Promoting Airport Walking: A Guide

A study found that signs placed in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to promote passengers walking to airport gates rather than taking shuttles resulted in several hundred more passengers a day choosing to walk (ceiling-mounted infrared sensors were used to count travelers entering and exiting the study location). The project was supported by Kresge and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The study also produced a guide, "Promoting Airport Walking," intended primarily for airport managers who want their airports to encourage healthy habits and improve customer experiences

Magnetic phase diagram of the frustrated S=1/2 chain magnet LiCu_2O_2

We present the results of the magnetization and dielectric constant measurements on untwinned single crystal samples of the frustrated S=1/2 chain cuprate LiCu_2O_2. Novel magnetic phase transitions were observed. A spin flop transition of the spiral spin plane was observed for the field orientations H||a,b. The second magnetic transition was observed at H~15 T for all three principal field directions. This high field magnetic phase is discussed as a collinear spin-modulated phase which is expected for an S=1/2 nearest-neighbor ferromagnetic and next-nearest-neighbor antiferromagnetic chain system

Isolation and characterization of the full-length cDNA encoding a member of a novel cytochrome p450 family (CYP320A1) from the tropical freshwater snail, Biomphalaria glabrata, intermediate host for Schistosoma mansoni

Cytochrome p450s (cyp450s) are a family of structurally related proteins, with diverse functions, including steroid synthesis and breakdown of toxins. This paper reports the full-length sequence of a novel cyp450 gene, the first to be isolated from the tropical freshwater snail Biomphalaria glabrata, an important intermediate host of Schistosoma mansoni. The nucleotide sequence is 2291 bp with a predicted amino acid sequence of 584aa. The sequence demonstrates conserved cyp450 structural motifs, but is sufficiently different from previously reported cyp450 sequences to be given a new classification, CYP320A1. Initially identified as down-regulated in partially resistant snails in response to S. mansoni infection, amplification of this gene using RT-PCR in both totally resistant or susceptible snail lines when exposed to infection, and all tissues examined, suggests ubiquitous expression. Characterization of the first cyp450 from B. glabrata is significant in understanding the evolution of these metabolically important proteins

Cross‐scale seismic anisotropy analysis in metamorphic rocks from the COSC‐1 borehole in the Scandinavian Caledonides

Metamorphic and deformed rocks in thrust zones show particularly high seismic anisotropy causing challenges for seismic imaging and interpretation. A good example is the Seve Nappe Complex in central Sweden, an old exhumed orogenic thrust zone that is characterized by a strong but incoherent seismic reflectivity and considerable seismic anisotropy. However, only little is known about their origin in relation to composition and structural influences on measurements at different seismic scales. Here, we present a new integrative study of cross‐scale seismic anisotropy analyses combining mineralogical composition, microstructural analyses and seismic laboratory experiments from the COSC‐1 borehole, which sampled a 2.5 km‐deep section of metamorphic rocks deformed in an orogenic root now preserved in the Lower Seve Nappe. While there is strong crystallographic preferred orientation in most samples in general, variations in anisotropy depend mostly on bulk mineral composition and dominant core lithology as shown by a strong correlation between these. This relationship enables to identify three distinct seismic anisotropy facies providing a continuous anisotropy profile along the borehole. Moreover, comparison of laboratory seismic measurements and electron‐backscatter diffraction data reveals a strong scale‐dependence, which is more pronounced in the highly deformed, heterogeneous samples. This highlights the need for comprehensive cross‐validation of microscale anisotropy analyses with additional lithological data when integrating seismic anisotropy over seismic scales

Full particle simulation of a perpendicular collisionless shock: A shock-rest-frame model

The full kinetic dynamics of a perpendicular collisionless shock is studied by means of a one-dimensional electromagnetic full particle simulation. The present simulation domain is taken in the shock rest frame in contrast to the previous full particle simulations of shocks. Preliminary results show that the downstream state falls into a unique cyclic reformation state for a given set of upstream parameters through the self-consistent kinetic processes.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures, published in "Earth, Planets and Space" (EPS), the paper with full resolution images is http://theo.phys.sci.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/~ryo/papers/shock_rest.pd

Relativistic Landau resonances

The possible interactions between plasma waves and relativistic charged particles are considered. An electromagnetic perturbation in the plasma is formulated as an elliptically polarized wave, and the collisionless plasma is described by a distribution in phase space, which is realized in cylindrical coordinates. The linearized Vlasov equation is solved in the semi-relativistic limit, to obtain the distribution function in the rest frame of the observer. The perturbed currents supported by the ionized medium are then calculated, so that an expression can be written for the total amount of energy available for transfer through the Landau mechanism. It is found that only certain modes of the perturbed current are available for this energy transfer. The final expressions are presented in terms of Stokes parameters, and applied to the special cases of a thermal as well as a nonthermal plasma. The thermal plasma is described by a Maxwellian distribution, while two nonthermal distributions are considered: the kappa distribution and a generalized Weibull distribution

Statistical Communication Theory

Contains reports on eleven research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant MH-04737-03)National Science Foundation (Grant G-16526)National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Grant NsG-496

New high magnetic field phase of the frustrated S=1/2S=1/2 chain compound LiCuVO4_4

Magnetization of the frustrated $S=1/2$ chain compound LiCuVO$_4$, focusing on high magnetic field phases, is reported. Besides a spin-flop transition and the transition from a planar spiral to a spin modulated structure observed recently, an additional transition was observed just below the saturation field. This newly observed magnetic phase is considered as a spin nematic phase, which was predicted theoretically but was not observed experimentally. The critical fields of this phase and its dM/dH curve are in good agreement with calculations performed in a microscopic model (M. E. Zhitomirsky and H. Tsunetsugu, preprint, arXiv:1003.4096v2).Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Good Quantum Convolutional Error Correction Codes And Their Decoding Algorithm Exist

Quantum convolutional code was introduced recently as an alternative way to protect vital quantum information. To complete the analysis of quantum convolutional code, I report a way to decode certain quantum convolutional codes based on the classical Viterbi decoding algorithm. This decoding algorithm is optimal for a memoryless channel. I also report three simple criteria to test if decoding errors in a quantum convolutional code will terminate after a finite number of decoding steps whenever the Hilbert space dimension of each quantum register is a prime power. Finally, I show that certain quantum convolutional codes are in fact stabilizer codes. And hence, these quantum stabilizer convolutional codes have fault-tolerant implementations.Comment: Minor changes, to appear in PR

Relaxed fine-tuning in models with non-universal gaugino masses

We study, in a bottom-up approach, the fine-tuning problem between soft SUSY breaking parameters and the $\mu$-term for the successful electroweak symmetry breaking in the minimal supersymmetric standard model. It is shown that certain nontrivial ratios between gaugino masses, that is non-universal gaugino masses, are necessary at the GUT scale, in order for the fine-tuning to be reduced above 10 % order. In addition, when all the gaugino masses should be regarded as independent ones in their origins, a small gluino mass $M_3 \lesssim 120$ GeV and a non-vanishing $A$-term $A_t \sim O(M_3)$ associated to top squarks are also required at the GUT scale as well as the non-universality. On the other hand, when we consider some UV theory, which fixes ratios of soft SUSY breaking parameters as certain values with the overall magnitude, heavier spectra are allowed. It is favored that the gluino and wino masses are almost degenerate at the weak scale, while wider region of bino mass is favorable.Comment: 17 pages, 29 figure