The relationship between longitudinal performance and competence: a pilot study

No abstract available

Coherent Perfect Rotation

Two classes of conservative, linear, optical rotary effects (optical activity and Faraday rotation) are distinguished by their behavior under time reversal. In analogy with coherent perfect absorption, where counterpropagating light fields are controllably converted into other degrees of freedom, we show that only time-odd (Faraday) rotation is capable of coherent perfect rotation in a linear and conservative medium, by which we mean the complete transfer of counterpropagating coherent light fields into their orthogonal polarization. This highlights the necessity of time reversal odd processes (not just absorption) and coherence in perfect mode conversion and may inform device design.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Vagus nerve stimulation paired with tactile training improved sensory function in a chronic stroke patient

Background: Recent studies indicate that vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) paired with rehabilitation can enhance neural plasticity in the primary sensory and motor cortices, improve forelimb function after stroke in animal models and improve motor function in patients with arm weakness after stroke. OBJECTIVE:To gain “first-in-man” experience of VNS paired with tactile training in a patient with severe sensory impairment after stroke. Methods: During the long-term follow-up phase of a clinical trial of VNS paired with motor rehabilitation, a 71-year-old man who had made good motor recovery had ongoing severe sensory loss in his left hand and arm. He received VNS paired with tactile therapy in an attempt to improve his sensory function. During twenty 2-hour sessions, each passive and active tactile event was paired with a 0.5 second burst of 0.8 mA VNS. Sensory function was measured before, halfway through, and after this therapy. Results: The patient did not report any side effects during or following VNS+Tactile therapy. Quantitative measures revealed lasting and clinically meaningful improvements in tactile threshold, proprioception, and stereognosis. After VNS+Tactile therapy, the patient was able to detect tactile stimulation to his affected hand that was eight times less intense, identify the joint position of his fingers in the affected hand three times more often, and identify everyday objects using his affected hand seven times more often, compared to baseline. Conclusions: Sensory function significantly improved in this man following VNS paired with tactile stimulation. This approach merits further study in controlled clinical trials

The impact of an innovative human resource function on firm performance: the moderating role of financing strategy

The current study examined the impact of the human resource function and financing strategy on the financial performance of 104 UK manufacturing firms. Hypotheses are drawn from a resource-based perspective on human resource management and a financial theory perspective on capital structure. Results show that an innovative HR function is significantly related to economic performance. However, the relationship between an innovative HR function and economic performance was moderated by the firm¿s financing strategy. Firms obtained higher returns from an innovative HR function when pursuing a low leveraging (debt) financing strategy, a finding consistent with modern finance theory notions that firmspecific strategic assets provide greatest value when financed primarily through equity as opposed to debt