A scientific approach to microphone placement for cymbals in live sound

Current practice regarding overhead microphone placement on drum kits at live events is largely informed by personal experience and industry-standard practice, where there seems to be a lack of scientific evidence supporting these placements. This research addresses this by first recordings from points around different cymbals which are struck by three types of drumsticks. The measurements are processed in MATLAB to produce visual representations of the auditory data. The work puts forward evidence that cymbal radiation patterns are dependent on shape, size, profile and striking method while the attack and sustain are primarily dependent on cymbal weight. Ideal overhead microphone placement diagrams are generated based on these results to give live sound engineers a quick reference guide for best practice at live events

The influence of intraspecific variation in host plants on arthropod and fungal endophyte communities

An appreciation for intraspecific variation is central to the study of evolutionary biology, however community ecologists have often assumed equivalence among conspecific organisms. In recent years, intraspecific genetic variation, particularly in plants, has received more attention, and has been linked to variation in plant-associated biotic assemblages and ecosystem function. However, in many cases, the phenotypic variation associated with influential genetic variation is unknown. In particular, which traits represent ecological filters that can shape assembly of associated biota is poorly understood for many plant species. The research presented here addresses this gap in knowledge through observational studies and experiments conducted using three focal plant species. I begin with a brief summary of relevant theory and the state of knowledge regarding the effect of plant traits on arthropod and microbial communities. In Chapter One, I ask how variation in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) affects the larval performance and oviposition preference of the Melissa blue butterfly (Lycaeides melissa), and if among patch variation in plant suitability can explain regional colonization patterns of alfalfa by the Melissa blue. In Chapter Two, I ask how intraspecific, and intra-individual variation among redwood trees (Sequoia sempervirens) can affect foliar fungal communities. In Chapter Three, I determine the relative influence of host-associated variation, abiotic conditions, and interspecific microbial interactions for shaping fungal endophyte communities in spotted locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus). Finally, in Chapter Four, I return to alfalfa to ask which plant traits affect the diversity of arthropods and foliar fungi at small spatial scales. Each chapter provides evidence for the filtering effect of plant intraspecific variation on associated biotic communities. I conclude with a brief statement regarding the benefits of considering intraspecific variation in studies of community ecology and, more generally, the inferential opportunity hidden within ecological complexity

A Recipe for Literacy: Making Meaning Through Cake

Within this article, we explore cake artistry as a means of demonstrating a process of meaning-making (Starratt, 1996). We contend that the cakes themselves are tactile examples of literacy events (Heath, 1982) due to the embodiment and relationality present within their design process (Johnson et al., 2020). This article discusses two unique cakes that explore elements of literacy related to storytelling, personal reflection, and emotional expression. We, the authors, strive to position literacy, as explored through cakes, within a post-humanist perspective and provide an opportunity for authentic engagement and humanized/ing actions with meaning-making (Beucher et al., 2019; Garrett et al., 2019; Perry & Medina, 2015). We hope that this article will encourage our readers to think about literacy differently as well as what it means to be “literate” within different professions.  

A Practical Deep Learning-Based Acoustic Side Channel Attack on Keyboards

With recent developments in deep learning, the ubiquity of micro-phones and the rise in online services via personal devices, acoustic side channel attacks present a greater threat to keyboards than ever. This paper presents a practical implementation of a state-of-the-art deep learning model in order to classify laptop keystrokes, using a smartphone integrated microphone. When trained on keystrokes recorded by a nearby phone, the classifier achieved an accuracy of 95%, the highest accuracy seen without the use of a language model. When trained on keystrokes recorded using the video-conferencing software Zoom, an accuracy of 93% was achieved, a new best for the medium. Our results prove the practicality of these side channel attacks via off-the-shelf equipment and algorithms. We discuss a series of mitigation methods to protect users against these series of attacks.Comment: This paper was already accepted in 2023 IEEE European Symposium on Security and Privacy Workshop, SiLM'23 (EuroS&PW

The Relative Value of AER P&P Economic Education Papers

The CEE had been allocated one session in the AER Papers and Proceedings (P&P) since 1964. In 2008, the American Economic Association evaluated the allocation of AER Papers and Proceedings sessions to various AEA Committees. In response, the CEE was asked to prepare a one-page rationale for keeping that session. Their response (Committee on Economic Education, 2008) made several important defenses of the session, including that the quality of the papers published in these sessions must speak for itself. In this paper, we propose to evaluate the relative quality of AER P&P papers through citation analysis. Using the Social Science Citation Index, the citation counts of CEE AER P&P papers are compared to other papers included in the issue

A1_7 No Strings Attached

This paper will discuss the possibility of using electromagnetic phenomena to levitate the author of this paper by inducing a safe and non-lethal current through her. It is found that if the current is at a non-lethal level, then the magnetic field required for levitation is 1670 T and if the current is safe, then the magnetic field needed is 3.33×108 T. Both of these magnetic fields are far larger than those available on Earth with current technology. However, by investigating magnetic levitation using a superconductor, the magnetic field strength required is minimised to 0.0457 T

A1_1 Making a house go ‘Up’!

This paper will find that the number of helium balloons required to lift Carl’s house is around 456, 000 by using displacement and Archimedes’ Principle, therefore requiring over 20 times the amount of helium in Earth’s atmosphere. Continuing from this, the suggestion of using 423, 000 hydrogen balloons is made, as the synthesis of hydrogen via electrolysis of water could provide the 48,000 m3 of the gas