The effect on taste upon the introduction of heteroatoms in sulphamates

The effect on taste of introducing a heteroatom(s) in place of a carbon atom(s) in sulphamate tastants has been examined in this work. Seventy sets of heterosulphamates and their corresponding carbon analogues (130 compounds in total) were examined. This interesting database was assembled by bringing together series of heterocompounds and suitable nonhetero analogues from the literature, by the synthesis in this work of 15 new heterosulphamates and two new carbosulphamates, which was necessary “to match up” with known carbosulphamate analogues and by making taste predictions for ten carbosulphamates which are unknown, using existing well-established structure-taste relationships (SARs). A sulphur atom replaced a carbon atom in 18 cases, either oxygen or an –OH group replaced carbon in 16 cases, and there are 29 examples where a nitrogen atom or an –NH group replaced carbon. Finally, there are six instances of a “double carbon–carbon, nitrogen–nitrogen substitution” and one of a treble carbon, nitrogen substitution. The overall picture shows that in 33 instances no change in taste was found when substitution occurred, in 29 instances sweet taste (S) was removed giving a nonsweet compound (N), and in eight instances a nonsweet material (N) became sweet (S). Replacement of oxygen by sulphur resulted in the introduction of sweetness in three cases out of four examined. Several important findings were made and a number of new structure-taste relationships have been derived for heterosulphamates.     

Increased liking for a solution is not necessary for the attenuation of neophobia in rats.

Recent evidence suggests that liking and wanting of food rewards can be experimentally dissociated (e.g., Berridge, 1996); this dissociation extends to attenuated neophobia in the present study. Rats tend to eat less of a novel food than a familiar food, a phenomenon called neophobia. The present experiments evaluated whether attenuation of neophobia by prior exposure reflects enhanced liking of the flavor using the Taste Reactivity (TR) test. In Experiment 1, rats given five 10-s TR trials with water or various concentrations of saccharin solution (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%) did not show a change in the number of hedonic reactions displayed across trials. However, in a subsequent consumption test from a bottle containing 0.25% saccharin solution, rats with no prior saccharin exposure (group water) consumed less than rats with prior saccharin exposure; that is they displayed neophobia. In Experiment 2, whether rats received five 10-s TR trials with water or 0.5% saccharin solution, they did not display a difference in hedonic reactions to 0.25% saccharin solution in two 5-min TR test trials. These results suggest that the attenuation of neophobia is evidenced as an increase in the tendency to approach a bottle containing the flavored solution (wanting), but not as an enhanced liking of that solution. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effect of microgravity and space flight on the chemical senses

ABSTRACT: The effect of space flight and microgravity on the chemical senses is reviewed. Skylab-4 and Soyuz 30–31 studies revealed changes in taste thresholds while no effect was found in a Canadian investigation (41-G) and conflicting results were obtained on another Soyuz mission. Two simulated microgravity studies found no effect on taste or smell sensitivity; while 5 other studies found an effect. Microgravity induces physiological changes including an upward shift of body fluids toward the head, which may lead to an attenuation of the olfactory component in the flavor of foods. Chemosensory changes may also relate to space sickness, Shuttle atmosphere, stress, radiation, and psychological factors.     

Sex differences in electrophysiological and behavioral responses to NaCl taste.

We tested the hypothesis that sex differences in preference for NaCl are attributable to estrogen-mediated alterations in gustatory processing. Electrophysiological responses of the chorda tympani nerve to NaCl were blunted by estrogen treatment in ovariectomized female rats, suggesting that females are less sensitive to concentrated NaCl solutions during high estrogen conditions. In contrast, after a taste aversion was conditioned to 150-mM NaCl, estrogen- and oil-treated ovariectomized rats generalized the aversion to a lower concentration of NaCl than did males, suggesting that females are more sensitive to the taste of dilute NaCl solutions regardless of estrogen. Thus, sex differences in NaCl preferences may be attributable to differences in NaCl taste processing that involve both acute and developmental effects of estrogen. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of conditioning method and testing method on strength of lithium-induced taste aversion learning.

Here the authors evaluated the effect of the method of conditioning (bottle or intraoral [IO] infusion) on the strength of a flavor-drug association when measured in a standard 1-bottle consumption test or when measured by IO infusion in a taste reactivity test. When tested with the bottle test in Experiment 1, rats conditioned by bottle displayed stronger taste avoidance than those conditioned by IO infusion. When tested for rejection reactions with the taste reactivity test in Experiment 2, rats conditioned by infusion displayed a stronger aversion than did rats conditioned by bottle. The results suggest that when the contextual cues of conditioning are similar at conditioning and testing, a stronger association is evident regardless of the individual specifics of each method. These results may shed light on recent reports that different neural mechanisms are involved in conditioning by active consumption and passive infusion. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

现代艺术语境中的包装设计心理探讨

现代包装设计是把自然美、社会美、艺术美和功能融为一体的有创意的社会形态,它涉及到现代物质生活、文化艺术、科学技术和心理学的众多领域.对现代包装设计范畴内的消费审美、图形创意、色彩应用和民族文化心理诸方面作了较为详尽的探讨与阐述,对包装设计的理论研究和设计实践有一定的参考作用.     

打造具有品位特色的住宅小区——浅析银河湾住宅小区的设计特色

介绍了常州市银河湾住宅小区如何按照打造品位特色的设计理念,在塑造和提升小区建设的文化品位、建筑品位和生态品位方面的一些主要构思和特色,努力营造方便、舒适、安全、优美并具有个性的现代人居环境,以满足进入小康社会后人们不断提高生活质量的需要。     

Antifeedant effects of proteinase inhibitors on feeding behaviors of adult western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera)

Low-molecular-weight peptidyl proteinase inhibitors (PIs) including leupeptin, calpain inhibitor I, and calpeptin were found to be potent antifeedants for adult western corn rootworm (WCR) against the phagostimulation of cucurbitacin B (Cuc B) or a corn pollen extract (CPE). Leupeptin was the strongest (ED₅₀ = 0.36 and 0.55 nmol/disk for Cuc B and CPE, respectively) among PIs tested with an antifeedant potency much stronger than the steroid progesterone (ED₅₀ = 2.29 and 5.05 nmol/disk for Cuc B and CPE, respectively), but slightly less than the reference alkaloid, strychnine (ED₅₀ = 0.17 and 0.37 nmol/disk for Cuc B and CPE, respectively). All active PIs contain a di- or tripeptidyl aldehyde moiety, indicating that PIs exert their antifeedant effects by covalent interaction with putative sulfhydryl (SH) groups on taste receptors as do these PIs with cysteine proteinases. However, opposite inhibition potency against Cuc B versus CPE by two thiol-group reducing agents, DTT and L-cysteine, and the results with other cysteine-modifying reagents obscure the net functional role of SH groups at WCR taste chemoreceptors. Surprisingly, the model phagostimulant for diabroticites, Cuc B, was more easily counteracted by these feeding deterrents than the stimulants present in CPE. Three-dimensional structure–antifeedant relationships for the PIs suggest that a novel taste chemoreception mechanism exists for these peptidyl aldehydes or that they fit partially into a strychnine binding pocket on protein chemoreceptors. Favorable economic benefit may be achieved if PIs are discovered to be useful in adult WCR control, since both pre- and postingestive sites would be targeted.     

谈设计教学中的评价方法

确立评价方法,有利于科学地规范设计教学的行为,为设计教学评分体系提供科学的理论依据。通过人的审美过程中的六大要素找到设计的六种评价方法:吸引人的注意;让受众感知;设计应给人联想空间;让想象带人们走进梦想生活;给受众带来美好的情感记忆;设计必须易被人理解和接受。     

Ingestion of tall larkspur by cattle

Tall larkspur (Delphinium spp.) is a palatable but toxic poisonous plant in the western United States. The toxins in tall larkspur are diterpenoid alkaloids. We examined the influences of food flavor and postingestive consequences on consumption of a 33% larkspur pellet during 30-min feeding periods for five days using esophageally fistulated cattle that were sham-fed larkspur pellets. Consumption by the sham-fed group was compared to a control group fed alfalfa pellets, and a larkspur group fed only larkspur pellets. Sham-fed cattle did not decrease (P > 0.1) feed consumption compared to controls, indicating no significant difference in food flavor. The larkspur group decreased (P < 0.05) feed consumption by 41% relative to controls and by 31% relative to sham-fed animals (P = 0.08). This reduction in feed consumption indicates the adverse postingestive consequences of tall larkspur ingestion, as the larkspur group apparently developed a conditioned taste aversion to the larkspur pellet. Even though these animals were averted to the pellets, they showed none of the classical signs of intoxication from ingestion of tall larkspur.This research was supported in part by the Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322. Approved as journal article No. 3846.