701 research outputs found
Response-irrelevant number, duration and extent information triggers the SQARC effect: Evidence from an implicit paradigm
SpatialâNumerical Association Of Response Codes (SNARC) and SpatialâQuantity Association Of Response Codes (SQARC) effects are evident when people produce faster left-sided responses to smaller numbers, sizes and durations and faster right-sided responses to larger numbers, sizes and durations. SQARC effects have typically been demonstrated in paradigms where the explicit processing of quantity information is required for successful task completion. The current study tested whether the implicit presentation of task-irrelevant magnitude information could trigger a SQARC effect as has been demonstrated previously when task-irrelevant information triggers a SNARC effect (Mitchell, Bull & Cleland, 2012). In Experiment 1 participants (n = 20) made orientation judgments for triangles varying in numerosity and physical extent. In Experiment 2 participants (n = 20) made orientation judgments for triangles varying in numerosity and for a triangle preceded by a delay of varying duration. SNARC effects were observed for the numerosity conditions of Experiment 1 and 2 replicating Mitchell et al., (2012). SQARC effects were also demonstrated for physical extent and for duration. These findings demonstrate that SQARC effects can be implicitly triggered by the presentation of the task-irrelevant magnitude
European Union enlargement, post-accession migration and imaginative geographies of the âNew Europeâ: media discourses in Romania and the United Kingdom.
This paper is concerned with re-imaginings of âEuropeâ following the accession to the European Union (EU) of former âEastern Europeanâ countries. In particular it explores media representations of post-EU accession migration from Romania to the United Kingdom in the UK and Romanian newspaper press. Todorovaâs (1997) notion of Balkanism is deployed as a theoretical construct to facilitate the analysis of these representations as first, the continuation of long-standing and deeply embedded imaginings of the âEastâ of Europe and, second, as a means of contesting these discourses. The paper explores the way in which the UK press construct Balkanist discourses about Romania and Romanian migrants, and then analyses how the Romanian press has contested such discourses. The paper argues that the idea of the âEastâ remains important in constructing notions of âEuropeâ within popular media geographies
Skeletal muscle NOX4 is required for adaptive responses that prevent insulin resistance
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) generated during exercise are considered integral for the health-promoting effects of exercise. However, the precise mechanisms by which exercise and ROS promote metabolic health remain unclear. Here, we demonstrate that skeletal muscle NADPH oxidase 4 (NOX4), which is induced after exercise, facilitates ROS-mediated adaptive responses that promote muscle function, maintain redox balance, and prevent the development of insulin resistance. Conversely, reductions in skeletal muscle NOX4 in aging and obesity contribute to the development of insulin resistance. NOX4 deletion in skeletal muscle compromised exercise capacity and antioxidant defense and promoted oxidative stress and insulin resistance in aging and obesity. The abrogated adaptive mechanisms, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance could be corrected by deleting the H2O2-detoxifying enzyme GPX-1 or by treating mice with an agonist of NFE2L2, the master regulator of antioxidant defense. These findings causally link NOX4-derived ROS in skeletal muscle with adaptive responses that promote muscle function and insulin sensitivity
Early Social Cognition: Alternatives to Implicit Mindreading
According to the BD-model of mindreading, we primarily understand others in terms of beliefs and desires. In this article we review a number of objections against explicit versions of the BD-model, and discuss the prospects of using its implicit counterpart as an explanatory model of early emerging socio-cognitive abilities. Focusing on recent findings on so-called âimplicitâ false belief understanding, we put forward a number of considerations against the adoption of an implicit BD-model. Finally, we explore a different way to make sense of implicit false belief understanding in terms of keeping track of affordances
Strong interface-induced spin-orbit coupling in graphene on WS2
Interfacial interactions allow the electronic properties of graphene to be
modified, as recently demonstrated by the appearance of satellite Dirac cones
in the band structure of graphene on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) substrates.
Ongoing research strives to explore interfacial interactions in a broader class
of materials in order to engineer targeted electronic properties. Here we show
that at an interface with a tungsten disulfide (WS2) substrate, the strength of
the spin-orbit interaction (SOI) in graphene is very strongly enhanced. The
induced SOI leads to a pronounced low-temperature weak anti-localization (WAL)
effect, from which we determine the spin-relaxation time. We find that
spin-relaxation time in graphene is two-to-three orders of magnitude smaller on
WS2 than on SiO2 or hBN, and that it is comparable to the intervalley
scattering time. To interpret our findings we have performed first-principle
electronic structure calculations, which both confirm that carriers in
graphene-on-WS2 experience a strong SOI and allow us to extract a
spin-dependent low-energy effective Hamiltonian. Our analysis further shows
that the use of WS2 substrates opens a possible new route to access topological
states of matter in graphene-based systems.Comment: Originally submitted version in compliance with editorial guidelines.
Final version with expanded discussion of the relation between theory and
experiments to be published in Nature Communication
The prevalence of vertebral fracture amongst patients presenting with non-vertebral fractures
INTRODUCTION: Despite vertebral fracture being a significant risk factor for further fracture, vertebral fractures are often unrecognised. A study was therefore conducted to determine the proportion of patients presenting with a non-vertebral fracture who also have an unrecognised vertebral fracture. METHODS: Prospective study of patients presenting with a non-vertebral fracture in South Glasgow who underwent DXA evaluation with vertebral morphometry (MXA) from DV5/6 to LV4/5. Vertebral deformities (consistent with fracture) were identified by direct visualisation using the Genant semi-quantitative grading scale. RESULTS: Data were available for 337 patients presenting with low trauma non-vertebral fracture; 261 were female. Of all patients, 10.4% were aged 50â64 years, 53.2% were aged 65â74 years and 36.2% were aged 75 years or over. According to WHO definitions, 35.0% of patients had normal lumbar spine BMD (T-score â1 or above), 37.4% were osteopenic (T-score â1.1 to â2.4) and 27.6% osteoporotic (T-score â2.5 or lower). Humerus (n=103, 31%), radiusâulna (n=90, 27%) and hand/foot (n=53, 16%) were the most common fractures. For 72% of patients (n=241) the presenting fracture was the first low trauma fracture to come to clinical attention. The overall prevalence of vertebral deformity established by MXA was 25% (n=83); 45% (n=37) of patients with vertebral deformity had deformities of more than one vertebra. Of the patients with vertebral deformity and readable scans for grading, 72.5% (58/80) had deformities of grade 2 or 3. Patients presenting with hip fracture, or spine T-score â€â2.5, or low BMI, or with more than one prior non-vertebral fracture were all significantly more likely to have evidence of a prevalent vertebral deformity (p<0.05). However, 19.8% of patients with an osteopenic T-score had a vertebral deformity (48% of which were multiple), and 16.1% of patients with a normal T-score had a vertebral deformity (26.3% of which were multiple). Following non-vertebral fracture, some guidelines suggest that anti-resorptive therapy should be reserved for patients with DXA-proven osteoporosis. However, patients who have one or more prior vertebral fractures (prevalent at the time of their non-vertebral fracture) would also become candidates for anti-resorptive therapyâwhich would have not been the case had their vertebral fracture status not been known. Overall in this study, 8.9% of patients are likely to have had a change in management by virtue of their underlying vertebral deformity status. In other words, 11 patients who present with a non-vertebral fracture would need to undergo vertebral morphometry in order to identify one patient who ought to be managed differently. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the recommendation to perform vertebral morphometry in patients who are referred for DXA after experiencing a non-vertebral fracture. Treatment decisions will then better reflect any given patientâs future absolute fracture risk. The 'Number Needed to Screen' if vertebral morphometry is used in this way would be seven to identify one patient with vertebral deformity, and 14 to identify one patient with two or more vertebral deformities. Although carrying out MXA will increase radiation exposure for the patient, this increased exposure is significantly less than would be obtained if X-rays of the dorso-lumbar spine were obtained
Cold and Ultracold Rydberg Atoms in Strong Magnetic Fields
Cold Rydberg atoms exposed to strong magnetic fields possess unique
properties which open the pathway for an intriguing many-body dynamics taking
place in Rydberg gases consisting of either matter or anti-matter systems. We
review both the foundations and recent developments of the field in the cold
and ultracold regime where trapping and cooling of Rydberg atoms have become
possible. Exotic states of moving Rydberg atoms such as giant dipole states are
discussed in detail, including their formation mechanisms in a strongly
magnetized cold plasma. Inhomogeneous field configurations influence the
electronic structure of Rydberg atoms, and we describe the utility of
corresponding effects for achieving tightly trapped ultracold Rydberg atoms. We
review recent work on large, extended cold Rydberg gases in magnetic fields and
their formation in strongly magnetized ultracold plasmas through collisional
recombination. Implications of these results for current antihydrogen
production experiments are pointed out, and techniques for trapping and cooling
of such atoms are investigated.Comment: 46 pages, 38 figures, to appear in Physics Report
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First Direct Observation of Muon Antineutrino Disappearance
This Letter reports the first direct observation of muon antineutrino disappearance. The MINOS experiment has taken data with an accelerator beam optimized for ÎœÌ
_ÎŒ production, accumulating an exposure of 1.71Ă10^(20) protons on target. In the Far Detector, 97 charged current ÎœÌ
_ÎŒ events are observed. The no-oscillation hypothesis predicts 156 events and is excluded at 6.3Ï. The best fit to oscillation yields |ÎmÌ
2|= [3.36=_(-0.40)^(+0.46)(stat)±0.06(syst)]x10^(-3)eV^2,sin^2(2ΞÌ
)=0.86 _(-0.12)^(+0.11)(stat)±0.01(syst). The MINOS ÎœÌ
_ÎŒ and ÎœÌ
_Ό measurements are consistent at the 2.0% confidence level, assuming identical underlying oscillation parameters
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Measurement of the underground atmospheric muon charge ratio using the MINOS Near Detector
The magnetized MINOS Near Detector, at a depth of 225 mwe, is used to measure the atmospheric muon charge ratio. The ratio of observed positive to negative atmospheric muon rates, using 301 days of data, is measured to be 1.266±0.001(stat)_(-0.014)^(+0.015)(syst). This measurement is consistent with previous results from other shallow underground detectors and is 0.108±0.019(stat+syst) lower than the measurement at the functionally identical MINOS Far Detector at a depth of 2070 mwe. This increase in charge ratio as a function of depth is consistent with an increase in the fraction of muons arising from kaon decay for increasing muon surface energie
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