8,450 research outputs found
Relationship between hippocampal structure and memory function in elderly humans
With progressing age, the ability to recollect personal events declines, whereas familiarity-based memory remains relatively intact. It has been hypothesized that age-related hippocampal atrophy may contribute to this pattern because of its critical role for recollection in younger humans and after acute injury. Here, we show that hippocampal volume loss in healthy older persons correlates with gray matter loss (estimated with voxel-based morphometry) of the entire limbic system and shows no correlation with an electrophysiological (event-related potential [ERP]) index of recollection. Instead, it covaries with more substantial and less specific electrophysiological changes of stimulus processing. Age-related changes in another complementary structural measure, hippocampal diffusion, on the other hand, seemed to be more regionally selective and showed the expected correlation with the ERP index of recollection. Thus, hippocampal atrophy in older persons accompanies limbic atrophy, and its functional impact on memory is more fundamental than merely affecting recollection
Broadband multi-wavelength campaign on PKS 2005-489
The spectral energy distribution (SED) of high-frequency peaked BL Lac
objects (HBL) is characterized by two peaks: one in the UV-X-ray and one in the
GeV-TeV regime. An interesting object for analyzing these broadband
characteristics is PKS 2005-489, which in 2004 showed the softest TeV spectrum
ever measured. In 2009, a multi-wavelength campaign has been conducted with,
for the first time, simultaneous observations by H.E.S.S. (TeV), Fermi/LAT
(GeV), RXTE (keV), Swift (keV, UV, optical) and ATOM (optical) to cover the two
peaks of the SED. During this campaign PKS 2005-489 underwent a high state in
all wavebands which gives the opportunity to study in detail the emission
processes of a high state of this interesting HBL.Comment: 2009 Fermi Symposium; eConf Proceedings C09112
Tricritical Behavior in Charge-Order System
Tricritical point in charge-order systems and its criticality are studied for
a microscopic model by using the mean-field approximation and exchange Monte
Carlo method in the classical limit as well as by using the Hartree-Fock
approximation for the quantum model. We study the extended Hubbard model and
show that the tricritical point emerges as an endpoint of the first-order
transition line between the disordered phase and the charge-ordered phase at
finite temperatures. Strong divergences of several fluctuations at zero
wavenumber are found and analyzed around the tricritical point. Especially, the
charge susceptibility chi_c and the susceptibility of the next-nearest-neighbor
correlation chi_R are shown to diverge and their critical exponents are derived
to be the same as the criticality of the susceptibility of the double occupancy
chi_D0. The singularity of conductivity at the tricritical point is clarified.
We show that the singularity of the conductivity sigma is governed by that of
the carrier density and is given as
|sigma-sigma_c|=|g-g_c|^{p_t}Alog{|g-g_{c}|}+B), where g is the effective
interaction of the Hubbard model, sigma_c g_c represents the critical
conductivity(interaction) and A and B are constants, respectively. Here, in the
canonical ensemble, we obtain p_t=2beta_t=1/2 at the tricritical point. We also
show that p_t changes into p_{t}'=2beta=1 at the tricritical point in the
grand-canonical ensemble when the tricritical point in the canonical ensemble
is involved within the phase separation region. The results are compared with
available experimental results of organic conductor (DI-DCNQI)2Ag.Comment: 20 pages, 32 figures, to appear in J. Phys. Soc. Jpn.
Vol.75(2006)No.
A burst with double radio spectrum observed up to 212 GHz
We study a solar flare that occurred on September 10, 2002, in active region
NOAA 10105 starting around 14:52 UT and lasting approximately 5 minutes in the
radio range. The event was classified as M2.9 in X-rays and 1N in H\alpha.
Solar Submillimeter Telescope observations, in addition to microwave data give
us a good spectral coverage between 1.415 and 212 GHz. We combine these data
with ultraviolet images, hard and soft X-rays observations and full-disk
magnetograms. Images obtained from Ramaty High Energy Solar Spectroscopic
Imaging data are used to identify the locations of X-ray sources at different
energies and to determine the X-ray spectrum, while ultra violet images allow
us to characterize the coronal flaring region. The magnetic field evolution of
the active region is analyzed using Michelson Doppler Imager magnetograms. The
burst is detected at all available radio-frequencies. X-ray images (between 12
keV and 300 keV) reveal two compact sources and 212 GHz data, used to estimate
the radio source position, show a single compact source displaced by 25" from
one of the hard X-ray footpoints. We model the radio spectra using two
homogeneous sources, and combine this analysis with that of hard X-rays to
understand the dynamics of the particles. Relativistic particles, observed at
radio wavelengths above 50 GHz, have an electron index evolving with the
typical soft-hard-soft behaviour.Comment: Submitted to Solar Physics, 20 pages, 8 fugure
Statistically derived contributions of diverse human influences to twentieth-century temperature changes
The warming of the climate system is unequivocal as evidenced by an increase in global temperatures by 0.8 °C over the past century. However, the attribution of the observed warming to human activities remains less clear, particularly because of the apparent slow-down in warming since the late 1990s. Here we analyse radiative forcing and temperature time series with state-of-the-art statistical methods to address this question without climate model simulations. We show that long-term trends in total radiative forcing and temperatures have largely been determined by atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, and modulated by other radiative factors. We identify a pronounced increase in the growth rates of both temperatures and radiative forcing around 1960, which marks the onset of sustained global warming. Our analyses also reveal a contribution of human interventions to two periods when global warming slowed down. Our statistical analysis suggests that the reduction in the emissions of ozone-depleting substances under the Montreal Protocol, as well as a reduction in methane emissions, contributed to the lower rate of warming since the 1990s. Furthermore, we identify a contribution from the two world wars and the Great Depression to the documented cooling in the mid-twentieth century, through lower carbon dioxide emissions. We conclude that reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are effective in slowing the rate of warming in the short term.F.E. acknowledges financial support from the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (http://www.conacyt.gob.mx) under grant CONACYT-310026, as well as from PASPA DGAPA of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. (CONACYT-310026 - Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia; PASPA DGAPA of the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico
Executive functioning in preschool children: Performance on A-Not-B and other delayed response format tasks
The A-not-B (AB) task has been hypothesized to measure executive/frontal lobe function; however, the developmental and measurement characteristics of this task have not been investigated. The present study examined performance on AB and comparison tasks adapted from developmental and neuroscience literature in 117 1.9-5.5 yr old preschool children. Age significantly predicted performance on AB, Delayed Alternation, Spatial Reversal, Color Reversal, and Self-Control tasks. A 4-factor analytic model best fit task performance data. AB task indices loaded on 2 factors with measures from the Self-Control and Delayed Alternation tasks, respectively. AB indices did not load with those from the reversal tasks despite similarities in task administration and presumed cognitive demand (working memory). These results indicate that AB is sensitive to individual differences in age-related performance in preschool children and suggest that AB performance is related to both working memory and inhibition processes in this age range
NL-Graphs: A hybrid approach toward interactively querying semantic data
A variety of query approaches have been proposed by the semantic web community to explore and query semantic data. Each was developed for a specific task and employed its own interaction mechanism; each query mechanism has its own set of advantages and drawbacks. Most semantic web search systems employ only one approach, thus being unable to exploit the benefits of alternative approaches. Motivated by a usability and interactivity perspective, we propose to combine two query approaches (graph-based and natural language) as a hybrid query approach. In this paper, we present NL-Graphs which aims to exploit the strengths of both approaches, while ameliorating their weaknesses. NL-Graphs was conceptualised and developed from observations, and lessons learned, in several evaluations with expert and casual users. The results of evaluating our approach with expert and casual users on a large semantic dataset are very encouraging; both types of users were highly satisfied and could effortlessly use the hybrid approach to formulate and answer queries. Indeed, success rates showed they were able to successfully answer all the evaluation questions
Optical photometry and spectroscopy of the 1987A-like supernova 2009mw
We present optical photometric and spectroscopic observations of the
1987A-like supernova (SN) 2009mw. Our and photometry covers
167 days of evolution, including the rise to the light curve maximum, and ends
just after the beginning of the linear tail phase. We compare the observational
properties of SN 2009mw with those of other SNe belonging to the same subgroup,
and find that it shows similarities to several objects. The physical parameters
of the progenitor and the SN are estimated via hydrodynamical modelling,
yielding an explosion energy of foe, a pre-SN mass of , a progenitor radius as and a Ni mass
as . These values indicate that the progenitor of SN
2009mw was a blue supergiant star, similar to the progenitor of SN 1987A. We
examine the host environment of SN 2009mw and find that it emerged from a
population with slightly sub-solar metallicty.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
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