Role of the inertia tensor in haptically perceiving where an object is grasped.

When an object is held and wielded, a time-invariant quantity of the wielding dynamics is the inertia tensor Iij. Examination of Iij as a function of different locations at which a cylindrical object is grasped revealed that the off-diagonal components of Iij, the products of inertia, related most systematically to grip position. In 3 experiments, Ss wielded an occluded rod held at an intermediate point along its length and reproduced, with the other hand, the felt grip position on a visible rod. In Exp 1, the wielded rods were homogeneous; in Exps 2 and 3, weights were added on either side of the grasp, with different manners of grasp contrasted in Exp 3. In all 3 experiments, perceived hand position was predicted by Iij. Discussion is focused on the role of Iij's eigenvalues in perceiving the magnitudes of objects and Iij's eigenvectors in perceiving hand–object relations (e.g., position of grasp). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of fluoropolymer addition to an epoxy on scratch depth and recovery

Samples were prepared by addition of a fluorinated poly(aryl ether ketone) (12F-PEK) to a commercial epoxy resin and curing at either 24 °C or 70 °C. The concentrations of fluoropolymer in the samples were 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50%. Phase inversion facilitates the formation of more and more smooth surfaces for scratch testing with increasing fluoropolymer concentration. A progressively increasing load from 0.03 N to 12 N was administered with a diamond tip to the surfaces of the samples; depths were determined within ±7.5 nm. The original scratch depth is a function of the fluoropolymer concentration. Scratch recovery (healing) reaches values up to 95%. Plots of the residual depth versus concentration of the fluoropolymer at 4, 6, 8, and 10 N reveal minima for all forces and both temperatures. Addition of only 5% or 10% 12F-PEK improves the scratch recovery significantly. The results are explained by changes of material morphology with the fluoropolymer concentration. Electronic Publication     

InP sample preparation for the TEM by photochemical etching, ion milling, and chemical thinning.

Photochemical etching (PCE) as a method for preparation of InP semiconductor plan view samples for the transmission electron microscope is demonstrated and compared to the methods of ion milling and chemical thinning. PCE can produce small area samples for TEM analysis quickly and accurately. Also, the resulting thin regions are surrounded by a built-in stabilizing structure that improves handleability and reduces the occurrence of handling induced fracture.     

"I know, you know": Epistemic egocentrism in children and adults.

This article reviews the evidence and theory pertaining to a form of perspective-taking failure--a difficulty in setting aside the privileged information that one knows to be unavailable to another party. The authors argue that this bias (epistemic egocentrism, or EE) is a general feature of human cognition and has been tapped by 2 independent and largely uncommunicating research traditions: the theory-of-mind tradition in developmental psychology and, with more sensitive probes, the "heuristics and biases" tradition in the psychology of human judgment. This article sets the stage for facilitating communication between these traditions as well as for the recognition of EE's breadth and potential interdisciplinary significance. The authors propose a life-span account and a tentative taxonomy of EE; and they highlight the interdisciplinary significance of EE by discussing its implications for normative ethics. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fluctuating NMDA Receptor Subunit Levels in Perirhinal Cortex Relate to Their Dynamic Roles in Object Memory Destabilization and Reconsolidation

Reminder cues can destabilize consolidated memories, rendering them modifiable before they return to a stable state through the process of reconsolidation. Older and stronger memories resist this process and require the presentation of reminders along with salient novel information in order to destabilize. Previously, we demonstrated in rats that novelty-induced object memory destabilization requires acetylcholine (ACh) activity at M₁ muscarinic receptors. Other research predominantly has focused on glutamate, which modulates fear memory destabilization and reconsolidation through GluN2B- and GluN2A-containing NMDARs, respectively. In the current study, we demonstrate the same dissociable roles of GluN2B- and N2A-containing NMDARs in perirhinal cortex (PRh) for object memory destabilization and reconsolidation when boundary conditions are absent. However, neither GluN2 receptor subtype was required for novelty-induced destabilization of remote, resistant memories. Furthermore, GluN2B and GluN2A subunit proteins were upregulated selectively in PRh 24 h after learning, but returned to baseline by 48 h, suggesting that NMDARs, unlike muscarinic receptors, have only a temporary role in object memory destabilization. Indeed, activation of M₁ receptors in PRh at the time of reactivation effectively destabilized remote memories despite inhibition of GluN2B-containing NMDARs. These findings suggest that cholinergic activity at M₁ receptors overrides boundary conditions to destabilize resistant memories when other established mechanisms are insufficient.     

From surface science to catalysis: Surface “explosions” observed on Rh crystals and supported catalysts

Phenomena called surface explosions have been reported for decomposition reactions on single crystals, and have been identified by the use of desorption methods. In particular, in TPD, they are manifested by extremely narrow peaks (as little as 3 K in width) and a desorption rate which increases with time in isothermal experiments. In this paper we report such observations for acetate species on Rh single crystals, but extend this to show for the first time that such effects are not restricted to single crystal/UHV experiments, but can also be found on a Rh/Al₂O₃ catalyst under ambient pressure conditions. These reactions can be classified as second order autocatalytic surface processes, where free surface Rh sites are an essential component of the reaction. It is shown that coadsorbed adatoms are also essential for such explosions to be seen and their role is proposed to be that of a template layer acting to order the acetate in self-poisoning configurations.     

Liquid detection with InGaAsP semiconductor lasers having multiple short external cavities

A liquid detection system consisting of a diode laser with multiple short external cavities (MSXC's) is reported. The MSXC diode laser operates single mode on one of 18 distinct modes that span a range of 72 nm. We selected the modes by setting the length of one of the external cavities using a piezoelectric positioner. One can measure the transmission through cells by modulating the injection current at audio frequencies and using phase-sensitive detection to reject the ambient light and reduce 1/f noise. A method to determine regions of single-mode operation by the rms of the output of the laser is described. The transmission data were processed by multivariate calibration techniques, i.e., partial least squares and principal component regression. Water concentration in acetone was used to demonstrate the performance of the system. A correlation coefficient of R(2) = 0.997 and 0.29% root-mean-square error of prediction are found for water concentration over the range of 2-19%.     

Molecular imaging perspectives.

Molecular imaging is an emerging technology at the life science/physical science interface which is set to revolutionize our understanding and treatment of disease. The tools of molecular imaging are the imaging modalities and their corresponding contrast agents. These facilitate interaction with a biological target at a molecular level in a number of ways. The diverse nature of molecular imaging requires knowledge from both the life and physical sciences for its successful development and implementation. The aim of this review is to introduce the subject of molecular imaging from both life science and physical science perspectives. However, we will restrict our coverage to the prominent in vivo molecular imaging modalities of magnetic resonance imaging, optical imaging and nuclear imaging. The physical basis of these imaging modalities, the use of contrast agents and the imaging parameters of sensitivity, temporal resolution and spatial resolution are described. Then, the specificity of contrast agents for targeting and sensing molecular events, and some applications of molecular imaging in biology and medicine are given. Finally, the diverse nature of molecular imaging and its reliance on interdisciplinary collaboration is discussed.