Cybersex in portuguese chatrooms: A study of sexual behaviors related to online sex

The present article is about a particular form of sexual activity on the Internet: cybersex in chatrooms-in Portuguese by Portuguese people. This study aims to identify the reasons for engaging in cybersex on chats and the behavioral domains that characterize this activity. To carry out the study, we developed a self-report questionnaire that we made available on a website. The sample was collected online (n = 400) through the Portuguese Internet Relay Chat. Factor analyses revealed seven domain structures: (a) social skills, (b) preference for cybersex, (c) filter for a later date, (d) sex by phone, (e) fantasies, (f) using masks, and (g) impact on real relationships. We found a huge variety of sexual attitudes and behaviors connected to cybersex in chatrooms and the existence of two major trends: (a) people that use these chats as a starting place for offline relationships (online anonymity prevents the fear of rejection and social sanctions in real life), and (b) people who want and prefer online sex without any interest in further real contacts.

US Antidumping Petitions and Revealed Comparative Advantage of Shrimp Exporting Countries

The paper explores the trade competitiveness of seven major shrimp exporting countries, namely Vietnam, China, Thailand, Ecuador, India, Indonesia and Mexico, to the USA. Specifically, we investigate whether the United States (US) antidumping petitions impact upon the bilateral revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indexes for each of the seven shrimp exporting countries with the USA. Monthly data from January 2003 to December 2014 and the panel data model are used to examine the determinants of the RCA for the shrimp exporting countries. The empirical results show the shrimp exporting countries have superior competitiveness against the shrimp market in the USA. Moreover, the RCA indexes are significantly negatively influenced by shrimp prices, and are positively affected by US income per capita. However, the EMS (Early Mortality Syndrome) shrimp disease, domestic US shrimp quantity, exchange rate, and US antidumping laws are found to have no significant impacts on the RCA indexes. In terms of policy implications, the USA should try to reduce production costs of shrimp in the US market instead of imposing antidumping petitions, and the shrimp exporting countries should maintain their comparative advantage and diversify into new markets.

Organic compounds on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko revealed by COSAC mass spectrometry

Comets harbor the most pristine material in our solar system in the form of ice, dust, silicates, and refractory organic material with some interstellar heritage. The evolved gas analyzer Cometary Sampling and Composition (COSAC) experiment aboard Rosetta's Philae lander was designed for in situ analysis of organic molecules on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Twenty-five minutes after Philae's initial comet touchdown, the COSAC mass spectrometer took a spectrum in sniffing mode, which displayed a suite of 16 organic compounds, including many nitrogen-bearing species but no sulfur-bearing species, and four compounds-methyl isocyanate, acetone, propionaldehyde, and acetamide-that had not previously been reported in comets.

Shared active site architecture between archaeal PolD and multi-subunit RNA polymerases revealed by X-ray crystallography

Archaeal replicative DNA polymerase D (PolD) constitute an atypical class of DNA polymerases made of a proofreading exonuclease subunit (DP1) and a larger polymerase catalytic subunit (DP2), both with unknown structures. We have determined the crystal structures of Pyrococcus abyssi DP1 and DP2 at 2.5 and 2.2 angstrom resolution, respectively, revealing a catalytic core strikingly different from all other known DNA polymerases (DNAPs). Rather, the PolD DP2 catalytic core has the same 'double-psi beta-barrel' architecture seen in the RNA polymerase (RNAP) superfamily, which includes multi-subunit transcriptases of all domains of life, homodimeric RNA-silencing pathway RNAPs and atypical viral RNAPs. This finding bridges together, in non-viral world, DNA transcription and DNA replication within the same protein superfamily. This study documents further the complex evolutionary history of the DNA replication apparatus in different domains of life and proposes a classification of all extant DNAPs.

Obtenção e caracterização de dióxido de estanho nanoestruturado pelo método de síntese contínua por combustão em solução

Continuous Synthesis by Solution Combustion was employed in this work aiming to obtain tin dioxide nanostructured. Basically, a precursor solution is prepared and then be atomized and sprayed into the flame, where its combustion occurs, leading to the formation of particles. This is a recent technique that shows an enormous potential in oxides deposition, mainly by the low cost of equipment and precursors employed. The tin dioxide (SnO2) nanostructured has been widely used in various applications, especially as gas sensors and varistors. In the case of sensors based on semiconducting ceramics, where surface reactions are responsible for the detection of gases, the importance of surface area and particle size is even greater. The preference for a nanostructured material is based on its significant increase in surface area compared to conventional microcrystalline powders and small particle size, which may benefit certain properties such as high electrical conductivity, high thermal stability, mechanical and chemical. In this work, were employed as precursor solution tin chloride dehydrate diluted in anhydrous ethyl alcohol. Were utilized molar ratio chloride/solvent of 0,75 with the purpose of investigate its influence in the microstructure of produced powder. The solution precursor flux was 3 mL/min. Analysis with X-ray diffraction appointed that a solution precursor with molar ratio chloride/solvent of 0,75 leads to crystalline powder with single phase and all peaks are attributed to phase SnO2. Parameters as distance from the flame with atomizer distance from the capture system with the pilot, molar ratio and solution flux doesn t affect the presence of tin dioxide in the produced powder. In the characterization of the obtained powder techniques were used as thermogravimetric (TGA) and thermodiferential analysis (DTA), particle size by laser diffraction (GDL), crystallographic analysis by X-ray diffraction (XRD), morphology by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), specific surface area (BET) and electrical conductivity analysis. The techniques used revealed that the SnO2 exhibits behavior of a semiconductor material, and a potentially promising material for application as varistor and sensor systems for gas

Social engagement and adaptive functioning during early childhood: Identifying and distinguishing among subgroups differing with regard to social engagement

Materia Suplementar disponível em: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/dev0000142.supp

Are the preference and selection patterns of hermit crabs for gastropod shells species- or site-specific?

Experimental analyses of hermit crabs and their preferences for shells are essential to understand the intrinsic relationship of the crabs' dependence on shells, and may be useful to explain their shell use pattern in nature. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of crab species and site on the pattern of shell use, selection, and preference in the south-western Atlantic hermit crabs Pagurus brevidactylus and Pagurus criniticornis, comparing sympatric and allopatric populations. Differently from the traditional approach to evaluate shell preference by simply determining the shell selection pattern (i.e., the number of shells of each type selected), preference was defined (according to [Liszka, D., Underwood, AJ., 1990. An experimental design to determine preferences for gastropod shells by a hermit-crab. J. Exp. Mar. Biol. Ecol., 137(1), 47-62]) by the comparison of the number of crabs changing for a particular shell type when three options were given (Cerithium atratum, Morula nodulosa, and Tegula viridula) with the number of crabs changing for this same type when only this type was offered. The effect of crab species was tested at Cabelo Gordo Beach, where P. brevidacrylus was found occupying shells of C. atratum, M. nodulosa, and T viridula in similar frequencies, whereas P. criniticornis occupied predominantly shells of C atratum. In laboratory experiments the selection patterns of the two hermit-crab species for these three gastropods were different, with P criniticornis selecting mainly shells of C atratum, and R brevidactylus selecting more shells of M. nodulosa. The shell preference was also dependent on crab species, with P. criniticornis showing a clear preference for shells of C atratum, whereas P. brevidactylus did not show a preference for any of the tested shells. The effect of site was tested for the two species comparing data from Cabelo Gordo to Preta (P brevidactylus) and Araca beaches (P. criniticornis). The pattern of shell use, selection, and preference was demonstrated to be dependent on site only for P. brevidactylus. The results also showed that the shell use pattern of P criniticornis can be explained by its preference at both sites, whereas for P. brevidactylus it occurred only at Cabelo Gordo, where the absence of preference was correlated with the similar use of the three gastropod species studied. Finally, the results showed that the shell selection pattern cannot be considered as a measure of shell preference, since it overestimates crab selectivity. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determinants of engagement in virtual social networks in Singapore

The use of virtual social networks (VSNs) has been prevalent among consumers worldwide. Numerous studies have investigated various aspects of VSNs. However, these studies have mainly focused on students and young adults as they were early adopters of these innovative networks. A search of the literature revealed there has been a paucity of research on adult consumers’ use of VSNs. This research study addressed this gap in the literature by examining the determinants of engagement in VSNs among adult consumers in Singapore. The objectives of this study are to empirically investigate the determinants of engagement in VSNs and to offer theoretical insights into consumers’ preference and usage of VSNs. This study tapped upon several theories developed in the discipline of technology and innovation adoption. These were Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation, Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Conceptual Framework of Individual Innovation Adoption by Frambach and Schillewaert (2002), Enhanced Model of Innovation Adoption by Talukder (2011), Extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and the Information Systems (IS) Success Model. The proposed research model, named the Media Usage Model (MUM), is a framework rooted in innovation diffusion and IS theories. The MUM distilled the essence of these established models and thus provides an updated, lucid explanation of engagement in VSNs. A cross-sectional, online social survey was conducted to collect quantitative data to examine the validity of the proposed research model. Multivariate data analysis was carried out on a data set comprising 806 usable responses by utilizing SPSS, and for structural equation modeling AMOS and SmartPLS. The results indicate that consumer attitude towards VSNs is significantly and positively influenced by: three individual factors – hedonic motivation, incentives and experience; two system characteristics – system quality and information quality; and one social factor – social bonding. Consumer demographics were found to influence people’s attitudes towards VSNs. In addition, consumer experience and attitude towards VSNs significantly and positively influence their usage of VSNs. The empirical data supported the proposed research model, explaining 80% of variance in attitude towards VSNs and 45% of variance in usage of VSNs. Therefore, the MUM achieves a definite contribution to theoretical knowledge of consumer engagement in VSNs by deepening and broadening our appreciation of the intricacies related to use of VSNs in Singapore. This study’s findings have implications for customer service management, services marketing and consumer behavior. These findings also have strategic implications for maximizing efficient utilization and effective management of VSNs by businesses and operators. The contributions of this research are: firstly, shifting the boundaries of technology or innovation adoption theories from research on employees to consumers as well as the boundaries of Internet usage or adoption research from students to adults, which is also known as empirical generalization; secondly, highlighting the issues associated with lack of significance of social factors in adoption research; and thirdly, augmenting information systems research by integrating important antecedents for success in information systems.

Red wine sweetness preference according to consumer segmentation

The present work aims to evaluate the acceptance and preference for sweet taste in red wine, according to consumer segmentation in age, gender, personality type, tasting sensitivity and consumer experience in wine. A hundred and fourteen wine tasters were invited to the wine tasting, and the average age was 27 years. An addition of sugar was made with equal concentrations of glucose and fructose to the wine at 2g/L, 4g/L, 8g/L, 16g/L and 32g/L. Five pairs of glasses were presented for the subjects to taste containing each a control wine and a spiked sample. Pairs were presented in order of concentration, from 2g/L to 32g/l. The subjects were also asked to answer two online questionnaires at the end of the tasting, on the personality types and vinotype, which is related to mouth sensitivity. ISO-5495 paired comparison tests were used for sensorial analysis. The objective was to assess if any of the nine segmentation factors had influence on preference or rejection for spiked samples and to establish whether this preference was statistically significant. We concluded that it would be important to have subjects with an age average higher than 27 years and more experienced in wine drinking, mostly because the data relative to preferences in novices shows some dispersion and lack of attention. A panel of older and more experienced wine tasters is likely to be more attentive and focused and therefore yield differentiated results. It was also concluded that more research is required to extend this investigation to other wine styles because the differences in preferences can depend on other reasons, such as preferring a wine with more or less sugar according to the type of wine. Finally it was concluded also that some variables influence preference for sweet taste in red wine, such as gender, vinotype and category of experience

Can Intersensory Redundancy and Social Contingency Enhance Memory in Bobwhite Quail Hatchlings?

Recent findings indicate that bimodal-redundant stimulation promotes perceptual learning and recruits attention to amodal properties in non-human as well as human infants. However it is not clear if bimodal-redundant stimulation can also facilitate memory during the postnatal period. Moreover, most animal and human studies have employed an operant paradigm to study memory, but have not compared the effectiveness of contingent versus passive presentation of information on memory. The current study investigated the role of unimodal versus bimodal presentation and, the role of a contingent versus passive exposure in memory retention in the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus). Results revealed that contingently trained chicks demonstrated a preference for the familiarized call under both unimodal and bimodal conditions. Between-group analyses revealed that the contingent-bimodal group preferred the familiarized call as compared to the passive-bimodal group. These results indicate that the contingency paradigm accompanied with the bimodal stimulus type facilitated memory during early development.

Pelvic-Floor Rehabilitation, Part 1 : Comparison of Two Surface Electrode Placements During Stimulation of the Pelvic-Floor Musculature in Women Who Are Continent Using Bipolar Interferential Currents

Background and Purpose. Electrical stimulation of the pelvic floor is used as an adjunct in the conservative treatment of urinary incontinence. No consensus exists, however, regarding electrode placements for optimal stimulation of the pelvic-floor musculature. The purpose of this study was to compare two different bipolar electrode placements, one suggested by Laycock and Green (L2) the other by Dumoulin (D2), during electrical stimulation with interferential currents of the pelvic-floor musculature in continent women, using a two-group crossover design. Subjects. Ten continent female volunteers, ranging in age from 20 to 39 years (X̅=27.3, SD=5.6), were randomly assigned to one of two study groups. Methods. Each study group received neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of the pelvic-floor musculature using both electrode placements, the order of application being reversed for each group. Force of contraction was measured as pressure (in centimeters of water [cm H2O]) exerted on a vaginal pressure probe attached to a manometer. Data were analyzed using a two-way, mixed-model analysis of variance. Results. No difference in pressure was observed between the two electrode placements. Differences in current amplitude were observed, with the D2 electrode placement requiring less current amplitude to produce a maximum recorded pressure on the manometer. Subjective assessment by the subjects revealed a preference for the D2 electrode placement (7 of 10 subjects). Conclusion and Discussion. The lower current amplitudes required with the D2 placement to obtain recordings comparable to those obtained with the L2 technique suggest a more comfortable stimulation of the pelvic-floor muscles. The lower current amplitudes required also suggest that greater increases in pressure might be obtained with the D2 placement by increasing the current amplitude while remaining within the comfort threshold. These results will help to define treatment guidelines for a planned clinical study investigating the effects of NMES and exercise in the treatment of urinary stress incontinence in women postpartum.

Preference inference based on Pareto models

In this paper, we consider Preference Inference based on a generalised form of Pareto order. Preference Inference aims at reasoning over an incomplete specification of user preferences. We focus on two problems. The Preference Deduction Problem (PDP) asks if another preference statement can be deduced (with certainty) from a set of given preference statements. The Preference Consistency Problem (PCP) asks if a set of given preference statements is consistent, i.e., the statements are not contradicting each other. Here, preference statements are direct comparisons between alternatives (strict and non-strict). It is assumed that a set of evaluation functions is known by which all alternatives can be rated. We consider Pareto models which induce order relations on the set of alternatives in a Pareto manner, i.e., one alternative is preferred to another only if it is preferred on every component of the model. We describe characterisations for deduction and consistency based on an analysis of the set of evaluation functions, and present algorithmic solutions and complexity results for PDP and PCP, based on Pareto models in general and for a special case. Furthermore, a comparison shows that the inference based on Pareto models is less cautious than some other types of well-known preference model.