Birds have excellent spatial acuity and colour vision compared to other vertebrates while spatial contrast sensitivity is relatively poor for unknown reasons. Contrast sensitivity describes the detection of gratings of varying spatial frequency. It is unclear whether bird brightness discrimination between large uniform fields is poor as well. Here we show that budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus)

We consider the exponential matrix representing the dynamics of the Fermi-Bose model in an undepleted bosonic field approximation. A recent application of this model is molecular dimers dissociating into its atomic compounds. The problem is solved in D spatial dimensions by dividing the system matrix into blocks with generalizations of Hankel matrices, here referred to as D-block-Hankel matrices.

Ethnic discrimination in the criminal justice system is a well-researched topic, but the significance of ethnicity in policing activities at more mundane levels has attracted less attention. This article analyzes ethnographic data on municipal ‘safety work’ in a Swedish city troubled with robberies, vandalism, and violence. It shows how the efforts of different safety workers, operating to curb cr

Objective: Previous research has shown that a better therapeutic relationship (TR) predicts more positive attitudes towards antipsychotic medication, but did not address whether it is also linked with actual adherence. This study investigated whether the TR is associated with adherence to antipsychotics in patients with schizophrenia. Methods: 134 clinicians and 507 of their patients with schizoph

For vehicles using grid power to charge the battery, traction circuit components are not normally engaged during the charging time, so there is a possibility to use them in the charger circuit to have an on-board integrated motor drive and battery charger. An isolated high-power three-phase integrated motor drive and charger based on a split-phase permanent magnet motor is presented in this paper.

This paper presents the electron and photon energy calibration achieved with the ATLAS detector using about 25 fb(-1) of LHC proton-proton collision data taken at centre-of-mass energies of root s = 7 and 8 TeV. The reconstruction of electron and photon energies is optimised using multivariate algorithms. The response of the calorimeter layers is equalised in data and simulation, and the longitudi

We report on the dynamics of in situ etching of nanowires using an etching agent which allows for parameter optimization for nanowire synthesis without concerns of tapering issues. Upon etching of InP nanowires using HCl it is found that HCl mainly reacts with the precursor TMI, its decomposition species, and physisorbed In. The reaction with solid InP is less rapid and diffusion limited. We find

A coated hollow core microsphere is introduced as a novel target in ultra-intense laser-matter interaction experiments. In particular, it facilitates staged laser-driven proton acceleration by combining conventional target normal sheath acceleration (TNSA), power recycling of hot laterally spreading electrons and staging in a very simple and cheap target geometry. During TNSA of protons from one a

Weight loss is an important complication of Huntington's disease (HD), however the mechanism for weight loss in HD is not entirely understood. Mutant huntingtin is expressed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and, in HD mice, mutant huntingtin inclusions are found within the enteric nervous system along the GI tract. A reduction of neuropeptides, decreased mucosal thickness and villus length, as w

Cannulation of the papilla vateri represents an enigmatic first step in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreaticography (ERCP). In light of falling numbers of (diagnostic) ERCP and novel techniques, e. g. short-wire system, we were interested in the approach novice and experienced endoscopist are taking; especially, what makes a papilla difficult to cannulate and how to approach this. We devised

Increased temperatures and concomitant changes in vegetation patterns are expected to dramatically alter the functioning of northern ecosystems over the next few decades. Predicting the ecosystem response to such a shift in climate and vegetation is complicated by the lack of knowledge about the links between aboveground biota and belowground process rates. Current models suggest that increasing t

Utilizing semiconductor nanowires for (opto)- electronics requires exact knowledge of their current−voltage properties. We report accurate on-top imaging and I−V characterization of individual as-grown nanowires, using a subnanometer resolution scanning tunneling microscope with no need for additional microscopy tools, thus allowing versatile application. We form Ohmic contacts to InP and InAs nan

Combining attribute grammars with object-oriented programming supports a new kind of declarative programming, allowing compilers to be built in a highly extensible manner. By leveraging a base compiler, extended languages can be supported at a relatively low cost. Recent work shows the applicability of the technique to general-purpose programming languages like Java. In this article, we illustrate

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the level of agreement between stroke subtype classifications made using the Trial of Org 10172 Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) and Causative Classification of Stroke (CCS) systems. Methods: Study subjects included 13,596 adult men and women accrued from 20 US and European genetic research centers participating in the National Institute of Neurol

The late Eocene may have been a period with an enhanced flux of extraterrestrial matter to Earth related either to a comet or an asteroid shower. The evidence comes from two very large and several medium-sized impact craters, at least two microtektite-microkrystite layers, and a stratigraphic interval with enhanced extraterrestrial He-3, all within the period ca. 36.3-34.3 Ma. Here, we show that t

The Nordic support to the Boer people during the South African war 1899-1902 is a rather unknown history. Approximately 150 Scandinavian emigrants fought on the Boer side in the South African war and a sixth of them were killed at the battle of Magersfontein. The corps was followed by a Scandinavian ambulance formed by one Norwegian physician (Bidenkap), three Swedish nurses and six stretcher bear

Context Recent reports suggest that rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may be a risk factor for venous thromboembolism (VTE), particularly in conjunction with hospitalization. Using hospitalization data to identify RA and VTE may identify patients when they are at elevated risk for other reasons, obscuring the incompletely understood underlying association between RA and VTE and leading to inappropriate in

Simultaneous planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of a series of reactive scalars and Rayleigh scattering measurements of temperature, i.e. CH/CH2O/OH, HCO/CH2O/OH and T/CH2O/OH, and laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) measurements are carried out to characterize the flame/turbulence interaction in various regimes of turbulent combustion, including the laminar flamelet regime, the thin