Depression does not aggravate the episodic memory deficits associated with Alzheimer's disease.

In a population-based study of persons between 75 and 96 years of age, normal old adults (n?=?296), patients with Alzheimer"s disease (AD; n?=?45), and patients with concomitant AD and depression (AD-D; n?=?9) were compared on free recall and recognition of slowly and rapidly presented words and digit span. With the exception of forward digit span, the normal old group outperformed the 2 AD groups across all tasks. In free recall, only the normal old group performed better as task pacing decreased; however, all groups benefited from more study time in recognition. This suggests that both AD and AD-D patients have deficits in the ability to use more study time for remembering. Of most importance, the 2 AD groups were indistinguishable for all task variables. This lack of comorbidity effects is discussed relative to the view that depression, much like many other individual-difference variables that affect memory performance in normal aging, may be overshadowed by the influence of the process in AD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Optimisation of SrBi2(Nb,Ta)2O9 Aurivillius phase for lead-free electrocaloric cooling

The influence of different substitutional mechanisms on the electrocaloric effect of a lead-free SrBi₂(Nb_0.2Ta_0.8)₂O₉ Aurivillius phase was studied for application in electrocaloric cooling systems. The A-site substitution with barium efficiently reduced the temperature of maximum permittivity from about 300?°C to 100?°C. The A-site substitution induced phenomena that are typical of strong relaxor ferroelectrics such as significant broadening of the permittivity peak and an increase in its frequency dispersion and with a depolarization temperature below room temperature. These features directly influenced the electrocaloric effect. A direct measurement system, based on a modified-differential scanning calorimeter, was used to analyze the EC effect of the dense (Sr_0.5Ba_0.5)Bi₂(Nb_0.2Ta_0.8)₂O₉ ceramics. In accordance with the relaxor characteristics, the EC effect was found to increase continuously over a broad temperature range above the room temperature. This was attributed to the alignment of field induced polar nanodomains. Directions for optimization towards a high-performing EC ceramic were identified.     

Antiaphrodisiacs in pierid butterflies: a theme with variation!

Male Pieris napi butterflies previously have been shown to synthesize and transfer an antiaphrodisiac, methyl salicylate (MeS), to females at mating. This substance curtails courtship and decreases the likelihood of female remating. Here, we show that similar systems occur in Pieris rapae and Pieris brassicae. In P. rapae, ¹³C-labeling studies showed that males utilize the amino acids phenylalanine and tryptophan as precursors to MeS and indole, respectively. These volatiles are transferred to females at mating and function as antiaphrodisiacs, as demonstrated by field tests entailing painting MeS, indole, or a mixture on the abdomens of virgin females and assessing their attractiveness to wild males. With P. brassicae, ¹³C-labeling studies showed that males use phenylalanine as a precursor to synthesize benzyl cyanide, which was demonstrated to function as an antiaphrodisiac by field tests similar to those for P. rapae. This communication system exhibits both similarities and differences among the three species; in P. napi and P. rapae, males are fragrant but transfer a volatile antiaphrodisiac to females that is completely different from the male odor, whereas in P. brassicae the antiaphrodisiac transferred by male to female is identical with male odor.     

Parthenogenesis,calling behavior,and insect-released volatiles of leafminer moth Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella

We proved that the leafminer moth Phyllonorycter emberizaepenella (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae) reproduces by parthenogenesis of the thelytoky type. Despite a complete absence of males, parthenogenetically reproducing females diurnally demonstrated the calling posture normally used for releasing signaling compounds. Two compounds, which we collected from a calling female, were identified as potential sex pheromone components: (8E,10E)-8,10-tetradecadienyl acetate and (8E,10E)-8,10-tetradecadienol, the latter occurring only in trace amounts. In field experiments, no males were attracted to traps baited with either the potential sex pheromone or with virgin females. Both the pattern of behavior and the chemical characteristics of the pheromone of Ph. emberizaepenella species were similar to those known for Lepidoptera with the usual amphimictic mode of reproduction. Theoretical speculations that in thelytoky, where there is no need to find a sexual partner, the individuals would obtain certain advantages due to reduction in their sexual behavior, were, thus, not confirmed for Ph. emberizaepenella.     

p-Cresol: A Sex Pheromone Component Identified from the Estrous Urine of Mares

Previously it was shown that m- and p-cresols in the urine of mares exhibits a temporally reproducible pattern that is dependent on ovarian activity and, thus, provides information about the timing of ovulation. New behavioral data demonstrate 1) that stallions spend significantly more time sniffing p-cresol as compared to o-, and m-cresols, and, 2) that the extent of stallions' erections differ significantly in response to different types of samples. The lowest erection level was recorded for the pure-water control, a moderate erection level was elicited by the urine of diestrous mares, and the highest erection level was elicited by urine of a diestrous mare containing synthetic p-cresol at a quantity equivalent to half of the amount of p-cresol found in the urine of estrous mares. Consequently, p-cresol is at least one of the components of a horse sex pheromone.     

A numerical method for two phase flows with insoluble surfactants

In many practical multiphase flow problems, i.e. treatment of gas emboli and various microfluidic applications, the effect of interfacial surfactants, or surface reacting agents, on the surface tension between the fluids is important. The surfactant concentration on an interface separating the fluids can be modeled with a time dependent differential equation defined on the moving and deforming interface. The equations for the location of the interface and the surfactant concentration on the interface are coupled with the Navier–Stokes equations. These equations include the singular surface tension forces from the interface on the fluid, which depend on the interfacial surfactant concentration.A new accurate and inexpensive numerical method for simulating the evolution of insoluble surfactants is presented in this paper. It is based on an explicit yet Eulerian discretization of the interface, which for two dimensional flows allows for the use of uniform one dimensional grids to discretize the equation for the interfacial surfactant concentration. A finite difference method is used to solve the Navier–Stokes equations on a regular grid with the forces from the interface spread to this grid using a regularized delta function. The timestepping is based on a Strang splitting approach.Drop deformation in shear flows in two dimensions is considered. Specifically, the effect of surfactant concentration on the deformation of the drops is studied for different sets of flow parameters.     

Control of nitrogen oxide emissions from coal combustion

The paper gives a discussion of the regulatory framework currently being used to limit nitrogen oxide (NO_x) emissions, with emphasis being placed on EC and UN measures. It then follows with a discussion of the procedures being adopted at present to control or limit these emissions. The topics discussed include combustion modification measures, new combustion technologies, flue gas treatment, selective catalytic reduction, selective noncatalytic reduction and combined SO_x/NO_x processes.