Provenance and geochemistry of exotic clasts in conglomerates of the Oligocene Torehina Formation, Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand

Non-marine pebble to cobble conglomerates of the lower Torehina Formation (Oligocene) crop out along western Coromandel Peninsula and overlie, with strong angular discordance, continental-margin metasedimentary rocks (Manaia Hill Group) of Mesozoic (Late Jurassic to ?Early Cretaceous) age. The conglomerates contain provenance information that identifies a pre-Oligocene depositional history obscured by the unconformable juxtaposition of these Tertiary and Mesozoic strata. Most clasts in the lower Torehina Formation are visually similar to local bedrock lithologies, including metamorphosed sandstones and argillites, but are kaolinitic and contain more detrital and authigenic chert, quartz, and potash feldspar. Local derivation of these clasts seems unlikely. By comparing geochemical ratios with those defined for continental margin sandstones, and well characterised New Zealand tectonic terranes, we interpret the majority of clasts in the lower Torehina Formation to have been derived from a dissected orogen, with mixtures of felsic and volcanogenic-derived sediment. The most likely sources are the Waipapa and Torlesse Terranes. The remaining 20–30% of the clasts in the lower Torehina Formation were originally friable, are coarse grained, and appear to be lithologically exotic relative to known metamorphosed sandstones in basement terrane sources on North Island. Some clasts contain coal laminae and particles, and all contain detrital kaolinite as lithic fragments and matrix. Such characteristics imply a non-marine to marginal-marine source containing sediment derived from strongly weathered granite or granodiorite. Mechanical fragility implies a likely proximal, easily erodible source. We propose that this group of clasts was derived from an Upper Cretaceous sedimentary cover, either part of a locally developed basin fill or part of a once regionally extensive cover on North Island. Either case defines a more widely distributed Cretaceous source than found today

Troubles with Bayesianism: An introduction to the psychological immune system

A Bayesian mind is, at its core, a rational mind. Bayesianism is thus well-suited to predict and explain mental processes that best exemplify our ability to be rational. However, evidence from belief acquisition and change appears to show that we do not acquire and update information in a Bayesian way. Instead, the principles of belief acquisition and updating seem grounded in maintaining a psychological immune system rather than in approximating a Bayesian processor

The High Energy Telescope on EXIST

The Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope (EXIST) is a proposed next generation multi-wavelength survey mission. The primary instrument is a High Energy telescope (HET) that conducts the deepest survey for Gamma-ray Bursts (GRBs), obscured-accreting and dormant Supermassive Black Holes and Transients of all varieties for immediate followup studies by the two secondary instruments: a Soft X-ray Imager (SXI) and an Optical/Infrared Telescope (IRT). EXIST will explore the early Universe using high redshift GRBs as cosmic probes and survey black holes on all scales. The HET is a coded aperture telescope employing a large array of imaging CZT detectors (4.5 m^2, 0.6 mm pixel) and a hybrid Tungsten mask. We review the current HET concept which follows an intensive design revision by the HET imaging working group and the recent engineering studies in the Instrument and Mission Design Lab at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The HET will locate GRBs and transients quickly (<10-30 sec) and accurately (< 20") for rapid (< 1-3 min) onboard followup soft X-ray and optical/IR (0.3-2.2 micron) imaging and spectroscopy. The broad energy band (5-600 keV) and the wide field of view (~90 deg x 70 deg at 10% coding fraction) are optimal for capturing GRBs, obscured AGNs and rare transients. The continuous scan of the entire sky every 3 hours will establish a finely-sampled long-term history of many X-ray sources, opening up new possibilities for variability studies.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, 3 tables, SPIE conference proceedings (UV, X-ray, and Gamma-Ray Space Instrumentation for Astronomy XVI, 7435-9

A Single Circumbinary Disk in the HD 98800 Quadruple System

We present sub-arcsecond thermal infrared imaging of HD 98800, a young quadruple system composed of a pair of low-mass spectroscopic binaries separated by 0.8'' (38 AU), each with a K-dwarf primary. Images at wavelengths ranging from 5 to 24.5 microns show unequivocally that the optically fainter binary, HD 98800B, is the sole source of a comparatively large infrared excess upon which a silicate emission feature is superposed. The excess is detected only at wavelengths of 7.9 microns and longer, peaks at 25 microns, and has a best-fit black-body temperature of 150 K, indicating that most of the dust lies at distances greater than the orbital separation of the spectroscopic binary. We estimate the radial extent of the dust with a disk model that approximates radiation from the spectroscopic binary as a single source of equivalent luminosity. Given the data, the most-likely values of disk properties in the ranges considered are R_in = 5.0 +/- 2.5 AU, DeltaR = 13+/-8 AU, lambda_0 = 2(+4/-1.5) microns, gamma = 0+/-2.5, and sigma_total = 16+/-3 AU^2, where R_in is the inner radius, DeltaR is the radial extent of the disk, lambda_0 is the effective grain size, gamma is the radial power-law exponent of the optical depth, tau, and sigma_total is the total cross-section of the grains. The range of implied disk masses is 0.001--0.1 times that of the moon. These results show that, for a wide range of possible disk properties, a circumbinary disk is far more likely than a narrow ring.Comment: 11 page Latex manuscript with 3 postscript figures. Accepted for publication in Astrophysical Journal Letters. Postscript version of complete paper also available at http://www.hep.upenn.edu/PORG/web/papers/koerner00a.p

Game On? Smoking Cessation Through the Gamification of mHealth: A Longitudinal Qualitative Study

BACKGROUND: Finding ways to increase and sustain engagement with mHealth interventions has become a challenge during application development. While gamification shows promise and has proven effective in many fields, critical questions remain concerning how to use gamification to modify health behavior. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to investigate how the gamification of mHealth interventions leads to a change in health behavior, specifically with respect to smoking cessation. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative longitudinal study using a sample of 16 smokers divided into 2 cohorts (one used a gamified intervention and the other used a nongamified intervention). Each participant underwent 4 semistructured interviews over a period of 5 weeks. Semistructured interviews were also conducted with 4 experts in gamification, mHealth, and smoking cessation. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis undertaken. RESULTS: Results indicated perceived behavioral control and intrinsic motivation acted as positive drivers to game engagement and consequently positive health behavior. Importantly, external social influences exerted a negative effect. We identified 3 critical factors, whose presence was necessary for game engagement: purpose (explicit purpose known by the user), user alignment (congruency of game and user objectives), and functional utility (a well-designed game). We summarize these findings in a framework to guide the future development of gamified mHealth interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Gamification holds the potential for a low-cost, highly effective mHealth solution that may replace or supplement the behavioral support component found in current smoking cessation programs. The framework reported here has been built on evidence specific to smoking cessation, however it can be adapted to health interventions in other disease categories. Future research is required to evaluate the generalizability and effectiveness of the framework, directly against current behavioral support therapy interventions in smoking cessation and beyond

Restoration of Frequency-Dependent Depression of the H-Reflex by Passive Exercise in Spinal Rats

Hyper-reflexia, measured as a decrease of low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex, is known to occur in both humans and animals after spinal cord injury (SCI). Previous studies have shown that passive exercise for 3 months could be used to restore low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex after SCI. To determine the effects of various periods of time on the ability of passive exercise to restore low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex. Spinal Cord Injury Mobilization Program of the Center for Translational Neuroscience, the research arm of the Jackson T Stephens Spine and Neuroscience Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA. Adult rats underwent complete spinal cord transection at the T10 level. The hindlimbs were passively exercised in different groups of rats for 1 h/day, 5 days/week for 15, 30, 45, 60, or 90 days, and low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex was tested. Statistically significant low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex was evident by 30 days of exercise, although numerical reductions were seen even at 15 days. There was a linear decrease in low frequency-dependent depression of the H-reflex with duration of passive exercise. Passive exercise can restore frequency-dependent depression of spinal reflexes in a time-dependent manner if used following complete spinal transection

EXIST: The Ultimate Spatial/Temporal Hard X-ray Survey

The Energetic X-ray Imaging Survey Telescope (EXIST) is a proposed mission to conduct an all-sky imaging hard x-ray (HX) survey (~5–600 keV) with ~0.05mCrab sensitivity (5σ; 6mo.; ~5–100keV) comparable to the ROSAT soft x-ray survey, and to provide the maximum sensitivity and resolution (spatial and temporal) HX imager as the Next Generation GRB mission. Its primary science goals are to i) identify and measure obscured AGN and constrain the accretion luminosity of the universe as well as the cosmic IR background from Blazar spectra coincident with GeV-TeV observations, ii) measure spectra, variability and locations for the faintest GRBs to study the most energetic events in the universe and the earliest epoch of star formation, and iii) study black holes on all scales, from x-ray transients to luminous AGN. EXIST would incorporate a very large area (~8m^2) imaging Cd-Zn-Te detector and coded aperture telescope array with nearly half-sky instantaneous view which images the full sky each orbit. With fixed zenith pointing, it could be mounted on the ISS or a free flyer and would complement both GLAST and Constellation-X science if launched before 2010, as recommended by the Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey

The Swift/BAT High Latitude Survey: First Results

We present preliminary results from the first 3 months of the Swift BAT high galactic latitude survey in the 14--195 keV band. The survey reaches a flux of \~10^{-11} erg/cm^2/s and has ~2.7' (90% confidence) positional uncertainties for the faintest sources. This represents the most sensitive survey to date in this energy band. These data confirm the conjectures that a high energy selected AGN sample would have very different properties from those selected in other bands and represent a `true' sample of the AGN population. We have identified 86% of the 66 high-latitude sources. 12 are galactic type sources and 44 can be identified with previously known AGN. All but 5 of the AGN have archival X-ray spectra, enabling the estimation of line of sight column densities and other spectral properties. Both of the z > 0.11 objects are Blazars. The median redshift of the others (excluding radio-loud objects) is 0.012. We find that the column density distribution of these AGN is bimodal with 64% of the non-blazar sources having column densities N_H >= 10^{22} cm$^{-2}$. None of the sources with log L_X > 43.5 show high column densities and very few of the lower L_X sources have low column densities. Based on these data, we expect the final BAT catalog to have >200 AGN and reach fluxes of less than ~10^{-11} erg/cm^2/s over the entire sky.Comment: Final version submitted to ApJ Letters; on-line only Table 1 is included in-full in the article tex

Obesogenic Behavior and Weight-Based Stigma in Popular Children’s Movies, 2012 to 2015

BACKGROUND: Obesity-promoting content and weight-stigmatizing messages are common in child-directed television programming and advertisements, and 1 study found similar trends in G- and PG-rated movies from 2006 to 2010. Our objective was to examine the prevalence of such content in more recent popular children's movies. METHODS: Raters examined 31 top-grossing G- and PG-rated movies released from 2012 to 2015. For each 10-minute segment (N = 302) and for movies as units, raters documented the presence of eating-, activity-, and weight-related content observed on-screen. To assess interrater reliability, 10 movies (32%) were coded by more than 1 rater. RESULTS: The result of Cohen's κ test of agreement among 3 raters was 0.65 for binary responses (good agreement). All 31 movies included obesity-promoting content; most common were unhealthy foods (87% of movies, 42% of segments), exaggerated portion sizes (71%, 29%), screen use (68%, 38%), and sugar-sweetened beverages (61%, 24%). Weight-based stigma, such as a verbal insult about body size or weight, was observed in 84% of movies and 30% of segments. CONCLUSIONS: Children's movies include much obesogenic and weight-stigmatizing content. These messages are not shown in isolated incidences; rather, they often appear on-screen multiple times throughout the entire movie. Future research should explore these trends over time, and their effects