1,235 research outputs found
Anatomo-functional correspondence in the superior temporal sulcus
The superior temporal sulcus (STS) is an intriguing region both for its complex anatomy and for the multiple functions that it hosts. Unfortunately, most studies explored either the functional organization or the anatomy of the STS only. Here, we link these two aspects by investigating anatomo-functional correspondences between the voice-sensitive cortex (Temporal Voice Areas) and the STS depth. To do so, anatomical and functional scans of 116 subjects were processed such as to generate individual surface maps on which both depth and functional voice activity can be analyzed. Individual depth profiles of manually drawn STS and functional profiles from a voice localizer (voice > non-voice) maps were extracted and compared to assess anatomo-functional correspondences. Three major results were obtained: first, the STS exhibits a highly significant rightward depth asymmetry in its middle part. Second, there is an anatomo-functional correspondence between the location of the voice-sensitive peak and the deepest point inside this asymmetrical region bilaterally. Finally, we showed that this correspondence was independent of the gender and, using a machine learning approach, that it existed at the individual level. These findings offer new perspectives for the understanding of anatomo-functional correspondences in this complex cortical region
Marine Capture Fisheries from Western Indian Ocean: An Excellent Source of Proteins and Essential Amino Acids
The Republic of Seychelles is located in Western-Central Indian Ocean, and marine capture
fisheries play a key role in the countryâs economic and social life in terms of food security, employment,
and cultural identity. The Seychellois are among the highest per capita fish-consuming people in the
world, with a high reliance on fish for protein. However, the diet is in transition, moving towards
a Western-style diet lower in fish and higher in animal meat and easily available, highly processed
foods. The aim of this study was to examine and evaluate the protein content and quality of a
wide range of marine species exploited by the Seychelles industrial and artisanal fisheries, as well
as to further to assess the contribution of these species to the daily intake recommended by the
World Health Organization (WHO). A total of 230 individuals from 33 marine species, including
3 crustaceans, 1 shark, and 29 teleost fish, were collected from the Seychelles waters during 2014â2016.
All analyzed species had a high content of high-quality protein, with all indispensable amino acids
above the reference value pattern for adults and children. As seafood comprises almost 50% of the
consumed animal protein in the Seychelles, it is of particular importance as a source of essential
amino acids and associated nutrients, and as such every effort to sustain the consumption of regional
seafood should be encouraged
Tracking integrated ecosystem assessments in the ICES network: a social network analysis of the ICES expert groups
The advice the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) provides to its member countries is crucial for the sustainable management of shared marine resources, and the conservation of relevant marine ecosystems. In 2014, ICES made a strategic decision to integrate marine and social sciences in a new type of assessment framework called âintegrated ecosystem assessmentsâ (IEA) to deliver advice on societal trade-offs between different policy options. The IEA-focused expert groups formed before and after this period now cover all major ecoregions. To track the progression of IEAs in the ICES network over time, we conducted a social network analysis (SNA) on expert group attendance for the years 2015â2019. The IEA-focused expert groups generally ranked lower in the overall ICES network. Our study shows that some IEA-groups become more connected over time, while others decline. We also evaluated the role of workshops in the ICES network, particularly their role in the development of IEA knowledge. Our study shows that workshops play an important role in ICES network connectivity. The study demonstrates how social network analysis can be used to study an organization such as ICES and determine the effectiveness, or impact, of that organizational function.publishedVersio
APEnet+: high bandwidth 3D torus direct network for petaflops scale commodity clusters
We describe herein the APElink+ board, a PCIe interconnect adapter featuring
the latest advances in wire speed and interface technology plus hardware
support for a RDMA programming model and experimental acceleration of GPU
networking; this design allows us to build a low latency, high bandwidth PC
cluster, the APEnet+ network, the new generation of our cost-effective,
tens-of-thousands-scalable cluster network architecture. Some test results and
characterization of data transmission of a complete testbench, based on a
commercial development card mounting an Altera FPGA, are provided.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, proceeding of CHEP 2010, Taiwan, October 18-2
apeNEXT: A multi-TFlops Computer for Simulations in Lattice Gauge Theory
We present the APE (Array Processor Experiment) project for the development
of dedicated parallel computers for numerical simulations in lattice gauge
theories. While APEmille is a production machine in today's physics simulations
at various sites in Europe, a new machine, apeNEXT, is currently being
developed to provide multi-Tflops computing performance. Like previous APE
machines, the new supercomputer is largely custom designed and specifically
optimized for simulations of Lattice QCD.Comment: Poster at the XXIII Physics in Collisions Conference (PIC03),
Zeuthen, Germany, June 2003, 3 pages, Latex. PSN FRAP15. Replaced for adding
forgotten autho
Statistical features of edge turbulence in RFX-mod from Gas Puffing Imaging
Plasma density fluctuations in the edge plasma of the RFX-mod device are
measured through the Gas Puffing Imaging Diagnostics. Statistical features of
the signal are quantified in terms of the Probability Distribution Function
(PDF), and computed for several kinds of discharges. The PDFs from discharges
without particular control methods are found to be adequately described by a
Gamma function, consistently with the recent results by Graves et al [J.P.
Graves, et al, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 47, L1 (2005)]. On the other hand,
pulses with external methods for plasma control feature modified PDFs. A first
empirical analysis suggests that they may be interpolated through a linear
combination of simple functions. An inspection of the literature shows that
this kind of PDFs is common to other devices as well, and has been suggested to
be due to the simultaneous presence of different mechanisms driving
respectively coherent bursts and gaussian background turbulence. An attempt is
made to relate differences in the PDFs to plasma conditions such as the local
shift of the plasma column. A simple phenomenological model to interpret the
nature of the PDF and assign a meaning to its parameters is also developed.Comment: 27 pages. Published in PPC
Taxing the Informal Economy: The Current State of Knowledge and Agendas for Future Research
This paper reviews the literature on taxation of the informal economy, taking stock of key debates
and drawing attention to recent innovations. Conventionally, the debate on whether to tax has frequently focused
on the limited revenue potential, high cost of collection, and potentially adverse impact on small firms. Recent
arguments have increasingly emphasised the more indirect benefits of informal taxation in relation to economic
growth, broader tax compliance, and governance. More research is needed, we argue, into the relevant costs and
benefits for all, including quasi-voluntary compliance, political and administrative incentives for reform, and
citizen-state bargaining over taxation
The apeNEXT project
Numerical simulations in theoretical high-energy physics (Lattice QCD) require huge computing resources. Several generations of massively parallel computers optimised for these applications have been developed within the APE (array processor experiment) project. Large prototype systems of the latest generation, apeNEXT, are currently being assembled and tested. This contribution explains how the apeNEXT architecture is optimised for Lattice QCD, provides an overview of the hardware and software of apeNEXT, and describes its new features, like the SPMD programming model and the C compiler
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