Mixed-Weight Open Locating-Dominating Sets

The detection and location of issues in a network is a common problem encompassing a wide variety of research areas. Location-detection problems have been studied for wireless sensor networks and environmental monitoring, microprocessor fault detection, public utility contamination, and finding intruders in buildings. Modeling these systems as a graph, we want to find the smallest subset of nodes that, when sensors are placed at those locations, can detect and locate any anomalies that arise. One type of set that solves this problem is the open locating-dominating set (OLD-set), a set of nodes that forms a unique and nonempty neighborhood with every node in the graph. For this work, we begin with a study of OLD-sets in circulant graphs. Circulant graphs are a group of regular cyclic graphs that are often used in massively parallel systems. We prove the optimal OLD-set size for two circulant graphs using two proof techniques: the discharging method and Hall\u27s Theorem. Next we introduce the mixed-weight open locating-dominating set (mixed-weight OLD-set), an extension of the OLD-set. The mixed-weight OLD-set allows nodes in the graph to have different weights, representing systems that use sensors of varying strengths. This is a novel approach to the study of location-detection problems. We show that the decision problem for the minimum mixed-weight OLD-set, for any weights up to positive integer d, is NP-complete. We find the size of mixed-weight OLD-sets in paths and cycles for weights 1 and 2. We consider mixed-weight OLD-sets in random graphs by providing probabilistic bounds on the size of the mixed-weight OLD-set and use simulation to reinforce the theoretical results. Finally, we build and study an integer linear program to solve for mixed-weight OLD-sets and use greedy algorithms to generate mixed-weight OLD-set estimates in random geometric graphs. We also extend our results for mixed-weight OLD-sets in random graphs to random geometric graphs by estimating the probabilistic upper bound for the size of the set

Using Affective Assessment to Understand our Students’ Identities as Readers (and Non-Readers)

In this article, the author provides a rationale for assessing students’ affective characteristics as they relate to reading, presents examples of assessments she designed, and discusses the benefits of such assessments for faculty and student

School Violence

A safe school is a school where the educational climate fosters a spirit of acceptance for all children. It is a place where students can learn and teachers can teach in an environment free of intimidation and fear of violence. Over the past decade, school shootings have increased anxieties about the safety of our schools. As a result of highly publicized acts of school violence in the media, national attention has recently focused on violence in public schools. School violence is defined as any action or threat of action resulting in intimidation, coercion, physical harm, or personal injury. While estimates of school violence vary, acts of school violence range from bullying to violent deaths; including self-mutilation, suicide, and homicide. The most prevalent forms of school violence involve verbal and physical harassment, bullying, self-destructive behavior, systemic and structural oppression, and physical fighting. The entry also covers issues such as prevalence, risk factors, gender, the school climate, psychological consequences, and prevention and intervention

Efficient decomposition of quantum gates

Optimal implementation of quantum gates is crucial for designing a quantum computer. We consider the matrix representation of an arbitrary multiqubit gate. By ordering the basis vectors using the Gray code, we construct the quantum circuit which is optimal in the sense of fully controlled single-qubit gates and yet is equivalent with the multiqubit gate. In the second step of the optimization, superfluous control bits are eliminated, which eventually results in a smaller total number of the elementary gates. In our scheme the number of controlled NOT gates is $O(4^n)$ which coincides with the theoretical lower bound.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Development of a Capillary Electrophoresis-Based Heteroduplex Tracking Assay To Measure In-Host Genetic Diversity of Initial and Recurrent Plasmodium vivax Infections in Cambodia

A heteroduplex tracking assay used to genotype Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 was adapted to a capillary electrophoresis format, obviating the need for radiolabeled probes and allowing its use in settings where malaria is endemic. This new assay achieved good allelic discrimination and detected high multiplicities of infection in 63 P. vivax infections in Cambodia. More than half of the recurrent parasitemias sampled displayed identical or highly related genotypes compared to the initial genotype, suggesting that they represented relapses

Live Well Springfield (LWS) -- A Community Transformation Initiative. Springfield MENU Program Evaluation

Studies have shown that low-income and minority Americans have a poor diet quality, which increases obesity and chronic disease risk. According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Springfield is among the top five poorest cities in the state. To promote healthy eating behaviors among Springfield residents, Mason Square Health Task Force, a Live Well Springfield (LWS) partner, created a 6-session nutrition curriculum, entitled The MENU Program. The goal is to increase overall health awareness and healthy eating behaviors among residents in communities that are being targeted by the LWS initiative. The program was piloted with a group of female Mason Square residents, aged 60-85 years (n=12), at the Dunbar YMCA in Springfield, MA. Pre-and post-surveys were administered at sessions #1 and #6 to assess nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and behaviors. Brief process evaluations were administered at the end of each 60 to 90 minute session to identify program strengths and limitations. Preliminary analysis reveals that participants increased their vegetable intake by 34% and consumption of fresh/frozen fruits and vegetables (vs. canned) increased by 9% and 18%, respectively. Those who reported “always” or “usually” reading nutrition labels increased from 54% to 72%, and those who reported “always” or “usually” shopping at a farmer’s market increased from 18% to 36%. Process evaluations showed positive responses to most of the material presented, particularly information regarding My Plate, portion control, and nutrition label reading. Further data analysis will inform revision of The MENU Program for use with larger, more diverse groups of Springfield residents

Dietary patterns in relation to cardiovascular disease incidence and risk markers in a middle-aged British male population: data from the Caerphilly prospective study

Dietary behaviour is an important modifiable factor in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. The study aimed to identify dietary patterns (DPs) and explore their association with CVD incidence and risk markers. A follow-up of 1838 middle-aged men, aged 47-67 years recruited into the Caerphilly Prospective Cohort Study at phase 2 (1984-1988) was undertaken. Principal component analysis identified three DPs at baseline, which explained 24.8% of the total variance of food intake. DP1, characterised by higher intakes of white bread, butter, lard, chips and sugar-sweetened beverages and lower intake of wholegrain bread, was associated with higher CVD (HR 1.35: 95% CI: 1.10, 1.67) and stroke (HR 1.77; 95% CI: 1.18, 2.63) incidence. DP3, characterised by higher intakes of sweet puddings and biscuits, wholegrain breakfast cereals and dairy (excluding cheese and butter) and lower alcohol intake, was associated with lower CVD (HR 0.76; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.93), coronary heart disease (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.52, 0.90) and stroke (HR: 0.68; 95% CI: 0.47, 0.99) incidence and a beneficial CVD profile at baseline, while DP1 with an unfavourable profile, showed no clear associations after 12 years follow-up. Dietary pattern 2 (DP2), characterised by higher intake of pulses, fish, poultry, processed/red meat, rice, pasta and vegetables, was not associated with the aforementioned outcomes. These data may provide insight for development of public health initiatives focussing on feasible changes in dietary habits

You\u27re So Gay! : Do Different Forms of Bullying Matter for Adolescent Males?

This study examined effects of adolescent males\u27 perceptions of being bullied because of verbal taunts related to gender nonconformity (i.e., They say I\u27m gay ). Participants included 251 ninth- (n = 77), tenth- (n = 96), and eleventh- (n = 78) grade students in a private, all-male college preparatory school. Participants were divided into two groups based on whether they were bullied by being called gay. Out of the 251 participants, 121 (48%) reported having been bullied and 127 (50%) stated that they had not been bullied during the past year (2% did not report). Of the 121 participants who had been bullied, 32 (26%) reported that they had been bullied because others called them gay (Group 1) and 89 (74%) reported that they had been bullied for other reasons, exclusive of being called gay (Group 2). Consistent with predictions, the boys who were bullied because they were called gay experienced greater psychological distress, greater verbal and physical bullying, and more negative perceptions of their school experiences than boys who were bullied for other reasons. Implications for school-based intervention services for bullying are discussed