7,394 research outputs found
The philosopher as artist: Ludwig Wittgenstein seen through Edoardo Paolozzi
In this article I argue that the strong fascination that Wittgenstein has had for artists cannot be explained primarily by the content of his work, and in particular not by his sporadic observation on aesthetics, but rather by stylistic features of his work formal aspects of his writing. Edoardo Paolozzi’s testimony shows that artists often had a feeling of acquaintance or familiarity with the philosopher, which I think is due to stylistic features of his work, such as
the colloquial tone in which Wittgenstein shares his observation with the reader, but also the lack of long-winded arguments or explanations. In the concluding part I suggest that we can read Wittgenstein’s artworks of a specific kind: as philosophical works of art
Evaluation of Trapping to Reduce Monk Parakeet Populations at Electric Utility Facilities
Through accidental and intentional introductions, the monk parakeet, native to South America, is now established in several parts of the United States. In Florida, it occurs in 21 of 67 counties. Monk parakeets build a bulky nest structure of sticks, and they often build on electric utility substations and support structures for distribution and transmission lines. This nesting activity is incompatible with reliable electric service because nest material creates short circuits that cause power outages. Nest removal by electric utility personnel is ongoing but provides only short-term relief, as buds readily rebuild their nests. In h s study, we evaluated passive and active methods to trap monk parakeets, and we documented the effectiveness of trapping to reduce rates of nest rebuilding on distribution poles. At electric substations, we tested two passive trap designs: a drop-in style trap, and a walk-in style trap. Monk parakeets were wary of traps, however, and were not easily captured even with extensive pre-baiting and the use of decoy birds. At distribution poles, we actively trapped birds at 47 nest sites using specially designed nets placed over nest entrances at night while birds roosted. Birds were then caught as they flew out of the nests into the net. Capture success at individual nest sites ranged from 0 to 100% with an overall average of 51%. Of the 47 sites where birds were trapped at night, 43 nests were removed immediately or shortly after netting. Subsequent monitoring revealed that higher nest site capture rates resulted in slower rates of nest rebuilding. We conclude that while more research is needed to design an effective passive trapping system, monk parakeets can be readily trapped from distribution pole nests at night thereby enhancing nest removal efforts
An experimental and theoretical study of transient negative ions in Mg, Zn, Cd and Hg
A range of experimental and theoretical techniques have been applied to the study of transient negative ions (resonances) formed in electron scattering from the Group II metals Mg, Zn, Cd, and Hg at incident electron energies below the first ionization potential. A wealth of resonance structures have been observed and from the experimental observations and theoretical information, classifications are proposed for some of these negative ion states
Evaluating Local Community Methods in Networks
We present a new benchmarking procedure that is unambiguous and specific to
local community-finding methods, allowing one to compare the accuracy of
various methods. We apply this to new and existing algorithms. A simple class
of synthetic benchmark networks is also developed, capable of testing
properties specific to these local methods.Comment: 8 pages, 9 figures, code included with sourc
Trajectory Mapping and Applications to Data from the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
The problem of creating synoptic maps from asynoptically gathered trace gas data has prompted the development of a number of schemes. Most notable among these schemes are the Kalman filter, the Salby-Fourier technique, and constituent reconstruction. This paper explores a new technique called trajectory mapping. Trajectory mapping creates synoptic maps from asynoptically gathered data by advecting measurements backward or forward in time using analyzed wind fields. A significant portion of this work is devoted to an analysis of errors in synoptic trajectory maps associated with the calculation of individual parcel trajectories. In particular, we have considered (1) calculational errors; (2) uncertainties in the values and locations of constituent measurements, (3) errors incurred by neglecting diabatic effects, and (4) sensitivity to differences in wind field analyses. These studies reveal that the global fields derived from the advection of large numbers of measurements are relatively insensitive to the errors in the individual trajectories. The trajectory mapping technique has been successfully applied to a variety of problems. In this paper, the following two applications demonstrate the usefulness of the technique: an analysis of dynamical wave-breaking events and an examination of Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite data accuracy
The Hyperlinked Scandinavian News Ecology. The unequal terms forged by the structural properties of digitalisation
Social Competence Treatment after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial of Interactive Group Treatment versus Non-Interactive Treatment
Objective
To evaluate the effectiveness of a replicable group treatment program for improving social competence after traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Design
Multicenter randomized controlled trial comparing two methods of conducting a social competency skills program, an interactive group format versus a classroom lecture.
Setting
Community and Veteran rehabilitation centers.
Participants
179 civilian, military, and veteran adults with TBI and social competence difficulties, at least 6 months post-injury.
Experimental Intervention
Thirteen weekly group interactive sessions (1.5 hours) with structured and facilitated group interactions to improve social competence.
Alternative (Control) Intervention
Thirteen traditional classroom sessions using the same curriculum with brief supplemental individual sessions but without structured group interaction.
Primary Outcome Measure
Profile of Pragmatic Impairment in Communication (PPIC), an objective behavioral rating of social communication impairments following TBI.
Secondary Outcomes
LaTrobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ), Goal Attainment Scale (GAS), Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – (PCL-C), Brief Symptom Inventory 18 (BSI-18), Scale of Perceived Social Self Efficacy (PSSE).
Results
Social competence goals (GAS) were achieved and maintained for most participants regardless of treatment method. Significant improvements in the primary outcome (PPIC) and two of the secondary outcomes (LCQ and BSI) were seen immediately post-treatment and at 3 months post-treatment in the AT arm only, however these improvements were not significantly different between the GIST and AT arms. Similar trends were observed for PSSE and PCL-C.
Conclusions
Social competence skills improved for persons with TBI in both treatment conditions. The group interactive format was not found to be a superior method of treatment delivery in this study
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