The relative efficacy of vestibular-proprioceptive stimulation and the upright position in enhancing visual pursuit in neonates.

48 healthy neonates born to multiparae were randomly assigned to view a moving stimulus either in the horizontal or the upright position, with or without added vestibular stimulation and with or without pacifier sucking. The infant was shown a moving black line inside a strictly controlled visual environment provided by an apparatus which permitted horizontal and upright positioning and displacement of the infant. Visual tracking was recorded by a concealed TV camera positioned at a constant distance and angle from the infants' eyes in both positions. Quality of tracking during each of 4 trials was scored on a 7-point scale. Results indicate that vestibularproprioceptive stimulation provided to the infant either horizontally or semivertically significantly enhanced his visual tracking, whereas the upright position did not. Pacifier sucking also improved his performace.     

Modeling of Star-shaped and Parallel-wire Carrier Distribution Systems

It is often desirable to represent carrier distribution systems by networks so that analysis can be made to predict the behavior of these systems. Modeling of two canonical carrier distribution systems, the star-shaped system and the parallel-wire system by networks was carried out in this paper. The representation is given in terms of lumped parameters when the lengths of the carrier lines are short and it is given in terms of lumped and distributed parameters when the lengths of the carrier lines are long.     

Circular Plate on Multipoint Supports

Formulae are derived for the deflection surface of a symmetrically loaded circular plate having several points supports which are situated at equal distances apart on a single concentric circle. There is no restriction on the diameter of the support circle, which may be as large as the diameter of the plate itself. The results of this paper compare favorably with published experimental results. Numerical deflection coefficients for a uniformly loaded plate are provided, and these could be utilized for optimizing the positions and the number of concentrated supports.     

Book Reviews

Educational Freedom in an Age of Anxiety . Twelfth Yearbook of the John Dewey Society, ed.
Freedom, Power, and democratic Planning . By K. Mannheim, Internat. Lib. of Sociol. & Soc. Reconstr.
Improving Teaching-Learning Processes . By Ray H. Simpson.     

Light-inadequacy of the ultraviolet theory of ionization in the E-layer

From the reports of the CRPL, average yearly values of h′_E, h′_F1,f °_E and N_F1, for the months of January, March, June, July, September, and December of the years 1944 to 1949 were computed and plotted against the magnetic latitude. Altogether some 25,000 individual records were averaged. Seven curves were plotted. They showed that: (1) all curves are symmetrical with respect to the magnetic equator; (2) the h′_E, h′_F1, f⁰_E and the N_F, curves all swing up and down as the magnetic latitude, north and south, increases; (3) the h′_E is definitely periodic with constant period and constant amplitude; (4) the h′_E curve rises only slightly (on the average) with latitude. These results appear to be inconsistent with the ultraviolet light theory of ionization.     

Future developments in transportation

Nearly all prognostigators, from the fellow who buys a $2 ticket on Blue Boy to the financial policy-makers of government and business, base their final conclusions upon past experience. Properly tempered (and herein lies the success or failure of the prophet), this is a completely logical procedure, and is especially applicable to engineering trends, for most of our technical progress has been achieved through a process of evolution.Thus, one of the best ways to gain an insight as to the direction in which we're going is to note our present position and to review how we reached it.In the preceding discussion, I have tried to cover a few specific phases of our transportation future in just this fashion, in order to emphasize that we can expect tomorrow further applications and extensions of the things we are working with today.     

Frequency-coordinate vector diagram

From the standpoint of circuit synthesis as well as for a fundamental comprehension of circuit behavior, it is desirable to be able to visualize the response of a circuit over an extended frequency range by means of a geometrical construction. Mathematically, the response of a circuit can be expressed with the La Place transform theory as a function of the complex frequency variable, p = α + jωw, in which a is the decrement and ω is the “real” angular frequency. Physically, the nature of the real-frequency response is usually not discernible by casual inspection of the mathematical function. This paper develops a means of visualizing this frequency response readily through the construction of a vector diagram from the response function.