22,730 research outputs found
Addressing technical, social and economic constraints to rice fish culture in Laos, emphasising womenâs involvement: DFID Aquaculture Research Programme Project R6380Cb, final technical report
[PDF contains 83 pages
Learning and Exposure Affect Environmental Perception Less than Evolutionary Navigation Costs
Russell E. Jackson is with University of Idaho, ChĂ©la R. Willey is with University of California Los Angeles, Lawrence K. Cormack is with UT Austin.Most behaviors are conditional upon successful navigation of the environment, which depends upon distance perception learned over repeated trials. Unfortunately, we understand little about how learning affects distance perceptionâespecially in the most common human navigational scenario, that of adult navigation in familiar environments. Further, dominant theories predict mutually exclusive effects of learning on distance perception, especially when the risks or costs of navigation differ. We tested these competing predictions in four experiments in which we also presented evolutionarily relevant navigation costs. Methods included within- and between-subjects comparisons and longitudinal designs in laboratory and real-world settings. Data suggested that adult distance estimation rapidly reflects evolutionarily relevant navigation costs and repeated exposure does little to change this. Human distance perception may have evolved to reflect navigation costs quickly and reliably in order to provide a stable signal to other behaviors and with little regard for objective accuracy.Psycholog
Radiation reaction in the 2.5PN waveform from inspiralling binaries in circular orbits
In this Comment we compute the contributions of the radiation reaction force
in the 2.5 post-Newtonian (PN) gravitational wave polarizations for compact
binaries in circular orbits. (i) We point out and correct an inconsistency in
the derivation of Arun, Blanchet, Iyer, and Qusailah. (ii) We prove that all
contributions from radiation reaction in the 2.5PN waveform are actually
negligible since they can be absorbed into a modification of the orbital phase
at the 5PN order.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, submitted to CQ
Measuring Planck beams with planets
Aims. Accurate measurement of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropy requires precise knowledge of the instrument beam. We explore how well the Planckâbeams will be determined from observations of planets, developing techniques that are also appropriate for other experiments.
Methods. We simulate planet observations with a Planck-like scanning strategy, telescope beams, noise, and detector properties. Then we employ both parametric and non-parametric techniques, reconstructing beams directly from the time-ordered data. With a faithful parameterization of the beam shape, we can constrain certain detector properties, such as the time constants of the detectors, to high precision. Alternatively, we decompose the beam using an orthogonal basis. For both techniques, we characterize the errors in the beam reconstruction with Monte Carlo realizations. For a simplified scanning strategy, we study the impact on estimation of the CMB power spectrum. Finally, we explore the consequences for measuring cosmological parameters, focusing on the spectral index of primordial scalar perturbations, n_s.
Results. The quality of the power spectrum measurement will be significantly influenced by the optical modeling of the telescope. In our most conservative case, using no information about the optics except the measurement of planets, we find that a single transit of Jupiter across the focal plane will measure the beam window functions to better than 0.3% for the channels at 100â217 GHz that are the most sensitive to the CMB. Constraining the beam with optical modeling can lead to much higher quality reconstruction.
Conclusions. Depending on the optical modeling, the beam errors may be a significant contribution to the measurement systematics for n_s
Markov Chain Beam Randomization: a study of the impact of PLANCK beam measurement errors on cosmological parameter estimation
We introduce a new method to propagate uncertainties in the beam shapes used
to measure the cosmic microwave background to cosmological parameters
determined from those measurements. The method, which we call Markov Chain Beam
Randomization, MCBR, randomly samples from a set of templates or functions that
describe the beam uncertainties. The method is much faster than direct
numerical integration over systematic `nuisance' parameters, and is not
restricted to simple, idealized cases as is analytic marginalization. It does
not assume the data are normally distributed, and does not require Gaussian
priors on the specific systematic uncertainties. We show that MCBR properly
accounts for and provides the marginalized errors of the parameters. The method
can be generalized and used to propagate any systematic uncertainties for which
a set of templates is available. We apply the method to the Planck satellite,
and consider future experiments. Beam measurement errors should have a small
effect on cosmological parameters as long as the beam fitting is performed
after removal of 1/f noise.Comment: 17 pages, 23 figures, revised version with improved explanation of
the MCBR and overall wording. Accepted for publication in Astronomy and
Astrophysics (to appear in the Planck pre-launch special issue
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Spatial restriction of alpha4 integrin phosphorylation regulates lamellipodial stability and alpha4beta1-dependent cell migration.
Integrins coordinate spatial signaling events essential for cell polarity and directed migration. Such signals from alpha4 integrins regulate cell migration in development and in leukocyte trafficking. Here, we report that efficient alpha4-mediated migration requires spatial control of alpha4 phosphorylation by protein kinase A, and hence localized inhibition of binding of the signaling adaptor, paxillin, to the integrin. In migrating cells, phosphorylated alpha4 accumulated along the leading edge. Blocking alpha4 phosphorylation by mutagenesis or by inhibition of protein kinase A drastically reduced alpha4-dependent migration and lamellipodial stability. alpha4 phosphorylation blocks paxillin binding in vitro; we now find that paxillin and phospho-alpha4 were in distinct clusters at the leading edge of migrating cells, whereas unphosphorylated alpha4 and paxillin colocalized along the lateral edges of those cells. Furthermore, enforced paxillin association with alpha4 inhibits migration and reduced lamellipodial stability. These results show that topographically specific integrin phosphorylation can control cell migration and polarization by spatial segregation of adaptor protein binding
The Beneficial Impact of Sorting Heavy Cattle at Re-Implant
This research examined a simple sorting strategy to reduce the prevalence of heavyweight carcass discounts. Cattle that were identified and sorted off at re-implant had a reduced prevalence of heavyweight carcasses versus unsorted cattle. Re-implant sorting was profitable at pen average in-weights of 800 pounds or less.cattle, fed cattle marketing, cattle sorting, formula marketing, Farm Management, Livestock Production/Industries, Marketing, Q11, Q16, M31,
Dependence of the superconducting critical temperature on the number of layers in homologous series of high-Tc cuprates
We study a model of -layer high-temperature cuprates of homologous series
like HgBa_2Ca_(n-1)Cu_nO_(2+2n+\delta) to explain the dependence of the
critical temperature Tc(n) on the number of Cu-O planes in the elementary
cell. Focusing on the description of the high-temperature superconducting
system in terms of the collective phase variables, we have considered a
semi-microscopic anisotropic three-dimensional vector XY model of stacked
copper-oxide layers with adjustable parameters representing microscopic
in-plane and out-of-plane phase stiffnesses. The model captures the layered
composition along c-axis of homologous series and goes beyond the
phenomenological Lawrence-Doniach model for layered superconductors.
Implementing the spherical closure relation for vector variables we have solved
the phase XY model exactly with the help of transfer matrix method and
calculated Tc(n) for arbitrary block size , elucidating the role of the
c-axis anisotropy and its influence on the critical temperature. Furthermore,
we accommodate inhomogeneous charge distribution among planes characterized by
the charge imbalance coefficient being the function of number of layers
. By making a physically justified assumption regarding the doping
dependence of the microscopic phase stiffnesses, we have calculated the values
of parameter as a function of block size in good agreement with the
nuclear magnetic resonance data of carrier distribution in multilayered high-Tc
cuprates.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. Submitted to Physical Review
The development and characteristics of a hand-held high power diode laser-based industrial tile grout removal and single-stage sealing system
As the field of laser materials processing becomes ever more diverse, the high power diode laser (HPDL) is now being regarded by many as the most applicable tool. The commercialisation of an industrial epoxy grout removal and single-stage ceramic tile grout sealing process is examined through the development of a hand-held HPDL device in this work. Further, an appraisal of the potential hazards associated with the use of the HPDL in an industrial environment and the solutions implemented to ensure that the system complies with the relevant safety standards are given. The paper describes the characteristics and feasibility of the industrial epoxy grout removal process. A minimum power density of approximately 3 kW/cm2 was found to exist, whilst the minimum interaction time, below which there was no removal of epoxy tile grout, was found to be approximately 0.5 s. The maximum theoretical removal rate that may be achievable was calculated as being 65.98 mm2/s for a circular 2 mm diameter beam with a power density of 3 kW/cm2 and a traverse speed of 42 mm/s. In addition, the characteristics of the single-stage ceramic tile grout sealing are outlined. The single-stage ceramic tile grout sealing process yielded crack and porosity free seals which were produced in normal atmospheric conditions. Tiles were successfully sealed with power densities as low as 550 W/cm2 and at rates of up to 420 mm/min. In terms of mechanical, physical and chemical characteristics, the single-stage ceramic tile grout was found to be far superior to the conventional epoxy tile grout and, in many instances, matched and occasionally surpassed that of the ceramic tiles themselves
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