Effects of Caffeine and Lateralized Emotional Distractors on Vigilance Performance

Caffeine is the most popular psychotropic drug (Smith & Tola, 1998) and is known to be used for its stimulating effects (Benowitz, 1990) as well as its enhancing effects on sustained attention (Smith, 1994, & Rusted, 1994). Effects of caffeine on attention and performance tasks have been studied quite extensively. Results have varied, but caffeine has generally been found to enhance attention and improve performance. An aspect yet to be studied is the effects of caffeine on vigilance performance given emotionally distracting stimuli. The focus of this paper is on the effects of caffeine on vigilance performance as well as hemispheric differences and lateralization of affect and task performance

Taken to the grave. An archaeozoological approach assessing the role of animals as crematory offerings in first millennium AD Britain.

The crematory funerary rites practiced by those living in parts of mainland Britain during the first millennium AD included burning complete or parts of animals on the pyre. This thesis highlights the potential for archaeozoological analysis of faunal pyre goods using assemblages from the first millennium AD as a dataset. Experimental study and the integration of current research from a number of disciplines is used to suggest that although pyrolysis and cremation practices fragment and distort burnt bone assemblages, careful analysis can reveal a wealth of data leading to the interpretation of various forms of pyre good. The results of the author¿s analysis of material from the sites of Brougham, Cumbria, St. Stephen¿s, Hertfordshire, Castleford, West Yorkshire and Heath Wood, Derbyshire are combined with data from other published cemeteries to suggest a series of chronological and regional continuities in the use of animals but with a distinct change at the start of the Early Medieval period. The results from Brougham are particularly significant as they alter preconceived views on the utilisation of animals in Romano-British funerary practice. Cremation burials in first millennium AD Britain are shown to include the burnt remains of predominantly domestic taxa with occasional wild species. The pyre goods are interpreted as representing food offerings, companions, amulets, gaming items and sacrifices. This thesis demonstrates that cremated animal bone should not be disregarded but rather valued as source of archaeozoological data, and a significant functional tool for interpreting past funerary behaviour and animal utilisation

Patterns of forage and milk intake by Angus calves grazing high or low quality pastures

Milk and forage intake was measured on 158 Angus calves during a five year study beginning 1977. These calves were born in January through March, weaned in October, and grazed pastures of either high quality forage (red and white clover, Korean and Kobe lespedeza and tall fescue) or low quality forage (100% tall fescue). Milk intake estimates were performed monthly from April through October by the calf suckle technique. On June 26, July 31 and September 15 of each year, forage intake and digestibility trials were performed using the ADL (internal)/chromic oxide (external) indicator technique with trials containing a 5-day preliminary and 5-day collection period. Milk DE was estimated by total milk-out procedures during the 4th, 5th and 6th months of lactation. Forage DE and (milk DE) intakes for the June, July and September trials were 9.8 (4.5), 15.8 (4.0) and 19.8 (3.3) Mcal DE/day for calves grazing high quality pastures and 6.7 (3.9), 9.6 (3.4) and 14.8 (2.8) Mcal DE/day for calves on low quality pastures, respectively. An increase in milk DE intake was associated with a larger increase in weight gain for calves grazing low quality pastures than for calves grazing high quality pastures. Regarding calves on high quality pastures, as age increased, forage DE intake was associated with smaller increases in weight. All calves grazing low quality pastures were more dependent upon milk rather than forage for growth and performance. In addition, the relationship of lactation curve shape to the pre-weaning performance of these same Angus calves was studied using the estimates of milk intake taken at various times during lactation. At weaning, calves were measured for height at withers, ultrasonic fatness at the 12th rib and weight. Milk intake for each calf was described by the function milk production = Ae-cttb where A, b and c are constants estimated by evaluating these functions, t is a time value and e is the logarithmic function. Peak lactation occurred at 80 and 68 days for the calves on high and low quality pasture, respectively. Average milk intake explained 53% of the variation in weaning weight for calves on low quality pastures whereas, for calves on high quality pastures, it explained only 33% of the variation in weaning weight. When milk intakes at birth, peak lactation and weaning were adjusted for average milk intake, they explained 15 to 40% of the variation in weaning weight that was not explained by average milk intake. Generally, shape of the lactation curve was more important for the growth of the calves on low quality pastures than for calves on high quality pastures. Desirable curves in this study were determined to be associated with high peaks and low persistence

Causes and explanation of ''breakthrough phenomenon'' when LEM cooling system sublimator is fed with chlorinated feedwater

Comparison of chlorine or iodine use as feedwater bactericides in lunar excursion module cooling system sublimato

Differential chemical abundance analysis of a 47 Tuc AGB star with respect to Arcturus

This study resolves a discrepancy in the abundance of Zr in the 47 Tucanae asymptotic giant branch star Lee 2525. This star was observed using the echelle spectrograph on the 2.3 m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory. The analysis was undertaken by calibrating Lee 2525 with respect to the standard giant star Arcturus. This work emphasises the importance of using a standard star with stellar parameters comparable to the star under analysis rather than a calibration with respect to the Sun (Koch & McWilliam 2008). Systematic errors in the analysis process are then minimised due to the similarity in atmospheric structure between the standard and programme stars. The abundances derived for Lee 2525 were found to be in general agreement with the Brown & Wallerstein (1992) values except for Zr. In this study Zr has a similar enhancement ([Zr/Fe] = +0.51 dex) to another light s-process element, Y ([Y/Fe] = +0.53 dex), which reflects current theory regarding the enrichment of s-process elements by nuclear processes within AGB stars (Busso et al. 2001). This is contrary to the results of Brown & Wallerstein (1992) where Zr was under-abundant ([Zr/Fe] = +0.51 dex) and Y was over-abundant ([Y/Fe] = +0.50 dex) with respect to Fe.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures Accepted for publication in MNRA

Mizzou Today

"Picture the adrenalin-pumping excitement of hoop action on Norm Stewart Court. Now envision the tranquillity of a late summer day, with a half moon rising in a blue sky over the Columns. These photos tell the same story: it's not two different worlds -- it's Mizzou! The University of Missouri's rich record of accomplishment and service to Missouri, the nation, and the world has been captured in this pictorial history -- more than 140 full-color photos that provide a visual record of living and learning at the University of Missouri-Columbia.

The Evolutionarily Conserved Mediator Subunit MDT-15/MED15 Links Protective Innate Immune Responses and Xenobiotic Detoxification

Metazoans protect themselves from environmental toxins and virulent pathogens through detoxification and immune responses. We previously identified a small molecule xenobiotic toxin that extends survival of Caenorhabditis elegans infected with human bacterial pathogens by activating the conserved p38 MAP kinase PMK-1 host defense pathway. Here we investigate the cellular mechanisms that couple activation of a detoxification response to innate immunity. From an RNAi screen of 1,420 genes expressed in the C. elegans intestine, we identified the conserved Mediator subunit MDT-15/MED15 and 28 other gene inactivations that abrogate the induction of PMK-1-dependent immune effectors by this small molecule. We demonstrate that MDT-15/MED15 is required for the xenobiotic-induced expression of p38 MAP kinase PMK-1-dependent immune genes and protection from Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. We also show that MDT-15 controls the induction of detoxification genes and functions to protect the host from bacteria-derived phenazine toxins. These data define a central role for MDT-15/MED15 in the coordination of xenobiotic detoxification and innate immune responses

The Fabrication, Testing and Simulation of Germanium Thermophotovoltaic Cells

This is the final report on NRL Contract N00173-79-C-0362. The purpose of this investigation was to fabricate germanium photovoltaic cells and to examine the feasibility of using them in a thermophotovoltaic system for the generation of electrical power in space. The energy source was to be solar. Systems aspects of the collection of solar energy and rejection of waste heat were not a part of this study. The strategy employed in this investigation was the following. 1. Fabricate germanium photodiodes. 2. Carefully characterize these photodiodes. 3. Simulate the performance of these photodiodes using a detailed numerical model of the cell and the illuminating spectra. 4. Use this simulation program to project the potential performance of germanium photodiodes in a thermophotovoltaic system under various assumptions about future improvements in diode performance and under various thermophotovoltaic spectral condition

The Stable Poor and Criticism of Poverty Area Agencies

International and cross-cultural research concerning populations living in poverty have uncovered similarities in attitudes and behaviors associated with participation in society\u27s institutional systems. One of these similarities is that feelings of alienation are an inevitable reaction of the poor to their marginal position in a class-stratified, highly individuated, capitalistic society (Lewis, 1966:21). These feelings, in turn, have led poor people in general to withdraw from participation in community life, including the community\u27s institutions charged with the task of delivering services associated with physical welfare. The central task of this paper is to report findings that suggest that the degree of social stability among a poverty sample is inversely associated with favorable attitudes toward a public clinic\u27s nurse practitioner program charged with the task of treating infants