Filterscape: energy recycling in a creative ecosystem

This paper extends previous work in evolutionary ecosystemic approaches to generative art. Filterscape, adopts the implicit fitness specification that is fundamental to this approach and explores the use of resource recycling as a means of generating coherent sonic diversity in a generative sound work. Filterscape agents consume and deposit energy that is manifest in the simulation as sound. Resource recycling is shown to support cooperative as well as competitive survival strategies. In the context of our simulation, these strategies are recognised by their characteristic audible signatures. The model provides a novel means to generate sonic diversity through de-centralised agent interactions

Midlife, Diversification, and Inclusive Town Centres at Night

The perception that young people and youth orientated venues dominate the nocturnal city has stimulated calls on the part of government to address the exclusion of specific demographics, particularly those who are midlife. Focusing on those now aged 40-65, this paper explores how policies concerned with diversifying nightlife engage with this ageing demographic. Drawing on both scholarly and policy literature, the discussion examines how a discourse of diversity, diversification and vibrancy frame ageing and urban centres after dark. Acknowledging this demographic is under-researched, the paper brings together diverse literatures from urban planning, gerontology and sociology with a view to question the ways diversity, nightlife, and ageing are articulated and deployed in British urban policy. The paper challenges a normative concept of the life course, and a simplistic approach to place on which calls for diversifying nightlife within urban centres often rest. It concludes with a call for a framework for future research which connects place identity and demographic diversity within this cohort to inform future policy initiatives

Evaluating the impact of binary parameter uncertainty on stellar population properties

Binary stars have been shown to have a substantial impact on the integrated light of stellar populations, particularly at low metallicity and early ages - conditions prevalent in the distant Universe. But the fraction of stars in stellar multiples as a function of mass, their likely initial periods and distribution of mass ratios are all known empirically from observations only in the local Universe. Each has associated uncertainties. We explore the impact of these uncertainties in binary parameters on the properties of integrated stellar populations, considering which properties and timescales are most susceptible to uncertainty introduced by binary fractions and whether observations of the integrated light might be sufficient to determine binary parameters. We conclude that the effects of uncertainty in the empirical binary parameter distributions are likely smaller than those introduced by metallicity and stellar population age uncertainties for observational data. We identify emission in the He II 1640Å emission line and continuum colour in the ultraviolet-optical as potential indicators of a high mass binary presence, although poorly constrained metallicity, dust extinction and degeneracies in plausible star formation history are likely to swamp any measurable signal

The Elements of Surface Tension (Abstract)

Many of our ordinary statements about surface tension are true only when properly qualified. Common laboratory experiments give correct values only when correction terms are used. A number of surface tension paradoxes will be given

Electricity and Mechanics

When electric charges are in motion the forces between them differ from the electrostatic forces. The magnetic concept is used to take account of these non-electrostatic forces. The magnetic effect of a moving charge is relative to the electrostatic extremely small except when the velocity approaches that of light. However due to the circumstance that the electrostatic effects often, as in a wire carrying a current, practically cancel, the magnetic forces are very important. According to our present beliefs any field of force changes in an analogous manner if it be moved. There is theoretically the same excuse for speaking of a magnetic field about a moving mass as a moving charge. The difference is that in this latter case the discrepancy from the gravitostatic force is not of practical importance

A Method Obtaining Absolute Values for X-Ray Energy Levels

X-ray absorption edges usually correspond to the removal of the orbital electron to some definite outer level, not to complete ionization. The difference between this state and the state of complete removal from the metal is not known. It is probably of the order of 25 volts. By measuring the energies of photoelectrons produced by known photons the energy levels can be definitely placed. The experiment suggested is a modification of the one recently described by Kretschman (Phys. Rev. Vol. 43, p. 417)

EXPLORING FACULTY ADOPTION AND UTILIZATION OF BLACKBOARD AT A COMMUNITY COLLEGE IN THE KENTUCKY COMMUNITY AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE SYSTEM

The study explored the faculty adoption and use of a Blackboard at a community college in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. A cross-sectional survey design was constructed through the lens of Rogers’s Perceived Attributes of Innovations and Chickering and Ehrman’s Implementing Seven Principles: Technology as a Lever to investigate perceptions and opinions on faculty members’ use of Blackboard in their courses. The survey was piloted, modified and deployed to a population of 932 central Kentucky community college faculty who were recruited to participate in the online survey. Descriptive demographic items (gender, age, highest degree attained, years of teaching experience, employment status, and category of instruction) were cross-tabulated with users and nonusers of Blackboard. An additional cross-tabulation was performed on faculty who did and did not teach online. A Rasch analysis with Differential Item Functioning (DIF) was used to evaluate responses to the perceived attributes and opinions about the use of Blackboard. The Rasch model was employed since the model assumes that each person is characterized by ability, that each item of the survey is characterized by difficulty and that the results of differences in the probabilities of items and responses follow along a line. Misfit of items and faculty did occur and quality control measures were applied to the collected data. A Z-Residual table for the dichotomous items was applied to remove responses that were extreme or greater than 2 ZSTD. An Outfit plot for polytomous items was utilized to remove faculty responses above 3 ZSTD. Some items were determined to be redundant according to the Wright maps and Infit/Outfit tables. The results indicated 2 or 3 levels of discrimination in person reliability and an item separation that allowed an analysis of groups. Rogers’s perceived characteristics that persuade people to adopt a new innovation were indicated as differences between users and nonusers of Blackboard. In contrast to a previous study, those faculty who responded to the survey with 0-1 years of teaching experience had the greatest ratio of nonusers to users. Those respondents who associated their teaching to categories of pre-college and language had more nonusers than users of Blackboard. An overall theme where nonusers agreed more than users was the lack of seeing Blackboard, observing how to use Blackboard and not being able to properly try Blackboard. But users should also be encouraged to expand their use of Blackboard. The majority of users employed: syllabus, announcements, full grade center, course copy, and test and survey pool, but less than half who responded as users employed: discussion board, course calendar, and performance dashboard which may lead to increased communication between the faculty and students. The information obtained from the survey should be utilized when developing professional development activities to encourage Blackboard adoption and use. By studying the adoption and utilization of Blackboard by faculty through the lens of Rogers, the study highlighted differences in the characteristics that persuade faculty to use Blackboard. Through consistent utilization of course management systems, such as Blackboard, the hope is that communication between students and faculty will be enhanced which will ultimately help students to grow, develop and learn