Relation between brain architecture and mathematical ability in children: A DBM study

Population-based studies indicate that between 5 and 9 percent of US children exhibit significant deficits in mathematical reasoning, yet little is understood about the brain morphological features related to mathematical performances. In this work, deformation-based morphometry (DBM) analyses have been performed on magnetic resonance images of the brains of 79 third graders to investigate whether there is a correlation between brain morphological features and mathematical proficiency. Group comparison was also performed between Math Difficulties (MD-worst math performers) and Normal Controls (NC), where each subgroup consists of 20 age and gender matched subjects. DBM analysis is based on the analysis of the deformation fields generated by non-rigid registration algorithms, which warp the individual volumes to a common space. To evaluate the effect of registration algorithms on DBM results, five nonrigid registration algorithms have been used: (1) the Adaptive Bases Algorithm (ABA); (2) the Image Registration Toolkit (IRTK); (3) the FSL Nonlinear Image Registration Tool; (4) the Automatic Registration Tool (ART); and (5) the normalization algorithm available in SPM8. The deformation field magnitude (DFM) was used to measure the displacement at each voxel, and the Jacobian determinant (JAC) was used to quantify local volumetric changes. Results show there are no statistically significant volumetric differences between the NC and the MD groups using JAC. However, DBM analysis using DFM found statistically significant anatomical variations between the two groups around the left occipital-temporal cortex, left orbital-frontal cortex, and right insular cortex. Regions of agreement between at least two algorithms based on voxel-wise analysis were used to define Regions of Interest (ROIs) to perform an ROI-based correlation analysis on all 79 volumes. Correlations between average DFM values and standard mathematical scores over these regions were found to be significant. We also found that the choice of registration algorithm has an impact on DBM-based results, so we recommend using more than one algorithm when conducting DBM studies. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that uses DBM to investigate brain anatomical features related to mathematical performance in a relatively large population of children.     

Free energy of (PO4)2Pb3 around the transition point

The structures of α and β(PO₄)₂Pb₃ show that there is a condensation of an Au type soft mode at the ferroelastic transition point (180°C). Since only the C₁₁ elastic constant has a strong discontinuity at the transition point, the interaction term in the free energy is ΔW₃=2b?₁₁Q². The calculated discontinuities of the spontaneous deformations are in good accordance with the experimental results.     

Note on the use of correlations in speech timing

A large number of investigators use Pearson's product-moment correlation in analyzing the temporal organization of speech. Some of their papers present results obtained by correlation between overlapping intervals. The purpose of this letter is to show that a high correlation could be a "statistical artifact" in such a method. Second, it mathematically points out incorrect reasoning by Tuller and Kelso in their reply to such an argument [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 76, 1030-1036 (1984)].     

Ortho effects–I: Fragmentation mechanisms in some ortho-substituted nitroarenes

The mass spectra of o-nitrobenzoic acid, o-nitroanisole, o-nitrosobenzoic acid, o-nitrobenzamide, o-nitrobenzyl alcohol and o-nitrosobenzaldehyde have been studied. Fragmentation mechanisms are proposed for the above compounds; their elucidation was aided by isotopic labeling with D and O¹⁸. Two ‘ortho-effects’ are discussed; one involving H atom transfer between substituents and the other migration of an atom or group to a charge carrying vacant ortho position. The importance of nitro to nitrite conversion in molecular and fragment ions is discussed.     

High charge-carrier mobility in an amorphous hexaazatrinaphthylene derivative

An isomeric mixture of a tris(pentafluorobenzyl ester) derivative of hexaazatrinaphthylene forms stable amorphous films with an effective charge-carrier mobility of 0.02 cm2/Vs, while the pure 2,8,15-isomer exhibits widely differing morphologies and carrier mobilities (0.001-0.07 cm2/Vs), depending critically on the processing conditions.     

Argon and krypton adsorption on templated mesoporous silicas: molecular simulation and experiment

In this work we report molecular simulation results for argon and krypton adsorption on atomistic models of templated mesoporous silica materials. These models add atomistic levels of detail to mesoscale representations of these porous materials, which were originally generated from lattice Monte Carlo simulations mimicking the synthesis process of templated mesoporous silicas. We generate our atomistic pore models by carving out of a silica block a ‘mathematically-smooth’ representation of the pores from lattice MC simulations. Following that procedure, we obtain a model material with mean mesopore and micropore diameters of 5.4 nm and 1.1 nm, respectively (model A). Two additional model materials were considered: one with no microporosity, and with mesopores similar to those of model A (model B), and a regular cylindrical pore (model C). Simulation results for Ar and Kr adsorption on these model materials at 77 K and 87 K shows that model A provides the best agreement with experimental data; however, our results suggest that fine-tuning the microporosity and/or the surface chemistry (i.e., by decreasing the density of OH groups at the pore surface) of model A can lead to better agreement with experiments. The filling of the mesopores in model materials A and B proceeded via a classical capillary condensation mechanism, where the pores fill at slightly different pressures. This observation contrasts with what was observed in our previous study (Coasne, et al. in Langmuir 22:194–202, 2006), where we considered atomistic silica mesopores with an important degree of surface roughness at length scales below 10 Å, for which we observed a quasi-continuous mesopore filling involving intermediate phases with liquid-like “bridges” and gas-like regions. These results suggest that pore surface roughness, and other morphological features such as constrictions, play an important role in the mechanism of adsorption and filling of the mesopores.     

Theoretical study of the second-order nonlinear optical properties of [N]helicenes and [N]phenylenes

The second-order nonlinear optical properties of helicenes and phenylenes have been theoretically investigated at the time-dependent Hartree-Fock level using the Austin model 1 semiempirical Hamiltonian. Both the antisymmetric isotropic component of the first hyperpolarizability (beta) and its projection on the dipole moment (beta(parallel)) have been determined for increasingly large helical systems as well as for their analogs substituted by donor/acceptor pairs. It is found that (i) in nonsubstituted helicenes and phenylenes, beta increases monotonically with the size of the system and slightly depends on the nature of the helix; (ii) the corresponding beta(parallel) is mostly determined by the radial component of the first hyperpolarizability vector; (iii) in helicenes, beta(parallel) is positive and presents quasiperiodic oscillations with the helix; (iv) in phenylenes, beta(parallel) depends upon the size of the helix and it can be either positive or negative as a result of the differences in evolution with N of the radial components of the dipole moment and first hyperpolarizability. Substituting the helicenes and phenylenes by the prototypical NH2/NO2 donor/acceptor pair provides a diversity of effects on beta and beta(parallel) that encompasses decrease, increase, and change in sign.     

Mechanism of the S-->N isomerization and aquation of the thiocyanato pentaammine cobalt(III) ion

All of the stationary points on the potential energy surface of the S-->N isomerization and aquation of the Co(NH3)5SCN2+ ion have been investigated with ab initio quantum chemical methods. Also the corresponding anations of the Co(NH3)5OH2(3+) ion by the N and S ends of SCN- and the substitution of thiocyanate via the D mechanism have been studied. All calculations have been performed by taking into account hydration. The most favorable reaction of Co(NH3)5SCN2+ is the isomerization. It is concerted, follows the I or Id mechanism, depending on the applied criteria, and proceeds via a T-shaped transition state. The aquations of Co(NH3)5SCN2+ and Co-(NH3)5NCS2+ and the corresponding inverse reactions, the anations, all proceed via the Id mechanism. The activation energies, calculated for the isomerization and aquation, agree with experiment, and so does the difference of the activation energies for the anations by the two donors of SCN-. This energy difference reflects the disparate nucleophilicities of the N and S ends of SCN- and shows that bond making in the transition state is significant for the Id mechanism. Isomerization and aquation are two parallel reactions which proceed via two disparate transition states. The computed activation energy for the SCN- substitution via the D mechanism is the highest, and therefore, this pathway is unlikely to operate for the isomerization and aquation of Co(NH3)5SCN2+. The S-->N isomerization and the SCN- substitution via the D mechanism were furthermore computed for the free ions in the gas phase: the isomerization would require a higher activation energy and follow the Ia mechanism. The activation energy for the SCN- substitution via the D mechanism would be very high, because of the large electrostatic work which is required for the removal of an anion from a (formally) 3+ charged cation.     

Electrokinetic properties of noncharged lipid nanocapsules: influence of the dipolar distribution at the interface

Lipid nanocapsules (LNCs) containing poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were developed according to a phase inversion process without organic solvent. The distribution of PEG chains at the surface was determined due to electrokinetic properties, in order to correlate it with protein adsorption potentiality. In this aim, electrophoretic mobilities were measured as a function of ionic strength and pH, for particles differing by their size, dialysis effects, and the presence or not of lecithin in their shell. The study allowed the determination of the isoelectric point (pI) as well as the charge density (ZN) in relation with the dipolar distribution in the polyelectrolyte accessible layer (depth = 1/lambda), by using soft-particle electrophoresis analysis. These parameters pointed out that the PEG surface organization was dependent on the particle size. Moreover, this organization could be modified by dialyzing particles and/or by formulating them with or without lecithin. Lecithin was found to be present in the inner part of the polyelectrolyte layer and to play a role in the outer part disorganization. Dialyzing LNCs formulated with lecithin allowed to obtain stable and well-structured nanocapsules, ready to an in vivo use as drug delivery system.