210 research outputs found
A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children
The current study is a pilot trial to examine the effects of a nonelective, classroom-based, teacher-implemented, mindfulness meditation intervention on standard clinical measures of mental health and affect in middle school children. A total of 101 healthy sixth-grade students (55 boys, 46 girls) were randomized to either an Asian history course with daily mindfulness meditation practice (intervention group) or an African history course with a matched experiential activity (active control group). Self-reported measures included the Youth Self Report (YSR), a modified Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Measure âRevised. Both groups decreased significantly on clinical syndrome subscales and affect but did not differ in the extent of their improvements. Meditators were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than controls. These results suggest that mindfulness training may yield both unique and non-specific benefits that are shared by other novel activities
Gender Differences in Response to a School-Based Mindfulness Training Intervention for Early Adolescents
Mindfulness training has been used to improve emotional wellbeing in early adolescents. However, little is known about treatment outcome moderators, or individual differences that may differentially impact responses to treatment. The current study focused on gender as a potential moderator for affective outcomes in response to school-based mindfulness training. Sixth grade students (NâŻ=âŻ100) were randomly assigned to either the six weeks of mindfulness meditation or the active control group as part of a history class curriculum. Participants in the mindfulness meditation group completed short mindfulness meditation sessions four to five times per week, in addition to didactic instruction (Asian history). The control group received matched experiential activity in addition to didactic instruction (African history) from the same teacher with no meditation component. Self-reported measures of emotional wellbeing/affect, mindfulness, and self-compassion were obtained at pre and post intervention. Meditators reported greater improvement in emotional wellbeing compared to those in the control group. Importantly, gender differences were detected, such that female meditators reported greater increases in positive affect compared to females in the control group, whereas male meditators and control males displayed equivalent gains. Uniquely among females but not males, increases in self-reported self-compassion were associated with improvements in affect. These findings support the efficacy of school-based mindfulness interventions, and interventions tailored to accommodate distinct developmental needs of female and male adolescents
Rhinosporidium seeberi: a human pathogen from a novel group of aquatic protistan parasites.
Rhinosporidium seeberi, a microorganism that can infect the mucosal surfaces of humans and animals, has been classified as a fungus on the basis of morphologic and histochemical characteristics. Using consensus polymerase chain reaction (PCR), we amplified a portion of the R. seeberi 18S rRNA gene directly from infected tissue. Analysis of the aligned sequence and inference of phylogenetic relationships showed that R. seeberi is a protist from a novel clade of parasites that infect fish and amphibians. Fluorescence in situ hybridization and R. seeberi- specific PCR showed that this unique 18S rRNA sequence is also present in other tissues infected with R. seeberi. Our data support the R. seeberi phylogeny recently suggested by another group. R. seeberi is not a classic fungus, but rather the first known human pathogen from the DRIPs clade, a novel clade of aquatic protistan parasites (Ichthyosporea)
The molecular ion in a magnetic field
A detailed study of the low-lying electronic states
{}^1\Si,{}^3\Si,{}^3\Pi,{}^3\De of the molecular ion in parallel
to a magnetic field configuration (when \al-particle and proton are situated
on the same magnetic line) is carried out for G in
the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. The variational method is employed using a
physically adequate trial function. It is shown that the parallel configuration
is stable with respect to small deviations for \Si-states. The quantum
numbers of the ground state depend on the magnetic field strength. The ground
state evolves from the spin-singlet {}^1\Si state for small magnetic fields
a.u. to the spin-triplet {}^3\Si unbound state for
intermediate fields and to the spin-triplet strongly bound state for a.u. When the molecular ion exists, it is stable with
respect to a dissociation.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, 4 table
A multi-transition HCN and HCO+ study of 12 nearby active galaxies: AGN versus SB environments
Recent studies have indicated that the HCN-to-CO(J=1-0) and
HCO+-to-HCN(J=1-0) ratios are significantly different between galaxies with AGN
(active galactic nucleus) and SB (starburst) signatures. In order to study the
molecular gas properties in active galaxies and search for differences between
AGN and SB environments, we observed the HCN(J=1-0), (J=2-1), (J=3-2),
HCO+(J=1-0) and HCO+(J=3-2), emission with the IRAM 30m in the centre of 12
nearby active galaxies which either exhibit nuclear SB and/or AGN signatures.
Consistent with previous results, we find a significant difference of the
HCN(J=2-1)-to-HCN(J=1-0), HCN(J=3-2)-to-HCN(J=1-0), HCO+(J=3-2)-to-HCO+(J=3-2),
and HCO+-to-HCN intensity ratios between the sources dominated by an AGN and
those with an additional or pure central SB: the HCN, HCO+ and HCO+-to-HCN
intensity ratios tend to be higher in the galaxies of our sample with a central
SB as opposed to the pure AGN cases which show rather low intensity ratios.
Based on an LVG analysis of these data, i.e., assuming purely collisional
excitation, the (average) molecular gas densities in the SB dominated sources
of our sample seem to be systematically higher than in the AGN sources. The LVG
analysis seems to further support systematically higher HCN and/or lower HCO+
abundances as well as similar or higher gas temperatures in AGN compared to the
SB sources of our sample. Also, we find that the HCN-to-CO ratios decrease with
increasing rotational number J for the AGN while they stay mostly constant for
the SB sources.Comment: accepted for publication in ApJ; 20 pages, 7 figures; in emulateApJ
forma
The Distribution and Condition of the Warm Molecular Gas in Abell 2597 and Sersic 159-03
We have used the SINFONI integral field spectrograph to map the near-infrared
K-band emission lines of molecular and ionised hydrogen in the central regions
of two cool core galaxy clusters, Abell 2597 and Sersic 159-03. Gas is detected
out to 20 kpc from the nuclei of the brightest cluster galaxies and found to be
distributed in clumps and filaments around it. The ionised and molecular gas
phases trace each other closely in extent and dynamical state. Both gas phases
show signs of interaction with the active nucleus. Within the nuclear regions
the kinetic luminosity of this gas is found to be somewhat smaller than the
current radio luminosity. Outside the nuclear region the gas has a low velocity
dispersion and shows smooth velocity gradients. There is no strong correlation
between the intensity of the molecular and ionised gas emission and either the
radio or X-ray emission. The molecular gas in Abell 2597 and Sersic 159-03 is
well described by a gas in local thermal equilibrium (LTE) with a single
excitation temperature T_exc ~ 2300 K. The emission line ratios do not vary
strongly as function of position, with the exception of the nuclear regions
where the ionised to molecular gas ratio is found decrease. These constant line
ratios imply a single source of heating and excitation for both gas phases.Comment: 44 pages, 32 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA
On the source of the late-time infrared luminosity of SN 1998S and other type II supernovae
We present late-time near-infrared (NIR) and optical observations of the type
IIn SN 1998S. The NIR photometry spans 333-1242 days after explosion, while the
NIR and optical spectra cover 333-1191 days and 305-1093 days respectively. The
NIR photometry extends to the M'-band (4.7 mu), making SN 1998S only the second
ever supernova for which such a long IR wavelength has been detected. The shape
and evolution of the H alpha and HeI 1.083 mu line profiles indicate a powerful
interaction with a progenitor wind, as well as providing evidence of dust
condensation within the ejecta. The latest optical spectrum suggests that the
wind had been flowing for at least 430 years. The intensity and rise of the HK
continuum towards longer wavelengths together with the relatively bright L' and
M' magnitudes shows that the NIR emission was due to hot dust newly-formed in
supernovae may provide the ejecta and/or pre-existing dust in the progenitor
circumstellar medium (CSM). [ABRIDGED] Possible origins for the NIR emission
are considered. Significant radioactive heating of ejecta dust is ruled out, as
is shock/X-ray-precursor heating of CSM dust. More plausible sources are (a) an
IR-echo from CSM dust driven by the UV/optical peak luminosity, and (b)
emission from newly-condensed dust which formed within a cool, dense shell
produced by the ejecta shock/CSM interaction. We argue that the evidence
favours the condensing dust hypothesis, although an IR-echo is not ruled out.
Within the condensing-dust scenario, the IR luminosity indicates the presence
of at least 0.001 solar masses of dust in the ejecta, and probably considerably
more. Finally, we show that the late-time intrinsic (K-L') evolution of type II
supernovae may provide a useful tool for determining the presence or absence of
a massive CSM around their progenitor stars.Comment: 23 pages, 15 figures, to be published in MNRA
Academic Performance and Behavioral Patterns
Identifying the factors that influence academic performance is an essential
part of educational research. Previous studies have documented the importance
of personality traits, class attendance, and social network structure. Because
most of these analyses were based on a single behavioral aspect and/or small
sample sizes, there is currently no quantification of the interplay of these
factors. Here, we study the academic performance among a cohort of 538
undergraduate students forming a single, densely connected social network. Our
work is based on data collected using smartphones, which the students used as
their primary phones for two years. The availability of multi-channel data from
a single population allows us to directly compare the explanatory power of
individual and social characteristics. We find that the most informative
indicators of performance are based on social ties and that network indicators
result in better model performance than individual characteristics (including
both personality and class attendance). We confirm earlier findings that class
attendance is the most important predictor among individual characteristics.
Finally, our results suggest the presence of strong homophily and/or peer
effects among university students
Molecular excitation in the Interstellar Medium: recent advances in collisional, radiative and chemical processes
We review the different excitation processes in the interstellar mediumComment: Accepted in Chem. Re
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