Fabry-Perot Laser Ultrasonic Elastic Anisotropy Measurements on a Moving Paper Web

On-line measurement of material properties is a goal of many manufacturers to improve production and quality. The elastic stiffness of paper is important for the paper industry. Currently, the elastic constants of paper are measured offline with contact ultrasonic methods [1-4]. Piezoelectric transducers are placed in contact with the paper surface to generate and detect plate wave modes, known as Lamb wave modes [5-7]. At low frequencies, where the wavelength of the elastic wave is larger than the paper thickness, two wave modes dominate in the paper, an anti-symmetric or flexural mode and a symmetric or thickness mode. Measurements of the phase velocities of these modes along both the machine direction (MD) and the perpendicular cross direction (CD) of the paper web provide an important parameter revealing the increased stiffness in the paper along the MD direction

Federal Emergency Management Information System (FEMIS) Bill of Materials (BOM) for FEMIS Version 1.3

This document describes the Bill of Materials (BOM) for the Federal Emergency Management Information System (FEMIS) for version 1.3. FEMIS runs on a client/server platform consisting of a UNIX system, employed as a data server, and personal computers (PCs) using the Windows NT operating system. Servers and PCs require the operating system, utility software, communications and other internal cards that are also listed in the following sections. FEMIS will support the use of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) software applications and tools. Several configurations are possible at a Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) site. In this description, a site is understood to be compromised of several installations, including the depot, surrounding Immediate Response Zone (IRZ) and Protective Action Zone (PAZ) counties, and one or more state Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs). In general, the main differences between possible configurations are the number of users at an installation, the location of the UNIX data server(s), and wide area network (WAN) link between installations. The number of PC workstations will vary between installations

Institutional review board challenges related to community-based participatory research on human exposure to environmental toxins: A case study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We report on the challenges of obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) coverage for a community-based participatory research (CBPR) environmental justice project, which involved reporting biomonitoring and household exposure results to participants, and included lay participation in research.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We draw on our experiences guiding a multi-partner CBPR project through university and state Institutional Review Board reviews, and other CBPR colleagues' written accounts and conference presentations and discussions. We also interviewed academics involved in CBPR to learn of their challenges with Institutional Review Boards.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that Institutional Review Boards are generally unfamiliar with CBPR, reluctant to oversee community partners, and resistant to ongoing researcher-participant interaction. Institutional Review Boards sometimes unintentionally violate the very principles of beneficence and justice which they are supposed to uphold. For example, some Institutional Review Boards refuse to allow report-back of individual data to participants, which contradicts the CBPR principles that guide a growing number of projects. This causes significant delays and may divert research and dissemination efforts. Our extensive education of our university Institutional Review Board convinced them to provide human subjects protection coverage for two community-based organizations in our partnership.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>IRBs and funders should develop clear, routine review guidelines that respect the unique qualities of CBPR, while researchers and community partners can educate IRB staff and board members about the objectives, ethical frameworks, and research methods of CBPR. These strategies can better protect research participants from the harm of unnecessary delays and exclusion from the research process, while facilitating the ethical communication of study results to participants and communities.</p

Spike-Timing Precision and Neuronal Synchrony Are Enhanced by an Interaction between Synaptic Inhibition and Membrane Oscillations in the Amygdala

The basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) is a critical component of the neural circuit regulating fear learning. During fear learning and recall, the amygdala and other brain regions, including the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, exhibit phase-locked oscillations in the high delta/low theta frequency band (∼2–6 Hz) that have been shown to contribute to the learning process. Network oscillations are commonly generated by inhibitory synaptic input that coordinates action potentials in groups of neurons. In the rat BLA, principal neurons spontaneously receive synchronized, inhibitory input in the form of compound, rhythmic, inhibitory postsynaptic potentials (IPSPs), likely originating from burst-firing parvalbumin interneurons. Here we investigated the role of compound IPSPs in the rat and rhesus macaque BLA in regulating action potential synchrony and spike-timing precision. Furthermore, because principal neurons exhibit intrinsic oscillatory properties and resonance between 4 and 5 Hz, in the same frequency band observed during fear, we investigated whether compound IPSPs and intrinsic oscillations interact to promote rhythmic activity in the BLA at this frequency. Using whole-cell patch clamp in brain slices, we demonstrate that compound IPSPs, which occur spontaneously and are synchronized across principal neurons in both the rat and primate BLA, significantly improve spike-timing precision in BLA principal neurons for a window of ∼300 ms following each IPSP. We also show that compound IPSPs coordinate the firing of pairs of BLA principal neurons, and significantly improve spike synchrony for a window of ∼130 ms. Compound IPSPs enhance a 5 Hz calcium-dependent membrane potential oscillation (MPO) in these neurons, likely contributing to the improvement in spike-timing precision and synchronization of spiking. Activation of the cAMP-PKA signaling cascade enhanced the MPO, and inhibition of this cascade blocked the MPO. We discuss these results in the context of spike-timing dependent plasticity and modulation by neurotransmitters important for fear learning, such as dopamine

Concussion 101: The Current State of Concussion Education Programs

Concussion is an important cause of morbidity in young student athletes. The prevention, accurate diagnosis, and prompt management of concussions require that players, parents, coaches, and medical personnel are accurately educated on current concussion data and guidelines. All states have laws that mandate concussion education for high school athletes. There is currently no uniform educational program to disseminate information to student athletes regarding concussions. This article highlights a few nationally recognized educational programs that aim to accurately and effectively inform all members of the athletic, academic, and medical communities about the importance and urgency of concussion

User Instructions for the Systems Assessment Capability, Rev. 1, Computer Codes Volume 1: Inventory, Release, and Transport Modules

This document contains detailed user instructions for the transport codes for Rev. 1 of the System Assessment Capability