Use of rosemary extract in preventing oxidation during deep-fat frying of potato chips

The effect of using a rosemary extract on the stability of oil used for frying potato chips has been evaluated. Sliced potatoes were fried intermittently in soybean oil containing a natural extract from rosemary. The conditions used for frying were 185°C for 90 s. Two separate experiments, with and without replenishment of oil, were carried out. Oil samples were taken each day, not only from the frying pans but also by extraction with hexane from the chips. Changes in the induction period of the oil samples (Rancimat method) were determined. The induction period decreased as frying progressed. The reduction in the induction period was higher in the oil free of rosemary extract, and the chips were much darker in color. The oil containing the extract showed greater antioxidant activity, and reduced darkening and rancidity of the oil. Potato chips fried in the oil with added rosemary extract were more acceptable than chips fried in oil containing no extract until the last frying. The free radical scavenging activity of rosemary extract in comparison to other natural antioxidants was also determined by the reduction of O₂ ^.- in a hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase system.     

Psychological perspectives on acting.

Psychologists know surprisingly little about the cognitive and affective underpinnings of acting, and this stands in sharp in contrast to what has been learned about the psychological skills involved in music and the visual arts. In this article, the author discusses findings on the childhood precursors of acting talent and outlines a program of research she is initiating to test the hypothesis that acting training fosters strength in reading others' mental states, feeling others' feelings, and regulating one's own emotions in an adaptive manner. This research has implications for understanding the malleability of these outcomes and expertise in these abilities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Genetic and environmental influences on interpersonal cognitions and associations with depressive symptoms in 8-year-old twins.

Less is known about depression in children than in adults. This study integrates fields by combining cognitive and interpersonal research investigating childhood depression symptoms through the use of a genetic framework. Three research questions are addressed. First, what are the associations among interpersonal cognitions, anxiety, and depression? Second, what are the relative magnitudes of genetic and environmental influences on interpersonal cognitions? Third, to what extent do genetic and environmental influences explain associations between interpersonal cognitions and depression? Three hundred pairs of 8-year-old twins reported on symptoms of depression and anxiety by completing the Children's Depression Inventory and the Screen for Childhood Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders. The authors examined interpersonal cognitions with the Children's Expectation of Social Behaviors and the Perceptions of Peers and Self Questionnaires. Interpersonal cognitions were more strongly correlated with depression (mean r = .35) than with anxiety (mean r = .13). Genetic influence on interpersonal cognitions was small (M = 3%), and associations between interpersonal cognitions and depression were mainly explained by environmental influences. These latter findings may result from interpersonal cognitions in young children, reflecting life experiences as opposed to trait-like cognitive biases. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Pathways to childhood depressive symptoms: The role of social, cognitive, and genetic risk factors.

Childhood depressive conditions have been explored from multiple theoretical approaches but with few empirical attempts to address the interrelationships among these different domains and their combined effects. In the present study, the authors examined different pathways through which social, cognitive, and genetic risk factors may be expressed to influence depressive symptoms in 300 pairs of child twins from a longitudinal study. Path analysis supported several indirect routes. First, risks associated with living in a step- or single-parent family and punitive parenting did not directly influence depressive outcome but were instead mediated through maternal depressive symptoms and child negative attributional style. Second, the effects of negative attributional style on depressive outcome were greatly exacerbated in the presence of precipitating negative life events. Third, independent of these social and cognitive risk mechanisms, modest genetic effects were also implicated in symptoms, with some indication that these risks are expressed through exposure to negative stressors. Together, these routes accounted for approximately 13% of total phenotypic variance in depressive symptoms. Theoretical and analytical implications of these results are discussed in the context of several design-related caveats. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Corrosion of copper-coated used nuclear fuel containers due to oxygen trapped in a Canadian deep geological repository

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is evaluating the safety and feasibility of the permanent disposal of used nuclear fuel in a deep geological repository. Their current design concept utilises copper-coated steel used fuel containers to isolate the waste from the environment. Immediately following repository closure, a finite quantity of O₂ will be trapped inside the repository and could cause some amount of oxic corrosion to the outer copper layer of the containers. On a per container basis, 13?mol of O₂ will be trapped in the repository rooms at the time of closure, based on reference design dimensions. This corresponds to a maximum depth of copper corrosion of 81?μm, assuming a uniform distribution. This work also considers the sensitivity of this oxic corrosion allowance to various hypothetical design changes to the repository that may occur before or during construction.     

Attributional style as a risk marker of genetic effects for adolescent depressive symptoms.

Genetic effects on adolescent depression have been consistently reported, but little is known about mediating pathways from the distal genotype to resultant behavioral symptoms. Identifying intermediate risk markers may provide clues on these pathways. In the present study, longitudinal twin and sibling data were used to address 3 issues pertaining to attributional style as a putative marker of genetic risk for adolescent depression: state independence by assessing predictive effects between attributional style and depressive symptoms, heritability of attributional style at different time points, and genetic links between attributional style and depressive symptoms characterizing concurrent and longitudinal associations. The authors further examined whether these predictive and genetic links varied across levels of stress, age, and gender. Negative attributions preceded, co-occurred with, and followed symptoms. The predictive association between earlier negative attributions and later depressive symptoms did not differ by stress, age, or gender. Attributional style was moderately heritable at both time points. Genetic links with concurrent and prospective depressive symptoms were larger in individuals reporting higher levels of stress, who were older and female. Implications for attributional style as a marker reflecting genetic risks are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Changes in intramuscular fat, fatty acid profile and cholesterol content induced by zeranol implantation strategy in hair lambs

BACKGROUND: The effect of zeranol implantation strategy on intramuscular fat, fatty acid profile and cholesterol content of the longissimus dorsi muscle of hair lambs was studied. Four treatments were tested: C, control group; Z12, 12 mg zeranol; Z24, 24 mg zeranol in a single application; and RZ12, 12 mg zeranol given twice. One‐way analysis of variance was employed to estimate the effect of treatments (P < 0.05). To separate the effect of the mean, orthogonal contrasts were tested: C1, C versus Z12 + Z24 + RZ12; C2, Z12 versus Z24 + RZ12; and C3, Z24 versus RZ12. RESULTS: A decrease (P < 0.05) in intramuscular fat content was observed from implanting (C1 effect) and zeranol reimplantation (C3 effect). Implanted lambs exhibited an increase (P < 0.05) in monounsaturated fatty acids compared with control group (40.60% versus 35.35%). All contrasts were significant for the sum of n‐6 and n‐3, with values lower (P < 0.05) in the control (n‐6: 0.84% and n‐3: 1.38%) and higher in the RZ12 treatment (n‐6: 7.55% and n‐3: 14.9%). Cholesterol decreased by 78% with implantation and increasing the dose. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that it is possible to induce favorable changes in the fatty acid profile and cholesterol content using a zeranol implantation strategy on hair lambs. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

The pleasure of unadulterated sadness: Experiencing sorrow in fiction, nonfiction, and "in person."

We often experience intense emotions when we enter fictional worlds in film and literature and often shed real tears. The goal of this study was to determine whether emotional reactions (sadness and anxiety) to fiction are distinguishable from emotional reactions to fact. Fifty-nine young adults rated their sadness and anxiety levels in response to 4 film clips, 2 presented as fiction, 2 as nonfiction, and in response to the recall of an actual sad event personally experienced. Participants experienced equivalent levels of sadness and anxiety in response to films presented as fictional or factual. They also experienced equivalent levels of sadness in response to films and in response to a sad personal event. Anxiety levels, however, were significantly higher in response to personally experienced events. The fact that sadness elicited by films is unadulterated by the anxiety that accompanies the sadness of personal experience may explain, in part, the pleasure we derive from watching sad films. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Addition of yogurt to wort for the production of spirits: Evaluation of the spirit aroma over a two-year period

Triggered by the development of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) during the production of Scotch whisky, this study examined the influence of yeast and LAB inoculation on whisky flavor. Four new spirits were produced using the same process. LAB were added as a form of a Greek yogurt's live culture. In each category (barley and rye), one sample was fermented with Greek yogurt while the other was fermented without it. The spirits were matured and analyzed at five different points. Results from gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis showed basic volatile compounds, along with some important extra compounds with yogurt culture. The most obvious differences were observed in the concentration of butanoic acid, a characteristic acid in spirits undergoing lactic acid fermentation: to identify esters such as ethyl butanoate, ethyl isobutanoate, isoamyl butanoate, and 2-phenylethyl butanoate, they are not typical compounds in whisky.     

Comparison of number of citations to full original articles versus brief reports

Most biomedical journals accept original research articles in the form of “brief reports”. We compared the citations to full papers versus brief reports in a sample of journals on Infectious Diseases, Clinical Microbiology, and Antimicrobial Agents. Brief reports were cited less often than full-size articles [regression coefficient: 10.94 (95 % CI: 5.19, 16.69)] even after adjustment for the journal’s impact factor. Our findings may influence decisions of editors and authors regarding brief reports.