Geography of Fields in Extra Dimensions: String Theory Lessons for Particle Physics

String theoretical ideas might be relevant for particle physics model building. Ideally one would hope to find a unified theory of all fundamental interactions. There are only few consistent string theories in D=10 or 11 space-time dimensions, but a huge landscape in D=4. We have to explore this landscape to identify models that describe the known phenomena of particle physics. Properties of compactified six spatial dimensions are crucial in that respect. We postulate some useful rules to investigate this landscape and construct realistic models. We identify common properties of the successful models and formulate lessons for further model building.Comment: To be published in "Perspectives on String Phenomenology" (World Scientific

Control of hepatic fatty acid synthesis in rats and mice

Imperial Users onl

Preattentive Texture Segmentation and Grouping by the Boundary Contour System

An improved Boundary Contour System (BCS) neural network model of preattentive vision is applied to two images that produce strong "pop-out" of emergent groupings in humans. In humans these images generate groupings collinear with or perpendicular to image contrasts. Analogous groupings occur in computer simulations of the model. Long-range cooperative and short-range competitive processes of the BCS dynamically form the stable groupings of texture regions in response to the images.Air Force Office of Scientific Research (90-0175); Hughes Aircraft Company (SK-902369-SDB

Logics, rhetoric and 'the blob': populist logic in the Conservative reforms to English schooling

A lot has been written about the lasting implications of the Conservative reforms to English schooling, particularly changes made by Michael Gove as Education Secretary (2010–2014). There is a lot less work, however, on studying the role that language, strategy and the broader political framework played in the process of instituting and winning consent for these reforms. Studying these factors is important for ensuring that any changes to education and schooling are not read in isolation from their political context. Speeches particularly capture moments where intellectual and strategic political traditions meet, helping us to form a richer understanding of the motives behind specific reform goals and where they fit into a political landscape. This article analyses speeches and policy documents from prominent politicians who led the Conservative education agenda between 2010–2014 to illustrate how politicians mobilised a deliberate populist strategy and argumentation to achieve specific educational goals, but which have had broader social and political implications. Concepts from interpretive political studies are used to develop a case analysis of changes to teacher training provision and curriculum reform, illustrating how politicians constructed a frontier between ‘the people’ (commonly teachers or parents) and an illegitimate ‘elite’ (an educational establishment) that opposed change. This anti‐elite populist rhetoric, arguably first tested in the Department for Education, has now become instituted more widely in our current British politics

The Responses of Ecologically Dissimilar Populations of the Water Snake, \u3cem\u3eNatrix sipedon sipedon\u3c/em\u3e to Surface Extracts of Prey Species, With Observations on Feeding and Defense Behaviors

Observations of defensive and feeding behavior of Natrix sipedon were made in the field and in the lab. Crypticity, mimicry of poisonous snakes, striking, production of cloacal secretion and tail autonomy were defensive behaviors discussed. Feeding behaviors discussed were hunting, catching prey and tongue-flicking. Experiments were performed on the responses of snakes from ecologically dissimilar populations of N. sipedon to surface extracts of local prey species. The populations were: (1) a laboratory-reared litter of ten one-year-old snakes; (2) six wild-caught snakes from Sterchi\u27s fish hatchery in north Knoxville, Tennessee; and (3) six wild-caught and eight newborn snakes (a litter) from the Tremont area of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Extracts were made of prey species caught in both areas or obtained in the laboratory. Response scores were combined measure of tongue-flicks and attack latency. Group one snakes responded significantly more to goldfish (C. auratus), than to any other extract. This species has been their food for one year. Group 2 also responded more the C. auratus than to any other fish extract. The goldfish was abundant at Sterchi\u27s. However, Group 3 responded significantly more to extracts of fish that were caught near Tremont than to C. auratus. That snakes discriminated between different genera of prey was shown. The conclusion was made that wild-caught snakes respond more often to extracts of sympatric prey, presumably because these snakes have had experience eating this prey. Young of the Tremont snakes responded more to extracts of sympatric prey than to C. auratus, but the difference was not significant. This technique can be used, in conjunction with other investigations, to assess ecological relationship in an area

Local Flavors: A Look at Farm to Table in Samoa

With increased access to foreign markets, Samoa has become more dependent on food imports. Most of these products are packaged and preserved, and often lack nutritional benefits. Women in Business, a local organization, has developed a Farm to Table program to encourage buying local. The effectiveness of the program has not yet been determined, and this project seeks to gauge restaurant owners’ satisfaction with local food, as well as the challenges they face when buying local. Surveys were distributed to 53 restaurants in Apia, Samoa, at the consent of the restaurant managers, and eight surveys were conducted with various players in the local food system. Results were compared and analyzed, both quantitatively and qualitatively. The results of analyses show that restaurants source a good deal of food locally, often because of low price, freshness, and authyenticity [sic]. Challenges of consistency and quality remain an issue for locally-sourced food

Emergent realities for social wellbeing : environmental, spatial and social pathways

In 2010, Transport Malta (2010) amalgamated the previous Malta Transport Authority, Civil Aviation Authority and the Malta Maritime Authority into a single regulator that is responsible for all the modes of transport in Malta. The role of Transport Malta is to plan and provide sustainable, high quality, safe, integrated and efficient transport service that will meet the travelling needs of commuters and the transport requirements for the movement of goods within the national framework. As the Authority is responsible for all the modes of transport, harmonisation between the directorates needed to be strengthened. Following an extensive Gap Analysis exercise across Transport Malta directorates to take stock of all the spatial data stored at the various directorates within Transport Malta and also to catalogue the operational systems, between 2011 and 2012, the Authority sought the means to justify the budget required to implement the platform required. A GIS Platform would consolidate operations within the directorates and facilitate transportation planning decisions in providing one common source to integrate, visualise and share spatial data. In view of this, a proposal was submitted to implement STREETS project (2016) in collaboration with academia and also Italian partners under the Italia – Malta 2007-2013 programme (Figure 1). This proposal was accepted as a STRATEGIC PROJECT under the Italia-Malta Programme.peer-reviewe