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Scale
Kinds of Scale Terms modified by Scale Selected AbstractsLower-extremity selective voluntary motor control in patients with spastic cerebral palsy: increased distal motor impairmentDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 3 2010EILEEN G FOWLER Aim, Multiple impairments contribute to motor deficits in spastic cerebral palsy (CP). Selective voluntary motor control (SVMC), namely isolation of joint movement upon request, is important, but frequently overlooked. This study evaluated the proximal to distal distribution of SVMC impairment among lower extremity joints. Method, Using a recently developed tool, the Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE), we evaluated the SVMC of the hip, knee, ankle, subtalar joint, and toes in a cross-sectional, observational study of 47 participants with spastic, diplegic, hemiplegic, and quadriplegic CP (22 males, 25 females; mean age 11y 9mo, SD 4y 8mo; Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I,IV). Results, Statistically significant decreases in SCALE scores from hip to toes were found using the Page statistical test for trend (p<0.001). Statistically significant differences (p<0.05) were found between all joint pairs, except toes versus subtalar, toes versus ankle, and right ankle versus subtalar joints. Cross-tabulation of score frequencies for all pairs revealed that proximal joint scores were higher or equal to distal ones 81 to 100% of the time. Excluding toes versus subtalar joints, proximal scores exceeded distal ones 94 to 100% of the time. Interpretation, We confirmed increasing proximal to distal SVMC impairment, which may have implications for treatment and research. [source] Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE): development, validation, and interrater reliability of a clinical tool for patients with cerebral palsyDEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE & CHILD NEUROLOGY, Issue 8 2009EILEEN G FOWLER PhD PT Normal selective voluntary motor control (SVMC) can be defined as the ability to perform isolated joint movement without using mass flexor/extensor patterns or undesired movement at other joints, such as mirroring. SVMC is an important determinant of function, yet a valid, reliable assessment tool is lacking. The Selective Control Assessment of the Lower Extremity (SCALE) is a clinical tool developed to quantify SVMC in patients with cerebral palsy (CP). This paper describes the development, utility, validation, and interrater reliability of SCALE. Content validity was based on review by 14 experienced clinicians. Mean agreement was 91.9% (range 71.4,100%) for statements about content, administration, and grading. SCALE scores were compared with Gross Motor Function Classification System Expanded and Revised (GMFCS-ER) levels for 51 participants with spastic diplegic, hemiplegic, and quadriplegic CP (GMFCS levels I , IV, 21 males, 30 females; mean age 11y 11mo [SD 4y 9mo]; range 5,23y). Construct validity was supported by significant inverse correlation (Spearman's r=-0.83, p<0.001) between SCALE scores and GMFCS levels. Six clinicians rated 20 participants with spastic CP (seven males, 13 females, mean age 12y 3mo [SD 5y 5mo], range 7,23y) using SCALE. A high level of interrater reliability was demonstrated by intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.88 to 0.91 (p<0.001). [source] EVOLUTION ON A LOCAL SCALE: DEVELOPMENTAL, FUNCTIONAL, AND GENETIC BASES OF DIVERGENCE IN BILL FORM AND ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN SONG STRUCTURE BETWEEN ADJACENT HABITATSEVOLUTION, Issue 8 2008Alexander V. Badyaev Divergent selection on traits involved in both local adaptation and the production of mating signals can strongly facilitate population differentiation. Because of its links to foraging morphologies and cultural inheritance song of birds can contribute particularly strongly to maintenance of local adaptations. In two adjacent habitats,native Sonoran desert and urban areas,house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) forage on seeds that are highly distinct in size and shell hardness and require different bite forces and bill morphologies. Here, we first document strong and habitat-specific natural selection on bill traits linked to bite force and find adaptive modifications of bite force and bill morphology and associated divergence in courtship song between the two habitats. Second, we investigate the developmental basis of this divergence and find that early ontogenetic tissue transformation in bill, but not skeletal traits, is accelerated in the urban population and that the mandibular primordia of the large-beaked urban finches express bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) earlier and at higher level than those of the desert finches. Further, we show that despite being geographically adjacent, urban and desert populations are nevertheless genetically distinct corroborating findings of early developmental divergence between them. Taken together, these results suggest that divergent selection on function and development of traits involved in production of mating signals, in combination with localized learning of such signals, can be very effective at maintaining local adaptations, even at small spatial scales and in highly mobile animals. [source] COMMUNITY GARDENS AND POLITICS OF SCALE IN NEW YORK CITY,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 2 2003CHRISTOPHER M. SMITH ABSTRACT. New York City community gardens have been the subject of political contestation over the course of their thirty-year existence. In 1999, 114 gardens were slated for public auction and redevelopment. This article examines the controversy over the garden auction as a politics of scale in which garden advocates successively raised the scope of the controversy beyond the scale of individual gardens, and ultimately beyond that of the city. Analysis of this land-use conflict highlights the significance of politics of scale for grassroots organizations within a market-centric, neoliberal economic framework. [source] CHROMATOGRAPHIC SEPARATION AT A PREPARATIVE SCALE OF EGG WHITE OVALBUMIN AND ITS APPLICATION IN THE ELABORATION OF YOGURT MOUSSEJOURNAL OF FOOD PROCESS ENGINEERING, Issue 1 2006B. PAREDES ABSTRACT Egg white contains high-quality proteins. Some processes using eggs produce egg white as by-product. These egg white proteins may be recovered for use as additive in food products. In the first part of this study, a new polymeric material was developed and used in the chromatographic separation of ovalbumin at preparative scale. Ovalbumin is the major component of egg white and thus, it has the greatest weight in terms of its functional effects. An application of the purified ovalbumin was subsequently studied in the elaboration of yogurt mousse. The results obtained showed that the poly(glycidil methacrylate-co-ethylene dimethacrylate) resin that was manufactured enabled the separation of ovalbumin with good efficiency. This study also showed that the formulation obtained from the yogurt mousse with ovalbumin had a greater yield in volume than the commercial product used as a benchmark, improving the majority of its organoleptic qualities without appreciably affecting its stability and organoleptic properties. [source] EVALUATION OF IDEAL WINE AND CHEESE PAIRS USING A DEVIATION-FROM-IDEAL SCALE WITH FOOD AND WINE EXPERTSJOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 3 2005MARJORIE KING ABSTRACT Most information regarding the suitability of wine and cheese pairs is anecdotal information. The objective of this research was to provide recommendations based on scientific research for the most desirable "wine & cheese pairs" using nine award-winning Canadian cheeses and 18 BC wines (six white, six red and six specialty wines). Twenty-seven wine and food professionals rated the wine and cheese pairs using a bipolar structured line scale (12 cm). The "ideal pair," scored at the midpoint of the scale, was defined as a wine and cheese combination where neither the wine nor the cheese dominated. For each cheese, mean deviation-from-ideal scores were determined and evaluated by analysis of variance. Scores closest to six were considered "ideal," while higher or lower scores represented pairs where the "wine" or the "cheese" dominated, respectively. In general, white wines had mean scores closer to six ("ideal") than either the red or specialty wines. The late harvest, ice and port-type wines were more difficult to pair . Judges varied considerably in their individual assessments reflecting a high degree of personal expectation and preference. [source] THE INTIMATE JUSTICE SCALE: AN INSTRUMENT TO SCREEN FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL ABUSE AND PHYSICAL VIOLENCE IN CLINICAL PRACTICEJOURNAL OF MARITAL AND FAMILY THERAPY, Issue 1 2004Brian Jory This article describes development of the Intimate Justice Scale (IJS) and reports on a clinical study of the validity, reliability, and clinical usefulness of the instrument. Rather than measuring specific acts of abuse, the IJS measures ethical dynamics of couple relationships, which areevident in patterns of action and attitude expressed over the course of the relationship. Ethical dynamics appear to correlate with partner abuse. The study suggests that the IJS may reliably identify victims of abuse and may discriminate between minor and severe levels of abuse. The IJS can be completed and scored in less than 10 min and may be useful for screening in mental health, medical, and social service agencies. Clinical guidelines and a case example are presented. [source] HIDDEN AND FALSE "PREFERENCES" ON THE STRUCTURED 9-POINT HEDONIC SCALEJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 6 2008XADENI VILLEGAS-RUIZ ABSTRACT An unspecified number of consumers who used a 9-point hedonic scale were frustrated because they could not express preferences for products with the same ratings. Accordingly, consumers were required to rate samples of yogurt on a 9-point structured hedonic scale. Consumers were able to express preference judgments because the testing was performed one-on-one with the experimenter. Thus, it was possible to determine the proportion of consumers who had given the same hedonic response to yogurts but still had preferences for one or other of the stimuli. Further testing, which included a pair of identical yogurts among the stimuli, allowed the proportion of preference and no preference responses elicited by identical stimuli to be determined in this context. Such data are useful as a control condition in preference testing, to assess the proportion of false preferences induced by the experimental conditions. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumer liking for various products is typically measured using the 9-point structured hedonic scale. Sometimes, consumers will give the same score to two products yet prefer one to the other. Such preferences are not recorded if the consumer is isolated from the experimenter and has no means of reporting them. However, the situation is easily rectified if the experimenter interacts one-on-one with the consumer. Sometimes, false preferences can be obtained from a hedonic scale. This tendency can be monitored by including identical stimuli in the measurements. The present study investigated the extent of such problems so that methods could be devised to address the problem. [source] HOW WELL DOES THE 9-POINT HEDONIC SCALE PREDICT PURCHASE FREQUENCY?JOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 4 2005M. ROSAS-NEXTICAPA ABSTRACT One hundred and one consumers assessed three strawberry-flavored yogurts, using the 9-point hedonic scale and a purchase intent scale, both blind and with their appropriate cartons. They were then monitored for a year, to determine whether their ratings had any predictive value for their purchase behavior. It was found that the highest rated yogurts tended to be the ones that were purchased during the year. Any correspondence between rank order of rating and of purchase frequency was negligible. Predictions were better when the yogurts were rated with their cartons. The ratings were a better predictor of purchase frequency than price. Various consistency measures were also made. [source] HYDROLOGIC MODELING AT THE WATERSHED SCALE USING NPSM,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 6 2000Lee Carrubba ABSTRACT: The Nonpoint Source Model (NPSM) was chosen for nonpoint source pollutant modeling within three different watersheds. The first step in using NPSM, hydrologic calibration, is discussed here for three 8-digit Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) from the White River Basin in Indiana (Driftwood HUC), the Albemarle-Pamlico River Basin in Virginia and North Carolina (Contentnea HUC), and the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida (Ichawaynochaway HUC). Model predicted flows were compared statistically with USGS gauge data at the HUC outflow points for an uncalibrated and calibrated model run for the period from January 1, 1990, through December 31, 1992, and a validation run for the period from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1995. Least squares regression of NPSM predicted flows versus USGS gauge data were 0.75, 0.44, and 0.69 for the calibration runs and 0.71, 0.69, and 0.64 for the validation runs in the Driftwood, Contentnea, and Ichawaynochaway HUCs, respectively. Nash Sutcliffe coefficient values were not as strong, ranging from ,0.66 to 0.45 for the calibration runs and 0.31 to 0.37 for the validation runs of the model. The Ichawaynochaway HUC proved the most difficult to calibrate indicating that the model may not be as useful in some geographic locations. [source] GEOGRAPHIC SCALE AND FUNCTIONAL SCOPE IN METROPOLITAN GOVERNANCE REFORM: THEORY AND EVIDENCE FROM GERMANYJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2006Joachim K. Blatter New dichotomies emerge, for example, "jumping of scale" versus "relativation of scales"; "deterritorializiaton" versus "reterritorialization"; "spaces of place" versus "space of flows." These dichotomies can be interpreted as different proposals and/or diagnoses in respect to the geographic scale and functional scope of emerging institutions of metropolitan governance. The paper aims to trace the empirical question of which direction we are heading by analyzing recent metropolitan governance reforms in six West German metropolitan areas. The findings show that there is a general trend to create soft institutions of governance on a larger scale as a reaction to global competition and continental integration. Beyond this commonality, we discover quite different institutional trajectories. The regions which are strongly embedded in the global economy tend toward a "deterritorialized" form of metropolitan governance with rather weak institutions characterized by large geographic scales and functional specialization. In contrast, the regions which are not as much embedded in the global economy have been able to create strong governance institutions on a regional level characterized by a rather small geographic scope and based on a territorial logic of functional integration and geographic congruence. [source] SCALE OF IRON PRODUCTIONACTA ARCHAEOLOGICA, Issue 1 2009Article first published online: 5 JUL 2010 No abstract is available for this article. [source] ECONOMIES OF SCALE IN HOUSEHOLD CONSUMPTION: WITH APPLICATION TO AUSTRALIA,AUSTRALIAN ECONOMIC PAPERS, Issue 2 2005NANAK KAKWANI This paper presents a general framework for defining the economies of scale in household consumption. It allows commodity specific economies of scale (taking into account the substitution effects). The chief contribution of the paper is to show how one can estimate economies of scale from cross section budget data without price information. The problem of identification that is inherent in these models is overcome by making use of some assumptions about the nature of goods and services employed in the estimation. The methodology developed in the paper is applied to Australian Household Expenditure Survey for 1984 to calculate item wise and overall economies of scale. [source] SCALES: a large-scale assessment model of soil erosion hazard in Basse-Normandie (northern-western France)EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 8 2010P. Le Gouée Abstract The cartography of erosion risk is mainly based on the development of models, which evaluate in a qualitative and quantitative manner the physical reproduction of the erosion processes (CORINE, EHU, INRA). These models are mainly semi-quantitative but can be physically based and spatially distributed (the Pan-European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment, PESERA). They are characterized by their simplicity and their applicability potential at large temporal and spatial scales. In developing our model SCALES (Spatialisation d'éChelle fine de l'ALéa Erosion des Sols/large-scale assessment and mapping model of soil erosion hazard), we had in mind several objectives: (1) to map soil erosion at a regional scale with the guarantee of a large accuracy on the local level, (2) to envisage an applicability of the model in European oceanic areas, (3) to focus the erosion hazard estimation on the level of source areas (on-site erosion), which are the agricultural parcels, (4) to take into account the weight of the temporality of agricultural practices (land-use concept). Because of these objectives, the nature of variables, which characterize the erosion factors and because of its structure, SCALES differs from other models. Tested in Basse-Normandie (Calvados 5500,km2) SCALES reveals a strong predisposition of the study area to the soil erosion which should require to be expressed in a wet year. Apart from an internal validation, we tried an intermediate one by comparing our results with those from INRA and PESERA. It appeared that these models under estimate medium erosion levels and differ in the spatial localization of areas with the highest erosion risks. SCALES underlines here the limitations in the use of pedo-transfer functions and the interpolation of input data with a low resolution. One must not forget however that these models are mainly focused on an interregional comparative approach. Therefore the comparison of SCALES data with those of the INRA and PESERA models cannot result on a convincing validation of our model. For the moment the validation is based on the opinion of local experts, who agree with the qualitative indications delivered by our cartography. An external validation of SCALES is foreseen, which will be based on a thorough inventory of erosion signals in areas with different hazard levels. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] DISCOVERING EXCEPTIONAL DIVERSIFICATIONS AT CONTINENTAL SCALES: THE CASE OF THE ENDEMIC FAMILIES OF NEOTROPICAL SUBOSCINE PASSERINESEVOLUTION, Issue 7 2010Santiago Claramunt The study of continental adaptive radiations has lagged behind research on their island counterparts in part because the mere identification of adaptive radiations is more challenging at continental scales. Here, I demonstrate a new method based on simulations for discovering clades that show exceptionally high phenotypic diversity. The method does not require a phylogeny but accounts for differences in age and species richness among clades and incorporates effects of the phylogenetic structure of data. In addition, I developed a new multivariate measure of phenotypic diversity, which has the advantage over other measures of disparity in that it takes covariation into account. I applied these methods to a clade of endemic Neotropical suboscine passerines, within which the family Furnariidae has been considered an adaptive radiation. I found that the families Thamnophilidae, Furnariidae, and Dendrocolaptidae have experienced a higher rate of cladogenesis than have other clades. Although Thamnophilidae is exceptionally diverse in body size, only Furnariidae and Dendrocolaptidae are exceptionally diverse in shape. The combination of high rates of cladogenesis and high morphometric diversity in traits related to feeding and locomotion suggest that the clade Furnariidae-Dendrocolaptidae represent an authentic continental adaptive radiation. [source] BIOTIC INTERACTIONS AND MACROEVOLUTION: EXTENSIONS AND MISMATCHES ACROSS SCALES AND LEVELSEVOLUTION, Issue 4 2008David Jablonski Clade dynamics in the fossil record broadly fit expectations from the operation of competition, predation, and mutualism, but data from both modern and ancient systems suggest mismatches across scales and levels. Indirect effects, as when antagonistic or mutualistic interactions restrict geographic range and thereby elevate extinction risk, are probably widespread and may flow in both directions, as when species- or organismic-level factors increase extinction risk or speciation probabilities. Apparent contradictions across scales and levels have been neglected, including (1) the individualistic geographic shifts of species on centennial and millennial timescales versus evidence for fine-tuned coevolutionary relationships; (2) the extensive and dynamic networks of interactions faced by most species versus the evolution of costly enemy-specific defenses and finely attuned mutualisms; and (3) the macroevolutionary lags often seen between the origin and the diversification of a clade or an evolutionary novelty versus the rapid microevolution of advantageous phenotypes and the invasibility of most communities. Resolution of these and other cross-level tensions presumably hinges on how organismic interactions impinge on genetic population structures, geographic ranges, and the persistence of incipient species, but generalizations are not yet possible. Paleontological and neontological data are both incomplete and so the most powerful response to these problems will require novel integrative approaches. Promising research areas include more realistic approaches to modeling and empirical analysis of large-scale diversity dynamics of ostensibly competing clades; spatial and phylogenetic dissections of clades involved in escalatory dynamics (where prey respond evolutionarily to a broad and shifting array of enemies); analyses of the short- versus long-term consequences of mutualistic symbioses; and fuller use of abundant natural experiments on the evolutionary impacts of ecosystem engineers. [source] SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF HYDROPOLITICS: THE GEOGRAPHICAL SCALES OF WATER AND SECURITY IN THE INDUS BASIN,GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW, Issue 4 2007Daanish Mustafa ABSTRACT. The article identifies important themes and future research directions for analyzing water and conflict dynamics at the subnational scale in the Indus Basin. A historical overview of water development in the Indus Basin suggests that the water-security nexus was always a salient theme in the minds of water developers, even in the nineteenth century. Conflicts over contemporary large-scale water-development projects in the Indian and Pakistani parts of the Indus Basin are reviewed. Engineers' single-minded focus on megaprojects, to the neglect of the wider set of values that societies attach to water resources in the eastern and western Indus Basin are largely to blame for continuing low-grade conflict in the basin. A review of local-level conflicts over water supply and sanitation in Karachi and the distribution of irrigation water in Pakistani Punjab illustrates the critical role of governance and differential social power relations in accentuating conflict. The article argues against neo-Malthusian assumptions about the inevitability of conflict over water because of its future absolute scarcity. Instead, the article seeks to demonstrate that, despite evidence suggesting that international armed conflict over water does not exist, the potential for political instability over domestic water distribution and development issues is real. The question of whether conflict at the subnational scale will culminate in violence will depend on how water-resources institutions in the basin behave. [source] PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF PEPSIN-SOLUBILIZED TYPE I COLLAGEN FROM THE SCALES OF SNAKEHEAD (OPHIOCEPHALUS ARGUS)JOURNAL OF FOOD BIOCHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2009WENTAO LIU ABSTRACT Pepsin-solubilized collagen prepared from the scales of snakehead (Ophiocephalus argus) was separated into two fractions, major and minor, by NaCl precipitation. The results of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), amino acid composition, and secondary structure showed that the major collagen was typical type I collagen; in contrast, the minor collagen might be classified as type V collagen from the SDS-PAGE patterns and precipitation properties by NaCl. A sharp decrease in solubility of type I collagen was observed at the NaCl concentration of 40 g/L. The maximum and the minimum solubilities of collagen were observed at pH 3 and 8, respectively. Peptide maps of type I collagen digested by trypsin and V8 protease were different from those of calfskin and fish skin collagens. The imino acid content of type I collagen was lower than those of mammalian collagens and so did its denaturation temperature that was 30.3C obtained by viscosity measurement. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Collagen has been widely utilized as a material for foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. However, the use of collagen-derived products from land animals (e.g., bovine and pig) has been called into question because of foot-and-mouth disease crisis etc. Aquatic animal offals, which are readily available and inexpensive, seem to be safe sources for extraction of collagen. This work reports on preparation and characterization of collagen from snakehead scales, which will have potential in supplementing the skins and bones of land animals as an important collagen resource for use in functional food, biomedical, and cosmetic industries. [source] STRUCTURE, COMPOSITION AND BIOGENESIS OF PRASINOPHYTE SCALESJOURNAL OF PHYCOLOGY, Issue 2000B. Becker The cell body and flagellar surfaces of prasinophytes are covered by non-mineralyzed scales. Scales consist mainly of acidic polysaccharides containing large amounts of 2-keto sugar acids. Glycoproteins are minor components and probably mainly involved in mediating scale-subunit and scale-membrane interactions. In thecate prasinophytes the cell body scales coalesce to form a rigid cell wall, generally known as a theca. We have studied the polysaccharides and glycoproteins of the thecate prasinophytes Tetraselmis striata and Scherffelia dubia over the last years. New results regarding the structure of carbohydrates and proteins will be presented. [source] A COMPARISON OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HEDONIC SCALES AND END-ANCHOR COMPRESSION EFFECTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 2010HARRY T. LAWLESS ABSTRACT Three experiments were conducted to compare the relative performance of hedonic scaling methods, including the labeled affective magnitude (LAM) scale. In the first study, three versions of the LAM were used to evaluate 20 phrases that described diverse sensory experiences. One scale was anchored to "greatest imaginable like/dislike for any experience" and another used the "greatest imaginable like" phrase of the LAM but with the interior phrases repositioned relative to "any experience." The scale anchored to "any experience" showed a smaller range of scale usage and lower statistical differentiation, relative to the LAM scale, with the repositioned scale intermediate. Two further experiments compared the LAM to the nine-point hedonic scale, an 11-point category scale using the LAM phrases, and to a three-label line scale, a simplified version of the LAM with only the end phrases and the neutral center-point phrase. All scales showed similar differentiation of juices in the second study and sensory experience phrases in the third. A modest advantage for the LAM scale in the second experiment did not extend to the third study. Researchers should be careful in the choice of high end anchors for hedonic scales, as a compressed range of scale usage may result in lower product differentiation. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Hedonic scales for food acceptability are widely used in new product development for consumer testing and in food preference surveys. A desired goal of efficient sensory evaluation testing is the ability of tests to differentiate samples on the basis of scale data, in this case scales commonly used for food acceptability and preference testing. Scales which are able to differentiate products more effectively are less likely to lead to Type II error in experimentation, in which true differences between products are not detected. Such errors can lead to lost opportunities for product improvements or to enhanced chances for taking undetected risks in the case of false parity conclusions. [source] COMPARISON OF ATTRIBUTE LIKING AND JAR SCALES TO EVALUATE THE ADEQUACY OF SENSORY ATTRIBUTES OF MILK DESSERTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 5 2009GASTÓN ARES ABSTRACT Just-about-right (JAR) scales and attribute liking questions are usually used to study consumer perception of the sensory characteristics of food products. The aim of the present work was to compare the performance of attribute liking and JAR scales to evaluate consumers' perceived adequacy of flavor and texture of milk puddings. Two groups of consumers were asked to evaluate eight milk desserts using (1) overall liking followed by attribute liking for texture and flavor and (2) overall liking followed by JAR scales for thickness, creaminess, sweetness and vanilla flavor. Overall liking scores were significantly different when JAR scales or attribute liking questions were considered. Texture, flavor and overall liking scores were highly correlated to each other, providing the same information. JAR scales correlated better with the intensity of sensory attributes evaluated by a trained sensory panel, being JAR percentages a reliable tool to study the adequacy of sensory attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Results from the present work showed that consumers might not be able to independently evaluate their liking of different sensory attributes of a product. For this reason, the use of attribute liking questions for studying the adequacy of sensory attributes in complex products would not be recommended. JAR scales were better indicators of the adequacy of sensory attributes. Consumers were able to independently evaluate texture and flavor attributes using JAR scales. However, the influence of JAR scales on overall liking scores should be taken into account when including these scales on consumer studies. [source] EFFECTIVENESS OF CATEGORY AND LINE SCALES TO CHARACTERIZE CONSUMER PERCEPTION OF FRUITY FERMENTED FLAVOR IN PEANUTSJOURNAL OF SENSORY STUDIES, Issue 2 2006J.L. GREENE ABSTRACT Fruity fermented (FF) flavor is a common off-flavor in peanuts resulting from high-temperature curing. The 9-point hedonic scale is the most widely used scale to determine consumer acceptance; however, research has indicated that line scales may provide equal reliability and greater sensitivity. The objectives of this study were to characterize consumer perception of FF flavor in peanuts and to compare the effectiveness of the two scale types. Consumers (n = 208) evaluated control (no FF), low-intensity (1.0) FF and high-intensity (3.0) FF peanut pastes for the strength/intensity of roasted peanut flavor (RPF), sweet taste (ST), fresh peanut flavor (FPF) and overall liking (OV) using randomly assigned ballots. Sensitivity in defining consumer perception of off-flavor in peanuts was greater with use of line scales than with the hedonic scale. The line scale indicated that FF flavor in peanuts, even at low intensity, negatively impacted OV and further identified significantly lower RPF and FPF perception by consumers. The hedonic scale identified only a difference in FPF and was not sensitive enough to show a difference in OV. [source] STANDARD SCALES FOR CRISPNESS, CRACKLINESS AND CRUNCHINESS IN DRY AND WET FOODS: RELATIONSHIP WITH ACOUSTICAL DETERMINATIONSJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 4 2008MAITE A. CHAUVIN ABSTRACT A trained panel developed rating scales for crispness, crunchiness and crackliness for dry and wet foods based on the auditory perception of selected foods. The newly developed scales were then evaluated by 40 untrained panelists and the sound perception of standard foods was assessed through the analysis of the root mean square (RMS) of the 5-s audio waveforms and multidimensional scaling (MDS). The RMS was highly correlated to auditory sensory perception of crispness (r = 0.83 and 0.96), crunchiness (r = 0.99 and 0.99) and crackliness (r = 0.88 and 0.96) for dry and wet foods, respectively. MDS technique applied for the 40 untrained panelists was instructive in assessing auditory textural differences of naïve panelists and a useful statistical instrument to graphically validate selected scales. Auditory perception of the selected foods were rated similarly using standard auditory texture scales for crispness, crunchiness and crackliness developed by the trained panel (oral evaluation) and MDS results from the untrained panel (recordings). PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Crispness, crunchiness and crackliness are not only important and useful descriptors of food texture, but are also desirable textural qualities in many foods. The lack of consistency in the procedures used for the evaluation of crunchy, crispy and crackly in sensory studies often results in confusion when training expert panels. Research will benefit textural studies through an improvement of consistent textural definitions and development of standard scales and evaluation techniques. The crispness, crunchiness and crackliness scales developed and applied in the current study represent a new potential standard frame of reference that may be used for training panelists in texture parameters related to food auditory perception. The scales may be considered illustrations demonstrating full and practical ranges for each texture attribute with regard to analyzing auditory parameters of foods and effective objective tools for assessing panelists in descriptive analysis. [source] SENSORY TEXTURE PROFILING AND DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARD RATING SCALES FOR POUNDED YAMJOURNAL OF TEXTURE STUDIES, Issue 5-6 2005BOLANLE OTEGBAYO ABSTRACT This study evaluated sensory texture profile analysis (STPA) as an objective method for characterizing the texture attributes of "pounded yam," a popular dish in West Africa made by peeling yam, boiling, pounding and kneading it into a glutinous dough. Panelists were carefully selected and trained to assess the texture attributes of pounded yam. Standard rating scales were developed from local foods that are common in Nigeria, and the foods were used as descriptors to exemplify the texture attributes being assessed. Reproducible and consistent results were obtained. It is thus concluded that STPA can be used as an objective method for evaluating the texture attributes of pounded yam. [source] INCREMENTAL VALIDITY OF EMPIRICALLY KEYED BIODATA SCALES OVER GMA AND THE FIVE FACTOR PERSONALITY CONSTRUCTSPERSONNEL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 2 2000MICHAEL K. MOUNT The major purpose of this study was to determine whether empirically keyed, cross-validated biodata scales accounted for incremental variance over that accounted for by the five factor model (FFM) of personality and GMA predictors. A concurrent validation study was employed using 376 employees in a clerical job (222 in the developmental sample and 154 in the cross-validation sample). Results for the cross-validation sample provided support for the hypothesis that biodata predictors accounted for substantial incremental variance beyond that accounted for by the FFM predictors and GMA for 3 of the 4 criteria. Support was also found for the hypothesized zero-order correlations between GMA, FFM, and biodata predictors and the 4 criteria. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed. [source] Influence of Temporal Scale of Sampling on Detection of Relationships between Invasive Plants and the Diversity Patterns of Plants and ButterfliesCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2004RALPH MAC NALLY But monitoring is often neglected because it can be expensive and time-consuming. Accordingly, it is valuable to determine whether the temporal extent of sampling alters the validity of inferences about the response of diversity measures to environmental variables affected by restoration actions. Non-native species alter ecosystems in undesirable ways, frequently homogenizing flora and fauna and extirpating local populations of native species. In the Mojave Desert, invasion of salt-cedar (Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb.) and human efforts to eradicate salt-cedar have altered vegetation structure, vegetation composition, and some measures of faunal diversity. We examined whether similar inferences about relationships between plants and butterflies in the Muddy River drainage (Nevada, U.S.A.) could have been obtained by sampling less intensively (fewer visits per site over the same period of time) or less extensively (equal frequency of visits but over a more limited period of time). We also tested whether rank order of butterfly species with respect to occurrence rate (proportion of sites occupied) would be reflected accurately in temporal subsamples. Temporal subsampling did not lead to erroneous inferences about the relative importance of six vegetation-based predictor variables on the species richness of butterflies. Regardless of the temporal scale of sampling, the species composition of butterflies was more similar in sites with similar species composition of plants. The rank order of occurrence of butterfly species in the temporal subsamples was highly correlated with the rank order of species occurrence in the full data set. Thus, similar inferences about associations between vegetation and butterflies and about relative occurrence rates of individual species of butterflies could be obtained by less intensive or extensive temporal sampling. If compromises between temporal intensity and extent of sampling must be made, our results suggest that maximizing temporal extent will better capture variation in biotic interactions and species occurrence. Resumen:,El monitoreo es un componente importante de los esfuerzos de restauración y de manejo adoptivo. Pero el monitoreo a menudo es desatendido porque puede ser costoso y consume tiempo. En consecuencia, es valioso determinar si la extensión temporal del muestreo altera la validez de inferencias sobre la respuesta de medidas de diversidad a variables ambientales afectadas por acciones de restauración. Las especies no nativas alteran a los ecosistemas de manera indeseable, frecuentemente homogenizan la flora y fauna y extirpan poblaciones locales de especies nativas. En el Desierto Mojave, la invasión de Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. y los esfuerzos humanos para erradicarla han alterado la estructura y composición de la vegetación y algunas medidas de diversidad de fauna. Examinamos si se podían obtener inferencias similares sobre las relaciones entre plantas y mariposas en la cuenca Muddy River (Nevada, E.U.A.) muestreando menos intensivamente (menos visitas por sitio en el mismo período de tiempo) o menos extensivamente (igual frecuencia de visitas pero sobre un período de tiempo más limitado). También probamos si el orden jerárquico de especies de mariposas con respecto a la tasa de ocurrencia (proporción de sitios ocupados) se reflejaba con precisión en las submuestras temporales. El submuestreo temporal no condujo a inferencias erróneas acerca de la importancia relativa de seis variables predictivas basadas en vegetación sobre la riqueza de especies de mariposas. A pesar de la escala temporal del muestreo, la composición de especies de mariposas fue más similar en sitios con composición de especies de plantas similar. El orden jerárquico de ocurrencia de especies de mariposas en las muestras subtemporales estuvo muy correlacionado con el orden jerárquico de ocurrencia de especies en todo el conjunto de datos. Por lo tanto, se pudieron obtener inferencias similares de las asociaciones entre vegetación y mariposas y de las tasas de ocurrencia relativa de especies individuales de mariposas con muestreo temporal menos intensivo o extensivo. Si se deben hacer compromisos entre la intensidad y extensión de muestreo temporal, nuestros resultados sugieren que la maximización de la extensión temporal capturará la variación en interacciones bióticas y ocurrencia de especies más adecuadamente. [source] Detecting the Effects of Fishing on Seabed Community Diversity: Importance of Scale and Sample SizeCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 2 2003Michel J. Kaiser I investigated the importance of the extent of area sampled to the observed outcome of comparisons of the diversity of seabed assemblages in different areas of the seabed that experience either low or high levels of fishing disturbance. Using a finite data set within each disturbance regime, I pooled samples of the benthic communities at random. Thus, although individual sample size increased with each additional level of pooled data, the number of samples decreased accordingly. Detecting the effects of disturbance on species diversity was strongly scale-dependent. Despite increased replication at smaller scales, disturbance effects were more apparent when larger but less numerous samples were collected. The detection of disturbance effects was also affected by the choice of sampling device. Disturbance effects were apparent with pooled anchor-dredge samples but were not apparent with pooled beam-trawl samples. A more detailed examination of the beam-trawl data emphasized that a whole-community approach to the investigation of changes in diversity can miss responses in particular components of the community ( e.g., decapod crustacea ). The latter may be more adversely affected by disturbance than the majority of the taxa found within the benthic assemblage. Further, the diversity of some groups ( e.g., echinoderms ) actually increased with disturbance. Experimental designs and sampling regimes that focus on diversity at only one scale may miss important disturbance effects that occur at larger or smaller scales. Resumen: Las perturbaciones antropogénicas de ambientes terrestres y marinos, tales como la tala y la pesca, se identifican generalmente con impactos negativos sobre la diversidad de especies. Sin embargo, observaciones empíricas a menudo no apoyan este supuesto. Investigué la importancia de la extensión del área muestreada sobre los resultados observados de comparaciones de la diversidad de ensamblajes de fondos marinos en diferentes áreas que experimentaron niveles bajos o altos de perturbación por pesca. Usando un juego finito de datos dentro de cada régimen de perturbación, se combinaron las muestras de comunidades bénticas de manera aleatoria. Por lo tanto, a pesar de que el tamaño de muestra individual incrementó con cada nivel adicional de datos combinados, el número de muestras disminuyó en consecuencia. La detección de los efectos de la perturbación sobre la diversidad de especies dependió en gran medida de la escala. A pesar del incremento en replicación de las escalas pequeñas, los efectos de la perturbación fueron más visibles cuando las muestras recolectadas fueron más grandes pero menos numerosas. La detección de los efectos de la perturbación también fueron afectados por la selección del equipo de muestreo. Los efectos de la perturbación eran evidentes cuando se usaron muestras mezcladas de dragas de ancla, pero no fueron evidentes para muestras mezcladas de redes de arrastre con vigas. Un análisis más detallado de los datos de las redes de arrastre muestran que una aproximación a nivel de toda la comunidad para investigar los cambios de diversidad puede resultar en la pérdida de información a nivel de componentes específicos ( por ejemplo crustáceos decápodos ) de la comunidad. Estos pueden ser adversamente afectados en mayor medida por la perturbación que la mayoría de los taxones que integran el ensamblaje béntico. Además, la diversidad de algunos grupos ( por ejemplo los equinodermos ) de hecho aumentó con la perturbación. Los diseños experimentales y los regímenes de muestreo que se enfocan en la diversidad a una sola escala pueden no detectar los efectos importantes de la perturbación que ocurren a mayores o menores escalas. [source] Creating and Justifying Research and Development Value: Scope, Scale, Skill and Social Networking of R&DCREATIVITY AND INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002Aard J. Groen In this paper we describe a framework for analysing the creation and justification of Research & Development. The 4S framework is developed for analysing the scope, scale, skills and social network aspects of Research & Development value. The framework is based on social system theory, a process contingency model, and recent Research & Development metrics. We present a first empirical assessment based on a workshop using the 4S framework for leveraging Research & Development. Results that assist in the assessment of value creation utilising R & D within networks are very relevant in high tech industries. The multi,dimensional process approach of this framework seems promising for understanding and managing R&D value creation, but needs further operationalisation. Case studies are described and a Dutch network on leveraging R&D has been initiated. [source] Developing an attitude towards bullying scale for prisoners: structural analyses across adult men, young adults and women prisonersCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Jane L. Ireland Background,Few studies have attempted to explore attitudes towards bullying among prisoners, despite acknowledgement that attitudes may play an important role. Aim,To evaluate the structure of a new attitudinal scale, the Prison Bullying Scale (PBS), with adult men and women in prison and with young male prisoners. Hypotheses,That attitudes would be represented as a multidimensional construct and that the PBS structure would be replicated across confirmatory samples. Method,The PBS was developed and confirmed across four independent studies using item parceling and confirmatory factor analysis: Study I comprised 412 adult male prisoners; Study II, 306 adult male prisoners; Study III, 171 male young offenders; and Study IV, 148 adult women prisoners. Results,Attitudes were represented as a multidimensional construct comprising seven core factors. The exploratory analysis was confirmed in adult male samples, with some confirmation among young offenders and adult women. The fit for young offenders was adequate and improved by factor covariance. The fit for women was the poorest overall. Conclusion,The study notes the importance of developing ecologically valid measures and statistically testing these measures prior to their clinical or research use. Implications,The development of the PBS holds value both as an assessment and as a research measure and remains the only ecologically validated measure in existence to assess prisoner attitudes towards bullying. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Evaluation of a treatment programme for alcohol-related aggressionCRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH, Issue 4 2008Anna McCulloch Background,The development of effective treatments for alcohol-related aggression and violence is important in binge drinking cultures, as in parts of the UK. Aim,The aim was to evaluate the progress and experience of 10 participants in Control of Violence for Angry Impulsive Drinkers (COVAID) using a single case methodology. Method,Participants completed 10 individual weekly sessions with trained facilitators following the COVAID manual. Change scores on psychometric questionnaires were examined by calculating clinical significance and reliability of change. Self-reports of alcohol consumption and aggression were examined. Follow-up data on convictions were collected. Participants were asked their opinions about COVAID. Results,Scores on the Alcohol-Related Aggression Questionnaire (ARAQ) improved for nine participants; change was both clinically significant and reliable in five cases. Nine participants improved on the Controlled Drinking Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSES), with seven showing clinically significant improvement. Six participants reported a reduction in alcohol consumption from the first to the second half of the programme. At a mean of 29 weeks post-treatment, none of the participants had been reconvicted for a violent offence. Participants reported finding COVAID useful and interesting. Conclusion,Overall, our findings support the possibility that COVAID may assist in reducing alcohol-related violence and violent offending. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. 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