Localisation de l'interférence forme/couleur au niveau perceptuel dans une tache de type Stroop avec des stimuli-dessins.

Four studies with 24 19–35 yr old French-speaking adults examined the localization of perceptual form–color interference in a Stroop task with drawings. Results indicate that the time required to name the color of an incongruently colored object, such as a blue banana, was significantly longer than that for a neutral object (a red book). The same effect was found for identifying the color of the ink in which the names of these observed objects were printed. However, there did not appear to be a common semantic component in the interference observed in the 2 tasks. Extended practice on the task with the names of incongruently colored objects did not transfer to the task with the drawings of the same objects. The time to discriminate the colors of 2 drawings of incongruently colored objects was significantly longer than that for 2 drawings of neutral objects, suggesting that a perceptual inhibition occurred for incongruently colored objects (objects for which color was normally an integral part of the stimulus) that created a delay in perceiving the object's color. This contextual interference may be the complementary phenomenon to the object superiority effect. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Acrylamide in Foods: Chemistry and Analysis. A Review

Acrylamide is a potential cause of a wide spectrum of toxic effects and is classified as probably “carcinogenic in humans”. The discovery of acrylamide in human foods has given rise to extensive studies exploring its formation mechanisms and levels of exposure and has spurred search into suitable analytical procedures for its determination in foodstuffs. However, the exact chemical mechanisms governing acrylamide formation are not yet known and cheap, convenient, and rapid screening methods are still to be developed. Acrylamide in food is produced by heat-induced reactions between the amino group of asparagine and the carbonyl group of reducing sugars along with thermal treatment of early Maillard reaction products (N-glycosides). Similarly, the decarboxylated Schiff base and decarboxylated Amadori compounds of asparagine as well as the Strecker aldehyde have been proposed as direct precursors and intermediates of acrylamide. Corresponding chromatographic methods are used to determine various structural groups present in Maillard reaction model systems. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry analysis are both acknowledged as the main, useful, and authoritative methods for acrylamide determination. This review is an attempt to summarize the state-of-the-art knowledge of acrylamide chemistry, formation mechanisms, and analytical methods. Special attention is given to comparison of different chromatographic techniques, particularly the novel, simple, and low-cost methods of its determination.     

Synthesis by Spark Plasma Sintering: A new way to obtain electrode materials for lithium ion batteries

In the search of high-performance materials for lithium ion batteries, Li₂CoPO₄F offers many advantages like high theoretical capacity and high operating potential. The synthesis of Li₂CoPO₄F has been reinvestigated considering a conventional solid state reaction and an unconventional way. Due to the long heat-treatments required by the conventional approach, a beginning of grains coalescence is observed. Limiting particles growth has been allowed by a shorter reaction done by SPS (Spark Plasma Sintering). By this method, the synthesis of Li₂CoPO₄F was greatly shortened (from 10 h to 9 min), which favours the getting of submicrometric particles. The comparison of the electrochemical properties of the Li₂CoPO₄F obtained by the different ways confirms the advantages of SPS synthesis in performance enhancement.     

Assessment of biogas potential hazards

Biogas produced from anaerobic fermentation of organic substances represents an alternative renewable energy source. Its utilization would contribute to substantial reduction of the solid waste volume in land-filling and incineration. Biogas so produced could be utilized on site or it could be injected into the natural gas distribution network. Microbiological and chemical compositions of different biogas types were determined in order to conduct qualitative and quantitative risk assessments of the potential health hazards associated with biogas use for cooking. Biogas types that could be allowed for injection in the natural gas pipelines were listed with recommendations, while outlining the European biogas injection policy. Results indicated that the injection of the processed biogas in the distribution network did not present any additional chemical or microbiological risk to consumers when compared to natural gas, provided that the biogas resulted from the fermentation of non-dangerous waste. However, since this study did not examine the microbiological and chemical composition of biogas originating from wastewater sludges and/or industrial wastes, the injection of this type of biogas into the gas distribution network should not be allowed unless a similar risk evaluation study is conducted for each case.     

Helping families move: Relocation counseling for housing-voucher recipients

As the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shifts its emphasis from project-based subsidies to housing vouchers, a key question is the amount of relocation help that should be provided to voucher recipients. To address these and related issues, this article examines the use of and influence of relocation counseling at four distressed federally subsidized housing developments (in Baltimore, Maryland; Newport News, Virginia; Kansas City, Missouri; and San Francisco, California) where families were provided with vouchers and relocation counseling in order to expedite moves into the private housing market. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis techniques were used to examine the different approaches to relocation counseling provided by four types of providers: 1) community-based non-profit housing agencies; 2) a private company and its subcontractor, an out-of-town consultant specializing in relocation counseling; 3) a state housing agency; and 4) the on-site housing management company. Underutilization of relocation counseling was a problem: only two-fifths of the sample reported using relocation services. Middle-aged tenants and those at the Baltimore site were most likely to take advantage of the services; those living in overcrowded units were least likely. Programs need to be developed to increase participation rates while recognizing that tenant involvement must remain voluntary in nature at such sites. Although there was some evidence that the more intensive relocation counseling provided in Newport News opened up more housing options for residents, in general the counseling had limited impact. Those who used relocation counseling did not consider more housing options than others, nor were they more likely to focus their housing search on distant neighborhoods. Furthermore, residents depended on friends and relatives, rather than relocation counselors, to learn about their new home. Even though many respondents made short-distance moves (especially in Baltimore and Kansas City), they usually were able to improve their housing and neighborhood conditions. These findings suggest that it may be unreasonable to expect families-particularly those relying on public transportation—to relocate to new and unfamiliar neighborhoods without support, or without intensive counseling, encouraging them to do so. Spatial deconcentration may not always be an appropriate goal for all voucher recipients. David P. Varady co-principal investigator, Professor of Planning is Professor of Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Professor Varady has written widely about community conservation and housing policy, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. His most recent book, co-edited with Wolfgang F.E. Preiser and Francis P. Russell,New Directions in Urban Public Housing, was published by the Center for Urban Policy Research, Fall, 1988. Carole C. Walker co-principal investigator, is Assistant Director of the Center for Urban Policy Research at Rutgers University. In her years at the Center, she has studied a broad range of public policy issues, including program evaluation, affordable housing,subdivision regulations, and land use development. She is the author of numerous research studies and co-author with David Listokin ofThe Subdivision and Site Plan Handbook. Kirk McClure investigator, is an Associate Professor with the Graduate Program in Urban Planning at the University of Kansas. His teaching and research interests are in the areas of housing and community development. He has recently completed research evaluating the ten-year performance of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program and is now engaged in an examination of the secondary mortgage market as an aid to affordable housing. Janet Smith-Heimer, investigator, is the founding principal of Bay Area Economics (BAE), a national consulting firm specializing in urban and real estate economics. She has been actively engaged in urban development since 1978 and has developed expertise in affordable housing, economic development, and military base closure. Sherry Larkins research assistant, is a Ph.D. candidate in sociology at Rutgers University. Her areas of interest are race relations, urban sociology, and substance abuse.     

The preschool child witness: Errors in accounts of traumatic injury.

Because errors in recall are an important contributor to assessments of children's credibility as witnesses, the author explored children's errors when recounting details of trauma injuries that resulted in hospital Emergency Room treatment. 37 preschool aged children (aged 2–5 yrs) and 11 9-yr-olds (comparison Ss) were recruited in the emergency room and interviewed at home both within a few days of the injury and after 6 mo. Adult witnesses were also interviewed to corroborate children's accounts. Although 2-yr-old Ss made more errors than did older children, the information provided was accurate, even 6 mo after their injuries. The errors were not random; rather, information that was likely to be important in real-world cases was retained quite accurately, while some other categories of information (e.g., the 1st person to respond to their injury) were more error-prone. (French abstract) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)