18701 research outputs found
Sort by
Characterizing Laser-Ablated Surfaces with an AFM
No full text['UNSDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9)']Viable, Healthy and Safe CommunitiesThis project compares the beam quality of two types of lasers that are frequently used in experimental physics research labs: femtosecond and nanosecond lasers. By studying the surfaces ablated by these lasers, we will consequently determine the beam quality of our lasers. An AFM was used to characterize the surface of a metal sample after it had been ablated with the relevant laser. Qualities such as shape and symmetry of the cavity were considered. The shapes of the cavities were not symmetrical nor circular as anticipated. This means that the laser of interest was not providing the expected circular beam shape
Introduction From Hosts
No full textJoe Baker's research examines the varying factors affecting skill acquisition and maintenance across the lifespan, from issues of high performance athlete development to predictors of successful aging. He has held visiting researcher positions in the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany and is the author/editor of 8 books, 4 journal special issues and more than 200 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. He is internationally recognized as a world leader on the science of athlete development. Sean Horton joined the faculty at the University of Windsor in 2008. His research interests lie primarily in the area of skill acquisition and expert performance both in young people and as individuals age, along with various psychosocial components of sport and physical activity participation. Sean has been part of four SSHRC-funded grants investigating topics related to the relative age effect (RAE), and has contributed to 12 peer-reviewed articles specific to issues allied with relative age. In addition, he has been active in disseminating RAE research to lay audiences through publications in the popular press
How to Interpret Spinoza's Theory of Attribute: The Subjective and Objective Interpretations Revisited
Full text linkScholars disagree on how to interpret two terms, "intellect" and "as", in the definition of attribute given by Spinoza in his Ethics and thus divide themselves into two rival camps: one is known as the subjective interpretation, and the other, objective interpretation. In this essay, I argue that both interpretations are problematic in one way or another, and a better interpretation should take a middle path between the subjective and objective. By this new interpretation, "intellect" should be understood as infinite and finite intellects, and "as" to be "as in fact". Therefore, what the definition of attribute really means is that infinite and finite intellects are equally capable to perceive the essence of substance through attribute; attribute is a reliable medium through which infinite and finite intellects perceive substance as in fact constituting its essence. Furthermore, this interpretation sheds light on three other questions associated with Spinoza's ontology: (i) whether there is any ontological difference between substance and attribute; (ii) how many attributes there are; and (iii) whether there are real distinctions between attributes. Altogether, the new interpretation of attribute provides a new understanding of Spinoza's ontology
Measured emotion in men and women during exercise of different intensities
No full textThe Borg Scale of ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) is widely used to determine subjective exercise difficulty. However, RPE does not indicate emotional state of exercising humans. Consequently, the Self-Assessment Mannikin (SAM) of emotional states was used in conjunction with the Borg Scale to determine valence, arousal and dominance feelings during exercise of 3 different intensities in men and women. PURPOSE: To determine human emotional responses to exercise at various intensities. METHODS: Participants (n=28; female =18, male = 10) reported SAM and RPE prior to and at 17.5 minutes during steady state cycle ergometer exercise designed to elicit 40% (LOW), 60% (MOD), or 80% (HIGH) of maximal oxygen consumption. Data were analyzed using a 2 factor (3: intensity x 2: sex) repeated measures ANOVA and presented as mean (SD). RESULTS: RPE was significantly greater at each exercise intensity (9.2 (1.9), 11.3 (2.0) vs 13.9 (1.8) for the LOW, MOD and HIGH intensities, respectively; pConclusion: At the highest intensity, participants reported significantly different emotional states as measured by SAM. These observations have implications for exercise prescription, adherence and mood
Towards Skeleton Based Keystroke Recognition in Virtual Reality
Full text linkWith the rapid advancement of virtual reality (VR) headsets, users can now perform office tasks such as composing emails and documents using virtual keyboards, expanding VR's capabilities. However, using virtual keyboards remains inefficient due to the limitations of mid-air hand tracking or eye tracking. In this paper, we present a 4-stage method consisting of hand skeleton estimation, keystroke detection, keystroke classification, and prediction refinement to recognize keystrokes in VR devices. In the detection and classification stage, we introduce a novel deep learning model specifically designed to recognize keystrokes, employing convolution operations on hypergraphs to capture spatial features and leveraging temporal convolutions to model typing dynamics. Our model achieves strong performance, with 93.45% accuracy in classifying keystrokes at normal typing speed while maintaining a lightweight architecture compared to existing models
The effects of divorce on children's academic achievement
Full text linkGiven the prevalence of divorce in society, there is great concern for the wellbeing of children involved in these marital disruptions. This issue has become increasingly problematic for schools, in that teachers, school counselors and school officials recognize that there is need to provide practical strategies and coping skills for these children as well as those individuals that deal with them daily. This literature study set out to examine the impact of divorce on children in relation to their school performance, particularly in the area of academic achievement. Studies have determined that many variables associated with divorce had an effect on children's academic achievement. In general, the results of these studies suggest that while divorce on its own can be a factor in children's lower academic achievement, variables such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, conflict prior to the divorce, and remarriage also have an impact on the level of children's academic success. Unfortunately, the results of this study show that there are limitations in the intervention programs that are implemented within schools because related studies do not often provide practical strategies to guide teachers who are involved with these children's education. To address this problem, a model of practical school based strategies is hereby proposed
Drawers of Oil, Farmers of Wind? Common Sense, National Identity and Rural Landscapes in Canadian Climate Politics
Full text linkDespite the growing global consensus on the need for action to combat climate change, transitions to more sustainable practices will not be simple. This is especially true in the case of Canada which is a) country that has increasingly relied on its fossil fuel sector as a primary driver of economic growth, and b) a federal state where the division of power over the energy and resource sectors are shared between the federal and provincial governments. Further complicating this is Canada’s long history of natural resource extraction and its connection to Canadian national identity. After a decade of assertive support for the oil sector by the federal Conservative Party, the Liberal Party won a majority government partly due to promises to take meaningful climate action. However, despite these promises the Liberals have continued to wholeheartedly back the industry centred in the Alberta oil sands, and attempts to balance climate action with support for the oil industry has seen the balance swing heavily in favour of the latter. The ability of the oil industry and its allies in civil society to equate it with Canadian national identity and ‘common sense’ has entrenched its hegemony in the Canadian economy. In Ontario, the policies of a clean energy transition primarily via wind energy initiated by former Premier Dalton McGuinty have been successfully challenged by opposition at both the municipal and provincial level. One of the major obstacles has been that wind energy projects clash with, rather than fit into, ideas of rurality and what Canada is. These case studies highlight the challenges involved in green transitions, particularly in locations where natural resource extraction has historically been a central component of national identity and the national economy
Single-Song Repertoires Change throughout a Lifetime in Savannah Sparrows
No full textMany species across the animal kingdom are able to communicate with each other through many different modalities. Bird song is an auditory method of communication that has a dual purpose: mate attraction and territory defence. As a bird ages, the importance of attracting a mate and defending a territory is expected to change, suggesting its song may change in parallel. Previous studies have considered changes in song structure with age in species that have multiple song types, yet most species of birds have just a single song type, and variation with age in these species has been largely overlooked. In this study, we explore Savannah Sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis), a single-song type species, to determine whether or not Savannah Sparrow song changes with age. We recorded and measured the fine structures of 21 males' songs from a population on Kent Island, New Brunswick. We found that as birds age, their songs remain similar in structure but become increasingly shorter with time. Our results provide evidence in support of the hypothesis that bird song changes with age in a species with a single song repertoire. Therefore, male song length may be an age cue that other males can use to assess potential rivals, and females can use to assess potential mates
Reasoning in Transitions: A Critique for Social Values
Full text linkI consider two variants of immanent critique ala Jaeggi and Putnam which both seem wedded to forms of metaphysical realism, and I intend to show how Rorty’s denial of the ‘functional’ as a category weighs against Jaeggi’s account of the role of “functional-ethical” norms in the analysis of real crisis. I argue that Jaeggi’s ‘immanent’ criticism relies on untenable metaphysical notions of progress and that, despite her argument that immanent critique draws its own standards from the object of criticism, she ends up sneaking strong foundations into her critique through her notion of crisis. Charles Taylor provides a non-foundational model of critique which avoids relativism and provides an effective tool for argumentation. I argue that his hermeneutical model integrates elements of both internal and immanent modes of critique and therefore provides an advance over both; it is also free from the metaphysical presuppositions and corresponding deficiencies plaguing Jaeggi and Putnam’s models of immanent critique. Ultimately, the idea of an error-reducing transitions does not rely on untenable presuppositions and is far more plausible; Taylor’s straightforward examples make his method less abstract and more practical in implementation than Jaeggi’s crisis-induced transformation involving historical learning processes with its blend of Hegelianism and pragmatism
Built Ford Tough: Masculinity, Gerald Ford's Presidential Museum, and the Macho Presidential Style
Full text linkIn Cold War America, spanning roughly from 1945-1991, masculinity was in crisis. The rise of Communism and the Soviet Union had led to a fear of spies, infiltrators, and defectors known most commonly as the Red Scare. Americans were encouraged to be hyper vigilant in sussing out deviant behaviour. Alongside this scare came the Lavender Scare. It was suggested that homosexuals were deviant peoples and were therefore more susceptible to being turned Communist than their heterosexual counterparts. This led to a crisis of masculinity where even the smallest suggestion of femininity could lead to accusations of potential compromise, an effect felt very noticeably by politicians. It became imperative for politicians who wished to avoid slanderous and potentially career killing rumours to spread, especially if one aimed to be part of the highest office: the presidency. The impact this had was an over emphasis on a macho presidential style that impacted not only the careers of the men who served as president, but also their legacies contained inside their presidential museums. This paper aims to explore the impact of the macho presidential style in the presidential museum of Gerald Ford by comparing his life, his image, and his museum to see what factors are emphasized and to prove that these museums are biased towards the more masculine aspects of a president’s life