Combining web-based attentional bias modification and approach bias modification as a self-help smoking intervention for adult smokers seeking online help: Double-blind randomized controlled trial

Background: Automatically activated cognitive motivational processes such as the tendency to attend to or approach smoking-related stimuli (ie, attentional and approach bias) have been related to smoking behaviors. Therefore, these cognitive biases are thought to play a role in maintaining smoking behaviors. Cognitive biases can be modified with cognitive bias modification (CBM), which holds promise as an easy-access and low-cost online intervention. However, little is known about the effectiveness of online interventions combining two varieties of CBM. Targeting multiple cognitive biases may improve treatment outcomes because these biases have been shown to be relatively independent. Objective: This study aimed to test the individual and combined effects of two web-based CBM varieties-attentional bias modification (AtBM) and approach bias modification (ApBM)-in a double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a 2 (AtBM: Active versus sham) × 2 (ApBM: Active versus sham) factorial design. Methods: A total of 504 adult smokers seeking online help to quit smoking were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 experimental conditions to receive 11 fully automated CBM training sessions. To increase participants' intrinsic motivation to change their smoking behaviors, all participants first received brief, automated, tailored feedback. The primary outcome was point prevalence abstinence during the study period. Secondary outcomes included daily cigarette use and attentional and approach bias. All outcomes were repeatedly self-assessed online from baseline to the 3-month follow-up. For the examination of training effects on outcome changes, an intention-to-treat analysis with a multilevel modeling (MLM) approach was adopted. Results: Only 10.7% (54/504) of the participants completed all 11 training sessions, and 8.3% (42/504) of the participants reached the 3-month follow-up assessment. MLM showed that over time, neither AtBM or ApBM nor a combination of both differed from their respective sham training in point prevalence abstinence rates (P=.17, P=.56, and P=.14, respectively), and in changes in daily cigarette use (P=.26, P=.08, and P=.13, respectively), attentional bias (P=.07, P=.81, and P=.15, respectively), and approach bias (P=.57, P=.22, and P=.40, respectively), while daily cigarette use decreased over time across conditions for all participants (P<.001). Conclusions: This RCT pro

Tidal Dwarf Galaxies at Intermediate Redshifts

We present the first attempt at measuring the production rate of tidal dwarf galaxies (TDGs) and estimating their contribution to the overall dwarf population. Using HST/ACS deep imaging data from GOODS and GEMS surveys in conjunction with photometric redshifts from COMBO-17 survey, we performed a morphological analysis for a sample of merging/interacting galaxies in the Extended Chandra Deep Field South and identified tidal dwarf candidates in the rest-frame optical bands. We estimated a production rate about 1.4 {\times} 10^{-5} per Gyr per comoving volume for long-lived TDGs with stellar mass 3 {\times} 10^{8-9} solar mass at 0.5<z<1.1. Together with galaxy merger rates and TDG survival rate from the literature, our results suggest that only a marginal fraction (less than 10%) of dwarf galaxies in the local universe could be tidally-originated. TDGs in our sample are on average bluer than their host galaxies in the optical. Stellar population modelling of optical to near-infrared spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for two TDGs favors a burst component with age 400/200 Myr and stellar mass 40%/26% of the total, indicating that a young stellar population newly formed in TDGs. This is consistent with the episodic star formation histories found for nearby TDGs.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc

Role of Inter-Electron Interaction in the Pseudo-Gap Opening in High T c_c Tunneling Experiments

The analysis of tunneling experiments showing the pseudogap type behavior is carried out based on the idea of the renormalization of density of states due to the inter-electron interaction in the Cooper channel (superconducting fluctuations contribution in tunneling current). It is demonstrated that the observed kink of the zero-bias conductance $G(0,T)$ of $YBaCuO/Pb$ junctions in the vicinity of $T_c$ can be explained in terms of fluctuation theory in a quite wide range of temperature above $T_c$, using the values of microscopic parameters of the $YBaCuO$ electron spectrum taken from independent experiments. The approach proposed also permits to explain qualitatively the shape of the tunneling anomalies in $G(V,T)$ and gives a correct estimate for the pseudogap position and amplitude observed in the experiments on $BiSrCaCuO$ junctions.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Improving trading saystems using the RSI financial indicator and neural networks.

Proceedings of: 11th International Workshop on Knowledge Management and Acquisition for Smart Systems and Services (PKAW 2010), 20 August-3 September 2010, Daegu (Korea)Trading and Stock Behavioral Analysis Systems require efficient Artificial Intelligence techniques for analyzing Large Financial Datasets (LFD) and have become in the current economic landscape a significant challenge for multi-disciplinary research. Particularly, Trading-oriented Decision Support Systems based on the Chartist or Technical Analysis Relative Strength Indicator (RSI) have been published and used worldwide. However, its combination with Neural Networks as a branch of computational intelligence which can outperform previous results remain a relevant approach which has not deserved enough attention. In this paper, we present the Chartist Analysis Platform for Trading (CAST, in short) platform, a proof-of-concept architecture and implementation of a Trading Decision Support System based on the RSI and Feed-Forward Neural Networks (FFNN). CAST provides a set of relatively more accurate financial decisions yielded by the combination of Artificial Intelligence techniques to the RSI calculation and a more precise and improved upshot obtained from feed-forward algorithms application to stock value datasets.This work is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Commerce under the EUREKA project SITIO (TSI-020400-2009-148), SONAR2 (TSI-020100-2008-665 and GO2 (TSI-020400-2009-127). Furthermore, this work is supported by the General Council of Superior Technological Education of Mexico (DGEST). Additionally, this work is sponsored by the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) and the Public Education Secretary (SEP) through PROMEP.Publicad

Challenges and Gaps in Clinical Trial Genomic Data Management

To address gaps in clinical trial data management, Alliance Standardized Translational Omics Resource (A-STOR) comprises single shared living repository for multiomics data and associated clinical data to facilitate rapid omics analyses and meta-analyses within and across studies

Turbulence induced additional deceleration in relativistic shock wave propagation: implications for gamma-ray burst

The late afterglow of gamma-ray burst is believed to be due to progressive deceleration of the forward shock wave driven by the gamma-ray burst ejecta propagating in the interstellar medium. We study the dynamic effect of interstellar turbulence on shock wave propagation. It is shown that the shock wave decelerates more quickly than previously assumed without the turbulence. As an observational consequence, an earlier jet break will appear in the light curve of the forward shock wave. The scatter of the jet-corrected energy release for gamma-ray burst, inferred from the jet-break, may be partly due to the physical uncertainties in the turbulence/shock wave interaction. This uncertainties also exist in two shell collisions in the well-known internal shock model proposed for gamma-ray burst prompt emission. The large scatters of known luminosity relations of gamma-ray burst may be intrinsic and thus gamma-ray burst is not a good standard candle. We also discuss the other implications.Comment: accepted for publication in Astrophysics and Space Scienc

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter