Children's use of the temporal dimension of gaze for inferring preference.

This study examined 4- and 5-year-olds' ability to spontaneously use the relative duration and frequency of another's object-directed gaze for inferring that person's preference. In Experiment 1, analysis revealed a strong age effect for judgment accuracy, which could not be accounted for by cue-monitoring proficiency. Reducing the saliency of the objects in Experiment 2 yielded significant improvement in the younger children's performance. Thus, at 4 years, children already show signs of attending to the temporal dimension of gaze for making mentalistic inferences of preferential liking, but their competence may be undermined by the object choices themselves. By 5 years, they appear to overcome this competition. The obtained developmental difference is discussed in terms of concurrent transitions in attention regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Spherical indentation of tooth enamel

Spherical indentation measurements were made on enamel surfaces of intact human teeth. From the load versus depth of indentation curve Young's modulus was found to be typically 8.3×10¹⁰ Pa and the yield stress to be 3.3×10⁸ Pa. Young's modulus was observed to vary with moisture content and with the orientation of the enamel surface. Viscoelastic behaviour was evident, also depending on the moisture content of the enamel.     

Fracture of steel pipelines

This paper reviews the measures taken in Canada to prevent failure in oil and gas pipelines, the former relying on prevention of initiation by a ‘leak-before-break’ approach, the latter by measures aimed at preventing fracture propagation. The effect of stable slow crack growth is discussed.     

Effect of modified and unmodified tapioca starches on 59Fe retention in rats

The effects of a chemically-modified tapioca starch hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HDP), and unmodified tapioca starch (UMS) on 59Fe retention by rats were compared. Three experimental variables were evaluated: 1) the type of starch in the diet, 2) cooking of either the starch alone or the entire diet, and 3) the iron status of the rats. There were no significant differences in 59Re retention between iron-adequate rats fed either UMS or HDP. 59Fe retention by iron-deficient rats was not affected by the type of starch in the diet when uncooked starch was used. However, if the starch was cooked, substitution of HDP for UMS resulted in a significant depression in iron retention by iron-deficient rats. Cooking the entire diet produced a similar but less marked effect. The results of these experiments suggest that the inclusion of one particular type of modified tapioca starch in the diet may affect iron utilization.     

A biochemical hypothesis explaining the response of enhanced biological phosphorus removal biomass to organic substrates.

Anaerobic/aerobic batch experiments were conducted with a variety of volatile fatty (VFAs) and amino acids on two sequencing batch reactor populations displaying enhanced biological phosphorus removal. The batch experiments were consistent between the two systems and with the past literature: acetic and isovaleric acid were the most efficient substrates, and propionic acid was the least efficient of the 2-5 carbon VFAs (lack of acclimation was ruled out). A survey of the engineering and biochemical literature revealed that both acetic and isovaleric acid resulted in a negative reaction redox balance (i.e. it requires reducing equivalents such as NADH2) during their biotransformation to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). In addition, the survey indicated that acetic and isovaleric acid resulted in 3HB rather than 3HV or 3H2MV formation. Two possible hypotheses were put forward for evaluation: (1) it was hypothesized that a negative intracellular redox balance might result in higher PHA content since PHA biosynthesis could be sustained under anaerobic conditions (no NADH2 build up), and/or (2) it was hypothesized that 3HB resulted in greater P-uptake than other PHA forms such as 3HV.