Neutron Flux at the Gran Sasso Underground LaboratoryRevisited

The neutron flux induced by radioactivity at the Gran Sasso underground laboratory is revisited. We have performed calculations and Monte Carlo simulations; the results offer an independent check to the available experimental data reported by different authors, which vary rather widely. This study gives detailed information on the expected spectrum and on the variability of the neutron flux due to possible variations of the water content of the environment.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures, systematic uncertainties adde

Chasing a Comet with a Solar Sail

Solar sail propulsion systems enable a wide range of missions that require constant thrust or high delta-V over long mission times. One particularly challenging mission type is a comet rendezvous mission. This paper presents optimal low-thrust trajectory designs for a range of sailcraft performance metrics and mission transit times that enables a comet rendezvous mission. These optimal trajectory results provide a trade space which can be parameterized in terms of mission duration and sailcraft performance parameters such that a design space for a small satellite comet chaser mission is identified. These results show that a feasible space exists for a small satellite to perform a comet chaser mission in a reasonable mission time

Are 3D virtual environments better than 2D interfaces in serious games performance? An explorative study for the assessment of executive functions

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Applied Neuropsychology: Adult on 05/09/2019, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/23279095.2019.1607735[EN] Executive functions refer to higher-order cognitive processes that supervise and guide goaldirected and adaptive behaviors in response to everyday situations. The traditional measures used to assess executive functions include paper-and-pencil tests and/or computerized tests that have been found to have a moderate level of ecological validity in predicting real-world performance. Serious games (SG) represent a novel methodological approach, allowing investigating subjects¿ performance in real-simulated situations. Serious games are computer games whose primary purposes include investigating human behaviors and changes. Furthermore, SG can also vary according to the technology used and the interaction. Indeed, a SG can be rendered via a nonimmersive screen-based (2D) or via an immersive virtual reality game (3D). Starting from these premises, we compared a narrativecontextualized SG in 2D and 3D, correlating them with traditional tests. Findings showed different condition correlations with the traditional tasks and the comparison between the two systems have revealed that 3D is able to generate lower reaction times, higher correct answers, and lower perseverative responses in attentional abilities, inhibition control, and cognitive shifting than 2D condition. The present study yielded evidence on the use of more ecological tools to identify the functional cognitive status in real-simulated contexts along with traditional evaluation.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Competitiveness funded project Advanced Therapeutically Tools for Mental Health (DPI2016-77396-R).Chicchi-Giglioli, IA.; Juan-Ripoll, CD.; Parra Vargas, E.; Alcañiz Raya, ML. 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Webster (Eds.), The neuropsychology handbook: Behavioral and clinical perspectives (pp. 489-525). New York, NY, US: Springer Publishing Co.Chevignard, M., Pillon, B., Pradat-Diehl, P., Taillefer, C., Rousseau, S., Le Bras, C., & Dubois, B. (2000). An Ecological Approach to Planning Dysfunction: Script Execution. Cortex, 36(5), 649-669. doi:10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70543-4Connolly, T. M., Boyle, E. A., MacArthur, E., Hainey, T., & Boyle, J. M. (2012). A systematic literature review of empirical evidence on computer games and serious games. Computers & Education, 59(2), 661-686. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2012.03.004Díaz-Orueta, U., Garcia-López, C., Crespo-Eguílaz, N., Sánchez-Carpintero, R., Climent, G., & Narbona, J. (2013). AULA virtual reality test as an attention measure: Convergent validity with Conners’ Continuous Performance Test. Child Neuropsychology, 20(3), 328-342. doi:10.1080/09297049.2013.792332Elkind, J. S., Rubin, E., Rosenthal, S., Skoff, B., & Prather, P. (2001). A Simulated Reality Scenario Compared with the Computerized Wisconsin Card Sorting Test: An Analysis of Preliminary Results. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 4(4), 489-496. doi:10.1089/109493101750527042Fillmore, M. T., Rush, C. R., & Hays, L. (2006). Acute effects of cocaine in two models of inhibitory control: implications of non-linear dose effects. Addiction, 101(9), 1323-1332. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01522.xFleming, T. M., Bavin, L., Stasiak, K., Hermansson-Webb, E., Merry, S. N., Cheek, C., … Hetrick, S. (2017). Serious Games and Gamification for Mental Health: Current Status and Promising Directions. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 7. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00215Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). «Mini-mental state». Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12(3), 189-198. doi:10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6Fleming, T. M., Cheek, C., Merry, S. N., Thabrew, H., Bridgman, H., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M., Perry, Y. Hetrick, S. (2014). 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In Neural Circuit Development and Function in the Brain, 429–445.Iriarte, Y., Diaz-Orueta, U., Cueto, E., Irazustabarrena, P., Banterla, F., & Climent, G. (2012). AULA—Advanced Virtual Reality Tool for the Assessment of Attention. Journal of Attention Disorders, 20(6), 542-568. doi:10.1177/1087054712465335Lang, P. J. (2005). International affective picture system (IAPS): Affective ratings of pictures and instruction manual. Technical report.Li, J., Theng, Y.-L., & Foo, S. (2016). Effect of Exergames on Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 19(1), 34-42. doi:10.1089/cyber.2015.0366Lo Priore, C., Castelnuovo, G., Liccione, D., & Liccione, D. (2003). Experience with V-STORE: Considerations on Presence in Virtual Environments for Effective Neuropsychological Rehabilitation of Executive Functions. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 6(3), 281-287. doi:10.1089/109493103322011579Martin, M. M., & Rubin, R. B. (1995). A New Measure of Cognitive Flexibility. Psychological Reports, 76(2), 623-626. doi:10.2466/pr0.1995.76.2.623Matheis, R. J., Schultheis, M. T., Tiersky, L. A., DeLuca, J., Millis, S. R., & Rizzo, A. (2007). Is Learning and Memory Different in a Virtual Environment? The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 21(1), 146-161. doi:10.1080/13854040601100668Miller, M. A., & Fillmore, M. T. (2010). The effect of image complexity on attentional bias towards alcohol-related images in adult drinkers. Addiction, 105(5), 883-890. doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02860.xParsey, C. M., & Schmitter-Edgecombe, M. (2013). Applications of Technology in Neuropsychological Assessment. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 27(8), 1328-1361. doi:10.1080/13854046.2013.834971Parsons, T. D., Bowerly, T., Buckwalter, J. G., & Rizzo, A. A. (2007). A Controlled Clinical Comparison of Attention Performance in Children with ADHD in a Virtual Reality Classroom Compared to Standard Neuropsychological Methods. 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Apomorphine-induced brain modulation during sexual stimulation: a new look at central phenomena related to erectile dysfunction

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Impact of donation mode on the proportion and function of T lymphocytes in the liver

Background Liver T-cells respond to the inflammatory insult generated during organ procurement and contribute to the injury following reperfusion. The mode of liver donation alters various metabolic and inflammatory pathways but the way it affects intrahepatic T-cells is still unclear. Methods We investigated the modifications occurring in the proportion and function of T-cells during liver procurement for transplantation. We isolated hepatic mononuclear cells (HMC) from liver perfusate of living donors (LD) and donors after brain death (DBD) or cardiac death (DCD) and assessed the frequency of T-cell subsets, their cytokine secretion profile and CD8 T-cell cytotoxicity function, responsiveness to a danger associated molecular pattern (High Mobility Group Box1, HMGB1) and association with donor and recipient clinical parameters and immediate graft outcome. Results We found that T-cells in healthy human livers were enriched in memory CD8 T-cells exhibiting a phenotype of non-circulating tissue-associated lymphocytes, functionally dominated by more cytotoxicity and IFN-γ-production in DBD donors, including upon activation by HMGB1 and correlating with peak of post-transplant AST. This liver-specific pattern of CD8 T-cell was prominent in DBD livers compared to DCD and LD livers suggesting that it was influenced by events surrounding brain death, prior to retrieval. Conclusion Mode of liver donation can affect liver T-cells with increased liver damage in DBD donors. These findings may be relevant in designing therapeutic strategies aimed at organ optimization prior to transplantation

High-Mass Proto-Stellar Candidates - II : Density structure from dust continuum and CS emission

We present a detailed 1.2 mm continuum and CS spectral line study of a large sample of 69 massive star forming regions in very early stages of evolution, most of them prior to building up an ultracompact HII region. The continuum data show a zoo of different morphologies and give detailed information on the spatial distributions, the masses, column densities and average densities of the whole sample. Fitting the radial intensity profiles shows that three parameters are needed to describe the spatial distribution of the sources: constant emission from the center out to a few arcsec radius followed by a first power law intensity distribution which steepens further outside into a second power law distribution. The mean inner power law intensity index mi (I~r^(-mi)) is 1.2 corresponding to density indices p (n~r^(-p)) of 1.6. In total the density distribution of our massive star formations sites seem to be not too different from their low-mass counterparts, but we show that setting tight constrains on the density indices is very difficult and subject to many possible errors. The local densities we derive from CS calculations are higher (up to one order of magnitude) than the mean densities we find via the mm-continuum. Such inhomogeneous density distribution reflects most likely the ubiquitous phenomenon of clumping and fragmentation in molecular clouds. Linewidth-mass relations show a departure from virial equilibrium in the stages of strongly collapsing cores.Comment: 15 pages, 13 jpeg-figures. Astrophysical Journal, in pres

Heliogyro Solar Sail Research at NASA

The recent successful flight of the JAXA IKAROS solar sail has renewed interest within NASA in spinning solar sail concepts for high-performance solar sailing. The heliogyro solar sail, in particular, is being re-examined as a potential game-changing architecture for future solar sailing missions. In this paper, we present an overview of ongoing heliogyro technology development and feasibility assessment activities within NASA. In particular, a small-scale heliogyro solar sail technology demonstration concept will be described. We will also discuss ongoing analytical and experimental heliogyro structural dynamics and controls investigations and provide an outline of future heliogyro development work directed toward enabling a low cost heliogyro technology demonstration mission ca. 2020

Near-Source Ground Motion and its Effects on Flexible Buildings

Occurrence of large earthquakes close to cities in California is inevitable. The resulting ground shaking will subject buildings in the near-source region to large, rapid displacement pulses which are not represented in design codes. The simulated Mw7.0 earthquake on a blind-thrust fault used in this study produces peak ground displacement and velocity of 200 cm and 180 cm/sec, respectively. Over an area of several hundred square kilometers in the near-source region, flexible frame and base-isolated buildings would experience severe nonlinear behavior including the possibility of collapse at some locations. The susceptibility of welded connections to fracture significantly increases the collapse potential of steel-frame buildings under strong ground motions of the type resulting from the Mw7.0 simulation. Because collapse of a building depends on many factors which are poorly understood, the results presented here regarding collapse should be interpreted carefully