Statistical Properties of SGR J1550-5418 Bursts

Magnetars are slowly rotating neutron stars with extreme magnetic fields, over 10(exp 15) Gauss. Only few have been discovered in the last 30 years. These sources are dormant most of their lifetimes and become randomly active emitting multiple soft gamma-ray bursts. We present here our results on the temporal analysis of ~300 bursts from Soft Gamma Repeater SGR J1550-5418 recorded with the Gamma-ray Burst Monitor (GBM) onboard the Fermi Observatory during its activation on January 22-29, 2009. We employed an un-triggered burst search in the energy range 8-100keV to collect all events from the source, besides the ones that triggered GBM. For the entire sample of bursts we determined their durations, rise and decay times. We study here the statistical properties of these characteristics and discuss how these may help us better understand the physical characteristics of the magnetar model

False killer whale dorsal fin disfigurements as a possible indicator of long-line fishery interactions in Hawaiian Waters

Scarring resulting from entanglement in fishing gear can be used to examine cetacean fishery interactions. False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) are known to interact with the Hawai'i-based tuna and swordfish long-line fishery in offshore Hawaiian waters. We examined the rate of major dorsal fin disfigurements of false killer whales from nearshore waters around the main Hawaiian Islands to assess the likelihood that individuals around the main islands are part of the same population that interacts with the fishery. False killer whales were encountered on 11 occasions between 2000 and 2004, and 80 distinctive individuals were photographically documented. Three of these (3.75%) had major dorsal fin disfigurements (two with the fins completely bent over and one missing the fin). Information from other research suggests that the rate of such disfigurements for our study population may be more than four times greater than for other odontocete populations. We suggest that the most likely cause of such disfigurements is interactions with longlines and that false killer whales found in nearshore waters around the main Hawaiian Islands are part of the same population that interacts with the fishery. Two of the animals documented with disfigurements had infants in close attendance and were thought to be adult females. This implies that even with such injuries, at least some females may be able to produce offspring, despite the importance of the dorsal fin in reproductive thermoregulation

Spreading of Information on a Network: A Quantum View

This paper concerns the modeling of the spread of information through a complex, multilayered network, where the information is transferred from an initial transmitter to a final receiver. The mathematical model is deduced within the framework of operatorial methods, according to the formal mathematical apparatus typical of quantum mechanics. Two different approaches are considered: one based on the (H, \rho)-induced dynamics and one on the Gorini–Kossakowski–Sudarshan– Lindblad (GKSL) equation. For each method, numerical results are presented

Spreading of information on a network: a quantum view

This paper concerns with the modeling of the spreading of information through a complex, multi-layered network, where the information is transferred from an initial transmitter to a final receiver. The mathematical model is deduced within the framework of operatorial methods, according to the formal mathematical apparatus typical of quantum mechanics. Two different approaches are considered: one based on the ($H,\rho$)-induced dynamics, and one on the Gorini-Kossakowski-Sudarshan-Lindblad (GKSL) equation. For each method, numerical results are presented.Comment: 31 pages, 35 image

Disturbance as a factor in breaking dormancy and enhancing invasiveness of African grasses in a Neotropical Savanna

The Cerrado is threatened by wildfires and invasive species. We aimed to evaluate in laboratory conditions whether temperature fluctuation at the soil surface, resulting from the absence of vegetation due to fire, can affect the germination of Urochloa decumbens and U. brizantha, two invasive African grasses. Seeds of both species were submitted to simulations: 1) temperature during fire at 1cm belowground (F); 2) temperature fluctuation at 1cm belowground without vegetation cover for a month (TF); 3) (F) + (TF); 4) control at 25ºC. After treatments, seeds were put to germinate at 25ºC for 40 days. We had four replicates per treatment and three temporal replicates. We compared germination percentage and the mean germination time among treatments using ANOVA. The treatments TF and F+TF had the highest germination values for both species. The results showed that fire per se could not stimulate seed germination, however, they suggest that a disturbance that produces a pattern of temperature fluctuation is able to break dormancy and enhance seed germination and, consequently, increase the invasiveness of the study species. Vegetation gaps resulting from disturbance may become new sites of invasion. This information is important for making management decisions regarding the control of these species.We thank the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES/DGU 227/2010) for financial support. M.J.B. acknowledges the support from the programme FORESTERRA ERA-Net (Medwildfirelab, PCIN-2013-140-C04-03) and PROMETEO II (Desestres es/2014/038)

Information Systems Accreditation: A New Criteria Structure and New Flexibility

The Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) has proposed changes in the structure of the criteria used to accredit information systems programs. The new structure combines so-called “general criteria,” criteria that apply to any computing program, and additional program criteria that apply to IS, IT, or CS programs. This new format allows an emergingcomputing- discipline (e.g., bioinformatics) program to apply for accreditation under the general criteria while the discipline matures to where model curricula develop. This new format begins to move criteria documents to outcome based statements. This session will discuss the new criteria structure, including the proposed general and program criteria, and the timetable for implementation of the new structure. Time will be devoted to Q&A regarding any aspect of IS program accreditation. The session will also discuss accrediting IS programs, overview the IS accreditation criteria and processes, discuss the pros and cons of accrediting IS programs, and review the internal and external steps of the process, identifying bottlenecks and problems and suggesting solutions

Movements and spatial use of odontocetes in the western main Hawaiian Islands: results from satellite-tagging and photo-identification off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in July/August 2011

Although considerable information is available on residency patterns and spatial use of odontocetes in the eastern half of the Hawai‘i Range Complex (HRC), much less is known about odontocetes in the western half of the HRC. In the second year of a three-year effort in the western main Hawaiian Islands we undertook surveys off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in July/August 2011, to examine spatial use and residency patterns using satellite tags, to provide visual verification of acoustically-detected odontocetes on the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF), and to obtain individual identification photographs and biopsy samples for assessment of population identity and structure. During 18 days of field effort we covered 1,972 km of trackline and had 65 encounters with five species of odontocetes. Twenty-four of the encounters, of three species, were cued by acoustic detections from the Marine Mammal Monitoring on Navy Ranges (M3R) system, thus providing species verifications for future use of the M3R system on the PMRF range. During the 65 encounters we obtained 22,645 photos for individual and species identification, and collected 48 biopsy samples for genetic analyses. One encounter with a group of four killer whales was only the second encounter with this species in 12 years of directed field surveys in Hawaiian waters. Photos from that encounter were compared to our photo-identification catalog but no matches were found, further suggesting that there is no population of this species resident to the Hawaiian Islands. There were three encounters with a lone pantropical spotted dolphin, each time in association with a group of spinner dolphins. Photos of this individual matched to a spotted dolphin identified off Kaua‘i in 2004 and in 2005, both times with spinner dolphins, suggesting this individual may be part of a long-term association with spinner dolphins. Four satellite tags were deployed; three on rough-toothed dolphins and one on a bottlenose dolphin. These are the first tag deployments on either species in Hawaiian waters and the first deployments of satellite tags on free-ranging rough-toothed dolphins anywhere in the world. Rough-toothed dolphin tag data were obtained over periods from 7.6 to 18.5 days. Over these periods the three rough-toothed dolphins moved cumulative horizontal distances ranging from 573 to 1,295 km, yet remained an average distance from the tagging locations of from 10.4 to 13.9 km. Median depths used by the three rough-toothed dolphins ranged from 816 to 1,107 m, with median distance from shore ranging from 11.6 to 12.2 km. Two of the three individuals had been previously photo-identified off Kaua‘i (in 2007 or 2008), and all link by association with the resident population from Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau. Movement and habitat use data were obtained over a 34-day period for the satellite-tagged bottlenose dolphin. During this time the individual remained associated with the island of Kaua‘i using waters with a median depth of 82 m. Although this individual had not been previously photo-identified, others from the group it was in had been previously documented off Kaua‘i and/or Ni‘ihau in 2003-2005, suggesting it is part of the island-resident population. Overall these efforts provide the first unbiased movement and habitat use data for both species in Hawaiian waters.Grant No. N00244-10-1-004

A SURVEY FOR ODONTOCETE CETACEANS OFF KAUA‘I AND NI‘IHAU, HAWAI‘I, DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 2005: EVIDENCE FOR POPULATION STRUCTURE AND SITE FIDELITY

Considerable uncertainty exists regarding population structure and population sizes of most species of odontocetes in the Hawaiian Islands. A small-boat based survey for odontocetes was undertaken off the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in October and November 2005 to photoidentify individuals and collect genetic samples for examining stock structure. Field effort on 24 days covered 2,194 km of trackline. Survey coverage was from shallow coastal waters out to over 3,000 m depth, though almost half (47%) was in waters less than 500 m in depth. There were 56 sightings of five species of odontocetes: spinner dolphins (30 sightings); bottlenose dolphins (14 sightings); short-finned pilot whales (6 sightings); rough-toothed dolphins (5 sightings); and pantropical spotted dolphins (1 sighting). One hundred and five biopsy samples were collected and 14,960 photographs were taken to document morphology and for individual photo-identification. Photographs of distinctive individuals of three species (bottlenose dolphins, 76 identifications; rough-toothed dolphins, 157 identifications; short-finned pilot whales, 68 identifications) were compared to catalogs of these species from a survey off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau in 2003, as well as from efforts off O‘ahu, Maui/Lana‘i and the island of Hawai‘i. Within- and between-year matches were found for all three species with individuals previously identified off Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, though no matches were found with individuals off any of the other islands. This suggests site fidelity to specific island areas, and population structure among island areas for all three species. Movements of photographically identified bottlenose dolphins were documented between deep water areas off the islands of Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau, as well as between shallow (\u3c350 m) and deep (\u3e350 m) waters. A lack of sightings or reports of false killer whales off Kaua‘i or Ni‘ihau during our study, combined with documented movements among the other main Hawaiian Islands, suggest that there is no “resident” population of false killer whales that inhabits waters only off Kaua‘i or Ni‘iha

MSIS 2000: Model Curriculum and Guidelines for Graduate Degree Programs in Information Systems

This article contains the official text of the MSIS 2000 model curriculum as approved by both the Association for Computing Machinery and the Association for Information Systems. It is presented here in its original form