Sex pheromone of caddisflyHesperophylax occidentalis (Banks) (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae)

The main component of the sex pheromone of the caddisflyHesperophylax occidentalis (Banks) (Trichoptera: Limnephilidae) was identified as 6-methylnonan-3-one (enantiomeric composition has not yet been determined). Extracts of adult females elicited strong electroantennogram (EAG) responses from adult male antennae, but elicited significantly smaller EAG responses from adult female antennae. Extracts of adult males did not elicit appreciable EAG responses from antennae of either sex. Racemic 6-methylnonan-3-one was synthesized and elicited EAG responses from male antennae as strong as those obtained with female extracts. In field tests with baited sticky traps near lakes and streams, traps baited with synthetic racemic 6-methylnonan-3-one caught significantly more males than control traps. Female adults contained approximately 1 µg of 6-methylnonan-3-one per individual. Related ketones and alcohols of other chain lengths were also tentatively identified, being present in tiny amounts in female extracts. Extraction of different body parts showed that 6-methylnonan-3-one occurs only in a region near the intersegmental membrane between the fourth and fifth abdominal sternites of the female (no discrete glands were observed). Extracts of males did not contain 6-methylnonan-3-one, nor did pupae of either sex.     

A Spectral Finite Element Approach to Modeling Soft Solids Excited with High-Frequency Harmonic Loads

An approach for efficient and accurate finite element analysis of harmonically excited soft solids using high-order spectral finite elements is presented and evaluated. The Helmholtz-type equations used to model such systems suffer from additional numerical error known as pollution when excitation frequency becomes high relative to stiffness (i.e. high wave number), which is the case, for example, for soft tissues subject to ultrasound excitations. The use of high-order polynomial elements allows for a reduction in this pollution error, but requires additional consideration to counteract Runge's phenomenon and/or poor linear system conditioning, which has led to the use of spectral element approaches. This work examines in detail the computational benefits and practical applicability of high-order spectral elements for such problems. The spectral elements examined are tensor product elements (i.e. quad or brick elements) of high-order Lagrangian polynomials with non-uniformly distributed Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre nodal points. A shear plane wave example is presented to show the dependence of the accuracy and computational expense of high-order elements on wave number. Then, a convergence study for a viscoelastic acoustic-structure interaction finite element model of an actual ultrasound driven vibroacoustic experiment is shown. The number of degrees of freedom required for a given accuracy level was found to consistently decrease with increasing element order. However, the computationally optimal element order was found to strongly depend on the wave number.     

Plasma thyroid hormone kinetics are altered in iron-deficient rats

Iron deficiency anemia is associated with lower plasma thyroid hormone concentrations in rodents and, in some studies, in humans. The objective of this project was to determine if plasma triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) kinetics were affected by iron deficiency. Studies were done at a near-thermoneutral temperature (30 degrees C), and a cool environmental temperature (15 degrees C), to determine plasma T3 and T4 kinetics as a function of dietary iron intake and environmental need for the hormones. Weanling male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either a low Fe diet [iron-deficient group (ID), <5 microg/g Fe] or a control diet [control group (CN), 35 microg/g Fe] at each temperature for 7 wk before the tracer kinetic studies. An additional ID group receiving exogenous thyroid hormone replacement was also used at the cooler temperature. For T4, the disposal rate was >60% lower (89 +/- 6 vs. 256 +/- 53 pmol/h, P < 0.001) in ID rats than in controls at 30 degrees C, and approximately 40% lower (192 +/- 27 vs. 372 +/- 26 pmol/h, P < 0.01) in ID rats at 15 degrees C. Exogenous T4 replacement in a cohort of ID rats at 15 degrees C normalized the T4 concentration and the disposal rate. For T3, the disposal rate was significantly lower in ID rats in a cool environment (92 +/- 11 vs. 129 +/- 11 pmol/h, P < 0.01); thyroxine replacement again normalized the T3 disposal rate (126 +/- 12 pmol/h). Neither liver nor brown fat thyroxine 5'-deiodinase activities were sufficiently different to explain the lower T3 disposal rates in iron deficiency. Thus, plasma thyroid hormone kinetics in iron deficiency anemia are corrected by simply providing more thyroxine. This suggests a central regulatory defect as the primary lesion and not peripheral alterations.     

Design and systematic evaluation of the Freshman Athlete Scholastic Training program.

Developed and evaluated a prototype set of procedures called the Freshmen Athlete Scholastic Training (FAST) program. Exp I tested the design of this applied program and evaluated its efficacy in improving the academic performance of 24 freshman student athletes participating in the football program at a university. Exp II systematically replicated these findings with 21 male and 10 female student athletes from various athletic programs. Overall results indicate that the FAST program consistently improved Ss' grade point average (GPA). A subsequent field replication that did not directly involve the principal investigators produced positive results, suggesting that the program can be effectively implemented by counselors at other universities. (40 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A high-speed bipolar technology featuring self-aligned single-polybase and submicrometer emitter contacts

An experimental bipolar transistor structure with self-aligned base-emitter contacts formed using one polysilicon layer is presented with geometries and frequency performance comparable to those of double-polysilicon structures. This structure, called STRIPE (self-aligned trench-isolated polysilicon electrodes), provides a 0.2-μm emitter-base polysilicon contact separation. A 0.4-μm emitter width is achieved with conventional 0.8-μm optical lithography. Scaling of the emitter width of 0.3 μm has been performed with minimal degradation of device performance, and scaling of the emitter width pattern to 0.2 μm has been demonstrated. These dimensions are the smallest achieved in single-polysilicon structures with polysilicon base contacts and are comparable to those achieved in double-polysilicon structures. The STRIPE structure has been used to fabricate transistors with f_t as high as 33.8 GHz     

Reliability of adult retrospective recall of lifetime tobacco use.

Retrospective assessment of tobacco use underlies much of the data collected in epidemiological and genetic epidemiological research. Although individuals are asked to report lifetime tobacco use for periods spanning months to decades, the test-retest reliability intervals of the instruments often span only a few weeks to several months. The present analyses examined the test-retest reliability of retrospective tobacco use measures, including details of first use, circumstances of first use, and initial subjective reactions. The questions were part of the Lifetime Tobacco Use Questionnaire (LTUQ), a Web-based questionnaire designed to assess use of most forms of tobacco or nicotine retrospectively across the lifespan. A convenience sample of 236 men and women with history of tobacco use (Time 1 mean age, 44.9 years; 74.2% females; 75.1% regular monthly tobacco use) responded verifiably to invitations to self-administer the LTUQ two times, 2 years apart. Test-retest reliability analyses reflected high reliability for salient tobacco-use questions. Acceptable levels of reliability were observed for initial subjective reactions to smoking, if the scaled response options were dichotomized. Few differences in the reliability of recall were apparent between sexes and between age groups. These results indicate that recall of important tobacco use information can form a reliable basis for research.     

Spatial and seasonal variability of dissolved methylmercury in two stream basins in the eastern United States

We assessed methylmercury (MeHg) concentrations across multiple ecological scales in the Edisto (South Carolina) and Upper Hudson (New York) River basins. Out-of-channel wetland/floodplain environments were primary sources of filtered MeHg (F-MeHg) to the stream habitat in both systems. Shallow, open-water areas in both basins exhibited low F-MeHg concentrations and decreasing F-MeHg mass flux. Downstream increases in out-of-channel wetlands/floodplains and the absence of impoundments result in high MeHg throughout the Edisto. Despite substantial wetlands coverage and elevated F-MeHg concentrations at the headwater margins, numerous impoundments on primary stream channels favor spatial variability and lower F-MeHg concentrations in the Upper Hudson. The results indicated that, even in geographically, climatically, and ecologically diverse streams, production in wetland/floodplain areas, hydrologic transport to the stream aquatic environment, and conservative/nonconservative attenuation processes in open water areas are fundamental controls on dissolved MeHg concentrations and, by extension, MeHg availability for potential biotic uptake.