Smart Focal Plane Technologies for VLT Instruments

As we move towards the era of ELTs, it is timely to think about the future role of the 8-m class telescopes. Under the OPTICON programme, novel technologies have been developed that are intended for use in multi-object and integral-field spectrographs. To date, these have been targeted at instrument concepts for the European ELT, but there are also significant possibilities for their inclusion in new VLT instruments, ensuring the continued success and productivity of these unique telescopes.Comment: 5 pages, to appear in the proceedings of the ESO Workshop "Science with the VLT in the ELT era

Daytime site characterisation of La Palma, and its relation to night-time conditions

This paper presents preliminary daytime profiles taken using a Wide-Field Shack-Hartmann Sensor at the Swedish Solar Telescope (SST), La Palma. These are contrasted against Stereo-SCIDAR data from corresponding nights to assess the validity of the assumptions currently used for simulating the performances of possible Multi-Conjugate Adaptive Optics (MCAO) systems for future solar telescopes, especially the assumption that the structure of the high altitude turbulence is mostly similar between the day and the night. We find that for our data both the altitude and the strength of the turbulence differ between the day and the night, although more data is required to draw any conclusions about typical behaviour and conditions

Tragedy revisited

“Freedom in a commons brings ruin to all.” So argued ecologist Garrett Hardin in “The Tragedy of the Commons” in the 13 December 1968 issue of Science (1). Hardin questioned society's ability to manage shared resources and avoid an environmentally and socially calamitous free-for-all. In the 50 years since, the essay has influenced discussions ranging from climate change (see page 1217) to evolution, from infectious disease to the internet, and has reached far beyond academic literature—but not without criticism. Considerable work, notably by Nobelist Elinor Ostrom (2), has challenged Hardin, particularly his emphasis on property rights and government regulatory leviathans as solutions. Instead, research has documented contexts, cases, and principles that reflect the ability of groups to collectively govern common resources. To mark this anniversary and celebrate the richness of research and practice around commons and cooperation, Science invited experts to share some contemporary views on such tragedies and how to avert them. —Brad Wibl

Dynamical Systems approach to Saffman-Taylor fingering. A Dynamical Solvability Scenario

A dynamical systems approach to competition of Saffman-Taylor fingers in a channel is developed. This is based on the global study of the phase space structure of the low-dimensional ODE's defined by the classes of exact solutions of the problem without surface tension. Some simple examples are studied in detail, and general proofs concerning properties of fixed points and existence of finite-time singularities for broad classes of solutions are given. The existence of a continuum of multifinger fixed points and its dynamical implications are discussed. The main conclusion is that exact zero-surface tension solutions taken in a global sense as families of trajectories in phase space spanning a sufficiently large set of initial conditions, are unphysical because the multifinger fixed points are nonhyperbolic, and an unfolding of them does not exist within the same class of solutions. Hyperbolicity (saddle-point structure) of the multifinger fixed points is argued to be essential to the physically correct qualitative description of finger competition. The restoring of hyperbolicity by surface tension is discussed as the key point for a generic Dynamical Solvability Scenario which is proposed for a general context of interfacial pattern selection.Comment: 3 figures added, major rewriting of some sections, submitted to Phys. Rev.

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

The relationship between body mass index and sleep in women with risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus

OnlinePublBackground: Both obesity and sleep disorders are common among women during pregnancy. Although prior research has identified a relationship between obesity and sleep disorders, those findings are from women later in pregnancy. Objective: To explore the relationships between self‐reported sleep duration, insufficient sleep and snoring with body mass index (BMI) among multiethnic women at risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)in early pregnancy.Methods: Cross‐sectional study of baseline data from women at risk of GDM enrolled in the Treatment of BOoking Gestational diabetes Mellitus (TOBOGM) multicentre trial across 12 Australian/Austrian sites. Participants completed a questionnaire before 20 weeks’ gestation to evaluate sleep. BMI 5 days/ month was higher in class II and class III obesity (1.38 (1.03–1.85) and 1.34 (1.01– 1.80), respectively), and the risk of snoring increased as BMI increased (1.59 (1.25– 2.02), 2.68 (2.07–3.48), 4.35 (3.21–5.88) to 4.96 (3.65–6.74), respectively)). Conclusions: Obesity is associated with insufficient sleep among pregnant women at risk of GDM. Snoring is more prevalent with increasing BMI.Pamela Acosta Reyes, Jincy Immanuel, William M. Hague, Helena Teede, Emily Hibbert, Christopher J. Nolan, Michael J. Peek, Vincent Wong, Jeffrey R. Flack, Mark McLean, Raiyomand Dalal, Jürgen Harreiter, Alexandra Kautzky, Willer, Rohit Rajagopal, Arianne Sweeting, Glynis P. Ross, Ngai Wah Cheung, David Simmon

El Apego Va a Juicio: Problemas de Custodia y Protección Infantil1

Attachment theory and research are drawn upon in many applied settings, including family courts, but misunderstandings are widespread and sometimes result in misapplications. The aim of this consensus statement is, therefore, to enhance understanding, counter misinformation, and steer family-court utilisation of attachment theory in a supportive, evidence-based direction, especially with regard to child protection and child custody decision-making. This article is divided into two parts. In the first part, we address problems related to the use of attachment theory and research in family courts, and discuss reasons for these problems. To this end, we examine family court applications of attachment theory in the current context of the best-interest-of-the-child standard, discuss misunderstandings regarding attachment theory, and identify factors that have hindered accurate implementation. In the second part, we provide recommendations for the application of attachment theory and research. To this end, we set out three attachment principles: the child’s need for familiar, non-abusive caregivers; the value of continuity of good-enough care; and the benefits of networks of attachment relationships. We also discuss the suitability of assessments of attachment quality and caregiving behaviour to inform family court decision-making. We conclude that assessments of caregiver behaviour should take center stage. Although there is dissensus among us regarding the use of assessments of attachment quality to inform child custody and child-protection decisions, such assessments are currently most suitable for targeting and directing supportive interventions. Finally, we provide directions to guide future interdisciplinary research collaboration

The roles of the formal and informal sectors in the provision of effective science education

For many years, formal school science education has been criticised by students, teachers, parents and employers throughout the world. This article presents an argument that a greater collaboration between the formal and the informal sector could address some of these criticisms. The causes for concern about formal science education are summarised and the major approaches being taken to address them are outlined. The contributions that the informal sector currently makes to science education are identified. It is suggested that the provision of an effective science education entails an enhanced complementarity between the two sectors. Finally, there is a brief discussion of the collaboration and communication still needed if this is to be effective