Verbal mediation on a nonvisual formboard task with blind, partially sighted, and sighted subjects.

Previous studies indicate that verbal mediation can only enhance formboard performance when Ss can visually associate formboard blocks with verbal mediators. The present study compared the performance of a total of 46 congenitally blind, partially sighted, and sighted adolescents. Results fail to confirm the facilitating effects of verbal mediation on formboard performance. This result was replicated in a 2nd study using 20 sighted undergraduates who were visually acquainted with the blocks before the nonvisual formboard task. It is concluded that since visual impairment played little or no role in formboard performance, the formboard could be useful as an indicator of brain damage in congenitally blind and partially sighted Ss as it is in sighted Ss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Advanced IEEE 802.11ax TCP aware scheduling under unreliable channels

In this paper, we suggest advanced IEEE 802.11ax (WiFi) TCP‐aware scheduling strategies for optimizing the TCP Goodput AP operation under transmission of unidirectional TCP traffic to downloading stations. Our scheduling strategies optimize the TCP Goodput performance using the capability for Multi User transmissions over the Uplink, first introduced in IEEE 802.11ax, together with Multi User transmissions over the Downlink. The scheduling strategies are based on Transmission Opportunities (TXOP), and we suggest three scheduling strategies determining the TXOP formation parameters. In one of the strategies, one can control the achieved TCP Goodput vs the delay. We also assume saturated TCP transmission queues. We show that with minimal TCP Goodput degradation, one can avoid considerable delays: It turns out that for TCP Data segments of 1460 bytes, achieving optimal TCP Goodput requires TXOPs of 25 ms, while if one loses only 5% of the optimal Goodput, TXOPs can be of only 3 ms. For TCP Data segments of 256 bytes, the TXOPs are of 13 and 5 ms, respectively.     

A comparative study of the antithrombotic effect through activated endothelium of garlic powder and tomato extracts using a rodent model of collagen and epinephrine induced thrombosis

Food Science and Biotechnology - In this study, garlic powder, tomato extract and a mixture of both were analyzed for anti-thrombotic effects using a collagen and epinephrine induced thrombosis...     

Detonability of natural gas–air mixtures

Direct initiation experiments were carried out in a 105 cm diameter tube to study detonation properties and evaluate the detonability limits for mixtures of natural gas (NG) with air. The natural gas was primarily methane with 1.5–1.7% of ethane. A stoichiometric methane–oxygen mixture contained in a large plastic bag was used as a detonation initiator. Self-supporting detonations with velocities and pressures close to theoretical CJ values were observed in NG–air mixtures containing from 5.3% to 15.6% of NG at atmospheric pressure. These detonability limits are wider than previously measured in smaller channels, and close to the flammability limits. Detonation cell patterns recorded near the limits vary from large cells of the size of the tube to spiral traces of spin detonations. Away from the limits, detonation cell sizes decrease to about 20 cm for 10% NG, and are consistent with existing data for methane–air mixtures obtained in smaller channels. Observed cell patterns are very irregular, and contain secondary cell structures inside primary cells and fine structures inside spin traces.     

The physics, chemistry and dynamics of explosions

The motivation for devoting a Theme Issue to explosions is discussed. As subsequent articles in the issue are written with the assumption that the reader has had a certain amount of previous exposure to the subject, some of the history and necessary background information are presented here. The topics on explosions that will be encountered in the remaining articles are previewed. Finally, several important future outstanding research problems, beyond those addressed in the following articles, are discussed, with the objective of complementing the coverage of explosions in this issue.     

Animal model of intestinal anti-inflammatory effect of ginger-cinnamon complex

Food Science and Biotechnology - This study evaluated the anti-inflammatory effect of ginger-cinnamon mixture using an animal model of dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced intestinal inflammation....     

Effect of dried garlic flesh and dried garlic juice on body fat and lipid metabolism in 9-month-old rats with diet-induced obesity

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dried garlic flesh and dried juice of garlic flesh on the body fat and lipid metabolism of 9-month-old rats with diet-induced obesity. For 8 weeks, the rats were fed either a control diet or experimental diets containing 3 or 5%(w/w) of dried, powdered garlic flesh or garlic juice. In our study, body weight gains and calorie efficiency ratios were the lowest in 5% dried garlic flesh treatment. Hepatic diacylglycerol acyltransferase (DGAT) activities were inhibited relatively to the control for the dried garlic flesh treatments. Fecal total lipid excretion, plasma total lipid, and triglyceride concentrations were significantly improved through the 5% dried garlic flesh treatment. In conclusion, garlic consumption reduced the body fat and improved lipid profile in rats. Especially, consumption of dried garlic flesh was turned out to be more effective than the intake of dried garlic juice.