565 research outputs found
Towards high-throughput 3D insect capture for species discovery and diagnostics
Digitisation of natural history collections not only preserves precious
information about biological diversity, it also enables us to share, analyse,
annotate and compare specimens to gain new insights. High-resolution,
full-colour 3D capture of biological specimens yields color and geometry
information complementary to other techniques (e.g., 2D capture, electron
scanning and micro computed tomography). However 3D colour capture of small
specimens is slow for reasons including specimen handling, the narrow depth of
field of high magnification optics, and the large number of images required to
resolve complex shapes of specimens. In this paper, we outline techniques to
accelerate 3D image capture, including using a desktop robotic arm to automate
the insect handling process; using a calibrated pan-tilt rig to avoid attaching
calibration targets to specimens; using light field cameras to capture images
at an extended depth of field in one shot; and using 3D Web and mixed reality
tools to facilitate the annotation, distribution and visualisation of 3D
digital models.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure, for BigDig workshop at 2017 eScience conferenc
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Friendship Chemistry: An Examination of Underlying Factors
Interpersonal chemistry refers to a connection between two individuals that exists upon first meeting. The goal of the current study is to identify beliefs about the underlying components of friendship chemistry. Individuals respond to an online Friendship Chemistry Questionnaire containing items that are derived from interdependence theory and the friendship formation literature. Participants are randomly divided into two subsamples. A principal axis factor analysis with promax rotation is performed on subsample 1 (n = 688) and produces 5 factors: Reciprocal candor, mutual interest, personableness, similarity, and physical attraction. A confirmatory factor analysis is conducted using subsample 2 (n = 715) and provides support for the 5-factor model. Participants with agreeable, open, and conscientious personalities more commonly report experiencing friendship chemistry, as do those who are female, young, and European/white. Responses from participants who have never experienced chemistry (n = 42) are qualitatively analyzed. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed
From Mind to Matter: Patterns of Innovation in the Archaeological Record and the Ecology of Social Learning
Archaeology and cultural evolution theory both predict that environmental variation and population size drive the likelihood of inventions (via individual learning) and their conversion to population-wide innovations (via social uptake). We use the case study of the adoption of the bow and arrow in the Great Basin to infer how patterns of cultural variation, invention, and innovation affect investment in new technologies over time and the conditions under which we could predict cultural innovation to occur. Using an agent-based simulation to investigate the conditions that manifest in the innovation of technology, we find the following: (1) increasing ecological variation results in a greater reliance on individual learning, even when this decreases average fitness due to the costs of learning; (2) decreasing population size increases variability in the types of learning strategies that individuals use; among smaller populations drift-like processes may contribute to randomization in interpopulation cultural diffusion; (3) increasing the mutation rate affects the variability in learning patterns at different rates of environmental variation; and (4) increasing selection pressure increases the reliance on social learning. We provide an open-source R script for the model and encourage others to use it to test additional hypotheses
The black holes of radio galaxies during the "Quasar Era": Masses, accretion rates, and evolutionary stage
We present an analysis of the AGN broad-line regions of 6 powerful radio
galaxies at z>~2 (HzRGs) with rest-frame optical imaging spectroscopy obtained
at the VLT. All galaxies have luminous (L(H-alpha)=few x 10^44 erg s^-1),
spatially unresolved H-alpha line emission with FWHM>= 10,000 km s^-1 at the
position of the nucleus, suggesting their AGN are powered by supermassive black
holes with masses of few x 10^9 M_sun and accretion luminosities of a few
percent of the Eddington luminosity. In two galaxies we also detect the BLRs in
H-beta, suggesting relatively low extinction of A_V~1 mag, which agrees with
constraints from X-ray observations. By relating black hole and bulge mass, we
find a possible offset towards higher black-hole masses of at most ~0.6 dex
relative to nearby galaxies at a given host mass, although each individual
galaxy is within the scatter of the local relationship. If not entirely from
systematic effects, this would then suggest that the masses of the host
galaxies have increased by at most a factor ~4 since z~2 relative to the
black-hole masses, perhaps through accretion of satellite galaxies or because
of a time lag between star formation in the host galaxy and AGN fueling. We
also compare the radiative and mechanical energy output (from jets) of our
targets with predictions of recent models of "synthesis" or "grand unified" AGN
feedback, which postulate that AGN with similar radiative and mechanical energy
output rates to those found in our HzRGs may be nearing the end of their period
of active growth. We discuss evidence that they may reach this stage at the
same time as their host galaxies.Comment: A&A in pres
Human Trafficking by the Numbers: The Initial Benchmark of Prevalence and Economic Impact for Texas
Prevalence HighlightsCurrently, there are approximately 79,000 minor and youth victims of sex trafficking in Texas.Currently, there are approximately 234,000 workers who are victims of labor trafficking in Texas.Currently, there arean estimated 313,000 victims of human trafficking in Texas.Cost HighlightsMinor and youth sex trafficking costs the state of Texas approximately 600 million from victims of labor trafficking in Texas.BackgroundThough human trafficking is widespread in geographically large states with large urban centers like Texas, the true scope of this hidden crime is largely unconfirmed as data on human trafficking are difficult to ascertain. Existing data gathered in anti-trafficking efforts focus almost exclusively on identified victims, shedding light on only a fraction of the problem. The first phase of the Statewide Human Trafficking Mapping Project of Texas focused on providing empiricallygrounded data as a benchmark about the extent of human trafficking across the state. The following three primary research questions guided our data collection efforts, which included queries of existing databases, interviews, focus groups, and web-based surveys.1.What is the prevalence of human trafficking in Texas?2.What is the economic impact of human trafficking in Texas?3.What is our understanding of human trafficking in Texas?MethodsThe findings in this report were derived using a multi-methods approach to quantify the prevalence and economic impact of human trafficking in Texas. Higher-than-average risk industry and community segments were chosen for sex and labor markets. We defined community segments asgroups of people considered to be at higher-than-average risk of trafficking because of risk indicators found in trafficking cases (e.g. homelessness). More specifically, rather than attempting to establish prevalence of trafficking among the 27.4 million people living in Texas, for the purposes of demonstrating our methodology, establishing some benchmarks on human trafficking prevalence and economic impact estimates, and providing a concrete example of our planned activities moving forward, victimization rates were applied to a select few community segments that are at higher-than-average risk of trafficking.The methodology has addressed the critical industry and community segments to accurately estimate prevalencewhile reducing overlap between the chosen segments
The Radio Galaxy Population in the SIMBA SImulations
We examine the 1.4GHz radio luminosities of galaxies arising from star
formation and active galactic nuclei (AGN) within the state-of-the-art
cosmological hydrodynamic simulation Simba. Simba grows black holes via
gravitational torque limited accretion from cold gas and Bondi accretion from
hot gas, and employs AGN feedback including jets at low Eddington ratios. We
define a population of radio loud AGN (RLAGN) based on the presence of ongoing
jet feedback. Within RLAGN we define high and low excitation radio galaxies
(HERGs and LERGs) based on their dominant mode of black hole accretion: torque
limited accretion representing feeding from a cold disk, or Bondi representing
advection-dominated accretion from a hot medium. Simba predicts good agreement
with the observed radio luminosity function (RLF) and its evolution, overall as
well as separately for HERGs and LERGs. Quiescent galaxies with AGN-dominated
radio flux dominate the RLF at > W Hz, while star
formation dominates at lower radio powers. Overall, RLAGN have higher black
hole accretion rates and lower star formation rates than non-RLAGN at a given
stellar mass or velocity dispersion, but have similar black hole masses. Simba
predicts a LERG number density of 8.53 Mpc, higher than
for HERGs, broadly as observed. While LERGs dominate among most massive
galaxies with the largest black holes and HERGs dominate at high specific star
formation rates, they otherwise largely populate similar-sized dark matter
halos and have similar host galaxy properties. Simba thus predicts that deeper
radio surveys will reveal an increasing overlap between the host galaxy
demographics of HERGs and LERGs.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRA
Using bacterial biomarkers to identify early indicators of cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation onset
Acute periods of pulmonary exacerbation are the single most important cause of morbidity in cystic fibrosis patients, and may be associated with a loss of lung function. Intervening prior to the onset of a substantially increased inflammatory response may limit the associated damage to the airways. While a number of biomarker assays based on inflammatory markers have been developed, providing useful and important measures of disease during these periods, such factors are typically only elevated once the process of exacerbation has been initiated. Identifying biomarkers that can predict the onset of pulmonary exacerbation at an early stage would provide an opportunity to intervene before the establishment of a substantial immune response, with major implications for the advancement of cystic fibrosis care. The precise triggers of pulmonary exacerbation remain to be determined; however, the majority of models relate to the activity of microbes present in the patient's lower airways of cystic fibrosis. Advances in diagnostic microbiology now allow for the examination of these complex systems at a level likely to identify factors on which biomarker assays can be based. In this article, we discuss key considerations in the design and testing of assays that could predict pulmonary exacerbations
Franklinton HealthCare Committee
Franklinton HealthCare Committee proposes to reinvent Mt. Carmel West by creating a new rehabilitation center to fight drug and alcohol addiction, a wellness center to educate Franklinton residents about nutrition and health issues, and a residence hall to support the expansion of the nursing school
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