On estimating the Venus spin vector from data obtained during the planetary explorer mission

Venus spin vector estimation using planetary Explorer spacecraft dat

Discovery of halloysite books in a ~270,000 year-old buried tephra deposit in northern New Zealand

As part of a wider study examining the geomechanical properties, especially sensitivity, of sequences of Quaternary pyroclastic and associated deposits and buried soils in the landslide-prone western Bay of Plenty area near Tauranga, eastern North Island, we examined the mineralogy of a pale pinkish-grey tephra deposit directly beneath non-welded, siliceous Te Ranga Ignimbrite (~2 m thick) in a ~25 m high cutting at Tauriko.http://www.smectech.com.au/ACMS/ACMS_Conferences/ACMS21/ACMS%202010%20Abstracts/ACMS%202010%20S1A6_Wyatt%20et%20al%20(Lowe).pd

Crossmodal content binding in information-processing architectures

Operating in a physical context, an intelligent robot faces two fundamental problems. First, it needs to combine information from its different sensors to form a representation of the environment that is more complete than any of its sensors on its own could provide. Second, it needs to combine high-level representations (such as those for planning and dialogue) with its sensory information, to ensure that the interpretations of these symbolic representations are grounded in the situated context. Previous approaches to this problem have used techniques such as (low-level) information fusion, ontological reasoning, and (high-level) concept learning. This paper presents a framework in which these, and other approaches, can be combined to form a shared representation of the current state of the robot in relation to its environment and other agents. Preliminary results from an implemented system are presented to illustrate how the framework supports behaviours commonly required of an intelligent robot

Star - Planet - Debris Disk Alignment in the HD 82943 system: Is planetary system coplanarity actually the norm?

Recent results suggest that the two planets in the HD 82943 system are inclined to the sky plane by 20 +/- 4deg. Here, we show that the debris disk in this system is inclined by 27 +/- 4deg, thus adding strength to the derived planet inclinations and suggesting that the planets and debris disk are consistent with being aligned at a level similar to the Solar System. Further, the stellar equator is inferred to be inclined by 28 +/- 4deg, suggesting that the entire star - planet - disk system is aligned, the first time such alignment has been tested for radial velocity discovered planets on ~AU wide orbits. We show that the planet-disk alignment is primordial, and not the result of planetary secular perturbations to the disk inclination. In addition, we note three other systems with planets at >10AU discovered by direct imaging that already have good evidence of alignment, and suggest that empirical evidence of system-wide star - planet - disk alignment is therefore emerging, with the exception of systems that host hot Jupiters. While this alignment needs to be tested in a larger number of systems, and is perhaps unsurprising, it is a reminder that the system should be considered as a whole when considering the orientation of planetary orbits.Comment: Accepted to MNRA

Cognitive Biases in Alcohol and Marijuana Users

The current study investigated the influence of marijuana and alcohol consumption and craving on a primed word stem completion (WSC) task. One hundred participants were randomly assigned to one of three prime conditions: Substance-prime, neutral-prime, and no-prime. In the substance- and neutral-prime conditions, participants were presented with a series of prime words. After a distracter task those participants who were presented with a series of prime words, all participants were given a multi-solution WSC task, which consisted of the initial two to four letters of a word for which the participants were instructed to complete with the first word that came to mind. The numbers of substance-related and neutral-prime solutions that were produced by each participant were tallied to produce a score. Participants were then further instructed to complete measures of alcohol and marijuana consumption and craving and these measures were used as covariates in a MANCOVA analysis. The primes had a significant effect on performance in the WSC task, with the substance-prime increasing the number of alcohol- and marijuana-related word solutions compared to the neutral- and no-prime conditions. Alcohol consumption significantly influenced the production of alcohol-related word solutions, but neither marijuana consumption nor craving was associated with the production of marijuana-related word solutions. These results demonstrate that both priming and past alcohol use significantly influenced performance on a WSC task, indicating the presence, at least in part, of a cognitive bias in those who use alcohol

Evaluating socioeconomic dimensions for a resilient shellfish mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay: Assessing the strengths, vulnerabilities, and potential of Humboldt’s expanding industry

For nearly 90 years the shellfish mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay has coexisted with various stakeholder groups and the Bay’s delicate ecology. Presently, the shellfish mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay is composed of six shellfish producing businesses ranging in operational size from small-scale to large-scale. Commercial shellfish production from Humboldt Bay yields over 70 percent of California’s mature, market-sized, Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and Kumamoto oysters (C. sikamea). Shellfish growers in the Bay also produce seed from Pacific oysters, Kumamoto oysters, and Manila clams (Tapes semidecussata). As the mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay is poised to expand its footprint, very limited data about the industry have been made available for planners and decision makers. The purposes of this thesis were to: (1) Gather reliable socioeconomic data about the state of the mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay. (2) Evaluate the industry’s strengths and vulnerabilities. (3) Assess the priorities for the industry moving forward. (4) Provide an objective, accurate picture of the mariculture industry in the Bay for the purpose of clarifying how the mariculture industry operates and showing the industry’s economic contribution to the region. To achieve these goals, I used a mixed-methods approach consisting of semi-structured interviews with mariculture participants and other Bay stakeholders, a socioeconomic survey of mariculture businesses, document analysis, participant observation, and public workshops. Analysis of collected data showed that the mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay has many strengths. In 2016, the mariculture industry employed 101 people. These participants harvested over 9.5 million mature oysters and brought in $9.8 million in revenue. In addition to the mariculture industry’s strengths, mariculture participants were met with specific challenges that represent vulnerability for the future resilience of the industry. Challenges or vulnerabilities expressed by the mariculture participants included: obtaining permits, procuring seed, and the opposition from non-mariculture community members regarding expansion in Humboldt Bay. Seed production is an important and growing part of the mariculture industry in Humboldt Bay and an area for future development. The burden of permitting and the conflict between stakeholders of Humboldt Bay should be addressed in order to expand the industry’s grow out grounds. In addition, it would also benefit the mariculture participants to work to address concerns from the environmental and scientific community about the impacts of oyster cultivation on the environment -- particularly eelgrass. Until concerns about eelgrass are studied and addressed in proposals for mariculture operations, permitting and expansion may continue to be challenges for the industry. Overall, the Humboldt Bay mariculture industry has many strengths and improvements in some areas can increase the resilience and sustainability of the industry over time

A Critical Divide in Higher Education: Bridging the Gap Between Student Success and Organizational Leadership

The emergence of the use of technology in the classroom and the demand for on-line classes has created a challenge for organizational leaders in higher education to retain students and foster an atmosphere conducive to student success. The purpose of this article is to assist those leaders in determining if a leadership growth plan could be a valuable component of a comprehensive professional development plan to increase student success. The discussion in this article is based on the triangulated findings of a qualitative case study designed to generate unbiased, rich, and in-depth information from those involved in degree programs at an institution of higher learning in a southeastern state (Wyatt, 2016). Students, administrators, and teachers were surveyed and interviewed and provided information pertinent to the impact of leaders and leadership skills on student success. Success for the study was defined as the percentage of students in the four-year college study site who remain in school, increase their mean grade point average and, thus, eventually graduate or choose to transfer to another institution of higher learning

A Front-End Analysis Study of the Perceived Correlation Between Organizational Leadership and Student Success

Abstract A Front-End Analysis Study of the Perceived Correlation Between Educational Leadership and Student Success. Kathyleen Wyatt, 2016: Applied Dissertation, Nova Southeastern University, Abraham S. Fischler College of Education. Keywords: Organizational Leadership, Student Success, Higher Education, International Student Success, Faculty-Student Interaction, Sustainability, Student Retention, Student Engagement. The problem addressed in this qualitative case study concerned the challenges of student success in the four-year degree program at a multicampus institution of higher learning in northern Florida. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to assist leaders in the institution of higher learning in northern Florida in determining if a leadership growth plan could be a valuable component of a future and comprehensive professional development plan to increase student success. The triangulated case study was designed in order to generate unbiased, rich, and in-depth information from those involved in degree programs at the study site. Students, administrators, and teachers were surveyed and interviewed and provided information pertinent to the impact of leaders and leadership skills on student success. In conjunction with the qualitative analysis and case study approach, a front-end analysis was conducted to provide school leaders with reliable and valid information on which to base their future decisions. Success for this study was defined as the percentage of students in the four-year college study site who remain in school, increase their mean grade point average and, thus, eventually graduate or choose to transfer to another institution of higher learning. The researcher developed and implemented this front-end analysis study using qualitative methods of data collection. The emergent themes from the data analyzed enabled the researcher to provide school leaders with the information and, based on the findings, how it could be used to maximize the resources available at the institution in order to allow college students to reach their full potential. The narrative information and survey results in this final report provide a synthesis of the perceptual correlation between organizational leadership and student success and the implications of developing a shared leadership organizational model within the organization and its probable effects on measures of student outcomes