The Dramatic Impact of Silicon Technology

Approximately twelve years ago the first double-diffused silicon transistor was offered to the marketplace. These first transistors sold for $70.00. Today it is possible to purchase an integrated memory circuit with several thousand transistors plus several thousand resistors and diodes for less the original selling price of this first transistor.     

Speed-accuracy characteristics of human-machine cooperative manipulation using virtual fixtures with variable admittance

This work explores the effect of virtual fixture admittance on the performance, defined by error and time, of task execution with a human-machine cooperative system. A desired path is obtained using computer vision, and virtual fixtures for assistance in planar path following were implemented on an admittance-controlled robot. The admittance controller uses a velocity gain, so that the speed of the robot is proportional to the force applied by the operator. The level of virtual fixture guidance is determined by the admittance ratio, which is the ratio of the admittance gain of the force components orthogonal to the path to the gain of the force components parallel to the path. In Experiment 1, we found a linear relationship between admittance ratio and performance. In Experiment 2, we examined the effect of admittance ratio on the performance of three tasks: path following, off-path targeting, and obstacle avoidance. An algorithm was developed to select an appropriate admittance ratio based on the nature of the task. Automatic admittance ratio tuning is recommended for next-generation virtual fixtures. Actual or potential applications of this research include surgery, assembly, and manipulation at the macro and micro scales.     

TISSUE DISTRIBUTION OF α-AMYLASE AND PHOSPHORYLASE IN DEVELOPING BARLEY GRAIN

Approximately half the total α-amylase and phosphorylase activity detectable in crude homogenates of the tissues of developing barley grain was localized in the pericarp. This tissue is particularly active in the early stages of grain development. It is suggested that this activity may influence the starch type and content of the mature barley grain.     

Analysis of self-assembled cationic lipid-DNA gene carrier complexes using flow field-flow fractionation and light scattering

Self-assembled cationic lipid-DNA complexes have shown an ability to facilitate the delivery of heterologous DNA across outer cell membranes and nuclear membranes (transfection) for gene therapy applications. While the size of the complex and the surface charge (which is a function of the lipid-to-DNA mass ratio) are important factors that determine transfection efficiency, lipid-DNA complex preparations are heterogeneous with respect to particle size and net charge. This heterogeneity contributes to the low transfection efficiency and instability of cationic lipid-DNA vectors. Efforts to define structure-activity relations and stable vector populations have been hampered by the lack of analytical techniques that can separate this type of particle and analyze both the physical characteristics and biological activity of the resulting fractions. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of flow field-flow fractionation (flow FFF) to separate cationic lipid-DNA complexes prepared at various lipid-DNA ratios. The compatibility of the lipid-DNA particles with several combinations of FFF carrier liquids and channel membranes was assessed. In addition, changes in elution profiles (or size distributions) were monitored as a function of time using on-line ultraviolet, multiangle light scattering, and refractive index detectors. Multiangle light scattering detected the formation of particle aggregates during storage, which were not observed with the other detectors. In comparison to population-averaged techniques, such as photon correlation spectroscopy, flow FFF allows a detailed examination of subtle changes in the physical properties of nonviral vectors and provides a basis for the definition of structure-activity relations for this novel class of pharmaceutical agents.     

Let’s Get Physical! In, Out and Around the Gaming Circle of Physical Gaming at Home

Physical gaming is a genre of computer games that has recently been made available for the home. But what does it mean to bring games home that were originally designed for play in the arcade? This paper describes an empirical study that looks at physical gaming and how it finds its place in the home. We discuss the findings from this study by organizing them around four topics: the adoption of the game, its unique spatial needs, the tension between visibility and availability of the game, and what it means to play among what we describe as the gaming circle, or players and non-players alike. Finally, we discuss how physical gaming in the home surfaces questions and issues for householders and researchers around adoption, gender and both space and place.     

Another option for separated plutonium management: Storage MOX

Currently there is no plan for the management of civilian plutonium that does not create a stockpile of separated plutonium. As a result, a number of nations with nuclear technology hold a large stockpile (about 240 tonnes) of separated plutonium. This paper suggests a timely, cost-effective solution for managing this material: storage MOX. A storage MOX plan would use existing MOX fuel fabrication facilities to make a simple MOX waste form suitable for long-term storage. Alternative waste forms to MOX are also possible, such as zirconia and pyrochlore, which provide more reliable durability and radiation damage control over thousands to hundreds of thousands of years.     

外包在中国

目前，中国正逐渐成为西方寻找外包开发游戏公司的一片新热土，Pearl Research认为中国市场上存在的大量劳动力，相对较低的劳务成本，大批的游戏玩家以及完善的设施都是形成这种态势的重要原因。通过向中国开发公司外包，仅就游戏美工一项，往往就可以帮助西方公司节约20%以上的开发成本，在次时代游戏开发成本超越400万美元的今天，开发成本的减少将直接提升公司的毛利率，并对游戏产品的获利与否产生直接影响。     

Characteristics of college cyberbullies

Cyberbullying is a newer variation of bullying that utilizes technology to harass. This study investigated the psychological symptomology, suicidal behaviors, aggressive tendencies, and illegal behaviors of college cyberbullies. Sixty cyberbullies and 19 cyberbully/victims (participants who cyberbullied and were victims of cyberbullying) scored higher in psychological symptoms of depression, hostility, interpersonal sensitivity, paranoia, phobic anxiety, and psychoticism than participants who were uninvolved with cyberbullying. The cyberbullies also endorsed more suicidal behaviors and scored higher in aggression. The cyberbully/victims engaged in more violent and drug crimes than cyberbullies and controls. These findings indicate perpetrators of cyberbullying have more psychological distress, aggressive tendencies, and engage in more illegal behaviors than those who do not cyberbully. This is the first study to show the distress cyberbullies are experiencing.     

Comparing true and false confessions among persons with serious mental illness.

Over the past decade, knowledge on false confessions has grown tremendously. However, a similar knowledge base on true confessions has not. In the present study, independent, self-reported true and false confession experiences of persons with serious mental illness were compared. In addition to examining the crimes and police questioning that led to the true or false confession, we investigated the reasons behind the confessions and the eventual case outcomes. We found that, in comparison to true confessors (n = 30), false confessors (n = 35) were questioned more times, took longer to confess, perceived the evidence against them to be weaker, and reported significantly more external pressure and less internal pressure. Moreover, of those participants who were convicted, false confessors were four times more likely to receive a prison sentence than true confessors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Defining Media Enjoyment as the Satisfaction of Intrinsic Needs

This article presents a model of enjoyment rooted in self‐determination theory ( Deci & Ryan, 1985 ) that includes the satisfaction of three needs related to psychological well‐being: autonomy, competence, and relatedness. In an experiment designed to validate this conceptualization of enjoyment, we manipulate video game characteristics related to the satisfaction of these needs and examine their relative effects on enjoyment. The validated model explains 51% of the variance in enjoyment, even without including needs usually studied in relation to enjoyment such as pleasure seeking. Results indicate the utility of defining enjoyment as need satisfaction. These results are discussed in terms of a broader conceptualization of enjoyment represented as the satisfaction of a comprehensive set of functional needs.