217 research outputs found
Similarities and differences among Internet gaming disorder, gambling disorder and alcohol use disorder: A focus on impulsivity and compulsivity
Background and aims: The aim of the present study was to test the impulsivities and compulsivities of behavioral addictions, including Internet gaming disorder (IGD) and gambling disorder (GD), by directly comparing them with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and a healthy control (HC) group. Methods: We enrolled male patients who were diagnosed with IGD, GD or AUD, with 15 patients per group, as well as 15 HCs. Trait impulsivity was measured using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale version 11 (BIS-11). The stop-signal test (SST) from the Cambridge Neuro-psychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to assess the patients’ abilities to inhibit prepotent responses. Compulsivity was measured using the intra–extra dimensional set shift (IED) test from the CANTAB. The Trail Making Test (TMT) was also used in this study. Results: The IGD and AUD groups scored significantly higher on the BIS-11 as a whole than did the HC group (p = 0.001 and p = 0.001, respectively). The IGD and AUD groups also scored significantly higher on the BIS-11 as a whole than did the GD group (p = 0.006 and p = 0.001, respectively). In addition, the GD group made significantly more errors (p = 0.017 and p = 0.022, respectively) and more individuals failed to achieve criterion on the IED test compared with the IGD and HC groups (p = 0.018 and p = 0.017, respectively). Discussion: These findings may aid in the understanding of not only the differences in categorical aspects between individuals with IGD and GD but also in impulsivity–compulsivity dimensional domains. Conclusion: Additional studies are needed to elucidate the neurocognitive characteristics of behavioral addictive disorders in terms of impulsivity and compulsivity
Nonlinear Color-Metallicity Relations of Globular Clusters. III. On the Discrepancy in Metallicity between Globular Cluster Systems and their Parent Elliptical Galaxies
One of the conundrums in extragalactic astronomy is the discrepancy in
observed metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) between the two prime
stellar components of early-type galaxies-globular clusters (GCs) and halo
field stars. This is generally taken as evidence of highly decoupled
evolutionary histories between GC systems and their parent galaxies. Here we
show, however, that new developments in linking the observed GC colors to their
intrinsic metallicities suggest nonlinear color-to-metallicity conversions,
which translate observed color distributions into strongly-peaked, unimodal
MDFs with broad metal-poor tails. Remarkably, the inferred GC MDFs are similar
to the MDFs of resolved field stars in nearby elliptical galaxies and those
produced by chemical evolution models of galaxies. The GC MDF shape,
characterized by a sharp peak with a metal-poor tail, indicates a virtually
continuous chemical enrichment with a relatively short timescale. The
characteristic shape emerges across three orders of magnitude in the host
galaxy mass, suggesting a universal process of chemical enrichment among
various GC systems. Given that GCs are bluer than field stars within the same
galaxy, it is plausible that the chemical enrichment processes of GCs ceased
somewhat earlier than that of field stellar population, and if so, GCs
preferentially trace the major, vigorous mode of star formation events in
galactic formation. We further suggest a possible systematic age difference
among GC systems, in that the GC systems in more luminous galaxies are older.
This is consistent with the downsizing paradigm of galaxies and supports
additionally the similar nature shared by GCs and field stars. Our findings
suggest that GC systems and their parent galaxies have shared a more common
origin than previously thought, and hence greatly simplify theories of galaxy
formation.Comment: 55 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables; Accepted for publication in Ap
UV Properties of Galactic Globular Clusters with GALEX I. The Color-Magnitude Diagrams
We present GALEX data for 44 Galactic globular clusters obtained during 3
GALEX observing cycles between 2004 and 2008. This is the largest homogeneous
data set on the UV photometric properties of Galactic globular clusters ever
collected. The sample selection and photometric analysis are discussed, and
color-magnitude diagrams are presented. The blue and intermediate-blue
horizontal branch is the dominant feature of the UV color-magnitude diagrams of
old Galactic globular clusters. Our sample is large enough to display the
remarkable variety of horizontal branch shapes found in old stellar
populations. Other stellar types that are obviously detected are blue
stragglers and post core-He burning stars. The main features of UV
color-magnitude diagrams of Galactic globular clusters are briefly discussed.
We establish the locus of post-core He burning stars in the UV color-magnitude
diagram and present a catalog of candidate AGB-manqu \'e, post early-AGB, and
post-AGB stars within our cluster sample.Comment: Accepted for publication by The Astronomical Journal. 46 pages,
including 21 Figures and 3 tables. All data will be made publicly available
by the time the article is published. In the meantime, please contact the
authors for data requests. Revised version fixed error with figure numbers
and caption
The Presence of Two Distinct Red Giant Branches in the Globular Cluster NGC 1851
There is a growing body of evidence for the presence of multiple stellar
populations in some globular clusters, including NGC 1851. For most of these
peculiar globular clusters, however, the evidence for the multiple red
giant-branches (RGBs) having different heavy elemental abundances as observed
in Omega Centauri is hitherto lacking, although spreads in some lighter
elements are reported. It is therefore not clear whether they also share the
suggested dwarf galaxy origin of Omega Cen or not. Here we show from the CTIO
4m UVI photometry of the globular cluster NGC 1851 that its RGB is clearly
split into two in the U - I color. The two distinct RGB populations are also
clearly separated in the abundance of heavy elements as traced by Calcium,
suggesting that the type II supernovae enrichment is also responsible, in
addition to the pollutions of lighter elements by intermediate mass asymptotic
giant branch stars or fast-rotating massive stars. The RGB split, however, is
not shown in the V - I color, as indicated by previous observations. Our
stellar population models show that this and the presence of bimodal
horizontal-branch distribution in NGC 1851 can be naturally reproduced if the
metal-rich second generation stars are also enhanced in helium.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
FUEL PERFORMANCE CODE COSMOS FOR ANALYSIS OF LWR UO2 AND MOX FUEL
The paper briefs a fuel performance code, COSMOS, which can be utilized for an analysis of the thermal behavior and fission gas release of fuel, up to a high burnup. Of particular concern are the models for the fuel thermal conductivity, the fission gas release, and the cladding corrosion and creep in UO2 fuel. In addition, the code was developed so as to consider the inhomogeneity of MOX fuel, which requires restructuring the thermal conductivity and fission gas release models. These improvements enhanced COSMOS's precision for predicting the in-pile behavior of MOX fuel. The COSMOS code also extends its applicability to the instrumented fuel test in a research reactor. The various in-pile test results were analyzed and compared with the code's prediction. The database consists of the UO2 irradiation test up to an ultra-high burnup, power ramp test of MOX fuel, and instrumented MOX fuel test in a research reactor after base irradiation in a commercial reactor. The comparisons demonstrated that the COSMOS code predicted the in-pile behaviors well, such as the fuel temperature, rod internal pressure, fission gas release, and cladding properties of MOX and UO2 fuel. This sufficient accuracy reveals that the COSMOS can be utilized by both fuel vendors for fuel design, and license organizations for an understanding of fuel in-pile behaviors.close
Super Helium-Rich Population and the Origin of Extreme Horizontal-Branch Stars in Globular Clusters
Recent observations for the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of the massive
globular cluster Omega Centauri have shown that it has a striking double main
sequence (MS), with a minority population of bluer and fainter MS well
separated from a majority population of MS stars. Here we confirm, with the
most up-to-date Y2 isochrones, that this special feature can only be reproduced
by assuming a large variation (Delta Y = 0.15) of primordial helium abundance
among several distinct populations in this cluster. We further show that the
same helium enhancement required for this special feature on the MS can by
itself reproduce the extreme horizontal-branch (HB) stars observed in Omega
Cen, which are hotter than normal HB stars. Similarly, the complex features on
the HBs of other globular clusters, such as NGC 2808, are explained by large
internal variations of helium abundance. Supporting evidence for the
helium-rich population is also provided by the far-UV (FUV) observations of
extreme HB stars in these clusters, where the enhancement of helium can
naturally explain the observed fainter FUV luminosity for these stars. The
presence of super helium-rich populations in some globular clusters suggests
that the third parameter, other than metallicity and age, also influences CMD
morphology of these clusters.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journal Letter
Epidemiological and Genetic Characterization of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Isolates from the Ear Discharge of Outpatients with Chronic Otitis Media
The origin of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains from otolaryngology outpatients has not been evaluated yet in Korea. We analyzed epidemiologic and genetic characteristics of MRSA isolates from the ear discharge of 64 outpatients with chronic otitis media in a Korean University Hospital during 2004. MRSA strains were grouped as either from the initial visit (n=33) or the follow-up visit (n=31) based on the timing of isolation. Healthcare-associated risk factors were frequently present among patients of the initial visit group, especially prior visit to primary clinic (79%) and antibiotic use (73%). SCCmec typing and multilocus sequence typing results showed that two genotypes, ST5-MRSA-II and ST239-MRSA-III, were prevalent in both the initial visit (73% vs. 24%) and the follow-up visit (55% vs. 42%). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis identified eight types, including two major types shared by both groups. We conclude that majority of MRSA strains from ear discharge of chronic otitis media belonged to nosocomial clones that might be circulating in the community. This is the first report of the genetic analysis of MRSA strains from otolaryngology practices in Korea
Association between Alcoholism and the Genetic Polymorphisms of the GABAA Receptor Genes on Chromosome 5q33-34 in Korean Population
Family, twin, and adoption studies have demonstrated that genes play an important role in the development of alcoholism. We investigated the association between alcoholism and the genetic polymorphisms of the GABAA receptor genes on chromosome 5q33-34 in Korean population. The genotype of the GABAA receptor gene polymorphisms were determined by performing polymerase chain reaction genotyping for 172 normal controls and 162 male alcoholics who are hospitalized in alcoholism treatment institute. We found a significant association between the genetic polymorphisms of the GABAA α1 and GABAA α6 receptor gene and alcoholism. The GG genotype of the GABAA α1 receptor gene was associated with the onset age of alcoholism and alcohol withdrawal symptoms, and a high score on the Korean version of the ADS. However, there was no association between the genetic polymorphisms of the GABAA β2 and γ2 receptor gene and alcoholisms. Our finding suggest that genetic polymorphisms of the GABAA α1 and GABAA α6 receptor gene may be associated with the development of alcoholism and that the GG genotype of the GABAA α1 receptor gene play an important role in the development of the early onset and the severe type of alcoholism
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