedrock. Such an interpretation could be a common pitfall owing to anthropogenic redistribution of material such as coal.     

Development of a GC-MS method for the simultaneous analysis of latent fingerprint components

Latent fingerprint residue is a complex mixture of organic and inorganic compounds. A full understanding of the composition of this mixture and how it changes after deposition is lacking. Three solvent systems were compared for the simultaneous extraction and derivatization with ethyl chloroformate of selected amino and fatty acids from a nonporous substrate (Mylar for subsequent analysis by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. A solvent system comprised of sodium hydroxide, ethanol, and pyridine was found to be the most effective. This method was applied to the analysis of latent fingerprint residue deposited on Mylar and preliminary data are presented. Twelve amino acids (e.g., serine, glycine, and aspartic acid) and 10 fatty acids (e.g., tetradecanoic, hexadecanoic, and octadecanoic acids) were identified. The potential application of this method to further the understanding of latent fingerprint chemistry has been demonstrated.     

Urban children's work during and after the 1998 floods in Bangladesh

The 1998 floods, which inundated much of Bangladesh, had a major effect on the lives and work of urban slum children. Lack of work opportunities, and beliefs about appropriate roles for young children, meant that the floods did not lead to great increases in workforce entry and in some cases led to a reduction in the opportunities available. Children's domestic work was also affected. Children's paid and domestic work had an important impact on how well households survived during and after the floods. The findings highlight the simultaneously beneficial and harmful nature of much child labour, and are therefore relevant to the dilemmas that face policy makers in this area. The research reported on in this article also has implications for those involved in disaster relief policy making.