bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aspects of Multisensory Perception: The Integration of Visual and Auditory Information in Musical Experiences
Authors: HODGES DONALD A. , HAIRSTON W DAVID , BURDETTE JONATHAN H.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: One of the requirements for being a successful musical conductor is to be able to locate sounds instantaneously in time and space. Because this requires the integration of auditory and visual information, the purpose of this study was to examine multisensory processing in conductors and a matched set of control subjects. Subjects participated in a series of behavioral tasks, including pitch discrimination, temporal‐order judgment (TOJ), and target localization. Additionally, fMRI scans were done on a subset of subjects who performed a multisensory TOJ task. Analyses of behavioral data indicate that, in the auditory realm, conductors were more accurate in both pitch discrimination and TOJs as well as in locating targets in space. Furthermore, these same subjects also demonstrated a benefit from the combination of auditory and visual information that was not observed in control subjects when locating visual targets. Finally, neural substrates in BA 37, 39/40 were identified as potential areas underlying the conductors' superior multisensory TOJs. Data collection and analyses are ongoing and will lead to an improved understanding of multisensory integration in a complex, musical behavior.
Investigating the Relationship of Music and Language in Children
Authors: JENTSCHKE SEBASTIAN , KOELSCH STEFAN , FRIEDERICI ANGELA D.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Language and music are human universals involving perceptually discrete elements organized in hierarchically structured sequences. The set of principles governing the combination of these structural elements into sequences is known as syntax. A violation of expectancies concerning syntactic regularities may be reflected by two ERP components: the ERAN (early right anterior negativity) and the ELAN (early left anterior negativity). The ERAN is evoked by a violation of musical regularities, whereas the ELAN is linked to syntax processing in the language domain. There is evidence from adult data to suggest that both ERAN and ELAN are, at least partly, generated in the same brain regions. Therefore, it seems plausible to expect transfer effects between music and language due to shared processing resources. Moreover, the ERAN is larger in adults with formal musical training (musicians) than in those without, indicating that more specific representations of musical regularities lead to heightened musical expectancies. The aim of this study is to investigate these issues in child development. We conducted two experimental sessions with the same participants and compared children with and without musical training (11 years old) and children with or without language impairment (5 years old). In a music experiment, the reactions to chord sequences ending either with a (regular) tonic or with an (irregular) supertonic were compared. For a language experiment we used syntactically correct and incorrect sentences. Preliminary results show that an ERAN is present in both groups and appears to have a larger amplitude in musically trained children. In addition, there are indications of an enhanced negativity in response to a syntactic violation in the musically trained children. The relationship between the ERP components is, moreover, manifested in the finding that an ERAN is present in linguistically nonimpaired children at the age of 5 years but not in children with language impairment of the same age.
Temporal Entrainment of Cognitive Functions
Authors: THAUT MICHAEL H. , PETERSON DAVID A. , McINTOSH GERALD C.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: In a series of experiments, we have begun to investigate the effect of music as a mnemonic device on learning and memory and the underlying plasticity of oscillatory neural networks. We used verbal learning and memory tests (standardized word lists, AVLT) in conjunction with electroencephalographic analysis to determine differences between verbal learning in either a spoken or musical (verbal materials as song lyrics) modality. In healthy adults, learning in both the spoken and music condition was associated with significant increases in oscillatory synchrony across all frequency bands. A significant difference between the spoken and music condition emerged in the cortical topography of the learning‐related synchronization. When using EEG measures as predictors during learning for subsequent successful memory recall, significantly increased coherence (phase‐locked synchronization) within and between oscillatory brain networks emerged for music in alpha and gamma bands. In a similar study with multiple sclerosis patients, superior learning and memory was shown in the music condition when controlled for word order recall, and subjects were instructed to sing back the word lists. Also, the music condition was associated with a significant power increase in the low‐alpha band in bilateral frontal networks, indicating increased neuronal synchronization. Musical learning may access compensatory pathways for memory functions during compromised PFC functions associated with learning and recall. Music learning may also confer a neurophysiological advantage through the stronger synchronization of the neuronal cell assemblies underlying verbal learning and memory. Collectively our data provide evidence that melodic‐rhythmic templates as temporal structures in music may drive internal rhythm formation in recurrent cortical networks involved in learning and memory.
Quantifying Tone Deafness in the General Population
Authors: SLOBODA JOHN A. , WISE KAREN J. , PERETZ ISABELLE
Published: April 2006

Abstract:Many people reach adulthood without acquiring significant music performance skills (singing or instrumental playing). A substantial proportion of these adults consider that this has come about because they are “not musical.” Some of these people may be “true” congenital amusics, characterized by specific and substantial anomalies in the processing of musical pitch and rhythm sequences, while at the same time displaying normal processing of speech and language. It is likely, however, that many adults who believe that they are unmusical are neurologically normal. We could call these adults “false” amusics. Acquisition of musical competence has multiple personal, social, and environmental precursors. Deficiencies in these areas may lead to lack of musical achievement, despite the fact that an individual possesses the necessary underlying capacities. Adults may therefore self‐define as “unmusical” or “tone‐deaf” for reasons unconnected to any underlying anomaly. This paper reports on two linked research studies. The first is an interview study with adults defining themselves as tone‐deaf or unmusical. The interview schedule was designed to discover what criteria are being used in their self‐definitions. Preliminary results suggest that performance criteria (e.g., judging oneself as unable to sing) play a major role, even for people who claim and demonstrate no perceptual deficits. The second study reports progress on the development of new subtests for a revised version of the Montreal Battery for the Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA, Peretzet al., 2003). This currently contains six tests that allow for the assessment of melodic perception: contour, intervals, scale, rhythm, meter, and recognition memory. The MBEA does not assess two capacities that are generally accepted as central to normal music cognition: harmony and emotion. The development and norming of the emotion subtest will be described. When completed, the MBEA(R) will form a robust screening device for use with the general population, whose purpose is to discriminate “true” from “false” amusics. Such discrimination is essential to achieve a better understanding of the variety of causes of low musical achievement.
Music Therapy Research in Ibero‐American Countries
Authors: SABBATELLA PATRICIA L.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: The aim of this article is to present an overview of some contemporary ideas concerning the status of music therapy research in Ibero‐American countries, with a focus on assessment and clinical evaluation of music therapy clinical practice.
Enhanced P1‐N1 Auditory Evoked Potential in Patients with Musicians' Cramp
Authors: LIM VANESSA K. , BRADSHAW JOHN L. , NICHOLLS MICHAEL E. R. , ALTENMÜLLER ECKART
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Auditory evoked potentials (AEPs) were examined in patients with musician's cramp (focal dystonia) in order to determine whether these patients have electrophysiological changes in a sensory system that is not usually associated with symptoms. All participants were professional guitarists and were required to listen to 2000 monaurally presented stimuli (middle C, with duration of 7 ms). During one block, 250 stimuli were presented to one ear. Once a block was finished, another block was presented in the other ear; in total there were eight blocks of stimuli. During this task, EEGs from 10 scalp electrodes and one bipolar eye channel were continuously recorded. There were no significant latency or topographical differences in the electrophysiological recordings. However, there was a significant group difference in the peak‐to‐peak amplitude of the P1‐N1a component. The patients had a larger peak‐to‐peak difference than controls (1.63 vs. 0.62 μV). The P1 and N1a are cortically generated potentials. Patients with focal dystonia had an increase in activity compared to controls when processing simple auditory stimuli. Such changes in electrophysiological responses may be a result of increases in excitation or lack of inhibition; alternatively the changes may represent cross‐modal maladaptive plasticity from the somatosensory modality to the auditory modality. Thus, this study provides further evidence that patients with focal dystonia have alterations of the central nervous system that are not limited to their symptomatic sensory domain.
Time Course of Retrieval and Movement Preparation in Music Performance
Authors: PALMER CAROLINE
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Music performance requires that musicians represent many different kinds of sequence structure: musicians must remember which pitch to produce, when to produce it, and how to produce it (with what movements). The time course of item retrieval and movement preparation processes during music performance are considered. Serially ordered stage models of retrieval, in which item retrieval ends before movement preparation begins, are compared with interactive cascade models, in which the time course of both processes overlap, permitting interaction. Evidence from transfer of learning paradigms, production errors, and anticipatory movements, as measured in motion capture, are described. This early evidence suggests different time courses for item retrieval (slower, earlier) than for movement preparation (faster, later) with significant temporal overlap during music performance.
Neural Control of Rhythmic Sequences
Authors: ULLÉN FREDRIK , BENGTSSON SARA L. , EHRSSON H HENRIK , FORSSBERG HANS
Published: April 2006

Abstract: We investigated whether the temporal structure of movement sequences can be represented and learned independently of their ordinal structure, and whether some brain regions are particularly important for temporal sequence performance. Using a learning transfer design, we found evidence for independent temporal representations: learning a spatiotemporal sequence facilitated learning its temporal and ordinal structure alone; learning a temporal and an ordinal structure facilitated learning of a sequence where the two were coupled. Second, learning of temporal structures was found during reproduction of sequential stimuli with random ordinal structure, suggesting independent mechanisms for temporal learning. We then used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate the neural control of sequences during well‐learned performance. The temporal and ordinal structures of the sequences were varied in a 2 × 2 factorial design. A dissociation was found between brain regions involved in ordinal and temporal control, the latter mainly involving the presupplementary motor area, the inferior frontal gyrus and precentral sulcus, and the superior temporal gyri. Finally, in a second fMRI experiment, well‐learned temporal sequences were performed with the left or right index fingers, or using rhythmic speech. The overlap in brain activity during performance with the different effectors included a similar set of brain regions as that found in the first fMRI experiment: the supplementary motor area (SMA), the superior temporal gyrus, and the inferior frontal cortex. We thus suggest that this set of regions is important for abstract, movement‐independent, temporal sequence control. This organization may be important for increased flexibility in voluntarily timed motor tasks.
Investigating Emotion with Music
Authors: KOELSCH STEFAN
Published: April 2006

Abstract: This article briefly reviews the few functional imaging studies conducted so far on the investigation of emotion with music. Basically, these studies showed involvement of limbic and paralimbic cerebral structures (such as amygdala, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, temporal poles, insula, ventral striatum, orbitofronal, as well as cingulate cortex) during the processing of music with emotional valence (such as pleasant or unpleasant). The second part of this article highlights the role of unexpected musical events for the elicitation of emotional responses. Recent studies suggest that music‐syntactically irregular chords elicit changes in electrodermal activity, and that such chords activate orbital frontolateral cortex, as well as the amygdala (that is, brain structures that have been implicated in emotion processing). The third part of this article mentions findings on the temporal dynamics of emotion (that is, changes in the physiological correlates of emotion processing over time). This issue has so far been mainly neglected in the functional imaging (and psychophysiological) literature.
The Time Course of Emotional Responses to Music
Authors: BIGAND EMMANUEL , FILIPIC SUZANNE , LALITTE PHILIPPE
Published: April 2006

Abstract:Two empirical studies investigate the time course of emotional responses to music. In the first one, musically trained and untrained listeners were required to listen to 27 musical excerpts and to group those that conveyed a similar emotional meaning. In one condition, the excerpts were 25 seconds long on average. In the other condition, excerpts were as short as 1 second. The groupings were then transformed into a matrix of emotional dissimilarity that was analyzed with multidimensional scaling methods (MDS). We compared the outcome of these analyses for the 25‐s and 1‐s duration conditions. In the second study, we presented musical excerpts of increasing duration, varying from 250 to 20 seconds. Participants were requested to evaluate on a subjective scale how “moving” each excerpt was. On the basis of the responses given for the longer duration, excerpts were then sorted into two groups: highly moving and weakly (or less) moving. The main purpose of the analysis was to identify the point in time where these two categories of excerpts started to be differentiated by participants. Both studies provide consistent findings that less than 1 s of music is enough to instill elaborated emotional responses in listeners.
A Network for Sensory‐Motor Integration
Authors: BAUMANN SIMON , KOENEKE SUSAN , MEYER MARTIN , LUTZ KAI , JÄNCKE LUTZ
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Playing a musical instrument requires efficient auditory as well as motor processing. We provide evidence for the existence of a neuronal network of secondary and higher‐order areas belonging to the auditory and motor modality that is important in the integration of auditory and motor domains.
Tonality and Nonlinear Resonance
Authors: LARGE EDWARD W. , TRETAKIS AMY ELIZABETH
Published: April 2006

Abstract: We outline a theory of tonality that predicts tonal stability, attraction, and categorization based on the principles of nonlinear resonance. Perception of tonality is the natural consequence of neural resonance, arising from central auditory nonlinearities.
The Effect of Early Musical Training on Adult Motor Performance
Authors: PENHUNE VIRGINIA , WATANABE DONALD , SAVION‐LEMIEUX TAL
Published: April 2006

Abstract: This experiment demonstrates that musicians who began training before age seven perform better on a rhythmic tapping task than musicians who began after the age of seven, when the two groups are matched for years of experience. These results support the idea that there may be a sensitive period in childhood for motor training, similar to that observed for language learning.
Dimensions of Emotion in Expressive Musical Performance
Authors: VINES BRADLEY W. , KRUMHANSL CAROL L. , WANDERLEY MARCELO M. , DALCA IOANA M. , LEVITIN DANIEL J.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: This paper explores the dimensions of emotion conveyed by music. Participants rated emotion terms after seeing and/or hearing recordings of clarinet performances that varied in expressive content. A factor analysis revealed four independent dimensions of emotion. Changes to the clarinetists' expressive intentions did not significantly affect emotions conveyed by sound. It was largely through the visual modality that expressive intentions influenced the experience for observers.
Does Music Instruction Improve Fine Motor Abilities?
Authors: COSTA‐GIOMI EUGENIA
Published: April 2006

Abstract: The fine motor abilities of children who participated in two years of piano instruction and those who had never received formal music training were compared before and after the instruction. A significant improvement in fine motor skills was found only for the children who received the lessons, and a significant difference in the speed of response was found between the two groups at the end of the two years of instruction. The innumerable opportunities to assess, refine, and time their motor responses to specific stimuli during musical practice and the availability of constant evaluative feedback (i.e., sound) may allow musicians to improve the accuracy and speed of perceiving and responding to relevant stimuli.
Emotional Processing of Harmonic Expectancy Violations
Authors: STEINBEIS NIKOLAUS , KOELSCH STEFAN , SLOBODA JOHN A.
Published: April 2006

Abstract: This study is about whether harmonic expectancy violations can trigger emotional processes, as indexed by physiological and subjective measures.
The Mental Space of Pitch Heighta
Authors: RUSCONI ELENA , KWAN BONNIE , GIORDANO BRUNO , UMILTÀ CARLO , BUTTERWORTH BRIAN
Published: April 2006

Abstract: Through stimulus‐response compatibility we tested whether sound frequency (pitch height) elicits a mental spatial representation. Musically untrained and, mostly, trained participants were shown a stimulus‐response compatibility effect (Spatial‐Musical Association of Response Codes or SMARC effect). When response alternatives were either vertically or horizontally aligned, performance was better when the lower (or leftward) button had to be pressed in response to a low sound and the upper (or rightward) button had to be pressed in response to a high sound, even when pitch height was irrelevant to the task.
Somatotropic and Gonadotropic Axes Linkages in Infancy, Childhood, and the Puberty-Adult Transition
Authors: Veldhuis Johannes D. , Roemmich James N. , Richmond Erick J. , Bowers Cyril Y.
Published: April 2006

Integrative neuroendocrine control of the gonadotropic and somatotropic axes in childhood, puberty, and young adulthood proceeds via multiple convergent and divergent pathways in the human and experimental animal. Emerging ensemble concepts are required to embody independent, parallel, and interacting mechanisms that subserve physiological adaptations and pathological disruption of reproduction and growth. Significant advances in systems biology will be needed to address these challenges.
Post buckling analysis of Reissner plates by the boundary element method
Authors: Wen P. H , Aliabadi M H , Young A
Published: April 2006

In this paper, non-linear analysis of Reissner plates is presented using the boundary element method. The non-linear buckling terms are treated as body forces and a non-linear boundary integral equation is derived by coupling two-dimensional elasticity and shear deformable plate bending integral equations. Domain integrals involving non-linear buckling terms are transformed to boundary integrals using the dual reciprocity method. An incremental load technique is developed to solve the non-linear equations for non-linear buckling of plates under compressive loadings. Three benchmark numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method.
A fracture-mechanical model for the prediction of the corrosion dependent local fracture toughness of aluminium alloy 2024
Authors: Kermanidis A. T , Pantelakis S. G
Published: April 2006

Extensive experimental investigations have shown that the exposure of aluminium alloy 2024 specimens to an exfoliation corrosion environment leads to a dramatic reduction in the tensile ductility, which is due to hydrogen embrittlement. In the present work, the corrosion-induced reduction in the tensile ductility of the aluminium alloy 2024 is correlated to the reduction in fracture toughness. A location- and time-dependent quantity referred to as local fracture toughness is introduced. A multiscaling approach is implemented to relate tensile properties degradation due to exfoliation corrosion to local material properties in the vicinity of the crack tip. For the prediction of the local fracture toughness value of the corroded material ahead of the crack tip, a fracture-mechanical model has been developed by utilizing the multiscaling approach. The predicted local fracture toughness values have been exploited to estimate the experimentally observed embrittlement of panels exposed to exfoliation corrosion.
An investigation on the bending and curl-forming process of leads in integrated circuit packaging by the finite element method
Authors: Lin Z-C , Chen C-C
Published: April 2006

This study provides a simulation model that combines two processing procedures, namely the bending and curling processes, in the forming process of a small outline J-lead (SOJ)-type integrated circuit (IC). The study additionally provides the treatments for the contact between the material and the forming punch, as well as for the contact between the material and the forming die, so as to solve the problem of penetration of the material nodes into the punch and die during the simulated forming process. In this study it is proposed that the algorithm principles of tangent calculation and maximum radial offset are employed to be the basis for adjusting the material nodes which penetrated into the punch or die to the boundary of the punch or die, so as to ensure reasonable deformation of the materials. This study further introduces the concept of strain energy density to predict the possible damage position during the forming process of the lead. From the prediction of the strain energy density, it shows that the possible damage position may occur on the concave point inside the right-angled bending zone of the lead during the bending process. From all the relevant information found, a highly accurate reference value could be established for designing IC-lead forming processes. Moreover, this structural method can also be applied to analyse the processing of other sheet metals that include bending and curling processes.
Development of a new mobile laboratory for characterization of the fine particulate emissions from heavy-duty diesel trucks
Authors: Kinsey J S , Mitchell W A , Squier W C , Wong A , Williams D C , Logan R , Kariher P H
Published: April 2006

This paper describes the development of a new mobile laboratory for the determination of the fine particle and gaseous emissions from a class 8 diesel tractor—trailer research vehicle. The new laboratory [Diesel Emissions Aerosol Laboratory (DEAL)] incorporates plumesampling capabilities which were based on a detailed flow field analysis using a combination of computational fluid dynamics modelling, flow visualization using smoke, streamers, and oil spots, and tracer gas measurements the results of which are described in the paper. The DEAL incorporates the unique ability to measure concurrently both the plume and the vehicular background which is generally not found in other on-road facilities.
Design consideration of a mechanical structure with geometric and material non-linearities
Authors: Lee D-C , Jang J-H , Han C-S
Published: April 2006

This paper presents an optimization design process for mechanical structures with geometric and material non-linearities. The mean compliance of the structure is chosen as the objective function and a non-linear solution is iteratively found by the Newton—Raphson method and sequential quadratic programming (SQP). To correct design variables, a fully stressed design method is used. Non-linear strength analysis of an automotive component is completed by simulation to validate the non-linear optimization process.
Injection diagnosis through common-rail pressure measurement
Authors: Payri F , Luján J M , Guardiola C , Rizzoni G
Published: April 2006

Modern diesel common-rail injection systems supply fuel from a high-pressure vessel. The injection event causes an instantaneous drop in the rail pressure, as the stored mass is diminished. Pressure variations are also affected by the dynamics of the high-pressure pump that supplies fuel to the rail to compensate for the emptying process due to the injection. This paper proposes the possibility of diagnosing the injection process from measurement of the rail pressure. Different data treatment techniques are explored and evaluated in this paper to propose an effective method for the diagnosis of common-rail injection systems.
Design of an automobile seat with regulations using axiomatic design
Authors: Shin M-K , Kim Y-I , Kang B-S , Park G-J
Published: April 2006

The automobile seat must satisfy various safety regulations for the passenger's safety. In many design practices, each component for an automobile seat is independently designed by concentrating on a single regulation. However, since multiple regulations must be considered in a seat design, there may be a design confliction among the various safety regulations. Therefore, a new design methodology is required for effective automobile seat design. The axiomatic approach is employed to consider multiple regulations. The independence axiom is used to define the overall flow of the seat design. Functional requirements (FRs) are defined by safety regulations, and components of the seat are classified into groups which yield design parameters (DPs). The classification is carried out to keep the independence in the FR—DP relationship. Components in the DP group are determined by using design of experiment (DOE) orthogonal arrays. Numerical analyses are utilized to evaluate the safety levels by using a commercial software system for non-linear transient finite element analysis.
Detection of engine valve faults by vibration signals measured on the cylinder head
Authors: Liu Shiyuan , Gu Fengshou , Ball A
Published: April 2006

This technical note proposes a simple technique for the detection of incipient engine valve faults by vibration signals measured on the cylinder head. The characteristics of the vibration signal are analysed, indicating that its time domain and frequency domain characteristics are both useful for engine diagnosis while the cycle-by-cycle variation seems a disadvantage. A simple diagnostic technique named partial sampling and feature averaging (PSFA) has been presented. Only a specific part of the vibration signal corresponding to a particular impact force within each operating cycle is sampled and analysed, and then the diagnostic features are extracted from each part but averaged among many cycles. Identification of abnormal valve clearance just requires a partial sampling of the vibration signal extracted during the period of valve closing, and detection of gas leakage from valves needs a partial sampling signal corresponding to the period of in-cylinder combustion. The experimental results show that the proposed technique is feasible, effective and simple in implementation.
Albumin and fibronectin protein adsorption on CO2-laser-modified biograde stainless steel
Authors: Hao L , Lawrence J
Published: April 2006

The surface properties of a biomaterial play an essential role in protein adsorption, which in turn determines the cellular response to the adsorbed surface. In order to obtain a surface that would yield favourable protein adsorption for successful cellular response, the surface properties of a biograde stainless steel were modified by CO2 laser treatment. An investigation of the CO2-laser-modified surface properties and the effects thereof on the adsorption of human serum albumin (no-cell adhesive) and human plasma fibronectin (cell adhesive) was conducted. It was found that the thickness of the adsorbed fibronectin layer increased with increasing CO2 laser power density, while the thickness of the adsorbed albumin layer decreased with increasing CO2 laser power density. The surface roughness and wettability characteristics contributed to the observed changes in protein adsorption. The wettability characteristics of the biograde stainless steel were found to be the predominant mechanism governing the observed change in protein adsorption. Since the wettability characteristics of the biograde stainless steel can be modified in an efficient and controllable way with the CO2 laser, it is believed that this work presents a demonstrable alternative to the techniques currently available for enhancing the biocompatibility of biograde stainless steels.
The Firm Specificity of Individual Performance: Evidence from Cardiac Surgery
Authors: Huckman Robert S. , Pisano Gary P.
Published: April 2006

In many settings, firms rely on independent contractors, or freelancers, for the provision of certain services. The benefits of such relationships for both firms and workers are often understood in terms of increased flexibility. Less understood is the impact of freelancing on individual performance. While it is often presumed that the performance of freelancers is largely portable across organizations, it is also possible that a given worker’s performance may vary across organizations if he or she develops firm-specific skills and knowledge over time. We examine this issue empirically by considering the performance of cardiac surgeons, many of whom perform operations at multiple hospitals within narrow periods of time. Using patient mortality as an outcome measure, we find that the quality of a surgeon’s performance at a given hospital improves significantly with increases in his or her recent procedure volume at that hospital but does not significantly improve with increases in his or her volume at other hospitals. Our findings suggest that surgeon performance is not fully portable across hospitals (i.e., some portion of performance is firm specific). Further, we provide preliminary evidence suggesting that this result may be driven by the familiarity that a surgeon develops with the assets of a given organization.
A General, Analytic Method for Generating Robust Strategies and Narrative Scenarios
Authors: Lempert Robert J. , Groves David G. , Popper Steven W. , Bankes Steve C.
Published: April 2006

Robustness is a key criterion for evaluating alternative decisions under conditions of deep uncertainty. However, no systematic, general approach exists for finding robust strategies using the broad range of models and data often available to decision makers. This study demonstrates robust decision making (RDM), an analytic method that helps design robust strategies through an iterative process that first suggests candidate robust strategies, identifies clusters of future states of the world to which they are vulnerable, and then evaluates the trade-offs in hedging against these vulnerabilities. This approach can help decision makers design robust strategies while also systematically generating clusters of key futures interpretable as narrative scenarios. Our study demonstrates the approach by identifying robust, adaptive, near-term pollution-control strategies to help ensure economic growth and environmental quality throughout the 21st century.
Risk Management with Benchmarking
Authors: Basak Suleyman , Shapiro Alex , Teplá Lucie
Published: April 2006

Portfolio theory must address the fact that, in reality, portfolio managers are evaluated relative to a benchmark, and therefore adopt risk management practices to account for the benchmark performance. We capture this risk management consideration by allowing a prespecified shortfall from a target benchmark-linked return, consistent with growing interest in such practice. In a dynamic setting, we demonstrate how a risk-averse portfolio manager optimally under- or overperforms a target benchmark under different economic conditions, depending on his attitude towards risk and choice of the benchmark. The analysis therefore illustrates how investors can achieve their desired performance profile for funds under management through an appropriate combined choice of the benchmark and money manager. We consider a variety of extensions, and also highlight the ability of our setting to shed some light on documented return patterns across segments of the money management industry.
Does Past Success Lead Analysts to Become Overconfident?
Authors: Hilary Gilles , Menzly Lior
Published: April 2006

This paper provides evidence that analysts who have predicted earnings more accurately than the median analyst in the previous four quarters tend to be simultaneously less accurate and further from the consensus forecast in their subsequent earnings prediction. This phenomenon is economically and statistically meaningful. The results are robust to different estimation techniques and different control variables. Our findings are consistent with an attribution bias that leads analysts who have experienced a short-lived success to become overconfident in their ability to forecast future earnings.
Affect, Empathy, and Regressive Mispredictions of Others’ Preferences Under Risk
Authors: Faro David , Rottenstreich Yuval
Published: April 2006

Making effective decisions under risk often requires making accurate predictions of other people’s decisions under risk. We experimentally assess the accuracy of people’s predictions of others’ risky choices. In four studies, we find evidence of systematic inaccuracy: predictions of others’ choices are too regressive. That is, people predict that others’ choices will be closer to risk neutrality than those choices actually are. Where people are risk seeking, they predict that others will be risk seeking but substantially less so; likewise, where people are risk averse, they predict that others will be risk averse but substantially less so. Put differently, people predict that others’ choices will reveal a more muted form of prospect theory’s fourfold pattern of risk preferences than actually prevails. Two psychological concepts, the notion of risk-as-feelings and of an empathy gap, help account for regressive mispredictions. We explore several debiasing techniques suggested by these notions and also find that self-reported ratings of empathy moderate the magnitude of regressive mispredictions.
An Empirical Examination of the Decision to Invest in Fulfillment Capabilities: A Study of Internet Retailers
Authors: Randall Taylor , Netessine Serguei , Rudi Nils
Published: April 2006

Internet technology has allowed for a higher degree of decoupling between the information-intensive sales process and the physical process of inventory management than its brick-and-mortar counterpart. As a result, some Internet retailers choose to outsource inventory and back-end operations to focus on the sales/marketing aspects of e-commerce. Nonetheless, many retailers keep fulfillment capabilities in-house. In this paper, we identify and empirically test factors that persuade firms to integrate inventory and fulfillment capabilities with virtual storefronts. Based on the extant literature and previous research in e-commerce, we formulate nine theoretical predictions. We then use data from a sample of over 50 public Internet retailers to test whether empirical data are consistent with these hypotheses. Finally, given the strategic importance and financial magnitude of the inventory investment decision, we analyze the effect of this decision on the economic success of Internet retailers during the period of study. We find that there are many circumstances in which it is prudent to own fulfillment capabilities and inventory. Empirical data are consistent with hypotheses that this tendency is higher for older firms selling small, high-margin products, offering lower levels of product variety, and facing lower demand uncertainty. We also discover that firms making inventory ownership decisions that are consistent with an empirical benchmark derived from environmental and strategic factors are less likely to go bankrupt than those making inconsistent inventory choices.
Confidence in Imitation: Niche-Width Strategy in the UK Automobile Industry
Authors: Rhee Mooweon , Kim Young-Choon , Han Joon
Published: April 2006

Our study examines the imitation behavior of UK automobile manufacturers from 1894 to 1981 and supports previous studies on interorganizational imitation by showing that manufacturers tend to imitate other manufacturers that are similar. We also find that the degree of confidence manufacturers have in their imitating behavior affects the intensity of that behavior, where an organization’s confidence is determined by the variance of the routines used by its reference group and the number of firms in the reference group. Our results show that (1) manufacturers whose reference groups showed large variance in niche-width changes during the previous year are less likely to imitate (the mean of) those changes, (2) manufacturers who have large reference groups are more likely to imitate the changes, and (3) the negative effect of variance on the imitating behavior is strengthened as the number of reference organizations increases.
Volumetric and Surface Positron Annihilation Studies of Fatigue Damage Accumulation in a Steel Alloy
Authors: Glancey CD , Stephens RR
Published: April 2006

Fatigue crack nucleation comprises a significant portion of the fatigue life for many structures. The ability to inspect and quantify damage before significant cracks appear could improve safety while allowing components to be retired only when they have reached the end of their useful life. Positron annihilation is one technique that allows for observation of damage accumulation on a much smaller scale than traditional nondestructive evaluation techniques. As-polished and shot-peened 300M steel specimens were fatigued under constant amplitude. Tests were interrupted at several fatigue life ratios between the as-received and failed conditions, and damage was measured with positron annihilation techniques. Positron annihilation was sensitive to both induced residual stresses and fatigue damage build up, but measurement uncertainty was high and sensitivity was low. Positron annihilation presents a potentially revolutionary nondestructive evaluation technique that could give a quantitative measure of early fatigue damage.
Effectiveness of Seal Rejuvenators for Bituminous Pavement Surfaces
Authors: Chiu C-T , Lee M-G
Published: April 2006

This study investigated the effects of applying three different types of rejuvenators on a highly aged parking lot pavement, which had shown some severe raveling. Cores were taken from the pavement before and after the treatments to examine the effects of these treatments. Tests were performed to determine the viscosity of the recovered asphalt binders from different layers of the pavement before and after the treatment. Right before coring, the surface texture and skid resistance were measured to assess whether the treatment had adversely affected the frictional properties of the pavement.
Membrane-Proximal Region of Glutamate Receptor δ2 Subunit Is Critical for Long-Term Depression and Interaction with Protein Interacting with C Kinase 1 in a Cerebellar Purkinje Neuron
Authors: Yawata Satoshi , Tsuchida Hiroshi , Kengaku Mineko , Hirano Tomoo
Published: April 2006

The glutamate receptor δ2 subunit (GluRδ2) is selectively expressed in cerebellar Purkinje neurons (PNs) and is involved in the long-term depression (LTD). However, little is known about the mechanism of its action. Acute expression of the wild-type GluRδ2 in the GluRδ2-deficient PN rescued the induction of LTD, suggesting the direct role of GluRδ2 in LTD. To identify the critical region of GluRδ2 necessary for LTD, we constructed and expressed various mutant GluRδ2 proteins in the GluRδ2-deficient PNs. The mutant GluRδ2 possessing the membrane-proximal 21 aa residues in the C-terminal cytoplasmic region rescued the induction of LTD, whereas the mutant with membrane-proximal 13 aa failed. In addition, overexpression of 865∼871 aa of GluRδ2 (corresponding to membrane-proximal 14–20 aa) fused to EGFP (enhanced green fluorescent protein) suppressed LTD in a wild-type PN. These results suggest that 865∼871 aa of GluRδ2 play an essential role in LTD. We next identified protein interacting with C kinase 1 (PICK1) as a molecule interacting with the membrane-proximal C-terminal region of GluRδ2 by yeast two-hybrid screening. PICK1 plays an essential role in LTD. It colocalized with GluRδ2 at spines of PNs, and immunoprecipitation assays showed that GluRδ2 bound to PICK1 mainly through 865–871 aa. These results indicate that 865–871 aa of GluRδ2 are essential for both LTD and interaction with PICK1, and suggest that interaction between GluRδ2 and PICK1 might be critical for the induction of LTD.
No Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evidence for Brightness and Color Filling-In In Early Human Visual Cortex
Authors: Cornelissen Frans W. , Wade Alex R. , Vladusich Tony , Dougherty Robert F. , Wandell Brian A.
Published: April 2006

The brightness and color of a surface depends on its contrast with nearby surfaces. For example, a gray surface can appear very light when surrounded by a black surface or dark when surrounded by a white surface. Some theories suggest that perceived surface brightness and color is represented explicitly by neural signals in cortical visual field maps; these neural signals are not initiated by the stimulus itself but rather by the contrast signals at the borders. Here, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to search for such neural “filling-in” signals. Although we find the usual strong relationship between local contrast and fMRI response, when perceived brightness or color changes are induced by modulating a surrounding field, rather than the surface itself, we find there is no corresponding local modulation in primary visual cortex or other nearby retinotopic maps. Moreover, when we model the obtained fMRI responses, we find strong evidence for contributions of both local and long-range edge responses. We argue that such extended edge responses may be caused by neurons previously identified in neurophysiological studies as being brightness responsive, a characterization that may therefore need to be revised. We conclude that the visual field maps of human V1 and V2 do not contain filled-in, topographical representations of surface brightness and color.
Chronic Unpredictable Stress Exacerbates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Activation of Nuclear Factor-κB in the Frontal Cortex and Hippocampus via Glucocorticoid Secretion
Authors: Munhoz Carolina Demarchi , Lepsch Lucilia B. , Kawamoto Elisa Mitiko , Malta Marília Brinati , Lima Larissa de Sá , Werneck Avellar Maria Christina , Sapolsky Robert M. , Scavone Cristoforo
Published: April 2006

Although the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids (GCs) are well established in the periphery, these stress hormones can increase inflammation under some circumstances in the brain. The transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), which is inhibited by GCs, regulates numerous genes central to inflammation. In this study, the effects of stress, GCs, and NMDA receptors on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of NF-κB in the brain were investigated. One day after chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), nonstressed and CUS rats were treated with saline or LPS and killed 2 h later. CUS potentiated the increase in LPS-induced activation of NF-κB in frontal cortex and hippocampus but not in the hypothalamus. This stress effect was blocked by pretreatment of rats with RU-486, an antagonist of the GC receptor. MK-801 [(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo [a,d] cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate], an NMDA receptor antagonist, also reduced the effect of LPS in all three brain regions. However, the combined antagonism of both GC and NMDA receptors produced no further reduction in NF-κB activation when compared with the effect of each treatment alone. Our results indicate that stress, via GC secretion, can increase LPS-induced NF-κB activation in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, agreeing with a growing literature demonstrating proinflammatory effects of GCs.
The Mother or the Fetus? 11β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase Type 2 Null Mice Provide Evidence for Direct Fetal Programming of Behavior by Endogenous Glucocorticoids
Authors: Holmes Megan C. , Abrahamsen Christian T. , French Karen L. , Paterson Janice M. , Mullins John J. , Seckl Jonathan R.
Published: April 2006

Low birth weight associates with increased susceptibility to adult cardiometabolic and affective disorders spawning the notion of fetal “programming.” Prenatal exposure to excess glucocorticoids may be causal. In support, maternal stress or treatment during pregnancy with dexamethasone (which crosses the placenta) or inhibitors of fetoplacental 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 (11β-HSD2), the physiological “barrier” to maternal glucocorticoids, reduces birth weight and programs permanent offspring hypertension, hyperglycemia, and anxiety behaviors. It remains uncertain whether such effects are mediated indirectly via altered maternal function or directly on the fetus and its placenta. To dissect this critical issue, we mated 11β-HSD2+/−mice such that each pregnant female produces +/+, +/−, and −/− offspring and compared them with offspring of homozygous wild-type and −/− matings. We show that 11β-HSD2−/−offspring of either +/− or −/− mothers have lower birth weight and exhibit greater anxiety than 11β-HSD2+/+littermates. This provides clear evidence for the key role of fetoplacental 11β-HSD2 in prenatal glucocorticoid programming.
Correlation-Induced Synchronization of Oscillations in Olfactory Bulb Neurons
Authors: Galán Roberto F. , Fourcaud-Trocmé Nicolas , Ermentrout G. Bard , Urban Nathaniel N.
Published: April 2006

Oscillations are a common feature of odor-evoked and spontaneous activity in the olfactory systemin vivoandin vitroand are thought to play an important role in information processing and memory in a variety of brain areas. Theoretical and experimental studies have described several mechanisms by which oscillations can be generated and synchronized. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that correlated noisy inputs are able to generate synchronous oscillations in olfactory bulb mitral cellsin vitro. We consider several alternative mechanisms and conclude that olfactory bulb synchronous oscillations are likely to arise because of the response of uncoupled oscillating neurons to aperiodic but correlated inputs. This mechanism has been described theoretically, but we provide the first experimental evidence that such a mechanism may underlie synchronization in real neurons. In physiological experiments, we show that this mechanism can generate gamma-band oscillations in populations of olfactory bulb mitral cells. This mechanism synchronizes oscillatory firing by using shared fast fluctuations in stochastic inputs across neurons, without requiring any synaptic or electrical coupling. We discuss the properties and limitations of synchronization by this mechanism and suggest that it may underlie fast oscillations in many brain areas.