A refinement of a conjecture of Quillen

We present some new results on the cohomology of a large scope of SL\_2-groups in degrees above the virtual cohomological dimension; yielding some partial positive results for the Quillen conjecture in rank one. We combine these results with the known partial positive results and the known types of counterexamples to the Quillen conjecture, in order to formulate a refined variant of the conjecture

Über den Nutzen eines phänomenologischen Verständnisses vom Problem

Die zeitgenössische psychologische Problemlösungsforschung fußt auf ein teleologisches und mechanistisches Grundverständnis des Problems. Eine konzeptuelle Analyse der aktuellen Forschungsgrundlagen sowie deren Relativierung am problematischen Erlebnis ist das Programm einer phänomenologischen Revision des Problembegriffs. Um das dominante mechanistische Paradigma zu dekonstruieren, werden im Rahmen der phänomenologischen Revision zunächst dessen zentrale Kategorien Problemfindung, -einordnung, -raum und -qualität exploriert. Es folgt die phänomenologische Untersuchung des erlebten Problems nach Gesichtspunkten von Lösbarkeit, Problemdruck und dem Problemhorizont. Aus dem Abgleich des etablierten mechanistischen Verständnisses vom Problem mit den Resultaten der Untersuchung des genuinen Phänomens lässt sich eine urteilsfähige Perspektive gewinnen, die eine kritische Würdigung der Schlaglinien psychologischer Forschung zum Problem erlaubt. Hieraus lässt sich zuletzt eine konstruktive Prognose für die phänomenologisch revidierte Fortsetzung psychologischer Problemforschung ableiten

Above Threshold Analysis of Quasi Guided Optical Waveguide VCSELs

https://preserve.lehigh.edu/undergrad-scholarship-freed-posters/1022/thumbnail.jp

A Population Genetic Investigation of the Reticulated Flatwoods Salamander (Ambystoma bishopi) on Eglin Air Force Base

The reticulated flatwoods salamander (RFS) is an endangered salamander with a unique life history. One of the largest known, best studied refuges for RFS is found on Eglin Air Force Base, and these RFS have been sampled and managed extensively since 2010. My thesis seeks to better understand RFS by using genetic techniques to address several unknowns, including: 1) determining the population structuring of RFS and the manageable units for species conservation, 2) estimating the size and status of populations, 3) understanding dispersal of RFS and factors that influence this, 4) exploring the breeding biology and recruitment patterns of RFS and how they affect population sizes, and 5) drawing general conclusions about RFS population biology and recommendations for future management. The first, second, and third objectives are addressed in Chapter 1, by analyzing variation at nuclear microsatellite genetic markers within and among known, extant breeding populations on Eglin to determine the genetic structuring of RFS as well as landscape factors that would influence dispersal between the breeding ponds. The fourth objective is addressed in Chapter 2 and utilizes the same microsatellite markers but focuses on two ponds and two years in which extensive sampling of adult and larval RFS was conducted. The fifth objective is addressed in the General Conclusion section in which I use data from both chapters to provide management suggestions that can be utilized both on Eglin and elsewhere

Motivating Sustainable Resource Consumption Through the Design of Goal Setting in Smart Meter User Interfaces

Smart meter user interfaces can be designed to promote sustainable resource consumption by individuals. Although goal setting is a promising artifact for smart meter user interfaces, it is still unclear how goal-related design features (DFs) should be designed to be particularly effective in motivating individuals. Drawing on goal-framing theory and employing a design science research approach, we designed and evaluated different design options for four goal-related DFs (i.e., consumption display, evaluative standard, goal incentive, reference group) in the context of households’ energy consumption in three design-evaluation cycles. Our results suggest that while one design option for consumption displays and evaluative standards is better suited than others to motivate sustainable behavior, the effects of goal incentives and a goal’s reference group depend on individuals’ personal preference for either collaboration or competition. Our study contributes to information systems research with novel insights on goal-related DFs and how they affect sustainable resource consumption

The Struggle to Distinguish Transcendental Phenomenology and Psychology

Dieser Beitrag widmet sich Husserls Differenzierungsversuch von transzendentaler Phänomenologie und eidetischer Psychologie. Die These lautet: Die Unterscheidung blieb problematisch, sodass Husserls Analysen oftmals zwar wertvolle, aber als Erkenntnistheorie missverstandene Beiträge zur Psychologie sind. Es wird aufgezeigt, inwiefern die Verwechslung von erkenntnistheoretischen und psychologischen Untersuchungen die Gefahr eines Psychologismus birgt. Der Beitrag zeigt, wie die Bewusstwerdung des Bewusstseins zu einer Art Reduplikation der Welt führt und warum dies Husserl veranlasste, der Psychologie einen auch epistemologischen Vorrang einzuräumen. Dagegen werden Überlegungen angestellt, wo und wie das Anliegen der Erkenntnistheorie und psychologische Untersuchungen zur Bewusstseinsgenese methodologisch zu separieren sind. Abschließend wird erwogen, wie Husserls eigentlich psychologische Beiträge für das Anliegen einer phänomenologischen Psychologie fruchtbar zu machen sind.This article addresses Husserl’s attempt to differentiate between transcendental phenomenology and eidetic psychology. The thesis is: The distinction remained problematic so that Husserl’s analyses are often valuable contributions to psychology that, however, are mistaken to be epistemology. It is shown how and why the confusion of epistemological and psychological investigations harbors the danger of a psychologism. The article shows how becoming conscious of consciousness leads to a kind of reduplication of the world and why this led Husserl to give psychology an epistemological priority. On the other hand, it considers where and how the concern of epistemology and psychological investigations on the genesis of consciousness can be methodologically separated. Finally, it offers perspectives on how Husserl’s psychological contributions can be made fruitful for the project of a phenomenological psychology

A transformation method to study the solvability of fully coupled FBSDEs

We present a new method for checking global solvability of fully coupled forward-backward stochastic differential equations (FBSDEs), where all function parameters are Lipschitz continuous, the terminal condition is monotone and the diffusion coefficient of the forward part depends monotonically on z, the control process component of the backward part. We show that one can reduce, via a linear transformation, the FBSDE to an auxiliary FBSDE for which the Lipschitz constant of the forward diffusion coefficient w.r.t. z is smaller than the inverse of the Lipschitz constant of the terminal condition w.r.t. the forward component x. The latter condition allows to verify existence of a global solution by analyzing the space derivative of the decoupling field. We illustrate with several examples how the transformation method can be used for proving global solvability of FBSDEs