3,044 research outputs found
A human factors approach to range scheduling for satellite control
Range scheduling for satellite control presents a classical problem: supervisory control of a large-scale dynamic system, with unwieldy amounts of interrelated data used as inputs to the decision process. Increased automation of the task, with the appropriate human-computer interface, is highly desirable. The development and user evaluation of a semi-automated network range scheduling system is described. The system incorporates a synergistic human-computer interface consisting of a large screen color display, voice input/output, a 'sonic pen' pointing device, a touchscreen color CRT, and a standard keyboard. From a human factors standpoint, this development represents the first major improvement in almost 30 years to the satellite control network scheduling task
High Resolution Millimeter-Wave Mapping of Linearly Polarized Dust Emission: Magnetic Field Structure in Orion
We present 1.3 and 3.3 mm polarization maps of Orion-KL obtained with the
BIMA array at approximately 4 arcsec resolution. Thermal emission from
magnetically aligned dust grains produces the polarization. Along the Orion
``ridge'' the polarization position angle varies smoothly from about 10 degrees
to 40 degrees, in agreement with previous lower resolution maps. In a small
region south of the Orion ``hot core,'' however, the position angle changes by
90 degrees. This abrupt change in polarization direction is not necessarily the
signpost of a twisted magnetic field. Rather, in this localized region
processes other than the usual Davis-Greenstein mechanism might align the dust
grains with their long axes parallel with the field, orthogonal to their normal
orientation.Comment: AAS preprint:14 pages, 2 figures (3mm.eps and 1mm.eps); requires
aaspp4.sty To be published in Astrophysical Journal Letter
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Long-term cognitive impairment and delirium in intensive care: A prospective cohort study
Background: Whilst there is a growing body of research exploring the effect of delirium in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, the relationship between patient delirium and long-term cognitive impairment has not been investigated in settings where low rates of delirium have been reported.
Objectives: To assess the association between the incidence of delirium, duration of mechanical ventilation and long term cognitive impairment in general ICU patients.
Methods: Prospective cohort study conducted in a tertiary level ICU in Queensland, Australia. Adult medical and surgical ICU patients receiving ≥12. h mechanical ventilation were assessed for delirium on at least one day. Cognitive impairment was assessed at three and/or six-months using the: Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS); Trail Making Test (TMT) Part A and B; and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE).
Results: Of 148 enrollees, 91 (61%) completed assessment at three and/or six months. Incidence of delirium was 19%, with 41% cognitively impaired at three months and 24% remaining impaired at six months. Delirium was associated with impaired cognition at six-months: mean TMT Part A scores (information processing speed) were 7.86. s longer than those with no delirium (p = 0.03), and mean TMT Part B scores (executive functioning) 24.0. s longer (p = 0.04).
Conclusions: ICU delirium was positively associated with impaired information processing speed and executive functioning at six-months post-discharge for this cohort. Testing for cognitive impairment with RBANS and TMT should be considered due to its greater sensitivity in comparison to the MMSE
PAH Emission from Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies
We explore the relationships between the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon
(PAH) feature strengths, mid-infrared continuum luminosities, far-infrared
spectral slopes, optical spectroscopic classifications, and silicate optical
depths within a sample of 107 ULIRGs observed with the Infrared Spectrograph on
the Spitzer Space Telescope. The detected 6.2 micron PAH equivalent widths
(EQWs) in the sample span more than two orders of magnitude (0.006-0.8 micron),
and ULIRGs with HII-like optical spectra or steep far-infrared spectral slopes
(S_{25} / S_{60} < 0.2) typically have 6.2 micron PAH EQWs that are half that
of lower-luminosity starbursts. A significant fraction (~40-60%) of HII-like,
LINER-like, and cold ULIRGs have very weak PAH EQWs. Many of these ULIRGs also
have large (tau_{9.7} > 2.3) silicate optical depths. The far-infrared spectral
slope is strongly correlated with PAH EQW, but not with silicate optical depth.
In addition, the PAH EQW decreases with increasing rest-frame 24 micron
luminosity. We argue that this trend results primarily from dilution of the PAH
EQW by continuum emission from dust heated by a compact central source,
probably an AGN. High luminosity, high-redshift sources studied with Spitzer
appear to have a much larger range in PAH EQW than seen in local ULIRGs, which
is consistent with extremely luminous starburst systems being absent at low
redshift, but present at early epochs.Comment: 15 pages, 9 Figures; Accepted for publication in Ap
An exact solution to determination of an open orbit
We present an exact solution of the equations for orbit determination of a
two body system in a hyperbolic or parabolic motion. In solving this problem,
we extend the method employed by Asada, Akasaka and Kasai (AAK) for a binary
system in an elliptic orbit. The solutions applicable to each of elliptic,
hyperbolic and parabolic orbits are obtained by the new approach, and they are
all expressed in an explicit form, remarkably, only in terms of elementary
functions. We show also that the solutions for an open orbit are recovered by
making a suitable transformation of the AAK solution for an elliptic case.Comment: 28 pages, text improved, references added; version accepted by
Celestial Mec
The effect of discrete vs. continuous-valued ratings on reputation and ranking systems
When users rate objects, a sophisticated algorithm that takes into account
ability or reputation may produce a fairer or more accurate aggregation of
ratings than the straightforward arithmetic average. Recently a number of
authors have proposed different co-determination algorithms where estimates of
user and object reputation are refined iteratively together, permitting
accurate measures of both to be derived directly from the rating data. However,
simulations demonstrating these methods' efficacy assumed a continuum of rating
values, consistent with typical physical modelling practice, whereas in most
actual rating systems only a limited range of discrete values (such as a 5-star
system) is employed. We perform a comparative test of several co-determination
algorithms with different scales of discrete ratings and show that this
seemingly minor modification in fact has a significant impact on algorithms'
performance. Paradoxically, where rating resolution is low, increased noise in
users' ratings may even improve the overall performance of the system.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Gold alignment & internal dissipation
The measures of mechanical alignment were obtained for both prolate and
oblate grains when their temperature is comparable with grain kinetic energy
devided by k, the Boltzmann constant. For such grains, the alignment of angular
momentum, J, with the axis of maximal inertia, a, is only partial. This
substantially alters the alignment as compared with the results in Lazarian
(1995) and Roberge, Hanany & Messinger (1996) obtained on the assumption of
perfect alignment.
We also describe the Gold alignment when the Barnett dissipation is
suppressed and derive an analytical expression which relates the measure of
alignment with parameters of grain nonsphericity and the direction of the gas -
grain drift. This solution provides the lower limit for the alignment measure,
while the upper limit is given by the analytics derived in Lazarian (1994).
Using results of a recent study of incomplete internal relaxation in Lazarian &
Roberge (1996), we find measures of alignment for the whole range of ratios of
grain rotational energy to k over T_s, where T_s is the grain temperature. To
describe alignment for mildly supersonic drifts, we suggest an analytical
approach which provides good correspondence with the results of direct
numerical simulations in Roberge, Hanany & Messinger (1995). We also extend our
approach to account for the simultaneous action of the Gold and
Davis-Greenstein mechanisms.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures. Accepted to Ap
Ground state properties of a one-dimensional condensate of hard core bosons in a harmonic trap
The exact N-particle ground state wave function for a one-dimensional
condensate of hard core bosons in a harmonic trap is employed to obtain
accurate numerical results for the one-particle density matrix, occupation
number distribution of the natural orbitals, and momentum distribution. Our
results show that the occupation of the lowest orbital varies as N^{0.59}, in
contrast to N^{0.5} for a spatially uniform system, and N for a true BEC.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Thermoluminescence of zircon: a kinetic model
The mineral zircon, ZrSiO4, belongs to a class of promising materials for geochronometry by means of thermoluminescence (TL) dating. The development of a reliable and reproducible method for TL dating with zircon requires detailed knowledge of the processes taking place during exposure to ionizing radiation, long-term storage, annealing at moderate temperatures and heating at a constant rate (TL measurements). To understand these processes one needs a kinetic model of TL. This paper is devoted to the construction of such amodel. The goal is to study the qualitative behaviour of the system and to determine the parameters and processes controlling TL phenomena of zircon. The model considers the following processes: (i) Filling of electron and hole traps at the excitation stage as a function of the dose rate and the dose for both (low dose rate) natural and (high dose rate) laboratory irradiation. (ii) Time dependence of TL fading in samples irradiated under laboratory conditions. (iii) Short time annealing at a given temperature. (iv) Heating of the irradiated sample to simulate TL experiments both after laboratory and natural irradiation.
The input parameters of the model, such as the types and concentrations of the TL centres and the energy distributions of the hole and electron traps, were obtained by analysing the experimental data on fading of the TL-emission spectra of samples from different geological locations. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data were used to establish the nature of the TL centres. Glow curves and 3D TL emission spectra are simulated and compared with the experimental data on time-dependent TL fading. The saturation and annealing behaviour of filled trap concentrations has been considered in the framework of the proposed kinetic model and comparedwith the EPR data associated with the rare-earth ions Tb3+ and Dy3+, which play a crucial role as hole traps and recombination centres. Inaddition, the behaviour of some of the SiOmn− centres has been compared with simulation results.
Slack Dynamics on an Unfurling String
An arch will grow on a rapidly deployed thin string in contact with a rigid
plane. We present a qualitative model for the growing structure involving the
amplification, rectification, and advection of slack in the presence of a
steady stress field, validate our assumptions with numerical experiments, and
pose new questions about the spatially developing motions of thin objects.Comment: significant changes. removed one figur
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