The perceived sweetness and price of bottled drinks’ silhouettes

This research supports the cross-modal correspondence between the shape of the bottle and consumers’ perception of sweetness and price using physical measures of beverage bottles. Images that add visual weight to the lower section of a package increase the perception of attributes associated with sweetness. In terms of price, the shape of the bottle is informative about its volume, which is the cue predictor of price. Through a within-subject experiment, we evaluated consumers’ perceptions of sweetness and price for a sample of 15 soft drink bottle silhouettes. These perceptions were correlated with the psychophysical characteristics of the silhouettes. Results reveal that sweetness has a negative correlation with height and the visual weight towards the bottom of the bottle. Instead, the price has a positive correlation with the area, width, height, lid, and variance of the bottle shape. Practical implications support having a package design that is consistent with product positioning and attributes.     

Bioecology of macrobenthic communities in the microtidal monsoonal Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary,southwest coast of India

A comprehensive study of the macrobenthic communities in the Kodungallur–Azhikode Estuary (KAE) was conducted during 2009–2011 period. A total of 18,846 organisms were collected, with 60% being malacostracans, followed by polychaetes (20%), molluscs (9%) and ‘others’ group (11%). A total of 79 species in 71 genera belonging to 49 families were identified, with 33 spp. being polychaetes, 26 spp. being malacostracans, 11 spp. being molluscs and 9 spp. being in the ‘others’ group. A single species of opportunistic amphipod (Americorophium triaeonyx) comprised more than 62.05% of the total numerical abundance of macrobenthos. The other dominant species were Obelia bidentata, Arcuatula senhousia, Cirolana fluviatilis, Prionospio cirrifera and Capitella sp. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results indicated environmental parameters such as water column salinity, turbidity, sediment Eh, substratum type, chlorophyll‐a concentration, depth and organic matter in sediment were the significant factors influencing the distribution of macrobenthic species in the KAE. The present study provides baseline information for future KAE benthic studies.     

Colour-odour correspondences in women during the menstrual cycle: Comparative analysis between the menstrual and ovulation phases

Women might experience modulation in their perception and cognition of colours and odours during the menstrual cycle, but how women's impressions of and correspondence between colours and odours differ according to the cycle changes remains unknown. Here, we experimentally examined women's performance of several tasks, including evaluation of impressions of colours and odours, matching/nonmatching of colours with odours, and identification of odours, comparing two phases: the beginning of menstruation and ovulation. The results showed that participants had similar impressions of colours and odours and made similar colour choices for odours in both the menstrual and ovulation phases, while “pleasant-unpleasant” impressions of colour and odour might vary according to the menstrual cycle. We found no significant differences in odour identification between the phases. The findings imply that hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle might affect “pleasant-unpleasant” impressions of colour and odour but not other features regarding impressions or crossmodal correspondence. In future studies, examination with a large number of participants is necessary.     

临汾市近20年植被覆盖度遥感估算及动态变化分析

植被覆盖度是衡量植被生长状况的指标，对分析评价区域生态环境具有重要意义。以临汾市1998年、2007年和2018年Landsat遥感影像作为数据源，利用ENVI和ARCGIS软件，通过计算归一化植被指数（NDVI）值，利用像元二分模型，对临汾市近20年的植被覆盖度及其动态变化进行分析。分析结果显示:1998年、2007年和2018年临汾市的平均植被覆盖度分别为45.92%、58.76%和60.09%，处于递增的态势。在这20年间，极低覆盖度和低覆盖度的植被面积都有减少，而中等覆盖度、高覆盖度和极高覆盖度的植被面积增加。高覆盖度和低覆盖度的植被面积变化最大，高覆盖度的植被面积增加了3 063.14 km²，约占临汾市总面积的15.21%；低覆盖度的植被面积减少了3 192.38 km²，约占临汾市总面积的15.85%。说明临汾市的生态环境有所改善，这与该区水土保持项目的实施以及封禁治理有关。     

线性混合光谱模型在植被高光谱遥感分类中的应用研究

遥感图像中普遍存在着混合像元 ,这部分像元的分解一直是遥感应用研究的热点和难点 ,该文简要介绍混合像元的概念、研究现状和广泛用于混合像元分解的线性混合光谱模型及其解算方法 ,然后以OMISⅠ高光谱遥感数据为例 ,通过大量实验对该模型在植被高光谱遥感分类中的应用做了详细地探讨和分析。     

Heavy metals in aquatic plants,clams, and sediments from the Chesapeake Bay,U.S.A. implications for waterfowl

Dry weight concentrations of cadmium, lead, copper and zinc were measured in clams, submerged aquatic macrophytes and sediments from several locations in the Chesapeake Bay region. Clam species included Macoma balthica, Mya arenaria, and Rangia cuneata; plant taxa included Najas spp., Potamogeton spp., Ruppia maritima, Vallisneria americana, and Zostera marina. Cadmium and lead concentrations were generally greater in whole plants than in soft tissues of clams, while the reverse was true for zinc; no marked trend was observed in copper concentrations. These results suggest that the changes occurring in the food habits of some Chesapeake Bay waterfowl towards increased clam utilization as a result of declining submerged plant abundances is not increasing ingestion of the nonessential metals cadmium and lead. Highest lead, copper and zinc concentrations were observed in sediments from the Patapsco River, which is probably due to the proximity of Baltimore Harbor. Highest cadmium concentrations were observed in sediments in the Port Tobacco River, a tributary of the Potomac River. These observations were generally consistent with high concentrations of the respective metal(s) in biota from these locations. Concentrations of the four metals in sediments were highly correlated to organic matter content.     

Effects of lithium on Phaseolus vulgaris L.

The effects of lithium (Li) in growth media on Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Bush Blue Lake 290’ (snap bean) were studied under controlled environmental conditions. Concentrations of 4 to 12 ppm Li in the substrate produced toxic symptoms. The development of these symptoms is described and measurements of selected growth parameters presented. At 4 ppm Li, plant height, first trifoliate fresh weight and leaf area increased. At concentrations greater than 4 ppm stomatal diffusive resistance increased temporarily, indicating partial stomatal closure. It can be concluded that Li interferes with biomass accumulation and plant water relations.     

Evaluation of procedures for recovery of viruses from water—1 concentration systems

Three filter media were evaluated for their suitability in recovering seeded poliovirus type 2 from tap and river water. The importance of the presence of aluminium cations was also examined. Fibreglass filters gave best recoveries in this evaluation when used with 0.0005 M AlCl₃6H₂O, being up to 4 × more efficient than filters used without Al³⁺. No such Al³⁺ requirement was found for cellulose nitrate membrane filters. A procedure was arrived at suitable for the recovery of enteroviruses from tap and river water. The efficiency of the organic flocculation procedure as a secondary concentration method varied with viral serotype.     

Pentachlorophenol biodegradation—I: Aerobic

The biodegradation of pentachlorophenol (PCP) was tested in a three phase protocol. Phase I involved acclimation; phase II allowed determintion of biodegradation kinetics through use of continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR) operated at solids retention times of 3.2, 7.8, 12.8 and 18.3 days; phase III assessed the importance of volatilization and sorption in PCP removal and evaluated the extent of biodegradation. Over the range of SRT's studied, PCP was found to be biodegradable with first order kinetics; the rate constant (μ_m/K_s) had a value of 0.0017 l μg⁻¹d⁻¹. The minimum concentration of PCP attainable in a CSTR was found to be 27 μg l⁻¹. Additional studies suggested that the full relationship between the PCP degradation rate and the PCP concentration followed an inhibition-type function, with the maximum rate occurring at a PCP concentration of around 350 μg l⁻¹. Radioisotopic studies revealed that PCP was mineralized by the culture, with the liberation of CO₂ and the incorporation of carbon into cell material. Neither volatilization nor sorption removed significant amounts of PCP from the reactors.