623 research outputs found
The CTA Sensitivity to Lorentz-Violating Effects on the Gamma-Ray Horizon
The arrival of TeV-energy photons from distant galaxies is expected to be
affected by their QED interaction with intergalactic radiation fields through
electron-positron pair production. In theories where high-energy photons
violate Lorentz symmetry, the kinematics of the process is altered and the cross-section suppressed.
Consequently, one would expect more of the highest-energy photons to arrive if
QED is modified by Lorentz violation than if it is not. We estimate the
sensitivity of Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) to changes in the -ray
horizon of the Universe due to Lorentz violation, and find that it should be
competitive with other leading constraints.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures, typos corrected + references added, results
unchanged. Matches version accepted by JCA
Global adaptation in networks of selfish components: emergent associative memory at the system scale
In some circumstances complex adaptive systems composed of numerous self-interested agents can self-organise into structures that enhance global adaptation, efficiency or function. However, the general conditions for such an outcome are poorly understood and present a fundamental open question for domains as varied as ecology, sociology, economics, organismic biology and technological infrastructure design. In contrast, sufficient conditions for artificial neural networks to form structures that perform collective computational processes such as associative memory/recall, classification, generalisation and optimisation, are well-understood. Such global functions within a single agent or organism are not wholly surprising since the mechanisms (e.g. Hebbian learning) that create these neural organisations may be selected for this purpose, but agents in a multi-agent system have no obvious reason to adhere to such a structuring protocol or produce such global behaviours when acting from individual self-interest. However, Hebbian learning is actually a very simple and fully-distributed habituation or positive feedback principle. Here we show that when self-interested agents can modify how they are affected by other agents (e.g. when they can influence which other agents they interact with) then, in adapting these inter-agent relationships to maximise their own utility, they will necessarily alter them in a manner homologous with Hebbian learning. Multi-agent systems with adaptable relationships will thereby exhibit the same system-level behaviours as neural networks under Hebbian learning. For example, improved global efficiency in multi-agent systems can be explained by the inherent ability of associative memory to generalise by idealising stored patterns and/or creating new combinations of sub-patterns. Thus distributed multi-agent systems can spontaneously exhibit adaptive global behaviours in the same sense, and by the same mechanism, as the organisational principles familiar in connectionist models of organismic learning
Damage Diagnosis in Semiconductive Materials Using Electrical Impedance Measurements
Recent aerospace industry trends have resulted in an increased demand for real-time, effective techniques for in-flight structural health monitoring. A promising technique for damage diagnosis uses electrical impedance measurements of semiconductive materials. By applying a small electrical current into a material specimen and measuring the corresponding voltages at various locations on the specimen, changes in the electrical characteristics due to the presence of damage can be assessed. An artificial neural network uses these changes in electrical properties to provide an inverse solution that estimates the location and magnitude of the damage. The advantage of the electrical impedance method over other damage diagnosis techniques is that it uses the material as the sensor. Simple voltage measurements can be used instead of discrete sensors, resulting in a reduction in weight and system complexity. This research effort extends previous work by employing finite element method models to improve accuracy of complex models with anisotropic conductivities and by enhancing the computational efficiency of the inverse techniques. The paper demonstrates a proof of concept of a damage diagnosis approach using electrical impedance methods and a neural network as an effective tool for in-flight diagnosis of structural damage to aircraft components
Transcriptional profiling of colicin-induced cell death of Escherichia coli MG1655 identifies potential mechanisms by which bacteriocins promote bacterial diversity
We report the transcriptional response of Escherichia coli MG1655 to damage induced by colicins E3 and E9, bacteriocins that kill cells through inactivation of the ribosome and degradation of chromosomal DNA, respectively. Colicin E9 strongly induced the LexA-regulated SOS response, while colicin E3 elicited a broad response that included the induction of cold shock genes, symptomatic of translational arrest. Colicin E3 also increased the transcription of cryptic prophage genes and other laterally acquired mobile elements. The transcriptional responses to both these toxins suggest mechanisms that may promote genetic diversity in E. coli populations, pointing to a more general role for colicins in adaptive bacterial physiology than has hitherto been realized
Shock Radio: Tracing the Roots of an Expressive Social Movement
Since the 1980s, an important trend in talk radio has established itself in various North American cities, and has come to be known as âshock radio.â Where they have not looked at the issues of free speech and regulation of the genre, previous studies have provided rich insights into the audience and discourse. The present research lays out a profile of the listening audience and connects it with the themes of shock radio within the framework of a social movement perspective. It is hypothesized that shock radio expresses the resentment of a demographic that has been denied recognition in the emerging structure of group rights. Semi-structured interviews combined with questionnaires were administered to listeners of Quebec Cityâs CHOI-FM and of American shock host Howard Stern. Respondents were mostly male and non-unionized private sector workers or self-employed. Resentment at group claims was present among a certain segment of the audience, offering support to the hypothesis that shock radio draws its appeal from its expression of resentment
Patient preferences for management of high blood pressure in the UK:A discrete choice experiment
Background: With a variety of potentially effective hypertension management options, it is important to determine how patients value different models of care, and the relative importance of factors in their decision-making process.
Aim: To explore patient preferences for the management of hypertension in the UK.
Design and setting: Online survey of patients who have hypertension in the UK including an unlabelled discrete choice experiment (DCE).
Method: A DCE was developed to assess patient preferences for the management of hypertension based on four attributes: model of care, frequency of blood pressure (BP) measurement, reduction in 5-year cardiovascular risk, and costs to the NHS. A mixed logit model was used to estimate preferences, willingness-to-pay was modelled, and a scenario analysis was conducted to evaluate the impact of changes in attribute levels on the uptake of different models of care.
Results: One hundred and sixty-seven participants completed the DCE (aged 61.4 years, 45.0% female, 82.0% >5 years since diagnosis). All four attributes were significant in choice (P<0.05). Reduction in 5-year cardiovascular risk was the main driver of patient preference as evidenced in the scenario and willingness-to-pay analyses. GP management was significantly preferred over self-management. Patients preferred scenarios with more frequent BP measurement, and lower costs to the NHS.
Conclusion: Participants had similar preferences for GP management, pharmacist management, and telehealth, but a negative preference for self-management. When introducing new models of care for hypertension to patients, discussion of the potential benefits in terms of risk reduction should be prioritised to maximise uptake
Photosensor Characterization for the Cherenkov Telescope Array: Silicon Photomultiplier versus Multi-Anode Photomultiplier Tube
Photomultiplier tube technology has been the photodetector of choice for the
technique of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes since its birth more than
50 years ago. Recently, new types of photosensors are being contemplated for
the next generation Cherenkov Telescope Array. It is envisioned that the array
will be partly composed of telescopes using a Schwarzschild-Couder two mirror
design never built before which has significantly improved optics. The camera
of this novel optical design has a small plate scale which enables the use of
compact photosensors. We present an extensive and detailed study of the two
most promising devices being considered for this telescope design: the silicon
photomultiplier and the multi-anode photomultiplier tube. We evaluated their
most critical performance characteristics for imaging gamma-ray showers, and we
present our results in a cohesive manner to clearly evaluate the advantages and
disadvantages that both types of device have to offer in the context of GeV-TeV
gamma-ray astronomy.Comment: submitted to SPIE Optics+Photonics proceeding
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