Denotation and connotation in the human-computer interface: The ‘Save as...’ command

This paper presents a semiotic technique as a means of exploring meaning and understanding in interface design and use. This is examined through a study of the interaction between the ‘file’ metaphor and ‘save as’ command metaphor. The behaviour of these (from a functional or computational basis) do not exactly match, or map onto, the meaning of the metaphor. We examine both the denotation of a term to the user, i.e. its literal meaning to that person, and the term’s connotations, i.e. any other meanings associated with the term. We suggest that the technique applied is useful in predicting future problems with understanding the use of metaphor at the interface and with designing appropriate signification for human-computer interaction. Variation in connotation was expected but a more fundamental difference in denotation was also uncovered. Moreover, the results clearly demonstrate that consistency in the denotation of a term is critical in achieving a good user understanding of the command

Predicting Minimum Free Energy Structures of Multi-Stranded Nucleic Acid Complexes Is APX-Hard

Given multiple nucleic acid strands, what is the minimum free energy (MFE) secondary structure that they can form? As interacting nucleic acid strands are the basis for DNA computing and molecular programming, e.g., in DNA self-assembly and DNA strand displacement systems, determining the MFE structure is an important step in the design and verification of these systems. Efficient dynamic programming algorithms are well known for predicting the MFE pseudoknot-free secondary structure of a single nucleic acid strand. In contrast, we prove that for a simple energy model, the problem of predicting the MFE pseudoknot-free secondary structure formed from multiple interacting nucleic acid strands is NP-hard and also APX-hard. The latter result implies that there does not exist a polynomial time approximation scheme for this problem, unless ? = NP, and it suggests that heuristic methods should be investigated

The City: Art and the Urban Environment

The City: Art and the Urban Environment is the fifth annual exhibition curated by students enrolled in the Art History Methods class. This exhibition draws on the students’ newly developed expertise in art-historical methodologies and provides an opportunity for sustained research and an engaged curatorial experience. Working with a selection of paintings, prints, and photographs, students Angelique Acevedo ’19, Sidney Caccioppoli ’21, Abigail Coakley ’20, Chris Condon ’18, Alyssa DiMaria ’19, Carolyn Hauk ’21, Lucas Kiesel ’20, Noa Leibson ’20, Erin O’Brien ’19, Elise Quick ’21, Sara Rinehart ’19, and Emily Roush ’21 carefully consider depictions of the urban environment in relation to significant social, economic, artistic, and aesthetic developments. [excerpt]https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs/1029/thumbnail.jp

Measurement of the angular correlation function of radio galaxies from the NRAO VLA Sky Survey

We quantify the angular distribution of radio sources in the NVSS by measuring the two-point angular correlation function. By careful consideration of the resolution of radio galaxies into multiple components, we are able to determine both the galaxy angular clustering and the size distribution of giant radio galaxies. The slope of the correlation function for radio galaxies agrees with that for other classes of galaxy, gamma = 1.8, with a 3D correlation length r_0 = 6 h^-1 Mpc (under certain assumptions). Calibration problems in the survey prevent clustering analysis below 10 mJy. About 7 per cent of radio galaxies are resolved by NVSS into multiple components, with a power-law size distribution. Our work calls into question previous analyses and interpretations of the angular correlation function from radio surveys.Comment: Accepted for publication as an MNRAS letter, 5 page

A deep ATCA 20cm radio survey of the AKARI Deep Field South near the South Ecliptic Pole

The results of a deep 20 cm radio survey at 20 cm are reported of the AKARI Deep Field South (ADF-S) near the South Ecliptic Pole (SEP), using the Australia Telescope Compact Array telescope, ATCA. The survey has 1 sigma detection limits ranging from 18.7--50 microJy per beam over an area of ~1.1 sq degrees, and ~2.5 sq degrees to lower sensitivity. The observations, data reduction and source count analysis are presented, along with a description of the overall scientific objectives, and a catalogue containing 530 radio sources detected with a resolution of 6.2" x 4.9". The derived differential source counts show a pronounced excess of sources fainter than ~1 mJy, consistent with an emerging population of star forming galaxies. Cross-correlating the radio with AKARI sources and archival data we find 95 cross matches, with most galaxies having optical R-magnitudes in the range 18-24 mag, and 52 components lying within 1" of a radio position in at least one further catalogue (either IR or optical). We have reported redshifts for a sub-sample of our catalogue finding that they vary between galaxies in the local universe to those having redshifts of up to 0.825. Associating the radio sources with the Spitzer catalogue at 24 microns, we find 173 matches within one Spitzer pixel, of which a small sample of the identifications are clearly radio loud compared to the bulk of the galaxies. The radio luminosity plot and a colour-colour analysis suggest that the majority of the radio sources are in fact luminous star forming galaxies, rather than radio-loud AGN. There are additionally five cross matches between ASTE or BLAST submillimetre galaxies and radio sources from this survey, two of which are also detected at 90 microns, and 41 cross-matches with submillimetre sources detected in the Herschel HerMES survey Public Data release.Comment: MNRAS accepted and in press 9 July 2012: 28 pages, 15 Figures, 17 Table

Athletics & Recreation Master Plan Sub‐Committee Final Report

In 2000 the Athletics & Recreation Department at UMass Boston Implemented a five year strategic plan that would more realistically align sports sponsorship with available financial and facility resources. We reduced the number of sports sponsored from 20 to 14 maintaining 7 sports for women and 7 sports for men. The only sports maintained without a facility were Men’s baseball and Cross Country Track. We eliminated football, swimming and indoor & outdoor track and field for men and women. Since 2005 The Athletics & Recreation Department has been focused on University wide transition and planning efforts. In that period we have experienced three changes in the Chancellors office, two changes in Athletics Director Position and our operation has moved from a university department to a university division. We have engaged in university‐wide strategic planning and master planning while redefining the role of athletics within the campus community. This four year process of transition & planning has been at the same time taxing and invigorating while allowing the Division of Athletics & Recreation, Special Programs & Projects to emerge as a university service entity supportive of the primary mission of the university. The division has engaged in areas of the university heretofore out of its purview. It has established internal and external partnerships that are transformative and beneficial to the entire community. This report focuses on facilities that will allow for the established partnerships to flourish, that will uphold the new standards for high quality facilities that have been implemented over the last four years on our campus and most importantly this report addresses in a comprehensive way a vision for athletics & recreation at UMass Boston that will put us in the fore front of those institutions that offer athletics & recreation for the purpose of the health and both physical and mental wellness of students, faculty and staff. It does begin with a pride of place

e-VLBI observations of GHz-Peaked Spectrum (GPS) radio sources in nearby galaxies from the AT20G survey

GHz-peaked spectrum (GPS) radio sources are thought to be young objects which later evolve into FR-I and FR-II radio galaxies. We have used the Australia Telescope 20GHz (AT20G) survey catalogue to select a uniform sample of GPS sources with spectral peaks above 5GHz, which should represent the youngest members of this class. In this paper, we present e-VLBI observations of ten such objects which are associated with nearby (z<0.15) galaxies and so represent a new population of local, low--power GPS sources. Our e-VLBI observations were carried out at 4.8GHz with the Australia Telescope Long Baseline Array (LBA) using a real--time software correlator. All ten sources were detected, and were unresolved on scales of ~100mas, implying that they are typically less than 100pc in linear size.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 3 table

Galaxy Zoo: dust lane early-type galaxies are tracers of recent, gas-rich minor mergers

We present the second of two papers concerning the origin and evolution of local early-type galaxies exhibiting dust features. We use optical and radio data to examine the nature of active galactic nucleus (AGN) activity in these objects, and compare these with a carefully constructed control sample. We find that dust lane early-type galaxies are much more likely to host emission-line AGN than the control sample galaxies. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between radio and emission-line AGN activity in dust lane early-types, but not the control sample. Dust lane early-type galaxies show the same distribution of AGN properties in rich and poor environments, suggesting a similar triggering mechanism. By contrast, this is not the case for early-types with no dust features. These findings strongly suggest that dust lane early-type galaxies are starburst systems formed in gas-rich mergers. Further evidence in support of this scenario is provided by enhanced star formation and black hole accretion rates in these objects. Dust lane early-types therefore represent an evolutionary stage between starbursting and quiescent galaxies. In these objects, the AGN has already been triggered but has not as yet completely destroyed the gas reservoir required for star formation.Comment: 11 pages, 18 figures, 4 tables, MNRAS (Accepted for publication- 2012 January 19