2,731 research outputs found
A virtual object-location task for children: Gender and videogame experience influence navigation; age impacts memory and completion time
The use of virtual reality-based tasks for studying memory has increased considerably. Most of the studies that have looked at child population factors that influence performance on such tasks have been focused on cognitive variables. However, little attention has been paid to the impact of non-cognitive skills. In the present paper, we tested 52 typically-developing children aged 5-12 years in a virtual object-location task. The task assessed their spatial short-term memory for the location of three objects in a virtual city. The virtual task environment was presented using a 3D application consisting of a 120" stereoscopic screen and a gamepad interface. Measures of learning and displacement indicators in the virtual environment, 3D perception, satisfaction, and usability were obtained. We assessed the children's videogame experience, their visuospatial span, their ability to build blocks, and emotional and behavioral outcomes. The results indicate that learning improved with age. Significant effects on the speed of navigation were found favoring boys and those more experienced with videogames. Visuospatial skills correlated mainly with ability to recall object positions, but the correlation was weak. Longer paths were related with higher scores of withdrawal behavior, attention problems, and a lower visuospatial span. Aggressiveness and experience with the device used for interaction were related with faster navigation. However, the correlations indicated only weak associations among these variables
H-alpha Kinematics of the SINGS Nearby Galaxies Survey. II
This is the second part of an H-alpha kinematics follow-up survey of the
Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) sample. The aim of this program
is to shed new light on the role of baryons and their kinematics and on the
dark/luminous matter relation in the star forming regions of galaxies, in
relation with studies at other wavelengths. The data for 37 galaxies are
presented. The observations were made using Fabry-Perot interferometry with the
photon-counting camera FaNTOmM on 4 different telescopes, namely the
Canada-France-Hawaii 3.6m, the ESO La Silla 3.6m, the William Herschel 4.2m,
and the Observatoire du mont Megantic 1.6m telescopes. The velocity fields are
computed using custom IDL routines designed for an optimal use of the data. The
kinematical parameters and rotation curves are derived using the GIPSY
software. It is shown that non-circular motions associated with galactic bars
affect the kinematical parameters fitting and the velocity gradient of the
rotation curves. This leads to incorrect determinations of the baryonic and
dark matter distributions in the mass models derived from those rotation
curves.Comment: 18 pages, 5 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS. All
high-res. figures are available at
http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/fantomm/singsII
Discovery of the Optical Transient of the Gamma Ray Burst 990308
The optical transient of the faint Gamma Ray Burst 990308 was detected by the
QUEST camera on the Venezuelan 1-m Schmidt telescope starting 3.28 hours after
the burst. Our photometry gives , , , and for times ranging from 3.28 to 3.47
hours after the burst. The colors correspond to a spectral slope of close to
. Within the standard synchrotron fireball model,
this requires that the external medium be less dense than , the
electrons contain of the shock energy, and the magnetic field energy
must be less than 24% of the energy in the electrons for normal interstellar or
circumstellar densities. We also report upper limits of at 132 s
(with LOTIS), from 132-1029s (with LOTIS), at 28.2 min
(with Super-LOTIS), and a 8.5 GHz flux of at 110 days (with the
Very Large Array). WIYN 3.5-m and Keck 10-m telescopes reveal this location to
be empty of any host galaxy to and . The lack of a host
galaxy likely implies that it is either substantially subluminous or more
distant than a red shift of .Comment: ApJ Lett submitted, 5 pages, 2 figures, no space for 12 coauthor
Search for CP violation in D0 and D+ decays
A high statistics sample of photoproduced charm particles from the FOCUS
(E831) experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for CP violation in the
Cabibbo suppressed decay modes D+ to K-K+pi+, D0 to K-K+ and D0 to pi-pi+. We
have measured the following CP asymmetry parameters: A_CP(K-K+pi+) = +0.006 +/-
0.011 +/- 0.005, A_CP(K-K+) = -0.001 +/- 0.022 +/- 0.015 and A_CP(pi-pi+) =
+0.048 +/- 0.039 +/- 0.025 where the first error is statistical and the second
error is systematic. These asymmetries are consistent with zero with smaller
errors than previous measurements.Comment: 12 pages, 4 figure
Search for CP Violation in the decays D+ -> K_S pi+ and D+ -> K_S K+
A high statistics sample of photo-produced charm from the FOCUS(E831)
experiment at Fermilab has been used to search for direct CP violation in the
decays D+->K_S pi+ and D+ -> K_S K+. We have measured the following asymmetry
parameters relative to D+->K-pi+pi+: A_CP(K_S pi+) = (-1.6 +/- 1.5 +/- 0.9)%,
A_CP(K_S K+) = (+6.9 +/- 6.0 +/- 1.5)% and A_CP(K_S K+) = (+7.1 +/- 6.1 +/-
1.2)% relative to D+->K_S pi+. The first errors quoted are statistical and the
second are systematic. We also measure the relative branching ratios:
\Gamma(D+->\bar{K0}pi+)/\Gamma(D+->K-pi+pi+) = (30.60 +/- 0.46 +/- 0.32)%,
\Gamma(D+->\bar{K0}K+)/\Gamma(D+->K-pi+pi+) = (6.04 +/- 0.35 +/- 0.30)% and
\Gamma(D+->\bar{K0}K+)/\Gamma(D+->\bar{K0}pi+) = (19.96 +/- 1.19 +/- 0.96)%.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure
A High Statistics Measurement of the Lambdac+ Lifetime
A high statistics measurement of the Lambdac+ lifetime from the Fermilab
fixed-target FOCUS photoproduction experiment is presented. We describe the
analysis technique with particular attention to the determination of the
systematic uncertainty. The measured value of 204.6 +/- 3.4 (stat.) +/- 2.5
(syst.) fs from 8034 +/- 122 Lambdac -> pKpi decays represents a significant
improvement over the present world average.Comment: Submitted to Physical Review Letter
Measurement of the relative branching ratio BR(\Xi_c^+ \to p^+ K^-\pi^+)\BR(\Xi_c^+ \to \Xi^- \pi^+ \pi^+)
We report the observation of the Cabibbo suppressed decay \Xi_c^+ \to p
K^-\pi^+ using data collected with the FOCUS spectrometer during the 1996--97
Fermilab fixed target run. We find a \Xi_c^+ signal peak of 202\pm35 events. We
have measured the relative branching ratios BR(\Xi^+_c\to p
K^-\pi^+)/BR(\Xi^+_c\to\Xi^-\pi^+\pi^+)= 0.234 \pm 0.047 \pm 0.022 and
BR(\Xi^+_c\to p \bar{K}^*(892)^0)/BR(\Xi^+_c\to p K^-\pi^+)= 0.54 \pm 0.09 \pm
0.05 .Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure
A measurement of branching ratios of and hadronic decays to four-body final states containing a
We have studied hadronic four-body decays of and mesons with a
in the final state using data recorded during the 1996-1997 fixed-target
run at Fermilab high energy photoproduction experiment FOCUS. We report a new
branching ratio measurement of . We make the first observation
of three new decay modes with branching ratios ,
\Gamma(D^+\to\K_S K^+ K^-\pi^+)/\Gamma(D^+\to K_S
\pi^+\pi^+\pi^-)=0.0077\pm0.0015\pm0.0009, and , where
in each case the first error is statistical and the second error is systematic.Comment: 4 pages, 1 table, 2 figures, submitted to Physical Review Letter
Energy Intake, Macronutrient Profile and Food Sources of Spanish Children Aged One to < 10 Years-Results from the EsNuPI Study
The present study aimed to assess energy intake, nutrient profile and food sources in Spanish children participating in the EsNuPI ("Estudio Nutricional en Poblacion Infantil Espanola") study. Plausibility of energy intake and adequacy of nutrient intakes to international recommendations were analyzed in a final sample of 1448 subjects (728 boys and 720 girls) and one group representative of the 1 to <10 years old urban Spanish children (reference sample (n = 707)) who consumed milk and one of the same age who consumed adapted milk over the last year (adapted milk consumers sample (n = 741)) were compared. Both groups completed data of a face-to-face and a telephone 24-h dietary recalls. Both the reference and the adapted milk consumers samples reported an adequate daily energy intake (1503 kcal/day and 1404 kcal/day); and a high contribution to total energy from protein (16.5% and 15.6%) and fat (36.5% and 35.9%). Also, a high percentage of children from both samples were below the lower limit of the recommendations for carbohydrates (47.8% and 39.3%). As the percentage of plausible energy reporters was high for both groups (84.7% and 83.5%, respectively), data for the whole sample were analyzed. Milk and dairy, cereals, meat and derived products, fats and oils, bakery and pastry, fruits and vegetables contributed to about 80% of the total energy intake in both groups. However, the reference sample reported significantly more contribution to energy from cereals, meat and meat products, bakery and pastry and ready to cook/eat foods; meanwhile, the adapted milk consumers sample reported significantly more energy from milk and dairy products, fruits and eggs. Those results suggest that adapted milk consumers have better adherence to the food-based dietary guidelines. Further analyses are warranted to characterize food patterns and the quality of the diet in the EsNuPI study population
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