Buss-Durkee assessment and validation with violent versus nonviolent chronic alcohol abusers.

26 male 27–47 yr old chronic alcohol abusers who had been violent while intoxicated and 25 male 34–52 yr old nonviolent alcohol abusers were administered the Buss-Durkee Hostility-Guilt Inventory. All Ss were Caucasians with a reported daily intake of ethanol of 227 ml?±?89 ml for at least the last 5 yrs. Violence was documented by police records and by patient and family reports. Violent drinkers scored significantly higher than controls on the Total Hostility score and on subscales measuring Assault, Irritability, Verbal Hostility, Indirect Hostility, and Resentment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Evolution of Analytics and Internal Audit

In today’s technology and data-rich environment, internal auditors reading any current professional publication are likely to find an article that discusses analytics in some form or fashion. And while there seems to be a proliferation of data regarding using analytics as part of the auditing process, the core concepts of using the analytical approach in auditing have been around for years. This article will provide a brief overview of the evolution of analytics, along with key considerations for using analytics as part of the audit process.     

Comparing the Catalytic and Structural Characteristics of a ‘Short’ Unspecific Peroxygenase (UPO) Expressed in Pichia pastoris and Escherichia coli

Unspecific peroxygenases (UPOs) have emerged as valuable tools for the oxygenation of non-activated carbon atoms, as they exhibit high turnovers, good stability and depend only on hydrogen peroxide as the external oxidant for activity. However, the isolation of UPOs from their natural fungal sources remains a barrier to wider application. We have cloned the gene encoding an ‘artificial’ peroxygenase (artUPO), close in sequence to the ‘short’ UPO from Marasmius rotula (MroUPO), and expressed it in both the yeast Pichia pastoris and E. coli to compare the catalytic and structural characteristics of the enzymes produced in each system. Catalytic efficiency for the UPO substrate 5-nitro-1,3-benzodioxole (NBD) was largely the same for both enzymes, and the structures also revealed few differences apart from the expected glycosylation of the yeast enzyme. However, the glycosylated enzyme displayed greater stability, as determined by nano differential scanning fluorimetry (nano-DSF) measurements. Interestingly, while artUPO hydroxylated ethylbenzene derivatives to give the (R)-alcohols, also given by a variant of the ‘long’ UPO from Agrocybe aegerita (AaeUPO), it gave the opposite (S)-series of sulfoxide products from a range of sulfide substrates, broadening the scope for application of the enzymes. The structures of artUPO reveal substantial differences to that of AaeUPO, and provide a platform for investigating the distinctive activity of this and related'short’ UPOs.     

Analytical simulation models for solar heating system design

Presented here is a method of simulating the performance of solar heating systems which can be incorporated into a microcomputer-based system design and sizing procedure. A general analytical solution to the storage energy balance is presented, and a scheme for varying the parameters of the general solution to represent changes in the operating mode and the driving forces is detailed. Three different simulation methods which employ the general solution are described. Two of these methods use hourly data and the third uses daily data. Measured results from an actual system are compared with simulated results to validate the models. Also, simulated results and computing speeds are compared with the general simulation model TRNSYS. Finally, an example of a microcomputer application is discussed.     

What do people value when they negotiate? Mapping the domain of subjective value in negotiation.

Four studies support the development and validation of a framework for understanding the range of social psychological outcomes valued subjectively as consequences of negotiations. Study 1 inductively elicited and coded elements of subjective value among students, community members, and practitioners, revealing 20 categories that theorists in Study 2 sorted into 4 underlying subconstructs: Feelings About the Instrumental Outcome, Feelings About the Self, Feelings About the Negotiation Process, and Feelings About the Relationship. Study 3 proposed a new Subjective Value Inventory (SVI) and confirmed its 4-factor structure. Study 4 presents convergent, discriminant, and predictive validity data for the SVI. Indeed, subjective value was a better predictor than economic outcomes of future negotiation decisions. Results suggest the SVI is a promising tool to systematize and encourage research on subjective outcomes of negotiation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A Sterol-Like Odorant in the Urine of Mozambique Tilapia Males Likely Signals Social Dominance to Females

Many species of freshwater fish with relatively simple mating strategies release hormonally derived sex pheromones in urine. However, it is not known whether species with more complex reproductive strategies use specialized urinary chemical signals. We addressed this by using the Mozambique tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus Peters 1852), a lek-breeding species in which males establish dominance hierarchies and visiting females mate preferentially with territorial/dominant males. We measured urination frequency of territorial males in social isolation and in the presence of females that were either ready to spawn or had finished spawning. In groups of fish, we monitored the volume of urine stored in subordinate and dominant males to determine if urine volume and olfactory potency (by recording electro-olfactograms, EOG, in females) are related to the male’s social rank. Dominant, territorial males stored more urine than subordinates and released it in short pulses, the frequency of which increased in the presence of females ready to spawn but not in the presence of post-spawn females. Urine from subordinate and dominant males was fractionated by liquid chromatography and fractions tested for olfactory potency by using the EOG, with the most potent fraction analyzed by mass spectrometry (MS). The olfactory system of females was sensitive to a urinary compound that was more abundant in the urine of dominant males than in that of subordinates. MS analysis suggested the compound is a sulfated aminosterol-like compound with a formula of C₂₉H₄₀N₂O₁₀S. Therefore, we suggest that dominant/territorial tilapia males dramatically increase urination frequency in the presence of females ready to spawn and that the urinary odorant acts as a pheromonal signal of dominance, thereby influencing female spawning.