We examined the effects of stimulus size and location on the mouse optokinetic response (OKR). To this end, we recorded initial OKRs elicited by a brief presentation of horizontally moving grating patterns of different vertical widths and locations in the visual field. Large-field stimuli generated large sustained OKRs, whereas visual stimuli of narrower vertical widths elicited weaker sustained responses at the later period (400–500 ms after the onset of stimulus motion). However, even stimuli of only 5° vertical width elicited detectable transient responses at the initial open-loop period (100–200 ms after the onset of stimulus motion). Presenting 5°-width stimuli at different vertical locations (−10° to +35° relative to the horizon) revealed the spatial distribution of optokinetic sensitivity across the retina. The most sensitive part of the visual field was located at +25°. In addition, we examined the vertical orientation of the eye under our stereotaxic set-up. We observed the optic disc using a hand-held fundus camera and determined the ocular orientation. All eye orientations were distributed in the range of +20–30° relative to the horizon (25.2±2.5°). Thus, the direction of the most sensitive visual field matched the angle of eye orientation. These findings indicate that the spatial distribution of visual field sensitivity to optokinetic stimuli coincides with the distribution of retinal ganglion cell density.

Size-selected linear hydrocarbon molecules, polyynes HC2nH, were contacted in solutions with single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) prepared from laser-ablated metal/carbon composite rods (Rh/Pt/C) to produce polyyne-encapsulating SWNTs, HC2nH@SWNT(RhPt). New Raman spectral features were observed at 2120, 2061 2017, 1982, and 1963 cm(-1) for five polyynes of n = 4-8, respectively, and identified as the vibrational excitation of symmetric stretching modes of the molecules inside the SWNTs. The Raman spectra were compared with those observed for polyynes on Ag islands (SERS) and in solutions. The filling factor was investigated from the concentration dependence of the Raman intensity for HC10H@SWNT(NiCo) to give an estimate of one polyyne molecule per similar to 350 carbon atoms of SWNTS, providing a picture for head-to-tale filling of aligned C10H2 molecules inside the SWNTs.

Ocular following responses (OFRs) were elicited in monkeys at short latencies ( approximately 50ms) by applying motion in the form of successive 1/4-wavelength steps to each of two overlapping vertical sine-wave gratings that had different spatial frequencies. In the first experiment, the two sine waves had spatial frequencies in the ratio 3:5 and moved in opposite directions. The initial OFRs showed a highly nonlinear dependence on the relative contrasts of the competing sine waves. On average, when the contrast of one was less than a third of that of the other then the one with the lower contrast became ineffective - as though suppressed - and the OFR was entirely determined by the sine wave of higher contrast: winner-take-all. In a second experiment, the two sine waves had spatial frequencies in the ratio 3:7 and moved in the same direction (though at different speeds). The initial OFRs again showed a highly nonlinear dependence on the relative contrasts of the competing sine waves, with a winner-take-all outcome when the contrasts of the two sine waves were sufficiently different. In both experiments, the nonlinear dependence on the relative contrasts of the competing sine waves was well described by a contrast-weighted-average model with just two free parameters. These findings were very similar to those of [Sheliga, B.M., Kodaka, Y., FitzGibbon, E.J., Miles, F.A., 2006c. Human ocular following initiated by competing image motions: evidence for a winner-take-all mechanism. Vision Res. 46, 2041-2060] on the human OFR, indicating that the monkey is a good animal model for studying the nonlinear interactions that emerge when competing motions are used.

Strained dielectric superlattices have been formed by stacking of SrTiO3 and BaTiO3 layers which have different lattice constants. This superlattice shows high dielectric constant at the short stacking periodicity of each layer. It is noticeable that the (Sr0.3Ba0.7)TiO3/(Ca0.3Sr0.7)TiO3 strained superlattice exhibits the dielectric constant of 900 even for the film thickness of 500 Angstrom. This result indicates that the strained superlattice approach is one of the promising ways for the fabrication of ultra-high density DRAM. Bi based layered artificial lattices have been also prepared by laser MBE technique. The numbers of pseudo-perovskite layers between Bi2O2 are controlled, and it is revealed that the dielectric constant increases with the increase of the perovskite layers, and that ferroelectricity appears along the c-axis direction only for the odd numbers of the perovskite layers.

Two cases of intracerebral hemorrhage in patients with prosthetic heart valves receiving anticoagulant therapy without preceding embolic cerebral infarction are reported. Phytonadione and fresh frozen plasma were immediately given, and the intracerebral hematoma evacuated successfully. In one case, intractable bleeding occurred perioperatively until the thrombotest value reached 40% or more. This patient later developed fatal massive multiple intracerebral hemorrhages.

The unidirectional rate of incorporation of plasma palmitate, Jpalm, was measured in 43 brain regions of unanesthetized male Fischer-344 rats at 3, 12, 24 and 34 months of age. Jpalm was calculated from brain radio-activity 4 h after iv injection of [14C]palmitate, and from the integrated plasma specific activity of palmitate to 4 h. Jpalm was not related significantly to age (P > 0.05) in gray and white matter regions, nor was the white/gray ratio for Jpalm related to age (approximating 0.53 at all ages). These results demonstrate age invariance of incorporation of plasma palmitate into stable brain structures of the rat and suggest that turnover of brain lipids also is generally age invariant. A mathematical model for regional incorporation of plasma palmitate is given in an Appendix.

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured in 35 brain regions of awake beagles of different ages, by infusing 14C-iodoantipyrine intravenously. Between 1-3 and 6-12 yrs of age, rCBF was reduced significantly (P less than 0.01) in only 6 of the 35 regions, by 16 to 25%, and mean weighted CBF was not significantly altered. At 14-15 yrs, rCBF was reduced significantly by 25 to 50% in 13 of 28 grey matter regions examined, but in no white matter region, as compared with rCBF at 1-3 yrs of age, and mean weighted CBF was reduced by 30% (P less than 0.01). The course of rCBF during ageing of the beagle corresponded to the reported course of the regional cerebral metabolic rate for glucose. The results demonstrate that cerebral functional activity in most brain regions is constant during much of the adult life of the beagle, and that coupling between blood flow and metabolism also is constant. Compensatory morphological and neurochemical mechanisms may account for this homeostasis of CBF. In extreme senescence, generalized reductions in rCBF are found, and probably reflect reduced sensory input to the brain as well as systemic disease.

Jpalm, the rate of incorporation of plasma palmitate into brain, was determined in awake Fischer-344 rats at 15, 20, 25 and 38 days of age, by a modification of the method of Kimes et al. [14C]palmitate was injected intravenously and plasma-specific activity of unesterified palmitate was followed until the animals were killed at 4 h, when radioactivity was determined by quantitative autoradiography in 45 individual brain regions. Jpalm was calculated as the 4 h brain radioactivity divided by integrated plasma palmitate-specific activity to 4 h. Jpalm rose between 15 and 20 days of age in gray and white matter regions, then declined 4–5-fold in gray matter and 7–10-fold in white matter by 38 days and reached adult levels by 3 months. The white/gray ratio for Jpalm declined significantly between 20 and 38 days, and between 38 days and 3 months of age, consistent with a lower rate of turnover of white matter lipids in the mature brain. The results support the use of the Jpalm technique to measure brain lipid synthesis and turnover. They show that Jpalm corresponds to the time course of myelination during development of the rat brain, when there are parallel changes in the rates of palmitate incorporation into gray and white matter regions.

X-ray powder diffraction data for BeGa2O4 have been obtained from the synthesized compound. The space group was determined by using a hexagonal prismatic single crystal obtained from a lead pyrophosphate flux by slow cooling. The crystal of BeGa2O4 belongs to the hexagonal system, with unit-cell parameters a = 7.7525(3), c = 2.9817(2) Å, V = 155.19; space group P63 or P63/m, z = 2. The crystal lattice is isomorphous with β-Si3N4.BeGa2O4 melts at 2013 K and has fairly small thermal expansion coefficients: α//a = 3.29 × 10− 6 K−1, α//c = 2.95 × 10− 6 K−1 (298–1173 K average). Dm = 4.511 Mg m−3 (323 K), Dx = 4.546 Mg m−3 (298 K); Cu Kα, Cu Kα radiation. The JCPDS Diffraction File No. for BeGa2O4 is 36-1493.