Analysis of Hawk Mountain Wind Speed to Raptor Count Trends from 1976 through 2021

This analysis of summer 2023 is a sequel to the summer 2022 Analysis of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Observation Data from 1976 through 2021, also available as a web page through end of 2024 here. A presentation of that and subsequent analysis presented at Kutztown University in November 2022 and to Hawk Mountain researchers in January 2023 is available as PDF slides here and also on the web through 2024 here. This work was funded by a Kutztown University Research Grant for spring 2022 through summer 2023. Analytical use of these data proceeded through a subset of projects in three courses in the 2022-2023 academic year: CSC 458 - Data Mining & Predictive Analytics I in fall, CSC 523 - Scripting for Data Science in fall, and CSC 558 - Data Mining and Predictive Analytics II in spring. These courses include iterative exploration of data relationships that often result in new discoveries and consolidation of previous discoveries. The current document focuses on one significant data relationship, that of consistent decrease of wind speed measures at Hawk Mountain\u27s North Lookout, called regional stilling, to declining counts in certain raptor species from September through November in the later years of 1976 through 2021

Preparing and Teaching Data Science Courses

Preparing and teaching realistic data science courses requires labor-intensive preparation and course delivery. It is not enough to download data and push buttons on machine learning tools. First, there must be a human expert available in the problem domain to supply data and evaluate work. Without a human expert to provide information that is missing or incorrect in archived data, the tendency is to take the output of machine learning algorithms using potentially faulty data on faith. Second, any real-world data requires custom scripts for correcting invalid values, creating derived attributes, and formatting data for analysis. Then comes the analysis, which is usually iterative because of incremental discoveries, often requiring additional data, expertise, data preparation, and analysis. This case study outlines four domains of data analysis that have been very useful in teaching and student- oriented research: 1) analyzing Java programming student performance as a function of work habits; 2) analyzing physical and chemical relationships in Pennsylvania stream flow data; 3) analyzing audio files for waveform type and noise levels; and 4) analyzing raptor migration counts in Pennsylvania as a function of climate change

A Distributed Model-View-Controller Design Pattern for a Graphical Remote Control of a Multi-user Application

The Model-View-Controller (MVC) is a design pattern for architecting the interactions among human users of graphical computing systems with the software Controller that manages user input, the Model that houses system state, and the View that projects the Model state into intelligible graphical form. The present work examines extending MVC into a Distributed Model-View-Controller pattern, starting with a stand-alone MVC system that is amenable to distribution over a local area network (LAN). Distribution takes the form of cloning a stand-alone MVC application into distinct client and server programs, and then altering each for its purpose while maintaining the initial graphical compatibility of the starting, stand-alone system. A graphical client remote control running on a tablet computer sends its Model update events to the server’s Controller via the LAN, acting as a remote input device for the server. The client uses simple, two- dimensional graphics for efficiency, while the server’s graphical View can afford to use computationally expensive three-dimensional animations. Avoiding server- to-client synchronization avoids congestive LAN traffic and complicated interaction. The client acts as a one-way remote control, albeit a remote control with a display that is a simple version of the server’s display

Analysis of Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Observation Data from 1976 through 2021

The primary objective is to correlate climate change data to changes in raptor observations at the Hawk Mountain Sanctuary in northern Berks County, Pennsylvania. Additional objectives include uncovering trends in climate observations at Hawk Mountain\u27s North Lookout and the Allentown Airport throughout the observation period, and to examine trends in raptor observation properties independent of climate changes

Simulated Contact Tracing of COVID-19 Propagation at Kutztown University for Fall 2020

From mid-May through August 2020 the author designed, built, revised, and analyzed resulting data from two simulation programs for virtual contact tracing of COVID-19 infection propagation at Kutztown University in the fall 2020 semester. The first was command-line driven and non-graphical, with results distributed to faculty and administrators on May 28. The second was a three-dimensional interactive graphical simulation, distributed to faculty, administrators, and the public as a narrated video via YouTube on July 16. The algorithm is an adaptation of spreading activation as used in theoretical psychology and artificial intelligence research since the 1970s. It propagates discrete, probable infections across a graph connecting face-to-face classes, tagging attending student and faculty members to the edges. The simulation is a state machine, advancing probable infections using a one-week time step and collecting resulting data at the end of each week. It uses class rosters to construct the graph, established parameters for COVID-19 propagation and risk, and student town party size and frequency measures based on interviews with local police and residents. Despite lower-than predicted employee infections in reported fall data, overall infections meet its predictions, indicating a higher infection rate and percentage of careless or unlucky students than initially assumed

Creative Graphical Coding via Pipelined Pixel Manipulation

Creative coding is the act of computer programming intended to create aesthetic artifacts in one or more digital media such as graphical images, animated videos, computer games, or musical performances. Visual artists and musicians use computers to compose, to render, and to perform. Algorithms remain as important as they are for any computer program, but their intent is to inspire, or at least to entertain, in contrast to more utilitarian applications of algorithms. This paper outlines the software structures and aesthetic perspectives of two novel algorithms for the creative manipulation of pixels in the Processing language. The first algorithm focuses on manipulating a digital canvas after it has been painted by a set of animated virtual paintbrushes. The metaphor is visual memory, where a digital canvas remembers what was painted during prior animated frames, making manipulation of those memories accessible to the artist. The second algorithm focuses on using an image processing pipeline to analyze and fragment copies of a photographic image for use in screening the original image. The inspiration is visual processing by the brain, in which different areas of the brain handle different aspects of stimuli arriving via the optic nerves before integrating them into a composite image

Approaches to Cycle Analysis and Performance Metrics

The following notes were prepared as part of an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) sponsored short course entitled Air Breathing Pulse Detonation Engine (PDE) Technology. The course was presented in January of 2003, and again in July of 2004 at two different AIAA meetings. It was taught by seven instructors, each of whom provided information on particular areas of PDE research. These notes cover two areas. The first is titled Approaches to Cycle Analysis and Performance Metrics. Here, the various methods of cycle analysis are introduced. These range from algebraic, thermodynamic equations, to single and multi-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) solutions. Also discussed are the various means by which performance is measured, and how these are applied in a device which is fundamentally unsteady. The second topic covered is titled PDE Hybrid Applications. Here the concept of coupling a PDE to a conventional turbomachinery based engine is explored. Motivation for such a configuration is provided in the form of potential thermodynamic benefits. This is accompanied by a discussion of challenges to the technology

A Circular Planetarium as a Spatial Visual Musical Instrument

Planetariums have been home to spatial visual music for over sixty years. Advanced technology in spatial sound such as sound field and wave field systems are superseding channel-based systems as areas for research. Nevertheless, there is room for invention in immersive spatial visual music in a channel-based planetarium. Circular seating minimizes problems with sonic reflections from circular walls suffered by unidirectional theatre seating arrangements. Circular seating supports dynamic permutation of channel-to-speaker routing as a corrective and compositional measure. Full dome projection of visuals gives inherent support for graphics-to-music spatial correlation and related immersive effects. This paper is a case study of the aural architecture of one small circular planetarium and the visual music composition and performance approaches that it supports

Citizenship In Name Only: The Coloring of Democracy While Redefining Rights, Liberties And Self Determination For The 21st Century

In recent times there has been an explosion of interest in the concept of citizenship. This renewed theoretical focus was sparked by voter ID statutes and jury obstruction. Defining the term “full citizenship” as it relates to African Americans has been a focus of controversy since the writing of the U.S. Constitution. Do African Americans enjoy the status of full citizenship or is it in name only? This essay examines two fundamental areas of citizenship: voting rights and jury participation. This essay, through comparative analysis, will show deep rooted voting suppression tactics and present jury obstruction methods that impact African Americans and their full citizenship rights. The jury system is one of the most important institutions of government. The right and duty to sit on a jury is granted to all adult citizens. Racial bias denies the defendant the right to a fair and impartial jury, and it denies citizens the fundamental right to participate fully in the judicial system. African Americans have been disproportionally excluded through pretextual peremptory challenges. Moreover, lawmakers have embarked on a new voter suppression tactic: voter identification requirements. The tactic involves imposing new laws and rules requiring voters to show identification in order to vote, despite virtually no evidence of voter misidentification fraud. Identification requirements pose a special burden to the poor, racial minorities, and senior citizens who often do not have specific forms of identification. The pretextual color-blind race neutrality argument made by state legislators rings hollow when this nation’s history of voting obstruction is considered