3,322 research outputs found
Precision spectroscopy of the 3s-3p fine structure doublet in Mg+
We apply a recently demonstrated method for precision spectroscopy on strong
transitions in trapped ions to measure both fine structure components of the
3s-3p transition in 24-Mg+ and 26-Mg+. We deduce absolute frequency reference
data for transition frequencies, isotope shifts and fine structure splittings
that are in particular useful for comparison with quasar absorption spectra,
which test possible space-time variations of the fine structure constant. The
measurement accuracy improves previous literature values, when existing, by
more than two orders of magnitude
Heritability and cross-species comparisons of human cortical functional organization asymmetry
The human cerebral cortex is symmetrically organized along large-scale axes but also presents inter-hemispheric differences in structure and function. The quantified contralateral homologous difference, that is asymmetry, is a key feature of the human brain left-right axis supporting functional processes, such as language. Here, we assessed whether the asymmetry of cortical functional organization is heritable and phylogenetically conserved between humans and macaques. Our findings indicate asymmetric organization along an axis describing a functional trajectory from perceptual/action to abstract cognition. Whereas language network showed leftward asymmetric organization, frontoparietal network showed rightward asymmetric organization in humans. These asymmetries were heritable in humans and showed a similar spatial distribution with macaques, in the case of intra-hemispheric asymmetry of functional hierarchy. This suggests (phylo)genetic conservation. However, both language and frontoparietal networks showed a qualitatively larger asymmetry in humans relative to macaques. Overall, our findings suggest a genetic basis for asymmetry in intrinsic functional organization, linked to higher order cognitive functions uniquely developed in humans
Storage-ring measurement of the hyperfine induced 47Ti18+(2s 2p 3P0 -> 2s2 1S0) transition rate
The hyperfine induced 2s 2p 3P0 > 2s2 1S0 transition rate AHFI in
berylliumlike 47Ti18+ was measured. Resonant electron-ion recombination in a
heavy-ion storage ring was employed to monitor the time dependent population of
the 3P0 state. The experimental value AHFI=0.56(3)/s is almost 60% larger than
theoretically predicted.Comment: 4 pages. 3 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Physical
Review Letter
Impacts of Land Abandonment on Vegetation: Successional Pathways in European Habitats
Changes in traditional agricultural systems in Europe in recent decades have led to widespread abandonment and colonization of various habitats by shrubs and trees. We combined several vegetation databases to test whether patterns of changes in plant diversity after land abandonment in different habitats followed similar pathways. The impacts of land abandonment and subsequent woody colonization on vegetation composition and plant traits were studied in five semi-natural open habitats and two arable habitats in six regions of Europe. For each habitat, vegetation surveys were carried out in different stages of succession using either permanent or non-permanent plots. Consecutive stages of succession were defined on a physiognomic basis from initial open stages to late woody stages. Changes in vegetation composition, species richness, numbers of species on Red Lists, plant strategy types, Ellenberg indicator values of the vegetation, Grime CSR strategy types and seven ecological traits were assessed for each stage of the successional pathway. Abandonment of agro-pastoral land-use and subsequent woody colonization were associated with changes in floristic composition. Plant richness varied according to the different habitats and stages of succession, but semi-natural habitats differed from arable fields in several ecological traits and vegetation responses. Nevertheless, succession occurred along broadly predictable pathways. Vegetation in abandoned arable fields was characterized by a decreasing importance of R-strategists, annuals, seed plants with overwintering green leaves, insect-pollinated plants with hemi-rosette morphology and plants thriving in nutrient-rich conditions, but an increase in species considered as endangered according to the Red Lists. Conversely, changes in plant traits with succession within the initially-open semi-natural habitats showed an increase in plants thriving in nutrient-rich conditions, stress-tolerant plants and plants with sexual and vegetative reproduction, but a sharp decrease in protected species. In conclusion, our study showed a set of similarities in responses of the vegetation in plant traits after land abandonment, but we also highlighted differences between arable fields and semi-natural habitats, emphasizing the importance of land-use legacy
Absolute rate coefficients for photorecombination and electron-impact ionization of magnesium-like iron ions from measurements at a heavy-ion storage ring
Rate coefficients for photorecombination (PR) and cross sections for
electron-impact ionization (EII) of Fe forming Fe and
Fe, respectively, have been measured by employing the electron-ion
merged-beams technique at a heavy-ion storage ring. Rate coefficients for PR
and EII of Fe ions in a plasma are derived from the experimental
measurements. Simple parametrizations of the experimentally derived plasma rate
coefficients are provided for use in the modeling of photoionized and
collisionally ionized plasmas. In the temperature ranges where Fe is
expected to form in such plasmas the latest theoretical rate coefficients of
Altun et al. [Astron. Astrophys. 474, 1051 (2007)] for PR and of Dere [Astron.
Astrophys. 466, 771 (2007)] for EII agree with the experimental results to
within the experimental uncertainties. Common features in the PR and EII
resonance structures are identified and discussed.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, submitted for publication to Physical
Review
Absolute rate coefficients for photorecombination of berylliumlike and boronlike silicon ions
We report measured rate coefficients for electron-ion recombination for Si10+
forming Si9+ and for Si9+ forming Si8+, respectively. The measurements were
performed using the electron-ion merged-beams technique at a heavy-ion storage
ring. Electron-ion collision energies ranged from 0 to 50 eV for Si9+ and from
0 to 2000 eV for Si10+, thus, extending previous measurements for Si10+ [Orban
et al. 2010, Astrophys. J. 721, 1603] to much higher energies. Experimentally
derived rate coefficients for the recombination of Si9+ and Si10+ ions in a
plasma are presented along with simple parameterizations. These rate
coefficients are useful for the modeling of the charge balance of silicon in
photoionized plasmas (Si9+ and Si10+) and in collisionally ionized plasmas
(Si10+ only). In the corresponding temperature ranges, the experimentally
derived rate coefficients agree with the latest corresponding theoretical
results within the experimental uncertainties.Comment: 17 pages, 7 figures, 3 tables, 66 references, submitted to the J.
Phys. B special issue on atomic and molecular data for astrophysicist
Angular Forces Around Transition Metals in Biomolecules
Quantum-mechanical analysis based on an exact sum rule is used to extract an
semiclassical angle-dependent energy function for transition metal ions in
biomolecules. The angular dependence is simple but different from existing
classical potentials. Comparison of predicted energies with a
computer-generated database shows that the semiclassical energy function is
remarkably accurate, and that its angular dependence is optimal.Comment: Tex file plus 4 postscript figure
The Formal Dynamism of Categories: Stops vs. Fricatives, Primitivity vs. Simplicity
Minimalist Phonology (MP; Pöchtrager 2006) constructs its theory based on the phonological epistemological principle (Kaye 2001) and exposes the arbitrary nature of standard Government Phonology (sGP) and strict-CV (sCV), particularly with reference to their confusion of melody and structure.
For Pöchtrager, these are crucially different, concluding that place of articulation is melodic (expressed with elements), while manner of articulation is structural. In this model, the heads (xN and xO) can license and incorporate the length of the other into their own interpretation, that is xN influences xO projections as well as its own and vice versa. This dynamism is an aspect of the whole framework and this paper in particular will show that stops and fricatives evidence a plasticity of category and that, although fricatives are simpler in structure, stops are the more primitive of the two.
This will be achieved phonologically through simply unifying the environment of application of the licensing forces within Pöchtrager's otherwise sound onset structure. In doing so, we automatically make several predictions about language acquisition and typology and show how lenition in Qiang (Sino-Tibetan) can be more elegantly explained
BrainStat: A toolbox for brain-wide statistics and multimodal feature associations
Analysis and interpretation of neuroimaging datasets has become a multidisciplinary endeavor, relying not only on statistical methods, but increasingly on associations with respect to other brain-derived features such as gene expression, histological data, and functional as well as cognitive architectures. Here, we introduce BrainStat - a toolbox for (i) univariate and multivariate linear models in volumetric and surface-based brain imaging datasets, and (ii) multidomain feature association of results with respect to spatial maps of post-mortem gene expression and histology, task-based fMRI meta-analysis, as well as resting-state fMRI motifs across several common surface templates. The combination of statistics and feature associations into a turnkey toolbox streamlines analytical processes and accelerates cross-modal research. The toolbox is implemented in both Python and MATLAB, two widely used programming languages in the neuroimaging and neuroinformatics communities. BrainStat is openly available and complemented by an expandable documentation
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