The critical events for motor-sensory temporal recalibration

Determining if we, or another agent, were responsible for a sensory event can require an accurate sense of timing. Our sense of appropriate timing relationships must, however, be malleable as there is a variable delay between the physical timing of an event and when sensory signals concerning that event are encoded in the brain. One dramatic demonstration of such malleability involves having people repeatedly press a button thereby causing a beep. If a delay is inserted between button presses and beeps, when it is subsequently taken away beeps can seem to precede the button presses that caused them. For this to occur it is important that people feel they were responsible for instigating the beeps. In terms of their timing, as yet it is not clear what combination of events is important for motor-sensory temporal recalibration. Here, by introducing ballistic reaches of short or longer extent before a button press, we varied the delay between the intention to act and the sensory consequence of that action. This manipulation failed to modulate recalibration magnitude. By contrast, introducing a similarly lengthened delay between button presses and consequent beeps eliminated recalibration. Thus it would seem that the critical timing relationship for motor-sensory temporal recalibration is between tactile signals relating to the completion of an action and the subsequent auditory percept

Finite size scaling analysis of compact QED

We describe results of a high-statistics finite size scaling analysis of 4d compact U(1) lattice gauge theory with Wilson action at the phase transition point. Using a multicanonical hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm we generate data samples with more than 150 tunneling events between the metastable states of the system, on lattice sizes up to 18^4. We performed a first analysis within the Borgs-Kotecky finite size scaling scheme. As a result, we report evidence for a first-order phase transition with a plaquette energy gap, G=0.02667(20), at a transition coupling, beta_T=1.011128(11).Comment: Lattice 2000 (Topics in Gauge Theories),6 pages, 6 figures, LaTe

Experimental neutrino physics

The current experimental status of neutrino physics is reviewed. It contains the evidences for a non-vanishing neutrino rest mass from neutrino oscillation searches. In addition an outlook is given on determining the various mixing matrix elements and mass differences more precisely with new experiments. Of special interest is the value of the mixing angle \theta_{13} determining the possibility of detecting leptonic CP violation in the future. The prospect for absolute mass measurements using beta and double beta decay as well as cosmological observations is presented.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures, Inv. talk presented at the DPF 2004 meeting of the APS, Riverside, Aug. 200

Aerosol particle molecular spectroscopy

The molecular spectroscopy of a solution particle by structure resonance modulation spectroscopy is discussed [S. Arnold and A. B. Pluchino, "Infrared Spectrum of a Single Aerosol Particle by Photothermal Modulation of Structure Resonances," Appl. Opt. 21, 4194 (1982); S. Arnold et al., "Molecular Spectroscopy of a Single Aerosol Particle," Opt. Lett. 9, 4 (1984)]. Analytical equations are derived for time dependence of the particle radius as it interacts with a low intensity IR source (<20 mW/cm^2). This formalism is found to be in good agreement with pulsed experiments. Working equations for the spectroscopy are derived for both constant and periodic IR excitation

Spatial grouping resolves ambiguity to drive temporal recalibration.

Cross-modal temporal recalibration describes a shift in the point of subjective simultaneity (PSS) between 2 events following repeated exposure to asynchronous cross-modal inputs-the adaptors. Previous research suggested that audiovisual recalibration is insensitive to the spatial relationship between the adaptors. Here we show that audiovisual recalibration can be driven by cross-modal spatial grouping. Twelve participants adapted to alternating trains of lights and tones. Spatial position was manipulated, with alternating sequences of a light then a tone, or a tone then a light, presented on either side of fixation (e.g., left tone-left light-right tone-right light, etc.). As the events were evenly spaced in time, in the absence of spatial-based grouping it would be unclear if tones were leading or lagging lights. However, any grouping of spatially colocalized cross-modal events would result in an unambiguous sense of temporal order. We found that adapting to these stimuli caused the PSS between subsequent lights and tones to shift toward the temporal relationship implied by spatial-based grouping. These data therefore show that temporal recalibration is facilitated by spatial grouping. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)

Neural correlates of subjective timing precision and confidence

Humans perceptual judgments are imprecise, as repeated exposures to the same physical stimulation (e.g. audio-visual inputs separated by a constant temporal offset) can result in different decisions. Moreover, there can be marked individual differences – precise judges will repeatedly make the same decision about a given input, whereas imprecise judges will make different decisions. The causes are unclear. We examined this using audio-visual (AV) timing and confidence judgments, in conjunction with electroencephalography (EEG) and multivariate pattern classification analyses. One plausible cause of differences in timing precision is that it scales with variance in the dynamics of evoked brain activity. Another possibility is that equally reliable patterns of brain activity are evoked, but there are systematic differences that scale with precision. Trial-by-trial decoding of input timings from brain activity suggested precision differences may not result from variable dynamics. Instead, precision was associated with evoked responses that were exaggerated (more different from baseline) ~300 ms after initial physical stimulations. We suggest excitatory and inhibitory interactions within a winner-take-all neural code for AV timing might exaggerate responses, such that evoked response magnitudes post-stimulation scale with encoding success

Machine learning-guided directed evolution for protein engineering

Machine learning (ML)-guided directed evolution is a new paradigm for biological design that enables optimization of complex functions. ML methods use data to predict how sequence maps to function without requiring a detailed model of the underlying physics or biological pathways. To demonstrate ML-guided directed evolution, we introduce the steps required to build ML sequence-function models and use them to guide engineering, making recommendations at each stage. This review covers basic concepts relevant to using ML for protein engineering as well as the current literature and applications of this new engineering paradigm. ML methods accelerate directed evolution by learning from information contained in all measured variants and using that information to select sequences that are likely to be improved. We then provide two case studies that demonstrate the ML-guided directed evolution process. We also look to future opportunities where ML will enable discovery of new protein functions and uncover the relationship between protein sequence and function.Comment: Made significant revisions to focus on aspects most relevant to applying machine learning to speed up directed evolutio

Understanding Afghan healthcare providers: a qualitative study of the culture of care in a Kabul maternity hospital.

To analyse the culture of a Kabul maternity hospital to understand the perspectives of healthcare providers on their roles, experiences, values and motivations and the impact of these determinants on the care of perinatal women and their babies