Cortical summation and attentional modulation of combined chromatic and luminance signals

The work was supported by BBSRC new investigator grant BB/H019731/1 to JM. We would like to thank Justyna Mordal and Zarko Milojevic for their help with data collection.Peer reviewedPostprin

Electrophysiological responses to alcohol cues are not associated with Pavlovian-to-Instrumental Transfer in social drinkers

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Division and spreading of attention across color

Biological systems must allocate limited perceptual resources to relevant elements in their environment. This often requires simultaneous selection of multiple elements from the same feature dimension (e.g. color). To establish the determinants of divided attentional selection of color, we conducted an experiment that used multicolored displays with four overlapping random dot kinematograms that differed only in hue. We manipulated (i) requirement to focus attention to a single color or divide it between two colors; (ii) distances of distractor hues from target hues in a perceptual color space. We conducted a behavioral and an electroencephalographic experiment, in which each color was tagged by a specific flicker frequency and driving its own steady-state visual evoked potential. Behavioral and neural indices of attention showed several major consistencies. Concurrent selection halved the neural signature of target enhancement observed for single targets, consistent with an approximately equal division of limited resources between two hue-selective foci. Distractors interfered with behavioral performance in a context-dependent fashion but their effects were asymmetric, indicating that perceptual distance did not adequately capture attentional distance. These asymmetries point towards an important role of higher-level mechanisms such as categorization and grouping-by-color in determining the efficiency of attentional allocation in complex, multicolored scenes

Uticaj supstituenata na IR, 1H- i 13C-NMR spektralne podatke N-(supstituisanih fenil)-2-cijanoacetamida - korelaciona analiza

Linear free energy relationships (LFER) were applied to the IR, H-1- and C-13-NMR spectral data of N-(substituted phenyl)-2-cyanoacetamides. A variety of substituents were employed for phenyl substitution and fairly good correlations were obtained using the simple Hammett and the Hammett-Taft dual substituent parameter equations. The correlation results of the substituent induced C-13-NMR chemical shifts (SCS) of the Cl, C=O and N-H atom indicated different sensitivity with respect to electronic substituent effects. A better correlation of the SCSc=O with a combination of electrophllic and nucleophilic substituent constants indicated a significant contribution of extended resonance interaction (pi-delocalization) within the pi(1)-unit. The conformations of the investigated compounds were studied using the OFT B3LYP/6-311G** method and, together with the results of C-13-NMR and IR spectroscopic studies, a better insight into the influence of such a structure on the transmission of electronic substituent effects was obtained.Principi linearnih korelacija slobodnih energija (LFER) su primenjeni na IR, 1H- i 13C-NMR spektralne podatke N-(supstituisanih fenil)-2-cijanoacetamida. Pri sintezi N-(supstituisanih fenil)-2-cijanoacetamida izvršen je zadovoljavajući izbor supstituenata u pogledu elektronskih svojstava kako bi se adekvatno sagledao uticaj elektronskih efekata supstituenata na pomeranja u IR, 1H- i 13C-NMR spektralnim podacima. Primenom proste Hametove jednačine dobijene su zadovoljavajuće korelacije. Na osnovu korelacionih rezultata uočen je primaran uticaj elektronskih efekata na SCS (supstituentom indukovana hemijska pomeranja) vrednosti N-H vodonika, C1 i C=O ugljenika ispitivanih jedinjenja. Korelacioni rezultati za C=O ugljenik se značajno popravljaju ako se koristi kombinacija Ϭ+ i Ϭ- konstanti supstituenata, takozvane elektrofilne i nukleofilne konstante supstituenata, što ukazuje na postojanje značajne proširene rezonancione interakcije supstituenata i elektronske gustine karbonilne grupe. Vrednosti konstanti proporcionalnosti pF i pR za sve atome, ukazuju na približno isti doprinos efekta polja i rezonancionog efekta supstituenata. Efekat polja je nešto izraženji na N-H vodoniku, i za sve atome pokazuje značajne razlike u odnosu na njihov položaj u molekulskoj strukturi ispitivanih jedinjenja. Uticaj efekata supstituenata na IR vibracije istezanja N-H (simetrične i antisimetrične), C=O i CN veze je prevashodno elektronske prirode što se može zaključiti na osnovu dobrih korelacija dobijenih primenom Hametove jednačine i Ϭ parametara supstituenata. Osim toga izvršena je optimizacija geometrije ispitivanih jedinjenja primenom DFT B3LYP/ 6-311G**metode, pri čemu je nađeno da je trans-izomer nešto stabilnji, izuzev u slučaju jedinjenja 3. Supstituisana fenil-grupa i amidna grupa, kod trans-izomera, su približno koplanarne, dok se kod cis- izomera uočava značajna devijacija koja je značajno određena elektronskim efektima prisutnog supstituenta. Takođe je ispitivan položaj cis/trans ravnoteže u ugjen-tetrahloridu, i na osnovu rezultata FT/R analize, kada je prisutan H, CH3, OCH3, Br, i COOH supstituent, nađeno je da je cis izomer u velikom višku, a za ostala jedinjenja utvrđeno je postojanje ravnoteže cis- i trans-izomera

Supporting formerly incarcerated people before and during COVID-19: is socially distanced (re)integration possible?

Returning to the community after being incarcerated brings many challenges. In Victoria, Australia, a government-funded contract with non-government organisations (NGOs) allocates reintegration workers to assist with the post-release social integration process. In 2020, we interviewed reintegration workers to explore how they performed their roles before and during the COVID-19 restrictions. The key finding was that building rapport to tailor support was the most crucial aspect of practice, which workers could not adequately do without meeting face-to-face. Strengths-based practices, consisting of holistic, trauma-informed interactions, should become enshrined in reintegration job roles and the key performance indicators (KPIs) that measure success of the government contract

A shared cabin in the woods: The presence and presents of writing in residential academic writing retreats

In this paper, we investigated a model of academic development based upon a recurring residential academic writing retreat combining individual writing times, workshops, work-in-progress groups and one-on-one consultations with shared meals and informal gatherings in a natural environment. Using a case study research approach, we analysed data accumulated from seven annual residential writing retreats for education scholars. Participants included 39 academics, administrative staff, senior doctoral students and community partners from multiple institutions. We found evidence that the retreats enhanced participants’ knowledge of writing and publishing processes, advanced their academic careers, built scholarly capacity at their institutions and strengthened writing pedagogy. The data indicated that the presence of writing and writers at the residential academic writing retreats generated presents (i.e., gifts) for the participants. The presence of writing time, writing goals and writing activities in the company of other writers were key to the retreat pedagogy. Participants appreciated gifts of time and physical space and described giving and receiving peer feedback and emotional support as forms of gift exchange within the community. The resulting writing strategies, competencies and identities provided the gift of sustainability. The analysis confirmed that this ongoing, immersive, cross-institutional, cross-rank, institutionally funded model of academic development was effective and responsive to the needs of individual scholars.Dean’s Office, Faculty of Education, Brock University; Research Leadership Grant, University of Windso

Measuring the propagation speed of gravitational waves with LISA

The propagation speed of gravitational waves, cT , has been tightly constrained by the binary neutron star merger GW170817 and its electromagnetic counterpart, under the assumption of a frequency-independent cT . Drawing upon arguments from Effective Field Theory and quantum gravity, we discuss the possibility that modifications of General Relativity allow for transient deviations of cT from the speed of light at frequencies well below the band of current ground-based detectors. We motivate two representative Ansätze for cT (f), and study their impact upon the gravitational waveforms of massive black hole binary mergers detectable by the LISA mission. We forecast the constraints on cT (f) obtainable from individual systems and a population of sources, from both inspiral and a full inspiral-merger-ringdown waveform. We show that LISA will enable us to place stringent independent bounds on departures from General Relativity in unexplored low-frequency regimes, even in the absence of an electromagnetic counterpart

Coordination and organometallic precursors of group 10 and 11 Focused electron beam induced deposition of metals and insight gained from chemical vapour deposition, atomic layer deposition, and fundamental surface and gas phase studies

Nanostructured materials made from group 10 Ni, Pd, Pt and group 11 Cu, Ag, Au elements have outstanding technological relevance in microelectronics, nano optics, catalysis, and energy conversion. Processes that allow for the easy and reliable fabrication of such nanostructures are heavily sought after. Focused electron beam induced deposition FEBID is the only direct write technique that can fabricate nanostructures with arbitrary shape and dimensions down to the sub 10 nm regime. However, the complex chemistry of FEBID involving electron induced dissociation processes of metalorganic precursors molecules, surface kinetics, and thermal effects is poorly understood and far from being optimized. Here, we review in a comparative manner the performance and the underlying chemical reactions of surface deposition processes, namely, chemical vapour deposition CVD , atomic layer deposition ALD , and FEBID itself. The knowledge gained in CVD and ALD as related surface deposition techniques will help us to understand the spatially selective chemistry occurring in FEBID. Fundamental surface and gas phase studies provide insight to electron induced chemistry and desorption of precursor fragments. Specific emphasis is put on the type of the ligands and their different behaviour under thermal, surface related, and electron induced processes. The comprehensive overview of the current state of FEBID for group 10 and 11 metals includes reactive environments and purification approaches as these may provide valuable information on the design of novel precursors. The evaluation of the precursor and process performance is extended to include W, Co, Fe, Ru, Rh, and Ir to represent a general guide towards future developments in FEBID. These may not only rely on the design of novel compounds but also on optimized deposition strategies inspired by ALD and CV

Task and spatial frequency modulations of object processing: an EEG study.

Visual object processing may follow a coarse-to-fine sequence imposed by fast processing of low spatial frequencies (LSF) and slow processing of high spatial frequencies (HSF). Objects can be categorized at varying levels of specificity: the superordinate (e.g. animal), the basic (e.g. dog), or the subordinate (e.g. Border Collie). We tested whether superordinate and more specific categorization depend on different spatial frequency ranges, and whether any such dependencies might be revealed by or influence signals recorded using EEG. We used event-related potentials (ERPs) and time-frequency (TF) analysis to examine the time course of object processing while participants performed either a grammatical gender-classification task (which generally forces basic-level categorization) or a living/non-living judgement (superordinate categorization) on everyday, real-life objects. Objects were filtered to contain only HSF or LSF. We found a greater positivity and greater negativity for HSF than for LSF pictures in the P1 and N1 respectively, but no effects of task on either component. A later, fronto-central negativity (N350) was more negative in the gender-classification task than the superordinate categorization task, which may indicate that this component relates to semantic or syntactic processing. We found no significant effects of task or spatial frequency on evoked or total gamma band responses. Our results demonstrate early differences in processing of HSF and LSF content that were not modulated by categorization task, with later responses reflecting such higher-level cognitive factors

Total Electron Temperature Derived from Quasi-Thermal Noise Spectroscopy In the Pristine Solar Wind: Parker Solar Probe Observations

The Quasi-thermal noise (QTN) technique is a reliable tool to yield accurate measurements of the electron parameters in the solar wind. We apply this method on Parker Solar Probe (PSP) observations to derive the total electron temperature ($T_e$) from the linear fit of the high-frequency part of the QTN spectra acquired by the RFS/FIELDS instrument, and present a combination of 12-day period of observations around each perihelion from Encounter One (E01) to Ten (E10) (with E08 not included) with the heliocentric distance varying from about 13 to 60 solar radii ($R_\odot{}$). We find that the total electron temperature decreases with the distance as $\sim$$R^{-0.66}$, which is much slower than adiabatic. The extrapolated $T_e$ based on PSP observations is consistent with the exospheric solar wind model prediction at $\sim$10 $R_\odot{}$, Helios observations at $\sim$0.3 AU and Wind observations at 1 AU. Also, $T_e$, extrapolated back to 10 $R_\odot{}$, is almost the same as the strahl electron temperature $T_s$ (measured by SPAN-E) which is considered to be closely related to or even almost equal to the coronal electron temperature. Furthermore, the radial $T_e$ profiles in the slower solar wind (or flux tube with larger mass flux) are steeper than those in the faster solar wind (or flux tube with smaller mass flux). More pronounced anticorrelated $V_p$-$T_e$ is observed when the solar wind is slower and closer to the Sun.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures, and Astronomy & Astrophysics Accepte