NonQCD contributions to heavy quark masses and sensitivity to Higgs mass

We find that if the Higgs mass is close to its present experimental lower limit (100 GeV),Yukawa interactions in the quark-Higgs sector can make substantial contributions to the heavy quark MS masses.Comment: 16 pages, 1 figure. Fixed a few typos (eqs (7),(34)

Learning and Exposure Affect Environmental Perception Less than Evolutionary Navigation Costs

Russell E. Jackson is with University of Idaho, Chéla R. Willey is with University of California Los Angeles, Lawrence K. Cormack is with UT Austin.Most behaviors are conditional upon successful navigation of the environment, which depends upon distance perception learned over repeated trials. Unfortunately, we understand little about how learning affects distance perception–especially in the most common human navigational scenario, that of adult navigation in familiar environments. Further, dominant theories predict mutually exclusive effects of learning on distance perception, especially when the risks or costs of navigation differ. We tested these competing predictions in four experiments in which we also presented evolutionarily relevant navigation costs. Methods included within- and between-subjects comparisons and longitudinal designs in laboratory and real-world settings. Data suggested that adult distance estimation rapidly reflects evolutionarily relevant navigation costs and repeated exposure does little to change this. Human distance perception may have evolved to reflect navigation costs quickly and reliably in order to provide a stable signal to other behaviors and with little regard for objective accuracy.Psycholog

Growth and Development of the Present Division of Technology at Utah State Agricultural College

This thesis traces the growth and development of the Division of Technology at the Utah State Agricultural College from 1890, when the first mechanic arts classes were taught as part of the offering in Mechanical Engineering, to the present, covering as thoroughly as possible from the source material available, the chain of events out of which the present expansive and complex program has evolved. The intention here is not merely to itemize the steps in this development, but wherever possible to investigate the influences involved; also, to give some attention to the industrial, education, and war-time needs that have created a demand for competently trained industrial personnel--needs which have been met by a constantly expanding educational and training program. Since no comprehensive data are available on the development of what has now become a major division of the college, and since the nee for such information will be felt by anyone making a future study of the growth of the division, it is hoped that this thesis will be useful. Thus, an intent of secondary importance is that the data made available here will prove useful to even more comprehensive studies. It is also hoped that the study may have some human interest as a sidelight on the history of the college. Because the development of the industrial work at the college has been such a concrete symbol of the growth of the institution as a whole, and because the work shows so well the constant effort made over the years to keep the offerings of the school on as pragmatic a basis as possible, the author has felt that rather complete and accurate record of this progress should be made. One of the principle reasons for writing this thesis has been to give a comprehensive survey of the illuminating growth of the industrial work and its contribution to the educational offering of the college. It is hoped that the planning of the future course of the Division of Technology will be aided by a closer understanding of what has been accomplished in the past. It appears obvious to the author that such an understanding will also make the importance of the work that has been done readily apparent to anyone. A branch of education that has expanded so rapidly, often ingeniously, to keep pace with the needs of our modern industrial period readily justifies the recording of its own history. Finally, such a record can hardly fail to be an inspiration to anyone connected with the work or to anyone with an appreciation for demonstrable values and accomplishments

Optical System for Measuring Position in Space

There exist certain distinct advantages in accuracy and economy in the use of systems to measure vehicle position which operate at optical wavelengths. The positions measured are usually of critical importance to the success of a space mission. There are several types of navigational and tracking systems which produce data in an immediately usable form. Such real time systems, however, sacrifice some relative accuracy to gain speed of data availability. Stellar metric camera systems presently offer the most accurate means of determining position in space; however, there is an unavoidable time delay in reducing the data to a usable form. There is room for significant improvement in the errors of presently used stellar metric cameras, particularly in the geometrical optical characteristics of the lenses in both design and fabrication. The usefulness of such cameras can be extended by daylight use with the proper designs and techniques. Lunar-based cameras should also offer several advantages over Earth-based systems, but only at a high price. Recent developments in optical design techniques using high speed digital computers have brought fcjr greater sophistication and economy than had previously been possible. Vastly improved new optical designs are just waiting to be executed for application to the problems\u27of Measuring Positions in Space

Design and monitoring of narrow bandpass filters composed of non-quarter-wave thicknesses

Narrow bandpass filters have historically been designs of quarter waves at the passband wavelength, and have been monitored at the turning points using the passband wavelength. By direct monitoring at the passband wavelength, errors have been shown to be primarily self compensated, and have allowed much better performance than could otherwise be expected. The turning points are difficult to detect precisely and accurately because the change in transmittance with thickness becomes zero at the desired termination point. By proper design with non-quarter-wave layers, essentially the same spectral performance can be achieved by layer terminations that are far enough from turning points to be significantly more sensitive termination points. The design approach is to maintain the optical thickness of the reflector layer pairs at one half-wave of the passband wavelength, but change the ratio of the optical thicknesses of the high and low index layers. These can be adjusted enough so that the thicker layers contain two turning points and the last turning point in the layer can be more accurately and precisely determined. The error compensation benefit from the historic method should be maintained. This leads to potentially improved control during deposition and monitoring of narrow bandpass filters

Investigating invisible writing practices in the engineering curriculum using practice architectures

Writing practices are seen to be essential for professional engineers, yet many engineering students and academics struggle with written communication, despite years of interventions to improve student writing. Much has been written about the importance of getting engineering students to write, but there has been a little investigation of engineering academics’ perceptions of writing practices in the curriculum, and the extent to which these practices are visible to their students and to the academics. This paper draws on research from an ongoing study into the invisibility of writing practices in the engineering curriculum using a practice architectures lens. The paper uses examples from the sites of practice of two participants in the study to argue that prevailing practices in engineering education constrain more than enable the development and practice of writing in the engineering curriculu