Narrow band quantitative and multivariate electroencephalogram analysis of peri-adolescent period

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The peri-adolescent period is a crucial developmental moment of transition from childhood to emergent adulthood. The present report analyses the differences in Power Spectrum (PS) of the Electroencephalogram (EEG) between late childhood (24 children between 8 and 13 years old) and young adulthood (24 young adults between 18 and 23 years old). RESULTS: The narrow band analysis of the Electroencephalogram was computed in the frequency range of 0--20 Hz. The analysis of mean and variance suggested that six frequency ranges presented a different rate of maturation at these ages, namely: low delta, delta-theta, low alpha, high alpha, low beta and high beta. For most of these bands the maturation seems to occur later in anterior sites than posterior sites. Correlational analysis showed a lower pattern of correlation between different frequencies in children than in young adults, suggesting a certain asynchrony in the maturation of different rhythms. The topographical analysis revealed similar topographies of the different rhythms in children and young adults. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) demonstrated the same internal structure for the Electroencephalogram of both age groups. Principal Component Analysis allowed to separate four subcomponents in the alpha range. All these subcomponents peaked at a lower frequency in children than in young adults. CONCLUSIONS: The present approaches complement and solve some of the incertitudes when the classical brain broad rhythm analysis is applied. Children have a higher absolute power than young adults for frequency ranges between 0-20 Hz, the correlation of Power Spectrum (PS) with age and the variance age comparison showed that there are six ranges of frequencies that can distinguish the level of EEG maturation in children and adults. The establishment of maturational order of different frequencies and its possible maturational interdependence would require a complete series including all the different ages.     

Integral equation formulation for buoyancy-driven convection problems

An integral equation formulation for buoyancy-driven convection problems is developed and illustrated. Buoyancy-driven convection in a bounded cylindrical geometry with a free surface is studied for a range of aspect ratios and Nusselt numbers. The critical Rayleigh number, the nature of the cellular motion, and the heat transfer enhancement are computed using linear theory. Green's functions are used to convert the linear problem into linear Fredholm integral equations. Theorems are proved which establish the properties of the eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the linear integral operator which appears in these equations.     

Material Discrimination in Nanoparticle Hetero-Aggregates by Analysis of Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Images

Hetero-contacts are interfaces between different materials at the nanoscale leading to novel functional properties. In hetero-aggregates, primary particles of at least two different materials are mixed at primary particle or cluster level. Double flame spray pyrolysis (DFSP) is a versatile technique for the controlled synthesis of such materials. Characterization of hetero-aggregates by scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) requires acquisition and evaluation of many aggregate images in order to derive statistically significant results. Usually, STEM energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS) is used to acquire elemental maps providing the material distribution of the primary particles within hetero-aggregates. However, the acquisition of a single EDXS map takes up to several minutes. For this reason, determination of material types of primary particles from the intensity in high-angle annular dark field STEM images alone is desirable. These images can be acquired within a couple of seconds. In the present work, a method is suggested which allows for achieving this objective. It can be applied to distinguish materials with a significant difference in their atomic number and hence sufficient material contrast in the STEM images.     

Effect of Pr-Ca substitution on the transport and magnetic behavior of LaMnO3 perovskite

The effect of simultaneous substitution of a fluctuating cation and a divalent cation in LaMnO₃ perovskite modifies the properties of the material to exhibit large valence colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) effect. A good example of these properties is (La_1−2x Pr _x Ca _x )MnO₃ (LPCMO) type CMR material. In this communication it is reported that, with the increase in x (for x=0.1, 0.15, 0.2), the T _c varies between 100 and 120 K with improvisation in metal-insulator transition. Interestingly, resistance increases with x from few hundred ohms to few kilo ohms with corresponding decrease in the unit cell volume. The results of the studies using X-ray diffraction (XRD), electrical resistivity, magnetoresistance and ac susceptibility measurements on LPCMO samples for understanding the structural, transport and magnetic properties are discussed in detail.     

A convenient preparation of xanthene dyes

A facile synthetic route utilizing readily available reagents affords a series of regioisomerically pure xanthene dye derivatives. Advantages include relatively mild conditions and good to excellent yields. Nonpolar, highly crystalline intermediates are isolable by standard chromatographic techniques. The intermediates are in the requisite xanthene oxidation state, thus avoiding the need for relatively inefficient oxidation chemistry and/or harsh conditions. During the course of this work, a new boron-mediated 1,2-aryl migration reaction was discovered.     

The effect of bulk motion on coagulation rates of colloidal dispersions

Following the work in 1917 of Smoluchowski, the theory of coagulation of micronsized particles progressed very little until quantitative estimates were possible for induced-dipole attraction and electrostatic double-layer repulsion. A second increase in our understanding of coagulation of colloids has been achieved through application of recent results in fluid mechanics concerning the viscous forces operative between two particles in relative motion.In this survey the essential features of recent theories and experiments of the behavior of spherical of hydrophobic colloids in aqueous suspensions are outlined. Departures from earlier theories are reviewed, and attempts to incorporate simultaneously the effects of bulk flow and of Brownian motion are described.