13,807 research outputs found
The first record of Merycomyia whitneyi (Johnson), tribe Bouvieromyiini (Diptera: Tabanidae), from Texas and from west of the Mississippi River
The first collections of Merycomyia whitneyi (Johnson), (Diptera: Tabanidae: Chrysopsinae: Bouvieromyiini) from Texas and from west of the Mississippi River are reported, and the Nearctic species of the Tribe Bouvieromyiini are discussed
Bronze Age Subsistence Change at Regional and Microscopic Scales in Northeast China
This article investigates Late Bronze Age mobile pastoralism in Northeast China. Analysis of the use-wear patterns provides direct evidence speaking to the subsistence economies during the Bronze Age. The patterns of use-wear are compared to the settlement patterning and environmental contexts to test proposed theories about whether and how subsistence change takes place. The results indicate continuity in mixed animal and plant based economies in both the Early and Late Bronze Age despite changes in climate and population. The relative intensity of economic practice is guided by the environmental context, but this is detected only at the sub-regional level
Improving LLR Tests of Gravitational Theory
Accurate analysis of precision ranges to the Moon has provided several tests
of gravitational theory including the Equivalence Principle, geodetic
precession, parameterized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters and ,
and the constancy of the gravitational constant {\it G}. Since the beginning of
the experiment in 1969, the uncertainties of these tests have decreased
considerably as data accuracies have improved and data time span has
lengthened. We are exploring the modeling improvements necessary to proceed
from cm to mm range accuracies enabled by the new Apache Point Observatory
Lunar Laser-ranging Operation (APOLLO) currently under development in New
Mexico. This facility will be able to make a significant contribution to the
solar system tests of fundamental and gravitational physics. In particular, the
Weak and Strong Equivalence Principle tests would have a sensitivity
approaching 10, yielding sensitivity for the SEP violation parameter
of , general relativistic effects would
be tested to better than 0.1%, and measurements of the relative change in the
gravitational constant, , would be % the inverse age of the
universe. Having this expected accuracy in mind, we discusses the current
techniques, methods and existing physical models used to process the LLR data.
We also identify the challenges for modeling and data analysis that the LLR
community faces today in order to take full advantage of the new APOLLO ranging
station.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at 2003 NASA/JPL Workshop on
Fundamental Physics in Space, April 14-16, 2003, Oxnard, C
Response of a gall-forming guild (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) to stressed and vigorous prairie roses
Two general hypotheses that describe the relationship between plant quality and host-plant preference of insect herbivores are the plant-stress and plant-vigor hypotheses. We examined the response of a gall-forming guild of insect herbivores associated with prairie rose, Rosa arkansana Porter (Rosaceae), to experimental manipulations of plant stress (addition of NaCl) and vigor (addition of nitrogen; NH4NO3). The most common members of the gall-forming guild on roses are Diplolepis ignota Osten Sacken, D. nodulosa Beutenmüller, and D. rosaefolii Cockerell (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae). The repeated application of nitrogen throughout the growing season to prairie plots resulted in significantly higher plant nitrogen levels and plant growth rates. Both low and high NaCl additions caused leaves to turn yellow and wilt, but reductions in rose growth rates or xylem water potentials with NaCl additions were not statistically significant. All three members of the cynipid guild responded similarly to nitrogen and NaCl additions to rose plots. Incidence of occurrence and density within a plot decreased with increasing nitrogen or NaCl, but the decline associated with increasing NaCl was not significant for any of the cynipids. Neither the plant-vigor hypothesis (higher abundance on fast-growing, vigorous plants) nor the plant-stress hypothesis (higher abundance on physiologically stressed plants) was supported by this study. For cynipids, there is growing evidence that larvae perform best on plant tissues low in nitrogen (less vigorous plants). Agricultural runoff, of which nitrogen is an important constituent, may be significantly altering cynipid distributions and their interactions with other members of the tall-grass prairie ecosystem
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Petrology and geochemistry of nakhlite MIL 03346: A new Martian meteorite from Antarctica
MIL 03346 is the first nakhlite in the US Antarctic collection. We have performed detailed mineralogical and bulk-geochemical investigations to compare petrogenesis of this Martian meteorite with other nakhlites
Bone-to-bone and implant-to-bone impingement : a novel graphical representation for hip replacement planning
Bone-to-bone impingement (BTBI) and implant-to-bone impingement (ITBI) risk assessment is generally performed intra-operatively by surgeons, which is entirely subjective and qualitative, and therefore, lead to sub-optimal results and recurrent dislocation in some cases. Therefore, a method was developed for identifying subject-specific BTBI and ITBI, and subsequently, visualising the impingement area on native bone anatomy to highlight where prominent bone should be resected. Activity definitions and subject-specific bone geometries, with planned implants were used as inputs for the method. The ITBI and BTBI boundary and area were automatically identified using ray intersection and region growing algorithm respectively to retain the same ‘conical clearance angle’ obtained to avoid prosthetic impingement (PI). The ITBI and BTBI area was then presented with different colours to highlight the risk of impingement, and importance of resection. A clinical study with five patients after 2 years of THA was performed to validate the method. The results supported the study hypothesis, in that the predicted highest risk area (red coloured zone) was completely/majorly resected during the surgery. Therefore, this method could potentially be used to examine the effect of different pre-operative plans and hip motions on BTBI, ITBI, and PI, and to guide bony resection during THA surgery
Multivariate side-band subtraction using probabilistic event weights
A common situation in experimental physics is to have a signal which can not
be separated from a non-interfering background through the use of any cut. In
this paper, we describe a procedure for determining, on an event-by-event
basis, a quality factor (-factor) that a given event originated from the
signal distribution. This procedure generalizes the "side-band" subtraction
method to higher dimensions without requiring the data to be divided into bins.
The -factors can then be used as event weights in subsequent analysis
procedures, allowing one to more directly access the true spectrum of the
signal.Comment: 17 pages, 9 figure
A Comparison of Traffic Sign Comprehension Using Static, Dynamic and Interactive Media
Traditionally, traffic sign comprehension has been tested using paper-and-pencil tests with line drawings of signs and uncontrolled viewing time of the test signs. This study compares these types of tests to dynamic tests using an interactive driving simulator. Multiple-choice tests concerning sign comprehension were administered to five groups of Texas drivers following exposure to traffic sign stimuli via line drawings, still computer drawings in a roadway context either with or without controlled exposure, a video of a “drive through” from the simulator, or driving in the simulator itself. Results show interesting differences among the groups that suggest that past studies may have overestimated sign comprehension
A Comparison of Traffic Sign Comprehension Using Static, Dynamic and Interactive Media
Traditionally, traffic sign comprehension has been tested using paper-and-pencil tests with line drawings of signs and uncontrolled viewing time of the test signs. This study compares these types of tests to dynamic tests using an interactive driving simulator. Multiple-choice tests concerning sign comprehension were administered to five groups of Texas drivers following exposure to traffic sign stimuli via line drawings, still computer drawings in a roadway context either with or without controlled exposure, a video of a “drive through” from the simulator, or driving in the simulator itself. Results show interesting differences among the groups that suggest that past studies may have overestimated sign comprehension
Progress in Lunar Laser Ranging Tests of Relativistic Gravity
Analyses of laser ranges to the Moon provide increasingly stringent limits on
any violation of the Equivalence Principle (EP); they also enable several very
accurate tests of relativistic gravity. We report the results of our recent
analysis of Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) data giving an EP test of \Delta
(M_G/M_I)_{EP} =(-1.0 +/- 1.4) x 10^{-13}. This result yields a Strong
Equivalence Principle (SEP) test of \Delta (M_G/M_I)_{SEP} =(-2.0 +/- 2.0) x
10^{-13}. Also, the corresponding SEP violation parameter \eta is (4.4 +/- 4.5)
x 10^{-4}, where \eta=4\beta-\gamma-3 and both \beta and \gamma are
parametrized post-Newtonian (PPN) parameters. Using the recent Cassini result
for the parameter \gamma, PPN parameter \beta is determined to be \beta-1=(1.2
+/- 1.1) x 10^{-4}. The geodetic precession test, expressed as a relative
deviation from general relativity, is K_{gp}=-0.0019 +/- 0.0064. The search for
a time variation in the gravitational constant results in \dot G/G=(4 +/- 9) x
10^{-13} yr^{-1}, consequently there is no evidence for local (~1AU) scale
expansion of the solar system.Comment: 4 pages, revtex4, minor changes made for publicatio
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