The modulation of auditory novelty processing by working memory load in school age children and adults: a combined behavioral and event-related potential study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>We investigated the processing of task-irrelevant and unexpected novel sounds and its modulation by working-memory load in children aged 9-10 and in adults. Environmental sounds (novels) were embedded amongst frequently presented standard sounds in an auditory-visual distraction paradigm. Each sound was followed by a visual target. In two conditions, participants evaluated the position of a visual stimulus (0-back, low load) or compared the position of the current stimulus with the one two trials before (2-back, high load). Processing of novel sounds were measured with reaction times, hit rates and the auditory event-related brain potentials (ERPs) Mismatch Negativity (MMN), P3a, Reorienting Negativity (RON) and visual P3b.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In both memory load conditions novels impaired task performance in adults whereas they improved performance in children. Auditory ERPs reflect age-related differences in the time-window of the MMN as children showed a positive ERP deflection to novels whereas adults lack an MMN. The attention switch towards the task irrelevant novel (reflected by P3a) was comparable between the age groups. Adults showed more efficient reallocation of attention (reflected by RON) under load condition than children. Finally, the P3b elicited by the visual target stimuli was reduced in both age groups when the preceding sound was a novel.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our results give new insights in the development of novelty processing as they (1) reveal that task-irrelevant novel sounds can result in contrary effects on the performance in a visual primary task in children and adults, (2) show a positive ERP deflection to novels rather than an MMN in children, and (3) reveal effects of auditory novels on visual target processing.</p

Scientific opportunies for bERLinPro 2020+, report with ideas and conclusions from bERLinProCamp 2019

The Energy Recovery Linac (ERL) paradigm offers the promise to generate intense electron beams of superior quality with extremely small six-dimensional phase space for many applications in the physical sciences, materials science, chemistry, health, information technology and security. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin started in 2010 an intensive R\&D programme to address the challenges related to the ERL as driver for future light sources by setting up the bERLinPro (Berlin ERL Project) ERL with 50 MeV beam energy and high average current. The project is close to reach its major milestone in 2020, acceleration and recovery of a high brightness electron beam. The goal of bERLinProCamp 2019 was to discuss scientific opportunities for bERLinPro 2020+. bERLinProCamp 2019 was held on Tue, 17.09.2019 at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany. This paper summarizes the main themes and output of the workshop

Magnet Design of the ENC@FAIR Interaction Region

The Electron Nucleon Collider, proposed as an extension to the High Energy Storage Ring HESR , is currently investigated and a first layout of the Interaction Region IR proposed. The limited size of the machine, the low beam energy and the Lorentz force vector pointing in the same direction for both beams make the IR design demanding. In this paper we present the parameters of the IR magnets, show the boundary conditions given by the beam dynamics and the experiments. We present first 2D designs for the electron and proton triplet magnets along with the separating dipole next to the collision point. Different methods to shield the beam in the spectrometer dipoles are investigated and presente

Accommodation of multivalent cations in fluorite-type solid solutions: Case of Am-bearing UO2

International audienc

Prevention of electron field emission from molybdenum substrates for photocathodes by the native oxide layer

Comprehensive investigations of the electron field emission (FE) properties of annealed single crystal and polycrystalline molybdenum plugs, which are used as substrates for actual alkali-based photocathodes were performed with a FE scanning microscope. Well-polished and dry-ice cleaned Mo samples with native oxide did not show parasitic FE up to a field level of 50 MV/m required for photoinjector cavities. In situ heat treatments (HT) above 400°C, which are usual before photocathode deposition, activated field emission at lower field strength. Oxygen loading into the Mo surface, however, partially weakened these emitters. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of comparable Mo samples showed the dissolution of the native oxide during such heat treatments. These results reveal the suppression of field emission by native Mo oxides. Possible improvements for the photocathode preparation will be discussed

Prevention of electron field emission from molybdenum substrates for photocathodes by the native oxide layer

Comprehensive investigations of the electron field emission (FE) properties of annealed single crystal and polycrystalline molybdenum plugs, which are used as substrates for actual alkali-based photocathodes were performed with a FE scanning microscope. Well-polished and dry-ice cleaned Mo samples with native oxide did not show parasitic FE up to a field level of 50 MV/m required for photoinjector cavities. In situ heat treatments (HT) above 400 °C, which are usual before photocathode deposition, activated field emission at lower field strength. Oxygen loading into the Mo surface, however, partially weakened these emitters. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of comparable Mo samples showed the dissolution of the native oxide during such heat treatments. These results reveal the suppression of field emission by native Mo oxides. Possible improvements for the photocathode preparation will be discussed

Two Orbit Operation at Bessy II During a User Test Week

Operating a storage ring close to a horizontal resonance and manipulating the transverse non linear beam dynamics can generate stable Transverse Resonance Island Buckets TRIBs , which give a 2nd stable orbit in the ring. Both orbits can be populated with different electron bunch filling patterns and provide two different radiation sources to the user community. Such a machine setting has been established at BESSY II and was tested under realistic user conditions in a first ?TRIBs Two Orbit User Test Week? in February 2018. Results and user feedback will be discussed in this contributio

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Me? Attributional Style, Depressed Mood, and Persecutory Delusions in Patients With Schizophrenia

Theoretical models postulate an important role of attributional style (AS) in the formation and maintenance of persecutory delusions and other positive symptoms of schizophrenia. However, current research has gathered conflicting findings. In a cross-sectional design, patients with persistent positive symptoms of schizophrenia (n = 258) and healthy controls (n = 51) completed a revised version of the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire (IPSAQ-R) and assessments of psychopathology. In comparison to controls, neither patients with schizophrenia in general nor patients with persecutory delusions (n = 142) in particular presented an externalizing and personalizing AS. Rather, both groups showed a self-blaming AS and attributed negative events more toward themselves. Persecutory delusions were independently predicted by a personalizing bias for negative events (beta = 0.197, P = .001) and by depression (beta = 0.152, P = .013), but only 5% of the variance in persecutory delusions could be explained. Cluster analysis of IPSAQ-R scores identified a personalizing (n = 70) and a self-blaming subgroup (n = 188), with the former showing slightly more pronounced persecutory delusions (P = .021). Results indicate that patients with schizophrenia and patients with persecutory delusions both mostly blamed themselves for negative events. Nevertheless, still a subgroup of patients could be identified who presented a more pronounced personalizing bias and more severe persecutory delusions. Thus, AS in patients with schizophrenia might be less stable but more determined by individual and situational characteristics that need further elucidation

Self-reported cardiovascular health of teachers: results from the 5-year follow-up of the Gutenberg Health Study cohort

Objectives!#!Following an exploratory approach, we examined cardiovascular disease risk factors at baseline and the 5-year incidence proportion of self-reported doctor-diagnosed cardiovascular diseases (CVD) in teachers and other occupational groups of the Gutenberg Health Study.!##!Methods!#!Study participants lived in the region of Mainz, Germany. Data from 6510 working participants without prevalent CVD at baseline (2007-2012) were analyzed. Participants were teachers (n = 215), other professionals from the health, social or educational (HSE) fields (n = 1061) or worked outside the HSE fields (n = 5234). For occupational comparisons, we estimated prevalence ratios (PR) for each CVD risk factor at baseline with robust Poisson regression analyses. We calculated crude CVD incidence rates based on the observed 5-year CVD cumulative incidence at follow-up and estimated age-weighted incidence proportions. All analyses were stratified by sex.!##!Results!#!Male non-HSE workers showed a higher prevalence of smoking and physical inactivity than male teachers (PR 2.26; 95%-CI: 1.06-4.82/PR 1.89; 95%-CI: 1.24-2.87). In contrast, non-HSE workers and other HSE professionals were less likely to have reported an unhealthy alcohol intake than teachers. Differences were attenuated after SES-adjustment. We did not detect occupational group-specific differences in CVD incidence. However, there were only two cases of CVD among the teachers.!##!Conclusion!#!Particularly male teachers showed a healthier lifestyle regarding physical inactivity and smoking. Nevertheless, occupational-medical care practitioners and researchers need to be aware of the relatively heightened prevalence of unhealthy alcohol intake in female and male teachers, and in absolute terms, the high hypertension prevalence in male teachers