Impact of Cross-Sectoral Alcohol Policy on Youth Alcohol Consumption.

PubMed

de Goeij, Moniek C M; Jacobs, Monique A M; van Nierop, Peter; van der Veeken-Vlassak, Ivanka A G; van de Mheen, Dike; Schoenmakers, Tim M; Harting, Janneke; Kunst, Anton E

2016-07-01

Cross-sectoral alcohol policy is recommended to reduce youth alcohol consumption, but little evidence is available on its effectiveness. Therefore, we examined whether regions and municipalities in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant with stronger cross-sectoral alcohol policy showed larger reductions in alcohol consumption among adolescents aged 12-15. Strong regional cross-sectoral alcohol policy was defined as participation in a regional alcohol prevention program. Strong municipal cross-sectoral alcohol policy was operationalized by measures on (a) sector variety: involvement of different policy sectors, and (b) strategy variety: formulation of different policy strategies. Relevant data from policy documents were searched for on the Internet. Data on trends in alcohol consumption were extracted from the 2007 and 2011 cross-sectional Youth Health Monitor that includes a random subset of adolescents aged 12-15 (n = 15,380 in 2007 and n = 15,437 in 2011). We used multilevel regression models. Two of the three regions in which municipalities participated in a regional alcohol prevention program showed a larger reduction in weekly drinking than the region in which municipalities did not participate (-12.2% and -13.4% vs. -8.3%). Municipalities with strong compared to weak sector variety showed a larger increase in adolescents' age at consuming their first alcoholic drink (0.63 vs. 0.42 years). Municipalities with strong strategy variety showed a decrease (-3.8%) in heavy weekly drinking, whereas those with weak variety showed an increase (5.1%). Cross-sectoral alcohol policy did not affect trends in other alcohol outcomes. Our results suggest that strong cross-sectoral alcohol policy may contribute to reducing some aspects of youth alcohol consumption. Monitoring policy implementation is needed to assess the full impact.

Children as Agents in Socializing Parents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devor, Geraldine M.

1970-01-01

Data analysis showed that the majority of mothers were conscious of their children's influence, and that there were no significant differences by race or social class but a strong tendency toward social class differences. (Author)

Effect of the existing form of Cu element on the mechanical properties, bio-corrosion and antibacterial properties of Ti-Cu alloys for biomedical application.

PubMed

Zhang, Erlin; Wang, Xiaoyan; Chen, Mian; Hou, Bing

2016-12-01

Ti-Cu alloys have exhibited strong antibacterial ability, but Ti-Cu alloys prepared by different processes showed different antibacterial ability. In order to reveal the controlling mechanism, Ti-Cu alloys with different existing forms of Cu element were prepared in this paper. The effects of the Cu existing form on the microstructure, mechanical, corrosion and antibacterial properties of Ti-Cu alloys have been systematically investigated. Results have shown that the as-cast Ti-Cu alloys showed a higher hardness and mechanical strength as well as a higher antibacterial rate (51-64%) but a relatively lower corrosion resistance than pure titanium. Treatment at 900°C/2h (T4) significantly increased the hardness and the strength, improved the corrosion resistance but had little effect on the antibacterial property. Treatment at 900°C/2h+400°C/12h (T6) increased further the hardness and the mechanical strength, improved the corrosion resistance and but also enhanced the antibacterial rate (>90%) significantly. It was demonstrated that the Cu element in solid solution state showed high strengthening ability but low antibacterial property while Cu element in Ti2Cu phase exhibited strong strengthening ability and strong antibacterial property. Ti2Cu phase played a key role in the antibacterial mechanism. The antibacterial ability of Ti-Cu alloy was strongly proportional to the Cu content and the surface area of Ti2Cu phase. High Cu content and fine Ti2Cu phase would contribute to a high strength and a strong antibacterial ability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Biofilm-Forming Abilities of Listeria monocytogenes Serotypes Isolated from Different Sources

PubMed Central

Doijad, Swapnil P.; Barbuddhe, Sukhadeo B.; Garg, Sandeep; Poharkar, Krupali V.; Kalorey, Dewanand R.; Kurkure, Nitin V.; Rawool, Deepak B.; Chakraborty, Trinad

2015-01-01

A total of 98 previously characterized and serotyped L. monocytogenes strains, comprising 32 of 1/2a; 20 of 1/2b and 46 of 4b serotype, from clinical and food sources were studied for their capability to form a biofilm. The microtiter plate assay revealed 62 (63.26%) strains as weak, 27 (27.55%) strains as moderate, and 9 (9.18%) strains as strong biofilm formers. Among the strong biofilm formers, 6 strains were of serotype 1/2a and 3 strains were of serotype 1/2b. None of the strain from 4b serotype exhibited strong biofilm formation. No firm correlation (p = 0.015) was noticed between any serotype and respective biofilm formation ability. Electron microscopic studies showed that strong biofilm forming isolates could synthesize a biofilm within 24 h on surfaces important in food industries such as stainless steel, ceramic tiles, high-density polyethylene plastics, polyvinyl chloride pipes, and glass. Cell enumeration of strong, moderate, and weak biofilm was performed to determine if the number of cells correlated with the biofilm-forming capabilities of the isolates. Strong, moderate, and weak biofilm showed 570±127× 103 cells/cm2, 33±26× 103 cells/cm2, 5±3× 103 cells/cm2, respectively, indicating that the number of cells was directly proportional to the strength of the biofilm. The hydrophobicity index (HI) analysis revealed higher hydrophobicity with an increased biofilm formation. Fatty acid methyl esterase analysis revealed the amount of certain fatty acids such as iso-C15:0, anteiso-C15:0, and anteiso-C17:0 fatty acids correlated with the biofilm-forming capability of L. monocytogenes. This study showed that different strains of L. monocytogenes form biofilm of different intensities which did not completely correlate with their serotype; however, it correlated with the number of cells, hydrophobicity, and amount of certain fatty acids. PMID:26360831

Carbon isotope fractionation by sulfate-reducing bacteria using different pathways for the oxidation of acetate.

PubMed

Goevert, Dennis; Conrad, Ralf

2008-11-01

Acetate is a key intermediate in the anaerobic degradation of organic matter. In anoxic environments, available acetate is a competitive substrate for sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and methane-producing archaea. Little is known about the fractionation of carbon isotopes by sulfate reducers. Therefore, we determined carbon isotope compositions in cultures of three acetate-utilizing SRB, Desulfobacter postgatei, Desulfobacter hydrogenophilus, and Desulfobacca acetoxidans. We found that these species showed strong differences in their isotope enrichment factors (epsilon) of acetate. During the consumption of acetate and sulfate, acetate was enriched in 13C by 19.3% per hundred in Desulfobacca acetoxidans. By contrast, both D. postgatei and D. hydrogenophilus showed a slight depletion of 13C resulting in epsilon(ac)-values of 1.8 and 1.5% per hundred, respectively. We suggest that the different isotope fractionation is due to the different metabolic pathways for acetate oxidation. The strongly fractionating Desulfobacca acetoxidans uses the acetyl-CoA/carbon monoxide dehydrogenase pathway, which is also used by acetoclastic methanogens that show a similar fractionation of acetate (epsilon(ac) = -21 to -27% per hundred). In contrast, Desulfobacter spp. oxidize acetate to CO2 via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and apparently did not discriminate against 13C. Our results suggestthat carbon isotope fractionation in environments with sulfate reduction will strongly depend on the composition of the sulfate-reducing bacterial community oxidizing acetate.

Framing effects: the influence of handedness and access to right hemisphere processing.

PubMed

Stein, Jeannette M

2012-01-01

Changing how information is framed, such that the same critical information is cast in a positive or negative light, has a powerful impact on judgements and decision making. Research indicates that the influence of frames may be driven by participants' initial affective response and that the right hemisphere is sensitive to the emotional connotation of stimuli. While previous research tested the effects of hemispheric differences on framing effects by inducing asymmetrical activation, the current study explored how stable brain differences may account for differences in susceptibility to framing effects. Because mixed degree of handedness is associated with increased access to right hemisphere processes, mixed-handed participants were expected to be more susceptible to the effects of framing than strong-handed participants. Participants responded to the Asian disease problem and completed as assessment of handedness. Although mixed- and strong-handed participants were affected differently, the results were not consistent with the hypothesis. Mixed-handed participants conformed to risky choice framing effects when options were framed negatively and showed no effect of the positive frame. Strong-handed participants conformed to positively framed options and showed no effect of the negative frame. Possible explanations are discussed.

Different selection pressures give rise to distinct ethnic phenomena : a functionalist framework with illustrations from the Peruvian Altiplano.

PubMed

Moya, Cristina; Boyd, Robert

2015-03-01

Many accounts of ethnic phenomena imply that processes such as stereotyping, essentialism, ethnocentrism, and intergroup hostility stem from a unitary adaptation for reasoning about groups. This is partly justified by the phenomena's co-occurrence in correlational studies. Here we argue that these behaviors are better modeled as functionally independent adaptations that arose in response to different selection pressures throughout human evolution. As such, different mechanisms may be triggered by different group boundaries within a single society. We illustrate this functionalist framework using ethnographic work from the Quechua-Aymara language boundary in the Peruvian Altiplano. We show that different group boundaries motivate different ethnic phenomena. For example, people have strong stereotypes about socioeconomic categories, which are not cooperative units, whereas they hold fewer stereotypes about communities, which are the primary focus of cooperative activity. We also show that, despite the cross-cultural importance of ethnolinguistic boundaries, the Quechua-Aymara linguistic distinction does not strongly motivate any of these intergroup processes.

Different Selection Pressures Give Rise to Distinct Ethnic Phenomena

PubMed Central

Moya, Cristina; Boyd, Robert

2015-01-01

Many accounts of ethnic phenomena imply that processes such as stereotyping, essentialism, ethnocentrism, and intergroup hostility stem from a unitary adaptation for reasoning about groups. This is partly justified by the phenomena’s co-occurrence in correlational studies. Here we argue that these behaviors are better modeled as functionally independent adaptations that arose in response to different selection pressures throughout human evolution. As such, different mechanisms may be triggered by different group boundaries within a single society. We illustrate this functionalist framework using ethnographic work from the Quechua-Aymara language boundary in the Peruvian Altiplano. We show that different group boundaries motivate different ethnic phenomena. For example, people have strong stereotypes about socioeconomic categories, which are not cooperative units, whereas they hold fewer stereotypes about communities, which are the primary focus of cooperative activity. We also show that, despite the cross-cultural importance of ethnolinguistic boundaries, the Quechua-Aymara linguistic distinction does not strongly motivate any of these intergroup processes. PMID:25731969

Antibodies to myofibril antigens in cosmonauts after spaceflights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tashpulatov, R. Y.; Danilova, T. A.; Lesnyak, A. T.; Legenkov, V. I.; Znamenskiy, V. S.; Dedyuyeva, Y. Y.

1980-01-01

Serum samples obtained from 15 astronauts before and after spaceflights were studied with the use of the indirect immunofluorescent method. In seven astronauts antibodies to different elements of the human heart muscle appeared after flights. Strong and very strong luminescence of the elements of heart muscle tissue was detected in the astronauts after the third space flight. In a study of the sera on sections of bovine heart muscle tissue the reactions of the sera taken before and after flight were found to show no essential differences.

Being Aquifex aeolicus: Untangling a Hyperthermophile’s Checkered Past

PubMed Central

Eveleigh, Robert J.M.; Meehan, Conor J.; Archibald, John M.; Beiko, Robert G.

2013-01-01

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important factor contributing to the evolution of prokaryotic genomes. The Aquificae are a hyperthermophilic bacterial group whose genes show affiliations to many other lineages, including the hyperthermophilic Thermotogae, the Proteobacteria, and the Archaea. Previous phylogenomic analyses focused on Aquifex aeolicus identified Thermotogae and Aquificae either as successive early branches or sisters in a rooted bacterial phylogeny, but many phylogenies and cellular traits have suggested a stronger affiliation with the Epsilonproteobacteria. Different scenarios for the evolution of the Aquificae yield different phylogenetic predictions. Here, we outline these scenarios and consider the fit of the available data, including three sequenced Aquificae genomes, to different sets of predictions. Evidence from phylogenetic profiles and trees suggests that the Epsilonproteobacteria have the strongest affinities with the three Aquificae analyzed. However, this pattern is shown by only a minority of encoded proteins, and the Archaea, many lineages of thermophilic bacteria, and members of genus Clostridium and class Deltaproteobacteria also show strong connections to the Aquificae. The phylogenetic affiliations of different functional subsystems showed strong biases: Most but not all genes implicated in the core translational apparatus tended to group Aquificae with Thermotogae, whereas a wide range of metabolic and cellular processes strongly supported the link between Aquificae and Epsilonproteobacteria. Depending on which sets of genes are privileged, either Thermotogae or Epsilonproteobacteria is the most plausible adjacent lineage to the Aquificae. Both scenarios require massive sharing of genes to explain the history of this enigmatic group, whose history is further complicated by specific affinities of different members of Aquificae to different partner lineages. PMID:24281050

Being Aquifex aeolicus: Untangling a hyperthermophile's checkered past.

PubMed

Eveleigh, Robert J M; Meehan, Conor J; Archibald, John M; Beiko, Robert G

2013-01-01

Lateral gene transfer (LGT) is an important factor contributing to the evolution of prokaryotic genomes. The Aquificae are a hyperthermophilic bacterial group whose genes show affiliations to many other lineages, including the hyperthermophilic Thermotogae, the Proteobacteria, and the Archaea. Previous phylogenomic analyses focused on Aquifex aeolicus identified Thermotogae and Aquificae either as successive early branches or sisters in a rooted bacterial phylogeny, but many phylogenies and cellular traits have suggested a stronger affiliation with the Epsilonproteobacteria. Different scenarios for the evolution of the Aquificae yield different phylogenetic predictions. Here, we outline these scenarios and consider the fit of the available data, including three sequenced Aquificae genomes, to different sets of predictions. Evidence from phylogenetic profiles and trees suggests that the Epsilonproteobacteria have the strongest affinities with the three Aquificae analyzed. However, this pattern is shown by only a minority of encoded proteins, and the Archaea, many lineages of thermophilic bacteria, and members of genus Clostridium and class Deltaproteobacteria also show strong connections to the Aquificae. The phylogenetic affiliations of different functional subsystems showed strong biases: Most but not all genes implicated in the core translational apparatus tended to group Aquificae with Thermotogae, whereas a wide range of metabolic and cellular processes strongly supported the link between Aquificae and Epsilonproteobacteria. Depending on which sets of genes are privileged, either Thermotogae or Epsilonproteobacteria is the most plausible adjacent lineage to the Aquificae. Both scenarios require massive sharing of genes to explain the history of this enigmatic group, whose history is further complicated by specific affinities of different members of Aquificae to different partner lineages.

Reciprocity, culture and human cooperation: previous insights and a new cross-cultural experiment

PubMed Central

Gächter, Simon; Herrmann, Benedikt

2008-01-01

Understanding the proximate and ultimate sources of human cooperation is a fundamental issue in all behavioural sciences. In this paper, we review the experimental evidence on how people solve cooperation problems. Existing studies show without doubt that direct and indirect reciprocity are important determinants of successful cooperation. We also discuss the insights from a large literature on the role of peer punishment in sustaining cooperation. The experiments demonstrate that many people are ‘strong reciprocators’ who are willing to cooperate and punish others even if there are no gains from future cooperation or any other reputational gains. We document this in new one-shot experiments, which we conducted in four cities in Russia and Switzerland. Our cross-cultural approach allows us furthermore to investigate how the cultural background influences strong reciprocity. Our results show that culture has a strong influence on positive and in especially strong negative reciprocity. In particular, we find large cross-cultural differences in ‘antisocial punishment’ of pro-social cooperators. Further cross-cultural research and experiments involving different socio-demographic groups document that the antisocial punishment is much more widespread than previously assumed. Understanding antisocial punishment is an important task for future research because antisocial punishment is a strong inhibitor of cooperation. PMID:19073476

Reciprocity, culture and human cooperation: previous insights and a new cross-cultural experiment.

PubMed

Gächter, Simon; Herrmann, Benedikt

2009-03-27

Understanding the proximate and ultimate sources of human cooperation is a fundamental issue in all behavioural sciences. In this paper, we review the experimental evidence on how people solve cooperation problems. Existing studies show without doubt that direct and indirect reciprocity are important determinants of successful cooperation. We also discuss the insights from a large literature on the role of peer punishment in sustaining cooperation. The experiments demonstrate that many people are 'strong reciprocators' who are willing to cooperate and punish others even if there are no gains from future cooperation or any other reputational gains. We document this in new one-shot experiments, which we conducted in four cities in Russia and Switzerland. Our cross-cultural approach allows us furthermore to investigate how the cultural background influences strong reciprocity. Our results show that culture has a strong influence on positive and in especially strong negative reciprocity. In particular, we find large cross-cultural differences in 'antisocial punishment' of pro-social cooperators. Further cross-cultural research and experiments involving different socio-demographic groups document that the antisocial punishment is much more widespread than previously assumed. Understanding antisocial punishment is an important task for future research because antisocial punishment is a strong inhibitor of cooperation.

Educational Achievement and Black-White Inequality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Jonathan; Olsen, Cara; Rice, Jennifer King; Sweetland, Stephen; Ralph, John

2001-01-01

Explored the relationship between black-white differences in educational achievement and black-white differences in a variety of educational and economic outcomes. Three sets of analyses of data from multiple sources show that over the last two decades black-white differences in educational achievement have been strongly associated with…

Complex Ion Dynamics in Carbonate Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolytes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ong, Mitchell T.; Bhatia, Harsh; Gyulassy, Attila G.

Li-ion battery performance is strongly influenced by ionic conductivity, which depends on the mobility of the Li ions in solution, and is related to their solvation structure. In this work, we have performed first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations of a LiPF6 salt solvated in different Li-ion battery organic electrolytes. We employ an analytical method using relative angles from successive time intervals to characterize complex ionic motion in multiple dimensions from our FPMD simulations. We find different characteristics of ionic motion on different time scales. We find that the Li ion exhibits a strong caging effect due to its strong solvationmore » structure, while the counterion, PF6– undergoes more Brownian-like motion. Lastly, our results show that ionic motion can be far from purely diffusive and provide a quantitative characterization of the microscopic motion of ions over different time scales.« less

Complex Ion Dynamics in Carbonate Lithium-Ion Battery Electrolytes

DOE PAGES

Ong, Mitchell T.; Bhatia, Harsh; Gyulassy, Attila G.; ...

2017-03-06

Li-ion battery performance is strongly influenced by ionic conductivity, which depends on the mobility of the Li ions in solution, and is related to their solvation structure. In this work, we have performed first-principles molecular dynamics (FPMD) simulations of a LiPF6 salt solvated in different Li-ion battery organic electrolytes. We employ an analytical method using relative angles from successive time intervals to characterize complex ionic motion in multiple dimensions from our FPMD simulations. We find different characteristics of ionic motion on different time scales. We find that the Li ion exhibits a strong caging effect due to its strong solvationmore » structure, while the counterion, PF6– undergoes more Brownian-like motion. Lastly, our results show that ionic motion can be far from purely diffusive and provide a quantitative characterization of the microscopic motion of ions over different time scales.« less

Evidence of new pinning centers in irradiated MgB2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarantini, C.; Martinelli, A.; Manfrinetti, P.; Palenzona, A.; Pallecchi, I.; Putti, M.; Ferdeghini, C.; Cimberle, M. R.

2008-03-01

It has been shown that C or SiC addictions can strongly enhance upper critical field of MgB2, leading to an in-field increase of critical current, but without introducing pinning centers other than grain boundaries. On the contrary neutron irradiation introduces new pinning centers, as highlighted by a significant shift of the maximum of pinning force and by a strong improvement of Jc at high field. This effect can be correlated to the defects that neutron irradiation produces. In fact TEM images show the presence of nanometric amorphous regions whose sizes are compatible with the coherence length and such as to act as pinning centers through two different mechanisms. The influence that neutron irradiation induces on MgB2 is also confirmed by magnetization decays that, differently by doped samples, show an important enhancement of pinning energies at high field. These measurements highlight as the increase of pinning energy with irradiation fluence is strongly correlated with Jc improvement.

Near-field spatial mapping of strongly interacting multiple plasmonic infrared antennas.

PubMed

Grefe, Sarah E; Leiva, Daan; Mastel, Stefan; Dhuey, Scott D; Cabrini, Stefano; Schuck, P James; Abate, Yohannes

2013-11-21

Near-field dipolar plasmon interactions of multiple infrared antenna structures in the strong coupling limit are studied using scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (s-SNOM) and theoretical finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) calculations. We monitor in real-space the evolution of plasmon dipolar mode of a stationary antenna structure as multiple resonantly matched dipolar plasmon particles are closely approaching it. Interparticle separation, length and polarization dependent studies show that the cross geometry structure favors strong interparticle charge-charge, dipole-dipole and charge-dipole Coulomb interactions in the nanometer scale gap region, which results in strong field enhancement in cross-bowties and further allows these structures to be used as polarization filters. The nanoscale local field amplitude and phase maps show that due to strong interparticle Coulomb coupling, cross-bowtie structures redistribute and highly enhance the out-of-plane (perpendicular to the plane of the sample) plasmon near-field component at the gap region relative to ordinary bowties.

Experimental investigation and DFT calculation of different amine/ammonium salts adsorption on kaolinite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Jun; Min, Fan-fei; Liu, Lingyun; Liu, Chunfu; Lu, Fangqin

2017-10-01

The adsorption of four different amine/ammonium salts of DDA (Dodecyl amine), MDA (N-methyldodecyl amine), DMDA (N,N-dimethyldodecyl amine) and DTAC (Dodecyl trimethyl ammonium chloride) on kaolinite particles was investigated in the study through the measurement of contact angles, zeta potentials, aggregation observation, adsorption and sedimentation. The results show that different amine/ammonium salts can adsorb on the kaolinite surface to enhance the hydrophobicity and reduce the electronegativity of kaolinite particle surface, and thus induce a strong hydrophobic aggregation of kaolinite particles which promotes the settlement of kaolinite. To explore the adsorption mechanism of these four amine/ammonium salts on kaolinite surfaces, the adsorptions of DDA+, MDA+, DMDA+ and DTAC+ on kaolinite (001) surface and (00 1 bar) surface are calculated with DFT (Density functional theory). The DFT calculation results indicate that different amine/ammonium cations can strongly adsorbed on kaolinite (001) surface and (00 1 bar) surface by forming Nsbnd H⋯O strong hydrogen bonds or Csbnd H⋯O weak hydrogen bonds, and there are strongly electrostatic attractions between different amine/ammonium cations and kaolinite surfaces. The main adsorption mechanism of amine/ammonium cations on kaolinite is hydrogen-bond interaction and electrostatic attraction.

Dispersion of Co/CNTs via strong electrostatic adsorption method: Thermal treatment effect

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Akbarzadeh, Omid, E-mail: omid.akbarzadeh63@gmail.com; Abdullah, Bawadi, E-mail: bawadi-abdullah@petronas.com.my; Subbarao, Duvvuri, E-mail: duvvuri-subbarao@petronas.com.my

The effect of different thermal treatment temperature on the structure of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and Co particle dispersion on CNTs support is studied using Strong electrostatic adsorption (SEA) method. The samples tested by N{sub 2}-adsorption, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). N{sub 2}-adsorption results showed BET surface area increased using thermal treatment and TEM images showed that increasing the thermal treatment temperature lead to flaky CNTs and defects introduced on the outer surface and Co particle dispersion increased.

The strengths of r- and K-selection shape diversity-disturbance relationships.

PubMed

Bohn, Kristin; Pavlick, Ryan; Reu, Björn; Kleidon, Axel

2014-01-01

Disturbance is a key factor shaping species abundance and diversity in plant communities. Here, we use a mechanistic model of vegetation diversity to show that different strengths of r- and K-selection result in different disturbance-diversity relationships. R- and K-selection constrain the range of viable species through the colonization-competition tradeoff, with strong r-selection favoring colonizers and strong K-selection favoring competitors, but the level of disturbance also affects the success of species. This interplay among r- and K-selection and disturbance results in different shapes of disturbance-diversity relationships, with little variation of diversity with no r- and no K-selection, a decrease in diversity with r-selection with disturbance rate, an increase in diversity with K-selection, and a peak at intermediate values with strong r- and K-selection. We conclude that different disturbance-diversity relationships found in observations may reflect different intensities of r- and K-selection within communities, which should be inferable from broader observations of community composition and their ecophysiological trait ranges.

A tail of two voltages: Proteomic comparison of the three electric organs of the electric eel

PubMed Central

Traeger, Lindsay L.; Sabat, Grzegorz; Barrett-Wilt, Gregory A.; Wells, Gregg B.; Sussman, Michael R.

2017-01-01

The electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) is unusual among electric fishes because it has three pairs of electric organs that serve multiple biological functions: For navigation and communication, it emits continuous pulses of weak electric discharge (<1 V), but for predation and defense, it intermittently emits lethal strong electric discharges (10 to 600 V). We hypothesized that these two electrogenic outputs have different energetic demands reflected by differences in their proteome and phosphoproteome. We report the use of isotope-assisted quantitative mass spectrometry to test this hypothesis. We observed novel phosphorylation sites in sodium transporters and identified a potassium channel with unique differences in protein concentration among the electric organs. In addition, we found transcription factors and protein kinases that show differential abundance in the strong versus weak electric organs. Our findings support the hypothesis that proteomic differences among electric organs underlie differences in energetic needs, reflecting a trade-off between generating weak voltages continuously and strong voltages intermittently. PMID:28695212

Crystallization in diblock copolymer thin films at different degrees of supercooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darko, C.; Botiz, I.; Reiter, G.; Breiby, D. W.; Andreasen, J. W.; Roth, S. V.; Smilgies, D.-M.; Metwalli, E.; Papadakis, C. M.

2009-04-01

The crystalline structures in thin films of polystyrene- b -poly(ethylene oxide) (PS- b -PEO) diblock copolymers were studied in dependence on the degree of supercooling. Atomic force microscopy showed that the crystalline domains (lamellae) consist of grains, which are macroscopic at low and intermediate degrees of supercooling, but of submicrometer size for strong supercooling. Using grazing-incidence wide-angle x-ray scattering, we could determine the grain orientation distribution function which shows that the chain stems are perpendicular to the lamellae at low supercooling, but tilted at intermediate and strong supercooling. These results suggest that, at intermediate and strong supercooling, the crystalline PEO lamellae do not grow homogeneously, but by the formation of small crystallites at the growth front.

Polarimetric imaging of turbid inhomogeneous slab media based on backscattering using a pencil beam for illumination: Monte Carlo simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otsuki, Soichi

2018-04-01

Polarimetric imaging of absorbing, strongly scattering, or birefringent inclusions is investigated in a negligibly absorbing, moderately scattering, and isotropic slab medium. It was proved that the reduced effective scattering Mueller matrix is exactly calculated from experimental or simulated raw matrices even if the medium is anisotropic and/or heterogeneous, or the outgoing light beam exits obliquely to the normal of the slab surface. The calculation also gives a reasonable approximation of the reduced matrix using a light beam with a finite diameter for illumination. The reduced matrix was calculated using a Monte Carlo simulation and was factorized in two dimensions by the Lu-Chipman polar decomposition. The intensity of backscattered light shows clear and modestly clear differences for absorbing and strongly scattering inclusions, respectively, whereas it shows no difference for birefringent inclusions. Conversely, some polarization parameters, for example, the selective depolarization coefficients exhibit only a slight difference for the absorbing inclusions, whereas they showed clear difference for the strongly scattering or birefringent inclusions. Moreover, these quantities become larger with increasing the difference in the optical properties of the inclusions relative to the surrounding medium. However, it is difficult to recognize inclusions that buried at the depth deeper than 3 mm under the surface. Thus, the present technique can detect the approximate shape and size of these inclusions, and considering the depth where inclusions lie, estimate their optical properties. This study reveals the possibility of the polarization-sensitive imaging of turbid inhomogeneous media using a pencil beam for illumination.

Effect of Different Parts (Leaf, Stem and Stalk) and Seasons (Summer and Winter) on the Chemical Compositions and Antioxidant Activity of Moringa oleifera

PubMed Central

Shih, Ming-Chih; Chang, Cheng-Ming; Kang, Sue-Ming; Tsai, Min-Lang

2011-01-01

Moringa oleifera, Lam. (Moringaceae) is grown world-wide in the tropics and sub-tropics of Asia and Africa and contains abundant various nutrients. This study describes the effect of different parts (leaf, stem and stalk) and seasons (summer and winter) on the chemical compositions and antioxidant activity of M. oleifera grown in Taiwan. The results showed that the winter samples of Moringa had higher ash (except the stalk part), calcium and phenolic compounds (except the leaf part) and stronger antioxidative activity than summer samples. The methanolic extract of Moringa showed strong scavenging effect of DPPH radicals and reducing power. The trend of antioxidative activity as a function of the part of Moringa was: leaf > stem > stalk for samples from both seasons investigated. The Moringa extract showed strong hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and high Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) activity except the stalk part. PMID:22016645

Sexual and reproductive behaviour of Drosophila melanogaster from a microclimatically interslope differentiated population of "Evolution Canyon" (Mount Carmel, Israel).

PubMed

Iliadi, K; Iliadi, N; Rashkovetsky, E; Minkov, I; Nevo, E; Korol, A

2001-11-22

The strong microscale interslope environmental differences in "Evolution Canyon" provide an excellent natural model for sympatric speciation. Our previous studies revealed significant slope-specific differences for a fitness complex of Drosophila. This complex involved either adaptation traits (tolerance to high temperature, different viability and longevity pattern) or behavioural differentiation, manifested in habitat choice and non-random mating. This remarkable differentiation has evolved despite a very small interslope distance (a few hundred metres only). Our hypothesis is that strong interslope microclimatic contrast caused differential selection for fitness-related traits accompanied by behavioural differentiation and reinforced by some sexual isolation, which started incipient speciation. Here we describe the results of a systematic analysis of sexual behaviour in a non-choice situation and several reproductive parameters of D. melanogaster populations from the opposite slopes of "Evolution Canyon". The evidence indicates that: (i) mate choice derives from differences in mating propensity and discrimination; (ii) females from the milder north-facing slope discriminate strongly against males of the opposite slope; (iii) both sexes of the south-facing slope display distinct reproductive and behavioural patterns with females showing increased fecundity, shorter time before remating and relatively higher receptivity, and males showing higher mating propensity. These patterns represent adaptive life strategies contributing to higher fitness.

A Possible Bifurcation in Atmospheres of Strongly Irradiated Stars and Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hubeny, Ivan; Burrows, Adam; Sudarsky, David

2003-01-01

We show that under certain circumstances the differences between the absorption mean and Planck mean opacities can lead to multiple solutions for an LTE atmospheric structure. Since the absorption and Planck mean opacities are not expected to differ significantly in the usual case of radiative equilibrium, nonirradiated atmospheres, the most interesting situations in which the effect may play a role are strongly irradiated stars and planets, and also possibly structures in which there is a significant deposition of mechanical energy, such as stellar chromospheres and accretion disks. We have presented an illustrative example of a strongly irradiated giant planet in which the bifurcation effect is predicted to occur for a certain range of distances from the star.

Numerical Simulation of Strong Ground Motion at Mexico City:A Hybrid Approach for Efficient Evaluation of Site Amplification and Path Effects for Different Types of Earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cruz, H.; Furumura, T.; Chavez-Garcia, F. J.

2002-12-01

The estimation of scenarios of the strong ground motions caused by future great earthquakes is an important problem in strong motion seismology. This was pointed out by the great 1985 Michoacan earthquake, which caused a great damage in Mexico City, 300 km away from the epicenter. Since the seismic wavefield is characterized by the source, path and site effects, the pattern of strong motion damage from different types of earthquakes should differ significantly. In this study, the scenarios for intermediate-depth normal-faulting, shallow-interplate thrust faulting, and crustal earthquakes have been estimated using a hybrid simulation technique. The character of the seismic wavefield propagating from the source to Mexico City for each earthquake was first calculated using the pseudospectral method for 2D SH waves. The site amplifications in the shallow structure of Mexico City are then calculated using the multiple SH wave reverberation theory. The scenarios of maximum ground motion for both inslab and interplate earthquakes obtained by the simulation show a good agreement with the observations. This indicates the effectiveness of the hybrid simulation approach to investigate the strong motion damage for future earthquakes.

Swimming Motility Reduces Deposition to Silica Surfaces

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lu, Nanxi; Massoudieh, Arash; Liang, Xiaomeng

The role of swimming motility on bacterial transport and fate in porous media was evaluated. We present microscopic evidence showing that strong swimming motility reduces attachment of Azotobacter vinelandii cells to silica surfaces. Applying global and cluster statistical analyses to microscopic videos taken under non-flow conditions, wild type, flagellated A. vinelandii strain DJ showed strong swimming ability with an average speed of 13.1 μm/s, DJ77 showed impaired swimming averaged at 8.7 μm/s, and both the non-flagellated JZ52 and chemically treated DJ cells were non-motile. Quantitative analyses of trajectories observed at different distances above the collector of a radial stagnation pointmore » flow cell (RSPF) revealed that both swimming and non-swimming cells moved with the flow when at a distance of at least 20 μm from the collector surface. Near the surface, DJ cells showed both horizontal and vertical movement diverging them from reaching surfaces, while chemically treated DJ cells moved with the flow to reach surfaces, suggesting that strong swimming reduced attachment. In agreement with the RSPF results, the deposition rates obtained for two-dimensional multiple-collector micromodels were also lowest for DJ, while DJ77 and JZ52 showed similar values. Strong swimming specifically reduced deposition on the upstream surfaces of the micromodel collectors.« less

Physiological and biochemical stress responses in grassland species are influenced by both early-season ozone exposure and interspecific competition.

PubMed

Scebba, Francesca; Canaccini, Francesca; Castagna, Antonella; Bender, Jürgen; Weigel, Hans-Joachim; Ranieri, Annamaria

2006-08-01

The effects of two-year early season ozone exposure on physiological and biochemical stress response were investigated in model plant communities. Achillea millefolium and Veronica chamaedrys target plants were grown in monocultures and in mixed cultures with Poa pratensis (phytometer) and exposed in open-top chambers over two years for five weeks to charcoal-filtered (CF) air plus 25 nl l(-1) O3 (control) and non-filtered (NF) air plus 50 nl l(-1) O3. Significant O3 effects were detected in different physiological and biochemical parameters, evidencing interspecific differences in metabolic stress responses and a strong influence of the competition factor. O3 induced strong oxidative effects in Achillea irrespective to the different growth modality. Veronica showed less O3-induced effects in monoculture than when grown in competition with the phytometer. Poa exhibited a different behaviour against O3 depending on the species in competition, showing an overall higher sensitivity to O3 when in mixture with Achillea.

A Study of Ziegler–Natta Propylene Polymerization Catalysts by Spectroscopic Methods

PubMed Central

Tkachenko, Olga P.; Kucherov, Alexey V.; Kustov, Leonid M.; Virkkunen, Ville; Leinonen, Timo; Denifl, Peter

2017-01-01

Ziegler–Natta polymerization catalysts were characterized by a complex of surface- and bulk-sensitive methods (DRIFTS, XPS, ESR, and XAS = XANES + EXAFS). A diffuse-reflectance Fourier-transform IR spectroscopy (DRIFTS) study showed the presence of strong Lewis acid sites in different concentrations and absence of strong basic sites in the polymerization catalysts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron-spin resonance (ESR), and (X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) analysis revealed the presence of Ti4+, Ti3+, Ti2+, and Ti1+ species in the surface layers and in the bulk of catalysts. The samples under study differ drastically in terms of the number of ESR-visible paramagnetic sites. The EXAFS study shows the presence of a Cl atom as a nearest neighbor of the absorbing Ti atom. PMID:28772850

When three is not some: on the pragmatics of numerals.

PubMed

Shetreet, Einat; Chierchia, Gennaro; Gaab, Nadine

2014-04-01

Both numerals and quantifiers (like some) have more than one possible interpretation (i.e., weak and strong interpretations). Some studies have found similar behavior for numerals and quantifiers, whereas others have shown critical differences. It is, therefore, debated whether they are processed in the same way. A previous fMRI investigation showed that the left inferior frontal gyrus is linked to the computation of the strong interpretation of quantifiers (derived by a scalar implicature) and that the left middle frontal gyrus and the medial frontal gyrus are linked to processing the mismatch between the strong interpretation of quantifiers and the context in which they are presented. In the current study, we attempted to characterize the similarities and differences between numbers and quantifiers by examining brain activation patterns related to the processing of numerals in these brain regions. When numbers were presented in a mismatch context (i.e., where their strong interpretation did not match the context), they elicited brain activations similar to those previously observed with quantifiers in the same context type. Conversely, in a match context (i.e., where both interpretations of the scalar item matched the context), numbers elicited a different activation pattern than the one observed with quantifiers: Left inferior frontal gyrus activations in response to the match condition showed decrease for numbers (but not for quantifiers). Our results support previous findings suggesting that, although they share some features, numbers and quantifiers are processed differently. We discuss our results in light of various theoretical approaches linked to the representation of numerals.

Strong Quantum Size Effects in Pb(111) Thin Films Mediated by Anomalous Friedel Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Yu; Wu, Biao; Li, Chong; Einstein, T. L.; Weitering, H. H.; Zhang, Zhenyu

2010-08-01

Using first-principles calculations within density functional theory, we study Friedel oscillations (FOs) in the electron density at different metal surfaces and their influence on the lattice relaxation and stability of ultrathin metal films. We show that the FOs at the Pb(111) surface decay as 1/x with the distance x from the surface, different from the conventional 1/x2 power law at other metal surfaces. The underlying physical reason for this striking difference is tied to the strong nesting of the two different Fermi sheets along the Pb(111) direction. The interference of the strong FOs emanating from the two surfaces of a Pb(111) film, in turn, not only results in superoscillatory interlayer relaxations around the center of the film, but also determines its stability in the quantum regime. As a simple and generic picture, the present findings also explain why quantum size effects are exceptionally robust in Pb(111) films.

Influence of temperature on the aging behavior of 18650-type lithium ion cells: A comprehensive approach combining electrochemical characterization and post-mortem analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friesen, Alex; Mönnighoff, Xaver; Börner, Markus; Haetge, Jan; Schappacher, Falko M.; Winter, Martin

2017-02-01

The understanding of the aging behavior of lithium ion batteries in automotive and energy storage applications is essential for the acceptance of the technology. Therefore, aging experiments were conducted on commercial 18650-type state-of-the-art cells to determine the influence of the temperature during electrochemical cycling on the aging behavior of the different cell components. The cells, based on Li(Ni0.5Co0.2Mn0.3)O2 (NCM532)/graphite, were aged at 20 °C and 45 °C to different states of health. The electrochemical performance of the investigated cells shows remarkable differences depending on the cycling temperature. At contrast to the expected behavior, the cells cycled at 45 °C show a better electrochemical performance over lifetime than the cells cycled at 20 °C. Comprehensive post-mortem analyses revealed the main aging mechanisms, showing a complex interaction between electrodes and electrolyte. The main aging mechanisms of the cells cycled at 45 °C differ strongly at contrast to cells cycled at 20 °C. A strong correlation between the formed SEI, the electrolyte composition and the electrochemical performance over lifetime was observed.

Damage assessment of RC buildings subjected to the different strong motion duration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortezaei, Alireza; mohajer Tabrizi, Mohsen

2015-07-01

An earthquake has three important characteristics; namely, amplitude, frequency content and duration. Amplitude and frequency content have a direct impact but not necessarily the sole cause of structural damage. Regarding the duration, some researchers show a high correlation between strong motion duration and structural damage whereas some others find no relation. This paper focuses on the ground motion durations characterized by Arias Intensity (AI). High duration may increase the damage state of structure for the damage accumulation. This paper investigates the response time histories (acceleration, velocity and displacement) of RC buildings under the different strong motion durations. Generally, eight earthquake records were selected from different soil type, and these records were grouped according to their PGA and frequency ranges. Maximum plastic rotation and drift response was chosen as damage indicator. In general, there was a positive correlation between strong motion duration and damage; however, in some PGA and frequency ranges input motions with shorter durations might cause more damage than the input motions with longer durations. In soft soils, input motions with longer durations caused more damage than the input motions with shorter durations.

Ground Motion Simulation for a Large Active Fault System using Empirical Green's Function Method and the Strong Motion Prediction Recipe - a Case Study of the Noubi Fault Zone -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuriyama, M.; Kumamoto, T.; Fujita, M.

2005-12-01

The 1995 Hyogo-ken Nambu Earthquake (1995) near Kobe, Japan, spurred research on strong motion prediction. To mitigate damage caused by large earthquakes, a highly precise method of predicting future strong motion waveforms is required. In this study, we applied empirical Green's function method to forward modeling in order to simulate strong ground motion in the Noubi Fault zone and examine issues related to strong motion prediction for large faults. Source models for the scenario earthquakes were constructed using the recipe of strong motion prediction (Irikura and Miyake, 2001; Irikura et al., 2003). To calculate the asperity area ratio of a large fault zone, the results of a scaling model, a scaling model with 22% asperity by area, and a cascade model were compared, and several rupture points and segmentation parameters were examined for certain cases. A small earthquake (Mw: 4.6) that occurred in northern Fukui Prefecture in 2004 were examined as empirical Green's function, and the source spectrum of this small event was found to agree with the omega-square scaling law. The Nukumi, Neodani, and Umehara segments of the 1891 Noubi Earthquake were targeted in the present study. The positions of the asperity area and rupture starting points were based on the horizontal displacement distributions reported by Matsuda (1974) and the fault branching pattern and rupture direction model proposed by Nakata and Goto (1998). Asymmetry in the damage maps for the Noubi Earthquake was then examined. We compared the maximum horizontal velocities for each case that had a different rupture starting point. In the case, rupture started at the center of the Nukumi Fault, while in another case, rupture started on the southeastern edge of the Umehara Fault; the scaling model showed an approximately 2.1-fold difference between these cases at observation point FKI005 of K-Net. This difference is considered to relate to the directivity effect associated with the direction of rupture propagation. Moreover, it was clarified that the horizontal velocities by assuming the cascade model was underestimated more than one standard deviation of empirical relation by Si and Midorikawa (1999). The scaling and cascade models showed an approximately 6.4-fold difference for the case, in which the rupture started along the southeastern edge of the Umehara Fault at observation point GIF020. This difference is significantly large in comparison with the effect of different rupture starting points, and shows that it is important to base scenario earthquake assumptions on active fault datasets before establishing the source characterization model. The distribution map of seismic intensity for the 1891 Noubi Earthquake also suggests that the synthetic waveforms in the southeastern Noubi Fault zone may be underestimated. Our results indicate that outer fault parameters (e.g., earthquake moment) related to the construction of scenario earthquakes influence strong motion prediction, rather than inner fault parameters such as the rupture starting point. Based on these methods, we will predict strong motion for approximately 140 to 150 km of the Itoigawa-Shizuoka Tectonic Line.

Evolutionary games on cycles with strong selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Altrock, P. M.; Traulsen, A.; Nowak, M. A.

2017-02-01

Evolutionary games on graphs describe how strategic interactions and population structure determine evolutionary success, quantified by the probability that a single mutant takes over a population. Graph structures, compared to the well-mixed case, can act as amplifiers or suppressors of selection by increasing or decreasing the fixation probability of a beneficial mutant. Properties of the associated mean fixation times can be more intricate, especially when selection is strong. The intuition is that fixation of a beneficial mutant happens fast in a dominance game, that fixation takes very long in a coexistence game, and that strong selection eliminates demographic noise. Here we show that these intuitions can be misleading in structured populations. We analyze mean fixation times on the cycle graph under strong frequency-dependent selection for two different microscopic evolutionary update rules (death-birth and birth-death). We establish exact analytical results for fixation times under strong selection and show that there are coexistence games in which fixation occurs in time polynomial in population size. Depending on the underlying game, we observe inherence of demographic noise even under strong selection if the process is driven by random death before selection for birth of an offspring (death-birth update). In contrast, if selection for an offspring occurs before random removal (birth-death update), then strong selection can remove demographic noise almost entirely.

Anomalous interlayer vibrations in strongly coupled layered PdSe 2

DOE PAGES

Puretzky, Alexander A.; Oyedele, Akinola D.; Xiao, Kai; ...

2018-05-04

In this work, we show unusual effects of strong interlayer coupling on low-frequency (LF) Raman scattering in exfoliated PdSe 2 crystals with different number of layers. Unlike many other layered materials, it is found that the measured frequencies of the breathing modes cannot be simply described by a conventional linear chain model (LCM) that treats each layer as a single rigid object. By using first-principles calculations, we show that strong deviations from layer rigidity can occur for the LF breathing vibrations of PdSe 2, which accounts for the observed disagreement with the conventional LCM. The layer non-rigidity and strong interlayermore » coupling could also explain the unusual strong intensities of the LF breathing modes that are comparable with those of the high-frequency Raman modes. These strong intensities allowed us to use a set of the measured LF Raman lines as unique fingerprints for a precise assignment of the layer numbers. The assignment of the layer numbers was further confirmed using second harmonic generation that appeared only in the noncentrosymmetric even-layer PdSe 2 crystals. In conclusion, this work thus demonstrates a simple and fast approach for the determination of the number of layers in 2D materials with strong interlayer coupling and non-rigid interlayer vibrations.« less

Anomalous interlayer vibrations in strongly coupled layered PdSe 2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Puretzky, Alexander A.; Oyedele, Akinola D.; Xiao, Kai

In this work, we show unusual effects of strong interlayer coupling on low-frequency (LF) Raman scattering in exfoliated PdSe 2 crystals with different number of layers. Unlike many other layered materials, it is found that the measured frequencies of the breathing modes cannot be simply described by a conventional linear chain model (LCM) that treats each layer as a single rigid object. By using first-principles calculations, we show that strong deviations from layer rigidity can occur for the LF breathing vibrations of PdSe 2, which accounts for the observed disagreement with the conventional LCM. The layer non-rigidity and strong interlayermore » coupling could also explain the unusual strong intensities of the LF breathing modes that are comparable with those of the high-frequency Raman modes. These strong intensities allowed us to use a set of the measured LF Raman lines as unique fingerprints for a precise assignment of the layer numbers. The assignment of the layer numbers was further confirmed using second harmonic generation that appeared only in the noncentrosymmetric even-layer PdSe 2 crystals. In conclusion, this work thus demonstrates a simple and fast approach for the determination of the number of layers in 2D materials with strong interlayer coupling and non-rigid interlayer vibrations.« less

Design rules of heteroatom-doped graphene to achieve high performance lithium-sulfur batteries: Both strong anchoring and catalysing based on first principles calculation.

PubMed

Zhang, Lin; Liang, Pei; Shu, Hai B; Man, Xiao L; Du, Xiao Q; Chao, Dong L; Liu, Zu G; Sun, Yu P; Wan, Hou Z; Wang, Hao

2018-06-18

A number of observations have been reported on chemical capture and catalysis of anchoring materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. Here, we propose the design principles for the chemical functioned graphene as an anchor material to realize both strong chemical trapping and catalysis. Through the first principle, the periodic law is calculated from the theory. Seven different co-doping series were investigated, e.g. MN 4 @graphene (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu). From binding energy, partial density of state, and charge density difference analysis, the FeN 4 and CrN 4 co-doped graphene show good performance for the lithium-sulfur battery from both strong anchoring and catalytic effects. For the most kinds of Li 2 S x (x = 1, 2, 4, 6, 8) absorption, two combinations can be achieved, including S-bonding and Li-bonding. The competition between the MS and the NLi shows the main difference of the co-doped configurations. Moreover, the S-bonding systems have better performance for both moderate chemical trapping and strong catalysis. The binding energies of Li 2 S x and Li decomposed properties considered as the key descriptors for the rational design of lithium-sulfur battery. Lastly, we offer design rules for high performance lithium-sulfur batteries based on the chemical functional graphene materials. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Impact of Different Levels of Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3D on Image Quality of 320-Row Coronary CT Angiography: A Clinical Trial

PubMed Central

Feger, Sarah; Rief, Matthias; Zimmermann, Elke; Martus, Peter; Schuijf, Joanne Désirée; Blobel, Jörg; Richter, Felicitas; Dewey, Marc

2015-01-01

Purpose The aim of this study was the systematic image quality evaluation of coronary CT angiography (CTA), reconstructed with the 3 different levels of adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR 3D) and compared to filtered back projection (FBP) with quantum denoising software (QDS). Methods Standard-dose CTA raw data of 30 patients with mean radiation dose of 3.2 ± 2.6 mSv were reconstructed using AIDR 3D mild, standard, strong and compared to FBP/QDS. Objective image quality comparison (signal, noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), contour sharpness) was performed using 21 measurement points per patient, including measurements in each coronary artery from proximal to distal. Results Objective image quality parameters improved with increasing levels of AIDR 3D. Noise was lowest in AIDR 3D strong (p≤0.001 at 20/21 measurement points; compared with FBP/QDS). Signal and contour sharpness analysis showed no significant difference between the reconstruction algorithms for most measurement points. Best coronary SNR and CNR were achieved with AIDR 3D strong. No loss of SNR or CNR in distal segments was seen with AIDR 3D as compared to FBP. Conclusions On standard-dose coronary CTA images, AIDR 3D strong showed higher objective image quality than FBP/QDS without reducing contour sharpness. Trial Registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00967876 PMID:25945924

Business Students' Ranking of Reasons for Assessment: Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Carl; Thomas, Richard; King, Karen

2000-01-01

Describes an explorative study to investigate the purposes of assessment as seen from the student perspective. Results showed strong correlation in the ranked reasons for assessment across gender and between the two institutions involved. Some significant differences in gender were observed in the top ranked reasons. Discusses possible extensions…

SuperDARN convection and Sondrestrom plasma drift

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, L.; Koustov, A. V.; Thayer, J.; McCready, M. A.

2001-07-01

Plasma convection measurements by the Goose Bay and Stokkseyri SuperDARN radar pair and the Sondrestrom incoherent scatter radar are compared in three different ways, by looking at the line-of-sight (l-o-s) velocities, by comparing the SuperDARN vectors and corresponding Sondrestrom l-o-s velocities and by comparing the end products of the instruments, the convection maps. All three comparisons show overall reasonable agreement of the convection measurements though the data spread is significant and for some points a strong disagreement is obvious. The convection map comparison shows a tendency for the SuperDARN velocities to be often less than the Sondrestrom drifts for strong flows (velocities > 1000 m/s) and larger for weak flows (velocities < 500 m/s). On average, both effects do not exceed 35%. Data indicate that inconsistencies between the two data sets occur largely at times of fast temporal variations of the plasma drift and for strongly irregular flow ac-cording to the SuperDARN convection maps. These facts indicate that the observed discrepancies are in many cases a result of the different spatial and temporal resolutions of the instruments.

Disentangling vortex pinning landscape in chemical solution deposited superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-x films and nanocomposites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palau, A.; Vallès, F.; Rouco, V.; Coll, M.; Li, Z.; Pop, C.; Mundet, B.; Gàzquez, J.; Guzman, R.; Gutierrez, J.; Obradors, X.; Puig, T.

2018-07-01

In-field angular pinning performances at different temperatures have been analysed on chemical solution deposited (CSD) YBa2Cu3O7-x (YBCO) pristine films and nanocomposites. We show that with this analysis we are able to quantify the vortex pinning strength and energies, associated with different kinds of natural and artificial pinning defects, acting as efficient pinning centres at different regions of the H-T phase diagram. A good quantification of the variety of pinning defects active at different temperatures and magnetic fields provides a unique tool to design the best vortex pinning landscape under different operating conditions. We have found that by artificially introducing a unique defect in the YBCO matrix, the stacking faults, we are able to modify three different contributions to vortex pinning (isotropic-strong, anisotropic-strong, and isotropic-weak). The isotropic-strong contribution, widely studied in CSD YBCO nanocomposites, is associated with nanostrained regions induced at the partial dislocations surrounding the stacking faults. Moreover, the stacking fault itself acts as a planar defect which provides a very effective anisotropic-strong pinning at H//ab. Finally, the large presence of Cu-O cluster vacancies found in the stacking faults have been revealed as a source of isotropic-weak pinning sites, very active at low temperatures and high fields.

Host-Plant Selectivity of Rhizobacteria in a Crop/Weed Model System

PubMed Central

Zeller, Simon L.; Brandl, Helmut; Schmid, Bernhard

2007-01-01

Belowground microorganisms are known to influence plants' performance by altering the soil environment. Plant pathogens such as cyanide-producing strains of the rhizobacterium Pseudomonas may show strong host-plant selectivity. We analyzed interactions between different host plants and Pseudomonas strains and tested if these can be linked to the cyanide sensitivity of host plants, the cyanide production of bacterial strains or the plant identity from which strains had been isolated. Eight strains (four cyanide producing) were isolated from roots of four weed species and then re-inoculated on the four weed and two additional crop species. Bacterial strain composition varied strongly among the four weed species. Although all six plant species showed different reductions in root growth when cyanide was artificially applied to seedlings, they were generally not negatively affected by inoculation with cyanide-producing bacterial strains. We found a highly significant plant species x bacterial strain interaction. Partitioning this interaction into contrasts showed that it was entirely due to a strongly negative effect of a bacterial strain (Pseudomonas kilonensis/brassicacearum, isolated from Galium mollugo) on Echinochloa crus-galli. This exotic weed may not have become adapted to the bacterial strain isolated from a native weed. Our findings suggest that host-specific rhizobacteria hold some promise as biological weed-control agents. PMID:17786217

Personality and Performance in Specific Neurocognitive Domains Among Older Persons.

PubMed

Chapman, Benjamin P; Benedict, Ralph H; Lin, Feng; Roy, Shumita; Federoff, Howard J; Mapstone, Mark

2017-08-01

Certain Big 5 personality dimensions have been repeatedly linked to global measures of cognitive function and outcome categories. We examined whether the Big 5 or their specific components showed differential evidence of associations with specific neurocognitive domains. Participants were 179 older adults (70+) from a broader study on cognitive aging. The NEO-Five Factor Inventory and a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests were used. Adjusted for age, gender, and years of education, probability values, Bayes Factors, and measures effect size from linear models suggested strong evidence for associations between better delayed recall memory and higher Conscientiousness (principally the facets of Goal-Striving and Dependability) and Openness (specifically the Intellectual Interest component). Better executive function and attention showed moderate to strong evidence of associations with lower Neuroticism (especially the Self-conscious Vulnerability facet) and higher Conscientiousness (mostly the Dependability facet). Better language functioning was linked to higher Openness (specifically, the Intellectual Interests facet). Worse visual-spatial function was strongly associated with higher Neuroticism. Different tests of neurocognitive functioning show varying degrees of evidence for associations with different personality traits. Better understanding of the patterning of neurocognitive-personality linkages may facilitate grasp of underlying mechanisms and/or refine understanding of co-occurring clinical presentation of personality traits and specific cognitive deficits. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

48 CFR 232.072-3 - Cash flow forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... forecasts is a strong indicator of serious managerial deficiencies or potential contract cost or performance... the causes of any differences. (d) Cash flow forecasts must— (1) Show the origin and use of all...

48 CFR 232.072-3 - Cash flow forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... forecasts is a strong indicator of serious managerial deficiencies or potential contract cost or performance... the causes of any differences. (d) Cash flow forecasts must— (1) Show the origin and use of all...

48 CFR 232.072-3 - Cash flow forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... forecasts is a strong indicator of serious managerial deficiencies or potential contract cost or performance... the causes of any differences. (d) Cash flow forecasts must— (1) Show the origin and use of all...

48 CFR 232.072-3 - Cash flow forecasts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... forecasts is a strong indicator of serious managerial deficiencies or potential contract cost or performance... the causes of any differences. (d) Cash flow forecasts must— (1) Show the origin and use of all...

Liquid-Assisted Femtosecond Laser Precision-Machining of Silica.

PubMed

Cao, Xiao-Wen; Chen, Qi-Dai; Fan, Hua; Zhang, Lei; Juodkazis, Saulius; Sun, Hong-Bo

2018-04-28

We report a systematical study on the liquid assisted femtosecond laser machining of quartz plate in water and under different etching solutions. The ablation features in liquid showed a better structuring quality and improved resolution with 1/3~1/2 smaller features as compared with those made in air. It has been demonstrated that laser induced periodic structures are present to a lesser extent when laser processed in water solutions. The redistribution of oxygen revealed a strong surface modification, which is related to the etching selectivity of laser irradiated regions. Laser ablation in KOH and HF solution showed very different morphology, which relates to the evolution of laser induced plasma on the formation of micro/nano-features in liquid. This work extends laser precision fabrication of hard materials. The mechanism of strong absorption in the regions with permittivity (epsilon) near zero is discussed.

Fine Spatial Scale Variation of Soil Microbial Communities under European Beech and Norway Spruce

PubMed Central

Nacke, Heiko; Goldmann, Kezia; Schöning, Ingo; Pfeiffer, Birgit; Kaiser, Kristin; Castillo-Villamizar, Genis A.; Schrumpf, Marion; Buscot, François; Daniel, Rolf; Wubet, Tesfaye

2016-01-01

The complex interactions between trees and soil microbes in forests as well as their inherent seasonal and spatial variations are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the effects of major European tree species (Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst) on soil bacterial and fungal communities. Mineral soil samples were collected from different depths (0–10, 10–20 cm) and at different horizontal distances from beech or spruce trunks (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 m) in early summer and autumn. We assessed the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities based on 16S rRNA gene and ITS DNA sequences. Community composition of bacteria and fungi was most strongly affected by soil pH and tree species. Different ectomycorrhizal fungi (e.g., Tylospora) known to establish mutualistic associations with plant roots showed a tree species preference. Moreover, bacterial and fungal community composition showed spatial and seasonal shifts in soil surrounding beech and spruce. The relative abundance of saprotrophic fungi was higher at a depth of 0–10 vs. 10–20 cm depth. This was presumably a result of changes in nutrient availability, as litter input and organic carbon content decreased with soil depth. Overall bacterial community composition showed strong variations under spruce with increasing distance from the tree trunks, which might be attributed in part to higher fine root biomass near spruce trunks. Furthermore, overall bacterial community composition was strongly affected by season under deciduous trees. PMID:28066384

Fine Spatial Scale Variation of Soil Microbial Communities under European Beech and Norway Spruce.

PubMed

Nacke, Heiko; Goldmann, Kezia; Schöning, Ingo; Pfeiffer, Birgit; Kaiser, Kristin; Castillo-Villamizar, Genis A; Schrumpf, Marion; Buscot, François; Daniel, Rolf; Wubet, Tesfaye

2016-01-01

The complex interactions between trees and soil microbes in forests as well as their inherent seasonal and spatial variations are poorly understood. In this study, we analyzed the effects of major European tree species ( Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies (L.) Karst) on soil bacterial and fungal communities. Mineral soil samples were collected from different depths (0-10, 10-20 cm) and at different horizontal distances from beech or spruce trunks (0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 m) in early summer and autumn. We assessed the composition of soil bacterial and fungal communities based on 16S rRNA gene and ITS DNA sequences. Community composition of bacteria and fungi was most strongly affected by soil pH and tree species. Different ectomycorrhizal fungi (e.g., Tylospora ) known to establish mutualistic associations with plant roots showed a tree species preference. Moreover, bacterial and fungal community composition showed spatial and seasonal shifts in soil surrounding beech and spruce. The relative abundance of saprotrophic fungi was higher at a depth of 0-10 vs. 10-20 cm depth. This was presumably a result of changes in nutrient availability, as litter input and organic carbon content decreased with soil depth. Overall bacterial community composition showed strong variations under spruce with increasing distance from the tree trunks, which might be attributed in part to higher fine root biomass near spruce trunks. Furthermore, overall bacterial community composition was strongly affected by season under deciduous trees.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wei, Shao-Wen; Liu, Yu-Xiao; Fu, Chun-E

In this paper, we study numerically the quasi-equatorial lensing by the stationary, axially-symmetric black hole in Kerr-Taub-NUT spacetime in the strong field limit. The deflection angle of light ray and other strong deflection limit coefficients are obtained numerically and they are found to be closely dependent on the NUT charge n and spin a. We also compute the magnification and the positions of the relativistic images. The caustics are studied and the results show that these caustics drift away from the optical axis, which is quite different from the Schwarzschild black hole case. Moreover, the intersections of the critical curvesmore » on the equatorial plane are obtained and it is shown that they increase with the NUT charge. These results show that there is a significant effect of the NUT charge on the strong gravitational lensing.« less

Strong Measurements Give a Better Direct Measurement of the Quantum Wave Function.

PubMed

Vallone, Giuseppe; Dequal, Daniele

2016-01-29

Weak measurements have thus far been considered instrumental in the so-called direct measurement of the quantum wave function [4J. S. Lundeen, Nature (London) 474, 188 (2011).]. Here we show that a direct measurement of the wave function can be obtained by using measurements of arbitrary strength. In particular, in the case of strong measurements, i.e., those in which the coupling between the system and the measuring apparatus is maximum, we compared the precision and the accuracy of the two methods, by showing that strong measurements outperform weak measurements in both for arbitrary quantum states in most cases. We also give the exact expression of the difference between the original and reconstructed wave function obtained by the weak measurement approach; this will allow one to define the range of applicability of such a method.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Braun,A.; Huggins, F.; Kelly, K.

We report on the structure of a set of diesel exhaust samples that were obtained from reference diesel fuel and diesel fuel mixed with ferrocene. Characterization was carried out with X-ray absorption spectroscopy (C(1s) NEXAFS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS). The reference diesel soot shows a pronounced graphite-like microstructure and molecular structure, with a strong (0 0 2) graphite Bragg reflex and a strong aromatic C{double_bond}C resonance at 285 eV. The mineral matter in the reference soot could be identified as Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} hematite. The soot specimen from the diesel mixed with ferrocene has an entirely different structure andmore » lacks significantly in graphite-like characteristics. NEXAFS spectra of such soot barely show aromatics but pronounced contributions from aliphatic structures. WAXS patterns show almost no intensity at the Bragg (0 0 2) reflection of graphite, but a strong aliphatic {gamma}-side band. The iron from the ferrocene transforms to Fe{sub 2}O{sub 3} maghemite.« less

Reproductive cycles in tropical intertidal gastropods are timed around tidal amplitude cycles.

PubMed

Collin, Rachel; Kerr, Kecia; Contolini, Gina; Ochoa, Isis

2017-08-01

Reproduction in iteroparous marine organisms is often timed with abiotic cycles and may follow lunar, tidal amplitude, or daily cycles. Among intertidal marine invertebrates, decapods are well known to time larval release to coincide with large amplitude nighttime tides, which minimizes the risk of predation. Such bimonthly cycles have been reported for few other intertidal invertebrates. We documented the reproduction of 6 gastropod species from Panama to determine whether they demonstrate reproductive cycles, whether these cycles follow a 2-week cycle, and whether cycles are timed so that larval release occurs during large amplitude tides. Two of the species ( Crepidula cf. marginalis and Nerita scabricosta ) showed nonuniform reproduction, but without clear peaks in timing relative to tidal or lunar cycles. The other 4 species show clear peaks in reproduction occurring every 2 weeks. In 3 of these species ( Cerithideopsis carlifornica var. valida, Littoraria variegata , and Natica chemnitzi ), hatching occurred within 4 days of the maximum amplitude tides. Siphonaria palmata exhibit strong cycles, but reproduction occurred during the neap tides. Strong differences in the intensity of reproduction of Cerithideopsis carlifornica , and in particular, Littoraria variegata , between the larger and smaller spring tides of a lunar month indicate that these species time reproduction with the tidal amplitude cycle rather than the lunar cycle. For those species that reproduce during both the wet and dry seasons, we found that reproductive timing did not differ between seasons despite strong differences in temperature and precipitation. Overall, we found that most (4/6) species have strong reproductive cycles synchronized with the tidal amplitude cycle and that seasonal differences in abiotic factors do not alter these cycles.

Effects of Interaction Imbalance in a Strongly Repulsive One-Dimensional Bose Gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barfknecht, R. E.; Foerster, A.; Zinner, N. T.

2018-05-01

We calculate the spatial distributions and the dynamics of a few-body two-component strongly interacting Bose gas confined to an effectively one-dimensional trapping potential. We describe the densities for each component in the trap for different interaction and population imbalances. We calculate the time evolution of the system and show that, for a certain ratio of interactions, the minority population travels through the system as an effective wave packet.

Gender-related individual differences and the structure of vocational interests: the importance of the people-things dimension.

PubMed

Lippa, R

1998-04-01

In 3 studies (respective Ns = 289, 394, and 1,678), males and females were assessed on Big Five traits, masculine instrumentality (M), feminine expressiveness (F), gender diagnosticity (GD), and RIASEC (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) vocational interest scales. Factor analyses of RIASEC scores consistently showed evidence for D.J. Prediger's (1982) People-Things and Ideas-Data dimensions, and participants' factor scores on these dimensions were computed. In all studies Big Five Openness was related to Ideas-Data but not to People-Things. Gender was strongly related to People-Things but not to Ideas-Data. Within each sex, GD correlated strongly with People-Things but not with Ideas-Data. M, F, and Big Five measures other than Openness tended not to correlate strongly with RIASEC scales or dimensions. The results suggest that gender and gender-related individual differences within the sexes are strongly linked to the People-Things dimension of vocational interests.

Single macroscopic pillars as model system for bioinspired adhesives: influence of tip dimension, aspect ratio, and tilt angle.

PubMed

Micciché, Maurizio; Arzt, Eduard; Kroner, Elmar

2014-05-28

The goal of our study is to better understand the design parameters of bioinspired dry adhesives inspired by geckos. For this, we fabricated single macroscopic pillars of 400 μm diameter with different aspect ratios and different tip shapes (i.e., flat tips, spherical tips with different radii, and mushroom tips with different diameters). Tilt-angle-dependent adhesion measurements showed that although the tip shape of the pillars strongly influences the pull-off force, the pull-off strength is similar for flat and mushroom-shaped tips. We found no tilt-angle dependency of adhesion for spherical tip structures and, except for high tilt angle and low preload experiments, no tilt-angle effect for mushroom-tip pillars. For flat-tip pillars, we found a strong influence of tilt angle on adhesion, which decreased linearly with increasing aspect ratio. The experiments show that for the tested aspect ratios between 1 and 5, a linear decrease of tilt-angle dependency is found. The results of our studies will help to design bioinspired adhesives for application on smooth and rough surfaces.

Remotely measuring populations during a crisis by overlaying two data sources

PubMed Central

Bharti, Nita; Lu, Xin; Bengtsson, Linus; Wetter, Erik; Tatem, Andrew J.

2015-01-01

Background Societal instability and crises can cause rapid, large-scale movements. These movements are poorly understood and difficult to measure but strongly impact health. Data on these movements are important for planning response efforts. We retrospectively analyzed movement patterns surrounding a 2010 humanitarian crisis caused by internal political conflict in Côte d'Ivoire using two different methods. Methods We used two remote measures, nighttime lights satellite imagery and anonymized mobile phone call detail records, to assess average population sizes as well as dynamic population changes. These data sources detect movements across different spatial and temporal scales. Results The two data sources showed strong agreement in average measures of population sizes. Because the spatiotemporal resolution of the data sources differed, we were able to obtain measurements on long- and short-term dynamic elements of populations at different points throughout the crisis. Conclusions Using complementary, remote data sources to measure movement shows promise for future use in humanitarian crises. We conclude with challenges of remotely measuring movement and provide suggestions for future research and methodological developments. PMID:25733558

[Significance of various implantate localizations of Sparks prostheses, experimental studies in rats].

PubMed

Brieler, H S; Parwaresch, R; Thiede, A

1976-01-01

Our investigations show that Sparks prostheses after subcutaneous implantation are suitable for vascular grafting. At the end of the organization period the connective tissue becomes strong, and after the third and fourth weeks collagenous and elastic fibers can be seen. Ten weeks after s.c. implantation, collagenous fibers predominate. After this the Sparks prostheses can be used as a vascular graft. Intraperitoneal implantation, however, shows a histologically different picture with characteristic findings: only fat cells can be observed, a strong granulation tissue with elastic and collagenous fibers is not present. After intraperitoneal implantation Sparks prostheses are therefore unsuitable for vascular grafts.

Processing speed in recurrent visual networks correlates with general intelligence.

PubMed

Jolij, Jacob; Huisman, Danielle; Scholte, Steven; Hamel, Ronald; Kemner, Chantal; Lamme, Victor A F

2007-01-08

Studies on the neural basis of general fluid intelligence strongly suggest that a smarter brain processes information faster. Different brain areas, however, are interconnected by both feedforward and feedback projections. Whether both types of connections or only one of the two types are faster in smarter brains remains unclear. Here we show, by measuring visual evoked potentials during a texture discrimination task, that general fluid intelligence shows a strong correlation with processing speed in recurrent visual networks, while there is no correlation with speed of feedforward connections. The hypothesis that a smarter brain runs faster may need to be refined: a smarter brain's feedback connections run faster.

Variability of Diurnal Temperature Range During Winter Over Western Himalaya: Range- and Altitude-Wise Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shekhar, M. S.; Devi, Usha; Dash, S. K.; Singh, G. P.; Singh, Amreek

2018-04-01

The current trends in diurnal temperature range, maximum temperature, minimum temperature, mean temperature, and sun shine hours over different ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya during winter have been studied. Analysis of 25 years of data shows an increasing trend in diurnal temperature range over all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya during winter, thereby confirming regional warming of the region due to present climate change and global warming. Statistical studies show significant increasing trend in maximum temperature over all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya. Minimum temperature shows significant decreasing trend over Pir Panjal and Shamshawari range and significant increasing trend over higher altitude of Western Himalaya. Similarly, sunshine hours show significant decreasing trend over Karakoram range. There exists strong positive correlation between diurnal temperature range and maximum temperature for all the ranges and altitudes of Western Himalaya. Strong negative correlation exists between diurnal temperature range and minimum temperature over Shamshawari and Great Himalaya range and lower altitude of Western Himalaya. Sunshine hours show strong positive correlation with diurnal temperature range over Pir Panjal and Great Himalaya range and lower and higher altitudes.

Effects of Carcass Weight and Back-fat Thickness on Carcass Properties of Korean Native Pigs.

PubMed

Kim, Gye-Woong; Kim, Hack-Youn

2017-01-01

Our study analyzed the carcass properties of 170 Korean native pigs in relation to carcass weight and back-fat thickness to provide general data for the production and distribution of high quality pig meat. The 70-74 kg group showed highest yield (73.41%). The ≥80 kg group showed the highest thickest back-fat (24.13 mm) ( p <0.05). The ≥80 kg group showed the best quality grade (1.00). Back-fat thickness showed significant differences in the weight among groups ( p <0.05). The ≥25 mm group showed the highest carcass weight (75.93 kg). The thickest back-fat group (≥25 mm) showed the highest yield (73.03%). There were significant differences in back-fat thickness among groups ( p <0.05), and the ≥25 mm group showed the highest thickness back-fat (27.60 mm). We found a strong positive correlation between carcass weight and back-fat thickness (r=0.346) as well as meat quality grade (r=0.739). Back-fat thickness had a relatively strong positive correlation with meat quality grade (r=0.444). Therefore, there are required to manage the breeding through selection of excellent native species for increasing their carcass weight and enhance meat quality.

Effects of Carcass Weight and Back-fat Thickness on Carcass Properties of Korean Native Pigs

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Our study analyzed the carcass properties of 170 Korean native pigs in relation to carcass weight and back-fat thickness to provide general data for the production and distribution of high quality pig meat. The 70-74 kg group showed highest yield (73.41%). The ≥80 kg group showed the highest thickest back-fat (24.13 mm) (p<0.05). The ≥80 kg group showed the best quality grade (1.00). Back-fat thickness showed significant differences in the weight among groups (p<0.05). The ≥25 mm group showed the highest carcass weight (75.93 kg). The thickest back-fat group (≥25 mm) showed the highest yield (73.03%). There were significant differences in back-fat thickness among groups (p<0.05), and the ≥25 mm group showed the highest thickness back-fat (27.60 mm). We found a strong positive correlation between carcass weight and back-fat thickness (r=0.346) as well as meat quality grade (r=0.739). Back-fat thickness had a relatively strong positive correlation with meat quality grade (r=0.444). Therefore, there are required to manage the breeding through selection of excellent native species for increasing their carcass weight and enhance meat quality. PMID:28747824

Study of temporal sequences of LANSAT images to detect the accumulation of stress prior of strong earthquakes in Chile.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arellano-Baeza, A. A.

2016-12-01

We studied the temporal evolution of the lineaments obtained from the LANSAT-8 associated to the accumulation of stress patterns related to the seismic activity. A lineament is generally defined as a straight or a somewhat curved feature in the landscape visible in a satellite image as an aligned sequence of pixels of a contrasting intensity compared to the background. The system of lineaments extracted from the satellite images is not identical to the geological lineaments; nevertheless, it generally reflects the structure of the faults and fractures in the Earth's crust. The satellite images were processed by the ADALGEO software developed by us. We selected two areas of study with different characteristics. The first area is located near to the Diego de Almagro town in the Copiapo region, Chile. This area did not show any strong seismic activity between 2010 and 2015. However, two strong earthquakes took place later on April 16, 2016 (Mw=5.3) and July 25, 2016 (Mw=6.1). The second area located near the Illapel town in Coquimbo region shows lack of strong earthquakes between 2010 and 2012 and strong seismic activity between 2012 and 2015, culminating by the September 16, 2015 earthquake (Mw=8.3). The distance between two areas is nearly 600 km. In case of the Diego de Almagro area, very few lineaments have been observed between 2010 and 2015, showing a significant increase during the 2016. In case of the Illapel region, the number of lineaments was always much higher, showing an explosive increase at the end of 2015. For both areas the lineaments changed its orientation before strong earthquakes.

Energy Exchange in Driven Open Quantum Systems at Strong Coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carrega, Matteo; Solinas, Paolo; Sassetti, Maura; Weiss, Ulrich

2016-06-01

The time-dependent energy transfer in a driven quantum system strongly coupled to a heat bath is studied within an influence functional approach. Exact formal expressions for the statistics of energy dissipation into the different channels are derived. The general method is applied to the driven dissipative two-state system. It is shown that the energy flows obey a balance relation, and that, for strong coupling, the interaction may constitute the major dissipative channel. Results in analytic form are presented for the particular value K =1/2 of strong Ohmic dissipation. The energy flows show interesting behaviors including driving-induced coherences and quantum stochastic resonances. It is found that the general characteristics persists for K near 1/2 .

Tunnel ionization of atoms and molecules: How accurate are the weak-field asymptotic formulas?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labeye, Marie; Risoud, François; Maquet, Alfred; Caillat, Jérémie; Taïeb, Richard

2018-05-01

Weak-field asymptotic formulas for the tunnel ionization rate of atoms and molecules in strong laser fields are often used for the analysis of strong field recollision experiments. We investigate their accuracy and domain of validity for different model systems by confronting them to exact numerical results, obtained by solving the time dependent Schrödinger equation. We find that corrections that take the dc-Stark shift into account are a simple and efficient way to improve the formula. Furthermore, analyzing the different approximations used, we show that error compensation plays a crucial role in the fair agreement between exact and analytical results.

Novel 16S rDNA primers revealed the diversity and habitats-related community structure of sphingomonads in 10 different niches.

PubMed

Huang, Yili; Feng, Hao; Lu, Hang; Zeng, Yanhua

2017-07-01

It is believed that sphingomonads are ubiquitously distributed in environments. However detailed information about their community structure and their co-relationship with environmental parameters remain unclear. In this study, novel sphingomonads-specific primers based on the 16S rRNA gene were designed to investigate the distribution of sphingomonads in 10 different niches. Both in silico and in-practice tests on pure cultures and environmental samples showed that Sph384f/Sph701r was an efficient primer set. Illumina MiSeq sequencing revealed that community structures of sphingomonads were significantly different among the 10 samples, although 12 sphingomonad genera were present in all samples. Based on RDA analysis and Monte Carlo permutation test, sphingomonad community structure was significantly correlated with limnetic and marine habitat types. Among these niches, the genus Sphingomicrobium showed strong positive correlation with marine habitats, whereas genera Sphingobium, Novosphingobium, Sphingopyxis, and Sphingorhabdus showed strong positive correlation with limnetic habitats. Our study provided direct evidence that sphingomonads are ubiquitously distributed in environments, and revealed for the first time that their community structure can be correlated with habitats.

First results of the German Barcode of Life (GBOL) – Myriapoda project: Cryptic lineages in German Stenotaenia linearis (Koch, 1835) (Chilopoda, Geophilomorpha)

PubMed Central

Wesener, Thomas; Voigtländer, Karin; Decker, Peter; Oeyen, Jan Philip; Spelda, Jörg; Lindner, Norman

2015-01-01

Abstract As part of the German Barcode of Life (GBOL) Myriapoda program, which aims to sequence the COI barcoding fragment for 2000 specimens of Germany’s 200 myriapod species in the near future, 44 sequences of the centipede order Geophilomorpha are analyzed. The analyses are limited to the genera Geophilus Leach, 1814 and Stenotaenia Koch, 1847 and include a total of six species. A special focus is Stenotaenia, of which 19 specimens from southern, western and eastern Germany could be successfully sequenced. The Stenotaenia data shows the presence of three to four vastly different (13.7–16.7% p-distance) lineages of the genus in Germany. At least two of the three lineages show a wide distribution across Germany, only the lineage including topotypes of Stenotaenia linearis shows a more restricted distribution in southern Germany. In a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis the Italian species Stenotaenia ‘sorrentina’ (Attems, 1903) groups with the different German Stenotaenia linearis clades. The strongly different Stenotaenia linearis lineages within Germany, independent of geography, are a strong hint for the presence of additional, cryptic Stenotaenia species in Germany. PMID:26257532

Non-cellulosic polysaccharides from cotton fibre are differently impacted by textile processing.

PubMed

Runavot, Jean-Luc; Guo, Xiaoyuan; Willats, William G T; Knox, J Paul; Goubet, Florence; Meulewaeter, Frank

2014-01-01

Cotton fibre is mainly composed of cellulose, although non-cellulosic polysaccharides play key roles during fibre development and are still present in the harvested fibre. This study aimed at determining the fate of non-cellulosic polysaccharides during cotton textile processing. We analyzed non-cellulosic cotton fibre polysaccharides during different steps of cotton textile processing using GC-MS, HPLC and comprehensive microarray polymer profiling to obtain monosaccharide and polysaccharide amounts and linkage compositions. Additionally, in situ detection was used to obtain information on polysaccharide localization and accessibility. We show that pectic and hemicellulosic polysaccharide levels decrease during cotton textile processing and that some processing steps have more impact than others. Pectins and arabinose-containing polysaccharides are strongly impacted by the chemical treatments, with most being removed during bleaching and scouring. However, some forms of pectin are more resistant than others. Xylan and xyloglucan are affected in later processing steps and to a lesser extent, whereas callose showed a strong resistance to the chemical processing steps. This study shows that non-cellulosic polysaccharides are differently impacted by the treatments used in cotton textile processing with some hemicelluloses and callose being resistant to these harsh treatments.

Impact of tropical convection and ENSO variability in vertical distributions of CO and O3 over an urban site of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahu, L. K.; Sheel, Varun; Kajino, M.; Deushi, M.; Gunthe, Sachin S.; Sinha, P. R.; Yadav, Ravi; Pal, Devendra; Nedelec, P.; Thouret, Valérie; Smit, Herman G.

2017-07-01

This study is based on the analysis of the measurement of ozone and water vapor by airbus in-service aircraft (MOZAIC) data of vertical ozone (O3) and carbon monoxide (CO) over Hyderabad during November 2005-March 2009. Measurements in the upper troposphere show highest values of O3 (53-75 ppbv) and CO (80-110 ppbv) during the pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons, respectively. The episodes of strong wind shears (>20 ms-1) were frequent during the monsoon/post-monsoon months, while weak shear conditions (<10 ms-1) were prevalent during the winter season. The profiles of both O3 and CO measured under southerly winds showed lower values than under northerly winds in each season. The strong and weak wind shears over the study region were associated with the El Niño and La Niña conditions, respectively. The outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) and wind shear data indicate enhancement in the convective activity from monsoon to post-monsoon period. Higher levels of O3 were measured under the strong shear conditions, while CO and H2O show enhancements under weak shear conditions. The near surface observation and simulations show increase of O3 with increasing OLR, while insignificant relation in the upper region. In case of CO, the MOZAIC and CCM2 show weaker dependence while MOZART-4 shows rapid increase with OLR indicating large overestimation of convective transport. A modified Tiedtke convective scheme provides better representation compared to the Hack/Zhang-McFarlane schemes for both O3 and CO during the monsoon season. The difference between observation and simulations were particularly large during transition from El Niño to La Niña phases. The different convection scheme and horizontal resolution in the MOZART-4 and CCM2 seem to be the major causes of disagreement between these models. Vertical profiles of both O3 and CO during extreme events such a tropical cyclones (TCs) show strong influence of the convective-dynamics over Bay of Bengal (BOB).

Robustness of Controllability for Networks Based on Edge-Attack

PubMed Central

Nie, Sen; Wang, Xuwen; Zhang, Haifeng; Li, Qilang; Wang, Binghong

2014-01-01

We study the controllability of networks in the process of cascading failures under two different attacking strategies, random and intentional attack, respectively. For the highest-load edge attack, it is found that the controllability of Erdős-Rényi network, that with moderate average degree, is less robust, whereas the Scale-free network with moderate power-law exponent shows strong robustness of controllability under the same attack strategy. The vulnerability of controllability under random and intentional attacks behave differently with the increasing of removal fraction, especially, we find that the robustness of control has important role in cascades for large removal fraction. The simulation results show that for Scale-free networks with various power-law exponents, the network has larger scale of cascades do not mean that there will be more increments of driver nodes. Meanwhile, the number of driver nodes in cascading failures is also related to the edges amount in strongly connected components. PMID:24586507

Robustness of controllability for networks based on edge-attack.

PubMed

Nie, Sen; Wang, Xuwen; Zhang, Haifeng; Li, Qilang; Wang, Binghong

2014-01-01

We study the controllability of networks in the process of cascading failures under two different attacking strategies, random and intentional attack, respectively. For the highest-load edge attack, it is found that the controllability of Erdős-Rényi network, that with moderate average degree, is less robust, whereas the Scale-free network with moderate power-law exponent shows strong robustness of controllability under the same attack strategy. The vulnerability of controllability under random and intentional attacks behave differently with the increasing of removal fraction, especially, we find that the robustness of control has important role in cascades for large removal fraction. The simulation results show that for Scale-free networks with various power-law exponents, the network has larger scale of cascades do not mean that there will be more increments of driver nodes. Meanwhile, the number of driver nodes in cascading failures is also related to the edges amount in strongly connected components.

Bioinspired morphing wings for extended flight envelope and roll control of small drones.

PubMed

Di Luca, M; Mintchev, S; Heitz, G; Noca, F; Floreano, D

2017-02-06

Small-winged drones can face highly varied aerodynamic requirements, such as high manoeuvrability for flight among obstacles and high wind resistance for constant ground speed against strong headwinds that cannot all be optimally addressed by a single aerodynamic profile. Several bird species solve this problem by changing the shape of their wings to adapt to the different aerodynamic requirements. Here, we describe a novel morphing wing design composed of artificial feathers that can rapidly modify its geometry to fulfil different aerodynamic requirements. We show that a fully deployed configuration enhances manoeuvrability while a folded configuration offers low drag at high speeds and is beneficial in strong headwinds. We also show that asymmetric folding of the wings can be used for roll control of the drone. The aerodynamic performance of the morphing wing is characterized in simulations, in wind tunnel measurements and validated in outdoor flights with a small drone.

Socioeconomic Position, Health, and Possible Explanations: A Tale of Two Cohorts

PubMed Central

Fuhrer, R.; Shipley, M. J.; Chastang, J. F.; Schmaus, A.; Niedhammer, I.; Stansfeld, S. A.; Goldberg, M.; Marmot, M. G.

2002-01-01

Objectives. We examined whether the social gradient for measures of morbidity is comparable in English and French public employees and investigated risk factors that may explain this gradient. Methods. This longitudinal study of 2 occupational cohorts—5825 London civil servants and 6818 French office-based employees—used 2 health outcomes: long spells of sickness absence during a 4-year follow-up and self-reported health. Results. Strong social gradients in health were observed in both cohorts. Health behaviors showed different relations with socioeconomic position in the 2 samples. Psychosocial work characteristics showed strong gradients in both cohorts. Cohort-specific significant risk factors explained between 12% and 56% of the gradient in sickness absence and self-reported health. Conclusions. Our cross-cultural comparison suggests that some common susceptibility may underlie the social gradient in health and disease, which explains why inequalities occur in cultures with different patterns of morbidity and mortality. PMID:12144986

Bioinspired morphing wings for extended flight envelope and roll control of small drones

PubMed Central

Heitz, G.; Noca, F.; Floreano, D.

2017-01-01

Small-winged drones can face highly varied aerodynamic requirements, such as high manoeuvrability for flight among obstacles and high wind resistance for constant ground speed against strong headwinds that cannot all be optimally addressed by a single aerodynamic profile. Several bird species solve this problem by changing the shape of their wings to adapt to the different aerodynamic requirements. Here, we describe a novel morphing wing design composed of artificial feathers that can rapidly modify its geometry to fulfil different aerodynamic requirements. We show that a fully deployed configuration enhances manoeuvrability while a folded configuration offers low drag at high speeds and is beneficial in strong headwinds. We also show that asymmetric folding of the wings can be used for roll control of the drone. The aerodynamic performance of the morphing wing is characterized in simulations, in wind tunnel measurements and validated in outdoor flights with a small drone. PMID:28163882

Reproduction and optical analysis of Morpho-inspired polymeric nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tippets, Cary A.; Fu, Yulan; Jackson, Anne-Martine; Donev, Eugenii U.; Lopez, Rene

2016-06-01

The brilliant blue coloration of the Morpho rhetenor butterfly originates from complex nanostructures found on the surface of its wings. The Morpho butterfly exhibits strong short-wavelength reflection and a unique two-lobe optical signature in the incident (θ) and reflected (ϕ) angular space. Here, we report the large-area fabrication of a Morpho-like structure and its reproduction in perfluoropolyether. Reflection comparisons of periodic and quasi-random ‘polymer butterfly’ nanostructures show similar normal-incidence spectra but differ in the angular θ-ϕ dependence. The periodic sample shows strong specular reflection and simple diffraction. However, the quasi-random sample produces a two-lobe angular reflection pattern with minimal specular refection, approximating the real butterfly’s optical behavior. Finite-difference time-domain simulations confirm that this pattern results from the quasi-random periodicity and highlights the significance of the inherent randomness in the Morpho’s photonic structure.

GPA and Attribute Framing Effects: Are Better Students More Sensitive or More Susceptible?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunegan, Ken

2010-01-01

Data from 2 studies show students differ in terms of how attribute framing alters perceptions and reactions in a decision-making episode. Using student GPA as a moderator, results from a role-play-decision-making exercise (Experiment 1) show perceptions and intended actions of higher GPA students were more strongly affected by attribute framing…

The Tapley and Bryden test of performance differences between the hands: The original data, newer data, and the relation to pegboard and other tasks.

PubMed

McManus, I C; Van Horn, John Darrell; Bryden, Pamela J

2016-02-08

Tapley and Bryden (T&B)'s 1985 circle-marking task is a group-administered task assessing performance differences between the hands. The bimodal distribution clearly separates self-described right- and left-handers. Using Phil's original datafiles we analyse the test in more detail, providing raw scores for each hands which are useful forensically, and we provide reliability estimates. Van Horn's unpublished 1992 PhD thesis studied T&B tasks and Annett pegboards varying in difficulty. A striking finding, that Phil Bryden called "the Van Horn problem," was that hand differences (R - L) were unrelated to task difficulty. That result was the starting point for Pamela Bryden's 1998 thesis, firstly replicating Van Horn, but then showing that task difficulty did relate to hand differences for Grooved pegboards. Pamela Bryden's model for those effects is presented here. Comparing across tasks, the T&B and pegboard tasks showed almost complete consistency for direction of handedness. Likewise, within each task, degree of handedness intercorrelated strongly across variants. In strong contrast, degree of handedness for T&B tasks showed minimal correlation with degree of handedness for pegboards. At the highest level, therefore, direction of handedness is consistent within individuals (conventional right and left handedness), but there are separable processes determining dominant-non-dominant hands differences for each particular task.

Antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation of some bacteria isolated from sediment, water and fish farms in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faja, Orooba Meteab; Usup, Gires; Ahmad, Asmat

2018-04-01

A total of 90 isolates of bacteria were isolated, from sediment (10) samples, water (10) samples and fish (12) samples (Sea bass, Snapper, Grouper and Tilapia). These include 22 isolates of bacteria from sediment, 28 isolates from water and 40 isolates from fish. All the isolates were tested for sensitivity to 13 antibiotics using disc diffusion method. The isolates showed high resistance to some antibiotics based on samples source. Isolates from sediment showed highest resistance toward novobiocin, kanamycin, ampicillin and streptomycin while isolates from water showed highest resistance against vancomycin, penicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline, in contrast, in fish sample showed highest resistance toward vancomycin, ampicillin, streptomycin and tetracycline. Most of the isolates showed biofilm formation ability with different degrees. Out of 22 bacteria isolates from water, two isolates were weak biofilm formers, six isolates moderate biofilm formers and fourteen isolates strong biofilm formers. While, out of 28 bacteria isolates from water one isolate was weak biofilm former, five isolates moderate biofilm formers and 22 strong biofilm formers Fish isolate showed three isolates (8%) moderate biofilm formers and 27 isolates strong biofilm formers. Biofilm formation was one of the factors that lead to antibiotic resistance of the bacterial isolates from these samples.

Differential long-term effects of social stress during adolescence on anxiety in Wistar and wild-type rats.

PubMed

Vidal, Jose; Buwalda, Bauke; Koolhaas, Jaap M

2011-06-01

Severe and chronic stress may interfere with adolescent neuronal plasticity that turns the juvenile brain into an adult brain increasing the vulnerability to develop anxiety disorders. It is well-known from adult stress research that there is a large individual differentiation in stress vulnerability. The current study is aimed at the individual resilience and vulnerability to adolescent social stress. Two strains of rats that differ in social behavioral skills were subjected to social stress during adolescence. In three experiments we studied short and long term effects of adolescent social stress using a water conflict test in different contexts. Wistar rats which had been socially defeated on postnatal days 45 and 46 showed, following water deprivation, a strong decrease in the total amount of water consumed and time spent drinking when tested 2 days and 3 weeks later in the context where they received the defeat experience. Also a strong increase in drinking latency was noticed in the context of the previous defeat. No differences in these parameters were found between defeated and non-defeated wild-type rats. The results of the water conflict test in an environment where no association with the previous defeat experience was present showed that the adolescent social stress did not induce a generalized anxiety. In conclusion, the water conflict test is a useful tool to measure the influence of social defeat on the motivation to obtain resources under conditions with different stimulus properties. In addition, our data suggest the importance of the strain used in adolescent stress experiments. The fact that Wistar rats showed a strong association with the context at adulthood whereas no effect was observed in the wild-type rats shows that victim characteristics are important determining factors for the long term effects of adolescent social stress. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modeling Study: Mechanism of Foam Propagation in Porous Media at Different Levels of Minimum Mobilization Pressure Gradient

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadi, M.; Kam, S.

2017-12-01

Scope: Numerous laboratory and field tests revealed that foam can effectively control gas mobility and improve sweep efficiency in enhanced-oil-recovery and subsurface-remediation processes, if correctly designed. The objective of this study is to answer (i) how mechanistic foam model parameters can be determined by fitting lab experiments in a step-by-step manner; (ii) how different levels of mobilization pressure gradient for foam generation affects the fundamentals of foam propagation; and (iii) how foam propagation distance can be estimated in the subsurface. This study for the first time shows why, and by how much, supercritical CO2 foams are advantaged over other types of foams such as N2 foam. Methods: First of all, by borrowing experimental data existing in the literature, this study shows how to capture mechanistic foam model parameters. The model, then, is applied to a wide range of mobilization pressure gradient to represent different types of foams that have been applied in the field (Note that supercritical CO2 foams exhibit much lower mobilization pressure compared to other types of foams (N2, steam, air, etc.). Finally, the model and parameters are used to evaluate different types of foam injection scenarios in order to predict how far foams can propagate with what properties in the field condition. Results and Conclusions: The results show that (i) the presence of three different foam states (strong, weak, intermediate) as well as two different strong-foam flow regimes (high-quality and low-quality regimes) plays a key role in model fit and field-scale propagation prediction and (ii) the importance of complex non-Newtonian foam rheology should not be underestimated. More specifically, this study finds that (i) supercritical CO2 foams can propagate a few hundreds of feet easily, which is a few orders of magnitude higher than other foams such as N2 foams; (ii) for dry foams (or, strong foams in the high-quality regime), the higher gas fractions the less foams travel, while for wet foams (or, strong foams in the low-quality regime) the distance is not sensitive to gas fraction; and (iii) the higher injection rates (or pressures), the farther foams propagate (this effect is much more pronounced for dry foams).

Observational Evidence for Small-Scale Mixture of Weak and Strong Fields in the Quiet Sun

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Socas-Navarro, H.; Lites, B. W.

2004-11-01

Three different maps of the quiet Sun, observed with the Advanced Stokes Polarimeter (ASP) and the Diffraction-Limited Stokes Polarimeter (DLSP), show evidence of strong (~=1700 G) and weak (<500 G) fields coexisting within the resolution element at both network and internetwork locations. The angular resolution of the observations is of 1" (ASP) and 0.6" (DLSP). Even at the higher DLSP resolution, a significant fraction of the network magnetic patches harbor a mixture of strong and weak fields. Internetwork elements that exhibit kG fields when analyzed with a single-component atmosphere are also shown to harbor considerable amounts of weak fields. Only those patches for which a single-component analysis yields weak fields do not show this mixture of field strengths. Finally, there is a larger fractional area of weak fields in the convective upflows than in the downflows.

Axion-Plasmon Polaritons in Strongly Magnetized Plasmas.

PubMed

Terças, H; Rodrigues, J D; Mendonça, J T

2018-05-04

Axions are hypothetical particles related to the violation of the charge-parity symmetry within the strong sector of the standard model, being one of the most prone candidates for dark matter. Multiple attempts to prove their existence are currently performed in different physical systems. Here, we predict that axions may couple to the electrostatic (Langmuir) modes of a strongly magnetized plasma, and show that a new quasiparticle can be defined, the axion-plasmon polariton. The excitation of axions can be inferred from the pronounced modification of the dispersion relation of the Langmuir waves, a feature that we estimate to be accessible in state-of-the-art plasma-based experiments.

Axion-Plasmon Polaritons in Strongly Magnetized Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terças, H.; Rodrigues, J. D.; Mendonça, J. T.

2018-05-01

Axions are hypothetical particles related to the violation of the charge-parity symmetry within the strong sector of the standard model, being one of the most prone candidates for dark matter. Multiple attempts to prove their existence are currently performed in different physical systems. Here, we predict that axions may couple to the electrostatic (Langmuir) modes of a strongly magnetized plasma, and show that a new quasiparticle can be defined, the axion-plasmon polariton. The excitation of axions can be inferred from the pronounced modification of the dispersion relation of the Langmuir waves, a feature that we estimate to be accessible in state-of-the-art plasma-based experiments.

Active Construction of Profession-Related Events: The Priming Effect among Pre-service Teachers with Different Professional Identity

PubMed Central

Wang, Xin-qiang; Zhu, Jun-cheng; Liu, Lu; Chen, Xiang-yu; Huo, Jun-yu

2018-01-01

Pre-service teachers with different professional identity may actively construct different subjective profession-related events based on the same objective profession-related events. To explore the priming effect among pre-service teachers with different professional identity, this study examined the effect of positive, negative, or neutral priming sentences in an individualized narration of profession-related events through a priming paradigm. Forty-two female volunteers were asked to complete positive, negative, and neutral priming sentences describing profession-related events. The results showed that, relative to those with weak professional identity, participants with strong professional identity generated a higher number of positive items when primed with different stimuli and displayed greater positive priming bias for positive and neutral stimuli. In addition, relative to those with strong professional identity, participants with weak professional identity generated a higher number of neutral and negative items when primed with positive and negative stimuli, respectively, and displayed greater negative priming bias toward negative stimuli. These results indicate that pre-service teachers with strong professional identity were likely to have established positive self-schemas involving profession-related events, which facilitated active, positive construction of such events. PMID:29535667

Active Construction of Profession-Related Events: The Priming Effect among Pre-service Teachers with Different Professional Identity.

PubMed

Wang, Xin-Qiang; Zhu, Jun-Cheng; Liu, Lu; Chen, Xiang-Yu; Huo, Jun-Yu

2018-01-01

Pre-service teachers with different professional identity may actively construct different subjective profession-related events based on the same objective profession-related events. To explore the priming effect among pre-service teachers with different professional identity, this study examined the effect of positive, negative, or neutral priming sentences in an individualized narration of profession-related events through a priming paradigm. Forty-two female volunteers were asked to complete positive, negative, and neutral priming sentences describing profession-related events. The results showed that, relative to those with weak professional identity, participants with strong professional identity generated a higher number of positive items when primed with different stimuli and displayed greater positive priming bias for positive and neutral stimuli. In addition, relative to those with strong professional identity, participants with weak professional identity generated a higher number of neutral and negative items when primed with positive and negative stimuli, respectively, and displayed greater negative priming bias toward negative stimuli. These results indicate that pre-service teachers with strong professional identity were likely to have established positive self-schemas involving profession-related events, which facilitated active, positive construction of such events.

A specific role for hippocampal mossy fiber's zinc in rapid storage of emotional memories

PubMed Central

Ceccom, Johnatan; Halley, Hélène; Daumas, Stéphanie; Lassalle, Jean Michel

2014-01-01

We investigated the specific role of zinc present in large amounts in the synaptic vesicles of mossy fibers and coreleased with glutamate in the CA3 region. In previous studies, we have shown that blockade of zinc after release has no effect on the consolidation of spatial learning, while zinc is required for the consolidation of contextual fear conditioning. Although both are hippocampo-dependent processes, fear conditioning to the context implies a strong emotional burden. To verify the hypothesis that zinc could play a specific role in enabling sustainable memorization of a single event with a strong emotional component, we used a neuropharmacological approach combining a glutamate receptor antagonist with different zinc chelators. Results show that zinc is mandatory to allow the consolidation of one-shot memory, thus being the key element allowing the hippocampus submitted to a strong emotional charge to switch from the cognitive mode to a flashbulb memory mode. Individual differences in learning abilities have been known for a long time to be totally or partially compensated by distributed learning practice. Here we show that contextual fear conditioning impairments due to zinc blockade can be efficiently reduced by distributed learning practice. PMID:24741109

Probing the Small-scale Structure in Strongly Lensed Systems via Transdimensional Inference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daylan, Tansu; Cyr-Racine, Francis-Yan; Diaz Rivero, Ana; Dvorkin, Cora; Finkbeiner, Douglas P.

2018-02-01

Strong lensing is a sensitive probe of the small-scale density fluctuations in the Universe. We implement a pipeline to model strongly lensed systems using probabilistic cataloging, which is a transdimensional, hierarchical, and Bayesian framework to sample from a metamodel (union of models with different dimensionality) consistent with observed photon count maps. Probabilistic cataloging allows one to robustly characterize modeling covariances within and across lens models with different numbers of subhalos. Unlike traditional cataloging of subhalos, it does not require model subhalos to improve the goodness of fit above the detection threshold. Instead, it allows the exploitation of all information contained in the photon count maps—for instance, when constraining the subhalo mass function. We further show that, by not including these small subhalos in the lens model, fixed-dimensional inference methods can significantly mismodel the data. Using a simulated Hubble Space Telescope data set, we show that the subhalo mass function can be probed even when many subhalos in the sample catalogs are individually below the detection threshold and would be absent in a traditional catalog. The implemented software, Probabilistic Cataloger (PCAT) is made publicly available at https://github.com/tdaylan/pcat.

Fault Structural Control on Earthquake Strong Ground Motions: The 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake as an Example

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Dongli; Li, Xiaojun; Huang, Bei; Zheng, Wenjun; Wang, Yuejun

2018-02-01

Continental thrust faulting earthquakes pose severe threats to megacities across the world. Recent events show the possible control of fault structures on strong ground motions. The seismogenic structure of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake is associated with high-angle listric reverse fault zones. Its peak ground accelerations (PGAs) show a prominent feature of fault zone amplification: the values within the 30- to 40-km-wide fault zone block are significantly larger than those on both the hanging wall and the footwall. The PGA values attenuate asymmetrically: they decay much more rapidly in the footwall than in the hanging wall. The hanging wall effects can be seen on both the vertical and horizontal components of the PGAs, with the former significantly more prominent than the latter. All these characteristics can be adequately interpreted by upward extrusion of the high-angle listric reverse fault zone block. Through comparison with a low-angle planar thrust fault associated with the 1999 Chi-Chi earthquake, we conclude that different fault structures might have controlled different patterns of strong ground motion, which should be taken into account in seismic design and construction.

Composition and substrate-dependent strength of the silken attachment discs in spiders

PubMed Central

Grawe, Ingo; Wolff, Jonas O.; Gorb, Stanislav N.

2014-01-01

Araneomorph spiders have evolved different silks with dissimilar material properties, serving different purposes. The two-compound pyriform secretion is used to glue silk threads to substrates or to other threads. It is applied in distinct patterns, called attachment discs. Although ubiquitously found in spider silk applications and hypothesized to be strong and versatile at low material consumption, the performance of attachment discs on different substrates remains unknown. Here, we analyse the detachment forces and fracture mechanics of the attachment discs spun by five different species on three different substrates, by pulling on the upstream part of the attached thread. Results show that although the adhesion of the pyriform glue is heavily affected by the substrate, even on Teflon it is frequently strong enough to hold the spider's weight. As plant surfaces are often difficult to wet, they are hypothesized to be the major driving force for evolution of the pyriform secretion. PMID:25030386

Observed seasonal and interannual variability of the near-surface thermal structure of the Arabian Sea Warm Pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, R. R.; Ramakrishna, S. S. V. S.

2017-06-01

The observed seasonal and interannual variability of near-surface thermal structure of the Arabian Sea Warm Pool (ASWP) is examined utilizing a reanalysis data set for the period 1990-2008. During a year, the ASWP progressively builds from February, reaches its peak by May only in the topmost 60 m water column. The ASWP Index showed a strong seasonal cycle with distinct interannual signatures. The years with higher (lower) sea surface temperature (SST) and larger (smaller) spatial extent are termed as strong (weak) ASWP years. The differences in the magnitude and spatial extent of thermal structure between the strong and weak ASWP regimes are seen more prominently in the topmost 40 m water column. The heat content values with respect to 28 °C isotherm (HC28) are relatively higher (lower) during strong (weak) ASWP years. Even the secondary peak in HC28 seen during the preceding November-December showed higher (lower) magnitude during the strong ASWP (weak) years. The influence of the observed variability in the surface wind field, surface net air-sea heat flux, near-surface mixed layer thickness, sea surface height (SSH) anomaly, depth of 20 °C isotherm and barrier layer thickness is examined to explain the observed differences in the near-surface thermal structure of the ASWP between strong and weak regimes. The surface wind speed is much weaker in particular during the preceding October and February-March corresponding to the strong ASWP years when compared to those of the weak ASWP years implying its important role. Both stronger winter cooling during weak ASWP years and stronger pre-monsoon heating during strong ASWP years through the surface air-sea heat fluxes contribute to the observed sharp contrast in the magnitudes of both the regimes of the ASWP. The upwelling Rossby wave during the preceding summer monsoon, post-monsoon and winter seasons is stronger corresponding to the weak ASWP regime when compared to the strong ASWP regime resulting in greater cooling of the near-surface layers during the summer monsoon season of the preceding year. On the other hand, the downwelling Rossby wave is stronger during pre-monsoon months during the strong ASWP regime when compared to weak ASWP regime leading to lesser cooling during strong ASWP regime.

Semimetallization of dielectrics in strong optical fields

PubMed Central

Kwon, Ojoon; Paasch-Colberg, Tim; Apalkov, Vadym; Kim, Bum-Kyu; Kim, Ju-Jin; Stockman, Mark I.; Kim, D.

2016-01-01

At the heart of ever growing demands for faster signal processing is ultrafast charge transport and control by electromagnetic fields in semiconductors. Intense optical fields have opened fascinating avenues for new phenomena and applications in solids. Because the period of optical fields is on the order of a femtosecond, the current switching and its control by an optical field may pave a way to petahertz optoelectronic devices. Lately, a reversible semimetallization in fused silica on a femtosecond time scale by using a few-cycle strong field (~1 V/Å) is manifested. The strong Wannier-Stark localization and Zener-type tunneling were expected to drive this ultrafast semimetallization. Wider spread of this technology demands better understanding of whether the strong field behavior is universally similar for different dielectrics. Here we employ a carrier-envelope-phase stabilized, few-cycle strong optical field to drive the semimetallization in sapphire, calcium fluoride and quartz and to compare this phenomenon and show its remarkable similarity between them. The similarity in response of these materials, despite the distinguishable differences in their physical properties, suggests the universality of the physical picture explained by the localization of Wannier-Stark states. Our results may blaze a trail to PHz-rate optoelectronics. PMID:26888147

Semimetallization of dielectrics in strong optical fields

DOE PAGES

Kwon, Ojoon; Paasch-Colberg, Tim; Apalkov, Vadym; ...

2016-02-18

At the heart of ever growing demands for faster signal processing is ultrafast charge transport and control by electromagnetic fields in semiconductors. Intense optical fields have opened fascinating avenues for new phenomena and applications in solids. Because the period of optical fields is on the order of a femtosecond, the current switching and its control by an optical field may pave a way to petahertz optoelectronic devices. Lately, a reversible semimetallization in fused silica on a femtosecond time scale by using a few-cycle strong field (~1 V/Å) is manifested. The strong Wannier-Stark localization and Zener-type tunneling were expected to drivemore » this ultrafast semimetallization. Wider spread of this technology demands better understanding of whether the strong field behavior is universally similar for different dielectrics. Here we employ a carrier-envelope-phase stabilized, few-cycle strong optical field to drive the semimetallization in sapphire, calcium fluoride and quartz and to compare this phenomenon and show its remarkable similarity between them. The similarity in response of these materials, despite the distinguishable differences in their physical properties, suggests the universality of the physical picture explained by the localization of Wannier-Stark states. Lastly, our results may blaze a trail to PHz-rate optoelectronics.« less

Semimetallization of dielectrics in strong optical fields.

PubMed

Kwon, Ojoon; Paasch-Colberg, Tim; Apalkov, Vadym; Kim, Bum-Kyu; Kim, Ju-Jin; Stockman, Mark I; Kim, D

2016-02-18

At the heart of ever growing demands for faster signal processing is ultrafast charge transport and control by electromagnetic fields in semiconductors. Intense optical fields have opened fascinating avenues for new phenomena and applications in solids. Because the period of optical fields is on the order of a femtosecond, the current switching and its control by an optical field may pave a way to petahertz optoelectronic devices. Lately, a reversible semimetallization in fused silica on a femtosecond time scale by using a few-cycle strong field (~1 V/Å) is manifested. The strong Wannier-Stark localization and Zener-type tunneling were expected to drive this ultrafast semimetallization. Wider spread of this technology demands better understanding of whether the strong field behavior is universally similar for different dielectrics. Here we employ a carrier-envelope-phase stabilized, few-cycle strong optical field to drive the semimetallization in sapphire, calcium fluoride and quartz and to compare this phenomenon and show its remarkable similarity between them. The similarity in response of these materials, despite the distinguishable differences in their physical properties, suggests the universality of the physical picture explained by the localization of Wannier-Stark states. Our results may blaze a trail to PHz-rate optoelectronics.

The effect of the air-blowing step on the technique sensitivity of four different adhesive systems.

PubMed

Spreafico, Diego; Semeraro, Stefano; Mezzanzanica, Dario; Re, Dino; Gagliani, Massimo; Tanaka, Toru; Sano, Hidehiko; Sidhu, Sharanbir K

2006-03-01

To evaluate the technique sensitivity of four different adhesive systems using different air-blowing pressure. Four adhesive systems were employed: Clearfil SE Bond [SE] (Kuraray, Japan), G-Bond [GB] (GC Corporation, Japan), Adper Prompt L-Pop [LP] (3M ESPE, USA) and an experimental adhesive, SSB-200 [SSB] (Kuraray, Japan). Twenty-four extracted molars were used. After grinding the coronal enamel surface, the teeth were divided into two equal groups. The first group's teeth were randomly assigned for bonding with the different adhesives using gentle air-blowing (g). For the teeth of the second group, the four adhesive systems were applied using strong air-blowing (s). After storage overnight in 37 degrees C water, the bonded specimens were sectioned into sticks (1 mm x 1 mm wide), which were subjected to microtensile bond strength testing (microTBS) at a crosshead speed of 1 mm/min. The load at failure of each specimen was recorded and the data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD tests. The surfaces of the fractured specimens were observed using SEM to determine the failure mode. The results of the microTBS test showed that the highest bond strengths tended to be with SE for both gentle and strong air-blowing, and the significantly lowest for SSB with strong air streaming. Comparing the two techniques, significant differences were noted only for SSB-200 (P < 0.05). For each material, the SEM evaluation did not show distinct differences in the nature of the fractures between the two techniques, except for SSB-200. The adhesives tested are not technique sensitive, except SSB-200, with regards to the air-blowing step.

Generic absence of strong singularities in loop quantum Bianchi-IX spacetimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saini, Sahil; Singh, Parampreet

2018-03-01

We study the generic resolution of strong singularities in loop quantized effective Bianchi-IX spacetime in two different quantizations—the connection operator based ‘A’ quantization and the extrinsic curvature based ‘K’ quantization. We show that in the effective spacetime description with arbitrary matter content, it is necessary to include inverse triad corrections to resolve all the strong singularities in the ‘A’ quantization. Whereas in the ‘K’ quantization these results can be obtained without including inverse triad corrections. Under these conditions, the energy density, expansion and shear scalars for both of the quantization prescriptions are bounded. Notably, both the quantizations can result in potentially curvature divergent events if matter content allows divergences in the partial derivatives of the energy density with respect to the triad variables at a finite energy density. Such events are found to be weak curvature singularities beyond which geodesics can be extended in the effective spacetime. Our results show that all potential strong curvature singularities of the classical theory are forbidden in Bianchi-IX spacetime in loop quantum cosmology and geodesic evolution never breaks down for such events.

Excitation of Ion Acoustic Waves in Plasmas with Electron Emission from Walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khrabrov, A. V.; Wang, H.; Kaganovich, I. D.; Raitses, Y.; Sydorenko, D.

2015-11-01

Various plasma propulsion devices exhibit strong electron emission from the walls either as a result of secondary processes or due to thermionic emission. To understand details of electron kinetics in plasmas with strong emission, we have performed kinetic simulations of such plasmas using EDIPIC code. We show that excitation of ion acoustic waves is ubiquitous phenomena in many different plasma configurations with strong electron emission from walls. Ion acoustic waves were observed to be generated near sheath if the secondary electron emission from the walls is strong. Ion acoustic waves were also observed to be generated in the plasma bulk due to presence of an intense electron beam propagating from the cathode. This intense electron beam can excite strong plasma waves, which in turn drive the ion acoustic waves. Research supported by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

The status of the strong coupling from tau decays in 2016

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boito, Diogo; Golterman, Maarten; Maltman, Kim; Peris, Santiago

2017-06-01

While the idea of using the operator product expansion (OPE) to extract the strong coupling from hadronic τ decay data is not new, there is an ongoing controversy over how to include quark-hadron ;duality violations; (i.e., resonance effects) which are not described by the OPE. One approach attempts to suppress duality violations enough that they might become negligible, but pays the price of an uncontrolled OPE truncation. We critically examine a recent analysis using this approach and show that it fails to properly account for non-perturbative effects, making the resulting determination of the strong coupling unreliable. In a different approach duality violations are taken into account with a model, avoiding the OPE truncation. This second approach provides a self-consistent determination of the strong coupling from τ decays.

RFID Transponders' RF Emissions in Aircraft Communication and Navigation Radio Bands

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Truong X.; Ely, Jay J.; Koppen Sandra V.; Fersch, Mariatheresa S.

2008-01-01

Radiated emission data in aircraft communication and navigation bands are presented for several active radio frequency identification (RFID) tags. The individual tags are different in design, operation and transmitting frequencies. The process for measuring the tags emissions in a reverberation chamber is discussed. Measurement issues dealing with tag interrogation, low level measurement in the presence of strong transmissions, and tags low duty factors are discussed. The results show strong emissions, far exceeding aircraft emission limits and can be of potential interference risks.

IUE observations of symbiotic stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sahade, J.; Brandi, E.

1981-01-01

The IUE observations suggest that the symbiotic stars can be placed in two broad groups. One of the groups is characterized by strong, narrow emissions arising from a wide range of excitation energies, while the other one typically shows a strong continuum with absorption lines and very few or no emissions at all. Both broad groups appear to suggest that these are binary systems and that they probably differ in the characteristics and extent of the chromosphere-corona formation that is present in the system.

Clear signals or mixed messages: inter-individual emotion congruency modulates brain activity underlying affective body perception

PubMed Central

de Gelder, B.

2016-01-01

The neural basis of emotion perception has mostly been investigated with single face or body stimuli. However, in daily life one may also encounter affective expressions by groups, e.g. an angry mob or an exhilarated concert crowd. In what way is brain activity modulated when several individuals express similar rather than different emotions? We investigated this question using an experimental design in which we presented two stimuli simultaneously, with same or different emotional expressions. We hypothesized that, in the case of two same-emotion stimuli, brain activity would be enhanced, while in the case of two different emotions, one emotion would interfere with the effect of the other. The results showed that the simultaneous perception of different affective body expressions leads to a deactivation of the amygdala and a reduction of cortical activity. It was revealed that the processing of fearful bodies, compared with different-emotion bodies, relied more strongly on saliency and action triggering regions in inferior parietal lobe and insula, while happy bodies drove the occipito-temporal cortex more strongly. We showed that this design could be used to uncover important differences between brain networks underlying fearful and happy emotions. The enhancement of brain activity for unambiguous affective signals expressed by several people simultaneously supports adaptive behaviour in critical situations. PMID:27025242

The importance of sample collection when using single cytokine levels and systemic cytokine profiles as biomarkers--a comparative study of serum versus plasma samples.

PubMed

Tvedt, Tor Henrik Anderson; Rye, Kristin Paulsen; Reikvam, Håkon; Brenner, Annette K; Bruserud, Øystein

2015-03-01

Cytokines, soluble adhesion molecules and metalloproteinases can be detected in human serum or plasma samples. Such systemic levels are widely used as biomarkers in epidemiological and clinical studies. We prepared serum samples and three types of plasma samples (EDTA, heparin, citric acid) from 20 healthy individuals. The levels of 31 cytokines, four soluble adhesion molecules and eight matrix metalloproteinases were analyzed by Luminex technology. Most mediators showed detectable levels in both plasma and serum. Several mediators that can be released by platelets showed increased serum levels, especially CCL5 and CD40L, but for the other mediators the serum levels did not correlate with peripheral blood platelet counts and for these last mediators serum and plasma levels often showed strong correlations. The use of bivalirudin for anticoagulation significantly increased and citric acid combined with platelet inhibitors (ticagrelor, acetylsalicylic acid plus prostaglandin E2) did not alter plasma levels of platelet-store mediators compared with citric acid alone. The impact of sample preparation differed between mediators; for many mediators strong correlations were seen between serum and plasma levels even when absolute levels differed. Soluble adhesion molecule levels showed only minor differences between samples. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering suggested that the effect of sampling/preparation was strongest for serum and heparin plasma samples. Careful standardization of sample preparation is usually necessary when analyzing systemic mediator levels, and differences caused by sample preparation should be considered as a possible explanation if studies show conflicting results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Origin and Variability of Upper Tropospheric Nitrogen Oxides and Ozone at Northern Mid-Latitudes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grewe, V.; Brunner, D.; Dameris, M.; Grenfell, J. L.; Hein, R.; Shindell, D.; Staehelin, J.

1999-01-01

Measurements of NO(x) and ozone performed during the NOXAR project are compared with results from the coupled chemistry-climate models ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM and GISS-model. The measurements are based on flights between Europe and the East coast of America and between Europe and the Far East in the latitude range 40 deg N to 65 deg N. The comparison concentrates on tropopause altitudes and reveals strong longitudinal variations of seasonal mean NO,, of 200 pptv. Either model reproduced strong variations 3 km below but not at the tropopause, indicating a strong missing NO(x) or NO(y) sink over remote areas, e.g. NO(x) to HNO3 conversion by OH from additional OH sources or HNO3 wash-out. Vertical profiles show maximum NO(x) values 2-3 km below the tropopause with a strong seasonal cycle. ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM reproduces a maximum, although located at the tropopause with a less pronounced seasonal cycle, whereas the GISS model reproduces the seasonal cycle but not the profile's shape due to its coarser vertical resolution. A comparison of NO(x) frequency distributions reveals that both models are capable of reproducing the observed variability, except that ECHAM4.L39(DLR)/CHEM shows no very high NO(x) mixing ratios. Ozone mean values, vertical profiles and frequency distributions are much better reproduced in either model, indicating that the NO(x) frequency distribution, namely the most frequent NO(x) mixing ratio, is more important for the tropospheric photochemical ozone production than its mean value. Both models show that among all sources, NO(x) from lightning contributes most to the seasonal cycle of NO(x) at tropopause altitudes. The impact of lightning in the upper troposphere on NO(x) does not vary strongly with altitude, whereas the impact of surface emissions decreases with altitude. However, the models show significant differences in lightning induced NO(x) concentrations, especially in winter, which may be related to the different treatment of the lower stratospheric coupling between dynamics and chemistry.

Altered Orientation and Flight Paths of Pigeons Reared on Gravity Anomalies: A GPS Tracking Study

PubMed Central

Blaser, Nicole; Guskov, Sergei I.; Meskenaite, Virginia; Kanevskyi, Valerii A.; Lipp, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

The mechanisms of pigeon homing are still not understood, in particular how they determine their position at unfamiliar locations. The “gravity vector” theory holds that pigeons memorize the gravity vector at their home loft and deduct home direction and distance from the angular difference between memorized and actual gravity vector. However, the gravity vector is tilted by different densities in the earth crust leading to gravity anomalies. We predicted that pigeons reared on different gravity anomalies would show different initial orientation and also show changes in their flight path when crossing a gravity anomaly. We reared one group of pigeons in a strong gravity anomaly with a north-to-south gravity gradient, and the other group of pigeons in a normal area but on a spot with a strong local anomaly with a west-to-east gravity gradient. After training over shorter distances, pigeons were released from a gravitationally and geomagnetically normal site 50 km north in the same direction for both home lofts. As expected by the theory, the two groups of pigeons showed divergent initial orientation. In addition, some of the GPS-tracked pigeons also showed changes in their flight paths when crossing gravity anomalies. We conclude that even small local gravity anomalies at the birth place of pigeons may have the potential to bias the map sense of pigeons, while reactivity to gravity gradients during flight was variable and appeared to depend on individual navigational strategies and frequency of position updates. PMID:24194860

Altered orientation and flight paths of pigeons reared on gravity anomalies: a GPS tracking study.

PubMed

Blaser, Nicole; Guskov, Sergei I; Meskenaite, Virginia; Kanevskyi, Valerii A; Lipp, Hans-Peter

2013-01-01

The mechanisms of pigeon homing are still not understood, in particular how they determine their position at unfamiliar locations. The "gravity vector" theory holds that pigeons memorize the gravity vector at their home loft and deduct home direction and distance from the angular difference between memorized and actual gravity vector. However, the gravity vector is tilted by different densities in the earth crust leading to gravity anomalies. We predicted that pigeons reared on different gravity anomalies would show different initial orientation and also show changes in their flight path when crossing a gravity anomaly. We reared one group of pigeons in a strong gravity anomaly with a north-to-south gravity gradient, and the other group of pigeons in a normal area but on a spot with a strong local anomaly with a west-to-east gravity gradient. After training over shorter distances, pigeons were released from a gravitationally and geomagnetically normal site 50 km north in the same direction for both home lofts. As expected by the theory, the two groups of pigeons showed divergent initial orientation. In addition, some of the GPS-tracked pigeons also showed changes in their flight paths when crossing gravity anomalies. We conclude that even small local gravity anomalies at the birth place of pigeons may have the potential to bias the map sense of pigeons, while reactivity to gravity gradients during flight was variable and appeared to depend on individual navigational strategies and frequency of position updates.

Ring Current Dynamics in Moderate and Strong Storms: Comparative Analysis of TWINS and IMAGE/HENA Data with the Comprehensive Ring Current Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buzulukova, N.; Fok, M.-C.; Goldstein, J.; Valek, P.; McComas, D. J.; Brandt, P. C.

2010-01-01

We present a comparative study of ring current dynamics during strong and moderate storms. The ring current during the strong storm is studied with IMAGE/HENA data near the solar cycle maximum in 2000. The ring current during the moderate storm is studied using energetic neutral atom (ENA) data from the Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral- Atom Spectrometers (TWINS) mission during the solar minimum in 2008. For both storms, the local time distributions of ENA emissions show signatures of postmidnight enhancement (PME) during the main phases. To model the ring current and ENA emissions, we use the Comprehensive Ring Current Model (CRCM). CRCM results show that the main-phase ring current pressure peaks in the premidnight-dusk sector, while the most intense CRCM-simulated ENA emissions show PME signatures. We analyze two factors to explain this difference: the dependence of charge-exchange cross section on energy and pitch angle distributions of ring current. We find that the IMF By effect (twisting of the convection pattern due to By) is not needed to form the PME. Additionally, the PME is more pronounced for the strong storm, although relative shielding and hence electric field skewing is well developed for both events.

Age differences in personal values: Universal or cultural specific?

PubMed

Fung, Helene H; Ho, Yuan Wan; Zhang, Rui; Zhang, Xin; Noels, Kimberly A; Tam, Kim-Pong

2016-05-01

Prior studies on value development across adulthood have generally shown that as people age, they espouse communal values more strongly and agentic values less strongly. Two studies investigated whether these age differences in personal values might differ according to cultural values. Study 1 examined whether these age differences in personal values, and their associations with subjective well-being, showed the same pattern across countries that differed in individualism-collectivism. Study 2 compared age differences in personal values in the Canadian culture that emphasized agentic values more and the Chinese culture that emphasized communal values more. Personal and cultural values of each individual were directly measured, and their congruence were calculated and compared across age and cultures. Findings revealed that across cultures, older people had lower endorsement of agentic personal values and higher endorsement of communal personal values than did younger people. These age differences, and their associations with subjective well-being, were generally not influenced by cultural values. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Emergence of trend trading and its effects in minority game

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xing-Hua; Liang, Xiao-Bei; Wang, Nai-Jing

2006-09-01

In this paper, we extended Minority Game (MG) by equipping agents with both value and trend strategies. In the new model, agents (we call them strong-adaptation agents) can autonomically select to act as trend trader or value trader when they game and learn in system. So the new model not only can reproduce stylized factors but also has the potential to investigate into the process of some problems of securities market. We investigated the dynamics of trend trading and its impacts on securities market based on the new model. Our research found that trend trading is inevitable when strong-adaptation agents make decisions by inductive reasoning. Trend trading (of strong-adaptation agents) is not irrational behavior but shows agent's strong-adaptation intelligence, because strong-adaptation agents can take advantage of the pure value agents when they game together in hybrid system. We also found that strong-adaptation agents do better in real environment. The results of our research are different with those of behavior finance researches.

Diversity of cuticular wax among Salix species and Populus species hybrids.

PubMed

Cameron, Kimberly D; Teece, Mark A; Bevilacqua, Eddie; Smart, Lawrence B

2002-08-01

The leaf cuticular waxes of three Salix species and two Populus species hybrids, selected for their ability to produce high amounts of biomass, were characterized. Samples were extracted in CH(2)Cl(2) three times over the growing season. Low kV SEM was utilized to observe differences in the ultrastructure of leaf surfaces from each clone. Homologous series of wax components were classified into organic groups, and the variation in wax components due to clone, sample time, and their interaction was identified. All Salix species and Populus species hybrids showed differences in total wax load at each sampling period, whereas the pattern of wax deposition over time differed only between the Salix species. A strong positive relationship was identified between the entire homologous series of alcohols and total wax load in all clones. Similarly strong relationships were observed between fatty acids and total wax load as well as fatty acids and alcohols in two Salix species and one Populus species hybrid. One Salix species, S. dasyclados, also displayed a strong positive relationship between alcohols and alkanes. These data indicate that species grown under the same environmental conditions produce measurably different cuticular waxes and that regulation of wax production appears to be different in each species. The important roles cuticular waxes play in drought tolerance, pest, and pathogen resistance, as well as the ease of wax extraction and analysis, strongly suggest that the characteristics of the cuticular wax may prove to be useful selectable traits in a breeding program.

Bayesian evidences for dark energy models in light of current observational data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lonappan, Anto. I.; Kumar, Sumit; Ruchika; Dinda, Bikash R.; Sen, Anjan A.

2018-02-01

We do a comprehensive study of the Bayesian evidences for a large number of dark energy models using a combination of latest cosmological data from SNIa, CMB, BAO, strong lensing time delay, growth measurements, measurements of Hubble parameter at different redshifts and measurements of angular diameter distance by Megamaser Cosmology Project. We consider a variety of scalar field models with different potentials as well as different parametrizations for the dark energy equation of state. Among 21 models that we consider in our study, we do not find strong evidences in favor of any evolving dark energy model compared to Λ CDM . For the evolving dark energy models, we show that purely nonphantom models have much better evidences compared to those models that allow both phantom and nonphantom behaviors. Canonical scalar field with exponential and tachyon field with square potential have highest evidences among all the models considered in this work. We also show that a combination of low redshift measurements decisively favors an accelerating Λ CDM model compared to a nonaccelerating power law model.

Polarization and coherence in the Hanbury Brown–Twiss effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xianlong; Wu, Gaofeng; Pang, Xiaoyan; Kuebel, David; Visser, Taco D.

2018-07-01

We study the correlation of intensity fluctuations in random electromagnetic beams, the so-called Hanbury Brown-Twiss effect (HBT). We show that not just the state of coherence of the source, but also its state of polarization has a strong influence on the far-zone correlations. Different types of sources are found to have different upper bounds for the normalized HBT coefficient.

Remotely measuring populations during a crisis by overlaying two data sources.

PubMed

Bharti, Nita; Lu, Xin; Bengtsson, Linus; Wetter, Erik; Tatem, Andrew J

2015-03-01

Societal instability and crises can cause rapid, large-scale movements. These movements are poorly understood and difficult to measure but strongly impact health. Data on these movements are important for planning response efforts. We retrospectively analyzed movement patterns surrounding a 2010 humanitarian crisis caused by internal political conflict in Côte d'Ivoire using two different methods. We used two remote measures, nighttime lights satellite imagery and anonymized mobile phone call detail records, to assess average population sizes as well as dynamic population changes. These data sources detect movements across different spatial and temporal scales. The two data sources showed strong agreement in average measures of population sizes. Because the spatiotemporal resolution of the data sources differed, we were able to obtain measurements on long- and short-term dynamic elements of populations at different points throughout the crisis. Using complementary, remote data sources to measure movement shows promise for future use in humanitarian crises. We conclude with challenges of remotely measuring movement and provide suggestions for future research and methodological developments. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Social comparison, self-stereotyping, and gender differences in self-construals.

PubMed

Guimond, Serge; Chatard, Armand; Martinot, Delphine; Crisp, Richard J; Redersdorff, Sandrine

2006-02-01

Four studies examined gender differences in self-construals and the role of social comparison in generating these differences. Consistent with previous research, Study 1 (N=461) showed that women define themselves as higher in relational interdependence than men, and men define themselves as higher in independence/agency than women. Study 2 (N=301) showed that within-gender social comparison decreases gender differences in self-construals relative to a control condition, whereas between-genders comparison increases gender differences on both relational interdependence and independence/agency. Studies 3 (N=169) and 4 (N=278) confirmed these findings and showed that changing self-construal changes gender differences in social dominance orientation. Across the 4 studies, strong evidence for the role of in-group stereotyping as mediator of the effect of gender on self-construal was observed on the relational dimension but not on the agentic dimension. Copyright 2006 APA, all rights reserved.

The evolution of the metallicity gradient and the star formation efficiency in disc galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sillero, Emanuel; Tissera, Patricia B.; Lambas, Diego G.; Michel-Dansac, Leo

2017-12-01

We study the oxygen abundance profiles of the gas-phase components in hydrodynamical simulations of pre-prepared disc galaxies including major mergers, close encounters and isolated configurations. We analyse the evolution of the slope of oxygen abundance profiles and the specific star formation rate (sSFR) along their evolution. We find that galaxy-galaxy interactions could generate either positive or negative gas-phase oxygen profiles, depending on the state of evolution. Along the interaction, galaxies are found to have metallicity gradients and sSFR consistent with observations, on average. Strong gas inflows produced during galaxy-galaxy interactions or as a result of strong local instabilities in gas-rich discs are able to produce both a quick dilution of the central gas-phase metallicity and a sudden increase of the sSFR. Our simulations show that, during these events, a correlation between the metallicity gradients and the sSFR can be set up if strong gas inflows are triggered in the central regions in short time-scales. Simulated galaxies without experiencing strong disturbances evolve smoothly without modifying the metallicity gradients. Gas-rich systems show large dispersion along the correlation. The dispersion in the observed relation could be interpreted as produced by the combination of galaxies with different gas-richness and/or experiencing different types of interactions. Hence, our findings suggest that the observed relation might be the smoking gun of galaxies forming in a hierarchical clustering scenario.

Stimulus discriminability in visual search.

PubMed

Verghese, P; Nakayama, K

1994-09-01

We measured the probability of detecting the target in a visual search task, as a function of the following parameters: the discriminability of the target from the distractors, the duration of the display, and the number of elements in the display. We examined the relation between these parameters at criterion performance (80% correct) to determine if the parameters traded off according to the predictions of a limited capacity model. For the three dimensions that we studied, orientation, color, and spatial frequency, the observed relationship between the parameters deviates significantly from a limited capacity model. The data relating discriminability to display duration are better than predicted over the entire range of orientation and color differences that we examined, and are consistent with the prediction for only a limited range of spatial frequency differences--from 12 to 23%. The relation between discriminability and number varies considerably across the three dimensions and is better than the limited capacity prediction for two of the three dimensions that we studied. Orientation discrimination shows a strong number effect, color discrimination shows almost no effect, and spatial frequency discrimination shows an intermediate effect. The different trading relationships in each dimension are more consistent with early filtering in that dimension, than with a common limited capacity stage. Our results indicate that higher-level processes that group elements together also play a strong role. Our experiments provide little support for limited capacity mechanisms over the range of stimulus differences that we examined in three different dimensions.

Experimental Effects and Individual Differences in Linear Mixed Models: Estimating the Relationship between Spatial, Object, and Attraction Effects in Visual Attention

PubMed Central

Kliegl, Reinhold; Wei, Ping; Dambacher, Michael; Yan, Ming; Zhou, Xiaolin

2011-01-01

Linear mixed models (LMMs) provide a still underused methodological perspective on combining experimental and individual-differences research. Here we illustrate this approach with two-rectangle cueing in visual attention (Egly et al., 1994). We replicated previous experimental cue-validity effects relating to a spatial shift of attention within an object (spatial effect), to attention switch between objects (object effect), and to the attraction of attention toward the display centroid (attraction effect), also taking into account the design-inherent imbalance of valid and other trials. We simultaneously estimated variance/covariance components of subject-related random effects for these spatial, object, and attraction effects in addition to their mean reaction times (RTs). The spatial effect showed a strong positive correlation with mean RT and a strong negative correlation with the attraction effect. The analysis of individual differences suggests that slow subjects engage attention more strongly at the cued location than fast subjects. We compare this joint LMM analysis of experimental effects and associated subject-related variances and correlations with two frequently used alternative statistical procedures. PMID:21833292

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lim, Dongwook; Han, Sang-Il; Lee, Young-Wook

There is increasing evidence for the presence of multiple red giant branches (RGBs) in the color-magnitude diagrams of massive globular clusters (GCs). In order to investigate the origin of this split on the RGB, we have performed new narrow-band Ca photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy for M22, NGC 1851, and NGC 288. We find significant differences (more than 4σ) in calcium abundance from the spectroscopic HK' index for M22 and NGC 1851. We also find more than 8σ differences in CN-band strength between the Ca-strong and Ca-weak subpopulations for these GCs. For NGC 288, however, a large difference is detected onlymore » in the CN strength. The calcium abundances of RGB stars in this GC are identical to within the errors. This is consistent with the conclusion from our new Ca photometry where the RGB splits are confirmed in M22 and NGC 1851, but not in NGC 288. We also find interesting differences in the CN-CH correlations among these GCs. While CN and CH are anti-correlated in NGC 288, they show a positive correlation in M22. NGC 1851, however, shows no difference in CH between the two groups of stars with different CN strengths. We suggest that all of these systematic differences would be best explained by how strongly Type II supernovae enrichment has contributed to the chemical evolution of these GCs.« less

Time estimates in a long-term time-free environment. [human performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lavie, P.; Webb, W. B.

1975-01-01

Subjects in a time-free environment for 14 days estimated the hour and day several times a day. Half of the subjects were under a heavy exercise regime. During the waking hours, the no-exercise group showed no difference between estimated and real time, whereas the exercise group showed significantly shorter estimated than real time. Neither group showed a difference after the sleeping periods. However, the mean accumulated error for the two groups was 48.73 hours and was strongly related to the displacements of sleep/waking behavior. It is concluded that behavioral cues are the primary determinants of time estimates in time-free environments.

Båth's law and its relation to the tectonic environment: A case study for earthquakes in Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Pérez, Q.; Zúñiga, F. R.

2016-09-01

We studied 66 mainshocks and their largest aftershocks in the Mexican subduction zone and in the Gulf of California with magnitudes in the range of 5.2 < Mw < 8.0 from 1932 to 2015. Three different types of earthquakes were analyzed: shallow thrust interplate, intermediate-depth inslab and transform strike-slip earthquakes (26, 19 and 21 events, respectively). We focus on observational aspects of the Båth's law. By studying the magnitude difference, energy ratios and energy partitioning of the mainshock-largest aftershock sequences, we analyze the physics of the mainshock-largest aftershock relationship (Båth's law). The partitioning of energy during a mainshock-aftershock sequence shows that about 96-97% of the energy dissipated in a sequence is associated with the mainshock and the rest is due to aftershocks. Our results for radiated seismic energy and energy-to-moment ratio are partially in agreement with worldwide studies supporting the observation of mechanism dependence of radiated seismic energy. The statistical tests indicate that the only significant difference is for shallow thrust and strike-slip events for these parameters. The statistical comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust versus that of inslab events shows a strongly significant difference with a confidence better than 99%. The comparison of stress drop of shallow thrust events with that of strike-slip events, also indicates a strongly significant difference. We see no dependence of stress drop with magnitude, which is strong evidence of earthquake self-similarity. We do not observe a systematic depth dependence of stress drop. The results also reveal differences in the earthquake rupture among the events. The magnitude difference between the mainshock and the largest aftershock for inslab events is larger than interplate and strike-slip events suggesting focal mechanism dependence of Båth's law. For the case of this parameter, only that for inslab and strike-slip events present a significant difference with 95% confidence.

Partitioning the impact of environment and spatial structure on alpha and beta components of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity in European ants.

PubMed

Arnan, Xavier; Cerdá, Xim; Retana, Javier

2015-01-01

We analyze the relative contribution of environmental and spatial variables to the alpha and beta components of taxonomic (TD), phylogenetic (PD), and functional (FD) diversity in ant communities found along different climate and anthropogenic disturbance gradients across western and central Europe, in order to assess the mechanisms structuring ant biodiversity. To this aim we calculated alpha and beta TD, PD, and FD for 349 ant communities, which included a total of 155 ant species; we examined 10 functional traits and phylogenetic relatedness. Variation partitioning was used to examine how much variation in ant diversity was explained by environmental and spatial variables. Autocorrelation in diversity measures and each trait's phylogenetic signal were also analyzed. We found strong autocorrelation in diversity measures. Both environmental and spatial variables significantly contributed to variation in TD, PD, and FD at both alpha and beta scales; spatial structure had the larger influence. The different facets of diversity showed similar patterns along environmental gradients. Environment explained a much larger percentage of variation in FD than in TD or PD. All traits demonstrated strong phylogenetic signals. Our results indicate that environmental filtering and dispersal limitations structure all types of diversity in ant communities. Strong dispersal limitations appear to have led to clustering of TD, PD, and FD in western and central Europe, probably because different historical and evolutionary processes generated different pools of species. Remarkably, these three facets of diversity showed parallel patterns along environmental gradients. Trait-mediated species sorting and niche conservatism appear to structure ant diversity, as evidenced by the fact that more variation was explained for FD and that all traits had strong phylogenetic signals. Since environmental variables explained much more variation in FD than in PD, functional diversity should be a better indicator of community assembly processes than phylogenetic diversity.

Mature Thunderstorm Cloud-Top Structure and Dynamics: A Three-Dimensional Numerical Simulation Study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schlesinger, Robert E.

1984-05-01

An anelastic three-dimensional model is used to investigate the effects of vertical wind shear regime on cloud-top structure and internal properties of mature isolated midlatitude thunderstorms. Four comparative experiments, designated A through D, are performed with varying shear profiles in otherwise identical initializations. Cases A-C assume strong shear, differing only in the veering of the low-level hodograph: moderate in A, strong in B and none in C. Weak shear, everywhere 40% as great as in C, is assumed in case D.The strong-shear cases A-C show moderately vigorous quasi-steady mature updrafts with strong midlevel mesovortex couplets, and marked anvil elongation along the net vertical shear vector. Differences are modest, especially at cloud top, though with low-level hodograph curvature the updraft is enhanced and skewed toward the cyclonic right flank. The weak-shear case D shows a weaker and less persistent mature updraft than A-C, along with weaker midlevel rotation and a much more newly circular anvil.In the strong-shear experiments, the cloud top considerably resembles geostationary satellite observations of tornadic storms (Negri, 1982), even though the model storm interiors lack the significant low-level mesocyclone and very strong concentrated updraft typical of observed tornadic storms. Both model and observations show a persistent cloud-top temperature pattern featuring a cold area slightly upshear of the cloud summit, with a warm area downshear in the absence of a local height minimum, though in the model the thermal couplet is smaller-scale with lower amplitude and lacks the well-developed `V' shape seen in the observations. The thermal couplet is also present with weak shear, but is only about half as strong, largely due to a much weaker cold area.Several dynamic features of the cloud-top thermal couplet are revealed by backward and forward parcel trajectory analyses for Case B: 1) The cold and warm areas at cloud top result from ascent and descent, respectively, of stratospheric air from upshear. 2) Only slightly below cloud top, shallow downward extensions of the warm and cold areas consist of air that originates from downshear in the lower troposphere, traverses' the updraft core and overshoots the tropopause. 3) Strong turbulent mixing between these contrasting airflow branches takes place astride the cloud top. 4) Parcels intercepting the cold region subside subsequently into the warm region. 5) The perturbation vertical pressure gradient force is an important factor in the trajectories.

Differential structural and resting state connectivity between insular subdivisions and other pain-related brain regions.

PubMed

Wiech, K; Jbabdi, S; Lin, C S; Andersson, J; Tracey, I

2014-10-01

Functional neuroimaging studies suggest that the anterior, mid, and posterior division of the insula subserve different functions in the perception of pain. The anterior insula (AI) has predominantly been associated with cognitive-affective aspects of pain, while the mid and posterior divisions have been implicated in sensory-discriminative processing. We examined whether this functional segregation is paralleled by differences in (1) structural and (2) resting state connectivity and (3) in correlations with pain-relevant psychological traits. Analyses were restricted to the 3 insular subdivisions and other pain-related brain regions. Both type of analyses revealed largely overlapping results. The AI division was predominantly connected to the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (structural and resting state connectivity) and orbitofrontal cortex (structural connectivity). In contrast, the posterior insula showed strong connections to the primary somatosensory cortex (SI; structural connectivity) and secondary somatosensory cortex (SII; structural and resting state connectivity). The mid insula displayed a hybrid connectivity pattern with strong connections with the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, SII (structural and resting state connectivity) and SI (structural connectivity). Moreover, resting state connectivity revealed strong connectivity of all 3 subdivisions with the thalamus. On the behavioural level, AI structural connectivity was related to the individual degree of pain vigilance and awareness that showed a positive correlation with AI-amygdala connectivity and a negative correlation with AI-rostral anterior cingulate cortex connectivity. In sum, our findings show a differential structural and resting state connectivity for the anterior, mid, and posterior insula with other pain-relevant brain regions, which might at least partly explain their different functional profiles in pain processing. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microstructural asymmetry of the corticospinal tracts predicts right-left differences in circle drawing skill in right-handed adolescents.

PubMed

Angstmann, Steffen; Madsen, Kathrine Skak; Skimminge, Arnold; Jernigan, Terry L; Baaré, William F C; Siebner, Hartwig Roman

2016-12-01

Most humans show a strong preference to use their right hand, but strong preference for the right hand does not necessarily imply a strong right-left asymmetry in manual proficiency (i.e., dexterity). Here we tested the hypothesis that intra-individual asymmetry of manual proficiency would be reflected in microstructural differences between the right and left corticospinal tract (CST) in a cohort of 52 right-handed typically-developing adolescents (11-16 years). Participants were asked to fluently draw superimposed circles with their right dominant and left non-dominant hand. Temporal regularity of circle drawing movements was assessed for each hand using a digitizing tablet. Although all participants were right-handed, there was substantial inter-individual variation regarding the relative right-hand advantage for fluent circle drawing. All subjects underwent whole-brain diffusion tensor imaging at 3 Tesla. The right and left CST were defined as regions-of-interest and mean fractional anisotropy (FA) and diffusivity values were calculated for right and left CST. On average, mean FA values were higher in the left CST relative to right CST. The degree of right-left FA asymmetry showed a linear relationship with right-left asymmetry in fluent circle drawing after correction for age and gender. The higher the mean FA values were in the left dominant CST relative to the right non-dominant CST, the stronger was the relative right-hand advantage for regular circle drawing. These findings show that right-left differences in manual proficiency are highly variable in right-handed adolescents and that this variation is associated with a right-left microstructural asymmetry of the CST.

Development of a cloud-screening method for MAX-DOAS measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gielen, Clio; Van Roozendael, Michel; Hendrik, Francois; Fayt, Caroline; Hermans, Christian; Pinardi, Gaia; Vlemmix, Tim

2013-04-01

In recent years, ground-based multi-axis differential absorption spectroscopy (MAX-DOAS) has shown to be ideally suited for the retrieval of tropospheric trace gases and deriving information on the aerosol properties. These measurements are invaluable to our understanding of the physics and chemistry of the atmospheric system, and the impact on the Earth's climate. Unfortunately, MAX-DOAS measurements are often performed under (partially) cloudy conditions, causing data quality degradation and higher uncertainties on the retrievals. A high aerosol load and/or a strong cloud cover can introduce additional photon absorption or multiple scattering. The first effect strongly impacts the retrieved differential slant columns (DSCDs) of the trace gases, leading to an underestimation of the atmospheric column density. Multiple scattering, on the other hand, becomes important for low clouds with a high optical depth, and cause a strong increase in the retrieved trace gas DSCDs. The presence of thin clouds can furthermore introduce a degeneracy in the retrieved aerosol optical depth, since they will have similar effect on the MAX-DOAS measurements. In this case, only information on the trace gas DSCDs can be successfully retrieved. If the cloud cover consists of broken or scattered clouds, the MAX-DOAS method becomes very unstable, since the different elevation angels will probe regions of the sky with strongly deviating properties. Here we present a method to qualify the sky and cloud conditions, using the colour index and O4 DSCDs, as derived from the MAX-DOAS measurements. The colour index is defined as the ratio of the intensities at the short- and long-wavelength part of the visible spectral range, typically at 400 nm and 670 nm. For increasing optical thickness due to clouds or aerosols, the colour index values decrease and values for different elevation angles converge. In the case of broken clouds, the colour index shows a strong and rapid temporal variation, which is easily detectable. Additional information is derived from the O4 DSCD measurements, since they are quite sensitive to the change of the light paths due to scattering at different altitudes. For example, thick clouds at low altitude show a very strong increase in the DSCD values due to scattering, combined with a low colour index value due to the intensity screening. In general, our method shows promising results to qualify the sky and cloud conditions of MAX- DOAS measurements, without the need for other external cloud-detection systems such as Brewer instruments or pyrheliometers.

Combined strong anion-exchange HPLC and PAGE approach for the purification of heparan sulphate oligosaccharides.

PubMed

Vivès, R R; Goodger, S; Pye, D A

2001-02-15

Heparan sulphates are highly sulphated linear polysaccharides involved in many cellular functions. Their biological properties stem from their ability to interact with a wide range of proteins. An increasing number of studies, using heparan sulphate-derived oligosaccharides, suggest that specific structural features within the polysaccharide are responsible for ligand recognition and regulation. In the present study, we show that strong anion-exchange HPLC alone, a commonly used technique for purification of heparan sulphate-derived oligosaccharides, may not permit the isolation of highly pure heparan sulphate oligosaccharide species. This was determined by PAGE analysis of hexa-, octa- and decasaccharide samples deemed to be pure by strong anion-exchange HPLC. In addition, subtle differences in the positioning of sulphate groups within heparan sulphate hexasaccharides were impossible to detect by strong anion-exchange HPLC. PAGE analysis on the other hand afforded excellent resolution of these structural isomers. The precise positioning of specific sulphate groups has been implicated in determining the specificity of heparan sulphate interactions and biological activities; hence, the purification of oligosaccharide species that differ in this way becomes an important issue. In this study, we have used strong anion-exchange HPLC and PAGE techniques to allow production of the homogeneous heparan sulphate oligosaccharide species that will be required for the detailed study of structure/activity relationships.

Monitoring 2015 drought in West Java using Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Febrina Amalo, Luisa; Ma’rufah, Ummu; Ayu Permatasari, Prita

2018-05-01

Drought is a slow developing phenomenon that accumulates over period and affecting various sectors. It is one of natural hazards that occurs each year, particularly in Indonesia over Australian Monsoon period. During drought event, vegetation’s cover can be affected by water stress. Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) is a method for water resource assessment and known to be strongly related to the plant water content. NDWI is produced from MODIS bands Near-infrared (NIR) and Short Wave Infrared (SWIR). This research aims to monitor drought using NDWI in West Java during El Niño 2015 and its impact on rainfall variability. The result showed rainfall was decreased significantly starting from May-June, then increased in November. According to NDWI, it also showed that mostly West Java Region affected by drought during May-November. Very strong drought occurred on September-November. On December, areal extent of drought was decreasing significantly because rainfall had increased during November. Generally, areal extent of drought in West Java was dominated by strong and moderate drought. It implied that El Niño 2015, give great impact on increasing drought and decreasing rainfall in West Java. NDWI can be detected drought occurrence as it have good correlation with rainfall spatially.

Abortion: The Viewpoint of Potential Consumers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamrick, Michael H.; And Others

1977-01-01

A college survey showed strong support by a majority for legalized abortion, governmental support of abortion and family planning services, voluntary sterilization, and sex education and birth control information and/or services in the schools. Important differences of opinion among subgroups were, however, indicated. (Author/MJB)

Integrative taxonomy and preliminary assessment of species limits in the Liolaemus walkeri complex (Squamata, Liolaemidae) with descriptions of three new species from Peru

PubMed Central

Aguilar, César; Wood Jr, Perry L.; Cusi, Juan C.; Guzmán, Alfredo; Huari, Frank; Lundberg, Mikael; Mortensen, Emma; Ramírez, César; Robles, Daniel; Suárez, Juana; Ticona, Andres; Vargas, Víctor J.; Venegas, Pablo J.; Sites Jr, Jack W.

2013-01-01

Abstract Species delimitation studies based on integrative taxonomic approaches have received considerable attention in the last few years, and have provided the strongest hypotheses of species boundaries. We used three lines of evidence (molecular, morphological, and niche envelopes) to test for species boundaries in Peruvian populations of the Liolaemus walkeri complex. Our results show that different lines of evidence and analyses are congruent in different combinations, for unambiguous delimitation of three lineages that were “hidden” within known species, and now deserve species status. Our phylogenetic analysis shows that L. walkeri, L. tacnae and the three new species are strongly separated from other species assigned to the alticolor-bibronii group. Few conventional morphological characters distinguish the new species from closely related taxa and this highlights the need to integrate other sources of data to erect strong hypothesis of species limits. A taxonomic key for known Peruvian species of the subgenus Lioalemus is provided. PMID:24453545

Victimization and psychopathic features in a population-based sample of Finnish adolescents.

PubMed

Saukkonen, Suvi; Aronen, Eeva T; Laajasalo, Taina; Salmi, Venla; Kivivuori, Janne; Jokela, Markus

2016-10-01

We examined different forms of victimization experiences in relation to psychopathic features and whether these associations differed in boys and girls among 4855 Finnish school adolescents aged 15-16 years. Psychopathic features were measured with the Antisocial Process Screening Device- Self Report (APSD-SR). Victimization was assessed with questions about violent and abusive experiences across lifetime and within the last 12 months. Results from linear regression analysis showed that victimization was significantly associated with higher APSD-SR total scores, more strongly in girls than boys. Recent (12-month) victimization showed significance in the relationship between victimization and psychopathic features; especially recent sexual abuse and parental corporal punishment were strong determinants of higher APSD-SR total scores. The present study demonstrates novel findings on how severe victimization experiences relate to psychopathic features in community youth, especially in girls. The findings underscore the need for comprehensive evaluation of victimization experiences when psychopathic features are present in youth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Innovative health care delivery teams: learning to be a team player is as important as learning other specialised skills.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Anneke; Davison, Graydon

2008-01-01

The purpose of the paper is to show that free flowing teamwork depends on at least three aspects of team life: functional diversity, social cohesion and superordinate identity. The paper takes the approach of a discussion, arguing for a strong need to understand multidisciplinary and cross-functional barriers for achieving team goals in the context of health care. These barriers include a strong medically dominated business model, historically anchored delineations between professional identities and a complex organisational environment where individuals may have conflicting goals. The paper finds that the complexity is exacerbated by the differences between and within health care teams. It illustrates the differences by presenting the case of an operating theatre team. Whilst the paper recommends some ideas for acquiring these skills, further research is needed to assess effectiveness and influence of team skills training on optimising multidisciplinary interdependence in the health care environment. The paper shows that becoming a team member requires team membership skills.

Cultivar difference in physicochemical properties of starches and flours from temperate rice of Indian Himalayas.

PubMed

Mir, Shabir Ahmad; Bosco, Sowriappan John Don

2014-08-15

Starch and flour of seven temperate rice cultivars grown in Himalayan region were evaluated for composition, granule structure, crystallinity, Raman spectrometry, turbidity, swelling power, solubility, pasting properties and textural properties. The rice cultivars showed medium to high amylose content for starch (24.69-32.76%) and flour (17.78-24.86%). SKAU-382 showed the highest amount of amylose (32.76%). Rice starch showed polyhedral granule shapes and differences in their mean granule size (2.3-6.5 μm) were noted among the samples. The starch and flour samples showed type A-pattern with strong reflection at 15, 18, and 23. Pasting profile and textural analysis of rice starch and flour showed that all the cultivars differences, probably due to variation in amylose content. The present study can be used for identifying differences between rice genotypes for starch and flour quality and could provide guidance to possible industries for their end use. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phonon impact on optical control schemes of quantum dots: Role of quantum dot geometry and symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüker, S.; Kuhn, T.; Reiter, D. E.

2017-12-01

Phonons strongly influence the optical control of semiconductor quantum dots. When modeling the electron-phonon interaction in several theoretical approaches, the quantum dot geometry is approximated by a spherical structure, though typical self-assembled quantum dots are strongly lens-shaped. By explicitly comparing simulations of a spherical and a lens-shaped dot using a well-established correlation expansion approach, we show that, indeed, lens-shaped dots can be exactly mapped to a spherical geometry when studying the phonon influence on the electronic system. We also give a recipe to reproduce spectral densities from more involved dots by rather simple spherical models. On the other hand, breaking the spherical symmetry has a pronounced impact on the spatiotemporal properties of the phonon dynamics. As an example we show that for a lens-shaped quantum dot, the phonon emission is strongly concentrated along the direction of the smallest axis of the dot, which is important for the use of phonons for the communication between different dots.

Effect of parameter mismatch on the dynamics of strongly coupled self sustained oscillators.

PubMed

Chakrabarty, Nilaj; Jain, Aditya; Lal, Nijil; Das Gupta, Kantimay; Parmananda, Punit

2017-01-01

In this paper, we present an experimental setup and an associated mathematical model to study the synchronization of two self-sustained, strongly coupled, mechanical oscillators (metronomes). The effects of a small detuning in the internal parameters, namely, damping and frequency, have been studied. Our experimental system is a pair of spring wound mechanical metronomes; coupled by placing them on a common base, free to move along a horizontal direction. We designed a photodiode array based non-contact, non-magnetic position detection system driven by a microcontroller to record the instantaneous angular displacement of each oscillator and the small linear displacement of the base, coupling the two. In our system, the mass of the oscillating pendula forms a significant fraction of the total mass of the system, leading to strong coupling of the oscillators. We modified the internal mechanism of the spring-wound "clockwork" slightly, such that the natural frequency and the internal damping could be independently tuned. Stable synchronized and anti-synchronized states were observed as the difference in the parameters was varied in the experiments. The simulation results showed a rapid increase in the phase difference between the two oscillators beyond a certain threshold of parameter mismatch. Our simple model of the escapement mechanism did not reproduce a complete 180° out of phase state. However, the numerical simulations show that increased mismatch in parameters leads to a synchronized state with a large phase difference.

Anisotropy of MHD Turbulence at Low Magnetic Reynolds Number

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zikanov, O.; Vorobev, A.; Thess, A.; Davidson, P. A.; Knaepen, B.

2004-01-01

Turbulent fluctuations in MHD flows are known to become dimensionally anisotropic under the action of a sufficiently strong magnetic field. We consider the technologically relevant case of low magnetic Reynolds number and apply the method of DNS of forced flow in a periodic box to generate velocity fields. The analysis based on different anisotropy characteristics shows that the dimensional anisotropy is virtually scale-independent. We also find that, except for the case of very strong magnetic field, the flow is componentally isotropic. Its kinetic energy is practically uniformly distributed among the velocity components.

Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

DOE PAGES

Blum, Kfir; D'Agnolo, Raffaele Tito; Lisanti, Mariangela; ...

2014-08-04

We show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) significantly constrains axion-like dark matter. The axion acts like an oscillating QCD θ angle that redshifts in the early Universe, increasing the neutron–proton mass difference at neutron freeze-out. An axion-like particle that couples too strongly to QCD results in the underproduction of during BBN and is thus excluded. The BBN bound overlaps with much of the parameter space that would be covered by proposed searches for a time-varying neutron EDM. The QCD axion does not couple strongly enough to affect BBN

Luminescence characteristics of impurities-activated ZnS nanocrystals prepared in microemulsion with hydrothermal treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, S. J.; Chua, S. J.; Liu, B.; Gan, L. M.; Chew, C. H.; Xu, G. Q.

1998-07-01

Cu-, Eu-, or Mn-doped ZnS nanocrystalline phosphors were prepared at room temperature using a chemical synthesis method. Transmission electron microscopy observation shows that the size of the ZnS clusters is in the 3-18 nm range. New luminescence characteristics such as strong and stable visible-light emissions with different colors were observed from the doped ZnS nanocrystals at room temperature. These results strongly suggest that impurities, especially transition metals and rare-earth metals-activated ZnS nanoclusters form a new class of luminescent materials.

Topological Luttinger liquids from decorated domain walls

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Daniel E.; Scaffidi, Thomas; Vasseur, Romain

2018-04-01

We introduce a systematic construction of a gapless symmetry-protected topological phase in one dimension by "decorating" the domain walls of Luttinger liquids. The resulting strongly interacting phases provide a concrete example of a gapless symmetry-protected topological (gSPT) phase with robust symmetry-protected edge modes. Using boundary conformal field theory arguments, we show that while the bulks of such gSPT phases are identical to conventional Luttinger liquids, their boundary critical behavior is controlled by a different, strongly coupled renormalization group fixed point. Our results are checked against extensive density matrix renormalization group calculations.

Constraining axion dark matter with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Blum, Kfir; D'Agnolo, Raffaele Tito; Lisanti, Mariangela

We show that Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) significantly constrains axion-like dark matter. The axion acts like an oscillating QCD θ angle that redshifts in the early Universe, increasing the neutron–proton mass difference at neutron freeze-out. An axion-like particle that couples too strongly to QCD results in the underproduction of during BBN and is thus excluded. The BBN bound overlaps with much of the parameter space that would be covered by proposed searches for a time-varying neutron EDM. The QCD axion does not couple strongly enough to affect BBN

Effect of land cover and green space on land surface temperature of a fast growing economic region in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikhi, A.; Kanniah, K. D.; Ho, C. H.

2015-10-01

Green space must be increased in the development of new cities as green space can moderate temperature in the cities. In this study we estimated the land surface temperature (LST) and established relationships between LST and land cover and various vegetation and urban surface indices in the Iskandar Malaysia (IM) region. IM is one of the emerging economic gateways of Malaysia, and is envisaged to transform into a metropolis by 2025. This change may cause increased temperature in IM and therefore we conducted a study by using Landsat 5 image covering the study region (2,217 km2) to estimate LST, classify different land covers and calculate spectral indices. Results show that urban surface had highest LST (24.49 °C) and the lowest temperature was recorded in, forest, rubber and water bodies ( 20.69 to 21.02°C). Oil palm plantations showed intermediate mean LST values with 21.65 °C. We further investigated the relationship between vegetation and build up densities with temperature. We extracted 1000 collocated pure pixels of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Urban Index (UI) and LST in the study area. Results show a strong and significant negative correlation with (R2= -0.74 and -0.79) respectively between NDVI, NDWI and LST . Meanwhile a strong positive correlation (R2=0.8 and 0.86) exists between NDBI, UI and LST. These results show the importance of increasing green cover in urban environment to combat any adverse effects of climate change.

THE EFFECTS OF TRANSIENTS ON PHOTOSPHERIC AND CHROMOSPHERIC POWER DISTRIBUTIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Samanta, T.; Banerjee, D.; Pant, V.

2016-09-01

We have observed a quiet-Sun region with the Swedish 1 m Solar Telescope equipped with the CRISP Imaging SpectroPolarimeter. High-resolution, high-cadence, H α line scanning images were taken to observe different layers of the solar atmosphere from the photosphere to upper chromosphere. We study the distribution of power in different period bands at different heights. Power maps of the upper photosphere and the lower chromosphere show suppressed power surrounding the magnetic-network elements, known as “magnetic shadows.” These also show enhanced power close to the photosphere, traditionally referred to as “power halos.” The interaction between acoustic waves and inclined magnetic fieldsmore » is generally believed to be responsible for these two effects. In this study we explore whether small-scale transients can influence the distribution of power at different heights. We show that the presence of transients, like mottles, Rapid Blueshifted Excursions (RBEs), and Rapid Redshifted Excursions (RREs), can strongly influence the power maps. The short and finite lifetime of these events strongly affects all power maps, potentially influencing the observed power distribution. We show that Doppler-shifted transients like RBEs and RREs that occur ubiquitously can have a dominant effect on the formation of the power halos in the quiet Sun. For magnetic shadows, transients like mottles do not seem to have a significant effect on the power suppression around 3 minutes, and wave interaction may play a key role here. Our high-cadence observations reveal that flows, waves, and shocks manifest in the presence of magnetic fields to form a nonlinear magnetohydrodynamic system.« less

Symmetry of Carrier-Envelope Phase Difference Effects in Strong-Field, Few-Cycle Ionization of Atoms and Molecules

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martiny, Christian Per Juul; Madsen, Lars Bojer

2006-09-01

In few-cycle pulses, the exact value of the carrier-envelope phase difference (CEPD) has a pronounced influence on the ionization dynamics of atoms and molecules. We show that, for atoms in circularly polarized light, a change in the CEPD is mapped uniquely to an overall rotation of the system, and results for arbitrary CEPD are obtained by rotation of the results from a single calculation with fixed CEPD. For molecules, this is true only for linear molecules aligned parallel with the propagation direction of the field. The effects of CEPD are classified as geometric or nongeometric. The observations are exemplified bymore » strong-field calculations on hydrogen.« less

Boundary and Interface Conditions for High Order Finite Difference Methods Applied to the Euler and Navier-Strokes Equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nordstrom, Jan; Carpenter, Mark H.

1998-01-01

Boundary and interface conditions for high order finite difference methods applied to the constant coefficient Euler and Navier-Stokes equations are derived. The boundary conditions lead to strict and strong stability. The interface conditions are stable and conservative even if the finite difference operators and mesh sizes vary from domain to domain. Numerical experiments show that the new conditions also lead to good results for the corresponding nonlinear problems.

Peritumoral stromal remodeling, pattern of invasion and expression of c-met/HGF in advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri, FIGO stages III and IV.

PubMed

Horn, L-C; Hommel, N; Roschlau, U; Bilek, K; Hentschel, B; Einenkel, J

2012-07-01

Different patterns of invasion (PIs) have prognostic impact in several types of cancer and are associated with different grades of peritumoral stromal remodeling, characterized by the desmoplastic stromal response (DSR). One key regulator influencing cellular motility and peritumoral stromal response is c-met/HGF. This study evaluates the association between different PI, peritumoral DSR and its correlation to the expression of c-met/HGF in squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix (CX). 131 advanced stage CX (FIGO III/IV) were re-evaluated histologically regarding PI, using a two-level scoring system. The tumor grows in solid cords/trabeculae in finger-like PI and in very small groups or single cells in spray-like PI. DSR was categorized as none/weak and moderate/strong. The tumors were stained with antibodies against c-met and HGF. The staining of >30% of tumor cells was defined as overexpression. The PI was correlated to the prognostic outcome, different categories of DSR and expression status of c-met and HGF. 66.4% of the tumors showed a finger-like, and 33.6% a spray-like PI. The spray-like PI showed a reduced two-year overall survival when compared to the finger-like PI (14.0% vs. 29.1%, respectively; p=0.012), and was associated with moderate/strong DSR. The majority of the tumors showed overexpression of c-met (85.4%) and HGF (74.8%). There was no correlation between the expression status of c-met/HGF and the FIGO stage, peritumoral DSR or the prognostic outcome. Spray-like PI is of prognostic impact in cervical carcinoma FIGO III/IV and is associated with strong peritumoral stromal remodeling. There is no prognostic impact of the immunohistochemical expression of c-met/HGF in advanced stage cervical carcinomas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clear signals or mixed messages: inter-individual emotion congruency modulates brain activity underlying affective body perception.

PubMed

de Borst, A W; de Gelder, B

2016-08-01

The neural basis of emotion perception has mostly been investigated with single face or body stimuli. However, in daily life one may also encounter affective expressions by groups, e.g. an angry mob or an exhilarated concert crowd. In what way is brain activity modulated when several individuals express similar rather than different emotions? We investigated this question using an experimental design in which we presented two stimuli simultaneously, with same or different emotional expressions. We hypothesized that, in the case of two same-emotion stimuli, brain activity would be enhanced, while in the case of two different emotions, one emotion would interfere with the effect of the other. The results showed that the simultaneous perception of different affective body expressions leads to a deactivation of the amygdala and a reduction of cortical activity. It was revealed that the processing of fearful bodies, compared with different-emotion bodies, relied more strongly on saliency and action triggering regions in inferior parietal lobe and insula, while happy bodies drove the occipito-temporal cortex more strongly. We showed that this design could be used to uncover important differences between brain networks underlying fearful and happy emotions. The enhancement of brain activity for unambiguous affective signals expressed by several people simultaneously supports adaptive behaviour in critical situations. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Extraordinarily rapid speciation in a marine fish

PubMed Central

Momigliano, Paolo; Jokinen, Henri; Fraimout, Antoine; Florin, Ann-Britt; Norkko, Alf; Merilä, Juha

2017-01-01

Divergent selection may initiate ecological speciation extremely rapidly. How often and at what pace ecological speciation proceeds to yield strong reproductive isolation is more uncertain. Here, we document a case of extraordinarily rapid speciation associated with ecological selection in the postglacial Baltic Sea. European flounders (Platichthys flesus) in the Baltic exhibit two contrasting reproductive behaviors: pelagic and demersal spawning. Demersal spawning enables flounders to thrive in the low salinity of the Northern Baltic, where eggs cannot achieve neutral buoyancy. We show that demersal and pelagic flounders are a species pair arising from a recent event of speciation. Despite having a parapatric distribution with extensive overlap, the two species are reciprocally monophyletic and show strongly bimodal genotypic clustering and no evidence of contemporary migration, suggesting strong reproductive isolation. Divergence across the genome is weak but shows strong signatures of selection, a pattern suggestive of a recent ecological speciation event. We propose that spawning behavior in Baltic flounders is the trait under ecologically based selection causing reproductive isolation, directly implicating a process of ecological speciation. We evaluated different possible evolutionary scenarios under the approximate Bayesian computation framework and estimate that the speciation process started in allopatry ∼2,400 generations ago, following the colonization of the Baltic by the demersal lineage. This is faster than most known cases of ecological speciation and represents the most rapid event of speciation ever reported for any marine vertebrate. PMID:28533412

[Isolation and identification of rumen bacteria for cellulolytic enzyme production].

PubMed

Aihemaiti, Maierhaba; Zhen, Fan; Li, Yuezhong; Aibaidoula, Gulisimayi; Yimit, Wusiman

2013-05-04

We screened aerobic bacteria with cellulolytic activity from ruminal fluid of sheep, cattle and camel in Xinjiang. Fresh ruminal fluid was inoculated on sterilized sodium carboxymethylcellulose agar plates. Highly cellulolytic aerobic bacteria were screened out by using Congo red staining and liquid secondary screening culture media. The combination of morphological and biochemical test with 16SrDNA sequence analysis were used to classify the strains. Enzymatic activities of four strains with strong cellulose-decomposing abilities were studied under different culture conditions. Out 84 isolated cellulolytic strains, 40 exhibited strong abilities in decomposing cellulose. They are including 37 Gram-negative isolates and 3 Gram-positive strains. Identification of these 40 strains shows that they belong to 11 species of 6 genera, 16 strains in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia, 10 Ochrobactrum, 5 Sphingobacterium, 3 Microbacterium, 3 Paracoccus and 2 Pseudomonas. The results of the enzymatic studies of four strains with strong cellulolytic abilities indicates that the strains have the best enzyme producing property when straw powder was chosen as the carbon source; the pH at 5.5 -6.0 and temperature at 37 degrees C. The strains with highly cellulolytic abilities isolated from ruminal fluid show strong abilities in cellulose decomposition.

Phase diagrams and Hofstadter butterflies in the strongly correlated bosonic systems on the lattices with Dirac points

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sajna, A. S.; Polak, T. P.

2018-06-01

Gauge potentials with different configurations have been recently realized in the optical lattice experiments. It is remarkable that one of the simplest gauge potential can generate particle energy spectrum with the self-similar structure known as a Hofstadter butterfly. We investigate theoretically the impact of strong on-site interaction on such a spectrum in the bosonic Mott insulator within Bose-Hubbard model. In particular, it is shown that the fractal structure is encoded in the quasi-particle and hole bosonic branches for different lattice backgrounds. For example a square lattice and other structures (brick-wall and staggered magnetic flux lattice) which contain Dirac points in energy dispersions are considered. This shows that single-particle physics is still present even in the strong interaction limit for whole Hofstadter spectrum. Additionally we observe, that although in brick-wall and staggered flux lattices the quasi-particle densities of states look qualitatively similar, the corresponding Hofstadter butterfly assumes different forms. In particular, we use a superposition of two different synthetic gauge fields which appears to be a generator of non-trivial phenomena in the optical lattice systems. We also discuss the consequences of these phenomena on the phase diagrams between bosonic Mott insulator and superfluid phase. The analysis is carried out within the strong coupling expansion method on the finite size lattices and also at finite temperatures which are relevant for the currently made experiments.

Evidence from intrinsic activity that asymmetry of the human brain is controlled by multiple factors.

PubMed

Liu, Hesheng; Stufflebeam, Steven M; Sepulcre, Jorge; Hedden, Trey; Buckner, Randy L

2009-12-01

Cerebral lateralization is a fundamental property of the human brain and a marker of successful development. Here we provide evidence that multiple mechanisms control asymmetry for distinct brain systems. Using intrinsic activity to measure asymmetry in 300 adults, we mapped the most strongly lateralized brain regions. Both men and women showed strong asymmetries with a significant, but small, group difference. Factor analysis on the asymmetric regions revealed 4 separate factors that each accounted for significant variation across subjects. The factors were associated with brain systems involved in vision, internal thought (the default network), attention, and language. An independent sample of right- and left-handed individuals showed that hand dominance affects brain asymmetry but differentially across the 4 factors supporting their independence. These findings show the feasibility of measuring brain asymmetry using intrinsic activity fluctuations and suggest that multiple genetic or environmental mechanisms control cerebral lateralization.

A doping dependent study of interplay between magnetic and superconducting properties in BaFe2-x Co x As2 single crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bag, Biplab; Shaw, Gorky; Banerjee, S. S.; Vinod, K.; Bharathi, A.

2018-03-01

We show strong interplay between magnetic and superconducting order in three BaFe2-xCoxAs2 single crystals with different x. Our study reveals the presence of magnetic fluctuations with superconducting order in our samples and the strength of the magnetic fluctuations as well as the pinning properties are found to be the strongest for the optimally doped sample and weakest for the overdoped sample. Using local magnetization measurements, we show that application of an external magnetic field in our samples suppresses the magnetic fluctuations and enhances the diamagnetic response. Further, we show presence of unusual superconducting fluctuations above T c in our samples which we find strongly depends on the strength of the magnetic fluctuations. We believe that our data suggest the possible role of magnetic fluctuations in mediating superconducting fluctuations above Tc in our samples.

Variational electric fields at low latitudes and their relation to spread F and plasma irregularities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holtet, J. A.; Maynard, N. C.; Heppner, J. P.

1976-01-01

Recordings from OGO 6 show that electric field irregularities are frequently present between + or - 35 deg geomagnetic latitude in the 2000 - 0600 local time sector. The signatures are very clear, and are easily distinguished from the normal AC background noise, and whistler and emission activity. The spectral appearance of the fields makes it meaningful to distinguish between 3 different types of irregularities: strong irregularities, weak irregularities, and weak irregularities with a rising spectrum. Strong irregularities seem most likely to occur in regions where gradients in ionization are present. Changes in plasma composition, resulting in an increase in the mean ion mass, are also often observed in the irregularity regions. Comparison with ground based ionosondes indicates a connection between strong irregularities and low latitude spread F. A good correlation is also present between strong fields and small scale fluctuations in ionization, delta N/N 1 percent. From the data it appears as if a gradient driven instability is the most likely source of the strong irregularities.

Inter-comparison of three-dimensional models of volcanic plumes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Suzuki, Yujiro; Costa, Antonio; Cerminara, Matteo; Esposti Ongaro, Tomaso; Herzog, Michael; Van Eaton, Alexa; Denby, Leif

2016-01-01

We performed an inter-comparison study of three-dimensional models of volcanic plumes. A set of common volcanological input parameters and meteorological conditions were provided for two kinds of eruptions, representing a weak and a strong eruption column. From the different models, we compared the maximum plume height, neutral buoyancy level (where plume density equals that of the atmosphere), and level of maximum radial spreading of the umbrella cloud. We also compared the vertical profiles of eruption column properties, integrated across cross-sections of the plume (integral variables). Although the models use different numerical procedures and treatments of subgrid turbulence and particle dynamics, the inter-comparison shows qualitatively consistent results. In the weak plume case (mass eruption rate 1.5 × 106 kg s− 1), the vertical profiles of plume properties (e.g., vertical velocity, temperature) are similar among models, especially in the buoyant plume region. Variability among the simulated maximum heights is ~ 20%, whereas neutral buoyancy level and level of maximum radial spreading vary by ~ 10%. Time-averaging of the three-dimensional (3D) flow fields indicates an effective entrainment coefficient around 0.1 in the buoyant plume region, with much lower values in the jet region, which is consistent with findings of small-scale laboratory experiments. On the other hand, the strong plume case (mass eruption rate 1.5 × 109 kg s− 1) shows greater variability in the vertical plume profiles predicted by the different models. Our analysis suggests that the unstable flow dynamics in the strong plume enhances differences in the formulation and numerical solution of the models. This is especially evident in the overshooting top of the plume, which extends a significant portion (~ 1/8) of the maximum plume height. Nonetheless, overall variability in the spreading level and neutral buoyancy level is ~ 20%, whereas that of maximum height is ~ 10%. This inter-comparison study has highlighted the different capabilities of 3D volcanic plume models, and identified key features of weak and strong plumes, including the roles of jet stability, entrainment efficiency, and particle non-equilibrium, which deserve future investigation in field, laboratory, and numerical studies.

Linking the Mediterranean regional and the global climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lionello, Piero; Scarascia, Luca

2017-04-01

This contribution analyzes 22 CMIP5 global climate projections to show how is the regional climate change in the Mediterranean related to the global climate change. The aim is to use these recent results to revisit evidences suggesting that the Mediterranean region is a climate change hot spot. Results show that future increase of temperature in the Mediterranean region has a strong seasonal connotation, with summer warming at a pace 40% larger than the global mean. This future trend is consistent with the global reduction of the meridional temperature gradient that is produced by climate change. However spatial distribution of changes shows a strong a sub-regional modulation depending of the land-sea contrast, the role of soil moisture feedback and changes of large scale atmospheric circulation leading to increased subsidence conditions. Projections show that precipitation decrease will affect most of the region, but with a strong difference between southern and northern areas, where CMIP5 projections suggest a 7% and 3% decrease of annual precipitation for each degree of global warming, respectively. For both Mediterranean temperature and precipitation, the dependence is substantially linear in the range up to 40C of global warming. Interannual variability and intermodel differences are a substantial source of uncertainty for precipitation (while there is a robust consensus for temperature changes). Therefore, future precipitation changes are still a controversial issue, in terms of intensity and precise location of the transition belt that separates the decrease of precipitation over the MR from areas in central and northern Europe, where precipitation is expected to increase. On this respect, though the overall drying trend appears consolidated in the scientific literature, its precise evaluation remains to some extent controversial.

The CN–CH Positive Correlation in the Globular Cluster NGC 5286

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lim, Dongwook; Hong, Seungsoo; Lee, Young-Wook, E-mail: dwlim@yonsei.ac.kr, E-mail: ywlee2@yonsei.ac.kr

We performed low-resolution spectroscopy of the red giant stars in the Galactic globular cluster (GC) NGC 5286, which is known to show intrinsic heavy element abundance variations. We found that the observed stars in this GC are clearly divided into three subpopulations by CN index (CN-weak, CN-intermediate, and CN-strong). The CN-strong stars are also enhanced in the calcium HK′ (7.4 σ ) and CH (5.1 σ ) indices, while the CN-intermediate stars show no significant difference in the strength of the HK′ index from the CN-weak stars. From the comparison with high-resolution spectroscopic data, we found that the CN- andmore » HK′-strong stars are also enhanced in the abundances of Fe and s -process elements. It appears, therefore, that these stars are later-generation stars affected by some supernova enrichment in addition to the asymptotic giant branch ejecta. In addition, unlike normal GCs, sample stars in NGC 5286 show the CN–CH positive correlation, strengthening our previous suggestion that this positive correlation is only discovered in GCs with heavy element abundance variations, such as M22 and NGC 6273.« less

Sexual orientation-related differences in prepulse inhibition of the human startle response.

PubMed

Rahman, Qazi; Kumari, Veena; Wilson, Glenn D

2003-10-01

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) refers to a reduction in the startle response to a strong sensory stimulus when this stimulus is preceded by a weaker stimulus--the prepulse. PPI reflects a nonlearned sensorimotor gating mechanism and also shows a robust gender difference, with women exhibiting lower PPI than men. The present study examined the eyeblink startle responses to acoustic stimuli of 59 healthy heterosexual and homosexual men and women. Homosexual women showed significantly masculinized PPI compared with heterosexual women, whereas no difference was observed in PPI between homosexual and heterosexual men. These data provide the first evidence for within-gender differences in basic sensorimotor gating mechanisms and implicate the known neural substrates of PPI in human sexual orientation. (c) 2003 APA, all rights reserved

Consistency of GPS and strong-motion records: case study of the Mw9.0 Tohoku-Oki 2011 earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Psimoulis, Panos; Houlié, Nicolas; Michel, Clotaire; Meindl, Michael; Rothacher, Markus

2014-05-01

High-rate GPS data are today commonly used to supplement seismic data for the Earth surface motions focusing on earthquake characterisation and rupture modelling. Processing of GPS records using Precise Point Positioning (PPP) can provide real-time information of seismic wave propagation, tsunami early-warning and seismic rupture. Most studies have shown differences between the GPS and seismic systems at very long periods (e.g. >100sec) and static displacements. The aim of this study is the assessment of the consistency of GPS and strong-motion records by comparing their respective displacement waveforms for several frequency bands. For this purpose, the records of the GPS (GEONET) and the strong-motion (KiK-net and K-NET) networks corresponding to the Mw9.0 Tohoku 2011 earthquake were analysed. The comparison of the displacement waveforms of collocated (distance<100m) GPS and strong-motion sites show that the consistency between the two datasets depends on the frequency of the excitation. Differences are mainly due to the GPS noise at relatively short-periods (<3-4 s) and the saturation of the strong-motion sensors for relatively long-periods (40-80 s). Furthermore the agreement between the GPS and strong-motion records also depends on the direction of the excitation signal and the distance from the epicentre. In conclusion, velocities and displacements recovered from GPS and strong-motion records are consistent for long-periods (3-100 s), proving that GPS networks can contribute to the real-time estimation of the long-period ground motion map of an earthquake.

Domestic and International Climate Migration from Rural Mexico

PubMed Central

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Runfola, Daniel M.; Hunter, Lori M.; Riosmena, Fernando

2016-01-01

Evidence is increasing that climate change and variability may influence human migration patterns. However, there is less agreement regarding the type of migration streams most strongly impacted. This study tests whether climate change more strongly impacted international compared to domestic migration from rural Mexico during 1986-99. We employ eight temperature and precipitation-based climate change indices linked to detailed migration histories obtained from the Mexican Migration Project. Results from multilevel discrete-time event-history models challenge the assumption that climate-related migration will be predominantly short distance and domestic, but instead show that climate change more strongly impacted international moves from rural Mexico. The stronger climate impact on international migration may be explained by the self-insurance function of international migration, the presence of strong migrant networks, and climate-related changes in wage difference. While a warming in temperature increased international outmigration, higher levels of precipitation declined the odds of an international move. PMID:28439146

Different forms of effective connectivity in primate frontotemporal pathways.

PubMed

Petkov, Christopher I; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Milne, Alice E; Mishkin, Mortimer; Rauschecker, Josef P; Logothetis, Nikos K

2015-01-23

It is generally held that non-primary sensory regions of the brain have a strong impact on frontal cortex. However, the effective connectivity of pathways to frontal cortex is poorly understood. Here we microstimulate sites in the superior temporal and ventral frontal cortex of monkeys and use functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the functional activity resulting from the stimulation of interconnected regions. Surprisingly, we find that, although certain earlier stages of auditory cortical processing can strongly activate frontal cortex, downstream auditory regions, such as voice-sensitive cortex, appear to functionally engage primarily an ipsilateral temporal lobe network. Stimulating other sites within this activated temporal lobe network shows strong activation of frontal cortex. The results indicate that the relative stage of sensory processing does not predict the level of functional access to the frontal lobes. Rather, certain brain regions engage local networks, only parts of which have a strong functional impact on frontal cortex.

Different forms of effective connectivity in primate frontotemporal pathways

PubMed Central

Petkov, Christopher I.; Kikuchi, Yukiko; Milne, Alice E.; Mishkin, Mortimer; Rauschecker, Josef P.; Logothetis, Nikos K.

2015-01-01

It is generally held that non-primary sensory regions of the brain have a strong impact on frontal cortex. However, the effective connectivity of pathways to frontal cortex is poorly understood. Here we microstimulate sites in the superior temporal and ventral frontal cortex of monkeys and use functional magnetic resonance imaging to evaluate the functional activity resulting from the stimulation of interconnected regions. Surprisingly, we find that, although certain earlier stages of auditory cortical processing can strongly activate frontal cortex, downstream auditory regions, such as voice-sensitive cortex, appear to functionally engage primarily an ipsilateral temporal lobe network. Stimulating other sites within this activated temporal lobe network shows strong activation of frontal cortex. The results indicate that the relative stage of sensory processing does not predict the level of functional access to the frontal lobes. Rather, certain brain regions engage local networks, only parts of which have a strong functional impact on frontal cortex. PMID:25613079

Domestic and International Climate Migration from Rural Mexico.

PubMed

Nawrotzki, Raphael J; Runfola, Daniel M; Hunter, Lori M; Riosmena, Fernando

2016-12-01

Evidence is increasing that climate change and variability may influence human migration patterns. However, there is less agreement regarding the type of migration streams most strongly impacted. This study tests whether climate change more strongly impacted international compared to domestic migration from rural Mexico during 1986-99. We employ eight temperature and precipitation-based climate change indices linked to detailed migration histories obtained from the Mexican Migration Project. Results from multilevel discrete-time event-history models challenge the assumption that climate-related migration will be predominantly short distance and domestic, but instead show that climate change more strongly impacted international moves from rural Mexico. The stronger climate impact on international migration may be explained by the self-insurance function of international migration, the presence of strong migrant networks, and climate-related changes in wage difference. While a warming in temperature increased international outmigration, higher levels of precipitation declined the odds of an international move.

The Pattern Across the Continental United States of Evapotranspiration Variability Associated with Water Availability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koster, Randal D.; Salvucci, Guido D.; Rigden, Angela J.; Jung, Martin; Collatz, G. James; Schubert, Siegfried D.

2015-01-01

The spatial pattern across the continental United States of the interannual variance of warm season water-dependent evapotranspiration, a pattern of relevance to land-atmosphere feedback, cannot be measured directly. Alternative and indirect approaches to estimating the pattern, however, do exist, and given the uncertainty of each, we use several such approaches here. We first quantify the water dependent evapotranspiration variance pattern inherent in two derived evapotranspiration datasets available from the literature. We then search for the pattern in proxy geophysical variables (air temperature, stream flow, and NDVI) known to have strong ties to evapotranspiration. The variances inherent in all of the different (and mostly independent) data sources show some differences but are generally strongly consistent they all show a large variance signal down the center of the U.S., with lower variances toward the east and (for the most part) toward the west. The robustness of the pattern across the datasets suggests that it indeed represents the pattern operating in nature. Using Budykos hydroclimatic framework, we show that the pattern can largely be explained by the relative strength of water and energy controls on evapotranspiration across the continent.

Handedness shapes children's abstract concepts.

PubMed

Casasanto, Daniel; Henetz, Tania

2012-03-01

Can children's handedness influence how they represent abstract concepts like kindness and intelligence? Here we show that from an early age, right-handers associate rightward space more strongly with positive ideas and leftward space with negative ideas, but the opposite is true for left-handers. In one experiment, children indicated where on a diagram a preferred toy and a dispreferred toy should go. Right-handers tended to assign the preferred toy to a box on the right and the dispreferred toy to a box on the left. Left-handers showed the opposite pattern. In a second experiment, children judged which of two cartoon animals looked smarter (or dumber) or nicer (or meaner). Right-handers attributed more positive qualities to animals on the right, but left-handers to animals on the left. These contrasting associations between space and valence cannot be explained by exposure to language or cultural conventions, which consistently link right with good. Rather, right- and left-handers implicitly associated positive valence more strongly with the side of space on which they can act more fluently with their dominant hands. Results support the body-specificity hypothesis (Casasanto, 2009), showing that children with different kinds of bodies think differently in corresponding ways. Copyright © 2011 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

p16 immunostaining in keratinocytic neoplasia in organ transplant recipients: Bowen's disease shows a characteristic pattern.

PubMed

Genders, Roel E; Beck, Samuel; Bouwes Bavinck, Jan Nico; van den Munckhof, Henk A M; Kouwenhoven, Stijn T P; de Koning, Maurits N C; de Gruijl, Frank R; Jenkins, David; Willemze, Rein; Quint, Koen D

2017-01-01

For selecting therapy, it is important to distinguish different types of keratinocytic neoplasia. It is sometimes difficult to make histopathologic diagnosis, especially in organ transplant recipients (OTR) who develop numerous lesions. To investigate p16 immunostaining in different types of keratinocytic neoplasia in OTR, we studied 59 actinic keratoses (AK), 51 Bowen' s disease (BD), 63 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 16 benign keratotic lesions (BKL) from 31 OTR patients and 25 controls (eczema and psoriasis). Tissue sections were stained for H&E and p16. We scored intensity, proportion and distribution of p16 positive lesional cells. In 19% of AK, 92% of BD, 35% of SCC and 12% of BKL more than 15% of lesional cells were p16-positive. In 16% of AK, 80% of BD, 18% of SCC and 13% of BKL strong p16 staining was observed. BKL, AK and SCC showed focal and patchy staining, BD showed diffuse pattern with strong staining of all atypical cells. Sparing of the basal layer was predominantly seen in BD. No control specimen showed p16-overexpression. p16 immunostaining shows a characteristic pattern in BD, but not in AK, SCC and BKL. It appears useful in recognizing BD, but not in differentiating between other keratinocytic neoplasia. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genetic effects on life-history traits in the Glanville fritillary butterfly.

PubMed

Duplouy, Anne; Wong, Swee C; Corander, Jukka; Lehtonen, Rainer; Hanski, Ilkka

2017-01-01

Adaptation to local habitat conditions may lead to the natural divergence of populations in life-history traits such as body size, time of reproduction, mate signaling or dispersal capacity. Given enough time and strong enough selection pressures, populations may experience local genetic differentiation. The genetic basis of many life-history traits, and their evolution according to different environmental conditions remain however poorly understood. We conducted an association study on the Glanville fritillary butterfly, using material from five populations along a latitudinal gradient within the Baltic Sea region, which show different degrees of habitat fragmentation. We investigated variation in 10 principal components, cofounding in total 21 life-history traits, according to two environmental types, and 33 genetic SNP markers from 15 candidate genes. We found that nine SNPs from five genes showed strong trend for trait associations ( p -values under 0.001 before correction). These associations, yet non-significant after multiple test corrections, with a total number of 1,086 tests, were consistent across the study populations. Additionally, these nine genes also showed an allele frequency difference between the populations from the northern fragmented versus the southern continuous landscape. Our study provides further support for previously described trait associations within the Glanville fritillary butterfly species across different spatial scales. Although our results alone are inconclusive, they are concordant with previous studies that identified these associations to be related to climatic changes or habitat fragmentation within the Åland population.

Genetic effects on life-history traits in the Glanville fritillary butterfly

PubMed Central

Corander, Jukka

2017-01-01

Background Adaptation to local habitat conditions may lead to the natural divergence of populations in life-history traits such as body size, time of reproduction, mate signaling or dispersal capacity. Given enough time and strong enough selection pressures, populations may experience local genetic differentiation. The genetic basis of many life-history traits, and their evolution according to different environmental conditions remain however poorly understood. Methods We conducted an association study on the Glanville fritillary butterfly, using material from five populations along a latitudinal gradient within the Baltic Sea region, which show different degrees of habitat fragmentation. We investigated variation in 10 principal components, cofounding in total 21 life-history traits, according to two environmental types, and 33 genetic SNP markers from 15 candidate genes. Results We found that nine SNPs from five genes showed strong trend for trait associations (p-values under 0.001 before correction). These associations, yet non-significant after multiple test corrections, with a total number of 1,086 tests, were consistent across the study populations. Additionally, these nine genes also showed an allele frequency difference between the populations from the northern fragmented versus the southern continuous landscape. Discussion Our study provides further support for previously described trait associations within the Glanville fritillary butterfly species across different spatial scales. Although our results alone are inconclusive, they are concordant with previous studies that identified these associations to be related to climatic changes or habitat fragmentation within the Åland population. PMID:28560112

Meta-analysis of associations between human brain volume and intelligence differences: How strong are they and what do they mean?

PubMed

Pietschnig, Jakob; Penke, Lars; Wicherts, Jelte M; Zeiler, Michael; Voracek, Martin

2015-10-01

Positive associations between human intelligence and brain size have been suspected for more than 150 years. Nowadays, modern non-invasive measures of in vivo brain volume (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) make it possible to reliably assess associations with IQ. By means of a systematic review of published studies and unpublished results obtained by personal communications with researchers, we identified 88 studies examining effect sizes of 148 healthy and clinical mixed-sex samples (>8000 individuals). Our results showed significant positive associations of brain volume and IQ (r=.24, R(2)=.06) that generalize over age (children vs. adults), IQ domain (full-scale, performance, and verbal IQ), and sex. Application of a number of methods for detection of publication bias indicates that strong and positive correlation coefficients have been reported frequently in the literature whilst small and non-significant associations appear to have been often omitted from reports. We show that the strength of the positive association of brain volume and IQ has been overestimated in the literature, but remains robust even when accounting for different types of dissemination bias, although reported effects have been declining over time. While it is tempting to interpret this association in the context of human cognitive evolution and species differences in brain size and cognitive ability, we show that it is not warranted to interpret brain size as an isomorphic proxy of human intelligence differences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Morphology Tuning of Strontium Tungstate Nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Joseph, S.; George, T.; George, K. C.

2007-08-22

Strontium tungstate nanocrystals in two different morphologies are successfully synthesized by controlled precipitation in aqueous and in poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) medium. Structural characterizations are carried out by XRD and SEM. The average particle size calculated for the SrWO4 prepared in the two different solvents ranges 20-24 nm. The SEM pictures show that the surface morphologies of the SrWO4 nanoparticles in aqueous medium resemble mushroom and the SrWO4 nanoparticles in PVA medium resemble cauliflower. Investigations on the room temperature luminescent properties of the strontium tungstate nanoparticles prepared in aqueous and PVA medium shows strong emissions around 425 nm.

Bamboo shoot fiber prevents obesity in mice by modulating the gut microbiota

PubMed Central

Li, Xiufen; Guo, Juan; Ji, Kailong; Zhang, Ping

2016-01-01

Dietary fiber has been shown to prevent high-fat diet induced obesity through modulating the gut microbiota; however, quality difference in fiber type is largely unknown. We performed a 6 week study on C57BL/6J mice fed a macronutrient matched high-fat diet with different fiber types including cellulose (HFC), bamboo shoot fiber (HFBS) and several other commonly consumed fibers. Our results showed that the HFBS group exhibited the lowest weight gain among all diet groups and had improved lipid profiles and glycemic control compared with the HFC group. As revealed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing, loss of diversity in the gut microbiota induced by the HFC diet was largely prevented by the HFBS diet. Moreover, compared with the HFC diet, the HFBS diet resulted in markedly increased relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and strong inhibition of Verrucomicrobia, two divisions strongly correlated with body weight. In conclusion, the present study provides evidence of a quality difference among different types of dietary fibers and shows that bamboo shoot fiber is the most effective in suppressing high-fat diet induced obesity. Our findings indicate that bamboo shoot fiber is a potential prebiotic fiber which modulates the gut microbiota and improves host metabolism. PMID:27599699

The delineation and interpretation of the Earth's gravity field

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsh, Bruce D.

1987-01-01

The geoid and topographic fields of the central Pacific were delineated and shown to correlate closely at intermediate wavelengths (500 to 2500 km). The associated admittance shows that anomalies having wavelengths less than about 1000 km are probably supported by the elastic strength of the lithosphere. Larger wavelength anomalies are due to dynamic effects in the sublithosphere. Direct modeling of small scale convection in the asthenosphere shows that the amplitudes of observed geoid and topographic anomalies can be independently matched, but that the observed admittance cannot. Only by imposing an initial regional variation in the thermal regime is it possible to match the admittance. It is proposed that this variation may be due to differences in the onset time of convection beneath the lithosphere of different ages. That is, convection beneath thickening lithosphere is strongly dependent on the rate of thickening (V) relative to the rise time for convection. The critical Rayleigh number contains the length scale K/V, where K is thermal diffusivity. Young, fast growing lithosphere stabilizes the underlying asthenosphere unless it has an unusually low viscosity. Lithosphere of different age, separated by fracture zones, will go unstable at different times, producing regional horizontal temperature gradient that may strongly influence convection. Laboratory and numerical experiments are proposed to study this form of convection and its influence on the geoid.

Sex-related difference in human white matter volumes studied: Inspection of the corpus callosum and other white matter by VBM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shiino, Akihiko; Chen, Yen-Wei; Tanigaki, Kenji; Yamada, Atsushi; Vigers, Piers; Watanabe, Toshiyuki; Tooyama, Ikuo; Akiguchi, Ichiro

2017-01-01

It has been contended that any observed difference of the corpus callosum (CC) size between men and women is not sex-related but brain-size-related. A recent report, however, showed that the midsagittal CC area was significantly larger in women in 37 brain-size-matched pairs of normal young adults. Since this constituted strong evidence of sexual dimorphism and was obtained from publicly available data in OASIS, we examined volume differences within the CC and in other white matter using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We created a three-dimensional region of interest of the CC and measured its volume. The VBM statistics were analyzed by permutation test and threshold-free cluster enhancement (TFCE) with the significance levels at FWER < 0.05. The CC volume was significantly larger in women in the same 37 brain-size-matched pairs. We found that the CC genu was the subregion showing the most significant sex-related difference. We also found that white matter in the bilateral anterior frontal regions and the left lateral white matter near to Broca’s area were larger in women, whereas there were no significant larger regions in men. Since we used brain-size-matched subjects, our results gave strong volumetric evidence of localized sexual dimorphism of white matter.

Estimating Intensities and/or Strong Motion Parameters Using Civilian Monitoring Videos: The May 12, 2008, Wenchuan Earthquake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Xiaolin; Wu, Zhongliang; Jiang, Changsheng; Xia, Min

2011-05-01

One of the important issues in macroseismology and engineering seismology is how to get as much intensity and/or strong motion data as possible. We collected and studied several cases in the May 12, 2008, Wenchuan earthquake, exploring the possibility of estimating intensities and/or strong ground motion parameters using civilian monitoring videos which were deployed originally for security purposes. We used 53 video recordings in different places to determine the intensity distribution of the earthquake, which is shown to be consistent with the intensity distribution mapped by field investigation, and even better than that given by the Community Internet Intensity Map. In some of the videos, the seismic wave propagation is clearly visible, and can be measured with the reference of some artificial objects such as cars and/or trucks. By measuring the propagating wave, strong motion parameters can be roughly but quantitatively estimated. As a demonstration of this `propagating-wave method', we used a series of civilian videos recorded in different parts of Sichuan and Shaanxi and estimated the local PGAs. The estimate is compared with the measurement reported by strong motion instruments. The result shows that civilian monitoring video provide a practical way of collecting and estimating intensity and/or strong motion parameters, having the advantage of being dynamic, and being able to be played back for further analysis, reflecting a new trend for macroseismology in our digital era.

Human Odorant Reception in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius.

PubMed

Liu, Feng; Liu, Nannan

2015-11-02

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius is a temporary ectoparasite on humans and currently resurgent in many developed countries. The ability of bed bugs to detect human odorants in the environment is critical for their host-seeking behavior. This study deciphered the chemical basis of host detection by investigating the neuronal response of olfactory sensilla to 104 human odorants using single sensillum recording and characterized the electro-physiological responses of bed bug odorant receptors to human odorants with the Xenopus expression system. The results showed that the D type of olfactory sensilla play a predominant role in detecting the human odorants tested. Different human odorants elicited different neuronal responses with different firing frequencies and temporal dynamics. Particularly, aldehydes and alcohols are the most effective stimuli in triggering strong response while none of the carboxylic acids showed a strong stimulation. Functional characterization of two bed bug odorant receptors and co-receptors in response to human odorants revealed their specific responses to the aldehyde human odorants. Taken together, the findings of this study not only provide exciting new insights into the human odorant detection of bed bugs, but also offer valuable information for developing new reagents (attractants or repellents) for the bed bug control.

Human Odorant Reception in the Common Bed Bug, Cimex lectularius

PubMed Central

Liu, Feng; Liu, Nannan

2015-01-01

The common bed bug Cimex lectularius is a temporary ectoparasite on humans and currently resurgent in many developed countries. The ability of bed bugs to detect human odorants in the environment is critical for their host-seeking behavior. This study deciphered the chemical basis of host detection by investigating the neuronal response of olfactory sensilla to 104 human odorants using single sensillum recording and characterized the electro-physiological responses of bed bug odorant receptors to human odorants with the Xenopus expression system. The results showed that the D type of olfactory sensilla play a predominant role in detecting the human odorants tested. Different human odorants elicited different neuronal responses with different firing frequencies and temporal dynamics. Particularly, aldehydes and alcohols are the most effective stimuli in triggering strong response while none of the carboxylic acids showed a strong stimulation. Functional characterization of two bed bug odorant receptors and co-receptors in response to human odorants revealed their specific responses to the aldehyde human odorants. Taken together, the findings of this study not only provide exciting new insights into the human odorant detection of bed bugs, but also offer valuable information for developing new reagents (attractants or repellents) for the bed bug control. PMID:26522967

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, Ye; Zhang, Ping; Qin, Yujia

When trying to discern network interactions among different species/populations in microbial communities interests have been evoked in recent years, but little information is available about temporal dynamics of microbial network interactions in response to environmental perturbations. We modified the random matrix theory-based network approach to discern network succession in groundwater microbial communities in response to emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) amendment for uranium bioremediation. Groundwater microbial communities from one control and seven monitor wells were analysed with a functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0), and functional molecular ecological networks (fMENs) at different time points were reconstructed. Our results showed that the networkmore » interactions were dramatically altered by EVO amendment. Dynamic and resilient succession was evident: fairly simple at the initial stage (Day 0), increasingly complex at the middle period (Days 4, 17, 31), most complex at Day 80, and then decreasingly complex at a later stage (140–269 days). Unlike previous studies in other habitats, negative interactions predominated in a time-series fMEN, suggesting strong competition among different microbial species in the groundwater systems after EVO injection. In particular, several keystone sulfate-reducing bacteria showed strong negative interactions with their network neighbours. These results provide mechanistic understanding of the decreased phylogenetic diversity during environmental perturbations.« less

On vertical advection truncation errors in terrain-following numerical models: Comparison to a laboratory model for upwelling over submarine canyons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, S. E.; Dinniman, M. S.; Klinck, J. M.; Gorby, D. D.; Hewett, A. J.; Hickey, B. M.

2003-01-01

Submarine canyons which indent the continental shelf are frequently regions of steep (up to 45°), three-dimensional topography. Recent observations have delineated the flow over several submarine canyons during 2-4 day long upwelling episodes. Thus upwelling episodes over submarine canyons provide an excellent flow regime for evaluating numerical and physical models. Here we compare a physical and numerical model simulation of an upwelling event over a simplified submarine canyon. The numerical model being evaluated is a version of the S-Coordinate Rutgers University Model (SCRUM). Careful matching between the models is necessary for a stringent comparison. Results show a poor comparison for the homogeneous case due to nonhydrostatic effects in the laboratory model. Results for the stratified case are better but show a systematic difference between the numerical results and laboratory results. This difference is shown not to be due to nonhydrostatic effects. Rather, the difference is due to truncation errors in the calculation of the vertical advection of density in the numerical model. The calculation is inaccurate due to the terrain-following coordinates combined with a strong vertical gradient in density, vertical shear in the horizontal velocity and topography with strong curvature.

Interaction of overlayers of Al and Rb with single-crystalline surfaces of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindberg, P. A. P.; Wells, B. O.; Shen, Z.-X.; Dessau, D. S.; Lindau, I.; Spicer, W. E.; Mitzi, D. B.; Kapitulnik, A.

1990-03-01

Photoemission results from Al and Rb interfaces with single crystals of Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 high-temperature superconductors are reported. The Al and Rb adsorbates are found to react quite differently with the Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 substrate. While adatoms of Rb significantly affect only the Bi and O atoms in the top atomic layer, the Al adsorbate profoundly disrupts the bonding character of the whole Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 material. For Al, the Bi and Cu states are strongly reduced, and the Sr and O states show evidence of oxidized components. In addition, Al causes a strong out-diffusion of oxygen from the bulk. The differences in the reactivity of Al and Rb are discussed in terms of the different mobility of the two atoms.

Deciphering the Possible Role of Strain Path on the Evolution of Microstructure, Texture, and Magnetic Properties in a Fe-Cr-Ni Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Amit; Khatirkar, Rajesh Kisni; Gupta, Aman; Shekhawat, Satish K.; Suwas, Satyam

2018-06-01

In the present work, the influence of strain path on the evolution of microstructure, crystallographic texture, and magnetic properties of a two-phase Fe-Cr-Ni alloy was investigated. The Fe-Cr-Ni alloy had nearly equal proportion of austenite and ferrite and was cold rolled up to a true strain of 1.6 (thickness reduction) using two different strain paths—unidirectional rolling and multi-step cross rolling. The microstructures were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD), while crystallographic textures were determined using X-ray diffraction. For magnetic characterization, B-H loops and M-H curves were measured and magnetic force microscopy was performed. After unidirectional rolling, ferrite showed the presence of strong α-fiber (rolling direction, RD//<110>) and austenite showed strong brass type texture (consisting of Brass (Bs) ({110}<112>), Goss ({110}<001>), and S ({123}<634>)). After multi-step cross rolling, strong rotated cube ({100}<110>) was developed in ferrite, while austenite showed ND (normal direction) rotated brass ( 10 deg) texture. The strain-induced martensite (SIM) was found to be higher in unidirectionally rolled samples than multi-step cross-rolled samples. The coherently diffracting domain size, micro-strain, coercivity, and core loss also showed a strong correlation with strain and strain path. More strain was partitioned into austenite than ferrite during deformation (unidirectional as well as cross rolling). Further, the strain partitioning (in both austenite and ferrite) was found to be higher in unidirectionally rolled samples.

Predicting transport regime and local electrostatic environment from Coulomb blockade diamond sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olsen, Stine T.; Hansen, Thorsten; Mikkelsen, Kurt V.

2017-03-01

Electron transport through a molecule is often described in one of the two regimes: the coherent tunnelling regime or the Coulomb blockade regime. The twilight zone of the two regimes still possesses many unsolved questions. A theoretical analysis of the oligophenylenevinylene OPV3 experiments by Bjørnholm and co-workers is performed. The experiments showed how two OPV3 derivatives performed very differently despite the strong similarity of the molecular structure, hence the experimental data showed two different transport mechanisms. The different transport mechanisms of the two OPV3 derivatives are explained from quantum mechanical calculations of the molecular redox energies and from the experimentally accessible window size.

Fractionation of Organosolv Lignin Using Acetone:Water and Properties of the Obtained Fractions

DOE PAGES

Sadeghifar, Hasan; Wells, Tyrone; Le, Rosemary Khuu; ...

2016-11-07

In this study, lignin fractions with different molecular weight were prepared using a simple and almost green method from switchgrass and pine organosolv lignin. Different proportions of acetone in water, ranging from 30 to 60%, were used for lignin fractionation. A higher concentration of acetone dissolved higher molecular weight fractions of the lignin. Fractionated organosolv lignin showed different molecular weight and functional groups. Higher molecular weight fractions exhibited more aliphatic and less phenolic OH than lower molecular weight fractions. Lower molecular weight fractions lead to more homogeneous structure compared to samples with a higher molecular weight. In conclusion, all fractionsmore » showed strong antioxidant activity.« less

The Impact of Institutional Mission on Student Volunteering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Susan Crawford; Ludden, Alison Bryant; Singleton, Royce A., Jr.

2013-01-01

This study examined patterns and predictors of volunteering among students at a liberal arts college with an institutional culture that strongly promotes community service. Results showed that predictors varied across four different types of volunteering: community service, social action, religious service, and service to the college. Year in…

The Dark Side of Altruistic Third-Party Punishment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leibbrandt, Andreas; Lopez-Perez, Raul

2011-01-01

This article experimentally studies punishment from unaffected third parties in ten different games. The authors show that third-party punishment exhibits several features that are arguably undesirable. First, third parties punish strongly a decider if she chooses a socially efficient or a Pareto efficient allocation and becomes the richest party…

The Study of Biobehavioral Rhythms in a Psychology Laboratory Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowland, David L.; Wesselhoft, Theresa

1998-01-01

Reports on a laboratory experiment where students measured their heart rate, blood pressure, mood, alertness, and cognitive performance. Measures showed significant circadian heart rhythm variations. They were strongly correlated and peaked at different times. Discusses the implications of this and students' reactions to the experiment. (MJP)

Main Belt Comet P/2006 VW139: A Fragment from a Recent Collision?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakovic, B.; Hsieh, H. H.; Cellino, A.

2012-05-01

We applied different methods to examine a possibility that main belt comet P/2006VW139, recently discovered by the Pan-STARRS 1, belongs to a small group of 24 asteroids. Results show strong evidence that P/2006VW139 really belongs to this group.

Women in "Male" Careers: The Case of Higher Technicians in France.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daune-Richard, Anne-Marie

1992-01-01

French statistics show that in the area of training and employment, differences in behavior patterns between men and women have diminished considerably. Nonetheless, sexual segregation remains strong, especially in scientific and technical fields. Distribution among training streams remains uneven. In tertiary and upper-level education and…

Conceptual Relations between Anxiety Disorder and Fearful Temperament

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rapee, Ronald M.; Coplan, Robert J.

2010-01-01

Fearful temperaments have been identified as a major risk factor for anxiety disorders. However, descriptions of fearful temperament and several forms of anxiety disorder show strong similarities. This raises the question whether these terms may simply refer to different aspects of the same underlying construct. The current review examines…

Time and Order Effects on Causal Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Angelica; Jara, Elvia; Vila, Javier; Rosas, Juan M.

2006-01-01

Five experiments were conducted to explore trial order and retention interval effects upon causal predictive judgments. Experiment 1 found that participants show a strong effect of trial order when a stimulus was sequentially paired with two different outcomes compared to a condition where both outcomes were presented intermixed. Experiment 2…

Women and Men Have Different Discourse Biases for Pronoun Interpretation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Jennifer E.

2015-01-01

Two experiments examine how men and women interpret pronouns in discourse. Adults are known to show a strong "first-mention bias": When two characters are mentioned ("Michael played with William…"), comprehenders tend to interpret subsequent pronouns as coreferential with the first of the two characters and to find pronouns…

Vegetation Cover Change in Yellowstone National Park Detected Using Landsat Satellite Image Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher S.

2015-01-01

Results from Landsat satellite image analysis since 1987 in all unburned areas (since the 1880s) of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) showed that consistent decreases in the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) have been strongly dependent on periodic variations in peak annual snow water equivalents (SWE).

Two water worlds: Isotope evidence shows that trees and streams return different pools of water to the hydrosphere

EPA Science Inventory

Ecohydrological coupling at the watershed scale is poorly characterized. While soil-water storage is dynamic and strongly influenced by plants, few integrated tools exist for quantifying the spatial and temporal dynamics and interactions among the major components of the terrestr...

Toward an Etiology of Media Use Motivations: The Role of Temperament in Media Use.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherry, John L.

2001-01-01

Shows that the biologically rooted individual difference behavior variable of temperament was consistent and moderately strong causal factor in forming television use motivations among undergraduate students. Finds distinct patterns of relationships between temperament and all television use gratifications supporting the uses and gratifications…

Dispersal, density dependence, and population dynamics of a fungal microbe on leaf surfaces.

PubMed

Woody, Scott T; Ives, Anthony R; Nordheim, Erik V; Andrews, John H

2007-06-01

Despite the ubiquity and importance of microbes in nature, little is known about their natural population dynamics, especially for those that occupy terrestrial habitats. Here we investigate the dynamics of the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans (Ap) on apple leaves in an orchard. We asked three questions. (1) Is variation in fungal population density among leaves caused by variation in leaf carrying capacities and strong density-dependent population growth that maintains densities near carrying capacity? (2) Do resident populations have competitive advantages over immigrant cells? (3) Do Ap dynamics differ at different times during the growing season? To address these questions, we performed two experiments at different times in the growing season. Both experiments used a 2 x 2 factorial design: treatment 1 removed fungal cells from leaves to reveal density-dependent population growth, and treatment 2 inoculated leaves with an Ap strain engineered to express green fluorescent protein (GFP), which made it possible to track the fate of immigrant cells. The experiments showed that natural populations of Ap vary greatly in density due to sustained differences in carrying capacities among leaves. The maintenance of populations close to carrying capacities indicates strong density-dependent processes. Furthermore, resident populations are strongly competitive against immigrants, while immigrants have little impact on residents. Finally, statistical models showed high population growth rates of resident cells in one experiment but not in the other, suggesting that Ap experiences relatively "good" and "bad" periods for population growth. This picture of Ap dynamics conforms to commonly held, but rarely demonstrated, expectations of microbe dynamics in nature. It also highlights the importance of local processes, as opposed to immigration, in determining the abundance and dynamics of microbes on surfaces in terrestrial systems.

Nonlinear grid error effects on numerical solution of partial differential equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dey, S. K.

1980-01-01

Finite difference solutions of nonlinear partial differential equations require discretizations and consequently grid errors are generated. These errors strongly affect stability and convergence properties of difference models. Previously such errors were analyzed by linearizing the difference equations for solutions. Properties of mappings of decadence were used to analyze nonlinear instabilities. Such an analysis is directly affected by initial/boundary conditions. An algorithm was developed, applied to nonlinear Burgers equations, and verified computationally. A preliminary test shows that Navier-Stokes equations may be treated similarly.

Miniature and low cost fiber Bragg grating interrogator for structural monitoring in nano-satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, P. M.; Hagen, R. A. J.; Hakkesteegt, H. C.; Lugtenburg, J.; Maniscalco, M. P.

2017-11-01

In this paper we present a newly developed Fiber Optic measurement system, consisting of Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors and an FBG interrogator. The development of the measuring system is part of the PiezoElectric Assisted Smart Satellite Structure (PEASSS) project, which was initiated at the beginning of 2013 and is financed by the Seventh Framework Program (FP7) of the European Commission. Within the PEASSS project, a Nano-Satellite is being designed and manufactured to be equipped with new technology that will help keep Europe on the cutting edge of space research, potentially reducing the cost and development time for more accurate future sensor platforms including synthetic aperture optics, moving target detection and identification, and compact radars. After on ground testing the satellite is planned to be launched at the end of 2015. Within the satellite, different technologies will be demonstrated on orbit to show their capabilities for different in-space applications. For our application the FBG interrogator monitors the structural and thermal behaviour of a so called "smart panel". These panels will enable fine angle control and thermal and vibration compensation in order to improve all types of future Earth observations, such as environmental and planetary mapping, border and regional imaging. The Fiber Optic (FO) system in PEASSS includes four FBG strain sensors and two FBG temperature sensors. The 3 channel interrogator has to have a small footprint (110x50x40mm), is low cost, low in mass and has a low power consumption. In order to meet all these requirements, an interrogator has been designed based on a tunable Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) enabling a wavelength sweep of around 7 nm. To guarantee the absolute and relative performance, two reference methods are included internally in the interrogator. First, stabilized reference FBG sensors are used to obtain absolute wavelength calibrations. This method is used for the temperature sensors in the system, which will be measured with an accuracy of +/-1°C. Second, the strain sensors will be used to monitor deformation of piezo actuators (bimorph plates) in a way that temperature compensation is not required. Using FBGs on top and on the bottom of the plates, relative wavelength differences are measured. In order to have a high accuracy, inside the interrogator a fiber interferometer is used to track the wavelength change. Using this reference technology we are able to measure the (relative) wavelength difference between two FBGs well below 0.1pm.

Campbell response in type-II superconductors under strong pinning conditions

DOE PAGES

Willa, R.; Geshkenbein, V. B.; Prozorov, R.; ...

2015-11-11

Measuring the ac magnetic response of a type II superconductor provides valuable information on the pinning landscape (pinscape) of the material. We use strong pinning theory to derive a microscopic expression for the Campbell length λC, the penetration depth of the ac signal. We show that λ C is determined by the jump in the pinning force, in contrast to the critical current j c, which involves the jump in pinning energy. We demonstrate that the Campbell lengths generically differ for zero-field-cooled and field-cooled samples and predict that hysteretic behavior can appear in the latter situation. As a result, wemore » compare our findings with new experimental data and show the potential of this technique in providing information on the material’s pinscape.« less

Campbell response in type-II superconductors under strong pinning conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Willa, R.; Geshkenbein, V. B.; Prozorov, R.

Measuring the ac magnetic response of a type II superconductor provides valuable information on the pinning landscape (pinscape) of the material. We use strong pinning theory to derive a microscopic expression for the Campbell length λC, the penetration depth of the ac signal. We show that λ C is determined by the jump in the pinning force, in contrast to the critical current j c, which involves the jump in pinning energy. We demonstrate that the Campbell lengths generically differ for zero-field-cooled and field-cooled samples and predict that hysteretic behavior can appear in the latter situation. As a result, wemore » compare our findings with new experimental data and show the potential of this technique in providing information on the material’s pinscape.« less

GIS-based poverty and population distribution analysis in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Jing; Wang, Yingjie; Yan, Hong

2009-07-01

Geographically, poverty status is not only related with social-economic factors but also strongly affected by geographical environment. In the paper, GIS-based poverty and population distribution analysis method is introduced for revealing their regional differences. More than 100000 poor villages and 592 national key poor counties are chosen for the analysis. The results show that poverty distribution tends to concentrate in most of west China and mountainous rural areas of mid China. Furthermore, the fifth census data are overlaid to those poor areas in order to gain its internal diversity of social-economic characteristics. By overlaying poverty related social-economic parameters, such as sex ratio, illiteracy, education level, percentage of ethnic minorities, family composition, finding shows that poverty distribution is strongly correlated with high illiteracy rate, high percentage minorities, and larger family member.

Ferrocene labelings as inhibitors and dual electrochemical sensors of human glutathione S-transferase P1-1.

PubMed

Martos-Maldonado, Manuel C; Quesada-Soriano, Indalecio; García-Maroto, Federico; Vargas-Berenguel, Antonio; García-Fuentes, Luís

2012-12-01

The inhibitory and sensor properties of two ferrocene conjugates, in which the ferrocene and glutathione are linked through a spacer arm of different length and chemical structure, on human Pi glutathione S-transferase, were examined by activity assays, ITC, fluorescence spectroscopy and voltammetry. Such ferrocene conjugates are strong competitive inhibitors of this enzyme with an enhanced binding affinity, the one bearing the longest spacer arm being the most potent inhibitor. Voltammetric measurements showed a strong decrease of the peak current intensity and an increase of the oxidation potential upon binding of ferrocene-glutathione conjugates to GST P1-1 showing that both conjugates can be used as dual electrochemical sensors for GST P1-1. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Negativity and strong monogamy of multiparty quantum entanglement beyond qubits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Jin Hyuk; Kim, Jeong San

2015-10-01

We propose the square of convex-roof extended negativity (SCREN) as a powerful candidate to characterize strong monogamy of multiparty quantum entanglement. We first provide a strong monogamy inequality of multiparty entanglement using SCREN and show that the tangle-based multiqubit strong-monogamy inequality can be rephrased by SCREN. We further show that the SCREN strong-monogamy inequality is still true for the counterexamples that violate tangle-based the strong-monogamy inequality in higher-dimensional quantum systems other than qubits. We also analytically show that SCREN strong-monogamy inequality is true for a large class of multiqudit states, a superposition of multiqudit generalized W -class states and vacuums. Thus SCREN is a good alternative to characterize the strong monogamy of entanglement even in multiqudit systems.

Mutagenicity of heated sugar-casein systems: effect of the Maillard reaction.

PubMed

Brands, C M; Alink, G M; van Boekel, M A; Jongen, W M

2000-06-01

The formation of mutagens after the heating of sugar-casein model systems at 120 degrees C was examined by the Ames test, using Salmonella typhimurium strain TA100. Several sugars (glucose, fructose, galactose, tagatose, lactose, and lactulose) were compared in their mutagenicities. Mutagenicity could be fully ascribed to Maillard reaction products and strongly varied with the kind of sugar. The differences in mutagenicity among the sugar-casein systems were caused by a difference in reaction rate and a difference in reaction mechanism. Sugars with a comparable reaction mechanism (glucose and galactose) showed a higher mutagenic activity corresponding with a higher Maillard reactivity. Disaccharides showed no mutagenic activity (lactose) or a lower mutagenic activity (lactulose) than their corresponding monosaccharides. Ketose sugars (fructose and tagatose) showed a remarkably higher mutagenicity compared with their aldose isomers (glucose and galactose), which was due to a difference in reaction mechanism.

Extensive characterization of the immunophenotype and pattern of cytokine production by distinct subpopulations of normal human peripheral blood MHC II+/lineage− cells

PubMed Central

Almeida, J; Bueno, C; Alguero, M C; Sanchez, M L; Cañizo, M C; Fernandez, M E; Vaquero, J M; Laso, F J; Escribano, L; San Miguel, J F; Orfao, A

1999-01-01

Dendritic cells (DC) represent the most powerful professional antigen-presenting cells (APC) in the immune system. The aim of the present study was to analyse, on a single-cell basis by multiparametric flow cytometry with simultaneous four-colour staining and a two-step acquisition procedure, the immunophenotypic profile and cytokine production of DC from 67 normal whole peripheral blood (PB) samples. Two clearly different subsets of HLA-II+/lineage− were identified on the basis of their distinct phenotypic characteristics: one DC subset was CD33strong+ and CD123dim+ (0.16 ± 0.06% of the PB nucleated cells and 55.9 ± 11.9% of all PB DC) and the other, CD33dim+ and CD123strong+ (0.12 ± 0.04% of PB nucleated cells and 44.53 ± 11.5% of all PB DC). Moreover, the former DC subpopulation clearly showed higher expression of the CD13 myeloid-associated antigen, the CD29 and CD58 adhesion molecules, the CD2, CD5 and CD86 costimulatory molecules, the CD32 IgG receptor and the CD11c complement receptor. In addition, these cells showed stronger HLA-DR and HLA-DQ expression and a higher reactivity for the IL-6 receptor α-chain (CD126) and for CD38. In contrast, the CD123strong+/CD33dim+ DC showed a stronger reactivity for the CD4 and CD45RA molecules, whereas they did not express the CD58, CD5, CD11c and CD13 antigens. Regarding cytokine production, our results show that while the CD33strong+/CD123dim+ DC are able to produce significant amounts of inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-1β (97 ± 5% of positive cells), IL-6 (96 ± 1.1% of positive cells), IL-12 (81.5 ± 15.5% of positive cells) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) (84 ± 22.1% of positive cells) as well as chemokines such as IL-8 (99 ± 1% of positive cells), the functional ability of the CD123strong+/CD33dim+ DC subset to produce cytokines under the same conditions was almost null. Our results therefore clearly show the presence of two distinct subsets of DC in normal human PB, which differ not only in their immunophenotype but also in their functionality, as regards cytokine production. PMID:10594557

Gene expression changes during short day induced terminal bud formation in Norway spruce.

PubMed

Asante, Daniel K A; Yakovlev, Igor A; Fossdal, Carl Gunnar; Holefors, Anna; Opseth, Lars; Olsen, Jorunn E; Junttila, Olavi; Johnsen, Øystein

2011-02-01

The molecular basis for terminal bud formation in autumn is not well understood in conifers. By combining suppression subtractive hybridization and monitoring of gene expression by qRT-PCR analysis, we aimed to identify genes involved in photoperiodic control of growth cessation and bud set in Norway spruce. Close to 1400 ESTs were generated and their functional distribution differed between short day (SD-12 h photoperiod) and long day (LD-24 h photoperiod) libraries. Many genes with putative roles in protection against stress appeared differentially regulated under SD and LD, and also differed in transcript levels between 6 and 20 SDs. Of these, PaTFL1(TERMINAL FLOWER LIKE 1) showed strongly increased transcript levels at 6 SDs. PaCCCH(CCCH-TYPE ZINC FINGER) and PaCBF2&3(C-REPEAT BINDING FACTOR 2&3) showed a later response at 20 SDs, with increased and decreased transcript levels, respectively. For rhythmically expressed genes such as CBFs, such differences might represent a phase shift in peak expression, but might also suggest a putative role in response to SD. Multivariate analyses revealed strong differences in gene expression between LD, 6 SD and 20 SD. The robustness of the gene expression patterns was verified in 6 families differing in bud-set timing under natural light with gradually decreasing photoperiod. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Strongly Anisotropic Light-Weight Metallic Fiber Structures under Static and Dynamic Compressive Loading

PubMed Central

Andersen, Olaf; Vesenjak, Matej; Fiedler, Thomas; Jehring, Ulrike; Krstulović-Opara, Lovre

2016-01-01

Rigid metallic fiber structures made from a variety of different metals and alloys have been investigated mainly with regard to their functional properties such as heat transfer, pressure drop, or filtration characteristics. With the recent advent of aluminum and magnesium-based fiber structures, the application of such structures in light-weight crash absorbers has become conceivable. The present paper therefore elucidates the mechanical behavior of rigid sintered fiber structures under quasi-static and dynamic loading. Special attention is paid to the strongly anisotropic properties observed for different directions of loading in relation to the main fiber orientation. Basically, the structures show an orthotropic behavior; however, a finite thickness of the fiber slabs results in moderate deviations from a purely orthotropic behavior. The morphology of the tested specimens is examined by computed tomography, and experimental results for different directions of loading as well as different relative densities are presented. Numerical calculations were carried out using real structural data derived from the computed tomography data. Depending on the direction of loading, the fiber structures show a distinctively different deformation behavior both experimentally and numerically. Based on these results, the prevalent modes of deformation are discussed and a first comparison with an established polymer foam and an assessment of the applicability of aluminum fiber structures in crash protection devices is attempted. PMID:28773522

Effect of different pH solvents on micro-hardness and surface topography of dental nano-composite: An in vitro analysis

PubMed Central

Khan, Aftab Ahmed; Siddiqui, Adel Zia; Al-Kheraif, Abdulaziz A; Zahid, Ambreen; Divakar, Darshan Devang

2015-01-01

Objective: Erosion of tooth surface is attributed to recent shift in diet pattern and frequent use of beverages. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effects of different beverages on surface topography and hardness of nano-filled composite material. Methods: Sixty flat disc shaped resin composite samples were fabricated and placed in distilled water for 24 hours. After 24 hours test samples were dried and divided into 4 groups. Group A (n=15) specimens were placed in tight amber bottle comprising 25 ml of artificial saliva. Similarly Group B, C and D were stored in equal amounts of orange juice, milk and coca cola drink respectively. Samples were checked for hardness and surface changes were evaluated with scanning electron microscopy. Results: There were strong significant difference observed in samples immersed in orange juice and artificial saliva. A strong significant difference was seen between Group D and Group A. Group A and Group C showed no significant difference. The micro-hardness test showed reduced values among all samples. Conclusion: Beverages consumed daily have a negative influence on hardness and surface degradation of nano-filled dental composite. Comparatively, nano-filled composites possess higher surface area to volume ratio of their fillers particle size may lead to higher surface roughness than other resin based dental biomaterials. PMID:26430417

Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of the Mechanical Behavior of Strongly Anisotropic Light-Weight Metallic Fiber Structures under Static and Dynamic Compressive Loading.

PubMed

Andersen, Olaf; Vesenjak, Matej; Fiedler, Thomas; Jehring, Ulrike; Krstulović-Opara, Lovre

2016-05-21

Rigid metallic fiber structures made from a variety of different metals and alloys have been investigated mainly with regard to their functional properties such as heat transfer, pressure drop, or filtration characteristics. With the recent advent of aluminum and magnesium-based fiber structures, the application of such structures in light-weight crash absorbers has become conceivable. The present paper therefore elucidates the mechanical behavior of rigid sintered fiber structures under quasi-static and dynamic loading. Special attention is paid to the strongly anisotropic properties observed for different directions of loading in relation to the main fiber orientation. Basically, the structures show an orthotropic behavior; however, a finite thickness of the fiber slabs results in moderate deviations from a purely orthotropic behavior. The morphology of the tested specimens is examined by computed tomography, and experimental results for different directions of loading as well as different relative densities are presented. Numerical calculations were carried out using real structural data derived from the computed tomography data. Depending on the direction of loading, the fiber structures show a distinctively different deformation behavior both experimentally and numerically. Based on these results, the prevalent modes of deformation are discussed and a first comparison with an established polymer foam and an assessment of the applicability of aluminum fiber structures in crash protection devices is attempted.

Differences in soil micro-eukaryotic communities over soil pH gradients are strongly driven by parasites and saprotrophs.

PubMed

Dupont, A Ö C; Griffiths, R I; Bell, T; Bass, D

2016-06-01

A recent large-scale assessment of bacterial communities across a range of UK soil types showed that bacterial community structure was strongly determined by soil pH. We analysed a data set of eukaryotic 454 sequencing 18S rDNA from the surveyed samples and showed significant differences in eukaryotic assemblages according to pH class, mostly between low pH and higher pH soils. Soil eukaryote communities (per sample) differed most at the taxonomic rank approximating to order level. Taxonomies assigned with the Protist Ribosomal Reference and the Silva 119 databases were taxonomically inconsistent, mostly due to differing 18S annotations, although general structure and composition according to pH were coherent. A relatively small number of lineages, mostly putative parasitic protists and fungi, drive most differences between pH classes, with weaker contributions from bacterivores and autotrophs. Overall, soil parasites included a large diversity of alveolates, in particular apicomplexans. Phylogenetic analysis of alveolate lineages demonstrates a large diversity of unknown gregarines, novel perkinsids, coccidians, colpodellids and uncharacterized alveolates. Other novel and/or divergent lineages were revealed across the eukaryote tree of life. Our study provides an in-depth taxonomic evaluation of micro-eukaryotic diversity, and reveals novel lineages and insights into their relationships with environmental variables across soil gradients. © 2016 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Comparative analysis for strength serum sodium and potassium in three different methods: Flame photometry, ion-selective electrode (ISE) and colorimetric enzymatic.

PubMed

Garcia, Rafaela Alvim; Vanelli, Chislene Pereira; Pereira Junior, Olavo Dos Santos; Corrêa, José Otávio do Amaral

2018-06-19

Hydroelectrolytic disorders are common in clinical situations and may be harmful to the patient, especially those involving plasma sodium and potassium dosages. Among the possible methods for the dosages are flame photometry, ion-selective electrode (ISE) and colorimetric enzymatic method. We analyzed 175 samples in the three different methods cited from patients attending the laboratory of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora. The values obtained were statistically treated using SPSS 19.0 software. The present study aims to evaluate the impact of the use of these different methods in the determination of plasma sodium and potassium. The averages obtained for sodium and potassium measurements by flame photometry were similar (P > .05) to the means obtained for the two electrolytes by ISE. The averages obtained by the colorimetric enzymatic method presented statistical difference in relation to ISE, both for sodium and potassium. In the correlation analysis, both flame photometry and colorimetric enzymatic showed a strong correlation with the ISE method for both dosages. At the first time in the same work sodium and potassium were analyzed by three different methods and the results allowed us to conclude that the methods showed a positive and strong correlation, and can be applied in the clinical routine. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Co-occurrence statistics as a language-dependent cue for speech segmentation.

PubMed

Saksida, Amanda; Langus, Alan; Nespor, Marina

2017-05-01

To what extent can language acquisition be explained in terms of different associative learning mechanisms? It has been hypothesized that distributional regularities in spoken languages are strong enough to elicit statistical learning about dependencies among speech units. Distributional regularities could be a useful cue for word learning even without rich language-specific knowledge. However, it is not clear how strong and reliable the distributional cues are that humans might use to segment speech. We investigate cross-linguistic viability of different statistical learning strategies by analyzing child-directed speech corpora from nine languages and by modeling possible statistics-based speech segmentations. We show that languages vary as to which statistical segmentation strategies are most successful. The variability of the results can be partially explained by systematic differences between languages, such as rhythmical differences. The results confirm previous findings that different statistical learning strategies are successful in different languages and suggest that infants may have to primarily rely on non-statistical cues when they begin their process of speech segmentation. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning and signal copying facilitate communication among bird species

PubMed Central

Wheatcroft, David; Price, Trevor D.

2013-01-01

Signals relevant to different sets of receivers in different contexts create a conflict for signal design. A classic example is vocal alarm signals, often used both during intraspecific and interspecific interactions. How can signals alert individuals from a variety of other species in some contexts, while also maintaining efficient communication among conspecifics? We studied heterospecific responses to avian alarm signals that drive the formation of anti-predator groups but are also used during intraspecific interactions. In three species-rich communities in the western Himalayas, alarm signals vary drastically across species. We show that, independently of differences in their calls, birds respond strongly to the alarm signals of other species with which they co-occur and much more weakly to those of species with which they do not co-occur. These results suggest that previous exposure and learning maintain heterospecific responses in the face of widespread signal divergence. At an area where only two species regularly interact, one species' calls incorporate the call of the other. We demonstrate experimentally that signal copying allows strong responses even without previous exposure and suggest that such hybrid calls may be especially favoured when pairwise interactions between species are strong. PMID:23446529

Familiarization, validity and smallest detectable difference of the isometric squat test in evaluating maximal strength.

PubMed

Drake, David; Kennedy, Rodney; Wallace, Eric

2018-02-06

Isometric multi-joint tests are considered reliable and have strong relationships with 1RM performance. However, limited evidence is available for the isometric squat in terms of effects of familiarization and reliability. This study aimed to assess, the effect of familiarization, stability reliability, determine the smallest detectible difference, and the correlation of the isometric squat test with 1RM squat performance. Thirty-six strength-trained participants volunteered to take part in this study. Following three familiarization sessions, test-retest reliability was evaluated with a 48-hour window between each time point. Isometric squat peak, net and relative force were assessed. Results showed three familiarizations were required, isometric squat had a high level of stability reliability and smallest detectible difference of 11% for peak and relative force. Isometric strength at a knee angle of ninety degrees had a strong significant relationship with 1RM squat performance. In conclusion, the isometric squat is a valid test to assess multi-joint strength and can discriminate between strong and weak 1RM squat performance. Changes greater than 11% in peak and relative isometric squat performance should be considered as meaningful in participants who are familiar with the test.

Task-specific activity and connectivity within the mentalizing network during emotion and intention mentalizing.

PubMed

Atique, Bijoy; Erb, Michael; Gharabaghi, Alireza; Grodd, Wolfgang; Anders, Silke

2011-04-15

Mentalizing, i.e. the process of inferring another person's mental state, is thought to be primarily subserved by three brain regions, the VMPFC (ventromedial prefrontal cortex), precuneus and TPJ (temporo-parietal junction). However, it is still unclear what the exact roles of these regions in mentalizing are. Here, we compare activity within, and functional connectivity between, the VMPFC, precuneus and TPJ during two different mentalizing tasks. Specifically, we examine whether inferring another person's emotion ("emotion mentalizing") and inferring another person's intention ("intention mentalizing") activate similar or distinct subregions within the VMPFC, precuneus and TPJ, and whether these different kinds of mentalizing are associated with different patterns of functional connectivity between these regions. Our results indicate that emotion mentalizing and intention mentalizing activate partly distinct subregions of the right and left TPJ that can be spatially separated across participants. These subregions also showed different patterns of functional connectivity with the VMPFC: a more anterior region of the right and left TPJ, which was more strongly activated during emotion mentalizing, showed stronger functional connectivity with the VMPFC, particularly during emotion mentalizing, than a more posterior region that was more strongly activated during intention mentalizing. Critically, this double dissociation became evident only when the fine-scale distribution of activity within activated regions was analysed, and despite the fact that there was also a significant overlap of activity during the two tasks. Our findings provide first evidence that different neural modules might have evolved within the TPJ that show distinct patterns of functional connectivity and might subserve slightly different subfunctions of mentalizing. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Soil conditions drive changes in a key leaf functional trait through environmental filtering and facilitative interactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molina-Venegas, Rafael; Aparicio, Abelardo; Lavergne, Sébastien; Arroyo, Juan

2018-01-01

Non-random patterns in the functional structure of communities are often interpreted as evidence for different forces governing their assemblage. However, community assembly processes may act antagonistically, countering each other's signatures on the functional structure of communities, which may lead to spurious inferences on the underlying mechanisms. To illustrate this issue, we assessed the joint effects of environmental filtering and facilitative interactions on a key leaf functional trait (i.e. specific leaf area, SLA) in Mediterranean dwarf-shrub communities, using a two-scale sampling approach. Specifically, we analyzed differences in community-weighted mean SLA values (CWM-SLA) between communities (community-scale) and between guilds within communities (guild-scale, i.e. individuals sampled in understorey, overstorey and open-ground conditions) across contrasted soil environments and elevational gradients. We found that communities on harsh edaphic conditions (i.e. dolomite habitats) showed significantly lower CWM-SLA values than communities on more fertile habitats. In contrast, elevation was a poor predictor of differences in CWM-SLA between the communities. This suggests that environmental filtering may influence leaf trait variation along soil gradients irrespective of elevation. On the other hand, communities on dolomite habitats showed strong differences in CWM-SLA between understorey (higher CWM-SLA) and either open-ground and overstorey guilds (lower CWM-SLA), whereas communities on more fertile soils showed no differences between the guilds. The strong differences in CWM-SLA between understorey and non-understorey guilds in dolomite communities suggest that facilitative interactions may be particularly at stake under stressful edaphic conditions, thus partially mitigating the effect of environmental filtering (i.e. low SLA values) on communities growing in harsh soils.

Physiological and fitness differences between cytotypes vary with stress in a grassland perennial herb

PubMed Central

Pavlíková, Zuzana; Holá, Dana; Vlasáková, Blanka; Procházka, Tomáš

2017-01-01

Background and aims Understanding the consequences of polyploidization is a major step towards assessing the importance of this mode of speciation. Most previous studies comparing different cytotypes, however, did so only within a single environment and considered only one group of traits. To take a step further, we need to explore multiple environments and a wide range of traits. The aim of this study was to assess response of diploid and autotetraploid individuals of Knautia arvensis (Dipsacaceae) to two stress conditions, shade or drought. Methods We studied eleven photosynthetic, morphological and fitness parameters of the plants over three years in a common garden under ambient conditions and two types of stress. Key results The results indicate strong differences in performance and physiology between cytotypes in ambient conditions. Interestingly, higher fitness in diploids contrasted with more efficient photosynthesis in tetraploids in ambient conditions. However, stress, especially drought, strongly reduced fitness and disrupted function of the photosystems in both cytotypes reducing the between cytotype differences. The results indicate that drought stress reduced function of the photosynthetic processes in both cytotypes but particularly in tetraploids, while fitness reduction was stronger in diploids. Conclusions The photosynthesis related traits show higher plasticity in polyploids as theoretically expected, while the fitness related traits show higher plasticity in diploids especially in response to drought. This suggests that between cytotype comparisons need to consider multiple traits and multiple environments to understand the breath of possible responses of different cytotypes to stress. They also show that integrating results based on different traits is not straightforward and call for better mechanistic understanding of the relationships between species photosynthetic activity and fitness. Still, considering multiple environments and multiple species traits is crucial for understanding the drivers of niche differentiation between cytotypes in future studies. PMID:29190749

Physiological and fitness differences between cytotypes vary with stress in a grassland perennial herb.

PubMed

Pavlíková, Zuzana; Holá, Dana; Vlasáková, Blanka; Procházka, Tomáš; Münzbergová, Zuzana

2017-01-01

Understanding the consequences of polyploidization is a major step towards assessing the importance of this mode of speciation. Most previous studies comparing different cytotypes, however, did so only within a single environment and considered only one group of traits. To take a step further, we need to explore multiple environments and a wide range of traits. The aim of this study was to assess response of diploid and autotetraploid individuals of Knautia arvensis (Dipsacaceae) to two stress conditions, shade or drought. We studied eleven photosynthetic, morphological and fitness parameters of the plants over three years in a common garden under ambient conditions and two types of stress. The results indicate strong differences in performance and physiology between cytotypes in ambient conditions. Interestingly, higher fitness in diploids contrasted with more efficient photosynthesis in tetraploids in ambient conditions. However, stress, especially drought, strongly reduced fitness and disrupted function of the photosystems in both cytotypes reducing the between cytotype differences. The results indicate that drought stress reduced function of the photosynthetic processes in both cytotypes but particularly in tetraploids, while fitness reduction was stronger in diploids. The photosynthesis related traits show higher plasticity in polyploids as theoretically expected, while the fitness related traits show higher plasticity in diploids especially in response to drought. This suggests that between cytotype comparisons need to consider multiple traits and multiple environments to understand the breath of possible responses of different cytotypes to stress. They also show that integrating results based on different traits is not straightforward and call for better mechanistic understanding of the relationships between species photosynthetic activity and fitness. Still, considering multiple environments and multiple species traits is crucial for understanding the drivers of niche differentiation between cytotypes in future studies.

The association of clot lysis time with total obesity is partly independent from the association of PAI-1 with central obesity in African adults.

PubMed

Eksteen, Philna; Pieters, Marlien; de Lange, Zelda; Kruger, Herculina S

2015-08-01

Preliminary evidence indicates that the association of fibrinolytic potential, measured as clot lysis time (CLT), with body composition may differ from that of plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1). We therefore investigated the association between fibrinolytic markers (plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 activity (PAI-1act) and CLT) and body composition using detailed body composition analyses. Data from 1288 Africans were cross-sectionally analyzed. Body composition analysis included BMI, waist circumference (WC); waist to height ratio (WHtR), skinfolds and body fat percentage measured with air-displacement plethysmography and bioelectrical impedance analysis. PAI-1act and CLT were significantly higher in women than in men, despite adjustment for differences in body composition. PAI-1act and CLT showed similar linear positive relationships with body composition (BMI, WC, WHtR, skinfolds) in men. In women CLT also showed a linear relationship with body composition, while PAI-1act levels plateaued at higher BMI and did not differ across skinfold categories. PAI-1act showed stronger correlations with body composition markers in men than it did in women, while no sex differences existed for CLT. PAI-1act associated more strongly with central obesity, while CLT associated with total body fat. Observed differences may be related to differences in adipose tissue type, distribution and sequence of accumulation between sexes. PAI-1act is strongly influenced by accumulation of visceral adipose tissue, whereas CLT is associated with obesity independent of type and sequence of body fat accumulation in this African adult study population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Resonance fluorescence from an atom in a squeezed vacuum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmichael, H. J.; Lane, A. S.; Walls, D. F.

1987-06-01

The fluorescent spectrum for a two-level atom which is damped by a squeezed vacuum shows striking differences from the spectrum for ordinary resonance fluorescence. For strong coherent driving fields the Mollow triplet depends on the relative phase of the driving field and the squeezed vacuum field. The central peak may have either subnatural linewidth or supernatural linewidth depending on this phase. The mean atomic polarization also shows a phase sensitivity.

Strong fiber Bragg grating based asymmetric Fabry-Perot sensor system with multiple reflections for high sensitivity enhancement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Hu, Zhengliang; Ma, Mingxiang; Lin, Huizu; Hu, Yongming

2014-03-01

A fiber Bragg grating based (FBG-based) Fabry-Perot (FP) sensor system utilizing multiple reflections between two strong FBGs with different reflectiveties to enhance the sensitivity is proposed. The different interference signals are obtained by using different multiple-path-matched Michelson interferometers (MIs). The system is lighted by the ultra-narrow line width erbium-doped fiber ring laser and the signal is demodulated by phase-generated carrier (PGC) scheme. The method to choose the optimal parameters of the FBG-based asymmetric FP sensor and the different matching MIs is analyzed. The experimental results show that each matching MI can steadily enhance the sensitivity of the demodulated signal in the bandwidth of 80-8000 Hz. The sensitivity of the system can be enhanced about 19.1 dB when the light reflects nine times between the two FBGs. Further more, this system can be used to extend the dynamic range and the effective working bandwidth and so on.

Structural and quantum chemical analysis of exciton coupling in homo- and heteroaggregate stacks of merocyanines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialas, David; Zitzler-Kunkel, André; Kirchner, Eva; Schmidt, David; Würthner, Frank

2016-09-01

Exciton coupling is of fundamental importance and determines functional properties of organic dyes in (opto-)electronic and photovoltaic devices. Here we show that strong exciton coupling is not limited to the situation of equal chromophores as often assumed. Quadruple dye stacks were obtained from two bis(merocyanine) dyes with same or different chromophores, respectively, which dimerize in less-polar solvents resulting in the respective homo- and heteroaggregates. The structures of the quadruple dye stacks were assigned by NMR techniques and unambiguously confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The heteroaggregate stack formed from the bis(merocyanine) bearing two different chromophores exhibits remarkably different ultraviolet/vis absorption bands compared with those of the homoaggregate of the bis(merocyanine) comprising two identical chromophores. Quantum chemical analysis based on an extension of Kasha's exciton theory appropriately describes the absorption properties of both types of stacks revealing strong exciton coupling also between different chromophores within the heteroaggregate.

Modeling and performance metrics of MIMO-SDM systems with different amplification schemes in the presence of mode-dependent loss.

PubMed

Antonelli, Cristian; Mecozzi, Antonio; Shtaif, Mark; Winzer, Peter J

2015-02-09

Mode-dependent loss (MDL) is a major factor limiting the achievable information rate in multiple-input multiple-output space-division multiplexed systems. In this paper we show that its impact on system performance, which we quantify in terms of the capacity reduction relative to a reference MDL-free system, may depend strongly on the operation of the inline optical amplifiers. This dependency is particularly strong in low mode-count systems. In addition, we discuss ways in which the signal-to-noise ratio of the MDL-free reference system can be defined and quantify the differences in the predicted capacity loss. Finally, we stress the importance of correctly accounting for the effect of MDL on the accumulation of amplification noise.

Association of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphism and increased serum VEGF concentration with pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

PubMed

Sivaprasad, Siddapuram; Govardhan, Bale; Harithakrishna, Ramanujam; Venkat Rao, Guduru; Pradeep, Rebala; Kunal, Bharadhwaj; Ramakrishna, Nalla; Anuradha, Shekaran; Reddy, Duvvuru Nageshwar

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND &AIM: Pancreatic cancer is related to high mortality rate. The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has a strong influence in tumor-related angiogenesis having association with the grade of angiogenesis and the prognosis of different solid tumors including pancreatic cancer. The present study was aimed to analyze the genotype and haplotype distribution of VEGF gene single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), -460T/C, +405G/C, +936C/T, in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma from South India, and the effect of these SNPs on serum VEGF level. Total 80 patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and 87 controls were recruited. The genotype of VEGF gene polymorphisms was determined in both patients and controls using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism method. The serum VEGF protein was estimated by standard enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The genotype, +405G/G of VEGF gene showed a significant association with the patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma (P = 0.012, Odds ratio: 2.133), whereas no significant difference was found in the genotype distribution of SNPs, -460C/T and +936C/T between patient and control groups (P > 0.05). Serum VEGF level was found to be significantly high in patients (1315.10 pg/Ml, SD ± 230.79) when compared to controls (591.35 pg/mL, SD ± 92.48) (P < 0.0001), which showed a strong genotype-phenotype correlation between genotype +405G/G and serum VEGF level. Further, the haplotype C-G-T showed a strong association with the disease, and no specific haplotype was associated with increased serum VEGF level. The polymorphism, +405G/C but not -460T/C and +936C/T, of VEGF gene is strongly associated with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and this SNP has significant influence on serum VEGF level. Copyright © 2013 IAP and EPC. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Strongly Emitting Surfaces Unable to Float below Plasma Potential

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Campanell, M. D.; Umansky, M. V.

2016-02-25

One important unresolved question in plasma physics concerns the effect of strong electron emission on plasma-surface interactions. Previous papers reported solutions with negative and positive floating potentials relative to the plasma edge. For these two models a very different predictions for particle and energy balance is given. Here we show that the positive potential state is the only possible equilibrium in general. Even if a negative floating potential existed at t=0, the ionization collisions near the surface will force a transition to the positive floating potential state. Moreover, this transition is demonstrated with a new simulation code.

Magnetic curvature effects on plasma interchange turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, B., E-mail: bli@pku.edu.cn; Liao, X.; Sun, C. K.

2016-06-15

The magnetic curvature effects on plasma interchange turbulence and transport in the Z-pinch and dipole-like systems are explored with two-fluid global simulations. By comparing the transport levels in the systems with a different magnetic curvature, we show that the interchange-mode driven transport strongly depends on the magnetic geometry. For the system with large magnetic curvature, the pressure and density profiles are strongly peaked in a marginally stable state and the nonlinear evolution of interchange modes produces the global convective cells in the azimuthal direction, which lead to the low level of turbulent convective transport.

Ocean and atmosphere feedbacks affecting AMOC hysteresis in a GCM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, L. C.; Smith, R. S.; Wood, R. A.

2017-07-01

Theories suggest that the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) can exhibit a hysteresis where, for a given input of fresh water into the north Atlantic, there are two possible states: one with a strong overturning in the north Atlantic (on) and the other with a reverse Atlantic cell (off). A previous study showed hysteresis of the AMOC for the first time in a coupled general circulation model (Hawkins et al. in Geophys Res Lett. doi: 10.1029/2011GL047208, 2011). In this study we show that the hysteresis found by Hawkins et al. (2011) is sensitive to the method with which the fresh water input is compensated. If this compensation is applied throughout the volume of the global ocean, rather than at the surface, the region of hysteresis is narrower and the off states are very different: when the compensation is applied at the surface, a strong Pacific overturning cell and a strong Atlantic reverse cell develops; when the compensation is applied throughout the volume there is little change in the Pacific and only a weak Atlantic reverse cell develops. We investigate the mechanisms behind the transitions between the on and off states in the two experiments, and find that the difference in hysteresis is due to the different off states. We find that the development of the Pacific overturning cell results in greater atmospheric moisture transport into the North Atlantic, and also is likely responsible for a stronger Atlantic reverse cell. These both act to stabilize the off state of the Atlantic overturning.

Brittle-to-ductile transition in a fiber bundle with strong heterogeneity.

PubMed

Kovács, Kornél; Hidalgo, Raul Cruz; Pagonabarraga, Ignacio; Kun, Ferenc

2013-04-01

We analyze the failure process of a two-component system with widely different fracture strength in the framework of a fiber bundle model with localized load sharing. A fraction 0≤α≤1 of the bundle is strong and it is represented by unbreakable fibers, while fibers of the weak component have randomly distributed failure strength. Computer simulations revealed that there exists a critical composition α(c) which separates two qualitatively different behaviors: Below the critical point, the failure of the bundle is brittle, characterized by an abrupt damage growth within the breakable part of the system. Above α(c), however, the macroscopic response becomes ductile, providing stability during the entire breaking process. The transition occurs at an astonishingly low fraction of strong fibers which can have importance for applications. We show that in the ductile phase, the size distribution of breaking bursts has a power law functional form with an exponent μ=2 followed by an exponential cutoff. In the brittle phase, the power law also prevails but with a higher exponent μ=9/2. The transition between the two phases shows analogies to continuous phase transitions. Analyzing the microstructure of the damage, it was found that at the beginning of the fracture process cracks nucleate randomly, while later on growth and coalescence of cracks dominate, which give rise to power law distributed crack sizes.

How color, regularity, and good Gestalt determine backward masking.

PubMed

Sayim, Bilge; Manassi, Mauro; Herzog, Michael

2014-06-18

The strength of visual backward masking depends on the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between target and mask. Recently, it was shown that the conjoint spatial layout of target and mask is as crucial as SOA. Particularly, masking strength depends on whether target and mask group with each other. The same is true in crowding where the global spatial layout of the flankers and target-flanker grouping determine crowding strength. Here, we presented a vernier target followed by different flanker configurations at varying SOAs. Similar to crowding, masking of a red vernier target was strongly reduced for arrays of 10 green compared with 10 red flanking lines. Unlike crowding, single green lines flanking the red vernier showed strong masking. Irregularly arranged flanking lines yielded stronger masking than did regularly arranged lines, again similar to crowding. While cuboid flankers reduced crowding compared with single lines, this was not the case in masking. We propose that, first, masking is reduced when the flankers are part of a larger spatial structure. Second, spatial factors counteract color differences between the target and the flankers. Third, complex Gestalts, such as cuboids, seem to need longer processing times to show ungrouping effects as observed in crowding. Strong parallels between masking and crowding suggest similar underlying mechanism; however, temporal factors in masking additionally modulate performance, acting as an additional grouping cue. © 2014 ARVO.

Topological properties of microwave magnetoelectric fields.

PubMed

Berezin, M; Kamenetskii, E O; Shavit, R

2014-02-01

Collective excitations of electron spins in a ferromagnetic sample dominated by the magnetic dipole-dipole interaction strongly influence the field structure of microwave radiation. A small quasi-two-dimensional ferrite disk with magnetic-dipolar-mode (MDM) oscillation spectra can behave as a source of specific fields in vacuum, termed magnetoelectric (ME) fields. A coupling between the time-varying electric and magnetic fields in the ME-field structures is different from such a coupling in regular electromagnetic fields. The ME fields are characterized by strong energy confinement at a subwavelength region of microwave radiation, topologically distinctive power-flow vortices, and helicity parameters [E. O. Kamenetskii, R. Joffe, and R. Shavit, Phys. Rev. E 87, 023201 (2013)]. We study topological properties of microwave ME fields by loading a MDM ferrite particle with different dielectric samples. We establish a close connection between the permittivity parameters of dielectric environment and the topology of ME fields. We show that the topology of ME fields is strongly correlated with the Fano-resonance spectra observed at terminals of a microwave structure. We reveal specific thresholds in the Fano-resonance spectra appearing at certain permittivity parameters of dielectric samples. We show that ME fields originated from MDM ferrite disks can be distinguished by topological portraits of the helicity parameters and can have a torsion degree of freedom. Importantly, the ME-field phenomena can be viewed as implementations of space-time coordinate transformations on waves.

Global change and ecosystem connectivity: How geese link fields of central Europe to eutrophication of Arctic freshwaters.

PubMed

Hessen, Dag O; Tombre, Ingunn M; van Geest, Gerben; Alfsnes, Kristian

2017-02-01

Migratory connectivity by birds may mutually affect different ecosystems over large distances. Populations of geese overwintering in southern areas while breeding in high-latitude ecosystems have increased strongly over the past decades. The increase is likely due to positive feedbacks caused by climate change at both wintering, stopover sites and breeding grounds, land-use practices at the overwintering grounds and protection from hunting. Here we show how increasing goose populations in temperate regions, and increased breeding success in the Arctic, entail a positive feedback with strong impacts on Arctic freshwater ecosystems in the form of eutrophication. This may again strongly affect community composition and productivity of the ponds, due to increased nutrient loadings or birds serving as vectors for new species.

Emerging magnetism and anomalous Hall effect in iridate–manganite heterostructures

PubMed Central

Nichols, John; Gao, Xiang; Lee, Shinbuhm; Meyer, Tricia L.; Freeland, John W.; Lauter, Valeria; Yi, Di; Liu, Jian; Haskel, Daniel; Petrie, Jonathan R.; Guo, Er-Jia; Herklotz, Andreas; Lee, Dongkyu; Ward, Thomas Z.; Eres, Gyula; Fitzsimmons, Michael R.; Lee, Ho Nyung

2016-01-01

Strong Coulomb repulsion and spin–orbit coupling are known to give rise to exotic physical phenomena in transition metal oxides. Initial attempts to investigate systems, where both of these fundamental interactions are comparably strong, such as 3d and 5d complex oxide superlattices, have revealed properties that only slightly differ from the bulk ones of the constituent materials. Here we observe that the interfacial coupling between the 3d antiferromagnetic insulator SrMnO3 and the 5d paramagnetic metal SrIrO3 is enormously strong, yielding an anomalous Hall response as the result of charge transfer driven interfacial ferromagnetism. These findings show that low dimensional spin–orbit entangled 3d–5d interfaces provide an avenue to uncover technologically relevant physical phenomena unattainable in bulk materials. PMID:27596572

Single nano-hole as a new effective nonlinear element for third-harmonic generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melentiev, P. N.; Konstantinova, T. V.; Afanasiev, A. E.; Kuzin, A. A.; Baturin, A. S.; Tausenev, A. V.; Konyaschenko, A. V.; Balykin, V. I.

2013-07-01

In this letter, we report on a particularly strong optical nonlinearity at the nanometer scale in aluminum. A strong optical nonlinearity of the third order was demonstrated on a single nanoslit. Single nanoslits of different aspect ratio were excited by a laser pulse (120 fs) at the wavelength 1.5 μm, leading predominantly to third-harmonic generation (THG). It has been shown that strong surface plasmon resonance in a nanoslit allows the realization of an effective nanolocalized source of third-harmonic radiation. We show also that a nanoslit in a metal film has a significant advantage in nonlinear processes over its Babinet complementary nanostructure (nanorod): the effective abstraction of heat in a film with a slit makes it possible to use much higher laser radiation intensities.

Dynamic semantic cognition: Characterising coherent and controlled conceptual retrieval through time using magnetoencephalography and chronometric transcranial magnetic stimulation.

PubMed

Teige, Catarina; Mollo, Giovanna; Millman, Rebecca; Savill, Nicola; Smallwood, Jonathan; Cornelissen, Piers L; Jefferies, Elizabeth

2018-06-01

Distinct neural processes are thought to support the retrieval of semantic information that is (i) coherent with strongly-encoded aspects of knowledge, and (ii) non-dominant yet relevant for the current task or context. While the brain regions that support readily coherent and more controlled patterns of semantic retrieval are relatively well-characterised, the temporal dynamics of these processes are not well-understood. This study used magnetoencephalography (MEG) and dual-pulse chronometric transcranial magnetic stimulation (cTMS) in two separate experiments to examine temporal dynamics during the retrieval of strong and weak associations. MEG results revealed a dissociation within left temporal cortex: anterior temporal lobe (ATL) showed greater oscillatory response for strong than weak associations, while posterior middle temporal gyrus (pMTG) showed the reverse pattern. Left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), a site associated with semantic control and retrieval, showed both patterns at different time points. In the cTMS experiment, stimulation of ATL at ∼150 msec disrupted the efficient retrieval of strong associations, indicating a necessary role for ATL in coherent conceptual activations. Stimulation of pMTG at the onset of the second word disrupted the retrieval of weak associations, suggesting this site may maintain information about semantic context from the first word, allowing efficient engagement of semantic control. Together these studies provide converging evidence for a functional dissociation within the temporal lobe, across both tasks and time. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A Multivariate Genome-Wide Association Analysis of 10 LDL Subfractions, and Their Response to Statin Treatment, in 1868 Caucasians

PubMed Central

Shim, Heejung; Chasman, Daniel I.; Smith, Joshua D.; Mora, Samia; Ridker, Paul M.; Nickerson, Deborah A.; Krauss, Ronald M.; Stephens, Matthew

2015-01-01

We conducted a genome-wide association analysis of 7 subfractions of low density lipoproteins (LDLs) and 3 subfractions of intermediate density lipoproteins (IDLs) measured by gradient gel electrophoresis, and their response to statin treatment, in 1868 individuals of European ancestry from the Pharmacogenomics and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease study. Our analyses identified four previously-implicated loci (SORT1, APOE, LPA, and CETP) as containing variants that are very strongly associated with lipoprotein subfractions (log10Bayes Factor > 15). Subsequent conditional analyses suggest that three of these (APOE, LPA and CETP) likely harbor multiple independently associated SNPs. Further, while different variants typically showed different characteristic patterns of association with combinations of subfractions, the two SNPs in CETP show strikingly similar patterns - both in our original data and in a replication cohort - consistent with a common underlying molecular mechanism. Notably, the CETP variants are very strongly associated with LDL subfractions, despite showing no association with total LDLs in our study, illustrating the potential value of the more detailed phenotypic measurements. In contrast with these strong subfraction associations, genetic association analysis of subfraction response to statins showed much weaker signals (none exceeding log10Bayes Factor of 6). However, two SNPs (in APOE and LPA) previously-reported to be associated with LDL statin response do show some modest evidence for association in our data, and the subfraction response proles at the LPA SNP are consistent with the LPA association, with response likely being due primarily to resistance of Lp(a) particles to statin therapy. An additional important feature of our analysis is that, unlike most previous analyses of multiple related phenotypes, we analyzed the subfractions jointly, rather than one at a time. Comparisons of our multivariate analyses with standard univariate analyses demonstrate that multivariate analyses can substantially increase power to detect associations. Software implementing our multivariate analysis methods is available at http://stephenslab.uchicago.edu/software.html. PMID:25898129

Evaluation of polymerization-dependent changes in color and translucency of resin composites using two formulae.

PubMed

Paravina, Rade D; Kimura, Mikio; Powers, John M

2005-09-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate polymerization-dependent changes in the color and translucency parameter (TP) of resin composites and to compare results obtained using two color-difference metric formulae, CIELAB and CIEDE 2000. Twenty-eight shades of commercial resin composites were analyzed. Specimens (n = 5) were made as discs, 11 mm in diameter and 2-mm thick, using cylindrical molds. Data were collected before and after composite polymerization, using a spectrophotometer. In regard to in vitro color changes of composites (DeltaE*) a DeltaE76 of 3.7 or greater was considered to be an unacceptable color change. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, and Fisher's protected least significant difference (PLSD) intervals for comparison of means were calculated at the 0.05 level of significance. Mean polymerization-dependent differences in color were DeltaE00 = 4.48 (2.11) and DeltaE76 = 5.51 (2.68). The DeltaTP00 range was 2.57, while the DeltaTP76 range was 2.89. Mean polymerization-dependent differences in translucency were DeltaTP00 = 0.84 (0.77) and DeltaTP76 = 0.87 (0.76). Analysis of variance showed significant differences among composites, shades, and their interactions (P < 0.0001; power = 1.0). Regression equations and r values for the two color-difference formulae and all evaluated TP values showed very strong correlation. In conclusion, within the limitations of this study, polymerization-dependent changes in color and translucency were highly varied. The majority of shades showed polymerization-dependent differences in color higher than the DeltaE76 = 3.7. The TP generally increased after light polymerization by light activation. The very strong correlation (r > 0.97) between the two color-difference formulae indicates that the limitations of the CIELAB system do not appear to be a problem when evaluating composites; however, recorded differences between DeltaE76 and DeltaE00 values stress the importance of data conversion.

Ultrafast 25-fs relaxation in highly excited states of methyl azide mediated by strong nonadiabatic coupling.

PubMed

Peters, William K; Couch, David E; Mignolet, Benoit; Shi, Xuetao; Nguyen, Quynh L; Fortenberry, Ryan C; Schlegel, H Bernhard; Remacle, Françoise; Kapteyn, Henry C; Murnane, Margaret M; Li, Wen

2017-12-26

Highly excited electronic states are challenging to explore experimentally and theoretically-due to the large density of states and the fact that small structural changes lead to large changes in electronic character with associated strong nonadiabatic dynamics. They can play a key role in astrophysical and ionospheric chemistry, as well as the detonation chemistry of high-energy density materials. Here, we implement ultrafast vacuum-UV (VUV)-driven electron-ion coincidence imaging spectroscopy to directly probe the reaction pathways of highly excited states of energetic molecules-in this case, methyl azide. Our data, combined with advanced theoretical simulations, show that photoexcitation of methyl azide by a 10-fs UV pulse at 8 eV drives fast structural changes and strong nonadiabatic coupling that leads to relaxation to other excited states on a surprisingly fast timescale of 25 fs. This ultrafast relaxation differs from dynamics occurring on lower excited states, where the timescale required for the wavepacket to reach a region of strong nonadiabatic coupling is typically much longer. Moreover, our theoretical calculations show that ultrafast relaxation of the wavepacket to a lower excited state occurs along one of the conical intersection seams before reaching the minimum energy conical intersection. These findings are important for understanding the unique strongly coupled non-Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics of VUV-excited energetic molecules. Although such observations have been predicted for many years, this study represents one of the few where such strongly coupled non-Born-Oppenheimer molecular dynamics of VUV-excited energetic molecules have been conclusively observed directly, making it possible to identify the ultrafast reaction pathways.

Affective and executive network processing associated with persuasive antidrug messages.

PubMed

Ramsay, Ian S; Yzer, Marco C; Luciana, Monica; Vohs, Kathleen D; MacDonald, Angus W

2013-07-01

Previous research has highlighted brain regions associated with socioemotional processes in persuasive message encoding, whereas cognitive models of persuasion suggest that executive brain areas may also be important. The current study aimed to identify lateral prefrontal brain areas associated with persuasive message viewing and understand how activity in these executive regions might interact with activity in the amygdala and medial pFC. Seventy adolescents were scanned using fMRI while they watched 10 strongly convincing antidrug public service announcements (PSAs), 10 weakly convincing antidrug PSAs, and 10 advertisements (ads) unrelated to drugs. Antidrug PSAs compared with nondrug ads more strongly elicited arousal-related activity in the amygdala and medial pFC. Within antidrug PSAs, those that were prerated as strongly persuasive versus weakly persuasive showed significant differences in arousal-related activity in executive processing areas of the lateral pFC. In support of the notion that persuasiveness involves both affective and executive processes, functional connectivity analyses showed greater coactivation between the lateral pFC and amygdala during PSAs known to be strongly (vs. weakly) convincing. These findings demonstrate that persuasive messages elicit activation in brain regions responsible for both emotional arousal and executive control and represent a crucial step toward a better understanding of the neural processes responsible for persuasion and subsequent behavior change.

Scan-rescan reproducibility of diastolic left ventricular kinetic energy, viscous energy loss and vorticity assessment using 4D flow MRI: analysis in healthy subjects.

PubMed

Kamphuis, Vivian P; Westenberg, Jos J M; van der Palen, Roel L F; van den Boogaard, Pieter J; van der Geest, Rob J; de Roos, Albert; Blom, Nico A; Roest, Arno A W; Elbaz, Mohammed S M

2018-01-05

The aim of the current study was to assess the scan-rescan reproducibility of left ventricular (LV) kinetic energy (KE), viscous energy loss (EL) and vorticity during diastole from four-dimensional flow magnetic resonance imaging (4D flow MRI) in healthy subjects. Twelve volunteers (age 27 ± 3 years) underwent whole-heart 4D flow MRI twice in one session. In-scan consistency was evaluated by correlation between KE and EL. EL index was computed to measure the amount of EL relative to KE over diastole. Scan-rescan analysis was performed to test reproducibility of volumetric measurements of KE, EL, EL index and vorticity in the LV over early (E) and late (A) diastolic filling. In-scan consistency between KE and EL was strong-excellent (E-filling scan1: r = 0.92, P < 0.001; scan2: ρ = 0.96, P < 0.001 and A-filling scan1: ρ = 0.87, P < 0.001; scan2: r = 0.99, P < 0.001). For the majority of subjects (10 out of 12), KE and EL measures showed good to strong reproducibility. However, with a wide range of agreement [intraclass correlation (ICC): 0.64-0.95] and coefficients of variation (CV) ≤ 25%. EL index showed strong reproducibility for all 12 subjects with a strong ICC (0.94, P < 0.001) and a CV of 9%. Scan-rescan reproducibility of volumetric vorticity showed good-excellent ICCs (0.83-0.95) with CVs ≤ 11%. In conclusion, the current study shows strong-excellent in-scan consistency and overall good agreement between scans for 4D flow MRI assessment of left ventricular kinetic energy, energy loss and vorticity over diastole. However, substantial differences between the scans were also found in some parameters in two out of twelve subjects. Strong reproducibility was found in the dimensionless EL index , which measures the amount of viscous energy loss relative to the average kinetic energy over diastole.

When Less is More: Feedback, Priming, and the Pseudoword Superiority Effect

PubMed Central

Massol, Stéphanie; Midgley, Katherine J.; Holcomb, Phillip J.; Grainger, Jonathan

2011-01-01

The present study combined masked priming with electrophysiological recordings to investigate orthographic priming effects with nonword targets. Targets were pronounceable nonwords (e.g., STRENG) or consonant strings (e.g., STRBNG), that both differed from a real word by a single letter substitution (STRONG). Targets were preceded by related primes that could be the same as the target (e.g., streng – STRENG, strbng-STRBNG) or the real word neighbor of the target (e.g., strong – STRENG, strong-STRBNG). Independently of priming, pronounceable nonwords were associated with larger negativities than consonant strings, starting at 290 ms post-target onset. Overall, priming effects were stronger and more long-lasting with pronounceable nonwords than consonant strings. However, consonant string targets showed an early effect of word neighbor priming in the absence of an effect of repetition priming, whereas pronounceable nonwords showed both repetition and word neighbor priming effects in the same time window. This pattern of priming effects is taken as evidence for feedback from whole-word orthographic representations activated by the prime stimulus that influences bottom-up processing of prelexical representations during target processing. PMID:21354110

Public knowledge and beliefs about depression among urban and rural Malays in Malaysia.

PubMed

Swami, Viren; Loo, Phik-Wern; Furnham, Adrian

2010-09-01

This study examined knowledge and beliefs about depression among Malaysian Malays varying in socioeconomic status. A total of 153 urban and 189 rural participants completed a questionnaire in which they had to identify two cases of depression and rate a series of items about the causes and best treatments for depression. Results showed that urban participants were more likely to use psychiatric labels ('depression') for the two vignettes, whereas rural participants tended to use more generic terms ('emotional stress'). Principal components analysis (PCA) showed that beliefs about the causes of depression factored into five components, of which stressful life events was most strongly endorsed by both groups. PCA of treatment items revealed four stable components, of which religious factors were most strongly endorsed. There were also a number of significant between-group differences in the endorsement of these factors (eta(p) (2) = .03-.11), with rural participants generally rating supernatural and religious factors more strongly than urban Malays. These results are discussed in relation to mental health literacy programmes in Malaysia.

[Evaluation of efficiency of traps baited with frequency trembler grid lamps and trap plants for control Heortia vitessoides infectwed in Aquilaria sinensis].

PubMed

Qiao, Hai-Li; Xu, Chang-Qing; Xu, Rong; Guo, Kun; Wei, Jian-He; Li, Xiang-Ming; Chen, Jun

2016-06-01

Heortia vitessoides has been a serious defoliating pest of Aquilaria sinensis forests in recent years.The adults displayed strong tropism to the frequency trembler grid lamps and the nectar source plants.The favorite nectar source plants of H.vitessoides adults as the trap plants and the frequency trembler grid lamps in the integrated management of H.vitessoides were studied in the adult eclosion period through both the laboratory and field.The results showed that Kuhnia rosmarnifolia and Santalum album plants showed strong attraction to the H.vitessoides adults, with significant differences among the different nectar source plants.K.rosmarnifolia and S.album as trap plants with board type of planting area to total planting area of 5%-10%, and the frequency trembler grid lamps trapped significantly more adults of H.vitessoides. These results suggested that the frequency trembler grid lamps and trap plants could play an important role in the integrated management of the pest H.vitessoides of A.sinensis. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Magnetic polarons in antiferromagnetic CaMnO3-x (x<0.01) probed by O17 NMR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trokiner, A.; Verkhovskii, S.; Yakubovskii, A.; Gerashenko, A.; Monod, P.; Kumagai, K.; Mikhalev, K.; Buzlukov, A.; Litvinova, Z.; Gorbenko, O.; Kaul, A.; Kartavtzeva, M.

2009-06-01

We study with O17 NMR and bulk magnetization a lightly electron doped CaMnO3-x (x<0.01) polycrystalline sample in the G -type antiferromagnetic state. The O17 NMR spectra show two lines with very different intensities corresponding to oxygen sites with very different local magnetic environments. The more intense unshifted line is due to the antiferromagnetic (AF) matrix. The thermal dependence of the magnetic moment of the AF sublattice deduced from the O17 linewidth is typical of insulating three-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets. The less intense, strongly shifted line directly evidences the existence of ferromagnetic (FM) domains embedded in the AF spin lattice. The extremely narrow line in zero magnetic field indicates a nearly perfect alignment of the manganese spins in the FM domains which also display an unusually weak temperature dependence of their magnetic moment. We show that these FM entities start to move above 40 K in a slow-diffusion regime. These static and dynamic properties bear a strong similarity with those of a small size self-trapped magnetic polaron.

Synthesis and mechanistic studies of curcumin analog-based oximes as potential anticancer agents.

PubMed

Qin, Hua-Li; Leng, Jing; Youssif, Bahaa G M; Amjad, Muhammad Wahab; Raja, Maria Abdul Ghafoor; Hussain, Muhammad Ajaz; Hussain, Zahid; Kazmi, Syeda Naveed; Bukhari, Syed Nasir Abbas

2017-09-01

The incidence of cancer can be decreased by chemoprevention using either natural or synthetic agents. Apart from synthetic compounds, numerous natural products have exhibited promising potential to inhibit carcinogenesis in vivo. In this study, α, β-unsaturated carbonyl-based anticancer compounds were used as starting materials to synthesize new oxime analogs. The findings from the antiproliferative assay using seven different human cancer cell lines provided a clear picture of structure-activity relationship. The oxime analogs namely 7a and 8a showed strong antiproliferative activity against the cell lines. The mechanistic effects of compounds on EGFR-TK kinases and tubulin polymerization and BRAF V 600E were investigated. In addition, the efficacy of compounds in reversing the efflux-mediated resistance developed by cancer cells was also studied. The compounds 5a and 6a displayed potent activity on various targets such as BRAF V 600E and EGFR-TK kinases and also exhibited strong antiproliferative activity against different cell lines hence showing potential of multifunctional anticancer agents. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

[Difference of water relationships of poplar trees in Zhangbei County, Hebei, China based on stable isotope and thermal dissipation method].

PubMed

Miao, Bo; Meng, Ping; Zhang, Jin Song; He, Fang Jie; Sun, Shou Jia

2017-07-18

The water sources and transpiration of poplar trees in Zhangbei County were measured using stable hydrogen isotope and thermal dissipation method. The differences in water relationships between dieback and non-dieback poplar trees were analyzed. The results showed that the dieback trees mainly used shallow water from 0-30 cm soil layer during growing season while the non-dieback trees mainly used water from 30-80 cm soil layer. There was a significant difference in water source between them. The non-dieback trees used more water from middle and deep soil layers than that of the dieback trees during the dry season. The percentage of poplar trees using water from 0-30 cm soil layer increased in wet season, and the increase of dieback trees was higher than that of non-dieback trees. The contributions of water from 30-180 cm soil layer of dieback and non-dieback trees both decreased in wet season. The sap flow rate of non-dieback trees was higher than that of dieback trees. There was a similar variation tend of sap flow rate between dieback and non-dieback trees in different weather conditions, but the start time of sap flow of non-dieback trees was earlier than that of dieback trees. Correlation analysis showed that the sap flow rate of either dieback or non-dieback poplar trees strongly related to soil temperature, wind speed, photosynthetically active radiation, relative humidity and air temperature. The sap flow rate of die-back poplar trees strongly negatively related to soil temperature and relative humidity, and strongly positively related to the other factors. The sap flow rate of non-dieback poplar trees only strongly negatively related to relative humidity but positively related to the other factors. The results revealed transpiration of both poplar trees was easily affected by environmental factors. The water consumption of dieback trees was less than non-dieback trees because the cumulative sap flow amount of dieback trees was lower. Reduced transpiration of dieback trees couldn't help to prevent poplar forest declining due to shallow water source.

Points of view: where do we look when we watch TV?

PubMed

Brasel, S Adam; Gips, James

2008-01-01

How is our gaze dispersed across the screen when watching television? An exploratory eyetracker study with a custom-designed show indicated a very strong center-of-screen bias with gaze points following a roughly normal distribution peaked near screen center. Examining the show across time revealed that people were rarely all looking at the same location, and the amount of gaze dispersion within frames was highly variable. Different forms of programming yielded different levels of dispersion: static network 'bumpers' created the tightest visual groupings, and gaze dispersion for frames with show content was less than the dispersion for commercials. Advertising frames with brand logos generated higher dispersion than the non-branded advertisement portions, and repeated advertisements generated higher dispersion than their first-run counterparts.

Revealing the synergetic effects in Ni nanoparticle-carbon nanotube hybrids by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and their application in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Guanqi; Zhong, Jun; Wang, Jian; Sham, Tsun-Kong; Sun, Xuhui; Lee, Shuit-Tong

2015-05-01

The hybrids of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the supported Ni nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and tested by the hydrolysis reaction of ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3). Data clearly showed the existence of a strong interaction between Ni NPs and thin CNTs (C-O-Ni bonds), which favored the tunable (buffer) electronic structure of Ni NPs facilitating the catalytic process. The hydrolysis process of AB confirmed the hypothesis that the hybrids with a strong interfacial interaction would show superior catalytic performance, while the hybrids with a weak interfacial interaction show poor performance. Our results provide a wealth of detailed information regarding the electronic structure of the NP-CNT hybrids and provide guidance towards the rational design of high-performance catalysts for energy applications.The hybrids of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and the supported Ni nanoparticles (NPs) have been studied by scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) and tested by the hydrolysis reaction of ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3). Data clearly showed the existence of a strong interaction between Ni NPs and thin CNTs (C-O-Ni bonds), which favored the tunable (buffer) electronic structure of Ni NPs facilitating the catalytic process. The hydrolysis process of AB confirmed the hypothesis that the hybrids with a strong interfacial interaction would show superior catalytic performance, while the hybrids with a weak interfacial interaction show poor performance. Our results provide a wealth of detailed information regarding the electronic structure of the NP-CNT hybrids and provide guidance towards the rational design of high-performance catalysts for energy applications. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Magnified TEM images, high resolution TEM images and the particle size distributions of the samples, the STXM results of a thick tube at different positions, XPS results, stability test. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01168j

Plant regulation of greenhouse gas emissions and carbon lability in a Neotropical peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Girkin, Nicholas; Vane, Christopher; Turner, Benjamin; Ostle, Nicholas; Sjogersten, Sofie

2017-04-01

Tropical peatlands are under significant threat from land use changes but there remains a significant knowledge gap regarding the influences of contrasting plant types on greenhouse gas emissions and belowground carbon dynamics. We investigated differences in surface CO2 and CH4 fluxes and differences in soil organic carbon chemistry under contrasting surface vegetation types, a palm (Raphia taedigera) and a broadleaved evergreen tree (Campnosperma panamensis), in a Neotropical peatland. CO2 and CH4 production differed significantly between species, with higher fluxes measured under R. taedigera. There were significant differences in peat carbon properties under each species as revealed by Rock-Eval pyrolysis. Peat from under each species showed contrasting trends in degradation inside and outside the rooting zone, and strong differences in the presence of the most labile fractions of carbon. These results highlight the strong impacts that surface vegetation can have on surface gas emissions as well as the influences exerted on peat carbon chemistry within a tropical forested peatland, with implications for our understanding of changes in land use type across the tropics.

Distinguishing autofluorescence of normal, benign, and cancerous breast tissues through wavelet domain correlation studies.

PubMed

Gharekhan, Anita H; Arora, Siddharth; Oza, Ashok N; Sureshkumar, Mundan B; Pradhan, Asima; Panigrahi, Prasanta K

2011-08-01

Using the multiresolution ability of wavelets and effectiveness of singular value decomposition (SVD) to identify statistically robust parameters, we find a number of local and global features, capturing spectral correlations in the co- and cross-polarized channels, at different scales (of human breast tissues). The copolarized component, being sensitive to intrinsic fluorescence, shows different behavior for normal, benign, and cancerous tissues, in the emission domain of known fluorophores, whereas the perpendicular component, being more prone to the diffusive effect of scattering, points out differences in the Kernel-Smoother density estimate employed to the principal components, between malignant, normal, and benign tissues. The eigenvectors, corresponding to the dominant eigenvalues of the correlation matrix in SVD, also exhibit significant differences between the three tissue types, which clearly reflects the differences in the spectral correlation behavior. Interestingly, the most significant distinguishing feature manifests in the perpendicular component, corresponding to porphyrin emission range in the cancerous tissue. The fact that perpendicular component is strongly influenced by depolarization, and porphyrin emissions in cancerous tissue has been found to be strongly depolarized, may be the possible cause of the above observation.

Observation of universal strong orbital-dependent correlation effects in iron chalcogenides

DOE PAGES

Yi, M.; Liu, Z. -K.; Zhang, Y.; ...

2015-07-23

Establishing the appropriate theoretical framework for unconventional superconductivity in the iron-based materials requires correct understanding of both the electron correlation strength and the role of Fermi surfaces. This fundamental issue becomes especially relevant with the discovery of the iron chalcogenide superconductors. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure three representative iron chalcogenides, FeTe 0.56Se 0.44, monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO 3 and K 0.76Fe 1.72Se 2. We show that these superconductors are all strongly correlated, with an orbital-selective strong renormalization in the dxy bands despite having drastically different Fermi surface topologies. Furthermore, raising temperature brings all three compounds frommore » a metallic state to a phase where the dxy orbital loses all spectral weight while other orbitals remain itinerant. As a result, these observations establish that iron chalcogenides display universal orbital-selective strong correlations that are insensitive to the Fermi surface topology, and are close to an orbital-selective Mott phase, hence placing strong constraints for theoretical understanding of iron-based superconductors.« less

Observation of universal strong orbital-dependent correlation effects in iron chalcogenides

PubMed Central

Yi, M.; Liu, Z-K; Zhang, Y.; Yu, R.; Zhu, J.-X.; Lee, J.J.; Moore, R.G.; Schmitt, F.T.; Li, W.; Riggs, S.C.; Chu, J.-H.; Lv, B.; Hu, J.; Hashimoto, M.; Mo, S.-K.; Hussain, Z.; Mao, Z.Q.; Chu, C.W.; Fisher, I.R.; Si, Q.; Shen, Z.-X.; Lu, D.H.

2015-01-01

Establishing the appropriate theoretical framework for unconventional superconductivity in the iron-based materials requires correct understanding of both the electron correlation strength and the role of Fermi surfaces. This fundamental issue becomes especially relevant with the discovery of the iron chalcogenide superconductors. Here, we use angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy to measure three representative iron chalcogenides, FeTe0.56Se0.44, monolayer FeSe grown on SrTiO3 and K0.76Fe1.72Se2. We show that these superconductors are all strongly correlated, with an orbital-selective strong renormalization in the dxy bands despite having drastically different Fermi surface topologies. Furthermore, raising temperature brings all three compounds from a metallic state to a phase where the dxy orbital loses all spectral weight while other orbitals remain itinerant. These observations establish that iron chalcogenides display universal orbital-selective strong correlations that are insensitive to the Fermi surface topology, and are close to an orbital-selective Mott phase, hence placing strong constraints for theoretical understanding of iron-based superconductors. PMID:26204461

Processing deficits and the mediation of positive affect in persuasion.

PubMed

Mackie, D M; Worth, L T

1989-07-01

Motivational and cognitive mediators of the reduced processing of persuasive messages shown by recipients in a positive mood were tested. Ss in positive or neutral moods read strong or weak counterattitudinal advocadies for either a limited time or for as long as they wanted. Under limited exposure conditions, neutral mood Ss showed attitude change indicative of systemic processing, whereas positive mood Ss showed no differentiation of strong and weak versions of the message. When message exposure was unlimited, positive mood Ss viewed the message longer than did neutral mood Ss and systematically processed it rather than relying on persuasion heuristics. These findings replicated with 2 manipulations of mood and 2 different attitude issues. We interpret the results as providing evidence that reduced cognitive capacity to process the message contributes to the decrements shown by positive mood Ss.

Mechanisms and microevolutionary consequences of social homogamy in a 19th-century Italian community.

PubMed

Manfredini, Matteo

2009-02-01

Abstract Choosing a spouse has always been an event subjected to strong social control. Consideration of socioprofessional elements is therefore necessary for an in-depth understanding of the microevolutionary consequences of marriage. Thus in this paper I explore the extent and causes of reproduction isolation between different socioprofessional groups of a 19th-century Italian community, Casalguidi. Various features of mate choice pattern were investigated by means of individual-level data. The results show that Casalguidi was a community with strong socioeconomic internal boundaries, in which social belonging mattered much more than geographic provenience. The bourgeoisie showed such a high degree of social homogamy that it was almost reproductively isolated. Much more openness and less isolation was found between the two categories of farm laborers and sharecroppers, and day laborers.

A simple model for strong ground motions and response spectra

USGS Publications Warehouse

Safak, Erdal; Mueller, Charles; Boatwright, John

1988-01-01

A simple model for the description of strong ground motions is introduced. The model shows that response spectra can be estimated by using only four parameters of the ground motion, the RMS acceleration, effective duration and two corner frequencies that characterize the effective frequency band of the motion. The model is windowed band-limited white noise, and is developed by studying the properties of two functions, cumulative squared acceleration in the time domain, and cumulative squared amplitude spectrum in the frequency domain. Applying the methods of random vibration theory, the model leads to a simple analytical expression for the response spectra. The accuracy of the model is checked by using the ground motion recordings from the aftershock sequences of two different earthquakes and simulated accelerograms. The results show that the model gives a satisfactory estimate of the response spectra.

Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping.

PubMed

Slomka, Kajetan; Juras, Grzegorz; Sobota, Grzegorz; Furmanek, Mariusz; Rzepko, Marian; Latash, Mark L

2015-12-22

We explored synergies between two legs and two subjects during preparation for a long jump into a target. Synergies were expected during one-person jumping. No such synergies were expected between two persons jumping in parallel without additional contact, while synergies were expected to emerge with haptic contact and become stronger with strong mechanical contact. Subjects performed jumps either alone (each foot standing on a separate force platform) or in dyads (parallel to each other, each person standing on a separate force platform) without any contact, with haptic contact, and with strong coupling. Strong negative correlations between pairs of force variables (strong synergies) were seen in the vertical force in one-person jumps and weaker synergies in two-person jumps with the strong contact. For other force variables, only weak synergies were present in one-person jumps and no negative correlations between pairs of force variable for two-person jumps. Pairs of moment variables from the two force platforms at steady state showed positive correlations, which were strong in one-person jumps and weaker, but still significant, in two-person jumps with the haptic and strong contact. Anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to action initiation were observed in one-person trials only. We interpret the different results for the force and moment variables at steady state as reflections of postural sway.

Intra-Personal and Inter-Personal Kinetic Synergies During Jumping

PubMed Central

Slomka, Kajetan; Juras, Grzegorz; Sobota, Grzegorz; Furmanek, Mariusz; Rzepko, Marian; Latash, Mark L.

2015-01-01

We explored synergies between two legs and two subjects during preparation for a long jump into a target. Synergies were expected during one-person jumping. No such synergies were expected between two persons jumping in parallel without additional contact, while synergies were expected to emerge with haptic contact and become stronger with strong mechanical contact. Subjects performed jumps either alone (each foot standing on a separate force platform) or in dyads (parallel to each other, each person standing on a separate force platform) without any contact, with haptic contact, and with strong coupling. Strong negative correlations between pairs of force variables (strong synergies) were seen in the vertical force in one-person jumps and weaker synergies in two-person jumps with the strong contact. For other force variables, only weak synergies were present in one-person jumps and no negative correlations between pairs of force variable for two-person jumps. Pairs of moment variables from the two force platforms at steady state showed positive correlations, which were strong in one-person jumps and weaker, but still significant, in two-person jumps with the haptic and strong contact. Anticipatory synergy adjustments prior to action initiation were observed in one-person trials only. We interpret the different results for the force and moment variables at steady state as reflections of postural sway. PMID:26839608

Sex matters: Systemic complement activity of female C57BL/6J and BALB/cJ mice is limited by serum terminal pathway components.

PubMed

Kotimaa, Juha; Klar-Mohammad, Ngaisah; Gueler, Faikah; Schilders, Geurt; Jansen, Aswin; Rutjes, Helma; Daha, Mohamed R; van Kooten, Cees

2016-08-01

Experimental mouse models have been extensively used to elucidate the role of the complement system in different diseases and injuries. Contribution of gender has revealed an intriguing gender specific difference; female mice often show protection against most complement driven injuries such as ischemia/reperfusion injury, graft rejection and sepsis. Interestingly, early studies to the mouse complement system revealed that female mice have very low total complement activity (CH50), which is related to androgen regulation of hepatic complement synthesis. Here, our aim was to understand at which level the female specific differences in mouse complement resides. We have used recently developed complement assays to study the functional activities of female and male mice at the level of C3 and C9 activation, and furthermore assayed key complement factor levels in serum of age-matched female and male C57BL/6 mice. Our results show that the female mice have normal complement cascade functionality at the level of C3 activation, which was supported by determinations of early complement factors. However, all pathways are strongly reduced at the level of C9 activation, suggesting a terminal pathway specific difference. This was in line with C6 and C9 measurements, showing strongly decreased levels in females. Furthermore, similar gender differences were also found in BALB/cJ mice, but not in CD-1 mice. Our results clearly demonstrate that the complement system in females of frequently used mouse strains is restricted by the terminal pathway components and that the perceived female specific protection against experimental disease and injury might be in part explained by the inability promote inflammation through C5b-9. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Cultural modes of expressing emotions influence how emotions are experienced.

PubMed

Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen; Yang, Xiao-Fei; Damasio, Hanna

2016-10-01

The brain's mapping of bodily responses during emotion contributes to emotional experiences, or feelings. Culture influences emotional expressiveness, that is, the magnitude of individuals' bodily responses during emotion. So, are cultural influences on behavioral expressiveness associated with differences in how individuals experience emotion? Chinese and American young adults reported how strongly admiration- and compassion-inducing stories made them feel, first in a private interview and then during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). As expected, Americans were more expressive in the interview. Although expressiveness did not predict stronger reported feelings or neural responses during fMRI, in both cultural groups more-expressive people showed tighter trial-by-trial correlations between their experienced strength of emotion and activations in visceral-somatosensory cortex, even after controlling for individuals' overall strength of reactions (neural and felt). Moreover, expressiveness mediated a previously described cultural effect in which activations in visceral-somatosensory cortex correlated with feeling strength among Americans but not among Chinese. Post hoc supplementary analyses revealed that more-expressive individuals reached peak activation of visceral-somatosensory cortex later in the emotion process and took longer to decide how strongly they felt. The results together suggest that differences in expressiveness correspond to differences in how somatosensory mechanisms contribute to constructing conscious feelings. By influencing expressiveness, culture may therefore influence how individuals know how strongly they feel, what conscious feelings are based on, or possibly what strong versus weak emotions "feel like." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Cultural Modes of Expressing Emotions Influence How Emotions Are Experienced

PubMed Central

Immordino-Yang, Mary Helen; Yang, Xiao-Fei; Damasio, Hanna

2016-01-01

The brain’s mapping of bodily responses during emotion contributes to emotional experiences, or feelings. Culture influences emotional expressiveness, i.e. the magnitude of individuals’ bodily responses during emotion. So, are cultural influences on behavioral expressiveness associated with differences in how individuals experience emotion? Chinese and American young adults reported how strongly admiration and compassion-inducing stories made them feel, first in a private interview and then during fMRI. As expected, Americans were more expressive in the interview. While expressiveness did not predict stronger reported feelings or neural responses during fMRI, in both cultural groups more expressive people showed tighter trial-by-trial correlations between their experienced strength of emotion and activations in visceral-somatosensory cortex, even after controlling for individuals’ overall strength of reactions (neural and felt). Moreover, expressiveness mediated a previously described cultural effect in which activations in visceral-somatosensory cortex correlated with feeling strength among Americans but not among Chinese. Post-hoc supplementary analyses revealed that more expressive individuals reached peak activation of visceral-somatosensory cortex later in the emotion process and took longer to decide how strongly they felt. The results together suggest that differences in expressiveness correspond to differences in how somatosensory mechanisms contribute to constructing conscious feelings. By influencing expressiveness, culture may therefore influence how individuals know how strongly they feel, what conscious feelings are based on, or possibly what strong versus weak emotions “feel like.” PMID:27270077

Molecular characterization and genomic distribution of Isis: a new retrotransposon of Drosophila buzzatii.

PubMed

García Guerreiro, M P; Fontdevila, A

2007-01-01

A new transposable element, Isis, is identified as a LTR retrotransposon in Drosophila buzzatii. DNA sequence analysis shows that Isis contains three long ORFs similar to gag, pol and env genes of retroviruses. The ORF1 exhibits sequence homology to matrix, capsid and nucleocapsid gag proteins and ORF2 encodes a putative protease (PR), a reverse transcriptase (RT), an Rnase H (RH) and an integrase (IN) region. The analysis of a putative env product, encoded by the env ORF3, shows a degenerated protein containing several stop codons. The molecular study of the putative proteins coded by this new element shows striking similarities to both Ulysses and Osvaldo elements, two LTR retrotransposons, present in D. virilis and D. buzzatii, respectively. Comparisons of the predicted Isis RT to several known retrotransposons show strong phylogenetic relationships to gypsy-like elements, particulary to Ulysses retrotransposon. Studies of Isis chromosomal distribution show a strong hybridization signal in centromeric and pericentromeric regions, and a scattered distribution along all chromosomal arms. The existence of insertional polymorphisms between different strains and high molecular weight bands by Southern blot suggests the existence of full-sized copies that have been active recently. The presence of euchromatic insertion sites coincident between Isis and Osvaldo could indicate preferential insertion sites of Osvaldo element into Isis sequence or vice versa. Moreover, the presence of Isis in different species of the buzzatii complex indicates the ancient origin of this element.

Inhibition of exportin-1 function results in rapid cell cycle-associated DNA damage in cancer cells

PubMed Central

Burke, Russell T.; Marcus, Joshua M.; Orth, James D.

2017-01-01

Selective inhibitors of nuclear export (SINE) are small molecules in development as anti-cancer agents. The first-in-class SINE, selinexor, is in clinical trials for blood and solid cancers. Selinexor forms a covalent bond with exportin-1 at cysteine-528, and blocks its ability to export cargos. Previous work has shown strong cell cycle effects and drug-induced cell death across many different cancer-derived cell lines. Here, we report strong cell cycle-associated DNA double-stranded break formation upon the treatment of cancer cells with SINE. In multiple cell models, selinexor treatment results in the formation of clustered DNA damage foci in 30-40% of cells within 8 hours that is dependent upon cysteine-528. DNA damage strongly correlates with G1/S-phase and decreased DNA replication. Live cell microscopy reveals an association between DNA damage and cell fate. Cells that form damage in G1-phase more often die or arrest, while those damaged in S/G2-phase frequently progress to cell division. Up to half of all treated cells form damage foci, and most cells that die after being damaged, were damaged in G1-phase. By comparison, non-transformed cell lines show strong cell cycle effects but little DNA damage and less death than cancer cells. Significant drug combination effects occur when selinexor is paired with different classes of agents that either cause DNA damage or that diminish DNA damage repair. These data present a novel effect of exportin-1 inhibition and provide a strong rationale for multiple combination treatments of selinexor with agents that are currently in use for the treatment of different solid cancers. PMID:28467801

Carry-Over of Force Production Symmetry in Athletes of Differing Strength Levels.

PubMed

Bailey, Christopher A; Sato, Kimitake; Burnett, Angus; Stone, Michael H

2015-11-01

This study sought to determine the level of association between bilateral force production symmetry assessment methods (standing weight distribution [WtD], unloaded and lightly loaded jumps, and isometric strength) and to determine whether the amount of symmetry carry-over between these tasks differs for strong and weak athletes. Subjects for this study included male (n = 31) and female (n = 32) athletes from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I sports. Athletes performed WtD, unloaded and lightly loaded (20 kg) static and countermovement jumps, and isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) assessments on 2 adjacent force plates. Ground reaction force data were used to calculate symmetry variables and performance-related variables. Using Pearson zero order correlations, evaluations of the amount of symmetry carry-over were made. Weight distribution correlated strongly with jump peak force (PF) (r = 0.628-0.664). Strong relationships were also observed between loading conditions for jump variables (r = 0.568-0.957) as were the relationships between jump types for PF, peak power, and net impulse (r = 0.506-0.834). Based on the pooled sample, there was a lack of association between IMTP and WtD for jump symmetry variables. However, when examining strong and weak groups, rate of force development showed moderate to strong symmetry carry-over in the strongest athletes (r = 0.416-0.589). Stronger athletes appear to display similar explosive strength symmetry characteristics in dynamic and isometric assessments, unlike weaker athletes. Strength seems to influence the amount of force production symmetry carry-over between bilateral assessments. There may be optimal loads and variables for symmetry assessment, but these may differ based on population characteristics.

Hypoalgesia in response to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) depends on stimulation intensity.

PubMed

Moran, Fidelma; Leonard, Tracey; Hawthorne, Stephanie; Hughes, Ciara M; McCrum-Gardner, Evie; Johnson, Mark I; Rakel, Barbara A; Sluka, Kathleen A; Walsh, Deirdre M

2011-08-01

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is an electrophysical modality used for pain management. This study investigated the dose response of different TENS intensities on experimentally induced pressure pain. One hundred and thirty TENS naïve healthy individuals (18-64 years old; 65 males, 65 females) were randomly allocated to 5 groups (n = 26 per group): Strong Non Painful TENS; Sensory Threshold TENS; Below Sensory Threshold TENS; No Current Placebo TENS; and Transient Placebo TENS. Active TENS (80 Hz) was applied to the forearm for 30 minutes. Transient Placebo TENS was applied for 42 seconds after which the current amplitude automatically reset to 0 mA. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) were recorded from 2 points on the hand and forearm before and after TENS to measure hypoalgesia. There were significant differences between groups at both the hand and forearm (ANOVA; P = .005 and .002). At 30 minutes, there was a significant hypoalgesic effect in the Strong Non Painful TENS group compared to: Below Sensory Threshold TENS, No Current Placebo TENS and Transient Placebo TENS groups (P < .0001) at the forearm; Transient Placebo TENS and No Current Placebo TENS groups at the hand (P = .001). There was no significant difference between Strong Non Painful TENS and Sensory Threshold TENS groups. The area under the curve for the changes in PPT significantly correlated with the current amplitude (r(2) = .33, P = .003). These data therefore show that there is a dose-response effect of TENS with the largest effect occurring with the highest current amplitudes. This study shows a dose response for the intensity of TENS for pain relief with the strongest intensities showing the greatest effect; thus, we suggest that TENS intensity should be titrated to achieve the strongest possible intensity to achieve maximum pain relief. Copyright © 2011 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Determination of the influence of C24 D/(2R)- and L/(2S)-isomers of the CER[AP] on the lamellar structure of stratum corneum model systems using neutron diffraction.

PubMed

Schmitt, Thomas; Lange, Stefan; Sonnenberger, Stefan; Dobner, Bodo; Demé, Bruno; Neubert, Reinhard H H; Gooris, Gert; Bouwstra, Joke A

2017-12-01

This study was able to investigate the different influence of the d- and l-ceramide [AP] on the lamellar as well as molecular nanostructure of stratum corneum simulating lipid model mixtures. In this case, neutron diffraction together with specifically deuterated ceramide was used as an effective tool to investigate the lamellar and the molecular nanostructure of the mixtures. It could clearly be demonstrated, that both isomers show distinctly different characteristics, even though the variation between both is only a single differently arranged OH-group. The l-ceramide [AP] promotes a crystalline like phase behaviour even if mixed with ceramide [NP], cholesterol and free fatty acids. The d-ceramide [AP] only shows crystalline-like features if mixed only with cholesterol and free fatty acids but adopts a native-like behaviour if additionally mixed with ceramide [NP]. It furthermore demonstrates that the l-ceramide [AP] should not be used for any applications concerning ceramide substitution. It could however possibly serve its own purpose, if this crystalline like behaviour has some kind of positive influence on the SC or can be utilized for any practical applications. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the diastereomers of ceramide [AP] are an attractive target for further research because their influence on the lamellar as well as the nanostructure is exceptionally strong. Additionally, the results furthermore show a very strong influence on hydration of the model membrane. With these properties, the d-ceramide [AP] could be effectively used to simulate native like behaviour even in very simple mixtures and could also have a strong impact on the native stratum corneum as well as high relevance for dermal ceramide substitution. The unnatural l-ceramide [AP] on the other hand should be investigated further, to assess its applicability. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Equivalence classes of Fibonacci lattices and their similarity properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lo Gullo, N.; Vittadello, L.; Bazzan, M.; Dell'Anna, L.

2016-08-01

We investigate, theoretically and experimentally, the properties of Fibonacci lattices with arbitrary spacings. Different from periodic structures, the reciprocal lattice and the dynamical properties of Fibonacci lattices depend strongly on the lengths of their lattice parameters, even if the sequence of long and short segment, the Fibonacci string, is the same. In this work we show that by exploiting a self-similarity property of Fibonacci strings under a suitable composition rule, it is possible to define equivalence classes of Fibonacci lattices. We show that the diffraction patterns generated by Fibonacci lattices belonging to the same equivalence class can be rescaled to a common pattern of strong diffraction peaks thus giving to this classification a precise meaning. Furthermore we show that, through the gap labeling theorem, gaps in the energy spectra of Fibonacci crystals belonging to the same class can be labeled by the same momenta (up to a proper rescaling) and that the larger gaps correspond to the strong peaks of the diffraction spectra. This observation makes the definition of equivalence classes meaningful also for the spectral and therefore dynamical and thermodynamical properties of quasicrystals. Our results apply to the more general class of quasiperiodic lattices for which similarity under a suitable deflation rule is in order.

Strong fields and QED as function of the g-factor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafelski, Johann; Labun, Lance

2012-10-01

Precision QED experiments (muon g-2 and Lamb shift) require understanding of QED with arbitrary gyromagnetic ratio g>2. We will first show that the need to have a renormalizable theory requires for g>2 reformulation in terms of Klein-Gordon-Pauli (KGP) equation. Using KGP, we obtain the nonperturbative effective action of QED within Schwinger proper time method in arbitrarily strong quasi-constant external electromagnetic fields as a function of g. The expression is divergent for |g|>2, given the magnetic instability of the vacuum due to the lowest Landau orbit eigenenergy having an indefinite value in strong magnetic fields. The spectrum of Landau eigenvalues for KGP in a magnetic field is an exact periodic function of g, no states are disappearing from the spectrum. This periodicity allows to establish a generalized form of the effective action valid for all g. We show the presence of a cusp at the periodic points g=-6,-2,2,6. Consequently, the QED beta function and parts of light-by-light scattering differ from perturbative computation near to g=2 and an asymptotically free domain of g for QED arises. We further show that only for g=(2N+1) there is exact correspondence of a field-dependent quasi-temperature and the Unruh Temperature.

On the universality of I-Love-Q relations in magnetized neutron stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haskell, B.; Ciolfi, R.; Pannarale, F.; Rezzolla, L.

2014-02-01

Recently, general relations among the quadrupole moment (Q), the moment of inertia (I) and the tidal deformability (Love number) of a neutron star were shown to exist. They are nearly independent of the nuclear matter equation of state and would be of great aid in extracting parameters from observed gravitational waves and in testing general relativity. These relations, however, do not account for strong magnetic fields. We consider this problem by studying the effect of a strong magnetic field on slowly rotating relativistic neutron stars and show that, for simple magnetic field configurations that are purely poloidal or purely toroidal, the relation between Q and I is again nearly universal. However, different magnetic field geometries lead to different I-Q relations, and, in the case of a more realistic twisted-torus magnetic field configuration, the relation depends significantly on the equation of state, losing its universality. I-Love-Q relations must thus be used with very great care, since universality is lost for stars with long spin periods, i.e. P ≳ 10 s, and strong magnetic fields, i.e. B ≳ 1012 G.

Can chronic multimorbidity explain the age-related differences in strength, speed and balance in older adults?

PubMed

Welmer, Anna-Karin; Kåreholt, Ingemar; Angleman, Sara; Rydwik, Elisabeth; Fratiglioni, Laura

2012-10-01

It is known that physical performance declines with age in general, however there remains much to be understood in terms of age-related differences amongst older adults across a variety of physical components (such as speed, strength and balance), and particularly in terms of the role played by multimorbidity of chronic diseases. We aimed to detect the age-related differences across four components of physical performance and to explore to what extent chronic diseases and multimorbidity may explain such differences. We analyzed cross-sectional data from a population-based sample of 3323 people, aged 60 years and older from the SNAC-K study, Stockholm, Sweden. Physical performance was assessed by trained nurses using several tests (grip strength, walking speed, balance and chair stands). Clinical diagnoses were made by the examining physician based on clinical history and examination. Censored normal regression analyses showed that the 72-90+ year-old persons had 17-40% worse grip strength, 44-86% worse balance, 30-86% worse chair stand score, and 21-59% worse walking speed, compared with the 60-66 year-old persons. Chronic diseases were strongly associated with physical impairment, and this association was particularly strong among the younger men. However, chronic diseases explained only some of the age-related differences in physical performance. When controlling for chronic diseases in the analyses, the age-related differences in physical performance changed 1-11%. In spite of the strong association between multimorbidity and physical impairment, chronic morbidities explained only a small part of the age-related differences in physical performance.

Interplay between short-range correlated disorder and Coulomb interaction in nodal-line semimetals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Yuxuan; Nandkishore, Rahul M.

2017-09-01

In nodal-line semimetals, Coulomb interactions and short-range correlated disorder are both marginal perturbations to the clean noninteracting Hamiltonian. We analyze their interplay using a weak-coupling renormalization group approach. In the clean case, the Coulomb interaction has been found to be marginally irrelevant, leading to Fermi liquid behavior. We extend the analysis to incorporate the effects of disorder. The nodal line structure gives rise to kinematical constraints similar to that for a two-dimensional Fermi surface, which plays a crucial role in the one-loop renormalization of the disorder couplings. For a twofold degenerate nodal loop (Weyl loop), we show that disorder flows to strong coupling along a unique fixed trajectory in the space of symmetry inequivalent disorder couplings. Along this fixed trajectory, all symmetry inequivalent disorder strengths become equal. For a fourfold degenerate nodal loop (Dirac loop), disorder also flows to strong coupling, however, the strengths of symmetry inequivalent disorder couplings remain different. We show that feedback from disorder reverses the sign of the beta function for the Coulomb interaction, causing the Coulomb interaction to flow to strong coupling as well. However, the Coulomb interaction flows to strong coupling asymptotically more slowly than disorder. Extrapolating our results to strong coupling, we conjecture that at low energies nodal line semimetals should be described by a noninteracting nonlinear sigma model. We discuss the relation of our results with possible many-body localization at zero temperatures in such materials.

Turbulence Statistics of a Buoyant Jet in a Stratified Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCleney, Amy Brooke

Using non-intrusive optical diagnostics, turbulence statistics for a round, incompressible, buoyant, and vertical jet discharging freely into a stably linear stratified environment is studied and compared to a reference case of a neutrally buoyant jet in a uniform environment. This is part of a validation campaign for computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Buoyancy forces are known to significantly affect the jet evolution in a stratified environment. Despite their ubiquity in numerous natural and man-made flows, available data in these jets are limited, which constrain our understanding of the underlying physical processes. In particular, there is a dearth of velocity field data, which makes it challenging to validate numerical codes, currently used for modeling these important flows. Herein, jet near- and far-field behaviors are obtained with a combination of planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) and multi-scale time-resolved particle image velocimetry (TR-PIV) for Reynolds number up to 20,000. Deploying non-intrusive optical diagnostics in a variable density environment is challenging in liquids. The refractive index is strongly affected by the density, which introduces optical aberrations and occlusions that prevent the resolution of the flow. One solution consists of using index matched fluids with different densities. Here a pair of water solutions - isopropanol and NaCl - are identified that satisfy these requirements. In fact, they provide a density difference up to 5%, which is the largest reported for such fluid pairs. Additionally, by design, the kinematic viscosities of the solutions are identical. This greatly simplifies the analysis and subsequent simulations of the data. The spectral and temperature dependence of the solutions are fully characterized. In the near-field, shear layer roll-up is analyzed and characterized as a function of initial velocity profile. In the far-field, turbulence statistics are reported for two different scales, one capturing the entire jet at near Taylor microscale resolution, and the other, thanks to the careful refractive index matching of the liquids, resolving the Taylor scale at near Kolmogorov scale resolution. This is accomplished using a combination of TR-PIV and long-distance micro-PIV. The turbulence statistics obtained at various downstream locations and magnifications are obtained for density differences of 0%, 1%, and 3%. To validate the experimental methodology and provide a reference case for validation, the effect of initial velocity profile on the neutrally buoyant jet in the self-preserving regime is studied at two Reynolds numbers of 10,000 and 20,000. For the neutrally buoyant jet, it is found that independent of initial conditions the jet follows a self-similar behavior in the far-field; however, the spreading rate is strongly dependent on initial velocity profile. High magnification analysis at the small turbulent length scales shows a flow field where the mean statistics compare well to the larger field of view case. Investigation of the near-field shows the jet is strongly influenced by buoyancy, where an increase in vortex ring formation frequency and number of pairings occur. The buoyant jet with a 1% density difference shows an alteration of the centerline velocity decay, but the radial distribution of the mean axial velocity collapses well at all measurement locations. Jet formation dramatically changes for a buoyant jet with a 3% density difference, where the jet reaches a terminal height and spreads out horizontally at its neutral buoyancy location. Analysis of both the mean axial velocity and strain rates show the jet is no longer self-similar; for example, the mean centerline velocity does not decay uniformly as the jet develops. The centerline strain rates at this density difference also show trends which are strongly influenced by the altered centerline velocity. The overall centerline analysis shows that turbulence suppression occurs as a result of the stratification for both the 1% and 3% density difference. Analysis on the kinetic energy budget shows that the mean convection, production, transportation, and dissipation of energy is altered from stratification. High resolution data of the jet enable flow structures to be captured in the neutrally buoyant region of the flow. Vortices of different sizes are identified. Longer data sets are necessary to perform a statistical analysis of their distribution and to compare them to homogeneous environment case. This multi-scale analysis shows potential for studying energy transfer between length scales.

Dimensional differences for evaluating the quality of footwear fit.

PubMed

Witana, Channa P; Feng, Jiejian; Goonetilleke, Ravindra S

2004-10-10

Very few standards exist for fitting products to people. Footwear is a noteworthy example. This study is an attempt to evaluate the quality of footwear fit using two-dimensional foot outlines. Twenty Hong Kong Chinese students participated in an experiment that involved three pairs of dress shoes and one pair of athletic shoes. The participants' feet were scanned using a commercial laser scanner, and each participant wore and rated the fit of each region of each shoe. The shoe lasts were also scanned and were used to match the foot scans with the last scans. The ANOVA showed significant (p < 0.05) differences among the four pairs of shoes for the overall, fore-foot and rear-foot fit ratings. There were no significant differences among shoes for mid-foot fit rating. These perceived differences were further analysed after matching the 2D outlines of both last and feet. The point-wise dimensional difference between foot and shoe outlines were computed and analysed after normalizing with foot perimeter. The dimensional difference (DD) plots along the foot perimeter showed that fore-foot fit was strongly correlated (R(2) > 0.8) with two of the minimums in the DD-plot while mid-foot fit was strongly correlated (R(2) > 0.9) with the dimensional difference around the arch region and a point on the lateral side of the foot. The DD-plots allow the designer to determine the critical locations that may affect footwear fit in addition to quantifying the nature of misfit so that design changes to shape and material may be possible.

Comparison of AVHRR and SMMR data for monitoring vegetation phenology on a continental scale

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Justice, C. O.; Townshend, J. R. G.; Choudhury, B. J.

1989-01-01

AVHRR normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data for a one-year period were compared with Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer microwave polarization difference temperature (MPDT) data for the study of vegetation phenology. It is shown that the MPDT response differs considerably from the seasonal NDVI pattern. The results do not support the hypothetical relationship between MPDT and leaf water content. It is found that only vegetation types with a substantial seasonal variation in the areal extent of vegetated cover show strong seasonality in MPDT data.

Promiscuity drives sexual selection in a socially monogamous bird.

PubMed

Webster, Michael S; Tarvin, Keith A; Tuttle, Elaina M; Pruett-Jones, Stephen

2007-09-01

Many socially monogamous species paradoxically show signs of strong sexual selection, suggesting cryptic sources of sexual competition among males. Darwin argued that sexual selection could operate in monogamous systems if breeding sex ratios are biased or if some males attract highly fecund females. Alternatively, sexual selection might result from promiscuous copulations outside the pair bond, although several recent studies have cast doubt on this possibility, in particular by showing that variance in apparent male reproductive success (number of social young) differs little from variance in actual male reproductive success (number of young sired). Our results from a long-term study of the socially monogamous splendid fairy-wren (Malurus splendens) demonstrate that such comparisons are misleading and do not adequately assess the effects of extra-pair paternity (EPP). By partitioning the opportunity for selection and calculating Bateman gradients, we show that EPP has a strong effect on male annual and lifetime fitness, whereas other proposed mechanisms of sexual selection do not. Thus, EPP drives sexual selection in this, and possibly other, socially monogamous species.

The Marburg-Münster Affective Disorders Cohort Study (MACS): A quality assurance protocol for MR neuroimaging data.

PubMed

Vogelbacher, Christoph; Möbius, Thomas W D; Sommer, Jens; Schuster, Verena; Dannlowski, Udo; Kircher, Tilo; Dempfle, Astrid; Jansen, Andreas; Bopp, Miriam H A

2018-05-15

Large, longitudinal, multi-center MR neuroimaging studies require comprehensive quality assurance (QA) protocols for assessing the general quality of the compiled data, indicating potential malfunctions in the scanning equipment, and evaluating inter-site differences that need to be accounted for in subsequent analyses. We describe the implementation of a QA protocol for functional magnet resonance imaging (fMRI) data based on the regular measurement of an MRI phantom and an extensive variety of currently published QA statistics. The protocol is implemented in the MACS (Marburg-Münster Affective Disorders Cohort Study, http://for2107.de/), a two-center research consortium studying the neurobiological foundations of affective disorders. Between February 2015 and October 2016, 1214 phantom measurements have been acquired using a standard fMRI protocol. Using 444 healthy control subjects which have been measured between 2014 and 2016 in the cohort, we investigate the extent of between-site differences in contrast to the dependence on subject-specific covariates (age and sex) for structural MRI, fMRI, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data. We show that most of the presented QA statistics differ severely not only between the two scanners used for the cohort but also between experimental settings (e.g. hardware and software changes), demonstrate that some of these statistics depend on external variables (e.g. time of day, temperature), highlight their strong dependence on proper handling of the MRI phantom, and show how the use of a phantom holder may balance this dependence. Site effects, however, do not only exist for the phantom data, but also for human MRI data. Using T1-weighted structural images, we show that total intracranial (TIV), grey matter (GMV), and white matter (WMV) volumes significantly differ between the MR scanners, showing large effect sizes. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses show that these structural differences observed between scanners are most pronounced in the bilateral basal ganglia, thalamus, and posterior regions. Using DTI data, we also show that fractional anisotropy (FA) differs between sites in almost all regions assessed. When pooling data from multiple centers, our data show that it is a necessity to account not only for inter-site differences but also for hardware and software changes of the scanning equipment. Also, the strong dependence of the QA statistics on the reliable placement of the MRI phantom shows that the use of a phantom holder is recommended to reduce the variance of the QA statistics and thus to increase the probability of detecting potential scanner malfunctions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Three Types of Social Integration Status among Children of Migrant Workers in China: Scenes of Superiority of City Residents, Co-Existence of Urban Culture and Rural Hometown Culture, and Weak Social Capital under Strong Policy Discourse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Qian, Liu

2017-01-01

Based on surveys and field work conducted in District C of Beijing City, the author identifies migrant children's social assimilation obstacles according to distinct school types: each school type offers different quality educational resources and is composed of migrant students at different socioeconomic levels. The survey data show that migrant…

68Ga-DOTA-TOC Uptake in Pleomorphic Adenoma.

PubMed

Laurens, S Tom; Netea-Maier, Romana T; Aarntzen, Erik J H G

2018-07-01

A 56-year-old man who was recently diagnosed with a carcinoid tumor of the os petrosum was referred for a Ga-DOTA-TOC PET/CT scan. Besides the moderately increased Ga-DOTA-TOC accumulation in the carcinoid tumor, the scan showed strongly increased and focal Ga-DOTA-TOC uptake in an additional lesion in the right parotid gland. The markedly different Ga-DOTA-TOC avidity suggested a different etiology, and histological examination demonstrated a pleomorphic adenoma.

Strong and Nonspecific Synergistic Antibacterial Efficiency of Antibiotics Combined with Silver Nanoparticles at Very Low Concentrations Showing No Cytotoxic Effect.

PubMed

Panáček, Aleš; Smékalová, Monika; Kilianová, Martina; Prucek, Robert; Bogdanová, Kateřina; Večeřová, Renata; Kolář, Milan; Havrdová, Markéta; Płaza, Grażyna Anna; Chojniak, Joanna; Zbořil, Radek; Kvítek, Libor

2015-12-28

The resistance of bacteria towards traditional antibiotics currently constitutes one of the most important health care issues with serious negative impacts in practice. Overcoming this issue can be achieved by using antibacterial agents with multimode antibacterial action. Silver nano-particles (AgNPs) are one of the well-known antibacterial substances showing such multimode antibacterial action. Therefore, AgNPs are suitable candidates for use in combinations with traditional antibiotics in order to improve their antibacterial action. In this work, a systematic study quantifying the synergistic effects of antibiotics with different modes of action and different chemical structures in combination with AgNPs against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus was performed. Employing the microdilution method as more suitable and reliable than the disc diffusion method, strong synergistic effects were shown for all tested antibiotics combined with AgNPs at very low concentrations of both antibiotics and AgNPs. No trends were observed for synergistic effects of antibiotics with different modes of action and different chemical structures in combination with AgNPs, indicating non-specific synergistic effects. Moreover, a very low amount of silver is needed for effective antibacterial action of the antibiotics, which represents an important finding for potential medical applications due to the negligible cytotoxic effect of AgNPs towards human cells at these concentration levels.

Diversity or Difference? New Research Supports the Case for a Cultural Perspective on Women in Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frieze, Carol; Quesenberry, Jeria L.; Kemp, Elizabeth; Velázquez, Anthony

2012-08-01

Gender difference approaches to the participation of women in computing have not provided adequate explanations for women's declining interest in computer science (CS) and related technical fields. Indeed, the search for gender differences can work against diversity which we define as a cross-gender spectrum of characteristics, interests, abilities, experiences, beliefs and identities. Our ongoing case studies at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) provide evidence to show that a focus on culture offers the most insightful and effective approach for investigating women's participation in CS. In this paper, we illustrate this approach and show the significance of cultural factors by describing a new case study which examines the attitudes of CS majors at CMU. Our analysis found that most men and women felt comfortable in the school, believed they could be successful in the CS environment at CMU, and thought they fit in socially and academically. In brief, we did not see any evidence of a strong gender divide in student attitudes towards fitting in or feeling like they could be successful; indeed we found that the Women-CS fit remained strong from prior years. Hence, our research demonstrates that women, alongside their male peers, can fit successfully into a CS environment and help shape that environment and computing culture, for the benefit of everyone, without accommodating presumed gender differences or any compromises to academic integrity.

Relations between stellar mass and electron temperature-based metallicity for star-forming galaxies in a wide mass range

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Wei-Bin; Liang, Yan-Chun; Shao, Xu; Liu, Xiao-Wei; Zhao, Gang; Hammer, Francois; Zhang, Yong; Flores, Hector; Ruan, Gui-Ping; Zhou, Li

2014-07-01

We select 947 star-forming galaxies from SDSS-DR7 with [O III]λ4363 emission lines detected at a signal-to-noise ratio larger than 5σ. Their electron temperatures and direct oxygen abundances are then determined. We compare the results from different methods. t2, the electron temperature in the low ionization region, estimated from t3, that in the high ionization region, is compared using three analysis relations between t2 - t3. These show obvious differences, which result in some different ionic oxygen abundances. The results of t3, t2, O++/H+ and O+/H+ derived by using methods from IRAF and literature are also compared. The ionic abundances O++/H+ are higher than O+/H+ for most cases. The different oxygen abundances derived from Te and the strong-line ratios show a clear discrepancy, which is more obvious following increasing stellar mass and strong-line ratio R23. The sample of galaxies from SDSS with detected [O III]λ4363 have lower metallicites and higher star formation rates, so they may not be typical representatives of the whole population of galaxies. Adopting data objects from Andrews & Martini, Liang et al. and Lee et al. data, we derive new relations of stellar mass and metallicity for star-forming galaxies in a much wider stellar mass range: from 106 Msolar to 1011 Msolar.

Response inhibition in Attention deficit disorder and neurofibromatosis type 1 – clinically similar, neurophysiologically different

PubMed Central

Bluschke, Annet; von der Hagen, Maja; Papenhagen, Katharina; Roessner, Veit; Beste, Christian

2017-01-01

There are large overlaps in cognitive deficits occurring in attention deficit disorder (ADD) and neurodevelopmental disorders like neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1). This overlap is mostly based on clinical measures and not on in-depth analyses of neuronal mechanisms. However, the consideration of such neuronal underpinnings is crucial when aiming to integrate measures that can lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Inhibitory control deficits, for example, are a hallmark in ADD, but it is unclear how far there are similar deficits in NF1. We thus compared adolescent ADD and NF1 patients to healthy controls in a Go/Nogo task using behavioural and neurophysiological measures. Clinical measures of ADD-symptoms were not different between ADD and NF1. Only patients with ADD showed increased Nogo errors and reductions in components reflecting response inhibition (i.e. Nogo-P3). Early perceptual processes (P1) were changed in ADD and NF1. Clinically, patients with ADD and NF1 thus show strong similarities. This is not the case in regard to underlying cognitive control processes. This shows that in-depth analyses of neurophysiological processes are needed to determine whether the overlap between ADD and NF1 is as strong as assumed and to develop appropriate treatment strategies. PMID:28262833

Accurate and robust brain image alignment using boundary-based registration.

PubMed

Greve, Douglas N; Fischl, Bruce

2009-10-15

The fine spatial scales of the structures in the human brain represent an enormous challenge to the successful integration of information from different images for both within- and between-subject analysis. While many algorithms to register image pairs from the same subject exist, visual inspection shows that their accuracy and robustness to be suspect, particularly when there are strong intensity gradients and/or only part of the brain is imaged. This paper introduces a new algorithm called Boundary-Based Registration, or BBR. The novelty of BBR is that it treats the two images very differently. The reference image must be of sufficient resolution and quality to extract surfaces that separate tissue types. The input image is then aligned to the reference by maximizing the intensity gradient across tissue boundaries. Several lower quality images can be aligned through their alignment with the reference. Visual inspection and fMRI results show that BBR is more accurate than correlation ratio or normalized mutual information and is considerably more robust to even strong intensity inhomogeneities. BBR also excels at aligning partial-brain images to whole-brain images, a domain in which existing registration algorithms frequently fail. Even in the limit of registering a single slice, we show the BBR results to be robust and accurate.

Epidemiological study of hazelnut bacterial blight in central Italy by using laboratory analysis and geostatistics.

PubMed

Lamichhane, Jay Ram; Fabi, Alfredo; Ridolfi, Roberto; Varvaro, Leonardo

2013-01-01

Incidence of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. corylina, the causal agent of hazelnut bacterial blight, was analyzed spatially in relation to the pedoclimatic factors. Hazelnut grown in twelve municipalities situated in the province of Viterbo, central Italy was studied. A consistent number of bacterial isolates were obtained from the infected tissues of hazelnut collected in three years (2010-2012). The isolates, characterized by phenotypic tests, did not show any difference among them. Spatial patterns of pedoclimatic data, analyzed by geostatistics showed a strong positive correlation of disease incidence with higher values of rainfall, thermal shock and soil nitrogen; a weak positive correlation with soil aluminium content and a strong negative correlation with the values of Mg/K ratio. No correlation of the disease incidence was found with soil pH. Disease incidence ranged from very low (<1%) to very high (almost 75%) across the orchards. Young plants (4-year old) were the most affected by the disease confirming a weak negative correlation of the disease incidence with plant age. Plant cultivars did not show any difference in susceptibility to the pathogen. Possible role of climate change on the epidemiology of the disease is discussed. Improved management practices are recommended for effective control of the disease.

Epidemiological Study of Hazelnut Bacterial Blight in Central Italy by Using Laboratory Analysis and Geostatistics

PubMed Central

Lamichhane, Jay Ram; Fabi, Alfredo; Ridolfi, Roberto; Varvaro, Leonardo

2013-01-01

Incidence of Xanthomonas arboricola pv. corylina, the causal agent of hazelnut bacterial blight, was analyzed spatially in relation to the pedoclimatic factors. Hazelnut grown in twelve municipalities situated in the province of Viterbo, central Italy was studied. A consistent number of bacterial isolates were obtained from the infected tissues of hazelnut collected in three years (2010–2012). The isolates, characterized by phenotypic tests, did not show any difference among them. Spatial patterns of pedoclimatic data, analyzed by geostatistics showed a strong positive correlation of disease incidence with higher values of rainfall, thermal shock and soil nitrogen; a weak positive correlation with soil aluminium content and a strong negative correlation with the values of Mg/K ratio. No correlation of the disease incidence was found with soil pH. Disease incidence ranged from very low (<1%) to very high (almost 75%) across the orchards. Young plants (4-year old) were the most affected by the disease confirming a weak negative correlation of the disease incidence with plant age. Plant cultivars did not show any difference in susceptibility to the pathogen. Possible role of climate change on the epidemiology of the disease is discussed. Improved management practices are recommended for effective control of the disease. PMID:23424654

Cultivar evaluation and essential test locations identification for sugarcane breeding in China.

PubMed

Luo, Jun; Pan, Yong-Bao; Xu, Liping; Zhang, Hua; Yuan, Zhaonian; Deng, Zuhu; Chen, Rukai; Que, Youxiong

2014-01-01

The discrepancies across test sites and years, along with the interaction between cultivar and environment, make it difficult to accurately evaluate the differences of the sugarcane cultivars. Using a genotype main effect plus genotype-environment interaction (GGE) Biplot software, the yield performance data of seven sugarcane cultivars in the 8th Chinese National Sugarcane Regional Tests were analyzed to identify cultivars recommended for commercial release. Fn38 produced a high and stable sugar yield. Gn02-70 had the lowest cane yield with high stability. Yz06-407 was a high cane yield cultivar with poor stability in sugar yield. Yz05-51 and Lc03-1137 had an unstable cane yield but relatively high sugar yield. Fn39 produced stable high sugar yield with low and unstable cane production. Significantly different sugar and cane yields were observed across seasons due to strong cultivar-environment interactions. Three areas, Guangxi Chongzuo, Guangxi Baise, and Guangxi Hechi, showed better representativeness of cane yield and sugar content than the other four areas. On the other hand, the areas Guangxi Chongzuo, Yunnan Lincang, and Yunnan Baoshan showed strong discrimination ability, while the areas Guangxi Hechi and Guangxi Liuzhou showed poor discrimination ability. This study provides a reference for cultivar evaluation and essential test locations identification for sugarcane breeding in China.

Cultivar Evaluation and Essential Test Locations Identification for Sugarcane Breeding in China

PubMed Central

Luo, Jun; Xu, Liping; Zhang, Hua; Yuan, Zhaonian; Deng, Zuhu; Chen, Rukai

2014-01-01

The discrepancies across test sites and years, along with the interaction between cultivar and environment, make it difficult to accurately evaluate the differences of the sugarcane cultivars. Using a genotype main effect plus genotype-environment interaction (GGE) Biplot software, the yield performance data of seven sugarcane cultivars in the 8th Chinese National Sugarcane Regional Tests were analyzed to identify cultivars recommended for commercial release. Fn38 produced a high and stable sugar yield. Gn02-70 had the lowest cane yield with high stability. Yz06-407 was a high cane yield cultivar with poor stability in sugar yield. Yz05-51 and Lc03-1137 had an unstable cane yield but relatively high sugar yield. Fn39 produced stable high sugar yield with low and unstable cane production. Significantly different sugar and cane yields were observed across seasons due to strong cultivar-environment interactions. Three areas, Guangxi Chongzuo, Guangxi Baise, and Guangxi Hechi, showed better representativeness of cane yield and sugar content than the other four areas. On the other hand, the areas Guangxi Chongzuo, Yunnan Lincang, and Yunnan Baoshan showed strong discrimination ability, while the areas Guangxi Hechi and Guangxi Liuzhou showed poor discrimination ability. This study provides a reference for cultivar evaluation and essential test locations identification for sugarcane breeding in China. PMID:24982939

Characterization and expression profiles of MaACS and MaACO genes from mulberry (Morus alba L.)*

PubMed Central

Liu, Chang-ying; Lü, Rui-hua; Li, Jun; Zhao, Ai-chun; Wang, Xi-ling; Diane, Umuhoza; Wang, Xiao-hong; Wang, Chuan-hong; Yu, Ya-sheng; Han, Shu-mei; Lu, Cheng; Yu, Mao-de

2014-01-01

1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid synthase (ACS) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid oxidase (ACO) are encoded by multigene families and are involved in fruit ripening by catalyzing the production of ethylene throughout the development of fruit. However, there are no reports on ACS or ACO genes in mulberry, partly because of the limited molecular research background. In this study, we have obtained five ACS gene sequences and two ACO gene sequences from Morus Genome Database. Sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis of MaACO1 and MaACO2 showed that their amino acids are conserved compared with ACO proteins from other species. MaACS1 and MaACS2 are type I, MaACS3 and MaACS4 are type II, and MaACS5 is type III, with different C-terminal sequences. Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) expression analysis showed that the transcripts of MaACS genes were strongly expressed in fruit, and more weakly in other tissues. The expression of MaACO1 and MaACO2 showed different patterns in various mulberry tissues. MaACS and MaACO genes demonstrated two patterns throughout the development of mulberry fruit, and both of them were strongly up-regulated by abscisic acid (ABA) and ethephon. PMID:25001221

Potential of Ocimum basilicum L. and Salvia officinalis L. essential oils against biofilms of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates.

PubMed

Stojanović-Radić, Z; Pejcić, M; Stojanović, N; Sharifi-Rad, J; Stanković, N

2016-08-29

Biofilms are complex communities of microorganisms, responsible for more than 60% of the chronic human infections and they represent one of the leading concerns in medicine. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is human pathogenic bacteria which causes numerous diseases and is known for its ability to produce biofilm. Ocimum basilicum L. (basil) and Salvia officinalis L. (sage) are widely used plants in traditional medicine for the treatment of different conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the potential of basil and sage essential oils against P. aeruginosa biofilm producing strains. The efficacy of two essential oils on P. aeruginosa biofilm forming ability was determined using crystal violet method. Out of 15 strains isolated from different clinical biological samples, two were strong, 11 moderate and one weak biofilm producer. Good efficacy of sage essential oil towards strong and weak biofilm producers, but not of basil essential oil, was observed. In the case of moderate biofilm producers, 81.8% showed lower biofilm production after incubation with the sage oil, while 63.6% showed the reduction of biofilm production after basil essential oil treatment. The obtained results showed high potential of both oils for the treatment of persistent infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

Searching for signatures across microbial communities: Metagenomic analysis of soil samples from mangrove and other ecosystems.

PubMed

Imchen, Madangchanok; Kumavath, Ranjith; Barh, Debmalya; Azevedo, Vasco; Ghosh, Preetam; Viana, Marcus; Wattam, Alice R

2017-08-18

In this study, we categorize the microbial community in mangrove sediment samples from four different locations within a vast mangrove system in Kerala, India. We compared this data to other samples taken from the other known mangrove data, a tropical rainforest, and ocean sediment. An examination of the microbial communities from a large mangrove forest that stretches across southwestern India showed strong similarities across the higher taxonomic levels. When ocean sediment and a single isolate from a tropical rain forest were included in the analysis, a strong pattern emerged with Bacteria from the phylum Proteobacteria being the prominent taxon among the forest samples. The ocean samples were predominantly Archaea, with Euryarchaeota as the dominant phylum. Principal component and functional analyses grouped the samples isolated from forests, including those from disparate mangrove forests and the tropical rain forest, from the ocean. Our findings show similar patterns in samples were isolated from forests, and these were distinct from the ocean sediment isolates. The taxonomic structure was maintained to the level of class, and functional analysis of the genes present also displayed these similarities. Our report for the first time shows the richness of microbial diversity in the Kerala coast and its differences with tropical rain forest and ocean microbiome.

Chemical degradation and morphological instabilities during focused ion beam prototyping of polymers.

PubMed

Orthacker, A; Schmied, R; Chernev, B; Fröch, J E; Winkler, R; Hobisch, J; Trimmel, G; Plank, H

2014-01-28

Focused ion beam processing of low melting materials, such as polymers or biological samples, often leads to chemical and morphological instabilities which prevent the straight-forward application of this versatile direct-write structuring method. In this study the behaviour of different polymer classes under ion beam exposure is investigated using different patterning parameters and strategies with the aim of (i) correlating local temperatures with the polymers' chemistry and its morphological consequences; and (ii) finding a way of processing sensitive polymers with lowest chemical degradation while maintaining structuring times. It is found that during processing of polymers three temperature regimes can be observed: (1) at low temperatures all polymers investigated show stable chemical and morphological behaviour; (2) very high temperatures lead to strong chemical degradation which entails unpredictable morphologies; and (3) in the intermediate temperature regime the behaviour is found to be strongly material dependent. A detailed look reveals that polymers which rather cross-link in the proximity of the beam show stable morphologies in this intermediate regime, while polymers that rather undergo chain scission show tendencies to develop a creeping phase, where material follows the ion beam movement leading to instable and unpredictable morphologies. Finally a simple, alternative patterning strategy is suggested, which allows stable processing conditions with lowest chemical damage even for challenging polymers undergoing chain scission.

Dissociation between sustained single-neuron spiking and transient β-LFP oscillations in primate motor cortex

PubMed Central

Rule, Michael E.; Vargas-Irwin, Carlos E.; Donoghue, John P.

2017-01-01

Determining the relationship between single-neuron spiking and transient (20 Hz) β-local field potential (β-LFP) oscillations is an important step for understanding the role of these oscillations in motor cortex. We show that whereas motor cortex firing rates and beta spiking rhythmicity remain sustained during steady-state movement preparation periods, β-LFP oscillations emerge, in contrast, as short transient events. Single-neuron mean firing rates within and outside transient β-LFP events showed no differences, and no consistent correlation was found between the beta oscillation amplitude and firing rates, as was the case for movement- and visual cue-related β-LFP suppression. Importantly, well-isolated single units featuring beta-rhythmic spiking (43%, 125/292) showed no apparent or only weak phase coupling with the transient β-LFP oscillations. Similar results were obtained for the population spiking. These findings were common in triple microelectrode array recordings from primary motor (M1), ventral (PMv), and dorsal premotor (PMd) cortices in nonhuman primates during movement preparation. Although beta spiking rhythmicity indicates strong membrane potential fluctuations in the beta band, it does not imply strong phase coupling with β-LFP oscillations. The observed dissociation points to two different sources of variation in motor cortex β-LFPs: one that impacts single-neuron spiking dynamics and another related to the generation of mesoscopic β-LFP signals. Furthermore, our findings indicate that rhythmic spiking and diverse neuronal firing rates, which encode planned actions during movement preparation, may naturally limit the ability of different neuronal populations to strongly phase-couple to a single dominant oscillation frequency, leading to the observed spiking and β-LFP dissociation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY We show that whereas motor cortex spiking rates and beta (~20 Hz) spiking rhythmicity remain sustained during steady-state movement preparation periods, β-local field potential (β-LFP) oscillations emerge, in contrast, as transient events. Furthermore, the β-LFP phase at which neurons spike drifts: phase coupling is typically weak or absent. This dissociation points to two sources of variation in the level of motor cortex beta: one that impacts single-neuron spiking and another related to the generation of measured mesoscopic β-LFPs. PMID:28100654

Classification of Peronospora infected grapevine leaves with the use of hyperspectral imaging analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serranti, S.; Bonifazi, G.; Luciani, V.; D'Aniello, L.

2017-05-01

The present work explores the possible utilization of hyperspectral devices, following a proximity based approach, for the diagnosis of Peronospora infection in the vineyards. It compares the performance of two hyperspectral cameras, characterized by different spectral acquisition ranges, in the identification of different levels of infection as detectable from the analysis of the leaf surface. For this purpose, healthy grapevine leaves and leaves affected by a different grade of Peronospora infection have been acquired in laboratory conditions using two different sensing devices: a Specim Imspector V10™ and a Specim Spectral Camera N17™ working in the region between 400-1000 nm and 1000-1700 nm, respectively. A Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) model has been built to perform the classification of healthy, infected and necrotic leaves.

Micro- and mesoscopic process interactions in protein coagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

San Biagio, P. L.; Martorana, V.; Emanuele, A.; Vaiana, S. M.; Manno, M.; Bulone, D.; Palma-Vittorelli, M. B.; Palma, M. U.

2000-04-01

It has recently been recognized that pathological protein coagulation is responsible for lethal pathologies as diverse as amyloidosis, Alzheimer and TSE. Understanding the coagulation mechanisms is therefore stirring great interest. In previous studies we have shown that on profoundly different systems coagulation is the result of a strong interaction between two processes on different length scales (mesoscopic and microscopic). Here we report experiments on bovine serum albumin (BSA) showing that the overall mechanism is the result of at least 3 distinct and strongly intertwined processes, on both length scales: molecular conformational changes, solution demixing and intermolecular crosslinking. This mechanism involves the statistical mechanics of protein-solvent interaction, its relation to the protein's landscape of configurational free energy and to the solution's thermodynamic stability, and its relation to the topological problem of crosslink-percolation, responsible for coagulation.

STS-32 Earth observation of the southern Sand Sea, Namibia, Atlantic Ocean

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

STS-32 Earth observation taken onboard Columbia, Orbiter Vehicle (OV) 102, is of the southern Sand Sea. Low sun angles on this south-looking view of the sand dunes of the southern Sand Sea (foreground) shows the many subtle patterns produced by winds. Along the coast very strong southerly winds have generated a zone of ribbed, transverse dunes. Further inland, different patterns appear, which may relate to present winds, or perhaps to winds which blew in different directions at times in the geological past. Strong Santa Ana-type winds blow from inland (left) during the winter which may explain the small patterns (center left). The small fishing port of Luderitz occupies the main bay on the coastline. Otherwise the area is empty of inhabitants on the very dry and windy coast. Railways connect the post with inland centers.

Shape-dependent electronic properties of blue phosphorene nano-flakes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bhatia, Pradeep; Swaroop, Ram; Kumar, Ashok, E-mail: ashok@cup.ac.in

In recent year’s considerable attention has been given to the first principles method for modifying and controlling electronic properties of nano-materials. We performed DFT-based calculations on the electronic properties of zigzag-edged nano-flakes of blue phosphorene with three possible shapes namely rectangular, triangular and hexagonal. We observed that HOMO-LUMO gap of zigzag phosphorene nano-flakes with different shapes is ∼2.9 eV with H-passivations and ∼0.7 – 1.2 eV in pristine cases. Electronic properties of blue phosphorene nano-flakes show the strong dependence on their shape. We observed that distributions of molecular orbitals were strongly affected by the different shapes. Zigzag edged considered nanostructuresmore » are non-magnetic and semiconducting in nature. The shape dependent electronic properties may find applications in tunable nano-electronics.« less

A Simple Power Law Governs Many Sensory Amplifications and Multisensory Enhancements.

PubMed

Billock, Vincent A; Havig, Paul R

2018-05-16

When one sensory response occurs in the presence of a different sensory stimulation, the sensory response is often amplified. The variety of sensory enhancement data tends to obscure the underlying rules, but it has long been clear that weak signals are usually amplified more than strong ones (the Principle of Inverse Effectiveness). Here we show that for many kinds of sensory amplification, the underlying law is simple and elegant: the amplified response is a power law of the unamplified response, with a compressive exponent that amplifies weak signals more than strong. For both psychophysics and cortical electrophysiology, for both humans and animals, and for both sensory integration and enhancement within a sense, gated power law amplification (amplification of one sense triggered by the presence of a different sensory signal) is often sufficient to explain sensory enhancement.

Contribution of different classes of glutamate receptors in the corticostriatal polysynaptic responses from striatal direct and indirect projection neurons

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Previous work showed differences in the polysynaptic activation of GABAergic synapses during corticostriatal suprathreshold responses in direct and indirect striatal projection neurons (dSPNs and iSPNs). Here, we now show differences and similarities in the polysynaptic activation of cortical glutamatergic synapses on the same responses. Corticostriatal contacts have been extensively studied. However, several questions remain unanswered, e.g.: what are the differences and similarities in the responses to glutamate in dSPNs and iSPNs? Does glutamatergic synaptic activation exhibits a distribution of latencies over time in vitro? That would be a strong suggestion of polysynaptic cortical convergence. What is the role of kainate receptors in corticostriatal transmission? Current-clamp recordings were used to answer these questions. One hypothesis was: if prolonged synaptic activation distributed along time was present, then it would be mainly generated from the cortex, and not from the striatum. Results By isolating responses from AMPA-receptors out of the complex suprathreshold response of SPNs, it is shown that a single cortical stimulus induces early and late synaptic activation lasting hundreds of milliseconds. Prolonged responses depended on cortical stimulation because they could not be elicited using intrastriatal stimulation, even if GABAergic transmission was blocked. Thus, the results are not explained by differences in evoked inhibition. Moreover, inhibitory participation was larger after cortical than after intrastriatal stimulation. A strong activation of interneurons was obtained from the cortex, demonstrating that polysynaptic activation includes the striatum. Prolonged kainate (KA) receptor responses were also elicited from the cortex. Responses of dSPNs and iSPNs did not depend on the cortical area stimulated. In contrast to AMPA-receptors, responses from NMDA- and KA-receptors do not exhibit early and late responses, but generate slow responses that contribute to plateau depolarizations. Conclusions As it has been established in previous physiological studies in vivo, synaptic invasion over different latencies, spanning hundreds of milliseconds after a single stimulus strongly indicates convergent polysynaptic activation. Interconnected cortical neurons converging on the same SPNs may explain prolonged corticostriatal responses. Glutamate receptors participation in these responses is described as well as differences and similarities between dSPNs and iSPNs. PMID:23782743

Identifying the Tunneling Site in Strong-Field Ionization of H_{2}^{+}.

PubMed

Liu, Kunlong; Barth, Ingo

2017-12-15

The tunneling site of the electron in a molecule exposed to a strong laser field determines the initial position of the ionizing electron and, as a result, has a large impact on the subsequent ultrafast electron dynamics on the polyatomic Coulomb potential. Here, the tunneling site of the electron of H_{2}^{+} ionized by a strong circularly polarized (CP) laser pulse is studied by numerically solving the time-dependent Schrödinger equation. We show that the electron removed from the down-field site is directly driven away by the CP field and the lateral photoelectron momentum distribution (LPMD) exhibits a Gaussian-like distribution, whereas the corresponding LPMD of the electron removed from the up-field site differs from the Gaussian shape due to the Coulomb focusing and scattering by the down-field core. Our current study presents the direct evidence clarifying a long-standing controversy over the tunneling site in H_{2}^{+} and raises the important role of the tunneling site in strong-field molecular ionization.

Imitation of contrastive lexical stress in children with speech delay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vick, Jennell C.; Moore, Christopher A.

2005-09-01

This study examined the relationship between acoustic correlates of stress in trochaic (strong-weak), spondaic (strong-strong), and iambic (weak-strong) nonword bisyllables produced by children (30-50) with normal speech acquisition and children with speech delay. Ratios comparing the acoustic measures (vowel duration, rms, and f0) of the first syllable to the second syllable were calculated to evaluate the extent to which each phonetic parameter was used to mark stress. In addition, a calculation of the variability of jaw movement in each bisyllable was made. Finally, perceptual judgments of accuracy of stress production were made. Analysis of perceptual judgments indicated a robust difference between groups: While both groups of children produced errors in imitating the contrastive lexical stress models (~40%), the children with normal speech acquisition tended to produce trochaic forms in substitution for other stress types, whereas children with speech delay showed no preference for trochees. The relationship between segmental acoustic parameters, kinematic variability, and the ratings of stress by trained listeners will be presented.

Aphid specialization on different summer hosts is associated with strong genetic differentiation and unequal symbiont communities despite a common mating habitat.

PubMed

Vorburger, C; Herzog, J; Rouchet, R

2017-04-01

Specialization on different host plants can promote evolutionary diversification of herbivorous insects. Work on pea aphids (Acyrthosiphon pisum) has contributed significantly to the understanding of this process, demonstrating that populations associated with different host plants exhibit performance trade-offs across hosts, show adaptive host choice and genetic differentiation and possess different communities of bacterial endosymbionts. Populations specialized on different secondary host plants during the parthenogenetic summer generations are also described for the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae complex) and are usually treated as different (morphologically cryptic) subspecies. In contrast to pea aphids, however, host choice and mate choice are decoupled in black bean aphids, because populations from different summer hosts return to the same primary host plant to mate and lay overwintering eggs. This could counteract evolutionary divergence, and it is currently unknown to what extent black bean aphids using different summer hosts are indeed differentiated. We addressed this question by microsatellite genotyping and endosymbiont screening of black bean aphids collected in summer from the goosefoot Chenopodium album (subspecies A. f. fabae) and from thistles of the genus Cirsium (subspecies A. f. cirsiiacanthoides) across numerous sites in Switzerland and France. Our results show clearly that aphids from Cirsium and Chenopodium exhibit strong and geographically consistent genetic differentiation and that they differ in their frequencies of infection with particular endosymbionts. The dependence on a joint winter host has thus not prevented the evolutionary divergence into summer host-adapted populations that appear to have evolved mechanisms of reproductive isolation within a common mating habitat. © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology. Journal of Evolutionary Biology © 2017 European Society For Evolutionary Biology.

Why do seals have cones? Behavioural evidence for colour-blindness in harbour seals.

PubMed

Scholtyssek, Christine; Kelber, Almut; Dehnhardt, Guido

2015-03-01

All seals and cetaceans have lost at least one of two ancestral cone classes and should therefore be colour-blind. Nevertheless, earlier studies showed that these marine mammals can discriminate colours and a colour vision mechanism has been proposed which contrasts signals from cones and rods. However, these earlier studies underestimated the brightness discrimination abilities of these animals, so that they could have discriminated colours using brightness only. Using a psychophysical discrimination experiment, we showed that a harbour seal can solve a colour discrimination task by means of brightness discrimination alone. Performing a series of experiments in which two harbour seals had to discriminate the brightness of colours, we also found strong evidence for purely scotopic (rod-based) vision at light levels that lead to mesopic (rod-cone-based) vision in other mammals. This finding speaks against rod-cone-based colour vision in harbour seals. To test for colour-blindness, we used a cognitive approach involving a harbour seal trained to use a concept of same and different. We tested this seal with pairs of isoluminant stimuli that were either same or different in colour. If the seal had perceived colour, it would have responded to colour differences between stimuli. However, the seal responded with "same", providing strong evidence for colour-blindness.

Analysis of intraspecific seed diversity in Astragalus aquilanus (Fabaceae), an endemic species of Central Apennine.

PubMed

Di Cecco, V; Di Musciano, M; D'Archivio, A A; Frattaroli, A R; Di Martino, L

2018-05-20

This work aims to study seeds of the endemic species Astragalus aquilanus from four different populations of central Italy. We investigated seed morpho-colorimetric features (shape and size) and chemical differences (through infrared spectroscopy) among populations and between dark and light seeds. Seed morpho-colorimetric quantitative variables, describing shape, size and colour traits, were measured using image analysis techniques. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to attempt seed chemical characterisation. The measured data were analysed by step-wise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Moreover, we analysed the correlation between the four most important traits and six climatic variables extracted from WorldClim 2.0. The LDA on seeds traits shows clear differentiation of the four populations, which can be attributed to different chemical composition, as confirmed by Wilk's lambda test (P < 0.001). A strong correlation between morphometric traits and temperature (annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the warmest and coolest quarter), colorimetric traits and precipitation (annual precipitation, precipitation of wettest and driest quarter) was observed. The characterisation of A. aquilanus seeds shows large intraspecific plasticity both in morpho-colorimetric and chemical composition. These results confirm the strong relationship between the type of seed produced and the climatic variables. © 2018 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Review. Specificity in pollination and consequences for postmating reproductive isolation in deceptive Mediterranean orchids.

PubMed

Cozzolino, Salvatore; Scopece, Giovanni

2008-09-27

The type of reproductive isolation prevalent in the initial stages of species divergence can affect the nature and rate of emergence of additional reproductive barriers that subsequently strengthen isolation between species. Different groups of Mediterranean deceptive orchids are characterized by different levels of pollinator specificity. Whereas food-deceptive orchid species show weak pollinator specificity, the sexually deceptive Ophrys species display a more specialized pollination strategy. Comparative analyses reveal that orchids with high pollinator specificity mostly rely on premating reproductive barriers and have very little postmating isolation. In this group, a shift to a novel pollinator achieved by modifying the odour bouquet may represent the main isolation mechanism involved in speciation. By contrast, orchids with weak premating isolation, such as generalized food-deceptive orchids, show strong evidence for intrinsic postmating reproductive barriers, particularly for late-acting postzygotic barriers such as hybrid sterility. In such species, chromosomal differences may have played a key role in species isolation, although strong postmating-prezygotic isolation has also evolved in these orchids. Molecular analyses of hybrid zones indicate that the types and strength of reproductive barriers in deceptive orchids with contrasting premating isolation mechanisms directly affect the rate and evolutionary consequences of hybridization and the nature of species differentiation.

Quasiparticle interference in ZrSiS: Strongly band-selective scattering depending on impurity lattice site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, Christopher J.; Wu, Yu-Mi; Hsing, Cheng-Rong; Tseng, Yi; Sankar, Raman; Wei, Ching-Ming; Chou, Fang-Cheng; Lin, Minn-Tsong

2017-11-01

Scanning tunneling microscopy visualizations of quasiparticle interference (QPI) enable powerful insights into the k -space properties of superconducting, topological, Rashba, and other exotic electronic phases, but their reliance on impurities acting as scattering centers is rarely scrutinized. Here, we investigate QPI at the vacuum-cleaved (001) surface of the Dirac semimetal ZrSiS. We find that interference patterns around impurities located on the Zr and S lattice sites appear very different, and can be ascribed to selective scattering of different subsets of the predominantly Zr 4 d -derived band structure, namely, the m =0 and ±1 components. We show that the selectivity of scattering channels requires an explanation beyond the different bands' orbital characteristics and their respective charge density distributions over Zr and S lattice sites. Importantly, this result shows that the usual assumption of generic scattering centers allowing observations of quasiparticle interference to shed light indiscriminately and isotropically upon the q space of scattering events does not hold, and that the scope and interpretation of QPI observations can therefore be be strongly contingent on the material defect chemistry. This finding promises to spur new investigations into the quasiparticle scattering process itself, to inform future interpretations of quasiparticle interference observations, and ultimately to aid the understanding and engineering of quantum electronic transport properties.

Compassion and contamination. Cultural differences in vegetarianism.

PubMed

Ruby, Matthew B; Heine, Steven J; Kamble, Shanmukh; Cheng, Tessa K; Waddar, Mahadevi

2013-12-01

A growing body of research has shown that Western vegetarians report more concern for animal welfare and environmental sustainability, and endorse more liberal values than do Western omnivores. However, despite the prevalence of Indian vegetarianism, its psychological associations and underpinnings remain largely unexamined. In Study 1, we find that Euro-American vegetarians are more concerned than omnivores with the impact of their daily food choices on the environment and animal welfare, show more concern for general animal welfare, and endorse universalistic values more, yet among Indian participants, these differences are not significant. In Study 2, we show that Indian vegetarians more strongly endorse the belief that eating meat is polluting, and show a heightened concern for the conservative ethics of Purity, Authority, and Ingroup relative to their omnivorous peers, whereas these differences are largely absent among Euro-Canadians and Euro-Americans. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Population genomics of the killer whale indicates ecotype evolution in sympatry involving both selection and drift.

PubMed

Moura, Andre E; Kenny, John G; Chaudhuri, Roy; Hughes, Margaret A; J Welch, Andreanna; Reisinger, Ryan R; de Bruyn, P J Nico; Dahlheim, Marilyn E; Hall, Neil; Hoelzel, A Rus

2014-11-01

The evolution of diversity in the marine ecosystem is poorly understood, given the relatively high potential for connectivity, especially for highly mobile species such as whales and dolphins. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) has a worldwide distribution, and individual social groups travel over a wide geographic range. Even so, regional populations have been shown to be genetically differentiated, including among different foraging specialists (ecotypes) in sympatry. Given the strong matrifocal social structure of this species together with strong resource specializations, understanding the process of differentiation will require an understanding of the relative importance of both genetic drift and local adaptation. Here we provide a high-resolution analysis based on nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphic markers and inference about differentiation at both neutral loci and those potentially under selection. We find that all population comparisons, within or among foraging ecotypes, show significant differentiation, including populations in parapatry and sympatry. Loci putatively under selection show a different pattern of structure compared to neutral loci and are associated with gene ontology terms reflecting physiologically relevant functions (e.g. related to digestion). The pattern of differentiation for one ecotype in the North Pacific suggests local adaptation and shows some fixed differences among sympatric ecotypes. We suggest that differential habitat use and resource specializations have promoted sufficient isolation to allow differential evolution at neutral and functional loci, but that the process is recent and dependent on both selection and drift. © 2014 The Authors. Molecular Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Population genomics of the killer whale indicates ecotype evolution in sympatry involving both selection and drift

PubMed Central

Moura, Andre E; Kenny, John G; Chaudhuri, Roy; Hughes, Margaret A; J Welch, Andreanna; Reisinger, Ryan R; de Bruyn, P J Nico; Dahlheim, Marilyn E; Hall, Neil; Hoelzel, A Rus

2014-01-01

The evolution of diversity in the marine ecosystem is poorly understood, given the relatively high potential for connectivity, especially for highly mobile species such as whales and dolphins. The killer whale (Orcinus orca) has a worldwide distribution, and individual social groups travel over a wide geographic range. Even so, regional populations have been shown to be genetically differentiated, including among different foraging specialists (ecotypes) in sympatry. Given the strong matrifocal social structure of this species together with strong resource specializations, understanding the process of differentiation will require an understanding of the relative importance of both genetic drift and local adaptation. Here we provide a high-resolution analysis based on nuclear single-nucleotide polymorphic markers and inference about differentiation at both neutral loci and those potentially under selection. We find that all population comparisons, within or among foraging ecotypes, show significant differentiation, including populations in parapatry and sympatry. Loci putatively under selection show a different pattern of structure compared to neutral loci and are associated with gene ontology terms reflecting physiologically relevant functions (e.g. related to digestion). The pattern of differentiation for one ecotype in the North Pacific suggests local adaptation and shows some fixed differences among sympatric ecotypes. We suggest that differential habitat use and resource specializations have promoted sufficient isolation to allow differential evolution at neutral and functional loci, but that the process is recent and dependent on both selection and drift. PMID:25244680

Application of the dressed-bound-state molecular strong-field approximation to above-threshold ionization of heteronuclear molecules: NO vs. CO.

PubMed

Busuladžić, M; Hasović, E; Becker, W; Milošević, D B

2012-10-07

We theoretically investigate high-order above-threshold ionization (HATI) of heteronuclear diatomic molecules applying the molecular strong-field approximation which includes dressing of the molecular bound state. We consider HATI of nitrogen monoxide molecules, which are characterized by the π symmetry of their highest occupied molecular orbital. We show that the HATI spectra of NO exhibit characteristic interference structures. We analyze the differences and similarities of the HATI spectra of NO molecules and the spectra of CO (σ symmetry) and O(2) (π(g) symmetry) molecules. The symmetry properties of the molecular HATI spectra governed by linearly and elliptically polarized fields are considered in detail. The yields of high-energy electrons, contributing to the plateau region of the photoelectron spectra, strongly depend on the employed ellipticity.

Contact Dependence and Velocity Crossover in Friction between Microscopic Solid/Solid Contacts.

PubMed

McGraw, Joshua D; Niguès, Antoine; Chennevière, Alexis; Siria, Alessandro

2017-10-11

Friction at the nanoscale differs markedly from that between surfaces of macroscopic extent. Characteristically, the velocity dependence of friction between apparent solid/solid contacts can strongly deviate from the classically assumed velocity independence. Here, we show that a nondestructive friction between solid tips with radius on the scale of hundreds of nanometers and solid hydrophobic self-assembled monolayers has a strong velocity dependence. Specifically, using laterally oscillating quartz tuning forks, we observe a linear scaling in the velocity at the lowest accessed velocities, typically hundreds of micrometers per second, crossing over into a logarithmic velocity dependence. This crossover is consistent with a general multicontact friction model that includes thermally activated breaking of the contacts at subnanometric elongation. We find as well a strong dependence of the friction on the dimensions of the frictional probe.

Emerging magnetism and anomalous Hall effect in iridate–manganite heterostructures

DOE PAGES

Nichols, John; Gao, Xiang; Lee, Shinbuhm; ...

2016-09-06

We know strong Coulomb repulsion and spin–orbit coupling to give rise to exotic physical phenomena in transition metal oxides. Initial attempts to investigate systems, where both of these fundamental interactions are comparably strong, such as 3d and 5d complex oxide superlattices, have revealed properties that only slightly differ from the bulk ones of the constituent materials. Furthermore, we observe that the interfacial coupling between the 3d antiferromagnetic insulator SrMnO 3 and the 5d paramagnetic metal SrIrO 3 is enormously strong, yielding an anomalous Hall response as the result of charge transfer driven interfacial ferromagnetism. Our findings show that low dimensionalmore » spin–orbit entangled 3d–5d interfaces provide an avenue to uncover technologically relevant physical phenomena unattainable in bulk materials.« less

Immunolocalization of muscarinic M1 receptor in the rat medial prefrontal cortex

PubMed Central

Tsuneoka, Yousuke; Yoshida, Sachine; Adachi‐Akahane, Satomi; Ito, Masanori; Kuroda, Masaru; Funato, Hiromasa

2018-01-01

Abstract The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has been considered to participate in many higher cognitive functions, such as memory formation and spatial navigation. These cognitive functions are modulated by cholinergic afferents via muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Previous pharmacological studies have strongly suggested that the M1 receptor (M1R) is the most important subtype among muscarinic receptors to perform these cognitive functions. Actually, M1R is abundant in mPFC. However, the proportion of somata containing M1R among cortical cellular types, and the precise intracellular localization of M1R remain unclear. In this study, to clarify the precise immunolocalization of M1R in rat mPFC, we examined three major cellular types, pyramidal neurons, inhibitory neurons, and astrocytes. M1R immunopositivity signals were found in the majority of the somata of both pyramidal neurons and inhibitory neurons. In pyramidal neurons, strong M1R immunopositivity signals were usually found throughout their somata and dendrites including spines. On the other hand, the signal strength of M1R immunopositivity in the somata of inhibitory neurons significantly varied. Some neurons showed strong signals. Whereas about 40% of GAD67‐immunopositive neurons and 30% of parvalbumin‐immunopositive neurons (PV neurons) showed only weak signals. In PV neurons, M1R immunopositivity signals were preferentially distributed in somata. Furthermore, we found that many astrocytes showed substantial M1R immunopositivity signals. These signals were also mainly distributed in their somata. Thus, the distribution pattern of M1R markedly differs between cellular types. This difference might underlie the cholinergic modulation of higher cognitive functions subserved by mPFC. PMID:29424434

The evolution of a Müllerian mimic in a spatially distributed community.

PubMed

Joron, Mathieu; Iwasa, Yoh

2005-11-07

Strong positive density-dependence should lead to a loss of diversity, but warning-colour and Müllerian mimicry systems show extraordinary levels of diversity. Here, we propose an analytical model to explore the dynamics of two forms of a Müllerian mimic in a heterogeneous environment with two alternative model species. Two connected populations of a dimorphic, chemically defended mimic are allowed to evolve and disperse. The proportions of the respective model species vary spatially. We use a nonlinear approximation of Müller's number-dependent equations to model a situation where the mortality for either form of the mimic decreases hyberbolically when its local density increases. A first non-spatial analysis confirms that the positive density-dependence makes coexistence of mimetic forms unstable in a single isolated patch, but shows that mimicry of the rarer model can be stable once established. The two-patch analysis shows that when models have different abundance in different places, local mimetic diversity in the mimic is maintained only if spatial heterogeneity is strong, or, more interestingly, if the mimic is not too strongly distasteful. Therefore, mildly toxic species can become polymorphic in a wider range of ecological settings. Spatial dynamics thus reveal a region of Müllerian polymorphism separating classical Batesian polymorphism and Müllerian monomorphism along the mimic's palatability spectrum. Such polymorphism-palatability relationship in a spatial environment provides a parsimonious hypothesis accounting for the observed Müllerian polymorphism that does not require quasi-Batesian dynamics. While the stability of coexistence depends on all factors, only the migration rate and strength of selection appear to affect the level of diversity at the polymorphic equilibrium. Local adaptation is predicted in most polymorphic cases. These results are in very good accordance with recent empirical findings on the polymorphic butterflies Heliconius numata and H. cydno.

Sex-linked inheritance of host-plant specialization in a polyphagous butterfly

PubMed Central

Janz, N.

1998-01-01

I investigated the genetic background of intraspecific variation in oviposition specificity in the generalist butterfly Polygonia c-album. Using reciprocal crosses between two populations that differ in their degree of specialization, I show that specificity is strongly sex-linked. This indicates that genes determining this difference are located primarily on the paternally inherited X-chromosome. The results suggest that intraspecific differences in specificity are caused by the same genetic mechanisms that have been shown to determine interspecific differences in host-plant ranking in other butterflies. Accordingly, the common assumption that specialization and ranking are determined by fundamentally different mechanisms was not supported.

Efficiency of weak brain connections support general cognitive functioning.

PubMed

Santarnecchi, Emiliano; Galli, Giulia; Polizzotto, Nicola Riccardo; Rossi, Alessandro; Rossi, Simone

2014-09-01

Brain network topology provides valuable information on healthy and pathological brain functioning. Novel approaches for brain network analysis have shown an association between topological properties and cognitive functioning. Under the assumption that "stronger is better", the exploration of brain properties has generally focused on the connectivity patterns of the most strongly correlated regions, whereas the role of weaker brain connections has remained obscure for years. Here, we assessed whether the different strength of connections between brain regions may explain individual differences in intelligence. We analyzed-functional connectivity at rest in ninety-eight healthy individuals of different age, and correlated several connectivity measures with full scale, verbal, and performance Intelligent Quotients (IQs). Our results showed that the variance in IQ levels was mostly explained by the distributed communication efficiency of brain networks built using moderately weak, long-distance connections, with only a smaller contribution of stronger connections. The variability in individual IQs was associated with the global efficiency of a pool of regions in the prefrontal lobes, hippocampus, temporal pole, and postcentral gyrus. These findings challenge the traditional view of a prominent role of strong functional brain connections in brain topology, and highlight the importance of both strong and weak connections in determining the functional architecture responsible for human intelligence variability. Copyright © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hydrogen bonding. Part 18. The nature of the OHF hydrogen bond in choline fluoride

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harmon, Kenneth M.; Madeira, Susan L.; Jacks, Marshan J.; Avci, Günsel F.; Thiel, Anne C.

1985-05-01

The infrared spectrum of the OHF hydrogen bond in choline fluoride is completely different from the spectra of the electrostatic O—H⋯X hydrogen bonds in the other choline halides; however, this spectrum cannot be accounted for in terms of a "very strong" covalent OHF bond such as those found in carboxylic acid—fluoride ion complexes or postulated for betaine hydrofluoride. The spectrum of choline fluoride is interpreted best in terms of an intermediate type of unsymmetrical hydrogen bond ( r° O⋯F = ˜ 256 pm) which shows strong intensity enhancement for the first overtone of the OHF bending vibration.

The hard parts (trophi) of the rotifer mastax do contain chitin: evidence from studies on Brachionus plicatilis.

PubMed

Klusemann, J; Kleinow, W; Peters, W

1990-01-01

The jaws (trophi) of the rotifer Brachionus plicatilis are soluble in strong acids but are resistant to long treatments by strong alkali. They show the same buoyant density as chitin and also as the chitin-containing layers of rotifer egg-shells. The presence of chitin in these structures was confirmed using the following techniques: chitosan-tests, thin-layer chromatography of trophi-hydrolysates which revealed glucosamine, by dissolving trophi with chitinase and electron microscopic WGA/gold-labelling. The content of chitin in the trophi was estimated by two different methods to be approx. 64% (50-75%).

Dynamic diffraction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

DOE PAGES

Hu, Wen; Huang, Xiaojing; Yan, Hanfei

2018-02-01

This article reports a theoretical study on the reconstruction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging caused by dynamical diffraction effects. It is shown that, unlike the absorption and refraction effects that can be corrected after reconstruction, dynamical diffraction effects have profound impacts on both the amplitude and the phase of the reconstructed complex object, causing strong artefacts. At the dynamical diffraction limit, the reconstructed shape is no longer correct, as a result of the strong extinction effect. Simulations for hemispherical particles of different sizes show the type, magnitude and extent of the dynamical diffraction artefacts, as well as the conditionsmore » under which they are negligible.« less

Why do Children Differ in Their Development of Reading and Related Skills?

PubMed Central

Olson, Richard K.; Keenan, Janice M.; Byrne, Brian; Samuelsson, Stefan

2013-01-01

Modern behavior-genetic studies of twins in the U.S., Australia, Scandinavia, and the U.K. show that genes account for most of the variance in children's reading ability by the end of the first year of formal reading instruction. Strong genetic influence continues across the grades, though the relevant genes vary for reading words and comprehending text, and some of the genetic influence comes through a gene – environment correlation. Strong genetic influences do not diminish the importance of the environment for reading development in the population and for helping struggling readers, but they question setting the same minimal performance criterion for all children. PMID:25104901

A molecular dynamics study on the adsorption of a mussel protein on two different films: Polymer film and a SAM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, Cunxue; Zhang, Heng; Lin, Cunguo; Wang, Li; Yuan, Shiling

2017-05-01

The adhesion of marine life would produce a certain degree of corrosion effect on the hull surface. Shellfish organisms, such as barnacles and mussels, were always used to research the impediment of coating material to protein adsorption. In this work, the adsorbed behaviors of mussel protein on the PDMS and C7F16-SAM surfaces were explored by molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Simulation results showed that protein was strongly adsorbed onto the hydrophobic surface, as reflected by the large interaction energy; while the adsorption onto the hydrophilic PDMS surface was weak due to two strongly adhered water layers.

RS Ophiuchi in Quiescence: Why Is It X-ray Faint?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukai, Koji

2007-01-01

The short interval between successive outbursts of RS Oph strongly suggests that it has a high mass white dwarf accreting at a high rate. This, in turn, suggests the possibility of prominent X-ray emission from RS Oph in quiescence. However, archival quiescent X-ray observations of RS Oph show it to be a modest soft X-ray source but not a strong 2-10 keV X-ray source. In this aspect, RS Oph differs markedly from T CrB. We speculate on the possible mechanisms that could significantly suppress the 2-10 keV X-ray emission in RS Oph.

Dynamic diffraction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging.

PubMed

Hu, Wen; Huang, Xiaojing; Yan, Hanfei

2018-02-01

This article reports a theoretical study on the reconstruction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging caused by dynamical diffraction effects. It is shown that, unlike the absorption and refraction effects that can be corrected after reconstruction, dynamical diffraction effects have profound impacts on both the amplitude and the phase of the reconstructed complex object, causing strong artefacts. At the dynamical diffraction limit, the reconstructed shape is no longer correct, as a result of the strong extinction effect. Simulations for hemispherical particles of different sizes show the type, magnitude and extent of the dynamical diffraction artefacts, as well as the conditions under which they are negligible.

Dynamic diffraction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging

PubMed Central

Yan, Hanfei

2018-01-01

This article reports a theoretical study on the reconstruction artefacts in Bragg coherent diffractive imaging caused by dynamical diffraction effects. It is shown that, unlike the absorption and refraction effects that can be corrected after reconstruction, dynamical diffraction effects have profound impacts on both the amplitude and the phase of the reconstructed complex object, causing strong artefacts. At the dynamical diffraction limit, the reconstructed shape is no longer correct, as a result of the strong extinction effect. Simulations for hemispherical particles of different sizes show the type, magnitude and extent of the dynamical diffraction artefacts, as well as the conditions under which they are negligible. PMID:29507549

Role of education in generativity differences of employed and unemployed women in Korea.

PubMed

Kim, Geumwoon; Youn, Gahyun

2002-12-01

This study investigated generativity differences between employed and unemployed women in Korea and examined the effect of education on generativity. There were 472 participants in this study, 252 employed married women and 220 unemployed married women living in the Kwangju metropolitan area. A questionnaire requesting demographic information and responses to the translated Loyola Generativity Scale was administered individually. Analysis showed significant generativity differences between the two groups, who also differed in education and mother and spouse roles. However, employment status was not a significant predictor for generativity when a stepwise regression analysis was applied. The analysis showed that education was the strongest predictor for generativity, while mother/wife roles, socioeconomic status, health, and childcare stress were also significant predictors. It was concluded that for Korean married women, generativity is more strongly related to education than employment status.

Individual Differences in Executive Function and Central Coherence Predict Developmental Changes in Theory of Mind in Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pellicano, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

There is strong evidence to suggest that individuals with autism show atypicalities in multiple cognitive domains, including theory of mind (ToM), executive function (EF), and central coherence (CC). In this study, the longitudinal relationships among these 3 aspects of cognition in autism were investigated. Thirty-seven cognitively able children…

Evidence for strong inter- and intracontinental phylogeographic structure in Amanita muscaria, a wind-dispersed ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete

Treesearch

Jozsef Geml; Rodham E. Tulloss; Gary A. Laursen; Nina A. Sazanova; D.L. Taylor

2008-01-01

Agrowing number of molecular studies show that many fungi have phylogeographic structures and that their distinct lineages are usually limited to different continents. As a conservative test of the extent to which wind-dispersed mycorrhizal fungi may exhibit phylogeographic structure, we chose to study Amanita muscaria, a host-generalist,...

"I Know How You Feel": Preschoolers' Emotion Knowledge Contributes to Early School Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denham, Susanne A.; Bassett, Hideko H.; Brown, Chavaughn; Way, Erin; Steed, Jessica

2015-01-01

Differences in emotion knowledge by children's age, gender, and socioeconomic risk status, as well as associations of emotion knowledge with executive control, social competence, and early classroom adjustment, were investigated. On emotion knowledge, 4- and 5-year-olds scored higher than 3-year-olds, with girls showing this effect more strongly.…

Estimating Marginal Returns to Education. NBER Working Paper No. 16474

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carneiro, Pedro; Heckman, James J.; Vytlacil, Edward J.

2010-01-01

This paper estimates the marginal returns to college for individuals induced to enroll in college by different marginal policy changes. The recent instrumental variables literature seeks to estimate this parameter, but in general it does so only under strong assumptions that are tested and found wanting. We show how to utilize economic theory and…

76 FR 36853 - Father's Day, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-22

... their children's love and success. On Father's Day, we honor the men in our lives who have helped shape.... Strong male role models come in all forms, but they have one thing in common: they show up and give it..., we celebrate the men who make a difference in the life of a child, and we pay tribute to all the...

Arizonans on Edge...So Why Not Involved? AZ Views. Volume 2, Issue 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrison Institute for Public Policy, Arizona State University, 2009

2009-01-01

What a difference a year makes. In June 2008, "AZ Views" reported that "Arizonans have a strong sense of job security, despite the national economic slump and the state's budget crisis." That is no longer true, as this edition of "AZ Views" shows, and Arizona's economic situation arguably is the best example of the…

When Language of Instruction and Language of Application Differ: Cognitive Costs of Bilingual Mathematics Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saalbach, Henrik; Eckstein, Doris; Andri, Nicoletta; Hobi, Reto; Grabner, Roland H.

2013-01-01

Bilingual education programs implicitly assume that the acquired knowledge is represented in a language-independent way. This assumption, however, stands in strong contrast to research findings showing that information may be represented in a way closely tied to the specific language of instruction and learning. The present study aims to examine…

Change Detection in Naturalistic Pictures among Children with Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burack, Jacob A.; Joseph, Shari; Russo, Natalie; Shore, David I.; Porporino, Mafalda; Enns, James T.

2009-01-01

Persons with autism often show strong reactions to changes in the environment, suggesting that they may detect changes more efficiently than typically developing (TD) persons. However, Fletcher-Watson et al. (Br J Psychol 97:537-554, 2006) reported no differences between adults with autism and TD adults with a change-detection task. In this study,…

Adsorbate Diffusion on Transition Metal Nanoparticles

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

different sizes and shapes using density functional theory calculations. We show that nanoparticles bind adsorbates more strongly than the...structure theoretical methods, a quantitative study with accurate density functional theory (DFT) calculations is still missing. Here, we perform a...functional theory . The projector augmented wave (PAW) potentials29,30 were used for electron- ion interactions and the generalized gradient approximation

Indispensable finite time corrections for Fokker-Planck equations from time series data.

PubMed

Ragwitz, M; Kantz, H

2001-12-17

The reconstruction of Fokker-Planck equations from observed time series data suffers strongly from finite sampling rates. We show that previously published results are degraded considerably by such effects. We present correction terms which yield a robust estimation of the diffusion terms, together with a novel method for one-dimensional problems. We apply these methods to time series data of local surface wind velocities, where the dependence of the diffusion constant on the state variable shows a different behavior than previously suggested.

Full waveform seismic modelling of Chalk Group rocks from the Danish North Sea - implications for velocity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Montazeri, Mahboubeh; Moreau, Julien; Uldall, Anette; Nielsen, Lars

2015-04-01

This study aims at understanding seismic wave propagation in the fine-layered Chalk Group, which constitutes the main reservoir for oil and gas production in the Danish North Sea. The starting point of our analysis is the Nana-1XP exploration well, which shows strong seismic contrasts inside the Chalk Group. For the purposes of seismic waveform modelling, we here assume a one-dimensional model with homogeneous and isotropic layers designed to capture the main fluctuations in petrophysical properties observed in the well logs. The model is representative of the stratigraphic sequences of the area and it illustrates highly contrasting properties of the Chalk Group. Finite-difference (FD) full wave technique, both acoustic and elastic equations are applied to the model. Velocity analysis of seismic data is a crucial step for stacking, multiple suppression, migration, and depth conversion of the seismic record. Semblance analysis of the synthetic seismic records shows strong amplitude peaks outside the expected range for the time interval representing the Chalk Group, especially at the base. The various synthetic results illustrate the occurrence and the impact of different types of waves including multiples, converted waves and refracted waves. The interference of these different wave types with the primary reflections can explain the strong anomalous amplitudes in the semblance plot. In particular, the effect of strongly contrasting thin beds plays an important role in the generation of the high anomalous amplitude values. If these anomalous amplitudes are used to pick the velocities, it would impede proper stacking of the data and may result in sub-optimal migration and depth conversion. Consequently this may lead to erroneous or sub-optimal seismic images of the Chalk Group and the underlying layers. Our results highlight the importance of detailed velocity analysis and proper picking of velocity functions in the Chalk Group intervals. We show that application of standard front mutes in the mid- and far-offset ranges does not significantly improve the results of the standard semblance analysis. These synthetic modelling results could be used as starting points for defining optimized processing flows for the seismic data sets acquired in the study area with the aim of improving the imaging of the Chalk Group.

Adaptation to interocular differences in blur

PubMed Central

Kompaniez, Elysse; Sawides, Lucie; Marcos, Susana; Webster, Michael A.

2013-01-01

Adaptation to a blurred image causes a physically focused image to appear too sharp, and shifts the point of subjective focus toward the adapting blur, consistent with a renormalization of perceived focus. We examined whether and how this adaptation normalizes to differences in blur between the two eyes, which can routinely arise from differences in refractive errors. Observers adapted to images filtered to simulate optical defocus or different axes of astigmatism, as well as to images that were isotropically blurred or sharpened by varying the slope of the amplitude spectrum. Adaptation to the different types of blur produced strong aftereffects that showed strong transfer across the eyes, as assessed both in a monocular adaptation task and in a contingent adaptation task in which the two eyes were simultaneously exposed to different blur levels. Selectivity for the adapting eye was thus generally weak. When one eye was exposed to a sharper image than the other, the aftereffects also tended to be dominated by the sharper image. Our results suggest that while short-term adaptation can rapidly recalibrate the perception of blur, it cannot do so independently for the two eyes, and that the binocular adaptation of blur is biased by the sharper of the two eyes' retinal images. PMID:23729770

Generation and manipulation of attosecond light pulses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaarde, Mette

2006-05-01

Attosecond pulses of light can be generated in the extremely non-linear interactions between an ultrashort, intense laser pulse and a gas of atoms, via the process of high harmonic generation [1,2]. In one approach, a number of odd harmonics of rougly equal strength are combined to form a train of sub-femtosecond pulses. If the harmonics are locked in phase to each other, the train will consist of the emission of one attosecond pulse every half cycle of the driving laser field [1,3]. It is in general not trivial to ensure that the harmonics are phase-locked as they are generated with intrinsically different phases. These phases originate in the strong field dynamics of the light-matter interaction [4].We will discuss different ways of generating and manipulating attosecond pulses via high harmonic generation. We will show how the harmonics can be phase-locked and better synchronized so as to form optimal pulse trains [3]. We will also show that it is possible to generate trains of pulses separated by a full laser cycle, by combining the driving laser field with its second harmonic [5]. The strong field continuum dynamics driven by the two-color field is very different from that of the one-color field and varies strongly with the delay between the two laser fields [6]. (1) P. M. Paul et al, Science 292, 1689 (2001).(2) M. Hentschel et al, Nature 414, 509 (2001).(3) R. Lopez-Martens et al, PRL 94, 033001 (2005).(4) P. Antoine, A. L'Huillier, and M. Lewenstein, PRL 77, 1234 (1996).(5) J. Mauritsson et al, in preparation (2006).(6) M. B. Gaarde et al, in preparation (2006).

The effect of bedding system selected by manual muscle testing on sleep-related cardiovascular functions.

PubMed

Kuo, Terry B J; Li, Jia-Yi; Lai, Chun-Ting; Huang, Yu-Chun; Hsu, Ya-Chuan; Yang, Cheryl C H

2013-01-01

Different types of mattresses affect sleep quality and waking muscle power. Whether manual muscle testing (MMT) predicts the cardiovascular effects of the bedding system was explored using ten healthy young men. For each participant, two bedding systems, one inducing the strongest limb muscle force (strong bedding system) and the other inducing the weakest limb force (weak bedding system), were identified using MMT. Each bedding system, in total five mattresses and eight pillows of different firmness, was used for two continuous weeks at the participant's home in a random and double-blind sequence. A sleep log, a questionnaire, and a polysomnography were used to differentiate the two bedding systems. Heart rate variability and arterial pressure variability analyses showed that the strong bedding system resulted in decreased cardiovascular sympathetic modulation, increased cardiac vagal activity, and increased baroreceptor reflex sensitivity during sleep as compared to the weak bedding system. Different bedding systems have distinct cardiovascular effects during sleep that can be predicted by MMT.

The Effect of Bedding System Selected by Manual Muscle Testing on Sleep-Related Cardiovascular Functions

PubMed Central

Kuo, Terry B. J.; Li, Jia-Yi; Lai, Chun-Ting; Huang, Yu-Chun; Hsu, Ya-Chuan; Yang, Cheryl C. H.

2013-01-01

Background. Different types of mattresses affect sleep quality and waking muscle power. Whether manual muscle testing (MMT) predicts the cardiovascular effects of the bedding system was explored using ten healthy young men. Methods. For each participant, two bedding systems, one inducing the strongest limb muscle force (strong bedding system) and the other inducing the weakest limb force (weak bedding system), were identified using MMT. Each bedding system, in total five mattresses and eight pillows of different firmness, was used for two continuous weeks at the participant's home in a random and double-blind sequence. A sleep log, a questionnaire, and a polysomnography were used to differentiate the two bedding systems. Results and Conclusion. Heart rate variability and arterial pressure variability analyses showed that the strong bedding system resulted in decreased cardiovascular sympathetic modulation, increased cardiac vagal activity, and increased baroreceptor reflex sensitivity during sleep as compared to the weak bedding system. Different bedding systems have distinct cardiovascular effects during sleep that can be predicted by MMT. PMID:24371836

Integrated information storage and transfer with a coherent magnetic device

PubMed Central

Jia, Ning; Banchi, Leonardo; Bayat, Abolfazl; Dong, Guangjiong; Bose, Sougato

2015-01-01

Quantum systems are inherently dissipation-less, making them excellent candidates even for classical information processing. We propose to use an array of large-spin quantum magnets for realizing a device which has two modes of operation: memory and data-bus. While the weakly interacting low-energy levels are used as memory to store classical information (bits), the high-energy levels strongly interact with neighboring magnets and mediate the spatial movement of information through quantum dynamics. Despite the fact that memory and data-bus require different features, which are usually prerogative of different physical systems – well isolation for the memory cells, and strong interactions for the transmission – our proposal avoids the notorious complexity of hybrid structures. The proposed mechanism can be realized with different setups. We specifically show that molecular magnets, as the most promising technology, can implement hundreds of operations within their coherence time, while adatoms on surfaces probed by a scanning tunneling microscope is a future possibility. PMID:26347152

Stresses, deformation, and seismic events on scaled experimental faults with heterogeneous fault segments and comparison to numerical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buijze, Loes; Guo, Yanhuang; Niemeijer, André R.; Ma, Shengli; Spiers, Christopher J.

2017-04-01

Faults in the upper crust cross-cut many different lithologies, which cause the composition of the fault rocks to vary. Each different fault rock segment may have specific mechanical properties, e.g. there may be stronger and weaker segments, and segments prone to unstable slip or creeping. This leads to heterogeneous deformation and stresses along such faults, and a heterogeneous distribution of seismic events. We address the influence of fault variability on stress, deformation, and seismicity using a combination of scaled laboratory fault and numerical modeling. A vertical fault was created along the diagonal of a 30 x 20 x 5 cm block of PMMA, along which a 2 mm thick gouge layer was deposited. Gouge materials of different characteristics were used to create various segments along the fault; quartz (average strength, stable sliding), kaolinite (weak, stable sliding), and gypsum (average strength, unstable sliding). The sample assembly was placed in a horizontal biaxial deformation apparatus, and shear displacement was enforced along the vertical fault. Multiple observations were made: 1) Acoustic emissions were continuously recorded at 3 MHz to observe the occurrence of stick-slips (micro-seismicity), 2) Photo-elastic effects (indicative of the differential stress) were recorded in the transparent set of PMMA wall-rocks using a high-speed camera, and 3) particle tracking was conducted on a speckle painted set of PMMA wall-rocks to study the deformation in the wall-rocks flanking the fault. All three observation methods show how the heterogeneous fault gouge exerts a strong control on the fault behavior. For example, a strong, unstable segment of gypsum flanked by two weaker kaolinite segments show strong stress concentrations develop near the edges of the strong segment, with at the same time most of acoustic emissions being located at the edge of this strong segment. The measurements of differential stress, strain and acoustic emissions provide a strong means to compare the scaled experiment to modeling results. In a finite-element model we reproduce the laboratory experiments, and compare the modeled stresses and strains to the observations and we compare the nucleation of seismic instability to the location of acoustic emissions. The model aids in understanding how the stresses and strains may vary as a result of fault heterogeneity, but also as a result of the boundary conditions inherent to a laboratory setup. The scaled experimental setup and modeling results also provide a means explain and compare with observations made at a larger scale, for example geodetic and seismological measurements along crustal scale faults.

Role of Atmospheric Transport on the Arctic Amplification: Adjusting Role

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

KUG, J.; Yim, B.; Jin, F.

2013-12-01

It is controversial whether the atmospheric transport plays a role in arctic amplification. Recently, Hwang et al. (2011) showed that the magnitude of the arctic amplification is negatively correlated with anomalous poleward atmospheric transport. That is, when the arctic amplification is strong (weak), the atmospheric transport plays a negative (positive) role in the arctic amplification. In this study, it is discussed what is a physical mechanism to determine the role of atmospheric transport and relation with the arctic amplification. Here, we suggest adjusting roles of atmospheric transport. The strength of local feedback over the Arctic determines zonal wind changes. The zonal wind changes are determined by two factors. The first one is polar cap cooling, and second is surface warming. They play opposite roles. So, there will be two different zonal wind responses in high-latitude to the greenhouse warming. Depending on the zonal wind response, the atmospheric transport can play a different role because the zonal wind changes can organize synoptic eddy feedbacks including heat flux, which largely contributes to poleward energy transport. We show here that when polar cap cooling is strong, and surface warming over Arctic is relatively weak, the Jet stream tends to be shifted poleward, so it leads to poleward atmospheric transport. On the other hand, when the surface warming is too strong, it lead to southward shift of Jet stream and equatorward atmospheric transport, which paly a negative role in the Arctic amplification.

Reaching while standing in microgravity: a new postural solution to oversimplify movement control.

PubMed

Casellato, Claudia; Tagliabue, Michele; Pedrocchi, Alessandra; Papaxanthis, Charalambos; Ferrigno, Giancarlo; Pozzo, Thierry

2012-01-01

Many studies showed that both arm movements and postural control are characterized by strong invariants. Besides, when a movement requires simultaneous control of the hand trajectory and balance maintenance, these two movement components are highly coordinated. It is well known that the focal and postural invariants are individually tightly linked to gravity, much less is known about the role of gravity in their coordination. It is not clear whether the effect of gravity on different movement components is such as to keep a strong movement-posture coordination even in different gravitational conditions or whether gravitational information is necessary for maintaining motor synergism. We thus set out to analyze the movements of eleven standing subjects reaching for a target in front of them beyond arm's length in normal conditions and in microgravity. The results showed that subjects quickly adapted to microgravity and were able to successfully accomplish the task. In contrast to the hand trajectory, the postural strategy was strongly affected by microgravity, so to become incompatible with normo-gravity balance constraints. The distinct effects of gravity on the focal and postural components determined a significant decrease in their reciprocal coordination. This finding suggests that movement-posture coupling is affected by gravity, and thus, it does not represent a unique hardwired and invariant mode of control. Additional kinematic and dynamic analyses suggest that the new motor strategy corresponds to a global oversimplification of movement control, fulfilling the mechanical and sensory constraints of the microgravity environment.

Variations in the ceramide profile in different seasons and regions of the body contribute to stratum corneum functions.

PubMed

Ishikawa, Junko; Shimotoyodome, Yoshie; Ito, Shotaro; Miyauchi, Yuki; Fujimura, Tsutomu; Kitahara, Takashi; Hase, Tadashi

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to clarify variations of the ceramide (CER) profile in human stratum corneum (SC) in different seasons and in different regions of the body and to estimate the contributions of CERs to the SC barrier and water-holding functions. Based on the information that there are great variations of SC functions among body sites, we compared the CER profiles obtained from ten different anatomical sites in healthy Japanese males in four seasons. Not only the physiological parameters of skin but also the CER profile showed body region and seasonal variations. The total CER level, the CER composition and the C34-CER[NS] species displayed strong correlations with the values of transepidermal water loss and capacitance throughout the body. Especially in the cheek, a strong correlation between the capacitance and the CER profile was observed. There were seasonal variations of the CER profile in the lip, upper arm and palm. Our results indicate that regional and seasonal variations of the CER profile may contribute to SC functions.

Species invasion shifts the importance of predator dependence.

PubMed

Griffen, Blaine D; Delaney, David G

2007-12-01

The strength of interference between foraging individuals can influence per capita consumption rates, with important consequences for predator and prey populations and system stability. Here we demonstrate how the replacement of a previously established invader, the predatory crab Carcinus maenas, by the recently invading predatory crab Hemigrapsus sanguineus shifts predation from a species that experiences strong predator interference (strong predator dependence) to one that experiences weak predator interference (weak predator dependence). We demonstrate using field experiments that differences in the strength of predator dependence persist for these species both when they forage on a single focal prey species only (the mussel Mytilus edulis) and when they forage more broadly across the entire prey community. This shift in predator dependence with species replacement may be altering the biomass across trophic levels, consistent with theoretical predictions, as we show that H. sanguineus populations are much larger than C. maenas populations throughout their invaded ranges. Our study highlights that predator dependence may differ among predator species and demonstrates that different predatory impacts of two conspicuous invasive predators may be explained at least in part by different strengths of predator dependence.

Validation of multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis versus dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry to measure body fat percentage in overweight/obese Colombian adults.

PubMed

Ramírez-Vélez, Robinson; Tordecilla-Sanders, Alejandra; Correa-Bautista, Jorge Enrique; González-Ruíz, Katherine; González-Jiménez, Emilio; Triana-Reina, Hector Reynaldo; García-Hermoso, Antonio; Schmidt-RioValle, Jacqueline

2018-01-01

To verify the validity of multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (mBCA) for predicting body fat percentage (BF%) in overweight/obese adults using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the reference method. Forty-eight adults participated (54% women, mean age = 41.0 ± 7.3 years old). The Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the correlation between BIA and BF% assessed by DXA. The concordance between BF% measured by both methods was obtained with Lin's concordance correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman difference plots. Measures of BF% were estimated as 39.0 (SD = 6.1) and 38.3 (SD = 6.5) using DXA and mBCA, respectively. The Pearson's correlation coefficient reflected a strong correlation (r =.921, P = .001). The paired t-test showed a significant mean difference between these methods for obese men BF% of -0.6 [(SD 1.95; 95% CI = -4.0 to 3.0), P =.037]. Overall, the bias of the mBCA was -0.6 [(SD 2.2; 95% CI = -5.0 to 3.7), P =.041], which indicated that the mBCA method significantly underestimated BF% in comparison to the reference method. Finally, in both genders, Lin's concordance correlation coefficient showed a strong agreement. More specifically the DXA value was ρc = 0.943 (95% CI = 0.775 to 0.950) and the mBCA value was ρc = 0.948 (95% CI = 0.778 to 0.978). Our analysis showed a strong agreement between the two methods as reflected in the range of BF%. These results show that mBCA and DXA are comparable methods for measuring body composition with higher body fat percentages. However, due to broad limits of agreement, we can only recommend mBCA for groups of populations. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Subsurface structures of buried features in the lunar Procellarum region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wenrui; Heki, Kosuke

2017-07-01

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission unraveled numbers of features showing strong gravity anomalies without prominent topographic signatures in the lunar Procellarum region. These features, located in different geologic units, are considered to have complex subsurface structures reflecting different evolution processes. By using the GRAIL level-1 data, we estimated the free-air and Bouguer gravity anomalies in several selected regions including such intriguing features. With the three-dimensional inversion technique, we recovered subsurface density structures in these regions.

Bioactivity of Several Herbicides on the Nanogram Level Under Different Soil Moisture Conditions.

PubMed

Jung, S C; Kuk, Y I; Senseman, S A; Ahn, H G; Seong, C N; Lee, D J

2015-01-01

In this study, a double-tube centrifuge method was employed to determine the effects of soil moisture on the bioactivity of cafenstrole, pretilachlor, benfuresate, oxyfluorfen and simetryn. In general, the available herbicide concentration in soil solution (ACSS) showed little change as soil moisture increased for herbicides. The total available herbicide in soil solution (TASS) typically increased as soil moisture increased for all herbicides. The relationship between TASS and % growth rate based on dry weight showed strong linear relationships for both cafenstrole and pretilachlor, with r2 values of 0.95 and 0.84, respectively. Increasing TASS values were consistent with increasing herbicide water solubility, with the exception of the ionizable herbicide simetryn. Plant absorption and % growth rate exhibited a strong linear relationship with TASS. According to the results suggested that TASS was a better predictor of herbicidal bioactivity than ACSS for all herbicides under unsaturated soil moisture conditions.

Ellipticity of near-threshold harmonics from stretched molecules.

PubMed

Li, Weiyan; Dong, Fulong; Yu, Shujuan; Wang, Shang; Yang, Shiping; Chen, Yanjun

2015-11-30

We study the ellipticity of near-threshold harmonics (NTH) from aligned molecules with large internuclear distances numerically and analytically. The calculated harmonic spectra show a broad plateau for NTH which is several orders of magnitude higher than that for high-order harmonics. In particular, the NTH plateau shows high ellipticity at small and intermediate orientation angles. Our analyses reveal that the main contributions to the NTH plateau come from the transition of the electron from continuum states to these two lowest bound states of the system, which are strongly coupled together by the laser field. Besides continuum states, higher excited states also play a role in the NTH plateau, resulting in a large phase difference between parallel and perpendicular harmonics and accordingly high ellipticity of the NTH plateau. The NTH plateau with high intensity and large ellipticity provides a promising manner for generating strong elliptically-polarized extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) pulses.

Correlated states in β-Li 2IrO 3 driven by applied magnetic fields

DOE PAGES

Ruiz, Alejandro; Frano, Alex; Breznay, Nicholas P.; ...

2017-10-16

Magnetic honeycomb iridates are thought to show strongly spin-anisotropic exchange interactions which, when highly frustrated, lead to an exotic state of matter known as the Kitaev quantum spin liquid. However, in all known examples these materials magnetically order at finite temperatures, the scale of which may imply weak frustration. Here we show that the application of a relatively small magnetic field drives the three-dimensional magnet β-Li 2IrO 3 from its incommensurate ground state into a quantum correlated paramagnet. Interestingly, this paramagnetic state admixes a zig-zag spin mode analogous to the zig-zag order seen in other Mott-Kitaev compounds. The rapid onsetmore » of the field-induced correlated state implies the exchange interactions are delicately balanced, leading to strong frustration and a near degeneracy of different ground states.« less

Projected Hartree-Fock theory as a polynomial of particle-hole excitations and its combination with variational coupled cluster theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Yiheng; Henderson, Thomas M.; Scuseria, Gustavo E.

2017-05-01

Projected Hartree-Fock theory provides an accurate description of many kinds of strong correlations but does not properly describe weakly correlated systems. Coupled cluster theory, in contrast, does the opposite. It therefore seems natural to combine the two so as to describe both strong and weak correlations with high accuracy in a relatively black-box manner. Combining the two approaches, however, is made more difficult by the fact that the two techniques are formulated very differently. In earlier work, we showed how to write spin-projected Hartree-Fock in a coupled-cluster-like language. Here, we fill in the gaps in that earlier work. Further, we combine projected Hartree-Fock and coupled cluster theory in a variational formulation and show how the combination performs for the description of the Hubbard Hamiltonian and for several small molecular systems.

Analytical Modeling for Mechanical Strength Prediction with Raman Spectroscopy and Fractured Surface Morphology of Novel Coconut Shell Powder Reinforced: Epoxy Composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Savita; Singh, Alok; Sharma, Sudhir Kumar

2017-06-01

In this paper, an analytical modeling and prediction of tensile and flexural strength of three dimensional micro-scaled novel coconut shell powder (CSP) reinforced epoxy polymer composites have been reported. The novel CSP has a specific mixing ratio of different coconut shell particle size. A comparison is made between obtained experimental strength and modified Guth model. The result shows a strong evidence for non-validation of modified Guth model for strength prediction. Consequently, a constitutive modeled equation named Singh model has been developed to predict the tensile and flexural strength of this novel CSP reinforced epoxy composite. Moreover, high resolution Raman spectrum shows that 40 % CSP reinforced epoxy composite has high dielectric constant to become an alternative material for capacitance whereas fractured surface morphology revealed that a strong bonding between novel CSP and epoxy polymer for the application as light weight composite materials in engineering.

A triple helical calcium-based coordination polymer with strong blue fluorescent emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Liang-Cai; Chen, Zhen-Feng; Liang, Hong; Zhou, Chun-Shan; Li, Yan

2005-08-01

A hydrothermal reaction of 1,3-dicyanobenzene and Ca(OH)2 yielded a triple helical calcium-based coordination polymer of the formula, C20H25Ca2.50O18.50 (1). The 1,3-benzenecarboxylate anion, found in the final product was generated in situ during the synthesis by the hydrolysis of 1,3-dicyanobenzene. X-ray diffraction study shows that the complex 1 crystallizes in the monoclinic system, C2/c space group, a=15.5701(5), b=21.4445(7), c=17.1601(6) Å, β=111.7400(7)°, V=5322.1(3) Å3, Z=8, Dc=1.651 Mg/m3. The calcium atoms show differences in the coordination environments. Complex 1 emits strong blue fluorescent light (λem(max)=419 nm) when it is excited by UV light (λex(max)=316 nm) in the solid state at room temperature.

Coulomb-free and Coulomb-distorted recolliding quantum orbits in photoelectron holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maxwell, A. S.; Figueira de Morisson Faria, C.

2018-06-01

We perform a detailed analysis of the different types of orbits in the Coulomb quantum orbit strong-field approximation (CQSFA), ranging from direct to those undergoing hard collisions. We show that some of them exhibit clear counterparts in the standard formulations of the strong-field approximation for direct and rescattered above-threshold ionization, and show that the standard orbit classification commonly used in Coulomb-corrected models is over-simplified. We identify several types of rescattered orbits, such as those responsible for the low-energy structures reported in the literature, and determine the momentum regions in which they occur. We also find formerly overlooked interference patterns caused by backscattered Coulomb-corrected orbits and assess their effect on photoelectron angular distributions. These orbits improve the agreement of photoelectron angular distributions computed with the CQSFA with the outcome of ab initio methods for high energy phtotoelectrons perpendicular to the field polarization axis.

Notes on a Mesodinium rubrum red tide in San Francisco Bay (California, USA)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cloern, James E.; Cole, Brian E.; Hager, Stephen W.

1994-01-01

Discrete red patches of water were observed in South San Francisco Bay (USA) on 30 April 1993, and examination of live samples showed that this red tide was caused by surface accumulations of the pigmented ciliate Mesodinium rubrum . Vertical profiles showed strong salinity and temperature stratification in the upper 5 m, peak chlorophyll fluorescence in the upper meter, and differences in the small-scale density structure and fluorescence distribution among red patches. Events preceding this Mesodinium red tide included: (i) heavy precipitation and run-off, allowing for strong salinity stratification; (ii) a spring diatom bloom where the chlorophyll a concentration reached 50 mg m −3 ; (ii) depletions of dissolved inorganic N and Si in the photic zone; and (iv) several days of rapid warming and stabilization of the upper surface layer. These conditions may be general prerequisites for M.rubrum blooms in temperate estuaries.

Termination Proofs for String Rewriting Systems via Inverse Match-Bounds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Butler, Ricky (Technical Monitor); Geser, Alfons; Hofbauer, Dieter; Waldmann, Johannes

2004-01-01

Annotating a letter by a number, one can record information about its history during a reduction. A string rewriting system is called match-bounded if there is a global upper bound to these numbers. In earlier papers we established match-boundedness as a strong sufficient criterion for both termination and preservation of regular languages. We show now that the string rewriting system whose inverse (left and right hand sides exchanged) is match-bounded, also have exceptional properties, but slightly different ones. Inverse match-bounded systems effectively preserve context-free languages; their sets of normalized strings and their sets of immortal strings are effectively regular. These sets of strings can be used to decide the normalization, the termination and the uniform termination problems of inverse match-bounded systems. We also show that the termination problem is decidable in linear time, and that a certain strong reachability problem is deciable, thus solving two open problems of McNaughton's.

Memory of the unjamming transition during cyclic tiltings of a granular pile.

PubMed

Deboeuf, S; Dauchot, O; Staron, L; Mangeney, A; Vilotte, J-P

2005-11-01

Discrete numerical simulations are performed to study the evolution of the microstructure and the response of a granular packing during successive loading-unloading cycles, consisting of quasistatic rotations in the gravity field between opposite inclination angles. We show that internal variables--e.g., stress and fabric of the pile--exhibit hysteresis during these cycles due to the exploration of different metastable configurations. Interestingly, the hysteretic behavior of the pile strongly depends on the maximal inclination of the cycles, giving evidence of the irreversible modifications of the pile state occurring close to the unjamming transition. More specifically, we show that for cycles with maximal inclination larger than the repose angle, the weak-contact network carries the memory of the unjamming transition. These results demonstrate the relevance of a two-phase description--strong- and weak-contact networks--for a granular system, as soon as it has approached the unjamming transition.

Experimentally-Derived Fibroblast Gene Signatures Identify Molecular Pathways Associated with Distinct Subsets of Systemic Sclerosis Patients in Three Independent Cohorts

PubMed Central

Johnson, Michael E.; Mahoney, J. Matthew; Taroni, Jaclyn; Sargent, Jennifer L.; Marmarelis, Eleni; Wu, Ming-Ru; Varga, John; Hinchcliff, Monique E.; Whitfield, Michael L.

2015-01-01

Genome-wide expression profiling in systemic sclerosis (SSc) has identified four ‘intrinsic’ subsets of disease (fibroproliferative, inflammatory, limited, and normal-like), each of which shows deregulation of distinct signaling pathways; however, the full set of pathways contributing to this differential gene expression has not been fully elucidated. Here we examine experimentally derived gene expression signatures in dermal fibroblasts for thirteen different signaling pathways implicated in SSc pathogenesis. These data show distinct and overlapping sets of genes induced by each pathway, allowing for a better understanding of the molecular relationship between profibrotic and immune signaling networks. Pathway-specific gene signatures were analyzed across a compendium of microarray datasets consisting of skin biopsies from three independent cohorts representing 80 SSc patients, 4 morphea, and 26 controls. IFNα signaling showed a strong association with early disease, while TGFβ signaling spanned the fibroproliferative and inflammatory subsets, was associated with worse MRSS, and was higher in lesional than non-lesional skin. The fibroproliferative subset was most strongly associated with PDGF signaling, while the inflammatory subset demonstrated strong activation of innate immune pathways including TLR signaling upstream of NF-κB. The limited and normal-like subsets did not show associations with fibrotic and inflammatory mediators such as TGFβ and TNFα. The normal-like subset showed high expression of genes associated with lipid signaling, which was absent in the inflammatory and limited subsets. Together, these data suggest a model by which IFNα is involved in early disease pathology, and disease severity is associated with active TGFβ signaling. PMID:25607805

Multimodal optical phenotyping of cancer cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastl, Lena; Budde, Björn; Isbach, Michael; Rommel, Christina; Kemper, Björn; Schnekenburger, Jürgen

2015-03-01

There is a growing interest in label-free, optical techniques like digital holographic microscopy (DHM) and optical cell stretching, since the interaction with samples is minimized. Because optical manipulation strongly depends on the optical and physiological properties of the investigated material, we combined the usage of these methods for the characterization of pancreatic tumor cells. Our results demonstrate that cells of distinct differentiation levels, or different expression in only one protein, show differences in their deformability. Additionally, the DHM results showed only few variations in the refractive index, indicating that it does not significantly influence the results of the optical cell stretching. Thus, the combined usage of the two technologies represents a promising new approach for tumor cell characterization.

Far-infrared /FIR/ optical black bidirectional reflectance distribution function /BRDF/

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, S. M.

1981-01-01

A nonspecular reflectometer and its operation at far-infrared wavelengths are described. Large differences in nonspecular reflectance were found to exist between different optically black coatings. Normal incidence bidirectional reflectance distribution function /BRDF) measurements at wavelengths between 12 and 316 microns of three black coatings show that their mean BRDFs increase with wavelength. The specularity of two of these coatings also showed a strong wavelength dependence, while the specularity of one coating seemed independent of wavelength. The BRDF of one coating depended on the angle of incidence at 12 and 38 microns, but not at 316 microns. Beyond 200 microns, it was found necessary to correct the measurements for the beam spread of the instrument.

Attention Induced Gain Stabilization in Broad and Narrow-Spiking Cells in the Frontal Eye-Field of Macaque Monkeys

PubMed Central

Brandt, Christian; Dasilva, Miguel; Gotthardt, Sascha; Chicharro, Daniel; Panzeri, Stefano; Distler, Claudia

2016-01-01

Top-down attention increases coding abilities by altering firing rates and rate variability. In the frontal eye field (FEF), a key area enabling top-down attention, attention induced firing rate changes are profound, but its effect on different cell types is unknown. Moreover, FEF is the only cortical area investigated in which attention does not affect rate variability, as assessed by the Fano factor, suggesting that task engagement affects cortical state nonuniformly. We show that putative interneurons in FEF of Macaca mulatta show stronger attentional rate modulation than putative pyramidal cells. Partitioning rate variability reveals that both cell types reduce rate variability with attention, but more strongly so in narrow-spiking cells. The effects are captured by a model in which attention stabilizes neuronal excitability, thereby reducing the expansive nonlinearity that links firing rate and variance. These results show that the effect of attention on different cell classes and different coding properties are consistent across the cortical hierarchy, acting through increased and stabilized neuronal excitability. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Cortical processing is critically modulated by attention. A key feature of this influence is a modulation of “cortical state,” resulting in increased neuronal excitability and resilience of the network against perturbations, lower rate variability, and an increased signal-to-noise ratio. In the frontal eye field (FEF), an area assumed to control spatial attention in human and nonhuman primates, firing rate changes with attention occur, but rate variability, quantified by the Fano factor, appears to be unaffected by attention. Using recently developed analysis tools and models to quantify attention effects on narrow- and broad-spiking cell activity, we show that attention alters cortical state strongly in the FEF, demonstrating that its effect on the neuronal network is consistent across the cortical hierarchy. PMID:27445139

Longitudinal dependence of the seasonal variations of the topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content: observations and model results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Man-Lian; Liu, Libo; Ning, Baiqi; Wan, Weixing

2016-07-01

Radio signals transmitted from GPS satellite going through the ionization zone above the Earth will be refracted by the ionized components in the ionosphere and the plasmasphere, which would produce additional transfer delay and generate extra errors in satellite navigation and positioning, etc. These errors have strong relation with the total electron content (TEC) along the signal's travelling path. Therefore TEC is one of the most important parameters required by many users for different modern usage purposes. The topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content makes a large contribution to TEC. In the present study, data for the year 2008 of the topside ionospheric and plasmaspheric electron content (PEC) between the height of 800-20200km above the Earth derived from the upward-looking TEC measurements of the precise orbit determination antenna on board the COSMIC low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites to the GPS signals are used to study the longitudinal dependence of the seasonal variations of PEC. A comparison study of the observed PEC with the IZMIRAN_Plas model results is also made. Our study showed that PEC shows different seasonal variations at different longitudinal sectors: for the 240°E-60°E longitudinal sector, PEC shows a strong annual variation with lowest value in the June solstice and highest value in the December solstice months; In contrast, very weak seasonal variations are observed for PEC at 60°E-240°E longitudinal sector; Comparison study showed that this longitudinal dependence feature of the observed PEC's seasonal variation is not well captured by the IZMIRAN_Plas model result. Acknowledgments This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC No. 41274163)

Modelling the Influence of Long-Term Hydraulic Conditions on Juvenile Salmon Habitats in AN Upland Scotish River

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fabris, L.; Malcolm, I.; Millidine, K. J.; Buddendorf, B.; Tetzlaff, D.; Soulsby, C.

2015-12-01

Wild Atlantic salmon populations in Scottish rivers constitute an important economic and recreational resource, as well as being a key component of biodiversity. Salmon have very specific habitat requirements at different life stages and their distribution is therefore strongly influenced by a complex suite of biological and physical controls. Previous research has shown that stream hydrodynamics and channel morphology have a strong influence on the distribution and density of juvenile salmon. Here, we utilise a unique 20 year data set of spatially distributed juvenile salmon densities derived from annual electro-fishing surveys in an upland Scottish river. We examine to what extent the spatial and temporal variability of in-stream hydraulics regulates the spatial and temporal variability in the performance and density of juvenile salmon. A 2-D hydraulic model (River2D) is used to simulate water velocity and water depth under different flow conditions for seven different electro-fishing sites. The selected sites represent different hydromorphological environments including plane-bed, step-pool and pool riffle reaches. The bathymetry of each site was characterised using a total station providing an accurate DTM of the bed, and hydraulic simulations were driven by 20 year stream flow records. Habitat suitability curves, based on direct observations during electro-fishing surveys, were produced for a range of hydraulic indices for juvenile salmon. The hydraulic simulations showed marked spatial differences in juvenile habitat quality both within and between reaches. They also showed marked differences both within and between years. This is most evident in extreme years with wet summers when salmon feeding opportunities may be constrained. Integration of hydraulic habitat models, with fish preference curves and the long term hydrological data allows us to assess whether long-term changes in hydroclimate may be affecting juvenile salmonid populations in the study stream.Wild Atlantic salmon populations in Scottish rivers constitute an important economic and recreational resource, as well as being a key component of biodiversity. Salmon have very specific habitat requirements at different life stages and their distribution is therefore strongly influenced by a complex suite of biological and physical controls. Previous research has shown that stream hydrodynamics and channel morphology have a strong influence on the distribution and density of juvenile salmon. Here, we utilise a unique 20 year data set of spatially distributed juvenile salmon densities derived from annual electro-fishing surveys in an upland Scottish river. We examine to what extent the spatial and temporal variability of in-stream hydraulics regulates the spatial and temporal variability in the performance and density of juvenile salmon. A 2-D hydraulic model (River2D) is used to simulate water velocity and water depth under different flow conditions for seven different electro-fishing sites. The selected sites represent different hydromorphological environments including plane-bed, step-pool and pool riffle reaches. The bathymetry of each site was characterised using a total station providing an accurate DTM of the bed, and hydraulic simulations were driven by 20 year stream flow records. Habitat suitability curves, based on direct observations during electro-fishing surveys, were produced for a range of hydraulic indices for juvenile salmon. The hydraulic simulations showed marked spatial differences in juvenile habitat quality both within and between reaches. They also showed marked differences both within and between years. This is most evident in extreme years with wet summers when salmon feeding opportunities may be constrained. Integration of hydraulic habitat models, with fish preference curves and the long term hydrological data allows us to assess whether long-term changes in hydroclimate may be affecting juvenile salmonid populations in the study stream.

Comparative analysis of magnetic resonance in the polaron pair recombination and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mkhitaryan, V. V.; Danilovic, D.; Hippola, C.

We present a comparative theoretical study of magnetic resonance within the polaron pair recombination (PPR) and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching (TPQ) models. Both models have been invoked to interpret the photoluminescence detected magnetic resonance (PLDMR) results in π-conjugated materials and devices. We show that resonance line shapes calculated within the two models differ dramatically in several regards. First, in the PPR model, the line shape exhibits unusual behavior upon increasing the microwave power: it evolves from fully positive at weak power to fully negative at strong power. In contrast, in the TPQ model, the PLDMR is completely positive, showing amore » monotonic saturation. Second, the two models predict different dependencies of the resonance signal on the photoexcitation power, PL. At low PL, the resonance amplitude Δ I/I is ∝ PL within the PPR model, while it is ∝ P2L crossing over to P3L within the TPQ model. On the physical level, the differences stem from different underlying spin dynamics. Most prominently, a negative resonance within the PPR model has its origin in the microwave-induced spin-Dicke effect, leading to the resonant quenching of photoluminescence. The spin-Dicke effect results from the spin-selective recombination, leading to a highly correlated precession of the on-resonance pair partners under the strong microwave power. This effect is not relevant for TPQ mechanism, where the strong zero-field splitting renders the majority of triplets off resonance. On the technical level, the analytical evaluation of the line shapes for the two models is enabled by the fact that these shapes can be expressed via the eigenvalues of a complex Hamiltonian. This bypasses the necessity of solving the much larger complex linear system of the stochastic Liouville equations. Lastly, our findings pave the way towards a reliable discrimination between the two mechanisms via cw PLDMR.« less

Comparative analysis of magnetic resonance in the polaron pair recombination and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching models

DOE PAGES

Mkhitaryan, V. V.; Danilovic, D.; Hippola, C.; ...

2018-01-03

We present a comparative theoretical study of magnetic resonance within the polaron pair recombination (PPR) and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching (TPQ) models. Both models have been invoked to interpret the photoluminescence detected magnetic resonance (PLDMR) results in π-conjugated materials and devices. We show that resonance line shapes calculated within the two models differ dramatically in several regards. First, in the PPR model, the line shape exhibits unusual behavior upon increasing the microwave power: it evolves from fully positive at weak power to fully negative at strong power. In contrast, in the TPQ model, the PLDMR is completely positive, showing amore » monotonic saturation. Second, the two models predict different dependencies of the resonance signal on the photoexcitation power, PL. At low PL, the resonance amplitude Δ I/I is ∝ PL within the PPR model, while it is ∝ P2L crossing over to P3L within the TPQ model. On the physical level, the differences stem from different underlying spin dynamics. Most prominently, a negative resonance within the PPR model has its origin in the microwave-induced spin-Dicke effect, leading to the resonant quenching of photoluminescence. The spin-Dicke effect results from the spin-selective recombination, leading to a highly correlated precession of the on-resonance pair partners under the strong microwave power. This effect is not relevant for TPQ mechanism, where the strong zero-field splitting renders the majority of triplets off resonance. On the technical level, the analytical evaluation of the line shapes for the two models is enabled by the fact that these shapes can be expressed via the eigenvalues of a complex Hamiltonian. This bypasses the necessity of solving the much larger complex linear system of the stochastic Liouville equations. Lastly, our findings pave the way towards a reliable discrimination between the two mechanisms via cw PLDMR.« less

Comparative analysis of magnetic resonance in the polaron pair recombination and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mkhitaryan, V. V.; Danilović, D.; Hippola, C.; Raikh, M. E.; Shinar, J.

2018-01-01

We present a comparative theoretical study of magnetic resonance within the polaron pair recombination (PPR) and the triplet exciton-polaron quenching (TPQ) models. Both models have been invoked to interpret the photoluminescence detected magnetic resonance (PLDMR) results in π -conjugated materials and devices. We show that resonance line shapes calculated within the two models differ dramatically in several regards. First, in the PPR model, the line shape exhibits unusual behavior upon increasing the microwave power: it evolves from fully positive at weak power to fully negative at strong power. In contrast, in the TPQ model, the PLDMR is completely positive, showing a monotonic saturation. Second, the two models predict different dependencies of the resonance signal on the photoexcitation power, PL. At low PL, the resonance amplitude Δ I /I is ∝PL within the PPR model, while it is ∝PL2 crossing over to PL3 within the TPQ model. On the physical level, the differences stem from different underlying spin dynamics. Most prominently, a negative resonance within the PPR model has its origin in the microwave-induced spin-Dicke effect, leading to the resonant quenching of photoluminescence. The spin-Dicke effect results from the spin-selective recombination, leading to a highly correlated precession of the on-resonance pair partners under the strong microwave power. This effect is not relevant for TPQ mechanism, where the strong zero-field splitting renders the majority of triplets off resonance. On the technical level, the analytical evaluation of the line shapes for the two models is enabled by the fact that these shapes can be expressed via the eigenvalues of a complex Hamiltonian. This bypasses the necessity of solving the much larger complex linear system of the stochastic Liouville equations. Our findings pave the way towards a reliable discrimination between the two mechanisms via cw PLDMR.

Inter-hemispheric asymmetry of Pedersen conductance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Y.; Lu, Y.; Sheng, C.; Yue, X.

2015-12-01

Ionospheric conductance is very important to the magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling in the high latitude region, since it connects the polar cap potential with the currents. Meanwhile, the altitudinal distribution of Pederson conductance gives us a rough idea about the altitudinal distribution of Joule heating at high latitudes. Based on the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate (COSMIC) satellites observations of electron density profiles from 2009-2014, Pedersen conductivity has been calculated. A climatologic study of the height-integrated Pedersen conductivities in both E (100-150 km) and F (150-600 km) regions and their ratio in different seasons, solar and geomagnetic conditions have been conducted. A significant inter-hemispheric asymmetry is identified in the seasonal variation. Meanwhile, the conductance in both regions and the conductance ratio show a strong dependence on F10.7 and Ap indices. This result will strongly help our understanding of the inter-hemispheric difference in the high-latitude electrodynamics.

Differences in the efficacy of climate forcings explained by variations in atmospheric boundary layer depth.

PubMed

Davy, Richard; Esau, Igor

2016-05-25

The Earth has warmed in the last century and a large component of that warming has been attributed to increased anthropogenic greenhouse gases. There are also numerous processes that introduce strong, regionalized variations to the overall warming trend. However, the ability of a forcing to change the surface air temperature depends on its spatial and temporal distribution. Here we show that the efficacy of a forcing is determined by the effective heat capacity of the atmosphere, which in cold and dry climates is defined by the depth of the planetary boundary layer. This can vary by an order of magnitude on different temporal and spatial scales, and so we get a strongly amplified temperature response in shallow boundary layers. This must be accounted for to assess the efficacy of a climate forcing, and also implies that multiple climate forcings cannot be linearly combined to determine the temperature response.

Structural basis for the antifolding activity of a molecular chaperone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Chengdong; Rossi, Paolo; Saio, Tomohide; Kalodimos, Charalampos G.

2016-09-01

Molecular chaperones act on non-native proteins in the cell to prevent their aggregation, premature folding or misfolding. Different chaperones often exert distinct effects, such as acceleration or delay of folding, on client proteins via mechanisms that are poorly understood. Here we report the solution structure of SecB, a chaperone that exhibits strong antifolding activity, in complex with alkaline phosphatase and maltose-binding protein captured in their unfolded states. SecB uses long hydrophobic grooves that run around its disk-like shape to recognize and bind to multiple hydrophobic segments across the length of non-native proteins. The multivalent binding mode results in proteins wrapping around SecB. This unique complex architecture alters the kinetics of protein binding to SecB and confers strong antifolding activity on the chaperone. The data show how the different architectures of chaperones result in distinct binding modes with non-native proteins that ultimately define the activity of the chaperone.

Social class differences in self, attribution, and attention: socially expansive individualism of middle-class Americans.

PubMed

Bowman, Nicholas A; Kitayama, Shinobu; Nisbett, Richard E

2009-07-01

Although U.S. culture strongly sanctions the ideal of independence, the specific ways in which independence is realized may be variable depending, among other factors, on social class. Characterized by relative scarcity of social and material resources, working-class (WC) Americans were expected to strongly value self-reliance. In contrast, with choices among abundant resources, middle-class (MC) Americans were expected to value personal control and social expansiveness. In support of this analysis, relative to their WC counterparts, MC Americans reported more support from friends and greater likelihood of giving and receiving advice but less self-reliance (Study 1). Furthermore, we found evidence that this social difference has cognitive consequences: College students with MC backgrounds were more likely than their WC counterparts were to endorse situational attributions for others' behavior (Studies 2a and 2b) as well as to show holistic visual attention (Study 3).

Fano resonance assisting plasmonic circular dichroism from nanorice heterodimers for extrinsic chirality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Li; Huang, Yingzhou; Fang, Liang; Chen, Guo; Wei, Hua; Fang, Yurui

2015-11-01

In this work, the circular dichroisms (CD) of nanorice heterodimers consisting of two parallel arranged nanorices with the same size but different materials are investigated theoretically. Symmetry-breaking is introduced by using different materials and oblique incidence to achieve strong CD at the vicinity of Fano resonance peaks. We demonstrate that all Au-Ag heterodimers exhibit multipolar Fano resonances and strong CD effect. A simple quantitative analysis shows that the structure with larger Fano asymmetry factor has stronger CD. The intensity and peak positions of the CD effect can be flexibly tuned in a large range by changing particle size, shape, the inter-particle distance and surroundings. Furthermore, CD spectra exhibit high sensitivity to ambient medium in visible and near infrared regions. Our results here are beneficial for the design and application of high sensitive CD sensors and other related fields.

Maternal alcohol consumption and offspring DNA methylation: findings from six general population-based birth cohorts

PubMed Central

Sharp, Gemma C; Arathimos, Ryan; Reese, Sarah E; Page, Christian M; Felix, Janine; Küpers, Leanne K; Rifas-Shiman, Sheryl L; Liu, Chunyu; Burrows, Kimberley; Zhao, Shanshan; Magnus, Maria C; Duijts, Liesbeth; Corpeleijn, Eva; DeMeo, Dawn L; Litonjua, Augusto; Baccarelli, Andrea; Hivert, Marie-France; Oken, Emily; Snieder, Harold; Jaddoe, Vincent; Nystad, Wenche; London, Stephanie J; Relton, Caroline L; Zuccolo, Luisa

2018-01-01

Aim: Alcohol consumption during pregnancy is sometimes associated with adverse outcomes in offspring, potentially mediated by epigenetic modifications. We aimed to investigate genome-wide DNA methylation in cord blood of newborns exposed to alcohol in utero. Materials & methods: We meta-analyzed information from six population-based birth cohorts within the Pregnancy and Childhood Epigenetics consortium. Results: We found no strong evidence of association at either individual CpGs or across larger regions of the genome. Conclusion: Our findings suggest no association between maternal alcohol consumption and offspring cord blood DNA methylation. This is in stark contrast to the multiple strong associations previous studies have found for maternal smoking, which is similarly socially patterned. However, it is possible that a combination of a larger sample size, higher doses, different timings of exposure, exploration of a different tissue and a more global assessment of genomic DNA methylation might show evidence of association. PMID:29172695

Identity physics experiment on internal transport barriers in JT-60U and JET

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Vries, P. C.; Sakamoto, Y.; Litaudon, X.; Beurskens, M. N. A.; Brix, M.; Crombé, K.; Fujita, T.; Giroud, C.; Hawkes, N. C.; Hayashi, N.; Joffrin, E.; Mantica, P.; Matsunaga, G.; Oyama, N.; Parail, V.; Salmi, A.; Shinohara, K.; Strintzi, D.; Suzuki, T.; Takechi, M.; Takenaga, H.; Tala, T.; Tsalas, M.; Urano, H.; Voitsekhovitch, I.; Yoshida, M.; EFDA contributors, JET; JT-60 Team

2009-12-01

A series of experiments have been carried out in 2008 at JT-60U and JET to find common characteristics and explain differences between internal transport barriers (ITBs). The identity experiments succeeded in matching the profiles of most dimensionless parameters at the time ITBs were triggered. Thereafter the q-profile development deviated due to differences in non-inductive current density profile, affecting the ITB. Furthermore, the ITBs in JET were more strongly influenced by the H-mode pedestal or edge localized modes. It was found to be difficult to match the plasma rotation characteristics in both devices. However, the wide range of Mach numbers obtained in these experiments shows that the rotation has little effect on the triggering of ITBs in plasmas with reversed magnetic shear. On the other hand the toroidal rotation and more specifically the rotational shear had an impact on the subsequent growth and allowed the formation of strong ITBs.

Differences in the efficacy of climate forcings explained by variations in atmospheric boundary layer depth

PubMed Central

Davy, Richard; Esau, Igor

2016-01-01

The Earth has warmed in the last century and a large component of that warming has been attributed to increased anthropogenic greenhouse gases. There are also numerous processes that introduce strong, regionalized variations to the overall warming trend. However, the ability of a forcing to change the surface air temperature depends on its spatial and temporal distribution. Here we show that the efficacy of a forcing is determined by the effective heat capacity of the atmosphere, which in cold and dry climates is defined by the depth of the planetary boundary layer. This can vary by an order of magnitude on different temporal and spatial scales, and so we get a strongly amplified temperature response in shallow boundary layers. This must be accounted for to assess the efficacy of a climate forcing, and also implies that multiple climate forcings cannot be linearly combined to determine the temperature response. PMID:27221757

Parasites contribute to ecologically dependent postmating isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback.

PubMed

El Nagar, Aliya; MacColl, Andrew D C

2016-08-17

Spatial variation in parasitic infections is common, and has the potential to drive population divergence and the reproductive isolation of hosts. However, despite support from theory and model laboratory systems, little strong evidence has been forthcoming from the wild. Here, we show that parasites are likely to cause reproductive isolation in the adaptive radiation of three-spined stickleback. Adjacent wild populations on the Scottish island of North Uist differ greatly and consistently in the occurrence of different parasites that have substantial effects on fitness. Laboratory-reared fish are more resistant to experimental infection by parasite species from their own population. Furthermore, hybrid backcrosses between the host populations are more resistant to parasites from the parental population to which they are more closely related. These patterns provide strong evidence that parasites can cause ecological speciation, by contributing to selection against migrants and ecologically dependent postmating isolation. © 2016 The Author(s).

Replicable Facets of Positive Emotionality and Their Relations to Psychopathology.

PubMed

Stanton, Kasey; Watson, David

2015-12-01

General individual differences in positive emotionality are negatively related to depression, social anxiety, and schizotypy/schizophrenia, and positively related to mania. However, the structure of positive emotionality remains unclear at the facet level, as there are significant disparities in the types of content assessed across emotionality measures. This study analyzed the lower order structure of positive emotionality in two samples, finding evidence for a replicable two-factor structure of Joviality and Experience Seeking. These factors demonstrated a markedly different pattern of relations in both direction and magnitude with internalizing, externalizing, and schizotypal symptoms. Joviality seems to represent an adaptive variant of positive emotionality, as it showed strong positive relations with well-being and moderate negative relations with measures of depression, social anxiety, and social anhedonia. In contrast, Experience Seeking appears to be somewhat maladaptive. It generally related positively to psychopathology, correlating most strongly with indicators of manic and externalizing symptoms. © The Author(s) 2014.

The good, the bad and the plenty: interactive effects of food quality and quantity on the growth of different Daphnia species.

PubMed

Bukovinszky, Tibor; Verschoor, Antonie M; Helmsing, Nico R; Bezemer, T Martijn; Bakker, Elisabeth S; Vos, Matthijs; de Senerpont Domis, Lisette N

2012-01-01

Effects of food quality and quantity on consumers are neither independent nor interchangeable. Although consumer growth and reproduction show strong variation in relation to both food quality and quantity, the effects of food quality or food quantity have usually been studied in isolation. In two experiments, we studied the growth and reproduction in three filter-feeding freshwater zooplankton species, i.e. Daphnia galeata x hyalina, D. pulicaria and D. magna, on their algal food (Scenedesmus obliquus), varying in carbon to phosphorus (C∶P) ratios and quantities (concentrations). In the first experiment, we found a strong positive effect of the phosphorus content of food on growth of Daphnia, both in their early and late juvenile development. Variation in the relationship between the P-content of animals and their growth rate reflected interspecific differences in nutrient requirements. Although growth rates typically decreased as development neared maturation, this did not affect these species-specific couplings between growth rate and Daphnia P-content. In the second experiment, we examined the effects of food quality on Daphnia growth at different levels of food quantity. With the same decrease in P-content of food, species with higher estimated P-content at zero growth showed a larger increase in threshold food concentrations (i.e. food concentration sufficient to meet metabolic requirements but not growth). These results suggest that physiological processes such as maintenance and growth may in combination explain effects of food quality and quantity on consumers. Our study shows that differences in response to variation in food quality and quantity exist between species. As a consequence, species-specific effects of food quality on consumer growth will also determine how species deal with varying food levels, which has implications for resource-consumer interactions.

The Good, the Bad and the Plenty: Interactive Effects of Food Quality and Quantity on the Growth of Different Daphnia Species

PubMed Central

Bukovinszky, Tibor; Verschoor, Antonie M.; Helmsing, Nico R.; Bezemer, T. Martijn; Bakker, Elisabeth S.; Vos, Matthijs; de Senerpont Domis, Lisette N.

2012-01-01

Effects of food quality and quantity on consumers are neither independent nor interchangeable. Although consumer growth and reproduction show strong variation in relation to both food quality and quantity, the effects of food quality or food quantity have usually been studied in isolation. In two experiments, we studied the growth and reproduction in three filter-feeding freshwater zooplankton species, i.e. Daphnia galeata x hyalina, D. pulicaria and D. magna, on their algal food (Scenedesmus obliquus), varying in carbon to phosphorus (C∶P) ratios and quantities (concentrations). In the first experiment, we found a strong positive effect of the phosphorus content of food on growth of Daphnia, both in their early and late juvenile development. Variation in the relationship between the P-content of animals and their growth rate reflected interspecific differences in nutrient requirements. Although growth rates typically decreased as development neared maturation, this did not affect these species-specific couplings between growth rate and Daphnia P-content. In the second experiment, we examined the effects of food quality on Daphnia growth at different levels of food quantity. With the same decrease in P-content of food, species with higher estimated P-content at zero growth showed a larger increase in threshold food concentrations (i.e. food concentration sufficient to meet metabolic requirements but not growth). These results suggest that physiological processes such as maintenance and growth may in combination explain effects of food quality and quantity on consumers. Our study shows that differences in response to variation in food quality and quantity exist between species. As a consequence, species-specific effects of food quality on consumer growth will also determine how species deal with varying food levels, which has implications for resource-consumer interactions. PMID:23049734

Focus on the success of others leads to selfish behavior

PubMed Central

van den Berg, Pieter; Molleman, Lucas; Weissing, Franz J.

2015-01-01

It has often been argued that the spectacular cognitive capacities of humans are the result of selection for the ability to gather, process, and use information about other people. Recent studies show that humans strongly and consistently differ in what type of social information they are interested in. Although some individuals mainly attend to what the majority is doing (frequency-based learning), others focus on the success that their peers achieve with their behavior (success-based learning). Here, we show that such differences in social learning have important consequences for the outcome of social interactions. We report on a decision-making experiment in which individuals were first classified as frequency- and success-based learners and subsequently grouped according to their learning strategy. When confronted with a social dilemma situation, groups of frequency-based learners cooperated considerably more than groups of success-based learners. A detailed analysis of the decision-making process reveals that these differences in cooperation are a direct result of the differences in information use. Our results show that individual differences in social learning strategies are crucial for understanding social behavior. PMID:25730855

Differences in Gender Norms Between Countries: Are They Valid? The Issue of Measurement Invariance.

PubMed

Weziak-Bialowolska, Dorota

The values and attitudes towards gender roles are often investigated and compared from a cross-country perspective without the proper statistical treatment of the measurement invariance (MI) assessment. This implies that the conclusions based on composite scales of gender norms, gender role attitudes or gender egalitarianism, to name only a few, may be questionable. In this study, we address this lack by investigating the cross-country MI properties of the Gender Equality Scale (GES) based on World Value Survey data. We use multi-group confirmatory factor analysis with and without alignment to determine the configural, weak, strong and strict MI. The results show that the concept of gender equality is not comparable across all countries involved in the survey. In particular, it seems to differ between Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe. We claim that only selected Central and Eastern European countries exhibit a configural MI but fail to show full weak MI and definitely fail to show full strong and full strict MI. However, under the aligned measurement framework, we succeeded in showing that for these countries, comparisons of the country rankings with respect to the GES are valid provided that a correction for non-invariance of certain factor loadings and/or intercepts is applied. Our study shows that the most egalitarian gender role attitudes measured by the GES are observed in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Lithuania and Croatia. They are significantly higher than the gender equality attitudes recorded in the lowest scoring countries Poland, Slovakia, Albania and Romania.

Confabulation in healthy aging is related to interference of overlearned, semantically similar information on episodic memory recall.

PubMed

Dalla Barba, Gianfranco; Attali, Eve; La Corte, Valentina

2010-07-01

Normal aging is characterized by reduced performance on tasks of long-term memory. Older adults (OA) not only show reduced performance on tasks of recall and recognition memory, but also, compared to young adults (YA), are more vulnerable to memory distortions. In this study we describe the performance of a group of OA and a group of YA on the recall of three different types of story: a previously unknown story, a well-known fairy tale (Sleeping Beauty), and a modified well-known fairy tale (Little Red Riding Hood is not eaten by the wolf). The aim of our study was to test the hypothesis that in OA strongly represented, overlearned information interferes with episodic recall-that is, the retrieval of specific, unique past episodes. OA produced significantly more confabulations than YA and in particular in the recall of the modified fairy tale. Our findings indicate that the interference of strongly represented, overlearned information in episodic memory recall is implicated in the production of confabulations in OA. This effect is particularly prominent when the to-be remembered episodic information shows strong semantic similarities with preexisting, overlearned information.

Ultrathin type-II GaSb/GaAs quantum wells grown by OMVPE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitts, O. J.; Watkins, S. P.; Wang, C. X.; Stotz, J. A. H.; Meyer, T. A.; Thewalt, M. L. W.

2004-09-01

Heterostructures containing monolayer (ML) and submonolayer GaSb insertions in GaAs were grown using organometallic vapour phase epitaxy. At the GaAs-on-GaSb interface, strong intermixing occurs due to the surface segregation of Sb. To form structures with relatively abrupt interfaces, a flashoff growth sequence, in which growth interruptions are employed to desorb Sb from the surface, was introduced. Reflectance-difference spectroscopy and high-resolution X-ray diffraction data demonstrate that interfacial grading is strongly reduced by this procedure. For layer structures grown with the flashoff sequence, a GaSb coverage up to 1 ML can be obtained in the two-dimensional (2D) growth mode. For uncapped GaSb layers, on the other hand, atomic force microscope images show that the 2D-3D growth mode transition occurs at a submonolayer coverage between 0.3 and 0.5 ML. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectra of multiple quantum well samples grown using the flashoff sequence show a strong quantum well-related peak which shifts to lower energies as the amount of Sb incorporated increases. The PL peak energies are consistent with a type-II band lineup at the GaAs/GaSb interface.

Observation and numerical modeling of chromospheric evaporation during the impulsive phase of a solar flare

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Imada, Shinsuke, E-mail: shinimada@stelab.nagoya-u.ac.jp; Murakami, Izumi, E-mail: murakami.izumi@nifs.ac.jp; Department of Fusion Science, SOKENDAI

2015-10-15

We have studied the chromospheric evaporation flow during the impulsive phase of the flare by using the Hinode/EUV Imaging Spectrometer observation and 1D hydrodynamic numerical simulation coupled to the time-dependent ionization. The observation clearly shows that the strong redshift can be observed at the base of the flaring loop only during the impulsive phase. We performed two different numerical simulations to reproduce the strong downflows in FeXII and FeXV during the impulsive phase. By changing the thermal conduction coefficient, we carried out the numerical calculation of chromospheric evaporation in the thermal conduction dominant regime (conductivity coefficient κ{sub 0} = classical value) andmore » the enthalpy flux dominant regime (κ{sub 0} = 0.1 × classical value). The chromospheric evaporation calculation in the enthalpy flux dominant regime could reproduce the strong redshift at the base of the flare during the impulsive phase. This result might indicate that the thermal conduction can be strongly suppressed in some cases of flare. We also find that time-dependent ionization effect is important to reproduce the strong downflows in Fe XII and Fe XV.« less

Sexual conflict over parental care promotes the evolution of sex differences in care and the ability to care

PubMed Central

McNamara, John M.; Wolf, Max

2015-01-01

Strong asymmetries in parental care, with one sex providing more care than the other, are widespread across the animal kingdom. At present, two factors are thought to ultimately cause sex differences in care: certainty of parentage and sexual selection. By contrast, we here show that the coevolution of care and the ability to care can result in strong asymmetries in both the ability to care and the level of care, even in the absence of these factors. While the coevolution of care and the ability to care does not predict which sex evolves to care more than the other, once other factors give rise to even the slightest differences in the cost and benefits of care between the sexes (e.g. differences in certainty in parentage), a clear directionality emerges; the sex with the lower cost or higher benefit of care evolves both to be more able to care and to provide much higher levels of care than the other sex. Our findings suggest that the coevolution of levels of care and the ability to care may be a key factor underlying the evolution of sex differences in care. PMID:25694618

Ghosts, strong coupling, and accidental symmetries in massive gravity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deffayet, C.; GReCO/IAP, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris; Rombouts, J.-W.

2005-08-15

We show that the strong self-interaction of the scalar polarization of a massive graviton can be understood in terms of the propagation of an extra ghostlike degree of freedom, thus relating strong coupling to the sixth degree of freedom discussed by Boulware and Deser in their Hamiltonian analysis of massive gravity. This enables one to understand the Vainshtein recovery of solutions of massless gravity as being due to the effect of the exchange of this ghost, which gets frozen at distances larger than the Vainshtein radius. Inside this region, we can trust the two-field Lagrangian perturbatively, while at larger distancesmore » one can use the higher derivative formulation. We also compare massive gravity with other models, namely, deconstructed theories of gravity, as well as the Dvali-Gabadadze-Porrati model. In the latter case, we argue that the Vainshtein recovery process is of a different nature, not involving a ghost degree of freedom.« less

Hypothesis on a possible role of El Niño in the occurrence of influenza pandemics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazzarella, Adriano; Giuliacci, Andrea; Pregliasco, Fabrizio

2011-08-01

The El Niño phenomenon is the Earth's strongest climatic fluctuation on an interannual timescale and has a quasi-global impact, although originating in the tropical Pacific Ocean. A very strong El Niño is recognized to cause extreme dryness and wetness in different parts of the world. We show that all the eight well-documented influenza pandemics, starting from the first certain one documented in ad 1580, originated in China and in Russia, a few years after the occurrence of a very strong or after a prolonged strong/moderate El Niño event. At present, the next El Niño will probably occur at the beginning of 2013 (Mazzarella et al. Theor Appl Climatol 100:23-27, 2010), and this forecast may suggest to be well prepared to take appropriate precautionary epidemiological measures.

Using nonequilibrium dynamics to probe competing orders in a Mott-Peierls system

DOE PAGES

Wang, Y.; Moritz, B.; Chen, C. -C.; ...

2016-02-24

Competition between ordered phases, and their associated phase transitions, are significant in the study of strongly correlated systems. Here, we examine one aspect, the nonequilibrium dynamics of a photoexcited Mott-Peierls system, using an effective Peierls-Hubbard model and exact diagonalization. Near a transition where spin and charge become strongly intertwined, we observe antiphase dynamics and a coupling-strength-dependent suppression or enhancement in the static structure factors. The renormalized bosonic excitations coupled to a particular photoexcited electron can be extracted, which provides an approach for characterizing the underlying bosonic modes. The results from this analysis for different electronic momenta show an uneven softeningmore » due to a stronger coupling near k F. As a result, this behavior reflects the strong link between the fermionic momenta, the coupling vertices, and ultimately, the bosonic susceptibilities when multiple phases compete for the ground state of the system.« less

Building Complex Kondo Impurities by Manipulating Entangled Spin Chains.

PubMed

Choi, Deung-Jang; Robles, Roberto; Yan, Shichao; Burgess, Jacob A J; Rolf-Pissarczyk, Steffen; Gauyacq, Jean-Pierre; Lorente, Nicolás; Ternes, Markus; Loth, Sebastian

2017-10-11

The creation of molecule-like structures in which magnetic atoms interact controllably is full of potential for the study of complex or strongly correlated systems. Here, we create spin chains in which a strongly correlated Kondo state emerges from magnetic coupling of transition-metal atoms. We build chains up to ten atoms in length by placing Fe and Mn atoms on a Cu 2 N surface with a scanning tunneling microscope. The atoms couple antiferromagnetically via superexchange interaction through the nitrogen atom network of the surface. The emergent Kondo resonance is spatially distributed along the chain. Its strength can be controlled by mixing atoms of different transition metal elements and manipulating their spatial distribution. We show that the Kondo screening of the full chain by the electrons of the nonmagnetic substrate depends on the interatomic entanglement of the spins in the chain, demonstrating the prerequisites to build and probe spatially extended strongly correlated nanostructures.

Signal intensity influences on the atomic Faraday filter.

PubMed

Luo, Bin; Yin, Longfei; Xiong, Junyu; Chen, Jingbiao; Guo, Hong

2018-06-01

Previous studies of the Faraday anomalous dispersion optical filter (FADOF) mainly focus on the weak signal light filtering, without regard for the influences of the signal light intensity on the filter itself. However, in some applications the signal light is strong enough to change the filter's performance. In this work, the influences of the signal light intensity on the transmittance spectrum is experimentally investigated in a 780 nm Rb85 FADOF in both the line-center and wings operation modes. The results show that the transmittance spectrum varies significantly with the signal light intensity. As the signal light increases, some existing transmittance peaks decline, some new transmittance peaks appear, and the maximum transmittance peak frequency may change. The spectrum in strong signal lights can be quite different from those calculated by programs in the condition of weak signal lights. These results are important for applications of the FADOF in the condition of strong signal lights.

Incorporating genetic variation into a model of budburst phenology of coast Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var

Treesearch

Peter J. Gould; Constance A. Harrington; Bradley J. St Clair

2011-01-01

Models to predict budburst and other phenological events in plants are needed to forecast how climate change may impact ecosystems and for the development of mitigation strategies. Differences among genotypes are important to predicting phenological events in species that show strong clinal variation in adaptive traits. We present a model that incorporates the effects...

Aspect induced differences in vegetation, soil, and microclimatic characteristics of an Appalachian watershed

Treesearch

Fekedulegn Desta; J.J. Colbert; James S. Rentch; Kurt W. Gottschalk

2004-01-01

This study evaluates and quantifies the variation in vegetation, plant nutrients, and microclimate across four topographic aspects in an Appalachian watershed (39°39'43"N, 79°45'28"W). The study found that the north and east aspects were 27-50% more productive than the west and southwest aspects. Species groups that showed strong...

Mercury and Organic Carbon Relationships in Streams Draining Forested Upland/Peatland Watersheds

Treesearch

R. K. Kolka; D. F. Grigal; E. S. Verry; E. A. Nater

1999-01-01

We determined the fluxes of total mecury (HgT), total organic carbon (TOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from five upland/peatland watersheds at the watershed outlet. The difference between TOC and DOC was defined as particulate OC (POC). Concentrations of HgT showed moderate to strong relationships with POC (R2 = 0.77) when all watersheds...

Mercury and Organic Carbon Relationships in Streams Draining Forested Upland/Peatland Watersheds

Treesearch

Randall K. Kolka; D.F. Grigal; E.S. Verry; E.A. Nater

1999-01-01

We determined the fluxes of total mercury (HgT), total organic carbon (TOC), and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from five upland/peatland watersheds at the watershed outlet. The difference between TOC and DOC was defined as particulate OC (POC). Concentrations of HgT showed moderate to strong relationships with POC (R2 = 0.77) when ah...

Make a Difference: Talk to Your Child about Alcohol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (DHHS), Rockville, MD.

This guide presents suggestions for talking about alcohol for parents and guardians of young people ages 10 to 14. The guide asserts that the best way to influence your child to avoid drinking is to have a strong, trusting relationship with him or her. Research shows that teens are much more likely to delay drinking when they feel they have a…

Why Do Children Differ in Their Development of Reading and Related Skills?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Richard K.; Keenan, Janice M.; Byrne, Brian; Samuelsson, Stefan

2014-01-01

Modern behavior-genetic studies of twins in the United States, Australia, Scandinavia, and the United Kingdom show that genes account for most of the variance in children's reading ability by the end of the 1st year of formal reading instruction. Strong genetic influence continues across the grades, though the relevant genes vary for reading words…

Seasonal and height variation of gravity wave activities observed by a meteor radar at King Sejong Station (62°S, 57°W), Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Y.; Lee, C.; Kim, J.; Choi, J.; Jee, G.

2010-12-01

We have analyzed wind data from individual meteor echoes detected by a meteor radar at King Sejong Station, Antarctica to measure gravity wave activity in the mesopause region. Wind data in the meteor altitudes has been obtained routinely by the meteor radar since its installation in March 2007. The mean variances in the wind data that were filtered for large scale motions (mean winds and tides) can be regarded as the gravity wave activity. Monthly mean gravity wave activities show strong seasonal and height dependences in the altitude range of 80 to 100 km. The gravity wave activities except summer monotonically increase with altitude, which is expected since decreasing atmospheric densities cause wave amplitudes to increase. During summer (Dec. - Feb.) the height profiles of gravity wave activities show a minimum near 90 - 95 km, which may be due to different zonal wind and strong wind shear near 80 - 95 km. Our gravity wave activities are generally stronger than those of the Rothera station, implying sensitive dependency on location. The difference may be related to gravity wave sources in the lower atmosphere near Antarctic vortex.

Optimizing countershading camouflage.

PubMed

Cuthill, Innes C; Sanghera, N Simon; Penacchio, Olivier; Lovell, Paul George; Ruxton, Graeme D; Harris, Julie M

2016-11-15

Countershading, the widespread tendency of animals to be darker on the side that receives strongest illumination, has classically been explained as an adaptation for camouflage: obliterating cues to 3D shape and enhancing background matching. However, there have only been two quantitative tests of whether the patterns observed in different species match the optimal shading to obliterate 3D cues, and no tests of whether optimal countershading actually improves concealment or survival. We use a mathematical model of the light field to predict the optimal countershading for concealment that is specific to the light environment and then test this prediction with correspondingly patterned model "caterpillars" exposed to avian predation in the field. We show that the optimal countershading is strongly illumination-dependent. A relatively sharp transition in surface patterning from dark to light is only optimal under direct solar illumination; if there is diffuse illumination from cloudy skies or shade, the pattern provides no advantage over homogeneous background-matching coloration. Conversely, a smoother gradation between dark and light is optimal under cloudy skies or shade. The demonstration of these illumination-dependent effects of different countershading patterns on predation risk strongly supports the comparative evidence showing that the type of countershading varies with light environment.

The impact of task demand on visual word recognition.

PubMed

Yang, J; Zevin, J

2014-07-11

The left occipitotemporal cortex has been found sensitive to the hierarchy of increasingly complex features in visually presented words, from individual letters to bigrams and morphemes. However, whether this sensitivity is a stable property of the brain regions engaged by word recognition is still unclear. To address the issue, the current study investigated whether different task demands modify this sensitivity. Participants viewed real English words and stimuli with hierarchical word-likeness while performing a lexical decision task (i.e., to decide whether each presented stimulus is a real word) and a symbol detection task. General linear model and independent component analysis indicated strong activation in the fronto-parietal and temporal regions during the two tasks. Furthermore, the bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and insula showed significant interaction effects between task demand and stimulus type in the pseudoword condition. The occipitotemporal cortex showed strong main effects for task demand and stimulus type, but no sensitivity to the hierarchical word-likeness was found. These results suggest that different task demands on semantic, phonological and orthographic processes can influence the involvement of the relevant regions during visual word recognition. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationship between gene expression and GC-content in mammals: statistical significance and biological relevance.

PubMed

Sémon, Marie; Mouchiroud, Dominique; Duret, Laurent

2005-02-01

Mammalian chromosomes are characterized by large-scale variations of DNA base composition (the so-called isochores). In contradiction with previous studies, Lercher et al. (Hum. Mol. Genet., 12, 2411, 2003) recently reported a strong correlation between gene expression breadth and GC-content, suggesting that there might be a selective pressure favoring the concentration of housekeeping genes in GC-rich isochores. We reassessed this issue by examining in human and mouse the correlation between gene expression and GC-content, using different measures of gene expression (EST, SAGE and microarray) and different measures of GC-content. We show that correlations between GC-content and expression are very weak, and may vary according to the method used to measure expression. Such weak correlations have a very low predictive value. The strong correlations reported by Lercher et al. (2003) are because of the fact that they measured variables over neighboring genes windows. We show here that using gene windows artificially enhances the correlation. The assertion that the expression of a given gene depends on the GC-content of the region where it is located is therefore not supported by the data.

Prediction of anaerobic biodegradability and bioaccessibility of municipal sludge by coupling sequential extractions with fluorescence spectroscopy: towards ADM1 variables characterization.

PubMed

Jimenez, Julie; Gonidec, Estelle; Cacho Rivero, Jesús Andrés; Latrille, Eric; Vedrenne, Fabien; Steyer, Jean-Philippe

2014-03-01

Advanced dynamic anaerobic digestion models, such as ADM1, require both detailed organic matter characterisation and intimate knowledge of the involved metabolic pathways. In the current study, a methodology for municipal sludge characterization is investigated to describe two key parameters: biodegradability and bioaccessibility of organic matter. The methodology is based on coupling sequential chemical extractions with 3D fluorescence spectroscopy. The use of increasingly strong solvents reveals different levels of organic matter accessibility and the spectroscopy measurement leads to a detailed characterisation of the organic matter. The results obtained from testing 52 municipal sludge samples (primary, secondary, digested and thermally treated) showed a successful correlation with sludge biodegradability and bioaccessibility. The two parameters, traditionally obtained through the biochemical methane potential (BMP) lab tests, are now obtain in only 5 days compared to the 30-60 days usually required. Experimental data, obtained from two different laboratory scale reactors, were used to validate the ADM1 model. The proposed approach showed a strong application potential for reactor design and advanced control of anaerobic digestion processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanism and computational model for Lyman-α-radiation generation by high-intensity-laser four-wave mixing in Kr-Ar gas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louchev, Oleg A.; Bakule, Pavel; Saito, Norihito; Wada, Satoshi; Yokoyama, Koji; Ishida, Katsuhiko; Iwasaki, Masahiko

2011-09-01

We present a theoretical model combined with a computational study of a laser four-wave mixing process under optical discharge in which the non-steady-state four-wave amplitude equations are integrated with the kinetic equations of initial optical discharge and electron avalanche ionization in Kr-Ar gas. The model is validated by earlier experimental data showing strong inhibition of the generation of pulsed, tunable Lyman-α (Ly-α) radiation when using sum-difference frequency mixing of 212.6 nm and tunable infrared radiation (820-850 nm). The rigorous computational approach to the problem reveals the possibility and mechanism of strong auto-oscillations in sum-difference resonant Ly-α generation due to the combined effect of (i) 212.6-nm (2+1)-photon ionization producing initial electrons, followed by (ii) the electron avalanche dominated by 843-nm radiation, and (iii) the final breakdown of the phase matching condition. The model shows that the final efficiency of Ly-α radiation generation can achieve a value of ˜5×10-4 which is restricted by the total combined absorption of the fundamental and generated radiation.

Correlation induced electron-hole asymmetry in quasi- two-dimensional iridates.

PubMed

Pärschke, Ekaterina M; Wohlfeld, Krzysztof; Foyevtsova, Kateryna; van den Brink, Jeroen

2017-09-25

The resemblance of crystallographic and magnetic structures of the quasi-two-dimensional iridates Ba 2 IrO 4 and Sr 2 IrO 4 to La 2 CuO 4 points at an analogy to cuprate high-Tc superconductors, even if spin-orbit coupling is very strong in iridates. Here we examine this analogy for the motion of a charge (hole or electron) added to the antiferromagnetic ground state. We show that correlation effects render the hole and electron case in iridates very different. An added electron forms a spin polaron, similar to the cuprates, but the situation of a removed electron is far more complex. Many-body 5d 4 configurations form which can be singlet and triplet states of total angular momentum that strongly affect the hole motion. This not only has ramifications for the interpretation of (inverse-)photoemission experiments but also demonstrates that correlation physics renders electron- and hole-doped iridates fundamentally different.Some iridate compounds such as Sr 2 IrO 4 have electronic and atomic structures similar to quasi-2D copper oxides, raising the prospect of high temperature superconductivity. Here, the authors show that there is significant electron-hole asymmetry in iridates, contrary to expectations from the cuprates.

Solvent dependent triphenylamine based D-(pi-A)n type dye molecules and optical properties.

PubMed

Li, Xiaochuan; Son, Young-A; Kim, Young-Sung; Kim, Sung-Hoon; Kun, Jun; Shin, Jong-Il

2012-02-01

D-(pi-A)n type dyes of triphenylamine derivatives were synthesized and their absorption and luminescence in different solvents were examined to investigate solvent dependent properties observed for their emissions in solvents with different dielectric constants. The emission wavelengths showed a dramatic blue shift with increasing solvent polarity. The results of molecular orbital calculations by computer simulation, based on Material Studio suite of programs, were found to reasonably account for the spectral properties. Relative levels of HOMO and LUMO were measured and calculated and all derivatives exhibited strong solid fluorescence with distinctively different FWHMs.

Biodiesel Production from Spent Coffee Grounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blinová, Lenka; Bartošová, Alica; Sirotiak, Maroš

2017-06-01

The residue after brewing the spent coffee grounds is an oil-containing waste material having a potential of being used as biodiesel feedstock. Biodiesel production from the waste coffee grounds oil involves collection and transportation of coffee residue, drying, oil extraction, and finally production of biodiesel. Different methods of oil extraction with organic solvents under different conditions show significant differences in the extraction yields. In the manufacturing of biodiesel from coffee oil, the level of reaction completion strongly depends on the quality of the feedstock oil. This paper presents an overview of oil extraction and a method of biodiesel production from spent coffee grounds.

A Multiple Identity Approach to Gender: Identification with Women, Identification with Feminists, and Their Interaction

PubMed Central

van Breen, Jolien A.; Spears, Russell; Kuppens, Toon; de Lemus, Soledad

2017-01-01

Across four studies, we examine multiple identities in the context of gender and propose that women's attitudes toward gender group membership are governed by two largely orthogonal dimensions of gender identity: identification with women and identification with feminists. We argue that identification with women reflects attitudes toward the content society gives to group membership: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of group characteristics, interests and values? Identification with feminists, on the other hand, is a politicized identity dimension reflecting attitudes toward the social position of the group: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of disadvantage, inequality, and relative status? We examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in four studies. Study 1 showed that identification with women reflects attitudes toward group characteristics, such as femininity and self-stereotyping, while identification with feminists reflects attitudes toward the group's social position, such as perceived sexism. The two dimensions are shown to be largely independent, and as such provide support for the multiple identity approach. In Studies 2–4, we examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in predicting qualitative differences in gender attitudes. Results show that specific combinations of identification with women and feminists predicted attitudes toward collective action and gender stereotypes. Higher identification with feminists led to endorsement of radical collective action (Study 2) and critical attitudes toward gender stereotypes (Studies 3–4), especially at lower levels of identification with women. The different combinations of high vs. low identification with women and feminists can be thought of as reflecting four theoretical identity “types.” A woman can be (1) strongly identified with neither women nor feminists (“low identifier”), (2) strongly identified with women but less so with feminists (“traditional identifier”), (3) strongly identified with both women and feminists (“dual identifier”), or (4) strongly identified with feminists but less so with women (“distinctive feminist”). In sum, by considering identification with women and identification with feminists as multiple identities we aim to show how the multiple identity approach predicts distinct attitudes to gender issues and offer a new perspective on gender identity. PMID:28713297

A Multiple Identity Approach to Gender: Identification with Women, Identification with Feminists, and Their Interaction.

PubMed

van Breen, Jolien A; Spears, Russell; Kuppens, Toon; de Lemus, Soledad

2017-01-01

Across four studies, we examine multiple identities in the context of gender and propose that women's attitudes toward gender group membership are governed by two largely orthogonal dimensions of gender identity: identification with women and identification with feminists. We argue that identification with women reflects attitudes toward the content society gives to group membership: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of group characteristics, interests and values? Identification with feminists, on the other hand, is a politicized identity dimension reflecting attitudes toward the social position of the group: what does it mean to be a woman in terms of disadvantage, inequality, and relative status? We examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in four studies. Study 1 showed that identification with women reflects attitudes toward group characteristics, such as femininity and self-stereotyping, while identification with feminists reflects attitudes toward the group's social position, such as perceived sexism. The two dimensions are shown to be largely independent, and as such provide support for the multiple identity approach. In Studies 2-4, we examine the utility of this multiple identity approach in predicting qualitative differences in gender attitudes. Results show that specific combinations of identification with women and feminists predicted attitudes toward collective action and gender stereotypes. Higher identification with feminists led to endorsement of radical collective action (Study 2) and critical attitudes toward gender stereotypes (Studies 3-4), especially at lower levels of identification with women. The different combinations of high vs. low identification with women and feminists can be thought of as reflecting four theoretical identity "types." A woman can be (1) strongly identified with neither women nor feminists ("low identifier"), (2) strongly identified with women but less so with feminists ("traditional identifier"), (3) strongly identified with both women and feminists ("dual identifier"), or (4) strongly identified with feminists but less so with women ("distinctive feminist"). In sum, by considering identification with women and identification with feminists as multiple identities we aim to show how the multiple identity approach predicts distinct attitudes to gender issues and offer a new perspective on gender identity.

Psychometric properties of the Sexual Excitation/Sexual Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) and the Sexual Excitation Scales/Sexual Inhibition Scales short form (SIS/SES-SF) in a population-based sample in Germany

PubMed Central

Scholten, Saskia; Margraf, Jürgen

2018-01-01

The Sexual Excitation Sexual/Inhibition Inventory for Women and Men (SESII-W/M) and the Sexual Excitation Scales/Sexual Inhibition Scales short form (SIS/SES-SF) are two self-report questionnaires for assessing sexual excitation (SE) and sexual inhibition (SI). According to the dual control model of sexual response, SE and SI differ between individuals and influence the occurrence of sexual arousal in given situations. Extreme levels of SE and SI are postulated to be associated with sexual difficulties or risky sexual behaviors. The present study was designed to assess the psychometric properties of the German versions of both questionnaires utilizing a large population-based sample of 2,708 participants (Mage = 51.19, SD = 14.03). Overall, psychometric evaluation of the two instruments yielded good convergent and discriminant validity and mediocre to good internal consistency. The original 30-item version of the SESII-W/M did not show a sufficient model fit. For a 24-item version of the SESII-W/M partial strong measurement invariance across gender, and strong measurement invariance across relationship status, age, and educational levels were established. The original structure (14 items, 3 factors) of the SIS/SES-SF was not replicated. However, a 4-factor model including 13 items showed a good model fit and strong measurement invariance across the before-mentioned participant groups. For both questionnaires, partial strong measurement invariance with the original American versions of the scales was found. As some factors showed unsatisfactory internal consistency and the factor structure of the original scales could not be replicated, scores on several SE- and SI-factors should be interpreted with caution. However, most analyses indicated sufficient psychometric quality of the German SESII-W/M and SIS/SES-SF and their use can be recommended in German-speaking samples. More research with diverse samples (i.e., different sexual orientations, individuals with sexual difficulties) is needed to ensure the replicability of the factor solutions presented in this study. PMID:29529045

Transient Effects in Atmosphere and Ionosphere preceding the two 2015 M7.8 and M7.3 Earthquakes in Nepal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ouzounov, D.; Pulinets, S. A.; Hernandez-Pajares, M.; Alberto Garcia Rigo, A. G.; Davidenko, D.; Hatzopoulos, N.; Kafatos, M.

2015-12-01

The recent M7.8 Nepal earthquake of April 25, 2015 was the largest recorded earthquake event to hit this nation since 1934. We prospectively and retrospectively analyzed the transient variations of three different physical parameters - outgoing earth radiation (OLR), GPS/TEC and the thermodynamic proprieties in the lower atmosphere. These changes characterize the state of the atmosphere and ionosphere several days before the onset of this earthquake. Our preliminary results show that in mid March 2015 a rapid increase of emitted infrared radiation was observed from the satellite data and an anomaly near the epicenter reached the maximum on April 21-22. The ongoing analysis of satellite radiation revealed another transient anomaly on May 3th, probably associated with the M7.3 of May 12, 2015. The analysis of air temperature form ground stations show similar patterns of rapid increases offset 1-2 days earlier to the satellite transient anomalies.The GPS/TEC data indicate an increase and variation in electron density reaching a maximum value during April 22-24. We found a strong negative TEC anomaly in the crest of EIA (Equatorial Ionospheric Anomaly) on April 21st and strong positive on April 24th, 2015. Our results show strong ionospheric effects not only in the changes of the EIA intensity but also within the latitudinal movements of the crests of EIA.

Simulating secondary waterflooding in heterogeneous rocks with variable wettability using an image-based, multiscale pore network model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bultreys, Tom; Van Hoorebeke, Luc; Cnudde, Veerle

2016-09-01

The two-phase flow properties of natural rocks depend strongly on their pore structure and wettability, both of which are often heterogeneous throughout the rock. To better understand and predict these properties, image-based models are being developed. Resulting simulations are however problematic in several important classes of rocks with broad pore-size distributions. We present a new multiscale pore network model to simulate secondary waterflooding in these rocks, which may undergo wettability alteration after primary drainage. This novel approach permits to include the effect of microporosity on the imbibition sequence without the need to describe each individual micropore. Instead, we show that fluid transport through unresolved pores can be taken into account in an upscaled fashion, by the inclusion of symbolic links between macropores, resulting in strongly decreased computational demands. Rules to describe the behavior of these links in the quasistatic invasion sequence are derived from percolation theory. The model is validated by comparison to a fully detailed network representation, which takes each separate micropore into account. Strongly and weakly water-and oil-wet simulations show good results, as do mixed-wettability scenarios with different pore-scale wettability distributions. We also show simulations on a network extracted from a micro-CT scan of Estaillades limestone, which yields good agreement with water-wet and mixed-wet experimental results.

Inhibition of chemiluminescence and chemotactic activity of phagocytes in vitro by the extracts of selected medicinal plants.

PubMed

Jantan, Ibrahim; Harun, Nurul Hikmah; Septama, Abdi Wira; Murad, Shahnaz; Mesaik, M A

2011-04-01

The methanol extracts of 20 selected medicinal plants were investigated for their effects on the respiratory burst of human whole blood, isolated human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and isolated mice macrophages using a luminol/lucigenin-based chemiluminescence assay. We also tested the effect of the extracts on chemotactic migration of PMNs using the Boyden chamber technique. The extracts of Curcuma domestica L., Phyllanthus amarus Schum & Thonn and C. xanthorrhiza Roxb. were the samples producing the strongest oxidative burst of PMNs with luminol-based chemiluminescence, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 μg/ml. For macrophage cells, the extracts which showed strong suppressive activity for luminol-based chemiluminescence were C. xanthorrhiza and Garcinia mangostana L. Among the extracts studied, C. mangga Valton & Vazsjip, Piper nigrum L. and Labisia pumila var. alata showed strong inhibitory activity on lucigenin-amplified oxidative burst of PMNs, with IC(50) values ranging from 0.9 to 1.5 μg/ml. The extracts of Zingiber officinale Rosc., Alpinia galangal (L.) Willd and Averrhoa bilimbi Linn showed strong inhibition on the chemotaxic migration of cells, with IC(50) values comparable to that of ibuprofen (1.5 μg/ml). The results suggest that some of these plants were able to modulate the innate immune response of phagocytes at different steps, emphasizing their potential as a source of new immunomodulatory agents.

The load-velocity profile differs more between men and women than between individuals with different strength levels.

PubMed

Torrejón, Alejandro; Balsalobre-Fernández, Carlos; Haff, G Gregory; García-Ramos, Amador

2018-03-21

This study aimed to determine the suitability of the load-velocity relationship to prescribe the relative load (%1RM) in women, as well as to compare the load-velocity profile between sexes and participants with different strength levels. The load-velocity relationship of 14 men (1RM: 1.17 ± 0.19) and 14 women (1RM: 0.66 ± 0.13) were evaluated in the bench press exercise. The main findings revealed that: (I) the load-velocity relationship was always strong and linear (R 2 range: 0.987-0.993), (II) a steeper load-velocity profile was observed in men compared to women (Effect size [ES]: 1.09), with men showing higher velocities for light loads (ES: - 0.81 and - 0.40 for the y-intercept and 30%1RM, respectively), but women reporting higher velocities for the heavy loads (ES: 1.14 and 1.50 at 90%1RM and 100%1RM, respectively); and (III) while the slope of the load-velocity profile was moderately steeper for weak men compared to their strong counterpart (ES: 1.02), small differences were observed between strong and weak women (ES: - 0.39). While these results support the use of the individual load-velocity relationship to prescribe the %1RM in the bench press exercise for women, they also highlight the large disparities in their load-velocity profile compared to men.

Analysis of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brogt, Erik; Sabers, Darrell; Prather, Edward E.; Deming, Grace L.; Hufnagel, Beth; Slater, Timothy F.

Seventy undergraduate class sections were examined from the database of Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT) results of Deming and Hufnagel to determine if course format correlated with ADT normalized gain scores. Normalized gains were calculated for four different classroom scenarios: lecture, lecture with discussion, lecture with lab, and lecture with both lab and discussion. Statistical analysis shows that there are no significant differences in normalized gain among the self- reported classroom formats. Prerequisites related to mathematics courses did show differences in normalized gain. Of all reported course activities, only the lecture and the readings for the course correlate significantly with the normalized gain. This analysis suggests that the ADT may not have enough sensitivity to measure differences in the effectiveness of different course formats because of the wide range of topics that the ADT addresses with few questions. Different measures of gain and their biases are discussed. We argue that the use of the normalized gain is not always warranted because of its strong bias toward high pretest scores.

Path integral for equities: Dynamic correlation and empirical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baaquie, Belal E.; Cao, Yang; Lau, Ada; Tang, Pan

2012-02-01

This paper develops a model to describe the unequal time correlation between rate of returns of different stocks. A non-trivial fourth order derivative Lagrangian is defined to provide an unequal time propagator, which can be fitted to the market data. A calibration algorithm is designed to find the empirical parameters for this model and different de-noising methods are used to capture the signals concealed in the rate of return. The detailed results of this Gaussian model show that the different stocks can have strong correlation and the empirical unequal time correlator can be described by the model's propagator. This preliminary study provides a novel model for the correlator of different instruments at different times.

Tilts in strong ground motion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Graizer, V.

2006-01-01

Most instruments used in seismological practice to record ground motion are pendulum seismographs, velocigraphs, or accelerographs. In most cases it is assumed that seismic instruments are only sensitive to the translational motion of the instrument's base. In this study the full equation of pendulum motion, including the inputs of rotations and tilts, is considered. It is shown that tilting the accelerograph's base can severely impact its response to the ground motion. The method of tilt evaluation using uncorrected strong-motion accelerograms was first suggested by Graizer (1989), and later tested in several laboratory experiments with different strong-motion instruments. The method is based on the difference in the tilt sensitivity of the horizontal and vertical pendulums. The method was applied to many of the strongest records of the Mw 6.7 Northridge earthquake of 1994. Examples are shown when relatively large tilts of up to a few degrees occurred during strong earthquake ground motion. Residual tilt extracted from the strong-motion record at the Pacoima Dam-Upper Left Abutment reached 3.1?? in N45??E direction, and was a result of local earthquake-induced tilting due to high-amplitude shaking. This value is in agreement with the residual tilt measured by using electronic level a few days after the earthquake. The method was applied to the building records from the Northridge earthquake. According to the estimates, residual tilt reached 2.6?? on the ground floor of the 12-story Hotel in Ventura. Processing of most of the strongest records of the Northridge earthquake shows that tilts, if happened, were within the error of the method, or less than about 0.5??.

Sentiment Diffusion of Public Opinions about Hot Events: Based on Complex Network

PubMed Central

Hao, Xiaoqing; An, Haizhong; Zhang, Lijia; Li, Huajiao; Wei, Guannan

2015-01-01

To study the sentiment diffusion of online public opinions about hot events, we collected people’s posts through web data mining techniques. We calculated the sentiment value of each post based on a sentiment dictionary. Next, we divided those posts into five different orientations of sentiments: strongly positive (P), weakly positive (p), neutral (o), weakly negative (n), and strongly negative (N). These sentiments are combined into modes through coarse graining. We constructed sentiment mode complex network of online public opinions (SMCOP) with modes as nodes and the conversion relation in chronological order between different types of modes as edges. We calculated the strength, k-plex clique, clustering coefficient and betweenness centrality of the SMCOP. The results show that the strength distribution obeys power law. Most posts’ sentiments are weakly positive and neutral, whereas few are strongly negative. There are weakly positive subgroups and neutral subgroups with ppppp and ooooo as the core mode, respectively. Few modes have larger betweenness centrality values and most modes convert to each other with these higher betweenness centrality modes as mediums. Therefore, the relevant person or institutes can take measures to lead people’s sentiments regarding online hot events according to the sentiment diffusion mechanism. PMID:26462230

Distribution of the Crustal Magnetic Field in Sichuan-Yunnan Region, Southwest China

PubMed Central

Bai, Chunhua; Kang, Guofa; Gao, Guoming

2014-01-01

Based on the new and higher degree geomagnetic model NGDC-720-V3, we have investigated the spatial distribution, the altitude decay characteristics of the crustal magnetic anomaly, the contributions from different wavelength bands to the anomaly, and the relationship among the anomaly, the geological structure, and the geophysical field in Sichuan-Yunnan region of China. It is noted that the most outstanding feature in this area is the strong positive magnetic anomaly in Sichuan Basin, a geologically stable block. Contrasting with this feature, a strong negative anomaly can be seen nearby in Longmen Mountain block, an active block. This contradiction implies a possible relationship between the magnetic field and the geological activity. Completely different feature in magnetic field distribution is seen in the central Yunnan block, another active region, where positive and negative anomalies distribute alternatively, showing a complex magnetic anomaly map. Some fault belts, such as the Longmen Mountain fault, Lijiang-Xiaojinhe fault, and the Red River fault, are the transitional zones of strong and weak or negative and positive anomalies. The corresponding relationship between the magnetic anomaly and the geophysical fields was confirmed. PMID:25243232

Detrended cross-correlations between returns, volatility, trading activity, and volume traded for the stock market companies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rak, Rafał; Drożdż, Stanisław; Kwapień, Jarosław; Oświȩcimka, Paweł

2015-11-01

We consider a few quantities that characterize trading on a stock market in a fixed time interval: logarithmic returns, volatility, trading activity (i.e., the number of transactions), and volume traded. We search for the power-law cross-correlations among these quantities aggregated over different time units from 1 min to 10 min. Our study is based on empirical data from the American stock market consisting of tick-by-tick recordings of 31 stocks listed in Dow Jones Industrial Average during the years 2008-2011. Since all the considered quantities except the returns show strong daily patterns related to the variable trading activity in different parts of a day, which are the most evident in the autocorrelation function, we remove these patterns by detrending before we proceed further with our study. We apply the multifractal detrended cross-correlation analysis with sign preserving (MFCCA) and show that the strongest power-law cross-correlations exist between trading activity and volume traded, while the weakest ones exist (or even do not exist) between the returns and the remaining quantities. We also show that the strongest cross-correlations are carried by those parts of the signals that are characterized by large and medium variance. Our observation that the most convincing power-law cross-correlations occur between trading activity and volume traded reveals the existence of strong fractal-like coupling between these quantities.

Facile synthesis of magnetic Fe3O4@BiOI@AgI for water decontamination with visible light irradiation: Different mechanisms for different organic pollutants degradation and bacterial disinfection.

PubMed

Liang, Jialiang; Liu, Fuyang; Li, Mian; Liu, Wen; Tong, Meiping

2018-06-15

Magnetic Fe 3 O 4 @BiOI@AgI (FBA) spheres were synthesized through a multi-step process. The fabricated photocatalysts were characterized by different techniques. To testify the visible light driven photocatalytic activity of FBA, Rhodamine B and Bisphenol A were chosen as model common and emerging organic contaminants, respectively. While, gram-negative strain Escherichia coli was selected as model waterborne bacteria. The results showed that under visible light irradiation, FBA contained strong photocatalytic degradation capacity towards both RhB and BPA. Moreover, FBA was also found to exhibit excellent disinfection activity towards E. coli. The photocatalytic mechanisms for different pollutants by FBA were determined and found to vary for different pollutants. Specifically, scavenger experiments, degradation intermediates determination, as well as theoretical density functional theory (DFT) analysis showed that RhB and BPA were degraded via photosensitization (dominated by e - and ·O 2 - ) and direct photocatalytic oxidation (contributed by h + , e - and ·O 2 - ), respectively. Whereas, E. coli cells yet were found to be inactivated by the generation of e - and ·O 2 - rather than by the released Ag + . Since it contained superparamagnetic property, FBA could be easily separated from the reaction suspension after use. Due to the excellent photo stability, FBA exhibited strong photocatalytic activity in the fourth reused recycle. Therefore, FBA could serve as a promising alternative for water purification. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessment of Tobacco-Related Approach and Attentional Biases in Smokers, Cravers, Ex-Smokers, and Non-Smokers

PubMed Central

Woud, Marcella L.; Maas, Joyce; Wiers, Reinout W.; Becker, Eni S.; Rinck, Mike

2016-01-01

According to theories of addictive behaviors, approach and attentional biases toward smoking-related cues play a crucial role in tobacco dependence. Several studies have investigated these biases by using various paradigms in different sample types. However, this heterogeneity makes it difficult to compare and evaluate the results. The present study aimed to address this problem, via (i) a structural comparison of different measures of approach-avoidance and a measure of smoking-related attentional biases, and (ii) using within one study different representative samples in the context of tobacco dependence. Three measures of approach-avoidance were employed: an Approach Avoidance Task (AAT), a Stimulus Response Compatibility Task (SRC), and a Single Target Implicit Association Test (ST-IAT). To assess attentional biases, a modified Stroop task including smoking-related words was administered. The study included four groups: n = 58 smokers, n = 57 non-smokers, n = 52 cravers, and n = 54 ex-smokers. We expected to find strong tobacco-related approach biases and attentional biases in smokers and cravers. However, the general pattern of results did not confirm these expectations. Approach responses assessed during the AAT and SRC did not differ between groups. Moreover, the Stroop did not show the expected interference effect. For the ST-IAT, cravers had stronger approach associations toward smoking-related cues, whereas non-smokers showed stronger avoidance associations. However, no such differences in approach-avoidance associations were found in smokers and ex-smokers. To conclude, these data do not provide evidence for a strong role of implicit approach and attentional biases toward smoking-related cues in tobacco dependency. PMID:26955359

Comprehensive Metabolomics Study To Assess Longitudinal Biochemical Changes and Potential Early Biomarkers in Nonobese Diabetic Mice That Progress to Diabetes.

PubMed

Buchwald, Peter; Tamayo-Garcia, Alejandro; Ramamoorthy, Sivapriya; Garcia-Contreras, Marta; Mendez, Armando J; Ricordi, Camillo

2017-10-06

A global nontargeted longitudinal metabolomics study was carried out in male and female NOD mice to characterize the time-profile of the changes in the metabolic signature caused by onset of type 1 diabetes (T1D) and identify possible early biomarkers in T1D progressors. Metabolomics profiling of samples collected at five different time-points identified 676 and 706 biochemicals in blood and feces, respectively. Several metabolites were expressed at significantly different levels in progressors at all time-points, and their proportion increased strongly following onset of hyperglycemia. At the last time-point, when all progressors were diabetic, a large percentage of metabolites had significantly different levels: 57.8% in blood and 27.8% in feces. Metabolic pathways most strongly affected included the carbohydrate, lipid, branched-chain amino acid, and oxidative ones. Several biochemicals showed considerable (>4×) change. Maltose, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, and kojibiose increased, while 1,5-anhydroglucitol decreased more than 10-fold. At the earliest time-point (6-week), differences between the metabolic signatures of progressors and nonprogressors were relatively modest. Nevertheless, several compounds had significantly different levels and show promise as possible early T1D biomarkers. They include fatty acid phosphocholine derivatives from the phosphatidylcholine subpathway (elevated in both blood and feces) as well as serotonin, ribose, and arabinose (increased) in blood plus 13-HODE, tocopherol (increased), diaminopimelate, valerate, hydroxymethylpyrimidine, and dulcitol (decreased) in feces. A combined metabolic signature based on these compounds might serve as an early predictor of T1D-progressors.

Paleomagnetic and oxygen isotopic evidence for long term diagenesis in radiolarian chert, Pindos Mountains, Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baltuck, Miriam

1987-02-01

Paleomagnetics was used in an attempt to improve chronostratigraphy in the Middle and Upper Jurassic radiolarian chert and siliceous mudstone of the Pindos Zone, Greece. Remanent magnetism studies showed strong magnetic intensity but scattered orientation. Orientation of some pressure solution features in the radiolarities indicates their formation under horizontal pressure, a condition which in Pindos geologic history would only have occurred during early Cretaceous or Cenozoic tectonics, indicating very late diagenesis in these parts of the section. From time of deposition to later time at which diagenesis can be documented, the Earth's magnetic field would have reversed many times. Remagnetization during solution-precipitation steps of silica diagenesis could complicate the rock magnetics. Oxygen isotopic and major element analyses of radiolarite lithologies show a systematic variation of rate of silica diagenesis in different host lithologies, thus solution-precipitation would occur at widely differing times throughout the section lithologies. If the dissolution of the silica cement were physically to free magnetic material from an earlier orientation, the result could be a partial shift toward alignment with the ambient magnetic field. Alternatively, complete reorientation of particles could have occurred at varying times in different parts of the section as a function of host lithology. During the northward movement and clockwise rotation of the Apulian subplate (including Pindos) these different lithologies could completely reorient during different stages of silica diagenesis, locking the orientation of iron magnetic moments into alignment with the ambient magnetic field at time of precipitation to result in a strong intensity but scattered orientation of Pindos rock magnetics.

Effect of Drying Temperature on the Chemical Properties and Diffusivity of belimbi (averrhoa belimbi)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shahari, N.; Jamil, N.; Rasmani, K. A.; Nursabrina

2015-09-01

In recent years, many dried fruit products have been developed in response to a strong demand by the customer. This type of fruit has a different composition and hence different moisture diffusivity (D). During drying, Fick's Law of diffusion, which describes the movement of liquid water was used to calculate this diffusivity. However diffusivity has strong effects on the material drying characteristics and these must be determined. In this paper, Fick's Law of diffusion with different kinds of boundary conditions was solve using separation of variable (SOV). In order to get the value of D, results obtained using SOV will be compared with the results from the drying of belimbi at temperature of 40°C, 50°C and 60°C. Although the results show that variation in the values of diffusivity for different temperatures is relatively small, but the variation in the total time required for drying is significantly bigger: between 3-7 hours. Its shown that diffusivity is an important measurement and should be considered in the modeling of the drying process. The chemical properties of belimbi slices in terms of vitamin C, total ash and antioxidant activity with different air temperatures and pretreatment were also investigated. Higher drying temperatures gives less drying time, a lower vitamin C and antioxidant activity but a greater total of ash, whilst pre-treatment can increased vitamin C and antioxidant activity. The results show that pre-treatment and the drying temperature are important variables to improve mass and heat transfer, as well as the belimbi chemical properties.

Comparison of the structure, crystallography and composition of eggshells of the guinea fowl and graylag goose.

PubMed

Pérez-Huerta, Alberto; Dauphin, Yannicke

2016-02-01

The structure and composition of the eggshells of two commercial species (guinea fowl and greylag goose) have been studied. Thin sections and scanning electron microcopy show the similarity of the overall structure, but the relative thickness of the layers differs in these two taxa. Atomic force microscopy shows that the different layers are composed of rounded, heterogeneous granules, the diameter of which is between 50 and 100 nm, with a thin cortex. Infrared data and thermogravimetric analyses show that both eggshells are made of calcite, but differing on the quality and quantity when the organic component is considered. Chemical maps show that chemical element distribution is not uniform within a sample, and differs between the species, but with low magnesium content. Electron back scattered diffraction confirms the eggshells are calcite, but the microtexture strongly differs between the two species. Based on the chemical-structural differences, a species-specific biological control on the biomineralization is found, despite the rapid formation of an eggshell. Overall results indicate that to estimate the quality of eggshells, such as resistance to breakage, is not a straightforward process because of the high complexity of avian eggshell biomineralization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Screening of endophytic bacteria isolated from two kinds of antarctic plant antagonistic konjac soft rot disease

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gong, Mingfu; Lin, Tianxing; Huang, Jiao; Zeng, Bo

2018-04-01

Konjac soft rot has a serious impact on the production of konjac, the use of endophytic bacteria to inhibit konjac soft rot bacteria have many advantages. Twenty-three endophytic bacteria isolated from the medicinal plants were used to determine the antagonistic effects of endophytic bacteria on konjac soft rot in the Oxford cups. Of the strain. The results showed that 23 strains of endophytic bacteria had different antagonistic activities against konjac soft rot, 8 strains had very significant antibacterial effect, and YC06 and YC09 had strong antibacterial ability of two endophytic bacteria. Konjac soft rot fungi also have a strong antibacterial capacity.

Influence of ionization states of antigen on anti-fluorescein antibodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukunishi, Hiroaki

2012-10-01

Ratios of anion and di-anion states of fluorescein (FLU(-1) and FLU(-2)) are 21.2% and 78.8%, respectively, in the neutral pH. We investigated the influence of ionization states of antigen on anti-fluorescein antibodies. For this purpose, steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations were performed. Potential of mean forces (PMF) based on Jarzynski equality showed that wild-type (4-4-20) more strongly binds to FLU(-1) than FLU(-2), whereas its femtomolar-affinity mutant (4M5.3) more strongly binds to FLU(-2) than FLU(-1). It was speculated that the environment or the process of in vivo antibody production had been different from those of the protein engineering.

Area variations in multiple morbidity using a life table methodology.

PubMed

Congdon, Peter

Analysis of healthy life expectancy is typically based on a binary distinction between health and ill-health. By contrast, this paper considers spatial modelling of disease free life expectancy taking account of the number of chronic conditions. Thus the analysis is based on population sub-groups with no disease, those with one disease only, and those with two or more diseases (multiple morbidity). Data on health status is accordingly modelled using a multinomial likelihood. The analysis uses data for 258 small areas in north London, and shows wide differences in the disease burden related to multiple morbidity. Strong associations between area socioeconomic deprivation and multiple morbidity are demonstrated, as well as strong spatial clustering.

Optical Sensing Properties of Pyrene-Schiff Bases toward Different Acids.

PubMed

Babgi, Bandar A; Alzahrani, Asma

2016-07-01

A set of (4-substituted-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (PMA) was prepared by the reaction of pyrene-1-carboxaldehyde and the corresponding 4-substituted aniline. The structure of the PMA compounds were confirmed by spectroscopic data (IR, (1)HNMR, (13)CNMR, ISI-MS and elemental analysis. The structure of (4-bromo-phenyl)-pyren-1-ylmethylene-amine (BrPMA) was further confirmed by the single X-ray crystallography. The absorption and emission spectroscopic behaviors were investigated in variant acids. The compounds showed dramatic spectroscopic changes upon acidifying with strong acids and negligible effects when weak acids are used in the acidifications. Hence, the PMA compounds can be used as sensors to distinguish between weak and strong acids.

Novel quinolone chalcones targeting colchicine-binding pocket kill multidrug-resistant cancer cells by inhibiting tubulin activity and MRP1 function.

PubMed

Lindamulage, I Kalhari; Vu, Hai-Yen; Karthikeyan, Chandrabose; Knockleby, James; Lee, Yi-Fang; Trivedi, Piyush; Lee, Hoyun

2017-08-31

Agents targeting colchicine-binding pocket usually show a minimal drug-resistance issue, albeit often associated with high toxicity. Chalcone-based compounds, which may bind to colchicine-binding site, are found in many edible fruits, suggesting that they can be effective drugs with less toxicity. Therefore, we synthesized and examined 24 quinolone chalcone compounds, from which we identified ((E)-3-(3-(2-Methoxyphenyl)-3-oxoprop-1-enyl) quinolin-2(1H)-one) (CTR-17) and ((E)-6-Methoxy-3-(3-(2-methoxyphenyl)-3-oxoprop-1-enyl) quinolin-2(1H)-one) (CTR-20) as promising leads. In particular, CTR-20 was effective against 65 different cancer cell lines originated from 12 different tissues, largely in a cancer cell-specific manner. We found that both CTR-17 and CTR-20 reversibly bind to the colchicine-binding pocket on β-tubulin. Interestingly however, both the CTRs were highly effective against multidrug-resistant cancer cells while colchicine, paclitaxel and vinblastine were not. Our study with CTR-20 showed that it overcomes multidrug-resistance through its ability to impede MRP1 function while maintaining strong inhibition against microtubule activity. Data from mice engrafted with the MDA-MB-231 triple-negative breast cancer cells showed that both CTR-17 and CTR-20 possess strong anticancer activity, alone or in combination with paclitaxel, without causing any notable side effects. Together, our data demonstrates that both the CTRs can be effective and safe drugs against many different cancers, especially against multidrug-resistant tumors.

Study of the Variability of the Reflection Component in Seyfert 1 Galaxies: Connecting the Fe K Variability with the Compton Hump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponti, G.; Miniutti, G.; Malaguti, G.; Gallo, L.; Goldwurm, A.

2009-05-01

We present preliminary results of an ongoing project devoted to the study of the continuum and Fe K band variability in a sample of bright AGNs. These kind of studies may break the spectral degeneracy between the different absorption/emission models, allowing ``safe'' measurements of the disc and black hole properties from the broad line shapes. In fact, the Fe K band, alone, allows a first separation between the different components. Here we show the case of NGC 3783 which shows both a constant and a variable reflection component as well as strong ionized absorption. We show that a fundamental contribution will be given by Simbol-X that will allow to simultaneously measure not only the Fe K variability, but also the connected reflection hump variations.

Flux pinning in yttrium barium copper oxide coated conductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhijun

High quality high-temperature-superconducting YBa2Cu 3O7-x (YBCO) films for industrial applications demand very high critical current densities Jc, which can only be achieved by strong three-dimensional (3D) pinning with deliberately introduced nano-precipitates. The purpose of this thesis is to provide an in-depth understanding of the 3D pinning in such YBCO films. In pulsed laser deposition (PLD) prepared YBCO films, a high density of anti-phase boundaries and stacking faults were found to be effective pinning defects for improving Jc in small fields. However, their failure to improve Jc at high fields shows that such naturally generated defects are not strong 3D pinning centers. A demonstration of strong 3D pinning was found in a metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) grown YBCO coated conductor (CC) with a high density of (Y,Sm)2O3 nano-precipitates. We observed a significantly enhanced irreversibility field Hirr which, like other superconducting properties was independent of thickness, due to strong vortex-pin interactions. The advantage of 3D pinning was further illustrated by a bi-layer metalorganic deposition (MOD) grown YBCO CC with different 3D pinning structures in each layer. The Jc anisotropy of the bilayer was found to be the thickness-weighted sum of the anisotropy of the two individual layers, demonstrating an applicable way to tune the Jcanisotropy. Moreover, extensive low temperature and high magnetic field evaluations performed on an MOCVD CC with dense 3D (Y,Sm) 2O3 nano-precipitate pinning centers showed that its strong vortex pinning at 77 K correlated well to strong performance at 4.2 K too. YBCO films with quantitatively controlled artificial Y2O 3 nano-precipitates were also grown by PLD, and characterized over wide temperature and field ranges. Their Jc was found to be determined by the vortex pinning mediated by thermal fluctuation effects. In weak thermal-fluctuation situations Jc increased with decreasing effective precipitate spacing Lc. In other situations, Jc depends on both Lc and the size and elementary pinning strength of the nano-precipitates. In summary, this thesis presents detailed pinning studies on several differently grown YBCO films. Our results identify the optimum pinning structures in YBCO films and provide a systematic guidance for optimizing vortex pinning.

Adaptation to a latitudinal thermal gradient within a widespread copepod species: the contributions of genetic divergence and phenotypic plasticity

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Understanding how populations adapt to heterogeneous thermal regimes is essential for comprehending how latitudinal gradients in species diversification are formed, and how taxa will respond to ongoing climate change. Adaptation can occur by innate genetic factors, by phenotypic plasticity, or by a combination of both mechanisms. Yet, the relative contribution of such mechanisms to large-scale latitudinal gradients of thermal tolerance across conspecific populations remains unclear. We examine thermal performance in 11 populations of the intertidal copepod Tigriopus californicus, ranging from Baja California Sur (Mexico) to British Columbia (Canada). Common garden experiments show that survivorship to acute heat-stress differs between populations (by up to 3.8°C in LD50 values), reflecting a strong genetic thermal adaptation. Using a split-brood experiment with two rearing temperatures, we also show that developmental phenotypic plasticity is beneficial to thermal tolerance (by up to 1.3°C), and that this effect differs across populations. Although genetic divergence in heat tolerance strongly correlates with latitude and temperature, differences in the plastic response do not. In the context of climate warming, our results confirm the general prediction that low-latitude populations are most susceptible to local extinction because genetic adaptation has placed physiological limits closer to current environmental maxima, but our results also contradict the prediction that phenotypic plasticity is constrained at lower latitudes. PMID:28446698

Network succession reveals the importance of competition in response to emulsified vegetable oil amendment for uranium bioremediation.

PubMed

Deng, Ye; Zhang, Ping; Qin, Yujia; Tu, Qichao; Yang, Yunfeng; He, Zhili; Schadt, Christopher Warren; Zhou, Jizhong

2016-01-01

Discerning network interactions among different species/populations in microbial communities has evoked substantial interests in recent years, but little information is available about temporal dynamics of microbial network interactions in response to environmental perturbations. Here, we modified the random matrix theory-based network approach to discern network succession in groundwater microbial communities in response to emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) amendment for uranium bioremediation. Groundwater microbial communities from one control and seven monitor wells were analysed with a functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0), and functional molecular ecological networks (fMENs) at different time points were reconstructed. Our results showed that the network interactions were dramatically altered by EVO amendment. Dynamic and resilient succession was evident: fairly simple at the initial stage (Day 0), increasingly complex at the middle period (Days 4, 17, 31), most complex at Day 80, and then decreasingly complex at a later stage (140-269 days). Unlike previous studies in other habitats, negative interactions predominated in a time-series fMEN, suggesting strong competition among different microbial species in the groundwater systems after EVO injection. Particularly, several keystone sulfate-reducing bacteria showed strong negative interactions with their network neighbours. These results provide mechanistic understanding of the decreased phylogenetic diversity during environmental perturbations. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Network succession reveals the importance of competition in response to emulsified vegetable oil amendment for uranium bioremediation: Competition in bioremediation system

DOE PAGES

Deng, Ye; Zhang, Ping; Qin, Yujia; ...

2015-08-11

When trying to discern network interactions among different species/populations in microbial communities interests have been evoked in recent years, but little information is available about temporal dynamics of microbial network interactions in response to environmental perturbations. We modified the random matrix theory-based network approach to discern network succession in groundwater microbial communities in response to emulsified vegetable oil (EVO) amendment for uranium bioremediation. Groundwater microbial communities from one control and seven monitor wells were analysed with a functional gene array (GeoChip 3.0), and functional molecular ecological networks (fMENs) at different time points were reconstructed. Our results showed that the networkmore » interactions were dramatically altered by EVO amendment. Dynamic and resilient succession was evident: fairly simple at the initial stage (Day 0), increasingly complex at the middle period (Days 4, 17, 31), most complex at Day 80, and then decreasingly complex at a later stage (140–269 days). Unlike previous studies in other habitats, negative interactions predominated in a time-series fMEN, suggesting strong competition among different microbial species in the groundwater systems after EVO injection. In particular, several keystone sulfate-reducing bacteria showed strong negative interactions with their network neighbours. These results provide mechanistic understanding of the decreased phylogenetic diversity during environmental perturbations.« less

Brain electric correlates of strong belief in paranormal phenomena: intracerebral EEG source and regional Omega complexity analyses.

PubMed

Pizzagalli, D; Lehmann, D; Gianotti, L; Koenig, T; Tanaka, H; Wackermann, J; Brugger, P

2000-12-22

The neurocognitive processes underlying the formation and maintenance of paranormal beliefs are important for understanding schizotypal ideation. Behavioral studies indicated that both schizotypal and paranormal ideation are based on an overreliance on the right hemisphere, whose coarse rather than focussed semantic processing may favor the emergence of 'loose' and 'uncommon' associations. To elucidate the electrophysiological basis of these behavioral observations, 35-channel resting EEG was recorded in pre-screened female strong believers and disbelievers during resting baseline. EEG data were subjected to FFT-Dipole-Approximation analysis, a reference-free frequency-domain dipole source modeling, and Regional (hemispheric) Omega Complexity analysis, a linear approach estimating the complexity of the trajectories of momentary EEG map series in state space. Compared to disbelievers, believers showed: more right-located sources of the beta2 band (18.5-21 Hz, excitatory activity); reduced interhemispheric differences in Omega complexity values; higher scores on the Magical Ideation scale; more general negative affect; and more hypnagogic-like reveries after a 4-min eyes-closed resting period. Thus, subjects differing in their declared paranormal belief displayed different active, cerebral neural populations during resting, task-free conditions. As hypothesized, believers showed relatively higher right hemispheric activation and reduced hemispheric asymmetry of functional complexity. These markers may constitute the neurophysiological basis for paranormal and schizotypal ideation.

Decoherence in models for hard-core bosons coupled to optical phonons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dey, A.; Lone, M. Q.; Yarlagadda, S.

2015-09-01

Understanding coherent dynamics of excitons, spins, or hard-core bosons (HCBs) has tremendous scientific and technological implications for quantum computation. Here, we study decay of excited-state population and decoherence in two models for HCBs, namely, a two-site HCB model with site-dependent strong potentials and subject to non-Markovian dynamics and an infinite-range HCB model governed by Markovian dynamics. Both models are investigated in the regimes of antiadiabaticity and strong HCB-phonon coupling with each site providing a different local optical phonon environment; furthermore, the HCB systems in both models are taken to be initially uncorrelated with the environment in the polaronic frame of reference. In the case of the two-site HCB model, we show clearly that the degree of decoherence and decay of excited state are enhanced by the proximity of the site-energy difference to the eigenenergy of phonons and are most pronounced when the site-energy difference is at resonance with twice the polaronic energy; additionally, the decoherence and the decay effects are reduced when the strength of HCB-phonon coupling is increased. For the infinite-range model, when the site energies are the same, we derive an effective many-body Hamiltonian that commutes with the long-range system Hamiltonian and thus has the same set of eigenstates; consequently, a quantum-master-equation approach shows that the quantum states of the system do not decohere.

Evaluation of Psychometric Properties of Voice Activity and Participation Profile (VAPP): A Spanish Version.

PubMed

Bermúdez-de-Alvear, Rosa M; Gálvez-Ruiz, Pablo; Martínez-Arquero, A Ginés; Rando-Márquez, Sara; Fernández-Contreras, Elena

2018-06-11

This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Voice Activity and Participation Profile (SVAPP) questionnaire. A randomized, cross-sectional sampling strategy with controls was used. Two samples with a total of 169 participants were analyzed, specifically 61 men (mean age 37.02) and 108 women (mean age 37.78). Of these participants, 112 were patients and 57 were controls. The instrument was submitted to reliability (internal consistency and corrected item-total correlations) and reproducibility analyses. Validation assessment was based on the construct validity, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and concurrent validity. The global internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach's α = 0.976), corrected item-total correlations were satisfactory and ranged 0.63-0.89, and factor loadings were above 0.50. The different subscales showed good internal consistency (alpha coefficients ranged 0.830-0.956) and test-retest values were consistently associated. The exploratory factor analysis evidenced a strongly defined five factors internal structure, with factors loadings ranging 0.51-0.86. Convergent validity demonstrated that all subscales and scores were very strongly correlated (Pearson r above 0.735) and significantly associated. The discriminant validity analysis showed that SVAPP had good specificity to distinguish dysphonic from healthy voice subjects. Concurrent validity with Voice Handicap Index Spanish version (SVHI) showed very strong correlations between total scores, and between SVHI total score and SVAPP Daily and Social Communication subscales; correlations between both tests subscales were strong; only between SVAPP Work and SVHI Physical sections correlations were moderate. The findings of the present study demonstrated evidence for the SVAPP questionnaire reliability and validity, and provided insightful implications of voice disorders on Spanish patients' quality of life. However, further investigations are required. Copyright © 2018 The Voice Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Potentially probiotic Lactobacillus strains from traditional Kurdish cheese.

PubMed

Hashemi, Seyed Mohammad Bagher; Shahidi, Fakhri; Mortazavi, Seyed Ali; Milani, Elnaz; Eshaghi, Zarrin

2014-03-01

In this study, the probiotic potential of Lactobacillus strains isolated from traditional Kurdish cheese was investigated. The Lactobacillus strains were examined for resistance to gastric acidity and bile toxicity, antimicrobial activities, autoaggregation, coaggregation, hydrophobicity, adhesion to Caco-2 cells, and antibiotic susceptibility. The results showed that all strains tested tolerate acid gastric conditions (pH 2.0 and 3.0), and all of them were bile resistant (at 0.3 and 1% concentration). Although no antibacterial activity was detected in vitro assay for the treated (neutralized to pH 6.5 and treated with catalase) cell-free culture supernatant (CFCS) of strains, untreated CFCS showed strong antagonistic activity against two known pathogens bacteria. All strains exhibited a strong autoaggregating phenotype and manifested a high degree of coaggregation with pathogens. On the other hand, majority of studied strains were found sensitive to different antibiotics, such as ampicillin, penicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, erythromycin, rifampicin, and tetracycline, and were resistant to vancomycin and streptomycin. Finally, isolated strains showed good hydrophobicity and adherence to Caco-2 cell line, so they could be exploited for food manufacture.

Linker Dependent Bond Rupture Force Measurements in Single-Molecule Junctions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Frei M.; Hybertsen M.; Aradhya S.V.

We use a modified conducting atomic force microscope to simultaneously probe the conductance of a single-molecule junction and the force required to rupture the junction formed by alkanes terminated with four different chemical link groups which vary in binding strength and mechanism to the gold electrodes. Molecular junctions with amine, methylsulfide, and diphenylphosphine terminated molecules show clear conductance signatures and rupture at a force that is significantly smaller than the measured 1.4 nN force required to rupture the single-atomic gold contact. In contrast, measurements with a thiol terminated alkane which can bind covalently to the gold electrode show conductance andmore » force features unlike those of the other molecules studied. Specifically, the strong Au-S bond can cause structural rearrangements in the electrodes, which are accompanied by substantial conductance changes. Despite the strong Au-S bond and the evidence for disruption of the Au structure, the experiments show that on average these junctions also rupture at a smaller force than that measured for pristine single-atom gold contacts.« less

Dependence of SOL widths on plasma current and density in NSTX H-mode plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahn, J.-W.; Maingi, R.; Boedo, J. A.; Soukhanovskii, V.; NSTX Team

2009-06-01

The dependence of various SOL widths on the line-averaged density ( n) and plasma current ( Ip) for the quiescent H-mode plasmas with Type-V ELMs in the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) was investigated. It is found that the heat flux SOL width ( λq), measured by the IR camera, is virtually insensitive to n and has a strong negative dependence on Ip. This insensitivity of λq to n¯e is consistent with the scaling law from JET H-mode plasmas that shows a very weak dependence on the upstream density. The electron temperature, ion saturation current density, electron density, and electron pressure decay lengths ( λTe, λjsat, λne, and λpe, respectively) measured by the probe showed that λTe and λjsat have strong negative dependence on Ip, whereas λne and λpe revealed only a little or no dependence. The dependence of λTe on Ip is consistent with the scaling law in the literature, while λne and λpe dependence shows a different trend.

Efficient numerical technique for calculating the properties of interacting dimers in the Peierls-Hubbard model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sous, John; Chakraborty, Monodeep; Krems, Roman; Berciu, Mona

2017-04-01

We develop a method to compute the Green's function for two particles in an infinite chain and coupled to phonons by interactions that modulate their hopping as described by the Peierls/Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model. The method is based on a variational approximation to the Bogoliubov-Born-Green-Kirkwood-Yvon (BBGKY) hierarchy and is shown to agree with exact digaonalization calculations. We show that the properties of bipolarons arising in such models is qualitatively different from those of the well-studied Holstein bipolarons. In particular, we show that depending on the particle statistics, strongly bound bipolarons may or may not form. In the case of hard-core bosons, we demonstrate novel effects for dimers such as sharp transitions and self-trapping. In the case of soft-core particles/ spinfull fermions, we show that the mediated interactions lead to overscreeing of the bare Hubbard U repulsion resulting in the formation of strongly bound bipolarons. This work was supported by NSERC of Canada and the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute.

Using PICO Methodology to Answer Questions About Smoking in COPD Patients.

PubMed

Jiménez Ruiz, Carlos A; Buljubasich, Daniel; Riesco Miranda, Juan Antonio; Acuña Izcaray, Agustín; de Granda Orive, José Ignacio; Chatkin, José Miguel; Zabert, Gustavo; Guerreros Benavides, Alfredo; Paez Espinel, Nelson; Noé, Valeri; Sánchez-Angarita, Efraín; Núñez-Sánchez, Ingrid; Sansores, Raúl H; Casas, Alejandro; Palomar Lever, Andrés; Alfageme Michavila, Inmaculada

2017-11-01

The ALAT and SEPAR Treatment and Control of Smoking Groups have collaborated in the preparation of this document which attempts to answer, by way of PICO methodology, different questions on health interventions for helping COPD patients to stop smoking. The main recommendations are: (i)moderate-quality evidence and strong recommendation for performing spirometry in COPD patients and in smokers with a high risk of developing the disease, as a motivational tool (particularly for showing evidence of lung age), a diagnostic tool, and for active case-finding; (ii)high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for using intensive dedicated behavioral counselling and drug treatment for helping COPD patients to stop smoking; (iii)high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for initiating interventions for helping COPD patients to stop smoking during hospitalization with improvement when the intervention is prolonged after discharge, and (iv)high-quality evidence and strong recommendation for funding treatment of smoking in COPD patients, in view of the impact on health and health economics. Copyright © 2017 SEPAR. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Do false belief and verb non-factivity share similar neural circuits?

PubMed

Chen, Lan; Cheung, Him; Szeto, Ching-Yee; Zhu, Zude; Wang, Suiping

2012-02-21

The present study investigates whether the complement falsity elicited by strong non-factive verbs and the false belief activated by a standard nonverbal false belief task produce similar electrophysiological activities in the brain. The hypothesis is based on the notion that both complement falsity and false belief involve decoupling a false mental representation from reality. Some previous studies have reported a behavioral correlation between children's false belief reasoning and interpretation of strong non-factive verbs together with their false complements, but a neural basis for this correlation has not been found. Our event-related potential (ERP) results with normal adults showed that both nonverbal false belief and strong non-factive verb comprehension elicited a negative late slow waveform divergence compared to their respective baselines. Although these slow waves due to the two types of stimuli had slightly different scalp distributions, both were regarded as reflecting primarily frontal activation. Such ERP similarity provides evidence for a common neural basis shared by nonverbal false belief reasoning and comprehension of strong non-factive verbs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Source Characteristics of the Northern Longitudinal Valley, Taiwan Derived from Broadband Strong-Motion Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Yi-Ying

2018-02-01

The 2014 M L 5.9 Fanglin earthquake occurred at the northern end of the aftershock distribution of the 2013 M L 6.4 Ruisui event and caused strong ground shaking and some damage in the northern part of the Longitudinal Valley. We carried out the strong-motion simulation of the 2014 Fanglin event in the broadband frequency range (0.4-10 Hz) using the empirical Green's function method and then integrated the source models to investigate the source characteristics of the 2013 Ruisui and 2014 Fanglin events. The results show that the dimension of strong motion generation area of the 2013 Ruisui event is smaller, whereas that of the 2014 Fanglin event is comparable with the empirical estimation of inland crustal earthquakes, which indicates the different faulting behaviors. Furthermore, the localized high PGV patch might be caused by the radiation energy amplified by the local low-velocity structure in the northern Longitudinal Valley. Additional study issues are required for building up the knowledge of the potential seismic hazard related to moderate-large events for various seismogenic areas in Taiwan.

Photoinduced Electron Transfer in the Strong Coupling Regime: Waveguide-Plasmon Polaritons.

PubMed

Zeng, Peng; Cadusch, Jasper; Chakraborty, Debadi; Smith, Trevor A; Roberts, Ann; Sader, John E; Davis, Timothy J; Gómez, Daniel E

2016-04-13

Reversible exchange of photons between a material and an optical cavity can lead to the formation of hybrid light-matter states where material properties such as the work function [ Hutchison et al. Adv. Mater. 2013 , 25 , 2481 - 2485 ], chemical reactivity [ Hutchison et al. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2012 , 51 , 1592 - 1596 ], ultrafast energy relaxation [ Salomon et al. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2009 , 48 , 8748 - 8751 ; Gomez et al. J. Phys. Chem. B 2013 , 117 , 4340 - 4346 ], and electrical conductivity [ Orgiu et al. Nat. Mater. 2015 , 14 , 1123 - 1129 ] of matter differ significantly to those of the same material in the absence of strong interactions with the electromagnetic fields. Here we show that strong light-matter coupling between confined photons on a semiconductor waveguide and localized plasmon resonances on metal nanowires modifies the efficiency of the photoinduced charge-transfer rate of plasmonic derived (hot) electrons into accepting states in the semiconductor material. Ultrafast spectroscopy measurements reveal a strong correlation between the amplitude of the transient signals, attributed to electrons residing in the semiconductor and the hybridization of waveguide and plasmon excitations.

Naturally occurring anti-Salmonella agents.

PubMed

Kubo, I; Fujita, K

2001-12-01

Polygodial and (2E)-hexenal were found to possess antibacterial activity against Salmonella choleraesuis with the minimum bactericidal concentrations (MBC) of 50 microg/mL (0.17 mM) and 100 microg/mL (0.98 mM), respectively. The time kill curve study showed that these two alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes were bactericidal against this food-borne bacterium at any stage of growth. However, they showed different effects on the growth of S. choleraesuis. The combination of polygodial and anethole exhibited strong synergism on their bacteriostatic action but only marginal synergism on their bactericidal action.

Effects of wind-wave disturbances on adsorption and desorption of tetracycline and sulfadimidine in water-sediment systems.

PubMed

Liao, Qianjiahua; Huang, Zheng; Li, Shu; Wang, Yi; Liu, Yuqing; Luo, Ran; Shang, Jingge

2018-05-28

Wind-wave disturbances frequently disperse sediment particles into overlying water, which facilitates the adsorption and desorption of contaminants in aquatic ecosystems. Tetracycline (TC) and sulfadimidine (SM2) are common antibiotics that are frequently found in aquatic environments. This study utilized microcosms, comprising sediment and water from Lake Taihu, China, to examine the adsorption and desorption of TC and SM2 under different wind-wave disturbances in a shallow lake environment. The adsorption experiments were conducted with three different concentrations (1, 5, 10 mg/L) of TC and SM2 in the overlying water, and two different (background and strong) wind-wave conditions for 72 h. Subsequently, four microcosms were employed in a 12-h desorption study. Analysis of adsorption progress showed that TC concentration in the overlying water decreased quickly, while SM2 remained almost constant. In the desorption experiments, SM2 released to the overlying water was an order of magnitude greater than TC. These results indicate that sediment particles strongly adsorb TC but weakly adsorb SM2. Compared to background conditions, the strong wind-wave conditions resulted in higher concentrations of TC and SM2 in sediment and facilitated their migration to deeper sediment during adsorption, correspondingly promoting greater release of TC and SM2 from sediment particles into the overlying water during desorption.

Experiential benefits, place meanings, and environmental setting preferences between proximate and distant visitors to a national scenic trail.

PubMed

Kil, Namyun; Holland, Stephen M; Stein, Taylor V

2015-05-01

Effective management of conserved natural areas often requires a good understanding of recreation visitors who possess various values for those areas. This study examined differences in experiential benefits sought, place meanings, and environmental setting preferences between proximate and distant visitors to a publicly managed national scenic trail, which transects a variety of conserved public lands. Data were collected using on-site post-hike interviews with visitors at low, moderate, and high use trailheads. Proximate visitors sought mental and physical health more strongly than distant visitors, while distant visitors sought environmental exploration more strongly than proximate visitors. No significant difference in family bonding and achievement benefits existed between the two groups. Meanings related to place dependence, family identity, community identity, and place identity were more strongly ascribed by proximate visitors, and both groups rated ecological integrity meanings highly. Distant visitors showed stronger tendencies toward preferring a lesser level of trail development, lower level of encounters with other groups, and higher level of natural landscapes, which indicated an inclination toward natural settings. These findings indicate a managerially relevant role of the degree of proximity to environmental resources on individuals' recreation behaviors, meanings ascribed to the resources and setting conditions. Understanding differences and similarities between groups dichotomized by proximity to natural resources should advance more effective management of recreation and benefit opportunities for diverse visitor groups.

Optical response of strongly absorbing inhomogeneous materials: Application to paper degradation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Missori, M.; Pulci, O.; Teodonio, L.; Violante, C.; Kupchak, I.; Bagniuk, J.; Łojewska, J.; Conte, A. Mosca

2014-02-01

In this paper, we present a new noninvasive and nondestructive approach to recover scattering and absorption coefficients from reflectance measurements of highly absorbing and optically inhomogeneous media. Our approach is based on the Yang and Miklavcic theoretical model of light propagation through turbid media, which is a generalization of the Kubelka-Munk theory, extended to accommodate optically thick samples. We show its applications to paper, a material primarily composed of a web of fibers of cellulose, whose optical properties are strongly governed by light scattering effects. Samples studied were ancient and industrial paper sheets, aged in different conditions and highly absorbing in the ultraviolet region. The recovered experimental absorptions of cellulose fibers have been compared to theoretical ab initio quantum-mechanical computational simulations carried out within time-dependent density functional theory. In this way, for each sample, we evaluate the absolute concentration of different kinds of oxidized groups formed upon aging and acting as chromophores causing paper discoloration. We found that the relative concentration of different chromophores in cellulose fibers depends on the aging temperature endured by samples. This clearly indicates that the oxidation of cellulose follows temperature-dependent reaction pathways. Our approach has a wide range of applications for cellulose-based materials, like paper, textiles, and other manufactured products of great industrial and cultural interest, and can potentially be extended to other strongly absorbing inhomogeneous materials.

Merging symmetry projection methods with coupled cluster theory: Lessons from the Lipkin model Hamiltonian

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wahlen-Strothman, J. M.; Henderson, T. H.; Hermes, M. R.

Coupled cluster and symmetry projected Hartree-Fock are two central paradigms in electronic structure theory. However, they are very different. Single reference coupled cluster is highly successful for treating weakly correlated systems, but fails under strong correlation unless one sacrifices good quantum numbers and works with broken-symmetry wave functions, which is unphysical for finite systems. Symmetry projection is effective for the treatment of strong correlation at the mean-field level through multireference non-orthogonal configuration interaction wavefunctions, but unlike coupled cluster, it is neither size extensive nor ideal for treating dynamic correlation. We here examine different scenarios for merging these two dissimilar theories.more » We carry out this exercise over the integrable Lipkin model Hamiltonian, which despite its simplicity, encompasses non-trivial physics for degenerate systems and can be solved via diagonalization for a very large number of particles. We show how symmetry projection and coupled cluster doubles individually fail in different correlation limits, whereas models that merge these two theories are highly successful over the entire phase diagram. Despite the simplicity of the Lipkin Hamiltonian, the lessons learned in this work will be useful for building an ab initio symmetry projected coupled cluster theory that we expect to be accurate in the weakly and strongly correlated limits, as well as the recoupling regime.« less

Experiential Benefits, Place Meanings, and Environmental Setting Preferences Between Proximate and Distant Visitors to a National Scenic Trail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kil, Namyun; Holland, Stephen M.; Stein, Taylor V.

2015-05-01

Effective management of conserved natural areas often requires a good understanding of recreation visitors who possess various values for those areas. This study examined differences in experiential benefits sought, place meanings, and environmental setting preferences between proximate and distant visitors to a publicly managed national scenic trail, which transects a variety of conserved public lands. Data were collected using on-site post-hike interviews with visitors at low, moderate, and high use trailheads. Proximate visitors sought mental and physical health more strongly than distant visitors, while distant visitors sought environmental exploration more strongly than proximate visitors. No significant difference in family bonding and achievement benefits existed between the two groups. Meanings related to place dependence, family identity, community identity, and place identity were more strongly ascribed by proximate visitors, and both groups rated ecological integrity meanings highly. Distant visitors showed stronger tendencies toward preferring a lesser level of trail development, lower level of encounters with other groups, and higher level of natural landscapes, which indicated an inclination toward natural settings. These findings indicate a managerially relevant role of the degree of proximity to environmental resources on individuals' recreation behaviors, meanings ascribed to the resources and setting conditions. Understanding differences and similarities between groups dichotomized by proximity to natural resources should advance more effective management of recreation and benefit opportunities for diverse visitor groups.

Female Choice Undermines the Emergence of Strong Sexual Isolation between Locally Adapted Populations of Atlantic Mollies (Poecilia mexicana)

PubMed Central

Zimmer, Claudia; Bierbach, David; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Plath, Martin

2018-01-01

Divergent selection between ecologically dissimilar habitats promotes local adaptation, which can lead to reproductive isolation (RI). Populations in the Poecilia mexicana species complex have independently adapted to toxic hydrogen sulfide and show varying degrees of RI. Here, we examined the variation in the mate choice component of prezygotic RI. Mate choice tests across drainages (with stimulus males from another drainage) suggest that specific features of the males coupled with a general female preference for yellow color patterns explain the observed variation. Analyses of male body coloration identified the intensity of yellow fin coloration as a strong candidate to explain this pattern, and common-garden rearing suggested heritable population differences. Male sexual ornamentation apparently evolved differently across sulfide-adapted populations, for example because of differences in natural counterselection via predation. The ubiquitous preference for yellow color ornaments in poeciliid females likely undermines the emergence of strong RI, as female discrimination in favor of own males becomes weaker when yellow fin coloration in the respective sulfide ecotype increases. Our study illustrates the complexity of the (partly non-parallel) pathways to divergence among replicated ecological gradients. We suggest that future work should identify the genomic loci involved in the pattern reported here, making use of the increasing genomic and transcriptomic datasets available for our study system. PMID:29724050

Enantiomers of Single-Wall Carbon Nanotubes Show Distinct Coating Displacement Kinetics.

PubMed

Zheng, Yu; Bachilo, Sergei M; Weisman, R Bruce

2018-06-27

It is known that specific oligomers of single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) can show remarkable selectivity when coating different structural species of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). We report that (ATT) 4 ssDNA coatings strongly distinguish between the two optical isomers of (7,5) SWCNTs. This causes resolvable shifts in their fluorescence spectra and differences of 2 orders of magnitude in the room temperature rates of coating displacement, as monitored through changes in nanotube fluorescence wavelength and intensity on exposure to sodium deoxycholate. During coating displacement, the enantiomer with high affinity for the ssDNA oligomer is deduced to form an intermediate hybrid that is not observed for the low affinity enantiomer. These results reveal that enantiomeric differences in SWCNTs complexed with ssDNA are more diverse and dramatic than previously recognized.

Universality of citation distributions: toward an objective measure of scientific impact.

PubMed

Radicchi, Filippo; Fortunato, Santo; Castellano, Claudio

2008-11-11

We study the distributions of citations received by a single publication within several disciplines, spanning broad areas of science. We show that the probability that an article is cited c times has large variations between different disciplines, but all distributions are rescaled on a universal curve when the relative indicator c(f) = c/c(0) is considered, where c(0) is the average number of citations per article for the discipline. In addition we show that the same universal behavior occurs when citation distributions of articles published in the same field, but in different years, are compared. These findings provide a strong validation of c(f) as an unbiased indicator for citation performance across disciplines and years. Based on this indicator, we introduce a generalization of the h index suitable for comparing scientists working in different fields.

Comparing the performance of the SF-6D and the EQ-5D in different patient groups.

PubMed

Ferreira, Lara N; Ferreira, Pedro L; Pereira, Luis N

2014-01-01

This research aims to explore the performance of the SF-6D and the EQ-5D in patients suffering from asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cataracts, and rheumatoid arthritis. In particular, the aim of this research is twofold: 1) to study the level of agreement between the indexes and the descriptive systems of the dimensions of the SF-6D and the EQ-5D, and 2) to analyze the discriminative ability of the instruments. A sample of 643 patients completed both the SF-36v2 and the EQ-5D. The discriminative ability of the instruments was analyzed. Furthermore, the level of agreement between the indexes and the descriptive systems of the dimensions of the SF-6D and the EQ-5D were studied. The level of agreement between instruments was investigated using correlation coefficients and the Bland-Altman plots, while the influence of medical condition and other socio-demographic variables was analyzed using nonparametric tests. Paired-samples tests were used to identify differences between the scores. The results show a strong correlation and agreement between both indexes. Overall, questionnaire indexes differ by medical condition and socio-demographic groups and both instruments are able to discriminate between socio-demographic groups. This study confirmed the hypothesis that the SF-6D generates higher utility values in less healthy individuals. The SF-6D and the EQ-5D seem to perform differently in each of the diseases studied since the descriptive statistics differ between instruments and the level of correlation is not uniform. Results show that the instruments generate different utility values, but there is a strong agreement between both indexes. Thus, the two instruments are not interchangeable and their results cannot be directly comparable.

Multi-instrument gravity-wave measurements over Tierra del Fuego and the Drake Passage - Part 1: Potential energies and vertical wavelengths from AIRS, COSMIC, HIRDLS, MLS-Aura, SAAMER, SABER and radiosondes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Corwin J.; Hindley, Neil P.; Moss, Andrew C.; Mitchell, Nicholas J.

2016-03-01

Gravity waves in the terrestrial atmosphere are a vital geophysical process, acting to transport energy and momentum on a wide range of scales and to couple the various atmospheric layers. Despite the importance of these waves, the many studies to date have often exhibited very dissimilar results, and it remains unclear whether these differences are primarily instrumental or methodological. Here, we address this problem by comparing observations made by a diverse range of the most widely used gravity-wave-resolving instruments in a common geographic region around the southern Andes and Drake Passage, an area known to exhibit strong wave activity. Specifically, we use data from three limb-sounding radiometers (Microwave Limb Sounder, MLS-Aura; HIgh Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder, HIRDLS; Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry, SABER), the Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) GPS-RO constellation, a ground-based meteor radar, the Advanced Infrared Sounder (AIRS) infrared nadir sounder and radiosondes to examine the gravity wave potential energy (GWPE) and vertical wavelengths (λz) of individual gravity-wave packets from the lower troposphere to the edge of the lower thermosphere ( ˜ 100 km). Our results show important similarities and differences. Limb sounder measurements show high intercorrelation, typically > 0.80 between any instrument pair. Meteor radar observations agree in form with the limb sounders, despite vast technical differences. AIRS and radiosonde observations tend to be uncorrelated or anticorrelated with the other data sets, suggesting very different behaviour of the wave field in the different spectral regimes accessed by each instrument. Evidence of wave dissipation is seen, and varies strongly with season. Observed GWPE for individual wave packets exhibits a log-normal distribution, with short-timescale intermittency dominating over a well-repeated monthly-median seasonal cycle. GWPE and λz exhibit strong correlations with the stratospheric winds, but not with local surface winds. Our results provide guidance for interpretation and intercomparison of such data sets in their full context.

The behaviour of REE and Zr-Hf fractionation in the volcanic waters of Nevado del Ruiz system (Colombia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inguaggiato, Claudio; Censi, Paolo; Zuddas, Pierpaolo; Makario Londoño, John; Chacón, Zoraida; Alzate, Diego; Brusca, Lorenzo; D'Alessandro, Walter

2015-04-01

The geochemical behaviour of Rare Earth Element (REE), Zr and Hf have been investigated in the thermal waters of Nevado del Ruiz volcanic system. These fluids are characterised by a wide range of pH ranging between 1.0 and 8.8. The acidic waters are sulphate dominated with different Cl/SO4 ratios. The Nevado del Ruiz waters allowed to investigate the behaviour of investigated elements in a wide spectrum of pH and chemical composition of water. The important role of the pH and the ionic complexes have been evidenced in the distribution of REE, Zr and Hf in the aqueous phase. The pH rules the precipitation of authigenic oxyhydroxides of Fe, Al producing changes in REE, Zr, Hf amount and strong anomalies of Cerium and Europium. Y-Ho and Zr-Hf (twin pairs) have different behaviour in strong acidic waters with respect to the water with higher pH. Yttrium and Ho have the same behaviour of Zr and Hf in waters with pH near neutral-to-neutral, showing super-chondritic ratios. The twin pairs showed to be sensitive to the co-precipitation and/or adsorption onto the surface of authigenic particulate suggesting an enhanced scavenging of Ho and Hf respect to Y and Zr, leading to super-chondritic ratios. In acidic waters a different behaviour of twin pairs occurs with chondritic Y/Ho ratios (reflecting the Y/Ho ratio of average local rock) and sub-chondritic Zr/Hf ratios. For the first time, Zr and Hf have been investigated in natural acidic fluids to understand the behaviour of these elements in extreme acidic conditions and different major anions chemistry. Zr/Hf molar ratio changes from 4.75 to 49.29 in water with pH<3.6. In strong acidic waters, a different fractionation of Zr and Hf have been recognised as function of major anion contents (Cl and SO4), suggesting the formation of complexes leading to sub-chondritic Zr/Hf molar ratios.

First genome sequences of Achromobacter phages reveal new members of the N4 family.

PubMed

Wittmann, Johannes; Dreiseikelmann, Brigitte; Rohde, Manfred; Meier-Kolthoff, Jan P; Bunk, Boyke; Rohde, Christine

2014-01-27

Multi-resistant Achromobacter xylosoxidans has been recognized as an emerging pathogen causing nosocomially acquired infections during the last years. Phages as natural opponents could be an alternative to fight such infections. Bacteriophages against this opportunistic pathogen were isolated in a recent study. This study shows a molecular analysis of two podoviruses and reveals first insights into the genomic structure of Achromobacter phages so far. Growth curve experiments and adsorption kinetics were performed for both phages. Adsorption and propagation in cells were visualized by electron microscopy. Both phage genomes were sequenced with the PacBio RS II system based on single molecule, real-time (SMRT) technology and annotated with several bioinformatic tools. To further elucidate the evolutionary relationships between the phage genomes, a phylogenomic analysis was conducted using the genome Blast Distance Phylogeny approach (GBDP). In this study, we present the first detailed analysis of genome sequences of two Achromobacter phages so far. Phages JWAlpha and JWDelta were isolated from two different waste water treatment plants in Germany. Both phages belong to the Podoviridae and contain linear, double-stranded DNA with a length of 72329 bp and 73659 bp, respectively. 92 and 89 putative open reading frames were identified for JWAlpha and JWDelta, respectively, by bioinformatic analysis with several tools. The genomes have nearly the same organization and could be divided into different clusters for transcription, replication, host interaction, head and tail structure and lysis. Detailed annotation via protein comparisons with BLASTP revealed strong similarities to N4-like phages. Analysis of the genomes of Achromobacter phages JWAlpha and JWDelta and comparisons of different gene clusters with other phages revealed that they might be strongly related to other N4-like phages, especially of the Escherichia group. Although all these phages show a highly conserved genomic structure and partially strong similarities at the amino acid level, some differences could be identified. Those differences, e.g. the existence of specific genes for replication or host interaction in some N4-like phages, seem to be interesting targets for further examination of function and specific mechanisms, which might enlighten the mechanism of phage establishment in the host cell after infection.

Are there trends towards drier hydrological conditions in Central America?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidalgo, H. G.

2013-12-01

A summary of hydrological projections at the end of the century from 30 General Circulation Models (GCMs) is presented; and several hydrometeorological parameters are analyzed to validate if there are hydroclimatological trends during the observational period (1982-2005) consistent with the GCMs results. At the end of the century the median of 30 GCM simulations projects a drier future for Tegucigalpa and San Jose, with a marked increment in evapotranspiration in the first half of the rainy season along with reductions of soil moisture. With respect to the observations (1982-2005): 1) the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index showed negative trends in the North Pacific coast of Costa Rica, the border of Honduras and Nicaragua, and especially in southern Mexico (except the Yucatan Peninsula). Positive trends were found in the several parts of Central America, 2) the Palmer Drought Severity Index showed strong and consistent trends from Nicaragua to the North of Central America and southern Mexico (not including Yucatan), consistent with the direction of GCM projections; 3) negative precipitation trends in satellite data were found in Nicaragua, with strong trends in its Caribbean coast; 4) NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis precipitation showed strong negative trends in northern Central America, the Central Valley, the Dry Pacific of Costa Rica and the South-Pacific coast of Nicaragua, all consistent with the direction of GCM projections; and 5) station data showed no significant trends however, and 6) Reanalysis' temperature showed positive trends in southern Mexico (not including Yucatan) and negative trends in El Salvador. It can be concluded that several trends in drought indexes and precipitation are consistent with the future projected by the GCMs; that is, with some exceptions some of the trends were validated towards a drier future for the region, especially in the northern part.

Time Perception and Depressive Realism: Judgment Type, Psychophysical Functions and Bias

PubMed Central

Kornbrot, Diana E.; Msetfi, Rachel M.; Grimwood, Melvyn J.

2013-01-01

The effect of mild depression on time estimation and production was investigated. Participants made both magnitude estimation and magnitude production judgments for five time intervals (specified in seconds) from 3 sec to 65 sec. The parameters of the best fitting psychophysical function (power law exponent, intercept, and threshold) were determined individually for each participant in every condition. There were no significant effects of mood (high BDI, low BDI) or judgment (estimation, production) on the mean exponent, n = .98, 95% confidence interval (.96–1.04) or on the threshold. However, the intercept showed a ‘depressive realism’ effect, where high BDI participants had a smaller deviation from accuracy and a smaller difference between estimation and judgment than low BDI participants. Accuracy bias was assessed using three measures of accuracy: difference, defined as psychological time minus physical time, ratio, defined as psychological time divided by physical time, and a new logarithmic accuracy measure defined as ln (ratio). The ln (ratio) measure was shown to have approximately normal residuals when subjected to a mixed ANOVA with mood as a between groups explanatory factor and judgment and time category as repeated measures explanatory factors. The residuals of the other two accuracy measures flagrantly violated normality. The mixed ANOVAs of accuracy also showed a strong depressive realism effect, just like the intercepts of the psychophysical functions. There was also a strong negative correlation between estimation and production judgments. Taken together these findings support a clock model of time estimation, combined with additional cognitive mechanisms to account for the depressive realism effect. The findings also suggest strong methodological recommendations. PMID:23990960

Potential of New Isolates of Dunaliella Salina for Natural β-Carotene Production.

PubMed

Xu, Yanan; Ibrahim, Iskander M; Wosu, Chiziezi I; Ben-Amotz, Ami; Harvey, Patricia J

2018-02-01

The halotolerant microalga Dunaliella salina has been widely studied for natural β-carotene production. This work shows biochemical characterization of three newly isolated Dunaliella salina strains, DF15, DF17, and DF40, compared with D. salina CCAP 19/30 and D. salina UTEX 2538 (also known as D. bardawil ). Although all three new strains have been genetically characterized as Dunaliella salina strains, their ability to accumulate carotenoids and their capacity for photoprotection against high light stress are different. DF15 and UTEX 2538 reveal great potential for producing a large amount of β-carotene and maintained a high rate of photosynthesis under light of high intensity; however, DF17, DF40, and CCAP 19/30 showed increasing photoinhibition with increasing light intensity, and reduced contents of carotenoids, in particular β-carotene, suggesting that the capacity of photoprotection is dependent on the cellular content of carotenoids, in particular β-carotene. Strong positive correlations were found between the cellular content of all-trans β-carotene, 9- cis β-carotene, all-trans α-carotene and zeaxanthin but not lutein in the D. salina strains. Lutein was strongly correlated with respiration in photosynthetic cells and strongly related to photosynthesis, chlorophyll and respiration, suggesting an important and not hitherto identified role for lutein in coordinated control of the cellular functions of photosynthesis and respiration in response to changes in light conditions, which is broadly conserved in Dunaliella strains. Statistical analysis based on biochemical data revealed a different grouping strategy from the genetic classification of the strains. The significance of these data for strain selection for commercial carotenoid production is discussed.

The interrelationships between motor, cognitive, and language development in children with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.

PubMed

Houwen, Suzanne; Visser, Linda; van der Putten, Annette; Vlaskamp, Carla

2016-01-01

It is generally agreed that cognitive and language development are dependent on the emergence of motor skills. As the literature on this issue concerning children with developmental disabilities is scarce, we examined the interrelationships between motor, cognitive, and language development in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and compared them to those in children without IDD. In addition, we investigated whether these relationships differ between children with different levels of cognitive delay. Seventy-seven children with IDD (calendar age between 1;0 and 9;10 years; mean developmental age: 1;8 years) and 130 typically developing children (calendar age between 0;3 and 3;6 years; mean developmental age: 1;10 years) were tested with the Dutch Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition, which assesses development across three domains using five subscales: fine motor development, gross motor development (motor), cognition (cognitive), receptive communication, and expressive communication (language). Results showed that correlations between the motor, cognitive, and language domains were strong, namely .61 to .94 in children with IDD and weak to strong, namely .24 to .56 in children without IDD. Furthermore, the correlations showed a tendency to increase with the severity of IDD. It can be concluded that both fine and gross motor development are more strongly associated with cognition, and consequently language, in children with IDD than in children without IDD. The findings of this study emphasize the importance of early interventions that boost both motor and cognitive development, and suggest that such interventions will also enhance language development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Major histocompatibility complex class I expression impacts on patient survival and type and density of immune cells in biliary tract cancer

PubMed Central

Goeppert, Benjamin; Frauenschuh, Lena; Zucknick, Manuela; Roessler, Stephanie; Mehrabi, Arianeb; Hafezi, Mohammadreza; Stenzinger, Albrecht; Warth, Arne; Pathil, Anita; Renner, Marcus; Schirmacher, Peter; Weichert, Wilko

2015-01-01

Background: Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are rare malignant tumours with a poor prognosis. Previously, we have presented a detailed characterisation of the inflammatory infiltrate in BTC. Here, we analysed the impact of the expression of major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I) on patient survival and the quantity, as well as the quality of tumour-infiltrating immune cell types in BTC. Methods: MHC I expression was assessed semi-quantitatively in 334 BTC, including extrahepatic (n=129) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (n=146), as well as adenocarcinomas of the gallbladder (n=59). In addition, 71 high-grade biliary intraepithelial lesions (BilIN 3) were included. Results were correlated with data on antitumour inflammation and investigated with respect to their association with clinicopathological variables and patient survival. Results: BTC showed a wide spectrum of different MHC I expression patterns ranging from complete negativity in some tumours to strong homogenous expression in others. In BilIN 3, significantly higher MHC I expression levels were seen compared to invasive tumours (P=0.004). Patients with strong tumoural MHC I expression had a significantly higher overall survival probability (median survival benefit: 8 months; P=0.006). MHC I expression strongly correlated with the number of tumour-infiltrating T-lymphocytes (CD4+ and CD8+) and macrophages. Conclusions: Differences of MHC I expression predict patient outcome and show correlations with specific components of the inflammatory infiltrate in BTC. These findings contribute to a better understanding of immune response and immune escape phenomena in cholangiocarcinogenesis. PMID:26461054

Microstructural Quantification of Rapidly Solidified Undercooled D2 Tool Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valloton, J.; Herlach, D. M.; Henein, H.; Sediako, D.

2017-10-01

Rapid solidification of D2 tool steel is investigated experimentally using electromagnetic levitation (EML) under terrestrial and reduced gravity conditions and impulse atomization (IA), a drop tube type of apparatus. IA produces powders 300 to 1400 μm in size. This allows the investigation of a large range of cooling rates ( 100 to 10,000 K/s) with a single experiment. On the other hand, EML allows direct measurements of the thermal history, including primary and eutectic nucleation undercoolings, for samples 6 to 7 mm in diameter. The final microstructures at room temperature consist of retained supersaturated austenite surrounded by eutectic of austenite and M7C3 carbides. Rapid solidification effectively suppresses the formation of ferrite in IA, while a small amount of ferrite is detected in EML samples. High primary phase undercoolings and high cooling rates tend to refine the microstructure, which results in a better dispersion of the eutectic carbides. Evaluation of the cell spacing in EML and IA samples shows that the scale of the final microstructure is mainly governed by coarsening. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) analysis of IA samples reveals that IA powders are polycrystalline, regardless of the solidification conditions. EBSD on EML samples reveals strong differences between the microstructure of droplets solidified on the ground and in microgravity conditions. While the former ones are polycrystalline with many different grains, the EML sample solidified in microgravity shows a strong texture with few much larger grains having twinning relationships. This indicates that fluid flow has a strong influence on grain refinement in this system.

Experiential, Autonomic, and Neural Responses During Threat Anticipation Vary as a Function of Threat Intensity and Neuroticism

PubMed Central

Drabant, Emily M; Kuo, Janice R; Ramel, Wiveka; Blechert, Jens; Edge, Michael D; Cooper, Jeff R; Goldin, Philippe R; Hariri, Ahmad R; Gross, James J

2011-01-01

Anticipatory emotional responses play a crucial role in preparing individuals for impending challenges. They do this by triggering a coordinated set of changes in behavioral, autonomic, and neural response systems. In the present study, we examined the biobehavioral impact of varying levels of anticipatory anxiety, using a shock anticipation task in which unpredictable electric shocks were threatened and delivered to the wrist at variable intervals and intensities (safe, medium, strong). This permitted investigation of a dynamic range of anticipatory anxiety responses. In two studies, 95 and 51 healthy female participants, respectively, underwent this shock anticipation task while providing continuous ratings of anxiety experience and electrodermal responding (Study 1) and during fMRI BOLD neuroimaging (Study 2). Results indicated a step-wise pattern of responding in anxiety experience and electrodermal responses. Several brain regions showed robust responses to shock anticipation relative to safe trials, including the hypothalamus, periaqueductal gray, caudate, precentral gyrus, thalamus, insula, ventrolateral PFC, dorsomedial PFC, and ACC. A subset of these regions demonstrated a linear pattern of increased responding from safe to medium to strong trials, including the bilateral insula, ACC, and inferior frontal gyrus. These responses were modulated by individual differences in neuroticism, such that those high in neuroticism showed exaggerated anxiety experience across the entire task, and reduced brain activation from medium to strong trials in a subset of brain regions. These findings suggest that individual differences in neuroticism may influence sensitivity to anticipatory threat and provide new insights into the mechanism through which neuroticism may confer risk for developing anxiety disorders via dysregulated anticipatory responses. PMID:21093595

Characteristics Of Bridging Oxo And Sulfido Groups In Multinuclear Iron Proteins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loehr, Thomas M.

1989-07-01

The presence of oxo-bridged dinuclear iron clusters has been established in the respiratory protein, hemerythrin (Hr), and in the DNA-biosynthesis regulatory enzyme, ribonucleotide reductase (Rr). For the iron proteins uteroferrin and purple acid phosphatase (PAP) evidence for μ-oxo-bridged centers is less clear. Resonance Raman (RR) spectra obtained by excitation into an 0(2-) --> Fe(III) CT band may show strong symmetric and weak antisymmetric Fe-0-Fe vibrational modes. We have investigated the spectra of a variety of μ-oxo-bridged Fe(III) complexes to establish the dependence of Raman scattering intensities upon structural parameters. Intensities were found to relate to the nature of the ligand trans to the oxo group: nitrogen ligands with unsaturation (e.g., pyrazole and imidazole) lead to strong scattering, whereas saturated ligands provide only poor scattering. The Fe-0 bonds in Hr and Rr are strong scatterers; the former is known from x-ray crystallography to have a histidyl ligand trans to the μ-oxo group. On this basis, a similar ligand structure is likely in the reductase. In contrast, PAP shows no oxo-bridge with UV and near-UV excitation. We propose that a different structural framework is necessary to account for this result. Hydrogen bonding of protein side chains to oxo and sulfido ligands is proposed to explain changes in frequencies for samples dissolved in water vs. D20. Differences in hydrogen-bond strengths between 0...(D) and S...(D) systems are transferred to the observed Fe-0 and Fe-S bond vibrations.

Further Trends in Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders-A Comparison of Risk factors for Symptoms Using Quality of Work Life Data From the 2002, 2006 and 2010 General Social Survey

PubMed Central

Dick, Robert B.; Lowe, Brian; Ming-Lun, Lu; Krieg, Edward F.

2015-01-01

Objective Report trends for risk of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Methods Three QWL surveys examine the risk factors for MSDs. Results Findings similar for several risk factors, but differences across the reporting years may reflect economic conditions. 2010 respondent numbers were reduced, some risk factors had pattern changes and there were gender and age differences. Trend analysis showed most significant changes were for the “Work Fast” risk factor. New 2010 “Physical Effort” item showed gender differences and items reflective of total worker health showed strong associations with “Back Pain” and “Pain in Arms.” Conclusions Intervention strategies should focus on physical exposures and psychosocial risk factors (work stress, safety climate, job satisfaction, supervisor support, work fast, work freedom, work time) that have been consistently related to reports of MSDs. Economic conditions will influence some psychosocial risk factors. PMID:26247646

On a common circle: natural scenes and Gestalt rules.

PubMed

Sigman, M; Cecchi, G A; Gilbert, C D; Magnasco, M O

2001-02-13

To understand how the human visual system analyzes images, it is essential to know the structure of the visual environment. In particular, natural images display consistent statistical properties that distinguish them from random luminance distributions. We have studied the geometric regularities of oriented elements (edges or line segments) present in an ensemble of visual scenes, asking how much information the presence of a segment in a particular location of the visual scene carries about the presence of a second segment at different relative positions and orientations. We observed strong long-range correlations in the distribution of oriented segments that extend over the whole visual field. We further show that a very simple geometric rule, cocircularity, predicts the arrangement of segments in natural scenes, and that different geometrical arrangements show relevant differences in their scaling properties. Our results show similarities to geometric features of previous physiological and psychophysical studies. We discuss the implications of these findings for theories of early vision.

Finding Correlation between Protein Protein Interaction Modules Using Semantic Web Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kargar, Mehdi; Moaven, Shahrouz; Abolhassani, Hassan

Many complex networks such as social networks and computer show modular structures, where edges between nodes are much denser within modules than between modules. It is strongly believed that cellular networks are also modular, reflecting the relative independence and coherence of different functional units in a cell. In this paper we used a human curated dataset. In this paper we consider each module in the PPI network as ontology. Using techniques in ontology alignment, we compare each pair of modules in the network. We want to see that is there a correlation between the structure of each module or they have totally different structures. Our results show that there is no correlation between proteins in a protein protein interaction network.

Localization and delocalization of a one-dimensional system coupled with the environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Hong-Jun; Xiong, Shi-Jie

2010-03-01

We investigate several models of a one-dimensional chain coupling with surrounding atoms to elucidate disorder-induced delocalization in quantum wires, a peculiar behaviour against common wisdom. We show that the localization length is enhanced by disorder of side sites in the case of strong disorder, but in the case of weak disorder there is a plateau in this dependence. The above behaviour is the conjunct influence of the coupling to the surrounding atoms and the antiresonant effect. We also discuss different effects and their physical origin of different types of disorder in such systems. The numerical results show that coupling with the surrounding atoms can induce either the localization or delocalization effect depending on the values of parameters.

Experimental investigations on airfoils with different geometries in the domain of high angles of attack-flow separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keil, J.

1985-01-01

Wind tunnel tests were conducted on airfoil models in order to study the flow separation phenomena occurring for high angles of attack. Pressure distribution on wings of different geometries were measured. Results show that for three-dimensional airfoils layout and span lift play a role. Separation effects on airfoils with moderate extension are three-dimensional. The flow domains separated from the air foil must be treated three-dimensionally. The rolling-up of separated vortex layers increases with angle in intensity and induction effect and shows strong nonlinearities. Boundary layer material moves perpendicularly to the flow direction due to the pressure gradients at the airfoil; this has a stabilizing effect. The separation starts earlier with increasing pointed profiles.

Absence of National Culture in Foreign Language Teaching and Intercultural Communication Competence Training of College Students in China Frontier Minority Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jia, Jinan

2015-01-01

The absence of Chinese culture in foreign language teaching has a strong impact on the exchange between different cultures, and is also an obstacle to intercultural communication competence training. In general, English teaching level in China frontier minority areas is far behind that in developed areas, and shows its own teaching and cultural…

Thermoelectric properties of nanostructured porous silicon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martín-Palma, R. J.; Cabrera, H.; Martín-Adrados, B.; Korte, D.; Pérez-Cappe, E.; Mosqueda, Y.; Frutis, M. A.; Danguillecourt, E.

2018-01-01

In this work we report on the thermoelectric properties of nanostructured porous silicon (nanoPS) layers grown onto silicon substrates. More specifically, nanoPS layers of different porosity, nanocrystal size, and thickness were fabricated and their electrical conductivities, Seebeck coefficients, and thermal conductivities were subsequently measured. It was found that these parameters show a strong dependence on the characteristics of the nanoPS layers and thus can be controlled.

Tunable heat transfer with smart nanofluids.

PubMed

Bernardin, Michele; Comitani, Federico; Vailati, Alberto

2012-06-01

Strongly thermophilic nanofluids are able to transfer either small or large quantities of heat when subjected to a stable temperature difference. We investigate the bistability diagram of the heat transferred by this class of nanofluids. We show that bistability can be exploited to obtain a controlled switching between a conductive and a convective regime of heat transfer, so as to achieve a controlled modulation of the heat flux.

Removal of toxic heavy metal ions in runoffs by modified alfalfa and juniper

Treesearch

J.S. Han; J.K. Park; S.H. Min

2000-01-01

A series of batch isotherm tests was performed with alfalfa and juniper fibers to evaluate the effectiveness in filtering toxic heavy metals from stormwater. The adsorption of the heavy metal ions on the alfalfa and juniper fibers was strongly dependent on the equilibrium pH value of the solution. The change in sorption rate over time showed that two different sorption...

Charge transfer from TiO2 into adsorbed benzene diazonium compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merson, A.; Dittrich, Th.; Zidon, Y.; Rappich, J.; Shapira, Yoram

2004-08-01

Electron transfer from sol-gel-prepared TiO2 into adsorbed benzene diazonium compounds has been investigated using cyclic voltammetry, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, contact potential difference, and surface photovoltage spectroscopy. The results show that the potential of maximum electron transfer depends strongly on the dipole moment of the benzene compound. Two reactive surface sites at which electron transfer occurs have been identified.

Entorhinal stellate cells show preferred spike phase-locking to theta inputs that is enhanced by correlations in synaptic activity

PubMed Central

Fernandez, Fernando R.; Malerba, Paola; Bressloff, Paul C.; White, John A.

2013-01-01

In active networks, excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs generate membrane voltage fluctuations that drive spike activity in a probabilistic manner. Despite this, some cells in vivo show a strong propensity to precisely lock to the local field potential and maintain a specific spike-phase relationship relative to other cells. In recordings from rat medial entorhinal cortical stellate cells, we measured spike phase-locking in response to sinusoidal “test” inputs in the presence of different forms of background membrane voltage fluctuations, generated via dynamic clamp. We find that stellate cells show strong and robust spike phase-locking to theta (4–12 Hz) inputs. This response occurs under a wide variety of background membrane voltage fluctuation conditions that include a substantial increase in overall membrane conductance. Furthermore, the IH current present in stellate cells is critical to the enhanced spike phase-locking response at theta. Finally, we show that correlations between inhibitory and excitatory conductance fluctuations, which can arise through feed-back and feed-forward inhibition, can substantially enhance the spike phase-locking response. The enhancement in locking is a result of a selective reduction in the size of low frequency membrane voltage fluctuations due to cancelation of inhibitory and excitatory current fluctuations with correlations. Hence, our results demonstrate that stellate cells have a strong preference for spike phase-locking to theta band inputs and that the absolute magnitude of locking to theta can be modulated by the properties of background membrane voltage fluctuations. PMID:23554484

Polarization properties of below-threshold harmonics from aligned molecules H2+ in linearly polarized laser fields.

PubMed

Dong, Fulong; Tian, Yiqun; Yu, Shujuan; Wang, Shang; Yang, Shiping; Chen, Yanjun

2015-07-13

We investigate the polarization properties of below-threshold harmonics from aligned molecules in linearly polarized laser fields numerically and analytically. We focus on lower-order harmonics (LOHs). Our simulations show that the ellipticity of below-threshold LOHs depends strongly on the orientation angle and differs significantly for different harmonic orders. Our analysis reveals that this LOH ellipticity is closely associated with resonance effects and the axis symmetry of the molecule. These results shed light on the complex generation mechanism of below-threshold harmonics from aligned molecules.

Nuclear incorporation of iron during the eukaryotic cell cycle

DOE PAGES

Robinson, Ian; Yang, Yang; Zhang, Fucai; ...

2016-10-18

Scanning X-ray fluorescence microscopy has been used to probe the distribution of S, P and Fe within cell nuclei. Nuclei, which may have originated at different phases of the cell cycle, are found to show very different levels of Fe present with a strongly inhomogeneous distribution. P and S signals, presumably from DNA and associated nucleosomes, are high and relatively uniform across all the nuclei; these agree with X-ray phase contrast projection microscopy images of the same samples. Finally, we discuss possible reasons for the Fe incorporation.

Researches on ailerons and especially on the test loads to which they should be subjected

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sabatier, J

1927-01-01

Aileron calculations have hitherto given greatly differing results according to different authors. It seems to be the general opinion that it is only necessary to give the ailerons such dimensions that the airplane can maneuver well, that the stresses they must undergo are relatively small, and that they are strong enough if their framework is of the order of strength as the wings to which they are attached. This article will show that the problem is really quite complex and that it should receive more attention.

Coatings influencing thermal stress in photonic crystal fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pang, Dongqing; Li, Yan; Li, Yao; Hu, Minglie

2018-06-01

We studied how coating materials influence the thermal stress in the fiber core for three holding methods by simulating the temperature distribution and the thermal stress distribution in the photonic-crystal fiber laser. The results show that coating materials strongly influence both the thermal stress in the fiber core and the stress differences caused by holding methods. On the basis of the results, a two-coating PCF was designed. This design reduces the stress differences caused by variant holding conditions to zero, then the stability of laser operations can be improved.

The Astronomical Orientation of Ancient Greek Temples

PubMed Central

Salt, Alun M.

2009-01-01

Despite its appearing to be a simple question to answer, there has been no consensus as to whether or not the alignments of ancient Greek temples reflect astronomical intentions. Here I present the results of a survey of archaic and classical Greek temples in Sicily and compare them with temples in Greece. Using a binomial test I show strong evidence that there is a preference for solar orientations. I then speculate that differences in alignment patterns between Sicily and Greece reflect differing pressures in the expression of ethnic identity. PMID:19936239

The astronomical orientation of ancient Greek temples.

PubMed

Salt, Alun M

2009-11-19

Despite its appearing to be a simple question to answer, there has been no consensus as to whether or not the alignments of ancient Greek temples reflect astronomical intentions. Here I present the results of a survey of archaic and classical Greek temples in Sicily and compare them with temples in Greece. Using a binomial test I show strong evidence that there is a preference for solar orientations. I then speculate that differences in alignment patterns between Sicily and Greece reflect differing pressures in the expression of ethnic identity.

Erosion waves: Transverse instabilities and fingering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malloggi, F.; Lanuza, J.; Andreotti, B.; Clément, E.

2006-09-01

Two laboratory scale experiments of dry and underwater avalanches of non-cohesive granular materials are investigated. We trigger solitary waves and study the conditions under which the front is transversally stable. We show the existence of a linear instability followed by a coarsening dynamics and finally the onset of a fingering pattern. Due to the different operating conditions, both experiments strongly differ by the spatial and time scales involved. Nevertheless, the quantitative agreement between the stability diagram, the wavelengths selected and the avalanche morphology suggest a common scenario for an erosion/deposition process.

Complex delay dynamics of high power quantum cascade oscillators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grillot, F.; Newell, T. C.; Gavrielides, A.; Carras, M.

2017-08-01

Quantum cascade lasers (QCL) have become the most suitable laser sources from the mid-infrared to the THz range. This work examines the effects of external feedback in different high power mid infrared QCL structures and shows that different conditions of the feedback wave can produce complex dynamics hence stabilization, destabilization into strong mode-competition or undamping nonlinear oscillations. As a dynamical system, reinjection of light back into the cavity also can also provoke apparition of chaotic oscillations, which must be avoided for a stable operation both at mid-infrared and THz wavelengths.

Gender differences in publication output: towards an unbiased metric of research performance.

PubMed

Symonds, Matthew R E; Gemmell, Neil J; Braisher, Tamsin L; Gorringe, Kylie L; Elgar, Mark A

2006-12-27

We examined the publication records of a cohort of 168 life scientists in the field of ecology and evolutionary biology to assess gender differences in research performance. Clear discrepancies in publication rate between men and women appear very early in their careers and this has consequences for the subsequent citation of their work. We show that a recently proposed index designed to rank scientists fairly is in fact strongly biased against female researchers, and advocate a modified index to assess men and women on a more equitable basis.