6,521 research outputs found
Human-centred design methods : developing scenarios for robot assisted play informed by user panels and field trials
Original article can be found at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/ Copyright ElsevierThis article describes the user-centred development of play scenarios for robot assisted play, as part of the multidisciplinary IROMEC1 project that develops a novel robotic toy for children with special needs. The project investigates how robotic toys can become social mediators, encouraging children with special needs to discover a range of play styles, from solitary to collaborative play (with peers, carers/teachers, parents, etc.). This article explains the developmental process of constructing relevant play scenarios for children with different special needs. Results are presented from consultation with panel of experts (therapists, teachers, parents) who advised on the play needs for the various target user groups and who helped investigate how robotic toys could be used as a play tool to assist in the children’s development. Examples from experimental investigations are provided which have informed the development of scenarios throughout the design process. We conclude by pointing out the potential benefit of this work to a variety of research projects and applications involving human–robot interactions.Peer reviewe
A Search for Very Active Stars in the Galaxy
We report the first results of a systematic search near the plane of the
Galaxy for the so called very active stars (VAS), which are characterized by a
hard X-ray spectrum and activity in the radio domain. Candidates with hard
X-ray binary-like spectra have been selected from the Bright ROSAT Source
Catalogue in the Zone of Avoidance () and were tentatively
identified in GB6/PMM/NVSS radio surveys. Most of them were observed with the
ATCA and VLA. Precise radio coordinates have led to unambiguous optical
identification for 60 candidates, and a sub-sample of five of themhas been
observed with the VLT. Also some discovery and confirmatory spectra were
obtained with the AAT (4-m) and BTA (6-m). Spectroscopy with moderate
dispersion, made with the FORS1 spectrograph of the VLT has revealed two
stellar objects (one of them, VASC J1628-41, is definitivelya binary VAS), one
new AGN and two featureless spectrum sources. One of these objects, VASC
J1353-66, shows a marginal evidence of proper motion, which, if confirmed,
would imply the discovery of a new type of galactic source.Comment: to appear in A&A, 7 figure
Complete-Graph Tensor Network States: A New Fermionic Wave Function Ansatz for Molecules
We present a new class of tensor network states that are specifically
designed to capture the electron correlation of a molecule of arbitrary
structure. In this ansatz, the electronic wave function is represented by a
Complete-Graph Tensor Network (CGTN) ansatz which implements an efficient
reduction of the number of variational parameters by breaking down the
complexity of the high-dimensional coefficient tensor of a
full-configuration-interaction (FCI) wave function. We demonstrate that CGTN
states approximate ground states of molecules accurately by comparison of the
CGTN and FCI expansion coefficients. The CGTN parametrization is not biased
towards any reference configuration in contrast to many standard quantum
chemical methods. This feature allows one to obtain accurate relative energies
between CGTN states which is central to molecular physics and chemistry. We
discuss the implications for quantum chemistry and focus on the spin-state
problem. Our CGTN approach is applied to the energy splitting of states of
different spin for methylene and the strongly correlated ozone molecule at a
transition state structure. The parameters of the tensor network ansatz are
variationally optimized by means of a parallel-tempering Monte Carlo algorithm
Molecular techniques for Dicistrovirus detection without RNA extraction and purification
Dicistroviridae is a new family of small, nonenveloped, and +ssRNA viruses pathogenic to both beneficial arthropods and insect pests as well. Triatoma virus (TrV), a dicistrovirus, is a pathogen of Triatoma infestans (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), one of the main vectors of Chagas disease. In this work, we report a single-step method to identify TrV, a dicistrovirus, isolated from fecal samples of triatomines.The identification method proved to be quite sensitive, even without the extraction and purification of RNA virus.Fil: Querido, Jailson F. B.. Universidade Nova de Lisboa; PortugalFil: Agirre, Jon. Universidad del Pais Vasco; EspañaFil: Marti, Gerardo Anibal. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico la Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores (i); Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Guerin, Diego M. A.. Universidad del Pais Vasco; EspañaFil: Silva, Marcelo Sousa . Universidade Nova de Lisboa; Portuga
Long-Term Flux Monitoring of LSI +61 303 at 2.25 and 8.3 GHz
LSI +61 303 is an exotic binary system consisting of a ~10 Msun B star and a
compact object which is probably a neutron star. The system is associated with
the interesting radio source GT0236+610 that exhibits bright radio outbursts
with a period of 26.5 days. We report the results of continuous daily radio
interferometric observations of GT0236+610 at 2.25 and 8.3 GHz from 1994
January to 1996 February. The observations cover 25 complete (and 3 partial)
cycles with multiple observations each day. We detect substantial
cycle-to-cycle variability of the radio emission characterized by a rapid onset
of the radio flares followed by a more gradual decrease of the emission. We
detect a systematic change of the radio spectral index alpha which typically
becomes larger than zero at the onset of the radio outbursts. This behavior is
suggestive of expansion of material initially optically thick to radio
frequencies, indicating either that synchrotron or inverse Compton cooling are
important or that the free-free optical depth to the source is rapidly
changing. After two years of observations, we see only weak evidence for the
proposed 4-year periodic modulation in the peak flux of the outbursts. We
observe a secular trend in the outburst phases according the the best published
ephemeris. This trend indicates either orbital period evolution, or a drift in
outburst orbital phase in response to some other change in the system.Comment: 23 pages, LaTex, 7 figures, to appear in ApJ, v491, Dec 10th issue,
for associated info and preprints see
http://www.srl.caltech.edu/personnel/paulr/lsi.htm
Scanning Tunneling Microscope-Induced Luminescence Spectroscopy on Semiconductor Heterostructures
Scanning tunneling microscope (STM)-induced luminescence is explored as a technique for the characterization of semiconductor quantum wells and quantum wire heterostructures. By injecting minority carriers into the cleaved cross section of these structures, luminescence excitation on a nanometer scale is demonstrated. Using spectrally resolved STM-induced luminescence for the tip placed at various positions across the cleaved heterostructure, it is possible to obtain local spectroscopic information on closely spaced quantum structures
Socioeconomic Differences in Dietary Patterns in an East African Country: Evidence from the Republic of Seychelles.
In high income countries, low socioeconomic status (SES) is related to unhealthier dietary patterns, while evidence on the social patterning of diet in low and middle income countries is scarce.
In this study, we assess dietary patterns in the general population of a middle income country in the African region, the Republic of Seychelles, and examine their distribution according to educational level and income.
Data was drawn from two independent national surveys conducted in the Seychelles among adults aged 25-64 years in 2004 (n = 1236) and 2013 (n = 1240). Dietary patterns were assessed by principal component analysis (PCA). Educational level and income were used as SES indicators. Data from both surveys were combined as no interaction was found between SES and year.
Three dietary patterns were identified: "snacks and drinks", "fruit and vegetables" and "fish and rice". No significant associations were found between SES and the "snacks and drinks" pattern. Low vs. high SES individuals had lower adherence to the "fruit and vegetables" pattern [prevalence ratio (95% CI) 0.71 (0.60-0.83)] but a higher adherence to the traditional "fish and rice" pattern [1.58 (1.32-1.88)]. Income modified the association between education and the "fish and rice" pattern (p = 0.02), whereby low income individuals had a higher adherence to this pattern in both educational groups.
Low SES individuals have a lower consumption of fruit and vegetables, but a higher consumption of traditional foods like fish and rice. The Seychelles may be at a degenerative diseases stage of the nutrition transition
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