Plasma Electron Beam Welder for Space Vehicles Final Report

Feasibility of developing plasma electron beam welding system for earth orbiting vehicl

A stochastic movement simulator improves estimates of landscape connectivity

Acknowledgments This publication issued from the project TenLamas funded by the French Ministère de l'Energie, de l'Ecologie, du Développement Durable et de la Mer through the EU FP6 BiodivERsA Eranet; by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) through the open call INDHET and 6th extinction MOBIGEN to V. M. Stevens, M. Baguette, and A. Coulon, and young researcher GEMS (ANR-13-JSV7-0010-01) to V. M. Stevens and M. Baguette; and by a VLIR-VLADOC scholarship awarded to J. Aben. L. Lens, J. Aben, D. Strubbe, and E. Matthysen are grateful to the Research Foundation Flanders (FWO) for financial support of fieldwork and genetic analysis (grant G.0308.13). V. M. Stevens and M. Baguette are members of the “Laboratoire d'Excellence” (LABEX) entitled TULIP (ANR-10-LABX-41). J. M. J. Travis and S. C. F. Palmer also acknowledge the support of NERC. A. Coulon and J. Aben contributed equally to the work.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Individual variation in avian avoidance behaviours in response to repeated, simulated vehicle approach

Birds exhibit variation in alert and flight behaviours in response to vehicles within and between species, but it is unclear how properties inherent to individuals influence variation in avoidance responses over time. We examined individual variation in avoidance behaviours of Brown-headed Cowbirds (Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)) in response to repeated presentation of a simulated vehicle approach in a video playback scenario. Wemodeled temporal alert and flight behaviours to determine whether overall behavioural variation resulted primarily from variation within individuals (i.e., intraindividual variation) or between individuals (i.e., interindividual variation). We examined reaction norms (individual × treatment day) and whether birds showed plasticity in responses via habituation or sensitization. Repeatability in the response metrics for individuals was low (~0.22 for alert and flight), indicating that model variation was due primarily to within-individual variation rather than between-individual variation. We observed sensitization in alert responses over time, but no sensitization or habituation in flight responses. Our results indicate that individuals learned to anticipate the vehicle approach but did not vary their escape behaviour, suggesting that alert and flight behaviours might be affected differently by cues associated with oncoming objects or experience with them. We consider our findings in light of the ongoing development of strategies to reduce animal–vehicle collisions. Si les oiseaux présentent des variations intraspécifiques et interspécifiques des comportements d’alerte et de fuite en réaction aux véhicules, l’influence des propriétés individuelles sur les variations des réactions d’évitement avec le temps n’est pas bien établie. Nous avons examiné les variations individuelles des comportements d’évitement de vachers à tête brune (Molothrus ater (Boddaert, 1783)) en réponse à la présentation répétée d’une approche de véhicule simulée dans un scénario de reprise vidéo. Nous avons modélisé les comportements d’alerte et de fuite dans le temps afin de déterminer si les variations comportementales globales résultaient principalement de variations intraindividuelles ou interindividuelles. Nous avons examiné les normes de réaction (individu × jour du traitement) et si les réactions des oiseaux présentaient une plasticité sous forme d’accoutumance ou de sensibilisation. La répétabilité des mesures de réaction pour les individus était faible (~0,22 pour l’alerte et la fuite), ce qui indique que les variations modélisées étaient principalement dues à des variations intraindividuelles plutôt qu’interindividuelles. Nous avons noté une sensibilisation dans les réactions d’alerte avec le temps, mais aucune sensibilisation ou accoutumance dans les réactions de fuite. Nos résultats indiquent que les individus ont appris à anticiper l’approche d’un véhicule, mais n’ont pas modifié leur comportement d’échappement, ce qui porte à croire que les comportements d’alerte et de fuite des oiseaux pourraient être influencés différemment par des signaux associés à des objets se dirigeant vers eux ou par leur expérience individuelle de tels signaux. Nous discutons de nos constatations dans le contexte de l’élaboration de stratégies pour réduire les collisions entre animaux et véhicules. [Traduit par la Rédaction

Authorship in Ecology: Attribution, Accountability, and Responsibility

Quality and quantity of publications are among the most important measures determining the success of ecologists. The past 50 years have seen a steady rise in the number of researchers and collaborative manuscripts, and a corresponding increase in multi-authored articles. Despite these increases, there remains a shortage of useful and definitive guidelines to aid ecologists in addressing authorship issues, leading to a lack of consistency in what the term “author” really means. Deciding where to draw the line between those who have earned authorship and those who are more appropriately credited in the acknowledgments may be one of the more challenging aspects of authorship. Here, we borrow ideas from other scientific disciplines and propose a simple solution to help ecologists who are making such decisions. We recommend improving communication between co-authors throughout the research process, and propose that authors publish their contributions to a manuscript in a separate byline

Disagreeable Privacy Policies: Mismatches between Meaning and Users’ Understanding

Privacy policies are verbose, difficult to understand, take too long to read, and may be the least-read items on most websites even as users express growing concerns about information collection practices. For all their faults, though, privacy policies remain the single most important source of information for users to attempt to learn how companies collect, use, and share data. Likewise, these policies form the basis for the self-regulatory notice and choice framework that is designed and promoted as a replacement for regulation. The underlying value and legitimacy of notice and choice depends, however, on the ability of users to understand privacy policies. This paper investigates the differences in interpretation among expert, knowledgeable, and typical users and explores whether those groups can understand the practices described in privacy policies at a level sufficient to support rational decision-making. The paper seeks to fill an important gap in the understanding of privacy policies through primary research on user interpretation and to inform the development of technologies combining natural language processing, machine learning and crowdsourcing for policy interpretation and summarization. For this research, we recruited a group of law and public policy graduate students at Fordham University, Carnegie Mellon University, and the University of Pittsburgh (“knowledgeable users”) and presented these law and policy researchers with a set of privacy policies from companies in the e-commerce and news & entertainment industries. We asked them nine basic questions about the policies’ statements regarding data collection, data use, and retention. We then presented the same set of policies to a group of privacy experts and to a group of non-expert users. The findings show areas of common understanding across all groups for certain data collection and deletion practices, but also demonstrate very important discrepancies in the interpretation of privacy policy language, particularly with respect to data sharing. The discordant interpretations arose both within groups and between the experts and the two other groups. The presence of these significant discrepancies has critical implications. First, the common understandings of some attributes of described data practices mean that semi-automated extraction of meaning from website privacy policies may be able to assist typical users and improve the effectiveness of notice by conveying the true meaning to users. However, the disagreements among experts and disagreement between experts and the other groups reflect that ambiguous wording in typical privacy policies undermines the ability of privacy policies to effectively convey notice of data practices to the general public. The results of this research will, consequently, have significant policy implications for the construction of the notice and choice framework and for the US reliance on this approach. The gap in interpretation indicates that privacy policies may be misleading the general public and that those policies could be considered legally unfair and deceptive. And, where websites are not effectively conveying privacy policies to consumers in a way that a “reasonable person” could, in fact, understand the policies, “notice and choice” fails as a framework. Such a failure has broad international implications since websites extend their reach beyond the United States

Exercise Blood Pressures Are Lower After Aquatic Compared To Land Treadmill Training

Exercise blood pressures are lower after aquatic compared to land treadmill training Alex T. Carradine1, Brad S. Lambert1, Nicolas P. Greene2, Travis W. Constanzo1, Steven E. Martin1, Stephen F. Crouse (FACSM)1. Texas A&M University, College Station, TX. 2University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA. Traditional treadmill training has been shown to moderately decrease exercise blood pressures but the degree to which aquatic running alters exercise blood pressures has not been fully investigated. PURPOSE: To compare the exercise blood pressure responses after land treadmill (LTM) training to an equivalent volume of aquatic treadmill training (ATM). METHODS: We tested blood pressure responses to the Bruce treadmill protocol PRE and POST 12-wks of matched volume training on LTM (n= 9♂,13♀, age=43±3 yrs, weight=88.1±3.6 kg) or ATM (n=18♂, 17♀, age=45±2 yrs, weight=90.6±3.0 kg). Systolic (SBP), diastolic (DBP), pulse pressure (PP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were analyzed using a 2 (ATM or LTM) x 2 (PRE & POST) ANOVA repeated for the training time at rest, 3 stages of the exercise protocol, and 1 and 5 minutes of recovery; Tukey\u27s post hoc tests were used as follow-up for significant interactions, α=0.05. RESULTS: VO2max increased significantly 11-15% with training in both groups. Significant training changes for MAP shown in Table (mmHg, mean±SE); SBP and PP paralleled these results. Significance remained after covarying for BMI, %body fat, and age. GROUP (TIME) STG 1 STG 2 PEAK REC 1 REC 5 ATM (PRE) 105.9 ±1.9 112.3 ±2.1 115.2 ±1.8 111.4 ±1.9 99.7 ±2.3 ATM (POST) 99.8 ±1.5* 104.1 ±1.2* 110.4 ±1.3* 105.9 ±1.3* 93.6 ±1.3* LTM (PRE) 105.1 ±1.9 110.1 ±1.8 113.9 ±1.3 111.1 ±1.7 99.6 ±2.1 LTM (POST) 103.0 ±1.9 106.8 ±2.1 112.1 ±1.5 110.8 ±1.7 101.4 ±2.5 * = Within group by time (p\u3c0.05). Bruce Protocol Stage (STG) 1, 2, Peak; Recovery (REC) 1,5 minutes CONCLUSION: ATM significantly reduces exercise blood pressures. These data suggest ATM may provide a superior benefit over LTM for promoting said reduction

Consumer palatability scores and volatile beef flavor compounds of five USDA quality grades and four muscles

Proximate data, consumer palatability scores and volatile compounds were investigated for four beef muscles (Longissimus lumborum, Psoas major, Semimembranosus and Gluteus medius) and five USDA quality grades (Prime, Upper 2/3 Choice, Low Choice, Select, and Standard). Quality grade did not directly affect consumer scores or volatiles but interactions (P < 0.05) between muscle and grade were determined. Consumer scores and volatiles differed (P < 0.05) between muscles. Consumers scored Psoas major highest for tenderness, juiciness, flavor liking and overall liking, followed by Longissimus lumborum, Gluteus medius, and Semimembranosus (P < 0.05). Principal component analysis revealed clustering of compound classes, formed by related mechanisms. Volatile n-aldehydes were inversely related to percent fat. Increases in lipid oxidation compounds were associated with Gluteus medius and Semimembranosus, while greater quantities of sulfur-containing compounds were associated with Psoas major. Relationships between palatability scores and volatile compound classes suggest that differences in the pattern of volatile compounds may play a valuable role in explaining consumer liking

Evolution of predator dispersal in relation to spatio-temporal prey dynamics : how not to get stuck in the wrong place!

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