New applications of pHluorin—measuring intracellular pH of prototrophic yeasts and determining changes in the buffering capacity of strains with affected potassium homeostasis

pHluorin is a pH‐sensitive variant of green fluorescent protein for measuring intracellular pH (pH_in) in living cells. We constructed a new pHluorin plasmid with the dominant selection marker KanMX. This plasmid allows pH measurements in cells without auxotrophic mutations and/or grown in chemically indefinite media. We observed differing values of pH_in for three prototrophic wild‐types. The new construct was also used to determine the pH_in in strains differing in the activity of the plasma membrane Pma1 H⁺‐ATPase and the influence of glucose on pH_in. We describe in detail pHluorin measurements performed in a microplate reader, which require much less hands‐on time and much lower cell culture volumes compared to standard cuvettes measurements. We also utilized pHluorin in a new method of measuring the buffering capacity of yeast cell cytosol in vivo, shown to be ca. 52 mM /pH for wild‐type yeast and moderately decreased in mutants with affected potassium transport. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bizarre imagery: The misremembered mnemonic.

Conducted 2 experiments with 56 undergraduates to measure the effects of bizarre imagery and image interaction on the brief and long-term memory of word pairs. Ss in Exp I performed an incidental learning task and were administered free- and cued-recall tests either 5 min or 1 wk after the task. Ss in Exp II received more intensive training in the learning task and completed 2 cued-recall tests in the same session and another cued-recall test 1 wk later. In both experiments, bizarre imagery did not improve memory more than plausible, interactive imagery. The degree of interaction in the image was a strong determinant of cued-recall performance at both retention intervals. Most Ss in Exp II believed that they had remembered more bizarre than plausible pairs, even though this was clearly not the case. Possible reasons for the acceptance of the notion that bizarre imagery improves memory are discussed. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Conceptualization without specific training in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus): A test using the non-match-to-sample procedure.

We report evidence that monkeys are able to categorize various pictures into conceptual classes without specific training for most of the conceptual classes involved. This was shown with a variation of the non-match-to-sample procedure: Each squirrel monkey was shown one picture as sample and, thereafter, two other pictures, one of which belonged to the same conceptual class as the sample and the other of which did not. To solve a trial, it was necessary to make a same–different judgment between the stimuli, that is, to view the sample and one response stimulus as "same." The conceptual classes tested included humans, monkeys, some nonprimate animal species, apples, bananas, trees, letters, telephones, various geometrical forms, and the concepts of sameness and numerousness. On the average, all monkeys performed with only few errors on the task. Their errors compare well in number and in quality with those performed by 3 human subjects tested under comparable conditions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Estimation of Rock Aggregates Quality Using Analyses of Drill Cuttings

There is a need for an effective method to estimate the quality of crushed rock aggregates and its usability in the early stages of project planning, e.g., for road and railway constructions and quarry prospecting. The proposed method is based on mineralogical and petrographic analyses of drill cuttings and analysis of the coarse fraction to estimate the homogeneity/heterogeneity of the bedrock. The geological analyses are followed by an estimation of the rock materials’ mechanical properties and their potential technical usability. Development and practical applicability (field and laboratory) of the method have been performed and correlated to three road projects from regions of different geological and climatic zones in Sweden. The study confirms the capability of the proposed method as a surveying tool.     

Cognitive mechanisms underlying implicit negative self concept in dysphoria.

Whereas explicit measures of the self-concept typically demonstrate a negative bias in depressed individuals, implicit measures such as the Implicit Association Test (IAT), revealed an opposite, positive bias. To address this inconsistent pattern, the authors examined, using a novel paradigm, mental set maintenance (i.e., the difficulty of maintaining active a required mental set) and set operation (the efficiency of executing the mental set while it is maintained). Dysphoric (N = 33) and nondysphoric (N = 30) participants alternated between an IAT focusing on self reference and a matched neutral task. Nondysphorics had greater difficulty in maintaining a negative self reference task compared to a neutral task. Conversely, dysphorics did not exhibit such difficulty, and they maintained a negative self-reference task more easily than nondysphorics. No group differences were evinced in smoothness of set operation. These results suggest that the shield protecting nondysphorics from maintaining negative mental sets is absent in dysphorics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Variation in the serotonin transporter gene modulates selective attention to threat.

The 5-HTTLPR is an insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene. Prior research has revealed associations between the short-allele variant of this polymorphism, enhanced self-reported negative emotionality, and hypersensitivity of fear relevant neural circuits. In a sample of 50 healthy women we examined the role of 5-HTTLPR for cognitive-affective processing of phylogenetical fear-relevant stimuli (spiders) in a dot probe task. In contrast to homozygote long-allele carriers (ll), participants carrying at least 1 short allele (ss and sl) selectively shifted attention toward pictures of spiders, when these were presented for a duration of 2,000 ms. These results argue for an involvement of 5-HTTLPR in cognitive processing of threatening stimuli and thus, underpin its general role for individual differences in negative affect. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The computer as a zone of proximal development: Internalizing reading-related metacognitions from a Reading Partner.

We hypothesized that computer tools that provide models, opportunity for higher level thinking, and metacognitivelike guidance (e.g., "Can I conjure up an image of the story?") can serve in a learner's zone of proximal development (L. S. Vygotsky, 1978); they can develop competencies through internalization. A computerized Reading Partner presented four reading principles and metacognitivelike questions during the reading of 11 texts over three reading sessions. It was compared with one version that presented the texts with factual and inferential questions and a control version that presented only the texts. Seventh graders using the Reading Partner (n?=?25) reported the expenditure of more mental effort in the process, showed far better metacognitive reconstruction, and improved significantly more in their later reading comprehension and in the quality of their written essays than did the subjects in the other groups. Improvements in reading and writing were statistically accounted for by subjects' ability for metacognitive reconstruction. The study reinforces previous findings pertaining to the role of metacognitions in reading and shows that well-designed computer tools can cultivate competence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Thermodynamics of the process of adsorption of aliphatic amidpolyamine on cellulose

The subject of this research is the thermodynamics of the adsorption equilibrium of three types of bleached pulp in water solutions of aliphatic amidpolyamine—Lamid-1, (L-1) in concentrations from 0.03 to 0.50 g/L in a temperature interval of 0–60°C and the influence of pH of the environment on the adsorption process. It was established that with the increase of temperature the quantity of adsorbed L-1 decreases. The values of the heat of adsorption are negative, do not depend on the quantity of adsorbed L-1, and are of the order 111.7–14.7 kJ/mol. The values of the entropy of the entropy of adsorption are also negative and are of the order of 76.8 ÷ 84.5 J/mol?K. Adsorption equilibrium is described by ther adsorption isotherm of Langmuir. Optimum pH for lower concentrations of the solution is from 5 to 7. When the concentrations of the solution are higher (C ≧ 0.15 g/L) the process can also take place very satisfactorily in an alkaline environment.     

Olympic Technologies

The Olympic Games bring tremendous impacts to host cities, yet little attention has been paid to the variety and novelty in urban technologies that are introduced through the mega-event vehicle. This paper argues that urban transformation associated with the Olympic Games increasingly spans the technological sphere. As a path-breaker the Olympic bid of Tokyo foreshadows a technological revolution that will make the capital of Japan the most advanced urban technology metropolis in the world. This is significant, as this pioneer for the city of the future may yield many valuable insights given the rapid implementation and acceleration of technological innovation proceeding into 2020. Consequently, lessons on how this technology may impact our society can be derived.