Gender, Spatial Learning Trials, and Object Recall.

Previous researchers have reported women doing better than men in object recall. The current study tested for gender differences in object recall over three memorization trials using gender neutral stimuli. Fifty men and 53 women viewed pictures of 60 objects (15 in each of four quadrants) for one minute, and then had three minutes to recall as many objects and locations as they could. This procedure was followed over three trials. Women performed better than men, and the difference increased across trials. Training was successful as participants recalled significantly more objects and locations on trial 3 than on trial 1. These results supported previous findings of superior object recall in women relative to men, but they also suggested that the gender difference is not only maintained, but also increases with additional learning opportunities. It was concluded that the gender difference favoring women is not vulnerable to additional learning trials

STS-1 operational flight profile. Volume 5: Descent, cycle 3

The trajectory data presented are to be used for orbiter systems and subsystems evalation, flight and mission control center software verification, flight techniques and timeline development, crew training, and evaluation of operational mission suitability. The entry profile is very similar to cycle 2, however, elevon and body flap temperature margins have increased and the elevon schedule was changed. The terminal area energy management (TAEM) profile was completely reshaped to conform with new angle of attack constraints and left hand turn around the heading alignment cylinder. Also, the entry/TAEM interface was adjusted to minimize guidance induced angle of attack transients across the interface. The approach and landing phase was reshaped for a 20 deg glideslope and reduced velocity at touchdown. The definition of the runway threshold was standardized for all landing sites. This results in a shift at Edwards Air Force Base in aim points and touchdown relative to the threshold of 1000 feet. The rollout remains essentially unchanged with the exception of the speedbrake, which is now deployed to 50 percent at touchdown

Terrestrial predators and abiotic conditions affect hatching survival of arboreal frog eggs: Implications for aquatic food web dynamics [poster]

Background/Question/MethodsRecent work in food web studies has highlighted the importance of terrestrial and aquatic linkages and the trait and density-mediated effects of predators and abiotic conditions. Many studies have focused on species with complex life histories (amphibians and aquatic insects) because they encompass a variety of trophic levels and form important linkages between terrestrial and aquatic food webs. For example, red-eyed treefrog, Agalychnis callidryas eggs are deposited on vegetation overhanging ponds and risk mortality from a variety of terrestrial predators and abiotic stressors. Red-eyed treefrog embryos, however, exhibit phenotypic plasticity in hatching time in response to these terrestrial stressors. As a result, both predators and abiotic conditions can alter the density and phenotype (size) of tadpoles entering the pond. Because tadpoles are important herbivores affecting both total algal biomass and species composition, these terrestrial sources of mortality can spill over to influence ecosystem processes in the aquatic environment. Moreover, the spill-over effects of changes in density could have markedly different effects on ecosystem processes than changes in phenotype. Here we quantify the effects of terrestrial stressors on hatchling phenotypes and survival and the relative magnitudes of the phenotypic and density spillover effects on the aquatic ecosystem. Specifically we use a combination of field monitoring, laboratory and mesocosm experiments to investigate how changes in both density and phenotype of tadpoles entering the pond affect ecosystem function (e.g., primary productivity) via consumption and competition. Results/ConclusionsBoth egg predators and dehydration had strong effects on both hatching success and timing. The largest effects occurred early in the season (July), when dehydration reduced tadpole inputs by an estimated 28% and later (October) little desiccation occurred but snakes reduced inputs by 79%. Over the course of the season the mean age of hatching of embryos from dehydrated clutches was 19% earlier than those from undisturbed clutches followed by embryos from clutches attacked by snakes (12% earlier). In feeding trials per capita ingestion rates increased with tadpole size and decreased with increasing density. However, hatching early had no effect on primary productivity, or zooplankton abundance or diversity. In contrast, increasing initial tadpole densities (e.g., due to arboreal egg predators) reduced primary productivity and also zooplankton abundance. Thus, there is the potential for terrestrial predators to indirectly impact aquatic primary productivity and consumer abundance (i.e., zooplankton), primarily through their consumptive effects, on an organism with a complex life cycle

Observation of quantum oscillations between a Josephson phase qubit and a microscopic resonator using fast readout

We have detected coherent quantum oscillations between Josephson phase qubits and microscopic critical-current fluctuators by implementing a new state readout technique that is an order of magnitude faster than previous methods. The period of the oscillations is consistent with the spectroscopic splittings observed in the qubit's resonant frequency. The results point to a possible mechanism for decoherence and reduced measurement fidelity in superconducting qubits and demonstrate the means to measure two-qubit interactions in the time domain

Electric-field noise from carbon-adatom diffusion on a Au(110) surface: first-principles calculations and experiments

The decoherence of trapped-ion quantum gates due to heating of their motional modes is a fundamental science and engineering problem. This heating is attributed to electric-field noise arising from the trap-electrode surfaces. In this work, we investigate the source of this noise by focusing on the diffusion of carbon-containing adsorbates on the surface of Au(110). We show by density functional theory, based on detailed scanning probe microscopy, how the carbon adatom diffusion on the gold surface changes the energy landscape, and how the adatom dipole moment varies with the diffusive motion. A simple model for the diffusion noise, which varies quadratically with the variation of the dipole moment, qualitatively reproduces the measured noise spectrum, and the estimate of the noise spectral density is in accord with measured values.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figure

Investigation on the Use of a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) Camera to Detect Relationships Between Internal and Surface Temperatures of Beef Carcasses During Chilling

The objective of this study was to collect preliminary data on the efficacy of using thermal imaging technology as a means to assess beef carcass chilling

Influence of Post-harvest Circulatory Rinse on Tenderness and Objective Color of Cow Striploin Steaks

The objective of this study was to compare the effect of a post-harvest rinse of an isotonic solution through the circulatory system on tenderness of steaks from cows