Development of a theory of the spectral reflectance of minerals, part 4

A theory of the spectral reflectance or emittance of particulate minerals was developed. The theory is expected to prove invaluable in the interpretation of the remote infrared spectra of planetary surfaces

A Variational Principle for the Asymptotic Speed of Fronts of the Density Dependent Diffusion--Reaction Equation

We show that the minimal speed for the existence of monotonic fronts of the equation $u_t = (u^m)_{xx} + f(u)$ with $f(0) = f(1) = 0$, $m >1$ and $f>0$ in $(0,1)$ derives from a variational principle. The variational principle allows to calculate, in principle, the exact speed for arbitrary $f$. The case $m=1$ when $f'(0)=0$ is included as an extension of the results.Comment: Latex, postcript figure availabl

Neural signatures of cognitive flexibility and reward sensitivity following nicotinic receptor stimulation in dependent smokers : a randomized trial

IMPORTANCE Withdrawal from nicotine is an important contributor to smoking relapse. Understanding how reward-based decision making is affected by abstinence and by pharmacotherapies such as nicotine replacement therapy and varenicline tartrate may aid cessation treatment. OBJECTIVE To independently assess the effects of nicotine dependence and stimulation of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor on the ability to interpret valence information (reward sensitivity) and subsequently alter behavior as reward contingencies change (cognitive flexibility) in a probabilistic reversal learning task. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS Nicotine-dependent smokers and nonsmokers completed a probabilistic reversal learning task during acquisition of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a 2-drug, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover design conducted from January 21, 2009, to September 29, 2011. Smokers were abstinent from cigarette smoking for 12 hours for all sessions. In a fully Latin square fashion, participants in both groups underwent MRI twice while receiving varenicline and twice while receiving a placebo pill, wearing either a nicotine or a placebo patch. Imaging analysis was performed from June 15, 2015, to August 10, 2016. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES A well-established computational model captured effects of smoking status and administration of nicotine and varenicline on probabilistic reversal learning choice behavior. Neural effects of smoking status, nicotine, and varenicline were tested for on MRI contrasts that captured reward sensitivity and cognitive flexibility. RESULTS The study included 24 nicotine-dependent smokers (12 women and 12 men; mean [SD] age, 35.8 [9.9] years) and 20 nonsmokers (10 women and 10 men; mean [SD] age, 30.4 [7.2] years). Computational modeling indicated that abstinent smokers were biased toward response shifting and that their decisions were less sensitive to the available evidence, suggesting increased impulsivity during withdrawal. These behavioral impairments were mitigated with nicotine and varenicline. Similarly, decreased mesocorticolimbic activity associated with cognitive flexibility in abstinent smokers was restored to the level of nonsmokers following stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (familywise error-corrected P<.05). Conversely, neural signatures of decreased reward sensitivity in smokers (vs nonsmokers; familywise error-corrected P<.05) in the dorsal striatum and anterior cingulate cortex were not mitigated by nicotine or varenicline. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE There was a double dissociation between the effects of chronic nicotine dependence on neural representations of reward sensitivity and acute effects of stimulation of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on behavioral and neural signatures of cognitive flexibility in smokers. These chronic and acute pharmacologic effects were observed in overlapping mesocorticolimbic regions, suggesting that available pharmacotherapies may alleviate deficits in the same circuitry for certain mental computations but not for others

Neutron diffraction in a model itinerant metal near a quantum critical point

Neutron diffraction measurements on single crystals of Cr1-xVx (x=0, 0.02, 0.037) show that the ordering moment and the Neel temperature are continuously suppressed as x approaches 0.037, a proposed Quantum Critical Point (QCP). The wave vector Q of the spin density wave (SDW) becomes more incommensurate as x increases in accordance with the two band model. At xc=0.037 we have found temperature dependent, resolution limited elastic scattering at 4 incommensurate wave vectors Q=(1+/-delta_1,2, 0, 0)*2pi/a, which correspond to 2 SDWs with Neel temperatures of 19 K and 300 K. Our neutron diffraction measurements indicate that the electronic structure of Cr is robust, and that tuning Cr to its QCP results not in the suppression of antiferromagnetism, but instead enables new spin ordering due to novel nesting of the Fermi surface of Cr.Comment: Submitted as a part of proceedings of LT25 (Amsterdam 2008

The Galam Model of Minority Opinion Spreading and the Marriage Gap

In 2002, Serge Galam designed a model of a minority opinion spreading. The effect is expected to lead a conservative minority to prevail if the issue is discussed long enough. Here we analyze the marriage gap, i.e. the difference in voting for Bush and Kerry in 2004 between married and unmarried people. It seems possible to interpret this marriage gap in terms of the Galam model.Comment: 6 page

A METHOD OF PROCESS IDENTIFICATION OF CERTIAN LINEAR CONTROL SYSTEMS

ln the case of a linear-lumped control system with slowly changing performance characteristic, the process identification problem can be solved by evaluating, as functions of time, the coefficients of the polynomials that constitute the transfer function of the undetermined control system. A method of estimating these coefficients is described; and its advantages and limitations are discussed. The technique applies only to linear-lumped control systems whose zeros are known, and hence estimates only the poles of the system. The accuracy of the estimation in the presence of noise is discussed. In particular, techniques are evolved to enable choice of the fixed systems to lessen any error in the estimation due to noise. Expressions are evolved for error estimation with gaussian noise and signals. Techniques are also discussed that further lessen the errors in the estimations once the fixed systems have been chosen. Finally, a computer simulation of the estimation method is presented for a few simple cases. Conclusions drawn from the simulation indicate that the method does indeed measure the unknown parameter and yield good results for reasonable noise levels. The simulation also corroborates the error reduction techniques previously discussed. (auth

Resource-Based View of Knowledge Management for Competitive Advantage

We are not only in a new millennium, but also in a new era: the knowledge era. Sustainable competitive advantage is dependent on building and exploiting core competencies. The resource-based view (RBV) of the firm defines a strategic asset as one that is rare, valuable, imperfectly imitiable and non-substitutable. Knowledge is seen as a strategic asset with the potential to be a source of competitive advantage for an organization. In this paper, we provide a model that examines how and why knowledge management (KM) can be sued to create competitive advantage from the RBV of the firm

The magnetic response at the metal–insulator transition in La1−xSrxTiO3 (abstract)

We report on recent inelastic neutron scattering measurements of the magnetic response close to the metal–insulator transition in La1−xSrxTiO3. Specific heat and susceptibility data from Tokura et al. give evidence for a divergent effective mass at the critical concentration xc=0.05 in agreement with recent mean‐field theories of the transition. The mass enhancement is believed to arise from the formation of a d‐electron resonance at the Fermi energy close to the transition. The aim of this investigation is to look for evidence of this resonance in the dynamic magnetic susceptibility. We studied samples with x=0, 0.05, and 0.2 using incident energies between 25 and 200 meV. After correction for the phonon scattering, we observe a broad response above a threshold of 20–30 meV extending to over 100 meV. In addition, the Mott insulating antiferromagnet (x=0) has a peak at 40 meV, consistent with the estimated activation energy derived from resistivity measurements. This feature becomes washed out with temperature and doping. Possible origins for this peak are discussed. © 1996 American Institute of Physics.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70552/2/JAPIAU-79-8-6432-1.pd