Dissipation and Topologically Massive Gauge Theories in Pseudoeuclidean Plane

In the pseudo-euclidean metrics Chern-Simons gauge theory in the infrared region is found to be associated with dissipative dynamics. In the infrared limit the Lagrangian of 2+1 dimensional pseudo-euclidean topologically massive electrodynamics has indeed the same form of the Lagrangian of the damped harmonic oscillator. On the hyperbolic plane a set of two damped harmonic oscillators, each other time-reversed, is shown to be equivalent to a single undamped harmonic oscillator. The equations for the damped oscillators are proven to be the same as the ones for the Lorentz force acting on two particles carrying opposite charge in a constant magnetic field and in the electric harmonic potential. This provides an immediate link with Chern-Simons-like dynamics of Bloch electrons in solids propagating along the lattice plane with hyperbolic energy surface. The symplectic structure of the reduced theory is finally discussed in the Dirac constrained canonical formalism.Comment: 22 pages, LaTe

A comparative study of Black and Euro-Americans\u27 learning styles and aesthetic preferences for painting styles

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions between the aesthetic criteria for evaluating art and learning styles between cultures. The problems were to investigate differences among learning styles and aesthetic preferences for painting styles between Black and Euro-American students. Fifty-five undergraduates of Black-American and Euro-American descent from a state college in rural southern New Jersey participated in the study. The Group Embedded Figures Test was administered to determine the learning styles of field-sensitive or field-independence for each student. Students were instructed to find and trace the given simple figure within the given complex figure. Section one consisted of seven problems completed in two minutes, section two and section three each consisted of nine problems for which students were instructed to complete each in five minutes. The total time for the test took twelve minutes. On the same day, the Art Preference Test was administered. Students were asked to view nine slides of paintings representing two styles. With two minutes to view each slide, students rated their feelings toward each of the paintings using a semantic differential of twenty bipolar adjectives. Four 2 X 2 factorial designs (race x learning style) were organized for each of the dependent variables, Evaluative, Evaluative-Affective, Descriptive-Unique and a Total of all Three Dimensions. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to reveal significant differences and interactions between and within groups for race, learning styles and painting styles. The researcher failed to find statistically significant mean differences for main effect and the interaction between cultures for learning styles and preferences for painting styles

Social Media, Depressive Symptoms and Well-Being in Early Adolescence. The Moderating Role of Emotional Self-Efficacy and Gender

The study of the psychological effects of social media use on adolescents’ adjustment has long been the focus of psychological research, but results are still inconclusive. In particular, there is a lack of research on the positive and negative developmental outcomes and on possible moderating variables, especially concerning early adolescence. To fill these gaps in literature, the present study longitudinally investigated the relationships between social media use, depressive symptoms, affective well-being and life satisfaction, as well as the moderating role of emotional self-efficacy and gender. The study involved 336 Italian early adolescents (mean age = 13, sd = 0.3; 48% girls) who completed an anonymous self-report questionnaire twice within a year. Main results showed that higher social media use was related to higher depressive symptoms, lower affective well-being and lower life satisfaction among girls with lower emotional self-efficacy. Conversely, high social media use was related to higher affective well-being and higher life satisfaction for girls with higher emotional self-efficacy. Results are discussed in relation to their implications for risk prevention and health promotion among early adolescents. In particular, our results suggest that promoting emotional self-efficacy can be very helpful in making the use of social media an opportunity for well-being and life satisfaction rather than a developmental risk

Investigating the Foreign Language Needs of Professional School Students in International Affairs: A Case Study

On-going demographic changes and increasing globalization have challenged professional schools to prepare students for the plurilinguistic and pluricultural realities of the workplace both within and across national boundaries. Given these evolving workplace realities, professional schools may need to re-assess the degree to which their students’ career needs are being met by existing language programs, so that policy and resources can be adjusted accordingly. The current inquiry reports on a large-scale assessment designed to investigate the foreign language needs of students in the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University and to evaluate the degree to which these needs are being addressed. Recognizing that different stakeholders may have opposing perceptions of foreign language needs, this study utilized a conceptual model of needs assessment that surveyed multiple sources of data within and across a variety of stakeholder groups. These perceived needs were then examined and compared. The findings showed a disparity among the needs of the professional school students, foreign language instruction, and SIPA’s language policy. While these results were not entirely unexpected, they were highlighted by evidence from the different perspectives surveyed. The model of needs assessment used in this study served as an invaluable framework for examining the different dimensions of foreign language needs

Profiles in Parole Release and Revocation Nevada

Felony sentences in Nevada have both a minimum and a maximum term, unless a definite term is required by statute. In 2017, legislation was passed creating the Nevada Sentencing Commission. The Commission hasmany statutory duties, including formulating statutory sentencing guidelines to be enacted by the legislature. Nevada's first Pardons Board was created in 1867. The Board was granted the power to parole inmates in 1909. In 1989, Nevada passed legislation that required the Board to create standards for parole release and revocation.Nevada also signed justice reinvestment legislation in 2007, which increased incentives for parolees to comply with supervision and expanded alternatives to incarceration

Territory and memory: The Landing of the Allies in Sicily in 1943

The concept of memory (memorial site) has gained crucial importance in recent years for the identification of places (areas) and in the affirmation of local identities. The memorial sites are areas where usually tragic events have occurred and resulted in a cultural change. In these places there are still signs of these historical events and/or tangible and intangible indications created by the society such as: monuments, obelisks, marble inscriptions, others. Sicily represents an ideal area for studying memorial sites; not only because of the number of dominations in the past centuries, but also for the significance of all places where the mafia has taken its root. These elements have caused several changes in the culture and in the landscape. Sicily is the land where \u201cOperation Husky\u201d began, in the summer of 1943. This agreement between the Americans and the British aimed at occupying Sicily, Italy after World War II. Seventy years after this operation the territory is still marked by testimonies of those tragic events. The bombing devastated buildings, which we can still acknowledge for their cultural significance. These memorial areas represent a strong testimony of the past. There are cemeteries, protecting bodies many of which are unknown; there are bunkers and other military garrisons well preserved throughout the territory. These signs must be rediscovered, to be replicated because of the contemporary geopolitical situation. As a result, in this paper we propose to identify the area of eastern Sicily suitable for a tourist itinerary in the cultural memory of the war of 1943. The idea is to encourage tourism that gives rise to real emotions and thoughts