THE COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF SENSORY DEPRIVATION: THE ROLE OF TASK COMPLEXITY.

TESTED 40 MALE UNDERGRADUATES UNDER 4 DRIVE CONDITIONS WITH 2 LEVELS OF TASK COMPLEXITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT TASK COMPLEXITY AND DRIVE AROUSAL INTERACTED TO LEAD TO DIFFERENTIAL PERFORMANCE ON COGNITIVE TASKS. ON A COMPLEX TASK, BOTH MODERATE AND HIGH DRIVE LED TO DECREMENTS; ON A SIMPLE TASK, MODERATE DRIVE RESULTED IN IMPROVEMENT WHICH LEVELED OFF UNDER HIGH DRIVE. THE DRIVE OPERATIONS, VARIED INDEPENDENTLY, WERE SENSORY DEPRIVATION AND FINANCIAL INCENTIVE. THE DATA HELP TO CLARIFY THE INCONSISTENT LITERATURE RELATING SENSORY DEPRIVATION TO COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE. (FRENCH SUMMARY) (17 REF.) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

DYNAMIC AND STEADY-STATE RHEOLOGY OF AUSTRALIAN HONEYS AT SUBZERO TEMPERATURES

The rheology of 10 Australian honeys was investigated at temperatures ?15C to 0C by a strain‐controlled rheometer. The honeys exhibited Newtonian behavior irrespective of the temperature, and follow the Cox–Merz rule. G″/G′ and ω are quadratically related, and the crossover frequencies for liquid to solid transformation and relaxation times were obtained. The composition of the honeys correlates well (r² > 0.83) with the viscosity, and with 247 data sets (Australian and Greek honeys), the following equation was obtained: The viscosity of the honeys showed a strong dependence on temperature, and four models were examined to describe this. The models gave good fits (r ² > 0.95), but better fits were obtained for the WLF model using T_g of the honeys and µ_g= 10¹¹ Pa.s. The WLF model with its “universal values” poorly predicted the viscosity, and the implications of the measured rheological behaviors of the honeys in their processing and handling are discussed.     

Influence of Pre-Rigor Processing, Mechanical Tenderization, Tumbling Method and Processing Time on the Quality and Yield of Ham

Eight market weight hogs with similar genetic and management background were conventionally slaughtered with the resulting sixteen pork carcass sides randomly assigned to treatments. Four treatments at 2 levels each (2⁴ factorial design) included muscle condition [pre-rigor (hot) or post-rigor (chilled)], mechanical knife blade tenderization [no tenderization or tenderization], vacuum tumbling [continuous or intermittent], and the processing delay time between vacuum tumbling and further processing [no delay time or 20-hr delay]. Results indicated that pre-rigor processed meat tissue exhibited higher pH, water-holding capacity (WHC), and cooked yield characteristics. Mechanical knife blade tenderization consistently increased protein content of the uncooked meat exudate, cooked yield, and palatability characteristics. Tumbling method and processing time had little influence on either uncooked or cooked meat characteristics.     

Heuristic improvement through triangulation

Abstract

This paper presents a method for improving heuristics using a triangulation technique. Instead of using a heuristic to directly estimate distance (X₁, X₂) between nodes X₁ and X₂, the proposed technique selects a reference node R_i applies the heuristic to (X₁,R_i) and (X₂,R_i), and uses the Euclidean distance formula to calculate a new heuristic value. If two nodes are close to each other, then they should also be approximately equidistant to a third reference node. Utilizing a set of many such reference nodes, node expansions can be reduced for a large class of heuristics. Very early results for this method, referred to as multi-dimensional heuristics, showed that fewer node expansions were needed when using the triangulation technique. New results in this paper include the development of a new learning procedure for selecting reference nodes, experimentation on reusing reference node sets for multiple goal instances, a comparison of multi-dimensional heuristics with weighting and how they dynamically weight states near the goal, and some observations which help explain how and why this technique improves heuristics.     

Satellite-derived low-level atmospheric water vapour content from synergy of AVHRR with HIRS

Abstract

The infrared sensor systems AVHRR (Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer) and HIRS (High resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder) on board the NOAA-7 satellite are studied theoretically by means of radiative transfer calculations to enable the development of new retrieval techniques for atmospheric water vapour profiles. Simulations of radiometer signals have been performed for a large set of atmospheres from the middle and tropical latitudes. Subsequent development of a physical-statistical retrieval method demonstrates the usefulness of a coupling of both radiometers for water vapour retrievals in a single HIRS field of view. Total column amounts as well as the amounts in thick layers (150-200 hPa (thick) in the lower troposphere can be derived with an accuracy of 5-15 per cent and 15-25 per cent respectively. The amounts in thinner layers (50hPa) can be estimated with accuracies between 20 and 30 per cent. The AVHRR split window channels are a powerful tool in the water vapour retrievals. The technique developed benefits from the simultaneous retrieval of temperature profiles and surface temperatures. Accounting for scan-angle dependencies explicitly leads to improved retrievals. The synergy of AVHRR with HIRS increases the number of retrievals in partially cloudy fields of view compared with HIRS retrievals alone. A case study demonstrates the capability of the method to resolve water vapour structures with a high spatial resolution and its value in areas where conventional measurements from radiosonde ascents are sparse.     

THE ADVENT OF CRYPTOLOGY IN THE GAME OF BRIDGE

The surprising discovery that information can be passed both covertly and legally between bridge partners has added a new dimension to the theory of this popular game. In this paper some of the methods are sketched and their cryptologic foundation is described.     

Assimilate transport in grapevines -effect of phloem disruption

Assimilate translocation in mature grapevines (cv. Gewürztraminer and cv. Harslevelü) under field conditions was investigated during the growth season by quantifying individual sugars and organic acids in mature leaves, shoot bark and berries, as affected by girdling the shoot just above the bunches. Tissue was sampled at berry set, pea size, veraison and ripeness stages of the vine. Invertase activity was determined in the shoot bark at ripeness. In the leaves, malic acid concentrations reached lowest levels at pea size, but increased thereafter. Tartaric acid decreased after peaking at pea size stage. Tartaric acid concentrations increased with girdling. Despite the increase in leaf age, sucrose concentrations remained virtually stable during the season, emphasising the importance of mature leaves for nourishing bunches. Girdling resulted in a build‐up of sucrose in the leaves. In the bark, malic and tartaric acid stayed more or less the same during the growth period, but increased above the girdle. As a result of phloem disruption, sucrose also increased. The increase in glucose and tartaric acid is believed to result from catabolic cleavage of sucrose by invertase. Invertase activity was evident in the bark (of mature Harslevelü vines) at ripeness, which may indicate involvement in osmotic adjustments and gradients in the bark/phloem structure. In the berries, malic and tartaric acids reached peak concentrations at pea size. The volume increase during the ripening period, and in the case of malic acid also respiratory loss, resulted in a decrease in organic acid concentration. Malic acid continued to decrease after the initial decline, whereas tartaric acid stayed virtually stable. Girdling had no marked effect on organic acid accumulation in the berries. Sucrose concentrations were low during the first part of the season, but increased thereafter. Sucrose concentrations during ripening increased with girdling, which may represent a concentration effect and/or import from the rest of the vine. Sucrose concentrations (in mature Harslevelü vines) were indeed lower below than above the girdle. Comparison of sucrose concentrations in the leaves, bark and berries showed the existence of a decreasing concentration gradient, in line with the source:sink transport concept. An equally prominent decrease in sucrose:glucose ratio in the berries from the start of the ripening period indicates that vacuolar integrity (compartmentation) was affected in the ripening berry, most probably allowing hydrolysis of sucrose by invertase and decreasing osmotic potential within the berry. The results provide further evidence for the hypothesis of an osmotic gradient driven transport to the berry.     

Phosphorus detection in vitrified bacteria by cryo‐STEM annular dark‐field analysis

Bacterial cells often contain dense granules. Among these, polyphosphate bodies (PPBs) store inorganic phosphate for a variety of essential functions. Identification of PPBs has until now been accomplished by analytical methods that required drying or chemically fixing the cells. These methods entail large electron doses that are incompatible with low‐dose imaging of cryogenic specimens. We show here that Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (STEM) of fully hydrated, intact, vitrified bacteria provides a simple means for mapping of phosphorus‐containing dense granules based on quantitative sensitivity of the electron scattering to atomic number. A coarse resolution of the scattering angles distinguishes phosphorus from the abundant lighter atoms: carbon, nitrogen and oxygen. The theoretical basis is similar to Z contrast of materials science. EDX provides a positive identification of phosphorus, but importantly, the method need not involve a more severe electron dose than that required for imaging. The approach should prove useful in general for mapping of heavy elements in cryopreserved specimens when the element identity is known from the biological context.     

PROPERTIES OF DIFFERENT FISH PROCESSING BY-PRODUCTS FROM POLLOCK, COD AND SALMON

Individual fish processing waste stream components can be used to make feed ingredients or other products. Waste stream components obtained from commercial fish processing plants included heads, viscera, frames, and skins from Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus); and heads, and viscera from pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). The protein content of heads from all three species ranged from 13.9 to 16.4%; and the fat content ranged from 0.9 to 10.9%. Viscera protein content ranged from 13.0 to 15.3%, and the fat content from 2.0 to 19.1%. After heating to 85C the percent soluble protein in salmon heads was different (P < 0.05) from pollock or cod heads. Percent soluble protein of pollock and cod skin increased 8fold (P<0.05) after the 85C heat treatment. Connective tissue content was calculated from chemical determination of hydroxyproline content, and large differences in percent connective tissue content were found (1% for pollock viscera to 46% for skin). Estimated rat PER values ranged from a low of 2.1 for skin to a high of 3.1 for viscera and fillet samples (P<0.05).     

MEASUREMENT OF PEA TENDERNESS

Abstract Twenty one tenderometers were compared in processing plants for their accuracy of measurement using wax wafers as the test material. The results indicate that there are serious differences among the tenderometers and that the accuracy of measurement is unsatisfactory for the purpose of grading peas to establish the price paid to the grower. If a relationship of compatible trust is to remain between the processor and the grower, serious consideration must be given either to better calibration of currently used tenderometers or to devising some other method of grading and paying for peas.