2,929 research outputs found
Peripersonal space: its functions, plasticity, and neural basis
Traditional conceptions of peripersonal space emphasised its role in the organisation of skilled action. However, two other aspects of this representation have also been highlighted, namely, its defensive and social aspects. Indeed, having a distinct representation of the space close to the body is crucial for preparing defensive responses to noxious or threatening stimuli. Furthermore, it has been shown that peripersonal space is modulated by social factors. In this chapter, we will discuss these differing conceptions of peripersonal space. Evidence from several lines of research has revealed specialised neural and perceptual mechanisms for representing the space around the body for the defense of the body surface, including ethological and neurophysiological studies in animals, psychophysical studies showing perceptual mechanisms specialised for threatening classes of stimuli, and modulation of perception by specific fears. We will review studies on the motor function of peripersonal space and its role in guiding voluntary object-oriented actions. Recent studies have investigated the neural basis of the social aspect of peripersonal space both in monkey and humans. Finally, we will end by discussing the connection between action-based, defensive and social functions of peripersonal space
Constraints on new physics from the quark mixing unitarity triangle
The status of the Unitarity Triangle beyond the Standard Model including the
most recent results on Delta m_s, on dilepton asymmetries and on width
differences is presented. Even allowing for general New Physics loop
contributions the Unitarity Triangle must be very close to the Standard Model
result. With the new measurements from the Tevatron, we obtain for the first
time a significant constraint on New Physics in the B_s sector. We present the
allowed ranges of New Physics contributions to Delta F=2 processes, and of the
time-dependent CP asymmetry in B_s to J/Psi phi decays.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. v2: numerical error in Delta Gamma_s/Gamma_s
corrected. Plots and tables updated. v3: update after ICHEP06, final version
published in Phys Rev Letter
Update of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis
We present the status of the Unitarity Triangle Analysis (UTA), within the
Standard Model (SM) and beyond, with experimental and theoretical inputs
updated for the ICHEP 2010 conference. Within the SM, we find that the general
consistency among all the constraints leaves space only to some tension
(between the UTA prediction and the experimental measurement) in BR(B -> tau
nu), sin(2 beta) and epsilon_K. In the UTA beyond the SM, we allow for New
Physics (NP) effects in (Delta F)=2 processes. The hint of NP at the 2.9 sigma
level in the B_s-\bar B_s mixing turns out to be confirmed by the present
update, which includes the new D0 result on the dimuon charge asymmetry but not
the new CDF measurement of phi_s, being the likelihood not yet released.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, Proceedings of the 35th International Conference
of High Energy Physics - ICHEP2010 (July 22-28, 2010, Paris
Improved Determination of the CKM Angle alpha from B to pi pi decays
Motivated by a recent paper that compares the results of the analysis of the
CKM angle alpha in the frequentist and in the Bayesian approaches, we have
reconsidered the information on the hadronic amplitudes, which helps
constraining the value of alpha in the Standard Model. We find that the
Bayesian method gives consistent results irrespective of the parametrisation of
the hadronic amplitudes and that the results of the frequentist and Bayesian
approaches are equivalent when comparing meaningful probability ranges or
confidence levels. We also find that from B to pi pi decays alone the 95%
probability region for alpha is the interval [80^o,170^o], well consistent with
recent analyses of the unitarity triangle where, by using all the available
experimental and theoretical information, one gets alpha = (93 +- 4)^o. Last
but not least, by using simple arguments on the hadronic matrix elements, we
show that the unphysical region alpha ~ 0, present in several experimental
analyses, can be eliminated.Comment: 16 pages, 7 figure
Recycling of multilayer packaging waste with switchable anionic surfactants
Switchable Anionic Surfactants (SAS) were used for delaminating flexible packaging waste composed of various plastic layers and aluminium, thereby promoting the recycling of such waste streams from a circular economy perspective. The delamination protocol was optimized on de-pulped food and beverage cartons containing low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and aluminium, varying the carboxylic acid and its counterion constituting the SAS (C8[sbnd]C18 carboxylic acids as the anionic part; inorganic bases and primary, secondary and tertiary amines as the cationic one) their molar ratio (carboxylic acid: base molar ratio from 1:1 to 1:3), SAS concentration (0.15, 0.3 and 0.5 wt%), time (0.5â3 h) and material weight in input (1â10 wt%). High-quality LDPE and aluminium were separated and recovered by using a diluted solution of a surfactant based on lauric acid and triethanolamine (C12-TEA), with performances not achievable with other anionic or cationic surfactants available on the market. The C12-TEA solution was then applied to a large variety of multilayer waste materials composed of polypropylene and aluminium, polyolefins/polyethylene terephthalate/aluminium, giving a material separation dependant on the structure and composition of the material in input. At the end of the process, lauric acid was recovered from the aqueous solution used for washing the separated materials by tuning its water solubility with CO2
My social comfort zone: Attachment anxiety shapes peripersonal and interpersonal space
Following positive social exchanges, the neural representation of interactive space around the body (peripersonal space; PPS) expands, while we also feel consciously more comfortable being closer to others (interpersonal distance; ID). However, it is unclear how relational traits, such as attachment styles, interact with the social malleability of our PPS and ID. A first, exploratory study (N=48) using a visuo-tactile, augmented reality task, found that PPS depended on the combined effects of social context and attachment anxiety. A follow-up preregistered study (N=68), showed that those with high attachment anxiety show a sharper differentiation between peripersonal and extrapersonal space, even in a non-social context. A final, preregistered, large-scale survey (N=19,417), found that people scoring high in attachment anxiety prefer closer ID and differentiate their ID less based on feelings of social closeness. We conclude that attachment anxiety reduces the social malleability of both peripersonal and interpersonal space
Simulation of energy recovery on water utility networks by a micro-turbine with counter-rotating runners
Wherever relief valves and other energy dissipation devices are installed to limit the pressure, water utility networks provide unexploited hydropower potentials. This is mainly due to a lack of economically viable technologies for energy recovery in the pico and micro hydropower range below 100 kW. Micro-turbine with counter-rotating runners proved suitable to harvest these potentials with limited investments and almost no environmental impact. An appropriate command strategy must therefore be applied to maximize the recovered energy. This paper deals with the construction of a Virtual Energy Recovery Station (VERS) model to simulate the energy recovery on a given installation site. It includes models of the turbine, of the water consumption and it allows to implement various command strategies. The VERS can serve various purposes. The fine-tuning of the command algorithm for a specific installation site is demonstrated in the paper
The UTfit Collaboration Report on the Status of the Unitarity Triangle beyond the Standard Model I. Model-independent Analysis and Minimal Flavour Violation
Starting from a (new physics independent) tree level determination of rhobar
and etabar, we perform the Unitarity Triangle analysis in general extensions of
the Standard Model with arbitrary new physics contributions to loop-mediated
processes. Using a simple parameterization, we determine the allowed ranges of
non-standard contributions to |Delta F|=2 processes. Remarkably, the recent
measurements from B factories allow us to determine with good precision the
shape of the Unitarity Triangle even in the presence of new physics, and to
derive stringent constraints on non-standard contributions to |Delta F|=2
processes. Since the present experimental constraints favour models with
Minimal Flavour Violation, we present the determination of the Universal
Unitarity Triangle that can be defined in this class of extensions of the
Standard Model. Finally, we perform a combined fit of the Unitarity Triangle
and of new physics contributions in Minimal Flavour Violation, reaching a
sensitivity to a new physics scale of about 5 TeV. We also extrapolate all
these analyses into a "year 2010" scenario for experimental and theoretical
inputs in the flavour sector. All the results presented in this paper are also
available at the URL http://www.utfit.org, where they are continuously updated.Comment: 29 pages, 56 figure
The UTfit Collaboration Average of D meson mixing data: Spring 2012
We derive constraints on the parameters , and
that describe meson mixing using all available data, allowing
for CP violation. We also provide posterior distributions and predictions for
observable parameters appearing in physics.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure
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