1,759 research outputs found
Autistic traits and loneliness in autism are associated with increased tendencies to anthropomorphise
I can see clearly now: the effects of age and perceptual load on inattentional blindness
Attention and awareness are known to be linked (e.g., see Lavie et al., 2014, for a review). However the extent to which this link changes over development is not fully understood. Most research concerning the development of attention has investigated the effects of attention on distraction, visual search and spatial orienting, typically using reaction time measures which cannot directly support conclusions about conscious awareness. Here we used Lavie's Load Theory of Attention and Cognitive Control to examine the development of attention effects on awareness. According to Load Theory, awareness levels are determined by the availability of attentional capacity. We hypothesized that attentional capacity develops with age, and consequently that awareness rates should increase with development due to the enhanced capacity. Thus we predicted that greater rates of inattentional blindness (IB) would be found at a younger age, and that lower levels of load will be sufficient to exhaust capacity and cause IB in children but not adults. We tested this hypothesis using an IB paradigm with adults and children aged 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 and 13 years old. Participants performed a line-length judgment task (indicating which arm of a cross is longer) and on the last trial were asked to report whether they noticed an unexpected task-irrelevant stimulus (a small square) in the display. Perceptual load was varied by changing the line-length difference (with a smaller difference in the conditions of higher load). The results supported our hypothesis: levels of awareness increased with age, and a moderate increase in the perceptual load of the task led to greater IB for children but not adults. These results extended across both peripheral and central presentations of the task stimuli. Overall, these findings establish the development of capacity for awareness and demonstrate the critical role of the perceptual load in the attended task
Phase Transformation in Tantalum under Extreme Laser Deformation
The structural and mechanical response of metals is intimately connected to phase transformations. For instance, the product of a phase transformation (martensite) is responsible for the extraordinary range of strength and toughness of steel, making it a versatile and important structural material. Although abundant in metals and alloys, the discovery of new phase transformations is not currently a common event and often requires a mix of experimentation, predictive computations, and luck. High-energy pulsed lasers enable the exploration of extreme pressures and temperatures, where such discoveries may lie. The formation of a hexagonal (omega) phase was observed in recovered monocrystalline body-centered cubic tantalum of four crystallographic orientations subjected to an extreme regime of pressure, temperature, and strain-rate. This was accomplished using high-energy pulsed lasers. The omega phase and twinning were identified by transmission electron microscopy at 70 GPa (determined by a corresponding VISAR experiment). It is proposed that the shear stresses generated by the uniaxial strain state of shock compression play an essential role in the transformation. Molecular dynamics simulations show the transformation of small nodules from body-centered cubic to a hexagonal close-packed structure under the same stress state (pressure and shear).Fil: Lu, C. H.. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Hahn, E. N.. University of California at San Diego; Estados UnidosFil: Remington, B. A.. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Maddox, B. R.. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Bringa, Eduardo Marcial. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones CientĂficas y TĂ©cnicas. Centro CientĂfico TecnolĂłgico Conicet - Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Meyers, Marc A.. University of California at San Diego; Estados Unido
X-ray Astronomy in the Laboratory with a Miniature Compact Object Produced by Laser-Driven Implosion
Laboratory spectroscopy of non-thermal equilibrium plasmas photoionized by
intense radiation is a key to understanding compact objects, such as black
holes, based on astronomical observations. This paper describes an experiment
to study photoionizing plasmas in laboratory under well-defined and genuine
conditions. Photoionized plasma is here generated using a 0.5-keV Planckian
x-ray source created by means of a laser-driven implosion. The measured x-ray
spectrum from the photoionized silicon plasma resembles those observed from the
binary stars Cygnus X-3 and Vela X-1 with the Chandra x-ray satellite. This
demonstrates that an extreme radiation field was produced in the laboratory,
however, the theoretical interpretation of the laboratory spectrum
significantly contradicts the generally accepted explanations in x-ray
astronomy. This model experiment offers a novel test bed for validation and
verification of computational codes used in x-ray astronomy.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures are included. This is the original submitted
version of the manuscript to be published in Nature Physic
Recommended from our members
Application of imaging plate to x-ray imaging and spectroscopy in laser plasma experiments
We report recent progress of x-ray diagnostic techniques in laser plasma experiment with using imaging plates. Imaging plate is a photo-stimulable phosphor screen (BaF(Br0.85,10.15):Eu{sup 2+}) deposited on flexible metal or plastic substrate. We applied the imaging plate to x-ray microscopy in laser fusion experiment experiments. Self-emission x-ray images of imploded core were obtained successfully with using imaging plate and high magnification target mounted pinhole arrays. The imaging plates were applied also in ultra-intense laser experiment at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Small samarium foil was irradiated by high intensity laser pulse from the Vulcan laser system. The k shell x-rays from the foil ({approx}40keV) was used as a line x-ray source for microscopic radiography. Performance of imaging plate on high-energy x-ray backlit radiography was demonstrated by imaging sinusoidal grooves of 6um amplitude on a Au foil. Detailed spectrum of k shell x-ray from Cu embedded foil target was successfully observed by fully coupling imaging plate with a highly ordered pyrolytic graphite crystal spectrometer. The performances of the imaging plates evaluated in actual laser plasma experiments will be presented
Correlation property of length sequences based on global structure of complete genome
This paper considers three kinds of length sequences of the complete genome.
Detrended fluctuation analysis, spectral analysis, and the mean distance
spanned within time are used to discuss the correlation property of these
sequences. The values of the exponents from these methods of these three kinds
of length sequences of bacteria indicate that the long-range correlations exist
in most of these sequences. The correlation have a rich variety of behaviours
including the presence of anti-correlations. Further more, using the exponent
, it is found that these correlations are all linear (). It is also found that these sequences exhibit noise in some
interval of frequency (). The length of this interval of frequency depends
on the length of the sequence. The shape of the periodogram in exhibits
some periodicity. The period seems to depend on the length and the complexity
of the length sequence.Comment: RevTex, 9 pages with 5 figures and 3 tables. Phys. Rev. E Jan. 1,2001
(to appear
On Validating an Astrophysical Simulation Code
We present a case study of validating an astrophysical simulation code. Our
study focuses on validating FLASH, a parallel, adaptive-mesh hydrodynamics code
for studying the compressible, reactive flows found in many astrophysical
environments. We describe the astrophysics problems of interest and the
challenges associated with simulating these problems. We describe methodology
and discuss solutions to difficulties encountered in verification and
validation. We describe verification tests regularly administered to the code,
present the results of new verification tests, and outline a method for testing
general equations of state. We present the results of two validation tests in
which we compared simulations to experimental data. The first is of a
laser-driven shock propagating through a multi-layer target, a configuration
subject to both Rayleigh-Taylor and Richtmyer-Meshkov instabilities. The second
test is a classic Rayleigh-Taylor instability, where a heavy fluid is supported
against the force of gravity by a light fluid. Our simulations of the
multi-layer target experiments showed good agreement with the experimental
results, but our simulations of the Rayleigh-Taylor instability did not agree
well with the experimental results. We discuss our findings and present results
of additional simulations undertaken to further investigate the Rayleigh-Taylor
instability.Comment: 76 pages, 26 figures (3 color), Accepted for publication in the ApJ
Seed systems smallholder farmers use
Seed can be an important entry point for promoting productivity, nutrition and resilience among smallholder farmers. While investments have primarily focused on strengthening the formal sector, this article documents the degree to which the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition, especially in Africa. Conclusions drawn from a uniquely comprehensive data set, 9660 observations across six countries and covering 40 crops, show that farmers access 90.2 % of their seed from informal systems with 50.9 % of that deriving from local markets. Further, 55 % of seed is paid for by cash, indicating that smallholders are already making important investments in this arena. Targeted interventions are proposed for rendering formal and informal seed sector more smallholder-responsive and for scaling up positive impacts
- …