Weil's converse theorem with poles

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Test vectors for Rankin-Selberg LL-functions

We study the local zeta integrals attached to a pair of generic representations $(\pi,\tau)$ of $GL_n\times GL_m$, $n>m$, over a $p$-adic field. Through a process of unipotent averaging we produce a pair of corresponding Whittaker functions whose zeta integral is non-zero, and we express this integral in terms of the Langlands parameters of $\pi$ and $\tau$. In many cases, these Whittaker functions also serve as a test vector for the associated Rankin-Selberg (local) $L$-function.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1804.0772

Collectors of Rhodiola species on the Sichuan-Tibetan and Sichuan-Shaanxi borders

Medicinal Rhodiola species, including Rhodiola rosea L. and Rhodiola crenulata (Hook.f. & Thomson) H.Ohba, have been widely used as traditional herbal medicines with numerous claims for their therapeutic effects. Faced with resource depletion, environment destruction and higher demand, R. rosea and R. crenulata are becoming endangered, making them economically even more valuable, but also increasing the risk of adulteration and low quality - and raising awareness for the role of often unlicensed collectors and middlemen. Although R. rosea is the most well known in Europe, R. crenulata is the recognised species in China. On the border of Sichuan and Tibet, members of the Yi minority collect R. crenulata in order to sell it to the “traditional” Chinese medicine market. Collection of this medicinal herb represents about one third of the annual income for the Yi. Three times a year they climb up to 5,000 metres in search of the plants. As it is stripped out, the Yi have to travel to more and more inhospitable places to ensure its supply. At Taibai mountain along the border of Sichuan and Shaanxi, the same medicinal plant, hongjingtian in Chinese, is growing in the wild, too. Yet, in a socioeconomic context, collectors do not have a particular ethnic background such as Yi, Tibetan or Han collectors. Here, the collectors are various unlicensed providers-cum-prescribers 'caoyi'. (The term does not mean herb-physician, as one might assume from terms such as caoyao (herbals). It means unofficial or not following the scholarly standard.) Using neither an ethnic identity nor the general botanical terms in Latin, they claim Daoism and terroir of their mountain as a sign of good quality ‘Taibai hongjingtian’. There appears to be no strategy in place to protect the species across all those socioeconomic, ethnic and provincial boundaries, and without some intervention it is likely that R. crenulata will eventually become so rare that it can no longer be collected in the current quantities. This will have consequences both for the livelihoods of the Yi and of various Caoyi, and also for the conservation of R. Crenulata and it’s sustainability

Value Chains of Botanical and Herbal Medicinal Products: A European Perspective

In recent years, the quality of botanicals has come under increased scrutiny. Despite the availability of numerous high-quality products from reputable companies, health care professionals, patients, and consumers are understandably concerned about questionable botanical ingredients in various consumer products. In Europe, this includes products that are generally unlicensed and unregistered supplements (also referred to as “botanicals”), which are often poorly regulated, or even totally unregulated, depending on the country of jurisdiction

Unblocking high-value botanical value chains: Is there a role for blockchain systems?

Blockchain systems are a fast emerging and a currently widely discussed novel strategy for a decentralised cryptographically-enhanced digital ledger recording transactions among stakeholders. This perspective paper looks at its potential uses in the context of high value and mostly low volume botanical material traded globally and used as medicines, health foods, in cosmetics and other applications. We offer a perspective on key areas in the supply of such products globally and how blockchain systems may help in sustainable sourcing, quality assurance, and in tackling supply problems in cases of complex multiherbal preparations. Both open and closed blockchain systems are feasible, and it seems likely that, at least in the initial development, closed ones are the main ones to be utilized. While blockchain’s potential is not yet clear, the examples presented here highlight the opportunities of this new technology

Forecasting time series by means of evolutionary algorithms

Proceeding of: 8th International Conference in Parallel Problem Solving from Nature - PPSN VIII , Birmingham, UK, September 18-22, 2004.The time series forecast is a very complex problem, consisting in predicting the behaviour of a data series with only the information of the previous sequence. There is many physical and artificial phenomenon that can be described by time series. The prediction of such phenomenon could be very complex. For instance, in the case of tide forecast, unusually high tides, or sea surges, result from a combination of chaotic climatic elements in conjunction with the more normal, periodic, tidal systems associated with a particular area. Too much variables influence the behaviour of the water level. Our problem is not only to find prediction rules, we also need to discard the noise and select the representative data. Our objective is to generate a set of prediction rules. There are many methods tying to achieve good predictions. In most of the cases this methods look for general rules that are able to predict the whole series. The problem is that usually the time series has local behaviours that dont allow a good level of prediction when using general rules. In this work we present a method for finding local rules able to predict only some zones of the series but achieving better level prediction. This method is based on the evolution of set of rules genetically codified, and following the Michigan approach. For evaluating the proposal, two different domains have been used: an artificial domain widely use in the bibliography (Mackey-Glass series) and a time series corresponding to a natural phenomenon, the water level in Venice Lagoon.Investigation supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology through the TRACER project under contract TIC2002-04498-C05-

HOPS 383: An Outbursting Class 0 Protostar in Orion

We report the dramatic mid-infrared brightening between 2004 and 2006 of HOPS 383, a deeply embedded protostar adjacent to NGC 1977 in Orion. By 2008, the source became a factor of 35 brighter at 24 microns with a brightness increase also apparent at 4.5 microns. The outburst is also detected in the submillimeter by comparing APEX/SABOCA to SCUBA data, and a scattered-light nebula appeared in NEWFIRM K_s imaging. The post-outburst spectral energy distribution indicates a Class 0 source with a dense envelope and a luminosity between 6 and 14 L_sun. Post-outburst time-series mid- and far-infrared photometry shows no long-term fading and variability at the 18% level between 2009 and 2012. HOPS 383 is the first outbursting Class 0 object discovered, pointing to the importance of episodic accretion at early stages in the star formation process. Its dramatic rise and lack of fading over a six-year period hint that it may be similar to FU Ori outbursts, although the luminosity appears to be significantly smaller than the canonical luminosities of such objects.Comment: Accepted by ApJ Letters, 6 pages, 4 figures; v2 has an updated email address for the lead autho

Hydrological impacts of floodplain restoration: a case study of the River Cherwell, UK

International audienceThis paper investigates the impacts on floods of hypothetical changes to river channel geometry by construction or removal of embankments to prevent water spreading onto the floodplain at high flows. A numerical model is applied to the River Cherwell between Oxford and Banbury to simulate changes to flood hydrographs. Embanking the river increases the peak flows downstream by 50-150%. Restoring the river channel through the floodplain to pre-engineered dimensions reduces peak flow by around 10-15% and increases peak water levels within the floodplain by 0.5-1.6 m. These results suggest that floodplain rehabilitation, in terms of embankment removal or returning the channel to pre-engineered dimensions, can be a valuable part of the flood management strategy of a catchment. Both measures lead to increased inundation of the floodplain, which can be positive for ecological restoration. Keywords: floodplains, hydrological impacts, rehabilitation, flood frequenc