Comm-entary, Spring 2009 - Full Issue

In this issue: Zelig: The Faculty of Mockumentary by David Trefethen Marriage and Gender Roles: The Reality of the 21st Century Woman by Ashley Bournival Mutual Adoption Clubs: A Social Constructionist Approach to Family by Brian McKenney Hollywood\u27s Compliment: Hollywood and its National Cinema Counterpart by Katrina Ingrham The Effect of E-mail on Student/Professor Relationships by Anna Bruning When Even No News is News: An Analysis of the Media Coverage of the O.J. Simpson Trial and the Effects on the Media Today by Beth Reny CONTRADICTORY GRAMMAR: The Influence of Production Variables on Audience Evaluation in A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Brian McKenney The Future of Television by Brian McKenney Representations of Jewish People in the Media by Haley B. Dunn Facebook & Other Social Networking Sites: Candy-coating SurveillanceHaley B. Dunn I can see Russia from my house: Tina Fey & Political Parody by Leslie Dow Scheming on Screen: The Art of Audience Manipulation as Manifested in John Q. by Jenna Heinz Buck vs. Bell and the Eugenic Sterilization Movement in Early 20th Century America by Andrew Lon

Radiometric interpretation of geologic data and its effect on groundwater in Abuja, North-Central Nigeria

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the quality of groundwater in different locations for water consumption at Dei-Dei, Kubwa, Gosa and Lugbe area of Abuja, North-Central Nigeria. Vertical electric sounding and shuttle radar topography mission was used to determine the depth of groundwater bearing formation and map lineaments structures underlying the area. Boreholes with the geophysical log data were drilled and rock samples in each layer lithologically were collected for ?-ray analysis. The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th, and 40K from the borehole rock samples were determined using high-purity germanium ?-detector. The activity concentration of radionuclides in Dei-Dei borehole has a mean value of 30.1 ± 2.9 Bq kg?1 for 238U; 67.2 ± 5.2 Bq kg?1 for 232Th, and 832.3 ± 105.0 Bq kg?1 for 40K. Kubwa borehole has a mean value of 34.4 ± 3.2 Bq kg?1 for 238U; 60.5 ± 5.4 Bq kg?1 for 232Th and 573.1± 72.0 Bq kg?1 for 40K. At Gosa borehole, 238U has a mean value of 26.1 ± 2.5 Bq kg?1, 62.8 ± 4.8 Bq kg?1 for 232Th and 573.3 ± 73.0 Bq kg?1 for 40K. At Lugbe borehole 238U has a mean value of 20.0 ± 2.0 Bq kg?1, 46.8 ± 4.9 Bq kg?1 for 232Th and 915.2 ± 116.1 Bq kg?1for 40K . Significantly higher concentration of 238U and 232Th occurred in samples collected from Dei-Dei borehole was attributed to granitic intrusions produced by denudation and tectonism. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to determine the concentrations of 238U and toxic elements (i.e. Pb, Cr, Cd, Zn, Ni, As and Mg) in water samples collected from the boreholes and public water supply in the study area. The activity concentration of 238U in groundwater-based drinking was noted higher at Lugbe borehole with a value of 2736 µBq L?1 when compared with other boreholes. In the study area, the inhabitants permanently used water from the boreholes for daily drinking and household requirements. The annual effective dose was estimated to be in the range from 1.46 x 10-5 to 9.03 x 10?5 mSv yr?1 for boreholes with the highest value noted in Lugbe borehole with a value of 9.03 x 10?5 mSv yr?1. The group receives about 5.55 x 10?5 mSv of the annual collective effective dose in the study area due to 238U in drinking water. The highest radiological risks for cancer mortality and morbidity were found to be low, with highest values of 1.03 × 10?7 and 1.57 × 10?7 obtained from Lugbe borehole. The chemical toxicity risk of 238U in drinking water over a life time consumption has a mean value of 4.0 x 10?3 µg kg?1 day?1 with highest value of 6.0 x 10?3 µg kg?1 day?1 obtained from Dei-Dei and Lugbe boreholes. The elemental concentration of Pb was noted to be higher than the recommended permissible limit at Lugbe borehole and Public Nigeria Water Board with values of 0.014 and 0.012 mg L?1 , respectively. Other results obtained were below the recommended acceptable level by World Health Organization and United State Environmental Protection Agency. Results of the measurements could be of importance in radio-epidemiological assessment, diagnosis and prognosis of uranium induced cancer in the population of the inhabitants of Abuja

O potencial da realidade virtual e aumentada na concep??o de objeto de visualiza??o para aprendizagem de F?sica

Since the emergence of the Internet in Brazil in the mid-90's until the present day, what is seen are new computational tools and forms of communication and interaction in all media and social strata. Of course, the processes involving teaching and learning have been affected by this sea of technological possibilities. In this scenario, the research presents the potential of Virtual and Augmented Reality in the conception of a visualization object for learning of Physics, with the contributions of Cognitive Load Theory and Visualization in science teaching. Information is provided. We present the theoretical references adopted in this research and, finally, the process of creation and conception of a computational tool dedicated and thought for the teaching of physical greatness angular momentum. The digital resource, RVA_360 - Momento Angular, was made available in two versions of Virtual and Augmented Reality. One in the immersive mode using the Oculus Rift platform and the other in the semi-immersive mode for various computing platforms. The research brings to light their contributions to the engagement of new developers and researchers in the areas of teaching-learning physics and in the production of educational computational resources. The opinions collected during the tests and validations phase of the tool are discussed and discussed, which were done by teachers of higher education physics. Finally, the research presents the contributions to the teaching-learning processes of angular momentum, through a three-dimensional immersive environment that the RVA_360 tool makes available to users.Desde o surgimento da internet no Brasil, em meados da d?cada de 90 at? os dias atuais, o que se v? s?o novas ferramentas computacionais e formas de comunica??o e intera??o em todos os meios e camadas sociais. Certamente, os processos que envolvem ensino-aprendizagem foram afetados por esse mar de possibilidades tecnol?gicas. Neste cen?rio, a pesquisa apresenta o potencial da Realidade Virtual e Aumentada na concep??o de um objeto de visualiza??o para aprendizagem de F?sica, com os aportes da Teoria da Carga Cognitiva e da Visualiza??o no ensino de ci?ncias. S?o disponibilizadas informa??es. Apresentam-se os referenciais te?ricos adotados nesta pesquisa e, finalmente, o processo de cria??o e concep??o de uma ferramenta computacional dedicada e pensada para o ensino da grandeza f?sica momento angular. O recurso digital, RVA_360 ? Momento Angular, foi disponibilizado em duas vers?es de uso da Realidade Virtual e Aumentada. Uma no modo imersivo com o uso da plataforma Oculus Rift e a outra no modo semiimersivo para diversas plataformas computacionais. A pesquisa traz a luz as suas contribui??es para o engajamento de novos desenvolvedores e pesquisadores nas ?reas de ensino-aprendizagem de F?sica e na produ??o de recursos computacionais educacionais. Socializa-se e debate-se as opini?es coletadas na fase de testes e valida??es da ferramenta, que foram feitas por professores de F?sica do ensino superior. Finalmente, a pesquisa apresenta as contribui??es para os processos de ensino-aprendizagem de momento angular, atrav?s de um ambiente imersivo tridimensional que a ferramenta RVA_360 disponibiliza aos usu?rios

Center for Research on Sustainable Forests 2020 Annual Report

FY20 saw exciting changes in CRSF with several new initiatives launched, while progress continues on many other ongoing efforts. In particular, FY20 saw the start of two National Science Foundation funded and CRSF-led research projects. The first is the INSPIRES project, a multi-year research collaboration between Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont focused on harnessing Big Data to better understand and forecast the region’s forest given current as well as future uncertainties. The other effort was a successful Phase 3 reboot of the National Science Foundation Industry-University Collaborative Research Center, Center for Advanced Forestry System (CAFS), for which I have served as Director since 2016. CAFS provides direct connections among several additional universities across the United States, including North Carolina State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, University of Georgia, University of Idaho, and University of Washington, as well as to forest industry partners. Phase 3 of CAFS will be a five-year effort and, I hope, will lead to the successful graduation of the IUCRC

Numerical modeling of thermal bar and stratification pattern in Lake Ontario using the EFDC model

Thermal bar is an important phenomenon in large, temperate lakes like Lake Ontario. Spring thermal bar formation reduces horizontal mixing, which in turn, inhibits the exchange of nutrients. Evolution of the spring thermal bar through Lake Ontario is simulated using the 3D hydrodynamic model Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code (EFDC). The model is forced with the hourly meteorological data from weather stations around the lake, flow data for Niagara and St. Lawrence rivers, and lake bathymetry. The simulation is performed from April to July, 2011; on a 2-km grid. The numerical model has been calibrated by specifying: appropriate initial temperature and solar radiation attenuation coefficients. The existing evaporation algorithm in EFDC is updated to modified mass transfer approach to ensure correct simulation of evaporation rate and latent heatflux. Reasonable values for mixing coefficients are specified based on sensitivity analyses. The model simulates overall surface temperature profiles well (RMSEs between 1-2°C). The vertical temperature profiles during the lake mixed phase are captured well (RMSEs < 0.5°C), indicating that the model sufficiently replicates the thermal bar evolution process. An update of vertical mixing coefficients is under investigation to improve the summer thermal stratification pattern. Keywords: Hydrodynamics, Thermal BAR, Lake Ontario, GIS

Central Florida Future, March 11, 1998

$10.9 million allocation still unresolved; Speeding is not a laughing matter...or is it?; UCF helps high school build robots design animation; ELAN is given president\u27s award for excellence.https://stars.library.ucf.edu/centralfloridafuture/2452/thumbnail.jp