Selective adaptation effects in infant speech perception paradigms.

The present studies were conducted to explore the possible role of selective adaptation in infant speech perception. In the first study, in which the growth of adaptation was examined by presenting adult listeners with successive blocks of 20 repeating stimuli, reliable adaptation effects were observed after only 80 stimulus presentations. In addition, recovery following adaptation was relatively rapid and complete by the end of a postadaptation identification sequence. Experiment II constituted a more direct investigation of the possible role of adaptation in infant speech perception in which actual protocols from heart-rate (HR) and non-nutritive high-amplitude sucking (HAS) infant testing sessions were presented to adult listeners. Reliable adaptation effects were obtained within the HAS protocol, but not within the HR format. This pattern of results was consistent with that observed in experiment I. The implications of these adult adaptation results for the processes underlying the infant's responsiveness to these stimulis were discussed.     

The production of SO (Σ) by flash excitation of sulphur dioxide

The spectrum of SO (X³Σ⁻) has been observed following the flash excitation of sulphur dioxide with radiation above 250 nm. Sulphur monoxide is produced via an excited molecule mechanism involving triplet SO₂. The rate constant for the reaction ³SO₂ + SO₂ was measured as (3.1 ± 1) × 10⁸ M⁻¹ sec⁻¹.     

Trace determination of nickel by combining paper chromatography with radiometric precipitation

Summary A technique combining Chromatographic separation with radiometric precipitation is described in which nickel is determined at theg to submicrogram range. An appropriate solvent completely isolates nickel from interference on a Chromatographic strip. Nickel is then precipitated as the³⁵S labeled nickel sulfide. Quantitative yields are obtained using radioautography and radiometry.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Verfahren der chromatographischen Trennung und radiometrischen Fällung zur Bestimmung von Nickel in der Größenordnung von Mikrogramm bis Submikrogramm wurde beschrieben. Mit einem geeigneten Lösungsmittel wird Nickel vollständig von allen störenden Faktoren auf einem Chromatogrammstreifen isoliert und dann als Ni³⁵S gefällt. Durch Radioautographie und Radiometrie erhält man quantitative Ergebnisse.

     

Three dimensional flow at the junction between a turbine blade and end-wall

A visualization of the flow on the suction side and end-wall of a passage between two neighboring turbine blades is compared with mass (heat) transfer measurements on the same surfaces. Besides the horseshoe and passage vortices, there are several smaller vortices formed near the junction of blade and end-wall whose origins are discussed. The vortices detach from the end-wall and move up the blade's span. These vortices, sometimes in counter rotating pairs, are responsible for substantial local variations of heat transfer.

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Drei-dimensionale Strömung an der Naht zwischen Turbinenschaufel und Endwand

Zusammenfassung Der Durchfluß auf der Saugseite und an der Endwand eines Kanals zwischen zwei benachbarten Turbinenschaufeln wird sichtbar gemacht und mit gemessenen Massen-(Wärme)strömen der selben Oberflächen verglichen. Neben den hufförmigen Wirbeln und Durchflußwirbeln werden mehrere kleinere Wirbel in der Nähe der Verbindungsstelle von Schaufel und Endwand gebildet und die Ursache ihrer Entstehung wird diskutiert. Die Wirbel lösen sich von der Endwand ab und bewegen sich über die Spannweite der Schaufel. Diese Wirbel, manchmal als gegenläufige rotierende Paare, sind für die wesentlichen lokalen Variationen des Wärmeflusses verantwortlich.

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Nomenclature AT Attachment line between counter-rotating vortices - C Chord length of the test blade, c.f. Fig. 1 b;C=16.91 cm in the present study - DE Detachment line between pairs of counter-rotating vortices - DL Flow dividing line-line along which surface flow divides into neighboring blade passages - Re ₁ Reynolds number based on cascade inlet velocity and blade chord length,U ₁ C/ - S _s Suction side curvilinear distance from the stagnation line of the test blade (see Fig. 1 b). Note thatS _s /C=1.355 at the trailing edge of the blades in the present study - U ₁ inlet velocity to the cascade - V _h the horseshoe vortex - V _Lc the leading edge corner vortex - V _p the passage vortex - V _ph pressure side leg of the horseshoe vortex - V _pLc pressure side leg of the leading edge corner vortex - V _s1 leading edge stagnation region vortex 1 - V _s2 leading edge stagnation region vortex 2 - V _sc1 suction side corner vortex 1 - V _sc1s portion ofV _sc1 which climbs up the blade suction surface - V _sc2 suction side corner vortex 2 - V _sc3 suction side corner vortex 3 - V _sh suction side leg of the horseshoe vortex - V _sLc suction side leg of the leading edge corner vortex - kinematic viscosity Dedicated to Prof. Dr.-Ing. F. Mayinger's 60th birthday     

Bifunctional small molecules are biomimetic catalysts for silica synthesis at neutral pH

Silicatein is an enzyme isolated from the biosilica produced by the marine demosponge, Tethya aurantia. Once isolated from the sponge, silicatein can be used in vitro to catalyze the hydrolysis and direct polycondensation of a wide variety of alkoxide, ionic, and organometallic precursors to the corresponding chalcogens at standard temperature and pressure and neutral pH. On the basis of these results, an array of small molecules that mimic the unique physiochemical environment found in the enzyme active site was investigated for catalytic activity in the formation of silica from silicon alkoxides at neutral pH. The most successful of these biomimetic catalysts (cysteamine) was used to encapsulate firefly luciferase, green and blue fluorescent proteins (GFP, BFP), and Escherichia coli cells expressing GFP in silica matrixes. The benign conditions required for the catalysis of synthesis of these silica composites does not impair the activities of the encapsulated enzyme, fluorescent proteins, or live cells as shown by fluorescence measurements. In conjunction with microcontact printing, this biomimetically catalyzed encapsulation method has been used to produce patterned functional arrays of silica nanoparticulate composite materials.