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Sample records for temporal fine structure

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Q; Gu, X; Liu, B

    2017-11-07

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

  2. Impaired perception of temporal fine structure and musical timbre in cochlear implant users.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heng, Joseph; Cantarero, Gabriela; Elhilali, Mounya; Limb, Charles J

    2011-10-01

    Cochlear implant (CI) users demonstrate severe limitations in perceiving musical timbre, a psychoacoustic feature of sound responsible for 'tone color' and one's ability to identify a musical instrument. The reasons for this limitation remain poorly understood. In this study, we sought to examine the relative contributions of temporal envelope and fine structure for timbre judgments, in light of the fact that speech processing strategies employed by CI systems typically employ envelope extraction algorithms. We synthesized "instrumental chimeras" that systematically combined variable amounts of envelope and fine structure in 25% increments from two different source instruments with either sustained or percussive envelopes. CI users and normal hearing (NH) subjects were presented with 150 chimeras and asked to determine which instrument the chimera more closely resembled in a single-interval two-alternative forced choice task. By combining instruments with similar and dissimilar envelopes, we controlled the valence of envelope for timbre identification and compensated for envelope reconstruction from fine structure information. Our results show that NH subjects utilize envelope and fine structure interchangeably, whereas CI subjects demonstrate overwhelming reliance on temporal envelope. When chimeras were created from dissimilar envelope instrument pairs, NH subjects utilized a combination of envelope (p = 0.008) and fine structure information (p = 0.009) to make timbre judgments. In contrast, CI users utilized envelope information almost exclusively to make timbre judgments (p < 0.001) and ignored fine structure information (p = 0.908). Interestingly, when the value of envelope as a cue was reduced, both NH subjects and CI users utilized fine structure information to make timbre judgments (p < 0.001), although the effect was quite weak in CI users. Our findings confirm that impairments in fine structure processing underlie poor perception of musical timbre in CI

  3. Influence of musical training on sensitivity to temporal fine structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-04-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2011-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2017-01-01

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

  6. The role of temporal fine structure information for the low pitch of high-frequency complex tones

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

    2011-01-01

    The fused low pitch evoked by complex tones containing only unresolved high-frequency components demonstrates the ability of the human auditory system to extract pitch using a temporal mechanism in the absence of spectral cues. However, the temporal features used by such a mechanism have been...... amplitude fluctuations, or temporal fine structure (TFS), of the conveyed signal can be processed. Using a pitch-matching paradigm, the present study found that the low pitch of inharmonic transposed tones with unresolved components was consistent with the timing between the most prominent TFS maxima...... coding as such, and that TFS representation might persist at higher frequencies than previously thought....

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

    OpenAIRE

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

    2016-01-01

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

  8. Can temporal fine structure represent the fundamental frequency of unresolved harmonics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oxenham, Andrew J; Micheyl, Christophe; Keebler, Michael V

    2009-04-01

    At least two modes of pitch perception exist: in one, the fundamental frequency (F0) of harmonic complex tones is estimated using the temporal fine structure (TFS) of individual low-order resolved harmonics; in the other, F0 is derived from the temporal envelope of high-order unresolved harmonics that interact in the auditory periphery. Pitch is typically more accurate in the former than in the latter mode. Another possibility is that pitch can sometimes be coded via the TFS from unresolved harmonics. A recent study supporting this third possibility [Moore et al. (2006a). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 119, 480-490] based its conclusion on a condition where phase interaction effects (implying unresolved harmonics) accompanied accurate F0 discrimination (implying TFS processing). The present study tests whether these results were influenced by audible distortion products. Experiment 1 replicated the original results, obtained using a low-level background noise. However, experiments 2-4 found no evidence for the use of TFS cues with unresolved harmonics when the background noise level was raised, or the stimulus level was lowered, to render distortion inaudible. Experiment 5 measured the presence and phase dependence of audible distortion products. The results provide no evidence that TFS cues are used to code the F0 of unresolved harmonics.

  9. A correlational method to concurrently measure envelope and temporal fine structure weights: effects of age, cochlear pathology, and spectral shaping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fogerty, Daniel; Humes, Larry E

    2012-09-01

    The speech signal may be divided into spectral frequency-bands, each band containing temporal properties of the envelope and fine structure. This study measured the perceptual weights for the envelope and fine structure in each of three frequency bands for sentence materials in young normal-hearing listeners, older normal-hearing listeners, aided older hearing-impaired listeners, and spectrally matched young normal-hearing listeners. The availability of each acoustic property was independently varied through noisy signal extraction. Thus, the full speech stimulus was presented with noise used to mask six different auditory channels. Perceptual weights were determined by correlating a listener's performance with the signal-to-noise ratio of each acoustic property on a trial-by-trial basis. Results demonstrate that temporal fine structure perceptual weights remain stable across the four listener groups. However, a different weighting typography was observed across the listener groups for envelope cues. Results suggest that spectral shaping used to preserve the audibility of the speech stimulus may alter the allocation of perceptual resources. The relative perceptual weighting of envelope cues may also change with age. Concurrent testing of sentences repeated once on a previous day demonstrated that weighting strategies for all listener groups can change, suggesting an initial stabilization period or susceptibility to auditory training.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shuo Wang

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

  11. Role of short-time acoustic temporal fine structure cues in sentence recognition for normal-hearing listeners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Limin; Xu, Li

    2018-02-01

    Short-time processing was employed to manipulate the amplitude, bandwidth, and temporal fine structure (TFS) in sentences. Fifty-two native-English-speaking, normal-hearing listeners participated in four sentence-recognition experiments. Results showed that recovered envelope (E) played an important role in speech recognition when the bandwidth was > 1 equivalent rectangular bandwidth. Removing TFS drastically reduced sentence recognition. Preserving TFS greatly improved sentence recognition when amplitude information was available at a rate ≥ 10 Hz (i.e., time segment ≤ 100 ms). Therefore, the short-time TFS facilitates speech perception together with the recovered E and works with the coarse amplitude cues to provide useful information for speech recognition.

  12. Temporal Fine-Structure Coding and Lateralized Speech Perception in Normal-Hearing and Hearing-Impaired Listeners

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Locsei, Gusztav; Pedersen, Julie Hefting; Laugesen, Søren

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the relationship between speech perception performance in spatially complex, lateralized listening scenarios and temporal fine-structure (TFS) coding at low frequencies. Young normal-hearing (NH) and two groups of elderly hearing-impaired (HI) listeners with mild or moderate...... hearing loss above 1.5 kHz participated in the study. Speech reception thresholds (SRTs) were estimated in the presence of either speech-shaped noise, two-, four-, or eight-talker babble played reversed, or a nonreversed two-talker masker. Target audibility was ensured by applying individualized linear...... threshold nor the interaural phase difference threshold tasks showed a correlation with the SRTs or with the amount of masking release due to binaural unmasking, respectively. The results suggest that, although HI listeners with normal hearing thresholds below 1.5 kHz experienced difficulties with speech...

  13. The Low Pitch of High-Frequency Complex Tones Relies on Temporal Fine Structure Information

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Santurette, Sébastien; Dau, Torsten

    2010-01-01

    High-frequency complex tones containing only unresolved harmonic components with a frequency spacing Δf usually evoke a low pitch equal to Δf. However, for inharmonic components, the low pitch is often found to deviate slightly from Δf. Whether this pitch shift relies exclusively on temporal fine...... structure (TFS) cues has been a matter of debate. It is also controversial up to which frequency TFS information remains available, and to what extent envelope cues become dominant as frequency increases. Using a pitch-matching paradigm, this study investigated whether the pitch of transposed tones.......5]. All stimuli were presented at 50 dB SPL in broadband pink-noise (13.5 dB/Hz at 1 kHz), and 40 matches per condition were obtained. For fenv = fc/11.5, the results favored hypothesis A for all values of fc, indicating that TFS cues are available and used for pitch extraction, up to at least 7 k...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Apoux, Frédéric; Healy, Eric W

    2013-01-01

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

  15. Recovering the fine structures in solar images

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1994-01-01

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

  16. An Einstein-Cartan Fine Structure Constant Definition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stone R. A. Jr.

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available The fine structure constant definition given in Stone R.A. Jr. Progress in Physics, 2010, v.1, 11-13 is compared to an Einstein-Cartan fine structure constant definition. It is shown that the Einstein-Cartan definition produces the correct pure theory value, just not the measure value. To produce the measured value, the pure theory Einstein-Cartan fine structure constant requires only the new variables and spin coupling of the fine structure constant definition in [1].

  17. The Fine Structure Constant

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    IAS Admin

    The article discusses the importance of the fine structure constant in quantum mechanics, along with the brief history of how it emerged. Al- though Sommerfelds idea of elliptical orbits has been replaced by wave mechanics, the fine struc- ture constant he introduced has remained as an important parameter in the field of ...

  18. A study of human DPOAE fine structure

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

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

  19. Fine structure studies of terbium atoms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Abhay Kumar; Bandyopadhyay, Krishnanath; Niraj Kumar

    2012-01-01

    Terbium (Z = 65) is a typical rare-earth element. Fine structure of spectural lines of terbium (Tb) are presented using the laser optogalvanic spectroscopic technique. Altogether eighty transitions in the 5686-6367 A range have been observed in the fine structure spectrum of 159 Tb. Wavelengths of all the observed transitions have been determined. Out of 80 transitions of Tb, a total of 59 transitions are being reported for the first time. Classifications of 39 new transitions have been provided using the known energy levels, Doppler-limited optogalvanic spectroscopic technique is employed to study the fine structure (fs) 159 Tb. (author)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Brian C J; Sęk, Aleksander

    2016-09-07

    Multichannel amplitude compression is widely used in hearing aids. The preferred compression speed varies across individuals. Moore (2008) suggested that reduced sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) may be associated with preference for slow compression. This idea was tested using a simulated hearing aid. It was also assessed whether preferences for compression speed depend on the type of stimulus: speech or music. Twenty-two hearing-impaired subjects were tested, and the stimulated hearing aid was fitted individually using the CAM2A method. On each trial, a given segment of speech or music was presented twice. One segment was processed with fast compression and the other with slow compression, and the order was balanced across trials. The subject indicated which segment was preferred and by how much. On average, slow compression was preferred over fast compression, more so for music, but there were distinct individual differences, which were highly correlated for speech and music. Sensitivity to TFS was assessed using the difference limen for frequency at 2000 Hz and by two measures of sensitivity to interaural phase at low frequencies. The results for the difference limens for frequency, but not the measures of sensitivity to interaural phase, supported the suggestion that preference for compression speed is affected by sensitivity to TFS. © The Author(s) 2016.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1992-01-01

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

  2. Cortical Correlates of Binaural Temporal Processing Deficits in Older Adults.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eddins, Ann Clock; Eddins, David A

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

  3. Edge separation using diffraction anomalous fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ravel, B.; Bouldin, C.E.; Renevier, H.; Hodeau, J.L.; Berar, J.F.

    1999-01-01

    We exploit the crystallographic sensitivity of the Diffraction Anomalous Fine-Structure (DAFS) measurement to separate the fine structure contributions of different atomic species with closely spaced resonant energies. In BaTiO 3 the Ti K edge and Ba Lm edges are separated by 281 eV, or about 8.2 Angstrom -1 ), thus severely limiting the information content of the Ti K edge signal. Using the site selectivity of DAFS we can separate the two fine structure spectra using an iterative Kramers-Kronig method, thus extending the range of the Ti K edge spectrum. This technique has application to many rare earth/transition metal compounds, including many magnetic materials of technological significance for which K and L edges overlap in energy. (au)

  4. Acoustic fine structure may encode biologically relevant information for zebra finches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prior, Nora H; Smith, Edward; Lawson, Shelby; Ball, Gregory F; Dooling, Robert J

    2018-04-18

    The ability to discriminate changes in the fine structure of complex sounds is well developed in birds. However, the precise limit of this discrimination ability and how it is used in the context of natural communication remains unclear. Here we describe natural variability in acoustic fine structure of male and female zebra finch calls. Results from psychoacoustic experiments demonstrate that zebra finches are able to discriminate extremely small differences in fine structure, which are on the order of the variation in acoustic fine structure that is present in their vocal signals. Results from signal analysis methods also suggest that acoustic fine structure may carry information that distinguishes between biologically relevant categories including sex, call type and individual identity. Combined, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that zebra finches can encode biologically relevant information within the fine structure of their calls. This study provides a foundation for our understanding of how acoustic fine structure may be involved in animal communication.

  5. Fine structure transitions in Fe XIV

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nahar, Sultana N.

    2013-07-01

    Results are reported for Fe XIV energy levels and transitions obtained from the ab initio relativistic Breit-Pauli R-matrix (BPRM) method. BPRM method developed under the Iron Project is capable of calculating very large number of fine structure energy levels and corresponding transitions. However, unlike in the atomic structure calculations, where levels are identified spectroscopically based on the leading percentage contributions of configurations, BPRM is incapable of such identification of the levels and hence the transitions. The main reason for it is that the percentage contributions can not be determined exactly from the large number of channels in the R-matrix space. The present report describes an identification method that uses considerations of quantum defects of channels, contributions of channel from outer regions, Hund's rule, and angular momenta algebra for addition and completeness of fine structure components. The present calculations are carried out using a close coupling wave function expansion that included 26 core excitations from configurations 2s22p63s2, 2s22p63s3p,2s22p63p2,2s22p63s3d, and 2s22p63p3d. A total of 1002 fine structure levels with n ⩽ 10, l⩽9, and 0.5 ⩽J⩽ 9.5 with even and odd parities and the corresponding 130,520 electric dipole allowed (E1) fine structure transitions, a most complete set for astrophysical modelings of spectral analysis and opacities, is presented. Large number of new energy levels are found and identified. The energies agree very well, mostly in less than 1% with the highest being 1.9%, with the 68 observed fine structure levels. While the high lying levels may have some uncertainty, an overall accuracy of energy levels should be within 10%. BPRM transitions have been benchmarked with the existing most accurate calculated transition probabilities with very good agreement for most cases. Based on the accuracy of the method and comparisons, most of the transitions can be rated with A (⩽10%) to C (

  6. Deriving temporally continuous soil moisture estimations at fine resolution by downscaling remotely sensed product

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Yan; Ge, Yong; Wang, Jianghao; Heuvelink, Gerard B. M.

    2018-06-01

    Land surface soil moisture (SSM) has important roles in the energy balance of the land surface and in the water cycle. Downscaling of coarse-resolution SSM remote sensing products is an efficient way for producing fine-resolution data. However, the downscaling methods used most widely require full-coverage visible/infrared satellite data as ancillary information. These methods are restricted to cloud-free days, making them unsuitable for continuous monitoring. The purpose of this study is to overcome this limitation to obtain temporally continuous fine-resolution SSM estimations. The local spatial heterogeneities of SSM and multiscale ancillary variables were considered in the downscaling process both to solve the problem of the strong variability of SSM and to benefit from the fusion of ancillary information. The generation of continuous downscaled remote sensing data was achieved via two principal steps. For cloud-free days, a stepwise hybrid geostatistical downscaling approach, based on geographically weighted area-to-area regression kriging (GWATARK), was employed by combining multiscale ancillary variables with passive microwave remote sensing data. Then, the GWATARK-estimated SSM and China Soil Moisture Dataset from Microwave Data Assimilation SSM data were combined to estimate fine-resolution data for cloudy days. The developed methodology was validated by application to the 25-km resolution daily AMSR-E SSM product to produce continuous SSM estimations at 1-km resolution over the Tibetan Plateau. In comparison with ground-based observations, the downscaled estimations showed correlation (R ≥ 0.7) for both ascending and descending overpasses. The analysis indicated the high potential of the proposed approach for producing a temporally continuous SSM product at fine spatial resolution.

  7. The fine-structure constant before quantum mechanics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kragh, Helge

    2003-01-01

    This paper focuses on the early history of the fine-structure constant, largely the period until 1925. Contrary to what is generally assumed, speculations concerning the interdependence of the elementary electric charge and Planck's constant predated Arnold Sommerfeld's 1916 discussion of the dimensionless constant. This paper pays particular attention to a little known work from 1914 in which G N Lewis and E Q Adams derived what is effectively a numerical expression for the fine-structure constant

  8. Fine structure of charge exchange lines observed in laboratory plasmas

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1997-01-01

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

  9. Berry's Phase and Fine Structure

    CERN Document Server

    Binder, B

    2002-01-01

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

  10. Temporal Organization of Sound Information in Auditory Memory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kun Song

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Memory is a constructive and organizational process. Instead of being stored with all the fine details, external information is reorganized and structured at certain spatiotemporal scales. It is well acknowledged that time plays a central role in audition by segmenting sound inputs into temporal chunks of appropriate length. However, it remains largely unknown whether critical temporal structures exist to mediate sound representation in auditory memory. To address the issue, here we designed an auditory memory transferring study, by combining a previously developed unsupervised white noise memory paradigm with a reversed sound manipulation method. Specifically, we systematically measured the memory transferring from a random white noise sound to its locally temporal reversed version on various temporal scales in seven experiments. We demonstrate a U-shape memory-transferring pattern with the minimum value around temporal scale of 200 ms. Furthermore, neither auditory perceptual similarity nor physical similarity as a function of the manipulating temporal scale can account for the memory-transferring results. Our results suggest that sounds are not stored with all the fine spectrotemporal details but are organized and structured at discrete temporal chunks in long-term auditory memory representation.

  11. Temporal Organization of Sound Information in Auditory Memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Kun; Luo, Huan

    2017-01-01

    Memory is a constructive and organizational process. Instead of being stored with all the fine details, external information is reorganized and structured at certain spatiotemporal scales. It is well acknowledged that time plays a central role in audition by segmenting sound inputs into temporal chunks of appropriate length. However, it remains largely unknown whether critical temporal structures exist to mediate sound representation in auditory memory. To address the issue, here we designed an auditory memory transferring study, by combining a previously developed unsupervised white noise memory paradigm with a reversed sound manipulation method. Specifically, we systematically measured the memory transferring from a random white noise sound to its locally temporal reversed version on various temporal scales in seven experiments. We demonstrate a U-shape memory-transferring pattern with the minimum value around temporal scale of 200 ms. Furthermore, neither auditory perceptual similarity nor physical similarity as a function of the manipulating temporal scale can account for the memory-transferring results. Our results suggest that sounds are not stored with all the fine spectrotemporal details but are organized and structured at discrete temporal chunks in long-term auditory memory representation.

  12. Spatial and temporal variability in urban fine particulate matter concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Levy, Jonathan I.; Hanna, Steven R.

    2011-01-01

    Identification of hot spots for urban fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) concentrations is complicated by the significant contributions from regional atmospheric transport and the dependence of spatial and temporal variability on averaging time. We focus on PM 2.5 patterns in New York City, which includes significant local sources, street canyons, and upwind contributions to concentrations. A literature synthesis demonstrates that long-term (e.g., one-year) average PM 2.5 concentrations at a small number of widely-distributed monitoring sites would not show substantial variability, whereas short-term (e.g., 1-h) average measurements with high spatial density would show significant variability. Statistical analyses of ambient monitoring data as a function of wind speed and direction reinforce the significance of regional transport but show evidence of local contributions. We conclude that current monitor siting may not adequately capture PM 2.5 variability in an urban area, especially in a mega-city, reinforcing the necessity of dispersion modeling and methods for analyzing high-resolution monitoring observations. - Highlights: →Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) hot spots are hard to identify in urban areas. → Literature conclusions about PM 2.5 hot spots depend on study design and methods. → Hot spots are more likely for short-term concentrations at high spatial density. → Statistical methods illustrate local source impacts beyond regional transport. → Dispersion models and high-resolution monitors are both needed to find hot spots. - Fine particulate matter can vary spatially within large urban areas, in spite of the significant contribution from regional atmospheric transport.

  13. Ordinary mode auroral kilometric radiation fine structure observed by DE 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1988-01-01

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

  14. Local edge detectors: a substrate for fine spatial vision at low temporal frequencies in rabbit retina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wyk, Michiel; Taylor, W Rowland; Vaney, David I

    2006-12-20

    Visual acuity is limited by the size and density of the smallest retinal ganglion cells, which correspond to the midget ganglion cells in primate retina and the beta-ganglion cells in cat retina, both of which have concentric receptive fields that respond at either light-On or light-Off. In contrast, the smallest ganglion cells in the rabbit retina are the local edge detectors (LEDs), which respond to spot illumination at both light-On and light-Off. However, the LEDs do not predominate in the rabbit retina and the question arises, what role do they play in fine spatial vision? We studied the morphology and physiology of LEDs in the isolated rabbit retina and examined how their response properties are shaped by the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Although the LEDs comprise only approximately 15% of the ganglion cells, neighboring LEDs are separated by 30-40 microm on the visual streak, which is sufficient to account for the grating acuity of the rabbit. The spatial and temporal receptive-field properties of LEDs are generated by distinct inhibitory mechanisms. The strong inhibitory surround acts presynaptically to suppress both the excitation and the inhibition elicited by center stimulation. The temporal properties, characterized by sluggish onset, sustained firing, and low bandwidth, are mediated by the temporal properties of the bipolar cells and by postsynaptic interactions between the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. We propose that the LEDs signal fine spatial detail during visual fixation, when high temporal frequencies are minimal.

  15. The Voronoi spatio-temporal data structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mioc, Darka

    2002-04-01

    Current GIS models cannot integrate the temporal dimension of spatial data easily. Indeed, current GISs do not support incremental (local) addition and deletion of spatial objects, and they can not support the temporal evolution of spatial data. Spatio-temporal facilities would be very useful in many GIS applications: harvesting and forest planning, cadastre, urban and regional planning, and emergency planning. The spatio-temporal model that can overcome these problems is based on a topological model---the Voronoi data structure. Voronoi diagrams are irregular tessellations of space, that adapt to spatial objects and therefore they are a synthesis of raster and vector spatial data models. The main advantage of the Voronoi data structure is its local and sequential map updates, which allows us to automatically record each event and performed map updates within the system. These map updates are executed through map construction commands that are composed of atomic actions (geometric algorithms for addition, deletion, and motion of spatial objects) on the dynamic Voronoi data structure. The formalization of map commands led to the development of a spatial language comprising a set of atomic operations or constructs on spatial primitives (points and lines), powerful enough to define the complex operations. This resulted in a new formal model for spatio-temporal change representation, where each update is uniquely characterized by the numbers of newly created and inactivated Voronoi regions. This is used for the extension of the model towards the hierarchical Voronoi data structure. In this model, spatio-temporal changes induced by map updates are preserved in a hierarchical data structure that combines events and corresponding changes in topology. This hierarchical Voronoi data structure has an implicit time ordering of events visible through changes in topology, and it is equivalent to an event structure that can support temporal data without precise temporal

  16. Revisit to diffraction anomalous fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  17. Fine Structure of 211 Po Alpha Decay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirea, M.

    2000-01-01

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

  18. Study of fine structure of deformed hafnium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1978-01-01

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

  19. Knowledge-guided golf course detection using a convolutional neural network fine-tuned on temporally augmented data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jingbo; Wang, Chengyi; Yue, Anzhi; Chen, Jiansheng; He, Dongxu; Zhang, Xiuyan

    2017-10-01

    The tremendous success of deep learning models such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) in computer vision provides a method for similar problems in the field of remote sensing. Although research on repurposing pretrained CNN to remote sensing tasks is emerging, the scarcity of labeled samples and the complexity of remote sensing imagery still pose challenges. We developed a knowledge-guided golf course detection approach using a CNN fine-tuned on temporally augmented data. The proposed approach is a combination of knowledge-driven region proposal, data-driven detection based on CNN, and knowledge-driven postprocessing. To confront data complexity, knowledge-derived cooccurrence, composition, and area-based rules are applied sequentially to propose candidate golf regions. To confront sample scarcity, we employed data augmentation in the temporal domain, which extracts samples from multitemporal images. The augmented samples were then used to fine-tune a pretrained CNN for golf detection. Finally, commission error was further suppressed by postprocessing. Experiments conducted on GF-1 imagery prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

  20. Looking inside giant resonance fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1993-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

    2006-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strelcyk, Olaf; Dau, Torsten

    2008-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Tiffany A; Baranowski, Lauren G

    2012-01-01

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

  4. Atomic fine structure in a space of constant curvature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1982-01-01

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

  5. Spin fine structure of optically excited quantum dot molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2007-06-01

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

  6. Temporal Organization of Sound Information in Auditory Memory

    OpenAIRE

    Song, Kun; Luo, Huan

    2017-01-01

    Memory is a constructive and organizational process. Instead of being stored with all the fine details, external information is reorganized and structured at certain spatiotemporal scales. It is well acknowledged that time plays a central role in audition by segmenting sound inputs into temporal chunks of appropriate length. However, it remains largely unknown whether critical temporal structures exist to mediate sound representation in auditory memory. To address the issue, here we designed ...

  7. Temperature-dependent fine structure splitting in InGaN quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-07-01

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

  8. Production of fine structures in type III solar radio bursts due to turbulent density profiles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Loi, Shyeh Tjing; Cairns, Iver H.; Li, Bo

    2014-01-01

    Magnetic reconnection events in the corona release energetic electron beams along open field lines, and the beams generate radio emission at multiples of the electron plasma frequency f p to produce type III solar radio bursts. Type III bursts often exhibit irregularities in the form of flux modulations with frequency and/or local temporal advances and delays, and a type IIIb burst represents the extreme case where a type III burst is fragmented into a chain of narrowband features called striae. Remote and in situ spacecraft measurements have shown that density turbulence is ubiquitous in the corona and solar wind, and often exhibits a Kolmogorov power spectrum. In this work, we numerically investigate the effects of one-dimensional macroscopic density turbulence (along the beam direction) on the behavior of type III bursts, and find that this turbulence produces stria-like fine structures in the dynamic spectra of both f p and 2 f p radiation. Spectral and temporal fine structures in the predicted type III emission are produced by variations in the scattering path lengths and group speeds of radio emission, and in the locations and sizes of emitting volumes. Moderate turbulence levels yield flux enhancements with much broader half-power bandwidths in f p than 2 f p emission, possibly explaining the often observed type IIIb-III harmonic pairs as being where intensifications in 2 f p radiation are not resolved observationally. Larger turbulence levels producing trough-peak regions in the plasma density profile may lead to broader, resolvable intensifications in 2 f p radiation, which may account for the type IIIb-IIIb pairs that are sometimes observed.

  9. Temporal Patterns in Fine Particulate Matter Time Series in Beijing: A Calendar View

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianzheng; Li, Jie; Li, Weifeng

    2016-08-01

    Extremely high fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration has become synonymous to Beijing, the capital of China, posing critical challenges to its sustainable development and leading to major public health concerns. In order to formulate mitigation measures and policies, knowledge on PM2.5 variation patterns should be obtained. While previous studies are limited either because of availability of data, or because of problematic a priori assumptions that PM2.5 concentration follows subjective seasonal, monthly, or weekly patterns, our study aims to reveal the data on a daily basis through visualization rather than imposing subjective periodic patterns upon the data. To achieve this, we conduct two time-series cluster analyses on full-year PM2.5 data in Beijing in 2014, and provide an innovative calendar visualization of PM2.5 measurements throughout the year. Insights from the analysis on temporal variation of PM2.5 concentration show that there are three diurnal patterns and no weekly patterns; seasonal patterns exist but they do not follow a strict temporal division. These findings advance current understanding on temporal patterns in PM2.5 data and offer a different perspective which can help with policy formulation on PM2.5 mitigation.

  10. Fine structure of synapses on dendritic spines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael eFrotscher

    2014-09-01

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

  11. An approach for generating synthetic fine temporal resolution solar radiation time series from hourly gridded datasets

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthew Perry

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available A tool has been developed to statistically increase the temporal resolution of solar irradiance time series. Fine temporal resolution time series are an important input into the planning process for solar power plants, and lead to increased understanding of the likely short-term variability of solar energy. The approach makes use of the spatial variability of hourly gridded datasets around a location of interest to make inferences about the temporal variability within the hour. The unique characteristics of solar irradiance data are modelled by classifying each hour into a typical weather situation. Low variability situations are modelled using an autoregressive process which is applied to ramps of clear-sky index. High variability situations are modelled as a transition between states of clear sky conditions and different levels of cloud opacity. The methods have been calibrated to Australian conditions using 1 min data from four ground stations for a 10 year period. These stations, together with an independent dataset, have also been used to verify the quality of the results using a number of relevant metrics. The results show that the method generates realistic fine resolution synthetic time series. The synthetic time series correlate well with observed data on monthly and annual timescales as they are constrained to the nearest grid-point value on each hour. The probability distributions of the synthetic and observed global irradiance data are similar, with Kolmogorov-Smirnov test statistic less than 0.04 at each station. The tool could be useful for the estimation of solar power output for integration studies.

  12. Derivation of the fine-structure constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samec, A.

    1980-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N. K. Tolochko

    2012-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  15. Theoretical approaches to x-ray absorption fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2000-01-01

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

  16. Molecular Eigensolution Symmetry Analysis and Fine Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William G. Harter

    2013-01-01

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

  17. Renal fine structures detected by NMR imaging

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zilch, H.G.

    1986-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresp, Birgitta; Langley, Keith

    2006-03-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2006-01-01

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

  1. Temporal structures in shell models

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Okkels, F.

    2001-01-01

    The intermittent dynamics of the turbulent Gledzer, Ohkitani, and Yamada shell-model is completely characterized by a single type of burstlike structure, which moves through the shells like a front. This temporal structure is described by the dynamics of the instantaneous configuration of the shell...

  2. Fine structure of the exciton electroabsorption in semiconductor superlattices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2017-02-15

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-01-01

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

  4. Modeling Temporal Evolution and Multiscale Structure in Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Herlau, Tue; Mørup, Morten; Schmidt, Mikkel Nørgaard

    2013-01-01

    Many real-world networks exhibit both temporal evolution and multiscale structure. We propose a model for temporally correlated multifurcating hierarchies in complex networks which jointly capture both effects. We use the Gibbs fragmentation tree as prior over multifurcating trees and a change......-point model to account for the temporal evolution of each vertex. We demonstrate that our model is able to infer time-varying multiscale structure in synthetic as well as three real world time-evolving complex networks. Our modeling of the temporal evolution of hierarchies brings new insights...

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mirea, M.

    1999-01-01

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

  6. Fine root responses to temporal nutrient heterogeneity and competition in seedlings of two tree species with different rooting strategies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Peng; Shu, Meng; Mou, Pu; Weiner, Jacob

    2018-03-01

    There is little direct evidence for effects of soil heterogeneity and root plasticity on the competitive interactions among plants. In this study, we experimentally examined the impacts of temporal nutrient heterogeneity on root growth and interactions between two plant species with very different rooting strategies: Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum), which shows high root plasticity in response to soil nutrient heterogeneity, and Pinus taeda (loblolly pine), a species with less plastic roots. Seedlings of the two species were grown in sandboxes in inter- and intraspecific combinations. Nutrients were applied in a patch either in a stable (slow-release) or in a variable (pulse) manner. Plant aboveground biomass, fine root mass, root allocation between nutrient patch and outside the patch, and root vertical distribution were measured. L. styraciflua grew more aboveground (40% and 27% in stable and variable nutrient treatment, respectively) and fine roots (41% and 8% in stable and variable nutrient treatment, respectively) when competing with P. taeda than when competing with a conspecific individual, but the growth of P. taeda was not changed by competition from L. styraciflua . Temporal variation in patch nutrient level had little effect on the species' competitive interactions. The more flexible L. styraciflua changed its vertical distribution of fine roots in response to competition from P. taeda , growing more roots in deeper soil layers compared to its roots in conspecific competition, leading to niche differentiation between the species, while the fine root distribution of P. taeda remained unchanged across all treatments. Synthesis . L. styraciflua showed greater flexibility in root growth by changing its root vertical distribution and occupying space of not occupied by P. taeda . This flexibility gave L. styraciflua an advantage in interspecific competition.

  7. Sensitivity to Temporal Reward Structure in Amygdala Neurons

    OpenAIRE

    Bermudez, Maria A.; Göbel, Carl; Schultz, Wolfram

    2012-01-01

    Summary The time of reward and the temporal structure of reward occurrence fundamentally influence behavioral reinforcement and decision processes [1–11]. However, despite knowledge about timing in sensory and motor systems [12–17], we know little about temporal mechanisms of neuronal reward processing. In this experiment, visual stimuli predicted different instantaneous probabilities of reward occurrence that resulted in specific temporal reward structures. Licking behavior demonstrated that...

  8. Fine structure of 25 extragalactic radio sources

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1975-01-01

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

  9. The role of temporal structure in human vision.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blake, Randolph; Lee, Sang-Hun

    2005-03-01

    Gestalt psychologists identified several stimulus properties thought to underlie visual grouping and figure/ground segmentation, and among those properties was common fate: the tendency to group together individual objects that move together in the same direction at the same speed. Recent years have witnessed an upsurge of interest in visual grouping based on other time-dependent sources of visual information, including synchronized changes in luminance, in motion direction, and in figure/ ground relations. These various sources of temporal grouping information can be subsumed under the rubric temporal structure. In this article, the authors review evidence bearing on the effectiveness of temporal structure in visual grouping. They start with an overview of evidence bearing on temporal acuity of human vision, covering studies dealing with temporal integration and temporal differentiation. They then summarize psychophysical studies dealing with figure/ground segregation based on temporal phase differences in deterministic and stochastic events. The authors conclude with a brief discussion of neurophysiological implications of these results.

  10. The Fine Structure of Equity-Index Option Dynamics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

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

  11. Spectral fine structure effects on material and doppler reactivity worth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Greenspan, E.; Karni, Y.

    1975-01-01

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

  12. Temporal and Statistical Information in Causal Structure Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCormack, Teresa; Frosch, Caren; Patrick, Fiona; Lagnado, David

    2015-01-01

    Three experiments examined children's and adults' abilities to use statistical and temporal information to distinguish between common cause and causal chain structures. In Experiment 1, participants were provided with conditional probability information and/or temporal information and asked to infer the causal structure of a 3-variable mechanical…

  13. Diffraction anomalous fine structure using X-ray anomalous dispersion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soejima, Yuji; Kuwajima, Shuichiro

    1998-01-01

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

  14. Angle-resolved photoemission extended fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barton, J.J.

    1985-03-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1998-05-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-07-20

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

  17. Recognition memory is improved by a structured temporal framework during encoding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sathesan eThavabalasingam

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available In order to function optimally within our environment, we continuously extract temporal patterns from our experiences and formulate expectations that facilitate adaptive behavior. Given that our memories are embedded within spatiotemporal contexts, an intriguing possibility is that mnemonic processes are sensitive to the temporal structure of events. To test this hypothesis, in a series of behavioral experiments we manipulated the regularity of interval durations at encoding to create temporally structured and unstructured frameworks. Our findings revealed enhanced recognition memory (d’ for stimuli that were explicitly encoded within a temporally structured versus unstructured framework. Encoding information within a temporally structured framework was also associated with a reduction in the negative effects of proactive interference and was linked to greater recollective recognition memory. Furthermore, rhythmic temporal structure was found to enhance recognition memory for incidentally encoded information. Collectively, these results support the possibility that we possess a greater capacity to learn and subsequently remember temporally structured information.

  18. 2fl-f2 DPOAE fine structure for 12 symphony orchestra musicians before and after rehearsal

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

    2005-01-01

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

  19. Structural controllability and controlling centrality of temporal networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pan, Yujian; Li, Xiang

    2014-01-01

    Temporal networks are such networks where nodes and interactions may appear and disappear at various time scales. With the evidence of ubiquity of temporal networks in our economy, nature and society, it's urgent and significant to focus on its structural controllability as well as the corresponding characteristics, which nowadays is still an untouched topic. We develop graphic tools to study the structural controllability as well as its characteristics, identifying the intrinsic mechanism of the ability of individuals in controlling a dynamic and large-scale temporal network. Classifying temporal trees of a temporal network into different types, we give (both upper and lower) analytical bounds of the controlling centrality, which are verified by numerical simulations of both artificial and empirical temporal networks. We find that the positive relationship between aggregated degree and controlling centrality as well as the scale-free distribution of node's controlling centrality are virtually independent of the time scale and types of datasets, meaning the inherent robustness and heterogeneity of the controlling centrality of nodes within temporal networks.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2009-01-01

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

  1. Temporal Dependency and the Structure of Early Looking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messinger, Daniel S; Mattson, Whitney I; Todd, James Torrence; Gangi, Devon N; Myers, Nicholas D; Bahrick, Lorraine E

    2017-01-01

    Although looking time is used to assess infant perceptual and cognitive processing, little is known about the temporal structure of infant looking. To shed light on this temporal structure, 127 three-month-olds were assessed in an infant-controlled habituation procedure and presented with a pre-recorded display of a woman addressing the infant using infant-directed speech. Previous individual look durations positively predicted subsequent look durations over a six look window, suggesting a temporal dependency between successive infant looks. The previous look duration continued to predict the subsequent look duration after accounting for habituation-linked declines in look duration, and when looks were separated by an inter-trial interval in which no stimulus was displayed. Individual differences in temporal dependency, the strength of associations between consecutive look durations, are distinct from individual differences in mean infant look duration. Nevertheless, infants with stronger temporal dependency had briefer mean look durations, a potential index of stimulus processing. Temporal dependency was evident not only between individual infant looks but between the durations of successive habituation trials (total looking within a trial). Finally, temporal dependency was evident in associations between the last look at the habituation stimulus and the first look at a novel test stimulus. Thus temporal dependency was evident across multiple timescales (individual looks and trials comprised of multiple individual looks) and persisted across conditions including brief periods of no stimulus presentation and changes from a familiar to novel stimulus. Associations between consecutive look durations over multiple timescales and stimuli suggest a temporal structure of infant attention that has been largely ignored in previous work on infant looking.

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

  3. Fine resolution mapping of population age-structures for health and development applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alegana, V A; Atkinson, P M; Pezzulo, C; Sorichetta, A; Weiss, D; Bird, T; Erbach-Schoenberg, E; Tatem, A J

    2015-04-06

    The age-group composition of populations varies considerably across the world, and obtaining accurate, spatially detailed estimates of numbers of children under 5 years is important in designing vaccination strategies, educational planning or maternal healthcare delivery. Traditionally, such estimates are derived from population censuses, but these can often be unreliable, outdated and of coarse resolution for resource-poor settings. Focusing on Nigeria, we use nationally representative household surveys and their cluster locations to predict the proportion of the under-five population in 1 × 1 km using a Bayesian hierarchical spatio-temporal model. Results showed that land cover, travel time to major settlements, night-time lights and vegetation index were good predictors and that accounting for fine-scale variation, rather than assuming a uniform proportion of under 5 year olds can result in significant differences in health metrics. The largest gaps in estimated bednet and vaccination coverage were in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa. Geolocated household surveys are a valuable resource for providing detailed, contemporary and regularly updated population age-structure data in the absence of recent census data. By combining these with covariate layers, age-structure maps of unprecedented detail can be produced to guide the targeting of interventions in resource-poor settings.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1998-01-01

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

  5. QED Based Calculation of the Fine Structure Constant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2016-10-13

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

  6. FINE-SCALE STRUCTURES OF FLUX ROPES TRACKED BY ERUPTING MATERIAL

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2013-06-20

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marek-Crnjac, L.

    2008-01-01

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

  8. Determinants of fish assemblage structure in Northwestern Great Plains streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mullen, J.A.; Bramblett, R.G.; Guy, C.S.; Zale, A.V.; Roberts, D.W.

    2011-01-01

    Prairie streams are known for their harsh and stochastic physical conditions, and the fish assemblages therein have been shown to be temporally variable. We assessed the spatial and temporal variation in fish assemblage structure in five intermittent, adventitious northwestern Great Plains streams representing a gradient of watershed areas. Fish assemblages and abiotic conditions varied more spatially than temporally. The most important variables explaining fish assemblage structure were longitudinal position and the proportion of fine substrates. The proportion of fine substrates increased proceeding upstream, approaching 100% in all five streams, and species richness declined upstream with increasing fine substrates. High levels of fine substrate in the upper reaches appeared to limit the distribution of obligate lithophilic fish species to reaches further downstream. Species richness and substrates were similar among all five streams at the lowermost and uppermost sites. However, in the middle reaches, species richness increased, the amount of fine substrate decreased, and connectivity increased as watershed area increased. Season and some dimensions of habitat (including thalweg depth, absolute distance to the main-stem river, and watershed size) were not essential in explaining the variation in fish assemblages. Fish species richness varied more temporally than overall fish assemblage structure did because common species were consistently abundant across seasons, whereas rare species were sometimes absent or perhaps not detected by sampling. The similarity in our results among five streams varying in watershed size and those from other studies supports the generalization that spatial variation exceeds temporal variation in the fish assemblages of prairie and warmwater streams. Furthermore, given longitudinal position, substrate, and stream size, general predictions regarding fish assemblage structure and function in prairie streams are possible. ?? American

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

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

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

  10. Strained spiral vortex model for turbulent fine structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lundgren, T. S.

    1982-01-01

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

  11. Balancing Structural and Temporal Constraints in Multitasking Contexts

    OpenAIRE

    Salvucci, Dario D.; Kujala, Tuomo

    2016-01-01

    Recent research has shown that when people multitask, both the subtask structure and the temporal constraints of the component tasks strongly influence people’s task-switching behavior. In this paper, we propose an integrated theoretical account and associated computational model that aims to quantify how people balance structural and temporal constraints in everyday multitasking. We validate the theory using data from an empirical study in which drivers performed a vi...

  12. Fine Structure of Plasmaspheric Hiss

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-12-01

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

  13. The prediction and discovery of Rayleigh line fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabelinskii, Immanuil L

    2000-01-01

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

  14. Fine structure and analytical quantum-defect wave functions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1988-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berman, M. S.

    2009-10-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    1986-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cairns, Iver H.

    1994-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2008-01-01

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

  19. Fine structure of fields in 2D photonic crystal waveguides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2006-01-01

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

  20. Functional connectivity between right and left mesial temporal structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacuey, Nuria; Zonjy, Bilal; Kahriman, Emine S; Kaffashi, Farhad; Miller, Jonathan; Lüders, Hans O

    2015-09-01

    The aim of this study is to investigate functional connectivity between right and left mesial temporal structures using cerebrocerebral evoked potentials. We studied seven patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy who were explored with stereotactically implanted depth electrodes in bilateral hippocampi. In all patients cerebrocerebral evoked potentials evoked by stimulation of the fornix were evaluated as part of a research project assessing fornix stimulation for control of hippocampal seizures. Stimulation of the fornix elicited responses in the ipsilateral hippocampus in all patients with a mean latency of 4.6 ms (range 2-7 ms). Two patients (29 %) also had contralateral hippocampus responses with a mean latency of 7.5 ms (range 5-12 ms) and without involvement of the contralateral temporal neocortex or amygdala. This study confirms the existence of connections between bilateral mesial temporal structures in some patients and explains seizure discharge spreading between homotopic mesial temporal structures without neocortical involvement.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ichikawa, Kazuhide; Kawasaki, Masahiro

    2004-01-01

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

  2. Temporal and Fine-Grained Pedestrian Action Recognition on Driving Recorder Database.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kataoka, Hirokatsu; Satoh, Yutaka; Aoki, Yoshimitsu; Oikawa, Shoko; Matsui, Yasuhiro

    2018-02-20

    The paper presents an emerging issue of fine-grained pedestrian action recognition that induces an advanced pre-crush safety to estimate a pedestrian intention in advance. The fine-grained pedestrian actions include visually slight differences (e.g., walking straight and crossing), which are difficult to distinguish from each other. It is believed that the fine-grained action recognition induces a pedestrian intention estimation for a helpful advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). The following difficulties have been studied to achieve a fine-grained and accurate pedestrian action recognition: (i) In order to analyze the fine-grained motion of a pedestrian appearance in the vehicle-mounted drive recorder, a method to describe subtle change of motion characteristics occurring in a short time is necessary; (ii) even when the background moves greatly due to the driving of the vehicle, it is necessary to detect changes in subtle motion of the pedestrian; (iii) the collection of large-scale fine-grained actions is very difficult, and therefore a relatively small database should be focused. We find out how to learn an effective recognition model with only a small-scale database. Here, we have thoroughly evaluated several types of configurations to explore an effective approach in fine-grained pedestrian action recognition without a large-scale database. Moreover, two different datasets have been collected in order to raise the issue. Finally, our proposal attained 91.01% on National Traffic Science and Environment Laboratory database (NTSEL) and 53.23% on the near-miss driving recorder database (NDRDB). The paper has improved +8.28% and +6.53% from baseline two-stream fusion convnets.

  3. Temporal and Fine-Grained Pedestrian Action Recognition on Driving Recorder Database

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hirokatsu Kataoka

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents an emerging issue of fine-grained pedestrian action recognition that induces an advanced pre-crush safety to estimate a pedestrian intention in advance. The fine-grained pedestrian actions include visually slight differences (e.g., walking straight and crossing, which are difficult to distinguish from each other. It is believed that the fine-grained action recognition induces a pedestrian intention estimation for a helpful advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS. The following difficulties have been studied to achieve a fine-grained and accurate pedestrian action recognition: (i In order to analyze the fine-grained motion of a pedestrian appearance in the vehicle-mounted drive recorder, a method to describe subtle change of motion characteristics occurring in a short time is necessary; (ii even when the background moves greatly due to the driving of the vehicle, it is necessary to detect changes in subtle motion of the pedestrian; (iii the collection of large-scale fine-grained actions is very difficult, and therefore a relatively small database should be focused. We find out how to learn an effective recognition model with only a small-scale database. Here, we have thoroughly evaluated several types of configurations to explore an effective approach in fine-grained pedestrian action recognition without a large-scale database. Moreover, two different datasets have been collected in order to raise the issue. Finally, our proposal attained 91.01% on National Traffic Science and Environment Laboratory database (NTSEL and 53.23% on the near-miss driving recorder database (NDRDB. The paper has improved +8.28% and +6.53% from baseline two-stream fusion convnets.

  4. Biological effects of long term fine limestone tailings discharge in a fjord ecosystem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brooks, Lucy; Melsom, Fredrik; Glette, Tormod

    2015-07-15

    Benthic infaunal data collected from 1993 to 2010 were analysed to examine the effect of long term discharge of fine limestone tailings on macrofaunal species assemblages in a fjord. Relative distance from the outfall and proportion of fine tailings in the sediment were correlated with benthic community structure. Diversity decreased with increasing proportion of fine tailings. Biological Traits Analysis (BTA) was used to explore the temporal and spatial effects of the tailings gradient on macrofaunal functional attributes. BTA revealed that all stations along a pressure gradient of fine limestone tailings were dominated by free-living species. As the proportion of fine tailings in the sediment increased, there was an increase in fauna that were smaller, highly mobile, living on or nearer the surface sediment, with shorter lifespans. There was a decrease in permanent tube dwellers, those fauna with low or no mobility, that live deeper in the sediment and have longer lifespans (>5 yrs). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2000-01-01

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

  6. Emphasis of spatial cues in the temporal fine structure during the rising segments of amplitude-modulated sounds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dietz, Mathias; Marquardt, Torsten; Salminen, Nelli H.; McAlpine, David

    2013-01-01

    The ability to locate the direction of a target sound in a background of competing sources is critical to the survival of many species and important for human communication. Nevertheless, brain mechanisms that provide for such accurate localization abilities remain poorly understood. In particular, it remains unclear how the auditory brain is able to extract reliable spatial information directly from the source when competing sounds and reflections dominate all but the earliest moments of the sound wave reaching each ear. We developed a stimulus mimicking the mutual relationship of sound amplitude and binaural cues, characteristic to reverberant speech. This stimulus, named amplitude modulated binaural beat, allows for a parametric and isolated change of modulation frequency and phase relations. Employing magnetoencephalography and psychoacoustics it is demonstrated that the auditory brain uses binaural information in the stimulus fine structure only during the rising portion of each modulation cycle, rendering spatial information recoverable in an otherwise unlocalizable sound. The data suggest that amplitude modulation provides a means of “glimpsing” low-frequency spatial cues in a manner that benefits listening in noisy or reverberant environments. PMID:23980161

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lund, M.W.

    1989-01-01

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

  8. Relativistic corrections to fine structure of positronium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1997-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2017-03-11

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

  10. Fine-scale genetic structure and cryptic associations reveal evidence of kin-based sociality in the African forest elephant.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuttler, Stephanie G; Philbrick, Jessica A; Jeffery, Kathryn J; Eggert, Lori S

    2014-01-01

    Spatial patterns of relatedness within animal populations are important in the evolution of mating and social systems, and have the potential to reveal information on species that are difficult to observe in the wild. This study examines the fine-scale genetic structure and connectivity of groups within African forest elephants, Loxodonta cyclotis, which are often difficult to observe due to forest habitat. We tested the hypothesis that genetic similarity will decline with increasing geographic distance, as we expect kin to be in closer proximity, using spatial autocorrelation analyses and Tau K(r) tests. Associations between individuals were investigated through a non-invasive genetic capture-recapture approach using network models, and were predicted to be more extensive than the small groups found in observational studies, similar to fission-fusion sociality found in African savanna (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) species. Dung samples were collected in Lopé National Park, Gabon in 2008 and 2010 and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, genetically sexed, and sequenced at the mitochondrial DNA control region. We conducted analyses on samples collected at three different temporal scales: a day, within six-day sampling sessions, and within each year. Spatial autocorrelation and Tau K(r) tests revealed genetic structure, but results were weak and inconsistent between sampling sessions. Positive spatial autocorrelation was found in distance classes of 0-5 km, and was strongest for the single day session. Despite weak genetic structure, individuals within groups were significantly more related to each other than to individuals between groups. Social networks revealed some components to have large, extensive groups of up to 22 individuals, and most groups were composed of individuals of the same matriline. Although fine-scale population genetic structure was weak, forest elephants are typically found in groups consisting of kin and based on matrilines

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  12. On the value of the fine structure constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bosi, L.

    1997-01-01

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

  13. The role of the temporal pole in modulating primitive auditory memory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhiliang; Wang, Qian; You, Yu; Yin, Peng; Ding, Hu; Bao, Xiaohan; Yang, Pengcheng; Lu, Hao; Gao, Yayue; Li, Liang

    2016-04-21

    Primitive auditory memory (PAM), which is recognized as the early point in the chain of the transient auditory memory system, faithfully maintains raw acoustic fine-structure signals for up to 20-30 milliseconds. The neural mechanisms underlying PAM have not been reported in the literature. Previous anatomical, brain-imaging, and neurophysiological studies have suggested that the temporal pole (TP), part of the parahippocampal region in the transitional area between perirhinal cortex and superior/inferior temporal gyri, is involved in auditory memories. This study investigated whether the TP plays a role in mediating/modulating PAM. The longest interaural interval (the interaural-delay threshold) for detecting a break in interaural correlation (BIC) embedded in interaurally correlated wideband noises was used to indicate the temporal preservation of PAM and examined in both healthy listeners and patients receiving unilateral anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL, centered on the TP) for treating their temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The results showed that patients with ATL were still able to detect the BIC even when an interaural interval was introduced, regardless of which ear was the leading one. However, in patient participants, the group-mean interaural-delay threshold for detecting the BIC under the contralateral-ear-leading (relative to the side of ATL) condition was significantly shorter than that under the ipsilateral-ear-leading condition. The results suggest that although the TP is not essential for integrating binaural signals and mediating the PAM, it plays a role in top-down modulating the PAM of raw acoustic fine-structure signals from the contralateral ear. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1995-02-01

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

  15. Automatic sleep spindle detection: Benchmarking with fine temporal resolution using open science tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian eO'Reilly

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Sleep spindle properties index cognitive faculties such as memory consolidation and diseases such as major depression. For this reason, scoring sleep spindle properties in polysomnographic recordings has become an important activity in both research and clinical settings. The tediousness of this manual task has motivated efforts for its automation. Although some progress has been made, increasing the temporal accuracy of spindle scoring and improving the performance assessment methodology are two aspects needing more attention. In this paper, four open-access automated spindle detectors with fine temporal resolution are proposed and tested against expert scoring of two proprietary and two open-access databases. Results highlight several findings: 1 that expert scoring and polysomnographic databases are important confounders when comparing the performance of spindle detectors tested using different databases or scorings; 2 because spindles are sparse events, specificity estimates are potentially misleading for assessing automated detector performance; 3 reporting the performance of spindle detectors exclusively with sensitivity and specificity estimates, as is often seen in the literature, is insufficient; including sensitivity, precision and a more comprehensive statistic such as Matthew’s correlation coefficient, F1-score, or Cohen’s κ is necessary for adequate evaluation; 4 reporting statistics for some reasonable range of decision thresholds provides a much more complete and useful benchmarking; 5 performance differences between tested automated detectors were found to be similar to those between available expert scorings; 6 much more development is needed to effectively compare the performance of spindle detectors developed by different research teams. Finally, this work clarifies a long-standing but only seldom posed question regarding whether expert scoring truly is a reliable gold standard for sleep spindle assessment.

  16. Electronic fine structure and recombination dynamics in single InAs quantum dots

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seguin, R.

    2008-01-28

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

  17. Electronic fine structure and recombination dynamics in single InAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seguin, R.

    2008-01-01

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

  18. Temporal variations of fine and coarse particulate matter sources in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lim, Chris C; Thurston, George D; Shamy, Magdy; Alghamdi, Mansour; Khoder, Mamdouh; Mohorjy, Abdullah M; Alkhalaf, Abdulrahman K; Brocato, Jason; Chen, Lung Chi; Costa, Max

    2018-02-01

    This study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the seasonal variations and weekday/weekend differences in fine (aerodynamic diameter Saudi Arabia. Air quality samples were collected over 1 yr, from June 2011 to May 2012 at a frequency of three times per week, and analyzed. The average mass concentrations of PM 2.5 (21.9 μg/m 3 ) and PM 10 (107.8 μg/m 3 ) during the sampling period exceeded the recommended annual average levels by the World Health Organization (WHO) for PM 2.5 (10 μg/m 3 ) and PM 10 (20 μg/m 3 ), respectively. Similar to other Middle Eastern locales, PM 2.5-10 is the prevailing mass component of atmospheric particulate matter at Jeddah, accounting for approximately 80% of the PM 10 mass. Considerations of enrichment factors, absolute principal component analysis (APCA), concentration roses, and backward trajectories identified the following source categories for both PM 2.5 and PM 2.5-10 : (1) soil/road dust, (2) incineration, and (3) traffic; and for PM 2.5 only, (4) residual oil burning. Soil/road dust accounted for a major portion of both the PM 2.5 (27%) and PM 2.5-10 (77%) mass, and the largest source contributor for PM 2.5 was from residual oil burning (63%). Temporal variations of PM 2.5-10 and PM 2.5 were observed, with the elevated concentration levels observed for mass during the spring (due to increased dust storm frequency) and on weekdays (due to increased traffic). The predominant role of windblown soil and road dust in both the PM 2.5 and PM 2.5-10 masses in this city may have implications regarding the toxicity of these particles versus those in the Western world where most PM health assessments have been made in the past. These results support the need for region-specific epidemiological investigations to be conducted and considered in future PM standard setting. Temporal variations of fine and coarse PM mass, elemental constituents, and sources were examined in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the first time. The main source

  19. Fine structure of cluster decays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumitrescu, O.

    1993-07-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jinjun

    2018-03-01

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

  1. An estimation of the fine structure constant using fiber bundles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ross, D.K.

    1986-01-01

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

  2. Second-order analysis of structured inhomogeneous spatio-temporal point processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jesper; Ghorbani, Mohammad

    Statistical methodology for spatio-temporal point processes is in its infancy. We consider second-order analysis based on pair correlation functions and K-functions for first general inhomogeneous spatio-temporal point processes and second inhomogeneous spatio-temporal Cox processes. Assuming...... spatio-temporal separability of the intensity function, we clarify different meanings of second-order spatio-temporal separability. One is second-order spatio-temporal independence and relates e.g. to log-Gaussian Cox processes with an additive covariance structure of the underlying spatio......-temporal Gaussian process. Another concerns shot-noise Cox processes with a separable spatio-temporal covariance density. We propose diagnostic procedures for checking hypotheses of second-order spatio-temporal separability, which we apply on simulated and real data (the UK 2001 epidemic foot and mouth disease data)....

  3. The effect of STDP temporal kernel structure on the learning dynamics of single excitatory and inhibitory synapses.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yotam Luz

    Full Text Available Spike-Timing Dependent Plasticity (STDP is characterized by a wide range of temporal kernels. However, much of the theoretical work has focused on a specific kernel - the "temporally asymmetric Hebbian" learning rules. Previous studies linked excitatory STDP to positive feedback that can account for the emergence of response selectivity. Inhibitory plasticity was associated with negative feedback that can balance the excitatory and inhibitory inputs. Here we study the possible computational role of the temporal structure of the STDP. We represent the STDP as a superposition of two processes: potentiation and depression. This allows us to model a wide range of experimentally observed STDP kernels, from Hebbian to anti-Hebbian, by varying a single parameter. We investigate STDP dynamics of a single excitatory or inhibitory synapse in purely feed-forward architecture. We derive a mean-field-Fokker-Planck dynamics for the synaptic weight and analyze the effect of STDP structure on the fixed points of the mean field dynamics. We find a phase transition along the Hebbian to anti-Hebbian parameter from a phase that is characterized by a unimodal distribution of the synaptic weight, in which the STDP dynamics is governed by negative feedback, to a phase with positive feedback characterized by a bimodal distribution. The critical point of this transition depends on general properties of the STDP dynamics and not on the fine details. Namely, the dynamics is affected by the pre-post correlations only via a single number that quantifies its overlap with the STDP kernel. We find that by manipulating the STDP temporal kernel, negative feedback can be induced in excitatory synapses and positive feedback in inhibitory. Moreover, there is an exact symmetry between inhibitory and excitatory plasticity, i.e., for every STDP rule of inhibitory synapse there exists an STDP rule for excitatory synapse, such that their dynamics is identical.

  4. Fine structure in deformed proton emitting nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1999-01-01

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

  5. Correlations of External Landmarks With Internal Structures of the Temporal Bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piromchai, Patorn; Wijewickrema, Sudanthi; Smeds, Henrik; Kennedy, Gregor; O'Leary, Stephen

    2015-09-01

    The internal anatomy of a temporal bone could be inferred from external landmarks. Mastoid surgery is an important skill that ENT surgeons need to acquire. Surgeons commonly use CT scans as a guide to understanding anatomical variations before surgery. Conversely, in cases where CT scans are not available, or in the temporal bone laboratory where residents are usually not provided with CT scans, it would be beneficial if the internal anatomy of a temporal bone could be inferred from external landmarks. We explored correlations between internal anatomical variations and metrics established to quantify the position of external landmarks that are commonly exposed in the operating room, or the temporal bone laboratory, before commencement of drilling. Mathematical models were developed to predict internal anatomy based on external structures. From an operating room view, the distances between the following external landmarks were observed to have statistically significant correlations with the internal anatomy of a temporal bone: temporal line, external auditory canal, mastoid tip, occipitomastoid suture, and Henle's spine. These structures can be used to infer a low lying dura mater (p = 0.002), an anteriorly located sigmoid sinus (p = 0.006), and a more lateral course of the facial nerve (p external landmarks. The distances between these two landmarks and the operating view external structures were able to further infer the laterality of the facial nerve (p internal structures with a high level of accuracy: the distance from the sigmoid sinus to the posterior external auditory canal (p external landmarks found on the temporal bone. These relationships could be used as a guideline to predict challenges during drilling and choosing appropriate temporal bones for dissection.

  6. Fine-scale hydrodynamics influence the spatio-temporal distribution of harbour porpoises at a coastal hotspot

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A. R.; Hosegood, P.; Wynn, R. B.; De Boer, M. N.; Butler-Cowdry, S.; Embling, C. B.

    2014-11-01

    The coastal Runnelstone Reef, off southwest Cornwall (UK), is characterised by complex topography and strong tidal flows and is a known high-density site for harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena); a European protected species. Using a multidisciplinary dataset including: porpoise sightings from a multi-year land-based survey, Acoustic Doppler Current Profiling (ADCP), vertical profiling of water properties and high-resolution bathymetry; we investigate how interactions between tidal flow and topography drive the fine-scale porpoise spatio-temporal distribution at the site. Porpoise sightings were distributed non-uniformly within the survey area with highest sighting density recorded in areas with steep slopes and moderate depths. Greater numbers of sightings were recorded during strong westward (ebbing) tidal flows compared to strong eastward (flooding) flows and slack water periods. ADCP and Conductivity Temperature Depth (CTD) data identified fine-scale hydrodynamic features, associated with cross-reef tidal flows in the sections of the survey area with the highest recorded densities of porpoises. We observed layered, vertically sheared flows that were susceptible to the generation of turbulence by shear instability. Additionally, the intense, oscillatory near surface currents led to hydraulically controlled flow that transitioned from subcritical to supercritical conditions; indicating that highly turbulent and energetic hydraulic jumps were generated along the eastern and western slopes of the reef. The depression and release of isopycnals in the lee of the reef during cross-reef flows revealed that the flow released lee waves during upslope currents at specific phases of the tidal cycle when the highest sighting rates were recorded. The results of this unique, fine-scale field study provide new insights into specific hydrodynamic features, produced through tidal forcing, that may be important for creating predictable foraging opportunities for porpoises at a

  7. Temporal and spatial variabilities in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namikas, S. L.; Edwards, B. L.; Bitton, M. C. A.; Booth, J. L.; Zhu, Y.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined spatial and temporal variations in the surface moisture content of a fine-grained beach at Padre Island, Texas, USA. Surface moisture measurements were collected on a 27 × 24 m grid that extended from the dune toe to the upper foreshore. The grid was surveyed at 2 to 4 h intervals for two tidal cycles, generating 17 maps of the spatial distribution of surface moisture. Simultaneous measurements of air temperature and humidity, wind speed and direction, tidal elevation, and water table elevation were used to interpret observed changes in surface moisture. It was found that the spatial distribution of surface moisture was broadly characterized by a cross-shore gradient of high to low content moving landward from the swash zone. The distribution of surface moisture was conceptualized in terms of three zones: saturated (> 25%), intermediate or transitional (5-25%), and dry (< 5%). The position of the saturated zone corresponded to the uppermost swash zone and therefore shifted in accordance with tidal elevation. Moisture contents in the intermediate and dry zones were primarily related to variation in water table depth (which was in turn controlled by tidal elevation) and to a lesser extent by evaporation. Signals associated with atmospheric processes such as evaporation were muted by the minimal degree of variation in atmospheric parameters experienced during most of the study period, but were apparent for the last few hours. The observed spatial and temporal variations in moisture content correspond reasonably well with observations of key controlling processes, but more work is needed to fully characterize this process suite.

  8. Relativistic corrections to the fine structure of positronium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1997-01-01

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

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Parkhomov, V.A.

    1985-01-01

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

  11. Detailed temporal structure of communication networks in groups of songbirds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stowell, Dan; Gill, Lisa; Clayton, David

    2016-06-01

    Animals in groups often exchange calls, in patterns whose temporal structure may be influenced by contextual factors such as physical location and the social network structure of the group. We introduce a model-based analysis for temporal patterns of animal call timing, originally developed for networks of firing neurons. This has advantages over cross-correlation analysis in that it can correctly handle common-cause confounds and provides a generative model of call patterns with explicit parameters for the influences between individuals. It also has advantages over standard Markovian analysis in that it incorporates detailed temporal interactions which affect timing as well as sequencing of calls. Further, a fitted model can be used to generate novel synthetic call sequences. We apply the method to calls recorded from groups of domesticated zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) individuals. We find that the communication network in these groups has stable structure that persists from one day to the next, and that 'kernels' reflecting the temporal range of influence have a characteristic structure for a calling individual's effect on itself, its partner and on others in the group. We further find characteristic patterns of influences by call type as well as by individual. © 2016 The Authors.

  12. Aspects of second-order analysis of structured inhomogeneous spatio-temporal processes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jesper; Ghorbani, Mohammad

    2012-01-01

    Statistical methodology for spatio-temporal point processes is in its infancy. We consider second-order analysis based on pair correlation functions and K-functions for general inhomogeneous spatio-temporal point processes and for inhomogeneous spatio-temporal Cox processes. Assuming spatio......-temporal separability of the intensity function, we clarify different meanings of second-order spatio-temporal separability. One is second-order spatio-temporal independence and relates to log-Gaussian Cox processes with an additive covariance structure of the underlying spatio-temporal Gaussian process. Another...... concerns shot-noise Cox processes with a separable spatio-temporal covariance density. We propose diagnostic procedures for checking hypotheses of second-order spatio-temporal separability, which we apply on simulated and real data....

  13. Fine-Scale Genetic Structure in Finland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sini Kerminen

    2017-10-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Olson, R.E.

    1975-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naumis, Gerardo G.

    2016-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2016-04-29

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiaolu; Lu Wenlai; Gao Xiang; Li Jiaming

    2009-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  19. Time-resolved pump and probe x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy at beamline P11 at PETRA III

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Göries, D., E-mail: dennis.goeries@desy.de; Roedig, P.; Stübe, N.; Meyer, J.; Warmer, M.; Weckert, E.; Meents, A., E-mail: alke.meents@desy.de [DESY Photon Science, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), Notkestraße 85, 22607 Hamburg (Germany); Dicke, B.; Naumova, M.; Rübhausen, M. [Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); Galler, A.; Gawelda, W.; Geßler, P.; Sotoudi Namin, H.; Beckmann, A. [European XFEL, Albert-Einstein Ring 19, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); Britz, A.; Bressler, C. [European XFEL, Albert-Einstein Ring 19, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); The Hamburg Centre for Ultrafast Imaging, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany); Schlie, M. [Institut für Experimentalphysik, University of Hamburg, Luruper Chaussee 149, 22761 Hamburg (Germany)

    2016-05-15

    We report about the development and implementation of a new setup for time-resolved X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy at beamline P11 utilizing the outstanding source properties of the low-emittance PETRA III synchrotron storage ring in Hamburg. Using a high intensity micrometer-sized X-ray beam in combination with two positional feedback systems, measurements were performed on the transition metal complex fac-Tris[2-phenylpyridinato-C2,N]iridium(III) also referred to as fac-Ir(ppy){sub 3}. This compound is a representative of the phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes, which play an important role in organic light emitting diode (OLED) technology. The experiment could directly prove the anticipated photoinduced charge transfer reaction. Our results further reveal that the temporal resolution of the experiment is limited by the PETRA III X-ray bunch length of ∼103 ps full width at half maximum (FWHM).

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-12-01

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

  1. Measurement of the fine structure in 33P helium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, D.

    1985-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1991-01-01

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

  3. Representation of complex vocalizations in the Lusitanian toadfish auditory system: evidence of fine temporal, frequency and amplitude discrimination

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasconcelos, Raquel O.; Fonseca, Paulo J.; Amorim, M. Clara P.; Ladich, Friedrich

    2011-01-01

    Many fishes rely on their auditory skills to interpret crucial information about predators and prey, and to communicate intraspecifically. Few studies, however, have examined how complex natural sounds are perceived in fishes. We investigated the representation of conspecific mating and agonistic calls in the auditory system of the Lusitanian toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus, and analysed auditory responses to heterospecific signals from ecologically relevant species: a sympatric vocal fish (meagre Argyrosomus regius) and a potential predator (dolphin Tursiops truncatus). Using auditory evoked potential (AEP) recordings, we showed that both sexes can resolve fine features of conspecific calls. The toadfish auditory system was most sensitive to frequencies well represented in the conspecific vocalizations (namely the mating boatwhistle), and revealed a fine representation of duration and pulsed structure of agonistic and mating calls. Stimuli and corresponding AEP amplitudes were highly correlated, indicating an accurate encoding of amplitude modulation. Moreover, Lusitanian toadfish were able to detect T. truncatus foraging sounds and A. regius calls, although at higher amplitudes. We provide strong evidence that the auditory system of a vocal fish, lacking accessory hearing structures, is capable of resolving fine features of complex vocalizations that are probably important for intraspecific communication and other relevant stimuli from the auditory scene. PMID:20861044

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2016-07-28

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Germann, Matthias; Willitsch, Stefan

    2016-07-28

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

  6. Verbal memory after temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in children: Do only mesial structures matter?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Law, Nicole; Benifla, Mony; Rutka, James; Smith, Mary Lou

    2017-02-01

    Previous findings have been mixed regarding verbal memory outcome after left temporal lobectomy in children, and there are few studies comparing verbal memory change after lateral versus mesial temporal lobe resections. We compared verbal memory outcome associated with sparing or including the mesial structures in children who underwent left or right temporal lobe resection. We also investigated predictors of postsurgical verbal memory change. We retrospectively assessed verbal memory change approximately 1 year after unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy surgery using a list learning task. Participants included 23 children who underwent temporal lobe surgery with sparing of the mesial structures (13 left), and 40 children who had a temporal lobectomy that included resection of mesial structures (22 left). Children who underwent resection from the left lateral and mesial temporal lobe were the only group to show decline in verbal memory. Furthermore, when we considered language representation in the left temporal resection group, patients with left language representation and spared mesial structures showed essentially no change in verbal memory from preoperative to follow-up, whereas those with left language representation and excised mesial structures showed a decline. Postoperative seizure status had no effect on verbal memory change in children after left temporal lobe surgery. Finally, we found that patients with intact preoperative verbal memory experienced a significant decline compared to those with below average preoperative verbal memory. Our findings provide evidence of significant risk factors for verbal memory decline in children, specific to left mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Children who undergo left temporal lobe surgery that includes mesial structures may be most vulnerable for verbal memory decline, especially when language representation is localized to the left hemisphere and when preoperative verbal memory is intact. Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Facilitating Fine Grained Data Provenance using Temporal Data Model

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huq, M.R.; Wombacher, Andreas; Apers, Peter M.G.

    2010-01-01

    E-science applications use fine grained data provenance to maintain the reproducibility of scientific results, i.e., for each processed data tuple, the source data used to process the tuple as well as the used approach is documented. Since most of the e-science applications perform on-line

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2014-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2001-01-01

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

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2009-01-01

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

  11. Fine-scale genetic structure and cryptic associations reveal evidence of kin-based sociality in the African forest elephant.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephanie G Schuttler

    Full Text Available Spatial patterns of relatedness within animal populations are important in the evolution of mating and social systems, and have the potential to reveal information on species that are difficult to observe in the wild. This study examines the fine-scale genetic structure and connectivity of groups within African forest elephants, Loxodonta cyclotis, which are often difficult to observe due to forest habitat. We tested the hypothesis that genetic similarity will decline with increasing geographic distance, as we expect kin to be in closer proximity, using spatial autocorrelation analyses and Tau K(r tests. Associations between individuals were investigated through a non-invasive genetic capture-recapture approach using network models, and were predicted to be more extensive than the small groups found in observational studies, similar to fission-fusion sociality found in African savanna (Loxodonta africana and Asian (Elephas maximus species. Dung samples were collected in Lopé National Park, Gabon in 2008 and 2010 and genotyped at 10 microsatellite loci, genetically sexed, and sequenced at the mitochondrial DNA control region. We conducted analyses on samples collected at three different temporal scales: a day, within six-day sampling sessions, and within each year. Spatial autocorrelation and Tau K(r tests revealed genetic structure, but results were weak and inconsistent between sampling sessions. Positive spatial autocorrelation was found in distance classes of 0-5 km, and was strongest for the single day session. Despite weak genetic structure, individuals within groups were significantly more related to each other than to individuals between groups. Social networks revealed some components to have large, extensive groups of up to 22 individuals, and most groups were composed of individuals of the same matriline. Although fine-scale population genetic structure was weak, forest elephants are typically found in groups consisting of kin and

  12. Hierarchical organization in the temporal structure of infant-direct speech and song.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falk, Simone; Kello, Christopher T

    2017-06-01

    Caregivers alter the temporal structure of their utterances when talking and singing to infants compared with adult communication. The present study tested whether temporal variability in infant-directed registers serves to emphasize the hierarchical temporal structure of speech. Fifteen German-speaking mothers sang a play song and told a story to their 6-months-old infants, or to an adult. Recordings were analyzed using a recently developed method that determines the degree of nested clustering of temporal events in speech. Events were defined as peaks in the amplitude envelope, and clusters of various sizes related to periods of acoustic speech energy at varying timescales. Infant-directed speech and song clearly showed greater event clustering compared with adult-directed registers, at multiple timescales of hundreds of milliseconds to tens of seconds. We discuss the relation of this newly discovered acoustic property to temporal variability in linguistic units and its potential implications for parent-infant communication and infants learning the hierarchical structures of speech and language. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Musical intervention enhances infants' neural processing of temporal structure in music and speech.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, T Christina; Kuhl, Patricia K

    2016-05-10

    Individuals with music training in early childhood show enhanced processing of musical sounds, an effect that generalizes to speech processing. However, the conclusions drawn from previous studies are limited due to the possible confounds of predisposition and other factors affecting musicians and nonmusicians. We used a randomized design to test the effects of a laboratory-controlled music intervention on young infants' neural processing of music and speech. Nine-month-old infants were randomly assigned to music (intervention) or play (control) activities for 12 sessions. The intervention targeted temporal structure learning using triple meter in music (e.g., waltz), which is difficult for infants, and it incorporated key characteristics of typical infant music classes to maximize learning (e.g., multimodal, social, and repetitive experiences). Controls had similar multimodal, social, repetitive play, but without music. Upon completion, infants' neural processing of temporal structure was tested in both music (tones in triple meter) and speech (foreign syllable structure). Infants' neural processing was quantified by the mismatch response (MMR) measured with a traditional oddball paradigm using magnetoencephalography (MEG). The intervention group exhibited significantly larger MMRs in response to music temporal structure violations in both auditory and prefrontal cortical regions. Identical results were obtained for temporal structure changes in speech. The intervention thus enhanced temporal structure processing not only in music, but also in speech, at 9 mo of age. We argue that the intervention enhanced infants' ability to extract temporal structure information and to predict future events in time, a skill affecting both music and speech processing.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1963-07-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oddershede, Jette; Christiansen, Thomas; Ståhl, Kenny

    2010-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-11-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Leif; Kirkegaard, Peter; Mikkelsen, Torben

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-12-01

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

  19. New Tests for Variations of the Fine Structure Constant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prestage, John D.

    1995-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Akhtar, M.J.

    2011-01-01

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

  1. Tomography and Purification of the Temporal-Mode Structure of Quantum Light

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ansari, Vahid; Donohue, John M.; Allgaier, Markus; Sansoni, Linda; Brecht, Benjamin; Roslund, Jonathan; Treps, Nicolas; Harder, Georg; Silberhorn, Christine

    2018-05-01

    High-dimensional quantum information processing promises capabilities beyond the current state of the art, but addressing individual information-carrying modes presents a significant experimental challenge. Here we demonstrate effective high-dimensional operations in the time-frequency domain of nonclassical light. We generate heralded photons with tailored temporal-mode structures through the pulse shaping of a broadband parametric down-conversion pump. We then implement a quantum pulse gate, enabled by dispersion-engineered sum-frequency generation, to project onto programmable temporal modes, reconstructing the quantum state in seven dimensions. We also manipulate the time-frequency structure by selectively removing temporal modes, explicitly demonstrating the effectiveness of engineered nonlinear processes for the mode-selective manipulation of quantum states.

  2. The Structural Plasticity of White Matter Networks Following Anterior Temporal Lobe Resection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yogarajah, Mahinda; Focke, Niels K.; Bonelli, Silvia B.; Thompson, Pamela; Vollmar, Christian; McEvoy, Andrew W.; Alexander, Daniel C.; Symms, Mark R.; Koepp, Matthias J.; Duncan, John S.

    2010-01-01

    Anterior temporal lobe resection is an effective treatment for refractory temporal lobe epilepsy. The structural consequences of such surgery in the white matter, and how these relate to language function after surgery remain unknown. We carried out a longitudinal study with diffusion tensor imaging in 26 left and 20 right temporal lobe epilepsy…

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2011-02-15

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

  4. Exploring the fine structure at the limb in coronal holes

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1994-01-01

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

  5. Astrophysical extended X-ray absorption fine-structure analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1997-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1982-09-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1982-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Panyu Hua

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

  11. The variation of the fine-structure constant from disformal couplings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2015-12-01

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

  12. The variation of the fine-structure constant from disformal couplings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  13. Black Holes and Quantum Theory: The Fine Structure Constant Connection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cahill R. T.

    2006-10-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hashiba, Hideomi; Miyazaki, Yuta; Matsushita, Sachiko

    2013-09-01

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

  15. Action Recognition by Joint Spatial-Temporal Motion Feature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weihua Zhang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper introduces a method for human action recognition based on optical flow motion features extraction. Automatic spatial and temporal alignments are combined together in order to encourage the temporal consistence on each action by an enhanced dynamic time warping (DTW algorithm. At the same time, a fast method based on coarse-to-fine DTW constraint to improve computational performance without reducing accuracy is induced. The main contributions of this study include (1 a joint spatial-temporal multiresolution optical flow computation method which can keep encoding more informative motion information than recent proposed methods, (2 an enhanced DTW method to improve temporal consistence of motion in action recognition, and (3 coarse-to-fine DTW constraint on motion features pyramids to speed up recognition performance. Using this method, high recognition accuracy is achieved on different action databases like Weizmann database and KTH database.

  16. Segregation of Brain Structural Networks Supports Spatio-Temporal Predictive Processing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Ciullo

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The ability to generate probabilistic expectancies regarding when and where sensory stimuli will occur, is critical to derive timely and accurate inferences about updating contexts. However, the existence of specialized neural networks for inferring predictive relationships between events is still debated. Using graph theoretical analysis applied to structural connectivity data, we tested the extent of brain connectivity properties associated with spatio-temporal predictive performance across 29 healthy subjects. Participants detected visual targets appearing at one out of three locations after one out of three intervals; expectations about stimulus location (spatial condition or onset (temporal condition were induced by valid or invalid symbolic cues. Connectivity matrices and centrality/segregation measures, expressing the relative importance of, and the local interactions among specific cerebral areas respect to the behavior under investigation, were calculated from whole-brain tractography and cortico-subcortical parcellation.Results: Response preparedness to cued stimuli relied on different structural connectivity networks for the temporal and spatial domains. Significant covariance was observed between centrality measures of regions within a subcortical-fronto-parietal-occipital network -comprising the left putamen, the right caudate nucleus, the left frontal operculum, the right inferior parietal cortex, the right paracentral lobule and the right superior occipital cortex-, and the ability to respond after a short cue-target delay suggesting that the local connectedness of such nodes plays a central role when the source of temporal expectation is explicit. When the potential for functional segregation was tested, we found highly clustered structural connectivity across the right superior, the left middle inferior frontal gyrus and the left caudate nucleus as related to explicit temporal orienting. Conversely, when the interaction between

  17. Segregation of Brain Structural Networks Supports Spatio-Temporal Predictive Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciullo, Valentina; Vecchio, Daniela; Gili, Tommaso; Spalletta, Gianfranco; Piras, Federica

    2018-01-01

    The ability to generate probabilistic expectancies regarding when and where sensory stimuli will occur, is critical to derive timely and accurate inferences about updating contexts. However, the existence of specialized neural networks for inferring predictive relationships between events is still debated. Using graph theoretical analysis applied to structural connectivity data, we tested the extent of brain connectivity properties associated with spatio-temporal predictive performance across 29 healthy subjects. Participants detected visual targets appearing at one out of three locations after one out of three intervals; expectations about stimulus location (spatial condition) or onset (temporal condition) were induced by valid or invalid symbolic cues. Connectivity matrices and centrality/segregation measures, expressing the relative importance of, and the local interactions among specific cerebral areas respect to the behavior under investigation, were calculated from whole-brain tractography and cortico-subcortical parcellation. Results: Response preparedness to cued stimuli relied on different structural connectivity networks for the temporal and spatial domains. Significant covariance was observed between centrality measures of regions within a subcortical-fronto-parietal-occipital network -comprising the left putamen, the right caudate nucleus, the left frontal operculum, the right inferior parietal cortex, the right paracentral lobule and the right superior occipital cortex-, and the ability to respond after a short cue-target delay suggesting that the local connectedness of such nodes plays a central role when the source of temporal expectation is explicit. When the potential for functional segregation was tested, we found highly clustered structural connectivity across the right superior, the left middle inferior frontal gyrus and the left caudate nucleus as related to explicit temporal orienting. Conversely, when the interaction between explicit and

  18. Phylogenetic community structure: temporal variation in fish assemblage

    OpenAIRE

    Santorelli, Sergio; Magnusson, William; Ferreira, Efrem; Caramaschi, Erica; Zuanon, Jansen; Amadio, Sidnéia

    2014-01-01

    Hypotheses about phylogenetic relationships among species allow inferences about the mechanisms that affect species coexistence. Nevertheless, most studies assume that phylogenetic patterns identified are stable over time. We used data on monthly samples of fish from a single lake over 10 years to show that the structure in phylogenetic assemblages varies over time and conclusions depend heavily on the time scale investigated. The data set was organized in guild structures and temporal scales...

  19. Deciphering structural and temporal interplays during the architectural development of mango trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dambreville, Anaëlle; Lauri, Pierre-Éric; Trottier, Catherine; Guédon, Yann; Normand, Frédéric

    2013-05-01

    Plant architecture is commonly defined by the adjacency of organs within the structure and their properties. Few studies consider the effect of endogenous temporal factors, namely phenological factors, on the establishment of plant architecture. This study hypothesized that, in addition to the effect of environmental factors, the observed plant architecture results from both endogenous structural and temporal components, and their interplays. Mango tree, which is characterized by strong phenological asynchronisms within and between trees and by repeated vegetative and reproductive flushes during a growing cycle, was chosen as a plant model. During two consecutive growing cycles, this study described vegetative and reproductive development of 20 trees submitted to the same environmental conditions. Four mango cultivars were considered to assess possible cultivar-specific patterns. Integrative vegetative and reproductive development models incorporating generalized linear models as components were built. These models described the occurrence, intensity, and timing of vegetative and reproductive development at the growth unit scale. This study showed significant interplays between structural and temporal components of plant architectural development at two temporal scales. Within a growing cycle, earliness of bud burst was highly and positively related to earliness of vegetative development and flowering. Between growing cycles, flowering growth units delayed vegetative development compared to growth units that did not flower. These interplays explained how vegetative and reproductive phenological asynchronisms within and between trees were generated and maintained. It is suggested that causation networks involving structural and temporal components may give rise to contrasted tree architectures.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1997-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1978-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2002-12-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2002-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zilch, H.G.

    1986-11-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lazutkov, V.P.

    1980-01-01

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

  6. Temporal change in biological community structure in the Fountain Creek basin, Colorado, 2001-2008

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zuellig, Robert E.; Bruce, James F.; Stogner, Sr., Robert W.

    2010-01-01

    In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Colorado Springs City Engineering, began a study to better understand the relations between environmental characteristics and biological communities in the Fountain Creek basin in order to aide water-resource management and guide future monitoring activities. To accomplish this task, environmental (streamflow, habitat, and water chemistry) and biological (fish and macroinvertebrate) data were collected annually at 24 sites over a 6- or 8-year period (fish, 2003 to 2008; macroinvertebrates, 2001 to 2008). For this report, these data were first analyzed to determine the presence of temporal change in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure among years using nonparametric multivariate statistics. Where temporal change in the biological communities was found, these data were further analyzed using additional nonparametric multivariate techniques to determine which subset of selected streamflow, habitat, or water-chemistry variables best described site-specific changes in community structure relative to a gradient of urbanization. This study identified significant directional patterns of temporal change in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure at 15 of 24 sites in the Fountain Creek basin. At four of these sites, changes in environmental variables were significantly correlated with the concurrent temporal change identified in macroinvertebrate and fish community structure (Monument Creek above Woodmen Road at Colorado Springs, Colo.; Monument Creek at Bijou Street at Colorado Springs, Colo.; Bear Creek near Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fountain Creek at Security, Colo.). Combinations of environmental variables describing directional temporal change in the biota appeared to be site specific as no single variable dominated the results; however, substrate composition variables (percent substrate composition composed of sand, gravel, or cobble) collectively were present in 80 percent of the environmental

  7. Alpha-decay fine structure versus electromagnetic transitions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Peltonen, S.

    2003-01-01

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

  8. Fine structure of sprites and proposed global observations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mende, S.B; Frey, H.U.; Rairden, R.l.

    2002-01-01

    structures of columniform sprites (C sprites) consisted of slant directed, nearly vertically aligned columns of intense pinpoint like beads. The distance of the sprites from the observer was measured and the altitude and vertical spacing of the beads were estimated. The distribution of beads showed...... bore-sighted photometers. The imager will locate the sprites near the earth limb and make global synoptic measurements while the photometers will measure the spectral and temporal properties of sprites and other upper atmospheric luminous phenomena in a number of different wavelength regions...

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2006-06-15

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Xiang; Cheng Cheng; Li Jiaming

    2011-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-04-01

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

  12. Temporal processing asymmetries between the cerebral hemispheres: evidence and implications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicholls, M E

    1996-07-01

    This paper reviews a large body of research which has investigated the capacities of the cerebral hemispheres to process temporal information. This research includes clinical, non-clinical, and electrophysiological experimentation. On the whole, the research supports the notion of a left hemisphere advantage for temporal resolution. The existence of such an asymmetry demonstrates that cerebral lateralisation is not limited to the higher-order functions such as language. The capacity for the resolution of fine temporal events appears to play an important role in other left hemisphere functions which require a rapid sequential processor. The functions that are facilitated by such a processor include verbal, textual, and fine movement skills. The co-development of these functions with an efficient temporal processor can be accounted for with reference to a number of evolutionary scenarios. Physiological evidence favours a temporal processing mechanism located within the left temporal cortex. The function of this mechanism may be described in terms of intermittency or travelling moment models of temporal processing. The travelling moment model provides the most plausible account of the asymmetry.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1964-07-01

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

  14. High resolution CT of temporal bone trauma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Youn, Eun Kyung

    1986-01-01

    Radiographic studies of the temporal bone following head trauma are indicated when there is cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea or rhinorrhoea, hearing loss, or facial nerve paralysis. Plain radiography displays only 17-30% of temporal bone fractures and pluridirectional tomography is both difficult to perform, particularly in the acutely ill patient, and less satisfactory for the demonstration of fine fractures. Consequently, high resolution CT is the imaging method of choice for the investigation of suspected temporal bone trauma and allows special resolution of fine bony detail comparable to that attainable by conventional tomography. Eight cases of temporal bone trauma examined at Korea General Hospital April 1985 through May 1986. The results were as follows: Seven patients (87%) suffered longitudinal fractures. In 6 patients who had purely conductive hearing loss, CT revealed various ossicular chain abnormality. In one patient who had neuro sensory hearing loss, CT demonstrated intract ossicular with a fracture nearing lateral wall of the lateral semicircular canal. In one patient who had mixed hearing loss, CT showed complex fracture.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1995-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, J.

    1979-01-01

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

  17. Fine structure study on low concentration zinc substituted hydroxyapatite nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hootman, S R; Conte, F P

    1974-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2016-12-20

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antonio, M.R.; Soderholm, L.

    1995-01-01

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

  1. Detecting the Community Structure and Activity Patterns of Temporal Networks: A Non-Negative Tensor Factorization Approach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gauvin, Laetitia; Panisson, André; Cattuto, Ciro

    2014-01-01

    The increasing availability of temporal network data is calling for more research on extracting and characterizing mesoscopic structures in temporal networks and on relating such structure to specific functions or properties of the system. An outstanding challenge is the extension of the results achieved for static networks to time-varying networks, where the topological structure of the system and the temporal activity patterns of its components are intertwined. Here we investigate the use of a latent factor decomposition technique, non-negative tensor factorization, to extract the community-activity structure of temporal networks. The method is intrinsically temporal and allows to simultaneously identify communities and to track their activity over time. We represent the time-varying adjacency matrix of a temporal network as a three-way tensor and approximate this tensor as a sum of terms that can be interpreted as communities of nodes with an associated activity time series. We summarize known computational techniques for tensor decomposition and discuss some quality metrics that can be used to tune the complexity of the factorized representation. We subsequently apply tensor factorization to a temporal network for which a ground truth is available for both the community structure and the temporal activity patterns. The data we use describe the social interactions of students in a school, the associations between students and school classes, and the spatio-temporal trajectories of students over time. We show that non-negative tensor factorization is capable of recovering the class structure with high accuracy. In particular, the extracted tensor components can be validated either as known school classes, or in terms of correlated activity patterns, i.e., of spatial and temporal coincidences that are determined by the known school activity schedule. PMID:24497935

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  3. Imaging structural and functional brain networks in temporal lobe epilepsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardt, Boris C.; Hong, SeokJun; Bernasconi, Andrea; Bernasconi, Neda

    2013-01-01

    Early imaging studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) focused on the search for mesial temporal sclerosis, as its surgical removal results in clinically meaningful improvement in about 70% of patients. Nevertheless, a considerable subgroup of patients continues to suffer from post-operative seizures. Although the reasons for surgical failure are not fully understood, electrophysiological and imaging data suggest that anomalies extending beyond the temporal lobe may have negative impact on outcome. This hypothesis has revived the concept of human epilepsy as a disorder of distributed brain networks. Recent methodological advances in non-invasive neuroimaging have led to quantify structural and functional networks in vivo. While structural networks can be inferred from diffusion MRI tractography and inter-regional covariance patterns of structural measures such as cortical thickness, functional connectivity is generally computed based on statistical dependencies of neurophysiological time-series, measured through functional MRI or electroencephalographic techniques. This review considers the application of advanced analytical methods in structural and functional connectivity analyses in TLE. We will specifically highlight findings from graph-theoretical analysis that allow assessing the topological organization of brain networks. These studies have provided compelling evidence that TLE is a system disorder with profound alterations in local and distributed networks. In addition, there is emerging evidence for the utility of network properties as clinical diagnostic markers. Nowadays, a network perspective is considered to be essential to the understanding of the development, progression, and management of epilepsy. PMID:24098281

  4. Imaging structural and functional brain networks in temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernhardt, Boris C; Hong, Seokjun; Bernasconi, Andrea; Bernasconi, Neda

    2013-10-01

    Early imaging studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) focused on the search for mesial temporal sclerosis, as its surgical removal results in clinically meaningful improvement in about 70% of patients. Nevertheless, a considerable subgroup of patients continues to suffer from post-operative seizures. Although the reasons for surgical failure are not fully understood, electrophysiological and imaging data suggest that anomalies extending beyond the temporal lobe may have negative impact on outcome. This hypothesis has revived the concept of human epilepsy as a disorder of distributed brain networks. Recent methodological advances in non-invasive neuroimaging have led to quantify structural and functional networks in vivo. While structural networks can be inferred from diffusion MRI tractography and inter-regional covariance patterns of structural measures such as cortical thickness, functional connectivity is generally computed based on statistical dependencies of neurophysiological time-series, measured through functional MRI or electroencephalographic techniques. This review considers the application of advanced analytical methods in structural and functional connectivity analyses in TLE. We will specifically highlight findings from graph-theoretical analysis that allow assessing the topological organization of brain networks. These studies have provided compelling evidence that TLE is a system disorder with profound alterations in local and distributed networks. In addition, there is emerging evidence for the utility of network properties as clinical diagnostic markers. Nowadays, a network perspective is considered to be essential to the understanding of the development, progression, and management of epilepsy.

  5. Imaging structural and functional brain networks in temporal lobe epilepsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Boris eBernhardt

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Early imaging studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE focused on the search for mesial temporal sclerosis, as its surgical removal results in clinically meaningful improvement in about 70% of patients. Nevertheless, a considerable subgroup of patients continues to suffer from post-operative seizures. Although the reasons for surgical failure are not fully understood, electrophysiological and imaging data suggest that anomalies extending beyond the temporal lobe may have negative impact on outcome. This hypothesis has revived the concept of human epilepsy as a disorder of distributed brain networks. Recent methodological advances in non-invasive neuroimaging have led to quantify structural and functional networks in vivo. While structural networks can be inferred from diffusion MRI tractography and inter-regional covariance patterns of structural measures such as cortical thickness, functional connectivity is generally computed based on statistical dependencies of neurophysiological time-series, measured through functional MRI or electroencephalographic techniques. This review considers the application of advanced analytical methods in structural and functional connectivity analyses in TLE. We will specifically highlight findings from graph-theoretical analysis that allow assessing topological organization of brain networks. These studies have provided compelling evidence that TLE is a system disorder with profound alterations in local and distributed networks. In addition, there is emerging evidence for the utility of network properties as clinical diagnostic markers. Nowadays, a network perspective is considered to be essential to the understanding of the development, progression, and management of epilepsy.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Slottje, C.

    1982-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tomila T.V.

    2006-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2008-04-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-04-01

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

  10. Sample-angle feedback for diffraction anomalous fine-structure spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1998-01-01

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

  11. Characteristics of Spatial Structural Patterns and Temporal Variability of Annual Precipitation in Ningxia

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2011-01-01

    [Objective] The aim was to study the characteristics of the spatial structural patterns and temporal variability of annual precipitation in Ningxia.[Method] Using rotated empirical orthogonal function,the precipitation concentration index,wavelet analysis and Mann-Kendall rank statistic method,the characteristics of precipitation on the spatial-temporal variability and trend were analyzed by the monthly precipitation series in Ningxia during 1951-2008.[Result] In Ningxia,the spatial structural patterns of a...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-02-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Philip McDowall

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

  14. Fine-scale foraging ecology of leatherback turtles

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bryan P Wallace

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Remote tracking of migratory species and statistical modeling of behaviors have enabled identification of areas that are of high ecological value to these widely distributed taxa. However, direct observations at fine spatio-temporal scales are often needed to correctly interpret behaviors. In this study, we combined GPS-derived locations and archival dive records (1 sec sampling rate with animal-borne video footage from foraging leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea in Nova Scotia, Canada (Northwest Atlantic Ocean to generate the most highly detailed description of natural leatherback behavior presented to date. Turtles traveled shorter distances at slower rates and increased diving rates in areas of high prey abundance, which resulted in higher prey capture rates. Increased foraging effort (e.g., dive rate, dive duration, prey handling time, number of bites was not associated with increased time at the surface breathing to replenish oxygen stores. Instead, leatherbacks generally performed short, shallow dives in the photic zone to or above the thermocline, where they disproportionately captured prey at bottoms of dives and during ascents. This foraging strategy supports visual prey detection, allows leatherbacks to exploit physically structured prey at relatively shallow depths (typically <30m, and increases time turtles spend in warmer water temperatures, thus optimizing net energy acquisition. Our results demonstrate that leatherbacks appear to be continuously foraging during daylight hours while in continental shelf waters of Nova Scotia, and that leatherback foraging behavior is driven by prey availability, not by whether or not a turtle is in a resource patch characterized by a particular size or prey density. Our study demonstrates the fundamental importance of obtaining field-based, direct observations of true behaviors at fine spatial and temporal scales to enhance our efforts to both study and manage migratory species.

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

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

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

    2015-01-01

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

  16. Fine structure of the CCl3 UV absorption spectrum and CCl3 kinetics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ellermann, T.

    1992-01-01

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

  17. Evolution of the fine-structure constant in runaway dilaton models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2015-04-09

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

  18. Evolution of the fine-structure constant in runaway dilaton models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  19. Distortion product otoacoustic emission fine structure of symphony orchestra musicians

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Reuter, Karen; Hammershøi, Dorte

    2006-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Świderski, M.; Zieliński, M.

    2017-03-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-07-01

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

  2. Temporal and Spectral Cues for Musical Timbre Perception in Electric Hearing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kong, Ying-Yee; Mullangi, Ala; Marozeau, Jeremy

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate musical timbre perception in cochlear-implant (CI) listeners using a multidimensional scaling technique to derive a timbre space. Methods: Sixteen stimuli that synthesized western musical instruments were used (McAdams, Winsberg, Donnadieu, De Soete......, & Krimphoff, 1995). Eight CI listeners and 15 normalhearing (NH) listeners participated. Each listener made judgments of dissimilarity between stimulus pairs. Acoustical analyses that characterized the temporal and spectral characteristics of each stimulus were performed to examine the psychophysical nature...... of each perceptual dimension. For NH listeners, the timbre space was best represented in three dimensions, one correlated with the temporal envelope (log-attack time) of the stimuli, one correlated with the spectral envelope (spectral centroid), and one correlated with the spectral fine structure...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-03-22

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

  4. The Relative Importance of Spatial Versus Temporal Structure in the Perception of Biological Motion: An Event-Related Potential Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirai, Masahiro; Hiraki, Kazuo

    2006-01-01

    We investigated how the spatiotemporal structure of animations of biological motion (BM) affects brain activity. We measured event-related potentials (ERPs) during the perception of BM under four conditions: normal spatial and temporal structure; scrambled spatial and normal temporal structure; normal spatial and scrambled temporal structure; and…

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joyner, R.W.

    1979-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pentlehner, D.; Slenczka, A.

    2015-01-01

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

  7. The temporal structure of pollution levels in developed cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barrigón Morillas, Juan Miguel; Ortiz-Caraballo, Carmen; Prieto Gajardo, Carlos

    2015-06-01

    Currently, the need for mobility can cause significant pollution levels in cities, with important effects on health and quality of life. Any approach to the study of urban pollution and its effects requires an analysis of spatial distribution and temporal variability. It is a crucial dilemma to obtain proven methodologies that allow an increase in the quality of the prediction and the saving of resources in the spatial and temporal sampling. This work proposes a new analytical methodology in the study of temporal structure. As a result, a model for estimating annual levels of urban traffic noise was proposed. The average errors are less than one decibel in all acoustics indicators. A new working methodology of urban noise has begun. Additionally, a general application can be found for the study of the impacts of pollution associated with traffic, with implications for urban design and possibly in economic and sociological aspects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2011-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1990-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1998-01-01

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

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

    CERN Document Server

    Kawai, T; Suzuki, S

    2003-01-01

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

  12. Applicability of optical scanner method for fine root dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kume, Tomonori; Ohashi, Mizue; Makita, Naoki; Khoon Kho, Lip; Katayama, Ayumi; Matsumoto, Kazuho; Ikeno, Hidetoshi

    2016-04-01

    Fine root dynamics is one of the important components in forest carbon cycling, as ~60 % of tree photosynthetic production can be allocated to root growth and metabolic activities. Various techniques have been developed for monitoring fine root biomass, production, mortality in order to understand carbon pools and fluxes resulting from fine roots dynamics. The minirhizotron method is now a widely used technique, in which a transparent tube is inserted into the soil and researchers count an increase and decrease of roots along the tube using images taken by a minirhizotron camera or minirhizotron video camera inside the tube. This method allows us to observe root behavior directly without destruction, but has several weaknesses; e.g., the difficulty of scaling up the results to stand level because of the small observation windows. Also, most of the image analysis are performed manually, which may yield insufficient quantitative and objective data. Recently, scanner method has been proposed, which can produce much bigger-size images (A4-size) with lower cost than those of the minirhizotron methods. However, laborious and time-consuming image analysis still limits the applicability of this method. In this study, therefore, we aimed to develop a new protocol for scanner image analysis to extract root behavior in soil. We evaluated applicability of this method in two ways; 1) the impact of different observers including root-study professionals, semi- and non-professionals on the detected results of root dynamics such as abundance, growth, and decomposition, and 2) the impact of window size on the results using a random sampling basis exercise. We applied our new protocol to analyze temporal changes of root behavior from sequential scanner images derived from a Bornean tropical forests. The results detected by the six observers showed considerable concordance in temporal changes in the abundance and the growth of fine roots but less in the decomposition. We also examined

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2014-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2005-08-01

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

  15. Temporal event structure and timing in schizophrenia: preserved binding in a longer "now".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martin, Brice; Giersch, Anne; Huron, Caroline; van Wassenhove, Virginie

    2013-01-01

    Patients with schizophrenia experience a loss of temporal continuity or subjective fragmentation along the temporal dimension. Here, we develop the hypothesis that impaired temporal awareness results from a perturbed structuring of events in time-i.e., canonical neural dynamics. To address this, 26 patients and their matched controls took part in two psychophysical studies using desynchronized audiovisual speech. Two tasks were used and compared: first, an identification task testing for multisensory binding impairments in which participants reported what they heard while looking at a speaker's face; in a second task, we tested the perceived simultaneity of the same audiovisual speech stimuli. In both tasks, we used McGurk fusion and combination that are classic ecologically valid multisensory illusions. First, and contrary to previous reports, our results show that patients do not significantly differ from controls in their rate of illusory reports. Second, the illusory reports of patients in the identification task were more sensitive to audiovisual speech desynchronies than those of controls. Third, and surprisingly, patients considered audiovisual speech to be synchronized for longer delays than controls. As such, the temporal tolerance profile observed in a temporal judgement task was less of a predictor for sensory binding in schizophrenia than for that obtained in controls. We interpret our results as an impairment of temporal event structuring in schizophrenia which does not specifically affect sensory binding operations but rather, the explicit access to timing information associated here with audiovisual speech processing. Our findings are discussed in the context of curent neurophysiological frameworks for the binding and the structuring of sensory events in time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1984-01-01

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

  17. How spatio-temporal habitat connectivity affects amphibian genetic structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Alexander G; Schlichting, Peter E; Billerman, Shawn M; Jesmer, Brett R; Micheletti, Steven; Fortin, Marie-Josée; Funk, W Chris; Hapeman, Paul; Muths, Erin; Murphy, Melanie A

    2015-01-01

    Heterogeneous landscapes and fluctuating environmental conditions can affect species dispersal, population genetics, and genetic structure, yet understanding how biotic and abiotic factors affect population dynamics in a fluctuating environment is critical for species management. We evaluated how spatio-temporal habitat connectivity influences dispersal and genetic structure in a population of boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) using a landscape genetics approach. We developed gravity models to assess the contribution of various factors to the observed genetic distance as a measure of functional connectivity. We selected (a) wetland (within-site) and (b) landscape matrix (between-site) characteristics; and (c) wetland connectivity metrics using a unique methodology. Specifically, we developed three networks that quantify wetland connectivity based on: (i) P. maculata dispersal ability, (ii) temporal variation in wetland quality, and (iii) contribution of wetland stepping-stones to frog dispersal. We examined 18 wetlands in Colorado, and quantified 12 microsatellite loci from 322 individual frogs. We found that genetic connectivity was related to topographic complexity, within- and between-wetland differences in moisture, and wetland functional connectivity as contributed by stepping-stone wetlands. Our results highlight the role that dynamic environmental factors have on dispersal-limited species and illustrate how complex asynchronous interactions contribute to the structure of spatially-explicit metapopulations.

  18. How spatio-temporal habitat connectivity affects amphibian genetic structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watts, Alexander G.; Schlichting, P; Billerman, S; Jesmer, B; Micheletti, S; Fortin, M.-J.; Funk, W.C.; Hapeman, P; Muths, Erin L.; Murphy, M.A.

    2015-01-01

    Heterogeneous landscapes and fluctuating environmental conditions can affect species dispersal, population genetics, and genetic structure, yet understanding how biotic and abiotic factors affect population dynamics in a fluctuating environment is critical for species management. We evaluated how spatio-temporal habitat connectivity influences dispersal and genetic structure in a population of boreal chorus frogs (Pseudacris maculata) using a landscape genetics approach. We developed gravity models to assess the contribution of various factors to the observed genetic distance as a measure of functional connectivity. We selected (a) wetland (within-site) and (b) landscape matrix (between-site) characteristics; and (c) wetland connectivity metrics using a unique methodology. Specifically, we developed three networks that quantify wetland connectivity based on: (i) P. maculata dispersal ability, (ii) temporal variation in wetland quality, and (iii) contribution of wetland stepping-stones to frog dispersal. We examined 18 wetlands in Colorado, and quantified 12 microsatellite loci from 322 individual frogs. We found that genetic connectivity was related to topographic complexity, within- and between-wetland differences in moisture, and wetland functional connectivity as contributed by stepping-stone wetlands. Our results highlight the role that dynamic environmental factors have on dispersal-limited species and illustrate how complex asynchronous interactions contribute to the structure of spatially-explicit metapopulations.

  19. Extracting the Textual and Temporal Structure of Supercomputing Logs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jain, S; Singh, I; Chandra, A; Zhang, Z; Bronevetsky, G

    2009-05-26

    Supercomputers are prone to frequent faults that adversely affect their performance, reliability and functionality. System logs collected on these systems are a valuable resource of information about their operational status and health. However, their massive size, complexity, and lack of standard format makes it difficult to automatically extract information that can be used to improve system management. In this work we propose a novel method to succinctly represent the contents of supercomputing logs, by using textual clustering to automatically find the syntactic structures of log messages. This information is used to automatically classify messages into semantic groups via an online clustering algorithm. Further, we describe a methodology for using the temporal proximity between groups of log messages to identify correlated events in the system. We apply our proposed methods to two large, publicly available supercomputing logs and show that our technique features nearly perfect accuracy for online log-classification and extracts meaningful structural and temporal message patterns that can be used to improve the accuracy of other log analysis techniques.

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Haszprunar, Gerhard; Friedrich, Stefan; Wanninger, Andreas

    2002-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-10-15

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

  2. Disentangling how landscape spatial and temporal heterogeneity affects Savanna birds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bronwyn Price

    Full Text Available In highly seasonal tropical environments, temporal changes in habitat and resources are a significant determinant of the spatial distribution of species. This study disentangles the effects of spatial and mid to long-term temporal heterogeneity in habitat on the diversity and abundance of savanna birds by testing four competing conceptual models of varying complexity. Focussing on sites in northeast Australia over a 20 year time period, we used ground cover and foliage projected cover surfaces derived from a time series of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, rainfall data and site-level vegetation surveys to derive measures of habitat structure at local (1-100 ha and landscape (100-1000s ha scales. We used generalised linear models and an information theoretic approach to test the independent effects of spatial and temporal influences on savanna bird diversity and the abundance of eight species with different life-history behaviours. Of four competing models defining influences on assemblages of savanna birds, the most parsimonious included temporal and spatial variability in vegetation cover and site-scale vegetation structure, suggesting savanna bird species respond to spatial and temporal habitat heterogeneity at both the broader landscape scale and at the fine-scale. The relative weight, strength and direction of the explanatory variables changed with each of the eight species, reflecting their different ecology and behavioural traits. This study demonstrates that variations in the spatial pattern of savanna vegetation over periods of 10 to 20 years at the local and landscape scale strongly affect bird diversity and abundance. Thus, it is essential to monitor and manage both spatial and temporal variability in avian habitat to achieve long-term biodiversity outcomes.

  3. Disentangling how landscape spatial and temporal heterogeneity affects Savanna birds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Price, Bronwyn; McAlpine, Clive A; Kutt, Alex S; Ward, Doug; Phinn, Stuart R; Ludwig, John A

    2013-01-01

    In highly seasonal tropical environments, temporal changes in habitat and resources are a significant determinant of the spatial distribution of species. This study disentangles the effects of spatial and mid to long-term temporal heterogeneity in habitat on the diversity and abundance of savanna birds by testing four competing conceptual models of varying complexity. Focussing on sites in northeast Australia over a 20 year time period, we used ground cover and foliage projected cover surfaces derived from a time series of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, rainfall data and site-level vegetation surveys to derive measures of habitat structure at local (1-100 ha) and landscape (100-1000s ha) scales. We used generalised linear models and an information theoretic approach to test the independent effects of spatial and temporal influences on savanna bird diversity and the abundance of eight species with different life-history behaviours. Of four competing models defining influences on assemblages of savanna birds, the most parsimonious included temporal and spatial variability in vegetation cover and site-scale vegetation structure, suggesting savanna bird species respond to spatial and temporal habitat heterogeneity at both the broader landscape scale and at the fine-scale. The relative weight, strength and direction of the explanatory variables changed with each of the eight species, reflecting their different ecology and behavioural traits. This study demonstrates that variations in the spatial pattern of savanna vegetation over periods of 10 to 20 years at the local and landscape scale strongly affect bird diversity and abundance. Thus, it is essential to monitor and manage both spatial and temporal variability in avian habitat to achieve long-term biodiversity outcomes.

  4. Brain activity related to working memory for temporal order and object information.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Brooke M; Libby, Laura A; Inhoff, Marika C; Ranganath, Charan

    2017-06-08

    Maintaining items in an appropriate sequence is important for many daily activities; however, remarkably little is known about the neural basis of human temporal working memory. Prior work suggests that the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and medial temporal lobe (MTL), including the hippocampus, play a role in representing information about temporal order. The involvement of these areas in successful temporal working memory, however, is less clear. Additionally, it is unknown whether regions in the PFC and MTL support temporal working memory across different timescales, or at coarse or fine levels of temporal detail. To address these questions, participants were scanned while completing 3 working memory task conditions (Group, Position and Item) that were matched in terms of difficulty and the number of items to be actively maintained. Group and Position trials probed temporal working memory processes, requiring the maintenance of hierarchically organized coarse and fine temporal information, respectively. To isolate activation related to temporal working memory, Group and Position trials were contrasted against Item trials, which required detailed working memory maintenance of visual objects. Results revealed that working memory encoding and maintenance of temporal information relative to visual information was associated with increased activation in dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC), and perirhinal cortex (PRC). In contrast, maintenance of visual details relative to temporal information was characterized by greater activation of parahippocampal cortex (PHC), medial and anterior PFC, and retrosplenial cortex. In the hippocampus, a dissociation along the longitudinal axis was observed such that the anterior hippocampus was more active for working memory encoding and maintenance of visual detail information relative to temporal information, whereas the posterior hippocampus displayed the opposite effect. Posterior parietal cortex was the only region to show sensitivity to temporal

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2006-01-01

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

  6. Autobiographical memory in temporal lobe epilepsy: role of hippocampal and temporal lateral structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herfurth, Kirsten; Kasper, Burkhard; Schwarz, Michael; Stefan, Hermann; Pauli, Elisabeth

    2010-11-01

    The present study was aimed at investigating the impact of hippocampal and temporal cortical lesions on remote autobiographical memories in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Episodic specificity, episodic richness, and personal semantic memory from different life periods were assessed using a modified version of the Autobiographical Memory Interview (AMI) (M.D. Kopelman, A.E. Wilson, A. Baddeley, The autobiographical memory interview. Bury St. Edmunds: Thames Valley Test Co.; 1990) in 47 patients with unilateral mesial or lateral TLE and 38 healthy controls. Patients with TLE performed significantly more poorly than controls. Patients with left and right mTLE were equally moderately impaired, but patients with left lateral TLE had the most severe episodic memory deficits, particularly for childhood memories. With respect to personal semantic memory, patients with left TLE were significantly more impaired than those with right TLE, most pronounced for childhood memories. Both autobiographical memory aspects, episodic and personal semantic memory, were significantly intercorrelated, but both did not correlate with anterograde memory, indicating a structural dissociation between both functions. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  8. Fine structure in the cluster decays of the translead nuclei

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dumitrescu, O.; Cioaca, C.

    1994-06-01

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

  9. The interaction of grammatical aspect and temporal distance in motion descriptions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah eAnderson

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Grammatical aspect is known to shape event understanding. However, little is known about how it interacts with other important temporal information, such as recent and distant past. The current work uses computer-mouse tracking (Spivey, Grosjean, & Knoblich, 2005 to explore the interaction of aspect and temporal context. Participants in our experiment listened to past motion event descriptions that varied according to aspect (simple past, past progressive and temporal distance (recent past, distant past while viewing scenes with paths and implied destinations. Participants used a computer mouse to place characters into the scene to match event descriptions. Our results indicated that aspect and temporal context interact in interesting ways. When aspect placed emphasis on the ongoing details of the event and the temporal context was recent (thus, making fine details available in memory, this match between conditions elicited smoother and faster computer mouse movements than when conditions mismatched. Likewise, when aspect placed emphasis on the less-detailed end state of the event and temporal context was in the distant past (thus making fine details less available, this match between conditions also elicited smoother and faster computer mouse movements.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2001-01-01

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

  11. Fine structure of the giant M1 resonance in 90Zr.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-11

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

  12. Exciton fine structure in CdSe nanoclusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1998-01-01

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

  13. Early seizure propagation from the occipital lobe to medial temporal structures and its surgical implication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Usui, Naotaka; Mihara, Tadahiro; Baba, Koichi; Matsuda, Kazumi; Tottori, Takayasu; Umeoka, Shuichi; Nakamura, Fumihiro; Terada, Kiyohito; Usui, Keiko; Inoue, Yushi

    2008-12-01

    Intracranial EEG documentation of seizure propagation from the occipital lobe to medial temporal structures is relatively rare. We retrospectively analyzed intracranial EEG recorded with electrodes implanted in the medial temporal lobe in patients who underwent occipital lobe surgery. Four patients with occipital lesions, who underwent intracranial EEG monitoring with intracerebral electrodes implanted in the medial temporal lobe prior to occipital lobe surgery, were studied. Subdural electrodes were placed over the occipital lobe and adjacent areas. Intracerebral electrodes were implanted into bilateral hippocampi and the amygdala in three patients, and in the hippocampus and amygdala ipsilateral to the lesion in one. In light of the intracranial EEG findings, the occipital lobe was resected but the medial temporal lobe was spared in all patients. The follow-up period ranged from six to 16 years, and seizure outcome was Engel Class I in all patients. Sixty six seizures were analyzed. The majority of the seizures originated from the occipital lobe. In complex partial seizures, ictal discharges propagated to the medial temporal lobe. No seizures originating from the temporal lobe were documented. In some seizures, the ictal-onset zone could not be identified. In these seizures, very early propagation to the medial temporal lobe was observed. Interictal spikes were recorded in the medial temporal lobe in all cases. Intracranial EEG revealed very early involvement of the medial temporal lobe in some seizures. Seizure control was achieved without resection of the medial temporal structures.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liudmyla Lisunova

    2017-03-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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

    2012-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Badnell, N.R.

    1997-01-01

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

  17. The structure of hydrate bearing fine grained marine sediments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2008-07-01

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

  18. Visualization of subtle temporal bone structures. Comparison of cone beam CT and MDCT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pein, M.K.; Plontke, S.K.; Brandt, S.; Koesling, S.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the visualization of subtle, non-pathological temporal bone structures on cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) in vivo. Temporal bone studies of images from 38 patients archived in the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) were analyzed (slice thickness MDCT 0.6 mm and CBCT 0.125 mm) of which 23 were imaged by MDCT and 15 by CBCT using optimized standard protocols. Inclusion criteria were normal radiological findings, absence of previous surgery and anatomical variants. Images were evaluated blind by three trained observers. Using a five-point scale the visualization of ten subtle structures of the temporal bone was analyzed. Subtle middle ear structures showed a tendency to be more easily distinguishable by CBCT with significantly better visualization of the tendon of the stapedius muscle and the crura of the stapes on CBCT (p = 0.003 and p = 0.033, respectively). In contrast, inner ear components, such as the osseus spiral lamina and the modiolus tended to be better detectable on MDCT, showing significant differences for the osseous spiral lamina (p = 0.001). The interrater reliability was 0.73 (Cohen's kappa coefficient) and intraobserver reliability was 0.89. The use of CBCT and MDCT allows equivalent and excellent imaging results if optimized protocols are chosen. With both imaging techniques subtle temporal bone structures could be visualized with a similar degree of definition. In vivo differences do not seem to be as large as suggested in several previous studies. (orig.) [de

  19. Temporal changes in vegetation of a virgin beech woodland remnant: stand-scale stability with intensive fine-scale dynamics governed by stand dynamic events

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tibor Standovár

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this resurvey study is to check if herbaceous vegetation on the forest floor exhibits overall stability at the stand-scale in spite of intensive dynamics at the scale of individual plots and stand dynamic events (driven by natural fine scale canopy gap dynamics. In 1996, we sampled a 1.5 ha patch using 0.25 m² plots placed along a 5 m × 5 m grid in the best remnant of central European montane beech woods in Hungary. All species in the herbaceous layer and their cover estimates were recorded. Five patches representing different stand developmental situations (SDS were selected for resurvey. In 2013, 306 plots were resurveyed by using blocks of four 0.25 m² plots to test the effects of imperfect relocation. We found very intensive fine-scale dynamics in the herbaceous layer with high species turnover and sharp changes in ground layer cover at the local-scale (< 1 m2. A decrease in species richness and herbaceous layer cover, as well as high species turnover, characterized the closing gaps. Colonization events and increasing species richness and herbaceous layer cover prevailed in the two newly created gaps. A pronounced decrease in the total cover, but low species turnover and survival of the majority of the closed forest specialists was detected by the resurvey at the stand-scale. The test aiming at assessing the effect of relocation showed a higher time effect than the effect of imprecise relocation. The very intensive fine-scale dynamics of the studied beech forest are profoundly determined by natural stand dynamics. Extinction and colonisation episodes even out at the stand-scale, implying an overall compositional stability of the herbaceous vegetation at the given spatial and temporal scale. We argue that fine-scale gap dynamics, driven by natural processes or applied as a management method, can warrant the survival of many closed forest specialist species in the long-run. Nomenclature: Flora Europaea (Tutin et al. 2010 for

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hazama, Taira; Chiba, Go; Sugino, Kazuteru

    2006-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-01-01

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

  2. Measuring Fine-Scale White-Tailed Deer Movements and Environmental Influences Using GPS Collars

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webb, S.L.; Strickland, B.K.; Demarais, S.; Webb, S.L.; Gee, K.L.; DeYoung, R.W.

    2010-01-01

    Few studies have documented fine-scale movements of ungulate species, including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus), despite the advent of global positioning system (GPS) technology incorporated into tracking devices. We collected fine-scale temporal location estimates (i.e., 15 min/relocation attempt) from 17 female and 15 male white-tailed deer over 7 years and 3 seasons in Oklahoma, USA. Our objectives were to document fine-scale movements of females and males and determine effects of reproductive phase, moon phase, and short-term weather patterns on movements. Female and male movements were primarily crepuscular. Male total daily movements were 20% greater during rut (7,363? 364) than postrut (6,156 m±260). Female daily movements were greatest during post parturition (3,357 91), followed by parturition (2,902 m±107), and pre parturition (2,682 m±121). We found moon phase had no effect on daily, nocturnal, and diurnal deer movements and fine-scale temporal weather conditions had an inconsistent influence on deer movement patterns within season. Our data suggest that hourly and daily variation in weather events have minimal impact on movements of white-tailed deer in southern latitudes. Instead, routine crepuscular movements, presumed to maximize thermoregulation and minimize predation risk, appear to be the most important factors influencing movements.

  3. Usage of Crushed Concrete Fines in Decorative Concrete

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilipenko, Anton; Bazhenova, Sofia

    2017-10-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Man Lu

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  6. Fine-structural changes in the midgut of old Drosophila melanogaster

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1983-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2004-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1992-09-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan De Martino

    2016-12-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1992-01-01

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

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

    OpenAIRE

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

    2005-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-05-01

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

  13. Galaxy clusters, type Ia supernovae and the fine structure constant

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2016-08-01

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

  14. Chromospheric counterparts of solar transition region unresolved fine structure loops

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-04-01

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

  15. Doubly stochastic Poisson process models for precipitation at fine time-scales

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramesh, Nadarajah I.; Onof, Christian; Xie, Dichao

    2012-09-01

    This paper considers a class of stochastic point process models, based on doubly stochastic Poisson processes, in the modelling of rainfall. We examine the application of this class of models, a neglected alternative to the widely-known Poisson cluster models, in the analysis of fine time-scale rainfall intensity. These models are mainly used to analyse tipping-bucket raingauge data from a single site but an extension to multiple sites is illustrated which reveals the potential of this class of models to study the temporal and spatial variability of precipitation at fine time-scales.

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    1999-01-01

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

  17. The importance of source positions during radio fine structure observations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2014-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2000-08-01

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

  19. Congenital amusia: a cognitive disorder limited to resolved harmonics and with no peripheral basis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cousineaua, Marion; Oxenham, Andrew J.; Peretz, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Pitch plays a fundamental role in audition, from speech and music perception to auditory scene analysis. Congenital amusia is a neurogenetic disorder that appears to affect primarily pitch and melody perception. Pitch is normally conveyed by the spectro-temporal fine structure of low harmonics, but some pitch information is available in the temporal envelope produced by the interactions of higher harmonics. Using 10 amusic subjects and 10 matched controls, we tested the hypothesis that amusics suffer exclusively from impaired processing of spectro-temporal fine structure. We also tested whether the inability of amusics to process acoustic temporal fine structure extends beyond pitch by measuring sensitivity to interaural time differences, which also rely on temporal fine structure. Further tests were carried out on basic intensity and spectral resolution. As expected, pitch perception based on spectro-temporal fine structure was impaired in amusics; however, no significant deficits were observed in amusics' ability to perceive the pitch conveyed via temporal-envelope cues. Sensitivity to interaural time differences was also not significantly different between the amusic and control groups, ruling out deficits in the peripheral coding of temporal fine structure. Finally, no significant differences in intensity or spectral resolution were found between the amusic and control groups. The results demonstrate a pitch-specific deficit in fine spectro-temporal information processing in amusia that seems unrelated to temporal or spectral coding in the auditory periphery. These results are consistent with the view that there are distinct mechanisms dedicated to processing resolved and unresolved harmonics in the general population, the former being altered in congenital amusia while the latter is spared. PMID:25433224

  20. Congenital amusia: a cognitive disorder limited to resolved harmonics and with no peripheral basis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cousineau, Marion; Oxenham, Andrew J; Peretz, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Pitch plays a fundamental role in audition, from speech and music perception to auditory scene analysis. Congenital amusia is a neurogenetic disorder that appears to affect primarily pitch and melody perception. Pitch is normally conveyed by the spectro-temporal fine structure of low harmonics, but some pitch information is available in the temporal envelope produced by the interactions of higher harmonics. Using 10 amusic subjects and 10 matched controls, we tested the hypothesis that amusics suffer exclusively from impaired processing of spectro-temporal fine structure. We also tested whether the inability of amusics to process acoustic temporal fine structure extends beyond pitch by measuring sensitivity to interaural time differences, which also rely on temporal fine structure. Further tests were carried out on basic intensity and spectral resolution. As expected, pitch perception based on spectro-temporal fine structure was impaired in amusics; however, no significant deficits were observed in amusics' ability to perceive the pitch conveyed via temporal-envelope cues. Sensitivity to interaural time differences was also not significantly different between the amusic and control groups, ruling out deficits in the peripheral coding of temporal fine structure. Finally, no significant differences in intensity or spectral resolution were found between the amusic and control groups. The results demonstrate a pitch-specific deficit in fine spectro-temporal information processing in amusia that seems unrelated to temporal or spectral coding in the auditory periphery. These results are consistent with the view that there are distinct mechanisms dedicated to processing resolved and unresolved harmonics in the general population, the former being altered in congenital amusia while the latter is spared. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Temporal structure in neuronal activity during working memory in Macaque parietal cortex

    CERN Document Server

    Pesaran, B; Sahami, M; Mitra, P; Andersen, R A

    2000-01-01

    A number of cortical structures are reported to have elevated single unit firing rates sustained throughout the memory period of a working memory task. How the nervous system forms and maintains these memories is unknown but reverberating neuronal network activity is thought to be important. We studied the temporal structure of single unit (SU) activity and simultaneously recorded local field potential (LFP) activity from area LIP in the inferior parietal lobe of two awake macaques during a memory-saccade task. Using multitaper techniques for spectral analysis, which play an important role in obtaining the present results, we find elevations in spectral power in a 50--90 Hz (gamma) frequency band during the memory period in both SU and LFP activity. The activity is tuned to the direction of the saccade providing evidence for temporal structure that codes for movement plans during working memory. We also find SU and LFP activity are coherent during the memory period in the 50--90 Hz gamma band and no consisten...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Aparna; Long, Glenis R

    2011-02-01

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

  3. Time variation of the fine structure constant driven by quintessence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anchordoqui, Luis; Goldberg, Haim

    2003-01-01

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

  4. Fine-structure energy levels and radiative lifetime in Mo XIV

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Xiaodong; Pei Dong; Jiang Renbin; Wang Wanjue

    2002-01-01

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

  5. New algorithm improves fine structure of the barley consensus SNP map

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Endelman Jeffrey B

    2011-08-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2005-03-01

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

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

    CERN Document Server

    Castro, C

    2003-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2000-01-01

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

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2012r

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-11-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2008-11-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2008-01-01

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

  13. Estimating spatio-temporal dynamics of size-structured populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Kasper; Thygesen, Uffe Høgsbro; Andersen, Ken Haste

    2014-01-01

    with simple stock dynamics, to estimate simultaneously how size distributions and spatial distributions develop in time. We demonstrate the method for a cod population sampled by trawl surveys. Particular attention is paid to correlation between size classes within each trawl haul due to clustering...... of individuals with similar size. The model estimates growth, mortality and reproduction, after which any aspect of size-structure, spatio-temporal population dynamics, as well as the sampling process can be probed. This is illustrated by two applications: 1) tracking the spatial movements of a single cohort...

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1995-08-01

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

  15. 5 K extended X-ray absorption fine structure and 40 K 10-s resolved extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies of photolyzed carboxymyoglobin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1987-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inada, Yasuhiro; Funahashi, Shigenobu

    1997-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.M.M. Pinho

    2017-06-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W.K. Krajewski

    2012-09-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brady S. Hardiman

    2017-02-01

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

  20. 3D Convolutional Neural Networks for Crop Classification with Multi-Temporal Remote Sensing Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shunping Ji

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available This study describes a novel three-dimensional (3D convolutional neural networks (CNN based method that automatically classifies crops from spatio-temporal remote sensing images. First, 3D kernel is designed according to the structure of multi-spectral multi-temporal remote sensing data. Secondly, the 3D CNN framework with fine-tuned parameters is designed for training 3D crop samples and learning spatio-temporal discriminative representations, with the full crop growth cycles being preserved. In addition, we introduce an active learning strategy to the CNN model to improve labelling accuracy up to a required threshold with the most efficiency. Finally, experiments are carried out to test the advantage of the 3D CNN, in comparison to the two-dimensional (2D CNN and other conventional methods. Our experiments show that the 3D CNN is especially suitable in characterizing the dynamics of crop growth and outperformed the other mainstream methods.

  1. Measuring Fine-Scale White-Tailed Deer Movements and Environmental Influences Using GPS Collars

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen L. Webb

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Few studies have documented fine-scale movements of ungulate species, including white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus, despite the advent of global positioning system (GPS technology incorporated into tracking devices. We collected fine-scale temporal location estimates (i.e., 15 min/relocation attempt from 17 female and 15 male white-tailed deer over 7 years and 3 seasons in Oklahoma, USA. Our objectives were to document fine-scale movements of females and males and determine effects of reproductive phase, moon phase, and short-term weather patterns on movements. Female and male movements were primarily crepuscular. Male total daily movements were 20% greater during rut (7,363m±364 than postrut (6,156m±260. Female daily movements were greatest during postparturition (3,357m±91, followed by parturition (2,902m±107, and preparturition (2,682m±121. We found moon phase had no effect on daily, nocturnal, and diurnal deer movements and fine-scale temporal weather conditions had an inconsistent influence on deer movement patterns within season. Our data suggest that hourly and daily variation in weather events have minimal impact on movements of white-tailed deer in southern latitudes. Instead, routine crepuscular movements, presumed to maximize thermoregulation and minimize predation risk, appear to be the most important factors influencing movements.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2011-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2011-01-15

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

  4. Dispersal Ability Determines the Role of Environmental, Spatial and Temporal Drivers of Metacommunity Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padial, André A.; Ceschin, Fernanda; Declerck, Steven A. J.; De Meester, Luc; Bonecker, Cláudia C.; Lansac-Tôha, Fabio A.; Rodrigues, Liliana; Rodrigues, Luzia C.; Train, Sueli; Velho, Luiz F. M.; Bini, Luis M.

    2014-01-01

    Recently, community ecologists are focusing on the relative importance of local environmental factors and proxies to dispersal limitation to explain spatial variation in community structure. Albeit less explored, temporal processes may also be important in explaining species composition variation in metacommunities occupying dynamic systems. We aimed to evaluate the relative role of environmental, spatial and temporal variables on the metacommunity structure of different organism groups in the Upper Paraná River floodplain (Brazil). We used data on macrophytes, fish, benthic macroinvertebrates, zooplankton, periphyton, and phytoplankton collected in up to 36 habitats during a total of eight sampling campaigns over two years. According to variation partitioning results, the importance of predictors varied among biological groups. Spatial predictors were particularly important for organisms with comparatively lower dispersal ability, such as aquatic macrophytes and fish. On the other hand, environmental predictors were particularly important for organisms with high dispersal ability, such as microalgae, indicating the importance of species sorting processes in shaping the community structure of these organisms. The importance of watercourse distances increased when spatial variables were the main predictors of metacommunity structure. The contribution of temporal predictors was low. Our results emphasize the strength of a trait-based analysis and of better defining spatial variables. More importantly, they supported the view that “all-or- nothing” interpretations on the mechanisms structuring metacommunities are rather the exception than the rule. PMID:25340577

  5. Temporal lobe structures and facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia patients and nonpsychotic relatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goghari, Vina M; Macdonald, Angus W; Sponheim, Scott R

    2011-11-01

    Temporal lobe abnormalities and emotion recognition deficits are prominent features of schizophrenia and appear related to the diathesis of the disorder. This study investigated whether temporal lobe structural abnormalities were associated with facial emotion recognition deficits in schizophrenia and related to genetic liability for the disorder. Twenty-seven schizophrenia patients, 23 biological family members, and 36 controls participated. Several temporal lobe regions (fusiform, superior temporal, middle temporal, amygdala, and hippocampus) previously associated with face recognition in normative samples and found to be abnormal in schizophrenia were evaluated using volumetric analyses. Participants completed a facial emotion recognition task and an age recognition control task under time-limited and self-paced conditions. Temporal lobe volumes were tested for associations with task performance. Group status explained 23% of the variance in temporal lobe volume. Left fusiform gray matter volume was decreased by 11% in patients and 7% in relatives compared with controls. Schizophrenia patients additionally exhibited smaller hippocampal and middle temporal volumes. Patients were unable to improve facial emotion recognition performance with unlimited time to make a judgment but were able to improve age recognition performance. Patients additionally showed a relationship between reduced temporal lobe gray matter and poor facial emotion recognition. For the middle temporal lobe region, the relationship between greater volume and better task performance was specific to facial emotion recognition and not age recognition. Because schizophrenia patients exhibited a specific deficit in emotion recognition not attributable to a generalized impairment in face perception, impaired emotion recognition may serve as a target for interventions.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kettell, S.H.

    1990-08-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1983-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2017-01-01

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

  9. Grasping the mechanisms of narratives' incoherence in schizophrenia: an analysis of the temporal structure of patients' life story.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allé, M C; Gandolphe, M-C; Doba, K; Köber, C; Potheegadoo, J; Coutelle, R; Habermas, T; Nandrino, J-L; Danion, J-M; Berna, F

    2016-08-01

    Life narratives of patients with schizophrenia are characterized by impaired coherence so that the listener has often difficulties to grasp the life trajectory of the patients. In order to better understand what causes this reduced temporal coherence, we investigated the temporal structure of patients' life narratives through different temporal narrative elements (elaboration of beginnings and endings, local temporal indicators and temporal deviations from a linear order), across two complementary studies. Life narratives were collected by means of two different methods; a free recall in study 1 and a more structured protocol, aiming at reducing the cognitive task demands in study 2. All narratives from the two studies were analyzed using the same validated method. Both studies showed that global temporal coherence is significantly reduced in patients with schizophrenia (ps.02). This is mainly due to their stronger tendency to temporally deviate from a linear temporal order without marking the deviation as such. We also observed significant correlations in the patient groups between global temporal coherence and executive dysfunction (p=.008) or their higher tendency to temporally deviate from a linear temporal order in their life narratives (p<.001). These results shed light on narrative correlates of temporal narrative incoherence in schizophrenia and highlight the central role of executive dysfunction in this incoherence. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Team learning : New insights through a temporal lens

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lehmann-Willenbrock, N.

    2017-01-01

    Team learning is a complex social phenomenon that develops and changes over time. Hence, to promote understanding of the fine-grained dynamics of team learning, research should account for the temporal patterns of team learning behavior. Taking important steps in this direction, this special issue

  11. Source contributions to atmospheric fine carbon particle concentrations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrew Gray, H.; Cass, Glen R.

    A Lagrangian particle-in-cell air quality model has been developed that facilitates the study of source contributions to atmospheric fine elemental carbon and fine primary total carbon particle concentrations. Model performance was tested using spatially and temporally resolved emissions and air quality data gathered for this purpose in the Los Angeles area for the year 1982. It was shown that black elemental carbon (EC) particle concentrations in that city were dominated by emissions from diesel engines including both on-highway and off-highway applications. Fine primary total carbon particle concentrations (TC=EC+organic carbon) resulted from the accumulation of small increments from a great variety of emission source types including both gasoline and diesel powered highway vehicles, stationary source fuel oil and gas combustion, industrial processes, paved road dust, fireplaces, cigarettes and food cooking (e.g. charbroilers). Strategies for black elemental carbon particle concentration control will of necessity need to focus on diesel engines, while controls directed at total carbon particle concentrations will have to be diversified over a great many source types.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2010-01-01

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

  13. Temporal and spatial influences incur reconfiguration of Arctic heathland soil bacterial community structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hill, Richard; Saetnan, Eli R; Scullion, John; Gwynn-Jones, Dylan; Ostle, Nick; Edwards, Arwyn

    2016-06-01

    Microbial responses to Arctic climate change could radically alter the stability of major stores of soil carbon. However, the sensitivity of plot-scale experiments simulating climate change effects on Arctic heathland soils to potential confounding effects of spatial and temporal changes in soil microbial communities is unknown. Here, the variation in heathland soil bacterial communities at two survey sites in Sweden between spring and summer 2013 and at scales between 0-1 m and, 1-100 m and between sites (> 100 m) were investigated in parallel using 16S rRNA gene T-RFLP and amplicon sequencing. T-RFLP did not reveal spatial structuring of communities at scales structuring effects may not confound comparison between plot-scale treatments, temporal change is a significant influence. Moreover, the prominence of two temporally exclusive keystone taxa suggests that the stability of Arctic heathland soil bacterial communities could be disproportionally influenced by seasonal perturbations affecting individual taxa. © 2015 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-02-10

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-03-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deller, A.; Hogan, S. D.

    2018-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  18. Near equilibrium dynamics and one-dimensional spatial—temporal structures of polar active liquid crystals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Xiao-Gang; Wang Qi; Forest, M. Gregory

    2014-01-01

    We systematically explore near equilibrium, flow-driven, and flow-activity coupled dynamics of polar active liquid crystals using a continuum model. Firstly, we re-derive the hydrodynamic model to ensure the thermodynamic laws are obeyed and elastic stresses and forces are consistently accounted. We then carry out a linear stability analysis about constant steady states to study near equilibrium dynamics around the steady states, revealing long-wave instability inherent in this model system and how active parameters in the model affect the instability. We then study model predictions for one-dimensional (1D) spatial—temporal structures of active liquid crystals in a channel subject to physical boundary conditions. We discuss the model prediction in two selected regimes, one is the viscous stress dominated regime, also known as the flow-driven regime, while the other is the full regime, in which all active mechanisms are included. In the viscous stress dominated regime, the polarity vector is driven by the prescribed flow field. Dynamics depend sensitively on the physical boundary condition and the type of the driven flow field. Bulk-dominated temporal periodic states and spatially homogeneous states are possible under weak anchoring conditions while spatially inhomogeneous states exist under strong anchoring conditions. In the full model, flow-orientation interaction generates a host of planar as well as out-of-plane spatial—temporal structures related to the spontaneous flows due to the molecular self-propelled motion. These results provide contact with the recent literature on active nematic suspensions. In addition, symmetry breaking patterns emerge as the additional active viscous stress due to the polarity vector is included in the force balance. The inertia effect is found to limit the long-time survival of spatial structures to those with small wave numbers, i.e., an asymptotic coarsening to long wave structures. A rich set of mechanisms for generating

  19. Studies on the visualization of the fine relief of the colon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1983-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2007-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2010-01-01

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

  2. Fine root dynamics of mature European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) as influenced by elevated ozone concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mainiero, Raphael; Kazda, Marian; Haeberle, Karl-Heinz; Nikolova, Petia Simeonova; Matyssek, Rainer

    2009-01-01

    Fine root dynamics (diameter < 1 mm) in mature Fagus sylvatica, with the canopies exposed to ambient or twice-ambient ozone concentrations, were investigated throughout 2004. The focus was on the seasonal timing and extent of fine root dynamics (growth, mortality) in relation to the soil environment (water content, temperature). Under ambient ozone concentrations, a significant relationship was found between fine root turnover and soil environmental changes indicating accelerated fine root turnover under favourable soil conditions. In contrast, under elevated ozone, this relationship vanished as the result of an altered temporal pattern of fine root growth. Fine root survival and turnover rate did not differ significantly between the different ozone regimes, although a delay in current-year fine root shedding was found under the elevated ozone concentrations. The data indicate that increasing tropospheric ozone levels can alter the timing of fine root turnover in mature F. sylvatica but do not affect the turnover rate. - Doubling of ozone concentrations in mature European beech affected the seasonal timing of fine root turnover rather than the turnover rate.

  3. Temporal networks

    CERN Document Server

    Saramäki, Jari

    2013-01-01

    The concept of temporal networks is an extension of complex networks as a modeling framework to include information on when interactions between nodes happen. Many studies of the last decade examine how the static network structure affect dynamic systems on the network. In this traditional approach  the temporal aspects are pre-encoded in the dynamic system model. Temporal-network methods, on the other hand, lift the temporal information from the level of system dynamics to the mathematical representation of the contact network itself. This framework becomes particularly useful for cases where there is a lot of structure and heterogeneity both in the timings of interaction events and the network topology. The advantage compared to common static network approaches is the ability to design more accurate models in order to explain and predict large-scale dynamic phenomena (such as, e.g., epidemic outbreaks and other spreading phenomena). On the other hand, temporal network methods are mathematically and concept...

  4. Temporal variation in bat-fruit interactions: Foraging strategies influence network structure over time

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapata-Mesa, Natalya; Montoya-Bustamante, Sebastián; Murillo-García, Oscar E.

    2017-11-01

    Mutualistic interactions, such as seed dispersal, are important for the maintenance of structure and stability of tropical communities. However, there is a lack of information about spatial and temporal variation in plant-animal interaction networks. Thus, our goal was to assess the effect of bat's foraging strategies on temporal variation in the structure and robustness of bat-fruit networks in both a dry and a rain tropical forest. We evaluated monthly variation in bat-fruit networks by using seven structure metrics: network size, average path length, nestedness, modularity, complementary specialization, normalized degree and betweenness centrality. Seed dispersal networks showed variations in size, species composition and modularity; did not present nested structures and their complementary specialization was high compared to other studies. Both networks presented short path lengths, and a constantly high robustness, despite their monthly variations. Sedentary bat species were recorded during all the study periods and occupied more central positions than nomadic species. We conclude that foraging strategies are important structuring factors that affect the dynamic of networks by determining the functional roles of frugivorous bats over time; thus sedentary bats are more important than nomadic species for the maintenance of the network structure, and their conservation is a must.

  5. Some modifications of temporal relation in the sentence with the temporal clause

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonić Ivana N.

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The subject matter of this paper is the modification of temporal relation in the complex sentence with the temporal clause. At the functional different Serbian language corpus the author notices the next types of modified temporality: excepted locational simultaneity complete or partial, and excepted locationalorientational posteriority formalized by the structure V SAMO/JEDINO/OSIM/SEM/IZUZEV(ONDA KAD VSub, and excepted locational simultaneity/excepted terminativity formalized by the structure V SAMO DOK (Neg VSub; sutuational locational simultaneity complete or partial formalized by the structure V U SITUACIJI / U SLUČAJU KAD VSub, with the posibility to be exceptivly modified in the structure V IZUZEV U SITUACIJI / U SLUČAJU KAD VSub; situational-concessive locational simultaneity complete or partial formalized by the structure V (ČAK I (ONDA KAD VSub; situational-conditional locational-orientational posteriority formalized by the structure V TEK (ONDA KAD VSub, and situational-conditional orientational posteriority formalized by the structure V TEK POŠTO VSub or V TEK NAKON ŠTO VSub and situational-conditional orientational quantified posteriority formalized by the structure V Quant TEK POŠTO VSub, and finaly situational-conditional terminativity formalized by the structure (Neg V SVE DOK Neg VSub. It can ocure sporadically supstitutiv temporality formalized by the structure V DetTemp (UMESTO KAD VSub, and consecutive-adversative temporality formalized by the structure KAD VSub A (ONDA V. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 178004: Sintaksička, semantička i pragmatička istraživanja standardnog srpskog jezika

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sathananthan, Henry; Selvaraj, Kamala; Clark, Joan

    2011-08-01

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

  7. Generating spatial precipitation ensembles: impact of temporal correlation structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakovec, O.; Hazenberg, P.; Torfs, P. J. J. F.; Weerts, A. H.; Uijlenhoet, R.

    2012-09-01

    Sound spatially distributed rainfall fields including a proper spatial and temporal error structure are of key interest for hydrologists to force hydrological models and to identify uncertainties in the simulated and forecasted catchment response. The current paper presents a temporally coherent error identification method based on time-dependent multivariate spatial conditional simulations, which are conditioned on preceding simulations. A sensitivity analysis and real-world experiment are carried out within the hilly region of the Belgian Ardennes. Precipitation fields are simulated for pixels of 10 km × 10 km resolution. Uncertainty analyses in the simulated fields focus on (1) the number of previous simulation hours on which the new simulation is conditioned, (2) the advection speed of the rainfall event, (3) the size of the catchment considered, and (4) the rain gauge density within the catchment. The results for a sensitivity analysis show for typical advection speeds >20 km h-1, no uncertainty is added in terms of across ensemble spread when conditioned on more than one or two previous hourly simulations. However, for the real-world experiment, additional uncertainty can still be added when conditioning on a larger number of previous simulations. This is because for actual precipitation fields, the dynamics exhibit a larger spatial and temporal variability. Moreover, by thinning the observation network with 50%, the added uncertainty increases only slightly and the cross-validation shows that the simulations at the unobserved locations are unbiased. Finally, the first-order autocorrelation coefficients show clear temporal coherence in the time series of the areal precipitation using the time-dependent multivariate conditional simulations, which was not the case using the time-independent univariate conditional simulations. The presented work can be easily implemented within a hydrological calibration and data assimilation framework and can be used as an

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Laperashvili, L.V.

    1994-01-01

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

  9. Decreased functional connectivity and structural deficit in alertness network with right-sided temporal lobe epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Yujun; Zheng, Jinou; Li, Yaping; Guo, Danni; Wang, Mingli; Cui, Xiangxiang; Ye, Wei

    2018-04-01

    Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) often suffer from alertness alterations. However, specific regions connected with alertness remain controversial, and whether these regions have structural impairment is also elusive. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics and neural mechanisms underlying the functions and structures of alertness network in patients with right-sided temporal lobe epilepsy (rTLE) by performing the attentional network test (ANT), resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (R-SfMRI), and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).A total of 47 patients with rTLE and 34 healthy controls underwent ANT, R-SfMRI, and DTI scan. The seed-based functional connectivity (FC) method and deterministic tractography were used to analyze the data.Patients with rTLE had longer reaction times in the no-cue and double-cue conditions. However, no differences were noted in the alertness effect between the 2 groups. The patient group had lower FC compared with the control group in the right inferior parietal lobe (IPL), amygdala, and insula. Structural deficits were found in the right parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal pole, insula, and amygdala in the patient group compared with the control group. Also significantly negative correlations were observed between abnormal fractional anisotropy (between the right insula and the superior temporal pole) and illness duration in the patients with rTLE.The findings of this study suggested abnormal intrinsic and phasic alertness, decreased FC, and structural deficits within the alerting network in the rTLE. This study provided new insights into the mechanisms of alertness alterations in rTLE.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1991-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2000-12-25

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2011-01-01

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

  13. Structured spatio-temporal shot-noise Cox point process models, with a view to modelling forest fires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jesper; Diaz-Avalos, Carlos

    Spatio-temporal Cox point process models with a multiplicative structure for the driving random intensity, incorporating covariate information into temporal and spatial components, and with a residual term modelled by a shot-noise process, are considered. Such models are flexible and tractable fo...... dataset consisting of 2796 days and 5834 spatial locations of fires. The model is compared with a spatio-temporal log-Gaussian Cox point process model, and likelihood-based methods are discussed to some extent....

  14. Structured Spatio-temporal shot-noise Cox point process models, with a view to modelling forest fires

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Jesper; Diaz-Avalos, Carlos

    2010-01-01

    Spatio-temporal Cox point process models with a multiplicative structure for the driving random intensity, incorporating covariate information into temporal and spatial components, and with a residual term modelled by a shot-noise process, are considered. Such models are flexible and tractable fo...... data set consisting of 2796 days and 5834 spatial locations of fires. The model is compared with a spatio-temporal log-Gaussian Cox point process model, and likelihood-based methods are discussed to some extent....

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2003-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2003-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  18. A theory of self-organized zonal flow with fine radial structure in tokamak

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Y. Z.; Liu, Z. Y.; Xie, T.; Mahajan, S. M.; Liu, J.

    2017-12-01

    The (low frequency) zonal flow-ion temperature gradient (ITG) wave system, constructed on Braginskii's fluid model in tokamak, is shown to be a reaction-diffusion-advection system; it is derived by making use of a multiple spatiotemporal scale technique and two-dimensional (2D) ballooning theory. For real regular group velocities of ITG waves, two distinct temporal processes, sharing a very similar meso-scale radial structure, are identified in the nonlinear self-organized stage. The stationary and quasi-stationary structures reflect a particular feature of the poloidal group velocity. The equation set posed to be an initial value problem is numerically solved for JET low mode parameters; the results are presented in several figures and two movies that show the spatiotemporal evolutions as well as the spectrum analysis—frequency-wave number spectrum, auto power spectrum, and Lissajous diagram. This approach reveals that the zonal flow in tokamak is a local traveling wave. For the quasi-stationary process, the cycle of ITG wave energy is composed of two consecutive phases in distinct spatiotemporal structures: a pair of Cavitons growing and breathing slowly without long range propagation, followed by a sudden decay into many Instantons that carry negative wave energy rapidly into infinity. A spotlight onto the motion of Instantons for a given radial position reproduces a Blob-Hole temporal structure; the occurrence as well as the rapid decay of Caviton into Instantons is triggered by zero-crossing of radial group velocity. A sample of the radial profile of zonal flow contributed from 31 nonlinearly coupled rational surfaces near plasma edge is found to be very similar to that observed in the JET Ohmic phase [J. C. Hillesheim et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 165002 (2016)]. The theory predicts an interior asymmetric dipole structure associated with the zonal flow that is driven by the gradients of ITG turbulence intensity.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Momoe Mita

    2017-03-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1984-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2009-01-01

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

  3. Advanced diagnosis of the temporal characteristics of ultra-short electron beams

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otake, Yuji

    2011-05-01

    Monitoring the temporal structure of an ultra-short electron beam is an indispensable function in order to tune a machine to obtain a highly qualified beam for a recent sophisticated accelerator, such as an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), and to maintain stable X-ray laser operation. For this purpose, various instruments, such as an HEM11-mode RF beam deflector (RFDEF), a screen monitor (SCM), an electro-optic (EO) sampling method that uses a ZnTe crystal, and a beam position monitor (BPM) have been developed. The SCM that is used to observe the deflected beam image has a position resolution of 2.5 μm, which corresponds to a temporal resolution of 0.5 fs and it is installed at a position 5 m downstream from the RFDEF. The EO sampling method showed the ability to observe an electron bunch length for up to 300 fs (FWHM) at the SCSS test accelerator. The phase reference cavity of the BPM has an additional function of providing beam arrival timing information. A test for the BPM showed temporal fluctuation of 46 fs on the beam arrival timing at the test accelerator. These monitors with high temporal resolutions allow us to achieve the fine beam tuning demanded for the XFEL. The above-mentioned activities are described in this paper as a review article.

  4. Advanced diagnosis of the temporal characteristics of ultra-short electron beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otake, Yuji

    2011-01-01

    Monitoring the temporal structure of an ultra-short electron beam is an indispensable function in order to tune a machine to obtain a highly qualified beam for a recent sophisticated accelerator, such as an X-ray free electron laser (XFEL), and to maintain stable X-ray laser operation. For this purpose, various instruments, such as an HEM11-mode RF beam deflector (RFDEF), a screen monitor (SCM), an electro-optic (EO) sampling method that uses a ZnTe crystal, and a beam position monitor (BPM) have been developed. The SCM that is used to observe the deflected beam image has a position resolution of 2.5 μm, which corresponds to a temporal resolution of 0.5 fs and it is installed at a position 5 m downstream from the RFDEF. The EO sampling method showed the ability to observe an electron bunch length for up to 300 fs (FWHM) at the SCSS test accelerator. The phase reference cavity of the BPM has an additional function of providing beam arrival timing information. A test for the BPM showed temporal fluctuation of 46 fs on the beam arrival timing at the test accelerator. These monitors with high temporal resolutions allow us to achieve the fine beam tuning demanded for the XFEL. The above-mentioned activities are described in this paper as a review article.

  5. Assessing spectral and temporal processing in children and adults using temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF), Iterated Ripple Noise (IRN) perception, and spectral ripple discrimination (SRD).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peter, Varghese; Wong, Kogo; Narne, Vijaya Kumar; Sharma, Mridula; Purdy, Suzanne C; McMahon, Catherine

    2014-02-01

    There are many clinically available tests for the assessment of auditory processing skills in children and adults. However, there is limited data available on the maturational effects on the performance on these tests. The current study investigated maturational effects on auditory processing abilities using three psychophysical measures: temporal modulation transfer function (TMTF), iterated ripple noise (IRN) perception, and spectral ripple discrimination (SRD). A cross-sectional study. Three groups of subjects were tested: 10 adults (18-30 yr), 10 older children (12-18 yr), and 10 young children (8-11 yr) Temporal envelope processing was measured by obtaining thresholds for amplitude modulation detection as a function of modulation frequency (TMTF; 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 Hz). Temporal fine structure processing was measured using IRN, and spectral processing was measured using SRD. The results showed that young children had significantly higher modulation thresholds at 4 Hz (TMTF) compared to the other two groups and poorer SRD scores compared to adults. The results on IRN did not differ across groups. The results suggest that different aspects of auditory processing mature at different age periods and these maturational effects need to be considered while assessing auditory processing in children. American Academy of Audiology.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2012-08-15

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

  7. Thalamotemporal impairment in temporal lobe epilepsy: a combined MRI analysis of structure, integrity, and connectivity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keller, Simon S; O'Muircheartaigh, Jonathan; Traynor, Catherine; Towgood, Karren; Barker, Gareth J; Richardson, Mark P

    2014-02-01

    Thalamic abnormality in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is well known from imaging studies, but evidence is lacking regarding connectivity profiles of the thalamus and their involvement in the disease process. We used a novel multisequence magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol to elucidate the relationship between mesial temporal and thalamic pathology in TLE. For 23 patients with TLE and 23 healthy controls, we performed T1 -weighted (for analysis of tissue structure), diffusion tensor imaging (tissue connectivity), and T1 and T2 relaxation (tissue integrity) MRI across the whole brain. We used connectivity-based segmentation to determine connectivity patterns of thalamus to ipsilateral cortical regions (occipital, parietal, prefrontal, postcentral, precentral, and temporal). We subsequently determined volumes, mean tractography streamlines, and mean T1 and T2 relaxometry values for each thalamic segment preferentially connecting to a given cortical region, and of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. As expected, patients had significant volume reduction and increased T2 relaxation time in ipsilateral hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. There was bilateral volume loss, mean streamline reduction, and T2 increase of the thalamic segment preferentially connected to temporal lobe, corresponding to anterior, dorsomedial, and pulvinar thalamic regions, with no evidence of significant change in any other thalamic segments. Left and right thalamotemporal segment volume and T2 were significantly correlated with volume and T2 of ipsilateral (epileptogenic), but not contralateral (nonepileptogenic), mesial temporal structures. These convergent and robust data indicate that thalamic abnormality in TLE is restricted to the area of the thalamus that is preferentially connected to the epileptogenic temporal lobe. The degree of thalamic pathology is related to the extent of mesial temporal lobe damage in TLE. © 2014 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1980-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1985-05-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2005-10-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hartmetz, P.; Schmoranzer, H.

    1983-01-01

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

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    1954-05-15

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

  13. Biofilm diatom community structure: Influence of temporal and substratum variability

    Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

    Patil, J.S.; Anil, A.C.

    ). The structure and composition of the fouling com- munity exhibit wide temporal and regional varia- tions, which are also influenced by the substratum. Dona Paula Bay, the site of this investigation, is highly dynamic in terms of its physico...-off and nutrient loading in coastal environments. In general, the waters are highly disturbed during the monsoon (June–September) and calm during the pre-monsoon (February–May) and post-monsoon (October–January) periods. Such changes are instrumental...

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1979-06-01

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

  15. Using fine-scale fuel measurements to assess wildland fuels, potential fire behavior and hazard mitigation treatments in the southeastern USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roger D. Ottmar; John I. Blake; William T. Crolly

    2012-01-01

    The inherent spatial and temporal heterogeneity of fuel beds in forests of the southeastern United States may require fine scale fuel measurements for providing reliable fire hazard and fuel treatment effectiveness estimates. In a series of five papers, an intensive, fine scale fuel inventory from the Savanna River Site in the southeastern United States is used for...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianguang Yue

    2018-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1977-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    William H. Klink

    2005-12-01

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

  19. Observational study on the fine structure and dynamics of a solar jet. II. Energy release process revealed by spectral analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sakaue, Takahito; Tei, Akiko; Asai, Ayumi; Ueno, Satoru; Ichimoto, Kiyoshi; Shibata, Kazunari

    2018-01-01

    We report on a solar jet phenomenon associated with the C5.4 class flare on 2014 November 11. The data of the jet was provided by the Solar Dynamics Observatory, the X-Ray Telescope (XRT) aboard Hinode, and the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph and Domeless Solar Telescope (DST) at Hida Observatory, Kyoto University. These plentiful data enabled us to present this series of papers to discuss all the processes of the observed phenomena, including energy storage, event trigger, and energy release. In this paper, we focus on the energy release process of the observed jet, and mainly describe our spectral analysis on the Hα data of DST to investigate the internal structure of the Hα jet and its temporal evolution. This analysis reveals that in the physical quantity distributions of the Hα jet, such as line-of-sight velocity and optical thickness, there is a significant gradient in the direction crossing the jet. We interpret this internal structure as the consequence of the migration of the energy release site, based on the idea of ubiquitous reconnection. Moreover, by measuring the horizontal flow of the fine structures in the jet, we succeeded in deriving the three-dimensional velocity field and the line-of-sight acceleration field of the Hα jet. The analysis result indicates that part of the ejecta in the Hα jet experienced additional acceleration after it had been ejected from the lower atmosphere. This secondary acceleration was found to occur in the vicinity of the intersection between the trajectories of the Hα jet and the X-ray jet observed by Hinode/XRT. We propose that a fundamental cause of this phenomenon is magnetic reconnection involving the plasmoid in the observed jet.

  20. Contrasting effects of vocabulary knowledge on temporal and parietal brain structure across lifespan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Fiona M; Thomas, Michael S C; Filippi, Roberto; Harth, Helen; Price, Cathy J

    2010-05-01

    Using behavioral, structural, and functional imaging techniques, we demonstrate contrasting effects of vocabulary knowledge on temporal and parietal brain structure in 47 healthy volunteers who ranged in age from 7 to 73 years. In the left posterior supramarginal gyrus, vocabulary knowledge was positively correlated with gray matter density in teenagers but not adults. This region was not activated during auditory or visual sentence processing, and activation was unrelated to vocabulary skills. Its gray matter density may reflect the use of an explicit learning strategy that links new words to lexical or conceptual equivalents, as used in formal education and second language acquisition. By contrast, in left posterior temporal regions, gray matter as well as auditory and visual sentence activation correlated with vocabulary knowledge throughout lifespan. We propose that these effects reflect the acquisition of vocabulary through context, when new words are learnt within the context of semantically and syntactically related words.

  1. Generating spatial precipitation ensembles: impact of temporal correlation structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Rakovec

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Sound spatially distributed rainfall fields including a proper spatial and temporal error structure are of key interest for hydrologists to force hydrological models and to identify uncertainties in the simulated and forecasted catchment response. The current paper presents a temporally coherent error identification method based on time-dependent multivariate spatial conditional simulations, which are conditioned on preceding simulations. A sensitivity analysis and real-world experiment are carried out within the hilly region of the Belgian Ardennes. Precipitation fields are simulated for pixels of 10 km × 10 km resolution. Uncertainty analyses in the simulated fields focus on (1 the number of previous simulation hours on which the new simulation is conditioned, (2 the advection speed of the rainfall event, (3 the size of the catchment considered, and (4 the rain gauge density within the catchment. The results for a sensitivity analysis show for typical advection speeds >20 km h−1, no uncertainty is added in terms of across ensemble spread when conditioned on more than one or two previous hourly simulations. However, for the real-world experiment, additional uncertainty can still be added when conditioning on a larger number of previous simulations. This is because for actual precipitation fields, the dynamics exhibit a larger spatial and temporal variability. Moreover, by thinning the observation network with 50%, the added uncertainty increases only slightly and the cross-validation shows that the simulations at the unobserved locations are unbiased. Finally, the first-order autocorrelation coefficients show clear temporal coherence in the time series of the areal precipitation using the time-dependent multivariate conditional simulations, which was not the case using the time-independent univariate conditional simulations. The presented work can be easily implemented within a hydrological calibration and data assimilation

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2010-01-01

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

  3. Syntactic Structure Building in the Anterior Temporal Lobe during Natural Story Listening

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan, Jonathan; Nir, Yuval; Hasson, Uri; Malach, Rafael; Heeger, David J.; Pylkkanen, Liina

    2012-01-01

    The neural basis of syntax is a matter of substantial debate. In particular, the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), or Broca's area, has been prominently linked to syntactic processing, but the anterior temporal lobe has been reported to be activated instead of IFG when manipulating the presence of syntactic structure. These findings are difficult to…

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shevchenko, A.

    2005-02-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-06-01

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

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

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

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

    2000-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

  8. Self-compacting fine-grained concretes with compensated shrinkage

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alimov Lev

    2017-01-01

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

  9. Spatial and Temporal Extent of Ion Spectral Structures at the Inner Edge of the Plasma Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferradas, C.; Reeves, G. D.; Zhang, J.; Spence, H. E.; Kistler, L. M.; Larsen, B.; Skoug, R. M.; Funsten, H. O.

    2017-12-01

    Several ion spectral structures are observed near the inner edge of the plasma sheet and constitute the signatures of ion drift and loss in the highly dynamic environment of the inner magnetosphere. Their study helps us understand ion access and losses in this region. Several studies have found that these structures vary with geomagnetic activity, local time, and ion species, but their spatial and temporal extent remain undetermined. We use data from the Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) mass spectrometers onboard the Van Allen Probes to analyze the spectral structures in the energy range of 1- 50 keV. HOPE measurements on both Van Allen Probes spacecraft enable us to resolve the extent of these ion structures in space and time. As the structures respond to changes in the convection electric field on a variety of time scales, the lapping of the two spacecraft on time scales of minutes to hours helps determine their spatial and temporal evolution.

  10. The role of temporal structure in the investigation of sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception: a healthy-aging perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rimmele, Johanna Maria; Sussman, Elyse; Poeppel, David

    2015-02-01

    Listening situations with multiple talkers or background noise are common in everyday communication and are particularly demanding for older adults. Here we review current research on auditory perception in aging individuals in order to gain insights into the challenges of listening under noisy conditions. Informationally rich temporal structure in auditory signals--over a range of time scales from milliseconds to seconds--renders temporal processing central to perception in the auditory domain. We discuss the role of temporal structure in auditory processing, in particular from a perspective relevant for hearing in background noise, and focusing on sensory memory, auditory scene analysis, and speech perception. Interestingly, these auditory processes, usually studied in an independent manner, show considerable overlap of processing time scales, even though each has its own 'privileged' temporal regimes. By integrating perspectives on temporal structure processing in these three areas of investigation, we aim to highlight similarities typically not recognized. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2008-01-01

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

  12. (1,3;1,4)-β-Glucan Biosynthesis by the CSLF6 Enzyme: Position and Flexibility of Catalytic Residues Influence Product Fine Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-04-05

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

  13. Changes in fine-root production, phenology and spatial distribution in response to N application in irrigated sweet cherry trees.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Artacho, Pamela; Bonomelli, Claudia

    2016-05-01

    Factors regulating fine-root growth are poorly understood, particularly in fruit tree species. In this context, the effects of N addition on the temporal and spatial distribution of fine-root growth and on the fine-root turnover were assessed in irrigated sweet cherry trees. The influence of other exogenous and endogenous factors was also examined. The rhizotron technique was used to measure the length-based fine-root growth in trees fertilized at two N rates (0 and 60 kg ha(-1)), and the above-ground growth, leaf net assimilation, and air and soil variables were simultaneously monitored. N fertilization exerted a basal effect throughout the season, changing the magnitude, temporal patterns and spatial distribution of fine-root production and mortality. Specifically, N addition enhanced the total fine-root production by increasing rates and extending the production period. On average, N-fertilized trees had a length-based production that was 110-180% higher than in control trees, depending on growing season. Mortality was proportional to production, but turnover rates were inconsistently affected. Root production and mortality was homogeneously distributed in the soil profile of N-fertilized trees while control trees had 70-80% of the total fine-root production and mortality concentrated below 50 cm depth. Root mortality rates were associated with soil temperature and water content. In contrast, root production rates were primarily under endogenous control, specifically through source-sink relationships, which in turn were affected by N supply through changes in leaf photosynthetic level. Therefore, exogenous and endogenous factors interacted to control the fine-root dynamics of irrigated sweet cherry trees. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Updated constraints on spatial variations of the fine-structure constant

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A.M.M. Pinho

    2016-05-01

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

  15. A Narrative-Expectation-Based Approach to Temporal Update in Discourse Comprehension

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dery, Jeruen E.; Koenig, Jean-Pierre

    2015-01-01

    This study concerns the mechanisms involving temporal update in discourse comprehension, comparing traditional approaches based on "Aktionsart" and Iconicity against an approach based on narrative expectations. Our experiments suggest that readers pay more attention to fine-grained discourse properties (such as salient temporal…

  16. Temporal Control over Transient Chemical Systems using Structurally Diverse Chemical Fuels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jack L-Y; Maiti, Subhabrata; Fortunati, Ilaria; Ferrante, Camilla; Prins, Leonard J

    2017-08-25

    The next generation of adaptive, intelligent chemical systems will rely on a continuous supply of energy to maintain the functional state. Such systems will require chemical methodology that provides precise control over the energy dissipation process, and thus, the lifetime of the transiently activated function. This manuscript reports on the use of structurally diverse chemical fuels to control the lifetime of two different systems under dissipative conditions: transient signal generation and the transient formation of self-assembled aggregates. The energy stored in the fuels is dissipated at different rates by an enzyme, which installs a dependence of the lifetime of the active system on the chemical structure of the fuel. In the case of transient signal generation, it is shown that different chemical fuels can be used to generate a vast range of signal profiles, allowing temporal control over two orders of magnitude. Regarding self-assembly under dissipative conditions, the ability to control the lifetime using different fuels turns out to be particularly important as stable aggregates are formed only at well-defined surfactant/fuel ratios, meaning that temporal control cannot be achieved by simply changing the fuel concentration. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  17. Fine structure near the starting frequency of solar type III radio bursts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Benz, A.O.; Zlobec, P.; Jaeggi, M.

    1982-06-01

    We have systematically analyzed the period in time and frequency adjacent to the beginning of type III bursts digitally recorded at Bleien during the second half of 1980. A surprisingly high percentage (10%, possibly more than 20%) of the type III bursts show fine structure in the form of narrow-banded spikes of 0.05 s and less duration, which form clusters of relatively large bandwidth. These spikes are not totally polarized (contrary to claims in the literature) and they are uniformly distributed over the disk. Individual spikes often show highly variable polarization, which may even change sense. The average degree of polarization of the clouds has a wider distribution than that of the associated type III bursts, but generally the same sign. Spikes are considerably different from type I bursts.

  18. Higher-order Stark effect on magnetic fine structure of the helium atom

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Magunov, A.; Pal' chikov, V.; Pivovarov, V. [National Research Inst. for Physical-Technical and Radiotechnical Measurements (VNIIFTRI), Mendeleevo, Moscow Region (Russian Federation); Ovsiannikov, V. [Dept. of Physics, Voronezh State Univ. (Russian Federation); Oppen, G. von [Inst. fuer Analytische und Atomare Physik at Technische Univ. Berlin (Germany)

    2001-07-01

    We have calculated the scalar and tensor dipole polarizabilities ({beta}) and hyperpolarizabilities ({gamma}) of excited 1s2p {sup 3}P{sub 0}, 1s2p {sup 3}P{sub 2}- states of helium. Our theory includes fine structure of triplet sublevels. Semiempirical and accurate electron-correlated wave functions have been used to determine the static values of {beta} and {gamma}. Numerical calculations are carried out using sums of oscillator strengths and, alternatively, with the Green function for the excited valence electron. Specifically, we present results for the integral over the continuum, for second- and fourth-order matrix elements. The corresponding estimations indicate that these corrections are of the order of 23% for the scalar part of polarizability and only of the order of 3% for the tensor part.

  19. Fine structure and ionization energy of the 1s2s2p 4P state of the helium negative ion He-.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Liming; Li, Chun; Yan, Zong-Chao; Drake, G W F

    2014-12-31

    The fine structure and ionization energy of the 1s2s2p (4)P state of the helium negative ion He(-) are calculated in Hylleraas coordinates, including relativistic and QED corrections up to O(α(4)mc(2)), O((μ/M)α(4)mc(2)), O(α(5)mc(2)), and O((μ/M)α(5)mc(2)). Higher order corrections are estimated for the ionization energy. A comparison is made with other calculations and experiments. We find that the present results for the fine structure splittings agree with experiment very well. However, the calculated ionization energy deviates from the experimental result by about 1 standard deviation. The estimated theoretical uncertainty in the ionization energy is much less than the experimental accuracy.

  20. Reduced fine-scale spatial genetic structure in grazed populations of Dianthus carthusianorum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rico, Y; Wagner, H H

    2016-11-01

    Strong spatial genetic structure in plant populations can increase homozygosity, reducing genetic diversity and adaptive potential. The strength of spatial genetic structure largely depends on rates of seed dispersal and pollen flow. Seeds without dispersal adaptations are likely to be dispersed over short distances within the vicinity of the mother plant, resulting in spatial clustering of related genotypes (fine-scale spatial genetic structure, hereafter spatial genetic structure (SGS)). However, primary seed dispersal by zoochory can promote effective dispersal, increasing the mixing of seeds and influencing SGS within plant populations. In this study, we investigated the effects of seed dispersal by rotational sheep grazing on the strength of SGS and genetic diversity using 11 nuclear microsatellites for 49 populations of the calcareous grassland forb Dianthus carthusianorum. Populations connected by rotational sheep grazing showed significantly weaker SGS and higher genetic diversity than populations in ungrazed grasslands. Independent of grazing treatment, small populations showed significantly stronger SGS and lower genetic diversity than larger populations, likely due to genetic drift. A lack of significant differences in the strength of SGS and genetic diversity between populations that were recently colonized and pre-existing populations suggested that populations colonized after the reintroduction of rotational sheep grazing were likely founded by colonists from diverse source populations. We conclude that dispersal by rotational sheep grazing has the potential to considerably reduce SGS within D. carthusianorum populations. Our study highlights the effectiveness of landscape management by rotational sheep grazing to importantly reduce genetic structure at local scales within restored plant populations.

  1. Object-Based Paddy Rice Mapping Using HJ-1A/B Data and Temporal Features Extracted from Time Series MODIS NDVI Data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singha, Mrinal; Wu, Bingfang; Zhang, Miao

    2016-12-22

    Accurate and timely mapping of paddy rice is vital for food security and environmental sustainability. This study evaluates the utility of temporal features extracted from coarse resolution data for object-based paddy rice classification of fine resolution data. The coarse resolution vegetation index data is first fused with the fine resolution data to generate the time series fine resolution data. Temporal features are extracted from the fused data and added with the multi-spectral data to improve the classification accuracy. Temporal features provided the crop growth information, while multi-spectral data provided the pattern variation of paddy rice. The achieved overall classification accuracy and kappa coefficient were 84.37% and 0.68, respectively. The results indicate that the use of temporal features improved the overall classification accuracy of a single-date multi-spectral image by 18.75% from 65.62% to 84.37%. The minimum sensitivity (MS) of the paddy rice classification has also been improved. The comparison showed that the mapped paddy area was analogous to the agricultural statistics at the district level. This work also highlighted the importance of feature selection to achieve higher classification accuracies. These results demonstrate the potential of the combined use of temporal and spectral features for accurate paddy rice classification.

  2. Temporal networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holme, Petter; Saramäki, Jari

    2012-10-01

    A great variety of systems in nature, society and technology-from the web of sexual contacts to the Internet, from the nervous system to power grids-can be modeled as graphs of vertices coupled by edges. The network structure, describing how the graph is wired, helps us understand, predict and optimize the behavior of dynamical systems. In many cases, however, the edges are not continuously active. As an example, in networks of communication via e-mail, text messages, or phone calls, edges represent sequences of instantaneous or practically instantaneous contacts. In some cases, edges are active for non-negligible periods of time: e.g., the proximity patterns of inpatients at hospitals can be represented by a graph where an edge between two individuals is on throughout the time they are at the same ward. Like network topology, the temporal structure of edge activations can affect dynamics of systems interacting through the network, from disease contagion on the network of patients to information diffusion over an e-mail network. In this review, we present the emergent field of temporal networks, and discuss methods for analyzing topological and temporal structure and models for elucidating their relation to the behavior of dynamical systems. In the light of traditional network theory, one can see this framework as moving the information of when things happen from the dynamical system on the network, to the network itself. Since fundamental properties, such as the transitivity of edges, do not necessarily hold in temporal networks, many of these methods need to be quite different from those for static networks. The study of temporal networks is very interdisciplinary in nature. Reflecting this, even the object of study has many names-temporal graphs, evolving graphs, time-varying graphs, time-aggregated graphs, time-stamped graphs, dynamic networks, dynamic graphs, dynamical graphs, and so on. This review covers different fields where temporal graphs are considered

  3. An Investigation of the Fine Spatial Structure of Meteor Streams Using the Relational Database ``Meteor''

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpov, A. V.; Yumagulov, E. Z.

    2003-05-01

    We have restored and ordered the archive of meteor observations carried out with a meteor radar complex ``KGU-M5'' since 1986. A relational database has been formed under the control of the Database Management System (DBMS) Oracle 8. We also improved and tested a statistical method for studying the fine spatial structure of meteor streams with allowance for the specific features of application of the DBMS. Statistical analysis of the results of observations made it possible to obtain information about the substance distribution in the Quadrantid, Geminid, and Perseid meteor streams.

  4. Dispersal Ability Determines the Role of Environmental, Spatial and Temporal Drivers of Metacommunity Structure

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Padial, André A.; Ceschin, Fernanda; Declerck, Steven A. J.; De Meester, Luc; Bonecker, Cláudia C.; Lansac-Tôha, Fabio A.; Rodrigues, Liliana; Rodrigues, Luzia C.; Train, Sueli; Velho, Luiz F. M.; Bini, Luis M.

    2014-01-01

    Recently, community ecologists are focusing on the relative importance of local environmental factors and proxies to dispersal limitation to explain spatial variation in community structure. Albeit less explored, temporal processes may also be important in explaining species composition variation in

  5. A search for fine structure of the time-of-flight spectrum of the fission neutrons of 252Cf

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Scobie, J.; Scott, R.D.; Feather, N.; Vass, D.G.

    1977-01-01

    A standard time-of-flight arrangement, in which start pulses were supplied by fission fragments and stop pulses by neutrons, has been employed in an attempt to check recent claims of the existence of fine structures in the time-of-flight spectrum of the fission neutrons of 252 Cf. This structure, in the form of spikes with tails towards longer times, has been attributed to the emission of neutrons of short delay (with half-lives of a few to a hundred or so nanoseconds) in the fission process. It has not been possible to find any convincing evidence for the existence of such structure. (author)

  6. Fine-structure constant: Is it really a constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bekenstein, J.D.

    1982-01-01

    It is often claimed that the fine-structure ''constant'' α is shown to be strictly constant in time by a variety of astronomical and geophysical results. These constrain its fractional rate of change alpha-dot/α to at least some orders of magnitude below the Hubble rate H 0 . We argue that the conclusion is not as straightforward as claimed since there are good physical reasons to expect alpha-dot/α 0 . We propose to decide the issue by constructing a framework for a variability based on very general assumptions: covariance, gauge invariance, causality, and time-reversal invariance of electromagnetism, as well as the idea that the Planck-Wheeler length (10 -33 cm) is the shortest scale allowable in any theory. The framework endows α with well-defined dynamics, and entails a modification of Maxwell electrodynamics. It proves very difficult to rule it out with purely electromagnetic experiments. In a cosmological setting, the framework predicts an alpha-dot/α which can be compatible with the astronomical constraints; hence, these are too insensitive to rule out α variability. There is marginal conflict with the geophysical constraints: however, no firm decision is possible because of uncertainty about various cosmological parameters. By contrast the framework's predictions for spatial gradients of α are in fatal conflict with the results of the Eoetvoes-Dicke-Braginsky experiments. Hence these tests of the equivalence principle rule out with confidence spacetime variability of α at any level

  7. Coronal Fine Structure in Dynamic Events Observed by Hi-C

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winebarger, Amy; Schuler, Timothy

    2013-01-01

    The High-Resolution Coronal Imager (Hi-C) flew aboard a NASA sounding rocket on 2012 July 11 and captured roughly 345 s of high spatial and temporal resolution images of the solar corona in a narrowband 193 Angstrom channel. We have analyzed the fluctuations in intensity of Active Region 11520. We selected events based on a lifetime greater than 11 s (two Hi-C frames) and intensities greater than a threshold determined from the photon and readout noise. We compare the Hi-C events with those determined from AIA. We find that HI-C detects shorter and smaller events than AIA. We also find that the intensity increase in the Hi-C events is approx. 3 times greater than the intensity increase in the AIA events we conclude the events are related to linear sub-structure that is unresolved by AIA

  8. Coupled channels description of the α-decay fine structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delion, D. S.; Ren, Zhongzhou; Dumitrescu, A.; Ni, Dongdong

    2018-05-01

    We review the coupled channels approach of α transitions to excited states. The α-decaying states are identified as narrow outgoing Gamow resonances in an α-daughter potential. The real part of the eigenvalue corresponds to the Q-value, while the imaginary part determines the half of the total α-decay width. We first review the calculations describing transitions to rotational states treated by the rigid rotator model, in even–even, odd-mass and odd–odd nuclei. It is found that the semiclassical method overestimates the branching ratios to excited 4+ for some even–even α-emitters and fails in explaining the unexpected inversion of branching ratios of some odd-mass nuclei, while the coupled-channels results show good agreement with the experimental data. Then, we review the coupled channels method for α-transitions to 2+ vibrational and transitional states. We present the results of the Coherent State Model that describes in a unified way the spectra of vibrational, transitional and rotational nuclei. We evidence general features of the α-decay fine structure, namely the linear dependence between α-intensities and excitation energy, the linear correlation between the strength of the α-core interaction and spectroscopic factor, and the inverse correlation between the nuclear collectivity, given by electromagnetic transitions, and α-clustering.

  9. Temporal structure of neuronal population oscillations with empirical model decomposition

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li Xiaoli

    2006-01-01

    Frequency analysis of neuronal oscillation is very important for understanding the neural information processing and mechanism of disorder in the brain. This Letter addresses a new method to analyze the neuronal population oscillations with empirical mode decomposition (EMD). Following EMD of neuronal oscillation, a series of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) are obtained, then Hilbert transform of IMFs can be used to extract the instantaneous time frequency structure of neuronal oscillation. The method is applied to analyze the neuronal oscillation in the hippocampus of epileptic rats in vivo, the results show the neuronal oscillations have different descriptions during the pre-ictal, seizure onset and ictal periods of the epileptic EEG at the different frequency band. This new method is very helpful to provide a view for the temporal structure of neural oscillation

  10. Surgical Considerations of Intractable Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boling, Warren W.

    2018-01-01

    Surgery of temporal lobe epilepsy is the best opportunity for seizure freedom in medically intractable patients. The surgical approach has evolved to recognize the paramount importance of the mesial temporal structures in the majority of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who have a seizure origin in the mesial temporal structures. For those individuals with medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, a selective amygdalohippocampectomy surgery can be done that provides an excellent opportunity for seizure freedom and limits the resection to temporal lobe structures primarily involved in seizure genesis. PMID:29461485

  11. Surgical Considerations of Intractable Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warren W. Boling

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Surgery of temporal lobe epilepsy is the best opportunity for seizure freedom in medically intractable patients. The surgical approach has evolved to recognize the paramount importance of the mesial temporal structures in the majority of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy who have a seizure origin in the mesial temporal structures. For those individuals with medically intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, a selective amygdalohippocampectomy surgery can be done that provides an excellent opportunity for seizure freedom and limits the resection to temporal lobe structures primarily involved in seizure genesis.

  12. X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) Studies of Oxide Glasses—A 45-Year Overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zanotto, Edgar Dutra

    2018-01-01

    X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (XAFS) spectroscopy has been widely used to characterize the short-range order of glassy materials since the theoretical basis was established 45 years ago. Soon after the technique became accessible, mainly due to the existence of Synchrotron laboratories, a wide range of glassy materials was characterized. Silicate glasses have been the most studied because they are easy to prepare, they have commercial value and are similar to natural glasses, but borate, germanate, phosphate, tellurite and other less frequent oxide glasses have also been studied. In this manuscript, we review reported advances in the structural characterization of oxide-based glasses using this technique. A focus is on structural characterization of transition metal ions, especially Ti, Fe, and Ni, and their role in different properties of synthetic oxide-based glasses, as well as their important function in the formation of natural glasses and magmas, and in nucleation and crystallization. We also give some examples of XAFS applications for structural characterization of glasses submitted to high pressure, glasses used to store radioactive waste and medieval glasses. This updated, comprehensive review will likely serve as a useful guide to clarify the details of the short-range structure of oxide glasses. PMID:29382102

  13. Molybdenum reduction in a sulfidic lake: Evidence from X-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy and implications for the Mo paleoproxy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dahl, T. W.; Chappaz, A.; Fitts, J. P.

    2013-01-01

    and the ultimate Mo host in euxinic sediments are not well understood. We used X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy to determine the oxidation state and the molecular coordination environment of pristine, solid phase Mo in sediments from permanently euxinic Lake Cadagno, Switzerland. Samples were...

  14. Temporal lobe volume predicts Wada memory test performance in patients with mesial temporal sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Kan; Gong, Yunhua; Modur, Pradeep N; Diaz-Arrastia, Ramon; Agostini, Mark; Gupta, Puneet; McColl, Roderick; Hays, Ryan; Van Ness, Paul

    2016-02-01

    The Wada test is widely used in the presurgical evaluation of potential temporal lobectomy patients to predict postoperative memory function. Expected asymmetry (EA), defined as Wada memory lateralized to the nonsurgical hemisphere, or a higher score after injection of the surgical hemisphere would be considered favorable in terms of postoperative memory outcome. However, in some cases, nonlateralized memory (NM) results, with no appreciable asymmetry, may occur because of impaired scores after both injections, often leading to denial of surgery. The reason for such nonlateralized Wada memory in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) remains unclear. Given that quantitative morphometric magnetic resonance imaging studies in TLE patients have shown bilateral regional atrophy in temporal and extratemporal structures, we hypothesized that the volume loss in contralateral temporal structures could contribute to nonlateralized Wada memory performance. To investigate this, we examined the relationship between the volume changes of temporal structures and Wada memory scores in patients with intractable TLE with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) using an age- and gender-matched control group. Memory was considered nonlateralized if the absolute difference in the total correct recall scores between ipsilateral and contralateral injections was memory was lateralized in 15 and nonlateralized in 6 patients, with all the nonlateralized scores being observed in left TLE. The recall scores after ipsilateral injection were significantly lower in patients with an NM profile than an EA profile (23 ± 14% vs. 59 ± 18% correct recall, p ≤ 0.001). However, the recall scores after contralateral injection were low but similar between the two groups (25 ± 17% vs. 25 ± 15% correct recall, p=0.97). Compared to controls, all the patients showed greater volume loss in the temporal regions. However, patients with a NM profile showed significantly more volume loss than those

  15. Bloch oscillations of ultracold atoms and measurement of the fine structure constant; Oscillations de Bloch d'atomes ultrafroids et mesure de la constante de structure fine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Clade, P

    2005-10-15

    From a measurement of the recoil velocity of an atom absorbing a photon, it is possible to deduce a determination of the ratio h/m between the Planck constant and the mass of the atoms and then to deduce a value of the fine structure constant alpha. To do this measurement, we use the technique of Bloch oscillations, which allows us to transfer a large number of recoils to atoms. A velocity sensor, based on velocity selective Raman transition, enables us to measure the momentum transferred to the atoms. A measurement with a statistical uncertainty of 4.4 10{sup -9}, in conjunction with a careful study of systematic effects (5 10{sup -9}), has led us to a determination of alpha with an uncertainty of 6.7 10{sup -9}: {alpha}{sup -1}(Rb) = 137.03599878 (91). This uncertainty is similar to the uncertainty of the best determinations of alpha based on atom interferometry. (author)

  16. Spatial and temporal vision of macaques after central retinal lesions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Merigan, W.H.; Pasternak, T.; Zehl, D.

    1981-01-01

    Spatial contrast and temporal modulation sensitivity of two macaque monkeys were measured at three luminance levels before and after binocular laser coagulation of the fovea. The radius of the lesions ranged from 1.6 to 2.2 degree from the center of the fovea. After placement of the lesions, the visibility of high spatial frequencies was greatly reduced, although sensitivity at middle and low spatial frequencies was unaffected. No loss of spatial resolution was found at the lowest luminance tested. When temporal modulation sensitivity was tested with 4 deg targets, foveal lesions had no effect at any temporal frequency or luminance. However, with a 0.57 degree target, sensitivity to lower temporal frequencies was impaired. Thus visual loss after destruction of the fovea is limited to high luminance, small targets, and the resolution of fine detail

  17. Fine- and hyperfine structure investigations of the even-parity configuration system of the atomic holmium

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefanska, D.; Ruczkowski, J.; Elantkowska, M.; Furmann, B.

    2018-04-01

    In this work new experimental results concerning the hyperfine structure (hfs) for the even-parity level system of the holmium atom (Ho I) were obtained; additionally, hfs data obtained recently as a by-product in investigations of the odd-parity level system were summarized. In the present work the values of the magnetic dipole and the electric quadrupole hfs constants A and B were determined for 24 even-parity levels, for 14 of them for the first time. On the basis of these results, as well as on available literature data, a parametric study of the fine structure and the hyperfine structure for the even-parity configurations of atomic holmium was performed. A multi-configuration fit of 7 configurations was carried out, taking into account second-order of the perturbation theory. For unknown electronic levels predicted values of the level energies and hfs constants are given, which can facilitate further experimental investigations.

  18. Fine motor skills development of children with autism sepctrum disorder.

    OpenAIRE

    Marešová, Petra

    2010-01-01

    My diploma thesis topic is Fine motor skills development of children with autism spectrum disorder. The objective of this document is to create a well arranged group of exercises and structured tasks aimed to develop fine motor skills of children at pre-school age with autism spectrum disorder. Theoretical part of this diploma thesis contains basic information related to autism and various details about motor skills. Practical section describes individual jobs and structured tasks used for fi...

  19. Development of Ultra-Fine-Grained Structure in AISI 321 Austenitic Stainless Steel

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tiamiyu, A. A.; Szpunar, J. A.; Odeshi, A. G.; Oguocha, I.; Eskandari, M.

    2017-12-01

    Ultra-fine-grained (UFG) structure was developed in AISI 321 austenitic stainless steel (ASS) using cryogenic rolling followed by annealing treatments at 923 K, 973 K, 1023 K, and 1073 K (650 °C, 700 °C, 750 °C, and 800 °C) for different lengths of time. The α'-martensite to γ-austenite reversion behavior and the associated texture development were analyzed in the cryo-rolled specimens after annealing. The activation energy, Q, required for the reversion of α'-martensite to γ-austenite in the steel was estimated to be 80 kJ mol-1. TiC precipitates and unreversed triple junction α'-martensite played major roles in the development of UFG structure through the Zener pinning of grain boundaries. The optimum annealing temperature and time for the development of UFG structure in the cryo-rolled AISI 321 steel are (a) 923 K (650 °C) for approximately 28800 seconds and (b) 1023 K (750 °C) for 600 seconds, with average grain sizes of 0.22 and 0.31 µm, respectively. Annealing at 1023 K (750 °C) is considered a better alternative since the volume fraction of precipitated carbides in specimens annealed at 1023 K (750 °C) are less than those annealed at 923 K (650 °C). More so, the energy consumption during prolonged annealing time to achieve an UFG structure at 923 K (650 °C) is higher due to low phase reversion rate. The hardness of the UFG specimens is 195 pct greater than that of the as-received steel. The higher volume fraction of TiC precipitates in the UFG structure may be an additional source of hardening. Micro and macrotexture analysis indicated {110}〈uvw〉 as the major texture component of the austenite grains in the UFG structure. Its intensity is stronger in the specimen annealed at low temperatures.

  20. The Fine Art in Structure of John Fowles’ Novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oksana Levytska

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the role of descriptive context in the structure of John Fowles’ novel “The French Lieutenant’s Woman”. Based on the intermedial analysis there was analyzed the semiotics of fine art in the novel, in particular an appeal to the Pre-Raphaelite art and the Renaissance painting. It was found that John Fowles’ works tend to use the poetics of different kinds of arts: the writer appeals to painting, operates its sign system, recodes signs of visual art by the language of a literary text, expanding the context of its understanding, interpretation and reception. There were studied intermedial connections of the novel with other works of arts. It was found that in the writer’s novels and stories were presented the most clearly visual arts in terms of their classification for the form of sensory perception. Among the arts in relation to time and space are dominated spatial arts: painting, sculpture, architecture, photography, decorative arts. The study focuses on the fine art, especially painting. The descriptive context is multivariation and multifunctional, it has manifestations on a level with the intermedial citation of painting, ekphrasis in landscape or portrait sketches, paintings of visualizing of characters’ imagination, allusions to works of art, etc., explicitly and implicitly represented in the texts. Intermedial analysis allows us to see the relationship of John Fowles’ novel with the Pre-Raphaelite art. In the character context the descriptive component increases literary, cultural and historical contextual characteristics. Introduced in the structure of a literary text the descriptive context on the semiotic level forms the axiological context. The system of ethical and aesthetic values of different cultural eras is extrapolated through the artistic context. So, the article studies the intermedial novel connections with other works of art. The descriptive context of the novel is manifested at

  1. Fine-scale spatio-temporal variation in tiger Panthera tigris diet: Effect of study duration and extent on estimates of tiger diet in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapfer, Paul M.; Streby, Henry M.; Gurung, B.; Simcharoen, A.; McDougal, C.C.; Smith, J.L.D.

    2011-01-01

    Attempts to conserve declining tiger Panthera tigris populations and distributions have experienced limited success. The poaching of tiger prey is a key threat to tiger persistence; a clear understanding of tiger diet is a prerequisite to conserve dwindling populations. We used unpublished data on tiger diet in combination with two previously published studies to examine fine-scale spatio-temporal changes in tiger diet relative to prey abundance in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, and aggregated data from the three studies to examine the effect that study duration and the size of the study area have on estimates of tiger diet. Our results correspond with those of previous studies: in all three studies, tiger diet was dominated by members of Cervidae; small to medium-sized prey was important in one study. Tiger diet was unrelated to prey abundance, and the aggregation of studies indicates that increasing study duration and study area size both result in increased dietary diversity in terms of prey categories consumed, and increasing study duration changed which prey species contributed most to tiger diet. Based on our results, we suggest that managers focus their efforts on minimizing the poaching of all tiger prey, and that future studies of tiger diet be of long duration and large spatial extent to improve our understanding of spatio-temporal variation in estimates of tiger diet. ?? 2011 Wildlife Biology, NKV.

  2. State of the art in the determination of the fine structure constant: test of Quantum Electrodynamics and determination of h/mu

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bouchendira, Rym; Clade, Pierre; Nez, Francois; Biraben, Francois; Guellati-Khelifa, Saida

    2013-01-01

    The fine structure constant α has a particular status in physics. Its precise determination is required to test the quantum electrodynamics (QED) theory. The constant α is also a keystone for the determination of other fundamental physical constants, especially the ones involved in the framework of the future International System of units. This paper presents Paris experiment, where the fine structure constant is determined by measuring the recoil velocity of a rubidium atom when it absorbs a photon. The impact of the recent improvement of QED calculations of the electron moment anomaly and the recent measurement of the cesium atom recoil at Berkeley will be discussed. The opportunity to provide a precise value of the ratio h/m u between the Planck constant and the atomic mass constant will be investigated. (copyright 2013 by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

  3. Graphene directed architecture of fine engineered nanostructures with electrochemical applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hou, Chengyi; Zhang, Minwei; Halder, Arnab

    2017-01-01

    , and polymers has led to the possibility to create new electroactive and multifunctional nanostructures, which can serve as promising material platforms for electrochemical purposes. However, the precise control and fine-tuning of material structures and properties are still challenging and in demand...... classified nanostructures, including metallic nanostructures, self-assembled organic and supramolecular structures, and fine engineered metal oxides. In these cases, graphene templates either sacrificed during templating synthesis or retained as support for final products. We also discuss remained challenges....... In this review, we aim to highlight some recent efforts devoted to rational design, assembly and fine engineering of electrochemically active nanostructures using graphene or/and its derivatives as soft templates for controlled synthesis and directed growth. We organize the contents according to the chemically...

  4. Electron impact excitation of fine-structure levels of neon-like titanium (Ti XIII)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gupta, G.P.; Deb, N.C.; Msezane, A.Z.

    1999-01-01

    The authors present results of a Breit-Pauli R-matrix calculation for the electron impact excitation of neon-like titanium, in which the 27 lowest fine-structure target levels arising out of the 4 lowest configurations 2s 2 2p 6 , 2s 2 2p 5 3s, 2s 2 2p 5 3p, and 2s 2 2p 5 3d are included. These target levels are represented by configuration interaction wave functions using the 1s, 2s, 2p, 3s, 3p, and 3d basic orbitals. The relativistic effects are included in the Breit-Pauli approximation via one-body mass correction, Darwin, and spin-orbit interaction terms in the scattering equations. For many transitions, complex resonance structures are found in the excitation cross sections. The excitation cross sections are integrated over a Maxwellian distribution of electron energies to give electron excitation rate coefficients over a wide temperature range from 150 to 600 eV. The relative populations for different electron densities and temperatures are also presented

  5. Impaired temporal, not just spatial, resolution in amblyopia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spang, Karoline; Fahle, Manfred

    2009-11-01

    In amblyopia, neuronal deficits deteriorate spatial vision including visual acuity, possibly because of a lack of use-dependent fine-tuning of afferents to the visual cortex during infancy; but temporal processing may deteriorate as well. Temporal, rather than spatial, resolution was investigated in patients with amblyopia by means of a task based on time-defined figure-ground segregation. Patients had to indicate the quadrant of the visual field where a purely time-defined square appeared. The results showed a clear decrease in temporal resolution of patients' amblyopic eyes compared with the dominant eyes in this task. The extent of this decrease in figure-ground segregation based on time of motion onset only loosely correlated with the decrease in spatial resolution and spanned a smaller range than did the spatial loss. Control experiments with artificially induced blur in normal observers confirmed that the decrease in temporal resolution was not simply due to the acuity loss. Amblyopia not only decreases spatial resolution, but also temporal factors such as time-based figure-ground segregation, even at high stimulus contrasts. This finding suggests that the realm of neuronal processes that may be disturbed in amblyopia is larger than originally thought.

  6. PROPERTIES AND MODELING OF UNRESOLVED FINE STRUCTURE LOOPS OBSERVED IN THE SOLAR TRANSITION REGION BY IRIS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brooks, David H. [College of Science, George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (United States); Reep, Jeffrey W.; Warren, Harry P. [Space Science Division, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC 20375 (United States)

    2016-08-01

    Recent observations from the Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph ( IRIS ) have discovered a new class of numerous low-lying dynamic loop structures, and it has been argued that they are the long-postulated unresolved fine structures (UFSs) that dominate the emission of the solar transition region. In this letter, we combine IRIS measurements of the properties of a sample of 108 UFSs (intensities, lengths, widths, lifetimes) with one-dimensional non-equilibrium ionization simulations, using the HYDRAD hydrodynamic model to examine whether the UFSs are now truly spatially resolved in the sense of being individual structures rather than being composed of multiple magnetic threads. We find that a simulation of an impulsively heated single strand can reproduce most of the observed properties, suggesting that the UFSs may be resolved, and the distribution of UFS widths implies that they are structured on a spatial scale of 133 km on average. Spatial scales of a few hundred kilometers appear to be typical for a range of chromospheric and coronal structures, and we conjecture that this could be an important clue for understanding the coronal heating process.

  7. HIGH-QUALITY ORNAMENTAL FINE CONCRETES MODIFIED BY NANOPARTICLES OF TITANIUM DIOXIDE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bazhenov Yuriy Mikhaylovich

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Ultrasonic method of generation of a stable suspension of nano-particles of titanium dioxide and the strengthening properties of the ornamental fine concrete that contains cement binders with a nano-dispersed additive constitute the subject of the research covered by the authors. Nanoparticles react with the basic chemical elements that compose the concrete and act as crystallization centres. Therefore, the concrete porosity is reduced, while physical and technology-related properties of the ornamental fine concrete are improved. The authors have proven that the application of the nano-dispersed additive that contains titanium dioxide influences the processes of the structure formation in respect of fine ornamental concretes and improves the strength, as well as the water and cold resistance of fine concretes. The improvement is attributed to the dense concrete structure and strong adhesion between cement grains and between the cement and the aggregate. This conclusion is based on the data obtained through the employment of an electronic microscope used to identify the porosity of fine concretes.

  8. Temporal genetic population structure and interannual variation in migration behavior of Pacific Lamprey Entosphenus tridentatus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clemens, Benjamin J.; Wyss, Lance A.; McCoun, Rebecca; Courter, Ian; Schwabe, Lawrence; Peery, Christopher; Schreck, Carl B.; Spice, Erin K.; Docker, Margaret F.

    2017-01-01

    Studies using neutral loci suggest that Pacific lamprey, Entosphenus tridentatus, lack strong spatial genetic population structure. However, it is unknown whether temporal genetic population structure exists. We tested whether adult Pacific lamprey: (1) show temporal genetic population structure; and (2) migrate different distances between years. We non-lethally sampled lamprey for DNA in 2009 and 2010 and used eight microsatellite loci to test for genetic population structure. We used telemetry to record the migration behaviors of these fish. Lamprey were assignable to three moderately differentiated genetic clusters (FST = 0.16–0.24 for all pairwise comparisons): one cluster was composed of individuals from 2009, and the other two contained individuals from 2010. The FST value between years was 0.13 and between genetic clusters within 2010 was 0.20. A total of 372 (72.5%) fish were detected multiple times during their migrations. Most fish (69.9%) remained in the mainstem Willamette River; the remaining 30.1% migrated into tributaries. Eighty-two lamprey exhibited multiple back-and-forth movements among tributaries and the mainstem, which may indicate searching behaviors. All migration distances were significantly greater in 2010, when the amplitude of river discharge was greater. Our data suggest genetic structuring between and within years that may reflect different cohorts.

  9. Stability and dynamics of spatio-temporal structures. Progress report, September 15, 1993--September 14, 1994

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Riecke, H.

    1994-05-01

    Goal is to contribute to understanding of localized spatial and spatio-temporal structures far from thermodynamic equilibrium. Here we report on our progress in the study of three classes of systems. (1) We have studied cellular flame structures arising in a circular burner. Using numerical computations we have found a number of traveling-wave structures in which different cells undergo different motion. Most strikingly, we have found a localized wave traveling through the array of steady cells. Results are interpreted using various asymptotic approaches. They are in qualitative agreement with recent experiments. (2) We have continued our investigation of localized waves in binary-mixture convection. Starting from the extended Ginzburg-Landau equations introduced earlier, we have derived equations of motion for interacting fronts connecting the conductive and the convective state. These equations reveal a repulsive interaction between the fronts which implies a new localization mechanism for waves. It is solely due to the long-wavelength mode specific to the extended Ginzburg-Landau equations. The stability properties of the resulting localized waves are in qualitative agreement with very recent experiments. (3) We have extended our investigation of domain structures to include their temporal evolution.

  10. Structural study on Ni nanowires in an anodic alumina membrane by using in situ heating extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cai Quan; Chen Xing; Chen Zhongjun; Wang Wei; Mo Guang; Wu Zhonghua; Zhang Junxi; Zhang Lide; Pan Wei

    2008-01-01

    Polycrystalline Ni nanowires have been prepared by electrochemical deposition in an anodic alumina membrane template with a nanopore size of about 60 nm. In situ heating extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray diffraction techniques are used to probe the atomic structures. The nanowires are identified as being mixtures of nanocrystallites and amorphous phase. The nanocrystallites have the same thermal expansion coefficient, of 1.7 x 10 -5 K -1 , as Ni bulk; however, the amorphous phase has a much larger thermal expansion coefficient of 3.5 x 10 -5 K -1 . Details of the Ni nanowire structures are discussed in this paper

  11. Radiation effects in fine metal media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zaikin, Yu. A.; Aliev, A.B.

    1999-01-01

    The report discusses condition and perspectives of theoretical and experimental research of metal powder material radiation processing influence on their caking, recrystallization and formation of metal and alloy structure obtained by powder metallurgy methods. Radiation processing of metal powders under determined modes causes forming of homogeneous fine metal structure and helps to considerably improve their running abilities (strength, endurance, corrosion resistance) and caking technological conditions

  12. The spatio-temporal structure of electrostatic turbulence in the WEGA stellarator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marsen, Stefan

    2008-03-01

    The main object of this work is to provide a detailed characterisation of electrostatic turbulence in WEGA and to identify the underlying instability mechanism driving turbulence. The spatio-temporal structure of turbulence is studied using multiple Langmuir probes providing a sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution. Turbulence in WEGA is dominated by drift wave dynamics. The phase shift between density and potential fluctuations is close to zero, fluctuations are mainly driven by the density gradient, and the phase velocity of turbulent structures points in the direction of the electron diamagnetic drift. The structure of turbulence is studied mainly in the plasma edge region inside the last closed flux surface. WEGA can be operated in two regimes differing in the magnetic field strength by almost one order of magnitude (57 mT and 500 mT, respectively). At 57 mT large structures with a poloidal extent comparable to the machine dimensions are observed, whereas at 500 mT turbulent structures are much smaller. The poloidal structure size scales nearly linearly with the inverse magnetic field strength. This scaling may be argued to be related to the drift wave dispersion scale, ρ s =√(m i k B T e )/(qB). However, the structure size remains unchanged when the ion mass is changed by using different discharge gases. Inside the last closed flux surface the poloidal E x B drift in WEGA is negligible. The three-dimensional structure is studied in detail using probes which are toroidally separated but aligned along connecting magnetic field lines. A small but finite parallel wavenumber is found. The ratio between the average parallel and perpendicular wavenumber is in the order of anti κ parallel / anti κ θ ∼ 10 -2 . The parallel phase velocity of turbulent structures is in-between the ion sound velocity and the Alfven velocity. In the parallel dynamics a fundamental difference between the two operational regimes at different magnetic field strength is

  13. R-matrix calculations for electron-impact excitation of C(+), N(2+), and O(3+) including fine structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luo, D.; Pradhan, A. K.

    1990-01-01

    The new R-matrix package for comprehensive close-coupling calculations for electron scattering with the first three ions in the boron isoelectronic sequence, the astrophysically significant C(+), N(2+), and O(3+), is presented. The collision strengths are calculated in the LS coupling approximation, as well as in pair-coupling scheme, for the transitions among the fine-structure sublevels. Calculations are carried out at a large number of energies in order to study the detailed effects of autoionizing resonances.

  14. Characterization of self-organized InGaN/GaN quantum dots by Diffraction Anomalous Fine Structure (DAFS)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Piskorska, E.; Holy, V.; Siebert, M.; Schmidt, Th.; Falta, J.; Yamaguchi, T.; Hommel, D.; Renevier, H.

    2006-01-01

    The local chemical composition of InGaN quantum dots grown by a MBE method on GaN virtual substrates was investigated by x-ray diffraction anomalous fine-structure method. From the detailed numerical analysis of the data we were able to reconstruct the local neighborhood of Ga atoms at different positions in the dots. Using this approach, we found that the In content increases from 20% at the dot base to 40-50% at the top. (author) [pl

  15. Higher fine-scale genetic structure in peripheral than in core populations of a long-lived and mixed-mating conifer--eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Madhav; Rajora, Om P

    2012-04-05

    Fine-scale or spatial genetic structure (SGS) is one of the key genetic characteristics of plant populations. Several evolutionary and ecological processes and population characteristics influence the level of SGS within plant populations. Higher fine-scale genetic structure may be expected in peripheral than core populations of long-lived forest trees, owing to the differences in the magnitude of operating evolutionary and ecological forces such as gene flow, genetic drift, effective population size and founder effects. We addressed this question using eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) as a model species for declining to endangered long-lived tree species with mixed-mating system. We determined the SGS in two core and two peripheral populations of eastern white cedar from its Maritime Canadian eastern range using six nuclear microsatellite DNA markers. Significant SGS ranging from 15 m to 75 m distance classes was observed in the four studied populations. An analysis of combined four populations revealed significant positive SGS up to the 45 m distance class. The mean positive significant SGS observed in the peripheral populations was up to six times (up to 90 m) of that observed in the core populations (15 m). Spatial autocorrelation coefficients and correlograms of single and sub-sets of populations were statistically significant. The extent of within-population SGS was significantly negatively correlated with all genetic diversity parameters. Significant heterogeneity of within-population SGS was observed for 0-15 m and 61-90 m between core and peripheral populations. Average Sp, and gene flow distances were higher in peripheral (Sp = 0.023, σg = 135 m) than in core (Sp = 0.014, σg = 109 m) populations. However, the mean neighborhood size was higher in the core (Nb = 82) than in the peripheral (Nb = 48) populations. Eastern white cedar populations have significant fine-scale genetic structure at short distances. Peripheral populations have several

  16. MRI-based brain structure volumes in temporal lobe epilepsy patients and their unaffected siblings: a preliminary study.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Scanlon, Cathy

    2013-01-01

    Investigating the heritability of brain structure may be useful in simplifying complicated genetic studies in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). A preliminary study is presented to determine if volume deficits of candidate brain structures present at a higher rate in unaffected siblings than controls subjects.

  17. Analysis in temporal regime of dispersive invisible structures designed from transformation optics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gralak, B.; Arismendi, G.; Avril, B.; Diatta, A.; Guenneau, S.

    2016-03-01

    A simple invisible structure made of two anisotropic homogeneous layers is analyzed theoretically in temporal regime. The frequency dispersion is introduced and analytic expression of the transient part of the field is derived for large times when the structure is illuminated by a causal excitation. This expression shows that the limiting amplitude principle applies with transient fields decaying as the power -3 /4 of the time. The quality of the cloak is then reduced at short times and remains preserved at large times. The one-dimensional theoretical analysis is supplemented with full-wave numerical simulations in two-dimensional situations which confirm the effect of dispersion.

  18. On the influence of temporal and spatial resolution of aircraft emission inventories for mesoscale modeling of pollutant dispersion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franzkowiak, V.; Petry, H.; Ebel, A. [Cologne Univ. (Germany). Inst. for Geophysics and Meteorology

    1997-12-31

    The sensitivity of a mesoscale chemistry transport model to the temporal and spatial resolution of aircraft emission inventories is evaluated. A statistical analysis of air traffic in the North-Atlantic flight corridor is carried out showing a highly variable, fine structured spatial distribution and a pronounced daily variation. Sensitivity studies comparing different emission scenarios reveal a strong dependency to the emission time and location of both transport and response in chemical formation of subsequent products. The introduction of a pronounced daily variation leads to a 30% higher ozone production in comparison to uniformly distributed emissions. (author) 9 refs.

  19. On the influence of temporal and spatial resolution of aircraft emission inventories for mesoscale modeling of pollutant dispersion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Franzkowiak, V; Petry, H; Ebel, A [Cologne Univ. (Germany). Inst. for Geophysics and Meteorology

    1998-12-31

    The sensitivity of a mesoscale chemistry transport model to the temporal and spatial resolution of aircraft emission inventories is evaluated. A statistical analysis of air traffic in the North-Atlantic flight corridor is carried out showing a highly variable, fine structured spatial distribution and a pronounced daily variation. Sensitivity studies comparing different emission scenarios reveal a strong dependency to the emission time and location of both transport and response in chemical formation of subsequent products. The introduction of a pronounced daily variation leads to a 30% higher ozone production in comparison to uniformly distributed emissions. (author) 9 refs.

  20. Temporal fluctuations in grain size, organic materials and iron concentrations in intertidal surface sediment of San Francisco Bay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomson-Becker, E. A.; Luoma, S.N.

    1985-01-01

    The physical and chemical characteristics of the oxidized surface sediment in an estuary fluctuate temporally in response to physical forces and apparently-fluctuating inputs. These characteristics, which include grain size and concentrations of organic materials and iron, will influence both trace-metal geochemistry and bioavailability. Temporal trends in the abundance of fine particles, total organic carbon content (TOC), absorbance of extractable organic material (EOM), and concentration of extractable iron in the sediment of San Francisco Bay were assessed using data sets containing approximately monthly samples for periods of two to seven years. Changes in wind velocity and runoff result in monthly changes in the abundance of fine particles in the intertidal zone. Fine-grained particles are most abundant in the late fall/early winter when runoff is elevated and wind velocities are low; particles are coarser in the summer when runoff is low and wind velocities are consistently high. Throughout the bay, TOC is linearly related to fine particle abundance (r = 0.61). Temporal variability occurs in this relationship, as particles are poor in TOC relative to percent of fine particles in the early rainy season. Iron-poor particles also appear to enter the estuary during high runoff periods; while iron is enriched on particle surfaces in the summer. Concentrations of extractable iron and absorbance of EOM vary strongly from year to year. Highest absorbances of EOM occurred in the first year following the drought in 1976-77, and in 1982 and 1983 when river discharge was unusually high. Extractable-iron concentrations were also highest in 1976-77, but were very low in 1982 and 1983. ?? 1985 Dr W. Junk Publishers.

  1. Annealing induced atomic rearrangements on (Ga,In) (N,As) probed by hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ishikawa, Fumitaro; Higashi, Kotaro; Fuyuno, Satoshi; Morifuji, Masato; Kondow, Masahiko; Trampert, Achim

    2018-04-13

    We study the effects of annealing on (Ga 0.64 ,In 0.36 ) (N 0.045 ,As 0.955 ) using hard X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. We observed surface oxidation and termination of the N-As bond defects caused by the annealing process. Specifically, we observed a characteristic chemical shift towards lower binding energies in the photoelectron spectra related to In. This phenomenon appears to be caused by the atomic arrangement, which produces increased In-N bond configurations within the matrix, as indicated by the X-ray absorption fine structure measurements. The reduction in the binding energies of group-III In, which occurs concomitantly with the atomic rearrangements of the matrix, causes the differences in the electronic properties of the system before and after annealing.

  2. Fine-scale spatial genetic structure in predominantly selfing plants with limited seed dispersal: A rule or exception?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergei Volis

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Gene flow at a fine scale is still poorly understood despite its recognized importance for plant population demographic and genetic processes. We tested the hypothesis that intensity of gene flow will be lower and strength of spatial genetic structure (SGS will be higher in more peripheral populations because of lower population density. The study was performed on the predominantly selfing Avena sterilis and included: (1 direct measurement of dispersal in a controlled environment; and (2 analyses of SGS in three natural populations, sampled in linear transects at fixed increasing inter-plant distances. We found that in A. sterilis major seed dispersal is by gravity in close (less than 2 m vicinity of the mother plant, with a minor additional effect of wind. Analysis of SGS with six nuclear SSRs revealed a significant autocorrelation for the distance class of 1 m only in the most peripheral desert population, while in the two core populations with Mediterranean conditions, no genetic structure was found. Our results support the hypothesis that intensity of SGS increases from the species core to periphery as a result of decreased within-population gene flow related to low plant density. Our findings also show that predominant self-pollination and highly localized seed dispersal lead to SGS at a very fine scale, but only if plant density is not too high.

  3. Chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dickens, W.J.; Million, R.R.; Cassisi, N.J.; Singleton, G.T.

    1982-01-01

    Eighteen patients with chemodectomas arising in temporal bone structures were evaluated and treated at the University of Florida. Seventeen patients have each been followed a minimum of 3 years. Patients were retrospectively staged as having ''local'' or ''advanced'' disease, depending on the presence or absence of bone destruction and/or cranial nerve involvement. Fourteen of the patients received radiation therapy as all or part of their therapy; 6 patients were treated with radiation therapy alone, 3 patients were irradiated immediately postoperatively for residual disease, and 5 patients had radiation therapy for recurrence after operation. They were treated with cobalt-60 radiation with doses ranging from 3760 to 5640 rad. All irradiated patients demonstrated evidence of tumor regression, and none have had tumor recurrence with followup of 3-12 years. Of the 8 patients with cranial nerve paralysis prior to therapy, 5 had return of function of 1 or more cranial nerves. One of 6 patients treated initially with radiation therapy had a complication, while 6 of 8 patients irradiated postoperatively had complications. None of the complications were fatal. Three patients treated by operation for early disease limited to the hypotympanum had the disease controlled for 11-12 years. Guidelines for the selection of initial therapy are discussed

  4. STABILITY AND DYNAMICS OF SPATIO-TEMPORAL STRUCTURES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hermann Riecke

    2005-10-21

    This document constitutes the final report for the grant. It provides a complete list of publications and presentations that arose from the project as well as a brief description of the highlights of the research results. The research funded by this grant has provided insights into the spontaneous formation of structures of increasing complexity in systems driven far from thermodynamic equilibrium. A classic example of such a system is thermally driven convection in a horizontal fluid layer. Highlights of the research are: (1) explanation of the localized traveling wave pulses observed in binary-mixture convection, (2) explanation of the localized waves in electroconvection, (3) introduction of a new diagnostics for spatially and temporally chaotic states, which is based on the statistics of defect trajectories, (4) prediction of complex states in thermally driven convection in rotating systems. Additional contributions provided insight into the localization mechanism for oscillons, the prediction of a new localization mechanism for traveling waves based on a resonant periodic forcing, and an analysis of the stability of quasi-periodic patterns.

  5. Sequence of structures in fine-grained turbidites: Comparison of recent deep-sea and ancient flysch sediments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stow, Dorrik A. V.; Shanmugam, Ganapathy

    1980-01-01

    A comparative study of the sequence of sedimentary structures in ancient and modern fine-grained turbidites is made in three contrasting areas. They are (1) Holocene and Pleistocene deep-sea muds of the Nova Scotian Slope and Rise, (2) Middle Ordovician Sevier Shale of the Valley and Ridge Province of the Southern Appalachians, and (3) Cambro-Ordovician Halifax Slate of the Meguma Group in Nova Scotia. A standard sequence of structures is proposed for fine-grained turbidites. The complete sequence has nine sub-divisions that are here termed T 0 to T 8. "The lower subdivision (T 0) comprises a silt lamina which has a sharp, scoured and load-cast base, internal parallel-lamination and cross-lamination, and a sharp current-lineated or wavy surface with 'fading-ripples' (= Type C etc. …)." (= Type C ripple-drift cross-lamination, Jopling and Walker, 1968). The overlying sequence shows textural and compositional grading through alternating silt and mud laminae. A convolute-laminated sub-division (T 1) is overlain by low-amplitude climbing ripples (T 2), thin regular laminae (T 3), thin indistinct laminae (T 4), and thin wipsy or convolute laminae (T 5). The topmost three divisions, graded mud (T 6), ungraded mud (T 7) and bioturbated mud (T 8), do not have silt laminae but rare patchy silt lenses and silt pseudonodules and a thin zone of micro-burrowing near the upper surface. The proposed sequence is analogous to the Bouma (1962) structural scheme for sandy turbidites and is approximately equivalent to Bouma's (C)DE divisions. The repetition of partial sequences characterizes different parts of the slope/base-of-slope/basin plain environment, and represents deposition from different stages of evolution of a large, muddy, turbidity flow. Microstructural detail and sequence are well preserved in ancient and even slightly metamorphosed sediments. Their recognition is important for determining depositional processes and for palaeoenvironmental interpretation.

  6. Using a weather generator to downscale spatio-temporal precipitation at urban scale

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørup, Hjalte Jomo Danielsen; Christensen, Ole Bøssing; Arnbjerg-Nielsen, Karsten

    In recent years, urban flooding has occurred in Denmark due to very local extreme precipitation events with very short lifetime. Several of these floods have been among the most severe ever experienced. The current study demonstrates the applicability of the Spatio-Temporal Neyman-Scott Rectangular...... the observed spatio-temporal differences at very fine scale for all measured parameters. For downscaling, perturbation with a climate change signal, precipitation from four different regional climate model simulations has been analysed. The analysed models are two runs from the ENSEMBLES (RACMO...

  7. Detection of Propagating Fast Sausage Waves through Detailed Analysis of a Zebra-pattern Fine Structure in a Solar Radio Burst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kaneda, K.; Misawa, H.; Iwai, K.; Masuda, S.; Tsuchiya, F.; Katoh, Y.; Obara, T.

    2018-03-01

    Various magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) waves have recently been detected in the solar corona and investigated intensively in the context of coronal heating and coronal seismology. In this Letter, we report the first detection of short-period propagating fast sausage mode waves in a metric radio spectral fine structure observed with the Assembly of Metric-band Aperture Telescope and Real-time Analysis System. Analysis of Zebra patterns (ZPs) in a type-IV burst revealed a quasi-periodic modulation in the frequency separation between the adjacent stripes of the ZPs (Δf ). The observed quasi-periodic modulation had a period of 1–2 s and exhibited a characteristic negative frequency drift with a rate of 3–8 MHz s‑1. Based on the double plasma resonance model, the most accepted generation model of ZPs, the observed quasi-periodic modulation of the ZP can be interpreted in terms of fast sausage mode waves propagating upward at phase speeds of 3000–8000 km s‑1. These results provide us with new insights for probing the fine structure of coronal loops.

  8. Short-range order structures of self-assembled Ge quantum dots probed by multiple-scattering extended x-ray absorption fine structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sun Zhihu; Wei Shiqiang; Kolobov, A.V.; Oyanagi, H.; Brunner, K.

    2005-01-01

    Multiple-scattering extended x-ray absorption fine structure (MS-EXAFS) has been used to investigate the local structures around Ge atoms in self-assembled Ge-Si quantum dots (QDs) grown on Si(001) substrate. The MS effect of Ge QDs is dominated by the scattering path Ge 0 →B 1 →B 2 →Ge 0 (DS2), which contributes a signal destructively interfering with that of the second shell single-scattering path (SS2). MS-EXAFS analysis reveals that the degree of Ge-Si intermixing for Ge-Si QDs strongly depends on the temperature at which the silicon cap layer is overgrown. It is found that the interatomic distances (R Ge-Ge and R Ge-Si ) within the third nearest-neighbor shells in Ge-Si QDs indicate the compressively strained nature of QDs. The present study demonstrates that the MS-EXAFS provides detailed information on the QDs strain and the Ge-Si mixing beyond the nearest neighbors

  9. A cell for extended x-ray absorption fine structure studies of oxygen sensitive products of redox reactions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Furenlid, L.R.; Renner, M.W.; Fajer, J.

    1990-01-01

    We describe a cell suitable for extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) studies of oxygen and/or water sensitive products of redox reactions. The cell utilizes aluminized Mylar windows that are transparent to x rays, provide low gas permeability, and allow vacuum to be maintained in the cell. The windows are attached to the glassware with an epoxy that resists attack by common organic solvents. Additional side arms allow multiple spectroscopic probes of the same sample under anaerobic and anhydrous conditions

  10. Applications of x ray absorption fine structure to the in situ study of the effect of cobalt in nickel hydrous oxide electrodes for fuel cells and rechargeable batteries

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Sunghyun; Tryk, Donald A.; Scherson, Daniel A.; Antonio, Mark R.

    1993-01-01

    Electronic and structural aspects of composite nickel-cobalt hydrous oxides have been examined in alkaline solutions using in situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS). The results obtained have indicated that cobalt in this material is present as cobaltic ions regardless of the oxidation state of nickel in the lattice. Furthermore, careful analysis of the Co K-edge Extended X-ray absorption fine structure data reveals that the co-electrodeposition procedure generates a single phase, mixed metal hydrous oxide, in which cobaltic ions occupy nickel sites in the NiO2 sheet-like layers and not two intermixed phases each consisting of a single metal hydrous oxide.

  11. General asymmetric neutral networks and structure design by genetic algorithms: A learning rule for temporal patterns

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bornholdt, S. [Heidelberg Univ., (Germany). Inst., fuer Theoretische Physik; Graudenz, D. [Lawrence Berkeley Lab., CA (United States)

    1993-07-01

    A learning algorithm based on genetic algorithms for asymmetric neural networks with an arbitrary structure is presented. It is suited for the learning of temporal patterns and leads to stable neural networks with feedback.

  12. General asymmetric neutral networks and structure design by genetic algorithms: A learning rule for temporal patterns

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bornholdt, S.

    1993-07-01

    A learning algorithm based on genetic algorithms for asymmetric neural networks with an arbitrary structure is presented. It is suited for the learning of temporal patterns and leads to stable neural networks with feedback

  13. Size-dependent binding energies and fine-structure splitting of excitonic complexes in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodt, S.; Seguin, R.; Schliwa, A.; Guffarth, F.; Poetschke, K.; Pohl, U.W.; Bimberg, D.

    2007-01-01

    A systematic study of excitonic complexes confined in single InAs/GaAs quantum dots is presented. Emphasis is placed on the recombination energies of the excitonic complexes and on the fine-structure splitting of the bright exciton ground state. The values depend in a characteristic way on the size of the respective quantum dot which controls the number of bound hole states and the piezoelectric potential

  14. Pollination Biology and Spatio-Temporal Structuring of Some Major Acacia Species (Leguminosae) of the Arabian Peninsula

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Adgaba, N.; Alghamidi, A.; Tadesse, Y.; Getachew, A.; Ansari, M. J.

    2016-01-01

    Acacias are the dominant woody plant species distributed over the vast tracts of land throughout the Arabian Peninsula. However, information on spatio-temporal structuring and pollination biology of the species is not precisely available. To determine whether any variations exist among the Acacia species in their temporal distribution, their flowering period was determined through monitoring the commencing, peaking and ending of flowering of each species. Moreover, if any variations exist in release of floral rewards among the different co-existing and co-flowering species as mechanisms of partitioning of pollinators, to minimize competition for pollination, the progress of their anthesis over time was recorded by scoring polyads to anthers ratio at different hours of a day. In addition, the amount and dynamics of nectar sugar per inflorescence (N =225/species) was determined following flower nectar sugar washing technique. Types and frequencies of flower visitors and their preferences were determined by recording the visitors 6 times a day. The current study revealed that the Acacia species of the Arabian Peninsula are spatio-temporally structured: some species co-exist yet have different flowering seasons, whereas others co-exist, flowering concurrently yet exhibit a shift in their time of peak flowering and in the time at which the peak pollen is released during the day. This study demonstrates that all Acacia species examined secrete a considerable amount of nectar (2.24+-1.72 -10.02+-4.0mg/inflorescence) which serves as a floral reward for pollinators. Insects of the Order Hymenoptera are the most prevalent visitors to Acacia species in the region. The variations in spatio-temporal structuring of the Acaciaspecies could be due to their adaptation of reducing competition for pollinators and minimizing hetero-specific pollen transfer. (author)

  15. Fine-Scale Human Population Structure in Southern Africa Reflects Ecogeographic Boundaries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uren, Caitlin; Kim, Minju; Martin, Alicia R; Bobo, Dean; Gignoux, Christopher R; van Helden, Paul D; Möller, Marlo; Hoal, Eileen G; Henn, Brenna M

    2016-09-01

    Recent genetic studies have established that the KhoeSan populations of southern Africa are distinct from all other African populations and have remained largely isolated during human prehistory until ∼2000 years ago. Dozens of different KhoeSan groups exist, belonging to three different language families, but very little is known about their population history. We examine new genome-wide polymorphism data and whole mitochondrial genomes for >100 South Africans from the ≠Khomani San and Nama populations of the Northern Cape, analyzed in conjunction with 19 additional southern African populations. Our analyses reveal fine-scale population structure in and around the Kalahari Desert. Surprisingly, this structure does not always correspond to linguistic or subsistence categories as previously suggested, but rather reflects the role of geographic barriers and the ecology of the greater Kalahari Basin. Regardless of subsistence strategy, the indigenous Khoe-speaking Nama pastoralists and the N|u-speaking ≠Khomani (formerly hunter-gatherers) share ancestry with other Khoe-speaking forager populations that form a rim around the Kalahari Desert. We reconstruct earlier migration patterns and estimate that the southern Kalahari populations were among the last to experience gene flow from Bantu speakers, ∼14 generations ago. We conclude that local adoption of pastoralism, at least by the Nama, appears to have been primarily a cultural process with limited genetic impact from eastern Africa. Copyright © 2016 by the Genetics Society of America.

  16. Bloch oscillations of ultracold atoms and measurement of the fine structure constant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clade, P.

    2005-10-01

    From a measurement of the recoil velocity of an atom absorbing a photon, it is possible to deduce a determination of the ratio h/m between the Planck constant and the mass of the atoms and then to deduce a value of the fine structure constant alpha. To do this measurement, we use the technique of Bloch oscillations, which allows us to transfer a large number of recoils to atoms. A velocity sensor, based on velocity selective Raman transition, enables us to measure the momentum transferred to the atoms. A measurement with a statistical uncertainty of 4.4 10 -9 , in conjunction with a careful study of systematic effects (5 10 -9 ), has led us to a determination of alpha with an uncertainty of 6.7 10 -9 : α -1 (Rb) = 137.03599878 (91). This uncertainty is similar to the uncertainty of the best determinations of alpha based on atom interferometry. (author)

  17. Fine-structure resolved rotational transitions and database for CN+H2 collisions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burton, Hannah; Mysliwiec, Ryan; Forrey, Robert C.; Yang, B. H.; Stancil, P. C.; Balakrishnan, N.

    2018-06-01

    Cross sections and rate coefficients for CN+H2 collisions are calculated using the coupled states (CS) approximation. The calculations are benchmarked against more accurate close-coupling (CC) calculations for transitions between low-lying rotational states. Comparisons are made between the two formulations for collision energies greater than 10 cm-1. The CS approximation is used to construct a database which includes highly excited rotational states that are beyond the practical limitations of the CC method. The database includes fine-structure resolved rotational quenching transitions for v = 0 and j ≤ 40, where v and j are the vibrational and rotational quantum numbers of the initial state of the CN molecule. Rate coefficients are computed for both para-H2 and ortho-H2 colliders. The results are shown to be in good agreement with previous calculations, however, the rates are substantially different from mass-scaled CN+He rates that are often used in astrophysical models.

  18. Assessing the spatial and temporal variability of fine particulate matter components in Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian cities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarnat, Jeremy A.; Moise, Tamar; Shpund, Jacob; Liu, Yang; Pachon, Jorge E.; Qasrawi, Radwan; Abdeen, Ziad; Brenner, Shmuel; Nassar, Khaled; Saleh, Rami; Schauer, James J.

    2010-07-01

    This manuscript presents results from an extensive, multi-country comparative monitoring study of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and its primary chemical components in Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian cities. This study represented the first time that researchers from these countries have worked together to examine spatial and temporal relationships for PM 2.5 and its major components among the study sites. The findings indicated that total PM 2.5 mass was relatively homogenous among many of the 11 sites as shown from strong between-site correlations. Mean annual concentrations ranged from 19.9 to 34.9 μg m -3 in Haifa and Amman, respectively, and exceeded accepted international air quality standards for annual PM 2.5 mass. Similarity of total mass was largely driven by SO 42- and crustal PM 2.5 components. Despite the close proximity of the seven, well correlated sites with respect to PM 2.5, there were pronounced differences among the cities for EC and, to a lesser degree, OC. EC, in particular, exhibited spatiotemporal trends that were indicative of strong local source contributions. Interestingly, there were moderate to strong EC correlations ( r > 0.65) among the large metropolitan cities, West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman. For these relatively large cities, (i.e., West Jerusalem, Tel Aviv and Amman), EC sources from the fleet of buses and cars typical for many urban areas predominate and likely drive spatiotemporal EC distributions. As new airshed management strategies and public health interventions are implemented throughout the Middle East, our findings support regulatory strategies that target integrated regional and local control strategies to reduce PM 2.5 mass and specific components suspected to drive adverse health effects of particulate matter exposure.

  19. Origin of fine oscillations in the photoluminescence spectrum of 2-dimensional electron gas formed in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistor structures

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jana, Dipankar, E-mail: dip2602@gmail.com; Porwal, S.; Oak, S. M.; Sharma, T. K., E-mail: tarun@rrcat.gov.in [Semiconductor Physics and Devices Laboratory, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452013, Madhya Pradesh (India); Jain, Anubha [Solid State Physics Laboratory, Lucknow Road, New Delhi 110054 (India)

    2015-10-28

    An unambiguous identification of the fine oscillations observed in the low temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectra of AlGaN/GaN based high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) structures is carried out. In literature, such oscillations have been erroneously identified as the sub-levels of 2-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formed at AlGaN/GaN heterointerface. Here, the origin of these oscillations is probed by performing the angle dependent PL and reflectivity measurements under identical conditions. Contrary to the reports available in literature, we find that the fine oscillations are not related to 2DEG sub-levels. The optical characteristics of these oscillations are mainly governed by an interference phenomenon. In particular, peculiar temperature dependent redshift and excitation intensity dependent blueshift, which have been interpreted as the characteristics of 2DEG sub-levels in HEMT structures by other researchers, are understood by invoking the wavelength and temperature dependence of the refractive index of GaN within the framework of interference phenomenon. The results of other researchers are also consistently explained by considering the fine oscillatory features as the interference oscillations.

  20. Synopsis of the temporal variation of particulate matter composition and size.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Demerjian, Kenneth L; Mohnen, Volker A

    2008-02-01

    A synopsis of the detailed temporal variation of the size and number distribution of particulate matter (PM) and its chemical composition on the basis of measurements performed by several regional research consortia funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) PM Supersite Program is presented. This program deployed and evaluated a variety of research and emerging commercial measurement technologies to investigate the physical and chemical properties of atmospheric aerosols at a level of detail never before achieved. Most notably these studies demonstrated that systematic size-segregated measurements of mass, number, and associated chemical composition of the fine (PM2.5) and ultrafine (PM0.1) fraction of ambient aerosol with a time resolution down to minutes and less is achievable. A wealth of new information on the temporal variation of aerosol has been added to the existing knowledge pool that can be mined to resolve outstanding research and policy-related questions. This paper explores the nature of temporal variations (on time scales from several minutes to hours) in the chemical and physical properties of PM and its implications in the identification of PM formation processes, and source attribution (primary versus secondary), the contribution of local versus transported PM and the development of effective PM control strategies. The PM Supersite results summarized indicate that location, time of day, and season significantly influence not only the mass and chemical composition but also the size-resolved chemical/elemental composition of PM. Ambient measurements also show that ultrafine particles have different compositions and make up only a small portion of the PM mass concentration compared with inhalable coarse and fine particles, but their number concentration is significantly larger than their coarse or fine counterparts. PM size classes show differences in the relative amounts of nitrates, sulfates, crustal materials, and most especially

  1. The spatio-temporal structure of electrostatic turbulence in the WEGA stellarator

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Marsen, Stefan

    2008-03-15

    The main object of this work is to provide a detailed characterisation of electrostatic turbulence in WEGA and to identify the underlying instability mechanism driving turbulence. The spatio-temporal structure of turbulence is studied using multiple Langmuir probes providing a sufficiently high spatial and temporal resolution. Turbulence in WEGA is dominated by drift wave dynamics. The phase shift between density and potential fluctuations is close to zero, fluctuations are mainly driven by the density gradient, and the phase velocity of turbulent structures points in the direction of the electron diamagnetic drift. The structure of turbulence is studied mainly in the plasma edge region inside the last closed flux surface. WEGA can be operated in two regimes differing in the magnetic field strength by almost one order of magnitude (57 mT and 500 mT, respectively). At 57 mT large structures with a poloidal extent comparable to the machine dimensions are observed, whereas at 500 mT turbulent structures are much smaller. The poloidal structure size scales nearly linearly with the inverse magnetic field strength. This scaling may be argued to be related to the drift wave dispersion scale, {rho}{sub s}={radical}(m{sub i}k{sub B}T{sub e})/(qB). However, the structure size remains unchanged when the ion mass is changed by using different discharge gases. Inside the last closed flux surface the poloidal E x B drift in WEGA is negligible. The three-dimensional structure is studied in detail using probes which are toroidally separated but aligned along connecting magnetic field lines. A small but finite parallel wavenumber is found. The ratio between the average parallel and perpendicular wavenumber is in the order of anti {kappa} {sub parallel} / anti {kappa}{sub {theta}} {approx} 10{sup -2}. The parallel phase velocity of turbulent structures is in-between the ion sound velocity and the Alfven velocity. In the parallel dynamics a fundamental difference between the two

  2. Apparent wavelength shifts of H-like ions caused by the spectral fine structure observed in CHS plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishimura, Shin; Ida, Katsumi

    1998-01-01

    A new charge exchange spectroscopy (CXS) system viewing the plasma from the upside and the downside simultaneously was installed on the Compact Helical System (CHS) to detect the absolute value of Doppler shift due to poloidal rotation velocity ( i ∼ 100 eV) and in the after-glow recombining phase (T i ∼ 30 eV). The apparent Doppler shift is always red-shift regardless the direction of plasma rotation and is explained as the effect of the spectral fine structure of hydrogen-like ions. (author)

  3. Spatial and Temporal Variations of Aerosol Optical Properties during KORUS-AQ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Y.; Ghim, Y. S.; Segal-Rosenhaimer, M.; Redemann, J.

    2017-12-01

    As part of the KORUS-AQ campaign, Aerosol Robotic Networks (AERONET) Cimel sunphotometers were deployed at more than 20 sites over Korea including the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) and rural/background areas. We analyzed hourly mean values of fine and coarse mode aerosol optical depths (AODs), and fine mode fraction (FMF) from spectral deconvolution algorithm retrievals. The AERONET sites over Korea were classified into four groups - those in SMA, southeastern and southwestern parts of Korea, and background sites, which distribute similar results from particulate matter (PM) stations in Korea. Temporal and spatial variations of aerosol optical properties (AOPs) from the four groups were further examined using AODs from the Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR), which can provide denser spatial resolution than AERONET sites and PM stations. AOPs from more than 30 flights over SMA were also investigated to distinguish the characteristics of diurnal variations upwind and downwind of SMA. The spatial and temporal homogeneity and/or heterogeneity of AOPs are discussed in terms of meteorological variables, other pollutants and nearby emission sources.

  4. Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy of Diamondoid Thiol Monolayers on Gold

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willey, T M; Fabbri, J; Lee, J I; Schreiner, P; Fokin, A A; Tkachenko, B A; Fokina, N A; Dahl, J; Carlson, B; Vance, A L; Yang, W; Terminello, L J; van Buuren, T; Melosh, N

    2007-11-27

    Diamondoids, hydrocarbon molecules with cubic-diamond-cage structures, have unique properties with potential value for nanotechnology. The availability and ability to selectively functionalize this special class of nanodiamond materials opens new possibilities for surface-modification, for high-efficiency field emitters in molecular electronics, as seed crystals for diamond growth, or as robust mechanical coatings. The properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of diamondoids are thus of fundamental interest for a variety of emerging applications. This paper presents the effects of thiol substitution position and polymantane order on diamondoid SAMs on gold using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A framework to determine both molecular tilt and twist through NEXAFS is presented and reveals highly ordered diamondoid SAMs, with the molecular orientation controlled by the thiol location. C 1s and S 2p binding energies are lower in adamantane thiol than alkane thiols on gold by 0.67 {+-} 0.05 eV and 0.16 {+-} 0.04 eV respectively. These binding energies vary with diamondoid monolayer structure and thiol substitution position, consistent with different amounts of steric strain and electronic interaction with the substrate. This work demonstrates control over the assembly, in particular the orientational and electronic structure, providing a flexible design of surface properties with this exciting new class of diamond clusters.

  5. Sonocubic fine: new three-dimensional ultrasound software to the screening of congenital heart diseases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edward Araujo Júnior

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Congenital heart disease is the most common fetal congenital malformations; however, the prenatal rate detection still is low. The two-dimensional echocardiography is the "gold standard" exam to screening and diagnosis of congenital heart disease during the prenatal; however, this exam is operator-depending and it is realized only in high risk pregnancies. Spatio-temporal image correlation is a three-dimensional ultrasound software that analyses the fetal heart and your connections in the multiplanar and rendering modes; however, spatio-temporal image correlation too is operator-depending and time-consuming. We presenting a new three-dimensional software named Sonocubic fine to the screening of congenital heart disease. This software applies intelligent navigation technology to spatio-temporal image correlation volume datasets to automatically generate nine fetal echocardiography standard views. Thus, this new software tends to be less operator-depending and time-consuming.

  6. Fine-particle sodium tracer for long-range transport of the Kuwaiti oil-fire smoke

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lowenthal, D.H.; Borys, R.D.; Rogers, C.F.; Chow, J.C.; Stevens, R.K.

    1993-04-23

    Evidence for long-range transport of the Kuwaiti oil-fire smoke during the months following the Persian Gulf War has been more or less indirect. However, more-recent data on the aerosol chemistry of Kuwaiti oil-fire plumes provides a direct link between those fires and aerosols collected at the Mauna Loa Observatory (MLO) during the late spring and summer of 1991. By itself, temporal covariation of fine-particle concentrations of elemental carbon, sulfur, and the noncrustal V/Zn ratio in MLO aerosols suggested a link to large-scale oil-combustion sources, but not necessarily to Kuwait. However, high concentrations of fine-particle (0.1-1.0 microm diameter) NaCl were observed in the 'white' oil-fire plumes over Kuwait during the summer of 1991. In the absence of other demonstratable sources of fine-particle Na, these relationships provide a direct link between the Kuwaiti oil-fires and aerosol composition observed at MLO. (Copyright (c) 1993 American Geophysical Union.)

  7. The Fine Transverse Structure of a Vortex Flow Beyond the Edge of a Disc Rotating in a Stratified Fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chashechkin, Yu. D.; Bardakov, R. N.

    2018-02-01

    By the methods of schlieren visualization, the evolution of elements of the fine structure of transverse vortex loops formed in the circular vortex behind the edge of a disk rotating in a continuously stratified fluid is traced for the first time. An inhomogeneous distribution of the density of a table-salt solution in a basin was formed by the continuous-squeezing method. The development of periodic perturbations at the outer boundary of the circular vortex and their transformation at the vortex-loop vertex are traced. A slow change in the angular size of the structural elements in the supercritical-flow mode is noted.

  8. Higher fine-scale genetic structure in peripheral than in core populations of a long-lived and mixed-mating conifer - eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Fine-scale or spatial genetic structure (SGS) is one of the key genetic characteristics of plant populations. Several evolutionary and ecological processes and population characteristics influence the level of SGS within plant populations. Higher fine-scale genetic structure may be expected in peripheral than core populations of long-lived forest trees, owing to the differences in the magnitude of operating evolutionary and ecological forces such as gene flow, genetic drift, effective population size and founder effects. We addressed this question using eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis) as a model species for declining to endangered long-lived tree species with mixed-mating system. Results We determined the SGS in two core and two peripheral populations of eastern white cedar from its Maritime Canadian eastern range using six nuclear microsatellite DNA markers. Significant SGS ranging from 15 m to 75 m distance classes was observed in the four studied populations. An analysis of combined four populations revealed significant positive SGS up to the 45 m distance class. The mean positive significant SGS observed in the peripheral populations was up to six times (up to 90 m) of that observed in the core populations (15 m). Spatial autocorrelation coefficients and correlograms of single and sub-sets of populations were statistically significant. The extent of within-population SGS was significantly negatively correlated with all genetic diversity parameters. Significant heterogeneity of within-population SGS was observed for 0-15 m and 61-90 m between core and peripheral populations. Average Sp, and gene flow distances were higher in peripheral (Sp = 0.023, σg = 135 m) than in core (Sp = 0.014, σg = 109 m) populations. However, the mean neighborhood size was higher in the core (Nb = 82) than in the peripheral (Nb = 48) populations. Conclusion Eastern white cedar populations have significant fine-scale genetic structure at short distances. Peripheral

  9. Higher fine-scale genetic structure in peripheral than in core populations of a long-lived and mixed-mating conifer - eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pandey Madhav

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fine-scale or spatial genetic structure (SGS is one of the key genetic characteristics of plant populations. Several evolutionary and ecological processes and population characteristics influence the level of SGS within plant populations. Higher fine-scale genetic structure may be expected in peripheral than core populations of long-lived forest trees, owing to the differences in the magnitude of operating evolutionary and ecological forces such as gene flow, genetic drift, effective population size and founder effects. We addressed this question using eastern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis as a model species for declining to endangered long-lived tree species with mixed-mating system. Results We determined the SGS in two core and two peripheral populations of eastern white cedar from its Maritime Canadian eastern range using six nuclear microsatellite DNA markers. Significant SGS ranging from 15 m to 75 m distance classes was observed in the four studied populations. An analysis of combined four populations revealed significant positive SGS up to the 45 m distance class. The mean positive significant SGS observed in the peripheral populations was up to six times (up to 90 m of that observed in the core populations (15 m. Spatial autocorrelation coefficients and correlograms of single and sub-sets of populations were statistically significant. The extent of within-population SGS was significantly negatively correlated with all genetic diversity parameters. Significant heterogeneity of within-population SGS was observed for 0-15 m and 61-90 m between core and peripheral populations. Average Sp, and gene flow distances were higher in peripheral (Sp = 0.023, σg = 135 m than in core (Sp = 0.014, σg = 109 m populations. However, the mean neighborhood size was higher in the core (Nb = 82 than in the peripheral (Nb = 48 populations. Conclusion Eastern white cedar populations have significant fine-scale genetic structure at short

  10. Probing the KII 3p54p fine structure by photoelectron spectroscopy of laser-excited potassium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meyer, M; Cubaynes, D; Wuilleumier, F J; Heinecke, E; Richter, T; Zimmermann, P; Strakhova, S I; Grum-Grzhimailo, A N

    2006-01-01

    Photoelectron spectra of atomic potassium excited by laser optical pumping into the 3p 6 4p 2 P 1/2 and 2 P 3/2 states are measured with high-energy resolution. The relative intensities of the 3p 5 4p fine-structure lines depend strongly on the initial excitation to one of the 4p spin-orbit components. Similar to the case of sodium, dynamically and quasiforbidden transitions are observed in the photoelectron spectra of potassium. The theoretical predictions of the generalized geometrical model are in excellent agreement with the experimental data. (letter to the editor)

  11. On mill flow rate and fineness control in cement grinding circuits: instability and delayed measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lepore, R.; Boulvin, M.; Renotte, C.; Remy, M.

    1999-01-01

    A control structure for the mill flow rate and the product fineness is designed, with the feed flow rate and the classifier characteristic as the manipulated variables. Experimental results from a plant highlight the instability of the grinding circuit. A model previously developed by the authors stresses the major influence of the classifier nonlinearities onto this instability. A cascade control structure has been designed and implemented on site. The measurements of the product fineness, sensitive to material grindability fluctuations, are randomly time-delayed. The control structure uses a fineness estimator based on an adaptive scheme and a time delay compensator. (author)

  12. The temporal structure of resting-state brain activity in the medial prefrontal cortex predicts self-consciousness.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Zirui; Obara, Natsuho; Davis, Henry Hap; Pokorny, Johanna; Northoff, Georg

    2016-02-01

    Recent studies have demonstrated an overlap between the neural substrate of resting-state activity and self-related processing in the cortical midline structures (CMS). However, the neural and psychological mechanisms mediating this so-called "rest-self overlap" remain unclear. To investigate the neural mechanisms, we estimated the temporal structure of spontaneous/resting-state activity, e.g. its long-range temporal correlations or self-affinity across time as indexed by the power-law exponent (PLE). The PLE was obtained in resting-state activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) in 47 healthy subjects by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We performed correlation analyses of the PLE and Revised Self-Consciousness Scale (SCSR) scores, which enabled us to access different dimensions of self-consciousness and specified rest-self overlap in a psychological regard. The PLE in the MPFC's resting-state activity correlated with private self-consciousness scores from the SCSR. Conversely, we found no correlation between the PLE and the other subscales of the SCSR (public, social) or between other resting-state measures, including functional connectivity, and the SCSR subscales. This is the first evidence for the association between the scale-free dynamics of resting-state activity in the CMS and the private dimension of self-consciousness. This finding implies the relationship of especially the private dimension of self with the temporal structure of resting-state activity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Fine Structure Intervals ‎ ‎-‎ ‎ , ‎ ‎-‎ ‎ and ‎Electric Dipole Transition Rate ‎ ‎-‎ ‎ in ‎Phosphorus Isoelectronic Sequence ‎ ‎ ‎And Phosphorus Ions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adnan Yousif Hussein

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available A systematic study for the calculation of the fine structure intervals -  and -   for the ground configuration 3s23p3 and the excited configuration 3s23p24s respectively, and electric dipole transition rate -  as well as transition energy form the excited configuration 3s23p24s to the ground configuration 3s23p3 in Phosphorus isoelectronic sequence by applying multi-configuration Dirac-Fock (MCDF method. The effect of Breit interaction, QED and correlation on the fine structure interval and the gauge invariance effect on the transition probability are studied. Also the fine structure intervals for the phosphorus ions from Piii to Pxv are calculated and are compared with the available experimental data and gives good consistent

  14. Fine structure of excitons and electron-hole exchange energy in polymorphic CsPbBr3 single nanocrystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramade, Julien; Andriambariarijaona, Léon Marcel; Steinmetz, Violette; Goubet, Nicolas; Legrand, Laurent; Barisien, Thierry; Bernardot, Frédérick; Testelin, Christophe; Lhuillier, Emmanuel; Bramati, Alberto; Chamarro, Maria

    2018-04-05

    All inorganic CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs) belong to the novel class of confined metal-halide perovskites which are currently arousing enthusiasm and stimulating huge activity across several fields of optoelectronics due to outstanding properties. A deep knowledge of the band-edge excitonic properties of these materials is thus crucial to further optimize their performances. Here, high-resolution photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of single bromide-based NCs reveals the exciton fine structure in the form of sharp peaks that are linearly polarized and grouped in doublets or triplets, which directly mirror the adopted crystalline structure, tetragonal (D4h symmetry) or orthorhombic (D2h symmetry). Intelligible equations are found that show how the fundamental parameters (spin-orbit coupling, ΔSO, crystal field term, T, and electron-hole exchange energy, J) rule the energy spacings in doublets and triplets. From experimental data, fine estimations of each parameter are obtained. The analysis of the absorption spectra of an ensemble of NCs with a "quasi-bulk" behavior leads to ΔSO = 1.20 ± 0.06 eV and T = -0.34 ± 0.05 eV in CsPbBr3. The study of individual luminescence responses of NCs having sizes comparable to the exciton Bohr diameter, 7 nm, allows us to estimate the value of J to be around ≈3 meV in both tetragonal and orthorhombic phases. This value is already enhanced by confinement.

  15. Spatio-Temporal Story Mapping Animation Based On Structured Causal Relationships Of Historical Events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, Y.; Tsuruoka, K.; Arikawa, M.

    2014-04-01

    In this paper, we proposed a user interface that displays visual animations on geographic maps and timelines for depicting historical stories by representing causal relationships among events for time series. We have been developing an experimental software system for the spatial-temporal visualization of historical stories for tablet computers. Our proposed system makes people effectively learn historical stories using visual animations based on hierarchical structures of different scale timelines and maps.

  16. Universal fine structure of the specific heat at the critical λ-point for an ideal Bose gas in an arbitrary trap

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tarasov, S V; Kocharovsky, Vl V; Kocharovsky, V V

    2014-01-01

    We analytically find the universal fine structure of the noted discontinuity in the value and/or derivative of the specific heat of an ideal Bose gas in an arbitrary trap in the whole critical region around the λ-point of the Bose–Einstein condensation. The result reveals a remarkable dependence of the λ-point structure on the trap's form and boundary conditions, even for a macroscopically large system. We suggest measuring this strong effect in the experiments with a controllable trap potential. (paper)

  17. Sahara Coal: the fine art of collecting fines for profit

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schreckengost, D.; Arnold, D.

    1984-09-01

    A considerable increase in the volume of fines in rom coal caused Sahara Coal in Illinois to redesign the fine coal system in their Harrisburg preparation plant. Details of the new design, and particularly the fine refuse system which dewaters and dries 28 mesh x O clean coal, are given. Results have exceeded expectations in reducing product losses, operating costs and slurry pond cleaning costs.

  18. Fine structure of the epidermal Leydig cells in the axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum in relation to their function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jarial, M S

    1989-01-01

    The fine structure of the Leydig cells in the epidermis of the strictly aquatic adult axolotl Ambystoma mexicanum resembles that of similar cells in larval salamanders. The major finding of this study is that the mucous secretion of the Leydig cells is released into the intercellular spaces from which it is discharged through pores onto the surface of the epidermis where it forms a mucous layer to protect the skin. Images Figs. 1-2 Fig. 3 Fig. 4 Fig. 5 Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Fig. 8 Fig. 9 Fig. 10 Figs. 11-13 PMID:2630544

  19. Fine-scale crustal structure of the Azores Islands from teleseismic receiver functions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spieker, K.; Rondenay, S.; Ramalho, R. S.; Thomas, C.; Helffrich, G. R.

    2016-12-01

    The Azores plateau is located near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) and consists of nine islands, most of which lie east of the MAR. Various methods including seismic reflection, gravity, and passive seismic imaging have been used to investigate the crustal thickness beneath the islands. They have yielded thickness estimates that range between roughly 10 km and 30 km, but until now models of the fine-scale crustal structure have been lacking. A comparison of the crustal structure beneath the islands that lie west and east of the MAR might give further constraints on the evolution of the islands. For example, geochemical studies carried out across the region predict the existence of volcanic interfaces that should be detected seismically within the shallow crust of some of the islands. In this study, we use data from ten seismic stations located on the Azores Islands to investigate the crustal structure with teleseismic P-wave receiver functions. We query our resulting receiver functions for signals associated with the volcanic edifice, the crust-mantle boundary, and potential underplated layers beneath the various islands. The islands west of the MAR have a crustal structure comprising two discontinuities - an upper one at 1-2 km depth marking the base of the volcanic edifice, and a lower one at 10 km depth that we interpret as crust-mantle boundary. The islands east of the MAR can be subdivided into two groups. The central islands that are closer to the MAR exhibit a crustal structure similar to that of the western islands, with a volcanic edifice reaching a depth of 2 km and an average crust-mantle boundary at around 12 km depth. The easternmost islands, located on the oldest lithosphere, exhibit a more complex crustal structure with evidence for a mid-crustal interface and an underplated layer, yielding an effective crust-mantle boundary at >15 km depth. The difference in structure between proximal and distal islands might be related to the age of the plate at the

  20. The Temporal Organization of Syllabic Structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaw, Jason A.

    2010-01-01

    This dissertation develops analytical tools which enable rigorous evaluation of competing syllabic parses on the basis of temporal patterns in speech production data. The data come from the articulographic tracking of fleshpoints on target speech organs, e.g., tongue, lips, jaw, in experiments with native speakers of American English and Moroccan…

  1. Tracking fine-scale seasonal evolution of surface water extent in Central Alaska and the Canadian Shield

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooley, S. W.; Smith, L. C.; Pitcher, L. H.; Pavelsky, T.; Topp, S.

    2017-12-01

    Quantifying spatial and temporal variability in surface water storage at high latitudes is critical for assessing environmental sensitivity to climate change. Traditionally the tradeoff between high spatial and high temporal resolution space-borne optical imagery has limited the ability to track fine-scale changes in surface water extent. However, the recent launch of hundreds of earth-imaging CubeSats by commercial satellite companies such as Planet opens up new possibilities for monitoring surface water from space. In this study we present a comparison of seasonal evolution of surface water extent in two study areas with differing geologic, hydrologic and permafrost regimes, namely, the Yukon Flats in Central Alaska and the Canadian Shield north of Yellowknife, N.W.T. Using near-daily 3m Planet CubeSat imagery, we track individual lake surface area from break-up to freeze-up during summer 2017 and quantify the spatial and temporal variability in inundation extent. We validate our water delineation method and inundation extent time series using WorldView imagery, coincident in situ lake shoreline mapping and pressure transducer data for 19 lakes in the Northwest Territories and Alaska collected during the NASA Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE) 2017 field campaign. The results of this analysis demonstrate the value of CubeSat imagery for dynamic surface water research particularly at high latitudes and illuminate fine-scale drivers of cold regions surface water extent.

  2. Ecosystem structure and function in the SPRUCE chambers at fine resolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glenn, N. F.; Graham, J.; Spaete, L.; Hanson, P. J.

    2017-12-01

    The Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Climatic and Environmental change (SPRUCE; operated by DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory) aims to assess biological and ecological responses in a peat bog to a range of increased temperatures and the presence of elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations. We are using terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) to monitor vegetation productivity and hummock-hollow structure at cm-scale in the SPRUCE plots to complement in-situ measurements of gross and net primary production. The hummock-hollow peatland microtopography is associated with fluctuating water levels and sphagnum mosses, and ultimately controls C and methane cycling. We estimate tree growth by calculating increases in tree height and canopy voxel volume between years with the TLS data. Microtopography is also characterized over time with TLS but by using gridded cells to classify regions into hummocks or hollows. Spectroscopy to quantify water content in the sphagnum is used to further classify these microtopographic regions. As multiple years of data collection occur, we will couple our fine-scale remote sensing measurements with in-situ measurements of CO2 and CH4 flux measures to capture species-specific productivity responses to warming and increased CO2.

  3. The running fine structure constant α(E) via the Adler function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jegerlehner, F.

    2008-06-01

    We present an up-to-date analysis for a precise determination of the effective fine structure constant and discuss the prospects for future improvements. We advocate to use a determination monitored by the Adler function which allows us to exploit perturbative QCD in an optimal well controlled way. Together with a long term program of hadronic cross section measurements at energies up to a few GeV, a determination of α(M Z ) at a precision comparable to the one of the Z mass M Z should be feasible. Presently α(E) at E >1 GeV is the least precisely known of the fundamental parameters of the SM. Since, in spite of substantial progress due to new BaBar exclusive data, the region 1.4 to 2.4 GeV remains the most problematic one a major step in the reduction of the uncertainties are expected from VEPP-2000 and from a possible ''high-energy'' option DAFNE-2 at Frascati. The up-to-date evaluation reads Δ (5) had (M 2 Z )=0.027515±0.000149 or α -1 (M 2 Z )=128.957±0.020. (orig.)

  4. Measure theory and fine properties of functions

    CERN Document Server

    Evans, Lawrence Craig

    2015-01-01

    Measure Theory and Fine Properties of Functions, Revised Edition provides a detailed examination of the central assertions of measure theory in n-dimensional Euclidean space. The book emphasizes the roles of Hausdorff measure and capacity in characterizing the fine properties of sets and functions. Topics covered include a quick review of abstract measure theory, theorems and differentiation in ℝn, Hausdorff measures, area and coarea formulas for Lipschitz mappings and related change-of-variable formulas, and Sobolev functions as well as functions of bounded variation.The text provides complete proofs of many key results omitted from other books, including Besicovitch's covering theorem, Rademacher's theorem (on the differentiability a.e. of Lipschitz functions), area and coarea formulas, the precise structure of Sobolev and BV functions, the precise structure of sets of finite perimeter, and Aleksandrov's theorem (on the twice differentiability a.e. of convex functions).This revised edition includes countl...

  5. INJECTING FASTENING LOESS SOILS GROZNY FINE PARTICULATE MATTER SUCH AS «MIKRODUR»

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S-A. Y. Murtazaev

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper is devoted to the actual problem of development and implementation of effective ways to increase the bearing capacity of foundations of buildings and structures by impregnating the soil very finely dispersed binders such as "Mikrodur", turning it into a constructive element of the structure.The article shows that the use of a fine binder improves impervious properties strengthened by arrays, resistance to aggressive influences, hardening in a negative temperature, the strength development, etc. 

  6. Fine structure of V2+ energy levels in CsCaF3:V2+

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avram, C.N.; Brik, M.G.

    2004-01-01

    Theoretical investigations of the fine structure of the lasing 4 T 2g level in a CsCaF 3 :V 2+ crystal were carried out. The spin-orbit splitting of the 4 T 2g term in the static low crystal field was obtained from the Eisenstein matrices and using parameters (Dq, B, C, ζ SO ) appropriate for the 4 T 2g - 4 A 2g zero-phonon line. The 4 T 2g spinor splitting has been modeled by the second-order spin-orbit Hamiltonian. The effect of the dynamical Jahn-Teller interaction on the spin-orbit splitting of the 4 T 2g term was taken into account; the Jahn-Teller stabilization energy, ZPL splitting and the Huang-Rhys parameter for the e g normal mode were all evaluated

  7. Spatial and temporal variation in population genetic structure of wild Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus across Africa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bezault Etienne

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Reconstructing the evolutionary history of a species is challenging. It often depends not only on the past biogeographic and climatic events but also the contemporary and ecological factors, such as current connectivity and habitat heterogeneity. In fact, these factors might interact with each other and shape the current species distribution. However, to what extent the current population genetic structure reflects the past and the contemporary factors is largely unknown. Here we investigated spatio-temporal genetic structures of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus populations, across their natural distribution in Africa. While its large biogeographic distribution can cause genetic differentiation at the paleo-biogeographic scales, its restricted dispersal capacity might induce a strong genetic structure at micro-geographic scales. Results Using nine microsatellite loci and 350 samples from ten natural populations, we found the highest genetic differentiation among the three ichthyofaunal provinces and regions (Ethiopian, Nilotic and Sudano-Sahelian (RST = 0.38 - 0.69. This result suggests the predominant effect of paleo-geographic events at macro-geographic scale. In addition, intermediate divergences were found between rivers and lakes within the regions, presumably reflecting relatively recent interruptions of gene flow between hydrographic basins (RST = 0.24 - 0.32. The lowest differentiations were observed among connected populations within a basin (RST = 0.015 in the Volta basin. Comparison of temporal sample series revealed subtle changes in the gene pools in a few generations (F = 0 - 0.053. The estimated effective population sizes were 23 - 143 and the estimated migration rate was moderate (m ~ 0.094 - 0.097 in the Volta populations. Conclusions This study revealed clear hierarchical patterns of the population genetic structuring of O. niloticus in Africa. The effects of paleo-geographic and climatic events were

  8. The utility of satellite observations for constraining fine-scale and transient methane sources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, A. J.; Jacob, D.; Benmergui, J. S.; Brandman, J.; White, L.; Randles, C. A.

    2017-12-01

    Resolving differences between top-down and bottom-up emissions of methane from the oil and gas industry is difficult due, in part, to their fine-scale and often transient nature. There is considerable interest in using atmospheric observations to detect these sources. Satellite-based instruments are an attractive tool for this purpose and, more generally, for quantifying methane emissions on fine scales. A number of instruments are planned for launch in the coming years from both low earth and geostationary orbit, but the extent to which they can provide fine-scale information on sources has yet to be explored. Here we present an observation system simulation experiment (OSSE) exploring the tradeoffs between pixel resolution, measurement frequency, and instrument precision on the fine-scale information content of a space-borne instrument measuring methane. We use the WRF-STILT Lagrangian transport model to generate more than 200,000 column footprints at 1.3×1.3 km2 spatial resolution and hourly temporal resolution over the Barnett Shale in Texas. We sub-sample these footprints to match the observing characteristics of the planned TROPOMI and GeoCARB instruments as well as different hypothetical observing configurations. The information content of the various observing systems is evaluated using the Fisher information matrix and its singular values. We draw conclusions on the capabilities of the planned satellite instruments and how these capabilities could be improved for fine-scale source detection.

  9. Blind identification of full-field vibration modes of output-only structures from uniformly-sampled, possibly temporally-aliased (sub-Nyquist), video measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yongchao; Dorn, Charles; Mancini, Tyler; Talken, Zachary; Nagarajaiah, Satish; Kenyon, Garrett; Farrar, Charles; Mascareñas, David

    2017-03-01

    Enhancing the spatial and temporal resolution of vibration measurements and modal analysis could significantly benefit dynamic modelling, analysis, and health monitoring of structures. For example, spatially high-density mode shapes are critical for accurate vibration-based damage localization. In experimental or operational modal analysis, higher (frequency) modes, which may be outside the frequency range of the measurement, contain local structural features that can improve damage localization as well as the construction and updating of the modal-based dynamic model of the structure. In general, the resolution of vibration measurements can be increased by enhanced hardware. Traditional vibration measurement sensors such as accelerometers have high-frequency sampling capacity; however, they are discrete point-wise sensors only providing sparse, low spatial sensing resolution measurements, while dense deployment to achieve high spatial resolution is expensive and results in the mass-loading effect and modification of structure's surface. Non-contact measurement methods such as scanning laser vibrometers provide high spatial and temporal resolution sensing capacity; however, they make measurements sequentially that requires considerable acquisition time. As an alternative non-contact method, digital video cameras are relatively low-cost, agile, and provide high spatial resolution, simultaneous, measurements. Combined with vision based algorithms (e.g., image correlation or template matching, optical flow, etc.), video camera based measurements have been successfully used for experimental and operational vibration measurement and subsequent modal analysis. However, the sampling frequency of most affordable digital cameras is limited to 30-60 Hz, while high-speed cameras for higher frequency vibration measurements are extremely costly. This work develops a computational algorithm capable of performing vibration measurement at a uniform sampling frequency lower than

  10. Optimum conditions for the determination of ionization potentials, appearance potentials and fine structure in ionization efficiency curves using edd technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Selim, Ezzat T.; El-Kholy, S.B.; Zahran, Nagwa F.

    1978-01-01

    The optimum conditions for determining ionization potentials as well as fine structure in electron impact ionization efficiency curves are studied using energy distribution difference technique. Applying these conditions to Ar + , Kr + , CO + 2 and N + from N 2 , very good agreement is obtained when compared with results determined by other techniques including UV spectroscopy. The merits and limitation of the technique are also discussed

  11. Effect of diurnal photosynthetic activity on the fine structure of amylopectin from normal and waxy barley starch

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goldstein, Avi; Annor, George; Blennow, Andreas

    2017-01-01

    growing conditions. The amylopectin fine structures were analysed by characterizing its unit chain length profiles after enzymatic debranching as well as its φ,β-limit dextrins and its clusters and building blocks after their partial and complete hydrolysis with α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens...... density and longer average chain lengths than clusters derived from plants grown under constant light conditions. Amylopectin clusters from diurnally grown plants also consisted of a greater number of building blocks, and shorter inter-block chain lengths compared to clusters derived from plants grown......, respectively. Regardless of lighting conditions, no structural effects were found when comparing both the amylopectin side-chain distribution and the internal chain fragments of these amylopectins. However, the diurnally grown NBS and WBS both showed larger amylopectin clusters and these had lower branching...

  12. Radiosurgery for Medial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Resulting from Mesial Temporal Sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gianaris, Thomas; Witt, Thomas; Barbaro, Nicholas M

    2016-01-01

    Medial temporal lobe epilepsy associated with mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) is perhaps the most well-defined epilepsy syndrome that is responsive to structural interventions such as surgery. Several minimally invasive techniques have arisen that provide additional options for the treatment of MTS while potentially avoiding many of open surgery's associated risks. By evading these risks, they also open up treatment options to patients who otherwise are poor surgical candidates. Radiosurgery is one of the most intensively studied of these alternatives and has found a growing role in the treatment of medial temporal lobe epilepsy. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Metal induced crystallization of amorphous silicon thin films studied by x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Naidu, K Lakshun; Mohiddon, Md Ahamad; Dalba, G; Krishna, M Ghanashyam; Rocca, F

    2013-01-01

    The role of thin metallic layer (Chromium or Nickel) in the crystallization of a-Si film has been studied using X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (XAFS). The films were grown at different substrate temperatures in two different geometrical structures : (a) a 200 nm metal layer (Cr or Ni) was deposited on fused silica (FS) followed by 400 nm of a-Si and (b) the 400 nm a-Si layer was deposited on FS followed by 200 nm of metal layer. XAFS measurements at Cr K-edge and Ni K-edge were done at BM08 – GILDA beamline of the European Synchrotron Research Facility (ESRF, Grenoble, F) in fluorescence mode. To understand the evolution of the local structure of Cr/Ni diffusing from bottom to top and from top to bottom, total reflection and higher incidence angles were employed. The relative content of metal, metal oxide and metal silicides compounds on the upper surface and/or in the bulk of different films has been evaluated as a function of thermal treatment.

  14. Structural control of ultra-fine CoPt nanodot arrays via electrodeposition process

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wodarz, Siggi [Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan); Hasegawa, Takashi; Ishio, Shunji [Department of Materials Science, Akita University, Akita City 010-8502 (Japan); Homma, Takayuki, E-mail: t.homma@waseda.jp [Department of Applied Chemistry, Waseda University, Shinjuku, Tokyo 169-8555 (Japan)

    2017-05-15

    CoPt nanodot arrays were fabricated by combining electrodeposition and electron beam lithography (EBL) for the use of bit-patterned media (BPM). To achieve precise control of deposition uniformity and coercivity of the CoPt nanodot arrays, their crystal structure and magnetic properties were controlled by controlling the diffusion state of metal ions from the initial deposition stage with the application of bath agitation. Following bath agitation, the composition gradient of the CoPt alloy with thickness was mitigated to have a near-ideal alloy composition of Co:Pt =80:20, which induces epitaxial-like growth from Ru substrate, thus resulting in the improvement of the crystal orientation of the hcp (002) structure from its initial deposition stages. Furthermore, the cross-sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis of the nanodots deposited with bath agitation showed CoPt growth along its c-axis oriented in the perpendicular direction, having uniform lattice fringes on the hcp (002) plane from the Ru underlayer interface, which is a significant factor to induce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Magnetic characterization of the CoPt nanodot arrays showed increase in the perpendicular coercivity and squareness of the hysteresis loops from 2.0 kOe and 0.64 (without agitation) to 4.0 kOe and 0.87 with bath agitation. Based on the detailed characterization of nanodot arrays, the precise crystal structure control of the nanodot arrays with ultra-high recording density by electrochemical process was successfully demonstrated. - Highlights: • Ultra-fine CoPt nanodot arrays were fabricated by electrodeposition. • Crystallinity of hcp (002) was improved with uniform composition formation. • Uniform formation of hcp lattices leads to an increase in the coercivity.

  15. New Equations for Calculating Principal and Fine-Structure Atomic Spectra for Single and Multi-Electron Atoms

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Surdoval, Wayne A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Berry, David A. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States); Shultz, Travis R. [National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)

    2018-03-09

    A set of equations are presented for calculating atomic principal spectral lines and fine-structure energy splits for single and multi-electron atoms. Calculated results are presented and compared to the National Institute of Science and Technology database demonstrating very good accuracy. The equations do not require fitted parameters. The only experimental parameter required is the Ionization energy for the electron of interest. The equations have comparable accuracy and broader applicability than the single electron Dirac equation. Three Appendices discuss the origin of the new equations and present calculated results. New insights into the special relativistic nature of the Dirac equation and its relationship to the new equations are presented.

  16. Fine Structure in Proton Emission from the Deformed 141g.sHo and 141mHo

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karny, M.; Rykaczewski, Krzysztof Piotr; Grzywacz, R.; Batchelder, J.C.; Bingham, C.R.; Goodin, C. T.; Gross, Carl J.; Hamilton, J.H.; Korgul, A.; Krolas, W.; Liddick, S. N.; Li, K.; Maier, Karl; Mazzocchi, C.; Piechaczek, A.; Shapira, Dan; Simpson, D.; Tantawy, M.N.; Winger, J.A.; Yu, Chang-Hong; Zganjar, E. F.

    2007-01-01

    Fine structure in proton emission from the deformed states 141g.s Ho (T 1/2 = 4.1 ms) and 141 mHo (T 1/2 = 7.4 (micro)s) has been discovered at Oak Ridge by detecting fusion evaporation residues with the Recoil Mass Spectrometer, Si-detectors and digital signal processing electronics. The branching ratios to the first 2 + excited state in 140 Dy were measured to be I p g.s. (2 + ) = 0.9±0.1% and I p m (2 + ) = 1.7±0.5%. A comparison of the available calculations to the experimental values calls for further development of the theoretical models

  17. Fine Structure of Glycosaminoglycans from Fresh and Decellularized Porcine Cardiac Valves and Pericardium

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio Cigliano

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Cardiac valves are dynamic structures, exhibiting a highly specialized architecture consisting of cells and extracellular matrix with a relevant proteoglycan and glycosaminoglycan content, collagen and elastic fibers. Biological valve substitutes are obtained from xenogenic cardiac and pericardial tissues. To overcome the limits of such non viable substitutes, tissue engineering approaches emerged to create cell repopulated decellularized scaffolds. This study was performed to determine the glycosaminoglycans content, distribution, and disaccharides composition in porcine aortic and pulmonary valves and in pericardium before and after a detergent-based decellularization procedure. The fine structural characteristics of galactosaminoglycans chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate were examined by FACE. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of decellularized pericardium and its propensity to be repopulated by in vitro seeded fibroblasts were investigated. Results show that galactosaminoglycans and hyaluronan are differently distributed between pericardium and valves and within heart valves themselves before and after decellularization. The distribution of glycosaminoglycans is also dependent from the vascular district and topographic localization. The decellularization protocol adopted resulted in a relevant but not selective depletion of galactosaminoglycans. As a whole, data suggest that both decellularized porcine heart valves and bovine pericardium represent promising materials bearing the potential for future development of tissue engineered heart valve scaffolds.

  18. Temporal recalibration in vocalization induced by adaptation of delayed auditory feedback.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kosuke Yamamoto

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: We ordinarily perceive our voice sound as occurring simultaneously with vocal production, but the sense of simultaneity in vocalization can be easily interrupted by delayed auditory feedback (DAF. DAF causes normal people to have difficulty speaking fluently but helps people with stuttering to improve speech fluency. However, the underlying temporal mechanism for integrating the motor production of voice and the auditory perception of vocal sound remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the temporal tuning mechanism integrating vocal sensory and voice sounds under DAF with an adaptation technique. METHODS AND FINDINGS: Participants produced a single voice sound repeatedly with specific delay times of DAF (0, 66, 133 ms during three minutes to induce 'Lag Adaptation'. They then judged the simultaneity between motor sensation and vocal sound given feedback. We found that lag adaptation induced a shift in simultaneity responses toward the adapted auditory delays. This indicates that the temporal tuning mechanism in vocalization can be temporally recalibrated after prolonged exposure to delayed vocal sounds. Furthermore, we found that the temporal recalibration in vocalization can be affected by averaging delay times in the adaptation phase. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest vocalization is finely tuned by the temporal recalibration mechanism, which acutely monitors the integration of temporal delays between motor sensation and vocal sound.

  19. Fine-scale population structure and riverscape genetics of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distributed continuously along headwater channel networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanno, Yoichiro; Vokoun, Jason C.; Letcher, Benjamin H.

    2011-01-01

    Linear and heterogeneous habitat makes headwater stream networks an ideal ecosystem in which to test the influence of environmental factors on spatial genetic patterns of obligatory aquatic species. We investigated fine-scale population structure and influence of stream habitat on individual-level genetic differentiation in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) by genotyping eight microsatellite loci in 740 individuals in two headwater channel networks (7.7 and 4.4 km) in Connecticut, USA. A weak but statistically significant isolation-by-distance pattern was common in both sites. In the field, many tagged individuals were recaptured in the same 50-m reaches within a single field season (summer to fall). One study site was characterized with a hierarchical population structure, where seasonal barriers (natural falls of 1.5–2.5 m in height during summer base-flow condition) greatly reduced gene flow and perceptible spatial patterns emerged because of the presence of tributaries, each with a group of genetically distinguishable individuals. Genetic differentiation increased when pairs of individuals were separated by high stream gradient (steep channel slope) or warm stream temperature in this site, although the evidence of their influence was equivocal. In a second site, evidence for genetic clusters was weak at best, but genetic differentiation between individuals was positively correlated with number of tributary confluences. We concluded that the population-level movement of brook trout was limited in the study headwater stream networks, resulting in the fine-scale population structure (genetic clusters and clines) even at distances of a few kilometres, and gene flow was mitigated by ‘riverscape’ variables, particularly by physical barriers, waterway distance (i.e. isolation-by-distance) and the presence of tributaries.

  20. Optimal Design of Experiments by Combining Coarse and Fine Measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Alpha A.; Brenner, Michael P.; Colwell, Lucy J.

    2017-11-01

    In many contexts, it is extremely costly to perform enough high-quality experimental measurements to accurately parametrize a predictive quantitative model. However, it is often much easier to carry out large numbers of experiments that indicate whether each sample is above or below a given threshold. Can many such categorical or "coarse" measurements be combined with a much smaller number of high-resolution or "fine" measurements to yield accurate models? Here, we demonstrate an intuitive strategy, inspired by statistical physics, wherein the coarse measurements are used to identify the salient features of the data, while the fine measurements determine the relative importance of these features. A linear model is inferred from the fine measurements, augmented by a quadratic term that captures the correlation structure of the coarse data. We illustrate our strategy by considering the problems of predicting the antimalarial potency and aqueous solubility of small organic molecules from their 2D molecular structure.

  1. Temporal and Spatial Impact of Human Cadaver Decomposition on Soil Bacterial and Arthropod Community Structure and Function

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Baneshwar; Minick, Kevan J.; Strickland, Michael S.; Wickings, Kyle G.; Crippen, Tawni L.; Tarone, Aaron M.; Benbow, M. Eric; Sufrin, Ness; Tomberlin, Jeffery K.; Pechal, Jennifer L.

    2018-01-01

    As vertebrate carrion decomposes, there is a release of nutrient-rich fluids into the underlying soil, which can impact associated biological community structure and function. How these changes alter soil biogeochemical cycles is relatively unknown and may prove useful in the identification of carrion decomposition islands that have long lasting, focal ecological effects. This study investigated the spatial (0, 1, and 5 m) and temporal (3–732 days) dynamics of human cadaver decomposition on soil bacterial and arthropod community structure and microbial function. We observed strong evidence of a predictable response to cadaver decomposition that varies over space for soil bacterial and arthropod community structure, carbon (C) mineralization and microbial substrate utilization patterns. In the presence of a cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples), the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was greater, while the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia was lower when compared to samples at 1 and 5 m. Micro-arthropods were more abundant (15 to 17-fold) in soils collected at 0 m compared to either 1 or 5 m, but overall, micro-arthropod community composition was unrelated to either bacterial community composition or function. Bacterial community structure and microbial function also exhibited temporal relationships, whereas arthropod community structure did not. Cumulative precipitation was more effective in predicting temporal variations in bacterial abundance and microbial activity than accumulated degree days. In the presence of the cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples), the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased significantly with cumulative precipitation. Furthermore, soil bacterial communities and C mineralization were sensitive to the introduction of human cadavers as they diverged from baseline levels and did not recover completely in approximately 2 years. These data are valuable for understanding ecosystem

  2. Temporal and Spatial Impact of Human Cadaver Decomposition on Soil Bacterial and Arthropod Community Structure and Function

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Baneshwar Singh

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available As vertebrate carrion decomposes, there is a release of nutrient-rich fluids into the underlying soil, which can impact associated biological community structure and function. How these changes alter soil biogeochemical cycles is relatively unknown and may prove useful in the identification of carrion decomposition islands that have long lasting, focal ecological effects. This study investigated the spatial (0, 1, and 5 m and temporal (3–732 days dynamics of human cadaver decomposition on soil bacterial and arthropod community structure and microbial function. We observed strong evidence of a predictable response to cadaver decomposition that varies over space for soil bacterial and arthropod community structure, carbon (C mineralization and microbial substrate utilization patterns. In the presence of a cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples, the relative abundance of Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes was greater, while the relative abundance of Acidobacteria, Chloroflexi, Gemmatimonadetes, and Verrucomicrobia was lower when compared to samples at 1 and 5 m. Micro-arthropods were more abundant (15 to 17-fold in soils collected at 0 m compared to either 1 or 5 m, but overall, micro-arthropod community composition was unrelated to either bacterial community composition or function. Bacterial community structure and microbial function also exhibited temporal relationships, whereas arthropod community structure did not. Cumulative precipitation was more effective in predicting temporal variations in bacterial abundance and microbial activity than accumulated degree days. In the presence of the cadaver (i.e., 0 m samples, the relative abundance of Actinobacteria increased significantly with cumulative precipitation. Furthermore, soil bacterial communities and C mineralization were sensitive to the introduction of human cadavers as they diverged from baseline levels and did not recover completely in approximately 2 years. These data are valuable for understanding

  3. Finite difference method calculations of X-ray absorption fine structure for copper

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bourke, J.D. [School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010 (Australia); Chantler, C.T. [School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010 (Australia)]. E-mail: chantler@physics.unimelb.edu.au; Witte, C. [School of Physics, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic 3010 (Australia)

    2007-01-15

    The finite difference method is extended to calculate X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) for solid state copper. These extensions include the incorporation of a Monte Carlo frozen phonon technique to simulate the effect of thermal vibrations under a correlated Debye-Waller model, and the inclusion of broadening effects from inelastic processes. Spectra are obtained over an energy range in excess of 300 eV above the K absorption edge-more than twice the greatest energy range previously reported for a solid state calculation using this method. We find this method is highly sensitive to values of the photoelectron inelastic mean free path, allowing us to probe the accuracy of current models of this parameter, particularly at low energies. We therefore find that experimental data for the photoelectron inelastic mean free path can be obtained by this method. Our results compare favourably with high precision measurements of the X-ray mass attenuation coefficient for copper, reaching agreement to within 3%, and improving previous results using the finite difference method by an order of magnitude.

  4. Understanding structure of urban traffic network based on spatial-temporal correlation analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yanfang; Jia, Limin; Qin, Yong; Han, Shixiu; Dong, Honghui

    2017-08-01

    Understanding the structural characteristics of urban traffic network comprehensively can provide references for improving road utilization rate and alleviating traffic congestion. This paper focuses on the spatial-temporal correlations between different pairs of traffic series and proposes a complex network-based method of constructing the urban traffic network. In the network, the nodes represent road segments, and an edge between a pair of nodes is added depending on the result of significance test for the corresponding spatial-temporal correlation. Further, a modified PageRank algorithm, named the geographical weight-based PageRank algorithm (GWPA), is proposed to analyze the spatial distribution of important segments in the road network. Finally, experiments are conducted by using three kinds of traffic series collected from the urban road network in Beijing. Experimental results show that the urban traffic networks constructed by three traffic variables all indicate both small-world and scale-free characteristics. Compared with the results of PageRank algorithm, GWPA is proved to be valid in evaluating the importance of segments and identifying the important segments with small degree.

  5. POTENTIAL OF MULTI-TEMPORAL OBLIQUE AIRBORNE IMAGERY FOR STRUCTURAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Vetrivel

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Quick post-disaster actions demand automated, rapid and detailed building damage assessment. Among the available technologies, post-event oblique airborne images have already shown their potential for this task. However, existing methods usually compensate the lack of pre-event information with aprioristic assumptions of building shapes and textures that can lead to uncertainties and misdetections. However, oblique images have been already captured over many cities of the world, and the exploitation of pre- and post-event data as inputs to damage assessment is readily feasible in urban areas. In this paper, we investigate the potential of multi-temporal oblique imagery for detailed damage assessment focusing on two methodologies: the first method aims at detecting severe structural damages related to geometrical deformation by combining the complementary information provided by photogrammetric point clouds and oblique images. The developed method detected 87% of damaged elements. The failed detections are due to varying noise levels within the point cloud which hindered the recognition of some structural elements. We observed, in general that the façade regions are very noisy in point clouds. To address this, we propose our second method which aims to detect damages to building façades using the oriented oblique images. The results show that the proposed methodology can effectively differentiate among the three proposed categories: collapsed/highly damaged, lower levels of damage and undamaged buildings, using a computationally light-weight approach. We describe the implementations of the above mentioned methods in detail and present the promising results achieved using multi-temporal oblique imagery over the city of L’Aquila (Italy.

  6. A study of the Nb3Ge system by Ge K-edge extended x-ray absorption fine structure and x-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saini, N L; Filippi, M; Wu Ziyu; Oyanagi, H; Ihara, H; Iyo, A; Agrestini, S; Bianconi, A

    2002-01-01

    The local structure of Nb 3 Ge intermetallic superconductor has been studied by Ge K-edge absorption spectroscopy. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments show two Ge-Nb distances. In addition to the crystallographic distance of ∼2.87 A, there exists a second Ge-Nb distance, shorter than the first by ∼0.2 A, assigned to a phase with short-range symmetry related to local displacements in the Nb-Nb chains. The x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectrum has been simulated by full multiple-scattering calculations considering the local displacements determined by the EXAFS analysis. The XANES spectrum has been well reproduced by considering a cluster of 99 atoms within a radius of about 7 A from the central Ge atom and introducing determined local displacements

  7. Fine root dynamics in moso bamboo and Japanese cedar forest by scanner method in central Taiwan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Zhi-Wei; Lin, Po-Hsuan; Kume, Tomonori

    2017-04-01

    is to characterize the temporal and spatial variation of fine root dynamics in moso bamboo forests in central Taiwan by using scanner method with 6 acrylic boxes. Other the other hand, this study compared the result with those of adjacent Japanese cedar forests with 8 acrylic boxes. Consequently, we found the fine root production rate and decomposition rate of the bamboo forest are higher than cedar forest. Also, the timing of first observation of new roots was earlier in bamboo forest than cedar forest. This study also examined differences of temporal patterns among measurement locations based on long-term data after box installation.

  8. On the genesis of spatio-temporal self-organized structures in plasma devices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Talasman, S.J.; Sanduloviciu, M.

    1995-01-01

    The genesis of luminous sharply defined nearly spherical space charges structures formed in an Argon plasma column was experimental investigated. The results reveal spatio-temporal characteristics proper to systems resulting after a self-organization process. Their phenomenology involves electrical charges separation produced by symmetry breaking and spatial separation of the excitation and ionization cross sections functions in a region where electrons are accelerated and, as a result, the appearance of electrostatic forces that, acting as long range correlations, assures, together with dissipative effects, its stability. (Author) 8 Figs., 31 Refs

  9. Enhanced sensitivity to the time variation of the fine-structure constant and mp/me in diatomic molecules: A closer examination of silicon monobromide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2010-01-01

    Recently it was pointed out that transition frequencies in certain diatomic molecules have an enhanced sensitivity to variations in the fine-structure constant α and the proton-to-electron mass ratio m p /m e due to a near cancellation between the fine structure and vibrational interval in a ground electronic multiplet [V. V. Flambaum and M. G. Kozlov, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 150801 (2007)]. One such molecule possessing this favorable quality is silicon monobromide. Here we take a closer examination of SiBr as a candidate for detecting variations in α and m p /m e . We analyze the rovibronic spectrum by employing the most accurate experimental data available in the literature and perform ab initio calculations to determine the precise dependence of the spectrum on variations in α. Furthermore, we calculate the natural linewidths of the rovibronic levels, which place a fundamental limit on the accuracy to which variations may be determined.

  10. X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopic determination of plutonium speciation at the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lezama-pacheco, Juan S.; Conradson, Steven D.; Clark, David L.

    2008-01-01

    X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectroscopy was used to probe the speciation of the ppm level Pu in thirteen soil and concrete samples from the Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site in support of the site remediation effort that has been successfully completed since these measurements. In addition to X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectra, two of the samples yielded Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure spectra that could be analyzed by curve-fits. Most of these spectra exhibited features consistent with PU(IV), and more specificaJly, PuO 2+x -type speciation. Two were ambiguous, possibly indicating that Pu that was originally present in a different form was transforming into PuO 2+x , and one was interpreted as demonstrating the presence of an unusual Pu(VI) compound, consistent with its source being spills from a PUREX purification line onto a concrete floor and the resultant extreme conditions. These experimental results therefore validated models that predicted that insoluble PuO 2+x would be the most stable form of Pu in equilibrium with air and water even when the source terms were most likely Pu metal with organic compounds or a Pu fire. A corollary of these models' predictions and other in situ observations is therefore that the minimal transport of Pu that occurred on the site was via the resuspension and mobilization of colloidal particles. Under these conditions, the small amounts of diffusely distributed Pu that were left on the site after its remediation pose only a negligible hazard.

  11. Thermal expansion behavior study of Co nanowire array with in situ x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption fine structure techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mo, Guang; Cai, Quan; Jiang, Longsheng; Wang, Wei; Zhang, Kunhao; Cheng, Weidong; Xing, Xueqing; Chen, Zhongjun; Wu, Zhonghua

    2008-10-01

    In situ x-ray diffraction and x-ray absorption fine structure techniques were used to study the structural change of ordered Co nanowire array with temperature. The results show that the Co nanowires are polycrystalline with hexagonal close packed structure without phase change up until 700 °C. A nonlinear thermal expansion behavior has been found and can be well described by a quadratic equation with the first-order thermal expansion coefficient of 4.3×10-6/°C and the second-order thermal expansion coefficient of 5.9×10-9/°C. The mechanism of this nonlinear thermal expansion behavior is discussed.

  12. Spatio-temporal structure, path characteristics and perceptual grouping in immediate serial spatial recall

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo De Lillo

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Immediate serial spatial recall measures the ability to retain sequences of locations in short-term memory and is considered the spatial equivalent of digit span. It is tested by requiring participants to reproduce sequences of movements performed by an experimenter or displayed on a monitor. Different organizational factors dramatically affect serial spatial recall but they are often confounded or underspecified. Untangling them is crucial for the characterization of working-memory models and for establishing the contribution of structure and memory capacity to spatial span. We report five experiments assessing the relative role and independence of factors that have been reported in the literature. Experiment 1 disentangled the effects of spatial clustering and path-length by manipulating the distance of items displayed on a touchscreen monitor. Long-path sequences segregated by spatial clusters were compared with short-path sequences not segregated by clusters. Recall was more accurate for sequences segregated by clusters independently from path-length. Experiment 2 featured conditions where temporal pauses were introduced between or within cluster boundaries during the presentation of sequences with the same paths. Thus, the temporal structure of the sequences was either consistent or inconsistent with a hierarchical representation based on segmentation by spatial clusters but the effect of structure could not be confounded with effects of path-characteristics. Pauses at cluster boundaries yielded more accurate recall, as predicted by a hierarchical model. In Experiment 3, the systematic manipulation of sequence structure, path-length and presence of path-crossings of sequences showed that structure explained most of the variance, followed by the presence/absence of path-crossings, and path-length. Experiments 4 and 5 replicated the results of the previous experiments in immersive virtual reality navigation tasks where the viewpoint of the

  13. Principles of Temporal Processing Across the Cortical Hierarchy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Himberger, Kevin D; Chien, Hsiang-Yun; Honey, Christopher J

    2018-05-02

    The world is richly structured on multiple spatiotemporal scales. In order to represent spatial structure, many machine-learning models repeat a set of basic operations at each layer of a hierarchical architecture. These iterated spatial operations - including pooling, normalization and pattern completion - enable these systems to recognize and predict spatial structure, while robust to changes in the spatial scale, contrast and noisiness of the input signal. Because our brains also process temporal information that is rich and occurs across multiple time scales, might the brain employ an analogous set of operations for temporal information processing? Here we define a candidate set of temporal operations, and we review evidence that they are implemented in the mammalian cerebral cortex in a hierarchical manner. We conclude that multiple consecutive stages of cortical processing can be understood to perform temporal pooling, temporal normalization and temporal pattern completion. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  14. Extended x-ray absorption fine structure in Ga1-xMnxN/SiC films with high Mn content

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sancho-Juan, O.; Martínez-Criado, O.; Cantarero, A.; Garro, N.; Salomé, M.; Susini, J.; Olguín, D.; Dhar, S.; Ploog, K.

    2011-05-01

    In this study, the local atomic structure of highly homogeneous Ga1-xMnxN alloy films (0.03fine structure measurements. From the curve fitting, the structural parameters corresponding to the first two atomic shells surrounding both Ga and Mn atoms are reported. In the Ga1-xMnxN films, grown by molecular beam epitaxy, the Mn atoms are in tetrahedral configuration, independent of the Mn concentration; that is, they are in a substitutional site, MnGa, in the wurtzite structure. A small increase in the interatomic distances has been found with increasing Mn content. The Debye-Waller factor does not show a significant trend as Mn content increases, which suggests the presence of short-range disorder in the GaN lattice. Ab initio calculations of the structural parameter for two different Mn concentrations are consistent with the experimental results.

  15. One-loop corrections of orders (Zα)6m1/m2 and (Zα)7 to the fine structure of muonium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2003-01-01

    Corrections of orders (Zα) 6 m 1 /m 2 and (Zα) 7 from one-loop two-photon amplitudes to the energy spectra of hydrogen-like atoms are calculated by expanding the relevant integrand in a Taylor series. A method for averaging the resulting quasipotential in the d-dimensional coordinate representation is formulated. Numerical values are obtained for the corresponding contributions to the fine structure of the muonium, hydrogen, and positronium atoms

  16. Fine structure and development of the collar enamel in gars, Lepisosteus oculatus, Actinopterygii

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sasagawa, Ichiro; Ishiyama, Mikio; Yokosuka, Hiroyuki; Mikami, Masato

    2008-06-01

    The fine structure of collar enamel and the cells constituting the enamel organ during amelogenesis in Lepisosteus oculatus was observed by light, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy. In the enamel, slender crystals were arranged perpendicular to the surface and the stripes that were parallel to the surface were observed, suggesting that the enamel in Lepisosteus shares common morphological features with that in sarcopterygian fish and amphibians. Ameloblasts containing developed Golgi apparatus, rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) and secretory granules were found in the secretory stage. In the maturation stage, a ruffled border was not seen at the distal end of the ameloblasts, while many mitochondria and lysosome-like granules were obvious in the distal cytoplasm. The enamel organ consisted of the outer dental epithelial cells, stratum reticulum cells and ameloblasts, but there was no stratum intermedium. It is likely that the ameloblasts have less absorptive function in comparison with the inner dental epithelial cells facing cap enameloid.

  17. Insight into the biological effects of acupuncture points by X-ray absorption fine structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chenglin; Liu, Qinghua; Zhang, Dongming; Liu, Wei; Yan, Xiaohui; Zhang, Xinyi; Oyanagi, Hiroyuki; Pan, Zhiyun; Hu, Fengchun; Wei, Shiqiang

    2018-06-02

    Exploration of the biological effects of transition metal ions in acupuncture points is essential to clarify the functional mechanism of acupuncture treatment. Here we show that in the SP6 acupuncture point (Sanyinjiao) the Fe ions are in a high-spin state of approximately t 2g 4.5 e g 1.5 in an Fe-N(O) octahedral crystal field. The Fe K-edge synchrotron radiation X-ray absorption fine structure results reveal that the Fe-N and Fe-O bond lengths in the SP6 acupuncture point are 2.05 and 2.13 Å, respectively, and are 0.05-0.10 Å longer than those in the surrounding tissue. The distorted atomic structure reduces the octahedral symmetry and weakens the crystal field around the Fe ions by approximately 0.3 eV, leading to the high-spin configuration of the Fe ions, which is favorable for strengthening the magnetotransport and oxygen transportation properties in the acupuncture point by the enhanced spin coherence. This finding might provide some insight into the microscopic effect of the atomic and electronic interactions of transition metal ions in the acupuncture point. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  18. METHOD FOR THE ANALYSIS OF TEMPORAL CHANGE OF PHYSICAL STRUCTURE IN THE INSTRUMENTATION AND CONTROL LIFE-CYCLE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MARKUS GÖRING

    2013-10-01

    On one hand, this paper proposes the restructuring of the sequential IEC 61513 I&C life-cycle according to the V-model, so as to adequately integrate the concept of verification and validation. On the other hand, based on a metamodel for the modeling of I&C systems, this paper introduces a method for the modeling and analysis of the effects with respect to the superposition of failure combinations and event sequences on the I&C system design, i.e. the temporal change of physical structure is analyzed. In the first step, the method is concerned with the modeling of the I&C systems. In the second step, the method considers the analysis of temporal change of physical structure, which integrates the concepts of the diversity and defense-in-depth analysis, fault tree analysis, event tree analysis, and failure mode and effects analysis.

  19. Constraints on a possible variation of the fine structure constant from galaxy cluster data

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Holanda, R.F.L. [Departamento de Física, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, 58429-500, Campina Grande – PB (Brazil); Landau, S.J.; Sánchez G, I.E. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, and IFIBA, CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria – PabI, Buenos Aires 1428 (Argentina); Alcaniz, J.S. [Departamento de Astronomia, Observatório Nacional, 20921-400, Rio de Janeiro – RJ (Brazil); Busti, V.C., E-mail: holanda@uepb.edu.br, E-mail: slandau@df.uba.ar, E-mail: alcaniz@on.br, E-mail: isg.cos@gmail.com, E-mail: vinicius.busti@astro.iag.usp.br [Departamento de Física Matemática, Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, CP 66318, 05508-090, São Paulo – SP (Brazil)

    2016-05-01

    We propose a new method to probe a possible time evolution of the fine structure constant α from X-ray and Sunyaev-Zel'dovich measurements of the gas mass fraction ( f {sub gas}) in galaxy clusters. Taking into account a direct relation between variations of α and violations of the distance-duality relation, we discuss constraints on α for a class of dilaton runaway models. Although not yet competitive with bounds from high- z quasar absorption systems, our constraints, considering a sample of 29 measurements of f {sub gas}, in the redshift interval 0.14 < z < 0.89, provide an independent estimate of α variation at low and intermediate redshifts. Furthermore, current and planned surveys will provide a larger amount of data and thus allow to improve the limits on α variation obtained in the present analysis.

  20. Fine structures and magnetic properties of FeCo granular thin films with plasma polymerized (C4F8) n matrix

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kakizaki, K.; Yasoshima, S.; Choi, K.-K.; Kamishima, K.; Hiratsuka, N.

    2007-01-01

    In this paper a method for polymerization of fluorocarbon gas in argon plasma to obtain a novel granular structure was reported. We prepared granular films where FeCo fine particles were distributed in plasma-polymerized fluorocarbon matrix by a facing-targets RF magnetron sputtering method, and investigated the correlation between their structures and magnetic properties. The magnetization of the films prepared with the partial pressure of fluorocarbon gas between 0 and 1.0 mTorr decreased linearly, because the FeCo content in a unit volume of a film decreased when a polymerized material was used as the matrix. However, the coercivity of the films decreased drastically with increasing the partial pressure of fluorocarbon gas above 0.4 mTorr. This is because the magnetic anisotropy of FeCo particles is decreased by the decrease of grain size. It was confirmed by a TEM observation that the FeCo-(C 4 F 8 ) n films had the granular structure which was constituted by the very fine FeCo particles and the plasma-polymerized fluorocarbon matrix. For the film deposited at the partial pressure of fluorocarbon gas of 0.4 mTorr, the size of FeCo magnetic particles is about 20 nm. On the other hand, the size of FeCo particles is decreased to about 8 nm when the film deposited at the partial pressure of fluorocarbon gas of 0.8 mTorr and its distribution is small