Using a cognitive prosthesis to assist foodservice managerial decision-making

The artificial intelligence community has been notably unsuccessful in producing intelligent agents that think for themselves. However, there is an obvious need for increased information processing power in real life situations. An example of this can be witnessed in the training of a foodservice manager, who is expected to solve a wide variety of complex problems on a daily basis. This article explores the possibility of creating an intelligence aid, rather than an intelligence agent, to assist novice foodservice managers in making decisions that are congruent with a subject matter expert\u27s decision schema

Cow, farm, and herd management factors in the dry period associated with raised somatic cell counts in early lactation

This study investigated cow characteristics, farm facilities, and herd management strategies during the dry period to examine their joint influence on somatic cell counts (SCC) in early lactation. Data from 52 commercial dairy farms throughout England and Wales were collected over a 2-yr period. For the purpose of analysis, cows were separated into those housed for the dry period (6,419 cow-dry periods) and those at pasture (7,425 cow-dry periods). Bayesian multilevel models were specified with 2 response variables: ln SCC (continuous) and SCC >199,000 cells/mL (binary), both within 30 d of calving. Cow factors associated with an increased SCC after calving were parity, an SCC >199,000 cells/mL in the 60 d before drying off, increasing milk yield 0 to 30 d before drying off, and reduced DIM after calving at the time of SCC estimation. Herd management factors associated with an increased SCC after calving included procedures at drying off, aspects of bedding management, stocking density, and method of pasture grazing. Posterior predictions were used for model assessment, and these indicated that model fit was generally good. The research demonstrated that specific dry-period management strategies have an important influence on SCC in early lactation

Quantum computing with alkaline earth atoms

We present a complete scheme for quantum information processing using the unique features of alkaline earth atoms. We show how two completely independent lattices can be formed for the $^1$S$_0$ and $^3$P$_0$ states, with one used as a storage lattice for qubits encoded on the nuclear spin, and the other as a transport lattice to move qubits and perform gate operations. We discuss how the $^3$P$_2$ level can be used for addressing of individual qubits, and how collisional losses from metastable states can be used to perform gates via a lossy blockade mechanism.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures, RevTeX

Extended Gas in Seyfert Galaxies: Near-Infrared Observations of 15 Active Nuclei

Results from an analysis of low resolution (R~250) near-IR long-slit spectra covering simultaneously the I, J, H, and K bands, for a sample of 15 Seyfert galaxies and the N5253 starburst nucleus, are presented. The Seyfert galaxies were selected as presenting `linear' or cone-like high excitation emission line in the optical, most probably due to the collimation of the central source's radiation by a dusty molecular torus. Our goal was to look for signatures of this torus, and to investigate the gaseous distribution, excitation and reddening. The IR emission lines are spatially extended in most cases, and we have used the [FeII]/Pa(beta) ratio as a measure of the gaseous excitation in Mrk573, N1386, and N7582. Values for this ratio between 1.5 and 6 are found, suggesting excitation of [FeII] by X-rays or shock waves in some regions. Nuclear Pa(beta) in N1365, and possibly nuclear Br(gama) in Mrk573, are broad. From analysis of the spatial distribution of the continuum (J-H) and (H-K) colours derived from our spectra, we find redder colours for the nucleus than the nearby bulge in most of the Seyfert 2s observed. Comparison with models including emission from dust and stars shows that hot (T~1000 K) dust emission dominates the nuclear continuum in N1365, N2110, N3281, N7582, and ESO362-G18. In N1386, N5643, and N5728 the main contributor is the underlying stellar population, combined with some foreground reddening and/or cool dust emission. In a few cases, the (J-H) colours on opposite sides of the nucleus differ by 0.3-0.8 mag, an effect that we interpret as partly due to differences in the local stellar population, and possibly extinction gradients.Comment: 19 pages (LaTeX, mn.sty), 27 Postscript figures embedded. Accepted for publication in the Monthly Notices of the R.A.

The role of health demands, health resources, and adaptability in psychological strain and life satisfaction

The present study harnessed job demands-resources theory to identify key predictors of psychological strain (feeling overwhelmed by one's problems) and life satisfaction among a sample of 1060 adults randomly selected from the Australian electoral roll. The investigation sought to ascertain: (a) the relative contribution of health demands (e.g., inadequate health treatment) and health resources (e.g., access to helpful health-related information) in predicting psychological strain and life satisfaction, (b) the extent to which a recently proposed personal resource—adaptability—explained variance in wellbeing beyond individuals' health demands and resources, and (c) the role of psychological strain in predicting life satisfaction in the context of these demands and resources. Applying structural equation modelling we found that contextual health demands predicted greater psychological strain, individual health resources and adaptability both predicted lower psychological strain and greater life satisfaction, and psychological strain predicted lower life satisfaction. Notably, the adverse effects of health demands reduced significantly when health resources and adaptability were entered into the modelling. Taken together, the findings offer support for a health demands-resources framework that may be applied to better support individuals to respond to the stressors in their lives and in turn boost their sense of subjective wellbeing

Implications of very rapid TeV variability in blazars

We discuss the implications of rapid (few-minute) variability in the TeV flux of blazars, which has been observed recently with the HESS and MAGIC telescopes. The variability timescales seen in PKS 2155-304 and Mrk 501 are much shorter than inferred light-crossing times at the black hole horizon, suggesting that the variability involves enhanced emission in a small region within an outflowing jet. The enhancement could be triggered by dissipation in part of the black hole's magnetosphere at the base of the outflow, or else by instabilities in the jet itself. By considering the energetics of the observed flares, along with the requirement that TeV photons escape without producing pairs, we deduce that the bulk Lorentz factors in the jets must be >50. The distance of the emission region from the central black hole is less well-constrained. We discuss possible consequences for multi-wavelength observations.Comment: 5 pages, no figures, accepted for publication in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Letter