4,437 research outputs found
Performance of an ideal turbine in an inviscid shear flow
Although wind and tidal turbines operate in turbulent shear flow, most theoretical results concerning turbine performance, such as the well-known Betz limit, assume the upstream velocity profile is uniform. To improve on these existing results we extend the classical actuator disc model in this paper to investigate the performance of an ideal turbine in steady, inviscid shear flow. The model is developed on the assumption that there is negligible lateral interaction in the flow passing through the disc and that the actuator applies a uniform resistance across its area. With these assumptions, solution of the model leads to two key results. First, for laterally unbounded shear flow, it is shown that the normalised power extracted is the same as that for an ideal turbine in uniform flow, if the average of the cube of the upstream velocity of the fluid passing through the turbine is used in the normalisation. Second, for a laterally bounded shear flow, it is shown that the same normalisation can be applied, but allowance must also be made for the fact that non-uniform flow bypassing the turbine alters the background pressure gradient and, in turn, the turbines âeffective blockageâ (so that it may be greater or less than the geometric blockage, defined as the ratio of turbine disc area to cross-sectional area of the flow). Predictions based on the extended model agree well with numerical simulations approximating the incompressible Euler equations. The model may be used to improve interpretation of model-scale results for wind and tidal turbines in tunnels/flumes, to investigate the variation in force across a turbine and to update existing theoretical models of arrays of tidal turbines
An empirical study on the preferred size of the participant information sheet in research
Background: Informed consent is a requirement for all research. It is not, however, clear how much information is sufficient to make an informed decision about participation in research. Information on an online questionnaire about childhood development was provided through an unfolding electronic participant sheet in three levels of information. \ud
Methods: 552 participants, who completed the web-based survey, accessed and spent time reading the participant information sheet (PIS) between July 2008 and November 2009. The information behaviour of the participants was investigated. The first level contained less information than might be found on a standard PIS, the second level corresponded to a standard PIS, and the third contained more information than on a standard PIS. The actual time spent on reading the information provided in three incremental levels and the participants' evaluation of the information were calculated. \ud
Results: 77% of the participants chose to access the first level of information, whereas 12% accessed the first two levels, 6% accessed all three levels of information and 23% participated without accessing information. The most accessed levels of information were those that corresponded to the average reading times. \ud
Conclusion: The brief information provided in the first level was sufficient for participants to make informed decisions, while a sizeable minority of the participants chose not to access any information at all. This study adds to the debate about how much information is required to make a decision about participation in research and the results may help inform the future development of information sheets by providing data on participants' actual needs when deciding about questionnaire surveys.\u
Social Learning of Avoidance Behaviors: Trap Aversion in Captive Coyotes
Social learning can help animals gain knowledge rapidly and may enhance survival. In species that are subjected to capture in foothold traps and then lethally removed, such as the coyote (Canis latrans), learning to avoid traps is critical to survival. Here, we tested social learning of trap avoidance behavior in three experimental scenarios with captive coyotes. In the first experiment, coyotes observed an unfamiliar coyote get captured in a foothold trap (i.e., demonstrator) or did not observe a demonstrator and were therefore naĂŻve to traps. The coyotes that observed a demonstrator showed similar latencies to approach the trap and be captured as coyotes without a demonstrator. In the second experiment, coyotes observed their trap-naĂŻve mate get captured in a foothold trap while housed together. These coyotes had longer latencies to approach the trap and be captured than their mates. In the third experiment, demonstrator coyotes were housed separately in an enclosure adjacent to two other enclosures â one housing their mate and one housing an unfamiliar coyote. Here, unfamiliar coyotes had longer latencies to approach the trap and get captured than the mates of the demonstrator coyotes. These results suggest that coyotes have limited ability to socially learn avoidance behavior, with familiarity and proximity of the demonstrator influencing the ability of coyotes to use social learning. Thus, the different results emerging from this study may reflect behaviors related to territoriality and pair-bonds
Simulating chemistry efficiently on fault-tolerant quantum computers
Quantum computers can in principle simulate quantum physics exponentially
faster than their classical counterparts, but some technical hurdles remain.
Here we consider methods to make proposed chemical simulation algorithms
computationally fast on fault-tolerant quantum computers in the circuit model.
Fault tolerance constrains the choice of available gates, so that arbitrary
gates required for a simulation algorithm must be constructed from sequences of
fundamental operations. We examine techniques for constructing arbitrary gates
which perform substantially faster than circuits based on the conventional
Solovay-Kitaev algorithm [C.M. Dawson and M.A. Nielsen, \emph{Quantum Inf.
Comput.}, \textbf{6}:81, 2006]. For a given approximation error ,
arbitrary single-qubit gates can be produced fault-tolerantly and using a
limited set of gates in time which is or ; with sufficient parallel preparation of ancillas, constant average
depth is possible using a method we call programmable ancilla rotations.
Moreover, we construct and analyze efficient implementations of first- and
second-quantized simulation algorithms using the fault-tolerant arbitrary gates
and other techniques, such as implementing various subroutines in constant
time. A specific example we analyze is the ground-state energy calculation for
Lithium hydride.Comment: 33 pages, 18 figure
Effects of imperfections for Shor's factorization algorithm
We study effects of imperfections induced by residual couplings between
qubits on the accuracy of Shor's algorithm using numerical simulations of
realistic quantum computations with up to 30 qubits. The factoring of numbers
up to N=943 show that the width of peaks, which frequencies allow to determine
the factors, grow exponentially with the number of qubits. However, the
algorithm remains operational up to a critical coupling strength
which drops only polynomially with . The numerical dependence of
on is explained by analytical estimates that allows to
obtain the scaling for functionality of Shor's algorithm on realistic quantum
computers with a large number of qubits.Comment: 10 pages, 10 figures, 1 table. Added references and new data. Erratum
added as appendix. 1 Figure and 1 Table added. Research is available at
http://www.quantware.ups-tlse.fr
Past climate changes facilitated homoploid speciation in three mountain spiny fescues (Festuca, Poaceae)
Apart from the overwhelming cases of allopolyploidization, the impact of speciation through homoploid hybridization is becoming more relevant than previously thought. Much less is known, however, about the impact of climate changes as a driven factor of speciation. To investigate these issues, we selected Festuca picoeuropeana, an hypothetical natural hybrid between the diploid species F. eskia and F. gautieri that occurs in two different mountain ranges (Cantabrian Mountains and Pyrenees) separated by more than 400 km. To unravel the outcomes of this mode of speciation and the impact of climate during speciation we used a multidisciplinary approach combining genome size and chromosome counts, data from an extensive nuclear genotypic analysis, plastid sequences and ecological niche models (ENM). Our results show that the same homoploid hybrid was originated independently in the two mountain ranges, being currently isolated from both parents and producing viable seeds. Parental species had the opportunity to contact as early as 21000 years ago although niche divergence occurs nowadays as result of a climate-driven shift. A high degree of niche divergence was observed between the hybrid and its parents and no recent introgression or backcrossed hybrids were detected, supporting the current presence of reproductive isolation barriers between these species
Instanton Contribution to the Pion Electro-Magnetic Formfactor at Q^2 > 1 GeV^2
We study the effects of instantons on the charged pion electro-magnetic
formfactor at intermediate momenta. In the Single Instanton Approximation
(SIA), we predict the pion formfactor in the kinematic region Q^2=2-15 GeV^2.
By developing the calculation in a mixed time-momentum representation, it is
possible to maximally reduce the model dependence and to calculate the
formfactor directly. We find the intriguing result that the SIA calculation
coincides with the vector dominance monopole form, up to surprisingly high
momentum transfer Q^2~10 GeV^2. This suggests that vector dominance for the
pion holds beyond low energy nuclear physics.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, minor revision
University College of Osteopathy studentsâ attitudes towards psychosocial risk factors and non-specific low back pain: A qualitative study
Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore University College of Osteopathy (UCO)studentsâ attitudes, beliefs and opinions towards psychosocial (PS) factors when treating patients presenting with non-specific low back pain (NSLBP). Methods: A qualitative research design with elements of grounded theory was used. Nine final year UCO students were recruited and interviewed at the UCO teaching centre. Data collection and analysis occurred simultaneously through the constant comparative method of analysis. Results: Three main themes emerged from the data analysis: 1) Definition and interpretation of PS factors towards NSLBP; 2) Assessment and management of PS factors; 3) Competence and difficulties towards PS factors. Conclusions: The level of understanding was homogeneous amongst the participants on the understanding of PS factors and their role in a NSLBP presentation. They assessed for PS factors throughout the case history and tend to rely on their instincts. Two types of strategies towards the PS factors management were identified. However, lack of clinical experience and lack of training on the management of PS factors were identified as the main barriers encountered by students when treating patient with NSLBP. © 2018 Elsevier Lt
Effects of Long Term Exposures on PM Disk Superalloys
Turbine disks in some advanced engine applications may be exposed to temperatures above 700 C for extended periods of time, approaching 1,000 h. These exposures could affect the near-surface composition and microstructure through formation of damaged and often embrittled layers. The creation of such damaged layers could significantly affect local mechanical properties. Powder metal disk superalloys LSHR and ME3 were exposed at temperatures of 704, 760, and 815 C for times up to 2,020 h, and the types and depths of environmental attacked were measured. Fatigue tests were performed for selected cases at 704 and 760 C, to determine the impact of these exposures on fatigue life. Fatigue resistance was reduced up to 98% in both superalloys for some exposure conditions. Tensile tests were also performed to help understand fatigue responses, and showed corresponding reductions in ductility. The changes in surface composition and phases, depths of these changed layers, failure responses, and failure initiation modes were compared
Higgs Mass from D-Terms: a Litmus Test
We explore supersymmetric theories in which the Higgs mass is boosted by the
non-decoupling D-terms of an extended gauge symmetry, defined here to
be a general linear combination of hypercharge, baryon number, and lepton
number. Crucially, the gauge coupling, , is bounded from below to
accommodate the Higgs mass, while the quarks and leptons are required by gauge
invariance to carry non-zero charge under . This induces an irreducible
rate, BR, for relevant to
existing and future resonance searches, and gives rise to higher dimension
operators that are stringently constrained by precision electroweak
measurements. Combined, these bounds define a maximally allowed region in the
space of observables, (BR, ), outside of which is excluded by
naturalness and experimental limits. If natural supersymmetry utilizes
non-decoupling D-terms, then the associated boson can only be observed
within this window, providing a model independent `litmus test' for this broad
class of scenarios at the LHC. Comparing limits, we find that current LHC
results only exclude regions in parameter space which were already disfavored
by precision electroweak data.Comment: 7 pages, 9 figure
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