3,018 research outputs found
Projections in ; the unimodular case
We consider the issue of describing all self-adjoint idempotents
(projections) in when is a unimodular locally compact group. The
approach is to take advantage of known facts concerning subspaces of the
Fourier-Stieltjes and Fourier algebras of and the topology of the dual
space of . We obtain an explicit description of any projection in
which happens to also lie in the coefficient space of a finite direct sum of
irreducible representations. This leads to a complete description of all
projections in for belonging to a class of groups that includes
and all almost connected nilpotent locally compact groups.Comment: 13 page
A metric space associated with probability space
For a complete probability space (Ω,∑,P), the set of all complete sub-σ-algebras
of ∑, S(∑), is given a natural metric and studied. The questions of when S(∑) is compact or
connected are awswered and the important subset consisting of all continuous sub-σ-algebras is
shown to be closed. Connections with Christensen's metric on the von Neumann subalgebras of a
Type II1-factor are briefly discussed
Configuring Crowdsourcing for Requirements Elicitation
Crowdsourcing is an emerging paradigm which utilises the power of the crowd in contributing information and solving problems. Crowdsourcing can support requirements elicitation, especially for systems used by a wide range of users and working in a dynamic context where requirements evolve regularly. For such systems, traditional elicitation methods are typically costly and limited in catering for the high diversity, scale and volatility of requirements. In this paper, we advocate the use of crowdsourcing for requirements elicitation and investigate ways to configure crowdsourcing to improve the quality of elicited requirements. To confirm and enhance our argument, we follow an empirical approach starting with two focus groups involving
14 participants, users and developers, followed by an online expert survey involving 34 participants from the Requirements Engineering community. We discuss our findings and present a set of challenges of applying crowdsourcing to aid requirements engineering with a focus on the elicitation stage
Discovery of 28 pulsars using new techniques for sorting pulsar candidates
Modern pulsar surveys produce many millions of candidate pulsars, far more
than can be individually inspected. Traditional methods for filtering these
candidates, based upon the signal-to-noise ratio of the detection, cannot
easily distinguish between interference signals and pulsars. We have developed
a new method of scoring candidates using a series of heuristics which test for
pulsar-like properties of the signal. This significantly increases the
sensitivity to weak pulsars and pulsars with periods close to interference
signals. By applying this and other techniques for ranking candidates from a
previous processing of the Parkes Multi-beam Pulsar Survey, 28 previously
unknown pulsars have been discovered. These include an eccentric binary system
and a young pulsar which is spatially coincident with a known supernova
remnant.Comment: To be published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
11 pages, 9 figure
The Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument: Uses in telemedicine and research
For years ophthalmic photographs have been used to track the progression of many ocular diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma as well as the ocular manifestations of diabetes, hypertension, and hypoxia. In 1987 a project was initiated at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to develop a means of monitoring retinal vascular caliber and intracranial pressure during space flight. To conduct telemedicine during space flight operations, retinal images would require real-time transmissions from space. Film-based images would not be useful during in-flight operations. Video technology is beneficial in flight because the images may be acquired, recorded, and transmitted to the ground for rapid computer digital image processing and analysis. The computer analysis techniques developed for this project detected vessel caliber changes as small as 3 percent. In the field of telemedicine, the Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument demonstrates the concept and utility of a small, self-contained video funduscope. It was used to record retinal images during the Gulf War and to transmit retinal images from the Space Shuttle Columbia during STS-50. There are plans to utilize this device to provide a mobile ophthalmic screening service in rural Texas. In the fall of 1993 a medical team in Boulder, Colorado, will transmit real-time images of the retina during remote consultation and diagnosis. The research applications of this device include the capability of operating in remote locations or small, confined test areas. There has been interest shown utilizing retinal imaging during high-G centrifuge tests, high-altitude chamber tests, and aircraft flight tests. A new design plan has been developed to incorporate the video instrumentation into face-mounted goggle. This design would eliminate head restraint devices, thus allowing full maneuverability to the subjects. Further development of software programs will broaden the application of the Portable Dynamic Fundus Instrument in telemedicine and medical research
A VSA search for the extended Sunyaev-Zel'dovich Effect in the Corona Borealis Supercluster
We present interferometric imaging at 33 GHz of the Corona Borealis
supercluster, using the extended configuration of the Very Small Array. A total
area of 24 deg^2 has been imaged, with an angular resolution of 11 arcmin and a
sensitivity of 12 mJy/beam. The aim of these observations is to search for
Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (SZ) detections from known clusters of galaxies in this
supercluster and for a possible extended SZ decrement due to diffuse warm/hot
gas in the intercluster medium. We measure negative flux values in the
positions of the ten richest clusters in the region. Collectively, this implies
a 3.0-sigma detection of the SZ effect. In the clusters A2061 and A2065 we find
decrements of approximately 2-sigma. Our main result is the detection of two
strong and resolved negative features at -70+-12 mJy/beam (-157+-27 microK) and
-103+-10 mJy/beam (-230+-23 microK), respectively, located in a region with no
known clusters, near the centre of the supercluster. We discuss their possible
origins in terms of primordial CMB anisotropies and/or SZ signals related to
either unknown clusters or to a diffuse extended warm/hot gas distribution. Our
analyses have revealed that a primordial CMB fluctuation is a plausible
explanation for the weaker feature (probability of 37.82%). For the stronger
one, neither primordial CMB (probability of 0.33%) nor SZ can account alone for
its size and total intensity. The most reasonable explanation, then, is a
combination of both primordial CMB and SZ signal. Finally, we explore what
characteristics would be required for a filamentary structure consisting of
warm/hot diffuse gas in order to produce a significant contribution to such a
spot taking into account the constraints set by X-ray data.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures. Accepted in MNRA
First results from the Very Small Array -- I. Observational methods
The Very Small Array (VSA) is a synthesis telescope designed to image faint
structures in the cosmic microwave background on degree and sub-degree angular
scales. The VSA has key differences from other CMB interferometers with the
result that different systematic errors are expected. We have tested the
operation of the VSA with a variety of blank-field and calibrator observations
and cross-checked its calibration scale against independent measurements. We
find that systematic effects can be suppressed below the thermal noise level in
long observations; the overall calibration accuracy of the flux density scale
is 3.5 percent and is limited by the external absolute calibration scale.Comment: 9 pages, 10 figures, MNRAS in press (Minor revisions
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