4,631 research outputs found
Age-related sensitivity to task-related modulation of language-processing networks.
It is widely assumed that cognitive functions decline with age and that these decrements are associated with age-related changes in patterns of functional activity. However, these functional changes may be due to age-related increased responsiveness to task demands and not to other cognitive processes on which neural and behavioural responses rely, since many ageing studies use task paradigms that may not be orthogonal to the cognitive function being investigated. Here we test this hypothesis in adults aged 20-86 years by combining measures of language comprehension, functional connectivity and neural integrity to identify functional networks activated in two language experiments with varying task demands. In one, participants listened to spoken sentences without performing an overt task (the natural listening condition) while in the other they performed a task in response to the same sentences. Using task-based ICA of fMRI, we identified a left-lateralised frontotemporal network associated with syntactic analysis, which remained consistently activated regardless of task demands. In contrast, in the task condition only a separate set of components showed task-specific activity in Opercular, Frontoparietal, and bilateral PFC. Only the PFC showed age-related increases in activation which, furthermore, was strongly mediated by grey matter health. These results suggest that, contrary to prevailing views, age-related changes in cognitive activation may be due in part to differential responses to task-related processes.RCUK, OtherThis is the final published version of the article "Age-related sensitivity to task-Ârelated modulation of language-processing networks" published in Neuropsychologia here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0028393214002802
Cross-Hemispheric Collaboration and Segregation Associated with Task Difficulty as Revealed by Structural and Functional Connectivity
Although it is known that brain regions in one hemisphere may interact very closely with their corresponding contralateral regions (collaboration) or operate relatively independent of them (segregation), the specific brain regions (where) and conditions (how) associated with collaboration or segregation are largely unknown. We investigated these issues using a split field-matching task in which participants matched the meaning of words or the visual features of faces presented to the same (unilateral) or to different (bilateral) visual fields. Matching difficulty was manipulated by varying the semantic similarity of words or the visual similarity of faces. We assessed the white matter using the fractional anisotropy (FA) measure provided by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and crosshemispheric communication in terms of fMRI-based connectivity between homotopic pairs of cortical regions. For both perceptual and semantic matching, bilateral trials became faster than unilateral trials as difficulty increased (bilateral processing advantage, BPA). The study yielded three novel findings. First, whereas FA in anterior corpus callosum (genu) correlated with word-matching BPA, FA in posterior corpus callosum (splenium-occipital) correlated with face-matching BPA. Second, as matching difficulty intensified, crosshemispheric functional connectivity (CFC) increased in domain-general frontopolar cortex (for both word and face matching) but decreased in domain-specific ventral temporal lobe regions (temporal pole for word matching and fusiform gyrus for face matching). Last, a mediation analysis linking DTI and fMRI data showed that CFC mediated the effect of callosal FA on BPA. These findings clarify the mechanisms by which the hemispheres interact to perform complex cognitive tasks
Sustained Magnetorotational Turbulence in Local Simulations of Stratified Disks with Zero Net Magnetic Flux
We examine the effects of density stratification on magnetohydrodynamic
turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability in local simulations
that adopt the shearing box approximation. Our primary result is that, even in
the absence of explicit dissipation, the addition of vertical gravity leads to
convergence in the turbulent energy densities and stresses as the resolution
increases, contrary to results for zero net flux, unstratified boxes. The ratio
of total stress to midplane pressure has a mean of ~0.01, although there can be
significant fluctuations on long (>~50 orbit) timescales. We find that the time
averaged stresses are largely insensitive to both the radial or vertical aspect
ratio of our simulation domain. For simulations with explicit dissipation, we
find that stratification extends the range of Reynolds and magnetic Prandtl
numbers for which turbulence is sustained. Confirming the results of previous
studies, we find oscillations in the large scale toroidal field with periods of
~10 orbits and describe the dynamo process that underlies these cycles.Comment: 13 pages, 18 figures, submitted to Ap
Erratum to "A watershed model of individual differences in fluid intelligence" [Neuropsychologia 91 (2016) 186-198].
The publisher regrets that due to an error the full text of Appendix A
was missing in the original publication. The missing text is included
below.
The publisher would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused
Situationally edited empathy: an effect of socio-economic structure on individual choice
Criminological theory still operates with deficient models of the offender as agent, and of social influences on the agent’s decision-making process. This paper takes one ‘emotion’, empathy, which is theoretically of considerable importance in influencing the choices made by agents; particularly those involving criminal or otherwise harmful action. Using a framework not of rational action, but of ‘rationalised action’, the paper considers some of the effects on individual psychology of social, economic, political and cultural structure. It is suggested that the climate-setting effects of these structures promote normative definitions of social situations which allow unempathic, harmful action to be rationalised through the situational editing of empathy. The ‘crime is normal’ argument can therefore be extended to include the recognition that the uncompassionate state of mind of the criminal actor is a reflection of the self-interested values which govern non-criminal action in wider society
Quantum enhanced measurement of rotations with a spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate in a ring trap
We present a model of a spin-squeezed rotation sensor utilizing the Sagnac effect in a spin-1 Bose-Einstein condensate in a ring trap. The two input states for the interferometer are seeded using Raman pulses with Laguerre-Gauss beams and are amplified by the bosonic enhancement of spin-exchange collisions, resulting in spin-squeezing and potential quantum enhancement of the interferometry. The ring geometry has an advantage over separated beam path atomic rotation sensors due to the uniform condensate density. We model the interferometer both analytically and numerically for realistic experimental parameters and find that significant quantum enhancement is possible, but this enhancement is partially degraded when working in a regime with strong atomic interactions
Decoherence produces coherent states: an explicit proof for harmonic chains
We study the behavior of infinite systems of coupled harmonic oscillators as
t->infinity, and generalize the Central Limit Theorem (CLT) to show that their
reduced Wigner distributions become Gaussian under quite general conditions.
This shows that generalized coherent states tend to be produced naturally. A
sufficient condition for this to happen is shown to be that the spectral
function is analytic and nonlinear. For a rectangular lattice of coupled
oscillators, the nonlinearity requirement means that waves must be dispersive,
so that localized wave-packets become suppressed. Virtually all harmonic
heat-bath models in the literature satisfy this constraint, and we have good
reason to believe that coherent states and their generalizations are not merely
a useful analytical tool, but that nature is indeed full of them. Standard
proofs of the CLT rely heavily on the fact that probability densities are
non-negative. Although the CLT generally fails if the probability densities are
allowed to take negative values, we show that a CLT does indeed hold for a
special class of such functions. We find that, intriguingly, nature has
arranged things so that all Wigner functions belong to this class.Comment: Final published version. 17 pages, Plain TeX, no figures. Online at
http://astro.berkeley.edu/~max/gaussians.html (faster from the US), from
http://www.mpa-garching.mpg.de/~max/gaussians.html (faster from Europe) or
from [email protected]
Nanoscopic gel particle for intra-articular injection formulation
Hyaluronic acid (HA) based nanogels showed effective intracellular delivery efficacy for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory drugs, characterized by their ability targeting relevant cell receptors. In the present study, we demonstrate the ability of hyaluronic acid-polyethyleneimine (HA-PEI) nanogels as a promising dual-functional interfacial active for intra-articular injection to intervene arthritis. Nanomechanical measurements on both model substrates and human cartilage samples confirm that the HA-PEI nanogels can significantly improve interfacial lubrication, in comparison to HA molecules, or silica-based nanoparticles. We show that the Coefficient of Friction significantly decreases with a decreasing nanogel size. The exceptional lubricating performance, coupled with the proven drug delivery capability, evidences the great potential of nanoscopic hydrogels for early-stage arthritis treatment. The flexibility in choosing the chemical nature, molecular architecture, and structural characteristics of nanogels makes it possible to modulate both drug delivery kinetics and interfacial lubrication, thus representing an innovative approach to treat degenerative joint diseases.</p
Thermodynamics of Coupled Identical Oscillators within the Path Integral Formalism
A generalization of symmetrized density matrices in combination with the
technique of generating functions allows to calculate the partition function of
identical particles in a parabolic confining well. Harmonic two-body
interactions (repulsive or attractive) are taken into account. Also the
influence of a homogeneous magnetic field, introducing anisotropy in the model,
is examined. Although the theory is developed for fermions and bosons, special
attention is payed to the thermodynamic properties of bosons and their
condensation.Comment: 13 REVTEX pages + 9 postscript figure
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