A re-examination of recognition memory in amnesia: Reply to Roediger and McDermott.

In a previously reported study using the process dissociation procedure, we (M. Verfaellie & J. Treadwell, see record 1993-18420-001) demonstrated that amnesic patients were impaired relative to controls in their recognition of words they had solved as anagrams but performed comparably to controls in their recognition of words they had read. H. L. Roediger and K. B. McDermott (see record 1994-30444-001) suggested that the finding of normal performance in the read condition of our study might have been due to differing false-alarm rates between groups, a finding that would complicate application of the process dissociation procedure. In this reply, we argue that the amnesic patients' normal performance in this condition was not due just to differences in guessing rate and is not inconsistent with findings from standard recognition memory tests. In addition, 2 corrections to the process dissociation procedure discussed by Roediger and McDermott are considered as solutions to the problem of differing false-alarm rates. Applied to our amnesic data, these corrections reinforce our original conclusion that under conditions in which the contribution of recollection is minimal, amnesic patients' performance is normal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Selection Criteria for Water Disinfection Techniques in Agricultural Practices

This paper comprises a selection tool for water disinfection methods for fresh produce pre- and postharvest practices. A variety of water disinfection technologies is available on the market and no single technology is the best choice for all applications. It can be difficult for end users to choose the technology that is best fit for a specific application. Therefore, the different technologies were characterized in order to identify criteria that influence the suitability of a technology for pre- or postharvest applications. Introduced criteria were divided into three principal components: (i) criteria related to the technology and which relate to the disinfection efficiency, (ii) attention points for the management and proper operation, and (iii) necessities in order to sustain the operation with respect to the environment. The selection criteria may help the end user of the water disinfection technology to obtain a systematic insight into all relevant aspects to be considered for preliminary decision making on which technologies should be put to feasibility testing for water disinfection in pre- and postharvest practices of the fresh produce chain.     

Pasting,thermal, gel texture,resistant starch and colour properties of unripe banana flour from 10 desert banana varieties cultivated in South Africa

Unripe banana flour is a potential commercial ingredient in various food products for increased resistant starch and reduced gluten contents. In the present study, the pasting (rapid visco-analysis), gel texture (penetration test), thermal (differential scanning calorimetry), colour (tri-stimulus colour indices) and the resistant starch properties of unripe banana flour produced from different dessert banana varieties (n?=?10) cultivated in South Africa, were analysed and juxtaposed to wheat and maize flour. The functional properties varied significantly (p?≤?0.05) between banana varieties, and from wheat and maize flours, to various extents. Selected functional property ranges of unripe banana, wheat and maize flours, respectively included; flour colour index (63.16–76.42, 77.34 and 80.96), paste viscosity (405.5–556.6, 124.7 and 115.6 RVU), gelatinization temperature (64.67–71.21, 71.11 and 69.95?°C), gel firmness (7.24–11.44?×?10^??2 N, 3.49?×?10^??2 N and 6.56?×?10^??2 N) and resistant starch content (19.9–47.4, 2.8 and 2.2% w/w). Multivariate analysis (principle component analysis) showed that the unripe banana flours from different varieties were distinguished from each other based on the pasting temperature. The unripe banana flours were distinguished from both wheat and maize flour based on breakdown and peak paste viscosities. The breakdown viscosity was the most positively related measure to the resistant starch content with a linear regression R-squared value of 0.898, indicating a significant role played by granule structure in resistance to enzymatic hydrolysis. The present research demonstrates that selection of appropriate dessert banana variety is important when replacing staple flours (wheat and maize) with unripe dessert banana flour as a functional ingredient.     

Electroactive behavior assessment of poly(acrylic acid)‐graphene oxide composite hydrogel in the detection of cadmium

Super absorbent polymers of acrylic acid‐graphene oxide (PAA‐GO) were synthesized with different percentage of chemical neutralization (0, 10, and 20%) of the acrylic acid monomer before its polymerization. The influence of their swelling and adsorption/desorption capacity of cadmium ions in aqueous solutions were studied and revealed that the GO enables greater mechanical stability in the materials. The PAA hydrogels, with the same degrees of neutralization, were also prepared without GO to compare with the composites. Additionally, carbon paste electrodes (CPE) modified with the composites PAA‐GO were used to asses and compare their adsorption properties with cadmium(II). The anodic stripping voltammetry (ASV) peak, in the differential pulse voltammetry mode, for cadmium oxidation was found to be influenced by the presence of GO into the polymer, and also by their percentage of neutralization. The accumulation of cadmium(II) on the surface of the modified CPEs was performed under open‐circuit conditions taking an account the preconcentration time of the metal cation. The presence of GO enhances the electrical signal of the electrodes in short times of immersion in cadmium(II) solutions. This property contributed to get linear responses of the CPEs modified with the composites, which were influenced by their degrees of neutralization. The PAA‐GO 10N electrode with 10% of neutralization combined the influence of GO and the degree of neutralization in the same matrix, and also showed good performance in terms of its mechanical stability, it was chosen for preliminary studies on the selectivity of the electrode toward Zn(II) and Cu(II). © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131, 40846.     

Electronic diary evidence on energy erosion in clinical burnout.

Burnout is generally defined as a state of severe exhaustion. So far, research has predominantly focused on relatively mild burnout in employees able to work despite their complaints. This study examines energy depletion in clinical burnout (e.g., the severest cases on extended sick leave) by comparing the diurnal patterns of fatigue and exhaustion with those of healthy individuals. Sixty clinically burned-out and 40 healthy participants kept an electronic diary for 14 days, 7 times a day, yielding a total of 8,116 diary entries. This study shows that burned-out individuals typically suffer continuously from a severe fatigue throughout the day. The resulting flattened diurnal cycles mark a stable exhaustion that is uncommon in healthy persons. The current results provide novel support for the existence of severe energy erosion in clinical burnout. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Automatic Verification of a Behavioural Subset of UML Statechart Diagrams Using the SPIN Model-checker

Statechart Diagrams provide a graphical notation for describing dynamic aspects of system behaviour within the Unified Modelling Language (UML). In this paper we present a translation from a subset of UML Statechart Diagrams - covering essential aspects of both concurrent behaviour, like sequentialisation, parallelism, non-determinism and priority, and state refinement - into PROMELA, the specification language of the SPIN model checker. SPIN is one of the most advanced analysis and verification tools available nowadays. Our translation allows for the automatic verification of UML Statechart Diagrams. The translation is simple, proven correct, and promising in terms of state space representation efficiency. Received September 1999 / Accepted in revised form February 2000     

Illusory conjunctions are an illusion: The effects of target–nontarget similarity on conjunction and feature errors.

The results of previous studies on visual perception suggest that conjunction errors partly derive from imperfect binding of correctly perceived features. However, the paradigms used in these studies do not generally allow one to discriminate between errors of feature binding and errors of target-nontarget confusion. In Experiments 1–4, an altered paradigm was used enabling discrimination between errors of feature binding and errors of target-nontarget confusion. The results showed that conjunction errors between color and identity do not derive from imperfect binding. In Experiments 5 and 6, a typical mainstream paradigm was used. The results indicated that, in such a paradigm, data patterns suggesting the existence of illusory conjunctions are likely to be due to errors of target-nontarget confusion instead of imperfect feature binding. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Computer aided boar semen motility analysis for cereulide detection in different food matrices

Computer Aided Semen Analysis (CASA) study of the boar semen motility has been demonstrated to be an appropriate assay for detection of cereulide (Bacillus cereus emetic toxin). Application of the boar semen bio-assay to detect cereulide directly in foods requires investigation of potential interference of food components, preservatives and other microbial and chemical food contaminants with the bio-assay. Current study provides evidence that none of included Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxins A, B, C and D nor B. cereus Hemolysin BL (HBL) and non-hemolytic enterotoxin (NHE) and three mycotoxins (Sterigmatocystin, Fumonisin B1 and Patulin) exhibited a toxic impact on semen progressive motility. Aflatoxin M1, M3 and zearalenone impaired semen motility only at concentrations (0.004 mg ml(-1), 0.1 mg ml(-1) and 10 mg ml(-1), respectively) much higher than those found in foods and those permitted by legislation, in comparison to cereulide which induces motility cease at concentrations lower than 20 ng ml(-1). Ten commonly used preservatives, namely potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, (DL) malic acid, citric acid, (L+) tartaric acid, acetic acid, (DL) lactic acid, (L+) ascorbic acid, sodium chloride and sucrose induced no cease in spermatozoa motility even at preservative concentrations higher than permitted by legislation. Dioxins, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), and acrylamide had no acute effect on spermatozoa motility at concentrations of 500 and 10,000 mg ml(-1), respectively. Robustness of computer aided boar semen motility analysis, tested with 14 different foods inoculated with cereulide producing B. cereus, showed distinct cereulide production in seven samples (although B. cereus growth to counts higher than 8 log CFU g(-1) was noted in 11 samples), in amounts close to those reported in foodborne outbreaks. Test evaluation in 33 samples suspected to hold cereulide showed actual cereulide presence in ten samples and no interference of food matrix with the assay.