Differential effects of synchronous and asynchronous multifinger coactivation on human tactile performance

Background  

Repeated execution of a tactile task enhances task performance. In the present study we sought to improve tactile performance with unattended activation-based learning processes (i.e., focused stimulation of dermal receptors evoking neural coactivation (CA)). Previous studies show that the application of CA to a single finger reduced the stationary two-point discrimination threshold and significantly increased tactile acuity. These changes were accompanied by an expansion of the cortical finger representation in primary somatosensory cortex (SI). Here we investigated the effect of different types of multifinger CA on the tactile performance of each finger of the right hand.     

Investigation of the chemical state of ultrathin Hf-Al-O films during high temperature annealing

Al₂O₃ incorporated HfO₂ films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) were investigated by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (HRXPS). The core level energy state of a 15 Å thick film showed a shift to higher binding energy, as the result of a silicate formation and Al₂O₃ incorporation. The incorporation of Al₂O₃ into the HfO₂ film had no effect on silicate formation at the interface between the film and Si, while the ionic bonding characteristics and hybridization effects were enhanced compared to a pure HfO₂ film. The dissociation of the film in an ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) is effectively suppressed compared to a pure HfO₂ film, indicating an enhanced thermal stability of Hf-Al-O. Any dissociated Al₂O₃ on the film surface was completely removed into the vacuum by vacuum annealing treatment over 850 °C, while HfO₂ contributed to Hf silicide formation on the film surface.     

High-performance liquid chromatographic determination of morphine and its 3- and 6-glucuronide metabolites: improvements to the method and application to stability studies

Improvements to previously reported methods for the determination of morphine, morphine-3-glucuronide (M3G) and morphine-6-glucuronide (M6G) in human plasma are described. The improved methods involve the use of a solid-phase extraction cartridge and a chromatographic system which uses paired-ion reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with a radially compressed column. Only one cartridge is used to prepare each sample for chromatography and each cartridge may be used for at least fourteen 1-ml plasma samples. The recovery is greater than 85%. The improvements to the method of sample pretreatment and in the chromatographic conditions have allowed determination of morphine, M3G and M6G in human plasma down to 13.3 nmol/l (coefficient of variation = 9.3%), 108 nmol/l (6.6%) and 41 nmol/l (6.7%), respectively, using ultraviolet detection alone. It was shown that all three compounds were stable in plasma for up to 101 weeks when stored at -20 degrees C.     

On the convergence of Newton's method when estimating higher dimensional parameters

In this paper, we consider the estimation of a parameter of interest where the estimator is one of the possibly several solutions of a set of nonlinear empirical equations. Since Newton's method is often used in such a setting to obtain a solution, it is important to know whether the so obtained iteration converges to the locally unique consistent root to the aforementioned parameter of interest. Under some conditions, we show that this is eventually the case when starting the iteration from within a ball about the true parameter whose size does not depend on n. Any preliminary almost surely consistent estimate will eventually lie in such a ball and therefore provides a suitable starting point for large enough n. As examples, we will apply our results in the context of M-estimates, kernel density estimates, as well as minimum distance estimates.     

Algebraically Special Gravitational Fields with the Cosmological Constant and Energy-Momentum Tensor of Electromagnetic Radiation

A class of rigorous solutions of the Einstein–Maxwell equations is obtained within the Newman–Penrose formalism for algebraically special gravitational fields with the cosmological constant and energy-momentum tensor of electromagnetic radiation given that the photon flux specifying electromagnetic radiation determines isotropic-geodesic congruence. Designations within the Newman–Penrose formalism and numbers of formulas in references are the same as in [1].     

Study of archaeological ceramics by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry: Semi-quantitative approach

Total-reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry has been compared with Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis in order to test its potential application to the study of archaeological ceramics in the archaeometric field. Two direct solid non-chemical sample preparation procedures have been checked: solid sedimentation and solid chemical homogenization. For sedimentation procedure, total-reflection X-ray fluorescence allows the analysis of the elemental composition with respect to the size fraction but not the average evaluation of the composition. For solid chemical homogenization procedure, total-reflection X-ray fluorescence provides precise (from 0.8% to 27% of coefficient of variation) and accurate results (from 91% to 110% of recovery) for 15 elements (Cr, Hf, Ni, Rb, Al, Ba, Ca, K, Mn, Ti, V, Cu, Ga, Y and Fe) with an easy sample preparation process of the solid clay and without previous chemical treatment. The influence of the particle sizes has been checked by total-reflection X-ray fluorescence sample angle scans and anomalous behaviors have been found for three additional detected elements: As, Sr and Zn, which can be attributed to interference effects of the mineral grain sizes of their associated chemical phases in the total-reflection X-ray fluorescence interference region. The solid chemical homogenization procedure produces data useful for archaeological interpretation, which is briefly illustrated by a case-study. Finally, the decantation procedure data can be also useful for size chemical speciation and, consequently, for alternative environmental total-reflection X-ray fluorescence applications.     

Photothermal techniques applied to the determination of the water vapor diffusion coefficient and thermal diffusivity of edible films.

Water vapor diffusion coefficient (WVDC) and thermal diffusivity (alpha) were determined in gelatin-starch films through photothermal techniques. The effect of different variables in the elaboration of these films, such as starch and glycerol concentrations and pH, were evaluated through the response surface methodology. The results indicated that an increase in the glycerol concentration and pH favored the WVDC of the films. On the other hand, alpha was influenced principally by the starch content and pH of the film-forming solution. The minimum alpha value was 4.5 x 10(-4) cm2/s, which is compared with alpha values reported for commercial synthetic polymers.