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Not just heavy bones. The huge skull fleshed, broad across the brow and muzzle, 3” canines, thick neck and body — the wolf of your nightmares and not just one. Thirty. A pack drawn to the sce…
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We report on the W and Z/γ∗ differential and total cross sections as well as the W+/W− and (W++W−)/(Z/γ∗) cross section ratios measured by the STAR experiment at RHIC in p+p collisions at √s=500 GeV and 510 GeV. The cross sections and their ratios are sensitive to quark and antiquark parton distribution functions. In particular, at leading order, the W cross section ratio is sensitive to the ¯d/¯u ratio. These measurements were taken at high Q2∼M2W,M2Z and can serve as input into global analyses to provide constraints on the sea quark distributions. The results presented here combine three STAR datasets from 2011, 2012, and 2013, accumulating an integrated luminosity of 350 pb−1. We also assess the expected impact that our W+/W− cross section ratios will have on various quark distributions, and find sensitivity to the ¯u−¯d and ¯d/¯u distributions.
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Nonmonotonic variation with collision energy (sNN) of the moments of the net-baryon number distribution in heavy-ion collisions, related to the correlation length and the susceptibilities of the system, is suggested as a signature for the quantum chromodynamics critical point. We report the first evidence of a nonmonotonic variation in the kurtosis times variance of the net-proton number (proxy for net-baryon number) distribution as a function of sNN with 3.1 σ significance for head-on (central) gold-on-gold (Au+Au) collisions measured solenoidal tracker at Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. Data in noncentral Au+Au collisions and models of heavy-ion collisions without a critical point show a monotonic variation as a function of sNN. © 2021 American Physical Society.
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Understanding the threat to ecosystems from excess nitrogen in coastal waters is a priority issue in scientific research and natural resource management. Previous field studies have demonstrated that high nitrogen loading can decrease the health and resiliency of salt marshes through shifting biomass allocation, increasing decomposition, and causing creek bank instability, all of which can lead to increased marsh loss with sea-level rise. However, other studies have shown relatively little impact of increasing nitrogen on the structure and function of these systems. Due to the long history of eutrophication in Long Island Sound, aggressive nitrogen reduction strategies have been enacted in this region, but detrimental nutrient inputs persist at variable levels throughout the watershed. Here, the extent of nitrogen-linked salt marsh change under varying levels of nutrient stress was measured, testing the hypothesis that salt marsh resilience (as measured by Spartina alterniflora belowground biomass and marsh edge stability) decreases with increasing nitrogen loading. S. alterniflora growth (stem height, stem density, and biomass) and within-marsh creek area were quantified in 10 salt marshes along a nitrogen-loading gradient. Increasing nitrogen loading showed a significant negative relationship with dead belowground biomass in S. alterniflora; the loss of this belowground biomass in higher nitrogen systems may decrease salt marshes’ ability to keep pace with sea-level rise. Neither shifts in live biomass allocation nor a positive relationship between aboveground biomass or stem height and increasing nitrogen was observed that might promote additional sediment capture, but higher stem density could play a role in promoting sedimentation on the marsh surface in more sediment-rich systems. Aerial photography analysis revealed marsh creek expansion since 1934 at 90% of the marshes studied, but unlike findings from prior experimental enrichment studies, the rate of marsh loss did not increase with increasing nitrogen loading. Given the importance of these ecosystems and the potential of nitrogen to decrease their resiliency, understanding the impacts of eutrophication on salt marshes is critical. However, these results show that the relative importance of nitrogen in driving salt marsh loss in Long Island Sound may be less than studies from other regions have suggested. © 2021, Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation.
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This study examined teachers' and administrators' perceptions of the institutionalization phase of the Carol M. White Physical Education for Progress (PEP) grant. A qualitative exploratory single case study (Yin, 2014) was utilized to examine the elements of the PEP grant that sustained or did not sustain after its conclusion, along with elements that were institutionalized and influences on this process. The findings were represented in the following three themes: (a) positive shifts, (b) backsliding, and (c) new directions, each with their own subthemes. Positive shifts includes sub-themes: (a) philosophy, (b) instruction, assessment and curriculum, (c) collaboration, and (d) respect. Backsliding includes sub-themes: (a) wellness team functioning, (b) the loss of PD and collaboration time, and (c) reduced data collection. New directions includes sub-themes: (a) mastery learning, (b) during school physical activity, (c) stress, and (d) administrative support. The factors that were institutionalized were quality physical education leadership roles, change in teachers' philosophies that influenced their instruction and assessment, and garnered administrative support. These elements were embedded into the physical education program and the school so much so that principals now expect the same type of programming from any new hire. Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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We continue to increase our cognizance and recognition of the importance of healthy living (HL) behaviors and HL medicine (HLM) to prevent and treat chronic disease. The continually unfolding events precipitated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have further highlighted the importance of HL behaviors, as indicated by the characteristics of those who have been hospitalized and died from this viral infection. There has already been recognition that leading a healthy lifestyle, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, may have a substantial protective effect in those who become infected with the virus. Now more than ever, HL behaviors and HLM are essential and must be promoted with a renewed vigor across the globe. In response to the rapidly evolving world since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the clear need to change lifestyle behaviors to promote human resilience and quality of life, the HL for Pandemic Event Protection (HL-PIVOT) network was established. The 4 major areas of focus for the network are: (1) knowledge discovery and dissemination; (2) education; (3) policy; (4) implementation. This HL-PIVOT network position statement provides a current synopsis of the major focus areas of the network, including leading research in the field of HL behaviors and HLM, examples of best practices in education, policy, and implementation, and recommendations for the future. © 2021 Elsevier Inc.
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A Comprehensive School Physical Activity Program (CSPAP) can help children be physically active for 60 min/day. Physical Education for Progress grants provided opportunities to improve physical education and physical activity programming. Purpose: This study explored stakeholders' perspectives on the effects of a Physical Education for Progress grant on a district-wide CSPAP. Method: Stakeholders included physical educators (n = 10; K-12), administrators (n = 6), and one superintendent. Individual, semistructured interviews were used to examine how the grant affected stakeholders' perspectives of the CSPAP. Results: The grant affected the CSPAP by providing (a) opportunities for professional development, (b) opportunities to establish a K-12 curriculum map, and (c) access to equipment and resources. Discussion: Framed in social ecological theory, intrapersonal, interpersonal, institutional, and community levels were influenced by the grant. Interactions between levels enabled changes in all CSPAP components, especially quality PE. Conclusion: A Physical Education for Progress grant is a successful mechanism to enhance a district-wide CSPAP. © 2021 Human Kinetics, Inc.
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While much is known about the rise and expansion of the Inca Empire (AD 1438–1532) throughout the Andean region of South America, the health effects of the empire in its capital region remain unclear. The present study addresses the Inca Empire's impact on health in the Cuzco region of Peru through an analysis of four conditions (dental enamel hypoplasias, cribra orbitalia, porotic hyperostosis and periosteal lesions) in 929 pre-Inca and Inca burials. The study results show little change in health from the Late Intermediate Period (AD 1000–1438) to the Inca Imperial Period (AD 1438–1532). When the location of the Inca burial sites was analysed, individuals from sites closest to the centre of the empire's capital showed lower frequencies in pathological conditions compared with individuals from sites in the countryside. These results suggest that individuals centred in the Inca imperial sphere benefited from their position and experienced better health. A similar finding was also seen with the previous Wari occupation of Cuzco in the Middle Horizon (AD 600–1000), as burials within the Wari imperial sphere exhibited fewer non-specific stress indicators than those outside of it. Overall, the frequencies of pathological conditions in the Cuzco region, which ranged from 4.6% for porotic hyperostosis to 18.8% for periosteal lesions, were lower than frequencies from many coastal Peruvian sites. These differences may relate to a diverse diet provided by the Cuzco region ecosystem, as well as the absence of ecological challenges that affected coastal populations. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Since 2012, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center in Mashantucket, Connecticut, in collaboration with the University of Connecticut, has carried out a research program to survey and document the battlefields of the Pequot War (1636–1637). The unique nature of the project has required the refinement of the long-standing field methods of battlefield archaeology. In this article, we argue that these techniques, while originally developed to explore sites of conflict, can be operationalized to locate 17th-century indigenous domestic sites. We describe this modified method and provide a site-specific case study to present its efficacy. © 2021, Society for Historical Archaeology.
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The Lower Jurassic Ferrar Large Igneous Province consists predominantly of intrusive rocks, which crop out over a distance of 3500 km. In comparison, extrusive rocks are more restricted geographically. Geochemically, the province is divided into the Mount Fazio Chemical Type, forming more than 99% of the exposed province, and the Scarab Peak Chemical Type, which in the Ross Sea sector is restricted to the uppermost lava. The former exhibits a range of compositions (SiO2 = 52–59%; MgO = 9.2–2.6%; Zr = 60–175 ppm; Sri = 0.7081– 0.7138; εNd = −6.0 to −3.8), whereas the latter has a restricted composition (SiO2 = c. 58%; MgO = c. 2.3%; Zr = c. 230 ppm; Sri = 0.7090–0.7097; εNd = −4.4 to −4.1). Both chemical types are characterized by enriched initial isotope compositions of neodymium and strontium, low abundances of high field strength elements, and crust-like trace element patterns. The most basic rocks, olivine-bearing dolerites, indicate that these geochemical characteristics were inherited from a mantle source modified by subduction processes, possibly the incorporation of sediment. In one model, magmas were derived from a linear source having multiple sites of generation each of which evolved to yield, in sum, the province-wide coherent geochemistry. The preferred interpretation is that the remarkably coherent geochemistry and short duration of emplacement demonstrate derivation from a single source inferred to have been located in the proto-Weddell Sea region. The spatial variation in geochemical characteristics of the lavas suggests distinct magma batches erupted at the surface, whereas no clear geographical pattern is evident for intrusive rocks. © 2021. The Author(s).
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Preserved rocks in the Jurassic Ferrar Large Igneous Province consist mainly of intrusions, and extrusive rocks, the topic of this chapter, comprise the remaining small component. They crop out in a limited number of areas in the Transantarctic Mountains and southeastern Australia. They consist of thick sequences of lavas and sporadic occurrences of volcaniclastic rocks. The latter occur mainly beneath the lavas and represent the initial eruptive activity, but also are present within the lava sequence. The majority are basaltic phreatomagmatic deposits and in at least two locations form immense phreatocauldrons filled with structureless tuff breccias and lapilli tuffs with thicknesses of as much as 400 m. Stratified sequences of tuff breccias, lapilli tuffs and tuffs are up to 200 m thick. Thin tuff beds are sparsely distributed in the lava sequences. Lava successions are mainly 400–500 m thick, and comprise individual lavas ranging from 1 to 230 m thick, although most are in the range of 10–100 m. Well-defined colonnade and entablature are seldom displayed. Lava sequences were confined topographically and locally ponded. Water played a prominent role in eruptive activity, as exhibited by phreatomagmatism, hyaloclastites, pillow lava and quenching of lavas. Vents for lavas have yet to be identified. © 2021. The Author(s).
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The increasing number of technological devices available in schools, aligned with curriculum guidance, set an expectation for mathematics teachers to incorporate these devices into their teaching. This qualitative study investigated prospective teachers’ use of TPACK and mathematical action technologies as they created screencast video lessons using iPads. Results showed prospective teachers’ effective use of pedagogical techniques and the screencast app as an amplifier tool, according to the amplifier-reorganizer metaphor. Half of the participants used mathematics technology to confirm and expand the results they had found without technology. The other half had mathematics technology integrated into their solution exercising the balance among TPACK components. For some, their use of the mathematical tool had the potential of expanding the mathematical repertoire of virtual students. We conclude by making recommendations for teacher educators to implement cycles of learning for pre-service teachers to design, enact, and reflect upon the creation of screencast video lessons. © 2021, Association for Educational Communications & Technology.
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Most cases of plagiarism involve a power differential where not every person has the same ability to enter into a social contract. A social contract requires that each party understands the expectations or norms of the contract, has a voice in setting or changing the norms and has the ability to exit the contract. If those with less power want to gain power then they have to engage in activities bound by norms set by others with little or no ability to exit and no voice. Even if one determines that it is an option to choose a role that requires academic writing, even at the earliest grades, then the social contract demands a shared norm of what constitutes correct behavior. This study reviewed the abstracts of articles indexed in Google Scholar from 1999–2019 through the lens of integrative social contract theory (ISCT) and found, in the case of plagiarism, an existing consensus of correct behavior does not exist. Recommendations for establishing a social contract conclude the article.
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Person detection is often critical for personal safety, property protection, and national security. Most person detection technologies implement unimodal classification, making predictions based on a single sensor data modality, which is most often vision. There are many ways to defeat unimodal person detectors, and many more reasons to ensure technologies responsible for detecting the presence of a person are accurate and precise. In this paper, we design and implement a multimodal person detection system which can acquire data from multiple sensors and detect persons based on a variety of unimodal classifications and multimodal fusions. We present two methods of generating system-level predictions: (1) device perspectives which makes a final decision based on multiple device-level predictions and (2) system perspectives which combines data samples from multiple devices into a single data sample and then makes a decision. Our experimental results show that system-level predictions from system perspectives are generally more accurate than system-level predictions from device perspectives. We achieve an accuracy of 100%, zero false positive rate and zero false negative rate with fusion of system perspectives motion and distance data. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.
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Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is reported to be the leading cause of mortality in the middle eastern countries, including Qatar. But no comprehensive study has been conducted on the Qatar specific CVD risk factors identification. The objective of this case-control study was to develop machine learning (ML) model distinguishing healthy individuals from people having CVD, which could ultimately reveal the list of potential risk factors associated to CVD in Qatar. To the best of our knowledge, this study considered the largest collection of biomedical measurements representing the anthropometric measurements, clinical biomarkers, bioimpedance, spirometry, VICORDER readings, and behavioral factors of the CVD group from Qatar Biobank (QBB). CatBoost model achieved 93% accuracy, thereby outperforming the existing model for the same purpose. Interestingly, combining multimodal datasets into the proposed ML model outperformed the ML model built upon currently known risk factors for CVD, emphasizing the importance of incorporating other clinical biomarkers into consideration for CVD diagnosis plan. The ablation study on the multimodal dataset from QBB revealed that physio-clinical and bioimpedance measurements have the most distinguishing power to classify these two groups irrespective of gender and age of the participants. Multiple feature subset selection techniques confirmed known CVD risk factors (blood pressure, lipid profile, smoking, sedentary life, and diabetes), and identified potential novel risk factors linked to CVD-related comorbidities such as renal disorder (e.g., creatinine, uric acid, homocysteine, albumin), atherosclerosis (intima media thickness), hypercoagulable state (fibrinogen), and liver function (e.g., alkaline phosphate, gamma-glutamyl transferase). Moreover, the inclusion of the proposed novel factors into the ML model provides better performance than the model with traditional known risk factors for CVD. The association of the proposed risk factors and comorbidities are required to be investigated in clinical setup to understand their role in CVD better. © 2013 IEEE.
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Poor security practices among smartphone users, such as the use of simple, easily guessed passcodes for logins, are a result of the effort required to memorize stronger ones. In this paper, we devise a concept of “open code” biometric tap pad to authenticate smartphone users, which eliminates the need of memorizing secret codes. A biometric tap pad consists of a grid of buttons each labeled with a unique digit. The user attempting to log into the phone will tap these buttons in a given sequence. He/she will not memorize this tap sequence. Instead, the sequence will be displayed on the screen. The focus here is how the user types the sequence. This typing behavior is used for authentication. An open code biometric tap pad has several advantages, such as (1) users do not need to memorize passcodes, (2) manufacturers do not need to include extra sensors, and (3) onlookers have no chance to practice shoulder-surfing. We designed three tap pads and incorporated them into an Android app. We evaluated the performance of these tap pads by experimenting with three sequence styles and five different fingers: two thumbs, two index fingers, and the “usual” finger. We collected data from 33 participants over two weeks. We tested three machine learning algorithms: Support Vector Machine, Artificial Neural Network, and Random Forest. Experimental results show significant promise of open code biometric tap pads as a solution to the problem of weak smartphone security practices used by a large segment of the population.
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Due to the errors occurred in the originally published version, this article is being reprinted in its entirety as Correction. All errors have been corrected. It is the correct version. © 2021, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
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