Interfaces in nickel aluminide/alumina fibre composites

Metal matrix composites based on the intermetallic alloy Ni₃Al and fibres of Al₂O₃ were fabricated by hot-pressing nickel aluminide powders and alumina fibres. Two matrix alloys were used in this investigation: Ni₃Al microalloyed with boron and Ni₃Al alloyed with 8 at% chromium and smaller amounts of zirconium and boron. The materials were studied using optical and transmission electron microscopy with particular emphasis placed on the characteristics of the matrix-fibre interface. The base Ni₃Al/Al₃O₃ composite displayed no evidence of chemical reaction at the interface, an intimate bond between matrix and fibre was observed, and the material exhibited 10% ductility at room temperature. Composites with the more complex matrix alloy were brittle, a phenomenon attributed to the formation of zirconia particles at the interface.     

Variation of lange-coupler geometry with dielectric constant

Geometry of the ?3 dB, 50? Lange coupler is presented as a continuous function of dielectric constant, between ?r=2 and 12. Corresponding even- and odd-mode phase velocities are also given, allowing the length of coupled section to be calculated.     

Hypnotic amnesia as a strategic enactment: Breaching amnesia in highly susceptible subjects.

Proposes that hypnotically amnesic Ss maintain control over their memory processes but often fail to breach amnesia because to do so would conflict with their self-presentation as deeply hypnotized. Two experiments, with 16 undergraduates, demonstrated that highly susceptible hypnotically amnesic Ss could be easily induced to recall all of the "forgotten" target items by defining successful recall as supportive of rather than as inconsistent with a self-presentation as deeply hypnotized. In the 1st part of Exp I, all Ss showed amnesia despite repeated demands to recall honestly. In the 2nd part of Exp I, Ss were led to believe that they possessed a "hidden part" to their mind that remained aware of the target items covered by the amnesia suggestion. Each S recalled all of the forgotten items when the experimenter contacted their hidden part. Exp II replicated this effect and also demonstrated that the characteristics of Ss' hidden reports were a function of the instructions they received and did not reflect the operation of a dissociated cognitive subsystem that subconsciously held the forgotten items. Findings are inconsistent with traditional theorizing about hypnosis, but offer strong support for the hypothesis that hypnotic amnesia is a strategic enactment under the S's voluntary control. (45 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Cognitive Assessment.

Reviews the book, Cognitive Assessment by Thomas V. Merluzzi, Carol R. Glass, and Myles Genest (Eds.) (1981). Cognitive Assessment is a well-edited volume in which the authors are obviously familiar with each others' contributions. Nonetheless, there is some redundancy (perhaps unavoidable) and a few glaring inconsistencies in the quality of chapters (definitely avoidable). However, I came away from this book with a mixed sense of promise and caution. The cognitive-assessment approach is both encouraging yet limited. It is premature at this time to needlessly restrict assessment efforts to cognitive factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psycholinguistic abilities of children in isolated communities of Labrador.

A total of 101 kindergarten and Grade-1 children from 4 isolated coastal communities in Labrador were given the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence, and Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities. The differential psycholinguistic profiles of the Ss are reported. These results offer support for the claim that ecological demands to some extent determine cognitive structures. Results also indicate that the Ss had abilities in a number of areas that were within 1 standard deviation of the mean for the normative sample. These suggest areas that could be capitalized upon in order to make the educational system more meaningful to these children. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Glucose ingestion causes GLUT4 translocation in human skeletal muscle

In humans, ingestion of carbohydrates causes an increase in blood glucose concentration, pancreatic insulin release, and increased glucose disposal into skeletal muscle. The underlying molecular mechanism for the increase in glucose disposal in human skeletal muscle after carbohydrate ingestion is not known. We determined whether glucose ingestion increases glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle by increasing the number of glucose transporter proteins at the cell surface and/or by increasing the activity of the glucose transporter proteins in the plasma membrane. Under local anesthesia, approximately 1 g of vastus lateralis muscle was obtained from six healthy subjects before and 60 min after ingestion of a 75-g glucose load. Plasma membranes were isolated from the skeletal muscle and used to measure GLUT4 and GLUT1 content and glucose transport in plasma membrane vesicles. Glucose ingestion increased the plasma membrane content of GLUT4 per gram muscle (3,524 +/- 729 vs. 4,473 +/- 952 arbitrary units for basal and 60 min, respectively; P < 0.005). Transporter-mediated glucose transport into plasma membrane vesicles was also significantly increased (130 +/- 11 vs. 224 +/- 38 pmol.mg-1.s-1; P < 0.017), whereas the calculated ratio of glucose transport to GLUT4, an indication of transporter functional activity, was not significantly increased 60 min after glucose ingestion (2.3 +/- 0.4 vs. 3.0 +/- 0.5 pmol.GLUT4 arbitrary units-1.s-1; P < 0.17). These results demonstrate that oral ingestion of glucose increases the rate of glucose transport across the plasma membrane and causes GLUT4 translocation in human skeletal muscle. These findings suggest that under physiological conditions the translocation of GLUT4 is an important mechanism for the stimulation of glucose uptake in human skeletal muscle.     

Continuous infusion etoposide in advanced AIDS-related kaposi sarcoma

One hundred patients were operated on by the Maquet procedure for chondromalacia patellae. All of them were first re-examined after a mean follow-up of 4 years, and 65 of them re-examined after a mean follow-up of 11 years (range, 8-15 years). The pain score improved significantly after the operation and remained unchanged with longer follow-up. The success rate was only 62% at both follow-ups. Outerbridge grade IV chondral lesions at the time of surgery were associated with a significant improvement of the pain score at the 4-year follow-up and a success rate of 69%. The Maquet procedure should only be proposed for chronic retropatellar pain with grade IV chondral lesions, after conservative treatment has proven unsuccessful, as the expected failure rate is about 30%.     

Von Hippel-Lindau disease: clinical and pathological manifestations in nine families with 50 affected members

Fifty individuals in nine families had von Hippel-Lindau disease. Nearly all of the morbidity and mortality of the entity is associated with six of its manifestations, each of which can be successfully treated. Retinal angiomatosis, which occurs in more than half of those affected, can produce blindness if not treated. Cerebellar hemangioblastoma, which is observed in one third of patients, is the most common source of initial symptoms and caused more than half of the deaths in the series. Medullary and spinal hemangioblastomas occur infrequently. Pheochromocytoma is common in certain families and is usually bilateral. Renal cell carcinoma, which generally arises at a later age, may befall the patient who is successfully treated for the tumors that occurred earlier. However, this tumor can be treated also, if there is early detection.