4,588 research outputs found

    Demographic Studies of Sagebrush Insects as Functions of Various Environmental Factors

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    Concurrent Design Strategy in Modeling and Structure of Electric Scooter for Young Disabilities

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    Disabled people often use the electric scooter as a means of transport. However, the electric scooter designed for disabilities is too bulky and not light in shape. It is not only awkward on the road but brings inconvenience to young people with disabilities. In the first phase of the study, first the electric scooter with a higher market share as a design reference was collected; then we use the image scale analysis to determine the market position of the electric scooter. Combine each major component and derive detail design of the product through Morphological chart method and Finite Structure Method (FSM). This study uses this method to complete the development of product modeling and analyze the configuration of the product as the main function in the structural and main function in space. Let function and appearance have the efficient combination. Then use Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to obtain objective decision results. The use of Concurrent Design Strategy can effectively shorten the development process and increase the chance of product success.     Keywords: concurrent design, electric scooter, morphological chart method, finite structure method, analytical hierarchy proces

    Carrot and stick? The role of financial market intermediaries in corporate social performance

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    In this paper we examine the role of intermediaries in financial markets in fostering corporate sustainability. Responsible Investment (RI) indices have been primarily identified as intermediaries that provide information regarding Corporate Social Performance (CSP) for investors and other stakeholders (Doh et al. 2010, Consolandi et al. 2009). We argue that the role of these intermediaries is not confined solely to information provision, but they may also incentivize high levels of CSP through mechanisms such as exclusion threats, signalling, and engagement. We rely on unique access to the archives of the FTSE4Good Index to examine the effects of these mechanisms on CSP. The study shows that companies facing exclusion threats and signalling are more likely to comply with the intermediary's criteria, and medium levels of engagement leads to higher levels of CSP. We contribute to the study of sustainability in financial markets by explicating the mechanisms that intermediaries and other financial actors could employ in order to foster greater corporate sustainability

    The Unusual Spectral Energy Distribution of a Galaxy Previously Reported to be at Redshift 6.68

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    Observations of distant galaxies are important both for understanding how galaxies form and for probing the physical conditions of the universe at the earliest epochs. It is, however, extremely difficult to identify galaxies at redshift z>5, because these galaxies are faint and exhibit few spectral features. In a previous work, we presented observations that supported the identification of a galaxy at redshift z = 6.68 in a deep STIS field. Here we present new ground-based photometry of the galaxy. We find that the galaxy exhibits moderate detections of flux in the optical B and V images that are inconsistent with the expected absence of flux at wavelength shortward of the redshifted Lyman-alpha emission line of a galaxy at redshift z>5. In addition, the new broad-band imaging data not only show flux measurements of this galaxy that are incompatible with the previous STIS measurement, but also suggest a peculiar spectral energy distribution that cannot be fit with any galaxy spectral template at any redshift. We therefore conclude that the redshift identification of this galaxy remains undetermined.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figures; To appear in Nature (30 November 2000

    Predicting an observer's task using multi-fixation pattern analysis

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    Since Yarbus's seminal work in 1965, vision scientists have argued that people's eye movement patterns differ depending upon their task. This suggests that we may be able to infer a person's task (or mental state) from their eye movements alone. Recently, this was attempted by Greene et al. [2012] in a Yarbus-like replication study; however, they were unable to successfully predict the task given to their observer. We reanalyze their data, and show that by using more powerful algorithms it is possible to predict the observer's task. We also used our algorithms to infer the image being viewed by an observer and their identity. More generally, we show how off-the-shelf algorithms from machine learning can be used to make inferences from an observer's eye movements, using an approach we call Multi-Fixation Pattern Analysis (MFPA)

    The experiences of non-operative treatment in patients with bacterial brain abscess

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    AbstractAlthough treatment of brain abscess requires a combination of antimicrobials and surgical intervention for the infected foci, nonsurgical, empirical treatment is possible and efficient in selected groups of patients. A total of 31 patients were enrolled in this 22-year retrospective study. We describe our therapeutic experiences and attempt to analyze the risk factors that were predictive of therapeutic outcomes. Multiple logistic regression was used to evaluate the relationships between baseline clinical factors and therapeutic outcome during the study period. Of these 31 patients, 25 had community-acquired infections, whereas the other six had nosocomially-acquired infections. Thirteen cases (42%) had a single brain abscess and the other 18 cases (58%) had multiple brain abscesses. Furthermore, the association of bacterial meningitis and brain abscess was found in 81% (25/31) of cases. The overall case fatality rate was 48% (15/31). Significant risk factors for poor outcomes included Glasgow coma scale (GCS) at presentation, presence of septic shock and neck stiffness. In addition, each reduction of one point on the GCS increased the poor outcome rate by 28%. The findings of the study demonstrate that both a higher mortality rate (48%) and worse outcomes were found in this select group of patients. Among the significant prognostic factors, a lower mean GCS at presentation was a major determinant of poor outcome

    Structure of bottle-brush polymers in solution: A Monte Carlo test of models for the scattering function

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    Extensive Monte Carlo results are presented for a lattice model of a bottle-brush polymer under good solvent or Theta solvent conditions. Varying the side chain length, backbone length, and the grafting density for a rigid straight backbone, both radial density profiles of monomers and side chain ends are obtained, as well as structure factors describing the scattering from a single side chain and from the total bottle-brush polymer. To describe the structure in the interior of a very long bottle-brush, a periodic boundary condition in the direction along the backbone is used, and to describe effects due to the finiteness of the backbone length, a second set of simulations with free ends of the backbone is performed. In the latter case, the inhomogeneity of the structure in the direction along the backbone is carefully investigated. We use these results to test various phenomenological models that have been proposed to interpret experimental scattering data for bottle-brush macromolecules. These models aim to extract information on the radial density profile of a bottle-brush from the total scattering via suitable convolution approximations. Possibilities to improve such models, guided by our simulation results, are discussed.Comment: 15 pages, 16 figure

    Vacuum ultraviolet photoabsorption spectra of nitrile ices for their identification on Pluto

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    Icy bodies, such as Pluto, are known to harbor simple and complex molecules. The recent New Horizons flyby of Pluto has revealed a complex surface composed of bright and dark ice surfaces, indicating a rich chemistry based on nitrogen (N2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO). Nitrile (CN) containing molecules such as acetonitrile (CH3CN), propionitrile (CH3CH2CN), butyronitrile (CH3CH2CH2CN), and isobutyronitrile ((CH3)2CHCN) are some of the nitrile molecules that are known to be synthesized by radiative processing of such simple ices. Through the provision of a spectral atlas for such compounds we propose that such nitriles may be identified from the ALICE payload on board New Horizons</i
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