Long-range correlations and burstiness in written texts: Universal and language-specific aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Constantoudis, Vassilios; Kalimeri, Maria; Diakonos, Fotis; Karamanos, Konstantinos; Papadimitriou, Constantinos; Chatzigeorgiou, Manolis; Papageorgiou, Harris

2016-08-01

Recently, methods from the statistical physics of complex systems have been applied successfully to identify universal features in the long-range correlations (LRCs) of written texts. However, in real texts, these universal features are being intermingled with language-specific influences. This paper aims at the characterization and further understanding of the interplay between universal and language-specific effects on the LRCs in texts. To this end, we apply the language-sensitive mapping of written texts to word-length series (wls) and analyse large parallel (of same content) corpora from 10 languages classified to four families (Romanic, Germanic, Greek and Uralic). The autocorrelation functions of the wls reveal tiny but persistent LRCs decaying at large scales following a power-law with a language-independent exponent ˜0.60-0.65. The impact of language is displayed in the amplitude of correlations where a relative standard deviation >40% among the analyzed languages is observed. The classification to language families seems to play a significant role since, the Finnish and Germanic languages exhibit more correlations than the Greek and Roman families. To reveal the origins of the LRCs, we focus on the long words and perform burst and correlation analysis in their positions along the corpora. We find that the universal features are linked more to the correlations of the inter-long word distances while the language-specific aspects are related more to their distributions.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At the grand opening of the newly expanded KSC Visitor Complex, Center Director Roy Bridges presents Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks with a plaque, NASA jacket and hat. Brooks narrates the new film Quest for Life at the Visitor Center. Brooks was recognized for his contribution to advancing the public's understanding of NASA and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. The Complex now includes an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks, a new foyer, films, and exhibits. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At the grand opening of the newly expanded KSC Visitor Complex, Center Director Roy Bridges presents Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks with a plaque, recognizing his contribution to advancing the public's understanding of NASA and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Brooks narrates the new film Quest for Life at the Visitor Center. The $ 13 million addition to the Visitor Complex now includes an International Space Station- themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks, a new information center, films, and exhibits. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Compressed exponential relaxation in liquid silicon: Universal feature of the crossover from ballistic to diffusive behavior in single-particle dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morishita, Tetsuya

2012-07-01

We report a first-principles molecular-dynamics study of the relaxation dynamics in liquid silicon (l-Si) over a wide temperature range (1000-2200 K). We find that the intermediate scattering function for l-Si exhibits a compressed exponential decay above 1200 K including the supercooled regime, which is in stark contrast to that for normal "dense" liquids which typically show stretched exponential decay in the supercooled regime. The coexistence of particles having ballistic-like motion and those having diffusive-like motion is demonstrated, which accounts for the compressed exponential decay in l-Si. An attempt to elucidate the crossover from the ballistic to the diffusive regime in the "time-dependent" diffusion coefficient is made and the temperature-independent universal feature of the crossover is disclosed.

Support for 26th International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kearns, Edward; Feldman, Gary

The XXVI International Conference on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics (Neutrino 2014) was held in Boston, U.S.A. from June 2 to 7, 2014. The Conference was co-­hosted by Boston University, Harvard University, M.I.T., and Tufts University. The Conference welcomed 549 registered participants from 33 countries. The Boston University Student Village offered an inexpensive housing option and was taken advantage of by 282 attendees. The lecture venue was the George Sherman Union at Boston University. There were 63 scientific presentations by speakers from 15 countries. The Conference held two poster sessions with a total of 287 posters. The Conference featured a receptionmore » at the M.I.T. Museum plus a multi-­week exhibition on neutrino physics capped by public presentations on the closing date of the conference. The banquet was a strolling buffet dinner held at the New England Aquarium.« less

“Kerrr” black hole: The lord of the string

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smailagic, Anais; Spallucci, Euro

2010-04-01

Kerrr in the title is not a typo. The third “r” stands for regular, in the sense of pathology-free rotating black hole. We exhibit a long search-for, exact, Kerr-like, solution of the Einstein equations with novel features: (i) no curvature ring singularity; (ii) no “anti-gravity” universe with causality violating time-like closed world-lines; (iii) no “super-luminal” matter disk. The ring singularity is replaced by a classical, circular, rotating string with Planck tension representing the inner engine driving the rotation of all the surrounding matter. The resulting geometry is regular and smoothly interpolates among inner Minkowski space, borderline de Sitter and outer Kerr universe. The key ingredient to cure all unphysical features of the ordinary Kerr black hole is the choice of a “non-commutative geometry inspired” matter source as the input for the Einstein equations, in analogy with spherically symmetric black holes described in earlier works.

Defying ageing: An expectation for dentine bonding with universal adhesives?

PubMed

Zhang, Zheng-yi; Tian, Fu-cong; Niu, Li-na; Ochala, Kirsten; Chen, Chen; Fu, Bai-ping; Wang, Xiao-yan; Pashley, David H; Tay, Franklin R

2016-02-01

The present study evaluated the long-term dentine bonding effectiveness of five universal adhesives in etch-and-rinse or self-etch mode after 12 months of water-ageing. The adhesives evaluated included All-Bond Universal, Clearfil Universal Bond, Futurabond U Prime&Bond Elect and Scotchbond Universal. Microtensile bond strength and transmission electron microscopy of the resin-dentine interfaces created in human coronal dentine were examined after 24h or 12 months. Microtensile bond strength were significantly affected by bonding strategy (etch-and-rinse vs self-etch) and ageing (24h vs 12 months). All subgroups showed significantly decreased bond strength after ageing except for Prime&Bond Elect and Scotchbond Universal used in self-etch mode. All five adhesives employed in etch-and-rinse mode exhibited ultrastructural features characteristic of collagen degradation and resin hydrolysis. A previously-unobserved inside-out collagen degradation pattern was identified in hybrid layers created by 10-MDP containing adhesives (All-Bond Universal, Scotchbond Universal and Clearfil Universal Bond) in the etch-and-rinse mode, producing partially degraded collagen fibrils with intact periphery and a hollow core. In the self-etch mode, all adhesives except for Prime&Bond Elect exhibited degradation of the collagen fibrils along the thin hybrid layers. The three 10-MDP containing universal adhesives did not protect surface collagen fibrils from degradation when bonding was performed in the self-etch mode. Despite the adjunctive conclusion that bonds created by universal adhesives in the self-etch bonding mode are more resistant to decline in bond strength when compared with those bonds created using the etch-and-rinse mode, bonds created by universal adhesives are generally incapable of defying ageing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KSC-99pp0399

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Part of the $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex, the new information center welcomes visitors to the Gateway to the Universe. The five large video walls provide an orientation video, with an introduction to the range of activities and exhibits, and honor the center's namesake, President John F. Kennedy. Other additions include a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater, plus an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

KSC-99pp0402

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Part of the $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex, the new information center welcomes visitors to the Gateway to the Universe. The five large video walls provide an orientation video, with an introduction to the range of activities and exhibits, and honor the center's namesake, President John F. Kennedy. Other new additions include a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater, and an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Public Transport Systems in Poland: From Bialystok to Zielona Góra by Bus and Tram Using Universal Statistics of Complex Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sienkiewicz, J.; Holyst, J. A.

2005-05-01

We have examined a topology of 21 public transport networks in Poland. Our data exhibit several universal features in considered systems when they are analyzed from the point of view of evolving networks. Depending on the assumed definition of a network topology the degree distribution can follow a power law p(k) ˜ k-γ or can be described by an exponential function p(k) ˜ exp (-α k). In the first case one observes that mean distances between two nodes are a linear function of logarithms of their degrees product.

On the zero-bias anomaly and Kondo physics in quantum point contacts near pinch-off.

PubMed

Xiang, S; Xiao, S; Fuji, K; Shibuya, K; Endo, T; Yumoto, N; Morimoto, T; Aoki, N; Bird, J P; Ochiai, Y

2014-03-26

We investigate the linear and non-linear conductance of quantum point contacts (QPCs), in the region near pinch-off where Kondo physics has previously been connected to the appearance of the 0.7 feature. In studies of seven different QPCs, fabricated in the same high-mobility GaAs/AlGaAs heterojunction, the linear conductance is widely found to show the presence of the 0.7 feature. The differential conductance, on the other hand, does not generally exhibit the zero-bias anomaly (ZBA) that has been proposed to indicate the Kondo effect. Indeed, even in the small subset of QPCs found to exhibit such an anomaly, the linear conductance does not always follow the universal temperature-dependent scaling behavior expected for the Kondo effect. Taken collectively, our observations demonstrate that, unlike the 0.7 feature, the ZBA is not a generic feature of low-temperature QPC conduction. We furthermore conclude that the mere observation of the ZBA alone is insufficient evidence for concluding that Kondo physics is active. While we do not rule out the possibility that the Kondo effect may occur in QPCs, our results appear to indicate that its observation requires a very strict set of conditions to be satisfied. This should be contrasted with the case of the 0.7 feature, which has been apparent since the earliest experimental investigations of QPC transport.

Spatial variation analyses of Thematic Mapper data for the identification of linear features in agricultural landscapes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelletier, R. E.

1984-01-01

A need exists for digitized information pertaining to linear features such as roads, streams, water bodies and agricultural field boundaries as component parts of a data base. For many areas where this data may not yet exist or is in need of updating, these features may be extracted from remotely sensed digital data. This paper examines two approaches for identifying linear features, one utilizing raw data and the other classified data. Each approach uses a series of data enhancement procedures including derivation of standard deviation values, principal component analysis and filtering procedures using a high-pass window matrix. Just as certain bands better classify different land covers, so too do these bands exhibit high spectral contrast by which boundaries between land covers can be delineated. A few applications for this kind of data are briefly discussed, including its potential in a Universal Soil Loss Equation Model.

MtDNA depleted PC3 cells exhibit Warburg effect and cancer stem cell features

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoran; Zhong, Yali; Lu, Jie; Axcrona, Karol; Eide, Lars; Syljuåsen, Randi G.; Peng, Qian; Wang, Junbai; Zhang, Hongquan; Goscinski, Mariusz Adam; Kvalheim, Gunnar; Nesland, Jahn M.; Suo, Zhenhe

2016-01-01

Reducing mtDNA content was considered as a critical step in the metabolism restructuring for cell stemness restoration and further neoplastic development. However, the connections between mtDNA depletion and metabolism reprograming-based cancer cell stemness in prostate cancers are still lack of studies. Here, we demonstrated that human CRPC cell line PC3 tolerated high concentration of the mtDNA replication inhibitor ethidium bromide (EtBr) and the mtDNA depletion triggered a universal metabolic remodeling process. Failure in completing that process caused lethal consequences. The mtDNA depleted (MtDP) PC3 cells could be steadily maintained in the special medium in slow cycling status. The MtDP PC3 cells contained immature mitochondria and exhibited Warburg effect. Furthermore, the MtDP PC3 cells were resistant to therapeutic treatments and contained greater cancer stem cell-like subpopulations: CD44+, ABCG2+, side-population and ALDHbright. In conclusion, these results highlight the association of mtDNA content, mitochondrial function and cancer cell stemness features. PMID:27248169

The Nature of Metastable AA’ Graphite: Low Dimensional Nano- and Single-Crystalline Forms

PubMed Central

Lee, Jae-Kap; Kim, Jin-Gyu; Hembram, K. P. S. S.; Kim, Yong-Il; Min, Bong-Ki; Park, Yeseul; Lee, Jeon-Kook; Moon, Dong Ju; Lee, Wooyoung; Lee, Sang-Gil; John, Phillip

2016-01-01

Over the history of carbon, it is generally acknowledged that Bernal AB stacking of the sp2 carbon layers is the unique crystalline form of graphite. The universal graphite structure is synthesized at 2,600~3,000 °C and exhibits a micro-polycrystalline feature. In this paper, we provide evidence for a metastable form of graphite with an AA’ structure. The non-Bernal AA’ allotrope of graphite is synthesized by the thermal- and plasma-treatment of graphene nanopowders at ~1,500 °C. The formation of AA’ bilayer graphene nuclei facilitates the preferred texture growth and results in single-crystal AA’ graphite in the form of nanoribbons (1D) or microplates (2D) of a few nm in thickness. Kinetically controlled AA’ graphite exhibits unique nano- and single-crystalline feature and shows quasi-linear behavior near the K-point of the electronic band structure resulting in anomalous optical and acoustic phonon behavior. PMID:28000780

IYA Resources From The Harvard Smithsonian Center For Astrophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinfeld, Erika L.; Dussault, M. E.; Gould, R. R.; Steel, S. J.; Schneps, M. H.; Grainger, C. A.; Griswold, A.

2008-05-01

From museum exhibitions to professional development videos, the Science Education Department at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) has a long tradition of producing high quality education resources for students, teachers, and the public. This poster highlights new resources available to astronomers of all ages and backgrounds during the International Year of Astronomy. The MicroObservatory online telescope center will allow anyone with an email address to recapture the observations of Galileo on their own personal computers. The Beyond the Solar System professional development project follows in the footsteps of "A Private Universe" and "Minds of Our Own," providing new resources developed with the latest in scientific and educational research. And, in 2009, we will open a new traveling museum exhibition about black holes, featuring innovative new technologies, visualizations, and components designed with input from youth centers across the country. Learn more about these projects as the CfA continues to open the universe to new observers.

Biophysical model of prokaryotic diversity in geothermal hot springs.

PubMed

Klales, Anna; Duncan, James; Nett, Elizabeth Janus; Kane, Suzanne Amador

2012-02-01

Recent studies of photosynthetic bacteria living in geothermal hot spring environments have revealed surprisingly complex ecosystems with an unexpected level of genetic diversity. One case of particular interest involves the distribution along hot spring thermal gradients of genetically distinct bacterial strains that differ in their preferred temperatures for reproduction and photosynthesis. In such systems, a single variable, temperature, defines the relevant environmental variation. In spite of this, each region along the thermal gradient exhibits multiple strains of photosynthetic bacteria adapted to several distinct thermal optima, rather than a single thermal strain adapted to the local environmental temperature. Here we analyze microbiology data from several ecological studies to show that the thermal distribution data exhibit several universal features independent of location and specific bacterial strain. These include the distribution of optimal temperatures of different thermal strains and the functional dependence of the net population density on temperature. We present a simple population dynamics model of these systems that is highly constrained by biophysical data and by physical features of the environment. This model can explain in detail the observed thermal population distributions, as well as certain features of population dynamics observed in laboratory studies of the same organisms. © 2012 American Physical Society

Superfluid-like turbulence in cosmology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gradwohl, Ben-Ami

1991-01-01

A network of vortices in a superfluid system exhibits turbulent behavior. It is argued that the universe may have experienced such a phase of superfluid-like turbulence due to the existence of a coherent state with non-topological charge and a network of global strings. The unique feature of a distribution of turbulent domains is that it can yield non-gravitationally induced large-scale coherent velocities. It may be difficult, however, to relate these velocities to the observed large-scale bulk motion.

Universal features underlying the magnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andriotis, Antonis N.; Menon, Madhu

2018-04-01

Investigation of a diverse variety of wide band gap semiconductors and metal oxides that exhibit magnetism on substitutional doping has revealed the existence of universal features that relate the magnetic moment of the dopant to a number of physical properties inherent to the dopants and the hosts. The investigated materials consist of ZnO, GaN, GaP, TiO2, SnO2, Sn3N4, MoS2, ZnS and CdS doped with 3d-transition metal atoms. The primary physical properties contributing to magnetism include the orbital hybridization and charge distribution, the d-band filling, d-band center, crystal field splitting, electron pairing energy and electronegativity. These features specify the strength of the spin-polarization induced by the dopants on their first nearest neighboring anions which in turn specify the long range magnetic coupling among the dopants through successively induced spin polarizations (SSP) on neighboring dopants. The proposed local SSP process for the establishment of the magnetic coupling among the TM-dopants appears as a competitor to other classical processes (superexchange, double exchange, etc). Furthermore, these properties can be used as a set of descriptors suitable for developing statistical predictive theories for a much larger class of magnetic materials.

Teaching Astronomy Through Art: Under Southern Skies -- Aboriginal and Western Scientific Perspectives of the Australian Night Sky

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majewski, S. R.; Boles, M. S.; Patterson, R. J.

1999-12-01

We have created an exhibit, Under Southern Skies -- Aboriginal and Western Scientific Perspectives of the Australian Night Sky, which has shown since June, 1999 in newly refurbished exhibit space at the Leander McCormick Observatory. The University of Virginia has a long and continuing tradition of astrometry starting with early parallax work at the McCormick Observatory, extending to our own NSF CAREER Award-funded projects, and including a long-term, ongoing southern parallax program at Mt. Stromlo and Siding Springs Observatories in Australia. Recently, through a gift of Mr. John Kluge, the University of Virginia has obtained one of the most extensive collections of Australian Aboriginal art outside of Australia. The goal of our exhibit is to unite the University's scientific, artistic and cultural connections to Australia through an exhibit focusing on different perspectives of the Australian night sky. We have brought together Australian Aboriginal bark and canvas paintings that feature astronomical themes, e.g., Milky Way, Moon, Magellanic Cloud and Seven Sisters Dreamings, from the Kluge-Ruhe and private collections. These paintings, from the Central Desert and Arnhem Land regions of Australia, are intermingled with modern, large format, color astronomical images of the same scenes. Descriptive panels and a small gallery guide explain the cultural, artistic and scientific aspects of the various thematic groupings based on particular southern hemisphere night sky objects and associated Aboriginal traditions and stories. This unusual combination of art and science not only provides a unique avenue for educating the public about both astronomy and Australian Aboriginal culture, but highlights mankind's ancient and continuing connection to the night sky. We appreciate funding from NSF CAREER Award #AST-9702521, a Cottrell Scholar Award from The Research Corporation, and the Dept. of Astronomy and Ruhe-Kluge Collection at the University of Virginia.

KSC-99pp0403

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- Part of the $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex, the new information center welcomes visitors to the Gateway to the Universe. The five large video walls provide an orientation video, shown here with photos of John Glenn in his historic Shuttle mission in October 1998, with an introduction to the range of activities and exhibits, plus honor the center's namesake, President John F. Kennedy. Other new additions include a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater, plus an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Scripps museum receives NSF grant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scripps Institution of Oceanography has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation for a 37,000-square-foot museum exhibition on ocean sciences entitled “Exploring the Blue Planet.” The exhibition will be installed in the Scripps Hall of Oceanography of the new Stephen Birch Aquarium-Museum. The facility is under construction at the University of California, San Diego, and is scheduled to open in fall 1992.NSF is providing approximately half of the funds required for “Exploring the Blue Planet,” which is designed to help visitors explore the many fields of oceanography. “This NSF grant will fund interactive exhibits and changing displays featuring the latest Scripps research that will allow children and adults to experience science as an approachable, creative process that can be used to understand the changing world,” said Luther Williams, NSF Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources.

Dynamics of flexible fibers and vesicles in Poiseuille flow at low Reynolds number.

PubMed

Farutin, Alexander; Piasecki, Tomasz; Słowicka, Agnieszka M; Misbah, Chaouqi; Wajnryb, Eligiusz; Ekiel-Jeżewska, Maria L

2016-09-21

The dynamics of flexible fibers and vesicles in unbounded planar Poiseuille flow at low Reynolds number is shown to exhibit similar basic features, when their equilibrium (moderate) aspect ratio is the same and vesicle viscosity contrast is relatively high. Tumbling, lateral migration, accumulation and shape evolution of these two types of flexible objects are analyzed numerically. The linear dependence of the accumulation position on relative bending rigidity, and other universal scalings are derived from the local shear flow approximation.

Dr Valter Rukavina - amateur painter.

PubMed

Glavocic, Daina

2008-01-01

In this essay Dr Valter Rukavina (Rijeka 1896-1972), excellent specialist in infectious diseases and professor of the Rijeka University School of Medicine, is presented as successful amateur painter. He had been refining his talent through relentless practice since the school days, complementing it with skills and advice from established painters he associated with. He favoured figurative, realistic and somewhat romantic expression for his themes such as coastal landscapes, marinas, Quarnero sceneries, still life in tempera or oil, and drawings in ink or sepia. Despite partial colour blindness, he successfully used colour. He featured in a number of group exhibitions such as that of amateur painters of Rijeka in 1950, of painters physicians of Yugoslavia (Zagreb, 1956), in the Second International Exhibition of Contemporary Art (Florence, 1964), exhibition of the Rijeka branch of the Croatian Association of Visual Artists (Belgrade, 1966), and the 1969 exhibition in Opatija. His native city hosted two one-man exhibitions, the first retrospective in 1971, while he was still alive, and the second posthumous in 2007, with a good selection of his life's work.

WE-C-TOUR-I-00: Exhibit Hall Guided Tours-Dosimters for QC in Diagnostic Imaging (Wednesday)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Tour Leader: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Tour Guides: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Kevin Little, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Adrien Sanchez, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Participating Vendors: IBA PTW - New York Radcal Corporation RTI Electronics, Inc. Exhibit Hall Guided Tours is a new program launching this year at the Annual Meeting. The Guided Tours are designed to enhance the interaction between meeting attendees and exhibitors. This year’s Imaging Guided Tours are organized around the theme of dosimeters for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Tours will begin with an introduction and backgroundmore » given by Dr. Xia Jiang, the Tour Leader. The introduction will cover the types and properties of different radiation dosimeters used for quality assurance in clinical radiology. Attendees will then break into smaller groups, each lead by an AAPM-member Tour Guide. The tour groups will visit the exhibit booths of vendors who provide appropriate dosimeters, and a vendor representative will give a presentation to the group about their particular product(s). The vendor representatives as well as the Tour Guides will be available to answer questions. Outline: Types and properties of radiation detectors and dosimeters Ionization chamber dosimeters Solid state dosimeters Dosimeter calibration: Primary and secondary standards dosimetry laboratories Instruments for measuring tube voltage and exposure time Vendor presentations will likely cover features and innovations of different dosimeter systems, as well as their practical use. Learning Objectives: Understand the types and properties of different instrumentations used for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Understand the process of dosimeter calibration. Gain familiarity with the latest commercial dosimeter systems from different vendors.« less

Thermal emission measurements (5-25 microns) of Hawaiian palagonitic soils with implications for Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roush, Ted L.; Bell, James F., III

1994-01-01

Careful laboratory studies have shown that the coloring agent in Mars analog Hawaiian palagonitic soils is nanophase iron oxide. We have measured the emissivity of two Mauna Kea palagonitic soils whose transmission spectra exhibit different spectral features and of a thermally-altered volcanic tephra sample that exhibits a wide range of crystallinity and degree of alteration (from black cinders to fully hematitic). Both of these samples may represent analogs for formation mechanisms involving the production of highly-altered secondary weathering products on Mars. The emission spectra of all samples were measured at the TES spectroscopy laboratory at Arizona State University. The data were converted to emissivity using blackbody measurements combined with measurements of each sample at different temperatures.

Model and observation comparison of the universal time and IMF by dependence of the ionospheric polar hole

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sojka, J. J.; Schunk, R. W.; Hoegy, W. R.; Grebowsky, J. M.

1991-01-01

The polar ionospheric F-region often exhibits regions of marked density depletion. These depletions have been observed by a variety of polar orbiting ionospheric satellites over a full range of solar cycle, season, magnetic activity, and universal time (UT). An empirical model of these observations has recently been developed to describe the polar depletion dependence on these parameters. Specifically, the dependence has been defined as a function of F10.7 (solar), summer or winter, Kp (magnetic), and UT. Polar cap depletions have also been predicted /1, 2/ and are, hence, present in physical models of the high latitude ionosphere. Using the Utah State University Time Dependent Ionospheric Model (TDIM) the predicted polar depletion characteristics are compared with those described by the above empirical model. In addition, the TDIM is used to predict the IMF By dependence of the polar hole feature.

The Emergence of Life as a First-Order Phase Transition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mathis, Cole; Bhattacharya, Tanmoy; Walker, Sara Imari

It is well known that life on Earth alters its environment over evolutionary and geological timescales. An important open question is whether this is a result of evolutionary optimization or a universal feature of life. In the latter case, the origin of life would be coincident with a shift in environmental conditions. Here in this paper we present a model for the emergence of life in which replicators are explicitly coupled to their environment through the recycling of a finite supply of resources. The model exhibits a dynamic, first-order phase transition from nonlife to life, where the life phase ismore » distinguished by selection on replicators. We show that environmental coupling plays an important role in the dynamics of the transition. The transition corresponds to a redistribution of matter in replicators and their environment, driven by selection on replicators, exhibiting an explosive growth in diversity as replicators are selected. The transition is accurately tracked by the mutual information shared between replicators and their environment. In the absence of successfully repartitioning system resources, the transition fails to complete, leading to the possibility of many frustrated trials before life first emerges. Often, the replicators that initiate the transition are not those that are ultimately selected. The results are consistent with the view that life's propensity to shape its environment is indeed a universal feature of replicators, characteristic of the transition from nonlife to life. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding life's emergence and evolutionary transitions more broadly.« less

The Emergence of Life as a First-Order Phase Transition

DOE PAGES

Mathis, Cole; Bhattacharya, Tanmoy; Walker, Sara Imari

2017-03-01

It is well known that life on Earth alters its environment over evolutionary and geological timescales. An important open question is whether this is a result of evolutionary optimization or a universal feature of life. In the latter case, the origin of life would be coincident with a shift in environmental conditions. Here in this paper we present a model for the emergence of life in which replicators are explicitly coupled to their environment through the recycling of a finite supply of resources. The model exhibits a dynamic, first-order phase transition from nonlife to life, where the life phase ismore » distinguished by selection on replicators. We show that environmental coupling plays an important role in the dynamics of the transition. The transition corresponds to a redistribution of matter in replicators and their environment, driven by selection on replicators, exhibiting an explosive growth in diversity as replicators are selected. The transition is accurately tracked by the mutual information shared between replicators and their environment. In the absence of successfully repartitioning system resources, the transition fails to complete, leading to the possibility of many frustrated trials before life first emerges. Often, the replicators that initiate the transition are not those that are ultimately selected. The results are consistent with the view that life's propensity to shape its environment is indeed a universal feature of replicators, characteristic of the transition from nonlife to life. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding life's emergence and evolutionary transitions more broadly.« less

The Emergence of Life as a First-Order Phase Transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathis, Cole; Bhattacharya, Tanmoy; Imari Walker, Sara

2017-03-01

It is well known that life on Earth alters its environment over evolutionary and geological timescales. An important open question is whether this is a result of evolutionary optimization or a universal feature of life. In the latter case, the origin of life would be coincident with a shift in environmental conditions. Here we present a model for the emergence of life in which replicators are explicitly coupled to their environment through the recycling of a finite supply of resources. The model exhibits a dynamic, first-order phase transition from nonlife to life, where the life phase is distinguished by selection on replicators. We show that environmental coupling plays an important role in the dynamics of the transition. The transition corresponds to a redistribution of matter in replicators and their environment, driven by selection on replicators, exhibiting an explosive growth in diversity as replicators are selected. The transition is accurately tracked by the mutual information shared between replicators and their environment. In the absence of successfully repartitioning system resources, the transition fails to complete, leading to the possibility of many frustrated trials before life first emerges. Often, the replicators that initiate the transition are not those that are ultimately selected. The results are consistent with the view that life's propensity to shape its environment is indeed a universal feature of replicators, characteristic of the transition from nonlife to life. We discuss the implications of these results for understanding life's emergence and evolutionary transitions more broadly.

Using Brigham Young University's Orson Pratt Observatory 16" telescope to identify possible transiting planets discovered by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matt, Kyle; Stephens, Denise C.; Gaillard, Clement; KELT-North

2016-01-01

We use a 16" telescope on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus to follow-up on the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope (KELT) survey to identify possible transiting planets. KELT is an all sky survey that monitors the same areas of the sky throughout the year to identify stars that exhibit a change in brightness. Objects found to exhibit a variation in brightness similar to predicted models of transiting planets are sent to the ground-based follow-up team where we get high precision differential photometry to determine whether or not a transit is occurring and if the transiting object is a planet or companion star. If a planetary transit is found, the object is forwarded for radial velocity follow-up and could eventually be published as a KELT planet. In this poster we present light curves from possible planets we have identified as well as eclipsing binary systems and non-detections. We will highlight features of our telescope and camera and the basic steps for data reduction and analysis.

A Solution to the Cosmic Conundrum including Cosmological Constant and Dark Energy Problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.

2009-12-01

A comprehensive solution to the cosmic conundrum is presented that also resolves key paradoxes of quantum mechanics and relativity. A simple mathematical model, the Gravity Nullification model (GNM), is proposed that integrates the missing physics of the spontaneous relativistic conversion of mass to energy into the existing physics theories, specifically a simplified general theory of relativity. Mechanistic mathematical expressions are derived for a relativistic universe expansion, which predict both the observed linear Hubble expansion in the nearby universe and the accelerating expansion exhibited by the supernova observations. The integrated model addresses the key questions haunting physics and Big Bang cosmology. It also provides a fresh perspective on the misconceived birth and evolution of the universe, especially the creation and dissolution of matter. The proposed model eliminates singularities from existing models and the need for the incredible and unverifiable assumptions including the superluminous inflation scenario, multiple universes, multiple dimensions, Anthropic principle, and quantum gravity. GNM predicts the observed features of the universe without any explicit consideration of time as a governing parameter.

The Virtual World Presence of the International Year of Astronomy 2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauthier, Adrienne J.; Huber, D.; Gay, P. L.; New Media Task Group IYA2009

2010-01-01

From January 2009 to January 2010, the virtual celebration of the International Year of Astronomy 2009 has come full circle side-by-side with the real world celebrations. Throughout the year, the 'Astronomy 2009' island promoted the IYA2009 within the virtual world of Second Life(R) with the goal to engage and inspire the general public in astronomy. This island is situated in the group area called SciLands, a science and technology focused mini-continent of over 60 islands. We are host to immersive exhibits for the real life projects: From Earth to the Universe, The World at Night, Dark Skies Awareness, Let There Be Night, IAAA The Artists' Universe, 365 Days of Astronomy podcast, Spitzer's MIPSGAL/GLIMPSE walkable image, and Adler Planetarium's Far Out Fridays lecture series. Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-ray Observatory, and the Hubble Heritage project provided over 300 free textures in a gift pack to visitors. Other exhibits include a replica of the Lord Rosse Leviathan telescope, an astrophotography grotto featuring Adam Block, David Malin, and John Gleason's work, a functional planetarium donated by Rob Knop, and live star party events from Chico Observatory. We'll review the exhibits and live events presented throughout the past year and speak towards the plans for the future. Formative evaluation strategies and first impressions of the summative evaluation of the first year of the project will be presented. Special thanks to our sponsors: Interstellar Studios/400 Years of the Telescope, Department of Astronomy University of Arizona, Spitzer Space Telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, and Helio Huet.

Quantum Discord in a Spin System with Symmetry Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomasello, Bruno; Rossini, Davide; Hamma, Alioscia; Amico, Luigi

2013-06-01

We analyze the quantum discord Q throughout the low temperature phase diagram of the quantum XY model in transverse field. We first focus on the T = 0 order-disorder quantum phase transition QPT both in the symmetric ground state and in the symmetry broken one. Beside it, we highlight how Q displays clear anomalies also at a noncritical value of the control parameter inside the ordered phase, where the ground state is completely factorized. We evidence how the phenomenon is in fact of collective nature and displays universal features. We also study Q at finite temperature. We show that, close to the QPT, Q exhibits quantum-classical crossover of the system with universal scaling behavior. We evidence a nontrivial pattern of thermal correlations resulting from the factorization phenomenon.

Quantum Discord in a Spin System with Symmetry Breaking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomasello, Bruno; Rossini, Davide; Hamma, Alioscia; Amico, Luigi

2012-11-01

We analyze the quantum discordQ throughout the low temperature phase diagram of the quantum XY model in transverse field. We first focus on the T = 0 order-disorder quantum phase transition QPT both in the symmetric ground state and in the symmetry broken one. Beside it, we highlight how Q displays clear anomalies also at a noncritical value of the control parameter inside the ordered phase, where the ground state is completely factorized. We evidence how the phenomenon is in fact of collective nature and displays universal features. We also study Q at finite temperature. We show that, close to the QPT, Q exhibits quantum-classical crossover of the system with universal scaling behavior. We evidence a nontrivial pattern of thermal correlations resulting from the factorization phenomenon.

The Art Of Planetary Science: An Exhibition - Bringing Together The Art And Science Communities To Engage The Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molaro, Jamie; Keane, Jamies; Peacock, Sarah; Schaefer, Ethan; Tanquary, Hannah

2014-11-01

The University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (LPL) presents the 2nd Annual The Art of Planetary Science: An Exhibition (TAPS) on 17-19 October 2014. This art exhibition and competition features artwork inspired by planetary science, alongside works created from scientific data. It is designed to connect the local art and science communities of Tucson, and engage the public together in celebration of the beauty and elegance of the universe. The exhibition is organized by a team of volunteer graduate students, with the help of LPL’s Space Imaging Center, and support from the LPL administration. Last year’s inaugural event featured over 150 works of art from 70 artists and scientists. A variety of mediums were represented, including paintings, photography, digital prints, sculpture, glasswork, textiles, film, and written word. Over 300 guests attended the opening. Art submission and event attendance are free, and open to anyone.The primary goal of the event is to present a different side of science to the public. Too often, the public sees science as dull or beyond their grasp. This event provides scientists the opportunity to demonstrate the beauty that they find in their science, by creating art out of their scientific data. These works utilized, for example, equations, simulations, visual representations of spacecraft data, and images of extra-terrestrial material samples. Viewing these works alongside more traditional artwork inspired by those same scientific ideas provided the audience a more complex, multifaceted view of the content that would not be possible viewing either alone. The event also provides a way to reach out specifically to the adult community. Most science outreach is targeted towards engaging children in STEM fields. While this is vital for the long term, adults have more immediate control over the perception of science and public policy that provides funding and research opportunities to scientists. We hope this event raises awareness of the value and importance of planetary science, and paves the way for future art and science collaboration and engagement.

The effects of two secondary science teacher education program structures on teachers' habits of mind and action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergman, Daniel Jay

2007-12-01

This study investigated the effects of the Iowa State University Secondary Science Teacher Education Program (ISU SSTEP) on the educational goals and habits of mind exhibited by its graduates. Ten teachers from ISU SSTEP participated in the study---five from the former program featuring one semester of science teaching methods, five from the current program featuring three semesters of science teaching methods (four for the graduate certification consortium). A naturalistic inquiry research approach included the following methods used with each teacher: three classroom observations, classroom artifact analysis, teacher questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, and questionnaires for students about perceived emphasis of educational goals. Evidence exists that graduates from the current ISU SSTEP format exhibited a closer match to the educational goals promoted, modeled, and advocated by the science teaching methods faculty. Graduates from the current ISU SSTEP also exhibited a closer match to the habits of mind---understanding, action, reflection, action plan for improvement---promoted and modeled by the program. This study has implications for other secondary science teacher education programs, particularly increasing the number of science teaching methods courses; teaching meaningful content of both concepts and skills through a research-based framework; modeling the appropriate teacher behaviors, strategies, habits, and goal promotion by methods instructors; and addressing issues of institutional constraints experienced by future teachers.

From Concrete Examples to Abstract Relations: The Rostrolateral Prefrontal Cortex Integrates Novel Examples into Relational Categories.

PubMed

Davis, Tyler; Goldwater, Micah; Giron, Josue

2017-04-01

The ability to form relational categories for objects that share few features in common is a hallmark of human cognition. For example, anything that can play a preventative role, from a boulder to poverty, can be a "barrier." However, neurobiological research has focused solely on how people acquire categories defined by features. The present functional magnetic resonance imaging study examines how relational and feature-based category learning compare in well-matched learning tasks. Using a computational model-based approach, we observed a cluster in left rostrolateral prefrontal cortex (rlPFC) that tracked quantitative predictions for the representational distance between test and training examples during relational categorization. Contrastingly, medial and dorsal PFC exhibited graded activation that tracked decision evidence during both feature-based and relational categorization. The results suggest that rlPFC computes an alignment signal that is critical for integrating novel examples during relational categorization whereas other PFC regions support more general decision functions. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Probing the matter and dark energy sources in a viable Big Rip model of the Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Suresh

2014-08-01

Chevallier-Polarski-Linder (CPL) parametrization for the equation of state (EoS) of dark energy in terms of cosmic redshift or scale factor have been frequently studied in the literature. In this study, we consider cosmic time-based CPL parametrization for the EoS parameter of the effective cosmic fluid that fills the fabric of spatially flat and homogeneous Robertson-Walker (RW) spacetime in General Relativity. The model exhibits two worthy features: (i) It fits the observational data from the latest H(z) and Union 2.1 SN Ia compilations matching the success of ΛCDM model. (ii) It describes the evolution of the Universe from the matter-dominated phase to the recent accelerating phase similar to the ΛCDM model but leads to Big Rip end of the Universe contrary to the everlasting de Sitter expansion in the ΛCDM model. We investigate the matter and dark energy sources in the model, in particular, behavior of the dynamical dark energy responsible for the Big Rip end of Universe.

TU-E-TOUR-I-00: Exhibit Hall Guided Tours-Dosimters for QC in Diagnostic Imaging (Tuesday)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

Tour Leader: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Tour Guides: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Kevin Little, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Christina Sammet, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL Participating Vendors: IBA PTW - New York Radcal Corporation RTI Electronics, Inc. Exhibit Hall Guided Tours is a new program launching this year at the Annual Meeting. The Guided Tours are designed to enhance the interaction between meeting attendees and exhibitors. This year’s Imaging Guided Tours are organized around the theme of dosimeters for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Tours will begin with an introductionmore » and background given by Dr. Xia Jiang, the Tour Leader. The introduction will cover the types and properties of different radiation dosimeters used for quality assurance in clinical radiology. Attendees will then break into smaller groups, each lead by an AAPM-member Tour Guide. The tour groups will visit the exhibit booths of vendors who provide appropriate dosimeters, and a vendor representative will give a presentation to the group about their particular product(s). The vendor representatives as well as the Tour Guides will be available to answer questions. Outline: Types and properties of radiation detectors and dosimeters Ionization chamber dosimeters Solid state dosimeters Dosimeter calibration: Primary and secondary standards dosimetry laboratories Instruments for measuring tube voltage and exposure time Vendor presentations will likely cover features and innovations of different dosimeter systems, as well as their practical use. Learning Objectives: Understand the types and properties of different instrumentations used for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Understand the process of dosimeter calibration. Gain familiarity with the latest commercial dosimeter systems from different vendors.« less

Nonlinear Pauli susceptibilities in Sr 3 Ru 2 O 7 and universal features of itinerant metamagnetism

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shivaram, B. S.; Luo, Jing; Chern, Gia-Wei

We report, for the first time, measurements of the third order, x 3 and fifth order, x 5, susceptibilities in an itinerant oxide metamagnet, Sr 3Ru 2O 7 for magnetic fields both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis. These susceptibilities exhibit maxima in their temperature dependence such that T 1 ≈ 2T 3 ≈ 4T 5 where the T i are the position in temperature where a peak in the i-th order susceptibility occurs. These features taken together with the scaling of the critical field with the temperature T 1 observed in a diverse variety of itinerant metamagnets find amore » natural explanation in a single band model with one Van Hove singularity (VHS) and onsite repulsion U. The separation of the VHS from the Fermi energy V, sets a single energy scale, which is the primary driver for the observed features of itinerant metamagnetism at low temperatures.« less

Nonlinear Pauli susceptibilities in Sr 3 Ru 2 O 7 and universal features of itinerant metamagnetism

DOE PAGES

Shivaram, B. S.; Luo, Jing; Chern, Gia-Wei; ...

2018-03-12

We report, for the first time, measurements of the third order, x 3 and fifth order, x 5, susceptibilities in an itinerant oxide metamagnet, Sr 3Ru 2O 7 for magnetic fields both parallel and perpendicular to the c-axis. These susceptibilities exhibit maxima in their temperature dependence such that T 1 ≈ 2T 3 ≈ 4T 5 where the T i are the position in temperature where a peak in the i-th order susceptibility occurs. These features taken together with the scaling of the critical field with the temperature T 1 observed in a diverse variety of itinerant metamagnets find amore » natural explanation in a single band model with one Van Hove singularity (VHS) and onsite repulsion U. The separation of the VHS from the Fermi energy V, sets a single energy scale, which is the primary driver for the observed features of itinerant metamagnetism at low temperatures.« less

Fly-by-feel aeroservoelasticity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suryakumar, Vishvas Samuel

Recent experiments have suggested a strong correlation between local flow features on the airfoil surface such as the leading edge stagnation point (LESP), transition or the flow separation point with global integrated quantities such as aerodynamic lift. "Fly-By-Feel" refers to a physics-based sensing and control framework where local flow features are tracked in real-time to determine aerodynamic loads. This formulation offers possibilities for the development of robust, low-order flight control architectures. An essential contribution towards this objective is the theoretical development showing the direct relationship of the LESP with circulation for small-amplitude, unsteady, airfoil maneuvers. The theory is validated through numerical simulations and wind tunnel tests. With the availability of an aerodynamic observable, a low-order, energy-based control formulation is derived for aeroelastic stabilization and gust load alleviation. The sensing and control framework is implemented on the Nonlinear Aeroelastic Test Apparatus at Texas A&M University. The LESP is located using hot-film sensors distributed around the wing leading edge. Stabilization of limit cycle oscillations exhibited by a nonlinear wing section is demonstrated in the presence of gusts. Aeroelastic stabilization is also demonstrated on a flying wing configuration exhibiting body freedom flutter through numerical simulations.

Universality of Non-Ohmic Shunt Leakage in Thin-Film Solar Cells

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dongaonkar, S.; Servaites, J.D.; Ford, G.M.

2010-01-01

We compare the dark current-voltage (IV) characteristics of three different thin-film solar cell types: hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) p-i-n cells, organic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) cells, and Cu(In,Ga)Se 2 (CIGS) cells. All three device types exhibit a significant shunt leakage current at low forward bias (V<~0.4) and reverse bias, which cannot be explained by the classical solar cell diode model. This parasitic shunt current exhibits non-Ohmic behavior, as opposed to the traditional constant shunt resistance model for photovoltaics. We show here that this shunt leakage (I sh) , across all three solar cell types considered, is characterized by the following commonmore » phenomenological features: (a) voltage symmetry about V=0 , (b) nonlinear (power law) voltage dependence, and (c) extremely weak temperature dependence. Based on this analysis, we provide a simple method of subtracting this shunt current component from the measured data and discuss its implications on dark IV parameter extraction. We propose a space charge limited (SCL) current model for capturing all these features of the shunt leakage in a consistent framework and discuss possible physical origin of the parasitic paths responsible for this shunt current mechanism.« less

The Stocker AstroScience Center at Florida International University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Webb, James R.

2014-01-01

The new Stocker AstroScience Center located on the MMC campus at Florida International University in Miami Florida represents a unique facility for STEM education that arose from a combination of private, State and university funding. The building, completed in the fall of 2013, contains some unique spaces designed not only to educate, but also to inspire students interested in science and space exploration. The observatory consists of a 4-story building (3 floors) with a 24” ACE automated telescope in an Ash dome, and an observing platform above surrounding buildings. Some of the unique features of the observatory include an entrance/exhibition hall with a 6-ft glass tile floor mural linking the Florida climate to space travel, a state-of-the art telescope control that looks like a starship bridge, and displays such as “Music from the universe”. The observatory will also be the focus of our extensive public outreach program that is entering its 20 year.

Renormalization-group theory for finite-size scaling in extreme statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Györgyi, G.; Moloney, N. R.; Ozogány, K.; Rácz, Z.; Droz, M.

2010-04-01

We present a renormalization-group (RG) approach to explain universal features of extreme statistics applied here to independent identically distributed variables. The outlines of the theory have been described in a previous paper, the main result being that finite-size shape corrections to the limit distribution can be obtained from a linearization of the RG transformation near a fixed point, leading to the computation of stable perturbations as eigenfunctions. Here we show details of the RG theory which exhibit remarkable similarities to the RG known in statistical physics. Besides the fixed points explaining universality, and the least stable eigendirections accounting for convergence rates and shape corrections, the similarities include marginally stable perturbations which turn out to be generic for the Fisher-Tippett-Gumbel class. Distribution functions containing unstable perturbations are also considered. We find that, after a transitory divergence, they return to the universal fixed line at the same or at a different point depending on the type of perturbation.

Palisade Endings Are a Constant Feature in the Extraocular Muscles of Frontal-Eyed, But Not Lateral-Eyed, Animals.

PubMed

Blumer, Roland; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Gesslbauer, Bernhard; Blumer, Michael; Pechriggl, Elisabeth; Davis-López de Carrizosa, María A; Horn, Anja K; May, Paul J; Streicher, Johannes; de la Cruz, Rosa R; Pastor, Ángel M

2016-02-01

To test whether palisade endings are a general feature of mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs). Thirteen species, some frontal-eyed (human, monkey, cat, and ferret), and others lateral-eyed (pig, sheep, calf, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig) were analyzed. Palisade endings were labeled by using different combinations of immunofluorescence techniques. Three-dimensional reconstructions of immunolabeled palisade endings were done. In all frontal-eyed species, palisade endings were a consistent feature in the rectus EOMs. Their total number was high and they exhibited an EOM-specific distribution. In particular, the number of palisade endings in the medial recti was significantly higher than in the other rectus muscles. In the lateral-eyed animals, palisade endings were infrequent and, when present, their total number was rather low. They were only found in ungulates (sheep, calf, pig, and horse) and in rabbit. In rodents (rat, guinea pig, mouse, and gerbil) palisade endings were found infrequently (e.g., rat) or were completely absent. Palisade endings in frontal-eyed species and in some lateral-eyed species (pig, sheep, calf, and horse) had a uniform morphology. They generally lacked α-bungarotoxin staining, with a few exceptions in primates. Palisade endings in other lateral-eyed species (rabbit and rat) exhibited a simplified morphology and bound α-bungarotoxin. Palisade endings are not a universal feature of mammalian EOMs. So, if they are proprioceptors, not all species require them. Because in frontal-eyed species, the medial rectus muscle has the highest number of palisade endings, they likely play a special role in convergence.

Palisade Endings Are a Constant Feature in the Extraocular Muscles of Frontal-Eyed, But Not Lateral-Eyed, Animals

PubMed Central

Blumer, Roland; Maurer-Gesek, Barbara; Gesslbauer, Bernhard; Blumer, Michael; Pechriggl, Elisabeth; Davis-López de Carrizosa, María A.; Horn, Anja K.; May, Paul J.; Streicher, Johannes; de la Cruz, Rosa R.; Pastor, Ángel M.

2016-01-01

Purpose To test whether palisade endings are a general feature of mammalian extraocular muscles (EOMs). Methods Thirteen species, some frontal-eyed (human, monkey, cat, and ferret), and others lateral-eyed (pig, sheep, calf, horse, rabbit, rat, mouse, gerbil, and guinea pig) were analyzed. Palisade endings were labeled by using different combinations of immunofluorescence techniques. Three-dimensional reconstructions of immunolabeled palisade endings were done. Results In all frontal-eyed species, palisade endings were a consistent feature in the rectus EOMs. Their total number was high and they exhibited an EOM-specific distribution. In particular, the number of palisade endings in the medial recti was significantly higher than in the other rectus muscles. In the lateral-eyed animals, palisade endings were infrequent and, when present, their total number was rather low. They were only found in ungulates (sheep, calf, pig, and horse) and in rabbit. In rodents (rat, guinea pig, mouse, and gerbil) palisade endings were found infrequently (e.g., rat) or were completely absent. Palisade endings in frontal-eyed species and in some lateral-eyed species (pig, sheep, calf, and horse) had a uniform morphology. They generally lacked α-bungarotoxin staining, with a few exceptions in primates. Palisade endings in other lateral-eyed species (rabbit and rat) exhibited a simplified morphology and bound α-bungarotoxin. Conclusions Palisade endings are not a universal feature of mammalian EOMs. So, if they are proprioceptors, not all species require them. Because in frontal-eyed species, the medial rectus muscle has the highest number of palisade endings, they likely play a special role in convergence. PMID:26830369

Co-infection with Enterobius vermicularis and Taenia saginata mimicking acute appendicitis.

PubMed

Saravi, Kasra H; Fakhar, Mahdi; Nematian, Javad; Ghasemi, Maryam

2016-01-01

In this report, we describe an unusual case of verminous appendicitis due to Enterobius vermicularis and Taenia saginata in a 29-year-old woman from Iran. The histopathological examinations and parasitological descriptions of both worms found in the appendix lumen are discussed. The removed appendix exhibited the macroscopic and microscopic features of acute appendicitis. Antihelminthic therapy was initiated with single doses of praziquantel for the taeniasis and mebendazole for the enterobiasis, and the patient was discharged. Copyright © 2015 King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Zipf's Law in Gene Expression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furusawa, Chikara; Kaneko, Kunihiko

2003-02-01

Using data from gene expression databases on various organisms and tissues, including yeast, nematodes, human normal and cancer tissues, and embryonic stem cells, we found that the abundances of expressed genes exhibit a power-law distribution with an exponent close to -1; i.e., they obey Zipf’s law. Furthermore, by simulations of a simple model with an intracellular reaction network, we found that Zipf’s law of chemical abundance is a universal feature of cells where such a network optimizes the efficiency and faithfulness of self-reproduction. These findings provide novel insights into the nature of the organization of reaction dynamics in living cells.

Surface critical behavior of thin Ising films at the ‘special point’

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moussa, Najem; Bekhechi, Smaine

2003-03-01

The critical surface phenomena of a magnetic thin Ising film is studied using numerical Monte-Carlo method based on Wolff cluster algorithm. With varying the surface coupling, js= Js/ J, the phase diagram exhibits a special surface coupling jsp at which all the films have a unique critical temperature Tc for an arbitrary thickness n. In spite of this, the critical exponent of the surface magnetization at the special point is found to increase with n. Moreover, non-universal features as well as dimensionality crossover from two- to three-dimensional behavior are found at this point.

Net Generation's Learning Styles in Nursing Education.

PubMed

Christodoulou, Eleni; Kalokairinou, Athina

2015-01-01

Numerous surveys have confirmed that emerging technologies and Web 2.0 tools have been a defining feature in the lives of current students, estimating that there is a fundamental shift in the way young people communicate, socialize and learn. Nursing students in higher education are characterized as digital literate with distinct traits which influence their learning styles. Millennials exhibit distinct learning preferences such as teamwork, experiential activities, structure, instant feedback and technology integration. Higher education institutions should be aware of the implications of the Net Generation coming to university and be prepared to meet their expectations and learning needs.

Universal elastic-hardening-driven mechanical instability in α-quartz and quartz homeotypes under pressure

PubMed Central

Dong, Juncai; Zhu, Hailiang; Chen, Dongliang

2015-01-01

As a fundamental property of pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) in ice and ice-like materials (notably α-quartz), the occurrence of mechanical instability can be related to violation of Born criteria for elasticity. The most outstanding elastic feature of α-quartz before PIA has been experimentally reported to be the linear softening of shear modulus C44, which was proposed to trigger the transition through Born criteria B3. However, by using density-functional theory, we surprisingly found that both C44 and C66 in α-quartz exhibit strong nonlinearity under compression and the Born criteria B3 vanishes dominated by stiffening of C14, instead of by decreasing of C44. Further studies of archetypal quartz homeotypes (GeO2 and AlPO4) repeatedly reproduced the same elastic-hardening-driven mechanical instability, suggesting a universal feature of this family of crystals and challenging the long-standing idea that negative pressure derivatives of individual elastic moduli can be interpreted as the precursor effect to an intrinsic structural instability preceding PIA. The implications of this elastic anomaly in relation to the dispersive softening of the lowest acoustic branch and the possible transformation mechanism were also discussed. PMID:26099720

Universal elastic-hardening-driven mechanical instability in α-quartz and quartz homeotypes under pressure.

PubMed

Dong, Juncai; Zhu, Hailiang; Chen, Dongliang

2015-06-23

As a fundamental property of pressure-induced amorphization (PIA) in ice and ice-like materials (notably α-quartz), the occurrence of mechanical instability can be related to violation of Born criteria for elasticity. The most outstanding elastic feature of α-quartz before PIA has been experimentally reported to be the linear softening of shear modulus C44, which was proposed to trigger the transition through Born criteria B3. However, by using density-functional theory, we surprisingly found that both C44 and C66 in α-quartz exhibit strong nonlinearity under compression and the Born criteria B3 vanishes dominated by stiffening of C14, instead of by decreasing of C44. Further studies of archetypal quartz homeotypes (GeO2 and AlPO4) repeatedly reproduced the same elastic-hardening-driven mechanical instability, suggesting a universal feature of this family of crystals and challenging the long-standing idea that negative pressure derivatives of individual elastic moduli can be interpreted as the precursor effect to an intrinsic structural instability preceding PIA. The implications of this elastic anomaly in relation to the dispersive softening of the lowest acoustic branch and the possible transformation mechanism were also discussed.

Duplication and analysis of meteoroid damage on LDEF and advanced spacecraft materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, David C.; Rose, M. Frank

1995-01-01

The analysis of exposed surfaces on LDEF since its retrieval in 1990 has revealed a wide range of meteoroid and debris (M&D) impact features in the sub-micron to millimeter size range, ranging from quasi-infinite target cratering in LDEF metallic structural members (e.g. inter-costals, tray clamps, etc.) to non-marginal perforations in metallic experimental surfaces (e.g. thin foil detectors, etc.). Approximately 34,000 impact features are estimated to exist on the exposed surfaces of LDEF. The vast majority of impact craters in metal substrates exhibit circular footprints, with approximately 50 percent retaining impactor residues in varying states of shock processing. The fundamental goals of this project were to duplicate and analyze meteoroid impact damage on spacecraft metallic materials with a view to quantifying the residue retention and oblique impact morphology characteristics. Using the hypervelocity impact test facility established at Auburn University a series of impact tests (normal and oblique incidence) were executed producing consistently high (11-12 km/s) peak impact velocities, the results of which were subsequently analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDXS) facilities at Auburn University.

Universal dynamical properties preclude standard clustering in a large class of biochemical data.

PubMed

Gomez, Florian; Stoop, Ralph L; Stoop, Ruedi

2014-09-01

Clustering of chemical and biochemical data based on observed features is a central cognitive step in the analysis of chemical substances, in particular in combinatorial chemistry, or of complex biochemical reaction networks. Often, for reasons unknown to the researcher, this step produces disappointing results. Once the sources of the problem are known, improved clustering methods might revitalize the statistical approach of compound and reaction search and analysis. Here, we present a generic mechanism that may be at the origin of many clustering difficulties. The variety of dynamical behaviors that can be exhibited by complex biochemical reactions on variation of the system parameters are fundamental system fingerprints. In parameter space, shrimp-like or swallow-tail structures separate parameter sets that lead to stable periodic dynamical behavior from those leading to irregular behavior. We work out the genericity of this phenomenon and demonstrate novel examples for their occurrence in realistic models of biophysics. Although we elucidate the phenomenon by considering the emergence of periodicity in dependence on system parameters in a low-dimensional parameter space, the conclusions from our simple setting are shown to continue to be valid for features in a higher-dimensional feature space, as long as the feature-generating mechanism is not too extreme and the dimension of this space is not too high compared with the amount of available data. For online versions of super-paramagnetic clustering see http://stoop.ini.uzh.ch/research/clustering. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hidden scaling patterns and universality in written communication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Formentin, M.; Lovison, A.; Maritan, A.; Zanzotto, G.

2014-07-01

The temporal statistics exhibited by written correspondence appear to be media dependent, with features which have so far proven difficult to characterize. We explain the origin of these difficulties by disentangling the role of spontaneous activity from decision-based prioritizing processes in human dynamics, clocking all waiting times through each agent's "proper time" measured by activity. This unveils the same fundamental patterns in written communication across all media (letters, email, sms), with response times displaying truncated power-law behavior and average exponents near -3/2. When standard time is used, the response time probabilities are theoretically predicted to exhibit a bimodal character, which is empirically borne out by our newly collected years-long data on email. These perspectives on the temporal dynamics of human correspondence should aid in the analysis of interaction phenomena in general, including resource management, optimal pricing and routing, information sharing, and emergency handling.

Pop-out in visual search of moving targets in the archer fish.

PubMed

Ben-Tov, Mor; Donchin, Opher; Ben-Shahar, Ohad; Segev, Ronen

2015-03-10

Pop-out in visual search reflects the capacity of observers to rapidly detect visual targets independent of the number of distracting objects in the background. Although it may be beneficial to most animals, pop-out behaviour has been observed only in mammals, where neural correlates are found in primary visual cortex as contextually modulated neurons that encode aspects of saliency. Here we show that archer fish can also utilize this important search mechanism by exhibiting pop-out of moving targets. We explore neural correlates of this behaviour and report the presence of contextually modulated neurons in the optic tectum that may constitute the neural substrate for a saliency map. Furthermore, we find that both behaving fish and neural responses exhibit additive responses to multiple visual features. These findings suggest that similar neural computations underlie pop-out behaviour in mammals and fish, and that pop-out may be a universal search mechanism across all vertebrates.

Galaxy Zoo: Morphological Classification of Galaxy Images from the Illustris  Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dickinson, Hugh; Fortson, Lucy; Lintott, Chris; Scarlata, Claudia; Willett, Kyle; Bamford, Steven; Beck, Melanie; Cardamone, Carolin; Galloway, Melanie; Simmons, Brooke; Keel, William; Kruk, Sandor; Masters, Karen; Vogelsberger, Mark; Torrey, Paul; Snyder, Gregory F.

2018-02-01

Modern large-scale cosmological simulations model the universe with increasing sophistication and at higher spatial and temporal resolutions. These ongoing enhancements permit increasingly detailed comparisons between the simulation outputs and real observational data. Recent projects such as Illustris are capable of producing simulated images that are designed to be comparable to those obtained from local surveys. This paper tests the degree to which Illustris achieves this goal across a diverse population of galaxies using visual morphologies derived from Galaxy Zoo citizen scientists. Morphological classifications provided by these volunteers for simulated galaxies are compared with similar data for a compatible sample of images drawn from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Legacy Survey. This paper investigates how simple morphological characterization by human volunteers asked to distinguish smooth from featured systems differs between simulated and real galaxy images. Significant differences are identified, which are most likely due to the limited resolution of the simulation, but which could be revealing real differences in the dynamical evolution of populations of galaxies in the real and model universes. Specifically, for stellar masses {M}\\star ≲ {10}11 {M}ȯ , a substantially larger proportion of Illustris galaxies that exhibit disk-like morphology or visible substructure, relative to their SDSS counterparts. Toward higher masses, the visual morphologies for simulated and observed galaxies converge and exhibit similar distributions. The stellar mass threshold indicated by this divergent behavior confirms recent works using parametric measures of morphology from Illustris simulated images. When {M}\\star ≳ {10}11 {M}ȯ , the Illustris data set contains substantially fewer galaxies that classifiers regard as unambiguously featured. In combination, these results suggest that comparison between the detailed properties of observed and simulated galaxies, even when limited to reasonably massive systems, may be misleading.

What Happens in the Atmospheres of Hot Horizontal Branch Stars Near 20, 000K?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Thomas

2016-10-01

In the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) of many globular clusters, the horizontal branch (HB) exhibits a long blue tail extending to high effective temperatures. In such clusters, two discontinuities appear within the HB locus. The first discontinuity occurs at 12,000K, and was discovered by Grundahl et al. (1998). It is associated with the radiative levitation of metals and the gravitational settling of helium in the atmospheres of HB stars hotter than 12,000K. The hot subdwarf stars of the Galactic field population exhibit the same phenomenon. The second discontinuity occurs at 20,000K, and was discovered by Momany et al. (2002). Its origin is unknown, but it appears at the same effective temperature in all globular clusters hosting HB stars near 20,000K, regardless of cluster properties (age, chemical composition, mass, etc.). We propose STIS long-slit spectroscopy of 6 HB stars that straddle this feature in the HB distribution of omega Cen, the nearest globular cluster where the feature is well populated. With this approach, we can efficiently obtain high-quality UV and blue spectra that span the full wavelength range of the photometric bands where this CMD feature is most prominent - a range this is only accessible by HST. The resulting spectra will unambiguously reveal the nature of this phenomenon - one that is universal in the atmospheres of hot evolved stars - and will yield new insight into the role of diffusion and radiative levitation in these stars.

The nature of the continuous non-equilibrium phase transition of Axelrod's model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peres, Lucas R.; Fontanari, José F.

2015-09-01

Axelrod's model in the square lattice with nearest-neighbors interactions exhibits culturally homogeneous as well as culturally fragmented absorbing configurations. In the case in which the agents are characterized by F = 2 cultural features and each feature assumes k states drawn from a Poisson distribution of parameter q, these regimes are separated by a continuous transition at qc = 3.10 +/- 0.02 . Using Monte Carlo simulations and finite-size scaling we show that the mean density of cultural domains μ is an order parameter of the model that vanishes as μ ∼ (q - q_c)^β with β = 0.67 +/- 0.01 at the critical point. In addition, for the correlation length critical exponent we find ν = 1.63 +/- 0.04 and for Fisher's exponent, τ = 1.76 +/- 0.01 . This set of critical exponents places the continuous phase transition of Axelrod's model apart from the known universality classes of non-equilibrium lattice models.

Universal Features of the Fluid to Solid Transition for Attractive Colloidal Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cipelletti, L.; Prasad, V.; Dinsmore, A.; Segre, P. N.; Weitz, D. A.; Trappe, V.

2002-01-01

Attractive colloidal particles can exhibit a fluid to solid phase transition if the magnitude of the attractive interaction is sufficiently large, if the volume fraction is sufficiently high, and if the applied stress is sufficiently small. The nature of this fluid to solid transition is similar for many different colloid systems, and for many different forms of interaction. The jamming phase transition captures the common features of these fluid to solid translations, by unifying the behavior as a function of the particle volume fraction, the energy of interparticle attractions, and the applied stress. This paper describes the applicability of the jamming state diagram, and highlights those regions where the fluid to solid transition is still poorly understood. It also presents new data for gelation of colloidal particles with an attractive depletion interaction, providing more insight into the origin of the fluid to solid transition.

Word frequency cues word order in adults: cross-linguistic evidence

PubMed Central

Gervain, Judit; Sebastián-Gallés, Núria; Díaz, Begoña; Laka, Itziar; Mazuka, Reiko; Yamane, Naoto; Nespor, Marina; Mehler, Jacques

2013-01-01

One universal feature of human languages is the division between grammatical functors and content words. From a learnability point of view, functors might provide entry points or anchors into the syntactic structure of utterances due to their high frequency. Despite its potentially universal scope, this hypothesis has not yet been tested on typologically different languages and on populations of different ages. Here we report a corpus study and an artificial grammar learning experiment testing the anchoring hypothesis in Basque, Japanese, French, and Italian adults. We show that adults are sensitive to the distribution of functors in their native language and use them when learning new linguistic material. However, compared to infants' performance on a similar task, adults exhibit a slightly different behavior, matching the frequency distributions of their native language more closely than infants do. This finding bears on the issue of the continuity of language learning mechanisms. PMID:24106483

Chemistry and cosmology.

PubMed

Black, John H

2006-01-01

The simplest elements, hydrogen and helium, offer a remarkably rich chemistry, which has controlled crucial features of the early evolution of the universe. Theoretical models of the origin of structure (stars, galaxies, clusters of galaxies, etc.) now incorporate this chemistry in some detail. In addition to the origin of structure, cosmologists are concerned with observational tests of competing world models. Primordial chemistry may give rise to some of the earliest departures from thermodynamic equilibrium in the universe. These effects may be observable as broad-band spectroscopic distortions of the cosmic background radiation, which otherwise exhibits a nearly perfect blackbody spectrum. The chemical history of the expanding universe is followed through a detailed calculation of the evolution of the abundances of H, H+, H-, H2, H2+, H3+, and other minor species. It is shown that continuous absorption by the small concentration of H- can produce a distortion in the cosmic background spectrum with a maximum at a frequency near nu/c = 9 cm-1 (wavelength 1.1 mm). The predicted effect lies only a factor of 5 below current limits. Its detection would provide an important test of our understanding of the recombination epoch of the universe.

WE-C-TOUR-I-01: Dosimters for QC in Diagnostic Imaging

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jiang, X.

Tour Leader: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Tour Guides: Xia Jiang, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH Kevin Little, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Adrien Sanchez, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Participating Vendors: IBA PTW - New York Radcal Corporation RTI Electronics, Inc. Exhibit Hall Guided Tours is a new program launching this year at the Annual Meeting. The Guided Tours are designed to enhance the interaction between meeting attendees and exhibitors. This year’s Imaging Guided Tours are organized around the theme of dosimeters for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Tours will begin with an introduction and backgroundmore » given by Dr. Xia Jiang, the Tour Leader. The introduction will cover the types and properties of different radiation dosimeters used for quality assurance in clinical radiology. Attendees will then break into smaller groups, each lead by an AAPM-member Tour Guide. The tour groups will visit the exhibit booths of vendors who provide appropriate dosimeters, and a vendor representative will give a presentation to the group about their particular product(s). The vendor representatives as well as the Tour Guides will be available to answer questions. Outline: Types and properties of radiation detectors and dosimeters Ionization chamber dosimeters Solid state dosimeters Dosimeter calibration: Primary and secondary standards dosimetry laboratories Instruments for measuring tube voltage and exposure time Vendor presentations will likely cover features and innovations of different dosimeter systems, as well as their practical use. Learning Objectives: Understand the types and properties of different instrumentations used for quality control in diagnostic imaging. Understand the process of dosimeter calibration. Gain familiarity with the latest commercial dosimeter systems from different vendors.« less

Histopathological Image Classification using Discriminative Feature-oriented Dictionary Learning

PubMed Central

Vu, Tiep Huu; Mousavi, Hojjat Seyed; Monga, Vishal; Rao, Ganesh; Rao, UK Arvind

2016-01-01

In histopathological image analysis, feature extraction for classification is a challenging task due to the diversity of histology features suitable for each problem as well as presence of rich geometrical structures. In this paper, we propose an automatic feature discovery framework via learning class-specific dictionaries and present a low-complexity method for classification and disease grading in histopathology. Essentially, our Discriminative Feature-oriented Dictionary Learning (DFDL) method learns class-specific dictionaries such that under a sparsity constraint, the learned dictionaries allow representing a new image sample parsimoniously via the dictionary corresponding to the class identity of the sample. At the same time, the dictionary is designed to be poorly capable of representing samples from other classes. Experiments on three challenging real-world image databases: 1) histopathological images of intraductal breast lesions, 2) mammalian kidney, lung and spleen images provided by the Animal Diagnostics Lab (ADL) at Pennsylvania State University, and 3) brain tumor images from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database, reveal the merits of our proposal over state-of-the-art alternatives. Moreover, we demonstrate that DFDL exhibits a more graceful decay in classification accuracy against the number of training images which is highly desirable in practice where generous training is often not available. PMID:26513781

Neutral Evolution of Duplicated DNA: An Evolutionary Stick-Breaking Process Causes Scale-Invariant Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Massip, Florian; Arndt, Peter F.

2013-04-01

Recently, an enrichment of identical matching sequences has been found in many eukaryotic genomes. Their length distribution exhibits a power law tail raising the question of what evolutionary mechanism or functional constraints would be able to shape this distribution. Here we introduce a simple and evolutionarily neutral model, which involves only point mutations and segmental duplications, and produces the same statistical features as observed for genomic data. Further, we extend a mathematical model for random stick breaking to analytically show that the exponent of the power law tail is -3 and universal as it does not depend on the microscopic details of the model.

Criticality in the brain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Arcangelis, L.; Lombardi, F.; Herrmann, H. J.

2014-03-01

Spontaneous brain activity has been recently characterized by avalanche dynamics with critical features for systems in vitro and in vivo. In this contribution we present a review of experimental results on neuronal avalanches in cortex slices, together with numerical results from a neuronal model implementing several physiological properties of living neurons. Numerical data reproduce experimental results for avalanche statistics. The temporal organization of avalanches can be characterized by the distribution of waiting times between successive avalanches. Experimental measurements exhibit a non-monotonic behaviour, not usually found in other natural processes. Numerical simulations provide evidence that this behaviour is a consequence of the alternation between states of high and low activity, leading to a balance between excitation and inhibition controlled by a single parameter. During these periods both the single neuron state and the network excitability level, keeping memory of past activity, are tuned by homoeostatic mechanisms. Interestingly, the same homoeostatic balance is detected for neuronal activity at the scale of the whole brain. We finally review the learning abilities of this neuronal network. Learning occurs via plastic adaptation of synaptic strengths by a non-uniform negative feedback mechanism. The system is able to learn all the tested rules and the learning dynamics exhibits universal features as a function of the strength of plastic adaptation. Any rule could be learned provided that the plastic adaptation is sufficiently slow.

Cued Memory Retrieval Exhibits Reinstatement of High Gamma Power on a Faster Timescale in the Left Temporal Lobe and Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Shaikhouni, Ammar

2017-01-01

Converging evidence suggests that reinstatement of neural activity underlies our ability to successfully retrieve memories. However, the temporal dynamics of reinstatement in the human cortex remain poorly understood. One possibility is that neural activity during memory retrieval, like replay of spiking neurons in the hippocampus, occurs at a faster timescale than during encoding. We tested this hypothesis in 34 participants who performed a verbal episodic memory task while we recorded high gamma (62–100 Hz) activity from subdural electrodes implanted for seizure monitoring. We show that reinstatement of distributed patterns of high gamma activity occurs faster than during encoding. Using a time-warping algorithm, we quantify the timescale of the reinstatement and identify brain regions that show significant timescale differences between encoding and retrieval. Our data suggest that temporally compressed reinstatement of cortical activity is a feature of cued memory retrieval. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show that cued memory retrieval reinstates neural activity on a faster timescale than was present during encoding. Our data therefore provide a link between reinstatement of neural activity in the cortex and spontaneous replay of cortical and hippocampal spiking activity, which also exhibits temporal compression, and suggest that temporal compression may be a universal feature of memory retrieval. PMID:28336569

Analytical approaches to modelling panspermia - beyond the mean-field paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lingam, Manasvi

2016-01-01

We model the process of panspermia by adopting two different approaches. The first method conceives it as a self-replication process, endowed with non-local creation and extinction. We show that some features suggestive of universal behaviour emerge, such as exponential decay or growth, and a power spectral density that displays a power-law behaviour in a particular regime. We also present a special case wherein the number density of the planets seeded through panspermia approaches a finite asymptotic distribution. The power spectral density for the independent and spontaneous emergence of life is investigated in conjunction with its counterpart for panspermia. The former exhibits attributes characteristic of a noise spectrum, including the resemblance to white noise in a certain regime. These features are absent in panspermia, suggesting that the power spectral density could be utilized as a future tool for differentiating between the two processes. Our second approach adopts the machinery of Markov processes and diffusion, and we show that the power spectral density exhibits a power-law tail in some domains, as earlier, suggesting that this behaviour may be fairly robust. We comment on a generalization of the diffusive model, and also indicate how the methods and results developed herein could be used to analyse other phenomena.

DEEP: Discover, Explore, and Enjoy Physics & Engineering via High Impact Educational Experiences at Texas A&M and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erukhimova, Tatiana; Fry, Edward

2014-03-01

We will present the first results of an innovative program at Texas A&M University that aims to enhance the learning and research experiences of undergraduate and graduate students through their participation in high-profile outreach activities: principally the Texas A&M Physics and Engineering Festival and the Physics Shows. The goals are to enhance students' knowledge of fundamental physics concepts through collaborative hands-on research and educational activities, to teach them effective communication skills and responsibility, and to enhance their opportunities for interactions with their peers and professors outside the classroom. The program activities include (i) students working side-by-side with their peers and professors on research, concept, design, and fabrication of physics demonstration experiments, (ii) presentation of these exhibits during the Festival and Shows in teams of several students and faculty members, (iii) assessment of students teamwork, and (iv) incorporation of new demonstrations in core curriculum classes. Texas A&M Physics and Engineering Festival is a major annual outreach event at TAMU attracting over 4000 visitors and featuring over 100 interactive exhibits, public lectures by prominent scientists, and various hands-on activities. This program is supported by Tier One Grant from Texas A&M University.

Layers: Places in Peril, An Art and Earth Science Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brey, J. A.; Waller, J. L.

2013-12-01

As an Earth scientist (former U.W. Geography/Geology Professor-now Director of the Education Program at The American Meteorological Society) and a painter (Professor of Art, University of Wisconsin - Fox Valley), we have together twenty years of collaborative teaching and scholarly work. We have produced an exhibition of paintings and accompanying explanatory essays focusing on layers, a nexus of our two disciplines. Our traveling exhibition, entitled Layers: Places in Peril, highlights natural and human caused threats to selected beloved and treasured cities and areas. The Earth and its atmosphere are composed of layers, paintings are often layered and the built environment is often constructed in layers. We feel that this notion of overlapping and interleaving strata gives texture to reality. This realization and acknowledgement is something we wish to share with those who design or study the built environment. This reality also provides an important opportunity to convey the reality of hazards to a new and important audience. In this session, we will first describe our professional history of collaboration and then feature Layers as a culmination of our collaborative teaching and professional work. Through the success of our first two showings of our Layers exhibition of large paintings and Earth science text panels (at the Aylward Gallery at the University of Wisconsin, Fox Valley in 2012, followed in 2013 at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Museum) and, most recently, through our participation at the National Academy of Sciences 'DASER on Disasters' event at the Keck Center in Washington D.C., we witnessed the essential educational power of this type of collaborative activity. To conclude our presentation, we will lead a brief conversation about strategy and practice that illustrates how engaged colleagues can flourish across disciplines and institutions. The result will hopefully inspire those who study, teach, shape, build and care about future sustainable habitable environments and, we hope, meaningfully inform our own work.

Universities' Access to Research Funds: Do Institutional Features and Strategies Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rossi, Federica

2009-01-01

Competitively allocated research funds, from both public and private sources, constitute an increasing share of university revenues. The article investigates empirically, using data on the Italian university system, whether structural and strategic features of universities--such as size, age and especially the importance that they assign to their…

Upstream electron oscillations and ion overshoot at an interplanetary shock wave

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, D. W.; Parks, G. K.

1983-01-01

During the passage of a large interplanetary shock on Oct. 13, 1981, the ISEE-1 and -2 spacecraft were in the solar wind outside of the upstream region of the bow shock. The high time resolution data of the University of California particle instruments allow pinpointing the expected electron spike as occurring just before the magnetic ramp. In addition, two features that occur at this shock have not been observed before: electron oscillations associated with low frequency waves upstream of the shock and sharp 'overshoot' (about 1 sec) in the ion fluxes that occur right after the magnetic ramp. This interplanetary shock exhibits many of the same characteristics that are observed at the earth's bow shock.

Universal biology and the statistical mechanics of early life.

PubMed

Goldenfeld, Nigel; Biancalani, Tommaso; Jafarpour, Farshid

2017-12-28

All known life on the Earth exhibits at least two non-trivial common features: the canonical genetic code and biological homochirality, both of which emerged prior to the Last Universal Common Ancestor state. This article describes recent efforts to provide a narrative of this epoch using tools from statistical mechanics. During the emergence of self-replicating life far from equilibrium in a period of chemical evolution, minimal models of autocatalysis show that homochirality would have necessarily co-evolved along with the efficiency of early-life self-replicators. Dynamical system models of the evolution of the genetic code must explain its universality and its highly refined error-minimization properties. These have both been accounted for in a scenario where life arose from a collective, networked phase where there was no notion of species and perhaps even individuality itself. We show how this phase ultimately terminated during an event sometimes known as the Darwinian transition, leading to the present epoch of tree-like vertical descent of organismal lineages. These examples illustrate concrete examples of universal biology: the quest for a fundamental understanding of the basic properties of living systems, independent of precise instantiation in chemistry or other media.This article is part of the themed issue 'Reconceptualizing the origins of life'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Universal biology and the statistical mechanics of early life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldenfeld, Nigel; Biancalani, Tommaso; Jafarpour, Farshid

2017-11-01

All known life on the Earth exhibits at least two non-trivial common features: the canonical genetic code and biological homochirality, both of which emerged prior to the Last Universal Common Ancestor state. This article describes recent efforts to provide a narrative of this epoch using tools from statistical mechanics. During the emergence of self-replicating life far from equilibrium in a period of chemical evolution, minimal models of autocatalysis show that homochirality would have necessarily co-evolved along with the efficiency of early-life self-replicators. Dynamical system models of the evolution of the genetic code must explain its universality and its highly refined error-minimization properties. These have both been accounted for in a scenario where life arose from a collective, networked phase where there was no notion of species and perhaps even individuality itself. We show how this phase ultimately terminated during an event sometimes known as the Darwinian transition, leading to the present epoch of tree-like vertical descent of organismal lineages. These examples illustrate concrete examples of universal biology: the quest for a fundamental understanding of the basic properties of living systems, independent of precise instantiation in chemistry or other media. This article is part of the themed issue 'Reconceptualizing the origins of life'.

Universal and adapted vocabularies for generic visual categorization.

PubMed

Perronnin, Florent

2008-07-01

Generic Visual Categorization (GVC) is the pattern classification problem which consists in assigning labels to an image based on its semantic content. This is a challenging task as one has to deal with inherent object/scene variations as well as changes in viewpoint, lighting and occlusion. Several state-of-the-art GVC systems use a vocabulary of visual terms to characterize images with a histogram of visual word counts. We propose a novel practical approach to GVC based on a universal vocabulary, which describes the content of all the considered classes of images, and class vocabularies obtained through the adaptation of the universal vocabulary using class-specific data. The main novelty is that an image is characterized by a set of histograms - one per class - where each histogram describes whether the image content is best modeled by the universal vocabulary or the corresponding class vocabulary. This framework is applied to two types of local image features: low-level descriptors such as the popular SIFT and high-level histograms of word co-occurrences in a spatial neighborhood. It is shown experimentally on two challenging datasets (an in-house database of 19 categories and the PASCAL VOC 2006 dataset) that the proposed approach exhibits state-of-the-art performance at a modest computational cost.

Cued Memory Retrieval Exhibits Reinstatement of High Gamma Power on a Faster Timescale in the Left Temporal Lobe and Prefrontal Cortex.

PubMed

Yaffe, Robert B; Shaikhouni, Ammar; Arai, Jennifer; Inati, Sara K; Zaghloul, Kareem A

2017-04-26

Converging evidence suggests that reinstatement of neural activity underlies our ability to successfully retrieve memories. However, the temporal dynamics of reinstatement in the human cortex remain poorly understood. One possibility is that neural activity during memory retrieval, like replay of spiking neurons in the hippocampus, occurs at a faster timescale than during encoding. We tested this hypothesis in 34 participants who performed a verbal episodic memory task while we recorded high gamma (62-100 Hz) activity from subdural electrodes implanted for seizure monitoring. We show that reinstatement of distributed patterns of high gamma activity occurs faster than during encoding. Using a time-warping algorithm, we quantify the timescale of the reinstatement and identify brain regions that show significant timescale differences between encoding and retrieval. Our data suggest that temporally compressed reinstatement of cortical activity is a feature of cued memory retrieval. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT We show that cued memory retrieval reinstates neural activity on a faster timescale than was present during encoding. Our data therefore provide a link between reinstatement of neural activity in the cortex and spontaneous replay of cortical and hippocampal spiking activity, which also exhibits temporal compression, and suggest that temporal compression may be a universal feature of memory retrieval. Copyright © 2017 the authors 0270-6474/17/374472-09$15.00/0.

Frequency locking in auditory hair cells: Distinguishing between additive and parametric forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edri, Yuval; Bozovic, Dolores; Yochelis, Arik

2016-10-01

The auditory system displays remarkable sensitivity and frequency discrimination, attributes shown to rely on an amplification process that involves a mechanical as well as a biochemical response. Models that display proximity to an oscillatory onset (also known as Hopf bifurcation) exhibit a resonant response to distinct frequencies of incoming sound, and can explain many features of the amplification phenomenology. To understand the dynamics of this resonance, frequency locking is examined in a system near the Hopf bifurcation and subject to two types of driving forces: additive and parametric. Derivation of a universal amplitude equation that contains both forcing terms enables a study of their relative impact on the hair cell response. In the parametric case, although the resonant solutions are 1 : 1 frequency locked, they show the coexistence of solutions obeying a phase shift of π, a feature typical of the 2 : 1 resonance. Different characteristics are predicted for the transition from unlocked to locked solutions, leading to smooth or abrupt dynamics in response to different types of forcing. The theoretical framework provides a more realistic model of the auditory system, which incorporates a direct modulation of the internal control parameter by an applied drive. The results presented here can be generalized to many other media, including Faraday waves, chemical reactions, and elastically driven cardiomyocytes, which are known to exhibit resonant behavior.

The scaling features of the 3D organization of chromosomes are highlighted by a transformation à la Kadanoff of Hi-C data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiariello, Andrea M.; Bianco, Simona; Annunziatella, Carlo; Esposito, Andrea; Nicodemi, Mario

2017-11-01

Technologies such as Hi-C and GAM have revealed that chromosomes are not randomly folded into the nucleus of cells, but are composed by a sequence of contact domains (TADs), each typically 0.5 Mb long. However, the larger scale organization of the genome remains still not well understood. To investigate the scaling behaviour of chromosome folding, here we apply an approach à la Kadanoff, inspired by the Renormalization Group theory, to Hi-C interaction data, across different cell types and chromosomes. We find that the genome is characterized by complex scaling features, where the average size of contact domains exhibits a power-law behaviour with the rescaling level. That is compatible with the existence of contact domains extending across length scales up to chromosomal sizes. The scaling exponent is statistically indistinguishable among the different murine cell types analysed. These results point toward a scenario of a universal higher-order spatial architecture of the genome, which could reflect fundamental, organizational principles.

Small-scale societies exhibit fundamental variation in the role of intentions in moral judgment

PubMed Central

Barrett, H. Clark; Bolyanatz, Alexander; Crittenden, Alyssa N.; Fessler, Daniel M. T.; Fitzpatrick, Simon; Gurven, Michael; Henrich, Joseph; Kanovsky, Martin; Kushnick, Geoff; Pisor, Anne; Scelza, Brooke A.; Stich, Stephen; von Rueden, Chris; Zhao, Wanying; Laurence, Stephen

2016-01-01

Intent and mitigating circumstances play a central role in moral and legal assessments in large-scale industrialized societies. Although these features of moral assessment are widely assumed to be universal, to date, they have only been studied in a narrow range of societies. We show that there is substantial cross-cultural variation among eight traditional small-scale societies (ranging from hunter-gatherer to pastoralist to horticulturalist) and two Western societies (one urban, one rural) in the extent to which intent and mitigating circumstances influence moral judgments. Although participants in all societies took such factors into account to some degree, they did so to very different extents, varying in both the types of considerations taken into account and the types of violations to which such considerations were applied. The particular patterns of assessment characteristic of large-scale industrialized societies may thus reflect relatively recently culturally evolved norms rather than inherent features of human moral judgment. PMID:27035959

Investigating chaotic features in solar radiation over a tropical station using recurrence quantification analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogunjo, Samuel T.; Adediji, Adekunle T.; Dada, Joseph B.

2017-01-01

The use of solar energy for power generation and other uses is on the increase. This demand necessitate a better understanding of the underlying dynamics for better prediction. Nonlinear dynamics and its associated tools readily lend itself for such analysis. In this paper, nonlinearity in solar radiation data is tested using recurrence plot (RP) and recurrence quantification analysis (RQA) in a tropical station. The data used was obtained from an ongoing campaign at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Southwestern Nigeria using an Integrated Sensor Suite (Vantage2 Pro). Half hourly and daily values were tested for each month of the year. Both were found to be nonlinear. The dry months of the year exhibit higher chaoticity compared to the wet months of the year. The daily average values were found to be mildly chaotic. Using RQA, features due to external effects such as harmattan and intertropical discontinuity (ITD) on solar radiation data were uniquely identified.

Small-scale societies exhibit fundamental variation in the role of intentions in moral judgment.

PubMed

Barrett, H Clark; Bolyanatz, Alexander; Crittenden, Alyssa N; Fessler, Daniel M T; Fitzpatrick, Simon; Gurven, Michael; Henrich, Joseph; Kanovsky, Martin; Kushnick, Geoff; Pisor, Anne; Scelza, Brooke A; Stich, Stephen; von Rueden, Chris; Zhao, Wanying; Laurence, Stephen

2016-04-26

Intent and mitigating circumstances play a central role in moral and legal assessments in large-scale industrialized societies. Although these features of moral assessment are widely assumed to be universal, to date, they have only been studied in a narrow range of societies. We show that there is substantial cross-cultural variation among eight traditional small-scale societies (ranging from hunter-gatherer to pastoralist to horticulturalist) and two Western societies (one urban, one rural) in the extent to which intent and mitigating circumstances influence moral judgments. Although participants in all societies took such factors into account to some degree, they did so to very different extents, varying in both the types of considerations taken into account and the types of violations to which such considerations were applied. The particular patterns of assessment characteristic of large-scale industrialized societies may thus reflect relatively recently culturally evolved norms rather than inherent features of human moral judgment.

KSC-2014-3137

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The grand opening of the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit was held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Informational displays about future NASA exploration missions are featured along the wall of the new exhibit. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Statistical universals reveal the structures and functions of human music.

PubMed

Savage, Patrick E; Brown, Steven; Sakai, Emi; Currie, Thomas E

2015-07-21

Music has been called "the universal language of mankind." Although contemporary theories of music evolution often invoke various musical universals, the existence of such universals has been disputed for decades and has never been empirically demonstrated. Here we combine a music-classification scheme with statistical analyses, including phylogenetic comparative methods, to examine a well-sampled global set of 304 music recordings. Our analyses reveal no absolute universals but strong support for many statistical universals that are consistent across all nine geographic regions sampled. These universals include 18 musical features that are common individually as well as a network of 10 features that are commonly associated with one another. They span not only features related to pitch and rhythm that are often cited as putative universals but also rarely cited domains including performance style and social context. These cross-cultural structural regularities of human music may relate to roles in facilitating group coordination and cohesion, as exemplified by the universal tendency to sing, play percussion instruments, and dance to simple, repetitive music in groups. Our findings highlight the need for scientists studying music evolution to expand the range of musical cultures and musical features under consideration. The statistical universals we identified represent important candidates for future investigation.

Statistical universals reveal the structures and functions of human music

PubMed Central

Savage, Patrick E.; Brown, Steven; Sakai, Emi; Currie, Thomas E.

2015-01-01

Music has been called “the universal language of mankind.” Although contemporary theories of music evolution often invoke various musical universals, the existence of such universals has been disputed for decades and has never been empirically demonstrated. Here we combine a music-classification scheme with statistical analyses, including phylogenetic comparative methods, to examine a well-sampled global set of 304 music recordings. Our analyses reveal no absolute universals but strong support for many statistical universals that are consistent across all nine geographic regions sampled. These universals include 18 musical features that are common individually as well as a network of 10 features that are commonly associated with one another. They span not only features related to pitch and rhythm that are often cited as putative universals but also rarely cited domains including performance style and social context. These cross-cultural structural regularities of human music may relate to roles in facilitating group coordination and cohesion, as exemplified by the universal tendency to sing, play percussion instruments, and dance to simple, repetitive music in groups. Our findings highlight the need for scientists studying music evolution to expand the range of musical cultures and musical features under consideration. The statistical universals we identified represent important candidates for future investigation. PMID:26124105

Visual feature integration with an attention deficit.

PubMed

Arguin, M; Cavanagh, P; Joanette, Y

1994-01-01

Treisman's feature integration theory proposes that the perception of illusory conjunctions of correctly encoded visual features is due to the failure of an attentional process. This hypothesis was examined by studying brain-damaged subjects who had previously been shown to have difficulty in attending to contralesional stimulation. These subjects exhibited a massive feature integration deficit for contralesional stimulation relative to ipsilesional displays. In contrast, both normal age-matched controls and brain-damaged subjects who did not exhibit any evidence of an attention deficit showed comparable feature integration performance with left- and right-hemifield stimulation. These observations indicate the crucial function of attention for visual feature integration in normal perception.

Exploring the Invisible Universe: A Tactile and Braille Exhibit of Astronomical Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcand, K. K.; Watzke, M.; de Pree, C.

2010-06-01

A tactile/Braille exhibit for the visually impaired community in the USA was launched in July 2009. The exhibit is part of the global From Earth to the Universe (FETTU) project, a Cornerstone of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The science content of the travelling tactile/Braille exhibit includes explanations of our Sun, Eta Carinae, the Crab Nebula, the Whirlpool Galaxy and the electromagnetic spectrum, and was adapted from the tactile/Braille book Touch the Invisible Sky. We present some of the early observations and findings on the tactile/Braille FETTU exhibit. The new exhibit opens a wider door to experiencing and understanding astronomy for the underserved visually impaired population.

Multifractal characterisation of a simulated surface flow: A case study with Multi-Hydro in Jouy-en-Josas, France

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gires, Auguste; Abbes, Jean-Baptiste; da Silva Rocha Paz, Igor; Tchiguirinskaia, Ioulia; Schertzer, Daniel

2018-03-01

In this paper we suggest to innovatively use scaling laws and more specifically Universal Multifractals (UM) to analyse simulated surface runoff and compare the retrieved scaling features with the rainfall ones. The methodology is tested on a 3 km2 semi-urbanised with a steep slope study area located in the Paris area along the Bièvre River. First Multi-Hydro, a fully distributed model is validated on this catchment for four rainfall events measured with the help of a C-band radar. The uncertainty associated with small scale unmeasured rainfall, i.e. occurring below the 1 km × 1 km × 5 min observation scale, is quantified with the help of stochastic downscaled rainfall fields. It is rather significant for simulated flow and more limited on overland water depth for these rainfall events. Overland depth is found to exhibit a scaling behaviour over small scales (10 m-80 m) which can be related to fractal features of the sewer network. No direct and obvious dependency between the overland depth multifractal features (quality of the scaling and UM parameters) and the rainfall ones was found.

Recurrent Guillain-Barré syndrome presenting stereotypic manifestations, positive antiganglioside antibodies, and rapid recovery.

PubMed

Pyun, So Young; Jeong, Jin-Ho; Bae, Jong Seok

2015-12-01

Recurrent Guillain-Barré syndrome (rGBS) has been described as a rare entity with distinct characteristics. However, little is known about rGBS in Asian group. The aim of this study was to identify the incidence and clinical course of rGBS, and to determine its clinical/pathophysiological implications. The consecutive data of 117 GBS patients were retrieved from a single university-based hospital in Korea and analyzed in terms of clinical, serological, electrophysiological aspects. A thorough review revealed that three (2.6%) of the enrolled patients had experienced more than two definite recurrent attacks of GBS. Interestingly, all three cases exhibited clinically stereotypical features, serum antiganglioside antibodies, and rapid recovery after intravenous immunoglobulin treatment. Clinical, serological, and electrophysiological features of rGBS cases were described in detail. The stereotypic presentation of each attack in this variant suggests the importance of both host and genetic factors for the clinical manifestations. In addition, the simultaneous presence of serum antiganglioside antibodies and rapid recovery implicate reversible nerve conduction failure as the mechanism of rGBS. These features are different from typical monophasic GBS and acute onset of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Communicating Science with Batiks: Broadening the Audience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pilkey, O. H.; Fraser, M. E.

2012-12-01

Batik artist Fraser and coastal geologist Pilkey began their collaboration in 1994 at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Since that time they have made over 25 joint presentations and produced 25 educational art exhibitions, some with as many as 60 batiks on silk, each large-scale artwork accompanied by a brief wall description of its geologic significance. Among other venues, the exhibitions have been housed at The National Academy of Sciences, The National Science Foundation, Duke University's Museum of Art, and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. They were also featured in a National Geographic TV special and have been widely picked up in cyberspace. In addition, the duo has published 2 books. One, A Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands (2003), combines color images with batiks, and the second, Global Climate Change: A Primer (2011), is illustrated exclusively with batiks. The creation of each batik is preceded by a scientist-artist conference wherein they discuss the salient features of the natural system to be depicted. The objective is to show the majesty of selected natural features or processes and at the same time to communicate the science behind them. From the artist's standpoint, this collaboration has given focus and purpose to her art and fulfills her desire to support environmental causes. The science-art alliance has been highly successful in attracting a new audience to the problems facing barrier islands and also to the broader subject of global climate change. A feared backlash from hardnosed science colleagues over "dilution" or "softening" of science has not materialized. A future collaboration with the "American Rivers" society will highlight the problems facing rivers.A batik of an iceberg showing the typical proportion of underwater versus above-water ice volumes.

Evidence of chaotic pattern in solar flux through a reproducible sequence of period-doubling-type bifurcations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashrafi, S.; Roszman, L.

1991-01-01

A preliminary study of the limits to solar flux intensity prediction, and of whether the general lack of predictability in the solar flux arises from the nonlinear chaotic nature of the Sun's physical activity is presented. Statistical analysis of a chaotic signal can extract only its most gross features, and detailed physical models fail, since even the simplest equations of motion for a nonlinear system can exhibit chaotic behavior. A recent theory by Feigenbaum suggests that nonlinear systems that can be led into chaotic behavior through a sequence of period-doubling bifurcations will exhibit a universal behavior. As the control parameter is increased, the bifurcation points occur in such a way that a proper ratio of these will approach the universal Feigenbaum number. Experimental evidence supporting the applicability of the Feigenbaum scenario to solar flux data is sparse. However, given the hypothesis that the Sun's convection zones are similar to a Rayleigh-Bernard mechanism, we can learn a great deal from the remarkable agreement observed between the prediction by theory (period doubling - a universal route to chaos) and the amplitude decrease of the signal's regular subharmonics. It is shown that period-doubling-type bifurcation is a possible route to a chaotic pattern of solar flux that is distinguishable from the logarithm of its power spectral density. This conclusion is the first positive step toward a reformulation of solar flux by a nonlinear chaotic approach. The ultimate goal of this research is to be able to predict an estimate of the upper and lower bounds for solar flux within its predictable zones. Naturally, it is an important task to identify the time horizons beyond which predictability becomes incompatible with computability.

Evidence of chaotic pattern in solar flux through a reproducible sequence of period-doubling-type bifurcations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ashrafi, S.; Roszman, L.

1991-01-01

Presented here is a preliminary study of the limits to solar flux intensity prediction, and of whether the general lack of predictability in the solar flux arises from the nonlinear chaotic nature of the Sun's physical activity. Statistical analysis of a chaotic signal can extract only its most gross features, and detailed physical models fail, since even the simplest equations of motion for a nonlinear system can exhibit chaotic behavior. A recent theory by Feigenbaum suggests that nonlinear systems that can be led into chaotic behavior through a sequence of period-doubling bifurcations will exhibit a universal behavior. As the control parameter is increased, the bifurcation points occur in such a way that a proper ratio of these will approach the universal Feigenbaum number. Experimental evidence supporting the applicability of the Feigenbaum scenario to solar flux data is sparse. However, given the hypothesis that the Sun's convection zones are similar to a Rayleigh-Bernard mechanism, we can learn a great deal from the remarkable agreement observed between the prediction by theory (period doubling - a universal route to chaos) and the amplitude decrease of the signal's regular subharmonics. The authors show that period-doubling-type bifurcation is a possible route to a chaotic pattern of solar flux that is distinguishable from the logarithm of its power spectral density. This conclusion is the first positive step toward a reformulation of solar flux by a nonlinear chaotic approach. The ultimate goal of this research is to be able to predict an estimate of the upper and lower bounds for solar flux within its predictable zones. Naturally, it is an important task to identify the time horizons beyond which predictability becomes incompatible with computability.

A Journey Through the Universe at the Deutsches Museum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wankerl, B.

2010-12-01

Five research institutions in Munich and Garching bei München joined forces in the International Year of Astronomy 2009 to realise a unique exhibition project at the Deutsches Museum. The exhibition is called Evolution of the Universe and invites visitors to take a tour through time, beginning 13.7 billion years ago with the Big Bang and finishing with a glimpse into the future of the Universe. En route visitors learn how space, time, matter and the large structures in space have formed. The exhibition combines findings from astronomy, astrophysics, nuclear and particle physics in order to present the history of cosmos from different perspectives.

An expanding universe of small proteins.

PubMed

Hobbs, Errett C; Fontaine, Fanette; Yin, Xuefeng; Storz, Gisela

2011-04-01

Historically, small proteins (sproteins) of less than 50 amino acids, in their final processed forms or genetically encoded as such, have been understudied. However, both serendipity and more recent focused efforts have led to the identification of a number of new sproteins in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria. Increasing evidence demonstrates that sproteins participate in a wide array of cellular processes and exhibit great diversity in their mechanisms of action, yet general principles of sprotein function are emerging. This review highlights examples of sproteins that participate in cell signaling, act as antibiotics and toxins, and serve as structural proteins. We also describe roles for sproteins in detecting and altering membrane features, acting as chaperones, and regulating the functions of larger proteins. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Role of Exotic Molecules In Model Exoplanet Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Caroline; Iyer, Nandini; Morley, Caroline; Fortney, Jonathan J.

2016-01-01

We present the absorption signatures of 21 elemental and molecular species normally found in observed planetary spectra. Fifty model exoplanet spectra that span temperatures from 400 to 2000 K, gravities from 100 to 1000 m/s2, and are 0.3-3 times solar metallicity composition are obtained by converting the pressure-temperature profiles through publicly available radiative transfer code (DISORT), assuming chemical equilibrium conditions. We explore the dependency of an individual specie's effect on a spectrum in the near-IR by removing its equilibrium abundance or enriching the specie's abundance. While testing for the individual effect of each species, it is found that the temperature is a key property for identifying absorption features in this diverse set of model spectra. Strong and abundant absorbers such as CO and CH4 are not as prevalent in high temperature models over 1200 K as H2O at 0.9-2.2 and 2.3-4.1 microns. In addition, we investigate the vertical mixing and disequilibrium of CO and CH4 and find features of these carbon species at 3.3-4.2 and 4.3-5.0 microns across all models. Trace species such as NH3 and Na exhibit prevalent signatures in cold planets (~400-800 K) at the 1-1.1, 1.3-1.5, and 1.6-1.8 micron ranges. A consistent PH3 feature is identified for 400 K spectra at 4-4.8 microns. In our hot model spectra with temperatures greater than 1400 K, TiO shows more significant absorption features than VO, suggesting that these molecules potentially play separate roles in determining thermal inversions. Hydrocarbons such as C2H2 with abundances higher than 10-4 exhibit prevalent absorption features at ~4.2-4.5 microns, indicating that photochemical reactions may be needed to further enrich these abundances. A table of these signatures at their respective temperatures, gravities, and metallicities is presented here. This research presented here was conducted by high-school students under the auspices of the University of California Santa Cruz's Science Internship Program.

Health Protection Features of Student Youth in Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Antonova, Tatyana V.; Kozhanov, Vladimir V.; Kolodovsky, Alexander A.; Shivrinskaya, Svetlana E.; Kudyashev, Nail K.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the study is conditioned by the adverse dynamics of students' physical and mental health, which creates objective obstacles to the development of research universities. The article aims to find out particular health protection features of student youth in research universities. The leading approach of the study is the systematic…

Universal Spatial Correlation Functions for Describing and Reconstructing Soil Microstructure

PubMed Central

Skvortsova, Elena B.; Mallants, Dirk

2015-01-01

Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and pore-size distributions and thin section-derived morphological indicators. However, these descriptors provide only limited amount of information about the complex arrangement of soil structure and have limited capability to reconstruct structural features or predict physical properties. We introduce three different spatial correlation functions as a comprehensive tool to characterize soil microstructure: 1) two-point probability functions, 2) linear functions, and 3) two-point cluster functions. This novel approach was tested on thin-sections (2.21×2.21 cm2) representing eight soils with different pore space configurations. The two-point probability and linear correlation functions were subsequently used as a part of simulated annealing optimization procedures to reconstruct soil structure. Comparison of original and reconstructed images was based on morphological characteristics, cluster correlation functions, total number of pores and pore-size distribution. Results showed excellent agreement for soils with isolated pores, but relatively poor correspondence for soils exhibiting dual-porosity features (i.e. superposition of pores and micro-cracks). Insufficient information content in the correlation function sets used for reconstruction may have contributed to the observed discrepancies. Improved reconstructions may be obtained by adding cluster and other correlation functions into reconstruction sets. Correlation functions and the associated stochastic reconstruction algorithms introduced here are universally applicable in soil science, such as for soil classification, pore-scale modelling of soil properties, soil degradation monitoring, and description of spatial dynamics of soil microbial activity. PMID:26010779

Universal spatial correlation functions for describing and reconstructing soil microstructure.

PubMed

Karsanina, Marina V; Gerke, Kirill M; Skvortsova, Elena B; Mallants, Dirk

2015-01-01

Structural features of porous materials such as soil define the majority of its physical properties, including water infiltration and redistribution, multi-phase flow (e.g. simultaneous water/air flow, or gas exchange between biologically active soil root zone and atmosphere) and solute transport. To characterize soil microstructure, conventional soil science uses such metrics as pore size and pore-size distributions and thin section-derived morphological indicators. However, these descriptors provide only limited amount of information about the complex arrangement of soil structure and have limited capability to reconstruct structural features or predict physical properties. We introduce three different spatial correlation functions as a comprehensive tool to characterize soil microstructure: 1) two-point probability functions, 2) linear functions, and 3) two-point cluster functions. This novel approach was tested on thin-sections (2.21×2.21 cm2) representing eight soils with different pore space configurations. The two-point probability and linear correlation functions were subsequently used as a part of simulated annealing optimization procedures to reconstruct soil structure. Comparison of original and reconstructed images was based on morphological characteristics, cluster correlation functions, total number of pores and pore-size distribution. Results showed excellent agreement for soils with isolated pores, but relatively poor correspondence for soils exhibiting dual-porosity features (i.e. superposition of pores and micro-cracks). Insufficient information content in the correlation function sets used for reconstruction may have contributed to the observed discrepancies. Improved reconstructions may be obtained by adding cluster and other correlation functions into reconstruction sets. Correlation functions and the associated stochastic reconstruction algorithms introduced here are universally applicable in soil science, such as for soil classification, pore-scale modelling of soil properties, soil degradation monitoring, and description of spatial dynamics of soil microbial activity.

A tale of two timescales: Mixing, mass generation, and phase transitions in the early universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dienes, Keith R.; Kost, Jeff; Thomas, Brooks

2016-02-01

Light scalar fields such as axions and string moduli can play an important role in early-universe cosmology. However, many factors can significantly impact their late-time cosmological abundances. For example, in cases where the potentials for these fields are generated dynamically—such as during cosmological mass-generating phase transitions—the duration of the time interval required for these potentials to fully develop can have significant repercussions. Likewise, in scenarios with multiple scalars, mixing amongst the fields can also give rise to an effective timescale that modifies the resulting late-time abundances. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either the first or the second timescale in isolation. In this paper, by contrast, we examine the new features that arise from the interplay between these two timescales when both mixing and time-dependent phase transitions are introduced together. First, we find that the effects of these timescales can conspire to alter not only the total late-time abundance of the system—often by many orders of magnitude—but also its distribution across the different fields. Second, we find that these effects can produce large parametric resonances which render the energy densities of the fields highly sensitive to the degree of mixing as well as the duration of the time interval over which the phase transition unfolds. Finally, we find that these effects can even give rise to a "reoverdamping" phenomenon which causes the total energy density of the system to behave in novel ways that differ from those exhibited by pure dark matter or vacuum energy. All of these features therefore give rise to new possibilities for early-universe phenomenology and cosmological evolution. They also highlight the importance of taking into account the time dependence associated with phase transitions in cosmological settings.

Differential cosmic expansion and the Hubble flow anisotropy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bolejko, Krzysztof; Nazer, M. Ahsan; Wiltshire, David L., E-mail: bolejko@physics.usyd.edu.au, E-mail: ahsan.nazer@canterbury.ac.nz, E-mail: david.wiltshire@canterbury.ac.nz

2016-06-01

The Universe on scales 10–100 h {sup −1}Mpc is dominated by a cosmic web of voids, filaments, sheets and knots of galaxy clusters. These structures participate differently in the global expansion of the Universe: from non-expanding clusters to the above average expansion rate of voids. In this paper we characterize Hubble expansion anisotropies in the COMPOSITE sample of 4534 galaxies and clusters. We concentrate on the dipole and quadrupole in the rest frame of the Local Group. These both have statistically significant amplitudes. These anisotropies, and their redshift dependence, cannot be explained solely by a boost of the Local Groupmore » in the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) model which expands isotropically in the rest frame of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation. We simulate the local expansion of the Universe with inhomogeneous Szekeres solutions, which match the standard FLRW model on ∼> 100 h {sup −1}Mpc scales but exhibit nonkinematic relativistic differential expansion on small scales. We restrict models to be consistent with observed CMB temperature anisotropies, while simultaneously fitting the redshift variation of the Hubble expansion dipole. We include features to account for both the Local Void and the 'Great Attractor'. While this naturally accounts for the Hubble expansion and CMB dipoles, the simulated quadrupoles are smaller than observed. Further refinement to incorporate additional structures may improve this. This would enable a test of the hypothesis that some large angle CMB anomalies result from failing to treat the relativistic differential expansion of the background geometry; a natural feature of solutions to Einstein's equations not included in the current standard model of cosmology.« less

Cosmic Convergence: Art and Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayo, Elizabeth A.; Zisholtz, E.; Hilton, H.

2010-01-01

The I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium is a major educational and teaching resource for South Carolina State University, K-12 schools, other universities and the community of Orangeburg and well beyond. The concept of creating a museum with a planetarium on the campus of SC State was ahead of its time. Today scholars are writing about the unity of creative disciplines. Through its integration of the arts, humanities and sciences, the Stanback, the only art museum with a planetarium at any of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities and one of the few in the nation, stands in the forefront of modern thinking. Cosmic Convergence: Art and Science, opening at the I.P. Stanback Museum and Planetarium in February 2010, will feature the works of Mildred Thompson (1936-2003), a prominent African American artist who worked in the media of painting, drawing, print making, sculpture, and photography. Thompson’s artwork shows the strong influences of her interest in physics, astronomy, and metaphysics as well as music and spiritualism. “My work in the visual arts is, and has always been, a continuous search for understanding. It is an expression of purpose and reflects a personal interpretation of the Universe.” Cosmic Convergence will explore the meeting of Art and Science through Mildred Thompson's work and the scientific basis of that work. The paintings and sculptures of the exhibit will be combined with astronomical images showing both the reality and interpretation of the surrounding Universe. Support for this work was provided by the NSF PAARE program to South Carolina State University under award AST-0750814.

Village Power Exhibit Featured at NREL's Visitors Center

Science.gov Websites

World Energy" Expo Slated for February-April For more information contact: Gary Schmitz, 303-275 is a feature attraction of NREL's Visitors Center "Powering Our Lives, Powering Our World" , Powering Our World" Energy Expo begins Feb. 20 with the opening of the Village Power exhibit, and

76 FR 45646 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “5,000 Years of Chinese...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-29

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice: 7540] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``5,000 Years of Chinese Jade Featuring Selections From the National Museum of Taiwan and the... ``5,000 Years of Chinese Jade Featuring Selections from the National Museum of Taiwan and the Arthur M...

The Target of the Question: A Taxonomy of Textual Features for Cambridge University "O" Levels English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benjamin, Shanti Isabelle

2015-01-01

This study investigates the typical textual features that are most frequently targeted in short-answer reading comprehension questions of the Cambridge University "O" Level English Paper 2. Test writers' awareness of how textual features impact on understanding of meanings in text decisions will determine to great extent their decisions…

KSC-2014-3135

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Samples of Earth rocks and real meteorites are featured in an interactive display at the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

Distributed effects of biological sex define sex-typical motor behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans.

PubMed

Mowrey, William R; Bennett, Jessica R; Portman, Douglas S

2014-01-29

Sex differences in shared behaviors (for example, locomotion and feeding) are a nearly universal feature of animal biology. Though these behaviors may share underlying neural programs, their kinematics can exhibit robust differences between males and females. The neural underpinnings of these differences are poorly understood because of the often-untested assumption that they are determined by sex-specific body morphology. Here, we address this issue in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which features two sexes with distinct body morphologies but similar locomotor circuitry and body muscle. Quantitative behavioral analysis shows that C. elegans and related nematodes exhibit significant sex differences in the dynamics and geometry of locomotor body waves, such that the male is generally faster. Using a recently proposed model of locomotor wave propagation, we show that sex differences in both body mechanics and the intrinsic dynamics of the motor system can contribute to kinematic differences in distinct mechanical contexts. By genetically sex-reversing the properties of specific tissues and cells, however, we find that sex-specific locomotor frequency in C. elegans is determined primarily by the functional modification of shared sensory neurons. Further, we find that sexual modification of body wall muscle together with the nervous system is required to alter body wave speed. Thus, rather than relying on a single focus of modification, sex differences in motor dynamics require independent modifications to multiple tissue types. Our results suggest shared motor behaviors may be sex-specifically optimized though distributed modifications to several aspects of morphology and physiology.

Observation of Trapped-Electron Mode Microturbulence in Improved Confinement Reversed-Field Pinch Plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duff, James R.

This is a dissertation for the completion of a Doctorate of Philosophy in Physics degree granted at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Density fluctuations in the large-density-gradient region of improved confinement Madison Sym- metric Torus (MST) RFP plasmas exhibit multiple features that are characteristic of the trapped- electron mode (TEM). In fusion relevant plasmas, thermal transport is a key avenue of research in order to achieve a burning plasma. In the reversed field pinch (RFP) magnetic geometry, the dy- namics of conventional plasma discharges are primarily governed by magnetic stochasticity stem- ming from multiple long-wavelength tearing modes, that sustain the RFP discharge but have an adverse effect on the plasma confinement. Using inductive current profile control, these tearing modes are reduced, and global confinement is increased to that expected for comparable tokamak plasma. Under these conditions with certain plasma equilibria, new short-wavelength fluctuations distinct from global tearing modes appear in the spectrum at frequencies f 50 kHz that have normalized perpendicular wavenumbers k⊥rhos ≤ 0.2, and propagate in the electron diamagnetic drift direction. By adjusting the plasma current or the inductive suppression, there are observable variations in the spectral features. They exhibit a critical-gradient threshold, and the fluctuation amplitude increases with a local density gradient dependent parameter. These characteristics are consistent with the predictions of unstable TEMs based on gyrokinetic analysis using the GENE code. This thesis represents the first observation and description of TEM-like instabilities in the RFP geometry.

Distributed Effects of Biological Sex Define Sex-Typical Motor Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

PubMed Central

Mowrey, William R.; Bennett, Jessica R.

2014-01-01

Sex differences in shared behaviors (for example, locomotion and feeding) are a nearly universal feature of animal biology. Though these behaviors may share underlying neural programs, their kinematics can exhibit robust differences between males and females. The neural underpinnings of these differences are poorly understood because of the often-untested assumption that they are determined by sex-specific body morphology. Here, we address this issue in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, which features two sexes with distinct body morphologies but similar locomotor circuitry and body muscle. Quantitative behavioral analysis shows that C. elegans and related nematodes exhibit significant sex differences in the dynamics and geometry of locomotor body waves, such that the male is generally faster. Using a recently proposed model of locomotor wave propagation, we show that sex differences in both body mechanics and the intrinsic dynamics of the motor system can contribute to kinematic differences in distinct mechanical contexts. By genetically sex-reversing the properties of specific tissues and cells, however, we find that sex-specific locomotor frequency in C. elegans is determined primarily by the functional modification of shared sensory neurons. Further, we find that sexual modification of body wall muscle together with the nervous system is required to alter body wave speed. Thus, rather than relying on a single focus of modification, sex differences in motor dynamics require independent modifications to multiple tissue types. Our results suggest shared motor behaviors may be sex-specifically optimized though distributed modifications to several aspects of morphology and physiology. PMID:24478342

Doping - dependent anisotropy of the superconducting gap in underdoped pnictide superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prozorov, Ruslan

2012-02-01

The in-plane London penetration depth, δλ(T), was studied in single crystals of Ba1-xKxFe2As2 (``Ba122") and Ca10(Pt3As8)[(Fe1-xPtx)2As2]5 (``10-3-8"). Whereas in Ba122 magnetism and superconductivity coexist in the underdoped regime, the 10-3-8 compound exhibits a clear separation of two order parameters. By comparing the results obtained in these two systems, we could study general features of the superconducting gap structure as function of doping in the underdoped regime. Similar to all other pnictides, the low-temperature variation of London penetration depth exhibits a power-law behavior, δλ(T)= AT^n, in both systems. Moving towards the underdoped edge of the superconducting dome, the exponent n decreases well below scattering - limited value of n=2 and, at the same time, the pre-factor A increases. Both trends indicate an increasing anisotropy of the superconducting gap in more underdoped compounds. These and previous results suggest that the development of the superconducting gap anisotropy towards the underdoped edge of the superconducting dome is an intrinsic property of iron pnictides, similar to the known tendency on the overdoped side where magnetism and superconductivity do not interfere.[4pt] In collboration with M.A. Tanatar, H. Kim, The Ames Laboratory; Bing Shen, Hai-Hu Wen, Nanjing University; and N. Ni, R.J. Cava, Princeton University.

The Ilgarijiri Project: A collaboration between Aboriginal communities and radio astronomers in the Murchison Region of Western Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldsmith, John

2014-07-01

The international radio astronomy initiative known as the Square Kilometre Array is a cutting-edge science project, aimed atdramatically expanding our vision and understanding of the Universe. The $2billion+ international project is being shared between Southern Africa and Australia. The Australian component, centred in the Murchison region of Western Australia, is based upon collaboration with Aboriginal communities. A collaborative project called "Ilgarijiri- Things Belonging to the Sky" shared scientific and Aboriginal knowledge of the night sky. Through a series of collaborative meetings and knowledge sharing, the Ilgarijiri project developed and showcased Aboriginal knowledge of the night sky, via an international touring Aboriginal art exhibition, in Australia, South Africa, the USA and Europe. The Aboriginal art exhibition presents Aboriginal stories relating to the night sky, which prominently feature the 'Seven Sisters' and the 'Emu', as well as the collaborative experience with radio astronomers. The success of the Ilgarijiri collaborative project is based upon several principles, which can help to inform and guide future cultural collaborative projects.

Information based universal feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri, Mohammad; Brause, Rüdiger

2015-02-01

In many real world image based pattern recognition tasks, the extraction and usage of task-relevant features are the most crucial part of the diagnosis. In the standard approach, they mostly remain task-specific, although humans who perform such a task always use the same image features, trained in early childhood. It seems that universal feature sets exist, but they are not yet systematically found. In our contribution, we tried to find those universal image feature sets that are valuable for most image related tasks. In our approach, we trained a neural network by natural and non-natural images of objects and background, using a Shannon information-based algorithm and learning constraints. The goal was to extract those features that give the most valuable information for classification of visual objects hand-written digits. This will give a good start and performance increase for all other image learning tasks, implementing a transfer learning approach. As result, in our case we found that we could indeed extract features which are valid in all three kinds of tasks.

The Invisible Universe: A Tactile and Braille Exhibit of Astronomical Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arcand, Kimberly; Lestition, K.; Watzke, M.; Steel, S.

2010-01-01

As part of the "From Earth to the Universe" (FETTU) project, a NASA-funded tactile exhibit for the visually impaired community was launched in July 2009 at the Martin Luther King Library in D.C. The exhibit is part of the global FETTU exhibit, a project of the International Year of Astronomy 2009. The science content of the exhibit includes explanations of our Sun, Eta Carinae, Crab Nebula, Whirlpool Galaxy, and the electromagnetic spectrum, and was adapted from the NASA-funded Braille/tactile book Touch the Invisible Sky. Multiple geographic locations and venue types have been targeted for the displays. The FETTU-tactile exhibit opens a wider door to experiencing and understanding astronomy, bridging a gap in learning. This exhibit is based upon work supported by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under proposal 08-EPO08-0068 issued through the Science Mission Directorate.

Student User Preferences for Features of Next-Generation OPACs: A Case Study of University of Sheffield International Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Winnie; Cox, Andrew M.; Bussey, Andy

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the features that international student users prefer for next generation OPACs. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 16 international students of the University of Sheffield were interviewed in July 2008 to explore their preferences among potential features in next generation OPACs. A…

[Epidemiology of Minamata Disease--Focus on the Clinical Features Related to the 1977 Diagnostic Criteria].

PubMed

Futatsuka, Makoto

2015-01-01

Large-scale food poisoning caused by methylmercury was identified in Minamata, Japan, in the 1950s (Minamata Disease). Although the diagnostic criteria for the disease was controversial and difficult during that time, we, the Kumamoto University Study Group, carried out a large-scale study to assess the clinical features in 1972-1973. The author tried to reassess the results of that study to appraise the diagnostic criteria established in 1977 on the basis of those results. A substantial number of residents in the exposed area exhibited neurologic signs, especially paresthesia of only the extremities, namely, the male residents of Minamata City showed a positive predictive value of 0.73 and a negative predictive value of 0.23. The relative risks of paresthesia only were 2.6 (2.0-3.3) and 1.2 (0.9-1.5), in Minamata and Goshonoura related to Ariake (control), respectively. At least until 1977, the diagnostic criteria remained valid, although it was inadequate. Nevertheless, presently, a follow-up study of the certified patients may lead to the development of efficient new diagnostic criteria.

Social media fingerprints of unemployment.

PubMed

Llorente, Alejandro; Garcia-Herranz, Manuel; Cebrian, Manuel; Moro, Esteban

2015-01-01

Recent widespread adoption of electronic and pervasive technologies has enabled the study of human behavior at an unprecedented level, uncovering universal patterns underlying human activity, mobility, and interpersonal communication. In the present work, we investigate whether deviations from these universal patterns may reveal information about the socio-economical status of geographical regions. We quantify the extent to which deviations in diurnal rhythm, mobility patterns, and communication styles across regions relate to their unemployment incidence. For this we examine a country-scale publicly articulated social media dataset, where we quantify individual behavioral features from over 19 million geo-located messages distributed among more than 340 different Spanish economic regions, inferred by computing communities of cohesive mobility fluxes. We find that regions exhibiting more diverse mobility fluxes, earlier diurnal rhythms, and more correct grammatical styles display lower unemployment rates. As a result, we provide a simple model able to produce accurate, easily interpretable reconstruction of regional unemployment incidence from their social-media digital fingerprints alone. Our results show that cost-effective economical indicators can be built based on publicly-available social media datasets.

Social Media Fingerprints of Unemployment

PubMed Central

Llorente, Alejandro; Garcia-Herranz, Manuel; Cebrian, Manuel; Moro, Esteban

2015-01-01

Recent widespread adoption of electronic and pervasive technologies has enabled the study of human behavior at an unprecedented level, uncovering universal patterns underlying human activity, mobility, and interpersonal communication. In the present work, we investigate whether deviations from these universal patterns may reveal information about the socio-economical status of geographical regions. We quantify the extent to which deviations in diurnal rhythm, mobility patterns, and communication styles across regions relate to their unemployment incidence. For this we examine a country-scale publicly articulated social media dataset, where we quantify individual behavioral features from over 19 million geo-located messages distributed among more than 340 different Spanish economic regions, inferred by computing communities of cohesive mobility fluxes. We find that regions exhibiting more diverse mobility fluxes, earlier diurnal rhythms, and more correct grammatical styles display lower unemployment rates. As a result, we provide a simple model able to produce accurate, easily interpretable reconstruction of regional unemployment incidence from their social-media digital fingerprints alone. Our results show that cost-effective economical indicators can be built based on publicly-available social media datasets. PMID:26020628

The curious case of SN 2011dn: A very peculiar type Ia supernova?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rachubo, Alisa

Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia) are excellent cosmological distance indicators due to the uniformity in their light curves, which led to the major discovery of the accelerated expansion of the universe. However, SNe Ia are not so uniform as one may expect, as there are many peculiar SNe Ia that exhibit differences in their photometric and spectroscopic behavior from normal SNe Ia. One of the goals of supernova cosmology today is to produce a cleaner sample of SNe Ia without these peculiar SNe Ia. Here we consider SN 2011dn, a peculiar SN Ia candidate. In 2011, Salvo, et al. carried out a preliminary analysis of a subset of the data prescribed here, and identified spectral and photometric peculiarities in this object's evolution that warranted further analysis. Here, we present a complete re-reduction and reanalysis of B, V,R, and I photometry of SN 2011dn obtained at Mount Laguna Observatory, spanning from 7 days before maximum light in B to 88 days past maximum light. In addition, we also consider total flux spectra from 9 days before maximum light to 4 days after maximum light, along with ultraviolet (UV) photometry obtained with the Swift telescope. From SN 2011dn's optical spectra, we find that SN 2011dn most closely resembles a SN 1991T-like type Ia supernova ('91T-like SN Ia). Such SNe Ia are typically more luminous than normal SNe Ia, and possess broader (i.e., they decline less rapidly than normal from maximum light) light curves. Their Deltam15(B) (drop in B magnitude 15 days after maximum light) are typically significantly less than the canonical value of 1.1, and can be as low as 0.8. In the earlier preliminary analysis, Salvo et al. measured a surprisingly high Deltam15(B) value for SN 2011dn, of ˜ 1.1. Since SN 2011dn was embedded in UGC 11501 (its host galaxy), however, it is possible that some of the light from the host galaxy was included in the photometric aperture, resulting in inaccurate photometric measurements. Here, in order to better isolate the supernova light from its host galaxy, we employ galaxy-subtraction techniques to generate more precise light curves. From these data, we obtain an updated Deltam15( B) value of 1.01 +/- 0.02, which suggests that SN 2011dn is indeed slightly overluminous compared to normal SNe Ia, but perhaps not as overluminous as '91T-like SNe Ia. However, despite this apparent resolution of the spectral and photometric conflict, we find SN 2011dn to still exhibit some unique features. For instance, its near-maximum and especially its post-maximum spectra exhibit an unusually weak Si II lambda6355 feature, even considering that '91T-like SNe Ia spectra tend to have shallow silicon features. Furthermore, we find that SN 2011dn exhibits some unusual UV-optical color evolution, though its early-time UV excess may be linked to unburned carbon in SN 2011dn's ejecta, as indicated by the C III lambda4649 feature in its pre-maximum spectra. Altogether, after a careful reanalysis of the spectral and photometric properties of SN 2011dn, we classify it as slightly overluminous, with '91T-like pre-maximum and near-maximum spectra, but exhibiting some atypical features. SN 2011dn is not as peculiar as anticipated, but still has some characteristics that are unique to it.

Feature-based and statistical methods for analyzing the Deepwater Horizon oil spill with AVIRIS imagery

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rand, R.S.; Clark, R.N.; Livo, K.E.

2011-01-01

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill covered a very large geographical area in the Gulf of Mexico creating potentially serious environmental impacts on both marine life and the coastal shorelines. Knowing the oil's areal extent and thickness as well as denoting different categories of the oil's physical state is important for assessing these impacts. High spectral resolution data in hyperspectral imagery (HSI) sensors such as Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) provide a valuable source of information that can be used for analysis by semi-automatic methods for tracking an oil spill's areal extent, oil thickness, and oil categories. However, the spectral behavior of oil in water is inherently a highly non-linear and variable phenomenon that changes depending on oil thickness and oil/water ratios. For certain oil thicknesses there are well-defined absorption features, whereas for very thin films sometimes there are almost no observable features. Feature-based imaging spectroscopy methods are particularly effective at classifying materials that exhibit specific well-defined spectral absorption features. Statistical methods are effective at classifying materials with spectra that exhibit a considerable amount of variability and that do not necessarily exhibit well-defined spectral absorption features. This study investigates feature-based and statistical methods for analyzing oil spills using hyperspectral imagery. The appropriate use of each approach is investigated and a combined feature-based and statistical method is proposed.

Optical Peregrine rogue waves of self-induced transparency in a resonant erbium-doped fiber.

PubMed

Chen, Shihua; Ye, Yanlin; Baronio, Fabio; Liu, Yi; Cai, Xian-Ming; Grelu, Philippe

2017-11-27

The resonant interaction of an optical field with two-level doping ions in a cryogenic optical fiber is investigated within the framework of nonlinear Schrödinger and Maxwell-Bloch equations. We present explicit fundamental rational rogue wave solutions in the context of self-induced transparency for the coupled optical and matter waves. It is exhibited that the optical wave component always features a typical Peregrine-like structure, while the matter waves involve more complicated yet spatiotemporally balanced amplitude distribution. The existence and stability of these rogue waves is then confirmed by numerical simulations, and they are shown to be excited amid the onset of modulation instability. These solutions can also be extended, using the same analytical framework, to include higher-order dispersive and nonlinear effects, highlighting their universality.

Stennis hosts Space Day activities at USM

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-17

Fallon Nettles (left), an Astro Camp counselor at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, assists a young fan attending the University of Southern Mississippi football game in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Oct. 17 in launching a balloon 'rocket.' Prior to the game, Stennis Space Center hosted hands-on activities and exhibits for families as part of its first-ever Space Day at USM. The activities were versions of those featured in the daylong and weeklong Astro Camp sessions sponsored by Stennis throughout each year. Stennis Space Center is located in nearby Hancock County and is the nation's premier rocket engine testing facility. The USM activities were part of Stennis' ongoing effort to educate people about the NASA mission and to introduce children and young people to space and space exploration.

Probiotic Bacteria Induce a ‘Glow of Health’

PubMed Central

Smillie, Christopher; Varian, Bernard J.; Ibrahim, Yassin M.; Lakritz, Jessica R.; Alm, Eric J.; Erdman, Susan E.

2013-01-01

Radiant skin and hair are universally recognized as indications of good health. However, this ‘glow of health’ display remains poorly understood. We found that feeding of probiotic bacteria to aged mice induced integumentary changes mimicking peak health and reproductive fitness characteristic of much younger animals. Eating probiotic yogurt triggered epithelial follicular anagen-phase shift with sebocytogenesis resulting in thick lustrous fur due to a bacteria-triggered interleukin-10-dependent mechanism. Aged male animals eating probiotics exhibited increased subcuticular folliculogenesis, when compared with matched controls, yielding luxuriant fur only in probiotic-fed subjects. Female animals displayed probiotic-induced hyperacidity coinciding with shinier hair, a feature that also aligns with fertility in human females. Together these data provide insights into mammalian evolution and novel strategies for integumentary health. PMID:23342023

Stennis hosts Space Day activities at USM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2009-01-01

Fallon Nettles (left), an Astro Camp counselor at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center, assists a young fan attending the University of Southern Mississippi football game in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Oct. 17 in launching a balloon 'rocket.' Prior to the game, Stennis Space Center hosted hands-on activities and exhibits for families as part of its first-ever Space Day at USM. The activities were versions of those featured in the daylong and weeklong Astro Camp sessions sponsored by Stennis throughout each year. Stennis Space Center is located in nearby Hancock County and is the nation's premier rocket engine testing facility. The USM activities were part of Stennis' ongoing effort to educate people about the NASA mission and to introduce children and young people to space and space exploration.

KSC-99pp0406

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the grand opening of the newly expanded KSC Visitor Complex, Center Director Roy Bridges presents Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks with a plaque, NASA jacket and hat. Brooks narrates the new film Quest for Life at the Visitor Center. Brooks was recognized for his contribution to advancing the public's understanding of NASA and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. The Complex now includes an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks, a new foyer, films, and exhibits. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

KSC-99pp0405

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-08

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. -- At the grand opening of the newly expanded KSC Visitor Complex, Center Director Roy Bridges presents Deep Space Nine star Avery Brooks with a plaque, recognizing his contribution to advancing the public's understanding of NASA and the search for life elsewhere in the universe. Brooks narrates the new film Quest for Life at the Visitor Center. The $ 13 million addition to the Visitor Complex now includes an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks, a new information center, films, and exhibits. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Agricultural Research & Education: Serving the Nation. A University Science and Education Exhibit on Capitol Hill, March 2, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, Washington, DC.

The brochure describes an agricultural science and education exhibition presented by the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges in a Cannon House office building in Washington, DC on March 2, 1999. It gives background information on: three areas in which scientific research and education in the agricultural sciences…

Inuit Perspectives on Arctic Environmental Change': A Traveling Exhibition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheffield, E. M.; Hakala, J. S.; Gearheard, S.

2006-12-01

The Inuit of Nunavut, Canada, have an intimate relationship with their surroundings. As a culture that relies on knowledge of sea ice, snow, and weather conditions for success in hunting, fishing, and healthy wellbeing, Inuit have observed and studied environmental patterns for generations. An ongoing study into their traditional knowledge and their observations of environmental change is being conducted by researcher Dr. Shari Gearheard, who has worked with Inuit communities in Nunavut for over a decade. The results of the research have been published in scientific journals, and to communicate the results to a broader audience, Dr. Gearheard designed an interactive CD-ROM displaying photographs, maps, and interview videos of Inuit Elders' perspectives on the changes they have witnessed. Receiving immediate popularity since its release in 2004, copies of `When the Weather is Uggianaqtuq: Inuit Observations of Environmental Change' have been distributed worldwide, to indigenous peoples, social science and climate change researchers, teachers, students, and the general public. To further disseminate the information contained on the CD-ROM, the National Snow and Ice Data Center and the Museum of Natural History, both of the University of Colorado, are partnering to create an exhibition which will open at the Museum during the International Polar Year in April 2008. The exhibit, tentatively titled `Inuit Perspectives on Arctic Environmental Change,' will feature photographs, graphics, and text in both English and Inuktitut describing environmental change in the North. The goals are to make the information and interpretation contained on the CD-ROM available and more accessible to a broad audience and to raise awareness about Arctic climate change and the important contribution of Inuit knowledge. Following exhibition at the Museum, the exhibit will travel throughout the United States, Alaska, and Nunavut, through a network of museums, schools, libraries, tribal colleges and community centers.

H I absorption in nearby compact radio galaxies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glowacki, M.; Allison, J. R.; Sadler, E. M.; Moss, V. A.; Curran, S. J.; Musaeva, A.; Deng, C.; Parry, R.; Sligo, M. C.

2017-05-01

H I absorption studies yield information on both active galactic nucleus (AGN) feeding and feedback processes. This AGN activity interacts with the neutral gas in compact radio sources, which are believed to represent the young or recently re-triggered AGN population. We present the results of a survey for H I absorption in a sample of 66 compact radio sources at 0.040 < z < 0.096 with the Australia Telescope Compact Array. In total, we obtained seven detections, five of which are new, with a large range of peak optical depths (3-87 per cent). Of the detections, 71 per cent exhibit asymmetric, broad (ΔvFWHM > 100 km s-1) features, indicative of disturbed gas kinematics. Such broad, shallow and offset features are also found within low-excitation radio galaxies which is attributed to disturbed circumnuclear gas, consistent with early-type galaxies typically devoid of a gas-rich disc. Comparing mid-infrared colours of our galaxies with H I detections indicates that narrow and deep absorption features are preferentially found in late-type and high-excitation radio galaxies in our sample. These features are attributed to gas in galactic discs. By combining XMM-Newton archival data with 21-cm data, we find support that absorbed X-ray sources may be good tracers of H I content within the host galaxy. This sample extends previous H I surveys in compact radio galaxies to lower radio luminosities and provides a basis for future work exploring the higher redshift universe.

Modular and hierarchical structure of social contact networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ge, Yuanzheng; Song, Zhichao; Qiu, Xiaogang; Song, Hongbin; Wang, Yong

2013-10-01

Social contact networks exhibit overlapping qualities of communities, hierarchical structure and spatial-correlated nature. We propose a mixing pattern of modular and growing hierarchical structures to reconstruct social contact networks by using an individual’s geospatial distribution information in the real world. The hierarchical structure of social contact networks is defined based on the spatial distance between individuals, and edges among individuals are added in turn from the modular layer to the highest layer. It is a gradual process to construct the hierarchical structure: from the basic modular model up to the global network. The proposed model not only shows hierarchically increasing degree distribution and large clustering coefficients in communities, but also exhibits spatial clustering features of individual distributions. As an evaluation of the method, we reconstruct a hierarchical contact network based on the investigation data of a university. Transmission experiments of influenza H1N1 are carried out on the generated social contact networks, and results show that the constructed network is efficient to reproduce the dynamic process of an outbreak and evaluate interventions. The reproduced spread process exhibits that the spatial clustering of infection is accordant with the clustering of network topology. Moreover, the effect of individual topological character on the spread of influenza is analyzed, and the experiment results indicate that the spread is limited by individual daily contact patterns and local clustering topology rather than individual degree.

The Influence of Universities' Organizational Features on Professorial Intellectual Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uslu, Baris; Welch, Anthony

2018-01-01

This research examines the intellectual leadership behaviours of senior academics at professoriate level, and the influences of institutional support practices, climate and communication in universities as main organizational features on these behaviours. To explore relations among research variables, qualitative data were collected by interviews…

Awesome Universe: an exhibition with images that showcase celestial objects as seen by ESO's observatories and associated activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin-Farrona, A. M.

2015-05-01

In September 2013, an ESO exhibition was shown in Santander: ``Awesome Universe -- the Cosmos through the eyes of the European Southern Observatory". Around the exhibition, were proposed several activities: guide tours for children, younger and adults, workshops, film projections... In this way, the exhibition was visited by more than two thousand persons. We must keep in mind that Santander is a small city and its population does not usually take part in outreach activity. With this contribution, we want to teach the way in which it is possible to take advantage of science exhibitions. It made possible to show stunning images that showcase celestial objects as seen by ESO's observatories to the great majority of Santander population, and to awaken their interest in or enthusiasm for science.

Damage-free patterning of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate thin films for microelectromechanical systems via contact printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsh, Aaron

This thesis describes the utilization and optimization of the soft lithographic technique, microcontact printing, to additively pattern ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films for application in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). For this purpose, the solution wetting, pattern transfer, printing dynamics, stamp/substrate configurations, and processing damages were optimized for incorporation of PZT thin films into a bio-mass sensor application. This patterning technique transfers liquid ceramic precursors onto a device stack in a desired configuration either through pattern definition in the stamp, substrate or both surfaces. It was determined that for ideal transfer of the pattern from the stamp to the substrate surface, wetting between the solution and the printing surface is paramount. To this end, polyurethane-based stamp surfaces were shown to be wet uniformly by polar solutions. Patterned stamp surfaces revealed that printing from raised features onto flat substrates could be accomplished with a minimum feature size of 5 mum. Films patterned by printing as a function of thickness (0.1 to 1 mum) showed analogous functional properties to continuous films that were not patterned. Specifically, 1 mum thick PZT printed features had a relative permittivity of 1050 +/- 10 and a loss tangent of 2.0 +/- 0.4 % at 10 kHz; remanent polarization was 30 +/- 0.4 muC/cm 2 and the coercive field was 45 +/- 1 kV/cm; and a piezoelectric coefficient e31,f of -7 +/- 0.4 C/m2. No pinching in the minor hysteresis loops or splitting of the first order reversal curve (FORC) distributions was observed. Non-uniform distribution of the solution over the printed area becomes more problematic as feature size is decreased. This resulted in solutions printed from 5 mum wide raised features exhibiting a parabolic shape with sidewall angles of ˜ 1 degree. As an alternative, printing solutions from recesses in the stamp surface resulted in more uniform solution thickness transfer across the entire feature widths, with increased sidewall angles of ˜ 35 degrees. This was at the cost of degrading line edge definition from ˜ 200 nm to ˜ 500 nm. The loss of line edge definition was mitigated through the combined use of printing from stamp recesses onto raised substrate features. This allowed for printing of PZT features down to 1 mum wide. Solutions could also be transferred onto both fixed and free standing cantilever structures patterned into a substrate surface. Optimization of the stamp removal from the substrate was crucial in increasing sidewall angles of printed PZT films. It was determined that solutions gel once deposited onto the stamp before printing. As a result, printed films could not redistribute easily after transfer had occurred. Through a combination of varying peeling directions and peeling rates, it was possible to deposit thin film PZT on a pre patterned feature ˜ 1 mum wide with sidewall angles > 80 degrees. These printing techniques were utilized in printing a 250 nm thick 30/70 PZT onto prepatterned cantilever structures for use in a bio-functionalized, mass sensing resonating structure in collaboration with a bio-nanoelectromechincal sensing research group from the University of Toulouse, France. The features ranged in lateral size from 30 down to 1 mum. The printed devices exhibited a relative permittivity of 500 +/- 10 and a loss tangent of 0.9 +/- 0.1 %. The hysteresis loops were well formed, without pinching of the loops, and exhibited remanent polarizations of 24 +/- 0.5 muC/cm2, and coercive fields of 110 +/- 1 kV/cm. Dry etched features of the same size and thickness displayed a relative permittivity of 445 +/- 8 and a loss tangent of 0.9 +/- 0.1 %. The hysteresis loops exhibited pinched loops with remanent polarizations of 24 +/- 0.7 muC/cm2, and coercive fields of 112 +/- 2 kV/cm. Upon cycling, the dry etched films developed a 20 kV/cm imprint with reduced remanent polarizations to 20.5 +/- 0.5 muC/cm2 .

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex includes a new International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. Other additions are a new information center, a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex includes a new International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. Other additions are the new information center, a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

A host robot, Starquester 2000, helps describe for visitors the accomplishments of unsung space heroes - space probes - and their role in space exploration. The walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit is part of the $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex. Other additions include a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater, plus an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. Inaugurated three decades ago, the Visitor Complex is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Epistemic Levels in Argument: An Analysis of University Oceanography Students' Use of Evidence in Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Gregory J.; Takao, Allison

2002-01-01

Examines university oceanography students' use of evidence in writing considering the relative epistemic status of propositions comprising student' written texts. Defines the epistemic levels by discipline-specific geological constructs from descriptions of data, to identification of features, to relational aspects of features, to theoretical…

Trends and Features of Student Research Integration in Educational Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grinenko, Svetlana; Makarova, Elena; Andreassen, John-Erik

2016-01-01

This study examines trends and features of student research integration in educational program during international cooperation between Østfold University College in Norway and Southern Federal University in Russia. According to research and education approach the international project is aimed to use four education models, which linked student…

Aggressive television ad campaign for Cooper University Hospital features hometown celebrity.

PubMed

2006-01-01

Cooper University Hospital in Camden, NJ, features an extensive ambulatory care network that includes practice sites across eight counties of Southern New Jersey. Recently, the hospital worked with Willing Strategic Advertising to produce an award-winning television advertising campaign endorsed by New Jersey-born TV personality, Kelly Ripa.

Evaluating Experience-Based Geologic Field Instruction: Lessons Learned from A Large-Scale Eye-Tracking Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tarduno, J. A.; Walders, K.; Bono, R. K.; Pelz, J.; Jacobs, R.

2015-12-01

A course centered on experience-based learning in field geology has been offered ten times at the University of Rochester. The centerpiece of the course is a 10-day field excursion to California featuring a broad cross-section of the geology of the state, from the San Andreas Fault to Death Valley. Here we describe results from a large-scale eye-tracking experiment aimed at understanding how experts and novices acquire visual geologic information. One ultimate goal of the project is to determine whether expert gaze patterns can be quantified to improve the instruction of beginning geology students. Another goal is to determine if aspects of the field experience can be transferred to the classroom/laboratory. Accordingly, ultra-high resolution segmented panoramic images have been collected at key sites visited during the field excursion. We have found that strict controls are needed in the field to obtain meaningful data; this often involves behavior atypical of geologists (e.g. limiting the field of view prior to data collection and placing time limits on scene viewing). Nevertheless some general conclusions can be made from a select data set. After an initial quick search, experts tend to exhibit scanning behavior that appears to support hypothesis testing. Novice fixations appear to define a scattered search pattern and/or one distracted by geologic noise in a scene. Noise sources include modern erosion features and vegetation. One way to quantify noise is through the use of saliency maps. With the caveat that our expert data set is small, our preliminary analysis suggests that experts tend to exhibit top-down behavior (indicating hypothesis driven responses) whereas novices show bottom-up gaze patterns, influenced by more salient features in a scene. We will present examples and discuss how these observations might be used to improve instruction.

NASA Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach: Engaging Educators and Students in Exploring the Cosmic Frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, Brandon L.; Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Smith, Denise Anne; Jirdeh, Hussein; Summers, Frank; Darnell, John T.; Ryer, Holly

2015-08-01

NASA’s Frontier Fields is an ambitious three-year Great Observatories program that will expand our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution in the early universe. The program includes six deep-field observations of strong-lensing galaxy clusters that will be taken in parallel with six deep “blank fields.” The observations allow astronomers to look deeper into the universe than ever before, and potentially uncover galaxies that are as much as 100 times fainter than what the telescopes can typically observe. The Frontier Fields science program is ideal for informing audiences about scientific advances and topics in STEM. The study of galaxy properties, statistics, optics, and Einstein’s theory of general relativity naturally leverages off of the science returns of the Frontier Fields program. As a result, the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach (OPO) has initiated an E/PO project to follow the progress of the Frontier Fields.For over two decades, the Hubble E/PO program has sought to bring the wonders of the universe to the education community, the youth, and the public, and engage audiences in the adventure of scientific discovery. Program components include standards-based curriculum-support materials, exhibits and exhibit components, professional development workshops, and direct interactions with scientists. We are also leveraging our new social media strategy to bring the science program to the public in the form of an ongoing blog. The main underpinnings of the program’s infrastructure are scientist-educator development teams, partnerships, and an embedded program evaluation component. OPO is leveraging this existing infrastructure to bring the Frontier Fields science program to the education community and the public in a cost-effective way.This talk features the goals and current status of the Frontier Fields E/PO program, with a particular emphasis on our education goals and achievements. We also highlight OPO’s strategies and infrastructure which allows for the quick delivery of groundbreaking science to the education community and public.

Enhancing the passing moments: An educational criticism of family visits to an early childhood science exhibition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Munroe, Elizabeth Ann

This educational criticism describes and interprets the nature of family visits to an early childhood science exhibition, Working Wonders, at The Science Centre in Calgary, Alberta. The specific exhibits are described and features that contributed to exhibit popularity are examined. Examples of visitors' interactions with each exhibit are given. The visit experiences of four families are described in detail and analyzed. Typical family visitors' reactions, expectations, and experiences are summarized. Because one of the mutual expectations of the granting agency, The Science Centre, and the adult visitors was that a visit to the exhibition would be educational, the family visits are examined for instances of learning and analyzed to determine the factors that influenced the learning. Constructivism forms the basis for understanding the process of learning during family visits. The analysis is supported by reference to research from the fields of museum studies, education, and environmental design. The analysis of the educational significance and potential of family visits to an early childhood exhibition leads to the conclusion that specific features may facilitate learning in such an environment. Those features are represented in a set of guidelines for the development and evaluation of early childhood exhibitions. The guidelines suggest attention must be given to the ambience of the space, the general layout of the space, the exhibits, the copy and graphics, additional programs and information, the subtle influences of the building and the staff, and the learning processes of young children, adults, and intergenerational groups. The guidelines suggest specific issues to consider to develop a space that is stimulating and memorable, responsive to the needs of the two distinct visitor groups (young children and adults), and conducive to learning.

Dynamical features of an anisotropic cosmological model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, B.; Tarai, Sankarsan; Tripathy, S. K.

2018-04-01

The dynamical features of Bianchi type VI_h (BVI_h) universe are investigated in f(R, T) theory of gravity. The field equations and the physical properties of the model are derived considering a power law expansion of the universe. The effect of anisotropy on the dynamics of the universe as well as on the energy conditions are studied. The assumed anisotropy of the model is found to have substantial effects on the energy conditions and dynamical parameters.

76 FR 40419 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Prints and the Pursuit of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-08

... Modern Europe,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural... also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Harvard Art Museums... Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, from on or about January 17, 2012, until on...

GENDER ROLE AND PERSONALITY DISORDERS

PubMed Central

Klonsky, E. David; Jane, J. Serrita; Turkheimer, Eric; Oltmanns, Thomas F.

2015-01-01

Many researchers have hypothesized relationships between personality disorders and gender role (i.e., masculinity and femininity). However, research has not addressed if people who are masculine or feminine more often meet the criteria for personality disorders. The present study examined whether college students (N = 665, 60% women) higher in masculinity or femininity more often exhibited features of the 10 DSM-IV personality disorders. Feminine men exhibited more features of all the personality disorders except antisocial. Dependent traits were associated with higher femininity and lower masculinity. Antisocial traits were associated with masculinity. Both men and women who typically behaved consistent with their gender had more narcissistic and histrionic features, whereas participants who typically behaved unlike their gender had more features of the Cluster A personality disorders. PMID:12489312

Exotic singularities and spatially curved loop quantum cosmology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singh, Parampreet; Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street North, Waterloo, Ontario N2L 2Y5; Vidotto, Francesca

2011-03-15

We investigate the occurrence of various exotic spacelike singularities in the past and the future evolution of k={+-}1 Friedmann-Robertson-Walker model and loop quantum cosmology using a sufficiently general phenomenological model for the equation of state. We highlight the nontrivial role played by the intrinsic curvature for these singularities and the new physics which emerges at the Planck scale. We show that quantum gravity effects generically resolve all strong curvature singularities including big rip and big freeze singularities. The weak singularities, which include sudden and big brake singularities, are ignored by quantum gravity when spatial curvature is negative, as was previouslymore » found for the spatially flat model. Interestingly, for the spatially closed model there exist cases where weak singularities may be resolved when they occur in the past evolution. The spatially closed model exhibits another novel feature. For a particular class of equation of state, this model also exhibits an additional physical branch in loop quantum cosmology, a baby universe separated from the parent branch. Our analysis generalizes previous results obtained on the resolution of strong curvature singularities in flat models to isotropic spacetimes with nonzero spatial curvature.« less

Impacts of a documentary on the daily lives of mothers and children with disabilities: an analysis of cine debates.

PubMed

Cavalcante, Fátima Gonçalves; Lau, Luciana Ferreira; Barbosa, Gabriella Ferrarese; Berlim, Daniela Lima Gomes; Menezes, Natasha Coelho; Braga, Daniela de Carvalho; Amorim, Annibal Coelho de; Amorim, Yuri Cavalcante

2016-10-01

The article analyzes the impact of a documentary on the daily lives of mothers and children with disabilities, exhibited at conferences, festivals, universities and schools in Brazil, Colombia and Japan. Produced by film and health professionals, social scientists and a women's network, the feature film "A special day" was awarded at Assim Vivemos VI International Disability Film Festival (2013-2014). The objective is to analyze the impact of the film and its diffusion among professionals and students from health and education areas. We adopted a methodology of cine debates that were recorded, transcribed and coded. The circuit toured 22 locations with one or more exhibitions for 3.370 people, of which nine presentations were analyzed. Our interpretations were guided by the notions as life account, biographical pact, imaginary and social representation. We analyzed gender issues, family and maternal care; reactions, adaptations and life after the diagnosis of disabilities; discrimination and prejudice; school and inclusion. The study showed that the communicative and expressive power of film becomes a powerful social technology to address gender, maternity and disability as an important and strategic issue for public health in the country.

Spontaneous neuronal activity as a self-organized critical phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Arcangelis, L.; Herrmann, H. J.

2013-01-01

Neuronal avalanches are a novel mode of activity in neuronal networks, experimentally found in vitro and in vivo, and exhibit a robust critical behaviour. Avalanche activity can be modelled within the self-organized criticality framework, including threshold firing, refractory period and activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. The size and duration distributions confirm that the system acts in a critical state, whose scaling behaviour is very robust. Next, we discuss the temporal organization of neuronal avalanches. This is given by the alternation between states of high and low activity, named up and down states, leading to a balance between excitation and inhibition controlled by a single parameter. During these periods both the single neuron state and the network excitability level, keeping memory of past activity, are tuned by homeostatic mechanisms. Finally, we verify if a system with no characteristic response can ever learn in a controlled and reproducible way. Learning in the model occurs via plastic adaptation of synaptic strengths by a non-uniform negative feedback mechanism. Learning is a truly collective process and the learning dynamics exhibits universal features. Even complex rules can be learned provided that the plastic adaptation is sufficiently slow.

Unsupervised Learning and Pattern Recognition of Biological Data Structures with Density Functional Theory and Machine Learning.

PubMed

Chen, Chien-Chang; Juan, Hung-Hui; Tsai, Meng-Yuan; Lu, Henry Horng-Shing

2018-01-11

By introducing the methods of machine learning into the density functional theory, we made a detour for the construction of the most probable density function, which can be estimated by learning relevant features from the system of interest. Using the properties of universal functional, the vital core of density functional theory, the most probable cluster numbers and the corresponding cluster boundaries in a studying system can be simultaneously and automatically determined and the plausibility is erected on the Hohenberg-Kohn theorems. For the method validation and pragmatic applications, interdisciplinary problems from physical to biological systems were enumerated. The amalgamation of uncharged atomic clusters validated the unsupervised searching process of the cluster numbers and the corresponding cluster boundaries were exhibited likewise. High accurate clustering results of the Fisher's iris dataset showed the feasibility and the flexibility of the proposed scheme. Brain tumor detections from low-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging datasets and segmentations of high-dimensional neural network imageries in the Brainbow system were also used to inspect the method practicality. The experimental results exhibit the successful connection between the physical theory and the machine learning methods and will benefit the clinical diagnoses.

Early development of turn-taking with parents shapes vocal acoustics in infant marmoset monkeys

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Daniel Y.; Fenley, Alicia R.; Ghazanfar, Asif A.

2016-01-01

In humans, vocal turn-taking is a ubiquitous form of social interaction. It is a communication system that exhibits the properties of a dynamical system: two individuals become coupled to each other via acoustic exchanges and mutually affect each other. Human turn-taking develops during the first year of life. We investigated the development of vocal turn-taking in infant marmoset monkeys, a New World species whose adult vocal behaviour exhibits the same universal features of human turn-taking. We find that marmoset infants undergo the same trajectory of change for vocal turn-taking as humans, and do so during the same life-history stage. Our data show that turn-taking by marmoset infants depends on the development of self-monitoring, and that contingent parental calls elicit more mature-sounding calls from infants. As in humans, there was no evidence that parental feedback affects the rate of turn-taking maturation. We conclude that vocal turn-taking by marmoset monkeys and humans is an instance of convergent evolution, possibly as a result of pressures on both species to adopt a cooperative breeding strategy and increase volubility. PMID:27069047

YSAR: a compact low-cost synthetic aperture radar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Douglas G.; Arnold, David V.; Long, David G.; Miner, Gayle F.; Karlinsey, Thomas W.; Robertson, Adam E.

1997-09-01

The Brigham Young University Synthetic Aperture Radar (YSAR) is a compact, inexpensive SAR system which can be flown on a small aircraft. The system has exhibited a resolution of approximately 0.8 m by 0.8 m in test flights in calm conditions. YSAR has been used to collect data over archeological sites in Israel. Using a relatively low frequency (2.1 GHz), we hope to be able to identify walls or other archeological features to assist in excavation. A large data set of radar and photographic data have been collected over sites at Tel Safi, Qumran, Tel Micnah, and the Zippori National Forest in Israel. We show sample images from the archeological data. We are currently working on improved autofocus algorithms for this data and are developing a small, low-cost interferometric SAR system (YINSAR) for operation from a small aircraft.

Formation of complex bacterial colonies via self-generated vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czirók, András; Ben-Jacob, Eshel; Cohen, Inon; Vicsek, Tamás

1996-08-01

Depending on the environmental conditions bacterial colonies growing on agar surfaces can exhibit complex colony formation and various types of collective motion. Experimental results are presented concerning the hydrodynamics (vortices, migration of bacteria in clusters) and colony formation of a morphotype of Bacillus subtilis. Some of these features are not specific to this morphotype but also have been observed in several other bacterial strains, suggesting the presence of universal effects. A simple model of self-propelled particles is proposed, which is capable of describing the hydrodynamics on the intermediate level, including the experimentally observed rotating disks of bacteria. The colony formation is captured by a complex generic model taking into account nutrient diffusion, reproduction, and sporulation of bacteria, extracellular slime deposition, chemoregulation, and inhomogeneous population. Our model also sheds light on some possible biological benefits of this ``multicellular behavior.''

Polar Science Weekend: A University / Science Center Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stern, H. L.; Moritz, R. E.; Lettvin, E.; Schatz, D.; Russell, L.

2008-12-01

Polar Science Weekend (PSW) is a four-day event featuring hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and a variety of exhibits about the polar regions and current polar research, presented by scientists from the University of Washington's Polar Science Center, and held at Seattle's Pacific Science Center. PSW was conceived and organized jointly by the Polar Science Center and Pacific Science Center, which is Washington State's most well-attended museum. The first PSW in March 2006 drew over 5000 visitors, and subsequent PSWs in 2007 and 2008 have both surpassed that figure. The success of this university / science center partnership has made PSW an annual event, and has served as a model for Pacific Science Center's Portal to the Public program, in which partnerships with other scientific institutions have been built. Researchers at the Polar Science Center (PSC) study the physical processes controlling high-latitude oceans, atmosphere, sea ice, and ice sheets, and are involved in numerous IPY projects. PSC scientists also engage in many outreach efforts such as classroom visits and public lectures, but PSW stands out as the highlight of the year. The partnership with Pacific Science Center brings access to facilities, publicity, and a large audience that would not otherwise be readily available to PSC. Pacific Science Center, constructed for the 1962 World's Fair in Seattle, serves more than one million visitors per year. Pacific Science Center's mission is to inspire a lifelong interest in science, math and technology by engaging diverse communities through interactive and innovative exhibits and programs. PSW helps to advance this mission by bringing students, teachers, and families face-to-face with scientists who work in some of the most remote and challenging places on earth, to learn first-hand about polar research in a fun and informal setting. This is made possible only by the partnership with PSC. In this talk we will present descriptions and photos of PSW activities and exhibits such as Smashing Ice, Glacier Flow, and the Salinity Taste Test. We will also discuss the organizational effort behind PSW, including the recruiting of volunteers and sponsors, publicity, and funding. Finally, we will comment on the elements that make for a successful collaboration. PSW 2009 is scheduled for February 26 through March 1. For more information, visit http://psc.apl.washington.edu/psw/.

Master equation for She-Leveque scaling and its classification in terms of other Markov models of developed turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nickelsen, Daniel

2017-07-01

The statistics of velocity increments in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence exhibit universal features in the limit of infinite Reynolds numbers. After Kolmogorov’s scaling law from 1941, many turbulence models aim for capturing these universal features, some are known to have an equivalent formulation in terms of Markov processes. We derive the Markov process equivalent to the particularly successful scaling law postulated by She and Leveque. The Markov process is a jump process for velocity increments u(r) in scale r in which the jumps occur randomly but with deterministic width in u. From its master equation we establish a prescription to simulate the She-Leveque process and compare it with Kolmogorov scaling. To put the She-Leveque process into the context of other established turbulence models on the Markov level, we derive a diffusion process for u(r) using two properties of the Navier-Stokes equation. This diffusion process already includes Kolmogorov scaling, extended self-similarity and a class of random cascade models. The fluctuation theorem of this Markov process implies a ‘second law’ that puts a loose bound on the multipliers of the random cascade models. This bound explicitly allows for instances of inverse cascades, which are necessary to satisfy the fluctuation theorem. By adding a jump process to the diffusion process, we go beyond Kolmogorov scaling and formulate the most general scaling law for the class of Markov processes having both diffusion and jump parts. This Markov scaling law includes She-Leveque scaling and a scaling law derived by Yakhot.

Patient Stratification Using Electronic Health Records from a Chronic Disease Management Program.

PubMed

Chen, Robert; Sun, Jimeng; Dittus, Robert S; Fabbri, Daniel; Kirby, Jacqueline; Laffer, Cheryl L; McNaughton, Candace D; Malin, Bradley

2016-01-04

The goal of this study is to devise a machine learning framework to assist care coordination programs in prognostic stratification to design and deliver personalized care plans and to allocate financial and medical resources effectively. This study is based on a de-identified cohort of 2,521 hypertension patients from a chronic care coordination program at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Patients were modeled as vectors of features derived from electronic health records (EHRs) over a six-year period. We applied a stepwise regression to identify risk factors associated with a decrease in mean arterial pressure of at least 2 mmHg after program enrollment. The resulting features were subsequently validated via a logistic regression classifier. Finally, risk factors were applied to group the patients through model-based clustering. We identified a set of predictive features that consisted of a mix of demographic, medication, and diagnostic concepts. Logistic regression over these features yielded an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.71 (95% CI: [0.67, 0.76]). Based on these features, four clinically meaningful groups are identified through clustering - two of which represented patients with more severe disease profiles, while the remaining represented patients with mild disease profiles. Patients with hypertension can exhibit significant variation in their blood pressure control status and responsiveness to therapy. Yet this work shows that a clustering analysis can generate more homogeneous patient groups, which may aid clinicians in designing and implementing customized care programs. The study shows that predictive modeling and clustering using EHR data can be beneficial for providing a systematic, generalized approach for care providers to tailor their management approach based upon patient-level factors.

Geospatial Analysis Using Remote Sensing Images: Case Studies of Zonguldak Test Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bayık, Çağlar; Topan, Hüseyin; Özendi, Mustafa; Oruç, Murat; Cam, Ali; Abdikan, Saygın

2016-06-01

Inclined topographies are one of the most challenging problems for geospatial analysis of air-borne and space-borne imageries. However, flat areas are mostly misleading to exhibit the real performance. For this reason, researchers generally require a study area which includes mountainous topography and various land cover and land use types. Zonguldak and its vicinity is a very suitable test site for performance investigation of remote sensing systems due to the fact that it contains different land use types such as dense forest, river, sea, urban area; different structures such as open pit mining operations, thermal power plant; and its mountainous structure. In this paper, we reviewed more than 120 proceeding papers and journal articles about geospatial analysis that are performed on the test field of Zonguldak and its surroundings. Geospatial analysis performed with imageries include elimination of systematic geometric errors, 2/3D georeferencing accuracy assessment, DEM and DSM generation and validation, ortho-image production, evaluation of information content, image classification, automatic feature extraction and object recognition, pan-sharpening, land use and land cover change analysis and deformation monitoring. In these applications many optical satellite images are used i.e. ASTER, Bilsat-1, IKONOS, IRS-1C, KOMPSAT-1, KVR-1000, Landsat-3-5-7, Orbview-3, QuickBird, Pleiades, SPOT-5, TK-350, RADARSAT-1, WorldView-1-2; as well as radar data i.e. JERS-1, Envisat ASAR, TerraSAR-X, ALOS PALSAR and SRTM. These studies are performed by Departments of Geomatics Engineering at Bülent Ecevit University, at İstanbul Technical University, at Yıldız Technical University, and Institute of Photogrammetry and GeoInformation at Leibniz University Hannover. These studies are financially supported by TÜBİTAK (Turkey), the Universities, ESA, Airbus DS, ERSDAC (Japan) and Jülich Research Centre (Germany).

Investigating the Cosmic Web with Topological Data Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cisewski-Kehe, Jessi; Wu, Mike; Fasy, Brittany; Hellwing, Wojciech; Lovell, Mark; Rinaldo, Alessandro; Wasserman, Larry

2018-01-01

Data exhibiting complicated spatial structures are common in many areas of science (e.g. cosmology, biology), but can be difficult to analyze. Persistent homology is a popular approach within the area of Topological Data Analysis that offers a new way to represent, visualize, and interpret complex data by extracting topological features, which can be used to infer properties of the underlying structures. In particular, TDA may be useful for analyzing the large-scale structure (LSS) of the Universe, which is an intricate and spatially complex web of matter. In order to understand the physics of the Universe, theoretical and computational cosmologists develop large-scale simulations that allow for visualizing and analyzing the LSS under varying physical assumptions. Each point in the 3D data set represents a galaxy or a cluster of galaxies, and topological summaries ("persistent diagrams") can be obtained summarizing the different ordered holes in the data (e.g. connected components, loops, voids).The topological summaries are interesting and informative descriptors of the Universe on their own, but hypothesis tests using the topological summaries would provide a way to make more rigorous comparisons of LSS under different theoretical models. For example, the received cosmological model has cold dark matter (CDM); however, while the case is strong for CDM, there are some observational inconsistencies with this theory. Another possibility is warm dark matter (WDM). It is of interest to see if a CDM Universe and WDM Universe produce LSS that is topologically distinct.We present several possible test statistics for two-sample hypothesis tests using the topological summaries, carryout a simulation study to investigate the suitableness of the proposed test statistics using simulated data from a variation of the Voronoi foam model, and finally we apply the proposed inference framework to WDM vs. CDM cosmological simulation data.

KSC-04PD-2201

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. Employees at KSC stroll among several tents featuring vendors exhibits of safety- and health-related products. The exhibits were part of Spaceport Super Safety and Health Day, which also featured presentations by guest speakers Dr. Pamela Peeke, Navy Com. Stephen E. Iwanowicz, NASAs Dr. Kristine Calderon and Olympic-great Bruce Jenner. Vendors exhibits were set up in the parking areas outside the Vehicle Assembly Building (seen here) and the O&C Building. The annual event was initiated at KSC in 1998 to increase awareness of the importance of safety and health among the government and contractor workforce. The theme for this years event was Safety and Health: A Winning Combination.

Astronomy's New Messengers: A traveling exhibit to reach out to a young adult audience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cavaglià, Marco; Hendry, Martin; Márka, Szabolcs; Reitze, David H.; Riles, Keith

2010-05-01

The Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory exhibit Astronomy's New Messengers: Listening to the Universe with Gravitational Waves is traveling to colleges, universities, museums and other public institutions throughout the United States. In 2010, an extended version of this exhibit will appear in a New York City venue that is accessible to a large and diverse cross section of the general public. Astronomy's New Messengers primarily communicates with an adolescent and young adult audience, potentially inspiring them into the field of science. Acknowledging that this audience is traditionally a difficult one to attract, the exhibit publicly announces itself in a charismatic fashion to reach its principal goals of broadening the community of people interested in science and encouraging interest in science among young people.

Redefining the Speed Limit of Phase Change Memory Revealed by Time-resolved Steep Threshold-Switching Dynamics of AgInSbTe Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Krishna Dayal; Saxena, Nishant; Durai, Suresh; Manivannan, Anbarasu

2016-11-01

Although phase-change memory (PCM) offers promising features for a ‘universal memory’ owing to high-speed and non-volatility, achieving fast electrical switching remains a key challenge. In this work, a correlation between the rate of applied voltage and the dynamics of threshold-switching is investigated at picosecond-timescale. A distinct characteristic feature of enabling a rapid threshold-switching at a critical voltage known as the threshold voltage as validated by an instantaneous response of steep current rise from an amorphous off to on state is achieved within 250 picoseconds and this is followed by a slower current rise leading to crystallization. Also, we demonstrate that the extraordinary nature of threshold-switching dynamics in AgInSbTe cells is independent to the rate of applied voltage unlike other chalcogenide-based phase change materials exhibiting the voltage dependent transient switching characteristics. Furthermore, numerical solutions of time-dependent conduction process validate the experimental results, which reveal the electronic nature of threshold-switching. These findings of steep threshold-switching of ‘sub-50 ps delay time’, opens up a new way for achieving high-speed non-volatile memory for mainstream computing.

Departures from the Friedmann-Lemaitre-Robertston-Walker Cosmological Model in an Inhomogeneous Universe: A Numerical Examination.

PubMed

Giblin, John T; Mertens, James B; Starkman, Glenn D

2016-06-24

While the use of numerical general relativity for modeling astrophysical phenomena and compact objects is commonplace, the application to cosmological scenarios is only just beginning. Here, we examine the expansion of a spacetime using the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formalism of numerical relativity in synchronous gauge. This work represents the first numerical cosmological study that is fully relativistic, nonlinear, and without symmetry. The universe that emerges exhibits an average Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) behavior; however, this universe also exhibits locally inhomogeneous expansion beyond that expected in linear perturbation theory around a FLRW background.

Designing Art Exhibitions in an Educational Virtual World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Julian, June; Crooks, Julian

2011-01-01

Demonstrating the multiple features of the Cerulean Gallery in Second Life, this research report showcases several exemplar exhibits created by students, artists, and museums. Located in The Educational Media Center, a Second Life teaching and social space, the Cerulean Gallery exhibits functioned as case studies that tested its effectiveness as…

The Role of Feature Type and Causal Status in 4-5-Year-Old Children's Biological Categorizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meunier, Benjamin; Cordier, Francoise

2009-01-01

The present study investigated the role of the causal status of features and feature type in biological categorizations by young children. Study 1 showed that 5-year-olds are more strongly influenced by causal features than effect features; 4-year-olds exhibit no such tendency. There therefore appears to be a conceptual change between the ages of…

Soft-lithography fabrication of microfluidic features using thiol-ene formulations.

PubMed

Ashley, John F; Cramer, Neil B; Davis, Robert H; Bowman, Christopher N

2011-08-21

In this work, a novel thiol-ene based photopolymerizable resin formulation was shown to exhibit highly desirable characteristics, such as low cure time and the ability to overcome oxygen inhibition, for the photolithographic fabrication of microfluidic devices. The feature fidelity, as well as various aspects of the feature shape and quality, were assessed as functions of various resin attributes, particularly the exposure conditions, initiator concentration and inhibitor to initiator ratio. An optical technique was utilized to evaluate the feature fidelity as well as the feature shape and quality. These results were used to optimize the thiol-ene resin formulation to produce high fidelity, high aspect ratio features without significant reductions in feature quality. For structures with aspect ratios below 2, little difference (<3%) in feature quality was observed between thiol-ene and acrylate based formulations. However, at higher aspect ratios, the thiol-ene resin exhibited significantly improved feature quality. At an aspect ratio of 8, raised feature quality for the thiol-ene resin was dramatically better than that achieved by using the acrylate resin. The use of the thiol-ene based resin enabled fabrication of a pinched-flow microfluidic device that has complex channel geometry, small (50 μm) channel dimensions, and high aspect ratio (14) features. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011

PACHE Trainee Spotlight: Roslyn Curry Featured on Thesis Thursday Radio Show

Cancer.gov

Roslyn Curry, a student at the University of Arizona (UA), was featured on a local radio program, Thesis Thursday, where she discussed her participation in the U54 PACHE Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention (NACP) as a research trainee in Dr. William Montfort’s Lab at the University of Arizona Cancer Cente

Dust That's Worth Keeping

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hazi, A

2006-01-25

Images taken of interstellar space often display a colorful canvas of portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Dispersed throughout the images are interstellar clouds of dust and gas--remnants ejected from stars and supernovae over billions and billions of years. For more than 40 years, astronomers have observed that interstellar dust exhibits a consistent effect at a spectral wavelength of 2,175 angstroms, the equivalent of 5.7 electronvolts in energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. At this wavelength, light from stars is absorbed by dust in the interstellar medium, blocking the stars light from reaching Earth. The 2,175-angstrom feature, which looks like a bumpmore » on spectra, is the strongest ultraviolet-visible light spectral signature of interstellar dust and is visible along nearly every observational line of sight. Scientists have sought to solve the mystery of what causes the 2,175-angstrom feature by reproducing the effect in the laboratory. They speculated a number of possibilities, including fullerenes (buckyballs), nanodiamonds, and even interstellar organisms. However, none of these materials fits the data for the unique spectral feature. Limitations in the energy and spatial resolution achievable with electron microscopes and ion microprobes--the two main instruments used to study samples of dust--have also prevented scientists from finding the answer. A collaborative effort led by Livermore physicist John Bradley and funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used a new-generation transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nanoscale ion microprobe to unlock the mystery. The Livermore group includes physicists Zu Rong Dai, Ian Hutcheon, Peter Weber, and Sasa Bajt and postdoctoral researchers Hope Ishii, Giles Graham, and Julie Smith. They collaborated with the University of California at Davis (UCD), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Washington University's Laboratory for Space Sciences in St. Louis, and NASA's Ames Research Center for their discovery. The team analyzed micrometer-size interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), each about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. Within the particles, they found carriers of the 2,175-angstrom feature: organic carbon mixed with amorphous silicates (glass with embedded metals and sulfides, GEMS), two of the most common materials in interstellar space. Ishii says, ''Organic carbon and amorphous silicates are abundant in interstellar dust clouds, and abundant carriers are needed to account for the frequent astronomical observation of the 2,175-angstrom feature. It makes sense that this ubiquitous feature would come from common materials in interstellar space''. The group's results increase scientific understanding of the starting materials for the formation of the Sun, solar system, and life on Earth.« less

Dust That's Worth Keeping

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazi, A.

2006-01-01

Images taken of interstellar space often display a colorful canvas of portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Dispersed throughout the images are interstellar clouds of dust and gas--remnants ejected from stars and supernovae over billions and billions of years. For more than 40 years, astronomers have observed that interstellar dust exhibits a consistent effect at a spectral wavelength of 2,175 angstroms, the equivalent of 5.7 electronvolts in energy on the electromagnetic spectrum. At this wavelength, light from stars is absorbed by dust in the interstellar medium, blocking the stars light from reaching Earth. The 2,175-angstrom feature, which looks like a bump on spectra, is the strongest ultraviolet-visible light spectral signature of interstellar dust and is visible along nearly every observational line of sight. Scientists have sought to solve the mystery of what causes the 2,175-angstrom feature by reproducing the effect in the laboratory. They speculated a number of possibilities, including fullerenes (buckyballs), nanodiamonds, and even interstellar organisms. However, none of these materials fits the data for the unique spectral feature. Limitations in the energy and spatial resolution achievable with electron microscopes and ion microprobes--the two main instruments used to study samples of dust--have also prevented scientists from finding the answer. A collaborative effort led by Livermore physicist John Bradley and funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has used a new-generation transmission electron microscope (TEM) and nanoscale ion microprobe to unlock the mystery. The Livermore group includes physicists Zu Rong Dai, Ian Hutcheon, Peter Weber, and Sasa Bajt and postdoctoral researchers Hope Ishii, Giles Graham, and Julie Smith. They collaborated with the University of California at Davis (UCD), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Washington University's Laboratory for Space Sciences in St. Louis, and NASA's Ames Research Center for their discovery. The team analyzed micrometer-size interplanetary dust particles (IDPs), each about one-tenth the diameter of a human hair. Within the particles, they found carriers of the 2,175-angstrom feature: organic carbon mixed with amorphous silicates (glass with embedded metals and sulfides, GEMS), two of the most common materials in interstellar space. Ishii says, 'Organic carbon and amorphous silicates are abundant in interstellar dust clouds, and abundant carriers are needed to account for the frequent astronomical observation of the 2,175-angstrom feature. It makes sense that this ubiquitous feature would come from common materials in interstellar space'. The group's results increase scientific understanding of the starting materials for the formation of the Sun, solar system, and life on Earth.

Scaling Theory of Entanglement at the Many-Body Localization Transition.

PubMed

Dumitrescu, Philipp T; Vasseur, Romain; Potter, Andrew C

2017-09-15

We study the universal properties of eigenstate entanglement entropy across the transition between many-body localized (MBL) and thermal phases. We develop an improved real space renormalization group approach that enables numerical simulation of large system sizes and systematic extrapolation to the infinite system size limit. For systems smaller than the correlation length, the average entanglement follows a subthermal volume law, whose coefficient is a universal scaling function. The full distribution of entanglement follows a universal scaling form, and exhibits a bimodal structure that produces universal subleading power-law corrections to the leading volume law. For systems larger than the correlation length, the short interval entanglement exhibits a discontinuous jump at the transition from fully thermal volume law on the thermal side, to pure area law on the MBL side.

Clinicopathological study of 81 cases of localized and systemic scleroderma.

PubMed

Succaria, F; Kurban, M; Kibbi, A-G; Abbas, O

2013-02-01

Scleroderma is a connective tissue disease that includes localized and systemic forms. Our recent encounter with a morphea case exhibiting prominent perineural inflammation microscopically prompted us to assess the features of all patients diagnosed with morphea/scleroderma at our institution. To describe the clinicopathological features of all patients diagnosed with morphea/scleroderma at American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUB-MC) between 1999 and 2010, and compare our findings with those published in the literature. A total of 81 cases (63 women and 18 men) were identified, of which 73 were localized (morphea) and eight were systemic scleroderma. Clinically, plaque type morphea was the most common variant both in adults and children, and seven (9%) cases of morphea were associated with lichen sclerosis et atrophicus (LSA). Histopathologically, perineural inflammation was observed in 49% of cases, and may serve, in addition to other features including lichen sclerosis-like changes (observed in exclusively nine cases of morphea), more diffuse dermal and less subcutaneous sclerosis, and intense inflammation, as clues favouring diagnosis of morphea over systemic sclerosis. The features of morphea/scleroderma patients in this study are generally comparable to those published in the literature, with few differences. Clinically, plaque type morphea was the most common variant both in adults and children and LSA was a frequent association. Histopathologically, perineural inflammation was commonly observed and may serve in addition to lichen sclerosis-like changes and intense inflammation as clues favouring diagnosis of morphea over systemic sclerosis. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2012 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Form and Function in Human Song.

PubMed

Mehr, Samuel A; Singh, Manvir; York, Hunter; Glowacki, Luke; Krasnow, Max M

2018-02-05

Humans use music for a variety of social functions: we sing to accompany dance, to soothe babies, to heal illness, to communicate love, and so on. Across animal taxa, vocalization forms are shaped by their functions, including in humans. Here, we show that vocal music exhibits recurrent, distinct, and cross-culturally robust form-function relations that are detectable by listeners across the globe. In Experiment 1, internet users (n = 750) in 60 countries listened to brief excerpts of songs, rating each song's function on six dimensions (e.g., "used to soothe a baby"). Excerpts were drawn from a geographically stratified pseudorandom sample of dance songs, lullabies, healing songs, and love songs recorded in 86 mostly small-scale societies, including hunter-gatherers, pastoralists, and subsistence farmers. Experiment 1 and its analysis plan were pre-registered. Despite participants' unfamiliarity with the societies represented, the random sampling of each excerpt, their very short duration (14 s), and the enormous diversity of this music, the ratings demonstrated accurate and cross-culturally reliable inferences about song functions on the basis of song forms alone. In Experiment 2, internet users (n = 1,000) in the United States and India rated three contextual features (e.g., gender of singer) and seven musical features (e.g., melodic complexity) of each excerpt. The songs' contextual features were predictive of Experiment 1 function ratings, but musical features and the songs' actual functions explained unique variance in function ratings. These findings are consistent with the existence of universal links between form and function in vocal music. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Signatures of nonlinearity in single cell noise-induced oscillations.

PubMed

Thomas, Philipp; Straube, Arthur V; Timmer, Jens; Fleck, Christian; Grima, Ramon

2013-10-21

A class of theoretical models seeks to explain rhythmic single cell data by postulating that they are generated by intrinsic noise in biochemical systems whose deterministic models exhibit only damped oscillations. The main features of such noise-induced oscillations are quantified by the power spectrum which measures the dependence of the oscillatory signal's power with frequency. In this paper we derive an approximate closed-form expression for the power spectrum of any monostable biochemical system close to a Hopf bifurcation, where noise-induced oscillations are most pronounced. Unlike the commonly used linear noise approximation which is valid in the macroscopic limit of large volumes, our theory is valid over a wide range of volumes and hence affords a more suitable description of single cell noise-induced oscillations. Our theory predicts that the spectra have three universal features: (i) a dominant peak at some frequency, (ii) a smaller peak at twice the frequency of the dominant peak and (iii) a peak at zero frequency. Of these, the linear noise approximation predicts only the first feature while the remaining two stem from the combination of intrinsic noise and nonlinearity in the law of mass action. The theoretical expressions are shown to accurately match the power spectra determined from stochastic simulations of mitotic and circadian oscillators. Furthermore it is shown how recently acquired single cell rhythmic fibroblast data displays all the features predicted by our theory and that the experimental spectrum is well described by our theory but not by the conventional linear noise approximation. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantum criticality and universal scaling of strongly attractive spin-imbalanced Fermi gases in a one-dimensional harmonic trap

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yin Xiangguo; Chen Shu; Guan Xiwen

2011-07-15

We investigate quantum criticality and universal scaling of strongly attractive Fermi gases confined in a one-dimensional harmonic trap. We demonstrate from the power-law scaling of the thermodynamic properties that current experiments on this system are capable of measuring universal features at quantum criticality, such as universal scaling and Tomonaga-Luttinger liquid physics. The results also provide insights on recent measurements of key features of the phase diagram of a spin-imbalanced atomic Fermi gas [Y. Liao et al., Nature (London) 467, 567 (2010)] and point to further study of quantum critical phenomena in ultracold atomic Fermi gases.

Surgery of the Future App

MedlinePlus

... Action Featured Research Robert Webster Vanderbilt University Flexible Robot for Pituitary Tumor Removal Steven Hetts University of ... Georgia Institute of Technology Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Intracranial Robot David Kaplan Tufts University Silk Screws Duncan Maitland , ...

2006 Campus Technology Innovators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campus Technology, 2006

2006-01-01

This article features the winners of this year's "Campus Technology Innovator" competition. The winners are: (1) Drexel University, Pennsylvania (outsourcing); (2) Darton College, Georgia (3D); (3) Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (ePortfolios); (4) University of Michigan (the Web); (5) University of Tennessee College of…

Our Place in the Spongy Universe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bogner, Donna; Wentworth, Benning L.; Ristvey, John; Yanow, Gil; Wiens, Roger

2006-01-01

Physicist James Trefil once describes the universe as "The Spongy Universe," comparing large-scale cosmic structures to the structure of a sponge. The NASA Genesis education module "Cosmic Chemistry: Cosmogony" features the "Spongy Universe" activity in which pairs of students observe a household sponge, making…

Marketing University Education: The Southern African Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maringe, Felix; Foskett, Nick

2002-01-01

Examined the perceptions of university marketers in southern Africa. Found a varying awareness of the significance of marketing, with more mature institutions exhibiting more developed marketing orientations. Strategies ranged from marketing as public relations to marketing as sales, with universities in South Africa the only ones demonstrating a…

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Part of the Robot Scouts exhibit in the $13 million expansion to KSC's Visitor Complex, this display offers a view of how data from robotic probes might be used to build a human habitat for Mars. Visitors witness a simulated Martian sunset. Other new additions include and information center, a walk-through Robot Scouts exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, and the film Quest for Life in a new 300-seat theater, plus an International Space Station- themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

KSC-2014-3136

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The grand opening of the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit was held at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

KSC-2014-3134

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-07-03

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A real asteroid is on display at the new Great Balls of Fire exhibit at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. The grand opening of the new attraction featured remarks by former NASA astronaut Tom Jones, and Therrin Protze, chief operating officer at Delaware North Parks and Resorts at the visitor complex. Great Balls of Fire shares the story of the origins of our solar system, asteroids and comets and their possible impacts and risks. The 1,500-square-foot exhibit, located in the East Gallery of the IMAX theatre at the visitor complex, features several interactive displays, real meteorites and replica asteroid models. The exhibit is a production of The Space Science Institute's National Center for Interactive Learning. It is a traveling exhibition that also receives funding from NASA and the National Science Foundation. Photo credit: NASA/Daniel Casper

DMR 'Map of the Early Universe.'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

DMR 'Map of the Early Universe.' This false-color image shows tiny variations in the intensity of the cosmic microwave background measured in four years of observations by the Differential Microwave Radiometers on NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE). The cosmic microwave background is widely believed to be a remnant of the Big Bang; the blue and red spots correspond to regions of greater or lesser density in the early Universe. These 'fossilized' relics record the distribution of matter and energy in the early Universe before the matter became organized into stars and galaxies. While the initial discovery of variations in the intensity of the CMB (made by COBE in 1992) was based on a mathematical examination of the data, this picture of the sky from the full four-year mission gives an accurate visual impression of the data. The features traced in this map stretch across the visible Universe: the largest features seen by optical telescopes, such as the 'Great Wall' of galaxies, would fit neatly within the smallest feature in this map. (See Bennett et al. 1996, ApJ, 464, L1 and references therein for details.)

Visions Of The Universe - An IYA Exhibit For Libraries, Schools, And The Public

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Summers, Frank; Smith, D.; Eisenhamer, B.

2009-12-01

In celebration of the International Year of Astronomy, we have created an astronomy exhibit that portrays highlights of the four centuries of discovery since the invention of the telescope. With bold graphical design and stunning imagery, carefully selected scientific stories illustrate the progression of changes in not only our observations of the heavens, but also our understanding of the cosmos. Twelve panels, each 3 feet by 6 feet in size, provide examples from the solar system, to stars, to nebulae, to galaxies, and across the universe. The discoveries within each panel showcase the dramatic advances in astronomy made through observation, insight, and technological advances across history from Galileo and Huygens, to Herchel and Draper, to the Viking Mission and the Hubble Space Telescope. This exhibit will tour 40 libraries across the United States during 2009-2010, with each library sponsoring a series of family and school events as well as involving local astronomers in connecting the public with astronomy. In addition, the digital files of the exhibit panels will be made available for libraries, schools, museums, astronomy departments, and others to download and produce their own copies of the exhibit. In this manner, we hope to bring the wonders of discovering the universe to the largest audience possible during this anniversary celebration. This exhibit is a collaboration of the Space Telescope Science Institute, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and the American Library Association through funding from NASA.

An alternative mechanism for production of emission features in some infrared objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Apruzese, J. P.

1975-01-01

Two dust-envelope models of the M supergiant VX Sgr, which exhibits a prominent emission feature at 10 microns, are presented. The models indicate that, for certain envelope sizes, the presence of the observed emission feature does not necessarily indicate that the emitting grains possess a similar feature in their emissivity profile. The mechanism which may in some cases be producing the observed emission feature is discussed.

The Biological Categorizations Made by 4 and 5-Year-Old Children: The Role of Feature Type versus Their Causal Status

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meunier, Benjamin; Cordier, Francoise

2008-01-01

The present study here investigated the role of the causal status of features and feature type in biological categorizations by young children. Study 1 showed that 5-year-olds are more strongly influenced by causal features than effect features. 4-year-olds exhibit no such tendency. There, therefore, appears to be a conceptual change between the…

Online Cultural Heritage Exhibitions: A Survey of Information Retrieval Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liew, Chern Li

2005-01-01

Purpose: What kinds of online cultural heritage exhibitions are now available on the internet? How far have these cultural heritage institutions voyaged in terms of harnessing the power of information and communication technology and the interactivity of multimedia systems to exhibit cultural heritage resources? This study aims to highlight the…

The Rhetorical Plasticity of the Dead in Museum Displays: A Biocritique of Missing Intercultural Awareness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gorsevski, Ellen W.; Schuck, Raymond I.; Lin, Canchu

2012-01-01

Using rhetorical analysis in the form of an autoethnographically informed biocritique, this study applies and expands the concept of rhetorical plasticity to examine the popular museum exhibit "Bodies: The Exhibition," which is arguably the most controversial of a series of contemporary museum exhibits that feature deceased human bodies…

A Kentucky Journey--African American Heritage. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kentucky Historical Society, Frankfort.

This guide to the core exhibit of the Kentucky History Center (Frankfort) focuses on African American history in the commonwealth of Kentucky. The guide extracts text from seven of the exhibit's chronological areas and lists environments, displays, and other exhibit features to help students understand some of the events that shaped the African…

75 FR 22172 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Vatican Splendors”

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-27

... custodians. I also determine that the exhibition or display of the exhibit objects at the Missouri History... Senator John Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from on or about October 2, 2010, until on or about January 9, 2011, the Museum of Art, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, from...

77 FR 34121 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Revealing the African...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... exhibition ``Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe'' imported from abroad for temporary... exhibit objects at The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, from on or about October 14, 2012, until on or about January 21, 2013; at the Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, NJ, from on or about February...

Blowing Up Harry Potter: Leveraging an NLM Exhibition to Your Advantage

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faricy-Beredo, Bridget

2013-01-01

Libraries are constantly challenged to find ways to demonstrate their value to their institutions. Can hosting a National Library of Medicine (NLM) exhibition increase a library's impact? In 2012 the University of Toledo engaged their constituents by hosting and developing programming for the NLM exhibit Harry Potter's World: Renaissance Science,…

Loss of carbonic anhydrase XII function in individuals with elevated sweat chloride concentration and pulmonary airway disease.

PubMed

Lee, Melissa; Vecchio-Pagán, Briana; Sharma, Neeraj; Waheed, Abdul; Li, Xiaopeng; Raraigh, Karen S; Robbins, Sarah; Han, Sangwoo T; Franca, Arianna L; Pellicore, Matthew J; Evans, Taylor A; Arcara, Kristin M; Nguyen, Hien; Luan, Shan; Belchis, Deborah; Hertecant, Jozef; Zabner, Joseph; Sly, William S; Cutting, Garry R

2016-05-15

Elevated sweat chloride levels, failure to thrive (FTT), and lung disease are characteristic features of cystic fibrosis (CF, OMIM #219700). Here we describe variants in CA12 encoding carbonic anhydrase XII in two pedigrees exhibiting CF-like phenotypes. Exome sequencing of a white American adult diagnosed with CF due to elevated sweat chloride, recurrent hyponatremia, infantile FTT and lung disease identified deleterious variants in each CA12 gene: c.908-1 G>A in a splice acceptor and a novel frameshift insertion c.859_860insACCT. In an unrelated consanguineous Omani family, two children with elevated sweat chloride, infantile FTT, and recurrent hyponatremia were homozygous for a novel missense variant (p.His121Gln). Deleterious CFTR variants were absent in both pedigrees. CA XII protein was localized apically in human bronchiolar epithelia and basolaterally in the reabsorptive duct of human sweat glands. Respiratory epithelial cell RNA from the adult proband revealed only aberrant CA12 transcripts and in vitro analysis showed greatly reduced CA XII protein. Studies of ion transport across respiratory epithelial cells in vivo and in culture revealed intact CFTR-mediated chloride transport in the adult proband. CA XII protein bearing either p.His121Gln or a previously identified p.Glu143Lys missense variant localized to the basolateral membranes of polarized Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells, but enzyme activity was severely diminished when assayed at physiologic concentrations of extracellular chloride. Our findings indicate that loss of CA XII function should be considered in individuals without CFTR mutations who exhibit CF-like features in the sweat gland and lung. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Disseminating NASA-based science through NASA's Universe of Learning: Girls STEAM Ahead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcucci, E.; Meinke, B. K.; Smith, D. A.; Ryer, H.; Slivinski, C.; Kenney, J.; Arcand, K.; Cominsky, L.

2017-12-01

The Girls STEAM Ahead with NASA (GSAWN) initiative partners the NASA's Universe of Learning (UoL) resources with public libraries to provide NASA-themed activities for girls and their families. The program expands upon the legacy program, NASA Science4Girls and Their Families, in celebration of National Women's History Month. Program resources include hands-on activities for engaging girls, such as coding experiences and use of remote telescopes, complementary exhibits, and professional development for library partner staff. The science-institute-embedded partners in NASA's UoL are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. The thematic topics related to NASA Astrophysics enable audiences to experience the full range of NASA scientific and technical disciplines and the different career skills each requires. For example, an activity may focus on understanding exoplanets, methods of their detection, and characteristics that can be determined remotely. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations (e.g. National Girls Collaborative Project or NGCP), and remote engagement of audiences. NASA's UoL collaborated with another NASA STEM Activation partner, NASA@ My Library, to announce GSAWN to their extensive STAR_Net network of libraries. This partnership between NASA SMD-funded Science learning and literacy teams has included NASA@ My Library hosting a professional development webinar featuring a GSAWN activity, a newsletter and blog post about the program, and plans for future exhibit development. This presentation will provide an overview of the program's progress to engage girls and their families through the development and dissemination of NASA-based science programming.

Universal power law of the gravity wave manifestation in the AIM CIPS polar mesospheric cloud images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rong, Pingping; Yue, Jia; Russell, James M., III; Siskind, David E.; Randall, Cora E.

2018-01-01

We aim to extract a universal law that governs the gravity wave manifestation in polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs). Gravity wave morphology and the clarity level of display vary throughout the wave population manifested by the PMC albedo data. Higher clarity refers to more distinct exhibition of the features, which often correspond to larger variances and a better-organized nature. A gravity wave tracking algorithm based on the continuous Morlet wavelet transform is applied to the PMC albedo data at 83 km altitude taken by the Aeronomy of Ice in the Mesosphere (AIM) Cloud Imaging and Particle Size (CIPS) instrument to obtain a large ensemble of the gravity wave detections. The horizontal wavelengths in the range of ˜ 20-60 km are the focus of the study. It shows that the albedo (wave) power statistically increases as the background gets brighter. We resample the wave detections to conform to a normal distribution to examine the wave morphology and display clarity beyond the cloud brightness impact. Sample cases are selected at the two tails and the peak of the normal distribution to represent the full set of wave detections. For these cases the albedo power spectra follow exponential decay toward smaller scales. The high-albedo-power category has the most rapid decay (i.e., exponent = -3.2) and corresponds to the most distinct wave display. The wave display becomes increasingly blurrier for the medium- and low-power categories, which hold the monotonically decreasing spectral exponents of -2.9 and -2.5, respectively. The majority of waves are straight waves whose clarity levels can collapse between the different brightness levels, but in the brighter background the wave signatures seem to exhibit mildly turbulent-like behavior.

Gaining Insights Into the Waterpipe Tobacco Industry: Participant Observation and a Cross-Sectional Survey of Products at a Trade Exhibition.

PubMed

Jawad, Mohammed; Nakkash, Rima T; Hawkins, Ben; Akl, Elie A

2016-05-01

The rise in waterpipe tobacco smoking has been accompanied by the emergence of a diverse range of products, such as "herbal" waterpipe tobacco substitutes and electronic waterpipes. The aims of this study were to assess the extent to which emerging waterpipe products are being developed by waterpipe tobacco companies themselves, to understand the key characteristics of the main market players, and to examine the connections between producers of different product categories. In 2014, one researcher attended an international waterpipe trade exhibition in Germany, conducting a survey of products at exhibition stands, and gathering qualitative data on exhibitors and products using participant observation. Cross-tabulations and chi-square tests identified the association between waterpipe tobacco, waterpipe tobacco substitutes, and electronic waterpipe products. We thematically analyzed field notes into information about exhibitors and products. Of 97 exhibitors, 55 displayed waterpipe-related products. Of these, nearly half (45%) displayed electronic waterpipe products, 38% displayed waterpipe tobacco and 23% displayed waterpipe tobacco substitutes. There was an inverse association between the display of waterpipe tobacco and electronic waterpipe products, and a positive association between the display of waterpipe tobacco and waterpipe tobacco substitutes. We found that Japan Tobacco Inc, Philip Morris, and British American Tobacco were partnered or affiliated with exhibitors displaying waterpipe-related products. Electronic waterpipe products were the main feature of this exhibition. Waterpipe tobacco substitutes are likely to be produced by the waterpipe tobacco industry whereas electronic waterpipes are not. There is a developing interest in waterpipe-related products by transnational tobacco corporations. Further industry surveillance is warranted. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Exhibits Recognition System for Combining Online Services and Offline Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, He; Liu, Jianbo; Zhang, Yuan; Wu, Xiaoyu

2017-10-01

In order to achieve a more convenient and accurate digital museum navigation, we have developed a real-time and online-to-offline museum exhibits recognition system using image recognition method based on deep learning. In this paper, the client and server of the system are separated and connected through the HTTP. Firstly, by using the client app in the Android mobile phone, the user can take pictures and upload them to the server. Secondly, the features of the picture are extracted using the deep learning network in the server. With the help of the features, the pictures user uploaded are classified with a well-trained SVM. Finally, the classification results are sent to the client and the detailed exhibition’s introduction corresponding to the classification results are shown in the client app. Experimental results demonstrate that the recognition accuracy is close to 100% and the computing time from the image uploading to the exhibit information show is less than 1S. By means of exhibition image recognition algorithm, our implemented exhibits recognition system can combine online detailed exhibition information to the user in the offline exhibition hall so as to achieve better digital navigation.

Understanding University Library Users' Mistreatment of Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perez, Carmen; Cuadrado, Manuel; Cervera, Amparo

2009-01-01

This paper analyses university library users' attitudes towards book vandalism in order to develop a basis for intervention. Using a customer oriented approach data was collected from users who attended an academic library exhibition on vandalized books at a University campus. Respondents were asked both for their reactions to the vandalism as…

KSC-2011-4343

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4336

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4341

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4338

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4340

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4337

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

KSC-2011-4342

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-06-10

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At NASA Kennedy Space Center's Visitor Complex, Star Trek memorabilia is being displayed this summer through Sept. 5. Appearing for the first time in the southeast, "Star Trek: The Exhibition" is an interactive exhibit of authentic Star Trek artifacts from the past 40 years, featuring one-of-a-kind costumes, props and filming models from every Star Trek television series and feature film, including a recreation of the U.S.S. Enterprise Bridge from the original series. Photo credit: NASA/Jack Pfaller

Evolution of regulatory networks towards adaptability and stability in a changing environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Deok-Sun

2014-11-01

Diverse biological networks exhibit universal features distinguished from those of random networks, calling much attention to their origins and implications. Here we propose a minimal evolution model of Boolean regulatory networks, which evolve by selectively rewiring links towards enhancing adaptability to a changing environment and stability against dynamical perturbations. We find that sparse and heterogeneous connectivity patterns emerge, which show qualitative agreement with real transcriptional regulatory networks and metabolic networks. The characteristic scaling behavior of stability reflects the balance between robustness and flexibility. The scaling of fluctuation in the perturbation spread shows a dynamic crossover, which is analyzed by investigating separately the stochasticity of internal dynamics and the network structure differences depending on the evolution pathways. Our study delineates how the ambivalent pressure of evolution shapes biological networks, which can be helpful for studying general complex systems interacting with environments.

Near-infrared Spectroscopy Of Outer Main Belt Asteroids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takir, Driss; Emery, J.

2009-09-01

We have recently begun a spectral survey of the outer Main Belt population (3.2 AU < a < 4.6 AU), using near-infrared spectroscopy (0.8-2.5 μm). The objective of this survey is to search for signatures of H2O, organics, hydrated silicates, and/or anhydrous silicates on this group of asteroids. Studying the outer Main Belt asteroids will allow us to better understand the dynamical evolution of the Solar System and provide crucial constrains on nebular composition. Our first observing run, using the SpeX spectrograph/imager at the NASA IRTF, took place remotely form the University of Tennessee Knoxville on the nights of April 15, 16, and 17, 2009 (UT). More observing runs will be conducted this year and the beginning of next year. The initial data reduction process reveals that some of these asteroids exhibit weak and strong absorption features. We will present some of these initial spectra and results.

Gravitational waves from non-Abelian gauge fields at a tachyonic transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tranberg, Anders; Tähtinen, Sara; Weir, David J.

2018-04-01

We compute the gravitational wave spectrum from a tachyonic preheating transition of a Standard Model-like SU(2)-Higgs system. Tachyonic preheating involves exponentially growing IR modes, at scales as large as the horizon. Such a transition at the electroweak scale could be detectable by LISA, if these non-perturbatively large modes translate into non-linear dynamics sourcing gravitational waves. Through large-scale numerical simulations, we find that the spectrum of gravitational waves does not exhibit such IR features. Instead, we find two peaks corresponding to the Higgs and gauge field mass, respectively. We find that the gravitational wave production is reduced when adding non-Abelian gauge fields to a scalar-only theory, but increases when adding Abelian gauge fields. In particular, gauge fields suppress the gravitational wave spectrum in the IR. A tachyonic transition in the early Universe will therefore not be detectable by LISA, even if it involves non-Abelian gauge fields.

Rapid, Bioassay-Guided Process for the Detection and Identification of Antibacterial Neem Oil Compounds.

PubMed

Krüzselyi, Dániel; Nagy, Róbert; Ott, Péter G; Móricz, Ágnes M

2016-08-01

Bioassay guidance was used along the whole process including method development, isolation and identification of antibacterial neem (Azadirachta indica) oil compounds. The biomonitoring was performed by direct bioautography (DB), a combination of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and antimicrobial detection. DB of neem oil showed one antibacterial zone that was not UV-active; therefore, the TLC separation was improved under DB control. The chromatographic zone that exhibited activity against Bacillus subtilis, Xanthomonas euvesicatoria, Aliivibrio fischeri, Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was characterized by TLC reagents, indicating a lipophilic, fatty acid-like chemical feature. Two compounds were found and identified in the active zone by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization mass spectrometry as linoleic and oleic acids. Both fatty acids inhibited B. subtilis, but A. fischeri was sensitive only against linoleic acid. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Three-state Potts model on non-local directed small-world lattices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferraz, Carlos Handrey Araujo; Lima, José Luiz Sousa

2017-10-01

In this paper, we study the non-local directed Small-World (NLDSW) disorder effects in the three-state Potts model as a form to capture the essential features shared by real complex systems where non-locality effects play a important role in the behavior of these systems. Using Monte Carlo techniques and finite-size scaling analysis, we estimate the infinite lattice critical temperatures and the leading critical exponents in this model. In particular, we investigate the first- to second-order phase transition crossover when NLDSW links are inserted. A cluster-flip algorithm was used to reduce the critical slowing down effect in our simulations. We find that for a NLDSW disorder densities p

Primary thermometry with nanoscale tunnel junctions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirvi, K. P.; Kauppinen, J. P.; Paalanen, M. A.; Pekola, J. P.

1995-10-01

We have found current-voltage (I-V) and conductance (dI/dV) characteristics of arrays of nanoscale tunnel junctions between normal metal electrodes to exhibit suitable features for primary thermometry. The current through a uniform array depends on the ratio of the thermal energy kBT and the electrostatic charging energy E c of the islands between the junctions and is completely blocked by Coulomb repulsion at T = 0 and at small voltages eV/2 ≤ Ec. In the opposite limit, kBT ≫ Ec, the width of the conductance minimum scales linearly and universally with T and N, the number of tunnel junctions, and qualifies as a primary thermometer. The zero bias drop in the conductance is proportional to T-1 and can be used as a secondary thermometer. We will show with Monte Carlo simulations how background charge and nonuniformities of the array will affect the thermometer.

Microstructural Characteristics of GeSbTe Thin Films Grown by RF Sputtering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, M. J.; Inglefield, C. E.; Olson, J. K.; Li, H.; Taylor, P. C.

2004-10-01

Thin films of GeSbTe are of interest due to their potential use in rewritable optical data storage media and reconfigurable electronics. The amorphous and crystalline phases of GeSbTe exhibit very different reflectivity and electrical conductivity. Films of nominally amorphous Ge_2Sb_2Te5 were grown to various thicknesses using RF sputtering on quartz substrates. The surfaces of the films were analyzed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and surface roughness measurements were taken. The thicker films had a truly isotropic surface while the thinnest films displayed crystalline features, such as angular steps. Conductivity measurements of the films in both coplanar and sandwich geometries correlate with the AFM data and indicate a high degree of crystallinity during the initial stages of growth. This work was supported by the Air Force Research Laboratory under grant number F29601-03-01-0229 and by Weber State University through the Phyllis Crosby Gardner fellowship.

Polymer-metal hybrid transparent electrodes for flexible electronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Hongkyu; Jung, Suhyun; Jeong, Soyeong; Kim, Geunjin; Lee, Kwanghee

2015-03-01

Despite nearly two decades of research, the absence of ideal flexible and transparent electrodes has been the largest obstacle in realizing flexible and printable electronics for future technologies. Here we report the fabrication of ‘polymer-metal hybrid electrodes’ with high-performance properties, including a bending radius <1 mm, a visible-range transmittance>95% and a sheet resistance <10 Ω sq-1. These features arise from a surface modification of the plastic substrates using an amine-containing nonconjugated polyelectrolyte, which provides ideal metal-nucleation sites with a surface-density on the atomic scale, in combination with the successive deposition of a facile anti-reflective coating using a conducting polymer. The hybrid electrodes are fully functional as universal electrodes for high-end flexible electronic applications, such as polymer solar cells that exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 10% and polymer light-emitting diodes that can outperform those based on transparent conducting oxides.

Polymer-metal hybrid transparent electrodes for flexible electronics

PubMed Central

Kang, Hongkyu; Jung, Suhyun; Jeong, Soyeong; Kim, Geunjin; Lee, Kwanghee

2015-01-01

Despite nearly two decades of research, the absence of ideal flexible and transparent electrodes has been the largest obstacle in realizing flexible and printable electronics for future technologies. Here we report the fabrication of ‘polymer-metal hybrid electrodes’ with high-performance properties, including a bending radius <1 mm, a visible-range transmittance>95% and a sheet resistance <10 Ω sq−1. These features arise from a surface modification of the plastic substrates using an amine-containing nonconjugated polyelectrolyte, which provides ideal metal-nucleation sites with a surface-density on the atomic scale, in combination with the successive deposition of a facile anti-reflective coating using a conducting polymer. The hybrid electrodes are fully functional as universal electrodes for high-end flexible electronic applications, such as polymer solar cells that exhibit a high power conversion efficiency of 10% and polymer light-emitting diodes that can outperform those based on transparent conducting oxides. PMID:25790133

Revision of the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale for measuring awareness and equanimity in Goenka's Vipassana meditation with Chinese Buddhists.

PubMed

Zeng, Xianglong; Li, Mengdan; Zhang, Bo; Liu, Xiangping

2015-04-01

Goenka's 10-day Vipassana course is a widespread mindfulness course rooted in traditional Buddhism. Awareness and equanimity are two abilities cultivated in this course that are not featured in modern mindfulness-based psychotherapies and thereby not adequately measured by current mindfulness scales. The present article analyzed the Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale (PHLMS; Cardaciotto et al. in Assessment 15(2):204-223, 2008) and revised it into a short version to avoid confusion when measuring awareness and equanimity. Empirical data obtained using Chinese university students and Chinese Buddhists showed that the psychometric properties of the original version of the PHLMS had low factor loading on some items and that the short version had improved psychometric properties, especially for Buddhists. The short PHLMS also exhibited reasonable relationships with emotional outcomes and meditation practices among Buddhists. Implications for the future application of the PHLMS among Buddhists were also discussed.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The KSC Visitor Complex welcomes more than 2.75 million visitors each year. Featured are bus tours of the space center with up- close views of Space Shuttle launch facilities and International Space Station processing. The Visitor Complex has recently undergone a $13 million expansion, with new exhibits, films, and an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Imagine the Universe!. Version 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlock, Laura A.; Bene, Meredith; Cliffe, J. Allie; Lochner, James C.

1998-01-01

Imagine the Universe! gives students, teachers, and the general public a window on how high-energy astrophysics is used to probe the structure and evolution of the Universe. This is the universe as revealed by X-rays, gamma-rays and cosmic rays. Information about this exciting branch of astronomy is available in Imagine the Universe! at a variety of reading levels, and is illustrated with on-line graphics, animations, and movies. Information is presented on topics ranging from the Sun to black holes to X-ray and gamma-ray satellites. Imagine! also features a Teacher's Corner with study guides, lesson plans, and information on other education resources. Further descriptions of features of the Imagine! site and the other sites included on the CD-ROM may be found in sections V and VI of the booklet file.

The Twenty-First Century University: Some Reservations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wasser, Henry

2001-01-01

Asserts that the university is in the process of transformation and that interpretations of data intended to show the features of this reinvented university are not completely satisfactory. Suggests that previously published views may be too optimistic and hierarchical, and that an egalitarian if pluralistic university structure and…

Universally Accessible Instruction: Oxymoron or Opportunity?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGuire, Joan M.

2014-01-01

The movement to extend universal design from physical to instructional environments has escalated in the past two decades. Frameworks to guide the field of postsecondary education in its efforts to intentionally build accessibility features into college teaching and course materials include Universal Design in Education, Universal Design for…

Towards Universal Design Hotels in Denmark.

PubMed

Grangaard, Sidse

2016-01-01

Based on the research project 'Accessible Hotel Rooms' that studies the balance between the experience of supply and demand regarding accessibility features in Danish hotel rooms, this paper demonstrates factors having an influence on Universal Design hotels in Denmark. The research project was financed by the Danish Transport and Construction Agency. Different notions in the hotel sector of the current supply and demand for Universal Design hotel rooms are identified, as well as future demand. Despite supplying accessible rooms, some hotels do not advertise their accessibility features on their website. There exists an attitude in the hotel sector that functions as a barrier for Universal Design: if there are enough guests, for example business travellers, then why market the hotel on Universal Design? The paper points out the coherence between the understanding of the users and the view of demand. Another important factor is Corporate Social Responsibility, which can be regarded as a strategy or platform towards Universal Design hotels.

Bioengineered Tooth Buds Exhibit Features of Natural Tooth Buds.

PubMed

Smith, E E; Angstadt, S; Monteiro, N; Zhang, W; Khademhosseini, A; Yelick, P C

2018-06-01

Tooth loss is a significant health issue currently affecting millions of people worldwide. Artificial dental implants, the current gold standard tooth replacement therapy, do not exhibit many properties of natural teeth and can be associated with complications leading to implant failure. Here we propose bioengineered tooth buds as a superior alternative tooth replacement therapy. We describe improved methods to create highly cellularized bioengineered tooth bud constructs that formed hallmark features that resemble natural tooth buds such as the dental epithelial stem cell niche, enamel knot signaling centers, transient amplifying cells, and mineralized dental tissue formation. These constructs were composed of postnatal dental cells encapsulated within a hydrogel material that were implanted subcutaneously into immunocompromised rats. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the use of postnatal dental cells to create bioengineered tooth buds that exhibit evidence of these features of natural tooth development. We propose future bioengineered tooth buds as a promising, clinically relevant tooth replacement therapy.

DISTINCTIVE FEATURE THEORY AND NASAL ASSIMILATION IN SPANISH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HARRIS, JAMES W.

CERTAIN FEATURES IN THE MEXICAN PRONUNCIATION OF NASAL CONSONANTS ARE PRESENTED HERE AND LINGUISTIC GENERALIZATIONS ARE FORMULATED--FIRST IN TERMS OF A CURRENT THEORY OF UNIVERSAL PHONOLOGICAL DISTINCTIVE FEATURES, AND SECOND IN TERMS OF A REVISED DISTINCTIVE FEATURE FRAMEWORK INCORPORATING THE CHANGES PROPOSED BY CHOMSKY AND HALLE IN "THE SOUND…

The American Research University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langenberg, Donald N.

1980-01-01

Some features of the American research university that might account for its success in facilitating research are suggested, and the philosophical foundations of the modern American research university and issues for the future are considered. The major universities of the United States have based their development during the 20th century on the…

Use of Automated Scoring Features to Generate Hypotheses Regarding Language-Based DIF

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shermis, Mark D.; Mao, Liyang; Mulholland, Matthew; Kieftenbeld, Vincent

2017-01-01

This study uses the feature sets employed by two automated scoring engines to determine if a "linguistic profile" could be formulated that would help identify items that are likely to exhibit differential item functioning (DIF) based on linguistic features. Sixteen items were administered to 1200 students where demographic information…

Universities: Engaging with Local Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Universities UK, 2010

2010-01-01

This leaflet illustrates the many ways in which universities impact on the local area. Universities are a major contributor to the economy in their own right, both as employers and purchasers of goods. Their social and cultural influence is also felt through their provision of: (1) art galleries, museums and exhibitions; (2) cinemas and theatres;…

Two-component Structure in the Entanglement Spectrum of Highly Excited States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Zhi-Cheng; Chamon, Claudio; Hamma, Alioscia; Mucciolo, Eduardo

We study the entanglement spectrum of highly excited eigenstates of two known models which exhibit a many-body localization transition, namely the one-dimensional random-field Heisenberg model and the quantum random energy model. Our results indicate that the entanglement spectrum shows a ``two-component'' structure: a universal part that is associated to Random Matrix Theory, and a non-universal part that is model dependent. The non-universal part manifests the deviation of the highly excited eigenstate from a true random state even in the thermalized phase where the Eigenstate Thermalization Hypothesis holds. The fraction of the spectrum containing the universal part decreases continuously as one approaches the critical point and vanishes in the localized phase in the thermodynamic limit. We use the universal part fraction to construct a new order parameter for the many-body delocalized-to-localized transition. Two toy models based on Rokhsar-Kivelson type wavefunctions are constructed and their entanglement spectra are shown to exhibit the same structure.

Generalized quantum theory of recollapsing homogeneous cosmologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Craig, David; Hartle, James B.

2004-06-01

A sum-over-histories generalized quantum theory is developed for homogeneous minisuperspace type A Bianchi cosmological models, focusing on the particular example of the classically recollapsing Bianchi type-IX universe. The decoherence functional for such universes is exhibited. We show how the probabilities of decoherent sets of alternative, coarse-grained histories of these model universes can be calculated. We consider in particular the probabilities for classical evolution defined by a suitable coarse graining. For a restricted class of initial conditions and coarse grainings we exhibit the approximate decoherence of alternative histories in which the universe behaves classically and those in which it does not. For these situations we show that the probability is near unity for the universe to recontract classically if it expands classically. We also determine the relative probabilities of quasiclassical trajectories for initial states of WKB form, recovering for such states a precise form of the familiar heuristic “JṡdΣ” rule of quantum cosmology, as well as a generalization of this rule to generic initial states.

The origin of the bifurcating style in Asteraceae (Compositae).

PubMed

Katinas, Liliana; Hernández, Marcelo P; Arambarri, Ana M; Funk, Vicki A

2016-05-01

The plant family Asteraceae (Compositae) exhibits remarkable morphological variation in the styles of its members. Lack of studies on the styles of the sister families to Asteraceae, Goodeniaceae and Calyceraceae, obscures our understanding of the origin and evolution of this reproductive feature in these groups. The aim of this work was to perform a comparative study of style morphology and to discuss the relevance of important features in the evolution of Asteraceae and its sister families. The histochemistry, venation and general morphology of the styles of members of Goodeniaceae, Calyceraceae and early branching lineages of Asteraceae were analysed and put in a phylogenetic framework to discuss the relevance of style features in the evolution of these families. The location of lipophilic substances allowed differentiation of receptive from non-receptive style papillae, and the style venation in Goodeniaceae and Calyceraceae proved to be distinctive. There were several stages of style evolution from Goodeniaceae to Asteraceae involving connation and elongation of veins, development of bilobation from an initially cup-shaped style, and a redistribution of the receptive and non-receptive papillae. These developments resulted in bifurcation in the styles of Asteraceae, with each branch face having a different function, and it is suggested here as a mechanism that promoted outcrossing, which in turn led to the great diversification in the family. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Alcohol education revisited: exploring how much time we devote to alcohol education in the nursing curriculum.

PubMed

Cund, Audrey

2013-01-01

This study examines student nurses knowledge, attitudes and educational preparation to work with patients who misuse alcohol. The study begins to quantify how much time is devoted to alcohol education at one Scottish University. The study modified the Short Alcohol Attitudes Problem Perception Questionnaire (SAAPPQ) and incorporated three case vignettes to examine the student nurses knowledge, attitudes and experience of working with patients who have an alcohol problem. The questionnaire was hand delivered to a convenience sample of third year nursing students. The results show that the student nurses exhibit positive attitudes and beliefs about working with patients who have an alcohol misuse problem. A series of significant associations was found between the adult nursing cohort and their ability to include a comprehensive alcohol history in their nursing assessments (χ(2) = 19.82, df = 4, p < 0.0005); recognise signs of acute alcohol withdrawal (χ(2) = 52.26, df = 16, p < 0.000); and the psychological signs associated with alcohol misuse (χ(2) = 41.81, df = 16, p < 0.000). A baseline figure of 2.5 h of alcohol education is noted at this university. Alcohol education strongly features in three out of the five nursing programmes surveyed. Nurse education needs to focus on strategies that extend to teaching nurses how to respond, provide brief interventions and identify when to refer the patient for specialist intervention. These approaches should be universal to all areas of nursing practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developmental and communicative factors affecting VOT production in English and Arabic bilingual and monolingual speakers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khattab, Ghada

2004-05-01

VOT patterns were investigated in the production of three Lebanese-English bilinguals' aged 5, 7, and 10, six aged-matched monolingual controls from the bilinguals' immediate communities, and the parents of bilinguals and monolinguals. The aim was to examine the extent to which children exposed to two languages acquire separate VOT patterns for each language and to determine the factors that affect such acquisition. Results showed that VOT patterns for each bilingual child differed significantly across the two languages. But while the contrast in English resembled a monolingual-like model, that for Arabic exhibited persisting developmental features; explanations were offered in terms of the relationship between input and complexity of voicing lead production. Evidence was used from developmental changes that were noted for two of the bilingual subjects over a period of 18 months. English code-switches produced by the bilinguals during Arabic sessions exhibited different VOT patterns from those produced during English sessions, which underlined the importance of taking the language context into consideration. Finally, results from monolinguals and bilinguals showed that the short lag categories for the two languages were different despite a degree of overlap. Such findings require finer divisions of the three universal VOT categories to account for language-specific patterns.

Common cues to emotion in the dynamic facial expressions of speech and song

PubMed Central

Livingstone, Steven R.; Thompson, William F.; Wanderley, Marcelo M.; Palmer, Caroline

2015-01-01

Speech and song are universal forms of vocalization that may share aspects of emotional expression. Research has focused on parallels in acoustic features, overlooking facial cues to emotion. In three experiments, we compared moving facial expressions in speech and song. In Experiment 1, vocalists spoke and sang statements each with five emotions. Vocalists exhibited emotion-dependent movements of the eyebrows and lip corners that transcended speech–song differences. Vocalists’ jaw movements were coupled to their acoustic intensity, exhibiting differences across emotion and speech–song. Vocalists’ emotional movements extended beyond vocal sound to include large sustained expressions, suggesting a communicative function. In Experiment 2, viewers judged silent videos of vocalists’ facial expressions prior to, during, and following vocalization. Emotional intentions were identified accurately for movements during and after vocalization, suggesting that these movements support the acoustic message. Experiment 3 compared emotional identification in voice-only, face-only, and face-and-voice recordings. Emotion judgements for voice-only singing were poorly identified, yet were accurate for all other conditions, confirming that facial expressions conveyed emotion more accurately than the voice in song, yet were equivalent in speech. Collectively, these findings highlight broad commonalities in the facial cues to emotion in speech and song, yet highlight differences in perception and acoustic-motor production. PMID:25424388

Common cues to emotion in the dynamic facial expressions of speech and song.

PubMed

Livingstone, Steven R; Thompson, William F; Wanderley, Marcelo M; Palmer, Caroline

2015-01-01

Speech and song are universal forms of vocalization that may share aspects of emotional expression. Research has focused on parallels in acoustic features, overlooking facial cues to emotion. In three experiments, we compared moving facial expressions in speech and song. In Experiment 1, vocalists spoke and sang statements each with five emotions. Vocalists exhibited emotion-dependent movements of the eyebrows and lip corners that transcended speech-song differences. Vocalists' jaw movements were coupled to their acoustic intensity, exhibiting differences across emotion and speech-song. Vocalists' emotional movements extended beyond vocal sound to include large sustained expressions, suggesting a communicative function. In Experiment 2, viewers judged silent videos of vocalists' facial expressions prior to, during, and following vocalization. Emotional intentions were identified accurately for movements during and after vocalization, suggesting that these movements support the acoustic message. Experiment 3 compared emotional identification in voice-only, face-only, and face-and-voice recordings. Emotion judgements for voice-only singing were poorly identified, yet were accurate for all other conditions, confirming that facial expressions conveyed emotion more accurately than the voice in song, yet were equivalent in speech. Collectively, these findings highlight broad commonalities in the facial cues to emotion in speech and song, yet highlight differences in perception and acoustic-motor production.

Oral lichenoid lesions: distinguishing the benign from the deadly.

PubMed

Müller, Susan

2017-01-01

Oral lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology or pathogenesis with varied disease severity that waxes and wanes over a long period of time. Although a common oral mucosal disease, accurate diagnosis is often challenging due to the overlapping clinical and histopathological features of oral lichen planus and other mucosal diseases. Other immune-mediated mucocutaneous diseases can exhibit lichenoid features including mucous membrane pemphigoid, chronic graft-versus-host disease, and discoid lupus erythematosus. Reactive changes to dental materials or to systemic medications can mimic oral lichen planus both clinically and histologically. In these situations the clinical presentation can be useful, as oral lichen planus presents as a multifocal process and is usually symmetrical and bilateral. Dysplasia of the oral cavity can exhibit a lichenoid histology, which may mask the potentially premalignant features. Proliferative verrucous leukoplakia, an unusual clinical disease, can often mimic oral lichen planus clinically, requiring careful correlation of the clinical and pathologic features.

History in the Digital Age: A Study of the Impact of Interactive Resources on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vess, Deborah

2004-01-01

Online courses and degree programs are increasingly common feature of higher education, such as those of The University of Phoenix, Western Governor's University, and the Open University in Great Britain. The University System of Georgia, the third largest university system in the United States, has recently created an electronic core curriculum,…

Education at the Dittrick Museum of Medical History, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

PubMed

Edmonson, James M

2009-01-01

The Dittrick Museum of Medical History pursues an educational mission as being part of a major research university. While the Dittrick dates to 1899 as a historical committee of the Cleveland Medical Library Association, it first affiliated with Case Western Reserve University in 1966, and became a department of the College of Arts and Sciences of CWRU in 1998. The Dittrick maintains a museum exhibition gallery that is open to the public free of charge, and museum staff provide guided tours on appointment. Much of the teaching and instruction at the Dittrick is conducted by university professors; their classes meet in the museum and use museum resources in the form of artifacts, images, archives, and rare books. Class projects using Dittrick collections may take the form of research papers, exhibitions, and online presentations. Dittrick staff assist in these classes and are available to help researchers use museum resources.

Characteristic Lifetime Of A Polarized Feature In The V=0, J=1-0 Sio Maser VY Canis Majoris

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rislow, Benjamin; McIntosh, G. C.

2008-05-01

A time series cross correlation analysis has been developed for calculating the characteristic lifetime of linearly polarized features in the spectrum of silicon monoxide masers. Our observations of VY CMa in the v=0, J=1→0; transition from June 2003 to March 2006 revealed a highly linearly polarized feature at Vlsr=18.5 km s-1. Applying the cross correlation to this feature gave a characteristic lifetime of 2800 days. This time is much longer than the v=1, J=2→1; transition's lifetime of 645 days and indicates that the two transitions occur under different physical conditions. This research was supported by the University of Minnesota and the University of Minnesota, Morris.

MySchoolDayOnline: Applying Universal Design Principles to the Development of a Fully Accessible Online Scheduling Tool for Students with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sapp, Wendy

2007-01-01

This article presents the universal design features that were identified during the alpha development of a scheduler software program, known as MySchoolDayOnline, for use in schools, and provides preliminary research on the usability of these features. The study presented here investigated the accessibility and usability of MySchoolDayOnline for…

Contextual Multi-armed Bandits under Feature Uncertainty

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yun, Seyoung; Nam, Jun Hyun; Mo, Sangwoo

We study contextual multi-armed bandit problems under linear realizability on rewards and uncertainty (or noise) on features. For the case of identical noise on features across actions, we propose an algorithm, coined NLinRel, having O(T⁷/₈(log(dT)+K√d)) regret bound for T rounds, K actions, and d-dimensional feature vectors. Next, for the case of non-identical noise, we observe that popular linear hypotheses including NLinRel are impossible to achieve such sub-linear regret. Instead, under assumption of Gaussian feature vectors, we prove that a greedy algorithm has O(T²/₃√log d)regret bound with respect to the optimal linear hypothesis. Utilizing our theoretical understanding on the Gaussian case,more » we also design a practical variant of NLinRel, coined Universal-NLinRel, for arbitrary feature distributions. It first runs NLinRel for finding the ‘true’ coefficient vector using feature uncertainties and then adjust it to minimize its regret using the statistical feature information. We justify the performance of Universal-NLinRel on both synthetic and real-world datasets.« less

Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars 2009--Male Finalists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, 2009

2009-01-01

This article features the male and female finalists of the Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholars 2009. The male finalists are: (1) Sam Bradford (University of Oklahoma); (2) Jamaal Parker (University of Georgia); (3) Masumi Turnbull (University of Kentucky); and (4) Brian Robiskie (The Ohio State University). The female finalists are: (1) Shardea Croes…

Selective Attention, Diffused Attention, and the Development of Categorization

PubMed Central

Deng, Wei (Sophia); Sloutsky, Vladimir M.

2016-01-01

How do people learn categories and what changes with development? The current study attempts to address these questions by focusing on the role of attention in the development of categorization. In Experiment 1, participants (adults, 7-year-olds, and 4-year-olds) were trained with novel categories consisting of deterministic and probabilistic features, and their categorization and memory for features were tested. In Experiment 2, participants’ attention was directed to the deterministic feature, and in Experiment 3 it was directed to the probabilistic features. Attentional cuing affected categorization and memory in adults and 7-year-olds: these participants relied on the cued features in their categorization and exhibited better memory of cued than of non-cued features. In contrast, in 4-year-olds attentional cueing affected only categorization, but not memory: these participants exhibited equally good memory for both cued and non-cued features. Furthermore, across the experiments, 4-year-olds remembered non-cued features better than adults. These results coupled with computational simulations provide novel evidence (1) pointing to differences in category representation and mechanisms of categorization across development, (2) elucidating the role of attention in the development of categorization, and (3) suggesting an important distinction between representation and decision factors in categorization early in development. These issues are discussed with respect to theories of categorization and its development. PMID:27721103

Hierarchy Measure for Complex Networks

PubMed Central

Mones, Enys; Vicsek, Lilla; Vicsek, Tamás

2012-01-01

Nature, technology and society are full of complexity arising from the intricate web of the interactions among the units of the related systems (e.g., proteins, computers, people). Consequently, one of the most successful recent approaches to capturing the fundamental features of the structure and dynamics of complex systems has been the investigation of the networks associated with the above units (nodes) together with their relations (edges). Most complex systems have an inherently hierarchical organization and, correspondingly, the networks behind them also exhibit hierarchical features. Indeed, several papers have been devoted to describing this essential aspect of networks, however, without resulting in a widely accepted, converging concept concerning the quantitative characterization of the level of their hierarchy. Here we develop an approach and propose a quantity (measure) which is simple enough to be widely applicable, reveals a number of universal features of the organization of real-world networks and, as we demonstrate, is capable of capturing the essential features of the structure and the degree of hierarchy in a complex network. The measure we introduce is based on a generalization of the m-reach centrality, which we first extend to directed/partially directed graphs. Then, we define the global reaching centrality (GRC), which is the difference between the maximum and the average value of the generalized reach centralities over the network. We investigate the behavior of the GRC considering both a synthetic model with an adjustable level of hierarchy and real networks. Results for real networks show that our hierarchy measure is related to the controllability of the given system. We also propose a visualization procedure for large complex networks that can be used to obtain an overall qualitative picture about the nature of their hierarchical structure. PMID:22470477

Universal and individual characteristics of postural sway during quiet standing in healthy young adults

PubMed Central

Yamamoto, Tomohisa; Smith, Charles E; Suzuki, Yasuyuki; Kiyono, Ken; Tanahashi, Takao; Sakoda, Saburo; Morasso, Pietro; Nomura, Taishin

2015-01-01

The time course of the center of pressure (CoP) during human quiet standing, corresponding to body sway, is a stochastic process, influenced by a variety of features of the underlying neuro-musculo-skeletal system, such as postural stability and flexibility. Due to complexity of the process, sway patterns have been characterized in an empirical way by a number of indices, such as sway size and mean sway velocity. Here, we describe a statistical approach with the aim of estimating “universal” indices, namely parameters that are independent of individual body characteristics and thus are not “hidden” by the presence of individual, daily, and circadian variations of sway; in this manner it is possible to characterize the common aspects of sway dynamics across healthy young adults, in the assumption that they might reflect underlying neural control during quiet standing. Such universal indices are identified by analyzing intra and inter-subject variability of various indices, after sorting out individual-specific indices that contribute to individual discriminations. It is shown that the universal indices characterize mainly slow components of sway, such as scaling exponents of power-law behavior at a low-frequency regime. On the other hand, most of the individual-specific indices contributing to the individual discriminations exhibit significant correlation with body parameters, and they can be associated with fast oscillatory components of sway. These results are consistent with a mechanistic hypothesis claiming that the slow and the fast components of sway are associated, respectively, with neural control and biomechanics, supporting our assumption that the universal characteristics of postural sway might represent neural control strategies during quiet standing. PMID:25780094

Traveling Exhibitions as Sites for Informal Learning: Assessing Different Strategies with Field Trips to Traveling Exhibitions at Non-Museum Sites

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harker, Richard J. W.; Badger, James

2015-01-01

This study investigated the use of different pedagogical techniques to create an intellectually engaging experience for middle school students who visited a traveling exhibition from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum at a non-museum host site: the University of North Georgia Dahlonega's Library and Technology Center. The findings of this…

J. C. Holz Revisited: From Modernism to Visual Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulbricht, J.

2005-01-01

During a visit to Williamsburg Elementary School (Williamsburg, Iowa), this author was introduced to J. C. Holz, a 10-year-old boy who had already exhibited the characteristics of a prolific artist. During one of the interviews with J. C., the author encouraged him to have a solo exhibition of his work at the University of Iowa. The exhibition was…

Thermal infrared spectroscopy and modeling of experimentally shocked plagioclase feldspars

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, J. R.; Horz, F.; Staid, M.I.

2003-01-01

Thermal infrared emission and reflectance spectra (250-1400 cm-1; ???7???40 ??m) of experimentally shocked albite- and anorthite-rich rocks (17-56 GPa) demonstrate that plagioclase feldspars exhibit characteristic degradations in spectral features with increasing pressure. New measurements of albite (Ab98) presented here display major spectral absorptions between 1000-1250 cm-1 (8-10 ??m) (due to Si-O antisymmetric stretch motions of the silica tetrahedra) and weaker absorptions between 350-700 cm-1 (14-29 ??m) (due to Si-O-Si octahedral bending vibrations). Many of these features persist to higher pressures compared to similar features in measurements of shocked anorthite, consistent with previous thermal infrared absorption studies of shocked feldspars. A transparency feature at 855 cm-1 (11.7 ??m) observed in powdered albite spectra also degrades with increasing pressure, similar to the 830 cm-1 (12.0 ??m) transparency feature in spectra of powders of shocked anorthite. Linear deconvolution models demonstrate that combinations of common mineral and glass spectra can replicate the spectra of shocked anorthite relatively well until shock pressures of 20-25 GPa, above which model errors increase substantially, coincident with the onset of diaplectic glass formation. Albite deconvolutions exhibit higher errors overall but do not change significantly with pressure, likely because certain clay minerals selected by the model exhibit absorption features similar to those in highly shocked albite. The implication for deconvolution of thermal infrared spectra of planetary surfaces (or laboratory spectra of samples) is that the use of highly shocked anorthite spectra in end-member libraries could be helpful in identifying highly shocked calcic plagioclase feldspars.

Developmental Trajectories of Marijuana Use among Men: Examining Linkages with Criminal Behavior and Psychopathic Features into the Mid-30s

PubMed Central

Pardini, Dustin; Bechtold, Jordan; Loeber, Rolf; White, Helene

2015-01-01

Objectives Examine whether young men who chronically use marijuana are at risk for engaging in drug-related and non-drug-related criminal offending and exhibiting psychopathic personality features in their mid-30s. Methods Patterns of marijuana use were delineated in a sample of predominately Black and White young men from adolescence to the mid-20s using latent class growth curve analysis. Self-report and official records of criminal offending and psychopathic personality features were assessed in the mid-30s. Analyses controlled for multiple factors indicative of a preexisting antisocial lifestyle and co-occurring use of other substances and tested for moderation by race. Results Four latent marijuana trajectory groups were identified: chronic high, adolescence-limited, late increasing, and low/nonusers. Relative to low/nonusers, chronic high and late increasing marijuana users exhibited more adult psychopathic features and were more likely to engage in drug-related offending during their mid-30s. Adolescence-limited users were similar to low/nonusers in terms of psychopathic features but were more likely to be arrested for drug-related crimes. No trajectory group differences were found for violence or theft, and the group differences were not moderated by race. Conclusions Young men who engage in chronic marijuana use from adolescence into their 20s are at increased risk for exhibiting psychopathic features, dealing drugs, and enduring drug-related legal problems in their mid-30s relative to men who remain abstinent or use infrequently. PMID:26568641

78 FR 12134 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Temple and Tomb...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-21

... ``Temple and Tomb: Prehistoric Malta,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United... Institute for the Study of the Ancient World, New York University, New York, NY, from on or about March 20...

Prominent Feature Analysis: What It Means for the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swain, Sherry Seale; Graves, Richard L.; Morse, David T.

2010-01-01

The purpose of a prominent feature analysis is to describe the stylistic flexibility that a young writer, or a group of young writers, exhibits on a given day, with a given prompt. In prominent feature analysis, there are no guidebooks, no rubrics--just student papers and the expertise of teachers. Teachers come to the papers individually and yet…

Drug Use and Cognitions about Drug Use amongst Students: Changes over the University Career.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Brian; Conner, Mark

2002-01-01

Studied the hypothesis that students would exhibit changes in their levels of, and cognitions about, drug use throughout their university careers. Responses from a sample of 380 undergraduates (response rate, 63%) show no evidence of an increase in the percentage of undergraduates using drugs over their university careers, but there was a…

Probability distribution functions in turbulent convection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Balachandar, S.; Sirovich, L.

1991-01-01

Results of an extensive investigation of probability distribution functions (pdfs) for Rayleigh-Benard convection, in hard turbulence regime, are presented. It is shown that the pdfs exhibit a high degree of internal universality. In certain cases this universality is established within two Kolmogorov scales of a boundary. A discussion of the factors leading to the universality is presented.

Institutional-Level Integration of the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory (LASSI)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwong, Theresa; Wong, Eva; Downing, Kevin

2009-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to exhibit the integration of learning and study strategies inventory (LASSI) with the City University of Hong Kong information systems to promote teaching and learning within the university. Design/methodology/approach: From the 2006 entry cohort, all undergraduate freshmen at City University of Hong Kong are…

A Passion for Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oguntoyinbo, Lekan

2011-01-01

The malaria center is at the heart of the kind of work Michigan State University's (MSU) African Studies Center has been engaged in on the African continent since it was founded half a century ago. The university is marking the center's 50th anniversary this year with a series of events that include large photo exhibits at one of the university's…

Factors Influencing uUniversity Research Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgar, Fiona; Geare, Alan

2013-01-01

This research extends our understanding of research productivity by examining features of managerial practice and culture within university departments. Adopting a robust comparative research design, capturing both interview and survey data sourced from multiple stakeholders from New Zealand universities, we seek to identify factors associated…

Academic Culture and Campus Culture of Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shen, Xi; Tian, Xianghong

2012-01-01

Academic culture of universities mainly consists of academic outlooks, academic spirits, academic ethics and academic environments. Campus culture in a university is characterized by individuality, academic feature, opening, leading, variety and creativity. The academic culture enhances the construction of campus culture. The campus culture…

Mechanics of Platelet-Matrix Composites across Scales: Theory, Multiscale Modeling, and 3D Fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakhavand, Navid

Many natural and biomimetic composites - such as nacre, silk and clay-polymer - exhibit a remarkable balance of strength, toughness, and/or stiffness, which call for a universal measure to quantify this outstanding feature given the platelet-matrix structure and material characteristics of the constituents. Analogously, there is an urgent need to quantify the mechanics of emerging electronic and photonic systems such as stacked heterostructures, which are composed of strong in-plane bonding networks but weak interplanar bonding matrices. In this regard, development of a universal composition-structure-property map for natural platelet-matrix composites, and stacked heterostructures opens up new doors for designing materials with superior mechanical performance. In this dissertation, a multiscale bottom-up approach is adopted to analyze and predict the mechanical properties of platelet-matrix composites. Design guidelines are provided by developing universally valid (across different length scales) diagrams for science-based engineering of numerous natural and synthetic platelet-matrix composites and stacked heterostructures while significantly broadening the spectrum of strategies for fabricating new composites with specific and optimized mechanical properties. First, molecular dynamics simulations are utilized to unravel the fundamental underlying physics and chemistry of the binding nature at the atomic-level interface of organic-inorganic composites. Polymer-cementitious composites are considered as case studies to understand bonding mechanism at the nanoscale and open up new venues for potential mechanical enhancement at the macro-scale. Next, sophisticated mathematical derivations based on elasticity and plasticity theories are presented to describe pre-crack (intrinsic) mechanical performance of platelet-matrix composites at the microscale. These derivations lead to developing a unified framework to construct series of universal composition-structure-property maps that decode the interplay between various geometries and inherent material features, encapsulated in a few dimensionless parameters. Finally, after crack mechanical properties (extrinsic) of platelet-matrix composites until ultimate failure of the material at the macroscale is investigated via combinatorial finite element simulations. The effect of different composition-structure-property parameters on mechanical properties synergies are depicted via 2D and 3D maps. 3D-printed specimens are fabricated and tested against the theoretical prediction. The combination of the presented diagrams and guidelines paves the path toward platelet-matrix composites and stacked-heterostructures with superior and optimized mechanical properties.

UNM in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quantum: Research & Scholarship, 1998

1998-01-01

Profiles 10 University of New Mexico community programs: University Art Museum, Rio Grande and Four Corners Writing Projects, Blacks in the Southwest (exhibit), New Mexico Engineering Research Institute's Environmental Finance Center, Adolescent Social Action Program, Minority Engineering Programs, Rural Community College Initiative, Valencia…

The Universities of the Renaissance and Reformation.

PubMed

Grendler, Paul F

2004-01-01

European universities had great intellectual and religious influence in the Renaissance and Reformation and exhibited considerable variety. Italian universities taught law and medicine to doctoral students. Their loose organization made it possible for professors to produce original research in law, medicine, philosophy, and the humanities. Northern European universities concentrated on teaching arts to undergraduates, while theology was the most important graduate faculty. Their stronger structure enabled Martin Luther and other professors of theology in German, Dutch, Swiss, and English universities to create and lead the Protestant. By the early seventeenth century universities everywhere were in decline.

Churg-Strauss Syndrome: The Clinical Features and Long-term Follow-up of 17 Patients

PubMed Central

Oh, Mi-Jung; Lee, Jin-Young; Kwon, Nam-Hee

2006-01-01

Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare multi-system vasculitis; some cases have been reported in Korea. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical features, treatment outcome, and long-term follow-up of CSS from a single Korean medical center. Between 1995 and 2004, seventeen patients were diagnosed with CSS at the Department of Medicine of the Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine. The diagnosis of CSS is based on the classification criteria of the American Collage of Rheumatology. All patients had asthma. As in other case series, the lung, peripheral nervous system, and skin were the most commonly involved organs. During the active stage of the disease, most of the patients exhibited peripheral blood eosinophilia and an elevated serum eosinophil cationic protein level. Ten patients were treated with pulses of methylprednisolone followed by tapering and cyclophosphamide, and the others were treated with corticosteroids alone. The outcomes after long-term follow-up were generally good. One patient who was refractory to initial treatment died of heart failure during the follow-up period. CSS was highly variable in its presentation and course. The manifestations may range from mild symptoms to life-threatening conditions. The outcome after long-term follow-up was as good as that of previous studies. PMID:16614512

Recent change in congenital syphilis in Korea: Retrospective 10 year study.

PubMed

Kang, Sung-Han; Lee, Ji-Hyun; Choi, Sun-Hee; Lee, Jin; Yoon, Hoi Soo; Cha, Sung-Ho; Choi, Yong-Sung

2015-12-01

This study was conducted to evaluate recent clinical and anthropologic features of neonates with reactive serology for syphilis and their mothers from three institutions in Korea over an 11-year-period. The medical records of 20 neonates with reactive serology for syphilis and their mothers at three centers (Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, and Korea Electric Power Corporation Hospital) seen between January 2000 and December 2010 were reviewed retrospectively. Among 20 mothers, 16 (80%) were native Korean and four (20%) were foreign-born immigrants. Two mothers (10%) were unmarried. The annual distribution of cases was three (15%) in 2000, one each (5%) in 2005 and 2006, respectively, two each (10%) in 2007 and 2008, respectively, six (30%) in 2009, and five (25%) in 2010. Just over half (55%) occurred across 2009 and 2010. All neonates, by definition, were diagnosed with presumptive congenital syphilis (CS). Among the neonates, four had positive cerebrospinal fluid venereal disease research laboratory test, and three exhibited symptoms and signs. In three centers in Seoul, Korea, the observed number of CS cases was higher in 2009 and 2010 than in previous years. This finding is consistent with a trend toward increasing prevalence of international marriage and suggests that more meticulous screening of CS is needed. © 2015 Japan Pediatric Society.

Stable functional networks exhibit consistent timing in the human brain.

PubMed

Chapeton, Julio I; Inati, Sara K; Zaghloul, Kareem A

2017-03-01

Despite many advances in the study of large-scale human functional networks, the question of timing, stability, and direction of communication between cortical regions has not been fully addressed. At the cellular level, neuronal communication occurs through axons and dendrites, and the time required for such communication is well defined and preserved. At larger spatial scales, however, the relationship between timing, direction, and communication between brain regions is less clear. Here, we use a measure of effective connectivity to identify connections between brain regions that exhibit communication with consistent timing. We hypothesized that if two brain regions are communicating, then knowledge of the activity in one region should allow an external observer to better predict activity in the other region, and that such communication involves a consistent time delay. We examine this question using intracranial electroencephalography captured from nine human participants with medically refractory epilepsy. We use a coupling measure based on time-lagged mutual information to identify effective connections between brain regions that exhibit a statistically significant increase in average mutual information at a consistent time delay. These identified connections result in sparse, directed functional networks that are stable over minutes, hours, and days. Notably, the time delays associated with these connections are also highly preserved over multiple time scales. We characterize the anatomic locations of these connections, and find that the propagation of activity exhibits a preferred posterior to anterior temporal lobe direction, consistent across participants. Moreover, networks constructed from connections that reliably exhibit consistent timing between anatomic regions demonstrate features of a small-world architecture, with many reliable connections between anatomically neighbouring regions and few long range connections. Together, our results demonstrate that cortical regions exhibit functional relationships with well-defined and consistent timing, and the stability of these relationships over multiple time scales suggests that these stable pathways may be reliably and repeatedly used for large-scale cortical communication. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

Zoos in the twenty-first century: Can't we find a better way to love nature?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dewey-Platt, Lauren Kay

As a new millennium approaches, many forms of life on the planet and the environments in which they have evolved are increasingly threatened by human activities Wildlife is being marginalized, and native habitats are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. Equally disturbing is the impending demise of traditional human societies---peoples who have evolved outside of the confines and conditions of modern Western influence. The loss of these human and animal societies has occurred so rapidly that implications are largely unknown. Research on how modern Americans relate to animals, particularly wildlife, revealed a clear and disturbing incongruity best exemplified in the current paradigm of zoo exhibition and education. Although zoos purport to educate visitors about the ecology of natural environments and the universal plight of wildlife, research shows that people, particularly children, learn less about ecological principles in zoos with live animals than they do in non-living natural history exhibits. While designers employ a variety of visual techniques in natural history exhibition, environmental sound as an educational exhibit component is largely nonexistent. Many animal species communicate through sound, especially species in underwater environments. As the audio equivalent of a landscape, the soundscape is as important as any other habitat feature to the well-being of wildlife populations. Using recorded sounds of natural environments, an exhibition soundscape was designed and produced for Oceanario de Lisboa in Lisbon, Portugal---the centerpiece of the 1998 World Exposition in Lisbon, Portugal. With programmed sound serving as a major component of natural history exhibition, a conceptual design of a novel zoo for the twenty-first century was described. The "NewZew" concept is based on a growing awareness that the best way to save species is to salvage, preserve, and restore their natural habitats---activities that are largely antithetical to current zoo practice. In introducing visitors to the lifeways of traditional societies and employing recent and emerging technologies, the NewZew educates its visitors about the wonders of life on earth without displaying live animals.

[Concentration and Size Distribution of Bioaerosols in Indoor Environment of University Dormitory During the Plum Rain Period].

PubMed

Liu, Ting; Li, Lu; Zhang, Jia-quan; Zhan, Chang-lin; Liu, Hong-xia; Zheng, Jing-ru; Yao, Rui-zhen; Cao, Jun-ji

2016-04-15

Bioaerosols of university dormitory can spread through air and cause a potential health risk for student staying in indoor environment. To quantify the characteristics of bioaerosols in indoor environment of university dormitory, concentration and size distribution of culturable bioaerosols were detected during the plum rain period, the correlations of culturable bioaerosol with concentration of particulate matter, the ambient temperature and relative humidity were analyzed using Spearman's correlation coefficient and finally the changes of size distribution of culturable bioaerosol caused by activities of students were detected. The results showed that the mean concentrations of culturable airborne bacteria and fungi were (2133 +/- 1617) CFUm' and (3111 +/- 2202) CFU x m(-3). The concentrations of culturable airborne bacteria and fungi exhibited negative correlation with PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, respectively. The respirable fractions of bacteria exhibited positive correlation with PM2.5, and the respirable fractions of fungi exhibited significant positive correlation with PM10. Ambient temperature had positive correlation with culturable airborne bacteria and fungi, and relative humidity had negative correlation with culturable airborne bacteria and fungi. In the afternoon, concentrations of culturable airborne fungi in indoor environment of university dormitory significantly increased, and the size distribution of culturable hioaerosols was different in the morning and afternoon.

NASA in the Park, 2018

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-20

NASA in the Park on June 16 in Huntsville featured more than 60 exhibits and demonstrations by NASA experts, as well as performances by Marshall musicians, educational opportunities, games and hands-on activities for all ages. Youthful energy is exhibited in the foot rocket demonstration.

A kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiu-Bo; Dou, Zhao; Xu, Gang; He, Xiao-Yu; Yang, Yi-Xian

2017-01-01

Universality is an important feature, but less researched in quantum communication protocols. In this paper, a kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol is investigated. Firstly, we design a quantum secret sharing protocol based on the Borras-Plastino-Batle (BPB) state. Departing from previous research, our protocol has a salient feature in that participants in our protocol only need projective measurement instead of any unitary operations. It makes our protocol more flexible. Secondly, universality of quantum communication protocols is studied for the first time. More specifically, module division of quantum communication protocols and coupling between different modules are discussed. Our aforementioned protocol is analyzed as an example. On one hand, plenty of quantum states (the BPB-class states and the BPB-like-class states, which are proposed in this paper) could be used as carrier to perform our protocol. On the other hand, our protocol also could be regarded as a quantum private comparison protocol with a little revision. These features are rare for quantum communication protocols, and make our protocol more robust. Thirdly, entanglements of the BPB-class states are calculated in the Appendix.

A kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol.

PubMed

Chen, Xiu-Bo; Dou, Zhao; Xu, Gang; He, Xiao-Yu; Yang, Yi-Xian

2017-01-12

Universality is an important feature, but less researched in quantum communication protocols. In this paper, a kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol is investigated. Firstly, we design a quantum secret sharing protocol based on the Borras-Plastino-Batle (BPB) state. Departing from previous research, our protocol has a salient feature in that participants in our protocol only need projective measurement instead of any unitary operations. It makes our protocol more flexible. Secondly, universality of quantum communication protocols is studied for the first time. More specifically, module division of quantum communication protocols and coupling between different modules are discussed. Our aforementioned protocol is analyzed as an example. On one hand, plenty of quantum states (the BPB-class states and the BPB-like-class states, which are proposed in this paper) could be used as carrier to perform our protocol. On the other hand, our protocol also could be regarded as a quantum private comparison protocol with a little revision. These features are rare for quantum communication protocols, and make our protocol more robust. Thirdly, entanglements of the BPB-class states are calculated in the Appendix.

A kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol

PubMed Central

Chen, Xiu-Bo; Dou, Zhao; Xu, Gang; He, Xiao-Yu; Yang, Yi-Xian

2017-01-01

Universality is an important feature, but less researched in quantum communication protocols. In this paper, a kind of universal quantum secret sharing protocol is investigated. Firstly, we design a quantum secret sharing protocol based on the Borras-Plastino-Batle (BPB) state. Departing from previous research, our protocol has a salient feature in that participants in our protocol only need projective measurement instead of any unitary operations. It makes our protocol more flexible. Secondly, universality of quantum communication protocols is studied for the first time. More specifically, module division of quantum communication protocols and coupling between different modules are discussed. Our aforementioned protocol is analyzed as an example. On one hand, plenty of quantum states (the BPB-class states and the BPB-like-class states, which are proposed in this paper) could be used as carrier to perform our protocol. On the other hand, our protocol also could be regarded as a quantum private comparison protocol with a little revision. These features are rare for quantum communication protocols, and make our protocol more robust. Thirdly, entanglements of the BPB-class states are calculated in the Appendix. PMID:28079109

Perceptions of Emotion from Facial Expressions are Not Culturally Universal: Evidence from a Remote Culture

PubMed Central

Gendron, Maria; Roberson, Debi; van der Vyver, Jacoba Marietta; Barrett, Lisa Feldman

2014-01-01

It is widely believed that certain emotions are universally recognized in facial expressions. Recent evidence indicates that Western perceptions (e.g., scowls as anger) depend on cues to US emotion concepts embedded in experiments. Since such cues are standard feature in methods used in cross-cultural experiments, we hypothesized that evidence of universality depends on this conceptual context. In our study, participants from the US and the Himba ethnic group sorted images of posed facial expressions into piles by emotion type. Without cues to emotion concepts, Himba participants did not show the presumed “universal” pattern, whereas US participants produced a pattern with presumed universal features. With cues to emotion concepts, participants in both cultures produced sorts that were closer to the presumed “universal” pattern, although substantial cultural variation persisted. Our findings indicate that perceptions of emotion are not universal, but depend on cultural and conceptual contexts. PMID:24708506

Mask Matching for Linear Feature Detection.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-01-01

decide which matched masks are part of a linear feature by sim- ple thresholding of the confidence measures. However, it is shown in a compan - ion report...Laboratory, Center for Automation Research, University of Maryland, January 1987. 3. E.M. Allen, R.H. Trigg, and R.J. Wood, The Maryland Artificial ... Intelligence Group Franz Lisp Environment, Variation 3.5, TR-1226, Department of Computer Science, University of Maryland, December 1984. 4. D.E. Knuth, The

Critter Folk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Kathy

2009-01-01

This article describes an exhibit entitled "Critter Folk" for the Betty Foy Sanders department of art at Georgia Southern University. The theme of the exhibit is folk art "critters"--crocodiles, chickens, cows, snakes, elephants, cats--from the Smith Callaway Banks Southern Folk Art Collection. The organizers invited two…

How 4 Colleges Take on Veterans' Issues, in Research and Real Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Libby

2012-01-01

This article features four colleges and how they take on veterans' issues in research and real life. These colleges are (1) Syracuse University; (2) Purdue University; (3) University of Southern California; and (4) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Last year Syracuse established the Institute for Veterans and Military Families to focus…

Higher Education Development in Korea: Western University Ideas, Confucian Tradition, and Economic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shin, Jung Cheol

2012-01-01

The features of Korean higher education development are related to sociocultural tradition (Confucian tradition), the model university ideas, and economic development in Korea. The modern university ideas adopted in Korean are based on the German model which was established by the Japanese colonial government and drawing on the US university model…

Organizational Models and Mythologies of the American Research University. ASHE 1986 Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alpert, Daniel

Features of the matrix model of the research university and myths about the academic enterprise are described, along with serious dissonances in the U.S. university system. The linear model, from which the matrix model evolved, describes the university's structure, perceived mission, and organizational behavior. A matrix model portrays in concise,…

A Rich History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkins, B. Denise

2007-01-01

This article features six Texas Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) which continue the mission of educating African-American students, while at the same time responding to the state's changing demographics. These are: (1) Huston-Tillotson University, Austin; (2) Paul Quinn College, Dallas; (3) Prairie View A&M University,…

Strain-enhanced stress relaxation impacts nonlinear elasticity in collagen gels

PubMed Central

Nam, Sungmin; Hu, Kenneth H.; Chaudhuri, Ovijit

2016-01-01

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a complex assembly of structural proteins that provides physical support and biochemical signaling to cells in tissues. The mechanical properties of the ECM have been found to play a key role in regulating cell behaviors such as differentiation and malignancy. Gels formed from ECM protein biopolymers such as collagen or fibrin are commonly used for 3D cell culture models of tissue. One of the most striking features of these gels is that they exhibit nonlinear elasticity, undergoing strain stiffening. However, these gels are also viscoelastic and exhibit stress relaxation, with the resistance of the gel to a deformation relaxing over time. Recent studies have suggested that cells sense and respond to both nonlinear elasticity and viscoelasticity of ECM, yet little is known about the connection between nonlinear elasticity and viscoelasticity. Here, we report that, as strain is increased, not only do biopolymer gels stiffen but they also exhibit faster stress relaxation, reducing the timescale over which elastic energy is dissipated. This effect is not universal to all biological gels and is mediated through weak cross-links. Mechanistically, computational modeling and atomic force microscopy (AFM) indicate that strain-enhanced stress relaxation of collagen gels arises from force-dependent unbinding of weak bonds between collagen fibers. The broader effect of strain-enhanced stress relaxation is to rapidly diminish strain stiffening over time. These results reveal the interplay between nonlinear elasticity and viscoelasticity in collagen gels, and highlight the complexity of the ECM mechanics that are likely sensed through cellular mechanotransduction. PMID:27140623

Adipocyte Browning and Higher Mitochondrial Function in Periadrenal But Not SC Fat in Pheochromocytoma.

PubMed

Vergnes, Laurent; Davies, Graeme R; Lin, Jason Y; Yeh, Michael W; Livhits, Masha J; Harari, Avital; Symonds, Michael E; Sacks, Harold S; Reue, Karen

2016-11-01

Patients with pheochromocytoma (pheo) show presence of multilocular adipocytes that express uncoupling protein 1 within periadrenal (pADR) and omental (OME) fat depots. It has been hypothesized that this is due to adrenergic stimulation by catecholamines produced by the pheo tumors. To characterize the prevalence and respiratory activity of brown-like adipocytes within pADR, OME, and SC fat depots in human adult pheo patients. This was an observational cohort study. The study took place in a university hospital. We studied 46 patients who underwent surgery for benign adrenal tumors (21 pheos and 25 controls with adrenocortical adenomas). We characterized adipocyte browning in pADR, SC, and OME fat depots for histological and immunohistological features, mitochondrial respiration rate, and gene expression. We also determined circulating levels of catecholamines and other browning-related hormones. Eleven of 21 pheo pADR adipose samples, but only one of 25 pADR samples from control patients exhibited multilocular adipocytes. The pADR browning phenotype was associated with higher plasma catecholamines and raised uncoupling protein 1. Mitochondria from multilocular pADR fat of pheo patients exhibited increased rates of coupled and uncoupled respiration. Global gene expression analysis in pADR fat revealed enrichment in β-oxidation genes in pheo patients with multilocular adipocytes. No SC or OME fat depots exhibited aspects of browning. Browning of the pADR depot occurred in half of pheo patients and was associated with increased catecholamines and mitochondrial activity. No browning was detected in other fat depots, suggesting that other factors are required to promote browning in these depots.

Solidarity and the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights.

PubMed

Gunson, Darryl

2009-06-01

Recent work has stressed the importance of the concept of solidarity to bioethics and social philosophy generally. But can and should it feature in documents such as the Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights as anything more than a vague notion with multiple possible interpretations? Although noting the tension between universality and particularity that such documents have to deal with, and also noting that solidarity has a political content, the paper explores the suggestion that solidarity should feature more centrally in international regulations. The paper concludes with the view that when solidarity is seen aright, the UDBHR is an implicitly solidaristic document.

PCOS remains a diagnosis of exclusion: a concise review of key endocrinopathies to exclude.

PubMed

Kyritsi, Eleni Magdalini; Dimitriadis, George K; Kyrou, Ioannis; Kaltsas, Gregory; Randeva, Harpal S

2017-01-01

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogenous disorder associated with clinical, endocrine and ultrasonographic features that can also be encountered in a number of other diseases. It has traditionally been suggested that prolactin excess, enzymatic steroidogenic abnormalities and thyroid disorders need to be excluded before a diagnosis of PCOS is made. However, there is paucity of data regarding the prevalence of PCOS phenotype in some of these disorders, whereas other endocrine diseases that exhibit PCOS-like features may elude diagnosis and proper management if not considered. This article reviews the data of currently included entities that exhibit a PCOS phenotype and those that potentially need to be looked for, and attempts to identify specific features that distinguish them from idiopathic PCOS. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strategic Planning towards a World-Class University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Usoh, E. J.; Ratu, D.; Manongko, A.; Taroreh, J.; Preston, G.

2018-02-01

Strategic planning with a focus on world-class university status is an option that cannot be avoided by universities today to survive and succeed in competition as a provider of higher education. The objective of this research is to obtain exploratory research results on the strategic plans of universities that are prepared to generate world-class university status. This research utilised exploratory qualitative research method and data was collected by in-depth interviews method. Interview transcripts were analyzed by using thematic content analysis through NVivo software analysis and manual systems. The main finding of interview shows that most interviewees agreed that UNIMA has been engaged in strategic planning. Contribution from faculties and schools are acknowledged and inform the planning process. However, a new model of strategic planning should be adopted by UNIMA due to the shift towards a “corporate university”. The finding results from documents, literature review and interview were the addition of world-class university characteristics and features to current strategic planning of UNIMA and how to upgrade by considering to use the characteristics and features towards world-class university.

NASA in the Park, 2018

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-06-20

NASA in the Park on June 16 in Huntsville featured more than 60 exhibits and demonstrations by NASA experts, as well as performances by Marshall musicians, educational opportunities, games and hands-on activities for all ages. Many of the exhibits at NASA in the Park were interactive.

The fetal/neonatal mouse liver exhibits transcriptional features of the adult pancreas.

EPA Science Inventory

Metabolic homeostasis of the organism is maintained by the liver’s ability to detoxify and eliminate xenobiotics through the expression of xenobiotic metabolism enxymes (XME). The fetus and neonate have been hypothesized to exhibit increased sensitivity to xenobiotic toxicity. T...

Development of a DC Glow Discharge Exhibit for the Demonstration of Plasma Behavior in a Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruder, Daniel

2010-11-01

The DC Glow Discharge Exhibit is intended to demonstrate the effects a magnetic field produces on a plasma in a vacuum chamber. The display, which will be featured as a part of The Liberty Science Center's ``Energy Quest Exhibition,'' consists of a DC glow discharge tube and information panels to educate the general public on plasma and its relation to fusion energy. Wall posters and an information booklet will offer brief descriptions of fusion-based science and technology, and will portray plasma's role in the development of fusion as a viable source of energy. The display features a horse-shoe magnet on a movable track, allowing viewers to witness the effects of a magnetic field upon a plasma. The plasma is created from air within a vacuum averaging between 100-200 mTorr. Signage within the casing describes the hardware components. The display is pending delivery to The Liberty Science Center, and will replace a similar, older exhibit presently at the museum.

Drag reduction and the dynamics of turbulence in simple and complex fluidsa)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, Michael D.

2014-10-01

Addition of a small amount of very large polymer molecules or micelle-forming surfactants to a liquid can dramatically reduce the energy dissipation it exhibits in the turbulent flow regime. This rheological drag reduction phenomenon is widely used, for example, in the Alaska pipeline, but it is not well-understood, and no comparable technology exists to reduce turbulent energy consumption in flows of gases, in which polymers or surfactants cannot be dissolved. The most striking feature of this phenomenon is the existence of a so-called maximum drag reduction (MDR) asymptote: for a given geometry and driving force, there is a maximum level of drag reduction that can be achieved through addition of polymers. Changing the concentration, molecular weight or even the chemical structure of the additives has little to no effect on this asymptotic value. This universality is the major puzzle of drag reduction. We describe direct numerical simulations of turbulent minimal channel flow of Newtonian fluids and viscoelastic polymer solutions. Even in the absence of polymers, we show that there are intervals of "hibernating" turbulence that display very low drag as well as many other features of the MDR asymptote observed in polymer solutions. As Weissenberg number increases to moderate values the frequency of these intervals also increases, and a simple theory captures key features of the intermittent dynamics observed in the simulations. At higher Weissenberg number, these intervals are altered - for example, their duration becomes substantially longer and the instantaneous Reynolds shear stress during them becomes very small. Additionally, simulations of "edge states," dynamical trajectories that lie on the boundary between turbulent and laminar flow, display characteristics that are similar to those of hibernating turbulence and thus to the MDR asymptote, again even in the absence of polymer additives. Based on these observations, we propose a tentative unified description of rheological drag reduction. The existence of MDR-like intervals even in the absence of additives sheds light on the observed universality of MDR and may ultimately lead to new flow control approaches for improving energy efficiency in a wide range of processes.

Charting a New Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Frank J.; Matthews, Joan Morgan

2008-01-01

This article features the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), which becomes the first historically Black university (HBCU) to receive a PGA Professional Golf Management Program. The PGA/PGM[TM] University Program is a four-and-a-half-year structured college curriculum for aspiring PGA professionals. The educational program is accredited…

The Role of Research-Oriented Universities in School Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nur, Mary Morison

1986-01-01

The interdisciplinary school-university partnership based at Stanford University is establishing a database for developing educational policy. The following features are discussed: (1) historical perspective; (2) data collection/feedback process and its contribution to the linking of researcher and practitioner on a national basis; (3) lessons…

Spanish Federation of Popular Universities (FEUP)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serrano, Isabel Garcia-Longoria

2006-01-01

This article features the Spanish Popular Universities, which are defined as "a project of cultural development that acts in the municipality, whose objective is to promote social participation, education, training, and culture in order to improve life quality" (Federation of Popular Education Universities, 2000). A century of history of…

Development and analysis of spectroscopic learning tools and the light and spectroscopy concept inventory for introductory college astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardar, Erin M.

Electromagnetic radiation is the fundamental carrier of astronomical information. Spectral features serve as the fingerprints of the universe, revealing many important properties of objects in the cosmos such as temperature, elemental compositions, and relative motion. Because of its importance to astronomical research, the nature of light and the electromagnetic spectrum is by far the most universally covered topic in astronomy education. Yet, to the surprise and disappointment of instructors, many students struggle to understand underlying fundamental concepts related to light and spectroscopic phenomena. This dissertation describes research into introductory college astronomy students' understanding of light and spectroscopy concepts, through the development and analysis of both instructional materials and an assessment instrument. The purpose of this research was two-fold: (1) to develop a novel suite of spectroscopic learning tools that enhance student understanding of light and spectroscopy and (2) to design and validate a Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI) with the sensitivity to distinguish the relative effectiveness of various teaching interventions within the context of introductory college astronomy. Through a systematic investigation that included multiple rounds of clinical interviews, open-ended written surveys, and multiple-choice testing, introductory college astronomy students' commonly held misconceptions and reasoning difficulties were explored for concepts relating to: (1) The nature of the electromagnetic spectrum, including the interrelationships of wavelength, frequency, energy, and speed; (2) interpretation of Doppler shift; (3) properties of blackbody radiation; and (4) the connection between spectral features and underlying physical processes. These difficulties guided the development of instructional materials including six unique "homelab" exercises, a binocular spectrometer, a spectral analysis software tool, and the 26-question Light and Spectroscopy Concept Inventory (LSCI). In the fall of 2005, a multi-institution field-test of the LSCI was conducted with student examinees from 14 course sections at 11 colleges and universities employing various instructional techniques. Through statistical analysis, the inventory was proven to be a reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77) and valid assessment instrument that was able to illustrate statistically significant learning gains (p < 0.05) for most course sections, with students utilizing our suite of instructional materials exhibiting among the highest performance gains (Effect Size = 1.31).

Ride or Die

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denmead, Tyler; Brown, Ruth-Nicole

2014-01-01

In this Instructional Resource, Denmead and Brown consider how "Ruffneck Constructivists," an exhibition curated by Kara Walker at the Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA), University of Pennsylvania, can disturb and provoke young creatives and art education more broadly. For this exhibition, Walker draws on the figure that MC Lyte…

Using NLM exhibits and events to engage library users and reach the community.

PubMed

Auten, Beth; Norton, Hannah F; Tennant, Michele R; Edwards, Mary E; Stoyan-Rosenzweig, Nina; Daley, Matthew

2013-01-01

In an effort to reach out to library users and make the library a more relevant, welcoming place, the University of Florida's Health Science Center Library hosted exhibits from the National Library of Medicine's (NLM) Traveling Exhibition Program. From 2010 through 2012, the library hosted four NLM exhibits and created event series for each. Through reflection and use of a participant survey, lessons were learned concerning creating relevant programs, marketing events, and forming new partnerships. Each successive exhibit added events and activities to address different audiences. A survey of libraries that have hosted NLM exhibits highlights lessons learned at those institutions.

Using NLM Exhibits and Events to Engage Library Users and Reach the Community

PubMed Central

Auten, Beth; Norton, Hannah F.; Tennant, Michele R.; Edwards, Mary E.; Stoyan-Rosenzweig, Nina; Daley, Matthew

2013-01-01

In an effort to reach out to library users and make the library a more relevant, welcoming place, the University of Florida’s Health Science Center Library hosted exhibits from the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM) Traveling Exhibition Program. From 2010 through 2012, the library hosted four NLM exhibits and created event series for each. Through reflection and use of a participant survey, lessons were learned concerning creating relevant programs, marketing events, and forming new partnerships. Each successive exhibit added events and activities to address different audiences. A survey of libraries that have hosted NLM exhibits highlights lessons learned at those institutions. PMID:23869634

Galaxy Makers Exhibition: Re-engagement, Evaluation and Content Legacy through an Online Component

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrow, J.; Harrison, C.

2017-09-01

For the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition 2016, Durham University's Institute of Computational Cosmology created the Galaxy Makers exhibit to communicate our computational cosmology and astronomy research. In addition to the physical exhibit we created an online component to foster re-engagement, create a permanent home for our content and allow us to collect important information about participation and impact. Here we summarise the details of the exhibit and the degree of success attached to the online component. We also share suggestions for further uses and improvements that could be implemented for the online components of other science exhibitions.

Should Your Endowment Invest in Alternatives?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoder, Jay A.

2005-01-01

Alternative investments (those that exhibit risk and return properties not easily attainable from traditional asset classes) constitute an investment option that no modern college or university investment strategist can ignore. Colleges and universities with larger allocations to alternatives outperformed institutions with smaller allocations in…

Performance Comparison of Feature Extraction Algorithms for Target Detection and Classification

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

Detection and Classification⋆ Soheil Bahrampour1 Asok Ray2 Soumalya Sarkar2 Thyagaraju Damarla3 Nasser M. Nasrabadi3 Keywords: Feature Extraction...USA email:soheil@psu.edu 2A. Ray and S. Sarkar are with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA...no. 1, pp. 22–29, 2001. [5] G. Mallapragada, A. Ray , and X. Jin, “Symbolic dynamic filtering and language measure for behavior identification of mobile

An Archetype Semi-Ring Fabry-Perot (SRFP) Resonator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taghavi-Larigani, Shervin; VanZyl, Jakob

2009-01-01

We introduce and demonstrate the generation of a novel resonator, termed Semi-Ring Fabry-Perot (SRFP), that exhibits unique features, such as, its use of one plane mirror, allowing the SRFP to be easily fabricated as a symmetrical device. In addition to its unique features, it exhibits advantages of ring and Fabry-Perot resonators: 1) compared to a ring resonator that only allows a transmitted intensity, the Semi-Ring Fabry-Perot (SRFP) supports standing waves, allowing both a reflected and transmitted intensity; 2) the reflected light spectrum of the SRFP resonator is much narrower than similar Fabry-Perot, implying higher finesse.

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At the grand opening of the newly expanded KSC Visitor Complex, Center Director Roy Bridges addresses guests and the media. The $13 million addition to the Visitor Complex includes an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks, a new information center, films, and exhibits. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

The severity of Internet addiction risk and its relationship with the severity of borderline personality features, childhood traumas, dissociative experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms among Turkish university students.

PubMed

Dalbudak, Ercan; Evren, Cuneyt; Aldemir, Secil; Evren, Bilge

2014-11-30

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of Internet addiction (IA) risk with the severity of borderline personality features, childhood traumas, dissociative experiences, depression and anxiety symptoms among Turkish university students. A total of 271 Turkish university students participated in this study. The students were assessed through the Internet Addiction Scale (IAS), the Borderline Personality Inventory (BPI), the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). The rates of students were 19.9% (n=54) in the high IA risk group, 38.7% (n=105) in the mild IA risk group and 41.3% (n=112) in the group without IA risk. Correlation analyses revealed that the severity of IA risk was related with BPI, DES, emotional abuse, CTQ-28, depression and anxiety scores. Univariate covariance analysis (ANCOVA) indicated that the severity of borderline personality features, emotional abuse, depression and anxiety symptoms were the predictors of IAS score, while gender had no effect on IAS score. Among childhood trauma types, emotional abuse seems to be the main predictor of IA risk severity. Borderline personality features predicted the severity of IA risk together with emotional abuse, depression and anxiety symptoms among Turkish university students. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Model for Cooperative Student Teaching Involving a Nearby Majority Black University and a Nearby Majority White University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Walter A.

Major features of the cooperative student teaching model include 1) a pattern of student teaching assignments within the school system which would provide for proportional inclusion of prospective teachers--from the nearby majority black university and the nearby majority white university--to each school serving as a student teaching facility; 2)…

The Role of Private Universities in the Provision of Higher Education in Uganda: Growth and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mugabi, H.

2012-01-01

Although the first private university in Uganda was founded in 1988 and the private university sector has since grown rapidly to become one of the most prominent features of higher education (HE) in Uganda, the contribution of private universities (PUs) to the provision of HE has remained largely unexplored and as such, less understood. The…

Selective attention, diffused attention, and the development of categorization.

PubMed

Deng, Wei Sophia; Sloutsky, Vladimir M

2016-12-01

How do people learn categories and what changes with development? The current study attempts to address these questions by focusing on the role of attention in the development of categorization. In Experiment 1, participants (adults, 7-year-olds, and 4-year-olds) were trained with novel categories consisting of deterministic and probabilistic features, and their categorization and memory for features were tested. In Experiment 2, participants' attention was directed to the deterministic feature, and in Experiment 3 it was directed to the probabilistic features. Attentional cueing affected categorization and memory in adults and 7-year-olds: these participants relied on the cued features in their categorization and exhibited better memory of cued than of non-cued features. In contrast, in 4-year-olds attentional cueing affected only categorization, but not memory: these participants exhibited equally good memory for both cued and non-cued features. Furthermore, across the experiments, 4-year-olds remembered non-cued features better than adults. These results coupled with computational simulations provide novel evidence (1) pointing to differences in category representation and mechanisms of categorization across development, (2) elucidating the role of attention in the development of categorization, and (3) suggesting an important distinction between representation and decision factors in categorization early in development. These issues are discussed with respect to theories of categorization and its development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of microleakage of Scotchbond™ Universal Adhesive with methacrylate resin in Class V restorations by two methods: Swept source optical coherence tomography and dye penetration

PubMed Central

Kermanshah, Hamid; Khorsandian, Hossein

2017-01-01

Background: One of the most important factors in restoration failure is microleakage at the restoration interface. Furthermore, a new generation of bonding, Scotchbond Universal (multi-mode adhesive), has been introduced to facilitate the bonding steps. The aim of this study was to compare the microleakage of Class V cavities restored using Scotchbond™ Universal with Scotchbond Multi-Purpose in two procedures. Materials and Methods: Eighteen freshly extracted human molars were used in this study. Thirty-six standardized Class V cavities were prepared on the buccal and lingual surfaces. The teeth were divided into three groups: (1) Group A: Scotchbond Universal with “self-etching” procedure and nanohybrid composite Filtek Z350. (2) Group B: Scotchbond Universal with “total etching” procedure and Filtek Z350. (3) Group C: Scotchbond Multi-Purpose and Filtek Z350. Microleakage at enamel and dentinal margins was evaluated after thermocycling under 5000 cycles by two methods of microleakage assay: swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT) and dye penetration. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test and Kruskal–Wallis test were used to analyze microleakage. Results: In silver nitrate dye penetration method, group A exhibited the minimum microleakage at dentin margins and group C exhibited the minimum microleakage at enamel margins (P < 0.05). Furthermore, in OCT method, group C demonstrated the minimum microleakage at enamel margins (P = 0.047), with no difference in the microleakage rate at dentin margins. Conclusion: Scotchbond Universal with “self-etching” procedure at dentin margin exhibited more acceptable performance compared to the Scotchbond Multi-Purpose with the two methods. PMID:28928782

Theme Semester at the University of Michigan: The Universe - Yours to Discover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Shannon

2008-09-01

The Theme Semester program in the College of Literature Science and the Arts (LSA) at the University of Michigan brings the resources of a major University to the students and wider community. The winter 2009 theme semester was chosen to match the IYA: The Universe, Yours to Discover. This poster will present the programs and activities planned and sponsored by LSA, the Department of Astronomy, the Exhibit Museum of Natural History, the Student Astronomical Society, the Department of Physics, the Michigan Center for Theoretical Physics, the Residential College, University Libraries, local libraries, and other university divisions and local organizations. Among the major events is a distinguished lecture series on Friday evenings followed by free public planetarium shows and public observing. The Special Collections Library will hold a special exhibition of their collection, which includes a copy of Principia and some of Galileo's first notes on the moons of Jupiter. Several new courses are planned, including the first offering of "Life in the Universe", an introductory astronomy class with a focus on astrobiology. Cultural programs include a production of Bertolt Brecht's "Galileo” and an astronomy theme to the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra's youth concerts. Most of the programming is offered free to students and free or low admission to the general public. A website is planned as a clearinghouse for information and resources.

Palatalization and Intrinsic Prosodic Vowel Features in Russian

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ordin, Mikhail

2011-01-01

The presented study is aimed at investigating the interaction of palatalization and intrinsic prosodic features of the vowel in CVC (consonant+vowel+consonant) syllables in Russian. The universal nature of intrinsic prosodic vowel features was confirmed with the data from the Russian language. It was found that palatalization of the consonants…

Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harper, Meghan

2010-01-01

This article features "Pop Culture Universe," which received the 2009 Dartmouth Medal honoring the creation of a reference work of outstanding quality. School librarians will find "Pop Culture Universe" a wonderful resource for assisting middle school and high school students with research projects on significant historical events that focus on…

The Influence of Organisational Features in High-Ranked Universities: The Case of Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uslu, Baris

2017-01-01

This article examines the influence of major institutional components, academic support mechanisms and organisational climate on scholarly productivity in high-ranked universities. Qualitative data were collected from senior academics working in high-ranked Australian universities. The data were examined using thematic descriptive and content…

Prevalence of Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms and Associated Clinical Features among Australian University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartsch, Dianna

2007-01-01

The current study addressed the frequency of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) symptoms among university students and investigated the predictors of dysmorphic concern. Six hundred and nineteen Australian university students completed measures assessing BDD, dysmorphic concern, self-esteem, depression, life satisfaction, self-oriented and socially…

The American University as a Civic Institution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Manfred; And Others

1989-01-01

This Civic Arts Review issue contains an essay by Stanley Manfred titled "The American University as a Civic Institution" which identifies some of the features which have made the contemporary American university a civic institution with important civic functions, and identifies some of the societal contradictions which impede recognition and…

On the Recommender System for University Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fu, Shunkai; Zhang, Yao; Seinminn

2013-01-01

Libraries are important to universities, and they have two primary features: readers as well as collections are highly professional. In this study, based on the experimental study with five millions of users' borrowing records, our discussion covers: (1) the necessity of recommender system for university libraries; (2) collaborative filtering (CF)…

CARES: Mentoring through University Outreach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergerson, Amy Aldous; Petersen, Kari K.

2009-01-01

This study examined whether a university outreach program featuring peer mentoring and offering a social support network can impact college-going aspirations. Study participants were middle school students of color and low SES students and their university student mentors. Purposeful selection was used to identify six mentors and six proteges and…

Globalization and Academic Work in Singapore. RIHE International Seminar Reports. No. 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ho, Kong Chong; Kang, Trivina

2015-01-01

East Asian higher education has experienced an important shift by it's national universities to pay increasing attention to rankings in the wake of globalization. This critical feature influences inter-university competition for resources, faculty and students. During this process, these universities have restructured their organizations and…

Language Universals and Socio-Cultural Implications in Deviant Usage: Personal Questions in Swedish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulston, Christina Bratt

1975-01-01

This paper investigates the address avoidance of second person personal pronouns in Swedish in terms of language universals and the relationship between deviation from a universal linguistic feature and social structural change. Available from Liber Laeromedel, Box 1205, S-22105 Lund, Sweden. (Author)

Register Formation among Sri Lankan University Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zubair, Cala A.

2011-01-01

This linguistic and ethnographic project examines register formation among a community of Sri Lankan university youth. The Raggers group at the University of Peradeniya (Kandy, Sri Lanka) has strict rules forbidding the use of English and supporting a register of Sinhala made up of linguistic features from different Sinhala varieties. Detailing…

Feeling Healthy? A Survey of Physical and Psychological Wellbeing of Students from Seven Universities in the UK

PubMed Central

Ansari, Walid El; Stock, Christiane; Snelgrove, Sherrill; Hu, Xiaoling; Parke, Sian; Davies, Shân; John, Jill; Adetunji, Hamed; Stoate, Mary; Deeny, Pat; Phillips, Ceri; Mabhala, Andi

2011-01-01

University students’ physical and psychological health and wellbeing are important and comprise many variables. This study assessed perceived health status in addition to a range of physical and psychological wellbeing indicators of 3,706 undergraduate students from seven universities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. We compared differences in these variables across males and females, and across the participating universities. The data was collected in 2007–2008. A self-administered questionnaire assessed socio-demographic information (e.g., gender, age), self-reported physical and psychological health data, as well as questions on health awareness, health service use, social support, burdens and stressors and university study related questions. While females generally reported more health problems and psychological burdens, male students felt that they received/had fewer persons to depend on for social support. The comparisons of health and wellbeing variables across the different universities suggested some evidence of ‘clustering’ of the variables under study, whereby favourable situations would be exhibited by a cluster of the variables that is encountered at some universities; and conversely, the clustering of less favourable variables as exhibited at other universities. We conclude that the level of health complaints and psychological problems/burdens is relatively high and calls for increased awareness of university administrators, leaders and policy makers to the health and well-being needs of their students. The observed clustering effects also indicated the need for local (university-specific) health and wellbeing profiles as basis and guidance for relevant health promotion programmes at universities. PMID:21655121

Co-Occurrence of Language and Behavioural Change in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

PubMed

Harris, Jennifer M; Jones, Matthew; Gall, Claire; Richardson, Anna M T; Neary, David; du Plessis, Daniel; Pal, Piyali; Mann, David M A; Snowden, Julie S; Thompson, Jennifer C

2016-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the co-occurrence of language and behavioural impairment in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum pathology. Eighty-one dementia patients with pathological confirmation of FTLD were identified. Anonymized clinical records from patients' first assessment were rated for language and behavioural features from frontotemporal dementia consensus criteria, primary progressive aphasia (PPA) criteria and 1998 FTLD criteria. Over 90% of patients with FTLD pathology exhibited a combination of at least one behavioural and one language feature. Changes in language, in particular, were commonly accompanied by behavioural change. Notably, the majority of patients who displayed language features characteristic of semantic variant PPA exhibited 'early perseverative, stereotyped or compulsive/ritualistic behaviour'. Moreover, 'executive/generation deficits with relative sparing of memory and visuospatial functions' occurred in most patients with core features of non-fluent variant PPA. Behavioural and language symptoms frequently co-occur in patients with FTLD pathology. Current classifications, which separate behavioural and language syndromes, do not reflect this co-occurrence.

Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome: A Review of Current Literature, Clinical Approach, and 23-Patient Case Series.

PubMed

Goodspeed, Kimberly; Newsom, Cassandra; Morris, Mary Ann; Powell, Craig; Evans, Patricia; Golla, Sailaja

2018-03-01

Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) is a rare, genetic disorder caused by a molecular variant of TCF4 which is involved in embryologic neuronal differentiation. PTHS is characterized by syndromic facies, psychomotor delay, and intellectual disability. Other associated features include early-onset myopia, seizures, constipation, and hyperventilation-apneic spells. Many also meet criteria for autism spectrum disorder. Here the authors present a series of 23 PTHS patients with molecularly confirmed TCF4 variants and describe 3 unique individuals. The first carries a small deletion but does not exhibit the typical facial features nor the typical pattern of developmental delay. The second exhibits typical facial features, but has attained more advanced motor and verbal skills than other reported cases to date. The third displays typical features of PTHS, however inherited a large chromosomal duplication involving TCF4 from his unaffected father with somatic mosaicism. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first chromosomal duplication case reported to date.

Organizing University Marketing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Thomas E.

During a period of projected declining enrollments some years ago, colleges and universities began looking to business and industry for models and methods to achieve stability and exhibit accountability. Zero-based budgeting, computerized record keeping, and planned-programmed-budgeting systems found their way to college campuses. A trend to…

Multitasking Teachers: Mistake or Missing Link?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenwine, Marilyn J.; Hadley, Nancy J.

2011-01-01

This article presents case studies involving graduate students who exhibited multitasking behaviors during their university courses, and explores how those behaviors functioned in their own classrooms. Though these university students appeared to be inattentive, their multitasking proved to be indicative of creativity and flexibility in their…

1/f Noise in the ``Game of Life''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrecut, Mircea

Conway's celebrated ``game of life'' cellular automaton possesses computational universality. The Fourier analysis reported here shows that the power spectra of the ``game of life'' exhibit 1/f noise. The obtained result suggests a connection between 1/f noise and computational universality.

Training Plan. Central Archive for Reusable Defense Software (CARDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-01-29

Modeling Software Reuse Technology: Feature Oriented Domain Analysis ( FODA ). SEI, Carnegie Mellon University, May 1992. 8. Component Provider’s...events to the services of the domain. 4. Feature Oriented Domain Analysis ( FODA ) [COHEN92] The FODA method produces feature models. Feature models provide...Architecture FODA Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis GOTS Government-Off-The-Shelf Pap A-49 STARS-VC-B003/001/00 29 imaty 1994 MS Master of Science NEC

Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale-10: A psychometric study in Chinese university students.

PubMed

Lu, Wei; Bian, Qian; Wang, Wenzheng; Wu, Xiaoling; Wang, Zhen; Zhao, Min

2017-01-01

Chinese university students often suffer from acute stress, which can affect their mental health. We measured and evaluated perceived stress in this population using the Simplified Chinese version of the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (SCPSS-10). The SCPSS-10, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) were conducted in 1096 university students. Two weeks later, 129 participants were re-tested using the SCPSS-10. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two factors with Eigen values of 4.76 and 1.48, accounting for 62.41% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated good fit of this two-factor model. The internal consistency reliability, as measured by Cronbach's α, was 0.85. The test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.7. The SCPSS-10 exhibited high correlation with the PHQ-9 and GAD-7, indicating an acceptable concurrent validity. The SCPSS-10 exhibited satisfactory psychometric properties in Chinese university students.

Are Chinese University Students More Likely to Exhibit a Surface Approach to Learning than Other International Students in Finland?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakurai, Yusuke; Pyhältö, Kirsi; Lindblom-Ylänne, Sari

2014-01-01

This article is based on a study which investigated whether Chinese international students at a university in Finland are more likely to rely on a Surface approach to learning and dismiss a Deep approach than are other international students in the same university educational context. In responding to a survey, students' scores with respect to the…

From Scribbles to Scrabble: Preschool Children’s Developing Knowledge of Written Language

PubMed Central

Puranik, Cynthia S.; Lonigan, Christopher J.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to concurrently examine the development of written language across several writing tasks and to investigate how writing features develop in preschool children. Emergent written language knowledge of 372 preschoolers was assessed using numerous writing tasks. The findings from this study indicate that children possess a great deal of writing knowledge before beginning school. Children appear to progress along a continuum from scribbling to conventional spelling, and this progression is linear and task dependent. There was clear evidence to support the claim that universal writing features develop before language-specific features. Children as young as 3 years possess knowledge regarding universal and language-specific writing features. There is substantial developmental continuity in literacy skills from the preschool period into early elementary grades. Implications of these findings on writing development are discussed. PMID:22448101

k-essence model of inflation, dark matter, and dark energy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bose, Nilok; Majumdar, A. S.

We investigate the possibility for k-essence dynamics to reproduce the primary features of inflation in the early universe, generate dark matter subsequently, and finally account for the presently observed acceleration. We first show that for a purely kinetic k-essence model the late-time energy density of the universe when expressed simply as a sum of a cosmological constant and a dark matter term leads to a static universe. We then study another k-essence model in which the Lagrangian contains a potential for the scalar field as well as a noncanonical kinetic term. We show that such a model generates the basicmore » features of inflation in the early universe, and also gives rise to dark matter and dark energy at appropriate subsequent stages. Observational constraints on the parameters of this model are obtained.« less

Neuronal avalanches and learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Arcangelis, Lucilla

2011-05-01

Networks of living neurons represent one of the most fascinating systems of biology. If the physical and chemical mechanisms at the basis of the functioning of a single neuron are quite well understood, the collective behaviour of a system of many neurons is an extremely intriguing subject. Crucial ingredient of this complex behaviour is the plasticity property of the network, namely the capacity to adapt and evolve depending on the level of activity. This plastic ability is believed, nowadays, to be at the basis of learning and memory in real brains. Spontaneous neuronal activity has recently shown features in common to other complex systems. Experimental data have, in fact, shown that electrical information propagates in a cortex slice via an avalanche mode. These avalanches are characterized by a power law distribution for the size and duration, features found in other problems in the context of the physics of complex systems and successful models have been developed to describe their behaviour. In this contribution we discuss a statistical mechanical model for the complex activity in a neuronal network. The model implements the main physiological properties of living neurons and is able to reproduce recent experimental results. Then, we discuss the learning abilities of this neuronal network. Learning occurs via plastic adaptation of synaptic strengths by a non-uniform negative feedback mechanism. The system is able to learn all the tested rules, in particular the exclusive OR (XOR) and a random rule with three inputs. The learning dynamics exhibits universal features as function of the strength of plastic adaptation. Any rule could be learned provided that the plastic adaptation is sufficiently slow.

Diagnosing and discriminating between primary and secondary aneurysmal bone cysts

PubMed Central

Sasaki, Hiromi; Nagano, Satoshi; Shimada, Hirofumi; Yokouchi, Masahiro; Setoguchi, Takao; Ishidou, Yasuhiro; Kunigou, Osamu; Maehara, Kosuke; Komiya, Setsuro

2017-01-01

Aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) are benign bony lesions frequently accompanied by multiple cystic lesions and aggressive bone destruction. They are relatively rare lesions, representing only 1% of bone tumors. The pathogenesis of ABCs has yet to be elucidated. In the present study, a series of 22 cases of primary and secondary ABC from patients treated in Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kagoshima University Hospital (Kagoshima, Japan) from 2001–2015 were retrospectively analyzed. The average age at the time of diagnosis of primary ABC was 17.9 years. Intralesional curettage and artificial bone grafting were performed in the majority of the patients with primary ABC. The local recurrence rate following curettage for primary ABC was 18%, and the cause of local recurrence was considered to be insufficient curettage. Although no adjuvant therapy was administered during the surgeries, it may assist the prevention of local recurrence in certain cases. The cases of secondary ABC were preceded by benign bone tumors, including fibrous dysplasia, giant cell tumors, chondroblastoma and non-ossifying fibroma. The features of the secondary ABC typically reflected those of the preceding bone tumor. In the majority of cases, distinguishing the primary ABC from the secondary ABC was possible based on characteristic features, including age of the patient at diagnosis and the tumor location. In cases that exhibit ambiguous features, including a soft tissue mass or a thick septal enhancement on the preoperative magnetic resonance images, a biopsy must be obtained in order to exclude other types of aggressive bone tumors, including giant cell tumor, osteosarcoma and telangiectatic osteosarcoma. PMID:28454393

Effective field theory description of halo nuclei

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, H.-W.; Ji, C.; Phillips, D. R.

2017-10-01

Nuclear halos emerge as new degrees of freedom near the neutron and proton driplines. They consist of a core and one or a few nucleons which spend most of their time in the classically-forbidden region outside the range of the interaction. Individual nucleons inside the core are thus unresolved in the halo configuration, and the low-energy effective interactions are short-range forces between the core and the valence nucleons. Similar phenomena occur in clusters of 4He atoms, cold atomic gases near a Feshbach resonance, and some exotic hadrons. In these weakly-bound quantum systems universal scaling laws for s-wave binding emerge that are independent of the details of the interaction. Effective field theory (EFT) exposes these correlations and permits the calculation of non-universal corrections to them due to short-distance effects, as well as the extension of these ideas to systems involving the Coulomb interaction and/or binding in higher angular-momentum channels. Halo nuclei exhibit all these features. Halo EFT, the EFT for halo nuclei, has been used to compute the properties of single-neutron, two-neutron, and single-proton halos of s-wave and p-wave type. This review summarizes these results for halo binding energies, radii, Coulomb dissociation, and radiative capture, as well as the connection of these properties to scattering parameters, thereby elucidating the universal correlations between all these observables. We also discuss how Halo EFT's encoding of the long-distance physics of halo nuclei can be used to check and extend ab initio calculations that include detailed modeling of their short-distance dynamics.

The Bingham Poster Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cameron, Louise

2009-01-01

Missouri artist George Caleb Bingham (1811-1879) was both a painter and a politician. An exhibition of his work at the Saint Louis Art Museum in the fall of 2007 sponsored by Bank of America featured his painting "The County Election" along with its preparatory drawings. In anticipation of the exhibition, the museum's education…

Portrait Gallery Illuminates--Grant's Triumphs, Failures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Robert G., Jr.

The 100th anniversary of Ulysses S. Grant's death was observed on July 23, 1985. The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery featured an exhibit of Grant portraiture, which covered his life, from its humble beginnings to military and political triumphs and to failures and disappointment. The exhibit included pictures, artifacts, and momentos from…

Argumentation in History Classrooms: A Key Path to Understanding the Discipline and Preparing Citizens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monte-Sano, Chauncey

2016-01-01

Different kinds of arguments typically include claims, warrants, and evidence. However, the very nature of claims, warrants, and evidence are discipline specific. A student's essay, for example, may exhibit features of argumentation while revealing fundamental flaws in historical thinking. Stronger historical arguments exhibit historical thinking…

Major influences on buying decision processes by international university students. Differences by continent of origin.

PubMed

Tirelli, Christian; Pilar Martínez-Ruiz, María; Gómez-Ladrón-De-Guevara, Ricardo

2013-12-01

To analyze how food values and other variables related to dietary acculturation affect international university students' food buying decisions, this article provides an in-depth review of relevant literature related to the food buying decisions of groups of sojourners, which suggest several research hypotheses. The data collection targeted international university students in Spain and used factorial analysis of the main components together with linear parametric regressions. The resulting findings offer distinct insights, according to sojourners' continent of origin. Specifically, whereas European students exhibit a higher propensity to value sustainable production practices in the food choices, American students emphasize flavor and exhibit a greater degree of adaptation. These findings in turn suggest some key managerial recommendations and research guidelines for both private and public operators in related fields. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Outer Main Belt asteroids: Identification and distribution of four 3-μm spectral groups

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takir, Driss; Emery, Joshua P.

2012-06-01

This paper examines the distribution and the abundance of hydrated minerals (any mineral that contains H2O or OH) on outer Main Belt asteroids spanning the 2.5 < a < 4.0 AU region. The hypothesis we are testing is whether planetesimals that accreted closer to the Sun experienced a higher degree of aqueous alteration. We would expect then to see a gradual decline of the abundance of hydrated minerals among the outer Main Belt asteroids with increasing heliocentric distance (2.5 < a < 4.0 AU). We measured spectra (0.8-2.5 μm and 1.9-4.1 μm) of 28 outer Main Belt asteroids using the SpeX spectrograph/imager at the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We identified four groups on the basis of the shape and the band center of the 3-μm feature. The first group, which we call "sharp", exhibits a sharp 3-μm feature, attributed to hydrated minerals (phyllosilicates). Most asteroids in this group are located in the 2.5 < a < 3.3 AU region. The second group, which we call "Ceres-like", consists of 10 Hygiea and 324 Bamberga. Like Asteroid Ceres, these asteroids exhibit a 3-μm feature with a band center of 3.05 ± 0.01 μm that is superimposed on a broader absorption feature from ˜2.8 to 3.7 μm. The third group, which we call "Europa-like", includes 52 Europa, 31 Euphrosyne, and 451 Patientia. Objects in this group exhibit a 3-μm feature with a band center of 3.15 ± 0.01 μm. Both the Ceres-like and Europa-like groups are concentrated in the 2.5 < a < 3.3 AU region. The fourth group, which we call "rounded", is concentrated in the 3.4 < a < 4.0 AU region. Asteroids in this group are characterized by a rounded 3-μm feature, attributed to H2O ice. A similar rounded 3-μm feature was also identified in 24 Themis and 65 Cybele. Unlike the sharp group, the rounded group did not experience aqueous alteration. Of the asteroids observed in this study, 140 Siwa, a P-type, is the only one that does not exhibit a 3-μm feature. These results are important to constrain the nature and the degree of aqueous alteration in outer Main Belt asteroids.

The Development of Three Long Universal Nuclear Protein-Coding Locus Markers and Their Application to Osteichthyan Phylogenetics with Nested PCR

PubMed Central

Zhang, Peng

2012-01-01

Background Universal nuclear protein-coding locus (NPCL) markers that are applicable across diverse taxa and show good phylogenetic discrimination have broad applications in molecular phylogenetic studies. For example, RAG1, a representative NPCL marker, has been successfully used to make phylogenetic inferences within all major osteichthyan groups. However, such markers with broad working range and high phylogenetic performance are still scarce. It is necessary to develop more universal NPCL markers comparable to RAG1 for osteichthyan phylogenetics. Methodology/Principal Findings We developed three long universal NPCL markers (>1.6 kb each) based on single-copy nuclear genes (KIAA1239, SACS and TTN) that possess large exons and exhibit the appropriate evolutionary rates. We then compared their phylogenetic utilities with that of the reference marker RAG1 in 47 jawed vertebrate species. In comparison with RAG1, each of the three long universal markers yielded similar topologies and branch supports, all in congruence with the currently accepted osteichthyan phylogeny. To compare their phylogenetic performance visually, we also estimated the phylogenetic informativeness (PI) profile for each of the four long universal NPCL markers. The PI curves indicated that SACS performed best over the whole timescale, while RAG1, KIAA1239 and TTN exhibited similar phylogenetic performances. In addition, we compared the success of nested PCR and standard PCR when amplifying NPCL marker fragments. The amplification success rate and efficiency of the nested PCR were overwhelmingly higher than those of standard PCR. Conclusions/Significance Our work clearly demonstrates the superiority of nested PCR over the conventional PCR in phylogenetic studies and develops three long universal NPCL markers (KIAA1239, SACS and TTN) with the nested PCR strategy. The three markers exhibit high phylogenetic utilities in osteichthyan phylogenetics and can be widely used as pilot genes for phylogenetic questions of osteichthyans at different taxonomic levels. PMID:22720083

Foreign Language Day--A Living Language Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Paul W.

St. Bonaventure University holds a Language Day each spring, hosting some 3,900 area junior high and high school students. The buildings and facilities of the university campus are used, and activities include language competitions (exhibits, interpretative readings, language productions, audio-visual presentations and essays); a fiesta; foreign…

Educational Value: How Students Choose University: Evidence from an Italian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petruzzellis, Luca; Romanazzi, Salvatore

2010-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to measure students' perceptions of value that are influenced by differences in costs (monetary and non-monetary), students' attitudes and socio-demographic features. It seeks to investigate the components of the university value that affects students' choice. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire was developed in…

The Multidimensional Structure of University Absenteeism: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

López-Bonilla, Jesús Manuel; López-Bonilla, Luis Miguel

2015-01-01

Absenteeism has been a common and very extended problem in university spheres for several years. This problem has become a permanent feature in academic studies in general, yet it has received scarce empirical research attention. This work is focused on the analysis of the factors that determine university absenteeism. It evaluates a series of…

Categorizing and Assessing Multi-Campus Universities in Contemporary Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pinheiro, Rómulo; Nordstrand Berg, Laila

2017-01-01

Multi-campus universities are not a new phenomenon per se, but they have become an increasing feature of contemporary higher education systems all over the world. In the case of Northern Europe, multi-campus universities are the consequence of contraction patterns resulting from overcapacity, fragmentation and rising competition. This paper has…

World-Class Higher Education and the Emerging Chinese Model of the University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Jun

2012-01-01

China's recent quest to develop world-class universities is a significant phenomenon within the worldwide transformation of tertiary education. Taking a cultural approach and drawing on empirical findings, this article investigates the emerging Chinese model of the university, considering its key features and contributions to global communities.…

University of Delaware Demonstrated at NREL Vehicle-to-Grid Characteristics

Science.gov Websites

University of Delaware Demonstrated at NREL Vehicle-to-Grid Characteristics of Electric Vehicles At the Energy Systems Integration Facility (ESIF), the University of Delaware demonstrated the vehicle-to-grid , featuring vehilce-to-grid integration capabilities enabling it to feed power back to the grid and

University Mergers in Russia: Four Waves of Educational Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romanenko, K. R.; Lisyutkin, M. A.

2018-01-01

This article is aimed at identifying distinctive features of the educational policy of university mergers--their main stages, types, and declared goals. We analyzed cases of university mergers and acquisitions (M&A) from the 1990s to the present, which allowed us to identify and describe four Russia-specific waves of educational policy. Based…

The Universal Design for Play Tool: Establishing Validity and Reliability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruffino, Amy Goetz; Mistrett, Susan G.; Tomita, Machiko; Hajare, Poonam

2006-01-01

The Universal Design for Play (UDP) Tool is an instrument designed to evaluate the presence of universal design (UD) features in toys. This study evaluated its psychometric properties, including content validity, construct validity, and test-retest reliability. The UDP tool was designed to assist in selecting toys most appropriate for children…

An International Comparison of the Effects of HRM Practices and Organizational Commitment on Quality of Job Performances among European University Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smeenk, Sanne; Teelken, Christine; Eisinga, Rob; Doorewaard, Hans

2008-01-01

Societal developments have forced universities all over Europe to replace their "professional" strategies, structures, and values by organizational characteristics that could be stereotyped as "private sector" features. This trend is known as "managerialism". Since university employees generally stick to professional…

A Community College--University Transfer System for Arizona.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puyear, Don

The State Board of Directors for Community Colleges of Arizona is in the process of strengthening and formalizing its university transfer system. This document presents an outline of one possible community college-university transfer system based upon existing agreements and procedures in place. One of the key features of the system is an…

Sequence-dependent base pair stepping dynamics in XPD helicase unwinding

PubMed Central

Qi, Zhi; Pugh, Robert A; Spies, Maria; Chemla, Yann R

2013-01-01

Helicases couple the chemical energy of ATP hydrolysis to directional translocation along nucleic acids and transient duplex separation. Understanding helicase mechanism requires that the basic physicochemical process of base pair separation be understood. This necessitates monitoring helicase activity directly, at high spatio-temporal resolution. Using optical tweezers with single base pair (bp) resolution, we analyzed DNA unwinding by XPD helicase, a Superfamily 2 (SF2) DNA helicase involved in DNA repair and transcription initiation. We show that monomeric XPD unwinds duplex DNA in 1-bp steps, yet exhibits frequent backsteps and undergoes conformational transitions manifested in 5-bp backward and forward steps. Quantifying the sequence dependence of XPD stepping dynamics with near base pair resolution, we provide the strongest and most direct evidence thus far that forward, single-base pair stepping of a helicase utilizes the spontaneous opening of the duplex. The proposed unwinding mechanism may be a universal feature of DNA helicases that move along DNA phosphodiester backbones. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.00334.001 PMID:23741615

Arginase 2 Suppresses Renal Carcinoma Progression via Biosynthetic Cofactor Pyridoxal Phosphate Depletion and Increased Polyamine Toxicity.

PubMed

Ochocki, Joshua D; Khare, Sanika; Hess, Markus; Ackerman, Daniel; Qiu, Bo; Daisak, Jennie I; Worth, Andrew J; Lin, Nan; Lee, Pearl; Xie, Hong; Li, Bo; Wubbenhorst, Bradley; Maguire, Tobi G; Nathanson, Katherine L; Alwine, James C; Blair, Ian A; Nissim, Itzhak; Keith, Brian; Simon, M Celeste

2018-05-04

Kidney cancer, one of the ten most prevalent malignancies in the world, has exhibited increased incidence over the last decade. The most common subtype is "clear cell" renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), which features consistent metabolic abnormalities, such as highly elevated glycogen and lipid deposition. By integrating metabolomics, genomic, and transcriptomic data, we determined that enzymes in multiple metabolic pathways are universally depleted in human ccRCC tumors, which are otherwise genetically heterogeneous. Notably, the expression of key urea cycle enzymes, including arginase 2 (ARG2) and argininosuccinate synthase 1 (ASS1), is strongly repressed in ccRCC. Reduced ARG2 activity promotes ccRCC tumor growth through at least two distinct mechanisms: conserving the critical biosynthetic cofactor pyridoxal phosphate and avoiding toxic polyamine accumulation. Pharmacological approaches to restore urea cycle enzyme expression would greatly expand treatment strategies for ccRCC patients, where current therapies only benefit a subset of those afflicted with renal cancer. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Strongly Correlated Metal Built from Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Xue-Yang; Jian, Chao-Ming; Balents, Leon

2017-11-01

Prominent systems like the high-Tc cuprates and heavy fermions display intriguing features going beyond the quasiparticle description. The Sachdev-Ye-Kitaev (SYK) model describes a (0 +1 )D quantum cluster with random all-to-all four-fermion interactions among N fermion modes which becomes exactly solvable as N →∞ , exhibiting a zero-dimensional non-Fermi-liquid with emergent conformal symmetry and complete absence of quasiparticles. Here we study a lattice of complex-fermion SYK dots with random intersite quadratic hopping. Combining the imaginary time path integral with real time path integral formulation, we obtain a heavy Fermi liquid to incoherent metal crossover in full detail, including thermodynamics, low temperature Landau quasiparticle interactions, and both electrical and thermal conductivity at all scales. We find linear in temperature resistivity in the incoherent regime, and a Lorentz ratio L ≡(κ ρ /T ) varies between two universal values as a function of temperature. Our work exemplifies an analytically controlled study of a strongly correlated metal.

Reinterpretation of femtosecond laser pump-probe and thermomodulation optical spectroscopy results on HTSC materials in terms of the resonant negative-U model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, John A.

2000-01-01

The laser pump/probe spectroscopy from Stevens et al (on YBCO7 ) and the thermomodulation optical data and analysis from Holcomb et al (on a selection of HTSC materials) are examined in terms of the resonant negative-U mechanism for high temperature superconductivity (HTSC) in the mixed-valent cuprates. The work centres on the universal 1.5-2 eV features becoming visible below Tc upon the optical `charge-transfer' edge. These it is argued are not simple p-to-d band-to-band excitations but are to be associated with the mixed-valent and negative-U states that instigate HTSC. This argument is supported both by the decay characteristics apparent in the new data recorded by Stevens et al and also in the outcome of the Eliashberg analysis developed by Holcomb et al to accommodate their own thermomodulation data. The interpretation provided is in line with that offered recently of the highly characteristic thermoelectric behaviour exhibited by all HTSC systems.

A Sr2+-metal-organic framework with high chemical stability: synthesis, crystal structure and photoluminescence property.

PubMed

Jia, Yan-Yuan; Liu, Xiao-Ting; Wang, Wen-He; Zhang, Li-Zhu; Zhang, Ying-Hui; Bu, Xian-He

2017-01-13

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically built by assembly of metal centres and organic linkers, and have emerged as promising crystalline materials in a variety of fields. However, the stability of MOFs is a key limitation for their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel Sr 2+: -MOF [Sr 4 (Tdada) 2 (H 2 O) 3 (DMF) 2 ] (denoted as NKU- 105: , NKU = Nankai University; H 4 Tdada = 5,5'-((thiophene-2,5-dicar bonyl)bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) featuring an open square channel of about 6 Å along the c-axis. Notably, NKU- 105: exhibits much outstanding chemical stability against common organic solvents, boiling water, acids and bases, relative to most MOF materials. Furthermore, NKU- 105: is an environment-friendly luminescent material with a bright cyan emission.This article is part of the themed issue 'Coordination polymers and metal-organic frameworks: materials by design'. © 2016 The Author(s).

A Sr2+-metal–organic framework with high chemical stability: synthesis, crystal structure and photoluminescence property

PubMed Central

Jia, Yan-Yuan; Liu, Xiao-Ting; Wang, Wen-He; Zhang, Li-Zhu; Bu, Xian-He

2017-01-01

Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are typically built by assembly of metal centres and organic linkers, and have emerged as promising crystalline materials in a variety of fields. However, the stability of MOFs is a key limitation for their practical applications. Herein, we report a novel Sr2+-MOF [Sr4(Tdada)2(H2O)3(DMF)2] (denoted as NKU-105, NKU = Nankai University; H4Tdada = 5,5'-((thiophene-2,5-dicar bonyl)bis(azanediyl))diisophthalic acid; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide) featuring an open square channel of about 6 Å along the c-axis. Notably, NKU-105 exhibits much outstanding chemical stability against common organic solvents, boiling water, acids and bases, relative to most MOF materials. Furthermore, NKU-105 is an environment-friendly luminescent material with a bright cyan emission. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Coordination polymers and metal–organic frameworks: materials by design’. PMID:27895256

Three energy scales in the superconducting state of hole-doped cuprates detected by electronic Raman scattering

DOE PAGES

Benhabib, S.; Gu, G. D.; Gallais, Y.; ...

2015-10-06

We explore by electronic Raman scattering the superconducting state of the Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ (Bi-2212) crystal by performing a fine-tuned doping study. We find three distinct energy scales in A 1g, B 1g, and B 2g symmetries which show three distinct doping dependencies. Above p=0.22, the three energies merge; below p=0.12, the A 1g scale is no longer detectable, while the B 1g and B 2g scales become constant in energy. In between, the A 1g and B 1g scales increase monotonically with underdoping, while the B 2g one exhibits a maximum at p=0.16. The three superconducting energymore » scales appear to be a universal feature of hole-doped cuprates. Furthermore, we propose that the nontrivial doping dependencies of the three scales originate from the Fermi-surface changes and reveal competing orders inside the superconducting dome.« less

Peculiar Features in Patterns of Ancient Light

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-21

ESA Planck mission has imaged the oldest light in our universe. The top map shows Planck all-sky map of the cosmic microwave background, whereas the bottom map shows the largest-scale features of the map.

Social anxiety disorder exhibit impaired networks involved in self and theory of mind processing.

PubMed

Cui, Qian; Vanman, Eric J; Long, Zhiliang; Pang, Yajing; Chen, Yuyan; Wang, Yifeng; Duan, Xujun; Chen, Heng; Gong, Qiyong; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Huafu

2017-08-01

Most previous studies regarding social anxiety disorder (SAD) have focused on the role of emotional dysfunction, while impairments in self- and theory of mind (ToM)-processing have relatively been neglected. This study utilised functional connectivity density (FCD), resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and discriminant analyses to investigate impairments in self- and ToM-related networks in patients with SAD. Patients with SAD exhibited decreased long-range FCD in the right rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and decreased short-range FCD in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG)-key nodes involved in self- and ToM-processing, respectively. Decreased RSFC of the right rACC and STG with widespread frontal, temporal, posteromedial, sensorimotor, and somatosensory, regions was also observed in patients with SAD. Altered RSFC between the right rACC and bilateral superior frontal gyrus, between the right rACC and right middle frontal gyrus, and within the right STG itself provided the greatest contribution to individual diagnoses of SAD, with an accuracy of 84.5%. These results suggest that a lack of cognitive inhibition on emotional self-referential processing as well as impairments in social information integration may play critical roles in the pathomechanism of SAD and highlight the importance of recognising such features in the diagnosis and treatment of SAD. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

Life on Earth is an individual.

PubMed

Hermida, Margarida

2016-06-01

Life is a self-maintaining process based on metabolism. Something is said to be alive when it exhibits organization and is actively involved in its own continued existence through carrying out metabolic processes. A life is a spatio-temporally restricted event, which continues while the life processes are occurring in a particular chunk of matter (or, arguably, when they are temporally suspended, but can be restarted at any moment), even though there is continuous replacement of parts. Life is organized in discrete packages, particular cells and multicellular organisms with differing degrees of individuality. Biological species, too, have been shown to be individuals, and not classes, as these collections of organisms are spatio-temporally localized, restricted, continuous, and somewhat cohesive entities, with a definite beginning and end. Assuming that all life on Earth has a common origin, all living organisms, cells, and tissues descending from this origin exhibit continuity of the life processes at the cellular level, as well as many of the features that define the individual character of species: spatio-temporal localization and restriction, continuity, historicity, and cohesiveness. Therefore, life on Earth is an ontological individual. Independent origins of life will have produced other such individuals. These provisionally called 'life-individuals' constitute a category of organization of life which has seldom been recognized. The discovery of at least one independent life-individual would go a long way toward the project of the universality of biology.

PREFACE: International Workshop on Statistical-Mechanical Informatics 2010

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Jun-ichi; Kabashima, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Kazuyuki; Tanaka, Toshiyuki

2010-04-01

Everything that exists in the natural world is made up of several types of elementary particles. However, we cannot understand nature simply by identifying the properties of these particles. This is because collections of the particles sometimes exhibit completely unexpected collective phenomena, quite independently of the individual particles' properties. In the physical sciences, the importance of focusing on the properties of objects composed of a large number of constituents is reflected in the phrase, "More is different." The main concept of the research project, the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas `Deepening and Expansion of Statistical Mechanical Informatics (DEX-SMI)' (Head Investigator: Yoshiyuki Kabashima, Tokyo Institute of Technology) (Project Webpage DEX-SMI), launched in 2006, was to introduce this perspective into information science under the common slogan, "More is different in informatics as well." As milestones in the research activity, the International Workshop on Statistical-Mechanical Informatics (IW-SMI) was held annually, featuring studies of information and communication (2007), quantum information (2008), and bioinformatics (2009). The workshop series provided fruitful opportunities for leading researchers of various disciplines to interact with one another, which led to several collaborative studies. The final workshop, IW-SMI2010, was held at Shiran Kaikan, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, on 7-10 March 2010 to wrap up the achievements of the four years of activity in the DEX-SMI research project. This workshop also aimed to bring together leading researchers in the physical and information sciences to discuss possible future directions for further exploring the successes of DEX-SMI. We would like to thank the contributors of the workshop as well as all the participants. We hope that the successes of IW-SMI2010 and DEX-SMI will lead to further development of this highly vigorous interdisciplinary field between statistical mechanics and information science. Editors Jun-ichi Inoue Yoshiyuki Kabashima Kazuyuki Tanaka Toshiyuki Tanaka The IW-SMI 2010 Organizing Committee: Masato Okada (University of Tokyo) Yoshiyuki Kabashima, General Chair (Tokyo Institute of Technology) Shin Ishii (Kyoto University) Jun-ichi Inoue, Publications Chair (Hokkaido University) Kazuyuki Tanaka (Tohoku University) Toshiyuki Tanaka, Vice-General Chair (Kyoto University)

Universal relations for range corrections to Efimov features

DOE PAGES

Ji, Chen; Braaten, Eric; Phillips, Daniel R.; ...

2015-09-09

In a three-body system of identical bosons interacting through a large S-wave scattering length a, there are several sets of features related to the Efimov effect that are characterized by discrete scale invariance. Effective field theory was recently used to derive universal relations between these Efimov features that include the first-order correction due to a nonzero effective range r s. We reveal a simple pattern in these range corrections that had not been previously identified. The pattern is explained by the renormalization group for the effective field theory, which implies that the Efimov three-body parameter runs logarithmically with the momentummore » scale at a rate proportional to r s/a. The running Efimov parameter also explains the empirical observation that range corrections can be largely taken into account by shifting the Efimov parameter by an adjustable parameter divided by a. Furthermore, the accuracy of universal relations that include first-order range corrections is verified by comparing them with various theoretical calculations using models with nonzero range.« less

Is filtering difficulty the basis of attentional deficits in schizophrenia?

PubMed

Ravizza, Susan M; Robertson, Lynn C; Carter, Cameron S; Nordahl, Thomas E; Salo, Ruth E

2007-06-30

The distractibility that schizophrenia patients display may be the result of a deficiency in filtering out irrelevant information. The aim of the current study was to assess whether patients with schizophrenia exhibit greater difficulty when task-irrelevant features change compared to healthy participants. Thirteen medicated outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and thirteen age- and parental education-matched controls performed a target selection task in which the task-relevant letter or the task-irrelevant features of color, and/or location repeated or switched. Participants were required to respond by pressing the appropriate key associated with the target letter. These patients with schizophrenia were slower when the task-relevant target letter switched than when it repeated. In contrast, schizophrenia patients performed similarly to controls when task-irrelevant information changed. Thus, we found no evidence that patients with schizophrenia were impaired in inhibiting irrelevant perceptual features. In contrast, changes in task-relevant features were problematic for patients relative to control participants. These results suggest that medicated outpatients who are mild to moderately symptomatic do not exhibit global impairments of feature processing. Instead, impairments are restricted to situations when task-relevant features vary. The current findings also suggest that when a course of action is not implied by an irrelevant feature, outpatients' behavior is not modulated by extraneous visual information any more than in healthy controls.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Spagnolo, Nicolo; Consorzio Interuniversitario per le Scienze Fisiche della Materia, piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma; Sciarrino, Fabio

We show that the quantum states generated by universal optimal quantum cloning of a single photon represent a universal set of quantum superpositions resilient to decoherence. We adopt the Bures distance as a tool to investigate the persistence of quantum coherence of these quantum states. According to this analysis, the process of universal cloning realizes a class of quantum superpositions that exhibits a covariance property in lossy configuration over the complete set of polarization states in the Bloch sphere.

Double photoionization of tropone and cyclooctatetraene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartman, Tim; Wehlitz, Ralf

2017-05-01

We have studied the double-photoionization process of tropone (C7H6O) and cyclooctatetraene (C8H8) as a function of photon energy using monochromatized synchrotron radiation between 18 and 270 eV. We compare our results with previously published data for partially deuterated benzene (C6H3D3), which exhibits three distinct features in the ratio of doubly to singly charged parent ions, whereas pyrrole (C4H4N) exhibits only two of these features. The question that we address in this paper is how molecules with different molecular structures (pentagonal, hexagonal, heptagonal, and octagonal carbon rings) affect the photon-energy dependence of this ratio.

Mesoporous stilbene-based lanthanide metal organic frameworks: synthesis, photoluminescence and radioluminescence characteristics.

PubMed

Mathis Ii, Stephan R; Golafale, Saki T; Bacsa, John; Steiner, Alexander; Ingram, Conrad W; Doty, F Patrick; Auden, Elizabeth; Hattar, Khalid

2017-01-03

Ultra large pore isostructural metal organic frameworks (MOFs) which exhibit both photoluminescence and scintillation properties, were synthesized from trans-4,4'-stilbenedicarboxylic acid (H 2 L) and trivalent lanthanide (Ln) metal salts under solvothermal conditions (Ln = Er 3+ (1) and Tm 3+ (2)). This new class of mesoporous materials is a non-interpenetrating network that features ultra-large diamond shaped pores of dimensions with approximate cross-sectional dimensions of 28 Å × 12 Å. The fully deprotonated ligand, L, is isolated and rigidified as it serves as the organic linker component of the MOF structure. Its low density unit cells possess asymmetric units with two crystallographically independent Ln 3+ ions in seven coordinate arrangements. A distinct feature of the structure is the bis-bidentate carboxylate groups. They serve as a ligand that coordinates two Ln(iii) ions while each L connects four Ln(iii) ions yielding an exceptionally large diamond-shaped rectangular network. The structure exhibits ligand-based photoluminescence with increased lifetime compared to free stilbene molecules on exposure to UV radiation, and also exhibits strong scintillation characteristics, comprising of both prompt and delayed radioluminescence features, on exposure to ionizing radiation.

Technological Innovation and Change: A Case Study in the Formation of Organizational Conscience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMillan, Jill J.; Hyde, Michael J.

2000-01-01

Discusses how Wake Forest university's adoption of campus-wide computer technology exhibited critical elements of conscience formation. Details how the computer revolution challenged the customary morality of the university; describes how the community engaged in moral deliberation about its technological future; and discusses how the…

The newly expanded KSC Visitors Complex features a new ticket plaza, information center, exhibits an

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The newly added Robot Scouts exhibit at the KSC Visitor Complex is situated next to the Rocket Garden. Part of the $13 million expansion to the Visitor Complex, the exhibit helps describe for visitors the accomplishments of unsung space heroes - space probes - and their role in space exploration. It also includes a display of how data from robotic probes might be used to build a human habitat for Mars. Visitors can witness a simulated Martian sunset. Other additions include a new foyer, films, and an International Space Station-themed ticket plaza, featuring a structure of overhanging solar panels and astronauts performing assembly tasks. The KSC Visitor Complex was inaugurated three decades ago and is now one of the top five tourist attractions in Florida. It is located on S.R. 407, east of I-95, within the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.

Case Western Reserve University — Treatment of Glioblastoma Using Chain-Like Nanoparticles

Cancer.gov

To overcome the limitations of current drugs to treat brain tumors, Case Western University seeks to integrate the unique features of a chain-like nanoparticle with the appropriate combination of complementary drugs.

Variable Sodium Absorption in a Low-extinction Type Ia Supernova

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Joshua D.; Gal-Yam, Avishay; Gnat, Orly; Quimby, Robert M.; Ganeshalingam, Mohan; Silverman, Jeffrey M.; Blondin, Stephane; Li, Weidong; Filippenko, Alexei V.; Wheeler, J. Craig; Kirshner, Robert P.; Patat, Ferdinando; Nugent, Peter; Foley, Ryan J.; Vogt, Steven S.; Butler, R. Paul; Peek, Kathryn M. G.; Rosolowsky, Erik; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Sauer, Daniel N.; Mazzali, Paolo A.

2009-09-01

Recent observations have revealed that some Type Ia supernovae exhibit narrow, time-variable Na I D absorption features. The origin of the absorbing material is controversial, but it may suggest the presence of circumstellar gas in the progenitor system prior to the explosion, with significant implications for the nature of the supernova (SN) progenitors. We present the third detection of such variable absorption, based on six epochs of high-resolution spectroscopy of the Type Ia supernova SN 2007le from the Keck I Telescope and the Hobby-Eberly Telescope. The data span a time frame of approximately three months, from 5 days before maximum light to 90 days after maximum. We find that one component of the Na I D absorption lines strengthened significantly with time, indicating a total column density increase of ~2.5 × 1012 cm-2. The data limit the typical timescale for the variability to be more than 2 days but less than 10 days. The changes appear to be most prominent after maximum light rather than at earlier times when the ultraviolet flux from the SN peaks. As with SN 2006X, we detect no change in the Ca II H and K absorption lines over the same time period, rendering line-of-sight effects improbable and suggesting a circumstellar origin for the absorbing material. Unlike the previous two supernovae exhibiting variable absorption, SN 2007le is not highly reddened (E B - V = 0.27 mag), also pointing toward circumstellar rather than interstellar absorption. Photoionization calculations show that the data are consistent with a dense (107 cm-3) cloud or clouds of gas located ~0.1 pc (3 × 1017 cm) from the explosion. These results broadly support the single-degenerate scenario previously proposed to explain the variable absorption, with mass loss from a nondegenerate companion star responsible for providing the circumstellar gas. We also present possible evidence for narrow Hα emission associated with the SN, which will require deep imaging and spectroscopy at late times to confirm. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California, and NASA. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation. Based in part on observations obtained with the Hobby-Eberly Telescope, which is a joint project of the University of Texas at Austin, the Pennsylvania State University, Stanford University, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen.

Tachyon cosmology with non-vanishing minimum potential: a unified model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Huiquan, E-mail: hqli@ustc.edu.cn

2012-07-01

We investigate the tachyon condensation process in the effective theory with non-vanishing minimum potential and its implications to cosmology. It is shown that the tachyon condensation on an unstable three-brane described by this modified tachyon field theory leads to lower-dimensional branes (defects) forming within a stable three-brane. Thus, in the cosmological background, we can get well-behaved tachyon matter after tachyon inflation, (partially) avoiding difficulties encountered in the original tachyon cosmological models. This feature also implies that the tachyon inflated and reheated universe is followed by a Chaplygin gas dark matter and dark energy universe. Hence, such an unstable three-brane behavesmore » quite like our universe, reproducing the key features of the whole evolutionary history of the universe and providing a unified description of inflaton, dark matter and dark energy in a very simple single-scalar field model.« less

Geology Museum-Based Learning in Soil Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikhailova, E. A.; Tennant, C. H.; Post, C. J.; Cicimurri, C.; Cicimurri, D.

2013-01-01

Museums provide unique learning opportunities in soil science. The Bob Campbell Geology Museum in Clemson, SC, features an exhibit of minerals and rocks common in the state and in its geologic history. We developed a hands-on laboratory exercise utilizing an exhibit that gives college students an opportunity to visualize regional minerals and…

Coral Reefs: A Gallery Program, Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD. Dept. of Education.

Gallery classes at the National Aquarium in Baltimore give the opportunity to study specific aquarium exhibits which demonstrate entire natural habitats. The coral reef gallery class features the gigantic western Atlantic coral reef (325,000 gallons) with over 1,000 fish. The exhibit simulates a typical Caribbean coral reef and nearby sandy…

Composition and structural features of condensed tannins from Texas legumes exhibiting methane abatement activity during in vitro rumen digestion

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Previous studies showed that a series of purified condensed tannins (CTs) from warm-season perennial legumes exhibited high variability in their modulation of methane production during in vitro rumen digestion. The molecular weight difference of these CTs did not provide correlation with either the ...

Multiplicity and Self-Identity: Trauma and Integration in Shirley Mason's Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Geoffrey

2011-01-01

This viewpoint appeared in its original form as the catalogue essay that accompanied the exhibition "Multiplicity and Self-Identity: Trauma and Integration in Shirley Mason's Art," curated by the author for Gallery 2110, Sacramento, CA, and the 2010 Annual Conference of the American Art Therapy Association. The exhibition featured 17 artworks by…

American Modern Design for a New Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Mark M.

2000-01-01

Focuses on the exhibition titled "American Modern, 1925-1940: Design for a New Age" that documents the efforts and achievements of the United States in the area of design arts. States that the exhibition features more than 150 objects, including furniture, posters, and radios, by leading designers of the early and mid century. (CMK)

A Child's Garden of Books: Children's Literature Featured in Library Exhibition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamolinara, Guy

1998-01-01

Describes an exhibition at the Library of Congress called "From Sea to Shining Sea: An American Sampler" that contains a sampling of children's books that are representative of American life and show how children's literature has evolved over the centuries. Illustrations from several of the books are included. (LRW)

[1,2,4]Triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine as Building Blocks for Universal Host Materials for High-Performance Red, Green, Blue and White Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Devices.

PubMed

Song, Wenxuan; Shi, Lijiang; Gao, Lei; Hu, Peijun; Mu, Haichuan; Xia, Zhenyuan; Huang, Jinhai; Su, Jianhua

2018-02-14

The electron-accepting [1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridine (TP) moiety was introduced to build bipolar host materials for the first time, and two host materials based on this TP acceptor and carbazole donor, namely, 9,9'-(2-([1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-yl)-1,3-phenylene)bis(9H-carbazole) (o-CzTP) and 9,9'-(5-([1,2,4]triazolo[1,5-a]pyridin-2-yl)-1,3-phenylene)bis(9H-carbazole) (m-CzTP), were designed and synthesized. These two TP-based host materials possess a high triplet energy (>2.9 eV) and appropriate highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital levels as well as the bipolar transporting feature, which permits their applicability as universal host materials in multicolor phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices (PhOLEDs). Blue, green, and red PhOLEDs based on o-CzTP and m-CzTP with the same device configuration all show high efficiencies and low efficiency roll-off. The devices hosted by o-CzTP exhibit maximum external quantum efficiencies (η ext ) of 27.1, 25.0, and 15.8% for blue, green, and red light emitting, respectively, which are comparable with the best electroluminescene performance reported for FIrpic-based blue, Ir(ppy) 3 -based green, and Ir(pq) 2 (acac)-based red PhOLEDs equipped with a single-component host. The white PhOLEDs based on the o-CzTP host and three lumophors containing red, green, and blue emitting layers were fabricated with the same device structure, which exhibit a maximum current efficiency and η c of 40.4 cd/A and 17.8%, respectively, with the color rendering index value of 75.

Frontier Fields: Engaging Educators, the Youth, and the Public in Exploring the Cosmic Frontier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawton, Brandon L.; Eisenhamer, Bonnie; Smith, Denise A.; Summers, Frank; Darnell, John A.; Ryer, Holly

2015-01-01

The Frontier Fields is a multi-cycle program of six deep-field observations of strong-lensing galaxy clusters that will be taken in parallel with six deep 'blank fields.' The three-year long collaborative program is led by observations from NASA's Great Observatories. The observations allow astronomers to look deeper into the universe than ever before, and potentially uncover galaxies that are as much as 100 times fainter than what the telescopes can typically observe. The Frontier Fields science program is ideal for informing audiences about scientific advances and topics in STEM. The study of galaxy properties, statistics, optics, and Einstein's theory of general relativity naturally leverages off of the science returns of the Frontier Fields program. As a result, the Space Telescope Science Institute's Office of Public Outreach (OPO) has initiated an education and public outreach (EPO) project to follow the progress of the Frontier Fields.For over two decades, the Hubble EPO program has sought to bring the wonders of the universe to the education community, the youth, and the public, and engage audiences in the adventure of scientific discovery. Program components include standards-based curriculum-support materials, exhibits and exhibit components, professional development workshops, and direct interactions with scientists. We are also leveraging our new social media strategy to bring the science program to the public in the form of an ongoing blog. The main underpinnings of the program's infrastructure are scientist-educator development teams, partnerships, and an embedded program evaluation component. OPO is leveraging this existing infrastructure to bring the Frontier Fields science program to the education community and the public in a cost-effective way.The Frontier Fields program has just completed its first year. This talk will feature the goals and current status of the Frontier Fields EPO program. We will highlight OPO's strategies and infrastructure that allows for the quick delivery of groundbreaking science to the education community and public.

After Terror Charges, Artist Exhibits Academic Freedom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Robin

2008-01-01

Steven Kurtz, a professor of visual studies at the State University of New York, has been working with various bacteria as part of his counterculture exhibit artworks for nearly 20 years. Four years ago, federal agents raided his home in a bioterrorism investigation. The federal agents had been called to the house by local police officers…

Student-Curated Exhibits: A Vehicle towards Student Engagement, Retention, and Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marsee, Mickey; Davies-Wilson, Dennis

2014-01-01

In looking for ways to combine course content literacy and information literacy with active learning, in 2007, the English Department and Library at The University of New Mexico-Los Alamos combined efforts and created a course project for students to curate exhibits that would demonstrate their understanding of course material through library…

Community Resilience: Increasing Public Understanding of Risk and Vulnerability to Natural Hazards through Informal Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salna, E.

2017-12-01

The Extreme Events Institute's (EEI) International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, as a NOAA Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador, is dedicated to make South Florida, Ready, Responsive and Resilient. IHRC with funding from the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) has developed several museum exhibits and events. This includes the hands-on FIU Wall of Wind exhibit for the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, the Frost Science Museum in Miami, Florida, and the Museum of Discovery and Science (MODS) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The exhibit teaches the public about hurricane wind engineering research, enhanced building codes, and the importance of protecting your home's windows and doors with code-approved shutters. In addition, IHRC and MODS facilitate Eye of the Storm, a free-of-charge, community event with interactive hurricane science, and preparedness activities, including the entertaining Owlie Skywarn live theater show and live air cannon missile impact demonstrations. This annual event includes many local, state and federal partners, including NOAA and NWS. The IHRC also developed the FIU Wall of Wind Mitigation Challenge. As the next generation of engineers to address natural hazards and extreme weather, this STEM education event features a competition between high school teams to develop innovative wind mitigation concepts and real-life human safety and property protection solutions. IHRC and MODS are also developing a new exhibit of a Hazard/Risk Equation that will "come to life," through virtual reality (VR) technology in a state-of-the art 7D theater. The exhibit will provide a better public understanding of how changes in exposures and vulnerabilities will determine whether a community experiences an emergency, disaster or catastrophe. It will raise public consciousness and drive home the point that communities need not passively accept natural hazard risks. Ultimately, if we raise their understanding, we may raise their support for Disaster Risk Reduction and then voice that support to their local government officials and policy-makers. The goal and end-result is improved community resilience. This is especially relevant with Miami being part of the Rockefeller Foundation's 100 Resilient Cities Initiative.

Impact of Online Instructional Game Features on College Students' Perceived Motivational Support and Cognitive Investment: A Structural Equation Modeling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Wenhao David; Johnson, Tristan E.; Han, Seung-Hyun Caleb

2013-01-01

Colleges and universities have begun to understand the instructional potential of digital game-based learning (DGBL) due to digital games' immersive features. These features, however, might overload learners as excessive motivational and cognitive stimuli thus impeding intended learning. Current research, however, lacks empirical evidences to…

ERASMUS Partners in Conversation: Psychology at the University of Wroclaw and University of Wales Institute, Cardiff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heggs, Daniel A.; Mercer, Jenny M.; Durniat, Kasia

2011-01-01

In this article, the authors offer an account of a free-ranging discussion highlighting common features of psychology provision and that considers the differences between two departments and two distinct programmes. The discussion took place between ERASMUS partners during a Teacher Exchange visit to the University of Wroclaw, Poland, in March…

The Rise of "Professional Staff" and Demise of the "Non-Academic": A Study of University Staffing Nomenclature Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sebalj, Darlene; Holbrook, Allyson; Bourke, Sid

2012-01-01

Concerns regarding the nomenclature of university administration in Australia and the UK have featured in the higher education literature for over a decade. In response, a significant nomenclature shift is occurring, with Australian universities replacing the term "General Staff" to describe all administrative and technical staff, in…

A Comparison of Faculty and Student Perceptions of Cyberbullying

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Molluzzo, John C.; Lawler, James P.

2014-01-01

Cyberbullying is a concern for any college or university. Digital harassment incidents continue to be featured frequently in the news. The authors of this study compare the perceptions of faculty and students on cyberbullying at an urban university. From the findings of surveys distributed to faculty and students in all schools of the university,…

Incorporation of National Universities in Korea: Dynamic Forces, Key Features, and Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rhee, Byung-Shik

2007-01-01

Education reform has become more popular than ever, and the incorporation of public institutions of higher education is one such reform. Eventually, Korea will see its national universities being incorporated. The legislature passed a law on March 7, 2007 that requires a new national university to be established as a National University…

3-Dimensional and Interactive Istanbul University Virtual Laboratory Based on Active Learning Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ince, Elif; Kirbaslar, Fatma Gulay; Yolcu, Ergun; Aslan, Ayse Esra; Kayacan, Zeynep Cigdem; Alkan Olsson, Johanna; Akbasli, Ayse Ceylan; Aytekin, Mesut; Bauer, Thomas; Charalambis, Dimitris; Gunes, Zeliha Ozsoy; Kandemir, Ceyhan; Sari, Umit; Turkoglu, Suleyman; Yaman, Yavuz; Yolcu, Ozgu

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to develop a 3-dimensional interactive multi-user and multi-admin IUVIRLAB featuring active learning methods and techniques for university students and to introduce the Virtual Laboratory of Istanbul University and to show effects of IUVIRLAB on students' attitudes on communication skills and IUVIRLAB. Although there…

Creating a "Third Space" in Student Teaching: Implications for the University Supervisor's Status as Outsider

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuenca, Alexander; Schmeichel, Mardi; Butler, Brandon M.; Dinkelman, Todd; Nichols, Joseph R., Jr.

2011-01-01

The work of teacher education during student teaching typically takes place in two distinct "spaces": placement sites and college/university settings. The program featured in this article is structured in ways that clearly mark out those two spaces. Yet this configuration led our university supervisors, whose work primarily took place in the…

In This Online University, Students Do the Teaching as Well as the Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mangan, Katherine

2012-01-01

As free online courses draw students to star professors at prestigious colleges, Peer 2 Peer University asks whether instructors are needed at all. This article features Peer 2 Peer University, a three-year-old online institution where students learn together, at no charge, using materials found on the Web. The unusual institution, where anyone…

Liverpool's Discovery: A University Library Applies a New Search Tool to Improve the User Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenney, Brian

2011-01-01

This article features the University of Liverpool's arts and humanities library, which applies a new search tool to improve the user experience. In nearly every way imaginable, the Sydney Jones Library and the Harold Cohen Library--the university's two libraries that serve science, engineering, and medical students--support the lives of their…

Teachers' Perceptions of the Learning Environment and Their Knowledge Base in a Training Program for Novice University Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johannes, Christine; Fendler, Jan; Seidel, Tina

2013-01-01

Despite the complexity of teaching, learning to teach in universities is often "learning by doing". To provide novice university teachers with pedagogic teaching knowledge and to help them develop specific teaching objectives, we created a structured, video-based, one-year training program. In focusing on the core features of…

Investigating Academic Self-Efficacy of University Students in Terms of Socio-Demographic Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Satici, Seydi Ahmet; Can, Gurhan

2016-01-01

In this study whether academic self-efficacy of university students differ in terms of various socio-demographic features has been investigated. The study was conducted on 1679 students who were attending Anadolu University. In the study, the Academic Self-Efficacy Scale and Personal Information Form were used as data collection tools. In the…

Does Graduating from a Private University Make a Difference? Evidence from Italy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triventi, Moris; Trivellato, Paolo

2012-01-01

The main aim of this article is to explore similarities and differences in the institutional features of private and state universities in the Italian higher education system and to assess whether graduating from a private university conveys advantages in the labour market. In the first part we use administrative data to describe the main…

You Have to Be Prepared to Drink: Students' Views about Reducing Excessive Alcohol Consumption at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Emma L.; Law, Cara; Hennelly, Sarah E.

2018-01-01

Purpose: Many existing interventions to reduce excessive drinking in university students attempt to target individual cognitions, which ignore the wider contextual features that drive excessive drinking and mark this as an important aspect of university life. The purpose of this paper is to explore students' views about preventing excessive…

The University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education: Its History, Purpose, and Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Scott D.; Martinez, Reynaldo L., Jr.

2009-01-01

This article features the University Council for Workforce and Human Resource Education, a nonprofit organization representing leading United States universities that offer graduate programs in career and technical education (CTE) and human resource development (HRD). The mission of the Council is to be a recognized force in shaping the future of…

Work Life Balance and Job Satisfaction among Faculty at Iowa State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukhtar, Farah

2012-01-01

This study utilized the existing database from the Iowa State University 2009-2010 COACHE Tenure-Track Job Satisfaction Survey Report to explore faculty work life balance and job satisfaction among academic disciplines at Iowa State University. The articulation of work and life, cast as work life balance, has become a key feature of much current…

"Here, There, and Everywhere": Connecting Science Across The Universe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watzke, Megan; Slane, P. O.; Arcand, K. K.; Lestition, K.; Edmonds, P.; Tucker, W. H.

2013-04-01

"Here, There, and Everywhere" (HTE) is a program -- conceived and developed by the Chandra Education and Public Outreach group -- that consists of a series of exhibitions, posters, and supporting hands-on activities that utilize analogies in the teaching of science, engineering, and technology to provide multi-generational and family-friendly content in English and Spanish to small community centers, libraries, under-resourced small science centers. The purpose of the program is to connect crosscutting science content (in Earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences and astrophysics) with everyday phenomena, helping to demonstrate the universality of physical laws and the connection between our everyday world and the universe as a whole to members of the public who may not identify strongly with science. The program utilizes multimodal content delivery (physical exhibits and handouts, interpretive stations, facilitated activities for educators as well as online materials) hosted by under-served locations as identified by previous partnerships as well as through advertisement of opportunities.

Mapping two-dimensional polar active fluids to two-dimensional soap and one-dimensional sandblasting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Leiming; Lee, Chiu Fan; Toner, John

2016-07-01

Active fluids and growing interfaces are two well-studied but very different non-equilibrium systems. Each exhibits non-equilibrium behaviour distinct from that of their equilibrium counterparts. Here we demonstrate a surprising connection between these two: the ordered phase of incompressible polar active fluids in two spatial dimensions without momentum conservation, and growing one-dimensional interfaces (that is, the 1+1-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation), in fact belong to the same universality class. This universality class also includes two equilibrium systems: two-dimensional smectic liquid crystals, and a peculiar kind of constrained two-dimensional ferromagnet. We use these connections to show that two-dimensional incompressible flocks are robust against fluctuations, and exhibit universal long-ranged, anisotropic spatio-temporal correlations of those fluctuations. We also thereby determine the exact values of the anisotropy exponent ζ and the roughness exponents χx,y that characterize these correlations.

Mapping two-dimensional polar active fluids to two-dimensional soap and one-dimensional sandblasting.

PubMed

Chen, Leiming; Lee, Chiu Fan; Toner, John

2016-07-25

Active fluids and growing interfaces are two well-studied but very different non-equilibrium systems. Each exhibits non-equilibrium behaviour distinct from that of their equilibrium counterparts. Here we demonstrate a surprising connection between these two: the ordered phase of incompressible polar active fluids in two spatial dimensions without momentum conservation, and growing one-dimensional interfaces (that is, the 1+1-dimensional Kardar-Parisi-Zhang equation), in fact belong to the same universality class. This universality class also includes two equilibrium systems: two-dimensional smectic liquid crystals, and a peculiar kind of constrained two-dimensional ferromagnet. We use these connections to show that two-dimensional incompressible flocks are robust against fluctuations, and exhibit universal long-ranged, anisotropic spatio-temporal correlations of those fluctuations. We also thereby determine the exact values of the anisotropy exponent ζ and the roughness exponents χx,y that characterize these correlations.

Conditional Loss of Arx From the Developing Dorsal Telencephalon Results in Behavioral Phenotypes Resembling Mild Human ARX Mutations.

PubMed

Simonet, Jacqueline C; Sunnen, C Nicole; Wu, Jue; Golden, Jeffrey A; Marsh, Eric D

2015-09-01

Mutations in the Aristaless-Related Homeobox (ARX) gene cause structural anomalies of the brain, epilepsy, and neurocognitive deficits in children. During forebrain development, Arx is expressed in both pallial and subpallial progenitor cells. We previously demonstrated that elimination of Arx from subpallial-derived cortical interneurons generates an epilepsy phenotype with features overlapping those seen in patients with ARX mutations. In this report, we have selectively removed Arx from pallial progenitor cells that give rise to the cerebral cortical projection neurons. While no discernable seizure activity was recorded, these mice exhibited a peculiar constellation of behaviors. They are less anxious, less social, and more active when compared with their wild-type littermates. The overall cortical thickness was reduced, and the corpus callosum and anterior commissure were hypoplastic, consistent with a perturbation in cortical connectivity. Taken together, these data suggest that some of the structural and behavioral anomalies, common in patients with ARX mutations, are specifically due to alterations in pallial progenitor function. Furthermore, our data demonstrate that some of the neurobehavioral features found in patients with ARX mutations may not be due to on-going seizures, as is often postulated, given that epilepsy was eliminated as a confounding variable in these behavior analyses. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Mandibulofacial Dysostosis with Microcephaly: Mutation and Database Update

PubMed Central

Huang, Lijia; Vanstone, Megan R.; Hartley, Taila; Osmond, Matthew; Barrowman, Nick; Allanson, Judith; Baker, Laura; Dabir, Tabib A.; Dipple, Katrina M.; Dobyns, William B.; Estrella, Jane; Faghfoury, Hanna; Favaro, Francine P.; Goel, Himanshu; Gregersen, Pernille A.; Gripp, Karen W.; Grix, Art; Guion-Almeida, Maria-Leine; Harr, Margaret H.; Hudson, Cindy; Hunter, Alasdair G.W.; Johnson, John; Joss, Shelagh K.; Kimball, Amy; Kini, Usha; Kline, Antonie D.; Lauzon, Julie; Lildballe, Dorte L.; López-González, Vanesa; Martinezmoles, Johanna; Meldrum, Cliff; Mirzaa, Ghayda M.; Morel, Chantal F.; Morton, Jenny E.V.; Pyle, Louise C.; Quintero-Rivera, Fabiola; Richer, Julie; Scheuerle, Angela E.; Schönewolf-Greulich, Bitten; Shears, Deborah J.; Silver, Josh; Smith, Amanda C.; Temple, I. Karen; van de Kamp, Jiddeke M.; van Dijk, Fleur S.; Vandersteen, Anthony M.; White, Sue M.; Zackai, Elaine H.; Zou, Ruobing; Bulman, Dennis E.; Boycott, Kym M.; Lines, Matthew A.

2017-01-01

Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) is a multiple malformation syndrome comprising microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies, hearing loss, dysmorphic features, and, in some cases, esophageal atresia. Haploinsufficiency of a spliceosomal GTPase, U5–116 kDa/EFTUD2, is responsible. Here, we review the molecular basis of MFDM in the 69 individuals described to date, and report mutations in 38 new individuals, bringing the total number of reported individuals to 107 individuals from 94 kindreds. Pathogenic EFTUD2 variants comprise 76 distinct mutations and seven microdeletions. Among point mutations, missense substitutions are infrequent (14 out of 76; 18%) relative to stop-gain (29 out of 76; 38%), and splicing (33 out of 76; 43%) mutations. Where known, mutation origin was de novo in 48 out of 64 individuals (75%), dominantly inherited in 12 out of 64 (19%), and due to proven germline mosaicism in four out of 64 (6%). Highly penetrant clinical features include, microcephaly, first and second arch craniofacial malformations, and hearing loss; esophageal atresia is present in an estimated ~27%. Microcephaly is virtually universal in childhood, with some adults exhibiting late “catch-up” growth and normocephaly at maturity. Occasionally reported anomalies, include vestibular and ossicular malformations, reduced mouth opening, atrophy of cerebral white matter, structural brain malformations, and epibulbar dermoid. All reported EFTUD2 mutations can be found in the EFTUD2 mutation database (http://databases.lovd.nl/shared/genes/EFTUD2). PMID:26507355

Mandibulofacial Dysostosis with Microcephaly: Mutation and Database Update.

PubMed

Huang, Lijia; Vanstone, Megan R; Hartley, Taila; Osmond, Matthew; Barrowman, Nick; Allanson, Judith; Baker, Laura; Dabir, Tabib A; Dipple, Katrina M; Dobyns, William B; Estrella, Jane; Faghfoury, Hanna; Favaro, Francine P; Goel, Himanshu; Gregersen, Pernille A; Gripp, Karen W; Grix, Art; Guion-Almeida, Maria-Leine; Harr, Margaret H; Hudson, Cindy; Hunter, Alasdair G W; Johnson, John; Joss, Shelagh K; Kimball, Amy; Kini, Usha; Kline, Antonie D; Lauzon, Julie; Lildballe, Dorte L; López-González, Vanesa; Martinezmoles, Johanna; Meldrum, Cliff; Mirzaa, Ghayda M; Morel, Chantal F; Morton, Jenny E V; Pyle, Louise C; Quintero-Rivera, Fabiola; Richer, Julie; Scheuerle, Angela E; Schönewolf-Greulich, Bitten; Shears, Deborah J; Silver, Josh; Smith, Amanda C; Temple, I Karen; van de Kamp, Jiddeke M; van Dijk, Fleur S; Vandersteen, Anthony M; White, Sue M; Zackai, Elaine H; Zou, Ruobing; Bulman, Dennis E; Boycott, Kym M; Lines, Matthew A

2016-02-01

Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) is a multiple malformation syndrome comprising microcephaly, craniofacial anomalies, hearing loss, dysmorphic features, and, in some cases, esophageal atresia. Haploinsufficiency of a spliceosomal GTPase, U5-116 kDa/EFTUD2, is responsible. Here, we review the molecular basis of MFDM in the 69 individuals described to date, and report mutations in 38 new individuals, bringing the total number of reported individuals to 107 individuals from 94 kindreds. Pathogenic EFTUD2 variants comprise 76 distinct mutations and seven microdeletions. Among point mutations, missense substitutions are infrequent (14 out of 76; 18%) relative to stop-gain (29 out of 76; 38%), and splicing (33 out of 76; 43%) mutations. Where known, mutation origin was de novo in 48 out of 64 individuals (75%), dominantly inherited in 12 out of 64 (19%), and due to proven germline mosaicism in four out of 64 (6%). Highly penetrant clinical features include, microcephaly, first and second arch craniofacial malformations, and hearing loss; esophageal atresia is present in an estimated ∼27%. Microcephaly is virtually universal in childhood, with some adults exhibiting late "catch-up" growth and normocephaly at maturity. Occasionally reported anomalies, include vestibular and ossicular malformations, reduced mouth opening, atrophy of cerebral white matter, structural brain malformations, and epibulbar dermoid. All reported EFTUD2 mutations can be found in the EFTUD2 mutation database (http://databases.lovd.nl/shared/genes/EFTUD2). © 2015 WILEY PERIODICALS, INC.

CFA-13 - a bifunctional perfluorinated metal-organic framework featuring active Cu(i) and Cu(ii) sites.

PubMed

Fritzsche, J; Denysenko, D; Grzywa, M; Volkmer, D

2017-11-07

The synthesis and crystal structure of the mixed-valent perfluorinated metal-organic framework (Me 2 NH 2 )[CFA-13] (Coordination Framework Augsburg University-13), (Me 2 NH 2 )[CuCu(tfpc) 4 ] (H 2 -tfpc = 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole-4-carboxylic acid) is described. The copper-containing MOF crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system within the space group P2 1 /n (no. 14) and the unit cell parameters are as follows: a = 22.3887(19), b = 13.6888(8), c = 21.1804(13) Å, β = 90.495(3)°, V = 6491.0(8) Å 3 . (Me 2 NH 2 )[CFA-13] features a porous 3-D structure constructed from two types of secondary building units (SBUs). Besides novel trinuclear [Cu(pz) 4 ] - coordination units, the network also exhibits Cu(ii) paddle-wheel SBUs. (Me 2 NH 2 )[CFA-13] is fully characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, variable temperature powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, photoluminescence, gas sorption measurements and pulse chemisorption experiments. M[CFA-13] (M = K + , Cs + ) frameworks were prepared by postsynthetic exchange of interchannel dimethylammonium cations. Moreover, it was shown that CO molecules can be selectively bound at Cu(i) sites of [Cu(pz) 4 ] - units, whereas Cu(ii) paddle-wheel units bind selectively NH 3 molecules.

An efficient and general numerical method to compute steady uniform vortices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luzzatto-Fegiz, Paolo; Williamson, Charles H. K.

2011-07-01

Steady uniform vortices are widely used to represent high Reynolds number flows, yet their efficient computation still presents some challenges. Existing Newton iteration methods become inefficient as the vortices develop fine-scale features; in addition, these methods cannot, in general, find solutions with specified Casimir invariants. On the other hand, available relaxation approaches are computationally inexpensive, but can fail to converge to a solution. In this paper, we overcome these limitations by introducing a new discretization, based on an inverse-velocity map, which radically increases the efficiency of Newton iteration methods. In addition, we introduce a procedure to prescribe Casimirs and remove the degeneracies in the steady vorticity equation, thus ensuring convergence for general vortex configurations. We illustrate our methodology by considering several unbounded flows involving one or two vortices. Our method enables the computation, for the first time, of steady vortices that do not exhibit any geometric symmetry. In addition, we discover that, as the limiting vortex state for each flow is approached, each family of solutions traces a clockwise spiral in a bifurcation plot consisting of a velocity-impulse diagram. By the recently introduced "IVI diagram" stability approach [Phys. Rev. Lett. 104 (2010) 044504], each turn of this spiral is associated with a loss of stability for the steady flows. Such spiral structure is suggested to be a universal feature of steady, uniform-vorticity flows.

Features of genomic organization in a nucleotide-resolution molecular model of the Escherichia coli chromosome.

PubMed

Hacker, William C; Li, Shuxiang; Elcock, Adrian H

2017-07-27

We describe structural models of the Escherichia coli chromosome in which the positions of all 4.6 million nucleotides of each DNA strand are resolved. Models consistent with two basic chromosomal orientations, differing in their positioning of the origin of replication, have been constructed. In both types of model, the chromosome is partitioned into plectoneme-abundant and plectoneme-free regions, with plectoneme lengths and branching patterns matching experimental distributions, and with spatial distributions of highly-transcribed chromosomal regions matching recent experimental measurements of the distribution of RNA polymerases. Physical analysis of the models indicates that the effective persistence length of the DNA and relative contributions of twist and writhe to the chromosome's negative supercoiling are in good correspondence with experimental estimates. The models exhibit characteristics similar to those of 'fractal globules,' and even the most genomically-distant parts of the chromosome can be physically connected, through paths combining linear diffusion and inter-segmental transfer, by an average of only ∼10 000 bp. Finally, macrodomain structures and the spatial distributions of co-expressed genes are analyzed: the latter are shown to depend strongly on the overall orientation of the chromosome. We anticipate that the models will prove useful in exploring other static and dynamic features of the bacterial chromosome. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

IceCube Polar Virtual Reality exhibit: immersive learning for learners of all ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madsen, J.; Bravo Gallart, S.; Chase, A.; Dougherty, P.; Gagnon, D.; Pronto, K.; Rush, M.; Tredinnick, R.

2017-12-01

The IceCube Polar Virtual Reality project is an innovative, interactive exhibit that explains the operation and science of a flagship experiment in polar research, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. The exhibit allows users to travel from the South Pole, where the detector is located, to the furthest reaches of the universe, learning how the detection of high-energy neutrinos has opened a new view to the universe. This novel exhibit combines a multitouch tabletop display system and commercially available virtual reality (VR) head-mounted displays to enable informal STEM learning of polar research. The exhibit, launched in early November 2017 during the Wisconsin Science Festival in Madison, WI, will study how immersive VR can enhance informal STEM learning. The foundation of this project is built upon a strong collaborative effort between the Living Environments Laboratory (LEL), the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC), and the Field Day Laboratory groups from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The project is funded through an NSF Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) grant, under a special call for engaging students and the public in polar research. This exploratory pathways project seeks to build expertise to allow future extensions. The plan is to submit a subsequent AISL Broad Implementation proposal to add more 3D environments for other Antarctic research topics and locations in the future. We will describe the current implementation of the project and discuss the challenges and opportunities of working with an interdisciplinary team of scientists and technology and education researchers. We will also present preliminary assessment results, which seek to answer questions such as: Did users gain a better understanding of IceCube research from interacting with the exhibit? Do both technologies (touch table and VR headset) provide the same level of engagement? Is one technology better suited for specific learning outcomes?

A Scheme for "The Window of Taiwan National Park"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, E. Y.-F.

2015-08-01

There are nine distinguished national parks in Taiwan. Each one has its own wild variety of natural inhabitants and cultural resources. However, due to the geographical inaccessibility, partially closed by natural disaster, or under the restrict protection by the authority, most of the places are difficult to reach for the public, not to mention for the disabled people. Therefore, a scheme, with the cutting edge technology, comprising the essences of all nine national parks in a space located in one of the national parks which is more convenient with public transportation system is presented. The idea is to open a window in the hope to offer a platform for better and easy understanding the features of all national parks, to increase the accessibility for disabled people, and to provide advanced services for the public. Recently, the progressing of digital image technology becomes more and more promising. Using mutual interactive ways and game-liked formation to promote the participation of visitors to gain learning experiences is now becoming a mainstream for exhibition in visitor centers and museums around the world. The method of the motion-sensing interactive exhibition has personalized feature which is programmed to store visitor's behaviors and become smarter in response with visitor in order to make each person feel that they are playing in a game. It involves scenarios, concepts and visitors' participation in the exhibition design to form an interactive flow among human, exhibits, and space. It is highly attractive and low barrier for young, senior and disabled people, and for the case of no physical objects to exhibit, visual technology is a way of solution. This paper presents the features and difficulties of national parks in Taiwan. Visitors' behavior and several cases have been investigated and analysed to find a suitable way for combining all the features of national parks in an exhibition. However, it should be noticed that this is not an alternative way trying to create a place for the public to explore visual national parks instead of visiting real ones. The main purpose is not only to provide more information and attract more people to realize the beauty of national parks, but also to inspire visitors' wishes to come and experience in person in the future.

Life, the universe, and everything: an education outreach proposal to build a traveling astrobiology exhibit.

PubMed

Barge, Laura M; Pulschen, André A; Emygdio, Ana Paula Mendes; Congreve, Curtis; Kishimoto, Darío E; Bendia, Amanda G; de Morais M Teles, Antonio; DeMarines, Julia; Stoupin, Daniel

2013-03-01

Astrobiology is a transdisciplinary field with extraordinary potential for the scientific community. As such, it is important to educate the community at large about the growing importance of this field to increase awareness and scientific content learning and expose potential future scientists. To this end, we propose the creation of a traveling museum exhibit that focuses exclusively on astrobiology and utilizes modern museum exhibit technology and design. This exhibit (the "Astrobiology Road Show"), organized and evaluated by an international group of astrobiology students and postdocs, is planned to tour throughout the Americas.

Differential Diagnosis and Treatment of Depressive Features in Down's Syndrome: A Case Illustration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Storm, Wolfgang

1990-01-01

A 21-year-old man with Down's syndrome who exhibited unexplained depressive symptoms and intermittent features of a Parkinson-like syndrome was treated with amitriptyline for 18 months. Gradual improvements eventually saw almost complete recovery of his former personality. Discussion of undiagnosed but treatable depression among Down's syndrome…

76 FR 52378 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-22

... Determinations: ``5,000 Years of Chinese Jade Featuring Selections From the National Museum of History, Taiwan..., which is ``5,000 Years of Chinese Jade Featuring Selections from the National Museum of History, Taiwan... objects is at the San Antonio Museum of Art, San Antonio, TX, from on or about October 1, 2011, until on...

An unusual landslide feature on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Veverka, J.; Liang, T.

1975-01-01

A flow feature on a crater wall, characteristic of a landslide, has been identified in a Mariner 9 high resolution photograph. Although other evidence of mass wasting is common in Mariner 9 photography, the case presented appears unique. A tentative conclusion is that, at least in some cases, Martian soil exhibits significant internal friction in mass movements.

NREL Open House Features Energy Activities, Tours

Science.gov Websites

Open House Features Energy Activities, Tours For more information contact: e:mail: Public Affairs National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) will open its doors 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, July 24 for tours of its research facilities and interactive exhibits at the Visitors Center. The Open House

Promoting Sustainable Development Implementation in Higher Education: Universities in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awuzie, Bankole; Emuze, Fidelis

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to review the zeal exhibited by universities in South Africa towards aligning institutional mandates of teaching, learning, research and community engagement to the sustainable development (SD) agenda. The implementation of the SD agenda across higher education institutions (HEIs) continues to draw attention from the wider…

76 FR 48179 - Notice of Inventory Completion: Slater Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-08

... Museum of Natural History, University of Puget Sound professional staff in consultation with... museum staff that it does not exhibit the darker coloration usually found on remains removed from burials... period, museum staff consider the coloration of the remain to suggest an origin east of the Cascades...

The Art of Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vaidya, Ashwin; Munakata, Mika

2014-03-01

The Art of Science project at Montclair State University strives to communicate the creativity inherent in the sciences to students and the general public alike. The project uses connections between the arts and sciences to show the underlying unity and interdependence of the two. The project is planned as one big `performance' bringing together the two disciplines around the theme of sustainability. In the first phase, physics students learned about and built human-powered generators including hand cranks and bicycle units. In the second phase, using the generators to power video cameras, art students worked with a visiting artist to make short films on the subject of sustainability, science, and art. The generators and films were showcased at an annual university Physics and Art exhibition which was open to the university and local community. In the final phase, to be conducted, K12 teachers will learn about the project through a professional development workshop and will be encouraged to adapt the experiment for their own classrooms. The last phase will also combine the university and K12 projects for an exhibition to be displayed on Earth Day, 2014. Project funded by the APS Outreach Grant.

Subsets of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers exhibit discordance between the CpG island methylator phenotype and MLH1 methylation status.

PubMed

Kim, Jung H; Rhee, Ye-Y; Bae, Jeong-M; Kwon, Hyeong-J; Cho, Nam-Y; Kim, Mi J; Kang, Gyeong H

2013-07-01

Although the presence of MLH1 methylation in microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancer generally indicates involvement of the CpG island methylator phenotype (CIMP) in the development of the tumor, these two conditions do not always correlate. A minority of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers exhibit discordance between CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses. However, the clinicopathological features of such microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers with discrepant MLH1 methylation and CIMP statuses remain poorly studied. Microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers (n=220) were analyzed for CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses using the MethyLight assay. Based on the combinatorial CIMP and MLH1 methylation statuses, the microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers were grouped into four subtypes (CIMP-high (CIMP-H) MLH1 methylation-positive (MLH1m+), CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative, CIMP-low/0 (CIMP-L/0) MLH1m+, and CIMP-L/0 MLH1 methylation-negative), which were compared in terms of their associations with clinicopathological and molecular features. The CIMP-L/0 MLH1 methylation-negative and CIMP-H MLH1m+ subtypes were predominant, comprising 63.6 and 24.1% of total microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers, respectively. The discordant subtypes, CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative and CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+, were found in 5 and 7% of microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers, respectively. The CIMP-H MLH1 methylation-negative subtype exhibited elevated incidence rates in male patients and was associated with larger tumor size, more frequent loss of MSH2 expression, increased frequency of KRAS mutation, and advanced cancer stage. The CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+ subtype was associated with onset at an earlier age, a predominance of MLH1 loss, and earlier cancer stage. None of the CIMP-L/0 MLH1m+ subtype patients succumbed to death during the follow-up. Our findings suggest that the discordant subtypes of colorectal cancers exhibit distinct clinicopathological and molecular features, although the proportion of discordant subtypes is low. The microsatellite-unstable colorectal cancers of the same CIMP status tended to exhibit different clinicopathological features depending on MLH1 methylation status.

"Infinitos"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1994-04-01

On Friday, 22 April 1994, a new science exhibition ``Infinitos", arranged jointly by Lisboa'94, CERN and ESO, will open at the Museu de Electricidade on the waterfront of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. In a series of spectacular displays, it illustrates man's current understanding of how the Universe works - from the tiniest structures of matter to the most far flung galaxies. On this day, it will be inaugurated by the President of Lisboa'94, Prof. Vitor Constancio, the Portuguese Science Minister, Prof. L. Valente de Oliveira, Prof. C. Llewellyn Smith, Director General of CERN [2] and Dr. P. Creola, President of ESO Council. This exhibition is part of a rich cultural programme taking place at Lisbon during 1994 in the frame of ``Lisboa 94 - European City of Culture", after which it will travel to major cities around Europe. The frontiers of our knowledge push into inner space - the structure of the smallest components of matter - and into outer space - the dramatic phenomena of distant galaxies. Two of Europe's leading science organisations are playing a crucial role in this great human adventure. The European Laboratory for Particle Physics, CERN, operates the mighty accelerators and colliding beam machines to penetrate deep into matter and recreate the conditions which prevailed in the Universe a tiny fraction of a second after the Big Bang. The European Southern Observatory, ESO, operates the largest optical observatory in the world with a range of advanced telescopes searching the sky to study the evolution and content of our Universe. The ``Infinitos'' exhibition uses many modern exhibition techniques, including sophisticated audio-visual presentations and interactive video programmes. Visitors enter through a gallery of portraits of the most celebrated scientists from the 16th to 20th centuries and an exhibition of art inspired by scientific research. After passing a cosmic ray detector showing the streams of particles which pour down constantly from outer space, visitors continue into a central area where they are confronted with the essential questions of astro- and particle physics, f.inst. ``What is the Universe made of?'', ``How was the Universe created?'', ``What is in the sky?'', ``What is Dark Matter?'', ``Where does the stuff in our bodies come from?'', and ``Are we alone in the Universe?'' A central theme of this display is ``What we don't know''. In the second part of the exhibition visitors are shown the instruments and techniques used in today's big science research which will help to provide the answers. There are special displays on Europe's future large research projects such as the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN, which will bring protons into head-on collision at higher energies (14 TeV) than ever before to allow scientists to penetrate still further into the structure of matter and recreate the conditions prevailing in the Universe just 10-12 seconds after the "Big Bang" when the temperature was 10^16 degrees. Another highlight is a large interactive model of ESO's Very Large Telescope (VLT), the world's most ambitious optical telescope project, now under construction. The telescope's unequalled potential for exciting astronomical observations at the outer reaches of the Universe is clearly explained. Special emphasis is given to the contribution of Portuguese research institutes to the work of CERN and ESO, and particle physicists and astronomers from Portugal will be present at the exhibition to talk to visitors about their work. This exhibition will remain open until 12 June 1994 and will be a major attraction, also to the many tourists visiting this year's European City of Culture. 1. This is a joint Press Release of Lisboa'94, CERN and ESO. 2. CERN, the European Laboratory for Particle Physics, has its headquarters in Geneva. At present, its Member States are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Israel, the Russian Federation, Turkey, Yugoslavia (status suspended after UN embargo, June 1992), the European Commission and Unesco have observer status.

Constraints on iron sulfate and iron oxide mineralogy from ChemCam visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mt. Sharp basal units, Gale Crater, Mars

DOE PAGES

Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Bell, James F.; Bender, Steve; ...

2016-07-01

Relative reflectace point spectra (400–840 nm) were acquired by the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in passive mode (no laser) of drill tailings and broken rock fragments near the rover as it entered the lower reaches of Mt. Sharp and of landforms at distances of 2–8 km. Freshly disturbed surfaces are less subject to the spectral masking effects of dust, and revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of iron oxides and ferric sulfates. Here, we present the first detection on Mars of a ~433 nm absorption band consistent with small abundancesmore » of ferric sulfates, corroborated by jarosite detections by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument in the Mojave, Telegraph Peak, and Confidence Hills drilled samples. The disturbed materials near the Bonanza King region also exhibited strong 433 nm bands and negative near-infrared spectral slopes consistent with jarosite. ChemCam passive spectra of the Confidence Hills and Mojave drill tailings showed features suggestive of the crystalline hematite identified by CheMin analyses. The Windjana drill sample tailings exhibited flat, low relative reflectance spectra, explained by the occurrence of magnetite detected by CheMin. Passive spectra of Bonanza King were similar, suggesting the presence of spectrally dark and neutral minerals such as magnetite. Long-distance spectra of the “Hematite Ridge” feature (3–5 km from the rover) exhibited features consistent with crystalline hematite. The Bagnold dune field north of the Hematite Ridge area exhibited low relative reflectance and near-infrared features indicative of basaltic materials (olivine, pyroxene). Light-toned layers south of Hematite Ridge lacked distinct spectral features in the 400–840 nm region, and may represent portions of nearby clay minerals and sulfates mapped with orbital near-infrared observations. The presence of ferric sulfates such as jarosite in the drill tailings suggests a relatively acidic environment, likely associated with flow of iron-bearing fluids, associated oxidation, and/or hydrothermal leaching of sedimentary rocks. Combined with other remote sensing data sets, mineralogical constraints from ChemCam passive spectra will continue to play an important role in interpreting the mineralogy and composition of materials encountered as Curiosity traverses further south within the basal layers of the Mt. Sharp complex.« less

Constraints on iron sulfate and iron oxide mineralogy from ChemCam visible/near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy of Mt. Sharp basal units, Gale Crater, Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, Jeffrey R.; Bell, James F.; Bender, Steve

Relative reflectace point spectra (400–840 nm) were acquired by the Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover Curiosity in passive mode (no laser) of drill tailings and broken rock fragments near the rover as it entered the lower reaches of Mt. Sharp and of landforms at distances of 2–8 km. Freshly disturbed surfaces are less subject to the spectral masking effects of dust, and revealed spectral features consistent with the presence of iron oxides and ferric sulfates. Here, we present the first detection on Mars of a ~433 nm absorption band consistent with small abundancesmore » of ferric sulfates, corroborated by jarosite detections by the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument in the Mojave, Telegraph Peak, and Confidence Hills drilled samples. The disturbed materials near the Bonanza King region also exhibited strong 433 nm bands and negative near-infrared spectral slopes consistent with jarosite. ChemCam passive spectra of the Confidence Hills and Mojave drill tailings showed features suggestive of the crystalline hematite identified by CheMin analyses. The Windjana drill sample tailings exhibited flat, low relative reflectance spectra, explained by the occurrence of magnetite detected by CheMin. Passive spectra of Bonanza King were similar, suggesting the presence of spectrally dark and neutral minerals such as magnetite. Long-distance spectra of the “Hematite Ridge” feature (3–5 km from the rover) exhibited features consistent with crystalline hematite. The Bagnold dune field north of the Hematite Ridge area exhibited low relative reflectance and near-infrared features indicative of basaltic materials (olivine, pyroxene). Light-toned layers south of Hematite Ridge lacked distinct spectral features in the 400–840 nm region, and may represent portions of nearby clay minerals and sulfates mapped with orbital near-infrared observations. The presence of ferric sulfates such as jarosite in the drill tailings suggests a relatively acidic environment, likely associated with flow of iron-bearing fluids, associated oxidation, and/or hydrothermal leaching of sedimentary rocks. Combined with other remote sensing data sets, mineralogical constraints from ChemCam passive spectra will continue to play an important role in interpreting the mineralogy and composition of materials encountered as Curiosity traverses further south within the basal layers of the Mt. Sharp complex.« less

A formal theory of feature binding in object perception.

PubMed

Ashby, F G; Prinzmetal, W; Ivry, R; Maddox, W T

1996-01-01

Visual objects are perceived correctly only if their features are identified and then bound together. Illusory conjunctions result when feature identification is correct but an error occurs during feature binding. A new model is proposed that assumes feature binding errors occur because of uncertainty about the location of visual features. This model accounted for data from 2 new experiments better than a model derived from A. M. Treisman and H. Schmidt's (1982) feature integration theory. The traditional method for detecting the occurrence of true illusory conjunctions is shown to be fundamentally flawed. A reexamination of 2 previous studies provided new insights into the role of attention and location information in object perception and a reinterpretation of the deficits in patients who exhibit attentional disorders.

Political consumer behaviour among university students in Brazil and Germany: The role of contextual features and core political values.

PubMed

Kotzur, Patrick F; Torres, Cláudio V; Kedzior, Karina K; Boehnke, Klaus

2017-04-01

This study investigates the relationship between political consumerism and core political values (CPVs) among university students in Brazil (N = 414) and Germany (N = 222). Despite the prerequisite to endorse values that are compatible with political consumerism, contextual features of one's immediate environment might affect overall levels of political consumerism. Our results show that political consumerism is significantly associated with higher income in Brazil (but not in Germany). After controlling for income, political consumerism was practised more frequently in Germany than in Brazil, in urban compared with rural areas, and was not dependent on gender. The urban-rural split was stronger in Brazil than in Germany. These results confirm our hypothesis that contextual features are associated with political consumerism. Furthermore, the political value Equality positively predicted political consumerism in both countries. In contrast, Traditional Morality and support of Free Enterprise negatively predicted political consumerism, although the effect sizes of these relationships were only small. These results suggest that political consumerism among university students is widespread in Germany but not in Brazil. Interestingly, regardless of its low prevalence in Brazil, political consumerism is positively associated with the CPV of Equality among university students in both countries. © 2015 International Union of Psychological Science.

What I Learned at the NCSS Annual Meeting--2008 Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Risinger, C. Frederick

2009-01-01

This is the author's third time writing a column on Internet-focused sessions and exhibit resources at the NCSS annual meeting, which, this past November, met in Houston. One of the features that most impresses teachers who participate at the NCSS annual meeting is the exhibit hall, with hundreds of booths representing textbook and trade book…

Exploring 350 Years of Jewish American History on the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berson, Michael J.; Cruz, Barbara C.

2005-01-01

The recent Library of Congress exhibition, From Haven to Home: 350 Years of Jewish Life in America, has sparked renewed interest in the history of Jews in the United States. The collection featured more than 200 documents, images, and artifacts that chronicle the Jewish American experience. In exhibit from September through December 2004, From…

Informal Learning: Student Achievement and Motivation in Science through Museum-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Julie A.

2011-01-01

This study examined changes in student motivation and achievement in science during a visit to a university children's science museum. The study was based on the pretest-posttest control comparison group design with four treatment groups: control, exhibit, lesson and exhibit/lesson. The sample consisted of 228 sixth-grade students from a Louisiana…

Beyond the Horizon: Visitor Meaning-Making and the Vatican Frescoes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brodie, Lee

2004-01-01

During the summer of 2002, thirty-one medieval frescoes went on display at the Museum of Texas Tech University, the only venue in the world for this extraordinary exhibition. This paper summarizes a qualitative research study that focused on the experiences of three visitors to the Medieval Frescoes from the Vatican Museums Collection exhibition.…

A Study of the Relation of Museum Art Exhibitions to Education. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, Bartlett H., Jr.

A study conducted at Harvard University proposed to obtain evidence concerning the use of art museum exhibitions by public school groups and to determine better ways of improving that use. Interviews, with museum staff and school personnel, were conducted at 57 museums in various geographical locations. The evidence identified several attitudes…

University of Maryland MRSEC - NanoFabulous Exhibit

Science.gov Websites

NanoFabulous, an exciting interactive museum exhibition designed to help children and their families understand we can engage children, the more likely they are to develop a life-long interest in STEM," says with Nano is to present nanoscience to children in a fun and engaging way that they can understand, and

From the Eiffel Tower to the Javanese Dancer: Envisioning Cultural Globalization at the 1889 Paris Exhibition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Patrick

2008-01-01

Arguably the two main attractions for visitors to the 1889 "Exposition Universelle" (Universal Exposition), the Eiffel Tower and the live dancers from the Dutch colony of Java make for a provocative juxtaposition. Constructed expressly for the 1889 Exhibition, Gustave Eiffel's 106-story iron lattice tower became not only the world's…

Instructional Features for Training in Virtual Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

Technical Report 1184 Instructional Features for Training in Virtual Environments Michael J. Singer U. S. Army Research Institute Jason P. Kring...Report 1184 Instructional Features for Training in Virtual Environments Michael J. Singer U. S. Army Research Institute Jason P. Kring University of...provides in comparison to traditional, real world experience training programs (Hays & Singer , 1989; Swezey & Andrews, 2001). First, as with the

Understanding the Growth of ESL Paragraph Writing Skills and Its Relationships with Linguistic Features

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aryadoust, Vahid

2016-01-01

This study sought to examine the development of paragraph writing skills of 116 English as a second language university students over the course of 12 weeks and the relationship between the linguistic features of students' written texts as measured by Coh-Metrix--a computational system for estimating textual features such as cohesion and…

The Influence of Self-Efficacy and Motivational Factors on Academic Performance in General Chemistry Course: A Modeling Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alci, Bulent

2015-01-01

This study aims to determine the predictive and explanatory model in terms of university students' academic performance in "General Chemistry" course and their motivational features. The participants were 169 university students in the 1st grade at university. Of the participants, 132 were female and 37 were male students. Regarding…

A Comprehensive Survey on Student Perceptions of Cyberbullying at a Major Metropolitan University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawler, James P.; Molluzzo, John C.

2015-01-01

Cyberbullying is a concern for any college or university. Digital harassment incidents are featured daily in the news. The authors of this study examine the perceptions of students on cyberbullying at a major metropolitan university. From the findings of a student survey, the authors learn of high levels of perceptions on incidents as an issue but…

Contract Faculty in Canada: Using Access to Information Requests to Uncover Hidden Academics in Canadian Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brownlee, Jamie

2015-01-01

In Canada, universities are undergoing a process of corporatization where business interests, values and practices are assuming a more prominent place in higher education. A key feature of this process has been the changing composition of academic labor. While it is generally accepted that universities are relying more heavily on contract faculty,…

Learn about and Visit Historic College and University Campuses Using the National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shull, Carol D.

2011-01-01

The National Park Service actively educates the public about registered historic places on college and university campuses and encourages people to visit them through its "Discover Our Shared Heritage Travel Itinerary Series." By featuring the historic buildings and grounds of colleges and universities in the itineraries, the National…

Electronic Media Learning Materials of Indira Gandhi National Open University, India: An Analytical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roy, V. Manoj; Ghosh, Chinmoy Kumar

2013-01-01

The establishment of the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) in 1985 has been a milestone in the growth of higher education in India. A very special feature of the University is that a composite of several instructional methods in practice are aimed at giving effective support to distance learners. Self-instructional print materials are…

Growing a Garden without Water: Graduate Teaching Assistants in Introductory Science Laboratories at a Doctoral/Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luft, Julie A.; Kurdziel, Josepha P.; Roehrig, Gillian H.; Turner, Jessica

2004-01-01

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in the sciences are a common feature of U.S. universities that have a prominent mission of research. During the past 2 decades, increased attention has been paid to the professional development of GTAs as instructors. As a result, universities have created training programs to assist GTAs in selecting…

An Islamic University in Cape Town Grows from Roots in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindow, Megan

2007-01-01

This article features the International Peace University South Africa in Cape Town. The university, which was established in 2004, resulted from the merger of two local "madrassas", or religious colleges, yet seeks to prepare its students for success in the secular world. Its Islamic roots are not in the Middle East, but in East Asia.…

Machine learning classifier using abnormal brain network topological metrics in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Guo, Hao; Cao, Xiaohua; Liu, Zhifen; Li, Haifang; Chen, Junjie; Zhang, Kerang

2012-12-05

Resting state functional brain networks have been widely studied in brain disease research. However, it is currently unclear whether abnormal resting state functional brain network metrics can be used with machine learning for the classification of brain diseases. Resting state functional brain networks were constructed for 28 healthy controls and 38 major depressive disorder patients by thresholding partial correlation matrices of 90 regions. Three nodal metrics were calculated using graph theory-based approaches. Nonparametric permutation tests were then used for group comparisons of topological metrics, which were used as classified features in six different algorithms. We used statistical significance as the threshold for selecting features and measured the accuracies of six classifiers with different number of features. A sensitivity analysis method was used to evaluate the importance of different features. The result indicated that some of the regions exhibited significantly abnormal nodal centralities, including the limbic system, basal ganglia, medial temporal, and prefrontal regions. Support vector machine with radial basis kernel function algorithm and neural network algorithm exhibited the highest average accuracy (79.27 and 78.22%, respectively) with 28 features (P<0.05). Correlation analysis between feature importance and the statistical significance of metrics was investigated, and the results revealed a strong positive correlation between them. Overall, the current study demonstrated that major depressive disorder is associated with abnormal functional brain network topological metrics and statistically significant nodal metrics can be successfully used for feature selection in classification algorithms.

Biological adaptations for functional features of language in the face of cultural evolution.

PubMed

Christiansen, Morten H; Reali, Florencia; Chater, Nick

2011-04-01

Although there may be no true language universals, it is nonetheless possible to discern several family resemblance patterns across the languages of the world. Recent work on the cultural evolution of language indicates the source of these patterns is unlikely to be an innate universal grammar evolved through biological adaptations for arbitrary linguistic features. Instead, it has been suggested that the patterns of resemblance emerge because language has been shaped by the brain, with individual languages representing different but partially overlapping solutions to the same set of nonlinguistic constraints. Here, we use computational simulations to investigate whether biological adaptation for functional features of language, deriving from cognitive and communicative constraints, may nonetheless be possible alongside rapid cultural evolution. Specifically, we focus on the Baldwin effect as an evolutionary mechanism by which previously learned linguistic features might become innate through natural selection across many generations of language users. The results indicate that cultural evolution of language does not necessarily prevent functional features of language from becoming genetically fixed, thus potentially providing a particularly informative source of constraints on cross-linguistic resemblance patterns.

A systematic review of the emotional, behavioural and cognitive features exhibited by school-aged children experiencing neglect or emotional abuse.

PubMed

Maguire, S A; Williams, B; Naughton, A M; Cowley, L E; Tempest, V; Mann, M K; Teague, M; Kemp, A M

2015-09-01

Interventions to minimize the long-term consequences of neglect or emotional abuse rely on prompt identification of these children. This systematic review of world literature (1947-2012) identifies features that children aged 5-14 years experiencing neglect or emotional abuse, as opposed to physical or sexual abuse, may exhibit. Searching 18 databases, utilizing over 100 keywords, supplemented by hand searching, 13,210 articles were identified and 111 underwent full critical appraisal by two independent trained reviewers. The 30 included studies highlighted behavioural features (15 studies), externalizing features being the most prominent (8/9 studies) and internalizing features noted in 4/6 studies. Four studies identified attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) associated features: impulsivity, inattention or hyperactivity. Child difficulties in initiating or developing friendships were noted in seven studies. Of 13 studies addressing emotional well-being, three highlighted low self-esteem, with a perception of external control (1), or depression (6) including suicidality (1). A negative internal working model of the mother increased the likelihood of depression (1). In assessing cognition or academic performance, lower general intelligence (3/4) and reduced literacy and numeracy (2) were reported, but no observable effect on memory (3). School-aged children presenting with poor academic performance, ADHD symptomatology or abnormal behaviours warrant assessment of neglect or emotional abuse as a potential underlying cause. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Clinical phenotype of ASD-associated DYRK1A haploinsufficiency.

PubMed

Earl, Rachel K; Turner, Tychele N; Mefford, Heather C; Hudac, Caitlin M; Gerdts, Jennifer; Eichler, Evan E; Bernier, Raphael A

2017-01-01

DYRK1A is a gene recurrently disrupted in 0.1-0.5% of the ASD population. A growing number of case reports with DYRK1A haploinsufficiency exhibit common phenotypic features including microcephaly, intellectual disability, speech delay, and facial dysmorphisms. Phenotypic information from previously published DYRK1A cases ( n  = 51) and participants in an ongoing study at the University of Washington (UW, n  = 10) were compiled. Frequencies of recurrent phenotypic features in this population were compared to features observed in a large sample with idiopathic ASD from the Simons Simplex Collection ( n  = 1981). UW DYRK1A cases were further characterized quantitatively and compared to a randomly subsampled set of idiopathic ASD cases matched on age and gender ( n  = 10) and to cases with an ASD-associated disruptive mutation to CHD8 ( n  = 12). Contribution of familial genetic background to clinical heterogeneity was assessed by comparing head circumference, IQ, and ASD-related symptoms of UW DYRK1A cases to their unaffected parents. DYRK1A haploinsufficiency results in a common phenotypic profile including intellectual disability, speech and motor difficulties, microcephaly, feeding difficulties, and vision abnormalities. Eighty-nine percent of DYRK1A cases ascertained for ASD presented with a constellation of five or more of these symptoms. When compared quantitatively, DYRK1A cases presented with significantly lower IQ and adaptive functioning compared to idiopathic cases and significantly smaller head size compared to both idiopathic and CHD8 cases. Phenotypic variability in parental head circumference, IQ, and ASD-related symptoms corresponded to observed variability in affected child phenotype. Results confirm a core clinical phenotype for DYRK1A disruptions, with a combination of features that is distinct from idiopathic ASD. Cases with DYRK1A mutations are also distinguishable from disruptive mutations to CHD8 by head size. Measurable, quantitative characterization of DYRK1A haploinsufficiency illuminates clinical variability, which may be, in part, due to familial genetic background.

Clinical characteristics of ocular toxocariasis in Eastern China.

PubMed

Zhou, Min; Chang, Qing; Gonzales, John A; Chen, Qian; Zhang, Yanqiong; Huang, Xin; Xu, Gezhi; Wang, Wenji; Jiang, Rui

2012-09-01

To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with ocular toxocariasis in eastern China. The medical records of 35 cases of ocular toxocariasis in Fudan University Eye & ENT Hospital between May 2009 and April 2011 were retrospectively reviewed and analyzed. UBM, RetCam or fundus imaging, and high-frequency or conventional ultrasonography were performed in these patients. The mean patient age in our series of ocular toxocariasis was 11.86 ± 8.80 years. There were 28 children and seven adults, the majority residing in a rural area (88.57%). All cases were classified into three clinical subtypes: granuloma in the peripheral retina (60% of cases); granuloma in the posterior pole (28.57% of cases); and vitreous inflammation mimicking chronic endophthalmitis (5.71% of cases). We also identified an additional subtype with unique clinical features that we termed "combined type" presenting in 5.71% of our patients. This subtype exhibited granulomas in both the posterior pole and peripheral retina. RetCam fundus imaging was able to identify granulomas in the posterior and peripheral subtypes, 100% and 80.95% of cases respectively. Moreover, UBM combined with conventional ultrasonography identified granulomas in 95% of the peripheral subtype cases and in 100% of the posterior pole subtype cases. This is the first ocular toxocariasis series described in Chinese patients. Compared with reports from developed countries, the ocular features in our series were more severe and complicated, presenting with poorer visual acuity and a high rate of retinal detachment (45.7%). The application of RetCam and UBM during examination in ocular toxocariasis can provide valuable information in determining the severity of disease and features important in considering surgical procedures in such patients.

A New Class of Transients Marking Intensified Accretion onto Supermassive Black Holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trakhtenbrot, Benny; Arcavi, Iair; Ricci, Claudio; Horesh, Assaf; Tacchella, Sandro; Stern, Daniel

2018-01-01

Our understanding of the demographics and evolution of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) beyond the local universe is limited to actively growing SMBHs, where relatively stable accretion of gas persists over several hundreds of millions of years. A growing number of transient and/or variable phenomena in galaxy nuclei have recently begun to shed new light on SMBH demographics and the physics of gas accretion onto these objects, tracing events where this accretion has drastically intensified. We present such an event, identified in the nucleus of an early-type galaxy at z=0.064, in which a previously-active SMBH experienced a dramatic increase in ultraviolet-optical emission. The emerging optical spectrum exhibits a mix of emission features, some of which are typical of luminous, unobscured active galactic nuclei. Other observed emission features of high-ionization species are likely driven by Bowen fluorescence -- seen for the first time in high-velocity lines, with ~2000 km/s, in a galaxy nucleus -- originating in dense, metal-rich gas that is exposed to the recently intensified UV radiation. Our multiwavelength space- and ground-based monitoring campaign shows that the spectral features and elevated UV flux show little to no evolution, over a period of at least six months. This disfavours the tidal disruption of a star as the origin of the UV “flash”, but suggests a rather longer-term re-ignition event. This event joins two other recently reported transients with similar emission properties, forming a new class of transients which has important implications for the identification and understanding of tidal disruption events, as well as other drivers of SMBH re-ignition.

Data management in clinical research: Synthesizing stakeholder perspectives.

PubMed

Johnson, Stephen B; Farach, Frank J; Pelphrey, Kevin; Rozenblit, Leon

2016-04-01

This study assesses data management needs in clinical research from the perspectives of researchers, software analysts and developers. This is a mixed-methods study that employs sublanguage analysis in an innovative manner to link the assessments. We performed content analysis using sublanguage theory on transcribed interviews conducted with researchers at four universities. A business analyst independently extracted potential software features from the transcriptions, which were translated into the sublanguage. This common sublanguage was then used to create survey questions for researchers, analysts and developers about the desirability and difficulty of features. Results were synthesized using the common sublanguage to compare stakeholder perceptions with the original content analysis. Individual researchers exhibited significant diversity of perspectives that did not correlate by role or site. Researchers had mixed feelings about their technologies, and sought improvements in integration, interoperability and interaction as well as engaging with study participants. Researchers and analysts agreed that data integration has higher desirability and mobile technology has lower desirability but disagreed on the desirability of data validation rules. Developers agreed that data integration and validation are the most difficult to implement. Researchers perceive tasks related to study execution, analysis and quality control as highly strategic, in contrast with tactical tasks related to data manipulation. Researchers have only partial technologic support for analysis and quality control, and poor support for study execution. Software for data integration and validation appears critical to support clinical research, but may be expensive to implement. Features to support study workflow, collaboration and engagement have been underappreciated, but may prove to be easy successes. Software developers should consider the strategic goals of researchers with regard to the overall coordination of research projects and teams, workflow connecting data collection with analysis and processes for improving data quality. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The issue of the arrangement of new environments for science education through collaborative actions between schools, museums and science centres in the Brazilian context of teacher training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteiro, Bruno Andrade Pinto; Martins, Isabel; de Souza Janerine, Aline; de Carvalho, Fabiana Cristina

2016-06-01

We present, in this article, an investigation about the potential of the relationship between formal and non-formal educational environments. Therefore it is not an empirical research, but an essay on the topic. This paper demonstrates the concept that science education and science outreach can be privileged by actions that are developed by closer relations between formal and non-formal places. Currently, non-formal environments such as museums and science and technology centres are considered potential educational resources within the reach of schools. Educators from museums have conducted studies which demonstrate a predominant model of the utilization of these institutions by teachers, which consists of illustrative visits during the exhibitions, but does not feature a collaborative relationship or partnership between schools and these institutions. In Brazil, the main examples of approaches to collaboration between these places and schools have been taking place through the initiatives of teachers or through projects developed by the educational sector, aiming to broaden the dialogue between their institutions and the school community. Another approach mechanism relates to research and extension projects developed by university researchers, sponsored by state and federal funding agencies. In this case, the universities and university museums appear as new social actors that stand in the way of the schools and the cultural environments, complicating the relationship and, at the same time, bringing new questions to the field of educational research. We believe that the discourse in this paper should bring about further discussions in the initial teacher training courses to contribute to the understanding of practices related to the extension of the field of activity of the school.

Universal LD50 predictions using deep learning

EPA Science Inventory

NICEATM Predictive Models for Acute Oral Systemic Toxicity LD50 entry Risa R. Sayre (sayre.risa@epa.gov) & Christopher M. Grulke Our approach uses an ensemble of multilayer perceptron regressions to predict rat acute oral LD50 values from chemical features. Features were genera...

Research showcase, winter 2014 : reducing traffic noise impacts, university transportation centers, advanced prismatic sheeting.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

This issue of Research Showcase features articles on two successful research efforts, one on quiet : pavements and the other on the bene ts of prismatic sign sheeting, and an article on university : transportation center participation in Florida.

Group Influences on Young Adult Warfighters Risk-Taking

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

Personality Features, Familial Characteristics, Heterosocial Relations, and Body Fat as Ris Factors for Eating isorder Sym toms in Early...Temple University. Michele Reimer (1997). “The evelo ment of Shame in Early Adolescence.” e artment of Psychology, Temple University. (Winner of the

Kenny Gruchalla | NREL

Science.gov Websites

feature extraction, human-computer interaction, and physics-based modeling. Professional Experience 2009 ., computer science, University of Colorado at Boulder M.S., computer science, University of Colorado at Boulder B.S., computer science, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Wikipedia ranking of world universities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lages, José; Patt, Antoine; Shepelyansky, Dima L.

2016-03-01

We use the directed networks between articles of 24 Wikipedia language editions for producing the wikipedia ranking of world Universities (WRWU) using PageRank, 2DRank and CheiRank algorithms. This approach allows to incorporate various cultural views on world universities using the mathematical statistical analysis independent of cultural preferences. The Wikipedia ranking of top 100 universities provides about 60% overlap with the Shanghai university ranking demonstrating the reliable features of this approach. At the same time WRWU incorporates all knowledge accumulated at 24 Wikipedia editions giving stronger highlights for historically important universities leading to a different estimation of efficiency of world countries in university education. The historical development of university ranking is analyzed during ten centuries of their history.

Borderline Personality Features and Implicit Shame-Prone Self-Concept in Middle Childhood and Early Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawes, David J.; Helyer, Rebekah; Herlianto, Eugene C.; Willing, Jonah

2013-01-01

This study tested if children and adolescents with high levels of borderline personality features (BPF) exhibit the same shame-prone self-concept previously found to characterize adults with borderline personality disorder (Rusch et al., 2007). Self-concept was indexed using the Implicit Association Test, in a community sample of…

Biases Towards Internal Features in Infants' Reasoning about Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, George E.; Herrmann, Patricia; Wynn, Karen; Keil, Frank C.

2008-01-01

This paper reports the results of two sets of studies demonstrating 14-month-olds' tendency to associate an object's behavior with internal, rather than external features. In Experiment 1 infants were familiarized to two animated cats that each exhibited a different style of self-generated motion. Infants then saw a novel individual that had an…

Comparing the VIRTIS Spectrum of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko to Wild 2 and in Primitive Interplanetary Dust Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, George

2016-04-01

The Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer (VIRTIS) instrument, a point spectrometer with high spectral resolution covering the range from 2 to 5 microns, on the ESA Rosetta spacecraft obtained spectra of the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The spectral region covered by VIRTIS has been well studied in meteorites, interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) collected by NASA from the Earth's stratosphere, and the samples of Comet 81P/Wild 2 that were delivered to Earth by the NASA Stardust spacecraft. Infrared spectra of the nucleus of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko acquired by VIRTIS show a broad absorption band observed at ~3.3 μm, a region of the spectrum where C-H, O-H, and N-H stretching features occur (Capaccioni et al., 2015). This broad feature is similar to the O-H feature exhibited by hydrous minerals, but shifted to a significantly longer wavelength. Capaccioni et al. (2015) compared the VIRTIS spectra to laboratory spectra of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites of the CI, CM, and CR types and concluded that none of the typical features of these meteorite spectra are compatible with the spectra of the surface of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Comparison of VIRTIS spectra of 67P/ Churyumov-Gerasimenko to the laboratory spectra of well-characterized extraterrestrial materials including the Wild 2 dust and the IDPs, a significant fraction of which are believed to be cometary, could aid in the interpretation of the 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko spectra. None of the Wild 2 particles examined by infrared spectroscopy exhibit an O-H feature, but this may be due to the high temperature reached during their capture in the aerogel collection medium. The O-H feature is also absent in all anhydrous IDPs. The hydrous IDPs exhibit varying strengths of both aliphatic C-H absorption features and the O-H absorption feature, but, as with the meteorites, the O-H feature occurs at a significantly shorter wavelength than the broad feature detected in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Only one of the more than 50 IDPs analyzed by infrared spectroscopy has an infrared spectrum similar to that of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. This large, hydrous IDP, L2021 C10, has a broad absorption feature centered at the same position as the feature observed in 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. In the case of L2021 C10 this feature is attributed to an O-H absorption feature in the position normally seen in hydrous minerals as well as a broad aromatic C-H feature, rarely detected in IDPs, and the aliphatic C-H feature seen in all IDPs examined thus far (Flynn et al., 2004). In the case of the VIRTIS spectrum of 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko the apparent shift of the broad O-H feature may actually result from the superposition of O-H and aromatic C-H features, both at their normal wavelengths. References: Capaccioni, F. et al. (2015) Science, 347 no. 6220, DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa0628. Flynn, G. J. et al. (2004) Advances in Space Research, 33, 57-66.

Age-related interference from irrelevant distracters in visual feature search among heterogeneous distracters.

PubMed

Merrill, Edward C; Conners, Frances A

2013-08-01

We evaluated age-related variations in the influence of heterogeneous distracters during feature target. Participants in three age groups-6-year-old children, 9-year-old children, and young adults-completed three conditions of search. In a singleton search condition, participants searched for a circle among squares of the same color. In two feature mode search conditions, participants searched for a gray circle or a black circle among gray and black squares. Singleton search was performed at the same level of efficiency for all age groups. In contrast, the two feature mode search conditions yielded age-related performance differences in both conditions. Younger children exhibited a steeper slope than young adults when searching for a gray or black circle. Older children exhibited a steeper slope than young adults when searching for a gray circle but not when searching for a black circle. We concluded that these differences revealed age-related improvements in the relative abilities of adults and children to execute attentional control processes during visual search. In particular, it appears that children found it more difficult to maintain the goal of searching for a circle target than adults and were distracted by the presence of the irrelevant feature dimension of color. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Thermal Infrared Spectral Band Detection Limits for Unidentified Surface Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirkland, Laurel E.; Herr, Kenneth C.; Salisbury, John W.

2001-01-01

Infrared emission spectra recorded by airborne or satellite spectrometers can be searched for spectral features to determine the composition of rocks on planetary surfaces. Surface materials are identified by detections of characteristic spectral bands. We show how to define whether to accept an observed spectral feature as a detection when the target material is unknown. We also use remotely sensed spectra measured by the Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES) and the Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System to illustrate the importance of instrument parameters and surface properties on band detection limits and how the variation in signal-to-noise ratio with wavelength affects the bands that are most detectable for a given instrument. The spectrometer's sampling interval, spectral resolution, signal-to-noise ratio as a function of wavelength, and the sample's surface properties influence whether the instrument can detect a spectral feature exhibited by a material. As an example, in the 6-13 micrometer wavelength region, massive carbonates exhibit two bands: a very strong, broad feature at approximately 6.5 micrometers and a less intense, sharper band at approximately 11.25 micrometers. Although the 6.5-micrometer band is stronger and broader in laboratory-measured spectra, the 11.25-micrometer band will cause a more detectable feature in TES spectra.

Longitudinal Validation of General and Specific Structural Features of Personality Pathology

PubMed Central

Wright, Aidan G.C.; Hopwood, Christopher J.; Skodol, Andrew E.; Morey, Leslie C.

2016-01-01

Theorists have long argued that personality disorder (PD) is best understood in terms of general impairments shared across the disorders as well as more specific instantiations of pathology. A model based on this theoretical structure was proposed as part of the DSM-5 revision process. However, only recently has this structure been subjected to formal quantitative evaluation, with little in the way of validation efforts via external correlates or prospective longitudinal prediction. We used the Collaborative Longitudinal Study of Personality Disorders dataset to: (1) estimate structural models that parse general from specific variance in personality disorder features, (2) examine patterns of growth in general and specific features over the course of 10 years, and (3) establish concurrent and dynamic longitudinal associations in PD features and a host of external validators including basic personality traits and psychosocial functioning scales. We found that general PD exhibited much lower absolute stability and was most strongly related to broad markers of psychosocial functioning, concurrently and longitudinally, whereas specific features had much higher mean stability and exhibited more circumscribed associations with functioning. However, both general and specific factors showed recognizable associations with normative and pathological traits. These results can inform efforts to refine the conceptualization and diagnosis of personality pathology. PMID:27819472

Neurological Research on Language and the Implications for Teaching Bilingual Children to Read. Occasional Papers on Linguistics, No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giordano, Gerard

Neurological data indicate that the universal aptitude for functional language is biologically based, species specific, and developmental. The universality of functional oral speech is indisputable. Everyone, however, does not exhibit similar expertise in processing oral and visual language. Many people can speak two languages functionally but…

Effects of Mindfulness-Based versus Interpersonal Process Group Intervention on Psychological Well-Being with a Clinical University Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byrne, Ciara; Bond, Lynne A.; London, Miv

2013-01-01

This quasi-experimental study compared a group mindfulness-based intervention (MI) with an interpersonal process (IP) group intervention and a no-treatment (NT) control condition in reducing psychological distress among 112 students at 2 universities. At postintervention, IP and MI group participants exhibited significant reductions in anxiety,…

Profile Analysis of Deaf Children Using the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krivitski, Erin C.; McIntosh, David E.; Rothlisberg, Barbara; Finch, Holmes

2004-01-01

This study was conducted to determine whether children who are deaf perform similarly to hearing children on the Universal Nonverbal Intelligence Test (UNIT; Bracken & McCallum, 1998). The children classified as deaf demonstrated a hearing loss of 60 dB or more, were prelingually deaf, and did not exhibit co-morbidity. They were matched on…

Japanese University Students' Willingness to Communicate in English: The Serendipitous Effect of Oral Presentations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matsuoka, Rieko; Matsumoto, Kahoko; Poole, Gregory; Matsuoka, Misato

2014-01-01

This study examines the ways in which college students in Japan overcame sensitivity to external evaluation and increased their willingness to communicate in English. It is not uncommon for university students in Japan, who are otherwise proficient speakers of English and motivated to learn, fail to exhibit English competency in real communication…

Gender, Markets, and the Expansion of Women's Education at the University of Pennsylvania, 1913-1940

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manekin, Sarah

2010-01-01

In the fall of 2001, with posters, tote bags, speakers, and balloons, the University of Pennsylvania launched its celebration of "125 Years of Women at Penn." Exhibits illustrating the experiences of women students appeared around campus and on the Web, while banners trumpeting the contributions of Penn women waved from lightposts. The…

Microfilming of the Texas Women: A Celebration of History Exhibit Archives in the Texas Woman's University Library.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nicewarner, Metta

1988-01-01

Description of the microfilming of a women's studies archive at the Texas Woman's University Library discusses: (1) project background; (2) criteria for equipment purchase; (3) equipment selected; (4) recommended resources; (5) indexing and layout decisions; (6) the filming process; and (7) the pros and cons of in-house microreproduction. (three…

A Case Study: Linking Students across Geographical and Cultural Distances.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romanoff, Stephen J.

2003-01-01

Presents a case study of two classes that created a community of learners across the expanse of the North American continent and the Pacific Ocean. Participants in the Russell Scholars Program of the University of Southern Maine and the Rainbow Advantage Program of the University of Hawaii at Manoa collaborated on a traveling art exhibit entitled…

Impaired theory of mind in first-episode schizophrenia: comparison with community, university and depressed controls.

PubMed

Kettle, Jonathan W L; O'Brien-Simpson, Laurie; Allen, Nicholas B

2008-02-01

First order theory of mind, as measured by the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test' Revised, is impaired in schizophrenia. However, no study has investigated whether this occurs in first-episode schizophrenia. Also, it is unclear whether such a deficit is specific to schizophrenia, and whether convenience control samples, particularly undergraduate university students, represent valid comparison groups. This study investigated theory of mind ability, measured by the 'Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test' Revised, in a group of first-episode schizophrenia outpatients (n=13) and three control groups: outpatients with non-psychotic major depression (n=14), individuals from the general community (n=16) and from an undergraduate university course (n=27). The schizophrenia group exhibited significant theory of mind impairments compared to both non-psychiatric control groups but not the depression group. Unexpectedly, the depression group was not significantly impaired compared to the community control group, and the university control group exhibited superior theory of mind ability relative to all three groups. The findings indicate theory of mind deficits in first episode schizophrenia and support the implementation of theory of mind interventions in first-episode schizophrenia treatment programs. Results also indicate that community rather than university control groups represent more valid comparison groups in first-episode schizophrenia research.

Functional analyses of the primate upper cervical vertebral column.

PubMed

Nalley, Thierra K; Grider-Potter, Neysa

2017-06-01

Recent work has highlighted functional correlations between direct measures of head and neck posture and primate cervical bony morphology. Primates with more horizontal necks exhibit middle and lower cervical vertebral features that indicate increased mechanical advantage for deep nuchal musculature and mechanisms for column curvature formation and maintenance. How features of the C1 and C2 reflect quantified measures of posture have yet to be examined. This study incorporates bony morphology from the upper cervical levels from 20 extant primate species in order to investigate further how posture correlates with cervical vertebrae morphology. Results from phylogenetic generalized least-squares analyses indicate that few vertebral features exhibit a significant relationship with posture when accounting for differences in size. When size-adjusted traits were correlated with posture, vertebral variation had a stronger relationship with neck posture than head posture variables. Two C1 traits-relative posterior arch length and superior facet curvature-were correlated with neck posture variables. Relative posterior arch length exhibits a positive relationship with neck posture, while superior articular facet curvature demonstrates a negative relationship, such that as the neck becomes more horizontal, the greater the facet curvature. Four C2 features were also correlated with neck posture: relative pedicle and lamina lengths, relative superior facet orientation, and dens orientation. Relative pedicle and lamina lengths become craniocaudally longer as the neck becomes more horizontal. Relative C2 superior facet orientation and dens orientation exhibit negative correlations with posture, such that as the neck becomes more horizontal, the superior facet becomes more caudally inclined and the dens more dorsally inclined. These results produce a similar functional signal observed in the middle and lower cervical spine. Modeling the cervical vertebrae of more pronograde taxa within a sigmoidal spinal column model is further discussed and may prove useful in refining and testing future hypotheses of primate cervical mechanics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Incremental Upgrade of Legacy Systems (IULS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-04-01

analysis task employed SEI’s Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis methodology (see FODA reference) and included several phases: • Context Analysis • Establish...Legacy, new Host and upgrade system and software. The Feature Oriented Domain Analysis approach ( FODA , see SUM References) was used for this step...Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis ( FODA ) Feasibility Study (CMU/SEI-90-TR- 21, ESD-90-TR-222); Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University

Promoting University Faculty and Staff Awareness of Students with Learning Disabilities: An Overview of the Productive Learning u Strategies (PLuS) Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Christopher; Wren, Carol T.; Stevens, Edward B.; Keys, Christopher

2009-01-01

This article presents a model demonstration project that was designed to promote disability awareness, understanding, and responsiveness among University faculty and staff at a large private University. One of the unique features of the Productive Learning u Strategies (PLuS) project is that the effort targeted all faculty and staff through a…

Who Attends and Completes Virtual Universities: The Case of the Open University of Catalonia (UOC)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnoy, Martin; Rabling, Brenda Jarillo; Castano-Munoz, Jonatan; Montoliu, Josep Maria Duart; Sancho-Vinuesa, Teresa

2012-01-01

A highly touted feature of the so-called global "revolution" in higher education is the trend to use information technology to reach a broader clientele. Although there is evidence that students may be learning the material in on-line courses as well as in traditional face-to-face universities, how well students learn content is not the…

Use of Anthropomorphic Brand Mascots for Student Motivation and Engagement: A Promotional Case Study with Pablo the Penguin at the University of Portsmouth Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, David E.; Thompson, Paula

2016-01-01

A case study demonstrating how an online narrative featuring the adventures of a cuddly toy penguin, Pablo Penguin (@uoppenguin on Twitter) has been introduced at the University of Portsmouth Library to build trust and engagement between university students and library services and facilities. Evidence for the benefits of anthropomorphic brand…

AI in Informal Science Education: Bringing Turing Back to Life to Perform the Turing Test

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Avelino J.; Hollister, James R.; DeMara, Ronald F.; Leigh, Jason; Lanman, Brandan; Lee, Sang-Yoon; Parker, Shane; Walls, Christopher; Parker, Jeanne; Wong, Josiah; Barham, Clayton; Wilder, Bryan

2017-01-01

This paper describes an interactive museum exhibit featuring an avatar of Alan Turing that informs museum visitors about artificial intelligence and Turing's seminal Turing Test for machine intelligence. The objective of the exhibit is to engage and motivate visiting children in the hope of sparking an interest in them about computer science and…

Meet the Alpha-Pets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zitlaw, Jo Ann Bruce; Frank, Cheryl Standish

1985-01-01

"Alpha-Pets" are the focal point of an integrated, multidisciplinary curriculum. Each pet is featured for a week in a vocabulary-rich story and introduces related activities beginning with the featured letter, such as the four food groups during Freddie Fish's week or universe during Ulysses Unicorn's week. (MT)

20180411 - Universal LD50 predictions using deep learning (ICCVAM)

EPA Science Inventory

NICEATM Predictive Models for Acute Oral Systemic Toxicity LD50 entry Risa R. Sayre (sayre.risa@epa.gov) & Christopher M. Grulke Our approach uses an ensemble of multilayer perceptron regressions to predict rat acute oral LD50 values from chemical features. Features were gene...

Effective Preparation Program Features: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Gary M.; Whiteman, Rodney S.

2016-01-01

This article is a summary of a report prepared for the University Council for Educational Administration Program Improvement Project for the Wallace Foundation. This explores the research base for educational leadership preparation programs, specifically examining literature on program features. The review covers context, candidates, faculty,…

Infusing JUST Design in Campus Recreation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staeger-Wilson, Katheryne; Sampson, Douglas H.

2012-01-01

This practice brief highlights the collaborative work among a disability resource professional, a university architect, and students with disabilities to create a campus recreation center with universal design features. This partnership serves to illustrate that building to minimum compliance standards does not necessarily remove barriers to…

American School & University. Volume 77, Number 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe, Ed.

2004-01-01

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This November 2004 issue includes the following: "Honoring…

American School & University. Volume 77, Number 1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe, Ed.

2004-01-01

Each month "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This September 2004 issue includes the following: "New…

American School & University. Volume 77, Number 10

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe, Ed.

2005-01-01

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This May 2005 issue includes the following:…

DefenseLink Feature:

Science.gov Websites

Center, Wilberforce, Ohio. Celebrating African American History University Helps DoD Celebrate African -American History University Helps DoD Celebrate African-American History FAYETTEVILLE, N.C., Feb. 29, 2008 Carolina, hosted the Defense Department's 2008 African-American History Month outreach and observance

Fractions, trees and unfinished business

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shraiman, Boris

In this talk, mourning the loss of a teacher and a dear friend, I would like to share some unfinished thoughts loosely connecting - via Farey fraction trees - Kadanoff's study of universality of quasi-periodic route to chaos with the effort to understand universal features of genealogical trees.

American School & University. Volume 77, Number 11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe, Ed.

2005-01-01

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This March 2005 issue includes the following:…

American School & University. Volume 77, Number 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agron, Joe, Ed.

2004-01-01

Each month, "American School & University" provides a mix of thought-provoking features, how-to-articles, industry reports, exclusive surveys, new sections, insightful columns, new product introductions and case histories to assist education officials in better performing their jobs. This December 2004 issue includes the following:…

Stephen Hawking's Universe. Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Malcolm H.; Rameau, Jonathan D.

This program guide is meant to help teachers assist their students in viewing the six-part public television series, "Stephen Hawking's Universe." The guide features program summaries that give background information and brief synopses of the programs; previewing activities that familiarize students with the subject; vocabulary that…

An Example of European-North African Collaboration: The Implementation of an Electrical Engineering Postgraduate Programme in Tunisia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Annabi, Mohammed; Poloujadoff, Michel

1989-01-01

Describes the recent historical development, main features, and results of an engineering graduate program in Tunisia. A description of the civil service program for young university graduates and the hierarchy of university staff is provided. (YP)

CNN universal machine as classificaton platform: an art-like clustering algorithm.

PubMed

Bálya, David

2003-12-01

Fast and robust classification of feature vectors is a crucial task in a number of real-time systems. A cellular neural/nonlinear network universal machine (CNN-UM) can be very efficient as a feature detector. The next step is to post-process the results for object recognition. This paper shows how a robust classification scheme based on adaptive resonance theory (ART) can be mapped to the CNN-UM. Moreover, this mapping is general enough to include different types of feed-forward neural networks. The designed analogic CNN algorithm is capable of classifying the extracted feature vectors keeping the advantages of the ART networks, such as robust, plastic and fault-tolerant behaviors. An analogic algorithm is presented for unsupervised classification with tunable sensitivity and automatic new class creation. The algorithm is extended for supervised classification. The presented binary feature vector classification is implemented on the existing standard CNN-UM chips for fast classification. The experimental evaluation shows promising performance after 100% accuracy on the training set.

78 FR 79559 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Miró: The Experience of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-30

... ``Mir[oacute]: The Experience of Seeing,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the... at the Seattle Art Museum, Seattle, WA, from on or about February 13, 2014, until on or about May 18, 2014, the Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University, from on or about August 28, 2014, until on or about...

Amadori-glycated phosphatidylethanolamine enhances the physical stability and selective targeting ability of liposomes

PubMed Central

Miyazawa, Taiki; Kamiyoshihara, Reina; Shimizu, Naoki; Harigae, Takahiro; Otoki, Yurika; Ito, Junya; Kato, Shunji; Miyazawa, Teruo

2018-01-01

Liposomes consisting of 100% phosphatidylcholine exhibit poor membrane fusion, cellular uptake and selective targeting capacities. To overcome these limitations, we used Amadori-glycated phosphatidylethanolamine, which is universally present in animals and commonly consumed in foods. We found that liposomes containing Amadori-glycated phosphatidylethanolamine exhibited significantly reduced negative membrane potential and demonstrated high cellular uptake. PMID:29515844

Between Exoticism and Universalism: Educational Sections in Latin American Participation at International Exhibitions, 1860-1900

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dussel, Ines

2011-01-01

International exhibitions provide a good arena in which to study the circulation and transfer of educational ideas and practices in the second half of the nineteenth century. Structured around themes of industry, progress, and civilisation, and defined as ephemeral museums of the new world of commodities for the consumption of the masses, they…

Universal properties of knotted polymer rings.

PubMed

Baiesi, M; Orlandini, E

2012-09-01

By performing Monte Carlo sampling of N-steps self-avoiding polygons embedded on different Bravais lattices we explore the robustness of universality in the entropic, metric, and geometrical properties of knotted polymer rings. In particular, by simulating polygons with N up to 10(5) we furnish a sharp estimate of the asymptotic values of the knot probability ratios and show their independence on the lattice type. This universal feature was previously suggested, although with different estimates of the asymptotic values. In addition, we show that the scaling behavior of the mean-squared radius of gyration of polygons depends on their knot type only through its correction to scaling. Finally, as a measure of the geometrical self-entanglement of the self-avoiding polygons we consider the standard deviation of the writhe distribution and estimate its power-law behavior in the large N limit. The estimates of the power exponent do depend neither on the lattice nor on the knot type, strongly supporting an extension of the universality property to some features of the geometrical entanglement.

Social insect genomes exhibit dramatic evolution in gene composition and regulation while preserving regulatory features linked to sociality

PubMed Central

Simola, Daniel F.; Wissler, Lothar; Donahue, Greg; Waterhouse, Robert M.; Helmkampf, Martin; Roux, Julien; Nygaard, Sanne; Glastad, Karl M.; Hagen, Darren E.; Viljakainen, Lumi; Reese, Justin T.; Hunt, Brendan G.; Graur, Dan; Elhaik, Eran; Kriventseva, Evgenia V.; Wen, Jiayu; Parker, Brian J.; Cash, Elizabeth; Privman, Eyal; Childers, Christopher P.; Muñoz-Torres, Monica C.; Boomsma, Jacobus J.; Bornberg-Bauer, Erich; Currie, Cameron R.; Elsik, Christine G.; Suen, Garret; Goodisman, Michael A.D.; Keller, Laurent; Liebig, Jürgen; Rawls, Alan; Reinberg, Danny; Smith, Chris D.; Smith, Chris R.; Tsutsui, Neil; Wurm, Yannick; Zdobnov, Evgeny M.; Berger, Shelley L.; Gadau, Jürgen

2013-01-01

Genomes of eusocial insects code for dramatic examples of phenotypic plasticity and social organization. We compared the genomes of seven ants, the honeybee, and various solitary insects to examine whether eusocial lineages share distinct features of genomic organization. Each ant lineage contains ∼4000 novel genes, but only 64 of these genes are conserved among all seven ants. Many gene families have been expanded in ants, notably those involved in chemical communication (e.g., desaturases and odorant receptors). Alignment of the ant genomes revealed reduced purifying selection compared with Drosophila without significantly reduced synteny. Correspondingly, ant genomes exhibit dramatic divergence of noncoding regulatory elements; however, extant conserved regions are enriched for novel noncoding RNAs and transcription factor–binding sites. Comparison of orthologous gene promoters between eusocial and solitary species revealed significant regulatory evolution in both cis (e.g., Creb) and trans (e.g., fork head) for nearly 2000 genes, many of which exhibit phenotypic plasticity. Our results emphasize that genomic changes can occur remarkably fast in ants, because two recently diverged leaf-cutter ant species exhibit faster accumulation of species-specific genes and greater divergence in regulatory elements compared with other ants or Drosophila. Thus, while the “socio-genomes” of ants and the honeybee are broadly characterized by a pervasive pattern of divergence in gene composition and regulation, they preserve lineage-specific regulatory features linked to eusociality. We propose that changes in gene regulation played a key role in the origins of insect eusociality, whereas changes in gene composition were more relevant for lineage-specific eusocial adaptations. PMID:23636946

Imaging features of hepatic angiomyolipomas on real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound

PubMed Central

Wang, Z; Xu, H-X; Xie, X-Y; Xie, X-H; Kuang, M; Xu, Z-F; Liu, G-J; Chen, L-D; Lin, M-X; Lu, M-D

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the imaging features of hepatic angiomyolipoma (AML) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). The imaging features of 12 pathologically proven hepatic AML lesions in 10 patients who had undergone baseline ultrasound (BUS) and CEUS examinations were evaluated retrospectively. The enhancement extent, pattern and dynamic change, along with the enhancement process, on CEUS were analysed. The diagnostic results of BUS and CEUS before pathological examination were also recorded. The results showed that 75% (9/12) of the AML lesions exhibited mixed echogenicity on BUS and most showed remarkable hyperechogenicity in combination with a hypoechoic or anechoic portion. Arterial flow signals were detected in 75% (9/12) of the lesions on colour Doppler imaging. On CEUS, 66.7% (n = 8) of the 12 lesions exhibited hyperenhancement in the arterial phase, slight hyperenhancement (n = 2) or isoenhancement (n = 6) in the portal phase, and slight hyperenhancement (n = 1) or isoenhancement (n = 7) in the late phase. Three (25%) lesions exhibited hyperenhancement in the arterial phase and hypoenhancement in both portal and late phases. One (8.3%) lesion exhibited hypoenhancement throughout the CEUS process. Before pathological examination with BUS, only 3 (25%) lesions were correctly diagnosed as hepatic AML. Conversely, on CEUS, correct diagnoses were made for 66.8% (8/12) of hepatic AMLs. Therefore, arterial hyperenhancement and subsequent sustained enhancement on CEUS were found in the majority of hepatic AMLs. The combination of BUS and CEUS leads to the correct diagnosis in the majority of hepatic AMLs, and is higher than the success rate achieved by BUS alone. PMID:19723766

Comparing humans and deep learning performance for grading AMD: A study in using universal deep features and transfer learning for automated AMD analysis.

PubMed

Burlina, Philippe; Pacheco, Katia D; Joshi, Neil; Freund, David E; Bressler, Neil M

2017-03-01

When left untreated, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of vision loss in people over fifty in the US. Currently it is estimated that about eight million US individuals have the intermediate stage of AMD that is often asymptomatic with regard to visual deficit. These individuals are at high risk for progressing to the advanced stage where the often treatable choroidal neovascular form of AMD can occur. Careful monitoring to detect the onset and prompt treatment of the neovascular form as well as dietary supplementation can reduce the risk of vision loss from AMD, therefore, preferred practice patterns recommend identifying individuals with the intermediate stage in a timely manner. Past automated retinal image analysis (ARIA) methods applied on fundus imagery have relied on engineered and hand-designed visual features. We instead detail the novel application of a machine learning approach using deep learning for the problem of ARIA and AMD analysis. We use transfer learning and universal features derived from deep convolutional neural networks (DCNN). We address clinically relevant 4-class, 3-class, and 2-class AMD severity classification problems. Using 5664 color fundus images from the NIH AREDS dataset and DCNN universal features, we obtain values for accuracy for the (4-, 3-, 2-) class classification problem of (79.4%, 81.5%, 93.4%) for machine vs. (75.8%, 85.0%, 95.2%) for physician grading. This study demonstrates the efficacy of machine grading based on deep universal features/transfer learning when applied to ARIA and is a promising step in providing a pre-screener to identify individuals with intermediate AMD and also as a tool that can facilitate identifying such individuals for clinical studies aimed at developing improved therapies. It also demonstrates comparable performance between computer and physician grading. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Wide-Field Photometric Survey for Extratidal Tails Around Five Metal-Poor Globular Clusters in the Galactic Halo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Sang-Hyun; Kim, Jae-Woo; Sohn, Sangmo T.; Park, Jang-Hyun; Han, Wonyong; Kim, Ho-Il; Lee, Young-Wook; Lee, Myung Gyoon; Lee, Sang-Gak; Sohn, Young-Jong

2010-02-01

Wide-field deep g'r'i' images obtained with the Megacam of the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope are used to investigate the spatial configuration of stars around five metal-poor globular clusters M15, M30, M53, NGC 5053, and NGC 5466, in a field-of-view ~3°. Applying a mask filtering algorithm to the color-magnitude diagrams of the observed stars, we sorted cluster's member star candidates that are used to examine the characteristics of the spatial stellar distribution surrounding the target clusters. The smoothed surface density maps and the overlaid isodensity contours indicate that all of the five metal-poor globular clusters exhibit strong evidence of extratidal overdensity features over their tidal radii, in the form of extended tidal tails around the clusters. The orientations of the observed extratidal features show signatures of tidal tails tracing the clusters' orbits, inferred from their proper motions, and effects of dynamical interactions with the Galaxy. Our findings include detections of a tidal bridge-like feature and an envelope structure around the pair of globular clusters M53 and NGC 5053. The observed radial surface density profiles of target clusters have a deviation from theoretical King models, for which the profiles show a break at 0.5-0.7rt , extending the overdensity features out to 1.5-2rt . Both radial surface density profiles for different angular sections and azimuthal number density profiles confirm the overdensity features of tidal tails around the five metal-poor globular clusters. Our results add further observational evidence that the observed metal-poor halo globular clusters originate from an accreted satellite system, indicative of the merging scenario of the formation of the Galactic halo. Based on observations carried out at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, operated by the National Research Council of Canada, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique de France, and the University of Hawaii. This is part of the Searching for the Galactic Halo project using the CFHT, organized by the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute.

Self-Assembled Fe-N-Doped Carbon Nanotube Aerogels with Single-Atom Catalyst Feature as High-Efficiency Oxygen Reduction Electrocatalysts

DOE PAGES

Zhu, Chengzhou; Fu, Shaofang; Song, Junhua; ...

2017-02-06

In this study, self-assembled M–N-doped carbon nanotube aerogels with single-atom catalyst feature are for the first time reported through one-step hydrothermal route and subsequent facile annealing treatment. By taking advantage of the porous nanostructures, 1D nanotubes as well as single-atom catalyst feature, the resultant Fe–N-doped carbon nanotube aerogels exhibit excellent oxygen reduction reaction electrocatalytic performance even better than commercial Pt/C in alkaline solution.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sorensen, J; Duran, C; Stingo, F

Purpose: To characterize the effect of virtual monochromatic reconstructions on several commonly used texture analysis features in DECT of the chest. Further, to assess the effect of monochromatic energy levels on the ability of these textural features to identify tissue types. Methods: 20 consecutive patients underwent chest CTs for evaluation of lung nodules using Siemens Somatom Definition Flash DECT. Virtual monochromatic images were constructed at 10keV intervals from 40–190keV. For each patient, an ROI delineated the lesion under investigation, and cylindrical ROI’s were placed within 5 different healthy tissues (blood, fat, muscle, lung, and liver). Several histogram- and Grey Levelmore » Cooccurrence Matrix (GLCM)-based texture features were then evaluated in each ROI at each energy level. As a means of validation, these feature values were then used in a random forest classifier to attempt to identify the tissue types present within each ROI. Their predictive accuracy at each energy level was recorded. Results: All textural features changed considerably with virtual monochromatic energy, particularly below 70keV. Most features exhibited a global minimum or maximum around 80keV, and while feature values changed with energy above this, patient ranking was generally unaffected. As expected, blood demonstrated the lowest inter-patient variability, for all features, while lung lesions (encompassing many different pathologies) exhibited the highest. The accuracy of these features in identifying tissues (76% accuracy) was highest at 80keV, but no clear relationship between energy and classification accuracy was found. Two common misclassifications (blood vs liver and muscle vs fat) accounted for the majority (24 of the 28) errors observed. Conclusion: All textural features were highly dependent on virtual monochromatic energy level, especially below 80keV, and were more stable above this energy. However, in a random forest model, these commonly used features were able to reliably differentiate between most tissues types regardless of energy level. Dr Godoy has received a dual-energy CT research grant from Siemens Healthcare. That grant did not directly fund this research.« less