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Statistical treatment of recordings of spontaneous unit discharges from the ventromedial nucleus and the lateral area of the hypothalamus (the activities in one area being recorded while the other was stimulated) revealed significant reciprocal relations. The concept that glucose-sensitive neurons are present in the ventromedial nucleus was supported by the effects on the spontaneous unit discharges of injecting glucose and other-solutions intravenously.

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Policy makers, managers and leaders in organizations, governments and business institutions are under increasing pressure to make the right management decisions in the face of a continually changing political and socio‐economic landscape. To make matters more challenging, the complex environmental, socio‐economic, business‐financial issues that decision makers need to deal with tend to transcend the jurisdictions and capacities of any single organization. There is a multitude of difficult, long‐term global challenges ahead, almost all of which are coupled with the most pressing concerns of different countries at national and local levels. Despite many efforts to deal with these complex issues facing our society, the solutions so far have seldom been long lasting, because ‘treating the symptoms’ and ‘quick fixes’, using traditional linear thinking, are the easiest way out, but do not deliver the solutions. This paper describes the processes for unravelling complexity through participatory systems analysis and the interpretation of systems structures to identify leverage points for systemic interventions. It further demonstrates the promotion of effective change and the enhancement of cross‐sectoral communication and collaborative learning. This learning focuses on finding solutions to complex issues by applying an iterative, systems‐based approach, both locally—Evolutionary Learning Laboratory (ELLab)—and globally—Global Evolutionary Learning Laboratory (GELL). A generic framework and processes for implementing and institutionalizing ELLabs are described, and how these become part of the GELL for managing complex issues is explained. Four case studies are used to demonstrate diverse examples of the application and implementation of the ELLab approach. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mechanical stimulation of one mammary tumor cell in culture induced an increase in its intracellular calcium concentration which spread to surrounding cells. The increase in calcium can also be induced by addition of a solution in which cultured mammary tumor cells were stimulated by repeated pipetting (solution after pipetting cells, SAPC). The activity of the SAPC was completely abolished by treatment with snake venom phosphodiesterase or pyrophosphatase. Uridine triphosphate (UTP), uridine diphosphate (UDP) and ATP (1 microM each) were detected in the SAPC, whereas 5'-UMP and 5'-AMP were produced by phosphodiesterase digestion. A mixture of UTP, UDP and ATP (1 microM each) elicited a calcium response which was comparable to that induced by SAPC, while UTP, UDP or ATP alone at 1 microM elicited a small increase in calcium concentration in mammary tumor cells. Suramin, a competitive antagonist of P2 purinoceptors, diminished the spreading of the calcium wave induced by mechanical stimulation. It also blocked the responses to SAPC, UTP, UDP and ATP. These findings suggest that the mechanical stimulation results in the release of UTP, UDP and ATP into the extracellular space which mediates induction of the spreading calcium response via P2U-type purinoceptors.

A way to understand mechanical characteristics of an ultrasonic motor is presented. First, the vibration mode of a stator is calculated using a finite-element method (FEM) code. The path of the elliptic motion of the stator's teeth is obtained. The computed vibration mode at the surface of the stator is compared with that measured by an electrooptical displacement transducer. Next, the contact condition of the rotor/stator is calculated. The displacement and velocity of the rotor/stator, the distortion of the stick/slip area, the rotational speed of the rotor, and the friction loss of the motor are obtained. The calculated rotor displacement and torque-rotational speed curve correspond closely to the experimentally measured ones. The internal loss of the rotor/stator and the loss of the supporting felt are measured. The total loss of these losses and the calculated friction loss agree with the measured total loss. The calculated and the measured efficiency of the motor also agree.

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