2,616 research outputs found
R.M. Simmons presentation, Rena Smart book review
No full textR.M. Simmons of the Gospel Music Workshop of America gives a presentation on the African influence in the African American religious experience. He explains how African slaves brought to America their concept of music (utilitarian concept of music). Simmons further discusses the fusion between the utilitarian concept and the Western concept of religion resulting in spirituals. He also describes hymn categories in early forms of formal African American worship experiences. Simmons takes questions from the audience among which is Dr. Riggins Earl Jr. Video concludes with a book review on Christian Theology and Ethics by Rena Smart.The Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library acknowledges the generous support of the National Endowment for Humanities - Humanities Collections and Reference Resources Implementation Project Grant in supporting the processing and digitization of a number of its major archival collections as part of the project: Spreading the Word: Expanding Access to African American Religious Archival Collections at the Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library.</em
Species delimitation in lemurs: multiple genetic loci reveal low levels of species diversity in the genus <it>Cheirogaleus</it>
No full textAbstract Background Species are viewed as the fundamental unit in most subdisciplines of biology. To conservationists this unit represents the currency for global biodiversity assessments. Even though Madagascar belongs to one of the top eight biodiversity hotspots of the world, the taxonomy of its charismatic lemuriform primates is not stable. Within the last 25 years, the number of described lemur species has more than doubled, with many newly described species identified among the nocturnal and small-bodied cheirogaleids. Here, we characterize the diversity of the dwarf lemurs (genus Cheirogaleus) and assess the status of the seven described species, based on phylogenetic and population genetic analysis of mtDNA (cytb + cox2) and three nuclear markers (adora3, fiba and vWF). Results This study identified three distinct evolutionary lineages within the genus Cheirogaleus. Population genetic cluster analyses revealed a further layer of population divergence with six distinct genotypic clusters. Conclusion Based on the general metapopulation lineage concept and multiple concordant data sets, we identify three exclusive groups of dwarf lemur populations that correspond to three of the seven named species: C. major, C. medius and C. crossleyi. These three species were found to be genealogically exclusive in both mtDNA and nDNA loci and are morphologically distinguishable. The molecular and morphometric data indicate that C. adipicaudatus and C. ravus are synonymous with C. medius and C. major, respectively. Cheirogaleus sibreei falls into the C. medius mtDNA clade, but in morphological analyses the membership is not clearly resolved. We do not have sufficient data to assess the status of C. minusculus. Although additional patterns of population differentiation are evident, there are no clear subdivisions that would warrant additional specific status. We propose that ecological and more geographic data should be collected to confirm these results.</p
Velocity-Gradient Probability Distribution Functions in a Lagrangian Model of Turbulence
No full textThe Recent Fluid Deformation Closure (RFDC) model of lagrangian turbulence is recast in path-integral language within the framework of the Martin-Siggia-Rose functional formalism. In order to derive analytical expressions for the velocity-gradient probability distribution functions (vgPDFs), we carry out noise renormalization in the low-frequency regime and find approximate extrema for the Martin-Siggia-Rose effective action. We verify, with the help of Monte Carlo simulations, that the vgPDFs so obtained yield a close description of the single-point statistical features implied by the original RFDC stochastic differential equations
Author Correction: Global geochemical fingerprinting of plume intensity suggests coupling with the supercontinent cycle
No full textThe original version of this Article omitted from the author list the 4th and 5th authors, Grant Cox and Ross Mitchell, who were both at Curtin University. Consequently, the corrected version of the Acknowledgements removes the following from the original version: ‘and Ross Mitchell’. In addition, the following was added to the Author Contributions: ‘G.M.C. and R.M. were involved in an early attempt of this study.’. This has been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article
Colonising "The Coral Island": A Postcolonial Reading of R.M. Ballantyne's Children's "Classic"
No full textstudent essayBeing written during the rise of the British Empire in the 1850sm R.M. Ballantyne's boys' adventure story "The Coral Island" is in many ways a product of its time, conveying imperial ideas and Victorian values to the young reader. Through his portrayal of the native inhabitants in relation to his descriptions of the three British protagonists, the author creates a stereotyped image of the natives as primitive savages. Due to the further use of a first person narrator and realist pretensions, the dated racist ideas become influential upon the reader. In spite of the fact that the novel has been considered as an entertaining children's classic by generations since its first publication, "The Coral Island" should not be classified as good children's literature today but should rather be historicised as a result of its controversial contents. By adopting a postcolonial approach and applying postcolonial theory in my analysis of R.M. Ballantyne's "The Coral Island", I have in this essay endeavoured to demonstrate in what ways the novel would prove problematic as a children's book today. In my first chapter I present the imperial ideas and Victorian values that are conveyed, whereas in my second chapter I discuss Ballantyne's stereotyping of the natives. As a result of my study of this novel, I have exemplified how the author portrays the three British boys as representative of the Victorian ideals of the time. I have also illustrated their assumed superiority over nature and their roles as colonisers. Furthermore, my analysis of "The Coral Island" has revealed how Ballantyne communicates both white superiority as well as the Western "oblibation" to civilise primitive people throug Christian conversion. Consequently, the novel promotes the ideology of its time. As a result of my findings, I would like to argue that "The Coral Island" should today be viewed as a text conveying historical ideas and values rather than as an exciting children's classic
Acoustic emmission gedrag van verschillende grondsoorten
No full textDit rapport vat de resultaten samen van de meetrapporten "Acoustic Emission" (A.E.) gedrag van verschillende grondsoorten door ing. F.M. Schenkeveld, LGM en "Acoustic emission laboratory testing of sand, clay and peat soils" door Prof. R.M. Koerner, Drexel University, U.S.A. Het onderzoek werd verricht in opdracht van het Centrum voor Onderzoek Waterkeringen (COW), in samenwerking met het Laboratorium voor Grondmechanica (LGM). Projectleider voor het COW was ir. A. Penning. Het doel van het onderzoek is de evaluatie van de "acoustic emission"-methode met betrekking tot stabiliteitsproblemen bij Nederlandse dijken. Tijdens het vooronderzoek is kontakt gelegd met Prof. R.M. Koerner (R.M.K.), Drexel University, U.S.A. Om een goede basis te geven aan het onderzoek werd met Prof. Koerner een gezamenlijk project uitgevoerd. "Acoustic Emissions" zijn spanningsgolven die gegenereerd worden in een materiaal onder spanning tijdens deformatie. Soms zijn deze spanningsgolven hoorbaar (kraken van hout), maar vaak niet vanwege de lage amplitude en hoge frequentie. Een piezoelectrische sensor wordt gebruikt om de "acoustic emissions" te detecteren. De opnemer produceert een electrisch signaal evenredig met de amplitude van de waargenomen trilling. Het signaal wordt dan versterkt, gefilterd en geteld of op een andere wijze gekwantificeerd. Achtergrondruis en andere ongewenste verstoringen worden gefilterd of apart gekwantificeerd en afgetrokken van de resultaten. De tellingen of andere bewerkte resultaten van de emissies worden dan gecorreleerd met het materiaal gedrag om empirisch de veiligheid van de onderzochte situatie te bepalen. Indien er geen acoustic emissions zijn is het materiaal in het algemeen in rust en stabiel. Evenwel als er emissies worden waargenomen is het materiaal in beweging, hetgeen uiteindelijk kan leiden tot bezwijken. De komponenten van het huidige "acoustic emission" systeem bestaan uit: een stalen staaf (om het signaal vanuit de grond naar een geschikt waarnemingspunt te brenger.) , een sensor (geofoon, versnellingsopnemer,hydrofoon of een andere opnemer die een mechanische trilling in een electrisch signaal omzet), een voorversterker (om het signaal te versterken indien een lange kabel wordt gebruikt), filters (om ongewenste gedeelten van het signaal te elimineren), een versterker (om het signaal verder te versterken voor signaalbewerking) en een signaalbewerkingssysteem. Het signaalbewerkingssysteem is over het algemeen een teller die telt als een bepaalde drempelwaarde wordt overschreden.TAW/EN
Morphometrics confirm taxonomic deflation in dwarf lemurs (Primates: Cheirogaleidae), as suggested by genetics
No full textDetailed knowledge of the identity and distributions of extant species is essential for unravelling patterns and mechanisms of biodiversity, and it provides indispensable baseline data for conservation efforts. The taxonomy of the primates of Madagascar (Lemuriformes) has experienced drastic revisions in the last decades, with species numbers skyrocketing, especially in the genera Microcebus, Avahi, and Lepilemur. The dwarf lemurs (genus Cheirogaleus) have received less attention in terms of their taxonomy, even though they are closely related and syntopic with these diverse genera. The last revision of the genus was based on morphological data from museum specimens, and accepted seven species: Cheirogaleus medius, Cheirogaleus major, Cheirogaleus crossleyi, Cheirogaleus adipicaudatus, Cheirogaleus sibreei, Cheirogaleus ravus, and Cheirogaleus minusculus, whereas a more recent multilocus molecular study only detected three lineages: C. medius, C. major, and C. crossleyi. The goal of this study was to reassess the currently accepted taxonomy of the genus by examining six external and 32 craniodental characters of 120 museum specimens and 36 new specimens from the field. This study, in conjunction with a complementary molecular study, revealed lower diversity and a lower number of distinct morphs of dwarf lemurs than previously postulated. We conclude that in our sample there are three distinct morphs in the genus Cheirogaleus that correspond to C. medius, C. major, and C. crossleyi. We formally recognize C. adipicaudatus and C. ravus as synonyms of C. medius and C. major, respectively, and consider C. minusculus and C. sibreei to be potential synonyms of C. medius. (C) 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 161, 229-24
Value of Information Based Design of Control Software
No full textElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
Algorithms for non-parametric Bayesian belief nets
No full textElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
High dimensional dependence: Copulae, sensitivity, sampling
No full textElectrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Scienc
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