NIST 0:45 reflectometer

The NIST 0:45 reflectometer measures the spectral reflectance factor at an influx angle of 0° and an efflux angle of 45° of colored, nonfluorescent specimens at room temperature, with widths ranging from 3 to 10 cm and heights from 3 to 20 cm and with an uncertainty of less than 0.5 in color difference units. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 94–99, 2008     

Uncertainty analysis for the NIST 0:45 Reflectometer

Sets of color tiles are available from the National Institute of Standards and Technology calibrated using the NIST 0:45 Reflectometer. The uncertainties associated with the measured values for the color tiles are an indispensable component of the calibration report that accompanies these tiles. A systematic, analytical approach developed previously was applied to the particular case of the reference instrument and color tile set, taking into account the operation and characteristics of the instrument and the spectral properties of the set. The primary sources of uncertainty were identified, and the resulting uncertainties in the color space values L*, a*, and b* were determined. In general, the uncertainties are lowest for those color tiles whose reflectance factors are nearly constant with wavelength. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 100–107, 2008     

Genotoxic effect of Physalis angulata L. (Solanaceae) extract on human lymphocytes treated in vitro

Physalis angulata L (Solanaceae) is a medicinal plant from North of Brazil, whose different extracts and infusions are commonly used in the popular medicine for the treatment of malaria, asthma, hepatitis, dermatitis and rheumatism. However, the genotoxic effects of P. angulata on human cells is not well known. The main purpose of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro genotoxic effects of aqueous extract of P. angulata using the comet assay and the micronucleus assay in human lymphocytes provided from 6 healthy donors. Treatments with P. angulata extracts were performed in vitro in order to access the extent of DNA damage. The comet assay has shown that treatments with P. angulata at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and 6.0 microg/mL in culture medium were genotoxic. Lymphocytes treated with P. angulata at the concentrations of 3.0 and 6.0 microg/mL in culture medium showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of micronucleus (p<0.05), however, the cytokinesis blocked proliferation index (CBPI) was not decreased after P. angulata treatment. In conclusion, the present work demonstrated the genotoxic effects of P. angulata extract on human lymphocytes in vitro.     

Assimilation for Affiliation and Contrast for Control: Complementary Self-Construals.

People have knowledge about relationships (i.e., relational schemas) that is based on their experiences. Because most people have experience with complementary behavior (interaction partners behaving similarly in terms of affiliation but oppositely in terms of control), they expect complementary behavior in their relationships. Like other beliefs about relationships, expectations of complementarity affect self-construal. The authors provide evidence for complementary self-construal; people assimilate to relevant relationship partners on the affiliation dimension and contrast on the control dimension. Consistent with the proposed role of relationship knowledge in these effects, complementary self-construal was moderated by the familiarity of the target, whether people focused on their relationship with or the appearance of the target, and whether the context was relevant for the interpersonal dimension. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response surface methodology applied for Orange II photocatalytic degradation in TiO2 aqueous suspensions

BACKGROUND: Heterogeneous photocatalysis is influenced by a number of parameters involving synergistic effects; hence, an experimental strategy design that considers interactions between the main variables is needed. The response surface methodology was applied for the investigation of photodegradation of 20 mg L^?1 Orange II in aqueous solutions and for optimization of color removal efficiency. Preliminary studies were performed to identify the parameters to be selected for optimization. RESULTS: The input variables considered for experimental design were: solution initial pH, oxidizing agent (H₂O₂) initial concentration and UV‐A irradiation time. The multivariate experimental design allowed the development of a quadratic response surface model to be used for the prediction of color removal efficiency over the full range of the experimental region. Under the optimum conditions established in the region of experimentation (pH = 6.9, [H₂O₂]₀ = 183 mg L^?1 and t = 32 min), a 100% color removal efficiency was obtained in experiments. CONCLUSIONS: It was found that the variables considered have important effects on color removal efficiency. The results demonstrate that the use of experimental design strategy is indispensable for successful investigation and adequate modeling of the process because the interdependence of the reaction parameters cannot be neglected. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

An expert PID controller uses refined ziegler and nichols rules and fuzzy logic ideas

This article proposes a scheme for the on-line adjustment of three mode controller settings based on experimental measurements of closed-loop performance. It uses a recently developed heuristic tuning procedure to identify estimated process parameters. This method may give rise to conflicting estimates. Fuzzy Set theory is applied to manage the situation in terms of a fuzzy conjunction to combine the various estimates. PID control was chosen because of its wide use in the industrial environment due to driving simplicity and robustness. The article shows design, development, and computer simulation aspects.     

The lipid composition of selected tissues from a Mediterranean monk seal,Monachus monachus

The lipid composition of blubber, brain, muscle and heart from a Mediterranean monk sealMonachus monachus (an endangered species) were examined to allow comparisons with more common species of seals. Only neutral lipids (mainly triacylglycerols) were detectable in the blubber lipids, whereas polar lipids predominated in the heart and in the brain. Neutral and polar lipids comprised almost equal proportions in both liver and muscle. Choline glycerophospholipids (CGP) were the major polar lipids, followed by ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (EGP) in the liver, heart and muscle. Cerebrosides accounted for 28.8% of the brain lipids. All lipid classes of the liver contained high levels (31–47%) of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), with the exception of phosphatidylserine. The total proportion of n−6 PUFA exceeded that of n−3 PUFA in all lipid classes of the liver, due mainly to the high levels of 20∶4n−6. The highest level of 20∶4n−6 occurred in phosphatidylinositol, where it comprised 32.4% of the total fatty acids. The CGP and EGP of the brain contained lower levels of PUFA than those of the liver, muscle and heart. Alkenyl ethers accounted for 35.8% of the total long-chain moieties in brain EGP. The fatty acid composition of blubber triacylglycerols differed from those of the lipid classes from other tissues in that it had a very low ratio of n−6 to n−3 PUFA (0.3) as a result of a lower content of 20∶4n−6.     

Adolescent egocentrism and formal operations: Tests of a theoretical assumption.

The theoretical relation between adolescent egocentrism and formal operations was addressed in 2 studies. In Study 1, this relation was assessed with the Adolescent Egocentrism Scale (AES; R. Enright et al, see PA, Vols 63:5127 and 65:10218) and a battery of formal reasoning tasks administered to 183 6th-, 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-graders. The results reveal only significant negative or nonsignificant correlations between the measures in early adolescence. There was also no evidence of significant developmental covariation from early to middle adolescence. The validation effort was extended in Study 2 to include 2 measures of adolescent egocentrism (AES and the Imaginary Audience Scale [IAS; D. Elkind and R. Bowen, see PA, Vol 62:5769]) and a 2nd battery of formal operations problems. These measures were administered to 117 7th-, 9th-, and 11th-graders and to 56 undergraduates. There was once again no evidence of significant developmental covariation among the measures. The correlations between the AES and IAS were modest, reflecting differences in the nature and content of the measures. It is concluded that little support exists in this study or in the literature for the crucial theoretical assumption of adolescent egocentrism. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Is there a role for continuation phase cognitive therapy for depressed outpatients?

Two pilot studies evaluated the rate of relapse or recurrence (i.e., major depressive disorder) after cognitive therapy (CT). Two sequential cohorts included outpatients who responded to acute phase CT (A-CT) and who agreed to monthly, treatment-free follow-up. In Study 1, the Kaplan-Meier technique estimated relapse and recurrence rates of 40% at 6 months, 45% at 8 months, 50% at 12 months, 67% at 18 months, and 74% at 24 months. In Study 2, responders to A-CT received 8 months (10 sessions) of continuation phase CT (C-CT). In Study 2, relapse or recurrence was 20% at 6 and 8 months, 27% at 12 months, and 36% at 18 and 24 months after A-CT. An exploratory log-rank test showed that relapse or recurrence-free survival was greater in Study 2 than in Study 1. If replicated, this result suggests that C-CT can reduce depressive relapse or recurrence. Alternative explanations are presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)