Designing relational pedagogies with jam2jamXO

This paper examines the affordances of the philosophy and practice of open source and the application of it in developing music education software. In particular I will examine the parallels inherent in the ‘openness’ of pragmatist philosophy in education (Dewey 1916, 1989) such as group or collaborative learning, discovery learning (Bruner 1966) and learning through creative activity with computers (Papert 1980, 1994). Primarily I am interested in ‘relational pedagogies’ (Ruthmann and Dillon In Press) which is in a real sense about the ethics of the transaction between student and teacher in an ecology where technology plays a more significant role. In these contexts relational pedagogies refers to how the music teacher manages their relationships with students and evaluates the affordances of open source technology in that process. It is concerned directly with how the relationship between student and teacher is affected by the technological tools, as is the capacity for music making and learning. In particular technologies that have agency present the opportunity for a partnership between user and technology that enhances the capacity for expressive music making, productive social interaction and learning. In this instance technologies with agency are defined as ones that enhance the capacity to be expressive and perform tasks with virtuosity and complexity where the technology translates simple commands and gestures into complex outcomes. The technology enacts a partnership with the user that becomes both a cognitive and performative amplifier. Specifically we have used this term to describe interactions with generative technologies that use procedural invention as a creative technique to produce music and visual media

Shock absorbing mount for electrical components

A shock mount for installing electrical components on circuit boards is described. The shock absorber is made of viscoelastic material which interconnects the electrical components. With this system, shocks imposed on one component of the circuit are not transmitted to other components. A diagram of a typical circuit is provided

The Mad Cow Disease Trade Ban and Changes in the U.S. and Canadian Cull Cow Markets: A DAG Analysis

A directed a cyclical graph (DAG) methodology was used to discover changes in price relationships among cull cow markets in the U.S. and Canada resulting from the trade ban initiated by the discovery of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also called mad cow disease), in a Canadian cow in 2003. Comparison of the pre- and post-ban DAGs supports the hypothesis that large structural changes in the flow of cull cow market information has occurred with significant changes both within and between countries. The typical flow of information from south to north and east to west was disrupted.Livestock Production/Industries,

The Effects of Class Size on Student Achievement in Higher Education: Applying an Earnings Function

This paper uses an earnings function to model how class size affects the grade students earn. We test the model using an ordinal logit with and without fixed effects on 363,023 undergraduate observations. We find that class size negatively affects grades. Average grade point declines as class size increases, precipitously up to class sizes of ten, and more gradually but monotonically through class sizes of 400 plus. The probability of getting a B plus or better declines from 0.9 for class sizes 20 to about 0.5 for class sizes of 120 and almost 0.4 for class sizes of 400

Craniometaphyseal and craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, head and neck manifestations and management

Craniometaphyseal and craniodiaphyseal dysplasia are rare genetic disorders of bone due to modelling errors of long bones and skull bones. These syndromes present with multiple ENT symptomatology from an early age. The diagnostic distinction can now be made radiologically by serial skeletal survey which is important for prognosis. We review the clinical, radiological, computed tomography (CT) scan, otological, audiological and histopathological findings in two cases with craniodiaphyseal, and two cases with craniometaphyseal dysplasia, and report our experiences of medical and surgical treatment to date. In the craniodiaphyseal dysplasia, the hearing abnormality progressed from an initial conductive to a mixed loss on serial audiometric follow up. Temporal bone CT scans showed narrowing of the middle ear cavity, internal auditory meatus, and facial nerve canal at the geniculate ganglion. Benefits from choanal stenosis surgery, craniofacial remodelling and dacrocystorhinostomy were shortlived. Calcitriol therapy with a low calcium diet did not alter the clinical course of progression in our cases. The underlying defect, causing net bone formation in these phenotypically similar syndromes, appears to be different when based on the differing biochemical responses to calcitriol and bone biopsy findings. Increased numbers of osteoblasts were found in bone biopsies from both cases with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. Early recognition is crucial in these conditions as therapy directed at the underlying bony defect has the best chance of success if initiated in infancy (Cole et al., 1988; Fanconi et al., 1988; Key et al., 1988)

Authentic Corporate Social Responsibility Based on Authentic Empowerment: An Exemplary Business Leadership Case

Authors Dillon, Back, and Manz examine the underpinnings of genuine or authentic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), noting the direct nexus between stakeholder empowerment and the socially-responsible actions of authentic leaders. Such an empowering leadership approach– involving structural, psychological, developmental, and financial components – is particularly exemplified by a family-owned (Back) wine and cheese company (Fairview Trust), situate in South Africa

The relationship of U.S. and Canadian Cull Cow Prices to lean beef prices: A DAG Analysis

Demand and Price Analysis,

Foreword

Introduction to special issue honoring the accomplishments of Hon. James D. Hopkins, the former dean of Pace Law School

Applications of Machine Learning for Real-time Road Anomaly Identification

Infrastructure degradation is becoming a wide-reaching problem in the United States, and there is a need to determine ways to intelligently distribute taxpayer money when addressing the issues. This paper investigates the use of smartphones to classify various road anomalies by using on-board sensors, including accelerometers, gyroscopes, and a cameras. Having a relatively robust sensor array in a ubiquitous device allows for crowdsourcing of data collection, and makes mapping large road networks that are prevalent in the US much more feasible. Specifically, this paper will propose a novel machine learning algorithm that can identify and differentiate between four different classifications of road anomalies, as opposed to the binary approach (using thresholding) that has been employed in similar studies. Additionally, this approach will be able to classify anomalies by severity, as well as provide an estimate of overall road roughness using the International Roughness Index (IRI). This data will allow for more accurate evaluations of overall road conditions than similar methods, and will allow preventive maintenance to be performed, potentially saving time and money