The persuasion network is modulated by drug-use risk and predicts anti-drug message effectiveness.

While a persuasion network has been proposed, little is known about how network connections between brain regions contribute to attitude change. Two possible mechanisms have been advanced. One hypothesis predicts that attitude change results from increased connectivity between structures implicated in affective and executive processing in response to increases in argument strength. A second functional perspective suggests that highly arousing messages reduce connectivity between structures implicated in the encoding of sensory information, which disrupts message processing and thereby inhibits attitude change. However, persuasion is a multi-determined construct that results from both message features and audience characteristics. Therefore, persuasive messages should lead to specific functional connectivity patterns among a priori defined structures within the persuasion network. The present study exposed 28 subjects to anti-drug public service announcements where arousal, argument strength, and subject drug-use risk were systematically varied. Psychophysiological interaction analyses provide support for the affective-executive hypothesis but not for the encoding-disruption hypothesis. Secondary analyses show that video-level connectivity patterns among structures within the persuasion network predict audience responses in independent samples (one college-aged, one nationally representative). We propose that persuasion neuroscience research is best advanced by considering network-level effects while accounting for interactions between message features and target audience characteristics.

Role of prostanoids in experimental duodenal ulcer in rat.

The purposes of this study were to determine whether inhibition of cyclooxygenase is a mechanism by which cysteamine and mepirizole produce duodenal ulcers, identify qualitative or quantitative differences in prostanoid production between gastric mucosa and duodenum, and determine whether differences in cyclooxygenase sensitivity to inhibition by aspirin exist between these two tissues. In fed female rats, gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostacyclin (PGI2) generation was 235 +/- 25 and 832 +/- 40 ng/g/min, respectively, whereas full-thickness duodenal PGE2 and PGI2 generation was 665 +/- 46 and 662 +/- 49 ng/g/min, respectively. Over an intraperitoneal dose range of 0-25 mg/kg, aspirin-induced cyclooxygenase inhibition was dose-dependent and similar for the two tissues. Duodenal ulceration (16.7 mm2) produced by cysteamine, 425 mg/kg, was associated with a 46% reduction in duodenal PGE2 generation, while having no effect on PGI2 generation; however, cysteamine, 213 mg/kg, produced no visible duodenal mucosa injury yet reduced duodenal PGE2 generation 39% compared to control values. In fed male rats, gastric mucosal PGE2 and PGI2 generation was 179 +/- 18 and 813 +/- 61 ng/g/min, respectively, whereas duodenal PGE2 and PGI2 generation was 321 +/- 27 and 454 +/- 38 ng/g/min, respectively. Duodenal ulceration (7.7 +/- 2.3 mm2) produced by oral mepirizole was associated with a 63% reduction in duodenal PGE2 generation compared to control values, while having no effect on PGI2 generation. Subcutaneous aspirin, 100 mg/kg, which reduced duodenal PGE2 generation to a greater degree than either ulcerogen, given in conjunction with pentagastrin, did not produce visible duodenal ulceration.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Replication of Wolter lens components.

A concave paraboloid of revolution has been successfully replicated. Replication is done in two steps for which two aluminum forms are made. One form is a convex parabola on which the first generation replica is formed, and the other is a concave parabola in which the final replica is formed. Two final replicas were made. Optical tests showed that the replica figure was fully as good as that of the original and that scattering levels were not significantly different from those of the original. Some problems with cosmetic defects exist, but the process appears to be sound, and it is anticipated that Wolter lens components can be replicated at a fraction of the cost of originals.

Optical design of glancing incidence extreme ultraviolet telescopes.

Glancing incidence telescope designs employing surfaces of revolution and of the same geometry as the Wolter type 2 telescope (a concave paraboloid followed by a confocal convex hyperboloid) are investigated for primarily solar physics applications in the spectral region greater than 100 A. The optical properties of the telescopes are evaluated in terms of minimum spot size and flattened focal surface as a function of optical acceptance (throughput) and folding ratio (physical length of the telescope/effective focal length). One meter focal length systems with full fields of 0.8 deg, throughputs of 15 x 10(-4) sr and 30 x 10(-4) sr, and maximum grazing angles of 13 deg are shown to exhibit optimum imaging properties for a folding ratio on the order of 0.85.

Optical Design of a Glancing Incidence X-ray Telescope.

The optical design of a Wolter type 1 glancing incidence x-ray telescope for the wavelength region 6-100 A is described. The theoretical performance of the instrument is evaluated by ray tracing. The results of laboratory and rocket flight tests on a prototype instrument are briefly described.