Shifts in attention biases in response to acute pain induction: Examination of a model of "conversion" among repressors.

Unlike most people, those who are characterized by a repressive coping style report high levels of physical (sensory) pain but low levels of emotional distress (affective pain), which is a discrepancy that may suggest a “conversion” process. In two studies, we tested an attention allocation model, proposing that repressors direct attention away from threatening negative affective information and toward nonthreatening physical pain information during emotionally arousing (painful) situations. In Study 1, 84 participants underwent a cold pressor and then recovered. Repressors reported greater pain during recovery than low- and high-anxious participants, but they reported lower distress than high-anxious participants. Repressors reported significant and large discrepancies between high pain and low distress, whereas these differences were less pronounced for other groups. In Study 2, 77 participants underwent an ischemic pain task while performing a modified dot-probe task with sensory and negative affective pain words as stimuli. Repressors showed increasing biases away from affective pain words and toward sensory pain words as the pain task continued, whereas low- and high-anxious participants did not show these shifts in attention. The results support the notion that conversion among repressors may involve a process by which attention is directed away from emotional distress during noxious stimulation and is focused instead on sensory information from pain. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physicochemical and sensory quality of several commercial Brazilian chocolate milk beverages

Five brands of Brazilian chocolate milk were subjected to physicochemical and acceptability analysis. The moisture content, fat content, pH and soluble solids content varied between 78.35 and 84.27 g/100 mL, 1.68 and 3.08 g/100 mL, 7.11 and 7.44, 14.0 and 19.0° Brix, respectively, while the ash contents and % lactic acid equivalents were similar. Four of the tested brands had acceptable scores in all attributes; however, one had lower acceptability scores and lower values for luminosity, chromaticity, b* and hue angle, which are potential indicators of the sensory quality. Strong chocolate aroma, strong chocolate flavour, strong brown colour, brightness and sandiness may be used as indicators of low acceptability for chocolate milk.     

Ambient and indoor particulate aerosols generated by dairies in the southern High Plains

The objectives were to quantify and size ambient aerosolized dust in and around the facilities of 4 southern High Plains dairies of New Mexico and to determine where health of workers might be vulnerable to particulate aerosols, based on aerosol concentrations that exceed national air quality standards. Ambient dust air samples were collected upwind (background) and downwind of 3 dairy location sites (loafing pen boundary, commodity, and compost field). The indoor milking parlor, a fourth site, was monitored immediately upwind and downwind. Aerosolized particulate samples were collected using high-volume sequential reference air samplers, laser aerosol monitors, and cyclone air samplers. The overall (main effects and estimable interactions) statistical general linear model statement for particulate matter (PM₁₀; particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of up to 10 μm) and PM_2.5 resulted in a greater mean concentration of dust in the winter (PM₁₀ = 97.4 ± 4.4 μg/m³; PM_2.5 = 32.6 ± 2.6 μg/m³) compared with the summer (PM₁₀ = 71.9 ± 5.0 μg/m³; PM_2.5 = 18.1 ± 1.2 μg/m³). The upwind and downwind boundary PM₁₀ concentrations were significantly higher in the winter (upwind = 64.3 ± 9.5 μg/m³; downwind = 119.8 ± 13.0 μg/m³) compared with the summer (upwind = 35.2 ± 7.5 μg/m³; downwind = 66.8 ± 11.8 μg/m³). The milking parlor PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 concentration data were significantly higher in the winter (PM₁₀ = 119.5 ± 5.8 μg/m³; PM_2.5 = 55.3 ± 5.8 μg/m³) compared with the summer (PM₁₀ = 88.6.0 ± 5.8 μg/m³; PM_2.5 = 21.0 ± 2.1 μg/m³). Personnel should be protected from high aerosol concentrations found at the commodity barn, compost field, and milking parlor during the winter.     

Lean schools of thought

Academia has produced theoretical and practical knowledge about lean for over 30?years, and for that reason, research is in a mature phase. To organise this knowledge, we propose a typology of lean schools of thought. Schools were categorised into two paradigms of organisational analysis – interpretivist and functionalist – to clarify theoretical assumptions about how each conducts scientific investigations and what contributions they generate. Seven schools were identified: systems engineering, systems architecture, operations research, organisational development, contingency systems, socio-technical systems and evolutionary. Persistent practical problems should guide production and operations management research such as the difficulties companies face with adoption and sustainability of lean practices. The typology proposed in this study provides a theoretical framework and a respective school for these problematical situations. The evolutionary school in the interpretivist paradigm seems to be more appropriate; action research as a methodology should be used since it is consistent with interpretivism assumptions. The originality of this paper lies within a proposal of lean schools of thought not found in the literature. Directions for research that have more meaning for companies seeking lean transformation are proposed.     

Friction stir welding between extrusions and laminates

Current market demands drive companies to innovate their production techniques to improve products and simultaneously hold down costs. In the search for solutions aimed at an optimization of production processes, semi-finished products in aluminium alloys very definitely play a significant role. Moreover, the assembly of extruded parts with laminates may result in considerable difficulties, especially in relation to distortions or generated residual stress and process productivity. A solution to these issues may be found in the application of friction stir welding (FSW), characterized by low thermal input and high productivity. The asymmetry of the FSW process determines a different thermal input to the edges of the pieces to be joined. This aspect can be exploited when it is necessary to join pieces characterized by a very different thermal lag, as occurs in the case of joining extruded products and sheeting. This study aims to identify optimal FW parameters, placing particular attention on heat transferred to materials so as to provide an adequate thermal input that will allow for compensation of the different thermal capacity of the pieces in question.     

Quality Changes and Tocopherols and γ-Orizanol Concentrations in Rice Bran Oil During the Refining Process

The quality changes and the concentrations of tocopherols and γ-oryzanol, during successive steps of rice bran oil refining (RBO), were studied. For this purpose, samples of crude, degummed, neutralized, bleached, dewaxed and deodorized RBO were taken from an industrial plant and analyzed. The moisture, pH, acidity, peroxide value and unsaponifiable matter, were determined. The fatty acid composition was evaluated by GC, and the concentrations of tocopherols and γ-oryzanol were determined using HPLC with fluorescence and UV–Vis detection, respectively. To identify γ-oryzanol components, fractions of the HPLC eluant were collected and analyzed using mass spectrometry. Oil refining reduced the peroxide value and acidity to 1 and 3% of the values obtained in crude RBO, respectively. The fatty acid composition were not significantly altered during refining. The concentrations of the tocopherols in RBO followed the order α > (β + γ) > δ. The total concentration of tocopherols was 26 mg/100 g, and remained practically unaltered during refining. Up to nine components were distinguished in γ-oryzanol. After collecting the elution fractions, up to six components were identified by electrospray mass spectrometry. Refining reduced the total concentration of γ-oryzanol to 2% of its initial value.