1,979 research outputs found
A paradox of syntactic priming: why response tendencies show priming for passives, and response latencies show priming for actives
Speakers tend to repeat syntactic structures across sentences, a phenomenon called syntactic priming. Although it has been suggested that repeating syntactic structures should result in speeded responses, previous research has focused on effects in response tendencies. We investigated syntactic priming effects simultaneously in response tendencies and response latencies for active and passive transitive sentences in a picture description task. In Experiment 1, there were priming effects in response tendencies for passives and in response latencies for actives. However, when participants' pre-existing preference for actives was altered in Experiment 2, syntactic priming occurred for both actives and passives in response tendencies as well as in response latencies. This is the first investigation of the effects of structure frequency on both response tendencies and latencies in syntactic priming. We discuss the implications of these data for current theories of syntactic processing
Conformal symmetry in non-local field theories
We have shown that a particular class of non-local free field theory has
conformal symmetry in arbitrary dimensions. Using the local field theory
counterpart of this class, we have found the Noether currents and Ward
identities of the translation, rotation and scale symmetries. The operator
product expansion of the energy-momentum tensor with quasi-primary fields is
also investigated.Comment: 15 pages, V2 (Some references added) V3(published version
Bounds for State Degeneracies in 2D Conformal Field Theory
In this note we explore the application of modular invariance in
2-dimensional CFT to derive universal bounds for quantities describing certain
state degeneracies, such as the thermodynamic entropy, or the number of
marginal operators. We show that the entropy at inverse temperature 2 pi
satisfies a universal lower bound, and we enumerate the principal obstacles to
deriving upper bounds on entropies or quantum mechanical degeneracies for fully
general CFTs. We then restrict our attention to infrared stable CFT with
moderately low central charge, in addition to the usual assumptions of modular
invariance, unitarity and discrete operator spectrum. For CFT in the range
c_left + c_right < 48 with no relevant operators, we are able to prove an upper
bound on the thermodynamic entropy at inverse temperature 2 pi. Under the same
conditions we also prove that a CFT can have a number of marginal deformations
no greater than ((c_left + c_right) / (48 - c_left - c_right)) e^(4 Pi) - 2.Comment: 23 pages, LaTeX, minor change
Overcoming cross-cultural group work tensions: mixed student perspectives on the role of social relationships
As universities worldwide rapidly internationalise, higher education classrooms have become unique spaces for collaboration between students from different countries. One common way to encourage collaboration between diverse peers is through group work. However, previous research has highlighted that cross-cultural group work can be challenging and has hinted at potential social tensions. To understand this notion better, we have used robust quantitative tools in this study to select 20 participants from a larger classroom of 860 students to take part in an in-depth qualitative interview about cross-cultural group work experiences. Participant views on social tensions in cross-cultural group work were elicited using a unique mediating artefact method to encourage reflection and in-depth discussion. In our analysis of emergent interview themes, we compared student perspectives on the role of social relationships in group work by their academic performance level. Our findings indicated that all students interviewed desired the opportunity to form social relationships with their group work members, but their motivations for doing so varied widely by academic performance level
Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Ultrafine Quaternary Al-Cu-Si-Mg Eutectic Alloy
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. The microstructure evolution and mechanical properties of quaternary Al-Cu-Si-Mg eutectic alloy prepared via arc melting and suction casting were studied. This alloy exhibits a single endothermic DSC peak with a melting temperature of 509 °C upon heating, suggesting a eutectic reaction. The cast alloy microstructure consisted of four phases, α-Al, Al2Cu (θ
), Si and Al4Cu2Mg8Si7 (Q), in the eutectic cells and also in the nano-scale anomalous eutectic in the intercellular regions. The eutectic cells show different morphologies in different parts of the sample. Well-defined orientation relationships between the α-Al, Al2Cu, and Q phases were found in the eutectic cell centres, while decoupled growth of Q phase occurred at the cell boundaries. The bimodal microstructure exhibits excellent compressive mechanical properties, including a yield strength of 835 ± 35 MPa, a fracture strength of ~1 GPa and a compressive fracture strain of 4.7 ± 1.1%. The high strength is attributed to a combination of a refined eutectic structure and strengthening from multiple hard phases.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) for the financial support on Future Liquid Metal Engineering (LiME) Hub (EP/N007638/1)
Newly uncovered physics of MHD instabilities using 2-D electron cyclotron emission imaging system in toroidal plasmas
Validation of physics models using the newly uncovered physics with a 2-D electron cyclotron emission imaging (ECEi) system for magnetic fusion plasmas has either enhanced the confidence or substantially improved the modeling capability. The discarded "full reconnection model" in sawtooth instability is vindicated and established that symmetry and magnetic shear of the 1/1 kink mode are critical parameters in sawtooth instability. For the 2/1 instability, it is demonstrated that the 2-D data can determine critical physics parameters with a high confidence and the measured anisotropic distribution of the turbulence and its flow in presence of the 2/1 island is validated by the modelled potential and gyro-kinetic calculation. The validation process of the measured reversed-shear Alfveneigenmode (RSAE) structures has improved deficiencies of prior models. The 2-D images of internal structure of the ELMs and turbulence induced by the resonant magnetic perturbation (RMP) have provided an opportunity to establish firm physics basis of the ELM instability and role of RMPs. The importance of symmetry in determining the reconnection time scale and role of magnetic shear of the 1/1 kink mode in sawtooth instability may be relevant to the underlying physics of the violent kink instability of the filament ropes in a solar flare
Optimization of Naked DNA Delivery for Interferon Subtype Immunotherapy in Cytomegalovirus Infection
Type I interferon (IFN) gene therapy modulates the immune response leading to inflammatory heart disease following cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection in a murine model of post-viral myocarditis. Efficacy of different immunisation protocols for the IFN constructs was influenced by the dose of DNA, subtype choice, combination use, pre-medication, and timing of DNA administration. Optimal efficacy was found with bupivacaine treatment prior to DNA inoculation of 200mg IFN DNA 14 days prior to virus challenge. Maximal antiviral and antimyocarditic effects were achieved with this vaccination schedule. Furthermore, inoculation of synergistic IFN subtypes demonstrated enhanced efficacy when delivered either alone or with CMV gB DNA vaccination in the CMV model. Thus naked DNA delivery of IFN provides an avenue of immunotherapy for regulating herpesvirus-induced diseases
Quantum Point Contacts and Coherent Electron Focusing
I. Introduction
II. Electrons at the Fermi level
III. Conductance quantization of a quantum point contact
IV. Optical analogue of the conductance quantization
V. Classical electron focusing
VI. Electron focusing as a transmission problem
VII. Coherent electron focusing (Experiment, Skipping orbits and magnetic
edge states, Mode-interference and coherent electron focusing)
VIII. Other mode-interference phenomenaComment: #3 of a series of 4 legacy reviews on QPC'
A Comprehensive Analysis of Electric Dipole Moment Constraints on CP-violating Phases in the MSSM
We analyze the constraints placed on individual, flavor diagonal CP-violating
phases in the minimal supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model (MSSM) by
current experimental bounds on the electric dipole moments (EDMs) of the
neutron, Thallium, and Mercury atoms. We identify the four CP-violating phases
that are individually highly constrained by current EDM bounds, and we explore
how these phases and correlations among them are constrained by current EDM
limits. We also analyze the prospective implications of the next generation of
EDM experiments. We point out that all other CP-violating phases in the MSSM
are not nearly as tightly constrained by limits on the size of EDMs. We
emphasize that a rich set of phenomenological consequences is potentially
associated with these generically large EDM-allowed phases, ranging from B
physics, electroweak baryogenesis, and signals of CP-violation at the CERN
Large Hadron Collider and at future linear colliders. Our numerical study takes
into account the complete set of contributions from one- and two-loop EDMs of
the electron and quarks, one- and two-loop Chromo-EDMs of quarks, the Weinberg
3-gluon operator, and dominant 4-fermion CP-odd operator contributions,
including contributions which are both included and not included yet in the
CPsuperH2.0 package. We also introduce an open-source numerical package, 2LEDM,
which provides the complete set of two-loop electroweak diagrams contributing
to the electric dipole moments of leptons and quarks.Comment: 23 pages, 11 figures; v2: references added, minor change
Impact of socioeconomic deprivation on rate and cause of death in severe mental illness
Background:
Socioeconomic status has important associations with disease-specific mortality in the general population. Although individuals with Severe Mental Illnesses (SMI) experience significant premature mortality, the relationship between socioeconomic status and mortality in this group remains under investigated.<p></p>
Aims:
To assess the impact of socioeconomic status on rate and cause of death in individuals with SMI (schizophrenia and bipolar disorder) relative to the local (Glasgow) and wider (Scottish) populations.<p></p>
Methods:
Cause and age of death during 2006-2010 inclusive for individuals with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder registered on the Glasgow Psychosis Clinical Information System (PsyCIS) were obtained by linkage to the Scottish General Register Office (GRO). Rate and cause of death by socioeconomic status, measured by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD), were compared to the Glasgow and Scottish populations.<p></p>
Results:
Death rates were higher in people with SMI across all socioeconomic quintiles compared to the Glasgow and Scottish populations, and persisted when suicide was excluded. Differences were largest in the most deprived quintile (794.6 per 10,000 population vs. 274.7 and 252.4 for Glasgow and Scotland respectively). Cause of death varied by socioeconomic status. For those living in the most deprived quintile, higher drug-related deaths occurred in those with SMI compared to local Glasgow and wider Scottish population rates (12.3% vs. 5.9%, p = <0.001 and 5.1% p = 0.002 respectively). A lower proportion of deaths due to cancer in those with SMI living in the most deprived quintile were also observed, relative to the local Glasgow and wider Scottish populations (12.3% vs. 25.1% p = 0.013 and 26.3% p = <0.001). The proportion of suicides was significantly higher in those with SMI living in the more affluent quintiles relative to Glasgow and Scotland (54.6% vs. 5.8%, p = <0.001 and 5.5%, p = <0.001).
Discussion and conclusions:
Excess mortality in those with SMI occurred across all socioeconomic quintiles compared to the Glasgow and Scottish populations but was most marked in the most deprived quintiles when suicide was excluded as a cause of death. Further work assessing the impact of socioeconomic status on specific causes of premature mortality in SMI is needed
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