Empathic Neural Responses Predict Group Allegiance.

Watching another person in pain activates brain areas involved in the sensation of our own pain. Importantly, this neural mirroring is not constant; rather, it is modulated by our beliefs about their intentions, circumstances, and group allegiances. We investigated if the neural empathic response is modulated by minimally-differentiating information (e.g., a simple text label indicating another's religious belief), and if neural activity changes predict ingroups and outgroups across independent paradigms. We found that the empathic response was larger when participants viewed a painful event occurring to a hand labeled with their own religion (ingroup) than to a hand labeled with a different religion (outgroup). Counterintuitively, the magnitude of this bias correlated positively with the magnitude of participants' self-reported empathy. A multivariate classifier, using mean activity in empathy-related brain regions as features, discriminated ingroup from outgroup with 72% accuracy; the classifier's confidence correlated with belief certainty. This classifier generalized successfully to validation experiments in which the ingroup condition was based on an arbitrary group assignment. Empathy networks thus allow for the classification of long-held, newly-modified and arbitrarily-formed ingroups and outgroups. This is the first report of a single machine learning model on neural activation that generalizes to multiple representations of ingroup and outgroup. The current findings may prove useful as an objective diagnostic tool to measure the magnitude of one's group affiliations, and the effectiveness of interventions to reduce ingroup biases

Investigating the Influence of a Web Based Logistics Tool on the Effectiveness of Operations for the Center of Innovation for Logistics of Georgia

Research suggests a correlation between advancements in logistics infrastructure and the development rate of regional economies. Some states have identified this correlation and have taken steps to create specialized entities aimed at catalyzing the growth of logistics within their state. In the state of Georgia, the Center of Innovation for Logistics is the entity responsible for coordinating logistic development activities. As part of their responsibilities, they are tasked with fulfilling information requests regarding logistics infrastructure availability throughout the state. However, the system is used to process these requests is antiquated and extremely inefficient. In an attempt to ameliorate this process, a web-based data tool that aggregates all necessary data into one place and provides a simple user interface to query the database for specific information was introduced. This tool greatly improved the time required to process reports and added a degree of transparency in reporting across the organization

The historicist approach to the conflicting truth-claims of world religions

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Arts University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the Degree of Master of Arts Johannesburg 198

Grit in the Classroom

In the United States today, educational opportunity is not equally distributed. Statistical data show a persistent educational achievement gap that disproportionately affects students of color or with a low socioeconomic status. There have been countless efforts to reform this inequality within the American school system; however, many efforts have ignored underlying issues regarding power structures and may instead be rooted in the biased beliefs of dominant culture. Knowledge is Power Program (KIPP) Public Charter Schools, in particular, emphasize seven character strengths that are intended to promote success for their students and bring them to and through college. Such traits may provide valuable insights on the intersection of education and on structural issues such as culture, power and race. This thesis explores the intersection of the character strength grit as proposed by Angela Duckworth and how it intersects with equity. The hope is that through the use of teacher interviews and classroom observations, readers can better understand how teachers understand the racial or socioeconomic implications of teaching grit in their classrooms

Behavioral risk profiles of homeschooled adolescents in the United States: a nationally representative examination of substance use related outcomes

BACKGROUND: The homeschool population continues to grow in size and now accounts for 3.4% of all students in the United States. OBJECTIVE: Given the heterogeneous nature of the population, this study examines the relationship between different types of homeschoolers and a number of substance use related outcomes. METHODS: To conduct this study, we used pooled data (2002–2013) from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Respondents aged 12–17 who reported they had been homeschooled at any time during the previous 12 months were classified as homeschoolers (N = 1,321). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify latent subgroups of homeschoolers and multinomial regression was executed to assess the relationship between the subgroups and perceived substance use risk, availability, and past 12-month use. RESULTS: The LPA yielded four subgroups, which were summarized as (1) highly religious and engaged, (2) limited parental monitoring, (3) high parental warmth and support, and (4) secular permissive. Of these, the highly religious and engaged subgroup was the least likely to report using substances. CONCLUSION: The results underscore the variation that exists among homeschoolers and the importance of examining the relationship between different types of homeschoolers and outcomes of interest

Hydrostratigraphy, groundwater flow, and nitrate transport within the Abbotsford Sumas aquifer, Whatcom County, Washington

From April 1997 to January 1999, a water quality study in a four square mile area in northern Whatcom County was conducted by the Geology Department and the Institute for Watershed Studies at Western Washington University. As part of this study, this thesis focused on characterizing the hydrostratigraphy, groundwater flow directions and flow velocities and developing a groundwater model using MODFLOW and Boss GMS version 2.0 (GMS) to simulate groundwater flow and nitrate transport within this area. Monthly groundwater levels and water quality data were collected and analyzed from 21 domestic wells and one piezometer in the field and at Western Washington University’s Institute for Watershed Studies State Certified Laboratory. This thesis used data collected from April 1997 to August 1998 which was divided into six seasons. To characterize the hydrostratigraphy, five geologic cross sections were constructed from well logs in the study area using Autocad. Six geologic units were identified, which were grouped into two hydrostratigraphic units defined as the Sumas Aquifer and the Sumas Aquitard. The Sumas Aquifer in this area is an unconfined aquifer ranging in thickness from 180 feet in the northeast portion of the study area to 80 feet in the southeast portion of the study area. The Sumas Aquifer is a heterogeneous mixture of gravel and sand with some scattered silt and clay lenses and displays good hydraulic continuity. The average hydraulic conductivity for the Sumas Aquifer was determined to be 929 feet/day. The Sumas Aquitard is primarily a clay layer underlying the Sumas Aquifer interpreted as Bellingham glaciomarine drift. The Sumas Aquitard also consists of scattered lenses of clay and or silt interpreted as ice contact and lacustrine deposits. Water table contour maps were created using the computer program Surfer version 6.0 (Surfer) for each of the six seasons using seasonally averaged water level data. A separate water table contour map was generated using the results of a groundwater model simulation. Groundwater flow directions determined from both sets of water table contours showed an overall northwest to southeast trend with the exception of the northwest portion of the study area which showed a south to southwest trend shifting to a southeast trend in the southeast portion of the study area. Groundwater flow velocity determined from seasonal water table contour maps using Surfer was approximately 20.0 feet/day in the northwest to southeast direction. The approximate travel time from the international border to the southern end of the study area in the direction of groundwater flow determined using field data was 1.8 years. Groundwater flow velocity using the model simulation was approximately 25 feet/day. The approximate travel time from the international border to the southern end of the study area in the direction of groundwater flow using GMS was approximately 1.5 years. Groundwater levels varied from season to season with the largest average difference of 4.4 feet (throughout the study area) occurring between Spring 1997 and Fall 1997. The greatest variation in water level in any one well due to seasonal recharge was 7.8 feet between Spring 1997 and Fall 1998 at well 3. Well 1 was the only well having a correlation between rising water levels and elevated nitrates. Two dimensional nitrate contours were created for each of the six seasons using seasonally averaged monthly nitrate data. Two dimensional nitrate contours indicate that the highest concentrations were dovm-gradient from large dairies and fertilized crops within the study area. Water quality data and two-dimensional nitrate contours indicate that most of the contamination in the central portion of the study area is localized and likely coming from sources up-gradient of wells 9, 14, and 18. However, elevated nitrates in wells 5, 6, and 7 in the northeast portion of the study area are attributed to sources across the international border in Canada. A groundwater model was developed for the study area using MODFLOW and GMS. Three nitrate transport simulations were created using GMS and a transport model (MT3D). A 50 mg/L spike of nitrate was entered into the model domain at selected points for one day. The nitrate spikes created contaminant plumes which were contoured at the end of one year for scenarios one and three, and at the end of six months for scenario two. Comparing nitrate transport simulations with nitrate concentrations obtained in the field revealed correlations of elevated nitrates from known up-gradient loading sources. Nitrate transport simulations indicate that large nitrate concentrations in the north and south central portions of the study area are likely caused by local source loading rather than source loading in Canada (specifically wells 14, and 18). However, transport simulations also suggest that the relatively stable elevated nitrate concentrations in the northwest (specifically wells 1 and 2) and northeast (specifically wells 5 and 6) portions of the study area are likely caused from sources across the international border in Canada

Current research in oxidation-resistant carbon-carbon composites at NASA. Langley Research Center

The significant potential of carbon-carbon composites for high-temperature structural applications is well established. For hypersonic vehicle applications, desirable properties include low density, high specific strength and stiffness, low coefficients of thermal expansion, and retention of mechanical properties above 3000 F. A significant problem associated with carbon materials, however, is that they oxidize rapidly in air at temperatures above about 800 F, and therefore must be protected from oxidation. Successful development of effective methods of oxidation protection is key to the eventual utilization of carbon-carbon composites on hypersonic vehicles such as NASP. In this presentation, the basic elements of an oxidation-protection system are described. Results from oxidation-performance evaluations of state-of-the-art ACC-4 type material in simulated airframe vehicle environments (temperature, pressure, and time) conducted at NASA Langley are also presented. NASA Langley has an active research effort to improve the oxidation resistance of carbon-carbon materials for airframe structural and vehicle thermal protection applications. Conversion coating and sealant development research is highlighted

An Internet paradigm approach to policy-based network management of legacy kit for VoIP services in Next Generation Networks

With QoS available on IP-dominant NGNs, Policy-based Network Management (PBNM) is an effective mechanism for managing services as opposed to actual devices. IP is ubiquitous, and any NGN must contend with legacy devices that do not support emerging PBNM protocols. This Work in Progress uses the common Internet notion of a proxy to enforce policies on legacy equipment. We use VoIP as a mechanism to test the validity of our intended solution.Telkom, Siemens, THRI

Policy-based network management of legacy equipment in Next Generation Networks

Next Generation Networks use policy-based network management and QoS protocols to provide voice services on IP networks. Large numbers of older equipment still push IP packets. We present several solutions that include legacy equipment into a PBNM and QoS system. A static design uses traffic shaping at the legacy edge. A dynamic solution uses a Quasi-PEP implemented over RSVP and COPS. Preliminary test results are presented for the static solution. Collected data shows that the solution decreases packet loss on the legacy side.Telkom, Siemens, THRI