Amniotic Fluid Ingestion Enhances\ud Opioid-Mediated But Not\ud Nonopioid-Mediated Analgesia

Ingestion of amniotic fluid or placenta by rats has been shown to enhance several types of opioid-mediated analgesia: that induced by morphine, footshock, vaginal/cervical stimulation, and late pregnancy. This enhancement has also been blocked by administration of opioid antagonists. The present study was designed to examine further the specificity of the enhancement effect for opioid-mediated analgesia by testing for enhancement following administration of aspirin, a nonopioid analgesic. The formalin test was used as the pain threshold assay. Amniotic fluid or beef bouillon was administered by orogastric tube to rats that were treated either with morphine sulfate or saline. or pretreated with naltrexone, then treated with aspirin or vehicle. Both morphine and aspirin treatments produced analgesia. Amniotic fluid significantly enhanced the analgesia produced by morphine, but did not enhance the analgesia produced by aspirin, further suggesting that the enhancing effect of amniotic fluid ingestion is specific for opioid-mediated analgesia, such as that existing at the start of parturition

GAELS Project Final Report: Information environment for engineering

The GAELS project was a collaboration commenced in 1999 between Glasgow University Library and Strathclyde University Library with two main aims:· to develop collaborative information services in support of engineering research at the Universities of Glasgow and Strathclyde· to develop a CAL (computer-aided learning package) package in advanced information skills for engineering research students and staff The project was funded by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) from their Strategic Change Initiative funding stream, and funding was awarded initially for one year, with an extension of the grant for a further year. The project ended in June 2001.The funding from SHEFC paid for two research assistants, one based at Glasgow University Library working on collaborative information services and one based at Strathclyde University Library developing courseware. Latterly, after these two research assistants left to take up other posts, there has been a single researcher based at Glasgow University Library.The project was funded to investigate the feasibility of new services to the Engineering Faculties at both Universities, with a view to making recommendations for service provision that can be developed for other subject areas

Feasibility of using neutron radiography to inspect the Space Shuttle solid rocket booster aft skirt, forward skirt and frustum. Part 1: Summary report

The space shuttle's solid rocket boosters (SRB) include components made primarily of aluminum that are parachuted back for retrieval from the ocean and refurbished for repeated usage. Nondestructive inspection methods used on these aging parts to reduce the risk of unforeseen problems include x-ray, ultrasonics, and eddy current. Neutron radiography tests on segments of an SRB component show that entrapped moisture and naturally occurring aluminum corrosion can be revealed by neutron radiography even if present in only small amounts. Voids in sealant can also be evaluated. Three alternatives are suggested to follow-up this study: (1) take an SRB component to an existing neutron radiography system; (2) take an existing mobile neutron radiography system to the NASA site; or (3) plan a dedicated system custom designed for NASA applications

Possible Local Spiral Counterparts to Compact Blue Galaxies at Intermediate Redshift

We identify nearby disk galaxies with optical structural parameters similar to those of intermediate-redshift compact blue galaxies. By comparing HI and optical emission-line widths, we show that the optical widths substantially underestimate the true kinematic widths of the local galaxies. By analogy, optical emission-line widths may underrepresent the masses of intermediate-z compact objects. For the nearby galaxies, the compact blue morphology is the result of tidally-triggered central star formation: we argue that interactions and minor mergers may cause apparently compact morphology at higher redshift.Comment: 5 pages, uses emulateapj5 and psfig. To appear in ApJ

Lichens of six vernal pools in Acadia National Park, ME, USA

Whereas lichen-habitat relations have been well-documented globally, literature on lichens of vernal pools is scant. We surveyed six vernal pools at Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island, Maine, USA for their lichen diversity. Sixty-seven species were identified, including seven species that are new reports for Acadia National Park: Fuscidea arboricola, Hypogymnia incurvoides, Lepraria finkii, Phaeographis inusta, Ropalospora viridis, Usnea flammea, and Violella fucata. Five species are considered uncommon or only locally common in New England: Everniastrum catawbiense, Hypogymnia krogiae, Pseudevernia cladonia, Usnea flammea, and Usnea merrillii. This work represents the first survey of lichens from vernal pools in Acadia National Park and strongly suggests that previous efforts at documenting species at the Park have underestimated its species diversity. More work should be conducted to determine whether a unique assemblage of lichens occurs in association with this unique habitat type

Dynamic substructuring for shock spectrum analysis using component mode synthesis

Component mode synthesis was used to analyze different types of structures with MSC NASTRAN. The theory and technique of using Multipoint Constraint Equations (MPCs) to connect substructures to each other or to a common foundation is presented. Computation of the dynamic response of the system from shack spectrum inputs was automated using the DMAP programming language of the MSC NASTRAN finite element code

Large-area CCD imagers for spacecraft applications

Backside illuminated CCD imagers with 100 x 160 resolution elements have been fabricated using double level metal technology. Detailed study of the optical performance of such arrays has been performed between 24 C and -40 C using data rates from 10 kHz to 1 MHz. A 400 x 400 array is presently being fabricated

A systematic review and economic evaluation of subcutaneous and sublingual allergen immunotherapy in adults and children with seasonal allergic rhinitis

© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO 2013Severe allergic rhinitis uncontrolled by conventional medication can substantially affect quality of life. Immunotherapy involves administering increasing doses of a specific allergen, with the aim of reducing sensitivity and symptomatic reactions. Recent meta-analyses have concluded that both subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) and sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) are more effective than placebo in reducing symptoms. It is uncertain which route of administration is more effective and whether or not treatment is cost-effective.National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programm

Possibilities for pedagogy in Further Education: Harnessing the abundance of literacy

In this report, it is argued that the most salient factor in the contemporary communicative landscape is the sheer abundance and diversity of possibilities for literacy, and that the extent and nature of students' communicative resources is a central issue in education. The text outlines the conceptual underpinnings of the Literacies for Learning in Further Education project in a social view of literacy, and the associated research design, methodology and analytical framework. It elaborates on the notion of the abundance of literacies in students' everyday lives, and on the potential for harnessing these as resources for the enhancement of learning. It provides case studies of changes in practice that have been undertaken by further education staff in order to draw upon students' everyday literacy practices on Travel and Tourism and Multimedia courses. It ends with some of the broad implications for conceptualising learning that arise from researching through the lens of literacy practices

Movement control of the trunk and pelvis in cerebral palsy diplegia

Core control was quantified using performance measures derived from a computer game driven by rotation and tilt of the trunk and pelvis. Baseline results showed reduced control of tilt in comparison to rotation, and cephalo-caudal reduction of control. Training of pelvic tilt control may improve pelvic kinematics, reducing the risk of developing low back pain