Salt taste sensitivity and stimulus volume: sips and drops. Some implications for the Henkin taste test

Various presentation procedures and stimulus volumes were compared in their effect on salt taste sensitivity. For sodium chloride (NaCl) stimuli pipetted onto the tongue, subjects had comparable measured sensitivity to 10 ml and 1 ml volumes but a reduced sensitivity to 0.1 ml volumes. The greatest sensitivity was achieved with 10 ml sipped volumes. Modification of the Henkin dropwise triangular taste test, by increasing the stimulus volumes, increased subjects' sensitivity. Only the 1 ml pipette presentation increased the sensitivity of the Henkin procedure, albeit slightly, to the detection of changes in taste sensitivity, the purpose for which the procedure was actually designed. Such modification did not perturb salivary NaCl levels more than the regular Henkin procedure, so it would not be expected to introduce sensitivity drift.     

Diagnostic test evaluation of a nasal flow monitor for obstructive sleep apnea detection in sleep apnea research

In this diagnostic test evaluation of a nasal flow monitoring device for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), 34 patients referred for polysomnography were studied at home for three consecutive nights with the monitor. The mean age of subjects (+/-SD) was 41.9+/-10.3 years, and their mean apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) was 31.5+/-27.2. The difference between the average AHI from three nights at home on the monitor and the polysomnogram (PSG) result was 1.8+/-17.1. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for PSG AHI > or = 10 was .96. With a threshold AHI of 18 on the flow monitor, sensitivity was .92, specificity .86, positive predictive value .96, and negative predictive value .75. For detecting severe OSA (AHI > or = 30), the AUC was .85. With knowledge of appropriate thresholds and the pretest risk of OSA, the flow monitor can be used to detect or exclude OSA for sleep-related research, as well as to identify severe cases needing priority for further evaluation.     

Complete Axiomatizations for Reasoning about Knowledge and Branching Time

Sound and complete axiomatizations are provided for a number of different logics involving modalities for the knowledge of multiple agents and operators for branching time, extending previous work of Halpern, van der Meyden and Vardi [to appear, SIAM Journal on Computing] for logics of knowledge and linear time. The paper considers the system constraints of synchrony, perfect recall and unique initial states, which give rise to interaction axioms. The language is based on the temporal logic CTL*, interpreted with respect to a version of the bundle semantics.     

Validating a “spurning scale” for nurses in Hong Kong

Based on a model on spumed helpers’ reactions, a spurning scale for nurses was constructed with items to assess the extent to which practicing nurses experience recurrent rejection of their help by patients and colleagues. Three approaches were employed to examine the validity of the scale: the relationship of the spurning scores with job satisfaction and turnover scores; the relationships of the spurning scores with burnout scores; and the relationships of the spurning scores with scores indicative of stress arising from interactions with one's patients, colleagues, and supervisor. Practicing nurses in Hong Kong (N = 212) who were enrolled in a refresher program of studies responded to a questionnaire containing the variables of interest. The results offered promising evidence for the validity of the scale.     

The Role of Reputation in the Illegal Purchase of Protected Wildlife in China

Why would a consumer trust that his/her supplier would honor their agreement in illegal transactions? What mechanisms do consumers rely on to enhance the credibility of their agreements? In this article, these questions are examined in the light of illegal transactions of protected wildlife in China for consumption as a delicacy. Based on interviews with actors involved in this illegal market and open sources, this article shows that consumers rely on the supplier’s reputation to access protected wildlife, along with their reputation of having the culinary skills necessary to cook the wildlife in order to enhance the credibility of their agreements.     

Effects of Spurned Help and Self-Esteem on Self-Protective Reactions of Primary School Teachers

This study examined (a) the extents to which primary school teachers experienced spurning of their help by peer teachers, (b) how spurned teachers reacted, and (c) how teachers’ self-esteem and importance attached to their teaching abilities influenced their reactions. Seven hundred eighty teachers in Guangzhou, China, responded to 3 waves of questionnaires assessing the variables under study. The results showed that the teachers experienced a moderate level of spurning, were seemingly threatened by the spurning, and reacted by disparaging the personal attributes of rejecting peers, with their self-esteem and importance attached to their teaching abilities exerting moderating effects.     

Exploring the relationships among age,spiritual struggles,and health

The purpose of this study is to address two issues. First, an effort is made to see if there are age differences in the prevalence of spiritual struggles. Second, tests are performed to see if age differences exist in the relationship between spiritual struggles and physical health. Data from a recent nationwide survey reveal that younger adults report that they encounter more spiritual struggles than either middle-aged or older adults. The findings further indicate that the negative relationship between spiritual struggles and health tends to become more pronounced at successively older ages.