962 research outputs found
The role of avatars in e-government interfaces
This paper investigates the use of avatars to communicate live message in e-government interfaces. A comparative study is presented that evaluates the contribution of multimodal metaphors (including avatars) to the usability of interfaces for e-government and user trust. The communication metaphors evaluated included text, earcons, recorded speech and avatars. The experimental platform used for the experiment involved two interface versions with a sample of 30 users. The results demonstrated that the use of multimodal metaphors in an e-government interface can significantly contribute to enhancing the usability and increase trust of users to the e-government interface. A set of design guidelines, for the use of multimodal metaphors in e-government interfaces, was also produced
Rotation and pseudo-rotation
Eigenvectors of stress-energy tensor (the source in Einstein's equations)
form privileged bases in description of the corresponding space-times. When one
or more of these vector fields are rotating (the property well determined in
differential geometry), one says that the space-time executes this rotation.
Though the rotation in its proper sense is understood as that of a timelike
congruence (vector field), the rotation of a spacelike congruence is not a less
objective property if it corresponds to a canonical proper basis built of the
just mentioned eigenvectors. In this last case, we propose to speak on
pseudo-rotation. Both properties of metric, its material sources, and
space-time symmetries are considered in this paper.Comment: 13 pages, no figures, contains parts of the PhD Thesis of H. Vargas
Rodr\'igue
BDNF-TrkB signaling in striatopallidal neurons controls inhibition of locomotor behaviour
The physiology of brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling in enkephalinergic striatopallidal neurons is poorly understood. Changes in cortical Bdnf expression levels, and/or impairment in brain-derived neurotrophic factor anterograde transport induced by mutant huntingtin (mHdh) are believed to cause striatopallidal neuron vulnerability in early-stage Huntingtonâs disease. Although several studies have confirmed a link between altered cortical brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling and striatal vulnerability, it is not known whether the effects are mediated via the brain-derived neurotrophic factor receptor TrkB, and whether they are direct or indirect. Using a novel genetic mouse model, here, we show that selective removal of brain-derived neurotrophic factorâTrkB signaling from enkephalinergic striatal targets unexpectedly leads to spontaneous and drug-induced hyperlocomotion. This is associated with dopamine D2 receptor-dependent increased striatal protein kinase C and MAP kinase activation, resulting in altered intrinsic activation of striatal enkephalinergic neurons. Therefore, brain-derived neurotrophic factor/TrkB signaling in striatopallidal neurons controls inhibition of locomotor behavior by modulating neuronal activity in response to excitatory input through the protein kinase C/MAP kinase pathway
Nonlinear Lattice Waves in Random Potentials
Localization of waves by disorder is a fundamental physical problem
encompassing a diverse spectrum of theoretical, experimental and numerical
studies in the context of metal-insulator transition, quantum Hall effect,
light propagation in photonic crystals, and dynamics of ultra-cold atoms in
optical arrays. Large intensity light can induce nonlinear response, ultracold
atomic gases can be tuned into an interacting regime, which leads again to
nonlinear wave equations on a mean field level. The interplay between disorder
and nonlinearity, their localizing and delocalizing effects is currently an
intriguing and challenging issue in the field. We will discuss recent advances
in the dynamics of nonlinear lattice waves in random potentials. In the absence
of nonlinear terms in the wave equations, Anderson localization is leading to a
halt of wave packet spreading.
Nonlinearity couples localized eigenstates and, potentially, enables
spreading and destruction of Anderson localization due to nonintegrability,
chaos and decoherence. The spreading process is characterized by universal
subdiffusive laws due to nonlinear diffusion. We review extensive computational
studies for one- and two-dimensional systems with tunable nonlinearity power.
We also briefly discuss extensions to other cases where the linear wave
equation features localization: Aubry-Andre localization with quasiperiodic
potentials, Wannier-Stark localization with dc fields, and dynamical
localization in momentum space with kicked rotors.Comment: 45 pages, 19 figure
The trade-off between tidal-turbine array yield and impact on flow: A multi-objective optimisation problem
Abstract This paper introduces a new approach for investigating trade-offs between different societal objectives in the design of tidal-turbine arrays. This method is demonstrated through the trade-off between the yield of an array, and the extent to which that array alters the flow. This is posed as a multi-objective optimisation problem, and the problem is investigated using the array layout optimisation tool OpenTidalFarm. Motivated by environmental concerns, OpenTidalFarm is adapted to not only maximise array yield but also to minimise the effect of the array upon the hydrodynamics of the region, specifically the flow velocity. A linear scalarisation of the multi-objective optimisation problem is solved for a series of different weightings of the two conflicting objectives. Two idealised test scenarios are evaluated and in each case a set of Pareto solutions is found. These arrays are assessed for the power they generate and the severity of change they cause in the flow velocity. These analyses allow for the identification of trade-offs between these two objectives, while the methods proposed can similarly be applied to the two key societal objectives of energy production and conservation, thus providing information that could be valuable to stakeholders and policymakers when making decisions on array design
The Dynamical Behaviour of Test Particles in a Quasi-Spherical Spacetime and the Physical Meaning of Superenergy
We calculate the instantaneous proper radial acceleration of test particles
(as measured by a locally defined Lorentzian observer) in a Weyl spacetime,
close to the horizon. As expected from the Israel theorem, there appear some
bifurcations with respect to the spherically symmetric case (Schwarzschild),
which are explained in terms of the behaviour of the superenergy, bringing out
the physical relevance of this quantity in the study of general relativistic
systems.Comment: 14 pages, Latex. 4 figures. New references added. Typos corrected. To
appear in Int. J. Theor. Phy
Pseudoscalar Higgs boson production associated with a single bottom quark at hadron colliders
We compute the complete next-to-leading order (NLO) SUSY-QCD corrections for
the associated production of a pseudoscalar Higgs boson with a bottom quark via
bottom-gluon fusion at the CERN Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and the Fermilab
Tevatron. We find that the NLO QCD correction in the MSSM reaches
at the LHC and at the Tevatron in our chosen parameter space
Phenomenology of the Lense-Thirring effect in the Solar System
Recent years have seen increasing efforts to directly measure some aspects of
the general relativistic gravitomagnetic interaction in several astronomical
scenarios in the solar system. After briefly overviewing the concept of
gravitomagnetism from a theoretical point of view, we review the performed or
proposed attempts to detect the Lense-Thirring effect affecting the orbital
motions of natural and artificial bodies in the gravitational fields of the
Sun, Earth, Mars and Jupiter. In particular, we will focus on the evaluation of
the impact of several sources of systematic uncertainties of dynamical origin
to realistically elucidate the present and future perspectives in directly
measuring such an elusive relativistic effect.Comment: LaTex, 51 pages, 14 figures, 22 tables. Invited review, to appear in
Astrophysics and Space Science (ApSS). Some uncited references in the text
now correctly quoted. One reference added. A footnote adde
Recent glitches detected in the Crab pulsar
From 2000 to 2010, monitoring of radio emission from the Crab pulsar at
Xinjiang Observatory detected a total of nine glitches. The occurrence of
glitches appears to be a random process as described by previous researches. A
persistent change in pulse frequency and pulse frequency derivative after each
glitch was found. There is no obvious correlation between glitch sizes and the
time since last glitch. For these glitches and
span two orders of magnitude. The pulsar suffered the
largest frequency jump ever seen on MJD 53067.1. The size of the glitch is
6.8 Hz, 3.5 times that of the glitch occured in
1989 glitch, with a very large permanent changes in frequency and pulse
frequency derivative and followed by a decay with time constant 21 days.
The braking index presents significant changes. We attribute this variation to
a varying particle wind strength which may be caused by glitch activities. We
discuss the properties of detected glitches in Crab pulsar and compare them
with glitches in the Vela pulsar.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astrophysics & Space Scienc
Soft, collinear and non-relativistic modes in radiative decays of very heavy quarkonium
We analyze the end-point region of the photon spectrum in semi-inclusive
radiative decays of very heavy quarkonium (m alpha_s^2 >> Lambda_QCD). We
discuss the interplay of the scales arising in the Soft-Collinear Effective
Theory, m, m(1-z)^{1/2} and m(1-z) for z close to 1, with the scales of heavy
quarkonium systems in the weak coupling regime, m, m alpha_s and m alpha_s^2.
For 1-z \sim alpha_s^2 only collinear and (ultra)soft modes are seen to be
relevant, but the recently discovered soft-collinear modes show up for 1-z <<
alpha_s^2. The S- and P-wave octet shape functions are calculated. When they
are included in the analysis of the photon spectrum of the Upsilon (1S) system,
the agreement with data in the end-point region becomes excellent. The NRQCD
matrix elements and
are also obtained.Comment: Revtex, 11 pages, 6 figures. Minor improvements and references added.
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