John, divine locality and the Book of Revelation

This thesis argues that John, the author of Revelation, depended upon two traditions or cultural models for the development of his theology: the corporeality of God and the heavenly temple. 'Cultural model' is a term used in cognitive anthropology to refer to conceptual constructs shared amongst persons in a given culture, which helps those persons sense-make and behave in their world. John used the cultural models of divine corporeality and the heavenly temple to construct a unique cosmology and theology in his apocalypse. Moreover, these cultural models and his resultant theological system helped John answer critical questions facing him at the end of the first century: Where is the Messiah, and why is he gone? For John, Jesus was absent in his world because he was completing necessary sacrificial and sacerdotal ministries at the heavenly temple so that the world could be purged of its impurities, allowing the Lord God to dwell physically with his people on earth

Age Validation and Population Structure of Warsaw Grouper and Snowy Grouper, and Age and Growth Relationships of Warsaw Grouper in the Gulf of Mexico

Warsaw grouper (Hyporthodus nigritus) and snowy grouper (H. niveatus) are deepwater grouper (F. Epinephelidae) found in the western Atlantic Ocean from the northern eastern seaboard of the United States of America to the central coast of Brazil, including in the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. Considered periodic life history strategists, both species are long-lived, with slow growth and late maturation and therefore, are exceptionally vulnerable to overexploitation. Furthermore, both species are likely protogynous hermaphrodites (individuals first mature as females and after an environmentally dictated size or age transition to male) whose populations are sustained through episodic recruitment and infrequent year-class success when environmental conditions promote survival and settlement. However, little is known of their general life history due to the difficulties of common fisheries research methods for deepwater species due to barotrauma caused mortality associated preventing the use of techniques designed to directly estimate population demographics (e.g. abundance, density, age and growth, mortality, etc.), such as in-situ visual surveys or mark and recapture. Here, I attempt to clarify some population demographics using indirect estimation methods to assist in the development of effective fisheries policy. In order two accomplish these ends, the population structure of both species was assessed by analyzing and comparing the geochemical makeup of fish otoliths (“ear stones”) collected from different geographical regions of the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). For both Warsaw grouper and snowy grouper, the chemical composition in otoliths resulted in region-specific signatures leading to the conclusion that individual movement between regions is minimal and therefore mixing limited, thereby suggesting the population is composed of distinct regional components and potential subpopulations. Before evaluating potential differences in population demographics from potentially distinct regions, a bomb radiocarbon age validation was conducted on both species. Typical of deepwater species, bomb radiocarbon age validation revealed an inherent underage bias for older fish in age determination methods, likely due to inability to distinguish annual growth increments in later ages as a result of depressed growth rates. These revelations led to a substantial increase in longevity estimates for both species, with both validated to have a minimum estimate of age-56. Using a newly validated age determination method and insights into population structure, age-length relationships were developed for Warsaw Grouper from multiple regions of the GoM. Growth relationships consistently resulted in a slower growth and lower natural mortality than current estimates, with subtle differences between the eastern GoM and western GoM. These results help to clarify population structure and demographics for two data-limited species subjected to commercial and recreational fishery exploitation that can be directly applied to fishery management and the development of effect conservation policy

Design, Manufacturing and Testing of an Environmentally-Green Bipropellant Thruster

This project reviews the design, manufacturing and experimentation process of a green bi-propellant thruster designed to output 5 lbf. The goals were to successfully design, manufacture and test a thruster, while discovering the complications that arise through out the complete design process of a green thruster. The thruster was successfully designed using ideal rocket equations and the design was successfully confirmed using CFD and FEA. Manufacturing of the thruster was fully planned and revealed mild flaws in thruster design. For example some features were not manufacturable to the exact measurements desired. Testing of the engine gave results inconsistent with expected values with a maximum nominal thrust of 2.38 lbf. Measurement errors in thrust and mass flow rates caused calculations of thruster performance, such as ISP, to vary from expected values. Measurement errors are suspected to stem from a combination of incorrect ideal assumptions and test bed design flaws

VOICE ACTIVITY DETECTION USING A SLIDING-WINDOW, MAXIMUM MARGIN CLUSTERING APPROACH

ABSTRACT Recently, an unsupervised, data clustering algorithm based on maximum margin, i.e. support vector machine (SVM) was reported. The maximum margin clustering (MMC) algorithm was later applied to the problem of voice activity detection, however, the application did not allow for real-time detection which is important in speech processing applications. In this paper, we propose a voice activity detector (VAD) based on a sliding window, MMC algorithm which allows for real-time detection. Our system requires a separate initialization stage which imposes an initial detection delay, however, once initialized the system can operate in real-time. Using TIMIT speech under several NOISEX-92 noise backgrounds at various SNRs, we show that our average speech and non-speech hit rates are better than state-of-the-art VADs

Fish, Coral, and Sponge Assemblages Associated With Altiphotic and Mesophotic Reefs Along the Guánica Biosphere Reserve Continental Shelf Edge, Southwest Puerto Rico

The benthic and fish communities of the central portion of the Guánica, Puerto Rico shelf edge were studied to determine species abundance, distributions and species overlap between two depth stratifications, 20 and 45 m, at eight sites. A total of 67 fish species belonging to 21 families were identified. Similar species richness estimates were observed between depths, though fish assemblage composition differed significantly, with observable changes in feeding guild contributions of herbivore and omnivore (20 m) to a deeper assemblage composed of piscivores and planktivores (45 m). Coral assemblages consisted of 31 species at 20 m and 11 species at 45 m, accounting for 17.0% (±1.76 SE) and 2.6% (±0.89 SE) benthic cover for the altiphotic and mesophotic surveys, respectively. The altiphotic and mesophotic coral reef communities support different scleractinian coral assemblages with minimal species overlap. Altiphotic surveys of sponges yielded a higher species richness than mesophotic, with 60 and 54 species respectively, and an overall total of 71 species identified from both depths, with 45 species overlapping (63.0%). The percent cover of sponges surveyed at altiphotic reefs accounted for 9.0% (±1.04 SE), while the percent cover of sponges surveyed at mesophotic reefs was 14.0% (±1.96 SE). Our data show fish, coral, and sponge assemblages are differentiated between 20 and 45 m along the Guánica shelf edge offshore of the Guánica Biosphere Reserve. This study represents the first observations for species distributions of adjacent altiphotic and mesophotic coral reef habitats along the Guánica shelf edge, as well as provides an annotated species list of the local sponge fauna. Combined, these results highlight the need for continued environmental stewardship and conservation in the area

Projeto Pádel Cidadão: possibilidades no processo formativo de acadêmicos de educação física e aprendizagem para alunos da educação básica

INTRODUÇÃO: O Pádel é um esporte de raquete que, no Brasil, começou a ser difundido pelo Sul, trazido por argentinos e uruguaios no final da década de 80. Ele faz parte da cultura corporal, entretanto pouco presente na formação inicial dos acadêmicos e como conteúdo das aulas de Educação Física.OBJETIVO: Relatar a experiência do Projeto Pádel Cidadão, que tem com objetivos proporcionar o conhecimento e a vivência da modalidade esportiva de Pádel aos acadêmicos do curso de Educação Física - Licenciatura da Universidade Federal do Pampa e oportunizar a vivência do Pádel a estudantes do ensino fundamental da rede pública do município de Uruguaiana (RS). MÉTODOS: Estabelecemos parceria entre a Unipampa e um complexo esportivo de Pádel do município de Uruguaiana, que emprestou as quadras duas vezes na semana, visto que o Pádel requer espaço e materiais específicos. O projeto foi desenvolvido no período de julho a dezembro de 2019 e dividido em duas ações: 1. Encontros semanais com discentes do curso de Educação Física; 2. Encontros semanais com estudantes da rede pública de ensino de Uruguaiana. Participaram 10 estudantes de Educação Física, 2 Técnicos Administrativos, 2 docentes e 19 alunos do 5º ano do ensino fundamental.RESULTADOS: Identificamos que os estudantes envolvidos permaneceram motivados e demonstraram interesse pela vivência do Pádel. A partir dessa experiência, os graduandos puderam refletir sobre formas de sistematização e metodologias possíveis para o seu desenvolvimento em diferentes âmbitos de atuação profissional. Também, os alunos do ensino fundamental tiveram a oportunidade de vivenciar uma modalidade pouco explorada nas aulas de Educação Física e que poucos teriam acesso.CONCLUSÃO: O projeto Pádel Cidadão tornou-se espaço/tempo de formação profissional para além da grade curricular, articulando o labor intelectual, motor, manual e vivências. Além disso, há grande interesse das crianças em aprender novos esportes com raquete.ABSTRACT. Citizen Paddle Project: prividing an experience with racket sport to students from physical education course and elementary public school.BACKGROUND: Paddle is sport, which use a racket to play. This physical entertainment spread in South America, mainly in Argentina and Uruguay, in the last decade of 1980. Even though it is a contemporaneous sport in their culture, it does not be included in the academic curriculum of the physical education course.OBJECTIVE: Contextualizing this situation and overcoming the lack in the academy program of paddle education, this work had the aim to notify the impact of Citizen Paddle Project experience during physical education classes on Federal University of Pampa. This project provided not only the knowledge and familiarity with paddle in the academic environment, but also the opportunity of students from the elementary public education of Uruguaiana city to practice this sport.METHODS: The courts were provided by the Engenho Paddle Sport Center twice a week during July to December of 2019. The project consisted in the weekly meeting with students of the Physical Education course at the University; and separately, with students of elementary public school. The project involved students from Physical Education course (10), and 5th grade of elementary school (19); administrative technicians (2); and professors (2). RESULTS: It was possible to observe the interest and motivation of students during the paddle project. Through this experience, the academic students could reflect on the new systematization and methodologies that could facilitate the application of paddle education in their professional area. In addition, the elementary school students had the opportunity to experience this modality, which is still unexplored in their physical education classes.CONCLUSION: Citizen Paddle Project impacted greatly both academic and elementary students. It created an environment with new possibilities in the professional qualification of physical educator. Moreover, it was improved the intellectual and motor skills of students by the development of paddle abilities.Citizen Paddle Project: prividing an experience with racket sport to students from physical education course and elementary public schoo