Postural dynamics and the preferred critical boundary for visually guided reaching

How do people choose an action to satisfy a goal from among the actions that are afforded by the environment? In 3 experiments the action modes used by actors to reach for a block placed at various distances from them were observed. In each experiment, when actors were not restricted in how they could reach for the object, the transition from their reaching using only arm extension to a mode of reaching in which they used the upper torso to lean forward occurred at closer distances than each actor's absolute critical boundary, beyond which the former action was no longer afforded. In Experiments 2 and 3 actors' seated posture was varied so that the effect of postural dynamics on the distance at which actors actually chose to make the transition between action modes, the preferred critical boundary, could be examined. The results are consistent with the proposal that the preferred critical boundary reflects the relative comfort of available modes of reaching.     

Modelling of the scratch resistance of particle filled sol-gel coatings on aluminium

Sol-gel derived coatings with 12 nm and 0.5-10 μm silica fillers were prepared on aluminium to evaluate the effect of particle size and filler content on coating properties The measured maximum crack-free thickness and hardness strongly depended on the type of particles used and the filler volume fraction. The scratch resistance primarily depended on coating thickness and much less on the mechanical properties of the coating. This finding was interpreted via modelling of the stresses under the scratching stylus. It was established that the initial yield occurred in the substrate for most of the coatings and the load needed for this initial yield had a relatively small dependence on the coating properties but it was strongly influenced by the coating thickness.     

The network behind spatio‐temporal patterns: building low‐complexity retinal models in CNN based on morphology,pharmacology and physiology

In this paper, a vertebrate retina model is described based on a cellular neural network (CNN) architecture. Though largely built on the experience of previous studies, the CNN computational framework is considerably simplified: first‐order RC cells are used with space‐invariant nearest‐neighbour interactions only. All non‐linear synaptic connections are monotonic continuous functions of the pre‐synaptic voltage. Time delays in the interactions are continuous represented by additional first‐order cells. The modelling approach is neuromorphic in its spirit relying on both morphological and pharmacological information. However, the primary motivation lies in fitting the spatio‐temporal output of the model to the data recorded from biological cells (tiger salamander). In order to meet a low‐complexity (VLSI) implementation framework some structural simplifications have been made. Large‐neighbourhood interaction (neurons with large processes), furthermore inter‐layer signal propagation are modelled through diffusion and wave phenomena. This work presents novel CNN models for the outer and some partial models for the inner (light adapted) retina. It describes an approach that focuses on efficient parameter tuning and also makes it possible to discuss adaptation, sensitivity and robustness issues on retinal ‘image processing’ from an engineering point of view. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Experiments with Hydrodynamic Journal Bearings of Various Materials and Designs in Sodium at Temperatures to 800 F

Experiments were conducted with 1.5 inch diameter hydrodynamic journal bearings in liquid sodium at 500 and 800 F, speeds to 12,000 rpm and unit loads to 31 psi. The stability characteristics of five different geometries and the wear and seizure properties of several material combinations were investigated. Tilting pad bearings were most stable. Combinations of a cobalt alloy with nickel alloys or with a titanium carbide cermet showed the best wear and seizure properties.     

Rigor and Relevance of IJV Exit Research

• International Joint Ventures (IJVs) are a well acknowledged and frequently implemented organizational mode, especially with regard to international market entry strategies, yet they are also prone to conflicts of interests, drawbacks, inefficiencies, and enduring losses. Past research has consequently been dominated by studies that have attempted to identify success factors for managing IJVs based mainly upon archive data. Success or failure is frequently defined on the basis that IJVs have ‘disappeared’ from the data-set. The term IJV-‘exit’ has become the byword for closing down ineffective, failing IJVs while neglecting the fact that such a disappearance may indicate success if, for instance, the initial objectives of partners have been achieved.
• Beyond such misconceptions, there is no stock-take of what is known about the different types, measures, contexts, and determinants of IJV exit to take research to the next stage. This paper fills this research gap by comprehensively analyzing the IJV exit literature as an integral part of IJV research, while focusing on studies that either apply IJV termination or IJV longevity as a measure of IJV exit. A systematic overview of the contexts and determinants that influence IJV exit is provided. Furthermore, the rigor and relevance of the existing IJV exit literature is evaluated in terms of its methodological, conceptual and theoretical foundation, and major implications for directing future research are proposed.

     

Fluorescent labeling of NK2 receptor at specific sites in vivo and fluorescence energy transfer analysis of NK2 ligand-receptor complexes

A fluorescent unnatural amino acid was introduced biosynthetically at known sites into the G protein-coupled neurokinin (tachykinin) NK2 receptor by suppression of UAG nonsense codons with the aid of a chemically misacylated synthetic tRNA specifically designed for the incorporation of unnatural amino acids during heterologous expression in Xenopus oocytes. A systematic UAG-scanning mutagenesis in NK2 extra- or intracellular loops and proximal transmembrane domains established that readthrough at some UAG sites may represent a limitation to the range of applicability of the nonsense suppression methodology. Fluorescence-labeled NK2 mutants containing an unique fluorescent nitrobenzoxadiazoyl-diaminopropionic acid residue at known sites were shown to be functionnally active. Intermolecular distances were determined by measuring the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between the fluorescent unnatural amino acid and a fluorescently labeled NK2 heptapeptide antagonist in a native membrane environment. These distances confirmed the seven transmembrane topology for G protein-coupled receptors and determined a structural model for NK2 ligand-receptor interactions. The peptide is inserted between the fifth and sixth transmembrane domains, thus suggesting that antagonism may be caused by preventing correct packing of the helices required for receptor function.     

Coupling of calcium receptors to inositol phosphate and cyclic AMP generation in mammalian cells and Xenopus laevis oocytes and immunodetection of receptor protein by region-specific antipeptide antisera

We hypothesized that manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), known to be induced in rat mesothelial cells by asbestos fibers, cytokines, and hyperoxia, may also be induced in asbestos-related pleural diseases such as mesothelioma. MnSOD was assessed in healthy human pleural mesothelium (n = 6), in biopsy samples of human pleural mesothelioma (n = 7), in transformed nonmalignant human mesothelial cells (Met5A), and in two human mesothelioma cell lines (M14K and M38K) established from the tumor tissue of mesothelioma patients. There was no MnSOD immunoreactivity in five of the six samples of healthy pleural mesothelium, whereas MnSOD immunoreactivity was high in the tumor cells in all the mesothelioma samples. Northern blotting, immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, and specific activity measurements showed lower MnSOD in the nonmalignant Met5A mesothelial cells than in the M14K and M38K mesothelioma cells. In additional experiments the mesothelial and mesothelioma cells were exposed to menadione, which generates superoxide intracellularly, and to epirubicin, a cytotoxic drug commonly used to treat mesothelioma. The M38K mesothelioma cells were most resistant to menadione and epirubicin when assessed by LDH release or by adenine nucleotide (ATP, ADP, and AMP) depletion. These same cells showed not only the highest MnSOD levels, but also the highest mRNA levels and activities of catalase, whereas glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase levels did not differ significantly. We conclude that MnSOD expression is low in healthy human pleural mesothelium and high in human malignant mesothelioma. The most resistant mesothelioma cells contained coordinated induction of MnSOD and catalase.     

Probability density distribution of the orientation of strength-controlling flaws from multiaxial loading using the unit-sphere stochastic strength model for anisotropy

Models that predict the failure probability of monolithic glass and ceramic components under multiaxial loading have been developed by authors such as Batdorf, Evans, and Matsuo. These “unit-sphere” failure models assume that the strength-controlling flaws are randomly oriented, noninteracting planar microcracks of specified geometry but of variable size. The purpose of this paper is to describe a formulation of the probability density distribution of the orientation of critical strength-controlling flaws that results from an applied load. This distribution is a function of the multiaxial stress state, the shear sensitivity of the flaws, the Weibull modulus, and the strength anisotropy. Examples are provided showing the predicted response on the unit sphere for various stress states for isotropic and transversely isotropic (anisotropic) materials—including the most probable orientation of critical flaws for offset uniaxial loads with strength anisotropy. The author anticipates that this information could be used to determine anisotropic stiffness degradation or anisotropic damage evolution for individual brittle (or quasi-brittle) composite material constituents within finite element or micromechanics-based software.