The changing brain: Neuroscience and the enduring import of everyday experience

Discourses of ‘neuroplasticity’ have become increasingly apparent in the neurosciences and wider society. These connect with broader narratives about the ‘changing brain’ throughout the life-course. Here, we explore their presence in the talk of a range of publics. Their presence is indicative of how novel neuroscience is accepted, or not, by our participants. In particular, we suggest that any acceptance of the science relates to their personal and/or professional experiences of change (to their own or others’ subjectivities) rather than to some intrinsic and widely-held significance of scientific concepts per se. Accordingly, we also submit that it is in part through the congruence of some neuroscientific claims to everyday experiences and perspectives that the former are rendered legible and salient. In this respect, ‘lay’ knowledge has considerable import for the wider cultural authorisation of that of ‘experts’

Influence of extended dynamics on phase transitions in a driven lattice gas

Monte Carlo simulations and dynamical mean-field approximations are performed to study the phase transition in a driven lattice gas with nearest-neighbor exclusion on a square lattice. A slight extension of the microscopic dynamics with allowing the next-nearest-neighbor hops results in dramatic changes. Instead of the phase separation into high- and low-density regions in the stationary state the system exhibits a continuous transition belonging to the Ising universality class for any driving. The relevant features of phase diagram are reproduced by an improved mean-field analysis.Comment: 3 pages, 3 figure

Models of competitive learning: complex dynamics, intermittent conversions and oscillatory coarsening

We present two models of competitive learning, which are respectively interfacial and cooperative learning. This learning is outcome-related, so that spatially and temporally local environments influence the conversion of a given site between one of two different types. We focus here on the behavior of the models at coexistence, which yields new critical behavior and the existence of a phase involving a novel type of coarsening which is oscillatory in nature.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

The Clusters AgeS Experiment (CASE). II. The Eclipsing Blue Straggler OGLEGC-228 in the Globular Cluster 47 Tuc

We use photometric and spectroscopic observations of the eclipsing binary OGLEGC-228 (V228) to derive the masses, radii, and luminosities of the component stars. Based on measured systemic velocity, proper motion and distance, the system is a blue straggler member of the globular cluster 47 Tuc. Our analysis shows that V228 is a semi-detached Algol. We obtain M=1.512 +/- 0.022 Msun, R=1.357 +/- 0.019 Rsun, L=7.02 +/- 0.050 Lsun for the hotter and more luminous primary component and M=0.200 +/- 0.007 Msun, R=1.238 +/- 0.013 Rsun, L=1.57 +/- 0.09 Lsun for the Roche lobe filling secondary.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures, AJ, in pres

Photoacoustic Experimental System To Confirm Infrared Absorption Due to Greenhouse Gases

An experimental system for detecting infrared absorption using the photoacoustic (PA) effect is described. It is aimed for use at high-school level to illustrate the difference in infrared (IR) absorption among the gases contained in the atmosphere in connection with the greenhouse effect. The experimental system can be built with readily available components and is suitable for small-group experiments. The PA signal from a greenhouse gas (GHG), such as CO2, H2O, and CH4, can be detected down to a concentration of 0.1%. Since the basic theory of the PA effect in gases due to IR absorption is straightforward, the experiments with this PA system are accessible to students. It can be shown that there is a significant difference in IR absorption between GHGs and the major components of the atmosphere, N2, O2, and Ar, which helps students understand that the minor components, that is, the GHGs, determine the IR absorptivity of the atmosphere

Variational method and duality in the 2D square Potts model

The ferromagnetic q-state Potts model on a square lattice is analyzed, for q>4, through an elaborate version of the operatorial variational method. In the variational approach proposed in the paper, the duality relations are exactly satisfied, involving at a more fundamental level, a duality relationship between variational parameters. Besides some exact predictions, the approach is very effective in the numerical estimates over the whole range of temperature and can be systematically improved.Comment: 20 pages, 5 EPS figure

Density functional theory for nearest-neighbor exclusion lattice gasses in two and three dimensions

To speak about fundamental measure theory obliges to mention dimensional crossover. This feature, inherent to the systems themselves, was incorporated in the theory almost from the beginning. Although at first it was thought to be a consistency check for the theory, it rapidly became its fundamental pillar, thus becoming the only density functional theory which possesses such a property. It is straightforward that dimensional crossover connects, for instance, the parallel hard cube system (three-dimensional) with that of squares (two-dimensional) and rods (one-dimensional). We show here that there are many more connections which can be established in this way. Through them we deduce from the functional for parallel hard (hyper)cubes in the simple (hyper)cubic lattice the corresponding functionals for the nearest-neighbor exclusion lattice gases in the square, triangular, simple cubic, face-centered cubic, and body-centered cubic lattices. As an application, the bulk phase diagram for all these systems is obtained.Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures; needs revtex

Structural Ordering and Symmetry Breaking in Cd_2Re_2O_7

Single crystal X-ray diffraction measurements have been carried out on Cd_2Re_2O_7 near and below the phase transition it exhibits at Tc' ~195 K. Cd_2Re_2O_7 was recently discovered as the first, and to date only, superconductor with the cubic pyrochlore structure. Superlattice Bragg peaks show an apparently continuous structural transition at Tc', however the order parameter displays anomalously slow growth to ~Tc'/10, and resolution limited critical-like scattering is seen above Tc'. High resolution measurements show the high temperature cubic Bragg peaks to split on entering the low temperature phase, indicating a (likely tetragonal) lowering of symmetry below Tc'.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Ammonia Emission, Manure Nutrients and Egg Production of Laying Hens Fed Distiller Dried Grain Diets

A USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Conservation Innovation Grant project coordinated by the United Egg Producers (UEP) conducted concurrent demonstrations in Iowa and Pennsylvania (PA) at commercial laying hen facilities. The goal was to document manure nutrient and gas emission improvements through the use of dried distiller’s grain with solubles (DDGS) diets and/or other dietary modifications while maintaining or improving hen productivity. Results of the PA trial are presented here. Diets containing 10% corn DDGS with (D+P) or without (D) the probiotic Provalen™ were compared to a corn-soybean based control diet (CON). The isocaloric, amino acid balanced diets were fed to three groups of 39,800 Lohmann hens in one house. Hens were 20-65 wk of age with each diet provided to 2 of 6 rows of stacked cages with manure belts (six decks high). Feed intake, water consumption, hen body weight (BW), egg production (EP,) egg case weight, mortality, feed cost (FC), and egg income (EI) were provided weekly by the cooperating egg company. Replicated monthly data, including egg weight (EW), albumen height (AH), Haugh units (HU), yolk color (YC), shell strength (SS) and shell thickness (ST), were determined from eggs collected from six 4-cage sections of hens on each diet. Replicated monthly samples of hen manure (fresh and from storage) were analyzed for moisture and major nutrients. Ammonia (NH3) gas measurements utilized a non-steady state flux chamber method coupled with photoacoustic infrared gas analyzer. There was no clear trend in the magnitude of NH3 emissions relative to the diets within the hen house as measured on the manure belt. At 32 and 36 wks of age, NH3 emissions were significantly (P \u3c 0.10) higher in D while D+P and CON were lower and similar. At 48 and 52 wks, NH3 emissions from D were similar to D+P and significantly lower than CON. Emission rate from belt manure averaged 0.42 ±0.025 g bird-1 d-1 for all treatments and dates. There was no significant impact of diet on BW, EW, HU, SS, or ST (P =0.10 to 0.66), however, CON hens had lower EP, AH, and YC compared to D and D+P hens (P=0.05). Fresh manure total phosphorus (P2O5) was higher for CON samples (P \u3c 0.05) while other major agronomic nutrients and moisture were not significantly different among treatments. Stored CON manure samples had increased moisture and NH4-N compared to those of D and D+P treatments (P \u3c 0.10). Weekly EI minus FC averaged $6,146,$6,215, and $6,209 for the CON, D, and D+P diets, respectively