Alpha Activity During Lucid Dreaming

We have been interested in the electrophysiological correlates of lucid dreaming (LD) since early work in this laboratory suggested a relationship between lucidity and alpha activity (Ogilvie, Hunt, Sawicki &McGowan, 1978; Ogilvie, Hunt, Tyson, Lucescu & Jeakins, 1982; Tyson, Ogilvie, & Hunt, 1984). Until now, this alpha-lucidity hypothesis had not been tested in our lab on high frequency lucid dreamers who signal while in REM sleep, and LaBerge (1980; 1981) has not observed any changes in alpha in signalled episodes of lucidity. The present report describes computer analyses of EEG activity obtained during eight laboratory nights from a frequent lucid dreamer. In addition to standard polysomnographic measures, CCTV monitoring with two cameras and a screen splitter permitted simultaneous display and videotaping of the subject's (RJS's) face and concurrent polygraphic activity. This was particularly useful during REM, since RJS had trained himself to sleep on his back and to try to signal from that position. In the month prior to the lab nights, RJS spend over an hour per day meditating. He also used LaBerge's lucidity induction or cognitive self-instruction techniques and reported LD rates in excess of one per night. He practiced signalling (using three blinks/ rapid vertical eye movements) and thought he had successfully signalled several LDs while at home

Finding SQL Injection and Cross Site Scripting Vulnerabilities with Diverse Static Analysis Tools

The use of Static Analysis Tools (SATs) is mandatory when developing secure software and searching for vulnerabilities in legacy software. However, the performance of the various SATs concerning the detection of vulnerabilities and false alarm rate is usually unknown and depends on many factors. The simultaneous use of several tools should increase the detection capabilities, but also the number of false alarms. In this paper, we study the problem of combining several SATs to best meet the developer needs. We present results of analyzing the performance of diverse static analysis tools, based on a previously published dataset that resulted from the use of five diverse SATs to find two types of vulnerabilities, namely SQL Injections (SQLi) and Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), in 132 plugins of the WordPress Content Management System (CMS). We present the results based on well-established measures for binary classifiers, namely sensitivity and specificity for all possible diverse combinations that can be constructed using these 5 SAT tools. We then provide empirically supported guidance on which combinations of SAT tools provide the most benefits for detecting vulnerabilities with low false positive rates

Intermittent exsposure of gravid rats to 1% nitrous oxide and the effect on the postnatal growth of their offspring

PKThree groups of pregnant rats were exposed to 1% nitrous oxide 6 hours a day, 5 days per week for the first, first and second, and all 3 weeks of gestation. The offspring were weighed and measured at weekly intervals. The following variables were evaluated in control and experimental groups: litter size, body weight, tail length and body length. Litter sizes in animals exposed for the first and second weeks of gestation were significantly smaller than the controls. A two-way nested statistical analysis of the data revealed that over an 8-week period the experimental rats were significantly smaller than the control rats of the same age. Analysis of the 95% confidence intervals revealed no particular pattern related to the timing of the exposure to nitrous oxide

Structural Modeling of Straw Bale Loadbearing Wall

In Ecuador, there are qualitative and quantitative housing deficits that must be covered with materials that produce seismic-resistant, energy-efficient buildings that do not require a large amount of energy to be produced. Several studies indicate that the answer lies in straw bale structures. However, for these to be considered by designers, aids are needed to facilitate their structural modeling in specialized computer programs. Through literature reviews, the present research proposes a model that adapts the specific structural considerations of straw bale buildings to the tools available in a design program. Keywords: structure, bales, straw, model, program, design. Resumen En el Ecuador existe un déficit cualitativo y cuantitativo de viviendas que debe ser cubierto con materiales que produzcan edificaciones sismo resistentes, energéticamente eficientes y a la vez que no requieran gran cantidad de energía para ser producidos. Varios estudios señalan que la respuesta está en las estructuras elaboradas con fardos de paja. Sin embargo, para que éstas sean consideradas por los diseñadores son necesarias ayudas para facilitar su modelamiento estructural en programas informáticos especializados. La presente investigación, a través de revisiones bibliográficas, propone un modelo que adapta las consideraciones estructurales específicas de las construcciones con fardos de paja a las herramientas disponibles en un programa de diseño. Palabras Clave: estructura, fardos, paja, modelo, programa, diseñ

Transition mode long period grating biosensor with functional multilayer coatings

We report our latest research results concerning the development of a platform for label-free biosensing based on overlayered Long Period Gratings (LPGs) working in transition mode. The main novelty of this work lies in a multilayer design that allows to decouple the problem of an efficient surface functionalization from that of the tuning in transition region of the cladding modes. An innovative solvent/nonsolvent strategy for the dip-coating technique was developed in order to deposit on the LPG multiple layers of transparent polymers. In particular, a primary coating of atactic polystyrene was used as high refractive index layer to tune the working point of the device in the so-called transition region. In this way, state-of-the-art-competitive sensitivity to surrounding medium refractive index changes was achieved. An extremely thin secondary functional layer of poly(methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid) was deposited onto the primary coating by means of an original identification of selective solvents. This approach allowed to obtain desired functional groups (carboxyls) on the surface of the device for a stable covalent attachment of bioreceptors and minimal perturbation of the optical design. Standard 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide / N-hydrosuccinimide (EDC / NHS) coupling chemistry was used to link streptavidin on the surface of the coated LPG. Highly sensitive real-time monitoring of multiple affinity assays between streptavidin and biotinylated bovine serum albumin was performed by following the shift of the LPGs attenuation bands

Perceptions life´s working conditions in a pemon etnia: approach from the action research

El presente artículo representa un aporte teórico – descriptivo sobre condiciones laborales de emprendedores de comunidades indígenas de la etnia pemón, las cuales han sido caracterizadas en función de un indicador denominado: “perfil comunal”, elaborado por un equipo de investigación que está ejecutando diversos proyectos desde julio de 2005. Las comunidades llevan los siguientes nombres indígenas: Maurak, Paraitepui, Waramasen, Uroy Uaray y Kumarakapay; y se encuentran ubicadas geográficamente en la Gran Sabana venezolana. El perfil de cada comunidad se determinó al adjudicarle un nombre específico derivado de la actividad predominante que en ella se realiza y/o de su grado de aculturación. En estas comunidades indígenas, una de las formas obtener su sustento económico es la elaboración de artesanías que provienen de esta geografía paradisíaca, y de la obtención de productos agrícolas. Para determinar las condiciones de vida laboral se efectuaron procesos de observación participante con registros fotográficos, complementadas con entrevistas a profundidad efectuadas a trabajadores de diferentes rubros. Uno de los resultados más resaltantes indica que los estos emprendedores perciben que su materia prima es gratis y se sienten orgullosos del trabajo que realizan, a pesar de que éste se realiza en condiciones precarias desde el punto de vista occidental. Así mismo, que la percepción sobre las condiciones de vida laboral que tienen estos trabajadores: a) es independiente del proceso productivo; b) es independiente del perfil de la comunidad; y c) se considera positiva porque de su trabajo obtienen los recursos monetarios que le permiten a su familia subsistir.Abstract. The present article is a theoretical - descriptive contribution on entrepreneurs’ working conditions of communities indigenous of the pemón etnia, which have been characterized depending on an indicator called: “communal profile”, elaborated by a research´s team that is executing diverse projects from july, 2005. The communities take the following indigenous names: Maurak, Paraitepui, Waramasen, Uroy Uaray and Kumarakapay; and they are located geographically in the venezuelan Gran Sabana. The profile of each community was denominated with a specific name derived from the predominant activity that it´s realized and / or of its degree of acculturation. In these communities one of the ways of obtaining their economic sustenance is the elaboration of crafts that come from the contextual´s characteristics from this paradisiac geography, or agriculture goods. To determine the conditions of working life, we effected processes of observation, through photographic records, complemented by depth interviews carried out to the workers of different item. One of the results more important indicates that the entrepreneurs perceive that his raw material or commodity is free, and are proud of their work, although it is done in poor condition from the western standpoint. Likewise, the perception of the living conditions of these workers work is: a) independent of the production process, b) independent of the community profile, and c) is considered positive because they have the perception that from their work receive the monetary resources that allow the family´s survival

Atualização da informação geológica e estratigráfica das jazidas de dinossáurios de La Rioja. Paleodiversidade do Cretácico Inferior do Grupo Enciso em Peña Cárcena (Igea, Espanha)

ABSTRACT: The discovery of new vertebrate fossil sites with skeletal remains in the Enciso Group of Igea (La Rioja) is showing the relevance of the area to study the palaeobiodiversity of Early Cretaceous vertebrate faunas from the Iberian Peninsula. At Peña Cárcena hill two sedimentary environments have been inferred: a mixed siliciclastic-carbonate lacustrine environment that is dominant at the outcrops, overlaid by a splay delta in an avulsion-belt. The vertebrate remains are especially abundant in the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate lacustrine deposits with two partially articulated skeletons (a theropod and a large-sized dinosaur), teeth and a fragment of a left maxilla of baryonychines, a pterosaur tooth that differs from those of Prejanopterus, a Goniopholis tooth, chelonian shell fragments that might belong to Camerochelys, a fairly complete lepisosteiform, teeth and dorsal fin spines of hybodontiforms. At the delta deposits, vertebrate fossils are rather scarce, with a single lepisosteiform skeleton and indeterminate bone fragments.RESUMO: A descoberta de novas jazidas com restos osteológicos de vertebrados no Grupo Enciso em Igea (La Rioja) comprova a importância da região para o estudo da paleobiodiversidade das faunas de vertebrados do Cretácico Inferior da Península Ibérica. Na colina de Peña-Cárcena, tem-se inferido dois ambientes sedimentares: o predominante nos afloramentos corresponde a um ambiente lacustre, siliciclástico-carbonatado misto, que se encontra sobreposto por depósitos de transbordo deltaico em cinturão abandonado. Restos de vertebrados são abundantes nos depósitos lacustres, incluindo dois esqueletos parciais articulados (de um terópode e de outro dinossáurio de grande porte), dentes e um fragmento de maxila esquerda de barionicinos, um dente de pterossáurio distinto de Prejanopterus, um dente de Goniopholis, fragmentos da carapaça de quelónios que poderão pertencer a Camerochelys, um lepisosteiforme praticamente completo, dentes e espinhos de barbatanas de hybodontiformes. Fósseis de vertebrados são escassos nos depósitos deltaicos, com apenas um esqueleto de lepisosteiforme e fragmentos indeterminados.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Client self-assessment in community aged care: A comparative study involving older Australians and their case managers

Self-assessment of support needs is a relatively new and under-researched phenomenon in domiciliary aged care. This article outlines the results of a comparative study focusing on whether a self-assessment approach assists clients to identify support needs and the degree to which self-assessed needs differ from an assessment conducted by community care professionals. A total of 48 older people and their case managers completed a needs assessment tool. Twenty-two semi-structured interviews were used to ascertain older people’s views and preferences regarding the self-assessment process. The study suggests that while a co-assessment approach as outlined in this article has the potential to assist older people to gain a better understanding of their care needs as well as the assessment process and its ramifications, client self-assessment should be seen as part of a co-assessment process involving care professionals. Such a co-assessment process allows older people to gain a better understanding of their support needs and the wider community aged care context. The article suggests that a co-assessment process involving both clients and care professionals contains features that have the capacity to enhance domiciliary aged care