421 research outputs found
Good night, sleep tight (remix)
Good Night, Sleep Tight is an interactive virtual reality performance created by theatre and digital arts company ZU-UK. It was previewed at Gerryâs Kitchen in July 2017. Combining VR and binaural technologies, participants are put to bed and transported to a dreamscape composed of childhood imagery and aerial cityscapes. This artistic position remixes the audienceâs experience and the artistic processes of Good Night, Sleep Tight to proffer a critical engagement with the aesthetics of VR. Theories pertaining to VR and theatre are emerging but not yet fully established. The discourse between technologists and artists is key to understanding how VR is a new artistic medium requiring a language not solely redolent of gaming or theatre. The format of this article reflects ZU-UKâs contention that VR experiences are best designed as collaborations between artists and audiences who construct an imaginary world through interactive media. The seven scenes below concentrate on different aspects of the rehearsal process and the final performance from the perspectives of the ZU-UK directors, VR technologists, and participants. Interspersed throughout the article are fragments from the Good Night, Sleep Tight script and a description of the piece from the readerâs perspective, who acts as ZU-UKâs imaginary audience member
Neutron Diffraction Studies of ErNiâ ââCoâ (X=0.68, 1.68, 2.26) Alloys
ErNi5-xCox alloys were prepared by RF induction melting and analyzed using neutron powder diffraction. Rietveld analysis neutron diffraction data indicates the unit cell volume increases with Co content while the a and c lattice parameters show different dependencies on the composition. the Co atoms show higher affinity for the 3g sites than for the 2c sites. the Co sublattice tends to couple antiferromagnetically to the Er sublattice. the easy magnetization direction is along the c axis
Dirac-Electrons-Mediated Magnetic Proximity Effect in Topological Insulator / Magnetic Insulator Heterostructures
The possible realization of dissipationless chiral edge current in a
topological insulator / magnetic insulator heterostructure is based on the
condition that the magnetic proximity exchange coupling at the interface is
dominated by the Dirac surface states of the topological insulator. Here we
report a polarized neutron reflectometry observation of Dirac electrons
mediated magnetic proximity effect in a bulk-insulating topological insulator
(BiSb)Te / magnetic insulator EuS heterostructure.
We are able to maximize the proximity induced magnetism by applying an
electrical back gate to tune the Fermi level of topological insulator to be
close to the charge neutral point. A phenomenological model based on
diamagnetic screening is developed to explain the suppressed proximity induced
magnetism at high carrier density. Our work paves the way to utilize the
magnetic proximity effect at the topological insulator/magnetic insulator
hetero-interface for low-power spintronic applications.Comment: 5 pages main text with 4 figures; 2 pages supplemental materials;
suggestions and discussions are welcome
Analyzing the outcomes of China's ecological compensation scheme for development-related biodiversity loss
Over the past three decades, China's government has implemented many projects under its ecological compensation policy, including paying compensation fees for habitat creation to redress natural habitat losses caused by development. However, a critical evaluation of both the policy design and its ecological outcomes, has not previously been carried out. We assemble diverse data sources to provide the first evaluation of China's eco-compensation policy and practice, identifying several challenges. In policy, the pricing of forest restoration fees is insufficient in several provinces, and there is no requirement for use of biodiversity metrics or for ecological equivalence of compensation and losses. In practice, only 23% of a sample of 31 developments applied quantitative biodiversity metrics, and fewer than 1% of China's local governments have disclosed information regarding compensation implementation. Thus, to improve the validity of its compensation policy and practice to better secure biodiversity, China may need to embrace higher compensation standards, having first prevented ecological losses where possible. Equally important, China may also need to improve compensation governance for data tracking and conservation effectiveness monitoring
âNature positiveâ must incorporate, not undermine, the mitigation hierarchy
For the concept of nature positive to succeed as the lodestar for international action on biodiversity conservation, it must build upon lessons learned from the application of the mitigation hierarchy â or risk becoming mere greenwash
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Birth Weight for Gestational Age Norms for a Large Cohort of Infants Born to HIV-Negative Women in Botswana Compared with Norms for U.S.-Born Black Infants
Background: Standard values for birth weight by gestational age are not available for sub-Saharan Africa, but are needed to evaluate incidence and risk factors for intrauterine growth retardation in settings where HIV, antiretrovirals, and other in utero exposures may impact birth outcomes. Methods: Birth weight data were collected from six hospitals in Botswana. Infants born to HIV-negative women between 26-44 weeks gestation were analyzed to construct birth weight for gestational age charts. These data were compared with published norms for black infants in the United States. Results: During a 29 month period from 2007-2010, birth records were reviewed in real-time from 6 hospitals and clinics in Botswana. Of these, 11,753 live infants born to HIV-negative women were included in the analysis. The median gestational age at birth was 39 weeks (1st quartile 38, 3rd quartile 40 weeks), and the median birth weight was 3100 grams (1st quartile 2800, 3rd quartile 3400 grams). We constructed estimated percentile curves for birth weight by gestational age which demonstrate increasing slope during the third trimester and leveling off beyond 40 weeks. Compared with black infants in the United States, Botswana-born infants had lower median birth weight for gestational age from weeks 37 through 42 (p < .02). Conclusions: We present birth weight for gestational age norms for Botswana, which are lower at term than norms for black infants in the United States. These findings suggest the importance of regional birth weight norms to identify and define risk factors for higher risk births. These data serve as a reference for Botswana, may apply to southern Africa, and may help to identify infants at risk for perinatal complications and inform comparisons among infants exposed to HIV and antiretrovirals in utero
Achieving biodiversity net gain by addressing governance gaps underpinning ecological compensation policies
Biodiversity compensation policies have emerged around the world to address the ecological harms of infrastructure expansion, but historically compliance is weak. The Westminster government is introducing a requirement that new infrastructure developments in England demonstrate they achieve a biodiversity net gain (BNG). We sought to determine the magnitude of the effects of governance gaps and regulator capacity constraints on the policy's potential biodiversity impacts. We collated BNG information from all new major developments across six earlyâadopter councils from 2020 to 2022. We quantified the proportion of the biodiversity outcomes promised under BNG at risk of noncompliance, explored the variation in strategies used to meet developersâ biodiversity liabilities, and quantified the occurrence of simple errors in the biodiversity metric calculations. For large developments and energy infrastructure, biodiversity liabilities frequently met within the projectsâ development footprint. For small developments, the purchase of offsets was most common. We estimated that 27% of all biodiversity units fell into governance gaps that exposed them to a high risk of noncompliance because they were associated with betterâcondition habitats delivered onâsite that were unlikely to be monitored or enforced. More robust governance mechanisms (e.g., practical mechanisms for monitoring and enforcement) would help ensure the delivery of this biodiversity onâsite. Alternatively, more biodiversity gains could be delivered through offâsite biodiversity offsetting. For the latter case, we estimated that the demand for offsets could rise by a factor of 4; this would substantially increase the financial contributions from developers for conservation activities on private land. Twentyâone percent of development applications contained a simple recurring error in their BNG calculations. Oneâhalf of these applications were approved by councils, which may indicate underâresourcing in council development assessments. Our findings demonstrate that resourcing and governance shortfalls risk undermining the policy's effectiveness
The ecological outcomes of biodiversity offsets under âno net lossâ policies: A global review
No net loss (NNL) biodiversity policies mandating the application of a mitigation hierarchy (avoid, minimize, remediate, offset) to the ecological impacts of built infrastructure are proliferating globally. However, little is known about their effectiveness at achieving NNL outcomes. We reviewed the English-language peer-reviewed literature (capturing 15,715 articles), and identified 32 reports that observed ecological outcomes from NNL policies, including >300,000 ha of biodiversity offsets. Approximately one-third of NNL policies and individual biodiversity offsets reported achieving NNL, primarily in wetlands, although most studies used widely criticized area-based outcome measures. The most commonly cited reason for success was applying high offset multipliers (large offset area relative to the impacted area). We identified large gaps between the global implementation of offsets and the evidence for their effectiveness: despite two-thirds of the worldâs biodiversity offsets being applied in forested ecosystems, we found none of four studies demonstrated successful NNL outcomes for forested habitats or species.We also found no evidence for NNL achievement using avoided loss offsets (impacts offset by protecting existing habitat elsewhere). Additionally, we summarized regional variability in compliance rates with NNL policies. As global infrastructural expansion accelerates, we must urgently improve the evidence-base around efforts to mitigate development impacts on biodiversity
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