The Phillips Machine (MONIAC)

The Phillips Machine, or Monetary National Income Analogue Computer (MONIAC), is a hydraulic representation of cash flow within the UK economy in the early 20th century. It represents the circular flow of income (New Zealand Institute of Economic Research, 2015), shown by the economic equation Aggregate Demand = Consumer Expenditure + Investment + Government Spending + (Exports – Imports), or Y = C + I + G + (X – M), which is an important equation in determining the national output of an economy (Pettinger, 2008). Though no longer in use, of the 14 that were built, the majority were originally restricted to military and government use owing to their effectiveness in determining economic policy. This paper describes an implementation of an emulation of this machine that satisfies, or mostly satisfies, almost all of the requirements specified in the ISO/IEC 25010 software quality assurance standard and would be suitable for deployment to support A-Level Economics teaching. With further work it would also become suitable as part of a museum display of a Phillips Machine

The Experience of Middle-School Males in the Ambassadors of Compassion Mentoring Program: A Phenomenological Study

More than ever before, students are being raised in families without both sets of parents and are coming to school without the skills needed to be successful. This has led to a high failure rate, and missing a number of school days is causing other students to enter high school underprepared. This phenomenological study will focus on answering the question: “After completing the Ambassadors of Compassion mentoring program, how did mentees describe their experiences?” This phenomenological study looked closely at 5 eighth-grade boys who were involved in a mentoring program. The mentor program, Ambassadors of Compassion, was led by a trained mentor (“Ambassadors of Compassion,” 2017). Reports were drafted from interviews with the group in the program and detailed field notes through two observations conducted toward the end of the program. Four themes emerged from the research: Taking initiative in their own lives, students care deeply about their grades, Ambassadors of Compassion was a venue where trust was established, and skills learned could translate to all different backgrounds. These themes were consistent with the norms expected of both the mentee and the mentor, the purpose behind the mentoring of students, and mentor program successes. As a result of conducting this study, a number of suggestions were formulated to make the Ambassador of Compassion program more successful. If these are followed, the relationship between the mentor and the mentee may well be strengthened, with the mentee gaining optimum guidance while taking part in the program

Internal Bore Seasonality and Tidal Pumping of Subthermocline Waters at the Head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon

This study utilizes more than a year of observations made in shallow waters (~30 m) at the head of the Monterey Submarine Canyon to assess variability in the physical environment and internal bore field. The interaction of the internal tide with the canyon rim results in a semidiurnal tidal period pumping of cold–water masses (subthermocline waters) onto the adjacent shelf (i.e., internal bores). These internal bores are shown to be significantly coherent with the local sea surface height with minimal spatial variability when comparing two sites near the canyon head region. During the summer months, and periods of strong regional wind-driven upwelling and shoaling of the offshore thermocline, the canyon rim sites display elevated semidiurnal temperature variance. This semidiurnal variability reaches its annual minimum during the winter months when the regional upwelling favorable winds subside and the offshore thermocline deepens. Additionally, the observed internal bores show a distinct asymmetry between the leading (gradual cooling with velocities directed onto the shelf) and trailing edges (sharp warming with velocities directed into the canyon). It appears that the semidiurnal internal tide at the canyon head is a first-order control on the delivery of subthermocline waters to the nearshore coastal environment at this location

Sexual dimorphism in a sample of semi-commensal chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) from South Africa

Department of Anthropology's Best Undergraduate Writing Award for 2022The determinants of sexual dimorphism continue to be investigated. Here we investigate sexual dimorphism in a skeletal sample of 29 (21 males, 8 females) chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) from South Africa. The sample comprises individuals living in proximity to humans that were euthanized due to raiding and other issues related to baboon-human conflict. Body weights of several males exceed the largest on record. We use dental measurements to test the hypotheses that (a) body weight and canine size are correlated in males, (b) Both male and whole sample body weights and femoral head diameter sizes will correlate more strongly with canine than with second molar crown size, and (c) this sample exhibits greater sexual dimorphism relative to museum collections of the same species. These associations are expected for at least 2 reasons: (1) higher testosterone levels during development, often associated with aggression and increased muscle mass, increase both body and canine sizes; and (2) males with larger canines are better able to access human-derived foods and increase their body weights. While the canine dimensions of our sample fell within the range of museum collections of P. ursinus and other baboon taxa, sexual dimorphism in canine mesio-distal and crown height dimensions exceeded that of comparative published samples. Correlations between male body weight and tooth size were in most cases greater for maxillary canines than for second molars or mandibular canines. Our results support an association between maxillary canine size, body weight, and femoral head diameter size related to baboon-human conflict.No embargoAcademic Major: Biolog

Influence of internal bores on larval fish abundance and community composition

A persistent semidiurnal internal tidal bore feature occurs at the head of the Monterey Bay Submarine Canyon and drives regular intrusions of cold, subthermocline waters onto the adjacent shelf. In this study, we examine the influence of this internal tidal bore feature on the larval fish community using over a year of periodic larval fish samples collected coincidently with physical measurements. Larval samples were categorized into one of two water mass periods: a “warm period” representative of shallow coastal shelf waters and a “cold period” characteristics of colder waters present during internal bore forcing. Using multivariate statistical methods, we show warm and cold periods, along with seasonality, are the primary drivers of larval fish community composition. A significantly different community composition was observed between warm and cold water mass periods. This difference was primarily due to decreased abundance in most taxa during the cold periods, and did not indicate an obvious shift in the assemblage of the taxa. However, our data do indicate that some taxa may show higher abundance during cold periods compared to warm periods, but further studies are warranted. Along with seasonality, the presence/absence of subthermocline waters driven by internal bores appears to be a key control on nearshore larval fish community composition at this location

Photon Correlation Spectroscopy for Observing Natural Lasers

Natural laser emission may be produced whenever suitable atomic energy levels become overpopulated. Strong evidence for laser emission exists in astronomical sources such as Eta Carinae, and other luminous stars. However, the evidence is indirect in that the laser lines have not yet been spectrally resolved. The lines are theoretically estimated to be extremely narrow, requiring spectral resolutions very much higher (R approx.= 10**8) than possible with ordinary spectroscopy. Such can be attained with photon-correlation spectroscopy on nanosecond timescales, measuring the autocorrelation function of photon arrival times to obtain the coherence time of light, and thus the spectral linewidth. A particular advantage is the insensitivity to spectral, spatial, and temporal shifts of emission-line components due to local velocities and probable variability of 'hot-spots' in the source. A laboratory experiment has been set up, simulating telescopic observations of cosmic laser emission. Numerically simulated observations estimate how laser emission components within realistic spectral and spatial passbands for various candidate sources carry over to observable statistical functions.Comment: Paper presented at the conference 'High Time Resolution Astrophysics', held in Edinburgh, Scotland, September 2007. To appear in D.Phelan, O.Ryan & A.Shearer, eds.,'The Universe at sub-second timescales', AIP Conf.Proc., in press, 2008 (American Institute of Physics, http://www.aip.org/proceedings). 9 pages, 3 figures, 36 reference

Physiological Remote Monitoring of Free Tissue Transfer

In the clinical setting today, the Doppler probe is the gold standard of monitoring free flaps. However, it poses many limitations including, but not limited to, subjective interpretation, reproducibility and limited remote access, confining the surgeon to the hospital for days. This project focuses on the design of a remote monitoring application for free tissue transplants. Utilizing a custom housing with a Doppler probe and temperature sensor, the device is capable of sampling physiological signals from tissue after microvascular surgery. This information is then exported to cloud storage for remote access. This enables surgeons to leave the hospital without leaving their patient, while also providing early detection of flap failure and better success rates

SETDB2 Links Glucocorticoid to Lipid Metabolism through Insig2a Regulation

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An SREBP-Responsive microRNA Operon Contributes to a Regulatory Loop for Intracellular Lipid Homeostasis

SummarySterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) have evolved as a focal point for linking lipid synthesis with other pathways that regulate cell growth and survival. Here, we have uncovered a polycistrionic microRNA (miRNA) locus that is activated directly by SREBP-2. Two of the encoded miRNAs, miR-182 and miR-96, negatively regulate the expression of Fbxw7 and Insig-2, respectively, and both are known to negatively affect nuclear SREBP accumulation. Direct manipulation of this miRNA pathway alters nuclear SREBP levels and endogenous lipid synthesis. Thus, we have uncovered a mechanism for the regulation of intracellular lipid metabolism mediated by the concerted action of a pair of miRNAs that are expressed from the same SREBP-2-regulated miRNA locus, and each targets a different protein of the multistep pathway that regulates SREBP function. These studies reveal an miRNA “operon” analogous to the classic model for genetic control in bacterial regulatory systems

Stellar Intensity Interferometry with Air Cherenkov Telescope arrays

The present generation of ground-based Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray observatories consist of arrays of up to four large (> 12m diameter) light collectors quite similar to those used by R. Hanbury Brown to measure stellar diameters by Intensity Interferometry in the late 60's. VHE gamma-ray observatories to be constructed over the coming decade will involve several tens of telescopes of similar or greater sizes. Used as intensity interferometers, they will provide hundreds of independent baselines. Now is the right time to re-assess the potential of intensity interferometry so that it can be taken into consideration in the design of these large facilities.Comment: 11 pages, 9 figures, in procedings of the High Time Resolution Astrophysics conferenc