Arithmetic mismatch negativity and numerical magnitude processing in number matching

Background

After a prolonged exposure to a paired presentation of different types of signals (e.g., color and motion), one of the signals (color) becomes a driver for the other signal (motion). This phenomenon, which is known as contingent motion aftereffect, indicates that the brain can establish new neural representations even in the adult's brain. However, contingent motion aftereffect has been reported only in visual or auditory domain. Here, we demonstrate that a visual motion aftereffect can be contingent on a specific sound.

Results

Dynamic random dots moving in an alternating right or left direction were presented to the participants. Each direction of motion was accompanied by an auditory tone of a unique and specific frequency. After a 3-minutes exposure, the tones began to exert marked influence on the visual motion perception, and the percentage of dots required to trigger motion perception systematically changed depending on the tones. Furthermore, this effect lasted for at least 2 days.

Conclusions

These results indicate that a new neural representation can be rapidly established between auditory and visual modalities.     

A design study on the CSNS LEBT pre-chopper

The China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS) front end incorporates a pre-chopper in the Low Energy Beam Transport line (LEBT) that will remove a 530 ns section of beam at approximately 1 MHz rate, which is the RF frequency of the ring at injection. It’s one of the most critical devices for properly controlling the injecting beam loss. Physical designing of the pre-chopper is carried out, and the RFQ itself is used as the beam dump of the chopper system. In order to examine the reliability of the pre-chopper design, the beam study of a similar chopper system is successfully performed. The results of physical design and experiments are presented.

     

Co Single-Atom Catalysts Boost Chemiluminescence

Co single-atom catalysts (SACs) with good aqueous solubility and abundant labelling functional groups were prepared in Co/Fe bimetallic metal-organic frameworks by a facile solvothermal method without high-temperature calcination. In contrast to traditional chemiluminescence (CL) catalysts, Co SACs accelerated decomposition of H₂O₂ to produce a large amount of singlet oxygen (¹O₂) rather than superoxide (O₂^.−) and hydroxyl radical (OH^.). They were found to dramatically enhance the CL emission of the luminol-H₂O₂ reaction by 1349 times, and, therefore, were employed as very sensitive signal probes for conducting CL immunoassay of cardiac troponin I. The detection limit of the target analyte was as low as 3.3 pg mL⁻¹. It is the first time that employment of SACs for boosting CL reactions has been validated. The Co SACs can also be employed to trace other biorecognition events with high sensitivity.     

分数阶广义扰动热波方程

研究了一类分数阶广义非线性扰动热波方程.首先用奇异慑动方法,求出了分数阶广义非线性扰动热波方程初始边值问题的任意次近似解析解.然后利用泛函分析不动点定理证明了它的一致有效性,最后简述了它的物理意义.求得的近似解析解,弥补了单纯用数值方法求模拟解的不足.     

A high-order compact scheme for solving the 2D steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in general curvilinear coordinates

In this paper, a high-order compact finite difference algorithm is established for the stream function-velocity formulation of the two-dimensional steady incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in general curvilinear coordinates. Different from the previous work, not only the stream function and its first-order partial derivatives but also the second-order mixed partial derivative is treated as unknown variable in this work. Numerical examples, including a test problem with an analytical solution, three types of lid-driven cavity flow problems with unusual shapes and steady flow past a circular cylinder as well as an elliptic cylinder with angle of attack, are solved numerically by the newly proposed scheme. For two types of the lid-driven trapezoidal cavity flow, we provide the detailed data using the fine grid sizes, which can be considered the benchmark solutions. The results obtained prove that the present numerical method has the ability to solve the incompressible flow for complex geometry in engineering applications, especially by using a nonorthogonal coordinate transformation, with high accuracy.     

Facile Synthesis of Peapod-Like Cu3Ge/Ge@C as a High-Capacity and Long-Life Anode for Li-Ion Batteries

As anode materials for high-performance Li-ion batteries, peapod-like Ge-based composites, including Ge, a Li-inactive conducting Cu₃Ge, and a porous carbon matrix are synthesized simply by annealing CuGeO₃@dopamine in a H₂/Ar atmosphere. The introduction of the carbon layer and inactive alloying phase Cu₃Ge not only enhances the electrical conductivity of the Ge anode, but also reduces the volume change of Ge during the cell cycle as a buffer. In particular, the anode of this peapod-like Cu₃Ge/Ge@C shows an excellent long cycle life as well as outstanding capacity performance, with a discharge specific capacity up to 934 mA h g⁻¹ after 500 cycles.     

Breaking the Passivation: Sodium Borohydride Synthesis by Reacting Hydrated Borax with Aluminum

A significant obstacle in the large-scale applications of sodium borohydride (NaBH₄) for hydrogen storage is its high cost. Herein, we report a new method to synthesize NaBH₄ by ball milling hydrated sodium tetraborate (Na₂B₄O₇ ⋅ 10H₂O) with low-cost Al or Al₈₈Si₁₂, instead of Na, Mg or Ca. An effective strategy is developed to facilitate mass transfer during the reaction by introducing NaH to enable the formation of NaAlO₂ instead of dense Al₂O₃ on Al surface, and by using Si as a milling additive to prevent agglomeration and also break up passivation layers. Another advantage of this process is that hydrogen in Na₂B₄O₇ ⋅ 10H₂O serves as a hydrogen source for NaBH₄ generation. Considering the low cost of the starting materials and simplicity in operation, our studies demonstrate the potential of producing NaBH₄ in a more economical way than the commercial process.     

Rapid determination of isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status of human gliomas by extraction nanoelectrospray using a miniature mass spectrometer

Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry - Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) I and II mutations in gliomas cause an abnormal accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) in these tumor cells. These...