5,193 research outputs found
Antenna servo control system characterization: Rate loop analysis for 34-m antenna at DSS 15
The elevation and azimuth servo rate loops at the 34-m High Efficiency Deep Space Station 15 (DSS 15) are described. Time and frequency response performance criteria were measured. The results are compared to theoretically deduced performance criteria. Unexpected anomalies in the frequency response are observed and identified
Mechanisms of Psychological Distress following War in the Former Yugoslavia: The Role of Interpersonal Sensitivity
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.This study was funded by a grant from the European Commission, contract number INCO-CT-2004-509176. AN was supported by a Clinical Early Career Research Fellowship (113295) and a Project Grant (104288
Local host response following an intramammary challenge with Staphylococcus fleurettii and different strains of Staphylococcus chromogenes in dairy heifers
Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) are a common cause of subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle. The CNS inhabit various ecological habitats, ranging between the environment and the host. In order to obtain a better insight into the host response, an experimental infection was carried out in eight healthy heifers in mid-lactation with three different CNS strains: a Staphylococcus fleurettii strain originating from sawdust bedding, an intramammary Staphylococcus chromogenes strain originating from a persistent intramammary infection (S. chromogenes IM) and a S. chromogenes strain isolated from a heifer's teat apex (S. chromogenes TA). Each heifer was inoculated in the mammary gland with 1.0 x 10(6) colony forming units of each bacterial strain (one strain per udder quarter), whereas the remaining quarter was infused with phosphate-buffered saline. Overall, the CNS evoked a mild local host response. The somatic cell count increased in all S. fleurettii-inoculated quarters, although the strain was eliminated within 12 h. The two S. chromogenes strains were shed in larger numbers for a longer period. Bacterial and somatic cell counts, as well as neutrophil responses, were higher after inoculation with S. chromogenes IM than with S. chromogenes TA. In conclusion, these results suggest that S. chromogenes might be better adapted to the mammary gland than S. fleurettii. Furthermore, not all S. chromogenes strains induce the same local host response
A dual process account of creative thinking
This article explicates the potential role played by type 1 thinking (automatic, fast) and type 2 thinking (effortful, logical) in creative thinking. The relevance of Evans's (2007) models of conflict of dual processes in thinking is discussed with regards to creative thinking. The role played by type 1 thinking and type 2 thinking during the different stages of creativity (problem finding and conceptualization, incubation, illumination, verification and dissemination) is discussed. It is proposed that although both types of thinking are active in creativity, the extent to which they are active and the nature of their contribution to creativity will vary between stages of the creative process. Directions for future research to test this proposal are outlined; differing methodologies and the investigation of different stages of creative thinking are discussed. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
Testing the Resolving Power of 2-D K^+ K^+ Interferometry
Adopting a procedure previously proposed to quantitatively study
two-dimensional pion interferometry, an equivalent 2-D chi^2 analysis was
performed to test the resolving power of that method when applied to less
favorable conditions, i.e., if no significant contribution from long lived
resonances is expected, as in kaon interferometry. For that purpose, use is
made of the preliminary E859 K^+ K^+ interferometry data from Si+Au collisions
at 14.6 AGeV/c. As expected, less sensitivity is achieved in the present case,
although it still is possible to distinguish two distinct decoupling
geometries. The present analysis seems to favor scenarios with no resonance
formation at the AGS energy range, if the preliminary K^+ K^+ data are
confirmed. The possible compatibility of data with zero decoupling proper time
interval, conjectured by the 3-D experimental analysis, is also investigated
and is ruled out when considering more realistic dynamical models with
expanding sources. These results, however, clearly evidence the important
influence of the time emission interval on the source effective transverse
dimensions. Furthermore, they strongly emphasize that the static Gaussian
parameterization, commonly used to fit data, cannot be trusted under more
realistic conditions, leading to distorted or even wrong interpretation of the
source parameters!Comment: 11 pages, RevTeX, 4 Postscript figures include
Churn, Baby, Churn: Strategic Dynamics Among Dominant and Fringe Firms in a Segmented Industry
This paper integrates and extends the literatures on industry evolution and dominant firms to develop a dynamic theory of dominant and fringe competitive interaction in a segmented industry. It argues that a dominant firm, seeing contraction of growth in its current segment(s), enters new segments in which it can exploit its technological strengths, but that are sufficiently distant to avoid cannibalization. The dominant firm acts as a low-cost Stackelberg leader, driving down prices and triggering a sales takeoff in the new segment. We identify a “churn” effect associated with dominant firm entry: fringe firms that precede the dominant firm into the segment tend to exit the segment, while new fringe firms enter, causing a net increase in the number of firms in the segment. As the segment matures and sales decline in the segment, the process repeats itself. We examine the predictions of the theory with a study of price, quantity, entry, and exit across 24 product classes in the desktop laser printer industry from 1984 to 1996. Using descriptive statistics, hazard rate models, and panel data methods, we find empirical support for the theoretical predictions
Algorithmic Complexity for Short Binary Strings Applied to Psychology: A Primer
Since human randomness production has been studied and widely used to assess
executive functions (especially inhibition), many measures have been suggested
to assess the degree to which a sequence is random-like. However, each of them
focuses on one feature of randomness, leading authors to have to use multiple
measures. Here we describe and advocate for the use of the accepted universal
measure for randomness based on algorithmic complexity, by means of a novel
previously presented technique using the the definition of algorithmic
probability. A re-analysis of the classical Radio Zenith data in the light of
the proposed measure and methodology is provided as a study case of an
application.Comment: To appear in Behavior Research Method
Electron self-trapping in intermediate-valent SmB6
SmB6 exhibits intermediate valence in the ground state and unusual behaviour
at low temperatures. The resistivity and the Hall effect cannot be explained
either by conventional sf-hybridization or by hopping transport in an impurity
band. At least three different energy scales determine three temperature
regimes of electron transport in this system. We consider the ground state
properties, the soft valence fluctuations and the spectrum of band carriers in
n-doped SmB6. The behaviour of excess conduction electrons in the presence of
soft valence fluctuations and the origin of the three energy scales in the
spectrum of elementary excitations is discussed. The carriers which determine
the low-temperature transport in this system are self-trapped electron-polaron
complexes rather than simply electrons in an impurity band. The mechanism of
electron trapping is the interaction with soft valence fluctuations.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure
Differential Form Valued Forms and Distributional Electromagnetic Sources
Properties of a fundamental double-form of bi-degree for are
reviewed in order to establish a distributional framework for analysing
equations of the form where
is the Hodge-de Rham operator on forms on .
Particular attention is devoted to singular distributional solutions that arise
when the source is a singular form distribution. A constructive
approach to Dirac distributions on (moving) submanifolds embedded in is developed in terms of (Leray) forms generated by the geometry of the
embedding. This framework offers a useful tool in electromagnetic modeling
where the possibly time dependent sources of certain physical attributes, such
as electric charge, electric current and polarization or magnetization, are
concentrated on localized regions in space.Comment: 40 page
Can disordered mobile phone use be considered a behavioral addiction? An update on current evidence and a comprehensive model for future research
Despite the many positive outcomes, excessive mobile phone use is now often associated with potentially harmful and/or disturbing behaviors (e.g., symptoms of deregulated use, negative impact on various aspects of daily life such as relationship problems, and work intrusion). Problematic mobile phone use (PMPU) has generally been considered as a behavioral addiction that shares many features with more established drug addictions. In light of the most recent data, the current paper reviews the validity of the behavioral addiction model when applied to PMPU. On the whole, it is argued that the evidence supporting PMPU as an addictive behavior is scarce. In particular, it lacks studies that definitively show behavioral and neurobiological similarities between mobile phone addiction and other types of legitimate addictive behaviors. Given this context, an integrative pathway model is proposed that aims to provide a theoretical framework to guide future research in the field of PMPU. This model highlights that PMPU is a heterogeneous and multi-faceted condition
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