The Image and Imagination of the Fourth Dimension in Twentieth-Century Art and Culture

One of the most important stimuli for the imaginations of modern artists in the twentieth century was the concept of a higher, unseen fourth dimension of space. An outgrowth of the n-dimensional geometries developed in the nineteenth century, the concept predated the definition of time as the fourth dimension by Minkowski and Einstein in relativity theory. Only the popularization of relativity theory after 1919 brought an end to the widespread public fascination with the supra-sensible fourth dimension between the 1880s and 1920s. initially popularized by figures such as E. A. Abbott, Charles Howard Hinton, Claude Bragdon, and R D. Ouspensky (as well as science-fiction writers), the fourth dimension was a multivalent term with associations ranging from science, including X-rays and the ether of space, to idealist philosophy and mystical "cosmic consciousness." This essay focuses on the differing approaches to higher spatial dimensions in the cubism of Pablo Picasso and Juan Gris, the suprematism of Kazimir Malevich, and The Large Glass project of Marcel Duchamp in the early twentieth century. It concludes by examining contemporary artist Tony Bobbin's thirty-year engagement with the mathematics of four-dimensional geometry and computer graphics, as well as his current work with knot theorist Scott Carter.Art Histor

CONNECTING THREADS: DUCHAMP’S READYMADES AND LARGE GLASS PROJECT IN CONTEXT, 1913—14

In 1963 Duchamp described his vertical installation of three Readymades at the Pasadena Art Museum as “readymade talk of what goes on in the Large Glass.” Elsewhere, he spoke of the Readymades as “vehicles for unloading ideas,” and during the years 1912-15 his mind was filled with ideas as he invented the “playful physics” for his techno-scientific allegory of quest, The Bride Stripped Bare by Her Bachelors, Even [The Large Glass] (1915-23). This essay argues that the “ideas” being unloaded in the Readymades were rooted in his extensive study of contemporary science and technology as well as the biographical experience of his stay at Herne Bay on the English seacoast during August 1913. Readymades addressed include the Bicycle Wheel, With Hidden Noise, Paris Air, and Fresh Widow. Central themes include string or thread, traced from his preoccupation with tennis during his holiday, and the impact of the electrical spectacle of the illuminated Pier Pavilion at Herne Bay

The effect of metals on growth, reproduction and attachment of zoosporic true fungi

Zoosporic fungi (chytrids) are common within soils. Chytrids contribute to the soil carbon cycle by converting complex carbohydrates to more accessible forms and are also important in biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and sulphur. However, the roles of chytrids in many soil processes, and their responses to environmental stress, are not well understood. In order to explore the response of chytrids to temperature stress, here we initially examine the effect of increased temperature on chytrid isolates from different geographic and climatic regions. Isolates of Gaertneriomyces semiglobifer from different regions grow at similar rates and have similar patterns of zoospore production at different temperatures. This data allows prediction of the distribution, growth and abundance of the fungus and potential changes due to the effects of climate change. We then examine the effect of the toxic metals Cu (ll), Pb (ll) and Zn (ll) on growth, zoospore production and attachment of chytrids to common organic substrates. The four isolates, representing four orders within the phylum Chytridiomycota, showed greatest sensitivity in growth, attachment and zoospore production in response to Cu (ll) and least sensitivity to Pb (ll). Interestingly, some metals also caused increases in growth, zoospore production and attachment below the toxic threshold concentrations. In particular, Rhizophlyctis rosea increased the number and length of rhizoids when incubated with Pb (ll). Chytrids are known to be widespread and common throughout soils world-wide. Our work allows us to predict that the levels of Cu (ll), Pb (ll) and Zn (ll), found here to be toxic, will be detrimental to soil chytrid populations and reduce colonisation of organic substrates. Toxic effects of metals on the lifecycle of chytrids are expected to reduce the rate of mineralisation of soil organic matter, thereby reducing nutrient availability for the soil microbial loop, to the detriment of ecological function in soils

From Large Urban to Small Rural Schools: An Empirical Study of National Board Certification and Teaching Effectiveness Final Report

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) is a professional organization that provides national certification to teachers who apply for and meet the Board's standards of performance for "accomplished" educators. This study responds to a request from the NBPTS to analyze National Board certification among high school teachers in understudied subject areas and locales to help fill gaps in the research literature. The research team selected two new locales for this analysis, the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the Chicago public schools. Chicago, a racially and ethnically diverse city with a population of more than 2.8 million, has one of the largest urban school districts in the country. Kentucky, by contrast, is a largely rural state with some suburban and urban areas, including the Louisville/Jefferson County metro area, population 750,000. Together, these two locales encompass a full range of public school settings

Sandwich Generation

Taking care of one’s own adult children and elderly parents at the same time has important implications for individuals, couple relationships, and the entire family

Multidimensional measurement within adult protective services: design and initial testing of the tool for risk, interventions, and outcomes.

This study describes the development, field utility, reliability, and validity of the multidimensional Tool for Risk, Interventions, and Outcomes (TRIO) for use in Adult Protective Services (APS). The TRIO is designed to facilitate consistent APS practice and collect data related to multiple dimensions of typical interactions with APS clients, including the investigation and assessment of risks, the provision of APS interventions, and associated health and safety outcomes. Initial tests of the TRIO indicated high field utility, social worker "relevance and buy-in," and inter-rater reliability. TRIO concurrent validity was demonstrated via appropriate patterns of TRIO item differentiation based on the type of observed confirmed abuse or neglect; and predictive validity was demonstrated by prediction of the risk of actual APS recurrence. The TRIO is a promising new tool that can help meet the challenges of providing and documenting effective APS practices and identifying those at high risk for future APS recurrence

Understanding Manager and Developer Perceptions of the Relative Advantage, Compatibility, and Complexity of Function Points and Source Lines of Code

Software measures are recommended for the effective management of software development projects. Innovation diffusion theory (IDT) provides perspective for understanding managers’ and software developers’ perceptions of the relative advantage, complexity, and compatibility of software measures. This paper describes the results of a survey in which software developers and managers identified a software measure and then answered IDT-based questions about the measure. Two of the most commonly identified measures were source lines of code (SLOC) and function points (FP). Overall, participants indicated that FP have greater relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity than SLOC. Developers indicated that FP have greater relative advantage, compatibility, and complexity than SLOC. Managers, however, did not perceive a significantly greater relative advantage and compatibility for FP over SLOC, but did perceive FP to be more complex than SLOC