Trails of experiences: Navigating personal memories

Systems to augment personal information aim to support people in remembering both past experiences and specific information associated with past experiences. These types of information go beyond those supported in systems for Personal Information Management, making it necessary to develop new user interface and interaction techniques. Our approach is based on characteristics of human memory. Its major contribution is the combination of a graph-based data model with navigation mechanisms based on various types of context and on associations

Binary Systematic Network Coding for Progressive Packet Decoding

We consider binary systematic network codes and investigate their capability of decoding a source message either in full or in part. We carry out a probability analysis, derive closed-form expressions for the decoding probability and show that systematic network coding outperforms conventional network coding. We also develop an algorithm based on Gaussian elimination that allows progressive decoding of source packets. Simulation results show that the proposed decoding algorithm can achieve the theoretical optimal performance. Furthermore, we demonstrate that systematic network codes equipped with the proposed algorithm are good candidates for progressive packet recovery owing to their overall decoding delay characteristics.Comment: Proc. of IEEE ICC 2015 - Communication Theory Symposium, to appea

Hydrodynamics of Cloud Collisions in 2D: The Fate of Clouds in a Multi-phase Medium

We have studied head-on collisions between equal-mass, mildly supersonic (Mach number 1.5) HI clouds, in a standard Two-phase ISM (T_cl = 74 K, n_cl = 22 cm^-3, \chi = 100). We explore the role of various factors, including the radiative cooling parameter \eta = t_rad/t_coll (t_coll=R_c/v_c), evolutionary modifications on the cloud structure (by colliding clouds ``evolved'' through independent motion within the intercloud medium (WIM)), and the symmetry of the problem (by colliding initially identical clouds, evolved to different ages before impact). The presence of bow shocks and ram pressure from material in the cloud wake, developed during such evolution through the WIM, significantly alters these interactions with respect to the standard case of non-evolved clouds. In general, in our adiabatic collisions the clouds are disrupted and convert their gas into a few low density contrast clumps. By contrast, for symmetric radiative cases we find that the two clouds coalesce, with almost all the initial kinetic energy radiated away. On the other hand, for both adiabatic and radiative collisions, asymmetric collisions have a much greater tendency to disrupt the two clouds. Fragmentation of the clouds may occur, and instabilities are in general enhanced. In addition, radiative cooling is less efficient in our asymmetric interactions, so that those parts of the clouds that initially seem to merge are more likely to re-expand and fade into the WIM. Since the majority of real cloud collisions should be asymmetric for one reason or another, we conclude that most gasdynamical diffuse cloud collisions will be disruptive, at least in the absence of significant self-gravity or of a significant magnetic field.Comment: Revised version, published in The Astrophysical Journal; 26 pages Latex + 9 figures, mpeg animations available at http://www.msi.umn.edu/Projects/twj/Cloud-Collision.htm

Optimized Network-coded Scalable Video Multicasting over eMBMS Networks

Delivery of multicast video services over fourth generation (4G) networks such as 3GPP Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A) is gaining momentum. In this paper, we address the issue of efficiently multicasting layered video services by defining a novel resource allocation framework that aims to maximize the service coverage whilst keeping the radio resource footprint low. A key point in the proposed system mode is that the reliability of multicast video services is ensured by means of an Unequal Error Protection implementation of the Network Coding (UEP-NC) scheme. In addition, both the communication parameters and the UEP-NC scheme are jointly optimized by the proposed resource allocation framework. Numerical results show that the proposed allocation framework can significantly increase the service coverage when compared to a conventional Multi-rate Transmission (MrT) strategy.Comment: Proc. of IEEE ICC 2015 - Mobile and Wireless Networking Symposium, to appea

Cement of Our Union: Hamilton, the Treasury, and the Federalist Party

This thesis examines the impact of Alexander Hamilton and the policies he proposed and implemented as Secretary of the Treasury on the emergence and rise of the Federalist Party. This was achieved both by examination of the content of Hamilton’s financial plans as well as the responses they provoked. Both the support of fellow Federalists and the opposition of those who eventually became the Democratic-Republicans provide insight into the forces driving the partisan split. Information was drawn from both primary and secondary sources, including the writings of Hamilton and his contemporaries as well as subsequent studies of his life and work. The evidence of these sources points to a substantial role for Hamilton in the timing and nature of the formation of the Federalist Party in addition to its political positions. His vision of a unified republic built on a strong commercial foundation set the trajectory for the party and for the nation as a whole

Altered Stories, Altered Lives: An Exploration of Post Traumatic Growth from A Narrative Perspective with a Strengths Based Focus

Complex trauma is prevalent, underrecognized, and difficult to treat. Left untreated, the ongoing negative consequences impact individuals, families and society. Literature indicates traditional modes of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder have high attrition rates and are ineffective for approximately 30% of clients (Schouten et al., 2018). Art Therapy provides the opportunity to offer effective, well tolerated treatment for ongoing adverse consequences of trauma symptoms and recontextualization of the trauma due to the highly nonverbal nature of trauma memory (Hass-Cohen et al., 2014). A nested mixed methods design (Neubauer et al., 2019) combining arts-based research with pre and posttest survey analysis gathered detailed, phenomenological information from a single case study of a 60-year-old female trauma survivor. This study investigated her experience of trauma and movement towards post traumatic growth through the collection of data from art, participant feedback, and survey analysis. Results from this single case narrative, arts based inquiry produced improvements in several post-trauma recovery markers (Hass-Cohen et.al, 2014) including self-identified character strengths and yielded support for the significance of the fear/shame bind which is often hidden from consciousness even for clients who have undergone intensive trauma treatment. Further research using the nested mixed methods approach is needed to understand the fear/shame bind including adaptation to groups, which could provide a deeper understanding of the benefits of ongoing recovery support

Interrogating the prevention approach of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 for people with mental health needs who are homeless

Rates of homelessness and poor mental health present significant challenges across the globe. In this article, we explore how these intersecting issues have been addressed in Wales through Part 2 of the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 through a paradigm shift towards a prevention model. This article reports findings from a study (conducted between 2016 and 2018) which evaluated the processes and impacts of the Act against the backdrop of welfare reform and systemic changes taking place in Wales and the UK. Using new evidence, we offer a critical examination of how homelessness prevention policy operates in practice and how social values and power affect policy implementation. We offer new evidence of the translation of policy into practice through the experiences of two stakeholder groups: people with mental health needs and service providers. In doing so, we offer a critique of how policy and practice could be modified to improve outcomes for homeless people with implications for prevention policy in Wales and in other contexts and different welfare regimes

Effects of Cooperative Learning on Middle School Inclusion Students\u27 State Mathematics Test Performance

This research study was conducted to determine whether cooperative learning increased the percentage of middle school inclusion students who performed at basic or proficient levels of mathematics test. A descriptive analysis was chosen to examine mathematics state test performance pre and post the implementation of cooperative learning in inclusive middle schools. Cooperative learning was initiated in the state in the 2011-2012 school year. The data on mathematics state test performance for the selected site were public records on the department of education website for 2009-2013. The results indicated that cooperative learning impacted disabled students\u27 performance positively and to a greater extent than to non disabled students. It also implied that introducing it early sixth or seventh grade was more impactful than initiating it in eighth grade. There is also the likelihood of the effects of the implementation dip, where the year of implementation shows growth followed by a drop