Exposure to Online Classes as Determinant of Student Perceptions

There is little research comparing the perceptions of university students who have been, and have never been, exposed to online classes. We show that about half the students surveyed, who have never taken online classes, have done so intentionally. We measure the perceptions of both groups of students along ten dimensions. The three dimensions along which the exposed students had a significantly favorable perception were a) the extent to which online classes utilize teaching materials personally created or structured by professors, b) the extent to which students feel frustrated by technology, and c) the benefit of interactions with fellow classmates

Soil Test Apparatus for Lunar Surfaces

We have studied several field geotechnical test instruments for their applicability to lunar soil simulants and analog soils. Their performance was evaluated in a series of tests in lunar simulants JSC-1A, NU-LHT-2M, and CHENOBI each prepared in carefully controlled states of compaction through vibration on a shake table with overburden. In general, none of the instruments is adequate for a low-cohesion, frictional soil, but we find that a modified version of a shear vane tester allows us to extract several of the important soil parameters. This modified instrument may be useful for use on the lunar surface by astronauts or a robotic lander. We have also found that JSC-1A does not behave mechanically like the other lunar soil simulants, probably because its particle shapes are more rounded. Furthermore we have studied a soil material, BP-1, identified as very lunar-like at a lunar analog location. We find this material has a natural particle size distribution similar to that of lunar soil and arguably better than JSC-1A. We find that BP-1 behaves very similarly to the high fidelity lunar simulants NU-LHT-2M and CHENOBI.Comment: 15 pages, 14 figures. Presented at Earth & Space 2010 conferenc

The Relationship Between the Level of Copper, Lead, Mercury and Autism Disorders: A Meta-Analysis

Background and Objectives: There is a likelihood of a possible relationship between the concentrations of copper, lead, and mercury and autism. The present review was carried out to determine the relationship between the concentrations of these elements and autism by meta-analysis. Methods: In this study, searching Scopus, PubMed, and Science Direct databases, 18 articles conducted in different countries from 1982 to 2019 were collected. Studies' heterogeneity was investigated using the 1 2 index. The data were analyzed using R and STATA software. Results: In these 18 studies, 1797 patients (981 cases and 816 controls) aged 2 to 16 years were examined. Concentration of the samples (blood, hair, and nails) for both case and control groups was evaluated. There was no significant relationship between copper concentration and autism (SMD (95 CI): 0.02 (-1.16,1.20); I-2=97.7; P=0.972); there was a significant relationship between mercury concentration and autism (SMD (95 CI): 1.96 (0.56,3.35); I-2=98.6; P=0.006); there was also a significant relationship between lead concentration and autism (SMD (95 CI): 2.81 (1.64,3.98); I-2 =97.8; P=0.000). Conclusion: There is, nevertheless, a significant relationship between mercury concentration and autism. Thus, the concentration of mercury can be listed as a pathogenic cause (disease-causing) for autism

Forensic Technologies in Music Copyright

The essay explores some recent controversies in British music copyright through the evolving technologies used to perform or play music in the courtroom. While the conceptual tension between cases has caused doctrinal anxiety about the effect of popular music in copyright, the essay contends that the recent stream of music copyright cases can be considered from a historical perspective, taking into account the tools, materials and experts as they featured in court. In doing so, the essay connects a history of legal expertise to the emergence of new technologies while arguing that legal knowledge about music copyright was, in fact, stabilised in the courtroom

Copy rights: The politics of copying and creativity

This article analyses the politics of copyright and copying. Copyright is an increasingly important driver of the modern economy, but this does not exhaust its significance. It matters, we argue, not just for the distribution of rewards and resources in the creative industries, but as a site within which established political concerns – collective and individual interests and identities - are articulated and negotiated, and within which notions of ‘originality’, ‘creativity’ and ‘copying’ are politically constituted. Set against the background of the increasing economic value attributed to the creative industries, the impact of digitalization on them, and the European Union’s Digital Single Market strategy, the article reveals how copyright policy, and the underlying assumptions about ‘copying’ and ‘creativity’, express (often unexamined) political values and ideologies. Drawing on a close reading of policy statements, official reports, court cases, and interviews with stakeholders, we explore the multiple political aspects of copyright, showing how copyright policy operates to privilege particular interests and practices, and to acknowledge only specific forms of creative endeavour

Is copyright good for music?

<p><b>Legal Context:</b> It has been argued frequently, especially by the entertainment industries, that copyright protection is “good” for music because it promotes creativity and music-making and rewards musicians for their efforts.</p> <p><b>Key Points:</b> Copyright can never be “good” for music per se because copyright is only a legal instrument. The history of music indicates that the advent of copyright had little, if any, impact on musical creativity. As far as the history of music in England is concerned, copyright tended to be advantageous to the exploitation, but not to the creation, of music, as can be illustrated with the example of Haydn's visits to London in the 1790s. Copyright has a neutral relationship with music if applied in a considerate manner. However that has become a problem today. The entertainment industry “manufactures” copyright works for profit maximisation irrespective of their musical value, and vigorously seeks protection – and overprotection – of their existing copyrights.</p> <p><b>Practical Significance:</b> The argument that copyright protection for musical works is generally good cannot be sustained. Where copyright is used as an income-generating device, it is detrimental to creative music-making. Reforms aimed at an extension of copyright protection need to bear in mind this potentially negative impact of copyright.</p&gt