Chip-firing groups of iterated cones

Let $\Gamma$ be a finite graph and let $\Gamma_n$ be the "$n$th cone over $\Gamma$" (i.e., the join of $\Gamma$ and the complete graph $K_n$). We study the asymptotic structure of the chip-firing group $\text{Pic}^0(\Gamma_n)$.Comment: 8 pages. v4: added Remark 1.

Model Block Press

The Center for Vocational Building Technology came to the Mechanical Engineering department at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a project to create a new, less expensive model block press than their current BP9 design. This press would produce ¼ scale model compressed earth blocks to be sold as souvenirs and used in demonstrations for constructing buildings. After analyzing the design of the current block presses, JCM came up with the BP10 design. The BP10 operates similarly to the larger block presses, but will cost significantly less to produce and will have some of the design features enhanced to make it easier to use

Can older people remember medication reminders presented using synthetic speech?

Reminders are often part of interventions to help older people adhere to complicated medication regimes. Computer-generated (synthetic) speech is ideal for tailoring reminders to different medication regimes. Since synthetic speech may be less intelligible than human speech, in particular under difficult listening conditions, we assessed how well older people can recall synthetic speech reminders for medications. 44 participants aged 50-80 with no cognitive impairment recalled reminders for one or four medications after a short distraction. We varied background noise, speech quality, and message design. Reminders were presented using a human voice and two synthetic voices. Data were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Reminder recall was satisfactory if reminders were restricted to one familiar medication, regardless of the voice used. Repeating medication names supported recall of lists of medications. We conclude that spoken reminders should build on familiar information and be integrated with other adherence support measures. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: [email protected] numbered affiliations see end of article

The 2010 AOP Workshop Summary Report

The rationale behind the current workshop, which was hosted by Biospherical Instruments Inc. (BSI), was to update the community and get community input with respect to the following: topics not addressed during the first workshop, specifically the processing of above-water apparent optical property (AOP data) within the Processing of Radiometric Observations of Seawater using Information Technologies (PROSIT) architecture; PROSIT data processing issues that have developed or tasks that have been completed, since the first workshop; and NASA instrumentation developments, both above- and in-water, that are relevant to both workshops and next generation mission planning. The workshop emphasized presentations on new AOP instrumentation, desired and required features for processing above-water measurements of the AOPs of seawater, working group discussions, and a community update for the in-water data processing already present in PROSIT. The six working groups were organized as follows: a) data ingest and data products; b) required and desired features for optically shallow and optically deep waters; c) contamination rejection (clouds), corrections, and data filtering; d) sun photometry and polarimetry; e) instrumentation networks; and f) hyperspectral versus fixed-wavelength sensors. The instrumentation networks working group was intended to provide more detailed information about desired and required features of autonomous sampling systems. Plenary discussions produced a number of recommendations for evolving and documenting PROSIT

A gendered Profession, the question of representation in placemaking

The issue of gender inequality in architecture has been part of the profession’s discourse for many years, yet the continuing gender imbalance in architectural education and practice remains a difficult subject. This book seeks to change that. It provides the first ever attempt to move the debate about gender in architecture beyond the tradition of gender-segregated diagnostic or critical discourse on the debate towards something more propositional, actionable and transformative. To do this, A Gendered Profession brings together a comprehensive array of essays from a wide variety of experts in architectural education and practice, touching on issues such as LGBT, age, family status, and gender-biased awards

Phyllosilicate mineral assemblages of the SAFOD Pilot Hole and comparison with an exhumed segment of the San Andreas Fault System

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95245/1/grl18292.pd

Advances in Measuring the Apparent Optical Properties (AOPs) of Optically Complex Waters

This report documents new technology used to measure the apparent optical properties (AOPs) of optically complex waters. The principal objective is to be prepared for the launch of next-generation ocean color satellites with the most capable commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) instrumentation. An enhanced COTS radiometer was the starting point for designing and testing the new sensors. The follow-on steps were to apply the lessons learned towards a new in-water profiler based on a kite-shaped backplane for mounting the light sensors. The next level of sophistication involved evaluating new radiometers emerging from a development activity based on so-called microradiometers. The exploitation of microradiometers resulted in an in-water profiling system, which includes a sensor networking capability to control ancillary sensors like a shadowband or global positioning system (GPS) device. A principal advantage of microradiometers is their flexibility in producing, interconnecting, and maintaining instruments. The full problem set for collecting sea-truth data--whether in coastal waters or the open ocean-- involves other aspects of data collection that were improved for instruments measuring both AOPs and inherent optical properties (IOPs), if the uncertainty budget is to be minimized. New capabilities associated with deploying solar references were developed as well as a compact solution for recovering in-water instrument systems from small boats

Metal Depletion and Warm H2 in the Brown Dwarf 2M1207 Accretion Disk

We present new far-ultraviolet observations of the young M8 brown dwarf 2MASS J12073346-3932539, which is surrounded by an accretion disk. The data were obtained using the Hubble Space Telescope-Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Moderate resolution spectra (R~17,000-18,000) obtained in the 1150-1750 A and 2770-2830 A bandpasses reveal H2 emission excited by HI Ly$\alpha$ photons, several ionization states of carbon (CI - CIV), and hot gas emission lines of HeII and NV (T ~ 10^4-5 K). Emission from some species that would be found in a typical thermal plasma at this temperature (SiII, SiIII, SiIV, and MgII) are not detected. The non-detections indicate that these refractory elements are depleted into grains, and that accretion shocks dominate the production of the hot gas observed on 2MASS J12073346-3932539. We use the observed CIV luminosity to constrain the mass accretion rate in this system. We use the kinematically broadened H2 profile to confirm that the majority of the molecular emission arises in the disk, measure the radius of the inner hole of the disk (R_{hole}~3R_{*}), and constrain the physical conditions of the warm molecular phase of the disk (T(H2)~2500-4000 K). A second, most likely unresolved H2 component is identified. This feature is either near the stellar surface in the region of the accretion shock or in a molecular outflow, although the possibility that this Jovian-like emission arises on the day-side disk of a 6 M_{J} companion (2M1207b) cannot be conclusively ruled out. In general, we find that this young brown dwarf disk system is a low-mass analog to classical T Tauri stars that are observed to produce H2 emission from a warm layer in their disks, such as the well studied TW Hya and DF Tau systems.Comment: ApJ, accepted. 12 pages, 10 figures. 3 tables

Guideline for bolted joint design and analysis : version 1.0.

This document provides general guidance for the design and analysis of bolted joint connections. An overview of the current methods used to analyze bolted joint connections is given. Several methods for the design and analysis of bolted joint connections are presented. Guidance is provided for general bolted joint design, computation of preload uncertainty and preload loss, and the calculation of the bolted joint factor of safety. Axial loads, shear loads, thermal loads, and thread tear out are used in factor of safety calculations. Additionally, limited guidance is provided for fatigue considerations. An overview of an associated Mathcad{copyright} Worksheet containing all bolted joint design formulae presented is also provided