East African pholcid spiders: an overview, with descriptions of eight new species (Araneae, Pholcidae)

This paper summarizes current knowledge about East African pholcids. East Africa is defined as the area from 12°S to 5°N and from 28° to 42°E, including all of Uganda, Kenya, Burundi, Rwanda, and Tanzania. An annotated list of the 15 genera and 87 species recorded from this area is given, together with distribution maps and an identification key to genera. Most East African species (90%) belong to one of only six genera: Buitinga Huber, 2003 (21 species); Smeringopus Simon, 1890 (18); Pholcus Walckenaer, 1805 (17); Spermophora Hentz, 1841 (12); Leptopholcus Simon, 1893 (5) and Quamtana Huber, 2003 (4). Eight species for which DNA sequence data have been published recently are newly described: Buitinga batwa sp. nov., B. wataita sp. nov., Spermophora mau sp. nov., S. maathaiae sp. nov., S. bukusu sp. nov., S. kirinyaga sp. nov., S. kyambura sp. nov. and Quamtana nyahururu sp. nov. Crossopriza johncloudsleyi Deeleman-Reinhold & van Harten, 2001, previously only known from Yemen, is redescribed based on specimens from Kenya. Additional new records are given for 21 previously described species

The Effect of Role Models and Real-World STEM Content on 6th Grade Student Learning and Interest in a STEM Career

This study investigated the effects of using role models to teach lessons about real-world STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) content through experiential learning to increase interest in STEM careers. The research conducted in a large upper Midwest middle school. Five data collection tools were used: Likert scale rating, pre and post intervention student interest in STEM surveys, student role model evaluation survey, STEM role model research project scores, and Rube Goldberg project scores. Pre and post data was categorized into three content areas: science, math, and technology and engineering. While quantitative evidence identified a minor decrease in interest of technology and engineering, increases in math and science were identified in student interest surveys. Quantitative evidence identified both project scores showed average class scores of “C’s.” Evidence from the role model evaluations resulted in varied results of neutral and increased interest in STEM. The findings suggest that role models teaching lessons about real-world STEM, and providing learning experiences related to their content area for students, does increase interest in STEM career as indicated by the pre and post intervention student interest surveys

Mapping out the time-evolution of exoplanet processes

There are many competing theories and models describing the formation, migration and evolution of exoplanet systems. As both the precision with which we can characterize exoplanets and their host stars, and the number of systems for which we can make such a characterization increase, we begin to see pathways forward for validating these theories. In this white paper we identify predicted, observable correlations that are accessible in the near future, particularly trends in exoplanet populations, radii, orbits and atmospheres with host star age. By compiling a statistically significant sample of well-characterized exoplanets with precisely measured ages, we should be able to begin identifying the dominant processes governing the time-evolution of exoplanet systems.Comment: Astro2020 white pape

Parameterizations for quintic Eisenstein series

AbstractIn his Lost Notebook, Ramanujan gave product expansions for a pair of weight two Eisenstein series of level five. We show that Ramanujanʼs formulas are special cases of more general parameterizations for quintic Eisenstein series. In particular, we prove that the Eisenstein series for the Hecke subgroup of level five are expressible as homogeneous polynomials in two parameters closely connected with the Rogers–Ramanujan functions. Moreover, the coefficients of each polynomial are symmetric in absolute value about the middle terms. Corresponding polynomial expansions for allied series, including Eisenstein series on the full modular group, are also derived

Visual Knowledge Discovery with General Line Coordinates

Understanding black-box Machine Learning methods on multidimensional data is a key challenge in Machine Learning. While many powerful Machine Learning methods already exist, these methods are often unexplainable or perform poorly on complex data. This paper proposes visual knowledge discovery approaches based on several forms of lossless General Line Coordinates. These are an expansion of the previously introduced General Line Coordinates Linear and Dynamic Scaffolding Coordinates to produce, explain, and visualize non-linear classifiers with explanation rules. To ensure these non-linear models and rules are accurate, General Line Coordinates Linear also developed new interactive visual knowledge discovery algorithms for finding worst-case validation splits. These expansions are General Line Coordinates non-linear, interactive rules linear, hyperblock rules linear, and worst-case linear. Experiments across multiple benchmark datasets show that this visual knowledge discovery method can compete with other visual and computational Machine Learning algorithms while improving both interpretability and accuracy in linear and non-linear classifications. Major benefits from these expansions consist of the ability to build accurate and highly interpretable models and rules from hyperblocks, the ability to analyze interpretability weaknesses in a model, and the input of expert knowledge through interactive and human-guided visual knowledge discovery methods.Comment: 44 pages, 26 figures, 3 table

Price Endogeneity and Marginal Cost Effects on Incentive Compatible Stormwater Management Policies

Incentive based stormwater management policies offer the prospect of reducing urban stormwater runoff while increasing developer profits. An incentive compatible Stormwater Banking Program (SBP) is presented that allows developers to build at higher residential densities in exchange for including low impact stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the development’s stormwater management infrastructure. Price endogeneity presents itself when the smaller residential lots created by building at a greater density sell for a lower price than the original, larger lots. Stormwater management authorities must be aware of this and the effects of the program participation fee structure in designing voluntary incentive based policies that meet runoff reduction objectives.Farm Management,

Incentive Policies to Promote the Use of Enhanced Stormwater BMPs in New Residential Developments

A voluntary stormwater management program that is incentive compatible between residential developers and regulators produces an outcome that simultaneously protects/enhances water quality and increases developer profits. Developers pay a participation fee and the collected fees are used to retrofit ineffective stormwater management systems in older neighborhoods to improve water quality.Stormwater Best Management Practices, Economic Incentives, Urban Water Quality, Environmental Economics and Policy, Q25,