Correlated transport through junction arrays in the small Josephson energy limit: incoherent Cooper-pairs and hot electrons

We study correlated transport in a Josephson junction array for small Josephson energies. In this regime transport is dominated by Cooper-pair hopping, although we observe that quasiparticles can not be neglected. We assume that the energy dissipated by a Cooper-pair is absorbed by the intrinsic impedance of the array. This allows us to formulate explicit Cooper-pair hopping rates without adding any parameters to the system. We show that the current is correlated and crucially, these correlations rely fundamentally on the interplay between the Cooper-pairs and equilibrium quasiparticles.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures - Published Versio

Errors in Length-weight Parameters at FishBase.org

Background: FishBase.org is an on-line database of fish related data that has been cited over 1500 times in the fisheries literature. Length-weight relationships in fish traditionally employ the model, W(L) = aL^b^, where L is length and W is weight. Parameters a and b are catalogued by FishBase for a large number of sources and species. FishBase.org detects outliers in a plot of log(a) vs. b to identify dubious length-weight parameters.
Materials and Methods: To investigate possible errors, length-weight parameters from FishBase.org were used to graph length-weight curves for six different species: channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), black crappie (Pomoxis nigromacalatus), largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris), and lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush) along with the standard weight curves (Anderson and Neumann 1996, Bister et al. 2000). Parameters noted as “doubtful” by FishBase were excluded. For each species, variations in curves were noted, and the minimum and maximum predicted weights for a 30 cm long fish were compared with each other and with the standard weight for that length. For lake trout, additional comparisons were made between the parameters and study details reported in FishBase.org for 6 of 8 length-weight relationships and those reported in the reference (Carlander 1969) for those 6 relationships. 
Results: In all species studied, minimum and maximum curves produced with the length-weight parameters at FishBase.org are notably different from each other, and in many cases predict weights that are clearly absurd. For example, one set of parameters predicts a 30 cm rainbow trout weighing 44 g. For 30 cm length, the range of weights (relative to the standard weight) for each species are: channel catfish (31.4% to 193.1%), black crappie (54.0% to 149.0%), largemouth bass (28.8% to 130.4%), rainbow trout (14.9% to 113.4%), flathead catfish (29.3% to 250.7%), and lake trout (44.0% to 152.7%). Ten of the twelve extreme curves reference two sources (Carlander 1969 and Carlander 1977). These two sources are used for a total of 100 different species at FishBase.org. In the case of lake trout, comparing the length-weight table at FishBase.org and the cited source (Carlander 1969) revealed that while 5 of 6 total length measurements were incorrectly reported as fork lengths by FishBase.org, all parameters accurately reflected the source. Comparing the length-weight relationships of the source (Carlander 1969) with the table of weights in different length ranges reveals the length-weight parameters in the source are clearly in error. However, FishBase.org also neglects to specify clearly distinguished subspecies and/or phenotypes such as siscowet and humper lake trout.
Conclusion: Length-weight tables at FishBase.org are not generally reliable and the on-line database contains dubious parameters. Assurance of quality probably will require a systematic review with more careful and comprehensive methods than those currently employed. 
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Evidence for the reliability and validity, and some support for the practical utility of the two-factor Consideration of Future Consequences Scale-14

Researchers have proposed 1-factor, 2-factor, and bifactor solutions to the 12-item Consideration of Future Consequences Scale (CFCS-12). In order to overcome some measurement problems and to create a robust and conceptually useful two-factor scale the CFCS-12 was recently modified to include two new items and to become the CFCS-14. Using a University sample, we tested four competing models for the CFCS-14: (a) a 12-item unidimensional model, (b) a model fitted for two uncorrelated factors (CFC-Immediate and CFC-Future), (c) a model fitted for two correlated factors (CFC-I and CFC-F), and (d) a bifactor model. Results suggested that the addition of the two new items has strengthened the viability of a two factor solution of the CFCS-14. Results of linear regression models suggest that the CFC-F factor is redundant. Further studies using alcohol and mental health indicators are required to test this redundancy

Formation and evolution of galaxy dark matter halos and their substructure

We use the ``Via Lactea'' simulation to study the co-evolution of a Milky Way-size LambdaCDM halo and its subhalo population. While most of the host halo mass is accreted over the first 6 Gyr in a series of major mergers, the physical mass distribution [not M_vir(z)] remains practically constant since z=1. The same is true in a large sample of LambdaCDM galaxy halos. Subhalo mass loss peaks between the turnaround and virialization epochs of a given mass shell, and declines afterwards. 97% of the z=1 subhalos have a surviving bound remnant at the present epoch. The retained mass fraction is larger for initially lighter subhalos: satellites with maximum circular velocities Vmax=10 km/s at z=1 have today about 40% of their mass back then. At the first pericenter passage a larger average mass fraction is lost than during each following orbit. Tides remove mass in substructure from the outside in, leading to higher concentrations compared to field halos of the same mass. This effect, combined with the earlier formation epoch of the inner satellites, results in strongly increasing subhalo concentrations towards the Galactic center. We present individual evolutionary tracks and present-day properties of the likely hosts of the dwarf satellites around the Milky Way. The formation histories of ``field halos'' that lie today beyond the Via Lactea host are found to strongly depend on the density of their environment. This is caused by tidal mass loss that affects many field halos on eccentric orbits.Comment: 20 pages, 18 figures. Figures 6,7 and 8 corrected in this version, for details see the erratum in ApJ 679, 1680 and http://www.ucolick.org/~diemand/vl/publ/vlevolerr.pdf. Data, movies and images are available at http://www.ucolick.org/~diemand/vl

Discussing uncertainty and risk in primary care: recommendations of a multi-disciplinary panel regarding communication around prostate cancer screening.

BackgroundShared decision making improves value-concordant decision-making around prostate cancer screening (PrCS). Yet, PrCS discussions remain complex, challenging and often emotional for physicians and average-risk men.ObjectiveIn July 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention convened a multidisciplinary expert panel to identify priorities for funding agencies and development groups to promote evidence-based, value-concordant decisions between men at average risk for prostate cancer and their physicians.DesignTwo-day multidisciplinary expert panel in Atlanta, Georgia, with structured discussions and formal consensus processes.ParticipantsSixteen panelists represented diverse specialties (primary care, medical oncology, urology), disciplines (sociology, communication, medical education, clinical epidemiology) and market sectors (patient advocacy groups, Federal funding agencies, guideline-development organizations).Main measuresPanelists used guiding interactional and evaluation models to identify and rate strategies that might improve PrCS discussions and decisions for physicians, patients and health systems/society. Efficacy was defined as the likelihood of each strategy to impact outcomes. Effort was defined as the relative amount of effort to develop, implement and sustain the strategy. Each strategy was rated (1-7 scale; 7 = maximum) using group process software (ThinkTank(TM)). For each group, intervention strategies were grouped as financial/regulatory, educational, communication or attitudinal levers. For each strategy, barriers were identified.Key resultsHighly ranked strategies to improve value-concordant shared decision-making (SDM) included: changing outpatient clinic visit reimbursement to reward SDM; development of evidence-based, technology-assisted, point-of-service tools for physicians and patients; reframing confusing prostate cancer screening messages; providing pre-visit decision support interventions; utilizing electronic health records to promote benchmarking/best practices; providing additional training for physicians around value-concordant decision-making; and using re-accreditation to promote training.ConclusionsConference outcomes present an expert consensus of strategies likely to improve value-concordant prostate cancer screening decisions. In addition, the methodology used to obtain agreement provides a model of successful collaboration around this and future controversial cancer screening issues, which may be of interest to funding agencies, educators and policy makers

USING CHOICE EXPERIMENTS TO ELICIT FARMERS PREFERENCES? FOR CROP AND HEALTH INSURANCE

A random utility discrete choice experiments is used to determine farmers' preferences for health insurance, crop insurance, and a product that switches some portion of crop insurance subsidy to health insurance premium subsidy with access to large-pool risk groups.Risk and Uncertainty,

In situ propellant production: Alternatives for Mars exploration

Current planning for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) recognizes the need for extraterrestrial resources to sustain long-term human presence and to attain some degree of self-sufficiency. As a practical matter, reducing the need to carry large supplies of propellant from Earth will make space exploration more economical. For nearly every round trip planned with conventional propulsion, the actual payload is only a small fraction - perhaps 10-15 percent - of the mass launched from Earth. The objective of this study was to analyze the potential application for SEI missions of propellants made exclusively from lunar or martian resources. Using such propellants could minimize or eliminate the cost of carrying propellant for surface excursion vehicles and return transfers through two high-energy maneuvers: Earth launch and trans-Mars injection. Certain chemical mono- and bipropellants are candidates for this approach; they could be recovered entirely from in situ resources on the Moon and Mars, without requiring a continuing Earth-based resupply of propellant constituents (e.g., fuel to mix with a locally obtained oxidizer) and, perhaps, with minimal need to resupply consumables (e.g., reagents or catalyst for process reactions). A complete assessment of the performance potential of these propellants must include the requirements for installation, operations, maintenance, and resupply of the chemical processing facility