Investigation of Functional Hemispheric Asymmetry of Language in Tinnitus Sufferers.

The authors tested functional hemispheric asymmetry through word dichotic listening and lateralized lexical decision tasks in tinnitus patients and controls stimulated by a continuous tinnitus-like noise to test the influence of a tinnitus-like external stimulation. A classic right-ear advantage was shown in the auditory task for all but right-ear tinnitus patients, who performed as equally badly when the stimuli were presented to the right and left ears. Concerning the visual task, all participants demonstrated the expected right visual field advantage for word stimuli. Moreover, those who submitted to external stimulation demonstrated normal asymmetric patterns. These data suggest a specific effect of tinnitus on central processing and provide evidence for a functional reorganization induced by this auditory phantom perception. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A practical implementation of stochastic programming: an application to the evaluation of option contracts in supply chains

Stochastic programming is a powerful analytical method in order to solve sequential decision-making problems under uncertainty. We describe an approach to build such stochastic linear programming models. We show that algebraic modeling languages make it possible for non-specialist users to formulate complex problems and have solved them by powerful commercial solvers. We illustrate our point in the case of option contracts in supply chain management and propose a numerical analysis of performance. We propose easy-to-implement discretization procedures of the stochastic process in order to limit the size of the event tree in a multi-period environment.     

Freeze-fracturing for conventional and field emission low-temperature scanning electron microscopy: the scanning cryo unit SCU 020

A dedicated cryopreparation system, the SCU 020 (Balzers), is introduced and described in detail for use in low-temperature scanning electron microscopy (LTSEM). The basic unit consists of two parts: (i) a high-vacuum preparation chamber equipped with a cold-stage, motor-driven fracturing microtome, planar magnetron (PM) sputter source, quartz-crystal thin-film monitor, Meissner cold trap, and turbo molecular pump stand; and (ii) a second part (separated from the first by a sliding, high-vacuum valve) residing in the SEM chamber. This is equipped with an anti-contamination cold trap, a fully movable goniometer cold stage (having motor drives for x, y, and rotation) and replaces the SEM's original stage (Raith). The SCU 020 is entirely self contained allowing independence from, and synchroneity with, the SEM of choice. LTSEM micrographs of specimen (that are fully frozen hydrated or partially freeze-dried) surfaces or fracture faces, without or with various metal coatings, can be examined over a broad temperature range (-150 to +50°C). This is made possible by the combined application of the two, independently controlled, cold stages and the on-line, high-vacuum, specimen cryo transfer between them. In-situ etching is simple and straightforward. Intramembranous particles and membrane fracture steps, typically imaged in transmission electron microscopy (TEM), are resolved by PM sputtering with platinum at low specimen temperature and high-resolution LTSEM in a field emission microscope.     

A direct complementarity approach for the elastoplastic analysis of plane stress and plane strain structures

This paper presents a direct complementarity approach for carrying out the elastoplastic analysis of plane stress and plane strain structures. Founded on a traditional finite‐step formulation, our approach, however, avoids the typically cumbersome implementation of iterative predictor–corrector procedures associated with the ubiquitous return mapping algorithm. Instead, at each predefined step, the governing formulation—cast in its most natural mathematical programming format known as a mixed complementarity problem—is directly solved by using a complementarity solver run from within a mathematical modeling system. We have chosen the industry‐standard General Algebraic Modeling System/PATH mixed complementarity problem solver that is called from within the General Algebraic Modeling System environment. We consider both von Mises and Tresca materials, with perfect or hardening (kinematic and isotropic) behaviors. Our numerical tests, five (benchmark) examples of which are presented in this paper, have been carried out using models constructed from the mixed finite element of Capsoni and Corradi (Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Eng. 1997; 141 :67–93), which beneficially offers a locking‐free behavior and coarse‐mesh accuracy. The results indicate, in addition to an isochoric locking‐free behavior, good accuracy and the ability to circumvent the difficult singularity problem associated with the corners of Tresca yield surfaces. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Recent advances in solid‐state organic lasers

Organic solid‐state lasers are reviewed, with a special emphasis on works published during the last decade. Referring originally to dyes in solid‐state polymeric matrices, organic lasers also include the rich family of organic semiconductors, paced by the rapid development of organic light‐emitting diodes. Organic lasers are broadly tunable coherent sources, potentially compact, convenient and manufactured at low cost. In this review, we describe the basic photophysics of the materials used as gain media in organic lasers with a specific look at the distinctive features of dyes and semiconductors. We also outline the laser architectures used in state‐of‐the‐art organic lasers and the performances of these devices with regard to output power, lifetime and beam quality. A survey of the recent trends in the field is given, highlighting the latest developments in terms of wavelength coverage, wavelength agility, efficiency and compactness, and towards integrated low‐cost sources, with a special focus on the great challenges remaining for achieving direct electrical pumping. Finally, we discuss the very recent demonstration of new kinds of organic lasers based on polaritons or surface plasmons, which open new and very promising routes in the field of organic nanophotonics. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Production of highly porous carbon sorbents for methane storage from coal, coke, and individual organic compounds

Highly porous carbon sorbents for methane storage are produced from coal, coke, and individual organic compounds. A static high-pressure volumetric system is used to establish the dependence of the methane and hydrogen adsorption on the micropore volume in the sorbents. The mean specific adsorption of CH₄ and H₂ at 60 atm (6 MPa) and 300 K is ～150 and ～6.5 mg/cm³, respectively. The results confirm physical adsorption of the gases (CH₄ and H₂).     

Effect of spherically converging shock waves on deformation and phase behavior of high-purity iron

Optical metallography, transmission electron microscopy, and microhardness measurements were used to perform a layer-by-layer study of the structure of a high-purity iron sphere 166 mm in diameter after loading by converging spherical shock waves. It has been found that the plastic deformation of ? iron under this loading proceeds by slip; in the middle and deep layers, it proceeds via the formation of localized deformation bands.     

Revisiting the cutting of the firing squad synchronization

Various synchronization algorithms have been introduced in literature during the last decades to deal with the firing squad synchronization problem on cellular automata (CA). Among others defective CA algorithms, where the CA cell is able to transmit information without previous processing, have been also presented. In our case, originating from the classical Mazoyer’s paper, where a minimum-time solution is presented with 6 states, a one-dimensional CA where one cell may permanently fail is presented. In the proposed algorithm, the defective cell can neither process nor transmit information any longer, while it is considered that such dynamic defects may become apparent in any time step of computation. A thorough analysis of the synchronization, in terms of location and time at which cell fails, for the cells found in both sides of defective cell is delivered to decipher the corresponding maximal possible number of synchronized cells in each part of the cut, due to defect, CA array. The proposed algorithm is properly extended to consider more than one defective cells that may occur in the under study one-dimensional CA. Based on the aforementioned analysis, we provide the generalization of synchronization with multiple totally defective cells, while application examples of the generalized CA algorithm in case of two defective cells are also presented. Finally, another intriguing aspect refers to handling of states that could be tentatively characterized as unknown, in a confrontation similar to the previous defective state but also different, since now this(these) cell(s) are not stated as faulty but unknown. As a result, a new one-dimensional CA with less states, compared to the previous CA defective algorithms, able to synchronize the maximal possible number of cells in each part occurs.