3,931 research outputs found
The behavioural impact of a visually represented virtual assistant in a selfservice checkout context
Our research investigated whether the presence of an interface agent - or virtual assistant (VA) - in a self-service checkout context has behavioural effects on the transaction process during particular tasks. While many participants claimed to have not noticed a VA within the self-service interface, behaviour was still affected, i.e. fewer people made errors with the VA present than in the voice-only and control conditions. The results are explained as reflective of an unconscious observation of non-verbal cues exhibited by the VA. The results are discussed in relation to possible behavioural outcomes of VA presence.</p
Neutrino Masses and Mixing in Brane-World Theories
We present a comprehensive study of five-dimensional brane-world models for
neutrino physics based on flat compactifications. Particular emphasis is put on
the inclusion of bulk mass terms. We derive a number of general results for
such brane-world models with bulk mass terms. In particular, in the limit of
small brane-bulk couplings, the electroweak eigenstates are predominantly given
as a superposition of three light states with non-trivial small admixtures of
bulk states. As a consequence, neutrinos can undergo standard oscillations as
well as oscillation into bulk Kaluza-Klein states. We use this structure to
construct a specific model based on Z_2 orbifolding and bulk Majorana masses
which is compatible with all observed oscillation phenomena. The solar neutrino
deficit is explained by oscillations into sterile bulk states while the
atmospheric neutrino deficit is due to mu - tau oscillations with naturally
maximal mixing. In addition, the model can accommodate the LSND result and a
significant neutrino dark matter component. We also analyze the constraints
from supernova energy loss on neutrino brane-world theories and show that our
specific model is consistent with these constraints.Comment: 45 pages, Latex, 1 eps-figur
Guest editorial : Galapagos : past, present and future
Galapagos is an extraordinary and special place, and
over the last 50 years, the Charles Darwin Foundation
(CDF) has made substantial contributions to the conservation
of the islands. In this edition of Galapagos
Research, we take stock of the past and present, and look
toward the future of the CDF
- …