Exploring Literature Through Music: A Graduate Recital Of Nineteenth-And Twentieth- Century Vocal Literature

As demonstrated in the four pieces chosen for this program, Strauss’s art songs are useful learning tools for a singer’s introduction to the technical demands required to learn and perform in his operas

Second-Order Ambiguity in Very Low Probability Risks: Food Safety Valuation

Food consumption involves inherently risky decisions with uncertain probabilities. This study examines how second-order ambiguity, or uncertainty over probabilities, affects food safety decisions. We conduct a food safety survey wherein subjects face both unambiguous and ambiguous situations, each with the same expected value. Respondents show a preference for unambiguous situations and state a willingness to pay to avoid ambiguityambiguity, ambiguity avoidance, expected utility theory, food safety, low probability events, risk, second-order probabilities, uncertainty, Risk and Uncertainty,

Identification of myocardial infarction using consumer smartwatch ECG measurement

The goal of this thesis is to detect and classify acute myocardial infarctions from smartwatch ECG data. As the smartwatches have been increasing in numbers, and many of new smartwatch models have capability to detect ECG data. This study aims to answer to the question whether or not the ECG data from smartwatches can be used to detect acute myocardial infarctions. To answer to this question, and existing database has been used in tandem with smartwatch ECG data gathered from two different smartwatches. Five different machine learning models have been used to detect and classify ECG data. The best performing machine learning model was Extra Trees, which achieved accuracy of 90.84% with using Leave-One-Out Cross-Validation. These results show that ECG data from smartwatches could be used to detect infarctions. Measuring ECG with smartwatch is much easier than using clinical ECG measurement devices, meaning that ECG measuring could reach much wider audience that it has prior to this been able to reach. Further research could include gathering larger database from smartwatch ECG, and the data ownership of smartwatch, and other medical and biological data that companies collect

Uroloogia. MRT ja ultraheli ühendmeetodi kasutamine eesnäärmebiopsias

Eesti Arst 2017; 96(6):35

cAMP-sõltuva proteiinkinaasi katalüütilise alaühiku allosteerika

Väitekirja elektrooniline versioon ei sisalda publikatsiooneInformatsiooni omamine ja selle edastamine on määrava tähtsusega kõikide keeruliste süsteemide toimimisel. Nii on see ka eluslooduses, kus toimub infovahetus nii rakkude vahel kui ka rakkude sees. Antud doktoritöö on keskendunud ühele rakus infot edastavale ensüümile, nimega cAMP sõltuv proteiinkinaas (proteiinkinaas A). Kinaasid on valgud, mis reguleerivad teiste valkude omadusi, kinnitades nende külge ATP molekulist pärineva fosforhappe jäägi. Selle reaktsiooni tulemusena teised valgud kas aktiveeruvad või inaktiveeruvad, või muutub nende asukoht rakus. Inimese genoomis on 518 kinaasi, millel kõigil on omad ülesanded. Nende ülesannete täitmiseks peab kinaas ära tundma oma toime märklaua, st teise valgu, mille aktiivsust ta muutma peab. See molekulide omavaheline äratundmine toimub valkude kokkupuudete kaudu, mille toimumise kohad omavad kindlat keemilist struktuuri ning mida nimetatakse sidumistsentriteks. Samadele sidumiskohtadele võivad seonduda ka muud molekulid, takistades või soodustades valgumolekuli funktsioneerimist, ning neid nimetatakse inhibiitoriteks ja aktivaatoriteks. Samal valgul võib olla ka mitu sidumiskohta. Rohkem kui 60 aastat tagasi avastati, et kui valgu pinnale on juba üks molekul seostunud, võib see oluliselt mõjutada järgnevate molekulide seostumist. Kui sidumist mõjutavad ja järgnevalt seostuvad molekul on erinevad, siis nimetatakse sellist regulatsiooni allosteeriaks. Kuigi selliseid nähtusi on kirjeldatud juba aastakümneid, ei mõisteta nende olemust täielikult tänapäevani. Selles doktoritöös uuriti allosteerilisi nähtusi proteiinkinaas A näitel, mille regulatsioon on määrava tähtsusega rakus toimuvate protsesside suunamisel. Leidsime, et allosteeriline efekt sõltub ligandide struktuurist ja selle kaudu nende valguga seostumise tugevusest ning ilmselt ka sellest, kuidas taoline sidumine muudab valgumolekuli struktuuri võnkumisi. On esitatud oletus, et allosteeriline regulatsioon toimibki valgu dünaamiliste omaduste muutmise kaudu. Tulemuste saamiseks oli vajalik luua uudne metodika, mis võimaldab iseloomustada molekulide seondumist valgule ning mõõta erinevate ligandide mõju sidumisele ning selle kaudu iseloomustada allosteerilist efekti.The ability to store and exchange information is an essential feature present in complex systems. The same principle is also true in living organisms, where information is exchanged between cells and even cell compartments. The present thesis explores one of such information forwarding enzymes in cells, namely cAMP-dependent protein kinase (PKA). Kinases are proteins that can regulate characteristics of other proteins by adding a phosporyl group to their structure. This reaction can modulate various aspects of proteins, for example their activity, cellular location or degradation timing. All 518 kinases encoded in human DNA have their specific duties to fulfill. To accomplish this, kinases must specifically identify and subsequently modify their target molecules. This ability depends on specific chemical interactions at the binding interfaces between protein kinases and their target proteins. Other molecules, called activators or inhibitors, can bind to the same binding sites, improving or hindering the proteins‘ function. There can be one or several binding sites on a protein surface. More than 60 years ago it was discovered that binding of a molecule to a protein surface can affect subsequent binding of another molecule which binds to a different binding site. This regulation mechanism is called allostery if the molecules that sequentially bind to a protein are different. Although this phenomenon has been known for decades, it is still not fully understood. In this thesis, allosteric phenomenon was studied in case of PKA. Regulation of this enzyme is important as it plays a significant role as a signal forwarding system in cells. We found that allosteric effect depends on binding affinity which is linked to ligand structure. Data analysis suggested that allostery mainly arises through modulation of protein intrinsic movements, shortly by freezing protein, that is in compex with its binding partners, into a tightly packed conformation. To reach these conclusions, a novel method for detection of ligands in different conditions was developed during the preparation of this thesis

Ray Tracing Methods for Point Cloud Rendering

State of the art scanning and capturing devices are able to produce surface point cloud models of a wide range of real world objects. The visualization and rendering of enormous point clouds with millions or billions of points is demanding. VR- and AR-applications can utilize embedded real world objects in generating visually pleasing and immersive virtual worlds. In order to achieve convincing real life equivalents in VR, rendering techniques that can replicate realistic material and lighting effects are needed. This can be achieved by utilizing ray tracing methods to render the virtual world onto a monitor or a head-mounted display. Virtual reality applications need real-time stereoscopic rendering with high frame rates and resolution to produce a realistic and comfortable experience. This sets high demands on a point cloud ray tracing pipeline, which needs efficient intersection testing between rays and point cloud models. An easily intersectable global surface can be reconstructed from the point cloud model with, e.g., triangle mesh reconstruction. However, this can be computationally demanding and even wasteful if parts of the model are out of view or occluded. Direct point cloud ray tracing methods consider local features of the point cloud to generate intersectable surfaces only when needed. In this thesis, we survey and compare different methods for directly ray tracing point cloud models without global surface reconstruction. Methods are compared with asymptotic complexity analysis and it is concluded that direct ray tracing of point clouds can be computationally more efficient compared to global surface reconstruction

Teaching World Languages with and for Social Justice

Language learning does not occur in a political, social, cultural, or historical vacuum. To learn a foreign language is to learn another way to see the world and to gain a glimpse into another’s perspectives, history, and culture. Since their inception within the United States, far too many world language programs have not strayed from teaching vocabulary, grammar, and stagnant interpretations of culture due to a perceived lack of space in the curriculum or low linguistic abilities of their students. In the last two decades, multiple world language educators and scholars (e.g., Johnson & Randolph, 2017; Glynn, Wesley & Wassell, 2014; Osborn, 2006) have pointed to the importance of recognizing the political nature of language study and using a critical approach to curriculum development by teaching world languages through the lens of Social Justice. In this project Professor Roberts and I use this existing claim as a foundation to highlight the importance of teaching Social Justice in the introductory world language classroom. We argue that as students are being introduced to Spanish, Social Justice pedagogy creates a space where language is acquired alongside intercultural competency and an understanding of past and present injustices seen within and directed towards the diverse Spanish-speaking world and its communities. In addition to researching and studying the existing theoretical frameworks and literature relating to the topic, I am also creating a curriculum that accompanies the Spanish 1001/1002/1003 introductory courses to demonstrate how Social Justice pedagogy can - and should - be used to guide and enrich the early stages of language acquisition.https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/urs_2021/1004/thumbnail.jp

Life around the Great Circle; or, Moorhead State College before J. J. Neumaier

Karen Kivi, Moorhead State University, Moorhead State College, Moorhead State Teachers College, Sarah Hougham, Elsie Leehttps://red.mnstate.edu/histories/1008/thumbnail.jp

Algoritminen tienpinnan tilan mallinnus

In this work we aim to present algorithms for determining the depth of water or thickness of ice on the road surface from the short-wave infrared absorption spectra of the layer for a Vaisala mobile road sensor prototype. First we build a general understanding of the measurement situation and present a novel, reliable method for the reference measurement of both water and ice layers. Finally, we present two potential algorithms. The first one is based on a rudimentary physical model of the measurement situation while the second features a more data-driven approach. The performance of both of these algorithms is benchmarked against a baseline algorithm. The data-driven approach produces most promising results, as it leverages well the extensive reference measurement.Tämän työn tavoitteena on kehittää algoritmeja tienpinnalla olevien vesi- ja jääkerrosten paksuuden määrittämiseksi näiden lähi-infrapuna-alueen absorptiospektrejä mittaamalla. Algoritmien toimintaa testataan Vaisalan kehittämällä tiesääanturiprototyypillä. Käymme ensin läpi kerrospaksuuksien mittaamisen perusteet ja mittaustilanteen yleisellä tasolla. Esittelemme myös uuden, tarkan referenssimittausmeneltelmän kontrolloitujen vesi- ja jääkerrosten luomiseen ja mittaamiseen laboratorioolosuhteissa. Lopuksi esittelemme kaksi ehdokasta kerrospaksuusalgoritmiksi. Ensimmäinen näistä perustuu alkeelliseen fysikaaliseen malliin mittaustilanteesta, kun taas toisessa on datalähtöisempi lähestymistapa. Datalähtöinen menetelmä tuottaa lopulta lupaavimpia tuloksia, koska se pystyy hyödyntämään tehokkaasti uuden referenssimittauksen tuloksia