700 research outputs found
Fluid Models for Kinetic Effects on Coherent Nonlinear Alfven Waves. II. Numerical Solutions
The influence of various kinetic effects (e.g. Landau damping, diffusive and
collisional dissipation, and finite Larmor radius terms) on the nonlinear
evolution of finite amplitude Alfvenic wave trains in a finite-beta environment
is systematically investigated using a novel, kinetic nonlinear Schrodinger
(KNLS) equation. The dynamics of Alfven waves is sensitive to the sense of
polarization as well as the angle of propagation with respect to the ambient
magnetic field. Numerical solution for the case with Landau damping reveals the
formation of dissipative structures, which are quasi-stationary, S-polarized
directional (and rotational) discontinuities which self-organize from parallel
propagating, linearly polarized waves. Parallel propagating circularly
polarized packets evolve to a few circularly polarized Alfven harmonics on
large scales. Stationary arc-polarized rotational discontinuities form from
obliquely propagating waves. Collisional dissipation, even if weak, introduces
enhanced wave damping when beta is very close to unity. Cyclotron motion
effects on resonant particle interactions introduce cyclotron resonance into
the nonlinear Alfven wave dynamics.Comment: 38 pages (including 23 figures and 1 table
Refining Vision Videos
[Context and motivation] Complex software-based systems involve several
stakeholders, their activities and interactions with the system. Vision videos
are used during the early phases of a project to complement textual
representations. They visualize previously abstract visions of the product and
its use. By creating, elaborating, and discussing vision videos, stakeholders
and developers gain an improved shared understanding of how those abstract
visions could translate into concrete scenarios and requirements to which
individuals can relate. [Question/problem] In this paper, we investigate two
aspects of refining vision videos: (1) Refining the vision by providing
alternative answers to previously open issues about the system to be built. (2)
A refined understanding of the camera perspective in vision videos. The impact
of using a subjective (or "ego") perspective is compared to the usual
third-person perspective. [Methodology] We use shopping in rural areas as a
real-world application domain for refining vision videos. Both aspects of
refining vision videos were investigated in an experiment with 20 participants.
[Contribution] Subjects made a significant number of additional contributions
when they had received not only video or text but also both - even with very
short text and short video clips. Subjective video elements were rated as
positive. However, there was no significant preference for either subjective or
non-subjective videos in general.Comment: 15 pages, 25th International Working Conference on Requirements
Engineering: Foundation for Software Quality 201
Dissipative Dynamics of Collisionless Nonlinear Alfven Wave Trains
The nonlinear dynamics of collisionless Alfven trains, including resonant
particle effects is studied using the kinetic nonlinear Schroedinger (KNLS)
equation model. Numerical solutions of the KNLS reveal the dynamics of Alfven
waves to be sensitive to the sense of polarization as well as the angle of
propagation with respect to the ambient magnetic field. The combined effects of
both wave nonlinearity and Landau damping result in the evolutionary formation
of stationaryOA S- and arc-polarized directional and rotational
discontinuities. These waveforms are freqently observed in the interplanetary
plasma.Comment: REVTeX, 6 pages (including 5 figures). This and other papers may be
found at http://sdphpd.ucsd.edu/~medvedev/papers.htm
Microtiming patterns and interactions with musical properties in Samba music
In this study, we focus on the interaction between microtiming patterns and several musical properties: intensity, meter and spectral characteristics. The data-set of 106 musical audio excerpts is processed by means of an auditory model and then divided into several spectral regions and metric levels. The resulting segments are described in terms of their musical properties, over which patterns of peak positions and their intensities are sought. A clustering algorithm is used to systematize the process of pattern detection. The results confirm previously reported anticipations of the third and fourth semiquavers in a beat. We also argue that these patterns of microtiming deviations interact with different profiles of intensities that change according to the metrical structure and spectral characteristics. In particular, we suggest two new findings: (i) a small delay of microtiming positions at the lower end of the spectrum on the first semiquaver of each beat and (ii) systematic forms of accelerando and ritardando at a microtiming level covering two-beat and four-beat phrases. The results demonstrate the importance of multidimensional interactions with timing aspects of music. However, more research is needed in order to find proper representations for rhythm and microtiming aspects in such contexts
Privacy in crowdsourcing:a systematic review
The advent of crowdsourcing has brought with it multiple privacy challenges. For example, essential monitoring activities, while necessary and unavoidable, also potentially compromise contributor privacy. We conducted an extensive literature review of the research related to the privacy aspects of crowdsourcing. Our investigation revealed interesting gender differences and also differences in terms of individual perceptions. We conclude by suggesting a number of future research directions.</p
Identifying the favored mutation in a positive selective sweep.
Most approaches that capture signatures of selective sweeps in population genomics data do not identify the specific mutation favored by selection. We present iSAFE (for "integrated selection of allele favored by evolution"), a method that enables researchers to accurately pinpoint the favored mutation in a large region (∼5 Mbp) by using a statistic derived solely from population genetics signals. iSAFE does not require knowledge of demography, the phenotype under selection, or functional annotations of mutations
Analytic Solution for Self-regulated Collective Escape of Cosmic Rays from their Acceleration Sites
Supernova remnants (SNRs), as the major contributors to the galactic cosmic
rays (CR), are believed to maintain an average CR spectrum by diffusive shock
acceleration (DSA) regardless of the way they release CRs into the interstellar
medium (ISM). However, the interaction of the CRs with nearby gas clouds
crucially depends on the release mechanism. We call into question two aspects
of a popular paradigm of the CR injection into the ISM, according to which they
passively and isotropically diffuse in the prescribed magnetic fluctuations as
test particles. First, we treat the escaping CR and the Alfven waves excited by
them on an equal footing. Second, we adopt field aligned CR escape outside the
source, where the waves become weak. An exact analytic self-similar solution
for a CR "cloud" released by a dimmed accelerator strongly deviates from the
test-particle result. The CR diffusion coefficient is strongly
suppressed compared to its background ISM value : for sufficiently high field-line-integrated CR
partial pressure, . When , the CRs drive Alfven waves efficiently
enough to build a transport barrier that strongly reduces the leakage. The
solution has a spectral break at , where satisfies the
following equation .Comment: 6 figures, aastex, 31 page
Neuroinflammation and structural injury of the fetal ovine brain following intra-amniotic Candida albicans exposure.
BackgroundIntra-amniotic Candida albicans (C. Albicans) infection is associated with preterm birth and high morbidity and mortality rates. Survivors are prone to adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The mechanisms leading to these adverse neonatal brain outcomes remain largely unknown. To better understand the mechanisms underlying C. albicans-induced fetal brain injury, we studied immunological responses and structural changes of the fetal brain in a well-established translational ovine model of intra-amniotic C. albicans infection. In addition, we tested whether these potential adverse outcomes of the fetal brain were improved in utero by antifungal treatment with fluconazole.MethodsPregnant ewes received an intra-amniotic injection of 10(7) colony-forming units C. albicans or saline (controls) at 3 or 5 days before preterm delivery at 0.8 of gestation (term ~ 150 days). Fetal intra-amniotic/intra-peritoneal injections of fluconazole or saline (controls) were administered 2 days after C. albicans exposure. Post mortem analyses for fungal burden, peripheral immune activation, neuroinflammation, and white matter/neuronal injury were performed to determine the effects of intra-amniotic C. albicans and fluconazole treatment.ResultsIntra-amniotic exposure to C. albicans caused a severe systemic inflammatory response, illustrated by a robust increase of plasma interleukin-6 concentrations. Cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive for C. albicans in the majority of the 3-day C. albicans-exposed animals whereas no positive cultures were present in the 5-day C. albicans-exposed and fluconazole-treated animals. Although C. albicans was not detected in the brain parenchyma, a neuroinflammatory response in the hippocampus and white matter was seen which was characterized by increased microglial and astrocyte activation. These neuroinflammatory changes were accompanied by structural white matter injury. Intra-amniotic fluconazole reduced fetal mortality but did not attenuate neuroinflammation and white matter injury.ConclusionsIntra-amniotic C. albicans exposure provoked acute systemic and neuroinflammatory responses with concomitant white matter injury. Fluconazole treatment prevented systemic inflammation without attenuating cerebral inflammation and injury
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Family-Friendly Management, Organizational Performance and Social Legitimacy
Research on family-friendly practices has concentrated on the predictors of their use, particularly from the perspective of either institutional theory or the high involvement or commitment management vogue. This paper first shows how such perspectives can be used to generate hypotheses about the link between family-friendly management and organizational performance. Second, the paper reports research designed to test these, using data from a national representative sample of workplaces across the British economy, the Workplace Employment Relations Survey of 2004 (WERS2004). The results support the high commitment thesis that family-friendly management will strengthen the relationship between commitment and key economic outcomes, as the relationships between workforce commitment and productivity or quality are stronger in organizations when friendly management is high, which is consistent with social exchange theory. Family-friendly management is not, however, related to the human resource outcomes of labour turnover and absenteeism. Nor does the study find support for the argument that its use in conjunction with high involvement management enhances the performance effects of both. Equally, there is no support for the hypothesis from the institutional thesis that family-friendly management has positive effects on the legitimacy of the organization
An early years toolbox for assessing early executive function, language, self-Regulation, and social development validity, reliability, and preliminary norms
Several methods of assessing executive function (EF), self-regulation, language development, and social development in young children have been developed over previous decades. Yet new technologies make available methods of assessment not previously considered. In resolving conceptual and pragmatic limitations of existing tools, the Early Years Toolbox (EYT) offers substantial advantages for early assessment of language, EF, self-regulation, and social development. In the current study, results of our large-scale administration of this toolbox to 1,764 preschool and early primary school students indicated very good reliability, convergent validity with existing measures, and developmental sensitivity. Results were also suggestive of better capture of children’s emerging abilities relative to comparison measures. Preliminary norms are presented, showing a clear developmental trajectory across half-year age groups. The accessibility of the EYT, as well as its advantages over existing measures, offers considerably enhanced opportunities for objective measurement of young children’s abilities to enable research and educational applications
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