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L’article propose une analyse du thème du travail tel qu’il se présente dans les récits de vie d’immigrants italiens à Montréal. Les récits de vie sont considérés comme des pratiques narratives dont le but est de construire et de transmettre à un interlocuteur une image de soi jugée positive. L’analyse des récits de vie dégage deux images. Premièrement, en définissant deux formes de travail distinctes (travail « fermé » et travail « ouvert ») et en utilisant deux critères différents pour juger les expériences de travail vécues dans le passé (« sociabilité » et « instrumentabilité » du travail), les récits tendent à présenter les narrateurs comme les victimes de mondes imparfaits marqués par une incompatibilité inévitable : plus le travail se présente comme un espace-temps socialement chaleureux, moins il assure une fiabilité de l’emploi et des revenus, et vice versa. Deuxièmement, les identités par lesquelles les narrateurs se mettent en scène sur les lieux et les temps de travail tendent aussi à présenter les narrateurs comme des individus pour qui le travail n’est pas une fin en soi, un domaine d’investissement ou de réalisation personnels. Plutôt que de mettre en scène des individus indépendants qui affirment, dans le travail, leurs propres qualités, désirs ou aspirations, les récits présentent au contraire des individus qui se valorisent par l’excellence avec laquelle ils ont su respecter au travail des modèles de conduite familiaux, communautaires ou contractuels imposés de l’extérieur par le groupe, la tradition ou la loi. La conclusion suggère quelques pistes d’explication des images de soi que le thème du travail suscite ainsi en contextualisant le groupe de narrateurs chez qui les récits furent recueillis.

BACKGROUND Mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) is a rare malignancy of the head and neck; however, it accounts for a majority of the tumors of the salivary glands. This study used a national population-based registry to describe the pre-treatment and treatment-related prognostic factors that influence survival in patients with MEC of the major salivary glands. To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study examining predictors of both overall and cause-specific survival of MEC of the major salivary glands. AIM To identify prognostic factors influencing overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) of patients with MEC of the major salivary glands. METHODS We used the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End-Results Database of the National Cancer Institute to investigate a variety of factors that could influence survival of patients diagnosed with mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the major salivary glands. A total of 2210 patients diagnosed with MEC of the major salivary glands during the years of 1975-2016 were studied. The primary endpoints were OS and CSS. Cox regression analysis was used to perform univariate and multivariate analyses of clinical variables such as age at diagnosis, diagnosis year, sex, race, tumor size, stage, grade, treatment with or without surgical excision, and adjuvant radiotherapy treatment. RESULTS A total of 2210 patients diagnosed with MEC of the major salivary glands met inclusion criteria. In this study, 95% of patients underwent surgical excision and 41% received adjuvant radiation therapy. Median OS time for Grade I, II, and III/IV was 401 mo (± 48.25, 95%CI), 340 mo (± 33.68, 95%CI) and 55 mo (± 11.05, 95%CI), respectively. Univariate analysis revealed that lack of surgical excision was associated with decreased OS [hazard ratio (HR) 4.26, P < 0.0001] and that patients with localized disease had improved OS compared to both regional and distant disease (HR 3.07 and 6.96, respectively, P < 0.0001). Additionally, univariate analysis demonstrated that male sex, age over 50 at diagnosis, Grade III tumors, and increasing tumor size were associated with worsened OS (P < 0.0006). Univariate analysis of CSS similarly revealed that lack of surgical excision and Grade III carcinoma conferred decreased CSS (HR 4.37 and 5.44, respectively, P < 0.0001). Multivariate analysis confirmed that increasing age, in 10-year age bands, advanced tumor stage, increasing tumor size, Grade III carcinoma, male sex, and lack of surgical excision were associated with a statistically significant decrease in OS and CSS (P < 0.04). Of note, multivariate analysis revealed that the use of adjuvant radiation therapy was not associated with improved OS or CSS. CONCLUSION Multivariate analysis demonstrated increasing age, advanced tumor stage, increasing tumor size, Grade III carcinoma, male sex, and lack of surgical excision were associated with decreased OS and CSS (P < 0.04).

BACKGROUND The effect of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) on the rheological and thermal properties, water retention capacity (WRC), morphology and in vitro digestion of wheat starch was evaluated. Starch suspensions (50 g kg-1 , w/w) were treated at increasing pressures (up to 100 MPa) and numbers of cycles (up to 5) to generate a wide range of energy densities (70-500 MJ m-3 ) delivered to the sample during processing. RESULTS High-pressure homogenization induced a partial starch gelatinization confirmed by higher digestibility. Gelatinization degree (GD) was between 13% and 83%, causing a wide range of functional properties. High-pressure homogenization-treated starch samples showed WRC values of 810-1910 g kg-1 . Storage modulus (G') and complex viscosity (η* ) of starch dispersions were almost two and three times higher than the control at 13% and 83% GD, respectively. Positive linear relationships between GD (R = 0.98, P

Physico-mechanical and antibacterial properties of carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)-based films incorporating Cloisite 30B (C30B) and montmorillonite (MMT) clay nanoparticles (NPs) modified with Ag and Cu ions were investigated. X-Ray diffraction patterns for modified clays with Ag and Cu ions showed that they were effectively located in the interlayer space of C30B and MMT clay NPs and increased their interlayer spacing. Scanning electron microscopy showed a smooth and homogeneous structure for a pure CMC film. Films containing MMT had coarser and more heterogeneous surface compared to C30B film, suggesting a better dispersion of modified C30B in the matrix of CMC. Mechanical analysis showed that films containing Ag- or Cu-modified C30B NPs exhibited higher tensile strength than that of MMT films. The ultraviolet spectroscopy showed that nanocomposite films containing Ag modified C30B had the highest UV absorption compared to other samples. Water vapor permeability of CMC films loaded by Ag- or Cu-modified C30B and MMT NPs significantly decreased compared to those of non-modified types and control. Microbial tests revealed that Ag-modified clay NPs had significantly higher antibacterial activity than Cu-modified types against E. coli and S. aureus bacteria. Films loaded with non-modified C30B NPs had the second most antibacterial effect followed by non-modified MMT NPs and control films.

Polypropylene (PP) based active composite films were prepared by adding butylated hydroxy anisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), and tertiary butylated hydroquinone (TBHQ) antioxidants using the extrusion molding process. All concentrations of BHT, 2% to 3% BHA, and 3% TBHQ significantly increased the tensile strength (TS) of the composite films compared with control films. Increasing antioxidant concentration decreased TS values for BHT films, whereas an opposite trend was observed for BHA and TBHQ films. BHA at 2%, and TBHQ at all added concentrations significantly reduced elongation at break (Eb ) of the composite films compared to control films. Water vapor permeability (WVP) of 1% BHT film was not significantly different from control. However, other antioxidants especially at increased concentrations significantly increased WVP values. TBHQ films with 300% to 662% increase had the highest WVP and BHT films with 5% to 81% increase had the lowest WVP among composite films. All three antioxidants had a negative effect on the transparency of the films; however the effect of BHA at higher concentrations was greater. The antioxidants did not change the color attributes of the films. Films containing all antioxidants showed 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical-scavenging activity, which increased with increase in their concentration, especially for those containing 3 wt.% BHT and TBHQ. Overall, incorporating BHA and BHT into a PP matrix improved mechanical, barrier, antioxidant properties, and film appearance and consequently were proposed for the development of antioxidant active PP films. TBHQ film is not recommended for food packaging because of its weak mechanical properties (lower Eb and TS values, higher WVP, and greater migration).

Australian conservation cropping systems are practiced on very large farms (approximately 3,000 ha) where herbicides are relied on for effective and timely weed control. In many fields, though, there are low weed densities (e.g., −2) and whole-field herbicide treatments are wasteful. For fallow weed control, commercially available weed detection systems provide the opportunity for site-specific herbicide treatments, removing the need for whole-field treatment of fallow fields with low weed densities. Concern about the sustainability of herbicide-reliant weed management systems remain and there has not been interest in the use of weed detection systems for alternative weed control technologies, such as targeted tillage. In this paper, we discuss the use of a targeted tillage technique for site-specific weed control in large-scale crop production systems. Three small-scale prototypes were used for engineering and weed control efficacy testing across a range of species and growth stages. With confidence established in the design approach and a demonstrated 100% weed-control potential, a 6-m wide pre-commercial prototype, the “Weed Chipper,” was built incorporating commercially available weed-detection cameras for practical field-scale evaluation. This testing confirmed very high (90%) weed control efficacies and associated low levels (1.8%) of soil disturbance where the weed density was fewer than 1.0 plant 10 m−2 in a commercial fallow. These data established the suitability of this mechanical approach to weed control for conservation cropping systems. The development of targeted tillage for fallow weed control represents the introduction of site-specific, nonchemical weed control for conservation cropping systems.

In this study, starch-based films incorporating metal oxide (MO2 ) nanoparticles (NPs) of TiO2 and SiO2 (at a concentration of 1 to 4 wt. %) were produced by solution casting method. In order to exhibit antimicrobial properties, MO2 NPs were modified by synthesizing silver (Ag) ions over the NPs using cationic adsorption method. Ag ions were then reduced to metallic Ag by sodium borohydride solution. Scanning electron microscopy showed a smooth surface for the pure starch film. Incorporating MO2 @Ag NPs in the films increased surface roughness with agglomerated NPs within starch matrix. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis exhibited a uniform dispersion of Ag-loaded MO2 NPs, which increases surface contact between these NPs and the biopolymer matrix leading to improved physical and mechanical properties of the resulting films. With increasing in the NPs concentrations, the tensile strength and elongation at break % of the films increased and decreased, respectively. Incorporating MO2 @Ag NPs into starch matrix decreased solubility in water and water vapor permeability of the obtained films, and significantly inhibited the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The most antibacterial effect was obtained for the films containing higher weight concentrations of Ag-loaded SiO2 -NPs.

En el ámbito biomédico, los modelos pronósticos se emplean habitualmente para predecir la probabilidad de que un paciente presente una determinada condición. Su validación interna es necesaria para estimar su rendimiento predictivo en nuevos individuos, y puede llevarse a cabo empleando la técnica de remuestreo bootstrap. Ante la presencia de valores perdidos, las técnicas estadísticas clásicas requieren su tratamiento previo, que puede abordarse mediante imputación múltiple: (I) los valores perdidos se imputan múltiples veces, (II) el análisis estadístico se realiza en cada una de las muestras completas resultantes y (III) las estimaciones obtenidas para el parámetro de interés se combinan. En el marco de la validación interna bootstrap, la forma en que la imputación múltiple debe integrarse en el proceso de remuestreo se encuentra actualmente en estudio. En el presente trabajo, se realiza un estudio de simulación para evaluar diferentes estrategias cuando se tienen valores perdidos tanto en los predictores como en la variable de interés de un modelo logístico. En la estrategia MI-BS, se aplica en primer lugar la imputación múltiple y el remuestreo se realiza sobre cada una de las muestras imputadas. En la estrategia BS-MI, se realiza en primer lugar el remuestreo y la imputación múltiple se aplica sobre cada una de las muestras bootstrap. La estrategia BS-MI proporciona estimadores de rendimiento de menor sesgo en la práctica mayoría de los escenarios estudiados. Las diferencias entre estrategias se encuentran cuando el número de eventos por variable (EPV) es reducido y se desdibujan conforme éste aumenta.

Global understudies, explicitly non-local speakers of English, comprise a developing populace of the alumni programs in western-based colleges like UK, US, and Australia. Regardless of their report difficulties, these understudies likewise exhibit strength that when properly diverted, could advance their accomplishment in graduate school. The reason for the examination was to investigate the encounters of non-local speakers of English in schooling doctoral projects in US. A subjective exploration, explicitly a phenomenological approach was utilized to investigate the encounters of non-local speakers of English in US doctoral projects in schooling. Members were six doctoral understudies on F1 visa or same. Semi-organized meetings were directed, interpreted, and coded.

To further the understanding of how to build or reduce synchrony in a work team, we examined two principles for defining the optimal condition to produce or limit synchrony: (a) the empath-driver ratio (relative strength of the stronger influencer compared to the receptive strength of any member in the group), and (b) the balance between autocorrelated autonomic arousal (degree to which members' signals are independent of other group members) and the degree of influence that transfers from each group member to other group members. In study 1, we employed a series of computational simulations designed to manipulate the four variables. The results indicated that there is a four-way balance between driver strength, empath strength, autocorrelational and transfer effects among team members. The relationship between the synchronization coefficient and the empath-driver ratio was moderated by whether the group adopted a network structure for group problem solving or command-and-control. In study 2 we analyzed autonomic arousal (electrodermal response) in four teams of five participants playing a first-person shooter computer game. The correlation between the synchronization coefficient and the empath-driver ratio was 0.280 (p.001) based on 64 pairs of observations. The relationship was moderated by both the network structure and the statistical model that one adopted to analyze dyadic relationships within the group. The implications of these relationships for a growing theory of team synchrony are discussed.

The use of micronutrients such as vitamin D could improve the response to viral vaccines, particularly in immunosuppressed and immunosenescent subjects. Here, we analysed the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels and the immune response elicited by the BNT162b2 vaccine in a cohort of 101 healthcare workers naïve for SARS-CoV-2 infection. We observed no significant differences in anti-spike (S) IgG and T-cell responses according to the 25OHD status at baseline. However, significant correlations between the 25OHD concentration at baseline and (i) the anti-S response (p < 0.020) and (ii) the neutralizing antibody (NT) titre (p = 0.040) at six months after the second dose were detected. We concluded that adequate levels of vitamin D may improve the immune response to mRNA vaccines such as BNT162b2, and that further larger studies are warranted in order to confirm these preliminary observations.

Objective This study evaluated the causal relationships among situation awareness (SA), cohesion, and autonomic synchrony ( S E) within teams. SA is often a team effort and should be more accurate in better-functioning teams. Background Cohesive teams perform better overall, although the relationship appears reciprocal; the relationship to SA has not been considered previously. S E is a collective neurocognitive activity that has been connected to team coordination, communication, and performance in some circumstances. Method In this experiment, 71 undergraduates, organized into 16 teams, played two matches of a first-person shooter computer game and completed self-report measures of cohesion and SA. S E was determined through time series analysis of electrodermal responses using the driver-empath framework. Results Empaths and those who came from more synchronized teams reported less cohesion in the team. Granger causality regression showed reciprocal relations among SA, S E , and cohesion that were both positive and negative after controlling for match difficulty. Conclusion The cohesion-SA relationship is similar to the reciprocal cohesion-performance relationship. S E plays an important and independent role in both the social and cognitive aspects of team behavior. It is possible, furthermore, that individuals who are more attuned to their co-workers reported a more accurate, and less obliging, social situation. Application Results are applicable to situations requiring teamwork in a dynamic environment.

Synchronization is a special case of self-organization in which one can observe close mimicry in behavior of the system components. Synchrony in body movements, autonomic arousal, and EEG activity among human individuals has attracted considerable attention for their possible roles in social interaction. This article is specifically concerned with autonomic synchrony and finding the best model for the dyadic relationships, with regard to both theoretical and empirical accuracy, that could be extrapolated to synchrony levels for groups and teams of three or more people. The four models that are compared in this study have different theoretical origins: the two-variable linear regression function, a three-parameter nonlinear regression function, the logistic map function stated in polynomial form, and the logistic map function stated as an exponential regression structure. The data for this study were electrodermal responses collected from a team of four people engaged in an emergency response simulation that produced 12 dyadic time series. Results shows strong levels of fit between the data and all four models, although there were significant differences among them. Further research directions point toward finding conditions that favor one model over another and exploring other possible nonlinear structures.

Synchronization of autonomic arousal levels within dyads and larger teams has been associated with several types of social-behavioral outcome. One previous study reported greater physiological influence (brain activity in one area of the parietal lobe associated with verbal activity) of leaders on followers than of followers on leaders; influence was measured pairwise within triadic problem solving groups. The present study explored synchronized autonomic arousal with leadership outcomes in two experiments with group sizes of three to eight members. Drivers, who had the greatest physiological impact on other team members were consistently less like the leader of the group. Empaths, who were the most receptive to autonomic signals from others, were not consistently associated with leadership roles, although they did show sensitivity to team dynamics in their ratings of cognitive and social sources of workload. The tentative conclusion, subject to future research, is that successful leadership requires a balance between the driver and empath orientations.

Background: We analyzed a population-based national registry to identify the most influential patient pretreatment and treatment factors affecting overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) in patients diagnosed with acinic cell carcinoma (ACC) of the major salivary glands. Methods: Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) related to survival, a total of 1,254 patients with diagnosed ACC of the major salivary glands from 1975 to 2016 met inclusion criteria. Factors significant for OS and CSS were determined using univariate and multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model. Results: Univariate OS analysis demonstrated that surgery favorably influenced longer survival compared to no surgery (hazard ratio (HR) 2.35, P < 0.05). Patient age was found to be highly predictive of superior OS (divided into 10-year age bands, P < 0.0001, younger age better). In multivariate OS analysis, there were statistically significant worse outcomes for men (HR 1.54, P < 0.05), grades III/IV (HR 2.5, P < 0.05), and distant disease (HR 3.55, P < 0.05) or regional disease (HR 1.22, P < 0.05). Patients diagnosed during years 1996 - 2016 had better OS when compared to earlier decades 1975 - 1995 (HR 1.38, P < 0.05). In univariate analysis, the mean CSS for grades I, II, and III/IV were 429 months (95% confidence interval (CI), ± 38.39), 426 months (95% CI, ± 25.73) and 198 months (95% CI, ± 66.38). Multivariate analysis of CSS further demonstrated that there were statistically significant worse outcomes for men (HR 1.68, P < 0.05), grade III/IV (HR 3.2, P < 0.05), tumor size greater than 40 mm (P < 0.001), and distant disease (HR 4.48, P < 0.05) or regional disease (HR 1.84, P < 0.05). Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the largest population-based study of OS and CSS of major salivary gland ACC. We found that the patient pretreatment and treatment factors including younger age at diagnosis, female sex, early stage, lower grade, surgical excision, and recent year of diagnosis are associated with improved survival in patients diagnosed with ACC of the major salivary glands. We hope that this information will aid in construction of further research projects that better refine optimal treatment protocol of individualized patient care. World J Oncol. 2020;11(5):188-196 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/wjon1312

QTL mapping identified key genomic regions associated with adult-plant resistance to tan spot, which are effective even in the presence of the sensitivity gene Tsn1, thus serving as a new genetic solution to develop disease-resistant wheat cultivars. Improving resistance to tan spot (Pyrenophora tritici-repentis; Ptr) in wheat by eliminating race-specific susceptibility genes is a common breeding approach worldwide. The potential to exploit variation in quantitative forms of resistance, such as adult-plant resistance (APR), offers an alternative approach that could lead to broad-spectrum protection. We previously identified wheat landraces in the Vavilov diversity panel that exhibited high levels of APR despite carrying the sensitivity gene Tsn1. In this study, we characterised the genetic control of APR by developing a recombinant inbred line population fixed for Tsn1, but segregating for the APR trait. Linkage mapping using DArTseq markers and disease response phenotypes identified a QTL associated with APR to Ptr race 1 (producing Ptr ToxA- and Ptr ToxC) on chromosome 2B (Qts.313-2B), which was consistently detected in multiple adult-plant experiments. Additional loci were also detected on chromosomes 2A, 3D, 5A, 5D, 6A, 6B and 7A at the seedling stage, and on chromosomes 1A and 5B at the adult stage. We demonstrate that Qts.313-2B can be combined with other adult-plant QTL (i.e. Qts.313-1A and Qts.313-5B) to strengthen resistance levels. The APR QTL reported in this study provide a new genetic solution to tan spot in Australia and could be deployed in wheat cultivars, even in the presence of Tsn1, to decrease production losses and reduce the application of fungicides.

Professional pasta cookers are filled with fresh water. The solids leached from the cooked pasta make pasta less firm and stickier while leading to changes in water properties and overflow. Added fresh water then has to be reheated. The effect of continuous cooking on cooked pasta quality and water properties was investigated for the first time by simulating professional pasta cooking on a laboratory scale. RESULTS Continuous cooking procedure of 12 batches led to a solid content of cooking water of 37?g?kg?1, resulting in an increase in shear-thinning behaviour and consistency index. Pasta cooking loss decreased from 52.7 to 35.7?g?kg?1 due to the lower water concentration gradient through the pasta. This was confirmed by a decrease in swelling index from 2.0 ? 10?3 to 1.6 ? 10?3?g?kg?1 during the optimal cooking time (13?min 45?s). Surprisingly, continuous cooking made the pasta firmer while stickiness did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION Taking batch number 7 as the acceptability threshold, further studies are required to find an optimal solution for retaining cooking water properties highly affecting daily cooking procedures in food service kitchens. ? 2018 Society of Chemical Industry

Durum wheat is the raw material of choice for the manufacture of superior quality pasta products. However, in some parts of the world many pasta producers have to use common wheat to make pasta, which shows a deficiency with respect to quality attributes. In this respect, the functionality of different hydrocolloids in a weak common wheat flour was investigated as a comparative study with the objective to improve pasta-making potential under industrial processing conditions. Six commercial hydrocolloids, sodium alginate (AL), propylene glycol alginate (PGA), xanthan gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum or guar gum were added to wheat flour at 0.5% and 1% substitution. A rheological investigation, based on dynamic small strain tests and large deformation tests (farinograph and amylograph analyses) was performed to evaluate differences in dough structure due to interactions between flour components and hydrocolloids, and related to cooking properties of pasta. All hydrocolloids promoted an increase in elastic interactions in the dough. The strongest doughs were obtained by addition of alginates. Only cooked pasta supplemented with AL, PGA and XG showed an increase in firmness compared with the reference (PGA > AL > XG). The product enriched with 0.5% PGA or 1% AL gave the highest overall acceptability and sensory scores. On the contrary, xanthan gum, carrageenan, locust bean gum or guar gum performed relatively poorly in flour. On the basis of these results alginates were the most effective improvers of pasta quality among different hydrocolloids.

Analyses of singular (token-level) causation often make use of the idea that a cause increases the probability of its effect. Of particular salience in such accounts are the values of the p...

Psyllium seed husk (PSH) is a soluble dietary fibre with interesting health benefits, including reduction in blood glucose level in subjects with type 2 diabetes. Its supplementation in pasta represents a challenge due to a negative impact of high PSH levels on product acceptability. The aim of this work was to investigate the effects of the substitution of semolina with different levels of PSH on cooking properties, microstructure and in vitro glycaemic response of pasta. Dry pasta samples enriched with PSH were produced by replacing durum wheat semolina with 25, 50, 75 and 100 g/kg PSH. Cooked enriched pastas were firmer and sticker than the control. Cooking loss increased with increasing PSH levels above 25 g/kg with values below the technological acceptable limit of 80 g/kg. Semolina substitution with 50–100 g/kg psyllium was effective in lowering the predictive glycaemic response of enriched pasta in comparison with the control. Scanning electron microscopy and dough rheology (dynamic frequency and temperature sweep tests) suggested that this decrease was related to the formation of fibre aggregates limiting starch swelling. Semolina replacement with 50 g/kg PSH has the potential to provide a health benefit with minimal impact on cooking features of functional pasta.

The Nagel inspired “something-it-is-like” (SIL) conception of conscious experience remains a dominant approach in philosophy. In this paper I criticize a prevalent philosophical construal of SIL consciousness, one that understands SIL as a property of mental states rather than entities as a whole. I argue against thinking of SIL as a property of states, showing how such a view is in fact prevalent, under-warranted, and philosophically pernicious in that it often leads to an implausible reduction of conscious experience to qualia. I then develop a holistic conception of SIL for entities (not states) and argue that it has at least equal pre-empirical warrant, is more conservative philosophically in that it decides less from the a priori “armchair,” and enjoys a fruitful two-way relationship with empirical work.

Autonomic synchrony, sometimes known as physiological compliance or concordance, is a special case of self-organization that involves a high degree of correlation in the physiological time series of two or more people working together. This study investigated the role of cooperation and competition dynamics on the total amount of synchrony for 11 pairs of competing teams in a series of emergency response simulations. The synchrony level was greater for the combined opponents than it was for each team.

Psychologists have had a long-standing interest in the connections between group processes and team performance. The biopsychosocial perspective has piqued an interest in the connection between team processes and performance and coordinated and synchronized physiological arousal levels among team members. Studies of synchronization in work teams have been stalled by the lack of a metric that captures the total synchronization within teams of three or more people. This study examined how synchronized physiological arousal does in fact connect to team performance and related group process outcomes by utilizing the SE coefficient developed by Guastello and Peressini. Forty-three groups of 3 to 8 participants (total N = 197) participated in a survival simulation. Synchroniza-tion coefficients were produced for three task segments: watching an orientation video together, an individual decision task, and a group decision task. Primary results showed: (a) Synchronization was greater in larger groups across the three task segments. (b) A combination of the three synchronization coefficients - higher during the team task and lower otherwise - was correlated with higher workload ratings for performance demands, greater team dissatisfaction, and lower demands for time-sharing between the individual and the team.

In this study, starch-based films incorporating metal oxide (MO

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of osmotic dehydration (with and without sonication) and the use of different types of edible coating on functional and color parameters of dried apricot. Osmotic pretreatment was carried out in sorbitol solution of 35 °Brix at 55 °C for 30 and 45 min. Two levels of ultrasound frequency (25 and 35 kHz) were tested. Samples were coated using pectin + citric acid (CA), pectin + ascorbic acid (AA) and pectin alone after osmotic treatment and were dried at 60 °C. The results revealed that ultrasound assisted osmotic dehydration (UOD) led to the loss of total phenolic compounds (TPC) and vitamin C compared to osmotic dehydration (OD). TPC and β-carotene contents decreased with the increase in sonication frequency from 25 to 35 kHz. However, UOD pretreated samples showed higher antioxidant capacity and β-carotene content than OD apricots. OD improved color of hot-air dried apricot compared to UOD pretreatment. The use of pectin + AA coating increased TPC and vitamin C retention and total antioxidant activity of OD or UOD pretreated samples compared to pectin or pectin + CA coatings. UOD and pectin + AA coated samples showed lower L* and b*, and higher a* values, whereas coating with CA improved color of dried apricot cubes. Coatings containing CA or AA promoted β-carotene retention in dried apricot pretreated by OD and UOD.

Background Malnutrition and muscle wasting are common in haemodialysis (HD) patients. Their pathogenesis is complex and involves many molecules including Myostatin (Mstn), which acts as a negative regulator of skeletal muscle. The characterisation of Mstn as a biomarker of malnutrition could be useful in the prevention and management of this condition. Previous studies have reported no conclusive results on the actual relationship between serum Mstn and wasting and malnutrition. So, in this study, we evaluated Mstn profile in a cohort of regular HD patients. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study, enrolling 37 patients undergoing bicarbonate-HD (BHD) or haemodiafiltration (HDF) at least for six months. 20 sex-matched healthy subjects comprised the control group. Mstn serum levels were evaluated by ELISA before and after HD. We collected clinical and biochemical data, evaluated insulin resistance, body composition, malnutrition [by Malnutrition Inflammation Score (MIS)] and tested muscle function (by hand-grip strength, six-minute walking test and a questionnaire on fatigue). Results Mstn levels were not significantly different between HD patients and controls (4.7 ± 2.8 vs 4.5 ± 1.3 ng/ml). In addition, while a decrease in Mstn was observed after HD treatment, there were no differences between BHD and HDF. In whole group of HD patients Mstn was positively correlated with muscle mass (r = 0.82, p p p = 0.01). No correlations were found between Mstn and insulin resistance, such as between Mstn levels and parameters of muscle strength and fatigue. In multivariate analysis, Mstn resulted inversely correlated with fat body content (β = − 1.055, p = 0.002). Conclusions Circulating Mstn is related to muscle mass and nutritional status in HD patients, suggesting that it may have a role in the regulation of skeletal muscle and metabolic processes. However, also considering the lack of difference of serum Mstn between healthy controls and HD patients and the absence of correlations with muscle function tests, our findings do not support the use of circulating Mstn as a biomarker of muscle wasting and malnutrition in HD.

Human dyads and larger teams tend to acquire synchronized movements and autonomic arousal levels while working together or simply socializing. The synchronization of arousal patterns is of theoretical interest for group dynamics because they may add predictive value to the dynamics of group cohesion and team performance. This study examined the four-way relationship among experimental conditions: team size, task difficulty, time pressure (between-subjects) and subsequent experimental sessions (within-subjects). Previously, we have shown these conditions affect subjective ratings of workload that come from individual and group-level sources, synchronization of arousal, and team performance. In an experiment involving an emergency response (ER) simulation, 360 undergraduates, who were wearing electrodermal sensors, were organized into 44 teams of various sizes. Workload was experimentally varied by team size (three, four, seven or eight members), number of opponents (one or two), and time pressure; the latter was introduced sooner or later across two experimental sessions. Results showed that the experimental conditions affected synchronization levels, either at the beginning of a session or in the middle; synchronization and experimental conditions were not directly related to team performance. Subjective group workload ratings of the coordination demand of the task correlated with synchronization at the beginning of a session while team satisfaction was correlated with greater synchrony at the end of a session. The competitive nature of the ER task, as compared to strictly cooperative tasks, could be responsible for the complexity of these empirical relationships.

Body movements, autonomic arousal, and electroencephalograms (EEGs) of group members are often coordinated or synchronized with those of other group members. Linear and nonlinear measures of synchronization have been developed for pairs of individuals, but little work has been done on measures of synchronization for groups. We define a new synchronization coefficient, SE, for a group based on pairwise correlations in time series data and employing the notions of a group driver, who most drives the group’s responses, and empath, who is most driven by the group. SE is developed here in the context of emotional synchronization based on galvanic skin response time series. A simulation study explores its properties, the balance between strong versus weak autocorrelational effects, transfer, group size, and direct versus oscillatory functions. Distributions of SE are not affected by group size up to 16 members. Norms for interpreting the coefficient are presented along with directions for new research.

The objective was to evaluate whether an ultrasonic reflectance technique has predictive capacity for breadmaking performance of doughs made under a wide range of formulation conditions. Two flours of contrasting dough strength augmented with different levels of ingredients (inulin, oil, emulsifier or salt) were used to produce different bread doughs with a wide range of properties. Breadmaking performance was evaluated by conventional large-strain rheological tests on the dough and by assessment of loaf quality. The ultrasound tests were performed with a broadband reflectance technique in the frequency range of 0.3-6 MHz.; Results: Principal component analysis showed that ultrasonic attenuation and phase velocity at frequencies between 0.3 and 3 MHz are good predictors for rheological and bread scoring characteristics.; Conclusions: Ultrasonic parameters had predictive capacity for breadmaking performance for a wide range of dough formulations. Lower frequency attenuation coefficients correlated well with conventional quality indices of both the dough and the bread. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

The objective was to examine the potential use of resistant starch (RS) as a fibre-enriching ingredient in gluten-free pasta. Pasta was enriched with commercial RS type II (Hi-Maize™ 260) at 100-200 g kg-1 substitution of rice flour. The effects on the rheological properties of dough and pasta quality as a result of RS addition and the loss in RS due to the process were evaluated.; Results: Dough water absorption was not influenced by the addition of RS. The cooking loss (CL) of RS-enriched samples was 30% lower than reference without fibre. The addition of RS significantly increased firmness of cooked pasta, and above 100 g kg-1 RS level of substitution samples showed a lower stickiness value. Dynamic rheological tests on pasta dough showed a higher storage modulus for fibre samples, indicating a higher number of elastically physical interactions. Loss in RS in uncooked pasta was about 31% compared with the initial amount added to the product.; Conclusions: The addition of RS improved the quality of gluten-free pasta owing to its ability to increase the firmness and decrease the CL and stickiness of cooked pasta. The product enriched with 200 g kg-1 RS can be considered a source of DF. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.; © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Pasta is a starchy staple food, which is a good carrier of health-promoting ingredients that can manipulate the glycaemic response. Dry pastas supplemented with DFs were produced substituting durum wheat semolina with Barley Balance® (BB), psyllium seed husk (P) or two inulin products with different degrees of polymerisation. The aim was to investigate the effects of soluble DFs on viscoelastic properties of durum wheat dough, pasta-making performance and glycaemic response of pasta. DFs were added individually and in combination to produce samples with large differences in structural/rheological properties and to understand their role in the manipulation of predicted glycaemic response. Dough rheological properties were investigated using frequency and temperature sweep tests in the linear viscoelastic range. DF-enriched doughs showed large differences in elastic properties between 25 and 95 °C due to differences in the number of interactions between components and the swelling of gelatinized starch granules. A correlation between in vitro glycaemic response of pasta and a swelling index obtained from temperature sweep test was observed. Swelling of starch granules decreased with the increase in elasticity and water absorption of fibre-enriched doughs up to a critical value above which only slight changes occurred. Changes in firmness was dependent on dough viscoelasticity. P and long-chain inulin gave lower detrimental effects when incorporated with BB. Pasta containing BB individually added and in combination with psyllium showed an overall sensory acceptability comparable to control and in vivo glycaemic index reduction of 33–37%.

The aim of this paper is to discuss the act of rethinking the theatrical play within an exhibition context. The framework of reference is that of the technologically-mediated scene, which places at its core the interaction between body, space and technology and which requires new methods for its analysis and development. This paper will analyse two case studies: the Digitalife 2017 exhibition in Rome, Italy and Dumb Type. Extra-Sensory Odissey, at the Centre Pompidou – Metz, France. These two examples represent potential strategies to exhibit and re-organise the technologically-mediated performance without one of the key elements of live performance: the presence of both audience and actors. We witness a change in the framework, moving from the idea of exhibition to that of environment (seen as an immersive space, built to reinforce the audience’s experience of perception). In the last part, I offer three coexisting dimensions to think about such environments in theatre: active design, expositional and educational dimensions.

The synchronization of autonomic arousal levels within dyads and larger teams has become a potentially important variable in the explanation of team performance and group processes. Synchronization research with groups of three or more members has been challenging because of limited means for quantifying relationships that are more extensive than dyads. This article presents an empirical investigation of group performance and participation using a new synchronization coefficient that is grounded in nonlinear dynamical systems theory. We introduce the concept of a driver, a person with whom the group tends to synchronize the most, and an empath, a person who is most synchronized with other team members. Fifty-five undergraduate research participants, who were organized into 11 groups of three or four participants, played six emergency response simulations against an opponent while generating electrodermal data. Results showed that greater physiological synchronization resulted from better team performance and greater par-ticipation levels. Synchronization was higher for groups of four team members compared to three. Synchronization was also observed between the opponent and team members. Further opportunities for using the synchronization coefficient in group process research are discussed.

Les récits de vie d’un groupe d’immigrants italiens de Montréal, en tant que révélateurs des identités multiples au moyen desquelles les narrateurs se définissent, servent ici à analyser le traitement réservé au pays d’accueil. Les discours tenus sur les caractéristiques naturelles et spatiales du Canada, sur la société canadienne en général et sur les rapports concrets avec les autochtones montrent que le Canada est jugé positivement ou négativement selon sa capacité de favoriser ou non la réalisation d’un projet migratoire essentiellement familial et l’épanouissement d’une vie communautaire à caractère local. Il y a valorisation des identités familiales, de l’identité rattachée à l’appartenance à une communauté de parents et d’amis et de l’identité de « citoyen ». En revanche, les discours expriment une dévalorisation généralisée des identités ethno-nationales. La conclusion suggère de considérer l’attachement utilitaire au pays d’immigration et le refus du jeu ethnique qui se dégagent des discours comme des stratégies liées aux traits socio-professionnels du groupe étudié., The stories of the lives of a group of Italian immigrants, as they reveal the many identities by which the narrators define themselves, are used to analyse their attitudes toward the host country. Discourse on the natural and spatial characteristics of Canada, on Canadian society in general and on actual relations with native Canadians show that Canada is seen in a positive or negative light depending on whether or not it can promote what is essentially family migration and the development of local community life. Value is placed on family identities, the identity associated with belonging to a community of parents and friends and the identity of "citizen". On the other hand, this discourse generally gives short shrift to ethno-national identities. The conclusion suggests considering utilitarian attachment to the host country and rejection of the ethnic game, both of which emerge from the discourse as strategies related to the socio-professional characteristics of the group under study., Los relatos de vida de un grupo de inmigrantes italianos en Montreal, reveladores de las identidades múltiples por las que los narradores se definen a sí mismos, son utilizados aquí para analizar el tratamiento que reservan al país de acogida. Las expresiones que se refieren a las características naturales y espaciales del Canadá, a la sociedad canadiense en general y a las relaciones con los grupos aborígenes muestran que el Canadá es juzgado positivamente o negativamente según su capacidad de favorecer o no la realización de un proyecto migratorio esencialmente familiar y el desarrollo de una vida comunitaria de carácter local. Hay una valorización de las identidades familiares, de la identidad ligada a la pertenencia a una comunidad de parientes y de amigos y a la identidad de "ciudadano". En revancha, sus relatos expresan una desvalorización generalizada de las identidades etnonacionales. La conclusión sugiere el considerar una pertenencia utilitaria al país de inmigración y un rechazo del juego étnico, como estrategias ligadas a los rasgos socio-profesionales del grupo estudiado.

Notre étude porte sur les pratiques et les discours d’une soixantaine de femmes âgées, célibataires, veuves ou divorcées, appartenant à trois groupes d’origine : québécois de souche française, portugais et italien. Nous analysons les similitudes et les différences entre ces trois groupes de femmes (dont la plupart vivent seules) en ce qui a trait à leurs rapports avec le milieu social et avec la famille et à la signification qu’elles attribuent à leur mode de vie. En particulier, nous examinons des thèmes tels que la solitude, l’isolement et l’autonomie., Our study is centred on the practice and discourse of sixty older women, single, divorced or widowed, of three groups of origin: Québécois of French background, Portuguese and Italian. We analyze the similarities and differences among these three groups of women, of whom the great majority live alone, concerning their relations with the social environment and the family, as well as the meaning they attach to their mode of life. In particular, we examine themes such as solitude, isolation and autonomy as they appear in the narratives of these women., Nuestro trabajo estudia las prácticas y los discursos de unas sesenta mujeres ancianas, solteras, viudas o divorciadas, pertenecientes a tres grupos étnicos: québécois francés, portugués e italiano. Analizamos las semejanzas y las diferencias entre estos tres grupos de mujeres (de las cuales la mayoría viven solas) en cuanto a sus relaciones con el medio social y con la familia, y el sentido que ellas atribuyen a su modo de vida. Examinamos en particular temás como la soledad, el aislamiento y la autonomía.

Understanding probabilities as something other than point values (e.g., as intervals) has often been motivated by the need to find more realistic models for degree of belief, and in particular the idea that degree of belief should have an objective basis in “statistical knowledge of the world.” I offer here another motivation growing out of efforts to understand how chance evolves as a function of time. If the world is “chancy” in that there are non-trivial, objective, physical probabilities at the macro-level, then the chance of an event e that happens at a given time is $$

Pasta is traditionally manufactured using only durum wheat semolina, but it is possible to incorporate other flours or ingredients into pasta in order to increase its nutritional value to the consumer, compared to conventional pasta. For this reason, pasta was prepared substituting durum wheat semolina with 15% of enriched dietary fibre flours (Glucagel, inulin Raftiline® HPX, inulin Raftiline® GR, psyllium and oat). Moreover, all dietary fibres (excluded Glucagel) were added in combination in order to evaluate their possible antagonistic or synergic effect on predicted glycaemic response. In general, all enriched dietary fibre pasta sample showed a significant decrease (except for pasta containing a combination of 7.5% inulin Raftiline® GR and 7.5% oat bran flour) in reducing sugars released and standardised AUC values compared to control pasta. However, this study showed that the combination of dietary fibres in pasta formulation led to an antagonistic effect on the predicted glycaemic response.

The production of high quality functional pasta from non-conventional raw materials represents a challenge. A partial substitution (15 g/100 g) of durum wheat semolina with long-chain inulin (HPX) and short-chain inulin (GR), Glucagel, psyllium and oat material (added individually and in combinations) was performed in order to increase the level of dietary fibre intake. The cooking, textural and colour characteristics of the pastas were evaluated and compared to control sample containing exclusively durum wheat semolina. Generally, material addition to the durum wheat pasta increased cooking losses, swelling index and water absorption, whilst reduced firmness and resistance to uniaxial extension of pastas. Raw spaghetti samples resulted significantly darker ( L *) and more redness ( a *) than control pasta. In the cooked pasta, all inulin enriched samples were brighter than semolina pasta. Pasta prepared with 15 g/100 g semolina of oat flour showed the best performance (except for the colour) compared to the other experimental pasta samples, but was significantly different to control durum wheat sample. Combinations of fibre rich additions were studied with the inclusion of inulin GR having a less deteriorating effect when added in combination with oat flour. This illustrates that some fibre rich sources may act better in combinations than separately.

Mobilization of retrotransposons to new genomic locations is a significant driver of mammalian genome evolution, but these mutagenic events can also cause genetic disorders. In humans, retrotransposon mobilization is mediated primarily by proteins encoded by LINE-1 (L1) retrotransposons, which mobilize in pluripotent cells early in development. Here we show that TEX19.1, which is induced by developmentally programmed DNA hypomethylation, can directly interact with the L1-encoded protein L1-ORF1p, stimulate its polyubiquitylation and degradation, and restrict L1 mobilization. We also show that TEX19.1 likely acts, at least in part, through promoting the activity of the E3 ubiquitin ligase UBR2 towards L1-ORF1p. Moreover, loss of Tex19.1 increases L1-ORF1p levels and L1 mobilization in pluripotent mouse embryonic stem cells, implying that Tex19.1 prevents de novo retrotransposition in the pluripotent phase of the germline cycle. These data show that post-translational regulation of L1 retrotransposons plays a key role in maintaining trans-generational genome stability in mammals.