Graduate Music Education

This essay on graduate music education is in response to an article by David Hebert on challenges and solutions in online music teacher education that appeared in the online journal, Research and Issues in Music Education, 5(1). I found the article stimulating because so little has been written on the topic of music teacher education at the graduate level. It appears that graduate music education in institutions of higher learning is locked into traditions that online programs are ready to challenge. In this essay I consider this challenge from a traditionalist viewpoint to determine if an online approach is a feasible option to music education at the doctorate and master\u27s levels. Specifically, I seek to determine what the nature of graduate degrees in music education are or should be, if online and traditional curricula are in agreement in fulfilling these requirements, and if some variant or compromise is appropriate in developing music teachers at the graduate level

Resonant Scattering of Emission Lines in Coronal Loops: Effects on Image Morphology and Line Ratios

We have investigated the effects of resonant scattering of emission lines on the image morphology and intensity from coronal loop structures. It has previously been shown that line of sight effects in optically thin line emission can yield loop images that appear uniformly bright at one viewing angle, but show ``looptop sources'' at other viewing angles. For optically thick loops where multiple resonant scattering is important, we use a 3D Monte Carlo radiation transfer code. Our simulations show that the intensity variation across the image is more uniform than the optically thin simulation and, depending on viewing angle, the intensity may be lower or higher than that predicted from optically thin simulations due to scattering out of or into the line of sight.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Changes in Rainfall Patterns in Kentucky During the 1980\u27s

Annual rainfall patterns in Kentucky have not been average during the 1980\u27s. During this timespan there have been two droughts of statewide significance, and there has been wide variability within the state during most years. Because of this wide fluctuation, there has been some concern that rainfall patterns either are changing or have changed. In order to evaluate this concern, rainfall data from sites in western, south central, north central, east central, and eastern Kentucky were analyzed. An average amount of rainfall which would be predicted for these sites was calculated, using the average of that which fell annually from approximately 1960-1980. Average of that which fell annually from 1981-1986 was calculated to use for comparison with the long-term average to determine if rainfall during the 1980\u27s has changed from that which would have been predicted. Additionally, rainfall amounts were calculated for the periods December-March and April-November. This was done in order to determine if any changes in annual distribution of rainfall had also taken place during the 1980\u27s. The reason for selecting the period December-March is that rainfall which occurs during this period recharges groundwater and contributes greatly to streamflow throughout the year. Total rainfall averages for the 1970\u27s were also calculated as another comparison for that of the 1980\u27s

Varying Calcium Abundances in Solar Flares seen by Solar Maximum Mission

We report on calcium abundance $A({\rm Ca})$ estimates during the decay phases of 194 solar X-ray flares using archived data from the Bent Crystal Spectrometer (BCS) on Solar Maximum Mission (operational 1980~--~1989). The abundances are derived from the ratio of the total calcium X-ray line emission in BCS channel~1 to that in neighboring continuum, with temperature from a satellite-to-resonance line ratio. Generally the calcium abundance is found to be about three times the photospheric abundance, as previously found, indicating a ``FIP'' (first ionization potential) effect for calcium which has a relatively low FIP value. The precision of the abundance estimates (referred to hydrogen on a logarithmic scale with $A({\rm H}) = 12$), is typically $\sim \pm 0.01$, enabling any time variations of $A({\rm Ca})$ during the flare decay to be examined. For a total of 270 short time segments with $A({\rm Ca})$ determined to better than 2.3\% accuracy, many (106; 39\%) showed variations in $A({\rm Ca})$ at the $3\sigma$ level. For the majority, 74 (70\%) of these 106 segments $A({\rm Ca})$ decreased with time, and for 32 (30\%) $A({\rm Ca})$ increased with time. For 79 out of 270 (29\%) we observed constant or nearly constant $A({\rm Ca})$, and the remaining 85 (31\%) with irregular time behavior. A common feature was the presence of discontinuities in the time behavior of $A({\rm Ca})$. Relating these results to the ponderomotive force theory of Laming, we attribute the nature of varying $A({\rm Ca})$ to the emergence of loop structures in addition to the initial main loop, each with its characteristic calcium abundance.Comment: Astrophysical Journal (to be published). 14 pages with 8 figure

Effects of Housing System on Dairy Heifer Replacement Cost from Birth to Calving: Evaluating Costs of Confinement, Dry-Lot, and Pasture-Based Systems and Their Impact on Total Rearing Investment

Replacement heifer rearing is critical for the future of dairy operations, to improve genetic merit and maintain herd size. A myriad of options exist on how to manage, feed, and ultimately raise replacement heifers. Pasture is perceived to offer optimal welfare and an economical housing system for replacement animals, but confinement systems are gaining popularity. This study investigates the costs associated with replacement heifer management decisions from birth to calving, considering the factors of housing systems, labor, feed, and health. The objective of this study was to develop an economic model to determine the cost of raising a replacement heifer managed in confinement, dry-lot, and pasture-based scenarios post-weaning. We accounted for variation in feed, labor, and health inputs and quantified the impact of these individual management decisions. An economic simulation with 10,000 iterations were completed for each situation using @Risk and PrecisionTree add-ons (Palisade Corporation, Ithaca, NY) where health incidence, commodity prices, and management variables were made stochastic. Published literature or sample farm data created parameters used in Pert distributions. Costs and biological responses were reflective of published surveys, literature, and market conditions. Management decision inputs had 3 main factors: housing type, ration composition, and labor utilization. Housing systems were calculated separately for confinement, dry-lot, and pasture scenarios. The mean total cost (min, max) to raise a replacement heifer from birth to calving, assuming the same pre-weaning strategy of group housing with an automatic calf feeder, was found to be $1,919.02 ($1,777.25, $2,100.57),$1,593.57 ($1,490.30,$1,737.26), and $1,335.84 ($1,266.69, $1,423.94) for confinement, dry-lot, and pasture, respectively. Total housing cost per replacement heifer was$423.05, $117.96, and$207.96 for confinement, dry-lot, and pasture management systems, respectively. When compared to total cost, housing contributed 21% for confinement, 7% for dry-lot, and 15% for pasture. Upon analysis of all scenarios, utilizing pasture to raise heifers resulted in a lower overall cost when compared to confinement housing options. Percentage breakdowns of feed, labor, housing, and fixed and variable costs provided more information on efficiency rather than total cost, which makes each situation different in relation to on-farm cost. This cost analysis is critical to assisting farms in making decisions in the utilization of their resources for replacement dairy heifers

The Full-sky Astrometric Mapping Explorer -- Astrometry for the New Millennium

FAME is designed to perform an all-sky, astrometric survey with unprecedented accuracy. It will create a rigid astrometric catalog of 4x10^7 stars with 5 < m_V < 15. For bright stars, 5 < m_V < 9, FAME will determine positions and parallaxes accurate to < 50 microarcseconds, with proper motion errors < 50 microarcseconds/year. For fainter stars, 9 < m_V < 15, FAME will determine positions and parallaxes accurate to < 500 microarcseconds, with proper motion errors < 500 microarcseconds/year. It will also collect photometric data on these 4 x 10^7 stars in four Sloan DSS colors.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in "Working on the Fringe

Evaluation Nonlinear Soil Response In Situ

Evaluation of nonlinear soil properties is an important concern in geotechnical earthquake engineering. Typically, nonlinear properties are expressed in terms of the nonlinear reduction in shear and constrained moduli with strain and the nonlinear increase in material damping in shear and constrained compression with strain. At this time, there is essentially total dependency on laboratory testing to evaluate nonlinear soil properties. The accuracy and limitations involved in modeling in situ properties with laboratory evaluated properties remains to be studied. In an attempt to evaluate nonlinear soil properties directly in the field, an in situ test method is being developed at the University of Texas that dynamically loads a soil deposit while simultaneously measuring strains, soil properties, and pore water pressures. Initial testing with this method has focused on vertically loading an unsaturated sandy soil, evaluating the magnitude of induced strains, and assessing the variation of constrained modulus (in terms of compression wave velocity, VP) with effective vertical stress and vertical strain. Preliminary results show that the test method can be used to: (1) evaluate the increase in small-strain VP with increasing vertical effective stress, (2) induce nonlinear compressional and shear strains, and (3) evaluate the nonlinear reduction in VP with increasing vertical strain