5,628 research outputs found
The Resistive-Plate WELL with Argon mixtures - a robust gaseous radiation detector
A thin single-element THGEM-based, Resistive-Plate WELL (RPWELL) detector was
operated with 150 GeV/c muon and pion beams in Ne/(5%CH), Ar/(5%CH) and
Ar/(7%CO); signals were recorded with 1 cm square pads and SRS/APV25
electronics. Detection efficiency values greater than 98% were reached in all
the gas mixtures, at average pad multiplicity of 1.2. The use of the
10{\Omega}cm resistive plate resulted in a completely discharge-free
operation also in intense pion beams. The efficiency remained essentially
constant at 98-99% up to fluxes of 10Hz/cm, dropping by a few %
when approaching 10 Hz/cm. These results pave the way towards
cost-effective, robust, efficient, large-scale detectors for a variety of
applications in future particle, astro-particle and applied fields. A potential
target application is digital hadron calorimetry.Comment: presented at the 2016 VIenna Conf. On instrumentation. Submitted to
the Conference proceeding
First in-beam studies of a Resistive-Plate WELL gaseous multiplier
We present the results of the first in-beam studies of a medium size
(1010 cm) Resistive-Plate WELL (RPWELL): a single-sided THGEM
coupled to a pad anode through a resistive layer of high bulk resistivity
(10cm). The 6.2~mm thick (excluding readout electronics)
single-stage detector was studied with 150~GeV muons and pions. Signals were
recorded from 11 cm square copper pads with APV25-SRS readout
electronics. The single-element detector was operated in Ne\(5%
) at a gas gain of a few times 10, reaching 99
detection efficiency at average pad multiplicity of 1.2. Operation at
particle fluxes up to 10 Hz/cm resulted in 23 gain drop
leading to 5 efficiency loss. The striking feature was the
discharge-free operation, also in intense pion beams. These results pave the
way towards robust, efficient large-scale detectors for applications requiring
economic solutions at moderate spatial and energy resolutions.Comment: Accepted by JINS
Minimal Synthesis of String To String Functions From Examples
We study the problem of synthesizing string to string transformations from a
set of input/output examples. The transformations we consider are expressed
using deterministic finite automata (DFA) that read pairs of letters, one
letter from the input and one from the output. The DFA corresponding to these
transformations have additional constraints, ensuring that each input string is
mapped to exactly one output string.
We suggest that, given a set of input/output examples, the smallest DFA
consistent with the examples is a good candidate for the transformation the
user was expecting. We therefore study the problem of, given a set of examples,
finding a minimal DFA consistent with the examples and satisfying the
functionality and totality constraints mentioned above.
We prove that, in general, this problem (the corresponding decision problem)
is NP-complete. This is unlike the standard DFA minimization problem which can
be solved in polynomial time. We provide several NP-hardness proofs that show
the hardness of multiple (independent) variants of the problem.
Finally, we propose an algorithm for finding the minimal DFA consistent with
input/output examples, that uses a reduction to SMT solvers. We implemented the
algorithm, and used it to evaluate the likelihood that the minimal DFA indeed
corresponds to the DFA expected by the user.Comment: SYNT 201
Diversity patterns associated with varying dispersal capabilities as a function of spatial and local environmental variables in small wetlands in forested ecosystems
© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The diversity of species on a landscape is a function of the relative contribution of diversity at local sites and species turnover between sites. Diversity partitioning refers to the relative contributions of alpha (local) and beta (species turnover) diversity to gamma (regional/landscape) diversity and can be influenced by the relationship between dispersal capability as well as spatial and local environmental variables. Ecological theory predicts that variation in the distribution of organisms that are strong dispersers will be less influenced by spatial properties such as topography and connectivity of a region and more associated with the local environment. In contrast, the distribution of organisms with limited dispersal capabilities is often dictated by their limited dispersal capabilities. Small and ephemeral wetlands are centers of biodiversity in forested ecosystems. We sampled 41 small and ephemeral wetlands in forested ecosystems six times over a two-year period to determine if three different taxonomic groups differ in patterns of biodiversity on the landscape and/or demonstrate contrasting relationships with local environmental and spatial variables. We focused on aquatic macroinvertebrates (aerial active dispersers consisting predominantly of the class Insecta), amphibians (terrestrial active dispersers), and zooplankton (passive dispersers). We hypothesized that increasing active dispersal capabilities would lead to decreased beta diversity and more influence of local environmental variables on community structure with less influence of spatial variables. Our results revealed that amphibians had very high beta diversity and low alpha diversity when compared to the other two groups. Additionally, aquatic macroinvertebrate community variation was best explained by local environmental variables, whereas amphibian community variation was best explained by spatial variables. Zooplankton did not display any significant relationships to the spatial or local environmental variables that we measured. Our results suggest that amphibians may be particularly vulnerable to losses of wetland habitat in forested ecosystems as they have high beta diversity. Consequently, the loss of individual small wetlands potentially results in local extirpations of amphibian species in forested ecosystems
Simulation of gain stability of THGEM gas-avalanche particle detectors
Charging-up processes affecting gain stability in Thick Gas Electron
Multipliers (THGEM) were studied with a dedicated simulation toolkit.
Integrated with Garfield++, it provides an effective platform for systematic
phenomenological studies of charging-up processes in MPGD detectors. We
describe the simulation tool and the fine-tuning of the step-size required for
the algorithm convergence, in relation to physical parameters. Simulation
results of gain stability over time in THGEM detectors are presented, exploring
the role of electrode-thickness and applied voltage on its evolution. The
results show that the total amount of irradiated charge through electrode's
hole needed for reaching gain stabilization is in the range of tens to hundreds
of pC, depending on the detector geometry and operational voltage. These
results are in agreement with experimental observations presented previously
Two Cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome Variants Presenting With Dysautonomia
We describe 2 pediatric cases presenting with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome secondary to autonomic dysfunction preceding the onset of motor symptoms in Guillain-Barré syndrome variants. Patient 1 presented acutely with encephalopathy, cerebellar signs, hypertension, lower limb weakness, and respiratory decompensation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain showed occipital lesions consistent with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. Nerve conduction studies were consistent with Miller-Fisher syndrome. After intravenous immunoglobulin and plasmapheresis, he improved clinically with radiological resolution. Patient 2 presented with headache, leg pain, seizures, and significant hypertension. Brain MRI was normal but spine MRI revealed enhancement of the cauda equina ventral nerve roots. She was areflexic with lower limb weakness a few days after intensive care unit admission and made a significant improvement after treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin. In children presenting with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in the absent of other causes of primary hypertension, Guillain-Barré syndrome variants are an important differential etiology, presenting with autonomic dysfunction, even before signs of motor weakness become evident
Does the South Carolina Upstate have \u27Isolated Wetlands\u27 and how do they Function? A Prelimiary Analysisn
2010 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Science and Policy Challenges for a Sustainable Futur
On a mission: Achieving distinction as a business school?
This paper investigates what business schools are saying in their mission statements and whether they provide a meaningful basis for strategic choice, distinction and differentiation from a positioning perspective; or whether they are the equivalent of âtable stakesâ in the MBA game - undifferentiated signals that connote legitimacy. Content analysis is undertaken of the mission statements of the Financial Times 2009 top 100 full-time MBA program offering business schools. The statements are mapped and compared in the aggregate and by quartile. We conclude that the statements are for the most part homogeneous and do not serve as a basis for differentiation. However, although achieving distinction through a mission statement may indeed be difficult, it is by no means impossible, and we suggest approaches that business school deans might adopt in an effort to make their brands stand out
Going places
Journeys. We all make them. Often they take us to exotic places. Sometimes they take us even further. They might take us through time. Or they might take us into a new way of life. There are times too, when we go all over the world and back again only to find that home is, after all, where itâs all happening.
This book contains stories about many different types of journey. We hope you will enjoy travelling into it and finding a world that suits you
Heart failure as an endpoint in heart failure and non-heart failure cardiovascular clinical trials: the need for a consensus definition
Specific criteria have been established to define the occurrence of myocardial infarction (MI) and stroke in cardiovascular clinical trials, but there is not a consistent definition for heart failure. Heart failure events appear to occur at a rate that is similar to stroke and MI in trials of hypertension, hyperlipidaemia, diabetes, and coronary heart disease, yet a consistent approach to defining heart failure events has not yet been realized. The wide range of definitions used in clinical trials makes it difficult to interpret new data in the context of existing literature. This inconsistency has led to challenges in determining the incidence of heart failure in cardiovascular studies and the effects of interventions on these endpoints. This paper examines issues related to defining heart failure events in cardiovascular clinical trials and presents a definition to formally address this issu
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