A revised HRD for individual components of binary systems from BaSeL BVRI synthetic photometry. Influence of interstellar extinction and stellar rotation

Johnson BVRI photometric data for individual components of binary systems have been provided by ten Brummelaar et al. (2000). This is essential because such binaries could play a critical role in calibrating the single-star stellar evolution theory. While they derived the effective temperature from their estimated spectral type, we infer metallicity-dependent Teffs from a minimizing method fitting the B-V, V-R and V-I colours. For this purpose, a grid of 621,600 flux distributions were computed from the Basel Stellar Library (BaSeL 2.2) of model-atmosphere spectra, and their theoretical colours compared with the observed photometry. As a matter of fact, the BaSeL colours show a very good agreement with the BVRI metallicity-dependent empirical calibrations of Alonso et al. (1996), temperatures being different by 3+-3 % in the range 4000-8000 K for dwarf stars. Before deriving the metallicity-dependent Teff from the BaSeL models, we paid particular attention to the influence of reddening and stellar rotation. A comparison between the MExcess code and neutral hydrogen column density data shows a good agreement for the sample but we point out a few directions where the MExcess model overestimates the E(B-V) colour excess. Influence of stellar rotation on the BVRI colours can be neglected except for 5 stars with large vsini, the maximum effect on temperature being less than 5%. Our final results are in good agreement with previous spectroscopic determinations available for a few primary components, and with ten Brummelaar et al. below ~10,000 K. Nevertheless, we obtain an increasing disagreement with their Teffs beyond 10,000 K. Finally, we provide a revised Hertzsprung-Russell diagram for the systems with the more accurately determined temperatures. (Abridged)Comment: 11 pages, accepted for publication in A&

Learning-by-doing, learning-by-exporting, and productivity : evidence from Colombia

The empirical evidence on whether participation in export markets increases plant-level productivity has been inconclusive so far. The authors explain this inconclusiveness by drawing on Arrow's (1962) characterization of learning-by-doing, which suggests focusing on young plants and using measures of export experience rather than export participation. They find strong evidence of learning-by-exporting for young Colombian manufacturing plants between 1981 and 1991: total factor productivity increases 4-5 percent for each additional year a plant has exported, after controlling for the effect of current exports on total factor productivity. Learning-by-exporting is more important for young than for old plants and in industries that deliver a larger percentage of their exports to high-income countries.Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Educational Sciences,Scientific Research&Science Parks

Numerical solution of open string field theory in Schnabl gauge

Using traditional Virasoro $L_0$ level-truncation computations, we evaluate the open bosonic string field theory action up to level $(10,30)$. Extremizing this level-truncated potential, we construct a numerical solution for tachyon condensation in Schnabl gauge. We find that the energy associated to the numerical solution overshoots the expected value $-1$ at level $L=6$. Extrapolating the level-truncation data for $L\leq 10$ to estimate the vacuum energies for $L > 10$, we predict that the energy reaches a minimum value at $L \sim 12$, and then turns back to approach $-1$ asymptotically as $L \rightarrow \infty$. Furthermore, we analyze the tachyon vacuum expectation value (vev), for which by extrapolating its corresponding level-truncation data, we predict that the tachyon vev reaches a minimum value at $L \sim 26$, and then turns back to approach the expected analytical result as $L \rightarrow \infty$.Comment: 37 pages, 9 figures, some typos correcte

Affiliative Subgroups in Preschool Classrooms: Integrating Constructs and Methods from Social Ethology and Sociometric Traditions

Recent studies of school-age children and adolescents have used social network analyses to characterize selection and socialization aspects of peer groups. Fewer network studies have been reported for preschool classrooms and many of those have focused on structural descriptions of peer networks, and/or, on selection processes rather than on social functions of subgroup membership. In this study we started by identifying and describing different types of affiliative subgroups (HMP- high mutual proximity, LMP- low mutual proximity, and ungrouped children) in a sample of 240 Portuguese preschool children using nearest neighbor observations. Next, we used additional behavioral observations and sociometric data to show that HMP and LMP subgroups are functionally distinct: HMP subgroups appear to reflect friendship relations, whereas LMP subgroups appear to reflect common social goals, but without strong, within-subgroup dyadic ties. Finally, we examined the longitudinal implications of subgroup membership and show that children classified as HMP in consecutive years had more reciprocated friendships than did children whose subgroup classification changed from LMP or ungrouped to HMP. These results extend previous findings reported for North American peer groups

Automatic identification of gait events using an instrumented sock

Background: textile-based transducers are an emerging technology in which piezo-resistive properties of materials are used to measure an applied strain. By incorporating these sensors into a sock, this technology offers the potential to detect critical events during the stance phase of the gait cycle. This could prove useful in several applications, such as functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems to assist gait. Methods: we investigated the output of a knitted resistive strain sensor during walking and sought to determine the degree of similarity between the sensor output and the ankle angle in the sagittal plane. In addition, we investigated whether it would be possible to predict three key gait events, heel strike, heel lift and toe off, with a relatively straight-forward algorithm. This worked by predicting gait events to occur at fixed time offsets from specific peaks in the sensor signal. Results: our results showed that, for all subjects, the sensor output exhibited the same general characteristics as the ankle joint angle. However, there were large between-subjects differences in the degree of similarity between the two curves. Despite this variability, it was possible to accurately predict gait events using a simple algorithm. This algorithm displayed high levels of trial-to-trial repeatability. Conclusions: this study demonstrates the potential of using textile-based transducers in future devices that provide active gait assistance

Affiliative Subgroups in Preschool Classrooms: Integrating Constructs and Methods from Social Ethology and Sociometric Traditions

Recent studies of school-age children and adolescents have used social network analyses to characterize selection and socialization aspects of peer groups. Fewer network studies have been reported for preschool classrooms and many of those have focused on structural descriptions of peer networks, and/or, on selection processes rather than on social functions of subgroup membership. In this study we started by identifying and describing different types of affiliative subgroups (HMP- high mutual proximity, LMP- low mutual proximity, and ungrouped children) in a sample of 240 Portuguese preschool children using nearest neighbor observations. Next, we used additional behavioral observations and sociometric data to show that HMP and LMP subgroups are functionally distinct: HMP subgroups appear to reflect friendship relations, whereas LMP subgroups appear to reflect common social goals, but without strong, within-subgroup dyadic ties. Finally, we examined the longitudinal implications of subgroup membership and show that children classified as HMP in consecutive years had more reciprocated friendships than did children whose subgroup classification changed from LMP or ungrouped to HMP. These results extend previous findings reported for North American peer groups