8,432 research outputs found
Movement patterns of cheetahs ( Acinonyx jubatus ) in farmlands in Botswana
Botswana has the second highest population of cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) with most living outside protected areas. As a result, many cheetahs are found in farming areas which occasionally results in human-wildlife conflict. This study aimed to look at movement patterns of cheetahs in farming environments to determine whether cheetahs have adapted their movements in these human-dominated landscapes. We fitted high-time resolution GPS collars to cheetahs in the Ghanzi farmlands of Botswana. GPS locations were used to calculate home range sizes as well as number and duration of visits to landscape features using a time-based local convex hull method. Cheetahs had medium-sized home ranges compared to previously studied cheetah in similar farming environments. Results showed that cheetahs actively visited scent marking trees and avoided visiting homesteads. A slight preference for visiting game farms over cattle farms was found, but there was no difference in duration of visits between farm types. We conclude that cheetahs selected for areas that are important for their dietary and social needs and prefer to avoid human-occupied areas. Improved knowledge of how cheetahs use farmlands can allow farmers to make informed decisions when developing management practices and can be an important tool for reducing human-wildlife conflict
Topological effects in ring polymers: A computer simulation study
Unconcatenated, unknotted polymer rings in the melt are subject to strong
interactions with neighboring chains due to the presence of topological
constraints. We study this by computer simulation using the bond-fluctuation
algorithm for chains with up to N=512 statistical segments at a volume fraction
\Phi=0.5 and show that rings in the melt are more compact than gaussian chains.
A careful finite size analysis of the average ring size R \propto N^{\nu}
yields an exponent \nu \approx 0.39 \pm 0.03 in agreement with a Flory-like
argument for the topologica interactions. We show (using the same algorithm)
that the dynamics of molten rings is similar to that of linear chains of the
same mass, confirming recent experimental findings. The diffusion constant
varies effectively as D_{N} \propto N^{-1.22(3) and is slightly higher than
that of corresponding linear chains. For the ring sizes considered (up to 256
statistical segments) we find only one characteristic time scale \tau_{ee}
\propto N^{2.0(2); this is shown by the collapse of several mean-square
displacements and correlation functions onto corresponding master curves.
Because of the shrunken state of the chain, this scaling is not compatible with
simple Rouse motion. It applies for all sizes of ring studied and no sign of a
crossover to any entangled regime is found.Comment: 20 Pages,11 eps figures, Late
Religion and religious education : comparing and contrasting pupilsâ and teachersâ views in an English school
This publication builds on and develops the English findings of the qualitative study of European teenagersâ perspectives on religion and religious education (Knauth et al. 2008), part of âReligion in Education: A contribution to dialogue or a factor of conflict in transforming societies of European countries?â (REDCo) project. It uses data gathered from 27 pupils, aged 15-16, from a school in a multicultural Northern town in England and compares those findings with data gathered from ten teachers in the humanities faculty of the same school, collected during research for the Warwick REDCo Community of Practice. Comparisons are drawn between the teachersâ and their pupilsâ attitudes and values using the same structure as the European study: personal views and experiences of religion, the social dimension of religion, and religious education in school. The discussion offers an analysis of the similarities and differences in worldviews and beliefs which emerged. These include religious commitment/observance differences between the mainly Muslim-heritage pupils and their mainly non-practising Christian-heritage teachers. The research should inform the ways in which the statutory duties to promote community cohesion and equalities can be implemented in schools. It should also facilitate intercultural and interreligious understanding between teachers and the pupils from different ethnic and religious backgrounds
Quantum Chessboards in the Deuterium Molecular Ion
We present a new algorithm for vibrational control in deuterium molecules
that is feasible with current experimental technology. A pump mechanism is used
to create a coherent superposition of the D2+ vibrations. A short, intense
infrared control pulse is applied after a chosen delay time to create selective
interferences. A `chessboard' pattern of states can be realized in which a set
of even- or odd-numbered vibrational states can be selectively annihilated or
enhanced. A technique is proposed for experimental realization and observation
of this effect using 5 fs pulses of 790 nm radiation, with intermediate
intensity (5e13 W/cm2)Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure
Scenicness assessment of onshore wind sites with geotagged photographs and impacts on approval and cost-efficiency
Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the contributions of D. Schlund, who carried out some of the wind analysis whilst a Student Assistant at KIT, as well as C. Moutard, on whose Masterâs Thesis at DTU this article builds (Assessing the âacceptableâ onshore wind potential in the UK, 2019, https://findit.dtu.dk/en/catalog/2451029061). M. DâAndrea, K. Paidis and T. Jaenicke supported the preparation of early versions of the manuscript whilst Student Assistants at DTU. I.M. gratefully acknowledges financial support from Kraks Fond, Copenhagen ([email protected]). T.P. and H.S.M. are grateful for support from The Alan Turing Institute under the EPSRC grant EP/N510129/1 (including awards TU/B/000006 and TU/B/000008).Peer reviewedPostprin
Soft X-ray harmonic comb from relativistic electron spikes
We demonstrate a new high-order harmonic generation mechanism reaching the
`water window' spectral region in experiments with multi-terawatt femtosecond
lasers irradiating gas jets. A few hundred harmonic orders are resolved, giving
uJ/sr pulses. Harmonics are collectively emitted by an oscillating electron
spike formed at the joint of the boundaries of a cavity and bow wave created by
a relativistically self-focusing laser in underdense plasma. The spike
sharpness and stability are explained by catastrophe theory. The mechanism is
corroborated by particle-in-cell simulations
Dynamic Control of Laser Produced Proton Beams
The emission characteristics of intense laser driven protons are controlled
using ultra-strong (of the order of 10^9 V/m) electrostatic fields varying on a
few ps timescale. The field structures are achieved by exploiting the high
potential of the target (reaching multi-MV during the laser interaction).
Suitably shaped targets result in a reduction in the proton beam divergence,
and hence an increase in proton flux while preserving the high beam quality.
The peak focusing power and its temporal variation are shown to depend on the
target characteristics, allowing for the collimation of the inherently highly
divergent beam and the design of achromatic electrostatic lenses.Comment: 9 Pages, 5 figure
Self-diffusion in binary blends of cyclic and linear polymers
A lattice model is used to estimate the self-diffusivity of entangled cyclic
and linear polymers in blends of varying compositions. To interpret simulation
results, we suggest a minimal model based on the physical idea that constraints
imposed on a cyclic polymer by infiltrating linear chains have to be released,
before it can diffuse beyond a radius of gyration. Both, the simulation, and
recently reported experimental data on entangled DNA solutions support the
simple model over a wide range of blend compositions, concentrations, and
molecular weights.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure
Shape Transition in the Epitaxial Growth of Gold Silicide in Au Thin Films on Si(111)
Growth of epitaxial gold silicide islands on bromine-passivated Si(111)
substrates has been studied by optical and electron microscopy, electron probe
micro analysis and helium ion backscattering. The islands grow in the shape of
equilateral triangles up to a critical size beyond which the symmetry of the
structure is broken, resulting in a shape transition from triangle to
trapezoid. The island edges are aligned along directions. We have
observed elongated islands with aspect ratios as large as 8:1. These islands,
instead of growing along three equivalent [110] directions on the Si(111)
substrate, grow only along one preferential direction. This has been attributed
to the vicinality of the substrate surface.Comment: revtex version 3.0, 11 pages 4 figures available on request from
[email protected] - IP/BBSR/93-6
Canât pay, canât play? Talent leadâs perspectives on the financial constraints experienced by athletes on the England Talent Pathway
© 2017 European Council for High Ability This study explored the extent of financial constraints experienced by athletes on the England Talent Pathway, as perceived by talent leads from various sports. Using a mixed-methods approach, 34 participants completed online surveys with 26 follow-up interviews. Findings showed the prevalence of financial constraints on individuals within the system, with three emerging themes: costs; demands on athletes; and potential funding support. âPinch pointsâ, causing the greatest severity of financial constraint, emerged further along the pathway and there were infrequent examples of mechanisms to identify talented athletes experiencing financial hardship. A means-tested system, premised on the demonstration of potential, is suggested by talent leads as a way of providing funding for athletes to ameliorate financial constraints in the future
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