The Effect of Physical Attractiveness on Mirror Neuron Activity

Research suggests that how a person looks can affect how much empathy they receive from others, with evidence pointing to attractive people receiving the most empathy. This study extended that research by examining if the heightened empathy received by more attractive people may be based in neurological processes. Participants (n = 19) were shown movie clips of young women of naturally-varying degrees of attractiveness making emotional expressions while having their brain activity monitored by an electroencephalograph (EEG). The EEG recording was used to examine the activity of mirror neurons, which have been shown to play an active role in the human experience of empathy, following the logic that if more attractive people elicit more mirror neuron activity, this may be the biological process underlying why they receive greater empathy from others. After a Fourier Transformation of the first five participants, the data suggested that attractive people do elicit more mirror neuron activity from others at a statistically significant level (p = .02). The remaining data must still be analyzed, but given the significance level of the results so far, the conclusion will likely remain the same, unless further analysis reveals an as-of-yet unanalyzed confound

Oceanographic Weather Maps: Using Oceanographic Models to Improve Seabed Mapping Planning and Acquisition

In a world of high precision sensors, one of the few remaining challenges in multibeam echosounding is that of refraction based uncertainty. A poor understanding of oceanographic variability can lead to inadequate sampling of the water mass and the uncertainties that result from this can dominate the uncertainty budget of even state-of-the-art echosounding systems. Though dramatic improvements have been made in sensor accuracies over the past few decades, survey accuracy and efficiency is still potentially limited by a poor understanding of the “underwater weather”. Advances in the sophistication of numerical oceanographic forecast modeling, combined with ever increasing computing power, allow for the timely operation and dissemination of oceanographic nowcast and forecast model systems on regional and global scales. These sources of information, when examined using sound speed uncertainty analysis techniques, have the potential to change the way hydrographers work by increasing our understanding of what to expect from the ocean and when to expect it. Sound speed analyses derived from ocean modeling system’s three-dimensional predictions could provide guidance for hydrographers during survey planning, acquisition and post-processing of hydrographic data. In this work, we examine techniques for processing and visualizing of predictions from global and regional operational oceanographic forecast models and climatological analyses from an ocean atlas to better understand how these data could best be put to use to in the field of hydrograph

Deploying 87 Satellites in One Launch: Design trades completed for the 2015 SHERPA flight hardware

Launch remains an obstacle for small satellites, which are often limited to small platforms, aft bulkheads, and accommodations for a single P-Pod. While launch vehicles have expanded the space available to small satellites, the largest number of satellites deployed in a single launch stands at thirty-seven. Spaceflight has secured a single launch opportunity in 2015 for no less than 87 small satellites. The ability to support so many satellites stems from tactical design decisions. This paper focuses on the design trades for the payload adapters developed for the 2015 SHERPA launch. Three unique payload adapters were designed to interface to the Moog ESPA Grande ring, the core of the SHERPA spacecraft. Each is an aluminum plate that interfaces to the 24” bolt-hole pattern on the five ESPA Grande ports. For these adapters, a balance was struck between designing to the unique payload in the flight configuration and developing a reusable system. The paper discusses the initial design trades regarding the adapter plate capabilities and how these trades have affected the plates’ utility on later SHERPA missions

Undergraduates Writing Publishable Cases: The Trials, The Tribulations, And The Real-World Learning

If given the chance, undergraduates have the ability to write excellent case studies worthy of being published.  This essay describes the benefits, challenges, and process of undergraduate case writing.&nbsp

Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies 2020

The 2021 edition of the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Research Studies Series includes research results on topics pertaining to corn and grain sorghum production, including weed, disease, and insect management; economics; sustainability; irrigation; post-harvest drying; soil fertility; mycotoxins; cover crop management; feral hog control; and research verification program results. Our objective is to capture and broadly distribute the results of research projects funded by the Arkansas Corn and Grain Sorghum Board. The intended audience includes producers and their advisors, current investigators, and future researchers. The Series serves as a citable archive of research results. Reports in this publication are 2–3 year summaries. The reports inform and guide our long-term recommendations but should not be taken solely as our recommended practices. Some reports may appear in other University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station publications. This duplication results from the overlap between disciplines and our effort to broadly inform Arkansas corn and grain sorghum producers of the research conducted with funds from the Corn and Grain Sorghum Check-off Program. This publication may also incorporate research partially funded by industry, federal, and state agencies. The use of products and trade names in any of the research reports does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the products named and does not signify that these products are endorsed or approved to the exclusion of comparable products. All authors are either current or former faculty, staff, or students of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture or scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture Research Service. We extend thanks to the staff at the state and county extension offices, and the research centers and stations; producers and cooperators; and industry personnel who assisted with the planning and execution of the programs. A special thanks to Dr. Victor Ford for his time, effort, and support of the Series