The silence of the library: Environment, situational norm, and social behavior.

On the basis of the idea that situational norms are mentally represented as associations between environments and normative behavior, it was proposed that an environment can automatically direct normative behavior. More specifically, when situational norms are well-established (e.g., when entering the library, one should be silent), an environment is capable of automatically activating mental representations of normative behavior and the behavior itself. In these experiments, participants were exposed to pictures of environments, and effects on accessibility of representations of normative behavior and on actual behavior were assessed. Results indicated that representations of behavior and actual behavior itself are activated automatically when (a) goals to visit the environment are active and (b) strong associations between environment and normative behavior are established. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

I Like Myself but I Don't Know Why: Enhancing Implicit Self-Esteem by Subliminal Evaluative Conditioning.

On the basis of a conceptualization of implicit self-esteem as the implicit attitude toward the self, it was predicted that implicit self-esteem could be enhanced by subliminal evaluative conditioning. In 5 experiments, participants were repeatedly presented with trials in which the word I was paired with positive trait terms. Relative to control conditions, this procedure enhanced implicit self-esteem. The effects generalized across 3 measures of implicit self-esteem (Experiments 1-3). Furthermore, evaluative conditioning enhanced implicit self-esteem among people with low-temporal implicit self-esteem and among people with high-temporal implicit self-esteem (Experiment 4). In addition, it was shown that conditioning enhanced self-esteem to such an extent that it made participants insensitive to negative intelligence feedback (Experiments 5a and 5b). Various implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physical examination of arteriovenous fistula: The influence of professional experience in the detection of complications

Vascular access is one of the leading causes of mobilization of financial resources in health systems for people with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis. Physical examination of the arteriovenous fistula (AVF) has demonstrated its effectiveness in identifying complications. We decided to evaluate the influence of nurses' professional experience in the detection of complications of the AVF (venous stenosis and steal syndrome). The study took place in eight hemodialysis centers between May and September of 2011 in the north of Portugal. Sample was constituted by registered nurses. The nurses involved in the experiment were divided in two groups: those who had more than 5 years of experience and those who had less than 5 years of experience. Ninety‐two nurses participated in the study: 34 nurses had less than 5 years of professional experience and 58 had more than 5 years of professional experience. In the practices considered by nurses in the detection of venous stenosis, there were no differences observed between the groups (P > 0.05). In steal syndrome, there were no differences observed between the groups in the practices of the nurses in the detection of this complication of the AVF (P > 0.05). We concluded that professional experience does not influence the detection of venous stenosis and steal syndrome.     

Tumors in rheumatoid arthritis

Benign (bTu) and malignant tumours (mTu) were studied in a randomised autopsy material of 161 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The tissue specimens were fixed in 8% formaldehyde solution at pH 7.6 and embedded in paraffin. The tumours were diagnosed histologically and confirmed by immunohistochemical methods. Five benign (3.1%), and thirteen malignant tumours (8.1%) found observed in 18 (11.2%) of 161 cases. There was no significant difference between laboratory parameters of patients with malignant tumours and without tumours. One benign (0.62%) and seven malignant (4.35%) tumours led to death in 8 (4.97%) of 18 cases altogether. Neoplasms were detected clinically in 8 of 18 cases (44.4 rel%). None of tumorous patients received immunosuppressive treatment and only five had gold (Tauredon) therapy. Paraneoplastic syndromes with rheumatoid complaints may be excluded by the onset and duration of RA and tumours. Benign neurogenic tumours and malignant bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were frequently associated with RA not treated by immunosuppressive drugs. Our data do not support the assumption of a high risk of malignant lymphomas associated with RA treated with immunosuppressive therapy.     

Think Different: The Merits of Unconscious Thought in Preference Development and Decision Making.

The role of unconscious and conscious thought in decision making was investigated in 5 experiments. Because of the low processing capacity of consciousness, conscious thought was hypothesized to be maladaptive when making complex decisions. Conversely, unconscious thought was expected to be highly effective. In Experiments 1-3, participants were presented with a complex decision problem in which they had to choose between various alternatives, each with multiple attributes. Some participants had to make a decision immediately after being presented with the options. In the conscious thought condition, participants could think about the decision for a few minutes. In the unconscious thought condition, participants were distracted for a few minutes and then indicated their decision. Throughout the experiments, unconscious thinkers made the best decisions. Additional evidence obtained in Experiments 4 and 5 suggests that unconscious thought leads to clearer, more polarized, and more integrated representations in memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cytotoxic Activity and Structure–Activity Relationship of Triazole‐Containing Bis(Aryl Ether) Macrocycles

Cancer continues to be a worldwide health problem. Certain macrocyclic molecules have become attractive therapeutic alternatives for this disease because of their efficacy and, frequently, their novel mechanisms of action. Herein, we report the synthesis of a series of 20‐, 21‐, and 22‐membered macrocycles containing triazole and bis(aryl ether) moieties. The compounds were prepared by a multicomponent approach from readily available commercial substrates. Notably, some of the compounds displayed interesting cytotoxicity against cancer (PC‐3) and breast (MCF‐7) cell lines, especially those bearing an aliphatic or a trifluoromethyl substituent on the N‐phenyl moiety (IC₅₀<13 μm ). Additionally, some of the compounds were able to induce apoptosis relative to the solvent control; in particular, (Z)‐N‐cyclohexyl‐7‐oxo‐6‐[4‐(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]‐1¹H‐3,10‐dioxa‐6‐aza‐1(4,1)‐triazola‐4(1,3),9(1,4)‐dibenzenacyclotridecaphane‐5‐carboxamide ( 12 f ) was the most potent in this regard (22.7 % of apoptosis).     

Thermoluminescent behaviour of diamond films subjected to UV irradiation

The thermoluminescent behaviour of diamond films subjected to UV irradiation was studied by using an UV lamp of 254 nm wavelength. The UV irradiation was achieved by placing the samples 15 cm away from an UV source for different periods. The thermoluminescent signal was integrated from 0 to 350°C at a linear heating rate of 10°C/s in a N₂ atmosphere. The corresponding luminescence spectra show an excitation band centered at 450 nm while the emission band is centered around 500 nm at room temperature. The diamond films were synthesized on molybdenum substrates by the combustion flame technique and characterized by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Received: 31 May 1999 / Reviewed and accepted: 22 July 1999     

Aroma volatiles recovered in the water phase of cashew apple (Anacardium occidentale L.) juice during concentration

BACKGROUND: There is a considerable loss of volatile compounds during the thermal concentration of cashew apple juice, damaging product quality, and as yet there is little research on the subject. Thus the purpose of this research was to identify the aroma volatiles evaporated off from cashew apple juice and recovered in the water phase during concentration of this beverage in an industrial plant. Water phase volatiles were extracted using dichloromethane, concentrated under a nitrogen flow, separated by gas chromatography (GC) and identified by GC‐mass spectrometry. In order to determine the contribution of each volatile to the cashew aroma, five trained judges evaluated the GC effluents using the Osme GC‐olfactometry technique. RESULTS: 71 volatiles were identified; of these, 47 were odour active. Alcohols were preferentially recovered in the cashew water phase, notably heptanol, trans ‐3‐hexen‐1‐ol and 3‐methyl‐1‐butanol, representing 42% of the total chromatogram area and imparting green grass and fruity aroma notes to the water phase. Esters represented 21% of the total chromatogram area, especially ethyl 2‐hydroxyhexanoate, ethyl trans ‐2‐butenoate and ethyl 2‐methylbutanoate, and were responsible for the fruity/cashew‐like aroma of the water phase. On the other hand, 3‐methylbutanoic and 2‐methylbutanoic acids were the volatiles that presented the greatest odour impact in the GC effluents of the water phase. CONCLUSION: Overall, the results of the present study strongly indicated that further concentration of the esters recovered in the water phase, either by partial distillation or by alternative technologies such as pervaporation, could generate a higher‐quality natural cashew apple essence. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry