Selective breeding for variations in patterns of mystacial vibrissae of mice: Bilaterally symmetrical strains derived from ICR stock

The establishment of certain patterns of mystacial vibrlssae in mice has been the aim of an extensive breeding program carried on in this laboratory since 1977. In a companion paper we have reported on variations in this pattern in an outbred population of ICR mice. Starting with 21 ICR animals we bred, mostly by brother-sister mating, for 13 bilaterally symmetric patterns of mystacial vibrlssae characterized by the presence (or absence) of supernumerary whiskers (SWs). The strains are classified as follows: I, a mouse strain with the standard pattern; II, eight strains bred for the occurrence of SWs at a given site or sites; and III, four mouse strains bred for a maximal number of SWs in different regions of the whiskerpad. Commonly, SWs occur in regions that coincide with the zones of mergence between the three facial processes except for two class II strains in which we bred for SWs in the "straddler” row of vibrissae, and for one class III strain, In which we cultivated the tendency (that appeared late in our program) to have SWs at the crest of a facial process. For classes I and II we analyzed the results for about 18 generations in terms of "Improvement,” meaning an increase in the percentages of animals with the desired phenotype together with a decreased frequency of undesired SWs. For class III, success in breeding meant the increase of the mean number of the desired SWs. All results led to the same conclusion: there is a genetic basis for the occurrence of SWs. The side preference of a particular SW is not strain dependent. It disappears in those class I and II strains in which almost 100% of animals obtained the desired phenotype. The increase in number of SWs in one zone of mergence does not depend on the presence of SWs in the other. Where tested, we almost always found a representation of an SW in a topologically equivalent location within the "barrelfield” area of the somatosensory cerebral cortex. Except for some diseases early in the breeding program, and some side effects of inbreeding that were eliminated, the population was without obvious defects. Where tested, there was no correlation between the occurrence of SWs and sex. The observed variations in pattern of mystacial vibrlssae and their genetic background led us to propose a morphogenetic model for the formation of the pattern of mystacial vibrlssa

Erfolgsfaktoren für die Kundengewinnung mit digitalem Marketing

Den Absatz zu steigern, ist das übergeordnete Ziel von effizientem Marketing. Die Digitalisierung begründet die Umsetzung vieler Online-Marketingaktivitäten. Ein wichtiger Player im digitalen Marketing ist Google AdWords, ein Tool, welches es Unternehmen ermöglicht, dass deren Produkte und Dienstleistungen von potenziellen Kunden gefunden werden, wenn auf der Suchmaschine von Google danach gesucht wird. Die Identifikation von Erfolgsfaktoren bei der Arbeit mit Google AdWords ist aufgrund der Schnelllebigkeit des Themenfelds sowie des komplexen AdWords-Auktionssystems eine Herausforderung. Eine Fallstudienanalyse, in deren Rahmen erfahrene Unternehmungen beim Marketing mit Google AdWords sowie Fachexperten befragt werden, deckt die Erfolgsfaktoren für Marketingmaßnahmen mit Google AdWords auf. Eine moderne und nutzerfreundliche Webseite mit relevanten Inhalten sowie eine hohe Relevanz zwischen Keyword, Werbeanzeige und Zielseite sind essenzielle Voraussetzungen für erfolgreiche Google-AdWords-Kampagnen

Probing the interplay between lattice dynamics and short-range magnetic correlations in CuGeO3 with femtosecond RIXS

Investigations of magnetically ordered phases on the femtosecond timescale have provided significant insights into the influence of charge and lattice degrees of freedom on the magnetic sub-system. However, short-range magnetic correlations occurring in the absence of long-range order, for example in spin-frustrated systems, are inaccessible to many ultrafast techniques. Here, we show how time-resolved resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (trRIXS) is capable of probing such short-ranged magnetic dynamics in a charge-transfer insulator through the detection of a Zhang-Rice singlet exciton. Utilizing trRIXS measurements at the O K-edge, and in combination with model calculations, we probe the short-range spin-correlations in the frustrated spin chain material CuGeO3 following photo-excitation, revealing a strong coupling between the local lattice and spin sub-systems

Examining the surface phase diagram of IrTe2_2 with photoemission

In the transition metal dichalcogenide IrTe$_2$, low-temperature charge-ordered phase transitions involving Ir dimers lead to the occurrence of stripe phases of different periodicities, and nearly degenerate energies. Bulk-sensitive measurements have shown that, upon cooling, IrTe$_2$ undergoes two such first-order transitions to $(5\times1\times5)$ and $(8\times1\times8)$ reconstructed phases at $T_{c_1}\sim 280$~K and $T_{c_2}\sim 180$~K, respectively. Here, using surface sensitive probes of the electronic structure of IrTe$_2$, we reveal the first-order phase transition at $T_{c_3}=165$~K to the $(6\times1)$ stripes phase, previously proposed to be the surface ground state. This is achieved by combining x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, which give access to the evolution of stripe domains and a particular surface state, the energy of which is dependent on the Ir dimer length. By performing measurements over a full thermal cycle, we also report the complete hysteresis of all these phases

Phase separation in the vicinity of Fermi surface hot spots

Spatially inhomogeneous electronic states are expected to be key ingredients for the emergence of superconducting phases in quantum materials hosting charge-density waves (CDWs). Prototypical materials are transitionmetal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) and among them, 1T-TiSe2 exhibiting intertwined CDW and superconducting states under Cu intercalation, pressure, or electrical gating. Although it has been recently proposed that the emergence of superconductivity relates to CDW fluctuations and the development of spatial inhomogeneities in the CDW order, the fundamental mechanism underlying such a phase separation (PS) is still missing. Using angle- resolved photoemission spectroscopy and variable-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy, we report on the phase diagram of the CDW in 1T-TiSe2 as a function of Ti self-doping, an overlooked degree of freedom inducing CDW texturing. We find an intrinsic tendency towards electronic PS in the vicinity of Fermi surface (FS) “hot spots,” i.e., locations with band crossigs close to, but not at the Fermi level.We therefore demonstrate an intimate relationship between the FS topology and the emergence of spatially textured electronic phases which is expected to be generalizable to many doped CDW compound

Absorptive Capacity and Information Technology Adoption Strategies: A Study of SMEs in Kenya

Many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries continue to be challenged by their information technology (IT) adoption process, which is often characterized by a number of deficiencies. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of absorptive capacity (AC) in SMEs’ performance, as well as establish the correlation between SMEs’ AC and their IT adoption process. The findings of this study, obtained by measuring different dimensions of AC using Jimenez-Barrionuevo, Garcia-Morales, and Molina’s scale of 18 items, suggest that AC plays a critical role in the performance of SMEs in Kenya and that SMEs with strong AC employed the use of more superior IT adoption processes than did their counterparts with low levels of AC. The researchers submit that, if exploited, AC has the potential to improve the IT adoption strategies of SMEs in Kenya and those of other developing countries that operate within similar environments

Impact of ICT used within SMEs in Eldoret, Kenya.

A number of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries are slowly but steadily beginning to embrace the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). With such proliferation it is critical that the much anticipated positive impacts from such investments are realized. This has, however, not been true for many SMEs in developing countries, largely because a number of ICT solutions used within the SMEs do not adequately address their unique needs. As a result, many have ended up frustrated with their ICT investments. Our objective in this study was to build a snapshot on the impact of ICT used in SMEs in Eldoret, Kenya. Findings from this study reveal low positive impact of ICT on the SMEs. In the study, we identify factors that are responsible for the low impact of ICT on the SMEs and recommend actions that can be taken to ensure the adopted ICT brings positive change to the SMEs. Impact of ICT used within SMEs in Eldoret, Kenya - ResearchGate. Available from: http://www.researchgate.net/publication/272795296_Impact_of_ICT_used_within_SMEs_in_Eldoret_Kenya [accessed Oct 14, 2015]