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Healthy adults show better memory for low-arousal positive versus negative stimuli, but depression compromises this positive memory advantage. Existing studies are limited by small samples or analyses that provide limited insight into underlying mechanisms. Our study addresses these concerns by using a multistaged analysis, including diffusion modeling, to identify precise psychological processes underlying the positive memory advantage and its disruption by depression in a large sample. A total of 1,358 participants completed the BDI-II (Beck et al., 1996) and an emotional memory task. At encoding, participants judged whether positive and negative words were positive or self-descriptive. After a free recall test, participants viewed an equal mix of studied and unstudied words and judged whether each was "old" or "new"; if judged "old," they indicated whether the study source was a valence or self-reference judgment. We replicate the positive memory advantage and its decrease in depression in recall, recognition, and source accuracy. The hierarchical drift diffusion model (HDDM; Wiecki et al., 2013) revealed that higher BDI-II scores are associated with more efficient evidence accumulation for negative words in the recognition and source memory tasks. By contrast, evidence accumulation for positive words is unaffected by BDI-II during the recognition task but becomes less efficient with increased BDI-II during the source memory task. In conclusion, in a well-controlled design with a large sample, we find that depression reduces the positive memory advantage. HDDM analyses suggest that this reflects differential effects of depression on the speed of evidence accumulation during the retrieval of positive versus negative memories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

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Context effects constitute benchmark behavioral phenomena for theories of choice. Previous research using signal-to-respond paradigms suggests that these phenomena develop differentially over time. Importantly, however, such time pressure manipulations correspond to an externally controlled stopping rule, which may produce different behavior compared to an internally controlled stopping rule. The first goal of this work was to examine context effects as a function of internally controlled response time. Across eight data sets, we find a consistent crossover pattern such that the attraction and compromise effects are associated with slower response times and the similarity effect is associated with faster response times. The second goal is to utilize state-of-the-art methodology (Evans et al. in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 26, 1–33, 2019; Turner and Sederberg in Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 21(2), 227–250, 2014) to determine whether four information-accumulation models (MDFT, the LCA, the AAM, and the MLBA) can correctly capture the direction in which preference evolves over time in each context when fit to joint choice and response time data with an internal stopping rule. Whereas the MLBA best fit the means, and MDFT and the AAM partially captured the qualitative patterns, none of the models captured the full spectrum of results. Despite a strong historical trend for empirical work in consumer choice, recent response time modeling has focused on fundamentally different non-consumer tasks. The third goal is to generalize that modeling to the consumer choice domain, providing a bridge to a wide range of prior work. The present work provides new insights into the relationship between choice and response times and sets important constraints for models that seek to account for such behavior.

Muonic atom X-ray Emission Spectroscopy (µ-XES) is a novel technique based on the detection of high-energy X-rays emitted after the interaction of a negative muon beam with matter. Thanks to the multi-elemental range, negligible self-absorption of the x-rays and the possibility of performing depth profile studies, the technique is a very powerful probe for the analysis of cultural heritage artefacts. By tuning the energy of the incident muon beam, indeed, it is possible to investigate the different layers that constitute a sample. In this work, we report preliminary results of the analysis on two fire-gilded surfaces, in which the data analysis is coupled with Monte Carlo-based simulation software. Here, to perform a depth profile characterization, the samples were analysed at different beam energies (or momentum). Each of the resulting x-ray spectra was then analysed and compared with the output of the simulations software and a remarkably good agreement was reached. The results of the work are promising and with this approach, it will be possible to enhance the capability offered by the technique, both in terms of data analysis and data interpretation.

In a blinded inference study, researchers are asked to analyze condition-blinded datasets and make inferences about various aspects of the data generation process, such as whether or not a variable that manipulates some target cognitive process varied across conditions. This procedure directly tests researchers’ ability to make valid conclusions about underlying processes based on data patterns and assesses the extent to which they accurately report the level of uncertainty associated with their research conclusions. As such, blinded inference studies are a valuable tool in the effort to improve research practices. In this comment, we review three recent studies in the cognitive modeling literature to highlight the benefits of blinded inference, and we make recommendations for future blinded inference studies. We conclude by encouraging modelers to champion the blinded inference method as a fundamental component of effective psychological research.

When patients bring up material of a religious or spiritual nature, many analysts find themselves at a loss. There is a tendency in such moments either to reduce the patient’s experience to the mos...

In this reply to discussions by Marilyn Charles and Marie Hoffman, I pick up on the theme of the significant challenges in holding space for religious experience in psychoanalysis, making the argument that to do so in a way that honors our patients’ experience, we have to be willing to engage both its deep, primordial elements and its symbolic, differentiating aspects.

Previous work suggests that subordinate-level object training improves exemplar-level perceptual discrimination over basic-level training. However, the extent to which visual fixation strategies and the use of visual features, such as color and spatial frequency (SF), change with improved discrimination was not previously known. In the current study, adults (n = 24) completed 6 days of training with 2 families of computer-generated novel objects. Participants were trained to identify one object family at the subordinate level and the other object family at the basic level. Before and after training, discrimination accuracy and visual fixations were measured for trained and untrained exemplars. To examine the impact of training on visual feature use, image color and SF were manipulated and tested before and after training. Discrimination accuracy increased for the object family trained at the subordinate-level, but not for the family trained at the basic level. This increase was seen for all image manipulations (color, SF) and generalized to untrained exemplars within the trained family. Both subordinate- and basic-level training increased average fixation duration and saccadic amplitude and decreased the number of total fixations. Collectively, these results suggest a dissociation between discrimination accuracy, indicative of recognition, and the associated pattern of changes present for visual fixations.

Lysosomal trafficking and maturation in neurons remain poorly understood and are unstudied in vivo despite high disease relevance. We generated neuron-specific transgenic mice to track vesicular CTSD acquisition, acidification, and traffic within the autophagic-lysosomal pathway in vivo, revealing that mature lysosomes are restricted from axons. Moreover, TGN-derived transport carriers (TCs), not lysosomes, supply lysosomal components to axonal organelles. Ultrastructurally distinctive TCs containing TGN and lysosomal markers enter axons, engaging autophagic vacuoles and late endosomes. This process is markedly upregulated in dystrophic axons of Alzheimer models. In cultured neurons, most axonal LAMP1 vesicles are weakly acidic TCs that shuttle lysosomal components bidirectionally, conferring limited degradative capability to retrograde organelles before they mature fully to lysosomes within perikarya. The minor LAMP1 subpopulation attaining robust acidification are retrograde Rab7(+) endosomes/amphisomes, not lysosomes. Restricted lysosome entry into axons explains the unique lysosome distribution in neurons and their vulnerability toward neuritic dystrophy in disease.

Sardinian metallurgy produced samples of high artistic and historical value. In particular, ship models are rare and unmatched examples of the mastery reached by Sardinian metallurgists and their production process deserves an in-depth analysis of all the phases involved in the making. In this work, we examined a Sardinian boat model to obtain information about its composition, microstructure and manufacturing technique. The object is a small bronze ship model that was found near the Nuraghe Colovros, located in north-east Sardinia (Italy). It was analysed by means of neutron imaging and neutron diffraction experiments at the ISIS Pulsed Neutron and Muon Source laboratory (Harwell, UK). Neutron techniques are relatively new in the field of archaeometry, but they are a very effective tool for the study of archaeological objects: they permit to survey complete artefacts, determine compositions and structures, assess the conservation status and address questions of effective use and casting techniques. This type of data can add new and different insights to existing archaeological information, especially where sampling is not permitted. The outcome of the study reveals a peculiar approach to the manufacturing of the boat model.

We analyze the effect of the barrier motion on the Bose-Hubbard Hamiltonian of a ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate interrupted by a pair of Josephson junctions, a configuration which is the cold atom analog of the well-known dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). Such an effect is also shown to modify the Heisenberg equation of motion of the boson field operator in the two-mode approximation, where a hysteretic contribution that could affect the dynamics for accelerated or overlapping barriers is identified. By studying the energy landscape as a function of order and control parameters, we determine the diagram with the location of the dc and ac Josephson regimes, along with the critical points that are shown to depend on the junctions position. We analyze the dc to ac Josephson transition for adiabatic barrier trajectories that lead to a final uniform velocity, or which perform symmetric velocity paths. We show that such symmetric trajectories may induce, when reaching the critical point, highly hysteretic oscillating return paths within the dc regime, similar to the underdamped hysteresis loops arising from the action of a resistive flow in the ac regime. We also consider nonequilibrium initial conditions resulting from a finite phase difference on either side of the junctions, along with the critical features of such a parameter. An excellent agreement between the Gross-Pitaevskii simulations and the two-mode results is found in all cases., Typos in Eq. (6) corrected

H.E.S.S. has recently completed a systematic survey of the Galactic plane in the TeV energy domain. We analyze the flux, latitude and longitude distributions of $\gamma-$ray sources observed by H.E.S.S. in order to infer the properties of Galactic TeV source population. We show that the total Milky-Way luminosity in the 1-100 TeV energy range is $L_{\rm MW} = 1.7^{+0.5}_{-0.4}\times 10^{37} {\rm ergs}\,{\rm sec}^{-1}$. Evaluating the cumulative flux expected at Earth by the considered population, we show that H.E.S.S. unresolved sources provide a relevant contribution to the diffuse Galactic emission. Finally, in the hypothesis that the majority of bright sources detected by H.E.S.S. are powered by pulsar activity, like e.g. Pulsar Wind Nebulae or TeV halos, we estimate the main properties of the pulsar population., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures

Background The majority of eyewitness lineup studies are laboratory-based. How well the conclusions of these studies, including the relationship between confidence and accuracy, generalize to real-world police lineups is an open question. Signal detection theory (SDT) has emerged as a powerful framework for analyzing lineups that allows comparison of witnesses’ memory accuracy under different types of identification procedures. Because the guilt or innocence of a real-world suspect is generally not known, however, it is further unknown precisely how the identification of a suspect should change our belief in their guilt. The probability of guilt after the suspect has been identified, the posterior probability of guilt (PPG), can only be meaningfully estimated if we know the proportion of lineups that include a guilty suspect, P(guilty). Recent work used SDT to estimate P(guilty) on a single empirical data set that shared an important property with real-world data; that is, no information about the guilt or innocence of the suspects was provided. Here we test the ability of the SDT model to recover P(guilty) on a wide range of pre-existing empirical data from more than 10,000 identification decisions. We then use simulations of the SDT model to determine the conditions under which the model succeeds and, where applicable, why it fails. Results For both empirical and simulated studies, the model was able to accurately estimate P(guilty) when the lineups were fair (the guilty and innocent suspects did not stand out) and identifications of both suspects and fillers occurred with a range of confidence levels. Simulations showed that the model can accurately recover P(guilty) given data that matches the model assumptions. The model failed to accurately estimate P(guilty) under conditions that violated its assumptions; for example, when the effective size of the lineup was reduced, either because the fillers were selected to be poor matches to the suspect or because the innocent suspect was more familiar than the guilty suspect. The model also underestimated P(guilty) when a weapon was shown. Conclusions Depending on lineup quality, estimation of P(guilty) and, relatedly, PPG, from the SDT model can range from poor to excellent. These results highlight the need to carefully consider how the similarity relations between fillers and suspects influence identifications.

Context effects are changes in preference that occur when alternatives are added to a choice set. Models that account for context effects typically assume a within-dimension comparison process; however, the presentation format of a choice set can influence comparison strategies. The present study jointly tests the influence of presentation format on the attraction, compromise, and similarity effects in a within-subjects design. Participants completed a series of choices designed to elicit each of the three context effects, with either a by-alternative or by-dimension format. Whereas the by-alternative format elicited a standard similarity effect, but null attraction and reverse compromise effects, the by-dimension format elicited standard attraction and compromise effects, but a reverse similarity effect. These novel results are supported by a re-analysis of the eye-tracking data collected by Noguchi and Stewart (Cognition, 132(1), 44-56, 2014) and demonstrate that flexibility in the comparison process should be incorporated into theories of preferential choice.

Perceptual expertise is marked by subordinate-level recognition of objects in the expert domain. In this study, participants learned one family of full-color, artificial objects at the subordinate (species) level and another family at the basic (family) level. Discrimination of trained and untrained exemplars was tested before and after training across several image manipulations [full-color, grayscale, low spatial frequency (LSF) and high spatial frequency (HSF)] while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Regardless of image manipulation, discrimination (indexed by d') of trained and of untrained exemplars was enhanced after subordinate-level training, but not after basic-level training. Enhanced discrimination after subordinate-level training generalized to untrained exemplars and to grayscale images and images in which LSF or HSF information was removed. After training, the N170 and N250, recorded over occipital and occipitotemporal brain regions, were both more enhanced after subordinate-level training than after basic-level training. However, the topographic distribution of enhanced responses differed across components. The N170 latency predicted reaction time after both basic-level training and subordinate-level training, highlighting an association between behavioral and neural responses. These findings further elucidate the role of the N170 and N250 as ERP indices of subordinate-level expert object processing and demonstrate how low-level manipulations of color and spatial frequency impact behavior and the N170 and N250 components independent of training or expertise.

Harmful algal blooms (HAB) release microtoxins that contaminate drinking water supplies and risk the health of millions annually. Crystalline ferrate(VI) is a powerful oxidant capable of removing algal microtoxins. We investigate in-situ electrochemically produced ferrate from common carbon steel as an on-demand alternative to crystalline ferrate for the removal of microcystin-LR (MC-LR) and compare the removal efficacy for both electrochemical (EC) and chemical dosing methodologies. We report that a very low dose of EC-ferrate in deionized water (0.5 mg FeO42− L−1) oxidizes MC-LR (MC-LR0 = 10 μg L−1) to below the guideline limit (1.0 μg L−1) within 10 minutes' contact time. With bicarbonate or natural organic matter (NOM), doses of 2.0–5.0 mg FeO42− L−1 are required, with lower efficacy of EC-ferrate than crystalline ferrate due to loss of EC-ferrate by water oxidation. To evaluate the EC-ferrate process to concurrently oxidize micropollutants, coagulate NOM, and disinfect drinking water, we spiked NOM-containing real water with MC-LR and Escherichia coli, finding that EC-ferrate is effective at 10.0 mg FeO42− L−1 under normal operation or 2.0 mg FeO42− L−1 if the test water has initial pH optimized. We suggest in-situ EC-ferrate may be appropriate for sporadic HAB events in small water systems as a primary or back-up technology.

Research on reference points highlights how alternatives outside the choice set can alter the perceived value of available alternatives, arguably framing the choice scenario. The present work utilizes reference points to study the effects of framing in preferential choice, using the similarity and attraction context effects as performance measures. We specifically test the predictions of Multialternative Decision by Sampling (MDbS; Noguchi & Stewart, 2018), a recent preferential choice model that can account for both reference points and context effects. In Experiment 1, consistent with predictions by MDbS, we find a standard similarity effect when no reference point is given that increases when both dimensions are framed negatively and decreases when both dimensions are framed positively. Contrary to predictions by MDbS, when the two dimensions are framed as tradeoffs, participants prefer whichever alternative performs best in the negatively framed dimension. Performance of MDbS was improved by the addition of a frame-based global attention allocation mechanism. Experiment 2 extends these results to a "by-dimension" presentation format in an attempt to bring participant behavior in line with MDbS assumptions. The empirical and modeling results replicated those of Experiment 1. Experiment 3 used the attraction effect to test the effects of framing when the best-performing alternative on each dimension was identical across target conditions, therefore reducing the potential effects of a global attention allocation mechanism. The effects of framing were indeed greatly reduced, and the performance of MDbS was markedly improved. The results extend framing to the context effects literature, provide new benchmarks for models and theories of context effects, and point to the need for a global attention mechanism.

Catalogo della mostra Guercino tra sacro e profano - Piacenza 2017

This work studied the mechanisms governing the electrode processes along with the structure and impact of the passivation layer on the electro-generation of ferrate using three low-cost sacrificial iron materials: mild steel (MS), grey cast iron (GCI) and white cast iron (WCI) electrodes in highly alkaline media. Cyclic voltammetry studies showed that the mechanisms controlling the electrode reactions depend on its alloy composition as it influences the iron species formed in the passivation layer. The presence of silicon in the GCI electrode reduced the stability of the latter, significantly enhancing the ferrate electro-generation due to the persistence of γ-FeOOH in the passivation layer. The instability/dissolution of this layer contributed to a 54%-higher generation of ferrate with GCI when compared to the other electrodes, reaching a maximum titre of 37 mM of ferrate in 10 M NaOH solution with a current efficiency of 45% and the lowest specific energy consumption of 8 kWh kg−1.

Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma (KHE) is a rare vascular locally aggressive tumor. The primary treatment is surgical resection, which may be challenging depending on its location and vascularity. Pharmacological treatment includes steroids, vincristine, and recently, Sirolimus (immunosuppressant with anti-proliferative activity). We describe a rare case of refractory KHE located in the middle ear. In addition to its unusual and inoperable anatomical location, this pediatric patient was a non-responder to first line Sirolimus monotherapy. After two months of dual therapy adding Vincristine to the treatment schedule, significant tumor reduction was seen on MRI, with no relapse during the two-year follow-up after completion of treatment.

We study the collisional dynamics of multiple dark solitons in a Bose-Einstein condensate confined by a toroidal trap. We assume a tight enough confinement in the radial direction to prevent possible dissipative effects due to the presence of solitonic vortices. Analytical expressions for the initial order parameters with imprinted phases are utilized to generate different initial arrays of solitons, for which the time-dependent Gross-Pitaevskii equation is numerically solved. Given that the soliton velocity is conserved due to the lack of dissipation, we are able to apply a simple quasiparticle description of the soliton dynamics. In fact, the trajectory equations are written in terms of the velocities and the angular shifts produced at each collision, in analogy to the infinite one-dimensional system. To calculate the angular shifts, we directly extract them from the trajectories given by the Gross-Pitaevskii simulations and, on the other hand, we show that accurate values can be analytically obtained by adapting a formula valid for the infinite one-dimensional system that involves the healing length, which in our inhomogeneous system must be evaluated in terms of the sound velocity along the azimuthal direction. We further show that very good estimates of such a sound velocity can be directly determined by using the ground state density profile and the values of the imprinted phases. We discuss the possible implementation of the system here proposed using the current experimental techniques., 13 pages, 8 figures

We study the dynamics of three-dimensional weakly linked Bose-Einstein condensates using a multimode model with an effective interaction parameter. The system is confined by a ring-shaped four-well trapping potential. By constructing a two-mode Hamiltonian in a reduced highly symmetric phase space, we examine the periodic orbits and calculate their time periods both in the self-trapping and Josephson regimes. The dynamics in the vicinity of the reduced phase space is investigated by means of a Floquet multiplier analysis, finding regions of different linear stability and analyzing their implications on the exact dynamics. The numerical exploration in an extended region of the phase space demonstrates that two-mode tools can also be useful for performing a partition of the space in different regimes. Comparisons with Gross-Pitaevskii simulations confirm these findings and emphasize the importance of properly determining the effective on-site interaction parameter governing the multimode dynamics., 12 pages, 13 figures

This research explores the effect of emotional states on visual detection. Previous research has shown that emotional states characterized by an intolerance of uncertainty, such as anxiety, can affect performance on visual detection tasks. It is unclear, however, to what extent these effects are a result of increased perceptual ability, a decisional bias, or both. The present study used signal detection theory to determine whether uncertain emotional states affect perceptual discriminability and/or decisional bias. In 2 experiments, an anxious, angry, or calm emotional state was induced, and participants were asked to identify which of a series of noisy images contained an embedded target image. The target images were either faces or houses. Emotional state had no effect on decisional bias for either target, but the ability to detect a face was higher for anxious participants. No effect on discriminability was found for houses. These results suggest that emotional state can change perceptual discriminability, but that this change may be limited to certain stimulus classes.

We study the dynamics of three-dimensional Bose-Einstein condensates confined by double-well potentials using a two-mode model with an effective on-site interaction energy parameter. The effective on-site interaction energy parameter is evaluated for different numbers of particles ranging from a low experimental value to larger ones approaching the Thomas-Fermi limit, yielding important corrections to the dynamics. We analyze the time periods as functions of the initial imbalance and find a closed integral form that includes all interaction-driven parameters. A simple analytical formula for the self-trapping period is introduced and shown to accurately reproduce the exact values provided by the two-mode model. Systematic numerical simulations of the problem in 3D demonstrate the excellent agreement of the two-mode model for experimental parameters., Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures

A context effect is a change in preference that occurs when alternatives are added to a choice set. Models of preferential choice that account for context effects largely assume a within-dimension comparison process. It has been shown, however, that the format in which a choice set is presented can influence comparison strategies. That is, a by-alternative or by-dimension grouping of the dimension values encourage within-alternative or within-dimension comparisons, respectively. For example, one classic context effect, the compromise effect, is strengthened by a by-dimension presentation format. Extrapolation from this result suggests that a second context effect, the similarity effect, will actually reverse when stimuli are presented in a by-dimension format. In the current study, we presented participants with a series of apartment choice sets designed to elicit the similarity effect, with either a by-alternative or by-dimension presentation format. Participants in the by-alternative condition demonstrated a standard similarity effect; however, participants in the by-dimension condition demonstrated a strong reverse similarity effect. The present data can be accounted for by Multialternative Decision Field Theory (MDFT) and the Multiattribute Linear Ballistic Accumulator (MLBA), but not Elimination by Aspects (EBA). Indeed, when some weak assumptions of within-dimension processes are met, MDFT and the MLBA predict the reverse similarity effect. These modeling results suggest that the similarity effect is governed by either forgetting and inhibition (MDFT), or attention to positive or negative differences (MLBA). These results demonstrate that flexibility in the comparison process needs to be incorporated into theories of preferential choice.

Training of subjects and execution of flintknapping sessions followed a written protocol strictly followed by a skilled tutor. The general protocol is presented as well as its treatment-specific variants.

We evaluate the diffuse gamma-ray flux at TeV energies produced by hadronic interactions of cosmic rays with the gas contained in the galactic disk. We consider different assumptions for the cosmic ray distribution, including the recently emerged possibility of a harder cosmic ray spectrum in the inner Galaxy. We show that observational data provided by Argo-YBJ, HESS, HAWC and Milagro, can already discriminate among different hyphoteses. The constraints can be strengthened if the contribution of sources not resolved by HESS is taken into account.

This article describes the surgical technique used in the treatment of closed and displaced intra-articular calcaneus fractures, using the sinus tarsi approach and its fixation with locking plate and, in addition, proposing a therapeutic algorithm to define its appropriate indication.Level of Eviden

This paper develops a novel, intertemporal approach to assessing comprehensive income risk exposure. While a large body of accounting and policy literature focuses on quality and reliability attributes, the present study employs the premise that fair value and comprehensive income are perfectly measured at all times. In this framework, the context-sensitive impacts of comprehensive income volatility stem from the structure and dynamics of the value generation process rather than variations in measurement quality. These impacts occur concurrently with measurement related effects, but are treated as conceptually distinct. The results illustrate how factors such as risk horizon, trading frequency, and portfolio composition can affect the severity of risk exposure over time. Applied to patterns of unrealized fair-value changes in US bank available-for-sale portfolios, the model significantly improves on the most widely accepted convention for multiperiod risk aggregation (the so-called square-root-of-time or “sqrt(t)” rule). The proposed approach has direct application to value-at-risk and stress-test methods estimates that use horizon-dependent volatilities as inputs. From a financial reporting standpoint, the proposed framework affirms the utility of the “mixed measurement” accounting model and supports multifaceted or “dual presentation” approaches to financial statements.

Despite the well-documented association between aggression and NSSI among adolescents, relatively little research has been conducted on the mechanisms underlying this relationship. The purpose of this study was to investigate potential socio-cognitive mechanisms through which aggression and NSSI are related. Participants were 186 adolescents (ages 13–18) recruited from a psychiatric inpatient facility in the northeastern United States. According to teen report, 57.5% of the sample endorsed NSSI in the previous year. Mediation was tested using the modern bootstrapping technique described by Hayes, using 5,000 re-samples with replacement, including sex and depression diagnosis as covariates. Results demonstrated that greater negative self-talk, a more negative cognitive style, and lower perceived family support were all significant mediators of the relationship between aggression and greater frequency of NSSI, whereas perceived social support from friends was not a significant mediator. Limitations, clinical implications, and future research directions of the current research are discussed.

The distribution of cosmic rays in the Galaxy is still uncertain and this affects the expectations for the diffuse gamma-ray emission produced by hadronic interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar gas. We evaluate the diffuse gamma-ray flux at TeV energies by considering different assumptions for the cosmic ray distribution, including the recently emerged possibility of a decreasing cosmic ray spectral index in the inner Galaxy. The diffuse emission from the galactic central region (i.e. in the longitude range | l | ≤ 60o) changes in the different scenarios by a relatively large factor and can be probed by TeV scale gamma-ray observations. By comparing the total flux produced by diffuse emission and point-like and extended sources resolved by HESS with the gamma-ray flux observed by Argo-YBJ, HESS, HAWC and Milagro, we show that experimental data can already discriminate among different hyphoteses for cosmic ray distribution. The constraints can be strengthened if the contribution of sources not resolved by HESS is taken into account.

This article studies the mechanisms of electrochemical production of ferrate (VI) using a boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrode. Ferrate was synthesized using different current densities, electrolysis time and concentrations of Fe(NO3)3, FeSO4, FeCl3 and FeCl2. The ferrate generation rate was highly affected by the initial concentration and the type of iron salt. The results suggest that diffusion is the controlling mechanism at the BDD electrode. However, for iron salts with oxidation state +2, electron charge also takes place. Cyclic voltammetries showed that the oxidation peak that correlated with ferrate generation is close to the potential where •OH radicals occur. This indicates that a direct electron transfer from the BDD and an indirect oxidation through •OH radicals influenced the generation of ferrate. Although Fe(NO3)3 and FeSO4 oxidation does not perform as well as iron chloride salts in the generation of ferrate, they do not form chlorate and perchlorate. This study demonstrates that it is possible to produce a powerful oxidant that could be used for water treatment purposes without generating toxic by-products.

The degradation of sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate (LAS), a common industrial and household anionic surfactant, has been investigated by electro-Fenton process at constant current. The electrolyses have been performed using an undivided cell equipped with a Ti/RuO2 anode and a commercial graphite-felt to electrogenerate in situ hydrogen peroxide and regenerate ferrous ions as catalyst. The effect of operating conditions such as applied current, catalyst concentration, initial surfactant concentration and initial pH has been studied. Surfactant decay kinetic was monitored during the electrolysis by UV–vis measurements. The experimental results showed that LAS was completely removed by the reaction with OH radicals generated from electrochemically assisted Fenton’s reaction, and the decay kinetics always follow a pseudo-first-order reaction. With our cell design, the higher oxidation rate has been obtained applying a current of 200 mA, at pH 3 and in the presence of 0.3 mM Fe2+ as catalyst. In these conditions, after 180 min of electrolysis almost complete oxidation of 50 mg dm−3 of LAS has been obtained with a specific energy consumption of 9.53 ± 0.5 kW h m−3.

Whether and how an analyst might include spirituality in clinical work must take into account the complex and multidetermined nature of those aspects of life called “spiritual.” I consider several dangers that can inhere when spiritual experience is deemed “more real” than other experiences, when it is equated with the good, or when it is divorced from embodied (raced, classed, gendered) experience. These dangers can include inflation, spiritual bypass, and “happy blindness” to our own and others’ suffering. I suggest that a spiritual psychoanalysis, or a psychoanalytic spirituality, would hold in tension joy and love with suffering and hate, peace with conflict, power with powerlessness, and intuition with unknowing.