Radial basis functions for the sphere

In this paper we compute the ultraspherical series expansions for the more commonly used radial basis functions. In several special cases we provide asymptotic estimates for the decay rate of the coefficients involved. knowledge of the decay rate of these coefficients is useful because they enable error estimates for spherical interpolation

Results of a UK industrial tribological survey

During the summer of 2012, the National Centre for Advanced Tribology at Southampton (nCATS) undertook a UK-wide industrial tribological survey in order to assess the explicit need for tribological testing within the UK. The survey was designed and implemented by a summer intern student, Mr Simon King, under the supervision of Drs John Walker and Terry Harvey and supported by the director of nCATS, Professor Robert Wood. The survey built upon on two previous tribological surveys conducted through the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) during the 1990’s. The aim was to capture a snapshot of the current use of tribological testing within UK industry and its perceived reliability in terms of the test data generated. The survey also invited participants to speculate about how UK tribology could improve its approach to testing. The survey was distributed through the nCATS industrial contact list, which comprises of over 400 contacts from a broad spectrum of commercial industries. The Institute of Physics (IOP) tribology group also assisted by distributing the survey to its membership list. A total of 60 responses were received for the survey, out of which 39 had fully completed the questionnaire. Participants came from a broad spread of industrial backgrounds, with the energy sector having the highest representation. Only 40% of respondents were dedicated tribologists/surface engineers, again reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of the field. It was found that the companies that had the highest annual turnover also appeared to expend the most on tribology. The majority of respondents indicated that as a percentage of turnover tribology accounted for less than 1%, however the lack of hard figures only for tribology make this a conservative estimate. The greatest concern in relation to tribology of those who responded was the cost; however the influence of legislation and product reliability were also driving factors. Abrasive wear was still considered the number one tribological wear mechanism, with sliding contacts ranking as the most common type of wear interface. Metallic and hard coated surfaces were the most commonly encountered type of material suffering from tribological wear phenomena. Laboratory scale testing was a significant part of introducing a new tribological component, however component specific testing was considered the most reliable form of testing a new component over standardised test geometries. Overall there appeared to be much potential for improving the reliability of tribological test data, with most respondents indicating that simply more testing was not the best perceived approach to improving tribological data but rather more reliable, representative tests with improved knowledge capture. Most companies possessed an internal database to assist them with tribological information; however, many also expressed a strong desire for the use of a commercial or national database, although the format this might take was less clear. Opinions appeared split as to whether there would be a collective willingness to contribute to a centralised database, presumably on the grounds on the sensitivity of data

Wankeliella medialis, nueva especie para la Fauna Ibérica

Se describe una nueva especie de Wankeliella, W. medialis sp. n. procedente de Navarra, España. Se diferencia de otras especies del género por la presencia simultánea de p0, m4 y m5 en el terguito abdominal IV

Nuevas subespecies de la Subfamilia Onychiurinae de la Península Ibérica.

Se describen cinco nuevas especies de colémbolos Oniquiúridos, de las colecciones del Museo de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid y Universidad del País Vasco: Onychiurus gemae sp. n., Onychiurus selgae sp. n., Onychiurus vinuensis sp. n., Protaphorura florae n. sp. y Archaphorura alavensis sp.n

How efficient is an integrative approach in archaeological geophysics? Comparative case studies from Neolithic settlements in Thessaly (Central Greece)

The geophysical prospection of Neolithic tells imposes specific challenges due to the preservation and nature of the architectural context and the multiple, usually disturbed, soil strata. Contrary to the usual application of a single method, this paper deals with the advantages of using an integrated geophysical approach through the employment of various methodologies to map the Neolithic cul-tural and environmental landscape of Thessalian tells (magoules) in Central Greece. The success and failure of each method in resolving the various features of the magoules are discussed in detail, and as a whole, they demonstrate the benefits of a manifold geophysical prospection of the sites

Restructuring and Rebranding: The Need for Another Revolution in the Loire

International audienc

Brazilian-European community international symposium on agriculture and the environment

Les conséquences de l'agriculture intensive (y compris l'élevage) sur la ressource en eau et sa qualité sont traitées dans les régions méditerranéennes et tempérées grâce à des exemples français et italiens. Le rôle de l'activité agricole sur le cycle hydrologique est rappelé ainsi que les principales lois sur l'eau avant de dresser le tableau actuel des lieux. Les perspectives et les travaux de recherche contemporains concluent la communication. (Résumé d'auteur

Expanding shells around young clusters - S 171/Be 59

Context. Some HII regions that surround young stellar clusters are bordered by molecular shells that appear to expand at a rate inconsistent with our current model simulations. In this study we focus on the dynamics of Sharpless 171 (including NGC 7822), which surrounds the cluster Berkeley 59. Aims. We aim to compare the velocity pattern over the molecular shell with the mean radial velocity of the cluster for estimates of the expansion velocities of different shell structures, and to match the observed properties with model simulations. Methods. Optical spectra of 27 stars located in Berkeley 59 were collected at the Nordic Optical Telescope, and a number of molecular structures scattered over the entire region were mapped in 13CO(1- 0) at Onsala Space Observatory. Results. We obtained radial velocities and MK classes for the clustera\u27s stars. At least four of the O stars are found to be spectroscopic binaries, in addition to one triplet system. From these data we obtain the mean radial velocity of the cluster. From the 13CO spectra we identify three shell structures, expanding relative to the cluster at moderate velocity (4 km s- 1), high velocity (12 km s- 1), and in between. The high-velocity cloudlets extend over a larger radius and are less massive than the low-velocity cloudlets. We performed a model simulation to understand the evolution of this complex. Conclusions. Our simulation of the Sharpless 171 complex and Berkeley 59 cluster demonstrates that the individual components can be explained as a shell driven by stellar winds from the massive cluster members. However, our relatively simple model produces a single component. Modelling of the propagation of shell fragments through a uniform interstellar medium demonstrates that dense cloudlets detached from the shell are decelerated less efficiently than the shell itself. They can reach greater distances and retain higher velocities than the shell