Constraint Techniques for Authoring Multimedia Documents

Authoring a multimedia document requires to specify both its spatial layout and its temporal organization, i.e. when and where objects such as pictures, texts and videos appear/disappear on /from the screen and when objects such as audios and videos start/end to play. In this paper, we present some benefits authors can gain when using an authoring tool in which constraints are used to specify these two kinds of information. We describe our experience in building Madeus, a constraint-based environment to design multimedia documents and we point out technical problems that still need to be solved to more completely satisfy author requirements.     

Evidence that induction of tolerance in vivo involves active signaling via a B7 ligand-dependent mechanism: CTLA4-Ig protects V beta 8+ T cells from tolerance induction by the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B

Co-stimulation through CD28 is thought to be necessary for the activation of unprimed CD4+ T cells, which are otherwise rendered tolerant. However, we previously found that CD4+ T cell priming was normal or augmented in mice which overexpressed a soluble form of CTLA4 where co-stimulation through CD28 was abrogated. To investigate this CD4+ T cell response, we exploited the capacity of the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin B to stimulate T lymphocytes bearing V beta 8+, which represent approximately 30% of all CD4+ T cells. In litter-mate controls of CTLA4-Ig transgenic mice, immunization with staphylococcal enterotoxin B leads to expansion, followed by deletion of V beta 8+ T cells, and the remaining cells are tolerant when stimulated in vitro. Comparable expansion and deletion of V beta 8 T cells occurs in CTLA4-Ig transgenic mice. However, in contrast to normal mice, the remaining V beta 8+ T cells from CTLA4-Ig transgenic mice are not anergic and remain responsive to superantigen in vitro.     

Design of Cellular Composite Sandwich Panels for Maximum Blast Resistance Via Energy Absorption

This paper presents a design methodology for optimizing the energy absorption under blast loads of cellular composite sandwich panels. A combination of dynamic finite element analysis (FEA) and simplified analytical modeling techniques are used. The analytical modeling calculates both the loading effects and structural response resulting from user-input charge sizes and standoff distances and offers the advantage of expediting iterative design processes. The FEA and the analytical model results are compared and contrasted then used to compare the energy response of various cellular composite sandwich panels under blast loads, where various core shapes and dimensions are the focus. As a result, it is concluded that the optimum shape consists of vertically-oriented webs while the optimum dimensions can be generally described as those which cause the most inelasticity without failure of the webs. These dimensions are also specifically quantified for select situations. This guidance is employed, along with the analytical method developed by the authors and considerations of the influences of material properties, to suggest a general design procedure that is a simple yet sufficiently accurate method for design. The suggested design approach is also demonstrated through a design example.     

Do Dairy Minerals Have a Positive Effect on Bone Health?

This review aims to examine the relationship between the consumption of dairy products, mineral absorption, and bone health, and critically evaluates the methods that have been used to investigate this relationship. As people live longer and have lives that are more active in modern societies, bone health is of concern due to the possibility for the increasing incidence of bone disorders, such as osteoporosis. It has been suggested that dairy products can play a key role in bone health due to their high levels of minerals. Whether the positive effect of dairy consumption on bone health is due solely to the concentration of minerals, the action of vitamins, proteins, and lipids present in dairy products, and complex interactions between different milk components remains to be determined. Assessment of how dairy products affect bone health is complex, with apparent contradictory conclusions being reported in the literature. To gain a better understanding of the effects that dairy products have on bone health, this review presents an evaluation of a combination of data obtained using a variety of methods. From those data, we surmise that the preferable approach to investigate the effects of milk on bone health is to obtain data from human, animal, and cell line testing. A combined approach will enable various aspects to be identified, including mechanisms and the assessment of holistic effects, which will enable the effects in the human situation to be ascertained.     

High-resolution, continuous method for measurement of acidity in ice cores

The acid content of ice core samples provides information regarding the history of volcanism, biogenic activity, windblown dust, forest fires, and pollution-induced acid rain. A continuous ice core analysis allows for collection of high-resolution data in a very efficient manner, but this technique has not been readily applied to the measurement of pH and acidity in ice cores. The difficulty arises because the sample is highly undersaturated with respect to carbon dioxide (CO(2)) immediately after melting, making it difficult to maintain stable concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide and carbonic acid (H(2)CO(3)). Here, we present a solution to this problem in the form of a small flow-through bubbling chamber that is supplied with a known concentration of CO(2). The bubbling action allows for quick equilibration while the small size of the chamber limits sample mixing in order to maintain high resolution. Thorough error analysis provides a measurement uncertainty of ±0.20 μM or ±5% of the acidity value, whichever is greater, and the T95 signal response time is determined to be 1.25 min. The performance of the technique is further evaluated with data from a 63-year ice core from northwest Greenland for which all major ion species were also measured. The measured acidity closely matches the acidity derived from a charge balance calculation, indicating that all of the analytes were measured accurately. The performance specifications that we provide are applicable to ice cores with low concentrations of alkaline dust (<500 ppb), which includes the vast majority of ice cores that are collected. To date, the method has not been evaluated with samples containing high alkaline dust concentrations, such as Greenland cores from the last glacial period, where measurement could be made difficult by memory effects as particles coat the internal surfaces of the sample stream.     

The effects of visual magnification and physical movement scale on the manipulation of a tool with indirect vision.

Modern tools often separate the visual and physical aspects of operation, requiring users to manipulate an instrument while viewing the results indirectly on a display. This can pose usability challenges particularly in applications, such as laparoscopic surgery, that require a high degree of movement precision. Magnification used to augment the view and, theoretically, enable finer movements, may introduce other visual-motor disruptions due to the apparent speed of the visual motion on screen (i.e., motion scaling). In this research, we sought to better understand the effects of visual magnification on human movement performance and control in operating a tool via indirect vision. Ten adult participants manipulated a computer mouse to direct a pointer to targets on a display. Results (Experiment 1) showed that, despite increased motion scaling, magnification of the view on screen enabled higher precision control of the mouse pointer. However, the relative effectiveness of visual magnification ultimately depended on the scale of the physical movement, and more specifically the precision limits of the whole-hand grip afforded by the mouse. When the physical scale of the hand/mouse movement was reduced (Experiment 2), fine-precision control began to reach its limits, even at full magnification. The role of magnification can thus be understood as “amplifying” the particular skill level afforded by the effecting limb. These findings suggest a fruitful area for future research is the optimization of hand-control interfaces of tools to maximize movement precision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)