RNA extraction, probe preparation, and competitive hybridization for transcriptional profiling using Neurospora crassa long-oligomer DNA microarrays

We developed protocols optimized for the performance of experiments assaying genomic gene expression using Neurospora crassa long-oligomer microarrays. We present methods for sample growth and harvesting, total RNA extraction, poly(A)+ mRNA selection, preparation of NH3-Allyl Cy3/Cy5 labeled probes, and microarray hybridization. The quality of the data obtained with these protocols is demonstrated by the comparative transcriptional profiling of basal and apical zones of vegetative growth of N. crassa

Original Article

There is disagreement in the literature as to whether episodic memory maintains an inherent temporal organisation, that is, whether learned items are necessarily organised along some temporal dimension or whether temporal organisation is a task-specific occurrence. The current series of experiments explored this issue. In Experiment 1, we tested whether temporal or spatial contiguity was present in an incidental encoding task where either strategy (but not both together) could be employed at test. In Experiment 2, we attempted to facilitate the use of a spatial retrieval strategy at test by asking participants to recall the location where target items had been displayed at study, after incidental encoding. Experiment 3 explored the role of study-test congruency by informing participants at encoding that they would be tested on either their memory for the temporal sequence or spatial locations, and then testing both at retrieval. Finally, Experiment 4 employed a masking task at encoding to ensure participants could not predict the true nature of the task, despite it being incidental, and a surprise free recall task. Predominantly, participants displayed recall performance consistent with temporal contiguity, although there was evidence for spatial contiguity under certain conditions. These results are consistent with the notion that episodic memory has a stable and predictable temporal organisation

The awareness aspect of trait mindfulness, but not the acceptance aspect, predicts engagement with natural beauty

The natural world often evokes feelings of beauty, and it is known that appreciation of beauty in nature is associated with a number of beneficial outcomes, such as well-being and proenvironmental behaviours. Here we aimed to increase our understanding of the psychological factors related to engagement with natural beauty, by investigating the relationship between engagement with natural beauty and trait mindfulness. Specifically, the current research aimed to examine whether the awareness aspect, or the acceptance aspect, of dispositional mindfulness was associated with aesthetic responses to the natural world. In an online survey (N = 268), trait mindfulness was assessed with the bidimensional Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale. Aesthetic responses to the natural world were assessed with the Engagement with Natural Beauty scale. Participants with higher levels of the awareness facet of trait mindfulness reported significantly higher levels of engagement with natural beauty, while controlling for connectedness to nature and openness to experience. The acceptance aspect of dispositional mindfulness did not predict engagement with natural beauty. We speculate that participants with increased levels of the awareness aspect of mindfulness likely have an increased capacity to notice and receive sensory impressions from the natural world, and may be more attuned to their ongoing bodily sensations, thus allowing them to be more aware of natural beauty, and their physical and affective responses to that beauty. The results are useful for the development of effective ways (for example, mindful awareness exercise) to increase engagement with natural beauty, which could in turn enhance the benefits associated with being in natural environments

Time is of the essence: Exploring temporal and spatial organisation in episodic memory

There is disagreement in the literature as to whether episodic memory maintains an inherent temporal organisation, that is, whether learned items are necessarily organised along some temporal dimension or whether temporal organisation is a task-specific occurrence. The current series of experiments explored this issue. In Experiment 1, we tested whether temporal or spatial contiguity was present in an incidental encoding task where either strategy (but not both together) could be employed at test. In Experiment 2, we attempted to facilitate the use of a spatial retrieval strategy at test by asking participants to recall the location where target items had been displayed at study, after incidental encoding. Experiment 3 explored the role of study-test congruency by informing participants at encoding that they would be tested on either their memory for the temporal sequence or spatial locations, and then testing both at retrieval. Finally, Experiment 4 employed a masking task at encoding to ensure participants could not predict the true nature of the task, despite it being incidental, and a surprise free recall task. Predominantly, participants displayed recall performance consistent with temporal contiguity, although there was evidence for spatial contiguity under certain conditions. These results are consistent with the notion that episodic memory has a stable and predictable temporal organisation

Few-body spin couplings and their implications for universal quantum computation

Electron spins in semiconductor quantum dots are promising candidates for the experimental realization of solid-state qubits. We analyze the dynamics of a system of three qubits arranged in a linear geometry and a system of four qubits arranged in a square geometry. Calculations are performed for several quantum dot confining potentials. In the three-qubit case, three-body effects are identified that have an important quantitative influence upon quantum computation. In the four-qubit case, the full Hamiltonian is found to include both three-body and four-body interactions that significantly influence the dynamics in physically relevant parameter regimes. We consider the implications of these results for the encoded universality paradigm applied to the four-electron qubit code; in particular, we consider what is required to circumvent the four-body effects in an encoded system (four spins per encoded qubit) by the appropriate tuning of experimental parameters.Comment: 1st version: 33 pages, 25 figures. Described at APS March Meeting in 2004 (P36.010) and 2005 (B17.00009). Most figures made uglier here to reduce file size. 2nd version: 19 pages, 9 figures. Much mathematical detail chopped away after hearing from journal referee; a few typos correcte

Mercury Orbiter: Report of the Science Working Team

The results are presented of the Mercury Orbiter Science Working Team which held three workshops in 1988 to 1989 under the auspices of the Space Physics and Planetary Exploration Divisions of NASA Headquarters. Spacecraft engineering and mission design studies at the Jet Propulsion Lab were conducted in parallel with this effort and are detailed elsewhere. The findings of the engineering study, summarized herein, indicate that spin stabilized spacecraft carrying comprehensive particles and fields experiments and key planetology instruments in high elliptical orbits can survive and function in Mercury orbit without costly sun shields and active cooling systems

Interactive effects of vascular risk burden and advanced age on cerebral blood flow.

Vascular risk factors and cerebral blood flow (CBF) reduction have been linked to increased risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease (AD); however the possible moderating effects of age and vascular risk burden on CBF in late life remain understudied. We examined the relationships among elevated vascular risk burden, age, CBF, and cognition. Seventy-one non-demented older adults completed an arterial spin labeling MR scan, neuropsychological assessment, and medical history interview. Relationships among vascular risk burden, age, and CBF were examined in a priori regions of interest (ROIs) previously implicated in aging and AD. Interaction effects indicated that, among older adults with elevated vascular risk burden (i.e., multiple vascular risk factors), advancing age was significantly associated with reduced cortical CBF whereas there was no such relationship for those with low vascular risk burden (i.e., no or one vascular risk factor). This pattern was observed in cortical ROIs including medial temporal (hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, uncus), inferior parietal (supramarginal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus), and frontal (anterior cingulate, middle frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus) cortices. Furthermore, among those with elevated vascular risk, reduced CBF was associated with poorer cognitive performance. Such findings suggest that older adults with elevated vascular risk burden may be particularly vulnerable to cognitive change as a function of CBF reductions. Findings support the use of CBF as a potential biomarker in preclinical AD and suggest that vascular risk burden and regionally-specific CBF changes may contribute to differential age-related cognitive declines

Reliability and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) of a Paper- Versus App-Administered Resilience Scale in Scottish Youths: Comparative Study

Background: Adequately measuring resilience is important in order to support young people and children who may need to access resources through social work or educational settings. A widely accepted measure of youth resilience has been developed by Ungar and Liebenberg which has been shown to work within vulnerable youth [1]. While the measure is completed by the young person on paper, it has been designed to be worked through with a teacher or social worker in case further clarification is required. However, this method is time consuming and when faced with large groups of pupils who need assessing can be overwhelming for schools and practitioners. The current study assesses app software with a built-in avatar who can guide the young person through the assessment and its interpretation. Objective: The primary objective is to compare the reliability and psychometric properties of a mobile software app to a paper version of the Child and Youth Resilience measure (CYRM-28). Secondly, the study will assess the use of the CYRM-28 in a Scottish youth population (11-18 years). Methods: Following focus groups and discussion with teachers, social workers and young people, an avatar was developed by a software company and integrated into an android smartphone app designed to ask questions via the device’s inbuilt text-to-voice engine. Seven-hundred and fourteen students from two schools in North East Scotland completed either a paper version or app version of the CYRM-28. A cross-sectional design was used and students completed their allocated version twice, with a twoweek period in between each testing. All participants could request clarification either from a guidance teacher (paper version) or from the in-built software glossary (app version). Results: Test and retest correlations showed that the app version performed better than the paper version of the questionnaire. Paper (r(303)=.81, p<.001, 95%CI [.77, .85]); App (r(413)=.84, p <.001, 95%CI [.79, .89]). Fisher’s r to z transformation found the difference in the correlations to be statistically significant, Z=-2.97, p <.01. Similarly, Cronbach’s alpha in both conditions was very high (app: ?=.92; paper: ?=.87). Such a high Cronbach’s alpha indicates there may be item redundancy. Ordinarily this would lead to a possible removal of highly correlated items, however the primary aim of the current study is a comparison of app delivery method over a pen-and-paper mode and therefore outside the parameters of this paper. This will be considered in the discussion. Fisher’s r to z transformation found the difference in the correlations to be statistically significant [Z=-3.69, p <.01]. A confirmatory factor analysis [2] supported the three-factor solution (individual, relational and contextual) and reported a good model fit (?2 (15, N= 541) = 27.6, p=0.24). Conclusions: ALEX, an avatar with an integrated voice guide, increased reliability when measuring resilience compared to a paper versio

Hepatitis B assays in serum, plasma and whole blood on filter paper

BACKGROUND: Screening and determining the immune status of individuals for hepatitis B is usually done by detecting hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and hepatitis B surface antigen-specific antibodies (HBsAb). In some countries with the highest viral burden, performing these assays is currently impractical. This paper explores the use of filter paper as a blood specimen transport medium. METHODS: Samples, chosen from routine clinical laboratory pool, were applied and dried onto filter paper. Eluates, from the paper samples, were analyzed as routine clinical specimens on ADVIA Centaur 5634® immunoassay analyzers using the standard HBsAg and HBsAb kits. Dried blood samples were subjected to a range of environmental conditions in order to assess stability. RESULTS: After drying and elution the assays showed linearity and precision comparable to clinical assays performed on fresh serum. Elutions at various times during a 149 day incubation period showed very little variability in the Index numbers. All analytes were temperature stable except for a decrease in the HBsAg signal at 42°C. CONCLUSIONS: Filter paper is an acceptable storage and transport medium for serum to be used in the detection of hepatitis B markers if atmospheric variability can be controlled. HBsAg, HBsAb and HBcAb are all stable for at least five months under storage conditions below room temperature. Drying specimens, particularly serum, on filter paper at remote locations, offers a reasonable solution to the problem of hepatitis surveillance in underdeveloped regions, although some attempt at temperature control might be desirable

Differential impact of two risk communications on antipsychotic prescribing to people with dementia in Scotland: segmented regression time series analysis 2001-2011

The two risk communications were associated with reductions in antipsychotic use, in ways which were compatible with marked differences in their content and dissemination. Further research is needed to ensure that the content and dissemination of regulatory risk communications is optimal, and to track their impact on intended and unintended outcomes. Although rates are falling, antipsychotic prescribing in dementia in Scotland remains unacceptably hig