Examining CP Symmetry in Strange Baryon Decays

Non-conservation of CP symmetry can manisfest itself in non-leptonic hyperon decays as a difference in the decay parameter between the strange-baryon decay and its charge conjugate. By comparing the decay distribution in the $\Lambda$ helicity frame for the decay sequence $\Xi^{-} \to \Lambda \pi^{-}$, $\Lambda \to p \pi^{-}$ with that of $\bar{\Xi}^{+}$ decay, E756 at Fermilab did not observe any CP-odd effect at the $10^{-2}$ level. The status of a follow-up experiment, HyperCP (FNAL E871), to search for CP violation in charged $\Xi-\Lambda$ decay with a sensitivity of $10^{-4}$ is also presented.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, invited talk presented at the Third International Conference on B Physics and CP Violation, 3-7 Dec 1999, Taipei, Taiwa

NeuroFlow: A General Purpose Spiking Neural Network Simulation Platform using Customizable Processors

© 2016 Cheung, Schultz and Luk.NeuroFlow is a scalable spiking neural network simulation platform for off-the-shelf high performance computing systems using customizable hardware processors such as Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Unlike multi-core processors and application-specific integrated circuits, the processor architecture of NeuroFlow can be redesigned and reconfigured to suit a particular simulation to deliver optimized performance, such as the degree of parallelism to employ. The compilation process supports using PyNN, a simulator-independent neural network description language, to configure the processor. NeuroFlow supports a number of commonly used current or conductance based neuronal models such as integrate-and-fire and Izhikevich models, and the spike-timing-dependent plasticity (STDP) rule for learning. A 6-FPGA system can simulate a network of up to ~600,000 neurons and can achieve a real-time performance of 400,000 neurons. Using one FPGA, NeuroFlow delivers a speedup of up to 33.6 times the speed of an 8-core processor, or 2.83 times the speed of GPU-based platforms. With high flexibility and throughput, NeuroFlow provides a viable environment for large-scale neural network simulation

Sweet instigator. Choosing increases the susceptibility to affective product features.

The present research demonstrates that repeated active choice-making increases the susceptibility of consumers to salient affective product features. We show that affective features influence product choice more after a series of active product choices than after a series of compliances with purchase instructions. The combined results of three experiments suggest that repeated choice gradually depletes the mental capacity required for critical evaluation of choice alternatives, while ruling out alternative explanations. The results are discussed in terms of their implications for theory and management of impulse purchasing.Affective product features; Choice; Cognitive product features; Consumer decision making; Evaluation; Implications;

Are patterns of lumbar disc degeneration associated with low back pain? New insights based on skipped level disc pathology

Free Papers: Spine ‐ Lumbar: abstract no. 29648INTRODUCTION: The clinical relevance of 'patterns' of disc degeneration of the lumbar spine is unknown. In the setting of multilevel disc degeneration (2 or more levels), this study addressed the clinical implications of skipped level disc degeneration (SLDD) to that of consecutive, multilevel disc degeneration (CMDD) of the lumbar ...poatprin

A novel bio-degradable polymer membrane to control the degradation of Mg-based metallic biomaterial for orthopaedic implantation

Oral Paper Session - Research: Biomaterials VI: abstract no. 31794Biodegradable metallic materials such as magnesium-based alloys are the potential candidates of replacing the currently used non-degradable metallic implants. However, the fast degradation rate and hydrogen gas release may hinder its use. To remedy these complications, our group has developed a controllable biodegradable polymer coating, polycaprolactone (PCL), onto magnesium alloy surface. This study aims to investigate the surface mechanics, in-vitro and in-vivo properties of the modified magnesium …postprin

The Radon Monitoring System in Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment

We developed a highly sensitive, reliable and portable automatic system (H$^{3}$) to monitor the radon concentration of the underground experimental halls of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment. H$^{3}$ is able to measure radon concentration with a statistical error less than 10\% in a 1-hour measurement of dehumidified air (R.H. 5\% at 25$^{\circ}$C) with radon concentration as low as 50 Bq/m$^{3}$. This is achieved by using a large radon progeny collection chamber, semiconductor $\alpha$-particle detector with high energy resolution, improved electronics and software. The integrated radon monitoring system is highly customizable to operate in different run modes at scheduled times and can be controlled remotely to sample radon in ambient air or in water from the water pools where the antineutrino detectors are being housed. The radon monitoring system has been running in the three experimental halls of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment since November 2013

Expert’s comment concerning Grand Rounds case entitled “Closing–Opening Wedge Osteotomy for Severe, Rigid Thoraco-Lumbar Post-tubercular Kyphosis” (by S. Rajasekaran, P. Rishimugesh Kanna and Ajoy Prasad Shetty)

Prevention or correction of severe kyphotic deformity in addition to eradication of the infective focus has become the modern standard of management of tuberculosis of the spine. Circumferential excision of the kyphus is now technically feasible with the development of rigid pedicle screw fixation system and intraoperative spinal cord monitoring in the past two decades

Filling Knowledge Gaps in a Broad-Coverage Machine Translation System

Knowledge-based machine translation (KBMT) techniques yield high quality in domains with detailed semantic models, limited vocabulary, and controlled input grammar. Scaling up along these dimensions means acquiring large knowledge resources. It also means behaving reasonably when definitive knowledge is not yet available. This paper describes how we can fill various KBMT knowledge gaps, often using robust statistical techniques. We describe quantitative and qualitative results from JAPANGLOSS, a broad-coverage Japanese-English MT system.Comment: 7 pages, Compressed and uuencoded postscript. To appear: IJCAI-9