Technologist-Historian: Data Visualization Meets the Archive

NukeMap is an interactive data-visualization website that allows visitors to detonate virtual nuclear bombs on global targets of their choice.1 It is the creation of Alex Wellerstein, a historian of science and technology who launched the site in early 2012. In NukeMap, the visitor selects a type of nuclear device, defining its size, or chooses from a menu of predefined options that model the effects that an actual historical bomb would have on a present-day target. Interactive-display options allow visitors to explore map layers and datasets such as blast radius, fallout pattern, and number of casualties. Hyperlinks connect to additional historical resources. He or she may, for example, see how much damage “Little Boy,” the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in August 1945, would do if dropped on modern Mumbai, or “Gadget,” the bomb detonated over the New Mexican desert in the Trinity test, would do if dropped on Manhattan today

Illumination uniformity in endoscopic imaging

Standardised endoscopic digital images were taken and analysed using an image analysis software (National Instruments Vision Assistant version 7.1.1). The luminance plane was extracted and the pixel intensity distribution was determined along a horizontal line at the position of highest average intensity (centroid). The data was exported to MS Excel and the pixel intensity (y-axis) was plotted against pixel position (x-axis). A trendline using a 2nd order polynomial curve was fitted to each data set. The resultant equation for each curve was compared with equations obtained from other images taken under various illumination conditions and settings

#Politics on Twitter goes beyond the left-right ideology divide

In U.S. politics, the main narrative tends to manifest as left vs right, Democrat vs. Republican, but is this reflected in the social media sphere as well? In new research which maps how hashtags in political tweets were used in the lead up to the 2010 Congressional midterm elections, Leticia Bode, Alex Hanna, JungHwan Yang, and Dhavan V. Shah found that some hashtags occurred in discussion groups that were there ideological opposite. They write that this ‘hashjacking’ was a way in which conservatives were able to enter and disrupt a more liberal community’s online discussion

Habitat detection, habitat choice copying or mating benefits : What drives conspecific attraction in a nomadic songbird?

Conspecific attraction during habitat selection is common among animals, but the ultimate (i.e. fitness-related) reasons for this behaviour often remain enigmatic. We aimed to evaluate the following three hypotheses for conspecific attraction during the breeding season in male Wood Warblers (Phylloscopus sibilatrix): the habitat detection hypothesis, the habitat choice copying hypothesis and the female preference hypothesis. These hypotheses make different predictions with respect to the relative importance of social and nonsocial information during habitat assessment, and whether benefits accrue as a consequence of aggregation. We tested the above hypotheses using a combination of a 2-year playback experiment, spatial statistics and mate choice models. The habitat detection hypothesis was the most likely explanation for conspecific attraction and aggregation in male Wood Warblers, based on the following results: (1) males were attracted to conspecific song playbacks, but fine-scale habitat heterogeneity was the better predictor of spatial patterns in the density of settling males; (2) male pairing success did not increase, but instead slightly decreased, as connectivity with other males (i.e. the number and proximity of neighbouring males) increased. Our study highlights how consideration of the process by which animals detect and assess habitat, together with the potential fitness consequences of resulting aggregations, are important for understanding conspecific attraction and spatially clustered distributions.Peer reviewe

Size, Surface Structure, and Doping Effects on Ferromagnetism in SnO\u3csub\u3e2\u3c/sub\u3e

The effects of crystallite size, surface structure, and dopants on the magnetic properties of semiconducting oxides are highly controversial. In this work, Fe:SnO2 nanoparticles were prepared by four wet-chemical methods, with Fe concentration varying from 0% to 20%. Analysis confirmed pure single-phase cassiterite with a crystallite size of 2.6 ± 0.1 nm that decreased with increasing. Fe% doped substitutionally as Fe3+. Pure SnO2 showed highly reproducible weak magnetization that varied significantly with synthesis method. Interestingly, doping SnO2 with Fe \u3c 2.5% produced enhanced magnetic moments in all syntheses; the maximum of 1.6 × 10−4 µB/Fe ion at 0.1% Fe doping was much larger than the 2.6 × 10−6 µB/Fe ion of pure Fe oxide nanoparticles synthesized under similar conditions. At Fe ≥ 2.5%, the magnetic moment was significantly reduced. This work shows that (1) pure SnO2 can produce an intrinsic ferromagnetic behavior that varies with differences in surface structure, (2) very low Fe doping results in high magnetic moments, (3) higher Fe doping reduces magnetic moment and destroys ferromagnetism, and (4) there is an interesting correlation between changes in magnetic moment, bandgap, and lattice parameters. These results support the possibility that the observed ferromagnetism in SnO2 might be influenced by modification of the electronic structure by dopant, size, and surface structure

Magnetoresistance Characteristics in Individual Fe\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e Single Crystal Nanowire

We report on the magnetoresistance (MR) and electron transport measurements observed on asingle crystal magnetite nanowire prepared using a hydrothermal synthesis method. High-resolution electron microscopy revealed the single crystal magnetite nanowires with 80–120 nm thickness and up to 8 μm in length. Magnetic measurements showed the typical Verwey transition around 120 K with a 100 Oe room temperature coercivity and 45 emu/g saturationmagnetization, which are comparable to bulk magnetite. Electrical resistance measurements in 5-300 K temperature range were performed by scanning gate voltage and varying appliedmagnetic field. Electrical resistivity of the nanowire was found to be around 5 × 10−4 Ω m, slightly higher than the bulk and has activation energy of 0.07 eV. A negative MR of about 0.7% is observed for as-synthesized nanowires at 0.3 T applied field. MR scaled with increasing applied magnetic field representing the field-induced alignment of magnetic domain. These results are attributed to the spin-polarized electron transport across the antiphase boundaries, which implicate promising applications for nanowires in magnetoelectronics

Heterojunction Metal-Oxide-Metal Au-Fe\u3csub\u3e3\u3c/sub\u3eO\u3csub\u3e4\u3c/sub\u3e-Au Single Nanowire Device for Spintronics

In this report, we present the synthesis of heterojunction magnetite nanowires in alumina template and describe magnetic and electrical properties from a single nanowire device for spintronics applications. Heterojunction Au-Fe-Au nanowire arrays were electrodeposited in porous aluminum oxide templates, and an extensive and controlled heat treatment process converted Fe segment to nanocrystalline cubic magnetite phase with well-defined Au-Fe3O4 interfaces as confirmed by the transmission electron microscopy. Magnetic measurements revealed Verwey transition shoulder around 120 K and a room temperature coercive field of 90 Oe. Current–voltage (I-V) characteristics of a single Au-Fe3O4-Au nanowire have exhibited Ohmic behavior. Anomalous positive magnetoresistance of about 0.5% is observed on a singlena nowire, which is attributed to the high spin polarization in nanowire device with pure Fe3O4 phase and nanocontact barrier. This work demonstrates the ability to preserve the pristine Fe3O4 and well defined electrode contact metal (Au)—magnetite interface, which helps in attaining high spin polarized current

Overview on different sterilization techniques for baby food

The nutritional quality of the product as well as other quality attributes like microbiological and sensory quality are essential factors in baby food industry, and therefore different alternative sterilizing methods for conventional heating processes are of great interest in this food sector. This report gives an overview on different sterilization techniques for baby food. The report is a part of the work done in work package 3 ”QACCP Analysis Processing: Quality – driven distribution and processing chain analysis“ in the Core Organic ERANET project called Quality analysis of critical control points within the whole food chain and their impact on food quality, safety and health (QACCP). The overall objective of the project is to optimise organic production and processing in order to improve food safety as well as nutritional quality and increase health promoting aspects in consumer products. The approach will be a chain analysis approach which addresses the link between farm and fork and backwards from fork to farm. The objective is to improve product related quality management in farming (towards testing food authenticity) and processing (towards food authenticity and sustainable processes. The articles in this volume do not necessarily reflect the Core Organic ERANET’s views and in no way anticipate the Core Organic ERANET’s future policy in this area. The contents of the articles in this volume are the sole responsibility of the authors. The information contained here in, including any expression of opinion and any projection or forecast, has been obtained from sources believed by the authors to be reliable but is not guaranteed as to accuracy or completeness. The information is supplied without obligation and on the understanding that any person who acts upon it or otherwise changes his/her position in reliance thereon does so entirely at his/her own risk. The writers gratefully acknowledge the financial support from the Core Organic Funding Body: Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture, Switzerland and Federal Ministry of Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture, Germany