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The quest to improve the thermoelectric figure of merit has mainly followed the roadmap of lowering the thermal conductivity while keeping unaltered the power factor of the material. Ideally an electron-crystal phonon-glass system is desired. In this work, we report an extraordinary reduction of the cross-plane thermal conductivity in crystalline (TiNiSn):(HfNiSn) half-Heusler superlattices (SLs). We create SLs with thermal conductivities below the effective amorphous limit, which is kept in a large temperature range (120-300 K). We measured thermal conductivity at room temperature values as low as 0.75 W m−1 K−1, the lowest thermal conductivity value reported so far for half-Heusler compounds. By changing the deposition conditions, we also demonstrate that the thermal conductivity is highly impacted by the way the single segments of the SL grow. These findings show a huge potential for thermoelectric generators where an extraordinary reduction of the thermal conductivity is required but without losing the crystal quality of the system [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cluster analysis is a useful method which reveals underlying structures and relations of items after grouping them into clusters. In the case of temporal data, clusters are defined over time intervals where they usually exhibit structural changes. Conventional cluster analysis does not provide sufficient methods to analyze these structural changes, which are, however, crucial in the interpretation and evaluation of temporal clusters. In this paper, we present two novel and interactive visualization techniques that enable users to explore and interpret the structural changes of temporal clusters. We introduce the temporal cluster view, which visualizes the structural quality of a number of temporal clusters, and temporal signatures, which represents the structure of clusters over time. We discuss how these views are utilized to understand the temporal evolution of clusters. We evaluate the proposed techniques in the cluster analysis of mixed lipid bilayers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Normal mode analyses of homologous proteins at the family and superfamily level show that slow dynamics are similar and are preserved through evolution. This study investigates how the slow dynamics of proteins is affected by variation in the protein architecture and fold. For this purpose, we have used computer-generated protein models based on idealized protein structures with varying folds. These are shown to be protein-like in their behavior, and they are used to investigate the influence of architecture and fold on the slow dynamics. We compared the dynamics of models having different folds but similar architecture and found the architecture to be the dominant factor for the slow dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses several cases of agranulocytosis associated with cocaine use in four U.S. states and Canadian provinces. The New Mexico Department of Health's (NMDOH) investigation revealed that several patients with agranulocytosis had levamisole, which is used as an additive to cocaine. Other areas with similar findings are Washington, British Columbia and Alberta.

Orexins, also named hypocretins, were discovered in 1998 by subtractive cDNA cloning or orphan receptor technologies. Prepro-orexin is enzymatically matured into two peptides, orexin-A and orexin-B which are 33- and 28-amino-acid peptides, respectively. Two cloned orexin receptors OX1R and OX2R are serpentine G-protein-coupled receptors, both of which bind orexins and are coupled to Ca2+ mobilization. Orexins are neuropeptides present in hypothalamic neurons that project throughout the central nervous system to nuclei involved in the control of feeding, sleep-wakefulness, neuroendocrine homeostasis and autonomic regulation. The interest of investigators in orexins has focused on narcolepsy, since genetic or experimental alterations of the orexin system are associated with this sleep disorder. However, orexins are not restricted to the hypothalamus and together with their receptors they are expressed in peripheral tissues. This new multifaceted aspect of orexin biology is reviewed here in descriptions of (i) the pro-form, maturation and structure of orexins, (ii) the structure, signal transduction and pharmacology of orexin receptors and (iii) the expression of orexins and orexin receptors as well as their biological role in the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine pancreas and other peripheral tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of ajmaline, N-propyl-ajmaline (NPA) and quinidine on the cardiovascular system were evaluated in cats anaesthetized with pentobarbitone sodium, by recording the ECG, the arterial blood pressure, and the maximal rate of rise of left ventricular pressure ( dp/dt) as an index of myocardial contractility. All parameters were recorded on a 6-channel-direct-writing system, electronically measured at the same time, and printed via an analog-digital-computer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have tested the effect of some antiarrhythmic and some β-receptor blocking drugs on the functional refractory period and the contractility of guinea-pig atria stimulated electrically with single (contractility I) and paired (contractility II) stimulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a report on the link between agranulocytosis and cocaine use in New Mexico and Washington from April 2008 to November 2009. The report, which was issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discovered that 11 cases of unexplained agranulocytosis were associated with cocaine use. It summarized the findings of investigations in New Mexico and Washington, which claimed that the levamisole contents of cocaine is the likely cause of agranulocytosis. The report also described the prevalence of agranulocytosis in the states. Authors of the report emphasized the need to consider their findings in differential diagnosis of agranulocytosis.