5,553 research outputs found
Coriolis effects during pitch and roll maneuvers in a piloted flight simulator
Effect of suprathreshold value of Coriolis acceleration on pilot of flight simulator - reference to perception of illusory motion and position in spac
Classical turning surfaces in solids: When do they occur, and what do they mean?
Classical turning surfaces of Kohn-Sham potentials, separating
classically-allowed regions (CARs) from classically-forbidden regions (CFRs),
provide a useful and rigorous approach to understanding many chemical
properties of molecules. Here we calculate such surfaces for several
paradigmatic solids. Our study of perfect crystals at equilibrium geometries
suggests that CFRs are absent in metals, rare in covalent semiconductors, but
common in ionic and molecular crystals. A CFR can appear at a monovacancy in a
metal. In all materials, CFRs appear or grow as the internuclear distances are
uniformly expanded. Calculations with several approximate density functionals
and codes confirm these behaviors. A classical picture of conduction suggests
that CARs should be connected in metals, and disconnected in wide-gap
insulators. This classical picture is confirmed in the limits of extreme
uniform compression of the internuclear distances, where all materials become
metals without CFRs, and extreme expansion, where all materials become
insulators with disconnected and widely-separated CARs around the atoms.Comment: Added supplemental information (63 pages), was missing in original
submission. Minor typo corrections in Tables I and III for Eps_HO - vs(r)
column (and CFR % volume for Pt monovacancy) for PBE data onl
Determining concentric and eccentric force–velocity profiles during squatting.
The force–velocity relationship of muscular contraction has been extensively studied. However, previous research has focussed either on isolated muscle or single-joint movements, whereas human movement consists of multi-joint movements (e.g. squatting). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the force–velocity relationship of isovelocity squatting. Fifteen male participants (24±2 years, 79.8±9.1 kg, 177.5±6 cm) performed isovelocity squats on a novel motorised isovelocity device (Kineo Training System) at three concentric (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 m s−1) and three eccentric velocities (−0.25, −0.5, and −0.75 m s−1). Peak vertical ground reaction forces, that occurred during the isovelocity phase, were collected using dual force plates (2000 Hz) (Kistler, Switzerland). The group mean squat force–velocity profile conformed to the typical in vivo profile, with peak vertical ground reaction forces during eccentric squatting being 9.5 ± 19% greater than isometric (P = 0.037), and occurring between −0.5 and −0.75 m s−1. However, large inter-participant variability was identified (0.84–1.62 × isometric force), with some participants being unable to produce eccentric forces greater than isometric. Sub-group analyses could not identify differences between individuals who could/could not produce eccentric forces above isometric, although those who could not tended to be taller. These finding suggest that variability exists between participants in the ability to generate maximum eccentric forces during squatting, and the magnitude of eccentric increase above isometric cannot be predicted solely based on a concentric assessment. Therefore, an assessment of eccentric capabilities may be required prior to prescribing eccentric-specific resistance training
Experimental evidence of a natural parity state in Mg and its impact to the production of neutrons for the s process
We have studied natural parity states in Mg via the
Ne(Li,d)Mg reaction. Our method significantly improves the
energy resolution of previous experiments and, as a result, we report the
observation of a natural parity state in Mg. Possible spin-parity
assignments are suggested on the basis of published -ray decay
experiments. The stellar rate of the Ne(,)Mg
reaction is reduced and may give rise to an increase in the production of
s-process neutrons via the Ne(,n)Mg reaction.Comment: Published in PR
Common Representation of Information Flows for Dynamic Coalitions
We propose a formal foundation for reasoning about access control policies
within a Dynamic Coalition, defining an abstraction over existing access
control models and providing mechanisms for translation of those models into
information-flow domain. The abstracted information-flow domain model, called a
Common Representation, can then be used for defining a way to control the
evolution of Dynamic Coalitions with respect to information flow
A cognitive approach to user perception of multimedia quality: An empirical investigation
Whilst multimedia technology has been one of the main contributing factors behind the Web's success, delivery of personalized multimedia content has been a desire seldom achieved in practice. Moreover, the perspective adopted is rarely viewed from a cognitive styles standpoint, notwithstanding the fact that they have significant effects on users’ preferences with respect to the presentation of multimedia content. Indeed, research has thus far neglected to examine the effect of cognitive styles on users’ subjective perceptions of multimedia quality. This paper aims to examine the relationships between users’ cognitive styles, the multimedia quality of service delivered by the underlying network, and users’ quality of perception (understood as both enjoyment and informational assimilation) associated with the viewed multimedia content. Results from the empirical study reported here show that all users, regardless of cognitive style, have higher levels of understanding of informational content in multimedia video clips (represented in our study by excerpts from television programmes) with weak dynamism, but that they enjoy moderately dynamic clips most. Additionally, multimedia content was found to significantly influence users’ levels of understanding and enjoyment. Surprisingly, our study highlighted the fact that Bimodal users prefer to draw on visual sources for informational purposes, and that the presence of text in multimedia clips has a detrimental effect on the knowledge acquisition of all three cognitive style groups
A multiple-beam CLEAN for imaging intra-day variable radio sources
The CLEAN algorithm, widely used in radio interferometry for the
deconvolution of radio images, performs well only if the raw radio image (dirty
image) is, to good approximation, a simple convolution between the instrumental
point-spread function (dirty beam) and the true distribution of emission across
the sky. An important case in which this approximation breaks down is during
frequency synthesis if the observing bandwidth is wide enough for variations in
the spectrum of the sky to become significant. The convolution assumption also
breaks down, in any situation but snapshot observations, if sources in the
field vary significantly in flux density over the duration of the observation.
Such time-variation can even be instrumental in nature, for example due to
jitter or rotation of the primary beam pattern on the sky during an
observation. An algorithm already exists for dealing with the spectral
variation encountered in wide-band frequency synthesis interferometry. This
algorithm is an extension of CLEAN in which, at each iteration, a set of N
`dirty beams' are fitted and subtracted in parallel, instead of just a single
dirty beam as in standard CLEAN. In the wide-band algorithm the beams are
obtained by expanding a nominal source spectrum in a Taylor series, each term
of the series generating one of the beams. In the present paper this algorithm
is extended to images which contain sources which vary over both frequency and
time. Different expansion schemes (or bases) on the time and frequency axes are
compared, and issues such as Gibbs ringing and non-orthogonality are discussed.
It is shown that practical considerations make it often desirable to
orthogonalize the set of beams before commencing the cleaning. This is easily
accomplished via a Gram-Schmidt technique.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures. Accepted for publication in A&
Characterization of herpes simplex virus clinical isolate Y3369 as a glycoprotein G variant and its bearing on virus typing
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Herpes simplex viruses exist as two major serotypes, type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2). Determination of type, either HSV-1 or HSV-2, is important in accurate diagnosis and clinical control of transmission. Several tests are available for typing HSV, including a monoclonal antibody specific for glycoprotein G and several PCR assays.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>A clinical isolate was identified as herpes simplex virus, but tested negative for both HSV-1 and HSV-2 antigens using type-specific monoclonal antibody assays. The isolate was determined to be HSV-1 by PCR analysis. A mutation which likely caused the monoclonal antibody non-reactivity was found in glycoprotein G. Phylogenetic analysis revealed two groups of HSV, one with the mutation and one without. Three population studies examining mutations in HSV-1 glycoprotein G were analyzed by chi-squared test. To this point, the epitope which the monoclonal antibody recognizes was only found in HSV-1 isolates from human European populations (<it>p </it>< 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings suggest that the PCR-based methods for HSV typing may be more useful than the standard monoclonal antibody test in areas of the world where the variant in glycoprotein G is more prevalent.</p
Evolution of a Sexually Dimorphic Trait in a Broadly Distributed Topminnow (Fundulus Olivaceus)
Understanding the interaction between sexual and natural selection within variable environments is crucial to our understanding of evolutionary processes. The handicap principle predicts females will prefer males with exaggerated traits provided those traits are indicators of male quality to ensure direct or indirect female benefits. Spatial variability in ecological factors is expected to alter the balance between sexual and natural selection that defines the evolution of such traits. Male and female blackspotted topminnows (Fundulidae: Fundulus olivaceus) display prominent black dorsolateral spots that are variable in number across its broad range. We investigated variability in spot phenotypes at 117 sites across 13 river systems and asked if the trait was sexually dimorphic and positively correlated with measures of fitness (condition and gonadosomatic index [GSI]). Laboratory and mesocosm experiments assessed female mate choice and predation pressure on spot phenotypes. Environmental and community data collected at sampling locations were used to assess predictive models of spot density at the individual, site, and river system level. Greater number of spots was positively correlated with measures of fitness in males. Males with more spots were preferred by females and suffered greater mortality due to predation. Water clarity (turbidity) was the best predictor of spot density on the drainage scale, indicating that sexual and natural selection for the trait may be mediated by local light environments
Evolution of a Sexually Dimorphic Trait In a Broadly Distributed Topminnow (\u3ci\u3eFundulus olivaceus\u3c/i\u3e)
Understanding the interaction between sexual and natural selection within variable environments is crucial to our understanding of evolutionary processes. The handicap principle predicts females will prefer males with exaggerated traits provided those traits are indicators of male quality to ensure direct or indirect female benefits. Spatial variability in ecological factors is expected to alter the balance between sexual and natural selection that defines the evolution of such traits. Male and female blackspotted topminnows (Fundulidae: Fundulus olivaceus) display prominent black dorsolateral spots that are variable in number across its broad range. We investigated variability in spot phenotypes at 117 sites across 13 river systems and asked if the trait was sexually dimorphic and positively correlated with measures of fitness (condition and gonadosomatic index [GSI]). Laboratory and mesocosm experiments assessed femalemate choice and predation pressure on spot phenotypes. Environmental and community data collected at sampling locations were used to assess predictive models of spot density at the individual, site, and river system level. Greater number of spots was positively correlated with measures of fitness in males. Males with more spots were preferred by females and suffered greater mortality due to predation. Water clarity (turbidity) was the best predictor of spot density on the drainage scale, indicating that sexual and natural selection for the trait may be mediated by local light environments
- …