Autonomic nervous system functioning assessed during the Still-Face Paradigm: A meta-analysis and systematic review of methods, approach and findings.

Animal and human research suggests that the development of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is particularly sensitive to early parenting experiences. The Still-Face Paradigm (SFP), one of the most widely used measures to assess infant reactivity and emotional competence, evokes infant self-regulatory responses to parental interaction and disengagement. This systematic review of 33 peer-reviewed studies identifies patterns of parasympathetic (PNS) and sympathetic (SNS) nervous system activity demonstrated by infants under one year of age during the SFP and describes findings within the context of sample demographic characteristics, study methodologies, and analyses conducted. A meta-analysis of a subset of 14 studies with sufficient available respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) data examined whether the SFP reliably elicited PNS withdrawal (RSA decrease) during parental disengagement or PNS recovery (RSA increase) during reunion, and whether results differed by socioeconomic status (SES). Across SES, the meta-analysis confirmed that RSA decreased during the still-face episode and increased during reunion. When studies were stratified by SES, low-SES or high-risk groups also showed RSA decreases during the still face episode but failed to show an increase in RSA during reunion. Few studies have examined SNS activity during the SFP to date, preventing conclusions in that domain. The review also identified multiple qualifications to patterns of SFP ANS findings, including those that differed by ethnicity, infant sex, parental sensitivity, and genetics. Strengths and weaknesses in the extant research that may explain some of the variation in findings across the literature are also discussed, and suggestions for strengthening future research are provided

Gravitational-Wave Stochastic Background Detection with Resonant-Mass Detectors

In this paper we discuss how the standard optimal Wiener filter theory can be applied, within a linear approximation, to the detection of an isotropic stochastic gravitational-wave background with two or more detectors. We apply then the method to the AURIGA-NAUTILUS pair of ultra low temperature bar detectors, near to operate in coincidence in Italy, obtaining an estimate for the sensitivity to the background spectral density of $\simeq 10^{-49}\ Hz^{-1}$, that converts to an energy density per unit logarithmic frequency of$\simeq 8\times10^{-5}\times\rho_c$with$\rho_c\simeq1.9 \times 10^{-26}\ kg/m^3$the closure density of the Universe. We also show that by adding the VIRGO interferometric detector under construction in Italy to the array, and by properly re- orienting the detectors, one can reach a sensitivity of$\simeq 6 \times10^{-5}\times\rho_c$. We then calculate that the pair formed by VIRGO and one large mass spherical detector properly located in one of the nearby available sites in Italy can reah a sensitivity of$\simeq 2\times10^{-5}\times \rho_c$while a pair of such spherical detectors at the same sites of AURIGA and NAUTILUS can achieve sensitivities of$\simeq 2 \times10^{-6}\rho_c$.Comment: 32 pages, postscript file, also available at http://axln01.lnl.infn.it/reports/stoch.htm

Testing Theories of Gravity with a Spherical Gravitational Wave Detector

We consider the possibility of discriminating different theories of gravity using a recently proposed gravitational wave detector of spherical shape. We argue that the spin content of different theories can be extracted relating the measurements of the excited spheroidal vibrational eigenmodes to the Newman-Penrose parameters. The sphere toroidal modes cannot be excited by any metric GW and can be thus used as a veto.Comment: latex file, 16 pages, 1 figur

The detection of Gravitational Waves

This chapter is concerned with the question: how do gravitational waves (GWs) interact with their detectors? It is intended to be a theory review of the fundamental concepts involved in interferometric and acoustic (Weber bar) GW antennas. In particular, the type of signal the GW deposits in the detector in each case will be assessed, as well as its intensity and deconvolution. Brief reference will also be made to detector sensitivity characterisation, including very summary data on current state of the art GW detectors.Comment: 33 pages, 12 figures, LaTeX2e, Springer style files --included. For Proceedings of the ERE-2001 Conference (Madrid, September 2001

Detectability of gravitational wave events by spherical resonant-mass antennas

We have calculated signal-to-noise ratios for eight spherical resonant-mass antennas interacting with gravitational radiation from inspiralling and coalescing binary neutron stars and from the dynamical and secular bar-mode instability of a rapidly rotating star. We find that by using technology that could be available in the next several years, spherical antennas can detect neutron star inspiral and coalescence at a distance of 15 Mpc and the dynamical bar-mode instability at a distance of 2 Mpc.Comment: 39 pages, 4 EPS Figures, some additional SNRs for secular instabilities, some changes to LIGO SNRs, Appendix added on the asymptotic expansion of energy sensitivity, corrected supernova rates. Results available at http://www.physics.umd.edu/rgroups/gen_rel_exp/snr.html Submitted to Phys. Rev.

The EEE Project

The new experiment ``Extreme Energy Events'' (EEE) to detect extensive air showers through muon detection is starting in Italy. The use of particle detectors based on Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC) will allow to determine with a very high accuracy the direction of the axis of cosmic ray showers initiated by primaries of ultra-high energy, together with a high temporal resolution. The installation of many of such 'telescopes' in numerous High Schools scattered all over the Italian territory will also allow to investigate coincidences between multiple primaries producing distant showers. Here we present the experimental apparatus and its tasks.Comment: 4 pages, 29th ICRC 2005, Pune, Indi

Pharmacokinetics of sumatriptan in non-respondent and in adverse drug reaction reporting migraine patients

Sumatriptan is a selectiveagonist of 5HT1 (1B/1D) receptors,which has proved to be effectiveand safe for the acute treatment ofmigraine attacks. Nevertheless, itsuse by migraine sufferers is stilllimited and some patients consideradverse reactions related to sumatriptan,especially chest symptoms,unacceptable even if not serious.Moreover, in clinical trials, almostone third and one sixth of patients,respectively, fail to experienceheadache relief either after oral orafter subcutaneous sumatriptanadministration. Our aim was to verifywhether differencies in sumatriptanpharmacokinetics couldexplain non-response and/oradverse drug reactions. Sumatriptanlevels were determined by HPLCwith electrochemical detection.Pharmacokinetic parameters werecalculated using a computer program(PK Solutions 2.0; non compartmentalPharmacokinetics DataAnalysis). After oral administration,sumatriptan is rapidly absorbed andsometimes displays multiple peaksof plasma concentration. This “multiplepeaking” gives rise to considerableinter-subject variability inthe time of reaching maximumplasma concentration.Pharmacokinetic parameters ofsumatriptan, both after oral andsubcutaneous administration, weresimilar in the three patient groups.Blood pressure and heart rate didnot show any significant differencesbetween groups. Pharmacokineticparameters and bioavailability ofsumatriptan did not seem to be correlatedeither to the lack of efficacyor the appearance of side effects.These results could depend on thelimited number of patients studied

Gravitational wave astronomy

The first decade of the new millenium should see the first direct detections of gravitational waves. This will be a milestone for fundamental physics and it will open the new observational science of gravitational wave astronomy. But gravitational waves already play an important role in the modeling of astrophysical systems. I review here the present state of gravitational radiation theory in relativity and astrophysics, and I then look at the development of detector sensitivity over the next decade, both on the ground (such as LIGO) and in space (LISA). I review the sources of gravitational waves that are likely to play an important role in observations by first- and second-generation interferometers, including the astrophysical information that will come from these observations. The review covers some 10 decades of gravitational wave frequency, from the high-frequency normal modes of neutron stars down to the lowest frequencies observable from space. The discussion of sources includes recent developments regarding binary black holes, spinning neutron stars, and the stochastic background.Comment: 29 pages, 2 figures, as submitted for special millenium issue of Classical and Quantum Gravit

Regulation of intracellular cyclic GMP concentration by light and calcium in electropermeabilized rod photoreceptors.

Abstract This study examines the regulation of cGMP by illumination and by calcium during signal transduction in vertebrate retinal photoreceptor cells. We employed an electropermeabilized rod outer segment (EP-ROS) preparation which permits perfusion of low molecular weight compounds into the cytosol while retaining many of the features of physiologically competent, intact rod outer segments (ROS). When nucleotide-depleted EP-ROS were incubated with MgGTP, time- and dose-dependent increases in intracellular cGMP levels were observed. The steady state cGMP concentration in EP-ROS (0.007 mol cGMP per mol rhodopsin) approached the cGMP concentration in intact ROS. Flash illumination of EP-ROS in a 250-nM free calcium medium resulted in a transient decrease in cGMP levels; this occurred in the absence of changes in calcium concentration. The kinetics of the cGMP response to flash illumination of EP-ROS were similar to that of intact ROS. To further examine the effects of calcium on cGMP metabolism, dark-adapted EP-ROS were incubated with MgGTP containing various concentrations of calcium. We observed a twofold increase in cGMP steady state levels as the free calcium was lowered from 1 μM to 20 nM; this increase was comparable to the behavior of intact ROS. Measurements of guanylate cyclase activity in EP-ROS showed a 3.5-fold increase in activity over this range of calcium concentrations, indicating a retention of calcium regulation of guanylate cyclase in EP-ROS preparations. Flash illumination of EP-ROS in either a 50- or 250-nM free calcium medium revealed a slowing of the recovery time course at the lower calcium concentration. This observation conflicts with any hypothesis whereby a reduction in free calcium concentration hastens the recovery of cytoplasmic cGMP levels, either by stimulating guanylate cyclase activity or by inhibiting phosphodiesterase activity. We conclude that changes in the intracellular calcium concentration during visual transduction may have more complex effects on the recovery of the photoresponse than can be accounted for solely by guanylate cyclase activation

Variable binding, symmetric monoidal closed theories, and bigraphs

This paper investigates the use of symmetric monoidal closed (SMC) structure for representing syntax with variable binding, in particular for languages with linear aspects. In our setting, one first specifies an SMC theory T, which may express binding operations, in a way reminiscent from higher-order abstract syntax. This theory generates an SMC category S(T) whose morphisms are, in a sense, terms in the desired syntax. We apply our approach to Jensen and Milner's (abstract binding) bigraphs, which are linear w.r.t. processes. This leads to an alternative category of bigraphs, which we compare to the original.Comment: An introduction to two more technical previous preprints. Accepted at Concur '0