Functional topography of cat primary auditory cortex: response latencies

Minimum onset latency (Lmin) of single- and multiple-unit responses were mapped in the primary auditory cortex (AI) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats. Contralateral Lmin for multiple units was non-homogeneously distributed along the dorso-ventral/isofrequency axis of the AI. Responses with shorter latencies were more often located in the central, more sharply tuned region while longer latencies were more frequently encountered in the dorsal and ventral portions of the AI. For single units, a large scatter of Lmin values was found throughout the extent of the AI including cortical depth. The relationship between Lmin and previously reported spectral, intensity and temporal parameters was analyzed and revealed statistically significant correlations between minimum onset latency and the following response properties in some but not all studied animals: sharpness of tuning of a frequency response area 10 dB above threshold, broadband transient response, strongest response level, monotonicity of rate/level functions, dynamic range, and preferred frequency modulation sweep direction. This analysis suggests that Lmin is determined by several independent factors and that the prediction of Lmin based on relationships with other spectral and temporal response properties is inherently weak. The spatial distribution and the functional relationship between these response parameters may provide an important aspect of the time-based cortical representation of specific features in the animal's natural environment.     

A correlation between electrochemical behaviour, composition and semiconducting properties of naturally grown oxide films on copper

Copper(I) oxide films formed under open-circuit potential in neutral aqueous solutions have been characterized, using coulometry, photocurrent spectroscopy and X-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS). The reduction potential of the oxide layer was found to depend on the presence in the electrolyte of chloride ions, Cu(II) or Cu(I) ionic species or of a corrosion inhibitor. XPS analyses were performed on these oxide layers, and showed in some cases an evolution of the oxidation state of copper from + 2 to + 1 state throughout the film. Different conducting properties of the cuprous oxides could be demonstrated through photo-electrochemical measurements, and the formation of a duplex Cu₂O layer with two semiconducting components of different stoichiometries was discussed.     

Chip geometries during high-speed machining for orthogonal cutting conditions

The originality of this work consists in taking photographs of chips during the cutting process for a large range of speeds. Contrary to methods usually used such as the quick stop in which root chips are analyzed after an abrupt interruption of the cutting, the proposed process photographs the chip geometry during its elaboration. An original device reproducing perfectly orthogonal cutting conditions is used because it allows a good accessibility to the zone of machining and reduces considerably the vibrations found in conventional machining tests. A large range of cutting velocities is investigated (from 17 to 60 m/s) for a middle hard steel (French Standards XC18). The experimental measures of the root chip geometry, more specifically the tool-chip contact length and the shear angle, are obtained from an analysis of the pictures obtained with a numerical high-speed camera. These geometrical characteristics of chips are studied for various cutting speeds, at the three rake angles −5, 0, +5° and for different depths of cut reaching 0.65 mm.     

Defect‐Laden MoSe2 Quantum Dots Made by Turbulent Shear Mixing as Enhanced Electrocatalysts

A high density of edge sites and other defects can significantly improve the catalytic activity of layered 2D materials. Herein, this study demonstrates a novel top‐down strategy to maximize catalytic edge sites of MoSe₂ by breaking up bulk MoSe₂ into quantum dots (QDs) via “turbulent shear mixing” (TSM). The ultrasmall size of the MoSe₂ QDs provides a high fraction of atoms in reactive edge sites, thus significantly improving the catalytic activities. The violent TSM further introduces abundant defects as additional active sites for electrocatalytic reactions. These edge‐proliferated and defect‐laden MoSe₂ QDs are found to be efficient electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction, and useful as counter electrodes in dye‐sensitized solar cells. The work provides a new paradigm for creating edge‐proliferated and defect‐rich QDs from bulk layered materials.     

Spatial summation in simple (Fourier) and complex (non-Fourier) texture channels

Complex (non-Fourier, second-order) channels have been proposed to explain aspects of texture-based region segregation and related perceptual tasks. Complex channels contain two stages of linear filtering with an intermediate pointwise nonlinearity. The intermediate nonlinearity is crucial. Without it, a complex channel is equivalent to a single linear filter (a simple channel). Here we asked whether the intermediate nonlinearity is piecewise-linear (an ordinary rectifier), or compressive, or expansive. We measured the perceptual segregation between element-arrangement textures where the contrast and area of the individual elements were systematically varied. For solid-square elements, the tradeoff between contrast and area was approximately linear, consistent with simple linear channels. For Gabor-patch elements, however, the tradeoff was highly nonlinear, consistent with complex channels in which the intermediate nonlinearity is expansive (with an exponent somewhat higher than 2). Also, substantial individual differences in certain details were explainable by differential intrusion from "off-frequency" complex channels. Lastly, the results reported here (in conjunction with those of other studies) suggest that the strongly compressive intensive nonlinearity previously known to act in texture segregation cannot be attributed to a compressive nonlinearity acting locally and relatively early (before the spatial-frequency and orientation-selective channels) but could result from inhibition among the channels (as in a normalization network).     

Notebook input devices put to the age test: the usability of trackpoint and touchpad for middle-aged adults

In two experiments, the usability of input devices integrated into computer notebooks was under study. The most common input devices, touchpad (experiment 1) and trackpoint (experiment 2) were examined. So far, the evaluation of mobile input devices has been restricted to younger users. However, due to ongoing demographic change, the main target group of mobile devices will be older users. Therefore, the present study focused on ageing effects. A total of 14 middle-aged (40-65 years) and 20 younger (20-32 years) users were compared regarding speed and accuracy of cursor control in a point-click and a point-drag-drop task. Moreover, the effects of training were addressed by examining the performance increase over time. In total, 640 trials per task and input device were executed. The results show that ageing is a central factor to be considered in input device design. Middle-aged users were significantly slower than younger users when executing the different tasks. Over time, a significant training effect was observed for both devices and both age groups, although the benefit of training was greater for the middle-aged group. Generally, the touchpad performance was higher than the trackpoint performance in both age groups, but the age-related performance decrements were less distinct when using the touchpad.     

Gram-negative anaerobic bacilli: Their role in infection and patterns of susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. II. Little-known Fusobacterium species and miscellaneous genera

Twenty infrequently reported species of gram-negative anaerobic bacilli other than Fusobacterium nucleatum, Fusobacterium necrophorum, and members of the genus Bacteroides were studied with regard to their role in infection and their susceptibility to antimicrobial agents. In addition, the literature regarding the recovery of these organisms from both the normal flora and infections of humans was reviewed. During a six-year period at the Wadsworth Clinical Anaerobic Bacteriology Research Laboratory (Veterans Administration Wadsworth Medical Center, Los Angeles, Calif.), 39 (6%) of 679 specimens obtained from anaerobic infections yielded "other gram-negative anaerobic bacilli" (OGNAB). Fusobacterium naviforme, Fusobacterium gonidiaformans, Fusobacterium varium, Fusobacterium mortiferum, and Fusobacterium russii were the most commonly isolated OGNAB. Most of the OGNAB tested were resistant to erythromycin, and most strains, except for F. varium, were susceptible to beta-lactam antibiotics and clindamycin. Chloramphenicol and metronidazole were active against all strains of OGNAB tested. Certain Fusobacterium species are undoubtedly previously unrecognized members of the normal flora of the oropharynx, upper respiratory tract, or urogenital tract and may be present in infections derived from these floras.     

Selecting and conserving lands for biodiversity: The role of remote sensing

A major focus of conservation is on protecting areas to ensure the persistence of biological diversity. Because such areas may be large, not easily accessible, subject to change, and sensitive to the surrounding landscape, remote sensing can be a valuable tool in establishing and managing protected areas. We describe three case studies to illustrate how remote sensing can contribute to setting priorities for conservation actions, monitoring the status of conservation targets, and evaluating the effectiveness of conservation strategies. In the Connecticut River watershed, remote sensing has been used to assess flood regimes and identify key areas of floodplain forests and their context for conservation planning. At Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, remote sensing has provided information to assess the effectiveness of management strategies to restore fire to the longleaf pine sandhills ecosystem, control invasive species, and prioritize annual prescribed burns. In eastern US forests, remote sensing is being used to evaluate the ecological condition and changes at properties where direct access would be difficult.As the resolution and capacities of remote-sensing technology continue to develop, however, several issues are becoming increasingly important. It is essential that the spatial and temporal resolution of remote-sensing data be matched to the relevant scales of biodiversity, major threats, and management actions. Data layers must be compatible, both in scale and in measurement properties, and key patterns must be distinguished from irrelevant detail, especially at the finer scales of application in local management. Combining remote sensing with ground surveys can expand the array of information used in management and contribute to the ecological interpretation of remote-sensing data. Because conservation funds are always limited, remote sensing also must be cost effective. This requires balancing the wealth of detail afforded by ever-finer resolution of remote-sensing data with what is actually needed to implement sound conservation and management. Remote sensing is a valuable tool, but it is not a panacea for all of the challenges of conservation monitoring and management.     

Practice and carryover effects when using small interaction devices

The use of interaction devices in modern work often challenges the human motor system, especially when these devices introduce unfamiliar transformations to the user. In this paper we evaluated expert performance and skill differences between experts and novices when using small motion- and force-controlled interaction devices (touchpad and mini-joystick) in an applied text-editing task. Firstly, experts performed better with their familiar input device than with an unfamiliar one. Particularly touchpad experts operating the unfamiliar mini-joystick showed highly asymmetric carryover costs. Results showed that the efficient performance of experts depended on domain-specific skills, which were not transferable. Secondly, with considerable practice (more than observed for simple and short tasks) novices were brought up to higher levels of performance. The motion-transformation between hand and cursor action was easier in understanding and application than the force-transformation. Thus, the touchpad was used more efficiently than the mini-joystick. In conclusion, practice effects found so far are considerably underestimated when it comes to an applied task. The results give reason to develop and implement skill-sensitive training procedures, since the acquisition of domain-specific skills is critical for expert performance. As a consequence, training procedures might be essential for complex applications and/or unfamiliar device transformations.