bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Do Cortical Neurons Process Luminance or Contrast to Encode Surface Properties?
Authors: Vladusich Tony , Lucassen Marcel P. , Cornelissen Frans W.
Published: December 2005

On the one hand, contrast signals provide information about surface properties, such as reflectance, and patchy illumination conditions, such as shadows. On the other hand, processing of luminance signals may provide information about global light levels, such as the difference between sunny and cloudy days. We devised models of contrast and luminance processing, using principles of logarithmic signal coding and half-wave rectification. We fit each model to individual response profiles obtained from 67 surface-responsive macaque V1 neurons in a center-surround paradigm similar to those used in human psychophysical studies. The most general forms of the luminance and contrast models explained, on average, 73 and 87% of the response variance over the sample population, respectively. We used a statistical technique, known as Akaike's information criterion, to quantify goodness of fit relative to number of model parameters, giving the relative probability of each model being correct. Luminance models, having fewer parameters than contrast models, performed substantially better in the vast majority of neurons, whereas contrast models performed similarly well in only a small minority of neurons. These results suggest that the processing of local and mean scene luminance predominates over contrast integration in surface-responsive neurons of the primary visual cortex. The sluggish dynamics of luminance-related cortical activity may provide a neural basis for the recent psychophysical demonstration that luminance information dominates brightness perception at low temporal frequencies.
Effects of End-Goal on Hand Shaping
Authors: Ansuini Caterina , Santello Marco , Massaccesi Stefano , Castiello Umberto
Published: December 2005

The aim of the present study was to determine whether hand shaping was affected by planning of an action subsequent to object contact. Ten subjects (5 females and 5 males, ages 19–33) were requested to reach toward and grasp a convex object between the thumb and the four fingers of the right hand and to perform one of the following actions: 1) lift up the object; 2) insert the object into a niche of a similar shape and size as the object, or 3) insert the object into a rectangular niche much larger than the object. Flexion/extension at the metacarpal-phalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joints of all digits were measured using resistive sensors embedded in a glove. Although all experimental conditions required grasping the same object, we found different covariation patterns among finger joint angles across conditions. Gradual preshaping of the hand occurred only when planning object lift or when the end-goal required object placement into the tight niche. In contrast, for the larger niche, gradual preshaping was not evident for the ring and the little finger. Further, reaching movements were faster for movements ending with the larger niche than for the other movement conditions. The present results suggest that hand shaping takes into account end-goal in addition to object geometry. We discuss these findings in the context of forward internal models that allow the prediction of the sensorimotor consequences of motor commands in advance to their execution.
Altered Cortical Glutamate Receptor Function in the R6/2 Model of Huntington's Disease
Authors: André Véronique M. , Cepeda Carlos , Venegas Angela , Gomez Yeranui , Levine Michael S.
Published: December 2005

Alterations in pyramidal neurons from the sensorimotor cortex may be responsible for some of the cognitive and motor symptoms of Huntington's disease (HD). The present experiments used R6/2 transgenic mice that express exon 1 of the human HD gene with an expanded number of CAG repeats. We characterized α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) currents and their modulation by cyclothiazide (CTZ) as well as N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) currents and their Mg2+sensitivity in acutely dissociated cortical pyramidal neurons in R6/2 transgenic and wild-type (WT) mice at 21 days (before overt symptoms), 40 days (when symptoms begin), and 80 days (fully symptomatic). AMPA currents, alone or in the presence of CTZ, were smaller in 21- and 40-day-old R6/2 groups compared with WT mice. In R6/2 mice, more neurons displayed desensitizing AMPA currents in the presence of CTZ, indicating increased expression of “flop” splice variants, whereas the majority of WT cells expressed the “flip” variants of AMPA receptor subunits. NMDA peak currents also were smaller in R6/2 pyramidal neurons at 21 days. At 40 days, NMDA currents were similar in WT and R6/2 mice but Mg2+sensitivity was greater in R6/2 mice, resulting in smaller NMDA currents in the presence of Mg2+. Differences in AMPA and NMDA currents between WT and R6/2 cells were no longer detected at 80 days. Our findings indicate that currents induced by glutamate receptor agonists are decreased in isolated cortical pyramidal neurons from R6/2 mice and that this decrease occurs early. Altered glutamate receptor function could contribute to changes in cortical output and may underlie some of the cognitive and motor impairments in this animal model of HD.
Structural investigation of the nickel 3-methylglutarate from powder diffraction demonstrating adaptability of the inorganic skeleton of MIL-77
Authors: Guillou Nathalie , Livage Carine , Chaigneau Julienne , Férey Gérard
Published: December 2005

Ni20[(C6H8O4)20(H2O)8]∙33H2O, a new nickel(II) 3-methylglutarate, was prepared hydrothermally (180 °C, 48 h, autogenous pressure) from a 1:1.5:2:180 mixture of nickel (II) sulphate hexahydrate, 3-methylglutaric acid, sodium hydroxide, and water. It crystallizes in the cubic system (space group P4332, Z=1) with a=16.8488(5) Å and V=4783.1(4) Å3. Its structure was solved from conventional X-ray powder diffraction data. It presents a three-dimensional network of edge-sharing nickel octahedra, lined by deprotonated organic anions. This remarkable oxide network with corrugated 20-membered rings is constructed from homochiral helices. The rings intersect each other to generate large crossing channels full of water along [111].
Whole powder pattern decomposition methods and applications: A retrospection
Authors: Le Bail Armel
Published: December 2005

Methods extracting fast all the peak intensities from a complete powder diffraction pattern are reviewed. The genesis of the modern whole powder pattern decomposition methods (the so-called Pawley and Le Bail methods) is detailed and their importance and domains of application are decoded from the most cited papers citing them. It is concluded that these methods represented a decisive step toward the possibility to solve more easily, if not routinely, a structure solely from a powder sample. The review enlightens the contributions from the Louër’s group during the rising years 1987–1993.
Structural properties of methoxy derivatives of benzyl bromide, determined from powder X-ray diffraction data
Authors: Pan Zhigang , Cheung Eugene Y. , Harris Kenneth D. M. , Constable Edwin C. , Housecroft Catherine E.
Published: December 2005

Structure determination of 3,5-dimethoxybenzyl bromide and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzyl bromide has been carried out from laboratory powder X-ray diffraction data using the direct-space Genetic Algorithm technique for structure solution followed by Rietveld refinement. These two compounds are of interest for their potential use as building blocks for the synthesis of dendritic materials. Although the two molecules differ only in the presence/absence of the methoxy group at the 4-position of the aromatic ring, the structural properties of the two materials are significantly different.
The analysis of homogeneously and inhomogeneously anisotropic microstructures by X-ray diffraction
Authors: Welzel Udo , Mittemeijer Eric J.
Published: December 2005

The microstructure of materials is generally, macroscopically, anisotropic and/or inhomogeneous. Traditional diffraction analyses do not take into account this anisotropy and/or inhomogeneity of microstructural features. Thus obtained results can be incomplete, ambiguous, or even erroneous. In this work instrumental requirements (application of parallel beam diffractometers with X-ray lenses or X-ray mirrors and parallel-plate collimators in the laboratory and at synchrotron beam lines) and methodological approaches for the diffraction analysis of anisotropic and inhomogeneous microstructures have been discussed and have been illustrated on the basis of two experimental examples: analysis of the anisotropic nature of the structural imperfection of a sputterdeposited Ti3Al layer and analysis of the anisotropic and inhomogeneous elastic grain interaction in a sputter-deposited Ni layer.
Viscosity solutions of fully nonlinear functional parabolic PDE
Authors: Wei-an Liu , Gang Lu
Published: December 2005

By the technique of coupled solutions, the notion of viscosity solutions is extended to fully nonlinear retarded parabolic equations. Such equations involve many models arising from optimal control theory, economy and finance, biology, and so forth. The comparison principle is shown. Then the existence and uniqueness are established by the fixed point theory.
A new approach to Ky Fan‐type inequalities
Authors: Gao Peng
Published: December 2005

The study of the behavior of means under equal increments of their
variables provides a new approach to Ky Fan‐type inequalities. Via
this approach we are able to prove some new results on Ky Fan‐type
inequalities. We also prove some inequalities involving the
symmetric means.
Biharmonic submanifolds in 3‐dimensional (κ, μ)‐manifolds
Authors: Arslan K. , Ezentas R. , Murathan C. , Sasahara T.
Published: December 2005

Biharmonic maps between Riemannian manifolds are defined as
critical points of the bienergy and generalized
harmonic maps. In this paper, we give necessary and sufficient
conditions for nonharmonic Legendre curves and anti‐invariant
surfaces of 3‐dimensional (κ, μ)‐manifolds to be
biharmonic.
Meromorphic functions sharing one value
Authors: Banerjee Abhijit
Published: December 2005

We discuss the uniqueness problem of meromorphic functions sharing
one value and obtain two theorems which improve a result of Xu
and Qu and supplement some other results earlier given by Yang,
Hua, and Lahiri.
Möbius convolutions and the Riemann hypothesis
Authors: Báez-Duarte Luis
Published: December 2005

The well‐known necessary and sufficient criteria for the Riemann
hypothesis of M. Riesz and of Hardy and Littlewood, based on the order of certain
entire functions on the positive real axis, are here embedded in a
general theorem for a class of entire functions, which in turn is
seen to be a consequence of a rather transparent convolution
criterion. Some properties of the convolutions involved sharpen
what is hitherto known for the Riesz function.
On the local well‐posedness of a Benjamin‐Ono‐Boussinesq system
Authors: Xue Ruying
Published: December 2005

Consider a Benjamin‐Ono‐Boussinesq system ηt + ux + auxxx + (uη) x = 0, ut + ηx + uux + cηxxx − duxxt = 0, where a, c, and d are constants satisfying a = c > 0, d > 0 or a < 0, c < 0, d > 0. We prove that this system is locally well posed in Sobolev space Hs(ℝ) × Hs+1(ℝ), with s > 1/4.
Annihilators on weakly standard BCC‐algebras
Authors: Halaš R. , Plojhar L.
Published: December 2005

In a recent paper the authors presented a new construction of
BCC‐algebras derived from posets with the top
element 1. Resulting BCC‐algebras, called weakly standard, are
those for which every 4‐element subset containing 1 is a
subalgebra. In this paper we continue our investigations focusing
on the properties of their lattices of congruence kernels.
Generalized set‐valued variational‐like inclusions and Wiener‐Hopf equations in Banach spaces
Authors: Zhao Yali , Xia Zunquan , Liu Zeqing
Published: December 2005

By using the notion of Jη‐proximal mapping for a nonconvex, lower semicontinuous, η‐subdifferentiable proper functional in reflexive Banach spaces, we introduce and study a class of generalized set‐valued variational‐like inclusions in Banach spaces and show their equivalences with a class of Wiener‐Hopf equations. We propose two new iterative algorithms for the class of generalized set‐valued variational‐like inclusions. Furthermore, we prove the existence of solutions of the generalized set‐valued variational‐like inclusions and the convergence criteria of the two iterative algorithms for the generalized set‐valued variational‐like inclusions in reflexive Banach spaces. The results presented in this paper are new and are an extension of the corresponding results in this direction.
Characterization of several classes of second‐order ODEs by using differential invariants
Authors: del Rey A. Martín , Masqué J. Muñoz
Published: December 2005

Several classes of second‐order ordinary differential equations
are characterized intrinsically by means of differential
invariants. The method is proved to be computationally feasible.
Coefficient estimates and subordination properties associated with certain classes of functions
Authors: Raina R. K. , Bansal Deepak
Published: December 2005

This note investigates coefficient estimates and subordination
properties for certain classes of normalized functions
(which are essentially defined by means of a Hadamard product of
two analytic functions). We exhibit several interesting
consequences of our main results, and in the process, we are also
led to the corrected forms of the results given by Owa and
Nishiwaki (2002).
Baire spaces, k‐spaces, and some properly hereditary properties
Authors: Al-Bsoul Adnan
Published: December 2005

A topological property is properly hereditary property if
whenever every proper subspace has the property, the whole space
has the property. In this note, we will study some topological
properties that are preserved by proper subspaces; in fact, we
will study the following topological properties: Baire spaces,
second category, sequentially compact, hemicompact, δ‐normal, and spaces having dispersion points. Also, we
will solve some open problems raised by Al‐Bsoul (2003) and Arenas
(1996) and conclude this note by some open problems.
A variational method to study the Zakharov equation
Authors: Kumar Arun
Published: December 2005

A variational method given by Ritz has been applied to the
Zakharov equation to construct an analytical solution. The
solution of Zakharov equation gives a good description of both
linear and nonlinear evolutions of instabilities generated in
waves due to modulation. The spatially periodic trial function is
chosen in the form of combination of Jacobian elliptic functions
with the dependence of its parameters subject to optimization.
This Zakharov equation is reduced to nonlinear Schrödinger
equation in the static limit.
On the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the Schrödinger operator with Aharonov‐Bohm magneticfield
Authors: Hansson Anders M.
Published: December 2005

We explicitly compute the spectrum and eigenfunctions of the magnetic Schrödinger operator in L2(ℝ2), with Aharonov‐Bohm vector potential, , and either quadratic or Coulomb scalar
potential V. We also determine sharp constants in the CLR
inequality, both dependent on the fractional part of
α and both greater than unity. In the case of quadratic
potential, it turns out that the LT inequality holds for all
γ ≥ 1 with the classical constant, as expected from the
nonmagnetic system (harmonic oscillator).
Pinned‐flags of some operations on fuzzy subgroups
Authors: Makamba B. B. , Murali V.
Published: December 2005

Fuzzy subgroups of finite groups have been treated recently using
the concept of pinned‐flags. In this paper, we consider the
operations of intersection, sum, product, and quotient of fuzzy
subgroups of finite abelian groups in general, in terms of
pinned‐flags. We develop algorithms to construct pinned‐flags of
fuzzy subgroups corresponding to these operations and prove their
validity. We illustrate some applications of such algorithms.
Local extrema in random trees
Authors: Clark Lane
Published: December 2005

The number of local maxima (resp., local minima) in a tree T ∈ 𝒯n rooted at r ∈ [n] is denoted by Mr(T) (resp., by mr(T)). We find exact formulas as rational functions of n for the expectation and
variance of M1(T) and mn(T) when T ∈ 𝒯n is chosen
randomly according to a uniform distribution. As a consequence,
a.a.s. M1(T) and mn(T) belong to a relatively small interval
when T ∈ 𝒯n.
Discrete dynamics of complex systems
Authors: Haken Hermann
Published: December 2005

This article extends the slaving principle of synergetics to processes with discrete time steps. Starting point is a set of nonlinear difference equations which contain multiplicative noise and which refer to multidimensional state vectors. The system depends on a control parameter. When its value is changed beyond a critical value, an instability of the solution occurs. The stability analysis allows us to divide the system into stable and unstable modes. The original equations can be transformed to a set of difference equations for the unstable and stable modes. The extension of the slaving principle to the time‐discrete case then states that all the stable modes can be explicitly expressed by the unstable modes or so‐called order‐parameters.
Theoretical foundation for the discrete dynamics of physicochemical systems: Chaos, self‐organization, time and space in complex systems
Authors: Gontar V.
Published: December 2005

A new theoretical foundation for the discrete dynamics of physicochemical systems is presented. Based on the analogy between the π‐theorem of the theory of dimensionality, the second law of thermodynamics and the stoichiometry of complex physicochemical reactions, basic dynamic equations and an extreme principle were formulated. The meaning of discrete time and space in the proposed equations is discussed. Some results of numerical calculations are presented to demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach to the mathematical simulation of spatiotemporal physicochemical reaction dynamics.
Collision patterns on mollusc shells
Authors: Plath P. J. , Plath J. K. , Schwietering J.
Published: December 2005

On mollusc shells one can find famous patterns. Some of them show a great resemblance to the soliton patterns in one‐dimensional systems. Other look like Sierpinsky triangles or exhibit very irregular patterns. Meinhardt has shown that those patterns can be well described by reaction–diffusion systems [1]. However, such a description neglects the discrete character of the cell system at the growth front of the mollusc shell. We have therefore developed a one‐dimensional cellular vector automaton model which takes into account the cellular behaviour of the system [2]. The state of the mathematical cell is defined by a vector with two components. We looked for the most simple transformation rules in order to develop quite different types of waves: classical waves, chemical waves and different types of solitons. Our attention was focussed on the properties of the system created through the collision of two waves.
Nonlinearity in social dynamics – order versus chaos
Authors: Andersson Åke E. , Zhang Wei-Bin
Published: December 2005

This paper discusses the significance of applying nonlinear theory to examine the complexity of social and economic evolution. First, we generally examine possible implications of nonlinear theory for analyzing the complexity of human societies. Second, we select two socio‐economic models to illustrate our viewpoints.
Spatio‐temporal patterns with hyperchaotic dynamics in diffusively coupled biochemical oscillators
Authors: Baier Gerold , Sahle Sven
Published: December 2005

We present three examples how complex spatio‐temporal patterns can be linked to hyperchaotic attractors in dynamical systems consisting of nonlinear biochemical oscillators coupled linearly with diffusion terms. The systems involved are: (a) a two‐variable oscillator with two consecutive autocatalytic reactions derived from the Lotka–Volterra scheme; (b) a minimal two‐variable oscillator with one first‐order autocatalytic reaction; (c) a three‐variable oscillator with first‐order feedback lacking autocatalysis. The dynamics of a finite number of coupled biochemical oscillators may account for complex patterns in compartmentalized living systems like cells or tissue, and may be tested experimentally in coupled microreactors.
Fixed points of log‐linear discrete dynamics
Authors: Sawada Ken , Togawa Yoshio
Published: December 2005

In this paper we study the fixed points of the Log‐linear discrete dynamics. We show that almost all Log‐linear dynamics have at most two fixed points which is a generalization of Soni′s result.
Synchronization of spatiotemporal chaos using nonlinear feedback functions
Authors: Ali M. K. , Fang Jin-Qing
Published: December 2005

Synchronization of spatiotemporal chaos is studied using the method of variable feedback with coupled map lattices as model systems. A variety of feedback functions are introduced and the diversity in their choices for synchronizing any given system is exemplified. Synchronization in the presence of noise and with sporadic feedback is also presented.
Endogenous oscillations in a discrete dynamic model with inventory
Authors: Matsumoto Akio
Published: December 2005

Introducing the producer′s intertemporal optimizing behavior, we extend the Eckalbar Disequilibrium Macro‐Model (1985) and reconsider the dynamic features of the modified model. We concern ourselves with the existence of inventory cycles when the expectations are formed adaptively. The endogenous inventory cycle is detected using the Hopf bifurcation theorem in which a bifurcation parameter is an adaptive coefficient. It is also demonstrated that the generated cycle is subcritical.
Predictability problems of global change as seen through natural systems complexity description. 2. Approach
Authors: Kozoderov Vladimir V. , Sadovnichii Victor A. , Ushakov Sergey A. , Timoshin Oleg A.
Published: December 2005

Developing the general statements of the proposed global change theory, outlined in Part 1 of the publication, Kolmogorov′s probability space is used to study properties of information measures (unconditional, joint and conditional entropies, information divergence, mutual information, etc.). Sets of elementary events, the specified algebra of their sub‐sets and probability measures for the algebra are composite parts of the space. The information measures are analyzed using the mathematical expectance operator and the adequacy between an additive function of sets and their equivalents in the form of the measures. As a result, explanations are given to multispectral satellite imagery
visualization procedures using Markov′s chains of random variables represented by pixels
of the imagery. The proposed formalism of the information measures application enables
to describe the natural targets complexity by syntactically governing probabilities.
Asserted as that of signal/noise ratios finding for anomalies of natural processes, the
predictability problem is solved by analyses of temporal data sets of related measurements for key regions and their background within contextually coherent structures of natural targets and between particular boundaries of the structures.
Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2–Induced Transformation Involves the Activation of Mammalian Target of Rapamycin
Authors: Langenfeld Elaine M. , Kong Yingxin , Langenfeld John
Published: December 2005

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is an evolutionary conserved protein that is essential for embryonic development. BMP-2 is highly expressed in ∼98% of human lung carcinomas with little expression in normal lung tissues. BMP-2 has been shown to enhance mobility, invasiveness, and metastasis of cancer cell lines. During development, BMP-2 induces the proto-oncogene phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway to regulate stem cell differentiation. We show that BMP-2 induces the phosphorylation of mTOR in A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines, which is attenuated by the PI3K antagonists LY-294002 and wortmannin. p70S6 kinase, which is a direct downstream target of mTOR, is also regulated by BMP-2 in lung cancer cell lines. We find that BMP-2 induces cyclin E in A549 and H1299 cells, which is mediated by the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway. The regulation of cyclin E by BMP-2 occurs through a Smad 1/5–independent mechanism. Forced expression of BMP-2 in A549 cells (A549/BMP-2) induces transformation as shown by an increase in foci formation. The mTOR antagonist, rapamycin, prevented foci formation of the A549/BMP-2 cells. This study provides evidence that BMP-2-mediated transformation of lung cancer cells involves the activation of the PI3K/mTOR signaling pathway. (Mol Cancer Res 2005;3(12):679–84)
Some Practical Considerations of Ethical Issues in VR Research
Authors: Behr Katharina-Maria , Nosper Andreas , Klimmt Christoph , Hartmann Tilo
Published: December 2005

As scientific laboratories are an important domain of application of VR technology, ethical issues of VR have to be discussed with respect to research and the treatment of research subjects. Exposing participants to VR systems may raise ethical problems due to motion sickness, information overload, intensification of experience, and difficulties with reentry into the real world. The ethical guidelines which are typically applied to psychological research do not cover all of these problems in detail and have to be reconsidered, since they have not been developed with regard to the use of VR systems. Therefore, practical strategies to cope with the addressed ethical problems in VR research are recommended.
Buddy Bots: How Turing's Fast Friends Are Undermining Consumer Privacy
Authors: Kerr Ian R. , Bornfreund Marcus
Published: December 2005

Intelligent agents are currently being deployed in virtual environments to enable interaction with consumers in furtherance of various corporate strategies involving marketing, sales, and customer service. Some online businesses have recently begun to adopt automation technologies that are capable of altering both their own, and consumers', legal rights and obligations. In a rapidly evolving field known as affective computing, the creators of some automation technologies are utilizing various principles of cognitive science and artificial intelligence to generate avatars capable of garnering consumer trust. Unfortunately, this trust has been exploited by some to undertake extensive, clandestine consumer profiling under the guise of friendly conversation. Buddy bots and other such applications have been used by businesses to collect valuable personal information and private communications without lawful consent. This article critically examines such practices and provides basic consumer protection principles, an adherence to which promises to generate a more socially responsible vision of the application of artificial intelligence in automated electronic commerce.

I care so much for you—didn't think that I could,

I can't tell my heart that you're no good.

Bob Dylan, Honest With Me
The Philosophy of Presence: From Epistemic Failure to Successful Observation
Authors: Floridi Luciano
Published: December 2005

The paper introduces a new model of telepresence. First, it criticizes the standard model of presence as epistemic failure, showing it to be inadequate. It then replaces it with a new model of presence as successful observation. It further provides reasons to distinguish between two types of presence, backward and forward. The new model is then tested against two ethical issues whose nature has been modified by the development of digital information and communication technologies, namely pornography and privacy, and shown to be effective.
Evaluation of a Haptic Mixed Reality System for Interactions with a Virtual Control Panel
Authors: Borst Christoph W. , Volz Richard A.
Published: December 2005

We present a haptic feedback technique that combines feedback from a portable force-feedback glove with feedback from direct contact with rigid passive objects. This approach is a haptic analogue of visual mixed reality, since it can be used to haptically combine real and virtual elements in a single display. We discuss device limitations that motivated this combined approach and summarize technological challenges encountered. We present three experiments to evaluate the approach for interactions with buttons and sliders on a virtual control panel. In our first experiment, this approach resulted in better task performance and better subjective ratings than the use of only a force-feedback glove. In our second experiment, visual feedback was degraded and the combined approach resulted in better performance than the glove-only approach and in better ratings of slider interactions than both glove-only and passive-only approaches. A third experiment allowed subjective comparison of approaches and provided additional evidence that the combined approach provides the best experience.
Sousveillance and Cyborglogs: A 30-Year Empirical Voyage through Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues
Authors: Mann Steve
Published: December 2005

This paper describes the author's own personal experiences, experiments, and lifelong narrative of inventing, designing, building, and living with a variety of body-borne computer-based visual information capture and mediation devices. The emphasis is not just on the devices themselves, but on certain social, privacy, ethical, and legal questions and challenges that have arisen from actual experiences with lifelong video capture, processing, transmission, and dissemination in a variety of different everyday cultural settings over the past 30 years. The most interesting of these accidentally-found questions pertain to: (1) inverse surveillance (body-borne audiovisual and other sensor capture, storage, recall, and processing, known in the research literature as “sousveillance”); and (2) the epistemology of freewill and metaphysics of choice that seems to arise from an apparent reversal of the now pervasive and ubiquitous notion of surveillance.

Extrapolating from these lessons, several hypotheses are presented, including: (1) sousveillance, like surveillance, will be driven by rapid development of new technology, leaving legal frameworks lagging behind technology; (2) the growth of sousveillance will accelerate greatly when implementations come with other non-sousveillance uses (e.g., camera phones because of their strategic ambiguity with regard to whether they are being used to take a picture or for just a voice call); (3) legal frameworks will tend to support rather than oppose sousveillance; (4) such legal protections will favor video sousveillance over video surveillance just as they now favor audio sousveillance over audio surveillance; (5) such legal protections will emerge first for the disabled (e.g., the visually impaired); and will then expand to encompass other legitimate and beneficial uses of sousveillance (personal safety, evidence gathering, etc.); (6) a person wishing to do lifelong sousveillance is deserving of certain legal protections liabilizing others who might attempt to disrupt continuity of evidence.
Virtual Environment Training Therapy for Arm Motor Rehabilitation
Authors: Piron Lamberto , Tonin Paolo , Piccione Francesco , Iaia Vincenzo , Trivello Elena , Dam Mauro
Published: December 2005

Enhanced feedback provided by a virtual reality system has been shown to promote motor learning in normal subjects. We evaluated whether this approach could be useful for treating patients with motor deficits following brain lesions. Fifty subjects with mild to intermediate arm impairments due to stroke were selected for the study. The patients received treatment daily for one month, consisting of an hour of virtual-environment therapy with enhanced feedback. Before and after the therapy, we assessed the degree of motor impairment and autonomy in daily living activities using the Fugl-Meyer scale for the upper extremities and Functional Independence Measure, respectively. We also analyzed the velocity, duration, and morphology of a sequence of reaching movements, finally comparing the kinematic measures with the scores obtained on the clinical scales. The rehabilitation therapy yielded significant improvements over baseline values in the mean scores on the Fugl-Meyer and Functional Independence Measure scales. The mean Fugl-Meyer score correlated significantly with the duration and velocity of reaching movements. The collated data indicate that motor recovery in post-stroke patients may be promoted by the enhanced feedback provided in a virtual environment and that kinematic analysis of their movements provides reliable measures of motor function changes in response to treatment.
Issues of Law for Software Agents within Virtual Environments
Authors: Barfield Woodrow
Published: December 2005

A software agent is a computer program that operates within computing environments. The owners of software agents may instruct their agents to roam the networks, access desired information by exchanging data with other agents or people, and handle business and personal transactions. As the interactions between software agents and humans become more frequent, it is relevant to ask whether there are any issues of law that may guide their interactions and conduct. For example, as the agents become more intelligent and autonomous, who will be responsible for the mistakes that software agents make? Will software agents be allowed to contract with humans and with each other, and if so will such contracts be enforceable? And, will software agents have standing to sue and be sued? While there are a host of legal issues associated with software agents operating within virtual environments, the main issue addressed in this paper is whether software agents should be granted the legal rights associated with personhood. After discussing basic characteristics of software agents, and personhood in general, the paper concludes by outlining three possible scenarios that could represent the legal status of software agents in the future; these include the current status quo of property, the status of an indentured servant, and the status and associated rights of legal personhood.
Leaving the World Behind: Supporting Group Collaboration Patterns in a Shared Virtual Environment for Product Design
Authors: Linebarger John M. , Janneck Christopher D. , Kessler G. Drew
Published: December 2005

Virtual reality technology is increasingly being applied to globally distributed teams engaged in collaborative product design. Observations of product design teams have suggested four distinct patterns of collaboration—complementary, competitive, peer-to-peer, and leader-follower. Another insight from observation is that collaboration consists of fluid transitions between these patterns in the accomplishment of the design task, driven by a flexible process of subgrouping and regrouping which reflects the structure and progress of the task. Yet most collaborative virtual environment systems support only one pattern of collaboration—peer-to-peer—and those that do explicitly support multiple patterns or roles do not allow fluid transitions between them in the context of the same task. In addition, no explicit support is provided to allow subgroups to be formed and dissolved. A collaborative virtual environment that supports multiple collaboration patterns and fluid transitions was developed using the Shared Simple Virtual Environment (SSVE) application framework. A novel user interface widget, the collaboration tree, was created to drive the subgrouping and regrouping process. Group experiments were performed to test the operating hypothesis that support for group collaboration patterns led to higher performance. The result was that the operating hypothesis was confirmed; however, the conceptual approach to problem solving, suggested by the presence of support for collaboration patterns, may have been more significant than the actual mechanism provided.
Feedback Strategies for Telemanipulation with Shared Control of Object Handling Forces
Authors: Griffin Weston B. , Provancher William R. , Cutkosky Mark R.
Published: December 2005

Shared control represents a middle ground between supervisory control and traditional bilateral control in which the remote system can exert control over some aspects of the task while the human operator maintains access to low-level forces and motions. In the case of dexterous telemanipulation, a natural approach is to share control of the object handling forces while giving the human operator direct access to remote tactile and force information at the slave fingertips. We describe a set of experiments designed to determine whether shared control can improve the ability of an operator to handle objects delicately and to determine what combinations of force, visual, and audio feedback provide the best level of performance and operator sense of presence. The results demonstrate the benefits of shared control and the need to carefully choose the types and methods of direct and indirect feedback.
The Soviet Union and the Outbreak of the June 1967 Six-Day War
Authors: Golan Galia
Published: December 2005

The Soviet Union's transfer of false information to Egypt about alleged Israeli troop concentrations facing Syria in May 1967 is still considered a major factor in the outbreak of the June 1967 Mideast War. Soviet motivations and expectations, however, remain a topic of dispute. New information has become available over the past fifteen years, primarily through interviews and memoirs but also through the release of some important Soviet documents, including correspondence and reports of meetings between Soviet and Egyptian of ficials at the highest levels. A careful analysis of the circumstances and events during the period immediately before the 1967 war substantiates the conclusion that the Soviet Union did not initially expect or want war to break out between Israel and the Arabs. Soviet leaders made efforts to moderate Egyptian actions and considered at least one proposal for averting war. By the first week of June, as Egypt and Syria mobilized for an attack on Israel, the Soviet Union apparently expected an Israeli preemptive strike. Soviet actions during and immediately after the war indicated an interest in reducing the risks of the con flict, even in cooperation with the United States, although Soviet leaders seem to have held differing views about this matter.
Mongolian Politics in the Shadow of the Cold War: The 1964 Coup Attempt and the Sino-Soviet Split
Authors: Radchenko Sergey S.
Published: December 2005

After Nikita Khrushchev's condemnation of some of Stalin's crimes in 1956, the Mongolian People's Republic, following in the footsteps of the “fraternal” Soviet Union, also succumbed to the “thaw.” Khrushchev used de Stalinization to discredit his hardline opponents. Mongolia's leader, Yumjaagiyn Tsedenbal, was a Stalin-era holdover who came under criticism from his rivals for being unenthusiastic about political reforms. Tsedenbal had good reason to downplay de-Stalinization:He shared responsibility with Marshal Horloogiyn Choibalsan for violent repressions in the 1940s. But Tsedenbal outmaneuvered and eliminated his opponents in the late 1950s and early 1960s and consolidated his grip on power by 1964.Toward the end of that year, however, Tsedenbal once again was challenged, this time from an unexpected direction. Several members of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP) used the precedent of Khrushchev's forced retirement from his leadership posts in Moscow in October 1964 as a pretext to overthrow Tsedenbal. At a plenum of the MPRP Central Committee in December 1964, Tsedenbal was accused of incompetence, corruption, disrespect for principles of “party democracy,” lack of economic discipline, and overreliance on the Soviet Union for credits. But Tsedenbal rebuffed the “anti-party group” and depicted the affair as an attempted coup engineered by pro-Chinese sympathizers and spies. Soviet leaders were wary of Chinese efforts to “subvert” Moscow's in fluence in the socialist camp and were therefore willing to endorse Tsedenbal's version of events.
Great-Power Involvement and Israeli Battlefield Success in the Arab-Israeli Wars, 1948–1982
Authors: Kober Avi
Published: December 2005

This article shows that Israel's success in wars against Arab states should not be attributed exclusively to its own military prowess and the relative incompetence of its enemies. Another important factor was great-power involvement in the Arab-Israeli wars.Despite Israel's early fears, such involvement in most cases either failed to deny Israel its military achievements or was an asset for two main reasons: lack of will or capability on the part of hostile great powers to intervene against Israel; and a friendly patron's support, without which Israel's own military skills might not have been suf ficient to secure military success.
The Aesthetics of Ideology, or ‘The Critique of Ideological Judgment’ in Eagleton and Zizek
Authors: Sharpe Matthew
Published: December 2005

The notions of ‘ideology’ and ‘critique of ideology’ have been criticised in manyways. This essay examines theworks of two contemporary theorists who defend this theoretical category. Interestingly, both do this through pivotal recourse to categories drawn from modern aesthetic theory, and in particular Kant's third Critique. In thisway, they reanimate a theoretical concern with the intersection of politics and aesthetics that goes as far back as Plato. The essay's conclusion reflects on this “aesthetic turn” in the theory of ideology: what work it allows, and its limits.
The Biopolitics of Souls
Authors: Forti Simona
Published: December 2005

This essay focuses on the relationship between biopolitics and race theory. Starting from Foucault, many authors have considered totalitarian anti-Semitism as a depravity of biologism. This essay would like to challenge this alltoo-simple positivist, materialist, and evolutionist picture of biopolitics in the Third Reich. It examines another “tradition” of racial theories, central to National Socialism, much closer to the revered Western philosophical tradition than Darwinism ever was. This kind of racism presents itself as the authentic heir of that “Metaphysics of Form,” which traces its roots back to classical antiquity, in particular to Plato's work. Through the analysis of some Platonist and racist texts the essay tries to point out the ambivalences that connect some of the assumptions of our philosophical tradition to Nazi totalitarianism.
Coping and Social Support as Mediators of the Relation of Optimism to Depressive Symptoms Among Black College Students
Authors: Mosher Catherine E. , Prelow Hazel M. , Chen William W. , Yackel Molly E.
Published: December 2005

This investigation examines mechanisms through which optimism may influence psychological adjustment among 133 Black college students. Specifically, this study evaluates the extent to which active and avoidant coping and social support account for the association between optimism and depressive symptoms. Participants completed questionnaires that included the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the COPE, the Social Provisions Scale, and the 12-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Avoidant coping and social support mediated the relation between optimism and depressive symptoms, whereas active coping did not mediate this relationship. Results partially replicate those of prior research and illustrate the need for culturally sensitive theory regarding the combined effect of personality, coping strategies, and social support on psychological adjustment to stressful situations.
An Experimental Evaluation of a School-Based Emancipatory Intervention to Promote African American Well-Being and Youth Leadership
Authors: Lewis Kelly M. , Sullivan Cris M. , Bybee Deborah
Published: December 2005

This study experimentally examined the effect of a school-based emancipatory intervention on the psychological and behavioral well-being of African American adolescents. Sixty-five eighth graders in an inner-city, predominantly Black school were randomly assigned to either receive the experimental intervention or a regular Life Skills course (the control condition). The class met three times a week for one semester. Growth trajectory modeling was used to test the extent to which the intervention affected students’ communal worldviews, individualism, school connectedness, motivation to achieve, and social change activities over time. Results indicated that the intervention positively affected each of these variables. Increased communalism and increased school connectedness mediated the relationship between the intervention and students’ motivation to achieve. Competitive individualistic orientation was a partial mediator for motivation to achieve. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries in Female Athletes
Authors: Hewett Timothy E. , Ford Kevin R. , Myer Gregory D.
Published: December 2005

Female athletes have a 4 to 6 times higher incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury than do male athletes participating in the same landing and pivoting sports. This greater risk of anterior cruciate ligament injury, coupled with a geometric increase in participation (doubling each decade), has led to a significant rise in anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes. The gender gap in anterior cruciate ligament injury, combined with evidence that the underpinnings of this serious health problem are neuromuscular in nature, leads to the development of neuromuscular interventions designed to prevent injury. A systematic review of the published literature yielded 6 published interventions targeted toward anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention in female athletes. Four of 6 significantly reduced knee injury incidence, and 3 of 6 significantly reduced anterior cruciate ligament injury incidence in female athletes. A meta-analysis of these 6 studies demonstrates a significant effect of neuromuscular training programs on anterior cruciate ligament injury incidence in female athletes (test for overall effect, Z = 4.31, P< .0001). Examination of the similarities and differences between the training regimens gives insight into the development of more effective and efficient interventions. The purpose of this “Current Concepts” review is to highlight the relative effectiveness of these interventions in reducing anterior cruciate ligament injury rates and to evaluate the common training components between the training studies. In addition, the level of rigor of these interventions, the costs and the difficulty of implementation, the compliance with these interventions, and the performance benefits are discussed. This review summarizes conclusions based on evidence from the common components of the various interventions to discuss their potential to reduce anterior cruciate ligament injury risk and assess their potential for combined use in more effective and efficient intervention protocols.