Ghost Whispers: Physical Memory and the Self in Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex

In Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex director Kenji Kamiyama tells the story of Motoko Kusanagi, a young woman who has inhabited a prosthetic body from the age of six. Through her life and the lives of her team, Kamiyama presents how items of sentimental value can become the embodiment of memories. These items can help preserve self-identity in the face of existential doubt in the truthfulness of memory and the unknown body. In the two seasons of Stand Alone Complex, Kamiyama challenges Motoko by raising up two figures to serve as mirrors for her own life and choices and presents to the viewer the decisions that Motoko faces and why she chooses to reject them. In a franchise like Ghost in the Shell where the prosthetic cyborg interface easily becomes the focus, Kamiyama instead presents the humanity of Motoko Kusanagi and what she does to maintain herself despite the challenges she faces

Multidecadal increase in plastic particles in coastal ocean sediments.

We analyzed coastal sediments of the Santa Barbara Basin, California, for historical changes in microplastic deposition using a box core that spanned 1834-2009. The sediment was visually sorted for plastic, and a subset was confirmed as plastic polymers via FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) spectroscopy. After correcting for contamination introduced during sample processing, we found an exponential increase in plastic deposition from 1945 to 2009 with a doubling time of 15 years. This increase correlated closely with worldwide plastic production and southern California coastal population increases over the same period. Increased plastic loading in sediments has unknown consequences for deposit-feeding benthic organisms. This increase in plastic deposition in the post-World War II years can be used as a geological proxy for the Great Acceleration of the Anthropocene in the sedimentary record

Exploring research institutes: Structures, functioning and typology

Research institutes play an important role as part of the innovation landscape, which includes industrial, academic and governmental organisations. Although there is often much confusion over what constitutes an institute and there can even be a number of different terms associated with such organisational forms, including centres, networks, programmes and laboratories. Indeed institutes can enable multidisciplinary research and the translation of knowledge generated to deliver societal benefits and address industrial requirements. However, despite the benefits offered by establishing research institutes, there has been a distinct lack of studies in this area. Therefore, this paper provides the findings from an initial research study into the structure, functioning and typology of institutes. Following a literature review on institutes, a benchmarking study involving examination of 25 research institutes associated with the energy sector has been carried out. This study identified key features of the institutes, in regard to the research area, technology readiness level, funding, partners, organisational structure, leadership and governance arrangements. Subsequent analysis of these findings has resulted in three main types of institute being identified. The pros and cons for each institute type are provided along with recommendations on the development and management of research institutes

Polarization Requirements for Ensemble Implementations of Quantum Algorithms with a Single Bit Output

We compare the failure probabilities of ensemble implementations of quantum algorithms which use pseudo-pure initial states, quantified by their polarization, to those of competing classical probabilistic algorithms. Specifically we consider a class algorithms which require only one bit to output the solution to problems. For large ensemble sizes, we present a general scheme to determine a critical polarization beneath which the quantum algorithm fails with greater probability than its classical competitor. We apply this to the Deutsch-Jozsa algorithm and show that the critical polarization is 86.6%.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figure

Newtonian mechanics of neutron superfluid in elastic star crust

To account for pulsar frequency glitches, it is necessary to use a neutron star crust model allowing not only for neutron superfluidity but also for elastic solidity. These features have been treated separarately in previous treatments of crust matter, but are combined here in a unified treatment that is based on the use of a Lagrangian master functon, so that the coherence the system is ensured by the relevant Noether identities. As well as the model obtained directly from the variation principle, the same master function can provide other conservative alternatives, allowing in particular for the effect of perfect vortex pinning. It is also shown how such models can be generalised to allow for dissipative effects, including that of imperfect pinning, meaning vortex drag or creep.Comment: 31 pages Late

The type specimens and type localities of the orangutans, genus Pongo Lacépède, 1799 (Primates: Hominidae)

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tnah20Uncertain type localities undermine orangutan nomenclature. Bequeathed to the British Museum, the holotype of Pongo pygmaeus, according to Hans Sloane’s catalogue, came from Borneo and died in China. The historical evidence makes Banjarmasin its most probable type locality. William Montgomerie, Assistant Surgeon at Singapore from 1819-1827, and Senior Surgeon from 1832, supplied the holotype of Simia morio. In 1836 an adult female orangutan reached Singapore alive from Pontianak, Borneo. The holotypes of S. morio, S. hendrikzii, S. straussii and P[ithecus] owenii probably had the same origin, as pirate attacks endangered visits to other Bornean coasts. Absent from Brunei and north Sarawak, Malaysia, throughout the Holocene, orangutans occur there only as Pleistocene subfossils at Niah. Pan vetus (the Piltdown mandible) probably came from Paku, Sarawak. We identify Pongo borneo Lacépède, 1799 as an objective senior synonym of P. wurmbii Tiedemann, 1808, correcting its type locality from Sukadana to near Pontianak. This is the earliest name for the western subspecies (previously thought nominotypical) unless Pithecus curtus, probably from the Sadong River, Sarawak, represents a separate subspecies. If so, the name Pongo borneo would transfer to the southern population west of the Kahayan River, genetically distinguished at species level from the Sumatran orangutan, P. abelii.This is an original manuscript / preprint of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Journal of Natural History on 20 July 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/00222933.2016.1190414NHM Repositor

JV Task 106 - Feasibility of CO2 Capture Technologies for Existing North Dakota Lignite-Fired Pulverized Coal Boilers

The goal of this project is to provide a technical review and evaluation of various carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) capture technologies, with a focus on the applicability to lignite-fired facilities within North Dakota. The motivation for the project came from the Lignite Energy Council's (LEC's) need to identify the feasibility of CO{sub 2} capture technologies for existing North Dakota lignite-fired, pulverized coal (pc) power plants. A literature review was completed to determine the commercially available technologies as well as to identify emerging CO{sub 2} capture technologies that are currently in the research or demonstration phase. The literature review revealed few commercially available technologies for a coal-fired power plant. CO{sub 2} separation and capture using amine scrubbing have been performed for several years in industry and could be applied to an existing pc-fired power plant. Other promising technologies do exist, but many are still in the research and demonstration phases. Oxyfuel combustion, a technology that has been used in industry for several years to increase boiler efficiency, is in the process of being tailored for CO{sub 2} separation and capture. These two technologies were chosen for evaluation for CO{sub 2} separation and capture from coal-fired power plants. Although oxyfuel combustion is still in the pilot-scale demonstration phase, it was chosen to be evaluated at LEC's request because it is one of the most promising emerging technologies. As part of the evaluation of the two chosen technologies, a conceptual design, a mass and energy balance, and an economic evaluation were completed

Co-crystal structure of the Fusobacterium ulcerans ZTP riboswitch using an X-ray free-electron laser.

Riboswitches are conformationally dynamic RNAs that regulate gene expression by binding specific small molecules. ZTP riboswitches bind the purine-biosynthetic intermediate 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide riboside 5\u27-monophosphate (ZMP) and its triphosphorylated form (ZTP). Ligand binding to this riboswitch ultimately upregulates genes involved in folate and purine metabolism. Using an X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL), the room-temperature structure of the Fusobacterium ulcerans ZTP riboswitch bound to ZMP has now been determined at 4.1 Å resolution. This model, which was refined against a data set from ∼750 diffraction images (each from a single crystal), was found to be consistent with that previously obtained from data collected at 100 K using conventional synchrotron X-radiation. These experiments demonstrate the feasibility of time-resolved XFEL experiments to understand how the ZTP riboswitch accommodates cognate ligand binding

First cohomology for finite groups of Lie type: simple modules with small dominant weights

Let $k$ be an algebraically closed field of characteristic $p > 0$, and let $G$ be a simple, simply connected algebraic group defined over $\mathbb{F}_p$. Given $r \geq 1$, set $q=p^r$, and let $G(\mathbb{F}_q)$ be the corresponding finite Chevalley group. In this paper we investigate the structure of the first cohomology group $H^1(G(\mathbb{F}_q),L(\lambda))$ where $L(\lambda)$ is the simple $G$-module of highest weight $\lambda$. Under certain very mild conditions on $p$ and $q$, we are able to completely describe the first cohomology group when $\lambda$ is less than or equal to a fundamental dominant weight. In particular, in the cases we consider, we show that the first cohomology group has dimension at most one. Our calculations significantly extend, and provide new proofs for, earlier results of Cline, Parshall, Scott, and Jones, who considered the special case when $\lambda$ is a minimal nonzero dominant weight.Comment: 24 pages, 5 figures, 6 tables. Typos corrected and some proofs streamlined over previous versio