“You’re not in Kansas anymore”: Interactions among semiotic modes in multimodal texts

Research and teaching continue to treat word and image separately and even see image succeeding word in a culture increasingly immersed in digital documents. However, concepts such as Kress’ “semiotics of synaesthesia” stress the relationship between word and image, a critical relationship in teaching students to develop genuinely multimodal texts.     

Turtle geometry in computer graphics and computer-aided design

LOGO is a programming language incorporating turtle graphics, originally devised for teaching computing to young children in elementary and middle schools. Here, we advocate the use of LOGO to help introduce some of the basic concepts of computer graphics and computer-aided design to undergraduate and graduate students in colleges and universities. We shall show how to motivate affine coordinates and affine transformations, fractal curves and iterated function systems, relaxation methods and subdivision schemes from elementary notions in turtle geometry and turtle programming.     

Modeling and convergence analysis of distributed coevolutionary algorithms

A theoretical foundation is presented for modeling and convergence analysis of a class of distributed coevolutionary algorithms applied to optimization problems in which the variables are partitioned among p nodes. An evolutionary algorithm at each of the p nodes performs a local evolutionary search based on its own set of primary variables, and the secondary variable set at each node is clamped during this phase. An infrequent intercommunication between the nodes updates the secondary variables at each node. The local search and intercommunication phases alternate, resulting in a cooperative search by the p nodes. First, we specify a theoretical basis for a class of centralized evolutionary algorithms in terms of construction and evolution of sampling distributions over the feasible space. Next, this foundation is extended to develop a model for a class of distributed coevolutionary algorithms. Convergence and convergence rate analyzes are pursued for basic classes of objective functions. Our theoretical investigation reveals that for certain unimodal and multimodal objectives, we can expect these algorithms to converge at a geometrical rate. The distributed coevolutionary algorithms are of most interest from the perspective of their performance advantage compared to centralized algorithms, when they execute in a network environment with significant local access and internode communication delays. The relative performance of these algorithms is therefore evaluated in a distributed environment with realistic parameters of network behavior.     

论东川-易门式铜矿的矿源与成矿流体

对本式铜矿的宏观,特别是微观(矿物包裹体、稳定同位素和微量元素等)研究表明:矿质来自容矿围岩及下伏地层,而 Bi,Pb,Zn 还可能是深断裂来源.成矿流体具热卤水性质,其中的 H_2O 很可能是地层水。S 来自海水硫酸盐的细菌还原,C 来自海相碳酸盐。有机炭对成矿起了重要作用。康滇地轴上的两条深断裂控制了藻礁碳酸盐含铜建造的沉积,它又是导矿、导热、导卤构造,导致了多层铜矿的形成与改造.     

Personality characteristics and sexual anomalies in males.

Exhibitionist, exclusive homosexual, bisexual, heterosexual pedophilic, homosexual pedophilic, transsexual, incestuous, multiple deviant, and control groups (N?=?479) were compared on the MMPI and the 16 PF. The following 2 hypotheses were tested: (a) Sex inversion and a preference for immature partners and/or pedophilia generally are positively related to femininity. (b) A preference for immature partners and for genital exhibitionism are positively related to the following personality characteristics: shyness, passivity, social introversion, and a lack of assertiveness. Results show some support for the hypotheses except that pedophilia was not related to femininity. An examination of each group in terms of clinically significant profiles showed that exhibitionists appear to be relatively normal while, contrary to some previous studies, pedophiles and multiple deviants showed considerable emotional disturbance as measured by these tests. (French summary) (14 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Verbalizable knowledge and skilled task performance: Association, dissociation, and mental models.

Dissociations have often been found between skilled task performance and verbalizable knowledge about those tasks. Four experiments were designed to determine when associations and dissociations occur and how they should be interpreted. The experimental task involved the trial-and-error solution of equations whose form was unknown. Initially, the task was analyzed to determine the knowledge that might be expected of an expert, and different possible mental models that subjects might have were identified. Associations between task performance and verbalizable knowledge (measured by questionnaire) occurred when subjects had a moderate amount of practice at finding precise solutions (Experiment 1). A graphical display format improved performance but did not diminish false beliefs (Experiment 2). Even when the equations matched the cover story exactly, verbalizable knowledge still improved with practice (Experiment 3). When the cover story was discarded, subjects still showed an improvement in overall questionnaire score and had different, yet correct, beliefs at the end of the session (Experiment 4). In contrast to some previous work, these experiments show that verbal knowledge can increase with practice but that learning occurs at a different pace for different measures of performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prior knowledge and the desire for information.

Conducted 2 experiments to test D. Berlyne's theory that the desire for knowledge increases with the degree of conceptual conflict, and that new information serves to reduce the conflict. In Exp. I, 38 6th graders rated the extent to which they wished to explore 155 items of information. They also indicated their knowledge of these items. It was found that Ss wished mostly to experience those things about which they had a moderate amount of prior knowledge. In Exp. II, 43 11th graders indicated the extent of agreement with 24 controversial issues, and were then offered further information on each of the items. When Ss had no set attitude towards statements, they were less likely to reject additional information and more likely to accept the opportunity to receive general rather than biased information. Both studies support the authors' hypothesis that new information is sought when there is some prior knowledge and when conceptual conflict exists. (French summary) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

METHYL GERANATE IN HOP OIL

Methyl geranate has been identified with some certainty in oil from Bullion hops by comparison of infra-red absorption and mass spectral patterns with those of authentic methyl geranate. It has also been found that methyl geranate varies considerably in concentration in oils from different varieties, being almost completely absent from some varieties.     

Practical Considerations in the Implementation of the French-Holden Algorithm for Sampling of Neuronal Spike Trains

The French-Holden algorithm (1), (2), (3) provides a sampled data time series representation of a neuronal spike train in order to facilitate subsequent analyses by conventional signal processing techniques. Two characteristics of this filtering algorithm make the choice of data record length particularly important: (a) an ideal, sharp cutoff filter is used on the spike train, and (b) the Nyquist sampling frequency is chosen exactly equal to the filter cutoff frequency. In this note, sources of distortion and aliasing errors due to finite data records are discussed and guidelines for the selection of minimum record length are given.     

Improving stall design: use of 3-D kinematics to measure space use by dairy cows when lying down

Uncomfortable stalls reduce the time cows spend resting and are a risk factor for lameness. Although recommendations for stall dimensions are available, little research supports these recommendations. In this study, kinematic techniques were used to provide the first accurate measures of space used by Holstein dairy cows during lying-down movements in an open space and in a free stall. Cows (n=5, mean parity 3.2 +/- 1.0, body weight=607 +/- 21 kg) used up to 300 cm of longitudinal space when lying down, more than is typically provided by current industry recommendations for stall length. Cows used up to 109 cm of lateral space (180% of hip width), an estimate that is within current recommendations for stall width. During the lying-down movement, maximal lateral displacements at the hip occurred in two vertical zones: one between 95 and 135 cm, and the second less than 50 cm above the lying surface. Maximal longitudinal displacements of the nose were clustered 10 to 30 cm above the surface. These heights should be taken into account when designing and positioning stall partitions. Maximum instantaneous velocity of body markers approached 220 cm/s, indicating that cows can contact inappropriately placed stall partitions and the lying surface with considerable force. Kinematic techniques are promising ways of assessing spatial requirements of cattle to improve stall design. Further work is required to assess a wider range of cow sizes and stall configurations.