Habituation of the orienting response: a gating mechanism subserving selective attention

Possibilities of involution of changes in lesser circulation after closure of experimental aortopulmonary anastomosis were studied. 37 observations at various intervals after closure of anastomosis (several minutes to 13.5 months) in 25 dogs were analyzed. Before closure the anastomosis had functioned for 1-7 months. The results of histological examinations of lungs, pressure measurements in lesser circulation, heart weight, electrocardiographic and spirographic examinations were analyzed. It was found that complete involution of changes in lesser circulation was possible only in first month of existence of anastomosis, in this case with changes of both "early" and "late" types. "Late"-type changes after four months function of anastomosis had both reversible and irreversible character, whereas "early"-type changes became irreversible already after three-month duration of anastomosis. With the "late"-type changes, the operation itself (closure of anastomosis) was accompanied by symptoms of pulmonary vasomotor paresis and heart failure, whereas in the presence of "early"-type changes the operation elicited no morphological or functional changes.     

DIIS: A cross-platform program for the reduction of X-ray diffraction data from a cylindrical area detector

A new program capable of rapidly and accurately reducing a two-dimensional X-ray diffraction pattern obtained from a Debye-Scherrer or Gandolfi camera to a quantitative digital diffractogram is described. By implementing geometric optimization routines based on the symmetry and sharpness of diffraction lines, the optimal configuration of the camera, X-ray path, and sample can be determined, thus providing the best possible set of integration parameters. Results for NIST standard reference materials 640c (Si) and 676 (Al₂O₃) are included to illustrate program functionality.     

Biogenesis of cellulolytic enzymes by Trichoderma ligorum on media with "inductor"

Identical distribution of C2- and Cx-cellulase activities of enzyme complexes produced by Trichoderma lignorum on a medium with lactose, a soluble "inductor", and on a medium with cellulose was found by means of disc elestrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel. The maximum rate of synthesis of cellulases on the medium with lactose was registered during the highest deceleration, and even complete cessation, of the fungal growth. During this phase, only one electrophoretically homogeneous cellulase component with Rf of 0.44 possessing all types of the cellulase activity is present in the cultural broth. In the course of growth of the fungus on cellulose after 48 hours, also only one electrophoretically homogeneous component with Rf of 0.44 was found in the cultural broth when the rate of the substrate degradation was highest. The appearance of minor protein components with the activity of cellulase at later stages of cultivation after cessation of the fungal growth is supposed to be caused by modification of the main cellulase component with Rf of 0.44 by the growth medium.     

Impairment in long-term retention but not short-term performance on a water maze reversal task following hippocampal or mediodorsal striatal n-methyl-d-aspartate receptor blockade.

Male Long-Evans rats were injected with 32 ng/μl of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist 3-(2-carboxypiperazin-4-yl) propyl-1-phosphonic acid (CPP) or vehicle and trained to locate a hidden platform in a different location (reversal training) than used on the initial 4 days of training. Rats treated with vehicle or CPP into the dorsal hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, or mediodorsal striatum had similar latencies to locate the platform on the reversal day. Rats infused with CPP into the dorsal hippocampus or mediodorsal striatum failed to search preferentially in the novel location during a 24-hr, drug-free retention test, whereas all other groups searched preferentially in this location. Therefore, blocking dorsal hippocampal or mediodorsal striatal NMDA receptors selectively blocked long-term spatial retention without producing short-term performance deficits. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An arrayed waveguide grating based multiplexer and interrogator for Fabry-Perot sensors

In this paper, we propose an interrogation system capable of multiplexing four identical Fabry-Perot (FP) interferometric sensors using two wavelength-division multiplexing devices. One is a 40-channel DWDM channel monitor, the other a four-channel CWDM device. The sensors are connected to the output channels of the CWDM device in order to assign a portion of the spectrum to each sensor. The reflected spectra are then analyzed using the DWDM channel monitor. By monitoring the power incident on each of the DWDM channels, the four sensor reflection spectra can be reconstructed in software and information relating to the measurand obtained. Based on software simulations and previous laboratory experiments with single sensors, it is predicted that this system would be capable of interrogating four EFPI strain sensors simultaneously at frequencies greater than 5 kHz with a resolution of approximately 2 /spl mu//spl epsiv/ and a range of 3000 /spl mu//spl epsiv/.     

Ubiquitous recommendation systems

In many popular visions of ubiquitous computing, the environment proactively responds to individuals who inhabit the space. For example, a display magically presents a personalized advertisement, the most relevant video feed, or the desired page from a secret government document. Such capability requires more than an abundance of networked displays, devices, and sensors; it relies implicitly on recommendation systems that either directly serve the end user or provide critical services to some other application. As recommendation systems evolve to exploit new advances in ubiquitous computing technology, researchers and practitioners from technical and social science disciplines must collaborate to address the challenges to their effective implementation. Although it may be impossible to perfectly anticipate each individual's needs at any place or time, ubiquitous computing will enable such systems to help people cope with an expanding array of choices.     

On the Retirement of E. P. Goldfinch, Founder of Radiation Protection Dosimetry

In June of 2004, Eddie Goldfinch will be retiring from his dutiesas Executive Editor of Radiation Protection Dosimetry (RPD).Oxford University Press is publishing the journal, however itshould be noted that Eddie has not completely stopped his publishingactivities or his association with RPD. He will remain as anemeritus member of the Editorial     

Satellite radar remote sensing of seasonal growing seasons for boreal and subalpine evergreen forests

We evaluated whether satellite radar remote sensing of landscape seasonal freeze-thaw cycles provides an effective measure of active growing season timing and duration for boreal and subalpine evergreen forests. Landscape daily radar backscatter measurements from the SeaWinds scatterometer on-board the QuikSCAT satellite were evaluated across a regional network of North American coniferous forest sites for 2000 and 2001. Radar remote sensing measurements of the initiation and length of the growing season corresponded closely with both site measurements and ecosystem process model (BIOME-BGC) simulations of these parameters because of the sensitivity of the K_u-band scatterometer to snow cover freeze-thaw dynamics and associated linkages between growing season initiation and the timing of seasonal snowmelt. In contrast, remote sensing estimates of the timing of growing season termination were either weakly or not significantly associated with site measurements and model simulation results, due to the relative importance of light availability and other environmental controls on stand phenology in the fall. Regional patterns of estimated annual net primary production (NPP) and component photosynthetic and autotrophic respiration rates for the evergreen forest sites also corresponded favorably with remote sensing estimates of the seasonal timing of spring thaw and associated growing season length, indicating the importance of these parameters in determining spatial and temporal patterns of NPP and the potential utility of satellite radar remote sensing for regional monitoring of the terrestrial biosphere.