Age-of-Acquisition Effects in Word and Picture Identification.

Words and pictures with earlier learned labels are processed faster than words and pictures with later learned labels. This age-of-acquisition (AoA) effect has been extensively investigated in many different types of tasks. This article provides a review of these studies including picture naming, word naming, speeded word naming, word pronunciation durations, lexical decisions, eye fixation times, face recognition, and episodic memory tasks. The measurement and validity of AoA ratings is discussed, along with statistical techniques used for exploring AoA's influence. Finally, theories of AoA are outlined, and evidence for and against the various theories is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assessment of DDT relative bioavailability and bioaccessibility in historically contaminated soils using an in vivo mouse model and fed and unfed batch in vitro assays

In this study, DDTr (DDTr = DDT + DDD + DDE) relative bioavailability in historically contaminated soils (n = 7) was assessed using an in vivo mouse model. Soils or reference materials were administered to mice daily over a 7 day exposure period with bioavailability determined using DDTr accumulation in adipose, kidney, or liver tissues. Depending on the target tissue used for its calculation, some variability in DDTr relative bioavailability was observed; however, it did not exceed 25% (range 2-25%). When DDTr bioaccessibility was determined using organic physiologically based extraction test (Org-PBET), unified BARGE method (UBM), and fed organic estimation human simulation test (FOREhST) in vitro assays, bioaccessibility was less than 4% irrespective of the assay utilized and the concentration of DDTr in the contaminated soil. Pearson correlations demonstrate a poor relationship between DDTr relative bioavailability and DDTr bioaccessibility (0.47, 0.38, and 0.28, respectively), illustrating the limitations of the static in vitro methods for predicting the dynamic processes of the mammalian digestive system for this hydrophobic organic contaminant.     

Specifying High-Assurance Services

An enhanced approach to service specification strikes a better balance between machine processibility and human readability, and emphasizes testing- as well as reasoning-based assurance techniques. Built-in tests check the compatibility of interacting services at runtime and automatically pinpoint contract mismatches.     

Recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) bearing a set of mutations from cold-passaged RSV is attenuated in chimpanzees

A set of five missense mutations previously identified by nucleotide sequence analysis of subgroup A cold-passaged (cp) respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been introduced into a recombinant wild-type strain of RSV. This recombinant virus, designated rA2cp, appears to replicate less efficiently in the upper and lower respiratory tracts of seronegative chimpanzees than either biologically derived or recombinant wild-type RSV. Infection with rA2cp also resulted in significantly less rhinorrhea and cough than infection with wild-type RSV. These findings confirm the role of the cp mutations in attenuation of RSV and identify their usefulness for inclusion in future live attenuated recombinant RSV vaccine candidates.     

Silicon Nitride Rapid Decomposition for Ceramic Nanopowder Manufacturing

Rapid decomposition of silicon nitride at high temperatures has been successfully used to manufacture ceramic nanopowders in the Si-C-N and Si-O-N systems. For powder processing, the solid combustion called self-propagating high-temperature synthesis (SHS) was realized and investigated. The well-mixed powdered reactants were placed in porous container; then, the reaction was locally ignited and combustion was propagated in a self-sustaining regime, achieving temperatures of over 2000°C. In all these experiments, combustion propagated with the formation of the transient Si₃N₄ phase resulted in either SiC or Si₂ON₂ nanosized grains. To elucidate the role of the decomposition of silicon nitride in the formation of nanosized products, thermodynamic data, temperature profiles, morphology (SEM, TEM), dispersion (BET) and phase composition (XRD) of the products were evaluated. It was found that, in both Si-C-N and Si-O-N systems, silicon nitride forms transiently at early stages of combustion because of thermodynamic and kinetic considerations. Finally, it was demonstrated that the technology of silicon carbide and silicon oxynitride nanopowders achieved by the decomposition of Si₃N₄ is very efficient compared to other conventional techniques. The powders obtained are well sinterable and, after further processing, can be used in a wide range of applications, such as refractory materials, ceramic armor, elements of chemical equipment, etc.Original English Text Copyright © 2005 by Fizika i Khimiya Stekla, Kata, Lis.This article was submitted by the authors in English.     

Construction of a Butterfly Web Bridge

A new type of bridge called ＂butterfly web bridge＂ is under construction in Japan. In a butterfly web bridge, the butterfly-shaped web forms a structure that exhibits behavior similar to a double Warren truss. The 80 MPa concrete is used for the butterfly web which has a precast plate with a thickness of 150 mm. As butterfly web is a concrete material, reinforcement provided by prestressing tendons is needed on the tension side. Moreover, the 150 mm plate has no re-bars but is reinforced by steel fibers. This bridge, named Takubogawa Bridge, is a highway bridge and has 10 spans including the 87.5 m maximum span length. Takubogawa Bridge is constructed by flee cantilevering method. The butterfly web enables the construction speed of cantilevering to be advanced about 50% compared with conventional cast-in-situ method and can meet the requirement of light weight and low maintenance.     

High-performance FCBGA based on multi-layer thin-substrate packaging technology

We developed a new concept flip-chip ball grid array (FCBGA) based on multi-layer thin-substrate (MLTS) packaging technology in order to meet the strong demand for high-density, high-performance, and low-cost LSI packages. The most important feature of MLTS packaging is that, only a high-density and high-performance MLTS remains by removing the metal plate after mounting an LSI chip. The MLTS packaging offers the advantages of (1) good registration accuracy, which makes higher-density and finer-pitch pattering possible; (2) an ideal multi-layer structure that is highly suitable for high-speed and high-frequency applications; (3) excellent flip-chip mounting reliability, which makes higher-pin-count and finer-pitch area array flip-chip interconnection possible; (4) excellent reliability, supported by use of high T_g (glass transition temperature) resin; and (5) a cost-effective design achieved as a result of fewer layers fabricated with fine-pitch patterning.We successfully produced a high-performance FCBGA prototype based on our MLTS packaging technology. The prototype comprises an LSI chip connected to approximately 2500 bonding pads arranged in 240 μm pitch area array, and 1296 I/O pads for BGA. The prototype FCBGA’s excellent long-term reliability was demonstrated through a series of tests conducted on it.     

Analysis of thermally stimulated discharge data on amorphous semiconductors

This paper deals with the most common methods of interpretation of the thermally stimulated discharge (TSD) spectrum. TSD due to dipole disorientation, calculation of activation energies using initial rise method, graphical integration, and methods based on the variation of heating rates are described in some detail. It will be argued that calculation of activation energies from these methods strictly holds for relaxation of a single well-defined frequency. For a distributed relaxation, methods based on the variations of the heating rates are more appropriate, but certain difficulties may arise.     

Theoretical considerations of thermally stimulated discharge techniques in amorphous semiconductors

Thermally stimulated discharge of a previously polarized and electroded dielectric, can generate a current with several peaks. The locations of the peaks along the thermally stimulated discharge current spectrum are characteristics of the particular mechanisms for the decay. Systematic analysis of the current peaks will yield information such as dipole relaxation characteristics and activation energies for intrinsic conduction or trapping parameters of electronic charges in the dielectric. When multilayer dielectrics such as amorphous semiconductor photoreceptors are subjected to an electret formation cycle, the heterogeneity in their structures may cause several polarization effects. For example, discontinuities in the intrinsic conductivities and dielectric constant in amorphous selenium (a-Se)-based multilayer photoreceptors can lead to the accumulation of space charges at the interfaces of the individual layers whenever the device experiences an electric stress for a period of time which is of the order of its effective dielectric relaxation time. Charge trapping by states associated with the heterogeneities of the structure cause an electrical polarization which can have a significant impact on the xerographic performance of the photoreceptor. The purpose of the present series of papers is firstly to describe the principles of thermally stimulated discharge techniques, the associated theories and interpretation of the current spectrum and secondly, to discuss applications of these techniques to a-Se:Te/Se double layer photoreceptors. The principles of thermally stimulated discharge and relevant theories are discussed.     

Sensitivity of Rodent Microglia to Kynurenines in Models of Epilepsy and Inflammation In Vivo and In Vitro: Microglia Activation Is Inhibited by Kynurenic Acid and the Synthetic Analogue SZR104

Kynurenic acid is an endogenous modulator of ionotropic glutamate receptors and a suppressor of the immune system. Since glutamate and microglia are important in the pathogenesis of epilepsy, we investigated the possible action of the synthetic kynurenic acid analogue, SZR104, in epileptic mice and the action of kynurenic acid and SZR104 on the phagocytotic activity of cultured microglia cells. Pilocarpine epilepsy was used to test the effects of SZR104 on morphological microglia transformation, as evaluated through ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba1) immunohistochemistry. Microglia-enriched rat secondary cultures were used to investigate phagocytosis of fluorescent microbeads and Iba1 protein synthesis in control and lipopolysaccharide-challenged cultures. SZR104 inhibited microglia transformation following status epilepticus. Kynurenic acid and SZR104 inhibited lipopolysaccharide-stimulated phagocytotic activity of microglia cells. Although kynurenic acid and its analogues proved to be glutamate receptor antagonists, their immunosuppressive action was dominant in epilepsy. The inhibition of phagocytosis in vitro raised the possibility of the inhibition of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines in microglial cells.