Power Efficient FFT Implementation for a Real Time Spectrum Analyser

Peer reviewe

Relationships of developmental traits in young alpaca crias and lambs

Successful reproduction in alpacas is highly dependent upon postnatal survival, which in turn is dependent upon a pattern of continuous gain in weight as an indicator of health. Weighing alpacas is the primary method used to assess their general health. Unfortunately, the measurement of cria weight is not always a simple, routine, or easy determination. The purpose of this study was to determine if, as in other species such as cattle and horses, morphometric body measurements can be used to estimate weight. In this study, continuous weight and girth measurements were taken on 34 alpaca cria. Age and girth were shown to be good predictors of weight in male and female Suri alpaca. However, in Huacaya alpaca, girth did not account for much variation not accounted for age in either male or female cria. This could have been due to the small sampling size of Huacaya alpaca. Overall, girth could be used in a predictive equation to estimate weight; individual relationships exist for males and females of the same breed and therefore the equations for the sexes would be different. Early rumen development will affect body weight measures as rumen volume changes and may need to be considered. Rumen development and functionality was examined via ultrasonography and fecal sampling in nine lambs of comparable ages. Rumen area and volume, as determined from ultrasonographic measurements, increased with time with a somewhat more rapid increase in growth occurring between days 40 and 50 of age. In vitro true digestibility of fecal samples decreased, demonstrating that the lambs\u27 own ability to digest fiber increased over the sampling period. Tracking rumen development via ultrasound is a feasible method. The fecal sample data supported the conclusions drawn from the ultrasound images. However, fecal fiber analysis is still a better method to track rumen maturity. With possible improvement to the ultrasound method and more practice, this method could be used to track rumen maturity

A Semi-Analytical Model of Visible-Wavelength Phase Curves of Exoplanets and Applications to Kepler-7 b and Kepler-10 b

Kepler has detected numerous exoplanet transits by precise measurements of stellar light in a single visible-wavelength band. In addition to detection, the precise photometry provides phase curves of exoplanets, which can be used to study the dynamic processes on these planets. However, the interpretation of these observations can be complicated by the fact that visible-wavelength phase curves can represent both thermal emission and scattering from the planets. Here we present a semi-analytical model framework that can be applied to study Kepler and future visible-wavelength phase curve observations of exoplanets. The model efficiently computes reflection and thermal emission components for both rocky and gaseous planets, considering both homogeneous and inhomogeneous surfaces or atmospheres. We analyze the phase curves of the gaseous planet Kepler-7 b and the rocky planet Kepler-10 b using the model. In general, we find that a hot exoplanet's visible-wavelength phase curve having a significant phase offset can usually be explained by two classes of solutions: one class requires a thermal hot spot shifted to one side of the substellar point, and the other class requires reflective clouds concentrated on the same side of the substellar point. The two solutions would require very different Bond albedos to fit the same phase curve; atmospheric circulation models or eclipse observations at longer wavelengths can effectively rule out one class of solutions, and thus pinpoint the albedo of the planet, allowing decomposition of the reflection and the thermal emission components in the phase curve. Particularly for Kepler-7 b, reflective clouds located on the west side of the substellar point can best explain its phase curve. We further derive that the reflectivity of the clear part of the atmosphere should be less than 7% and that of the cloudy part should be greater than 80% (abridged)Comment: 16 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

A study of the relationship between the leadership styles of principals in smaller learning communities, the number of structures and strategic configurations and the rates of student success of 9th graders

This study examines the relationship between the leadership styles of principals in smaller learning communities and rates of ninth grade students\u27 success. To examine this relationship, the Leadership Behavior Description Questionnaire was used to collect data from ninth grade teachers regarding the principal\u27s leadership style. This survey was used along with a demographic questionnaire given to the principals that collected information regarding the age, gender, number of years experience, highest degree earned, certification, and ninth grade student achievement data. These surveys were sent to 302 public high schools that qualified for a Smaller Learning Communities (SLC) Grant in 2003. The schools include Cohort A (204 schools) and Cohort B (98 schools). The principals delivered the surveys to their ninth grade teachers, and the teachers completed them and returned them in a self-addressed stamped envelope. Responses were received from 456 teachers and 124 high school administrators. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, ANOVA, MANOVA, including normality, homogeneity of variance/covariance were assessed. Pearson\u27s correlation coefficients and cross-tabulations were used to examine patterns in the data.;Major research findings indicate a large percentage (48.5 percent) of principals did not use a particular style of leadership, and their leadership did not significantly impact student achievement. With respect to leadership styles, it was found that principals from high schools in Smaller Learning Communities (Cohort 3), used a multi-frame approach (31.1 percent), followed by the single-frame (11.1 percent), and finally the paired-frame (9 percent) approaches. Another significant finding was that learning achievement in algebra of students from smaller schools was significantly higher than that of students from larger schools.;Recommendations from this study include implementation of professional development activities for principals from large high schools that includes an increased awareness of their personal leadership orientation, as well as development of multi-frame leadership practices in order to improve their leadership effectiveness

Dual Band Electrodes in Generator-Collector Mode: Simultaneous Measurement of Two Species

A computational model for the simulation of a double band collector-generator experiment is applied to the situation where two electrochemical reactions occur concurrently. It is shown that chronoamperometric measurements can be used to take advantage of differences in diffusion coefficients to measure the concentrations of both electroactive species simultaneously, by measuring the time at which the collection efficiency reaches a specific value. The separation of the electrodes is shown to not affect the sensitivity of the method (in terms of percentage changes in the measured time to reach the specified collection efficiency), but wider gaps can provide a greater range of (larger) absolute values of this characteristic time. It is also shown that measuring the time taken to reach smaller collection efficiencies can allow for the detection of smaller amounts of whichever species diffuses faster. The case of a system containing both ascorbic acid and opamine in water is used to exemplify the method, and it is shown that mole fractions of ascorbic acid between 0.055 and 0.96 can, in principle, be accurately measured.Comment: 34 pages, 8 figure

Evaluation of an Innovative Student-Led Work Disability Prevention Program

A university-based, role-emerging fieldwork placement for occupational therapy students has been developed to provide work disability prevention services for university managers and workers. Over five years, 24 students have provided holistic interventions across 18 departments. The purpose of this project was to formally evaluate the perceptions of the program and the impact of services on managers and workers and to examine the experience of participating students. A utilization-focused evaluation approach was used as the guiding framework for this project. Methods included a retrospective review of reports and educational materials, a manager and worker survey, and a review of results from an existing student survey. The retrospective review of reports and educational materials demonstrated that students utilized a comprehensive and holistic lens that considered the interaction between the person, environment, and occupation. Workers and managers reported they were satisfied and found that services were beneficial. The majority reported changing their work setup or work habits after receiving student services to prevent workplace disability. Students reported overwhelmingly positive responses about the placement, with 96% (n=23) of students agreeing that they had an excellent experience and 100% (n=24) of students agreeing they were able to use their acquired knowledge. This paper describes the formal evaluation process and the outcomes of the project. Findings support the benefits of a partnership with human resources and occupational therapy in developing a role-emerging placement that benefits students, workers, and the organization and promotes the value of occupational therapy in workplace disability prevention and health promotion

Spacious Minds, Empty Selves: Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community

Mental health in the Tibetan refugee community has been studied extensively; but like most research on political violence, these studies focus almost exclusively on trauma. We know little about those who manage to thrive and what kinds of sociocultural practices enhance their resilience. This dissertation, "Spacious Minds, Empty Selves: Coping and Resilience in the Tibetan Exile Community" investigates how Buddhism and other sociocultural factors support coping and resilience among Tibetan refugees living in Dharamsala, India. In contrast to other work that focuses exclusively on trauma, the aim of this project was to examine the broad range of reactions to political violence, exploring how people thrive in the face of adversity. Drawing on 14 months of extended participant observation and 80 in-depth interviews conducted in the Tibetan language, this project investigates how communities through social processes cope in the context of political violence and resettlement. The study draws upon and aims to extend theory in three distinct but overlapping areas: 1) trauma and resilience; 2) the anthropology of memory and temporality; and 3) the transferability of interventions across cultures. The dissertation argues that the Tibetan concept of resilience is more an active process than a personality attribute. Seeing emotions as impermanent and changing, Tibetans living in exile are reticent to dwell on distress, which seems only to stagnate or prolong suffering. Rather than processing the details of traumatic events, members of this community attempt to transform distress through cultural practices that emphasize compassion and impermanence. Many forms of coping in Dharamsala work to create a greater sense of spaciousness, openness and flexibility within the mind--qualities associated with resilience and wellbeing. In practicing flexibility, the durability of negative emotions is diminished, such that the encoding of trauma is derailed and disrupted. The contribution I make involves using a "resilience imaginary" as a fruitful site for pushing the boundaries of how we understand human freedom and agency