Manual asymmetries in the preparation and control of goal-directed movements

The primary purpose of this experiment was to determine if left hand reaction time advantages in manual aiming result from a right hemisphere attentional advantage or an early right hemisphere role in movement preparation. Right-handed participants were required to either make rapid goal-directed movements to small targets or simply lift their hand upon target illumination. The amount of advance information about the target for a particular trial was manipulated by precuing a subset of potential targets prior to the reaction time interval. When participants were required to make aiming movements to targets in left space, the left hand enjoyed a reaction advantage that was not present for aiming in right space: or simple finger lifts. This advantage was independent of the amount or type of advance information provided by the precue. This finding supports the movement planning hypothesis. With respect to movement execution, participants completed their aiming movements more quickly when aiming with their right hand, particularly in right space. This right hand advantage in right space was due to the time required to decelerate the movement and to make feedback-based adjustments late in the movement trajectory. (C) 2001 Academic Press.

Observations towards early-type stars in the ESO-POP Survey - II. Searches for intermediate- and high-velocity clouds

We present Ca it K and Ti it optical spectra of early-type stars taken mainly from the ultraviolet and visual echelle spectrograph (LIVES) Paranal Observatory Project, plus H 1 21-cm spectra, from the Vila-Elisa and Leiden-Dwingeloo Surveys, which are employed to obtain distances to intermediate- and high-velocity clouds (IHVCs). H I emission at a velocity of -117 km s(-1) towards the sightline HD 30677 (l, b = 190 degrees.2, -22 degrees.2) with column density -1.7 x 10(19) cm(-2) has no corresponding Ca Pi K absorption in the LIVES spectrum, which has a signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 610 per resolution element. The star has a spectroscopically determined distance of 2.7 kpc, and hence sets this as a firm lower distance limit towards Anti-Centre cloud ACII. Towards another sightline (HD 46185 with 1, b = 222 0, -10 degrees.1), H1 at a velocity of +122 km s(-1) and column density of 1.2 x 10(19) cm(-2) is seen. The corresponding Ca Pi K spectrum has a S/N of 780, although no absorption is observed at the cloud velocity. This similarly places a firm lower distance limit of 2.9 kpc towards this parcel of gas that may be an intermediate-velocity (IV) cloud. The lack of IV Ca it absorption towards HD 196426 (1, b = 45 degrees.8, -23 degrees.3) at a S/N of 500 reinforces a lower distance limit of -700 pc towards this part of complex gp, where the H I column density is 1.1 x 1019 cm(-2) and velocity is +78 km s(-1). Additionally, no IV Cart is seen in absorption in the spectrum of HD 19445, which is strong in H I with a column density of 8 x 10(19) cm(-2) at a velocity of - -42 km s(-1), placing a firm although uninteresting lower distance limit of 39 pc to this part of IV South. Finally, no high-velocity Call K absorption is seen towards HD 115363 (l, b = 306.0,-1.0) at a S/N of 410, placing a lower distance of -3.2 kpc towards the HVC gas at velocity of - +224 km s(-1) and WE column density of 5.2 x 10(19) cm(-2). This gas is in the same region of the sky as complex WE (Wakker 2001), but at higher velocities. The non-detection of Ca it K absorption sets a lower distance of -3.2 kpc towards the HVC, which is unsurprising if this feature is indeed related to the Magellanic System.

Controls on the contemporary distribution of lake thecamoebians (testate amoebae) in the Greater Toronto Area and their potential as water quality indicators.

Thecamoebians were examined from 71 surface sediment samples collected from 21 lakes and ponds in the Greater Toronto Area to (1) elucidate the controls on faunal distribution in modern lake environments; and (2) to consider the utility of thecamoebians in quantitative studies of water quality change. This area was chosen because it includes a high density of kettle and other lakes which are threatened by urban development and where water quality has deteriorated locally as a result of contaminant inputs, particularly nutrients. Fifty-eight samples yielded statistically significant thecamoebian populations. The most diverse faunas (highest Shannon Diversity Index values) were recorded in lakes beyond the limits of urban development, although the faunas of all lakes showed signs of sub-optimal conditions. The assemblages were divided into five clusters using Q-mode cluster analysis, supported by Detrended Correspondence Analysis. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to examine species-environment relationships and to explain the observed clusterings. Twenty-four measured environmental variables were considered, including water property attributes (e.g., pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen), substrate characteristics, sediment-based phosphorus (Olsen P) and 11 environmentally available metals. The thecamoebian assemblages showed a strong association with phosphorus, reflecting the eutrophic status of many of the lakes, and locally to elevated conductivity measurements, which appear to reflect road salt inputs associated with winter de-icing operations. Substrate characteristics, total organic carbon and metal contaminants (particularly Cu and Mg) also influenced the faunas of some samples. A series of partial CCAs show that of the measured variables, sedimentary phosphorus has the largest influence on assemblage distribution, explaining 6.98% (P < 0.002) of the total variance. A transfer function was developed for sedimentary phosphorus (Olsen P) using 58 samples from 15 of the studied lakes. The best performing model was based on weighted averaging with inverse deshrinking (WA Inv, r jack 2= 0.33, RMSEP = 102.65 ppm). This model was applied to a small modern thecamoebian dataset from a eutrophic lake in northern Ontario to predict phosphorus and performed satisfactorily. This preliminary study confirms that thecamoebians have considerable potential as quantitative water quality indicators in urbanising regions, particularly in areas influenced by nutrient inputs and road salts.

The role of theory in promoting social work values and its potential effect on outcomes in work with domestically violent men

This article is concerned with the ethical conflicts that arise for social workers when dealing with males that perpetrate violence against women and children with whom they have or had intimate relationships. In particular, the article seeks to highlight how a strong social work value base is essential when working with perpetrators whose apparent wilful violent controlling behaviour creates a major ethical dilemma for the practising social worker. The argument contends that strategies designed to protect and enhance the welfare of domestic violence victims, particularly those aimed at the re-education of perpetrators, are weakened when social workers do not adhere to a social work value base.

Pharmacology of transient receptor potential melastatin channels in the vasculature.

Mammalian transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM) non-selective cation channels, the largest TRP subfamily, are widely expressed in excitable and non-excitable cells where they perform diverse functions ranging from detection of cold, taste, osmolarity, redox state and pH to control of Mg(2+) homeostasis and cell proliferation or death. Recently, TRPM gene expression has been identified in vascular smooth muscles with dominance of the TRPM8 channel. There has been in parallel considerable progress in decoding the functional roles of several TRPMs in the vasculature. This research on native cells is aided by the knowledge of the activation mechanisms and pharmacological properties of heterologously expressed TRPM subtypes. This paper summarizes the present state of knowledge of vascular TRPM channels and outlines several anticipated directions of future research in this area.