Distributed Virtual System (DIVIRS) Project

As outlined in our continuation proposal 92-ISI-50R (revised) on contract NCC 2-539, we are (1) developing software, including a system manager and a job manager, that will manage available resources and that will enable programmers to program parallel applications in terms of a virtual configuration of processors, hiding the mapping to physical nodes; (2) developing communications routines that support the abstractions implemented in item one; (3) continuing the development of file and information systems based on the virtual system model; and (4) incorporating appropriate security measures to allow the mechanisms developed in items 1 through 3 to be used on an open network. The goal throughout our work is to provide a uniform model that can be applied to both parallel and distributed systems. We believe that multiprocessor systems should exist in the context of distributed systems, allowing them to be more easily shared by those that need them. Our work provides the mechanisms through which nodes on multiprocessors are allocated to jobs running within the distributed system and the mechanisms through which files needed by those jobs can be located and accessed

Missing in Action: Vocabulary Instruction in Pre‐K

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88009/1/RT.62.5.2.pd

Educational Effects of a Vocabulary Intervention on Preschoolers' Word Knowledge and Conceptual Development: A Cluster‐Randomized Trial

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that helping preschoolers learn words through categorization may enhance their ability to retain words and their conceptual properties, acting as a bootstrap for self‐learning. We examined this hypothesis by investigating the effects of the World of Words instructional program, a supplemental intervention for children in preschool designed to teach word knowledge and conceptual development through taxonomic categorization and embedded multimedia. Participants in the study included 3‐ and 4‐year‐old children from 28 Head Start classrooms in 12 schools, randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Children were assessed on word knowledge, expressive language, conceptual knowledge, and categories and properties of concepts in a yearlong intervention. Results indicated that children receiving the WOW treatment consistently outperformed their control counterparts; further, treatment children were able to use categories to identify the meaning of novel words. Gains in word and categorical knowledge were sustained six months later for those children who remained in Head Start. These results suggest that a program targeted to learning words within taxonomic categories may act as a bootstrap for self‐learning and inference generation. كان الغرض من هذه الدراسة هو فحص فرضية أن مساعدة الأطفال في الروضة تعلم كلمات عن طريق التصنيف بإمكانه أن يعزز من قدراتهم على تذكر الكلمات وخصائصها المفاهيمية، بوصفها محفزا للتعلم. قمنا بفحص هذه الفرضية وذلك بالتحقيق في أثر البرنامج التعليمي "عالم المفردات" (WOW) الذي يعتبر تدخلا تكميليا لأطفال الروضة ومصمما من أجل تعليم معرفة الكلمات والتطور المفاهيمي، من خلال النظام التصنيفي ووسائل الإعلام. تضمنت الدراسة مشاركين تتراوح أعمارهم بين 3 و4 سنوات ينتمون إلى 28 روضة أطفال، التي تنتمي إلى 12 مدرسة, خضعت عشوائيا للبحث ومراقبة المجموعات. جرى تقييم الأطفال على معرفة الكلمات واللغة التعبيرية والمعرفة المفاهيمية وأصناف وخصائص المفاهيم في تدخل لمدة سنة كاملة. أظهرت النتائج أن الأطفال الذين خضعوا للبرنامج التعليمي "عالم المفردات" (WOW) قد تفوقوا بصورة مستمرة على نظرائهم الذين خضعوا للمراقبة. علاوة على ذلك, فإن أطفال البحث قد تمكنوا من استخدام الأصناف والتعرف على معنى الكلمات الجديدة. استمر اكتساب الكلمات والمعرفة التصنيفية بعد 6 أشهر بالنسبة للأطفال الذين بقوا في روضة الأطفال. توحي هذه النتائج إلى أنه يمكن لبرنامج يهدف إلى تعلم الكلمات أن يعمل كمحفز للتعلم الذاتي، وتوليد الاستنتاجات. 本研究旨在考查一个假设：帮助学龄前儿童通过分类来学习单词，可提高他们记忆单词及其概念属性的能力，从而发展他们的自主学习能力。作者通过调查「单词世界」(WOW)教学计划的影响来考查这个假设。该教学计划是一个学龄前儿童补充干预计划，旨在透过使用分类学的分类方法及嵌入式多媒体，教授单词知识和发展单词概念。研究参与者是来自12所学校中的28个「启蒙计划」学前儿童班里的3‐4岁儿童，他们被随机分配到干预组和对照组。在一年的干预中，儿童接受单词知识、表达语言、概念知识、类别和概念属性的评估。结果显示，「单词世界」(WOW)干预组的表现一致地优于对照组；此外，干预组儿童可以使用类别来确定新词的词义。仍然留在「启蒙计划」班里的儿童，其单词和类别知识的改进保持稳定至干预后6个月。这些研究结果显示，针对透过分类学的分类方法来学习单词的教学计划，可引导儿童凭自己的力量学习自学和产生推断。 Cette étude avait pour but d'examiner l'hypothíse qu'aider des enfants d'âge préscolaire à apprendre des mots en les catégorisant pourrait favoriser leur capacité à retenir les mots et leurs propriétés, agissant alors comme une amorce d'auto‐apprentissage. Nous avons examiné cette hypothíse en analysant les effets du matériel d'enseignement le Monde des Mots (MDM), un supplément pédagogique destiné aux enfants d'âge préscolaire conçu pour la connaissance des mots et le développement des concepts à l'aide d'une catégorisation taxinomique avec multimédia impliqué. Ont participé à l'étude des enfants de 3 et 4 ans provenant de 28 classes Head Start issus de 12 écoles assignées au hasard au groupe de traitement et au groupe contrôle. Les enfants ont été évalués sur leur connaissance des mots, l'expression orale, les connaissances conceptuelles, les catégories et les propriétés des concepts tout au long de l'année de l'intervention. Les résultats ont montré que les enfants du groupe de traitement MDM ont de maniíre systématique dépassé leur contrepartie du groupe contrôle; en outre, les enfants soumis au traitement ont été en mesure de se servir des catégories pour trouver le sens des mots nouveaux. Les bénéfices dans la connaissance des mots et les connaissances catégorielles sont demeurés six mois plus tard chez les enfants restés dans Head Start. Ces résultats suggírent qu'un programme visant l'apprentissage de mots au sein de catégories taxonomiques peut agir comme une amorce pour l'auto‐apprentissage et la production d'inférences. Проверялась гипотеза о том, что категоризация лексики при обучении дошкольников новым словам может существенно увеличить способность к запоминанию слов и их концептуальных свойств и стимулировать малышей к самообучению. Для расширения их словарного запаса и умения работать с концептами авторы исследовали учебный модуль “Мир слов” (WOW), разработанный в качестве дополнительного вмешательства для дошкольников, которые обучаются по программе Head Start. WOW знакомит детей с таксономической классификацией посредством мультимедийных средств. Трех‐ и четырехлетние дети из 28‐и дошкольных групп в 12‐и школах были случайным образом включены либо в экспериментальную, либо в контрольную группу. На протяжении годичного обучения оценивалось знание слов, выразительность речи, знание концептов, их свойств и категорий, к которым они могут быть причислены. Дети, обучавшиеся по программе WOW, стабильно показывали более высокие результаты, чем их ровесники из контрольных групп. Помимо прочего, эти дети способны использовать категоризацию для определения значений новых слов. Через полгода после окончания обучения эти дети продолжали опережать сверстников по знанию слов и умению категоризировать. Это свидетельствует о том, что программа, предлагающая изучение слов в рамках таксономических категорий, может помочь вырастить поколение, которое будет способно к самообучению и к самостоятельным выводам. La meta de este estudio fue el de investigar la hipótesis que ayudar a los preescolares a aprender palabras por medio de la categorización mejoraría su capacidad de retener palabras y sus propiedades conceptuales, sirviendo de arranque para el auto aprendizaje. Investigamos esta hipótesis estudiando los efectos del programa de enseñanza World of Words (Mundo de palabras; WOW por sus siglas en inglés), una intervención adicional para niños preescolares diseñada para el aprendizaje de palabras y el desarrollo conceptual por medio de la categorización taxonómica y el uso de diversos medios. En este estudio participaron niños de 3 y 4 años de 20 aulas de Head Start en 12 escuelas escogidas al azar en cuanto a grupos de tratamiento y de control. En un año completo de intervención, se evaluaron los estudiantes en cuanto a su conocimiento de palabras, su lenguaje expresivo, su conocimiento conceptual, y las categorías y propiedades de los conceptos. Los resultados mostraron que los niños del grupo de WOW sistemáticamente superaban a los niños del grupo de control; además, los niños del grupo de tratamiento podían usar categorías para encontrar el significado de palabras nuevas. Los adelantos en el conocimiento de palabras y categorías todavía existían 6 meses más tarde para los niños que seguían con Head Start. Estos resultados sugieren que un programa dedicado al aprendizaje de palabras dentro de categorías taxonómicas puede ayudar al autoaprendizaje y la producción de inferencias.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88072/1/RRQ.46.3.3.pd

When I Give, I Own: Building Literacy Through READ Community Libraries in Nepal

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/88102/1/RT.61.7.1.pd

Bromine measurements in ozone depleted air over the Arctic Ocean

In situ measurements of ozone, photochemically active bromine compounds, and other trace gases over the Arctic Ocean in April 2008 are used to examine the chemistry and geographical extent of ozone depletion in the arctic marine boundary layer (MBL). Data were obtained from the NOAA WP-3D aircraft during the Aerosol, Radiation, and Cloud Processes affecting Arctic Climate (ARCPAC) study and the NASA DC-8 aircraft during the Arctic Research of the Composition of the Troposphere from Aircraft and Satellites (ARCTAS) study. Fast (1 s) and sensitive (detection limits at the low pptv level) measurements of BrCl and BrO were obtained from three different chemical ionization mass spectrometer (CIMS) instruments, and soluble bromide was measured with a mist chamber. The CIMS instruments also detected Br2. Subsequent laboratory studies showed that HOBr rapidly converts to Br2 on the Teflon instrument inlets. This detected Br2 is identified as active bromine and represents a lower limit of the sum HOBr + Br2. The measured active bromine is shown to likely be HOBr during daytime flights in the arctic. In the MBL over the Arctic Ocean, soluble bromide and active bromine were consistently elevated and ozone was depleted. Ozone depletion and active bromine enhancement were confined to the MBL that was capped by a temperature inversion at 200–500 m altitude. In ozone-depleted air, BrO rarely exceeded 10 pptv and was always substantially lower than soluble bromide that was as high as 40 pptv. BrCl was rarely enhanced above the 2 pptv detection limit, either in the MBL, over Alaska, or in the arctic free troposphere

Quantifying wet scavenging processes in aircraft observations of nitric acid and cloud condensation nuclei

Wet scavenging is an important sink term for many atmospheric constituents. However, production of precipitation in clouds is poorly understood, and pollutant removal through wet scavenging is difficult to separate from removal through dry scavenging, atmospheric mixing, or chemical transformations. Here we use airborne data from the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation project to show that measured ratios of soluble and insoluble trace gases provide a useful indicator for quantifying wet scavenging. Specifically, nitric acid (HNO3), produced as a by-product of combustion, is highly soluble and removed efficiently from clouds by rain. Regional carbon monoxide (CO), which is also an indicator of anthropogenic activity, is insoluble and has a lifetime against oxidation of about a month. We find that relative concentrations of HNO3 to regional CO observed in clear air are negatively correlated with precipitation production rates in nearby cloudy air (r2 = 0.85). Also, we show that relative concentrations of HNO3 and CO can be used to quantify cloud condensation nucleus (CCN) scavenging by precipitating clouds. This is because CCN and HNO3 molecules are both fully soluble in cloud water and hence can be treated as analogous species insofar as wet scavenging is concerned. While approximate, the practical advantage of this approach to scavenging studies is that it requires only measurement in clear air and no a priori knowledge of the cloud or aerosol properties involved

Electron spin resonance of nitrogen-vacancy centers in optically trapped nanodiamonds

Using an optical tweezers apparatus, we demonstrate three-dimensional control of nanodiamonds in solution with simultaneous readout of ground-state electron-spin resonance (ESR) transitions in an ensemble of diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers. Despite the motion and random orientation of NV centers suspended in the optical trap, we observe distinct peaks in the measured ESR spectra qualitatively similar to the same measurement in bulk. Accounting for the random dynamics, we model the ESR spectra observed in an externally applied magnetic field to enable d.c. magnetometry in solution. We estimate the d.c. magnetic field sensitivity based on variations in ESR line shapes to be ~50 microTesla/Hz^1/2. This technique may provide a pathway for spin-based magnetic, electric, and thermal sensing in fluidic environments and biophysical systems inaccessible to existing scanning probe techniques.Comment: 29 pages, 13 figures for manuscript and supporting informatio

The Portrayal of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Mass Print Magazines Since 1980

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to examine and describe the portrayal of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in mass print media magazines. Design: The sample included all 37 articles found in magazines with circulation rates of greater than 1 million published in the United States and Canada from 1980 to 2005. The analysis was quantitative and qualitative and included investigation of both manifest and latent magazine story messages. Results: Manifest analysis noted that CAM was largely represented as a treatment for a patient with a medically diagnosed illness or specific symptoms. Discussions used biomedical terms such as patient rather than consumer and disease rather than wellness. Latent analysis revealed three themes: (1) CAMs were described as good but not good enough; (2) individualism and consumerism were venerated; and (3) questions of costs were raised in the context of confusion and ambivalence

Decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen and surface ozone over the Southeast United States

Widespread efforts to abate ozone (O3) smog have significantly reduced emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) over the past 2 decades in the Southeast US, a place heavily influenced by both anthropogenic and biogenic emissions. How reactive nitrogen speciation responds to the reduction in NOx emissions in this region remains to be elucidated. Here we exploit aircraft measurements from ICARTT (July–August 2004), SENEX (June–July 2013), and SEAC4RS (August–September 2013) and long-term ground measurement networks alongside a global chemistry–climate model to examine decadal changes in summertime reactive oxidized nitrogen (RON) and ozone over the Southeast US. We show that our model can reproduce the mean vertical profiles of major RON species and the total (NOy) in both 2004 and 2013. Among the major RON species, nitric acid (HNO3) is dominant (∼ 42–45%), followed by NOx (31%), total peroxy nitrates (ΣPNs; 14%), and total alkyl nitrates (ΣANs; 9–12%) on a regional scale. We find that most RON species, including NOx, ΣPNs, and HNO3, decline proportionally with decreasing NOx emissions in this region, leading to a similar decline in NOy. This linear response might be in part due to the nearly constant summertime supply of biogenic VOC emissions in this region. Our model captures the observed relative change in RON and surface ozone from 2004 to 2013. Model sensitivity tests indicate that further reductions of NOxemissions will lead to a continued decline in surface ozone and less frequent high-ozone events

Biological measurement beyond the quantum limit

Quantum noise places a fundamental limit on the per photon sensitivity attainable in optical measurements. This limit is of particular importance in biological measurements, where the optical power must be constrained to avoid damage to the specimen. By using non-classically correlated light, we demonstrated that the quantum limit can be surpassed in biological measurements. Quantum enhanced microrheology was performed within yeast cells by tracking naturally occurring lipid granules with sensitivity 2.4 dB beyond the quantum noise limit. The viscoelastic properties of the cytoplasm could thereby be determined with a 64% improved measurement rate. This demonstration paves the way to apply quantum resources broadly in a biological context