Fine structure of charge exchange lines observed in laboratory plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ida, K.; Nishimura, S. [National Inst. for Fusion Science, Nagoya (Japan); Kondo, K.

1997-01-01

The influence of the fine structure of charge exchange lines appears only at the plasma edge or in the recombining phase where the ion temperature is low enough. The observed spectra in Li III and C VI are consistent with the sum of fine-structure components populated by statistical weights (assuming complete l-mixing) not by direct charge exchange cross sections. Some discrepancy was observed in the intensity ratio of fine-structure components between the observation and calculation for C VI in the recombining phase. The fine-structure of charge exchange lines gives an apparent Doppler shift in plasma rotation velocity measurement using charge exchange spectroscopy. (author)

Berry's Phase and Fine Structure

CERN Document Server

Binder, B

2002-01-01

Irrational numbers can be assigned to physical entities based on iterative processes of geometric objects. It is likely that iterative round trips of vector signals include a geometric phase component. If so, this component will couple back to the round trip frequency or path length generating an non-linear feedback loop (i.e. induced by precession). In this paper such a quantum feedback mechanism is defined including generalized fine structure constants in accordance with the fundamental gravitomagnetic relation of spin-orbit coupling. Supported by measurements, the general relativistic and topological background allows to propose, that the deviation of the fine structure constant from 1/137 could be assigned to Berry's phase. The interpretation is straightforward: spacetime curvature effects can be greatly amplified by non-linear phase-locked feedback-loops adjusted to single-valued phase relationships in the quantum regime.

Ordinary mode auroral kilometric radiation fine structure observed by DE 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benson, R.F.; Mellott, M.M.; Huff, R.L.; Gurnett, D.A.

1988-01-01

The fine structure observed with intense right-hand extraordinary (R-X) mode auroral kilometric radiation (AKR) has received major theoretical attention. Data from the Dynamics Explorer 1 plasma wave instrument indicate that left-hand ordinary (L-O) mode AKR posses similar fine structure. Several theories have been proposed to explain the fine structure of the R-X mode AKR. In order to account for the L-O mode fine structure, these theories will have to be modified to produce the L-O mode directly or will have to rely on mode conversion processes from the R-X to the L-O mode

Revisit to diffraction anomalous fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawaguchi, T.; Fukuda, K.; Tokuda, K.; Shimada, K.; Ichitsubo, T.; Oishi, M.; Mizuki, J.; Matsubara, E.

2014-01-01

The diffraction anomalous fine structure method has been revisited by applying this measurement technique to polycrystalline samples and using an analytical method with the logarithmic dispersion relation. The diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS) method that is a spectroscopic analysis combined with resonant X-ray diffraction enables the determination of the valence state and local structure of a selected element at a specific crystalline site and/or phase. This method has been improved by using a polycrystalline sample, channel-cut monochromator optics with an undulator synchrotron radiation source, an area detector and direct determination of resonant terms with a logarithmic dispersion relation. This study makes the DAFS method more convenient and saves a large amount of measurement time in comparison with the conventional DAFS method with a single crystal. The improved DAFS method has been applied to some model samples, Ni foil and Fe 3 O 4 powder, to demonstrate the validity of the measurement and the analysis of the present DAFS method

Fine Structure of 211 Po Alpha Decay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirea, M.

2000-01-01

Recently, a theory based on the Landau-Zener effect was developed intending to describe quantitatively the cluster decay fine structure phenomenon. It was claimed that the same promotion effect can also govern the fine structure in the case of α-decay. This formalism intends to explain the fine structure of α-decay by considering single-particle transitions due to the radial and the rotational couplings. The levels with the same good quantum numbers associated to some symmetries of the system cannot in general intersect, but exhibit quasi-crossings, or pseudo-crossings, or avoided level crossings. The system is characterised by an axial symmetry, therefore the good quantum numbers are the projections of the nucleon spin Ω. The radial coupling causes transitions of the unpaired nucleon near the avoided level crossings. True crossings can also be obtained between levels characterized by different quantum numbers. Generally, the rotational coupling has a maximum strength in the vicinity of the true crossings. Transitions due to both couplings are taken into account in order to explain the excitations of the unpaired nucleon. For a tunnelling velocity of 9 x 10 6 fm/fs, the ratio between the intensity for transitions to the first excited state and to the ground state was found to be 0.0071 and the obtained ratio of the same parameter between the second excited state and the ground state was 0.0062, in good agreement with experimental data. These calculations suggest that the α-decay fine structure phenomenon can be explained quantitatively by describing the decaying system with molecular models and it can be stated that the quantitative characteristics of this phenomenon are ruled by dynamical effects. (author)

Study of fine structure of deformed hafnium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voskresenskaya, L.A.; Petukhova, A.S.; Kovalev, K.S.

1978-01-01

Variations in the hafnium fine structure following the cold plastic deformation have been studied. The fine structure condition has been studied through the harmonic analysis of the profile of the X-ray diffraction line, obtained at the DRON-I installation. Received has been the dependence of the crystal lattice microdistortions value on the deformation extent for hafnium. This dependence is compared with the corresponding one for zirconium. It is found out that at all the deformations the microdistortion distribution is uniform. The microdistortion value grows with the increase in the compression. During the mechanical impact higher microdistortions of the crystal lattice occur in the hafnium rather than in zirconium

Looking inside giant resonance fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponomarev, V.Yu.; Voronov, V.V.

1993-01-01

Microscopic calculations of the fine structure of giant resonances for spherical nuclei are presented. Excited states are treated by wave function which takes into account coupling of simple one-phonon configurations with more complex ones. Nuclear structure calculations are applied to the description of the γ-decay of resonances into the ground and low-lying excited states. 16 refs.; 4 figs

Distortion product otoacoustic emission fine structure as an early hearing loss predictor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

2006-01-01

height, and ripple prevalence. Temporary changes of the DPOAE fine structure are analyzed by measuring DPOAE both before and after exposing some of the subjects to an intense sound. The characteristic patterns of fine structure can be found in the DPOAE of all subjects, though they are individual...... fine structures are obtained from 74 normal-hearing humans using primary levels of L1/L2=65/45 dB. The subjects belong to groups with different ages and exposure histories. A classification algorithm is developed, which quantifies the fine structure by the parameter's ripple place, ripple width, ripple...

The influence of common stimulus parameters on distortion product otoacoustic emission fine structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Tiffany A; Baranowski, Lauren G

2012-01-01

To determine whether common approaches to setting stimulus parameters influence the depth of fine structure present in the distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) response. Because the presence of fine structure has been suggested as a possible source of errors, if one of the common parametric approaches results in reduced fine-structure depth, it may be preferred over other approaches. DPOAE responses were recorded in a group of 21 subjects with normal hearing for 1/3-octave intervals surrounding 3 f2s (1, 2, and 4 kHz) at three L2s (30, 45, and 55 dB SPL). For each f2 and L2 combination, L1 and f2/f1 were set according to three commonly used parametric approaches. These included a simple approach, the approach recommended by Kummer et al., and the approach described by Johnson et al. These three approaches primarily differ in the recommended relationship between L1 and L2. For each parametric approach, DPOAE fine structure was evaluated by varying f2 in small steps. Differences in DPOAE level and DPOAE fine-structure depth across f2, L2, and the various stimulus parameters were evaluated using repeated-measures analysis of variance. As expected, significant variations in DPOAE level were observed across the three parametric approaches. For stimulus levels #45 dB SPL, the simple stimuli resulted in lower DPOAE levels than were observed for other approaches. An unexpected finding was that stimulus parameters developed by Johnson et al., which were believed to produce higher DPOAE levels than other approaches, produced the lowest DPOAE levels of the three approaches when f2 = 4 kHz. Significant differences in fine-structure depth were also observed. Greater fine-structure depth was observed with the simple parameters, although this effect was restricted to L2 # 45 dB SPL. When L2 = 55 dB SPL, all three parametric approaches resulted in equivalent fine-structure depth. A significant difference in fine-structure depth across the 3 f2s was also observed. The

A glimpsing account of the role of temporal fine structure information in speech recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Apoux, Frédéric; Healy, Eric W

2013-01-01

Many behavioral studies have reported a significant decrease in intelligibility when the temporal fine structure (TFS) of a sound mixture is replaced with noise or tones (i.e., vocoder processing). This finding has led to the conclusion that TFS information is critical for speech recognition in noise. How the normal -auditory system takes advantage of the original TFS, however, remains unclear. Three -experiments on the role of TFS in noise are described. All three experiments measured speech recognition in various backgrounds while manipulating the envelope, TFS, or both. One experiment tested the hypothesis that vocoder processing may artificially increase the apparent importance of TFS cues. Another experiment evaluated the relative contribution of the target and masker TFS by disturbing only the TFS of the target or that of the masker. Finally, a last experiment evaluated the -relative contribution of envelope and TFS information. In contrast to previous -studies, however, the original envelope and TFS were both preserved - to some extent - in all conditions. Overall, the experiments indicate a limited influence of TFS and suggest that little speech information is extracted from the TFS. Concomitantly, these experiments confirm that most speech information is carried by the temporal envelope in real-world conditions. When interpreted within the framework of the glimpsing model, the results of these experiments suggest that TFS is primarily used as a grouping cue to select the time-frequency regions -corresponding to the target speech signal.

Atomic fine structure in a space of constant curvature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bessis, N.; Bessis, G.; Shamseddine, R.

1982-01-01

As a contribution to a tentative formulation of atomic physics in a curved space, the determination of atomic fine structure energies in a space of constant curvature is investigated. Starting from the Dirac equation in a curved space-time, the analogue of the Pauli equation in a general coordinate system is derived. The theoretical curvature induced shifts and splittings of the fine structure energy levels are put in evidence and examined for the particular case of the hydrogenic n=2 levels. (author)

Spin fine structure of optically excited quantum dot molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Scheibner, M.; Doty, M. F.; Ponomarev, I. V.; Bracker, A. S.; Stinaff, E. A.; Korenev, V. L.; Reinecke, T. L.; Gammon, D.

2007-06-01

The interaction between spins in coupled quantum dots is revealed in distinct fine structure patterns in the measured optical spectra of InAs/GaAs double quantum dot molecules containing zero, one, or two excess holes. The fine structure is explained well in terms of a uniquely molecular interplay of spin-exchange interactions, Pauli exclusion, and orbital tunneling. This knowledge is critical for converting quantum dot molecule tunneling into a means of optically coupling not just orbitals but also spins.

The Role of Temporal Envelope and Fine Structure in Mandarin Lexical Tone Perception in Auditory Neuropathy Spectrum Disorder.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuo Wang

Full Text Available Temporal information in a signal can be partitioned into temporal envelope (E and fine structure (FS. Fine structure is important for lexical tone perception for normal-hearing (NH listeners, and listeners with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL have an impaired ability to use FS in lexical tone perception due to the reduced frequency resolution. The present study was aimed to assess which of the acoustic aspects (E or FS played a more important role in lexical tone perception in subjects with auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD and to determine whether it was the deficit in temporal resolution or frequency resolution that might lead to more detrimental effects on FS processing in pitch perception. Fifty-eight native Mandarin Chinese-speaking subjects (27 with ANSD, 16 with SNHL, and 15 with NH were assessed for (1 their ability to recognize lexical tones using acoustic E or FS cues with the "auditory chimera" technique, (2 temporal resolution as measured with temporal gap detection (TGD threshold, and (3 frequency resolution as measured with the Q(10dB values of the psychophysical tuning curves. Overall, 26.5%, 60.2%, and 92.1% of lexical tone responses were consistent with FS cues for tone perception for listeners with ANSD, SNHL, and NH, respectively. The mean TGD threshold was significantly higher for listeners with ANSD (11.9 ms than for SNHL (4.0 ms; p < 0.001 and NH (3.9 ms; p < 0.001 listeners, with no significant difference between SNHL and NH listeners. In contrast, the mean Q(10dB for listeners with SNHL (1.8 ± 0.4 was significantly lower than that for ANSD (3.5 ± 1.0; p < 0.001 and NH (3.4 ± 0.9; p < 0.001 listeners, with no significant difference between ANSD and NH listeners. These results suggest that reduced temporal resolution, as opposed to reduced frequency selectivity, in ANSD subjects leads to greater degradation of FS processing for pitch perception.

Temperature-dependent fine structure splitting in InGaN quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Tong; Puchtler, Tim J.; Zhu, Tongtong; Jarman, John C.; Kocher, Claudius C.; Oliver, Rachel A.; Taylor, Robert A.

2017-07-01

We report the experimental observation of temperature-dependent fine structure splitting in semiconductor quantum dots using a non-polar (11-20) a-plane InGaN system, up to the on-chip Peltier cooling threshold of 200 K. At 5 K, a statistical average splitting of 443 ± 132 μeV has been found based on 81 quantum dots. The degree of fine structure splitting stays relatively constant for temperatures less than 100 K and only increases above that temperature. At 200 K, we find that the fine structure splitting ranges between 2 and 12 meV, which is an order of magnitude higher than that at low temperatures. Our investigations also show that phonon interactions at high temperatures might have a correlation with the degree of exchange interactions. The large fine structure splitting at 200 K makes it easier to isolate the individual components of the polarized emission spectrally, increasing the effective degree of polarization for potential on-chip applications of polarized single-photon sources.

Fine structure of synapses on dendritic spines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael eFrotscher

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Camillo Golgi’s Reazione Nera led to the discovery of dendritic spines, small appendages originating from dendritic shafts. With the advent of electron microscopy (EM they were identified as sites of synaptic contact. Later it was found that changes in synaptic strength were associated with changes in the shape of dendritic spines. While live-cell imaging was advantageous in monitoring the time course of such changes in spine structure, EM is still the best method for the simultaneous visualization of all cellular components, including actual synaptic contacts, at high resolution. Immunogold labeling for EM reveals the precise localization of molecules in relation to synaptic structures. Previous EM studies of spines and synapses were performed in tissue subjected to aldehyde fixation and dehydration in ethanol, which is associated with protein denaturation and tissue shrinkage. It has remained an issue to what extent fine structural details are preserved when subjecting the tissue to these procedures. In the present review, we report recent studies on the fine structure of spines and synapses using high-pressure freezing (HPF, which avoids protein denaturation by aldehydes and results in an excellent preservation of ultrastructural detail. In these studies, HPF was used to monitor subtle fine-structural changes in spine shape associated with chemically induced long-term potentiation (cLTP at identified hippocampal mossy fiber synapses. Changes in spine shape result from reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton. We report that cLTP was associated with decreased immunogold labeling for phosphorylated cofilin (p-cofilin, an actin-depolymerizing protein. Phosphorylation of cofilin renders it unable to depolymerize F-actin, which stabilizes the actin cytoskeleton. Decreased levels of p-cofilin, in turn, suggest increased actin turnover, possibly underlying the changes in spine shape associated with cLTP. The findings reviewed here establish HPF as

Coherence of structural visual cues and pictorial gravity paves the way for interceptive actions.

Science.gov (United States)

Zago, Myrka; La Scaleia, Barbara; Miller, William L; Lacquaniti, Francesco

2011-09-20

Dealing with upside-down objects is difficult and takes time. Among the cues that are critical for defining object orientation, the visible influence of gravity on the object's motion has received limited attention. Here, we manipulated the alignment of visible gravity and structural visual cues between each other and relative to the orientation of the observer and physical gravity. Participants pressed a button triggering a hitter to intercept a target accelerated by a virtual gravity. A factorial design assessed the effects of scene orientation (normal or inverted) and target gravity (normal or inverted). We found that interception was significantly more successful when scene direction was concordant with target gravity direction, irrespective of whether both were upright or inverted. This was so independent of the hitter type and when performance feedback to the participants was either available (Experiment 1) or unavailable (Experiment 2). These results show that the combined influence of visible gravity and structural visual cues can outweigh both physical gravity and viewer-centered cues, leading to rely instead on the congruence of the apparent physical forces acting on people and objects in the scene.

Predicting the benefit of binaural cue preservation in bilateral directional processing schemes for listeners with impaired hearing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brand, Thomas; Hauth, Christopher; Wagener, Kirsten C.

2018-01-01

Linked pairs of hearing aids offer various possibilities for directional processing providing adjustable trade-off between improving signal-to-noise ratio and preserving binaural listening. The benefit depends on the processing scheme, the acoustic scenario, and the listener’s ability to exploit...... fine structure. BSIM revealed a benefit due to binaural processing in well-performing listeners when processing provided low-frequency interaural timing cues....

Thin Layer Sensory Cues Affect Antarctic Krill Swimming Kinematics

Science.gov (United States)

True, A. C.; Webster, D. R.; Weissburg, M. J.; Yen, J.

2013-11-01

A Bickley jet (laminar, planar free jet) is employed in a recirculating flume system to replicate thin shear and phytoplankton layers for krill behavioral assays. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements quantify the spatiotemporal structure of the chemical and free shear layers, respectively, ensuring a close match to in situ hydrodynamic and biochemical conditions. Path kinematics from digitized trajectories of free-swimming Euphausia superba examine the effects of hydrodynamic sensory cues (deformation rate) and bloom level phytoplankton patches (~1000 cells/mL, Tetraselamis spp.) on krill behavior (body orientation, swimming modes and kinematics, path fracticality). Krill morphology is finely tuned for receiving and deciphering both hydrodynamic and chemical information that is vital for basic life processes such as schooling behaviors, predator/prey, and mate interactions. Changes in individual krill behavior in response to ecologically-relevant sensory cues have the potential to produce population-scale phenomena with significant ecological implications. Krill are a vital trophic link between primary producers (phytoplankton) and larger animals (seabirds, whales, fish, penguins, seals) as well as the subjects of a valuable commercial fishery in the Southern Ocean; thus quantifying krill behavioral responses to relevant sensory cues is an important step towards accurately modeling Antarctic ecosystems.

Derivation of the fine-structure constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samec, A.

1980-01-01

The fine-structure constant is derived as a dynamical property of quantum electrodynamics. Single-particle solutions of the coupled Maxwell and Dirac equations have a physical charge spectrum. The solutions are used to construct lepton-and quark-like particles. The strong, weak, electromagnetic, and gravitational forces are described as the interactions of complex charges in multiple combinations

METHODS OF RECEIVING OF FINE-GRAINED STRUCTURE OF CASTINGS AT CRYSTALLIZATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. K. Tolochko

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with methods for fine-grained structure of ingots during crystallization depending on the used foundry technologies. It is shown that by using modern scientific and technological advances may improve the traditional and the development of new casting processes, providing production of cast parts with over fine-grained structure and enhanced properties.

Complementary information on CdSe/ZnSe quantum dot local structure from extended X-ray absorption fine structure and diffraction anomalous fine structure measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Piskorska-Hommel, E.; Holý, V.; Caha, O.; Wolska, A.; Gust, A.; Kruse, C.; Kröncke, H.; Falta, J.; Hommel, D.

2012-01-01

The extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS) have been applied to investigate a local structure for the CdSe/ZnSe quantum dots grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and migration-enhanced epitaxy (MEE). The aim was to study the intermixing of Cd and Zn atoms, chemical compositions and strain induced by cap-layer. The EXAFS at the Cd K-edge and DAFS at the Se K-edge proved the intermixing of Cd and Zn atoms. The distances Cd–Se (2.61 Å) found from EXAFS and DAFS analysis for h 1 region is closer to that in bulk CdSe (2.62 Å). The DAFS analysis revealed the differences in the local structure in two investigated regions (i.e. different iso-strain volumes) on the quantum dots. It was found that the investigated areas differ in the Cd concentration. To explain the experimental results the theoretical calculation based on a full valence-force field (VFF) model was performed. The theoretical VFF model fully explains the experimental data.

Theoretical approaches to x-ray absorption fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehr, J. J.; Albers, R. C.

2000-01-01

Dramatic advances in the understanding of x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) have been made over the past few decades, which have led ultimately to a highly quantitative theory. This review covers these developments from a unified multiple-scattering viewpoint. The authors focus on extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) well above an x-ray edge, and, to a lesser extent, on x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) closer to an edge. The discussion includes both formal considerations, derived from a many-electron formulation, and practical computational methods based on independent-electron models, with many-body effects lumped into various inelastic losses and energy shifts. The main conceptual issues in XAFS theory are identified and their relative importance is assessed; these include the convergence of the multiple-scattering expansion, curved-wave effects, the scattering potential, inelastic losses, self-energy shifts, and vibrations and structural disorder. The advantages and limitations of current computational approaches are addressed, with particular regard to quantitative experimental comparisons. (c) 2000 The American Physical Society

Molecular Eigensolution Symmetry Analysis and Fine Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William G. Harter

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Spectra of high-symmetry molecules contain fine and superfine level cluster structure related to J-tunneling between hills and valleys on rovibronic energy surfaces (RES. Such graphic visualizations help disentangle multi-level dynamics, selection rules, and state mixing effects including widespread violation of nuclear spin symmetry species. A review of RES analysis compares it to that of potential energy surfaces (PES used in Born-Oppenheimer approximations. Both take advantage of adiabatic coupling in order to visualize Hamiltonian eigensolutions. RES of symmetric and D2 asymmetric top rank-2-tensor Hamiltonians are compared with Oh spherical top rank-4-tensor fine-structure clusters of 6-fold and 8-fold tunneling multiplets. Then extreme 12-fold and 24-fold multiplets are analyzed by RES plots of higher rank tensor Hamiltonians. Such extreme clustering is rare in fundamental bands but prevalent in hot bands, and analysis of its superfine structure requires more efficient labeling and a more powerful group theory. This is introduced using elementary examples involving two groups of order-6 (C6 and D3~C3v, then applied to families of Oh clusters in SF6 spectra and to extreme clusters.

Renal fine structures detected by NMR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zilch, H.G.

1986-01-01

A significantly improved image quality is achieved by the technique described, as compared to the magnetic resonance data obtained so far. The detailed analysis of the kidney goes as deep as into anatomic fine structures, and there is reason to hope for far better diagnostic details. (orig.) [de

[The role of temporal fine structure in tone recognition and music perception].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Q; Gu, X; Liu, B

2017-11-07

The sound signal can be decomposed into temporal envelope and temporal fine structure information. The temporal envelope information is crucial for speech perception in quiet environment, and the temporal fine structure information plays an important role in speech perception in noise, Mandarin tone recognition and music perception, especially the pitch and melody perception.

Fine structural dependence of ultraviolet reflections in the King Penguin beak horn.

Science.gov (United States)

Dresp, Birgitta; Langley, Keith

2006-03-01

The visual perception of many birds extends into the near-ultraviolet (UV) spectrum and ultraviolet is used by some to communicate. The beak horn of the King Penguin (Aptenodytes patagonicus) intensely reflects in the ultraviolet and this appears to be implicated in partner choice. In a preliminary study, we recently demonstrated that this ultraviolet reflectance has a structural basis, resulting from crystal-like photonic structures, capable of reflecting in the near-UV. The present study attempted to define the origin of the photonic elements that produce the UV reflectance and to better understand how the UV signal is optimized by their fine structure. Using light and electron microscopic analysis combined with new spectrophotometric data, we describe here in detail the fine structure of the entire King Penguin beak horn in addition to that of its photonic crystals. The data obtained reveal a one-dimensional structural periodicity within this tissue and demonstrate a direct relationship between its fine structure and its function. In addition, they suggest how the photonic structures are produced and how they are stabilized. The measured lattice dimensions of the photonic crystals, together with morphological data on its composition, permit predictions of the wavelength of reflected light. These correlate well with experimentally observed values. The way the UV signal is optimized by the fine structure of the beak tissue is discussed with regard to its putative biological role.

Directional fine structure in absorption of white x rays: A tomographic interpretation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korecki, P.; Szymonski, M.; Tolkiehn, M.; Novikov, D. V.; Materlik, G.

2006-01-01

We discuss directional fine structure in absorption of white x rays for tomographic imaging of crystal structure at the atomic level. The interference between a direct x-ray beam and the secondary waves coherently scattered inside a specimen modifies the total wave field at the position of the absorbing atoms. For a white x-ray beam, the wave field variations cancel out by energy integration for all directions, except for the near forward scattering components, coinciding with the incident beam. Therefore, two-dimensional patterns of the angular-dependent fine structure in absorption of white x rays can be interpreted as real-space projections of atomic structure. In this work, we present a theory describing the directional fine structure in white x-ray absorption and a tomographic approach for crystal structure retrieval developed on its basis. The tomographic algorithm is applied to the experimental x-ray absorption data recorded for GaP crystals

Fine structure of the exciton electroabsorption in semiconductor superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Monozon, B.S., E-mail: borismonozon@mail.ru [Physics Department, Marine Technical University, 3 Lotsmanskaya Str., 190008 St.Petersburg (Russian Federation); Schmelcher, P. [Zentrum für Optische Quantentechnologien, The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Universität Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany)

2017-02-15

Wannier-Mott excitons in a semiconductor layered superlattice (SL) are investigated analytically for the case that the period of the superlattice is much smaller than the 2D exciton Bohr radius. Additionally we assume the presence of a longitudinal external static electric field directed parallel to the SL axis. The exciton states and the optical absorption coefficient are derived in the tight-binding and adiabatic approximations. Strong and weak electric fields providing spatially localized and extended electron and hole states, respectively, are studied. The dependencies of the exciton states and the exciton absorption spectrum on the SL parameters and the electric field strength are presented in an explicit form. We focus on the fine structure of the ground quasi-2D exciton level formed by the series of closely spaced energy levels adjacent from the high frequencies. These levels are related to the adiabatically slow relative exciton longitudinal motion governed by the potential formed by the in-plane exciton state. It is shown that the external electric fields compress the fine structure energy levels, decrease the intensities of the corresponding optical peaks and increase the exciton binding energy. A possible experimental study of the fine structure of the exciton electroabsorption is discussed.

Connecting traces of galaxy evolution: the missing core mass-morphological fine structure relation

Science.gov (United States)

Bonfini, P.; Bitsakis, T.; Zezas, A.; Duc, P.-A.; Iodice, E.; González-Martín, O.; Bruzual, G.; González Sanoja, A. J.

2018-01-01

Deep exposure imaging of early-type galaxies (ETGs) are revealing the second-order complexity of these objects, which have been long considered uniform, dispersion-supported spheroidals. `Fine structure' features (e.g. ripples, plumes, tidal tails, rings) as well as depleted stellar cores (i.e. central light deficits) characterize a number of massive ETG galaxies, and can be interpreted as the result of galaxy-galaxy interactions. We discuss how the time-scale for the evolution of cores and fine structures are comparable, and hence it is expected that they develop in parallel after the major interaction event which shaped the ETG. Using archival data, we compare the `depleted stellar mass' (i.e. the mass missing from the depleted stellar core) against the prominence of the fine structure features, and observe that they correlate inversely. This result confirms our expectation that, while the supermassive black hole (SMBH) binary (constituted by the SMBHs of the merger progenitors) excavates the core via three-body interactions, the gravitational potential of the newborn galaxy relaxes, and the fine structures fade below detection levels. We expect the inverse correlation to hold at least within the first Gyr from the merger which created the SMBH binary; after then, the fine structure evolves independently.

Single-particle effects in fine structure of super-asymmetric fission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mirea, M.

1999-01-01

Energy spectrum measurements concerning the 14 C decay from 223 Ra revealed a fine structure with an intense branch on the excited state of the daughter 209 Pb. Apart the great number of microscopic--macroscopic attempts of different authors in describing this behavior (compiled recently), this phenomenon was explained quantitatively using the Landau--Zener effect, i.e., the promotion mechanism of a unpaired nucleon between two levels characterised by the same quantum numbers connected to some symmetries of the nuclear system in the region where an avoided level crossing is exhibited. The adiabatic levels during the super-asymmetric fission process were determined with a new version of the two--centre shell model especially constructed for very large mass--asymmetries. The half--lives are obtained in the framework of the Wentzel--Kramers--Brillouin approximation. The amount of the variation of the barrier height in the excited channels was estimated accounting the specialization energy which can be interpreted as the excess of the energy of a nucleon with a given spin over the energy for the same spin nucleon state of lowest energy. It is evidenced that the fine structure of cluster decay is due to two competitive effects: the Landau--Zener effect which enhances the probability to have an excited daughter in the final channel and the specialization energy which increases the potential barrier and therefore leads to a diminution of the penetrability. This formalism was used for predictions of the fine structure in the case of 14 C decay of 225 Ac and to explain the fine structure of alpha decay. (author)

Fine structure of 25 extragalactic radio sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittels, J.J.; Knight, C.A.; Shapiro, I.I.; Hinteregger, H.F.; Rogers, A.E.E.; Whitney, A.R.; Clark, T.A.; Hutton, L.K.; Marandino, G.E.; Neill, A.E.; Ronnang, B.G.; Rydbeck, O.E.H.; Klemperer, W.K.; Warnock, W.W.

1975-01-01

Between 1972 April and 1973 May, 25 extragalactic radio sources were observed interferometrically at 7.8 GHz(lambdaapprox. =3.8 cm) with five pairings of antennas. These sources exhibit a broad variety of fine structures from very simple to complex. Although the structure and the total power of some of these sources have remained unchanged within the sensitivity of our measurements during the year of observations, both the total flux and the correlated flux of others have undergone large changes in a few weeks

The Fine Structure of Equity-Index Option Dynamics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Torben G.; Bondarenko, Oleg; Todorov, Viktor

We analyze the high-frequency dynamics of S&P 500 equity-index option prices by constructing an assortment of implied volatility measures. This allows us to infer the underlying fine structure behind the innovations in the latent state variables driving the movements of the volatility surface...

Spectral fine structure effects on material and doppler reactivity worth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenspan, E.; Karni, Y.

1975-01-01

New formulations concerning the fine structure effects on the reactivity worth of resonances are developed and conclusions are derived following the extension to more general types of perturbations which include: the removal of resonance material at finite temperatures and the temperature variation of part of the resonance material. It is concluded that the flux method can overpredict the reactivity worth of resonance materials more than anticipated. Calculations on the Doppler worth were carried out; the results can be useful for asessing the contribution of the fine structure effects to the large discrepancy that exists between the calculated and measured small sample Doppler worths. (B.G.)

Diffraction anomalous fine structure using X-ray anomalous dispersion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soejima, Yuji; Kuwajima, Shuichiro

1998-01-01

A use of X-ray anomalous dispersion effects for structure investigation has recently been developed by using synchrotron radiation. One of the interesting method is the observation of anomalous fine structure which arise on diffraction intensity in energy region of incident X-ray at and higher than absorption edge. The phenomenon is so called Diffraction Anomalous Fine Structure (DAFS). DAFS originates in the same physical process an that of EXAFS: namely photoelectric effect at the corresponding atom and the interaction of photoelectron waves between the atom and neighboring atoms. In contrast with EXAFS, the method is available for only the crystalline materials, but shows effective advantages of the structure investigations by a use of diffraction: one is the site selectivity and the other is space selectivity. In the present study, demonstrations of a use of X-ray anomalous dispersion effect for the superstructure determination will be given for the case of PbZrO 3 , then recent trial investigations of DAFS in particular on the superlattice reflections will be introduced. In addition, we discuss about Forbidden Reflection near Edge Diffraction (FRED) which is more recently investigated as a new method of the structure analysis. (author)

Telicity as a Cue to Temporal and Discourse Structure in Chinese-English Machine Translation

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Olsen, Mari; Traum, David; Van Ess-Dykema, Carol; Weinberg, Amy; Dolan, Ron

2000-01-01

...) that must be explicit in English (e.g., by means of a discourse marker). Perfective and imperfective grammatical aspect markers can provide cues to temporal structure, but such information is not present in every sentence...

Angle-resolved photoemission extended fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, J.J.

1985-03-01

Measurements of the Angle-Resolved Photoemission Extended Fine Structure (ARPEFS) from the S(1s) core level of a c(2 x 2)S/Ni(001) are analyzed to determine the spacing between the S overlayer and the first and second Ni layers. ARPEFS is a type of photoelectron diffraction measurement in which the photoelectron kinetic energy is swept typically from 100 to 600 eV. By using this wide range of intermediate energies we add high precision and theoretical simplification to the advantages of the photoelectron diffraction technique for determining surface structures. We report developments in the theory of photoelectron scattering in the intermediate energy range, measurement of the experimental photoemission spectra, their reduction to ARPEFS, and the surface structure determination from the ARPEFS by combined Fourier and multiple-scattering analyses. 202 refs., 67 figs., 2 tabs

Fine Structure in Helium-like Fluorine by Fast-Beam Laser Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, E. G.; Thompson, J. K.; Silver, J. D.

1998-05-01

With the aim of providing an additional precise test of higher-order corrections to high precision calculations of fine structure in helium and helium-like ions(T. Zhang, Z.-C. Yan and G.W.F. Drake, Phys. Rev. Lett. 77), 1715 (1996)., a measurement of the 2^3P_2,F - 2^3P_1,F' fine structure in ^19F^7+ is in progress. The method involves doppler-tuned laser spectroscopy using a CO2 laser on a foil-stripped fluorine ion beam. We aim to achieve a higher precision, compared to an earlier measurement(E.G. Myers, P. Kuske, H.J. Andrae, I.A. Armour, H.A. Klein, J.D. Silver, and E. Traebert, Phys. Rev. Lett. 47), 87 (1981)., by using laser beams parallel and anti-parallel to the ion beam, to obtain partial cancellation of the doppler shift(J.K. Thompson, D.J.H. Howie and E.G. Myers, Phys. Rev. A 57), 180 (1998).. A calculation of the hyperfine structure, allowing for relativistic, QED and nuclear size effects, will be required to obtain the ``hyperfine-free'' fine structure interval from the measurements.

Local Fine Structural Insight into Mechanism of Electrochemical Passivation of Titanium.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lu; Yu, Hongying; Wang, Ke; Xu, Haisong; Wang, Shaoyang; Sun, Dongbai

2016-07-20

Electrochemically formed passive film on titanium in 1.0 M H2SO4 solution and its thickness, composition, chemical state, and local fine structure are examined by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray absorption fine structure. AES analysis reveals that the thickness and composition of oxide film are proportional to the reciprocal of current density in potentiodynamic polarization. XPS depth profiles of the chemical states of titanium exhibit the coexistence of various valences cations in the surface. Quantitative X-ray absorption near edge structure analysis of the local electronic structure of the topmost surface (∼5.0 nm) shows that the ratio of [TiO2]/[Ti2O3] is consistent with that of passivation/dissolution of electrochemical activity. Theoretical calculation and analysis of extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectra at Ti K-edge indicate that both the structures of passivation and dissolution are distorted caused by the appearance of two different sites of Ti-O and Ti-Ti. And the bound water in the topmost surface plays a vital role in structural disorder confirmed by XPS. Overall, the increase of average Ti-O coordination causes the electrochemical passivation, and the dissolution is due to the decrease of average Ti-Ti coordination. The structural variations of passivation in coordination number and interatomic distance are in good agreement with the prediction of point defect model.

2fl-f2 DPOAE fine structure for 12 symphony orchestra musicians before and after rehearsal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

2005-01-01

The distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) fine structure is revealed, when measuring DPOAE with a very fine frequency resolution. It is characterized by consistent maxima and minima with notches of up to 20 dB depth. The fine structure is known also from absolute hearing thresholds...

The electronic fine structure of 4-nitrophenyl functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakraborty, Amit K; Coleman, Karl S; Dhanak, Vinod R

2009-01-01

Controlling the electronic structure of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is of great importance to various CNT based applications. Herein the electronic fine structure of single-walled carbon nanotube films modified with 4-nitrophenyl groups, produced following reaction with 4-nitrobenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate, was investigated for the first time. Various techniques such as x-ray and ultra-violet photoelectron spectroscopy, and near edge x-ray absorption fine structure studies were used to explore the electronic structure, and the results were compared with the measured electrical resistances. A reduction in number of the π electronic states in the valence band consistent with the increased resistance of the functionalized nanotube films was observed.

Cueing spatial attention through timing and probability.

Science.gov (United States)

Girardi, Giovanna; Antonucci, Gabriella; Nico, Daniele

2013-01-01

Even when focused on an effortful task we retain the ability to detect salient environmental information, and even irrelevant visual stimuli can be automatically detected. However, to which extent unattended information affects attentional control is not fully understood. Here we provide evidences of how the brain spontaneously organizes its cognitive resources by shifting attention between a selective-attending and a stimulus-driven modality within a single task. Using a spatial cueing paradigm we investigated the effect of cue-target asynchronies as a function of their probabilities of occurrence (i.e., relative frequency). Results show that this accessory information modulates attentional shifts. A valid spatial cue improved participants' performance as compared to an invalid one only in trials in which target onset was highly predictable because of its more robust occurrence. Conversely, cuing proved ineffective when spatial cue and target were associated according to a less frequent asynchrony. These patterns of response depended on asynchronies' probability and not on their duration. Our findings clearly demonstrate that through a fine decision-making, performed trial-by-trial, the brain utilizes implicit information to decide whether or not voluntarily shifting spatial attention. As if according to a cost-planning strategy, the cognitive effort of shifting attention depending on the cue is performed only when the expected advantages are higher. In a trade-off competition for cognitive resources, voluntary/automatic attending may thus be a more complex process than expected. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A study of the fine structure, enzyme activities and pattern of 14CO2 ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A detailed study of selected grasses has been made with respect to fine structures characteristics, enzyme activities associated with C-4 and C-3 pathway photosynthesis, and short term carbon dioxide-14 incorporation experiments. A good correlation was obtained between the fine structure, the carbon pathway and the ...

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) studies of cobalt silicide thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naftel, S.J.; Coulthard, I.; Hu, Y.; Sham, T.K.; Zinke-Allmang, M.

1998-01-01

Cobalt silicide thin films, prepared on Si(100) wafers, have been studied by X-ray absorption near edge structures (XANES) at the Si K-, L 2,3 - and Co K-edges utilizing both total electron (TEY) and fluorescence yield (FLY) detection as well as extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) at the Co K-edge. Samples made using DC sputter deposition on clean Si surfaces and MBE were studied along with a bulk CoSi 2 sample. XANES and EXAFS provide information about the electronic structure and morphology of the films. It was found that the films studied have essentially the same structure as bulk CoSi 2 . Both the spectroscopy and materials characterization aspects of XAFS (X-ray absorption fine structures) are discussed

QED Based Calculation of the Fine Structure Constant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lestone, John Paul [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2016-10-13

Quantum electrodynamics is complex and its associated mathematics can appear overwhelming for those not trained in this field. Here, semi-classical approaches are used to obtain a more intuitive feel for what causes electrostatics, and the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron. These intuitive arguments lead to a possible answer to the question of the nature of charge. Virtual photons, with a reduced wavelength of λ, are assumed to interact with isolated electrons with a cross section of πλ². This interaction is assumed to generate time-reversed virtual photons that are capable of seeking out and interacting with other electrons. This exchange of virtual photons between particles is assumed to generate and define the strength of electromagnetism. With the inclusion of near-field effects the model presented here gives a fine structure constant of ~1/137 and an anomalous magnetic moment of the electron of ~0.00116. These calculations support the possibility that near-field corrections are the key to understanding the numerical value of the dimensionless fine structure constant.

FINE-SCALE STRUCTURES OF FLUX ROPES TRACKED BY ERUPTING MATERIAL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Ting; Zhang Jun, E-mail: liting@nao.cas.cn, E-mail: zjun@nao.cas.cn [Key Laboratory of Solar Activity, National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012 (China)

2013-06-20

We present Solar Dynamics Observatory observations of two flux ropes tracked out by material from a surge and a failed filament eruption on 2012 July 29 and August 4, respectively. For the first event, the interaction between the erupting surge and a loop-shaped filament in the east seems to 'peel off' the filament and add bright mass into the flux rope body. The second event is associated with a C-class flare that occurs several minutes before the filament activation. The two flux ropes are, respectively, composed of 85 {+-} 12 and 102 {+-} 15 fine-scale structures, with an average width of about 1.''6. Our observations show that two extreme ends of the flux rope are rooted in opposite polarity fields and each end is composed of multiple footpoints (FPs) of fine-scale structures. The FPs of the fine-scale structures are located at network magnetic fields, with magnetic fluxes from 5.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 18} Mx to 8.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} Mx. Moreover, almost half of the FPs show converging motion of smaller magnetic structures over 10 hr before the appearance of the flux rope. By calculating the magnetic fields of the FPs, we deduce that the two flux ropes occupy at least 4.3 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} Mx and 7.6 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 20} Mx magnetic fluxes, respectively.

The connection between the electromagnetic fine structure constant α-bar0 and the monster Lie algebra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marek-Crnjac, L.

2008-01-01

The essay gives arguments for deriving the electromagnetic fine structure constant from maximally symmetric spaces. A connection between the order of some subgroups of the monster simple group, the ratio of the proton mass to the electron mass and the fine structure constant is found. A derivation of the fine structure constant from the number of elements in the Cristoffel symbol and the order of the reflection group F 4 is given

Recovering the fine structures in solar images

Science.gov (United States)

Karovska, Margarita; Habbal, S. R.; Golub, L.; Deluca, E.; Hudson, Hugh S.

1994-01-01

Several examples of the capability of the blind iterative deconvolution (BID) technique to recover the real point spread function, when limited a priori information is available about its characteristics. To demonstrate the potential of image post-processing for probing the fine scale and temporal variability of the solar atmosphere, the BID technique is applied to different samples of solar observations from space. The BID technique was originally proposed for correction of the effects of atmospheric turbulence on optical images. The processed images provide a detailed view of the spatial structure of the solar atmosphere at different heights in regions with different large-scale magnetic field structures.

Fine-structure energy levels, oscillator strengths and lifetimes of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

with the experimental results compiled in the NIST Data Base. Many new ... Keywords. Relativistic fine-structure levels; oscillator strengths; lifetimes. ... have calculated oscillator strengths and lifetimes using the Briet–Pauli R-Matrix ..... [2] The Opacity Project Team, The Opacity Project (Institute of Physics Publishing,. Bristol ...

Strained spiral vortex model for turbulent fine structure

Science.gov (United States)

Lundgren, T. S.

1982-01-01

A model for the intermittent fine structure of high Reynolds number turbulence is proposed. The model consists of slender axially strained spiral vortex solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation. The tightening of the spiral turns by the differential rotation of the induced swirling velocity produces a cascade of velocity fluctuations to smaller scale. The Kolmogorov energy spectrum is a result of this model.

Fine Structure of Plasmaspheric Hiss

Science.gov (United States)

Summers, D.; Omura, Y.; Nakamura, S.; Kletzing, C.

2014-12-01

Plasmaspheric hiss plays a key role in controlling the structure and dynamics of Earth's radiation belts.The quiet time slot region between the inner and outer belts can be explained as a steady-state balance between earthward radial diffusion and pitch-angle scattering loss of energetic electrons to the atmosphere induced by plasmaspheric hiss. Plasmaspheric hiss can also induce gradual precipitation loss of MeV electrons from the outer radiation belt. Plasmaspheric hiss has been widely regarded as a broadband,structureless,incoherent emission. Here, by examining burst-mode vector waveform data from the EMFISIS instrument on the Van Allen Probes mission,we show that plasmaspheric hiss is a coherent emission with complex fine structure. Specifically, plasmaspheric hiss appears as discrete rising tone and falling tone elements. By means of waveform analysis we identify typical amplitudes,phase profiles,and sweep rates of the rising and falling tone elements. The new observations reported here can be expected to fuel a re-examination of the properties of plasmaspheric hiss, including a further re-analysis of the generation mechanism for hiss.

The prediction and discovery of Rayleigh line fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabelinskii, Immanuil L

2000-01-01

The history of the theoretical prediction and experimental discovery of the Rayleigh line fine structure (which belongs to one of the most important phenomena in optics and physics of condensed matter) is discussed along with the history of first publications concerning this topic. (from the history of physics)

A configural dominant account of contextual cueing: Configural cues are stronger than colour cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kunar, Melina A; John, Rebecca; Sweetman, Hollie

2014-01-01

Previous work has shown that reaction times to find a target in displays that have been repeated are faster than those for displays that have never been seen before. This learning effect, termed "contextual cueing" (CC), has been shown using contexts such as the configuration of the distractors in the display and the background colour. However, it is not clear how these two contexts interact to facilitate search. We investigated this here by comparing the strengths of these two cues when they appeared together. In Experiment 1, participants searched for a target that was cued by both colour and distractor configural cues, compared with when the target was only predicted by configural information. The results showed that the addition of a colour cue did not increase contextual cueing. In Experiment 2, participants searched for a target that was cued by both colour and distractor configuration compared with when the target was only cued by colour. The results showed that adding a predictive configural cue led to a stronger CC benefit. Experiments 3 and 4 tested the disruptive effects of removing either a learned colour cue or a learned configural cue and whether there was cue competition when colour and configural cues were presented together. Removing the configural cue was more disruptive to CC than removing colour, and configural learning was shown to overshadow the learning of colour cues. The data support a configural dominant account of CC, where configural cues act as the stronger cue in comparison to colour when they are presented together.

Fine structure and analytical quantum-defect wave functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kostelecky, V.A.; Nieto, M.M.; Truax, D.R.

1988-01-01

We investigate the domain of validity of previously proposed analytical wave functions for atomic quantum-defect theory. This is done by considering the fine-structure splitting of alkali-metal and singly ionized alkaline-earth atoms. The Lande formula is found to be naturally incorporated. A supersymmetric-type integer is necessary for finite results. Calculated splittings correctly reproduce the principal features of experimental values for alkali-like atoms

Simple Model with Time-Varying Fine-Structure ``Constant''

Science.gov (United States)

Berman, M. S.

2009-10-01

Extending the original version written in colaboration with L.A. Trevisan, we study the generalisation of Dirac's LNH, so that time-variation of the fine-structure constant, due to varying electrical and magnetic permittivities is included along with other variations (cosmological and gravitational ``constants''), etc. We consider the present Universe, and also an inflationary scenario. Rotation of the Universe is a given possibility in this model.

Simulations of fine structures on the zero field steps of Josephson tunnel junctions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Scheuermann, M.; Chi, C. C.; Pedersen, Niels Falsig

1986-01-01

Fine structures on the zero field steps of long Josephson tunnel junctions are simulated for junctions with the bias current injected into the junction at the edges. These structures are due to the coupling between self-generated plasma oscillations and the traveling fluxon. The plasma oscillations...... are generated by the interaction of the bias current with the fluxon at the junction edges. On the first zero field step, the voltages of successive fine structures are given by Vn=[h-bar]/2e(2omegap/n), where n is an even integer. Applied Physics Letters is copyrighted by The American Institute of Physics....

Fine structure in plasma waves and radiation near the plasma frequency in Earth's foreshock

Science.gov (United States)

Cairns, Iver H.

1994-01-01

Novel observations are presented of intrunsic fine structure in the frequency spectrum of electomagnetic (EM) radiation and plasma waves near the electron plasma frequency f(sub p) during a period of unusually high interplanetary magnetic field strength. Measured using the wideband receiver on the International Sun-Earth Explorer (ISEE) 1 spacecraft, fine-structured emissions are observed both in the solar wind and the foreshock, The fine structure is shown to correspond to emissions spaced above f(sub p) near half harmonies of the electon cyclotron frequency f(sub ce), i.e., near f(sub p) + nf(sub ce)/2. These appear to be the first space physics observations of emissions spaced by f(sub ce)/2. Indirect but strong arguments are used to discriminate between EM and electrostatic (ES) signals, to identify whether ISEE 1 is in the solar wind or the foreshock, and to determine the relative frequencies of the emissions and the local f(sub p). The data are consistent with generation of the ES and EM emissions in the foreshock, with subsequent propagation of the EM emissions into the solar wind. It remains possible that some emissions currently identified as ES have significant EM character. The ES and EM emisions often merge into one another with minimal changes in frequency, arguing that their source regions and generation mechanisms are related and imposing significant constraints on theories. The f(sub ce)/2 ES and EM fine structures observed may be intrinsic to the emission mechanisms or to superposition of two series of signals with f(sub ce) spacing that differ in starting frequency by f(sub ce)/2. Present theories for nonlinear wave coupling processes, cyclotron maser emission, and other linear instability processes are all unable to explain multiple EM and/or ES components spaced by approximately f(sub ce)/2 above f(sub p) for f(sub p)/f(sub ce) much greater than 1 and typical for shock beams parameters. Suitable avenues for further theoretical research are

The origin of fine structure in near-field scanning optical lithography of an electroactive polymer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cotton, Daniel V; Belcher, Warwick J; Dastoor, Paul C; Fell, Christopher J

2008-01-01

Near-field scanning optical lithography (NSOL) has been used to produce arbitrary structures of the electroactive polymer polyphenylenevinylene at sizes comparable to optical wavelengths, which are of interest for integrated optical devices. The structures are characterized using AFM and SEM and exhibit interesting fine structure. The characteristic size and shape of the lithographic features and their associated fine structure have been examined in the context of the electric field distribution at the near-field scanning optical microscope tip. In particular, the Bethe-Bouwkamp model for electric field distribution at an aperture has been used in combination with a recently developed model for precursor solubility dependence on UV energy dose to predict the characteristics of lithographic features produced by NSOL. The fine structure in the lithographic features is also investigated and explained. Suggestions for the further improvement of the technique are made.

Fine structure of fields in 2D photonic crystal waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lavrinenko, Andrei; Volkov, V. S.; Bozhevolnyi, S. I.

2006-01-01

We resolve fine structure of fields in a single-row missing photonic crystal waveguide by finite-difference time-domain modelling and SNOM measurements. Both linear dispersion and slow-light regimes in proximity of the cutoff are addressed in the analysis....

Individual differences in using geometric and featural cues to maintain spatial orientation: cue quantity and cue ambiguity are more important than cue type.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Jonathan W; McNamara, Timothy P; Bodenheimer, Bobby; Carr, Thomas H; Rieser, John J

2009-02-01

Two experiments explored the role of environmental cues in maintaining spatial orientation (sense of self-location and direction) during locomotion. Of particular interest was the importance of geometric cues (provided by environmental surfaces) and featural cues (nongeometric properties provided by striped walls) in maintaining spatial orientation. Participants performed a spatial updating task within virtual environments containing geometric or featural cues that were ambiguous or unambiguous indicators of self-location and direction. Cue type (geometric or featural) did not affect performance, but the number and ambiguity of environmental cues did. Gender differences, interpreted as a proxy for individual differences in spatial ability and/or experience, highlight the interaction between cue quantity and ambiguity. When environmental cues were ambiguous, men stayed oriented with either one or two cues, whereas women stayed oriented only with two. When environmental cues were unambiguous, women stayed oriented with one cue.

Big bang nucleosynthesis with a varying fine structure constant and nonstandard expansion rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ichikawa, Kazuhide; Kawasaki, Masahiro

2004-01-01

We calculate the primordial abundances of light elements produced during big bang nucleosynthesis when the fine structure constant and/or the cosmic expansion rate take nonstandard values. We compare them with the recent values of observed D, 4 He, and 7 Li abundances, which show a slight inconsistency among themselves in the standard big bang nucleosynthesis scenario. This inconsistency is not solved by considering either a varying fine structure constant or a nonstandard expansion rate separately but solutions are found by their simultaneous existence

Reacting to Neighborhood Cues?: Political Sophistication Moderates the Effect of Exposure to Immigrants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danckert, Bolette; Dinesen, Peter Thisted; Sønderskov, Kim Mannemar

2017-01-01

is founded on politically sophisticated individuals having a greater comprehension of news and other mass-mediated sources, which makes them less likely to rely on neighborhood cues as sources of information relevant for political attitudes. Based on a unique panel data set with fine-grained information...

Fine surface structure of unfixed and hydrated macrophages observed by laser-plasma x-ray contact microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yoshimasa; Friedman, Herman; Yoshimura, Hideyuki; Kinjo, Yasuhito; Shioda, Seiji; Debari, Kazuhiro; Shinohara, Kunio; Rajyaguru, Jayshree; Richardson, Martin

2000-01-01

A compact, high-resolution, laser-plasma, x-ray contact microscope using a table-top Nd:glass laser system has been developed and utilized for the analysis of the surface structure of live macrophages. Fine fluffy surface structures of murine peritoneal macrophages, which were live, hydrolyzed and not sliced and stained, were observed by the x-ray microscope followed by analysis using an atomic force microscopy. In order to compare with other techniques, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to observe the surface structure of the macrophages. The SEM offered a fine whole cell image of the same macrophages, which were fixed and dehydrated, but the surfaces were ruffled and different from that of x-ray images. A standard light microscope was also utilized to observe the shape of live whole macrophages. Light microscopy showed some fluffy surface structures of the macrophages, but the resolution was too low to observe the fine structures. Thus, the findings of fine fluffy surface structures of macrophages by x-ray microscopy provide valuable information for studies of phagocytosis, cell spreading and adherence, which are dependent on the surface structure of macrophages. Furthermore, the present study also demonstrates the usefulness of x-ray microscopy for analysis of structures of living cells

Cues of fatigue: effects of sleep deprivation on facial appearance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundelin, Tina; Lekander, Mats; Kecklund, Göran; Van Someren, Eus J W; Olsson, Andreas; Axelsson, John

2013-09-01

To investigate the facial cues by which one recognizes that someone is sleep deprived versus not sleep deprived. Experimental laboratory study. Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. Forty observers (20 women, mean age 25 ± 5 y) rated 20 facial photographs with respect to fatigue, 10 facial cues, and sadness. The stimulus material consisted of 10 individuals (five women) photographed at 14:30 after normal sleep and after 31 h of sleep deprivation following a night with 5 h of sleep. Ratings of fatigue, fatigue-related cues, and sadness in facial photographs. The faces of sleep deprived individuals were perceived as having more hanging eyelids, redder eyes, more swollen eyes, darker circles under the eyes, paler skin, more wrinkles/fine lines, and more droopy corners of the mouth (effects ranging from b = +3 ± 1 to b = +15 ± 1 mm on 100-mm visual analog scales, P sleep deprivation (P sleep deprivation, nor associated with judgements of fatigue. In addition, sleep-deprived individuals looked sadder than after normal sleep, and sadness was related to looking fatigued (P sleep deprivation affects features relating to the eyes, mouth, and skin, and that these features function as cues of sleep loss to other people. Because these facial regions are important in the communication between humans, facial cues of sleep deprivation and fatigue may carry social consequences for the sleep deprived individual in everyday life.

High-resolution x-ray spectroscopy of coherent bremsstrahlung fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lund, M.W.

1989-01-01

The aim of this research was to provide experimental evidence for fine structure due to umklapp by distinct reciprocal lattice vectors in coherent bremsstrahlung spectra. The spontaneous emission of photons by relativistic electrons transversing thin crystals is made possible by recoil of the crystal, which absorbs momentum in multiples of ℎG where G is a reciprocal lattice vector. Previous work in the MeV-GeV beam energy range used detectors whose energy resolution was greater than 10%. By fitting a Johann wavelength dispersive spectrometer to a transmission electron microscope the author obtained coherent bremsstrahlung spectra of very high quality with energy resolution of 1%. Important to this result were also the fine angular collimation, small energy width of the electron beam in the microscope, and the accurate control of crystal orientation possible in a modern goniometer stage. The theory of the design of bent crystal x-ray spectrometers is extended to include effects of defocus and aberrations. The theory for diffraction from a stationary three dimensional grating due to a dipole radiator moving at relativistic speeds is derived as well as several other broadening mechanisms stemming from experimental variables. This dissertation provides the first experimental observations and corresponding theoretical background for the fine structure of coherent bremsstrahlung due to umklapp by different G-vectors in the same reciprocal lattice plane

Relativistic corrections to fine structure of positronium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martynenko, A.P.; Faustov, R.N.

1997-01-01

On the basis of the quasipotential method, we have calculated the relativistic corrections in the positronium fine structure intervals 2 3 S 1 -2 3 P J . The contributions of order of mα 6 for the positronium S-levels were obtained from the one-photon, two-photon interactions and the second-order perturbation theory. We have obtained also the contribution of the two-photon annihilation diagrams to the interaction operator of the P-wave positronium. The corrections of order of α 5 R ∞ and α 5 1nαR ∞ to the P-wave energy levels of positronium were calculated

Charge neutrality of fine particle (dusty) plasmas and fine particle cloud under gravity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Totsuji, Hiroo, E-mail: totsuji-09@t.okadai.jp

2017-03-11

The enhancement of the charge neutrality due to the existence of fine particles is shown to occur generally under microgravity and in one-dimensional structures under gravity. As an application of the latter, the size and position of fine particle clouds relative to surrounding plasmas are determined under gravity. - Highlights: • In fine particle (dusty) plasmas, the charge neutrality is much enhanced by the existence of fine particles. • The enhancement of charge neutrality generally occurs under microgravity and gravity. • Structure of fine particle clouds under gravity is determined by applying the enhanced charge neutrality.

Cosmological constraints on variations of the fine structure constant at the epoch of recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menegoni, E; Galli, S; Archidiacono, M; Calabrese, E; Melchiorri, A

2013-01-01

In this brief work we investigate any possible variation of the fine structure constant at the epoch of recombination. The recent measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies at arcminute angular scales performed by the ACT and SPT experiments are probing the damping regime of Cosmic Microwave Background fluctuations. We study the role of a mechanism that could affect the shape of the Cosmic Microwave Background angular fluctuations at those scales, namely a change in the recombination process through variations in the fine structure constant α

On the value of the fine structure constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosi, L.

1997-01-01

The fine structure constant can be approximately expressed as α = (20 var-phi 4 ) -1 where var-phi is the golden ratio (1 + √5)/2: the discrepancy between the present and the true value of α -1 is lower than 3.4· 10 -4 . This simple occurrence would be not fortuitous, thus suggesting a hidden physical meaning. A tentative and qualitative explanation is proposed which is based only on symmetry considerations involving both the Von Klitzing resistance and the vacuum impedance

Simple surface structure determination from Fourier transforms of angle-resolved photoemission extended fine structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zheng, Y. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)]|[Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States); Shirley, D.A. [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)

1995-02-01

The authors show by Fourier analyses of experimental data, with no further treatment, that the positions of all the strong peaks in Fourier transforms of angle-resolved photoemission extended fine structure (ARPEFS) from adsorbed surfaces can be explicitly predicted from a trial structure with an accuracy of about {+-} 0.3 {angstrom} based on a single-scattering cluster model together with the concept of a strong backscattering cone, and without any additional analysis. This characteristic of ARPEFS Fourier transforms can be developed as a simple method for determining the structures of adsorbed surfaces to an accuracy of about {+-} 0.1 {angstrom}.

Electronic fine structure and recombination dynamics in single InAs quantum dots

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seguin, R.

2008-01-28

In the work at hand single InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are examined via cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. A thorough analysis of the spectra leads to an unambiguous assignment of the lines to the decay of specific excitonic complexes. A special aspect of the Coulomb interaction, the exchange interaction, gives rise to a fine structure in the initial and final states of an excitonic decay. This leads to a fine structure in the emission spectra that again is unique for every excitonic complex. The exchange interaction is discussed in great detail in this work.QDs of different sizes are investigated and the influence on the electronic properties is monitored. Additionally, the structure is modified ex situ by a thermal annealing process. The changes of the spectra under different annealing temperatures are traced. Finally, recombination dynamics of different excitonic complexes are examined by performing time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. (orig.)

Electronic fine structure and recombination dynamics in single InAs quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seguin, R.

2008-01-01

In the work at hand single InAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are examined via cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. A thorough analysis of the spectra leads to an unambiguous assignment of the lines to the decay of specific excitonic complexes. A special aspect of the Coulomb interaction, the exchange interaction, gives rise to a fine structure in the initial and final states of an excitonic decay. This leads to a fine structure in the emission spectra that again is unique for every excitonic complex. The exchange interaction is discussed in great detail in this work.QDs of different sizes are investigated and the influence on the electronic properties is monitored. Additionally, the structure is modified ex situ by a thermal annealing process. The changes of the spectra under different annealing temperatures are traced. Finally, recombination dynamics of different excitonic complexes are examined by performing time-resolved cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. (orig.)

Fine structure of cluster decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, O.

1993-07-01

Within the one level R-matrix approach the hindrance factors of the radioactive decays in which are emitted α and 14 C - nuclei are calculated. The generalization to radioactive decays in which are emitted heavier clusters such as e.g. 20 O, 24 Ne, 25 Ne, 28 Mg. 30 Mg, 32 Si and 34 Si is straightforward. The interior wave functions are supposed to be given by the shell model with effective residual interactions (e.g. the large scale shell model code-OXBASH - in the Michigan State University version for nearly spherical nuclei or by the enlarged superfluid model - ESM - recently proposed for deformed nuclei). The exterior wave functions are calculated from a cluster - nucleus double - folding model potential obtained with the M3Y interaction. As examples of the cluster decay fine structure we analyzed the particular cases of α - decay of 241 Am and 14 C -decay of 233 Ra. Good agreement with the experimental data is obtained. (author). 78 refs, 2 figs, 6 tabs

Rotational and fine structure of open-shell molecules in nearly degenerate electronic states

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jinjun

2018-03-01

An effective Hamiltonian without symmetry restriction has been developed to model the rotational and fine structure of two nearly degenerate electronic states of an open-shell molecule. In addition to the rotational Hamiltonian for an asymmetric top, this spectroscopic model includes the energy separation between the two states due to difference potential and zero-point energy difference, as well as the spin-orbit (SO), Coriolis, and electron spin-molecular rotation (SR) interactions. Hamiltonian matrices are computed using orbitally and fully symmetrized case (a) and case (b) basis sets. Intensity formulae and selection rules for rotational transitions between a pair of nearly degenerate states and a nondegenerate state have also been derived using all four basis sets. It is demonstrated using real examples of free radicals that the fine structure of a single electronic state can be simulated with either a SR tensor or a combination of SO and Coriolis constants. The related molecular constants can be determined precisely only when all interacting levels are simulated simultaneously. The present study suggests that analysis of rotational and fine structure can provide quantitative insights into vibronic interactions and related effects.

Cue reactivity towards shopping cues in female participants.

Science.gov (United States)

Starcke, Katrin; Schlereth, Berenike; Domass, Debora; Schöler, Tobias; Brand, Matthias

2013-03-01

Background and aims It is currently under debate whether pathological buying can be considered as a behavioural addiction. Addictions have often been investigated with cue-reactivity paradigms to assess subjective, physiological and neural craving reactions. The current study aims at testing whether cue reactivity towards shopping cues is related to pathological buying tendencies. Methods A sample of 66 non-clinical female participants rated shopping related pictures concerning valence, arousal, and subjective craving. In a subgroup of 26 participants, electrodermal reactions towards those pictures were additionally assessed. Furthermore, all participants were screened concerning pathological buying tendencies and baseline craving for shopping. Results Results indicate a relationship between the subjective ratings of the shopping cues and pathological buying tendencies, even if baseline craving for shopping was controlled for. Electrodermal reactions were partly related to the subjective ratings of the cues. Conclusions Cue reactivity may be a potential correlate of pathological buying tendencies. Thus, pathological buying may be accompanied by craving reactions towards shopping cues. Results support the assumption that pathological buying can be considered as a behavioural addiction. From a methodological point of view, results support the view that the cue-reactivity paradigm is suited for the investigation of craving reactions in pathological buying and future studies should implement this paradigm in clinical samples.

An estimation of the fine structure constant using fiber bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, D.K.

1986-01-01

Ross calculates g 0 /e, where g 0 is the strength of an elementary magnetic monopole and e is the charge on the electron, in terms of a ratio of loop sizes in the twisted and untwisted principal fiber bundles with U (1) the structure group and R 3 -(0) the base space. The result involves the present distance around the U (1) space and, rather surprisingly, the structure of the quantum gravitational vacuum. Combining this result with the expression for eg 0 from the Dirac quantization conditions gives a final estimate for the fine structure constant, alpha, near 1/100

Retrieval-induced forgetting and interference between cues: training a cue-outcome association attenuates retrieval by alternative cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega-Castro, Nerea; Vadillo, Miguel A

2013-03-01

Some researchers have attempted to determine whether situations in which a single cue is paired with several outcomes (A-B, A-C interference or interference between outcomes) involve the same learning and retrieval mechanisms as situations in which several cues are paired with a single outcome (A-B, C-B interference or interference between cues). Interestingly, current research on a related effect, which is known as retrieval-induced forgetting, can illuminate this debate. Most retrieval-induced forgetting experiments are based on an experimental design that closely resembles the A-B, A-C interference paradigm. In the present experiment, we found that a similar effect may be observed when items are rearranged such that the general structure of the task more closely resembles the A-B, C-B interference paradigm. This result suggests that, as claimed by other researchers in the area of contingency learning, the two types of interference, namely A-B, A-C and A-B, C-B interference, may share some basic mechanisms. Moreover, the type of inhibitory processes assumed to underlie retrieval-induced forgetting may also play a role in these phenomena. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fine structure in deformed proton emitting nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonzogni, A. A.; Davids, C. N.; Woods, P. J.; Seweryniak, D.; Carpenter, M. P.; Ressler, J. J.; Schwartz, J.; Uusitalo, J.; Walters, W. B.

1999-01-01

In a recent experiment to study the proton radioactivity of the highly deformed 131 Eu nucleus, two proton lines were detected. The higher energy one was assigned to the ground-state to ground-state decay, while the lower energy, to the ground-state to the 2 + state decay. This constitutes the first observation of fine structure in proton radioactivity. With these four measured quantities, proton energies, half-life and branching ratio, it is possible to determine the Nilsson configuration of the ground state of the proton emitting nucleus as well as the 2 + energy and nuclear deformation of the daughter nucleus. These results will be presented and discussed

Relativistic corrections to the fine structure of positronium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faustov, R. N.; Martynenko, A. P.

1997-01-01

The quasipotential method is used to calculate relativistic corrections in the positronium-fine-structure intervals 2 3 S 1 -2 3 P J . From analysis of one- and two-photon interactions, corrections of order mα 6 are found for positronium S states in the second order of perturbation theory. The contribution of the two-photon annihilation diagrams to the interaction operator for P-wave positronium is determined, and corrections of orders α 5 R ∞ and α 5 ln αR ∞ to the P-wave levels of positronium are calculated

The architecture and fine structure of gill filaments in the brown ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The architecture and fine structure of gill filaments in the brown mussel, Perna perna. MA Gregory' ... exhibit many of the characteristics which are widely sought in sentinel ... tion surveys (Gardner, Connell, Eagle, Moldan, Oliff, Orren ..... From the undifferentiated cell/lateral cell interface to the cen- .... amorphous material.

On a fine structure of a primary impulse of a magnetic storm sudden commencement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parkhomov, V.A.

1985-01-01

A fine structure of a primary reverse impulse of a sudden commencement (SSC*) of a magnetic storm is analyzed. 200 cases of SSC* recorded in 1965-79 have been chosen for the investigation. It is shown that the preliminary impulse of the sudden copmencement of magnetic storms has a fine structure in the form of the train of damped oscillations in Pc2-3 range of < or approximately 2 min durations. The excitation of oscillations is related with the propagation of the fast magnetoacoustic wave which is generated during interaction of the interplanetary shock wave with the earth magnetosphere

Fine-Scale Genetic Structure in Finland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sini Kerminen

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Coupling dense genotype data with new computational methods offers unprecedented opportunities for individual-level ancestry estimation once geographically precisely defined reference data sets become available. We study such a reference data set for Finland containing 2376 such individuals from the FINRISK Study survey of 1997 both of whose parents were born close to each other. This sampling strategy focuses on the population structure present in Finland before the 1950s. By using the recent haplotype-based methods ChromoPainter (CP and FineSTRUCTURE (FS we reveal a highly geographically clustered genetic structure in Finland and report its connections to the settlement history as well as to the current dialectal regions of the Finnish language. The main genetic division within Finland shows striking concordance with the 1323 borderline of the treaty of Nöteborg. In general, we detect genetic substructure throughout the country, which reflects stronger regional genetic differences in Finland compared to, for example, the UK, which in a similar analysis was dominated by a single unstructured population. We expect that similar population genetic reference data sets will become available for many more populations in the near future with important applications, for example, in forensic genetics and in genetic association studies. With this in mind, we report those extensions of the CP + FS approach that we found most useful in our analyses of the Finnish data.

Fine structure transition cross sections for several alkali+rare gas systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, R.E.

1975-01-01

The energy dependence E(cm) 2 P1/2→ 2 P3/2 fine structure transition of the lowest excited states of the alkali are calculated for the following systems: Na, K, Rb+He, Ne, Ar and Cs+He. Encouraging agreement between theory and experiment is obtained [fr

Topological map of the Hofstadter butterfly: Fine structure of Chern numbers and Van Hove singularities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naumis, Gerardo G.

2016-01-01

The Hofstadter butterfly is a quantum fractal with a highly complex nested set of gaps, where each gap represents a quantum Hall state whose quantized conductivity is characterized by topological invariants known as the Chern numbers. Here we obtain simple rules to determine the Chern numbers at all scales in the butterfly fractal and lay out a very detailed topological map of the butterfly by using a method used to describe quasicrystals: the cut and projection method. Our study reveals the existence of a set of critical points that separates orderly patterns of both positive and negative Cherns that appear as a fine structure in the butterfly. This fine structure can be understood as a small tilting of the projection subspace in the cut and projection method and by using a Chern meeting formula. Finally, we prove that the critical points are identified with the Van Hove singularities that exist at every band center in the butterfly landscape. - Highlights: • Use a higher dimensional approach to build a topological map of the Hofstadter butterfly. • There is a fine structure of Chern numbers around each rational flux. • Van Hove singularities are limiting points for topological sequences of the fine flux.

Topological map of the Hofstadter butterfly: Fine structure of Chern numbers and Van Hove singularities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naumis, Gerardo G., E-mail: naumis@fisica.unam.mx [Departamento de Física–Química, Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Apartado Postal 20-364, 01000 México, Distrito Federal (Mexico); Department of Physics and Astronomy, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Escuela Superior de Física y Matemáticas, ESIA-Zacatenco, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México D.F. (Mexico)

2016-04-29

The Hofstadter butterfly is a quantum fractal with a highly complex nested set of gaps, where each gap represents a quantum Hall state whose quantized conductivity is characterized by topological invariants known as the Chern numbers. Here we obtain simple rules to determine the Chern numbers at all scales in the butterfly fractal and lay out a very detailed topological map of the butterfly by using a method used to describe quasicrystals: the cut and projection method. Our study reveals the existence of a set of critical points that separates orderly patterns of both positive and negative Cherns that appear as a fine structure in the butterfly. This fine structure can be understood as a small tilting of the projection subspace in the cut and projection method and by using a Chern meeting formula. Finally, we prove that the critical points are identified with the Van Hove singularities that exist at every band center in the butterfly landscape. - Highlights: • Use a higher dimensional approach to build a topological map of the Hofstadter butterfly. • There is a fine structure of Chern numbers around each rational flux. • Van Hove singularities are limiting points for topological sequences of the fine flux.

Global cue inconsistency diminishes learning of cue validity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tony Wang

2016-11-01

Full Text Available We present a novel two-stage probabilistic learning task that examines the participants’ ability to learn and utilize valid cues across several levels of probabilistic feedback. In the first stage, participants sample from one of three cues that gives predictive information about the outcome of the second stage. Participants are rewarded for correct prediction of the outcome in stage two. Only one of the three cues gives valid predictive information and thus participants can maximise their reward by learning to sample from the valid cue. The validity of this predictive information, however, is reinforced across several levels of probabilistic feedback. A second manipulation involved changing the consistency of the predictive information in stage one and the outcome in stage two. The results show that participants, with higher probabilistic feedback, learned to utilise the valid cue. In inconsistent task conditions, however, participants were significantly less successful in utilising higher validity cues. We interpret this result as implying that learning in probabilistic categorization is based on developing a representation of the task that allows for goal-directed action.

A Nonlinear Transmission Line Model of the Cochlea With Temporal Integration Accounts for Duration Effects in Threshold Fine Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Verhey, Jesko L.; Mauermann, Manfred; Epp, Bastian

2017-01-01

For normal-hearing listeners, auditory pure-tone thresholds in quiet often show quasi periodic fluctuations when measured with a high frequency resolution, referred to as threshold fine structure. Threshold fine structure is dependent on the stimulus duration, with smaller fluctuations for short...... than for long signals. The present study demonstrates how this effect can be captured by a nonlinear and active model of the cochlear in combination with a temporal integration stage. Since this cochlear model also accounts for fine structure and connected level dependent effects, it is superior...

Effect of electron correlations and Breit interactions on ground-state fine-structures along the nitrogen-like isoelectronic sequence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaolu; Lu Wenlai; Gao Xiang; Li Jiaming

2009-01-01

The accurate atomic data of nitrogen and nitrogen-like ions have an importance role in fusion plasma studies and astrophysics studies. The precise calculation of fine-structures is required to obtain such atomic data. Along the whole nitrogen isoelectronic sequence, the contributions of the electron correlations, the Breit interactions and the quantum electrodynamics corrections on the ground-state fine-structures are elucidated. When Z is low, the electron correlations are important, and the Breit interactions, which cannot be neglected cause interesting anomalous fine-structure splittings. When Z is high, the electron correlations are less important, and the Breit interactions are important in addition to spin-orbit interactions for precise calculations. (authors)

Influence of musical training on sensitivity to temporal fine structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Srikanta K; Panda, Manasa R; Raj, Swapna

2015-04-01

The objective of this study was to extend the findings that temporal fine structure encoding is altered in musicians by examining sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) in an alternative (non-Western) musician model that is rarely adopted--Indian classical music. The sensitivity to TFS was measured by the ability to discriminate two complex tones that differed in TFS but not in envelope repetition rate. Sixteen South Indian classical (Carnatic) musicians and 28 non-musicians with normal hearing participated in this study. Musicians have significantly lower relative frequency shift at threshold in the TFS task compared to non-musicians. A significant negative correlation was observed between years of musical experience and relative frequency shift at threshold in the TFS task. Test-retest repeatability of thresholds in the TFS tasks was similar for both musicians and non-musicians. The enhanced performance of the Carnatic-trained musicians suggests that the musician advantage for frequency and harmonicity discrimination is not restricted to training in Western classical music, on which much of the previous research on musical training has narrowly focused. The perceptual judgments obtained from non-musicians were as reliable as those of musicians.

Lack of sex-biased dispersal promotes fine-scale genetic structure in alpine ungulates

Science.gov (United States)

Gretchen H. Roffler; Sandra L. Talbot; Gordon Luikart; George K. Sage; Kristy L. Pilgrim; Layne G. Adams; Michael K. Schwartz

2014-01-01

Identifying patterns of fine-scale genetic structure in natural populations can advance understanding of critical ecological processes such as dispersal and gene flow across heterogeneous landscapes. Alpine ungulates generally exhibit high levels of genetic structure due to female philopatry and patchy configuration of mountain habitats. We assessed the spatial scale...

Fine reservoir structure modeling based upon 3D visualized stratigraphic correlation between horizontal wells: methodology and its application

Science.gov (United States)

Chenghua, Ou; Chaochun, Li; Siyuan, Huang; Sheng, James J.; Yuan, Xu

2017-12-01

As the platform-based horizontal well production mode has been widely applied in petroleum industry, building a reliable fine reservoir structure model by using horizontal well stratigraphic correlation has become very important. Horizontal wells usually extend between the upper and bottom boundaries of the target formation, with limited penetration points. Using these limited penetration points to conduct well deviation correction means the formation depth information obtained is not accurate, which makes it hard to build a fine structure model. In order to solve this problem, a method of fine reservoir structure modeling, based on 3D visualized stratigraphic correlation among horizontal wells, is proposed. This method can increase the accuracy when estimating the depth of the penetration points, and can also effectively predict the top and bottom interfaces in the horizontal penetrating section. Moreover, this method will greatly increase not only the number of points of depth data available, but also the accuracy of these data, which achieves the goal of building a reliable fine reservoir structure model by using the stratigraphic correlation among horizontal wells. Using this method, four 3D fine structure layer models have been successfully built of a specimen shale gas field with platform-based horizontal well production mode. The shale gas field is located to the east of Sichuan Basin, China; the successful application of the method has proven its feasibility and reliability.

Measurement of the fine structure in 33P helium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, D.

1985-01-01

The author measured two positions of the Zeeman level crossing between the (J,M) = (2,2) and (0,0) and between the (J,M) = (1,1) and (0,0) sublevels of the 3 3 P state in helium. The zero field fine structure splittings were calculated from these two measured values. These splittings are of interest for a precision test of quantum electrodynamics and giving an independent contribution to fine structure constant determination. This experiment uses time resolved level crossing spectroscopy. A pulsed beam of helium 2 3 S metastables is excited by a pulse of 388.9 nm dye laser light to the 3 3 P state in a dc magnetic field interaction region. After a certain delay time, a 532 nm laser pulse ionizes the atoms from the 3 3 P state. The photoelectrons are detected by a microchannel plate. The magnetic field is in the z direction, while the atomic beam and the two laser beams are in the xy plane. These two laser beams couterpropagate at a 45 0 angle for the atomic beam for convenience. The photoionization signal is recorded as a function of magnetic field near each of the two crossing positions. Results for these two crossing positions are in agreement with, but more precise than, the previously reported results

Atomic oxygen fine-structure splittings with tunable far-infrared spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zink, Lyndon R.; Evenson, Kenneth M.; Matsushima, Fusakazu; Nelis, Thomas; Robinson, Ruth L.

1991-01-01

Fine-structure splittings of atomic oxygen (O-16) in the ground state have been accurately measured using a tunable far-infrared spectrometer. The 3P0-3pl splitting is 2,060,069.09 (10) MHz, and the 3Pl-3P2 splitting is 4,744,777.49 (16) MHz. These frequencies are important for measuring atomic oxygen concentration in earth's atmosphere and the interstellar medium.

Fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in molecular photoionization. I. General theory and direct photoionization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan, E-mail: stefan.willitsch@unibas.ch [Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, Klingelbergstrasse 80, 4056 Basel (Switzerland)

2016-07-28

We develop a model for predicting fine- and hyperfine intensities in the direct photoionization of molecules based on the separability of electron and nuclear spin states from vibrational-electronic states. Using spherical tensor algebra, we derive highly symmetrized forms of the squared photoionization dipole matrix elements from which we derive the salient selection and propensity rules for fine- and hyperfine resolved photoionizing transitions. Our theoretical results are validated by the analysis of the fine-structure resolved photoelectron spectrum of O{sub 2} reported by Palm and Merkt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1385 (1998)] and are used for predicting hyperfine populations of molecular ions produced by photoionization.

Fine- and hyperfine-structure effects in molecular photoionization. I. General theory and direct photoionization.

Science.gov (United States)

Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan

2016-07-28

We develop a model for predicting fine- and hyperfine intensities in the direct photoionization of molecules based on the separability of electron and nuclear spin states from vibrational-electronic states. Using spherical tensor algebra, we derive highly symmetrized forms of the squared photoionization dipole matrix elements from which we derive the salient selection and propensity rules for fine- and hyperfine resolved photoionizing transitions. Our theoretical results are validated by the analysis of the fine-structure resolved photoelectron spectrum of O2 reported by Palm and Merkt [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 1385 (1998)] and are used for predicting hyperfine populations of molecular ions produced by photoionization.

Counterconditioning reduces cue-induced craving and actual cue-elicited consumption.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Gucht, Dinska; Baeyens, Frank; Vansteenwegen, Debora; Hermans, Dirk; Beckers, Tom

2010-10-01

Cue-induced craving is not easily reduced by an extinction or exposure procedure and may constitute an important route toward relapse in addictive behavior after treatment. In the present study, we investigated the effectiveness of counterconditioning as an alternative procedure to reduce cue-induced craving, in a nonclinical population. We found that a cue, initially paired with chocolate consumption, did not cease to elicit craving for chocolate after extinction (repeated presentation of the cue without chocolate consumption), but did so after counterconditioning (repeated pairing of the cue with consumption of a highly disliked liquid, Polysorbate 20). This effect persisted after 1 week. Counterconditioning moreover was more effective than extinction in disrupting reported expectancy to get to eat chocolate, and also appeared to be more effective in reducing actual cue-elicited chocolate consumption. These results suggest that counterconditioning may be more promising than cue exposure for the prevention of relapse in addictive behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Electronic structure study of Co doped CeO2 nanoparticles using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Shalendra; Gautam, Sanjeev; Song, T.K.; Chae, Keun Hwa; Jang, K.W.; Kim, S.S.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The electronic structural of Co–CeO 2 nanoparticles is investigated using XAFS. • Ce M 5,4 , Ce L 3 and O K edge NEXAFS reveal that the Ce-ions are in +4 valence state. • The NEXAFS spectrum performed at Co L3,2-edge confirms Co-ion in 2+ state. • The EXAFS analysis also show that Co ions are occupying Ce position in doped CeO 2 . • The distances between Ce–O and Ce–Ce/Co in all shells decreases with Co doping. - Abstract: We investigated the electronic structure of well characterized Co doped CeO 2 nanoparticles using X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy. Near edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) spectra at Ce M 5,4 , Ce L 3 and O K-edge conclude that the Ce-ions are in +4 valence state in pure as well as in Co doped CeO 2 nanoparticles. The local structure around Ce-atom in Co doped CeO 2 nanoparticles was also determined using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy at Ce L 3 edge. The EXAFS analysis suggest that the inter-atomic distance of Ce–O, Ce–Ce/Co decreases with Co doping, which indicate a contraction of the lattice. The decease in Ce–O distance also reflect that there is a formation of oxygen vacancies in CeO 2 matrix. The Debye–Waller factor also shows the consistent behaviour for all the coordination shells. The atomic multiplet calculations for Co L 3,2 -edge was performed to determine the valence state, symmetry and field splitting, which reflect that Co-ions are in 2+ state and substituted at Ce-site with crystal field splitting of 10Dq=-0.57eV. The XAFS measurements reveal that the Co-ions occupy the Ce position in the CeO 2 host matrix and create a oxygen vacancy

Fine-structure energy levels, oscillator strengths and transition probabilities in Ni XVI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deb, N.C.; Msezane, A.Z.

2001-01-01

Fine-structure energy levels relative to the ground state, oscillator strengths and transition probabilities for transitions among the lowest 40 fine-structure levels belonging to the configurations 3s 2 3p, 3s3p 2 , 3s 2 3d, 3p 3 and 3s3p3d of Ni XVI are calculated using a large scale CI in program CIV3 of Hibbert. Relativistic effects are included through the Breit-Pauli approximation via spin-orbit, spin-other-orbit, spin-spin, Darwin and mass correction terms. The existing discrepancies between the calculated and measured values for many of the relative energy positions are resolved in the present calculation which yields excellent agreement with measurement. Also, many of our oscillator strengths for allowed and intercombination transitions are in very good agreement with the recommended data by the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). (orig.)

Retrieval of bilingual autobiographical memories: effects of cue language and cue imageability.

Science.gov (United States)

Mortensen, Linda; Berntsen, Dorthe; Bohn, Ocke-Schwen

2015-01-01

An important issue in theories of bilingual autobiographical memory is whether linguistically encoded memories are represented in language-specific stores or in a common language-independent store. Previous research has found that autobiographical memory retrieval is facilitated when the language of the cue is the same as the language of encoding, consistent with language-specific memory stores. The present study examined whether this language congruency effect is influenced by cue imageability. Danish-English bilinguals retrieved autobiographical memories in response to Danish and English high- or low-imageability cues. Retrieval latencies were shorter to Danish than English cues and shorter to high- than low-imageability cues. Importantly, the cue language effect was stronger for low-than high-imageability cues. To examine the relationship between cue language and the language of internal retrieval, participants identified the language in which the memories were internally retrieved. More memories were retrieved when the cue language was the same as the internal language than when the cue was in the other language, and more memories were identified as being internally retrieved in Danish than English, regardless of the cue language. These results provide further evidence for language congruency effects in bilingual memory and suggest that this effect is influenced by cue imageability.

Pulsed EM Field Response of a Thin, High-Contrast, Finely Layered Structure With Dielectric and Conductive Properties

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Hoop, A.T.; Jiang, L.

2009-01-01

The response of a thin, high-contrast, finely layered structure with dielectric and conductive properties to an incident, pulsed, electromagnetic field is investigated theoretically. The fine layering causes the standard spatial discretization techniques to solve Maxwell's equations numerically to

On the relationship between multi-channel envelope and temporal fine structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Peter Lempel; Decorsiere, Remi Julien Blaise; Dau, Torsten

2011-01-01

The envelope of a signal is broadly defined as the slow changes in time of the signal, where as the temporal fine structure (TFS) are the fast changes in time, i.e. the carrier wave(s) of the signal. The focus of this paper is on envelope and TFS in multi-channel systems. We discuss the differenc...

Experimental studies of the refined structure within oxide UO{sub 2} clusters (1983); Etudes experimentales de structure fine a l'interieur de grappes d'oxyde UO{sub 2} (1963)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Palmedo, P F [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1963-07-01

General measurements of neutron fine structure in various UO{sub 2} clusters are described. The experimental techniques that were found useful are presented, as well as the methods of experimental analysis. The results are given in detail. A semi-empirical relation for the fine structure in clusters is suggested and is compared with the various results. (author) [French] Plusieurs experiences de structure fine de la densite neutronique dans diverses grappes de UO{sub 2} sont decrites. On presente les techniques qui ont ete jugees les plus appropriees pour ce genre de mesure, les methodes d'analyae des experiences, et les resultats detailles. Une expression semi-empirique de la structure fine dans de telles grappes est donnee et elle est comparee avec les divers reaultats obtenue. (auteur)

Sensory modality of smoking cues modulates neural cue reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Yalachkov, Yavor; Kaiser, Jochen; Görres, Andreas; Seehaus, Arne; Naumer, Marcus J

2013-01-01

Behavioral experiments have demonstrated that the sensory modality of presentation modulates drug cue reactivity. The present study on nicotine addiction tested whether neural responses to smoking cues are modulated by the sensory modality of stimulus presentation. We measured brain activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 15 smokers and 15 nonsmokers while they viewed images of smoking paraphernalia and control objects and while they touched the same objects without seeing them. Haptically presented, smoking-related stimuli induced more pronounced neural cue reactivity than visual cues in the left dorsal striatum in smokers compared to nonsmokers. The severity of nicotine dependence correlated positively with the preference for haptically explored smoking cues in the left inferior parietal lobule/somatosensory cortex, right fusiform gyrus/inferior temporal cortex/cerebellum, hippocampus/parahippocampal gyrus, posterior cingulate cortex, and supplementary motor area. These observations are in line with the hypothesized role of the dorsal striatum for the expression of drug habits and the well-established concept of drug-related automatized schemata, since haptic perception is more closely linked to the corresponding object-specific action pattern than visual perception. Moreover, our findings demonstrate that with the growing severity of nicotine dependence, brain regions involved in object perception, memory, self-processing, and motor control exhibit an increasing preference for haptic over visual smoking cues. This difference was not found for control stimuli. Considering the sensory modality of the presented cues could serve to develop more reliable fMRI-specific biomarkers, more ecologically valid experimental designs, and more effective cue-exposure therapies of addiction.

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure investigation of nitrogen stabilized expanded austenite

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Oddershede, Jette; Christiansen, Thomas; Ståhl, Kenny

2010-01-01

As-delivered austenitic stainless steel and nitrogen stabilized expanded austenite, both fully nitrided and denitrided (in H2), were investigated with Cr, Fe and Ni extended X-ray absorption fine structure. The data shows pronounced short-range ordering of Cr and N. For the denitrided specimen...

New analysis methods for skin fine-structure via optical image and development of 3D skin Cycloscan(™).

Science.gov (United States)

Han, J Y; Nam, G W; Lee, H K; Kim, M J; Kim, E J

2015-11-01

This study was conducted to develop methods for measuring skin fine-structure via optical image and apparatus for photographing to analyze efficacy of anti-aging. We developed an apparatus named 3D Skin CycloScan(™) to evaluate the efficacy of cosmetics by imagification of skin fine-structure such as wrinkles, pores, and skin texture. The semi-sphere shaped device has 12 different sequential flashing light sources captures optical image simultaneously in one second to exclude the influence of the subject's movement. The normal map that is extracted through shape from shading method is composed of face contour and skin fine-structure parts. When the low-frequency component which is the result of the Gaussian Filter application is eliminated, we can get only skin fine-structure. In this normal map, it is possible to extract two-dimensional vector map called direction map and we can regulate the intensity of the image of wrinkles, pores, and skin texture after filtering the direction map. We performed a clinical study to apply this new apparatus and methods to evaluate an anti-aging efficacy of cosmetics visually and validate with other conventional methods. After using anti-aging cream including 2% adenosine for 8 weeks, the total amount of fine wrinkle around eye area detected via 3D Skin CycloScan(™) was reduced by 12.1%. Also, wrinkles on crow's feet measured by PRIMOS COMPACT(®) (GFMesstechnik GmbH, Germany) reduced 11.7%. According to an aspect of the present study, by changing the direction of the lights toward to subject's skin, we can obtain the information about the fine structures present on the skin such as wrinkles, pores, or skin texture and represent it as an image. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The influence of motor imagery on the learning of a fine hand motor skill

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sobierajewicz, Jagna; Przekoracka-Krawczyk, Anna; Jaśkowski, Wojciech; Verwey, Willem B.; van der Lubbe, Rob

2017-01-01

Motor imagery has been argued to affect the acquisition of motor skills. The present study examined the specificity of motor imagery on the learning of a fine hand motor skill by employing a modified discrete sequence production task: the Go/NoGo DSP task. After an informative cue, a response

Developmental changes in the balance of disparity, blur and looming/proximity cues to drive ocular alignment and focus

Science.gov (United States)

Horwood, Anna M; Riddell, Patricia M

2015-01-01

Accurate co-ordination of accommodation and convergence is necessary to view near objects and develop fine motor co-ordination. We used a remote haploscopic videorefraction paradigm to measure longitudinal changes in simultaneous ocular accommodation and vergence to targets at different depths, and to all combinations of blur, binocular disparity, and change-in-size (“proximity”) cues. Infants were followed longitudinally and compared to older children and young adults, with the prediction that sensitivity to different cues would change during development. Mean infant responses to the most naturalistic condition were similar to those of adults from 6-7 weeks (accommodation) and 8-9 weeks (vergence). Proximity cues influenced responses most in infants less than 14 weeks of age, but sensitivity declined thereafter. Between 12-28 weeks of age infants were equally responsive to all three cues, while in older children and adults manipulation of disparity resulted in the greatest changes in response. Despite rapid development of visual acuity (thus increasing availability of blur cues), responses to blur were stable throughout development. Our results suggest that during much of infancy, vergence and accommodation responses are not dependent on the development of specific depth cues, but make use of any cues available to drive appropriate changes in response. PMID:24344547

Determining the Velocity Fine Structure by a Laser Anemometer with Fixed Orientation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kristensen, Leif; Kirkegaard, Peter; Mikkelsen, Torben

We have studied the velocity structure functions and spectra which can be determined by a CW-laser anemometer and a (pulsed) lidar anemometer. We have found useful theoretical expressions for both types of anemometers and compared their filtering of the alongbeam turbulent velocity. The purpose h...... been to establish a basis for remote determining of turbulence fine-structure in terms of the rate of dissipation of specific kinetic energy in the atmospheric boundary layer....

Demonstrating the Uneven Importance of Fine-Scale Forest Structure on Snow Distributions using High Resolution Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Broxton, P. D.; Harpold, A. A.; van Leeuwen, W.; Biederman, J. A.

2016-12-01

Quantifying the amount of snow in forested mountainous environments, as well as how it may change due to warming and forest disturbance, is critical given its importance for water supply and ecosystem health. Forest canopies affect snow accumulation and ablation in ways that are difficult to observe and model. Furthermore, fine-scale forest structure can accentuate or diminish the effects of forest-snow interactions. Despite decades of research demonstrating the importance of fine-scale forest structure (e.g. canopy edges and gaps) on snow, we still lack a comprehensive understanding of where and when forest structure has the largest impact on snowpack mass and energy budgets. Here, we use a hyper-resolution (1 meter spatial resolution) mass and energy balance snow model called the Snow Physics and Laser Mapping (SnowPALM) model along with LIDAR-derived forest structure to determine where spatial variability of fine-scale forest structure has the largest influence on large scale mass and energy budgets. SnowPALM was set up and calibrated at sites representing diverse climates in New Mexico, Arizona, and California. Then, we compared simulations at different model resolutions (i.e. 1, 10, and 100 m) to elucidate the effects of including versus not including information about fine scale canopy structure. These experiments were repeated for different prescribed topographies (i.e. flat, 30% slope north, and south-facing) at each site. Higher resolution simulations had more snow at lower canopy cover, with the opposite being true at high canopy cover. Furthermore, there is considerable scatter, indicating that different canopy arrangements can lead to different amounts of snow, even when the overall canopy coverage is the same. This modeling is contributing to the development of a high resolution machine learning algorithm called the Snow Water Artificial Network (SWANN) model to generate predictions of snow distributions over much larger domains, which has implications

New Tests for Variations of the Fine Structure Constant

Science.gov (United States)

Prestage, John D.

1995-01-01

We describe a new test for possible variations of the fine structure constant, by comparisons of rates between clocks based on hyperfine transitions in alkali atomos with different atomic number Z. H- maser, Cs and Hg+ clocks have a different dependence on ia relativistic contributions of order (Z. Recent H-maser vs Hg+ clock comparison data improves laboratory limits on a time variation by 100-fold to giveFuture laser cooled clocks (Be+, Rb, Cs, Hg+, etc.), when compared, will yield the most senstive of all tests for.

X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy: a tool for structural studies in material sciences (abstract)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akhtar, M.J.

2011-01-01

XAFS spectroscopy has revealed itself as a powerful technique for structural characterization of the local atomic environment of individual atomic species, including bond distances, coordination numbers and type of nearest neighbors surrounding the central atom. This technique is particularly useful for materials that show considerable structural and chemical disorder. XAFS spectroscopy has found extensive applications in determining the local atomic and electronic structure of the absorbing centers (atoms) in the materials science, physics, chemistry, biology and geophysics. X-ray absorption edges contain a variety of information on the chemical state and the local structure of the absorbing atom. On the higher energy side of an absorption edge fine structure is observed due to backscattering of the emitted photoelectron. The post-edge region can be divided into two parts. The X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) which extends up to 50 eV of an absorption edge, the spectrum is interpreted in terms of the appropriate components of the local density of states, which would be expected to be sensitive to the valence state of the atom. The intensity, shape and location of the absorption edge features provide information on the valence state, electronic structure and coordination geometry of the absorbing atom.The Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS) region is dominated by the single scattering processes and extends up to 1000 eV above the edge and provides information on the radial distribution (coordination number, radial distance and type of neighboring atoms) around the central atom. The results on perovskite based and spinel ferrites systems will be presented, where valence state and cation distributions are determined; the present study will show focus on SrFeO/sub 3/, MnFe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ and Zn/sub 1-x/Ni/sub x/Fe/sub 2/O/sub 4/ materials. (author)

Determining the velocity fine structure by a laser anemometer with fixed orientation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kristensen, Leif; Kirkegaard, P.; Mikkelsen, Torben

2011-02-15

We have studied the velocity structure functions and spectra which can be determined by a CW-laser anemometer and a (pulsed) lidar anemometer. We have found useful theoretical expressions for both types of anemometers and compared their filtering of the along-beam turbulent velocity. The purpose has been to establish a basis for remote determining of turbulence fine-structure in terms of the rate of dissipation of specific kinetic energy in the atmospheric boundary layer. (Author)

Exploring the fine structure at the limb in coronal holes

Science.gov (United States)

Karovska, Magarita; Blundell, Solon F.; Habbal, Shadia Rifai

1994-01-01

The fine structure of the solar limb in coronal holes is explored at temperatures ranging from 10(exp 4) to 10(exp 6) K. An image enhancement algorithm orignally developed for solar eclipse observations is applied to a number of simultaneous multiwavelength observations made with the Harvard Extreme Ultraviolet Spectrometer experiment on Skylab. The enhanced images reveal the presence of filamentary structures above the limb with a characteristic separation of approximately 10 to 15 sec . Some of the structures extend from the solar limb into the corona to at least 4 min above the solar limb. The brightness of these structures changes as a function of height above the limb. The brightest emission is associated with spiculelike structures in the proximity of the limb. The emission characteristic of high-temperature plasma is not cospatial with the emission at lower temperatures, indicating the presence of different temperature plasmas in the field of view.

Astrophysical extended X-ray absorption fine-structure analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, J.W.; Forrey, R.C.; Cho, K.; Department of Physics and Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University)

1997-01-01

We present an astrophysical extended X-ray absorption fine-structure (EXAFS) analysis (AEA) tool. The AEA tool is designed to generate a numerical model of the modification to the X-ray absorption coefficient due to the EXAFS phenomenon. We have constructed a complete database (elements up to the atomic number 92) of EXAFS parameters: central atom phase shift (2δ 1 ), backscattering phase shift (φ b ), and backscattering amplitude (F). Using the EXAFS parameter data base, the AEA tool can generate a numerical model of any compound when the atomic numbers of neighboring atoms and their distances to the central X-ray-absorbing atom are given. copyright 1997 The American Astronomical Society

Clonal growth and fine-scale genetic structure in tanoak (Notholithocarpus densiflorus: Fagaceae)

Science.gov (United States)

Richard S. Dodd; Wasima Mayer; Alejandro Nettel; Zara Afzal-Rafii

2013-01-01

The combination of sprouting and reproduction by seed can have important consequences on fine-scale spatial distribution of genetic structure (SGS). SGS is an important consideration for species’ restoration because it determines the minimum distance among seed trees to maximize genetic diversity while not prejudicing locally adapted genotypes. Local environmental...

Structure and properties of permeable fine-fibrous materials fabricated of powders

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fedorchenko, I M; Kostornov, A G; Kirichenko, O V; Guzhva, N S [AN Ukrainskoj SSR, Kiev. Inst. Problem Materialovedeniya

1982-09-01

Effect of main structural characteristics of fine fibrous materials (FFM) of nickel and Ni-Cr, Ni-Mo, Ni-Cr-Mo, Ni-Fe-Cr, Ni-Fe alloys on their hydraulic and mechanical properties was studied. FFM was produced by sintering of polymer fibers filled with metal powders and converted to felts. It was shown, that the level of permeable material properties increases with reduction of filament diameter.

Structure and properties of permeable fine-fibrous materials fabricated of powders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fedorchenko, I.M.; Kostornov, A.G.; Kirichenko, O.V.; Guzhva, N.S.

1982-01-01

Effect of main structural characteristicf of fine fibrous materials (FFM) of nickel and Ni-Cr, Ni-Mo, Ni-Cr-Mo, Ni-Fe-Cr, Ni-Fe alloys on their hydraulic and mechanical properties was studied. FFM was produced by sintering of polymer fibers filled with metal powders and converted to felts. It was shown, that the level of permeable material properties increases with reduction of filament diameter

Estimating location without external cues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allen Cheung

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The ability to determine one's location is fundamental to spatial navigation. Here, it is shown that localization is theoretically possible without the use of external cues, and without knowledge of initial position or orientation. With only error-prone self-motion estimates as input, a fully disoriented agent can, in principle, determine its location in familiar spaces with 1-fold rotational symmetry. Surprisingly, localization does not require the sensing of any external cue, including the boundary. The combination of self-motion estimates and an internal map of the arena provide enough information for localization. This stands in conflict with the supposition that 2D arenas are analogous to open fields. Using a rodent error model, it is shown that the localization performance which can be achieved is enough to initiate and maintain stable firing patterns like those of grid cells, starting from full disorientation. Successful localization was achieved when the rotational asymmetry was due to the external boundary, an interior barrier or a void space within an arena. Optimal localization performance was found to depend on arena shape, arena size, local and global rotational asymmetry, and the structure of the path taken during localization. Since allothetic cues including visual and boundary contact cues were not present, localization necessarily relied on the fusion of idiothetic self-motion cues and memory of the boundary. Implications for spatial navigation mechanisms are discussed, including possible relationships with place field overdispersion and hippocampal reverse replay. Based on these results, experiments are suggested to identify if and where information fusion occurs in the mammalian spatial memory system.

Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

Science.gov (United States)

Hua, Panyu; Zhang, Libiao; Guo, Tingting; Flanders, Jon; Zhang, Shuyi

2013-01-01

Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus) is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST) estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST) values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

Dispersal, mating events and fine-scale genetic structure in the lesser flat-headed bats.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Panyu Hua

Full Text Available Population genetic structure has important consequences in evolutionary processes and conservation genetics in animals. Fine-scale population genetic structure depends on the pattern of landscape, the permanent movement of individuals, and the dispersal of their genes during temporary mating events. The lesser flat-headed bat (Tylonycteris pachypus is a nonmigratory Asian bat species that roosts in small groups within the internodes of bamboo stems and the habitats are fragmented. Our previous parentage analyses revealed considerable extra-group mating in this species. To assess the spatial limits and sex-biased nature of gene flow in the same population, we used 20 microsatellite loci and mtDNA sequencing of the ND2 gene to quantify genetic structure among 54 groups of adult flat-headed bats, at nine localities in South China. AMOVA and F(ST estimates revealed significant genetic differentiation among localities. Alternatively, the pairwise F(ST values among roosting groups appeared to be related to the incidence of associated extra-group breeding, suggesting the impact of mating events on fine-scale genetic structure. Global spatial autocorrelation analyses showed positive genetic correlation for up to 3 km, indicating the role of fragmented habitat and the specialized social organization as a barrier in the movement of individuals among bamboo forests. The male-biased dispersal pattern resulted in weaker spatial genetic structure between localities among males than among females, and fine-scale analyses supported that relatedness levels within internodes were higher among females than among males. Finally, only females were more related to their same sex roost mates than to individuals from neighbouring roosts, suggestive of natal philopatry in females.

The variation of the fine-structure constant from disformal couplings

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Bruck, Carsten van; Mifsud, Jurgen [Consortium for Fundamental Physics, School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Sheffield, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom); Nunes, Nelson J., E-mail: c.vandebruck@sheffield.ac.uk, E-mail: jmifsud1@sheffield.ac.uk, E-mail: njnunes@fc.ul.pt [Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Campo Grande, PT1749-016 Lisboa (Portugal)

2015-12-01

We study a theory in which the electromagnetic field is disformally coupled to a scalar field, in addition to a usual non-minimal electromagnetic coupling. We show that disformal couplings modify the expression for the fine-structure constant, α. As a result, the theory we consider can explain the non-zero reported variation in the evolution of α by purely considering disformal couplings. We also find that if matter and photons are coupled in the same way to the scalar field, disformal couplings itself do not lead to a variation of the fine-structure constant. A number of scenarios are discussed consistent with the current astrophysical, geochemical, laboratory and the cosmic microwave background radiation constraints on the cosmological evolution of α. The models presented are also consistent with the current type Ia supernovae constraints on the effective dark energy equation of state. We find that the Oklo bound in particular puts strong constraints on the model parameters. From our numerical results, we find that the introduction of a non-minimal electromagnetic coupling enhances the cosmological variation in α. Better constrained data is expected to be reported by ALMA and with the forthcoming generation of high-resolution ultra-stable spectrographs such as PEPSI, ESPRESSO, and ELT-HIRES. Furthermore, an expected increase in the sensitivity of molecular and nuclear clocks will put a more stringent constraint on the theory.

The variation of the fine-structure constant from disformal couplings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Bruck, Carsten van; Mifsud, Jurgen; Nunes, Nelson J.

2015-01-01

We study a theory in which the electromagnetic field is disformally coupled to a scalar field, in addition to a usual non-minimal electromagnetic coupling. We show that disformal couplings modify the expression for the fine-structure constant, α. As a result, the theory we consider can explain the non-zero reported variation in the evolution of α by purely considering disformal couplings. We also find that if matter and photons are coupled in the same way to the scalar field, disformal couplings itself do not lead to a variation of the fine-structure constant. A number of scenarios are discussed consistent with the current astrophysical, geochemical, laboratory and the cosmic microwave background radiation constraints on the cosmological evolution of α. The models presented are also consistent with the current type Ia supernovae constraints on the effective dark energy equation of state. We find that the Oklo bound in particular puts strong constraints on the model parameters. From our numerical results, we find that the introduction of a non-minimal electromagnetic coupling enhances the cosmological variation in α. Better constrained data is expected to be reported by ALMA and with the forthcoming generation of high-resolution ultra-stable spectrographs such as PEPSI, ESPRESSO, and ELT-HIRES. Furthermore, an expected increase in the sensitivity of molecular and nuclear clocks will put a more stringent constraint on the theory

Black Holes and Quantum Theory: The Fine Structure Constant Connection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cahill R. T.

2006-10-01

Full Text Available The new dynamical theory of space is further confirmed by showing that the effective “black hole” masses M BH in 19 spherical star systems, from globular clusters to galaxies, with masses M , satisfy the prediction that M BH = α 2 M , where α is the fine structure constant. As well the necessary and unique generalisations of the Schr ̈ odinger and Dirac equations permit the first derivation of gravity from a deeper theory, showing that gravity is a quantum effect of quantum matter interacting with the dynamical space. As well the necessary generalisation of Maxwell’s equations displays the observed light bending effects. Finally it is shown from the generalised Dirac equation where the spacetime mathematical formalism, and the accompanying geodesic prescription for matter trajectories, comes from. The new theory of space is non-local and we see many parallels between this and quantum theory, in addition to the fine structure constant manifesting in both, so supporting the argument that space is a quantum foam system, as implied by the deeper information-theoretic theory known as Process Physics. The spatial dynamics also provides an explanation for the “dark matter” effect and as well the non-locality of the dynamics provides a mechanism for generating the uniformity of the universe, so explaining the cosmological horizon problem.

Titanium dioxide fine structures by RF magnetron sputter method deposited on an electron-beam resist mask

Science.gov (United States)

Hashiba, Hideomi; Miyazaki, Yuta; Matsushita, Sachiko

2013-09-01

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been draw attention for wide range of applications from photonic crystals for visible light range by its catalytic characteristics to tera-hertz range by its high refractive index. We present an experimental study of fabrication of fine structures of TiO2 with a ZEP electron beam resist mask followed by Ti sputter deposition techniques. A TiO2 thin layer of 150 nm thick was grown on an FTO glass substrate with a fine patterned ZEP resist mask by a conventional RF magnetron sputter method with Ti target. The deposition was carried out with argon-oxygen gases at a pressure of 5.0 x 10 -1 Pa in a chamber. During the deposition, ratio of Ar-O2 gas was kept to the ratio of 2:1 and the deposition ratio was around 0.5 Å/s to ensure enough oxygen to form TiO2 and low temperature to avoid deformation of fine pattern of the ZPU resist mask. Deposited TiO2 layers are white-transparent, amorphous, and those roughnesses are around 7 nm. Fabricated TiO2 PCs have wider TiO2 slabs of 112 nm width leaving periodic 410 x 410 nm2 air gaps. We also studied transformation of TiO2 layers and TiO2 fine structures by baking at 500 °C. XRD measurement for TiO2 shows that the amorphous TiO2 transforms to rutile and anatase forms by the baking while keeping the same profile of the fine structures. Our fabrication method can be one of a promising technique to optic devices on researches and industrial area.

Cue conflicts in context

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boeg Thomsen, Ditte; Poulsen, Mads

2015-01-01

When learning their first language, children develop strategies for assigning semantic roles to sentence structures, depending on morphosyntactic cues such as case and word order. Traditionally, comprehension experiments have presented transitive clauses in isolation, and crosslinguistically...... preschoolers. However, object-first clauses may be context-sensitive structures, which are infelicitous in isolation. In a second act-out study we presented OVS clauses in supportive and unsupportive discourse contexts and in isolation and found that five-to-six-year-olds’ OVS comprehension was enhanced...

Photoionization modeling of the LWS fine-structure lines in IR bright galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Satyapal, S.; Luhman, M. L.; Fischer, J.; Greenhouse, M. A.; Wolfire, M. G.

1997-01-01

The long wavelength spectrometer (LWS) fine structure line spectra from infrared luminous galaxies were modeled using stellar evolutionary synthesis models combined with photoionization and photodissociation region models. The calculations were carried out by using the computational code CLOUDY. Starburst and active galactic nuclei models are presented. The effects of dust in the ionized region are examined.

Experimental determination of the relativistic fine structure splitting in a pionic atom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, K.-C.; Boehm, F.; Hahn, A.A.; Henrikson, H.E.; Miller, J.P.; Powers, R.J.; Vogel, P.; Vuilleumier, J.-L.; Kunselman, R.

1978-01-01

Using a high-resolution crystal spectrometer, the authors have measured the energy splitting of the pionic 5g-4f and 5f-4d transitions in Ti. The observed fine structure splitting agrees, within the experimental error of 3%, with the splitting arising from the calculated relativistic term and other small corrections for spinless particles. (Auth.)

Structure analysis of InN film using extended X-ray absorption fine structure method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyajima, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Hirata, S. [Core Technology Development Center, Core Technology and Network Company, Sony Corporation, 4-14-1 Asahi-cho, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0014 (Japan); Kudo, Y.; Liu, K.L. [Technology Solutions Center, Sony Corporation, 4-16-1 Okata, Atsugi, Kanagawa 243-0021 (Japan); Uruga, T.; Honma, T. [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute, Mikazuki-cho, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Saito, Y.; Hori, M.; Nanishi, Y. [Department of Photonics, Ritsumeikan University, 1-1-1 Noji-Higashi, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-8577 (Japan)

2002-12-01

We investigated the local atomic structure around In atoms of MBE-grown InN which has a direct bandgap energy of 0.8 eV, using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) oscillation of In K-edge. The signals from the first-nearest neighbor atoms (N) and second-nearest atoms (In) from In atoms were clearly observed and the atomic bond length of In-N and In-In was estimated to be d{sub In-N}=0.215 nm and d{sub In-In}=0.353 nm, respectively. The In-N bond length of d{sub In-In}=0.353 nm was closed to the a-axis lattice constant of a=0.3536 nm, which was determined using X-ray diffraction measurements. The obtained local atomic structure agreed with the calculated ideal structure. We conclude, therefore, that the InN film with a bandgap energy of 0.8 eV has a high structural symmetry in the range of a few A around In atoms. (Abstract Copyright [2002], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Structure analysis of InN film using extended X-ray absorption fine structure method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyajima, T.; Kobayashi, T.; Hirata, S.; Kudo, Y.; Liu, K.L.; Uruga, T.; Honma, T.; Saito, Y.; Hori, M.; Nanishi, Y.

2002-01-01

We investigated the local atomic structure around In atoms of MBE-grown InN which has a direct bandgap energy of 0.8 eV, using extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) oscillation of In K-edge. The signals from the first-nearest neighbor atoms (N) and second-nearest atoms (In) from In atoms were clearly observed and the atomic bond length of In-N and In-In was estimated to be d In-N =0.215 nm and d In-In =0.353 nm, respectively. The In-N bond length of d In-In =0.353 nm was closed to the a-axis lattice constant of a=0.3536 nm, which was determined using X-ray diffraction measurements. The obtained local atomic structure agreed with the calculated ideal structure. We conclude, therefore, that the InN film with a bandgap energy of 0.8 eV has a high structural symmetry in the range of a few A around In atoms. (Abstract Copyright [2002], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Infants can use distributional cues to form syntactic categories.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerken, LouAnn; Wilson, Rachel; Lewis, William

2005-05-01

Nearly all theories of language development emphasize the importance of distributional cues for segregating words and phrases into syntactic categories like noun, feminine or verb phrase. However, questions concerning whether such cues can be used to the exclusion of referential cues have been debated. Using the headturn preference procedure, American children aged 1;5 were briefly familiarized with a partial Russian gender paradigm, with a subset of the paradigm members withheld. During test, infants listened on alternate trials to previously withheld grammatical items and ungrammatical items with incorrect gender markings on previously heard stems. Across three experiments, infants discriminated new grammatical from ungrammatical items, but like adults in previous studies, were only able to do so when a subset of familiarization items was double marked for gender category. The results suggest that learners can use distributional cues to category structure, to the exclusion of referential cues, from relatively early in the language learning process.

Chemical cues from fish heighten visual sensitivity in larval crabs through changes in photoreceptor structure and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Charpentier, Corie L; Cohen, Jonathan H

2015-11-01

Several predator avoidance strategies in zooplankton rely on the use of light to control vertical position in the water column. Although light is the primary cue for such photobehavior, predator chemical cues or kairomones increase swimming responses to light. We currently lack a mechanistic understanding for how zooplankton integrate visual and chemical cues to mediate phenotypic plasticity in defensive photobehavior. In marine systems, kairomones are thought to be amino sugar degradation products of fish body mucus. Here, we demonstrate that increasing concentrations of fish kairomones heightened sensitivity of light-mediated swimming behavior for two larval crab species (Rhithropanopeus harrisii and Hemigrapsus sanguineus). Consistent with these behavioral results, we report increased visual sensitivity at the retinal level in larval crab eyes directly following acute (1-3 h) kairomone exposure, as evidenced electrophysiologically from V-log I curves and morphologically from wider, shorter rhabdoms. The observed increases in visual sensitivity do not correspond with a decline in temporal resolution, because latency in electrophysiological responses actually increased after kairomone exposure. Collectively, these data suggest that phenotypic plasticity in larval crab photobehavior is achieved, at least in part, through rapid changes in photoreceptor structure and function. © 2015. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Renal fine structures detected by NMR imaging. First communication concerning an optimized technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zilch, H.G.

1986-11-01

A significantly improved image quality is achieved by the technique described, as compared to the magnetic resonance data obtained so far. The detailed analysis of the kidney goes as deep as into anatomic fine structures, and there is reason to hope for far better diagnostic details.

Post-cueing deficits with maintained cueing benefits in patients with Parkinson's disease dementia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susanne eGräber

2014-11-01

Full Text Available In Parkinson’s disease (PD internal cueing mechanisms are impaired leading to symptoms such as like hypokinesia. However external cues can improve movement execution by using cortical resources. These cortical processes can be affected by cognitive decline in dementia.It is still unclear how dementia in PD influences external cueing. We investigated a group of 25 PD patients with dementia (PDD and 25 non-demented PD patients (PDnD matched by age, sex and disease duration in a simple reaction time (SRT task using an additional acoustic cue. PDD patients benefited from the additional cue in similar magnitude as did PDnD patients. However, withdrawal of the cue led to a significantly increased reaction time in the PDD group compared to the PDnD patients. Our results indicate that even PDD patients can benefit from strategies using external cue presentation but the process of cognitive worsening can reduce the effect when cues are withdrawn.

Cue-reactors: individual differences in cue-induced craving after food or smoking abstinence.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen V Mahler

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Pavlovian conditioning plays a critical role in both drug addiction and binge eating. Recent animal research suggests that certain individuals are highly sensitive to conditioned cues, whether they signal food or drugs. Are certain humans also more reactive to both food and drug cues? METHODS: We examined cue-induced craving for both cigarettes and food, in the same individuals (n = 15 adult smokers. Subjects viewed smoking-related or food-related images after abstaining from either smoking or eating. RESULTS: Certain individuals reported strong cue-induced craving after both smoking and food cues. That is, subjects who reported strong cue-induced craving for cigarettes also rated stronger cue-induced food craving. CONCLUSIONS: In humans, like in nonhumans, there may be a "cue-reactive" phenotype, consisting of individuals who are highly sensitive to conditioned stimuli. This finding extends recent reports from nonhuman studies. Further understanding this subgroup of smokers may allow clinicians to individually tailor therapies for smoking cessation.

Cue-reactors: individual differences in cue-induced craving after food or smoking abstinence.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahler, Stephen V; de Wit, Harriet

2010-11-10

Pavlovian conditioning plays a critical role in both drug addiction and binge eating. Recent animal research suggests that certain individuals are highly sensitive to conditioned cues, whether they signal food or drugs. Are certain humans also more reactive to both food and drug cues? We examined cue-induced craving for both cigarettes and food, in the same individuals (n = 15 adult smokers). Subjects viewed smoking-related or food-related images after abstaining from either smoking or eating. Certain individuals reported strong cue-induced craving after both smoking and food cues. That is, subjects who reported strong cue-induced craving for cigarettes also rated stronger cue-induced food craving. In humans, like in nonhumans, there may be a "cue-reactive" phenotype, consisting of individuals who are highly sensitive to conditioned stimuli. This finding extends recent reports from nonhuman studies. Further understanding this subgroup of smokers may allow clinicians to individually tailor therapies for smoking cessation.

System of an analysis of a fine time structure of X-ray solar flares in the RGS-1M spectrometer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lazutkov, V.P.

1980-01-01

The possibilities of RGS-1M spectral equipment intended for determination of more detailed data on the solar flare structure are discussed. Spectrometer modernization permits to record the fine time structure of solar events in the hard X-ray range (50-90 keV). The main requirement for fine time analysis of nonstationary processes is determination of the maximum possible resolution at the maximum available length of the signal under investigation. The scheme of the time analyzer of splash events with the time resolution Δt=62.5 ms and the length of the range processed T=27.6 s is given and described. Operation of the spectrometer telemetric apparatus is considered in detail. The fine solar flare structure occurred on 14.04.79 with visually chosen periodic structure is shown as an example [ru

Alpha-decay fine structure versus electromagnetic transitions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peltonen, S.

2003-01-01

Alpha decay of even-even Rn isotopes is studied microscopically along the lines of Phys. Rev. C 64, 302 (2001). The results are compared against experimental fine-structure hindrance factors (HFs). We consider problems related to reproducing observed HFs with nuclear models, especially in case of the collective 2 + - excitations. We use the QRPA model with isovector SDI interaction in order to systematically evaluate theoretical HFs. Pairing gaps and the experimental energy of the 2 + - state fix all interaction parameters except the ratio between the isovector and isoscalar interaction strengths that is used as an additional free parameter of the model. Correlation between the electromagnetic E2-strength and HFs is observed, depending both on the isotope and the excitation energy. The choice of the single particle basis appears to affect strongly the theoretical HFs. Further and even more systematical studies are required in order explain this behaviour. (author)

Analysis of the local structure of AlN:Mn using X-ray absorption fine structure measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyajima, Takao [Materials Laboratories, Sony Corporation, 4-14-1 Asahi-cho, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa 243-0014 (Japan); Kudo, Yoshihiro [Materials Analysis Lab., Sony Corporation, 4-18-1 Okada, Atsugi-shi, Kanagawa 243-0021 (Japan); Uruga, Tomoya [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Institute, 1-1-1 Kouto, Mikazuki-cho, Sayo-gun, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Hara, Kazuhiko [Research Inst. of Electronics, Shizuoka Univ., 3-5-1 Johoku, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 432-8011 (Japan)

2006-06-15

The local structure around the Mn atoms in MOCVD-grown AlN:Mn films which show Mn-related red-orange photoluminescence with a 600nm-peak at room temperature was investigated using the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements. We found that Mn atoms occupy Al lattice sites in the AlN film and that the Mn ions have a charge between +2 and +3. From these results, we think that the red-orange luminescence is caused by the transition of d-electrons in the Mn ions. (copyright 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

Fine structures of atomic excited states: precision atomic spectroscopy and electron-ion collision process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Xiang; Cheng Cheng; Li Jiaming

2011-01-01

Scientific research fields for future energies such as inertial confinement fusion researches and astrophysics studies especially with satellite observatories advance into stages of precision physics. The relevant atomic data are not only enormous but also of accuracy according to requirements, especially for both energy levels and the collision data. The fine structure of high excited states of atoms and ions can be measured by precision spectroscopy. Such precision measurements can provide not only knowledge about detailed dynamics of electron-ion interactions but also a bench mark examination of the accuracy of electron-ion collision data, especially incorporating theoretical computations. We illustrate that by using theoretical calculation methods which can treat the bound states and the adjacent continua on equal footing. The precision spectroscopic measurements of excited fine structures can be served as stringent tests of electron-ion collision data. (authors)

Origin of fine structure of the giant dipole resonance in s d -shell nuclei

Science.gov (United States)

Fearick, R. W.; Erler, B.; Matsubara, H.; von Neumann-Cosel, P.; Richter, A.; Roth, R.; Tamii, A.

2018-04-01

A set of high-resolution zero-degree inelastic proton scattering data on 24Mg, 28Si, 32S, and 40Ca provides new insight into the long-standing puzzle of the origin of fragmentation of the giant dipole resonance (GDR) in s d -shell nuclei. Understanding is achieved by comparison with random phase approximation calculations for deformed nuclei using for the first time a realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction derived from the Argonne V18 potential with the unitary correlation operator method and supplemented by a phenomenological three-nucleon contact interaction. A wavelet analysis allows one to extract significant scales both in the data and calculations characterizing the fine structure of the GDR. The fair agreement for scales in the range of a few hundred keV supports the surmise that the fine structure arises from ground-state deformation driven by α clustering.

Fine structure and spectral index measurements in natural uranium - graphite lattices; Mesures fines dans des reseaux a graphite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cogne, F; Journet, J [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-07-01

The experiments described in this report have been carried out for the most part in the critical facility MARIUS, and a few during the start up of the EDF-1 power reactor. The first part deals with the fine structure measurements made in various lattices and with their analysis. Integration over the neutron spectrum of the mono-kinetic disadvantage factor derived by the A.B.H method yields results in good agreement with the experiments. The second part deals with spectral indexes measurements (Pu/U, In/Mn) made at room temperature in MARIUS. Comparison are made of experiments with calculations using various thermalization models. Experiments carried out at higher temperatures in EDF-1 are also described. (authors) [French] Les mesures decrites dans ce rapport ont ete faites pour la plupart dans l'empilement critique MARIUS sur des reseaux a graphite-uranium naturel. Une premiere partie traite des mesures de structure fine faites dans differents reseaux et de leur interpretation. On montre en particulier qu'une integration sur le spectre d'un calcul monocinetique type A.B.H. rend bien compte des experiences. Dans une deuxieme partie, on donne les resultats de mesures d'indices de spectre Pu/U et In/Mn faites sur des reseaux froids a MARIUS et leur comparaison avec les differents modeles de calculs de thermalisation. On donne egalement les resultats de quelques mesures en temperature effectuees lors du demarrage du reacteur EDF-1. (auteurs)

STM study on surface relief, ultra-fine structure and transformation mechanism of bainite in steels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, H.S.; Yang, Z.G.; Wang, J.J.; Zheng, Y.K.

1995-01-01

The surface reliefs accompanying lower bainite transformation in steels have been studied by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). With the exclusive vertical resolution of STM, we observed that the surface relief associated with bainite is a group of surface reliefs related to subplates, subunits and sub-subunits. From the bainite plate to the sub-subunit in it, the reliefs are in a tent shape, not of invariant plane strain (IPS) type. The fine structure of bainite in a steel has also been shown by STM and TEM that bainite plate is composed of subplates, subunits and sub-subunits. On the basis of the fine structure inside a bainitic ferrite plate observed under STM, sympathetic-ledgewise mechanism of bainite formation is proposed. (orig.)

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS): a novel probe for local structure of glassy solids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wong, J.

1979-01-01

The extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) is the oscillation in the absorption coefficient extending a few hundred eVs on the high energy side of an x-ray absorption edge. This mode of spectroscopy has recently been realized to be a powerful tool in probing the local atomic structure of all states of matter, particularly with the advent of intense synchrotron radiation. More importantly is the unique ability of EXAFS to probe the structure and dynamics around individual atomic species in a multi-atomic system. In this paper, the physical processes associated with the EXAFS phenomenon will be discussed. Experimental results obtained at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory on some oxide and metallic glasses will be presented. The local structure in these materials are elucidated using a Fourier transform technique

Emphasis of spatial cues in the temporal fine structure during the rising segments of amplitude-modulated sounds II: single-neuron recordings

Science.gov (United States)

Marquardt, Torsten; Stange, Annette; Pecka, Michael; Grothe, Benedikt; McAlpine, David

2014-01-01

Recently, with the use of an amplitude-modulated binaural beat (AMBB), in which sound amplitude and interaural-phase difference (IPD) were modulated with a fixed mutual relationship (Dietz et al. 2013b), we demonstrated that the human auditory system uses interaural timing differences in the temporal fine structure of modulated sounds only during the rising portion of each modulation cycle. However, the degree to which peripheral or central mechanisms contribute to the observed strong dominance of the rising slope remains to be determined. Here, by recording responses of single neurons in the medial superior olive (MSO) of anesthetized gerbils and in the inferior colliculus (IC) of anesthetized guinea pigs to AMBBs, we report a correlation between the position within the amplitude-modulation (AM) cycle generating the maximum response rate and the position at which the instantaneous IPD dominates the total neural response. The IPD during the rising segment dominates the total response in 78% of MSO neurons and 69% of IC neurons, with responses of the remaining neurons predominantly coding the IPD around the modulation maximum. The observed diversity of dominance regions within the AM cycle, especially in the IC, and its comparison with the human behavioral data suggest that only the subpopulation of neurons with rising slope dominance codes the sound-source location in complex listening conditions. A comparison of two models to account for the data suggests that emphasis on IPDs during the rising slope of the AM cycle depends on adaptation processes occurring before binaural interaction. PMID:24554782

Fine structure study on low concentration zinc substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Wei; Ma, Jun; Wang, Jianglin; Zhang, Shengmin

2012-01-01

The fine structure of zinc substituted hydroxyapatite was studied using experimental analysis and first-principles calculations. The synthetic hydroxyapatite nanoparticles containing low Zn concentration show rod-like morphology. The crystallite sizes and unit-cell volumes tended to decrease with the increased Zn concentration according to X-ray diffraction patterns. The Zn K-edge X-ray absorption spectra and fitting results suggest that the hydroxyapatite doped with 0.1 mole% zinc is different in the zinc coordination environments compared with that containing more zinc. The density function theory calculations were performed on zinc substituted hydroxyapatite. Two mechanisms included replacing calcium by zinc and inserting zinc along the hydroxyl column and were investigated, and the related substitution energies were calculated separately. It is found that the substitution energies are negative and lowest for inserting zinc between the two oxygen atoms along the hydroxyl column (c-axis). Combined with the spectral analysis, it is suggested that the inserting mechanism is favored for low concentration zinc substituted hydroxyapatite. Highlights: ► We investigate the fine structure of hydroxyapatite with low content of Zn. ► XANES spectra are similar but a little different at low zinc content. ► Zinc ions influence hydroxyapatite crystal formation and lattice parameters. ► Formation energies are calculated according to plane-wave density function theory. ► Low content of zinc prefers to locate at hydroxyl column in hydroxyapatite lattice.

Fine structure and function of the alimentary epithelium in Artemia salina nauplii

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hootman, S R; Conte, F P

1974-01-01

The fine structure of the alimentary tract in the second instar nauplius of the brine shrimp, Artemia salina, has been described. The foregut and hindgut of the larva are composed of cuboidal epithelium which is cuticularized. The epithelium of the midgut and gastric caeca is columnar and is characterized by apical microvilli, basal membrane infolds, and abundant mitochondria. The structural characteristics of the midgut cells correlate with previous physiological and biochemical evidence on both adult and larval brine shrimp which indicates that the midgut plays an important role in absorption and osmoregulation in these animals.

QUIESCENT PROMINENCES IN THE ERA OF ALMA: SIMULATED OBSERVATIONS USING THE 3D WHOLE-PROMINENCE FINE STRUCTURE MODEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunár, Stanislav; Heinzel, Petr [Astronomical Institute, The Czech Academy of Sciences, 25165 Ondřejov (Czech Republic); Mackay, Duncan H. [School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Anzer, Ulrich [Max-Planck-Institut für Astrophysik, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 1, D-85740 Garching bei München (Germany)

2016-12-20

We use the detailed 3D whole-prominence fine structure model to produce the first simulated high-resolution ALMA observations of a modeled quiescent solar prominence. The maps of synthetic brightness temperature and optical thickness shown in the present paper are produced using a visualization method for synthesis of the submillimeter/millimeter radio continua. We have obtained the simulated observations of both the prominence at the limb and the filament on the disk at wavelengths covering a broad range that encompasses the full potential of ALMA. We demonstrate here extent to which the small-scale and large-scale prominence and filament structures will be visible in the ALMA observations spanning both the optically thin and thick regimes. We analyze the relationship between the brightness and kinetic temperature of the prominence plasma. We also illustrate the opportunities ALMA will provide for studying the thermal structure of the prominence plasma from the cores of the cool prominence fine structure to the prominence–corona transition region. In addition, we show that detailed 3D modeling of entire prominences with their numerous fine structures will be important for the correct interpretation of future ALMA observations of prominences.

Solution spectroelectrochemical cell for in situ X-ray absorption fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antonio, M.R.; Soderholm, L.

1995-01-01

A purpose-built spectroelectrochemical cell for in situ fluorescence XAFS (X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) measurements of bulk solution species during constant-potential electrolysis is described. The cell performance was demonstrated by the collection of europium L 3 -edge XANES (X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure) throughout the course of electrolysis of an aqueous solution of EuCl 3 ·6H 2 O in 1 M H 2 SO 4 . The europium L 3 -edge resonances reported here for the Eu III and Eu II ions demonstrate that their 2p 3/2 → 5d electronic transition probabilities are not the same

Retrieval-induced forgetting and interference between cues:Training a cue-outcome association attenuates retrieval by alternative cues

OpenAIRE

Ortega-Castro, Nerea; Vadillo Nistal, Miguel

2013-01-01

Some researchers have attempted to determine whether situations in which a single cue is paired with several outcomes (A-B, A-C interference or interference between outcomes) involve the same learning and retrieval mechanisms as situations in which several cues are paired with a single outcome (A-B, C-B interference or interference between cues). Interestingly, current research on a related effect, which is known as retrieval-induced forgetting, can illuminate this debate. Most retrieval-indu...

Cue-induced craving in patients with cocaine use disorder predicts cognitive control deficits toward cocaine cues.

Science.gov (United States)

DiGirolamo, Gregory J; Smelson, David; Guevremont, Nathan

2015-08-01

Cue-induced craving is a clinically important aspect of cocaine addiction influencing ongoing use and sobriety. However, little is known about the relationship between cue-induced craving and cognitive control toward cocaine cues. While studies suggest that cocaine users have an attentional bias toward cocaine cues, the present study extends this research by testing if cocaine use disorder patients (CDPs) can control their eye movements toward cocaine cues and whether their response varied by cue-induced craving intensity. Thirty CDPs underwent a cue exposure procedure to dichotomize them into high and low craving groups followed by a modified antisaccade task in which subjects were asked to control their eye movements toward either a cocaine or neutral drug cue by looking away from the suddenly presented cue. The relationship between breakdowns in cognitive control (as measured by eye errors) and cue-induced craving (changes in self-reported craving following cocaine cue exposure) was investigated. CDPs overall made significantly more errors toward cocaine cues compared to neutral cues, with higher cravers making significantly more errors than lower cravers even though they did not differ significantly in addiction severity, impulsivity, anxiety, or depression levels. Cue-induced craving was the only specific and significant predictor of subsequent errors toward cocaine cues. Cue-induced craving directly and specifically relates to breakdowns of cognitive control toward cocaine cues in CDPs, with higher cravers being more susceptible. Hence, it may be useful identifying high cravers and target treatment toward curbing craving to decrease the likelihood of a subsequent breakdown in control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Lack of sex-biased dispersal promotes fine-scale genetic structure in alpine ungulates

Science.gov (United States)

Roffler, Gretchen H.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Luikart, Gordon; Sage, George K.; Pilgrim, Kristy L.; Adams, Layne G.; Schwartz, Michael K.

2014-01-01

Identifying patterns of fine-scale genetic structure in natural populations can advance understanding of critical ecological processes such as dispersal and gene flow across heterogeneous landscapes. Alpine ungulates generally exhibit high levels of genetic structure due to female philopatry and patchy configuration of mountain habitats. We assessed the spatial scale of genetic structure and the amount of gene flow in 301 Dall’s sheep (Ovis dalli dalli) at the landscape level using 15 nuclear microsatellites and 473 base pairs of the mitochondrial (mtDNA) control region. Dall’s sheep exhibited significant genetic structure within contiguous mountain ranges, but mtDNA structure occurred at a broader geographic scale than nuclear DNA within the study area, and mtDNA structure for other North American mountain sheep populations. No evidence of male-mediated gene flow or greater philopatry of females was observed; there was little difference between markers with different modes of inheritance (pairwise nuclear DNA F ST = 0.004–0.325; mtDNA F ST = 0.009–0.544), and males were no more likely than females to be recent immigrants. Historical patterns based on mtDNA indicate separate northern and southern lineages and a pattern of expansion following regional glacial retreat. Boundaries of genetic clusters aligned geographically with prominent mountain ranges, icefields, and major river valleys based on Bayesian and hierarchical modeling of microsatellite and mtDNA data. Our results suggest that fine-scale genetic structure in Dall’s sheep is influenced by limited dispersal, and structure may be weaker in populations occurring near ancestral levels of density and distribution in continuous habitats compared to other alpine ungulates that have experienced declines and marked habitat fragmentation.

Fine structure of the stimulated Raman spectrum in compressed hydrogen. The relaxation-oscillation mode of backscattered Stokes emission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bespalov, V.G.; Efimov, Yu.N.; Staselko, D.I.

1992-01-01

This paper studies the emission spectra of backscattered stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) in compressed hydrogen in the relaxation-oscillation mode and the compression SRS mode for the minimum width of the spontaneous scattering spectrum (in the region of the Dicke dip). It is shown that the generation of a train of Stokes-emission subpulses results in the appearance of fine structure in the backscattered SRS spectrum. The influence of the temporal structure of reflected Stokes pulses on this spectrum and on the appearance of fine structure in it is analyzed. The conditions for generating spectrally limited (without phase modulation), extremely coherent Stokes pulses are explained. 18 refs., 3 figs

Atlas of fine structures of dynamic spectra of solar type IV-dm and some type II radio bursts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slottje, C.

1982-01-01

The author presents an atlas of spectral fine structures of solar radio bursts of types IV and II around 1 m wavelength, as obtained with a multichannel spectrograph at Dwingeloo. The structures form largely a collection of observations of these events during late 1968 through 1974, thus covering almost entirely the declining branch of solar cycle 20. The spectrograph has an extra enhanced contrast output with properties quite different from those of the commonly used swept frequency spectrographs. The corresponding instrumental characteristics and effects are discussed. A classification of fine structures and an analysis of their statistical properties and of those of the pertinent radio events are also given. (Auth.)

Fine defective structure of silicon carbide powders obtained from different starting materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tomila T.V.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The fine defective structure of silicon carbide powders obtained from silicic acid-saccharose, aerosil-saccharose, aerosil-carbon black, and hydrated cellulose-silicic acid gel systems was investigated. The relation between IR absorption characteristics and the microstructure of SiC particles obtained from different starting materials was established. The numerical relationship between the lattice parameter a and the frequency νTO is presented.

Cue-induced craving among inhalant users: Development and preliminary validation of a visual cue paradigm.

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Shobhit; Dhawan, Anju; Kumaran, S Senthil; Pattanayak, Raman Deep; Jain, Raka

2017-12-01

Cue-induced craving is known to be associated with a higher risk of relapse, wherein drug-specific cues become conditioned stimuli, eliciting conditioned responses. Cue-reactivity paradigm are important tools to study psychological responses and functional neuroimaging changes. However, till date, there has been no specific study or a validated paradigm for inhalant cue-induced craving research. The study aimed to develop and validate visual cue stimulus for inhalant cue-associated craving. The first step (picture selection) involved screening and careful selection of 30 cue- and 30 neutral-pictures based on their relevance for naturalistic settings. In the second step (time optimization), a random selection of ten cue-pictures each was presented for 4s, 6s, and 8s to seven adolescent male inhalant users, and pre-post craving response was compared using a Visual Analogue Scale(VAS) for each of the picture and time. In the third step (validation), craving response for each of 30 cue- and 30 neutral-pictures were analysed among 20 adolescent inhalant users. Findings revealed a significant difference in before and after craving response for the cue-pictures, but not neutral-pictures. Using ROC-curve, pictures were arranged in order of craving intensity. Finally, 20 best cue- and 20 neutral-pictures were used for the development of a 480s visual cue paradigm. This is the first study to systematically develop an inhalant cue picture paradigm which can be used as a tool to examine cue induced craving in neurobiological studies. Further research, including its further validation in larger study and diverse samples, is required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fine structure and optical properties of biological polarizers in crustaceans and cephalopods

Science.gov (United States)

Chiou, Tsyr-Huei; Caldwell, Roy L.; Hanlon, Roger T.; Cronin, Thomas W.

2008-04-01

The lighting of the underwater environment is constantly changing due to attenuation by water, scattering by suspended particles, as well as the refraction and reflection caused by the surface waves. These factors pose a great challenge for marine animals which communicate through visual signals, especially those based on color. To escape this problem, certain cephalopod mollusks and stomatopod crustaceans utilize the polarization properties of light. While the mechanisms behind the polarization vision of these two animal groups are similar, several distinctive types of polarizers (i.e. the structure producing the signal) have been found in these animals. To gain a better knowledge of how these polarizers function, we studied the relationships between fine structures and optical properties of four types of polarizers found in cephalopods and stomatopods. Although all the polarizers share a somewhat similar spectral range, around 450- 550 nm, the reflectance properties of the signals and the mechanisms used to produce them have dramatic differences. In cephalopods, stack-plates polarizers produce the polarization patterns found on the arms and around their eyes. In stomatopods, we have found one type of beam-splitting polarizer based on photonic structures and two absorptive polarizer types based on dichroic molecules. These stomatopod polarizers may be found on various appendages, and on the cuticle covering dorsal or lateral sides of the animal. Since the efficiencies of all these polarizer types are somewhat sensitive to the change of illumination and viewing angle, how these animals compensate with different behaviors or fine structural features of the polarizer also varies.

Measurement of the fine-structure constant as a test of the Standard Model

Science.gov (United States)

Parker, Richard H.; Yu, Chenghui; Zhong, Weicheng; Estey, Brian; Müller, Holger

2018-04-01

Measurements of the fine-structure constant α require methods from across subfields and are thus powerful tests of the consistency of theory and experiment in physics. Using the recoil frequency of cesium-133 atoms in a matter-wave interferometer, we recorded the most accurate measurement of the fine-structure constant to date: α = 1/137.035999046(27) at 2.0 × 10‑10 accuracy. Using multiphoton interactions (Bragg diffraction and Bloch oscillations), we demonstrate the largest phase (12 million radians) of any Ramsey-Bordé interferometer and control systematic effects at a level of 0.12 part per billion. Comparison with Penning trap measurements of the electron gyromagnetic anomaly ge ‑ 2 via the Standard Model of particle physics is now limited by the uncertainty in ge ‑ 2; a 2.5σ tension rejects dark photons as the reason for the unexplained part of the muon’s magnetic moment at a 99% confidence level. Implications for dark-sector candidates and electron substructure may be a sign of physics beyond the Standard Model that warrants further investigation.

Sample-angle feedback for diffraction anomalous fine-structure spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cross, J.O.; Elam, W.T.; Harris, V.G.; Kirkland, J.P.; Bouldin, C.E.; Sorensen, L.B.

1998-01-01

Diffraction anomalous fine-structure (DAFS) experiments measure Bragg peak intensities as continuous functions of photon energy near a core-level excitation. Measuring the integrated intensity at each energy makes the experiments prohibitively slow; however, in many cases DAFS can be collected quickly by measuring only the peak intensity at the center of the rocking curve. A piezoelectric-actuator-driven stage has been designed and tested as part of a sample-angle feedback circuit for locking onto the maximum of the rocking curve while the energy is scanned. Although software peak-tracking requires only a simple calculation of diffractometer angles, it is found that the additional hardware feedback dramatically improves the reproducibility of the data

Monte Carlo Simulations of Electron Energy-Loss Spectra with the Addition of Fine Structure from Density Functional Theory Calculations.

Science.gov (United States)

Attarian Shandiz, Mohammad; Guinel, Maxime J-F; Ahmadi, Majid; Gauvin, Raynald

2016-02-01

A new approach is presented to introduce the fine structure of core-loss excitations into the electron energy-loss spectra of ionization edges by Monte Carlo simulations based on an optical oscillator model. The optical oscillator strength is refined using the calculated electron energy-loss near-edge structure by density functional theory calculations. This approach can predict the effects of multiple scattering and thickness on the fine structure of ionization edges. In addition, effects of the fitting range for background removal and the integration range under the ionization edge on signal-to-noise ratio are investigated.

Ultra-Fine Scale Spatially-Integrated Mapping of Habitat and Occupancy Using Structure-From-Motion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Philip McDowall

Full Text Available Organisms respond to and often simultaneously modify their environment. While these interactions are apparent at the landscape extent, the driving mechanisms often occur at very fine spatial scales. Structure-from-Motion (SfM, a computer vision technique, allows the simultaneous mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat, and will greatly improve our understanding of habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use. SfM can be used to create high-resolution (centimeter-scale three-dimensional (3D habitat models at low cost. These models can capture the abiotic conditions formed by terrain and simultaneously record the position of individual organisms within that terrain. While coloniality is common in seabird species, we have a poor understanding of the extent to which dense breeding aggregations are driven by fine-scale active aggregation or limited suitable habitat. We demonstrate the use of SfM for fine-scale habitat suitability by reconstructing the locations of nests in a gentoo penguin colony and fitting models that explicitly account for conspecific attraction. The resulting digital elevation models (DEMs are used as covariates in an inhomogeneous hybrid point process model. We find that gentoo penguin nest site selection is a function of the topography of the landscape, but that nests are far more aggregated than would be expected based on terrain alone, suggesting a strong role of behavioral aggregation in driving coloniality in this species. This integrated mapping of organisms and fine scale habitat will greatly improve our understanding of fine-scale habitat suitability, ecophysiology, and the complex bi-directional relationship between geomorphology and habitat use.

The Influence of Cue Reliability and Cue Representation on Spatial Reorientation in Young Children

Science.gov (United States)

Lyons, Ian M.; Huttenlocher, Janellen; Ratliff, Kristin R.

2014-01-01

Previous studies of children's reorientation have focused on cue representation (e.g., whether cues are geometric) as a predictor of performance but have not addressed cue reliability (the regularity of the relation between a given cue and an outcome) as a predictor of performance. Here we address both factors within the same series of…

Clonal diversity and fine-scale genetic structure in a high andean treeline population

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Peng, Y.; Macek, P.; Macková, Jana; Romoleroux, K.; Hensen, I.

2015-01-01

Roč. 47, č. 1 (2015), s. 59-65 ISSN 0006-3606 Grant - others:GA AV ČR(CZ) IAA601110702; GA MŠk(CZ) LM2010009 Program:IA Institutional support: RVO:60077344 Keywords : AFLP * clonal diversity * clonal propagation * fine-scale genetic structure * Polylepis reticulata * treeline Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.944, year: 2015

Fine structure of the CCl3 UV absorption spectrum and CCl3 kinetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ellermann, T.

1992-01-01

The UV gas-phase spectrum of CCl3 was recorded in the range 220-300 nm using pulse radiolysis of CHCl3/SF6 or CCl4/Ar gas mixtures. The UV spectrum exhibits a pronounced vibrational fine structure which is assigned to transition into the (C2A1'(3s)) Rydberg state. The vibronic progression has...

Evolution of the fine-structure constant in runaway dilaton models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martins, C.J.A.P., E-mail: Carlos.Martins@astro.up.pt [Centro de Astrofísica, Universidade do Porto, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Instituto de Astrofísica e Ciências do Espaço, CAUP, Rua das Estrelas, 4150-762 Porto (Portugal); Vielzeuf, P.E., E-mail: pvielzeuf@ifae.es [Institut de Física d' Altes Energies, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra (Barcelona) (Spain); Martinelli, M., E-mail: martinelli@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de [Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Heidelberg, Philosophenweg 16, 69120, Heidelberg (Germany); Calabrese, E., E-mail: erminia.calabrese@astro.ox.ac.uk [Sub-department of Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Pandolfi, S., E-mail: stefania@dark-cosmology.dk [Dark Cosmology Centre, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Juliane Maries Vej 30, DK-2100 Copenhagen (Denmark)

2015-04-09

We study the detailed evolution of the fine-structure constant α in the string-inspired runaway dilaton class of models of Damour, Piazza and Veneziano. We provide constraints on this scenario using the most recent α measurements and discuss ways to distinguish it from alternative models for varying α. For model parameters which saturate bounds from current observations, the redshift drift signal can differ considerably from that of the canonical ΛCDM paradigm at high redshifts. Measurements of this signal by the forthcoming European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), together with more sensitive α measurements, will thus dramatically constrain these scenarios.

Evolution of the fine-structure constant in runaway dilaton models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martins, C.J.A.P.; Vielzeuf, P.E.; Martinelli, M.; Calabrese, E.; Pandolfi, S.

2015-01-01

We study the detailed evolution of the fine-structure constant α in the string-inspired runaway dilaton class of models of Damour, Piazza and Veneziano. We provide constraints on this scenario using the most recent α measurements and discuss ways to distinguish it from alternative models for varying α. For model parameters which saturate bounds from current observations, the redshift drift signal can differ considerably from that of the canonical ΛCDM paradigm at high redshifts. Measurements of this signal by the forthcoming European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), together with more sensitive α measurements, will thus dramatically constrain these scenarios

Distortion product otoacoustic emission fine structure of symphony orchestra musicians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

2006-01-01

Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are sounds produced by the healthy inner ear. They can be measured as low-level signals in the ear canal and are used to monitor the functioning of outer hair cells.Several studies indicate that OAE might be a more sensitive measure to detect early noise-induced hearing...... losses than puretone audiometry. The distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) fine structure is obtained when the ear is stimulated by dual tone stimuli using a high frequency resolution. It is characterized by quasi-periodic variations across frequency, as it can be observed in the hearing...

Atomistic theory of excitonic fine structure in InAs/InP nanowire quantum dot molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Świderski, M.; Zieliński, M.

2017-03-01

Nanowire quantum dots have peculiar electronic and optical properties. In this work we use atomistic tight binding to study excitonic spectra of artificial molecules formed by a double nanowire quantum dot. We demonstrate a key role of atomistic symmetry and nanowire substrate orientation rather than cylindrical shape symmetry of a nanowire and a molecule. In particular for [001 ] nanowire orientation we observe a nonvanishing bright exciton splitting for a quasimolecule formed by two cylindrical quantum dots of different heights. This effect is due to interdot coupling that effectively reduces the overall symmetry, whereas single uncoupled [001 ] quantum dots have zero fine structure splitting. We found that the same double quantum dot system grown on [111 ] nanowire reveals no excitonic fine structure for all considered quantum dot distances and individual quantum dot heights. Further we demonstrate a pronounced, by several orders of magnitude, increase of the dark exciton optical activity in a quantum dot molecule as compared to a single quantum dot. For [111 ] systems we also show spontaneous localization of single particle states in one of nominally identical quantum dots forming a molecule, which is mediated by strain and origins from the lack of the vertical inversion symmetry in [111 ] nanostructures of overall C3 v symmetry. Finally, we study lowering of symmetry due to alloy randomness that triggers nonzero excitonic fine structure and the dark exciton optical activity in realistic nanowire quantum dot molecules of intermixed composition.

`Fingerprint' Fine Structure in the Solar Decametric Radio Spectrum Solar Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Zlotnik, E. Y.; Zaitsev, V. V.; Melnik, V. N.; Konovalenko, A. A.; Dorovskyy, V. V.

2015-07-01

We study a unique fine structure in the dynamic spectrum of the solar radio emission discovered by the UTR-2 radio telescope (Kharkiv, Ukraine) in the frequency band of 20 - 30 MHz. The structure was observed against the background of a broadband type IV radio burst and consisted of parallel drifting narrow bands of enhanced emission and absorption on the background emission. The observed structure differs from the widely known zebra pattern at meter and decimeter wavelengths by the opposite directions of the frequency drift within a single stripe at a given time. We show that the observed properties can be understood in the framework of the radiation mechanism by virtue of the double plasma resonance effect in a nonuniform coronal magnetic trap. We propose a source model providing the observed frequency drift of the stripes.

Band-Edge Exciton Fine Structure and Recombination Dynamics in InP/ZnS Colloidal Nanocrystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Biadala, Louis; Siebers, Benjamin; Beyazit, Yasin; Tessier, Mickaël D; Dupont, Dorian; Hens, Zeger; Yakovlev, Dmitri R; Bayer, Manfred

2016-03-22

We report on a temperature-, time-, and spectrally resolved study of the photoluminescence of type-I InP/ZnS colloidal nanocrystals with varying core size. By studying the exciton recombination dynamics we assess the exciton fine structure in these systems. In addition to the typical bright-dark doublet, the photoluminescence stems from an upper bright state in spite of its large energy splitting (∼100 meV). This striking observation results from dramatically lengthened thermalization processes among the fine structure levels and points to optical-phonon bottleneck effects in InP/ZnS nanocrystals. Furthermore, our data show that the radiative recombination of the dark exciton scales linearly with the bright-dark energy splitting for CdSe and InP nanocrystals. This finding strongly suggests a universal dangling bonds-assisted recombination of the dark exciton in colloidal nanostructures.

Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies of supported catalysts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joyner, R.W.

1979-01-01

Since the rebirth of interest in extended X-ray absorption fine structure there have been several studies of systems of catalytic interest. This note is a preliminary account of an investigation of supported platinum catalysts and NiO/Al 2 O 3 catalysts. Experiments were performed on pressed disc samples at the DESY synchrotron, Hamburg, using the EXAFS spectrometer. The synchrotron operated at 7 GeV energy with a circulating current of approximately 4 mA; spectrum accumulation time was typically 45 minutes. (author)

Reading in Healthy Aging: Selective Use of Information Structuring Cues

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Jessica M.; Sanford, Anthony J.

2018-01-01

Previous research has shown that information referring to a named character or to information in the main clause of a sentence is more accessible and facilitates the processing of anaphoric references. We investigated whether the use of such cues are maintained in healthy aging. We present two experiments investigating whether information…

Perceptions of Sexual Orientation From Minimal Cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Rule, Nicholas O

2017-01-01

People derive considerable amounts of information about each other from minimal nonverbal cues. Apart from characteristics typically regarded as obvious when encountering another person (e.g., age, race, and sex), perceivers can identify many other qualities about a person that are typically rather subtle. One such feature is sexual orientation. Here, I review the literature documenting the accurate perception of sexual orientation from nonverbal cues related to one's adornment, acoustics, actions, and appearance. In addition to chronicling studies that have demonstrated how people express and extract sexual orientation in each of these domains, I discuss some of the basic cognitive and perceptual processes that support these judgments, including how cues to sexual orientation manifest in behavioral (e.g., clothing choices) and structural (e.g., facial morphology) signals. Finally, I attend to boundary conditions in the accurate perception of sexual orientation, such as the states, traits, and group memberships that moderate individuals' ability to reliably decipher others' sexual orientation.

Helium induced fine structure in the electronic spectra of anthracene derivatives doped into superfluid helium nanodroplets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pentlehner, D.; Slenczka, A.

2015-01-01

Electronic spectra of organic molecules doped into superfluid helium nanodroplets show characteristic features induced by the helium environment. Besides a solvent induced shift of the electronic transition frequency, in many cases, a spectral fine structure can be resolved for electronic and vibronic transitions which goes beyond the expected feature of a zero phonon line accompanied by a phonon wing as known from matrix isolation spectroscopy. The spectral shape of the zero phonon line and the helium induced phonon wing depends strongly on the dopant species. Phonon wings, for example, are reported ranging from single or multiple sharp transitions to broad (Δν > 100 cm −1 ) diffuse signals. Despite the large number of example spectra in the literature, a quantitative understanding of the helium induced fine structure of the zero phonon line and the phonon wing is missing. Our approach is a systematic investigation of related molecular compounds, which may help to shed light on this key feature of microsolvation in superfluid helium droplets. This paper is part of a comparative study of the helium induced fine structure observed in electronic spectra of anthracene derivatives with particular emphasis on a spectrally sharp multiplet splitting at the electronic origin. In addition to previously discussed species, 9-cyanoanthracene and 9-chloroanthracene will be presented in this study for the first time

Probabilistic Cue Combination: Less Is More

Science.gov (United States)

Yurovsky, Daniel; Boyer, Ty W.; Smith, Linda B.; Yu, Chen

2013-01-01

Learning about the structure of the world requires learning probabilistic relationships: rules in which cues do not predict outcomes with certainty. However, in some cases, the ability to track probabilistic relationships is a handicap, leading adults to perform non-normatively in prediction tasks. For example, in the "dilution effect,"…

Cortical Correlates of Binaural Temporal Processing Deficits in Older Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Eddins, Ann Clock; Eddins, David A

This study was designed to evaluate binaural temporal processing in young and older adults using a binaural masking level difference (BMLD) paradigm. Using behavioral and electrophysiological measures within the same listeners, a series of stimulus manipulations was used to evaluate the relative contribution of binaural temporal fine-structure and temporal envelope cues. We evaluated the hypotheses that age-related declines in the BMLD task would be more strongly associated with temporal fine-structure than envelope cues and that age-related declines in behavioral measures would be correlated with cortical auditory evoked potential (CAEP) measures. Thirty adults participated in the study, including 10 young normal-hearing, 10 older normal-hearing, and 10 older hearing-impaired adults with bilaterally symmetric, mild-to-moderate sensorineural hearing loss. Behavioral and CAEP thresholds were measured for diotic (So) and dichotic (Sπ) tonal signals presented in continuous diotic (No) narrowband noise (50-Hz wide) maskers. Temporal envelope cues were manipulated by using two different narrowband maskers; Gaussian noise (GN) with robust envelope fluctuations and low-noise noise (LNN) with minimal envelope fluctuations. The potential to use temporal fine-structure cues was controlled by varying the signal frequency (500 or 4000 Hz), thereby relying on the natural decline in phase-locking with increasing frequency. Behavioral and CAEP thresholds were similar across groups for diotic conditions, while the masking release in dichotic conditions was larger for younger than for older participants. Across all participants, BMLDs were larger for GN than LNN and for 500-Hz than for 4000-Hz conditions, where envelope and fine-structure cues were most salient, respectively. Specific age-related differences were demonstrated for 500-Hz dichotic conditions in GN and LNN, reflecting reduced binaural temporal fine-structure coding. No significant age effects were observed for 4000

A psychophysical imaging method evidencing auditory cue extraction during speech perception: a group analysis of auditory classification images.

Science.gov (United States)

Varnet, Léo; Knoblauch, Kenneth; Serniclaes, Willy; Meunier, Fanny; Hoen, Michel

2015-01-01

Although there is a large consensus regarding the involvement of specific acoustic cues in speech perception, the precise mechanisms underlying the transformation from continuous acoustical properties into discrete perceptual units remains undetermined. This gap in knowledge is partially due to the lack of a turnkey solution for isolating critical speech cues from natural stimuli. In this paper, we describe a psychoacoustic imaging method known as the Auditory Classification Image technique that allows experimenters to estimate the relative importance of time-frequency regions in categorizing natural speech utterances in noise. Importantly, this technique enables the testing of hypotheses on the listening strategies of participants at the group level. We exemplify this approach by identifying the acoustic cues involved in da/ga categorization with two phonetic contexts, Al- or Ar-. The application of Auditory Classification Images to our group of 16 participants revealed significant critical regions on the second and third formant onsets, as predicted by the literature, as well as an unexpected temporal cue on the first formant. Finally, through a cluster-based nonparametric test, we demonstrate that this method is sufficiently sensitive to detect fine modifications of the classification strategies between different utterances of the same phoneme.

Effects of self-relevant cues and cue valence on autobiographical memory specificity in dysphoria.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Noboru; Mochizuki, Satoshi

2017-04-01

Reduced autobiographical memory specificity (rAMS) is a characteristic memory bias observed in depression. To corroborate the capture hypothesis in the CaRFAX (capture and rumination, functional avoidance, executive capacity and control) model, we investigated the effects of self-relevant cues and cue valence on rAMS using an adapted Autobiographical Memory Test conducted with a nonclinical population. Hierarchical linear modelling indicated that the main effects of depression and self-relevant cues elicited rAMS. Moreover, the three-way interaction among valence, self-relevance, and depression scores was significant. A simple slope test revealed that dysphoric participants experienced rAMS in response to highly self-relevant positive cues and low self-relevant negative cues. These results partially supported the capture hypothesis in nonclinical dysphoria. It is important to consider cue valence in future studies examining the capture hypothesis.

Fine structure of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance in 40Ca due to Landau damping?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Usman, I.; Buthelezi, Z.; Carter, J.; Cooper, G.R.J.; Fearick, R.W.; Foertsch, S.V.; Fujita, H.; Fujita, Y.; Kalmykov, Y.; Neumann-Cosel, P. von; Neveling, R.; Papakonstantinou, P.; Richter, A.; Roth, R.; Shevchenko, A.; Sideras-Haddad, E.; Smit, F.D.

2011-01-01

The fragmentation of the Isoscalar Giant Quadrupole Resonance (ISGQR) in 40 Ca has been investigated in high energy-resolution experiments using proton inelastic scattering at E p =200 MeV. Fine structure is observed in the region of the ISGQR and its characteristic energy scales are extracted from the experimental data by means of a wavelet analysis. The experimental scales are well described by Random Phase Approximation (RPA) and second-RPA calculations with an effective interaction derived from a realistic nucleon-nucleon interaction by the Unitary Correlation Operator Method (UCOM). In these results characteristic scales are already present at the mean-field level pointing to their origination in Landau damping, in contrast to the findings in heavier nuclei and also to SRPA calculations for 40 Ca based on phenomenological effective interactions, where fine structure is explained by the coupling to two-particle-two-hole (2p-2h) states.

Evidence from n=2 fine structure transitions for the production of fast excited state positronium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ley, R.; Niebling, K.D.; Schwarz, R.; Werth, G.

1990-01-01

Fine structure transitions in the first excited state of positronium (Ps) have been measured using 'Backscatter Ps' production on a Mo surface by observation of a change in the emitted Lyman-α intensity under resonant microwave irradiation. Production, fine structure transitions and Lyman-α decay of the Ps atoms took place inside a waveguide designed to transmit the microwave frequencies of 8.6, 13.0 and 18.5 GHz for the transitions from the 2 3 S 1 state to the 2 3 P J , J=2, 1, 0, states, respectively. In the presence of a magnetic field, all transitions observed show a shift to higher frequencies, compared with earlier calculations and measurements in zero magnetic field. The deviations exceed the expected Zeeman shift significantly but may be explained by assuming a motional Stark effect for Ps with kinetic energies of several eV. (author)

Diffraction anomalous fine-structure study of strained Ga1-xInxAs on GaAs(001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woicik, J.C.; Cross, J.O.; Bouldin, C.E.; Ravel, B.; Pellegrino, J.G.; Steiner, B.; Bompadre, S.G.; Sorensen, L.B.; Miyano, K.E.; Kirkland, J.P.

1998-01-01

Diffraction anomalous fine-structure measurements performed at both the Ga and As K edges have determined the Ga-As bond length to be 2.442±0.005thinsp Angstrom in a buried, 213-Angstrom-thick Ga 0.785 In 0.215 As layer grown coherently on GaAs(001). This bond length corresponds to a strain-induced contraction of 0.013±0.005thinsp Angstrom relative to the Ga-As bond length in bulk Ga 1-x In x As of the same composition. Together with recent extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure measurements performed at the In K edge [Woicik et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 5026 (1997)], excellent agreement is found with the uniform bond-length distortion model for strained-layer semiconductors on (001) substrates. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Flexible spatial perspective-taking: conversational partners weigh multiple cues in collaborative tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Galati, Alexia; Avraamides, Marios N

2013-01-01

Research on spatial perspective-taking often focuses on the cognitive processes of isolated individuals as they adopt or maintain imagined perspectives. Collaborative studies of spatial perspective-taking typically examine speakers' linguistic choices, while overlooking their underlying processes and representations. We review evidence from two collaborative experiments that examine the contribution of social and representational cues to spatial perspective choices in both language and the organization of spatial memory. Across experiments, speakers organized their memory representations according to the convergence of various cues. When layouts were randomly configured and did not afford intrinsic cues, speakers encoded their partner's viewpoint in memory, if available, but did not use it as an organizing direction. On the other hand, when the layout afforded an intrinsic structure, speakers organized their spatial memories according to the person-centered perspective reinforced by the layout's structure. Similarly, in descriptions, speakers considered multiple cues whether available a priori or at the interaction. They used partner-centered expressions more frequently (e.g., "to your right") when the partner's viewpoint was misaligned by a small offset or coincided with the layout's structure. Conversely, they used egocentric expressions more frequently when their own viewpoint coincided with the intrinsic structure or when the partner was misaligned by a computationally difficult, oblique offset. Based on these findings we advocate for a framework for flexible perspective-taking: people weigh multiple cues (including social ones) to make attributions about the relative difficulty of perspective-taking for each partner, and adapt behavior to minimize their collective effort. This framework is not specialized for spatial reasoning but instead emerges from the same principles and memory-depended processes that govern perspective-taking in non-spatial tasks.

In situ X-ray absorption fine structure studies on the structure of nickel phosphide catalyst supported on K-USY

CERN Document Server

Kawai, T; Suzuki, S

2003-01-01

Local structure around Ni in a nickel phosphide catalyst supported on K-USY was investigated by an situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) method during the reduction process of the catalyst and the hydrodesulfurization (HDS) reaction of thiophene. In the passivated sample, Ni phosphide was partially oxidized but after the reduction, 1.1 nm diameter Ni sub 2 P particles were formed with Ni-P and Ni-Ni distances at 0.218 and 0.261 nm, respectively, corresponding to those of bulk Ni sub 2 P. In situ XAFS cleary revealed that the Ni sub 2 P structure was stable under reaction conditions and was an active structure for the HDS process.

Cultural transmission of tool use combined with habitat specializations leads to fine-scale genetic structure in bottlenose dolphins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kopps, Anna M.; Ackermann, Corinne Y.; Sherwin, William B.; Allen, Simon J.; Bejder, Lars; Kruetzen, Michael

2014-01-01

Socially learned behaviours leading to genetic population structure have rarely been described outside humans. Here, we provide evidence of fine-scale genetic structure that has probably arisen based on socially transmitted behaviours in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in western Shark Bay,

Disentangling environmental and heritable nestmate recognition cues in a carpenter ant

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Zweden, Jelle S; Dreier, Stephanie; d'Ettorre, Patrizia

2009-01-01

Discriminating between group members and strangers is a key feature of social life. Nestmate recognition is very effective in social insects and is manifested by aggression and rejection of alien individuals, which are prohibited to enter the nest. Nestmate recognition is based on the quantitative...... variation in cuticular hydrocarbons, which can include heritable cues from the workers, as well as acquired cues from the environment or queen-derived cues. We tracked the profile of six colonies of the ant Camponotus aethiops for a year under homogeneous laboratory conditions. We performed chemical...... diagnostic power between colonies. The presence of a queen had little influence on nestmate discrimination abilities. Our results suggest that heritable cues of workers are the dominant factor influencing nestmate discrimination in these carpenter ants and highlight the importance of colony kin structure...

Fine structure of the mineralized teeth of the chiton Acanthopleura echinata (Mollusca: Polyplacophora).

Science.gov (United States)

Wealthall, Rosamund J; Brooker, Lesley R; Macey, David J; Griffin, Brendan J

2005-08-01

The major lateral teeth of the chiton Acanthopleura echinata are composite structures composed of three distinct mineral zones: a posterior layer of magnetite; a thin band of lepidocrocite just anterior to this; and apatite throughout the core and anterior regions of the cusp. Biomineralization in these teeth is a matrix-mediated process, in which the minerals are deposited around fibers, with the different biominerals described as occupying architecturally discrete compartments. In this study, a range of scanning electron microscopes was utilized to undertake a detailed in situ investigation of the fine structure of the major lateral teeth. The arrangement of the organic and biomineral components of the tooth is similar throughout the three zones, having no discrete borders between them, and with crystallites of each mineral phase extending into the adjacent mineral zone. Along the posterior surface of the tooth, the organic fibers are arranged in a series of fine parallel lines, but just within the periphery their appearance takes on a "fish scale"-like pattern, reflective of the cross section of a series of units that are overlaid, and offset from each other, in adjacent rows. The units are approximately 2 microm wide and 0.6 microm thick and comprise biomineral plates separated by organic fibers. Two types of subunits make up each "fish scale": one is elongate and curved and forms a trough, in which the other, rod-like unit, is nestled. Adjacent rod and trough units are aligned into large sheets that define the fracture plane of the tooth. The alignment of the plates of rod-trough units is complex and exhibits extreme spatial variation within the tooth cusp. Close to the posterior surface the plates are essentially horizontal and lie in a lateromedial plane, while anteriorly they are almost vertical and lie in the posteroanterior plane. An understanding of the fine structure of the mineralized teeth of chitons, and of the relationship between the organic and

Multiple reward-cue contingencies favor expectancy over uncertainty in shaping the reward-cue attentional salience.

Science.gov (United States)

De Tommaso, Matteo; Mastropasqua, Tommaso; Turatto, Massimo

2018-01-25

Reward-predicting cues attract attention because of their motivational value. A debated question regards the conditions under which the cue's attentional salience is governed more by reward expectancy rather than by reward uncertainty. To help shedding light on this relevant issue, here, we manipulated expectancy and uncertainty using three levels of reward-cue contingency, so that, for example, a high level of reward expectancy (p = .8) was compared with the highest level of reward uncertainty (p = .5). In Experiment 1, the best reward-cue during conditioning was preferentially attended in a subsequent visual search task. This result was replicated in Experiment 2, in which the cues were matched in terms of response history. In Experiment 3, we implemented a hybrid procedure consisting of two phases: an omission contingency procedure during conditioning, followed by a visual search task as in the previous experiments. Crucially, during both phases, the reward-cues were never task relevant. Results confirmed that, when multiple reward-cue contingencies are explored by a human observer, expectancy is the major factor controlling both the attentional and the oculomotor salience of the reward-cue.

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure: Studies of zinc-neutralized sulfonated polystyrene ionomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Y.S.; Yarusso, D.J.; Pan, H.K.D.; Cooper, S.L.

1984-01-01

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements were performed on a series of zinc-neutralized sulfonated polystyrene ionomers and the local structure around the zinc atom was determined. An interference effect in the EXAFS signal between sulfur and oxygen atoms was found to be significant in these materials. A model for the local structure in the zinc-neutralized sulfonated polystyrene ionomers is proposed which suggests a highly ordered tetrahedral coordination of oxygen around the zinc atoms at a distance of 1.97 +- 0.02 A. In addition there are four sulfur atoms and four oxygen atoms at a distance of 3.15 +- 0.05 A. No zinc-zinc coordination within 5 A was detected in this study

Fine structure and immunocytochemistry of a new chemosensory system in the Chiton larva (Mollusca: Polyplacophora)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haszprunar, Gerhard; Friedrich, Stefan; Wanninger, Andreas

2002-01-01

symmetrically situated pairs lying dorsolaterally and ventrolaterally in the pretrochal part of the trochophore-like larva and they send axons into the cerebral commissure. They are lost at metamorphosis. The fine structure of these cells strongly resembles that of so-called "ampullary cells" known from various...

Fine-scale population structure and the era of next-generation sequencing.

Science.gov (United States)

Henn, Brenna M; Gravel, Simon; Moreno-Estrada, Andres; Acevedo-Acevedo, Suehelay; Bustamante, Carlos D

2010-10-15

Fine-scale population structure characterizes most continents and is especially pronounced in non-cosmopolitan populations. Roughly half of the world's population remains non-cosmopolitan and even populations within cities often assort along ethnic and linguistic categories. Barriers to random mating can be ecologically extreme, such as the Sahara Desert, or cultural, such as the Indian caste system. In either case, subpopulations accumulate genetic differences if the barrier is maintained over multiple generations. Genome-wide polymorphism data, initially with only a few hundred autosomal microsatellites, have clearly established differences in allele frequency not only among continental regions, but also within continents and within countries. We review recent evidence from the analysis of genome-wide polymorphism data for genetic boundaries delineating human population structure and the main demographic and genomic processes shaping variation, and discuss the implications of population structure for the distribution and discovery of disease-causing genetic variants, in the light of the imminent availability of sequencing data for a multitude of diverse human genomes.

Estimation of non-linear effective permeability of magnetic materials with fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waki, H.; Igarashi, H.; Honma, T.

2006-01-01

This paper describes a homogenization method for magnetic materials with fine structure. In this method, the structures of the magnetic materials are assumed to be periodic, and the unit cell is defined. The effective permeability is determined on the basis of magnetic energy balance in the unit cell. This method can be applied not only for linear problems but also for non-linear ones. In this paper, estimation of the effective permeability of non-linear magnetic materials by using the homogenization method is described in detail, and then the validity for the non-liner problems is tested for two-dimensional problems. It is shown that this homogenization method gives accurate non-linear effective permeability

Mechanical cues in orofacial tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Brouwer, Katrien M; Lundvig, Ditte M S; Middelkoop, Esther; Wagener, Frank A D T G; Von den Hoff, Johannes W

2015-01-01

Cleft lip and palate patients suffer from functional, aesthetical, and psychosocial problems due to suboptimal regeneration of skin, mucosa, and skeletal muscle after restorative cleft surgery. The field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE/RM) aims to restore the normal physiology of tissues and organs in conditions such as birth defects or after injury. A crucial factor in cell differentiation, tissue formation, and tissue function is mechanical strain. Regardless of this, mechanical cues are not yet widely used in TE/RM. The effects of mechanical stimulation on cells are not straight-forward in vitro as cellular responses may differ with cell type and loading regime, complicating the translation to a therapeutic protocol. We here give an overview of the different types of mechanical strain that act on cells and tissues and discuss the effects on muscle, and skin and mucosa. We conclude that presently, sufficient knowledge is lacking to reproducibly implement external mechanical loading in TE/RM approaches. Mechanical cues can be applied in TE/RM by fine-tuning the stiffness and architecture of the constructs to guide the differentiation of the seeded cells or the invading surrounding cells. This may already improve the treatment of orofacial clefts and other disorders affecting soft tissues. © 2015 by the Wound Healing Society.

External cues challenging the internal appetite control system-Overview and practical implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Bilman, Els; van Kleef, Ellen; van Trijp, Hans

2017-09-02

Inadequate regulation of food intake plays an important role in the development of overweight and obesity, and is under the influence of both the internal appetite control system and external environmental cues. Especially in environments where food is overly available, external cues seem to override and/or undermine internal signals, which put severe challenges on the accurate regulation of food intake. By structuring these external cues around five different phases in the food consumption process this paper aims to provide an overview of the wide range of external cues that potentially facilitate or hamper internal signals and with that influence food intake. For each of the five phases of the food consumption process, meal initiation, meal planning, consumption phase, end of eating episode and time till next meal, the most relevant internal signals are discussed and it is explained how specific external cues exert their influence.

Cross-modal cueing in audiovisual spatial attention

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Blurton, Steven Paul; Greenlee, Mark W.; Gondan, Matthias

2015-01-01

effects have been reported for endogenous visual cues while exogenous cues seem to be mostly ineffective. In three experiments, we investigated cueing effects on the processing of audiovisual signals. In Experiment 1 we used endogenous cues to investigate their effect on the detection of auditory, visual......, and audiovisual targets presented with onset asynchrony. Consistent cueing effects were found in all target conditions. In Experiment 2 we used exogenous cues and found cueing effects only for visual target detection, but not auditory target detection. In Experiment 3 we used predictive exogenous cues to examine...

Effect of pictorial depth cues, binocular disparity cues and motion parallax depth cues on lightness perception in three-dimensional virtual scenes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michiteru Kitazaki

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Surface lightness perception is affected by scene interpretation. There is some experimental evidence that perceived lightness under bi-ocular viewing conditions is different from perceived lightness in actual scenes but there are also reports that viewing conditions have little or no effect on perceived color. We investigated how mixes of depth cues affect perception of lightness in three-dimensional rendered scenes containing strong gradients of illumination in depth.Observers viewed a virtual room (4 m width x 5 m height x 17.5 m depth with checkerboard walls and floor. In four conditions, the room was presented with or without binocular disparity (BD depth cues and with or without motion parallax (MP depth cues. In all conditions, observers were asked to adjust the luminance of a comparison surface to match the lightness of test surfaces placed at seven different depths (8.5-17.5 m in the scene. We estimated lightness versus depth profiles in all four depth cue conditions. Even when observers had only pictorial depth cues (no MP, no BD, they partially but significantly discounted the illumination gradient in judging lightness. Adding either MP or BD led to significantly greater discounting and both cues together produced the greatest discounting. The effects of MP and BD were approximately additive. BD had greater influence at near distances than far.These results suggest the surface lightness perception is modulated by three-dimensional perception/interpretation using pictorial, binocular-disparity, and motion-parallax cues additively. We propose a two-stage (2D and 3D processing model for lightness perception.

Revealing structure and assembly cues for Arabidopsis root-inhabiting bacterial microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulgarelli, Davide; Rott, Matthias; Schlaeppi, Klaus; Ver Loren van Themaat, Emiel; Ahmadinejad, Nahal; Assenza, Federica; Rauf, Philipp; Huettel, Bruno; Reinhardt, Richard; Schmelzer, Elmon; Peplies, Joerg; Gloeckner, Frank Oliver; Amann, Rudolf; Eickhorst, Thilo; Schulze-Lefert, Paul

2012-08-02

The plant root defines the interface between a multicellular eukaryote and soil, one of the richest microbial ecosystems on Earth. Notably, soil bacteria are able to multiply inside roots as benign endophytes and modulate plant growth and development, with implications ranging from enhanced crop productivity to phytoremediation. Endophytic colonization represents an apparent paradox of plant innate immunity because plant cells can detect an array of microbe-associated molecular patterns (also known as MAMPs) to initiate immune responses to terminate microbial multiplication. Several studies attempted to describe the structure of bacterial root endophytes; however, different sampling protocols and low-resolution profiling methods make it difficult to infer general principles. Here we describe methodology to characterize and compare soil- and root-inhabiting bacterial communities, which reveals not only a function for metabolically active plant cells but also for inert cell-wall features in the selection of soil bacteria for host colonization. We show that the roots of Arabidopsis thaliana, grown in different natural soils under controlled environmental conditions, are preferentially colonized by Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes and Actinobacteria, and each bacterial phylum is represented by a dominating class or family. Soil type defines the composition of root-inhabiting bacterial communities and host genotype determines their ribotype profiles to a limited extent. The identification of soil-type-specific members within the root-inhabiting assemblies supports our conclusion that these represent soil-derived root endophytes. Surprisingly, plant cell-wall features of other tested plant species seem to provide a sufficient cue for the assembly of approximately 40% of the Arabidopsis bacterial root-inhabiting microbiota, with a bias for Betaproteobacteria. Thus, this root sub-community may not be Arabidopsis-specific but saprophytic bacteria that would naturally be found

Flexible spatial perspective-taking: Conversational partners weigh multiple cues in collaborative tasks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexia eGalati

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Research on spatial perspective-taking often focuses on the cognitive processes of isolated individuals as they adopt or maintain imagined perspectives. Collaborative studies of spatial perspective-taking typically examine speakers’ linguistic choices, while overlooking their underlying processes and representations. We review evidence from two collaborative experiments that examine the contribution of social and representational cues to spatial perspective choices in both language and the organization of spatial memory. Across experiments, speakers organized their memory representations according to the convergence of various cues. When layouts were randomly configured and did not afford intrinsic cues, speakers encoded their partner’s viewpoint in memory, if available, but did not use it as an organizing direction. On the other hand, when the layout afforded an intrinsic structure, speakers organized their spatial memories according to the person-centered perspective reinforced by the layout’s structure. Similarly, in descriptions, speakers considered multiple cues whether available a priori or at the interaction. They used partner-centered expressions more frequently (e.g., to your right when the partner’s viewpoint was misaligned by a small offset or coincided with the layout’s structure. Conversely, they used egocentric expressions more frequently when their own viewpoint coincided with the intrinsic structure or when the partner was misaligned by a computationally difficult, oblique offset. Based on these findings we advocate for a framework for flexible perspective-taking: people weigh multiple cues (including social ones to make attributions about the relative difficulty of perspective-taking for each partner, and adapt behavior to minimize their collective effort. This framework is not specialized for spatial reasoning but instead emerges from the same principles and memory-depended processes that govern perspective-taking in

Multiwavelength anomalous diffraction and diffraction anomalous fine structure to study composition and strain of semiconductor nano structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favre-Nicolin, V.; Proietti, M.G.; Leclere, C.; Renevier, H.; Katcho, N.A.; Richard, M.I.

2012-01-01

The aim of this paper is to illustrate the use of Multi-Wavelength Anomalous Diffraction (MAD) and Diffraction Anomalous Fine Structure (DAFS) spectroscopy for the study of structural properties of semiconductor nano-structures. We give a brief introduction on the basic principles of these techniques providing a detailed bibliography. Then we focus on the data reduction and analysis and we give specific examples of their application on three different kinds of semiconductor nano-structures: Ge/Si nano-islands, AlN capped GaN/AlN Quantum Dots and AlGaN/AlN Nano-wires. We show that the combination of MAD and DAFS is a very powerful tool to solve the structural problem of these materials of high technological impact. In particular, the effects of composition and strain on diffraction are disentangled and composition can be determined in a reliable way, even at the interface between nano-structure and substrate. We show the great possibilities of this method and give the reader the basic tools to undertake its use. (authors)

Preconditioning of Spatial and Auditory Cues: Roles of the Hippocampus, Frontal Cortex, and Cue-Directed Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew C. Talk

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Loss of function of the hippocampus or frontal cortex is associated with reduced performance on memory tasks, in which subjects are incidentally exposed to cues at specific places in the environment and are subsequently asked to recollect the location at which the cue was experienced. Here, we examined the roles of the rodent hippocampus and frontal cortex in cue-directed attention during encoding of memory for the location of a single incidentally experienced cue. During a spatial sensory preconditioning task, rats explored an elevated platform while an auditory cue was incidentally presented at one corner. The opposite corner acted as an unpaired control location. The rats demonstrated recollection of location by avoiding the paired corner after the auditory cue was in turn paired with shock. Damage to either the dorsal hippocampus or the frontal cortex impaired this memory ability. However, we also found that hippocampal lesions enhanced attention directed towards the cue during the encoding phase, while frontal cortical lesions reduced cue-directed attention. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial sensory preconditioning caused by frontal cortical damage may be mediated by inattention to the location of cues during the latent encoding phase, while deficits following hippocampal damage must be related to other mechanisms such as generation of neural plasticity.

Preconditioning of Spatial and Auditory Cues: Roles of the Hippocampus, Frontal Cortex, and Cue-Directed Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Talk, Andrew C.; Grasby, Katrina L.; Rawson, Tim; Ebejer, Jane L.

2016-01-01

Loss of function of the hippocampus or frontal cortex is associated with reduced performance on memory tasks, in which subjects are incidentally exposed to cues at specific places in the environment and are subsequently asked to recollect the location at which the cue was experienced. Here, we examined the roles of the rodent hippocampus and frontal cortex in cue-directed attention during encoding of memory for the location of a single incidentally experienced cue. During a spatial sensory preconditioning task, rats explored an elevated platform while an auditory cue was incidentally presented at one corner. The opposite corner acted as an unpaired control location. The rats demonstrated recollection of location by avoiding the paired corner after the auditory cue was in turn paired with shock. Damage to either the dorsal hippocampus or the frontal cortex impaired this memory ability. However, we also found that hippocampal lesions enhanced attention directed towards the cue during the encoding phase, while frontal cortical lesions reduced cue-directed attention. These results suggest that the deficit in spatial sensory preconditioning caused by frontal cortical damage may be mediated by inattention to the location of cues during the latent encoding phase, while deficits following hippocampal damage must be related to other mechanisms such as generation of neural plasticity. PMID:27999366

Fine structure in the cluster decays of the translead nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, O.; Cioaca, C.

1994-06-01

Within the one level R-matrix approach several hindrance factors for the radioactive decays in which are emitted α and other nuclei (such as 14 C and 20 O) are calculated. The interior wave functions are supposed to be given by the shell model with effective residual interactions. The exterior wave functions are calculated from a cluster - nucleus double - folding model potential with the M3Y interaction. As examples of the cluster decay fine structure we analyzed the particular cases of α - decay of 255 Fm, 14 C - decay of 223 Ra and 20 O - decay of 229 Th and 225 Fm. Good agreement with the experimental data is obtained. (author). 38 refs, 6 tabs

Perceptual Real-Time 2D-to-3D Conversion Using Cue Fusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Leimkuhler, Thomas; Kellnhofer, Petr; Ritschel, Tobias; Myszkowski, Karol; Seidel, Hans-Peter

2018-06-01

We propose a system to infer binocular disparity from a monocular video stream in real-time. Different from classic reconstruction of physical depth in computer vision, we compute perceptually plausible disparity, that is numerically inaccurate, but results in a very similar overall depth impression with plausible overall layout, sharp edges, fine details and agreement between luminance and disparity. We use several simple monocular cues to estimate disparity maps and confidence maps of low spatial and temporal resolution in real-time. These are complemented by spatially-varying, appearance-dependent and class-specific disparity prior maps, learned from example stereo images. Scene classification selects this prior at runtime. Fusion of prior and cues is done by means of robust MAP inference on a dense spatio-temporal conditional random field with high spatial and temporal resolution. Using normal distributions allows this in constant-time, parallel per-pixel work. We compare our approach to previous 2D-to-3D conversion systems in terms of different metrics, as well as a user study and validate our notion of perceptually plausible disparity.

[Correlation of fine structures of distributions of amplitudes of a photomultiplier dark current fluctuations with the Earth rotations about its axis].

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorov, M V; Belousov, L V; Voeĭkov, V L; Zenchenko, K I; Zenchenko, T A; Konradov, A A; Shnol', S E

2001-01-01

The fine structures of distributions of photomultiplier dark current fluctuations measured in two laboratories 2000 km distant from other: in the international Institute of Biophysics (Neuss, Germany) and in the Moscow State University (Moscow, Russia) were compared. It is shown that similar forms of appropriate histograms are apparently more often realized at both locations at the same local time. This confirms the previous conclusion that the fine structure of distributions correlates with rotation of the Earth about its axis.

Grasp cueing and joint attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Tschentscher, Nadja; Fischer, Martin H

2008-10-01

We studied how two different hand posture cues affect joint attention in normal observers. Visual targets appeared over lateralized objects, with different delays after centrally presented hand postures. Attention was cued by either hand direction or the congruency between hand aperture and object size. Participants pressed a button when they detected a target. Direction cues alone facilitated target detection following short delays but aperture cues alone were ineffective. In contrast, when hand postures combined direction and aperture cues, aperture congruency effects without directional congruency effects emerged and persisted, but only for power grips. These results suggest that parallel parameter specification makes joint attention mechanisms exquisitely sensitive to the timing and content of contextual cues.

Fine structure of the giant M1 resonance in 90Zr.

Science.gov (United States)

Rusev, G; Tsoneva, N; Dönau, F; Frauendorf, S; Schwengner, R; Tonchev, A P; Adekola, A S; Hammond, S L; Kelley, J H; Kwan, E; Lenske, H; Tornow, W; Wagner, A

2013-01-11

The M1 excitations in the nuclide 90Zr have been studied in a photon-scattering experiment with monoenergetic and linearly polarized beams from 7 to 11 MeV. More than 40 J(π)=1+ states have been identified from observed ground-state transitions, revealing the fine structure of the giant M1 resonance with a centroid energy of 9 MeV and a sum strength of 4.17(56) μ(N)(2). The result for the total M1 strength and its fragmentation are discussed in the framework of the three-phonon quasiparticle-phonon model.

Exciton fine structure in CdSe nanoclusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leung, K.; Pokrant, S.; Whaley, K.B.

1998-01-01

The fine structure in the CdSe nanocrystal absorption spectrum is computed by incorporating two-particle electron-hole interactions and spin-orbit coupling into a tight-binding model, with an expansion in electron-hole single-particle states. The exchange interaction and spin-orbit coupling give rise to dark, low-lying states that are predominantly triplet in character, as well as to a manifold of exciton states that are sensitive to the nanocrystal shape. Near the band gap, the exciton degeneracies are in qualitative agreement with the effective mass approximation (EMA). However, instead of the infinite lifetimes for dark states characteristic of the EMA, we obtain finite radiative lifetimes for the dark states. In particular, for the lowest, predominantly triplet, states we obtain radiative lifetimes of microseconds, in qualitative agreement with the experimental measured lifetimes. The resonant Stokes shifts obtained from the splitting between the lowest dark and bright states are also in good agreement with experimental values for larger crystallites. Higher-lying states exhibit significantly more complex behavior than predicted by EMA, due to extensive mixing of electron-hole pair states. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

Impact of DCS-facilitated cue exposure therapy on brain activation to cocaine cues in cocaine dependence.

Science.gov (United States)

Prisciandaro, James J; Myrick, Hugh; Henderson, Scott; McRae-Clark, Aimee L; Santa Ana, Elizabeth J; Saladin, Michael E; Brady, Kathleen T

2013-09-01

The development of addiction is marked by a pathological associative learning process that imbues incentive salience to stimuli associated with drug use. Recent efforts to treat addiction have targeted this learning process using cue exposure therapy augmented with d-cycloserine (DCS), a glutamatergic agent hypothesized to enhance extinction learning. To better understand the impact of DCS-facilitated extinction on neural reactivity to drug cues, the present study reports fMRI findings from a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of DCS-facilitated cue exposure for cocaine dependence. Twenty-five participants completed two MRI sessions (before and after intervention), with a cocaine-cue reactivity fMRI task. The intervention consisted of 50mg of DCS or placebo, combined with two sessions of cocaine cue exposure and skills training. Participants demonstrated cocaine cue activation in a variety of brain regions at baseline. From the pre- to post-study scan, participants experienced decreased activation to cues in a number of regions (e.g., accumbens, caudate, frontal poles). Unexpectedly, placebo participants experienced decreases in activation to cues in the left angular and middle temporal gyri and the lateral occipital cortex, while DCS participants did not. Three trials of DCS-facilitated cue exposure therapy for cocaine dependence have found that DCS either increases or does not significantly impact response to cocaine cues. The present study adds to this literature by demonstrating that DCS may prevent extinction to cocaine cues in temporal and occipital brain regions. Although consistent with past research, results from the present study should be considered preliminary until replicated in larger samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cue integration vs. exemplar-based reasoning in multi-attribute decisions from memory: A matter of cue representation

OpenAIRE

Arndt Broeder; Ben R. Newell; Christine Platzer

2010-01-01

Inferences about target variables can be achieved by deliberate integration of probabilistic cues or by retrieving similar cue-patterns (exemplars) from memory. In tasks with cue information presented in on-screen displays, rule-based strategies tend to dominate unless the abstraction of cue-target relations is unfeasible. This dominance has also been demonstrated --- surprisingly --- in experiments that demanded the retrieval of cue values from memory (M. Persson \\& J. Rieskamp, 2009). In th...

Implicit Sequence Learning and Contextual Cueing Do Not Compete for Central Cognitive Resources

Science.gov (United States)

Jimenez, Luis; Vazquez, Gustavo A.

2011-01-01

Sequence learning and contextual cueing explore different forms of implicit learning, arising from practice with a structured serial task, or with a search task with informative contexts. We assess whether these two learning effects arise simultaneously when both remain implicit. Experiments 1 and 2 confirm that a cueing effect can be observed…

Content and structure of future teachers’ aesthetic perception of fine and decorative applied art creations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liudmyla Lisunova

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The content and structure of future teachers’ aesthetic perception of fine and decorativeapplied art creations in the system of professional training are delivered in this article. Thestructural components and stages (phases of aesthetic perception process are determined, therole of art as the most powerful source of reality in the process of future teachers’ aestheticperception of art are revealed.Key words: contents and structure of aesthetic perception, future teachers of art, fineand decorative applied art creations

On the origin of fine structure in the photoluminescence spectra of the β-sialon:Eu2+ green phosphor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohsei Takahashi, Ken-ichi Yoshimura, Masamichi Harada, Yoshitaka Tomomura, Takashi Takeda, Rong-Jun Xie and Naoto Hirosaki

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The photoluminescence (PL and PL excitation (PLE spectra of Si6−zAlzOzN8−z (β-sialon:Eu2+ phosphors with small z values (z=0.025–0.24 were studied at room temperature and 6 K. The PL and PLE spectra exhibit fine structure with the PL lines being as sharp as 45–55 nm even at room temperature; this fine structure was enhanced by decreasing the z value. These results can be used for expanding the color gamut of liquid crystal displays, particularly in the blue–green region. From low-temperature measurements, the fine PLE structure was ascribed to discrete energy levels of 7FJ states. The 4f65d excited states of Eu2+ are considered to be localized near the 4f orbital. This is because the bonding of Eu2+ with surrounding atoms is ionic rather than covalent. Lattice phonon absorptions were also observed in the PLE spectrum, revealing that the optically active Eu2+ ions are located in the β-sialon crystal. The PL spectrum of the sample with the smallest z value (0.025 consists of a sharp zero-phonon line and lattice phonon replicas, which results in a sharp and asymmetric spectral shape.

On the effects of the two-body non-fine-structure operators of the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badnell, N.R.

1997-01-01

We have incorporated the two-body non-fine-structure operators of the Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian, namely contact spin-spin, two-body Darwin and orbit-orbit, into the program AUTOSTRUCTURE. Illustrative results are presented, including some for reactions involving the process of autoionization. (author)

The structure of hydrate bearing fine grained marine sediments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Priest, J.; Kingston, E.; Clayton, C. [Southampton Univ., Highfield (United Kingdom). School of Civil Engineering and the Environment; Schultheiss, P.; Druce, M. [Geotek Ltd., Daventry (United Kingdom)

2008-07-01

This paper discussed the structure of naturally occurring methane gas hydrates in fine-grained sediments from core samples recovered using in situ pressures from the eastern margin of the Indian Ocean. High resolution X-ray computed tomography (CT) images were taken of gas hydrate cores. The hydrate structure was examined and comparisons were made between low resolution X-ray images obtained on the cores prior to sub-sectioning and depressurization procedures. The X-ray images showed the presence of high-angle, sub-parallel veins within the recovered sediments. The scans indicated that the hydrates occurred as fracture filing veins throughout the core. Fracture orientation was predominantly sub-vertical. Thick millimetric hydrate veins were composed of sub-millimetric veins with variations in fracture angle. The analysis indicated that hydrate formation was episodic in nature and subject to changes in the stress regime. Results of the study showed that depressurization and subsequent freezing alter the structure of the sediment even when the gas hydrate has not been altered. A large proportion of the hydrate survived when outside of its stability region. The self-preserving behaviour of the hydrate was attributed to the endothermic nature of gas hydrate dissociation. It was concluded that the accurate physical characterization of gas hydrates can only be conducted when the core section remains under in situ stress conditions. 13 refs., 9 figs.

A psychophysical imaging method evidencing auditory cue extraction during speech perception: a group analysis of auditory classification images.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Léo Varnet

Full Text Available Although there is a large consensus regarding the involvement of specific acoustic cues in speech perception, the precise mechanisms underlying the transformation from continuous acoustical properties into discrete perceptual units remains undetermined. This gap in knowledge is partially due to the lack of a turnkey solution for isolating critical speech cues from natural stimuli. In this paper, we describe a psychoacoustic imaging method known as the Auditory Classification Image technique that allows experimenters to estimate the relative importance of time-frequency regions in categorizing natural speech utterances in noise. Importantly, this technique enables the testing of hypotheses on the listening strategies of participants at the group level. We exemplify this approach by identifying the acoustic cues involved in da/ga categorization with two phonetic contexts, Al- or Ar-. The application of Auditory Classification Images to our group of 16 participants revealed significant critical regions on the second and third formant onsets, as predicted by the literature, as well as an unexpected temporal cue on the first formant. Finally, through a cluster-based nonparametric test, we demonstrate that this method is sufficiently sensitive to detect fine modifications of the classification strategies between different utterances of the same phoneme.

An Eye Tracking Comparison of External Pointing Cues and Internal Continuous Cues in Learning with Complex Animations

Science.gov (United States)

Boucheix, Jean-Michel; Lowe, Richard K.

2010-01-01

Two experiments used eye tracking to investigate a novel cueing approach for directing learner attention to low salience, high relevance aspects of a complex animation. In the first experiment, comprehension of a piano mechanism animation containing spreading-colour cues was compared with comprehension obtained with arrow cues or no cues. Eye…

Introspective responses to cues and motivation to reduce cigarette smoking influence state and behavioral responses to cue exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Veilleux, Jennifer C; Skinner, Kayla D

2016-09-01

In the current study, we aimed to extend smoking cue-reactivity research by evaluating delay discounting as an outcome of cigarette cue exposure. We also separated introspection in response to cues (e.g., self-reporting craving and affect) from cue exposure alone, to determine if introspection changes behavioral responses to cigarette cues. Finally, we included measures of quit motivation and resistance to smoking to assess motivational influences on cue exposure. Smokers were invited to participate in an online cue-reactivity study. Participants were randomly assigned to view smoking images or neutral images, and were randomized to respond to cues with either craving and affect questions (e.g., introspection) or filler questions. Following cue exposure, participants completed a delay discounting task and then reported state affect, craving, and resistance to smoking, as well as an assessment of quit motivation. We found that after controlling for trait impulsivity, participants who introspected on craving and affect showed higher delay discounting, irrespective of cue type, but we found no effect of response condition on subsequent craving (e.g., craving reactivity). We also found that motivation to quit interacted with experimental conditions to predict state craving and state resistance to smoking. Although asking about craving during cue exposure did not increase later craving, it resulted in greater delaying of discounted rewards. Overall, our findings suggest the need to further assess the implications of introspection and motivation on behavioral outcomes of cue exposure. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a fine and ultra-fine group cell calculation code SLAROM-UF for fast reactor analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazama, Taira; Chiba, Go; Sugino, Kazuteru

2006-01-01

A cell calculation code SLAROM-UF has been developed for fast reactor analyses to produce effective cross sections with high accuracy in practical computing time, taking full advantage of fine and ultra-fine group calculation schemes. The fine group calculation covers the whole energy range in a maximum of 900-group structure. The structure is finer above 52.5 keV with a minimum lethargy width of 0.008. The ultra-fine group calculation solves the slowing down equation below 52.5 keV to treat resonance structures directly and precisely including resonance interference effects. Effective cross sections obtained in the two calculations are combined to produce effective cross sections over the entire energy range. Calculation accuracy and improvements from conventional 70-group cell calculation results were investigated through comparisons with reference values obtained with continuous energy Monte Carlo calculations. It was confirmed that SLAROM-UF reduces the difference in k-infinity from 0.15 to 0.01% for a JOYO MK-I fuel subassembly lattice cell calculation, and from - 0.21% to less than a statistical uncertainty of the reference calculation of 0.03% for a ZPPR-10A core criticality calculation. (author)

Effects of cue-exposure treatment on neural cue reactivity in alcohol dependence: a randomized trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollstädt-Klein, Sabine; Loeber, Sabine; Kirsch, Martina; Bach, Patrick; Richter, Anne; Bühler, Mira; von der Goltz, Christoph; Hermann, Derik; Mann, Karl; Kiefer, Falk

2011-06-01

In alcohol-dependent patients, alcohol-associated cues elicit brain activation in mesocorticolimbic networks involved in relapse mechanisms. Cue-exposure based extinction training (CET) has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of alcoholism; however, it has remained unexplored whether CET mediates its therapeutic effects via changes of activity in mesolimbic networks in response to alcohol cues. In this study, we assessed CET treatment effects on cue-induced responses using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In a randomized controlled trial, abstinent alcohol-dependent patients were randomly assigned to a CET group (n = 15) or a control group (n = 15). All patients underwent an extended detoxification treatment comprising medically supervised detoxification, health education, and supportive therapy. The CET patients additionally received nine CET sessions over 3 weeks, exposing the patient to his/her preferred alcoholic beverage. Cue-induced fMRI activation to alcohol cues was measured at pretreatment and posttreatment. Compared with pretreatment, fMRI cue-reactivity reduction was greater in the CET relative to the control group, especially in the anterior cingulate gyrus and the insula, as well as limbic and frontal regions. Before treatment, increased cue-induced fMRI activation was found in limbic and reward-related brain regions and in visual areas. After treatment, the CET group showed less activation than the control group in the left ventral striatum. The study provides first evidence that an exposure-based psychotherapeutic intervention in the treatment of alcoholism impacts on brain areas relevant for addiction memory and attentional focus to alcohol-associated cues and affects mesocorticolimbic reward pathways suggested to be pathophysiologically involved in addiction. Copyright © 2011 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Global Repetition Influences Contextual Cueing

Science.gov (United States)

Zang, Xuelian; Zinchenko, Artyom; Jia, Lina; Li, Hong

2018-01-01

Our visual system has a striking ability to improve visual search based on the learning of repeated ambient regularities, an effect named contextual cueing. Whereas most of the previous studies investigated contextual cueing effect with the same number of repeated and non-repeated search displays per block, the current study focused on whether a global repetition frequency formed by different presentation ratios between the repeated and non-repeated configurations influence contextual cueing effect. Specifically, the number of repeated and non-repeated displays presented in each block was manipulated: 12:12, 20:4, 4:20, and 4:4 in Experiments 1–4, respectively. The results revealed a significant contextual cueing effect when the global repetition frequency is high (≥1:1 ratio) in Experiments 1, 2, and 4, given that processing of repeated displays was expedited relative to non-repeated displays. Nevertheless, the contextual cueing effect reduced to a non-significant level when the repetition frequency reduced to 4:20 in Experiment 3. These results suggested that the presentation frequency of repeated relative to the non-repeated displays could influence the strength of contextual cueing. In other words, global repetition statistics could be a crucial factor to mediate contextual cueing effect. PMID:29636716

The impact of mating systems and dispersal on fine-scale genetic structure at maternally, paternally and biparentally inherited markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Robyn E; Banks, Sam C; Peakall, Rod

2018-01-01

For decades, studies have focused on how dispersal and mating systems influence genetic structure across populations or social groups. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of how these processes and their interaction shape spatial genetic patterns over a finer scale (tens-hundreds of metres). Using uniparentally inherited markers may help answer these questions, yet their potential has not been fully explored. Here, we use individual-level simulations to investigate the effects of dispersal and mating system on fine-scale genetic structure at autosomal, mitochondrial and Y chromosome markers. Using genetic spatial autocorrelation analysis, we found that dispersal was the major driver of fine-scale genetic structure across maternally, paternally and biparentally inherited markers. However, when dispersal was restricted (mean distance = 100 m), variation in mating behaviour created strong differences in the comparative level of structure detected at maternally and paternally inherited markers. Promiscuity reduced spatial genetic structure at Y chromosome loci (relative to monogamy), whereas structure increased under polygyny. In contrast, mitochondrial and autosomal markers were robust to differences in the specific mating system, although genetic structure increased across all markers when reproductive success was skewed towards fewer individuals. Comparing males and females at Y chromosome vs. mitochondrial markers, respectively, revealed that some mating systems can generate similar patterns to those expected under sex-biased dispersal. This demonstrates the need for caution when inferring ecological and behavioural processes from genetic results. Comparing patterns between the sexes, across a range of marker types, may help us tease apart the processes shaping fine-scale genetic structure. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Usage of Crushed Concrete Fines in Decorative Concrete

Science.gov (United States)

Pilipenko, Anton; Bazhenova, Sofia

2017-10-01

The article is devoted to the questions of usage of crushed concrete fines from concrete scrap for the production of high-quality decorative composite materials based on mixed binder. The main problem in the application of crushed concrete in the manufacture of decorative concrete products is extremely low decorative properties of crushed concrete fines itself, as well as concrete products based on them. However, crushed concrete fines could have a positive impact on the structure of the concrete matrix and could improve the environmental and economic characteristics of the concrete products. Dust fraction of crushed concrete fines contains non-hydrated cement grains, which can be opened in screening process due to the low strength of the contact zone between the hydrated and non-hydrated cement. In addition, the screening process could increase activity of the crushed concrete fines, so it can be used as a fine aggregate and filler for concrete mixes. Previous studies have shown that the effect of the usage of the crushed concrete fines is small and does not allow to obtain concrete products with high strength. However, it is possible to improve the efficiency of the crushed concrete fines as a filler due to the complex of measures prior to mixing. Such measures may include a preliminary mechanochemical activation of the binder (cement binder, iron oxide pigment, silica fume and crushed concrete fines), as well as the usage of polycarboxylate superplasticizers. The development of specific surface area of activated crushed concrete fines ensures strong adhesion between grains of binder and filler during the formation of cement stone matrix. The particle size distribution of the crushed concrete fines could achieve the densest structure of cement stone matrix and improve its resistance to environmental effects. The authors examined the mechanisms of structure of concrete products with crushed concrete fines as a filler. The results of studies of the properties of

Fine structure of Tibetan kefir grains and their yeast distribution, diversity, and shift.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Man Lu

Full Text Available Tibetan kefir grains (TKGs, a kind of natural starter for fermented milk in Tibet, China, host various microorganisms of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and occasionally acetic acid bacteria in a polysaccharide/protein matrix. In the present study, the fine structure of TKGs was studied to shed light on this unusual symbiosis with stereomicroscopy and thin sections. The results reveal that TKGs consist of numerous small grain units, which are characterized by a hollow globular structure with a diameter between 2.0 and 9.0 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 200 µm. A polyhedron-like net structure, formed mainly by the bacteria, was observed in the wall of the grain units, which has not been reported previously to our knowledge. Towards the inside of the grain unit, the polyhedron-like net structures became gradually larger in diameter and fewer in number. Such fine structures may play a crucial role in the stability of the grains. Subsequently, the distribution, diversity, and shift of yeasts in TKGs were investigated based on thin section, scanning electron microscopy, cloning and sequencing of D1/D2 of the 26S rRNA gene, real-time quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization with specific fluorescence-labeled oligonucleotide probes. These show that (i yeasts appear to localize on the outer surface of the grains and grow normally together to form colonies embedded in the bacterial community; (ii the diversity of yeasts is relatively low on genus level with three dominant species--Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Yarrowia lipolytica; (iii S. cerevisiae is the stable predominant yeast species, while the composition of Kluyveromyces and Yarrowia are subject to change over time. Our results indicate that TKGs are relatively stable in structure, and culture conditions to some extent shape the microbial community and interaction in kefir grains. These findings pave the way for further study of the specific symbiotic

Fine Structure of Tibetan Kefir Grains and Their Yeast Distribution, Diversity, and Shift

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Man; Wang, Xingxing; Sun, Guowei; Qin, Bing; Xiao, Jinzhou; Yan, Shuling; Pan, Yingjie; Wang, Yongjie

2014-01-01

Tibetan kefir grains (TKGs), a kind of natural starter for fermented milk in Tibet, China, host various microorganisms of lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and occasionally acetic acid bacteria in a polysaccharide/protein matrix. In the present study, the fine structure of TKGs was studied to shed light on this unusual symbiosis with stereomicroscopy and thin sections. The results reveal that TKGs consist of numerous small grain units, which are characterized by a hollow globular structure with a diameter between 2.0 and 9.0 mm and a wall thickness of approximately 200 µm. A polyhedron-like net structure, formed mainly by the bacteria, was observed in the wall of the grain units, which has not been reported previously to our knowledge. Towards the inside of the grain unit, the polyhedron-like net structures became gradually larger in diameter and fewer in number. Such fine structures may play a crucial role in the stability of the grains. Subsequently, the distribution, diversity, and shift of yeasts in TKGs were investigated based on thin section, scanning electron microscopy, cloning and sequencing of D1/D2 of the 26S rRNA gene, real-time quantitative PCR, and in situ hybridization with specific fluorescence-labeled oligonucleotide probes. These show that (i) yeasts appear to localize on the outer surface of the grains and grow normally together to form colonies embedded in the bacterial community; (ii) the diversity of yeasts is relatively low on genus level with three dominant species – Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces marxianus, and Yarrowia lipolytica; (iii) S. cerevisiae is the stable predominant yeast species, while the composition of Kluyveromyces and Yarrowia are subject to change over time. Our results indicate that TKGs are relatively stable in structure, and culture conditions to some extent shape the microbial community and interaction in kefir grains. These findings pave the way for further study of the specific symbiotic associations between S

Fine-structural changes in the midgut of old Drosophila melanogaster

Science.gov (United States)

Anton-Erxleben, F.; Miquel, J.; Philpott, D. E.

1983-01-01

Senescent fine-structural changes in the midgut of Drosophila melanogaster are investigated. A large number of midgut mitochondria in old flies exhibit nodular cristae and a tubular system located perpendicular to the normal cristae orientation. Anterior intestinal cells show a senescent accumulation of age pigment, either with a surrounding two-unit membrane or without any membrane. The predominant localization of enlarged mitochondria and pigment in the luminal gut region may be related to the polarized metabolism of the intestinal cells. Findings concur with previous observations of dense-body accumulations and support the theory that mitochondria are involved in the aging of fixed post-mitotic cells. Demonstrated by statistical analyses is that mitochondrial size increase is related to mitochondrial variation increase.

The fine structure of the sperm of the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus)

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Jeffrey D.; Walker, Glenn K.; Nichols, Susan J.; Sorenson, Dorothy

2004-01-01

The fine structural details of the spermatozoon of the round goby are presented for the first time in this study. Scanning and transmission electron microscopic examination of testis reveals an anacrosomal spermatozoon with a slightly elongate head and uniformly compacted chromatin. The midpiece contains a single, spherical mitochondrion. Two perpendicularly oriented centrioles lie in a deep, eccentric nuclear fossa with no regularly observed connection to the nucleus. The flagellum develops bilateral fins soon after emerging from the fossa; each extends approximately 1 A?m from the axoneme and persists nearly the length of the flagellum.

EXANA, a program for analysing EXtended energy loss fine structures, EXELFS spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tafreshi, M.A.; Bohm, C.; Csillag, S.

1992-09-01

This paper is a users guide and reference manual for the EXANA, an IBM or IBM compatible PC-based program used for analysing extended fine structures occurring on the high energy side of the ionisation edges. The RDF (Radial Distance Function) obtained from this analysis contains information about the number, distance, and type of the nearby atoms, as well as the inelastic mean free path and disorder in distances from the centre atom to the atoms in a atomic shell around it. The program can be made available on request. (au)

New Constraints on Spatial Variations of the Fine Structure Constant from Clusters of Galaxies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivan De Martino

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We have constrained the spatial variation of the fine structure constant using multi-frequency measurements of the thermal Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect of 618 X-ray selected clusters. Although our results are not competitive with the ones from quasar absorption lines, we improved by a factor 10 and ∼2.5 previous results from Cosmic Microwave Background power spectrum and from galaxy clusters, respectively.

Plant surface cues prime Ustilago maydis for biotrophic development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Lanver

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Infection-related development of phytopathogenic fungi is initiated by sensing and responding to plant surface cues. This response can result in the formation of specialized infection structures, so-called appressoria. To unravel the program inducing filaments and appressoria in the biotrophic smut fungus Ustilago maydis, we exposed cells to a hydrophobic surface and the cutin monomer 16-hydroxy hexadecanoic acid. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling at the pre-penetration stage documented dramatic transcriptional changes in almost 20% of the genes. Comparisons with the U. maydis sho1 msb2 double mutant, lacking two putative sensors for plant surface cues, revealed that these plasma membrane receptors regulate a small subset of the surface cue-induced genes comprising mainly secreted proteins including potential plant cell wall degrading enzymes. Targeted gene deletion analysis ascribed a role to up-regulated GH51 and GH62 arabinofuranosidases during plant penetration. Among the sho1/msb2-dependently expressed genes were several secreted effectors that are essential for virulence. Our data also demonstrate specific effects on two transcription factors that redirect the transcriptional regulatory network towards appressorium formation and plant penetration. This shows that plant surface cues prime U. maydis for biotrophic development.

Fusion reaction yield in focused discharges with variable energy and plasma fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bortolotti, A.; Brzosko, J.S.; Chiara, P. De; Kilic, H.; Mezzetti, F.; Nardi, V.; Powell, C.; Wang, J.

1992-01-01

The same linear correlation between the distribution parameters (ΔT and Max ΔV) of the radial current density J between electrodes and the fusion reaction yield per pulse, Y, in the plasma focus (PF) pinch was quantitatively determined from different PF machines. Contact prints of current-sheath fragments (CSF) ejected from the pinch are obtained from 2.5-MeV-D + ions. CSF's show the same submillimetric fine structure of the pinch. (author) 3 refs., 2 tabs

Polarized fine structure in the excitation spectrum of a negatively charged quantum dot

OpenAIRE

Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Gammon, D.; Doty, M. F.; Bracker, A. S.; Gershoni, D.; Korenev, V. L.; Badescu, S. C.; Lyanda-Geller, Y.; Reinecke, T. L.

2005-01-01

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge tunable InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of qua...

The 16th International Conference on X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS16)

Science.gov (United States)

Grunwaldt, J.-D.; Hagelstein, M.; Rothe, J.

2016-05-01

This preface of the proceedings volume of the 16th International Conference on X- ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS16) gives a glance on the five days of cutting-edge X-ray science which were held in Karlsruhe, Germany, August 23 - 28, 2015. In addition, several satellite meetings took place in Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart, a Sino-German workshop, three data analysis tutorials as well as special symposia on industrial catalysis and XFELs were held at the conference venue.

Galaxy clusters, type Ia supernovae and the fine structure constant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holanda, R.F.L. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, street Baraúnas, Campina Grande, PB, 58429-500 (Brazil); Busti, V.C. [Departamento de Física Matemática, Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 66318, São Paulo, SP, CEP 05508-090 Brazil (Brazil); Colaço, L.R. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, street Aprígio Veloso, Campina Grande, PB, 58429-900 (Brazil); Alcaniz, J.S. [Observatório Nacional, Street José Cristino, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 20921-400 (Brazil); Landau, S.J., E-mail: holanda@uepb.edu.br, E-mail: viniciusbusti@gmail.com, E-mail: colacolrc@gmail.com, E-mail: alcaniz@on.br, E-mail: slandau@df.uba.ar [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Viamonte, Buenos Aires, 1053 Argentina (Argentina)

2016-08-01

As is well known, measurements of the Sunyaev-Zeldovich effect can be combined with observations of the X-ray surface brightness of galaxy clusters to estimate the angular diameter distance to these structures. In this paper, we show that this technique depends on the fine structure constant, α. Therefore, if α is a time-dependent quantity, e.g., α = α{sub 0}φ( z ), where φ is a function of redshift, we argue that current data do not provide the real angular diameter distance, D {sub A}( z ), to the cluster, but instead D {sub A}{sup data}( z ) = φ( z ){sup 2} D {sub A}( z ). We use this result to derive constraints on a possible variation of α for a class of dilaton runaway models considering a sample of 25 measurements of D {sub A}{sup data}( z ) in redshift range 0.023 < z < 0.784 and estimates of D {sub A}( z ) from current type Ia supernovae observations. We find no significant indication of variation of α with the present data.

Chromospheric counterparts of solar transition region unresolved fine structure loops

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Tiago M. D.; Rouppe van der Voort, Luc; Hansteen, Viggo H.; De Pontieu, Bart

2018-04-01

Low-lying loops have been discovered at the solar limb in transition region temperatures by the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph (IRIS). They do not appear to reach coronal temperatures, and it has been suggested that they are the long-predicted unresolved fine structures (UFS). These loops are dynamic and believed to be visible during both heating and cooling phases. Making use of coordinated observations between IRIS and the Swedish 1-m Solar Telescope, we study how these loops impact the solar chromosphere. We show for the first time that there is indeed a chromospheric signal of these loops, seen mostly in the form of strong Doppler shifts and a conspicuous lack of chromospheric heating. In addition, we find that several instances have a inverse Y-shaped jet just above the loop, suggesting that magnetic reconnection is driving these events. Our observations add several puzzling details to the current knowledge of these newly discovered structures; this new information must be considered in theoretical models. Two movies associated to Fig. 1 are available at http://https://www.aanda.org

Evidence for the distortion product frequency place as a source of distribution product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) fine structure in humans : I. Fine structure and higher-order DPOAE as a function of the frequency ratio f2/f1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mauermann, M; Uppenkamp, S; van Hengel, P.W.J.; Kollmeier, B

1999-01-01

Critical experiments were performed in order to validate the two-source hypothesis of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) generation. Measurements of the spectral fine structure of DPOAE in response to stimulation with two sinusoids have been:performed with normal-hearing subjects. The

Cue reactivity is associated with duration and severity of alcohol dependence: an FMRI study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zsuzsika Sjoerds

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: With the progression of substance dependence, drug cue-related brain activation is thought to shift from motivational towards habit pathways. However, a direct association between cue-induced brain activation and dependence duration has not yet been shown. We therefore examined the relationship between alcohol cue-reactivity in the brain, cue-induced subjective craving and alcohol dependence duration and severity. Since alcohol dependence is highly comorbid with depression/anxiety, which may modulate brain responses to alcohol cues, we also examined the relation between comorbid depression/anxiety and cue-reactivity. METHODS: We compared 30 alcohol dependent patients with 15 healthy controls and 15 depression/anxiety patients during a visual alcohol cue-reactivity task using functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygenated level-dependent responses and subjective craving as outcomes. Within the alcohol dependent group we correlated cue-reactivity with alcohol dependence severity and duration, with cue-induced craving and with depression/anxiety levels. RESULTS: Alcohol dependent patients showed greater cue-reactivity in motivational brain pathways and stronger subjective craving than depression/anxiety patients and healthy controls. Depression/anxiety was not associated with cue-reactivity, but depression severity in alcohol dependent patients was positively associated with craving. Within alcohol dependence, longer duration of alcohol dependence was associated with stronger cue-related activation of the posterior putamen, a structure involved in habits, whereas higher alcohol dependence severity was associated with lower cue-reactivity in the anterior putamen, an area implicated in goal-directed behavior preceding habit formation. CONCLUSION: Cue-reactivity in alcohol dependence is not modulated by comorbid depression or anxiety. More importantly, the current data confirm the hypothesis of a ventral to dorsal striatal shift

The importance of source positions during radio fine structure observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chernov, Guennadi P.; Yan Yi-Hua; Fu Qi-Jun

2014-01-01

The measurement of positions and sizes of radio sources in the observations of the fine structure of solar radio bursts is a determining factor for the selection of the radio emission mechanism. The identical parameters describing the radio sources for zebra structures (ZSs) and fiber bursts confirm there is a common mechanism for both structures. It is very important to measure the size of the source in the corona to determine if it is distributed along the height or if it is point-like. In both models of ZSs (the double plasma resonance (DPR) and the whistler model) the source must be distributed along the height, but by contrast to the stationary source in the DPR model, in the whistler model the source should be moving. Moreover, the direction of the space drift of the radio source must correlate with the frequency drift of stripes in the dynamic spectrum. Some models of ZSs require a local source, for example, the models based on the Bernstein modes, or on explosive instability. The selection of the radio emission mechanism for fast broadband pulsations with millisecond duration also depends on the parameters of their radio sources. (mini-volume: solar radiophysics — recent results on observations and theories)

Revised description of the fine structure of in situ "zooxanthellae" genus Symbiodinium.

Science.gov (United States)

Wakefield, T S; Farmer, M A; Kempf, S C

2000-08-01

The fine structure of the symbiotic dinoflagellate genus Symbiodinium has been well described. All of the published descriptions are based on tissue that was fixed in standard aldehyde and osmium fixatives and dehydrated in an ethanol series before embedding. When the technique of freeze-substitution was used to fix tissue from Cassiopeia xamachana, Aiptasia pallida, and Phyllactis flosculifera and prepare it for embedding, thecal vesicles were revealed within the in situ symbionts of all three species. Although these structures have been identified in cultured symbionts, they have never been described in the in situ symbionts. A review of the literature has revealed several instances where thecal vesicles were either overlooked or identified incorrectly. Thus the formal description of the genus Symbiodinium, which describes the in situ symbionts, contains information that is based on artifact and should be revised. A revision of the genus is suggested, and the true nature of these structures and their significance in the symbiotic association are discussed.

Compound cueing in free recall

Science.gov (United States)

Lohnas, Lynn J.; Kahana, Michael J.

2013-01-01

According to the retrieved context theory of episodic memory, the cue for recall of an item is a weighted sum of recently activated cognitive states, including previously recalled and studied items as well as their associations. We show that this theory predicts there should be compound cueing in free recall. Specifically, the temporal contiguity effect should be greater when the two most recently recalled items were studied in contiguous list positions. A meta-analysis of published free recall experiments demonstrates evidence for compound cueing in both conditional response probabilities and inter-response times. To help rule out a rehearsal-based account of these compound cueing effects, we conducted an experiment with immediate, delayed and continual-distractor free recall conditions. Consistent with retrieved context theory but not with a rehearsal-based account, compound cueing was present in all conditions, and was not significantly influenced by the presence of interitem distractors. PMID:23957364

Visible propagation from invisible exogenous cueing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Zhicheng; Murray, Scott O

2013-09-20

Perception and performance is affected not just by what we see but also by what we do not see-inputs that escape our awareness. While conscious processing and unconscious processing have been assumed to be separate and independent, here we report the propagation of unconscious exogenous cueing as determined by conscious motion perception. In a paradigm combining masked exogenous cueing and apparent motion, we show that, when an onset cue was rendered invisible, the unconscious exogenous cueing effect traveled, manifesting at uncued locations (4° apart) in accordance with conscious perception of visual motion; the effect diminished when the cue-to-target distance was 8° apart. In contrast, conscious exogenous cueing manifested in both distances. Further evidence reveals that the unconscious and conscious nonretinotopic effects could not be explained by an attentional gradient, nor by bottom-up, energy-based motion mechanisms, but rather they were subserved by top-down, tracking-based motion mechanisms. We thus term these effects mobile cueing. Taken together, unconscious mobile cueing effects (a) demonstrate a previously unknown degree of flexibility of unconscious exogenous attention; (b) embody a simultaneous dissociation and association of attention and consciousness, in which exogenous attention can occur without cue awareness ("dissociation"), yet at the same time its effect is contingent on conscious motion tracking ("association"); and (c) underscore the interaction of conscious and unconscious processing, providing evidence for an unconscious effect that is not automatic but controlled.

The (unclear effects of invalid retro-cues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcel eGressmann

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Studies with the retro-cue paradigm have shown that validly cueing objects in visual working memory long after encoding can still benefit performance on subsequent change detection tasks. With regard to the effects of invalid cues, the literature is less clear. Some studies reported costs, others did not. We here revisit two recent studies that made interesting suggestions concerning invalid retro-cues: One study suggested that costs only occur for larger set sizes, and another study suggested that inclusion of invalid retro-cues diminishes the retro-cue benefit. New data from one experiment and a reanalysis of published data are provided to address these conclusions. The new data clearly show costs (and benefits that were independent of set size, and the reanalysis suggests no influence of the inclusion of invalid retro-cues on the retro-cue benefit. Thus, previous interpretations may be taken with some caution at present.

Effects of aspirin on distortion product fine structure: interpreted by the two-source model for distortion product otoacoustic emissions generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Aparna; Long, Glenis R

2011-02-01

Distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) fine structure is due to the interaction of two major components coming from different places in the cochlea. One component is generated from the region of maximal overlap of the traveling waves generated by the two primaries and is attributed to nonlinear distortion (nonlinear component). The other component arises predominantly from the tonotopic region of the distortion product and is attributed to linear coherent reflection (reflection component). Aspirin (salicylate) ototoxicity can cause reversible hearing loss and reduces otoacoustic emission generation in the cochlea. The two components are expected to be affected differentially by cochlear health. Changes in DPOAE fine structure were recorded longitudinally in three subjects before, during, and after aspirin consumption. Full data sets were analyzed for two subjects, but only partial data could be analyzed from the third subject. Resulting changes in the two components of DPOAE fine structure revealed variability among subjects and differential effects on the two components. For low-intensity primaries, both components were reduced with the reflection component being more vulnerable. For high-intensity primaries, the nonlinear component showed little or no change, but the reflection component was always reduced.

Time variation of the fine structure constant driven by quintessence

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anchordoqui, Luis; Goldberg, Haim

2003-01-01

There are indications from the study of quasar absorption spectra that the fine structure constant α may have been measurably smaller for redshifts z>2. Analyses of other data ( 149 Sm fission rate for the Oklo natural reactor, variation of 187 Re β-decay rate in meteorite studies, atomic clock measurements) which probe variations of α in the more recent past imply much smaller deviations from its present value. In this work we tie the variation of α to the evolution of the quintessence field proposed by Albrecht and Skordis, and show that agreement with all these data, as well as consistency with Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe observations, can be achieved for a range of parameters. Some definite predictions follow for upcoming space missions searching for violations of the equivalence principle

Fine-structure energy levels and radiative lifetime in Mo XIV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xiaodong; Pei Dong; Jiang Renbin; Wang Wanjue

2002-01-01

Energy levels, radiative lifetime and various transition parameters for allowed transitions among the 1508 fine-structure levels belong to the (1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 3s 2 3p 6 ) 3d 10 4l, 3d 9 4l 2 , 3d 10 5l, 3d 9 4l4m, 3d 10 6l, 3d 10 7l and so on configurations of the Cu-like ions Mo XIV have been calculated by using the expanded fully relativistic GRASP code. The results are compared with those available in the literature, and the accuracy of the present data is assessed. Energy levels are expected to be accurate to within 0.81%. The authors have found some long lifetime levels

New algorithm improves fine structure of the barley consensus SNP map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Endelman Jeffrey B

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The need to integrate information from multiple linkage maps is a long-standing problem in genetics. One way to visualize the complex ordinal relationships is with a directed graph, where each vertex in the graph is a bin of markers. When there are no ordering conflicts between the linkage maps, the result is a directed acyclic graph, or DAG, which can then be linearized to produce a consensus map. Results New algorithms for the simplification and linearization of consensus graphs have been implemented as a package for the R computing environment called DAGGER. The simplified consensus graphs produced by DAGGER exactly capture the ordinal relationships present in a series of linkage maps. Using either linear or quadratic programming, DAGGER generates a consensus map with minimum error relative to the linkage maps while remaining ordinally consistent with them. Both linearization methods produce consensus maps that are compressed relative to the mean of the linkage maps. After rescaling, however, the consensus maps had higher accuracy (and higher marker density than the individual linkage maps in genetic simulations. When applied to four barley linkage maps genotyped at nearly 3000 SNP markers, DAGGER produced a consensus map with improved fine structure compared to the existing barley consensus SNP map. The root-mean-squared error between the linkage maps and the DAGGER map was 0.82 cM per marker interval compared to 2.28 cM for the existing consensus map. Examination of the barley hardness locus at the 5HS telomere, for which there is a physical map, confirmed that the DAGGER output was more accurate for fine structure analysis. Conclusions The R package DAGGER is an effective, freely available resource for integrating the information from a set of consistent linkage maps.

Investigation on the fine structure of sea-breeze during ESCOMPTE experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Puygrenier, V.; Lohou, F.; Campistron, B.; Saïd, F.; Pigeon, G.; Bénech, B.; Serça, D.

2005-03-01

Surface and remote-sensing instruments deployed during ESCOMPTE experiment over the Marseille area, along the Mediterranean coast, were used to investigate the fine structure of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) during sea-breeze circulation in relation to pollutant transport and diffusion. Six sea-breeze events are analyzed with a particular focus on 25 June 2001. Advection of cool and humid marine air over land has a profound influence on the daytime ABL characteristics. This impact decreases rapidly with the inland distance from the sea. Nearby the coast (3 km inland), the mixing height Zi rises up to 750 m and falls down after 15:00 (UT) when the breeze flow reaches its maximum intensity. A more classical evolution of the ABL is observed at only 11-km inland where Zi culminates in the morning and stabilizes in the afternoon at about 1000 m height. Fine inspection of the data revealed an oscillation of the sea-breeze with a period about 2 h 47 min. This feature, clearly discernable for 3 days at least, is present in several atmospheric variables such as wind, temperature, not only at the ground but also aloft in the ABL as observed by sodar/RASS and UHF wind profilers. In particular, the mixing height Zi deduced from UHF profilers observations is affected also by the same periodicity. This pulsated sea-breeze is observed principally above Marseille and, at the northern and eastern shores of the Berre pond. In summary, the periodic intrusion over land of cool marine air modifies the structure of the ABL in the vicinity of the coast from the point of view of stability, turbulent motions and pollutants concentration. An explanation of the source of this pulsated sea-breeze is suggested.

Newborn infants' sensitivity to perceptual cues to lexical and grammatical words.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, R; Werker, J F; Morgan, J L

1999-09-30

In our study newborn infants were presented with lists of lexical and grammatical words prepared from natural maternal speech. The results show that newborns are able to categorically discriminate these sets of words based on a constellation of perceptual cues that distinguish them. This general ability to detect and categorically discriminate sets of words on the basis of multiple acoustic and phonological cues may provide a perceptual base that can help older infants bootstrap into the acquisition of grammatical categories and syntactic structure.

The Charge-Mass-Spin Relation of Clifford Polyparticles, Kerr-Newman Black Holes and the Fine Structure Constant

CERN Document Server

Castro, C

2003-01-01

A Clifford-algebraic interpretation is proposed of the charge, mass, spin relationship found recently by Cooperstock and Faraoini which was based on the Kerr-Newman metric solutions of the Einstein-Maxwell equations. The components of the polymomentum associated with a Clifford polyparticle in four dimensions provide for such a charge, mass, spin relationship without the problems encountered in Kaluza-Klein compactifications which furnish an unphysically large value for the electron charge. A physical reasoning behind such charge, mass, spin relationship is provided, followed by a discussion on the geometrical derivation of the fine structure constant by Wyler, Smith, Gonzalez-Martin and Smilga. To finalize, the renormalization of electric charge is discussed and some remarks are made pertaining the modifications of the charge-scale relationship, when the spin of the polyparticle changes with scale, that may cast some light into the alleged Astrophysical variations of the fine structure constant.

Polarization-dependent pump-probe studies in atomic fine-structure levels: towards the production of spin-polarized electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokell, E.; Zamith, S.; Bouchene, M.A.; Girard, B.

2000-01-01

The precession of orbital and spin angular momentum vectors has been observed in a pump-probe study of the 4P fine-structure states of atomic potassium. A femtosecond pump pulse prepared a coherent superposition of the two fine-structure components. A time-delayed probe pulse then ionized the system after it had been allowed to evolve freely. Oscillations recorded in the ion signal reflect the evolution of the orientation of the orbital and spin angular momentum due to spin-orbit coupling. This interpretation gives physical insight into the cause of the half-period phase shift observed when the relative polarizations of the laser pulses were changed from parallel to perpendicular. Finally, it is shown that these changes in the orientation of the spin momentum vector of the system can be utilized to produce highly spin-polarized free electrons on the femtosecond scale. (author)

Modulation of auditory spatial attention by visual emotional cues: differential effects of attentional engagement and disengagement for pleasant and unpleasant cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrison, Neil R; Woodhouse, Rob

2016-05-01

Previous research has demonstrated that threatening, compared to neutral pictures, can bias attention towards non-emotional auditory targets. Here we investigated which subcomponents of attention contributed to the influence of emotional visual stimuli on auditory spatial attention. Participants indicated the location of an auditory target, after brief (250 ms) presentation of a spatially non-predictive peripheral visual cue. Responses to targets were faster at the location of the preceding visual cue, compared to at the opposite location (cue validity effect). The cue validity effect was larger for targets following pleasant and unpleasant cues compared to neutral cues, for right-sided targets. For unpleasant cues, the crossmodal cue validity effect was driven by delayed attentional disengagement, and for pleasant cues, it was driven by enhanced engagement. We conclude that both pleasant and unpleasant visual cues influence the distribution of attention across modalities and that the associated attentional mechanisms depend on the valence of the visual cue.

Real-Time Lane Detection on Suburban Streets Using Visual Cue Integration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shehan Fernando

2014-04-01

Full Text Available The detection of lane boundaries on suburban streets using images obtained from video constitutes a challenging task. This is mainly due to the difficulties associated with estimating the complex geometric structure of lane boundaries, the quality of lane markings as a result of wear, occlusions by traffic, and shadows caused by road-side trees and structures. Most of the existing techniques for lane boundary detection employ a single visual cue and will only work under certain conditions and where there are clear lane markings. Also, better results are achieved when there are no other on-road objects present. This paper extends our previous work and discusses a novel lane boundary detection algorithm specifically addressing the abovementioned issues through the integration of two visual cues. The first visual cue is based on stripe-like features found on lane lines extracted using a two-dimensional symmetric Gabor filter. The second visual cue is based on a texture characteristic determined using the entropy measure of the predefined neighbourhood around a lane boundary line. The visual cues are then integrated using a rule-based classifier which incorporates a modified sequential covering algorithm to improve robustness. To separate lane boundary lines from other similar features, a road mask is generated using road chromaticity values estimated from CIE L*a*b* colour transformation. Extraneous points around lane boundary lines are then removed by an outlier removal procedure based on studentized residuals. The lane boundary lines are then modelled with Bezier spline curves. To validate the algorithm, extensive experimental evaluation was carried out on suburban streets and the results are presented.

Use of Unprocessed Coal Bottom Ash as Partial Fine Aggregate ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012r

transportation applications such as structural fill, road base material, and as snow ... normal fine particles resulting in weak porous paste, modulus of elasticity is ..... with the porous structure and high absorptivity of fine particles of bottom ash.

Development of solar flares and features of the fine structure of solar radio emission

Science.gov (United States)

Chernov, G. P.; Fomichev, V. V.; Yan, Y.; Tan, B.; Tan, Ch.; Fu, Q.

2017-11-01

The reason for the occurrence of different elements of the fine structure of solar radio bursts in the decimeter and centimeter wavelength ranges has been determined based on all available data from terrestrial and satellite observations. In some phenomena, fast pulsations, a zebra structre, fiber bursts, and spikes have been observed almost simultaneously. Two phenomena have been selected to show that the pulsations of radio emission are caused by particles accelerated in the magnetic reconnection region and that the zebra structure is excited in a source, such as a magnetic trap for fast particles. The complex combination of unusual fiber bursts, zebra structure, and spikes in the phenomenon on December 1, 2004, is associated with a single source, a magnetic island formed after a coronal mass ejection.

Fine structure and optical pumping of spins in individual semiconductor quantum dots

Science.gov (United States)

Bracker, Allan S.; Gammon, Daniel; Korenev, Vladimir L.

2008-11-01

We review spin properties of semiconductor quantum dots and their effect on optical spectra. Photoluminescence and other types of spectroscopy are used to probe neutral and charged excitons in individual quantum dots with high spectral and spatial resolution. Spectral fine structure and polarization reveal how quantum dot spins interact with each other and with their environment. By taking advantage of the selectivity of optical selection rules and spin relaxation, optical spin pumping of the ground state electron and nuclear spins is achieved. Through such mechanisms, light can be used to process spins for use as a carrier of information.

Fine structure and optical pumping of spins in individual semiconductor quantum dots

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bracker, Allan S; Gammon, Daniel; Korenev, Vladimir L

2008-01-01

We review spin properties of semiconductor quantum dots and their effect on optical spectra. Photoluminescence and other types of spectroscopy are used to probe neutral and charged excitons in individual quantum dots with high spectral and spatial resolution. Spectral fine structure and polarization reveal how quantum dot spins interact with each other and with their environment. By taking advantage of the selectivity of optical selection rules and spin relaxation, optical spin pumping of the ground state electron and nuclear spins is achieved. Through such mechanisms, light can be used to process spins for use as a carrier of information

Search for shape coexistence in {sup 188,190}Pb via fine structure in the alpha decay of {sup 192,194}Po

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, I.; Davids, C.; Janssens, R.V.F. [and others

1995-08-01

The interaction between coexisting shapes in nuclei near closed shells was of great interest in the past decade. Excited 0{sup +} states at low energy can often be identified as the bandheads of structures with differing shapes built on those states, These structures were identified in {sup 190-198}Pb via beta decay and alpha decay {open_quotes}fine structure{close_quotes} studies. Coexistence of different shapes in Pb nuclei was predicted by Nilsson-Strutinsky calculations, in which both the oblate and prolate minima were predicted to have excitation energies near 1 MeV. It was our intention to continue the systematic study of the Pb nuclides by searching for excited O{sup +} states in {sup 188}Pb by observing the fine structure in the alpha decay of {sup 192}Po.

5 K extended X-ray absorption fine structure and 40 K 10-s resolved extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of photolyzed carboxymyoglobin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, T.Y.; Huang, H.W.; Olah, G.A.

1987-01-01

A previous extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) study of photolyzed carboxymyoglobin (MbCO) has provoked much discussion on the heme structure of the photoproduct (Mb*CO). The EXAFS interpretation that the Fe-Co distance increases by no more than 0.05 A following photodissociation has been regarded as inconsistent with optical, infrared, and magnetic susceptibility studies. The present experiment was performed with well-characterized dry film samples in which MbCO molecules were embedded in a poly(vinyl alcohol) matrix. The sample had a high protein concentration (12 mM) to yield adequate EXAFS signals but was very thin (40 μm) so that complete photolysis could be easily achieved by a single flash from a xenon lamp. Although the electronic state of Mb*CO resembles that of deoxymyoglobin (deoxy-Mb), direct comparison of EXAFS spectra indicates that structurally Mb*CO is much closer to MbCO than to deoxy-Mb. Our EXAFS analysis shows that photolysis of MbCO at 5 K leads to a stable intermediate state in which CO has moved away from iron by a distance of 0.27-0.45 A, but the 5-coordinate heme structure is strained in a form similar to that of MbCO; the resolution of the CO position depends on the structure parameters of MbCO which we use as a reference for the analysis of Mb*CO. At 40 K, from 1 to 10 s after photolysis, 42% of the photoproduct has relaxed to the ground state, and the EXAFS spectrum of the remaining photoproduct is indistinguishable from that of the 5 K photoproduct

Solvation structure determination of nickel(II) ion in six nitriles using extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inada, Yasuhiro; Funahashi, Shigenobu

1997-01-01

The solvation structures of the nickel(II) ion in six nitriles have been determined using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The coordination number and the Ni-N bond length are 6 and 206.9 ± 0.6 pm in acetonitrile, 5.9 ± 0.2 and 206.9 ± 0.6 pm in propionitrile, 6.0 ± 0.2 and 206.8 ± 0.6 pm in butyronitrile, 6.0 ± 0.2 and 206.8 ± 0.6 pm in isobutyronitrile, 6.0 ± 0.2 and 206.8 ± 0.6 pm in valeronitrile, and 6.0 ± 0.2 and 206.5 ± 0.7 pm in benzonitrile, respectively. The structure parameters around the nickel(II) ion in all the nitriles are not affected by the bulkiness of the nitrile molecules. On the basis of the obtained structure parameters, we have discussed the structural characteristics around the nickel(II) ion with nitrogen and oxygen donor solvents and the reaction mechanisms for nitrile exchange on the nickel(II) ion. (author)

Constraining spatial variations of the fine-structure constant in symmetron models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M.M. Pinho

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We introduce a methodology to test models with spatial variations of the fine-structure constant α, based on the calculation of the angular power spectrum of these measurements. This methodology enables comparisons of observations and theoretical models through their predictions on the statistics of the α variation. Here we apply it to the case of symmetron models. We find no indications of deviations from the standard behavior, with current data providing an upper limit to the strength of the symmetron coupling to gravity (log⁡β2<−0.9 when this is the only free parameter, and not able to constrain the model when also the symmetry breaking scale factor aSSB is free to vary.

Damping Properties vs. Structure Fineness of the High-zinc Aluminum Alloys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W.K. Krajewski

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The subject of this study is the presentation of relation between the degree of structure fineness and ultrasonic wave dampingcoefficient for the high-zinc aluminium alloys represented in this study by the sand mould cast alloy Al - 20 wt% Zn (AlZn20. Thestudied alloy was refined with a modifying (Al,Zn-Ti3 ternary master alloy, introducing Ti in the amount of 400 pm into metal. Based on the analysis of the initial and modified alloy macrostructure images and ultrasonic testing, it was found that the addition of (Al,Zn-Ti3 master alloy, alongside a significant fragmentation of grains, does not reduce the coefficient of ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 1 MHz.

Coupling Fine-Scale Root and Canopy Structure Using Ground-Based Remote Sensing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brady S. Hardiman

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Ecosystem physical structure, defined by the quantity and spatial distribution of biomass, influences a range of ecosystem functions. Remote sensing tools permit the non-destructive characterization of canopy and root features, potentially providing opportunities to link above- and belowground structure at fine spatial resolution in functionally meaningful ways. To test this possibility, we employed ground-based portable canopy LiDAR (PCL and ground penetrating radar (GPR along co-located transects in forested sites spanning multiple stages of ecosystem development and, consequently, of structural complexity. We examined canopy and root structural data for coherence (i.e., correlation in the frequency of spatial variation at multiple spatial scales ≤10 m within each site using wavelet analysis. Forest sites varied substantially in vertical canopy and root structure, with leaf area index and root mass more becoming even vertically as forests aged. In all sites, above- and belowground structure, characterized as mean maximum canopy height and root mass, exhibited significant coherence at a scale of 3.5–4 m, and results suggest that the scale of coherence may increase with stand age. Our findings demonstrate that canopy and root structure are linked at characteristic spatial scales, which provides the basis to optimize scales of observation. Our study highlights the potential, and limitations, for fusing LiDAR and radar technologies to quantitatively couple above- and belowground ecosystem structure.

Counterbalancing in smoking cue research: a critical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayette, Michael A; Griffin, Kasey M; Sayers, W Michael

2010-11-01

Cue exposure research has been used to examine key issues in smoking research, such as predicting relapse, testing new medications, investigating the neurobiology of nicotine dependence, and examining reactivity among smokers with comorbid psychopathologies. Determining the order that cues are presented is one of the most critical steps in the design of these investigations. It is widely assumed that cue exposure studies should counterbalance the order in which smoking and control (neutral) cues are presented. This article examines the premises underlying the use of counterbalancing in experimental research, and it evaluates the degree to which counterbalancing is appropriate in smoking cue exposure studies. We reviewed the available literature on the use of counterbalancing techniques in human smoking cue exposure research. Many studies counterbalancing order of cues have not provided critical analyses to determine whether this approach was appropriate. Studies that have reported relevant data, however, suggest that order of cue presentation interacts with type of cue (smoking vs. control), which raises concerns about the utility of counterbalancing. Primarily, this concern arises from potential carryover effects, in which exposure to smoking cues affects subsequent responding to neutral cues. Cue type by order of cue interactions may compromise the utility of counterbalancing. Unfortunately, there is no obvious alternative that is optimal across studies. Strengths and limitations of several alternative designs are considered, and key questions are identified to advance understanding of the optimal conditions for conducting smoking cue exposure studies.

Counterbalancing in Smoking Cue Research: A Critical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Griffin, Kasey M.; Sayers, W. Michael

2010-01-01

Introduction: Cue exposure research has been used to examine key issues in smoking research, such as predicting relapse, testing new medications, investigating the neurobiology of nicotine dependence, and examining reactivity among smokers with comorbid psychopathologies. Determining the order that cues are presented is one of the most critical steps in the design of these investigations. It is widely assumed that cue exposure studies should counterbalance the order in which smoking and control (neutral) cues are presented. This article examines the premises underlying the use of counterbalancing in experimental research, and it evaluates the degree to which counterbalancing is appropriate in smoking cue exposure studies. Methods: We reviewed the available literature on the use of counterbalancing techniques in human smoking cue exposure research. Results: Many studies counterbalancing order of cues have not provided critical analyses to determine whether this approach was appropriate. Studies that have reported relevant data, however, suggest that order of cue presentation interacts with type of cue (smoking vs. control), which raises concerns about the utility of counterbalancing. Primarily, this concern arises from potential carryover effects, in which exposure to smoking cues affects subsequent responding to neutral cues. Conclusions: Cue type by order of cue interactions may compromise the utility of counterbalancing. Unfortunately, there is no obvious alternative that is optimal across studies. Strengths and limitations of several alternative designs are considered, and key questions are identified to advance understanding of the optimal conditions for conducting smoking cue exposure studies. PMID:20884695

Effects of proton irradiation on structure of NdFeB permanent magnets studied by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, L.; Zhen, L.; Xu, C.Y.; Sun, X.Y.; Shao, W.Z.

2011-01-01

The effects of proton irradiation on the structure of NdFeB permanent magnet were investigated by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The results reveal that proton irradiation has no effect on the long-range structure, but significantly affects the atomic local structure of the NdFeB magnet. The alignment degree of the magnet decreases and the internal stress of the lattice increases after proton irradiation. XAFS results show that the coordination number of Fe-Nd in the first neighboring coordination shell of the Fe atoms decreases and the disorder degree increases.

Effects of proton irradiation on structure of NdFeB permanent magnets studied by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yang, L. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Zhen, L., E-mail: lzhen@hit.edu.c [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Xu, C.Y.; Sun, X.Y.; Shao, W.Z. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China)

2011-01-15

The effects of proton irradiation on the structure of NdFeB permanent magnet were investigated by X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The results reveal that proton irradiation has no effect on the long-range structure, but significantly affects the atomic local structure of the NdFeB magnet. The alignment degree of the magnet decreases and the internal stress of the lattice increases after proton irradiation. XAFS results show that the coordination number of Fe-Nd in the first neighboring coordination shell of the Fe atoms decreases and the disorder degree increases.

Extinction and renewal of cue-elicited reward-seeking.

Science.gov (United States)

Bezzina, Louise; Lee, Jessica C; Lovibond, Peter F; Colagiuri, Ben

2016-12-01

Reward cues can contribute to overconsumption of food and drugs and can relapse. The failure of exposure therapies to reduce overconsumption and relapse is generally attributed to the context-specificity of extinction. However, no previous study has examined whether cue-elicited reward-seeking (as opposed to cue-reactivity) is sensitive to context renewal. We tested this possibility in 160 healthy volunteers using a Pavlovian-instrumental transfer (PIT) design involving voluntary responding for a high value natural reward (chocolate). One reward cue underwent Pavlovian extinction in the same (Group AAA) or different context (Group ABA) to all other phases. This cue was compared with a second non-extinguished reward cue and an unpaired control cue. There was a significant overall PIT effect with both reward cues eliciting reward-seeking on test relative to the unpaired cue. Pavlovian extinction substantially reduced this effect, with the extinguished reward cue eliciting less reward-seeking than the non-extinguished reward cue. Most interestingly, extinction of cue-elicited reward-seeking was sensitive to renewal, with extinction less effective for reducing PIT when conducted in a different context. These findings have important implications for extinction-based interventions for reducing maladaptive reward-seeking in practice. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Food and drug cues activate similar brain regions: a meta-analysis of functional MRI studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, D W; Fellows, L K; Small, D M; Dagher, A

2012-06-06

In healthy individuals, food cues can trigger hunger and feeding behavior. Likewise, smoking cues can trigger craving and relapse in smokers. Brain imaging studies report that structures involved in appetitive behaviors and reward, notably the insula, striatum, amygdala and orbital frontal cortex, tend to be activated by both visual food and smoking cues. Here, by carrying out a meta-analysis of human neuro-imaging studies, we investigate the neural network activated by: 1) food versus neutral cues (14 studies, 142 foci) 2) smoking versus neutral cues (15 studies, 176 foci) 3) smoking versus neutral cues when correlated with craving scores (7 studies, 108 foci). PubMed was used to identify cue-reactivity imaging studies that compared brain response to visual food or smoking cues to neutral cues. Fourteen articles were identified for the food meta-analysis and fifteen articles were identified for the smoking meta-analysis. Six articles were identified for the smoking cue correlated with craving analysis. Meta-analyses were carried out using activation likelihood estimation. Food cues were associated with increased blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) response in the left amygdala, bilateral insula, bilateral orbital frontal cortex, and striatum. Smoking cues were associated with increased BOLD signal in the same areas, with the exception of the insula. However, the smoking meta-analysis of brain maps correlating cue-reactivity with subjective craving did identify the insula, suggesting that insula activation is only found when craving levels are high. The brain areas identified here are involved in learning, memory and motivation, and their cue-induced activity is an index of the incentive salience of the cues. Using meta-analytic techniques to combine a series of studies, we found that food and smoking cues activate comparable brain networks. There is significant overlap in brain regions responding to conditioned cues associated with natural and drug rewards

Measurement of the 22S1/2-22P3/2 fine structure interval in muonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kettell, S.H.

1990-08-01

The (2 2 S 1/2 - 2 2 P 3/2 ) fine structure transition in muonium has been observed for the first time. The measured value is 9895 -30 +35 MHz. This measurement, when included with the theoretical value for the 2 2 P 1/2 - 2 2 P 3/2 fine structure interval, gives a value for the Lamb shift (2 2 S 1/2 - 2 2 P 1/2 ) independent of previous direct measurements. From the theoretical value for the fine structure interval, 10921.833(3) MHz, the value for the Lamb shift determined from this experiment is 1027 -35 +30 MHz and is in agreement with the prediction of quantum electrodynamics (QED) of 1047.5(3) MHz. Previous experimental values for the Lamb shift (2 2 S 1/2 -2 2 P 1/2 ) in muonium are 1070 -15 + 12 MHz and 1042 -23 +21 MHz. Combining this result with these previous results gives a new experimental value of 1058 -12 +10 for the Lamb shift in muonium. Muonium, the bound state of two structureless leptons (μ + e - ), is an ideal system for testing bound state QED because of the lack of hadronic structure as exists in the hydrogen system. The measurement makes use of the techniques of atomic beam microwave spectroscopy. Muonium atoms (μ + e - ) in the 2S states are produced by the beam-foil technique at the Clinton P. Anderson Meson Physics Facility with a low momentum, sub-surface muon beam. A variable frequency microwave field is applied to drive the atoms from the 2S to the 2P states, with the subsequent observation of the Lyman alpha photon from the decay of the 2P state to the 1S ground state. The frequency is varied from 9.0--11.0 GHz, driving the F = 0 → F = 1, F = 1, F = 1 and F = 1 → F = 2 transitions

Interaction between scene-based and array-based contextual cueing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, Gail M; Jiang, Yuhong V

2013-07-01

Contextual cueing refers to the cueing of spatial attention by repeated spatial context. Previous studies have demonstrated distinctive properties of contextual cueing by background scenes and by an array of search items. Whereas scene-based contextual cueing reflects explicit learning of the scene-target association, array-based contextual cueing is supported primarily by implicit learning. In this study, we investigated the interaction between scene-based and array-based contextual cueing. Participants searched for a target that was predicted by both the background scene and the locations of distractor items. We tested three possible patterns of interaction: (1) The scene and the array could be learned independently, in which case cueing should be expressed even when only one cue was preserved; (2) the scene and array could be learned jointly, in which case cueing should occur only when both cues were preserved; (3) overshadowing might occur, in which case learning of the stronger cue should preclude learning of the weaker cue. In several experiments, we manipulated the nature of the contextual cues present during training and testing. We also tested explicit awareness of scenes, scene-target associations, and arrays. The results supported the overshadowing account: Specifically, scene-based contextual cueing precluded array-based contextual cueing when both were predictive of the location of a search target. We suggest that explicit, endogenous cues dominate over implicit cues in guiding spatial attention.

Structure of bimetallic clusters. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies of Rh--Cu clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meitzner, G.; Via, G.H.; Lytle, F.W.; Sinfelt, J.H.

1983-01-01

An investigation of the structure of the bimetallic clusters present in rhodium--copper catalysts was conducted with the use of extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements. Two catalysts were studied, both employing silica as a support for the clusters and both containing 1 wt. % rhodium. In one catalyst the Cu:Rh atomic ratio was 1:2 and in the other 1:1. Studies were made of the EXAFS associated with the K absorption edges of the rhodium and copper. The results of the EXAFS studies indicate that copper concentrates at the surface of the rhodium--copper clusters. In this regard the results are similar to our earlier reported results on ruthenium--copper clusters. However, the extent of surface segregation of the copper appears to be less pronounced for rhodium--copper clusters. This result is reasonable on the basis that rhodium and copper, unlike ruthenium and copper, exhibit at least some miscibility in the bulk

Visualization of Wave Propagation and Fine Structure in Frictional Motion of Unconstrained Soft Microstructured Tapes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heepe, Lars; Filippov, Alexander E.; Kovalev, Alexander E.

2017-01-01

from previous friction tests of microstructured elastomers fixed onto a rigid support, allowing only for shear deformations of surface microstructures and the backing layer, but not for stretching of the entire sample. Three different types of microstructured tapes were tested and their frictional...... behavior compared to results from numerical simulations. In both experimental and numerical cases, visualization of wave propagation and fine structure in friction is obtained....

Retro-dimension-cue benefit in visual working memory

OpenAIRE

Ye, Chaoxiong; Hu, Zhonghua; Ristaniemi, Tapani; Gendron, Maria; Liu, Qiang

2016-01-01

In visual working memory (VWM) tasks, participants? performance can be improved by a retro-object-cue. However, previous studies have not investigated whether participants? performance can also be improved by a retro-dimension-cue. Three experiments investigated this issue. We used a recall task with a retro-dimension-cue in all experiments. In Experiment 1, we found benefits from retro-dimension-cues compared to neutral cues. This retro-dimension-cue benefit is reflected in an increased prob...

WAVELENGTH ACCURACY OF THE KECK HIRES SPECTROGRAPH AND MEASURING CHANGES IN THE FINE STRUCTURE CONSTANT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griest, Kim; Whitmore, Jonathan B.; Wolfe, Arthur M.; Prochaska, J. Xavier; Howk, J. Christopher; Marcy, Geoffrey W.

2010-01-01

We report on an attempt to accurately wavelength calibrate four nights of data taken with the Keck HIRES spectrograph on QSO PHL957, for the purpose of determining whether the fine structure constant was different in the past. Using new software and techniques, we measured the redshifts of various Ni II, Fe II, Si II, etc. lines in a damped Lyα system at z = 2.309. Roughly half the data were taken through the Keck iodine cell which contains thousands of well calibrated iodine lines. Using these iodine exposures to calibrate the normal Th-Ar Keck data pipeline output, we found absolute wavelength offsets of 500 m s -1 to 1000 m s -1 with drifts of more than 500 m s -1 over a single night, and drifts of nearly 2000 m s -1 over several nights. These offsets correspond to an absolute redshift of uncertainty of about Δz ∼ 10 -5 (Δλ ∼ 0.02 A), with daily drifts of around Δz ∼ 5 x 10 -6 (Δλ ∼ 0.01 A), and multiday drifts of nearly Δz ∼ 2 x 10 -5 (∼0.04 A). The causes of the wavelength offsets are not known, but since claimed shifts in the fine structure constant would result in velocity shifts of less than 100 m s -1 , this level of systematic uncertainty may make it difficult to use Keck HIRES data to constrain the change in the fine structure constant. Using our calibrated data, we applied both our own fitting software and standard fitting software to measure Δα/α, but discovered that we could obtain results ranging from significant detection of either sign, to strong null limits, depending upon which sets of lines and which fitting method were used. We thus speculate that the discrepant results on Δα/α reported in the literature may be due to random fluctuations coming from underestimated systematic errors in wavelength calibration and fitting procedure.

Combining symbolic cues with sensory input and prior experience in an iterative Bayesian framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frederike Hermi Petzschner

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Perception and action are the result of an integration of various sources of information, such as current sensory input, prior experience, or the context in which a stimulus occurs. Often, the interpretation is not trivial hence needs to be learned from the co-occurrence of stimuli. Yet, how do we combine such diverse information to guide our action?Here we use a distance production-reproduction task to investigate the influence of auxiliary, symbolic cues, sensory input, and prior experience on human performance under three different conditions that vary in the information provided. Our results indicate that subjects can (1 learn the mapping of a verbal, symbolic cue onto the stimulus dimension and (2 integrate symbolic information and prior experience into their estimate of displacements.The behavioral results are explained by to two distinct generative models that represent different structural approaches of how a Bayesian observer would combine prior experience, sensory input, and symbolic cue information into a single estimate of displacement. The first model interprets the symbolic cue in the context of categorization, assuming that it reflects information about a distinct underlying stimulus range (categorical model. The second model applies a multi-modal integration approach and treats the symbolic cue as additional sensory input to the system, which is combined with the current sensory measurement and the subjects’ prior experience (cue-combination model. Notably, both models account equally well for the observed behavior despite their different structural assumptions. The present work thus provides evidence that humans can interpret abstract symbolic information and combine it with other types of information such as sensory input and prior experience. The similar explanatory power of the two models further suggest that issues such as categorization and cue-combination could be explained by alternative probabilistic approaches.

Effects of the timing and identity of retrieval cues in individual recall: an attempt to mimic cross-cueing in collaborative recall.

Science.gov (United States)

Andersson, Jan; Hitch, Graham; Meudell, Peter

2006-01-01

Inhibitory effects in collaborative recall have been attributed to cross-cueing among partners, in the same way that part-set cues are known to impair recall in individuals. However, studies of part-set cueing in individuals typically involve presenting cues visually at the start of recall, whereas cross-cueing in collaboration is likely to be spoken and distributed over time. In an attempt to bridge this gap, three experiments investigated effects of presenting spoken part-set or extra-list cues at different times during individual recall. Cues had an inhibitory effect on recollection in the early part of the recall period, especially when presented in immediate succession at the start of recall. There was no difference between the effects of part-set and extra-list cues under these presentation conditions. However, more inhibition was generated by part-set than extra-list cues when cue presentation was distributed throughout recall. These results are interpreted as suggesting that cues presented during recall disrupt memory in two ways, corresponding to either blocking or modifying retrieval processes. Implications for explaining and possibly ameliorating inhibitory effects in collaborative recall are discussed.

Structure of Co-Doped Alq3 thin films investigated by grazing incidence X-ray absorption fine structure and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Liang; Pang, Zhiyong; Fang, Shaojie; Wang, Fenggong; Song, Shumei; Huang, Yuying; Wei, Xiangjun; Yu, Haisheng; Han, Shenghao

2011-02-10

The structural properties of Co-doped tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq(3)) have been studied by grazing incidence X-ray absorption fine structure (GIXAFS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). GIXAFS analysis suggests that there are multivalent Co-Alq(3) complexes and the doped Co atoms tend to locate at the attraction center with respect to N and O atoms and bond with them. The FTIR spectra indicate that the Co atoms interact with the meridional (mer) isomer of Alq(3) rather than forming inorganic compounds.

Acclimation of fine root respiration to soil warming involves starch deposition in very fine and fine roots: a case study in Fagus sylvatica saplings.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Iorio, Antonino; Giacomuzzi, Valentino; Chiatante, Donato

2016-03-01

Root activities in terms of respiration and non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) storage and mobilization have been suggested as major physiological roles in fine root lifespan. As more frequent heat waves and drought periods within the next decades are expected, to what extent does thermal acclimation in fine roots represent a mechanism to cope with such upcoming climatic conditions? In this study, the possible changes in very fine (diameter respiration rate and NSC [soluble sugars (SS) and starch] concentrations, were investigated on 2-year-old Fagus sylvatica saplings subjected to a simulated long-lasting heat wave event and to co-occurring soil drying. For both very fine and fine roots, soil temperature (ST) resulted inversely correlated with specific root length, respiration rates and SSs concentration, but directly correlated with root mass, root tissue density and starch concentration. In particular, starch concentration increased under 28 °C for successively decreasing under 21 °C ST. These findings showed that thermal acclimation in very fine and fine roots due to 24 days exposure to high ST (∼ 28 °C), induced starch accumulation. Such 'carbon-savings strategy' should bear the maintenance costs associated to the recovery process in case of restored favorable environmental conditions, such as those occurring at the end of a heat wave event. Drought condition seems to affect the fine root vitality much more under moderate than high temperature condition, making the temporary exposure to high ST less threatening to root vitality than expected. © 2015 Scandinavian Plant Physiology Society.

When Cues Collide: Children's Sensitivity to Letter-and Meaning-Patterns in Spelling Words in English

Science.gov (United States)

Deacon, S. H.; LeBlanc, D.; Sabourin, C.

2011-01-01

In many learning situations, we need to determine to which cues to attend, particularly in cases when these cues conflict. These conflicts appear often in English orthography. In two experiments, we asked children to spell two-syllable words that varied on two dimensions: morphological and orthographic structure. In one set of these words, the two…

Microwave spectroscopy of the 1 s n p P3J fine structure of high Rydberg states in 4He

Science.gov (United States)

Deller, A.; Hogan, S. D.

2018-01-01

The 1 s n p P3J fine structure of high Rydberg states in helium has been measured by microwave spectroscopy of single-photon transitions from 1 s n s S31 levels in pulsed supersonic beams. For states with principal quantum numbers in the range from n =34 to 36, the J =0 →2 and J =1 →2 fine structure intervals were both observed. For values of n between 45 and 51 only the larger J =0 →2 interval was resolved. The experimental results are in good agreement with theoretical predictions. Detailed characterization of residual uncanceled electric and magnetic fields in the experimental apparatus and calculations of the Stark and Zeeman structures of the Rydberg states in weak fields were used to quantify systematic contributions to the uncertainties in the measurements.

Eliciting nicotine craving with virtual smoking cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gamito, Pedro; Oliveira, Jorge; Baptista, André; Morais, Diogo; Lopes, Paulo; Rosa, Pedro; Santos, Nuno; Brito, Rodrigo

2014-08-01

Craving is a strong desire to consume that emerges in every case of substance addiction. Previous studies have shown that eliciting craving with an exposure cues protocol can be a useful option for the treatment of nicotine dependence. Thus, the main goal of this study was to develop a virtual platform in order to induce craving in smokers. Fifty-five undergraduate students were randomly assigned to two different virtual environments: high arousal contextual cues and low arousal contextual cues scenarios (17 smokers with low nicotine dependency were excluded). An eye-tracker system was used to evaluate attention toward these cues. Eye fixation on smoking-related cues differed between smokers and nonsmokers, indicating that smokers focused more often on smoking-related cues than nonsmokers. Self-reports of craving are in agreement with these results and suggest a significant increase in craving after exposure to smoking cues. In sum, these data support the use of virtual environments for eliciting craving.

Extended x-ray absorption fine structure study of MnFeP0.56Si0.44 compound

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Ying-Jie; Haschaolu W; Wurentuya; Song Zhi-Qiang; Ou Zhi-Qiang; Tegus O; Nakai Ikuo

2015-01-01

The MnFeP 0.56 Si 0.44 compound is investigated by x-ray diffraction, magnetic measurements, and x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. It crystallizes in Fe 2 P-type structure with the lattice parameters a = b = 5.9823(0) Å and c = 3.4551(1) Å and undergoes a first-order phase transition at the Curie temperature of 255 K. The Fe K edge and Mn K edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectra show that Mn atoms mainly reside at 3g sites, while 3f sites are occupied by Fe atoms. The distances between the absorbing Fe atom and the first and second nearest neighbor Fe atoms in a 3f-layer shift from 2.65 Å and 4.01 Å in the ferromagnetic state to 2.61 Å and 3.96 Å in the paramagnetic phase. On the other hand, the distance between the 3g-layer and 3f-layer changes a little as 2.66 Å–2.73 Å below the Curie temperature and 2.68 Å–2.75 Å above it. (paper)

Salient cues improve prospective remembering in Korsakoff's syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Altgassen, Mareike; Ariese, Laura; Wester, Arie J; Kessels, Roy P C

2016-06-01

Korsakoff's syndrome is characterized by deficits in episodic memory and executive functions. Both cognitive functions are needed to remember to execute delayed intentions (prospective memory, PM), an ability that is crucial for independent living in everyday life. So far, PM has only been targeted by one study in Korsakoff's syndrome. This study explored the effects of executive control demands on PM to shed further light on a possible interdependence of memory and executive functions in Korsakoff's syndrome, Twenty-five individuals with Korsakoff's syndrome and 23 chronic alcoholics (without amnesia) performed a categorization task into which a PM task was embedded that put either high or low demands on executive control processes (using low vs. high salient cues). Overall, Korsakoff patients had fewer PM hits than alcoholic controls. Across groups, participants had fewer PM hits when cues were low salient as compared to high salient. Korsakoff patients performed better on PM when highly salient cues were presented than cues of low salience, while there were no differential effects for alcoholic controls. While overall Korsakoff patients' showed a global PM deficit, the extent of this deficit was moderated by the executive control demands of the task applied. This indicated further support for an interrelation of executive functions and memory performance in Korsakoff. Positive clinical implications of the work Prospective memory (PM) performance in Korsakoff's syndrome is related to executive control load. Increasing cues' salience improves PM performance in Korsakoff's syndrome. Salient visual aids may be used in everyday life to improve Korsakoff individuals' planning and organization skills. Cautions or limitations of the study Results were obtained in a structured laboratory setting and need to be replicated in a more naturalistic setting to assess their transferability to everyday life. Given the relatively small sample size, individual predictors of PM

Evidence of Structure and Persistence in Motivational Attraction to Serial Pavlovian Cues

Science.gov (United States)

Smedley, Elizabeth B.; Smith, Kyle S.

2018-01-01

Sign-tracking is a form of autoshaping where animals develop conditioned responding directed toward stimuli predictive of an outcome even though the outcome is not contingent on the animal's behavior. Sign-tracking behaviors are thought to arise out of the attribution of incentive salience (i.e., motivational value) to reward-predictive cues. It…

Studies on the visualization of the fine relief of the colon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Persigehl, M.; Niemann, G.; Klose, K.C.

1983-01-01

The possibility of visualizing the fine relief of the colon was examined by studying human intestinal segments removed post mortem. The visualization depends, among other things, on the extent of expansion of the colon wall. The visualization of the fine relief structure becomes progressively poorer, the greater the extension of the wall. This might indicate that fold formation of the mucosa through a state of contraction of the tunica mucosa is done of the responsible factors for the visualization of the fine relief structures. The article discusses, apart from this factor, the course of the vessels as an anatomical basic pattern determining the manifestation of the fine relief structure; for this purpose, the course of the vessels in the intestine of the dog was visualized by intra-arterial contrast medium injection and then compared with the human fine relief. (orig.) [de

Strategy selection in cue-based decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, David J

2014-06-01

People can make use of a range of heuristic and rational, compensatory strategies to perform a multiple-cue judgment task. It has been proposed that people are sensitive to the amount of cognitive effort required to employ decision strategies. Experiment 1 employed a dual-task methodology to investigate whether participants' preference for heuristic versus compensatory decision strategies can be altered by increasing the cognitive demands of the task. As indicated by participants' decision times, a secondary task interfered more with the performance of a heuristic than compensatory decision strategy but did not affect the proportions of participants using either type of strategy. A stimulus set effect suggested that the conjunction of cue salience and cue validity might play a determining role in strategy selection. The results of Experiment 2 indicated that when a perceptually salient cue was also the most valid, the majority of participants preferred a single-cue heuristic strategy. Overall, the results contradict the view that heuristics are more likely to be adopted when a task is made more cognitively demanding. It is argued that people employ 2 learning processes during training, one an associative learning process in which cue-outcome associations are developed by sampling multiple cues, and another that involves the sequential examination of single cues to serve as a basis for a single-cue heuristic.

Polarizability of Kr6+ from high-L Kr5+ fine-structure measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lundeen, S. R.; Fehrenbach, C. W.

2007-01-01

The transition between n=55 and n=109 Rydberg levels of Kr 5+ has been studied at high resolution using the resonant excitation stark ionization spectroscopy method. Resolved excitation of L=6, 7, 8, and 9 levels in n=55 lead to a determination of the fine-structure energies of these levels. Interpreted with the long-range polarization model, this leads to a measurement of the dipole polarizabilities of Zn-like Kr 6+ , α d =2.69(4)a 0 3 . Obtaining a value of the quadrupole polarizability from the data will require additional theoretical input. Factors contributing to the signal and noise levels in measurements of this type are discussed

Local Structure of Mn in (La1-xHox)2/3Ca1/3MnO3 Studied by X-ray Absorption Fine Structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pietnoczka, A.; Bacewicz, R.; Antonowicz, J.; Zalewski, W.; Pekala, M.; Drozd, V.; Fagnard, J.F.; Vanderbemden, P.

2010-01-01

Results of X-ray absorption fine structure measurements in manganites (La 1-x Ho x ) 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 with 0.15 3 is doped with a divalent element such as Ca 2+ , substituting for La 3+ , holes are induced in the filled Mn d orbitals. This leads to a strong ferromagnetic coupling between Mn sites. Ca ions in La 1-x Ca x MnO 3 introduce a distortion of the crystal lattice and mixed valence Mn ions (Mn 3+ and Mn 4+ ). On the other hand, in manganites (La 1-x Ho x ) 2/3 Ca 1/3 MnO 3 the substitution of La for Ho causes a lattice distortion and induces a disorder, which reduces a magnetic interaction. The ferromagnetic transition temperature and conductivity decrease very quickly with increasing x. The magnetic and transport properties of compounds depend on the local atomic structure around Mn ions. The information on the bond lengths and Debye-Waller factor are obtained from the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) data analysis. The charge state of Mn is determined from the position of the absorption edge in X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) data. XAFS results are in good agreement with magnetic characteristics of the studied materials. (authors)

Automatic Retrieval of Newly Instructed Cue-Task Associations Seen in Task-Conflict Effects in the First Trial after Cue-Task Instructions.

Science.gov (United States)

Meiran, Nachshon; Pereg, Maayan

2017-01-01

Novel stimulus-response associations are retrieved automatically even without prior practice. Is this true for novel cue-task associations? The experiment involved miniblocks comprising three phases and task switching. In the INSTRUCTION phase, two new stimuli (or familiar cues) were arbitrarily assigned as cues for up-down/right-left tasks performed on placeholder locations. In the UNIVALENT phase, there was no task cue since placeholder's location afforded one task but the placeholders were the stimuli that we assigned as task cues for the following BIVALENT phase (involving target locations affording both tasks). Thus, participants held the novel cue-task associations in memory while executing the UNIVALENT phase. Results show poorer performance in the first univalent trial when the placeholder was associated with the opposite task (incompatible) than when it was compatible, an effect that was numerically larger with newly instructed cues than with familiar cues. These results indicate automatic retrieval of newly instructed cue-task associations.

Kin-informative recognition cues in ants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nehring, Volker; Evison, Sophie E F; Santorelli, Lorenzo A

2011-01-01

behaviour is thought to be rare in one of the classic examples of cooperation--social insect colonies--because the colony-level costs of individual selfishness select against cues that would allow workers to recognize their closest relatives. In accord with this, previous studies of wasps and ants have...... found little or no kin information in recognition cues. Here, we test the hypothesis that social insects do not have kin-informative recognition cues by investigating the recognition cues and relatedness of workers from four colonies of the ant Acromyrmex octospinosus. Contrary to the theoretical...... prediction, we show that the cuticular hydrocarbons of ant workers in all four colonies are informative enough to allow full-sisters to be distinguished from half-sisters with a high accuracy. These results contradict the hypothesis of non-heritable recognition cues and suggest that there is more potential...

Multiscale Cues Drive Collective Cell Migration

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, Ki-Hwan; Kim, Peter; Wood, David K.; Kwon, Sunghoon; Provenzano, Paolo P.; Kim, Deok-Ho

2016-07-01

To investigate complex biophysical relationships driving directed cell migration, we developed a biomimetic platform that allows perturbation of microscale geometric constraints with concomitant nanoscale contact guidance architectures. This permits us to elucidate the influence, and parse out the relative contribution, of multiscale features, and define how these physical inputs are jointly processed with oncogenic signaling. We demonstrate that collective cell migration is profoundly enhanced by the addition of contract guidance cues when not otherwise constrained. However, while nanoscale cues promoted migration in all cases, microscale directed migration cues are dominant as the geometric constraint narrows, a behavior that is well explained by stochastic diffusion anisotropy modeling. Further, oncogene activation (i.e. mutant PIK3CA) resulted in profoundly increased migration where extracellular multiscale directed migration cues and intrinsic signaling synergistically conspire to greatly outperform normal cells or any extracellular guidance cues in isolation.

Retro-dimension-cue benefit in visual working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Chaoxiong; Hu, Zhonghua; Ristaniemi, Tapani; Gendron, Maria; Liu, Qiang

2016-10-24

In visual working memory (VWM) tasks, participants' performance can be improved by a retro-object-cue. However, previous studies have not investigated whether participants' performance can also be improved by a retro-dimension-cue. Three experiments investigated this issue. We used a recall task with a retro-dimension-cue in all experiments. In Experiment 1, we found benefits from retro-dimension-cues compared to neutral cues. This retro-dimension-cue benefit is reflected in an increased probability of reporting the target, but not in the probability of reporting the non-target, as well as increased precision with which this item is remembered. Experiment 2 replicated the retro-dimension-cue benefit and showed that the length of the blank interval after the cue disappeared did not influence recall performance. Experiment 3 replicated the results of Experiment 2 with a lower memory load. Our studies provide evidence that there is a robust retro-dimension-cue benefit in VWM. Participants can use internal attention to flexibly allocate cognitive resources to a particular dimension of memory representations. The results also support the feature-based storing hypothesis.

Gaze Cueing by Pareidolia Faces

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kohske Takahashi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Visual images that are not faces are sometimes perceived as faces (the pareidolia phenomenon. While the pareidolia phenomenon provides people with a strong impression that a face is present, it is unclear how deeply pareidolia faces are processed as faces. In the present study, we examined whether a shift in spatial attention would be produced by gaze cueing of face-like objects. A robust cueing effect was observed when the face-like objects were perceived as faces. The magnitude of the cueing effect was comparable between the face-like objects and a cartoon face. However, the cueing effect was eliminated when the observer did not perceive the objects as faces. These results demonstrated that pareidolia faces do more than give the impression of the presence of faces; indeed, they trigger an additional face-specific attentional process.

Gaze cueing by pareidolia faces.

Science.gov (United States)

Takahashi, Kohske; Watanabe, Katsumi

2013-01-01

Visual images that are not faces are sometimes perceived as faces (the pareidolia phenomenon). While the pareidolia phenomenon provides people with a strong impression that a face is present, it is unclear how deeply pareidolia faces are processed as faces. In the present study, we examined whether a shift in spatial attention would be produced by gaze cueing of face-like objects. A robust cueing effect was observed when the face-like objects were perceived as faces. The magnitude of the cueing effect was comparable between the face-like objects and a cartoon face. However, the cueing effect was eliminated when the observer did not perceive the objects as faces. These results demonstrated that pareidolia faces do more than give the impression of the presence of faces; indeed, they trigger an additional face-specific attentional process.

Analysis of engagement behavior in children during dyadic interactions using prosodic cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Rahul; Bone, Daniel; Lee, Sungbok; Narayanan, Shrikanth

2016-05-01

Child engagement is defined as the interaction of a child with his/her environment in a contextually appropriate manner. Engagement behavior in children is linked to socio-emotional and cognitive state assessment with enhanced engagement identified with improved skills. A vast majority of studies however rely solely, and often implicitly, on subjective perceptual measures of engagement. Access to automatic quantification could assist researchers/clinicians to objectively interpret engagement with respect to a target behavior or condition, and furthermore inform mechanisms for improving engagement in various settings. In this paper, we present an engagement prediction system based exclusively on vocal cues observed during structured interaction between a child and a psychologist involving several tasks. Specifically, we derive prosodic cues that capture engagement levels across the various tasks. Our experiments suggest that a child's engagement is reflected not only in the vocalizations, but also in the speech of the interacting psychologist. Moreover, we show that prosodic cues are informative of the engagement phenomena not only as characterized over the entire task (i.e., global cues), but also in short term patterns (i.e., local cues). We perform a classification experiment assigning the engagement of a child into three discrete levels achieving an unweighted average recall of 55.8% (chance is 33.3%). While the systems using global cues and local level cues are each statistically significant in predicting engagement, we obtain the best results after fusing these two components. We perform further analysis of the cues at local and global levels to achieve insights linking specific prosodic patterns to the engagement phenomenon. We observe that while the performance of our model varies with task setting and interacting psychologist, there exist universal prosodic patterns reflective of engagement.

The fine structure of human germ layers in vivo: clues to the early differentiation of embryonic stem cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Sathananthan, Henry; Selvaraj, Kamala; Clark, Joan

2011-08-01

The fine structure of the three germ layers in human ectopic embryos (stage 7) have been documented by digital light and electron microscopy. The formation of ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm and notochordal cells, and also the extraembryonic membranes, amnion and yolk sac, are imaged. The germ layers give rise to all the cells and tissues of the human body. Possible clues to the early differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESC) in vitro were obtained, since these events are more or less mimicked in cultures of ESC derived from the inner cell mass of human blastocysts. The findings are discussed with reference to previous studies on the fine structure of ESC using the same technique. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Spatial midsession reversal learning in rats: Effects of egocentric Cue use and memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Rayburn-Reeves, Rebecca M; Moore, Mary K; Smith, Thea E; Crafton, Daniel A; Marden, Kelly L

2018-07-01

The midsession reversal task has been used to investigate behavioral flexibility and cue use in non-human animals, with results indicating differences in the degree of control by environmental cues across species. For example, time-based control has been found in rats only when tested in a T-maze apparatus and under specific conditions in which position and orientation (i.e., egocentric) cues during the intertrial interval could not be used to aid performance. Other research in an operant setting has shown that rats often produce minimal errors around the reversal location, demonstrating response patterns similar to patterns exhibited by humans and primates in this task. The current study aimed to reduce, but not eliminate, the ability for rats to utilize egocentric cues by placing the response levers on the opposite wall of the chamber in relation to the pellet dispenser. Results showed that rats made minimal errors prior to the reversal, suggesting time-based cues were not controlling responses, and that they switched to the second correct stimulus within a few trials after the reversal event. Video recordings also revealed highly structured patterns of behavior by the majority of rats, which often differed depending on which response was reinforced. We interpret these findings as evidence that rats are adept at utilizing their own egocentric cues and that these cues, along with memory for the recent response-reinforcement contingencies, aid in maximizing reinforcement over the session. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Standard model and fine structure constant at Planck distances in the Bennett-Brene-Nielsen-Picek random dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laperashvili, L.V.

1994-01-01

The first part of the present paper contains a review of papers by Nielsen, Bennett, Brene and Picek which underly the model called random dynamics. The second part of the paper is devoted to calculating the fine structure constant by means of the path integration in the U(1)-lattice gauge theory

Cue generation: How learners flexibly support future retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Tullis, Jonathan G; Benjamin, Aaron S

2015-08-01

The successful use of memory requires us to be sensitive to the cues that will be present during retrieval. In many situations, we have some control over the external cues that we will encounter. For instance, learners create shopping lists at home to help remember what items to later buy at the grocery store, and they generate computer file names to help remember the contents of those files. Generating cues in the service of later cognitive goals is a complex task that lies at the intersection of metacognition, communication, and memory. In this series of experiments, we investigated how and how well learners generate external mnemonic cues. Across 5 experiments, learners generated a cue for each target word in a to-be-remembered list and received these cues during a later cued recall test. Learners flexibly generated cues in response to different instructional demands and study list compositions. When generating mnemonic cues, as compared to descriptions of target items, learners produced cues that were more distinct than mere descriptions and consequently elicited greater cued recall performance than those descriptions. When learners were aware of competing targets in the study list, they generated mnemonic cues with smaller cue-to-target associative strength but that were even more distinct. These adaptations led to fewer confusions among competing targets and enhanced cued recall performance. These results provide another example of the metacognitively sophisticated tactics that learners use to effectively support future retrieval.

Surface geometry of BaO on W(100): A surface-extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shih, A.; Hor, C.; Elam, W.; Kirkland, J.; Mueller, D.

1991-01-01

A surface-extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure study of ordered monolayers of coadsorbed barium and oxygen on a single-crystal W(100) surface is described. A (√2 x √2 )R45 degree structure with a stoichiometric barium-to-oxygen ratio, and a (2 √2 x √2 )R45 degree structure with a nearly 1:2 barium-to-oxygen atomic ratio both form on W(100). The surface-extended x-ray-absorption fine-structure results indicate that all the barium and oxygen atoms are nearly coplanar in the (√2 x √2 )R45 degree overlayer. The Ba-to-O distance in this overlayer is 3.20 ±0.05 A and β=82 degree ±5 degree, where β is the angle between the Ba-O internuclear axis and the surface normal. For the (2 √2 x √2 )R45 degree overlayer, there are two types of oxygen sites. Oxygen atoms nearly coplanar with the barium atoms are also present in these films with a Ba-to-O distance of 3.27±0.05 A and β=75±4 degree. Additional oxygen atoms lie outside the barium plane at a distance 2.03±0.05 A and β=23±10 degree from the nearest barium atoms

An examination of cue redundancy theory in cross-cultural decoding of emotions in music.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwoun, Soo-Jin

2009-01-01

The present study investigated the effects of structural features of music (i.e., variations in tempo, loudness, or articulation, etc.) and cultural and learning factors in the assignments of emotional meaning in music. Four participant groups, young Koreans, young Americans, older Koreans, and older Americans, rated emotional expressions of Korean folksongs with three adjective scales: happiness, sadness and anger. The results of the study are in accordance with the Cue Redundancy model of emotional perception in music, indicating that expressive music embodies both universal auditory cues that communicate the emotional meanings of music across cultures and cultural specific cues that result from cultural convention.

Astronomical constraints on the cosmic evolution of the fine structure constant and possible quantum dimensions.

Science.gov (United States)

Carilli, C L; Menten, K M; Stocke, J T; Perlman, E; Vermeulen, R; Briggs, F; de Bruyn , A G; Conway, J; Moore, C P

2000-12-25

We present measurements of absorption by the 21 cm hyperfine transition of neutral hydrogen toward radio sources at substantial look-back times. These data are used in combination with observations of rotational transitions of common interstellar molecules to set limits on the evolution of the fine structure constant: alpha/ alphatheory, the limit on the secular evolution of the scale factor of the compact dimensions, R, is &Rdot/ Rbig bang, of DeltaR /R<10(-5).

Sensitivity of ultracold-atom scattering experiments to variation of the fine-structure constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Borschevsky, A.; Beloy, K.; Flambaum, V. V.; Schwerdtfeger, P.

2011-01-01

We present numerical calculations for cesium and mercury to estimate the sensitivity of the scattering length to the variation of the fine-structure constant α. The method used follows the ideas of Chin and Flambaum [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 230801 (2006)], where the sensitivity to the variation of the electron-to-proton mass ratio β was considered. We demonstrate that for heavy systems, the sensitivity to the variation of α is of the same order of magnitude as to the variation of β. Near narrow Feshbach resonances, the enhancement of the sensitivity may exceed nine orders of magnitude.

Object-based implicit learning in visual search: perceptual segmentation constrains contextual cueing.

Science.gov (United States)

Conci, Markus; Müller, Hermann J; von Mühlenen, Adrian

2013-07-09

In visual search, detection of a target is faster when it is presented within a spatial layout of repeatedly encountered nontarget items, indicating that contextual invariances can guide selective attention (contextual cueing; Chun & Jiang, 1998). However, perceptual regularities may interfere with contextual learning; for instance, no contextual facilitation occurs when four nontargets form a square-shaped grouping, even though the square location predicts the target location (Conci & von Mühlenen, 2009). Here, we further investigated potential causes for this interference-effect: We show that contextual cueing can reliably occur for targets located within the region of a segmented object, but not for targets presented outside of the object's boundaries. Four experiments demonstrate an object-based facilitation in contextual cueing, with a modulation of context-based learning by relatively subtle grouping cues including closure, symmetry, and spatial regularity. Moreover, the lack of contextual cueing for targets located outside the segmented region was due to an absence of (latent) learning of contextual layouts, rather than due to an attentional bias towards the grouped region. Taken together, these results indicate that perceptual segmentation provides a basic structure within which contextual scene regularities are acquired. This in turn argues that contextual learning is constrained by object-based selection.

Grazing incidence diffraction anomalous fine structure of self-assembled semiconductor nanostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grenier, S.; Letoublon, A.; Proietti, M.G.; Renevier, H.; Gonzalez, L.; Garcia, J.M.; Priester, C.; Garcia, J.

2003-01-01

We have studied self-organized quantum wires of InAs, grown by molecular beam epitaxy onto a InP(0 0 1) substrate, by means of grazing incidence diffraction anomalous fine structure (DAFS). The equivalent quantum wires thickness is 2.5 monolayers. We measured the (4 4 0) and (4 2 0) GIDAFS spectra, at the As K-edge, keeping the incidence and exit angles close to the InP critical angle. The analysis of both the smooth and oscillatory contributions of the DAFS spectrum, provide valuable information about composition and strain inside the quantum wires and close to the interface. We also show preliminary results on InAs wires encapsulated by a 40 A thick InP capping layer, suggesting the DAFS capability of probing different iso-strain regions of the wires

Forgotten but not gone: Retro-cue costs and benefits in a double-cueing paradigm suggest multiple states in visual short-term memory.

Science.gov (United States)

van Moorselaar, Dirk; Olivers, Christian N L; Theeuwes, Jan; Lamme, Victor A F; Sligte, Ilja G

2015-11-01

Visual short-term memory (VSTM) performance is enhanced when the to-be-tested item is cued after encoding. This so-called retro-cue benefit is typically accompanied by a cost for the noncued items, suggesting that information is lost from VSTM upon presentation of a retrospective cue. Here we assessed whether noncued items can be restored to VSTM when made relevant again by a subsequent second cue. We presented either 1 or 2 consecutive retro-cues (80% valid) during the retention interval of a change-detection task. Relative to no cue, a valid cue increased VSTM capacity by 2 items, while an invalid cue decreased capacity by 2. Importantly, when a second, valid cue followed an invalid cue, capacity regained 2 items, so that performance was back on par. In addition, when the second cue was also invalid, there was no extra loss of information from VSTM, suggesting that those items that survived a first invalid cue, automatically also survived a second. We conclude that these results are in support of a very versatile VSTM system, in which memoranda adopt different representational states depending on whether they are deemed relevant now, in the future, or not at all. We discuss a neural model that is consistent with this conclusion. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Grazing incidence x-ray diffraction at free-standing nanoscale islands: fine structure of diffuse scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grigoriev, D; Hanke, M; Schmidbauer, M; Schaefer, P; Konovalov, O; Koehler, R

2003-01-01

We have investigated the x-ray intensity distribution around 220 reciprocal lattice point in case of grazing incidence diffraction at SiGe nanoscale free-standing islands grown on Si(001) substrate by LPE. Experiments and computer simulations based on the distorted wave Born approximation utilizing the results of elasticity theory obtained by FEM modelling have been carried out. The data reveal fine structure in the distribution of scattered radiation with well-pronounced maxima and complicated fringe pattern. Explanation of the observed diffraction phenomena in their relation to structure and morphology of the island is given. An optimal island model including its shape, size and Ge spatial distribution was elaborated

Outlier SNP markers reveal fine-scale genetic structuring across European hake populations (Merluccius merluccius)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Milano, I.; Babbucci, M.; Cariani, A.

2014-01-01

fishery. Analysis of 850 individuals from 19 locations across the entire distribution range showed evidence for several outlier loci, with significantly higher resolving power. While 299 putatively neutral SNPs confirmed the genetic break between basins (FCT = 0.016) and weak differentiation within basins...... even when neutral markers provide genetic homogeneity across populations. Here, 381 SNPs located in transcribed regions were used to assess largeand fine-scale population structure in the European hake (Merluccius merluccius), a widely distributed demersal species of high priority for the European...

Cues for localization in the horizontal plane

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jeppesen, Jakob; Møller, Henrik

2005-01-01

manipulated in HRTFs used for binaural synthesis of sound in the horizontal plane. The manipulation of cues resulted in HRTFs with cues ranging from correct combinations of spectral information and ITDs to combinations with severely conflicting cues. Both the ITD and the spectral information seem...

Eating beyond metabolic need: how environmental cues influence feeding behavior.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Alexander W

2013-02-01

Animals use current, past, and projected future states of the organism and the world in a finely tuned system to control ingestion. They must not only deal effectively with current nutrient deficiencies, but also manage energy resources to meet future needs, all within the constraints of the mechanisms of metabolism. Many recent approaches to understanding the control of ingestive behavior distinguish between homeostatic mechanisms concerned with energy balance, and hedonic and incentive processes based on palatability and reward characteristics of food. In this review, I consider how learning about environmental cues influences homeostatic and hedonic brain signals, which may lead to increases in the affective taste properties of food and desire to over consume. Understanding these mechanisms may be critical for elucidating the etiology of the obesity epidemic. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Direct Observation of the M1 Transition between the Ground Term Fine Structure Levels of W VIII

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Momoe Mita

2017-03-01

Full Text Available We present a direct observation of the M1 transition between the fine structure splitting in the 4 f 13 5 s 2 5 p 6 2 F ground term of W VIII. The spectroscopic data of few-times ionized tungsten ions are important for the future ITER diagnostics, but there is a serious lack of data. The present study is part of an ongoing effort to solve this problem. Emission from the tungsten ions produced and trapped in a compact electron beam ion trap is observed with a Czerny–Turner visible spectrometer. Spectra in the EUV range are also observed at the same time to help identify the previously-unreported visible lines. The observed wavelength 574.47 ± 0.03 nm (air, which corresponds to the fine structure splitting of 17,402.5 ± 0.9 cm − 1 , shows reasonable agreement with the previously reported value 17,410 ± 5 cm − 1 obtained indirectly through the analysis of EUV spectra [Ryabtsev et al., Atoms 3 (2015 273].

Towards atomically resolved EELS elemental and fine structure mapping via multi-frame and energy-offset correction spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi; Huang, Michael R S; Salzberger, Ute; Hahn, Kersten; Sigle, Wilfried; van Aken, Peter A

2018-01-01

Electron energy-loss spectroscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy are two of the most common means for chemical analysis in the scanning transmission electron microscope. The marked progress of the instrumentation hardware has made chemical analysis at atomic resolution readily possible nowadays. However, the acquisition and interpretation of atomically resolved spectra can still be problematic due to image distortions and poor signal-to-noise ratio of the spectra, especially for investigation of energy-loss near-edge fine structures. By combining multi-frame spectrum imaging and automatic energy-offset correction, we developed a spectrum imaging technique implemented into customized DigitalMicrograph scripts for suppressing image distortions and improving the signal-to-noise ratio. With practical examples, i.e. SrTiO 3 bulk material and Sr-doped La 2 CuO 4 superlattices, we demonstrate the improvement of elemental mapping and the EELS spectrum quality, which opens up new possibilities for atomically resolved EELS fine structure mapping. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synchrotron x-ray fluorescence and extended x-ray absorption fine structure analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, J.R.; Gordon, B.M.; Hanson, A.L.; Jones, K.W.; Kraner, H.W.; Chao, E.C.T.; Minkin, J.A.

1984-01-01

The advent of dedicated synchrotron radiation sources has led to a significant increase in activity in many areas of science dealing with the interaction of x-rays with matter. Synchrotron radiation provides intense, linearly polarized, naturally collimated, continuously tunable photon beams, which are used to determine not only the elemental composition of a complex, polyatomic, dilute material but also the chemical form of the elements with improved accuracy. Examples of the application of synchrotron radiation include experiments in synchrotron x-ray fluorescence (SXRF) analysis and extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) analysis. New synchrotron radiation x-ray microprobes for elemental analysis in the parts per billion range are under construction at several laboratories. 76 references, 24 figures

New constraints on variations of the fine structure constant from CMB anisotropies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menegoni, Eloisa; Melchiorri, Alessandro; Galli, Silvia; Bartlett, James G.; Martins, C. J. A. P.

2009-01-01

We demonstrate that recent measurements of cosmic microwave background temperature and polarization anisotropy made by the ACBAR, QUAD, and BICEP experiments substantially improve the cosmological constraints on possible variations of the fine structure constant in the early universe. This data, combined with the five year observations from the WMAP mission, yield the constraint α/α 0 =0.987±0.012 at 68% C.L. The inclusion of the new Hubble Space Telescope constraints on the Hubble constant further increases the accuracy to α/α 0 =1.001±0.007 at 68% C.L., bringing possible deviations from the current value below the 1% level and improving previous constraints by a factor of ∼3.

The cue is key : design for real-life remembering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoven, van den E.A.W.H.; Eggen, J.H.

2014-01-01

This paper aims to put the memory cue in the spotlight. We will show how memory cues are incorporated in the area of interaction design. The focus will be on external memory cues: cues that exist outside the human mind but have an internal effect on memory reconstruction. Examples of external cues

Cue reactivity in virtual reality: the role of context.

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Megan M; Carter, Brian L; Traylor, Amy C; Bordnick, Patrick S; Day, Susan X; Armsworth, Mary W; Cinciripini, Paul M

2011-07-01

Cigarette smokers in laboratory experiments readily respond to smoking stimuli with increased craving. An alternative to traditional cue-reactivity methods (e.g., exposure to cigarette photos), virtual reality (VR) has been shown to be a viable cue presentation method to elicit and assess cigarette craving within complex virtual environments. However, it remains poorly understood whether contextual cues from the environment contribute to craving increases in addition to specific cues, like cigarettes. This study examined the role of contextual cues in a VR environment to evoke craving. Smokers were exposed to a virtual convenience store devoid of any specific cigarette cues followed by exposure to the same convenience store with specific cigarette cues added. Smokers reported increased craving following exposure to the virtual convenience store without specific cues, and significantly greater craving following the convenience store with cigarette cues added. However, increased craving recorded after the second convenience store may have been due to the pre-exposure to the first convenience store. This study offers evidence that an environmental context where cigarette cues are normally present (but are not), elicits significant craving in the absence of specific cigarette cues. This finding suggests that VR may have stronger ecological validity over traditional cue reactivity exposure methods by exposing smokers to the full range of cigarette-related environmental stimuli, in addition to specific cigarette cues, that smokers typically experience in their daily lives. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cues of maternal condition influence offspring selfishness.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Janine W Y; Lucas, Christophe; Kölliker, Mathias

2014-01-01

The evolution of parent-offspring communication was mostly studied from the perspective of parents responding to begging signals conveying information about offspring condition. Parents should respond to begging because of the differential fitness returns obtained from their investment in offspring that differ in condition. For analogous reasons, offspring should adjust their behavior to cues/signals of parental condition: parents that differ in condition pay differential costs of care and, hence, should provide different amounts of food. In this study, we experimentally tested in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia) if cues of maternal condition affect offspring behavior in terms of sibling cannibalism. We experimentally manipulated female condition by providing them with different amounts of food, kept nymph condition constant, allowed for nymph exposure to chemical maternal cues over extended time, quantified nymph survival (deaths being due to cannibalism) and extracted and analyzed the females' cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC). Nymph survival was significantly affected by chemical cues of maternal condition, and this effect depended on the timing of breeding. Cues of poor maternal condition enhanced nymph survival in early broods, but reduced nymph survival in late broods, and vice versa for cues of good condition. Furthermore, female condition affected the quantitative composition of their CHC profile which in turn predicted nymph survival patterns. Thus, earwig offspring are sensitive to chemical cues of maternal condition and nymphs from early and late broods show opposite reactions to the same chemical cues. Together with former evidence on maternal sensitivities to condition-dependent nymph chemical cues, our study shows context-dependent reciprocal information exchange about condition between earwig mothers and their offspring, potentially mediated by cuticular hydrocarbons.

Cues of maternal condition influence offspring selfishness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janine W Y Wong

Full Text Available The evolution of parent-offspring communication was mostly studied from the perspective of parents responding to begging signals conveying information about offspring condition. Parents should respond to begging because of the differential fitness returns obtained from their investment in offspring that differ in condition. For analogous reasons, offspring should adjust their behavior to cues/signals of parental condition: parents that differ in condition pay differential costs of care and, hence, should provide different amounts of food. In this study, we experimentally tested in the European earwig (Forficula auricularia if cues of maternal condition affect offspring behavior in terms of sibling cannibalism. We experimentally manipulated female condition by providing them with different amounts of food, kept nymph condition constant, allowed for nymph exposure to chemical maternal cues over extended time, quantified nymph survival (deaths being due to cannibalism and extracted and analyzed the females' cuticular hydrocarbons (CHC. Nymph survival was significantly affected by chemical cues of maternal condition, and this effect depended on the timing of breeding. Cues of poor maternal condition enhanced nymph survival in early broods, but reduced nymph survival in late broods, and vice versa for cues of good condition. Furthermore, female condition affected the quantitative composition of their CHC profile which in turn predicted nymph survival patterns. Thus, earwig offspring are sensitive to chemical cues of maternal condition and nymphs from early and late broods show opposite reactions to the same chemical cues. Together with former evidence on maternal sensitivities to condition-dependent nymph chemical cues, our study shows context-dependent reciprocal information exchange about condition between earwig mothers and their offspring, potentially mediated by cuticular hydrocarbons.

Congenital amusics use a secondary pitch mechanism to identify lexical tones.

Science.gov (United States)

Bones, Oliver; Wong, Patrick C M

2017-09-01

Amusia is a pitch perception disorder associated with deficits in processing and production of both musical and lexical tones, which previous reports have suggested may be constrained to fine-grained pitch judgements. In the present study speakers of tone-languages, in which lexical tones are used to convey meaning, identified words present in chimera stimuli containing conflicting pitch-cues in the temporal fine-structure and temporal envelope, and which therefore conveyed two distinct utterances. Amusics were found to be more likely than controls to judge the word according to the envelope pitch-cues. This demonstrates that amusia is not associated with fine-grained pitch judgements alone, and is consistent with there being two distinct pitch mechanisms and with amusics having an atypical reliance on a secondary mechanism based upon envelope cues. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Laboratory-based recording of holographic fine structure in X-ray absorption anisotropy using polycapillary optics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dabrowski, K.M. [Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow (Poland); Korecki, P., E-mail: pawel.korecki@uj.edu.pl [Institute of Physics, Jagiellonian University, Reymonta 4, 30-059 Krakow (Poland)

2012-08-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Holographic fine structures in X-ray absorption recorded using a tabletop setup. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Setup based on polycapillary collimating optics and an HOPG crystal. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Demonstration of element sensitivity by detection of X-ray fluorescence. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Potential of laboratory-based experiments for heavily doped crystals and thin films. - Abstract: A tabletop setup composed of a collimating polycapillary optics and a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite monochromator (HOPG) was characterized and used for recording two-dimensional maps of X-ray absorption anisotropy (XAA). XAA originates from interference of X-rays directly inside the sample. Depending on experimental conditions, fine structures in XAA can be interpreted in terms of X-ray holograms or X-ray standing waves and can be used for an element selective atomic-resolved structural analysis. The implementation of polycapillary optics resulted in a two-order of magnitude gain in the radiant intensity (photons/s/solid angle) as compared to a system without optics and enabled efficient recording of XAA with a resolution of 0.15 Degree-Sign for Mo K{alpha} radiation. Element sensitivity was demonstrated by acquisition of distinct XAA signals for Ga and As atoms in a GaAs (1 1 1) wafer by using X-ray fluorescence as a secondary signal. These results indicate the possibility of performing laboratory-based XAA experiments for heavily doped single crystals or thin films. So far, because of the weak holographic modulation of XAA, such experiments could be only performed using synchrotron radiation.

Experimental determination of the relativistic fine-structure splitting in pionic Ti and Fe atoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, K.; Boehm, F.; Bovet, E.; Hahn, A.A.; Henrikson, H.E.; Miller, J.P.; Powers, R.J.; Vogel, P.; Vuilleumier, J.; Kunselman, A.R.

1980-01-01

Using a high-resolution crystal spectrometer we have measured the relativistic angular-momentum splittings of the 5g-4f and 5f-4d transitions in pionic Ti and Fe atoms. The observed fine-structure splittings of 85.3 +- 3.0 eV in π - Ti and 158.5 +- 7.8 eV in π - Fe agree with the calculated splittings of 88.5 and 167.6 eV, respectively, arising from the Klein-Gordon equation and from small corrections due to vacuum polarization, strong interaction, and electron screening

Surface extended x-ray absorption fine structure of low-Z absorbates using fluorescence detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stoehr, J.; Kollin, E.B.; Fischer, D.A.; Hastings, J.B.; Zaera, F.; Sette, F.

1985-05-01

Comparison of x-ray fluorescence yield (FY) and electron yield surface extended x-ray absorption fine structure spectra above the S K-edge for c(2 x 2) S on Ni(100) reveals an order of magnitude higher sensitivity of the FY technique. Using FY detection, thiophene (C 4 H 4 S) chemisorption on Ni(100) is studied with S coverages down to 0.08 monolayer. The molecule dissociates at temperatures as low as 100K by interaction with fourfold hollow Ni sites. Blocking of these sites by oxygen leaves the molecule intact

Polarized Fine Structure in the Photoluminescence Excitation Spectrum of a Negatively Charged Quantum Dot

Science.gov (United States)

Ware, M. E.; Stinaff, E. A.; Gammon, D.; Doty, M. F.; Bracker, A. S.; Gershoni, D.; Korenev, V. L.; Bădescu, Ş. C.; Lyanda-Geller, Y.; Reinecke, T. L.

2005-10-01

We report polarized photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy of the negative trion in single charge-tunable InAs/GaAs quantum dots. The spectrum exhibits a p-shell resonance with polarized fine structure arising from the direct excitation of the electron spin triplet states. The energy splitting arises from the axially symmetric electron-hole exchange interaction. The magnitude and sign of the polarization are understood from the spin character of the triplet states and a small amount of quantum dot asymmetry, which mixes the wave functions through asymmetric e-e and e-h exchange interactions.

Absolute transition probabilities in the NeI 3p-3s fine structure by beam-gas-dye laser spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hartmetz, P.; Schmoranzer, H.

1983-01-01

The beam-gas-dye laser two-step excitation technique is further developed and applied to the direct measurement of absolute atomic transition probabilities in the NeI 3p-3s fine-structure transition array with a maximum experimental error of 5%. (orig.)

Contribution to the study of the {alpha} spectrometry by the impulse ionization chamber. Application to the study of the beam fine structure of some heavy nuclei; Contribution a l'etude de la spectrometrie {alpha} par la chambre d'ionisation a impulsion. Application a l'etude de la structure fine du rayonnement de quelques noyaux lourds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valladas, G [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Saclay (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1954-05-15

In the first part, it studies an impulse spectrometer of which the resolution and stability have been pushed to their maximum possibilities. It uses an ionization chamber because of its simple and steady functioning. The general characteristics and building of the ionization chamber are described. The electronic devices are described as well as the recording system. The theoretical study of the amplifier has allowed to reduce the amplitude dispersion from electronic devices as background noise. The resolution in energy of an {alpha} spectrometer using an impulse ionization chamber is studied and results are discussed. The spectral lines display of the fine structure under the effect of conversion electrons emitted by coincidence in the ionization chamber is studied. Finally, the detection possibilities of very low intensity spectral lines of fine structure of detection are considered. In the second part, the {alpha} emission of fine structure of {sup 230}Th, {sup 234}U and {sup 238}U nuclei is studied. (M.P.)

Do Adults with Cochlear Implants Rely on Different Acoustic Cues for Phoneme Perception than Adults with Normal Hearing?

Science.gov (United States)

Moberly, Aaron C.; Lowenstein, Joanna H.; Tarr, Eric; Caldwell-Tarr, Amanda; Welling, D. Bradley; Shahin, Antoine J.; Nittrouer, Susan

2014-01-01

Purpose: Several acoustic cues specify any single phonemic contrast. Nonetheless, adult, native speakers of a language share weighting strategies, showing preferential attention to some properties over others. Cochlear implant (CI) signal processing disrupts the salience of some cues: In general, amplitude structure remains readily available, but…

Action experience changes attention to kinematic cues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Courtney eFilippi

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The current study used remote corneal reflection eye-tracking to examine the relationship between motor experience and action anticipation in 13-month-old infants. To measure online anticipation of actions infants watched videos where the actor’s hand provided kinematic information (in its orientation about the type of object that the actor was going to reach for. The actor’s hand orientation either matched the orientation of a rod (congruent cue or did not match the orientation of the rod (incongruent cue. To examine relations between motor experience and action anticipation, we used a 2 (reach first vs. observe first x 2 (congruent kinematic cue vs. incongruent kinematic cue between-subjects design. We show that 13-month-old infants in the observe first condition spontaneously generate rapid online visual predictions to congruent hand orientation cues and do not visually anticipate when presented incongruent cues. We further demonstrate that the speed that these infants generate predictions to congruent motor cues is correlated with their own ability to pre-shape their hands. Finally, we demonstrate that following reaching experience, infants generate rapid predictions to both congruent and incongruent hand shape cues—suggesting that short-term experience changes attention to kinematics.

Localization Performance of Multiple Vibrotactile Cues on Both Arms.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dangxiao; Peng, Cong; Afzal, Naqash; Li, Weiang; Wu, Dong; Zhang, Yuru

2018-01-01

To present information using vibrotactile stimuli in wearable devices, it is fundamental to understand human performance of localizing vibrotactile cues across the skin surface. In this paper, we studied human ability to identify locations of multiple vibrotactile cues activated simultaneously on both arms. Two haptic bands were mounted in proximity to the elbow and shoulder joints on each arm, and two vibrotactile motors were mounted on each band to provide vibration cues to the dorsal and palmar side of the arm. The localization performance under four conditions were compared, with the number of the simultaneously activated cues varying from one to four in each condition. Experimental results illustrate that the rate of correct localization decreases linearly with the increase in the number of activated cues. It was 27.8 percent for three activated cues, and became even lower for four activated cues. An analysis of the correct rate and error patterns show that the layout of vibrotactile cues can have significant effects on the localization performance of multiple vibrotactile cues. These findings might provide guidelines for using vibrotactile cues to guide the simultaneous motion of multiple joints on both arms.

Hunger, taste, and normative cues in predictions about food intake.

Science.gov (United States)

Vartanian, Lenny R; Reily, Natalie M; Spanos, Samantha; McGuirk, Lucy C; Herman, C Peter; Polivy, Janet

2017-09-01

Normative eating cues (portion size, social factors) have a powerful impact on people's food intake, but people often fail to acknowledge the influence of these cues, instead explaining their food intake in terms of internal (hunger) or sensory (taste) cues. This study examined whether the same biases apply when making predictions about how much food a person would eat. Participants (n = 364) read a series of vignettes describing an eating scenario and predicted how much food the target person would eat in each situation. Some scenarios consisted of a single eating cue (hunger, taste, or a normative cue) that would be expected to increase intake (e.g., high hunger) or decrease intake (e.g., a companion who eats very little). Other scenarios combined two cues that were in conflict with one another (e.g., high hunger + a companion who eats very little). In the cue-conflict scenarios involving an inhibitory internal/sensory cue (e.g., low hunger) with an augmenting normative cue (e.g., a companion who eats a lot), participants predicted a low level of food intake, suggesting a bias toward the internal/sensory cue. For scenarios involving an augmenting internal/sensory cue (e.g., high hunger) and an inhibitory normative cue (e.g., a companion who eats very little), participants predicted an intermediate level of food intake, suggesting that they were influenced by both the internal/sensory and normative cue. Overall, predictions about food intake tend to reflect a general bias toward internal/sensory cues, but also include normative cues when those cues are inhibitory. If people are systematically biased toward internal, sensory, and inhibitory cues, then they may underestimate how much food they or other people will eat in many situations, particularly when normative cues promoting eating are present. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Context cue focality influences strategic prospective memory monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Hunter Ball, B; Bugg, Julie M

2018-02-12

Monitoring the environment for the occurrence of prospective memory (PM) targets is a resource-demanding process that produces cost (e.g., slower responding) to ongoing activities. However, research suggests that individuals are able to monitor strategically by using contextual cues to reduce monitoring in contexts in which PM targets are not expected to occur. In the current study, we investigated the processes supporting context identification (i.e., determining whether or not the context is appropriate for monitoring) by testing the context cue focality hypothesis. This hypothesis predicts that the ability to monitor strategically depends on whether the ongoing task orients attention to the contextual cues that are available to guide monitoring. In Experiment 1, participants performed an ongoing lexical decision task and were told that PM targets (TOR syllable) would only occur in word trials (focal context cue condition) or in items starting with consonants (nonfocal context cue condition). In Experiment 2, participants performed an ongoing first letter judgment (consonant/vowel) task and were told that PM targets would only occur in items starting with consonants (focal context cue condition) or in word trials (nonfocal context cue condition). Consistent with the context cue focality hypothesis, strategic monitoring was only observed during focal context cue conditions in which the type of ongoing task processing automatically oriented attention to the relevant features of the contextual cue. These findings suggest that strategic monitoring is dependent on limited-capacity processing resources and may be relatively limited when the attentional demands of context identification are sufficiently high.

Determining biological fine structure by differential absorption of soft x-rays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Panessa-Warren, B.J.; Warren, J.B.

1979-06-01

The use of soft x-ray contact microscopy in examining histochemically treated human tissue embedded in plastic and exposed as unstained thin sections is demonstrated. When our preliminary data revealed that we could clearly image not only the histochemical reaction product, but the unstained biological fine structure of the surrounding tissues, we decided to test our hypothesis further and see if we could image unstained biological molecular aggregates as well. For this part of the investigation, we chose to examine hydrated proteoglycan aggregates. Proteoglycans are an essential component of the organic matrix of cartilage, and play a primary role in the retention and maintenance of extracellular water. To avoid any artifacts due to the introduction of exogeneous materials, and examine the proteoglycan aggregates in their hydrated, natural configuration, we made contact x-ray images of isolated proteoglycan aggregates in water

Mechanical Behavior Analysis of Y-Type S-SRC Column in a Large-Space Vertical Hybrid Structure Using Local Fine Numerical Simulation Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianguang Yue

2018-01-01

Full Text Available In a large spatial structure, normally the important members are of special type and are the safety key for the global structure. In order to study the mechanical behavior details of the local member, it is difficult for the common test method to realize the complex spatial loading state of the local member. Therefore, a local-fine finite element model was proposed and a large-space vertical hybrid structure was numerically simulated. The seismic responses of the global structure and the Y-type S-SRC column were analyzed under El Centro seismic motions with the peak acceleration of 35 gal and 220 gal. The numerical model was verified with the results of the seismic shaking table test of the structure model. The failure mechanism and stiffness damage evolution of the Y-type S-SRC column were analyzed. The calculated results agreed well with the test results. It indicates that the local-fine FEM could reflect the mechanical details of the local members in a large spatial structure.

Spontaneous Hedonic Reactions to Social Media Cues.

Science.gov (United States)

van Koningsbruggen, Guido M; Hartmann, Tilo; Eden, Allison; Veling, Harm

2017-05-01

Why is it so difficult to resist the desire to use social media? One possibility is that frequent social media users possess strong and spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media cues, which, in turn, makes it difficult to resist social media temptations. In two studies (total N = 200), we investigated less-frequent and frequent social media users' spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media cues using the Affect Misattribution Procedure-an implicit measure of affective reactions. Results demonstrated that frequent social media users showed more favorable affective reactions in response to social media (vs. control) cues, whereas less-frequent social media users' affective reactions did not differ between social media and control cues (Studies 1 and 2). Moreover, the spontaneous hedonic reactions to social media (vs. control) cues were related to self-reported cravings to use social media and partially accounted for the link between social media use and social media cravings (Study 2). These findings suggest that frequent social media users' spontaneous hedonic reactions in response to social media cues might contribute to their difficulties in resisting desires to use social media.

Fine-structural effects of 1200-R abdominal x irradiation on rat intestinal epithelium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieb, R.J.; McDonald, T.F.; McKenney, J.R.

1977-01-01

Male Charles River CD rats were shielded from the xiphoid process cranially with lead and were exposed to 1200-R abdominal x irradiation. Animals were sacrificed at 1 through 4 days following irradiation and tissues from both ileum and jejunum were prepared for electron microscopic examination. At the fine-structural level early changes were confined to a proliferation and dilation of smooth endoplasmic reticulum and to an increase in the number of lysosomes. At 4 days postirradiation, cells covering the villi were cuboidal rather than columnar and appeared to be immature crypt-type cells. The appearance of these cells was coincident with the onset of diarrhea in these animals

Representations of U(2∞ and the Value of the Fine Structure Constant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

William H. Klink

2005-12-01

Full Text Available A relativistic quantum mechanics is formulated in which all of the interactions are in the four-momentum operator and Lorentz transformations are kinematic. Interactions are introduced through vertices, which are bilinear in fermion and antifermion creation and annihilation operators, and linear in boson creation and annihilation operators. The fermion-antifermion operators generate a unitary Lie algebra, whose representations are fixed by a first order Casimir operator (corresponding to baryon number or charge. Eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the four-momentum operator are analyzed and exact solutions in the strong coupling limit are sketched. A simple model shows how the fine structure constant might be determined for the QED vertex.

Negative emotion provides cues for orienting auditory spatial attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erkin eAsutay

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The auditory stimuli provide information about the objects and events around us. They can also carry biologically significant emotional information (such as unseen dangers and conspecific vocalizations, which provides cues for allocation of attention and mental resources. Here, we investigated whether task-irrelevant auditory emotional information can provide cues for orientation of auditory spatial attention. We employed a covert spatial orienting task: the dot-probe task. In each trial, two task irrelevant auditory cues were simultaneously presented at two separate locations (left-right or front-back. Environmental sounds were selected to form emotional vs. neutral, emotional vs. emotional, and neutral vs. neutral cue pairs. The participants’ task was to detect the location of an acoustic target that was presented immediately after the task-irrelevant auditory cues. The target was presented at the same location as one of the auditory cues. The results indicated that participants were significantly faster to locate the target when it replaced the negative cue compared to when it replaced the neutral cue. The positive cues did not produce a clear attentional bias. Further, same valence pairs (emotional-emotional or neutral-neutral did not modulate reaction times due to a lack of spatial attention capture by one cue in the pair. Taken together, the results indicate that negative affect can provide cues for the orientation of spatial attention in the auditory domain.

Synergistic Instance-Level Subspace Alignment for Fine-Grained Sketch-Based Image Retrieval.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ke; Pang, Kaiyue; Song, Yi-Zhe; Hospedales, Timothy M; Xiang, Tao; Zhang, Honggang

2017-08-25

We study the problem of fine-grained sketch-based image retrieval. By performing instance-level (rather than category-level) retrieval, it embodies a timely and practical application, particularly with the ubiquitous availability of touchscreens. Three factors contribute to the challenging nature of the problem: (i) free-hand sketches are inherently abstract and iconic, making visual comparisons with photos difficult, (ii) sketches and photos are in two different visual domains, i.e. black and white lines vs. color pixels, and (iii) fine-grained distinctions are especially challenging when executed across domain and abstraction-level. To address these challenges, we propose to bridge the image-sketch gap both at the high-level via parts and attributes, as well as at the low-level, via introducing a new domain alignment method. More specifically, (i) we contribute a dataset with 304 photos and 912 sketches, where each sketch and image is annotated with its semantic parts and associated part-level attributes. With the help of this dataset, we investigate (ii) how strongly-supervised deformable part-based models can be learned that subsequently enable automatic detection of part-level attributes, and provide pose-aligned sketch-image comparisons. To reduce the sketch-image gap when comparing low-level features, we also (iii) propose a novel method for instance-level domain-alignment, that exploits both subspace and instance-level cues to better align the domains. Finally (iv) these are combined in a matching framework integrating aligned low-level features, mid-level geometric structure and high-level semantic attributes. Extensive experiments conducted on our new dataset demonstrate effectiveness of the proposed method.

What Does a Cue Do? Comparing Phonological and Semantic Cues for Picture Naming in Aphasia

Science.gov (United States)

Meteyard, Lotte; Bose, Arpita

2018-01-01

Purpose: Impaired naming is one of the most common symptoms in aphasia, often treated with cued picture naming paradigms. It has been argued that semantic cues facilitate the reliable categorization of the picture, and phonological cues facilitate the retrieval of target phonology. To test these hypotheses, we compared the effectiveness of…

Fine-structure processing, frequency selectivity and speech perception in hearing-impaired listeners

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Strelcyk, Olaf; Dau, Torsten

2008-01-01

Hearing-impaired people often experience great difficulty with speech communication when background noise is present, even if reduced audibility has been compensated for. Other impairment factors must be involved. In order to minimize confounding effects, the subjects participating in this study...... consisted of groups with homogeneous, symmetric audiograms. The perceptual listening experiments assessed the intelligibility of full-spectrum as well as low-pass filtered speech in the presence of stationary and fluctuating interferers, the individual's frequency selectivity and the integrity of temporal...... modulation were obtained. In addition, these binaural and monaural thresholds were measured in a stationary background noise in order to assess the persistence of the fine-structure processing to interfering noise. Apart from elevated speech reception thresholds, the hearing impaired listeners showed poorer...

Cues for cellular assembly of vascular elastin networks

Science.gov (United States)

Kothapalli, Chandrasekhar R.

Elastin, a structural protein distributed in the extracellular matrix of vascular tissues is critical to the maintenance of vascular mechanics, besides regulation of cell-signaling pathways involved in injury response and morphogenesis. Thus, congenital absence or disease-mediated degradation of vascular elastin and its malformation within native vessels due to innately poor elastin synthesis by adult vascular cells compromise vascular homeostasis. Current elastin regenerative strategies using tissue engineering principles are limited by the progressive destabilization of tropoelastin mRNA expression in adult vascular cells and the unavailability of scaffolds that can provide cellular cues necessary to up-regulate elastin synthesis and regenerate faithful mimics of native elastin. Since our earlier studies demonstrated the elastogenic utility of hyaluronan (HA)-based cues, we have currently sought to identify a unique set of culture conditions based on HA fragments (0.756-2000 kDa), growth factors (TGF-beta1, IGF-1) and other biomolecules (Cu2+ ions, LOX), which will together enhance synthesis, crosslinking, maturation and fibrous elastin matrix formation by adult SMCs, under both healthy and inflammatory conditions. It was observed that TGF-beta1 (1 ng/mL) together with HA oligomers (0.2 microg/mL) synergistically suppressed SMC proliferation, enhanced tropoelastin (8-fold) and matrix elastin synthesis (5.5-fold), besides improving matrix yield (4.5-fold), possibly by increasing production and activity of lysyl oxidase (LOX). Though addition of IGF-1 alone did not offer any advantage, HA fragments (20-200 kDa) in the presence of IGF-1 stimulated tropoelastin and soluble elastin synthesis more than 2.2-fold, with HMW HA contributing for ˜5-fold increase in crosslinked matrix elastin synthesis. Similarly, 0.1 M of Cu2+ ions, alone or together with HA fragments stimulated synthesis of tropoelastin (4-fold) and crosslinked matrix elastin (4.5-fold), via increases in

On the motivational properties of reward cues: Individual differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Terry E; Yager, Lindsay M; Cogan, Elizabeth S; Saunders, Benjamin T

2014-01-01

Cues associated with rewards, such as food or drugs of abuse, can themselves acquire motivational properties. Acting as incentive stimuli, such cues can exert powerful control over motivated behavior, and in the case of cues associated with drugs, they can goad continued drug-seeking behavior and relapse. However, recent studies reviewed here suggest that there are large individual differences in the extent to which food and drug cues are attributed with incentive salience. Rats prone to approach reward cues (sign-trackers) attribute greater motivational value to discrete localizable cues and interoceptive cues than do rats less prone to approach reward cues (goal-trackers). In contrast, contextual cues appear to exert greater control over motivated behavior in goal-trackers than sign-trackers. It is possible to predict, therefore, before any experience with drugs, in which animals specific classes of drug cues will most likely reinstate drug-seeking behavior. The finding that different individuals may be sensitive to different triggers capable of motivating behavior and producing relapse suggests there may be different pathways to addiction, and has implications for thinking about individualized treatment. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled 'NIDA 40th Anniversary Issue'. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Default mode network deactivation to smoking cue relative to food cue predicts treatment outcome in nicotine use disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilcox, Claire E; Claus, Eric D; Calhoun, Vince D; Rachakonda, Srinivas; Littlewood, Rae A; Mickey, Jessica; Arenella, Pamela B; Goodreau, Natalie; Hutchison, Kent E

2018-01-01

Identifying predictors of treatment outcome for nicotine use disorders (NUDs) may help improve efficacy of established treatments, like varenicline. Brain reactivity to drug stimuli predicts relapse risk in nicotine and other substance use disorders in some studies. Activity in the default mode network (DMN) is affected by drug cues and other palatable cues, but its clinical significance is unclear. In this study, 143 individuals with NUD (male n = 91, ages 18-55 years) received a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan during a visual cue task during which they were presented with a series of smoking-related or food-related video clips prior to randomization to treatment with varenicline (n = 80) or placebo. Group independent components analysis was utilized to isolate the DMN, and temporal sorting was used to calculate the difference between the DMN blood-oxygen-level dependent signal during smoke cues and that during food cues for each individual. Food cues were associated with greater deactivation compared with smoke cues in the DMN. In correcting for baseline smoking and other clinical variables, which have been shown to be related to treatment outcome in previous work, a less positive Smoke - Food difference score predicted greater smoking at 6 and 12 weeks when both treatment groups were combined (P = 0.005, β = -0.766). An exploratory analysis of executive control and salience networks demonstrated that a more positive Smoke - Food difference score for executive control network predicted a more robust response to varenicline relative to placebo. These findings provide further support to theories that brain reactivity to palatable cues, and in particular in DMN, may have a direct clinical relevance in NUD. © 2017 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Landscape-Level and Fine-Scale Genetic Structure of the Neo tropical Tree Protium spruceanum (Burseraceae)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vieira, F.D.A.; Fajardo, C.G.; De Souza, A.M.; Dulciniea De Carvalho, D.

2010-01-01

Knowledge of genetic structure at different scales and correlation with the current landscape is fundamental for evaluating the importance of evolutionary processes and identifying conservation units. Here, we used allozyme loci to examine the spatial genetic structure (SGS) of 230 individuals of Protium spruceanum, a native canopy-emergent in five fragments of Brazilian Atlantic forest (1 to 11.8 ha), and four ecological corridors (460 to 1000 m length). Wright's FST statistic and Mantel tests revealed little evidence of significant genetic structure at the landscape-scale (FST=0.027; rM=-0.051, P=.539). At fine-scale SGS, low levels of relatedness within fragments and corridors (Sp=0.008, P>.05) were observed. Differences in the levels and distribution of the SGS at both spatial scales are discussed in relation to biological and conservation strategies of corridors and forest fragments.

Facilitation of voluntary goal-directed action by reward cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Lovibond, Peter F; Colagiuri, Ben

2013-10-01

Reward-associated cues are known to influence motivation to approach both natural and man-made rewards, such as food and drugs. However, the mechanisms underlying these effects are not well understood. To model these processes in the laboratory with humans, we developed an appetitive Pavlovian-instrumental transfer procedure with a chocolate reward. We used a single unconstrained response that led to an actual rather than symbolic reward to assess the strength of reward motivation. Presentation of a chocolate-paired cue, but not an unpaired cue, markedly enhanced instrumental responding over a 30-s period. The same pattern was observed with 10-s and 30-s cues, showing that close cue-reward contiguity is not necessary for facilitation of reward-directed action. The results confirm that reward-related cues can instigate voluntary action to obtain that reward. The effectiveness of long-duration cues suggests that in clinical settings, attention should be directed to both proximal and distal cues for reward.

Peak provoked craving: an alternative to smoking cue-reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sayette, Michael A; Tiffany, Stephen T

2013-06-01

Smoking cue-exposure research has provided a powerful tool for examining cravings in the laboratory. A key attraction of this method is that tightly controlled experimental procedures can model craving experiences that are presumed to relate to addiction. Despite its appeal, key assumptions underlying the clinical relevance of smoking cue-reactivity studies have been questioned recently. For both conceptual and methodological reasons it may be difficult to tease apart cue-based and abstinence-based cravings. Moreover, conventional cue-reactivity procedures typically generate levels of craving with only minimal clinical relevance. We argue here that sometimes it is unfeasible-and in some instances conceptually misguided-to disentangle abstinence-based and cued components of cigarette cravings. In light of the challenges associated with cue-reactivity research, we offer an alternative approach to smoking cue-exposure experimental research focusing on peak provoked craving (PPC) states. The PPC approach uses nicotine-deprived smokers and focuses on urges during smoking cue-exposure without subtracting out urge ratings during control cue or baseline assessments. This design relies on two factors found in many cue-exposure studies-nicotine deprivation and exposure to explicit smoking cues-which, when combined, can create powerful craving states. The PPC approach retains key aspects of the cue-exposure method, and in many circumstances may be a viable design for studies examining robust laboratory-induced cravings. © 2012 The Authors, Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Cue-reactivity in behavioral addictions: A meta-analysis and methodological considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Starcke, Katrin; Antons, Stephanie; Trotzke, Patrick; Brand, Matthias

2018-05-23

Background and aims Recent research has applied cue-reactivity paradigms to behavioral addictions. The aim of the current meta-analysis is to systematically analyze the effects of learning-based cue-reactivity in behavioral addictions. Methods The current meta-analysis includes 18 studies (29 data sets, 510 participants) that have used a cue-reactivity paradigm in persons with gambling (eight studies), gaming (nine studies), or buying (one study) disorders. We compared subjective, peripheral physiological, electroencephal, and neural responses toward addiction-relevant cues in patients versus control participants and toward addiction-relevant cues versus control cues in patients. Results Persons with behavioral addictions showed higher cue-reactivity toward addiction-relevant cues compared with control participants: subjective cue-reactivity (d = 0.84, p = .01) and peripheral physiological and electroencephal measures of cue-reactivity (d = 0.61, p buying disorders also showed higher cue-reactivity toward addiction-relevant cues compared with control cues: subjective cue-reactivity (d = 0.39, p = .11) and peripheral physiological and electroencephal measures of cue-reactivity (d = 0.47, p = .05). Increased neural activation was found in the caudate nucleus, inferior frontal gyrus, angular gyrus, inferior network, and precuneus. Discussion and conclusions Cue-reactivity not only exists in substance-use disorders but also in gambling, gaming, and buying disorders. Future research should differentiate between cue-reactivity in addictive behaviors and cue-reactivity in functional excessive behaviors such as passions, hobbies, or professions.

Fine structure of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance from high-resolution inelastic proton scattering experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shevchenko, A.

2005-02-01

In the present work the phenomenon of fine structure in the region of the isoscalar giant quadrupole resonance in a number of heavy and medium-heavy nuclei is systematically investigated for the first time. High energy-resolution inelastic proton scattering experiments were carried out in September-October 2001 and in October 2003 at the iThemba LABS cyclotron facility in South Africa with an incident proton energy of 200 MeV. The obtained data with the energy resolution of triangle E 58 Ni, 89 Y, 90 Zr, 120 Sn, 142 Nd, 166 Er, 208 Pb), thereby establishing the global character of this phenomenon. Fine structure can be described using characteristic energy scales, appearing as a result of the decay of collective modes towards the compound nucleus through a hierarchy of couplings to complex degrees of freedom. For the extraction of the characteristic energy scales from the spectra an entropy index method and a novel technique based on the wavelet analysis are utilized. The global analysis of available data shows the presence of three groups of scales, according to their values. To the first group belong the scales with the values around and below 100 keV, which were detected in all the nuclei studied. The second group contains intermediate scales in the range of 100 keV to 1 MeV. These scales show large variations depending on the nuclear structure of the nucleus. The largest scales above 1 MeV are classified to the third group, describing the global structure of the resonance (the width). The interpretation of the observed scales is realized via the comparison with microscopic model calculations including the coupling of the initial one-particle-one-hole excitations to more complex configurations. A qualitative agreement of the experimentally observed scales with those obtained from the theoretical predictions supports the suggestion of the origin of fine structure from the coupling to the two-particle-two-hole states. However, quantitatively, large deviations are

Fine-structure excitation of Fe II and Fe III due to collisions with electrons

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Yier; Qi, Yueying; Favreau, Connor; Loch, Stuart; Stancil, P.; Ballance, Connor; McLaughlin, Brendan

2018-06-01

Atomic data of iron peak elements are of great importance in astronomical observations. Among all the ionization stages of iron, Fe II and Fe III are of particular importance because of the high cosmic abundance, relatively low ionization potential and complex open d-shell atomic structure. Fe II and Fe III emission are observed from nearly all classes of astronomical objects over a wide spectral range from the infrared to the ultraviolet. To meaningfully interpret these spectra, astronomers have to employ highly complex modeling codes with reliable collision data to simulate the astrophysical observations. The major aim of this work is to provide reliable atomic data for diagnostics. We present new collision strengths and effective collisions for electron impact excitation of Fe II and Fe III for the forbidden transitions among the fine-structure levels of the ground terms. A very fine energy mesh is used for the collision strengths and the effective collision strengths are calculated over a wide range of electron temperatures of astrophysical importance (10-2000 K). The configuration interaction state wave functions are generated with a scaled Thomas-Fermi-Dirac-Amaldi (TFDA) potential, while the R-matrix plus intermediate coupling frame transformation (ICFT), Breit-Pauli R-matrix and Dirac R-matrix packages are used to obtain collision strengths. Influences of the different methods and configuration expansions on the collisional data are discussed. Comparison is made with earlier theoretical work and differences are found to occur at the low temperatures considered here.This work was funded by NASA grant NNX15AE47G.

Preferred Compression Speed for Speech and Music and Its Relationship to Sensitivity to Temporal Fine Structure

OpenAIRE

Moore, Brian C. J.; S?k, Aleksander

2016-01-01

Multichannel amplitude compression is widely used in hearing aids. The preferred compression speed varies across individuals. Moore (2008) suggested that reduced sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) may be associated with preference for slow compression. This idea was tested using a simulated hearing aid. It was also assessed whether preferences for compression speed depend on the type of stimulus: speech or music. Twenty-two hearing-impaired subjects were tested, and the stimulated h...

Role of Speaker Cues in Attention Inference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Joo Lee

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Current state-of-the-art approaches to emotion recognition primarily focus on modeling the nonverbal expressions of the sole individual without reference to contextual elements such as the co-presence of the partner. In this paper, we demonstrate that the accurate inference of listeners’ social-emotional state of attention depends on accounting for the nonverbal behaviors of their storytelling partner, namely their speaker cues. To gain a deeper understanding of the role of speaker cues in attention inference, we conduct investigations into real-world interactions of children (5–6 years old storytelling with their peers. Through in-depth analysis of human–human interaction data, we first identify nonverbal speaker cues (i.e., backchannel-inviting cues and listener responses (i.e., backchannel feedback. We then demonstrate how speaker cues can modify the interpretation of attention-related backchannels as well as serve as a means to regulate the responsiveness of listeners. We discuss the design implications of our findings toward our primary goal of developing attention recognition models for storytelling robots, and we argue that social robots can proactively use speaker cues to form more accurate inferences about the attentive state of their human partners.

A tale of two pectins: Diverse fine structures can result from identical processive PME treatments on similar high DM subtrates

Science.gov (United States)

The effects of a processive pectin-methylesterase treatment on two different pectins, both possessing a high degree of methylesterification, were investigated. While the starting samples were purportedly very similar in fine structure, and even though the sample-averaged degree of methylesterificati...

Self-compacting fine-grained concretes with compensated shrinkage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alimov Lev

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper substantiates the efficiency of application of fine-grained concrete for erection of cast-in-place concrete and reinforced concrete structures of different purpose. On the basis of analysis of experimental research results it was established that the introduction of microfillers with expansion effect to composite binder allows not only improving the rheological properties of fine-grained concrete, but also decreasing of value of shrinkage strain and improving of concrete crack resistance and durability. The analysis of the results of industrial use of fine-grained concretes with compensated shrinkage is given.

Part-set cueing impairment & facilitation in semantic memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelley, Matthew R; Parihar, Sushmeena A

2018-01-19

The present study explored the influence of part-set cues in semantic memory using tests of "free" recall, reconstruction of order, and serial recall. Nine distinct categories of information were used (e.g., Zodiac signs, Harry Potter books, Star Wars films, planets). The results showed part-set cueing impairment for all three "free" recall sets, whereas part-set cueing facilitation was evident for five of the six ordered sets. Generally, the present results parallel those often observed across episodic tasks, which could indicate that similar mechanisms contribute to part-set cueing effects in both episodic and semantic memory. A novel anchoring explanation of part-set cueing facilitation in order and spatial tasks is provided.

Use of explicit memory cues following parietal lobe lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobbins, Ian G; Jaeger, Antonio; Studer, Bettina; Simons, Jon S

2012-11-01

The putative role of the lateral parietal lobe in episodic memory has recently become a topic of considerable debate, owing primarily to its consistent activation for studied materials during functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of recognition. Here we examined the performance of patients with parietal lobe lesions using an explicit memory cueing task in which probabilistic cues ("Likely Old" or "Likely New"; 75% validity) preceded the majority of verbal recognition memory probes. Without cues, patients and control participants did not differ in accuracy. However, group differences emerged during the "Likely New" cue condition with controls responding more accurately than parietal patients when these cues were valid (preceding new materials) and trending towards less accuracy when these cues were invalid (preceding old materials). Both effects suggest insufficient integration of external cues into memory judgments on the part of the parietal patients whose cued performance largely resembled performance in the complete absence of cues. Comparison of the parietal patients to a patient group with frontal lobe lesions suggested the pattern was specific to parietal and adjacent area lesions. Overall, the data indicate that parietal lobe patients fail to appropriately incorporate external cues of novelty into recognition attributions. This finding supports a role for the lateral parietal lobe in the adaptive biasing of memory judgments through the integration of external cues and internal memory evidence. We outline the importance of such adaptive biasing through consideration of basic signal detection predictions regarding maximum possible accuracy with and without informative environmental cues. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wavelength dispersive X-ray absorption fine structure imaging by parametric X-ray radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, Manabu; Sakai, Takeshi; Sato, Isamu; Hayakawa, Yasushi; Nogami, Kyoko; Tanaka, Toshinari; Hayakawa, Ken; Nakao, Keisuke

2008-01-01

The parametric X-ray radiation (PXR) generator system at Laboratory for Electron Beam Research and Application (LEBRA) in Nihon University is a monochromatic and coherent X-ray source with horizontal wavelength dispersion. The energy definition of the X-rays, which depends on the horizontal size of the incident electron beam on the generator target crystal, has been investigated experimentally by measuring the X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectra on Cu and CuO associated with conventional X-ray absorption imaging technique. The result demonstrated the controllability of the spectrum resolution of XANES by adjusting of the horizontal electron beam size on the target crystal. The XANES spectra were obtained with energy resolution of several eV at the narrowest case, which is in qualitative agreement with the energy definition of the PXR X-rays evaluated from geometrical consideration. The result also suggested that the wavelength dispersive X-ray absorption fine structure measurement associated with imaging technique is one of the promising applications of PXR. (author)

Dominance dynamics of competition between intrinsic and extrinsic grouping cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Luna, Dolores; Villalba-García, Cristina; Montoro, Pedro R; Hinojosa, José A

2016-10-01

In the present study we examined the dominance dynamics of perceptual grouping cues. We used a paradigm in which participants selectively attended to perceptual groups based on several grouping cues in different blocks of trials. In each block, single and competing grouping cues were presented under different exposure durations (50, 150 or 350ms). Using this procedure, intrinsic vs. intrinsic cues (i.e. proximity and shape similarity) were compared in Experiment 1; extrinsic vs. extrinsic cues (i.e. common region and connectedness) in Experiment 2; and intrinsic vs. extrinsic cues (i.e. common region and shape similarity) in Experiment 3. The results showed that in Experiment 1, no dominance of any grouping cue was found: shape similarity and proximity grouping cues showed similar reaction times (RTs) and interference effects. In contrast, in Experiments 2 and 3, common region dominated processing: (i) RTs to common region were shorter than those to connectedness (Exp. 2) or shape similarity (Exp. 3); and (ii) when the grouping cues competed, common region interfered with connectedness (Exp. 2) and shape similarity (Exp. 3) more than vice versa. The results showed that the exposure duration of stimuli only affected the connectedness grouping cue. An important result of our experiments indicates that when two grouping cues compete, both the non-attended intrinsic cue in Experiment 1, and the non-dominant extrinsic cue in Experiments 2 and 3, are still perceived and they are not completely lost. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

(1,3;1,4)-β-Glucan Biosynthesis by the CSLF6 Enzyme: Position and Flexibility of Catalytic Residues Influence Product Fine Structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimitroff, George; Little, Alan; Lahnstein, Jelle; Schwerdt, Julian G; Srivastava, Vaibhav; Bulone, Vincent; Burton, Rachel A; Fincher, Geoffrey B

2016-04-05

Cellulose synthase-like F6 (CslF6) genes encode polysaccharide synthases responsible for (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan biosynthesis in cereal grains. However, it is not clear how both (1,3)- and (1,4)-linkages are incorporated into a single polysaccharide chain and how the frequency and arrangement of the two linkage types that define the fine structure of the polysaccharide are controlled. Through transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana leaves, two CSLF6 orthologs from different cereal species were shown to mediate the synthesis of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucans with very different fine structures. Chimeric cDNA constructs with interchanged sections of the barley and sorghum CslF6 genes were developed to identify regions of the synthase enzyme responsible for these differences. A single amino acid residue upstream of the TED motif in the catalytic region was shown to dramatically change the fine structure of the polysaccharide produced. The structural basis of this effect can be rationalized by reference to a homology model of the enzyme and appears to be related to the position and flexibility of the TED motif in the active site of the enzyme. The region and amino acid residue identified provide opportunities to manipulate the solubility of (1,3;1,4)-β-glucan in grains and vegetative tissues of the grasses and, in particular, to enhance the solubility of dietary fibers that are beneficial to human health.

The influence of social and symbolic cues on observers' gaze behaviour.

Science.gov (United States)

Hermens, Frouke; Walker, Robin

2016-08-01

Research has shown that social and symbolic cues presented in isolation and at fixation have strong effects on observers, but it is unclear how cues compare when they are presented away from fixation and embedded in natural scenes. We here compare the effects of two types of social cue (gaze and pointing gestures) and one type of symbolic cue (arrow signs) on eye movements of observers under two viewing conditions (free viewing vs. a memory task). The results suggest that social cues are looked at more quickly, for longer and more frequently than the symbolic arrow cues. An analysis of saccades initiated from the cue suggests that the pointing cue leads to stronger cueing than the gaze and the arrow cue. While the task had only a weak influence on gaze orienting to the cues, stronger cue following was found for free viewing compared to the memory task. © 2015 The British Psychological Society.

Cues for haptic perception of compliance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergmann Tiest, W.M.; Kappers, A.M.L.

2009-01-01

For the perception of the hardness of compliant materials, several cues are available. In this paper, the relative roles of force/displacement and surface deformation cues are investigated. We have measured discrimination thresholds with silicone rubber stimuli of differing thickness and compliance.

The influence of physical and physiological cues on atomic force microscopy-based cell stiffness assessment.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Wei Chiou

Full Text Available Atomic force microscopy provides a novel technique for differentiating the mechanical properties of various cell types. Cell elasticity is abundantly used to represent the structural strength of cells in different conditions. In this study, we are interested in whether physical or physiological cues affect cell elasticity in Atomic force microscopy (AFM-based assessments. The physical cues include the geometry of the AFM tips, the indenting force and the operating temperature of the AFM. All of these cues show a significant influence on the cell elasticity assessment. Sharp AFM tips create a two-fold increase in the value of the effective Young's modulus (E(eff relative to that of the blunt tips. Higher indenting force at the same loading rate generates higher estimated cell elasticity. Increasing the operation temperature of the AFM leads to decreases in the cell stiffness because the structure of actin filaments becomes disorganized. The physiological cues include the presence of fetal bovine serum or extracellular matrix-coated surfaces, the culture passage number, and the culture density. Both fetal bovine serum and the extracellular matrix are critical for cells to maintain the integrity of actin filaments and consequently exhibit higher elasticity. Unlike primary cells, mouse kidney progenitor cells can be passaged and maintain their morphology and elasticity for a very long period without a senescence phenotype. Finally, cell elasticity increases with increasing culture density only in MDCK epithelial cells. In summary, for researchers who use AFM to assess cell elasticity, our results provide basic and significant information about the suitable selection of physical and physiological cues.

The influence of physical and physiological cues on atomic force microscopy-based cell stiffness assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiou, Yu-Wei; Lin, Hsiu-Kuan; Tang, Ming-Jer; Lin, Hsi-Hui; Yeh, Ming-Long

2013-01-01

Atomic force microscopy provides a novel technique for differentiating the mechanical properties of various cell types. Cell elasticity is abundantly used to represent the structural strength of cells in different conditions. In this study, we are interested in whether physical or physiological cues affect cell elasticity in Atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based assessments. The physical cues include the geometry of the AFM tips, the indenting force and the operating temperature of the AFM. All of these cues show a significant influence on the cell elasticity assessment. Sharp AFM tips create a two-fold increase in the value of the effective Young's modulus (E(eff)) relative to that of the blunt tips. Higher indenting force at the same loading rate generates higher estimated cell elasticity. Increasing the operation temperature of the AFM leads to decreases in the cell stiffness because the structure of actin filaments becomes disorganized. The physiological cues include the presence of fetal bovine serum or extracellular matrix-coated surfaces, the culture passage number, and the culture density. Both fetal bovine serum and the extracellular matrix are critical for cells to maintain the integrity of actin filaments and consequently exhibit higher elasticity. Unlike primary cells, mouse kidney progenitor cells can be passaged and maintain their morphology and elasticity for a very long period without a senescence phenotype. Finally, cell elasticity increases with increasing culture density only in MDCK epithelial cells. In summary, for researchers who use AFM to assess cell elasticity, our results provide basic and significant information about the suitable selection of physical and physiological cues.

Updated constraints on spatial variations of the fine-structure constant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.M.M. Pinho

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Recent work by Webb et al. has provided indications of spatial variations of the fine-structure constant, α, at a level of a few parts per million. Using a dataset of 293 archival measurements, they further show that a dipole provides a statistically good fit to the data, a result subsequently confirmed by other authors. Here we show that a more recent dataset of dedicated measurements further constrains these variations: although there are only 10 such measurements, their uncertainties are considerably smaller. We find that a dipolar variation is still a good fit to the combined dataset, but the amplitude of such a dipole must be somewhat smaller: 8.1±1.7 ppm for the full dataset, versus 9.4±2.2 ppm for the Webb et al. data alone, both at the 68.3% confidence level. Constraints on the direction on the sky of such a dipole are also significantly improved. On the other hand the data can't yet discriminate between a pure spatial dipole and one with an additional redshift dependence.

Fine structure near the starting frequency of solar type III radio bursts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Benz, A.O.; Zlobec, P.; Jaeggi, M.

1982-06-01

We have systematically analyzed the period in time and frequency adjacent to the beginning of type III bursts digitally recorded at Bleien during the second half of 1980. A surprisingly high percentage (10%, possibly more than 20%) of the type III bursts show fine structure in the form of narrow-banded spikes of 0.05 s and less duration, which form clusters of relatively large bandwidth. These spikes are not totally polarized (contrary to claims in the literature) and they are uniformly distributed over the disk. Individual spikes often show highly variable polarization, which may even change sense. The average degree of polarization of the clouds has a wider distribution than that of the associated type III bursts, but generally the same sign. Spikes are considerably different from type I bursts.

Higher-order Stark effect on magnetic fine structure of the helium atom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Magunov, A.; Pal' chikov, V.; Pivovarov, V. [National Research Inst. for Physical-Technical and Radiotechnical Measurements (VNIIFTRI), Mendeleevo, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Ovsiannikov, V. [Dept. of Physics, Voronezh State Univ. (Russian Federation); Oppen, G. von [Inst. fuer Analytische und Atomare Physik at Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany)

2001-07-01

We have calculated the scalar and tensor dipole polarizabilities ({beta}) and hyperpolarizabilities ({gamma}) of excited 1s2p {sup 3}P{sub 0}, 1s2p {sup 3}P{sub 2}- states of helium. Our theory includes fine structure of triplet sublevels. Semiempirical and accurate electron-correlated wave functions have been used to determine the static values of {beta} and {gamma}. Numerical calculations are carried out using sums of oscillator strengths and, alternatively, with the Green function for the excited valence electron. Specifically, we present results for the integral over the continuum, for second- and fourth-order matrix elements. The corresponding estimations indicate that these corrections are of the order of 23% for the scalar part of polarizability and only of the order of 3% for the tensor part.

Development of the sound localization cues in cats

Science.gov (United States)

Tollin, Daniel J.

2004-05-01

Cats are a common model for developmental studies of the psychophysical and physiological mechanisms of sound localization. Yet, there are few studies on the development of the acoustical cues to location in cats. The magnitude of the three main cues, interaural differences in time (ITDs) and level (ILDs), and monaural spectral shape cues, vary with location in adults. However, the increasing interaural distance associated with a growing head and pinnae during development will result in cues that change continuously until maturation is complete. Here, we report measurements, in cats aged 1 week to adulthood, of the physical dimensions of the head and pinnae and the localization cues, computed from measurements of directional transfer functions. At 1 week, ILD depended little on azimuth for frequencies 10 dB) shift to lower frequencies, and the maximum ITD increases to nearly 370 μs. Changes in the cues are correlated with the increasing size of the head and pinnae. [Work supported by NIDCD DC05122.

Fine structure and ionization energy of the 1s2s2p 4P state of the helium negative ion He-.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Liming; Li, Chun; Yan, Zong-Chao; Drake, G W F

2014-12-31

The fine structure and ionization energy of the 1s2s2p (4)P state of the helium negative ion He(-) are calculated in Hylleraas coordinates, including relativistic and QED corrections up to O(α(4)mc(2)), O((μ/M)α(4)mc(2)), O(α(5)mc(2)), and O((μ/M)α(5)mc(2)). Higher order corrections are estimated for the ionization energy. A comparison is made with other calculations and experiments. We find that the present results for the fine structure splittings agree with experiment very well. However, the calculated ionization energy deviates from the experimental result by about 1 standard deviation. The estimated theoretical uncertainty in the ionization energy is much less than the experimental accuracy.

Meninges-derived cues control axon guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Suter, Tracey A C S; DeLoughery, Zachary J; Jaworski, Alexander

2017-10-01

The axons of developing neurons travel long distances along stereotyped pathways under the direction of extracellular cues sensed by the axonal growth cone. Guidance cues are either secreted proteins that diffuse freely or bind the extracellular matrix, or membrane-anchored proteins. Different populations of axons express distinct sets of receptors for guidance cues, which results in differential responses to specific ligands. The full repertoire of axon guidance cues and receptors and the identity of the tissues producing these cues remain to be elucidated. The meninges are connective tissue layers enveloping the vertebrate brain and spinal cord that serve to protect the central nervous system (CNS). The meninges also instruct nervous system development by regulating the generation and migration of neural progenitors, but it has not been determined whether they help guide axons to their targets. Here, we investigate a possible role for the meninges in neuronal wiring. Using mouse neural tissue explants, we show that developing spinal cord meninges produce secreted attractive and repulsive cues that can guide multiple types of axons in vitro. We find that motor and sensory neurons, which project axons across the CNS-peripheral nervous system (PNS) boundary, are attracted by meninges. Conversely, axons of both ipsi- and contralaterally projecting dorsal spinal cord interneurons are repelled by meninges. The responses of these axonal populations to the meninges are consistent with their trajectories relative to meninges in vivo, suggesting that meningeal guidance factors contribute to nervous system wiring and control which axons are able to traverse the CNS-PNS boundary. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reduced fine-scale spatial genetic structure in grazed populations of Dianthus carthusianorum.

Science.gov (United States)

Rico, Y; Wagner, H H

2016-11-01

Strong spatial genetic structure in plant populations can increase homozygosity, reducing genetic diversity and adaptive potential. The strength of spatial genetic structure largely depends on rates of seed dispersal and pollen flow. Seeds without dispersal adaptations are likely to be dispersed over short distances within the vicinity of the mother plant, resulting in spatial clustering of related genotypes (fine-scale spatial genetic structure, hereafter spatial genetic structure (SGS)). However, primary seed dispersal by zoochory can promote effective dispersal, increasing the mixing of seeds and influencing SGS within plant populations. In this study, we investigated the effects of seed dispersal by rotational sheep grazing on the strength of SGS and genetic diversity using 11 nuclear microsatellites for 49 populations of the calcareous grassland forb Dianthus carthusianorum. Populations connected by rotational sheep grazing showed significantly weaker SGS and higher genetic diversity than populations in ungrazed grasslands. Independent of grazing treatment, small populations showed significantly stronger SGS and lower genetic diversity than larger populations, likely due to genetic drift. A lack of significant differences in the strength of SGS and genetic diversity between populations that were recently colonized and pre-existing populations suggested that populations colonized after the reintroduction of rotational sheep grazing were likely founded by colonists from diverse source populations. We conclude that dispersal by rotational sheep grazing has the potential to considerably reduce SGS within D. carthusianorum populations. Our study highlights the effectiveness of landscape management by rotational sheep grazing to importantly reduce genetic structure at local scales within restored plant populations.

Acupuncture inhibits cue-induced heroin craving and brain activation.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Xinghui; Song, Xiaoge; Li, Chuanfu; Xu, Chunsheng; Li, Xiliang; Lu, Qi

2012-11-25

Previous research using functional MRI has shown that specific brain regions associated with drug dependence and cue-elicited heroin craving are activated by environmental cues. Craving is an important trigger of heroin relapse, and acupuncture may inhibit craving. In this study, we performed functional MRI in heroin addicts and control subjects. We compared differences in brain activation between the two groups during heroin cue exposure, heroin cue exposure plus acupuncture at the Zusanli point (ST36) without twirling of the needle, and heroin cue exposure plus acupuncture at the Zusanli point with twirling of the needle. Heroin cue exposure elicited significant activation in craving-related brain regions mainly in the frontal lobes and callosal gyri. Acupuncture without twirling did not significantly affect the range of brain activation induced by heroin cue exposure, but significantly changed the extent of the activation in the heroin addicts group. Acupuncture at the Zusanli point with twirling of the needle significantly decreased both the range and extent of activation induced by heroin cue exposure compared with heroin cue exposure plus acupuncture without twirling of the needle. These experimental findings indicate that presentation of heroin cues can induce activation in craving-related brain regions, which are involved in reward, learning and memory, cognition and emotion. Acupuncture at the Zusanli point can rapidly suppress the activation of specific brain regions related to craving, supporting its potential as an intervention for drug craving.

Conditioned responses elicited by experimentally produced cues for smoking.

Science.gov (United States)

Mucha, R F; Pauli, P; Angrilli, A

1998-03-01

Several theories of drug-craving postulate that a signal for drug elicits conditioned responses. However, depending on the theory, a drug cue is said to elicit drug similar, drug compensatory, positive motivational, and negative motivational effects. Since animal data alone cannot tease apart the relative importance of different cue-related processes in the addict, we developed and examined a model of drug cues in the human based on a two-sound, differential conditioning procedure using smoking as the reinforcer. After multiple pairings of a sound with smoking, there was a preference for the smoking cue on a conditioned preference test. The acute effects of smoking (increased heart rate, respiration rate, skin conductance level, skin conductance fluctuations, EEG beta power and trapezius EMG, decreased alpha power) were not affected by the smoking cue, although subjects drew more on their cigarette in the presence of the smoking cue than in the presence of a control cue. Moreover, the cue did not change baseline behaviour except for a possible increase in EEG beta power and an increase in trapezius EMG at about the time when smoking should have occurred. The findings confirm the value of experimental models of drug cues in the human for comparing different cue phenomena in the dependent individual. They indicate that an acquired signal for drug in the human may elicit incentive motivational effects and associated preparatory motor responses in addition to possible conditioned tolerance.

Evaluation of multimodal ground cues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nordahl, Rolf; Lecuyer, Anatole; Serafin, Stefania

2012-01-01

This chapter presents an array of results on the perception of ground surfaces via multiple sensory modalities,with special attention to non visual perceptual cues, notably those arising from audition and haptics, as well as interactions between them. It also reviews approaches to combining...... synthetic multimodal cues, from vision, haptics, and audition, in order to realize virtual experiences of walking on simulated ground surfaces or other features....

Scene-Based Contextual Cueing in Pigeons

Science.gov (United States)

Wasserman, Edward A.; Teng, Yuejia; Brooks, Daniel I.

2014-01-01

Repeated pairings of a particular visual context with a specific location of a target stimulus facilitate target search in humans. We explored an animal model of such contextual cueing. Pigeons had to peck a target which could appear in one of four locations on color photographs of real-world scenes. On half of the trials, each of four scenes was consistently paired with one of four possible target locations; on the other half of the trials, each of four different scenes was randomly paired with the same four possible target locations. In Experiments 1 and 2, pigeons exhibited robust contextual cueing when the context preceded the target by 1 s to 8 s, with reaction times to the target being shorter on predictive-scene trials than on random-scene trials. Pigeons also responded more frequently during the delay on predictive-scene trials than on random-scene trials; indeed, during the delay on predictive-scene trials, pigeons predominately pecked toward the location of the upcoming target, suggesting that attentional guidance contributes to contextual cueing. In Experiment 3, involving left-right and top-bottom scene reversals, pigeons exhibited stronger control by global than by local scene cues. These results attest to the robustness and associative basis of contextual cueing in pigeons. PMID:25546098

Gait parameter control timing with dynamic manual contact or visual cues

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Peter; Werner, William

2016-01-01

We investigated the timing of gait parameter changes (stride length, peak toe velocity, and double-, single-support, and complete step duration) to control gait speed. Eleven healthy participants adjusted their gait speed on a treadmill to maintain a constant distance between them and a fore-aft oscillating cue (a place on a conveyor belt surface). The experimental design balanced conditions of cue modality (vision: eyes-open; manual contact: eyes-closed while touching the cue); treadmill speed (0.2, 0.4, 0.85, and 1.3 m/s); and cue motion (none, ±10 cm at 0.09, 0.11, and 0.18 Hz). Correlation analyses revealed a number of temporal relationships between gait parameters and cue speed. The results suggest that neural control ranged from feedforward to feedback. Specifically, step length preceded cue velocity during double-support duration suggesting anticipatory control. Peak toe velocity nearly coincided with its most-correlated cue velocity during single-support duration. The toe-off concluding step and double-support durations followed their most-correlated cue velocity, suggesting feedback control. Cue-tracking accuracy and cue velocity correlations with timing parameters were higher with the manual contact cue than visual cue. The cue/gait timing relationships generalized across cue modalities, albeit with greater delays of step-cycle events relative to manual contact cue velocity. We conclude that individual kinematic parameters of gait are controlled to achieve a desired velocity at different specific times during the gait cycle. The overall timing pattern of instantaneous cue velocities associated with different gait parameters is conserved across cues that afford different performance accuracies. This timing pattern may be temporally shifted to optimize control. Different cue/gait parameter latencies in our nonadaptation paradigm provide general-case evidence of the independent control of gait parameters previously demonstrated in gait adaptation paradigms

Gait parameter control timing with dynamic manual contact or visual cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Rabin, Ely; Shi, Peter; Werner, William

2016-06-01

We investigated the timing of gait parameter changes (stride length, peak toe velocity, and double-, single-support, and complete step duration) to control gait speed. Eleven healthy participants adjusted their gait speed on a treadmill to maintain a constant distance between them and a fore-aft oscillating cue (a place on a conveyor belt surface). The experimental design balanced conditions of cue modality (vision: eyes-open; manual contact: eyes-closed while touching the cue); treadmill speed (0.2, 0.4, 0.85, and 1.3 m/s); and cue motion (none, ±10 cm at 0.09, 0.11, and 0.18 Hz). Correlation analyses revealed a number of temporal relationships between gait parameters and cue speed. The results suggest that neural control ranged from feedforward to feedback. Specifically, step length preceded cue velocity during double-support duration suggesting anticipatory control. Peak toe velocity nearly coincided with its most-correlated cue velocity during single-support duration. The toe-off concluding step and double-support durations followed their most-correlated cue velocity, suggesting feedback control. Cue-tracking accuracy and cue velocity correlations with timing parameters were higher with the manual contact cue than visual cue. The cue/gait timing relationships generalized across cue modalities, albeit with greater delays of step-cycle events relative to manual contact cue velocity. We conclude that individual kinematic parameters of gait are controlled to achieve a desired velocity at different specific times during the gait cycle. The overall timing pattern of instantaneous cue velocities associated with different gait parameters is conserved across cues that afford different performance accuracies. This timing pattern may be temporally shifted to optimize control. Different cue/gait parameter latencies in our nonadaptation paradigm provide general-case evidence of the independent control of gait parameters previously demonstrated in gait adaptation paradigms

An Investigation of the Fine Spatial Structure of Meteor Streams Using the Relational Database ``Meteor''

Science.gov (United States)

Karpov, A. V.; Yumagulov, E. Z.

2003-05-01

We have restored and ordered the archive of meteor observations carried out with a meteor radar complex ``KGU-M5'' since 1986. A relational database has been formed under the control of the Database Management System (DBMS) Oracle 8. We also improved and tested a statistical method for studying the fine spatial structure of meteor streams with allowance for the specific features of application of the DBMS. Statistical analysis of the results of observations made it possible to obtain information about the substance distribution in the Quadrantid, Geminid, and Perseid meteor streams.

Man's other best friend: domestic cats (F. silvestris catus) and their discrimination of human emotion cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Galvan, Moriah; Vonk, Jennifer

2016-01-01

The ability of domestic dogs (C. lupus famaliaris) to follow and attend to human emotion expressions is well documented. It is unknown whether domestic cats (F. silvestris catus) possess similar abilities. Because cats belong to the same order (Carnivora), but did not evolve to live in complex social groups, research with them enables us to tease apart the influence of social structure versus domestication processes on the capacity to recognize human communicative cues, such as emotions. Two experiments were conducted to determine the extent to which domestic cats discriminate between human emotion cues. The first experiment presented cats with facial and postural cues of happiness and anger from both an unfamiliar experimenter and their familiar owner in the absence of vocal cues. The second experiment presented cats with vocal cues of human emotion through a positively or negatively charged conversation between an experimenter and owner. Domestic cats were only modestly sensitive to emotion, particularly when displayed by their owner, suggesting that a history of human interaction alone may not be sufficient to shape such abilities in domestic cats.

Effectiveness of self-generated cues in early Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipinska, B; Bäckman, L; Mäntylä, T; Viitanen, M

1994-12-01

The ability to utilize cognitive support in the form of self-generated cues in mild Alzheimer's disease (AD), and the factors promoting efficient cue utilization in this group of patients, were examined in two experiments on memory for words. Results from both experiments showed that normal old adults as well as AD patients performed better with self-generated cues than with experimenter-provided cues, although the latter type of cues resulted in gains relative to free recall. The findings indicate no qualitative differences in patterns of performance between the normal old and the AD patients. For both groups of subjects, cue effectiveness was optimized when (a) there was self-generation activity at encoding, and (b) encoding and retrieval conditions were compatible.

Stimulus-driven attentional capture by subliminal onset cues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schoeberl, T.; Fuchs, I.; Theeuwes, J.; Ansorge, U.

2015-01-01

In two experiments, we tested whether subliminal abrupt onset cues capture attention in a stimulus-driven way. An onset cue was presented 16 ms prior to the stimulus display that consisted of clearly visible color targets. The onset cue was presented either at the same side as the target (the valid

Boosting Vocabulary Learning by Verbal Cueing During Sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreiner, Thomas; Rasch, Björn

2015-11-01

Reactivating memories during sleep by re-exposure to associated memory cues (e.g., odors or sounds) improves memory consolidation. Here, we tested for the first time whether verbal cueing during sleep can improve vocabulary learning. We cued prior learned Dutch words either during non-rapid eye movement sleep (NonREM) or during active or passive waking. Re-exposure to Dutch words during sleep improved later memory for the German translation of the cued words when compared with uncued words. Recall of uncued words was similar to an additional group receiving no verbal cues during sleep. Furthermore, verbal cueing failed to improve memory during active and passive waking. High-density electroencephalographic recordings revealed that successful verbal cueing during NonREM sleep is associated with a pronounced frontal negativity in event-related potentials, a higher frequency of frontal slow waves as well as a cueing-related increase in right frontal and left parietal oscillatory theta power. Our results indicate that verbal cues presented during NonREM sleep reactivate associated memories, and facilitate later recall of foreign vocabulary without impairing ongoing consolidation processes. Likewise, our oscillatory analysis suggests that both sleep-specific slow waves as well as theta oscillations (typically associated with successful memory encoding during wakefulness) might be involved in strengthening memories by cueing during sleep. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A search for fine structure of the time-of-flight spectrum of the fission neutrons of 252Cf

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scobie, J.; Scott, R.D.; Feather, N.; Vass, D.G.

1977-01-01

A standard time-of-flight arrangement, in which start pulses were supplied by fission fragments and stop pulses by neutrons, has been employed in an attempt to check recent claims of the existence of fine structures in the time-of-flight spectrum of the fission neutrons of 252 Cf. This structure, in the form of spikes with tails towards longer times, has been attributed to the emission of neutrons of short delay (with half-lives of a few to a hundred or so nanoseconds) in the fission process. It has not been possible to find any convincing evidence for the existence of such structure. (author)

The development of prospective memory in young schoolchildren: the impact of ongoing task absorption, cue salience, and cue centrality.

Science.gov (United States)

Kliegel, Matthias; Mahy, Caitlin E V; Voigt, Babett; Henry, Julie D; Rendell, Peter G; Aberle, Ingo

2013-12-01

This study presents evidence that 9- and 10-year-old children outperform 6- and 7-year-old children on a measure of event-based prospective memory and that retrieval-based factors systematically influence performance and age differences. All experiments revealed significant age effects in prospective memory even after controlling for ongoing task performance. In addition, the provision of a less absorbing ongoing task (Experiment 1), higher cue salience (Experiment 2), and cues appearing in the center of attention (Experiment 3) were each associated with better performance. Of particular developmental importance was an age by cue centrality (in or outside of the center of attention) interaction that emerged in Experiment 3. Thus, age effects were restricted to prospective memory cues appearing outside of the center of attention, suggesting that the development of prospective memory across early school years may be modulated by whether a cue requires overt monitoring beyond the immediate attentional context. Because whether a cue is in or outside of the center of attention might determine the amount of executive control needed in a prospective memory task, findings suggest that developing executive control resources may drive prospective memory development across primary school age. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fine-structure constant: Is it really a constant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekenstein, J.D.

1982-01-01

It is often claimed that the fine-structure ''constant'' α is shown to be strictly constant in time by a variety of astronomical and geophysical results. These constrain its fractional rate of change alpha-dot/α to at least some orders of magnitude below the Hubble rate H 0 . We argue that the conclusion is not as straightforward as claimed since there are good physical reasons to expect alpha-dot/α 0 . We propose to decide the issue by constructing a framework for a variability based on very general assumptions: covariance, gauge invariance, causality, and time-reversal invariance of electromagnetism, as well as the idea that the Planck-Wheeler length (10 -33 cm) is the shortest scale allowable in any theory. The framework endows α with well-defined dynamics, and entails a modification of Maxwell electrodynamics. It proves very difficult to rule it out with purely electromagnetic experiments. In a cosmological setting, the framework predicts an alpha-dot/α which can be compatible with the astronomical constraints; hence, these are too insensitive to rule out α variability. There is marginal conflict with the geophysical constraints: however, no firm decision is possible because of uncertainty about various cosmological parameters. By contrast the framework's predictions for spatial gradients of α are in fatal conflict with the results of the Eoetvoes-Dicke-Braginsky experiments. Hence these tests of the equivalence principle rule out with confidence spacetime variability of α at any level

Coupled channels description of the α-decay fine structure

Science.gov (United States)

Delion, D. S.; Ren, Zhongzhou; Dumitrescu, A.; Ni, Dongdong

2018-05-01

We review the coupled channels approach of α transitions to excited states. The α-decaying states are identified as narrow outgoing Gamow resonances in an α-daughter potential. The real part of the eigenvalue corresponds to the Q-value, while the imaginary part determines the half of the total α-decay width. We first review the calculations describing transitions to rotational states treated by the rigid rotator model, in even–even, odd-mass and odd–odd nuclei. It is found that the semiclassical method overestimates the branching ratios to excited 4+ for some even–even α-emitters and fails in explaining the unexpected inversion of branching ratios of some odd-mass nuclei, while the coupled-channels results show good agreement with the experimental data. Then, we review the coupled channels method for α-transitions to 2+ vibrational and transitional states. We present the results of the Coherent State Model that describes in a unified way the spectra of vibrational, transitional and rotational nuclei. We evidence general features of the α-decay fine structure, namely the linear dependence between α-intensities and excitation energy, the linear correlation between the strength of the α-core interaction and spectroscopic factor, and the inverse correlation between the nuclear collectivity, given by electromagnetic transitions, and α-clustering.

Sex-related differences in behavioral and amygdalar responses to compound facial threat cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Im, Hee Yeon; Adams, Reginald B; Cushing, Cody A; Boshyan, Jasmine; Ward, Noreen; Kveraga, Kestutis

2018-03-08

During face perception, we integrate facial expression and eye gaze to take advantage of their shared signals. For example, fear with averted gaze provides a congruent avoidance cue, signaling both threat presence and its location, whereas fear with direct gaze sends an incongruent cue, leaving threat location ambiguous. It has been proposed that the processing of different combinations of threat cues is mediated by dual processing routes: reflexive processing via magnocellular (M) pathway and reflective processing via parvocellular (P) pathway. Because growing evidence has identified a variety of sex differences in emotional perception, here we also investigated how M and P processing of fear and eye gaze might be modulated by observer's sex, focusing on the amygdala, a structure important to threat perception and affective appraisal. We adjusted luminance and color of face stimuli to selectively engage M or P processing and asked observers to identify emotion of the face. Female observers showed more accurate behavioral responses to faces with averted gaze and greater left amygdala reactivity both to fearful and neutral faces. Conversely, males showed greater right amygdala activation only for M-biased averted-gaze fear faces. In addition to functional reactivity differences, females had proportionately greater bilateral amygdala volumes, which positively correlated with behavioral accuracy for M-biased fear. Conversely, in males only the right amygdala volume was positively correlated with accuracy for M-biased fear faces. Our findings suggest that M and P processing of facial threat cues is modulated by functional and structural differences in the amygdalae associated with observer's sex. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Auditory Emotional Cues Enhance Visual Perception

Science.gov (United States)

Zeelenberg, Rene; Bocanegra, Bruno R.

2010-01-01

Recent studies show that emotional stimuli impair performance to subsequently presented neutral stimuli. Here we show a cross-modal perceptual enhancement caused by emotional cues. Auditory cue words were followed by a visually presented neutral target word. Two-alternative forced-choice identification of the visual target was improved by…

Contextual Cueing Effects across the Lifespan

Science.gov (United States)

Merrill, Edward C.; Conners, Frances A.; Roskos, Beverly; Klinger, Mark R.; Klinger, Laura Grofer

2013-01-01

The authors evaluated age-related variations in contextual cueing, which reflects the extent to which visuospatial regularities can facilitate search for a target. Previous research produced inconsistent results regarding contextual cueing effects in young children and in older adults, and no study has investigated the phenomenon across the life…

X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) Studies of Oxide Glasses—A 45-Year Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Zanotto, Edgar Dutra

2018-01-01

X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has been widely used to characterize the short-range order of glassy materials since the theoretical basis was established 45 years ago. Soon after the technique became accessible, mainly due to the existence of Synchrotron laboratories, a wide range of glassy materials was characterized. Silicate glasses have been the most studied because they are easy to prepare, they have commercial value and are similar to natural glasses, but borate, germanate, phosphate, tellurite and other less frequent oxide glasses have also been studied. In this manuscript, we review reported advances in the structural characterization of oxide-based glasses using this technique. A focus is on structural characterization of transition metal ions, especially Ti, Fe, and Ni, and their role in different properties of synthetic oxide-based glasses, as well as their important function in the formation of natural glasses and magmas, and in nucleation and crystallization. We also give some examples of XAFS applications for structural characterization of glasses submitted to high pressure, glasses used to store radioactive waste and medieval glasses. This updated, comprehensive review will likely serve as a useful guide to clarify the details of the short-range structure of oxide glasses. PMID:29382102

Reminder cues modulate the renewal effect in human predictive learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Javier Bustamante

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Associative learning refers to our ability to learn about regularities in our environment. When a stimulus is repeatedly followed by a specific outcome, we learn to expect the outcome in the presence of the stimulus. We are also able to modify established expectations in the face of disconfirming information (the stimulus is no longer followed by the outcome. Both the change of environmental regularities and the related processes of adaptation are referred to as extinction. However, extinction does not erase the initially acquired expectations. For instance, following successful extinction, the initially learned expectations can recover when there is a context change – a phenomenon called the renewal effect, which is considered as a model for relapse after exposure therapy. Renewal was found to be modulated by reminder cues of acquisition and extinction. However, the mechanisms underlying the effectiveness of reminder cues are not well understood. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of reminder cues on renewal in the field of human predictive learning. Experiment I demonstrated that renewal in human predictive learning is modulated by cues related to acquisition or extinction. Initially, participants received pairings of a stimulus and an outcome in one context. These stimulus-outcome pairings were preceded by presentations of a reminder cue (acquisition cue. Then, participants received extinction in a different context in which presentations of the stimulus were no longer followed by the outcome. These extinction trials were preceded by a second reminder cue (extinction cue. During a final phase conducted in a third context, participants showed stronger expectations of the outcome in the presence of the stimulus when testing was accompanied by the acquisition cue compared to the extinction cue. Experiment II tested an explanation of the reminder cue effect in terms of simple cue-outcome associations. Therefore

Blood cues induce antipredator behavior in Nile tilapia conspecifics.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodrigo Egydio Barreto

Full Text Available In this study, we show that the fish Nile tilapia displays an antipredator response to chemical cues present in the blood of conspecifics. This is the first report of alarm response induced by blood-borne chemical cues in fish. There is a body of evidence showing that chemical cues from epidermal 'club' cells elicit an alarm reaction in fish. However, the chemical cues of these 'club' cells are restricted to certain species of fish. Thus, as a parsimonious explanation, we assume that an alarm response to blood cues is a generalized response among animals because it occurs in mammals, birds and protostomian animals. Moreover, our results suggest that researchers must use caution when studying chemically induced alarm reactions because it is difficult to separate club cell cues from traces of blood.

Molybdenum reduction in a sulfidic lake: Evidence from X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy and implications for the Mo paleoproxy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dahl, T. W.; Chappaz, A.; Fitts, J. P.

2013-01-01

and the ultimate Mo host in euxinic sediments are not well understood. We used X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to determine the oxidation state and the molecular coordination environment of pristine, solid phase Mo in sediments from permanently euxinic Lake Cadagno, Switzerland. Samples were...

Transfer of memory retrieval cues in rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Briggs, James F; Fitz, Kelly I; Riccio, David C

2007-06-01

Two experiments using rats were conducted to determine whether the retrieval of a memory could be brought under the control of new contextual cues that had not been present at the time of training. In Experiment 1, rats were trained in one context and then exposed to different contextual cues immediately, 60 min, or 120 min after training. When tested in the shifted context, rats that had been exposed shortly after training treated the shifted context as if it were the original context. The control that the previously neutral context had over retrieval disappeared with longer posttraining delays, suggesting the importance of an active memory representation during exposure. Experiment 2 replicated the basic finding and demonstrated that the transfer of retrieval cues was specific to the contextual cues present during exposure. These findings with rats are consistent with findings from infant research (see, e.g., Boller & Rovee-Collier, 1992) that have shown that a neutral context can come to serve as a retrieval cue for an episode experienced elsewhere.

Individualization of music-based rhythmic auditory cueing in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Bella, Simone Dalla; Dotov, Dobromir; Bardy, Benoît; de Cock, Valérie Cochen

2018-06-04

Gait dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease can be partly relieved by rhythmic auditory cueing. This consists in asking patients to walk with a rhythmic auditory stimulus such as a metronome or music. The effect on gait is visible immediately in terms of increased speed and stride length. Moreover, training programs based on rhythmic cueing can have long-term benefits. The effect of rhythmic cueing, however, varies from one patient to the other. Patients' response to the stimulation may depend on rhythmic abilities, often deteriorating with the disease. Relatively spared abilities to track the beat favor a positive response to rhythmic cueing. On the other hand, most patients with poor rhythmic abilities either do not respond to the cues or experience gait worsening when walking with cues. An individualized approach to rhythmic auditory cueing with music is proposed to cope with this variability in patients' response. This approach calls for using assistive mobile technologies capable of delivering cues that adapt in real time to patients' gait kinematics, thus affording step synchronization to the beat. Individualized rhythmic cueing can provide a safe and cost-effective alternative to standard cueing that patients may want to use in their everyday lives. © 2018 New York Academy of Sciences.

Augmented Reality Cues and Elderly Driver Hazard Perception

Science.gov (United States)

Schall, Mark C.; Rusch, Michelle L.; Lee, John D.; Dawson, Jeffrey D.; Thomas, Geb; Aksan, Nazan; Rizzo, Matthew

2013-01-01

Objective Evaluate the effectiveness of augmented reality (AR) cues in improving driving safety in elderly drivers who are at increased crash risk due to cognitive impairments. Background Cognitively challenging driving environments pose a particular crash risk for elderly drivers. AR cueing is a promising technology to mitigate risk by directing driver attention to roadway hazards. This study investigates whether AR cues improve or interfere with hazard perception in elderly drivers with age-related cognitive decline. Methods Twenty elderly (Mean= 73 years, SD= 5 years), licensed drivers with a range of cognitive abilities measured by a speed of processing (SOP) composite participated in a one-hour drive in an interactive, fixed-base driving simulator. Each participant drove through six, straight, six-mile-long rural roadway scenarios following a lead vehicle. AR cues directed attention to potential roadside hazards in three of the scenarios, and the other three were uncued (baseline) drives. Effects of AR cueing were evaluated with respect to: 1) detection of hazardous target objects, 2) interference with detecting nonhazardous secondary objects, and 3) impairment in maintaining safe distance behind a lead vehicle. Results AR cueing improved the detection of hazardous target objects of low visibility. AR cues did not interfere with detection of nonhazardous secondary objects and did not impair ability to maintain safe distance behind a lead vehicle. SOP capacity did not moderate those effects. Conclusion AR cues show promise for improving elderly driver safety by increasing hazard detection likelihood without interfering with other driving tasks such as maintaining safe headway. PMID:23829037

Bloch oscillations of ultracold atoms and measurement of the fine structure constant; Oscillations de Bloch d'atomes ultrafroids et mesure de la constante de structure fine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clade, P

2005-10-15

From a measurement of the recoil velocity of an atom absorbing a photon, it is possible to deduce a determination of the ratio h/m between the Planck constant and the mass of the atoms and then to deduce a value of the fine structure constant alpha. To do this measurement, we use the technique of Bloch oscillations, which allows us to transfer a large number of recoils to atoms. A velocity sensor, based on velocity selective Raman transition, enables us to measure the momentum transferred to the atoms. A measurement with a statistical uncertainty of 4.4 10{sup -9}, in conjunction with a careful study of systematic effects (5 10{sup -9}), has led us to a determination of alpha with an uncertainty of 6.7 10{sup -9}: {alpha}{sup -1}(Rb) = 137.03599878 (91). This uncertainty is similar to the uncertainty of the best determinations of alpha based on atom interferometry. (author)

Fine- and hyperfine structure investigations of the even-parity configuration system of the atomic holmium

Science.gov (United States)

Stefanska, D.; Ruczkowski, J.; Elantkowska, M.; Furmann, B.

2018-04-01

In this work new experimental results concerning the hyperfine structure (hfs) for the even-parity level system of the holmium atom (Ho I) were obtained; additionally, hfs data obtained recently as a by-product in investigations of the odd-parity level system were summarized. In the present work the values of the magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole hfs constants A and B were determined for 24 even-parity levels, for 14 of them for the first time. On the basis of these results, as well as on available literature data, a parametric study of the fine structure and the hyperfine structure for the even-parity configurations of atomic holmium was performed. A multi-configuration fit of 7 configurations was carried out, taking into account second-order of the perturbation theory. For unknown electronic levels predicted values of the level energies and hfs constants are given, which can facilitate further experimental investigations.

Intelligence as the efficiency of cue-driven retrieval from secondary memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Liesefeld, Heinrich René; Hoffmann, Eugenia; Wentura, Dirk

2016-01-01

Complex-span (working-memory-capacity) tasks are among the most successful predictors of intelligence. One important contributor to this relationship is the ability to efficiently employ cues for the retrieval from secondary memory. Presumably, intelligent individuals can considerably restrict their memory search sets by using such cues and can thereby improve recall performance. We here test this assumption by experimentally manipulating the validity of retrieval cues. When memoranda are drawn from the same semantic category on two successive trials of a verbal complex-span task, the category is a very strong retrieval cue on its first occurrence (strong-cue trial) but loses some of its validity on its second occurrence (weak-cue trial). If intelligent individuals make better use of semantic categories as retrieval cues, their recall accuracy suffers more from this loss of cue validity. Accordingly, our results show that less variance in intelligence is explained by recall accuracy on weak-cue compared with strong-cue trials.

Using Self-Generated Cues to Facilitate Recall: A Narrative Review

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Rebecca L.; Gabbert, Fiona

2017-01-01

We draw upon the Associative Network model of memory, as well as the principles of encoding-retrieval specificity, and cue distinctiveness, to argue that self-generated cue mnemonics offer an intuitive means of facilitating reliable recall of personally experienced events. The use of a self-generated cue mnemonic allows for the spreading activation nature of memory, whilst also presenting an opportunity to capitalize upon cue distinctiveness. Here, we present the theoretical rationale behind the use of this technique, and highlight the distinction between a self-generated cue and a self-referent cue in autobiographical memory research. We contrast this mnemonic with a similar retrieval technique, Mental Reinstatement of Context, which is recognized as the most effective mnemonic component of the Cognitive Interview. Mental Reinstatement of Context is based upon the principle of encoding-retrieval specificity, whereby the overlap between encoded information and retrieval cue predicts the likelihood of accurate recall. However, it does not incorporate the potential additional benefit of self-generated retrieval cues. PMID:29163254

Using Self-Generated Cues to Facilitate Recall: A Narrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rebecca L. Wheeler

2017-10-01

Full Text Available We draw upon the Associative Network model of memory, as well as the principles of encoding-retrieval specificity, and cue distinctiveness, to argue that self-generated cue mnemonics offer an intuitive means of facilitating reliable recall of personally experienced events. The use of a self-generated cue mnemonic allows for the spreading activation nature of memory, whilst also presenting an opportunity to capitalize upon cue distinctiveness. Here, we present the theoretical rationale behind the use of this technique, and highlight the distinction between a self-generated cue and a self-referent cue in autobiographical memory research. We contrast this mnemonic with a similar retrieval technique, Mental Reinstatement of Context, which is recognized as the most effective mnemonic component of the Cognitive Interview. Mental Reinstatement of Context is based upon the principle of encoding-retrieval specificity, whereby the overlap between encoded information and retrieval cue predicts the likelihood of accurate recall. However, it does not incorporate the potential additional benefit of self-generated retrieval cues.

Phrase Lengths and the Perceived Informativeness of Prosodic Cues in Turkish.

Science.gov (United States)

Dinçtopal Deniz, Nazik; Fodor, Janet Dean

2017-12-01

It is known from previous studies that in many cases (though not all) the prosodic properties of a spoken utterance reflect aspects of its syntactic structure, and also that in many cases (though not all) listeners can benefit from these prosodic cues. A novel contribution to this literature is the Rational Speaker Hypothesis (RSH), proposed by Clifton, Carlson and Frazier. The RSH maintains that listeners are sensitive to possible reasons for why a speaker might introduce a prosodic break: "listeners treat a prosodic boundary as more informative about the syntax when it flanks short constituents than when it flanks longer constituents," because in the latter case the speaker might have been motivated solely by consideration of optimal phrase lengths. This would effectively reduce the cue value of an appropriately placed prosodic boundary. We present additional evidence for the RSH from Turkish, a language typologically different from English. In addition, our study shows for the first time that the RSH also applies to a prosodic break which conflicts with the syntactic structure, reducing its perceived cue strength if it might have been motivated by length considerations. In this case, the RSH effect is beneficial. Finally, the Turkish data show that prosody-based explanations for parsing preferences such as the RSH do not take the place of traditional syntax-sensitive parsing strategies such as Late Closure. The two sources of guidance co-exist; both are used when available.

Limits on the role of retrieval cues in memory for actions: enactment effects in the absence of object cues in the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Steffens, Melanie C; Buchner, Axel; Wender, Karl F; Decker, Claudia

2007-12-01

Verb-object phrases (open the umbrella, knock on the table) are usually remembered better if they have been enacted during study (also called subject-performed tasks) than if they have merely been learned verbally (verbal tasks). This enactment effect is particularly pronounced for phrases for which the objects (table) are present as cues in the study and test contexts. In previous studies with retrieval cues for some phrases, the enactment effect in free recall for the other phrases has been surprisingly small or even nonexistent. The present study tested whether the often replicated enactment effect in free recall can be found if none of the phrases contains context cues. In Experiment 1, we tested, and corroborated, the suppression hypothesis: The enactment effect for a given type of phrase (marker phrases) is modified by the presence or absence of cues for the other phrases in the list (experimental phrases). Experiments 2 and 3 replicated the enactment effect for phrases without cues. Experiment 2 also showed that the presence of cues either at study or at test is sufficient for obtaining a suppression effect, and Experiment 3 showed that the enactment effect may disappear altogether if retrieval cues are very salient.

Oxytocin differentially modulates pavlovian cue and context fear acquisition.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavalli, Juliana; Ruttorf, Michaela; Pahi, Mario Rosero; Zidda, Francesca; Flor, Herta; Nees, Frauke

2017-06-01

Fear acquisition and extinction have been demonstrated as core mechanisms for the development and maintenance of mental disorders, with different contributions of processing cues vs contexts. The hypothalamic peptide oxytocin (OXT) may have a prominent role in this context, as it has been shown to affect fear learning. However, investigations have focused on cue conditioning, and fear extinction. Its differential role for cue and context fear acquisition is still not known. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo (PLC)-controlled design, we administered an intranasal dose of OXT or PLC before the acquisition of cue and context fear conditioning in healthy individuals (n = 52), and assessed brain responses, skin conductance responses and self-reports (valence/arousal/contingency). OXT compared with PLC significantly induced decreased responses in the nucleus accumbens during early cue and context acquisition, and decreased responses of the anterior cingulate cortex and insula during early as well as increased hippocampal response during late context, but not cue acquisition. The OXT group additionally showed significantly higher arousal in late cue and context acquisition. OXT modulates various aspects of cue and context conditioning, which is relevant from a mechanism-based perspective and might have implications for the treatment of fear and anxiety. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

The time course of attentional deployment in contextual cueing.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Yuhong V; Sigstad, Heather M; Swallow, Khena M

2013-04-01

The time course of attention is a major characteristic on which different types of attention diverge. In addition to explicit goals and salient stimuli, spatial attention is influenced by past experience. In contextual cueing, behaviorally relevant stimuli are more quickly found when they appear in a spatial context that has previously been encountered than when they appear in a new context. In this study, we investigated the time that it takes for contextual cueing to develop following the onset of search layout cues. In three experiments, participants searched for a T target in an array of Ls. Each array was consistently associated with a single target location. In a testing phase, we manipulated the stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between the repeated spatial layout and the search display. Contextual cueing was equivalent for a wide range of SOAs between 0 and 1,000 ms. The lack of an increase in contextual cueing with increasing cue durations suggests that as an implicit learning mechanism, contextual cueing cannot be effectively used until search begins.

Evaluating Effectiveness of Modeling Motion System Feedback in the Enhanced Hess Structural Model of the Human Operator

Science.gov (United States)

Zaychik, Kirill; Cardullo, Frank; George, Gary; Kelly, Lon C.

2009-01-01

In order to use the Hess Structural Model to predict the need for certain cueing systems, George and Cardullo significantly expanded it by adding motion feedback to the model and incorporating models of the motion system dynamics, motion cueing algorithm and a vestibular system. This paper proposes a methodology to evaluate effectiveness of these innovations by performing a comparison analysis of the model performance with and without the expanded motion feedback. The proposed methodology is composed of two stages. The first stage involves fine-tuning parameters of the original Hess structural model in order to match the actual control behavior recorded during the experiments at NASA Visual Motion Simulator (VMS) facility. The parameter tuning procedure utilizes a new automated parameter identification technique, which was developed at the Man-Machine Systems Lab at SUNY Binghamton. In the second stage of the proposed methodology, an expanded motion feedback is added to the structural model. The resulting performance of the model is then compared to that of the original one. As proposed by Hess, metrics to evaluate the performance of the models include comparison against the crossover models standards imposed on the crossover frequency and phase margin of the overall man-machine system. Preliminary results indicate the advantage of having the model of the motion system and motion cueing incorporated into the model of the human operator. It is also demonstrated that the crossover frequency and the phase margin of the expanded model are well within the limits imposed by the crossover model.

Using multisensory cues to facilitate air traffic management.

Science.gov (United States)

Ngo, Mary K; Pierce, Russell S; Spence, Charles

2012-12-01

In the present study, we sought to investigate whether auditory and tactile cuing could be used to facilitate a complex, real-world air traffic management scenario. Auditory and tactile cuing provides an effective means of improving both the speed and accuracy of participants' performance in a variety of laboratory-based visual target detection and identification tasks. A low-fidelity air traffic simulation task was used in which participants monitored and controlled aircraft.The participants had to ensure that the aircraft landed or exited at the correct altitude, speed, and direction and that they maintained a safe separation from all other aircraft and boundaries. The performance measures recorded included en route time, handoff delay, and conflict resolution delay (the performance measure of interest). In a baseline condition, the aircraft in conflict was highlighted in red (visual cue), and in the experimental conditions, this standard visual cue was accompanied by a simultaneously presented auditory, vibrotactile, or audiotactile cue. Participants responded significantly more rapidly, but no less accurately, to conflicts when presented with an additional auditory or audiotactile cue than with either a vibrotactile or visual cue alone. Auditory and audiotactile cues have the potential for improving operator performance by reducing the time it takes to detect and respond to potential visual target events. These results have important implications for the design and use of multisensory cues in air traffic management.

Fine motor skills development of children with autism sepctrum disorder.

OpenAIRE

Marešová, Petra

2010-01-01

My diploma thesis topic is Fine motor skills development of children with autism spectrum disorder. The objective of this document is to create a well arranged group of exercises and structured tasks aimed to develop fine motor skills of children at pre-school age with autism spectrum disorder. Theoretical part of this diploma thesis contains basic information related to autism and various details about motor skills. Practical section describes individual jobs and structured tasks used for fi...

Development of Ultra-Fine-Grained Structure in AISI 321 Austenitic Stainless Steel

Science.gov (United States)

Tiamiyu, A. A.; Szpunar, J. A.; Odeshi, A. G.; Oguocha, I.; Eskandari, M.

2017-12-01

Ultra-fine-grained (UFG) structure was developed in AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) using cryogenic rolling followed by annealing treatments at 923 K, 973 K, 1023 K, and 1073 K (650 °C, 700 °C, 750 °C, and 800 °C) for different lengths of time. The α'-martensite to γ-austenite reversion behavior and the associated texture development were analyzed in the cryo-rolled specimens after annealing. The activation energy, Q, required for the reversion of α'-martensite to γ-austenite in the steel was estimated to be 80 kJ mol-1. TiC precipitates and unreversed triple junction α'-martensite played major roles in the development of UFG structure through the Zener pinning of grain boundaries. The optimum annealing temperature and time for the development of UFG structure in the cryo-rolled AISI 321 steel are (a) 923 K (650 °C) for approximately 28800 seconds and (b) 1023 K (750 °C) for 600 seconds, with average grain sizes of 0.22 and 0.31 µm, respectively. Annealing at 1023 K (750 °C) is considered a better alternative since the volume fraction of precipitated carbides in specimens annealed at 1023 K (750 °C) are less than those annealed at 923 K (650 °C). More so, the energy consumption during prolonged annealing time to achieve an UFG structure at 923 K (650 °C) is higher due to low phase reversion rate. The hardness of the UFG specimens is 195 pct greater than that of the as-received steel. The higher volume fraction of TiC precipitates in the UFG structure may be an additional source of hardening. Micro and macrotexture analysis indicated {110}〈uvw〉 as the major texture component of the austenite grains in the UFG structure. Its intensity is stronger in the specimen annealed at low temperatures.

Caloric restriction in the presence of attractive food cues: external cues, eating, and weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Polivy, Janet; Herman, C Peter; Coelho, Jennifer S

2008-08-06

A growing body of research on caloric restriction (CR) in many species of laboratory animals suggests that underfeeding leads to better health and longevity in the calorically-restricted animal (e.g., see [[34]. J.P. Pinel, S. Assanand and D.R. Lehman, (2000). Hunger, eating and ill health. Am Psychol, 55, 1105-1116.], for a review). Although some objections have been raised by scientists concerned about negative psychological and behavioral sequelae of such restriction, advocates of CR continue to urge people to adopt sharply reduced eating regimes in order to increase their longevity. Yet very few people are even attempting to reap the benefits of such restriction. The present paper explores one factor that may deter many humans from drastically reducing their food consumption--the presence of abundant, attractive food cues in the environment. Research on the influence of food cues on food-related behaviors is reviewed to demonstrate that the presence of food cues makes restriction of intake more difficult.

Visual-vestibular cue integration for heading perception: applications of optimal cue integration theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetsch, Christopher R; Deangelis, Gregory C; Angelaki, Dora E

2010-05-01

The perception of self-motion is crucial for navigation, spatial orientation and motor control. In particular, estimation of one's direction of translation, or heading, relies heavily on multisensory integration in most natural situations. Visual and nonvisual (e.g., vestibular) information can be used to judge heading, but each modality alone is often insufficient for accurate performance. It is not surprising, then, that visual and vestibular signals converge frequently in the nervous system, and that these signals interact in powerful ways at the level of behavior and perception. Early behavioral studies of visual-vestibular interactions consisted mainly of descriptive accounts of perceptual illusions and qualitative estimation tasks, often with conflicting results. In contrast, cue integration research in other modalities has benefited from the application of rigorous psychophysical techniques, guided by normative models that rest on the foundation of ideal-observer analysis and Bayesian decision theory. Here we review recent experiments that have attempted to harness these so-called optimal cue integration models for the study of self-motion perception. Some of these studies used nonhuman primate subjects, enabling direct comparisons between behavioral performance and simultaneously recorded neuronal activity. The results indicate that humans and monkeys can integrate visual and vestibular heading cues in a manner consistent with optimal integration theory, and that single neurons in the dorsal medial superior temporal area show striking correlates of the behavioral effects. This line of research and other applications of normative cue combination models should continue to shed light on mechanisms of self-motion perception and the neuronal basis of multisensory integration.

The Fine Art in Structure of John Fowles’ Novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oksana Levytska

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the role of descriptive context in the structure of John Fowles’ novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”. Based on the intermedial analysis there was analyzed the semiotics of fine art in the novel, in particular an appeal to the Pre-Raphaelite art and the Renaissance painting. It was found that John Fowles’ works tend to use the poetics of different kinds of arts: the writer appeals to painting, operates its sign system, recodes signs of visual art by the language of a literary text, expanding the context of its understanding, interpretation and reception. There were studied intermedial connections of the novel with other works of arts. It was found that in the writer’s novels and stories were presented the most clearly visual arts in terms of their classification for the form of sensory perception. Among the arts in relation to time and space are dominated spatial arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, decorative arts. The study focuses on the fine art, especially painting. The descriptive context is multivariation and multifunctional, it has manifestations on a level with the intermedial citation of painting, ekphrasis in landscape or portrait sketches, paintings of visualizing of characters’ imagination, allusions to works of art, etc., explicitly and implicitly represented in the texts. Intermedial analysis allows us to see the relationship of John Fowles’ novel with the Pre-Raphaelite art. In the character context the descriptive component increases literary, cultural and historical contextual characteristics. Introduced in the structure of a literary text the descriptive context on the semiotic level forms the axiological context. The system of ethical and aesthetic values of different cultural eras is extrapolated through the artistic context. So, the article studies the intermedial novel connections with other works of art. The descriptive context of the novel is manifested at

State of the art in the determination of the fine structure constant: test of Quantum Electrodynamics and determination of h/mu

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouchendira, Rym; Clade, Pierre; Nez, Francois; Biraben, Francois; Guellati-Khelifa, Saida

2013-01-01

The fine structure constant α has a particular status in physics. Its precise determination is required to test the quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory. The constant α is also a keystone for the determination of other fundamental physical constants, especially the ones involved in the framework of the future International System of units. This paper presents Paris experiment, where the fine structure constant is determined by measuring the recoil velocity of a rubidium atom when it absorbs a photon. The impact of the recent improvement of QED calculations of the electron moment anomaly and the recent measurement of the cesium atom recoil at Berkeley will be discussed. The opportunity to provide a precise value of the ratio h/m u between the Planck constant and the atomic mass constant will be investigated. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Evidence for a shared representation of sequential cues that engage sign-tracking.

Science.gov (United States)

Smedley, Elizabeth B; Smith, Kyle S

2018-06-19

Sign-tracking is a phenomenon whereby cues that predict rewards come to acquire their own motivational value (incentive salience) and attract appetitive behavior. Typically, sign-tracking paradigms have used single auditory, visual, or lever cues presented prior to a reward delivery. Yet, real world examples of events often can be predicted by a sequence of cues. We have shown that animals will sign-track to multiple cues presented in temporal sequence, and with time develop a bias in responding toward a reward distal cue over a reward proximal cue. Further, extinction of responding to the reward proximal cue directly decreases responding to the reward distal cue. One possible explanation of this result is that serial cues become representationally linked with one another. Here we provide further support of this by showing that extinction of responding to a reward distal cue directly reduces responding to a reward proximal cue. We suggest that the incentive salience of one cue can influence the incentive salience of the other cue. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Graphene directed architecture of fine engineered nanostructures with electrochemical applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Minwei; Halder, Arnab

2017-01-01

, and polymers has led to the possibility to create new electroactive and multifunctional nanostructures, which can serve as promising material platforms for electrochemical purposes. However, the precise control and fine-tuning of material structures and properties are still challenging and in demand...... classified nanostructures, including metallic nanostructures, self-assembled organic and supramolecular structures, and fine engineered metal oxides. In these cases, graphene templates either sacrificed during templating synthesis or retained as support for final products. We also discuss remained challenges....... In this review, we aim to highlight some recent efforts devoted to rational design, assembly and fine engineering of electrochemically active nanostructures using graphene or/and its derivatives as soft templates for controlled synthesis and directed growth. We organize the contents according to the chemically...

Claimed Versus Calculated Cue-Weighting Systems for Screening Employee Applicants

Science.gov (United States)

Blevins, David E.

1975-01-01

This research compares the cue-weighting system which assessors claimed they used with the cue-weighting system one would infer they used based on multiple observations of their assessing behavior. The claimed cue-weighting systems agreed poorly with the empirically calculated cue-weighting systems for all assessors except one who utilized only…

Electron impact excitation of fine-structure levels of neon-like titanium (Ti XIII)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, G.P.; Deb, N.C.; Msezane, A.Z.

1999-01-01

The authors present results of a Breit-Pauli R-matrix calculation for the electron impact excitation of neon-like titanium, in which the 27 lowest fine-structure target levels arising out of the 4 lowest configurations 2s 2 2p 6 , 2s 2 2p 5 3s, 2s 2 2p 5 3p, and 2s 2 2p 5 3d are included. These target levels are represented by configuration interaction wave functions using the 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, and 3d basic orbitals. The relativistic effects are included in the Breit-Pauli approximation via one-body mass correction, Darwin, and spin-orbit interaction terms in the scattering equations. For many transitions, complex resonance structures are found in the excitation cross sections. The excitation cross sections are integrated over a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies to give electron excitation rate coefficients over a wide temperature range from 150 to 600 eV. The relative populations for different electron densities and temperatures are also presented

Does Contextual Cueing Guide the Deployment of Attention?

Science.gov (United States)

Kunar, Melina A.; Flusberg, Stephen; Horowitz, Todd S.; Wolfe, Jeremy M.

2008-01-01

Contextual cueing experiments show that when displays are repeated, reaction times (RTs) to find a target decrease over time even when observers are not aware of the repetition. It has been thought that the context of the display guides attention to the target. We tested this hypothesis by comparing the effects of guidance in a standard search task to the effects of contextual cueing. Firstly, in standard search, an improvement in guidance causes search slopes (derived from RT × Set Size functions) to decrease. In contrast, we found that search slopes in contextual cueing did not become more efficient over time (Experiment 1). Secondly, when guidance is optimal (e.g. in easy feature search) we still found a small, but reliable contextual cueing effect (Experiments 2a and 2b), suggesting that other factors, such as response selection, contribute to the effect. Experiment 3 supported this hypothesis by showing that the contextual cueing effect disappeared when we added interference to the response selection process. Overall, our data suggest that the relationship between guidance and contextual cueing is weak and that response selection can account for part of the effect. PMID:17683230

Attentional bias for craving-related (chocolate) food cues.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2009-12-01

In this study, we investigated attentional biases for craving-related food cues. A pictorial dot probe task was used to assess selective attentional processing of one particular highly desired food, namely chocolate, relative to that of other highly desired foods. In Experiment 1, we examined biased processing of chocolate cues in habitual (trait) chocolate cravers, whereas in Experiment 2 we investigated the effect of experimentally induced (state) chocolate cravings on such processing. As predicted, habitual chocolate cravers (Experiment 1) and individuals in whom a craving for chocolate was temporarily induced (Experiment 2) showed speeded detection of probes replacing chocolate-related pictures, demonstrating an attentional bias for chocolate cues. Subsequent examination indicated that in both experiments the observed attentional biases stemmed from difficulty in disengaging attention from chocolate cues rather than from a shift of attention toward such cues. The findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

Prosodic cues to word order: what level of representation?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carline eBernard

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Within language, systematic correlations exist between syntactic structure and prosody. Prosodic prominence, for instance, falls on the complement and not the head of syntactic phrases, and its realization depends on the phrasal position of the prominent element. Thus, in Japanese, a functor-final language, prominence is phrase-initial and realized as increased pitch (^Tōkyō ni ‘Tokyo to’, whereas in French, English or Italian, functor-initial languages, it manifests itself as phrase-final lengthening (to Rome. Prosody is readily available in the linguistic signal even to the youngest infants. It has, therefore, been proposed that young learners might be able to exploit its correlations with syntax to bootstrap language structure. In this study, we tested this hypothesis, investigating how 8-month-old monolingual French infants processed an artificial grammar manipulating the relative position of prosodic prominence and word frequency. In Condition 1, we created a speech stream in which the two cues, prosody and frequency, were aligned, frequent words being prosodically non-prominent and infrequent ones being prominent, as is the case in natural language (functors are prosodically minimal compared to content words. In Condition 2, the two cues were misaligned, with frequent words carrying prosodic prominence, unlike in natural language. After familiarization with the aligned or the misaligned stream in a headturn preference procedure, we tested infants’ preference for test items having a frequent word initial or a frequent word final word order. We found that infants’ familiarized with the aligned stream showed the expected preference for the frequent word initial test items, mimicking the functor-initial word order of French. Infants in the misaligned condition showed no preference. These results suggest that infants are able to use word frequency and prosody as early cues to word order and they integrate them into a coherent

Individual differences in food cue responsivity are associated with acute and repeated cocaine-induced vocalizations, but not cue-induced vocalizations.

Science.gov (United States)

Tripi, Jordan A; Dent, Micheal L; Meyer, Paul J

2017-02-01

Individuals prone to attribute incentive salience to food-associated stimuli ("cues") are also more sensitive to cues during drug seeking and drug taking. This may be due in part to a difference in sensitivity to the affective or other stimulus properties of the drug. In rats, these properties are associated with 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), in that they are elicited during putative positive affective and motivational states, including in response to drugs of abuse. We sought to determine whether individual differences in the tendency to attribute incentive salience to a food cue (as measured by approach) were associated with differences in cocaine-induced USVs. We also tested whether the food cue would elicit USVs and if this response was related to approach to the food cue. In experiment 1, rats underwent Pavlovian conditioned approach (PavCA) training where they learned to associate a cue (an illuminated lever) with the delivery of a food pellet into a food cup. Subjects were categorized based on their approach to the cue ("sign-trackers") or to the food cup ("goal-trackers"). Rats subsequently underwent nine testing days in which they were given saline or cocaine (10 mg/kg i.p) and placed into a locomotor chamber. In experiment 2, rats were first tested in the locomotor chambers for one saline-treated day followed by one cocaine-treated day and then trained in PavCA. USVs were recorded from a subset of individuals during the last day of PavCA to determine if the food cue would elicit USVs. Sign-trackers produced 5-24 times more cocaine-induced 50 kHz USVs compared to goal-trackers for all days of experiment 1, and this response sensitized with repeated cocaine, only in sign-trackers. Similarly in experiment 2, individuals that produced the most cocaine-induced USVs on a single exposure also showed the greatest tendency to sign-track during PavCA. Lastly, while sign-trackers produced more USVs during PavCA generally, the cue itself did not elicit

PROPERTIES AND MODELING OF UNRESOLVED FINE STRUCTURE LOOPS OBSERVED IN THE SOLAR TRANSITION REGION BY IRIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brooks, David H. [College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Reep, Jeffrey W.; Warren, Harry P. [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

2016-08-01

Recent observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) have discovered a new class of numerous low-lying dynamic loop structures, and it has been argued that they are the long-postulated unresolved fine structures (UFSs) that dominate the emission of the solar transition region. In this letter, we combine IRIS measurements of the properties of a sample of 108 UFSs (intensities, lengths, widths, lifetimes) with one-dimensional non-equilibrium ionization simulations, using the HYDRAD hydrodynamic model to examine whether the UFSs are now truly spatially resolved in the sense of being individual structures rather than being composed of multiple magnetic threads. We find that a simulation of an impulsively heated single strand can reproduce most of the observed properties, suggesting that the UFSs may be resolved, and the distribution of UFS widths implies that they are structured on a spatial scale of 133 km on average. Spatial scales of a few hundred kilometers appear to be typical for a range of chromospheric and coronal structures, and we conjecture that this could be an important clue for understanding the coronal heating process.

Distributed acoustic cues for caller identity in macaque vocalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Fukushima, Makoto; Doyle, Alex M; Mullarkey, Matthew P; Mishkin, Mortimer; Averbeck, Bruno B

2015-12-01

Individual primates can be identified by the sound of their voice. Macaques have demonstrated an ability to discern conspecific identity from a harmonically structured 'coo' call. Voice recognition presumably requires the integrated perception of multiple acoustic features. However, it is unclear how this is achieved, given considerable variability across utterances. Specifically, the extent to which information about caller identity is distributed across multiple features remains elusive. We examined these issues by recording and analysing a large sample of calls from eight macaques. Single acoustic features, including fundamental frequency, duration and Weiner entropy, were informative but unreliable for the statistical classification of caller identity. A combination of multiple features, however, allowed for highly accurate caller identification. A regularized classifier that learned to identify callers from the modulation power spectrum of calls found that specific regions of spectral-temporal modulation were informative for caller identification. These ranges are related to acoustic features such as the call's fundamental frequency and FM sweep direction. We further found that the low-frequency spectrotemporal modulation component contained an indexical cue of the caller body size. Thus, cues for caller identity are distributed across identifiable spectrotemporal components corresponding to laryngeal and supralaryngeal components of vocalizations, and the integration of those cues can enable highly reliable caller identification. Our results demonstrate a clear acoustic basis by which individual macaque vocalizations can be recognized.

HIGH-QUALITY ORNAMENTAL FINE CONCRETES MODIFIED BY NANOPARTICLES OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bazhenov Yuriy Mikhaylovich

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Ultrasonic method of generation of a stable suspension of nano-particles of titanium dioxide and the strengthening properties of the ornamental fine concrete that contains cement binders with a nano-dispersed additive constitute the subject of the research covered by the authors. Nanoparticles react with the basic chemical elements that compose the concrete and act as crystallization centres. Therefore, the concrete porosity is reduced, while physical and technology-related properties of the ornamental fine concrete are improved. The authors have proven that the application of the nano-dispersed additive that contains titanium dioxide influences the processes of the structure formation in respect of fine ornamental concretes and improves the strength, as well as the water and cold resistance of fine concretes. The improvement is attributed to the dense concrete structure and strong adhesion between cement grains and between the cement and the aggregate. This conclusion is based on the data obtained through the employment of an electronic microscope used to identify the porosity of fine concretes.

Structural study on Ni nanowires in an anodic alumina membrane by using in situ heating extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cai Quan; Chen Xing; Chen Zhongjun; Wang Wei; Mo Guang; Wu Zhonghua; Zhang Junxi; Zhang Lide; Pan Wei

2008-01-01

Polycrystalline Ni nanowires have been prepared by electrochemical deposition in an anodic alumina membrane template with a nanopore size of about 60 nm. In situ heating extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction techniques are used to probe the atomic structures. The nanowires are identified as being mixtures of nanocrystallites and amorphous phase. The nanocrystallites have the same thermal expansion coefficient, of 1.7 x 10 -5 K -1 , as Ni bulk; however, the amorphous phase has a much larger thermal expansion coefficient of 3.5 x 10 -5 K -1 . Details of the Ni nanowire structures are discussed in this paper

Radiation effects in fine metal media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaikin, Yu. A.; Aliev, A.B.

1999-01-01

The report discusses condition and perspectives of theoretical and experimental research of metal powder material radiation processing influence on their caking, recrystallization and formation of metal and alloy structure obtained by powder metallurgy methods. Radiation processing of metal powders under determined modes causes forming of homogeneous fine metal structure and helps to considerably improve their running abilities (strength, endurance, corrosion resistance) and caking technological conditions

A magnetorheological haptic cue accelerator for manual transmission vehicles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Young-Min; Noh, Kyung-Wook; Choi, Seung-Bok; Lee, Yang-Sub

2010-01-01

This paper proposes a new haptic cue function for manual transmission vehicles to achieve optimal gear shifting. This function is implemented on the accelerator pedal by utilizing a magnetorheological (MR) brake mechanism. By combining the haptic cue function with the accelerator pedal, the proposed haptic cue device can transmit the optimal moment of gear shifting for manual transmission to a driver without requiring the driver's visual attention. As a first step to achieve this goal, a MR fluid-based haptic device is devised to enable rotary motion of the accelerator pedal. Taking into account spatial limitations, the design parameters are optimally determined using finite element analysis to maximize the relative control torque. The proposed haptic cue device is then manufactured and its field-dependent torque and time response are experimentally evaluated. Then the manufactured MR haptic cue device is integrated with the accelerator pedal. A simple virtual vehicle emulating the operation of the engine of a passenger vehicle is constructed and put into communication with the haptic cue device. A feed-forward torque control algorithm for the haptic cue is formulated and control performances are experimentally evaluated and presented in the time domain

POST-RETRIEVAL EXTINCTION ATTENUATES ALCOHOL CUE REACTIVITY IN RATS

Science.gov (United States)

Cofresí, Roberto U.; Lewis, Suzanne M.; Chaudhri, Nadia; Lee, Hongjoo J.; Monfils, Marie-H.; Gonzales, Rueben A.

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND Conditioned responses to alcohol-associated cues can hinder recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). Cue exposure (extinction) therapy (CET) can reduce reactivity to alcohol cues, but its efficacy is limited by phenomena such as spontaneous recovery and reinstatement that can cause a return of conditioned responding after extinction. Using a preclinical model of alcohol cue reactivity in rats, we evaluated whether the efficacy of alcohol CET could be improved by conducting CET during the memory reconsolidation window after retrieval of a cue-alcohol association. METHODS Rats were provided with intermittent access to unsweetened alcohol. Rats were then trained to predict alcohol access based on a visual cue. Next, rats were treated with either standard extinction (n=14) or post-retrieval extinction (n=13). Rats were then tested for long-term memory of extinction and susceptibility to spontaneous recovery and reinstatement. RESULTS Despite equivalent extinction, rats treated with post-retrieval extinction exhibited reduced spontaneous recovery and reinstatement relative to rats treated with standard extinction. CONCLUSIONS Post-retrieval CET shows promise for persistently attenuating the risk to relapse posed by alcohol cues in individuals with AUD. PMID:28169439