168 research outputs found
`Hath charms to soothe . . .': An exploratory study of how high-functioning adults with ASD experience music
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 highfunctioning adults on the autism spectrum, in order to examine the nature of their personal experiences of music. Consistent with the literature on typically developing peopleâs engagement with music, the
analysis showed that most participants exploit music for a wide range of purposes in the cognitive, emotional and social domains, including mood management, personal development and social inclusion. However, in contrast to typically developing people, the ASD groupâs descriptions
of mood states reflected a greater reliance on internally focused (arousal) rather than externally focused (emotive) language
Ratios of Elastic Scattering of Pions from 3H and 3He
We have measured the elastic-scattering ratios of normalized yields for
charged pions from 3H and 3He in the backward hemisphere. At 180 MeV, we
completed the angular distribution begun with our earlier measurements, adding
six data points in the angular range of 119 deg to 169 deg in the pi-nucleus
center of mass. We also measured an excitation function with data points at
142, 180, 220, and 256 MeV incident pion energy at the largest achievable angle
for each energy between 160 deg and 170 deg in the pi-nucleus center of mass.
This excitation function corresponds to the energies of our forward-hemisphere
studies. The data, taken as a whole, show an apparent role reversal of the two
charge-symmetric ratios r1 and r2 in the backward hemisphere. Also, for data >
100 deg we observe a strong dependence on the four-momentum transfer squared
(-t) for all of the ratios regardless of pion energy or scattering angle, and
we find that the superratio R data match very well with calculations based on
the forward-hemisphere data that predicts the value of the difference between
the even-nucleon radii of 3H and 3He. Comparisons are also made with recent
calculations incorporating different wave functions and double scattering
models.Comment: RevTex 8pages, 12 figure file
Recommended from our members
Environmental factors and host genetic variation shape the fungal endophyte communities within needles of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris)
To determine the role of environmental and host genetic factors in shaping fungal endophyte communities we used culturing and metabarcoding techniques to quantify fungal taxa within healthy Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) needles in a 7-y old provenance-progeny trial replicated at three sites. Both methods revealed a community of ascomycete and basidiomycete taxa dominated by the needle pathogen Lophodermium seditiosum. Differences in fungal endophyte taxon composition and diversity indices were highly significant among trial sites. Within two sites, fungal endophyte communities varied significantly among provenances. Furthermore, the communities differed significantly among maternal families within provenances in 11/15 and 7/15 comparisons involving culture and metabarcoding data respectively. We conclude that both environmental and host genetic variation shape the fungal endophyte community of P. sylvestris needles
Charge-Symmetry Violation in Pion Scattering from Three-Body Nuclei
We discuss the experimental and theoretical status of charge-symmetry
violation (CSV) in the elastic scattering of pi+ and pi- on 3H and 3He.
Analysis of the experimental data for the ratios r1, r2, and R at Tpi = 142,
180, 220, and 256 MeV provides evidence for the presence of CSV. We describe
pion scattering from the three-nucleon system in terms of single- and
double-scattering amplitudes. External and internal Coulomb interactions as
well as the Delta-mass splitting are taken into account as sources of CSV.
Reasonable agreement between our theoretical calculations and the experimental
data is obtained for Tpi = 180, 220, and 256 MeV. For these energies, it is
found that the Delta-mass splitting and the internal Coulomb interaction are
the most important contributions for CSV in the three-nucleon system. The CSV
effects are rather sensitive to the choice of pion-nuclear scattering
mechanisms, but at the same time, our theoretical predictions are much less
sensitive to the choice of the nuclear wave function. It is found, however,
that data for r2 and R at Tpi = 142 MeV do not agree with the predictions of
our model, which may indicate that there are additional mechanisms for CSV
which are important only at lower energies.Comment: 26 pages of RevTeX, 16 postscript figure
Prostate cancer and Hedgehog signalling pathway
[Abstract] The Hedgehog (Hh) family of intercellular signalling proteins have come to be recognised as key mediators in many fundamental processes in embryonic development. Their activities are central to the growth, patterning and morphogenesis of many different regions within the bodies of vertebrates. In some contexts, Hh signals act as morphogens in the dose-dependent induction of distinct cell fates within a target field, in others as mitogens in the regulation of cell proliferation or as inducing factors controlling the form of a developing organ. These diverse functions of Hh proteins raise many intriguing questions about their mode of action. Various studies have now demonstrated the function of Hh signalling in the control of cell proliferation, especially for stem cells and stem-like progenitors. Abnormal activation of the Hh pathway has been demonstrated in a variety of human tumours. Hh pathway activity in these tumours is required for cancer cell proliferation and tumour growth. Recent studies have uncovered the role for Hh signalling in advanced prostate cancer and demonstrated that autocrine signalling by tumour cells is required for proliferation, viability and invasive behaviour. Thus, Hh signalling represents a novel pathway in prostate cancer that offers opportunities for prognostic biomarker development, drug targeting and therapeutic response monitoring
Does It Really Work? Re-Assessing the Impact of Pre-Departure Cross-Cultural Training on Expatriate Adjustment
Cultural adjustment is considered to be a prerequisite for expatriate success abroad. One way to enhance adjustment is to provide employees with knowledge and awareness of appropriate norms and behaviors of the host country through cross-cultural training (CCT). This article analyzes the impact of pre-departure CCT on expatriate adjustment and focuses on variations in participation, length and the comprehensiveness of training. Unlike previous research, the study focuses on the effectiveness of pre-departure CCT for non-US employees expatriated to a broad range of host country settings. Employing data from 339 expatriates from 20 German Multinational Corporations (MNCs) the study finds CCT has little if any effect on general, interactional or work setting expatriate adjustment. However, a significant impact of foreign language competence was found for all three dimensions of expatriate adjustment. We used interviews with 20 expatriates to supplement our discussion and provide further implications for practice
Developing and Validating a New Multi-Dimensional Scale for Anti-Social Behaviour in a Higher Education Setting
The purpose of this research is to construct and validate a multi-dimensional scale of Anti-social
Behaviour (hereafter ASB) in a Western higher education context (i.e. USA). To achieve this, four
studies, each with a different sample, were performed. Study 1 (n = 150) followed an exploratory
design to generate a pool of potential items measuring ASB. Study 2 (n = 254) explored the
dimensionality of the items produced in Study 1 using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and
reliability measures. Study 3 (n = 654) confirmed the factorial structure from Study 2 and assessed
the measurement model invariance using structural equation modelling (SEM).
Finally, Study 4 (n = 287) assessed the predictive validity of the ASB measure through testing a hypothetical path model linking ASB to narcissism and
Machiavellianism via an SEM procedure. In total, our research findings conclude that the ASB
measurement model is a two-factor multi-dimensional structure comprising: Interpersonal
Antagonistic Behaviour (six items) as well as Indirect Distractive Behaviour (four items). The
research and practical implications for universities are thereafter discussed
Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter
Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed
evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{eV}. The
anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less
than from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc
(using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron catalog). An updated
measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of
cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009.
The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more
precise measurement. The correlating fraction is , compared
with expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early
estimate of . The enlarged set of arrival directions is
examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects:
galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in
hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the
position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions
relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is
shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic
expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy
cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at
ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development
of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector
comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen
fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this
paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its
optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for
relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the
monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and
precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics
Research Section
Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the
development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of
cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air
shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and
fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis
functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions
for fluoresence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a
natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with
radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and
features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its
functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced
features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced
signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a
very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data
formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of
this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on
request.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM A, 13 pages, minor corrections to
author list and references in v
- âŠ