Characteristics of seismic survey pulses and the ambient soundscape in Baffin Bay and Melville Bay, West Greenland

In 2012 a seismic survey campaign involving four vessels was conducted in Baffin Bay, West Greenland. Long-distance (150 km) pre-survey acoustic modeling was performed in accordance with regulatory requirements. Four acoustic recorders, three with hydrophones at 100, 200, and 400m depths, measured ambient and anthropogenic sound during the survey. Additional recordings without the surveys were made from September 2013 to September 2014. The results show that (1) the soundscape of Baffin Bay is typical for open ocean environments and Melville Bay's soundscape is dominated by glacial ice noise; (2) there are distinct multipath arrivals of seismic pulses 40 km from the array; (3) seismic sound levels vary little as a function of depth; (4) high fidelity pre-survey acoustic propagation modeling produced reliable results; (5) the daily SEL did not exceed regulatory thresholds and were different using Southall, Bowles, Ellison, Finneran, Gentry, Greene, Kastak, Ketten, Miller, Nachtigall, Richardson, Thomas, and Tyack [(2007) Aquat. Mamm. 33, 411-521] or NOAA weightings [National Marine Fisheries Service (2016). NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS-OPR-55, p. 178]; (6) fluctuations of SPL with range were better described by additive models than linear regression; and (7) the survey increased the 1-min SPL by 28 dB, with most of the energy below 100 Hz; energy in the 16 000 Hz octave band was 20 dB above the ambient background 6 km from the source. (C) 2017 Acoustical Society of America

SoK: Safer Digital-Safety Research Involving At-Risk Users

Research involving at-risk users -- that is, users who are more likely to experience a digital attack or to be disproportionately affected when harm from such an attack occurs -- can pose significant safety challenges to both users and researchers. Nevertheless, pursuing research in computer security and privacy is crucial to understanding how to meet the digital-safety needs of at-risk users and to design safer technology for all. To standardize and bolster safer research involving such users, we offer an analysis of 196 academic works to elicit 14 research risks and 36 safety practices used by a growing community of researchers. We pair this inconsistent set of reported safety practices with oral histories from 12 domain experts to contribute scaffolded and consolidated pragmatic guidance that researchers can use to plan, execute, and share safer digital-safety research involving at-risk users. We conclude by suggesting areas for future research regarding the reporting, study, and funding of at-risk user researchComment: 13 pages, 3 table

Outflow Legacy Accretion Survey: unveiling the wind driving mechanism in BHXRBs

Transient black-hole X-ray binaries viewed at high inclinations display blue-shifted absorption lines in their X-ray spectra. These features are the signatures of powerful, hot and equatorial accretion disk winds being driven from these systems in their luminous soft states. Remarkably, blue-shifted absorption lines have recently also been discovered in optical and NIR recombination lines and ultraviolet resonance features. These features must also be produced in an outflow, but the physical conditions traced by these outflows are different. Despite this, the characteristic Doppler velocities of all three types of signatures are comparable, yet they have never been observed simultaneously. It is therefore completely unclear if they are associated with distinct outflows (e.g. driven by different mechanisms) or simply with different regions/phases within the same outflow. Here, we propose to answer this question by carrying out simultaneous time-resolved spectroscopy of a high-inclination system in the X-ray, ultraviolet and optical bands, in its two distinct physical configurations (hard- and soft-states). This will allow us to test if the three types of wind features are present simultaneously, and, if so, whether they display correlated variability and/or velocity structure

MOST detects corotating bright spots on the mid-O type giant {\xi} Persei

We have used the MOST (Microvariability and Oscillations of STars) microsatellite to obtain four weeks of contiguous high-precision broadband visual photometry of the O7.5III(n)((f)) star {\xi} Persei in November 2011. This star is well known from previous work to show prominent DACs (Discrete Absorption Components) on time-scales of about 2 d from UV spectroscopy and NRP (Non Radial Pulsation) with one (l = 3) p-mode oscillation with a period of 3.5 h from optical spectroscopy. Our MOST-orbit (101.4 min) binned photometry fails to reveal any periodic light variations above the 0.1 mmag 3-sigma noise level for periods of hours, while several prominent Fourier peaks emerge at the 1 mmag level in the two-day period range. These longer-period variations are unlikely due to pulsations, including gravity modes. From our simulations based upon a simple spot model, we deduce that we are seeing the photometric modulation of several co-rotating bright spots on the stellar surface. In our model, the starting times (random) and lifetimes (up to several rotations) vary from one spot to another yet all spots rotate at the same period of 4.18 d, the best-estimated rotation period of the star. This is the first convincing reported case of co-rotating bright spots on an O star, with important implications for drivers of the DACs (resulting from CIRs - Corotating Interaction Regions) with possible bright-spot generation via a breakout at the surface of a global magnetic field generated by a subsurface convection zone.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables, MNRAS in pres

Spectroscopy, MOST Photometry, and Interferometry of MWC 314: Is it an LBV or an interacting binary?

MWC 314 is a bright candidate luminous blue variable that resides in a fairly close binary system, with an orbital period of 60.753$\pm$0.003 d. We observed MWC 314 with a combination of optical spectroscopy, broad-band ground- and space-based photometry, as well as with long baseline, near-infrared interferometry. We have revised the single-lined spectroscopic orbit and explored the photometric variability. The orbital light curve displays two minima each orbit that can be partially explained in terms of the tidal distortion of the primary that occurs around the time of periastron. The emission lines in the system are often double-peaked and stationary in their kinematics, indicative of a circumbinary disc. We find that the stellar wind or circumbinary disc is partially resolved in the K\prime-band with the longest baselines of the CHARA Array. From this analysis, we provide a simple, qualitative model in an attempt to explain the observations. From the assumption of Roche Lobe overflow and tidal synchronisation at periastron, we estimate the component masses to be M1 $\approx 5$ M$_\odot$ and M2$\approx 15$ M$_\odot$, which indicates a mass of the LBV that is extremely low. In addition to the orbital modulation, we discovered two pulsational modes with the MOST satellite. These modes are easily supported by a low-mass hydrogen-poor star, but cannot be easily supported by a star with the parameters of an LBV. The combination of these results provides evidence that the primary star was likely never a normal LBV, but rather is the product of binary interactions. As such, this system presents opportunities for studying mass-transfer and binary evolution with many observational techniques.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, 5 tables, 2 appendices with 7 additional tables and 2 additional figures. Accepted for publication in MNRA

Gender, media, and mixed martial arts in Poland: the case of Joanna Jędrzejczyk

Recent growth in the media visibility of female combat sport athletes has offered a compelling site for research on gender and sport media, as women in deeply masculinized sports have been increasingly placed in the public spotlight. While scholars in the Anglophone West have offered analyses of the media framing of this phenomenon, little work has been done outside these cultural contexts. Thus, in this paper we offer a qualitative exploration of how Joanna Jędrzejczyk, a Polish champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has been represented in Polish media. Our findings reveal a relatively de-gendered, widely celebratory account, primarily framed by nationalistic discourse–findings we ascribe to both the particularities of the sport of mixed martial arts as well as the historic nature of Jędrzejczyk’s success

Dismissive and deceptive car dealerships create barriers to electric vehicle adoption at the point of sale

This study investigates the role of car dealerships in the electrification of passenger transport, namely their sales advice about the purchase and use of electric vehicles (EVs). Because most consumers do not have pre-existing knowledge of EVs, and current market conditions favour petrol and diesel vehicles, car dealership experiences may strongly influence EV purchasing decisions. Here we show that car dealerships pose a significant barrier at the point of sale due to a perceived lack of business case viability in relation to petrol and diesel vehicles. In 126 shopping experiences at 82 car dealerships across Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, we find dealers were dismissive of EVs, misinformed shoppers on vehicle specifications, omitted EVs from the sales conversation and strongly oriented customers towards petrol and diesel vehicle options. Dealer’s technological orientation, willingness to sell, and displayed knowledge of EVs were the main contributors to likely purchase intentions. These findings combined with expert interviews suggest that government and industry signalling affect sales strategies and purchasing trends. Policy and business strategies that address barriers at the point of sale are needed to accelerate EV adoption

Infrastructure and cities ontologies

The creation and use of ontologies has become increasingly relevant for complex systems in recent years. This is because of the growing number of use of cases that rely on real-world integration of disparate systems, the need for semantic congruence across boundaries and the expectations of users for conceptual clarity within evolving domains or systems of interest. These needs are evident in most spheres of research involving complex systems, but they are particularly apparent in infrastructure and cities where traditionally siloed and sectoral approaches have dominated, undermining the potential for integration to solve societal challenges such as net zero, resilience to climate change, equity and affordability. This paper reports on findings of a literature review on infrastructure and city ontologies and puts forward some hypotheses inferred from the literature findings. The hypotheses are discussed with reference to the literature and provide avenues for further research on (a) belief systems that underpin non-top-level ontologies and the potential for interference from them, (b) the need for a small number of top-level ontologies and translation mechanisms between them and (c) clarity on the role of standards and information systems in the adaptability and quality of data sets using ontologies. A gap is also identified in the extent that ontologies can support more complex automated coupling and data transformation when dealing with different scales

JWST Pathfinder Telescope Risk Reduction Cryo Test Program

In 2014, the Optical Ground Support Equipment was integrated into the large cryo vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Center (JSC) and an initial Chamber Commissioning Test was completed. This insured that the support equipment was ready for the three Pathfinder telescope cryo tests. The Pathfinder telescope which consists of two primary mirror segment assemblies and the secondary mirror was delivered to JSC in February 2015 in support of this critical risk reduction test program prior to the flight hardware. This paper will detail the Chamber Commissioning and first optical test of the JWST Pathfinder telescope