Olfactory working memory: the role of perceived odor name-ability

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship among three factors: perceived odorant name ability, whether the odorant was ingested through a single nostril or both nostrils, and how the odorant is represented in working memory. Participants smelled odorants through the left or right nostril or with both nostrils and then provided an identifying label for each odor and rated how accurately their label represented the odor. After a short delay, the participants were given a new stimulus set consisting of new and old odorants. Participants were asked to provide a label for the odor and determine whether the odor was new or old. These ratings were used to evaluate how odors are represented in working memory. A significant main effect showing a both nostril advantage in odor naming accuracy compared to single nostril accuracy was observed

Homolytic bond strengths and formation rates in half-sandwich chromium alkyl complexes: Relevance for controlled radical polymerization

(Chemical Equation Presented) Radicals in check: The steric properties of the aryl substituents in chromium β-ketiminato complexes can be tuned to achieve reversible radical trapping of a growing poly(vinyl acetate) radical chain (see scheme; V-70 = radical initiator, VOAc = vinyl acetate). © 2008 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA

Any Other Mouth: Writing the Hybrid Memoir

This Ph.D. by Publication comprises my short story collection, Any Other Mouth, along with a reflective and critical exegesis, which examines what I have termed the hybrid memoir. The term describes memoiristic texts that contain significant transgressions from the conventional memoir genre. As well as discussing the definition and its implications, this exegesis demonstrates that Any Other Mouth represents an original contribution to knowledge in the way that it engages and experiments with the hybrid memoir form. In Part One, I define the term hybrid memoir, and explain why my definition differs to that of author/academic Natalia Rachel Singer, who in 2004 was the first person to suggest a definition for the term. With reference to Chris N. van der Merwe and Hein Viljoen (2007) and Vanessa Guignery (Eds. Guignery, Pesso-Miquel, & Specq, 2011), I discuss hybridity as a literary concept, and state that texts that occupy ‘liminal’ spaces can be transformative. By way of contrast, I clarify what is meant by a conventional (non-hybrid) memoir, using a definition by Thomas G. Couser (2011). I mention the problems encountered in producing the hybrid memoir definition, but argue that in spite of such complexities, I believe the term to be a useful tool for thinking about certain texts. In Part Two, I discuss the rising popularity of hybrid memoirs, using David Shield’s (2011) Reality Hunger: A Manifesto as a starting point. I note the limitations of Shield’s work, but propose that it nonetheless provides a key resource in my discussion. I describe some of the significant transgressions from the conventional memoir genre that take place in Any Other Mouth, and also Dave Eggers’s (2007) A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and David Vann’s (2009) Legend of a Suicide. I explain that these works provide helpful comparisons to my own book, due to their hybrid forms and their explorations of filial bereavement. In relation to all three texts, I examine how the hybrid memoir provides authors with new opportunities for self-expression. Building on research carried out by Leigh Gilmore (2001), Elise Miller (2011), and Katarzyna Małecka (2015), I look at how trauma caused by filial bereavement can manifest in the hybrid memoir at a structural and linguistic level. I explore how hybrid memoirs can enable bereaved authors to effectively portray their emotions, and posit that the writing process can help transform grief. The exegesis concludes by using Patricia Leavy’s (2014) text Method Meets Art to establish why I view my creative work as a practice-based methodology, and I discuss how my creative practice continues to engage with my research. After emphasising how important writing Any Other Mouth has been for me, I explain the limitations of my research, and identify areas where further research could be undertaken by others in the field

ARTICLE Population, sex, and ontogenetic differences in the procurrent rays of the caudal fin in threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Abstract: The procurrent rays occur at the leading edge of the caudal fin in bony fishes and are taxonomically variable and possibly important to caudal motion. Using radiographs, as well as stained and cleared specimens, of threespine sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., 1758) from lakes on Haida Gwaii, British Columbia, we examined the extent of individual and population variabilities in these rays. Among 1113 fish from Drizzle Lake, 53% of individuals were dorsoventrally asymmetric in number of rays of which 95% had greater number of rays on the dorsal lobe. On 274 fish, we also quantified dorsal to ventral (D/V) ratios of the width of the most posterior procurrent rays and found ontogenetic shifts with symmetrical D/V ratios in subadults shifting to significant dorsal biases on the larger fish (60-90 mm standard length (SL)). Males have proportionally greater dorsal bias than females of equivalent size in both number and width of procurrent rays. We examined D/V width ratios in 105 stained and cleared specimens from 13 additional allopatric lake populations on Haida Gwaii. Eight populations were symmetrical for width of dorsal and ventral rays, while three populations were ventrally biased and two populations were dorsally biased. D/V ratios were best predicted by positive associations with adult body size and negative associations with total number of gill rakers. Key words: asymmetry, caudal peduncle, Gasterosteus, Haida Gwaii, homocercal tail, intraspecific variation, procurrent rays, stickleback. Résumé : Les rayons procurrents qui se trouvent à la bordure externe de la nageoire caudale chez les poissons osseux présentent des variations taxinomiques et pourraient jouer un rôle important dans le mouvement de la queue. En utilisant des radiographies ainsi que de spécimens colorés et dépigmentés d'épinoches à trois épines (Gasterosteus aculeatus L., 1758) provenant de lacs de l'archipel Haida Gwaii (Colombie-Britannique), nous avons examiné l'ampleur des variabilités de ces rayons à l'échelle individuelle et des populations. Sur 1113 poissons du lac Drizzle, 53 % des individus présentaient une asymétrie dorsoventrale du nombre de rayons, 95 % de ce nombre comptant plus de rayons dans le lobe dorsal que dans le lobe ventral. Nous avons également quantifié les rapports de la largeur dorsale à de la largeur ventrale (D/V) des rayons procurrents les plus postérieurs de 274 poissons et noté des changements ontogénétiques consistant au passage de rapports D/V symétriques chez les subadultes à des biais dorsaux significatifs chez les poissons plus grands (60-90 mm longueur standard (LS)). Les mâles présentent un biais dorsal proportionnellement plus important que les femelles de taille équivalente, tant sur le plan du nombre que de la largeur des rayons procurrents. Nous avons examiné les rapports D/V de la largeur de 105 spécimens colorés et dépigmentés de 13 autres populations de lacs allopatriques d'Haida Gwaii. Huit populations présentaient une symétrie sur le plan de la largeur des rayons dorsaux et ventraux, alors que trois populations présentaient un biais ventral et deux populations présentaient un biais dorsal. Des associations positives avec la taille du corps pour les adultes et négatives avec le nombre total de branchicténies prédisaient le mieux les rapports D/V. [Traduit par la Rédaction

Multi-Modal Neuroimaging Analysis and Visualization Tool (MMVT)

Sophisticated visualization tools are essential for the presentation and exploration of human neuroimaging data. While two-dimensional orthogonal views of neuroimaging data are conventionally used to display activity and statistical analysis, three-dimensional (3D) representation is useful for showing the spatial distribution of a functional network, as well as its temporal evolution. For these purposes, there is currently no open-source, 3D neuroimaging tool that can simultaneously visualize desired combinations of MRI, CT, EEG, MEG, fMRI, PET, and intracranial EEG (i.e., ECoG, depth electrodes, and DBS). Here we present the Multi-Modal Visualization Tool (MMVT), which is designed for researchers to interact with their neuroimaging functional and anatomical data through simultaneous visualization of these existing imaging modalities. MMVT contains two separate modules: The first is an add-on to the open-source, 3D-rendering program Blender. It is an interactive graphical interface that enables users to simultaneously visualize multi-modality functional and statistical data on cortical and subcortical surfaces as well as MEEG sensors and intracranial electrodes. This tool also enables highly accurate 3D visualization of neuroanatomy, including the location of invasive electrodes relative to brain structures. The second module includes complete stand-alone pre-processing pipelines, from raw data to statistical maps. Each of the modules and module features can be integrated, separate from the tool, into existing data pipelines. This gives the tool a distinct advantage in both clinical and research domains as each has highly specialized visual and processing needs. MMVT leverages open-source software to build a comprehensive tool for data visualization and exploration.Comment: 29 pages, 10 figure

Canalization of Gene Expression and Domain Shifts in the Drosophila Blastoderm by Dynamical Attractors

The variation in the expression patterns of the gap genes in the blastoderm of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster reduces over time as a result of cross regulation between these genes, a fact that we have demonstrated in an accompanying article in PLoS Biology (see Manu et al., doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1000049). This biologically essential process is an example of the phenomenon known as canalization. It has been suggested that the developmental trajectory of a wild-type organism is inherently stable, and that canalization is a manifestation of this property. Although the role of gap genes in the canalization process was established by correctly predicting the response of the system to particular perturbations, the stability of the developmental trajectory remains to be investigated. For many years, it has been speculated that stability against perturbations during development can be described by dynamical systems having attracting sets that drive reductions of volume in phase space. In this paper, we show that both the reduction in variability of gap gene expression as well as shifts in the position of posterior gap gene domains are the result of the actions of attractors in the gap gene dynamical system. Two biologically distinct dynamical regions exist in the early embryo, separated by a bifurcation at 53% egg length. In the anterior region, reduction in variation occurs because of stability induced by point attractors, while in the posterior, the stability of the developmental trajectory arises from a one-dimensional attracting manifold. This manifold also controls a previously characterized anterior shift of posterior region gap domains. Our analysis shows that the complex phenomena of canalization and pattern formation in the Drosophila blastoderm can be understood in terms of the qualitative features of the dynamical system. The result confirms the idea that attractors are important for developmental stability and shows a richer variety of dynamical attractors in developmental systems than has been previously recognized

Reactive oxygen species and male reproductive hormones

Reports of the increasing incidence of male infertility paired with decreasing semen quality have triggered studies on the effects of lifestyle and environmental factors on the male reproductive potential. There are numerous exogenous and endogenous factors that are able to induce excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) beyond that of cellular antioxidant capacity, thus causing oxidative stress. In turn, oxidative stress negatively affects male reproductive functions and may induce infertility either directly or indirectly by affecting the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and/or disrupting its crosstalk with other hormonal axes. This review discusses the important exogenous and endogenous factors leading to the generation of ROS in different parts of the male reproductive tract. It also highlights the negative impact of oxidative stress on the regulation and cross-talk between the reproductive hormones. It further describes the mechanism of ROS-induced derangement of male reproductive hormonal profiles that could ultimately lead to male infertility. An understanding of the disruptive effects of ROS on male reproductive hormones would encourage further investigations directed towards the prevention of ROS-mediated hormonal imbalances, which in turn could help in the management of male infertility

Interpreting Federal Funding for Performing Arts: Why It Remains a Necessity

Interpreting Federal Funding for Performing Arts: Why It Remains a Necessity Amy MacAdams Prof. Matthew Johnson Department of Theatre This is undergraduate research for an honors thesis. Theatre has been under constant scrutiny since the Federal Theater Project in the 1930s. Federal Funding has played an essential role in helping the arts to flourish. This thesis examines the history of theatre starting with the FTP: Roosevelt’s implementation of a program to provide aid to artists in The Great Depression. This leads into the National Endowment for the Arts, its establishment, the struggles and controversies are noted throughout that time, including the Robert Mapplethorpe incident. The state of nonprofit theaters today is examined, which includes how they are able to earn money and if they are financially stable. The waterfall visual is introduced noting the importance of funding starting at the Federal level and falling down into the nonprofit sectors. The Kentucky Arts Council is described as well as other Kentucky nonprofits. Research is given to prove the worth of federal funding for the arts. This thesis includes research that examines the emotional and mental benefits to children, philosophical arguments for the importance of arts, the mental impact the arts have on adults, revenue brought in by tourists and leisure travelers, and an example looking at a working example of arts within a city is shown. This proves that performing arts are worth funding and need it to thrive. This honors project was completed with the help of a faculty mentor