Switching to the rubber hand

Inducing the rubber hand illusion (RHI) requires that participants look at an imitation hand while it is stroked in synchrony with their occluded biological hand. Previous explanations of the RHI have emphasized multisensory integration, and excluded higher cognitive functions. We investigated the relationship between the RHI and higher cognitive functions by experimentally testing task switch (as measured by switch cost) and mind wandering (as measured by SART score); we also included a questionnaire for attentional control that comprises two subscales, attention-shift and attention-focus. To assess experience of RHI, the Botvinick and Cohen (1998) questionnaire was used and illusion onset time was recorded. Our results indicate that rapidity of onset reliably indicates illusion strength. Regression analysis revealed that participants evincing less switch cost and higher attention-shift scores had faster RHI onset times, and that those with higher attention-shift scores experienced the RHI more vividly. These results suggest that the multi-sensory hypothesis is not sufficient to explain the illusion: higher cognitive functions should be taken into account when explaining variation in the experience of ownership for the rubber hand

The exact theory for scattering of waves by thick holes in a slab and other objects with non-separable geometries

The theory for scattering of electromagnetic waves is developed for scattering objects for which the natural modes of the field inside the object do not couple one-to-one with those outside the scatterer. Key feature of the calculation of the scattered fields is the introduction of a new set of modes. As an example, we calculate the reflected and transmitted fields generated by an electromagnetic plane wave that impinges upon a multilayer slab of which the layers are stacked perpendicular to the boundary planes. As this is the geometry of a thick plate with slits our theory encompasses the exact scattering theory of electromagnetic waves by a thick plate with slits.

Pilot Information Needs for Electronic Data-Driven Charts

Electronic charting technology is evolving from “fixed” raster-based charts to data-driven charts, in which information elements shown on the chart can be reconfigured during flight. Specifically, we were interested in identifying a set of minimum information requirements for a concept in which pilots brief with a fixed chart showing all information elements but then fly with an electronic chart, which may or may not include all the information elements that were briefed. Two hundred twenty-nine pilots rated the importance of information elements shown on four different types of aeronautical charts. We analyzed the data using one-way chi-square tests to identify a criticality “level” for each information element. This information was then used to identify a “minimum set.” This paper presents an overview of the findings

Pilot Information Needs for Electronic Data-Driven Charts

Electronic charting technology is evolving from “fixed” raster-based charts to data-driven charts, in which information elements shown on the chart can be reconfigured during flight. Specifically, we were interested in identifying a set of minimum information requirements for a concept in which pilots brief with a fixed chart showing all information elements but then fly with an electronic chart, which may or may not include all the information elements that were briefed. Two hundred twenty-nine pilots rated the importance of information elements shown on four different types of aeronautical charts. We analyzed the data using one-way chi-square tests to identify a criticality “level” for each information element. This information was then used to identify a “minimum set.” This paper presents an overview of the findings

Genomic profiling of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma reveals recurrent alterations in epigenetic regulatory genes BAP1, SETD2, and DDX3X.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer that arises from the mesothelial cells that line the pleural cavity and less commonly from the peritoneal lining of the abdomen and pelvis. Most pleural mesotheliomas arise in patients with a history of asbestos exposure, whereas the association of peritoneal mesotheliomas with exposure to asbestos and other potential carcinogens is less clear, suggesting that the genetic alterations that drive malignant peritoneal mesothelioma may be unique from those in pleural mesothelioma. Treatment options for all malignant mesotheliomas are currently limited, with no known targeted therapies available. To better understand the molecular pathogenesis of malignant peritoneal mesothelioma, we sequenced 510 cancer-related genes in 13 patients with malignant mesothelioma arising in the peritoneal cavity. The most frequent genetic alteration was biallelic inactivation of the BAP1 gene, which occurred in 9/13 cases, with an additional two cases demonstrating monoallelic loss of BAP1. All 11 of these cases demonstrated loss of BAP1 nuclear staining by immunohistochemistry, whereas two tumors without BAP1 alteration and all 42 cases of histologic mimics in peritoneum (8 multilocular peritoneal inclusion cyst, 6 well-differentiated papillary mesothelioma of the peritoneum, 16 adenomatoid tumor, and 12 low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary) demonstrated intact BAP1 nuclear staining. Additional recurrently mutated genes in this cohort of malignant peritoneal mesotheliomas included NF2 (3/13), SETD2 (2/13), and DDX3X (2/13). While these genes are known to be recurrently mutated in pleural mesotheliomas, the frequencies are distinct in peritoneal mesotheliomas, with nearly 85% of peritoneal tumors harboring BAP1 alterations versus only 20-30% of pleural tumors. Together, these findings demonstrate the importance of epigenetic modifiers including BAP1, SETD2, and DDX3X in mesothelial tumorigenesis and suggest opportunities for targeted therapies

Diffraction-Based Tracking of Surface Plasmon Resonance Enhanced Transmission Through a Gold-Coated Grating

Surface plasmon resonance enhanced transmission through metal-coated nanostructures represents a highly sensitive yet simple method for quantitative measurement of surface processes and is particularly useful in the development of thin film and adsorption sensors. Diffraction-induced surface plasmon excitation can produce enhanced transmission at select regions of the visible spectrum, and wavelength shifts associated with these transmission peaks can be used to track adsorption processes and film formation. In this report, we describe a simple optical microscope-based method for monitoring the first-order diffracted peaks associated with enhanced transmission through a gold-coated diffraction grating. A Bertrand lens is used to focus the grating’s diffraction image onto a CCD camera, and the spatial position of the diffracted peaks can be readily transformed into a spectral signature of the transmitted light without the use of a spectrometer. The surface plasmon peaks appear as a region of enhanced transmission when the sample is illuminated with p-polarized light, and the peak position reflects the local dielectric properties of the metal interface, including the presence of thin films. The ability to track the position of the plasmon peak and, thus, measure film thickness is demonstrated using the diffracted peaks for samples possessing thin films of silicon oxide. The experimental results are then compared with calculations of optical diffraction through a model, film-coated grating using the rigorously coupled wave analysis simulation method

Chararcterization of Heterogeneity Style and Permeability Structure in Fluvial Reservoirs

The Cretaceous Acu Formation was investigated as an analog to a heterogeneous group of reservoirs having significant potential for reserve growth in the Potiguar Basin of Brazil. Architectural, lithologic, and petrophysical information was collected from an outcrop exposing a fluvially deposited sandstone body located in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Sedimentologic descriptions of the sandstone body were collected from a series of vertical transects spaced evenly across the outcrop. Stratal surfaces traced between transects were recorded on photomosaics. Measurements of permeability were obtained from each transect by use of a portable probe-style mechanical field permeameter. A cross-section depicting bedding architecture, sedimentologic attributes, and permeability values was constructed, and the information incorporated into a two-dimensional representation of reservoir architecture using Stratamodel's Stratigraphic Geocellular Modeling software (SGM). The SGM technique deterministically interpolates permeability data between transect locations using a lithologic or stratigraphic framework.Bureau of Economic Geolog

An efficient surrogate model for emulation and physics extraction of large eddy simulations

In the quest for advanced propulsion and power-generation systems, high-fidelity simulations are too computationally expensive to survey the desired design space, and a new design methodology is needed that combines engineering physics, computer simulations and statistical modeling. In this paper, we propose a new surrogate model that provides efficient prediction and uncertainty quantification of turbulent flows in swirl injectors with varying geometries, devices commonly used in many engineering applications. The novelty of the proposed method lies in the incorporation of known physical properties of the fluid flow as {simplifying assumptions} for the statistical model. In view of the massive simulation data at hand, which is on the order of hundreds of gigabytes, these assumptions allow for accurate flow predictions in around an hour of computation time. To contrast, existing flow emulators which forgo such simplications may require more computation time for training and prediction than is needed for conducting the simulation itself. Moreover, by accounting for coupling mechanisms between flow variables, the proposed model can jointly reduce prediction uncertainty and extract useful flow physics, which can then be used to guide further investigations.Comment: Submitted to JASA A&C