955 research outputs found
Velocity Selection for Propagating Fronts in Superconductors
Using the time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau equations we study the propagation
of planar fronts in superconductors, which would appear after a quench to zero
applied magnetic field. Our numerical solutions show that the fronts propagate
at a unique speed which is controlled by the amount of magnetic flux trapped in
the front. For small flux the speed can be determined from the linear marginal
stability hypothesis, while for large flux the speed may be calculated using
matched asymptotic expansions. At a special point the order parameter and
vector potential are dual, leading to an exact solution which is used as the
starting point for a perturbative analysis.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures; submitted to Phys. Rev. Letter
fMRI evidence of ‘mirror’ responses to geometric shapes
Mirror neurons may be a genetic adaptation for social interaction [1]. Alternatively, the associative hypothesis [2], [3] proposes that the development of mirror neurons is driven by sensorimotor learning, and that, given suitable experience, mirror neurons will respond to any stimulus. This hypothesis was tested using fMRI adaptation to index populations of cells with mirror properties. After sensorimotor training, where geometric shapes were paired with hand actions, BOLD response was measured while human participants experienced runs of events in which shape observation alternated with action execution or observation. Adaptation from shapes to action execution, and critically, observation, occurred in ventral premotor cortex (PMv) and inferior parietal lobule (IPL). Adaptation from shapes to execution indicates that neuronal populations responding to the shapes had motor properties, while adaptation to observation demonstrates that these populations had mirror properties. These results indicate that sensorimotor training induced populations of cells with mirror properties in PMv and IPL to respond to the observation of arbitrary shapes. They suggest that the mirror system has not been shaped by evolution to respond in a mirror fashion to biological actions; instead, its development is mediated by stimulus-general processes of learning within a system adapted for visuomotor control
Two-neutron transfer reaction mechanisms in C(He,He)C using a realistic three-body He model
The reaction mechanisms of the two-neutron transfer reaction
C(He,He) have been studied at 30 MeV at the TRIUMF ISAC-II
facility using the SHARC charged-particle detector array. Optical potential
parameters have been extracted from the analysis of the elastic scattering
angular distribution. The new potential has been applied to the study of the
transfer angular distribution to the 2 8.32 MeV state in C, using
a realistic 3-body He model and advanced shell model calculations for the
carbon structure, allowing to calculate the relative contributions of the
simultaneous and sequential two-neutron transfer. The reaction model provides a
good description of the 30 MeV data set and shows that the simultaneous process
is the dominant transfer mechanism. Sensitivity tests of optical potential
parameters show that the final results can be considerably affected by the
choice of optical potentials. A reanalysis of data measured previously at 18
MeV however, is not as well described by the same reaction model, suggesting
that one needs to include higher order effects in the reaction mechanism.Comment: 9 pages, 9 figure
Phase diagram of S=1/2 XXZ chain with NNN interaction
We study the ground state properties of one-dimensional XXZ model with
next-nearest neighbor coupling alpha and anisotropy Delta. We find the direct
transition between the ferromagnetic phase and the spontaneously dimerized
phase. This is surprising, because the ferromagnetic phase is classical,
whereas the dimer phase is a purely quantum and nonmagnetic phase. We also
discuss the effect of bond alternation which arises in realistic systems due to
lattice distortion. Our results mean that the direct transition between the
ferromagnetic and spin-Peierls phase occur.Comment: 4 pages, 2 eps figure
Origin of Irreversibility of Cell Cycle Start in Budding Yeast
In budding yeast, the commitment to entry into a new cell division cycle is made irreversible by positive feedback-driven expression of the G1 cyclins Cln1,2
Differential activation of the lateral premotor cortex during action observation
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Action observation leads to neural activation of the human premotor cortex. This study examined how the level of motor expertise (expert vs. novice) in ballroom dancing and the visual viewpoint (internal vs. external viewpoint) influence this activation within different parts of this area of the brain.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Sixteen dance experts and 16 novices observed ballroom dance videos from internal or external viewpoints while lying in a functional magnetic resonance imaging scanner. A conjunction analysis of all observation conditions showed that action observation activated distinct networks of premotor, parietal, and cerebellar structures. Experts revealed increased activation in the ventral premotor cortex compared to novices. An internal viewpoint led to higher activation of the dorsal premotor cortex.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The present results suggest that the ventral and dorsal premotor cortex adopt differential roles during action observation depending on the level of motor expertise and the viewpoint.</p
Cortical activation to action perception is associated with action production abilities in young infants
The extent to which perception and action share common neural processes is much debated in cognitive neuroscience. Taking a developmental approach to this issue allows us to assess whether perceptual processing develops in close association with the emergence of related action skills within the same individual. The current study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate the perception of human action in 4- to 6-month-old human infants. In addition, the infants' manual dexterity was assessed using the fine motor component of The Mullen Scales of Early Learning and an in-house developed Manual Dexterity task. Results show that the degree of cortical activation, within the posterior superior temporal sulcus—temporoparietal junction (pSTS-TPJ) region, to the perception of manual actions in individual infants correlates with their own level of fine motor skills. This association was not fully explained by either measures of global attention (i.e., looking time) or general developmental stage. This striking concordance between the emergence of motor skills and related perceptual processing within individuals is consistent with experience-related cortical specialization in the developing brain
Daughter-Specific Transcription Factors Regulate Cell Size Control in Budding Yeast
The asymmetric localization of cell fate determinants results in asymmetric cell cycle control in budding yeast
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory: Instrumentation and Online Systems
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic-kilometer-scale high-energy
neutrino detector built into the ice at the South Pole. Construction of
IceCube, the largest neutrino detector built to date, was completed in 2011 and
enabled the discovery of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. We describe here
the design, production, and calibration of the IceCube digital optical module
(DOM), the cable systems, computing hardware, and our methodology for drilling
and deployment. We also describe the online triggering and data filtering
systems that select candidate neutrino and cosmic ray events for analysis. Due
to a rigorous pre-deployment protocol, 98.4% of the DOMs in the deep ice are
operating and collecting data. IceCube routinely achieves a detector uptime of
99% by emphasizing software stability and monitoring. Detector operations have
been stable since construction was completed, and the detector is expected to
operate at least until the end of the next decade.Comment: 83 pages, 50 figures; updated with minor changes from journal review
and proofin
Urinary levels of N-nitroso compounds in relation to risk of gastric cancer: Findings from the Shanghai cohort study
Background: N-Nitroso compounds are thought to play a significant role in the development of gastric cancer. Epidemiological data, however, are sparse in examining the associations between biomarkers of exposure to N-nitroso compounds and the risk of gastric cancer. Methods: A nested case-control study within a prospective cohort of 18,244 middle-aged and older men in Shanghai, China, was conducted to examine the association between urinary level of N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Information on demographics, usual dietary intake, and use of alcohol and tobacco was collected through in-person interviews at enrollment. Urinary levels of nitrate, nitrite, N-nitroso-2-methylthiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (NMTCA), N-nitrosoproline (NPRO), N-nitrososarcosine (NSAR), N-nitrosothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (NTCA), as well as serum H. pylori antibodies were quantified in 191 gastric cancer cases and 569 individually matched controls. Logistic regression method was used to assess the association between urinary levels of N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Results: Compared with controls, gastric cancer patients had overall comparable levels of urinary nitrate, nitrite, and N-nitroso compounds. Among individuals seronegative for antibodies to H. pylori, elevated levels of urinary nitrate were associated with increased risk of gastric cancer. The multivariate-adjusted odds ratios for the second and third tertiles of nitrate were 3.27 (95% confidence interval = 0.76-14.04) and 4.82 (95% confidence interval = 1.05-22.17), respectively, compared with the lowest tertile (P for trend = 0.042). There was no statistically significant association between urinary levels of nitrite or N-nitroso compounds and risk of gastric cancer. Urinary NMTCA level was significantly associated with consumption of alcohol and preserved meat and fish food items. Conclusion: The present study demonstrates that exposure to nitrate, a precursor of N-nitroso compounds, may increase the risk of gastric cancer among individuals without a history of H. pylori infection
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