2,379 research outputs found
The CLEP Program: An Evaluation and Assessment at a Small Private University
The Educational Testing Service (ETS) created the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) in 1965 and over the years it has become a staple of American higher education. In order to better understand the ramifications of the CLEP program, this article provides a brief history of CLEP and reexamines some of the findings of earlier research. The present study investigates new areas by addressing several research questions. For instance, what are the impacts of a student’s age, academic ability, gender, and previous learning experiences in regard to passing a CLEP exam? How much time do students spend in preparing for CLEP, and how much do they learn compared to regular college course? The major findings of the study are that grade point average (GPA) and time spent in preparation were associated with success on the CLEP, while age and gender were not. In addition, previous learning experiences were also related to a successful CLEP exam. However, the exact nature of the previous learning is unclear, since having a high school course in the specific subject area was not related to CLEP success
Towards Communication-Efficient Quantum Oblivious Key Distribution
Oblivious Transfer, a fundamental problem in the field of secure multi-party
computation is defined as follows: A database DB of N bits held by Bob is
queried by a user Alice who is interested in the bit DB_b in such a way that
(1) Alice learns DB_b and only DB_b and (2) Bob does not learn anything about
Alice's choice b. While solutions to this problem in the classical domain rely
largely on unproven computational complexity theoretic assumptions, it is also
known that perfect solutions that guarantee both database and user privacy are
impossible in the quantum domain. Jakobi et al. [Phys. Rev. A, 83(2), 022301,
Feb 2011] proposed a protocol for Oblivious Transfer using well known QKD
techniques to establish an Oblivious Key to solve this problem. Their solution
provided a good degree of database and user privacy (using physical principles
like impossibility of perfectly distinguishing non-orthogonal quantum states
and the impossibility of superluminal communication) while being loss-resistant
and implementable with commercial QKD devices (due to the use of SARG04).
However, their Quantum Oblivious Key Distribution (QOKD) protocol requires a
communication complexity of O(N log N). Since modern databases can be extremely
large, it is important to reduce this communication as much as possible. In
this paper, we first suggest a modification of their protocol wherein the
number of qubits that need to be exchanged is reduced to O(N). A subsequent
generalization reduces the quantum communication complexity even further in
such a way that only a few hundred qubits are needed to be transferred even for
very large databases.Comment: 7 page
Brayton-cycle radioisotope heat source design study. Phase I - /Conceptual design/ report
Conceptual designs for radioisotope heat source systems to provide 25 kW thermal power to Brayton cycle power conversion system for space application
Thermo-Regulated Device for Extremities Affected by Raynaud’s Disease
Raynaud’s condition is a disease in which blood vessels in the extremities constrict in response to emotional stimuli and cold environments. This results in extreme discoloration and pain in the regions affected (Figure 1), and can cause permanent tissue damage. Although there is no current cure for this disease, there are several methods of pain mitigation including the use of drugs, gloves, avoiding exposure to cold weather, and using heating devices. However, these solutions are only temporary. Most gloves do not provide adequate insulation or have a short battery life.
This project is aimed at mediating the negative physiological effects of Raynaud’s disease by developing a thermo-regulated device to regulate the temperature of the extremities. The final prototype utilizes a micro-controller that activates a steel-fiber heating element placed inside of a glove. The closedloop control reacts to a thermocouple signal that measures the user’s hand temperature at several strategic locations. This ensures that the heating element is activated when the hand approaches dangerously low temperature and is deactivated when the temperature of the hand returns to a safe temperature. This automated process eliminates the need for the wearer to manually control the heat setting, while maximizing battery life. Additionally, undesired side effects of overheating such as sweating are avoided.
A device of this nature would revolutionize the world of a person suffering from Raynaud’s disease. Other applications of the gloves include first responders operating in extreme weather. Future studies include optimization of the materials to maximize dexterity without sacrificing insulation.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/capstone/1133/thumbnail.jp
Spatially resolved spectroscopy of monolayer graphene on SiO2
We have carried out scanning tunneling spectroscopy measurements on
exfoliated monolayer graphene on SiO to probe the correlation between its
electronic and structural properties. Maps of the local density of states are
characterized by electron and hole puddles that arise due to long range
intravalley scattering from intrinsic ripples in graphene and random charged
impurities. At low energy, we observe short range intervalley scattering which
we attribute to lattice defects. Our results demonstrate that the electronic
properties of graphene are influenced by intrinsic ripples, defects and the
underlying SiO substrate.Comment: 6 pages, 7 figures, extended versio
Crosstalk between MSH2–MSH3 and polβ promotes trinucleotide repeat expansion during base excision repair
Studies in knockout mice provide evidence that MSH2–MSH3 and the BER machinery promote trinucleotide repeat (TNR) expansion, yet how these two different repair pathways cause the mutation is unknown. Here we report the first molecular crosstalk mechanism, in which MSH2–MSH3 is used as a component of the BER machinery to cause expansion. On its own, pol β fails to copy TNRs during DNA synthesis, and bypasses them on the template strand to cause deletion. Remarkably, MSH2–MSH3 not only stimulates pol β to copy through the repeats but also enhances formation of the flap precursor for expansion. Our results provide direct evidence that MMR and BER, operating together, form a novel hybrid pathway that changes the outcome of TNR instability from deletion to expansion during the removal of oxidized bases. We propose that cells implement crosstalk strategies and share machinery when a canonical pathway is ineffective in removing a difficult lesion
Accounting Hall of Fame induction: Charles Arthur Bowsher; Accounting Hall of Fame induction: Donald James Kirk; Accounting Hall of Fame induction: William Henry Beaver
For Charles Arthur Bowsher\u27s induction, the Citation was written by Daniel L. Jensen, Professor , The Ohio State University and read by Arhtur R. Wyatt, professor, University of Illinois and a Rseponse was made by Charles A. Bowsher. For Donald James Kirk\u27s induction, Remarks were made by Paul Kolton, the Citation written by Daniel L. Jensen, Professor, Fisher College of Business, The Ohio State University and read by Paul Kolton, Stamford, Connecticut and a Response made by Donald James Kirk. For the induction of William Henry Beaver, the Remarks were made by Charles T. Horngren, Professor, Stanford University, Hall of Fame Member and the Citation was written by Daniel L. Jensen, Professor, The Ohio State University and read by Charles T. Horngren, Professor, Stanford University, Hall of Fame member and a Response was made by William H. Beaver
Collaborative research: Accomplishments & potential
Although a substantial part of scientific research is collaborative and increasing globalization will probably lead to its increase, very few studies actually investigate the advantages, disadvantages, experiences and lessons learned from collaboration. In environmental epidemiology interdisciplinary collaboration is essential and the contrasting geographical patterns in exposure and disease make multi-location projects essential. This paper is based on a presentation given at the Annual Conference of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, Paris 2006, and is attempting to initiate a discussion on a framework for studying collaborative research. A review of the relevant literature showed that indeed collaborative research is rising, in some countries with impressive rates. However, there are substantial differences between countries in their outlook, need and respect for collaboration. In many situations collaborative publications receive more citations than those based on national authorship. The European Union is the most important host of collaborative research, mainly driven by the European Commission through the Framework Programmes. A critical assessment of the tools and trends of collaborative networks under FP6, showed that there was a need for a critical revision, which led to changes in FP7. In conclusion, it is useful to study the characteristics of collaborative research and set targets for the future. The added value for science and for the researchers involved may be assessed. The motivation for collaboration could be increased in the more developed countries. Particular ways to increase the efficiency and interaction in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaboration may be developed. We can work towards "the principles of collaborative research" in Environmental Epidemiology
AO 0235+164 and Surrounding Field: Surprising HST Results
Results obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope on the highly variable radio, x-ray, and gamma-ray emitting QSO (or BL Lac object) AO 0235 + 164 are presented and analyzed. WFPC2 images were obtained in 1994 June, when AO 0235 + 164 was bright (m approx. 17), and the results are described in Sec. 3. After subtraction of the PSF of the QSO, hereafter called AO following the nomenclature of Yanny et al. (1989), the companion object named A, 2 sec south of AO, is discovered not to be an elliptical galaxy as hypothesized earlier, but to be an AGN object, with a central UV-bright point-source nucleus and faint surrounding nebulosity extending to AO. The second companion object 1.3 sec east of AO discovered by Yanny et al. (1989) and named object Al, appears more like a normal spiral galaxy. We have measured the positions, luminosities, and colors of some 30 faint objects in the field around AO 0235 + 16; most are extended and may be star-forming galaxies in a loose group or cluster. Our most surprising result of the HST observations comes from FOS spectra obtained in 1995 July, discussed in Sec. 4. Because of a positioning error of the telescope and AO's faintness at that time (m approx. 20), object A was observed instead of the intended target AO. Serendipitously, we discovered A to have broad deep BALQSO-type absorptions of C IV, Si IV, N V shortward of broad emissions. A is thus ejecting high velocity, highly ionized gas into the surrounding IGM. We discuss in Sec. 5 the relationship of the objects in the central 10 sec X 1O sec region around AO, where redshifts z(sub e) = 0.94, z(sub a) = 0.524, 0.851 in AO, (sub e) = 0.524 and Z(sub BAL)=0.511 in A, are found. We hypothesize that some of the 30 faint objects in the 77 sec. x 77 sec. field may be part of a large star-forming region at z approx. 0.5, as suggested for a few objects by Yanny et al. (1989). The proximity of two highly active extragalactic objects, AO 0235+164 and its AGN companion A, is remarkable and one of the authors (EMB) suggests it may require consideration of a non-cosmological component of redshift in AO 0235+164
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