The Copernicus project

The Copernicus spacecraft, to be launched on May 4, 2009, is designed for scientific exploration of the planet Pluto. The main objectives of this exploration is to accurately determine the mass, density, and composition of the two bodies in the Pluto-Charon system. A further goal of the exploration is to obtain precise images of the system. The spacecraft will be designed for three axis stability control. It will use the latest technological advances to optimize the performance, reliability, and cost of the spacecraft. Due to the long duration of the mission, nominally 12.6 years, the spacecraft will be powered by a long lasting radioactive power source. Although this type of power may have some environmental drawbacks, currently it is the only available source that is suitable for this mission. The planned trajectory provides flybys of Jupiter and Saturn. These flybys provide an opportunity for scientific study of these planets in addition to Pluto. The information obtained on these flybys will supplement the data obtained by the Voyager and Galileo missions. The topics covered include: (1) scientific instrumentation; (2) mission management, planning, and costing; (3) power and propulsion system; (4) structural subsystem; (5) command, control, and communication; and (6) attitude and articulation control

Age-related dendritic changes in human occipital and prefrontal cortices: a quantitative Golgi study

Qualitative (Scheibe!, 1992) and quantitative (Jacobs & Scheibel, 1993) research indicates a general decline in dendritic neuropil with increasing age. The present study extends previous human dendritic research by examining quantitatively age-related changes in 2 cortical areas: prefrontal cortex (area 10) and occipital cortex (area 18). Tissue blocks were obtained from the left hemisphere of 10 neurologically normal subjects, ranging in age from 23 to 81 years. Blocks were stained with a modified rapid Golgi technique. Supragranular pyramidal cells were quantified on a Neurolucida computer/microscope interface system (Microbrightfield, Inc.). Dendritic system complexity was determined by several dependent measures: total dendritic length, mean dendritic length , dendritic segment count (DSC), dendritic spine number, and dendritic spine density. All dependent measures, except DSC, decreased with age, with a substantial (approximately 50%) decrease in dendritic spines. Although area 10 exhibited greater dendritic aborizations than area 18, dendritic declines were slightly more pronounced in area 10 than in area 18. The present results quantitatively document the ongoing, dynamic refinement of dendritic systems across the human life span, and suggest that higher order cortical areas (e.g., area 10) may be more susceptible to age-related changes

A quantitative dendritic analysis of four functionally distinct areas of human cerebral cortex

Recent investigations have begun to elucidate the function of dendritic arbors, revealing that the geometry of dendrites and the presence of dendritic spines play important roles in both simulated and actual dendritic function (Midtgaard, 1994). The present study attempts to correlate dendritic complexity with cortical function under the assumption that connectivity in a local cortical area may determine its more holistic functional properties. Two human brains (ages: 23 and 69 years) were used for the present study. Four cortical areas (Brodmann\u27s [1908] areas 3, 1, and 2; area 22; area 44; and area 10), respectively representing Benson\u27s four levels of cortical function (primary, unimodal, heteromodal, and supramodal; 1993, 1994), were stained with the modified rapid Golgi technique (Scheibel & Scheibel, 1978). Twenty supragranular pyramidal cells per cortical level were selected (N = 80). Basilar dendritic systems were analyzed using the Neurolucida computer/microscope interface system (Microbrightfield, Inc.). Dendritic measures, which included total dendritic length (TDL), mean dendritic length (MDL), dendritic segment count (DSC), dendritic spine number (DSN), and dendritic spine density (DSD), were used to determine dendritic complexity. All dendritic measures, with the exception of MDL, increased from primary to supramodal cortex. The present findings are consistent with previous research correlating dendritic measures and cortical function (Larsen, Wainwright, Swanson, & Jacobs, 1994; Scheibel, Conrad, Perdue, Tomiyasu, & Wechsler, 1990; Scheibel et al., 1985) and suggest that dendritic extent is related to the functional capabilities of human cerebral cortex

R Packages to Aid in Handling Web Access Logs

Web access logs contain information on HTTP(S) requests and form a key part of both industry and academic explorations of human behaviour on the internet. But the preparation (reading, parsing and manipulation) of that data is just unique enough to make generalized tools unfit for the task, both in programming time and processing time which are compounded when dealing with large data sets common with web access logs. In this paper we explain and demonstrate a series of packages designed to efficiently read in, parse and munge access log data, allowing researchers to handle URLs and IP addresses easily. These packages are substantially faster than existing R methods- from a 3-500% speedup for file reading to a 57,000% speedup in URL parsing

Planning for Sustainability in Small Municipalities: The Influence of Interest Groups, Growth Patterns, and Institutional Characteristics

How and why small municipalities promote sustainability through planning efforts is poorly understood. We analyzed ordinances in 451 Maine municipalities and tested theories of policy adoption using regression analysis.We found that smaller communities do adopt programs that contribute to sustainability relevant to their scale and context. In line with the political market theory, we found that municipalities with strong environmental interests, higher growth, and more formal governments were more likely to adopt these policies. Consideration of context and capacity in planning for sustainability will help planners better identify and benefit from collaboration, training, and outreach opportunities

The social dimension of globalization: A review of the literature

With globalization affecting so many inter-connected areas, it is difficult to grasp its full impact. This literature review of over 120 sources considers the impact of globalization on wages and taxes, poverty, inequality, insecurity, child labour, gender, and migration. Opening with some stylized facts concerning globalization in 1985-2002, the authors then highlight recent findings on these areas, reporting on controversies and on emerging consensus where it exists. There follows a review of national and international policy responses designed to make globalization more sustainable and equitable and to deliver decent jobs, security and a voice in decision-making

Biochemical Specificity of von Economo Neurons in Hominoids

Objectives: Von Economo neurons (VENs) are defined by their thin, elongated cell body and long dendrites projecting from apical and basal ends. These distinctive neurons are mostly present in anterior cingulate (ACC) and fronto-insular (FI) cortex, with particularly high densities in cetaceans, elephants, and hominoid primates (i.e., humans and apes). This distribution suggests that VENs contribute to specializations of neural circuits in species that share both large brain size and complex social cognition, possibly representing an adaptation to rapidly relay socially-relevant information over long distances across the brain. Recent evidence indicates that unique patterns of protein expression may also characterize VENs, particularly involving molecules that are known to regulate gut and immune function. Methods: In this study, we used quantitative stereologic methods to examine the expression of three such proteins that are localized in VENs—activating-transcription factor 3 (ATF3), interleukin 4 receptor (IL4Rα), and neuromedin B (NMB). We quantified immunoreactivity against these proteins in different morphological classes of ACC layer V neurons of hominoids. Results:Among the different neuron types analyzed (pyramidal, VEN, fork, enveloping, and other multipolar), VENs showed the greatest percentage that displayed immunostaining. Additionally, a higher proportion of VENs in humans were immunoreactive to ATF3, IL4Rα, and NMB than in other apes. No other ACC layer V neuron type displayed a significant species difference in the percentage of immunoreactive neurons. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that phylogenetic variation exists in the protein expression profile of VENs, suggesting that humans might have evolved biochemical specializations for enhanced interoceptive sensitivity

Captive elephants and cetaceans

Modern zoos and entertainment parks have vastly improved over the decades. However, they still retain some of the old menagerie-style characteristics, such as restrictive space, lack of stimulation, and artificial social conditions. Highly intelligent species that are wide-ranging with complex social lives are at a greater risk for poor welfare in captive settings than others. Here, we explore the shared characteristics and welfare challenges of captive elephants and cetaceans, focusing on those characteristics such as space, sociality, and cognitive complexity, found to be important factors in coping with captivity across many species. We discuss the implications for whether elephants and cetaceans can thrive in zoos and marine parks and offer an alternative in the form of sanctuaries

Campus Vol VIII N 1

Howard Studio. Chris Doner . Picture. 0. Hawk, Pete and Don Shackelford. Prose. 2. Lefevre, Ioe. A Matter Of Propriety. Prose. 3. Porter, Bob. And, In Just 7 Days-You Too Can Be a Freshman! . Picture. 4. Martin, Lyn. And, In Just 7 Days-You Too Can Be a Freshman! . Prose. 4. Clapp, joy. Resignation . Prose. 6. Hawk, Pete. Mile Faces Life: A Case History . Prose. 8. Cook, Mike. A Definition of modernity . Poem. 9.; Miller, Ted. Untitled. Poem.9. Moore, Jules. On Picnics . Poem. 9. Emmet, June. Untitled. Poem. 9. Jacobs, Edward R. Orson Got Angry Again . Prose. 10. Ski-U-Mah. Contemporary Humor . Prose. 13. Pine Needle. Untitled. Prose. 13.; Anonymous. Untitled. Prose. 13