Physico‐chemical characterization of starches extracted from potatoes of the group Phureja

Starch was extracted from twenty‐four accessions of Group Phureja cultivated diploid potatoes, and from two commercial potato (Solanum tuberosum) varieties. Extracted starch samples were characterized and compared to industrial potato starch. Starch from Phureja generally exhibited smaller granule sizes and lower phosphorus content than starch from commercial potatoes. Amylose content and thermal properties (gelatinization temperature and enthalpy) were however in the same range for both groups. Starches from Phureja displayed very distinct pasting behavior from that of commercial potato. The former exhibited lower initial pasting viscosity but higher shear resistance. This may be related to lower starch granule size, causing lower swelling power and solubility. Iodine complexation results seem to indicate that phureja potatoes have higher proportion of amylopectin long chains. Phureja thus appears to be a promising new source of starch with specific physico‐chemical and functional properties intermediate between industrial potato and cereal starches.     

Structured brief therapy with a focus on dreams or loss for clients with troubling dreams and recent loss.

The authors tested whether a focus on dreams added something specific to the therapy process beyond the structure of a 3-stage approach. Fourteen distressed clients with troubling dreams and recent loss of a loved one participated in brief structured therapy focused on dreams or loss. After therapy, clients in both conditions reported being satisfied with therapy, having lowered impact of the loss, gaining new insights about themselves, and having made changes. In addition, clients in the dream condition rated the process of therapy higher, became involved in the therapeutic process more quickly, gained more understanding of their dreams, liked the structure of therapy more, and kept fewer secrets from their therapists than clients in the loss condition. In contrast, clients in the loss condition gained more insight about the effects of the past and their loss and liked therapist guidance more than clients in the dream condition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of production environment, genotype and process on the mineral content of native bitter potato cultivars converted into white chuño

BACKGROUND: Variables and interaction effects affecting the mineral concentration of Andean bitter potatoes converted into so‐called white chuño are unknown. We report on the effect of three contrasting production environments (E) on the dry matter (DM), zinc, iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium concentration of four potato native bitter genotypes (G) processed (P) into two different ‘types’ of white chuño. RESULTS: The DM content and iron, calcium, magnesium and sodium concentration of white chuño are significantly dependent on E, G, P, and E × G × P interaction (predominantly at P < 0.01). In particular, the DM content and calcium concentration are influenced by all variables and possible interaction effects. The zinc and potassium concentration are not significantly dependent on E × G, G × P or E × G × P interaction effects, while the phosphorus concentration is not significantly affected by the G × P or E × G × P interaction effect. Zinc, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations decrease in the ranges of 48.3–81.5%, 61.2–73.0% and 62.0–89.7% respectively. The decrease in potassium is particularly severe, with 122‐ to 330‐fold losses. Iron and calcium increase by 11.2–45.6% and 74.5–714.9% respectively. CONCLUSION: E, G, P, and various interaction effects influence the mineral concentration of traditionally processed tubers. We speculate that mineral losses are caused by leaching, while increases of iron and calcium are a likely result of absorption. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

I know what you did: The effects of interpersonal deviance on bystanders.

Using social information processing theory, we explore how interpersonally directed deviance affects work group members who observe or are aware of these insidious behaviors. In a field study, we find that indirect knowledge of work group member interpersonal deviance leads to subsequent interpersonal deviance of a focal individual. We also find that when work group cohesion is high, direct observation of deviance is more likely to result in subsequent bystander deviance. These findings add concretely to theory and research on the bystander effects of workplace deviance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Carotenoid concentrations of native Andean potatoes as affected by cooking

The effect of boiling on the concentrations of total and individual carotenoids was determined by spectrophotometry and HPLC, in a group of native Andean potato accessions with diverse intensities of yellow flesh colours. Changes in concentrations due to boiling varied significantly among accessions. Boiling significantly reduced the violaxanthin and antheraxanthin concentration of all the accessions. However, the lutein and zeaxanthin concentrations of boiled tubers were not affected or were higher than the concentrations in raw tubers. The intermediate yellow fleshed accession 701862 showed the highest lutein concentration (above 200 μg/100 g, FW) and the deep yellow fleshed accession 704218 showed the highest concentration of zeaxanthin (above 1000 μg/100 g, FW) in raw and boiled tubers. Boiled potatoes of deep yellow fleshed varieties are a significant source of zeaxanthin (above 500 μg per 100 g fresh weight basis).     

Iron and zinc concentration of native Andean potato cultivars from a human nutrition perspective

The determination of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in 49 native Andean potato varieties revealed significant genotypic variation. Comparison of mineral concentrations of 37 of these germplasm accessions grown in two highland locations further revealed significant variation due to environments and genotype × environment interaction. Concentrations in raw, peeled tubers ranged from 9 to 37 mg Fe kg^?1 and 8 to 20 mg Zn kg^?1 (dry weight) with accessions 703274 and 701165 showing the highest levels of Fe and Zn, respectively, in both locations. Fe and Zn concentrations were significantly and positively correlated on a fresh weight basis in each site. Assessment of Fe and Zn retention during processing revealed no losses due to cooking, and the only significant differences found in iron content of peeled versus unpeeled potatoes could be attributed to contamination with soil iron, as confirmed by elevated levels of aluminium in the samples. The ranges of micronutrient concentrations reported indicate ample genetic diversity that might be exploited in breeding programmes seeking to increase Fe and Zn levels in human diets. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Mapping conceptual to spatial relations in visual reasoning.

In 3 experiments, the authors investigated the impact of goals and perceptual relations on graph interpretation when people evaluate functional dependencies between continuous variables. Participants made inferences about the relative rate of 2 continuous linear variables (altitude and temperature). The authors varied the assignments of variables to axes, the perceived cause–effect relation between the variables, and the causal status of the variable being queried. The most striking finding was that accuracy was greater when the slope-mapping constraint was honored, which requires that the variable being queried be assigned to the vertical axis, so that steeper lines map to faster changes in the queried variable. The authors propose that graphs provide external instantiations of intermediate mental representations, enabling people to move from visuospatial representations to abstractions through the use of natural mappings between perceptual and conceptual relations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

International intercomparison of specific absorption rates in a flat absorbing phantom in the near-field of dipole antennas

This paper reports the results of an international intercomparison of the specific absorption rates (SARs) measured in a flat-bottomed container (flat phantom), filled with human head tissue simulant fluid, placed in the near-field of custom-built dipole antennas operating at 900 and 1800 MHz, respectively. These tests of the reliability of experimental SAR measurements have been conducted as part of a verification of the ways in which wireless phones are tested and certified for compliance with safety standards. The measurements are made using small electric-field probes scanned in the simulant fluid in the phantom to record the spatial SAR distribution. The intercomparison involved a standard flat phantom, antennas, power meters, and RF components being circulated among 15 different governmental and industrial laboratories. At the conclusion of each laboratory's measurements, the following results were communicated to the coordinators: Spatial SAR scans at 900 and 1800 MHz and 1 and 10 g maximum spatial SAR averages for cubic volumes at 900 and 1800 MHz. The overall results, given as mean standard deviation, are the following: at 900 MHz, 1 g average 7.850.76; 10 g average 5.160.45; at 1800 MHz, 1 g average 18.44/spl plusmn/1.65; 10 g average 10.14/spl plusmn/0.85, all measured in units of watt per kilogram, per watt of radiated power.     

Work-family enrichment and job performance: A constructive replication of affective events theory.

Based on affective events theory (AET), we hypothesize a four-step model of the mediating mechanisms of positive mood and job satisfaction in the relationship between work-family enrichment and job performance. We test this model for both directions of enrichment (work-to-family and family-to-work). We used two samples to test the model using structural equation modeling. Results from Study 1, which included 240 full-time employees, were replicated in Study 2, which included 189 matched subordinate-supervisor dyads. For the work-to-family direction, results from both samples support our conceptual model and indicate mediation of the enrichment-performance relationship for the work-to-family direction of enrichment. For the family-to-work direction, results from the first sample support our conceptual model but results from the second sample do not. Our findings help elucidate mixed findings in the enrichment and job performance literatures and contribute to an understanding of the mechanisms linking these concepts. We conclude with a discussion of the practical and theoretical implications of our findings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)