Thermal power systems small power systems applications project. Decision analysis for evaluating and ranking small solar thermal power system technologies. Volume 1: A brief introduction to multiattribute decision analysis

The principal concepts of the Keeney and Raiffa approach to multiattribute decision analysis are described. Topics discussed include the concepts of decision alternatives, outcomes, objectives, attributes and their states, attribute utility functions, and the necessary independence properties for the attribute states to be aggregated into a numerical representation of the preferences of the decision maker for the outcomes and decision alternatives

The optical and near-infrared properties of nearby groups of galaxies

We present a study of the optical (BRI) and near-infrared (JHK) luminosity fuctions (LFs) of the GEMS sample of 60 nearby groups of galaxies between 0<z<0.04, with our optical CCD photometry and near-IR photometry from the 2MASS survey. The LFs in all filters show a depletion of galaxies of intermediate luminosity, two magnitudes fainter than L*, within 0.3 R{500} from the centres of X-ray faint groups. This feature is not as pronounced in X-ray bright gropus, and vanishes when LFs are found out to R{500}, even in the X-ray dim groups. We argue that this feature arises due to the enhanced merging of intermediate-mass galaxies in the dynamically sluggish environment of low velocity-dispersion groups, indicating that merging is important in galaxy evolution even at z~0.Comment: to appear in the proceedings of the ESO workshop "Groups of Galaxies in the Nearby Universe", Santiago, Dec 5-9, 2005. Eds. I. Saviane, V. Ivanov, & J. Borissova (Springer Verlag); 5 page

Spaceborne power systems preference analyses. Volume 2: Decision analysis

Sixteen alternative spaceborne nuclear power system concepts were ranked using multiattribute decision analysis. The purpose of the ranking was to identify promising concepts for further technology development and the issues associated with such development. Four groups were interviewed to obtain preference. The four groups were: safety, systems definition and design, technology assessment, and mission analysis. The highest ranked systems were the heat-pipe thermoelectric systems, heat-pipe Stirling, in-core thermionic, and liquid-metal thermoelectric systems. The next group contained the liquid-metal Stirling, heat-pipe Alkali Metal Thermoelectric Converter (AMTEC), heat-pipe Brayton, liquid-metal out-of-core thermionic, and heat-pipe Rankine systems. The least preferred systems were the liquid-metal AMTEC, heat-pipe thermophotovoltaic, liquid-metal Brayton and Rankine, and gas-cooled Brayton. The three nonheat-pipe technologies selected matched the top three nonheat-pipe systems ranked by this study

Spaceborne power systems preference analyses. Volume 1: Summary

Sixteen alternative spaceborne nuclear power system concepts were ranked using multiattribute decision analysis to identify promising concepts for further technology development. Four groups interviewed were: safety, systems definition and design, technology assessment, and mission analysis. The ranking results were consistent from group and for different utility function models for individuals

Exploration of the Neuronal Subtype Specificity of an Ethanol Responsive Gene: Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b)

Exploration of the Neuronal Subtype Specificity of an Ethanol Responsive Gene: Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b) Dalton Huey, Depts. of Bioinformatics, Biology & Chemistry, A. van der Vaart, G. M. Harris, and M. F. Miles, with Dr. Sarah Golding, Dept. of Biology Previous work done in our laboratory revealed that Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (Gsk3b) functions as a hub gene in a network of genes regulated by acute ethanol in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) across a mouse genetic panel. Adult mice treated with acute ethanol showed increased phosphorylation of GSK3B on the Ser9 residue in prefrontal cortex. Subsequent viral-mediated overexpression of Gsk3bin mouse mPFC caused an increase in ethanol consumption and pharmacological inhibition of GSK3B decreased ethanol consumption. However, it is unknown what neuron subtypes are driving this change in behavior. Here, we provide evidence that deletion of Gsk3bin Camk2a+ glutamatergic neurons of the mPFC results in a decrease in ethanol consumption in both continuous and intermittent access drinking paradigms. Furthermore, we have recently designed and validated a plasmid for Cre-dependent overexpression of Gsk3b, along with a Cre-dependent reporter as a control. These plasmids are planned for use in conjunction with different Cre drivers for viral-mediated expression in any cell type. Dissection of the neural circuitry of this ethanol responsive pathway can lead to a better assessment of Gsk3bas a potential target for the treatment of alcohol use disorders. Work supported by grants R01A027581 and P50AA022537 to MFM.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/uresposters/1313/thumbnail.jp

Copyright on the WWW: Linking and Liability

The World Wide Web (WWW) is so often used as a way of interacting with the Internet that many people mistakenly confuse the two, referring to the Internet as the Web and vice versa. Of course, the Internet and its native applications predate the development of the WWW protocols by decades. Still, given the overwhelming amount of available Internet bandwidth now devoted to the transmission of web pages, there is no doubt that the WWW is the interface of choice for most users of the world\u27s most pervasive computer network. The WWW is not the Internet, but there can be no doubt that it is the Internet\u27s first killer app

Dental X-Ray Exposure The Past has become the Future

Most dental X-ray procedures are delegated to office staff and some recommendations and techniques, such as selection criteria and rectangular collimation for intraoral imaging, have been ignored or forgotten by some dentists. Some of the X-ray exposure recommendations, updated by the American Dental Associtation’s Science Institute in June 2018, and the need to adopt guidelines proposed by the public campaign Image Gently are discussed to help the reader develop safe X-ray protocols, from intraorals to CBCT

Allosteric activation of the 5-HT_3AB receptor by mCPBG

The 5-HT_3AB receptor contains three A and two B subunits in an A-A-B-A-B order. However, serotonin function at the 5-HT_3AB receptor has been shown to depend solely on the A-A interface present in the homomeric receptor. Using mutations at sites on both the primary (E122) and complementary (Y146) faces of the B subunit, we demonstrate that meta-chlorophenyl biguanide (mCPBG), a 5-HT_3 selective agonist, is capable of binding to and activating the 5-HT_3AB receptor at all five subunit interfaces of the heteromer. Further, mCPBG is capable of allosterically modulating the activity of serotonin from these sites. While these five binding sites are similar enough that they form to a monophasic dose – response relationship, we uncover subtle differences in the heteromeric binding sites. We also find that the A-A interface appears to contribute disproportionately to the efficacy of 5-HT_3AB receptor activation

The 5-HT3AB Receptor Shows an A3B2 Stoichiometry at the Plasma Membrane

AbstractThe 5-HT3AB receptor is the best-characterized heteropentameric 5-HT3 receptor. Under conditions of heterologous expression, the 5-HT3AB receptor shows a single functionally resolvable population, suggesting the presence of a unique subunit stoichiometry; however, conflicting previous reports have suggested two different possible stoichiometries. Here we isolate plasma membrane sheets containing assembled receptors from individual HEK293T cells. We then determine the stoichiometry of 5-HT3AB receptors on the plasma membrane by fluorescence methods, employing meCFP- and meYFP-labeled A and B subunits. Over a wide range of cDNA transfection ratios, fluorescence intensity ratios are closest to values that correspond to a subunit ratio of A3B2. Förster resonance energy transfer (family FRET) efficiencies provide minor corrections (3–6%) to the subunit ratios and provide independent support for a predominantly A3B2 stoichiometry on the plasma membrane sheets. Twin FRET efficiencies support these data, also suggesting that the two B subunits are nonadjacent in most of the heteropentamers. The high-frequency variant HTR3B p.Y129S (c.386A>C, rs11767445), linked to psychiatric disease, also forms A3B2 receptors on the plasma membrane. The 5-HT3B Y129S, subunit incorporates in a slightly (11–14%) more efficient manner than the common variant. In general, most of the subunits reside within the cell. In contrast to the findings for the plasma membrane, the relative abundances and FRET characteristics of intracellular subunits depend strongly on the transfection ratio. The straightforward and unambiguous combination of plasma membrane-sheet isolation, fluorescence intensity ratios, and FRET is a generally promising procedure for determining stoichiometry of proteins on the plasma membrane