S-Channel Dark Matter Simplified Models and Unitarity

CERN Document Server

Englert, Christoph; Spannowsky, Michael

The ultraviolet structure of $s$-channel mediator dark matter simplified models at hadron colliders is considered. In terms of commonly studied $s$-channel mediator simplified models it is argued that at arbitrarily high energies the perturbative description of dark matter production in high energy scattering at hadron colliders will break down in a number of cases. This is analogous to the well documented breakdown of an EFT description of dark matter collider production. With this in mind, to diagnose whether or not the use of simplified models at the LHC is valid, perturbative unitarity of the scattering amplitude in the processes relevant to LHC dark matter searches is studied. The results are as one would expect: at the LHC and future proton colliders the simplified model descriptions of dark matter production are in general valid. As a result of the general discussion, a simple new class of previously unconsidered `Fermiophobic Scalar' simplified models is proposed, in which a scalar mediator couples to...

Implications of perturbative unitarity for scalar di-boson resonance searches at LHC

CERN Document Server

Di Luzio, Luca; Nardecchia, Marco

2017-01-01

We study the constraints implied by partial wave unitarity on new physics models explaining the LHC di-photon excess at 750 GeV. We argue that the effective description in terms of the SM supplemented by a single scalar resonance breaks down at scales of few tens of TeV, where perturbative unitarity is violated due to the large cross-section required in order to fit the $\\gamma\\gamma$ signal. Likewise, we use unitarity arguments in order to set perturbativity bounds on renormalizable UV completions of the EFT description. We finally discuss under which conditions the data can be accommodated within weakly-coupled models.

Causality and unitarity via the tree-loop duality relation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomboulis, E.T. [Mani L. Bhaumik Institute for Theoretical Physics,Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA,Los Angeles, CA 90095-1547 (United States)

2017-05-29

The tree-loop duality relation is used as a starting point to derive the constraints of causality and unitarity. Specifically, the Bogoliubov causality condition is ab initio derived at the individual graph level. It leads to a representation of a graph in terms of lower order cut graphs. Extracting the absorptive part gives then the general unitarity relation (Cutkosky rule). The derivation, being carried out directly in momentum space, holds for any local (polynomial) hermitian interaction vertices. This is in contrast to the technical difficulties arising from contact terms in the spacetime approach based on the largest time equation.

Unitarity relations in c=1 Liouville theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowe, D.A.

1992-01-01

In this paper, the authors consider the S-matrix of c = 1 Liouville theory with vanishing cosmological constant. The authors examine some of the constraints imposed by unitarity. These completely determine (N,2) amplitudes at tree level in terms of the (N,1) amplitudes when the plus tachyon momenta take generic values. A surprising feature of the matrix model results is the lack of particle creation branch cuts in the higher genus amplitudes. In fact, the authors show that the naive field theory limit of Liouville theory would predict such branch cuts. However, unitarity in the full string theory ensures that such cuts do not appear in genus one (N,1) amplitudes. The authors conclude with some comments about the genus one (N,2) amplitudes

Gauge theory high-energy behavior from j-plane unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coriano, C.; Florida Univ., Gainesville, FL; White, A.R.

1996-01-01

In a non-abelian gauge theory the t-channel multiparticle unitarity equations continued in the complex j-plane can be systematically expanded around j=1 and t=0. The combination of Ward identity constraints with unitarity is sufficient to produce directly many of the results obtained by Regge limit leading-log and next-to-leading log momentum-space calculations. The O(g 2 ) BFKL kernel is completely determined. O(g 4 ) infrared contributions to this kernel are also obtained, including the leading contribution of a new partial-wave amplitude - previously identified as a separate forward component with a holomorphically factorizable spectrum. For this amplitude the only scale ambiguity is the overall normalization and it is anticipated to be a new conformally invariant kernel. While scale-dependent non-leading reggeon interactions can not be derived by the techniques developed, it is conjectured that all conformally invariant interactions may be determined by t-channel unitarity. (orig.)

Implications of perturbative unitarity for scalar di-boson resonance searches at LHC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Luzio, Luca [Universita di Genova, Dipartimento di Fisica, Genova (Italy); Durham University, Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Department of Physics, Durham (United Kingdom); INFN, Sezione di Genova (Italy); Kamenik, Jernej F. [Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana (Slovenia); University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Ljubljana (Slovenia); Nardecchia, Marco [DAMTP, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (United Kingdom); CERN, Theoretical Physics Department, Geneva (Switzerland)

2017-01-15

We study the constraints implied by partial wave unitarity on new physics in the form of spin-zero di-boson resonances at LHC. We derive the scale where the effective description in terms of the SM supplemented by a single resonance is expected to break down depending on the resonance mass and signal cross section. Likewise, we use unitarity arguments in order to set perturbativity bounds on renormalizable UV completions of the effective description. We finally discuss under which conditions scalar di-boson resonance signals can be accommodated within weakly coupled models. (orig.)

New analytic unitarization schemes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cudell, J.-R.; Predazzi, E.; Selyugin, O. V.

2009-01-01

We consider two well-known classes of unitarization of Born amplitudes of hadron elastic scattering. The standard class, which saturates at the black-disk limit includes the standard eikonal representation, while the other class, which goes beyond the black-disk limit to reach the full unitarity circle, includes the U matrix. It is shown that the basic properties of these schemes are independent of the functional form used for the unitarization, and that U matrix and eikonal schemes can be extended to have similar properties. A common form of unitarization is proposed interpolating between both classes. The correspondence with different nonlinear equations are also briefly examined.

Unitarity boomerang

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frampton, Paul H.; He Xiaogang

2010-01-01

For the three family quark flavor mixing, the best parametrization is the original Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix, V KM , with four real parameters: three rotation angles θ 1,2,3 and one phase δ. A popular way of presentation is by the unitarity triangle which, however, explicitly displays only three, not four, independent parameters. Here we propose an alternative presentation which displays simultaneously all four parameters: the unitarity boomerang.

Unitarity boomerang

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frampton, Paul H. [Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8568 (Japan); Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3255 (United States); He Xiaogang, E-mail: hexg@phys.ntu.edu.t [Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8568 (Japan); Department of Physics and Center for Theoretical Sciences, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan (China)

2010-04-26

For the three family quark flavor mixing, the best parametrization is the original Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix, V{sub KM}, with four real parameters: three rotation angles theta{sub 1,2,3} and one phase delta. A popular way of presentation is by the unitarity triangle which, however, explicitly displays only three, not four, independent parameters. Here we propose an alternative presentation which displays simultaneously all four parameters: the unitarity boomerang.

Perturbative unitarity constraints on gauge portals

Science.gov (United States)

El Hedri, Sonia; Shepherd, William; Walker, Devin G. E.

2017-12-01

Dark matter that was once in thermal equilibrium with the Standard Model is generally prohibited from obtaining all of its mass from the electroweak phase transition. This implies a new scale of physics and mediator particles to facilitate dark matter annihilation. In this work, we focus on dark matter that annihilates through a generic gauge boson portal. We show how partial wave unitarity places upper bounds on the dark gauge boson, dark Higgs and dark matter masses. Outside of well-defined fine-tuned regions, we find an upper bound of 9 TeV for the dark matter mass when the dark Higgs and dark gauge bosons both facilitate the dark matter annihilations. In this scenario, the upper bound on the dark Higgs and dark gauge boson masses are 10 TeV and 16 TeV, respectively. When only the dark gauge boson facilitates dark matter annihilations, we find an upper bound of 3 TeV and 6 TeV for the dark matter and dark gauge boson, respectively. Overall, using the gauge portal as a template, we describe a method to not only place upper bounds on the dark matter mass but also on the new particles with Standard Model quantum numbers. We briefly discuss the reach of future accelerator, direct and indirect detection experiments for this class of models.

Diffusion into infrared and unitarization of the Balitskii-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov Pomeron

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golec-Biernat, K.; Motyka, L.; Stasto, A.M.

2002-01-01

The Balitskii-Fadin-Kuraev-Lipatov (BFKL) Pomeron in perturbative QCD is plagued by the lack of unitarity and diffusion into the infrared region of gluon virtualities. These two problems are intimately related. We perform numerical studies of the evolution equation proposed by Balitskii and Kovchegov which unitarizes the BFKL Pomeron. We show how diffusion into the infrared region is suppressed due to the emergence of a saturation scale and scaling behavior. We study the universality of this phenomenon as well as its dependence on subleading corrections to the BFKL Pomeron such as the running coupling and kinematic constraint. These corrections are very important for phenomenological applications

Generalized eikonalization and unitarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giffon, M. [Lyon-1 Univ., 69 - Villeurbanne (France). Inst. de Physique Nucleaire; Predazzi, E. [Universita di Torino (Italy); Martynov, E.

1996-12-31

In the literature, the notion of eikonalization is often used as synonymous of unitarization or, at least, as implying that unitarity is not violated. This, to the very least, appears to be wishful thinking. We discuss the properties of various types of eikonalization within a unified treatment. Linear trajectories with intercept larger than unity (so popular nowadays) lead to small asymptotic violations of unitarity even after eikonalization. Classes of eikonalizations in which the Odderon could dominate over the Pomeron are given; even so the maximal Odderon is still excluded by eikonalization. (authors). 18 refs.

Generalized eikonalization and unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giffon, M.; Martynov, E.

1996-01-01

In the literature, the notion of eikonalization is often used as synonymous of unitarization or, at least, as implying that unitarity is not violated. This, to the very least, appears to be wishful thinking. We discuss the properties of various types of eikonalization within a unified treatment. Linear trajectories with intercept larger than unity (so popular nowadays) lead to small asymptotic violations of unitarity even after eikonalization. Classes of eikonalizations in which the Odderon could dominate over the Pomeron are given; even so the maximal Odderon is still excluded by eikonalization. (authors)

Lattice QCD inputs to the CKM unitarity triangle analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laiho, Jack; Lunghi, E.; Van de Water, Ruth S.

2010-01-01

We perform a global fit to the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle using the latest experimental and theoretical constraints. Our emphasis is on the hadronic weak matrix elements that enter the analysis, which must be computed using lattice QCD or other nonperturbative methods. Realistic lattice QCD calculations which include the effects of the dynamical up, down, and strange quarks are now available for all of the standard inputs to the global fit. We therefore present lattice averages for all of the necessary hadronic weak matrix elements. We attempt to account for correlations between lattice QCD results in a reasonable but conservative manner: whenever there are reasons to believe that an error is correlated between two lattice calculations, we take the degree of correlation to be 100%. These averages are suitable for use as inputs both in the global Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle fit and other phenomenological analyses. In order to illustrate the impact of the lattice averages, we make standard model predictions for the parameters B-circumflex K , |V cb |, and |V ub |/|V cb |. We find a (2-3)σ tension in the unitarity triangle, depending upon whether we use the inclusive or exclusive determination of |V cb |. If we interpret the tension as a sign of new physics in either neutral kaon or B mixing, we find that the scenario with new physics in kaon mixing is preferred by present data.

Combined constraints on holographic bosonic technicolor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carone, Christopher D.; Primulando, Reinard

2010-01-01

We consider a model of strong electroweak symmetry breaking in which the expectation value of an additional, possibly composite, scalar field is responsible for the generation of fermion masses. The dynamics of the strongly coupled sector is defined and studied via its holographic dual, and does not correspond to a simple, scaled-up version of QCD. We consider the bounds from perturbative unitarity, the S parameter, and the mass of the Higgs-like scalar. We show that the combination of these constraints leaves a relatively limited region of parameter space viable, and suggests the qualitative features of the model that might be probed at the LHC.

The Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule and unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruuskanen, V.; Toernqvist, N.A.

1977-01-01

Using an explicitly unitary framework the Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule is discussed and in particular how this rule is compatible with unitarity. For the phi-ω case unitarity effects (phi→KantiK→ω) contribute a (nearly) imaginary mixing of 0.6 +- 0.1 % and thus cannot account for the whole mixing of 6-10 %. For the f'-f mixing unitarity effects give a much larger value (>6.8%). In order to understand the small experimental f'→2π coupling the process f'→f→2π must be cancelled by another process e.g. f'→fsup((2))→2π, where fsup((2)) is a heavy f-like meson. For the psions above the first important charm threshold unitarity effects are likely to be crucial. At very high energies cancellations can suppress the unitarity effects. But in a transient energy interval (+p particular between the Dsup(*)antiDsup(*) and the Dsup(*)antiDsup(**) thresholds) these cancellations cannot work everywhere because mass differences are important. Therefore (if charm annihilation amplitudes near threshold are not negligibly small), it is expected that in this interval unitarity effects should be the dominant mechanism for the breaking of the OZI rule. Results from a conventional mass matrix mixing analysis are also given in the appendix. (author)

Noncommutativity and unitarity violation in gauge boson scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hewett, J. L.; Petriello, F. J.; Rizzo, T. G.

2002-01-01

We examine the unitarity properties of spontaneously broken noncommutative gauge theories. We find that the symmetry breaking mechanism in the noncommutative standard model of Chaichian et al. leads to an unavoidable violation of tree-level unitarity in gauge boson scattering at high energies. We then study a variety of simplified spontaneously broken noncommutative theories and isolate the source of this unitarity violation. Given the group theoretic restrictions endemic to noncommutative model building, we conclude that it is difficult to build a noncommutative standard model under the Weyl-Moyal approach that preserves unitarity

Unitarity boomerangs of quark and lepton mixing matrices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shiwen; Ma Boqiang

2010-01-01

The most popular way to present mixing matrices of quarks (CKM) and leptons (PMNS) is the parametrization with three mixing angles and one CP-violating phase. There are two major options in this kind of parametrizations, one is the original Kobayashi-Maskawa (KM) matrix, and the other is the Chau-Keung (CK) matrix. In a new proposal by Frampton and He, a unitarity boomerang is introduced to combine two unitarity triangles, and this new presentation displays all four independent parameters of the KM parametrization in the quark sector simultaneously. In this Letter, we study the relations between KM and CK parametrizations, and also consider the quark-lepton complementarity (QLC) in the KM parametrization. The unitarity boomerang is discussed in the situation of the CK parametrization for comparison with that in the KM parametrization in the quark sector. Then we extend the idea of unitarity boomerang to the lepton sector, and check the corresponding unitarity boomerangs in the two cases of parametrizations.

Unitarity boomerangs of quark and lepton mixing matrices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Shiwen [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ma Boqiang, E-mail: mabq@phy.pku.edu.c [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Center for High Energy Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2010-07-12

The most popular way to present mixing matrices of quarks (CKM) and leptons (PMNS) is the parametrization with three mixing angles and one CP-violating phase. There are two major options in this kind of parametrizations, one is the original Kobayashi-Maskawa (KM) matrix, and the other is the Chau-Keung (CK) matrix. In a new proposal by Frampton and He, a unitarity boomerang is introduced to combine two unitarity triangles, and this new presentation displays all four independent parameters of the KM parametrization in the quark sector simultaneously. In this Letter, we study the relations between KM and CK parametrizations, and also consider the quark-lepton complementarity (QLC) in the KM parametrization. The unitarity boomerang is discussed in the situation of the CK parametrization for comparison with that in the KM parametrization in the quark sector. Then we extend the idea of unitarity boomerang to the lepton sector, and check the corresponding unitarity boomerangs in the two cases of parametrizations.

Update of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis

CERN Document Server

Bevan, A.J.; Ciuchini, M.; Derkach, D.; Stocchi, A.; Franco, E.; Silvestrini, L.; Lubicz, V.; Tarantino, Cecilia; Martinelli, G.; Parodi, F.; Schiavi, C.; Pierini, M.; Sordini, V.; Vagnoni, V.

2010-01-01

We present the status of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis (UTA), within the Standard Model (SM) and beyond, with experimental and theoretical inputs updated for the ICHEP 2010 conference. Within the SM, we find that the general consistency among all the constraints leaves space only to some tension (between the UTA prediction and the experimental measurement) in BR(B -> tau nu), sin(2 beta) and epsilon_K. In the UTA beyond the SM, we allow for New Physics (NP) effects in (Delta F)=2 processes. The hint of NP at the 2.9 sigma level in the B_s-\\bar B_s mixing turns out to be confirmed by the present update, which includes the new D0 result on the dimuon charge asymmetry but not the new CDF measurement of phi_s, being the likelihood not yet released.

Standard Model updates and new physics analysis with the Unitarity Triangle fit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bevan, A.; Bona, M.; Ciuchini, M.; Derkach, D.; Franco, E.; Silvestrini, L.; Lubicz, V.; Tarantino, C.; Martinelli, G.; Parodi, F.; Schiavi, C.; Pierini, M.; Sordini, V.; Stocchi, A.; Vagnoni, V.

2013-01-01

We present the summer 2012 update of the Unitarity Triangle (UT) analysis performed by the UTfit Collaboration within the Standard Model (SM) and beyond. The increased accuracy on several of the fundamental constraints is now enhancing some of the tensions amongst and within the constraint themselves. In particular, the long standing tension between exclusive and inclusive determinations of the V ub and V cb CKM matrix elements is now playing a major role. Then we present the generalisation the UT analysis to investigate new physics (NP) effects, updating the constraints on NP contributions to ΔF=2 processes. In the NP analysis, both CKM and NP parameters are fitted simultaneously to obtain the possible NP effects in any specific sector. Finally, based on the NP constraints, we derive upper bounds on the coefficients of the most general ΔF=2 effective Hamiltonian. These upper bounds can be translated into lower bounds on the scale of NP that contributes to these low-energy effective interactions

Reggeon, Pomeron and annihilation processes in the dual unitarization scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dias de Deus, J.

1976-07-01

In the framework of the dual unitarization scheme the connection between particle production in processes dominated by Reggeon, Pomeron and Annihilation diagrams is discussed and critical tests of the scheme are suggested. The simple relation for average multiplicities anti nsup(R) = 1/2 anti nsup(P) = 1/3 anti nsup(A) and other relations for inclusive cross-sections and higher moments of the particle distribution are shown to be in reasonable agreement with data. (author)

Massive Yang-Mills theory: Renormalizability versus unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delbourgo, R.; Twisk, S.; Thompson, G.

1987-06-01

Various massive Yang-Mills theories not based on the Higgs mechanism are investigated. They are subject to conflicting demands in the twin requirements of unitarity and perturbative renormalizability. Either one or other of these requirements is violated. Unitarity is considered in some detail. (author). 18 refs, 5 figs

The Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka rule and dual unitarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ninomiya, Kansuke; Toyoda, Fumihiko.

1978-01-01

The Okubo-Zweig-Iizuka (OZI) rule carries an important role in the constituent rearrangement and interest in the rule has been increased by the discovery of the J/psi particle. An example of phenomenological analysis related to the OZI rule is introduced. The decays of psi particles can be explained consistently by an existence of the disconnected type of a constituent rearrangement diagram (CRD) with comparable strength to that of the connected one. A survey of an outline of the dual unitarization scheme and discussion of the OZI rule with the scheme and other related theory are presented. The method of dual unitarization starts with the unitarity relation. In the estimation of multiparticle production amplitude in the unitarity sum, dominant nondiffractive production component is taken as a first approximation and the amplitude is described by the multiperipheral model of Reggeon exchange. Here, a case of meson-meson scattering in flavor of SU(N) scheme is considered. A survey of the mechanism of the planar bootstrap and Pomeron generation in the dual unitarization is made. The nonplanar CR diagrams give breaking of various features at the planar level. The reaction with the disconnected CRD could occur in the nonperipheral region through the hard collision of constituent and appears at large momentum transfers in comparable order with a connected one. Baryon and baryoniums with the scheme of the dual unitarization are examined. (Kato, T.)

Unitarity bounds on low scale quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atkins, Michael; Calmet, Xavier

2010-01-01

We study the unitarity of models with low scale quantum gravity both in four dimensions and in models with a large extra-dimensional volume. We find that models with low scale quantum gravity have problems with unitarity below the scale at which gravity becomes strong. An important consequence of our work is that their first signal at the Large Hadron Collider would not be of a gravitational nature such as graviton emission or small black holes, but rather would be linked to the mechanism which fixes the unitarity problem. We also study models with scalar fields with non-minimal couplings to the Ricci scalar. We consider the strength of gravity in these models and study the consequences for inflation models with non-minimally coupled scalar fields. We show that a single scalar field with a large non-minimal coupling can lower the Planck mass in the TeV region. In that model, it is possible to lower the scale at which gravity becomes strong down to 14 TeV without violating unitarity below that scale. (orig.)

First unitarity-independent determination of the CKM matrix elements $V_{td}$, $V_{ts}$, and ${V_{tb}$ and the implications for unitarity

OpenAIRE

Swain, John; Taylor, Lucas

1997-01-01

The magnitudes of the CKM matrix elements $V_{td}$, $V_{ts}$, and $V_{tb}$ are determined for the first time without any assumptions of unitarity. The implications for the unitarity of the CKM matrix as a whole are discussed.

Geometric ghosts and unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ne'eman, Y.

1980-09-01

A review is given of the geometrical identification of the renormalization ghosts and the resulting derivation of Unitarity equations (BRST) for various gauges: Yang-Mills, Kalb-Ramond, and Soft-Group-Manifold

A framework for testing leptonic unitarity by neutrino oscillation experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fong, Chee Sheng [Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo,C.P. 66.318, 05315-970 São Paulo (Brazil); Minakata, Hisakazu [Department of Physics, Yachay Tech,San Miguel de Urcuquí, 100119 (Ecuador); Nunokawa, Hiroshi [Departamento de Física, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro,C.P. 38097, 22451-900, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2017-02-22

If leptonic unitarity is violated by new physics at an energy scale much lower than the electroweak scale, which we call low-scale unitarity violation, it has different characteristic features from those expected in unitarity violation at high-energy scales. They include maintaining flavor universality and absence of zero-distance flavor transition. We present a framework for testing such unitarity violation at low energies by neutrino oscillation experiments. Starting from the unitary 3 active plus N (arbitrary positive integer) sterile neutrino model we show that by restricting the active-sterile and sterile-sterile neutrino mass squared differences to ≳ 0.1 eV{sup 2} the oscillation probability in the (3+N) model becomes insensitive to details of the sterile sector, providing a nearly model-independent framework for testing low-scale unitarity violation. Yet, the presence of the sterile sector leaves trace as a constant probability leaking term, which distinguishes low-scale unitarity violation from the high-scale one. The non-unitary mixing matrix in the active neutrino subspace is common for the both cases. We analyze how severely the unitarity violation can be constrained in ν{sub e}-row by taking a JUNO-like setting to simulate medium baseline reactor experiments. Possible modification of the features of the (3+N) model due to matter effect is discussed to first order in the matter potential.

Update of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarantino, C.; Bona, M.; Sordini, V.

2009-01-01

We present the update of the Unitarity Triangle (UT) analysis within the Standard Model (SM) and beyond. Within the SM, combining the direct measurements on sides and angles, the UT turns out to be overconstraint in a consistent way, showing that the CKM matrix is the dominant source of flavour mixing and CP-violation and that New Physics (NP) effects can appear at most as small corrections to the CKM picture. Generalizing the UT analysis to investigate NP effects, constraints on b → s transitions are also included and both CKM and NP parameters are fitted simultaneously. While no evidence of NP effects is found in K - (bar) K and B d - (bar) B d mixing, in the B s - (bar) B s mixing an hint of NP is found. The UT analysis beyond the SM also allows us to derive bounds on the coefficients of the most general ΔF = 2 effective Hamiltonian, that can be translated into bounds on the NP scale. (authors)

Matter scattering in quadratic gravity and unitarity

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Yugo; Inami, Takeo; Izumi, Keisuke; Kitamura, Tomotaka

2018-03-01

We investigate the ultraviolet (UV) behavior of two-scalar elastic scattering with graviton exchanges in higher-curvature gravity theory. In Einstein gravity, matter scattering is shown not to satisfy the unitarity bound at tree level at high energy. Among some of the possible directions for the UV completion of Einstein gravity, such as string theory, modified gravity, and inclusion of high-mass/high-spin states, we take R_{μν}^2 gravity coupled to matter. We show that matter scattering with graviton interactions satisfies the unitarity bound at high energy, even with negative norm states due to the higher-order derivatives of metric components. The difference in the unitarity property of these two gravity theories is probably connected to that in another UV property, namely, the renormalizability property of the two.

Thermal relic dark matter beyond the unitarity limit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harigaya, Keisuke [Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics, Department of Physics, University of California,Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Theoretical Physics Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Ibe, Masahiro [Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan); ICRR, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan); Kaneta, Kunio [Center for Theoretical Physics of the Universe, Institute for Basic Science (IBS),Daejeon 34051 (Korea, Republic of); Nakano, Wakutaka; Suzuki, Motoo [Kavli IPMU (WPI), UTIAS, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8583 (Japan); ICRR, The University of Tokyo,Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8582 (Japan)

2016-08-25

We discuss a simple model of thermal relic dark matter whose mass can be much larger than the so-called unitarity limit on the mass of point-like particle dark matter. The model consists of new strong dynamics with one flavor of fermions in the fundamental representation which is much heavier than the dynamical scale of the new strong dynamics. Dark matter is identified with the lightest baryonic hadron of the new dynamics. The baryonic hadrons annihilate into the mesonic hadrons of the new strong dynamics when they have large radii. Resultantly, thermal relic dark matter with a mass in the PeV range is possible.

Three-body unitarity with isobars revisited

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mai, M.; Hu, B. [The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Doering, M. [The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Pilloni, A. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Szczepaniak, A. [Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States); Indiana University, Center for Exploration of Energy and Matter, Bloomington, IN (United States); Indiana University, Physics Department, Bloomington, IN (United States)

2017-09-15

The particle exchange model of hadron interactions can be used to describe three-body scattering under the isobar assumption. In this study we start from the 3 → 3 scattering amplitude for spinless particles, which contains an isobar-spectator scattering amplitude. Using a Bethe-Salpeter Ansatz for the latter, we derive a relativistic three-dimensional scattering equation that manifestly fulfills three-body unitarity and two-body unitarity for the sub-amplitudes. This property holds for energies above breakup and also in the presence of resonances in the sub-amplitudes. (orig.)

Unitarity relations for the four-body scattering amplitude

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsui, Y.

1988-01-01

A formal derivation of the general unitarity relation for the four-particle transition operator is given by generalizing the three-body formalism of Karlson and Zeiger to the four-body case. From this operator relation the on-shell unitarity relations for the amplitudes that describe elastic/rearrangement, partial breakup, and full breakup scattering processes are obtained

Hunting for new physics with unitarity boomerangs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frampton, Paul H.; He Xiaogang

2010-01-01

The standard model of particle theory will be rigorously tested by upcoming precision data on flavor mixing. Although the unitarity triangles (UTs) carry information about the Kobayashi-Maskawa (KM) quark mixing matrix, it explicitly contains just three parameters which is one short to completely fix the KM matrix. We have recently shown that the unitarity boomerangs (UBs) formed using two UTs, with a common inner angle, can completely determine the KM matrix and, therefore, better represents quark mixing. Out of the total 18 possible UBs, there is only one that does not involve very small angles and is the ideal one for practical uses. Although the UBs have different areas, there is, however, an invariant quantity, for all UBs, which is equal to a quarter of the Jarlskog parameter J squared. Hunting for new physics, with a unitarity boomerang, can reveal more information, than just using a UTs.

Next-to-leading order unitarity fits in Two-Higgs-Doublet models with soft ℤ{sub 2} breaking

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cacchio, Vincenzo; Chowdhury, Debtosh; Eberhardt, Otto [Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Roma,Piazzale Aldo Moro 2, I-00185 Roma (Italy); Murphy, Christopher W. [Scuola Normale Superiore,Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, I-56126 Pisa (Italy)

2016-11-07

We fit the next-to-leading order unitarity conditions to the Two-Higgs-Doublet model with a softly broken ℤ{sub 2} symmetry. In doing so, we alleviate the existing uncertainty on how to treat higher order corrections to quartic couplings of its Higgs potential. A simplified approach to implementing the next-to-leading order unitarity conditions is presented. These new bounds are then combined with all other relevant constraints, including the complete set of LHC Run I data. The upper 95% bounds we find are 4.2 on the absolute values of the quartic couplings, and 235 GeV (100 GeV) for the mass degeneracies between the heavy Higgs particles in the type I (type II) scenario. In type II, we exclude an unbroken ℤ{sub 2} symmetry with a probability of 95%. All fits are performed using the open-source code HEPfit.

Unitarity of CKM Matrix

CERN Document Server

Saleem, M

2002-01-01

The Unitarity of the CKM matrix is examined in the light of the latest available accurate data. The analysis shows that a conclusive result cannot be derived at present. Only more precise data can determine whether the CKM matrix opens new vistas beyond the standard model or not.

Higgs-Palatini inflation and unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bauer, Florian; Demir, Durmus A.

2011-01-01

In the Higgs inflation scenario the Higgs field is strongly coupled to the Ricci scalar in order to drive primordial inflation. However, in its original form in pure metric formulation of gravity, the ultraviolet (UV) cutoff of the Higgs interactions and the Hubble rate are of the same magnitude, and this makes the whole inflationary evolution dependent of the unknown UV completion of the Higgs sector. This problem, the unitarity violation, plagues the Higgs inflation scenario. In this Letter we show that, in the Palatini formulation of gravitation, Higgs inflation does not suffer from unitarity violation since the UV cutoff lies parametrically much higher than the Hubble rate so that unknown UV physics does not disrupt the inflationary dynamics. Higgs-Palatini inflation, as we call it, is, therefore, UV-safe, minimal and endowed with predictive power.

Anomalies, Unitarity and Quantum Irreversibility

CERN Document Server

Anselmi, D

1999-01-01

The trace anomaly in external gravity is the sum of three terms at criticality: the square of the Weyl tensor, the Euler density and Box R, with coefficients, properly normalized, called c, a and a', the latter being ambiguously defined by an additive constant. Unitarity and positivity properties of the induced actions allow us to show that the total RG flows of a and a' are equal and therefore the a'-ambiguity can be consistently removed through the identification a'=a. The picture that emerges clarifies several long-standing issues. The interplay between unitarity and renormalization implies that the flux of the renormalization group is irreversible. A monotonically decreasing a-function interpolating between the appropriate values is naturally provided by a'. The total a-flow is expressed non-perturbatively as the invariant (i.e. scheme-independent) area of the graph of the beta function between the fixed points. We test this prediction to the fourth loop order in perturbation theory, in QCD with Nf ~< ...

Right unitarity triangles and tri-bimaximal mixing from discrete symmetries and unification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antusch, S.; King, Stephen F.; Luhn, Christoph; Spinrath, M.

2011-01-01

We propose new classes of models which predict both tri-bimaximal lepton mixing and a right-angled Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) unitarity triangle, α∼90 o . The ingredients of the models include a supersymmetric (SUSY) unified gauge group such as SU(5), a discrete family symmetry such as A 4 or S 4 , a shaping symmetry including products of Z 2 and Z 4 groups as well as spontaneous CP violation. We show how the vacuum alignment in such models allows a simple explanation of α∼90 o by a combination of purely real or purely imaginary vacuum expectation values (vevs) of the flavons responsible for family symmetry breaking. This leads to quark mass matrices with 1-3 texture zeros that satisfy the 'phase sum rule' and lepton mass matrices that satisfy the 'lepton mixing sum rule' together with a new prediction that the leptonic CP violating oscillation phase is close to either 0 o , 90 o , 180 o , or 270 o depending on the model, with neutrino masses being purely real (no complex Majorana phases). This leads to the possibility of having right-angled unitarity triangles in both the quark and lepton sectors.

Unitarity violation in noninteger dimensional Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Yao; Kelly, Michael

2018-05-01

We construct an explicit example of unitarity violation in fermionic quantum field theories in noninteger dimensions. We study the two-point correlation function of four-fermion operators. We compute the one-loop anomalous dimensions of these operators in the Gross-Neveu-Yukawa model. We find that at one-loop order, the four-fermion operators split into three classes with one class having negative norms. This implies that the theory violates unitarity, following the definition in Ref. [1].

Non-Unitarity, sterile neutrinos, and Non-Standard neutrino Interactions

CERN Document Server

Blennow, Mattias; Fernandez-Martinez, Enrique; Hernandez-Garcia, Josu; Lopez-Pavon, Jacobo

2017-04-27

The simplest Standard Model extension to explain neutrino masses involves the addition of right-handed neutrinos. At some level, this extension will impact neutrino oscillation searches. In this work we explore the differences and similarities between the case in which these neutrinos are kinematically accessible (sterile neutrinos) or not (mixing matrix non-unitarity). We clarify apparent inconsistencies in the present literature when using different parametrizations to describe these effects and recast both limits in the popular neutrino non-standard interaction (NSI) formal- ism. We find that, in the limit in which sterile oscillations are averaged out at the near detector, their effects at the far detector coincide with non-unitarity at leading order, even in presence of a matter potential. We also summarize the present bounds existing in both limits and compare them with the expected sensitivities of near-future facilities taking the DUNE proposal as a bench- mark. We conclude that non-unitarity effects ...

On unitarity of the particle-hole dispersive optical model

Science.gov (United States)

Gorelik, M. L.; Shlomo, S.; Tulupov, B. A.; Urin, M. H.

2018-02-01

For the recently developed particle-hole dispersive optical model, weak violations of unitarity due to a phenomenological description of the spreading effect are considered. Methods for unitarity restoration are proposed and implemented for the 208Pb nucleus in the description of the energy-averaged isoscalar monopole double transition density and strength functions in a wide excitation energy interval that includes the isoscalar giant monopole resonance and its overtone. To illustrate abilities of the model, direct neutron decay of the mentioned giant resonance is also considered.

Unitarity corrections to short-range order long-range rapidity correlations

CERN Document Server

Capella, A

1978-01-01

Although the effective hadronic forces have short range in rapidity space, one nevertheless expects long-range dynamical correlations induced by unitarity constraints. This paper contains a thorough discussion of long-range rapidity correlations in high-multiplicity events. In particular, the authors analyze in detail the forward- backward multiplicity correlations, measured recently in the whole CERN ISR energy range. They find from these data that the normalized variance of the number n of exchanged cut Pomerons, ((n/(n)-1)/sup 2/) , is most probably in the range 0.32 to 0.36. They show that such a number is obtained from Reggeon theory in the eikonal approximation. The authors also predict a very specific violation of local compensation of charge in multiparticle events: The violation should appear in the fourth-order zone correlation function and is absent in the second-order correlation function, the only one measured until now. (48 refs).

On unitarity in renormalisable R2sub(μν) quantum gravity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomboulis, E.T.

1987-01-01

The paper on unitarity in renormalisable quantum gravity is a contribution to the book commemorating the sixtieth birthday of E.S. Fradkin. Arguments are presented for the unitarity of the general fourth-order action (non-supersymmetric) of the renormalisable higher derivative theories of gravity directly in the continuum. Graviton propagators, propagator poles, massless matter fields and gauge theories are all discussed. (U.K.)

Meson-baryon interactions in unitarized chiral perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia Recio, G.; Nieves, J.; Ruiz Arriola, E.; Vicente Vacas, M.

2003-01-01

Meson-Baryon Interactions can be successfully described using both Chiral Symmetry and Unitarity. The s-wave meson-baryon scattering amplitude is analyzed in a Bethe-Salpeter coupled channel formalism incorporating Chiral Symmetry in the potential. Two body coupled channel unitarity is exactly preserved. The needed two particle irreducible matrix amplitude is taken from lowest order Chiral Perturbation Theory in a relativistic formalism. Off-shell behavior is parameterized in terms of low energy constants. The relation to the heavy baryon limit is discussed. The position of the complex poles in the second Riemann sheet of the scattering amplitude determine masses and widths baryonic resonances of the N(1535), N(1670), Λ(1405) and Λ(1670) resonances which compare well with accepted numbers

Non-unitarity, sterile neutrinos, and non-standard neutrino interactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blennow, Mattias [Department of Theoretical Physics, School of Engineering Sciences, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Albanova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Coloma, Pilar [Theoretical Physics Department, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, P.O. Box 500, Batavia, IL 60510 (United States); Fernandez-Martinez, Enrique; Hernandez-Garcia, Josu [Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Instituto de Física Teórica UAM/CSIC, Calle Nicolás Cabrera 13-15, Cantoblanco E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Lopez-Pavon, Jacobo [INFN, Sezione di Genova, via Dodecaneso 33, 16146 Genova (Italy); CERN, Theoretical Physics Department, Geneva (Switzerland)

2017-04-27

The simplest Standard Model extension to explain neutrino masses involves the addition of right-handed neutrinos. At some level, this extension will impact neutrino oscillation searches. In this work we explore the differences and similarities between the case in which these neutrinos are kinematically accessible (sterile neutrinos) or not (mixing matrix non-unitarity). We clarify apparent inconsistencies in the present literature when using different parametrizations to describe these effects and recast both limits in the popular neutrino non-standard interaction (NSI) formalism. We find that, in the limit in which sterile oscillations are averaged out at the near detector, their effects at the far detector coincide with non-unitarity at leading order, even in presence of a matter potential. We also summarize the present bounds existing in both limits and compare them with the expected sensitivities of near-future facilities taking the DUNE proposal as a benchmark. We conclude that non-unitarity effects are too constrained to impact present or near future neutrino oscillation facilities but that sterile neutrinos can play an important role at long baseline experiments. The role of the near detector is also discussed in detail.

A Mind of Three Minds: Evolution of the Human Brain

Science.gov (United States)

MacLean, Paul D.

1978-01-01

The author examines the evolutionary and neural roots of a triune intelligence comprised of a primal mind, an emotional mind, and a rational mind. A simple brain model and some definitions of unfamiliar behavioral terms are included. (Author/MA)

Fermionic ground state at unitarity and Haldane exclusion statistics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhaduri, R K; Murthy, M V N [Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai 600 113 (India); Brack, M [Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, Regensburg (Germany)

2008-06-14

We consider a few-particle system of trapped neutral fermionic atoms at ultra-low temperatures, with the attractive interaction tuned to Feshbach resonance. We calculate the energies and the spatial densities of the few-body systems using a generalization of the extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) method, and assuming the particles obey the Haldane-Wu fractional exclusion statistics (FES) at unitarity. This method is different from the scaled ETF version given by Chang and Bertsch (2007 Phys. Rev. A 76 021603). Our semiclassical FES results are consistent with the Monte Carlo calculations of the above authors, but can hardly be distinguished from their overall scaling of the ETF result at unitarity.

Fermionic ground state at unitarity and Haldane exclusion statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhaduri, R K; Murthy, M V N; Brack, M

2008-01-01

We consider a few-particle system of trapped neutral fermionic atoms at ultra-low temperatures, with the attractive interaction tuned to Feshbach resonance. We calculate the energies and the spatial densities of the few-body systems using a generalization of the extended Thomas-Fermi (ETF) method, and assuming the particles obey the Haldane-Wu fractional exclusion statistics (FES) at unitarity. This method is different from the scaled ETF version given by Chang and Bertsch (2007 Phys. Rev. A 76 021603). Our semiclassical FES results are consistent with the Monte Carlo calculations of the above authors, but can hardly be distinguished from their overall scaling of the ETF result at unitarity

Combining experimental and cosmological constraints on heavy neutrinos

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Drewes

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We study experimental and cosmological constraints on the extension of the Standard Model by three right handed neutrinos with masses between those of the pion and W boson. We combine for the first time direct, indirect and cosmological constraints in this mass range. This includes experimental constraints from neutrino oscillation data, neutrinoless double β decay, electroweak precision data, lepton universality, searches for rare lepton decays, tests of CKM unitarity and past direct searches at colliders or fixed target experiments. On the cosmological side, big bang nucleosynthesis has the most pronounced impact. Our results can be used to evaluate the discovery potential of searches for heavy neutrinos at LHCb, BELLE II, SHiP, ATLAS, CMS or a future lepton collider.

Unitarity corrections in the pT distribution for the Drell-Yan process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Betempts, M.A.; Gay Ducaty, M.B.; Machado, M.V.T.

2001-01-01

In this contribution we investigate the Drell-Yan transverse momentum distribution considering the color dipole approach, taking into account unitarity aspects in the dipole cross section. The process is analyzed in the current energies on pp collisions (√s = 62 GeV) and at LHC energies (√s = 8.8 TeV. The unitarity corrections are implemented through the multiple scattering Glauber-Mueller approach. (author)

Simple Mindreading Abilities Predict Complex Theory of Mind: Developmental Delay in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Pino, Maria Chiara; Mazza, Monica; Mariano, Melania; Peretti, Sara; Dimitriou, Dagmara; Masedu, Francesco; Valenti, Marco; Franco, Fabia

2017-01-01

Theory of mind (ToM) is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aims of this study were to: (i) examine the developmental trajectories of ToM abilities in two different mentalizing tasks in children with ASD compared to TD children; and (ii) to assess if a ToM simple test known as eyes-test could predict performance on…

Dual topological unitarization -- phenomenological aspect

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tan, C.I.

1978-01-01

An assessment is provided on the viability of dual topological unitarization as a practical scheme for organizing and interpreting hadronic phenomena at current machine energies. Previous detailed reviews are complemented, with emphasis on phenomenological aspects and more recent developments. Diffraction scattering, a test of P--f identity hypothesis, the flavor model, the P--f identity versus the Veneziano two-jet picture, and an illustration of the new phenomenology are included. 24 references

A new simple form of quark mixing matrix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin Nan [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ma Boqiang, E-mail: mabq@pku.edu.c [School of Physics and State Key Laboratory of Nuclear Physics and Technology, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Center for High Energy Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2011-01-10

Although different parametrizations of quark mixing matrix are mathematically equivalent, the consequences of experimental analysis may be distinct. Based on the triminimal expansion of Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix around the unit matrix, we propose a new simple parametrization. Compared with the Wolfenstein parametrization, we find that the new form is not only consistent with the original one in the hierarchical structure, but also more convenient for numerical analysis and measurement of the CP-violating phase. By discussing the relation between our new form and the unitarity boomerang, we point out that along with the unitarity boomerang, this new parametrization is useful in hunting for new physics.

A new simple form of quark mixing matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qin Nan; Ma Boqiang

2011-01-01

Although different parametrizations of quark mixing matrix are mathematically equivalent, the consequences of experimental analysis may be distinct. Based on the triminimal expansion of Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix around the unit matrix, we propose a new simple parametrization. Compared with the Wolfenstein parametrization, we find that the new form is not only consistent with the original one in the hierarchical structure, but also more convenient for numerical analysis and measurement of the CP-violating phase. By discussing the relation between our new form and the unitarity boomerang, we point out that along with the unitarity boomerang, this new parametrization is useful in hunting for new physics.

Harry Lehmann and the analyticity unitarity programme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, A.

2001-01-01

I try to describe the extremely fruitful interaction I had with Harry Lehmann and the results which came out of the analyticity unitarity programme, especially the proof of the Froissart bound, which, with recent and future measurements of total cross-sections and real parts, remains topical. (orig.)

Antishadowing effects in the unitarized BFKL equation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruan Jianhong; Shen Zhenqi; Yang Jifeng; Zhu Wei

2007-01-01

A unitarized BFKL equation incorporating shadowing and antishadowing corrections of the gluon recombination is proposed. This equation reduces to the Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation near the saturation limit. We find that the antishadowing effects have a sizable influence on the gluon distribution function in the preasymptotic regime

Antishadowing effects in the unitarized BFKL equation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruan Jianhong [Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Shen Zhenqi [Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Yang Jifeng [Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China); Zhu Wei [Department of Physics, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062 (China)]. E-mail: weizhu@mail.ecnu.edu.cn

2007-01-01

A unitarized BFKL equation incorporating shadowing and antishadowing corrections of the gluon recombination is proposed. This equation reduces to the Balitsky-Kovchegov evolution equation near the saturation limit. We find that the antishadowing effects have a sizable influence on the gluon distribution function in the preasymptotic regime.

Signature of a Collaboration agreement between Unitar & CERN.

CERN Multimedia

Pierre Gildemyn

2012-01-01

Signature of agreement with Mr Carlos Lopes (UNITAR) and Prof Rolf Heuer (CERN). From left to right : Einar Bjorgo, Francesco Pisano, Calors Lopes, Rolf Heuer, Maurizio Bona, Frédéric Hemmer, Olivier Van Damme

Constraints on Non-Standard Contributions to the Charged-Current Interactions

CERN Document Server

Hagiwara, K; Hagiwara, Kaoru; Matsumoto, Seiji

1998-01-01

The success of the quantum level predictions of the Standard Model on the $Z$ boson properties, on $\\mw$ and on $\\mt$, which makes use of the muon lifetime as an input, implies a stringent constraint on new physics contributions to the $V-A$ charged-current interactions among leptons. Observed unitarity of the CKM matrix elements then implies constraints on non-standard contributions to the lepton-quark charged-current interactions. By using the recent electroweak data as inputs, we find the 95% CL limits for the corresponding contact interactions: $\\Lambda_{CC,+}^{\\ell\\ell}>7.5$ TeV and the lepton-quark contact interactions.

Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle

CERN Multimedia

Patrice Loïez

2002-01-01

The CKM Unitarity Triangle Workshop is meant to provide an opportunity for an intense and fruitful exchange of ideas between experimentalists and theorists to assess the present knowledge on fundamental parameters from the data of LEP and other colliders, to define an agenda of future measurements to further probe the model assumptions employed in the interpretation of the data and to indicate paths for the B physics programme at LHC.

Unitarity in three-dimensional flat space higher spin theories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grumiller, D.; Riegler, M.; Rosseel, J.

2014-01-01

We investigate generic flat-space higher spin theories in three dimensions and find a no-go result, given certain assumptions that we spell out. Namely, it is only possible to have at most two out of the following three properties: unitarity, flat space, non-trivial higher spin states. Interestingly, unitarity provides an (algebra-dependent) upper bound on the central charge, like c=42 for the Galilean W_4"("2"−"1"−"1") algebra. We extend this no-go result to rule out unitary “multi-graviton” theories in flat space. We also provide an example circumventing the no-go result: Vasiliev-type flat space higher spin theory based on hs(1) can be unitary and simultaneously allow for non-trivial higher-spin states in the dual field theory.

Unitarity and the time evolution of quantum mechanical states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabir, P.K.; Pilaftsis, A.

1996-01-01

The basic requirement that, in quantum theory, the time evolution of any state is determined by the action of a unitary operator, is shown to be the underlying cause for certain open-quote open-quote exact close-quote close-quote results that have recently been reported about the time dependence of transition rates in quantum theory. Departures from exponential decay, including the open-quote open-quote quantum Zeno effect,close-quote close-quote as well as a theorem by Khalfin about the ratio of reciprocal transition rates, are shown to follow directly from such considerations. At sufficiently short times, unitarity requires that reciprocity must hold, independent of whether T invariance is valid. If T invariance does not hold, unitarity restricts the form of possible time dependence of reciprocity ratios. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Unitarity, (anti)shadowing, and black-disk limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desgrolard, P.; Jenkovszky, L.; Struminsky, B.V.

2000-01-01

By using realistic models for elastic hadron scattering, we demonstrate that, at current accelerator energies, the s-channel unitarity bound is safe and is not to be reached until 10 5 GeV, while the black-disk limit is saturated around 6 TeV. It will be followed by a larger transparency of the scattered particles near the center

Unitarity Bounds and RG Flows in Time Dependent Quantum Field Theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Xi; Horn, Bart; Silverstein, Eva; Torroba, Gonzalo; /Stanford U., ITP /Stanford U., Phys. Dept. /SLAC

2012-04-05

We generalize unitarity bounds on operator dimensions in conformal field theory to field theories with spacetime dependent couplings. Below the energy scale of spacetime variation of the couplings, their evolution can strongly affect the physics, effectively shifting the infrared operator scaling and unitarity bounds determined from correlation functions in the theory. We analyze this explicitly for large-N double-trace flows, and connect these to UV complete field theories. One motivating class of examples comes from our previous work on FRW holography, where this effect explains the range of flavors allowed in the dual, time dependent, field theory.

Multi-instantons at high energies: Premature unitarization and supercritical behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maggiore, M.; Shifman, M.

1992-01-01

We investigate the role of multi-instantons at high energies in weakly coupled theories. We perform an explicit computation of their effect and we find that they become as important as the one-instanton contribution at energies where the latter is still exponentially small (''premature unitarization''). The computation relies on various simplifying assumptions, and we discuss them. We argue, however, that premature unitarization is a phenomenon of a very general nature, which should survive our simplifying assumptions. If this is the case, there exists a critical energy where a change of regime is forced, and the dilute-instanton-gas approximation totally collapses. Possible scenarios in the critical and supercritical domain are discussed at the qualitative level

Electroweak symmetry breaking: Unitarity, dynamics, and experimental prospects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chanowitz, M.S.

1988-01-01

A review of what is known about the unexplained mechanism that breaks the electroweak symmetry and thereby gives mass to the W and Z gauge bosons while leaving the photon massless is given. Symmetry, unitarity, technicolor, supersymmetry, higgs sector dynamics, and experimental status and prospects are discussed

Black hole information, unitarity, and nonlocality

OpenAIRE

Giddings, Steven B.

2006-01-01

The black hole information paradox apparently indicates the need for a fundamentally new ingredient in physics. The leading contender is nonlocality. Possible mechanisms for the nonlocality needed to restore unitarity to black hole evolution are investigated. Suggestions that such dynamics arises from ultra-planckian modes in Hawking's derivation are investigated and found not to be relevant, in a picture using smooth slices spanning the exterior and interior of the horizon. However, no simul...

Effective field theory and unitarity in vector boson scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sekulla, Marco; Kilian, Wolfgang; Ohl, Thorsten; Reuter, Juergen

2016-10-01

Weak vector boson scattering at high energies will be one of the key measurements in current and upcoming LHC runs. It is most sensitive to any new physics associated with electroweak symmetry breaking. However, a conventional EFT analysis will fail at high energies. To address this problem, we present a parameter-free prescription valid for arbitrary perturbative and non-perturbative models: the T-matrix unitarization. We describe its implementation as an asymptotically consistent reference model matched to the low-energy effective theory. We show examples of typical observables of vector-boson scattering at the LHC in our unitarized framework. For many strongly-coupled models like composite Higgs models, dimension-8 operators might be actually the leading operators. In addition to those longitudinal and transversal dimension eight EFT operators, the effects of generic tensor and scalar resonances within simplified models are considered.

Non-unitarity of the leptonic mixing matrix in the TeV-scale type-I seesaw model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohlsson, Tommy; Popa, Christoph; Zhang, He

2010-01-01

The non-unitarity effects in leptonic flavor mixing are regarded as one of the generic features of the type-I seesaw model. Therefore, we explore these effects in the TeV-scale type-I seesaw model, and show that there exist non-trivial correlations among the non-unitarity parameters, stemming from the typical flavor structure of the low-scale seesaw model. In general, it follows from analytical discussions and numerical results that all the six non-unitarity parameters are related to three model parameters, while the widely studied parameters η eτ and η μτ cannot be phenomenologically significant simultaneously.

Diffraction and Unitarity

Science.gov (United States)

Dremin, I. M.

I begin with a tribute to V.N. Gribov and then come to a particular problem which would be of interest for him. His first paper on reggeology was devoted to elastic scatterings of hadrons. Here, using the unitarity relation in combination with experimental data about the elastic scattering in the diffraction cone, I show how the shape and the darkness of the interaction region of colliding protons change with the increase of their energies. In particular, the collisions become fully absorptive at small impact parameters at LHC energies that results in some special features of inelastic processes as well. The possible evolution with increasing energy of the shape from the dark core at the LHC to the fully transparent one at higher energies is discussed. It implies that the terminology of the black disk would be replaced by the black torus.

Remarks on fermion-number violation and premature unitarization in high-energy instanton-induced scattering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maggiore, M.; Shifman, M.

1993-01-01

We critically discuss recent works in which the premature unitarization mechanism is studied with the inclusion of non-nearest-neighbor interactions or beyond leading order in the energy. We also point out that the nonperturbative valley method gives inconsistent results when applied to fermion-number-violating amplitudes, and we argue that, independently of the mechanism of premature unitarization, the nonperturbative amplitudes which violate the fermion number are always exponentially suppressed

The unitarity defect of the S-matrix and statistical multistep direct nuclear processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, M.S.

1986-09-01

A relation is derived which connects the unitarity defect function S + S-1 with the imaginary part of the absorptive potential responsible for the nuclear scattering. The concept of angle-dependent reaction cross-section is introduced for the purpose. A similar relation is also obtained for the equivalent quantity S + -S -1 . Several applications to nucler scattering are made, and possible relevance of this unitarity defect relation to statistical coupled channels theories of preequilibrium reactions is pointed out and discussed. (Author) [pt

Aspects of CP violation with the BABAR detector. Constraints on the CKM Matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roos, L.

2004-09-01

This document presents the work done within the BABAR Collaboration as well as a phenomenological study on the interpretation of the B measurements related to the Unitarity Triangle. The read-out electronics of the Cerenkov detector, the DIRC, and especially the Time-Digital-Converter designed at LPNHE are described. Two major results of the BABAR Collaboration are presented: the measurement of the sin(2β) parameter in the b → ccs modes, which has established the CP violation in the B sector in 2001 and the study of CP asymmetries in the B 0 → π + π - channel. The constraints on the Unitarity Triangle from the K 0 K 0 system, the B semi-leptonic decays, the B oscillation parameters are in excellent agreement with those from sin(2β) and α. (author)

Nonviolent unitarization: basic postulates to soft quantum structure of black holes

Science.gov (United States)

Giddings, Steven B.

2017-12-01

A first-principles approach to the unitarity problem for black holes is systematically explored, based on the postulates of 1) quantum mechanics 2) the ability to approximately locally divide quantum gravitational systems into subsystems 3) correspondence with quantum field theory predictions for appropriate observers and (optionally) 4) universality of new gravitational effects. Unitarity requires interactions between the internal state of a black hole and its surroundings that have not been identified in the field theory description; correspondence with field theory indicates that these are soft. A conjectured information-theoretic result for information transfer between subsystems, partly motivated by a perturbative argument, then constrains the minimum coupling size of these interactions of the quantum atmosphere of a black hole. While large couplings are potentially astronomically observable, given this conjecture one finds that the new couplings can be exponentially small in the black hole entropy, yet achieve the information transfer rate needed for unitarization, due to the large number of black hole internal states. This provides a new possible alternative to arguments for large effects near the horizon. If universality is assumed, these couplings can be described as small, soft, state-dependent fluctuations of the metric near the black hole. Open questions include that of the more fundamental basis for such an effective picture.

A revised formula for 3-body recombination that cannot exceed the unitarity limit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greene, Chris H.; Esry, B.D.; Suno, H.

2004-01-01

We discuss the recent developments in theory and experiment that bear on our understanding of three-body recombination at ultracold temperatures. Some of these predictions include the fourth-power dependence of the three-body rate on the two-body scattering lenght a, the appearance of quantum mechanical shape resonance and Feshbach resonances, and the existence of destructive interference minima at large positive scattering lenghts. At very large scattering lenghts, however, the a 4 dependence of the recombination rate eventually will exceed the unitarity limit. We propose in this paper a simple way to correct this problem, permitting an approximate extension of previous predictions to slightly higher energies above the three-body fragmentation threshold. A preliminary comparison is carried out with a very recent experiment by Grimm and coworkers, showing reasonable agreement

Biological constraints do not entail cognitive closure.

Science.gov (United States)

Vlerick, Michael

2014-12-01

From the premise that our biology imposes cognitive constraints on our epistemic activities, a series of prominent authors--most notably Fodor, Chomsky and McGinn--have argued that we are cognitively closed to certain aspects and properties of the world. Cognitive constraints, they argue, entail cognitive closure. I argue that this is not the case. More precisely, I detect two unwarranted conflations at the core of arguments deriving closure from constraints. The first is a conflation of what I will refer to as 'representation' and 'object of representation'. The second confuses the cognitive scope of the assisted mind for that of the unassisted mind. Cognitive closure, I conclude, cannot be established from pointing out the (uncontroversial) existence of cognitive constraints. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unitarity, Feedback, Interactions - Dynamics Emergent from Repeated Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Corona Ugalde, Paulina; Altamirano, Natacha; Mann, Robert; Zych, Magdalena

Modern measurement theory dispenses with the description of a measurement as a projection. Rather, the measurement is understood as an operation, whereby the system's final state is determined by an action of a completely positive trace non-increasing map and the outcomes are described by linear operators on the system, distributed according to a positive-operator valued measure (POVM). The POVM approach unifies the theory of measurements with a general description of dynamics, the theory of open quantum systems. Engineering a particular measurement and engineering a particular dynamics for the system are thus two complementary aspects of the same conceptual framework. This correspondence is directly applied in quantum simulations and quantum control theory . With this motivation, we study what types of dynamics can emerge from a model of repeated short interactions of a system with a set of ancillae. We show that contingent on the model parameters the resulting dynamics ranges from exact unitarity to arbitrary fast decoherence. For a series of measurements the effective dynamics includes feedback-control, which for a composite system yields effective interactions between the subsystems. We quantify the amount of decoherence accompanying such induced interactions. The simple framework used in the present study can find applications in devising novel quantum control protocols, or quantum simulations.

Utilising temperature differences as constraints for estimating parameters in a simple climate model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodman, Roger W; Karoly, David J; Enting, Ian G

2010-01-01

Simple climate models can be used to estimate the global temperature response to increasing greenhouse gases. Changes in the energy balance of the global climate system are represented by equations that necessitate the use of uncertain parameters. The values of these parameters can be estimated from historical observations, model testing, and tuning to more complex models. Efforts have been made at estimating the possible ranges for these parameters. This study continues this process, but demonstrates two new constraints. Previous studies have shown that land-ocean temperature differences are only weakly correlated with global mean temperature for natural internal climate variations. Hence, these temperature differences provide additional information that can be used to help constrain model parameters. In addition, an ocean heat content ratio can also provide a further constraint. A pulse response technique was used to identify relative parameter sensitivity which confirmed the importance of climate sensitivity and ocean vertical diffusivity, but the land-ocean warming ratio and the land-ocean heat exchange coefficient were also found to be important. Experiments demonstrate the utility of the land-ocean temperature difference and ocean heat content ratio for setting parameter values. This work is based on investigations with MAGICC (Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change) as the simple climate model.

Designing with the mind in mind simple guide to understanding user interface design guidelines

CERN Document Server

Johnson, Jeff

2014-01-01

In this completely updated and revised edition of Designing with the Mind in Mind, Jeff Johnson provides you with just enough background in perceptual and cognitive psychology that user interface (UI) design guidelines make intuitive sense rather than being just a list or rules to follow. Early UI practitioners were trained in cognitive psychology, and developed UI design rules based on it. But as the field has evolved since the first edition of this book, designers enter the field from many disciplines. Practitioners today have enough experience in UI design that they have been exposed to

Semiclassical approximation of the Wheeler-DeWitt equation: arbitrary orders and the question of unitarity

Science.gov (United States)

Kiefer, Claus; Wichmann, David

2018-06-01

We extend the Born-Oppenheimer type of approximation scheme for the Wheeler-DeWitt equation of canonical quantum gravity to arbitrary orders in the inverse Planck mass squared. We discuss in detail the origin of unitarity violation in this scheme and show that unitarity can be restored by an appropriate modification which requires back reaction from matter onto the gravitational sector. In our analysis, we heavily rely on the gauge aspects of the standard Born-Oppenheimer scheme in molecular physics.

Mind mapping in qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Tattersall, Christopher; Powell, Julia; Stroud, James; Pringle, Jan

We tested a theory that mind mapping could be used as a tool in qualitative research to transcribe and analyse an interview. We compared results derived from mind mapping with those from interpretive phenomenological analysis by examining patients' and carers' perceptions of a new nurse-led service. Mind mapping could be used to rapidly analyse simple qualitative audio-recorded interviews. More research is needed to establish the extent to which mind mapping can assist qualitative researchers.

A Nonmonotone Trust Region Method for Nonlinear Programming with Simple Bound Constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.-W.; Han, J.-Y.; Xu, D.-C.

2001-01-01

In this paper we propose a nonmonotone trust region algorithm for optimization with simple bound constraints. Under mild conditions, we prove the global convergence of the algorithm. For the monotone case it is also proved that the correct active set can be identified in a finite number of iterations if the strict complementarity slackness condition holds, and so the proposed algorithm reduces finally to an unconstrained minimization method in a finite number of iterations, allowing a fast asymptotic rate of convergence. Numerical experiments show that the method is efficient

Generalized unitarity for N=4 super-amplitudes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drummond, J.M.; Henn, J. [LAPTH, Université de Savoie, CNRS B.P. 110, F-74941 Annecy-le-Vieux Cedex (France); Korchemsky, G.P., E-mail: Gregory.Korchemsky@cea.fr [Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA Saclay, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Sokatchev, E. [LAPTH, Université de Savoie, CNRS B.P. 110, F-74941 Annecy-le-Vieux Cedex (France)

2013-04-21

We develop a manifestly supersymmetric version of the generalized unitarity cut method for calculating scattering amplitudes in N=4 SYM theory. We illustrate the power of this method by computing the one-loop n-point NMHV super-amplitudes. The result confirms two conjectures which we made in Drummond, et al., [1]. Firstly, we derive the compact, manifestly dual superconformally covariant form of the NMHV tree amplitudes for arbitrary number and types of external particles. Secondly, we show that the ratio of the one-loop NMHV to the MHV amplitude is dual conformal invariant.

On the unitarity of string propagation on SU(1,1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammedi, N.

1989-12-01

We discuss the consistency (unitarity) of string propagation on the non-compact group SU(1,1) x G c and find the restrictions on the level of the Kac-Moody algebra for this propagation to be unitary. We also suggest some modifications to the Virasoro generators and obtain a manifestly unitary string theory. (author). 10 refs

Elastic unitarity of direct channel and Froissart saturation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glushko, N.I.; Kobylinsky, N.A.

1982-01-01

The condition of elastic unitarity for direct channel continued analytically to high-energy range reveals a fast (upper the Froissart bound) rise of the amplitude between elastic and inelastic cuts in the case when the hadron scattering picture approaches the black disc limit. This fact is assumed as a basis for a new model of generating the Froissart saturation which describes well the main characteristics of NN, PIN and KN scattering. The model suggested is also compared witn the U-matrix approach

The CKM matrix and the unitarity triangle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battaglia, M.; Buras, A.J.; Gambino, P.; Stocchi, A.; Abbaneo, D.; Ali, A.; Amaral, P.; Andreev, V.; Artuso, M.; Barberio, E.; Bauer, C.; Becirevic, D.; Beneke, M.; Bigi, I.; Bozzi, C.; Brandt, T.; Buchalla, G.; Calvi, M.; Cassel, D.; Cirigliano, V.; Ciuchini, M.

2003-01-01

This report contains the results of the Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle that was held at CERN on 13-16 February 2002. There had been several Workshops on B physics that concentrated on studies at e + e - machines, at the Tevatron, or at LHC separately. Here we brought together experts of different fields, both theorists and experimentalists, to study the determination of the CKM matrix from all the available data of K, D, and B physics. The analysis of LEP data for B physics is reaching its end, and one of the goals of the Workshop was to underline the results that have been achieved at LEP, SLC, and CESR. Another goal was to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for averaging B physics properties, that has developed within the LEP community, to the present main actors of these studies, from the B factory and the Tevatron experiments. The optimal way to combine the various experimental and theoretical inputs and to fit for the apex of the Unitarity Triangle has been a contentious issue. A further goal of the Workshop was to bring together the proponents of different fitting strategies, and to compare their approaches when applied to the same inputs. Since lattice QCD plays a very important role in the determination of the non-perturbative parameters needed to constrain the CKM unitarity triangle, the first Workshop was seen as an excellent opportunity to bring together lattice theorists with the aim of establishing a working group to compile averages for phenomenologically relevant quantities. Representatives from lattice collaborations around the world were invited to attend a meeting during the Workshop. A consensus was reached to set up three test working groups, collectively known as the 'CKM Lattice Working Group', to review a number of well-studied quantities: quark masses, the kaon B-parameter, and the matrix elements relevant for neutral B-meson mixing. These proceedings are organized as a coherent document with chapters covering the domains of

The CKM Matrix and the unitarity triangle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Battaglia, M.

2003-01-01

This report contains the results of the Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle that was held at CERN on 13-16 February 2002. There had been several Workshops on B physics that concentrated on studies at e + e - machines, at the Tevatron, or at LHC separately. Here we brought together experts of different fields, both theorists and experimentalists, to study the determination of the CKM matrix from all the available data of K, D, and B physics. The analysis of LEP data for B physics is reaching its end, and one of the goals of the Workshop was to underline the results that have been achieved at LEP, SLC, and CESR. Another goal was to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for averaging B physics properties, that has developed within the LEP community, to the present main actors of these studies, from the B factory and the Tevatron experiments. The optimal way to combine the various experimental and theoretical inputs and to fit for the apex of the Unitarity Triangle has been a contentious issue. A further goal of the Workshop was to bring together the proponents of different fitting strategies, and to compare their approaches when applied to the same inputs. Since lattice QCD plays a very important role in the determination of the non-perturbative parameters needed to constrain the CKM unitarity triangle, the first Workshop was seen as an excellent opportunity to bring together lattice theorists with the aim of establishing a working group to compile averages for phenomenologically relevant quantities. Representatives from lattice collaborations around the world were invited to attend a meeting during the Workshop. A consensus was reached to set up three test working groups, collectively known as the ''CKM Lattice Working Group'', to review a number of well-studied quantities: quark masses, the kaon B-parameter, and the matrix elements relevant for neutral B-meson mixing. These proceedings are organized as a coherent document with chapters covering the domains

Unitarization of pomeron and Regge phenomenology of deep inelastic scattering.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martynov, E S

1994-12-31

Using conventional Regge approach we consider unitarization of supercritical pomeron in DIS and then describe the total photon-proton cross-section and the proton structure functions in the region W{sup 2} = Q{sup 2}(1/x-1) + m{sup 2} {>=} 9 GeV{sup 2}, including the small-x data from HERA. (author). 15 refs., 1 tab., 15 figs.

Coupling WW, ZZ unitarized amplitudes to γγ in the TeV region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delgado, Rafael L.; Dobado, Antonio; Llanes-Estrada, Felipe J. [Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Departamento de Fisica Teorica I, Madrid (Spain)

2017-04-15

We define and calculate helicity partial-wave amplitudes for processes linking the Electroweak Symmetry Breaking Sector (EWSBS) to γγ, employing (to NLO) the Higgs-EFT (HEFT) extension of the Standard Model and the Equivalence Theorem, while neglecting all particle masses. The resulting amplitudes can be useful in the energy regime (500 GeV - 3 TeV). We also deal with their unitarization so that resonances of the EWSBS can simultaneously be described in the γγ initial or final states. Our resulting amplitudes satisfy unitarity, perturbatively in α, but for all s values. In this way we improve on the HEFT that fails as interactions become stronger with growing s and we provide a natural framework for the decay of dynamically generated resonances into WW, ZZ and γγ pairs. (orig.)

Loop Amplitudes in Pure Yang-Mills from Generalised Unitarity

OpenAIRE

Brandhuber, Andreas; McNamara, Simon; Spence, Bill; Travaglini, Gabriele

2005-01-01

We show how generalised unitarity cuts in D = 4 - 2 epsilon dimensions can be used to calculate efficiently complete one-loop scattering amplitudes in non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. This approach naturally generates the rational terms in the amplitudes, as well as the cut-constructible parts. We test the validity of our method by re-deriving the one-loop ++++, -+++, --++, -+-+ and +++++ gluon scattering amplitudes using generalised quadruple cuts and triple cuts in D dimensions.

Loop amplitudes in pure Yang-Mills from generalised unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandhuber, Andreas; McNamara, Simon; Spence, Bill; Travaglini, Gabriele

2005-01-01

We show how generalised unitarity cuts in D = 4-2ε dimensions can be used to calculate efficiently complete one-loop scattering amplitudes in non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. This approach naturally generates the rational terms in the amplitudes, as well as the cut-constructible parts. We test the validity of our method by re-deriving the one-loop ++++, -+++, --++, -+-+ and +++++ gluon scattering amplitudes using generalised quadruple cuts and triple cuts in D dimensions

Loop amplitudes in pure Yang-Mills from generalised unitarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brandhuber, Andreas [Department of Physics, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom); McNamara, Simon [Department of Physics, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Spence, Bill [Department of Physics, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Travaglini, Gabriele [Department of Physics, Queen Mary, University of London, Mile End Road, London, E1 4NS (United Kingdom)

2005-10-15

We show how generalised unitarity cuts in D = 4-2{epsilon} dimensions can be used to calculate efficiently complete one-loop scattering amplitudes in non-supersymmetric Yang-Mills theory. This approach naturally generates the rational terms in the amplitudes, as well as the cut-constructible parts. We test the validity of our method by re-deriving the one-loop ++++, -+++, --++, -+-+ and +++++ gluon scattering amplitudes using generalised quadruple cuts and triple cuts in D dimensions.

Unitarity or asymptotic completeness equations and analytic structure of the S matrix and Green functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iagolnitzer, D.

1983-11-01

Recent axiomatic results on the (non holonomic) analytic structure of the multiparticle S matrix and Green functions are reviewed and related general conjectures are described: (i) formal expansions of Green functions in terms of (holonomic) Feynman-type integrals in which each vertex represents an irreducible kernel, and (ii) ''graph by graph unitarity'' and other discontinuity formulae of the latter. These conjectures are closely linked with unitarity or asymptotic completeness equations, which they yield in a formal sense. In constructive field theory, a direct proof of the first conjecture (together with an independent proof of the second) would thus imply, as a first step, asymptotic completeness in that sense

Simple Mindreading Abilities Predict Complex Theory of Mind: Developmental Delay in Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Pino, Maria Chiara; Mazza, Monica; Mariano, Melania; Peretti, Sara; Dimitriou, Dagmara; Masedu, Francesco; Valenti, Marco; Franco, Fabia

2017-09-01

Theory of mind (ToM) is impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aims of this study were to: (i) examine the developmental trajectories of ToM abilities in two different mentalizing tasks in children with ASD compared to TD children; and (ii) to assess if a ToM simple test known as eyes-test could predict performance on the more advanced ToM task, i.e. comic strip test. Based on a sample of 37 children with ASD and 55 TD children, our results revealed slower development at varying rates in all ToM measures in children with ASD, with delayed onset compared to TD children. These results could stimulate new treatments for social abilities, which would lessen the social deficit in ASD.

SCIENCE TEACHERS’ UNDERSTANDING OF MIND MAP LEARNING STRATEGY (PEMAHAMAN GURU IPA DALAM STRATEGI PEMBELAJARAN PETA PIKIRAN (MIND MAP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Rosa Keliat

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract. This researchs were conducted in Salatiga primary high school, Central Java and the subject of were taken from 23 science teachers which used interview and observation tech-niques. The aim of this study was firstly, to assess learning strategies of science in Salatiga prima-ry high school, and secondly to assess the obstacles and constraints that faced the science teach-ers in the implementation of learning strategies in the classroom. Further more the percentage of the understanding and application of mind map model, and also to assess the obstacles and con-straints in the implementation of mind map in the classroom. Data were analyzed by using de-scriptive qualitative method. The results showed that the percentage of science teachers using discussion methods are 78.26%, 21.74% by concept maps, 30.43% by demonstrations, 39.13% by lectures, 34.78% using mind map respectively by other strategies such as card games, quiz, pro-ject based learning, discovery, problem based learning, contextual teaching learning, and inquiry is 43,8%. Teachers faced difficulty to allocate the time in the classroom because students who had lower levels of cognitive abilities require a longer time to understand the strategies in the class-room. The percentage of teachers using mind map in teaching only reach at 34.78%, while 65.22% teachers still not applying yet. Results of interview which were conducted approximately 47.83% to the teachers who understand the learning mechanisms model of mind map, and 52.17% did not understand the principles of learning using mind map. However, in its application in the classroom teachers face some problems, for example, it is take time to implemented, and the other subjects difficult to finished on time. More over, other constraints that faced are the students still have difficulty in making mind map because lack of exercise, as well as students who are already familiar with the habit pattern of teacher using teaching

Quark-parton model from dual topological unitarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen-Tannoudji, G.; El Hassouni, A.; Kalinowski, J.; Peschanski, R.

1979-01-01

Topology, which occurs in the topological expansion of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) and in the dual topological unitarization (DTU) schemes, allows us to establish a quantitative correspondence between QCD and the dual S-matrix approaches. This topological correspondence, proposed by Veneziano and made more explicit in a recent paper for current-induced reactions, provides a clarifying and unifying quark-parton interpretation of soft inclusive processes. Precise predictions for inclusive cross sections in hadron-hadron collisions, structure functions of hadrons, and quark fragmentation functions including absolute normalizations are shown to agree with data. On a more theoretical ground the proposed scheme suggests a new approach to the confinement problem

Unitarity bounds on angular distribution in multiparticle production - II

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Divakaran, P.P.; Kugler, M.; Soffer, J.

1976-01-01

Upper bounds which follow from unitarity are derived for the angular distribution of the detected particle C in the inclusive process AB→C+anything at a finite energy, in terms of the corresponding elastic amplitudes for a fixed value of the forward inelastic cross-section and for a fixed value of the total inelastic cross-section for the production of C. In comparison with the pp→p+anything data at 24GeV/c, some improvement on previous bounds is observed [fr

Non-perturbative unitarity constraints on the ratio of shear viscosity to entropy density in UV complete theories with a gravity dual

CERN Document Server

Brustein, Ram

2011-01-01

We reconsider, from a novel perspective, how unitarity constrains the corrections to the ratio of shear viscosity \\eta\\ to entropy density s. We start with higher-derivative extensions of Einstein gravity in asymptotically anti-de Sitter spacetimes. It is assumed that these theories are derived from string theory and thus have a unitary UV completion that is dual to a unitary, UV-complete boundary gauge theory. We then propose that the gravitational perturbations about a solution of the UV complete theory are described by an effective theory whose linearized equations of motion have at most two time derivatives. Our proposal leads to a concrete prescription for the calculation of \\eta/s for theories of gravity with arbitrary higher-derivative corrections. The resulting ratio can take on values above or below 1/4\\pi\\ and is consistent with all the previous calculations, even though our reasoning is substantially different. For the purpose of calculating \\eta/s, our proposal also leads to only two possible cand...

Unitarity and amplitudes for high energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Efimov, G.V.

1997-01-01

It is shown that in the quantum field theory of scalar particles with mass m the following inequalities for the upper bound for the amplitude of elastic scattering Μ(s,t) |Μ(s,t)| 0 )s, (|t|≥|t 0 |>0) and for the total cross section of scalar particles σ tot (s)≤C|d/dt ln Im Μ(s,t)| t=0 , (s → ∞) are valid. This result is based on the unitarity of the S-matrix on the mass shell and on a natural assumption that the imaginary part of the elastic scattering Im Μ(s,t) is a differentiable and convex down function in some vicinity of t=0. The locality of the theory and the analyticity of the elastic amplitude in the Martin-Lehmann ellipse are not used in proving these inequalities

Dual unitarization scheme with several trajectories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chaichiam, M.; Hayashi, M.

1977-12-01

Consequences of bootstrap with several input Regge trajectories are investigated. We find that in a formal treatment of bootstrap the consistency requires the intercept of output Pomeron pole in the one-dimensional case to be larger than one: αsub(B)(0) > 1, a situation reminiscent of the one in the Reggeon field theory. Symmetry breakings of the Pomeron couplings are derived. These couplings coincide with those of the f-dominated Pomeron model of Carlitz-Green-Zee in the approximation, when in the unitarity loops only highest Regge trajectories are included. The case when all possible trajectories are exchanged is also discussed. Predictions of dual unitary model for the slopes of differential cross section for diffractive scattering are made which differ from the ones of the CGZ model. Comparison with the experimentally available data is done. (author)

Unitarity corrections to current algebra versus chiral perturbation calculations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sa Borges, J.

1991-01-01

We compare the result of the application of the chiral perturbation approach for pion-pion scattering amplitudes with the description that follows from our first order quasi-unitarized current algebra method. We show that the only discrepancy comes in the polynomial part of the amplitudes and we trace back its origin. We discuss the peculiarities of each model irrespective of their abilities to fit the low energy experimental data. We have extended our analysis to the possible parametrization of the unknown symmetry breaking dynamics of the standard model. (orig.)

Two aspects of one loop structure: Unitarity delay in the Standard Model and modular invariance in string theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahn, C.

1989-08-01

We study two aspects of one loop structures in quantum field theories which describe two different areas of particle physics: the one loop unitarity behavior of the Standard Model of electroweak interactions and modular invariance of string model theory. Loop expansion has its importance in that it contains quantum fluctuations due to all physical states in the theory. Therefore, by studying the various models to one loop, we can understand how the contents of the theory can contribute to physically measurable quantities and how the consistency at quantum level restricts the physical states of the theory, as well. In the first half of the thesis, we study one loop corrections to the process {ital e}{sup +}{ital e}{sup {minus}} {yields} {ital W}{sup +}{ital W}{sup {minus}}. In this process, there is a delicate unitarity-saving cancellation between s-channel and t-channel tree level Feynman diagrams. If the one loop contribution due to heavy particles corrects the channels asymmetrically, the cancellation, hence unitarity, will be delayed up to the mass scale of these heavy particles. We refer to this phenomena as the unitarity delay effect. Due to this effect, cross section below these mass scales can have significant radiative corrections which may provide an appropriate window through which we can see the high energy structure of the Standard Model from relatively low energy experiments. In the second half, we will show how quantum consistency can restrict the physical states in string theory. 53 refs., 13 figs.

Unitarity limits on the mass and radius of dark matter particles

Science.gov (United States)

Griest, Kim; Kamionkowski, Marc

1989-01-01

Using partial wave unitarity and the observed density of the Universe, it is show that a stable elementary particle which was once in thermal equilibrium cannot have a mass greater than 340 TeV. An extended object which was once in thermal equilibrium cannot have a radius less than 7.5 x 10(exp -7) fm. A lower limit to the relic abundance of such particles is also found.

Electroweak unification and tree unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horejsi, J.

1993-01-01

The monograph is an unconventional introduction into the theory of unification of weak and electromagnetic interactions, which is conceptually different from the exposition presented in standard textbooks. A detailed explanation is given of the way to the standard model of electroweak interactions which is based on a straightforward application of the requirement of renormalizability of the perturbation series expansion. The procedure to derive the model is interesting as it demonstrates the necessity of introducing vector bosons and Yang-Mills type interactions and at least one elementary scalar boson to obtain a renormalizable theory of weak and electromagnetic interactions. The book is divided into 5 chapters: introduction, problems encountered in a Fermi type theory, the intermediate vector boson, electrodynamics of vector bosons, tree unitarity, and electroweak interactions. Each chapter is completed with exercise problems to be solved by the reader. The text is supplemented with a number of appendices. The monograph is aimed at undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as at physicists interested in the theory of elementary particles. (Z.J.)

Black hole information, unitarity, and nonlocality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giddings, Steven B.

2006-01-01

The black hole information paradox apparently indicates the need for a fundamentally new ingredient in physics. The leading contender is nonlocality. Possible mechanisms for the nonlocality needed to restore unitarity to black hole evolution are investigated. Suggestions that such dynamics arise from ultra-Planckian modes in Hawking's derivation are investigated and found not to be relevant, in a picture using smooth slices spanning the exterior and interior of the horizon. However, no simultaneous description of modes that have fallen into the black hole and outgoing Hawking modes can be given without appearance of a large kinematic invariant, or other dependence on ultra-Planckian physics. This indicates that a reliable argument for information loss has not been constructed, and that strong gravitational dynamics is important. Such dynamics has been argued to be fundamentally nonlocal in extreme situations, such as those required to investigate the fate of information

Psychological constraints on egalitarianism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kasperbauer, Tyler Joshua

2015-01-01

processes motivating people to resist various aspects of egalitarianism. I argue for two theses, one normative and one descriptive. The normative thesis holds that egalitarians must take psychological constraints into account when constructing egalitarian ideals. I draw from non-ideal theories in political...... philosophy, which aim to construct moral goals with current social and political constraints in mind, to argue that human psychology must be part of a non-ideal theory of egalitarianism. The descriptive thesis holds that the most fundamental psychological challenge to egalitarian ideals comes from what......Debates over egalitarianism for the most part are not concerned with constraints on achieving an egalitarian society, beyond discussions of the deficiencies of egalitarian theory itself. This paper looks beyond objections to egalitarianism as such and investigates the relevant psychological...

One-loop QCD and Higgs bosons to partons processes using six-dimensional helicity and generalized unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davies, Scott

2011-01-01

We combine the six-dimensional helicity formalism of Cheung and O'Connell with D-dimensional generalized unitarity to obtain a new formalism for computing one-loop amplitudes in dimensionally regularized QCD. With this procedure, we simultaneously obtain the pieces that are constructible from four-dimensional unitarity cuts and the rational pieces that are missed by them, while retaining a helicity formalism. We illustrate the procedure using four- and five-point one-loop amplitudes in QCD, including examples with external fermions. We also demonstrate the technique's effectiveness in next-to-leading order QCD corrections to Higgs processes by computing the next-to-leading order correction to the Higgs plus three positive-helicity gluons amplitude in the large top-quark mass limit.

Anomalous couplings, resonances and unitarity in vector boson scattering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sekulla, Marco

2015-12-04

The Standard Model of particle physics has proved itself as a reliable theory to describe interactions of elementary particles. However, many questions concerning the Higgs sector and the associated electroweak symmetry breaking are still open, even after (or because) a light Higgs boson has been discovered. The 2→2 scattering amplitude of weak vector bosons is suppressed in the Standard Model due to the Higgs boson exchange. Therefore, weak vector boson scattering processes are very sensitive to additional contributions beyond the Standard Model. Possible new physics deviations can be studied model-independently by higher dimensional operators within the effective field theory framework. In this thesis, a complete set of dimension six and eight operators are discussed for vector boson scattering processes. Assuming a scenario where new physics in the Higgs/Goldstone boson decouples from the fermion-sector and the gauge-sector in the high energy limit, the impact of the dimension six operator L{sub HD} and dimension eight operators L{sub S,0} and L{sub S,1} to vector boson scattering processes can be studied separately for complete processes at particle colliders. However, a conventional effective field theory analysis will violate the S-matrix unitarity above a certain energy limit. The direct T-matrix scheme is developed to allow a study of effective field theory operators consistent with basic quantum-mechanical principles in the complete energy reach of current and future colliders. Additionally, this scheme can be used preventively for any model, because it leaves theoretical predictions invariant, which already satisfies unitarity. The effective field theory approach is further extended by allowing additional generic resonances coupling to the Higgs/Goldstone boson sector, namely the isoscalar-scalar, isoscalar-tensor, isotensor-scalar and isotensor-tensor. In particular, the Stueckelberg formalism is used to investigate the impact of the tensor degree of

Local distortion techniques and unitarity of the S-matrix for the 2-body problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Babbitt, D.; Balslev, E.

1976-01-01

The two-body S-matrix for an interaction with exponential decay at infinity is defined in a time-independent way and its unitarity is proved directly by local distortion techniques. Complete sets of incoming and outgoing states or delicate resolvent estimates are not needed for the proof

Electron-positron annihilation: unitarity, scaling and electrodynamics at high energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Karl, G [Guelph Univ., Ontario (Canada); European Organization for Nuclear Research, Geneva (Switzerland))

1974-01-01

The work on e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilation by Cabibbo, Wolfenstein and the author is reviewed. The restrictions of unitarity are analyzed and the connection between the cross sections sigmasub(h) (into hadrons) and sigmasub(..mu..) (into muons) is derived. The possibility of non-scaling in e/sup +/e/sup -/ annihilation is studied and it is pointed out that it leads to no contradiction with presently available information. It is further pointed out that non-scaling could provide a cut-off mechanism for quantum electrodynamics.

Cold atoms at unitarity and inverse square interaction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bhaduri, R K [Department of Physics and Astronomy, McMaster University, Hamilton L8S 4M1 (Canada); Murthy, M V N [The Institute of Mathematical Sciences, Chennai 600113 (India); Srivastava, M K [Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee 247667 (India)

2009-12-14

Consider two identical atoms in a spherical harmonic oscillator interacting with a zero-range interaction which is tuned to produce an s-wave zero-energy bound state. The quantum spectrum of the system is known to be exactly solvable. We note that the same partial wave quantum spectrum is obtained by the one-dimensional scale-invariant inverse square potential. Long known as the Calogero-Sutherland-Moser (CSM) model, it leads to the fractional exclusion statistics (FES) of Haldane and Wu. The statistical parameter is deduced from the analytically calculated second virial coefficient. When FES is applied to a Fermi gas at unitarity, it gives good agreement with experimental data without the use of any free parameter.

Precise tests for the unitarized pion photoproduction impulse amplitude in exclusive nuclear reactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wittman, R.

1986-07-01

An impulse amplitude for pion photoproduction, suitable for the nuclear problem, is constructed with improved background dynamics and unitarity. The superior features of the amplitude are demonstrated at energies between threshold (E/sub γ/ = 150 MeV) and the Δ(1232) resonance energy (E/sub γ/ = 320 MeV) by discussing their effects on partial cross sections relevant to exclusive transitions in the 1p-shell. The specific reactions of 13 C(γ,π - ) 13 N/sub g.s./ and 14 N(γ,π + ) 14 C/sub g.s./ are discussed in light of these more general partial cross sections. The nuclear structure of the A = 14 system helps to enhance the effects considered. At or near resonance, very sizable (20 to 30%) effects arise both from the unitarity and from the refined treatment of the pionic final state interaction generated in the Δ-hole approach. Other examples of charged pion photoproduction reactions for 1p-shell nuclei are discussed briefly. Future theoretical improvements and experimental possibilities are suggested. 61 refs., 58 figs

Heavy-light fermion mixtures at unitarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gezerlis, Alexandros [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Carlson, Joseph [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Gandol, S [UNIV. ILL; Schmidt, E [ITALY

2009-01-01

We investigate fermion pairing in the unitary regime for a mass ratio corresponding to a {sup 6}Li-{sup 40}K mixture using quantum Monte Carlo methods. The ground-state energy and the average light- and heavy-particle excitation spectrum for the unpolarized superfluid state are nearly independent of the mass ratio. In the majority light system, the polarized superfluid is close to the energy of a phase separated mixture of nearly fully polarized normal and unpolarized superfluid. For a majority of heavy particles, we find an energy minimum for a normal state with a ratio of {approx}3:1 heavy to light particles. A slight increase in attraction to k{sub F}a{approx}2.5 yields a ground state energy of nearly zero for this ratio. A cold unpolarized system in a harmonic trap at unitarity should phase separate into three regions, with a shell of unpolarized superfluid in the middle.

Apparent unitarity violation in high mass region of MbW from a “hidden” top partner at high energy colliders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chengcheng Han

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Perturbative unitarity conditions have been playing an important role in estimating the energy scale of new physics, including the Higgs mass as the most important example. In this letter, we show that there is a possibility to see the hint of a new physics (top quark partner indirectly by observing an “apparent” unitarity violation in the distribution of invariant mass of b-jet and W-boson (Mbw well above the mass of a top quark in a process of a heavy resonance decaying into a pair of top quarks.

Unitarity condition in covariant quantum field theory with indefinite metric

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Slavnov, A.A.

1989-01-01

Conditions that ensure the existence of a unitarity S matrix acting on the subspace of states with positive norm are formulated. A study is made of BRST quantization. The only restriction on the class of theories is that the author assumes asymptotic linearization of the theory, namely, that the asymptotic dynamics is determined by a quadratic Hamiltonian. In field theory this is always the case in the framework of standard perturbation theory. However, in some models, for example, string models, and also outside the framework of perturbation theory, this condition need not be satisfied

A unitarized meson model including color Coulomb interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metzger, Kees.

1990-01-01

Ch. 1 gives a general introduction into the problem field of the thesis. It discusses in how far the internal structure of mesons is understood theoretically and which models exist. It discusses from a phenomenological point of view the problem of confinement indicates how quark models of mesons may provide insight in this phenomenon. In ch. 2 the formal theory of scattering in a system with confinement is given. It is shown how a coupled channel (CC) description and the work of other authors fit into this general framework. Explicit examples and arguments are given to support the CC treatment of such a system. In ch. 3 the full coupled-channel model as is employed in this thesis is presented. On the basis of arguments from the former chapters and the observed regularities in the experimental data, the choices underlying the model are supported. In this model confinement is described with a mass-dependent harmonic-oscillator potential and the presence of open (meson-meson) channels plays an essential role. In ch. 4 the unitarized model is applied to light scalar meson resonances. In this regime the contribution of the open channels is considerable. It is demonstrated that the model parameters as used for the description of the pseudo-scalar and vector mesons, unchanged can be used for the description of these mesons. Ch. 5 treats the color-Coulomb interaction. There the effect of the Coulomb interaction is studied in simple models without decay. The results of incorporating the color-Coulomb interaction into the full CC model are given in ch.6. Ch. 7 discusses the results of the previous chapters and the present status of the model. (author). 182 refs.; 16 figs.; 33 tabs

Three-body unitarity in the finite volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mai, M. [The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Doering, M. [The George Washington University, Washington, DC (United States); Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, Newport News, VA (United States)

2017-12-15

The physical interpretation of lattice QCD simulations, performed in a small volume, requires an extrapolation to the infinite volume. A method is proposed to perform such an extrapolation for three interacting particles at energies above threshold. For this, a recently formulated relativistic 3 → 3 amplitude based on the isobar formulation is adapted to the finite volume. The guiding principle is two- and three-body unitarity that imposes the imaginary parts of the amplitude in the infinite volume. In turn, these imaginary parts dictate the leading power-law finite-volume effects. It is demonstrated that finite-volume poles arising from the singular interaction, from the external two-body sub-amplitudes, and from the disconnected topology cancel exactly leaving only the genuine three-body eigenvalues. The corresponding quantization condition is derived for the case of three identical scalar-isoscalar particles and its numerical implementation is demonstrated. (orig.)

9th International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle

CERN Document Server

CKM2016

2016-01-01

The 9th International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle (CKM 2016) will be held during November 28 to December 3, 2016 at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, India. The CKM series is a well-established international meeting in the field of quark-flavour physics that brings both experimenters and theorists on a common platform. On the experimental front, we bridge borders between neutron, kaon, charm and beauty hadron, and top quark physics. The theory program tries to cover a wide range of approaches. We shall discuss how this marriage of the two can indirectly probe physics beyond the standard model, taking into account the interplay with high-pT collider searches.

[Application of mind map in teaching of medical parasitology].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hong-Chang; Shao, Sheng-Wen; Xu, Bo-Ying

2012-12-30

To improve the teaching quality of medical parasitology, mind map, a simple and effective learning method, was introduced. The mind map of each chapter was drawn by teacher and distributed to students before the class. It was helpful for teacher to straighten out the teaching idea, and for students to grasp the important learning points, perfect the class notes and improve learning efficiency. The divergent characteristics of mind map can also help to develop the students' innovation ability.

Unitarity bounds for gauged axionic interactions and the Green-Schwarz mechanism

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coriano, C. [Universita del Salento and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Dipartimento di Fisica, Lecce (Italy); University of Crete, Department of Physics and Institute of Plasma Physics, Heraklion (Greece); Guzzi, M.; Morelli, S. [Universita del Salento and INFN Sezione di Lecce, Dipartimento di Fisica, Lecce (Italy)

2008-06-15

We analyze the effective actions of anomalous models in which a four-dimensional version of the Green-Schwarz mechanism is invoked for the cancellation of the anomalies, and we compare it with those models in which gauge invariance is restored by the presence of a Wess-Zumino term. Some issues concerning an apparent violation of unitarity of the mechanism, which requires Dolgov-Zakharov poles, are carefully examined, using a class of amplitudes studied in the past by Bouchiat-Iliopoulos-Meyer (BIM), and elaborating on previous studies. In the Wess-Zumino case we determine explicitly the unitarity bound using a realistic model of intersecting branes (the Madrid model) by studying the corresponding BIM amplitudes. This is shown to depend significantly on the Stueckelberg mass and on the coupling of the extra anomalous gauge bosons and allows one to identify standard-model-like regions (which are anomaly-free) from regions where the growth of certain amplitudes is dominated by the anomaly, separated by an inflection point, which could be studied at the LHC. The bound can even be around 5-10 TeV for a Z' mass around 1 TeV and varies sensitively with the anomalous coupling. The results for the WZ case are quite general and apply to all the models in which an axion-like interaction is introduced as a generalization of the Peccei-Quinn mechanism, with a gauged axion. (orig.)

What works for whom in mindfulness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danelund, Jakob Rindum; Bihal, Tina; Flyger, Henrik

2014-01-01

Mindfulness flows over the West. It is often branded as a method rooted in Buddhism, but in academical research its relations to a series of Buddhist and spiritual concepts remain undefined. We've conducted a systematic reading of 63 self-presentations from women with breast cancer that have...... participated in mindfulness intervention. Through a simple count of words and meaning units we find that patients describe the effect as becoming more attentive of the present moment and not worrying about the past or the future as much as before. But in a linguistic analysis we find that beginner...... a better understanding of how the mindfulness-phenomenology is related to neuroscience, spirituality and religion...

Designing with the mind in mind simple guide to understanding user interface design rules

CERN Document Server

Johnson, Jeff

2010-01-01

"Take fundamental principles of psychology. Illustrate. Combine with Fundamental Principles of Design. Stir gently until fully blended.  Read daily until finished. Caution: The mixture is addictive."-- Don Norman, Nielsen Norman group, Author of Design of Future Things."This book is a primer to understand the why of the larger human action principles at work-a sort of cognitive science for designers in a hurry. Above all, this is a book of profound insight into the human mind for practical people who want to get something done."-- Stuart Card, Senior Research Fellow and the manager of the

Q Value of the Superallowed Decay of 46V and Its Influence on Vud and the Unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa Matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Savard, G.; Buchinger, F.; Crawford, J.E.; Gulick, S.; Lee, J.K.P.; Clark, J.A.; Sharma, H.; Sharma, K.S.; Hardy, J.C.; Hecht, A.A.; Levand, A.F.; Scielzo, N.D.; Tanihata, I.; Villari, A.C.C.; Wang, Y.

2005-01-01

The masses of the radioactive nuclei 46 V and its decay daughter 46 Ti have been measured with the Canadian Penning Trap on-line Penning trap mass spectrometer to a precision of 1x10 -8 . A Q EC value of 7052.90(40) keV for the superallowed beta decay of 46 V is obtained from the difference of these two masses. With this precise Q value, the Ft value for this decay is determined with improved precision. An investigation of an earlier Q-value measurement for 46 V uncovers a set of 7 measurements that cannot be reconciled with modern data and affects previous evaluations of V ud from superallowed Fermi decays. A new evaluation, adding our new data and removing the discredited subset, yields new values for G V and V ud . When combined with recent results for V us , this yields modified constraints for the unitarity of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix and other extensions of the standard model

Can the "standard" unitarized Regge models describe the TOTEM data?

CERN Document Server

Alkin, A; Martynov, E

2013-01-01

The standard Regge poles are considered as inputs for two unitarization methods: eikonal and U-matrix. It is shown that only models with three input pomerons and two input odderons can describe the high energy data on $pp$ and $\\bar pp$ elastic scattering including the new data from Tevatron and LHC. However, it seems that the both considered models require a further modification (e.g. nonlinear reggeon trajectories and/or nonexponential vertex functions) for a more satisfactory description of the data at 19.0 GeV$\\leq \\sqrt{s}\\leq$ 7 TeV and 0.01 $\\leq |t|\\leq $14.2 GeV$^{2}$.

Introduction: Minds, Bodies, Machines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deirdre Coleman

2008-10-01

Full Text Available This issue of 19 brings together a selection of essays from an interdisciplinary conference on 'Minds, Bodies, Machines' convened last year by Birkbeck's Centre for Nineteenth-Century Studies, University of London, in partnership with the English programme, University of Melbourne and software developers Constraint Technologies International (CTI. The conference explored the relationship between minds, bodies and machines in the long nineteenth century, with a view to understanding the history of our technology-driven, post-human visions. It is in the nineteenth century that the relationship between the human and the machine under post-industrial capitalism becomes a pervasive theme. From Blake on the mills of the mind by which we are enslaved, to Carlyle's and Arnold's denunciation of the machinery of modern life, from Dickens's sooty fictional locomotive Mr Pancks, who 'snorted and sniffed and puffed and blew, like a little labouring steam-engine', and 'shot out […]cinders of principles, as if it were done by mechanical revolvency', to the alienated historical body of the late-nineteenth-century factory worker under Taylorization, whose movements and gestures were timed, regulated and rationalised to maximize efficiency; we find a cultural preoccupation with the mechanisation of the nineteenth-century human body that uncannily resonates with modern dreams and anxieties around technologies of the human.

Metamorphosed characters in dreams: constraints of conceptual structure and amount of theory of mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Schweickert, Richard; Xi, Zhuangzhuang

2010-05-01

Dream reports from 21 dreamers in which a metamorphosis of a person-like entity or animal occurred were coded for characters and animals and for inner states attributed to them (Theory of Mind). In myths and fairy tales, Kelly and Keil (1985) found that conscious beings (people, gods) tend to be transformed into entities nearby in the conceptual structure of Keil (1979). This also occurred in dream reports, but perceptual nearness seemed more important than conceptual nearness. In dream reports, most inanimate objects involved in metamorphoses with person-like entities were objects such as statues that ordinarily resemble people physically, and moreover represent people. A metamorphosis of a person-like entity or animal did not lead to an increase in the amount of Theory of Mind attribution. We propose that a character-line starts when a character enters a dream; properties and Theory of Mind attributions tend to be preserved along the line, regardless of whether, metamorphoses occur on it. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Optimizing Computation of Repairs from Active Integrity Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cruz-Filipe, Luís

2014-01-01

Active integrity constraints (AICs) are a form of integrity constraints for databases that not only identify inconsistencies, but also suggest how these can be overcome. The semantics for AICs defines different types of repairs, but deciding whether an inconsistent database can be repaired...... and finding possible repairs is a NP- or Σ2p-complete problem, depending on the type of repairs one has in mind. In this paper, we introduce two different relations on AICs: an equivalence relation of independence, allowing the search to be parallelized among the equivalence classes, and a precedence relation...

Multi-Higgs doublet models: physical parametrization, sum rules and unitarity bounds

Science.gov (United States)

Bento, Miguel P.; Haber, Howard E.; Romão, J. C.; Silva, João P.

2017-11-01

If the scalar sector of the Standard Model is non-minimal, one might expect multiple generations of the hypercharge-1/2 scalar doublet analogous to the generational structure of the fermions. In this work, we examine the structure of a Higgs sector consisting of N Higgs doublets (where N ≥ 2). It is particularly convenient to work in the so-called charged Higgs basis, in which the neutral Higgs vacuum expectation value resides entirely in the first Higgs doublet, and the charged components of remaining N - 1 Higgs doublets are mass-eigenstate fields. We elucidate the interactions of the gauge bosons with the physical Higgs scalars and the Goldstone bosons and show that they are determined by an N × 2 N matrix. This matrix depends on ( N - 1)(2 N - 1) real parameters that are associated with the mixing of the neutral Higgs fields in the charged Higgs basis. Among these parameters, N - 1 are unphysical (and can be removed by rephasing the physical charged Higgs fields), and the remaining 2( N - 1)2 parameters are physical. We also demonstrate a particularly simple form for the cubic interaction and some of the quartic interactions of the Goldstone bosons with the physical Higgs scalars. These results are applied in the derivation of Higgs coupling sum rules and tree-level unitarity bounds that restrict the size of the quartic scalar couplings. In particular, new applications to three Higgs doublet models with an order-4 CP symmetry and with a Z_3 symmetry, respectively, are presented.

Theory of Mind Deficits in Children with Fragile X Syndrome

Science.gov (United States)

Cornish, K.; Burack, J. A.; Rahman, A.; Munir, F.; Russo, N.; Grant, C.

2005-01-01

Given the consistent findings of theory of mind deficits in children with autism, it would be extremely beneficial to examine the profile of theory of mind abilities in other clinical groups such as fragile X syndrome (FXS) and Down syndrome (DS). The aim of the present study was to assess whether boys with FXS are impaired in simple social…

Unitarity problems in 3D gravity theories

Science.gov (United States)

Alkac, Gokhan; Basanisi, Luca; Kilicarslan, Ercan; Tekin, Bayram

2017-07-01

We revisit the problem of the bulk-boundary unitarity clash in 2 +1 -dimensional gravity theories, which has been an obstacle in providing a viable dual two-dimensional conformal field theory for bulk gravity in anti-de Sitter (AdS) spacetime. Chiral gravity, which is a particular limit of cosmological topologically massive gravity (TMG), suffers from perturbative log-modes with negative energies inducing a nonunitary logarithmic boundary field theory. We show here that any f (R ) extension of TMG does not improve the situation. We also study the perturbative modes in the metric formulation of minimal massive gravity—originally constructed in a first-order formulation—and find that the massive mode has again negative energy except in the chiral limit. We comment on this issue and also discuss a possible solution to the problem of negative-energy modes. In any of these theories, the infinitesimal dangerous deformations might not be integrable to full solutions; this suggests a linearization instability of AdS spacetime in the direction of the perturbative log-modes.

The Invention Convention: Mind Meets Simple Machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadi-Tabassum, Samina

1997-01-01

Describes an Earth Day celebration where students had to design an invention made of simple machines that could crush an empty aluminum can through 10 rapid mechanical movements using materials foraged from the students' homes. (JRH)

A Moment of Mindfulness: Computer-Mediated Mindfulness Practice Increases State Mindfulness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lynsey Mahmood

Full Text Available Three studies investigated the use of a 5-minute, computer-mediated mindfulness practice in increasing levels of state mindfulness. In Study 1, 54 high school students completed the computer-mediated mindfulness practice in a lab setting and Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS scores were measured before and after the practice. In Study 2 (N = 90 and Study 3 (N = 61, the mindfulness practice was tested with an entirely online sample to test the delivery of the 5-minute mindfulness practice via the internet. In Study 2 and 3, we found a significant increase in TMS scores in the mindful condition, but not in the control condition. These findings highlight the impact of a brief, mindfulness practice for single-session, computer-mediated use to increase mindfulness as a state.

That Special Something: Dennett on the Making of Minds and Selves

OpenAIRE

Clark, Andy

2002-01-01

Dennett depicts human minds as both deeply different from, yet profoundly continuous with, the minds of other animals and simple agents. His treatments of mind, consciousness, free will and human agency all reflect this distinctive dual perspective. There is, on the one hand, the (in)famous Intentional Stance, relative to which humans, dogs, insects and even the lowly thermostat (e.g. Dennett (1998) p.327) are all pronounced capable of believing and desiring in essentially the same theoret...

Unitarity cuts and Reduction to master integrals in d dimensions for one-loop amplitudes

CERN Document Server

Anastasiou, C; Feng, B; Kunszt, Z; Mastrolia, Pierpaolo; Anastasiou, Charalampos; Britto, Ruth; Feng, Bo; Kunszt, Zoltan; Mastrolia, Pierpaolo

2007-01-01

We present an alternative reduction to master integrals for one-loop amplitudes using a unitarity cut method in arbitrary dimensions. We carry out the reduction in two steps. The first step is a pure four-dimensional cut-integration of tree amplitudes with a mass parameter, and the second step is applying dimensional shift identities to master integrals. This reduction is performed at the integrand level, so that coefficients can be read out algebraically.

Falling balls and simple shearing strain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brun, J L; Pacheco, A F

2006-01-01

The problem of particles falling under gravity allows us to relate Hamiltonian mechanics to such different subjects as elasticity and fluid mechanics. It is with this in mind that mechanics gives us the opportunity of introducing, in a rather simple and unusual form, some concepts such as vorticity, the incompressibility condition or simple shear strain to physics students at the undergraduate level

A general formulation of discrete-time quantum mechanics: Restrictions on the action and the relation of unitarity to the existence theorem for initial-value problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khorrami, M.

1995-01-01

A general formulation for discrete-time quantum mechanics, based on Feynman's method in ordinary quantum mechanics, is presented. It is shown that the ambiguities present in ordinary quantum mechanics (due to noncommutativity of the operators), are no longer present here. Then the criteria for the unitarity of the evolution operator are examined. It is shown that the unitarity of the evolution operator puts restrictions on the form of the action, and also implies the existence of a solution for the classical initial-value problem. 13 refs

Musical beauty and information compression: Complex to the ear but simple to the mind?

Science.gov (United States)

Hudson, Nicholas J

2011-01-20

The biological origin of music, its universal appeal across human cultures and the cause of its beauty remain mysteries. For example, why is Ludwig Van Beethoven considered a musical genius but Kylie Minogue is not? Possible answers to these questions will be framed in the context of Information Theory. The entire life-long sensory data stream of a human is enormous. The adaptive solution to this problem of scale is information compression, thought to have evolved to better handle, interpret and store sensory data. In modern humans highly sophisticated information compression is clearly manifest in philosophical, mathematical and scientific insights. For example, the Laws of Physics explain apparently complex observations with simple rules. Deep cognitive insights are reported as intrinsically satisfying, implying that at some point in evolution, the practice of successful information compression became linked to the physiological reward system. I hypothesise that the establishment of this "compression and pleasure" connection paved the way for musical appreciation, which subsequently became free (perhaps even inevitable) to emerge once audio compression had become intrinsically pleasurable in its own right. For a range of compositions, empirically determine the relationship between the listener's pleasure and "lossless" audio compression. I hypothesise that enduring musical masterpieces will possess an interesting objective property: despite apparent complexity, they will also exhibit high compressibility. Artistic masterpieces and deep Scientific insights share the common process of data compression. Musical appreciation is a parasite on a much deeper information processing capacity. The coalescence of mathematical and musical talent in exceptional individuals has a parsimonious explanation. Musical geniuses are skilled in composing music that appears highly complex to the ear yet transpires to be highly simple to the mind. The listener's pleasure is influenced

The string model with the extrinsic curvature term

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Itoi, C.; Kubota, Hiroshi

1988-01-01

The string model with the extrinsic curvature is studied which is a gauge invariant field theory with higher order derivatives. We present an equivalent action without any higher order derivatives which keeps the gauge invariance. We point out the difficulty caused by the second class constraints in Dirac's canonical method. Following a new method for dynamical systems with second class constraints, we construct a equivalent model which has no second class constraints but has a new gauge invariance. This gauge invariance guarantees the equivalence between the original model and new one. We show that the model can be quantized in this formalism. In a simple model, we show the nilpotence of the BRST charge under certain conditions, and discuss the unitarity of the theory. (author)

Hawking radiation, the Stefan–Boltzmann law, and unitarization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giddings, Steven B., E-mail: giddings@physics.ucsb.edu

2016-03-10

Where does Hawking radiation originate? A common picture is that it arises from excitations very near or at the horizon, and this viewpoint has supported the “firewall” argument and arguments for a key role for the UV-dependent entanglement entropy in describing the quantum mechanics of black holes. However, closer investigation of both the total emission rate and the stress tensor of Hawking radiation supports the statement that its source is a near-horizon quantum region, or “atmosphere,” whose radial extent is set by the horizon radius scale. This is potentially important, since Hawking radiation needs to be modified to restore unitarity, and a natural assumption is that the scales relevant to such modifications are comparable to those governing the Hawking radiation. Moreover, related discussion suggests a resolution to questions regarding extra energy flux in “nonviolent” scenarios, that does not spoil black hole thermodynamics as governed by the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy.

Hawking radiation, the Stefan–Boltzmann law, and unitarization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giddings, Steven B.

2016-01-01

Where does Hawking radiation originate? A common picture is that it arises from excitations very near or at the horizon, and this viewpoint has supported the “firewall” argument and arguments for a key role for the UV-dependent entanglement entropy in describing the quantum mechanics of black holes. However, closer investigation of both the total emission rate and the stress tensor of Hawking radiation supports the statement that its source is a near-horizon quantum region, or “atmosphere,” whose radial extent is set by the horizon radius scale. This is potentially important, since Hawking radiation needs to be modified to restore unitarity, and a natural assumption is that the scales relevant to such modifications are comparable to those governing the Hawking radiation. Moreover, related discussion suggests a resolution to questions regarding extra energy flux in “nonviolent” scenarios, that does not spoil black hole thermodynamics as governed by the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy.

Hawking radiation, the Stefan–Boltzmann law, and unitarization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven B. Giddings

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Where does Hawking radiation originate? A common picture is that it arises from excitations very near or at the horizon, and this viewpoint has supported the “firewall” argument and arguments for a key role for the UV-dependent entanglement entropy in describing the quantum mechanics of black holes. However, closer investigation of both the total emission rate and the stress tensor of Hawking radiation supports the statement that its source is a near-horizon quantum region, or “atmosphere,” whose radial extent is set by the horizon radius scale. This is potentially important, since Hawking radiation needs to be modified to restore unitarity, and a natural assumption is that the scales relevant to such modifications are comparable to those governing the Hawking radiation. Moreover, related discussion suggests a resolution to questions regarding extra energy flux in “nonviolent” scenarios, that does not spoil black hole thermodynamics as governed by the Bekenstein–Hawking entropy.

Bound-state formation for thermal relic dark matter and unitarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harling, Benedict von; Petraki, Kalliopi

2014-01-01

We show that the relic abundance of thermal dark matter annihilating via a long-range interaction, is significantly affected by the formation and decay of dark matter bound states in the early universe, if the dark matter mass is above a few TeV . We determine the coupling required to obtain the observed dark matter density, taking into account both the direct 2-to-2 annihilations and the formation of bound states, and provide an analytical fit. We argue that the unitarity limit on the inelastic cross-section is realized only if dark matter annihilates via a long-range interaction, and we determine the upper bound on the mass of thermal-relic dark matter to be about 197 (139) TeV for (non)-self-conjugate dark matter

A Moment of Mindfulness: Computer-Mediated Mindfulness Practice Increases State Mindfulness

OpenAIRE

Mahmood, L.; Hopthrow, T.; Randsley de Moura, G.

2016-01-01

Three studies investigated the use of a 5-minute, computer-mediated mindfulness practice in increasing levels of state mindfulness. In Study 1, 54 high school students completed the computer-mediated mindfulness practice in a lab setting and Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) scores were measured before and after the practice. In Study 2 (N = 90) and Study 3 (N = 61), the mindfulness practice was tested with an entirely online sample to test the delivery of the 5-minute mindfulness practice via ...

Connecting Majorana phases to the geometric parameters of the Majorana unitarity triangle in a neutrino mass matrix model

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Surender; Bhardwaj, Shankita

2018-05-01

We have investigated a possible connection between the Majorana phases and geometric parameters of Majorana unitarity triangle (MT) in two-texture zero neutrino mass matrix. Such analytical relations can, also, be obtained for other theoretical models viz. hybrid textures, neutrino mass matrix with vanishing minors and have profound implications for geometric description of C P violation. As an example, we have considered the two-texture zero neutrino mass model to obtain a relation between Majorana phases and MT parameters that may be probed in various lepton number violating processes. In particular, we find that Majorana phases depend on only one of the three interior angles of the MT in each class of two-texture zero neutrino mass matrix. We have also constructed the MT for class A , B , and C neutrino mass matrices. Nonvanishing areas and nontrivial orientations of these Majorana unitarity triangles indicate nonzero C P violation as a generic feature of this class of mass models.

Global structure of curves from generalized unitarity cut of three-loop diagrams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hauenstein, Jonathan D.; Huang, Rijun; Mehta, Dhagash; Zhang, Yang

2015-01-01

This paper studies the global structure of algebraic curves defined by generalized unitarity cut of four-dimensional three-loop diagrams with eleven propagators. The global structure is a topological invariant that is characterized by the geometric genus of the algebraic curve. We use the Riemann-Hurwitz formula to compute the geometric genus of algebraic curves with the help of techniques involving convex hull polytopes and numerical algebraic geometry. Some interesting properties of genus for arbitrary loop orders are also explored where computing the genus serves as an initial step for integral or integrand reduction of three-loop amplitudes via an algebraic geometric approach.

Data assimilation with inequality constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Thacker, W. C.

If values of variables in a numerical model are limited to specified ranges, these restrictions should be enforced when data are assimilated. The simplest option is to assimilate without regard for constraints and then to correct any violations without worrying about additional corrections implied by correlated errors. This paper addresses the incorporation of inequality constraints into the standard variational framework of optimal interpolation with emphasis on our limited knowledge of the underlying probability distributions. Simple examples involving only two or three variables are used to illustrate graphically how active constraints can be treated as error-free data when background errors obey a truncated multi-normal distribution. Using Lagrange multipliers, the formalism is expanded to encompass the active constraints. Two algorithms are presented, both relying on a solution ignoring the inequality constraints to discover violations to be enforced. While explicitly enforcing a subset can, via correlations, correct the others, pragmatism based on our poor knowledge of the underlying probability distributions suggests the expedient of enforcing them all explicitly to avoid the computationally expensive task of determining the minimum active set. If additional violations are encountered with these solutions, the process can be repeated. Simple examples are used to illustrate the algorithms and to examine the nature of the corrections implied by correlated errors.

Constraints on γ and strong phases from B → πK decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buras, Andrzej J.; Fleischer, Robert

2001-01-01

As we pointed out recently, the neutral decays B d → π - + K± and B d → π 0 K may provide non-trivial bounds on the CKM angle γ. Here we reconsider this approach in the light of recent CLEO data, which look very interesting. In particular, the results for the corresponding CP-averaged branching ratios are in favour of strong constraints on γ, where the second quadrant is preferred. Such a situation would be in conflict with the standard analysis of the unitarity triangle. Moreover, constraints on a CO-conserving strong phase δ n are in favour of a negative value of cosδ n , which would be in conflict with the factorization expectation. In addition, there seems to be an interesting discrepancy with the bounds that are implied by the charged B → πK system: whereas these decays favour a range for γ that is similar to that of the neutral modes, they point towards a positive value of cosδ c , which would be in conflict with the expectation of equal signs for cosδ n and cosδ c . (author)

Constraints on γ and strong phases from B → πK decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buras, A.J.

2000-08-01

As we pointed out recently, the neutral decays B d → π -+ K ± and B d → π 0 K may provide non-trivial bounds on the CKM angle γ. Here we reconsider this approach in the light of recent CLEO data, which look very interesting. In particular, the results for the corresponding CP-averaged branching ratios are in favour of strong constraints on γ, where the second quadrant is preferred. Such a situation would be in conflict with the standard analysis of the unitarity triangle. Moreover, constraints on a CP-conserving strong phase δ n are in favour of a negative value of cos δ n , which would be in conflict with the factorization expectation. In addition, there seems to be an interesting discrepancy with the bounds that are implied by the charged B → π K system: whereas these decays favour a range for γ that is similar to that of the neutral modes, they point towards a positive value of cos δ c , which would be in conflict with the expectation of equal signs for cos δ n and cos δ c . (orig.)

Unitarization of Koerner-Kuroda model of electromagnetic structure of octet 1/2+ baryons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dubnicka, S.; Dubnickova, A.Z.

1994-10-01

The Koerner-Kuroda model of the electromagnetic structure of octet 1/2 + baryons is restored on a more topical physical basis. Electromagnetic radii of baryons under consideration are calculated and compared with other model predictions. By an incorporation of a two-cut approximation of correct form factor analytic properties and nonzero vector-meson widths, the Koerner-Kuroda model is unitarized, providing in this manner imaginary parts of the octet 1/2 + baryon form factors to be nonzero just starting from a branch point corresponding to the lowest threshold. (author). 32 refs, 16 figs, 2 tabs

αs and |Vcs| determination, and CKM unitarity test, from W decays at NNLO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David d'Enterria

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The hadronic (ΓhadW and total (ΓtotW widths of the W boson, computed at least at next-to-next-to-leading-order (NNLO accuracy, are combined to derive a new precise prediction for the hadronic W branching ratio BhadW ≡ ΓhadW/ΓtotW=0.682±0.011par, using the experimental Cabibbo–Kobayashi–Maskawa (CKM matrix elements, with uncertainties dominated by the input parameters of the calculations, or BhadW=0.6742±0.0002th±0.0001par assuming CKM unitarity. Comparing the theoretical predictions and experimental measurements for various W decay observables, the NNLO strong coupling constant at the Z pole, αs(mZ2=0.117±0.042exp±0.004th±0.001par, as well as the charm-strange CKM element, |Vcs|=0.973±0.004exp±0.002par, can be extracted under different assumptions. We also show that W decays provide today the most precise test of CKM unitarity for the 5 quarks lighter than mW, ∑u,c,d,s,b|Vij|2=1.999±0.008exp±0.001th. Perspectives for αs and |Vcs| extractions from W decays measurements at the LHC and future e+e− colliders are presented.

Mindfulness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chiesa, Alberto; Serretti, Alessandro; Jakobsen, Janus Christian

2013-01-01

The beneficial clinical effects of mindfulness practices are receiving increasing support from empirical studies. However, the functional neural mechanisms underlying these benefits have not been thoroughly investigated. Some authors suggest that mindfulness should be described as a 'top......-down' emotion regulation strategy, while others suggest that mindfulness should be described as a 'bottom-up' emotion regulation strategy. Current discrepancies might derive from the many different descriptions and applications of mindfulness. The present review aims to discuss current descriptions...... of mindfulness and the relationship existing between mindfulness practice and most commonly investigated emotion regulation strategies. Recent results from functional neuro-imaging studies investigating mindfulness training within the context of emotion regulation are presented. We suggest that mindfulness...

Approach to the nonrelatiVistic scattering theory based on the causality superposition and unitarity principles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gajnutdinov, R.Kh.

1983-01-01

Possibility is studied to build the nonrelativistic scattering theory on the base of the general physical principles: causality, superposition, and unitarity, making no use of the Schroedinger formalism. The suggested approach is shown to be more general than the nonrelativistic scattering theory based on the Schroedinger equation. The approach is applied to build a model ofthe scattering theory for a system which consists of heavy nonrelativistic particles and a light relativistic particle

Nature of the Schwinger term in spinor electrodynamics. [Dispersion formulation,dimensions,green functions,c-number,linear unitarity condition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishijima, K; Sasaki, R [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Dept. of Physics

1975-06-01

On the basis of the dispersion formulation of field theories the Schwinger term in spinor electrodynamics is shown to be a c-number. The essence of the proof consists in the dimensional argument and the characteristic features of the linear unitarity condition for a set of Green's functions involving the Schwinger term.

Musical beauty and information compression: Complex to the ear but simple to the mind?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hudson Nicholas J

2011-01-01

that appears highly complex to the ear yet transpires to be highly simple to the mind. The listener's pleasure is influenced by the extent to which the auditory data can be resolved in the simplest terms possible.

Block Pickard Models for Two-Dimensional Constraints

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forchhammer, Søren; Justesen, Jørn

2009-01-01

In Pickard random fields (PRF), the probabilities of finite configurations and the entropy of the field can be calculated explicitly, but only very simple structures can be incorporated into such a field. Given two Markov chains describing a boundary, an algorithm is presented which determines...... for the domino tiling constraint represented by a quaternary alphabet. PRF models are also presented for higher order constraints, including the no isolated bits (n.i.b.) constraint, and a minimum distance 3 constraint by defining super symbols on blocks of binary symbols....

Mindfulness Interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Creswell, J David

2017-01-03

Mindfulness interventions aim to foster greater attention to and awareness of present moment experience. There has been a dramatic increase in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of mindfulness interventions over the past two decades. This article evaluates the growing evidence of mindfulness intervention RCTs by reviewing and discussing (a) the effects of mindfulness interventions on health, cognitive, affective, and interpersonal outcomes; (b) evidence-based applications of mindfulness interventions to new settings and populations (e.g., the workplace, military, schools); (c) psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness interventions; (d) mindfulness intervention dosing considerations; and (e) potential risks of mindfulness interventions. Methodologically rigorous RCTs have demonstrated that mindfulness interventions improve outcomes in multiple domains (e.g., chronic pain, depression relapse, addiction). Discussion focuses on opportunities and challenges for mindfulness intervention research and on community applications.

Reading wild minds: A computational assay of Theory of Mind sophistication across seven primate species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Devaine

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Theory of Mind (ToM, i.e. the ability to understand others' mental states, endows humans with highly adaptive social skills such as teaching or deceiving. Candidate evolutionary explanations have been proposed for the unique sophistication of human ToM among primates. For example, the Machiavellian intelligence hypothesis states that the increasing complexity of social networks may have induced a demand for sophisticated ToM. This type of scenario ignores neurocognitive constraints that may eventually be crucial limiting factors for ToM evolution. In contradistinction, the cognitive scaffolding hypothesis asserts that a species' opportunity to develop sophisticated ToM is mostly determined by its general cognitive capacity (on which ToM is scaffolded. However, the actual relationships between ToM sophistication and either brain volume (a proxy for general cognitive capacity or social group size (a proxy for social network complexity are unclear. Here, we let 39 individuals sampled from seven non-human primate species (lemurs, macaques, mangabeys, orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees engage in simple dyadic games against artificial ToM players (via a familiar human caregiver. Using computational analyses of primates' choice sequences, we found that the probability of exhibiting a ToM-compatible learning style is mainly driven by species' brain volume (rather than by social group size. Moreover, primates' social cognitive sophistication culminates in a precursor form of ToM, which still falls short of human fully-developed ToM abilities.

Human development III: Bridging Brain-Mind and Body-Mind. Introduction to “Deep” (Fractal, Poly-Ray Cosmology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Søren Ventegodt

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Reality can be interpreted in many ways, but two distinctly different ways are the mental and the emotional interpretation. The traditional way of thinking in science today is the first: an often simple and mechanical interpretation of reality that empowers us to handle the outer physical world with great, often brutal efficiency. The development of a mind that enables us to handle the outer physical world and survive makes a lot of sense from an evolutionary perspective; the problem is that the mental reason and linear logic reduces all phenomena to well-defined interacting objects, which might not exist from a deeper perspective of reality. A more intuitive way to interpret the world makes much more sense, when it comes to our human relations. So to function as a human being, we need both these two ways of seeing the world, and two different modi operandi. In many patients, we find an internalized conflict between logical and mental reasoning on one hand, and emotional and sexual approach to reality and human needs on the other. We speculate that this conflict causes the deep emotional problems that really are the basis of most human diseases. Only by merging brain-mind and body-mind will we be whole and free and truly ourselves. We need to develop our mental understanding, deepen our cosmology, and develop our sexuality and body-mind in order to make them meet and merge. To facilitate this existential healing, we propose a third integrative way of looking at our human nature, which we call “the energetic-informational interpretation of reality”. What it does is allows us to look at both brain-mind and body-mind as a highly structured field of “energy and information”. Energy and information are actually the same from a scientific point of view; when the world is seen through the body-mind, it looks more like energy; when seen though the brain-mind, it looks more like information.

Unitarized model of inclusive and diffractive DIS with Q2 evolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armesto, Nestor; Salgado, Carlos A.; Tywoniuk, Konrad; Kaidalov, Alexei B.

2010-01-01

We discuss the interplay of low-x physics and QCD scaling violations by extending the unified approach describing inclusive structure functions and diffractive production in γ*p interactions proposed in previous papers to large values of Q 2 . We describe the procedure of extracting, from the nonperturbative model, initial conditions for the QCD evolution that respect unitarity. Assuming Regge factorization of the diffractive structure function, a similar procedure is proposed for the calculation of hard diffraction. The results are in good agreement with experimental data on the proton structure function F 2 and the most recent data on the reduced diffractive cross section, x P σ r D(3) . Predictions for both F 2 and F L are presented in a wide kinematical range and compared to calculations within high-energy QCD.

Metaphilosophy of Mind: how Do Minds Investigate Minds? Refutation of the Theocentric View

OpenAIRE

Werner, Konrad

2016-01-01

I shall propose metaphilosophy of mind as the philosophy of mind investigating mind. That is to say, I pose the question of how knowledge of mind provided by cognitive science, broadly construed, is constrained by the epistemic position of the knower, i.e. by the very fact that it is undertaken by a mind. Here I would like to propose a minimal framework, based on two distinctions: (i) the standard one between empirical and conceptual analysis; (ii) a new one, between the internal questions of...

Dynamics of unitarization by classicalization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dvali, Gia; Pirtskhalava, David

2011-01-01

We study dynamics of the classicalization phenomenon suggested in G. Dvali et al. , according to which a class of non-renormalizable theories self-unitarizes at very high-energies via creation of classical configurations (classicalons). We study this phenomenon in an explicit model of derivatively-self-coupled scalar that serves as a prototype for a Nambu-Goldstone-Stueckelberg field. We prepare the initial state in form of a collapsing wave-packet of a small occupation number but of very high energy, and observe that the classical configuration indeed develops. Our results confirm the previous estimates, showing that because of self-sourcing the wave-packet forms a classicalon configuration with radius that increases with center of mass energy. Thus, classicalization takes place before the waves get any chance of probing short-distances. The self-sourcing by energy is the crucial point, which makes classicalization phenomenon different from the ordinary dispersion of the wave-packets in other interacting theories. Thanks to this, unlike solitons or other non-perturbative objects, the production of classicalons is not only unsuppressed, but in fact dominates the high-energy scattering. In order to make the difference between classicalizing and non-classicalizing theories clear, we use a language in which the scattering cross section in a generic theory can be universally understood as a geometric cross section set by a classical radius down to which waves can propagate freely, before being scattered. We then show, that in non-classicalizing examples this radius shrinks with increasing energy and becomes microscopic, whereas in classicalizing theories expands and becomes macroscopic. We study analogous scattering in a Galileon system and discover that classicalization also takes place there, although somewhat differently. We thus observe, that classicalization is source-sensitive and that Goldstones pass the first test.

For Whom the Mind Wanders, and When, Varies Across Laboratory and Daily-Life Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kane, Michael J; Gross, Georgina M; Chun, Charlotte A; Smeekens, Bridget A; Meier, Matt E; Silvia, Paul J; Kwapil, Thomas R

2017-09-01

Undergraduates ( N = 274) participated in a weeklong daily-life experience-sampling study of mind wandering after being assessed in the lab for executive-control abilities (working memory capacity; attention-restraint ability; attention-constraint ability; and propensity for task-unrelated thoughts, or TUTs) and personality traits. Eight times a day, electronic devices prompted subjects to report on their current thoughts and context. Working memory capacity and attention abilities predicted subjects' TUT rates in the lab, but predicted the frequency of daily-life mind wandering only as a function of subjects' momentary attempts to concentrate. This pattern replicates prior daily-life findings but conflicts with laboratory findings. Results for personality factors also revealed different associations in the lab and daily life: Only neuroticism predicted TUT rate in the lab, but only openness predicted mind-wandering rate in daily life (both predicted the content of daily-life mind wandering). Cognitive and personality factors also predicted dimensions of everyday thought other than mind wandering, such as subjective judgments of controllability of thought. Mind wandering in people's daily environments and TUTs during controlled and artificial laboratory tasks have different correlates (and perhaps causes). Thus, mind-wandering theories based solely on lab phenomena may be incomplete.

Origin of constraints in relativistic classical Hamiltonian dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mallik, S.; Hugentobler, E.

1979-01-01

We investigate the null-plane or the front form of relativistic classical Hamiltonian dynamics as proposed by Dirac and developed by Leutwyler and Stern. For systems of two spinless particles we show that the algebra of Poincare generators is equivalent to describing dynamics in terms of two covariant constraint equations, the Poisson bracket of the two constraints being weakly zero. The latter condition is solved for certain simple forms of constraints

The Mindful Self: A Mindfulness-Enlightened Self-view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qianguo Xiao

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes studies of mindfulness and the self, with the aim of deepening our understanding of the potential benefits of mindfulness and meditation for mental health and well-being. Our review of empirical research reveals that positive changes in attitudes toward the self and others as a result of mindfulness-enabled practices can play an important role in modulating many mental and physical health problems. Accordingly, we introduce a new concept—the “mindful self”—and compare it with related psychological constructs to describe the positive changes in self-attitude associated with mindfulness meditation practices or interventions. The mindful self is conceptualized as a mindfulness-enlightened self-view and attitude developed by internalizing and integrating the essence of Buddhist psychology into one’s self-system. We further posit that the mindful self will be an important intermediary between mindfulness intervention and mental health problems, and an important moderator in promoting well-being. More generally, we suggest that the mindful self may also be an applicable concept with which to describe and predict the higher level of self-development of those who grow up in the culture of Buddhism or regularly engage in meditation over a long period of time.

QED on curved background and on manifolds with boundaries: Unitarity versus covariance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vassilevich, D.V.

1994-11-01

Some recent results show that the covariant path integral and the integral over physical degrees of freedom give contradicting results on curved background and on manifolds with boundaries. This looks like a conflict between unitarity and covariance. We argue that this effect is due to the use of non-covariant measure on the space of physical degrees of freedom. Starting with the reduced phase space path integral and using covariant measure throughout computations we recover standard path integral in the Lorentz gauge and the Moss and Poletti BRST-invariant boundary conditions. We also demonstrate by direct calculations that in the approach based on Gaussian path integral on the space of physical degrees of freedom some basic symmetries are broken. (author). 39 refs

Comparison of charged particle multiplicity distributions in p tilde p and pp interactions and verification of the dual unitarization scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batyunya, B.V.; Boguslavsky, I.V.; Gramenitsky, I.M.

1979-01-01

The difference between antiproton annihilation and pp interactions has been discussed. Charged particle multiplicity distributions in anti pp-interactions at 22.4 GeV/c were used to obtain antiproton annihilation characteristics. The comparison of the topological cross section of antipp interactions with those of non-diffractive pp interactions confirms the validity of dual unitarization

What is the scale of new physics behind the B-flavour anomalies?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Di Luzio, Luca [Durham University, Department of Physics, Institute for Particle Physics Phenomenology, Durham (United Kingdom); Nardecchia, Marco [CERN, Theoretical Physics Department, Geneva (Switzerland)

2017-08-15

Motivated by the recent hints of lepton flavour non-universality in B-meson semi-leptonic decays, we study the constraints of perturbative unitarity on the new physics interpretation of the anomalies in b → cl anti ν and b → sl anti l transitions. Within an effective field theory approach we find that 2 → 2 fermion scattering amplitudes saturate the unitarity bound below 9 and 80 TeV, respectively for b → cl anti ν and b → sl anti l transitions. Stronger bounds, up to few TeV, are obtained when the leading effective operators are oriented in the direction of the third generation, as suggested by flavour models. We finally address unitarity constraints on simplified models explaining the anomalies and show that the new physics interpretation is ruled out in a class of perturbative realizations. (orig.)

Mindful Emotion Regulation: Exploring the Neurocognitive Mechanisms behind Mindfulness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Grecucci

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to review some of the psychological and neural mechanisms behind mindfulness practice in order to explore the unique factors that account for its positive impact on emotional regulation and health. After reviewing the mechanisms of mindfulness and its effects on clinical populations we will consider how the practice of mindfulness contributes to the regulation of emotions. We argue that mindfulness has achieved effective outcomes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, and other psychopathologies through the contribution of mindfulness to emotional regulation. We consider the unique factors that mindfulness meditation brings to the process of emotion regulation that may account for its effectiveness. We review experimental evidence that points towards the unique effects of mindfulness specifically operating over and above the regulatory effects of cognitive reappraisal mechanisms. A neuroanatomical circuit that leads to mindful emotion regulation is also suggested. This paper thereby aims to contribute to proposed models of mindfulness for research and theory building by proposing a specific model for the unique psychological and neural processes involved in mindful detachment that account for the effects of mindfulness over and above the effects accounted for by other well-established emotional regulation processes such as cognitive reappraisal.

Maps & minds : mapping through the ages

Science.gov (United States)

,

1984-01-01

Throughout time, maps have expressed our understanding of our world. Human affairs have been influenced strongly by the quality of maps available to us at the major turning points in our history. "Maps & Minds" traces the ebb and flow of a few central ideas in the mainstream of mapping. Our expanding knowledge of our cosmic neighborhood stems largely from a small number of simple but grand ideas, vigorously pursued.

Relativistic analysis of four-body final states

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, S.K.

1977-01-01

The constraints of unitarity and analyticity on four-body final states are studied. It is shown that unitarity alone forces the amplitudes to be coherent and have singular behaviour. The implementation of unitarity with total energy analyticity yields a set of relativistic linear integral equations for the four-body amplitude. This is the minimal set consistent with quantum mechanics and also is the full dynamical set of equations with two-body separable interactions. These equations will provide important ingredients for the phenomenological analysis of four-body final states using the isobar model. (Auth.)

Intelligence Constraints on Terrorist Network Plots

Science.gov (United States)

Woo, Gordon

Since 9/11, the western intelligence and law enforcement services have managed to interdict the great majority of planned attacks against their home countries. Network analysis shows that there are important intelligence constraints on the number and complexity of terrorist plots. If two many terrorists are involved in plots at a given time, a tipping point is reached whereby it becomes progressively easier for the dots to be joined and for the conspirators to be arrested, and for the aggregate evidence to secure convictions. Implications of this analysis are presented for the campaign to win hearts and minds.

The CKM matrix and the unitarity triangle. Proceedings, workshop, Geneva, Switzerland, February 13-16, 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

M. Battaglia et al.

2004-04-02

This report contains the results of the Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle that was held at CERN on 13-16 February 2002. There had been several Workshops on B physics that concentrated on studies at e{sup +}e{sup -} machines, at the Tevatron, or at LHC separately. Here we brought together experts of different fields, both theorists and experimentalists, to study the determination of the CKM matrix from all the available data of K, D, and B physics. The analysis of LEP data for B physics is reaching its end, and one of the goals of the Workshop was to underline the results that have been achieved at LEP, SLC, and CESR. Another goal was to prepare for the transfer of responsibility for averaging B physics properties, that has developed within the LEP community, to the present main actors of these studies, from the B factory and the Tevatron experiments. The optimal way to combine the various experimental and theoretical inputs and to fit for the apex of the Unitarity Triangle has been a contentious issue. A further goal of the Workshop was to bring together the proponents of different fitting strategies, and to compare their approaches when applied to the same inputs. Since lattice QCD plays a very important role in the determination of the non-perturbative parameters needed to constrain the CKM unitarity triangle, the first Workshop was seen as an excellent opportunity to bring together lattice theorists with the aim of establishing a working group to compile averages for phenomenologically relevant quantities. Representatives from lattice collaborations around the world were invited to attend a meeting during the Workshop. A consensus was reached to set up three test working groups, collectively known as the ''CKM Lattice Working Group'', to review a number of well-studied quantities: quark masses, the kaon B-parameter, and the matrix elements relevant for neutral B-meson mixing. This report is organized as a coherent document with chapters

Brief Mindfulness Meditation Training Reduces Mind-Wandering: The Critical Role of Acceptance

Science.gov (United States)

Rahl, Hayley A.; Lindsay, Emily K.; Pacilio, Laura E.; Brown, Kirk W.; Creswell, J. David

2016-01-01

Mindfulness meditation programs, which train individuals to monitor their present moment experience in an open or accepting way, have been shown to reduce mind-wandering on standardized tasks in several studies. Here we test two competing accounts for how mindfulness training reduces mind-wandering, evaluating whether the attention monitoring component of mindfulness training alone reduces mind-wandering or whether the acceptance training component is necessary for reducing mind-wandering. Healthy young adults (N=147) were randomized to either a 3-day brief mindfulness training condition incorporating instruction in both attention monitoring and acceptance, a mindfulness training condition incorporating attention monitoring instruction only, a relaxation training condition, or a reading control condition. Participants completed measures of dispositional mindfulness and treatment expectancies before the training session on Day 1 and then completed a 6-minute Sustained Attention Response Task (SART) measuring mind-wandering after the training session on Day 3. Acceptance training was important for reducing mind-wandering, such that the monitoring + acceptance mindfulness training condition had the lowest mind-wandering relative to the other conditions, including significantly lower mind-wandering relative to the monitor-only mindfulness training condition. In one of the first experimental mindfulness training dismantling studies to-date, we show that training in acceptance is a critical driver of mindfulness training reductions in mind-wandering. This effect suggests that acceptance skills may facilitate emotion regulation on boring and frustrating sustained attention tasks that foster mind-wandering, such as the SART. PMID:27819445

Baseline and strategic effects behind mindful emotion regulation: behavioral and physiological investigation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alessandro Grecucci

Full Text Available One of the consequences of extensive mindfulness practice is a reduction of anxiety and depression, but also a capacity to regulate negative emotions. In this study, we explored four key questions concerning mindfulness training: (1 What are the processes by which mindfulness regulates our emotions? (2 Can mindfulness be applied to social emotions? (3 Does mindfulness training affect emotionally driven behavior towards others? (4 Does mindfulness alter physiological reactivity? To address these questions, we tested, in two experiments, the ability of mindfulness meditators to regulate interpersonal emotions (Experiment 1 and interactive behaviors (Experiment 2 as compared to naïve controls. To better understand the mechanisms by which mindfulness regulates emotions, we asked participants to apply two strategies: a cognitive strategy (mentalizing, a form of reappraisal focused on the intentions of others and an experiential strategy derived from mindfulness principles (mindful detachment. Both groups were able to regulate interpersonal emotions by means of cognitive (mentalizing and experiential (mindful detachment strategies. In Experiment 1, a simple effect of meditation, independent from the implementation of the strategies, resulted in reduced emotional and physiological reactivity, as well as in increased pleasantness for meditators when compared to controls, providing evidence of baseline regulation. In Experiment 2, one visible effect of the strategy was that meditators outperformed controls in the experiential (mindful detachment but not in the cognitive (mentalize strategy, showing stronger modulation of their interactive behavior (less punishments and providing evidence of a strategic behavioral regulation. Based on these results, we suggest that mindfulness can influence interpersonal emotional reactions through an experiential mechanism, both at a baseline level and a strategic level, thereby altering the subjective and physiological

Mindfulness is associated with psychological health and moderates pain in knee osteoarthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, A C; Harvey, W F; Price, L L; Morgan, L P K; Morgan, N L; Wang, C

2017-06-01

Previous studies suggest that higher mindfulness is associated with less pain and depression. However, the role of mindfulness has never been studied in knee osteoarthritis (OA). We evaluate the relationships between mindfulness and pain, psychological symptoms, and quality of life in knee OA. We performed a secondary analysis of baseline data from our randomized comparative trial in participants with knee OA. Mindfulness was assessed using the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ). We measured pain, physical function, quality of life, depression, stress, and self-efficacy with commonly-used patient-reported measures. Simple and multivariable regression models were utilized to assess associations between mindfulness and health outcomes. We further tested whether mindfulness moderated the pain-psychological outcome associations. Eighty patients were enrolled (60.3 ± 10.3 years; 76.3% female, body mass index: 33.0 ± 7.1 kg/m 2 ). Total mindfulness score was associated with mental (beta = 1.31, 95% CI: 0.68, 1.95) and physical (beta = 0.69, 95% CI:0.06, 1.31) component quality of life, self-efficacy (beta = 0.22, 95% CI:0.07, 0.37), depression (beta = -1.15, 95% CI:-1.77, -0.54), and stress (beta = -1.07, 95% CI:-1.53, -0.60). Of the five facets, the Describing, Acting-with-Awareness, and Non-judging mindfulness facets had the most associations with psychological health. No significant association was found between mindfulness and pain or function (P = 0.08-0.24). However, we found that mindfulness moderated the effect of pain on stress (P = 0.02). Mindfulness is associated with depression, stress, self-efficacy, and quality of life among knee OA patients. Mindfulness also moderates the influence of pain on stress, which suggests that mindfulness may alter the way one copes with pain. Future studies examining the benefits of mind-body therapy, designed to increase mindfulness, for patients with OA are warranted. Copyright © 2016

Mindfulness for group facilitation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine; Krohn, Simon

2014-01-01

In this paper, we argue that mindfulness techniques can be used for enhancing the outcome of group performance. The word mindfulness has different connotations in the academic literature. Broadly speaking there is ‘mindfulness without meditation’ or ‘Western’ mindfulness which involves active...... thinking and ‘Eastern’ mindfulness which refers to an open, accepting state of mind, as intended with Buddhist-inspired techniques such as meditation. In this paper, we are interested in the latter type of mindfulness and demonstrate how Eastern mindfulness techniques can be used as a tool for facilitation....... A brief introduction to the physiology and philosophy of Eastern mindfulness constitutes the basis for the arguments of the effect of mindfulness techniques. The use of mindfulness techniques for group facilitation is novel as it changes the focus from individuals’ mindfulness practice...

Medicine for the wandering mind: mind wandering in medical practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Smallwood, Jonathan; Mrazek, Michael D; Schooler, Jonathan W

2011-11-01

Mind wandering--defined as a cognitive focus on information that is unrelated to immediate sensory input or the task at hand--is a ubiquitous characteristic of the human condition. When it occurs, the integrity of a wide range of cognitive skills can be compromised. The current paper describes the phenomenon of mind wandering, explores its potential role in medical practice and considers how the education system may profitably control this ubiquitous cognitive state. We argue that because many aspects of a medical professional's work (such as fatigue and depression) maximise the mind's tendency to wander, this experience is likely to be a common occurrence in many medical situations. We then review the psychological literature on mind wandering as it relates to medical practice. Based on this review, we suggest that because mind wandering interferes with an individual's ability to integrate current events into a more general context, its occurrence may lead to downstream problems in the way that symptoms are interpreted and treated. Finally, because the experience of mind wandering is often both difficult to control and hard to recognise, it is difficult to prevent. We argue that techniques that help individuals to become more mindful have the potential to ameliorate the cost of mind wandering to the medical profession. Given the ubiquitous nature of the experience of mind wandering, the integration of mindfulness training into medical education programmes could be of general benefit to society at large. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2011.

WIMP Dark Matter and Unitarity-Conserving Inflation via a Gauge Singlet Scalar

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahlhoefer, Felix; McDonald, John

2015-07-01

A gauge singlet scalar with non-minimal coupling to gravity can drive inflation and later freeze out to become cold dark matter. We explore this idea by revisiting inflation in the singlet direction (S-inflation) and Higgs Portal Dark Matter in light of the Higgs discovery, limits from LUX and observations by Planck. We show that large regions of parameter space remain viable, so that successful inflation is possible and the dark matter relic abundance can be reproduced. Moreover, the scalar singlet can stabilise the electroweak vacuum and at the same time overcome the problem of unitarity-violation during inflation encountered by Higgs Inflation, provided the singlet is a real scalar. The 2-σ Planck upper bound on n s imposes that the singlet mass is below 2 TeV, so that almost the entire allowed parameter range can be probed by XENON1T.

Mind Wandering "Ahas" versus Mindful Reasoning: Alternative Routes to Creative Solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire M Zedelius

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Based on mixed results linking both mindfulness and its opposing construct mind wandering to enhanced creativity, we predicted that the relationship between mindfulness and creativity might depend on whether creative problems are approached through analytic strategy or through insight (i.e., sudden awareness of a solution. Study 1 investigated the relationship between trait mindfulness and compound remote associates problem solving as a function of participants’ self-reported approach to each problem. The results revealed a negative relationship between mindfulness and problem-solving overall. However, more detailed analysis revealed that mindfulness was associated with impaired problem solving when approaching problems with insight, but increased problem solving when using analysis. In Study 2, we manipulated participants’ problem-solving approach through instructions. We again found a negative relationship between mindfulness and creative performance in general, however, more mindful participants again performed better when instructed to approach problems analytically.

Mindful Learning: A Case Study of Langerian Mindfulness in Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Davenport, Chase; Pagnini, Francesco

2016-01-01

The K-12 classroom applications of mindfulness as developed by Ellen Langer are discussed in a case study of a first-year charter school. Langerian Mindfulness, which is the act of drawing distinctions and noticing novelty, is deeply related to well-being and creativity, yet its impact has yet to be tested at the primary or secondary school level. The objective of the article is to display how Langerian Mindfulness strategies could increase 21st century skills and Social-Emotional Learning in primary classrooms. The New School San Francisco, an inquiry-based, socioeconomically and racially integrated charter school, serves as a model for mindful teaching and learning strategies. It is concluded that when mindful strategies are implemented, students have significant opportunities to exercise the 21st century skills of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Langerian Mindfulness is also considered as a tool for increasing Social-Emotional Learning in integrated classrooms. It is recommended that mindful interventions be further investigated in the primary and secondary school context.

Entropy estimates for simple random fields

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Forchhammer, Søren; Justesen, Jørn

1995-01-01

We consider the problem of determining the maximum entropy of a discrete random field on a lattice subject to certain local constraints on symbol configurations. The results are expected to be of interest in the analysis of digitized images and two dimensional codes. We shall present some examples...... of binary and ternary fields with simple constraints. Exact results on the entropies are known only in a few cases, but we shall present close bounds and estimates that are computationally efficient...

Mindful Learning: A Case Study of Langerian Mindfulness in Schools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chase Davenport

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The K-12 classroom applications of mindfulness as developed by Ellen Langer are discussed in a case study of a first-year charter school. Langerian Mindfulness, which is the act of drawing distinctions and noticing novelty, is deeply related to well-being and creativity, yet its impact has yet to be tested at the primary or secondary school level. The objective of the article is to display how Langerian Mindfulness strategies could increase 21st century skills and Social-Emotional Learning in primary classrooms. The New School San Francisco, an inquiry-based, socioeconomically and racially integrated charter school, serves as a model for mindful teaching and learning strategies. It is concluded that when mindful strategies are implemented, students have significant opportunities to exercise the 21st century skills of creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking. Langerian Mindfulness is also considered as a tool for increasing Social-Emotional Learning in integrated classrooms. It is recommended that mindful interventions be further investigated in the primary and secondary school context.

Dispositional Mindfulness and Depressive Symptomatology: Correlations with Limbic and Self-Referential Neural Activity during Rest

Science.gov (United States)

Way, Baldwin M.; Creswell, J. David; Eisenberger, Naomi I.; Lieberman, Matthew D.

2010-01-01

To better understand the relationship between mindfulness and depression, we studied normal young adults (n=27) who completed measures of dispositional mindfulness and depressive symptomatology, which were then correlated with: a) Rest: resting neural activity during passive viewing of a fixation cross, relative to a simple goal-directed task (shape-matching); and b) Reactivity: neural reactivity during viewing of negative emotional faces, relative to the same shape-matching task. Dispositional mindfulness was negatively correlated with resting activity in self-referential processing areas, while depressive symptomatology was positively correlated with resting activity in similar areas. In addition, dispositional mindfulness was negatively correlated with resting activity in the amygdala, bilaterally, while depressive symptomatology was positively correlated with activity in the right amygdala. Similarly, when viewing emotional faces, amygdala reactivity was positively correlated with depressive symptomatology and negatively correlated with dispositional mindfulness, an effect that was largely attributable to differences in resting activity. These findings indicate that mindfulness is associated with intrinsic neural activity and that changes in resting amygdala activity could be a potential mechanism by which mindfulness-based depression treatments elicit therapeutic improvement. PMID:20141298

The External Mind

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

, Extended Mind and Distributed Cognition by Claudio Paolucci pp. 69-96 The Social Horizon of Embodied Language and Material Symbols by Riccardo Fusaroli pp. 97-123 Semiotics and Theories of Situated/Distributed Action and Cognition: a Dialogue and Many Intersections by Tommaso Granelli pp. 125-167 Building......The External Mind: an Introduction by Riccardo Fusaroli, Claudio Paolucci pp. 3-31 The sign of the Hand: Symbolic Practices and the Extended Mind by Massimiliano Cappuccio, Michael Wheeler pp. 33-55 The Overextended Mind by Shaun Gallagher pp. 57-68 The "External Mind": Semiotics, Pragmatism...

Right unitarity triangles, stable CP-violating phases and approximate quark-lepton complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Zhizhong

2009-01-01

Current experimental data indicate that two unitarity triangles of the CKM quark mixing matrix V are almost the right triangles with α∼90 deg. We highlight a very suggestive parametrization of V and show that its CP-violating phase φ is nearly equal to α (i.e., φ-α∼1.1 deg.). Both φ and α are stable against the renormalizaton-group evolution from the electroweak scale M Z to a superhigh energy scale M X or vice versa, and thus it is impossible to obtain α=90 deg. at M Z from φ=90 deg. at M X . We conjecture that there might also exist a maximal CP-violating phase φ∼90 deg. in the MNS lepton mixing matrix U. The approximate quark-lepton complementarity relations, which hold in the standard parametrizations of V and U, can also hold in our particular parametrizations of V and U simply due to the smallness of |V ub | and |V e3 |.

"Mind the trap": mindfulness practice reduces cognitive rigidity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Greenberg

Full Text Available Two experiments examined the relation between mindfulness practice and cognitive rigidity by using a variation of the Einstellung water jar task. Participants were required to use three hypothetical jars to obtain a specific amount of water. Initial problems were solvable by the same complex formula, but in later problems ("critical" or "trap" problems solving was possible by an additional much simpler formula. A rigidity score was compiled through perseverance of the complex formula. In Experiment 1, experienced mindfulness meditators received significantly lower rigidity scores than non-meditators who had registered for their first meditation retreat. Similar results were obtained in randomized controlled Experiment 2 comparing non-meditators who underwent an eight meeting mindfulness program with a waiting list group. The authors conclude that mindfulness meditation reduces cognitive rigidity via the tendency to be "blinded" by experience. Results are discussed in light of the benefits of mindfulness practice regarding a reduced tendency to overlook novel and adaptive ways of responding due to past experience, both in and out of the clinical setting.

Does mindfulness matter? Everyday mindfulness, mindful eating and self-reported serving size of energy dense foods among a sample of South Australian adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Beshara, Monica; Hutchinson, Amanda D; Wilson, Carlene

2013-08-01

Serving size is a modifiable determinant of energy consumption, and an important factor to address in the prevention and treatment of obesity. The present study tested an hypothesised negative association between individuals' everyday mindfulness and self-reported serving size of energy dense foods. The mediating role of mindful eating was also explored. A community sample of 171 South Australian adults completed self-report measures of everyday mindfulness and mindful eating. The dependent measure was participants' self-reported average serving size of energy dense foods consumed in the preceding week. Participants who reported higher levels of everyday mindfulness were more mindful eaters (r=0.41, pMindful eating fully mediated the negative association between everyday mindfulness and serving size. The domains of mindful eating most relevant to serving size included emotional and disinhibited eating. Results suggest that mindful eating may have a greater influence on serving size than daily mindfulness. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Politics of Mindfulness. A Response to "Mindfulness, Democracy, Education"

Science.gov (United States)

Comstock, Patrick W.

2015-01-01

Mindfulness is rapidly becoming a mainstream educational intervention. A growing number of schools, colleges, and universities are incorporating mindfulness into the curriculum, and while there is a substantial body of research literature in psychology attesting to the mental and physical benefits of mindfulness, critics of the movement have…

A simple two stage optimization algorithm for constrained power economic dispatch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, G.; Song, K.

1994-01-01

A simple two stage optimization algorithm is proposed and investigated for fast computation of constrained power economic dispatch control problems. The method is a simple demonstration of the hierarchical aggregation-disaggregation (HAD) concept. The algorithm first solves an aggregated problem to obtain an initial solution. This aggregated problem turns out to be classical economic dispatch formulation, and it can be solved in 1% of overall computation time. In the second stage, linear programming method finds optimal solution which satisfies power balance constraints, generation and transmission inequality constraints and security constraints. Implementation of the algorithm for IEEE systems and EPRI Scenario systems shows that the two stage method obtains average speedup ratio 10.64 as compared to classical LP-based method

Can mind-wandering be timeless? Atemporal focus and aging in mind-wandering paradigms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan David Jackson

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Recent research has examined how often mind-wandering occurs about past versus future events. However, mind-wandering may also be atemporal, although previous investigations of this possibility have not yielded consistent results. Indeed, it is unclear what proportion of mind-wandering is atemporal, and also how an atemporal response option would affect the future oriented bias often reported during low-demand tasks used to measure mind-wandering. The present study examined self-reported (Experiment 1 and probe-caught (Experiment 2 mind-wandering using the low-demand Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART in younger (18-30 and older (50-73 adults in an experimental paradigm developed to measure mind-wandering in a sample using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. Across self-reported and probe-caught mind-wandering, the atemporal response option was used at least as frequently as past or future mind-wandering options. Although older adults reported far fewer mind-wandering events, they showed a very similar temporal pattern to younger adults. Most importantly, inclusion of the atemporal report option affected performance on the SART and selectively eliminated the prospective bias in self-reported mind-wandering, but not in probe-caught mind-wandering. These results suggest that both young and older participants are often not thinking of past or future events when mind-wandering, but are thinking of events that cannot easily be categorized as either.

One-loop calculations in quantum field theory: from Feynman diagrams to unitarity cuts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ellis, R. Keith [Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Kunszt, Zoltan [Institute for Theoretical Physics (Switzerland); Melnikov, Kirill [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, MD (United States); Zanderighi, Giulia [Rudolf Peierls Centre for Theoretical Physics (United Kingdom)

2012-09-01

The success of the experimental program at the Tevatron re-inforced the idea that precision physics at hadron colliders is desirable and, indeed, possible. The Tevatron data strongly suggests that one-loop computations in QCD describe hard scattering well. Extrapolating this observation to the LHC, we conclude that knowledge of many short-distance processes at next-to-leading order may be required to describe the physics of hard scattering. While the field of one-loop computations is quite mature, parton multiplicities in hard LHC events are so high that traditional computational techniques become inefficient. Recently new approaches based on unitarity have been developed for calculating one-loop scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory. These methods are especially suitable for the description of multi-particle processes in QCD and are amenable to numerical implementations. We present a systematic pedagogical description of both conceptual and technical aspects of the new methods.

One-loop calculations in quantum field theory: From Feynman diagrams to unitarity cuts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellis, R. Keith; Kunszt, Zoltan; Melnikov, Kirill; Zanderighi, Giulia

2012-01-01

The success of the experimental program at the Tevatron re-inforced the idea that precision physics at hadron colliders is desirable and, indeed, possible. The Tevatron data strongly suggests that one-loop computations in QCD describe hard scattering well. Extrapolating this observation to the LHC, we conclude that knowledge of many short-distance processes at next-to-leading order may be required to describe the physics of hard scattering. While the field of one-loop computations is quite mature, parton multiplicities in hard LHC events are so high that traditional computational techniques become inefficient. Recently, new approaches based on unitarity have been developed for calculating one-loop scattering amplitudes in quantum field theory. These methods are especially suitable for the description of multi-particle processes in QCD and are amenable to numerical implementations. We present a systematic pedagogical description of both conceptual and technical aspects of the new methods.

Mindfulness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Agger Nielsen, Jeppe; Nielsen, Charlotte Agger

2013-01-01

Mindfulness har de senere år budt sig til som effektiv hjælp til selvhjælp for fortravlede ledere og professionelle. Men er meditationsøvelser og forsøg på at finde indre ”zen”-ro overhovedet lederens anstrengelser værd? Denne artikel diskuterer effekterne af mindfulness og giver ordet til såvel...

Measurements of direct CP violation and constraints on the CKM triangle in B → K*π decays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagner, Andrew Phillips [Stanford Univ., CA (United States)

2010-02-01

We constrain the apex of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa unitarity triangle with measurements of B → K*π amplitudes from analyses of B⁰ → K⁺π^-π⁰ and B⁰ → KSπ⁺π^- decays. This constraint is consistent with the world average. The B⁰ → K⁺π^-π⁰ decay mode is reconstructed from a sample of 454 million B⁰$\\bar{B}$ ⁰ events collected by the BABAR detector at SLAC. We measure direct CP violation in B⁰ → K^*+π^- decays at the level of 3σ when measurements from both B⁰ → K⁺π^-π⁰ and B⁰ → KSπ⁺π^- decays are combined.

A Three-Box Model of Thermohaline Circulation under the Energy Constraint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen Yang; Guan Yu-Ping; Liang Chu-Jin; Chen Da-Ke

2011-01-01

The driving mechanism of thermohaline circulation is still a controversial topic in physical oceanography. Classic theory is based on Stommel's two-box model under buoyancy constraint. Recently, Guan and Huang proposed a new viewpoint in the framework of energy constraint with a two-box model. We extend it to a three-box model, including the effect of wind-driven circulation. Using this simple model, we further study how ocean mixing impacts on thermohaline circulation under the energy constraint. (geophysics, astronomy, and astrophysics)

Schizotypy and mindfulness: Magical thinking without suspiciousness characterizes mindfulness meditators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Antonova

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Despite growing evidence for demonstrated efficacy of mindfulness in various disorders, there is a continuous concern about the relationship between mindfulness practice and psychosis. As schizotypy is part of the psychosis spectrum, we examined the relationship between long-term mindfulness practice and schizotypy in two independent studies. Study 1 included 24 experienced mindfulness practitioners (19 males from the Buddhist tradition (meditators and 24 meditation-naïve individuals (all males. Study 2 consisted of 28 meditators and 28 meditation-naïve individuals (all males. All participants completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (Raine, 1991, a self-report scale containing 9 subscales (ideas of reference, excessive social anxiety, magical thinking, unusual perceptual experiences, odd/eccentric behavior, no close friends, odd speech, constricted affect, suspiciousness. Participants of study 2 also completed the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire which assesses observing (Observe, describing (Describe, acting with awareness (Awareness, non-judging of (Non-judgment and non-reactivity to inner experience (Non-reactivity facets of trait mindfulness. In both studies, meditators scored significantly lower on suspiciousness and higher on magical thinking compared to meditation-naïve individuals and showed a trend towards lower scores on excessive social anxiety. Excessive social anxiety correlated negatively with Awareness and Non-judgment; and suspiciousness with Awareness, Non-judgment and Non-reactivity facets across both groups. The two groups did not differ in their total schizotypy score. We conclude that mindfulness practice is not associated with an overall increase in schizotypal traits. Instead, the pattern suggests that mindfulness meditation, particularly with an emphasis on the Awareness, Non-judgment and Non-reactivity aspects, may help to reduce suspiciousness and excessive social anxiety.

Does Parental Mind-Mindedness Account for Cross-Cultural Differences in Preschoolers' Theory of Mind?

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, Claire; Devine, Rory T; Wang, Zhenlin

2017-02-03

This study of 241 parent-child dyads from the United Kingdom (N = 120, M age  = 3.92, SD = 0.53) and Hong Kong (N = 121, M age  = 3.99, SD = 0.50) breaks new ground by adopting a cross-cultural approach to investigate children's theory of mind and parental mind-mindedness. Relative to the Hong Kong sample, U.K. children showed superior theory-of-mind performance and U.K. parents showed greater levels of mind-mindedness. Within both cultures parental mind-mindedness was correlated with theory of mind. Mind-mindedness also accounted for cultural differences in preschoolers' theory of mind. We argue that children's family environments might shed light on how culture shapes children's theory of mind. © 2017 The Authors. Child Development published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Research in Child Development.

Mindfulness og mental sundhed

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wistoft, Karen

2011-01-01

Mindfulness is a way to practice 'healthy mindedness' – a form of self help that has been the subject for research and development of a number of new significant self-technologies, therapy and meditation treatment methods. To be mindful can help people to feel more relaxed (serenity) and fully...... alive. The article aims at describing realistic expectations to the contribution of mindfulness to health education work in the field of mental health. The article discuss ways in which mindfulnesss is connected with established health education in the mental health promotion field, and ways in which...... mindfulness breaks with established health education. Interest in utilising mindfulness and mindfulness-inspired methods in health-education intervention has increased in recent years. Mindfulness is seen here as an answer to how to achieve more accepting presence, and thereby a healthier mental life...

Mind over matter? I: philosophical aspects of the mind-brain problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Schimmel, P

2001-08-01

To conceptualize the essence of the mind-body or mind-brain problem as one of metaphysics rather than science, and to propose a formulation of the problem in the context of current scientific knowledge and its limitations. The background and conceptual parameters of the mind-body problem are delineated, and the limitations of brain research in formulating a solution identified. The problem is reformulated and stated in terms of two propositions. These constitute a 'double aspect theory'. The problem appears to arise as a consequence of the conceptual limitations of the human mind, and hence remains essentially a metaphysical one. A 'double aspect theory' recognizes the essential unity of mind and brain, while remaining consistent with the dualism inherent in human experience.

Mindfully Green and Healthy: An Indirect Path from Mindfulness to Ecological Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sonja M. Geiger

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper examines the nature of the link between mindfulness and ecological behavior. Based on the notion that mindfulness incorporates heightened awareness of bodily sensations, we suggest an indirect path from mindfulness to ecological behavior that is mediated through individual health behavior, such as improved nutrition and increased exercise. This indirect path is corroborated with two online studies (n = 147/n = 239 where mindfulness, personal health behavior and ecological behavior were assessed. We conclude that increased mindful awareness of momentary experience indeed favors more healthy lifestyles, which in turn relate to increased ecological behavior beyond personal health benefits. The findings support an agreeableness of personal and planetary health behavior and open up a path for environmental educational interventions based on mindfulness practices and personal health gains.

Higgs Spin Determination and Unitarity of Vector-boson Scattering at the LHC

CERN Document Server

Frank, Jessica

After the discovery of a new particle at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), it is crucial to definitely verify or disprove whether this new 125 − 126 GeV resonance is the Higgs boson of the Standard Model (SM). Thus, its features, including its spin, have to be determined. In order to distinguish the two most likely spin hypotheses, spin-0 or spin-2, the phenomenology of light spin-2 resonances produced in different gluon-fusion and vectorboson-fusion processes at the LHC is studied. Starting from an effective model for the interaction of a spin-2 particle with SM gauge bosons, cross sections and differential distributions are calculated within the Monte Carlo program Vbfnlo. Whereas with specific model parameters, such a spin-2 resonance can mimic rates and transverse-momentum distributions of a SM Higgs boson in the main decay channels γγ, WW and ZZ, several distributions allow to separate spin-2 from spin-0, almost independently of model parameters. Since the SM Higgs boson ensures the unitarity of the S...

Regular, brief mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, Adam; Gruber, Thomas; Derose, Jennifer; Malinowski, Peter

2012-01-01

Mindfulness-based meditation practices involve various attentional skills, including the ability to sustain and focus ones attention. During a simple mindful breathing practice, sustained attention is required to maintain focus on the breath while cognitive control is required to detect mind wandering. We thus hypothesized that regular, brief mindfulness training would result in improvements in the self-regulation of attention and foster changes in neuronal activity related to attentional control. A longitudinal randomized control group EEG study was conducted. At baseline (T1), 40 meditation naïve participants were randomized into a wait list group and a meditation group, who received three hours mindfulness meditation training. Twenty-eight participants remained in the final analysis. At T1, after eight weeks (T2) and after 16 weeks (T3), all participants performed a computerized Stroop task (a measure of attentional control) while the 64-channel EEG was recorded. Between T1 and T3 the meditators were requested to meditate daily for 10 min. Event-related potential (ERP) analysis highlighted two between group effects that developed over the course of the 16-week mindfulness training. An early effect at left and right posterior sites 160–240 ms post-stimulus indicated that meditation practice improved the focusing of attentional resources. A second effect at central posterior sites 310–380 ms post-stimulus reflects that meditation practice reduced the recruitment of resources during object recognition processes, especially for incongruent stimuli. Scalp topographies and source analyses (Variable Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography, VARETA) indicate relevant changes in neural sources, pertaining to left medial and lateral occipitotemporal areas for the early effect and right lateral occipitotemporal and inferior temporal areas for the later effect. The results suggest that mindfulness meditation may alter the efficiency of allocating cognitive resources

Regular, brief mindfulness meditation practice improves electrophysiological markers of attentional control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adam W Moore

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness based meditation practices involve various attentional skills, including the ability to sustain and focus ones attention. During a simple mindful breathing practice, sustained attention is required to maintain focus on the breath while cognitive control is required to detect mind wandering. We thus hypothesized that regular, brief mindfulness training would result in improvements in the self regulation of attention and foster changes in neuronal activity related to attentional control.A longitudinal randomized control group EEG study was conducted. At baseline (T1, 40 meditation naïve participants were randomized into a wait list group and a meditation group, who received three hours mindfulness meditation training. 28 participants remained in the final analysis. At T1, after 8 weeks (T2 and after 16 weeks (T3, all participants performed a computerized Stroop task (a measure of attentional control while the 64-channel EEG was recorded. Between T1 and T3 the meditators were requested to meditate daily for ten minutes.Event-related potential (ERP analysis highlighted two between group effects that developed over the course of the 16-week mindfulness training. An early effect at left and right posterior sites 160 – 240 ms post stimulus indicated that meditation practice improved the focusing of attentional resources. A second effect at central posterior sites 310 – 380 ms post stimulus reflects that meditation practice reduced the recruitment of resources during object recognition processes, especially for incongruent stimuli. Scalp topographies and source analyses (VARETA indicate relevant changes in neural sources, pertaining to left medial and lateral occipitotemporal areas for the early effect and right lateral occipitotemporal and inferior temporal areas for the later effect.The results suggest that mindfulness meditation may alter the efficiency of allocating cognitive resources, leading to improved self regulation of

Number sense how the mind creates mathematics

CERN Document Server

Dehaene, Stanislas

2011-01-01

Our understanding of how the human brain performs mathematical calculations is far from complete, but in recent years there have been many exciting breakthroughs by scientists all over the world. Now, in The Number Sense, Stanislas Dehaene offers a fascinating look at this recent research, in an enlightening exploration of the mathematical mind. Dehaene begins with the eye-opening discovery that animals--including rats, pigeons, raccoons, and chimpanzees--can perform simple mathematical calculations, and that human infants also have a rudimentary number sense. Dehaene suggests that this rudime

Human Mind Maps

Science.gov (United States)

Glass, Tom

2016-01-01

When students generate mind maps, or concept maps, the maps are usually on paper, computer screens, or a blackboard. Human Mind Maps require few resources and little preparation. The main requirements are space where students can move around and a little creativity and imagination. Mind maps can be used for a variety of purposes, and Human Mind…

Dispositional mindfulness and the wandering mind: Implications for attentional control in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Fountain-Zaragoza, Stephanie; Londerée, Allison; Whitmoyer, Patrick; Prakash, Ruchika Shaurya

2016-08-01

Age-related cognitive decline brings decreases in functional status. Dispositional mindfulness, the tendency towards present-moment attention, is hypothesized to correspond with enhanced attention, whereas mind-wandering may be detrimental to cognition. The relationships among mindfulness, task-related and task-unrelated thought, and attentional control performance on Go/No-Go and Continuous Performance tasks were examined in older adults. Dispositional mindfulness was negatively associated with task-unrelated thought and was positively associated with reactive control, but not proactive control or Go/No-Go performance. Although mind-wandering was not directly associated with performance, task-unrelated thought mediated the mindfulness-proactive control relation. Fewer task-unrelated thoughts were associated with lower proactive control. Interestingly, this effect was moderated by working memory such that it was present for those with low-average, but not high, working memory. This study highlights the importance of dispositional mindfulness and mind-wandering propensity in accounting for individual differences in attentional control in older adults, providing important targets for future cognitive remediation interventions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A mind you can count on: validating breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel B Levinson

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness practice of present moment awareness promises many benefits, but has eluded rigorous behavioral measurement. To date, research has relied on self-reported mindfulness or heterogeneous mindfulness trainings to infer skillful mindfulness practice and its effects. In four independent studies with over 400 total participants, we present the first construct validation of a behavioral measure of mindfulness, breath counting. We found it was reliable, correlated with self-reported mindfulness, differentiated long-term meditators from age-matched controls, and was distinct from sustained attention and working memory measures. In addition, we employed breath counting to test the nomological network of mindfulness. As theorized, we found skill in breath counting associated with more meta-awareness, less mind wandering, better mood, and greater nonattachment (i.e. less attentional capture by distractors formerly paired with reward. We also found in a randomized online training study that 4 weeks of breath counting training improved mindfulness and decreased mind wandering relative to working memory training and no training controls. Together, these findings provide the first evidence for breath counting as a behavioral measure of mindfulness.

Evaluating In-Car Movements in the Design of Mindful Commute Interventions: Exploratory Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paredes, Pablo Enrique; Hamdan, Nur Al-Huda; Clark, Dav; Cai, Carrie; Ju, Wendy; Landay, James A

2017-12-04

The daily commute could be a right moment to teach drivers to use movement or breath towards improving their mental health. Long commutes, the relevance of transitioning from home to work, and vice versa and the privacy of commuting by car make the commute an ideal scenario and time to perform mindful exercises safely. Whereas driving safety is paramount, mindful exercises might help commuters decrease their daily stress while staying alert. Increasing vehicle automation may present new opportunities but also new challenges. This study aimed to explore the design space for movement-based mindful interventions for commuters. We used qualitative analysis of simulated driving experiences in combination with simple movements to obtain key design insights. We performed a semistructured viability assessment in 2 parts. First, a think-aloud technique was used to obtain information about a driving task. Drivers (N=12) were given simple instructions to complete movements (configural or breath-based) while engaged in either simple (highway) or complex (city) simulated urban driving tasks using autonomous and manual driving modes. Then, we performed a matching exercise where participants could experience vibrotactile patterns from the back of the car seat and map them to the prior movements. We report a summary of individual perceptions concerning different movements and vibrotactile patterns. Beside describing situations within a drive when it may be more likely to perform movement-based interventions, we also describe movements that may interfere with driving and those that may complement it well. Furthermore, we identify movements that could be conducive to a more relaxing commute and describe vibrotactile patterns that could guide such movements and exercises. We discuss implications for design such as the influence of driving modality on the adoption of movement, need for personal customization, the influence that social perception has on participants, and the potential

Brain evolution and development: adaptation, allometry and constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Barton, Robert A.

2016-01-01

Phenotypic traits are products of two processes: evolution and development. But how do these processes combine to produce integrated phenotypes? Comparative studies identify consistent patterns of covariation, or allometries, between brain and body size, and between brain components, indicating the presence of significant constraints limiting independent evolution of separate parts. These constraints are poorly understood, but in principle could be either developmental or functional. The developmental constraints hypothesis suggests that individual components (brain and body size, or individual brain components) tend to evolve together because natural selection operates on relatively simple developmental mechanisms that affect the growth of all parts in a concerted manner. The functional constraints hypothesis suggests that correlated change reflects the action of selection on distributed functional systems connecting the different sub-components, predicting more complex patterns of mosaic change at the level of the functional systems and more complex genetic and developmental mechanisms. These hypotheses are not mutually exclusive but make different predictions. We review recent genetic and neurodevelopmental evidence, concluding that functional rather than developmental constraints are the main cause of the observed patterns. PMID:27629025

Mindfulness - en implicit utopi?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Maj

2014-01-01

The field of mindfulness and meditation has met growing interest in the western world during the last decades. Mindfulness aims to develop a friendly, accepting and mindful awareness in the present moment. Critiques have argued that this aim is deployed in a new kind of management technology where...... mindfulness is used for individualized stress-reduction in order to keep up with existing or worsened working conditions instead of stress-reducing changes in the common working conditions. Mindfulness research emphasizes positive outcomes in coping with demands and challenges in everyday life especially...... considering suffering (for example stress and pain). While explicit constructions of Utopia present ideas of specific societal communities in well-functioning harmony, the interest in mindfulness can in contradistinction be considered an implicit critique of present life-conditions and an “implicit utopia...

When Did Coloring Books Become Mindful? Exploring the Effectiveness of a Novel Method of Mindfulness-Guided Instructions for Coloring Books to Increase Mindfulness and Decrease Anxiety.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantzios, Michail; Giannou, Kyriaki

2018-01-01

Mindfulness has been associated with the use of coloring books for adults; however, the question of whether they do increase mindfulness has not been addressed. In two studies, we attempted to identify whether mindfulness is increased, and whether there is a need for ongoing guidance while coloring, similar to mindfulness meditation. In the first randomized controlled experiment, university students ( n = 88) were assigned to an unguided mandala coloring group (i.e., described in mainstream literature as a mindfulness practice) or to a free-drawing group. Measurements of state mindfulness and state anxiety were taken pre- and post- experiment. Results indicated no change in mindfulness or anxiety. In the second randomized controlled experiment, university students ( n = 72) were assigned to an unguided mandala coloring group (i.e., same as Experiment 1), or, to a mindfulness-guided coloring group (i.e., same as the unguided coloring group with a mindfulness practitioner guiding participants as in mindfulness breathing meditation, with instructions modified and applied to coloring). Results indicated that the mindfulness-guided mandala coloring group performed better in decreasing anxiety, but no change was observed in mindfulness. Exit interviews revealed that some participants did not like the voice guiding them while coloring, which suggested further differing and significant findings. While mindfulness-guided coloring appears promising, guidance or instructions on how to color mindfully may require further development and adjustment to enhance health and wellbeing.

Sigmoid colon volvulus immediately after ultrasound-guided simple ovarian cyst aspiration: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Firas Al-Rshoud

2017-03-01

Conclusion: Clinicians should bear in mind such complication(Sigmoid volvulus while draining a pelvic cyst as this procedure is adapted by some clinician as it is less invasive than surgical management of persistent simple ovarian cyst.

The Mind of Consciousness

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Human mind, often considered synonymous ... between the monoists who believe that mind ... mental process in its own right, as widespread ... real challenge for experimental scientists is to devise ... several books like "The Minds of Robots",.

Acute Effects of Online Mind-Body Skills Training on Resilience, Mindfulness, and Empathy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemper, Kathi J; Khirallah, Michael

2015-10-01

Some studies have begun to show benefits of brief in-person mind-body skills training. We evaluated the effects of 1-hour online elective mind-body skills training for health professionals on mindfulness, resilience, and empathy. Between May and November, 2014, we described enrollees for the most popular 1-hour modules in a new online mind-body skills training program; compared enrollees' baseline stress and burnout to normative samples; and assessed acute changes in mindfulness, resilience, and empathy. The 513 enrollees included dietitians, nurses, physicians, social workers, clinical trainees, and health researchers; about 1/4 were trainees. The most popular modules were the following: Introduction to Stress, Resilience, and the Relaxation Response (n = 261); Autogenic Training (n = 250); Guided Imagery and Hypnosis for Pain, Insomnia, and Changing Habits (n = 112); Introduction to Mindfulness (n = 112); and Mindfulness in Daily Life (n = 102). Initially, most enrollees met threshold criteria for burnout and reported moderate to high stress levels. Completing 1-hour modules was associated with significant acute improvements in stress (P training reaches diverse, stressed health professionals and is associated with acute improvements in stress, mindfulness, empathy, and resilience. Additional research is warranted to compare the long-term cost-effectiveness of different doses of online and in-person mind-body skills training for health professionals. © The Author(s) 2015.

Driving with the wandering mind: the effect that mind-wandering has on driving performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Yanko, Matthew R; Spalek, Thomas M

2014-03-01

The principal objective of the present work was to examine the effects of mind state (mind-wandering vs. on-task) on driving performance in a high-fidelity driving simulator. Mind-wandering is thought to interfere with goal-directed thought. It is likely, then, that when driving, mind-wandering might lead to impairments in critical aspects of driving performance. In two experiments, we assess the extent to which mind-wandering interferes with responsiveness to sudden events, mean velocity, and headway distance. Using a car-following procedure in a high-fidelity driving simulator, participants were probed at random times to indicate whether they were on-task at that moment or mind-wandering. The dependent measures were analyzed based on the participant's response to the probe. Compared to when on-task, when mind-wandering participants showed longer response times to sudden events, drove at a higher velocity, and maintained a shorter headway distance. Collectively, these findings indicate that mind-wandering affects a broad range of driving responses and may therefore lead to higher crash risk. The results suggest that situations that are likely associated with mind-wandering (e.g., route familiarity) can impair driving performance.

Mindfulness in cultural context.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirmayer, Laurence J

2015-08-01

Mindfulness meditation and other techniques drawn from Buddhism have increasingly been integrated into forms of psychotherapeutic intervention. In much of this work, mindfulness is understood as a mode of awareness that is present-centered and nonevaluative. This form of awareness is assumed to have intrinsic value in promoting positive mental health and adaptation by interrupting discursive thoughts that give rise to suffering. However, in the societies where it originated, mindfulness meditation is part of a larger system of Buddhist belief and practice with strong ethical and moral dimensions. Extracting techniques like mindfulness meditation from the social contexts in which they originate may change the nature and effects of the practice. The papers in this issue of Transcultural Psychiatry explore the implications of a cultural and contextual view of mindfulness for continued dialogue between Buddhist thought and psychiatry. This introductory essay considers the meanings of mindfulness meditation in cultural context and the uses of mindfulness as a therapeutic intervention in contemporary psychiatry and psychology. © The Author(s) 2015.

Whole mind and shared mind in clinical decision-making.

Science.gov (United States)

Epstein, Ronald Mark

2013-02-01

To review the theory, research evidence and ethical implications regarding "whole mind" and "shared mind" in clinical practice in the context of chronic and serious illnesses. Selective critical review of the intersection of classical and naturalistic decision-making theories, cognitive neuroscience, communication research and ethics as they apply to decision-making and autonomy. Decision-making involves analytic thinking as well as affect and intuition ("whole mind") and sharing cognitive and affective schemas of two or more individuals ("shared mind"). Social relationships can help processing of complex information that otherwise would overwhelm individuals' cognitive capacities. Medical decision-making research, teaching and practice should consider both analytic and non-analytic cognitive processes. Further, research should consider that decisions emerge not only from the individual perspectives of patients, their families and clinicians, but also the perspectives that emerge from the interactions among them. Social interactions have the potential to enhance individual autonomy, as well as to promote relational autonomy based on shared frames of reference. Shared mind has the potential to result in wiser decisions, greater autonomy and self-determination; yet, clinicians and patients should be vigilant for the potential of hierarchical relationships to foster coercion or silencing of the patient's voice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

When Did Coloring Books Become Mindful? Exploring the Effectiveness of a Novel Method of Mindfulness-Guided Instructions for Coloring Books to Increase Mindfulness and Decrease Anxiety

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michail Mantzios

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness has been associated with the use of coloring books for adults; however, the question of whether they do increase mindfulness has not been addressed. In two studies, we attempted to identify whether mindfulness is increased, and whether there is a need for ongoing guidance while coloring, similar to mindfulness meditation. In the first randomized controlled experiment, university students (n = 88 were assigned to an unguided mandala coloring group (i.e., described in mainstream literature as a mindfulness practice or to a free-drawing group. Measurements of state mindfulness and state anxiety were taken pre- and post- experiment. Results indicated no change in mindfulness or anxiety. In the second randomized controlled experiment, university students (n = 72 were assigned to an unguided mandala coloring group (i.e., same as Experiment 1, or, to a mindfulness-guided coloring group (i.e., same as the unguided coloring group with a mindfulness practitioner guiding participants as in mindfulness breathing meditation, with instructions modified and applied to coloring. Results indicated that the mindfulness-guided mandala coloring group performed better in decreasing anxiety, but no change was observed in mindfulness. Exit interviews revealed that some participants did not like the voice guiding them while coloring, which suggested further differing and significant findings. While mindfulness-guided coloring appears promising, guidance or instructions on how to color mindfully may require further development and adjustment to enhance health and wellbeing.

Mindfulness for unge

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Anne Maj

Undersøgelsen af, hvordan interventionsforløbet Mindfulness for unge virkede, er baseret på kvalitative interview med 24 elever i 9. klasse, som har deltaget i Mindfulness for unge i 8 uger. Resultater: Det fælles mindfulnessforløb i klassen har lært mange af eleverne at kunne bruge deres bevidste...... opmærksomhed til at forholde sig til deres situation, tilstand og muligheder, så de udvikler deres ressourcer i stedet for at blive fanget i afmagt og stress. Det er oplevelser og erfaringer med de praktiske mindfulness-øvelser, der har været særlig betydningsfuldt. Overordnet ser Mindfulness for unge ud til...... at kunne bidrage til at forebygge stress i skolen for en del elever, når mindfulness-instruktørens undervisning følges op og faciliteres af en mindfulnesspraktiserende lærer, der kender klassen og eleverne godt. Interesse og opbakning fra skolens ledelse og elevernes familier er også væsentligt...

Mindful innovation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olsen, Poul Bitsch

2008-01-01

Mindful innovation is an approach to innovation that pays attention to people's experience in an organization rather than to formal organization or social role.......Mindful innovation is an approach to innovation that pays attention to people's experience in an organization rather than to formal organization or social role....

A case of abdominal compartment syndrome derived from simple elongated sigmoid colon in an elderly man

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masaaki Shida

2016-01-01

Discussion and conclusion: Considering the increase in the aging population, we must bear in mind that abdominal compartment syndrome may occur in simple elongated sigmoid colon without other risk factors.

Lie algebras under constraints and nonbijective canonical transformations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kibler, M.; Winternitz, P.

1987-10-01

The concept of a Lie algebra under constraints is developed in connection with the theory of nonbijective canonical transformations. A finite dimensional vector space M, carrying a faithful linear representation of a Lie algebra L, is mapped into a lower dimensional space antiM in such a maner that a subalgebra L 0 of L is mapped into D(L 0 ) = 0. The Lie algebra L under the constraint D(L 0 ) = 0 is the largest subalgebra L 1 of L that can be represented faithfully on antiM. If L 0 is semi-simple, then L 1 is shown to be the centraliser cent L L 0 . If L is semi-simple and L 0 is an one-dimensional diagonal subalgebra of a Cartan subalgebra of L, then L 1 is shown to be the factor algebra cent L L 0 /L 0 . The latter two results are applied to nonbijective canonical transformations generalizing the Kustaanheimo-Stiefel transformation

When Traits Match States: Examining the Associations between Self-Report Trait and State Mindfulness following a State Mindfulness Induction.

Science.gov (United States)

Bravo, Adrian J; Pearson, Matthew R; Wilson, Adam D; Witkiewitz, Katie

2018-02-01

Previous research has found inconsistent relationships between trait mindfulness and state mindfulness. To extend previous research, we sought to examine the unique associations between self-report trait mindfulness and state mindfulness by levels of meditation experience (meditation-naïve vs. meditation-experienced) and by mindfulness induction (experimentally induced mindful state vs. control group). We recruited 299 college students (93 with previous mindfulness meditation experience) to participate in an experiment that involved the assessment of five facets of trait mindfulness (among other constructs), followed by a mindfulness induction (vs. control), followed by the assessment of state mindfulness of body and mind. Correlational analyses revealed limited associations between trait mindfulness facets and facets of state mindfulness, and demonstrated that a brief mindfulness exercise focused on bodily sensations and the breath elicited higher state mindfulness of body but not state mindfulness of mind. We found significant interactions such that individuals with previous meditation experience and higher scores on the observing facet of trait mindfulness had the highest levels of state mindfulness of body and mind. Among individuals with meditation experience, the strengths of the associations between observing trait mindfulness and the state mindfulness facets increased with frequency of meditation practice. Some other interactions ran counter to expectations. Overall, the relatively weak associations between trait and state mindfulness demonstrates the need to improve our operationalizations of mindfulness, advance our understanding of how to best cultivate mindfulness, and reappraise the ways in which mindfulness can manifest as a state and as a trait.

Trait Mindfulness and Cognitive Task Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emalee J. W. Quickel

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness meditation (MM training has been shown to have positive effects on working memory and focused attention tasks. Clarifying the construct of mindfulness is important so that mindfulness can be studied effectively in individual differences and cognition research. The current study tested whether trait mindfulness alone explains any of the variability on task performance. Five commonly used mindfulness scales, as well as six standardized and experimental attention and working memory tasks were administered to 164 participants with no meditation experience. Confirmatory factor analysis found that the common variance denoted by measures of trait mindfulness is unrelated to the common variance among tasks requiring focused attention. These results indicate that mindfulness scales may not be capturing the attentional aspects of mindfulness. Individuals who score high on mindfulness scales do not perform better on focused attention tasks than those who score lower on mindfulness scales. These results have implications for defining and operationalizing mindfulness.

Fundamental constraints on some event data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, I.A.

1986-01-01

A modified version of Searle's theory of the structure of human action has been explained and applied to man machine interaction. The comprehensiveness of the theory has been demonstrated, in particular its explanation of human performance and that its consistency with current theories of human error for which it provides an overall setting. The importance of the mental component of human error is highlighted and the constraints that this puts on the collection analysis and use of human error data. Examples have been given to illustrate and apply the theory ranging from considerations of the tenuousness of the link between safety goals and data to simple valve operations. Two approaches which recognise the constraints shown by the theory have been explained. (orig./DG)

Spherical cows in the sky with fab four

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaloper, Nemanja; Sandora, McCullen, E-mail: kaloper@physics.ucdavis.edu, E-mail: mesandora@ucdavis.edu [Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616 (United States)

2014-05-01

We explore spherically symmetric static solutions in a subclass of unitary scalar-tensor theories of gravity, called the 'Fab Four' models. The weak field large distance solutions may be phenomenologically viable, but only if the Gauss-Bonnet term is negligible. Only in this limit will the Vainshtein mechanism work consistently. Further, classical constraints and unitarity bounds constrain the models quite tightly. Nevertheless, in the limits where the range of individual terms at large scales is respectively Kinetic Braiding, Horndeski, and Gauss-Bonnet, the horizon scale effects may occur while the theory satisfies Solar system constraints and, marginally, unitarity bounds. On the other hand, to bring the cutoff down to below a millimeter constrains all the couplings scales such that 'Fab Fours' can't be heard outside of the Solar system.

Are you mind-wandering, or is your mind on task? The effect of probe framing on mind-wandering reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Weinstein, Yana; De Lima, Henry J; van der Zee, Tim

2018-04-01

The last decade has seen a dramatic rise in the number of studies that utilize the probe-caught method of collecting mind-wandering reports. This method involves stopping participants during a task, presenting them with a thought probe, and asking them to choose the appropriate report option to describe their thought-state. In this experiment we manipulated the framing of this probe, and demonstrated a substantial difference in mind-wandering reports as a function of whether the probe was presented in a mind-wandering frame compared with an on-task frame. This framing effect has implications both for interpretations of existing data and for methodological choices made by researchers who use the probe-caught mind-wandering paradigm.

Is There a Dark Side to Mindfulness? Relation of Mindfulness to Criminogenic Cognitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Tangney, June P; Dobbins, Ashley E; Stuewig, Jeffrey B; Schrader, Shannon W

2017-10-01

In recent years, mindfulness-based interventions have been modified for use with inmate populations, but how this might relate to specific criminogenic cognitions has not been examined empirically. Theoretically, characteristics of mindfulness should be incompatible with distorted patterns of criminal thinking, but is this in fact the case? Among both 259 male jail inmates and 516 undergraduates, mindfulness was inversely related to the Criminogenic Cognitions Scale (CCS) through a latent variable of emotion regulation. However, in the jail sample, this mediational model also showed a direct, positive path from mindfulness to CCS, with an analogous, but nonsignificant trend in the college sample. Post hoc analyses indicate that the Nonjudgment of Self scale derived from the Mindfulness Inventory: Nine Dimensions (MI:ND) largely accounts for this apparently iatrogenic effect in both samples. Some degree of self-judgment is perhaps necessary and useful, especially among individuals involved in the criminal justice system.

Hysteresis modeling based on saturation operator without constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Y.W.; Seok, Y.T.; Park, H.J.; Chung, J.Y.

2007-01-01

This paper proposes a simple way to model complex hysteresis in a magnetostrictive actuator by employing the saturation operators without constraints. Having no constraints causes a singularity problem, i.e. the inverse matrix cannot be obtained during calculating the weights. To overcome it, a pseudoinverse concept is introduced. Simulation results are compared with the experimental data, based on a Terfenol-D actuator. It is clear that the proposed model is much closer to the experimental data than the modified PI model. The relative error is calculated as 12% and less than 1% with the modified PI Model and proposed model, respectively

Differences in the Theory of Mind profiles of patients with anorexia nervosa and individuals on the autism spectrum: A meta-analytic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Leppanen, Jenni; Sedgewick, Felicity; Treasure, Janet; Tchanturia, Kate

2018-07-01

This meta-analytic review examines the theory of mind profiles in both patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and autistic individuals. The studies examining theory of mind were divided into the following categories: emotional theory of mind, understanding simple social situations, understanding complex social interactions, and implicit social attribution. All included studies investigated differences between healthy control (HCs) individuals and people with AN or autistic people. Differences in theory of mind profile between people with AN and autistic people were explored by conducting moderator analyses. People with AN and autistic people showed a similar theory of mind profile, but autistic individuals showed greater difficulties, particularly in emotional theory of mind. Although both people with AN and autistic people have significant difficulties in all aspects of theory of mind relative to the HCs, some differences in the underlying profile may be present. However, due to relative paucity of theory of mind research among people with AN, further research is still needed before firm conclusion can be drawn. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Relation between Executive Function and Theory of Mind Is More than Skin Deep

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Stephanie M.; Claxton, Laura J.; Moses, Louis J.

2015-01-01

A simple "expression" account of the relation between executive function (EF) and children's developing theory of mind (ToM) has difficulty accounting for the generality of the changes occurring in children's mental-state understanding during the preschool years. The current study of preschool children (N = 43) showed that EF--especially…

Investigation of the Relationship of Mindfulness with Psychological Well-being: The Role of Strategic Engagement Regulation and Self-Esteem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sirus Alipoor

2018-02-01

Full Text Available This study was aimed to investigate the relationship of mindfulness with psychological well-being with mediating investigating the mediating role of strategic engagement regulation and self-esteem. For this purpose, 211female student’s resident in dormitories of Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz were selected using simple random sampling method. They were asked to complete Ryff Psychological Well-being Scale (RPWS, Strategic Engagement Regulation Scale (SERS, Mindfulness Five-Factor Inventory (MFFI and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES. After collecting the data, structural equation modelling was used to test the proposed model and hypothesis as well. The results showed that mindfulness was significantly and positively related to psychological well-being, strategic engagement regulation and self-esteem. Also, mindfulness through strategic engagement regulation is affected on self-esteem and psychological well-being. These findings implied that mindful persons probably were capable to maintain their self-esteem with challenging and threating situations and hence, they tend to have more psychological well-being.

Mindful parenting in mental health care

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bogels, S.M.; Lehtonen, A.; Restifo, K.

2010-01-01

Mindfulness is a form of meditation based on the Buddhist tradition, which has been used over the last two decades to successfully treat a multitude of mental health problems. Bringing mindfulness into parenting ("mindful parenting") is one of the applications of mindfulness. Mindful parenting

Constraint Logic Programming for Resolution of Relative Time Expressions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Henning

2014-01-01

Translating time expression into absolute time points or durations is a challenge for natural languages processing such as text mining and text understanding in general. We present a constraint logic language CLP(Time) tailored to text usages concerned with time and calendar. It provides a simple...... and flexible formalism to express relationships between different time expressions in a text, thereby giving a recipe for resolving them into absolute time. A constraint solver is developed which, as opposed to some earlier approaches, is independent of the order in which temporal information is introduced...

El VII Congrés Internacional de Conflictologia desentrella la complexitat de les operacions de pau des d’UNITAR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduard Vinyamata

2014-11-01

Full Text Available

«En parlar de les Nacions Unides, ens ve al cap la imatge dels cascos blaus, però les operacions de pau són més complexes i impliquen molta gent: militars, policia, diplomàtics i societat civil.» Ho va afirmar Sally Fegan-Wyles, la subsecretària general de les Nacions Unides i cap de l’Institut de les Nacions Unides per a la Formació Professional i la Recerca (UNITAR, en la inauguració del VII Congrés Internacional de Conflictologia i Pau de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC, que va tenir lloc els dies 2 i 3 d’octubre. Aquesta professional del desenvolupament va explicar l’impacte que té la formació sobre resolució de conflictes en el manteniment de la pau i la seguretat al món. En aquest esdeveniment, organitzat pel Campus per la Pau i els Estudis de Dret i Ciència Política de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Sally Fegan-Wyles va destacar el fet que les intervencions de pau que porten a terme les Nacions Unides han canviat de naturalesa, com també ho han fet els conflictes, amb l’aparició de les armes lleugeres i les tàctiques de guerrilla. Segons la directora d’UNITAR, «hem passat de l’acord de pau a un procés multidimensional, que implica tant la societat civil del país en conflicte com el cos diplomàtic i polític, i les tropes militars».

Unauthorized Minds: How "Theory of Mind" Theory Misrepresents Autism

Science.gov (United States)

Smukler, David

2005-01-01

Recent representations of autism frequently include an assumption that autism is the result of a "theory of mind" deficit (i.e., an inability to understand others' mental states). This notion is examined using a social constructionist perspective. The belief that autism is a sort of "mind-blindness" has much in common with earlier representations…

8 Questions About the Conscious Mind

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dooremalen, A.J.P.W.

Can the mind function separately from the brain? Can machines have conscious minds? Is Google Maps part of the conscious mind? Hans Dooremalen provides answers to these three and five other questions about the conscious mind in an easy to read introduction to the philosophy of mind.

The neurotic wandering mind: An individual differences investigation of neuroticism, mind-wandering, and executive control.

Science.gov (United States)

Robison, Matthew K; Gath, Katherine I; Unsworth, Nash

2017-04-01

Cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience have recently developed a keen interest in the phenomenon of mind-wandering. People mind-wander frequently, and mind-wandering is associated with decreased cognitive performance. But why do people mind-wander so much? Previous investigations have focused on cognitive abilities like working memory capacity and attention control. But an individual's tendency to worry, feel anxious, and entertain personal concerns also influences mind-wandering. The Control Failure × Concerns model of mind-wandering. Psychological Bulletin, 136, 188-197] argues that individual differences in the propensity to mind-wander are jointly determined by cognitive abilities and by the presence of personally salient concerns that intrude on task focus. In order to test this model, we investigated individual differences in mind-wandering, executive attention, and personality with a focus on neuroticism. The results showed that neurotic individuals tended to report more mind-wandering during cognitive tasks, lower working memory capacity, and poorer attention control. Thus the trait of neuroticism adds an additional source of variance in the tendency to mind-wander, which offers support for the Control Failure × Concerns model. The results help bridge the fields of clinical psychology, cognitive psychology, affective neuroscience, and cognitive neuroscience as a means of developing a more complete understanding of the complex relationship between cognition, personality, and emotion.

Minding the close relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, J H; Omarzu, J

1997-01-01

In this theoretical analysis, we argue that a process referred to as minding is essential for a couple to feel mutually close and satisfied in a close relationship over a long period Minding represents a package of mutual self-disclosure, other forms of goal-oriented behavior aimed at facilitating the relationship, and attributions about self's and other's motivations, intentions, and Mort in the relationship. Self-disclosure and attribution activities in minding are aimed at getting to know the other, trying to understand the other's motivations and deeper disposition as they pertain to the relationship, and showing respect and acceptance for knowledge gained about other. We link the concept of minding to other major ideas and literatures about how couples achieve closeness: self-disclosure and social penetration, intimacy, empathy and empathic accuracy, and love and self-expansion. We argue that the minding process articulated here has not previously been delineated and that it is a useful composite notion about essential steps in bonding among humans. We also argue that the minding concept stretches our understanding of the interface of attribution and close relationships. We present research possibilities and implications and consider possible alternative positions and counter arguments about the merits of the minding idea for close relationship satisfaction.

Constraints on WIMP masses and interactions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enqvist, K.

1991-01-01

It is shown that cosmology, experiments and unitarity considerations limit the mass and coupling g' of a generic, heavy WIMP from the above as well as from the below. There are absolute lower limits of 4x10 -5 g and 6x10 -5 g for the couplings of Diracn and Majorana WIMPs, respectively. In U(1)' models cosmology implies an upper limit of about 1 TeV on the Z' and on the WIMP masses, but only in the absence of Z-Z' mixing. (orig.)

Mindfulness and mood stimulate each other in an upward spiral: a mindful walking intervention using experience sampling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.A. Gotink (Rinske); Hermans, K.S.F.M. (Karlijn S.F.M.); Geschwind, N. (Nicole); De Nooij, R. (Reinier); De Groot, W.T. (Wouter T.); A.E.M. Speckens (Anne)

2016-01-01

textabstractThe aim of this study was to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of mindful walking in nature as a possible means to maintain mindfulness skills after a mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) or mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) course. Mindful walking alongside the

How to determine all the angles of the unitarity triangle from Bd0 → DKS and Bs0 → Dφ

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gronau, M.; London, D.

1990-10-01

We consider within the standard model the time-dependent decay rates of the three processes B d 0 → D 0 Ks.anti D 0 Ks and D 1 0 Ks, where D 1 0 is a neutral D meson CP-eigenstate. We show that it is possible to derive from these processes, in which two weak amplitudes are involved, two of the three angles in the unitarity triangle of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa matrix. The third angle can be determined from B s 0 → DΦ. All three angles are obtained free of hadronic final-state uncertainties. (orig.)

Does change in self-reported mindfulness mediate the clinical benefits of mindfulness training? A controlled study using the French translation of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire

OpenAIRE

Heeren, Alexandre; Deplus, Sandrine; Peschard, Virginie; Nef, François; Kotsou, Ilios; Dierickx, Christophe; Mondillon, Laurie; Robinaugh, Donald J.; Philippot, Pierre

2015-01-01

Mindfulness training improves mental health and psychological functioning. Although several questionnaires have been developed to measure mindfulness, the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) is currently one of the most widely used scales. However, uncertainty remains about wheth- er the effects of mindfulness training can be unambiguously attributed to change in self-reported mindfulness. The present study was designed to answer three major questions: First, relative to a wait-list g...

Unified Singularity Modeling and Reconfiguration of 3rTPS Metamorphic Parallel Mechanisms with Parallel Constraint Screws

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yufeng Zhuang

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a unified singularity modeling and reconfiguration analysis of variable topologies of a class of metamorphic parallel mechanisms with parallel constraint screws. The new parallel mechanisms consist of three reconfigurable rTPS limbs that have two working phases stemming from the reconfigurable Hooke (rT joint. While one phase has full mobility, the other supplies a constraint force to the platform. Based on these, the platform constraint screw systems show that the new metamorphic parallel mechanisms have four topologies by altering the limb phases with mobility change among 1R2T (one rotation with two translations, 2R2T, and 3R2T and mobility 6. Geometric conditions of the mechanism design are investigated with some special topologies illustrated considering the limb arrangement. Following this and the actuation scheme analysis, a unified Jacobian matrix is formed using screw theory to include the change between geometric constraints and actuation constraints in the topology reconfiguration. Various singular configurations are identified by analyzing screw dependency in the Jacobian matrix. The work in this paper provides basis for singularity-free workspace analysis and optimal design of the class of metamorphic parallel mechanisms with parallel constraint screws which shows simple geometric constraints with potential simple kinematics and dynamics properties.

First determination of the quark mixing matrix element $V_{tb}$ from electroweak corrections to Z decays and implications for CKM matrix unitarity

CERN Document Server

Swain, J D

1999-01-01

We present a new method for the determination of the Cabibbo- Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix element V/sub tb/ from electroweak loop corrections, in particular those affecting the process Z to bb. From a combined analysis of results from the LEP, SLC, Tevatron, and neutrino scattering experiments we determine V /sub tb/=0.77/sub -0.24//sup +18/. We comment briefly on the implications of this measurement for the mass of the top quark and Higgs boson, alpha /sub s/, and CKM unitarity. (19 refs).

Cultivate Mindfulness: A Case Study of Mindful Learning in an English as a Foreign Language Classroom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Wang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available This case study investigated how the use of mindfulness affected college English as a foreign language (EFL students learning and how mindful learning strategies supported their learning of English. Mindful learning considers the students’ abilities to be aware, perceive and conceive. Mindfulness results in an increase in competence, memory, creativity, and positive affect based on the previous studies. In this study, 24 undergraduate freshmen participated at a Northeastern University in China. The data collection included those undergraduates’ pre-surveys, post-surveys, work samples, the instructor’s observation notes and the researcher’s reflective journal entries. This practice found that by engaging in mindful strategies, EFL students took ownership of their learning in the following ways: students built and became aware of a comfortable learning environment in their classroom through mindfulness; mindful writing helped students generate new thoughts and become aware of their thinking; mindfulness facilitated their learning process, cultivated creativity and intelligence; mindful cooperative learning provided students with an opportunity to discover their awareness, learn from others, reflect and think critically.

Three level constraints on conformal field theories and string models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewellen, D.C.

1989-05-01

Simple tree level constraints for conformal field theories which follow from the requirement of crossing symmetry of four-point amplitudes are presented, and their utility for probing general properties of string models is briefly illustrated and discussed. 9 refs

Steering Your Mysterious Mind

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prasad, Ramjee

Steering the Mysterious Mind, describes a unique, novel concept for a way to gain control of your mind. The five basic elements of human life, that is; Creativity, Content­ment, Confidence, Calmness, and Concentration (C5) have been introduced in my previous book Unlock Your Personalization. Posi....... Compare it with going to the gym where you work on the physical body. In the same way as with arms and legs, the mind is a mus­cle which you exercise through C5 practice. Steering the mind on your personal goal will help you to be creative....

Mindfulness y creatividad

OpenAIRE

Palau Valero, Vicente

2015-01-01

Treball Final de Grau en Psicologia. Codi: PS1048. Curs acadèmic 2014-2015 Este trabajo realiza una revisión bibliográfica sobre el efecto que ejerce la práctica del mindfulness sobre el pensamiento creativo. Después de explicar y contextualizar los conceptos de mindfulness y creatividad, se analizarán las variables de tipo afectivo que esperamos afecten a la creatividad influidas por el mindfulness, como son la emoción, bienestar, afecto, personalidad, estrés, ansiedad y atención. Estas v...

Minding Your Matters: Predicting Satisfaction, Commitment, and Conflict Strategies From Trait Mindfulness

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacquelyn Harvey Knowles

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This exploratory study sought to uncover whether trait mindfulness, an individual’s aptitude for focusing on the present moment while refraining from passing negative judgments or processing external cues in a habitual manner, is predictive of more constructive and less destructive approaches to relational conflict. In addition, we looked at its predictive role in relational satisfaction and commitment. Ninety-one participants completed self-report measures on trait mindfulness, relational satisfaction, commitment, and conflict strategies. Results revealed that aspects of mindfulness predict the type of conflict strategy in which people reportedly engage. Mindfulness subscales were also related positively to satisfaction and commitment. In concluding, we discuss limitations and potential avenues for future inquiry in this area.

PHYSICS OF THE MIND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonid Perlovsky

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Is it possible to turn psychology into hard science? Physics of the mind follows the fundamental methodology of physics in all areas where physics have been developed. What is common among Newtonian mechanics, statistical physics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, theory of relativity, astrophysics... and a theory of superstrings? The common among all areas of physics is a methodology of physics discussed in the first few lines of the paper. Is physics of the mind possible? Is it possible to describe the mind based on the few first principles as physics does? The mind with its variabilities and uncertainties, the mind from perception and elementary cognition to emotions and abstract ideas, to high cognition. Is it possible to turn psychology and neuroscience into hard sciences? The paper discusses established first principles of the mind, their mathematical formulations, and a mathematical model of the mind derived from these first principles, mechanisms of concepts, emotions, instincts, behavior, language, cognition, intuitions, conscious and unconscious, abilities for symbols, functions of the beautiful and musical emotions in cognition and evolution. Some of the theoretical predictions have been experimentally confirmed. This research won national and international awards. In addition to summarizing existing results the paper describes new development theoretical and experimental. The paper discusses unsolved theoretical problems as well as experimental challenges for future research.

Physics of the Mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Perlovsky, Leonid I

2016-01-01

Is it possible to turn psychology into "hard science"? Physics of the mind follows the fundamental methodology of physics in all areas where physics have been developed. What is common among Newtonian mechanics, statistical physics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, theory of relativity, astrophysics… and a theory of superstrings? The common among all areas of physics is a methodology of physics discussed in the first few lines of the paper. Is physics of the mind possible? Is it possible to describe the mind based on the few first principles as physics does? The mind with its variabilities and uncertainties, the mind from perception and elementary cognition to emotions and abstract ideas, to high cognition. Is it possible to turn psychology and neuroscience into "hard" sciences? The paper discusses established first principles of the mind, their mathematical formulations, and a mathematical model of the mind derived from these first principles, mechanisms of concepts, emotions, instincts, behavior, language, cognition, intuitions, conscious and unconscious, abilities for symbols, functions of the beautiful and musical emotions in cognition and evolution. Some of the theoretical predictions have been experimentally confirmed. This research won national and international awards. In addition to summarizing existing results the paper describes new development theoretical and experimental. The paper discusses unsolved theoretical problems as well as experimental challenges for future research.

Mindful movement and skilled attention

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Dav; Schumann, Frank; Mostofsky, Stewart H.

2015-01-01

Bodily movement has long been employed as a foundation for cultivating mental skills such as attention, self-control or mindfulness, with recent studies documenting the positive impacts of mindful movement training, such as yoga and tai chi. A parallel “mind-body connection” has also been observed in many developmental disorders. We elaborate a spectrum of mindfulness by considering ADHD, in which deficient motor control correlates with impaired (disinhibited) behavioral control contributing to defining features of excessive distractibility and impulsivity. These data provide evidence for an important axis of variation for wellbeing, in which skillful cognitive control covaries with a capacity for skillful movement. We review empirical and theoretical literature on attention, cognitive control, mind wandering, mindfulness and skill learning, endorsing a model of skilled attention in which motor plans, attention, and executive goals are seen as mutually co-defining aspects of skilled behavior that are linked by reciprocal inhibitory and excitatory connections. Thus, any movement training should engage “higher-order” inhibition and selection and develop a repertoire of rehearsed procedures that coordinate goals, attention and motor plans. However, we propose that mindful movement practice may improve the functional quality of rehearsed procedures, cultivating a transferrable skill of attention. We adopt Langer’s spectrum of mindful learning that spans from “mindlessness” to engagement with the details of the present task and contrast this with the mental attitudes cultivated in standard mindfulness meditation. We particularly follow Feldenkrais’ suggestion that mindful learning of skills for organizing the body in movement might transfer to other forms of mental activity. The results of mindful movement training should be observed in multiple complementary measures, and may have tremendous potential benefit for individuals with ADHD and other

Mindful Movement and Skilled Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dav eClark

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Bodily movement has long been employed as a foundation for cultivating mental skills such as attention, self-control or mindfulness, with recent studies documenting the positive impacts of mindful movement training, such as yoga and tai chi. A parallel mind-body connection has also been observed in many developmental disorders. We elaborate a spectrum of mindfulness by considering ADHD, in which deficient motor control correlates with impaired (disinhibited behavioral control contributing to defining features of excessive distractibility and impulsivity. These data provide evidence for an important axis of variation for wellbeing, in which skillful cognitive control covaries with a capacity for skillful movement. We review empirical and theoretical literature on attention, cognitive control, mind wandering, mindfulness and skill learning, endorsing a model of skilled attention in which motor plans, attention, and executive goals are seen as mutually co-defining aspects of skilled behavior that are linked by reciprocal inhibitory and excitatory connections. Thus, any movement training should engage higher-order inhibition and selection and develop a repertoire of rehearsed procedures that coordinate goals, attention and motor plans. However, we propose that mindful movement practice may improve the functional quality of rehearsed procedures, cultivating a transferrable skill of attention. We adopt Langer’s spectrum of mindful learning that spans from mindlessness to engagement with the details of the present task and contrast this with the mental attitudes cultivated in standard mindfulness meditation. We particularly follow Feldenkrais’ suggestion that mindful learning of skills for organizing the body in movement might transfer to other forms of mental activity. The results of mindful movement training should be observed in multiple complementary measures, and may have tremendous potential benefit for individuals with ADHD and other

Theory of mind-based action in high-functioning children from the autistic spectrum [IF 2.1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Begeer, S.; Rieffe, C.J.; Meerum Terwogt, M.; Stockmann, L.

2003-01-01

In this study we investigated whether task interest facilitated the application of Theory of Mind capacities in high-functioning children from the autism spectrum. Children were invited to carry out two simple tasks. Sabotage of both tasks by a third party resulted in the experimenter appearing to

Mindfulness for Singers: The Effects of a Targeted Mindfulness Course on Learning Vocal Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Czajkowski, Anne-Marie L.; Greasley, Alinka E.

2015-01-01

This paper reports the development and implementation of a unique Mindfulness for Singers (MfS) course designed to improve singers' vocal technique. Eight university students completed the intervention. Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) scores showed general improvement across all five facets of mindfulness. Qualitative results showed…

Cultivate Mindfulness: A Case Study of Mindful Learning in an English as a Foreign Language Classroom

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yang; Liu, Chao

2016-01-01

This case study investigated how the use of mindfulness affected college English as a foreign language (EFL) students' learning and how mindful learning strategies supported their learning of English. Mindful learning considers the students' abilities to be aware, perceive and conceive. Mindfulness results in an increase in competence, memory,…

Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia

Science.gov (United States)

Emerson, Nichole M.; Farris, Suzan R.; Ray, Jenna N.; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G.; Coghill, Robert C.

2015-01-01

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p Mindfulness meditation reduced pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p Mindfulness meditation also reduced pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain

Enhancing cognitive and social-emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Schonert-Reichl, Kimberly A; Oberle, Eva; Lawlor, Molly Stewart; Abbott, David; Thomson, Kimberly; Oberlander, Tim F; Diamond, Adele

2015-01-01

The authors hypothesized that a social and emotional learning (SEL) program involving mindfulness and caring for others, designed for elementary school students, would enhance cognitive control, reduce stress, promote well-being and prosociality, and produce positive school outcomes. To test this hypothesis, 4 classes of combined 4th and 5th graders (N = 99) were randomly assigned to receive the SEL with mindfulness program versus a regular social responsibility program. Measures assessed executive functions (EFs), stress physiology via salivary cortisol, well-being (self-reports), prosociality and peer acceptance (peer reports), and math grades. Relative to children in the social responsibility program, children who received the SEL program with mindfulness (a) improved more in their cognitive control and stress physiology; (b) reported greater empathy, perspective-taking, emotional control, optimism, school self-concept, and mindfulness, (c) showed greater decreases in self-reported symptoms of depression and peer-rated aggression, (d) were rated by peers as more prosocial, and (e) increased in peer acceptance (or sociometric popularity). The results of this investigation suggest the promise of this SEL intervention and address a lacuna in the scientific literature-identifying strategies not only to ameliorate children's problems but also to cultivate their well-being and thriving. Directions for future research are discussed.

Mind-ception: Investigating the relationship between theory of mind and decision making

OpenAIRE

Ahamed, Hassan; Kurczek, Jake

2016-01-01

Ahamed, H., & Kurczek, J. (2016, April). Mind-ception: Investigating the relationship between theory of mind and decision making. Poster Presentation at the 31st Annual LVAIC Undergraduate Psychology Conference. Bethlehem, PA. •  Much of our decision making (DM) requires either direct or indirect considerations of others’ thoughts (McCubbins, et al., 2012). •  Theory of Mind (ToM – the capacity to infer the thoughts/intentions of others) is an abi...

[Neurosciences and philosophy of mind].

Science.gov (United States)

Saal, Aarón

2005-01-01

In this paper we argue that the interaction between neurosciences and philosophy of the mind is on the way to understand consciousness, and to solve the mind-body or mind-brain problem. Naturalism is the view that mental processes are just brain processes and that consciousness is a natural phenomenon. It is possible to construct a theory about its nature by blending insights from neuroscience, philosophy of the mind, phenomenology, psychology and evolutionary biology.

Meditation experts try Virtual Reality Mindfulness: A pilot study evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of Virtual Reality to facilitate mindfulness practice in people attending a Mindfulness conference.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro-Haro, María V; López-Del-Hoyo, Yolanda; Campos, Daniel; Linehan, Marsha M; Hoffman, Hunter G; García-Palacios, Azucena; Modrego-Alarcón, Marta; Borao, Luis; García-Campayo, Javier

2017-01-01

Regular mindfulness practice benefits people both mentally and physically, but many populations who could benefit do not practice mindfulness. Virtual Reality (VR) is a new technology that helps capture participants' attention and gives users the illusion of "being there" in the 3D computer generated environment, facilitating sense of presence. By limiting distractions from the real world, increasing sense of presence and giving people an interesting place to go to practice mindfulness, Virtual Reality may facilitate mindfulness practice. Traditional Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT®) mindfulness skills training was specifically designed for clinical treatment of people who have trouble focusing attention, however severe patients often show difficulties or lack of motivation to practice mindfulness during the training. The present pilot study explored whether a sample of mindfulness experts would find useful and recommend a new VR Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT®) mindfulness skills training technique and whether they would show any benefit. Forty four participants attending a mindfulness conference put on an Oculus Rift DK2 Virtual Reality helmet and floated down a calm 3D computer generated virtual river while listening to digitized DBT® mindfulness skills training instructions. On subjective questionnaires completed by the participants before and after the VR DBT® mindfulness skills training session, participants reported increases/improvements in state of mindfulness, and reductions in negative emotional states. After VR, participants reported significantly less sadness, anger, and anxiety, and reported being significantly more relaxed. Participants reported a moderate to strong illusion of going inside the 3D computer generated world (i.e., moderate to high "presence" in VR) and showed high acceptance of VR as a technique to practice mindfulness. These results show encouraging preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of using VR to

Pedagogical tools to explore Cartesian mind-body dualism in the classroom: philosophical arguments and neuroscience illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Scott; Hamilton, Trevor J

2015-01-01

A fundamental discussion in lower-level undergraduate neuroscience and psychology courses is Descartes's "radical" or "mind-body" dualism. According to Descartes, our thinking mind, the res cogitans, is separate from the body as physical matter or substance, the res extensa. Since the transmission of sensory stimuli from the body to the mind is a physical capacity shared with animals, it can be confused, misled, or uncertain (e.g., bodily senses imply that ice and water are different substances). True certainty thus arises from within the mind and its capacity to doubt physical stimuli. Since this doubting mind is a thinking thing that is distinct from bodily stimuli, truth and certainty are reached through the doubting mind as cogito ergo sum, or the certainty of itself as it thinks: hence Descartes's famous maxim, I think, therefore I am. However, in the last century of Western philosophy, with nervous system investigation, and with recent advances in neuroscience, the potential avenues to explore student's understanding of the epistemology and effects of Cartesian mind-body dualism has expanded. This article further explores this expansion, highlighting pedagogical practices and tools instructors can use to enhance a psychology student's understanding of Cartesian dualistic epistemology, in order to think more critically about its implicit assumptions and effects on learning. It does so in two ways: first, by offering instructors an alternative philosophical perspective to dualistic thinking: a mind-body holism that is antithetical to the assumed binaries of dualistic epistemology. Second, it supplements this philosophical argument with a practical component: simple mind-body illusions that instructors may use to demonstrate contrary epistemologies to students. Combining these short philosophical and neuroscience arguments thereby acts as a pedagogical tool to open new conceptual spaces within which learning may occur.

Pedagogical tools to explore Cartesian mind-body dualism in the classroom: philosophical arguments and neuroscience illusions

Science.gov (United States)

Hamilton, Scott; Hamilton, Trevor J.

2015-01-01

A fundamental discussion in lower-level undergraduate neuroscience and psychology courses is Descartes’s “radical” or “mind-body” dualism. According to Descartes, our thinking mind, the res cogitans, is separate from the body as physical matter or substance, the res extensa. Since the transmission of sensory stimuli from the body to the mind is a physical capacity shared with animals, it can be confused, misled, or uncertain (e.g., bodily senses imply that ice and water are different substances). True certainty thus arises from within the mind and its capacity to doubt physical stimuli. Since this doubting mind is a thinking thing that is distinct from bodily stimuli, truth and certainty are reached through the doubting mind as cogito ergo sum, or the certainty of itself as it thinks: hence Descartes’s famous maxim, I think, therefore I am. However, in the last century of Western philosophy, with nervous system investigation, and with recent advances in neuroscience, the potential avenues to explore student’s understanding of the epistemology and effects of Cartesian mind-body dualism has expanded. This article further explores this expansion, highlighting pedagogical practices and tools instructors can use to enhance a psychology student’s understanding of Cartesian dualistic epistemology, in order to think more critically about its implicit assumptions and effects on learning. It does so in two ways: first, by offering instructors an alternative philosophical perspective to dualistic thinking: a mind-body holism that is antithetical to the assumed binaries of dualistic epistemology. Second, it supplements this philosophical argument with a practical component: simple mind-body illusions that instructors may use to demonstrate contrary epistemologies to students. Combining these short philosophical and neuroscience arguments thereby acts as a pedagogical tool to open new conceptual spaces within which learning may occur. PMID:26321981

Mind Your Risks

Science.gov (United States)

... ZIP 223KB Social Media Graphics Download .ZIP 293KB Social Media Graphics CAMPAIGN RESOURCES: SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Mind Your Risks® (MYR) ... ZIP 360KB Social Media Graphics Download .ZIP 433KB Social Media Graphics CAMPAIGN RESOURCES: SOCIAL MEDIA GRAPHICS Mind Your Risks® (MYR) ...

For Me It Was When I Saw a Simple Chart: Former Climate Contrarians Recount What Changed Their Minds

Science.gov (United States)

Kirk, K. B.

2017-12-01

Efforts to advance climate policy in the US have been hindered by a sector of the public that is reluctant to accept the science of anthropogenic climate change. Climate educators, advocates, and policymakers seek to resolve this roadblock through educational efforts and strategic messaging, while social science research strives to understand the causes of resistance on climate change. A discussion on the social media platform, AskReddit, offered a surprising source of insight when a tantalizing question was posed, "Former climate deniers, what changed your mind?" Responses to the query offered a rare glimpse into the process of how people switched camps, outgrew their parents' values, had transformative experiences, or were worn down by mounting scientific evidence. The posts contained 66 examples of people who were initially uncertain or dismissive of climate change, but came to accept the mainstream science. The commenters provided insightful narratives describing the origins of their skeptical beliefs, the rationales for their changing opinions, and the events that caused them to reverse course. Analysis of the comments revealed the primary reasons that influenced people to change their minds. Those were: science and evidence (cited as a factor in 47% of the comments); stewardship for the Earth and concerns about pollution (29%); unusual weather events (21%); and the untrustworthiness of the messengers who claim that climate change is false (17%). Note that several commenters pointed to more than one factor that contributed to their evolving views. While neither the setting nor the sample size allow a robust scientific analysis, these anecdotal accounts offer useful insights on a vexing problem. Learning about the circumstances that lead people to update their thinking can help us improve efforts to communicate the science and policy around climate change. This work is the topic of an article at Yale Climate Connections, https

Theory of mind.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, Stephanie M; Koenig, Melissa A; Harms, Madeline B

2013-07-01

Theory of mind and its development has been a significantly important-and challenging-topic of research in cognitive science for three decades. This review summarizes our knowledge of when and how children come to understand their own and others' minds, including the developmental timetable, old and new measures, and foundational skills in infancy. We review recent research on theory-of-mind (ToM) and learning, that is, ways in which children's understanding of other minds informs how they learn about the world, as well as evidence for an important role of domain-general cognitive skills (executive function) in the development of ToM, and the neural networks that are most strongly implicated. Finally, we propose future directions for research in this vast and growing field. WIREs Cogn Sci 2013, 4:391-402. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1232 The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Children's Theory of God's Mind: Theory-of-Mind Studies and Why They Matter to Religious Education

Science.gov (United States)

Wigger, J. Bradley

2016-01-01

Theory-of-mind research has been carried out for over three decades, examining the ways children understand the minds of others--their perspectives, intentions, desires, and knowledge. Since the early 21st century, theory-of-mind studies have begun exploring the ways in which children think and reason about the minds--not only of ordinary, visible…

Mind a brief introduction

CERN Document Server

Searle, John R

2004-01-01

"The philosophy of mind is unique among contemporary philosophical subjects," writes John Searle, "in that all of the most famous and influential theories are false." One of the world's most eminent thinkers, Searle dismantles these theories as he presents a vividly written, comprehensive introduction to the mind. He begins with a look at the twelve problems of philosophy of mind--which he calls "Descartes and Other Disasters"--problems which he returns to throughout the volume, as he illuminates such topics as materialism, consciousness, the mind-body problem, intentionality, mental causation, free will, and the self. The book offers a refreshingly direct and engaging introduction to one of the most intriguing areas of philosophy.

The Temporal Order of Change in Daily Mindfulness and Affect During Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snippe, Evelien; Nyklicek, Ivan; Schroevers, Maya J.; Bos, Elisabeth H.

Increases in mindfulness are assumed to lead to improvements in psychological well-being during mindfulness-based treatments. However, the temporal order of this association has received little attention. This intensive longitudinal study examines whether within-person changes in mindfulness precede

The temporal order of change in daily mindfulness and affect during mindfulness-based stress reduction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snippe, E.; Nyklicek, I.; Schroevers, M.

2015-01-01

Increases in mindfulness are assumed to lead to improvements in psychological well-being during mindfulness-based treatments. However, the temporal order of this association has received little attention. This intensive longitudinal study examines whether within-person changes in mindfulness precede

Mindful Parenting Training in Child Psychiatric Settings : Heightened Parental Mindfulness Reduces Parents' and Children's Psychopathology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meppelink, Renee; de Bruin, Esther I.; Wanders-Mulder, Femy H.; Vennik, Corinne J.; Bogels, Susan M.

Mindful parenting training is an application of mindfulness-based interventions that allows parents to perceive their children with unbiased and open attention without prejudgment and become more attentive and less reactive in their parenting. This study examined the effectiveness of mindful

Resisting Mind Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Susan M.; Zimbardo, Philip G.

1980-01-01

Provides conceptual analyses of mind control techniques along with practical advice on how to resist these techniques. The authors stress that effective mind control stems more from everyday social relations than from exotic technological gimmicks. Suggestions are given for resisting persuasion, resisting systems, and challenging the system.…

State Mindfulness During Meditation Predicts Enhanced Cognitive Reappraisal

Science.gov (United States)

Hanley, Adam; Farb, Norman A.; Froeliger, Brett E.

2013-01-01

Putatively, mindfulness meditation involves generation of a state of “nonappraisal”, yet, little is known about how mindfulness may influence appraisal processes. We investigated whether the state and practice of mindfulness could enhance cognitive reappraisal. Participants (N = 44; M age = 24.44, SD = 4.00, range 19 – 38, 82.2% female) were randomized to either 1) mindfulness, 2) suppression, or 3) mind-wandering induction training conditions. Cognitive reappraisal was assessed with the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) prior to experimental induction, and state mindfulness was assessed immediately following induction using the Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS). Participants practiced their assigned strategy for one week and then were reassessed with the ERQ reappraisal subscale. Participants receiving mindfulness training reported significantly higher levels of state mindfulness than participants in the thought suppression and mind wandering conditions. Although brief mindfulness training did not lead to significantly greater increases in reappraisal than the other two conditions, state mindfulness during mindfulness meditation was prospectively associated with increases in reappraisal. Path analysis revealed that the indirect effect between mindfulness training and reappraisal was significant through state mindfulness. Degree of state mindfulness achieved during the act of mindfulness meditation significantly predicted increases in reappraisal over time, suggesting that mindfulness may promote emotion regulation by enhancing cognitive reappraisal. PMID:26085851

Greasing the Skids of the Musical Mind: Connecting Music Learning to Mind Brain Education

Science.gov (United States)

Bugos, Jennifer A.

2015-01-01

Researchers suggest that musical training prepares the mind for learning; however, there are many obstacles to the implementation of research to practice in music education. The purpose of this article is to apply key principles of mind brain education to music education and to evaluate how music prepares the mind for learning. Practical teaching…

Neurotheology-Matters of the Mind or Matters that Mind?

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, Samarth; Acharya, Sourya; Rajput, Devendra

2013-07-01

Understanding the true nature of an individual, be it a child or an adult, a male or a female, is almost an impossible task. The vast abyss like behaviour of a human mind is virtually unfathomable. Yet, with the advent of neurosciences, it can be said that we, as the medical fraternity, have been in a position to decipher a considerable part of the human mind. This review accepts the fact that religion and theology have extreme reverence and respect. Yet, when it comes to extraordinary beliefs, phenomena, unimaginable feats and emotional deviations of the human mind, especially those which involve deep faiths and beliefs, comprehensive neuroscientific explanations from the emerging data, with the aid of elaborate neuroimaging, have proved to be extremely rational and logical. This review did make an attempt to untangle some facets of spirituality and to make rational explanations of the same. It was an attempt to understand the function of the mind (as an abstract) and the brain, on the spiritual experiences and sudden enlightments, the experience of togetherness with the universe, and to understand the phenomena of trance and an altered state of consciousness, which is better referred as the emerging science of neurotheology.

[Mindful neuropsychology: Mindfulness-based cognitive remediation].

Science.gov (United States)

Bulzacka, E; Lavault, S; Pelissolo, A; Bagnis Isnard, C

2018-02-01

Mindfulness based interventions (MBI) have recently gained much interest in western medicine. MBSR paradigm is based on teaching participants to pay complete attention to the present experience and act nonjudgmentally towards stressful events. During this mental practice the meditator focuses his or her attention on the sensations of the body. While the distractions (mental images, thoughts, emotional or somatic states) arise the participant is taught to acknowledge discursive thoughts and cultivate the state of awareness without immediate reaction. The effectiveness of these programs is well documented in the field of emotional response regulation in depression (relapse prevention), anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder or eating disorders. Furthermore, converging lines of evidence support the hypothesis that mindfulness practice improves cognition, especially the ability to sustain attention and think in a more flexible manner. Nevertheless, formal rehabilitation programs targeting cognitive disturbances resulting from psychiatric (depression, disorder bipolar, schizophrenia) or neurologic conditions (brain injury, dementia) seldom rely on MBI principles. This review of literature aims at discussing possible links between MBI and clinical neuropsychology. We conducted a review of literature using electronic databases up to December 2016, screening studies with variants of the keywords ("Mindfulness", "MBI", "MBSR", "Meditation") OR/AND ("Cognition", "Attention", "Executive function", "Memory", "Learning") RESULTS: In the first part, we describe key concepts of the neuropsychology of attention in the light of Posner's model of attention control. We also underline the potential scope of different therapeutic contexts where disturbances of attention may be clinically relevant. Second, we review the efficacy of MBI in the field of cognition (thinking disturbances, attention biases, memory and executive processes impairment or low metacognitive abilities

Pilates, Mindfulness and Somatic Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldwell, Karen; Adams, Marianne; Quin, Rebecca; Harrison, Mandy; Greeson, Jeffrey

2013-12-01

The Pilates Method is a form of somatic education with the potential to cultivate mindfulness - a mental quality associated with overall well-being. However, controlled studies are needed to determine whether changes in mindfulness are specific to the Pilates Method or also result from other forms of exercise. This quasi-experimental study compared Pilates Method mat classes and recreational exercise classes on measures of mindfulness and well-being at the beginning, middle and end of a 15 week semester. Total mindfulness scores increased overall for the Pilates Method group but not for the exercise control group, and these increases were directly related to end of semester ratings of self-regulatory self-efficacy, perceived stress and mood. Findings suggest that the Pilates Method specifically enhances mindfulness, and these increases are associated with other measures of wellness. The changes in mindfulness identified in this study support the role of the Pilates Method in the mental well-being of its practitioners and its potential to support dancers' overall well-being.

Meditation experts try Virtual Reality Mindfulness: A pilot study evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of Virtual Reality to facilitate mindfulness practice in people attending a Mindfulness conference.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro-Haro, María V.; López-del-Hoyo, Yolanda; Campos, Daniel; Linehan, Marsha M.; Hoffman, Hunter G.; García-Palacios, Azucena; Modrego-Alarcón, Marta; Borao, Luis; García-Campayo, Javier

2017-01-01

Regular mindfulness practice benefits people both mentally and physically, but many populations who could benefit do not practice mindfulness. Virtual Reality (VR) is a new technology that helps capture participants’ attention and gives users the illusion of “being there” in the 3D computer generated environment, facilitating sense of presence. By limiting distractions from the real world, increasing sense of presence and giving people an interesting place to go to practice mindfulness, Virtual Reality may facilitate mindfulness practice. Traditional Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT®) mindfulness skills training was specifically designed for clinical treatment of people who have trouble focusing attention, however severe patients often show difficulties or lack of motivation to practice mindfulness during the training. The present pilot study explored whether a sample of mindfulness experts would find useful and recommend a new VR Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT®) mindfulness skills training technique and whether they would show any benefit. Forty four participants attending a mindfulness conference put on an Oculus Rift DK2 Virtual Reality helmet and floated down a calm 3D computer generated virtual river while listening to digitized DBT® mindfulness skills training instructions. On subjective questionnaires completed by the participants before and after the VR DBT® mindfulness skills training session, participants reported increases/improvements in state of mindfulness, and reductions in negative emotional states. After VR, participants reported significantly less sadness, anger, and anxiety, and reported being significantly more relaxed. Participants reported a moderate to strong illusion of going inside the 3D computer generated world (i.e., moderate to high “presence” in VR) and showed high acceptance of VR as a technique to practice mindfulness. These results show encouraging preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability of

Meditation experts try Virtual Reality Mindfulness: A pilot study evaluation of the feasibility and acceptability of Virtual Reality to facilitate mindfulness practice in people attending a Mindfulness conference.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María V Navarro-Haro

Full Text Available Regular mindfulness practice benefits people both mentally and physically, but many populations who could benefit do not practice mindfulness. Virtual Reality (VR is a new technology that helps capture participants' attention and gives users the illusion of "being there" in the 3D computer generated environment, facilitating sense of presence. By limiting distractions from the real world, increasing sense of presence and giving people an interesting place to go to practice mindfulness, Virtual Reality may facilitate mindfulness practice. Traditional Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT® mindfulness skills training was specifically designed for clinical treatment of people who have trouble focusing attention, however severe patients often show difficulties or lack of motivation to practice mindfulness during the training. The present pilot study explored whether a sample of mindfulness experts would find useful and recommend a new VR Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT® mindfulness skills training technique and whether they would show any benefit. Forty four participants attending a mindfulness conference put on an Oculus Rift DK2 Virtual Reality helmet and floated down a calm 3D computer generated virtual river while listening to digitized DBT® mindfulness skills training instructions. On subjective questionnaires completed by the participants before and after the VR DBT® mindfulness skills training session, participants reported increases/improvements in state of mindfulness, and reductions in negative emotional states. After VR, participants reported significantly less sadness, anger, and anxiety, and reported being significantly more relaxed. Participants reported a moderate to strong illusion of going inside the 3D computer generated world (i.e., moderate to high "presence" in VR and showed high acceptance of VR as a technique to practice mindfulness. These results show encouraging preliminary evidence of the feasibility and acceptability

Wandering Minds and Wavering Rhythms: Linking Mind Wandering and Behavioral Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Seli, Paul; Cheyne, James Allan; Smilek, Daniel

2013-01-01

Mind wandering is a pervasive feature of human cognition often associated with the withdrawal of task-related executive control processes. Here, we explore the possibility that, in tasks requiring executive control to sustain consistent responding, moments of mind wandering could be associated with moments of increased behavioral variability. To…

The Mind-Body Problem.

Science.gov (United States)

Fodor, Jerry A.

1981-01-01

Describes several different philosophies of mind with each philosophy's explanation of the mind-body problem. Philosophies discussed include dualism, materialism, functionalism, radical behaviorism, logical behaviorism and central-state identity. (DS)

Mindfulness-Based Interventions in Counseling

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Amanda P.; Marquis, Andre; Guiffrida, Douglas A.

2013-01-01

Mindfulness is a relatively new construct in counseling that is rapidly gaining interest as it is applied to people struggling with a myriad of problems. Research has consistently demonstrated that counseling interventions using mindfulness improve well-being and reduce psychopathology. This article provides a detailed definition of mindfulness,…

Origins of Mindfulness & Meditation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singla, Rashmi

2011-01-01

Mindfulness & meditation are gaining popularity in the Western psychological practice in the past 3-4 decades, especially within psychotherapeutic approaches, health promotion, and stress reduction. The origins and the broader context, however, seem to be overlooked in some of these practices......- mind, centrality of consciousness and meditation as a part of daily conduct are presented. The basic constructs of Buddhism, an integral part of Indian psychology, in relation to mindfulness and meditation, are also delineated as illustrations of these assumptions. The second part reflects...... on the application of the meditative practices through cognitive existential study of mindfulness (Kabat-Zinn, 2003) and a study on the phenomenology of meditation (Madsen, 2007). Both emphasise an experienced instructor, regular practice as a part of daily life, conceptual consciousness understandings...

Mindfulness Meditation-Based Pain Relief Employs Different Neural Mechanisms Than Placebo and Sham Mindfulness Meditation-Induced Analgesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeidan, Fadel; Emerson, Nichole M; Farris, Suzan R; Ray, Jenna N; Jung, Youngkyoo; McHaffie, John G; Coghill, Robert C

2015-11-18

Mindfulness meditation reduces pain in experimental and clinical settings. However, it remains unknown whether mindfulness meditation engages pain-relieving mechanisms other than those associated with the placebo effect (e.g., conditioning, psychosocial context, beliefs). To determine whether the analgesic mechanisms of mindfulness meditation are different from placebo, we randomly assigned 75 healthy, human volunteers to 4 d of the following: (1) mindfulness meditation, (2) placebo conditioning, (3) sham mindfulness meditation, or (4) book-listening control intervention. We assessed intervention efficacy using psychophysical evaluation of experimental pain and functional neuroimaging. Importantly, all cognitive manipulations (i.e., mindfulness meditation, placebo conditioning, sham mindfulness meditation) significantly attenuated pain intensity and unpleasantness ratings when compared to rest and the control condition (p pain intensity (p = 0.032) and pain unpleasantness (p pain intensity (p = 0.030) and pain unpleasantness (p = 0.043) ratings more than sham mindfulness meditation. Mindfulness-meditation-related pain relief was associated with greater activation in brain regions associated with the cognitive modulation of pain, including the orbitofrontal, subgenual anterior cingulate, and anterior insular cortex. In contrast, placebo analgesia was associated with activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivation of sensory processing regions (secondary somatosensory cortex). Sham mindfulness meditation-induced analgesia was not correlated with significant neural activity, but rather by greater reductions in respiration rate. This study is the first to demonstrate that mindfulness-related pain relief is mechanistically distinct from placebo analgesia. The elucidation of this distinction confirms the existence of multiple, cognitively driven, supraspinal mechanisms for pain modulation. Recent findings have demonstrated that mindfulness meditation

Observing the mind instead of acting on it: How mindfulness empowers people to live healthily

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keesman, Mike

2018-01-01

While much research suggests that mindfulness reduces cravings and other reactivity to energy-dense products, less is known about how mindfulness exactly works. In this dissertation, I took two steps to examine how mindfulness might operate on appetitive reactivity. First, I focused on the role of

Contributions of unitarity diagrams to the polarization of fermions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quadder, B.

1992-01-01

In this work the subject of large single spin observables of fermions is addressed. Such observables, as for instance the analyzing power in elastic proton scattering or the polarization of hyperons, are related to the imaginary part of a product of spin-flip and non-flip amplitudes. So both spin-flip and relative phases between spin-flip and non-flip amplitudes are required to achieve non-vanishing single spin asymmetries. In the framework of perturbative Quantum Chromodynamics the asymmetry arises from the subprocess level. For massless quarks no spin-flips occur, because the coupling to spin 1-gluons conserves helicity. If the quarks are massive or particles with other spin than 1/2 are considered, the helicity conservation no longer holds. The born amplitudes are real, so the phases come from the second order box diagrams. An efficient method due to Charap and Leader to calculate the imaginary part of such unitarity diagrams is investigated. With the aid of the general unitary condition for particles with arbitrary spins the evaluation of the imaginary part of a second order amplitude is traced back to an integration of the product of two born amplitudes over the relative angles. With this method the imaginary part of the helicity amplitudes for several subprocesses is calculated. The polarization in quark subprocesses with massive quarks is small. So we conclude that non-perturbative aspects are essential. As a model for non-perturbative effects we incorporate diquarks. They are considered as quasi-elementary constituents, beside quarks, within bayrons, which also take an active part in reactions in an medium range of momentum transfer. Spin 1-Diquarks constitute spin-flips on the born level. In order to investigate the polarization effects from quark and diquark subprocesses they were compared in different exclusive reactions within the framework of the spectator model. (orig./HSI) [de

Restoring unitarity in the Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Solodukhin, Sergey N.

2005-01-01

Whether or not a system is unitary can be seen from the way it, if perturbed, relaxes back to equilibrium. The relaxation of a semiclassical black hole can be described in terms of a correlation function which exponentially decays with time. In the momentum space it is represented by an infinite set of complex poles to be identified with the quasinormal modes. This behavior is in sharp contrast to the relaxation in unitary theory in finite volume: the correlation function of the perturbation in this case is a quasiperiodic function of time and, in general, is expected to show the Poincare recurrences. In this paper I demonstrate how restore unitarity in the Banados-Teitelboim-Zanelli (BTZ) black hole, the simplest example of an eternal black hole in finite volume. I start with reviewing the relaxation in the semiclassical BTZ black hole and how this relaxation is mirrored in the boundary conformal field theory as suggested by the anti-de Sitter/conformal field theory correspondence. I analyze the sum over SL(2,Z) images of the BTZ space-time and suggest that it does not produce a quasiperiodic relaxation, as one might have hoped, but results in a correlation function which decays by power law. I develop an earlier suggestion and consider a nonsemiclassical deformation of the BTZ space-time that has the structure of a wormhole connecting two asymptotic regions semiclassically separated by a horizon. The small deformation parameter λ is supposed to have a nonperturbative origin to capture the finite N behavior of the boundary theory. The discrete spectrum of perturbation in the modified space-time is computed and is shown to determine the expected unitary behavior: the corresponding time evolution is quasiperiodic with a hierarchy of large time scales ln1/λ and 1/λ interpreted, respectively, as the Heisenberg and Poincare time scales in the system

Theatre of the Mind: A Project to Animate the Language of thought and Communication

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Eric S.

2009-01-01

Human language is a rich and complex part of human behaviour that can be studied in many ways. The author and his colleagues are developing an application that accepts simple texts as input and presents an animated display of characters acting out the text. It mimics the human visualization of texts, the so-called Theatre of the Mind. In so doing,…

Mindful Social Work?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Debaene, Raf

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness gets growing attention in the education and practice of social work. It is seen as an important source of inspiration for social work and as a counterbalance for the rationalization of social work. Hick states that mindfulness “is an orientation to our everyday experiences that can be cultivated by means of various exercises and practices. By opening up in a particular way to their internal and external experiences, social workers and clients are better able to understand what is happening to them in both a psychological and sociological sense. With this understanding, people are better able to see the variety of ways in which they can respond. Habitual reactions are more easily avoided, and inner peace and balance are developed” (Hick 2009: 1. Despite this praise of mindfulness as an important source of inspiration and the expectation that its popularity might expand in the next century, it is argued in this essay by Raf Debaene that mindfulness, although possibly very useful in some settings, had very little to do with social work.

Ultra-Brief Mindfulness Training Reduces Alcohol Consumption in At-Risk Drinkers: A Randomized Double-Blind Active-Controlled Experiment.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamboj, Sunjeev K; Irez, Damla; Serfaty, Shirley; Thomas, Emily; Das, Ravi K; Freeman, Tom P

2017-11-01

Like other complex psychosocial interventions, mindfulness-based treatments comprise various modality-specific components as well as nonspecific therapeutic ingredients that collectively contribute to efficacy. Consequently, the isolated effects of mindfulness strategies per se remain unclear. Using a randomized double-blind design, we compared the isolated effects of 11-minutes of "supervised" mindfulness instruction against a closely matched active control (relaxation) on subjective, physiological, and behavioral indices of maladaptive alcohol responding in drinkers at risk of harm from alcohol use (n = 68). Simple follow-up instructions on strategy use were provided, but practice was unsupervised and not formally monitored. Both groups showed acute reductions in craving after training, although a trend group x time interaction (P = .056) suggested that this reduction was greater in the relaxation group (d = 0.722 P mindfulness group (d = 0.317, P = .004). Furthermore, upregulation of parasympathetic activity was found after relaxation (d = 0.562; P mindfulness instructions (d = 0.08; P > .1; group x time interaction: P = .009). By contrast, only the mindfulness group showed a reduction in past-week alcohol consumption at 7-day follow-up (-9.31 units, d = 0.593, P .1; group x time interaction: P = .026). Very brief mindfulness practice can significantly reduce alcohol consumption among at-risk drinkers, even with minimal encouragement to use this strategy outside of the experimental context. The effects on consumption may therefore represent a lower bound of efficacy of "ultra-brief" mindfulness instructions in hazardous drinkers, at least at short follow-up intervals. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

Relationship of mindful awareness to neural processing of angry faces and impact of mindfulness training: A pilot investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Athene K W; Gansler, David A; Zhang, Nanyin; Jerram, Matthew W; King, Jean A; Fulwiler, Carl

2017-06-30

Mindfulness is paying attention, non-judgmentally, to experience in the moment. Mindfulness training reduces depression and anxiety and influences neural processes in midline self-referential and lateralized somatosensory and executive networks. Although mindfulness benefits emotion regulation, less is known about its relationship to anger and the corresponding neural correlates. This study examined the relationship of mindful awareness and brain hemodynamics of angry face processing, and the impact of mindfulness training. Eighteen healthy volunteers completed an angry face processing fMRI paradigm and measurement of mindfulness and anger traits. Ten of these participants were recruited from a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class and also completed imaging and other assessments post-training. Self-reported mindful awareness increased after MBSR, but trait anger did not change. Baseline mindful awareness was negatively related to left inferior parietal lobule activation to angry faces; trait anger was positively related to right middle frontal gyrus and bilateral angular gyrus. No significant pre-post changes in angry face processing were found, but changes in trait mindful awareness and anger were associated with sub-threshold differences in paralimbic activation. These preliminary and hypothesis-generating findings, suggest the analysis of possible impact of mindfulness training on anger may begin with individual differences in angry face processing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prospects for the measurement of the unitarity triangle angle γ from B0→DK+π- decays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gershon, Tim; Williams, Mike

2009-01-01

The potential for a precise measurement of the unitarity triangle angle γ in future experiments from the decay B 0 →DK* 0 is well known. It has recently been suggested that the sensitivity can be significantly enhanced by analyzing the B 0 →DK + π - Dalitz plot to extract amplitudes relative to those of the flavor-specific decay B 0 →D 2 * - K + . An extension to this method which includes the case where the neutral D meson is reconstructed in suppressed final states is presented. The sensitivity to γ is estimated using this method and compared to that obtained using the B 0 →DK* 0 decay alone. Experimental effects, such as background contamination, are also considered. This approach appears to be a highly attractive addition to the family of methods that can be used to determine γ.

Effects of mindfulness-based stress reduction on depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness in Korean nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Yeoungsuk; Lindquist, Ruth

2015-01-01

Nursing students often experience depression, anxiety, stress and decreased mindfulness which may decrease their patient care effectiveness. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) effectively reduced depression, anxiety and stress, and increased mindfulness in previous research with other populations, but there is sparse evidence regarding its effectiveness for nursing students in Korea. To examine the effects of MBSR on depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness in Korean nursing students. A randomized controlled trial. Fifty (50) nursing students at KN University College of Nursing in South Korea were randomly assigned to two groups. Data from 44 students, MBSR (n=21) and a wait list (WL) control (n=23) were analyzed. The MBSR group practiced mindfulness meditation for 2 h every week for 8 weeks. The WL group did not receive MBSR intervention. Standardized self-administered questionnaires of depression, anxiety, stress and mindfulness were administered at the baseline prior to the MBSR program and at completion (at 8 weeks). Compared with WL participants, MBSR participants reported significantly greater decreases in depression, anxiety and stress, and greater increase in mindfulness. A program of MBSR was effective when it was used with nursing students in reducing measures of depression, anxiety and stress, and increasing their mindful awareness. MBSR shows promise for use with nursing students to address their experience of mild depression, anxiety and stress, and to increase mindfulness in academic and clinical work, warranting further study. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple model for determining photoelectron-generated radiation scaling laws

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dipp, T.M.

1993-12-01

The generation of radiation via photoelectrons induced off of a conducting surface was explored using a simple model to determine fundamental scaling laws. The model is one-dimensional (small-spot) and uses monoenergetic, nonrelativistic photoelectrons emitted normal to the illuminated conducting surface. Simple steady-state radiation, frequency, and maximum orbital distance equations were derived using small-spot radiation equations, a sin 2 type modulation function, and simple photoelectron dynamics. The result is a system of equations for various scaling laws, which, along with model and user constraints, are simultaneously solved using techniques similar to linear programming. Typical conductors illuminated by low-power sources producing photons with energies less than 5.0 eV are readily modeled by this small-spot, steady-state analysis, which shows they generally produce low efficiency (η rsL -10.5 ) pure photoelectron-induced radiation. However, the small-spot theory predicts that the total conversion efficiency for incident photon power to photoelectron-induced radiated power can go higher than 10 -5.5 for typical real conductors if photons having energies of 15 eV and higher are used, and should go even higher still if the small-spot limit of this theory is exceeded as well. Overall, the simple theory equations, model constraint equations, and solution techniques presented provide a foundation for understanding, predicting, and optimizing the generated radiation, and the simple theory equations provide scaling laws to compare with computational and laboratory experimental data

Young & restless: Validation of the Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ reveals disruptive impact of mind-wandering for youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael D. Mrazek

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Mind-wandering is the focus of extensive investigation, yet until recently there has been no validated scale to directly measure trait levels of task-unrelated thought. Scales commonly used to assess mind-wandering lack face validity, measuring related constructs such as daydreaming or behavioral errors. Here we report four studies validating a Mind-Wandering Questionnaire (MWQ across college, high school, and middle school samples. The 5-item scale showed high internal consistency, as well as convergent validity with existing measures of mind-wandering and related constructs. Trait levels of mind-wandering, as measured by the MWQ, were correlated with task-unrelated thought measured by thought sampling during a test of reading comprehension. In both middle school and high school samples, mind-wandering during testing was associated with worse reading comprehension. By contrast, elevated trait levels of mind-wandering predicted worse mood, less life-satisfaction, greater stress, and lower self-esteem. By extending the use of thought sampling to measure mind-wandering among adolescents, our findings also validate the use of this methodology with younger populations. Both the MWQ and thought sampling indicate that mind-wandering is a pervasive – and problematic – influence on the performance and well-being of adolescents.

Is learning mindfulness associated with improved affect after mindfulness-based cognitive therapy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schroevers, Maya J.; Brandsma, R.

2010-01-01

The increased popularity of mindfulness-based interventions and the growing body of empirical evidence confirming the positive effects of these interventions on well-being warrant more research to determine if the effects are indeed related to learning mindfulness. The present study extends previous

Mecanismos neurocognitivos de la terapia basada en mindfulness / Neurocognitive mechanisms of the mindfulness based therapy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manolete S. Moscoso

2015-12-01

Full Text Available RESUMEN Presentamos un resumen y una breve historia del creciente campo de Intervenciones Basadas en mindfulness o conciencia plena. En los últimos tiempos, existe un gran interés en este modelo terapéutico para reducir la vulnerabilidad al estrés crónico y distrés emocional. Mindfulness requiere intencionalmente enfocar nuestra atención a las experiencias que ocurren en el momento presente. A medida que la investigación avanza en esta temática, es vital definir cuidadosamente la estructura de mindfulness y comprender mejor sus mecanismos de acción neurocognitiva. Este informe presenta un marco conceptual que enfatiza el papel central de control atencional y mecanismos de sostenibilidad para desarrollar las habilidades de conciencia plena. También, repasamos la estructura de mindfulness y la autorregulación de las emociones; luego describimos brevemente nuestra investigación relacionada con nuestro programa de Reducción del Estrés en Cáncer de Mama basado en Mindfulness (MBSR-AC en la University of South Florida. Se presenta, a partir de esta premisa, un modelo propuesto que explica nuestros mecanismos cognitivos basados en la lógica del modelo de biocomportamental. ABSTRACT We are presenting an overview and a brief history of the growing field of Mindfulness Based Interventions. There has been a significant interest in this therapeutic model to reduce vulnerability to chronic stress and emotional distress in recent times. Mindfulness requires intentionally bringing our attention to the experiences that occur in the present moment. As the research advances in this line of inquiry, it is vital to carefully define the construct of Mindfulness and better understand its neurocognitive mechanisms of action. This review presents conceptual framework that emphasizes the central role of attentional control and sustainability mechanisms to build mindfulness skills. We also review the construct of Mindfulness and self-regulation of

Simple relation algebras

CERN Document Server

Givant, Steven

2017-01-01

This monograph details several different methods for constructing simple relation algebras, many of which are new with this book. By drawing these seemingly different methods together, all are shown to be aspects of one general approach, for which several applications are given. These tools for constructing and analyzing relation algebras are of particular interest to mathematicians working in logic, algebraic logic, or universal algebra, but will also appeal to philosophers and theoretical computer scientists working in fields that use mathematics. The book is written with a broad audience in mind and features a careful, pedagogical approach; an appendix contains the requisite background material in relation algebras. Over 400 exercises provide ample opportunities to engage with the material, making this a monograph equally appropriate for use in a special topics course or for independent study. Readers interested in pursuing an extended background study of relation algebras will find a comprehensive treatme...

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction

Science.gov (United States)

... R S T U V W X Y Z Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Information 6 Things You ... Disease and Dementia (12/20/13) Research Spotlights Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Shown To ...

Mindfulness-baseret kognitiv terapi

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van der Velden, Anne Maj; Piet, Jacob; Møller, Anne Buch

2017-01-01

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is an evidencebased psychotherapeutic intervention, which integrates elements of cognitive behavioural therapy for depression with the clinical application of mindfulness meditation. MBCT is currently recommended in several national clinical guidelines a...

Efter mindfulness

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stjernholm, Ole; Ehrensvärd, Martin Gustaf

Tematiserer nogle af de udfordringer, der møder dig, som regelmæssigt praktiserer mindfulness og kommer med bud på, hvad bevidsthedens vaner og mønstre betyder for dybden af stilhed - og hvordan man kan arbejde med den viden.......Tematiserer nogle af de udfordringer, der møder dig, som regelmæssigt praktiserer mindfulness og kommer med bud på, hvad bevidsthedens vaner og mønstre betyder for dybden af stilhed - og hvordan man kan arbejde med den viden....

Efficient analytic computation of higher-order QCD amplitudes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bern, Z.; Chalmers, G.; Dunbar, D.C.; Kosower, D.A.

1995-01-01

The authors review techniques simplifying the analytic calculation of one-loop QCD amplitudes with many external legs, for use in next-to-leading-order corrections to multi-jet processes. Particularly useful are the constraints imposed by perturbative unitarity, collinear singularities and a supersymmetry-inspired organization of helicity amplitudes. Certain sequences of one-loop helicity amplitudes with an arbitrary number of external gluons have been obtained using these constraints

Impact mitigation using kinematic constraints and the full space parameterization method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morgansen, K.A.; Pin, F.G.

1996-02-01

A new method for mitigating unexpected impact of a redundant manipulator with an object in its environment is presented. Kinematic constraints are utilized with the recently developed method known as Full Space Parameterization (FSP). System performance criterion and constraints are changed at impact to return the end effector to the point of impact and halt the arm. Since large joint accelerations could occur as the manipulator is halted, joint acceleration bounds are imposed to simulate physical actuator limitations. Simulation results are presented for the case of a simple redundant planar manipulator.

The role of mindfulness in tourism: Tourism businesses' perceptions of mindfulness in Dubai, UAE

OpenAIRE

Dutt, Chris; Ninov, Ivan

2016-01-01

Mindfulness is the ability of an individual to actively process information surrounding them with the aim of using that information to draw distinctive or novel conclusions. By facilitating mindfulness, businesses can benefit from having a stronger competitive advantage, increased loyalty, and provide a more meaningful experience to their customers. Mindfulness is a state of awareness that can be encouraged in individuals regardless of their mental state or demographic characteristics; almost...

Distinguishing the cognitive processes of mindfulness: Developing a standardised mindfulness technique for use in longitudinal randomised control trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Isbel, Ben; Summers, Mathew J

2017-07-01

A capacity model of mindfulness is adopted to differentiate the cognitive faculty of mindfulness from the metacognitive processes required to cultivate this faculty in mindfulness training. The model provides an explanatory framework incorporating both the developmental progression from focussed attention to open monitoring styles of mindfulness practice, along with the development of equanimity and insight. A standardised technique for activating these processes without the addition of secondary components is then introduced. Mindfulness-based interventions currently available for use in randomised control trials introduce components ancillary to the cognitive processes of mindfulness, limiting their ability to draw clear causative inferences. The standardised technique presented here does not introduce such ancillary factors, rendering it a valuable tool with which to investigate the processes activated in mindfulness practice. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Least Squares Problems with Absolute Quadratic Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Schöne

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes linear least squares problems with absolute quadratic constraints. We develop a generalized theory following Bookstein's conic-fitting and Fitzgibbon's direct ellipse-specific fitting. Under simple preconditions, it can be shown that a minimum always exists and can be determined by a generalized eigenvalue problem. This problem is numerically reduced to an eigenvalue problem by multiplications of Givens' rotations. Finally, four applications of this approach are presented.

Mindfulness at Cam

OpenAIRE

Jones, Peter Brian; Dufour, G; Galante, Julieta; English, E

2016-01-01

The University of Cambridge and the National Institute for Health Research and Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (NIHR CLAHRC), East of England, are currently undertaking research into the effectiveness of mindfulness as a way of combatting student stress. In this article, various stakeholders in the project describe its purpose, its focus, and the delivery of mindfulness sessions to students.

Otak, Bahasa dan Pikiran dalam Mind Map

OpenAIRE

Siti Shalihah

2014-01-01

Language and mind are firmly related to each other. The mind can not be separated from language, since language is expressions of minds. Without language, one can not be able to convey things in his/her minds and they are never be able to be understood by the others. Thus, language is the way to grasp one's thought.  This article deals with the relationship between Mind Map and the structure of brain, how it works, and what to do with language and thinking. From concept of mind map ...

A Planar Quasi-Static Constraint Mode Tire Model

Science.gov (United States)

2015-07-10

strikes a balance between simple tire models that lack the fidelity to make accurate chassis load predictions and computationally intensive models that...strikes a balance between heuristic tire models (such as a linear point-follower) that lack the fidelity to make accurate chassis load predictions...UNCLASSIFIED: Distribution Statement A. Cleared for public release A PLANAR QUASI-STATIC CONSTRAINT MODE TIRE MODEL Rui Maa John B. Ferris

Theory of mind and preschoolers' understanding of implicit causality in verbs: A comparison between Serbian and Hungarian children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agota Major

2010-06-01

Full Text Available This study aims to investigate the effect of theory of mind, age and mother tongue on the implicit causality effect in preschoolers from two different language backgrounds. Serbian and Hungarian native speakers aged 3–7 years participated in the study. After taking part in a Theory of Mind task, children were presented verbs in simple „Subject verb Object” sentences describing interactions between two participants, with the interactions being based on emotional, mental or visual experiences. Children were asked “Why does S verb O?” and their responses were categorized as containing an inference about the sentence-S or the sentence-O. The results show that Theory of Mind is a significant factor in the emergence of implicit causality, with age of participants and mother tongue being also contributing to explaining patterns of implicit causality.

Feasibility of an online mindfulness-based program for patients with melanoma: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Lahiru; Ugalde, Anna; Milne, Donna; Krishnasamy, Meinir; O Seung Chul, Eric; Austin, David W; Chambers, Richard; Orellana, Liliana; Livingston, Patricia M

2018-04-13

People with a melanoma diagnosis are at risk of recurrence, developing a new primary or experiencing disease progression. Previous studies have suggested that fear of a cancer recurrence is clinically relevant in this group of patients and, if not addressed, can lead to distress. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression among various groups of cancer patients. Online mindfulness-based interventions have the potential to reach people unable to attend face-to-face interventions due to limitations such as cancer-related illness, transportation or time constraints. This study aims to (1) examine whether individuals with a melanoma diagnosis are willing to participate and adhere to a 6-week online mindfulness-based intervention and (2) explore potential benefits of the program on fear of cancer recurrence, worries, rumination, perceived stress and trait mindfulness to inform the design of a clinical trial. This is a single-site randomised controlled trial of a feasibility study. Seventy-five participants with stage 2c or 3 melanoma will be recruited from a melanoma outpatient clinic and randomised (2:1) either to an online mindfulness-based program (intervention) or to usual care (control). The intervention is a 6-week program specifically developed for this study. It consists of videos describing the concept of mindfulness, short daily guided meditation practices (5-10 min), automated meditation reminders and instructions for applying mindfulness in daily life to enhance wellbeing. All participants will complete questionnaires at baseline and at 6-week post-randomisation. Participants in the control group will be given access to the online program at the end of the study. Primary outcomes are overall recruitment; retention; extent of questionnaire completion; and usability and acceptability of, and adherence to, the program. The secondary outcomes are fear of cancer recurrence, worries, rumination, perceived

Searching for genomic constraints

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lio` , P [Cambridge, Univ. (United Kingdom). Genetics Dept.; Ruffo, S [Florence, Univ. (Italy). Fac. di Ingegneria. Dipt. di Energetica ` S. Stecco`

1998-01-01

The authors have analyzed general properties of very long DNA sequences belonging to simple and complex organisms, by using different correlation methods. They have distinguished those base compositional rules that concern the entire genome which they call `genomic constraints` from the rules that depend on the `external natural selection` acting on single genes, i. e. protein-centered constraints. They show that G + C content, purine / pyrimidine distributions and biological complexity of the organism are the most important factors which determine base compositional rules and genome complexity. Three main facts are here reported: bacteria with high G + C content have more restrictions on base composition than those with low G + C content; at constant G + C content more complex organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes (e.g. human) display an increase of repeats 10-20 nucleotides long, which are also partly responsible for long-range correlations; work selection of length 3 to 10 is stronger in human and in bacteria for two distinct reasons. With respect to previous studies, they have also compared the genomic sequence of the archeon Methanococcus jannaschii with those of bacteria and eukaryotes: it shows sometimes an intermediate statistical behaviour.

Searching for genomic constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lio', P.; Ruffo, S.

1998-01-01

The authors have analyzed general properties of very long DNA sequences belonging to simple and complex organisms, by using different correlation methods. They have distinguished those base compositional rules that concern the entire genome which they call 'genomic constraints' from the rules that depend on the 'external natural selection' acting on single genes, i. e. protein-centered constraints. They show that G + C content, purine / pyrimidine distributions and biological complexity of the organism are the most important factors which determine base compositional rules and genome complexity. Three main facts are here reported: bacteria with high G + C content have more restrictions on base composition than those with low G + C content; at constant G + C content more complex organisms, ranging from prokaryotes to higher eukaryotes (e.g. human) display an increase of repeats 10-20 nucleotides long, which are also partly responsible for long-range correlations; work selection of length 3 to 10 is stronger in human and in bacteria for two distinct reasons. With respect to previous studies, they have also compared the genomic sequence of the archeon Methanococcus jannaschii with those of bacteria and eukaryotes: it shows sometimes an intermediate statistical behaviour

Text 2 Mind Map

OpenAIRE

Iona, John

2017-01-01

This is a review of the web resource 'Text 2 Mind Map' www.Text2MindMap.com. It covers what the resource is, and how it might be used in Library and education context, in particular for School Librarians.

Mind Your Words: Positive and Negative Items Create Method Effects on the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire

Science.gov (United States)

Van Dam, Nicholas T.; Hobkirk, Andrea L.; Danoff-Burg, Sharon; Earleywine, Mitch

2012-01-01

Mindfulness, a construct that entails moment-to-moment effort to be aware of present experiences and positive attitudinal features, has become integrated into the sciences. The Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), one popular measure of mindfulness, exhibits different responses to positively and negatively worded items in nonmeditating…

Mind full of life: Does mindfulness confer resilience to suicide by increasing zest for life?

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Khan R L; Stritzke, Werner G K; Page, Andrew C; Brown, Julia D; Wylde, Tricia J

2018-01-15

Mindfulness is a trainable skill that may enhance resilience to suicidality among vulnerable groups such as young people. The current study examined whether mindfulness protects against suicidal desire in the face of heightened risk and adversity by increasing zest for life in a sample of university students. In a prospective design, participants (N = 233) were assessed at two time points over eight weeks. Online surveys included the Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale, Zest for Life Scale, Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and items assessing suicidal ideation and suicidal intent. Baseline mindfulness was associated with lower suicidal ideation and intent at follow-up. Moderated mediation analyses confirmed the effects of mindfulness on ideation and intent were mediated by zest for life and these indirect effects were stronger at higher versus lower levels of general (psychological distress) and suicide-specific (perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) risk. Single item assessments of suicidal desire. Findings suggest that mindfulness protects against suicidal desire in conditions of heightened risk and adversity by enhancing one's orientation towards a life worth living. Theories of suicide should consider the dynamic interplay between risk and life-sustaining resilience, while clinicians treating suicidality could use mindfulness strategies to strengthen the desire to (re)engage with life, thereby complementing direct amelioration of suicide risk factors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mindfulness starts with the body: Somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine E Kerr

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT use a common set of exercises to reduce distress in chronic pain and decrease risk of depression relapse. These standardized mindfulness (ST-Mindfulness practices predominantly require attending to breath and body sensations. Here, we offer a novel view of ST-Mindfulness’s somatic focus as a form of training for optimizing attentional modulation of 7-14 Hz alpha rhythms that play a key role in filtering inputs to primary sensory neocortex and organizing the flow of sensory information. In support of the framework, we describe our previous finding (Kerr et al, 2011 that ST-Mindfulness enhanced attentional regulation of alpha in primary somatosensory cortex (SI. The framework allows us to make several predictions. In chronic pain, we predict somatic attention in ST-Mindfulness de-biases alpha in SI, freeing up pain-focused attentional resources. In depression relapse, we predict ST-Mindfulness’s somatic attention competes with internally focused rumination, as internally focused cognitive processes (e.g., working and short term memory rely on alpha filtering of sensory input. Our computational model (Jones et al, 2009 predicts ST-Mindfulness enhances top-down modulation of alpha by facilitating precise alterations in timing and efficacy of SI thalamocortical inputs. We conclude by considering how the proposed framework aligns with Buddhist teachings that mindfulness starts with mindfulness of the body. Translating this theory into neurophysiology, we hypothesize that with its somatic focus, mindfulness’ top-down alpha rhythm modulation in SI enhances gain control which, in turn, sensitizes practitioners to better detect and regulate when the mind wanders from its somatic focus. This enhanced regulation of somatic mind-wandering may be an early stage of mindfulness training, leading to cognitive regulation and metacognition.

Baby-MIND neutrino detector

Science.gov (United States)

Mefodiev, A. V.; Kudenko, Yu. G.; Mineev, O. V.; Khotjantsev, A. N.

2017-11-01

The main objective of the Baby-MIND detector (Magnetized Iron Neutrino Detector) is the study of muon charge identification efficiency for muon momenta from 0.3 to 5 GeV/ c. This paper presents the results of measurement of the Baby-MIND parameters.

Oculometric variations during mind wandering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romain eGrandchamp

2014-02-01

Full Text Available A significant body of literature supports the contention that pupil size varies depending on cognitive load, affective state, and level of drowsiness. Here we assessed whether oculometric measures such as gaze position, blink frequency and pupil size were correlated with the occurrence and time course of self-reported mind-wandering episodes. We recorded the pupil size of two subjects engaged in a monotonous breath counting task while keeping their eyes on a fixation cross. Each subject performed ten 20-minute sessions, for total duration of about 4 hours. This task is conducive to producing mind-wandering episodes. Subjects were instructed to report spontaneous mind-wandering episodes by pressing a button when they lost count of their breath. After each button press, subjects filled in a short questionnaire describing the characteristics of their mind-wandering episode. We observed larger pupil size during the breath-focusing period compared to the mind-wandering period (p< 0.01 for both subjects. Our findings contradict previous research showing a higher baseline pupil size during mind wandering episodes in visual tasks. We discuss possible explanations for this discrepancy. We also analyzed nine other oculometric measures including blink rate, blink duration and gaze position. We built a support vector machine classifier and showed that mean pupil size was the most reliable predictors of mind wandering in both subjects. The classification accuracy of mind wandering data segments versus breath-focusing data segments was 81% for the first subject and 77% for the second subject. Additionally, we analyzed oculometric measures in light of the phenomenological data collected in the questionnaires. We showed that how well subjects remembered their thoughts while mind wandering was positively correlated with pupil size (subject 1, p< 0.001; subject 2, p< 0.05. Feelings of well being were also positively correlated with pupil size (subject 1, p< 0

The MIND method: A decision support for optimization of industrial energy systems - Principles and case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karlsson, Magnus

2011-01-01

Changes in complex industrial energy systems require adequate tools to be evaluated satisfactorily. The MIND method (Method for analysis of INDustrial energy systems) is a flexible method constructed as decision support for different types of analyses of industrial energy systems. It is based on Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) and developed at Linkoeping University in Sweden. Several industries, ranging from the food industry to the pulp and paper industry, have hitherto been modelled and analyzed using the MIND method. In this paper the principles regarding the use of the method and the creation of constraints of the modelled system are presented. Two case studies are also included, a dairy and a pulp and paper mill, that focus some measures that can be evaluated using the MIND method, e.g. load shaping, fuel conversion and introduction of energy efficiency measures. The case studies illustrate the use of the method and its strengths and weaknesses. The results from the case studies are related to the main issues stated by the European Commission, such as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improvements regarding security of supply and increased use of renewable energy, and show great potential as regards both cost reductions and possible load shifting.

Constraint Differentiation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander; Basin, David; Viganò, Luca

2010-01-01

We introduce constraint differentiation, a powerful technique for reducing search when model-checking security protocols using constraint-based methods. Constraint differentiation works by eliminating certain kinds of redundancies that arise in the search space when using constraints to represent...... results show that constraint differentiation substantially reduces search and considerably improves the performance of OFMC, enabling its application to a wider class of problems....

Geometrical conditions for completely positive trace-preserving maps and their application to a quantum repeater and a state-dependent quantum cloning machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlini, A.; Sasaki, M.

2003-01-01

We address the problem of finding optimal CPTP (completely positive trace-preserving) maps between a set of binary pure states and another set of binary generic mixed state in a two-dimensional space. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of such CPTP maps can be discussed within a simple geometrical picture. We exploit this analysis to show the existence of an optimal quantum repeater which is superior to the known repeating strategies for a set of coherent states sent through a lossy quantum channel. We also show that the geometrical formulation of the CPTP mapping conditions can be a simpler method to derive a state-dependent quantum (anti) cloning machine than the study so far based on the explicit solution of several constraints imposed by unitarity in an extended Hilbert space

An integral constraint for the evolution of the galaxy two-point correlation function

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peebles, P.J.E.; Groth, E.J.

1976-01-01

Under some conditions an integral over the galaxy two-point correlation function, xi(x,t), evolves with the expansion of the universe in a simple manner easily computed from linear perturbation theory.This provides a useful constraint on the possible evolution of xi(x,t) itself. We test the integral constraint with both an analytic model and numerical N-body simulations for the evolution of irregularities in an expanding universe. Some applications are discussed. (orig.) [de

Making concrete construals mindful: a novel approach for developing mindfulness and self-compassion to assist weight loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantzios, Michail; Wilson, J C

2014-01-01

Research on the usefulness of mindfulness and self-compassion for dieting has focused on meditative practices. However, meditation can be difficult to maintain, especially while dieting. Thus, the present research attempted to induce mindfulness and self-compassion by using food diaries that required the participant to either focus on concrete (i.e. how they are eating) construals or abstract (i.e. why they are eating) construals. The concrete construals were expected to increase mindfulness and self-compassion, as well as decrease avoidance and negative thoughts (which would further aid the development of mindfulness and self-compassion). Study 1 found that mindfulness and self-compassion mediated the inverse relationship of avoidance and negative thoughts with weight loss. Study 2 showed that concrete construal diaries increased mindfulness and self-compassion, decreased avoidance and negative thoughts, and supported weight loss significantly more than the abstract construal diaries. Study 3, then, compared the concrete construal diaries with a mindful self-compassionate meditation programme. There was no difference in weight loss at the end of the intervention, but at a three-month follow-up, the diaries performed better at weight maintenance. Thus, the concrete construal diaries may promote mindfulness and self-compassion and potentially promote long-term weight loss.

Right anterior temporal lobe dysfunction underlies theory of mind impairments in semantic dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Irish, Muireann; Hodges, John R; Piguet, Olivier

2014-04-01

Semantic dementia is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the amodal and profound loss of semantic knowledge attributable to the degeneration of the left anterior temporal lobe. Although traditionally conceptualized as a language disorder, patients with semantic dementia display significant alterations in behaviour and socioemotional functioning. Recent evidence points to an impaired capacity for theory of mind in predominantly left-lateralized cases of semantic dementia; however, it remains unclear to what extent semantic impairments contribute to these deficits. Further the neuroanatomical signature of such disturbance remains unknown. Here, we sought to determine the neural correlates of theory of mind performance in patients with left predominant semantic dementia (n=11), in contrast with disease-matched cases with behavioural-variant frontotemporal dementia (n=10) and Alzheimer's disease (n=10), and healthy older individuals (n=14) as control participants. Participants completed a simple cartoons task, in which they were required to describe physical and theory of mind scenarios. Irrespective of subscale, patients with semantic dementia exhibited marked impairments relative to control subjects; however, only theory of mind deficits persisted when we covaried for semantic comprehension. Voxel-based morphometry analyses revealed that atrophy in right anterior temporal lobe structures, including the right temporal fusiform cortex, right inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral temporal poles and amygdalae, correlated significantly with theory of mind impairments in the semantic dementia group. Our results point to the marked disruption of cognitive functions beyond the language domain in semantic dementia, not exclusively attributable to semantic processing impairments. The significant involvement of right anterior temporal structures suggests that with disease evolution, the encroachment of pathology into the contralateral hemisphere heralds the

Minimum Time Trajectory Optimization of CNC Machining with Tracking Error Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qiang Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available An off-line optimization approach of high precision minimum time feedrate for CNC machining is proposed. Besides the ordinary considered velocity, acceleration, and jerk constraints, dynamic performance constraint of each servo drive is also considered in this optimization problem to improve the tracking precision along the optimized feedrate trajectory. Tracking error is applied to indicate the servo dynamic performance of each axis. By using variable substitution, the tracking error constrained minimum time trajectory planning problem is formulated as a nonlinear path constrained optimal control problem. Bang-bang constraints structure of the optimal trajectory is proved in this paper; then a novel constraint handling method is proposed to realize a convex optimization based solution of the nonlinear constrained optimal control problem. A simple ellipse feedrate planning test is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach. Then the practicability and robustness of the trajectory generated by the proposed approach are demonstrated by a butterfly contour machining example.

PHILOSOPHY OF MIND; THEORETICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE EMERGING VISION OF MIND-BRAIN INTERACTION.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paul Ruiz Santos

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This work aims to contribute to the discussion of mind-brain interactions from an emergentism point of view of the Philosophy of Mind, using some of the naturalized theories. Some proposed bridges between mind and brain based on experimental naturalization are neuro-psychoanalysis, mirror neurons, and psychosomatics, among others. Naturalization can be achieved by earching for the link between psychological and biological processes. This biological-based approach can be developed avoiding mplification and reductionism of psychological processes. We discuss the access to new insights about the mind-brain relationship and its implications through neurophenomenology, from an emerging and interactionist point of view.

Density nonlinearities and a field theory for the dynamics of simple fluids

OpenAIRE

Mazenko, Gene F.; Yeo, Joonhyun

1994-01-01

We study the role of the Jacobian arising from a constraint enforcing the nonlinear relation: ${\\bf g}=\\rho{\\bf V}$, where $\\rho,\\: {\\bf g}$ and ${\\bf V}$ are the mass density, the momentum density and the local velocity field, respectively, in the field theoretic formulation of the nonlinear fluctuating hydrodynamics of simple fluids. By investigating the Jacobian directly and by developing a field theoretic formulation without the constraint, we find that no changes in dynamics result as co...

Invisible Z′ and dark matter: LHC vs LUX constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arcadi, Giorgio; Mambrini, Yann; Tytgat, Michel H.G.; Zaldívar, Bryan

2014-01-01

We consider a simple, yet generic scenario in which a new heavy Z′ gauge boson couples both to SM fermions and to dark matter. In this framework we confront the best LHC limits on an extra gauge boson Z′ to the constraints on couplings to dark matter from direct detection experiments. In particular we show that the LHC searches for resonant production of dileptons and the recent exclusion limits obtained by the LUX collaboration give complementary constraints. Together, they impose strong bounds on the invisible branching ratio and exclude a large part of the parameter space for generic Z′ models. Our study encompasses many possible Z′ models, including SSM, E 6 -inspired or B-L scenario

Has bioscience reconciled mind and body?

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Carmel; Redmond, Catherine; Toole, Sinead O; Coughlan, Barbara

2016-09-01

The aim of this discursive paper is to explore the question 'has biological science reconciled mind and body?'. This paper has been inspired by the recognition that bioscience has a historical reputation for privileging the body over the mind. The disregard for the mind (emotions and behaviour) cast bioscience within a 'mind-body problem' paradigm. It has also led to inherent limitations in its capacity to contribute to understanding the complex nature of health. This is a discursive paper. Literature from the history and sociology of science and psychoneuroimmunology (1975-2015) inform the arguments in this paper. The historical and sociological literature provides the basis for a socio-cultural debate on mind-body considerations in science since the 1970s. The psychoneuroimmunology literature draws on mind-body bioscientific theory as a way to demonstrate how science is reconciling mind and body and advancing its understanding of the interconnections between emotions, behaviour and health. Using sociological and biological evidence, this paper demonstrates how bioscience is embracing and advancing its understanding of mind-body interconnectedness. It does this by demonstrating the emotional and behavioural alterations that are caused by two common phenomena; prolonged, chronic peripheral inflammation and prolonged psychological stress. The evidence and arguments provided has global currency that advances understanding of the inter-relationship between emotions, behaviour and health. This paper shows how bioscience has reconciled mind and body. In doing so, it has advanced an understanding of science's contribution to the inter-relationship between emotions, behaviour and health. The biological evidence supporting mind-body science has relevance to clinical practice for nurses and other healthcare professions. This paper discusses how this evidence can inform and enhance clinical practice directly and through research, education and policy. © 2015 John Wiley

Mindfulness en contextos educativos: Profesores que aprenden y profesores que enseñan mindfulness.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Modrego-Alarcón

2016-01-01

Full Text Available La creciente evidencia científica de mindfulness permite su expansión en distintos contextos, entre ellos el contexto educativo. Sin embargo, unida a esta rápida expansión, existe la preocupación de que los profesionales que enseñen mindfulness no tengan la suficiente formación personal y no posean las competencias y las habilidades necesarias para desempeñar esta tarea. Este artículo se basa en la información obtenida a partir de una búsqueda realizada en diferentes bases de datos, y referida a los principales artículos y trabajos publicados sobre mindfulness dirigidos al profesorado. Se exponen aspectos relativos a la formación en mindfulness y a las competencias, las habilidades y los principios necesarios para que los profesores apliquen mindfulness en las aulas; también se exponen las principales dificultades encontradas, los factores que contribuyen al éxito y las sugerencias de mejora respecto a la puesta en práctica de estos programas.

Exploring the Link between Mind Wandering, Mindfulness, and Creativity: A Multidimensional Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Agnoli, Sergio; Vanucci, Manila; Pelagatti, Claudia; Corazza, Giovanni Emanuele

2018-01-01

Even if mind wandering (MW) and mindfulness have traditionally been intended as separate and antithetical constructs, the roles of these 2 mental states on creative behavior were jointly explored in this article. In particular, MW was analyzed in light of a recent approach suggesting a differentiation between deliberate and spontaneous MW, whereas…

Self-unitarization of New Higgs Inflation and compatibility with Planck and BICEP2 data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Germani, Cristiano; Wintergerst, Nico [Arnold Sommerfeld Center, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Theresienstr. 37, 80333 München (Germany); Watanabe, Yuki, E-mail: cristiano.germani@lmu.de, E-mail: watanabe@resceu.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp, E-mail: nico.wintergerst@physik.lmu.de [Research Center for the Early Universe, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2014-12-01

In this paper we show that the Germani-Kehagias model of Higgs inflation (or New Higgs Inflation), where the Higgs boson is kinetically non-minimally coupled to the Einstein tensor is in perfect compatibility with the latest Planck and BICEP2 data. Moreover, we show that the tension between the Planck and BICEP2 data can be relieved within the New Higgs inflation scenario by a negative running of the spectral index. Regarding the unitarity of the model, we argue that it is unitary throughout the evolution of the Universe. Weak couplings in the Higgs-Higgs and Higgs-graviton sectors are provided by a large background dependent cut-off scale during inflation. In the same regime, the W and Z gauge bosons acquire a very large mass, thus decouple. On the other hand, if they are also non-minimally coupled to the Higgs boson, their effective masses can be enormously reduced. In this case, the W and Z bosons are no longer decoupled. After inflation, the New Higgs model is well approximated by a quartic Galileon with a renormalizable potential. We argue that this can unitarily create the right conditions for inflation to eventually start.

Self-unitarization of New Higgs Inflation and compatibility with Planck and BICEP2 data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Germani, Cristiano; Wintergerst, Nico; Watanabe, Yuki

2014-01-01

In this paper we show that the Germani-Kehagias model of Higgs inflation (or New Higgs Inflation), where the Higgs boson is kinetically non-minimally coupled to the Einstein tensor is in perfect compatibility with the latest Planck and BICEP2 data. Moreover, we show that the tension between the Planck and BICEP2 data can be relieved within the New Higgs inflation scenario by a negative running of the spectral index. Regarding the unitarity of the model, we argue that it is unitary throughout the evolution of the Universe. Weak couplings in the Higgs-Higgs and Higgs-graviton sectors are provided by a large background dependent cut-off scale during inflation. In the same regime, the W and Z gauge bosons acquire a very large mass, thus decouple. On the other hand, if they are also non-minimally coupled to the Higgs boson, their effective masses can be enormously reduced. In this case, the W and Z bosons are no longer decoupled. After inflation, the New Higgs model is well approximated by a quartic Galileon with a renormalizable potential. We argue that this can unitarily create the right conditions for inflation to eventually start

Brug af mindfulness til facilitering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine; Krohn, Simon

2011-01-01

Gennem de senere år er mindfulness gået fra udelukkende at være en eksistentiel praksis til også at være en behandlingsform og senest til også at blive brugt som et praktisk redskab i erhvervslivet. Denne artikel viser, at mindfulness også kan anvendes i forbindelse med facilitering. Facilitering...... er et værktøj, som bruges i arbejdslivet fx til møder og konferencer, hvor en gruppe mennesker er samlet for at lære eller udrette noget sammen. Det nye ved at kombinere mindfulness med facilitering er, at fokus hermed ændres fra individet, som er centrum for den eksistentielle fordybelse eller det...... terapeutiske forløb, til gruppen, som er udgangspunktet i facilitering. Artiklen viser, hvordan mindfulness konkret kan bruges på gruppeniveau og diskuterer samtidig hvilke problemer, der kan være forbundet hermed. Baseret på vores egne erfaringer, diskuterer vi, hvordan mindfulness kan påvirke en gruppes...

Constraint-based scheduling applying constraint programming to scheduling problems

CERN Document Server

Baptiste, Philippe; Nuijten, Wim

2001-01-01

Constraint Programming is a problem-solving paradigm that establishes a clear distinction between two pivotal aspects of a problem: (1) a precise definition of the constraints that define the problem to be solved and (2) the algorithms and heuristics enabling the selection of decisions to solve the problem. It is because of these capabilities that Constraint Programming is increasingly being employed as a problem-solving tool to solve scheduling problems. Hence the development of Constraint-Based Scheduling as a field of study. The aim of this book is to provide an overview of the most widely used Constraint-Based Scheduling techniques. Following the principles of Constraint Programming, the book consists of three distinct parts: The first chapter introduces the basic principles of Constraint Programming and provides a model of the constraints that are the most often encountered in scheduling problems. Chapters 2, 3, 4, and 5 are focused on the propagation of resource constraints, which usually are responsibl...

Hypnosis and Mindfulness: The Twain Finally Meet.

Science.gov (United States)

Otani, Akira

2016-04-01

Mindfulness meditation (or simply mindfulness) is an ancient method of attention training. Arguably, developed originally by the Buddha, it has been practiced by Buddhists over 2,500 years as part of their spiritual training. The popularity in mindfulness has soared recently following its adaptation as Mindfulness-Based Stress Management by Jon Kabat-Zinn (1995). Mindfulness is often compared to hypnosis but not all assertions are accurate. This article, as a primer, delineates similarities and dissimilarities between mindfulness and hypnosis in terms of 12 specific facets, including putative neuroscientific findings. It also provides a case example that illustrates clinical integration of the two methods.

The oceanic literary reading mind : An impression

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Burke, M.

2016-01-01

The mind and brain processes of the literary reading mind are most accurately defined as oceanic: the mind is an ocean. This is the essential premise that I put forward in my book Literary Reading, Cognition and Emotion: An Exploration of the Oceanic Mind (Routledge, 2011).1 The statement is of

APPLYING SIMPLE TECHNOLOGY ACCOMPLISHES VISUAL INSPECTION CHALLENGES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, C

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the successful implementation of simple video technologies at the Savannah River Site (SRS) to perform complex visual inspection, monitoring, and surveillance tasks. Because SRS facilities are similar to those of an industrial plant, the environmental and accessibility considerations for remote viewing are the primary determining factors in the selection of technology. The constraints and challenges associated with remote viewing are discussed, and examples of applications are given

The new functional identity: a body that thinks, a mind that feels - Frontiers and unexplored territories of the "Body and Mind zone".

Science.gov (United States)

Spurio, Maria Grazia

2016-09-01

For a long time, terms like "mind" and "emotion" have rarely been taken into account, not even mentioned in the medical texts. The latest scientific researches, including the studies of Candace Pert, on the contrary, have emphasized that the entire body thinks, because every single cell hears, and feels emotions. The international researcher has discovered the endocrines and a vast number of neuropeptides, that work as an "information network" that interconnects the entire body, the "psychic" molecules are transmitted and travel, communicating information as in a circular and recursive body - mind mechanism. This is a sort of body and mind functional identity, which is different in each person, because each person is a unique universe, and the body is the place where mind and body meet in a unique and unrepeatable alchemy. So, if it is true that only in the body the secret of its potential for development and transformation is well hidden, it is also true that this secret is unique for each of us. Then, the strategic therapy becomes 'tailor-made', and the knowledge of the body component is essential to unlock behavior patterns and planning new ones, in order to improve relationships and the quality of life, and enhance the sense of well-being. People are not as simple containers which merely record external incitements, on the contrary, they are able to evaluate and weigh what happens around. Depending on the meaning attributed to each stimulus, a stress response of different magnitude and duration is activated, this can be considered functional or dysfunctional. Many recent studies, in fact, states that there is a significant correlation between the coping strategy chosen and the onset of a disease. According to the theory of 'psychogenic tumor', for example, anyone can potentially develop cancer, but only those who do not have the psychological strength to resist disease get sick. No matter what is the theoretical framework and the conclusion adopted, we go

Time-Series Analysis of Daily Changes in Mindfulness, Repetitive Thinking, and Depressive Symptoms During Mindfulness-Based Treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snippe, Evelien; Bos, E.H.; van der Ploeg, K.M.; Sanderman, Robbert; Fleer, J.; Schroevers, M.J.

2015-01-01

Mindfulness and ruminative thinking have been shown to mediate the effects of mindfulness-based treatments on depressive symptoms. Yet, the dynamic interplay between these variables in daily life during mindfulness-based treatment has received little attention. The present study focuses on the

Being Mindful as a Phenomenological Attitude.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustin, Lena Wiklund

2017-08-01

The purpose of this article is to reflect on being mindful as a phenomenological attitude rather than on describing mindfulness as a therapeutic intervention. I will also explore the possibilities that being mindful might open up in relation to nursing research and holistic nursing. I will describe and interpret mindfulness as a state of being by means of van Manen's phenomenological method, using the language of phenomenology rather than the language of reductionist science. Thus, this article can be considered a reflective narrative, describing both the process of orienting to the phenomenon, making preunderstandings-including own experiences of mindfulness-visible, and a thematic analysis of nine scientific articles describing the phenomenon. Being mindful as a phenomenological attitude can be described as a deliberate intentionality, where the person is present in the moment and open to what is going on, bridling personal values and accepting the unfamiliar, thus achieving a sense of being peacefully situated in the world, and able to apprehend one's being-in-the-world. Being mindful as a phenomenological attitude can contribute not only to phenomenological nursing research but also support nurses' presence and awareness.

Elliott on Mind Matters.

Science.gov (United States)

Maattanen, Pentti

2000-01-01

Argues that David Elliott's conception of the human mind presented in his book "Music Matters" is not coherent. Outlines three alternatives to Elliott's theory of mind. Suggests that the principles associated with the pragmatism of Charles Sanders Pierce would complement Elliott's ideas in his book. (CMK)

Mindfulness meditation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Grünenberg, Kristina; Walker, Hanne Kjærgaard; Knudsen, Jakob Skov

2009-01-01

Meditation er ikke et nyt fænomen i det danske samfund. Det er den fokus som meditationsformen Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) har været genstand for i de senere år imidlertid. Inden for en sundhedssociologisk ramme undersøges nogle af grundene til, at netop MBSR er blevet populær både i...... en analyse af empirien, i hvilken forfatterne bl.a. argumenterer for, at opfattelsen af virkninger tilskrevet mindfulness meditation må ses i relation til to diskurser, som fremanalyseres og benævnes henholdsvis autenticitets- og e ektiviseringsdiskurserne. Disse diskurser udgør i artiklen...

Extended mind and after: socially extended mind and actor-network.

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Tetsuya

2014-03-01

The concept of extended mind has been impressively developed over the last 10 years by many philosophers and cognitive scientists. The extended mind thesis (EM) affirms that the mind is not simply ensconced inside the head, but extends to the whole system of brain-body-environment. Recently, some philosophers and psychologists try to adapt the idea of EM to the domain of social cognition research. Mind is socially extended (SEM). However, EM/SEM theory has problems to analyze the interactions among a subject and its surroundings with opposition, antagonism, or conflict; it also tends to think that the environment surrounding the subject is passive or static, and to neglect the power of non-human actants to direct and regulate the human subject. In these points, actor-network theory (ANT) proposed by Latour and Callon is more persuasive, while sharing some important ideas with EM/SEM theory. Actor-network is a hybrid community which is composed of a series of heterogeneous elements, animate and inanimate for a certain period of time. I shall conclude that EM/SEM could be best analyzed as a special case of actor-network. EM/SEM is a system which can be controlled by a human agent alone. In order to understand collective behavior, philosophy and psychology have to study the actor-network in which human individuals are situated.

Theory of mind in early psychosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Langdon, Robyn; Still, Megan; Connors, Michael H; Ward, Philip B; Catts, Stanley V

2014-08-01

A deficit in theory of mind--the ability to infer and reason about the mental states of others - might underpin the poor social functioning of patients with psychosis. Unfortunately, however, there is considerable variation in how such a deficit is assessed. The current study compared three classic tests of theory of mind in terms of their ability to detect impairment in patients in the early stages of psychosis. Twenty-three patients within 2 years of their first psychotic episode and 19 healthy controls received picture-sequencing, joke-appreciation and story-comprehension tests of theory of mind. Whereas the picture-sequencing and joke-appreciation tests successfully detected a selective theory-of-mind deficit in patients, the story-comprehension test did not. The findings suggest that tests that place minimal demands on language processing and involve indirect, rather than explicit, instructions to assess theory of mind might be best suited to detecting theory-of-mind impairment in early stages of psychosis. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Mind what mother says: narrative input and theory of mind in typical children and those on the autism spectrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Slaughter, Virginia; Peterson, Candida C; Mackintosh, Emily

2007-01-01

In 2 studies mothers read wordless storybooks to their preschool-aged children; narratives were analyzed for mental state language. Children's theory-of-mind understanding (ToM) was concurrently assessed. In Study 1, children's (N=30; M age 3 years 9 months) ToM task performance was significantly correlated with mothers' explanatory, causal, and contrastive talk about cognition, but not with mothers' simple mentions of cognition. In Study 2, the same pattern was found in an older sample of typically developing children (N=24; M age 4 years 7 months), whereas for children on the autism spectrum (N=24; M age 6 years 7.5 months), ToM task performance was uniquely correlated with mothers' explanatory, causal, and contrastive talk about emotions.

The distracted mind on the wheel: Overall propensity to mind wandering is associated with road crash responsibility.

Science.gov (United States)

Gil-Jardiné, Cédric; Née, Mélanie; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Schooler, Jonathan; Contrand, Benjamin; Orriols, Ludivine; Galera, Cédric

2017-01-01

The role of distractions on attentional lapses that place road users in higher risk of crash remains poorly understood. We aimed to assess the respective impact of (i) mind wandering trait (propensity to mind wander in the everyday life as measured with a set of 4 questions on the proportion of time spent mind wandering in 4 different situations) and (ii) mind wandering state (disturbing thoughts just before the crash) on road crash risk using a comparison between responsible and non-responsible drivers. 954 drivers injured in a road crash were interviewed at the adult emergency department of the Bordeaux university hospital in France (2013-2015). Responsibility for the crash, mind wandering (trait/state), external distraction, alcohol use, psychotropic drug use, and sleep deprivation were evaluated. Based on questionnaire reports, 39% of respondents were classified with a mind wandering trait and 13% reported a disturbing thought just before the crash. While strongly correlated, mind wandering state and trait were independently associated with responsibility for a traffic crash (State: OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.64-3.83 and Trait: OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.22-2.16 respectively). Self-report of distracting thoughts therefore did not capture the entire risk associated with the propensity of the mind to wander, either because of under-reported thoughts and/or other deleterious mechanisms to be further explored.

The distracted mind on the wheel: Overall propensity to mind wandering is associated with road crash responsibility.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cédric Gil-Jardiné

Full Text Available The role of distractions on attentional lapses that place road users in higher risk of crash remains poorly understood. We aimed to assess the respective impact of (i mind wandering trait (propensity to mind wander in the everyday life as measured with a set of 4 questions on the proportion of time spent mind wandering in 4 different situations and (ii mind wandering state (disturbing thoughts just before the crash on road crash risk using a comparison between responsible and non-responsible drivers. 954 drivers injured in a road crash were interviewed at the adult emergency department of the Bordeaux university hospital in France (2013-2015. Responsibility for the crash, mind wandering (trait/state, external distraction, alcohol use, psychotropic drug use, and sleep deprivation were evaluated. Based on questionnaire reports, 39% of respondents were classified with a mind wandering trait and 13% reported a disturbing thought just before the crash. While strongly correlated, mind wandering state and trait were independently associated with responsibility for a traffic crash (State: OR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.64-3.83 and Trait: OR = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.22-2.16 respectively. Self-report of distracting thoughts therefore did not capture the entire risk associated with the propensity of the mind to wander, either because of under-reported thoughts and/or other deleterious mechanisms to be further explored.

Crichton's phase-shift ambiguity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Atkinson, D.; Johnson, P.W.; Mehta, N.; Roo, M. de

1973-01-01

A re-examination of the SPD phase-shift ambiguity is made with a view to understanding certain singular features of the elastic unitarity constraint. An explicit solution of Crichton's equations is presented, and certain features of this solution are displayed graphically. In particular, it is shown

Shaking the entropy out of a lattice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

C. Tichy, Malte; Mølmer, Klaus; F. Sherson, Jacob

2012-01-01

, for which we implement a protocol that circumvents the constraints of unitarity. The preparation of large regions with precisely one atom per lattice site is discussed for both bosons and fermions. The resulting low-entropy Mott-insulating states may serve as high-fidelity register states for quantum...

Cosmographic Constraints and Cosmic Fluids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salvatore Capozziello

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The problem of reproducing dark energy effects is reviewed here with particular interest devoted to cosmography. We summarize some of the most relevant cosmological models, based on the assumption that the corresponding barotropic equations of state evolve as the universe expands, giving rise to the accelerated expansion. We describe in detail the ΛCDM (Λ-Cold Dark Matter and ωCDM models, considering also some specific examples, e.g., Chevallier–Polarsky–Linder, the Chaplygin gas and the Dvali–Gabadadze–Porrati cosmological model. Finally, we consider the cosmological consequences of f(R and f(T gravities and their impact on the framework of cosmography. Keeping these considerations in mind, we point out the model-independent procedure related to cosmography, showing how to match the series of cosmological observables to the free parameters of each model. We critically discuss the role played by cosmography, as a selection criterion to check whether a particular model passes or does not present cosmological constraints. In so doing, we find out cosmological bounds by fitting the luminosity distance expansion of the redshift, z, adopting the recent Union 2.1 dataset of supernovae, combined with the baryonic acoustic oscillation and the cosmic microwave background measurements. We perform cosmographic analyses, imposing different priors on the Hubble rate present value. In addition, we compare our results with recent PLANCK limits, showing that the ΛCDM and ωCDM models seem to be the favorite with respect to other dark energy models. However, we show that cosmographic constraints on f(R and f(T cannot discriminate between extensions of General Relativity and dark energy models, leading to a disadvantageous degeneracy problem.

Mindfulness and Student Success

Science.gov (United States)

Leland, Matt

2015-01-01

Mindfulness has long been practiced in Eastern spiritual traditions for personal improvement, and educators and educational institutions have recently begun to explore its usefulness in schools. Mindfulness training can be valuable for helping students be more successful learners and more connected members of an educational community. To determine…

Total-variation regularization with bound constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chartrand, Rick; Wohlberg, Brendt

2009-01-01

We present a new algorithm for bound-constrained total-variation (TV) regularization that in comparison with its predecessors is simple, fast, and flexible. We use a splitting approach to decouple TV minimization from enforcing the constraints. Consequently, existing TV solvers can be employed with minimal alteration. This also makes the approach straightforward to generalize to any situation where TV can be applied. We consider deblurring of images with Gaussian or salt-and-pepper noise, as well as Abel inversion of radiographs with Poisson noise. We incorporate previous iterative reweighting algorithms to solve the TV portion.

Modeling Network Transition Constraints with Hypergraphs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Harrod, Steven

2011-01-01

Discrete time dynamic graphs are frequently used to model multicommodity flows or activity paths through constrained resources, but simple graphs fail to capture the interaction effects of resource transitions. The resulting schedules are not operationally feasible, and return inflated objective...... values. A directed hypergraph formulation is derived to address railway network sequencing constraints, and an experimental problem sample solved to estimate the magnitude of objective inflation when interaction effects are ignored. The model is used to demonstrate the value of advance scheduling...... of train paths on a busy North American railway....

The distracted mind on the wheel: Overall propensity to mind wandering is associated with road crash responsibility

OpenAIRE

Gil-Jardin?, C?dric; N?e, M?lanie; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Schooler, Jonathan; Contrand, Benjamin; Orriols, Ludivine; Galera, C?dric

2017-01-01

The role of distractions on attentional lapses that place road users in higher risk of crash remains poorly understood. We aimed to assess the respective impact of (i) mind wandering trait (propensity to mind wander in the everyday life as measured with a set of 4 questions on the proportion of time spent mind wandering in 4 different situations) and (ii) mind wandering state (disturbing thoughts just before the crash) on road crash risk using a comparison between responsible and non-responsi...

Mind Invasion: Situated Affectivity and the Corporate Life Hack.

Science.gov (United States)

Slaby, Jan

2016-01-01

In view of the philosophical problems that vex the debate on situated affectivity, it can seem wise to focus on simple cases. Accordingly, theorists often single out scenarios in which an individual employs a device in order to enhance their emotional experience, or to achieve new kinds of experience altogether, such as playing an instrument, going to the movies, or sporting a fancy handbag. I argue that this narrow focus on cases that fit a "user/resource model" tends to channel attention away from more complex and also more problematic instances of situated affectivity. Among these are scenarios in which a social domain draws individuals into certain modes of affective interaction, often by way of attunement and habituation to affective styles and interaction patterns that are normative in the domain in question. This can lead to a phenomenon that is not so much "mind extension" than "mind invasion": affectivity is dynamically framed and modulated from without, often contrary to the prior orientations of the individuals in question. As an example, I discuss affective patterns prevalent in today's corporate workplace. I claim that workplace affect sometimes contributes to what is effectively a "hack" of employees' subjectivity.

Experiencing mindfulness meditation - a client narrative perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stelter, Reinhard

2009-01-01

The study was based on the non-participant involvement of the researcher in four six-to-eight weeks' mindfulness meditation training courses led by chartered psychologists. The participants suffered from stress/sleeplessness, depression or agoraphobia in the presented cases. They were selected...... and practicing mindfulness meditation. It is not the intention to give evidence about the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation in general, but to present the whats and hows of cases where mindfulness meditation appears to improve quality of life, health and well-being. Keywords: Mindfulness meditation...

How does grazing relate to body mass index, self-compassion, mindfulness and mindful eating in a student population?

Science.gov (United States)

Mantzios, Michail; Egan, Helen; Bahia, Henna; Hussain, Misba; Keyte, Rebecca

2018-01-01

Contemporary research investigating obesity has focused on grazing (i.e. an uncontrolled and repetitive consumption of small amounts of food). Meanwhile, constructs such as mindfulness, mindful eating and self-compassion have received much attention in assisting individuals with eating behaviours and weight regulation. The association between those constructs and grazing, however, has not been explored. In a cross-sectional study, university students ( n  = 261) were recruited to explore the relationship of mindfulness, mindful eating and self-compassion with current weight and grazing. Results indicated that all constructs were negatively related to grazing, but only mindful eating related negatively to current weight. In addition, mindful eating mediated the relationship between grazing and current weight. Possible explanations and future directions are discussed further with an emphasis on the need for more empirical work.

Relativistic two-and three-particle scattering equations using instant and light-front dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adhikari, S.K.; Tomio, L.; Frederico, T.

1992-01-01

Starting from the Bethe-Salpeter equation for two particles in the ladder approximation and integrating over the time component of momentum we derive three dimensional scattering integral equations satisfying constraints of unitarity and relativity, both employing the light-front and instant-form variables. The equations we arrive at are those first derived by Weinberg and by Blankenbecler and Sugar, and are shown to be related by a transformation of variables. Hence we show how to perform and relate identical dynamical calculation using these two equations. We extends this procedure to the case of three particles interacting via two-particle separable potentials. Using light-front and instant form variables we suggest a couple of three dimensional three-particle scattering equations satisfying constraints of two and three-particle unitarity and relativity. The three-particle light-front equation is shown to be approximately related by a transformation of variables to one of the instant-form three-particle equations. (author)

Restless Mind, Restless Body

Science.gov (United States)

Seli, Paul; Carriere, Jonathan S. A.; Thomson, David R.; Cheyne, James Allan; Martens, Kaylena A. Ehgoetz; Smilek, Daniel

2014-01-01

In the present work, we investigate the hypothesis that failures of task-related executive control that occur during episodes of mind wandering are associated with an increase in extraneous movements (fidgeting). In 2 studies, we assessed mind wandering using thought probes while participants performed the metronome response task (MRT), which…

Mindfulness i arbetet : En intervjustudie om upplevelser av att utöva mindfulness i arbetet

OpenAIRE

Reiman, Magdalena; Matsson, Malin

2015-01-01

Mindfulness can be a method in health promotion for the prevention of work-related stress. In the current study six informants provide their experiences, through semi-structured interviews, how mindfulness can be practiced at work, what conditions are considered to increase and decrease implementation in everyday work and how mindfulness changed the individual in their way of work. The thematic analysis resulted in  four themes; become a lifestyle, focused presence, the organization's role an...

Mindfulness in occupational therapy education.

Science.gov (United States)

Gura, Shira Taylor

2010-07-01

ABSTRACT The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of mindfulness and its role in occupational therapy education. The plethora of research on mindfulness-based stress reduction programs has shown consistent and positive results to enhance quality of life in clinical and nonclinical populations. Offering students the opportunities to learn and experience mindfulness could lead to enhanced self-awareness and care, focus and empathy, and a decrease of client judgment enhancing the success of clinical interventions.

Mindfulness inom ergoterapi : En integrativ litteraturstudie

OpenAIRE

Lindfors, Thelma

2015-01-01

Mindfulness är ett begrepp och fenomen som blivit allt mera populärt inom det västerländska samhället. Mindfulness förekommer bland annat i olika terapiformer inom sjukvården. Syftet med detta examensarbete är att kartlägga hur fenomenet mindfulness beskrivs inom ergoterapins kunskapsområde. Forskningsfrågan är: Inom vilka områden behandlas mindfulness i ergoterapilitteraturen? Arbetet följer riktlinjerna för en integrativ litteraturstudie. Vetenskapliga artiklar som nämner eller behandlar mi...

General quadratic gauge theory: constraint structure, symmetries and physical functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gitman, D M [Institute of Physics, University of Sao Paulo (Brazil); Tyutin, I V [Lebedev Physics Institute, Moscow (Russian Federation)

2005-06-17

How can we relate the constraint structure and constraint dynamics of the general gauge theory in the Hamiltonian formulation to specific features of the theory in the Lagrangian formulation, especially relate the constraint structure to the gauge transformation structure of the Lagrangian action? How can we construct the general expression for the gauge charge if the constraint structure in the Hamiltonian formulation is known? Whether we can identify the physical functions defined as commuting with first-class constraints in the Hamiltonian formulation and the physical functions defined as gauge invariant functions in the Lagrangian formulation? The aim of the present paper is to consider the general quadratic gauge theory and to answer the above questions for such a theory in terms of strict assertions. To fulfil such a programme, we demonstrate the existence of the so-called superspecial phase-space variables in terms of which the quadratic Hamiltonian action takes a simple canonical form. On the basis of such a representation, we analyse a functional arbitrariness in the solutions of the equations of motion of the quadratic gauge theory and derive the general structure of symmetries by analysing a symmetry equation. We then use these results to identify the two definitions of physical functions and thus prove the Dirac conjecture.

Mindful maths: reducing the impact of stereotype threat through a mindfulness exercise.

Science.gov (United States)

Weger, Ulrich W; Hooper, Nic; Meier, Brian P; Hopthrow, Tim

2012-03-01

Individuals who experience stereotype threat - the pressure resulting from social comparisons that are perceived as unfavourable - show performance decrements across a wide range of tasks. One account of this effect is that the cognitive pressure triggered by such threat drains the same cognitive (or working-memory) resources that are implicated in the respective task. The present study investigates whether mindfulness can be used to moderate stereotype threat, as mindfulness has previously been shown to alleviate working-memory load. Our results show that performance decrements that typically occur under stereotype threat can indeed be reversed when the individual engages in a brief (5 min) mindfulness task. The theoretical implications of our findings are discussed. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mindfulness as a Path of Women's Empowerment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadja FURLAN ŠTANTE

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The paper brings together social mindfulness as a path of empowerment for women within its concept of the interrelatedness of all beings in the web of life. The paradigm of social mindfulness is thus established as the foundation of feminist spirituality. The focus of this work is on the possibility of applying the ethics of mindfulness as a paradigm to interpersonal interrelatedness. The relations among humans, nature, reason and emotion in self-development are confronted with the paradigm of mindfulness. This paper carries out a theoretical analysis of the possibility of integrating the paradigm of mindfulness with the paradigm of feminist spirituality. In this view, the paradigm shift toward integrating spiritual and social justice and ecological balance is examined. It also examines possibility of transformation of negative gender stereotypes with the help of mindfulness, loving kindness, compassion and ethics. From this point of view, the application of mindfulness in education (especially childhood, primary and secondary schools is considered.

"The Anatomy of Our Discontent": From Braining the Mind to Mindfulness for Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Bernadette M.; Saari, Antti

2018-01-01

This paper offers an overview of contemporary inscriptions of mindfulness, their conditions of possibility, and examples of the braining of mind on which contemporary neuro-meets-contemplative turns are dependent. We examine key nineteenth-century events integral to the formation of Biologies Old, in which historic debates over "the death of…

Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Our Union's Road Map to Green and Sustainable Schools

Science.gov (United States)

Spake, Amanda

2008-01-01

Late in 2006, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) released the first report in this series, "Building Minds, Minding Buildings: Turning Crumbling Schools into Environments for Learning." This second report, which covers the green schools movement is a natural follow-up; it highlights the work of AFT members and affiliates involved…

Theory of Mind

OpenAIRE

Jovanka, Della Raymena; Setiawan, Denny

2013-01-01

This paper aimed to describe preschool age children's Theory of Mind, as a part of their cognitive development. Some factors that affect the children's Theory of Mind are parental talking, social economic background, parents' education, etc.The research participants are 82 preschool age children in South Jakarta, Indonesia. The method used in this paper was quasi experiment, adaptated from Sobel, Li, and Corriveau's method. The statistical data were examined by one way ANOVA. These data sugge...

Mind-body interventions: applications in neurology.

Science.gov (United States)

Wahbeh, Helané; Elsas, Siegward-M; Oken, Barry S

2008-06-10

Half of the adults in the United States use complementary and alternative medicine with mind-body therapy being the most commonly used form. Neurology patients often turn to their physicians for insight into the effectiveness of the therapies and resources to integrate them into their care. The objective of this article is to give a clinical overview of mind-body interventions and their applications in neurology. Medline and PsychInfo were searched on mind-body therapies and neurologic disease search terms for clinical trials and reviews and published evidence was graded. Meditation, relaxation, and breathing techniques, yoga, tai chi, and qigong, hypnosis, and biofeedback are described. Mind-body therapy application to general pain, back and neck pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, headaches, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, muscular dysfunction, stroke, aging, Parkinson disease, stroke, and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder are reviewed. There are several conditions where the evidence for mind-body therapies is quite strong such as migraine headache. Mind-body therapies for other neurology applications have limited evidence due mostly to small clinical trials and inadequate control groups.

Mindfulness handler ikke om individualisering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Christian Gaden

2013-01-01

Kommentar til indlæg i Ugebrevet A4 om, at mindfulness virker individualiserende på arbejdspladsen.......Kommentar til indlæg i Ugebrevet A4 om, at mindfulness virker individualiserende på arbejdspladsen....

Mind-Wandering in People with Hippocampal Damage.

Science.gov (United States)

McCormick, Cornelia; Rosenthal, Clive R; Miller, Thomas D; Maguire, Eleanor A

2018-03-14

Subjective inner experiences, such as mind-wandering, represent the fundaments of human cognition. Although the precise function of mind-wandering is still debated, it is increasingly acknowledged to have influence across cognition on processes such as future planning, creative thinking, and problem-solving and even on depressive rumination and other mental health disorders. Recently, there has been important progress in characterizing mind-wandering and identifying the associated neural networks. Two prominent features of mind-wandering are mental time travel and visuospatial imagery, which are often linked with the hippocampus. People with selective bilateral hippocampal damage cannot vividly recall events from their past, envision their future, or imagine fictitious scenes. This raises the question of whether the hippocampus plays a causal role in mind-wandering and, if so, in what way. Leveraging a unique opportunity to shadow people (all males) with bilateral hippocampal damage for several days, we examined, for the first time, what they thought about spontaneously, without direct task demands. We found that they engaged in as much mind-wandering as control participants. However, whereas controls thought about the past, present, and future, imagining vivid visual scenes, hippocampal damage resulted in thoughts primarily about the present comprising verbally mediated semantic knowledge. These findings expose the hippocampus as a key pillar in the neural architecture of mind-wandering and also reveal its impact beyond episodic memory, placing it at the heart of our mental life. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans tend to mind-wander ∼30-50% of their waking time. Two prominent features of this pervasive form of thought are mental time travel and visuospatial imagery, which are often associated with the hippocampus. To examine whether the hippocampus plays a causal role in mind-wandering, we examined the frequency and phenomenology of mind-wandering in patients with

Can Mindful Parenting Be Observed? Relations between Observational Ratings of Mother-Youth Interactions and Mothers’ Self-Report Mindful Parenting

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Larissa G.; Coatsworth, J. Douglas; Gayles, Jochebed G.; Geier, Mary H.; Greenberg, Mark T.

2015-01-01

Research on mindful parenting, an extension of mindfulness to the interpersonal domain of parent-child relationships, has been limited by its reliance on self-report assessment. The current study is the first to examine whether observational indices of parent-youth interactions differentiate between high and low levels of self-reported mindful parenting. The Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scales (IFIRS) were used to code interactions between mothers and their 7th grade youth. Mothers drawn from the top and bottom quartiles (n = 375) of a larger distribution of self-reported interpersonal mindfulness in parenting (N = 804) represented clearly defined high and low mindful parenting groups. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to analyze how well six composite IFIRS observational rating variables (e.g., parental warmth, consistent discipline) discriminated between high and low self-reports of mindful parenting. DFA results were cross-validated, with statistically significant canonical correlations found for both subsamples (p parenting and the observational ratings was also provided through hierarchical regression analyses conducted with a continuous predictor of mindful parenting using the full sample. Thus, the present study provides preliminary evidence for a link between self-reported mindful parenting and observed interactions between parents and youth. PMID:25844494

Effects of preventive online mindfulness interventions on stress and mindfulness: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wasantha P. Jayawardene, MD, PhD

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Empirical evidence suggested that mind-body interventions can be effectively delivered online. This study aimed to examine whether preventive online mindfulness interventions (POMI for non-clinical populations improve short- and long-term outcomes for perceived-stress (primary and mindfulness (secondary. Systematic search of four electronic databases, manuscript reference lists, and journal content lists was conducted in 2016, using 21 search-terms. Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs evaluating effects of POMI in non-clinical populations with adequately reported perceived-stress and mindfulness measures pre- and post-intervention were included. Random-effects models utilized for all effect-size estimations with meta-regression performed for mean age and %females. Participants were volunteers (adults; predominantly female from academic, workplace, or community settings. Most interventions utilized simplified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction protocols over 2–12 week periods. Post-intervention, significant medium effect found for perceived-stress (g = 0.432, with moderate heterogeneity and significant, but small, effect size for mindfulness (g = 0.275 with low heterogeneity; highest effects were for middle-aged individuals. At follow-up, significant large effect found for perceived-stress (g = 0.699 with low heterogeneity and significant medium effect (g = 0.466 for mindfulness with high heterogeneity. No publication bias was found for perceived-stress; publication bias found for mindfulness outcomes led to underestimation of effects, not overestimation. Number of eligible RCTs was low with inadequate data reporting in some studies. POMI had substantial stress reduction effects and some mindfulness improvement effects. POMI can be a more convenient and cost-effective strategy, compared to traditional face-to-face interventions, especially in the context of busy, hard-to-reach, but digitally-accessible populations.

Sleep, Stress & Relaxation: Rejuvenate Body & Mind

Science.gov (United States)

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Phenomenology of future-oriented mind-wandering episodes

OpenAIRE

David eStawarczyk; Helena eCassol; Arnaud eD'Argembeau

2013-01-01

Recent research suggests that prospective and non-prospective forms of mind-wandering possess distinct properties, yet little is known about what exactly differentiates between future-oriented and non-future-oriented mind-wandering episodes. In the present study, we used multilevel exploratory factor analyses to examine the factorial structure of various phenomenological dimensions of mind-wandering, and we then investigated whether future-oriented mind-wandering episodes differ from other cl...

Is quark-antiquark annihilation infrared safe at high energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenkel, J.; Gatheral, J.G.M.; Taylor, J.C.

1983-01-01

In perturbative QCD, the Bloch-Nordsieck cross section for quark-antiquark annihilation is known, to order g 4 , to be infrared finite, except for terms which are power suppressed at high energies. A fairly simple explanation of this fact, using analyticity, unitarity and an analysis of mass-singularities in both Feynman and axial gauges, is given. The argument applies fairly easily to order g 6 . Assuming a generalized unitarity principle, the argument can be extended to all orders. (Author) [pt

Adults are intuitive mind-body dualists.

Science.gov (United States)

Forstmann, Matthias; Burgmer, Pascal

2015-02-01

In the present research, we tested the hypotheses that (a) adults are intuitive mind-body dualists, (b) that this belief can be considered a default, and (c) that it is partially explained by essentialistic reasoning about the nature of the mind. Over 8 studies, using various thought experiment paradigms, participants reliably ascribed to a physically duplicated being a greater retention of physical than of mental properties. This difference was unrelated to whether or not this being was given a proper name (Study 1b) and was only found for entities that were considered to actually possess a mind (Study 1c). Further, we found that an intuitive belief in mind-body dualism may in fact be considered a default: Taxing participants' cognitive resources (Study 2) or priming them with an intuitive (vs. analytical) thinking style (Studies 3a and 3b) both increased dualistic beliefs. In a last set of studies, we found that beliefs in mind-body dualism are indeed related to essentialistic reasoning about the mind. When a living being was reassembled from its original molecules rather than recreated from new molecules, dualistic beliefs were significantly reduced (Studies 4a and 4b). Thus, results of the present research indicate that, despite any acquired scientific knowledge about the neurological origins of mental life, most adults remain "essentialistic mind-body dualists" at heart.

Low mass diffractive dissociation in a simple t-dependent dual bootstrap model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bishari, M.

1978-08-01

The smallness of inelastic diffractive dissociation is explicitly demonstrated, in the framework of the '1/N dual unitarization' scheme, by incorporating a Deck type mechanism with the crucial planar bootstrap equation. Although both inelastic and elastic pomeron couplings are of the same order in 1/N, the origin for their smallness, however, is not identical. (author)

A Program to Protect Integrity of Body-Mind-Spirit: Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oznur Korukcu

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Mindfulness-based applications allow health care staffs to understand themselves as well as other individuals. Awareness based applications are not only stress reduction techniques but also a way of understanding the life and human existence, and it should not be only used to cope with the diseases. Emotions, thoughts and judgments of people might give direction to their life sometimes. Accessing a life without judgment and negative feelings brings a peaceful and happy life together. Mindfulness based stress reduction exercises may help to enjoy the present time, to cope with the challenges, stress and diseases and accept the negative life experiences rather than to question their reasons. About three decades ago, Kabat-Zin conducted the first investigation of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program which is used commonly all around the world. The 8-weeks program, which contains mindful living exercises (such as eating, walking, cooking, etc., yoga, body scan and meditation practices, requires doing daily life activity and meditation with attention, openness and acceptance. The aim of this review article is to give information about Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program and to emphasize its importance. [Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry 2015; 7(1: 68-80

Study of open-charm 0{sup +} states in unitarized chiral effective theory with one-loop potentials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Du, Meng-Lin [Universitaet Bonn, Helmholtz-Institut fuer Strahlen- und Kernphysik and Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Bonn (Germany); Guo, Feng-Kun [Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Key Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Beijing (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Physical Sciences, Beijing (China); Meissner, Ulf G. [Universitaet Bonn, Helmholtz-Institut fuer Strahlen- und Kernphysik and Bethe Center for Theoretical Physics, Bonn (Germany); Forschungszentrum Juelich, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Institut fuer Kernphysik and Juelich Center for Hadron Physics (Germany); Yao, De-Liang [Forschungszentrum Juelich, Institute for Advanced Simulation, Institut fuer Kernphysik and Juelich Center for Hadron Physics (Germany); Instituto de Fisica Corpuscular (Centro mixto CSIC-UV), Institutos de Investigacion de Paterna, Valencia (Spain)

2017-11-15

Chiral potentials are derived for the interactions between Goldstone bosons and pseudo-scalar charmed mesons up to next-to-next-to-leading order in a covariant chiral effective field theory with explicit vector charmed-meson degrees of freedom. Using the extended-on-mass-shell scheme, we demonstrate that the ultraviolet divergences and the so-called power counting breaking terms can be properly absorbed by the low-energy constants of the chiral Lagrangians. We calculate the scattering lengths by unitarizing the one-loop potentials and fit them to the data extracted from lattice QCD. The obtained results are compared to the ones without an explicit contribution of vector charmed mesons given previously. It is found that the difference is negligible for S-wave scattering in the threshold region. This validates the use of D*-less one-loop potentials in the study of the pertinent scattering lengths. We search for dynamically generated open-charm states with J{sup P} = 0{sup +} as poles of the S-matrix on various Riemann sheets. The trajectories of those poles for varying pion masses are presented as well. (orig.)

Mind-body interventions during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Beddoe, Amy E; Lee, Kathryn A

2008-01-01

To examine published evidence on the effectiveness of mind-body interventions during pregnancy on perceived stress, mood, and perinatal outcomes. Computerized searches of PubMed, Cinahl, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane Library. Twelve out of 64 published intervention studies between 1980 and February 2007 of healthy, adult pregnant women met criteria for review. Studies were categorized by type of mind-body modality used. Progressive muscle relaxation was the most common intervention. Other studies used a multimodal psychoeducation approach or a yoga and meditation intervention. The research contained methodological problems, primarily absence of a randomized control group or failure to adequately control confounding variables. Nonetheless, there was modest evidence for the efficacy of mind-body modalities during pregnancy. Treatment group outcomes included higher birthweight, shorter length of labor, fewer instrument-assisted births, and reduced perceived stress and anxiety. There is evidence that pregnant women have health benefits from mind-body therapies used in conjunction with conventional prenatal care. Further research is necessary to build on these studies in order to predict characteristics of subgroups that might benefit from mind-body practices and examine cost effectiveness of these interventions on perinatal outcomes.

A note on the BFV-BRST operator quantization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dayi, O.F.

1988-03-01

The BFV-BRST operator quantization method is applied to massive, abelian (Yang-Mills) theory which has only second class constraints. A nilpotent BFV-BRST-charge is derived and used to define a unitarizing hamiltonian. Unphysical degrees of freedom can be eliminated either in a canonical gauge or in a relativistic one. In the latter gauge this is a general feature (at least locally) of the BFV-BRST quantization of the systems with irreducible constraints. (author). 23 refs

Cognitive Neuroscience and the "Mind-Body problem"

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Grega Repovš

2004-08-01

Full Text Available In recent years we have witnessed an upsurge of interest in the study of the human mind and how it relates to the material body, the brain. Cognitive neuroscience is a multidisciplinary science that tries to explain how the mind arises from the structure and workings of the brain. Can we equate the study of mind-body relationship with cognitive neuroscience? Are there aspects of mind-body relationship that are not covered by cognitive neuroscience? Is cognitive neuroscience able to explain human behaviour and experience? These are the questions that are addressed in this "Beginner's Guide to Cognitive neuroscience and it's relation to the Body-Mind question".

Mindfulness Training Alters Emotional Memory Recall Compared to Active Controls: Support for an Emotional Information Processing Model of Mindfulness

OpenAIRE

Roberts-Wolfe, Douglas; Sacchet, Matthew D.; Hastings, Elizabeth; Roth, Harold; Britton, Willoughby

2012-01-01

Objectives: While mindfulness-based interventions have received widespread application in both clinical and non-clinical populations, the mechanism by which mindfulness meditation improves well-being remains elusive. One possibility is that mindfulness training alters the processing of emotional information, similar to prevailing cognitive models of depression and anxiety. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of mindfulness training on emotional information processing (i.e., m...

State Mindfulness During Meditation Predicts Enhanced Cognitive Reappraisal

OpenAIRE

Garland, Eric L.; Hanley, Adam; Farb, Norman A.; Froeliger, Brett E.

2013-01-01

Putatively, mindfulness meditation involves generation of a state of “nonappraisal”, yet, little is known about how mindfulness may influence appraisal processes. We investigated whether the state and practice of mindfulness could enhance cognitive reappraisal. Participants (N = 44; M age = 24.44, SD = 4.00, range 19 – 38, 82.2% female) were randomized to either 1) mindfulness, 2) suppression, or 3) mind-wandering induction training conditions. Cognitive reappraisal was assessed with the Emot...

Query by Constraint Propagation in the Concept-Oriented Data Model

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Alexandr Savinov

2006-09-01

Full Text Available The paper describes an approach to query processing in the concept-oriented data model. This approach is based on imposing constraints and specifying the result type. The constraints are then automatically propagated over the model and the result contains all related data items. The simplest constraint propagation strategy consists of two steps: propagating down to the most specific level using de-projection and propagating up to the target concept using projection. A more complex strategy described in the paper may consist of many de-projection/projection steps passing through some intermediate concepts. An advantage of the described query mechanism is that it does not need any join conditions because it uses the structure of the model for propagation. Moreover, this mechanism does not require specifying an access path using dimension names. Thus even rather complex queries can be expressed in simple and natural form because they are expressed by specifying what information is available and what related data we want to get.

Management of sexual problems: the approach of mindfulness.

Science.gov (United States)

Vilarinho, Sandra

2017-11-01

During the last 10 years mindfulness has been progressively integrated into protocols for the management of sexual problems. The purpose of this study is to systematize potential benefits of mindfulness in sexual well-being (considering mind, emotion, and body), and to shortly review current applications and effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions to the treatment of sexual problems. The majority of evidence available focuses on women's sexual desire and arousal problems, although there are also preliminary findings for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions in enhancing other components of the sexual response. Relationship issues, sexual pain, sexual abuse, and sexual distress have also revealed to benefit from mindfulness-based interventions. The practice of mindfulness is a promising clinical approach with encouraging results for women's sexual problems. Further empirical research with different populations and greater methodological rigour is still needed to clarify the effectiveness of mindfulness as a specific component and the mechanisms contributing to therapeutic change.

The protective effects of brief mindfulness meditation training.

Science.gov (United States)

Banks, Jonathan B; Welhaf, Matthew S; Srour, Alexandra

2015-05-01

Mindfulness meditation has gained a great deal of attention in recent years due to the variety of physical and psychological benefits, including improved working memory, decreased mind wandering and reduced impact of stress on working memory. The current study examined a 1-week at home mindfulness meditation intervention compared to an active control intervention. Results suggest that mindfulness meditation does not increase working memory or decrease mind wandering but does prevent stress related working memory impairments. Mindfulness meditation appears to alter the factors that impair working memory such that the negative impact of mind wandering on working memory was only evident at higher levels of negative affect. The use of cognitive mechanism words in narratives of stressful events did not differ by condition but predicted poorer working memory in the control condition. The results support the use of an at home mindfulness meditation intervention for reducing stress-related impairments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Specific mindfulness skills differentially predict creative performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Baas, M.; Nevicka, B.; ten Velden, F.S.

2014-01-01

Past work has linked mindfulness to improved emotion regulation, interpersonal skills, and basic cognitive abilities, but is unclear about the relation between mindfulness and creativity. Studies examining effects of mindfulness on factors pertinent to creativity suggest a uniform and positive

General constraints on the effect of gas flows in the chemical evolution of galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edmunds, M.G.

1990-01-01

The basic equations for the chemical evolution of galaxies in which the 'simple' closed box model is modified to allow any form of inflow or outflow are examined. It is found that there are quite general limiting constraints on the effects that such flows can have. Some implications for the actual chemical evolution of galaxies are discussed, and the constraints should also be useful in understanding the behaviour of detailed numerical models of galactic chemical evolution involving gas flows. (author)

Electrophysiological Correlates of Reading the Single- and Interactive-Mind

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yi-Wen; Zheng, Yu-Wei; Lin, Chong-De; Wu, Jie; Shen, De-Li

2011-01-01

Understanding minds is the cognitive basis of successful social interaction. In everyday life, human mental activity often happens at the moment of social interaction among two or multiple persons instead of only one-person. Understanding the interactive mind of two- or multi-person is more complex and higher than understanding the single-person mind in the hierarchical structure of theory of mind. Understanding the interactive mind maybe differentiate from understanding the single mind. In order to examine the dissociative electrophysiological correlates of reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind, the 64 channels event-related potentials were recorded while 16 normal adults were observing three kinds of Chinese idioms depicted physical scenes, one-person with mental activity, and two- or multi-person with mental interaction. After the equivalent N400, in the 500- to 700-ms epoch, the mean amplitudes of late positive component (LPC) over frontal for reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind were significantly more positive than for physical representation, while there was no difference between the former two. In the 700- to 800-ms epoch, the mean amplitudes of LPC over frontal–central for reading the interactive mind were more positive than for reading the single mind and physical representation, while there was no difference between the latter two. The present study provides electrophysiological signature of the dissociations between reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind. PMID:21845178

Electrophysiological correlates of reading the single- and interactive-mind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Wen eWang

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Understanding minds is the cognitive basis of successful social interaction. In everyday life, human mental activity often happens at the moment of social interaction among two or multiple persons instead of only one person. Understanding the interactive mind of two- or multi-person is more complex and higher than understanding the single-person mind in the hierarchical structure of theory-of-mind. Understanding the interactive mind maybe differentiate from understanding the single mind. In order to examine the dissociative electrophysiological correlates of reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind, the 64 channels event-related potentials (ERP were recorded while 16 normal adults were observing three kinds of Chinese idioms depicted physical scenes, one-person with mental activity and two- or multi-person with mental interaction. After the equivalent N400, in the 500- to 700-ms epoch, the mean amplitudes of late positive component (LPC over frontal for reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind were significantly more positive than for physical representation, while there was no difference between the former two. In the 700-to 800-ms epoch, the mean amplitudes of LPC over frontal-central for reading the interactive mind were more positive than for reading the single mind and physical representation, while there was no difference between the latter two. The present study provides electrophysiological signature of the dissociations between reading the single mind and reading the interactive mind.

Mind-Body Practices in Integrative Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niko Kohls

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Mind-Body practices have become increasingly popular as components of psychotherapeutic and behavior medicine interventions. They comprise an array of different methods and techniques that use some sort of mental-behavioral training and involve the modulation of states of consciousness in order to influence bodily processes towards greater health, well-being and better functioning. Mind-body practices may thus be interpreted as the salutogenetic mirror image of psychosomatic medicine, where psychophysiological and health consequences of specific psychological states are studied, such as stress arousal, psychological trauma or depression. This contribution examines the empirical evidence of the most common mind-body techniques with regard to their salutogenetic potential. We concisely discuss some aspects of the mind-body problem, before we consider some historical aspects and achievements of psychosomatic medicine. We then turn to some prominent mind-body practices and their application, as well as the empirical database for them.

The balanced mind

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Allen, Micah; Smallwood, Jonathan; Christensen, Joanna

2013-01-01

Self-generated thoughts unrelated to ongoing activities, also known as "mind-wandering," make up a substantial portion of our daily lives. Reports of such task-unrelated thoughts (TUTs) predict both poor performance on demanding cognitive tasks and blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) activity...... in the default mode network (DMN). However, recent findings suggest that TUTs and the DMN can also facilitate metacognitive abilities and related behaviors. To further understand these relationships, we examined the influence of subjective intensity, ruminative quality, and variability of mind...

BETWEEN EUROPEANIZATION, UNITARISM AND AUTONOMY. REMARKS ON THE CURRENT SITUATION OF FEDERALISM IN AUSTRIA

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Peter Bußjäger

2010-04-01

Full Text Available The following article describes current challenges of Austrian federalism. On ground of the Federal Constitution from 1920 Austria is a federation with nine autonomous Länder. Federalism is one of the basic principles of the constitution. Nevertheless the Länder are faced with centralizing drive due to Europeanization and unitarism. On the other hand the Länder have a strong regional identity. The Länder are emotionally deeply rooted in theAustrian population. The Länder also participate well in the decision making process on European level.Nevertheless the division of competencies both in legislation and administration between Federation and Länder is complicated and needs to be modernised. In the past various reform projects on federal level had failed while various reforms in the Land constitutions have led to more innovation on Land level. Despite these facts paradigms of reform debates on Austria´s federal system have changed: Until the early nineties of 20th century constitutionalreforms aimed to strengthen the role of the Länder. Since Austria´saccession to the EU reform projects the efficiency of the federal structures of Austria are doubted. Economical and financial crisis probably will increase the pressure for structural reforms.

Tidsperspektiv, mindfulness och stress: : en korrelationsstudie

OpenAIRE

Koudriavtseva, Antonina

2017-01-01

Denna studie undersökte det potentiella sambandet mellan tidsperspektiv, mindfulness och upplevd stress. Kring 60 studenter besvarade en online-enkät som inkluderade den svenska versionen av Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire och Perceived Stress Scale. Analyserna omfattade bivariata korrelationer, multipel linjär regressionsanalys och path analys. I linje med hypoteserna indikerade resultaten statistiskt signifikanta samband mellan mindfulness, ett ...

Persuasion: The Social Construction of Mindfulness

OpenAIRE

Smith, Mark

2018-01-01

An exploratory study into the recent popular emergence of mindfulness (Achsamkeit). Contemporary mindfulness practices encompass secular self-help and therapeutic pedagogies such as MBSR, spiritual exploration and religious doctrine. This study is a qualitative analysis of the concept of mindfulness as it is entertained by its practitioners. The study was conducted according to a constructivist grounded theory methodology and interpreted through a social constructionist reading of Aristotl...

On the relation of mind wandering and ADHD symptomatology

OpenAIRE

Seli, Paul; Smallwood, Jonathan; Cheyne, James Allan; Smilek, Daniel

2015-01-01

Mind wandering seems to be a prototypical feature of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, an important emerging distinction of mind-wandering types hinges on whether a given episode of mind wandering reflects a failure of executive control (spontaneous mind wandering) or the engagement of controlled processes for internal processing (deliberate mind wandering). Here we distinguish between spontaneous and deliberate mind wandering and test the hypothesis that symptoms of A...

R4 terms in supergravities via T -duality constraint

Science.gov (United States)

Razaghian, Hamid; Garousi, Mohammad R.

2018-05-01

It has been speculated in the literature that the effective actions of string theories at any order of α' should be invariant under the Buscher rules plus their higher covariant-derivative corrections. This may be used as a constraint to find effective actions at any order of α', in particular, the metric, the B -field, and the dilaton couplings in supergravities at order α'3 up to an overall factor. For the simple case of zero B -field and diagonal metric in which we have done the calculations explicitly, we have found that the constraint fixes almost all of the seven independent Riemann curvature couplings. There is only one term which is not fixed, because when metric is diagonal, the reduction of two R4 terms becomes identical. The Riemann curvature couplings that the T -duality constraint produces for both type II and heterotic theories are fully consistent with the existing couplings in the literature which have been found by the S-matrix and by the sigma-model approaches.

In two minds : how reflections influence software design thinking

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Razavian, M.; Tang, A.; Capilla, R.; Lago, P.

2016-01-01

We theorize a two-mind model of design thinking. Mind 1 is about logical design reasoning, and Mind 2 is about the reflection on our reasoning and judgments. The problem solving ability of Mind 1 has often been emphasized in software engineering. The reflective Mind 2, however, has not received much

McDonaldizing Spirituality: Mindfulness, Education, and Consumerism

Science.gov (United States)

Hyland, Terry

2017-01-01

The exponential growth of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in recent years has resulted in a marketisation and commodification of practice--popularly labeled "McMindfulness"--which divorces mindfulness from its spiritual and ethical origins in Buddhist traditions. Such commodification is criticized by utilising ideas and insights…

Computational physics of the mind

Science.gov (United States)

Duch, Włodzisław

1996-08-01

In the XIX century and earlier physicists such as Newton, Mayer, Hooke, Helmholtz and Mach were actively engaged in the research on psychophysics, trying to relate psychological sensations to intensities of physical stimuli. Computational physics allows to simulate complex neural processes giving a chance to answer not only the original psychophysical questions but also to create models of the mind. In this paper several approaches relevant to modeling of the mind are outlined. Since direct modeling of the brain functions is rather limited due to the complexity of such models a number of approximations is introduced. The path from the brain, or computational neurosciences, to the mind, or cognitive sciences, is sketched, with emphasis on higher cognitive functions such as memory and consciousness. No fundamental problems in understanding of the mind seem to arise. From a computational point of view realistic models require massively parallel architectures.

Modifier constraint in alkali borophosphate glasses using topological constraint theory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Xiang [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zeng, Huidan, E-mail: hdzeng@ecust.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Jiang, Qi [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Zhao, Donghui [Unifrax Corporation, Niagara Falls, NY 14305 (United States); Chen, Guorong [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China); Wang, Zhaofeng; Sun, Luyi [Department of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Polymer Program, Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Chen, Jianding [Key Laboratory for Ultrafine Materials of Ministry of Education, School of Materials Science and Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237 (China)

2016-12-01

In recent years, composition-dependent properties of glasses have been successfully predicted using the topological constraint theory. The constraints of the glass network are derived from two main parts: network formers and network modifiers. The constraints of the network formers can be calculated on the basis of the topological structure of the glass. However, the latter cannot be accurately calculated in this way, because of the existing of ionic bonds. In this paper, the constraints of the modifier ions in phosphate glasses were thoroughly investigated using the topological constraint theory. The results show that the constraints of the modifier ions are gradually increased with the addition of alkali oxides. Furthermore, an improved topological constraint theory for borophosphate glasses is proposed by taking the composition-dependent constraints of the network modifiers into consideration. The proposed theory is subsequently evaluated by analyzing the composition dependence of the glass transition temperature in alkali borophosphate glasses. This method is supposed to be extended to other similar glass systems containing alkali ions.

Social Workers as Civic-Minded Professionals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sarah E. Twill

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This study examined civic-mindedness among a sample of social work educators, community practitioners and new graduates. Using a web-based survey, researchers administered Hatcher’s (2008 Civic-Minded Professional scale. Results indicated that traditional and field faculty were more civic-minded than new graduates and other practitioners. Social work educators who focused on raising civic awareness in courses were more civic-minded than colleagues. New graduates who had participated in club service events were more civic-minded; however, there was no significant differences between groups based on number of community service courses completed. Social workers, whether faculty or not, who had participated in collaborative research were more civic-minded. The authors conclude that how social workers view their commitment to civic engagement has implications. Social workers need to be vigilant in our commitment to well-being in society. Intentional practices could be implemented to strengthen the partnership among groups.

Mind Perception Is the Essence of Morality.

Science.gov (United States)

Gray, Kurt; Young, Liane; Waytz, Adam

2012-04-01

Mind perception entails ascribing mental capacities to other entities, whereas moral judgment entails labeling entities as good or bad or actions as right or wrong. We suggest that mind perception is the essence of moral judgment. In particular, we suggest that moral judgment is rooted in a cognitive template of two perceived minds-a moral dyad of an intentional agent and a suffering moral patient. Diverse lines of research support dyadic morality. First, perceptions of mind are linked to moral judgments: dimensions of mind perception (agency and experience) map onto moral types (agents and patients), and deficits of mind perception correspond to difficulties with moral judgment. Second, not only are moral judgments sensitive to perceived agency and experience, but all moral transgressions are fundamentally understood as agency plus experienced suffering-that is, interpersonal harm-even ostensibly harmless acts such as purity violations. Third, dyadic morality uniquely accounts for the phenomena of dyadic completion (seeing agents in response to patients, and vice versa), and moral typecasting (characterizing others as either moral agents or moral patients). Discussion also explores how mind perception can unify morality across explanatory levels, how a dyadic template of morality may be developmentally acquired, and future directions.

Green Mind Theory: How Brain-Body-Behaviour Links into Natural and Social Environments for Healthy Habits

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Jules Pretty

2017-06-01

Full Text Available We propose a Green Mind Theory (GMT to link the human mind with the brain and body, and connect the body into natural and social environments. The processes are reciprocal: environments shape bodies, brains, and minds; minds change body behaviours that shape the external environment. GMT offers routes to improved individual well-being whilst building towards greener economies. It builds upon research on green exercise and nature-based therapies, and draws on understanding derived from neuroscience and brain plasticity, spiritual and wisdom traditions, the lifeways of original cultures, and material consumption behaviours. We set out a simple metaphor for brain function: a bottom brain stem that is fast-acting, involuntary, impulsive, and the driver of fight and flight behaviours; a top brain cortex that is slower, voluntary, the centre for learning, and the driver of rest and digest. The bottom brain reacts before thought and directs the sympathetic nervous system. The top brain is calming, directing the parasympathetic nervous system. Here, we call the top brain blue and the bottom brain red; too much red brain is bad for health. In modern high-consumption economies, life has often come to be lived on red alert. An over-active red mode impacts the gastrointestinal, immune, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. We develop our knowledge of nature-based interventions, and suggest a framework for the blue brain-red brain-green mind. We show how activities involving immersive-attention quieten internal chatter, how habits affect behaviours across the lifecourse, how long habits take to be formed and hard-wired into daily practice, the role of place making, and finally how green minds could foster prosocial and greener economies. We conclude with observations on twelve research priorities and health interventions, and ten calls to action.

Green Mind Theory: How Brain-Body-Behaviour Links into Natural and Social Environments for Healthy Habits.

Science.gov (United States)

Pretty, Jules; Rogerson, Mike; Barton, Jo

2017-06-30

We propose a Green Mind Theory (GMT) to link the human mind with the brain and body, and connect the body into natural and social environments. The processes are reciprocal: environments shape bodies, brains, and minds; minds change body behaviours that shape the external environment. GMT offers routes to improved individual well-being whilst building towards greener economies. It builds upon research on green exercise and nature-based therapies, and draws on understanding derived from neuroscience and brain plasticity, spiritual and wisdom traditions, the lifeways of original cultures, and material consumption behaviours. We set out a simple metaphor for brain function: a bottom brain stem that is fast-acting, involuntary, impulsive, and the driver of fight and flight behaviours; a top brain cortex that is slower, voluntary, the centre for learning, and the driver of rest and digest. The bottom brain reacts before thought and directs the sympathetic nervous system. The top brain is calming, directing the parasympathetic nervous system. Here, we call the top brain blue and the bottom brain red; too much red brain is bad for health. In modern high-consumption economies, life has often come to be lived on red alert. An over-active red mode impacts the gastrointestinal, immune, cardiovascular, and endocrine systems. We develop our knowledge of nature-based interventions, and suggest a framework for the blue brain-red brain-green mind. We show how activities involving immersive-attention quieten internal chatter, how habits affect behaviours across the lifecourse, how long habits take to be formed and hard-wired into daily practice, the role of place making, and finally how green minds could foster prosocial and greener economies. We conclude with observations on twelve research priorities and health interventions, and ten calls to action.

Numerical difficulties associated with using equality constraints to achieve multi-level decomposition in structural optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Thareja, R.; Haftka, R. T.

1986-01-01

There has been recent interest in multidisciplinary multilevel optimization applied to large engineering systems. The usual approach is to divide the system into a hierarchy of subsystems with ever increasing detail in the analysis focus. Equality constraints are usually placed on various design quantities at every successive level to ensure consistency between levels. In many previous applications these equality constraints were eliminated by reducing the number of design variables. In complex systems this may not be possible and these equality constraints may have to be retained in the optimization process. In this paper the impact of such a retention is examined for a simple portal frame problem. It is shown that the equality constraints introduce numerical difficulties, and that the numerical solution becomes very sensitive to optimization parameters for a wide range of optimization algorithms.

The Five-Aggregate Model of the Mind

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nandini D. Karunamuni

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to explore a model of the mind generally known as “the five aggregates” described in Buddhist teachings that relates to understanding subjective conscious experience from a first-person perspective. This model is explored as a potential theoretical resource that could guide meditation/mindfulness interventions. According to the five-aggregate model of the mind, all our experience involves material form, feelings, perception, volition, and sensory consciousness. The mind stream that is constantly changing from moment to moment is extensively analyzed in this tradition. This article explains that methodologies in neuroscience increase our understanding of neurophysiological underpinnings of mental phenomena and also provide important evidence on the practical utility of meditation. When considering moment-by-moment changes that happen in the mind, however, these investigations represent sensory consciousness followed by perception that happens within the mind stream itself. Practical applications of the model are also presented.

Higgs portal inflation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lebedev, Oleg [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Hamburg (Germany); Lee, Hyun Min [European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Geneva (Switzerland)

2011-05-15

The Higgs sector of the Standard Model offers a unique opportunity to probe the hidden sector. The Higgs squared operator is the only dimension two operator which is Lorentz and gauge invariant. It can therefore couple both to scalar curvature and the hidden sector at the dim-4 level. We consider the possibility that a combination of the Higgs and a singlet from the hidden sector plays the role of inflaton, due to their large couplings to gravity. This implies that the quartic couplings satisfy certain constraints which leads to distinct low energy phenomenology, including Higgs signals at the LHC. We also address the unitarity issues and show that our analysis survives the unitarization procedure. (orig.)

Higgs Portal Inflation

CERN Document Server

Lebedev, Oleg

2011-01-01

The Higgs sector of the Standard Model offers a unique opportunity to probe the hidden sector. The Higgs squared operator is the only dimension two operator which is Lorentz and gauge invariant. It can therefore couple both to scalar curvature and the hidden sector at the dim--4 level. We consider the possibility that a combination of the Higgs and a singlet from the hidden sector plays the role of inflaton, due to their large couplings to gravity. This implies that the quartic couplings satisfy certain constraints which leads to distinct low energy phenomenology, including Higgs signals at the LHC. We also address the unitarity issues and show that our analysis survives the unitarization procedure.

Mind Invasion: Situated Affectivity and the Corporate Life Hack

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan eSlaby

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In view of the philosophical problems that vex the debate on situated affectivity, it can seem wise to focus on simple cases. Accordingly, theorists often single out scenarios in which an individual employs a device in order to enhance their emotional experience, or to achieve new kinds of experience altogether, such as playing an instrument, going to the movies or sporting a fancy handbag. I argue that this narrow focus on cases that fit a ‘user/resource model’ tends to channel attention away from more complex and also more problematic instances of situated affectivity. Among these are scenarios in which a social domain draws individuals into certain modes of affective interaction, often by way of attunement and habituation to affective styles and interaction patterns that are normative in the domain in question. This can lead to a phenomenon that is not so much ‘mind extension’ than ‘mind invasion’: affectivity is dynamically framed and modulated from without, often contrary to the prior orientations of the individuals in question. As an example, I discuss affective patterns prevalent in today’s corporate workplace. I claim that workplace affect sometimes contributes to what is effectively a ‘hack’ of employees’ subjectivity.

Not all minds wander equally: The influence of traits, states and road environment factors on self-reported mind wandering during everyday driving.

Science.gov (United States)

Burdett, Bridget R D; Charlton, Samuel G; Starkey, Nicola J

2016-10-01

Inattention is a road safety problem, but few studies have focused specifically on mind wandering during everyday driving. This paper explores differences in self-reported mind wandering according to driver demographic characteristics (including age and gender), cognitive traits (such as tendency toward cognitive failure or mindful attention), states (such as feeling tired or stressed) and road environment factors (such as route familiarity). Five hundred and two participants (113 male, average age 44.4 years, SD=14.0years) completed a series of questionnaires (Mindful Attention and Awareness Scale (MAAS), Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ) and Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ)), as well as study-specific questions about mind wandering during different personal states and across a range of road and traffic situations. All respondents reported mind wandering during driving at least some of the time. Mind wandering was more likely to be reported on familiar roads than on unfamiliar roads and when drivers are tired. Drivers who reported relatively more mind wandering were younger, reported less mindful attention in daily life, more cognitive failures, and more driving violations and lapses. Together, the findings suggest that mind wandering is common in everyday driving, however any link with crash risk remains unclear. Future research using self-report and naturalistic methods could provide more insight into relationships between mind wandering, error and crash risk. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Eyes Are the Windows to the Mind: Direct Eye Gaze Triggers the Ascription of Others' Minds.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalid, Saara; Deska, Jason C; Hugenberg, Kurt

2016-12-01

Eye gaze is a potent source of social information with direct eye gaze signaling the desire to approach and averted eye gaze signaling avoidance. In the current work, we proposed that eye gaze signals whether or not to impute minds into others. Across four studies, we manipulated targets' eye gaze (i.e., direct vs. averted eye gaze) and measured explicit mind ascriptions (Study 1a, Study 1b, and Study 2) and beliefs about the likelihood of targets having mind (Study 3). In all four studies, we find novel evidence that the ascription of sophisticated humanlike minds to others is signaled by the display of direct eye gaze relative to averted eye gaze. Moreover, we provide evidence suggesting that this differential mentalization is due, at least in part, to beliefs that direct gaze targets are more likely to instigate social interaction. In short, eye contact triggers mind perception. © 2016 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Graphical constraints: a graphical user interface for constraint problems

OpenAIRE

Vieira, Nelson Manuel Marques

2015-01-01

A constraint satisfaction problem is a classical artificial intelligence paradigm characterized by a set of variables (each variable with an associated domain of possible values), and a set of constraints that specify relations among subsets of these variables. Solutions are assignments of values to all variables that satisfy all the constraints. Many real world problems may be modelled by means of constraints. The range of problems that can use this representation is very diverse and embrace...

The efficacy of the 'mind map' study technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Farrand, Paul; Hussain, Fearzana; Hennessy, Enid

2002-05-01

To examine the effectiveness of using the 'mind map' study technique to improve factual recall from written information. To obtain baseline data, subjects completed a short test based on a 600-word passage of text prior to being randomly allocated to form two groups: 'self-selected study technique' and 'mind map'. After a 30-minute interval the self-selected study technique group were exposed to the same passage of text previously seen and told to apply existing study techniques. Subjects in the mind map group were trained in the mind map technique and told to apply it to the passage of text. Recall was measured after an interfering task and a week later. Measures of motivation were taken. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of London. 50 second- and third-year medical students. Recall of factual material improved for both the mind map and self-selected study technique groups at immediate test compared with baseline. However this improvement was only robust after a week for those in the mind map group. At 1 week, the factual knowledge in the mind map group was greater by 10% (adjusting for baseline) (95% CI -1% to 22%). However motivation for the technique used was lower in the mind map group; if motivation could have been made equal in the groups, the improvement with mind mapping would have been 15% (95% CI 3% to 27%). Mind maps provide an effective study technique when applied to written material. However before mind maps are generally adopted as a study technique, consideration has to be given towards ways of improving motivation amongst users.

[Mentalization and theory of mind].

Science.gov (United States)

Wyl, Agnes

2014-01-01

Both concepts, mentalization and the theory of mind, describe metacognitive processes. Mentalization mainly concerns the reflection of affective mental states. In contrast, theory of mind focuses on epistemic states such as beliefs, intentions and persuasions. Gender differences have proved to be relevant for both, the development of mentalization and the theory of mind. However, there are few studies and findings are inconsistent. In an own study, we investigated the relationship between early competences in metacognition (tested in a false-belief-task second order) and narrative skills of kindergarten children. Results show that children who had successfully passed the theory of mind test tended to face conflicts more directly in the stories. In consequence, these children showed less narrative avoidance. However, differences were only found in girls and not in boys. The precise understanding of developmental differences in metacognition between girls and boys may be an important aspect with regards to improving mentalization based therapy of children.

Dualism persists in the science of mind.

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Demertzi, Athena; Liew, Charlene; Ledoux, Didier; Bruno, Marie-Aurélie; Sharpe, Michael; Laureys, Steven; Zeman, Adam

2009-03-01

The relationship between mind and brain has philosophical, scientific, and practical implications. Two separate but related surveys from the University of Edinburgh (University students, n= 250) and the University of Liège (health-care workers, lay public, n= 1858) were performed to probe attitudes toward the mind-brain relationship and the variables that account for differences in views. Four statements were included, each relating to an aspect of the mind-brain relationship. The Edinburgh survey revealed a predominance of dualistic attitudes emphasizing the separateness of mind and brain. In the Liège survey, younger participants, women, and those with religious beliefs were more likely to agree that the mind and brain are separate, that some spiritual part of us survives death, that each of us has a soul that is separate from the body, and to deny the physicality of mind. Religious belief was found to be the best predictor for dualistic attitudes. Although the majority of health-care workers denied the distinction between consciousness and the soma, more than one-third of medical and paramedical professionals regarded mind and brain as separate entities. The findings of the study are in line with previous studies in developmental psychology and with surveys of scientists' attitudes toward the relationship between mind and brain. We suggest that the results are relevant to clinical practice, to the formulation of scientific questions about the nature of consciousness, and to the reception of scientific theories of consciousness by the general public.

Mindfulness and the Beginning Teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Bernay, Ross S.

2014-01-01

This article reviews a hermeneutic phenomenological study of five beginning teachers who were introduced to mindfulness during their initial teacher education programme. The participants kept fortnightly journals and engaged in three interviews with the researcher to assess the benefits of using mindfulness during the first year of teaching. The…

Mindfulness Interventions in Physical Rehabilitation: A Scoping Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hardison, Mark E; Roll, Shawn C

2016-01-01

A scoping review was conducted to describe how mindfulness is used in physical rehabilitation, identify implications for occupational therapy practice, and guide future research on clinical mindfulness interventions. A systematic search of four literature databases produced 1,524 original abstracts, of which 16 articles were included. Although only 3 Level I or II studies were identified, the literature included suggests that mindfulness interventions are helpful for patients with musculoskeletal and chronic pain disorders and demonstrate trends toward outcome improvements for patients with neurocognitive and neuromotor disorders. Only 2 studies included an occupational therapist as the primary mindfulness provider, but all mindfulness interventions in the selected studies fit within the occupational therapy scope of practice according to the American Occupational Therapy Association's Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. Higher-level research is needed to evaluate the effects of mindfulness interventions in physical rehabilitation and to determine best practices for the use of mindfulness by occupational therapy practitioners. Copyright © 2016 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

INTEGRATIVE PSYCHOTHERAPY AND MINDFULNESS: THE CASE OF SARA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mihael Černetič

2015-02-01

Full Text Available The article explores the relationship between Integrative Psychotherapy and mindfulness on a theoretical as well as practical level. Although mindfulness is not an explicit constituent of Integrative Psychotherapy, the two are arguably a natural fit. Mindfulness has the potential to enhance internal and external contact, a central concept in Integrative Psychotherapy, as well as strengthen a client’s Adult ego state. This article presents a case study whereby Integrative Psychotherapy is analysed from the perspective of mindfulness. Within the course of therapy, parallels were observed between the client's increased mindfulness, improved internal and external contact, strengthened Adult ego state, mastery of introjections, as well as diminished feelings of guilt, improved mood, self care and ability to engage in appropriate separation and individuation. These gains support the conclusion that Integrative Psychotherapy and mindfulness are inherently related and that explicit incorporation of mindfulness may enhance the therapeutic process of Integrative Psychotherapy.

Transforming Well-Being in Wuppertal—Conditions and Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Rose

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Conventional welfare production is unsustainable. A societal emphasis on (green economic growth may therefore be superseded by an extended concept of well-being. Taking a transformative approach, science may take part in catalysing this challenging transformation of both the understanding and the level of well-being. Instead of economic growth at the expense of sustainability, we aim to cooperatively refocus on integrating economic, social and ecological perspectives into a more holistic, sustainable approach to individual and municipal well-being in Wuppertal (Germany. Therefore, the research team investigates and develops concepts of local sustainable well-being production, e.g., by employing a new indicator system and the real-world laboratory approach. What are the conditions and constraints of transforming well-being in Wuppertal and most particularly of the role of scientists in this endeavour? Answering this research question with a comparative case study approach, we have analysed our resources, processes, contexts and normativity. The results show that the role of ‘transformative scientists’ in Wuppertal faces constraints of timing and funding, as well as challenges from the different demands of science and practice. Hampered co-design interacts with role conflicts. Open-minded stakeholders are crucial for local well-being transformation, as is the awareness that urban residential districts have bottomed out. However, the normative sustainability claims of the transformative research project are not fully shared by all of its stakeholders, which is both necessary and challenging for transformative research.

Mindfulness: Implications for Substance Abuse and Addiction

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Appel, Jonathan; Kim-Appel, Dohee

2009-01-01

Mindfulness is a concept that has taken quite a hold on the therapeutic world in recent years. Techniques that induce "mindfulness" are increasingly being employed in Western psychology and psychotherapy to help alleviate a variety of conditions. So while mindfulness has its conceptual roots in Buddhism it has been translated into a Western…

Mindfulness: a fundamental skill for performance sustainment and enhancement.

Science.gov (United States)

Deuster, Patricia A; Schoomaker, Eric

2015-01-01

The term "mindfulness" has become very fashionable within the military and across multiple sectors of civilian and first responder populations. Overall, the key concept of mindfulness is intentionally being acutely aware of what is going on internally as well as externally, without reacting. Mindfulness and the awareness that underlies it are inherent capabilities that can be honed through training. As such, classes in mindfulness are being offered in many venues and medical clinics are using mindfulness-based interventions for patients for a wide range of medical issues. The evidence behind the benefits of mindfulness is extensive and instructive. Importantly, evidence suggests that mindfulness can be helpful for many operational, leadership, and personal activities and is likely beneficial for enhancing resilience and overall health. Many current military leaders are using mindfulness as a tool to better prepare for a dynamic and uncertain future. 2015.

Tracking arousal state and mind wandering with pupillometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Unsworth, Nash; Robison, Matthew K

2018-04-13

In four experiments, the association between arousal state and different mind-wandering states was examined. Participants performed a sustained attention task while pupil responses were continuously recorded. Periodically during the task, participants were presented with thought probes to determine if they were on task or mind wandering. Across the four experiments, the results suggested that in situations that promoted on-task behaviors and focused external attention, mind wandering was associated with lowered arousal, as seen by smaller tonic pupil diameters and smaller phasic pupillary responses. However, in situations that promoted a more internal focus of attention, there were no differences between on-task states and mind wandering in tonic pupil diameter (although differences emerged for phasic pupillary responses), suggesting similar arousal levels. Furthermore, across the four experiments, mind blanking and mind wandering dissociated in terms of whether the situation promoted focused external attention or focused internal attention. These results are broadly consistent with the notion that mind wandering is a heterogeneous construct, with different forms of mind wandering being associated with different arousal states, and suggest that a combination of behavioral and pupillary measures can be used to track these various states.

The Mindfulness-Enhanced Strengthening Families Program: Integrating Brief Mindfulness Activities and Parent Training within an Evidence-Based Prevention Program

Science.gov (United States)

Coatsworth, J. Douglas; Duncan, Larissa G.; Berrena, Elaine; Bamberger, Katharine T.; Loeschinger, Daniel; Greenberg, Mark T.; Nix, Robert L.

2014-01-01

Teaching mindfulness to parents as well as adolescents through a family-centered intervention approach can have a positive impact on the parent-youth relationship. In mindful parenting, caretakers are aware of their own feelings and emotions, and interact with their adolescents in a mindful way by demonstrating emotional awareness, attentive…

Mindfulness Meditation for Fibromyalgia: Mechanistic and Clinical Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Adler-Neal, Adrienne L; Zeidan, Fadel

2017-09-01

Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread pain and a spectrum of psychological comorbidities, rendering treatment difficult and often a financial burden. Fibromyalgia is a complicated chronic pain condition that requires a multimodal therapeutic approach to optimize treatment efficacy. Thus, it has been postulated that mind-body techniques may prove fruitful in treating fibromyalgia. Mindfulness meditation, a behavioral technique premised on non-reactive sensory awareness, attenuates pain and improves mental health outcomes. However, the impact of mindfulness meditation on fibromyalgia-related outcomes has not been comprehensively characterized. The present review delineates the existing evidence supporting the effectiveness and hypothesized mechanisms of mindfulness meditation in treating fibromyalgia-related outcomes. Mindfulness-based interventions premised on cultivating acceptance, non-attachment, and social engagement may be most effective in decreasing fibromyalgia-related pain and psychological symptoms. Mindfulness-based therapies may alleviate fibromyalgia-related outcomes through multiple neural, psychological, and physiological processes. Mindfulness meditation may provide an effective complementary treatment approach for fibromyalgia patients, especially when combined with other reliable techniques (exercise; cognitive behavioral therapy). However, characterizing the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness meditation is a critical step to fostering the clinical validity of this technique. Identification of the specific analgesic mechanisms supporting mindfulness-based pain relief could be utilized to better design behavioral interventions to specifically target fibromyalgia-related outcomes.

Free-space optical communications with peak and average constraints: High SNR capacity approximation

KAUST Repository

Chaaban, Anas

2015-09-07

The capacity of the intensity-modulation direct-detection (IM-DD) free-space optical channel with both average and peak intensity constraints is studied. A new capacity lower bound is derived by using a truncated-Gaussian input distribution. Numerical evaluation shows that this capacity lower bound is nearly tight at high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), while it is shown analytically that the gap to capacity upper bounds is a small constant at high SNR. In particular, the gap to the high-SNR asymptotic capacity of the channel under either a peak or an average constraint is small. This leads to a simple approximation of the high SNR capacity. Additionally, a new capacity upper bound is derived using sphere-packing arguments. This bound is tight at high SNR for a channel with a dominant peak constraint.

Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Chronic Pain

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

la Cour, Peter; Petersen, Marian

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the effects of mindfulness meditation on chronic pain. DESIGN: A total of 109 patients with nonspecific chronic pain were randomized to either a standardized mindfulness meditation program (mindfulness-based stress reduction [MBSR...... randomized patients completed the mindfulness program, while 47 remained in the control group. Data were compared at three time points: at baseline, after completion of the course/waiting period, and at the 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: Significant effect (Cohen's d = 0.39) was found on the primary outcome...... (nonsignificant) effect sizes were found for pain measures. There were no significant differences in the measures just after the intervention vs the 6-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: A standardized mindfulness program (MBSR) contributes positively to pain management and can exert clinically relevant effects...

The integration of mindfulness and psychology.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro, Shauna L

2009-06-01

As the field of psychology continues to expand and evolve, one fruitful avenue of exploration has been the integration of mindfulness into psychological theory and practice. Mindfulness is defined as the awareness that arises out of intentionally attending in an open and discerning way to whatever is arising in the present moment. Two decades of empirical research have generated considerable evidence supporting the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions across a wide range of clinical and nonclinical populations, and these interventions have been incorporated into a variety of health care settings. Still, there are many unanswered questions and potential horizons to be investigated. This special issue endeavors to assist in this exploration. It presents a combination of articles concerning aspects of clinical and scientific integration of mindfulness within psychotherapy and psychoeducational settings. This commentary attempts to highlight the main findings of the featured articles as well as elucidate areas for future inquiry. Taken as a whole, the volume supports the importance and viability of the integration of mindfulness into psychology, and offers interesting and meaningful directions for future research. Copyright 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mindfulness Practices and Learning Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Borker, David R.

2013-01-01

There is a growing interest among educators in teaching and learning practices based on mindfulness, a concept derived from eastern meditative traditions. This paper describes how mindfulness practices and concepts can be used to enhance the student's learning experience in beginning economics courses. Specific areas with a high potential for…

Enhancing "theory of mind" through behavioral synchrony.

Science.gov (United States)

Baimel, Adam; Severson, Rachel L; Baron, Andrew S; Birch, Susan A J

2015-01-01

Theory of mind refers to the abilities underlying the capacity to reason about one's own and others' mental states. This ability is critical for predicting and making sense of the actions of others, is essential for efficient communication, fosters social learning, and provides the foundation for empathic concern. Clearly, there is incredible value in fostering theory of mind. Unfortunately, despite being the focus of a wealth of research over the last 40 years relatively little is known about specific strategies for fostering social perspective taking abilities. We provide a discussion of the rationale for applying one specific strategy for fostering efficient theory of mind-that of engaging in "behavioral synchrony" (i.e., the act of keeping together in time with others). Culturally evolved collective rituals involving synchronous actions have long been held to act as social glue. Specifically, here we present how behavioral synchrony tunes our minds for reasoning about other minds in the process of fostering social coordination and cooperation, and propose that we can apply behavioral synchrony as a tool for enhancing theory of mind.

Mindfulness as a Weight Loss Treatment for Veterans.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanton, Michael V; Matsuura, Justin; Fairchild, Jennifer Kaci; Lohnberg, Jessica A; Bayley, Peter J

2016-01-01

Despite substantial evidence for their effectiveness in treating disordered eating and obesity, mindfulness-based treatments have not been broadly implemented among Veterans. A number of reviews have reported mindfulness to be beneficial in promoting healthy eating behaviors and weight loss among non-Veteran samples. We discuss this approach in the context of the Veterans Affairs system, the largest integrated healthcare provider in the U.S. and in the context of Veterans, among whom obesity is at epidemic proportions. In this article, we discuss what is known about treating obesity using a mindfulness approach, mindfulness interventions for Veterans, a new pilot mindfulness-based weight loss program designed for Veterans, and future directions for this type of obesity treatment in Veterans. We conclude that this population may be uniquely poised to benefit from mindfulness-based treatments.

Theory of Mind Impairments in Women With Cocaine Addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanvicente-Vieira, Breno; Kluwe-Schiavon, Bruno; Corcoran, Rhiannon; Grassi-Oliveira, Rodrigo

2017-03-01

This study investigates the Theory of Mind performance of female cocaine-dependent users (CDUs) and possible associations between theory of mind performance and features of cocaine use. Sixty women controlled for age, education, individual income, and IQ participated in this study: 30 in the CDU group and 30 in the healthy control group. Participants were assessed for theory of mind with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), a test of understanding of first-order and second-order false beliefs, and the Hinting task. Drug use parameters, clinical symptoms, and neuropsychological functioning were also assessed. Analyses of covariance indicated Theory of Mind impairments in negative mental states within the RMET and second-order false-belief understanding of Theory of Mind stories. In addition, Theory of Mind impairment was associated with drug use characteristics, including craving and number of hospitalizations. High-demand Theory of Mind is suggested to be impaired in CDU women, and the deficits appear to be related to drug addiction severity. We found associations between Theory of Mind deficits and worse clinical and social outcomes.

Mind-body medicine and the treatment of chronic illnesses

OpenAIRE

Rudaz, M; Ledermann, T; Witt, Claudia M

2017-01-01

Mind-body medicine is a holistic approach that aims to increase a healthy life style of people and their resilience. Practically, mind-body medicine encompasses intervention methods such as mindfulness, physical exercise, coping with stress, or cognitive restructuring. Mind-body medicine has proven effective for a variety of chronic illnesses, especially in combination with conventional medicine. The present article introduces basic concepts of mind-body medicine including aspects of mindfuln...

Mindfulness i skolen : ABC, 123, samt elever i balanse

OpenAIRE

Kristiansen, Kristin

2011-01-01

I oppgaven redegjøres for begrepet og tilstanden mindfulness. Både mindfulness med opphav i Østens kontemplative tradisjon, og Ellen Langers vestlige mer kognitive mindfulness, defineres og utdypes. Videre diskuteres mindfulness i en pedagogisk sammenheng. Siste del av oppgaven er en spørreundersøkelse, der lærerne i Tromsøskoler sine erfaringer, holdninger og interesser relatert til kontemplativ pedagogikk og mindfulness, er kartlagt.

Mindfulness facets as differential mediators of short and long-term effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy in diabetes outpatients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haenen, Sharon; Nyklíček, Ivan; VAN Son, Jenny

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that mindfulness-based interventions reduce psychological distress in various medical populations. However, it has hardly been studied if these effects are mediated by an increase in mindfulness. The aim of this study was to examine mediating effects...... of various mindfulness facets on effects of a Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on perceived stress and mood. METHODS: Outpatients with diabetes types 1 and 2 and low levels of emotional wellbeing were randomized into a group receiving MBCT (n=70) or a waiting-list control group (n=69). Primary...... outcomes were mood and perceived stress. Before, after and at follow-up (6months post intervention) relevant questionnaires were completed. RESULTS: Mediation analysis using bootstrap resampling indicated that increases in total mindfulness and the facets observing and nonreactivity mediated the effects...

Exploring the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control through a kinematic formulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Donovan, Ashley; Beltrani, Vincent; Rabitz, Herschel

2013-01-01

Highlights: • This work lays a foundation for studying constraints in quantum control simulations. • The underlying quantum control landscape in the presence of constraints is explored. • Constrained controls can encounter suboptimal traps in the landscape. • The controls are kinematic stand-ins for dynamic time-dependent controls. • A method is developed to transfer between constrained kinematic and dynamic controls. - Abstract: The control of quantum dynamics with tailored laser fields is finding growing experimental success. In practice, experiments will be subject to constraints on the controls that may prevent full optimization of the objective. A framework is presented for systematically investigating the impact of constraints in quantum optimal control simulations using a two-stage process starting with simple time-independent kinematic controls, which act as stand-ins for the traditional dynamic controls. The objective is a state-to-state transition probability, and constraints are introduced by restricting the kinematic control variables during optimization. As a second stage, the means to map from kinematic to dynamic controls is presented, thus enabling a simplified overall procedure for exploring how limited resources affect the ability to optimize the objective. A demonstration of the impact of imposing several types of kinematic constraints is investigated, thereby offering insight into constrained quantum controls

Mindful Climate Action: Health and Environmental Co-Benefits from Mindfulness-Based Behavioral Training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Barrett

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Greenhouse gases from human activities are causing climate change, creating risks for people around the globe. Behaviors involving transportation, diet, energy use, and purchasing drive greenhouse gas emissions, but are also related to health and well-being, providing opportunity for co-benefits. Replacing shorter automobile trips with walking or cycling, or eating plants rather than animals, for example, may increase personal health, while also reducing environmental impact. Mindfulness-based practices have been shown to enhance a variety of health outcomes, but have not been adapted towards environmental purposes. We designed the Mindful Climate Action (MCA curriculum to help people improve their health while simultaneously lowering their carbon footprints. Combining mindfulness-based practices with the Stages of Change theory, the MCA program aims to: (1 improve personal health and well-being; (2 decrease energy use; (3 reduce automobile use; (4 increase active transport; (5 shift diet towards plant-based foods; and (6 reduce unnecessary purchasing. Mindfulness practices will foster attentional awareness, openness, and response flexibility, supporting positive behavior change. We plan to test MCA in a randomized controlled trial, with rigorous assessment of targeted outcomes. Our long-term goal is to refine and adapt the MCA program to a variety of audiences, in order to enhance public health and environmental sustainability.

Conceptualizing Mindful Leadership in Schools: How the Practice of Mindfulness Informs the Practice of Leading

Science.gov (United States)

Wells, Caryn M.

2015-01-01

This paper advances the conceptual notion of mindfulness for educational leaders. The findings presented acknowledge the current levels of stress that school leaders face and posits that the practice of mindfulness may reduce these stressors while improving the effectiveness of leadership. The author also presents a synthesis of the literature…

Collective Mindfulness in Post-implementation IS Adaptation Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aanestad, Margun; Jensen, Tina Blegind

2016-01-01

identify the way in which the organizational capability we call "collective mindfulness" was achieved. Being aware of how to practically achieve collective mindfulness, managers may be able to better facilitate mindful handling of post-implementation IS adaptation processes....

Simple implementation of general dark energy models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloomfield, Jolyon K.; Pearson, Jonathan A.

2014-01-01

We present a formalism for the numerical implementation of general theories of dark energy, combining the computational simplicity of the equation of state for perturbations approach with the generality of the effective field theory approach. An effective fluid description is employed, based on a general action describing single-scalar field models. The formalism is developed from first principles, and constructed keeping the goal of a simple implementation into CAMB in mind. Benefits of this approach include its straightforward implementation, the generality of the underlying theory, the fact that the evolved variables are physical quantities, and that model-independent phenomenological descriptions may be straightforwardly investigated. We hope this formulation will provide a powerful tool for the comparison of theoretical models of dark energy with observational data

a comparative survey on mind mapping tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Avgoustos A. TSINAKOS

2009-07-01

Full Text Available Mind Mapping is an important technique that improves the way you takes notes, and enhances your creative problem solving. By using Mind Maps, you can quickly identify and understand the structure of a subject and the way that pieces of information fit together, as well as recording the raw facts contained in normal notes. It can also be used as complementary tools for knowledge construction and sharing. Their suitability as a pedagogical tool for education, e-learning and training, increases their importance. Also, in a world of information overload and businesses struggling to keep up with the place of change, knowledge workers need effective tools to organize, analyze, brainstorm and collaborate on ideas. In resent years, a wide variety of mind mapping software tools have been developed. An often question that comes up, due to this plethora of software tools, is “which is the best mind mapping software?” Anyone who gives you an immediate answer either knows you and your mind mapping activities very well or their answer in not worth a lot. The “best” depends so much on how you use mind maps. In this paper we are trying to investigate different user profiles and to identify various axes for comparison among mind mapping tools that are suitable for a specific user profile, describe each axis and then analyze each tool.

Effective theory analysis for vector-like quark model

Science.gov (United States)

Morozumi, Takuya; Shimizu, Yusuke; Takahashi, Shunya; Umeeda, Hiroyuki

2018-04-01

We study a model with a down-type SU(2) singlet vector-like quark (VLQ) as a minimal extension of the standard model (SM). In this model, flavor-changing neutral currents (FCNCs) arise at tree level and the unitarity of the 3× 3 Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) matrix does not hold. In this paper, we constrain the FCNC coupling from b\\rArr s transitions, especially B_s\\rArr μ^+μ^- and \\bar{B}\\rArr X_sγ processes. In order to analyze these processes we derive an effective Lagrangian that is valid below the electroweak symmetry breaking scale. For this purpose, we first integrate out the VLQ field and derive an effective theory by matching Wilson coefficients up to one-loop level. Using the effective theory, we construct the effective Lagrangian for b\\rArr sγ^{(*)}. It includes the effects of the SM quarks and the violation of CKM unitarity. We show the constraints on the magnitude of the FCNC coupling and its phase by taking account of the current experimental data on Δ M_{B_s}, Br[B_s\\rArrμ^+μ^-], Br[\\bar{B}\\rArr X_sγ], and CKM matrix elements, as well as theoretical uncertainties. We find that the constraint from Br[B_s\\rArrμ^+μ^-] is more stringent than that from Br[\\bar{B}\\rArr X_sγ]. We also obtain a bound for the mass of the VLQ and the strength of the Yukawa couplings related to the FCNC coupling of the b\\rArr s transition. Using the CKM elements that satisfy the above constraints, we show how the unitarity is violated on the complex plane.

Genetic contribution to 'theory of mind' in adolescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Warrier, Varun; Baron-Cohen, Simon

2018-02-22

Difficulties in 'theory of mind' (the ability to attribute mental states to oneself or others, and to make predictions about another's behaviour based on these attributions) have been observed in several psychiatric conditions. We investigate the genetic architecture of theory of mind in 4,577 13-year-olds who completed the Emotional Triangles Task (Triangles Task), a first-order test of theory of mind. We observe a small but significant female-advantage on the Triangles Task (Cohen's d = 0.19, P theory of mind. Genome-wide association analyses did not identify any significant loci, and SNP heritability was non-significant. Polygenic scores for six psychiatric conditions (ADHD, anorexia, autism, bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia), and empathy were not associated with scores on the Triangles Task. However, polygenic scores of cognitive aptitude, and cognitive empathy, a term synonymous with theory of mind and measured using the "Reading the Mind in the Eyes" Test, were significantly associated with scores on the Triangles Task at multiple P-value thresholds, suggesting shared genetics between different measures of theory of mind and cognition.

Mindfulness as a Weight Loss Treatment for Veterans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Vicente Stanton

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Despite substantial evidence for their effectiveness in treating disordered eating and obesity, mindfulness-based treatments have not been broadly implemented among Veterans. A number of reviews have reported mindfulness to be beneficial in promoting healthy eating behaviors and weight loss among non-Veteran samples. We discuss this approach in the context of the Veterans Affairs system, the largest integrated healthcare provider in the United States and in the context of Veterans, among whom obesity is at epidemic proportions. In this article, we discuss what is known about treating obesity using a mindfulness approach, mindfulness interventions for Veterans, a new pilot mindfulness-based weight loss program designed for Veterans, and future directions for this type of obesity treatment in Veterans. We conclude that this population may be uniquely poised to benefit from mindfulness-based treatments.

Models of multiparticle production of the eikonal type

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinis, M.

1974-01-01

A survey of eikonal type models for multiparticle production is given. Empirical rules concerning the nature of multiparticle reactions are outlined. A discussion involving kinematics and cross sections for inclusive processes is presented. The constraints of multiparticle unitarity are considered to be of great importance in eikonal models for multiproduction at high energy. (HFdV)

Syntactic Recursion Facilitates and Working Memory Predicts Recursive Theory of Mind

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Burcu; Hohenberger, Annette; Verbrugge, Rineke

2017-01-01

In this study, we focus on the possible roles of second-order syntactic recursion and working memory in terms of simple and complex span tasks in the development of second-order false belief reasoning. We tested 89 Turkish children in two age groups, one younger (4;6–6;5 years) and one older (6;7–8;10 years). Although second-order syntactic recursion is significantly correlated with the second-order false belief task, results of ordinal logistic regressions revealed that the main predictor of second-order false belief reasoning is complex working memory span. Unlike simple working memory and second-order syntactic recursion tasks, the complex working memory task required processing information serially with additional reasoning demands that require complex working memory strategies. Based on our results, we propose that children’s second-order theory of mind develops when they have efficient reasoning rules to process embedded beliefs serially, thus overcoming a possible serial processing bottleneck. PMID:28072823

Syntactic Recursion Facilitates and Working Memory Predicts Recursive Theory of Mind.

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Burcu Arslan

Full Text Available In this study, we focus on the possible roles of second-order syntactic recursion and working memory in terms of simple and complex span tasks in the development of second-order false belief reasoning. We tested 89 Turkish children in two age groups, one younger (4;6-6;5 years and one older (6;7-8;10 years. Although second-order syntactic recursion is significantly correlated with the second-order false belief task, results of ordinal logistic regressions revealed that the main predictor of second-order false belief reasoning is complex working memory span. Unlike simple working memory and second-order syntactic recursion tasks, the complex working memory task required processing information serially with additional reasoning demands that require complex working memory strategies. Based on our results, we propose that children's second-order theory of mind develops when they have efficient reasoning rules to process embedded beliefs serially, thus overcoming a possible serial processing bottleneck.

Mindful Reading: Mindfulness Meditation Helps Keep Readers with Dyslexia and ADHD on the Lexical Track

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Tarrasch, Ricardo; Berman, Zohar; Friedmann, Naama

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on reading, attention, and psychological well-being among people with developmental dyslexia and/or attention deficits. Various types of dyslexia exist, characterized by different error types. We examined a question that has not been tested so far: which types of errors (and dyslexias) are affected by MBSR training. To do so, we tested, using an extensive battery of reading tests, whether each participant had dyslexia, and which errors types s/he makes, and then compared the rate of each error type before and after the MBSR workshop. We used a similar approach to attention disorders: we evaluated the participants’ sustained, selective, executive, and orienting of attention to assess whether they had attention-disorders, and if so, which functions were impaired. We then evaluated the effect of MBSR on each of the attention functions. Psychological measures including mindfulness, stress, reflection and rumination, lifesatisfaction, depression, anxiety, and sleep-disturbances were also evaluated. Nineteen Hebrew-readers completed a 2-month mindfulness workshop. The results showed that whereas reading errors of letter-migrations within and between words and vowelletter errors did not decrease following the workshop, most participants made fewer reading errors in general following the workshop, with a significant reduction of 19% from their original number of errors. This decrease mainly resulted from a decrease in errors that occur due to reading via the sublexical rather than the lexical route. It seems, therefore, that mindfulness helped reading by keeping the readers on the lexical route. This improvement in reading probably resulted from improved sustained attention: the reduction in sublexical reading was significant for the dyslexic participants who also had attention deficits, and there were significant correlations between reduced reading errors and decreases in

Mindful Reading: Mindfulness Meditation Helps Keep Readers with Dyslexia and ADHD on the Lexical Track.

Science.gov (United States)

Tarrasch, Ricardo; Berman, Zohar; Friedmann, Naama

2016-01-01

This study explored the effects of a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) intervention on reading, attention, and psychological well-being among people with developmental dyslexia and/or attention deficits. Various types of dyslexia exist, characterized by different error types. We examined a question that has not been tested so far: which types of errors (and dyslexias) are affected by MBSR training. To do so, we tested, using an extensive battery of reading tests, whether each participant had dyslexia, and which errors types s/he makes, and then compared the rate of each error type before and after the MBSR workshop. We used a similar approach to attention disorders: we evaluated the participants' sustained, selective, executive, and orienting of attention to assess whether they had attention-disorders, and if so, which functions were impaired. We then evaluated the effect of MBSR on each of the attention functions. Psychological measures including mindfulness, stress, reflection and rumination, lifesatisfaction, depression, anxiety, and sleep-disturbances were also evaluated. Nineteen Hebrew-readers completed a 2-month mindfulness workshop. The results showed that whereas reading errors of letter-migrations within and between words and vowelletter errors did not decrease following the workshop, most participants made fewer reading errors in general following the workshop, with a significant reduction of 19% from their original number of errors. This decrease mainly resulted from a decrease in errors that occur due to reading via the sublexical rather than the lexical route. It seems, therefore, that mindfulness helped reading by keeping the readers on the lexical route. This improvement in reading probably resulted from improved sustained attention: the reduction in sublexical reading was significant for the dyslexic participants who also had attention deficits, and there were significant correlations between reduced reading errors and decreases in

Relationship between workload and mind-wandering in simulated driving.

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Yuyu Zhang

Full Text Available Mental workload and mind-wandering are highly related to driving safety. This study investigated the relationship between mental workload and mind-wandering while driving. Participants (N = 40 were asked to perform a car following task in driving simulator, and report whether they had experienced mind-wandering upon hearing a tone. After driving, participants reported their workload using the NASA-Task Load Index (TLX. Results revealed an interaction between workload and mind-wandering in two different perspectives. First, there was a negative correlation between workload and mind-wandering (r = -0.459, p < 0.01 for different individuals. Second, from temporal perspective workload and mind-wandering frequency increased significantly over task time and were positively correlated. Together, these findings contribute to understanding the roles of workload and mind-wandering in driving.

The association between state attachment security and state Mindfulness.

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Christopher A Pepping

Full Text Available Recent research suggests that attachment and mindfulness are related, though the nature of this association is unclear. Here we present two studies examining whether there is a causal relationship between state attachment and state mindfulness. Study 1 investigated the effects of experimentally increasing state mindfulness on state attachment security. State mindfulness was successfully enhanced, but this led to no change in state attachment security. Study 2 investigated the effects of experimentally enhancing state attachment security on state mindfulness. State attachment security was successfully enhanced, but this did not lead to any change in state mindfulness. These findings suggest that there is not a direct, immediate causal relationship between state attachment and state mindfulness as a result of brief experimental manipulations. Future research should examine these associations in longer term interventions.

A perception theory in mind-body medicine: guided imagery and mindful meditation as cross-modal adaptation.

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Bedford, Felice L

2012-02-01

A new theory of mind-body interaction in healing is proposed based on considerations from the field of perception. It is suggested that the combined effect of visual imagery and mindful meditation on physical healing is simply another example of cross-modal adaptation in perception, much like adaptation to prism-displaced vision. It is argued that psychological interventions produce a conflict between the perceptual modalities of the immune system and vision (or touch), which leads to change in the immune system in order to realign the modalities. It is argued that mind-body interactions do not exist because of higher-order cognitive thoughts or beliefs influencing the body, but instead result from ordinary interactions between lower-level perceptual modalities that function to detect when sensory systems have made an error. The theory helps explain why certain illnesses may be more amenable to mind-body interaction, such as autoimmune conditions in which a sensory system (the immune system) has made an error. It also renders sensible erroneous changes, such as those brought about by "faith healers," as conflicts between modalities that are resolved in favor of the wrong modality. The present view provides one of very few psychological theories of how guided imagery and mindfulness meditation bring about positive physical change. Also discussed are issues of self versus non-self, pain, cancer, body schema, attention, consciousness, and, importantly, developing the concept that the immune system is a rightful perceptual modality. Recognizing mind-body healing as perceptual cross-modal adaptation implies that a century of cross-modal perception research is applicable to the immune system.

Mindfulness, Empathy, and Intercultural Sensitivity amongst Undergraduate Students

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Menardo, Dayne Arvin

2017-01-01

This study examined the relationships amongst mindfulness, empathy, and intercultural sensitivity. Non-parametric analysis were conducted through Spearman and Hayes's PROCESS bootstrapping to examine the relationship between mindfulness and intercultural sensitivity, and whether empathy mediates the relationship between mindfulness and…

The Problem with Reform from the Bottom up: Instructional practises and teacher beliefs of graduate teaching assistants following a reform-minded university teacher certificate programme

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Addy, Tracie M.; Blanchard, Margaret R.

2010-05-01

Reform-minded practices are widely encouraged during pre-service science teacher education in concert with national reform documents. This contrasts to the nature of instruction within university science laboratories in which pre-service teachers enrol, which are largely confirmatory in nature. Undergraduate science laboratories are taught predominantly by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) with minimal teacher preparation. The purpose of this mixed-methods study is to investigate the instructional practices and teacher beliefs of eight GTAs at a university with very high research activity who completed a reform-minded Teacher Certificate Programme, asking: What are their beliefs about teaching? How are their practices described? Do their beliefs and practices differ from one another? Do their teaching beliefs correspond with their practices? Findings indicate that GTAs held moderately reform-minded "transitional" beliefs of teaching following the programme, yet displayed fairly traditional instruction. Cross-case findings highlight similar patterns across subscales of the RTOP that draw attention to underlying constraints of the laboratory curriculum structure. We suggest that GTA professional development is best undertaken concurrent with laboratory course revision.

Mind Maps as Classroom Exercises

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Budd, John W.

2004-01-01

A Mind Map is an outline in which the major categories radiate from a central image and lesser categories are portrayed as branches of larger branches. The author describes an in-class exercise in which small groups of students each create a Mind Map for a specific topic. This exercise is another example of an active and collaborative learning…

To Mind IT or not to Mind IT

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zinner Henriksen, Helle; Rukonova, Boriana

2011-01-01

interpretative research approaches to less explored domains. It highlights that practitioners perceive certain variables, which are less obvious to the traditional research-driven models, to be of importance. Practical implications – The results should be applied with care, bearing in mind that our conclusions...

The Role of Mindfulness to Improve Leadership in Multicultural Context

OpenAIRE

Dhevy Puswiartika; Zahrotur Rusyda Hinduan; Marina Sulastiana; Diana Harding

2017-01-01

Mindfulness is present moment awareness with an observing and nonjudging stance. To be mindful means to be fully in the here and now from moment to moment. Mindfulness appears to have broadly positive impacts on human functioning. This review explored the current state of studies regarding mindfulness as a potential psychological construct to improve leadership in multicultural context. Mindfulness associated with higher relationship quality because a mindful leader is better able to be fully...

Blushing and the philosophy of mind.

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Bunge, Mario

2007-01-01