3,758 research outputs found
Observational Characterization of the Downward Atmospheric Longwave Radiation at the Surface in the City of São Paulo
This work describes the seasonal and diurnal variations of downward longwave atmospheric irradiance (LW) at the surface in São Paulo, Brazil, using 5-min-averaged values of LW, air temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiation observed continuously and simultaneously from 1997 to 2006 on a micrometeorological platform, located at the top of a 4-story building. An objective procedure, including 2-step filtering and dome emission effect correction, was used to evaluate the quality of the 9-yr-long LW dataset. The comparison between LW values observed and yielded by the Surface Radiation Budget project shows spatial and temporal agreement, indicating that monthly and annual average values of LW observed in one point of São Paulo can be used as representative of the entire metropolitan region of São Paulo. The maximum monthly averaged value of the LW is observed during summer (389 ± 14 W m-2; January), and the minimum is observed during winter (332 ± 12 W m-2; July). The effective emissivity follows the LW and shows a maximum in summer (0.907 ± 0.032; January) and a minimum in winter (0.818 ± 0.029; June). The mean cloud effect, identified objectively by comparing the monthly averaged values of the LW during clear-sky days and all-sky conditions, intensified the monthly average LW by about 32.0 ± 3.5 W m-2 and the atmospheric effective emissivity by about 0.088 ± 0.024. In August, the driest month of the year in São Paulo, the diurnal evolution of the LW shows a minimum (325 ± 11 W m-2) at 0900 LT and a maximum (345 ± 12 W m-2) at 1800 LT, which lags behind (by 4 h) the maximum diurnal variation of the screen temperature. The diurnal evolution of effective emissivity shows a minimum (0.781 ± 0.027) during daytime and a maximum (0.842 ± 0.030) during nighttime. The diurnal evolution of all-sky condition and clear-sky day differences in the effective emissivity remain relatively constant (7% ± 1%), indicating that clouds do not change the emissivity diurnal pattern. The relationship between effective emissivity and screen air temperature and between effective emissivity and water vapor is complex. During the night, when the planetary boundary layer is shallower, the effective emissivity can be estimated by screen parameters. During the day, the relationship between effective emissivity and screen parameters varies from place to place and depends on the planetary boundary layer process. Because the empirical expressions do not contain enough information about the diurnal variation of the vertical stratification of air temperature and moisture in São Paulo, they are likely to fail in reproducing the diurnal variation of the surface emissivity. The most accurate way to estimate the LW for clear-sky conditions in São Paulo is to use an expression derived from a purely empirical approach
Muziekonderwijs voor kinderen met speciale onderwijsbehoeften
Er komt steeds meer wetenschappelijk bewijs
voor positieve effecten van muziekbeoefening op
het sociale, psychologische en fysieke welzijn van
mensen. Vooral voor kinderen met beperkingen en
speciale onderwijsbehoeften kan dat waardevol zijn
en meer onderzoek hiernaar is dan ook wenselijk,
stellen Eva Wilde, Adam Ockelford en Graham Welch.
In dit artikel beschrijven ze het project Sounds of
Intent, het eerste empirische onderzoeksproject dat de
muzikale ontwikkeling van kinderen en jongeren met
leerproblemen in kaart brengt en een eerste poging
doet om vast te stellen hoe die ontwikkeling tot stand
komt
Electron and hole transmission through superconductor - normal metal interfaces
We have investigated the transmission of electrons and holes through
interfaces between superconducting aluminum (Tc = 1.2 K) and various normal
non-magnetic metals (copper, gold, palladium, platinum, and silver) using
Andreev-reflection spectroscopy at T = 0.1 K. We analyzed the point contacts
with the modified BTK theory that includes Dynes' lifetime as a fitting
parameter G in addition to superconducting energy gap 2D and normal reflection
described by Z. For contact areas from 1 nm^2 to 10000 nm^2 the BTK Z parameter
was 0.5, corresponding to transmission coefficients of about 80 %, independent
of the normal metal. The very small variation of Z indicates that the
interfaces have a negligible dielectric tunneling barrier. Fermi surface
mismatch does not account for the observed transmission coefficient.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, submitted to Proceedings of the 19th
International Conference on Magnetism ICM2012 (Busan 2012
The olfactory coreceptor IR8a governs larval feces-mediated competition avoidance in a hawkmoth
Finding a suitable oviposition site is a challenging task for a gravid female moth. At the same time, it is of paramount importance considering the limited capability of most caterpillars to relocate to alternative host plants. The hawkmoth, Manduca sexta, oviposits on solanaceous plants. Larvae hatching on a plant that is already attacked by conspecific caterpillars face food competition. Here, we show that feces from conspecific caterpillars are sufficient to deter a female M. sexta from ovipositing on a plant. Furthermore, we not only identify the responsible compound in the feces but also localize the population of sensory neurons that governs the female’s avoidance. Hence, our work increases the understanding of how animals cope with a competitive environment
Features of Time-independent Wigner Functions
The Wigner phase-space distribution function provides the basis for Moyal's
deformation quantization alternative to the more conventional Hilbert space and
path integral quantizations. General features of time-independent Wigner
functions are explored here, including the functional ("star") eigenvalue
equations they satisfy; their projective orthogonality spectral properties;
their Darboux ("supersymmetric") isospectral potential recursions; and their
canonical transformations. These features are illustrated explicitly through
simple solvable potentials: the harmonic oscillator, the linear potential, the
Poeschl-Teller potential, and the Liouville potential.Comment: 18 pages, plain LaTex, References supplemente
Comment on `A scattering quantum circuit for measuring Bell's time inequality: a nuclear magnetic resonance demonstration using maximally mixed states'
A recent paper by Souza, Oliveira and Sarthour (SOS) reports the experimental
violation of a Leggett-Garg inequality (sometimes referred to as a temporal
Bell inequality). The inequality tests for quantum mechanical superposition: if
the inequality is violated, the dynamics cannot be explained by a large class
of classical theories under the heading of macrorealism. Experimental tests of
the LG inequality are beset by the difficulty of performing the necessary
so-called 'non-invasive' measurements (which for the macrorealist will extract
information from a system of interest without disturbing it). SOS argue that
they nevertheless achieve this difficult goal by putting the system in a
maximally mixed state. The system then allegedly undergoes no perturbation
during their experiment. Unfortunately the method is ultimately unconvincing to
a skeptical macrorealist, and so the conclusions drawn by SOS are unjustified.Comment: 6 pages, 1 figur
Equilibrium basal-plane magnetization of superconductive YNi(2)B(2)C - the influence of non-local electrodynamics
For a single crystal of YNi(2)B(2)C superconductor, the equilibrium
magnetization M in the square basal plane has been studied experimentally as a
function of temperature and magnetic field. While the magnetization M(H)
deviates from conventional London predictions, a recent extension of London
theory (to include effects of non-local electrodynamics) describes the
experiments accurately. The resulting superconductive parameters are well
behaved. These results are compared with corresponding findings for the case
with M perpendicular to the basal plane.Comment: 7 pages, 5 Postscript Figures, 2 table
An occupational therapy intervention for residents with stroke related disabilities in UK care homes (OTCH): cluster randomised controlled trial
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of an established programme of occupational therapy in maintaining functional activity and reducing further health risks from inactivity in care home residents living with stroke sequelae.
Design Pragmatic, parallel group, cluster randomised controlled trial.
Setting 228 care homes (>10 beds each), both with and without the provision of nursing care, local to 11 trial administrative centres across the United Kingdom.
Participants 1042 care home residents with a history of stroke or transient ischaemic attack, including those with language and cognitive impairments, not receiving end of life care. 114 homes (n=568 residents, 64% from homes providing nursing care) were allocated to the intervention arm and 114 homes (n=474 residents, 65% from homes providing nursing care) to standard care (control arm). Participating care homes were randomised between May 2010 and March 2012.
Intervention Targeted three month programme of occupational therapy, delivered by qualified occupational therapists and assistants, involving patient centred goal setting, education of care home staff, and adaptations to the environment.
Main outcome measures Primary outcome at the participant level: scores on the Barthel index of activities of daily living at three months post-randomisation. Secondary outcome measures at the participant level: Barthel index scores at six and 12 months post-randomisation, and scores on the Rivermead mobility index, geriatric depression scale-15, and EuroQol EQ-5D-3L questionnaire, at all time points.
Results 64% of the participants were women and 93% were white, with a mean age of 82.9 years. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups for all measures, personal characteristics, and diagnostic tests. Overall, 2538 occupational therapy visits were made to 498 participants in the intervention arm (mean 5.1 visits per participant). No adverse events attributable to the intervention were recorded. 162 (11%) died before the primary outcome time point, and 313 (30%) died over the 12 months of the trial. The primary outcome measure did not differ significantly between the treatment arms. The adjusted mean difference in Barthel index score at three months was 0.19 points higher in the intervention arm (95% confidence interval −0.33 to 0.70, P=0.48). Secondary outcome measures also showed no significant differences at all time points.
Conclusions This large phase III study provided no evidence of benefit for the provision of a routine occupational therapy service, including staff training, for care home residents living with stroke related disabilities. The established three month individualised course of occupational therapy targeting stroke related disabilities did not have an impact on measures of functional activity, mobility, mood, or health related quality of life, at all observational time points. Providing and targeting ameliorative care in this clinically complex population requires alternative strategies
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