Geoarchaeological investigations at site 44PY152 near Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia, document stratified Late Pleistocene–Early Holocene archaeological occupations preserved within ~1.7 m of floodplain alluvium. These deposits contain both in situ and eroding fluted Paleoamerican and Early Archaic projectile points. Here, we analyze a contiguous, high-resolution sedimentary sequence to evaluate the presence and stratigraphic integrity of microspherule and platinum-group element (PGE) anomalies associated with the onset of the Younger Dryas (YD). Analyses include Bayesian radiocarbon modeling, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM–EDS), single-particle inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-TOF-MS), laser ablation ICP-MS (LA-ICP-MS), laser granulometry, bulk organic carbon and nitrogen, soot carbon, stable carbon isotopes (δ 13 C_OC and δ 13 C_soot), magnetic susceptibility, and mercury (Hg). Results reveal a narrow microspherule-rich interval centered within the 14–15 cmbd sample that is accompanied by pronounced PGE mass anomalies consistent with proxy assemblages reported near the Younger Dryas Boundary at multiple sites worldwide. Bayesian age modeling places this interval within the broader temporal range of the Younger Dryas onset, although the modeled age uncertainty exceeds the narrower age range proposed by Kennett et al. [ 1 ]. Chondrite-normalized elemental systematics indicate selective Pt-centered enrichment decoupled from comparatively conservative rare earth element behavior, arguing against simple sedimentological concentration processes. The stratigraphic position and internal coherence of this proxy suite identify a discrete marker horizon consistent with the onset of the Younger Dryas at 44PY152. Subtle excursions in δ 13 C_soot and Hg immediately above this interval may reflect associated environmental variability during the early Younger Dryas. Regardless of formation mechanism, the microspherule–PGE horizon provides a high-resolution stratigraphic marker confined to a 1-cm interval that may aid correlation and interpretation of pre- and post-12.8 ka archaeological sequences at stratified sites lacking abundant chronometric control.
Different Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) health-based innovations such as cloud computing, web and mobile surveillance applications were used by proactive governments to fight COVID-19. Contact tracing mobile applications were used by more than 100 countries. However, the extent to which these surveillance applications have been used to track Covid-19 in Uganda is not clear. This study aimed to establish the use of COVID-19 surveillance applications in Uganda. This was a purely qualitative study. Health practitioners managing these surveillance applications were interviewed from Kampala City, Mukono and Wakiso districts of Uganda. The assessment of the COVID-19 surveillance applications underscores the relevance of health-based ICTS. The surveillance applications provided accurate, authoritative and timely data. However, there were false alerts as result of inaccurate data supplied by the applications. The study recommends increased facilitation of the surveillance officers, continuous training of surveillance teams and integration of the applications for the management of other non-communicable diseases.
In this article, the strong equivalence principle is analyzed by the gravitational mechanism of etheric pressure, and the conclusion is drawn that an object at rest in a uniform gravitational field of a certain strength is equivalent to moving in a straight line in a uniform etheric space with a certain speed (not a certain acceleration). According to this gravitational mechanism, gravitational field is a scalar (energy) field, and gravity is caused by the asymmetric density distribution of space energy, resulting in the asymmetric etheric pressure on the object at rest in space. The experimental fact of equivalence between gravity fields and velocity (rather than acceleration) in terms of time dilation has proven the equivalence between uniform gravity fields and inertial systems with uniform motion. It further deduces that gravity fields are equivalent to velocity in terms of the increase in the inertial mass effect of objects, and gravity fields are equivalent to velocity in terms of the contraction effect of the electron orbit radius of atoms. The Ether (energy) field with a gradient of field strength generated by a fluid whose flow velocity decreases perpendicular to its motion is equivalent to the gravitational field with a gradient of field strength. Using these modified and extended equivalence principles, the author explains Newton's bucket experiment, the Casimir effect, and explains what reference system the flow rate of fluid in Bernoulli equation is relative to, and why the higher the flow rate is relative to the reference system, the lower the pressure.
Background. According to a widespread belief, the average IQ of university students is 115 to 130 IQ points, that is, substantially higher than the average IQ of the general population (M = 100, SD =15). We traced the origin of this belief to obsolete intelligence data collected in 1940s and 1950s when university education was the privilege of a few. Examination of more recent IQ data indicate that IQ of university students and university graduates dropped to the average of the general population. The decline in students’ IQ is a necessary consequence of increasing educational attainment over the last 80 years. Today, graduating from university is more common than completing high school in the 1940s.Method. We conducted a meta-analysis of the mean IQ scores of college and university students samples tested with Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale between 1939 and 2022.Results. The results show that the average IQ of undergraduate students today is a mere 102 IQ points and declined by approximately 0.2 IQ points per year. The students’ IQ also varies substantially across universities and is correlated with the selectivity of universities (measured by average SAT scores of admitted students).Discussion. These findings have wide-ranging implications. First, universities and professors need to realize that students are no longer extraordinary but merely average, and have to adjust curricula and academic standards. Second, employers can no longer rely on applicants with university degrees to be more capable or smarter than those without degrees. Third, students need to realize that acceptance into university is no longer an invitation to join an elite group. Fourth, the myth of brilliant undergraduate students in scientific and popular literature needs to be dispelled. Fifth, estimating premorbid IQ based on educational attainment is vastly inaccurate, obsolete, not evidence based, and mere speculations. Sixth, obsolete IQ data or tests ought not to be used to make high-stakes decisions about individuals, for example, by clinical psychologists to opine about intelligence and cognitive abilities of their clients.
This article explores the relevance of sustainability in international social education (ISE). Our empirical data is based on a survey of 30 social work students from Switzerland, Austria, Germany and Sweden. Theoretically, we draw on Bronfenbrenner's theory of social ecosystems and Dewey's emphasis on democratic learning. We use a qualitative approach based on Strauss' Grounded Theory, which allows us to dig deep into the meanings of the students we interviewed. The interviewed students experienced more or less continuously that learning in an international context is learning with all senses, is a "24/7 learning", and is learning in another language (at least most of the time). The results of our survey underline that acquiring knowledge in an international context contributes to a comprehensive understanding of social work as a profession and to the formation of a broad and professional identity. This includes a broad range of critical and systemic thinking skills that enable enquiry, integration and holistic thinking, i.e. sustainability.
In this paper, Lorentz factor and Lorentz transformations are modified based on the new ether theory, and the blackout which leads to communication interruption of high-speed moving objects is analyzed by using the modified Lorentz electromagnetic field transformation formula. It is concluded that blackout is caused by the change of wave form of electromagnetic wave from stationary energy space (etheric reference frame) to moving medium (etheric reference frame) or from moving medium to stationary energy space.
The CRISPR-associated protein system (CRISPR/Cas), characterized by clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats, has revolutionized life science research by providing vast possibilities for altering specific DNA or RNA sequences in various organisms. The present system integrates fragments of exogenous DNA, known as spacers, into CRISPR cassettes. These cassettes are subsequently transcribed into CRISPR arrays, which are further processed to generate guide RNA (gRNA). The CRISPR arrays are genetic loci that are responsible for encoding Cas proteins. The Cas proteins are responsible for supplying the necessary enzymatic machinery to acquire new spacers that are aimed at invading elements. The development of novel genome engineering tools has been made possible by utilizing various Cas proteins, including but not limited to Cas9, Cas12, Cas13, and Cas14, which possess programmable sequence specificity. The emergence of Cas variants has spurred genetic research and advanced the utilization of the CRISPR/Cas tool to manipulate and edit nucleic acid sequences within a wide range of living organisms. This review aims to furnish operational modalities of the Cas12 protein identified thus far. Furthermore, the advantages and disadvantages of Cas12 protein are examined, along with their recent implementations in the plant fungal world.
The “job talk” is a standard element of faculty recruiting. How audiences treat candidates for faculty positions during job talks could have disparate impact on protected groups, including women. We annotated 156 job talks from five engineering and science departments for 13 categories of questions and comments. All departments were ranked in the top 10 by US News & World Report. We find that differences in the number, nature, and total duration of audience questions and comments are neither material nor statistically significant. For instance, the median difference (by gender) in the duration of questioning ranges from zero to less than two minutes in the five departments. Moreover, in some departments, candidates who were interrupted more often were more likely to be offered a position, challenging the premise that interruptions are necessarily prejudicial. These results are specific to the departments and years covered by the data, but they are broadly consistent with previous research, which found differences comparable in magnitude. However, those studies concluded that the (small) differences were statistically significant. We present evidence that the nominal statistical significance is an artifact of using inappropriate hypothesis tests. We show that it is possible to calibrate those tests to obtain a proper P -value using randomization.
The following explanations are based on the central reference points and results of the basic research project on psychosocial risks in the world of work, which was funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The aim of this project was to develop a formative risk assessment of psychosocial risks in the world of work with a special focus on the dynamic interdependencies between gainful employment and care work as well as structural work stress and subjectively perceived work stress. The result of this project is a theoretical-generic model of a formative risk assessment, which can be specifically configured for different stakeholder groups and was operationalized as a psychotherapeutic medical product via the Innosuisse project "SELBA" (Self Recognize, Understand, Change and Monitor Work Stresses and Strains).
This paper draws the following conclusions on the nature of time by analyzing the relationship between time and speed, the relationship between time and gravitational field, the gravitational redshift of the photon, and the black-body radiation theorem: Time on an object is proportional to the amount of energy flowing out (or in) per unit time (observer’s time) per unit surface area of the object. When an object radiates energy outward: t'=μB(T) =μσT 4=μnhν/st Where t’ is the time on the object, μ is a constant, B(T) is the radiosity，the total energy radiated from the unit surface area of the object in unit time (observer’s time), σ is the Stefan-Boltzmann constant, T is the absolute temperature, n is the number of the photons radiated, ν is the average frequency of the photons radiated, s is the surface area of the object and t is the time on the observer. When the object radiates energy outward, the higher the energy density of the space (for example the stronger the gravitational field of the space), the smaller the radiosity B(T) of the object in the space, the longer the average wavelength of the light quantum emitted by the object, the slower the time on the object, the longer the life of the system. When the object radiates energy outward, the faster the object moves relative to the ether, the higher the energy density of the local space in which the object is located, the smaller the radiosity B(T) of the object, the longer the average wavelength of the light quantum radiated by the object, the slower the time on the object, and the longer the life of the system. When the object radiates energy outward, the higher the temperature of the object, the greater the object's radiosity B(T), the shorter the average wavelength of the light quantum radiated by the object, the faster the time on the object, and the shorter the life of the system. Applying the above conclusions about the nature of time, the author analyzes the Mpemba effect and the inverse Mpemba effect, and reaches the following conclusion: the Mpemba effect is the time effect produced when heat flows from objects into space, and the "inverse" Mpemba effect is the time effect produced when heat flows from space into objects.
The article presents biometric systems from three different standpoints. Technological standpoint, where the focus is laid on biometric system usage by the general public. Explaining basic terms and difficulties using various biometric characteristics. It also shortly describes how recognition works in several biometric characteristics (fingerprint, face, iris, and signature). After that is the legal standpoint, which is focused mainly on European Union law, where the often-mentioned GDPR is discussed, this basic legal regulation places a significantly higher standard than the previous legislation on the processing of biometric data as a particular category of personal data. Lastly, the article shows a sociological standpoint. In that part, different attitudes towards biometric technologies are discussed within the world population and different groups of the Czech Republic population. In the latest survey done by the authors in 2020 was found that age, and education play a vital role in the knowledge about biometric systems.
By analyzing the relation between time and speed, the relation between time and gravitational field, the gravitational redshift of photon and the black-body radiation theorem, the conclusion that time on an object is proportional to the fourth power of the absolute temperature of the object is obtained. Applying the above conclusion about the nature of time, the author analyzes the Mpemba effect and the inverse Mpemba effect, and reaches the following conclusion: the Mpemba effect is the time effect produced when heat flows from objects into space, and the “inverse” Mpemba effect is the time effect produced when heat flows from space into objects.
Due to globalization and continuous mutation and development of various pathogens, infectious diseases have transcended the public health sector and become issues of Global Public Health Security. Influenza – an infectious disease that is both a cyclical, yearly occurrence and the cause of several deadly global pandemics – regularly challenges the public health sector thus providing opportunities for policy learning and evidence bases policy change. By applying the Algorithm for continuous analysis of policy learning and policy change, this publication investigates whether and how policy learning and policy change took place in Latvia after the 2006/2007 influenza season, when a record number of infection cases was registered. Although the conclusions of this publication cannot be generalized, it provides valuable insights for future research, especially for the analysis of the management of the Covid-19 pandemic in Latvia.
In a recent small sample study, Khazan et al. [ 1 ] examined SET ratings received by one female teaching (TA) assistant who assisted with teaching two sections of the same online course, one section under her true gender and one section under false/opposite gender. Khazan et al. concluded that their study demonstrated gender bias against female TA even though they found no statistical difference in SET ratings between male vs. female TA ( p = 0.73). To claim gender bias, Khazan et al. ignored their overall findings and focused on distribution of six “negative” SET ratings and claimed, without reporting any statistical test results, that (a) female students gave more positive ratings to male TA than female TA, (b) female TA received five times as many negative ratings than the male TA, and (c) female students gave “most low” scores to female TA. We conducted the missing statistical tests and found no evidence supporting Khazan et al.’s claims. We also requested Khazan et al.’s data to formally examine them for outliers and to re-analyze the data with and without the outliers. Khazan et al. refused. We read off the data from their Figure 1 and filled in several values using the brute force, exhaustive search constrained by the summary statistics reported by Khazan et al. Our re-analysis revealed six outliers and no evidence of gender bias. In fact, when the six outliers were removed, the female TA was rated higher than male TA but non-significantly so.
In a widely cited and widely talked about study, MacNell et al. (2015) [1] examined SET ratings of one female and one male instructor, each teaching two sections of the same online course, one section under their true gender and the other section under false/opposite gender. MacNell et al. concluded that students rated perceived female instructors more harshly than perceived male instructors, demonstrating gender bias against perceived female instructors. Boring, Ottoboni, and Stark (2016) [2] re-analyzed MacNell et al.’s data and confirmed their conclusions. However, the design of MacNell et al. study is fundamentally flawed. First, MacNell et al.’ section sample sizes were extremely small, ranging from 8 to 12 students. Second, MacNell et al. included only one female and one male instructor. Third, MacNell et al.’s findings depend on three outliers – three unhappy students (all in perceived female conditions) who gave their instructors the lowest possible ratings on all or nearly all SET items. We re-analyzed MacNell et al.’s data with and without the three outliers. Our analyses showed that the gender bias against perceived female instructors disappeared. Instead, students rated the actual female vs. male instructor higher, regardless of perceived gender. MacNell et al.’s study is a real-life demonstration that conclusions based on extremely small sample-sized studies are unwarranted and uninterpretable.
The present style guide (Version 1.5 of October 10, 2019) has been created as result of the research project Open-Access-Hochschulverlag ( Open Access University Press) at Leipzig University of Applied Sciences, Germany. The project was to develop a sustainable and adoptable workflow, which enables universities to publish their publications both as OA and printed books in a state-of-the-art publishing process and without any restrictions regarding the license, the variety of formats, print run etc. The style guide was created to characterise the internal layout of OA books, which have been published by our university press. To enable low-threshold transfer of knowledge how to publish OA books, this style guide has been published under Creative Commons Licence CC BY. Publishing monographs in a uniformly series design, the so house style, offers several advantages: it creates a recognition value for the user, so the publications are better remembered and the university press as a publisher becomes more visible as a brand. In addition, a uniform appearance ensures a consistent quality standard, as scientific publications can be highly structured and complex. Strict specifications facilitate the handling of those complex content and ensures the uniform appearance. The house style of our project consist of general specifications such as the selection of book formats, the basic structure of the scientific publication, page layout, baseline grids, fonts, colors, pagination and running titles, as well as rules for hyphenation and Document Object Identifier (DOI). Furthermore, specifications for the content-specific elements, which may occur in scientific publication are defined, such as heading hierarchies, footnotes, subtitles, lists and numbering, indents, formulas, source code, info boxes, figures and tables. Finally, the guideline includes further specifications, e.g. cover design, directories, appendix and specifications for the electronic output formats of the publication.
The deposition of solid material from the gas phase via chemical vapor transport (CVT) is a well-known process of industrial and geochemical relevance. There is strong evidence that this type of thermodynamically driven chemical transport reaction plays a significant role in certain natural processes. This article presents detailed evidence that CVT is a highly plausible mechanism for the formation of iron meteorites. In this study, naturally occurring CVT is referred to as “chemical fluid transport” (CFT) and the end products deposited from the gas phase as “fluidites.” Treating iron meteorites as cosmic fluidites enables simple solutions to be found to the problem of how they formed and to numerous related and in some cases unresolved questions. This study is based on a thermodynamic trend analysis of solid–gas equilibrium reactions involving chlorine- and fluorine-containing compounds of 42 chemical elements that include a systematic examination of reaction dominance switching behavior. In order to assess the transport behavior of the individual elements, the reaction-conditioned pressures p MeX were calculated from the equilibrium constants. For a selected group of minerals, the relative propensity of these minerals to deposit from the gas phase was then derived from the equilibrium constants. The study shows that octahedrites, hexahedrites and ataxites formed as a result of the transport of metal chlorides and fluorides (CFT) during accretion within the solar nebula. Siderophile elements are characterized by the similarities in their chemical transport properties. These chemical properties of the elements, expressed in the form of the reaction-conditioned pressure, play a key role in determining the chemical composition of iron meteorites. The mobilization process that leads to the formation of the gaseous metal halides MeX includes the reduction of oxides. The deposition of nickel–iron bodies occurs via back reaction after the transport of the gaseous halides. The back reaction leads to the thermodynamically favored deposition of schreibersite before troilite and of troilite before kamacite/taenite. The deposition temperature of octahedrites and hexahedrites lies below the temperature at which Widmanstätten patterns would be destroyed, while that of ataxites lies slightly above. Similarly, the occurrence of thermally instable cohenite in meteorites provides further support for the fluidite character of irons. The variation in the trace element concentrations in iron meteorites is explained by enrichment and depletion mechanisms in the gas phase. The striking correlation between gallium and germanium abundances in iron meteorites is the result of similarities regarding the mobilization phase and the reaction dominance switching behavior of both elements, and crystal isomorphism. These findings are supported by numerous arguments that provide evidence for the CFT model. The occurrence of the mineral lawrencite FeCl 2 in meteorites is interpreted as an indication of the effectiveness of the chemical transport of FeCl 2 . The presence of meteorite alteration and the observed deviations from the solar elemental abundances in silicate meteorites are also explained in terms of the effectiveness of CFT-based mobilization.
Silicon carbide (SiC) single crystals, along with sapphire and silicon, are one of most important substrates for high-brightness LED fabrications. Owing to extremely high hardness (Mohs’ scale of 9.5) and chemical inertness, the polishing rate of SiC with conventional chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) methods is not high, and surface scratches are also inevitable because of using slurry containing hard abrasives such as silica particles. Here artemisinin (Qinghaosu) crystals, very soft molecular solids, were found, for the first time to the best of our knowledge, to effectively polish SiC wafers even in pure water as demonstrated by proof-of-concept scratching experiments using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The underlying mechanism is attributed to activated oxidation of SiC by mechanically released reactive ·OH free radicals from the endoperoxide bridges. The preliminary results reported here have important implications for developing novel alternative green and scratch-free polishing methods for hard-brittle substrates including SiC and others.
Abstract This contribution to the science of consciousness aims at comparing how two different theories can explain the emergence of different qualia experiences: meta-awareness, meta-cognition, the placebo effect, out-of-body experiences, cognitive therapy, meditation-induced brain changes, etc. The first theory postulates that qualia experiences derive from specific neural patterns, and the second one that qualia experiences derive from the interaction of a proto-consciousness with the brain’s neural activity. From this comparison, it will be possible to judge which one seems to better explain the different qualia experiences and to offer a more promising research agenda.
