Twin similarity in cardiovascular stress response.

Measured blood pressure and heart rate in 12 pairs of identical and 21 pairs of fraternal male twins (aged 54–64 yrs) during a mental arithmetic task and during submersion of the S's left hand in 4°C water for 60 sec. The results suggest that certain measures of cardiovascular reactivity to laboratory stressors may be heritable for both physical and psychological stressors. The possible role of this genetic component in the etiology and course of coronary heart disease is discussed. (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Response surface methodology in the control of thermoplastic extrusion of starch

Effect of extrusion temperature, screw speed and moisture content on the gelatinisation properties of extruded corn starch using a single-screw extruder were studied using response surface methodology. The degree of gelatinisation can be effectively controlled by controlling the moisture content of the raw material and the extrusion temperature; control by manipulation of screw speed is also possible when the raw material has a high moisture content. The extrudate produced from starch with a low moisture content exhibited a very low retrogradation capacity, which was independent of the screw speed. It was evident that variation of operating conditions permits the production of an extrudate with various technological characteristics to meet varying food and industrial applications, and the use of response surface analysis seems to be an effective means of studying and optimising these conditions for extrusion technology.     

Beyond the token economy: A comparison of two contingency programs.

To determine whether the addition of milieu principles to a contingency program increases its effectiveness, 2 treatment programs in a mental hospital were compared: (a) a social learning or token economy approach and (b) a combined social learning and milieu approach in which patients were given increased decision-making responsibilities, group pressures were used, and both were integrated with response-contingent management. 37 patients (mean age, 34.9 yrs) were on the token economy ward and 37 (mean age, 33.2 yrs) were on the combined treatment ward. Because the patients in the combined social-learning-milieu program spent significantly more days out of the hospital during the 1-yr experimental period, it is concluded that the program was more effective than the token economy in promoting the generalization of adaptive inhospital behavior to community settings. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Taxonomic implication of sterol composition in the genusChlorella

Thirty-five isolates of the genusChlorella were grown under standardized conditions and analyzed for sterol composition. Six different sterol synthetic patterns were found. Two patterns were characterized by nuclear unsaturation at C-5 and one type by nuclear unsaturation at C-7. The remaining isolates all synthesize sterols with a diunsaturated nucleus (C-5+C-7) with various modifications. Subtype 1 synthesizes only C₂₈ sterols, subtype 2 produces C₂₈ and C₂₉ sterols, and subtype 3 (1 isolate) produces C₂₈ sterols with nuclear unsaturation at C-5+C-8 in addition to the Δ^5,7 C₂₈ sterols seen in the first 2 subtypes. Comparison of the sterol composition of strains shared in common with taxonomic researchers showed good correlation with the taxonomic scheme of Fott and Novakova which has been confirmed by Kessler and coworkers using other biochemical markers. Scientific article no. A-3030, contribution no. 6093 of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station.     

Nighttime waking in children with asthma: An exploratory study of daily fluctuations in family climate.

Children with asthma are at increased risk for waking in the night, and there is the potential for the entire household to feel the effects. The authors conducted a telephone-based diary study to examine whether daily fluctuations in parent mood, parenting hassles, and family routines would distinguish nights in which waking occurred from nights in which they did not. Forty-seven families with a child with asthma were contacted 4 times a week every 3 months over a period of 1 year, resulting in 500 daily observations. Parent negative mood, perceived parenting hassles, and disruptions in bedtime routines were associated with increased odds that the child would wake in the middle of the night. Results underscore the importance of considering family climate in children's disturbed sleep. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

What's "up" with God? Vertical space as a representation of the divine.

"God" and "Devil" are abstract concepts often linked to vertical metaphors (e.g., "glory to God in the highest," "the Devil lives down in hell"). It is unknown, however, whether these metaphors simply aid communication or implicate a deeper mode of concept representation. In 6 experiments, the authors examined the extent to which the vertical dimension is used in noncommunication contexts involving God and the Devil. Experiment 1 established that people have implicit associations between God-Devil and up-down. Experiment 2 revealed that people encode God-related concepts faster if presented in a high (vs. low) vertical position. Experiment 3 found that people's memory for the vertical location of God- and Devil-like images showed a metaphor-consistent bias (up for God; down for Devil). Experiments 4, 5a, and 5b revealed that people rated strangers as more likely to believe in God when their images appeared in a high versus low vertical position, and this effect was independent of inferences related to power and likability. These robust results reveal that vertical perceptions are invoked when people access divinity-related cognitions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Impact Assessment of a Microprocessor Animation on Student Learning and Motivation in Computer Engineering

This paper reports on the impact of using custom animation software to teach second/third year computer/electrical engineering students in the microprocessing systems course at the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada. Over the span of 13 years' experience with teaching the course, the difficulties and limitations with conventional lectures and visual aids led to the development of custom animation of the course material to provide an additional teaching modality to teach the complex and abstract subject matter more effectively. The custom animation software consists of the ability to create and/or modify microinstructions, create and/or modify macroinstructions, and animate the execution of instructions (using the "water-flowing through pipes" analogy) by showing address and data transmission juxtaposed against an animated clock. A postunit, mixed method survey administered to students reveals substantial cognitive gains and modest motivational outcomes, reinforcing the animation's effectiveness and sparking motivation for further research     

High prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and nodular thyroid disease in patients on hemodialysis

Chronic kidney disease has been known to affect thyroid hormone metabolism. Low serum levels of T3 and T4 are the most remarkable laboratorial findings. A high incidence of goiter and nodules on thyroid ultrasonography has been reported in patients with end‐stage renal disease (ESRD). Our objective is to evaluate the prevalence of laboratorial and morphologic alterations in the thyroid gland in a cohort of patients with ESRD on hemodialysis (HD). Sixty‐one patients with ESRD on HD were selected and compared with 43 healthy subjects matched by age, gender, and weight. Patients were submitted to thyroid ultrasonography. T3, free T4 (FT4), thyroid‐stimulating hormone, antithyroglobulin, and antithyroperoxidase antibodies were measured. The mean age of patients with ESRD was 47.4 ± 12.3 and 61% were women. ESRD was mainly caused by hypertensive nephrosclerosis and diabetic nephropathy. Mean thyroid volume, as determined by ultrasonography, was similar in both groups. Patients with ESRD had more hypoechoic nodules when compared with the control group (24.1% vs. 7.9%, P = 0.056). Mean serum FT4 and T3 levels were significantly lower in patients with ESRD, and subclinical hypothyroidism was more prevalent in patients with ESRD (21.82% vs. 7.14% control group, P = 0.04). Titers of antithyroid antibodies were similar in both groups. ESRD was associated with a higher prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism and lower levels of T3 and FT4. Almost a quarter of patients showed thyroid nodules >10 mm. Periodic ultrasound evaluation and assessment of thyroid function are recommended in patients with ESRD on HD.     

Subsurface Flow and Transport in Tidal Wetlands: Marsh Plain Equations

Subsurface flow and salinity patterns in a tidal marsh plain determine the character and health of the wetland ecosystem. The presence of a flow field with both saturated and unsaturated regions requires that the governing equations and the associated equations of state transition smoothly between the two regions. The fluid density in the marsh plain is not constant; it responds to changes in both pressure head and salinity. These considerations lead to the development of the marsh plain equations, the coupled field equations for subsurface flow and salinity transport in the continuous saturated∕unsaturated flow domain of a tidal wetland.