Time Behavior Research Articles

Integrator dynamics in the cortico-basal ganglia loop underlie flexible motor timing.

Flexible control of motor timing is crucial for behavior. Before volitional movement begins, the frontal cortex and striatum exhibit ramping spiking activity, with variable ramp slopes anticipating movement onsets. This activity in the cortico-basal ganglia loop may function as an adjustable 'timer,' triggering actions at the desired timing. However, because the frontal cortex and striatum share similar ramping dynamics and are both necessary for timing behaviors, distinguishing their individual roles in this timer function remains challenging. To address this, we conducted perturbation experiments combined with multi-regional electrophysiology in mice performing a flexible lick-timing task. Following transient silencing of the frontal cortex, cortical and striatal activity swiftly returned to pre-silencing levels and resumed ramping, leading to a shift in lick timing close to the silencing duration. Conversely, briefly inhibiting the striatum caused a gradual decrease in ramping activity in both regions, with ramping resuming from post-inhibition levels, shifting lick timing beyond the inhibition duration. Thus, inhibiting the frontal cortex and striatum effectively paused and rewound the timer, respectively. These findings suggest the striatum is a part of the network that temporally integrates input from the frontal cortex and generates ramping activity that regulates motor timing.

Interdependent Leadership: Proposing a Leadership Model in a Complex World

The hypermodern environment in which today’s organizations and society exist presents a need for the development and application of effective transformational leadership practices. As such, this article presents an interdependent leadership model and its six core tenets, which may guide organizational behavior and change in turbulent times. We argue that this emerging leadership model is appropriate in responding to the complexity of the contemporary organizational landscape and propelling the sustainable growth and advancement of all stakeholders in a larger ecosystem.

Interference aided finite resonant response in an undamped forced oscillator

We apply perturbative techniques to a driven undamped sinusoidal oscillator at resonance. The angular displacement, θ, obeys the dynamics θ¨+ω2sin⁡θ=Hcos⁡ωt . The linearized approximation gives a divergent response (at long times) but the nonlinear terms make the response finite. We address the nonlinearity-induced finiteness in two ways by separately treating the short and long time scales. At long times, we use the traditional perturbative techniques to extract two drive dependent behaviours—one, the amplitude of oscillation scales as (H/ω2)1/3 and, two, the time period of the slow mode varies as (H/ω2)−2/3 . For the early time behaviour, on the other hand, we devise an alternate perturbative expansion where the successive terms get larger with the order of evaluation but have alternating signs. The alternating signs (phase differences) between these terms leads to adestructive interference like effect. A careful consideration of this destructive interference like effect between successive terms leads to a finite response which describes the initial behaviour of the amplitude of the response reasonably correctly. We further note that for larger drive values, the system seems to undergo a first order transitional behaviour with a sudden jump in the largest Lyapunov exponent

Observational clues to the magnetic evolution of magnetars

ABSTRACT Utilizing four archival X-ray data sets taken with the Hard X-ray Detector onboard Suzaku, timing studies were performed on three magnetars, 1E 1841−045 (observed in 2006), SGR 0501+4516 (2008), and 1RXS J170849.0−400910 (2009 and 2010). Their pulsations were reconfirmed, typically in an energy range of 12–50 keV. The 11.783 s pulses of 1E 1841−045 and those of SGR 0501+4516 at 5.762 s were periodically phase modulated, with a long period of $\approx 23.4$ and $\approx 16.4$ ks, respectively. The pulse-phase modulation was also observed, at $\approx 46.5$ ks, from two data sets of 1RXS J170849.0−400910. In all these cases, the modulation amplitude was 6 per cent to 16 per cent of the pulse cycle. Including previously confirmed four objects, this characteristic timing behaviour is now detected from seven magnetars in total, and interpreted as a result of free precession of neutron stars that are deformed to an asphericity of $\sim 10^{-4}$. Assuming that the deformation is due to magnetic stress, these magnetars are inferred to harbour toroidal magnetic fields of $B_{\rm t}\sim 10^{16}$ G. By comparing the estimated $B_{\rm t}$ of these objects with their poloidal dipole field $B_{\rm d}$, the $B_{\rm t}/B_{\rm d}$ ratio is found to increase with their characteristic age. Therefore, the toroidal fields of magnetars are likely to last longer than their poloidal fields. This explains the presence of some classes of neutron stars that have relatively weak $B_{\rm d}$ but are suspected to hide strong $B_{\rm t}$ inside them.

Analysis of initial core and time dependent fuel burnup for high temperature testing reactors (HTTRs)

Abstract HTTRs are high temperature testing reactors which are considered generation IV nuclear power reactors. The reactor core startup and fuel burnup time dependent are simulated and analyzed. For the present computer model core startup, fuel loading with approach to criticality, control rod critical positions, scram reactivity and control rod worth, different core excess reactivity are evaluated. The results are compared with both typical measurements and other previously published methods. Moreover, the time dependent core model and fuel burn up are simulated to calculate the core multiplication factor, cycle length, discharged burnup, core isotopic evolution with time and burnable poisons behavior.

Does screen time during early childhood affect adolescent aggressive behaviour?: The moderated mediating role of parenting stress and language ability

ABSTRACT Screens have become increasingly prevalent in children’s lives. This study examined the longitudinal association between screen time and aggressive behaviour by investigating the mediating and moderating roles of language ability and parenting stress, respectively. The analysed data consisted of 1,319 children, aged 5 to 15, from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Results found that children’s language ability (age 9) significantly mediated the relationship between screen time (age 5) and aggressive behaviour (age 15), and this mediating pathway was significantly moderated by parenting stress (age 5). Furthermore, the moderated mediation pathway was only significant among groups with medium or high parenting stress. Thus, the negative effects of screen time on aggressive behaviour through poor language ability amplified as the level of parenting stress increased.

Why do people save water? A systematic review of household water consumption behaviour in times of water availability uncertainty

ABSTRACT Continued global warming is projected to increase the severity of droughts, and, as water scarcity intensifies in different regions, water demand-side management (DSM) has emerged as an important topic. In this study, we present an overview of recent research on the factors that influence water consumption behaviour, considering the scenario of global water availability changes. To do so, we reviewed 55 articles, published from 2010 to 2022, that focused on water consumption behaviour in a drought context. In the reviewed articles, we identified six factors that are most frequently addressed in the literature: psychological factors, water-saving technologies, awareness, water availability context, socioeconomic/demographic characteristics, and governmental policies. Based on the analysis of the findings in the literature regarding these factors, we developed an integrated framework that clarifies how they are interconnected and influence household water consumption.

Improved Chinese Giant Salamander Parental Care Behavior Detection Based on YOLOv8.

Optimizing the breeding techniques and increasing the hatching rate of Andrias davidianus offspring necessitates a thorough understanding of its parental care behaviors. However, A. davidianus' nocturnal and cave-dwelling tendencies pose significant challenges for direct observation. To address this problem, this study constructed a dataset for the parental care behavior of A. davidianus, applied the target detection method to this behavior for the first time, and proposed a detection model for A. davidianus' parental care behavior based on the YOLOv8s algorithm. Firstly, a multi-scale feature fusion convolution (MSConv) is proposed and combined with a C2f module, which significantly enhances the feature extraction capability of the model. Secondly, the large separable kernel attention is introduced into the spatial pyramid pooling fast (SPPF) layer to effectively reduce the interference factors in the complex environment. Thirdly, to address the problem of low quality of captured images, Wise-IoU (WIoU) is used to replace CIoU in the original YOLOv8 to optimize the loss function and improve the model's robustness. The experimental results show that the model achieves 85.7% in the mAP50-95, surpassing the YOLOv8s model by 2.1%. Compared with other mainstream models, the overall performance of our model is much better and can effectively detect the parental care behavior of A. davidianus. Our research method not only offers a reference for the behavior recognition of A. davidianus and other amphibians but also provides a new strategy for the smart breeding of A. davidianus.

Replacement of sedentary behavior with various physical activities and the risk of incident depression: a prospective analysis of accelerator-measured and self-reported UK Biobank data.

To examine the dose‒response relationships of sedentary behavior (SB) and physical activities (PAs) with depression, and to explore the effects of replacing SB with PAs on depression risk. The study used data from UK Biobank aged 37 to 73 years. Light physical activity (LPA), moderate-to-vigorous activity (MVPA), sleep duration, and total sedentary behavior (TSB) were measured by accelerometers. Self-reported SB was also adopted when daily screen-sedentary behavior time (SSB) and leisure-sedentary behavior time (LSB) were the focus. Incident depression was obtained from the part of mental and behavioral disorders in the "first occurrence fields" of UK Biobank. A Cox proportional hazard model and isotemporal substitution model were performed to explore the associations of LPA, MVPA, TSB, LSB, SSB, and sleep on depression and the effects of replacing SB time with equal PA time. Highest levels of MVPA (HR = 0.58, 95%CI: 0.50-0.68) were associated with decreased depression risk compared with the lowest level (Q1). Longer SSB time (HR = 1.18, 95%CI: 1.06-1.32), LSB time (HR = 1.19, 95%CI: 1.07-1.32), and TSB time (HR = 1.17, 95%CI: 1.00-1.38) could increase depression risk significantly. Replacing 1h/day TSB, SSB, and LSB with MVPA brought the greatest risk reductions [31% (HR = 0.69, 95%CI: 0.62-0.77), 30% (HR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.65-0.77), and 29% (HR = 0.71, 95%CI: 0.65-0.77)]. Under the same conditions, the effects of LPA replacement were also significant, but weaker than those of MVPA. Subgroup analyses showed that replacing 1h/d TSB with LPA could significantly decrease the depression risk for the females, but not for the males. Large benefits for reducing the risk of incident depression could be attained by replacing a period of TSB, SSB, or LSB with equal PA time, especially for MVPA. Regular PA and less SB were recommended for improving mental health.

Magnetic ligand fishing protocol combined with HPLC-FT-ICR-MS for screening potential α-Glucosidase inhibitors from UCG and in silico analysis

Uremic Clearance Granule (UCG) is a traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) that has been recognized as potentially effective treatment for diabetic nephropathy (DN). However, the chemical composition and the hypoglycemic ingredients of UCG remain unclear. In this experiment, a magnetic ligand fishing protocol combined with HPLC coupled Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (HPLC-FT-ICR-MS) technology was developed to screen and identify α-Glucosidase inhibitors from UCG. First, constituents of UCG was identified by HPLC-FT-ICR-MS. Next, α-Glucosidase coated Fe3O4@SiO2@NH2 (Fe3O4@SiO2@NH2@α-Glucosidase) nano composites was synthesized. The essential parameters (concentration of Glutaraldehyde (GA), ratio of Fe3O4@SiO2@NH2 to enzyme, crosslinking time and immobilization time) were optimized to obtain maximum enzyme activity and the performance of immobilized enzyme was compared with that of free enzyme. The α-Glucosidase inhibitory activities were then evaluated using autodock and the 4-Nitrophenyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG) method. As a result, 142 compounds were identified were identified by comparing the retention time, molecular ions and fragmentation behaviors with the reference compounds or the in-house database. 20 possible α-Glucosidase activity inhibitory components were identified using HPLC-FT-ICR-MS. Molecular docking and inhibition studies showed that 4 compuunds including Limonexic acid, Sanggenol A, Glabrone, Matrine were more likely to stronger α-Glucosidase inhibitory activities than acarbose. In conclusion, the proposed approach, which combined highly specific screening with HPLC-FT-ICR-MS, provided a powerful platform for discovering bioactive components from multi-component and multi-target traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs).

Stability and optimal decay for the 3D anisotropic magnetohydrodynamic equations

AbstractThis paper investigates the stability problem and large time behavior of solutions to the three‐dimensional magnetohydrodynamic equations with horizontal velocity dissipation and magnetic diffusion only in the direction. By applying the structure of the system, time‐weighted methods, and the method of bootstrapping argument, we prove that any perturbation near the background magnetic field (1, 0, 0) is globally stable in the Sobolev space . Furthermore, explicit decay rates in are obtained. Motivated by the stability of the three‐dimensional Navier–Stokes equations with horizontal dissipation, this paper aims to understand the stability of perturbations near a magnetic background field and reveal the mechanism of how the magnetic field generates enhanced dissipation and helps stabilize the fluid.

Timing irregularities and glitches from the pulsar monitoring campaign at IAR

Pulsars have a very stable rotation overall. However, sudden increases in their rotation frequency, known as glitches, perturb their evolution. While many observatories commonly detect large glitches, small glitches are harder to detect because of the lack of daily cadence observations over long periods of time (years). We aim to explore and characterise the timing behaviour of young pulsars on daily timescales, looking for small glitches and other irregularities, in order to further our comprehension of the real distribution of glitch sizes. Our findings have consequences for the theoretical modelling of the glitch mechanism. We observed six pulsars with up to daily cadence between December 2019 and January 2024 with the two antennas of the Argentine Institute of Radio Astronomy (IAR). We used standard pulsar timing tools to obtain the times of arrival of the pulses and to characterise the pulsar's rotation. We developed an algorithm to look for small timing events in the data and calculate the changes in the frequency (nu ) and its derivative ($ at those epochs. We find that the rotation of all pulsars in this dataset is affected by small step changes in nu and $ Among them, we find three new glitches that have not been reported before: two glitches in PSR J1048$-$5832 with relative sizes of $ $ and $ $, and one glitch in the Vela pulsar with a size of $ $. We also report new decay terms on the 2021 Vela giant glitch, and on the 2022 giant glitches in PSR J0742$-$2822 and PSR J1740$-$3015, respectively. In addition, we find that the red noise contribution significantly diminished in PSR J0742$-$2822 after its giant glitch in 2022. Our results highlight the importance of high-cadence monitoring with an exhaustive analysis of the residuals to better characterise the distribution of glitch sizes and to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms behind glitches, red noise, and timing irregularities.

A Multivariable, Adaptive, Robust, Primary Control Enforcing Predetermined Dynamics of Interest in Islanded Microgrids Based on Grid-Forming Inverter-Based Resources

This paper proposes a multivariable, adaptive, robust (MAR) control strategy for islanded inverter-based resources (IBRs) operating as grid-forming inverters. The proposed method is employed in the inner control loop of the primary layer in the hierarchical or decentralized structures for the islanded operation of microgrids. The MAR control scheme is responsible for stabilizing IBRs’ output voltage in autonomous operations of microgrids, considering mismatched input voltage disturbances from the grid side and a large amount of system uncertainty. The control methodology introduced in this paper does not rely on the system’s physical parameters, such as microgrid topology, load dynamics, LCL filters, and output connectors. As a result, there is no need to know the nominal values or the bounds of uncertainties in system dynamics. The MAR control method uses online adaptation rules first to identify and then adjust the control parameters of the closed-loop system based on an arbitrary dynamic model. In other words, the MAR method replaces the actual dynamics of IBRs with predetermined dynamics of interest. Simulation results in the MATLAB/Simulink environment confirm the capability of the scheme introduced for the closed-loop stabilization and voltage regulation in the presence of disturbances and a significant amount of uncertainty under various case studies; moreover, comparative simulations by comparing the presented method with other studies using sliding mode control are provided. Finally, experiments verify the effectiveness and practicality of the proposed MAR control scheme. <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Note to Practitioners</i> —Inverter-based resources are integral parts of current and especially future power and energy systems; with increasing concerns about carbon footprints, the tendency to substitute traditional synchronous generators with inverter-based resources increases. This transition towards the widespread use of power electronics devices needs careful studies regarding the stability and control of power converters. Although existing studies are addressing potential control system challenges, they suffer from complex mathematical computations and the need for the system’s preliminary information. With this in mind, this study proposes a multivariable, adaptive, robust control strategy for the inner voltage control loop of grid-forming inverters. This method utilizes online estimation algorithms to identify inverter-based resources’ parameters and tune control system parameters simultaneously, making it applicable even to cases with slow parameter variations caused by aging or environmental changes. It can compensate for potential voltage disturbances from the grid side and enable the designer to replace undesirable dynamics of inverter-based resource units with arbitrary and stable dynamics of interest. In fact, unlike traditional methods that need control parameters and gains to be tuned to achieve a proper dynamic response, the control system designer can choose reference dynamics and enforce the closed-loop system to imitate the dynamical model selected. This model is usually chosen based on established priorities, such as response time and other transient behaviors. Moreover, this method does not require complex mathematical and algebraic calculations to design and implement. It can be easily applied to inverter-based resource units after selecting the desired reference dynamics, as shown through this study’s experimental result. The above points give this method a competitive edge over the existing algorithms, especially in practical applications.

Ion temperature and rotation velocity measurements of carbon and boron ions using VUV spectroscopy on EAST.

A space-resolved vacuum ultraviolet spectroscopy is employed to measure impurity emission profiles (500-3200Å) on EAST. This study successfully captures C IV (1548.20 and 1550.77Å) lines emitted from carbon ions and derives ion temperatures using Doppler broadening and a collision model based on their intensity ratios. Both the emission intensity and ion temperature profiles are determined. However, the calculated results reveal a lower temperature of around 10-20eV with the collision model, suggesting a potential need for further correction in subsequent calculations. Furthermore, this study explores relative rotation velocities from the Doppler shift, indicating an increase in toroidal rotation velocity with applied neutral beam injection. The measured results exhibit concordance with the charge exchange recombination spectrometer data. Furthermore, during boron powder dropping discharges on EAST, B II (1623.60, 1623.79, 1623.95, 1624.02, 1624.17, and 1624.38Å) emission lines exhibiting a similar time behavior trend with boron powder injection are identified. Ion temperatures are measured using B II (1362.46Å) through the Doppler broadening method. These techniques hold significant promise for future impurity analysis at the edge of EAST, providing valuable insights into the behavior of carbon and boron ions.

Breaking Consensus in Kinetic Opinion Formation Models on Graphons

In this work, we propose and investigate a strategy to prevent consensus in kinetic models for opinion formation. We consider a large interacting agent system and assume that agent interactions are driven by compromise as well as self-thinking dynamics and also modulated by an underlying static social network. This network structure is included using so-called graphons, which modulate the interaction frequency in the corresponding kinetic formulation. We then derive the corresponding limiting Fokker–Planck equation and analyze its large time behavior. This microscopic setting serves as a starting point for the proposed control strategy, which steers agents away from mean opinion and is characterized by a suitable penalization depending on the properties of the graphon. We show that this minimalist approach is very effective by analyzing the quasi-stationary solution mean-field model in a plurality of graphon structures. Several numerical experiments are also provided to show the effectiveness of the approach in preventing the formation of consensus steering the system toward a declustered state.

Psychological Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic on Mental Health of Children Admitted to a Tertiary Care Centre

Background To prevent the COVID 19 transmission and reduce the burden on health systems, schools were closed and classes shifted to home-based distance learning models with online learning activities. Being quarantined in homes caused great psychological burden to children. This study was done to study the impact of COVID 19 on mental health of children and their screen and sleep behaviour before and during the pandemic.MethodsAdmitted children aged between 4-14 years and their siblings of same age group were enrolled after getting informed consent from their parents. The information regarding their socio-demographic factors, screen time, sleep time, physical activity and psychological problems were assessed using Paediatric symptom checklist Questionnaire. Outcome was measured by the scores obtained according to their age. Screen time and sleep behaviour was assessed using the guidelines proposed by American Academy of Paediatrics.ResultsTwenty-seven (15.81%) of 171 children had psychological impairment. The 11–14-year-olds and children living in urban area were more affected. All participants had abnormal screen time with respect to their age during COVID 19 pandemic and 99.4 % had increased screen time compared to pre COVID era. Abnormal sleep pattern was seen in 26.9 % and compared with pre-Covid times 73.6 % of the participants had less physical activity. Conclusions Implementation of psychosocial intervention and lifestyle modification strategies at community level is the need of the hour. Post Covid era remnant and sequalae of psychological impairment needs to be assessed.

Ergodicity for population dynamics by pure-jump noise with switching

In this paper we consider the long time behavior for an n-dimensional population model driven by truncated α-stable processes for interacting species. Some sufficient conditions for ergodicity or transience for our systems are given. This paper discloses the different jump measures impact on such pure-jumps population dynamics.

The “Magnificent Seven” X-Ray Isolated Neutron Stars Revisited. I. Improved Timing Solutions and Pulse Profile Analysis

We present the first systematic X-ray pulse timing analysis of the six members of the so-called “Magnificent Seven” nearby thermally emitting isolated neutron stars (XINS) with detected pulsations. Using the extensive collection of archival XMM-Newton, Chandra, and NICER observations spanning over two decades, we obtain the first firm measurement of the spin-down rate for RX J2143.0+0654, while for the rest we improve upon previously published spin ephemerides and extend them by up to an additional decade. Five of the XINS follow steady spin-down with no indication of major anomalies in their long-term timing behavior; the notable exception is RX J0720.4−3125, for which, in addition to confirming the previously identified glitch, we detect a second spin derivative. The high-quality folded X-ray pulse profiles produced with the updated timing solutions exhibit diverse and complex morphologies, as well as striking energy dependence. These peculiarities cannot be readily explained by blackbody-like isotropic emission and simple hot-spot configurations, hinting at the presence of complex multitemperature surface heat distributions and highly anisotropic radiation patterns, such as may arise from a strongly magnetized atmospheric layer.

The impact of family factors and communication on recreational sedentary screen time among primary school-aged children: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundChildhood obesity is increasingly recognized as a major public health challenge worldwide, and excessive sedentary screen time is emerging as a key risk factor. This study aimed to assess the recreational screen sedentary time of Chinese primary school-aged children and investigate the relationship between screen-related family factors and the outcome variable.MethodsOur study used data from a cross-sectional survey collected from fifth-grade students and their parents in Beijing, China, from April to May 2018 (n = 2,373). The questions included basic demographic information, family socioeconomic status, students’ and parents’ sedentary and exercising habits, within-family communicational factors, and health belief patterns. The recreational screen sedentary time of the children was compared across demographic groups. The study employed multivariate linear regression models to examine associations between children’s screen time and various family factors, as well as the moderating effect of overall family communication.ResultsOur findings revealed an average daily recreational screen sedentary time of 2.4 h among participants. Screen time significantly varied across demographic categories, including children’s sex, age, residence, parents’ education, household income, family size, and primary family member. After adjustment, the proportion of child-owned digital devices (p < 0.01), child’s personal room (p < 0.05), family screen-viewing together (p < 0.01), and parental screen time (p < 0.01) were positively related to children’s recreational sedentary screen time. Parental restrictions on screen time (p < 0.001) and attitudes toward reducing sitting time (p < 0.01) were correlated with a decrease in children’s screen time. The overall family communication environment significantly moderated the effects of parental practice of restricting children’s screen time (p < 0.001), positive reinforcement by parents (p < 0.05), and parents’ recreational sedentary screen time (p < 0.001).ConclusionsOur findings underscored the significance of family dynamics, parental practices, and communication in shaping children’s screen time behaviors, providing valuable insights for tailored interventions and strategies to reduce childhood obesity.

Fatigue Driving Detection and Early Warning System based on EEG Signals

The fatigue driving detection and warning system based on EEG signals aims to use EEG technology to monitor the mental state of drivers in real time, so as to identify and warn fatigue driving behavior in time, so as to improve road safety. The design of the system is based on a deep understanding of the connection between EEG signals and the fatigue state, by analyzing the changes in frequency bands such as α wave, β wave, θ wave and δ wave, which are closely related to the alert state and fatigue in humans. The development of the system first considers the main factors induced by fatigue, such as sleep deprivation, long work hours and environmental monotony, which can significantly affect the activity of brain waves. From these physiological and environmental factors, the system requirements analysis emphasizes the need for real-time data processing and high accuracy, as well as a user interface design that provides clear and intuitive feedback to users (drivers and regulators). In terms of implementation, the system integrates EEG monitoring equipment for data acquisition, uses advanced signal processing algorithm to extract fatigue-related features, and uses machine learning model for real-time analysis and fatigue state determination. In addition, the system design includes an emergency response mechanism, once signs of fatigue are detected, it can automatically trigger an alarm, issue a warning to the driver, and if necessary through the vehicle control system to ensure driving safety. This comprehensive system not only improves driving safety, but also provides strong data support for traffic management departments.