Gendered STEM Beliefs and Major Choice

Beliefs and expectations about who can and should pursue STEM careers contribute to a student’s sense of STEM identity and may help to explain the gender gap in pursuing STEM in higher education. The formation of these beliefs is a long and complex process, starting very early on in an individual’s life. We analyze how gendered STEM beliefs of students, parents, and teachers in ninth grade affect a female student’s probability of majoring in STEM in college. We add to an analysis done by Sansone (2019) in an appendix of his paper by using actual majors instead of intended majors. We slightly alter Sansone’s model and find a positive effect of beliefs in female superiority in science, both at the student and teacher level

Building a quantum superposition of conscious states with integrated information theory

Could there be a quantum superposition of consciousness, as in the Wigner's friend thought experiment? The integrated information theory (IIT) of consciousness has turned this into a well-defined question. According to IIT, consciousness is a measurable physical quantity given by integrated information ($\Phi$), such that the amount of consciousness in a system corresponds to its amount of $\Phi$. We use the most recent IIT formalism (IIT4.0) to analyze the simplest non-zero $\Phi$ system known as a feedback dyad. We then propose a circuit that puts the dyad into a superposition of states which, according to IIT, would correspond to a superposition of conscious states. We refer to this as "Schr\"odinger's dyad". We therefore show that either IIT is false or the simple dyad is conscious and can easily be put into a superposition of conscious states. We then identify the simplest possible consciousness-collapse model, which predicts that this superposition is unstable and collapses at a rate determined by a measure of difference between the superposed conscious states. Our analysis will enable us to make a number of key observations about the general structure of integrated information theory (IIT2.0, IIT3.0, IIT4.0, and QIIT) and the general structure of consciousness-collapse models

Now the wars are over: The past, present and future of Scottish battlefields

Battlefield archaeology has provided a new way of appreciating historic battlefields. This paper provides a summary of the long history of warfare and conflict in Scotland which has given rise to a large number of battlefield sites. Recent moves to highlight the archaeological importance of these sites, in the form of Historic Scotland’s Battlefields Inventory are discussed, along with some of the problems associated with the preservation and management of these important cultural sites

Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure Risk Assessment

Since 2006 there have been 6 reported cases of altered visual acuity and intracranial pressure (ICP) in long duration astronauts. In order to document this risk and develop an integrated approach to its mitigation, the NASA Space Life Sciences Directorate (SLSD) and Human Research Program (HRP) have chosen to use the Human System Risk Board (HSRB) and the risk management analysis tool (RMAT). The HSRB is the venue in which the stakeholders and customers discuss and vet the evidence and the RMAT is the tool that facilitates documentation and comparison of the evidence across mission profiles as well as identification of risk factors, and documentation of mitigation strategies. This process allows for information to be brought forward and dispositioned so that it may be properly incorporated into the RMAT and contribute to the design of the research and mitigation plans. The evidence thus far has resulted in the identification of a visual impairment/intracranial pressure (VIIP) project team, updating of both short and long duration medical requirements designed to assess visual acuity, and a research plan to characterize this issue further. In order to understand this issue more completely, a plan to develop an Accelerated Research Collaboration (ARC) has been approved by the HSRB. The ARC is a novel research model pioneered by the Myelin Repair Foundation. It is a patient centered research model that brings together researchers and clinicians, under the guidance of a scientific advisory panel, to collaborate and produce results much quickly than accomplished through traditional research models. The data and evidence from the updated medical requirements and the VIIP ARC will be reviewed at the HSRB on a regular basis. Each review package presented to the HSRB will include an assessment and recommendation with respect to continuation of research, countermeasure development, occupational surveillance modalities, selection criteria, etc. This process will determine the course of the VIIP project and ultimately how SLSD and HRP mitigate this emerging human health and performance risk

Congenital absence of the external carotid artery: Atherosclerosis without a bifurcation

AbstractWe report the case of a patient with congenital absence of the external carotid artery in whom we performed a carotid endarterectomy. The radiographic features and operative findings are presented. Four similar cases previously reported in the literature are reviewed. A comment on the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis at the carotid bulb in the absence of a bifurcation and a brief discussion on the possible embryologic explanation of this anomaly are discussed. (J Vasc Surg 2002;35:573-5.

Observation of magnetic circular dichroism in Fe L_{2,3} x-ray-fluorescence spectra

We report experiments demonstrating circular dichroism in the x-ray-fluorescence spectra of magnetic systems, as predicted by a recent theory. The data, on the L_{2,3} edges of ferromagnetic iron, are compared with fully relativistic local spin density functional calculations, and the relationship between the dichroic spectra and the spin-resolved local density of occupied states is discussed

Electronic structure and x-ray magnetic dichroism in random substitutional alloys of f-electron elements

The Koringa-Kohn-Rostoker —coherent-potential-approximation method combines multiple-scattering theory and the coherent-potential approximation to calculate the electronic structure of random substitutional alloys of transition metals. In this paper we describe the generalization of this theory to describe f-electron alloys. The theory is illustrated with a calculation of the electronic structure and magnetic dichroism curves for a random substitutional alloy containing rare-earth or actinide elements from first principles

Construction and Expected Performance of the Hadron Blind Detector for the PHENIX Experiment at RHIC

A new Hadron Blind Detector (HBD) for electron identification in high density hadron environment has been installed in the PHENIX detector at RHIC in the fall of 2006. The HBD will identify low momentum electron-positron pairs to reduce the combinatorial background in the $e^{+}e^{-}$ mass spectrum, mainly in the low-mass region below 1 GeV/c$^{2}$. The HBD is a windowless proximity-focusing Cherenkov detector with a radiator length of 50 cm, a CsI photocathode and three layers of Gas Electron Multipliers (GEM). The HBD uses pure CF$_{4}$ as a radiator and a detector gas. Construction details and the expected performance of the detector are described.Comment: QM2006 proceedings, 4 pages 3 figure

Imaging the inside of thick structures using cosmic rays

The authors present here a new method to image reinforcement elements inside thick structures and the results of a demonstration measurement performed on a mock-up wall built at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The method, referred to as "multiple scattering muon radiography", relies on the use of cosmic-ray muons as probes. The work described in this article was performed to prove the viability of the technique as a means to image the interior of the dome of Florence Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites and among the highest profile buildings in existence. Its result shows the effectiveness of the technique as a tool to radiograph thick structures and image denser object inside them