Interactive student engagement using wireless handheld devices

This paper presents an initial design of a pilot wireless Classroom Communication System (CCS) used for continuous and interactive engagement of students aiming at enhancing student critical thinking, extending attention span and enabling better student assessment. The system was designed mostly for engineering students and is intended to be used in lectures, tutorials or laboratories. The design should ultimately enable students to use, amongst other software, standard engineering packages such as MATLAB, PSpice, or Electronic WorkBench to construct designs, perform simulations and obtain answers to design problems using just wireless handheld pocket PCs. The system is based upon a CSCW system originally designed to be used anytime during lectures or tutorials and may involve the guidance and personal intervention of a lecturer or tutor. It is intended to support several modes and allows group or one-to-one personal tutoring. The system may also serve as a means of assessing individual student performance and in assisting lecturing staff with other task

Evaluating Oyster Aquaculture’s Cost-Effectiveness as a Nitrogen Removal Best Management Practice – A Case Study of the Delaware Inland Bays

Disease and overfishing have led to a dramatic decline in wild populations and subsequent harvests of the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica over the past few decades in Delaware and other states along the Atlantic Coast. However, in addition to their value as food to consumers, oysters, whether wild populations or cultured stocks, can provide ecosystem services such as nutrient removal, which may result in localized water quality improvements. Consequently, recent policies in Delaware have sought to establish and grow an oyster aquaculture industry. However, a key challenge to achieving efficient levels of industry growth and water quality improvements is that current market prices for oysters in other states and those projected for a Delaware market do not account for the value of these additional ecosystem services. In my analysis, I consider the projected market value of oysters harvested from the Delaware Inland Bays, estimate the additional value of their nutrient removal benefits, and propose a framework of financial incentives needed to increase the supply of oysters and therefore improved water quality. I then conclude with a brief discussion of how this incentive program could be structured as well addressing the regional differences in the oyster aquaculture industry and within the scientific literature

Identification of a Command Neuron Directing the Expression of Feeding Behavior in \u3cem\u3eDrosophila melanogaster\u3c/em\u3e: A Dissertation

Feeding is one of the most important behaviors for an animal’s survival. At a gross level, it is known that the nervous system plays a major role in the expression of this complex behavior, yet a detailed understanding of the neural circuits directing feeding behavior remains unknown. Here we identify a command neuron in Drosophila melanogaster whose artificial activation, using dTrpA1, a heat-activated cation channel, induces the appearance of complete feeding behavior. We use behavioral, genetic, cellular and optical imaging techniques to show that the induced behavior is composed of multiple motor programs and can function to uptake exogenous, even noxious, material. Furthermore, we resolve the neuron’s location to the subesophageal ganglion, characterize its pre and post-synaptic sites, and determine its responsiveness to sucrose stimulation. Interestingly, the neuron’s dendritic field is proximal to sweet sensing axon terminals and its baseline activity corresponds to the fly’s satiation state, suggesting a potential point of integration between sensory, motor and motivational systems. The identification of a command neuron for feeding in a genetically tractable organism provides a useful model to develop a deeper understanding of the neural control of this ubiquitous and evolutionarily ancient behavior

A Low Cost Remote Sensing System Using PC and Stereo Equipment

A system using a personal computer, speaker, and a microphone is used to detect objects, and make crude measurements using a carrier modulated by a pseudorandom noise (PN) code. This system can be constructed using a personal computer and audio equipment commonly found in the laboratory or at home, or more sophisticated equipment that can be purchased at reasonable cost. We demonstrate its value as an instructional tool for teaching concepts of remote sensing and digital signal processing.Comment: Accepted for publication in American Journal of Physic

A Case Study of the Long Island Pine Barrens pertaining to Groundwater, Groundwater Contamination and the Benefits of Preservation in Suffolk County, New York

The Long Island Pine Barrens is a forest in Suffolk County, New York that is preserved for its pristine beauty and its geologic and environmental importance. The Pine Barrens is a diverse ecosystem that spreads over 100,000 acres of Suffolk County. It has a great geologic purpose of serving as a deep recharge station for groundwater aquifers. The history of the Pine Barrens is rich and full of policies and litigation that have helped to maintain this natural forest, protects groundwater, and decrease pollution into the aquifers. Through the development of a comprehensive land use plan, land use and development have been heavily restricted and limited in the Pine Barrens Region. I will also explore what pressures the Pine Barrens faces such as wildfires, salt water intrusion, development, and groundwater pollution. I will also go over ecological services offered by preservation of the Pine Barrens and how they benefit all of Suffolk County. I would also like to look into Government entities that have influence about Pine Barrens preservation and development, what planning is done for some of these natural resources, and how the local governments work together through collaborative governance. I will try to interview members of the Long Island Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission as well as local elected officials such as the county executive, town supervisor, and members of the town boards. I will be meeting and discussing some of these issues and plans for further preservation with members of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. For federal involvement, I will be interviewing members of the EPA for actions they might take to further preserve and protect the Long Island Pine Barrens and groundwater in Suffolk County