153 research outputs found
Restoring Civic Virtue: The Buckley Model
No full textThe political life of William F. Buckley Jr. stands as a model for reinvigorating the civic virtue that the American founders recognized as necessary.
Author information: Moriah Poliakoff is a junior at Christopher Newport University majoring in American Studies and minoring in Philosophy and US National Security Studies. She has a particular interest in political philosophy
Visuo-tactile synesthesia in non-synethetic subjects: a distinction between self and other.
No full textVisuo-tactile synesthesia in non-synesthetic subjects. A distinction between self and other.
Andrea Serino 1,2, Francesca Pizzoferrato 2 & Elisabetta Làdavas1,2.
1 – Dipartimento di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Bologna.
2 – Centro studi e ricerche in Neuroscienze Cognitive, Cesena
Abstract
Observation of actions, sensations or emotions activates the same brain areas directly involved in action execution, sensory and emotional feelings, respectively, i.e. the so called “mirror system” (Rizzolatti & Craighero, 2004). In this study, we show that such resonance of brain activity when observing and feeling has a behavioural landmark in the domain of touch. Observing an image of a face being touched by human hands enhanced tactile processing on the face. This effect was: a) specific for observation of touch: tactile enhancement was found when the hands touched the face compared to when they just approached the face; b) specific to viewing a body part: viewing the image of a house being touched did not improve touch; c) sensitive to the identity of the observed face: tactile enhancement was stronger when subjects viewed their own face rather than another person’s face.
These findings suggest that observation of touch directly modulates tactile processing, probably by activating primary somatosensory areas in a mirror-like way. Such modulation is stronger when visual information is related to the self. This suggests a gradient in mirror-like activity due to observation of touch that discriminates between observing an another person and the self
Selective virtual lesions of somatosensory and motor underpinnings of action simulation
No full textMere action observation may trigger a mental simulation process that is reflected in the activation of fronto-parietal sensorimotor circuits for making the same action. This occurs not only during observation of naturalistic movements but also when viewing biomechanically impossible movements that tap the afferent component of action, possibly by eliciting strong somatic feelings in the onlooker. Information on the possible causative role of frontal and parietal structures in simulating motor and sensory action components is lacking. By combining low-frequency repetitive and single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation we found that virtual lesions of ventral promotor cortex (vPMc) and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) suppressed motor facilitation contingent upon observation of possible and impossible movements respectively. In contrast, virtual lesions of the primary motor cortex did not influence mirror motor facilitation. The reported double dissociation suggests that vPMc and S1 play an active, differential role in simulating efferent and afferent components of observed actions
Effets de la Modulation de la Fertilization Azotee sur la Productive du Brachiaria decumbens
No full textPour le choix d\u27especes ameliorees, selectionnees pour !\u27intensification fourragere a la Martinique, Brachiaria decumbens presente une faible sensibilite aux phenomenes saisonniers (Artus, 1986), mais sa productivite n\u27en demeure pas moins variable malgre !\u27irrigation complementaire en saison seche (Artus-Poliakoff et al., 1988). La fertilisation azotee, indispensable a !\u27expression des potentialites de rendement d\u27une telle graminee, accentue ces variations saisonnieres par stimulation de la croissance en periode favorable a la vegetation (CaroCostas et al., 1960; Salette, 1971). L\u27ajustement du chargement a la quantite d\u27herbe disponible ou le report fourrager sous forme de foin ou d\u27ensilage sont des techniques difficiles a maitriser et coiiteuses en region tropicale humide. Une modulation de la fumure azotee, apportee en fonction des saisons suggeree par Dumas (1971) pourrait constituer un mo yen operationnel pour une meilleure gestion des paturages. Ce travail a pour objectif de comparer l\u27effet de deux systemes de fertilisation: dose constante d\u27azote appliquee apres chaque coupe et dose modulee en fonction de la saison
Mental rotation of prosthetic hands
No full textThis study focusses on the mental rotation of real and prosthetic hands within a laterality judgement task. When such tasks contain human hands they are believed to invoke motor imagery based mental rotation. This can be detected through a resulting biomechanical constraint effect; the limited range of movement available to human hands is reflected in task performance with medial hand rotation taking longer than lateral rotation (Zapparoli et al., 2016). When similar tasks use inanimate stimuli, motor imagery is not induced, and a visual rotation strategy is used (Zacks, 2008). This experiment partially replicates and builds upon a final year undergraduate project at the University of Manchester in 2021 examining the processing of prosthetic hands (Duncan-Cross, 2021). As prosthetic hands are known to elicit eeriness in some observers (Poliakoff et al., 2018), in line with Mori’s theory of the Uncanny Valley (Mori et al., 2012), it is possible that their eeriness may also be responsible for changes in their processing.
Research question 1: Is motor imagery used to process artificial hands?
The previous study found that real, realistic, and mechanical hands all produced a biomechanical constraints effect, suggesting that motor imagery is used across hand types.
Research question 2: Are artificial hands processed differently to real hands in the hand laterality task?
The previous study found that mechanical and realistic prosthetic hands produced lower slope values than real hands, suggesting differences in processing. For all hand types, palms of hands produced slower reaction times and lower slopes.
Duncan-Cross, I. (2021). What can mental rotation tell us about the uncanny valley for prosthetic hands? Unpublished final year undergraduate study.
Mori, M., Mac Dorman, K. F., & Kageki, N. N. (2012). The uncanny valley [Bukimi no tani]. IEEE Robotics and Automation, 19(2), 98-100. DOI: 10.1109/MRA.2012.2192811
Poliakoff, E., O’Kane, S., Carefoot, O., Kyberd, P., & Gowen, E. (2018). Investigating the uncanny valley for prosthetic hands. Prosthetics and Orthotics International, 42(1), 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309364617744083
Zacks, J. M. (2008). Neuroimaging studies of mental rotation: a meta-analysis and review. Journal of cognitive neuroscience, 20(1), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.1162/jocn.2008.20013
Zapparoli, L., Saetta, G., De Santis, C., Gandola, M., Zerbi, A., Banfi, G., & Paulesu, E. (2016). When I am (almost) 64: The effect of normal ageing on implicit motor imagery in young elderlies. Behavioural brain research, 303, 137-151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbr.2016.01.05
First international proficiency testing for laboratory performance on Xylella fastidiosa
No full textA proficiency test (PT) to evaluate the performance of laboratories involved in molecular and serological detection of Xf was carried out in early 2017. Thirty-five laboratories from EU/non-EU Countries tested 4 different methods to purify DNA, conventional and qPCR assays, and 2 ELISA tests. The number of resultant positive agreement/negative agreement/positive deviation/negative deviation was used to determine the laboratory performance (i.e. accuracy 100%). The overall results showed that all laboratories were able to correctly diagnose Xf in the blind samples containing the highest Xf concentrations, whereas the performance of several laboratories was negatively affected by the lack of detection in the samples with the lowest concentrations, both through molecular and serological tests. Accuracy level of 100% (laboratory conformed to the PT) was successfully recovered in the majority of the laboratories performing qPCR assays on DNA purified using at least 2 of the 4 tested protocols. The use of automated platform ensured higher laboratory performance. As expected, results of the ELISA tests generated lower performance values in the majority of the laboratories, due to the lack of detection of positive samples containing the lowest the bacterial concentration. This study provides a good overview on the laboratory performance for the diagnostics currently used in the EPPO countries and indicate useful improvements that laboratories can adopt to achieve a better performanc
New organic solvents based on carbohydrates
No full textNature provides a vast new vista of opportunities for the preparation of new recyclable solvents. Natural compounds have been recently used to prepare the cationic or anionic moiety of room temperature ionic liquids. In many cases, these new solvents based on modification of natural products contain chiral centres and/or specific functional groups. This paper is an overview in an area of research that is destined to a rapid development and expansion
Adsorption and Desorption Processes Under Supercritical Conditions
No full textThe desorption of solutes from solid matrices under supercritical conditions has found many applications such as in soil remediation and in activated carbon regeneration.
Soil remediation by SF’s has been proposed as alternative to incineration, vapour extraction, bioremediation, vapour stripping and thermal extraction. The SF extraction of contaminants will be influenced by temperature, pressure, water content of the soil, cosolvent’s effect and organic substance content.
The regeneration of activated carbon used in wastewater’s treatment and in contaminated stream purification, can be performed with vapor stripping, liquid-liquid extraction and thermal regeneration. SF regeneration has been proposed since it is possible to regenerate spent carbon in situ avoiding losses of carbon due to friction and, if compared with thermal regeneration, it is a process with lower losses of carbon (due to the oxidation of adsorbed substances) and less severe operating conditions.
Many studies have been reported for the separation of oxygenated therpenes from hydrocarboned therpenes and of some benzopirones using silica gels as adsorbent. The recovery of nitrogen compounds from coal tar fraction and the separation of cholesterol from butter oil was also investigated.
Our objective was to investigate the feasibility of a separation of alpha-tocopherol from alpha-tocopherol acetate in a desorption process. Experimental data are presented for adsorption and desorption of alpha-tocopherol from alpha-tocopherol acetate (vitamin E) on/from activated carbon and silica gels with different surface area values in the presence of supercritical carbon dioxide.
In order to verify if supercritical carbon dioxide is a simple carrier fluid or it is also adsorbed, adsorption of carbon dioxide on the adsorbents mentioned above has been determined gravimetrically and reported. Finally the different behavior of alpha-tocopherol from alpha-tocopherol acetate (related to solute-adsorbent-SF interaction) suggests the desorption process for the separation of the two tocopherols as an alternative to traditional methods
Sorption of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide in Polymers: Experimental Determination and Modelling
No full textRecent studies on supercritical fluid technology have focused on polymer processing with supercritical fluids (SCFs). Among others, an interesting field of research is the swelling and sorption of an amorphous polymer with a dense gas.
The swelling of the O-ring seals when contacted with a SCF, and the effect of a quick release in pressure causing the rapid desorption of the SCF, can both damage the O-rings. With a good swelling database it should be possible to choose the proper material for each application.
An interesting and useful property of a swelled polymer is the increment of solute diffusion coefficients; this enhancing effect can be as large as two order of magnitude,
This can be exploited to extract impurities from a polymer matrix: the enhanced diffusion coefficients in the polymer makes it easier for the SCF solvent to reach the impurities trapped into the matrix, to solubilize them and to carry them away. Of course, the process can be conducted at low-to-moderate temperatures, so polymer degradation is avoided.
At the same time also the impregnation of a polymer matrix with additives can be performed: for example biocompatible polymers can be charged with drugs to obtain controlled release pharmaceuticals. The principle is to swell the polymer with the dense gas, thus allowing the substance to migrate into the matrix. Then pressure is suddenly released, the gas is removed from the polymer, and the heavy drug is trapped into the now unswollen matrix.
Another way to solubilize a drug in a polymer matrix is to dissolve it in a supercritical fluid, and to flow the supercritical solution through a column containing the matrix: the drug splits between the fluid and the stationary phase, following a distribution coefficient which is a function of process conditions (temperature, pressure, mole fraction of the solute in the fluid phase).
To gain a better insight into these processes, a large database of swelling and sorption data should be useful. In practice the database available is quite small.
The purpose of this work is to measure the sorption of CO2 in biocompatible polymers without the direct knowledge of the swelling data, which are difficult to measure for polymers in powder form.
The experimental sorption data are correlated using the dual sorption model
SEC Review: Comfort or Illusion?
No full textRegistration statements and proxy materials filed pursuant to federal securities laws undergo various types of scrutiny by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC or the Commission ) to determine compliance with applicable regulations and forms and the adequacy of disclosures required to be made in such documents. The more selective review procedures presently employed by the SEC and the proliferation of litigation related to allegedly inadequate disclosures raise the issue of whether a clearance of that document by the SEC should be accorded any evidentiary value. The author first outlines the review procedures applicable to registration statements and proxy materials. Then the author addresses the evidentiary question, examining opposing viewpoints expressed by statute and through case law, and concludes the SEC determinations should be accorded some evidentiary weight
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