On the malleability of ideology: Motivated construals of color blindness.

The authors propose that the content of certain sociopolitical ideologies can be shaped by individuals in ways that satisfy their social motivations. This notion was tested in the context of color-blind ideology. Color blindness, when construed as a principle of distributive justice, is an egalitarian stance concerned with reducing discrepancies between groups' outcomes; as a principle of procedural justice, however, color blindness can function as a legitimizing ideology that entrenches existing inequalities. In Study 1, White people high in antiegalitarian sentiment were found to shift their construal of color blindness from a distributive to a procedural principle when exposed to intergroup threat. In Studies 2, 3A, and 3B, the authors used manipulations and a measure of threat to show that antiegalitarian White people endorse color blindness to legitimize the racial status quo. In Study 3B, participants' endorsement of color-blind ideology was mediated by increases in their preference for equal treatment (i.e., procedural justice) as a response to threat. In the Discussion section, the authors examine implications of the present perspective for understanding the manner in which individuals compete over the meaning of crucial ideologies. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of diet on the concentration of complex Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli and EHEC virulence genes in bovine faeces, hide and carcass

An experiment was conducted to determine whether diets based on structural carbohydrate and/or simple sugars, as found in roughage and/or molasses-based diets, reduce the bovine faecal populations of Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates containing the eaeA and ehxA genes, referred to as complex STEC (cSTEC), compared with typical high starch, grain-based feedlot diets. In addition, whether commercial lairage management practices promote or diminish any diet-induced responses on the contamination of carcasses was also investigated. After 13 days on the dietary treatments total faecal E. coli numbers were approximately one log lower in the roughage (R) and roughage +50% molasses (RM) diets compared with grain (G) fed animals, this difference varying between 0.5 and 1 log at lairage. Fermentation patterns were similar in the R and RM diets whereas decreased pH and enhanced butyrate fermentation pathways were associated with the G diet. A significant decrease in the faecal concentration of the eaeA gene occurred when animals were changed from high grain to R and RM diets for 6-13 days, compared with animals maintained on the G diet. Significantly lower concentrations of the ehxA gene were also associated with the R diet. Concentrations of the stx(2) gene however, were unaffected by diet. cSTEC were infrequently isolated, with the faecal concentrations of these organisms being low (<3 log(10) MPN per g faeces). cSTEC were only isolated from animals fed G or RM diets, but were never isolated from cattle fed the roughage-based diet, with this diet-induced effect sustained following lairage. These organisms were not detected on the hide and carcass of animals found to shed cSTEC in their faeces and thus appeared uncontaminated with cSTEC.     

Stability of limonin glucoside in beverage matrices

BACKGROUND: We completed a study over a 200‐day period examining the stability of limonin glucoside formulated into three beverage matrices. RESULTS: Beverages containing limonin glucoside were found to contain limonin (0.13–20.10 mg L^?1) during their initial testing; however, these concentrations were directly attributable to the presence of contaminating limonin in the particular lot of limonin glucoside used to prepare the beverage and did not increase over the test period. Likewise, limonin glucoside concentrations did not vary significantly, with the exception of the beverage matrix that included vitamin B₂. Exposure of the vitamin B₂‐containing beverages to light resulted in a rapid reduction in the limonin glucoside content. Liquid chromatographic–mass spectrometric and nuclear magnetic resonance results from the analyses of pre‐ and post‐light exposed beverages suggest photooxidation of the furan moiety as the likely degradation pathway. CONCLUSION: Results from this study indicate that limonin glucoside is resistant to degradation into limonin, the stability of limonin glucoside formulated into beverages exceeds six months and that limonin glucoside should not be formulated into beverages containing vitamin B₂ unless the beverages are protected from light. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Characterisation of flucloxacillin and 5-hydroxymethyl flucloxacillin haptenated HSA in vitro and in vivo

Flucloxacillin is a synthetic penicillin used in the treatment of Staphylococcal infections. Adverse reactions to the drug are believed to arise through covalent modification of proteins, with tissue damage occurring secondary to an immune reaction. Serum proteins have been shown by adduct-specific antibodies to be modified by flucloxacillin, but the nature and sites of modification have not been characterised. Here, in vitro studies on HSA have shown by MS that the modification of protein lysine residues occurs in a dose-, time- and site-dependent manner. Affinity, cation exchange and reversed phase chromatography prior to MS revealed in vivo modification of HSA with flucloxacillin in tolerant patients, with up to nine modified lysine residues being detected in each patient, and with modification of Lys190 and Lys212 being detected in 8/8 patients. It was also revealed for the first time that plasma proteins could be modified with the 5-hydroxymethyl metabolite of flucloxacillin, and that essentially the same Lys residues were targeted by both the parent drug and its metabolite. This study provides a detailed characterisation of sites of chemical modification of an endogenous target and reveals candidate peptides for T-cell and antibody assays of flucloxacillin hypersensitivity.     

The measurement of gender earnings differentials for foreign-trained and local-trained IT professionals: The case of Singapore

Most studies on wage differentials have been conducted in the west. Few are made of the developing countries, where data on personnel profiles are generally found to be wanting. This study employs Borjas's technique to assess the effects of differences in country source of education on gender wage differentials in a first attempt to study on the wage differentials of computer personnel in a non-western country. Regression results indicate that the important determinants of earnings in the IT professions are education, total IT work experience, current IT work experience, age, gender, an engineering qualification, non-IT degrees, and overseas training. They also reveal that, male foreign-trained professionals are paid higher salaries than male local-trained professionals and that foreign-trained female professionals in the user section in general also earn more than the males.     

Computer usage in developing countries: Case study Kuwait

This study is an examination of the position of computing technology in the developing country of Kuwait. The status of computer usage is described. These findings are assessed relative to technology trends, evolutionary computing stages, and/ or results reported in more developed countries; problems and concerns of computer users are identified; and factors potentially related to more successful computer utilization are explored. The following aspects of computer usage are analyzed: computing resources (hardware, software, staff, expenditure), application development methodologies, applications and evaluation. The study provides insight into the results of the transfer of computing technology to a developing country where computer usage is relatively widespread.     

On the unconstrained recall of acquaintances: A sampling-traversal model.

In a study of unconstrained recall, 18 undergraduates named as many acquaintances as possible in 10 min. One month later, Ss sorted these acquaintances into person types and into naturally occurring social groups. Timing results indicate that the Ss generated person memories in discrete bursts: After naming several acquaintances, Ss paused before naming several more. The temporal bursts were usually social groups. The process of unconstrained recall can be simulated by a simple model that samples items and traverses networks in a cognitive domain. After reproducing Ss' memory protocols with a computerized version of this sampling/traversal model, alternative models and the structure of naturally acquired person memories are discussed. It is suggested that pauses between clusters rise over a recall session because of an increase in the number of trials needed to locate a new item when sampling from the domain at large. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The influence of a conscious wish on dreams: A methodological study of dream meaning and function.

Used a self-ideal-self trait discrepancy, identified from Q sorts for 19 college students, as a presleep stimulus. Ss were instructed to wish to change their trait so as to reduce the discrepancy. Dream reports were collected for each rapid eye movement period that followed. It was found that a blind judge rated the target trait as present in the dreams of a significant number of the Ss. 2 other nontarget control traits were not rated present in the dreams of a significant number of the Ss. Few Ss had dreams in which the ideal trait was ascribed to the self. Dreaming thought, while responsive to the instruction to attend to that trait, revealed a difference in emotional value from that stated in waking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)