English Class Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

English Class - Essay Example Nevertheless, my visit to the museum was an enriching experience which had me asking for more. The museum leaves no stones unturned to make you feel that you were there when it all happened. With the help of personal audio equipment, there is a touch of reality to the whole experience. There is a lot more to see at the museum. There are various events, programs, tours, lectures, films that talk about the stories of many Holocaust survivors. The exhibition is a single true story, the story of Jay Ipson and his family and how they survived the Kovno Ghetto in Lithuania and settled in Richmond after World War II . â€Å"The museum was built with children in mind†, says Ipson. â€Å"They can relate so much better to the single story†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.six million is just incomprehensible to them.† The outside of the building has an intimidating appearance with brown brick with bright green boarded up windows. All in all, the visit to this museum is a very moving education al experience! The museum puts in a lot of effort to educate the people and promote tolerance towards each and everyone, irrespective of their nationality, religion, race, sex or creed. We cannot turn a blind eye to the humble motive behind the origination of this museum. Therefore, there is a need to preserve this museum for the values it stands for. Established in 1997, Virginia holocaust museum is situated on 2000 East Cary Street, Richmond, Virginia and it is founded by Mark Fetter, Al Rosenbaum, and one of Richmond’s youngest Holocaust survivors, Jay Ipson. In an effort to preserve and educate the people on the atrocities of the Holocaust of World War II, the museum strives on a two-fold mission: to educate young people about the Holocaust and at the same time combat intolerance and anti-Semitism. Keeping this mission in mind, â€Å"Teaching Tolerance Through Education† was initiated. Initially, the museum occupied the unused rooms of the Temple Beth El in Richmon d, Virginia. The museum, then quickly flourished and by 2000, it had its own space. An old tobacco warehouse in historic Shockoe Bottom donated by the Virginia State Legislature became the new house of the Virginia Holocaust Museum. The dedication of this new site was done during Yom Ha'Shoah v'Ha'Gvruah in April, 2003, the day which is known as the Day of Remembrance and Heroism. During the pre-war Kovno, there were about 40,000 Jews, out of which only 3,000 survived. Thousands of children lost their lives in the Kovno Ghetto. Deportation and malnutrition contributed to the deaths of so many lives. Ipson’s sister was one of the children to face death during the war. In 1943, Ipson’s family managed to escape from their ghetto with the help of a local farmer. The poor Catholic Polish farmer had nothing to gain from them nor they had anything to offer to him, nevertheless, he helped them because he knew what the Germans were doing was wrong. This is a perfect example of expression of humanity, regardless of race, religion, caste or creed. One of the interesting exhibitions at the museum is the recreation of the chapter of their lives wherein they escape through the barbed wire of their ghetto. The museum, today boasts of 28 exhibits. â€Å"The Ipson Saga,† is an interesting tale of the Museum Director and founder, Jay M Ipson, which documents his and his family’s story from pre-war Lithuania, their escape and eventually their liberation. Right in front of the building sits a German cattle car

Prompt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Prompt - Essay Example fluenced significant transformations in ways of life and in validating that this unifying force confirms universality of responsibility with one another. In the United States, a country known to have espoused diversity in culture, one is led to reflect on the arguments presented by Albright in terms of signifying the relevance of religion and faith in resolving political conflicts. More interesting, there seems to be great possibilities that the religious affiliations of members of the United States congress influence the kind of decisions in terms of design of policies and enforcing implementation. In this regard, one strongly believes that religion plays a crucial factor in influencing diplomatic policies and in facilitating resolution of political conflicts within the local and international sphere. When government leaders have signified and acknowledged affiliations to religious groups, as verified and attested within the chambers of the 111th congress, decisions regarding foreign policies, resolution of conflicts, and guiding principles towards governance are most likely to be defined and influenced by the religious teachings and traditions that are imbibed. For example, as cited by Albright, during her 1981 visit in Poland, significant changes were observed regarding the form of government until such time that Pope John Paul’s visit influenced the people to boldly profess their Catholic faith and openly express their intent to be liberated from the bonds of communism. Despite the government’s declaration that Pope John Paul was to be regarded an enemy of the state due to the convictions and threats posed by his teachings, the firm belief and adherence to faith exemplified by the greater majority, remarkably led to the liberate Poland, â€Å"brought down the Be rlin Wall, reunited Europe, and transformed the face of the world† (Albright 4). This fact proves that religion played an instrumental factor in resolving conflicts, regaining human rights, and

Effect of an Increase in Molar Mass on Enthalpy Change

Effect of an Increase in Molar Mass on Enthalpy Change An investigation to determine the effect of an increase in molar mass on the enthalpy change of combustion of fuels Method Variables: Independent Variable: Molar mass (type) of alcohol. Dependant Variable: The following variable will be observed and measured: * Mass of the alcohol used. Controlled Variable: The following variables will need to be controlled: * Mass of water, the mass of water will be measured using a measuring cylinder. * Amount of wick on burner, the amount of wick on the burner will be measured using a standard ruler and kept constant as it affects the amount of alcohol burnt. * Height of beaker above flame, the beaker will be set up so that the base just touches the flame. * Type of beaker, the same beaker will be used and marked, as the density and size of the beaker affect the amount of heat energy transferred to the water. * Agitation of the water, the water will need to be stirred in every experiment as to prevent any anomalous results. * Temperature change is held constant, measured with a thermometer reading from -10oC to 110oC, with an uncertainty of  ±0.5oC Method Procedure: 1. Measure 100cm3 of water in the measuring cylinder. 2. Pour the water into the 250cm3 beaker and record its temperature. 3. Choose a spirit burner. Record the name of the fuel, and the mass of the whole burner (including the lid and fuel inside). 4. Clamp the beaker, and set it up so that the spirit burner will fit comfortably under it. 5. Light the 6mm wick of the spirit burner, and put it under the 250 cm3 beaker. 6. Stir the water gently with the thermometer, and watch the temperature. When it has increased by 20 °C, put the lid on the spirit burner to put the flame out. 7. Record the new mass of the whole burner (including the lid and fuel inside). 8. Using fresh water each time, repeat the experiment at least twice with the same fuel. 9. Repeat all for different fuels. Result: Quantitative raw data: Fuel Name Experiment 1 Experiment 2 Temperature Mass Before/g ( ±0.01) Mass After/g ( ±0.01) Mass Before/g ( ±0.01) Mass After/g ( ±0.01) Before/oC ( ±0.05) After/oC ( ±0.05) Methanol 181.48 180.00 179.79 178.22 20.00 40.00 Ethanol 215.64 214.50 214.52 213.50 20.00 40.00 Propan-1-ol 228.70 227.39 227.39 225.91 20.00 40.00 Butan-1-ol 174.63 173.96 173.96 173.34 20.00 40.00 Pentan-1-ol 172.33 171.47 171.47 170.84 20.00 40.00 Octan-1-ol 218.77 217.72 217.72 216.85 20.00 40.00 Observations during Experiment: All reactions were exothermic as the beaker and the surrounding began to warm up. Fuel Name Observation Methanol It burnt with a short dim orangey yellow flame. The base of the beaker was partly covered with soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Ethanol It burnt with a pale orangey yellow flame. The base of the beaker was slightly darkened by the formation of soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Propan-1-ol It burnt with a thin bright orangey yellow flame. The base of the beaker was again slightly darkened by the formation of soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Butan-1-ol It burnt with a narrow and long yellowish orange flame. The base of the beaker was considerably darkened by the formation of soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Pentan-1-ol It burnt with a narrow and long yellowish orange flame. The base of the beaker was completely darkened by the formation of soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Octan-1-ol It burnt with a narrow and long distinct yellow flame. The base of the beaker was fully obscured by the formation of soot. Small bubbles formed at the base of the beaker. Analysis: The heat that is released in the combustion of an alcohol is absorbed by the liquid. The temperature change of the liquid is then related to the heat of combustion of the alcohol (heat released in a reaction (combustion in this case) = heat gained by the substance). I can work out the heat energy absorbed by the liquid using the formula: Heat Energy transferred (Q) = mà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢cà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  T c = specific heating capacity of water (4.18 Jg-1K-1) m = mass of water (in grams) à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  T = change in temperature of the water. And find the enthalpy (heat) change of combustion per fraction of a mole of the alcohol. For example: Mass of water (m) = 100g ( ±0.5), Change in Temperature (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  T) = 20.00 °C ( ±0.10) Therefore, Heat Energy Transferred (Q) = mà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢cà ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  T (degree of uncertainty) = 100 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ 4.18 à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ 20 ( ±0.5 +  ±0.10) = 8360 J ( ±0.6) = 8.36 kJ ( ±0.6) This is the same for every reaction as the mass of water remains constant. From here on, I can calculate the enthalpy change per fraction of a mole of the substance as it combusts to form its products: à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Hc Alcohol + Oxygen → Carbon Dioxide + Water Mass of Methanol used = 1.52g ( ±0.02) Number of moles (N) = M/RMM (percentage degree of uncertainty) = 1.52g / 32.04g ( ±2.00% +  ±0%) = 0.0474 mol ( ±2.00%) Where, M = Mass of the Alcohol used to heat the amount of water RMM = Relative Molar Mass of the Alcohol obtained from the data book, so the percentage uncertainty is  ±0% à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â€ž ¢ Enthalpy change of Combustion (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Hc) = Q/N (percentage degree of uncertainty) = 8.36 kJ / 0.0474 mol ( ±7.17% +  ±2.00%) = 176.22 ( ±9.17%) All calculations are done similarly. Fuel Name Average Initial mass/g ( ±0.01) Average Final mass/g ( ±0.01) (M) Mass used/g ( ±0.02) (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  T) Temp change/ °C ( ±0.10) (Q) Heat Energy Transferred/kJ ( ±0.12) (N) Number of Moles used/mol ( ±2.00%) (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Hc) Enthalpy change of Combustion ( ±9.17%) /kJ mol-1 Methanol 180.64 179.11 1.52 20.00 8.36 4.74 x10-2 -176.22 Ethanol 215.08 214.00 1.08 20.00 8.36 2.34 x10-2 -356.62 Propan-1-ol 228.05 226.65 1.40 20.00 8.36 2.33 x10-2 -358.82 Butan-1-ol 174.30 173.65 0.65 20.00 8.36 0.88 x10-2 -953.29 Pentan-1-ol 171.90 171.16 0.75 20.00 8.36 0.85 x10-2 -982.58 Octan-1-ol 218.25 217.29 0.96 20.00 8.36 0.74 x10-2 -1134.09 Conclusion: From the table it is evident that the molar mass of an alcohol increases the amount of heat energy it dispenses per fraction of a mole. Also, the graph shows that there is a positive correlation between molar mass and enthalpy change of combustion for alcohols. What could explain the relation is that as the molar mass increases there is an increase in the number of available carbon atoms to combine with oxygen and release energy. Therefore, an increase in molar mass will have an incremental effect on the enthalpy change of combustion. Evaluation: Fuel Name Literature à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Hc Value (LV) Experimental à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬  Hc Value (EV) Literature error (EV – LV)/LV*100 Methanol -726.00 -176.22 75.76% Ethanol -1367.30 -356.62 74.00% Propan-1-ol -2021.00 -358.82 82.24% Butan-1-ol -2675.60 -953.29 64.38% Pentan-1-ol -3328.70 -982.58 70.48% Octan-1-ol -5293.60 -1134.09 78.58% Table depicting the percentage error of the experimental value from the actual value available in the data book Average Literature error: 74.22% The results are not consistent with the literature values, all of the reactants did not completely combust due to the lack of oxygen, leading to the formation of soot and carbon monoxide, which means that the heat output is less than it would have been if all of the carbon burnt, since the calculations are based on the mass of the un-burnt carbon, the calculated value is less than the literature value. The beaker would not have transferred all the heat across; some would have been lost in heating the beaker as well as the clamp and stand, this would have caused the value to be less than the actual value. Other possible sources of error could be by slight differences in the values of the fixed variables, like the mass of water not being exactly 100g, due to incorrect reading of the measuring cylinder caused by a parallax (when the scale is read at an angle to the eye, as the light is refracted through the glass, the reading appears to be at a different position). The same error could have been also made in the reading of the thermometer, causing there to be wrong temperature readings. There were some anomalies when reading the graph as two values were almost identical. It could have been due to the amount of wick on the burner as it would not have been exactly the same (6mm) on each burner as this was difficult to measure. This would have caused differences in the amount of alcohol burnt. The flame was not always just touching the beaker, as this again was difficult to measure accurately, and would have caused differences in the amount of heat given off as the temperature of the flame is different at different heights. Also, the thermometer was not in the same place at each temperature recording, as even though the water was stirred, there would be differences in the temperature of the water at different depths. Errors mentioned in conducting Experiment Possible corrections that could be made Incomplete Combustion of reactants Placing the fuel in an airtight chamber and controlling the flow of air through valves as to make the correct stoichiometric balance ratio of carbon and oxygen. Heat loss to the surrounding Insulation of the beaker, boss, clamp and stand by wrapping them with polystyrene. Also, Preventing any draught from carrying the heat energy away by placing a board to shield it. Parallax error Position of eye at all volumetric vessels must be at the same level as the meniscus. Transfer of heat energy to the liquid A calorimeter made of a better heat conducting material, perhaps something strong and lightweight like aluminium.

Self-discovery in Shakespeares King Lear :: King Lear essays

Self-discovery in King Lear Through the course of the play, King Lear goes through a process of attaining self-knowledge, or true vision of one's self and the world. With this knowledge, he goes through a change of person, much like a caterpillar into a butterfly. In the beginning, King Lear's vanity, and the image and exercise of power dominate his person. But a series of losses (based on his own bad decisions), a "fool" of a conscious, a powerful storm, a "supposed" crazy man, and the death of the one who truly loved him, clear his vision and allow him to see the himself and the world as they truly are. The pain and suffering endured by Lear eventually tears down his strength and sanity. Lear is not as strong, arrogant, and filled with pride as he was in the beginning of the play instead he is weak, scared, and a confused old man. At the end of the play Lear has completely lost his sanity with the loss of his daughter Cordelia and this is the thing that breaks Lear and leads to his death. In the beginning, King Lear shows his need for praise is how he chooses to divide his kingdom among his daughters. The one who praises him with the most "gusto" shall receive the largest area of land. This is even more evident when you consider that he already has divided up the kingdom before the praising even begins. As evident as he gives each daughter her land before hearing the next daughter's praise. Thus the who thing is just a show and an ego boost to himself. It is because of his love for praise that makes him react so strongly to Cordelia and Kent when they do not act as he would like them to. It could be said he is like a child who doesn't remember all that his family has done for them, but only sees them saying no to a piece of candy. In the play, this is shown in his banishment of Cordelia and Kent. Kent is probably one of the most loyal people in the room (not to mention his kingdom), and it is Cordelia that truly does love Lear. But because they choose not to contribute to this "ego trip", they are banished. In fact, he threatens to kill Cordelia if she is found in ten days. Lear says, "Upon our kingdom; if, on the tenth day following, Thy banished trunk be found in our dominions, The moment of thy death.

Buddha’s Brain

[in the SPOTLIGHT] Richard J. Davidson and Antoine Lutz Buddha’s Brain: Neuroplasticity and Meditation I n a recent visit to the United States, the Dalai Lama gave a speech at the Society for Neuroscience’s annual meeting in Washington, D. C. Over the past several years, he has helped recruit Tibetan Buddhist monks for— and directly encouraged—research on the brain and meditation in the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior at the University of WisconsinMadison. The findings from studies in this unusual sample, as well as related research efforts, suggest that over the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the long-term practitioners had actually altered the structure and function of their brains. In this article we discuss neuroplasticity, which encompasses such alterations, and the findings from these studies. Further, we comment on the associated signal processing (SP) challenges, the current status, and how SP can contribute to advancing these studies. WHAT IS NEUROPLASTICITY? The term neuroplasticity is used to describe the brain changes that occur in response to experience. There are many different mechanisms of neuroplasticity, ranging from the growth of new connections to the creation of new neurons. When the framework of neuroplasticity is applied to meditation, we suggest that the mental training of meditation is fundamentally no different than other forms of skill acquisition that can induce plastic changes in the brain [1], [2]. WHAT IS MEDITATION? The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices, ranging from techDigital Object Identifier 10. 109/MSP. 2007. 910429 niques designed to promote relaxation to exercises, performed with a more farreaching goal such as a heightened sense of well-being. It is thus essential to be specific about the type of meditation practice under investigation. In [3], meditation was conceptualized as a family of complex emotional and attentional regulatory strategies developed for various ends, including the c ultivation of well-being Buddhist Vipassan? and Mah? mudr? , a a a and are also implicated in many popular secular interventions that draw on Buddhist practices. FINDINGS OF BRAIN CHANGES IN MEDITATION In what follows, we summarize the changes in the brain that occur during each of these styles of meditation practice. Such changes include alterations in patterns of brain function assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), changes in the cortical evoked response to visual stimuli that reflect the impact of meditation on attention, and alterations in amplitude and synchrony of highfrequency oscillations that probably play an important role in connectivity among widespread circuitry in the brain. EXPERIMENTAL SETUP The experiments described below that measure hemodynamic changes with fMRI require a high-field-strength magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner equipped with the appropriate pulse sequences to acquire data rapidly and with the necessary fiber optic stimulus delivery devices so that visual stimuli can be presented to the subject while he or she lays in the bore of the magnet. For the studies that measure brain electrical activity, a high-density recording system with between 64 and 256 electrodes on the scalp surface is used. FA MEDITATION A recent study [4] used fMRI to interrogate the neural correlates of FA (continued on page 172) THE TERM NEUROPLASTICITY IS USED TO DESCRIBE THE BRAIN CHANGES THAT OCCUR IN RESPONSE TO EXPERIENCE. and emotional balance. Here we focus on two common styles of meditation, i. e. , focused attention (FA) meditation and open monitoring (OM) meditation. FA meditation entails voluntarily focusing attention on a chosen object in a sustained fashion. OM meditation involves nonreactively monitoring the content of experience from moment to moment, primarily as a means to recognize the nature of emotional and cognitive patterns. OM meditation initially involves the use of FA training to calm the mind and reduce distractions, but as FA advances, the cultivation of the monitoring skill per se becomes the main focus of practice. The aim is to reach a state in which no explicit focus on a specific object is retained; instead, one remains only in the monitoring state, attentive moment by moment to anything that occurs in experience. These two common styles of meditation are often combined, whether in a single session or over the course of a practitioner’s training. These styles are found with some variation in several meditation systems, including the 1053-5888/08/$25. 00 ©2008IEEE IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [176] SEPTEMBER 2007 [in the SPOTLIGHT] y=4 continued from page 176 % T2 Accuracy: Times2 Versus 1 50 40 30 20 10 0 ? 10 Novices Time1 Practitioners PZ P3b to T1 420-440 ms 0 10 1,000 F-Values ms Novices Practitioners r=? 0. 68, p=. 001 Amygdala 0. 2 0. 1 0 ? 0. 1 ? 0. 2 10 20 30 (a) V 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 20 ? 20 (d) 40 50 r=? 0. 64 Time2 +5? V ? 5? V ? 200 Blink No-Blink T1 T2 ?5 ? 4 ? 3 ? 2 ? 1 0 1 2 3? V T1-Elicited P3b Amplitude: Time2 Versus 1 (c) (b) F3 Fc5 Cp5 F4 Fc6 Cp6 V2 500 300 100 0 Blocks 50 Resting State 100 Meditative State (e) 150 Time (s) % 100 45 0 Controls % 100 45 * * % 80 Practitioners * * * * * 40 0 Ongoing Initial Baseline Baseline (g) Meditation State * Controls Practitioners * * 0 * 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 (f) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 [FIG1] Neuroimaging and neurodynamical correlates of FA and OM meditations. (a) Relationship between degree of meditation training (in years) and hemodynamic response in the amygdala (in blue) to distractor sounds during FA meditation in long-term Buddhist practitioners. Individual responses in the right amygdala are plotted (adapted from [4]). (b) The reduction in P3b amplitude (a brain-potential index of resource allocation) to the first of two target stimuli (T1 and T2) presented in a rapid stream of distracter stimuli after three months of intensive Vipassan? meditation [5]. (c) Generally, the greater the reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was a over time, the better able an individual became at accurately identifying T2 (adapted from [5] ). d)–(e) Example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6]. (e) Time course of gamma (25–42 Hz) activity power over the electrodes displayed in (d) during four blocks computed in a 20-s sliding window every 2 s and then averaged over electrodes. (f) Intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion medita tion. g) The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio. meditation in experts and novices. The study compared FA meditation on an external visual point to a rest condition during which participants do not use meditation and are simply instructed to adopt a neutral baseline state. The meditation condition was associated with activation in multiple brain regions implicated in monitoring (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), engaging attention (visual cortex), and attentional orienting (e. g. , the uperior frontal sulcus, the supplementary motor area, and the intraparietal sulcus). Although this meditation-related activation pattern was generally stronger for long-term practitioners compared to IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [172] JANUARY 2008 novices, activity in many brain areas involved in FA meditation showed an inverted u-shaped curve for both classes of subjects. Whereas expert me ditators with an average of 19,000 practice hours showed stronger activation in these areas than the novices, expert meditators with an average of 44,000 practice hours showed less activation. This inverted u-shaped function resembles the learning curve associated with skill acquisition in other domains of expertise, such as language acquisition. The findings support the idea that, after extensive FA meditation training, minimal effort is necessary to sustain attentional focus. Expert meditators also showed less activation than novices in the amygdala during FA meditation in response to emotional sounds. Activation in this affective region correlated negatively with hours of practice in life, as shown in Figure 1(a). This finding may support the idea that advanced levels of concentration are associated with a significant decrease in emotionally reactive behaviors that are incompatible with stability of concentration. Collectively, these findings support the view that attention is a trainable skill that can be enhanced through the mental practice of FA meditation. OM MEDITATION Another study [5] recently examined the idea that OM meditation decreases elaborative stimulus processing in a longitudinal study using scalprecorded brain potentials and performance in an attentional blink task. The consequence of decreased elaborative stimulus processing is that the subject is able to better attend moment-to-moment to the stream of stimuli to which they are exposed and less likely to â€Å"get stuck† on any one stimulus. The attentional blink phenomenon illustrates that the information processing capacity of the brain is limited. More specifically, when two targets T1 and T2, embedded in a rapid stream of events, are presented in close temporal proximity, the second target is often not seen. This deficit is believed to result from competition between the two targets for limited attentional resources, i. e. , when many resources are devoted to T1 processing, too few may be available for subsequent T2 processing. The study in [5] found that three months of intensive training in Vipassan? meditation (a common style of a OM meditation) reduced brain-resource allocation to the first target, as reflected in a smaller T1-elicited P3b, a brainpotential index of resource allocation. This is illustrated in Figure 1(b), which shows the reduction in P3b amplitude. In this figure, the scalp-recorded brain potentials from electrode Pz, time-locked to T1 onset as a function of T2 accuracy [detected (no-blink) vesus not detected (blink)], time (before or after three months), and group (practitioners versus novices) are shown. The scalp map shows electrode sites where this three-way interaction was significant between 420 and 440 ms. The reduction in brain-resource allocation to T1 was associated with a smaller attentional blink to T2, as shown in Figure 1(c). As participants were not engaged in formal meditation during task performance, these results provide support for the idea that one long-term effect of OM meditation may be reduction in the propensity to â€Å"get stuck† on a target as reflected in less elaborate stimulus processing and the development of efficient mechanisms to engage and then disengage from target stimuli in response to task demands. Previous studies [6] of high-amplitude pattern of gamma synchrony in expert meditators during an emotional version of OM meditation support the idea that the state of OM may be best understood in terms of a succession of dynamic global states. Compared to a group of novices, the adept practitioners self-induced higher amplitude sustained electroencephalography (EEG) gamma-band oscillations and long-distance phase synchrony, in particular over lateral fronto-parietal electrodes, while meditating. Importantly, this pattern of gamma oscillations was also sig- nificantly more pronounced in the baseline state of the long-term practitioners compared with controls, suggesting a transformation in the default mode of the practitioners as shown in Figure 1(g). Although the precise mechanisms are not clear, such synchronizations of oscillatory neural discharges may play a crucial role in the constitution of transient networks that integrate distributed neural processes into highly ordered cognitive and affective functions. An example of high-amplitude gamma activity during a form of OM meditation, nonreferential compassion meditation, in long-term Buddhist practitioners [6] is shown in Figure 1(d) and (e). The intra-individual analysis of the ratio of gamma to slow oscillations (4–13 Hz) averaged across all electrodes during compassion meditation is illustrated in Figure 1(f). The abscissa represents the subject numbers, the ordinate represents the difference in the mean ratio between the initial state and meditative state, and the black and red stars indicate that this increase is greater than two and three times, respectively, the baseline standard deviation. The significant interaction between group (practitioner, control) and state (initial baseline, ongoing baseline, and meditation state) for this ratio is shown in Figure 1(g). The relative gamma increase during meditation was higher in the postmeditation session. In the initial baseline, the relative gamma was already higher for the practitioners than the controls and correlated with the length of the long-term practitioners’ meditation training through life (adapted from [6]). SP CHALLENGES While SP has a unique opportunity to contribute to this novel effort to chart the manner in which the brain may be transformed through the mental practice of meditation, there are several associated challenges. Among these challenges are the characterization of different signatures of brain function that distinguish among different meditation practices, IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [173] JANUARY 2008 [in the SPOTLIGHT] continued the parsing of variance in brain activity that may be due to changes in peripheral physiology such as respiration, and the simultaneous measurement of electrical and hemodynamic signals to harness the best temporal and spatial resolution possible. IMPACT ON BRAINCOMPUTER INTERFACES One of the interesting implications of the research on meditation and brain function is that meditation might help to reduce â€Å"neural noise† and so enhance signal-to-noise ratios in certain types of tasks. In contexts where brain-computer interfaces are being developed that are based upon electrical recordings of brain function, training in meditation may facilitate more rapid learning. This idea warrants systematic evaluation in the future. FUTURE WORK Ongoing and future work focuses on a few distinct directions. One of the crucial areas requiring attention is the characterization of changes in connectivity among the various brain circuits that are engaged by these practices. The development of new methods to probe different aspects of connectivity (both structural and functional) will be extremely valuable in furthering this line of inquiry. The goal of such work is to better understand how different circuits are integrated during meditation to produce the behavioral and mental changes that are said to occur as a result of such practices, including the promotion of increased well-being. AUTHORS Richard J. Davidson ([email  protected] edu) is a director and Antoine Lutz ([email  protected] edu) is an associate scientist, both with the Waisman Laboratory for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison. REFERENCES [1] A. Berger, O. Kofman, U. Livneh, and A. Henik, â€Å"Multidisciplinary perspectives on attention and the development of self-regulation,† Prog. Neurobiol. , vol. 82, no. 5, pp. 256–286, 2007. [2] R. A. Poldrack, â€Å"Neural systems for perceptual skill learning,† Behav. Cognit. Neurosc. Rev. , vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 76–83, 2002. [3] A. Lutz, J. P. Dunne, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Meditation and the neuroscience of consciousness: An introduction,† in The Cambridge Handbook of Consciousness, P. D. Zelazo and E. Thompson, Eds. Cambridge, U. K. : Cambridge Univ. Press, in press. [4] J. A. Brefczynski-Lewis, A. Lutz, H. S. Schaefer, D. B. Levinson, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Neural correlates of attentional expertise in long-term meditation practitioners,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 104, no. 7, pp. 11483–11488. [5] H. A. Slagter, A. Lutz, L. L. Greischar, A. D. Francis, S. Nieuwenhuis, J. M. Davis, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Mental training affects use of limited brain resources,† PLoS Biol. , vol. 5, no. 6, pp. e13800010008, 2007. [6] A. Lutz, L. Greischar, N. B. Rawlings, M. Ricard, and R. J. Davidson, â€Å"Long-term meditators self-induce high-amplitude synchrony during mental practice,† Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. , vol. 101, no. 46, pp. 16369–16373, 2004. [SP] I N D I A N A U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ P U R D U E U N I V E R S I T Y †¢ F O R T WAY N E FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER OF EXCELLENCE IN WIRELESS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) Department of Engineering invites applications and nominations for the position of Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research. Candidates must possess a recognized national reputation for research excellence in the field of wireless communication. Master’s degree required; possession of an earned doctorate in electrical engineering or its equivalent is highly desired. Preference will be given to candidates with a strong history of applied research, industry collaboration, and experience in Department of Defense-funded projects. The initial appointment will be for a period of three years with the option for subsequent renewal based upon performance. IPFW is a regional campus of both Indiana University and Purdue University and is the largest university in northeast Indiana. Serving more than 12,000 students and offering more than 180 degree options, IPFW is a comprehensive university with a strong tradition of service to and collaboration with the region. The Department of Engineering offers B. S. degrees in electrical, computer, civil, and mechanical engineering. The M. S. egree in engineering with concentrations in electrical, mechanical, computer, and systems engineering will be launched during the 2007-2008 school year. The department presently includes 16 full-time faculty members and has approximately 300 undergraduate students. The Founding Director of the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research shall have the following responsibilities: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Establish the Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research, emphasizing the practical application of wireless technology for the needs of the regional defense industry. Expand collaboration with industry through sponsored research. Establish a wireless laboratory to support courses in wireless communication. Develop a series of undergraduate courses that would lead to an undergraduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and teach courses for the Master of Science in Engineering (MSE) – electrical engineering concentration – that would lead to a graduate certificate in wireless communication. Develop and offer credit and non-credit professional development experiences for regional employees. Participate in IEEE 802. X standards development. Coordinate and host conferences on the application of wireless technology with an emphasis on defense applications and emerging commercial wireless technologies. This position offers a unique opportunity to build a Center of Excellence in Wireless Communication Research and to significantly expand industry-university collaborative research in the fields of wireless networks. IPFW offers a competitive salary and benefits package and an excellent work environment. Fort Wayne is the second largest city in Indiana and is located within several hours of Chicago, Columbus, Cincinnati, Detroit, and Indianapolis. It boasts affordable housing, a low cost of living and a safe environment in which to raise a family. The region is home to seven major defense contractors employing over 1,800 engineers working in the fields of wireless communication, sensor networks, C4, network-centric systems, and defense products. Applicants with extensive industrial rather than university career experience will be given serious consideration and are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates demonstrating extensive contact networks within the business and governmental sectors will be preferred. To apply for this position, please visit our Web site at www. ipfw. obs. Applicants should submit a cover letter addressing wireless communication and DoD knowledge and experience, resume/vita, statement of research and teaching experience, and the names and contact information for at least three references. The committee will begin review of applications immediately and the search will remain open until the position is fi lled. For additional information regarding IPFW and the Department of Engineering please visit the Web sites at: www. engr. ipfw. edu and www. ipfw. edu. ,3): LV DQ (TXDO 2SSRUWXQLW(TXDO $FFHVV$IILUPDWLYH $FWLRQ (PSORHU IEEE SIGNAL PROCESSING MAGAZINE [174] JANUARY 2008

Eligibility Rules

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