20,226 research outputs found
Hidden innovation in the construction and property sectors
The construction and property industries have a poor reputation for innovation. Indeed, this reputation appears to be backed by official statistics which projects these
industries as being devoid of innovative activity. However, the reputation is undeserved. Official statistics misrepresent the extent and nature of innovation in
these sectors. A closer analysis reveals that much of the innovation that exists in the sector is hidden from conventional measures. By its nature therefore, it is difficult to measure the precise extent of this innovation and disaggregate it from general improvement. This opaqueness strengthens the need for policymakers, practitioners and researchers within, amongst others, the surveying sector to go beyond the visible spectrum of innovation and design and implement appropriate policies, knowledge bases and practices which engage and leverage the hitherto hidden aspects of innovation
Interferometer Response to Scalar Gravitational Waves
It was recently suggested that the magnetic component of Gravitational Waves
(GWs) is relevant in the evaluation of frequency response functions of
gravitational interferometers. In this paper we extend the analysis to the
magnetic component of the scalar mode of GWs which arise from scalar-tensor
gravity theory. In the low-frequency approximation, the response function of
ground-based interferometers is calculated. The angular dependence of the
electric and magnetic contributions to the response function is discussed.
Finally, for an arbitrary frequency range, the proper distance between two test
masses is calculated and its usefulness in the high-frequency limit for
space-based interferometers is briefly considered.Comment: Accepted for publication by Int. Journ. Mod. Phys. D. Final versio
Effects of the R-parity violation in the minimal supersymmetric standard model on dilepton pair production at the CERN LHC
We investigate in detail the effects of the R-parity lepton number violation
in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) on the parent process at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The numerical
comparisons between the contributions of the R-parity violating effects to the
parent process via the Drell-Yan subprocess and the gluon-gluon fusion are
made. We find that the R-violating effects on pair production at the
LHC could be significant. The results show that the cross section of the pair productions via gluon-gluon collision at the LHC can be of the order
of fb, and this subprocess maybe competitive with the production
mechanism via the Drell-Yan subprocess. We give also quantitatively the
analysis of the effects from both the mass of sneutrino and coupling strength
of the R-parity violating interactions.Comment: 18 pages, 10 figures, accepted by Phys. Rev.
Image synthesis for SAR system, calibration and processor design
The Point Scattering Method of simulating radar imagery rigorously models all aspects of the imaging radar phenomena. Its computational algorithms operate on a symbolic representation of the terrain test site to calculate such parameters as range, angle of incidence, resolution cell size, etc. Empirical backscatter data and elevation data are utilized to model the terrain. Additionally, the important geometrical/propagation effects such as shadow, foreshortening, layover, and local angle of incidence are rigorously treated. Applications of radar image simulation to a proposed calibrated SAR system are highlighted: soil moisture detection and vegetation discrimination
Sequential Desynchronization in Networks of Spiking Neurons with Partial Reset
The response of a neuron to synaptic input strongly depends on whether or not
it has just emitted a spike. We propose a neuron model that after spike
emission exhibits a partial response to residual input charges and study its
collective network dynamics analytically. We uncover a novel desynchronization
mechanism that causes a sequential desynchronization transition: In globally
coupled neurons an increase in the strength of the partial response induces a
sequence of bifurcations from states with large clusters of synchronously
firing neurons, through states with smaller clusters to completely asynchronous
spiking. We briefly discuss key consequences of this mechanism for more general
networks of biophysical neurons
The Prediction of Mass of Z'-Boson from Mixing
B_q^0-B_^0 bar mixing offers a profound probe into the effects of new
physics beyond the Standard Model. In this paper, and
mass differences are considered taking the effect of both
Z-and Z' -mediated flavour-changing neutral currents in the
mixing (q = d, s). Our estimated mass of Z' boson is accessible at the
experiments LHC and B-factories in near future.Comment: 11 pages, 02 Figure
QED in external fields, a functional point of view
A functional partial differential equation is set for the proper graphs
generating functional of QED in external electromagnetic fields. This equation
leads to the evolution of the proper graphs with the external field amplitude
and the external field gauge dependence of the complete fermion propagator and
vertex is derived non-perturbativally.Comment: 8 pages, published versio
Adoption of sustainable retrofit in UK social housing 2010 – 2015
Purpose
The Retrofit State of the Nation Survey has tracked the perceptions of social housing sector professionals’ views of retrofit since 2010. It has taken the form of 3 surveys conducted in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Here we bring together the three surveys to specifically address the adoption and perceived effectiveness of retrofit technology in social housing projects. This identifies the changing perceptions of social housing professionals over a period of significant policy change within in the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
The research takes the form of a cross-sectional attitudinal, self-completion survey, covering sections considering the adoption levels and perceived effectiveness of different retrofit technologies. The target sample was medium to larger scale registered social housing providers. The surveys were conducted in 2010, 2013, and 2015.
Findings
In terms of effectiveness, the reliance on tried and tested technologies is apparent. Emerging or more complex technologies have declined in perceived effectiveness over the period. It is clear that social housing has adopted a wide range of technologies, and the larger providers, with whom this survey is undertaken, potentially represent a significant pool of UK retrofit experience.
Originality/value
The survey provides a record of the changing attitudes of social housing providers to specific technologies over the period 2010-2015, which has seen significant changes in energy and social housing policy. The findings show the link between policy instruments and adoption, with policy instruments mapping to adoption in the sector. Perceived effectiveness reflects a preference for more established technologies, an issue that is highlighted in the recent Bonfield Review
Correlation entropy of synaptic input-output dynamics
The responses of synapses in the neocortex show highly stochastic and
nonlinear behavior. The microscopic dynamics underlying this behavior, and its
computational consequences during natural patterns of synaptic input, are not
explained by conventional macroscopic models of deterministic ensemble mean
dynamics. Here, we introduce the correlation entropy of the synaptic
input-output map as a measure of synaptic reliability which explicitly includes
the microscopic dynamics. Applying this to experimental data, we find that
cortical synapses show a low-dimensional chaos driven by the natural input
pattern.Comment: 7 pages, 6 Figures (7 figure files
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