Inhibition of Return in the visual field

Inhibition of return (IOR) as an indicator of attentional control is characterized by an eccentricity effect, that is, the more peripheral visual field shows a stronger IOR magnitude relative to the perifoveal visual field. However, it could be argued that this eccentricity effect may not be an attention effect, but due to cortical magnification. To test this possibility, we examined this eccentricity effect in two conditions: the same-size condition in which identical stimuli were used at different eccentricities, and the size-scaling condition in which stimuli were scaled according to the cortical magnification factor (M-scaling), thus stimuli being larger at the more peripheral locations. The results showed that the magnitude of IOR was significantly stronger in the peripheral relative to the perifoveal visual field, and this eccentricity effect was independent of the manipulation of stimulus size (same-size or size-scaling). These results suggest a robust eccentricity effect of IOR which cannot be eliminated by M-scaling. Underlying neural mechanisms of the eccentricity effect of IOR are discussed with respect to both cortical and subcortical structures mediating attentional control in the perifoveal and peripheral visual field

Quantum effects in linguistic endeavors

Classifying the information content of neural spike trains in a linguistic endeavor, an uncertainty relation emerges between the bit size of a word and its duration. This uncertainty is associated with the task of synchronizing the spike trains of different duration representing different words. The uncertainty involves peculiar quantum features, so that word comparison amounts to measurement-based-quantum computation. Such a quantum behavior explains the onset and decay of the memory window connecting successive pieces of a linguistic text. The behavior here discussed is applicable to other reported evidences of quantum effects in human linguistic processes, so far lacking a plausible framework, since either no efforts to assign an appropriate quantum constant had been associated or speculating on microscopic processes dependent on Planck's constant resulted in unrealistic decoherence times

Neutron star cooling constraints for color superconductivity in hybrid stars

We apply the recently developed Log N - Log S test of compact star cooling theories for the first time to hybrid stars with a color superconducting quark matter core. While there is not yet a microscopically founded superconducting quark matter phase which would fulfill constraints from cooling phenomenology, we explore the hypothetical 2SC+X phase and show that the magnitude and density-dependence of the X-gap can be chosen to satisfy a set of tests: temperature - age (T - t), the brightness constraint, Log N - Log S, and the mass spectrum constraint. The latter test appears as a new conjecture from the present investigation.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, 1 tabl

A search for HI in nine southern galactic clusters

The results of a search for H I features in nine galactic clusters are reported. In six of the clusters the earliest spectral types represented are in the range B0–B9. On the whole, twelve H I features (nine maxima and three minima) were detected, of which seven were disregarded as they were not related to any cluster. The conclusion is that at least in six clusters (Cr 121, Cr 140, Cr 132a, b, Ru 3 and Ru 106) no related H I could be detected. For the remainder (NGC 5460, Cr 135 and Cr 394), the evidence was inconclusive. Our results are in agreement with the qualitative conclusion from earlier work that interstellar H I should be expected only in relatively young clusters.Instituto Argentino de Radioastronomí

Generalizing with perceptrons in case of structured phase- and pattern-spaces

We investigate the influence of different kinds of structure on the learning behaviour of a perceptron performing a classification task defined by a teacher rule. The underlying pattern distribution is permitted to have spatial correlations. The prior distribution for the teacher coupling vectors itself is assumed to be nonuniform. Thus classification tasks of quite different difficulty are included. As learning algorithms we discuss Hebbian learning, Gibbs learning, and Bayesian learning with different priors, using methods from statistics and the replica formalism. We find that the Hebb rule is quite sensitive to the structure of the actual learning problem, failing asymptotically in most cases. Contrarily, the behaviour of the more sophisticated methods of Gibbs and Bayes learning is influenced by the spatial correlations only in an intermediate regime of $\alpha$, where $\alpha$ specifies the size of the training set. Concerning the Bayesian case we show, how enhanced prior knowledge improves the performance.Comment: LaTeX, 32 pages with eps-figs, accepted by J Phys

The origin of the young stellar population in the solar neighborhood - a link to the formation of the Local Bubble?

We have analyzed the trajectories of moving stellar groups in the solar neighborhood in an attempt to estimate the number of supernova explosions in our local environment during the past 20 million years. Using Hipparcos stellar distances and the results of kinematical analyses by Asiain et al. (1999a) on the Pleiades moving groups, we are able to show that subgroup B1, consisting of early type B stars up to 10 Msun, but lacking more massive objects, has passed through the local interstellar medium within less than 100 pc. Comparing the stellar content of B1 with the initial mass function derived from the analysis of galactic OB associations, we estimate the number of supernova explosions and find that about 20 supernovae must have occurred during the past ~ 10 - 20 million years, which is suggested to be the age of the Local Bubble; the age of the star cluster is about ~ 20 - 30 million years. For the first time, this provides strong evidence that the Local Bubble must have been created and shaped by multi-supernova explosions and presumably been reheated more than 1 million years ago, consistent with recent findings of an excess of 60Fe in a deep ocean ferromanganese crust. Calculating similarity solutions of an expanding superbubble for time-dependent energy input, we show that the number of explosions is sufficient to explain the size of the Local Bubble. The present energy input rate is about $\dot E_{SN}$ ~ 5 x 10^36 erg/s, in good agreement with the estimated local soft X-ray photon output rate. It seems plausible that the origin of the Local Bubble is also linked to the formation of the Gould Belt, which originated about 30-60 Myrs ago.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&

Distortions of Subjective Time Perception Within and Across Senses

Background: The ability to estimate the passage of time is of fundamental importance for perceptual and cognitive processes. One experience of time is the perception of duration, which is not isomorphic to physical duration and can be distorted by a number of factors. Yet, the critical features generating these perceptual shifts in subjective duration are not understood. Methodology/Findings: We used prospective duration judgments within and across sensory modalities to examine the effect of stimulus predictability and feature change on the perception of duration. First, we found robust distortions of perceived duration in auditory, visual and auditory-visual presentations despite the predictability of the feature changes in the stimuli. For example, a looming disc embedded in a series of steady discs led to time dilation, whereas a steady disc embedded in a series of looming discs led to time compression. Second, we addressed whether visual (auditory) inputs could alter the perception of duration of auditory (visual) inputs. When participants were presented with incongruent audio-visual stimuli, the perceived duration of auditory events could be shortened or lengthened by the presence of conflicting visual information; however, the perceived duration of visual events was seldom distorted by the presence of auditory information and was never perceived shorter than their actual durations. Conclusions/Significance: These results support the existence of multisensory interactions in the perception of duration and, importantly, suggest that vision can modify auditory temporal perception in a pure timing task. Insofar as distortions in subjective duration can neither be accounted for by the unpredictability of an auditory, visual or auditory-visual event, we propose that it is the intrinsic features of the stimulus that critically affect subjective time distortions

Squeezed between shells? On the origin of the Lupus I molecular cloud. - II. APEX CO and GASS HI observations

Accepted for publication in a future issue of Astronomy & Astrophysics. Reproduced with permission from Astronomy & Astrophysics. © 2018 ESO.Context. The Lupus I cloud is found between the Upper-Scorpius (USco) and the Upper-Centaurus-Lupus (UCL) sub-groups of the Scorpius-Centaurus OB-association, where the expanding USco H I shell appears to interact with a bubble currently driven by the winds of the remaining B-stars of UCL. Aims. We investigate if the Lupus I molecular could have formed in a colliding flow, and in particular, how the kinematics of the cloud might have been influenced by the larger scale gas dynamics. Methods. We performed APEX 13CO(2–1) and C 18O(2–1) line observations of three distinct parts of Lupus I that provide kinematic information on the cloud at high angular and spectral resolution. We compare those results to the atomic hydrogen data from the GASS H i survey and our dust emission results presented in the previous paper. Based on the velocity information, we present a geometric model for the interaction zone between the USco shell and the UCL wind bubble. Results. We present evidence that the molecular gas of Lupus I is tightly linked to the atomic material of the USco shell. The CO emission in Lupus I is found mainly at velocities between vLSR = 3–6 km s−1 which is in the same range as the H i velocities. Thus, the molecular cloud is co-moving with the expanding USco atomic H i shell. The gas in the cloud shows a complex kinematic structure with several line-of-sight components that overlay each other. The non-thermal velocity dispersion is in the transonic regime in all parts of the cloud and could be injected by external compression. Our observations and the derived geometric model agree with a scenario where Lupus I is located in the interaction zone between the USco shell and the UCL wind bubble. Conclusions. The kinematics observations are consistent with a scenario where the Lupus I cloud formed via shell instabilities. The particular location of Lupus I between USco and UCL suggests that counter-pressure from the UCL wind bubble and pre-existing density enhancements, perhaps left over from the gas stream that formed the stellar subgroups, may have played a role in its formation.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Population synthesis as a probe of neutron star thermal evolution

The study of thermal emission from isolated, cooling neutron stars plays a key role in probing the physical conditions of both the star crust and the core. The comparison of theoretical models for the star thermal evolution with the surface temperature derived from X-ray observations of sources of different age is one of the main tools to investigate the properties of the interior and constrain the equation of state. Here we propose to use population synthesis studies as an independent approach to test the physics governing the star cooling. Theoretical Log N - Log S distributions depend on the assumed neutron star thermal evolution. We have computed distributions for several different cooling scenarios and found that comparison with the observed Log N - Log S of isolated neutron stars is effective in discriminating among cooling models. Among the eleven cooling models considered in this paper, all of which may reproduce the observed temperature vs. age diagram, only at most three can explain the Log N - Log S distribution of close-by cooling neutron stars. The Log N - Log S test, being a ``global'' one and despite some limitations, appears capable of complementing the standard temperature vs. age test used up to now.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, table extended, references added, final version to appear in Astron. & Astrophy

Enhanced Visual Temporal Resolution in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Cognitive functions that rely on accurate sequencing of events, such as action planning and execution, verbal and nonverbal communication, and social interaction rely on well-tuned coding of temporal event-structure. Visual temporal event-structure coding was tested in 17 high-functioning adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and mental- and chronological-age matched typically-developing (TD) individuals using a perceptual simultaneity paradigm. Visual simultaneity thresholds were lower in individuals with ASD compared to TD individuals, suggesting that autism may be characterised by increased parsing of temporal event-structure, with a decreased capability for integration over time. Lower perceptual simultaneity thresholds in ASD were also related to increased developmental communication difficulties. These results are linked to detail-focussed and local processing bias