The Statues of Daedalus in Plato’s Meno

Ben Carroll wrote this paper for Professor Oona Eisenstadt’s ID1, Philosophies of Education. It was one of two prize-winning papers from the Fall 2013 seminars. He currently works for Equilar, Inc., a business-to-business company, in the San Francisco Bay area

Removing the State Opt-Out for Demand Response

In 1935, Congress enacted the Federal Power Act. The Act split jurisdiction over electricity generation and distribution between the Federal and state governments. The Act delegated to the Federal government jurisdiction over interstate wholesales and interstate transmission. The Act gave state governments jurisdiction over intrastate wholesales, intrastate transmission, generation, local distribution, and retail sales. Big, vertically-integrated monopoly utilities dominated the market before and for 60 years after the passage of the Act. However, over time, changes in technology and policy in the wholesale market eroded the dominance of those vertically-integrated monopoly utilities and complicated this jurisdictional bright line. In 2011, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order 745, requiring wholesale markets to permit demand response to operate on equal footing to traditional sources of generation. Unlike typical electricity generation, demand response involves paying consumers for a commitment not to consume electricity at a certain time. The Supreme Court sustained that Order in the 2016 case FERC v. Electric Power Supply Association. The Order allowed states to opt out of FERC’s demand response rules. This Note advocates for the removal of that state opt-out, analyzes its likely success against court challenges, and explores the possible limits of FERC jurisdiction after the 2020 case National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners v. FERC. If demand response reaches its full potential, it could provide as much electricity as hundreds of peak power plants. Removing the opt-out and integrating all possible demand response resources into the wholesale market is particularly timely and important given its potential to alleviate the economic and human toll from widespread blackouts such as the February 2021 Texas power system failure

Burst Denoising with Kernel Prediction Networks

We present a technique for jointly denoising bursts of images taken from a handheld camera. In particular, we propose a convolutional neural network architecture for predicting spatially varying kernels that can both align and denoise frames, a synthetic data generation approach based on a realistic noise formation model, and an optimization guided by an annealed loss function to avoid undesirable local minima. Our model matches or outperforms the state-of-the-art across a wide range of noise levels on both real and synthetic data.Comment: To appear in CVPR 2018 (spotlight). Project page: http://people.eecs.berkeley.edu/~bmild/kpn

Neptune-Benson Perlite Media Loader

Neptune-Benson has presented the Gods of Perlite with the task of designing a device that can automate the process of transferring the filtration medium, perlite, into their Defender filtration system models. In some European countries, perlite is viewed as a hazardous material. The design will minimize the amount of human contact, allowing Neptune-Benson to investigate expanding their market into those regions. This device operates as a vacuum pneumatic conveying system that will be responsible for ensuring at least one full filter change-out of at least 45 pounds of perlite. Through the preliminary stages of the design process, communication with the sponsor was vital in determining what they valued in each of the design concepts. Using a Quality Function Deployment chart the team was able to see that a small product footprint and a fully automated design were highly important and demanded qualities that must be incorporated into the final design. Many methods of engineering analysis took place during the engineering process to determine the feasibility and contents of the design specifications that led to the successful final prototype. The team\u27s first design is a combination of various team concepts that maximizes the capabilities of multiple demanded qualities of the sponsor along with easing the process for anyone operating a filter change-out on any Defender system. The spiked rail\u27s needles penetrate through the bag allowing suction to pull the perlite through a vacuum and into the Defender. Through testing it was observed that this method would not successfully perform a change-out without introducing an additional force to account for the material properties of the perlite. As a result, e orts were put forth into designing, building and testing a redesign with a hopper and a mechanical auger. Just like the spiked rail, this apparatus can attach to the existing ex hose nozzle of the transfer vacuum that is supplied with each of Neptune-Benson\u27s units. The testing of our re-design prototype was very successful and proved that the concept is feasible by transferring the perlite out of one bag at a rate of approximately 2.16 ft3/min. The perlite hopper system is on pace to cut the current time for a change-out in half. This system has room for continued optimization to the point at which it can appeal to consumers as an attachment to their Defender units

Review: Delivering mental health support within schools and colleges – a thematic synthesis of barriers and facilitators to implementation of indicated psychological interventions for adolescents

Background: Increasing the role of schools and colleges in the provision of mental health services for young people has the potential to improve early intervention and access to treatment. We aimed to understand what factors influence the successful implementation of indicated psychological interventions within schools and colleges to help guide increased provision of mental health support within education settings. Methods: Systematic search for studies that have reported barriers or facilitators to the implementation of indicated interventions for adolescent emotional disorders delivered within schools and further education/sixth form colleges (CRD42018102830). Databases searched were EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, ASSIA, ERIC and British Education Index. A thematic synthesis of factors reported to impact implementation was conducted. Results: Two thousand five hundred and sixty-nine records and 177 full texts were screened. Fifty studies were identified for inclusion, all of which were of school-based interventions. Eleven analytic themes were developed encompassing intervention characteristics, organisational capacity, training and technical assistance, provider characteristics and community-level factors. Findings indicate the need to select appropriate interventions, consider logistical challenges of the school context and provide training and supervision to enable staff to deliver interventions with fidelity. However, structural and environmental support is required for these facilitators to have the greatest impact on successful implementation. Conclusions: Implementing indicated school-based mental health interventions is challenging. Those involved in planning school-based mental health initiatives must be alert to the impact of factors on multiple interacting levels. There is a lack of research on implementing mental health support within further education and sixth form colleges

Towards Dynamic Control of Wettability by Using Functionalized Altitudinal Molecular Motors on Solid Surfaces

We report the synthesis of altitudinal molecular motors that contain functional groups in their rotor part. In an approach to achieve dynamic control over the properties of solid surfaces, a hydrophobic perfluorobutyl chain and a relatively hydrophilic cyano group were introduced to the rotor part of the motors. Molecular motors were attached to quartz surfa-ces by using interfacial 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions. To test the effect of the functional groups on the rotary motion, photochemical and thermal isomerization studies of the motors were per-formed both in solution and when attached to the surface. We found that the substituents have no significant effect on the thermal and photochemical processes, and the functionalized motors preserved their rotary function both in solution and on a quartz surface. Preliminary results on the influence of the functional groups on surface wettability are also described

Protection from muscle damage in the absence of changes in muscle mechanical behavior

Introduction: The repeated bout effect characterizes the protective adaptation after a single bout of unaccustomed eccentric exercise that induces muscle damage. Sarcomerogenesis and increased tendon compliance have been suggested as potential mechanisms for the repeated bout effect by preventing muscle fascicles from being stretched onto the descending limb of the length–tension curve (the region where sarcomere damage is thought to occur). In this study, evidence was sought for three possible mechanical changes that would support either the sarcomerogenesis or the increased tendon compliance hypotheses: a sustained rightward shift in the fascicle length–tension relationship, reduced fascicle strain amplitude, and reduced starting fascicle length. Methods: Subjects (n = 10) walked backward downhill (5 km/h, 20% incline) on a treadmill for 30 min on two occasions separated by 7 d. Kinematic data and medial gastrocnemius fascicle lengths (ultrasonography) were recorded at 10-min intervals to compare fascicle strains between bouts. Fascicle length–torque curves from supramaximal tibial nerve stimulation were constructed before, 2 h after, and 2 d after each exercise bout. Results: Maximum torque decrement and elevated muscle soreness were present after the first, but not the second, backward downhill walking bout signifying a protective repeated bout effect. There was no sustained rightward shift in the length–torque relationship between exercise bouts, nor decreases in fascicle strain amplitude or shortening of the starting fascicle length. Conclusions: Protection from a repeated bout of eccentric exercise was conferred without changes in muscle fascicle strain behavior, indicating that sarcomerogenesis and increased tendon compliance were unlikely to be responsible. As fascicle strains are relatively small in humans, we suggest that changes to connective tissue structures, such as extracellular matrix remodeling, are better able to explain the repeated bout effect observed here

A Cross-Sectional Study of All Clinicians’ Conflict of Interest Disclosures to NHS Hospital Employers in England 2015-2016

Objective We set out to document how NHS trusts in the UK record and share disclosures of conflict of interest by their employees. Design Cross-sectional study of responses to a Freedom of Information Act request for Gifts and Hospitality Registers. Setting NHS Trusts (secondary/tertiary care organisations) in England. Participants 236 Trusts were contacted, of which 217 responded. Main outcome measures We assessed all disclosures for completeness and openness, scoring them for achieving each of five measures of transparency. Results 185 Trusts (78%) provided a register. 71 Trusts did not respond within the 28 day time limit required by the FoIA. Most COI registers were incomplete by design, and did not contain the information necessary to assess conflicts of interest. 126/185 (68%) did not record the names of recipients. 47/185 (25%) did not record the cash value of the gift or hospitality. Only 31/185 registers (16%) contained the names of recipients, the names of donors, and the cash amounts received. 18/185 (10%) contained none of: recipient name, donor name, and cash amount. Only 15 Trusts had their disclosure register publicly available online (6%). We generated a transparency index assessing whether each Trust met the following criteria: responded on time; provided a register; had a register with fields identifying donor, recipient, and cash amount; provided a register in a format that allowed further analysis; and had their register publicly available online. Mean attainment was 1.9/5; no NHS trust met all five criteria. Conclusion Overall, recording of employees’ conflicts of interest by NHS trusts is poor. None of the NHS Trusts in England met all transparency criteria. 19 did not respond to our FoIA requests, 51 did not provide a Gifts and Hospitality Register and only 31 of the registers provided contained enough information to assess employees’ conflicts of interest. Despite obligations on healthcare professionals to disclose conflicts of interest, and on organisations to record these, the current system for logging and tracking such disclosures is not functioning adequately. We propose a simple national template for reporting conflicts of interest, modelled on the US ‘Sunshine Act’

Microscopic modulation and analysis of islets of Langerhans in living zebrafish larvae

Microscopic analysis of molecules and physiology in living cells and systems is a powerful tool in life sciences. While in vivo subcellular microscopic analysis of healthy and diseased human organs remains impossible, zebrafish larvae allow studying pathophysiology of many organs using in vivo microscopy. Here, we review the potential of the larval zebrafish pancreas in the context of islets of Langerhans and Type 1 diabetes. We highlight the match of zebrafish larvae with the expanding toolbox of fluorescent probes that monitor cell identity, fate and/or physiology in real time. Moreover, fast and efficient modulation and localization of fluorescence at a subcellular level, through fluorescence microscopy, including confocal and light sheet (single plane illumination) microscopes tailored to in vivo larval research, is addressed. These developments make the zebrafish larvae an extremely powerful research tool for translational research. We foresee that living larval zebrafish models will replace many cell line-based studies in understanding the contribution of molecules, organelles and cells to organ pathophysiology in whole organisms.ImPhys/Microscopy Instrumentation & Technique

A Partnership\u27s Effort to Improve the Teaching of K-12 Mathematics in Rapid City, South Dakota

Over the span of ten years, a National Science Foundation‐funded partnership effort has collected and analyzed multiple forms of evidence, both direct and indirect, about improved teaching of mathematics within Rapid City Area Schools. This article describes the project\u27s impact on K‐12 teaching and factors contributing to that impact. The authors argue that improvements in teaching are attributable largely to a robust infrastructure established to support teacher growth. Direct evidence includes classroom observations conducted by the project\u27s external evaluation team. Indirect evidence exists in the form of data on student outcomes: achievement on the state\u27s multiple‐choice accountability measure and achievement on project‐administered performance assessments