Cognitive science: Making the whole different from the sum of its parts.

Reviews the book, From models to modules: Studies in cognitive science from the McGill workshops edited by I. Gopnik and M. Gopnik (1986). This book is only moderately successful in conveying the exciting advances that are beginning to appear as a result of the interdisciplinary efforts in cognitive science. The book's emphasis on language processes and linguistics will seriously limit its potential readership, although there are some contributions from outside that domain. Moreover, many of the chapters were not prepared with a general audience in mind, and to appreciate a number of the chapters fully the reader must have a strong linguistic background. A more severe problem is that the chapters are based on a series of workshops held at McGill University in 1982 and 1983. The sad consequences are that (a) the book is badly out of date (few references are more recent than 1983), (b) most of the contributions were not original but were based on ideas and results that were or were about to be in print at the time the workshops were held, and (c) many of the chapters are so short that they do not provide adequate depth of coverage. At this late date, the value of the book may be as a summary of a few of the early issues and methodologies that have captured the attention of cognitive scientists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

TCAD and SPICE modeling help solve ESD protection issues in analog CMOS technology

The number of circuit design iterations due to electrostatic discharge (ESD) failures increases with the complexity of VLSI technologies and their shrinking. In this paper, we show how TCAD and ESD SPICE modeling can be used to solve ESD protection issues in an analog CMOS technology.     

Characterization of edible oils,butters and margarines by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with attenuated total reflectance

The combination of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) and mid-infrared spectroscopy (MIRS) with statistical multidimensional techniques made it possible to extract relevant information from MIR spectra of lipid-rich food products. Wavenumber assignments for typical functional groups in fatty acids were made for standard fatty acids: Absorption bands around 1745 cm⁻¹, 2853 cm⁻¹, 2954 cm⁻¹, 3005 cm⁻¹, 966 cm⁻¹, 3450 cm⁻¹ and 1640 cm⁻¹ are due to absorption of the carbonyl group, C−H stretch, =CH double bonds of lipids and O−H of lipids, respectively. In lipid-rich food products, some bands are modified. Water strongly absorbs in the region of 3600–3000 cm⁻¹ and at 1650 cm⁻¹ in butters and margarines, allowing one to rapidly differentiate the foods as function of their water content. Principal component analysis was used to emphasize the differences between spectra and to rapidly classify 27 commercial samples of oils, butters and margarines. As the MIR spectra contain information about carbonyl groups and double bonds, the foods were classified with ATR-MIR, in agreement with their degree of esterification and their degree of unsaturation as determined from gas-liquid chromatography analysis. However, it was difficult to differentiate the studied food products in terms of their average chainlength.     

In situ regeneration of the Ni-based catalytic reformer of a 5 kW PEMFC system

The paper reports the results of on-site regeneration catalytic bed of the natural gas reformer in a 5 kW PEM fuel cell system. The Ni catalyst previously poisoned by sulphur from the available natural gas, could be re-activated by injection of pure water steam, following the method developed for industrial reformers using the same metal catalyst: this method was shown to be perfectly efficient, provided no natural gas was fed during the operation. Results of the tests conducted are presented and discussed in relation to published data on S-sorption on Ni surfaces.     

SFG and DFG investigation of Au(111), Au(210), polycrystalline Au,Au–Cu and Au–Ag–Cu electrodes in contact with aqueous solutions containing KCN and 4-cyanopyridine

We report on potential-dependent in situ SFG and DFG spectroscopy carried out at Au(111), Au(210), polycrystalline Au, Au–Cu and Au–Ag–Cu electrodes in contact with aqueous solutions containing CN⁻ and 4-cyanopyridine (4CP). Spectroelectrochemical work was complemented by cyclic voltammetry. The chief stress has been placed on systematising and quantifying the interaction between 4CP and CN⁻ and the attending effects on the vibrational and electronic structures of the interface. The voltammetric behaviour of the investigated electrodes, modified by the addition of 4CP to the CN⁻ electrolyte, denote changes in the CN⁻ adsorption characteristics and effects of the adsorbed CN⁻ layer on the electrodic reactivity of 4CP. The differences among the investigated electrodes can be explained in terms of their respective degrees of atomic packing or with alloying effects on the stability of adsorbed CN⁻. The potential-dependent spectra have been analysed quantitatively with a model for the second order non linear susceptibility accounting for vibrational and electronic effects. The spectral changes induced by addition of 4CP denote interaction of the aromatic with the electrode through the CN⁻ monolayer. The non-resonant contribution yields information on the effects of 4CP on the fine structure of the bound electron density of states.     

Silicon single electron transistors with SOI and MOSFET structures: the role of access resistances

Coulomb blockade has been widely reported in silicon and metallic structures without intentional tunnel barriers. In particular, a simple constriction in silicon-on-insulator (SOI) allows to build a three-terminal silicon single-electron transistor (SET) operating at moderate temperature. The key parameters are the access resistances confining the electrons and the size of the gate-channel overlap, which sets the Coulomb energy. Thin films of doped silicon with sheet resistance of a few tens of h/e/sup 2/ are well suited for fabricating optimized access resistances. Low doped extensions with typical resistivity 1000 /spl Omega//spl mu/m (at 300 K) are also good candidates. We illustrate this MOS-SET principle in SOI constriction and standard MOSFET of similar size. Although relying on different concepts, the ultimate MOSFET and MOS-SET are shown to be technologically close, differing mostly by the ratio between the channel resistance over the access resistance. Because this ratio is decreasing as the gate length shrinks, single electron effects should become more and more important at high temperature in the subthreshold regime of standard field effect transistor devices.     

Effect of nadroparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, on clinical and angiographic restenosis after coronary balloon angioplasty: the FACT study. Fraxiparine Angioplastie Coronaire Transluminale

BACKGROUND: Experimental studies suggest that the antiproliferative effect of heparin after arterial injury is maximized by pretreatment. No previous studies of restenosis have used a pretreatment strategy. We designed this study to determine whether treatment with nadroparin, a low-molecular-weight heparin, started 3 days before the procedure and continued for 3 months, affected angiographic restenosis or clinical outcome after coronary angioplasty. METHODS AND RESULTS: In a prospective multicenter, double-blind, randomized trial, elective coronary angioplasty was performed on 354 patients who were treated with daily subcutaneous nadroparin (0.6 mL of 10,250 anti-Xa IU/mL) or placebo injections started 3 days before angioplasty and continued for 3 months. Angiography was performed just before and immediately after angioplasty and at follow-up. The primary study end point was angiographic restenosis, assessed by quantitative coronary angiography 3 months after balloon angioplasty. Clinical follow-up was continued up to 6 months. Clinical and procedural variables and the occurrence of periprocedural complications did not differ between groups. At angiographic follow-up, the mean minimal lumen diameter and the mean residual stenosis in the nadroparin group (1.37+/-0.66 mm, 51.9+/-21.0%) did not differ from the corresponding values in the control group (1.48+/-0.59 mm, 48.8+/-18.9%). Combined major cardiac-related clinical events (death, myocardial infarction, target lesion revascularization) did not differ between groups (30.3% versus 29.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment with the low-molecular-weight heparin nadroparin continued for 3 months after balloon angioplasty had no beneficial effect on angiographic restenosis or on adverse clinical outcomes.     

The S-kernel: A measure of symmetry of objects

In this paper we introduce a new symmetry feature named “symmetry kernel” (SK) to support a measure of symmetry. Given any symmetry transform S, SK of a pattern P is the maximal included symmetric sub-set of P for all directions and shifts. We provide a first algorithm to exhibit this kernel where the centre of symmetry is assumed to be the centre of mass. Then we prove that, in any direction, the optimal axis corresponds to the maximal correlation of a pattern with its symmetric version. That leads to a second algorithm. The associated symmetry measure is a modified difference between the respective surfaces of a pattern and its kernel. A series of experiments supports the actual algorithm validation.     

Randomized multicenter comparison of conventional anticoagulation versus antiplatelet therapy in unplanned and elective coronary stenting. The full anticoagulation versus aspirin and ticlopidine (fantastic) study

BACKGROUND: Dual therapy with ticlopidine and aspirin has been shown to be as effective as or more effective than conventional anticoagulation in patients with an optimal result after implantation of intracoronary metallic stents. However, the safety and efficacy of antiplatelet therapy alone in an unselected population has not been evaluated. METHODS: Patients were randomized to conventional anticoagulation or to treatment with antiplatelet therapy alone. Indications for stenting were classified as elective (decided before the procedure) or unplanned (to salvage failed angioplasty or to optimize the results of balloon angioplasty). After stenting, patients received aspirin and either ticlopidine or conventional anticoagulation (heparin or oral anticoagulant). The primary end point was the occurrence of bleeding or peripheral vascular complications; secondary end points were cardiac events (death, infarction, or stent occlusion) and duration of hospitalization. RESULTS: In 13 centers, 236 patients were randomized to anticoagulation and 249 to antiplatelet therapy. Stenting was elective in 58% of patients and unplanned in 42%. Stent implantation was successfully achieved in 99% of patients. A primary end point occurred in 33 patients (13.5%) in the antiplatelet group and 48 patients (21%) in the anticoagulation group (odds ratio=0.6 [95% CI 0.36 to 0.98], P=0.03). Major cardiac-related events in electively stented patients were less common (odds ratio=0.23 [95% CI 0.05 to 0.91], P=0.01) in the antiplatelet group (3 of 123, 2.4%) than the anticoagulation group (11 of 111, 9.9%). Hospital stay was significantly shorter in the antiplatelet group (4.3+/-3.6 versus 6. 4+/-3.7 days, P=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Antiplatelet therapy after coronary stenting significantly reduced rates of bleeding and subacute stent occlusion compared with conventional anticoagulation.