Using behavior-analytic implicit tests to assess sexual interests among normal and sex-offender populations

The development of implicit tests for measuring biases and behavioral predispositions is a recent development within psychology. While such tests are usually researched within a social-cognitive paradigm, behavioral researchers have also begun to view these tests as potential tests of conditioning histories, including in the sexual domain. The objective of this paper is to illustrate the utility of a behavioral approach to implicit testing and means by which implicit tests can be built to the standards of behavioral psychologists. Research findings illustrating the short history of implicit testing within the experimental analysis of behavior are reviewed. Relevant parallel and overlapping research findings from the field of social cognition and on the Implicit Association Test are also outlined. New preliminary data obtained with both normal and sex offender populations are described in order to illustrate how behavior-analytically conceived implicit tests may have potential as investigative tools for assessing histories of sexual arousal conditioning and derived stimulus associations. It is concluded that popular implicit tests are likely sensitive to conditioned and derived stimulus associations in the history of the test-taker rather than 'unconscious cognitions', per se

Antioxidant capacity and other bioactivities of the freeze-dried Amazonian palm berry, Euterpe oleraceae Mart. (Acai)

10.1021/jf0609779Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry54228604-8610JAFC

An Order-Sorted Quantified Modal Logic for Meta-Ontology

The notions of meta-ontology enhance the ability to process knowledge in information systems; in particular, ontological property classification deals with the kinds of properties in taxonomic knowledge based on a philosophical analysis. The goal of this paper is to devise a reasoning mechanism to check the ontological and logical consistency of knowledge bases, which is important for reasoning services on taxonomic knowledge. We first consider an ontological property classification that is extended to capture individual existence and time and situation dependencies. To incorporat

Safety assessment of a proprietary preparation of a novel Probiotic, Bacillus coagulans, as a food ingredient

It has been demonstrated that some strains of Bacillus coagulans can survive extremes of heat, acidity of the stomach, and bile acids, to which commonly consumed probiotics are susceptible. A toxicological safety assessment was performed on a proprietary preparation of B. coagulans – GanedenBC30™ – a novel probiotic. Seven toxicologic studies were conducted and included: in vitro bacterial reverse mutation assay; in vitro chromosomal aberration assay; micronucleus assay in mice; acute and 90 day subchronic repeated oral toxicity studies were conducted in Wistar Crl:(WI) BR rats; acute eye and skin irritation studies were conducted in rabbits

Conteúdo polifenólico e atividade antioxidante dos frutos da palmeira Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) Polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity of fruits of Juçara (Euterpe edulis Martius) palm tree

O conteúdo polifenólico e a atividade antioxidante do extrato do fruto de Euterpe edulis Martius foram avaliados. Esta espécie é uma palmeira conhecida como Juçara, nativa da Mata Atlântica e utilizada para a extração de palmito. O processo de extração do palmito acarreta a morte da planta, uma vez que esta apresenta estipe único. A elevada demanda ocasionou a escassez deste recurso natural. Muitas espécies da Mata Atlântica podem ser utilizadas pelo manejo sustentável para a preservação e exploração econômica pelas comunidades locais. O fruto da palmeira Juçara pode ser uma das alternativas de manejo sustentável dos recursos naturais da Mata Atlântica. A capacidade antioxidante do fruto pode ser utilizada como justificativa para a aplicação como alimento nutricional. O conteúdo polifenólico do fruto foi determinado pelo método de Folin-Ciocalteau e os resultados obtidos foram: 10,31 ± 0,25%, 12,42 ± 0,89%, 12,75 ± 0,94%, para o extrato bruto, fração acetato de etila e fração remanescente, respectivamente. A atividade antioxidante foi determinada pelos métodos de redução do complexo fosfomolibdênico e DPPH. O extrato bruto e as frações acetato de etila e remanescente apresentaram atividade antioxidante, sendo que as duas últimas demonstraram maior atividade indicando que o conteúdo polifenólico pode ser responsável por esta atividade.<br>The polyphenolic content and the antioxidant activity of Euterpe edulis Martius fruit extract were assessed. This species is a Palm tree known as Juçara, native to Atlantic Forest and used for palm heart extraction. The process of palm heart extraction leads to the death of the plant since the latter has one single stem. The high demand has resulted in the depletion of this natural resource. Many species from Atlantic Forest can be used by means of sustainable management for the preservation and economic exploration by local communities. The fruit of Juçara palm can be one of the sustainable management alternatives for the Atlantic Forest natural resources. The antioxidant capacity of this fruit can justify its application as nutritional food. The fruit polyphenolic content was determined by the Folin-Ciocalteau method and the obtained results were: 10.31 ± 0.25%, 12.42 ± 0.89%, 12.75 ± 0.94% for crude extract, acetyl acetate and remaining fractions, respectively. The antioxidant capacity was determined through the phosphomolybdenium complex and DPPH methods. The crude extract and the acetyl acetate and remaining fractions showed antioxidant activity, and the latter two showed higher activity, indicating that polyphenolic content may be responsible for this activity