Boundaries and Prototypes in Categorizing Direction

Projective terms such as left, right, front, back are conceptually interesting due to their flexibility of contextual usage and their central relevance to human spatial cognition. Their default acceptability areas are well known, with prototypical axes representing their most central usage and decreasing acceptability away from the axes. Previous research has shown these axes to be boundaries in certain non-linguistic tasks, indicating an inverse relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic direction concepts under specific circumstances. Given this striking mismatch, our study asks how such inverse non-linguistic concepts are represented in language, as well as how people describe their categorization. Our findings highlight two distinct grouping strategies reminiscent of theories of human categorization: prototype based or boundary based. These lead to different linguistic as well as non-linguistic patterns

D-Brane Propagation in Two-Dimensional Black Hole Geometries

We study propagation of D0-brane in two-dimensional Lorentzian black hole backgrounds by the method of boundary conformal field theory of SL(2,R)/U(1) supercoset at level k. Typically, such backgrounds arise as near-horizon geometries of k coincident non-extremal NS5-branes, where 1/k measures curvature of the backgrounds in string unit and hence size of string worldsheet effects. At classical level, string worldsheet effects are suppressed and D0-brane propagation in the Lorentzian black hole geometry is simply given by the Wick rotation of D1-brane contour in the Euclidean black hole geometry. Taking account of string worldsheet effects, boundary state of the Lorentzian D0-brane is formally constructible via Wick rotation from that of the Euclidean D1-brane. However, the construction is subject to ambiguities in boundary conditions. We propose exact boundary states describing the D0-brane, and clarify physical interpretations of various boundary states constructed from different boundary conditions. As it falls into the black hole, the D0-brane radiates off to the horizon and to the infinity. From the boundary states constructed, we compute physical observables of such radiative process. We find that part of the radiation to infinity is in effective thermal distribution at the Hawking temperature. We also find that part of the radiation to horizon is in the Hagedorn distribution, dominated by massive, highly non-relativistic closed string states, much like the tachyon matter. Remarkably, such distribution emerges only after string worldsheet effects are taken exactly into account. From these results, we observe that nature of the radiation distribution changes dramatically across the conifold geometry k=1 (k=3 for the bosonic case), exposing the `string - black hole transition' therein.Comment: 51 pages, 5 figures, v2: referece added, note added replying the comment made in hep-th/060206

β-delayed particle decay of 9C and the A = 9, T = 1/2 nuclear system: Experiment, data, and phenomenological analysis

The β decay of 9C (T1/2 = 126.5 ms) has been studied in two experiments observing about 15 × 107 and 8 × 107 decays, respectively, at the TISOL facility at TRIUMF; different detector configurations were employed in the two experiments. In this first of two papers, the two experimental setups are described, as well as data analysis and a phenomenological approach to deducing branching ratios to and from states in 9B. In the experiments single spectra, and double and triple coincidence spectra, were recorded. Several states in 9B were observed; β-branching ratios to these states, and particle decay channels from these states, are reported. In particular, secondary decays into the 5Li and 8Be ground states were observed. With the inclusion of a considerable continuum and additional states, fair agreement with the reported 9Li logft values is found with a phenomenological approach for deducing the branching ratios. To extend the discussion, in a second, forthcoming paper, a multichannel, multistate R-matrix analysis of these data will be described

β-delayed particle decay of 17ne into p + α + 12C through the isobaric analog state in 17F

We have observed the breakup of the isobaric analog state at 11.193 MeV in 17F into three particles via three channels: proton decay to the α-unbound 9.585 MeV state in 16O; and α decay to the proton-unbound 2.365 and 3.502/3.547 MeV states in 13N. Laboratory α-particle spectra corresponding to these three modes have been generated in Monte Carlo simulations using single-channel, single- and multilevel R-matrix formulas. A fit of these spectra to the α spectrum resulting from a triple-coincidence measurement results in excellent agreement with the experimental spectrum and allows branching ratios to be deduced for these rare decay modes

Three-particle breakup of the isobaric analog state in 17F

We have studied the b-delayed particle decay of 17Ne to test the feasibility of determining both the E1 and E2 components of the 12C(a,g )16O cross section at energies relevant to helium burning in stars. In this context we have observed the breakup of the isobaric analog state in 17F at 11.193 MeV into three particles via three channels: proton decay to the 9.59 MeV state in 16O; and a decay to the 2.365 and 3.502/3.547 MeV states in 13N. This is the first reported observation of the decay of the IAS to the 12 state in 16O at 9.59 MeV and the first reported b-delayed proton-a decay. With straightforward improvements to our detection apparatus to improve angular resolution, b suppression, and solid angle coverage, we should be able to proceed to the measurement of the effect of the tail of the subthreshold state at 7.117 MeV in 16O on thea spectrum from the breakup of the 9.59 MeV state

Measurement of the 24Mg(p,t) 22Mg reaction and implications for the 21Na(p, γ) 22Mg stellar reaction rate

Levels in 22Mg between 4 and 7 MeV excitation energy have been populated in a high-resolution study of the 24Mg(p,t) 22Mg reaction. Two new states have been observed at energies Ex = 5090 and 6323 keV, while two states were observed at 5962 and 6046 keV. The precision in measured excitation energies for several other 22Mg levels has been improved substantially. In addition, a new state at 8141 keV was observed in 23Mg. Using spin and parity restrictions from the present and previous work, we discuss T = 1 analog state assignments of A = 22 nuclei below 7 MeV excitation energy. The implications for the rate of the stellar reaction 21Na(p, γ) 22Mg which takes part in hydrogen burning during nova outbursts are presented

Defining an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome: International Consensus Statement

Around the world, individuals are living longer, but an increased average lifespan does not always equate to an increased health span. With advancing age, the increased prevalence of ageing-related diseases can have a significant impact on health status, functional capacity and quality of life. It is therefore vital to develop comprehensive classification and staging systems for ageing-related pathologies, diseases and syndromes. This will allow societies to better identify, quantify, understand and meet the healthcare, workforce, well-being and socioeconomic needs of ageing populations, whilst supporting the development and utilisation of interventions to prevent or to slow, halt or reverse the progression of ageing-related pathologies. The foundation for developing such classification and staging systems is to define the scope of what constitutes an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome. To this end, a consensus meeting was hosted by the International Consortium to Classify Ageing-Related Pathologies (ICCARP), on February 19, 2024, in Cardiff, UK, and was attended by 150 recognised experts. Discussions and voting were centred on provisional criteria that had been distributed prior to the meeting. The participants debated and voted on these. Each criterion required a consensus agreement of ≥ 70% for approval. The accepted criteria for an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome were (1) develops and/or progresses with increasing chronological age; (2) should be associated with, or contribute to, functional decline or an increased susceptibility to functional decline and (3) evidenced by studies in humans. Criteria for an ageing-related pathology, disease or syndrome have been agreed by an international consortium of subject experts. These criteria will now be used by the ICCARP for the classification and ultimately staging of ageing-related pathologies, diseases and syndromes

Nuptial food gifts influence female egg production in the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata

Engqvist L. Nuptial food gifts influence female egg production in the scorpionfly Panorpa cognata. Ecological Entomology. 2007;32(3):327-332.1. Before copulation, male Panorpa cognata scorpionflies offer females a salivary secretion, which is consumed by the female during copulation. It has previously been demonstrated that this nuptial food gift functions as mating effort by increasing male attractiveness and by increasing ejaculate transfer during copulation. 2. In this study, the effect of saliva consumption on female reproductive output was investigated, and thus the possibility that nuptial food gifts also serve as paternal investment. The experimental design enabled the effect of nuptial gift consumption to be disentangled from other possible effects of multiple mating or increased copula duration. 3. The results showed that saliva consumption increases female egg production by on average 8% (4.5 eggs) per consumed salivary mass, whereas mean egg weight was not influenced. 4. These results have important implications for the evolution and maintenance of both male nuptial gifts and female polyandry in this and other species