Response to Privacy as a Public Good

In the spirit of moving forward the theoretical and empirical scholarship on privacy as a public good, this response addresses four issues raised by Professors Fairfield and Engel’s article: first, their depiction of individuals in groups; second, suggestions for clarifying the concept of group; third, an explanation of why the platforms on which groups exist and interact needs more analysis; and finally, the question of what kind of government intervention might be necessary to protect privacy as a public good

Central Star Formation in Pseudobulges and Classical Bulges

I use Spitzer 3.6-8.0 \mu m color profiles to compare the radial structure of star formation in pseudobulges and classical bulges. Pseudobulges are ``bulges'' which form through secular evolution, rather than mergers. In this study, pseudobulges are identified using the presence of disk-like structure in the center of the galaxy (nuclear spiral, nuclear bar, and/or high ellipticity in bulge); classical bulges are those galaxy bulges with smooth isophotes which are round compared to the outer disk, and show no disky structure in their bulge. I show that galaxies structurally identified as having pseudobulges have higher central star formation rates than those of classical bulges. Further, I also show that galaxies identified as having classical bulges have remarkably regular star formation profiles. The color profiles of galaxies with classical bulges show a star forming outer disk with a sharp change, consistent with a decline in star formation rates, toward the center of the galaxy. Classical bulges have a nearly constant inner profile (r < 1.5 kpc) that is similar to elliptical galaxies. Pseudobulges in general show no such transition in star formation properties from the outer disk to the central pseudobulge. Thus I conclude that pseudobulges and classical bulges do in fact form their stars via different mechanisms. Further, this adds to the evidence that classical bulges form most of their stars in fast episodic bursts, in a similar fashion to elliptical galaxies; whereas, pseudobulges form stars from longer lasting secular processes.Comment: accepted to ApJ Letter

KINECTWheels: wheelchair-accessible motion-based game interaction

The increasing popularity of full-body motion-based video games creates new challenges for game accessibility research. Many games strongly focus on able-bodied persons and require players to move around freely. To address this problem, we introduce KINECTWheels, a toolkit that facilitates the integration of wheelchair-based game input. Our library can help game designers to integrate wheelchair input at the development stage, and it can be configured to trigger keystroke events to make off-the-shelf PC games wheelchair-accessible

Crucifixion and median neuropathy.

Crucifixion as a means of torture and execution was first developed in the 6th century B.C. and remained popular for over 1000 years. Details of the practice, which claimed hundreds of thousands of lives, have intrigued scholars as historical records and archaeological findings from the era are limited. As a result, various aspects of crucifixion, including the type of crosses used, methods of securing victims to crosses, the length of time victims survived on the cross, and the exact mechanisms of death, remain topics of debate. One aspect of crucifixion not previously explored in detail is the characteristic hand posture often depicted in artistic renditions of crucifixion. In this posture, the hand is clenched in a peculiar and characteristic fashion: there is complete failure of flexion of the thumb and index finger with partial failure of flexion of the middle finger. Such a "crucified clench" is depicted across different cultures and from different eras. A review of crucifixion history and techniques, median nerve anatomy and function, and the historical artistic depiction of crucifixion was performed to support the hypothesis that the "crucified clench" results from proximal median neuropathy due to positioning on the cross, rather than from direct trauma of impalement of the hand or wrist

Work domain analysis and intelligent transport systems: Implications for vehicle design

This article presents a Work Domain Analysis (WDA) of the road transport system in Victoria, Australia. A series of driver information requirements and tasks that could potentially be supported through the use of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are then extracted from the WDA. The potential use of ITS technologies to circumvent these information gaps and provide additional support to drivers is discussed. It is concluded that driver information requirements are currently not entirely satisfied by contemporary vehicle design and also that there are a number of driving tasks that could be further supported through the provision of supplementary systems within vehicles

Is movement better? Comparing sedentary and motion-based game controls for older adults

Providing cognitive and physical stimulation for older adults is critical for their well-being. Video games offer the opportunity of engaging seniors, and research has shown a variety of positive effects of motion-based video games for older adults. However, little is known about the suitability of motion-based game controls for older adults and how their use is affected by age-related changes. In this paper, we present a study evaluating sedentary and motion-based game controls with a focus on differences between younger and older adults. Our results show that older adults can apply motion-based game controls efficiently, and that they enjoy motion-based interaction. We present design implications based on our study, and demonstrate how our findings can be applied both to motion-based game design and to general interaction design for older adults. Copyright held by authors

The Effects of Spanish-Language Background on Completed Schooling and Aptitude Test Scores

We investigate the effect of speaking Spanish at home as a child on completed schooling and aptitude test scores using data on Hispanics who grew up in the U.S. from the NLSY79. We model the accumulation of traditional human capital and English fluency, leading to the joint determination of schooling and test scores. We find that speaking Spanish at home reduces test scores but has no significant effect on completed schooling. The reduction in test scores is more dramatic the higher the education of the parents and when the choice of home language is endogenous.Hispanics, language, aptitude, ability, NLSY79

Servant Leadership and Its Impact on Ethical Climate

Many leaders in intercollegiate athletics are under attack due to an overemphasis on winning and revenue generation. In response, some have recommended a transition to a servant leadership approach because of its focus on the well-being of followers and ethical behaviors (Burton & Welty Peachey, 2013; Welty Peachey, Zhou, Damon, & Burton, 2015). The purpose of this study was to examine athletic directors’ potential demonstration of servant leadership and possible contribution to an ethical climate in NCAA Division III institutions. Participants were 326 athletic staff members from NCAA Division III institutions. Results indicated athletic staff members believed athletic directors displayed characteristics of servant leadership. Athletic department employees perceived athletic directors exhibited servant leadership characteristics of accountability, standing back, stewardship, authenticity, humility, and empowerment most often. Staff members who perceived athletic directors displayed servant leadership characteristics were more likely to report working in an ethical climate. If athletic directors choose to model the characteristics of servant leaders, they could promote more fully the NCAA Division III philosophy of prioritizing the well-being of others, being a positive role model for employees, and fostering ethical work climates within their athletic departments

CP Violation from a Higher Dimensional Model

It is shown that Randall-Sundrum model has the EDM term which violates the CP-symmetry. The comparison with the case of Kaluza-Klein theory is done. The chiral property, localization, anomaly phenomena are examined. We evaluate the bulk quantum effect using the method of the induced effective action. This is a new origin of the CP-violation.Comment: 15pages, Proc. of Int. Workshop on "Neutrino Masses and Mixings"(Dec.17-19,2006,Univ.of Shizuoka,Japan