The human visual system's representation of light sources and the objects they illuminate

The light sources in a scene can drastically affect the pattern of intensities falling on the retina. However, it is unclear how the visual system represents the light sources in a scene. One possibility is that a light source is treated as a scene component: an entity that exists within a scene and interacts with other scene components (object shape and object reflectance) to produce the retinal image. The aim of this thesis was to test two key predictions arising from a perceptual framework in which light sources and the objects they illuminate are considered to be scene components by the visual system. We begin examining the first prediction in Chapter 3, focusing on the role of a dynamic shape cue in the interaction between shape, reflectance, and lighting. In two psychophysics experiments, we show that the visual system can "explain away'" alternative interpretations of luminance gradients using the information provided by a dynamic shape cue (kinetic depth). In subsequent chapters, the research focus shifts to the second prediction, investigating whether multiple objects in a scene are integrated to estimate light source direction. In Chapter 4, participants were presented with scenes that contained 1, 9, and 25 objects and asked to judge whether the scenes were illuminated from the left or right, relative to their viewpoint. We found that increasing the number of objects in a scene worsened, if anything, discrimination sensitivity. To further understand this result, we conducted an equivalent noise experiment in Chapter 5 to examine the contributions of internal noise and integration to estimates of light source direction. Our results indicate that participants used only 1 or 2 objects to judge light source direction for scenes with 9 and 25 objects. Chapter 6 presents a shape discrimination experiment that required participants to make an implicit, rather than explicit, judgement of light source direction. Consistent with the results reported in Chapters 4 and 5, we find that shape discrimination sensitivity was comparable for scenes containing 1, 9, and 25 objects. Taken together, the findings presented here suggest that while object shape and reflectance may be represented as scene components, lighting seems to be associated with individual objects rather than having a scene-level representation

Bridge to Inclusion: Honoring Insight from Families with Lived Experience of Homelessness

Historically, impoverished families face ridicule and stigma. There is a tendency to blame those who are disadvantage rather than considering the socio-economic inequalities impacting the affordability of stable housing. Thus resulting in a lack of opportunities for meaningful input from those with lived experience. Rebele Family Shelter (RFS) provides emergency shelter for Santa Cruz County residents. RFS staff provide support and coordination of resources toward permanent stable housing. Families at RFS have limited opportunities to contribute to program strategies or voice opinions on policies. Implementing a family satisfaction survey with RFS clients creates an opportunity for families with lived experience to contribute and feel included in a meaningful way. Utilizing suggestions from survey data is highly recommended to help foster inclusiveness, engagement, and enact changes that will positively impact residents’ lives. This action can shift the perceived power dynamic that has long-lasting negative effects on those without shelter

An inertially guided missile with mid-course re-alignment

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1961.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-93).by Thomas Leigh Lindsay and Carl Brynolf Peterson.M.S

Binge Eating Disorder Mediates Links between Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety and Caloric Intake in Obese Women

Despite considerable comorbidity between mood disorders, binge eating disorder (BED), and obesity, the underlying mechanisms remain unresolved. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine models by which internalizing behaviors of depression and anxiety influence food intake in overweight/obese women. Thirty-two women (15 BED, 17 controls) participated in a laboratory eating-episode and completed questionnaires assessing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Path analysis was used to test mediation and moderation models to determine the mechanisms by which internalizing symptoms influenced kilocalorie (kcal) intake. The BED group endorsed significantly more symptoms of depression (10.1 versus 4.8, P=0.005 ) and anxiety (8.5 versus 2.7, P=0.003). Linear regression indicated that BED diagnosis and internalizing symptoms accounted for 30% of the variance in kcal intake. Results from path analysis suggested that BED mediates the influence of internalizing symptoms on total kcal intake. The associations between internalizing symptoms and food intake are best described as operating indirectly through a BED diagnosis. This suggests that symptoms of depression and anxiety influence whether one engages in binge eating, which influences kcal intake. Greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying the associations between mood, binge eating, and food intake will facilitate the development of more effective prevention and treatment strategies for both BED and obesity

Typhoon frequency and intensity across the Western Pacific Ocean north of the Equator, 1951 – 2014

Disturbance has been a repeated theme in ecology in recent decades, yet incorporating its frequency and pattern at broad spatial scales into ecological analyses has been difficult – rather, most environmental datasets used in broad-extent analyses represent average conditions. We present a detailed dataset summarizing the frequency (i.e., number of typhoons) and intensity (average and maximum windspeeds) of typhoons across the Western Pacific north of the Equator, based on data characterizing tracks for 1673 typhoons from the Japan Meteorological Center. The data presented are aggregated and resampled to 0.2° (~22 km at the Equator) spatial resolution; temporal coverage extends 1951 – 2014. We also present data specifically for prior to 1980 and after 1999, to respond to questions related to climate change, although no major changes were evident between the time periods

Potential distribution of a new Bacillus species causing anthrax in African rainforests

This presentation was given as part of the GIS Day@KU symposium on November 14, 2018. For more information about GIS Day@KU activities, please see http://gis.ku.edu/gisday/2018/PLATINUM SPONSORS: KU Department of Geography and Atmospheric Science KU Institute for Policy & Social Research GOLD SPONSORS: KU Libraries State of Kansas Data Access & Support Center (DASC) SILVER SPONSORS: Bartlett & West Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program KU Center for Global and International Studies BRONZE SPONSORS: Boundles

Measuring reading comprehension and mathematics instruction in urban middle schools: A pilot study of the Instructional Quality Assessment (CSE Technical Report 681)

The quality of reading comprehension and mathematics instruction was explored in five urban middle schools using the Instructional Quality Assessment (IQA) toolkit (N = 34 teachers). The IQA is comprised of protocols for rating observed instruction and the quality of teachers' assignments with student work. The purpose of this research was to investigate the reliability and potential validity of the ratings of these data sources. Commensurate with other research on the quality of middle schools, our results indicated that the quality of instruction varied a great deal within schools and was of a "basic" quality overall. Results indicated a moderate to high level of reliability. Four assignments with student work yielded a stable estimate of quality in both content areas, and when teachers complied with the requirements of the research as few as two observations yielded a stable estimate of teaching quality in both content areas as well. The quality of teachers' observations and assignments were significantly associated in mathematics, but not in reading comprehension. Because of the small sample size it was not possible to apply multi-level models. The relation between the IQA and student achievement on the SAT-10 was explored using linear regression techniques. Results indicated that after controlling for students' prior achievement, socio-economic status (SES), ethnicity, language, and IEP status, the IQA assignment measure in reading comprehension predicted student achievement on the Total Reading, Reading Comprehension, and Vocabulary subscores of the SAT-10. The observation measure in reading comprehension predicted student outcomes on the Reading Comprehension subscore of the SAT-10 only. In mathematics, the quality of teachers' assignments predicted students' achievement on the Procedures subscore of the SAT-10. The quality of observed instruction in mathematics predicted students' achievement on the Procedures and Total Math subscores. Without accounting for clustering within classrooms and schools as multilevel models do, our linear regression analyses may lead to results that appear stronger than they actually are. Nevertheless our analyses indicate the direction of trend in these relationships and raise important questions regarding which data sources may be best (classroom assignments or observations) for measuring specific aspects of instruction and student outcomes. Additional research with larger samples of teachers is needed to make definitive conclusions about the validity of the IQA ratings and under what conditions one might choose to either observe in classrooms or collect assignments with student work. The following are appended: (1) IQA Rubrics; and (2) High and Low Quality Examples of Observed Lessons and Assignments. (Contains 21 tables and 9 footnotes.