Technical problems encountered with the LALA-1 flying laboratory

A description is given of structural design changes necessitated by the conversion of the An-2R agricultural support aircraft into a flying test bed to be used in feasibility studies evaluating jet engines in agricultural support aircraft. The entire rear of the fuselage was radically modified to permit mounting of the Al-25 jet engine directly behind the trailing edge of the upper wing. The standard piston engine was retained to permit comparison between the two types of power plants in typical agricultural support operations

Introduction: Special Issue of Prize Winners from the Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature

The articles in this special issue represent five prizewinners from the Northwest Undergraduate Conference on Literature (NUCL), held on March 22, 2022 at the University of Portland. These research essays represent the wide range of periods and theoretical approaches that the conference addressed, as well as highlighting students’ impressive, new contributions to ongoing conversations in literary analysis

Evaluation of Tension and Intensity of Electrogalvanical Currents between Dental Alloys and Silver Amalgam

It is a well-known fact, that the presence of metals, distant from each other in electrogalvanical sequence, causes the occurrence of electrical tensions in the oral cavity environment and, as a result, there is current flow between them. Tensions and galvanical currents may cause not only discomfort for the patient, metallic taste, oral local changes on mucous membrane, but they may also have negative influence on immunological, internal or gynecological diseases. The object of this study was the definition of dimension of tension and intensity of electrogalvanical currents, which are induced by the presence of different dental alloys and silver amalgams in artificial saliva with different pH-value. For the study artificial saliva was used, prepared according to the method of Fusayama in modification of Holland. The examined alloys were the products of the Kulzer- concern: • Heraenium NA: chrom-nicelic alloy; • Heraenium NF and Heraenium P: cobaltchrom- molybdenic alloys; • and silver amalgams (polished and unpolished) from the SDI concern. The above mentioned alloys and silver amalgams were placed in pairs in artificial saliva solutions with different pH-values (3-11) using the each with each rule. The tension and intensity of the examined electrodes were evaluated with the help of aDigitalvoltmeter G1002.500. The results of the study proved that the highest tension and intensity of currents were found for chrom nickelic and cobalt-chrom-molybdenic alloys in the presence of silver amalgams: polished and unpolished, in artificial saliva solution with extremely high and/or low pH-value

Domain-specific cognitive function in euthymic bipolar disorder:a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background. Euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) is associated with general and domain-specific cognitive impairment, which predicts poor occupational and social functioning. Methods. We searched Embase, Medline, and PsycInfo for articles published between database inception and June 2024, examining cognitive domains in euthymic BD. We conducted meta-analysis, meta-regressions, including premorbid IQ, demographic, and clinical variables. Newcastle Ottawa Scale, I2 statistic, and funnel plots/Egger’s and Begg’s Test were used to assess quality, heterogeneity, and publication bias, respectively. The Benjamini-Hochberg (BH) procedure was utilised for multiple comparisons. Results. We identified 95 groups from 75 studies (N = 4,404 BD &amp; 4,037 HC). BD showed significant impairment in general cognitive functioning (Hedge’s g = −0.58, 95%CI: −0.79, −0.37, p &lt;.01), verbal memory (Hedge’s g = −0.70, 95%CI: −0.79, −0.60, p &lt;.01), executive function (Hedge’s g = −0.69, 95%CI: −0.78, −0.60, p &lt;.01), visuo-spatial memory (Hedge’s g = −0.68, 95%CI: −0.83, −0.53, p &lt;.01), attention/processing speed (Hedge’s g = −0.64, 95%CI: −0.75, −0.54, p &lt;.01), working memory (Hedge’s g = −0.61, 95%CI: −0.74, −0.49, p &lt;.01), and premorbid IQ (Hedge’s g = −0.24, 95%CI: −0.36, −0.12, p &lt;.01). Demographic and clinical factors were not associated with cognitive performance, except for a statistically significant, but small positive correlation between years of education and lower impairment in verbal memory, β = .066, adjusted p &lt;.05. Conclusions. Our findings highlight cognitive domains impaired in euthymic BD, indicating targets for interventions. Substantial variance is unexplained, warranting focus on larger samples of individual-level data.</p

Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar (CRiB2): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial assessing efficacy and mechanisms of cognitive remediation therapy compared to treatment as usual

\ua9 2023, The Author(s).Background: A substantial proportion of people with bipolar disorder (BD) experience persistent cognitive difficulties associated with impairments in psychosocial functioning and a poorer disorder course. Emerging evidence suggests that cognitive remediation (CR), a psychological intervention with established efficacy in people with schizophrenia, can also benefit people with BD. Following a proof-of-concept trial showing that CR is feasible and potentially beneficial for people with BD, we are conducting an adequately powered trial in euthymic people with BD to 1) determine whether an individual, therapist-supported, computerised CR can reduce cognitive difficulties and improve functional outcomes; and 2) explore how CR exerts its effects. Methods: CRiB2 is a two-arm, assessor-blind, multi-site, randomised controlled trial (RCT) comparing CR to treatment-as-usual (TAU). Participants are people with a diagnosis of BD, aged between 18 and 65, with no neurological or current substance use disorder, and currently euthymic. 250 participants will be recruited through primary, secondary, tertiary care, and the community. Participants will be block-randomised (1:1 ratio, stratified by site) to continue with their usual care (TAU) or receive a 12-week course of therapy and usual care (CR + TAU). The intervention comprises one-on-one CR sessions with a therapist supplemented with independent cognitive training for 30–40 h in total. Outcomes will be assessed at 13- and 25-weeks post-randomisation. Efficacy will be examined by intention-to-treat analyses estimating between-group differences in primary (i.e., psychosocial functioning at week 25 measured with the Functional Assessment Short Test) and secondary outcomes (i.e., measures of cognition, mood, patient-defined goals, and quality of life). Global cognition, metacognitive skills, affect fluctuation, and salivary cortisol levels will be evaluated as putative mechanisms of CR through mediation models. Discussion: This study will provide a robust evaluation of efficacy of CR in people with BD and examine the putative mechanisms by which this therapy works. The findings will contribute to determining the clinical utility of CR and potential mechanisms of action. Trial registration: Cognitive Remediation in Bipolar 2 (CRiB2): ISRCTN registry: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN10362331 . Registered 04 May 2022. Overall trial status: Ongoing; Recruitment status: Recruiting

Molecular and genetic characterization of the gene family encoding the voltage-dependent anion channel in Arabidopsis

The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC), a major outer mitochondrial membrane protein, is thought to play an important role in energy production and apoptotic cell death in mammalian systems. However, the function of VDACs in plants is largely unknown. In order to determine the individual function of plant VDACs, molecular and genetic analysis was performed on four VDAC genes, VDAC1–VDAC4, found in Arabidopsis thaliana. VDAC1 and VDAC3 possess the eukaryotic mitochondrial porin signature (MPS) in their C-termini, while VDAC2 and VDAC4 do not. Localization analysis of VDAC–green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusions and their chimeric or mutated derivatives revealed that the MPS sequence is important for mitochondrial localization. Through the functional analysis of vdac knockout mutants due to T-DNA insertion, VDAC2 and VDAC4 which are expressed in the whole plant body are important for various physiological functions such as leaf development, the steady state of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and pollen development. Moreover, it was demonstrated that VDAC1 is not only necessary for normal growth but also important for disease resistance through regulation of hydrogen peroxide generation

The soluble proteome of tobacco Bright Yellow-2 cells undergoing H2O2-induced programmed cell death

Plant programmed cell death (PCD) is a genetically controlled process that plays an important role in development and stress responses. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key inducers of PCD. The addition of 50 mM H2O2 to tobacco Bright Yellow-2 (TBY-2) cell cultures induces PCD. A comparative proteomic analysis of TBY-2 cells treated with 50 mM H2O2 for 30 min and 3 h was performed. The results showed early down-regulation of several elements in the cellular redox hub and inhibition of the protein repair–degradation system. The expression patterns of proteins involved in the homeostatic response, in particular those associated with metabolism, were consistently altered. The changes in abundance of several cytoskeleton proteins confirmed the active role of the cytoskeleton in PCD signalling. Cells undergoing H2O2-induced PCD fail to cope with oxidative stress. The antioxidant defence system and the anti-PCD signalling cascades are inhibited. This promotes a genetically programmed cell suicide pathway. Fifteen differentially expressed proteins showed an expression pattern similar to that previously observed in TBY-2 cells undergoing heat shock-induced PCD. The possibility that these proteins are part of a core complex required for PCD induction is discussed