A `Primer’ in Conceptual Metaphor for Counselors

Conceptual metaphor provides a potentially powerful counseling framework, generalizable across theoretical orientations. According to the conceptual perspective, metaphor is not merely a matter of language, but is an indispensable dimension of human understanding and experience whereby more abstract ideas (like relationships) are understood in terms of more concrete experiences (like journeys). Consequently, when a couple in counseling says, “we're just spinning our wheels,” they are not only using a common colloquial expression, but also giving information about how they conceptualize their relationship. This article provides a theoretical foundation for use of conceptual metaphor and offers examples of its potential for counseling

Development and operation of a pixel segmented liquid-filled linear array for radiotherapy quality assurance

A liquid isooctane (C$_{8}$H$_{18}$) filled ionization linear array for radiotherapy quality assurance has been designed, built and tested. The detector consists of 128 pixels, each of them with an area of 1.7 mm $\times$ 1.7 mm and a gap of 0.5 mm. The small pixel size makes the detector ideal for high gradient beam profiles like those present in Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT) and radiosurgery. As read-out electronics we use the X-Ray Data Acquisition System (XDAS) with the Xchip developed by the CCLRC. Studies concerning the collection efficiency dependence on the polarization voltage and on the dose rate have been made in order to optimize the device operation. In the first tests we have studied dose rate and energy dependences, and signal reproducibility. Dose rate dependence was found lower than 2.5 % up to 5 Gy min$^{-1}$, and energy dependence lower than 2.1 % up to 20 cm depth in solid water. Output factors and penumbras for several rectangular fields have been measured with the linear array and were compared with the results obtained with a 0.125 cm$^{3}$ air ionization chamber and radiographic film, respectively. Finally, we have acquired profiles for an IMRT field and for a virtual wedge. These profiles have also been compared with radiographic film measurements. All the comparisons show a good correspondence. Signal reproducibility was within a 2% during the test period (around three months). The device has proved its capability to verify on-line therapy beams with good spatial resolution and signal to noise ratio.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures Submitted to Phys. Med. Bio

Electrochemical etching of AlGaN for the realization of thin-film devices

Heterogeneously integrated AlGaN epitaxial layers will be essential for future optical and electrical devices like thin-film flip-chip ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes, UV vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers, and high-electron mobility transistors on efficient heat sinks. Such AlGaN-membranes will also enable flexible and micromechanical devices. However, to develop a method to separate the AlGaN-device membranes from the substrate has proven to be challenging, in particular, for high-quality device materials, which require the use of a lattice-matched AlGaN sacrificial layer. We demonstrate an electrochemical etching method by which it is possible to achieve complete lateral etching of an AlGaN sacrificial layer with up to 50% Al-content. The influence of etching voltage and the Al-content of the sacrificial layer on the etching process is investigated. The etched N-polar surface shows the same macroscopic topography as that of the as-grown epitaxial structure, and the root-mean square roughness is 3.5 nm for 1 \ub5m x 1 \ub5m scan areas. Separated device layers have a well-defined thickness and smooth etched surfaces. Transferred multi-quantum-well structures were fabricated and investigated by time-resolved photoluminescence measurements. The quantum wells showed no sign of degradation caused by the thin-film process

Egg size-number trade-off and a decline in oviposition site choice quality: Female Pararge aegeria butterflies pay a cost of having males present at oviposition

Once mated, the optimal strategy for females of the monandrous butterfly, Pararge aegeria, is to avoid male contact and devote as much time as possible to ovipositing, as there is little advantage for females to engage in multiple matings. In other butterfly species the presence of males during egg laying has been shown to affect aspects of oviposition behavior and it has been suggested that repeated interference from males has the potential to reduce reproductive output. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of male presence during oviposition on reproductive output and behavior of a population of P. aegeria obtained from Madeira Island, Portugal, and maintained in the laboratory. Two experiments were performed where females were housed individually in small cages. Experiment 1 examined how social factors influenced the egg laying behavior of females. To do this the presence or absence of males was manipulated and egg size and number was measured over the first 14 days of oviposition. It was observed that when males were present during oviposition females made a trade-off between egg size and number. Experiment 2 examined how social factors affected oviposition site choice. Again, male presence/absence was manipulated, but in this experiment where the female laid her egg in relation to host quality was scored, and the size of the egg laid was measured. In the absence of males females selectively positioned their larger eggs on good quality host plants. However, selective oviposition was no longer observed when females were in the presence of males. We suggest that P. aegeria females from the Madeira Island population are adapted for a flexible oviposition strategy, governed by external cues, allowing a trade-off between egg size and number when the time available for egg laying is limiting

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of recurrent wheezing during the first years of life (BAMSE)

BACKGROUND: Exposure to cigarette smoking during foetal and early postnatal life may have implications for lung health. The aim of this study was to assess the possible effects of such exposure in utero on lower respiratory disease in children up to two years of age. METHODS: A birth cohort of 4089 newborn infants was followed for two years using parental questionnaires. When the infant was two months old the parents completed a questionnaire on various lifestyle factors, including maternal smoking during pregnancy and after birth. At one and two years of age information was obtained by questionnaire on symptoms of allergic and respiratory diseases as well as on environmental exposures, particularly exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Adjustments were made for potential confounders. RESULTS: When the mother had smoked during pregnancy but not after that, there was an increased risk of recurrent wheezing up to two years' age, OR(adj )= 2.2, (95% CI 1.3 – 3.6). The corresponding OR was 1.6, (95% CI 1.2 – 2.3) for reported exposure to ETS with or without maternal smoking in utero. Maternal smoking during pregnancy but no exposure to ETS also increased the risk of doctor's diagnosed asthma up to two years of age, OR(adj )= 2.1, (95% CI 1.2 – 3.7). CONCLUSION: Exposure to maternal cigarette smoking in utero is a risk factor for recurrent wheezing, as well as doctor's diagnosed asthma in children up to two yearsof age

Magnetic excitations in coupled Haldane spin chains near the quantum critical point

Two quasi-1-dimensional S=1 quantum antiferromagnetic materials, PbNi2V2O8 and SrNi2V2O8, are studied by inelastic neutron scattering on powder samples. While magnetic interactions in the two systems are found to be very similar, subtle differences in inter-chain interaction strengths and magnetic anisotropy are detected. The latter are shown to be responsible for qualitatively different ground state properties: magnetic long-range order in SrNi2V2O8 and disordered ``spin liquid'' Haldane-gap state in PbNi2V2O8.Comment: 15 figures, Figs. 5,9, and 10 in color. Some figures in JPEG format. Complete PostScript and PDF available from http://papillon.phy.bnl.gov/publicat.ht

HL-1 cells express an inwardly rectifying K+ current activated via muscarinic receptors comparable to that in mouse atrial myocytes

An inwardly rectifying K^+ current is present in atrial cardiac myocytes that is activated by acetylcholine (I_{KACh}). Physiologically, activation of the current in the SA node is important in slowing the heart rate with increased parasympathetic tone. It is a paradigm for the direct regulation of signaling effectors by the Gβγ G-protein subunit. Many questions have been addressed in heterologous expression systems with less focus on the behaviour in native myocytes partly because of the technical difficulties in undertaking comparable studies in native cells. In this study, we characterise a potassium current in the atrial-derived cell line HL-1. Using an electrophysiological approach, we compare the characteristics of the potassium current with those in native atrial cells and in a HEK cell line expressing the cloned Kir3.1/3.4 channel. The potassium current recorded in HL-1 is inwardly rectifying and activated by the muscarinic agonist carbachol. Carbachol-activated currents were inhibited by pertussis toxin and tertiapin-Q. The basal current was time-dependently increased when GTP was substituted in the patch-clamp pipette by the non-hydrolysable analogue GTPγS. We compared the kinetics of current modulation in HL-1 with those of freshly isolated atrial mouse cardiomyocytes. The current activation and deactivation kinetics in HL-1 cells are comparable to those measured in atrial cardiomyocytes. Using immunofluorescence, we found GIRK4 at the membrane in HL-1 cells. Real-time RT-PCR confirms the presence of mRNA for the main G-protein subunits, as well as for M2 muscarinic and A1 adenosine receptors. The data suggest HL-1 cells are a good model to study IKAch

Hsp72 (HSPA1A) Prevents Human Islet Amyloid Polypeptide Aggregation and Toxicity: A New Approach for Type 2 Diabetes Treatment

Type 2 diabetes is a growing public health concern and accounts for approximately 90% of all the cases of diabetes. Besides insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes is characterized by a deficit in β-cell mass as a result of misfolded human islet amyloid polypeptide (h-IAPP) which forms toxic aggregates that destroy pancreatic β-cells. Heat shock proteins (HSP) play an important role in combating the unwanted self-association of unfolded proteins. We hypothesized that Hsp72 (HSPA1A) prevents h-IAPP aggregation and toxicity. In this study, we demonstrated that thermal stress significantly up-regulates the intracellular expression of Hsp72, and prevents h-IAPP toxicity against pancreatic β-cells. Moreover, Hsp72 (HSPA1A) overexpression in pancreatic β-cells ameliorates h-IAPP toxicity. To test the hypothesis that Hsp72 (HSPA1A) prevents aggregation and fibril formation, we established a novel C. elegans model that expresses the highly amyloidogenic human pro-IAPP (h-proIAPP) that is implicated in amyloid formation and β-cell toxicity. We demonstrated that h-proIAPP expression in body-wall muscles, pharynx and neurons adversely affects C. elegans development. In addition, we demonstrated that h-proIAPP forms insoluble aggregates and that the co-expression of h-Hsp72 in our h-proIAPP C. elegans model, increases h-proIAPP solubility. Furthermore, treatment of transgenic h-proIAPP C. elegans with ADAPT-232, known to induce the expression and release of Hsp72 (HSPA1A), significantly improved the growth retardation phenotype of transgenic worms. Taken together, this study identifies Hsp72 (HSPA1A) as a potential treatment to prevent β-cell mass decline in type 2 diabetic patients and establishes for the first time a novel in vivo model that can be used to select compounds that attenuate h-proIAPP aggregation and toxicity