The qualitative assessment of responsiveness to environmental challenge in horses and ponies.

The responsiveness of 10 horses and 10 ponies to environmental challenge (represented by an open field test) was assessed using a qualitative approach based on free choice profiling methodology (FCP), which gives observers complete freedom to choose their own descriptive terms. Data were analysed with generalised Procrustes analysis (GPA), a multivariate statistical technique associated with FCP. A cross-validation of the outcomes of this approach to data recorded through quantitative behaviour analysis, and through a questionnaire given to the animals’ owner/riding instructor, was also performed using principal component analysis (PCA). Twelve undergraduate students generated their own descriptive vocabularies, by watching 20 horse/pony video clips lasting 2.5 min each. GPA showed that the consensus profile explained a high percentage of variation among the 12 observers, and differed significantly from the mean randomised profile ( p < 0.001). Two main dimensions of the consensus profile were identified, explaining 60% and 5.2% of the variation between animals, respectively. The 12 observer word charts interpreting these dimensions were semantically consistent, as they all converged towards the same meaning, albeit using different terms. The most used term to describe the positive end of axis 1 was ‘‘quiet’’, whereas ‘‘attentive’’ was the best positive descriptor of axis 2. The most frequently used descriptors for the negative ends of axes 1 and 2 were ‘‘nervous’’ and ‘‘bored’’, respectively. Thus, axis 1 was labelled as ‘‘quiet/nervous’’ and axis 2 was named as ‘‘attentive/bored’’. A marked effect of animal category was observed on the scores of the animals on the first dimension ( p < 0.001). Horses received significantly higher scores, and were thus assessed as more quiet and calm, than ponies. Conversely, ponies tended to receive lower scores on the second dimension ( p < 0.12), therefore they appeared less curious and attentive. The results of the PCA showed that the variables from different types of measurement clearly had meaningful relationships. For instance, the variables with the highest loading on the positive end of axis 1 were all indicative of tractable and docile animals, whereas axis 2 showed high loadings on the positive end for variables indicating attentive animals. Qualitative behaviour assessment proved to be an appropriate methodology for the study of horse behavioural responsiveness, in that it provided a multifaceted characterisation of horse behavioural expression that was in agreement with other quantitative and subjective assessments of the animals’ behaviour

The Vertex detector of the LHCb Experiment: The VeLo

The LHCb experiment is the dedicated b physics experiment of the LHC that will study CP violation and rare b decays. Its vertex detector called VeLo (Vertex Locator) has been designed to achieve an impact parameter resolution of 14μm + 35μm/pT and a propertime resolution of 40fs−1. The main components of the detector and module are introduced focusing on the radiation hard front end Beetle chip, the radiation tolerant silicon sensors and the readout system of the detector. In preliminary testbeam results a resolution of 8μm and 4μm for tracks of angle 0.16rad has been measured. Construction, assembly and commissioning are currently on going. The latest commissioning showing the successful performance of the VeLo alignment algorithm

Influence of space allowance on the welfare of weaned buffalo (Bubalus Bubalis) calves

Twenty weaned female buffalo calves were used to evaluate the effect of space allowance in relation to their body surface area on a range of behavioural and physiological parameters. Body surface area in m2 was calculated as 0.12 body weight0.60. Ten calves received 50% of body surface as space allocation (Group 50), 10 others received 90% of body surface area (Group 90). Animals in Group 50 lay with a lower number of outstretched legs than calves in Group 90. Buffaloes from Group 50 were observed standing more frequently than animals from Group 90 ( P < 0.001). The proportions of idling ( P < 0.01) and lying idle observations ( P < 0.001) were higher for Group 90 than for Group 50. Group 90 performed a higher number of non-agonistic interactions than Group 50 ( P < 0.01), whereas the opposite was observed for the number of agonistic interactions ( P < 0.01). When exposed to open field testing, Group 50 animals displayed an increased duration of movement, number of galloping events and more vocalisation. Neither immune responses to phytohemagglutinin and ovalbumin nor the cortisol response to exogenous ACTH were affected by treatment. It was concluded that 50% of body surface area may be an inadequate space allowance for weaned calves

An exploratory study towards development of a new communication strategy for IBS

A ISCTE-IUL Business School (IBS) tem sido objecto de profundos transformações dos últimos anos por forma a acomodar as mudanças legislativas ocorridas tanto em Portugal como na União Europeia no sequência do “ Processo de Bolonha”. Um dos objectivos da IBS é tornar-se uma importante instituição no mercado Europeu da educação. Para atingir este objectivo, a IBS iniciou uma série de programas de carácter internacional. Na sua essência são bons programas embora ainda se verifique uma falta de experiência no que concerne à sua disponibilização no mercado. Neste contexto, é imperativo o desenvolvimento e a implementação de uma estratégia de marketing. Assim, a estratégia global a adoptar relacionar-se, nomeadamente, com a promoção da Imagem de Marca da IBS. Ao promover a sua imagem, a IBS poderá uma base sustentada a partir da qual poderá desenvolver novos programas Internacionais, mantendo uma forte notoriedade e visibilidade nos mercados Português e Europeu. Com o objectivo de endereçar esta nova direcção estratégica a IBS terá de executar um conjunto de acção que operacionalizem a nova direcção estratégica. Assim, a IBS deverá melhorar o seu sítio na Internet de modo a que seja ímpar, deverá também promover merchandizing, iniciar um programa que enfatize à publicidade “boca a boca” e ainda criar novas especializações no quadro dos programas já existentes. Afigure-se ainda fundamental a utilização da extensa rede de contactos da instituição no auxílio à promoção da IBS através da criação de novas formas de divulgação. Este conjunto de acção poderá servir o objectivo da promoção da Imagem de Marca da IBS como visto ao atingimento dos seus objectivos estratégicos de longo prazo.The ISCTE-IUL Business School (IBS) has in recent years been changing a lot in order to benefit from the legislative changes that occurred within Portugal and the European Union following the bologna process. One of the goals of the IBS is to become a strong player within the European education industry. In order to achieve this goal the IBS has started new international programs. These international programs are inherently good programs but the IBS may lack experience with regard to the communication of these programs. Therefore, it is necessary to form a coherent communication strategy and corresponding action plan. The overall strategy to be adopted is to promote the Brand Image of the IBS. By promoting the Brand Image the IBS will have a stable base on which to build further international programs while maintaining the strong position within the Portuguese and European markets. In order to realize the new strategic direction the IBS has to adopt the corresponding action planning. The IBS should adapt the website to make it more state of the art, the IBS should merchandize and start an endorsement program to support the word-of-mouth advocacy and also to create new specializations within the programs. It is also necessary for the IBS to use their extensive corporate network to create other systems in which to help promotion of the IBS. This action plan will definitely serve the goal of promoting the IBS brand image that will ultimately support the long-term goals of the IBS

A fifty year record of winter glacier melt events in southern Chile, 38°–42°S

Little is known about the frequency and potential mass balance impact of winter glacier melt events. In this study, daily atmospheric temperature soundings from the Puerto Montt radiosonde (41.43°S) are used to reconstruct winter melting events at the glacier equilibrium line altitude in the 38°–42°S region of southern Chile, between 1960 and 2010. The representativeness of the radiosonde temperatures to near-surface glacier temperatures is demonstrated using meteorological records from close to the equilibrium line on two glaciers in the region over five winters. Using a degree-day model we estimate an average of 0.28 m of melt and 21 melt days in the 15 June–15 September period each year, with high inter-annual variability. The majority of melt events are associated with midlatitude migratory high pressure systems crossing Chile and northwesterly flows, that force adiabatic compression and warm advection, respectively. There are no trends in the frequency or magnitude of melt events over the period of record, but the annual frequency of winter melt days shows a significant, although rather weak and probably non-linear, relationship to late winter and early spring values of a multivariate El Niño Southern Oscillation Index (MEI)

Pulse propagation in decorated granular chains: An analytical approach

We study pulse propagation in one-dimensional chains of spherical granules decorated with small grains placed between large granules. The effect of the small granules can be captured by replacing the decorated chains by undecorated chains of large granules of appropriately renormalized mass and effective interaction between the large granules. This allows us to obtain simple analytic expressions for the pulse propagation properties using a generalization of the binary collision approximation introduced in our earlier work [Phys. Rev. E in print (2009); Phys. Rev. E {\bf 69}, 037601 (2004)]Comment: 10 pages and 12 figure

Vacuum Breakdown near a Black Hole Charged by Hypercritical Accretion

We consider a black hole accreting spherically from the surrounding medium. If accretion produces a luminosity close to the Eddington limit the hole acquires a net charge so that electrons and ions can fall with the same velocity. The condition for the electrostatic field to be large enough to break the vacuum near the hole horizon translates into an upper limit for the hole mass, $M\sim 6.6\times 10^{20} {\rm g}.$ The astrophysical conditions under which this phaenomenon can take place are rather extreme, but in principle they could be met by a mini black hole residing at the center of a star.Comment: 6 pages, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journa

Observation of two-wave structure in strongly nonlinear dissipative granular chains

In a strongly nonlinear viscous granular chain under conditions of loading that exclude stationary waves (e.g., impact by a single grain) we observe a pulse that consists of two interconnected but distinct parts. One is a leading narrow "primary pulse" with properties similar to a solitary wave in a "sonic vacuum." It arises from strong nonlinearity and discreteness in the absence of dissipation, but now decays due to viscosity. The other is a broad, much more persistent shock-like "secondary pulse" trailing the primary pulse and caused by viscous dissipation. The medium behind the primary pulse is transformed from a "sonic vacuum" to a medium with finite sound speed. When the rapidly decaying primary pulse dies, the secondary pulse continues to propagate in the "sonic vacuum," with an oscillatory front if the viscosity is relatively small, until its eventual (but very slow) disintegration. Beyond a critical viscosity there is no separation of the two pulses, and the dissipation and nonlinearity dominate the shock-like attenuating pulse which now exhibits a nonoscillatory front

International Organizations as Normative Agenda Setters: Social Influence and Reputational Costs in the effects of the International Human Rights Regime

This paper focuses on the question of how International Organizations (IOs) influence states. In particular, we assess the role of the mechanism of social influence in shaping states’ normative (discursive) behavior, by looking at the “reporting procedure” of the Human Rights Committee (HRC) of the United Nations (UN). Our study finds that in the definition of the substantive content of their “periodic reports,” states follow the human rights agenda set by the HRC in its “concluding observations.” In this sense, we provide systematic evidence that shows that, through social influence, even poorly “legalized” IOs can have an influence over state (discursive) practices