The influence of nationality on the accuracy of face and voice recognition

Sixty English and U.S. citizens were tested to determine the effect of nationality on accuracy in recognizing previously witnessed faces and voices. Subjects viewed a frontal facial photograph and were then asked to select that face from a set of 10 oblique facial photographs. Subjects listened to a recorded voice and were then asked to select the same voice from a set of 10 voice recordings. This process was repeated 7 more times, such that subjects identified a male and female face and voice from England, France, Belize, and the United States. Subjects demonstrated better accuracy recognizing the faces and voices of their own nationality. Subgoups analysis further supported the other-nationality effect as well as the previously documented other-race effect.     

Primary experiences with laparoscopic appendectomy

The material comprises 77 patients with suspected appendicitis seen in a district community hospital. In the presence of a surgeon with laparoscopic experience laparoscopy was performed in 23 patients. In two patients the laparoscopy was only diagnostic, and in two patients adhesions or friable gangrenous appendicitis necessitated conversion to conventional appendicectomy. Nineteen patients thus had a laparoscopic appendicectomy performed with a median operation time of 63 minutes and a median hospital stay of two days. One patient with gangrenous appendicitis and a periappendicular abscess was readmitted after three weeks because of deep infection, which resolved after antibiotic treatment. The remaining 54 patients had a conventional appendicectomy performed, with a median operation time of 40 minutes and a median hospital stay of three days. There were six complications in this group. We conclude that laparoscopic appendicectomy is a safe alternative to open operation with benefits for the patient in form of lesser pain, shorter hospital stay, fewer complications, better cosmetic outcome, and shorter time to normal activity.     

Byssotoxin A, a secondary metabolite of Byssochlamys fulva

Byssochlamys fulva, isolated from corn, was grown on nutrient-amended shredded wheat medium for 14 days at 25 C. Crude solvent extract from these cultures was toxic to brine shrimp, chicken embryos, and rats. The extract was slightly inhibitory to the germination of of pea seeds, but was nontoxic to ten species of bacteria and one of yeast. One metabolite was isolated, given the trivial name byssotoxin A, and partially characterized chemically and physically.     

Betriebserfahrungen mit den unverseifbaren Bestandteilen des Rohtallöls in einer Linder-Tallölaufbereitungsanlage

Practical Experiences with the Unsaponifiable Constituents of Crude Talloil in a Linder Tall Oil Processing Plant The presented work studies the behavior of the unsaponifiable matter from crude talloil during the fractionation in a “Linder-Talloil-Fractionation plant” by means of qualitative gaschromatography. The purpose of this examination was to understand the interrelation between crude talloil quality, plant adjustment, and yields and quality of the finished products. The application of the conclusions from this examination in practice enables an optimal run of the plant and a prediction of the behavior of different crude talloil qualities during fractionation in a “Linder-Plant”.     

Developments in the engineering of refrigeration installations for cooling minesEvolution dans la conception des installations frigorifiques pour le refroidissement des mines

The need to reduce the electrical energy consumption associated with the cooling of mines has recieved considerable attention in recent years. Various methods for reducing the amount of cooling water circulated underground in mines has also been looked at. These requirements have led to several developments such as cooling of the ventilation air on surface, the use of energy recovery devices, refrigeration machines for producing water close to 0°C and currently consideration is being given to installing ice making machines on the surface. These developments and their field of application are analysed and discussed.     

Residential colonization of orbital complex "Mir" environment by penicillium chrysogenum and problem of ecological safety in long-term space flight

Results of many years of the survey of highly specific evolution of quantitative and species composition of microflora of the MIR environment are reviewed. Analysis of the data enabled listing of microorganisms-declinous fungi with the ability of residential colonization of structural materials of the interior and equipment of habitable modules of the space station. Results of the studies of variability and level of similarity/affinity on the basis of DNA, polymorphism of strains isolated in space flight, convincingly confirmed this characteristic in the Penicillium chrysogenum cultures. In view of the common origin determined from the signs of genetic alliance, the P. chrysogenum strains isolated on MIR in 1995 can be considered descendants of the cultures found at the beginning of the MIR operation. This ecological expansion of P. chrysogenum in the space station environment gains in prominence due to the fact that representative of this particular species known for its active biodestructive nature were, as a rule, detected in the areas where structural materials of the SALYUT and MIR space stations incurred biological degradation.     

Phosphorylation region of the yeast plasma-membrane H+-ATPase. Role in protein folding and biogenesis

Mutations at the phosphorylation site (Asp-378) of the yeast plasma-membrane H+-ATPase have been shown previously to cause misfolding of the ATPase, preventing normal movement along the secretory pathway; Asp-378 mutations also block the biogenesis of co-expressed wild-type ATPase and lead to a dominant lethal phenotype. To ask whether these defects are specific for Asp-378 or whether the phosphorylation region as a whole is involved, alanine-scanning mutagenesis has been carried out to examine the role of 11 conserved residues flanking Asp-378. In the sec6-4 expression system (Nakamoto, R. K., Rao, R., and Slayman, C. W. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 7940-7949), the mutant ATPases displayed varying abilities to reach the secretory vesicles that deliver plasma-membrane proteins to the cell surface. Indirect immunofluorescence of intact cells also gave evidence for a spectrum of behavior, ranging from mutant ATPases completely arrested (D378A, K379A, T380A, and T384A) or partially arrested in the endoplasmic reticulum to those that reached the plasma membrane in normal amounts (C376A, S377A, and G381A). Although the extent of ER retention varied among the mutants, the endoplasmic reticulum appeared to be the only secretory compartment in which the mutant ATPases accumulated. All of the mutant proteins that localized either partially or fully to the ER were also malfolded based on their abnormal sensitivity to trypsin. Among them, the severely affected mutants had a dominant lethal phenotype, and even the intermediate mutants caused a visible slowing of growth when co-expressed with wild-type ATPase. The effects on growth could be traced to the trapping of the wild-type enzyme with the mutant enzyme in the ER, as visualized by double label immunofluorescence. Taken together, the results indicate that the residues surrounding Asp-378 are critically important for ATPase maturation and transport to the cell surface.     

Influence of testosterone on some behavioral reactions of male immature rats

A 31-year old woman with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and a history of lymphoma presented with a 2-week history of severe hyperthyroid symptoms and new-onset neck swelling. On physical examination, she was found to be clinically hyperthyroid, with a markedly enlarged, diffuse, tender goiter. Thyroid function testing confirmed hyperthyroidism. The patient had a rapidly deteriorating clinical course and died within days of her presentation. At autopsy, near-complete replacement of the thyroid gland with anaplastic large cell lymphoma was found, without coexisting infectious or autoimmune processes in the gland. This is the first case report of a patient with AIDS developing symptomatic thyroid involvement by lymphoma, and one of only a few case reports of hyperthyroidism associated with lymphoma in general.