Vertex evoked potentials in a rating-scale detection task: Relation to signal probability

Vertex evoked potentials were recorded from human subjects performing in an auditory detection task with rating scale responses. Three values of a priori probability of signal presentation were tested. The amplitudes of the N1 and P3 components of the vertex potential associated with correct detections of the signal were found to be systematically related to the strictness of the response criterion and independent of variations in a priori signal probability. No similar evoked potential components were found associated with signal absent judgements (misses and correct rejections) regardless of the confidence level of the judgement or signal probability. These results strongly support the contention that the form of the vertex evoked response is closely correlated with the subject's psychophysical decision regarding the presence or absence of a threshold level signal

Communication through an extra dimension

If our visible universe is considered a trapped shell in a five-dimensional hyper-universe, all matter in it may be connected by superluminal signals traveling through the fifth dimension. Events in the shell are still causal, however, the propagation of signals proceeds at different velocities depending on the fifth coordinate.Comment: Latex format, 12 pages. References modifie

A Weak Gravitational Lensing Analysis of Abell 2390

We report on the detection of dark matter in the cluster Abell 2390 using the weak gravitational distortion of background galaxies. We find that the cluster light and total mass distributions are quite similar over an angular scale of \simeq 7^\prime \;(1 \Mpc). The cluster galaxy and mass distributions are centered on the cluster cD galaxy and exhibit elliptical isocontours in the central \simeq 2^\prime \; (280 \kpc). The major axis of the ellipticity is aligned with the direction defined by the cluster cD and a ``straight arc'' located $\simeq 38^{\prime\prime}$ to the northwest. We determined the radial mass-to-light profile for this cluster and found a constant value of $(320 \pm 90) h\; M_\odot/L_{\odot V}$, which is consistent with other published determinations. We also compared our weak lensing azimuthally averaged radial mass profile with a spherical mass model proposed by the CNOC group on the basis of their detailed dynamical study of the cluster. We find good agreement between the two profiles, although there are weak indications that the CNOC density profile may be falling more steeply for $\theta\geq 3^\prime$ (420\kpc).Comment: 14 pages, latex file. Postscript file and one additional figure are available at ftp://magicbean.berkeley.edu/pub/squires/a2390/massandlight.ps.g

Barriers to Affordable Housing on Brownfield Sites

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank all interviewees that gave freely of their time. We especially thank those housing providers returning to comment on final drafts. Particular thanks go to Jonathan Stern (Bridge Housing), Craig Adelman (Amcal Housing and LeSar), John Kauh (Wells Fargo), and Linda Mandolini (Eden Housing). Further thanks to the anonymous reviewers who made valuable comments on the original version of the paper.Peer reviewedPostprin

How much does teenage parenthood affect long term outcomes? A systematic review.

Background: The rates of teenage pregnancy in the UK are relatively high. Although early entry to parenthood can be a positive experience, most studies find large adverse effects on long term outcomes for the mother, child and father, in addition to being costly for the NHS. This is why the government launched its Teenage Pregnancy Strategy in 1999. However, there is growing evidence that teenage pregnancy might be mainly an indicator of disadvantage which is the underlying cause of the negative outcomes. Methods: A systematic literature review was undertaken of studies which used a UK dataset to quantify any long term outcomes of a teenage birth upon the mother, father or child. Studies were included if they used appropriate methods to isolate the causal effect of early parenthood. The databases searched included Medline, Cochrane, EconLit and Web of Science. Results: Six studies were identified by the review; five studies considered the mother’s socioeconomic outcomes, one study reported the child’s outcomes, and no studies met the inclusion criteria for the father’s outcomes. The studies suggested that early motherhood accounts for relatively few of the negative long term socioeconomic outcomes and it is predominantly an indicator of a disadvantaged family background. Conclusion: Limited evidence is available to understand the long term outcomes associated with teenage birth within the UK for the mother, father and child. Current econometric studies suggest that effective interventions to prevent teenage pregnancies will not eradicate the poorer long term socioeconomic outcomes often associated with early motherhood. Thus policy should focus on reducing initial disadvantage in addition to preventing teenage pregnancy. Additional econometric analyses around the mothers’, fathers’ and children’s long term socioeconomic and health-related outcomes would be valuable

E-cadherin and cell adhesion: a role in architecture and function in the pancreatic islet

Background/Aims: The efficient secretion of insulin from beta-cells requires extensive intra-islet communication. The cell surface adhesion protein epithelial (E)-cadherin (ECAD) establishes and maintains epithelial tissues such as the islets of Langerhans. In this study, the role of ECAD in regulating insulin secretion from pseudoislets was investigated. Methods: The effect of an immuno-neutralising ECAD on gross morphology, cytosolic calcium signalling, direct cell-to-cell communication and insulin secretion was assessed by fura-2 microfluorimetry, Lucifer Yellow dye injection and insulin ELISA in an insulin-secreting model system. Results: Antibody blockade of ECAD reduces glucose-evoked changes in [Ca2+](i) and insulin secretion. Neutralisation of ECAD causes a breakdown in the glucose-stimulated synchronicity of calcium oscillations between discrete regions within the pseudoislet, and the transfer of dye from an individual cell within a cell cluster is attenuated in the absence of ECAD ligation, demonstrating that gap junction communication is disrupted. The functional consequence of neutralising ECAD is a significant reduction in insulin secretion. Conclusion: Cell adhesion via ECAD has distinct roles in the regulation of intercellular communication between beta-cells within islets, with potential repercussions for insulin secretion. Copyright (C) 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

Scaling and energy transfer in rotating turbulence

The inertial-range properties of quasi-stationary hydrodynamic turbulence under solid-body rotation are studied via high-resolution direct numerical simulations. For strong rotation the nonlinear energy cascade exhibits depletion and a pronounced anisotropy with the energy flux proceeding mainly perpendicularly to the rotation axis. This corresponds to a transition towards a quasi-two-dimensional flow similar to a linear Taylor-Proudman state. In contrast to the energy spectrum along the rotation axis which does not scale self-similarly, the perpendicular spectrum displays an inertial range with $k^{-2}_\perp$-behavior. A new phenomenology gives a rationale for the observations. The scaling exponents $\zeta_p$ of structure functions up to order $p=8$ measured perpendicular to the rotation axis indicate reduced intermittency with increasing rotation rate. The proposed phenomenology is consistent with the inferred asymptotic non-intermittent behavior $\zeta_p=p/2$.Comment: to be published in Europhysics Letters (www.epletters.net), minor changes to match version in prin

Anisotropic structure of homogeneous turbulence subjected to uniform rotation

Large-eddy simulation results are used to investigate the development of anisotropies and the possible transition towards a quasi two-dimensional state in rotating turbulence at high Reynolds number. The present study demonstrates the existence of two transitions that are identified by two Rossby numbers. The first transition marks the onset of anisotropic effects and corresponds to a macro Rossby number Ro(sup L) (based on a longitudinal integral length scale) near unity. A second transition can be defined in terms of a lower bound of micro-Rossby number Ro(sup w) also near unity (defined in this work as the ratio of the rms fluctuating vorticity to background vorticity) and corresponds to a continued development of anisotropy but with an increasing emergence of those indicators based on the pure two-dimensional component of the flow, e.g., integral length scales measured along the rotation axis. Investigation of the vorticity structure shows that the second transition is also characterized by an increasing tendency for alignment between the fluctuating vorticity vector and the basic angular velocity vector with a preference for corotative vorticity

Brainstem auditory evoked responses in man. 1: Effect of stimulus rise-fall time and duration

Short latency (under 10 msec) evoked responses elicited by bursts of white noise were recorded from the scalp of human subjects. Response alterations produced by changes in the noise burst duration (on-time) inter-burst interval (off-time), and onset and offset shapes are reported and evaluated. The latency of the most prominent response component, wave V, was markedly delayed with increases in stimulus rise-time but was unaffected by changes in fall-time. The amplitude of wave V was insensitive to changes in signal rise-and-fall times, while increasing signal on-time produced smaller amplitude responses only for sufficiently short off-times. It is concluded that wave V of the human auditory brainstem evoked response is solely an onset response