2,427 research outputs found
Remote profiling of lake ice thickness using a short pulse radar system aboard a C-47 aircraft
Design and operation of short pulse radar systems for use in ice thickness measurement are described. Two ice profiling systems were tested, an S system which used either random noise or continous wave modulation at 2.8 GHz and a less powerful C band system which operated at 6.0 GHz and did not have random noise modulation. Flight altitudes of 4,000 feet were used, but the S band system was usable at 7,000 feet allowing flights in poor weather conditions. A minimum ice thickness of four inches is required for measurement, while the thickest ice measured was 36 inches. System accuracy is plus or minus one inch
Understanding concurrent earcons: applying auditory scene analysis principles to concurrent earcon recognition
Two investigations into the identification of concurrently presented, structured sounds, called earcons were carried out. One of the experiments investigated how varying the number of concurrently presented earcons affected their identification. It was found that varying the number had a significant effect on the proportion of earcons identified. Reducing the number of concurrently presented earcons lead to a general increase in the proportion of presented earcons successfully identified. The second experiment investigated how modifying the earcons and their presentation, using techniques influenced by auditory scene analysis, affected earcon identification. It was found that both modifying the earcons such that each was presented with a unique timbre, and altering their presentation such that there was a 300 ms onset-to-onset time delay between each earcon were found to significantly increase identification. Guidelines were drawn from this work to assist future interface designers when incorporating concurrently presented earcons
Aharonov-Bohm-like effect for light propagating in nematics with disclinations
Using a geometric approach for the propagation of light in anisotropic media,
we investigate what effect the director field of disclinations may have on the
polarization state of light. Parallel transport around the defect, of the
spinor describing the polarization, indicates the acquisition of a topological
phase, in analogy with the Aharonov-Bohm effect.Comment: 6 pages, to appear in Europhysics Letter
Complex actions in two-dimensional topology change
We investigate topology change in (1+1) dimensions by analyzing the
scalar-curvature action at the points of metric-degeneration
that (with minor exceptions) any nontrivial Lorentzian cobordism necessarily
possesses. In two dimensions any cobordism can be built up as a combination of
only two elementary types, the ``yarmulke'' and the ``trousers.'' For each of
these elementary cobordisms, we consider a family of Morse-theory inspired
Lorentzian metrics that vanish smoothly at a single point, resulting in a
conical-type singularity there. In the yarmulke case, the distinguished point
is analogous to a cosmological initial (or final) singularity, with the
spacetime as a whole being obtained from one causal region of Misner space by
adjoining a single point. In the trousers case, the distinguished point is a
``crotch singularity'' that signals a change in the spacetime topology (this
being also the fundamental vertex of string theory, if one makes that
interpretation). We regularize the metrics by adding a small imaginary part
whose sign is fixed to be positive by the condition that it lead to a
convergent scalar field path integral on the regularized spacetime. As the
regulator is removed, the scalar density approaches a
delta-function whose strength is complex: for the yarmulke family the strength
is , where is the rapidity parameter of the associated
Misner space; for the trousers family it is simply . This implies that
in the path integral over spacetime metrics for Einstein gravity in three or
more spacetime dimensions, topology change via a crotch singularity is
exponentially suppressed, whereas appearance or disappearance of a universe via
a yarmulke singularity is exponentially enhanced.Comment: 34 pages, REVTeX v3.0. (Presentational reorganization; core results
unchanged.
Epilogue: systems approaches and systems practice
Each of the five systems approaches discussed in this volume: system dynamics (SD), the viable systems model (VSM), strategic options development and analysis (SODA), soft systems methodology (SSM) and critical systems heuristics (CSH) has a pedigree. Not in the sense of the sometimes absurd spectacle of animals paraded at dog shows. Rather, their pedigree derives from their systems foundations, their capacity to evolve and their flexibility in use. None of the five approaches has developed out of use in restricted and controlled contexts of either low or high levels of complicatedness. Neither has any one of them evolved as a consequence of being applied only to situations with either presumed stakeholder agreement on purpose, or courteous disagreement amongst stakeholders, or stakeholder coercion. The compilation is not a celebration of abstract âmethodologiesâ, but of theoretically robust approaches that have a genuine pedigree in practice
Painting the ideal home: using art to express visions of technologically supported independent living for older people in North East England
This paper describes the investigation of the development of future technological products to support older people in everyday living through the agency of a community art group. Recent research has identified a number of challenges facing designers seeking to use traditional participatory design approaches to gather technology requirements data from older people. Here, a project is described that sought to get a group of older people to think creatively about their needs and desires for technological support through the medium of paint. The artistic expression technique described in this article allowed the identification of issues that had also been found by previous research that used a range of different techniques. This indicates that the approach shows promise, as it allows information to be gathered in an environment that is comfortable and familiar using methods already known by the participants and which they find enjoyable. It provides a complement (or possible alternative) to standard protocols and has the potential benefit of extracting even richer information as the primary task for participants is enjoyable in its own right and is not associated with an interrogative process. Furthermore, it is argued that some of the key risks of traditional approaches are lessened or removed by the naturalistic setting of this approach
Systematic reviews of complementary therapies - an annotated bibliography. Part 1: Acupuncture
Background Complementary therapies are widespread but controversial. We aim to provide a comprehensive collection and a summary of systematic reviews of clinical trials in three major complementary therapies (acupuncture, herbal medicine, homeopathy). This article is dealing with acupuncture. Potentially relevant reviews were searched through the register of the Cochrane Complementary Medicine Field, the Cochrane Library, Medline, and bibliographies of articles and books. To be included articles had to review prospective clinical trials of acupuncture; had to describe review methods explicitly; had to be published; and had to focus on treatment effects. Information on conditions, interventions, methods, results and conclusions was extracted using a pretested form and summarized descriptively. Results From a total of 48 potentially relevant reviews preselected in a screeening process 39 met the inclusion criteria. 22 were on various pain syndromes or rheumatic diseases. Other topics addressed by more than one review were addiction, nausea, asthma and tinnitus. Almost unanimously the reviews state that acupuncture trials include too few patients. Often included trials are heterogeneous regarding patients, interventions and outcome measures, are considered to have insufficient quality and contradictory results. Convincing evidence is available only for postoperative nausea, for which acupuncture appears to be of benefit, and smoking cessation, where acupuncture is no more effective than sham acupuncture. Conclusions A large number of systematic reviews on acupuncture exists. What is most obvious from these reviews is the need for (the funding of) well-designed, larger clinical trials
The Efficiency of Gravitational Bremsstrahlung Production in the Collision of Two Schwarzschild Black Holes
We examine the efficiency of gravitational bremsstrahlung production in the
process of head-on collision of two boosted Schwarzschild black holes. We
constructed initial data for the characteristic initial value problem in
Robinson-Trautman spacetimes, that represent two instantaneously stationary
Schwarzschild black holes in motion towards each other with the same velocity.
The Robinson-Trautman equation was integrated for these initial data using a
numerical code based on the Galerkin method. The final resulting configuration
is a boosted black hole with Bondi mass greater than the sum of the individual
mass of each initial black hole. Two relevant aspects of the process are
presented. The first relates the efficiency of the energy extraction
by gravitational wave emission to the mass of the final black hole. This
relation is fitted by a distribution function of non-extensive thermostatistics
with entropic parameter ; the result extends and validates
analysis based on the linearized theory of gravitational wave emission. The
second is a typical bremsstrahlung angular pattern in the early period of
emission at the wave zone, a consequence of the deceleration of the black holes
as they coalesce; this pattern evolves to a quadrupole form for later times.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Int. J. Modern Phys. D (2008
Exploration of the effect of EEG Levels in experienced archers
This preliminary study aims to record the brainwaves of two experienced archers, whist undertaking the process of aiming and shooting arrows at a target. The brainwaves are then analysed for repeatability and dominant characteristics within individual EEG activity. Images of the archers are also recorded to establish reference points within the shot cycle for correlating the EEG data sets
Chapter 7 Epilogue: Systems Approaches and Systems Practice
Each of the five systems approaches discussed in this volume: system dynamics (SD), the viable systems model (VSM), strategic options development and analysis (SODA), soft systems methodology (SSM) and critical systems heuristics (CSH) has a pedigree. Not in the sense of the sometimes absurd spectacle of animals paraded at dog shows. Rather, their pedigree derives from their systems foundations, their capacity to evolve and their flexibility in use. None of the five approaches has developed out of use in restricted and controlled contexts of either low or high levels of complicatedness. Neither has any one of them evolved as a consequence of being applied only to situations with either presumed stakeholder agreement on purpose, or courteous disagreement amongst stakeholders, or stakeholder coercion. The compilation is not a celebration of abstract methodologiesâ, but of theoretically robust approaches that have a genuine pedigree in practice
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