Use of learning-logs in high school pre-algebra classes to improve mastery of rational numbers and linear equations for high-risk minority students

The purpose of this study was to determine whether there was a relationship in the use of learning-logs to traditional or current math instruction in secondary school pre-algebra classes to improve the mastery of single-variable equations by high-risk minority students

Hybridization at superconductor-semiconductor interfaces

Hybrid superconductor-semiconductor devices are currently one of the most promising platforms for realizing Majorana zero modes. Their topological properties are controlled by the band alignment of the two materials, as well as the electrostatic environment, which are currently not well understood. Here, we pursue to fill in this gap and address the role of band bending and superconductor-semiconductor hybridization in such devices by analyzing a gated single Al-InAs interface using a self-consistent Schrodinger-Poisson approach. Our numerical analysis shows that the band bending leads to an interface quantum well, which localizes the charge in the system near the superconductor-semiconductor interface. We investigate the hybrid band structure and analyze its response to varying the gate voltage and thickness of the Al layer. This is done by studying the hybridization degrees of the individual subbands, which determine the induced pairing and effective $g$-factors. The numerical results are backed by approximate analytical expressions which further clarify key aspects of the band structure. We find that one can obtain states with strong superconductor-semiconductor hybridization at the Fermi energy, but this requires a fine balance of parameters, with the most important constraint being on the width of the Al layer. In fact, in the regime of interest, we find an almost periodic dependence of the hybridization degree on the Al width, with a period roughly equal to the thickness of an Al monolayer. This implies that disorder and shape irregularities, present in realistic devices, may play an important role for averaging out this sensitivity and, thus, may be necessary for stabilizing the topological phase.Comment: 10 Figures. 16 pages. Published versio

Invisible Force: Information Warfare and the Future of Conflict

The year is 2030. Large swaths of the world are destabilized. Famine is rampant due to the aftermath of the long legacy of failed globalization. Citizens from poorer countries are migrating to escape famine, war, climate change, and lack of opportunity created by failed states. Wealthier countries, worried about resource scarcity, close themselves off to the refugees. Amid all of this, quantum computing has been achieved, resulting in infinitely faster processing of more information than ever before. Quantum technology and a fracturing of the global alliances enable global elite to exercise control over information - resulting in a segmented Internet. Nations are now ruled by technocratic elites, some who remain committed to individual liberty and privacy, and others who extract data as a raw material from the lives of individuals, with no restrictions on its use other than profit. By 2030, the nature of information war has changed. Combined with new, ubiquitous technology and levels of individual customization from data extraction, people don’t even realize they’re being manipulated.https://digitalcommons.usmalibrary.org/aci_books/1023/thumbnail.jp

Связь параметров акустического и электрического сигнала при импульсном механическом воздействии с глубиной трещины в бетоне

The researches of communication of the parameters of the acoustic and electric signal under pulsed mechanical excitation with the depth of cracks in concrete were conducted. It is established that the attenuation coefficient of the energy of the electric signal increases as the depth of crack in concrete increases

Components of Reproductive Effort and Yield in Goldenrods

Four components of reproductive yield (the weight of reproductive tissue) were examined in relation to their effect on reproductive effort and their relative contributions to reproductive yield in five species of goldenrods (Solidago, Compositae). The yield components were number of flowing stems per plant, number of flowering branches per stem, number of flowering heads per branch, and number of seeds per seed head. Individuals within populations increase their reproductive effort by increasing their reproductive weight, not by decreasing their vegetative weight. Each species shows a different pattern of positive correlations of yield components with reproductive yield and reproductive effort, indicating that each species has its own mechanisms for regulating reproduction. The yield components were not significantly intercorrelated

Responses of Birds to Humans at a Coastal Barrier Beach: Napatree Point, Rhode Island

Human activity is one of the most important factors affecting disturbance to birds that use coastal barrier beaches in southern New England. The barrier beach at Napatree Point, RI, provides important breeding habitat for several bird species, key stopover habitat for thousands of migrating shorebirds, and is also a popular destination for people. Anecdotal evidence suggested that walkers, joggers, dogs, and watercraft were disrupting birds that foraged and roosted at this site. Our objectives were to characterize the frequency and sources of disturbance to birds and use this information to develop management recommendations to minimize the frequency of human disturbances to birds at Napatree Point. We conducted 106 hours of observation from May through August in 2013. Of 211 flight responses, the most common sources of disturbance to birds were beach walkers (57.8%), motorboats (8.5%), kayaks (8.5%), bird watchers (7.6%), and anglers (6.2%). Birds typically flushed when pedestrians (e.g., walkers, bird watchers, and anglers) were within 39 ± 24 m (median ± inter-quartile range) and watercraft (e.g., motorboats and kayaks) were within 38 ± 33 m. Flight responses were positively correlated with the number of people on the beach and the number of boats in the area. Disturbances to birds peaked in July when human visitation was highest. Using a spatially explicit density map of flight-initiation distance vectors, we identified the most important area to set as a buffer zone for human access if managers seek to reduce the frequency of human disturbances to birds at Napatree Point