A comparison of methods for mapping golf greens

Several golf greens were mapped using a RTK GPS, Riegl 3D-Laser Mirror Scanner and Trimble S6 Robotic Total Station systems to determine the most appropriate method for this task. The RTK GPS was the easiest methods for data capture but was insufficiently accurate for mapping at a contour interval of 0.05 m or less in this situation. The laser scanner level data accuracy was slightly more accurate than the robotic total station but both produces results that were suitable for golf green mapping. However, the ease of use of the robotic total station determined this as the preferred methodology for golf green mapping with a 0.05m contour interval

Lobster Account Book 2, Frank W. Reynolds, 1931-1932

Account book of a lobsterman from Addison, Maine. The book lists number of lobsters caught, their weight and price per pound, the gallons of gas used and price, and the number of bushels of bait used and price per bushel

Kepler Observations of Rapid Optical Variability in Active Galactic Nuclei

Over three quarters in 2010-2011, Kepler monitored optical emission from four active galactic nuclei (AGN) with ~30 min sampling, >90% duty cycle, and <~0.1% repeatability. These data determined the AGN optical fluctuation power spectral density functions (PSDs) over a wide range in temporal frequency. Fits to these PSDs yielded power law slopes of -2.6 to -3.3, much steeper than typically seen in the X-rays. We find evidence that individual AGN exhibit intrinsically different PSD slopes. The steep PSD fits are a challenge to recent AGN variability models but seem consistent with first order MRI theoretical calculations of accretion disk fluctuations.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journal Letters, 31 Oct 201

Extremal energy shifts of radiation from a ring near a rotating black hole

Radiation from a narrow circular ring shows a characteristic double-horn profile dominated by photons having energy around the maximum or minimum of the allowed range, i.e. near the extremal values of the energy shift. The energy span of a spectral line is a function of the ring radius, black hole spin, and observer's view angle. We describe a useful approach to calculate the extremal energy shifts in the regime of strong gravity. Then we consider an accretion disk consisting of a number of separate nested annuli in the equatorial plane of Kerr black hole, above the innermost stable circular orbit (ISCO). We suggest that the radial structure of the disk emission could be reconstructed using the extremal energy shifts of the individual rings deduced from the broad wings of a relativistic spectral line.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures, ApJ accepte

Fibroblasts in head neck squamous cell carcinoma associated with perineural invasion have high level nuclear Yes-Associated Protein (YAP) expression

Paul A. Reynolds, PhD, is supported by the Melville Trust for the Care and cure of Cancer.We retrospectively studied the expression of Yes-associated protein (YAP) using immunohistochemical staining in 10 cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with associated perineural invasion. We find that fibroblasts in areas associated with perineural invasion show higher levels of nuclear YAP compared to fibroblasts in the stroma of normal mucosa, with a median cell count of 35.4 per high-power field in the former and 3.9 in the latter. No differences were observed between the expression of YAP phosphorylated at Ser127 in the tumoral stroma compared to that in the normal mucosa, with a median cell count expression of 4.9 in the former versus 5.0 in the latter. Therefore, a strong and increased nuclear YAP expression in fibroblasts associated with perineural invasion in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma suggests that YAP-mediated transcription programs in these fibroblasts may contribute to perineural invasion.PostprintPublisher PDFPeer reviewe

The Impact of Surf Breaks on Home Prices in Santa Cruz, CA

The growing field of “surfonomics” attempts to document surfing’s economic contribution to local and regional communities, as well the consumer surplus surf breaks provide to millions of surfers. To date, no research has examined the extent to which the value of surf breaks is capitalized into home prices. This study uses the hedonic price method with data from three distinct beach-adjacent neighborhoods in Santa Cruz, CA to estimate whether proximity to surf breaks leads to higher home values. We find that after controlling for proximity to the beach, ocean views, the specific characteristics of the homes, and neighborhood effects, that proximity to surf breaks is a statistically significant contributor to overall home value. A home that is right next to a surf break is valued at approximately $106,000 more than an equivalent home a mile away

The First X-Ray Proper-Motion Measurements of the Forward Shock in the Northeastern Limb of SN 1006

We report on the first X-ray proper-motion measurements of the nonthermally-dominated forward shock in the northeastern limb of SN 1006, based on two Chandra observations taken in 2000 and 2008. We find that the proper motion of the forward shock is about 0.48 arcsec/yr and does not vary around the rim within the ~10% measurement uncertainties. The proper motion measured is consistent with that determined by the previous radio observations. The mean expansion index of the forward shock is calculated to be ~0.54 which matches the value expected based on an evolutionary model of a Type Ia supernova with either a power-law or an exponential ejecta density profile. Assuming pressure equilibrium around the periphery from the thermally-dominated northwestern rim to the nonthermally-dominated northeastern rim, we estimate the ambient density to the northeast of SN 1006 to be about 0.085/cm^3.Comment: Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal Letter